They had reported to the Chief Engineer, followed by the Chief Medical Officer and then a Counselor.

“Okay so who is the spunk?” TJCT let the photograph go and let it land in the hand of her roomie.

TJCT had hoped that her roomie would let things lay but it seemed that, that wasn’t going to happen. She has two choices. Ignore her, or talk to her.

“Come on roomie, you’ve gotta give me something?” She pushed TJCT’s legs back towards the wall and wedged herself onto the lower bunk. “I won’t repeat anything you say.”

“He is my husband to be. On my home planet, marriages are arranged. This is Daytona Savage, he is currently one of the planets CDF Colonel’s.”

TJCT glanced at her roomie and rolled her eyes at the expression on her face. “Yes you heard me correctly. On Coolac, once a girl child reaches three they are mated with a child of the opposite gender. Females get mated at three. Males at five. The powers that be expect the marriage to take place once the female is twenty. Unless there is a reason, such as the girl manages to leave Coolac.”

“Which you managed?”

“I was lucky enough to be part of a repair crew which went to the aid of a Hirogen ship, the ship became the target of another Hirogen ship, whose captain, wanted the role of Hirogen Alpha. We got dragged into the battle. I killed the other Captain, which got me granted membership to the Hirogen network. I crewed with them for a couple of years before I joined Starfleet. I am unofficially as far as the Hirogen crew are concerned the sister of the regions Hirogen Alpha. Should I go back to Coolac, I’ll be forced to marry Savage.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Marriages are expected to increase the population. It’s not the getting pregnant that’s the problem, it’s the looking after the kid that is. I’m CDF whether I’m on Coolac or elsewhere. Kids are trained from two.”

“What does Savage say or want?”

“Me back, as his wife and back within his CDF unit.”

“When you say mated, what do you mean?”

“What do you think I mean?” It wasn’t a question. TJCT knew how it sounded, and given the pair were to marry the powers to be didn’t see any problems with it. It was meant to create a bond. A bond which saw the male dominate the female and take the lead role.

“Does Starfleet visit Coolac?”

“Yes, for shore leave and repairs.” TJCT answered. “Coolac has different sections the entire planet is ice, snow and a temperature range of minus zero centigrade through to minus twelve centigrade. There are hot ponds in the caves and underground cities.” She didn’t go into defense or offense or what species used Coolac.

Cadet Teresina Jason Christine Tanner