But standing before her today, their Commander was the red-headed dragon. Her nostrils seemed to breathe out smoke as she addressed them in tight, clipped tones.
“Good afternoon, cadets.”
She was either having a really tough morning… Or she wasn’t pleased about something in Commander-land. It would have to do with the turn things had taken with the General, wouldn’t it? Something to do with his supposed ‘recourse’ actions or whatever? She couldn’t remember the exact phrasing Command had used in their raid reports the other day.
Kat observed each flared breath and harrowing blink as their Commander gave her and Lee their resource sustainability mission. She had pardoned them. Their part in that was over. But even though they were being released once more to go collect matter from a local moon, it didn’t stop the doubt from creeping back in or the feeling that they’d made everything that much worse for everyone.
“…There will be a time allowance of four hours to support the mission,” Commander Blanche said. “We expect you back here within that time. Any questions?” The Commander gave them about a half second before she was already steamrolling on. “Academy Secretary Nolan will go over the details. Good luck cadets.”
And then she was out of there without a backward glance, ecru-heeled boots drilling into the grated floors like the spikes on her tail as she flew. The dragon was gone.
Kat stood a fraction taller and straighter as Nolan took over for the Commander. She hadn’t even realized just how sweltering it had been, almost like Commander Blanche had gone and taken the tension with her, leaving behind only stale questions.
And Nolan.
“…Raid files for your squadron have been added to the hub. You will be notified when your ship has been assigned and scheduled for departure. You are dismissed. Now if you’ll excuse me,” Nolan said, already making for the door with quick steps. Both he and the Commander were definitely on something today.
But they weren’t the only ones who’d been having a tough time of it lately.
She was probably going to regret this later…
“Hey, hey hey,” Kat said, breaking formation, as she chased the Commander’s secretary down. “What’s going on?”
“Matters that do not concern yourselves,” he said, barely bothering to turn his head.
“Come on, Nolan. You’ve got to give us more than that. You owe us after that last debriefing,” Lee said, sliding in a half-step behind her with a manner which clearly announced: we’re doing this, then. “‘Be on your guard?’”
The Commander’s secretary seethed, an innate amount of impatience rippling across his bland features as he stopped just outside the door. He glanced up the hallway again before speaking. “You have to pardon Commander Blanche. Our General, it seems, has been quitebusysince leaving the Academy. I trust you saw the reports?” Nolan said.
So itwastrouble in Commander-land.
“Busy… Like how, busy?” Lee asked, slowly.
“Let’s just say he’s got a style.” And for a moment Nolan looked like he might say something else, too. But then he buried his words, resigned, a burly silence taking over. “My apologies, but if there is nothing else, I do have somewhere I have to be.” And then he was moving once more. They were still on lovely terms, it seemed.
For the second time that day, Nolan left her and Lee blinking in the fluorescents.
“So it’s true, then. The General’s officially gone,” she said faintly, gazing after the direction where both sources of authority had disappeared.
“So it seems,” Lee said. She dragged her eyes back over, meeting his. But she didn’t feel the relief she thought she’d feel at the closure. She just had more questions.
Kat had far too much suppressed anxiety for the Hideaway, and Lee—pacing energy. So instead of bunking it up in one of their dorms, after grabbing their holoblocks, they took up a spot down in one of the empty training levels.
“‘He’s got a style.’ Nolan,” Kat grumbled, tearing at the hair of her ponytail. “So what, he likes his charcoal-greys on Sundays?”
Lee shot her a bemused look as he crouched down on the floor by his bag. She definitely regretted going after the Commander’s secretary.
While Lee dug through for something to eat, Kat drew up the latest for them on the pipeline.
“What about this recourse has kept you so busy, Mr. General sir?” It took her a minute to sift through dated and irrelevant material, the zings from the blaster range in the room next door ricocheting off the wall at her back.
“Okay, here’s something with his name on it.” She adjusted the placement of her holoblock on her lap, Lee peering on over her shoulder. “This one was announced just this week…” She hummed while she scanned the field report for the keywords of interest. “In addition to receiving new funding allocations for the Intergalactic Trade and Security Administration, General Narron also signed new agreements with the Bureau of Planetary Land Management… False alarm,” she trailed off, disappointed. “The timeline seemed so good, too,” She pouted, swiping out of that holofile to see if she’d missed anything else. But it was all more of the same.
“The trade and security administration tracks,” Lee said, finally emerging from his pack with a protein bar.
She held out her hand, and he dropped it into her waiting palm, before scrounging up a second. Peeling back the foil with her teeth, she flicked back up to the top of her feed.
“So in retaliation for his malefactors getting away, he goes and doubles down on galactic security?”
