Midgard III had been chosen for settlement by human colonists during the Federation’s early years for its Earth-like climate. That included the diversity of biomes, landscapes, and temperature ranges, and so after over two hundred years, settlements were spread across the planet. When Valance had first read about the planet, she’d assumed the settlements nearer the equator would be the largest and most significant; in her experience, humans liked being warm.

But it was not so. Rich mineral deposits discovered on a continent in the northern hemisphere meant the first major cities had grown in a harsher, colder climate that saw snowy conditions throughout much of the year. The centre of government was in the frost-bound city of Ymir, as well as the headquarters for most of the planet’s companies and organisations.

So when Valance beamed down to the Twilight Isles for her next meeting, it was to find herself on nothing more than a sun-soaked, beach-side pleasure resort. At once, she was sweltering in her uniform but resisted the urge to loosen the jacket or collar as she followed directions to the beach. This had been pitched as a professional meeting, after all.

It became rapidly apparent that the other party did not get that memo. She found them quite quickly at the beach but had to wait, sweating under the direct sun, as she watched them cutting through high waves on a board. More than once, they took a tumble. Valance knew she’d been spotted by the second time when they waved enthusiastically from the foam – before turning back to the sea.

Only once the surfboard had cruised neatly to the sand did Zihan Shepherd hop into the shallows, haul the board up to her shoulder, then sweep wet hair from her face and pad up the beach towards her. ‘Valance! You should have brought a suit!’

Valance waited until they weren’t both shouting across a beach, thick with tourists and officers on shore leave, before replying. ‘The commodore said we could meet here.’

Shepherd swung the surfboard to plant it in the sand beside them. ‘Qureshi said you’d be coming down to visit. You’re not on leave, too?’

‘There’s no time for leave.’ Valance wasn’t sure why she was irritated. Shepherd was one of the only command-level officers who’d been with the squadron throughout the Deneb campaign and not come through with a black mark. She’d covered herself in glory in the Battle of Izar, then stayed behind to help the immediate recovery effort while Valance had shot off with Endeavour. She deserved a break. She’d been given a break.

But Lionel Jericho had also forced Valance off Endeavour and replaced her with Shepherd. It was difficult to shake the sense of bitter territorialism.

‘Right,’ said Shepherd, seemingly unaware of the tension. ‘Pathfinder shipping out soon?’

‘She is,’ Valance confirmed. ‘I’m not going with her.’ Should she be diplomatic? Was this a delicate moment? ‘I’ve been given command of Endeavour.’ In the end, she could not swallow a seasoning of snide success.

Shepherd’s eyebrows hit her hairline. ‘Oh damn? I guess Rourke really is screwed. Congratulations.’

Valance could not detect anything but surprised sincerity. ‘The commodore and I talked about personnel decisions. He said you’d had a conversation about your future.’

‘Yeah, Qureshi really is trying to scalp people for Midgard, huh?’ Now Shepherd frowned, but it was a thoughtful gaze. She turned to look back across the beach, this gentle idyll that was, Valance suspected, more peaceful than anywhere in the whole sector. ‘So what’re you trying to do, Valance? Ask me if I want to stay on as XO? Tell me I’m out?’

‘I don’t know you,’ Valance said with calm sincerity. ‘But I don’t have someone immediately lined up instead.’

‘That’s not “I love your work, I love your style, I must keep you,”’ Shepherd pointed out. ‘You’re not going to bring over Dashell from Pathfinder?’

‘I think Commander Dashell will be much happier heading up the science department here on Gateway.’ She had a lot of respect for the seasoned scientist. But Endeavour would be a different creature to Pathfinder. She didn’t feel like she needed the training wheels Dashell had been there to provide for her and for others. ‘What do you want, Commander?’

Shepherd set her hands on her hips, looked at the sun-streaked sand, and sighed. ‘You know, I didn’t think my job was gonna be in question after all this?’

‘None of this is a reflection on -’

‘Times change.’ A dismissive hand was waved. ‘I’m not collapsing into a singularity of self-doubt, Valance. I know I’ve kicked some ass. I know there’s medals in my future after Izar. That was kinda the point Qureshi was making: I can do pretty much what I want.’

The simple confidence took Valance aback. She was accustomed to officers who bragged, and officers who downplayed their own achievements. Shepherd’s relaxed acceptance of her own demonstrated excellence was something else. Valance shifted her feet. ‘Which brings me back to my question.’

Shepherd gave a quiet, thoughtful smile. ‘He offered me XO here on Gateway. Which I originally thought – what the hell? I’m not cut out for station life. Then I thought… I could get used to surfing before breakfast on a real beach.’

Valance blinked. ‘If you prefer this kind of posting, I understand…’

‘Oh, no, you really didn’t…’ Shepherd shook her head. ‘I’m joking, Valance. I told Qureshi no, at first. Then he explained, well. Everything.’ She said it with a subtle emphasis, like she was expecting Valance to understand. But she didn’t, and before she could ask, Shepherd seemed to realise her gaffe and pressed on quickly. ‘He doesn’t want an XO to sit behind a desk. He wants an XO who’s going to represent the station, represent Command, as far as our reach extends. Roam where his desk won’t let him go.’

Valance tilted her head. ‘Take the Tempest out for a spin when he can’t?’ She’d seen Gateway’s attached ship, a neat little Rhode Island-class, when Endeavour had come in. Last-generation though she was, she was fast and well-equipped and an exciting prospect for any officer to get their hands on.

Shepherd gave a toothy grin. ‘Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed my time on Endeavour. I’ll miss the team. But I figure that there are going to be some changes anyway?’

‘I haven’t finalised my decisions. I thought that was something we’d do best to talk about if you were staying aboard. But, yes. I know Qureshi wants Commander Far, for instance. I know that with Captain Rourke gone, Doctor Sadek would like to work on Gateway and bring her family back to live with her. There’ll be others.’

‘Yeah. How’s Whitaker doing?’

Valance swallowed at that. In the early stages of the engagement with the Dominion at Farpoint, Endeavour had taken a heavy salvo from a battleship while covering the Caliburn’s flank. The helm controls had overloaded, leaving Lieutenant Whitaker grievously injured, forcing Lieutenant Lindgren to take his post for the rest of the battle. ‘We transferred him to the medical facilities here. In part so Sadek can oversee his recovery. She thinks he’ll be fine.’

Shepherd sucked her teeth. ‘He’s a good pilot.’ Then she gave a wicked smile. ‘I wonder if he wants a job here.’

Valance’s eyebrows raised. ‘You’re poaching my officers? Why would Whitaker want flight control?’

‘He wouldn’t. He’d love to run the fighter wing, though…’ Shepherd’s grin widened, then she shook her head. ‘Unclench, Valance. Again, I’m joking. Yikes, you really are everything your reputation said, huh?’

Valance stiffened. ‘I’m glad you’ve found an opportunity that suits you, Commander -’

‘Shep.’ Perhaps Shepherd realised she’d misstepped. Perhaps this was what she was always like. ‘I don’t like standing on ceremony at the best of times, and you and me are pretty much equals, Valance. You can call me Shep.’ She looked at her hand, then brushed the sand off before extending it towards her. ‘Congratulations on Endeavour. It must be nice to be home.’

Home. Valance swallowed, and found her shoulders knotting in an entirely new way as she accepted the handshake. ‘Thank you… Shep.’ She hesitated. ‘And thank you. For looking out for them.’

Shepherd’s gaze softened. ‘That seems like the first responsibility for the XO of the USS Endeavour. Speaking of…’ She cocked her head. ‘Who’s your guy gonna be?’

Valance blinked. ‘My guy?’

‘Yeah. The one to sit at your right hand.’ A crooked, curious grin tugged at the lips of Endeavour’s former first officer. ‘It’s the question everyone’s gonna ask, so I figure I’d stick my nose in now I’m ahead of the curve. Maybe place some bets ‘til it’s official. Come on, Valance, even if it’s just between us, tell me: Who’s gonna be XO?’