Jayce watched the new captain smooze Cat and wanted to punch his perfect teeth right down his throat. He didn’t, of course, he was far more professional that that and restricted himself to glaring at the new guy. Mason caught him and gave a little shake of his head, so Jayce stopped instantly. Okay, so Mason had info on the new guy he didn’t. He could wait to find out what it was. 

“Well, pleasant as this is,” Mason rumbled. “We really have to be getting back to the Resolute. Andrews, that all you got with you?” he asked, looking at the single pack over Jayce’s shoulder. 

“Yup,” he grinned. “Always did like to travel light.” 

“Excellent, we don’t have to wait around them. Commander,” Mason nodded. “It was a pleasure to meet you. I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.”

Rather than a nod in return, Catriona smiled and inclined her head, short of doing a full curtsy in acknowledgement. “Likewise Captain. I hope you have a pleasant day.” Then regarded the dangerous lothario with the same inflection. “You too, sir.”

However, she had a different farewell for her travel companion.

Sauntering over to her luggage, she opened one of her bags and took out several boxes similar to the ones she’d opened in the shuttle earlier. Quickly checking the labels to make sure they were what she was looking for, she slid them all into a tote bag with a picture of a blue eyed golden cat and rushed over to Jayce, handing him her gift.

“Here,” she said with a grin .”In case you get hungry again.” Realizing she needed to report in as well, she stepped back, not wanting to delay his departure with his CO and gave him a elegant yet playful wave her slender fingers. “Bye!”

And with that, she twirled on her feet with the grace of a dancer and sauntered over to her belongings that a crewman was kind enough to assist her with on the grav sled.

Jayce wasn’t often surprised, but he blinked several times as Catriona whirled away. Then he looked at Mason, who was eyeing the bag, his gaze predatory. The big captain had always been able to sniff out a snack like a damn bloodhound. 

“Mine,” he growled, casting a glance at the pretty commander as she headed out of the shuttlebay, then glaring at Mason. “I will cut you!”

Mason chuckled and reached out to clap him on the shoulder. “Good to have you back, Andrews. Come on then, let’s get off this luxury liner before we start missing what we haven’t got.” 

Jayce grabbed his pack, keeping his snacks on the opposite side from Mason and the three of them headed out of the shuttlebay headed for the transporter room.

Despite her large amount of luggage, it didn’t take long before Catriona was on her way up to the bridge with another tote bag in hand. She was used to traveling a lot and managing personal logistics was second nature to her by now.

Well, that and the young bright-eyed crewman who assisted her in putting her things aside seemed eager to help, even before she rewarded him with some brownies and cookies for his kind assistance.

But now the treats she had in the large totebag she held in the crook of her arm as she sauntered down the hall were meant for someone special, someone she hadn’t seen in a good while and was responsible for her sudden career change from the diplomatic corps to the fleet general service as a command officer.

How exciting, she thought with a smile.

She wasn’t ignorant of the way she looked. It was one of the tools in her repertoire she knew how to use well, especially as an Orlanian. She worked hard Though she also genuinely loved being the way she was, she liked being feminine. But she knew that the looks she was getting wasn’t entirely from that either. A new face up in the command decks, with a red shirt and commander’s pips? If she were them she’d be curious too.

But since her biometrics worked on the bridge doors, she clearly had permission to be there, right?

A flash of red caught in the corner of Olivia’s eye, and she turned her head, smiling as she recognised the newcomer onto the bridge. 

“Commander Holliday,” she smiled as she stood. “Welcome aboard the Canterbury. I trust your journey was a pleasant one?”

Catriona graced her with a smile of her own, along with a respectful nod of her head as the tall brunette gracefully unfolded herself from the command chair. It had been a while since they saw each other last, face to face anyway, but she still looked the same, even her signature lilac streaks in her short dark hair.

“Thank you, Captain,” she greeted with her ‘public speaking’ voice; a louder, clearer version of her normally softer lilting tone. “I’m glad to be aboard at last. The journey was… interesting.” She couldn’t help a bit more of a smile at the end as she remembered her interaction with Jayce.

“Good interesting, or bad interesting?” Olivia asked, sweeping an arm out toward her ready room in a signal for Cat to walk with her. She looked over her shoulder. “Thayer, engage and get us going, please. Beck, you have the bridge.”