Teaser

Neria flashed him a glance.  Probably all recently promoted captains had to get used to the sound of being addressed as 'captain'.  She hadn't... yet.  At the same time, she found his concern touching.  A stranger who went out of his way to show concern for others... It was a noble thing.  Selfless, nonjudgmental... This was what she hoped he would be.

Minh advised against discussing this here... but how often did she listen to Minh?

"Thanks, Mr. Kaiel.  But unless you've seen your world torn down around you... then had to go back to face it..."  She trailed off, gaze drifting again: She would not have to face it again, necessarily.  Who knew what awaited them?  But more than that – She saw how this mission might be flawed.  With Arcadia removed from the timestream, would they see only events resulting from the ship's absence?  Just one possible future.  What did Starfleet hope to learn, from that?  Then again, they might see the results of Arcadia's actions – if she went to the future, came back.  The ship had an impact on the course of history in the last four years.  It was not presumptuous to believe that it would continue to do so, as one of ten transgalactic vessels, part of a unique fleet.

Don't worry, a voice of inner conscience told her.  Let tomorrow be tomorrow, and today be today.  Neria didn't know where it came from, but it was what she needed to hear.