ShipCore

USD: 41 Days after arrival at Fort Glisson

Location: Van Biesbroeck’s star, Meltisar, MIL-1A, Navy Administration Offices and Bureau of Personnel

Instructor Riley peered critically at Lieutenant Martinez. If she was intimidated by the fact he was an officer and she was an NCO, Alex couldn’t sense it.

“The time to question my recruit was the last few days, Lieutenant. I’m supposed to be moving her back to Glisson.” Riley paused for a second as she sized the man up. “If you don’t have orders to the contrary, written orders that countermand that, then you need to excuse us.”

Lieutenant Martinez reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small datapad. After activating it and scrolling to some text, he handed it to her. Whatever it said took the sails out of her resistance, but not her defiance.

“Fine. But I’m staying with her so I can escort her back.” Riley said.

“That’ isn’t really necessary, Sergeant. I can escort her to the Admiral and to the Elevator.” Martinez replied.

“I really have nowhere else to be and I wouldn’t be following my orders if I let her out of my sight now that I found her.” Riley countered.

“Suit yourself. If you’ll both follow me, I have a priority tram override.” Martinez said as he pulled out an orange card from a pocket. When they reached the tram station, he swiped it through a wall mounted device. The red colored ‘DO NOT BOARD’ lights activated.

Alex frowned. From what she knew from riding the tram station so far, those were only reserved for emergencies or high-profile individuals. Even when Elis had been transported, they hadn’t used the orange card but just allowed her to board first.

She didn’t like the overt entitlement the Lieutenant was displaying, and it actually made her feel like she could trust Admiral Westlake less than before if he employed someone so willing to abuse their position of power for a bit of convenience.

It wasn’t like her getting to speak to the admiral slightly faster was an emergency. It couldn’t have been, since they’d kept her locked up for days without a word, then let her out with no explanation.

Alex remained silent because she didn’t feel comfortable asking any questions to the Lieutenant, and she didn’t have anything to say to Riley while Martinez was present.

They were the only ones that boarded the tram, and it whisked them away without stopping at any other stations to the Naval Administration Offices section in record time.

The silence got to Alex as they walked through the station corridor. “I thought Admiral Westlake was the Director of Naval Intelligence and Integration, not the Judge Advocate General. But all the lieutenants he sends are from JAG, how come?”

Instructor Riley gave her a sharp glance, but Martinez gave her a wolfish smile.

“Once you get to a certain point in the military, Recruit, military lawyers are just as effective and as important as spies or weapon systems. Normally you’d be subject to court martial, just as a matter of course, because an officer was killed in the incident. However, so many strings have been pulled to avoid it that you were almost forgotten enough to the point you were going to walk off the station without speaking to the Admiral.”

Alex frowned. Something felt wrong to her. “So, everything is being swept under the rug? Made to be like the kidnapping and Lieutenant Harmon’s death never happened?”

“Why do you sound upset? Isn’t that the best thing for you?” Martinez said, raising an eyebrow.

Alex didn’t know what the best thing for her was. But she knew what she wanted, and she doubted that being locked up for a trial would help Elis any or get her back to A31 and H32, so she remained silent.

As they reached a nondescript door, Martinez opened it and stepped inside first. Alex caught a look of shock on Riley’s face as the instructor entered second. Confused, Alex followed.

The scene that presented itself in front of her was about as shocking as the kidnapping, but in a different way.

Her eyes sucked in every detail of the meeting room. Her boots sunk into the plush navy-blue rug as she stepped forward to stand beside Instructor Riley. Everything was brightly lit, and a long ornately decorated meeting table stretched all the way across the room.

A dozen admirals all sat staring at her, all their uniforms presenting varying degrees of insignia and decorations that she’d learned were nicknamed fruit salads. The old man at the end of the table had the most ornate uniform of all, with almost as much dark gold trim, braid, and finery as gray cloth.

Admiral Darren Westlake looked at her with an expression of shock before he quickly clamped it down and hid it. Alex wanted to yell at him and demand why he had summoned her here if he didn’t want her present, but a different admiral on the opposite side of the table from him stood up.

She didn’t recognize him, but he was about the same age, with a head of white hair and a thick white goatee.

Admiral Westlake spoke first. “Admiral Anderson, what is the meaning of this?”

The man who stood smiled as if he’d won a point, “Admiral Westlake, we’ve heard so much testimony and opinion that I thought it might be prudent that everyone here have a chance to hear from the thing we’ve been talking and debating so much about. Luckily, my aide here seems to have found Recruit Myers before she slipped off the station.”

Admiral Anderson beckoned for Lieutenant Martinez to join him and the Lieutenant saluted the admirals, then moved to take a seat against the wall behind his admiral.

Rather than feel betrayed or annoyed, Alex felt relief that the man wasn’t working for Admiral Westlake or for her benefit.

Unfortunately, that didn’t help with the shock of being put in the spotlight. She started blankly at the faces of the two dozen old men who were apparently meeting to determine her fate?

Admiral Anderson turned to smile at her with a wicked grin. “So, Recruit Myers, what it comes down to is: why should we trust a young NAI girl to rule over us and all the people of Meltisar? Is it even possible you have the proper qualifications for such a critical and momentous task?”

It was clear to her that from his adversarial tone, he had already formed an answer to his question.

Admiral Westlake stood up. “Admiral Anderson, your theatrics are unprofessional and uncalled for! The girl obviously didn’t have any preparation or knowledge she was going to speak with us today!”

“Excellent, then you or your cronies won’t have time to prep her testimony then.” Anderson replied acidly. He then turned back toward her. “Recruit Myers! Answer the question!”

Alex was still struggling to process what was going on when the Admiral at the end of the table raised his hand and everyone in the room went silent. “Gentlemen, please sit down.”

It was said calmly, but the weight of authority in the few words seemed to absolute, as both Westlake and Anderson sat immediately. Both glared across the table at each other, though, the obvious animosity threatening to set off sparks.

“Fleet Admiral, this is an obvious ambush of Recruit Myers.” Westlake said, addressing FADM Wilkes, the barest hint of the tone of outrage barely contained in his voice.

Fleet Admiral Wilkes sighed and looked at Alex, his steely gaze impaling her.

“I will allow the question because it’s a good one. Recruit Myers. Can you please entertain us with your thoughts?”

Alex’s mind scrambled to picture what Westlake would have wanted her to say, but after a moment’s hesitation, she discarded it. She stared back at FADM Wilkes and met his gaze with a defiant one.

“I don’t care one bit about Meltisar, and I don’t really want to be here,” she said with anger spreading into her voice, “I only want my sister to get better medical care, and I’m only going to basic so I can attend the naval academy as a TAC MCS attendee. I was promised a chance to get a new computronics module and restore my MainComputer. I have no intention of staying here longer than needed for my ship to be repaired so I can return to where I want to be, which is back where my friends are before a certain Mercenary Captain shanghaied me here!”

She clenched her fists, her arms straight down at her sides and shaking a little.

“The only stupid thing your fucking moon has had to offer are some stupid idiots on the crew of a mercenary ship that has tried to kill and murder me twice, stupid cryptic messages in restroom mirrors, and the few friends I have been able to make in a frosty camp where they try to freeze our tits off every day!”

Biting her lip, she continued speaking, “So! To be absolutely clear: I don’t give one frosted snow pile about ruling Meltisar or it’s stupid navy! It’s obvious to me that you’re all either trying to shove me in a box to do science experiments or to con me into being some political escape hatch against the bigger star nations! I have no sympathy or care for it beyond my personal issues!”

Every one of the admirals at the meeting table sat in stunned silence as Alex spoke, her words stabbing through the air like hot pokers. It was clear they had not expected her emboldened and candid response.

Admiral Westlake’s face registered outright shock, his mouth falling open in surprise. He quickly shut it, but it was clear he wasn’t happy with her statements.

Admiral Anderson also looked taken aback by her outburst. His mustache twitched as he tried to process the unexpected answers.

The other admirals at the table were hocked as well, their expressions ranging from surprise to disbelief. Some leaned back in their chairs, mouths agape, while others sat forward, their eyes fixed on Alex as she spoke.

Instructor Riley slapped her on the small of her back. “Attention!” The instructor hissed.

Alex reflexively moved to the pose without thinking. A second hissed ‘honorific!’ below Riley's breath prompted Alex to finish.

“Admirals.” Alex said as she returned to military bearing.

The atmosphere was electric, tension palpable as the admirals struggled to come to terms with the difference between what had each expected and her words and attitude. It was quite obvious that they were not used to being spoken to in such a manner, and they were not sure how to react.

Some seemed thoughtful, others looked like they might be preparing to come over and thrash her for her insubordinate tone.

Alex’s eyes fell on the man at the end of the table. No one spoke or said anything, and all the Admirals seemed to defer their response in favor of FADM Wilkes. She slow realized that his was the only opinion that really mattered, and he appeared thoughtful.

Finally, he spoke. “Recruit Myers. Thank you for your candid and very honest response. But I believe that your presence at this meeting is no longer required.”

The Admiral’s gaze landed on Instructor Riley. “Sergeant.”

The woman immediately went to attention and saluted sharply.

“Everything you’ve seen here is classified at the highest level. You will forget it all. Please take Recruit Myers back to her cadre and see that she receives the best education and training that the service provides to all its members, permanent or otherwise.”

“Aye aye, Admiral!”

Riley looked at her with a vicious, vengeful glint in her eye. “Recruit! Salute!”

Alex saluted.

“About, Face!”

She spun.

“Forward March!”

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