Mom looked at him oddly, but knew there wasn’t any more time to interrogate him. Instead, she took Norrin by the shoulder, spun him around and propelled him towards the door to the living room. She paused for a second to turn the doorknob (even though she didn’t argue with Dad, she was still getting used to the low levels of tech their home enjoyed) and swing the door open just a little too forcefully.
“Hello, Captain Vere!” Mom said. The officer had been talking to dad. But at the sight of Mom and Norrin he stood up smartly and gave a short, respectful bow to Mom. Dad followed likewise, his unkempt hair and thick lensed glasses a match for Norrin’s own.
“Good evening Mrs. Mek. I was just having a lovely discussion with your husband about the new weapon he’s been assigned to.”
“It’s amazing,” Dad gushed. “Really, if the energy is focused enough, we could be looking theoretically at enough power to destroy a planet! It’ll take years to extract enough pure power to do so, but that means we need never fear invasion from a foreign entity again! Best of all, the exhaust port system I’ve developed will suck the vacuum from space and simultaneously cool the weapon down while blowing the excessive heat wastage out the other side, rather than the usual means of compacted disposal!”
“Quite,” said Captain Vere. Mom was the one with the social skills- she could tell Vere was being polite, but was quickly tiring of Dad. Every weapon researcher liked to brag and boast that his latest project would end conflict as the galaxy knew it, and bring peace through superior firepower. Dad was no exception, but when he started talking about his research it seemed his ability to process social cues switched off and he’d talk about ion ratios, grav meters and anti-matter couplings until the nerfs waddled home, if you let him.
“Captain Vere,” Mom said, smiling, “we are so glad you were willing to grace our home with your presence. To what do we owe the pleasure?”
“I was just coming to that with your husband here. May we sit, Mrs. Mek? I think you’ll find it interesting, as will Norrin.”
Norrin didn’t find it interesting at all, but decided he’d play along for now. All he wanted to do was get back upstairs and play some more of his game- why couldn’t anyone see that? He sat down like the adults did on one of the four couches surrounding the low table.
“Well...Norrin,” said Vere with a smile, “how have things been going at the Imperial school?”
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“Honestly?” Norrin said sullenly.
“He’s doing very, very well Captain Vere,” said Mom. “We’re very, very happy my husband was assigned here, so close to good schools, and the facilities are excellent for my husband to pursue his work on behalf of the Empire.”
“Excellent news. In fact, Norrin’s work has been exemplary, I understand.”
Norrin’s parents looked at each other. “It has?” Dad said.
“Well, I know that Norrin’s grades could be better, but let’s take a look at what he’s accomplished recently, shall we?” Captain Vere pushed a small datapad to the center of the table. “Norrin Mek,” he said as a projected image of Norrin appeared over the pad. “Son of...Mara and Jayson Mek, researchers into the fields of pure and applied physics, respectively. Between them, Norrin, you parents have managed to either win or be nominated for just about every honor for scientific achievement for which we currently have an award.”
Norrin looked up and over to his parents. They were looking...well, Dad was puzzled. He had no idea where this was going. He just kept on polishing his glasses while he kept looking at Norrin with that little tick-thing his eyeball made when he was nervous. Norrin’s mother was more agitated. She was acting as though she were going to be hit any second. What was her problem, anyway? Captain Vere had only been good so far- why did his folks look like they’d just been asked to swallow a gundar?
“Now, Norrin. Your grades have moved from average to below average. Tested out in the top two percent of your class in raw intelligence, but currently stuck somehow in the bottom half of your class academically. Why do you think that is, Norrin?”
Norrin looked down and shrugged his shoulders. He risked a look up and saw his mother’s eyes were tearing up.
Why? Why was she so upset? This fool was at least a nice fool. Not like how he heard some Imperial officers could be... and then Norrin saw the bar with red and blue squares on his chest.
Norrin didn’t have many interests outside of computers, machines, and the pleasant distractions they afforded him. But he had seen enough war movies to know that this was no ceremonial Captain; no rich-boy whose daddy had bought his son a commission so he could enjoy a cushy, planetside life. Captain Vere had the bars of a Captain in the Imperial Navy. He’d likely flown the famous TIE fighters, or given orders on the bridge of a Star Destroyer.
And now Norrin knew why his mother was so upset. A man who flew between the stars and blew things up that were intelligent and dangerous had taken the time to drop into orbit around their planet and ride a shuttle all the way to the city docking bay, and then take a land-speeder taxi out to their off-the-grid, technologically backward little house. Somehow, they were a family of gnats that had gotten the attention of an goliaphant....