Lexa's heart was pounding against her chest as she ran. Her long legs carried her away from the angry horde of Klingons only lengths away from clipping her heels. Next to her was her chief linguistics officer, Anya, the two of them currently racing for their lives.

"Indra, beam us up!" Lexa shouted into her comm, looking over her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she saw the shot blast from one of their weapons, and just narrowly avoided it as she ducked. She let out a hiss of pain as a blade of grass whipped her cheek, leaving a brilliant red gash along the side of her face.

"It's hard to do that when you're moving!" Indra retorted, a hint of impatience in her tone. Even so, Lexa knew she was really only arguing for the sake of doing so. There was also the issue that Indra had disagreed with the prime directive that had landed them on Kronos in the first place. The prime directive to gather intelligence on Klingon intentions with a planet in neutral territory was what resulted in Lexa's current predicament. Being chased by angry, homicidal Klingon warriors down a winding forest was, rather unsurprisingly, not even on the list of one hundred things to do before she died. Then again, this might be the last thing she'd do before she dies, so it is decidedly on the list of things that will kill her. But if so, she might want to kill Indra before she goes out.

"Indra, for God's sake I will kick your ass if you don't beam us up right now!" Lexa shouted as she pelted through the undergrowth. She was about to take her next step when she felt herself being transported, that familiar beaming effect that she had since grown accustomed to in her years as a member of Starfleet.

She landed hard on the pad, falling flat on her stomach with an audible groan. Next to her, Anya collapsed onto the pad, looking every bit as disheveled as Lexa felt. A hand suddenly came into her line of sight, and she looked up to meet the teasing stare of her first officer.

"Have a nice workout?" Lincoln asked with a grin. Lexa took his offered assistance, standing on tired legs, resting her hands on her knees as she took in a few deep breaths.

"We got what we came for." Lexa answered in lieu of an answer, brushing off some of the dirt and grime she had managed to collect on her dark black shirt. Lincoln laughed and patted her roughly on the back.

"Yeah, at the expense of my ass!" Anya protested as she rubbed her cramping backside. The lieutenant stood carefully, a hand still pressed against her aching rear.

"It's not my fault you don't run often enough." Lexa laughed before straightening up to her full height. She cut an imposing figure, despite only being of average height. Her inquisitive, intelligent green eyes examined the rest of the room before starting to make her way out to the hall, leaving Anya and Lincoln to scramble after her.

They just managed to catch her as she was boarding the elevator, barely pushing in after her before the doors closed. When the doors opened again, Lexa stepped out confidently.

"Captain on the bridge!" Gustus called as Lexa quickly seated herself at her chair. With practiced ease, Lexa flipped on the intercom to contact her chief engineer down at the warp core.

"Indra, status?" Lexa asked.

"Engines are fully functioning, we are clear." Indra responded immediately.

"Good, let's get the hell out of here." Lexa ordered. "Echo, if you will do the honors." Echo nodded from her position at the helm.

"Going into warp in three, two." Conn officer Echo applied pressure to the lever, and with the all-too familiar jolt, the starship fled neutral space in the blink of an eye.

Lexa Woods had been in command of the USS Washington for four years now. Assigned to the starship upon graduation at the rank of Captain, Lexa had since been involved in various engagements with planets not yet aligned to the Federation as a negotiator. With her loyal crew at her side, Lexa had often met success in the missions assigned to her by Starfleet. As a 25 year-old captain, it was unheard of to achieve the successes that she had. Lexa had often cited blind luck and a brave crew as the reason for such achievements, she knew what pride could do to some people.

Now, after a ten-month long mission in gathering intel in Klingon territory, it was time to report back to Starfleet HQ. It was also about time that she returned to Earth. As much as she did not like admitting it to anyone, Lexa had missed seeing her home planet. Not that she had much to return to though. In fact, she expected a boring three weeks of leave.

She had neither a significant other nor a family that she wanted to see. Her family really was the cause for multiple migraines, so really she was going to avoid having to visit as much as she could. The worst was her father; a former officer of Starfleet who was decorated and considered a living legend, he expected much of Lexa, and that sort of pressure did not bode well for peaceful family dinners.

The sounds of the Washington attaching its lines to the landing strip were like the chiming of a death sentence to Lexa, and she stifled a groan as she stood from the Captain's chair, stretching her arms out before moving to the lift.

Lincoln was walking next to her as they made their way down to the awaiting shuttles. He brushed some lint off of his red shirt, looking every bit as excited to be back as she was not.

"Octavia's going to have a fit when she sees this." Lincoln said eagerly as he brushed at the uniform. Lexa chuckled.

"Won't she be excited about your promotion?" Lexa asked, raising an eyebrow. They filed into the shuttle, buckling up.

"Well of course," Lincoln started as he settled in comfortably into his seat. "But she's still a lieutenant, not a lieutenant commander." He said proudly, puffing out his chest.

Lexa rolled her eyes, but patted him on the shoulder. "This promotion competition you've been having with her since the Academy really never made sense to me, but to each relationship their own."

"Please, like you haven't had those sorts of friendly competition." Science officer Costia Green took a seat on Lexa's left, claiming the only other unoccupied spot on the quickly filling shuttle. "Or have you forgotten the shaving cream incident?" Costia put a teasing hand on Lexa's shoulder.

Lincoln, from Lexa's right side, laughed. "Oh yeah, I remember that one quite well." Lexa turned her icy glare on him, and he just grinned. "Please, that hasn't worked on me since graduation!"

Lexa glared at him before turning her head to Costia. "I told you to never bring that up again." She reprimanded her other crew member.

Costia, for her part, put both hands up. "Okay okay, I'm just saying, this sort of thing isn't completely beneath you, oh mighty Captain Woods."

"Oh shut up." Lexa grunted, crossing her legs. The remainder of the flight was spent with Lexa pointedly ignoring both of them, pretending to be engrossed by the reports she was reading from her information tablet.

She was sitting alone later that night. Lexa fiddled with her scotch, staring into the depths of her drink with disinterest. The bar was buzzing with some minor activity, but Lexa wasn't feeling particularly interested. Her cheek also was stinging from that ridiculously sharp blade of grass, the gash covered with gauze taped over her cheekbone. The pinching of the bandage just added to her otherwise depressed mood at being back on Earth.

The bartender strolled over to her and refilled her tumbler without her asking. This was the third time he'd done that tonight. Lexa simply nodded to him before taking a healthy swig.

"I don't want to talk Finn, I'm done talking." The words seemed to wrap around Lexa's head, and within seconds she saw a young blonde-haired woman walk over to the bar, a floppy-haired man in tow.

The two newcomers occupied the stools to Lexa's immediate right, and she groaned inwardly. She did not come here to listen to a couple argue while she was enjoying her down time. The blonde looked up and met her eyes briefly, and Lexa was surprised by the woman's angry blue gaze. Lexa blinked quickly and looked away, sipping on her scotch.

For the next few minutes, she tried to ignore their hushed conversation. It started being difficult when the man began to raise his voice, the anger and despair evident in his tone.

"How many times do I have to say sorry?" The man asked, a fist hitting the bar top in frustration. The woman simply turned away from him. She was facing away from him, trying her best to pointedly ignore his attempts to talk to her. Meanwhile, the man seemed to get increasingly angry and desperate.

"I told you already. Stop wasting your time and leave me alone."

"No, just, listen to me okay?" The man named Finn went to grab the woman on the arm, and just as his hand was about to close around her wrist, there was a flash of movement and suddenly there was pain shooting up his entire arm as it was twisted behind his back with considerable strength.

"Leave. Me. Alone." The woman hissed through clenched teeth as she held his arm behind his back. In the few seconds, she had leapt from her seat and had avoided his aggressive actions, pushing him against the bar. When Finn nodded, his eyes closed in pain, the blonde released his arm and shoved him away from the bar.

Lexa, from her seat, watched the entire situation with wide eyes. The woman watched Finn's retreating back, and once he pushed open the doors of the bar and disappeared from view, she picked up the stool that had been knocked over in her frenzy, and after righting it, sat down with her head in her hands. Lexa caught the attention of the bartender then, signaling for him to bring a second glass.

Once he had poured an identical glass of scotch, Lexa took the drink and sent it sliding toward the blonde woman. It nudged her elbow as it slid to its intended location, and the woman removed her hands to look at the drink. She then met Lexa's eyes.

"You look like you need it." Lexa explained simply. The woman's blue eyes twinkled slightly, and she gave Lexa a cautious smile.

"Thanks." She said, before taking the glass in her hands and sipping slowly.

Lexa looked away, giving the woman some needed quiet, choosing instead to look up at the television screen mounted on the wall in front of her. She wasn't really paying attention to the match when the woman cleared her throat. Lexa tore her gaze away to give the woman her attention.

"My name's Clarke." The blonde started tentatively. She reached out a pale hand across the bar. Lexa took it in her own calloused palm.

"Lexa." She responded, squeezing gently before releasing the other woman's hand. Lexa tipped back her glass, finishing off her third scotch of the night and ordering another.

They sat there in silence, and with no other words passed between them, Clarke downed the scotch in one gulp. Wordlessly, Clarke also ordered a shot of tequila, which she took quickly and without much fuss. The brunette did not speak, instead watching as Clarke downed shot after shot. By the tenth, Lexa, impressed, made a hum of approval.

"I'm not just a pretty face, Lexa." Clarke said as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. At this point, Lexa was starting to feel that typical buzz that appeared after the alcohol started to settle into her system.

"I never assumed that." Lexa assured her even as she flagged down the bartender for something a bit stronger than what they had already been having.

"Really? I saw your wide eyes when I put Finn in an arm lock." Clarke countered. Lexa grinned at her comment.

"It's not every day that you see a big guy get put down so easily." Lexa explained. Clarke seemed to like her explanation as she smirked and lifted her glass in Lexa's direction. The brunette picked up her own glass to meet Clarke's, the clink only barely heard amidst the loud noises coming from the other side of the bar.

"So Lexa, what do you do for a living?" Clarke asked casually, propping up her chin with a hand.

"I'm an officer with Starfleet." Lexa answered. Clarke's eyes widened in surprise.

"Which starship?" She asked. Lexa raised an eyebrow. Civilians were not typically so interested in the specifics.

"The Washington." At her words, Clarke's appearance took on a myriad of emotions –surprise, admiration, and disbelief among them.

"You're Lincoln Strong's captain?" Clarke asked.

"Yes." Lexa answered carefully. She frowned at Clarke. "How do you know Lieutenant Commander Strong?"

"He's my best friend's husband!" Clarke explained. "And his wife also happens to be my newly promoted first officer." Lexa's eyebrows almost disappeared into her hair, her high forehead displaying all sorts of shock.

"Wait, which ship do you have?" Lexa asked.

"The USS Ark." Lexa blew air from her lips noisily once she heard those words leave Clarke's mouth. She thought she had looked familiar. She must have seen her at an officers' briefing once at headquarters.

"So you're the famous Griffin we keep hearing about." She said, taking a swig from her tumbler.

"Famous, huh?" Clarke repeated, a playful glint in her eyes. The alcohol was starting to really affect Lexa now, because her smile now came a lot easier.

"Your actions against the Romulans was the buzz of the ship last month." Lexa said approvingly. Clarke smiled and shyly looked down at the bar top before meeting Lexa's green gaze.

"Please, it hardly compares to what I heard from Lincoln. You're Captain Woods. You went down into Klingon territory to retrieve intel that other captains simply wouldn't have the balls to do."

Lexa laughed, shaking her head at Clarke's praise.

"Really, it's all part of the job. We're captains, we have to have the balls for it." Lexa smiled, and Clarke returned the gesture.

Lexa stretched out her hand to take the shot of tequila the bartender set in front of them. Clarke took the shot glass Lexa offered her, and the two held it before their own lips. Rather dimly, Lexa noticed Clarke shifting closer to her, their shoulders almost brushing.

"To the success of our missions then, past, present, and future." Lexa stated, and with that toast they both threw back their glasses. Lexa put her shot glass back on the table, and she smirked as Clarke forcefully placed her own glass down, wiping her mouth and fixing Lexa with an intense gaze.

"So, Captain Woods, wanna get out of here?" A voice in the deep recesses of Lexa's mind immediately raised up in protest, but in her near drunk state and being in the presence of this incredible woman in front of her, any and all voices of reason were thoroughly ignored.