The clang of a weight hitting metal echoed through the corridor. Rhian winced, sipping a bitter cup of replicated tea as the sound rang again. “Are you breaking the cargo, or training with it?” she swore.

Across the room, Kordath lifted another crate over his shoulder, his muscles straining under the weight. “Both,” he grunted.

Rhian didn’t look up. “And here I thought Klingons were supposed to be graceful.”

Kordath let the crate drop with a thud that vibrated through the deck plating. “I’m not a dancer.”

“You’re not much of anything anymore,” she replied, her eyes briefly looking up before returning to her datapad.

The silence that followed was awkward. Kordath’s jaw flexed, but he said nothing. Just picked up another crate.

Rhian glanced over at him. “You’re supposed to secure those, not test their terminal velocity.”

“I am securing them,” he snapped.

She arched a brow. “Ah, the famed Klingon method. When in doubt, hit it.”

“I find it works wonders. Especially on smug Romulans.”

She smirked, just slightly. “Please. If I wanted to be smug, I’d bring up Risa.”

Kordath’s hand tightened on the crate, knuckles turning pale. “Careful, Romulan.”

“Relax,” she said, “If I wanted to insult you, I’d bring up your House. Oh wait..”

Kordath turned slowly, face unreadable. “You always speak this freely to people who could rip your spine out with one hand?”

“Only the ones who’d feel bad about it later.”

He looked at her letting out a small laugh. “You are either brave or foolish, Romulan.”

Rhian sipped her tea. “Why not both?”

The comm sounded overhead. “All hands, Sae-jin just hotwired us a shortcut. Again. Buckle in or say your prayers.”

Kordath reached for another crate. “If this ship explodes, I want it known I was not responsible.”

Rhian stood, straightening her jacket. “Don’t worry, if we explode, I’ll make sure you get full credit. With annotated footnotes, cross-referenced to your ego.”

He looked at her sideways. “You’re a strange one, Romulan.”

She bowed. “Takes one to know one, Klingon.”

Kordath snorted and went back to work. Rhian, already heading for the bridge, didn’t look back; but she kept smiling.