[Waypoint] Unjust warnings

This is a space for in-character events that do not occur within the line of duty and/or did not fit into the "Daily Life" section as it played out. Threads herein are meant to supplement character development and flesh out the setting elements, but are not necessary to understanding the plot or characters involved. These events are to be considered canon unless otherwise noted.
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Kai
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[Waypoint] Unjust warnings

Post by Kai »

Emma stopped as she reached Brighton's door, she didn't even bother to look at the guard standing to her left with his toad-like smile and blank eyes. Bending down she pulled a much older knife from her boot than the one Destiny had taken from her. The second blade was of much finer quality and looked as it had seen quite a bit of use.

As she walked towards the door she stuck it in the door frame, the blade quivered a bit and then stayed still. The wood surrounding the knife was marked by a collection of holes similar in size to the blade, speaking or earlier meetings between the two officers.

Card pushed the door open roughly, the room was dark, luxurious curtains were pulled over the three grand windows that made up the far wall. Brighton's chair itself was turned away from her, but due to its tall back she was not quite sure whether or not he sat in it and she didn't expect him to - he didn't like being predictable.

She said nothing as she heard the door close itself and simply chose to stand and wait.

"My my, in a bit of a huff, are we." Brighton's voice began, from behind Card. He had been the one to close the door, and in his hand was her knife. he ran a gloved finger across the blade, inspecting it. "I see you still have the knife that nearly killed you. I'm sure you'd like me more if I hadn't been there to save you." he grinned as she turned toward him, unsurprised. She was quite a delicious type, one who wasn't afraid to stand up. But he knew how she ticked.

"Fifteen years it's been now, isn't it?" the man continued, moving to his desk and setting the blade on its point. It stood quite still, yet he had not pierced the surface of the desk at all. "And still, you defy me. I know you wanted so much to be with your family then, but, I couldn't allow it."

She ignored the quip about her family, trying her best not to hear it. Instead she brought up more recent history.

"You saved me General?" The last word was a hiss, her eyes were off Brighton as she made sure the dagger was fine. "You seemed to have changed your mind when you fire bombed my whole unit. My First-Sergeant managed to drag me out of your little bombardment before the burns killed him - I bet that was something you didn't count on happening when you wrote us all off to cover up your own little failure."

"It is not my fault when a unit someone else trained fails to hold a choke point. We managed to save that planet after taking out the drathonians your unit should have been able to hold back. It's a pity you can't see the bigger picture. Most of them were already dead, anyway."

She interrupted him. "WE HELD THEM BACK. It wasn't us that broke you, the line was steady and the Drathonians died wave, by wave, by wave. But, no, when we commed in the situation to you, YOU - not my men - you made your little calculations. You didn't trust my training or my ability to command. You're the one that decided we were going to fold." Emma stopped her hand grabbing for a knife that was not there.

"Twelve men is not enough to hold back twelve thousand lizards." Brighton answered, calmly, picking up the knife and spinning it along its axis. "It was a simple sacrifice. Just as you had thought killing yourself was to be a simple sacrifice in the face of your family's death."

"And you had to make me watch the only people I cared about burn again. You could have given us word, you could have told us the plan! The first we heard of your damn bombs was the sound of them whistling through the air! And this you never saw, you never knew, my men - the best unit our army ever saw continued to fight as your little hell broke loose. We didn't budge until the last Drathonian was a burnt husk before us and any that had tried to escape had receive a bolt through the head."

She stopped for a moment, Emma's hate for her superior officer clear on her face.

"A rock exploded from the heat, the shrapnel caught me in the face, only then did my last three men retreat from the field. They did their best to get all of us out of your damn sacrifice, and yet once again I'm the only one to stand and continue on."

"Is that why you hate me? a rock hit your face? I didn't realize that it had damaged your brain, repairing you body was easy enough." Brighton went on, once again balancing the blade on his desk. "However, I bore of this little history lesson. I must ask why you, the one who hates me so much for the sacrifices I made, seems to find it fitting to... damage... our recruits."

This she could answer quickly. "He was showing off, and even managed to break some of the equipment while doing so. None of what happened to him will make any permanent mark on him, him and those other refugees are tough enough to take twice that amount of damage and keep going."

"And yet, none of the damage would have happened had you not decided it was necessary to augment my punishments with your own needless additions." Brighton rebuked, standing up this time, his hands steepled in front of him as he began to pace. "As such, we find ourselves with a conflict of interest. However, even before I demoted you our difference in rank called for a certain amount of respect you don't seem to see fit to show."

Brighton stopped his pacing, very close to Card. "Give me one more reason, and i will make sure your demotion is permanent. Cross my lines once more after that, and I will see to it that you never have a reason to be happy again, am I clear?"

"Yes, now is that all? Or do you need to add more before I reclaim my possession and take leave of you, Sir." Emma asked, her voice emotionless and deadpan.

"That is all for now. However, I need you to appear at my quarters every night at 1900 hours for private lessons in etiquette until further notice. And, I think I'll be keeping this knife for now, lest you try to use it for the same purpose you intended the first time you laid hands on it."

Emma almost snarled, but she held it back. Instead she just nodded curtly, gave Brighton an extremely stiff salute and turned towards the door. She stopped before leaving his office, her hand already poised to push the door open. Card didn't look back, she wasn't really looking anywhere.

"Good night brother." She said to Brighton before she walked out on her step-sibling.
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