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4.3 - Old Hands Part 2
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THUD!
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To fall out of a bed in space, is harder then one might imagine, for one it requires you to be in the minority group that owns a suppressor field, the sources of artificial gravity aboard space-craft. Secondly you need to of made modifications to your bed, as all regulation cots have large side boards to give occupants a fighting chance of not being thrown out of bed if the ship unexpectedly comes under attack while crewmembers are sleeping.
Of course Hoki had no way of knowing that Kolme had moved his bed so many times that the suppressor field now reached out over the edges, or that he had long since cut the safety borders off by his own hand...
"Sir! Sir are you ok, what was that noise? Sir!?" Hoki called with urgency.
Inside a new set of sounds echoed. Those of someone cursing, repeatedly, followed by a rush of draws being thrown open and such-like.
"Just 'ta minute Lass!" Came the reply to Hoki's question.
Relaxing Hoki stepped back away from the door, doing her best to ignore any questions in her mind as to whether or not she had just caught her superior officer sleeping in on the day of a vital meeting.
THUD!
This time Hoki moved on instinct she reached for the door handle, which she found to be unlocked and threw it open.
What greeted her was the view of a bombsite. Clothes that had presumably been stacked atop something Kolme was looking for, were strewn across the place. Cutlery had been knocked off a tray, some of it partially floating in the anti-gravity - While pieces of furniture lay carelessly moved out of position.
Half-fallen on the ground was the man himself, part-ways through donning a pair of socks, all while holding what might of been toast between his teeth.
The 'Uniform' Lt.Nilas had opted for made Hoki feel positively over-dressed.
It was for the most part an old TSU uniform - The black trousers and a pair heavy boots which he had yet to get to. Although with an apparent lack of the silver trimmings that Hoki's uniform pertained.
Above these a ruffled and un-ironed white shirt, only half buttoned, and to finish the look was little more than his dress jacket, completely unbuttoned and with no sign of his lieutenant's insignias, a cap or the IAFS logo.
Getting back to his feet Kolme apologised for his tardiness before beckoning Hoki to take a chair. There was no question now in her mind as she watched her commander finish his haphazard dress regime - That the man had most definitely been asleep the whole time she had waited in the corridor.
The finished results of the uniform weren't much better, while atleast the white shirt was now properly fastened, with boots and socks successful on without any further falls - The dress jacket was still unbuttoned, no tie was present and the whole look was generally scruffy. It even appeared to Hoki that he had failed to shave the stubble from his face that morning, his sideburns bushier then ever.
Despite all this, with a quick glance in the mirror, Kolme nodded to himself and seemingly happy with his appearance, indicated for Hoki to lead the way.
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0756 - They were of-course not early for the meeting anymore, they were barely even on time at this point. They rounded a final corridor before spotting the meeting room ahead of them. Outside the fairly non-descript doorway, another entourage of figures was entering whom Hoki recognised as officers from a warship called the 'Rinie' - In particular was the leader of the group, a woman known throughout IAFS as the 'Battle-Axe', Commander Batty.
A woman in her late fifties, who's face seemed to hold a permanent scowl, as tall as any man, yet with an air of consideration that bordered on aloof. Moreover the woman's dress sense actually made Hoki in her own formal attire, feel positively naked. Batty wore the full ceremonial battledress of the former Abhailien Revolutionary forces - Unlike most, she left on all the lapels of her old units, an almost unique mix of both TSU and Abhlien memorabilia, topped off with a peaked hat that boasted a gold embossed Abhailien logo of the Rinie, and finally a whole range of war medals lined above her left breast pocket.
This almost regal appearance did not disappoint the image of Commander Batty that Hoki had been previously acquainted with.
Like Scarlet and Kolme, she was a survivor of The First War, however unlike them she had mostly opted out of an event known as 'The Remembrance Incidence' a few years ago - This along with the fact she had once worked alongside TSU forces before the First War called her back to her homeland - Had all put her in bad standings with her fellow Remembrance members and as such she had taken the first opportunity she could to leave them and join up with IAFS,
Her somewhat legendary aggression and bad temper famously seemed to focus in on Nate Novel, the Fluchtig's Captain.
Possibly because of his posting to a large modern battleship - Or if rumours were to be believed, because the two had a more personal history.
Speaking of, as Batty stepped into the meeting room, from behind her Hoki caught sight of none other than Commander Nate Novel himself. To Hoki's dismay Kolme called out to the man, who in turn called back;
"Kolme old chap! I Thought you'd gone and skipped out on me!" The man said, his voice more that of a boisterous rugby player than a ship's Captain.
"Ha, like you been 'ere more than 5 minutes Sir." Kolme shot back clapping a hand against the captain's back.
"You've got me there, Ha-ha! Here listen I had the strangest of dreams today you know. It was like an, what do you call it? Out of mind? Out of body experience, that's it!" Nate decreed with seeming pride;
"It was like I was looking down on the Fluchtig from outside and than this single enemy, not a Casnel mind you, just a regular enemy, blows the whole thing up! Ho-ho, I'll tell you that gave me a start this morning!"
For his part Kolme's expression changed a little at the abrupt story. His tone a tad more serious, though still clearly playing along with the 'lads' persona; "That so Sir? You've been checked for a Magi ratin' rigth?"
Nate's faced ellipsed into an even bigger grin then before, "No worries there old-bean, in terms of Magi ability the doc's all say I'm as thick as a brick, no premonitions for me. Hahahaha!"
For her part Hoki awkwardly stood a couple paces back from the two as their conversation continued in much this same fashion, with all too much laughter, while the clock struck ever further past the time the meeting should of started at - From inside the meeting room she could feel the gazes of all the other officers glaring out at them.
'It's going to be a long day...'
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