Jim Hawkins gave the knife a final polish and held it up to the light. Turning it this way, he could see his face reflected in the gleaming silver. Turning it the other way, however, he caught sight of the face of the Captain behind him.
"Ahem. Nearly done, ma'am." He put the knife on the table and straightened it.
"Very good." Amelia walked around to the other side of the table, arms crossed. "Mr. Silver seems to have taught you well, Mr Hawkins."
She heard the boy scoff. "Actually, ma'am...I learned this from my mother. She runs...used to run an inn back on Montressor."
"Ah, is that so? That would explain it then."
"We didn't host too many formal events," Hawkins went on. "But I still had to learn how to set a table properly."
"You seem to be a very quick learner," Amelia went over to her desk and began tidying papers away. "Dr. Doppler didn't tell me much about you, you'll no doubt be pleased to hear, but he said that he's known you for some time."
"Yeah, just about my whole life," said Hawkins. "He's known our family for a long time. He was like an uncle to me when we first moved to Montressor."
"Ah?" Amelia looked up. "Interesting. Because, truth be told, he hasn't told me much about himself either."
"Well, he knew my father," Hawkins' face darkened for a moment and he turned back to the trolley he had rolled into the stateroom. "And...after...the Doc made sure that my mom and I were all right. Even loaned us money to keep the inn open for a while."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah..." Hawkins plucked two crystal glasses from their box and set them on the table. "He was always there when we needed help. Mom never likes asking for it, though."
Amelia paused. "Well...that's an attitude I can understand..."
Hawkins set down a silver jug and extracted another item of silver tableware from its hiding place. Amelia caught sight of it.
"Is that a candlestick, Mr Hawkins?"
"Yes, ma'am. An autocandle. I found it in one of the galley cupboards and fixed it up. I thought it might be appropriate." Hawkins pressed a switch on the base to ignite the small flame.
"In what sense?" Amelia glared.
"Well, for you and the Doc. I thought it might add to the-"
"Whatever you thought it would add to, Mr Hawkins, I advise you to keep it to yourself."
Hawkins looked down again. "Yes, ma'am. Is there anything else you need?"
"No. Thank you, Mr Hawkins. That will be all for now." Amelia picked up a piece of paper and gestured to him with it. "Oh, and tell Mr. Silver...next time I require an inventory of the ship's stores, I do not require the fruit to be individually accounted for. Is that clear?"
Hawkins grinned. "Yes, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am."
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "You're smiling, Mr. Hawkins...this wasn't your idea was it?"
"No, ma'am!" He coughed. "I'll, um...be back with your dinner soon."
"Thank you, Mr Hawkins. Dismissed."
Amelia watched him push the trolley out of the stateroom, closing the door behind him, but her thoughts were already elsewhere. She had assumed that Delbert had known the boy somehow, but she hadn't suspected the connection would be so deep. It was surprising too that Delbert hadn't mentioned that...perhaps he just didn't like talking about himself. He did seem to have a modest side to him, and it seemed more prominent around Amelia. But this new information struck a chord with her.
Someone to help you, even when you can't ask for it. Someone who is there for you, even when you can't bring yourself to look...
...and since when did he become 'Delbert' to you and not 'Doctor Doppler'?
She put the inventory down, glanced at the clock and checked her reflection in the glass of the wall chart. It was distorted sufficiently to be near-useless, but it made her feel better. At least...up until she made the mistake of allowing her eyes to stray to the empty space behind her shoulder again. The leaden feeling in her chest crept back and she drew a long, deep breath, closing her eyes and concentrating on her self-control. The clock struck seven, ringing out its chimes. On the seventh, there was a knock on the door and it was with a certain gratefulness that Amelia looked up at the sound. She checked her reflection one last time, brushed a speck of dust from her gold epaulette, and raised her voice.
"Enter!"
The door opened slowly and Doppler poked his head around it. Amelia felt her heart begin lifting at once, even more so at the sound of his voice.
"Um, good evening, Captain. I hope I'm not too early?"
"On the contrary, Doctor, you're right on time." Amelia moved out from behind her desk to greet him. "And fully dressed, too."
Doppler coughed embarrassedly as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "Yes, well, let it not be said that I don't take your advice seriously."
"I would call it an order rather than advice," Amelia smiled. "But it's good to see you, Doctor."
He smiled and straightened his glasses. "And to see you, Captain. I'd like to say, I really do appreciate your invitation."
"I do believe that you've been taking your meals in your cabin for most of the voyage," said Amelia.
"Yes...I have. I did find the crew to be rather...interesting company." Doppler pulled a face.
Amelia smiled to herself as she tried to imagine the dignified scientist rubbing elbows with the spacers. "I can well imagine."
"Just another reason to thank you for your kindness. Er..." Doppler had caught sight of the flickering candle on the table.
Amelia found herself blushing slightly. "Well, it's not totally altruistic on my part. As Captain, I am unable to take my meals in the presence of anyone other than officers and gentlemen and I'm afraid that you're as close to the latter as exists on board this ship."
Doppler gaped. "Excuse me?"
Amelia shook her head and grinned. "I'm joking, Doctor. You're quite the gentleman, it seems. I was speaking with young Mr Hawkins about your relationship with his family."
"Oh...yes, he's had a difficult time of it." Doppler fiddled with his cuff awkwardly. "But he has a lot of help from his mother. And since he came aboard, well, if you could only see the difference...I'm sure he'll be all right in the long run."
"It sounds like his mother has had some help, too." Amelia picked up the silver jug from the table and poured out two glasses of wine before looking up to see Doppler's reaction. He hesitated for a moment and shrugged.
"Well...she's a good friend. I've known them for a long time."
Amelia passed him a glass. "They've been very lucky, then."
Doppler blushed and stammered. Amelia took pity and broke the silence by touching her glass against his. The high, sharp note seemed to wake him up.
"Good health, Captain."
"Indeed, Doctor."
Doppler sipped his wine and smiled approvingly. "Ah, Nevardian Grange! Aged about six years, if I'm any judge."
Amelia nodded and smiled. "Indeed it is. Well done."
Doppler took another sip. "I didn't think one could find luxuries like this on a ship in space."
"One of the many benefits of captaincy," Amelia said, "Is being able to choose one's own menu. Would you like to sit?"
"Thank you, yes." Doppler took off his long coat and hung it over the back of his chair. He looked up and saw Amelia going to sit down, and stepped over quickly to pull her chair back for her. To his surprise as he did so, he heard Amelia's breath catch before she sat down.
"Thank...thank you, Doctor," she said softly. And was that a quaver of emotion creeping into those crisp, precise tones?
"Well...just trying to be that gentleman, I suppose," he said quietly.
"And successfully." Amelia looked down at the white tablecloth. "Thank you."
Doppler felt the situation heading for somewhere rather deeper than he had intended the simple gesture for. He straightened his ascot nervously and took his own seat, watching Amelia across the table, trying to read her body language. She still wore that air of authority that was always with her on board the ship, but the expression on her face was one he had never seen her wear in public. The calm, dignified, aloof but alert look that seemed to be her natural default now seemed to be a facade that she put up against the world, a part of her captaincy as much as the uniform she wore. It was strange to see it gone, but in a way he was glad of it. That facade was enough to stop anyone getting closer to her than she wanted them to and Doppler felt a genuine privilege at being allowed to see her without it. Of course, he had seen her before on the day of Arrow's death, when he had been in this very cabin and had tried his fumbling best to help her, but this one little moment was just as memorable for the knowledge that it was she who had made it possible.
"So..."
The word hung in the air, orphaned, and Doppler bit his lip to work out what he should follow it with. Fortunately for him, the door opened at that point and Jim returned with his trolley.
"Ah. Our dinner." Amelia seemed to snap out of whatever she had been in.
"Yes, ma'am. Hey, Doc." Hawkins grinned.
"Hello, Jim." Doppler tore his eyes away from Amelia and sniffed the air. "Mmm! Smells delightful!"
"I think even mom would approve of my cooking," Hawkins grinned. "Alponian chowder. Not as much solaris seed as I'd have hoped for, though."
"Oh, my favourite." Doppler rubbed his hands together and then paused. "But...unless it's your favourite as well, Captain...because I'm sure I've never told you that I like it."
"Not my doing, Doctor," Amelia glanced at Hawkins. "I assume this was your idea, Mr Hawkins?"
The boy's grin widened. "Well, you did tell me to prepare dinner for two, Captain...and who else would you be sharing it with? I mean, I don't know about you, but it's pretty obvious that the Doc has a bad case of-"
"Yes, thank you, Jim!" Doppler interrupted him hurriedly. "The dish is best eaten hot, you know."
Jim stifled a laugh and transferred the silver bowls from the trolley to the table.
"Sorry, Doc. Here you go. Bone appétit."
He winked and whisked the trolley away before either Doppler or Amelia could object. Sighing, the doctor took the lid off the dish and sniffed it. Amelia spread her napkin over her lap.
"Well...that was interesting," she commented.
"Yes. Very." Doppler didn't dare meet her eyes.
"But I don't quite understand- what was it that Mr Hawkins thinks you have a bad case of? If it's so obvious I feel rather embarrassed to admit that I haven't noticed. You're not ill, are you, Doctor?"
Doppler shook his head hastily. "No, no! Not at all. I think he meant...um, well, actually I don't know what he meant," he finished, hoping that the lie wasn't obvious to her either.
"Hmm." Amelia eyed him for a moment and then gave up. In some ways, Doppler could be quite inscrutable. She dipped her spoon into the stew and tasted it cautiously.
"I, er...hope you approve." Doppler was watching her, his own spoon halfway to his lips.
Amelia rolled the taste around in her mouth for a moment and then swallowed. "I do."
Doppler seemed relieved.
"And is the voyage proceeding to your expectations?" asked Amelia.
"By my calculations, we're making very good time," said Doppler. "We should be at...our destination...within a couple of weeks."
"My calculations concur," said Amelia.
Doppler smiled. "I'm glad we agree."
Amelia smiled back, holding his gaze. The shadows in her eyes seemed lessened somehow. Doppler blinked and adjusted his napkin.
"Your inspections," he said. "I assume everything is shipshape?"
Amelia shrugged. "A ship is a complex thing. There is always something that requires attention if you look hard enough."
"And you keep very high standards, I've noticed." Doppler blew on his spoonful to cool it down.
"One does try." Amelia nodded. "It's always best to avoid a problem rather than to solve it."
"Good philosophy," said Doppler.
Amelia smiled. "It's my grandfather's, in fact. And my father's, for that matter. It got passed on, you might say."
"Very sensible." Doppler nodded. "Were they spacers, too?"
"Oh, yes. All the way back." Amelia smiled. "At least, as far back as we can trace."
"Quite a tradition," said Doppler. "I understand, though. My family is the same in the sciences. My father was a chemist. His was a mathematician."
"But you're the first astrophysicist?"
"I do believe I am, yes."
Amelia nodded. "I wish I could say I'm the first Captain, but I'm afraid one of my illustrious forebears beat me to it. More than one, in fact."
"Still, there's something to be said for having a tradition to follow." Doppler swallowed another spoonful.
Amelia smiled. "I suppose there is...traditions to inherit. And friends."
"Friends? Of your father's?"
"And my grandfather's. And my great-grandfather's, for that matter." Amelia stirred her soup slowly. "Mr Arrow, you see...he befriended the first of my family to enter the Navy. He's been with us...he was with us...ever since. My father and grandfather told me stories. And when I joined...I was sent to join his ship."
"Oh..." Doppler put down his spoon, seeing how the darkness behind her eyes had deepened again. "I knew you were close to him."
"He was practically family," said Amelia. "I wouldn't even be here were it not for him."
"I can see how he would have been a great help," said Doppler quietly. "Everyone needs a mentor."
"No, I mean I literally wouldn't be here. He saved my life, you know. More than once, in truth." Amelia sighed. "And I couldn't save him."
Doppler blinked. That had been an unusually frank statement.
"It wasn't your fault," he said. "It really wasn't."
"Oh, I know. But still...the captain has responsibility for the lives of everyone on board their ship. That's something else my family always told me."
Doppler looked down at the table. Amelia's hand had fallen on the white cloth. Doppler crept his own hand towards it.
"You did everything you could. And you saved the rest of us."
"It was my duty. And I had a certain self-interest in staying alive." Amelia smiled. "You might as well say that you saved us, Doctor. Your scientific advice was invaluable."
"Well...I suppose I had a certain self-interest as well." Doppler shrugged.
"But you didn't have to do what you did for me that night." Amelia's voice was quiet. "You were the one who came to me. Who didn't turn away. Who helped."
"Well...it's what friends are for." Doppler took her hand gently. "And I do hope I can call myself your friend."
Amelia didn't look up, but she clasped his hand in hers. "So do I, Doctor."
Doppler squeezed her hand comfortingly. "It's an honour to be able to. I just hope I have the chance to show it. Forgive me for saying so."
"There's nothing to forgive." Amelia looked up and met his eyes. "You've been a great help, even if you don't realise it yourself. Since the loss of Mr Arrow, especially."
"It...must be hard." Doppler looked down. "It seems to have changed things...not just one less person on the ship, but about you."
Amelia watched his face carefully. Perhaps, she thought, in some ways Delbert was far more perspicacious than he appeared.
Doctor Doppler. Not Delbert. Do try to remember that. But then, there is a lot to remember sometimes...

"Ma'am! Ma'am!"
Midshipman Amelia glanced up at the lookout's shout.
"What is it, man?"
"It's the Resolute, ma'am!"
Amelia followed his pointing finger. The ship had been chasing the rest of the convoy towards the nebula. But now something had emerged from the haze and was standing on straight at her. A Confederate warship, at least of her size, mechanical grappling claws extending from the hull, bearing down fast. The Resolute was turning to bring her broadside to bear and the space between the two ships was criss-crossed by streaks of fire as their guns sought each other's range.
"Looks like they're trying to board her, ma'am," said Bryce.
Amelia nodded. "So it seems. And we have two divisions of her spacers and a platoon of her Marines stuck over here! We have to get into that fight or they'll be overrun. How long until that sail is repaired, damn it?"
Bryce looked up to where his men were working in the rigging.
"Not long, ma'am."
"As soon as you can, Mr. Bryce."
"Yes, ma'am." Bryce cupped his hands and shouted up at them. "Make haste, there!"
"Aye, sir!"
Amelia turned from the railings and was headed for the bridge when Arrow appeared from a hatchway.
"Ma'am?"
"Ah, Mr Arrow. Any survivors down there?"
"No, ma'am. But you should see this."
"See what?"
Amelia followed him down below, expecting to see nothing but the dingy interior of a pirate mess. Instead, the lower deck was clear and well-lit. The bright lights gleamed dully off a score of gun barrels. Arrow gestured at them.
"Six-inch breechloaders, ten to a side. I think, ma'am, that we have an answer to why this ship put up such a fight."
Amelia stared. "So I see..."
"She must be designed for sneak attacks, ma'am," said Arrow. "There were reports of the nebula pirates disguising their ships as civilian vessels to get close enough to their victims to surprise them."
"Indeed...so that explains it." Amelia grinned as a thought occurred to her. "Do these guns still work, then?"

"Have you ever lost a friend, Doctor?" Captain Amelia's voice was soft.
"No...no, I've been very lucky that way." Doppler pushed his dish away slightly.
"I've lost several over the years. It comes with doing the job. But Mr Arrow was always there. Like he always was for my father and his before him and so on. A symbol of continuity. Of how life goes on. But now...and with this crew..."
"You don't trust them?"
"Not any further than I could throw them with cannonballs tied to their feet. Every captain has to place their trust in their First Officer. That goes without saying. And since losing Mr Arrow..." Amelia sighed. "I'm worried, Doctor. And I don't say that often."
"Worried...about what?"
Amelia sighed again. "This crew. This voyage. Things I never bothered to worry about before. This must sound awfully strange to you."
Doppler held her hand. "Not as strange as you might think."
Amelia gave him a small smile. "You really are a good friend, Doctor. Mr Hawkins was right about you."
"Well...his family needed the help."
"But you gave it." Amelia patted his hand. "You were their symbol of continuity. As Mr Arrow was for me. It takes a special person to do that."
"If this voyage is a success...the Hawkins family won't ever have to worry about anything," Doppler said. "But...if I may say so...if you ever need help...someone to look out for you...to protect you...I'd be honoured to volunteer."
Amelia looked up, her hand clasping his tightly. "Excuse me?"
Doppler's eyes went wide. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have...I mean, I don't think you need anyone to protect you, you're obviously capable of that. I wasn't trying to suggest that...to imply that I didn't think..."
Amelia's gaze stopped him. To his surprise it wasn't angry or insulted. It was almost...almost thankful. It stunned him.
"Are you applying to be my guardian angel, Doctor?" She even had a small smile on her lips. Doppler swallowed nervously.
"Well, er, I was making a statement of my emotions...that is my thoughts. My considered position with regards to-"
"I would be happy to accept."
"That is to say, in relation to the certain aspect of- excuse me?" Doppler blinked.
Amelia's smile broadened. "I said I would be happy to accept, Doctor. Is that such a shock?"
"Well, yes. I mean no. It's just that...I didn't think you'd appreciate being asked." He smiled with relief. "I don't mean to suggest myself as a new first officer."
"I know, Doctor. And I wouldn't have accepted if you did, at least until you know your moonrakers from your transoms. You offered it as a friend." Amelia touched his hand tenderly. "And I accepted in that spirit."
Doppler felt his heart skipping. "I'm glad to hear it. More glad than I tell you."
"And I'm glad you offered it. Likewise...more glad than I can tell you. Thank you for asking."
"It goes with...with being your friend, Captain." Doppler stopped himself just in time. "If you ever need me to be, that is.
"And it's much appreciated. Perhaps there'll be call for it soon."
"I'd be happy to fill any openings you have." Doppler smiled.
Amelia grinned playfully. "Now there's a remark that could be easily misconstrued."
Doppler replayed his sentence once or twice, bit his tongue and began turning a shade that was closer to the colour of the wine than of his coat. Amelia laughed- a spirited, genuine, uplifting laugh, a laugh without worries or fear- and took his hand again.
"Oh, Doctor. I do apologise. But you do make it so easy sometimes."
"Thank you...for understanding, that is." Doppler caught her green gaze. The shadows behind her eyes seemed to have gone.
Amelia shrugged. "It goes with...being your friend as well, Doctor."
They sat smiling at each other, content in their new understanding. Amelia then patted his hand again and sat back, trying to look serious again.
"But as you say, Doctor. This food needs to be eaten hot."
"Yes. Quite." Doppler sat back as well, but couldn't hide the look on his face. "But I'm, uh, glad we could...talk about that."
"As am I." Amelia found herself smiling again as well. "It's nice to have one's own personal guardian angel."
Doppler blushed. "I hope I didn't sound patronising a moment ago."
"Quite the contrary, Doctor. I'm very touched."
"Not that I expect you to need it," Doppler went on. "But...I'm glad you know it's there."
Amelia reached out and touched his hand again.
"It's already working, Doctor. Believe me."

"Engines at 80%, ma'am," said Bryce. "I'm afraid the sail's energy matrix was damaged when it came down. It can't be repaired and there was no time to replace it."
"Understood, Mr Bryce. Thank you. That will do. Get us underway." Amelia nodded.
"Yes, ma'am." Bryce hollered up to the crew in the upperworks. "Brace up, there!"
Amelia took the wheel and felt the vibrations running through it as the ship's engines engaged. Flickers of light coursed through the sails as they caught the wind.
"Very good, Mr Bryce. Now get those hands below and on the guns."
"Yes, ma'am!" Bryce grinned and began shouting orders. Arrow stepped up behind Amelia and nodded towards the distant battle between Resolute and the pirate cruiser. The enemy ship was extending its boarding claws. The narrowing gap between the ships was a blistering glow of close-range fire. The sound of the barrages was audible even from here.
"It looks like the situation is getting a little hot for the Captain there. The other Captain, I mean." He grinned at her.
Amelia chuckled, but sobered up quickly as she span the wheel to bring the ship about. She handled surprisingly well for such a small vessel carrying such a weight of armament.
"The sooner we can get there the better, then. Are your troops prepared?"
"All of them that aren't on the guns, ma'am."
"Take all you can spare and have them take cover below the port railings. They're to stay out of sight until I give the word, is that clear?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"And I want you to take command on the gun deck, Mr Arrow. I want the port battery made ready. High impact shells, double-charged. I need you to make every shot count."
Arrow smiled. "Yes, ma'am. My pleasure."
He touched his hat and went below. Amelia watched him disappear and she looked back to the Resolute. The pirate ship made contact, barbed metal limbs crunching into the warship's hull and locking the two vessels together. She gritted her teeth and willed more speed into her ship's engines. A handful of Marines came up from below and took up position hunkered down under the port railings.
"Guns ready, captain!" called Arrow.
"Very good! Now stand by!" Amelia stripped off her blue coat and cast it aside. She brought the ship around to port, placing the Confederate warship in between themselves and the Resolute. The grinding of their hulls and the shouts and clashes of a boarding action could be heard now. Bryce watched nervously.
"That looks bad," he said.
"It's about to get worse," said Amelia. "But not for us."
Bryce chuckled. "As you say, ma'am. Should we lay alongside?"
"Not yet, Mr Bryce, not just yet. It would be a shame to let these guns go to waste. We shall rake them from astern."
"But that'll mean steering all the way around them!"
"I daresay the trouble will be worth it. And we're not under fire."
"But why aren't they firing on us? Their gunports are closed on this side."
Amelia grinned. "It may have escaped your notice, Mr Bryce, but we are still flying Confederate colours."
Bryce looked up and saw that, amid the confusion, the enemy battle flag was still fluttering from the mast.
"My apologies, ma'am. Should I have our ensign run up?"
"Not unless you want me to shoot you where you stand, Mr Bryce." Amelia glared.
"But...it's against all the protocols of war to fight under a false flag!"
"And when this action is concluded I will invite you to show me where!" snapped Amelia. "In the meantime, I'm more concerned with results than with any damned protocols! Do I make myself clear?"
Bryce was taken aback. "A...aye, ma'am."
"Good!"
Amelia watched her navigational instruments and span the wheel. She wanted to get as close as possible as she turned behind the enemy's stern.
"Tell Mr Arrow he can run out the guns, if you please."
"Run out your guns!" Bryce called. Arrow, standing at the base of the stairs to the gun deck, repeated the order. Amelia looked up at her target. Pirates were lining the stern rails, cheering the arrival of what they still thought was a friendly ship. An illusion she looked forward to shattering. She span the wheel over once more, closing the range to point-blank, and counting down the yards until she was absolutely certain.
"Marines! Stand and engage! Mr Arrow! Fire as you bear!"
"Aye, captain! You heard her, men! Fire as you bear!"
The Marines levelled their rifles and began firing into the crowd of pirates along the rail. But then the guns found their targets. Amelia could feel the recoil shuddering through the whole ship and she braced the wheel against the shocks. Perhaps double-charging the cannon had been unnecessary, but she knew they would only have one chance at this and it had to work. Raking the enemy, firing into them from ahead or preferably astern, was the dream of every commander. It maximised firepower and minimised risk. And the damage a shot could do as it tore down the full length of a ship was dreadful. Amelia had never seen it happen, but was now prepared to believe it. The high impact shells punched through the stern of the Confederate cruiser one after the other. Her broad windows shattered, wood cracked. The calls of her crew transformed first to shouts and then to panicked screams. Amelia listened with savage satisfaction and watched her shells slamming home, feeling the recoil of yet another gun beneath her feet. One of them must have found the trunk of one of her masts, because there was a splintering of timbers as the sails crashed down, tearing up much of the deck as the long mast fell. It tangled with the mast in front of it, ripped through the sails and rigging there, and crashed down full-length along the stricken ship. Amelia laughed triumphantly.
"Now, Mr Bryce! If you see fit, you may raise our true colours!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Bryce grinned. The tattered emblem of the Confederacy was hauled down and flung over the side. The bright Imperial battle ensign was hoisted in its place. Amelia could still hear cheering, but now it came from her own crew. She looked up as she brought the ship around Resolute's starboard side and saw spacers lining the railings and cheering her from there, too. The Marines on her deck put aside their rifles and cheered back. She saw the figure of Captain Forsythe, still on his bridge. He turned his head to see her, and Amelia couldn't help laughing again as she saw the old man smile and touch his hat in respectful acknowledgement. She saluted back and began turning the wheel to bring them alongside.
"Every shot told, ma'am. Every single shot!" Arrow, his grey skin and red coat blackened in places by gunsmoke, emerged from below.
"Indeed they did, Mr Arrow!" Amelia grinned. "Mr Bryce, would you care to make the preparations for docking?"
"With pleasure, captain!" Bryce saluted and left the bridge. Arrow took his place and smiled at Amelia.
"Unorthodox...but ludicrously effective," Arrow remarked. "Not bad for your first action, and your first command, if I may say so."
"You may, Mr Arrow. You may." Amelia was still grinning.
"If I may speak freely, ma'am," Arrow touched his hat to her. "I do believe your forefathers would be proud of you today...and so am I."

The candle flickered. Doppler glanced at it and then back to Amelia. She was holding her glass in both hands and toying with it. He looked at the play of the candlelight in the glass and looked up to see it reflected in her eyes. The light outside was dimming towards nightfall, making the small flame seem brighter. She caught his gaze and smiled at him and put the glass back on the table.
"I should thank you, Doctor," she said.
"Whatever for?"
"For the pleasure of your company. For the most pleasant evening I've had for weeks. Take your pick." Amelia shrugged.
"Well, in that case I should be thanking you for the same," said Doppler. He folded his napkin and put it on the table next to his empty bowl. "I didn't expect to find candlelit evenings on board a ship in space."
"To be honest, Doctor, neither did I." Amelia smiled wryly.
"But then, I didn't expect to find a lot of the things I've found on this voyage." Doppler realised he'd said that while looking straight at her and he hurriedly cast his eyes around the cabin to look for a distraction.
"There have been one or two surprises for me as well, for that matter," Amelia said quietly.
Doppler glanced back at her and realised with a certain shock that she had been looking straight at him as she spoke. The same realisation must have struck her at that moment because she sat back primly and put away her own napkin.
"Well. I suppose I'd better do the last rounds of the ship."
"Yes, of course. I don't want to keep you from your duties." Doppler stood up and began putting coat back on.
"Oh, no rush." Amelia stood up as well. "Please, Doctor."
He turned and smiled with relief.
"Thank you...again, I mean."
"It's quite all right. Thank you for accepting the invitation to join me. And for...and for everything else." Amelia looked down for a moment.
Doppler shrugged. "Thank you for not minding."
Amelia chuckled. "How could any woman turn down so gallant an offer?" She smiled. "Or one so very welcome. I really do appreciate it, Doctor."
He gave her a small smile. "It was an offer made in earnest."
"And one taken with honour."
The silence that followed lasted until Doppler coughed. "Well. I'd best be off and let you go about your rounds."
"Yes...thank you."
"If you should happen to finish early, though...I'll be up at the bows later this evening. You know...stargazing as usual." He looked at her with a touch of nervousness.
Amelia smiled. "I'd like that, Doctor. Thank you. And if I may...would you happen to have any plans for dinner tomorrow?"
"None I can think of."
"Then...would you care to join me again?"
Doppler stared and then sighed with relief. "Oh, Captain...I mean, yes. I would like that very much. Nineteen hundred hours?"
Amelia laughed. "Yes, Doctor. Seven o'clock."
"Very good, then."
"Exceptionally good, I would say." Amelia smiled and walked past him. She opened her door and stood aside for him.
"Well...I suppose I'll see you again." Doppler tried to edge past without getting too close to her.
"I daresay." Amelia's expression paused for a moment, as if she was thinking about something, and then she shook her head.
"Well...take care, then. And thank you." Doppler reached out a hesitant hand and brushed her sleeve before turning, face hot, and walking away.
"And thank you," said Amelia. She saw him look over his shoulder, a look of happy relief on his face as he disappeared, taking him out of earshot of her last, softly-spoken word, made all the sweeter on her lips for the smile that it gave them. "...Delbert."