Along comes a Romulan

Posted on Fri Jan 23rd, 2026 @ 5:29pm by Colonel Galen & Commander Rhupert Tyree
Edited on on Fri Jan 23rd, 2026 @ 5:30pm

1,500 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Avan's Colony
Location: Aboard the USS Astraea Imprimatur
Timeline: Immediately after That New Starship Smell. Envy.

Aboard the Astraea Imprimatur, Rhu had commandeered on of the officer messes dining niches and was waiting the Romulan Colonel to join him. He’d went through the files provided him by FI and SFI through Captain (retired) Tesha Froyce, who was also Director of the Department of Operational Analysis, an obscure part of the UFP’s bureaucracy with ties to both Federation Intelligence and Star Fleet Intelligence, that mostly only went one way.

All at the personal directive of the President.  Rhu even had that part in actual writing locked up in Valiant’s Most Secure Storage safe in his quarters. Breaking all that down, it meant Valiant, Rhu and his officers and crew worked more or less directly for the President.

And now the President had decided that the Romulans needed to be written, at least partially, into that. Rhu could only guess that meant that Valiant’s time working for Tesha might be drawing to an end. Or something else might shake it up…at best that would need to be determined through is interaction with the Romulan Colonel.

Rhu sipped at the coffee he’d brought with him into this private room and sighed.

He might be getting too old for this drahk.

Galen's orders were clear and concise just the way he liked them. They came from the Director himself, Galen was to operate a cloaking device for Starfleet. All the while learning all he can about their operations and sharing it with the Tal Shiar. For the moment he had to meet his new commanding officer. Galen approached the door to the quarters. He wore his uniform, a standard Romulan Fleet uniform as was part of his cover. Galen walked shoulder to shoulder with Starfleet Security Personnel. He rang the chime.

Rhu cycled the door and stood. He could see the Romulan, his newest crew...consultant? braced by a pair of security guards, "Come in, Colonel. I'm Rhupert Tyree," he said. Welcome to the Stray."

Galen stood at attention. The formalities of the situation were not lost on the Romulan, in fact he rather enjoyed the procedures. "Thank you Commander. I am Colonel Galen and I have been assigned to install and operate a Romulan cloaking device. I have taken the liberties of sending you the parameters by which the cloak can and can't be engaged in accordance with the agreement made between our governments." He then tilted his head slightly, questioningly. "Stray?"

"Take a seat if you like," Rhu said, gesturing toward a chair facing his as he resumed his seat and he turned his gaze to security. "You two can resume your duties. I'm responsible for this officer now." Turning back to Galen, he said, "It's an affectionate form of address for Captain Bowie's, Astraea Imprimatur...shortening the first part from Astraea to simply the Stray. Human affliction probably."

Regarding the Romulan for a moment, he reviewed the security briefing he'd read and said, "I'll depend on your console for that, though we'll need to discuss missions' case by case." His lips pressed together briefly and said, "You understand Valiant's particular standing? Security clearances being what they are, your authority doesn't stretch past the Cloak and it's use aboard Valiant. I'll listen to your console and see that you're read into the missions as fully as compartmentalization allows."

If any species understood secrecy, it was the Romulans. Further if any Romulan understood secrecy it was a high-ranking member of the Tal Shiar such as Galen. Galen leaned into the human procedures here and took the seat that was offered. "I would not have it nor expect it to be any other way. I will tell you here and repeat this whenever it may be needed. The cloak cannot be engaged for any reason within Romulan space, contested or otherwise. That is without the expressed permission of the Romulan Senate. If the duties of this vessel conflict with that general order I will take the cloak offline and remove myself from your bridge. Before we proceed, I believe that should be understood."

"That's fair, Colonel" Rhu said easily, trying to get the measure of the Romulan. He covered a brief yawn and reached for his coffee. After a pull at the mug, he asked, "How long do you think the cloak will take to install and what will you need from me and my Chief Engineer?"

"The technology and operation of our cloaking technology is one of the best kept secrets of my people. I am sure that idea is not lost on you. From you and your Chief Engineer I would simply need a secure space to install the device. This space would have to be off limits to everyone save myself, you, your Chief Engineer, and your Executive Officer. However, my government requests that no one enter the room unless I accompany them. I would also need access to your ship's computer, power grid, and tactical systems. Further if you wish I can offer a class to your crew about how your vessel will react while under cloak." Galen sat rigid straight as he spoke. At the moment he was unsure if Rhu feigned sleepiness, was tired or simply bored. No matter the outcome of that thought Galen's judgement of his new Commanding Officer had begun.

Rhu could feel the Romulan's...crispness? Fragile wasn't a good word. Galen didn't project much, but what was there indicated caution, colored by the fairly normal superiority that was a combination of the man's rank and species. The surface projections along with body language told him the Colonel had reacted to his yawn and Rhu rubbed at his eyes, only a shade theatrically, and said, "Forgive me Colonel. It's been a busy week and I've only had a couple of days worth of sleep. It's catching up with me."

He touched a diagram and brought up the Valiant's three-dimensional render to float in front of them. He then drained his mug and set it on the replicator plate. The empty cup immediately filled, dramatically from the bottom up.

The Stray got all the good toys it seemed.

The smell of coffee filled the compartment again and he took the cup. "Can I get you something...they have really good replicators aboard," he said gesturing at the replicator plate that was part of the table.

"A cup of aesollh would help immensely. If your replicator can make it. Thank you Commander." Galen was a tad homesick at the moment, although he would never admit it. Not even to himself.

Reaching up, Rhu swiped at the Valiant's image, causing it to spin slightly as he said, "Valiant is currently on her way to meet up with us in deep space from Deep Space five. She was undergoing a partial refit, but they buttoned her up. That might be something of a mess, but we'll work it out. There's a cuddy in main engineering that should serve. Direct tie into computers and the power matrix. That was in the primary Defiant design. Some power differences though. And I don't think it will effect your Cloak, but Valiant's role within Fleet Intelligence is as a Q-ship. Obviously we do more than JUST hunt pirates, but we can get liberal with her transponder codes and have an external holo-matrix that allows her to look like a merchant ship. Or anything else within a million or so tons. To both visual and sensors."

Now, that was news to Galen. Something that his superiors in the Tal Shiar will be very interested in. However, he knew better than to think about it. The briefing he received on Tyree told of the man's Betazoid heritage, and Galen had to work to keep his thoughts his own. "As I stated Commander. So, long as this ship's mission do not conflict with my government's orders I will have no issue with what this ship does. I will follow your orders to the letter so long as they do not circumvent my standing orders."

"Alright Colonel. This should prove to be an interesting relationship. Brief me on the cloak and we should be rendezvousing with the Valiant within ten hours and the transport and my Department Heads twelve hours after that. Then it'll be a head long dash for Earth."

"Yes Commander. I think we should head to the cargo bay where you can see the device first hand." The cloak was currently house in a Romulan Cargo Container. If anyone attempted to open it without the correct code it would self destruct. Galen had the only code for the container. He stood and waited for Tyree to lead the way. Galen did agree with his Commander on one point. This would be a very interesting relationship.

A joint post by:

Commander Rupert Tyree
Master and Commander, USS Valiant
aboard the USS Astraea Imprimatur

Colonel Galen
Romulan Cloak Operator, USS Valiant
aboard the USS Astraea Imprimatur

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