Lorra took a step forward, her boots thudding softly against the floor as she closed the space between them. She fixed her gaze on Locke, her eyes sharp, unwavering. “You’re going to that party,” she said, voice low and steady, each word measured. Her lips barely curled into a smirk, but the determination in her posture was unmistakable. “And you’re wearing some kind of pelt—fur, feathers, I don’t care. Maybe something dramatic.” She tilted her head slightly, her arms folding across her chest as she stared him down, daring him to protest.

Flint slightly shifted back in his stance from the Commander, he was relatively new to the ship and was still acclimatising to everyone around him, trying to be more dominant overall he pursued his stance and moved back into his original position, giving a slight smirk as he did.

“This sounds like it would be fun” he said.

“Yes, and you’re going to have fun,” Lorra said, her voice steady, a challenge in her tone. She leaned in slightly, her eyes burning with authority. “In fact, I’m ordering you to.” The weight of her words hung in the air, and the look in her eyes made it clear she wasn’t about to back down.

He stood his ground, trying to ease the movement between them both, he noticed Sienna approaching in the distance towards them both, hoping the distraction would break it apart.

Sienna Frisco, now Lieutenant Commander and XO, had walked into…something.  What it was wasn’t clear. It involved the returning Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander Lorra, and an engineering officer.  Her read of the situation was harmless, and Lorra wasn’t short on passion or drive in any part of her life.  It could, if you didn’t know her all that well, feel like she was going to move to blunt-force trauma as her next step.

Thankfully, as XO, she had read the files and slowly worked towards getting to know the Chief Engineer better. She nodded to them in greeting as she stopped next to them.

Lorra glanced over her shoulder and spotted the Executive Officer. A smile tugged at her lips as she turned to face Frisco. “Hey, Sienna, didn’t expect to see you here,” she said, her tone warm but with a hint of amusement. She gave Frisco a once-over, her brow arching. “What brings you to Engineering?” Her gaze shifted for a moment, then locked onto Frisco’s with a playful but firm edge. “And stay out of this,” she added, her smile widening just a touch. “Thanks.”

Frisco resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Lorra with a heavy dose of sarcasm.  The ensign, Flint Locke, was less known to her.  First impressions, or even second if she’d passed him unknowingly in the hallway, mattered on a ship like Valkryie.  She instead cocked her head to the side, a sly smile on her lips.  “I think we’re both here for the same reasons. The hospitality team has asked me to visit each department to get a confirmed head count…and if people dilly or dally over their reply to me – their words, not mine – then I am to employ methods of motivation to ensure everyone that can attend attends.”  She looked at them, “So, how should I mark you both down?”  She slipped a PADD into her hands, waiting.

Lorra accepted the PADD with a bright smile, her gaze flicking to Locke with a playful glint. “Of course! We were just about to head out, weren’t we, Locke?”

Flint shifted his gaze between the two, somehow, he became like someone being thrown around the middle but instantly started to enjoy the moment.

He began to nod slowly, then faster with his eyes looking one way and his head another.

“Yes…” he said sharpish, not to get pulled into an answer that would have been laid out for him.

As Lorra added their names, she tilted her head toward Frisco. “Are you joining us?” Her finger hovered for a beat before she looked up, eyes narrowing slightly as she caught the pips on her uniform. A slow grin spread across her face. “Well, would you look at that—Lieutenant Commander. Congratulations!” She tapped the PADD lightly and leaned in just a fraction. “So, are you coming along? It’s been too long—I’d love to catch up.”

The XO chuckled, a dry edge tinging her words, “Not much choice when you’re the Executive Officer and recently promoted.  Parties are not at the top my list of favorite duties, but it is part of the gig.”  She accepted the PADD back, “Catching up would be a delight – preferably in a far corner away from the main events.”  The dry tone remained as she turned to Locke, “Ensign Locke – I’m sure we’ll get a chance to know each other soon enough.  You’ve got a good chief – even with the aggressive possessiveness of her ship.”  Frisco tossed a friendly wink in at the end.

Flint admired how the XO handled herself, even in a situation she knew was unfolding in front of her, he gave a warm smile and processed to take in what was going on around him.

“Very much looking forward to it” he said.

“That’s right. Remember that—it’s my ship.” Lorra’s voice was steady, each word clipped and deliberate. Her eyes, sharp as cut glass, flicked between them, daring a challenge.

She let the silence stretch before adding, “I’ll see you both there. I need to finish up before heading out.”

Without another word, she turned, shoulders squared, movements precise. As soon as her back was to them, the tension in her jaw eased, and the corner of her mouth lifted—just a flicker of a smile, gone in an instant. The steady rhythm of her boots echoed down the corridor as she disappeared into her office.