The next day Archer began his debriefing, a task which he quickly found to be more tedious than any mission he had endured. Admiral Forrest was exacting in his questioning, but he was nothing compared to Soval. The only thing the ambassador was missing in his long list of complaints was examples of how Archer had shown poor leadership and decision making skills each mealtime when he chose his food. The one part of the debriefing he was not concerned about was the portion where Captain Hernandez would give her feedback. If there was anyone who would show him an ounce of sympathy it was her. Unfortunately that was still a long way off.
Erika only had a few notes about the mission and they were minor at that. While Archer was being questioned, she had spent her day supervising progress on the Columbia. Some things had been completed, others were not and then there were some areas where changes were being made for better efficiency, more power or greater access. All were lessons learned from the Enterprise. By late afternoon, it became obvious to the captain that she would not be giving her feedback until at least the next day. That was fine with her because there was something more important that she wanted to take care of first.
She had learned where Danaë was staying while talking with Hoshi the night before. It wasn't very far and Captain Hernandez soon boarded a transport to go there. During the ride she thought about everything she had noticed at the arena and then at the restaurant. It was not like Archer to set aside Starfleet regulations and protocol. She had always known him to be a stickler about such things. In fact, he didn't just know where the line was, he was usually the one who drew it. He had once ended their own relationship over it, so it was hard to believe he would risk it all now.
As the transport approached the apartment complex, butterflies began to flutter in Erika's stomach. She wasn't sure just how to broach such a sensitive subject. The words would have to be chosen carefully and she would have to keep the air light and friendly if she wanted to get anywhere with the lieutenant. She was going over what to say as she rang the doorbell and waited. Hoshi was expecting a visit from her parents and rushed to open the door, eager to see them. Her excitement was instantly replaced with surprise as her eyes fell upon Captain Hernandez. Both women knew each other professionally, but until the banquet, neither had ever really spoken socially. Having her show up at her door out of the blue was completely unexpected and a bit baffling.
Despite being taken off guard, the ensign quickly welcomed her into her apartment. Erika, in turn, smiled warmly and greeted Hoshi as though they were old friends. She asked Ensign Sato how she was recovering from the mission and was gratified to know she was doing well. Captain Hernandez also couldn't resist mentioning her desire to lure the communications expert away from the Enterprise. Stepping further into the living room the captain suddenly noticed Lt. D'Arcy sitting on the couch looking at her PADD.
"Ah, lieutenant, just the person I was looking for," the captain said, sweetly. Danaë looked up from her work a bit surprised that anyone was looking for her at all, especially Erika Hernandez. During her days in the academy, back in her own time, she had heard of this captain. She was the gold-standard that all female cadets looking to move into command positions wanted to emulate. Perhaps the lieutenant should have been impressed or even a bit intimidated by the woman before her, but she wasn't. Her introduction to captain Janeway had been more imposing, but then she had only been about fourteen or fifteen. A lifetime of being around Starfleet top brass had left her rather jaded. She still understood rank and duty and did not hesitate for a second to set her PADD aside and stand at attention.
"Captain Hernandez, how can I help you?"
"I have been trying to find a moment to congratulate each of the Enterprise's crewmembers, but I never got a chance to speak with you after the ceremony or at the banquet," Erika smiled. This seemed rather odd and Danaë's brow furrowed slightly in confusion. There had been plenty of opportunities at the banquet if the captain had wanted to talk to her. "I understand you were the one who managed some 'unique' rewiring techniques to increase the pulse's power and destroy the spheres."
"It was a team effort, captain," the lieutenant answered, making fists with her hands to hide the burns left on them from the wires.
"I think you're being too modest," Captain Hernandez said, then glanced out the window at a park just across the way. "That park over there has a lot of nice trails. Would you mind walking one with me, lieutenant?" Lt. D'Arcy nodded and slipped on her shoes.
The park was a beautiful area steeped in botanical gardens, wooded glens, creeks, arbors and bridges. The two women walked through one garden filled with sweet smelling vibrant flowers then passed under a stone archway that led into a wooded area that ran along a man-made creek. Their conversation was trivial, consisting of the weather, the best shoes for hiking, where to get the best coffee, and the latest movie depicting Earth's last great war with itself. Most of the talking was done by Erika Hernandez. Danaë could offer very little opinion on fads and fashion of this era. As they turned a corner and stepped on to a bridge, Captain Hernandez' smile disappeared and leaning on the railing she stopped and looked over the water as it babbled on past them.
"Lt. D'Arcy, I'm sure you can guess why I'm here." Captain Hernandez was civil to be sure, but it was obvious that there was a point to be made.
"Not really," Danaë answered, truly bewildered by Erika's sudden interest in her.
"I heard a rumor about you and Captain Archer," she paused, and in an effort to remain delicate, attempted to choose her next words carefully. Turning to face Lt. D'Arcy, she decided to 'rip the band-aid off', but still mask her concern under the guise of rumors. "Word has it that the two of you are something more than friends. I'm sure it's probably nothing more than idle gossip, but it still warranted some investigation." The captain was trying to keep a friendly air between them even as her sharp black eyes stared into the lieutenant.
