Aesilla stood by stoically, observing the piling of bodies that followed the battle that had been waged. While the action had been very decisive in favor of the Confederate forces, there were still a great many dead that needed to be attended to, lest the bodies fester and spread disease. That aside, hardly anybody would be able to handle the smell of a citadel full of corpses, burned or otherwise.

Given the time sensitive nature of the current mission, and the need to rapidly reinforce the newly captured territory against counter attack, the decision had been made to employ fire once again. As the pile of carcasses, human and alien, reached the highest measure it could, a member of the Fata Morgana’s crew used what little fuel was scavenged from the now largely empty tanks that had been poured over the Citadel before its capture to soak the base of the mound in accelerant.

With a toss of a lit match, the bodies erupted in flames. No trumpet sounded, and no 21 gun salutes ensued. This pile contained only the enemy and their collaborators. After the sheer depravity and zealotry that they had displayed, they had earned their silent, unrecognized, repose.

Aesilla, still as disgusted as she had ever been by the Ascendancy, spat upon the piled remains before stalking off to begin directing the assembly of the next such pyre.

“Ten thousand lives, snuffed out in the span of two hours of brutal hand to hand combat. Thankfully, eight thousand of those are the people in that pyre.” Jack started, walking up beside the Captain. “How’re you and your crew holding up by the way?”

“The majority wanted to join your troops on the ground.”, Aesilla replied, “I don’t think there was even one on board that didn’t want to eviscerate them personally.”

Aesilla’s posture and tone clearly convey pent up fury, likely to last quite some time into the future.

“Understandable… A demonic rage filled us all after witnessing that scene.” Jack replied, his eyes watching as the bodies ignited into a raging fire, the smell of bodies burning his nose.

“I’m afraid our command structure is going about this war the wrong way, Colonel.”, Aesilla comments, “This isn't a war of liberation, or to capture territory. This is a war against an idea.”

Jack nodded in agreement, “I agree… though it still bothers me that instead of getting chewed out for killing the ENTIRE garrison, we’re being awarded medals and being called heroes back home... No matter what the cause, I don’t believe we should be awarded for this slaughter.” He lamented.

“Does one normally get reprimanded for slaying every enemy, when they fight to the last soldier?”, Aesilla questions then continues, “No, if the enemy fights to the last, and these enemies clearly intended to, then slaying every one is our job. Doing that job with the efficiency we displayed is commendable.”

Raising a brow as he turned to face Aesilla, Jack couldn’t quite form a response, instead, he just shook his head, shrugging in agreement. “I suppose so.”

“I suspect your unease stems from the general’s statement about having known to some degree this was coming…?”, Aesilla ventures tentatively.

“To a degree… To be honest, I figured something like this would happen. More so when we found out about the civilians being held there.” The Colonel replied, folding his arms over his chest.

“I don’t really like being surprised by this sort of massacre either.”, Aesilla concurred, adding, “But I believe that the general’s judgment was sound. In this scenario, we can clearly use this event as a propaganda point in our favor. We offered them the chance to surrender, then they executed civilians they hadn’t even used as hostages, employing a sort of scorched earth policy, ironic, considering, then executed a suicidal charge straight into the teeth of our positions.”

Aesilla paused before delivering the knockout punch of the propaganda.

“They clearly displayed no regard for life. Not even their own.”

Jack agreed, the Reds had charged their line with suicidal zeal, driven by a man whose head was personally taken by him after a short melee, which sadly resulted in the Militia Colonel having a nasty wound that would more than likely leave a lasting scar. “Mhm… Well, at least we’ll get the ‘good’ recruits to help refill our ranks and crews. Though I’m not looking forward to having to write home to the families of the two-hundred men, women, and aliens I lost… in that melee.”

“You’re lucky in that regard though.”, Aesilla commented sympathetically, “You can say honestly that they died fighting the good fight against an unreasonable, evil, foe. In most cases, a commander has trouble finding meaning in the loss of soldiers. It’s plain as day after a charge like that. This enemy must be stopped. Their loved ones made it happen.”

“Indeed… But!” Clapping his hands together, Jack turned to Aesilla, “We best talk about a less… depressing subject. I think there’s been a little too much sadness for one day.” He suggested, looking over at the freshly dug graves of the civilians and Confederate soldiers killed in the battle.

Aesilla’s eyes are now elsewhere, however, searching inside the gates of the now captured citadel.

“I can’t help but wonder what sort of artillery they were using…”, Aesilla thought aloud, “If it was an enclosed vehicle type, we may be able to repurpose it.”

The captain then began looking about for a supply officer to question about the captured equipment, and what may be among the milieu.

Shrugging his shoulders in reply, Jack turned about to look over at the citadel as well. “Don’t know. I hadn’t yet looked into the reports on the captured weapons and gear. But, given the level of gear the Red’s were using, it wouldn’t surprise me if they did… ah, okay, I guess I’ll see you later then?” Jack asked, a little hurt as the Captain walked away.

Aesilla hears Jack’s tone of voice from a short distance, noting that he seemed to think she was just walking away from him. Motioning to him to follow, she answers, “You wanted a different topic,”, Aesilla explained, “So we may as well figure out what goodies we got our hands on and have something to feel good about.”

Going red in embarrassment, the militia Colonel, nodded before quickly regrouping with Aesilla. “Right… I totally knew that. Not really…”

Aesilla notices the red shade that the colonel’s face just turned, and for the briefest of moments, gives him a look equal parts inquisitive, surprised, and amused, before turning to the enemy motor pool. As expected, the enemy had a myriad of different logistics and command vehicles present, most likely assembled here from different parts of the planet’s original defensive installation network. Most had burned, having not been enclosed, but there was a few state of the art infantry fighting vehicles present, most likely for patrol use.

As Aesilla approached the interior exit of the courtyard, the opposing artillery came into view. As the colonel had suspected, there were a significant number of fully enclosed, self-propelled, artillery units. There were a mix of those employing gun type armaments, as well as missile type.

“Well, we know why they were using mostly the shell type artillery.”, Aesilla commented, “Colonel, this is one hell of a find. We could create a unit around this equipment.”

“Yeah, I suppose we could? Though I doubt we’ll be able to fully take advantage of it given how General Gunther will more than likely do that stuff for us. Chances are, he’ll just create a new Artillery unit within our Division. Command won’t refuse either I bet, more so given the success of our mission.” Jack agreed, his face now flushed as he walked up beside the Naval Captain.

“Yeah, that’s pretty much what I was intimating,”, Aesilla replied, “If we can get this up and running before the enemy returns, we can make much better use of it than they did.”

Aesilla made a point of answering Jack but was still searching around the area, including inside the vehicles themselves, seemingly searching for something specific. Not immediately finding it elicited a short burst of profanity.

“Fuckin’ zealot ass-goblins can line up captives like it’s nothing, but they can’t keep their damned manuals straight…..”

“Yup… that’s the Ascendancy for you… no brain for anything outside of their brainwashing and religious fanaticism.” Jack added with a grin. “Why do you think we’ve pushed them this far back in two years?”

Aesilla smirked knowingly at that comment, then proceeded back toward the motor pool, specifically the maintenance area. She had been inside enough such areas aboard ships or on the ground to know that there was likely documentation for every maintained vehicle stored somewhere within. Pulling on the door, Aesilla finds it stuck.

Emitting an irritated, raspy, hiss, she plants a boot firmly in the vicinity of the locking mechanism. The door, in its infinite obstinance, refuses to budge.

Slowly stepping back from the obstacle, the low hiss becomes a sharp, easily audible series of staccato clicks before Aesilla lurches forward and once more plants a booted heel into the vicinity of the locking mechanism. With a loud metallic DOOOOOoooooonnnnnggg, the door vibrates but continues to stubbornly hold fast.

Aesilla, on the other hand, had bounced off and was now looking at a charred ceiling above her.

The clicking resumed nearly immediately, conveying the message; This one……. Is Not Amused.

The militia man just stood there with the look of amusement as he watched the Naval Captain fight it out with the door. It seemed like doors weren’t her thing given how much trouble this one was giving her, no matter how hard she tried opening it. Though he had to admit, it looked like a cat trying to open a door by how she fumbled, kicked, and punched the damn thing. Chuckling softly, Jack walked up and with a few quick clicks and bypasses, the door slid open.

“Looks like doors don’t like you… or at least this one doesn’t.” Joking lightly, the blonde haired officer walked up to Aesilla and offered his hand for her to get up.

What the Colonel would find her doing instead was to quickly yank him to the ground by that hand, as behind him a loud sucking sound could be heard, and a thick black smoke, black as night, could be seen pouring from the doorway that had just opened.

Aesilla rolled sideways, headed for one of the service pits in the motor pool, hoping that Jack would go along with the movement. The captain had forgotten something crucial in going looking for all the service manuals to the enemy equipment. In a fire as hot as the one that had burned within the citadel, and a room as full of fuel as this one would have been, conditions would be as perfect as they could possibly have been for a backdraft.

Jack had quickly recovered as he was pulled to the ground, catching himself with the palm of his free hand, before he fell face first into the metal flooring of the building. Pushing himself up just as the Captain had, he looked with a bit of relief as he had just missed getting a rather nasty burn; which would have added to his small tally of wounds from this one campaign. Brushing himself off, he quickly caught up to Aesilla, his boots falling in line with her own, as they walked to their next destination.

“You know, it's funny, right now I feel more like I’m just following you about than anything haha.” Jack joked lightly, trying to ignore what had happened earlier.

“This citadel…….. They can fucking keep it for all I care.”, Aesilla fumed, “Let them all pile in and drop it on their fucking heads. This piece of shit has fucked with us one too many times. Fucking hell!”

Clearly, the captain was rapidly becoming tired of dealing with the Ascendancy's former headquarters. Not only was it dangerous in their hands, it was still dangerous, even in the hands of the Confederacy, and not in a good way! Jack’s words hadn’t quite reached her in her current state of frustration. Pacing back and forth, Aesilla was becoming more and more restless before finally declaring,

“I need to fucking shoot something.”, in the most disgruntled tone, she had taken in quite a while.

The blonde haired officer just laughed, finding Aesilla’s ranting to be rather humorous given the current state of things more so upon her announcing her desire to shoot something. But, her frustration was valid given how the Confederate Forces had only just finished securing the entire Ascendancy fortress and had yet to fully go through and end the raging fire, or repair damaged areas. Instead, the 2nd Division merely set up shop for a moment to rest and regroup after the battle. Despite it all though, the 7th suffered the fewest casualties in the melee, thanks in part due to the tank squadron that had come in just in the nick of time to render many of the charging Reds to paste.

“Well, if you want to shoot something, I’m sure we can set up some targets at a makeshift range?” He suggested warmly as he wiped a tear of laughter away.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Aesilla glared daggers back at the Colonel as he laughed before producing a small but powerful handgun from a shoulder holster. The weapon was not a simple firearm, but a miniature railgun firing steel penetrator slugs,.......... Or alternate ammunition types. Aesilla proceeded to release its current magazine, and replace it with another, bearing rounds with a bright orange coloration to their individual points. Jack would no doubt recognize these rounds as an explosive ammunition, banned for civilian use by the Ascendancy.

“Let's try targets that these will be fun to use on.”, Aesilla replied with venom.

His eyes went wide upon seeing the special rounds being pulled out, “Well shit. Haven’t seen anyone other than the SF guys using those rounds. How’d you get your hands on them?”

“I know the right people.”, Aesilla responded casually, “When certain people owe you favors, you can get your hands on anything.”

Jack eyed her with a bit of apprehension, before making a mental note not to get on Aesilla’s bad side. Given the fact that the rounds she was carrying were things only the Special Forces got, it wasn’t hard to figure out just WHO she had as ‘connections’ back home.

“Right~ So, that’s a little scary, but none the less, I agree. Might as well fire off a few of those beasts.” He agreed with a small grin as the mere thought of how much damage they would do popped into his head.

Aesilla raised an eyebrow for a moment at being referred to as scary, but was otherwise nonplussed, and returned the weapon to its holster while on the search for appropriately satisfying targets to discharge the weapon at. Hopefully, they would find something meaty enough to be worthwhile….

“You’re the expert on targets, Colonel.”, she prompted, “Lead the way.”

“I’m an expert? Damn, I wish I was an expert on targets, honestly, I just shoot at the targets that seem the biggest and easiest to hit. If that doesn’t work, why do you think I have a sword?” Jack replied, standing silently for a moment before cracking a smile and chuckling, “sorry, sorry, had to say something. No, but yeah, follow me. I know a few targets we can use.”

It didn’t take long for the two officers to reach the makeshift range that had been set up by some soldiers looking to vent their anger at when the battle had ended. At the end of the 200-yard range were a number of wooden dummies with the uniforms of the Ascendancy overtop them, and at the 250 range, waved the Ascendancy flag, that already had a number of bullet holes ripped through it. It went to show just how much every human and alien on the planet hated the enemy they were fighting… more so after the events that lead to the Citadel's capture.

Aesilla looks down the range at the targets and briefly frowns, but still draws her weapon and begins discharging it at one of the dummies. The first few rounds miss the target, given the distance of the range which had clearly been set up for rifles, but it wasn’t long before a round connected. The impact wasn’t a source of overwhelming damage, though it was certainly potent, a half second after impact the target’s torso was blown wide open in the front by the explosive charge carried in the round, tearing away the Ascendancy uniform below the shoulders.

Aesilla then moved her aim to the next target, her rate of fire gradually increasing.

The Army officer just watched as the rounds whizzed past their intended target, each of the missed rounds smacking into an already ruined tree, scattering further debris around the dried mud pit that was once a forest. When the rounds did hit one of the targets, it was an impressive sight to see the dummy blow up in a mess of wood, cloth, and metal.

“Damn.. those things are powerful as hell.” Jack whistled, clearly impressed by the sheer power of one round.

“Hopefully someone back at R&D starts throwing those rounds into a rifle... Can you imagine how fast one would rip apart a squad of Red’s with those things?” He added, his hands resting on his hips as he watched impressed by the stopping power of each round until finally, the clip was empty.

“These rounds don’t do shit against armor.”, Aesilla reminded the colonel, “Modern armor technology is more than capable of stopping anything short of a purpose built penetrator round. These are better used in a situation where you can overmatch the target based on caliber alone, or when armor isn’t present.”

The captain then loaded another magazine into the weapon and resumed discharging the weapon at whatever was left in front of her.

“You forget though, I’m usually in the front line, and no amount of armour is able to stop such a powerful round from point blank range… Though, admittedly, it would be bloody. Maybe a bit too bloody.” Jack replied.

“That coming from the man who cut the enemy commander’s head off and started displaying it up for all to see in the battle?” Cut in Warren Smith, who came walking up to join the two senior officers.

“True… but that was just a ‘heat of the moment’ type of thing.” He explained, making quotations with his fingers around heat of the moment. “But, what’s up Major? Something happening?”

Warren just shook his head as he pulled around his CAAR-1304, the standard issue rifle of the Galactic Confederacy. The rifle in question being a newer model made by the Rebel government during the first year of the war. After having managed to secure a factory world from the Ascendancy during the start of the war, the Galactic Confederation was able to supply their troops with the weapons, ammo, and gear they needed to wage a proper war. Though sadly, their space development is the one piece they have yet to fully get into, as the shipyards used for the production of war vessels were mainly found in the Ascendancy’s core worlds.

“Nope, just target practice with you two.”

Aesilla sighed heavily at the colonel’s reply. She then grabbed a tattered ascendancy vest from the ground, apparently having been cut from its owner during battle, and tossed it downrange. She then directed Jack’s attention toward it and discharged a pair of rounds into the vital protection. Rather than blow the vest to pieces, the rounds bounced off and detonated mid air further down the range with small puffs of smoke.

“They pack a punch, sure, but in order to be effective, they must penetrate their target. Without a penetrator type round, this weapon hasn’t got a chance.”

The militia commander shrugged before he drew his sabre and stabbed the same places she had shot, the blade going through like butter. “Well, if worse comes to worse, I have this,” Jack added as he sheathed his blade once more.

Aesilla watched, stunned, as the colonel approached the piece of armor she had just tossed down range and poked holes in it with his sabre.

“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!”, a shout came from further down the firing line, “HAVE YOU BEEN HIT IN THE HEAD OR ARE YOU JUST FUCKING STUPID?!”

Rapidly stalking toward the colonel was a none too pleased gunnery sergeant, eyes seemingly bulging out of their sockets, and face red with typical fury.

“DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH CROSSING THAT FIRING LINE?!”

Aesilla had seen this coming a mile away. Even though she was part of the navy, she knew better than to do what the colonel had just done, for precisely the reasons the gunnery sergeant was no doubt about to explain to the colonel in no uncertain terms.

Jack just stood there stone faced as the gunny bitched him out for stepping into the makeshift firing range before he eventually scratched the back of his neck. “Right, My mistake. Though, I’m sure I saw the range down sign go up. Thank you for the warning Gunny. I’ll make sure to watch myself…”

“I’d say that’s BS, you charge headlong into a horde of enemies with only a sword and pistol… I doubt you’ll remember the good Gunny’s wise words of caution there sir.” Bull pointed out, a small grin forming on his bearded face.

Jack couldn’t say anything, even if he wanted to. There was no retort for that one… somewhere down the lin, he had lost all sense of danger, his mind just turning off whenever it was near. “Well… fuck.”

After two years of constant fighting, no R&R save those small moments on the world’s they liberated, had more or less destroyed the young senior officer, who… shouldn’t have the rank he held, rather, he should’ve still been a Captain, an O-3 at his age. But, his service record in the war had seen to him getting the post he now held, though he really doubted he’d survive long enough to go any further, more so how his mind just seemed to shut off when near danger.

The gunnery sergeant had heard the correct response, if possibly insincere, belay that almost certainly insincere, given the current state of affairs. The gunnery sergeant crossed his arms as if waiting for something, while simultaneously intensely starring the colonel down. Aesilla, wanting the situation to quickly resolve, helpfully pointed down at the ground, hoping that Jack would realize where he was still standing.

Jack’s green eyes looked back into the Gunny for a second wondering what he wanted, and why he was still there, until it finally dawned on him, quickly he pulled out his pen, and wrote a quick note, before handing it to the Gunny.

“As is customary for such a fuck up, I’m putting a notch down on the record to atone and help remind myself not to make the same mistakes in the future. When all is done, the General will add this to my record.” Jack stated, knowing full well this was the only way for someone like him so damaged by PTSD to really remind himself never to make the same mistake again.

Though, he understood if the Gunnery Sergeant was still upset with him, given how he seemed too detached to the whole thing as if he had no real care for his own life. Which wasn’t too far off, though if there was one thing he cared for, it was those under him, and or around him.

The gunnery sergeant almost didn’t even take the note, but given the rank of the individual he was dealing with, he humored the man, if only briefly. The gunnery sergeant thereafter immediately discarded the note, grabbed the Colonel by the shoulder strap on his uniform and physically brought his face downward and toward Aesilla’s weapon.

“See this, numbnuts? Tell me what the fuck this is!”

The Gunny's tone of voice had dropped to a low, somewhat softly threatening and sarcastic.

Eyes wide as he was suddenly grabbed by the scruff of his fatigues, Jack could only give a rather shocked and confused look. While Warren just stood there chuckling beside Aesilla. It would be a lie to say that he wasn’t enjoying the sight of his friend being humiliated in such a manner, but given how dead he knew his friend was, it was a bit sad to think how he forgot the basics.

“Hmm… a custom Mark Ten Ezra pistol, loaded with explosive rounds, also called ‘Dragon fire’ by the Spec Ops guys.” Jack replied matter factly.

Warren stood there dumbfounded for a moment. “Fuck…sometimes I really do think he’s dead inside that head of his...”

“Very good!”, the gunny replied, voice dripping with sarcasm, “Now tell me where the fuck it’s pointed!”

Aesilla, now very close in proximity to the exchange, simply facepalms with her free hand.

Jack, paused, looking at him for a moment, really starting to get annoyed as well, before sighing in defeat. “Alright, Gunny, it won’t happen again.”

The Major raised a brow for a moment before looking over to see the General of the 2nd Division come walking up. “Oh bigger fuck! At attention!” Snapped Warren who quickly stood at attention as the commander of their force came walking up, a small smile on his face.

“Gentlemen, Ma’am, how goes it?” Gunther questioned as he walked up to join the three officers and the one SNCO.

Jack quickly snapped to along with the Gunny. “Made a mistake sir! Gunny here was telling me the error of my ways!” He reported quickly.

Gunther just stood there for a moment, “Huh? Did you walk out into the range again Colonel?... fuckin’ hell…”

Aesilla quickly switched the safety of her weapon on and placed it upon the nearest surface and snapped to attention as well, expression showing the sort of ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’ thought process going through her head at the moment, as to what the colonel had just done, and the fact that the general was aware that he had done so before. Aesilla found the situation incomprehensible.

“I would recommend a second sweep of the structure for any remaining fire, sir.”, Aesilla responded, recalling the earlier close call, “One door concealed a rather explosive fire behind it earlier in the motor pool.”

Jack stood there, his face a little red from embarrassment, as the General just eyed him, before sighing and shaking his head. “Only seems to happen after a battle... Gunny, you’re dismissed. After the slaughter… he’s a little out of it, it’s going to take the shrink to fix this problem. For now… we worry about the others.” Gunther then turned to Aesilla, noting her warnings and report, “Noted. I’ve received numerous reports saying the same. I’ve already asked the Engineers and emergency personnel to begin securing all danger spots… Will likely take a day to do, but they’ve assured me it’s being done, just forward the report to the Engineer corps and they’ll take care of it.” Once Gunther had finished, he looked back at Jack, giving a rather pained look.

Gunther had served with Jack since the war first broke out two years ago… though, even after all he’d seen and done, he wasn’t as messed up as Jack was. The young Colonel had barely received even two months training before he was sent to his first battle. He wanted to help the young man, but he couldn’t, not right now. He needed officers, and Jack was one of the most successful and the most decorated officer he had under his command, even if he was just a militia man. So, for now, it would be just another note to vanish under the paperwork, but he’d make sure to alert the Warrant Officer to keep tabs on his officer whenever he was near a danger zone after a fierce battle, as it seemed that it was only after a battle that the Colonel seemed to just turn off his brain; as if letting it heal from what he had just seen and done.

Aesilla took the opportunity to break the awkward silence,

“General, just curious, but do you know what became of the enemy’s carrier?”

Jack, and Gunther both turned to Aesilla upon hearing her voice, with the General looking up in thought, trying to remember, “Destroyed… if I remember correctly. Was badly damaged and began to fall through the atmo. Blew up as it started the descent. Why?”

“The enemy response to the scenario is telling, sir.”, Aesilla replied. The captain had predicted one of several outcomes to the scenario her actions had presented the enemy. The carrier being allowed to break up in the planet’s atmosphere was the one she had least expected, but learning is more often done when one receives an answer they didn’t expect. She wondered if the general took away the same lesson from the enemy’s decision.

The General nodded in response, looking at the Captain for a moment longer while she was lost in thought before he remembered why he had actually come. “Oh! That reminds me, talking of strategy. Command has issued new orders. The Fata Morgana and the Seventh are to report to the Athens Nebula. Command is planning another offensive, but they don’t want to leave the Deltia undefended. So, for the time being, the division will be split in half, with one-half remaining here until the fresh forces come, while the second moves to the new operational area. Once there, you’ll receive further orders.”

As the General finished Jack spoke up, “Sir, what of replacements for those lost?”

Gunther turned to look at Jack now, his aging face showing how hard the war has been on him, before his sea blue eyes blinked, “You’ll receive fresh recruits along the way. Each Confederate checkpoint and space station will provide you with the fresh troops. Overall, expect a long trip there… more so while you work on repairs for the Morgana.” After he finished answering the question he then turned to look at the Captain, “Captain, Colonel, Major.” And with that, the Divisional commander calmly walked off towards his own Headquarters.

“Sir!” Saluted both Jack and Warren.

Aesilla salutes as well, but thereafter expresses an uncertainty to the other two present.

“Does command know that the Athens Nebula is dark to long range communications?”

The Colonel looked over at her, “Chances are… no. But, they’ll more than likely try to get us to fix that issue…” He answered first.

“I guess that’ll be a request for clarification once we’re back in orbit.”, Aesilla noted aloud, “That nebula can hide just about anything that doesn’t want to be found. In any case, we better get our outfits squared away and cast off in short order.”

Aesilla then retrieves her weapon, removes the partially spent magazine, and replaces it with the original load of penetrator rounds before holstering the little railgun.

The two militia officers nodded in agreement before they too walked back to their respective units to send word of their new orders and transfer to a new front. Though Jack couldn’t help but feel a little curious as to why Aesilla seemed more cautious about the Athens nebula, however, it wasn't a pressing matter for him, so he just shook his head of it, dismissing it mentally for another time when they weren’t at such a busy time.