The Space Between Us

Posted on Sun Sep 6th, 2026 @ 1:23pm by Ensign Erin Andala & Lieutenant Vesper Wolfe

1,253 words; about a 6 minute read

The crew lounge aboard the Eclipse had never been designed to be quiet. There were too many people aboard the Nova class vessel with overlapping shifts who treated the lounge as a place to decompress after a watch. Conversations drifted between tables, punctuated by the occasional burst of laughter or the soft chime of a replicator completing an order. Beyond the large view port, the stars moved steadily past as the Eclipse continued its journey toward Morska. Yet there were quiet corners and Vesper had found one of them. She sat alone at a table near the far side of the lounge, positioned just enough away from the main gathering areas that the conversations around her became little more than background noise. A mug rested between her hands, untouched for several minutes as she stared absently through the view port.

The discovery of the Wright's wreckage had left an uncomfortable weight hanging over the ship. There had been no survivors, no explanation, and despite the captain's decision to continue toward Morska, the unanswered questions remained. Vesper had spent most of her shift trying not to think about it.

The doors to the lounge opened, and Erin paused just beyond the threshold, her eyes moving across the room. She had intended to grab something to eat and return to Science, but her attention was drawn almost immediately toward Vesper, sitting alone. For several seconds, Erin simply watched her. There had been a time when approaching Vesper would have seemed effortless. A casual conversation after a shift, or a joke exchanged in the corridor. Sitting together over a drink without either of them thinking anything of it. Lately, however, those simple interactions had become increasingly complicated. Erin had begun noticing things she hadn't noticed before, such as the way Vesper smiled when something genuinely amused her. And, perhaps most dangerously, Erin had started looking forward to seeing her, perhaps more than she should. Taking a breath, Erin made her decision and crossed the lounge.

Vesper looked up as Erin approached, recognition immediately replacing the distant expression she'd been wearing. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," Erin said as she gestured toward the empty chair opposite her. "Mind if I sit?"

Vesper gave a small smile. "Not at all," she said.

Erin pulled out the chair and sat down. For several moments, she tried to speak but couldn't, so she simply sat quietly. The silence wasn't uncomfortable exactly but it wasn't entirely comfortable either.

Vesper picked up her mug and took a sip, her eyes briefly moving toward the view port. "Long shift?" she asked, trying to figure out why Andala would be this quiet.

Erin nodded. "More like it's been a really long week," she said.

Vesper gave a quiet laugh. "That's one way of putting it."

Erin's fingers moved absently across the edge of the table. She had rehearsed this conversation more times than she cared to admit, but none of those rehearsals had prepared her for actually sitting across from Vesper. "So..." she finally began. "I wanted to talk to you."

"That sounds ominous," Vesper said, trying to mask her concern.

"It's not," Erin said as she glanced toward the rest of the lounge. No one appeared to be paying attention to them. Still, she lowered her voice. "Can we talk somewhere a little more private?"

Vesper's expression changed slightly. She looked around before returning her attention to Erin. "We can stay here. Nobody's really paying attention."

"I know," Erin hesitated. "I just... don't really want anyone overhearing."

Vesper studied her for a moment before nodding. "Okay," she said. "What's on your mind?"

Erin shifted her chair slightly closer, though she still maintained a respectable distance. The change was subtle, but suddenly the conversation felt much more serious. "There's something I've been trying to figure out how to say. You know how we've been spending more time together lately? I've started looking forward to those moments, perhaps more than I probably should."

Vesper paused for the briefest of moments before she set her drink down. The helm officer's eyes narrowed slightly, not in anger or suspicion, but in understanding and she nodded for Andala to continue.

Erin swallowed before she continued. "I know this might be unexpected and I don't want to make things awkward between us, especially because we're serving together. That's the last thing I want."

Vesper leaned back slightly. "Then what do you want?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle.

Erin looked down again. "I think I'm starting to have feelings for you," she said. The words were finally out and there was no taking them back. She could hear the lounge around them again, and she suddenly wished she had chosen literally anywhere else to have this conversation. "I've been trying not to," Erin admitted quietly. "I kept telling myself it was just because we're working closely together or because we're both dealing with everything that's happened recently. But I don't think that's all it is. I didn't say this because I expect anything from you," she continued quickly. "I just thought you deserved to know. And I needed to be honest with myself."

Vesper looked toward the view port. For a long moment, she watched the stars, and when she finally spoke, her voice was quiet. "I don't know what to say."

Erin's heart sank slightly. "That's okay," she said.

"No," Vesper replied, looking back at her. "I mean... I don't know what to say because I understand. I've noticed. I'm not completely oblivious. But, Erin, there's something you should know. I'm hesitant about starting something. I don't know if I'm ready for a relationship."

Erin nodded slowly. "You're afraid of getting hurt," she said.

Vesper's eyes met hers. "Maybe," she admitted. There was no shame in the admission. "Or maybe I'm afraid of hurting someone else."

Erin reached across the table, but stopped before touching Vesper. "You don't have to decide anything tonight."

Vesper looked at Erin's hand, then back to her face. "That's the problem. I don't want to decide. I want to see what happens."

Erin's expression softened. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm willing to find out," Vesper said, slowly, carefully. "I'm not promising you a relationship. I'm not even sure what this is yet. But I don't want to pretend I haven't noticed what's happening between us."

Erin's smile grew. "I can live with that."

Vesper gave her a pointed look. "Slowly," she said.

"Slowly and honestly," Erin agreed. "And if either of us decides this isn't working, we talk about it."

Vesper nodded.

For the first time since Erin had sat down, the tension between them seemed to disappear. She leaned back in her chair. "I was terrified you were going to tell me you only saw me as a friend," she said.

"I do see you as a friend," Vesper said, but quickly added, "That doesn't mean I only see you as a friend."

Erin stared at her for a moment before she finally nodded. She was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "So does this mean I can ask you to dinner?"

Vesper glanced sideways at her. "That's moving a little fast," she said with a small, half smile.

Erin grinned just a bit. "Morning coffee?"

Vesper considered it. "Coffee I can agree to. Say, around 0630?"

"I'll meet you here," Erin said with a smile. Leaning back in her seat, she sat beside Vesper and watched the stars as the Eclipse continued on its way to Klingon space.

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