The USS Cardinal is on high alert. Technically speaking, they're not expecting an attack, this is a stop to take on supplies. But it's known that the inhabitants of this planet are only following Federation law in appearance, and are bending and breaking it wherever they can get away with. It means that the crew are all on edge, and the Security Chief had already been relieved from her post after she managed to break one of the consoles.
"She was -- it was very obvious she had power? And that came through in her body language some? But -- she wasn't being threatening, exactly, just -- that was there?"
She squeezes him.
"The other doctor -- their cybernetics expert, the first one said -- she was -- very obviously heavily cybernetic?"
He goes still. Because he can't be hearing that right.
(He doesn't deserve that, doesn't deserve Lee anyway, even if he's being selfish and staying and, and, and...)
"No- it's-" He doesn't know how to say this, doesn't know how to explain. (It isn't her, it's him, it's always him.)
Autumn shifts, exasperation plain, and spins around, his tail hitting both of them in the face. Stop being idiots.
-He still doesn't know how to say anything. But he hugs Lee tighter, trying to get across the things he can't say.
"I just- I don't-" Words were Lee's thing, not his, and he doesn't know how to explain himself. Doesn't know how to-
"I- just-" Stops. "How can- you?"
"I don't -- you're you, I --"
She looks up to meet his eyes, hesitantly. "Erie, you're the -- the best thing that's ever been in my life, and that's not because of how are lives -- are -- "
"It's -- it's okay if you don't feel the same way -- you don't need to anything --"
"No, it's not- it's not that- it's-" He doesn't have the words to explain how much he does feel the same. "I do- I just-"