Cate had been warmed by the Captain's words of encouragement.  Knowing that he felt she would be useful was almost like the warm hug of a father.  She couldn't have asked for a higher compliment and the smile on her face, highlighted by an almost radiant glow, was something she couldn't hide.<br/><br/>Time moved forward and she felt a nipping anticipation the closer they got to embarking on their first true assignment.  It was true, she didn't have a huge part to play and all she'd done thus far was navigate and "steer", but it made her feel like a part of something important and far bigger than just herself.  They were in the Romulan Neutral Zone, for stars' sake, there was no telling what could happen!  She silently berated herself a bit for the part of her that was craving some action, a minor sliver of her subconscious hoping for something to be out of the ordinary.  Nothing of course that would put the safety of the crew in jeopardy, just something nice and ... interesting.  Something of note.  But still, that was probably not a good thing.<br/><br/>Her strawberry brows furrowed as she concentrated on the sensors at her station, everything normal thus far.  That was indeed a good thing, and she repeated that inwardly a few times.  The young ensign's train of thought was broken when the new Tactical Officer reported to the bridge and she turned ever-so-slightly in her seat for a look.  A Trill, how fascinating!  Cate's bright aqua eyes quickly shot back to the sensors, realizing that it might appear as if she was studying him, which was just incredibly rude in most Federation cultures.  Her curiosity was something she'd had to learn how to control, much to her chagrin at times.<br/><br/>From the comm it sounded like everything was falling into place, and for a moment Cate found herself slightly envious of those who got to go on the away mission, though the helm felt like home to her.  Then a stray word cut through that particular tangent of thought.<br/><br/><em>"Peek-a-boo"</em><br/><br/>She couldn't help herself from stealing a glance in the Tactical Officer's direction, though it looked as if she wasn't the only one.  Her cheeks dimpled but she pursed her lips to suppress a giggle as she turned back around.  Well, there was one surprise for the day.  At least it had been an entertaining one.