A follow up to the tale with Commodore Vel, Marshal Nell in the wonderful 7th fleet.

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“I’ll do... again do... fu...”
He really was that defiant, but even Kiel was not willing enough to beat out the power of Ketamine. Did he really need it? Well Nell was no doctor but the final settling of silence as Kiel passed out was a pleasure Nell had been missing for days...
“I can’t believe it, you actually can shut the fuck up” Nell spoke out load to the now unconscious Commander; he couldn’t hear him and Nell doubted that he’d recall this moment.

Nell shook his head, how quickly things could change in so little time. What would even happen next? Clearly things were going to be shaken up, the crew would likely get a whipping and for that to effectively take place officer would need it to and their admins as well... Maybe that was why she talked about wanting to see him later; maybe she’d cuss him out and do to him what she likely was going to do to Kiel before he pushed his luck.
Something to look forward to I assume...

It was funny... Nell had spent days since his move to 7th wishing, hoping, begging: that someday someone else would come and take over. While he did respect Fleck and the good he had done during his more ‘aware’ years, even Nell could not escape the frustration it was trying to operate everything in co-op with Kiel while having to puppet the geriatric around.
Yet now, now he was not so sure, maybe he was being made to regret all of the time he wished Fleck away. Though maybe it was less Flecks departure itself and more who he was replaced with. Nell would have been happy to go his last two years working around Fleck but now he was stuck with –

“Sec – Marshal?” a voice called out and broke Nell’s pondering. At first he thought it would have been one of the nurses looking some further details or maybe to ask if he was okay; he was just standing in the corridor now. Though it wasn’t a nurse, rather it was one of Nell’s staff but rather than one of the few he expected it was Jec; one of Nell’s more problematic Sec – officers.
The vulpine like him was a transfer to the 7th, part of the service contract; a thank you for your work in the front. Though unlike Nell who tried to keep up to standard, Jec had fallen into a disinterested state, content to use his time in the 7th as stop – gap to his shipping out of the military. He was doing just under the bare minimum if even that.

That was the 7th other problem group; either they were a useless and put here from the start to keep them out of trouble, or they were a last days transfers; folks with too little on the clock to care about anything. Maybe if that group was not so big the issue of the 7th and its ill trained sailors would be far less of a problem; many of them could do with the helpful chaperoning from veterans... Alas most of the transfers really couldn’t care less.

“The Commodore has requested your presences”, he was clearly nerves his tail was still twitching. Nell could assume what had happened; he likely went down the wrong corridor with that blasé attitude of his, being dismissive as always when called and more than likely this time around he told the new Commodore to ‘piss off’, likely thinking she was someone else. Though for the fact he seemed to have all of his limbs still attached would seem to suggest he got away lightly.
“Understood, thank you”, that was all Nell felt like saying and even for the small comment Jec provide the full salute before walking away; he must have really been put in his place...

If only I could get them acting like that; Nell bemoaned.

The mood on the ship was clearly changing not just for this Commodore’s presences but also a general solemn feeling at Fleck’s unannounced departure; a lot of sailors truly did like him and they would sourly miss him.
Everyone was quiet, pretending to work hard, pretending to look busy: Nell made note of the strange number of individuals loitering about corridor intersections or turn offs. Hiding off to the side watching and listening, Nell could assume why but still felt inclined to ask. “Why are you loitering in the corridor?” Nell questioned as a rat and human seemed to look at each other before looking at him.

“We’re keeping watch sir” the human spoke first and surprisingly he was pretty forthcoming but he did not add anymore, the Yersin however jumped in to add the details.
“Yeah where watching out for that new Admiral or err Commodore... We heard she’s not too amused to catch people slacking; so we keep watch to let the team know when she’s coming so they can get busy... Or least busy looking”.
The Yersin smiled while the human slowly put a hand to his face, likely wishing his buddy would not have talked so much. Nell didn’t really care in that moment, if anything he was quite impressed at how quickly the crew were adapting to this new situation.
“Ah, carry on”

Nell kept his course to the officers’ deck; the situation there was different to that of the lower crew. The officers were all so seemingly disgruntled least those on their last years; all of them were annoyed that their breeze assignment was taking a serious turn. The long – stay however were all nervous wrecks panicking on how they were meant to meet the new standards that were put before them; babbling on and on about what this and that report meant; “The hell is an F.R.P.O?”, “the Frick is OpSec Q.E.R?”, “What was Com access again?” Nell just walked on not counting what yammered request were real or seemingly fool errands.

He just continued to Vel’s office, only slowing as he caught the chatter from some older officers:
“I don’t know who she thinks she is; we shouldn’t have to put up with this” said one annoyed in his tone.
“We’ll I think we should have suspected this; couldn’t have got away with the easy life forever” said the more reasonable other.
“Too hell with that; who just wants to roll over and accept some bitch of a fleet leader” the annoyed voice fired back.
“Well than son, if you wish to mutiny lead the way” the reasonable one proposed. Too that the annoyed voice shut up; maybe happy to spit his vitriol in private but not so when pushed came to shove. “That’s what I thought son” the reasonable one mumbled as the two went quiet.

That would seem to be the trend; everyone was happy to collude in the dark and acted completely different in the light. Nell just brushed it off, he knew the elk of officer here and he knew them well enough to be sure they’d never pull anything. The only one that still kept him on edge was Kiel but for now he was out of action.

Someone was coming out of the office; a junior officer a fresh faced boy, a passable one, good with his regulation but trash at playing out protocol and duty: A nice toy officer. His face was flustered rosy with embarrassment, but the eyes were fearful. He was quite the concoction of conflicted feelings though he did his best to keep that presentable stance as he walked past Nell. A long cut was visible across his cheek just under his eye; running from his nose and stopping at his ear, it was not deep but it was bleeding. Likely wouldn’t be a major scar but there would defiantly be a mark, a nice little reminder. To what it was meant to make the young officer remember Nell was still trying to figure out, there were far too many conflicting elements to put a finger on one.

Nell came over to the door waiting for a second, the room seemed quiet and with that he gave a few taps on the door. “Come in” the voice was clear and still commanding.
Nell wasted no time on entering; though he had to take a momentary pause a strong sent of tobacco permeated the office. That’s a code violation, Nell thought but he quickly decided against voicing it.

He breached the fog, acclimating to the smell quite quickly; there were a few officers who seemed to enjoy breaking that code though Nell did find tobacco preferable, far better than the officers who lit up THC in the aft missile pods.

Nell paused again as he got to desk in the room. He found himself slightly surprised she wasn’t looking at him and rather Vel’s attention was completely on the papers and reports scattered about her table; her silver blade like eyes quizzically flicking and snapping from one document to another. It was a mess of reports: print outs, type ups and hand written with varying degrees of legibility from high quality calligraphy on one end and absolute chicken scratch on the other.
That seemed to make her grumble with annoyance as she finally stood up straight taking the matte black cigarette from her mouth.
“What the hell is this trash standardisation?” she questioned finally twisting to face Nell. It was at this point he came to an awkward realisation that the Commodore had cast off her black dress jacket; leaving her in no more than a grey vest which accentuated her muscular build and put more of that porcelain fur on display. Nell also made note of the small grey marking on her face and that moderate but notable bosom. It didn’t do much for Nell and only one thing clicked in his head; that’s a uniform violation...

Though once again Nell was smart enough not to say that and rather he focused on the question that was asked: “We’re not really the most supplied, you should expect clerical issues; not everyone gets a printer and not everyone has a working one... Though if you want standardisation I can supply everyone a word processor least then they’d all be typing in the same font”.

Vel only gave a low grumble as she twisted back around to the table of papers her expression flattened, “we need to improve these standards... I’d like to think by the end of the month I’d have this place least acting like it can function”.

Acting like? That was a strange way of putting it... “What’s your angle?” Nell couldn’t contain his curiosity, all of this was far too odd to not address.
The looming wolfess just smiled “I don’t quite know what you mean Marshall?” her tone was high and smug; but playfully so. Her smile stayed while she put the black cigarette back in her mouth; she knew what he was going on about but seemingly she wanted him to keep talking.

Nell gritted his teeth, he wasn’t scared but he was not in the mood to get in the bad books but he pressed forward. “My adjutant might be an idiot on a many a thing, but his understanding of regs as is mine is informed”. Vel seemed to twist her head knowingly the small smile never failing as she kept puffing away on her cigarette. She was enjoying this human, his diplomatic way of speaking. He was of higher worth than most of the officers she met so far and if he was going to be problem he would be problem she’d get some fun out of; he went on.
“While I am not putting into question your personal authority, I know well enough Commodore is no CSS rank; I’ll concede it appeared in old UECC ranks structure and documents but as far as I am aware you’re the only Commodore in the whole CSS... That makes me suspicious”.

Vel’s smile just widened as she snubbed out her cigarette on the table. She made her way over to him and Nell could not deny it made him freeze up for a moment. Luckily all that happened was a firm hand ruffling at his head. Nell was not sure how the gesture was meant to be taken; it was firm and uncomfortable though if she meant to kill him or hurt him he was sure she could have done that with no problem.
“You’re smart one, I’ll give you that” her tone was comfortable but Nell was still not sure.
“What is it then; how did you get here, get that rank?” Nell questioned; firm but not demanding. She just grinned, waving a dismissive finger at Nell, “as I say Marshall; you’re a smart one I am sure you can figure it out”.

Nell just closed his eyes acceptingly, he should have know that he’d never get a straight answer but this had only clicked his curiosity further; he would be sure to check the records when he got the time. Though he did not have that time now, Vel loomed over him hands on her hips. Clearly she could be quite expressive in private. She didn’t ask anything Nell was coming to an understanding “so what’s my order?” his tone was flat.
“Well...” she smiled again tapping a finger on her chin before counting off her request on her fingers tips; “firstly, get those word processors out; I will not put up with such lacking standards in reports, second and link to the first; get a supply request out so we can fix this clerical issue and lastly, I need you to compile me a report of every craft in this fleet and every B.G.C. we have... Admiral Fleck’s records on that have been improperly stored”.

She put her hand down; her tone had become progressively more commanding as she went on. Nell had this accepting look but Vel cocked her head “am not asking too much of you?” Maybe that was just rhetorical but Nell still bit.
“Am supposed to head security, ship administration is not really my work”, well he wasn’t lying but Vel was quick to snap a retort.
“Well think of it as an informal promotion, it’s not like your adjutant Kiel is here; he is...” she paused rising an eyebrow expecting Nell to report on the Commander’s condition.

“He’s recovering; at best he should be back within the week”
Her eyebrow dropped disappointedly. “Wonderful” she said with a roll of the eyes as she walked back over to table and chair pulling off the black jacket and putting it on. The stern character came back as she stood up straight fully erect with stiff hands behind her back, the smile now muted to a straight neutral expression. “I want this all taken care of by tomorrow morning 0900 hours”.
“Aye Commodore” Nell replied giving a salute before making his way out of the office to get his tasks complete.

Nell walked out surprisingly motivated. He’d be sure to get his tasks done first; he could have that done well in advance of 0900, but he kept repeating one thing like a mantra in his head; I’ve got to check those records, got to check those records, got to check those records...