USD: 77 Days after arrival at Fort Glisson

Location: Van Biesbroeck’s star, Meltisar, Fort Glisson, Company S, 1st Cadre

A vibrant display of oranges lit the sky as the sun and gas giant vied for dominance of the evening. The weak rays of the sun had already lost most of their potency and a slight briskness had enveloped everyone standing or sitting on the graduation field.

All the graduating recruits were adorned in clean white dress uniforms that almost all of them had rented for the occasion. For most, it was one of the very few occasions that they would wear them.

Lined up in front of a raised platform, they were organized in long lines, sorted by their company and cadre. Alex watched from the second position, right behind Tia at the front. They’d all been called one at a time to receive a silver lapel or gold bar, depending on whether they would get their enlisted rank or become an officer candidate.

That had finished long ago and the battalion commander began the longest speech Alex had ever been subjected to about his expectations for their continued performance and advancement.

Alex stifled a yawn as the commandant continued. They’d all probably be murdered if anyone actually broke bearing, but thankfully, everyone present seemed capable of standing at attention for long periods of time. That was probably the most important skill they had all learned so far.

That and doing things quickly so they could wait. Or teamwork.

An entire array of guests had assembled to the side of the field, comprising the families and friends of everyone graduating. Alex had glanced at the group only briefly. Her family was still in orbit awaiting her return, and she would be joining the very first elevator to MIL-1A available after they were all released.

The commandant finally ran out of words to say and their instructors dismissed them in lines, allowing the recruits to disperse slowly without swamping the seated spectators.

When it was her Cadre’s turn to join the spectators, Alex followed along at first, but both she and Tia both paused together at the edge of the mingling recruits. A field of white cloth mixed with their parents and siblings and other relatives. Laughs, cheers, and shouts and celebration washed over the entire scene.

Alex swallowed a lump in her throat. It felt empty for her. If Elis had been there smiling, waiting to greet her and give her a hug and tell her how well she had done... maybe that would have been different. It was a poignant reminder that her reunion would occur after a day’s trip up the elevator.

“So, what do we do now?” Alex asked.

Tia eyed her. “Feeling bad because there’s no one to hug you?”

It was perhaps a bit too close to the mark.

“I don’t imagine anyone from your family will show up to pat you on the back, either.” Alex said.

Tia’s right eye twitched, but she didn’t look at Alex. “I wouldn’t want them to.”

There was the slightest hint of a waver in her voice, and Alex frowned. “Sorry. But if we aren’t waiting for anyone, do we really have to stand here for an hour?”

“I think so.”

Alex grunted and watched the proceedings, spotting Rachel hugging an older woman and man. Her parents? The last few days had filled Alex with an anxiety she’d never felt before, and she hated it. Even if they had talked and Alex had explained, and everything was ‘alright’, but everything was off and…

Alex now had personal experience on why relationships were not allowed inside units in the military. They were enough to make someone crazy.

After a few minutes, Rachel looked around and spotted her. The other girl waved, but Alex saw the moment her eyes slipped off her and onto Tia. Rachel’s smile disappeared instantly, and she turned around and went back to her conversation with her parents.

Alex took a deep breath and let it out.

“Sorry about that. Guess you got demoted from meeting the family status.” Tia said.

Alex felt like a spike had been driven into her chest as she realized Tia had noticed the interplay. “Are you trying to make me strangle you?”

Tia didn’t show any fear. “They could probably find a reason to wash us back two weeks still, so it’s not a great idea.”

Alex scoffed and the next few minutes were heavy with their own little bubble of silence, contrasted by the cacophony of cheerfulness all around them. Alex found an interesting piece of grass to study until Tia finally interrupted her.

“Someone you know?”

Alex looked up. “What?”

Her eyes landed on an older man approaching them. Eyes widening in recognition, Alex gave a salute. “Captain-Major Thraker.”

Thraker returned it to them. “At ease, cadets. Congratulations on your graduation. It’s been so long since my own that I almost don’t remember it, but I do recall it being an emotional and defining moment.”

Tia spoke before Alex could think of anything to say. “Sir, I think Cadet Myers can fully appreciate that sentiment.”

Alex shot Tia a warning glare, silently communicating that she would strangle her if Tia brought up her “girl” problems with Rachel. Tia just smiled at her innocently.

Thraker didn’t seem to pick up on the interplay and arched an eyebrow at her. “Oh? Do you feel your time here was well spent?”

Alex nodded hesitantly at first. “Yessir. It was productive.” Although not for the reasons, he probably thought. A frown creased her face. “I haven’t heard from you or anyone from the crew in weeks. What happened, sir?”

Thraker’s expression turned serious. “A nasty business, that. After the kidnapping, marines rounded up the entire crew and we’ve all been… quite thoroughly interrogated on the matter. Admiral Westlake was kind enough to finally exonerate the rest of us from being conspirators in Chief Marston’s plans. Unfortunately, he could not capture whoever they were working with on the black market.”

“Well, that means the crew wasn’t that tight-lipped about my NAI status.”

Alex’s statement was only met with silence as Thraker raised an eyebrow, while giving a long glance at Tia.

Alex shook her head. “Cadet Tia is a friend and already knows. One of Westlake’s proteges.”

Thraker nodded, accepting hesitantly. “I see. I’m surprised Westlake trusted something so important to someone so junior.”

“I have many connections, sir. Admiral Westlake finds them helpful for his special programs.” Tia offered.

“I see, I see. Well, you are likely more informed than I am then, since I’ve been under house arrest since the kidnapping.”

“Do you have any information on the Iron Horse, sir?” Alex asked.

Thraker nodded. “I have been kept in the loop on that, at least. They didn’t pause the repairs or maintenance thankfully.” A frown creased his face, and he gave Alex a pointed look. “I am verily surprised to learn that the Meltisar Central Bank was quite interested in the ship’s status, since they gained a considerable stake in its equity.”

“Admiral Westlake helped me with that, sir. I needed some funds.”

He stared at her without a word, as if she’d done something terribly rude, but she stared right back at him.

[Informative: An analysis of historic Avatar activities highlights major deficiencies in Avatar self-direction. It is with a high degree of certainty that if Avatar had not proceeded on a self-destructive emotional course after the engagement of Dedia IV then MainComputer restoration and crewmember Elis states would have been restored much sooner.]

Alex maintained her poker face, despite Nameless’s words feeling like a physical blow. She knew she had messed up, and gotten them all thrown into civilization ill-prepared. Not sure of what prompted the damning review of her after-action failings, she ignored him.

As the silence grew awkward, Tia coughed to gain both their attentions.

“Excuse me, Captain-Major. I heard from Alex that you’re the commander of the mercenary company sponsoring her. I know little about it, however. Could you run by some of the IHMC’s history for me?” Tia said.

Alex shot her an appreciative look for defusing the tension and listened in as Thraker launched into a summarized detailing of the company’s pedigree, dating all the way back to the wars of The Collapse. Part of it she had heard before, but there were still bits and pieces that she hadn’t known, mostly the relationships and wars between the major powers while they were still forming into unique polities.

That they fell into roughly two major camps was expected; Alex had learned that the Imperium and Ertan Republic did not get along, relations faring almost as poorly as between the Solarian Federation and the Corporate Systems.

There was a slight history of the Imperium supporting the Federation and the Republic supporting the Corpos, but there was never enough goodwill or friendship for any alliances to form.

The IHMC often worked for the Imperium or Federation during the early years, preferring to stand against the Ertan Republic when possible. Thraker didn’t explain his distaste for the Republic, but Alex could feel the sentiment. That she had a poor view of the Corpos, and through Tia, The Imperium… it left three of the four factions with a poor reputation so far.

She wasn’t even sure about the Federation, as it had let its citizens be dropped on Dedia IV in such a fubar display that had called for her to nuke the Rexxor Hive and call on the Octanis Accords. The results of which she still had no information or idea about if her messages had even been received.

Nameless had informed her he couldn’t help Elis any further other than by planning theoretical treatments until they were back on the station with her. That meant they’d have to deal with whatever the security program that had been harassing them with fake information was when they went up the elevator. She wasn’t even sure if Admiral Westlake knew about it, as Tia had indicated she had just been working around it rather than complain.

That was a mistake, in Alex’s opinion. It was obvious the navy’s factions were acting on their own according to their views. Or had been doing so for some time. The meeting with the Admiralty board had convinced her of that.

She didn’t think the worst case of all of them being in together on some kind of elaborate plot was true, otherwise it would have made much more sense to grab her and Tia and lock them up long before they finished their basic training.

Elis was already awake and responsive; she was just having difficulty communicating and controlling her body. That was half the battle, Nameless reported. He was confident enough that Alex was sure things were going to work out.

Just one more day until she’d have her sister back.

Alex let out a breath and focused on listening before she got lost in her own thoughts.