Ensign Taylitha Basil wasn’t sure what to expect when her ship dropped her off at the officer training retreat at Quickwater Preserve. A hike up the mountain? She’s not much of a hiker. A trip down it in a canoe? Even worse, she’s not a great swimmer. An obnoxious peer who put himself in charge? An and Bast preserve her.

But all of that seems manageable when she meets Alysha Forrest, one of the Diamondwing’s ensigns. In years to come they would serve together on the Stardancer as an unbeatable command team. Here, then, is the story of how they met and forged their relationship during a training exercise far more dangerous than anyone planned…