Aurelian did not rush out of the starship warehouse the moment Rhoswen finished introducing herself, because there was no reason to sprint just because a condition had finally been checked off, and because he had learned the hard way that moving too fast after a jump in authority was how commanders made stupid mistakes.
He looked at the information one more time, then closed it, and when the commander advancement gate stayed lit in the back of his mind like a door that was now willing to open, he finally let himself breathe.
Rhoswen stood in front of him as she looked at her commander, and Astra watched the same scene with calm patience as she just let nature take its course.
"You did well," Aurelian said to Rhoswen, keeping it simple. "You are here now, and that matters, so do not waste energy worrying about whether you were enough."
Rhoswen nodded quickly, then hesitated before speaking again, clearly trying to understand the group dynamic without stepping on it.
