The smell of fresh-baked bread drifted across the promenade, winding its way over to Jade Hart. She took a deep inhale and smiled felling a sense of warmth and familiarity. Starbase Bravo had been a hive of movement the last few weeks. Following the attack by the Vaadwaur, engineers worked patching up scorched bulkheads, security officers patrolled with an extra layer of alertness, and civilians slowly filtering themselves back into the heart of the station. Life was beginning to seem somewhat normal again for those aboard, but there was still a long way to go.

Jade Hart leaned against the polished railing overlooking the lower level, arms crossed as she surveyed the crowd. It had been weeks since the attack, but the scars still remained. The decision had been made to hold a “Taste of the Promenade” baking competition. The idea had been for the competition to be a small but symbolic gesture remind everyone that the base will still a home, and not just a fortified outpost in open space.

Jade had thought that she’d be spending the afternoon enjoying the festivities but had not expected to get roped in to sitting on a judging panel between tables of full kava-cinnamon rolls and Betazoid cloud cakes. But here she was, smiling and tasting various foods in order to pick winners for the sake of morale.

Her eyes flicked sideways towards the other judge standing only a few feet away from her, Gideon Johnson. Who would have thought that the Lieutenant would have such strong opinions about every bit of food they had tasted so far.

Jade approached the table next to Gideon, the next table on the list. She drummed her fingers lightly on the tablecloth. This was supposed to be simple, she thought. Try the food, tell people it’s delicious, boost morale. Easy. But after the first round of samples – Andorian sugar twists, Vulcan spice cakes, and a surprisingly good Bajoran honey tart – she and Gideon had manger to agree on exactly nothing.

Jade speared a forkful of the next entry – a warm, flaky pastry dusted with something bright green – and took a cautious bite. She was surprised. Sweet, tart, and just a hint of spice. She couldn’t help but let out a slight hum in appreciation.

She looked over to Gideon and arched an eyebrow, “So what do you think of this one?”

As he tasted the pastry, Gideon noticed the savory flavors and the flaky crispy texture of it. He chewed as he savored the taste. “It’s good,” he said dryly. He said dryly as he had for the past few dishes. Gideon didn’t want to reveal what his choice until he picked at the end but for now he kept his choice close to his chest.

Jade arched an eyebrow at him as she set her fork down with a soft clink. “Just ‘good’? That’s the third time you’ve said that.” She leaned in a little towards him, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “You do realize that you are a judging a banking competition, right? It’s not a tactical briefing and you are actually allowed to enjoy it.”

She took another bite of the pastry herself, letting the buttery layers melt on her tongue before she added with a smirk, “If you’re playing your cards that close to your chest, I’m starting to think that you’re just planning to steal the winner’s recipe.”

“Don’t go telling my plans to everyone Lieutenant,” he said smirking the first emotion had had shown since they began the competition.

Jade tilted her head back slightly, her grin widening at the small crack in his composure. She lifted her fork up into the air like it was a tricorder, pretending to scan him.

“Well, would you look at that,” she said in mock wonder. “A genuine smirk, right here on this promenade. I was actually starting to think that you were incapable of anything beyond ‘dry and professional.'” She set the fork down, eyes twinkling. “Careful, Lieutenant. If you keep that up, people are going to start thinking you are actually enjoying yourself.”

Dropping his smile, the Lieutenant looked away from his colleague. “A tad too far, Lieutenant.” Although he would never admit it, she was right he had enjoyed himself during this competition. Hidden beneath his cold exterior, each bite he took revealed memories locked away since childhood. When he first found out about being tasked to judge the competition, he thought it was a horrible idea. Now he realizes he couldn’t have hopped for a better experience. He just wished his wife was here with him.