08-13-2024, 11:16 PM
“Stop. This isn’t…”
The words were softly spoken but they rang in Mara’s ears loud as church bells. The Bandaran felt the hand on her bicep and she stopped, turning back to look at Tyra as the redhead looked to someone else.
I’m not helpin’ her. I’m makin’ it worse.
The realisation was far more effective at cooling Calleja’s temper than the stream of invective that poured out of Captain Givens. The Security chief pretty much ignored the newcomer, letting the words just rush past her, knowing that if she paid any attention it would only touch off her own short fuse again.
“I’m only backin’ down ‘cause ya told me to,” Mara said softly to Tyra. Her accent was that little bit stronger as she found herself fighting to choke down her own emotions again. “I didn’t mean to make things worse for ya. Sorry ‘bout that. Someone somewhere is playin’ with us all and it really gets under my skin. ‘Specially after what just happened to us on that last mission.”
Calleja nodded to Crawford in a gesture of deference and swivelled her chair round for the Captain to take a seat, as she retreated to a different seat further back. She made no attempt to apologise to or even acknowledge Givens. Trying to build bridges seemed futile when both women had already dynamited the foundations.
I couldn’t process this absolute catastrofuck before. And now Tyra’s back… There are so many fuckin’ games goin’ on here and I am no bastard’s toy to be played with. And neither should anyone else be. Command aren’t even showin’ us basic fuckin’ respect, but I’m still supposed to bow to whatever they send out here. Fuck that and fuck them.
Without knowing it, Mara found herself joining the list of people considering whether she was suitable for her current senior position. She had made her name leading Security teams into combat and she was very very good at that. But she was ill-suited to politics. She spoke her mind and she spoke honestly. If she was going to make it as a department head, she was going to have to learn to tone that down and deal with the fact that almost nobody was as straight down the line as she was.
Goin’ home has never been more temptin’. And home is a toxic hellhole. But at least I could make a difference there without havin’ to spend every minute of every day bitin’ my tongue.
The words were softly spoken but they rang in Mara’s ears loud as church bells. The Bandaran felt the hand on her bicep and she stopped, turning back to look at Tyra as the redhead looked to someone else.
I’m not helpin’ her. I’m makin’ it worse.
The realisation was far more effective at cooling Calleja’s temper than the stream of invective that poured out of Captain Givens. The Security chief pretty much ignored the newcomer, letting the words just rush past her, knowing that if she paid any attention it would only touch off her own short fuse again.
“I’m only backin’ down ‘cause ya told me to,” Mara said softly to Tyra. Her accent was that little bit stronger as she found herself fighting to choke down her own emotions again. “I didn’t mean to make things worse for ya. Sorry ‘bout that. Someone somewhere is playin’ with us all and it really gets under my skin. ‘Specially after what just happened to us on that last mission.”
Calleja nodded to Crawford in a gesture of deference and swivelled her chair round for the Captain to take a seat, as she retreated to a different seat further back. She made no attempt to apologise to or even acknowledge Givens. Trying to build bridges seemed futile when both women had already dynamited the foundations.
I couldn’t process this absolute catastrofuck before. And now Tyra’s back… There are so many fuckin’ games goin’ on here and I am no bastard’s toy to be played with. And neither should anyone else be. Command aren’t even showin’ us basic fuckin’ respect, but I’m still supposed to bow to whatever they send out here. Fuck that and fuck them.
Without knowing it, Mara found herself joining the list of people considering whether she was suitable for her current senior position. She had made her name leading Security teams into combat and she was very very good at that. But she was ill-suited to politics. She spoke her mind and she spoke honestly. If she was going to make it as a department head, she was going to have to learn to tone that down and deal with the fact that almost nobody was as straight down the line as she was.
Goin’ home has never been more temptin’. And home is a toxic hellhole. But at least I could make a difference there without havin’ to spend every minute of every day bitin’ my tongue.