Meet an Xo

Posted on Thu Feb 5th, 2026 @ 8:50pm by Lieutenant Commander Elyse White & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami & Lieutenant Commander Sabastian Walker

1,994 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Shore Leave - Starbase 1

The USS Arcadia thrummed steadily beneath Adrianna Baciami’s boots as she waited outside Communications, arms folded loosely, dark curls pulled back in a way that suggested she’d tried—and failed—not to fuss. The ship smelled faintly of ozone and recycled air, a scent she had once sworn she’d miss and now pretended she wouldn’t. “Tell me you’re not getting sentimental,” a familiar voice said behind her.

Adrianna turned, her face breaking into a grin that was pure relief, “Elyse White. Late already. I taught you better than that.”

“Please,” Elyse replied, stepping closer and bumping Adrianna’s shoulder with her own, “You taught me how to make an entrance.” They looked at each other for a moment longer than protocol required. Elyse’s uniform was crisp, her posture easy, her expression open in that understated way that had always been her trademark. Elyse had never wasted words—but when she spoke, she meant them. “Arcadia suits you,” Elyse said warmly, “but… I can see why you’re leaving.”

Adrianna snorted, “You always could. Annoying habit.”

Elyse smiled, small but genuine, “You missed me.”

“I trained you,” Adrianna corrected, “Final year, remember? You were a baby first-year who refused to ask questions.”

“I asked them,” Elyse defended herself, “Just… selectively. You answered them anyway.”

“I tried,” Adrianna tapped the door panel and let it slide open, “Come on. Let me hand over. I leave in a few hours and I still have a few goodbyes to say.” Communications opened up around them, alive with light and motion. Elyse stepped inside and spun slowly, taking it all in. There was no reverence in the gesture—just familiarity, as though she’d always known she’d end up here.

“So… you’re really doing this,” Elyse said. It was far from a question.

“I am,” Adrianna leaned against a console, crossing her arms, “Mamma and Papà are gone. The vineyard won’t run itself. And before you say it—yes, I know I could hire someone.”

“But you won’t,” Elyse finished, “Because it’s yours. Because family.” A pause, “Because you need a life away from Starfleet after being undercover for so long.”

Adrianna’s eyes softened, “see? This is why you’re dangerous. Three sentences and you’ve said everything.”

Elyse shrugged, smirking, “efficiency.”

“You know,” Adrianna said lightly, “Starfleet thinks I’m ‘retiring’ temporarily.”

“Starfleet lies to itself,” Elyse replied, “You don’t unless you're undercover.”

Adrianna opened her mouth, then closed it again, one hand drifting unconsciously to her stomach before she caught herself. Elyse noticed. Of course she did. She didn’t comment. Best friends knew when to wait. Instead, Elyse stepped closer and nudged Adrianna again, “I’ll take care of things here. No drama. No disasters. Probably.”

“Don’t promise me that,” Adrianna said, laughing. “I’d be disappointed if you came here just to be bored. At least rough up the lower deckers once in a while. They think I'm bringing in a clone and are already terrified.”

Elyse rested her hands on the central console, glancing back at her. “You taught me how to run this place. How to listen, how to trust my gut. How to instill fear in cadets for comedic factor. How to swear in Italian when things go wrong.”

“Vaffanculo is versatile,” Adrianna said solemnly, “Very important lesson.”

Elyse smiled properly now, “I’ll visit. The vineyard. Especially when…” Elyse didn't say it, but seemed to know.

“You’d better,” Adrianna said, emotion threading her voice despite her best efforts, “There’s always a place for you, sorella.”

They stood there a moment longer, equals to the end—no ranks between them, just history and affection and a future quietly reshaping itself.

Adrianna sent out a message to Sabastian along with her resignation two minutes before Elyse had arrived. Elyse and Adrianna were sat in the head of Comms office. Adrianna was mid handover. She trusted Elyse explicitly and knew she would be a perfect fit for the Arcadia, whether she knew it or not.

Sabastian huffed as he headed to meet Adrianna. He wasn't mad that she was leaving, just sad. As he walked he saw her standing next to an unknown woman. "Baciami what is this about you leaving. I forbid it."

"Adrianna didn't even look up from the console, "you cannot forbid something that you, yourself, wanted me to do."

Elyse looked between the pair and held out her hand to Sebastian, "Ade speaks highly of you. I'm sorry for your loss. She said you're a great XO in comparison to the prior one... Thing, Thang, Was it?"

"Fang," Adrianna murmured the correction, though was clearly amused. She looked up and smiled at Sebastian, "Sebastian Walker, meet Elyse White-- my replacement. We went to the academy together."

"Very nice to meet you...and perhaps a little scary since you went to the academy together. And I assure you you were right the first time. Thing, The previous XO was Thing." He took Elyse's hand and instead of shaking it gave it a kiss. "And thank you for your condolences...it's still...a little raw," he said in the understatement of history.

Adrianna looked up hearing the understatement. She raised a brow but said nothing on the matter. "Elyse is not as scary, though she is a woman of few words. I was in third year, she was in first. I was her 'buddy'. Elyse is a league of her own."

Elyse chuckled softly, "Adrianna specialised, I didn't. I'm not Adie. Promise."

"I'm sure my engineers will be happy to hear it." He sighed. "Well, I'm still on light duty thanks to our new leader and our annoying counselor so I shall leave you with a welcome package and schedule a more formal meeting when I'm back to full schedule." He handed Elyse a data tape.

Elyse nodded, "oh no, I only pick on lower deckers. Wait..." She looked at Adrianna, "why engineers?"

Adrianna shrugged, "easy target and Vance was an engineer."

Elyse sighed and nodded, "alright. Well, I will see you soon. Ade, you need to go before you miss your transport."

Adrianna nodded and stood up. She hugged Elyse and then looked at Sabastian, "don't be a stranger."

He smiled a little. "You too." With the last of those he considered friends leaving he was truly alone. He rubbed the area over his heart. He had Lanna but he was angry at her for the duty change.

Adrianna hesitated at the door and looked back at Sabastian, "Sebastian, I left you a letter on your desk. Open it after I've gone, ok?" She looked to the floor and then stepped forward. In an uncharacteristic move, she wrapped her arms around Sebastian, hugging him tightly, "I'm a call away-- any time of day or night. We 'too strong to cry in public' people... We need to stick together."

Sabastian hugged her tight. Right now he felt as if he was alone. He wished her well and walked away shoulders slumped.

---The Letter---

Dear Sebastian,

I hope that my leaving did not come as too much of a shock. It was, after all, your idea.

I owe you an apology for the other day. It seems my grief is spilling out more than I am willing to admit out loud. Having lost my parents suddenly and the Zai following, I have not taken time to just breathe. So when everything came through about the family home, I felt lost. I felt like my hands were tied with family duty, work duty and what I owed to friends like you who stood by me through it all. This nonsense of hearts and heads conflicting truly is the bane of existence.

Not included in my resignation is my ‘why’. Starfleet seems to think my resignation is temporary, but I can assure you that will not be the case. This is very much a permanent move. So, as my friend, and my stand in family for when mine was far away– genuinely, one of the only actual level headed people that didn't pry, allow me to tell you what is actually going on.

When Zai passed, he gave me a letter. I'll attach a redacted copy to this letter. Zai, as cryptic and annoying as he could be, had faith in a second life. I believe he may have succeeded. Keep an open mind, but I've had run-ins with the god of fate and, whilst working for Starfleet, I've seen many things that just cannot be explained. I've sign posted the person I believe he has mentioned in the letter to you.

Now, he also told me to look after you. You and I both know that it is impossible to look after someone that doesn't ask for help. So, here's how I will help: if you need me, call me; if you need some catharsis, call me; if you just need a break away from Starfleet; I am now the reluctant owner of a vineyard that was made with a million children in mind– I'm sure I'll find room for you.

That brings me to my next point. I lost my temper at you because I was not ready to admit that I didn't know what to do. Between yourself and my family, I was being pressured into something that would have meant that I would have lost everything I have worked my life to have back– Vance. I lost him once and I could not do it again. I was desperately searching for loopholes but every time I found something, someone bagged me to make a decision. I kept losing my train of thought and kept thinking about what would happen if I failed.

Thankfully, having blocked everyone out for the past week, I succeeded in using a loophole in Vance's contract to get him the early retirement we spoke of in a lifetime gone by, the one he promised me before he knew that I was Starfleet, albeit on Earth, not some crazy line planet in some quadrant that has barely been discovered.

I have spent years being someone that I am not. I now have the opportunity to work out who I am. In truth, I am a little of Adrianna Regimmi (my undercover alias) because I willingly rebelled again duty because I followed my heart; I'm a little of Lieutenant Baciami because I am fearless and can lead; I'm a little bit of ‘piccolina’ (what my brothers call me because I am the youngest), because I still need my family and loved ones to protect me sometimes; I am Mrs Vance Baciami, a woman just figuring out how to share my life with someone, willingly yet unknowingly tipping the balance of things; and, as I enter this next chapter of my life, I am the matriarch of the Baciami family– a role that I am unprepared for, but someone has to keep my brothers in line… and in a few months, our own family too.

We are a lot alike, Sebastian. But, one thing is certain: just like me, your life has been split into segments– with Zai and without. I hope that in your next chapter, you find comfort and find out how to live life with Zai as a core memory– allowing his legacy of love, friendship, perfectionism and meddling to live on. Maybe not today, this week, this month, this year, or this decade– but one day, when the pain turns to nostalgia, know that you deserve to be happy again one day.

Forever just a call away,

Adrianna

P.S. The twins will want to know all about uncle Zai, especially if one is a boy– he'll want to know his namesake (don't tell Vance, but I'm sure he'll approve the name), but you need to decide whether you want to be known as uncle Seb or uncle Sebby.

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