Author's note: This is AU, taking place after the second season of Discovery. In this story Control was defeated without the need for Discovery to go to the future.

"I could have sent a shuttle for you."

"True, but I want to enjoy being a civilian for as long as possible. And this is more comfortable than a shuttle."

"A shuttle is faster," was the grumpy reply.

Since it was only an audio conversation, he couldn't see her shake her head and smile. "Did I mention there is a spa on board? Have you installed a spa on the Enterprise?"

"Of course not."

"Exactly. This way I get to be pampered and still report for duty on time. And it will be peaceful; I am looking forward to that. It's an ideal arrangement."

The only reply was his harrumph.

She smiled again. "I miss you too. And will see you in 18 hours." Time for a little sympathy. "I'm sorry you had to cut the vacation short, but at least it didn't turn out to be a serious emergency. Besides, you will be busy with the systems' tests."

"Number One takes care of most of that, right now I am just in everybody's way. When do you leave?"

"Looks like the last few are boarding now. I should sign off." She thought she heard him say goodbye but was distracted by the red-headed whirlwind stowing bags.

"Hi, I'm Sylvia Tilly. Looks like we are sitting together."

"Hello."

Tilly continued without hearing nor drawing breath, gesturing with her arms and pointing at the window beside the seat. "I've never been bumped into first class before, this is really, really nice. The view is awesome, and that window is huge."

"Would you like to trade seats?"

Tilly broke into a grin, "Really? You don't mind?" Her, what was the right word? Row mate, maybe? Her row mate seemed nice. This trip kept getting better and better.

The row mate smiled, "Not at all," and then gathered her things and moved out of the way. It was nice to meet someone who was so exuberant over little things.

Tilly continued talking as she settled into her new seat. "Thanks, this is going to be a perfect trip. I'm going on vacation with friends," as she was talking, she waved across the aisle, "that's Keyla Detmer. We're from the same ship. Did you notice you and I have the exact same bag? Is that the Andorian Ambassador?"

The pre-flight briefings began and ended the conversation. Which Tilly immediately plunged back into afterwards. "It's pretty, traveling at impulse rather than warp. There's so much more to see. I think it's good to slow down sometimes and enjoy everything, don't you? It's like the train trips you could take on Earth a couple hundred years ago. Even though you could have flown to your destination much faster, people still took the trains. It must have been very romantic. Wasn't one called the Orient Express? Oh look, the attendant is coming – yes, I'd like an expresso, no make it three, it is vacation after all."

Tilly noticed her row mate was quiet, maybe even shy. "Are you traveling solo? I find that to be so lonely."

Her effervescence and vulnerability were endearing despite the nonstop conversation. "I am traveling by myself, but I don't mind. You mentioned a friend onboard. I can switch if you would like to sit together."

"Oh yes, Keyla. No, she won't sit with me, something about being too chatty to be her wingman. We serve together, in fact we recently finished a mission. It was … intense. And scary at times. They granted all of us leave afterwards."

"You are in Star Fleet?"

"Yes, I'm in the command training program."

"Congratulations, you should know …"

On duty Tilly struggled to wait for colleagues to finish sentences, it was impossible for her to do so outside those boundaries. "I plan to be a captain someday. In fact, I even got to serve under Captain Pike – wait our mission was classified, but then that part wouldn't be classified would it? He was our interim captain for several months."

"I didn't introduce myself earlier …"

Tilly continued talking at the same time. "You may not have heard of him, but then how could you not have? He's the captain of the freakin' flagship and the best in the fleet. I never, ever thought I would meet him nor be part of his crew. You'd think he would be really arrogant but he's not at all."

"Actually, I do know …"

"In addition to being a great leader, he's kind and funny. And so freakin' hot. He must work out every day." Tilly noticed Detmer, standing, frantically waving her arms. She waved back. Detmer just shook her head and slumped back into her seat.

"If you would just let me …"

"He has these gorgeous blue eyes that are filled with mischief, well unless you're in trouble then not so much, they get really icy. And a sexy smile and those dimples! I mean how can you not want to jump …." Tilly blushed, "I guess I have a little crush."

Oh, great she thought, a groupie, the nickname given by the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer to the young women and men infatuated with its Captain. Not that anyone used the term in the Captain's presence. Since she couldn't get in enough words to introduce herself, it was time for a different plan. Maybe she could prevent any further embarrassment for both of them. Standing, she picked up both their bags as Tilly continued.

"I mean, there's nothing wrong with a few fantasies is there?"

She handed Tilly a bag and said, "He sounds dreamy. You should come to the spa with me, you and your friend. You deserve a little pampering. My treat." And just like her six-year-old niece, Tilly jumped enthusiastically to the new topic.

"I've never been to a spa before. Do you think they could tame my hair? My mother always criticizes my hair. Keyla, come to the spa with us…"

ooooo

Several hours later, Tilly and Detmer were ensconced in fluffy robes, after their hot stone massages, facials, Centauri seaweed wraps, Rigel salt scrubs, Provence rose petal baths and mani-pedis; sitting in a room filled with trees and flowers, listening to soothing music and enjoying lunch with champagne.

"Aren't you glad we missed our first transport?" Tilly asked.

"Aren't you glad I flirted with the ticket agent to get us bumped into first class?" Detmer responded.

"Owo and Rhys are going to be sorry they are so punctual."

"Aren't you glad you told our former boss' wife you want to make out with him?" Tilly groaned. Detmer flashed a wicked grin, "Too soon? I did try to warn you."

"Actually, after the past few hours, I'm not regretting it much." Tilly blushed, "But I think I will stay up here until we dock."

Detmer stood up. "Tilly, did you hear that? It sounds like a shuttle. Or a fighter." She ran to the window and looked out. "It's a fighter, I don't recognize the configuration."

Tilly ran to the other window. "There's one on this side too. We are slowing down. Do you feel it?"

Detmer nodded and then they heard shouting and several loud cracks, like lightening striking too close. Tilly started to run down the stairs back to the cabin, but Detmer grabbed her arm, pulling her back and said, "That sounds like a particle weapon. We should try to find out what is happening before we rush in."

"There may be an intercom, maybe I can modify it to listen instead of broadcast." Fifteen minutes later they were able to tap into the flight deck. "I don't recognize their language, and the universal translator has been disabled ship wide," Tilly said.

"Try the first-class cabin, most of the shouting came from there." Detmer responded.

"… You've already killed the ambassador. Let me treat the flight crew and the others. The burns inflicted by your weapons need quick treatment or infection will set in. Your negotiating position will be stronger if …"

"Keyla, I think they are hijackers."

Detmer looked out the window again. "They've changed our course. We've got to get a message to Star Fleet, but they're probably jamming communications. I would."

"I have some tools in my bag. Maybe there is some way to reroute communications to here."

Detmer shook her head, "Who else would carry a tool kit in her bag on vacation? Have I mentioned lately I am really glad you are you?"

Tilly picked up the bag and scattered its contents on the floor. "Oh crap, this isn't my bag, I forgot they looked exactly alike." Detmer started picking through the contents. "Wait," Tilly said as she pushed Detmer's hands back, "those things could be personal."

Detmer rolled her eyes, "I don't think it matters right now." She picked up a compact black and gold device that had an attached wireless earbud. "Do you recognize this?"

Tilly examined it and her eyes grew wide with excitement. "I've read about these. It's a personal subspace communicator. It's supposed to have a phenomenal range. They're still experimental, only a few have been produced so far. I didn't think any were operational yet. It uses a commercial frequency rather than a government or military one. They may not have thought to jam those." She opened it and started to activate a call.

"Stop!" Detmer shouted in a whisper and closed the device. "Even if they are not jamming the frequency, they will detect the transmission. We must think this through. OK, we need to send an SOS and a way for our position to be tracked. And understand what is being said below. Is there a way to send a brief message that might go unnoticed? Or seem like an anomaly or an echo?"

"Hmmmm, yes. I can modify it to broadcast a squirt on the ultra-low frequency subspace band Star Fleet uses for heads up messages to ships in deep space. I doubt anyone else monitors it. And if the device is left on, they should be able to ping it for up-to-date position information. Then I can hook its universal translator into the intercom. Can you give an initial position estimate from a visual?" Tilly asked.

"It will be rough with no instruments, but accurate enough."

With the message and coordinates dispatched, they tuned into the flight deck. "… Where's the damn shuttle? The hostage is secured and we need to get off this ship now. Is the bomb ready? … Yes, you can detonate it remotely once we are at a safe distance. The shuttle is about 30 minutes out …" They heard a loud crack again and then the conversation on the flight deck continued, "What the hell was that? Find a way to get us to the shuttle faster …"

"Quick, switch to the first-class cabin." Detmer said as she gestured.

"… You idiot, you shot the hostage? … Just in the shoulder, a little reminder to everyone to cooperate." They heard a punch and someone hitting a wall or the floor. "… I told you if you needed to forcefully explain anything to make sure damage isn't visible. They won't negotiate if they think we have harmed her…"

Tilly looked alarmed, "Could you fly this ship if we create a distraction and got onto the flight deck?"

"Sure, but I don't see how we can take over the flight deck. We don't know how many hostiles there are, we don't know their positions, and we don't have any weapons. Could you deactivate their weapons?"

"No," Tilly shook her head, "there has to be something we can do. We can't let them take a hostage off the ship. And we've got to find that bomb."

ooooo

"Number One, we're picking up traffic in the ultra-low frequency band."

"Are you sure, why would anyone use that frequency this close to Command?"

"I think it's a distress call."

"Call the Captain to the bridge and inform engineering we may be going to maximum warp. When Chief Louvier complains tell him yes, I really mean it. Navigation get a position and start tracking."

Several Hours Later

Dr Boyce approached the last two patients from the hijacked ship. "How are you feeling?"

"A little groggy but otherwise OK," Detmer responded. Tilly nodded her head in agreement.

"That was a powerful anesthetic you mixed up. Even though you sheltered in the sauna during its dispersal you still got a slight dose when you entered the passenger sections to secure the hostiles." The doctor smiled at them. "A clever plan."

"Is everyone OK?" Tilly asked.

"The only casualty was the Andorian ambassador. A few passengers had an allergic reaction to the anesthetic but will be fine in a couple of days. You are released from sickbay. Yeoman Colt will escort you to the debrief."

A young woman approached and smiled. "I brought uniforms for you." Once dressed, Colt escorted them out of sickbay and into a turbolift.

Detmer looked at Tilly and said, "When we evacuated to Enterprise from Discovery, it was my first time on a Constitution class ship. I didn't have a chance to really see the ship then. It's massive."

Tilly nodded and turned to Colt, "Do you think I could see engineering before we leave?" Then together Detmer and Tilly asked, "And the bridge?"

They exited the lift as Colt responded to their questions. "I think the Captain will grant any request you have. He's asked to see you. How about tomorrow morning? That will give you a chance to be debriefed and settle in. I'll stop by at 0900 to escort you. Here is the conference room, call when you are done, and I will show you to quarters."

ooooo

Tilly and Detmer sat in the Captain's ready room the next morning, waiting. "It's weird how it looks the same and different from Discovery." Tilly remarked, feeling nervous now.

Detmer nodded. "I'd hate to leave everyone on Discovery, but wouldn't an assignment for a deep space mission on Enterprise be amazing?"

The doors opened and Pike entered. They automatically started to stand, but he waved them off. "Let's start with the official part. You both are receiving a commendation. Your quick and creative thinking saved a lot of lives, there were over 1500 passengers on the transport. Lieutenant Detmer, you resisted the temptation to rush into impulsive action and give them two additional hostages. It's difficult to choose to call for help rather intervening directly when you know lives are at stake. Those wise choices demonstrate you are ready for leadership assignments. Keyla sat up a little straighter in her chair.

Ensign Tilly, once again you demonstrated the talent to be one of the best engineers in the fleet, improvising with limited tools and supplies. You provided the senior officer present with options and then followed her lead, reaffirming you are a worthy candidate in the command training program. Both of you exemplified the best of Star Fleet. This was a situation that would have challenged even a senior officer. I am proud of you." Tilly and Detmer exchanged looks, thinking the same thing, "Captain Pike is proud of us! That's so much better than a medal."

Pike waited briefly and then continued, "The hijackers broke quickly during questioning. And I have no doubt they would have killed any hostages and blown up the ship."

"How is your wife?" Tilly asked.

"She … will be fine." Pike paused for a moment and breathed deeply. For a few seconds he let them see the vulnerable man behind the Captain's persona, "Words are inadequate for this, so perhaps simplest is best. Thank you for her life."

Then the Captain was back. "Dismissed. You've been granted access to any part of the ship; Tilly, Chief Louvier will give you a personal tour of engineering. See the first officer to arrange a visit to the bridge. We'll drop you off at Risa in two days so you can finally start that vacation." As they were walking out the door the Captain called, "Ensign?"

She stopped. "Yes sir?"

"One more thing, I was asked to give you a message and I am quoting. 'The confidences you shared with me during the flight, they will stay between us.' I hope that makes sense?"

Tilly blushed, "Ah, yes sir. Will you deliver a reply?" After he nodded she continued, "I am grateful."