Military personnel on the Carrier had separated myself, Ava and Sergeant Vasquez until the truth behind out altercation could be uncovered. I spent the next few days in an isotion cell with nothing but an IV drip and my own thoughts. Routinely a nurse would come in and check on me, make sure my wounds were healing properly. I would ask her for information as to what was going on but she would just stone wall me.

  Eventually, I was summoned to the office of none other than the Captain of the Valour himself. I stood before his desk, at attention, in nothing but a pair of fatigues that had been handed to me st minute.

  He sat before me, reading a report, ignoring me. He was an aged man, probably in his sixties if I had to guess. Thinning grey hair and a thick grey beard. His face and hands scarred and his body adorned in the usual great coat of a captain with medals to compliment it.

  I wondered how long I was going to have to stand at attention, if he was expecting me to speak first. I made ready to open my mouth but de dropped the data ste in his hand and looked me up and down.

  “So you`re the maintenance worker that has brought my Carrier to an absolute stand still.”, he began, his voice rough like gravel. “Are you aware that your actions have single handily rendered the utter End, our prized Destroyer, inoperable.”

  I was taken aback by his decration and chocked on the shock when I tried to speak.

  “You know, we condition our Hounds intensely, in order to get the maximum value out of them. Never in the history of this Imperium has there been a recorded instance of that conditioning being broken. Until today.”, he went on.

  I composed myself and managed, finally, to respond.

  “With all due respect sir. I had and continue to have no intention of being a detriment to this Carrier or the Utter End and its operations. I can see now, with foresight, that my actions led to the breaking of Ava`s conditioning. But I need you to know it was unintentional but also that I do not regret it.”, I decred proudly, my back remaining straight despite the pain from my still healing wounds.

  “Expin.”, he instructed me, keen to hear what else I had to say.

  “Sergeant Vasquez, in my opinion, is unfit to serve as Ava`s Handler. My success in breaking her conditioning only reinforces that. Because in all honesty sir, it was easy.”, I announced.

  “Are you suggesting that you could do a better job? That if I made you designation Killer`s Handler you could have the Utter End operational by the end of the day?”, he asked me, pinly, straight forward.

  I looked at his expression and he was entirely serious.

  “Yes sir.”, I responded.

  “Very good then. You have till the end of the day to square everything away. Sergeant Vasquez will be reassigned and I will allocate you an assistant to fill you in on everything you need to do.”, he decided.

  “Thank you sir, I won`t let you down.”, I thanked him, a cheeky smile growing across my face.

  “Understand something, Sergeant Jane. What I do, I do not do out of kindness or empathy. I do it because it appears to be the fastest way to get this ship back up to full strength. If you fail me, I will have no problem with having you executed and designation Killer sent back for reconditioning. Am I clear on that?”, he decred sternly, a cold look in his eye.

  “I do sir. Believe me when I say I want nothing more than to see the Utter End perform to the best of its ability.”, I affirmed him.

  “Good, dismissed.’

  [---]

  I stood before the Utter End, marvelling at it and all its beauty. The maintenance crew had done a good job at repairing it and getting it back up to operational capacity. It was ready to undergo a routine training exercise to make sure everything was as it should be.

  I turned to my side and looked at Ava, our hands locked together. She caught me starring and leaned in closer, hugging my arm tight. I was adorned in a great coat of my own, cking the medals but still carrying a level of authority. Ava herself was in her pilot suit, prepped and ready to go.

  I walked her up the catwalk to the Utter End`s cockpit and watched as she climbed inside, hooking herself up to its systems and getting comfortable.

  I leaned inside and caressed her cheek gently. She leaned towards me and out lips touched. A soft gentle kiss that we both had to struggle away from. She had a job to do and so did I. If this training exercise went well then we would both be in the clear.

  I had absolute faith in Ava. I knew she wouldn`t let me down.

  She watched me as I removed myself from the cockpit, her eyes alive and sparkling with anticipation. I had promised her a dinner to remember if she succeeded today. She didn`t need the promise of reward but it made me feel better, to know she was being compensated fairly for her efforts.

  I blew her a kiss and she caught it with her teeth as the cockpit slowly started to close.

  I removed myself from the catwalk and watched as the Utter End`s systems cycled up and she began moving towards the hanger bay doors.

  I knew she would outperform our expectations. I knew she would make us proud. I knew this, because she was my angel and she piloted my Goddess and neither of them had ever let me down before and they never would.

  [END]