03-06-2026, 10:22 AM
Riley listened quietly while Commander Jensen spoke, giving him the same attention she would have given any instructor back at the Academy. The story wasn’t dramatic in the way holonovels liked to make things dramatic. It was simpler than that—someone had died on his first mission. That was the part that stuck with her. Her hands rested loosely together on the table as she thought about it, fingers lightly interlaced while her mind turned the words over.
Use the pain. Learn from it.
It wasn’t comfortable, but it made sense. When Jensen finished, Riley gave a small nod. “Yes, sir. It does.” She paused briefly, choosing her words more carefully now that she was actually saying them out loud. “I think the part that sticks with you isn’t just the loss. It’s realizing there was a decision somewhere in the chain that led to it. Whether it was yours… or someone else’s.” Her gaze dropped briefly to the tabletop as the memory surfaced again. “With Tomer, I keep replaying where that line was. The moment where it stopped being something we could prevent.” She wasn’t looking for reassurance. It showed in the way she said it. Riley was trying to understand it more than anything else. “But if the point is making sure the next time goes differ—”
The doors behind them slid open.
Riley caught the movement in her peripheral vision and glanced back just as Lieutenant Commander Qi stepped into the room. The timing was almost perfect. She gave a small, amused exhale through her nose as her sentence died halfway out of her mouth.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”
Riley shook her head and gave him a polite nod. “Not at all, sir.” Just like that, the moment shifted. Whatever quiet conversation had been happening between her and the First Officer folded naturally back into something more official as Jensen greeted the ship’s Chief Science Officer and asked about the readiness of the Science department.
Riley leaned back slightly in her chair while the two senior officers spoke. It wasn’t really her place to jump in now, so she simply listened. After a moment she reached down beside her chair and pulled out a PADD. The movement was casual but purposeful. She might not have expected to end up sitting in on a senior officer briefing today—but that didn’t mean she was going to waste the opportunity.
The screen flickered on, and Riley pulled up a quick notes page. Nothing fancy—just a few short lines as she listened. Science readiness. Possible environmental concerns. Things Security might get dragged into later.
If you’re in the room, pay attention.
That was one of those Academy lessons that had stuck with her. Every once in a while her eyes lifted from the PADD to the officers speaking across the table. Watching how they handled the conversation was just as useful as whatever information they were actually discussing. For a moment her stylus stopped moving and her gaze drifted toward the empty chair at the head of the table.
One day… maybe.
She wasn’t naive enough to think command was anywhere close. Not next year. Probably not even in the next decade. Still, everyone who ever sat in that chair had started somewhere. If she ever wanted to get there someday—on this ship or another—then moments like this mattered. Watching. Listening. Learning how the people already sitting at the table carried themselves.
Riley resumed jotting a few notes until the conversation between the two senior officers began to wind down. Once it sounded like there was a natural pause, she set the stylus down and let the PADD dim before looking toward Qi.
“Lieutenant Commander Qi?” Her tone was respectful, though a little more relaxed now. “I’ve actually heard your name before.” She nudged the PADD aside slightly. “My Academy partner—T’Varen—transferred to the Yeager not too long ago. She’s mentioned you a couple of times.” A small smile crept onto Riley’s face. “She had good things to say about you… or at least as close to good things as you tend to get from a Vulcan.”
Riley straightened slightly and adopted her best attempt at T’Varen’s calm, measured delivery—her voice flattening and her posture stiffening just enough to sell the impression.
“She described you as ‘consistently competent, measured in judgment, and unlikely to make reckless scientific conclusions.’”
The imitation held for exactly one beat before Riley relaxed again, a hint of amusement returning to her expression. “Which, coming from T’Varen, is basically a glowing endorsement. Although the first time she said it, I honestly couldn’t tell if she was complimenting you or issuing a formal evaluation.”
A quiet breath escaped her.
“So I figured I’d clarify that before someone misunderstood the compliment.”
== Tags ==
Use the pain. Learn from it.
It wasn’t comfortable, but it made sense. When Jensen finished, Riley gave a small nod. “Yes, sir. It does.” She paused briefly, choosing her words more carefully now that she was actually saying them out loud. “I think the part that sticks with you isn’t just the loss. It’s realizing there was a decision somewhere in the chain that led to it. Whether it was yours… or someone else’s.” Her gaze dropped briefly to the tabletop as the memory surfaced again. “With Tomer, I keep replaying where that line was. The moment where it stopped being something we could prevent.” She wasn’t looking for reassurance. It showed in the way she said it. Riley was trying to understand it more than anything else. “But if the point is making sure the next time goes differ—”
The doors behind them slid open.
Riley caught the movement in her peripheral vision and glanced back just as Lieutenant Commander Qi stepped into the room. The timing was almost perfect. She gave a small, amused exhale through her nose as her sentence died halfway out of her mouth.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”
Riley shook her head and gave him a polite nod. “Not at all, sir.” Just like that, the moment shifted. Whatever quiet conversation had been happening between her and the First Officer folded naturally back into something more official as Jensen greeted the ship’s Chief Science Officer and asked about the readiness of the Science department.
Riley leaned back slightly in her chair while the two senior officers spoke. It wasn’t really her place to jump in now, so she simply listened. After a moment she reached down beside her chair and pulled out a PADD. The movement was casual but purposeful. She might not have expected to end up sitting in on a senior officer briefing today—but that didn’t mean she was going to waste the opportunity.
The screen flickered on, and Riley pulled up a quick notes page. Nothing fancy—just a few short lines as she listened. Science readiness. Possible environmental concerns. Things Security might get dragged into later.
If you’re in the room, pay attention.
That was one of those Academy lessons that had stuck with her. Every once in a while her eyes lifted from the PADD to the officers speaking across the table. Watching how they handled the conversation was just as useful as whatever information they were actually discussing. For a moment her stylus stopped moving and her gaze drifted toward the empty chair at the head of the table.
One day… maybe.
She wasn’t naive enough to think command was anywhere close. Not next year. Probably not even in the next decade. Still, everyone who ever sat in that chair had started somewhere. If she ever wanted to get there someday—on this ship or another—then moments like this mattered. Watching. Listening. Learning how the people already sitting at the table carried themselves.
Riley resumed jotting a few notes until the conversation between the two senior officers began to wind down. Once it sounded like there was a natural pause, she set the stylus down and let the PADD dim before looking toward Qi.
“Lieutenant Commander Qi?” Her tone was respectful, though a little more relaxed now. “I’ve actually heard your name before.” She nudged the PADD aside slightly. “My Academy partner—T’Varen—transferred to the Yeager not too long ago. She’s mentioned you a couple of times.” A small smile crept onto Riley’s face. “She had good things to say about you… or at least as close to good things as you tend to get from a Vulcan.”
Riley straightened slightly and adopted her best attempt at T’Varen’s calm, measured delivery—her voice flattening and her posture stiffening just enough to sell the impression.
“She described you as ‘consistently competent, measured in judgment, and unlikely to make reckless scientific conclusions.’”
The imitation held for exactly one beat before Riley relaxed again, a hint of amusement returning to her expression. “Which, coming from T’Varen, is basically a glowing endorsement. Although the first time she said it, I honestly couldn’t tell if she was complimenting you or issuing a formal evaluation.”
A quiet breath escaped her.
“So I figured I’d clarify that before someone misunderstood the compliment.”
== Tags ==