03-16-2025, 12:30 AM
Tomer opened his mouth to speak, to interject, to fundamentally disagree with everything that Braggins said, but her stream of consciousness (some might call it word-vomit) prevented him from getting a chance. He'd gone an even darker shade of red, almost purple, when he realized that she was not taking the situation seriously; she was letting her crew try and stamp all over his authority, and had the audacity to do something as disgusting as smoking in his presence.
The levels of unprofessionalism amongst this crew truly was astounding! She'd even threatened him with being confined to his quarters!
"Am I understood?"
She was finally done! He would finally get to put her in her deserved place. Tomer paused, however, words freezing on his tongue as he looked at the diminutive Captain staring at him from the other end of the table. She hadn't raised her voice, in fact her inflection hadn't changed at all, and yet the expression on her face had him locked in place. It was the look of a woman used to being underestimated, fed up of being a pawn in some political game, and who had seen horrors beyond his comprehension. A woman who probably would not hesitate to put Darpen Tomer out the nearest airlock given the slightest reason. His face briefly drained of color as his jaw worked without sound.
Eventually, he found his voice again.
"Understood."
This time, his cheeks flushed with shame. Shame for being spoken to in such a way, shame at being denigrated, and shame for letting it happen.
The levels of unprofessionalism amongst this crew truly was astounding! She'd even threatened him with being confined to his quarters!
"Am I understood?"
She was finally done! He would finally get to put her in her deserved place. Tomer paused, however, words freezing on his tongue as he looked at the diminutive Captain staring at him from the other end of the table. She hadn't raised her voice, in fact her inflection hadn't changed at all, and yet the expression on her face had him locked in place. It was the look of a woman used to being underestimated, fed up of being a pawn in some political game, and who had seen horrors beyond his comprehension. A woman who probably would not hesitate to put Darpen Tomer out the nearest airlock given the slightest reason. His face briefly drained of color as his jaw worked without sound.
Eventually, he found his voice again.
"Understood."
This time, his cheeks flushed with shame. Shame for being spoken to in such a way, shame at being denigrated, and shame for letting it happen.