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Captain Kirk stood on the observation deck of Outpost Number 4 and surveyed the debris strewn across the neutral zone. Several tense days of cat and mouse with the Romulan ship had left his crew tired. The fact that they had won by the skin of their teeth had bolstered their moods considerably, and it helped that they could look forward to a bit of shore leave next as well, but this particular mission wasn’t finished.
“That was quite the exercise, Commander,” Kirk called over his shoulder as he heard the automatic doors hiss open, “I’m surprised you kept going as long as you did.”
“We are creatures of duty, it is not our way to surrender,” Commander Tal replied, coming to stand alongside him.
Kirk shook his head in wry amusement. The Romulan commander was an adept tactician and had caused Kirk to use all his skills and knowledge to eke out the lead. There was nothing like being truly challenged. Both ships had taken extensive damage and more than a few ‘casualties’ on the side of the Romulans, although only one Enterprise crewman had had the misfortune of being declared ‘dead’.
“In a different reality, we would have called each other adversaries, but I am glad that, in this one, I call you friend. We are of a kind,” Tal remarked thoughtfully, appraising Kirk from head to toe, cataloguing his physical form and comparing it to what he had learned of the other man over the course of their war game.
“A different reality, another life,” mused the golden man, “But our people are allies in the here and now.”
“Would you care for a drink then, Captain Kirk, to celebrate the ties that bind our peoples,” Tal asked as he pulled a bottle of Romulan Ale from a deep pocket hidden in his oversash.
“That would be delightful!” Kirk threw his head back as he laughed heartily, clapping Tal on the shoulder, “And then you can stick around and watch a human wedding. I’ll be officiating for two of my crew and I’m sure it will prove to be a good cultural experience for you.”