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The Enterprise corridors were quieter at night, the buzz of repairs fading, laughter from returning crew drifting like echoes from shore leave. Erica walked with her hands shoved into her jacket pockets. She didn’t avoid shore leave…she just missed the ship when she wasn’t on it.
Up ahead, Una Chin-Riley stepped out of a turbolift, datapad tucked against her side, stride steady and sure. Erica’s heart did a weird skip, admiration and nerves wrestling for the same seat.
“Commander!” she called.
Una paused, turning back. Erica jogged the last few steps, absolutely not sprinting for approval.
“So…” Erica began, lowering her voice like she was sharing classified intel, “I hear a rumor you and La’an went outside the ship. As in… outside-outside. No EVA suits. Just you two, a force field, and the cold void of space. You know, casual Wednesday activity.”
One of Una’s eyebrows lifted. “How do you know that?”
“I have my sources,” Erica explained with an innocent grin.
Una’s gaze narrowed. “We signed the Scorch,” Una finally admitted, like walking on the hull of a starship was routine maintenance.
Erica’s eyes widened. “Okay, one-upping Enterprise Bingo. I can’t decide if that’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard or the most stress-inducing.”
“If I recall,” Una said smoothly, “you prefer to stay inside the ship.”
“Okay, true,” Erica conceded, cheeks warming slightly. “But I’m still allowed to be extremely jealous.”
“Jealous of me?” Una’s tone teased. “I was under the impression I’m where fun goes to die.”
Heat crawled up Erica’s neck. “I…right, so, about that…rumors are rumors. Yeomen talk. I definitely do not participate in any slander about your… fun levels.”
“Mhm.” Utterly unconvinced, clearly entertained.
Erica cleared her throat, regrouping. “Actually… I admire it. The way you lead. How you just… know what to do when things get weird. That confidence.”
The shift in Una’s expression was subtle, but real. “Things will always get weird, Lieutenant. What matters is how we show up for each other when they do.”
“We survive this by working together,” Erica murmured, Pike’s reminder slipping through.
“You should be proud of what you’ve done here. The captain dreams up wild plans, surfing a black hole comes to mind, but you’re the one who actually flies them. That isn’t a small thing.”
A small glow bloomed in Erica’s chest… pride, possibility, maybe both. She straightened imperceptibly, as if physically claiming it.
“Well…next time you do something outrageously cool and dangerous… I want in. Assuming it’s not ‘fly into certain death’ levels of dangerous.”
Una allowed herself a real smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
They reached the intersection where their paths diverged. Erica hesitated before stepping away.
“Hey, Commander?”
Una turned back. “I’m glad I’m here. On your crew.”
Una nodded once, quietly pleased. “So am I, Lieutenant.”
Erica smiled faintly. Add that to the list, she thought. Not an official one, just a quiet, running tally in her head of who she wanted to be, what kind of officer she was still becoming.