A4 - Chapter 165 – Formal Dress Required (Patreon)

USD: 1 day after awakening.

Location: Meltisar, Mil-1A, Naval Academy, Simulator Classroom 36C

The door to the apartment slid open with a soft whirr, revealing the inviting warmth of the smartly illuminated living space. The room was bathed in gentle, diffuse light emitted by seamlessly integrated panels along the walls and ceiling. Alex rushed inside from her hurried journey home. Elis, her expression calm yet quizzical, raised an eyebrow as she regarded her disheveled sister.

“You didn’t come home last night?” she asked, the concern barely perceptible in her voice.

Alex’s movements were hurried as she fumbled to remove her boots before stepping further inside. “I stayed over at Rachel’s,” she explained with a tinge of pink entering her cheeks.

Elis frowned slightly, the crease between her brows deepening. “I asked you to tell me if you were going to do that.”

Alex froze in place, suddenly realizing her oversight. Her eyes filled with remorse as she met Elis’ gaze. “Sorry,” she murmured. “We had a late class; it didn’t let out until 10, and we were tired.”

Elis set down her datapad on the sleek glass coffee table that seemed to float above the polished floor. She leaned back into the cushions of their couch, crafted from responsive smart-fabric. Studying Alex for a moment, she said, “Hmmm. You were tired… but somehow I expect you didn’t go straight to bed.”

A fierce blush spread across Alex’s cheeks as she stammered out an awkward response: “Umm…”

The corners of Elis’ mouth twitched upward into a playful grin as she watched Alex squirm under her scrutiny. “I checked with Tia, so I knew you were okay.”

“I hope she doesn’t tell anyone who asks,” Alex mumbled.

“Ah, well, I am your big sister, so I have the needed clearances. If it makes you feel better, she just told me you were fine and staying with a friend. That narrowed it down pretty well, though.” Elis said.

Alex smiled and nodded. “That’s fine. I’m sorry if I worried you.”

“What’s the rush?” Elis asked.

“Tia is making me meet with the envoys today! I don’t have my formal uniform ready!” Alex said rapidly, hurrying to move on and into the kitchen and then her bedroom. Sure enough, when she opened her wardrobe and checked, her HUD reported all standard cadet uniforms, no formal cadet uniform in sight.

“Oh my god, I’m so screwed! The meeting is this morning, and I don’t have any!” Alex exclaimed in panic.

Elis came up behind her and hugged her shoulders, leaning her chin on Alex’s shoulder before giggling. “You silly goof, these are your formal uniforms.”

Alex blinked and glanced to the side at her. “What?”

“Cadets don’t have formal wear. Didn’t you read your regulations? They aren’t expected to be at anything formal until you graduate and get your pin.” Elis explained.

Alex blinked again. “I had ensign pins on the Aegis since I was stepped up a grade for ship duty then… Does that mean I’ll need an ensign formal?”

Elis hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t think so; that was just temporary, right? But don’t you and Tia make all the rules anyway? Just iron your cadet uniform and wear that.”

Older sister advice was the best advice, in Alex’s opinion. She quickly got out the auto iron and started to tidy up the one uniform that was already in the best shape. As she worked, the aroma of sizzling bacon filled the apartment, tugging at Alex’s senses.

“That’s taunting,” Alex called out to the kitchen.

“Don’t mess up your uniform, or I’ll eat it all before you’re ready,” Elis cheerfully called back.

They sat down to enjoy their breakfast together - crispy bacon and warm toast slathered in melted butter. The savory flavors danced on Alex’s taste buds as she savored each bite. “Why don’t we add this to every breakfast?”

Elis chuckled, her eyes alight with amusement. “Some people might do just that. You can put a lot of different things on toast.”

Curiosity flickered in Alex’s eyes as she asked, “Like…?”

“I think I’ll keep it a secret for showing you later,” Elis decided with a teasing smile.

“Awhh,” Alex mumbled, feigning disappointment.

After finishing breakfast, Alex went to shower and get dressed. Nameless provided essential guidance, highlighting any areas that needed adjustment until she felt confident she was impeccably put together.

As she stepped out into the living room, she couldn’t help but notice Elis dressed up as well, wearing a leather jacket with a travel bag in hand.

Confusion filled Alex’s features as she asked, “Are… you going somewhere?”

Elis nodded gently. “I’m going planetside for a bit; I’ve been feeling cooped up on the station for a while and want to stretch my legs.”

A pang of concern tightened in Alex’s chest as she asked, “How long will you be gone?”

“About a week, so don’t get used to being away.” Elis reached up and affectionately patted her on the head before offering a reassuring smile.

Alex risked giving her sister a hug even if it threatened messing up her uniform.

***

Part of the reason Alex had been in such a hurry was that the diplomatic gathering wasn’t being held on MIL-1A. She’d woken up and started preparing at the crack of dawn, but that was mostly because her ship needed to leave early enough to arrive in time.

Even with Tia and Nameless expertly operating the system’s elaborate web of safety locks and travel restrictions, navigating through the crowded orbits took care. This was especially true when piloting a large military warship capable of crushing any smaller vessel on impact. She could have opted for a smaller shuttle and saved a little time, but her ship needed shaking out after so much time in drydock.

As she reached the gangway, Alex spotted Rachel waving to her from inside the concourse. Through the crystal-clear glass, she admired the refurbished and revitalized outer hull of the IND Iron Horse, now the SRS Iron Horse.

In secret, Alex had used military funds to pay off her loan and buy out Captain-Major Thraker’s share in the vessel. Actually, there had been a lot of funds tied to the AGAI program, and Tia, Thea, and she had split them evenly for their own uses.

Technically, that wasn’t entirely legal since the admiralty budgetary committee hadn’t approved any transfer, but since Tia had superseded FADM Wilkes and could replace the members at will…

Alex pushed any worry and thought about technicalities aside. The Iron Horse Mercenary Company no longer existed as an independent entity; she’d bought the entire organization and turned it into a Starlight Revolution subsidiary.

Rachel tilted her head as Alex approached. “You aren’t going to wear something more flashy?”

Alex blinked, taken aback by Rachel’s suggestion. “Uhm… I’m a cadet; I’m supposed to wear my uniform, right?”

“If that’s the vibe you want to give, yes,” Rachel answered before leading the way into the ship. “My uncle and father will be there for support, but I thought Tia wanted you to lead the meeting instead of staying in the background. Wearing your cadet uniform might send mixed messages.”

At the top of the gangway, Alex smiled at the two security corporals that were waiting. “Rick, Sawet! How are you?”

They both stood a bit straighter as Rick spoke first. “Ma’am, we are doing well. Could you please let me scan your IDs?”

Alex nodded and pulled her card out of a pocket and handed it to them. The reader on the wall beeped a polite acceptance of both her and Rachel’s cards before they were promptly handed back.

“I’m on as the owner today, not the Captain, so you can just call me Alex. It feels weird,” Alex said.

“Ah, yes Ma’a… Sure,” Rick corrected himself.

Alex smiled. “We never did get to meet back up on the station. Did you get to do that rec-flying, Rick?” She glanced at Sawet, and a grin appeared. “And when I landed at Fort Glisson, I wasn’t sure if you were joking about hitting ‘the beaches’ or not; shit’s freezing groundside.”

They both blinked, perhaps surprised that she remembered their chat months earlier about what they’d be doing once they reached Meltisar. “Flying was good, but the news of… events kind of put a dampening on things,” Rick admitted.

Alex winced, but Sawet quickly jumped into the silence. “There’s a whole row of heated beaches in New Brisbane; they even heat the beach water,” he explained with enthusiasm.

The bustling interior of the ship hummed around them as crew members hurriedly prepared for departure. Despite being absorbed in their tasks, everyone seemed aware of Alex’s presence—some offering her nods or quick smiles, while others briefly paused to observe her interaction with Rick and Sawet.

Rachel tugged on Alex’s sleeve, and she realized they were delaying things. “Sorry, we have to head to the bridge.”

Rick and Sawet nodded and said goodbye.

As they moved down the corridor, Rachel looked at Alex with an interested expression. “I didn’t know you had some guy friends.”

“I… well, they helped me get settled after the disaster at Dedia. I sort of feel really bad… I kind of forgot about them after basic and everything that happened. I’m glad they’re still with the company, though,” Alex explained.

Rachel’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Oh? Hmm. Do you like one of them? Your eyes lit up the second you spotted them.”

Alex nearly missed a step, choking on her first response. A laughing Rachel steadied her while Alex’s cheeks turned pink under the pointed look. “No! They’re just nice! What the heck, Rae!”

[Notice: SRS Iron Horse preparations have been completed for departure. Captain-Major Thraker is awaiting your presence on the bridge. An estimated arrival time allows for a 30-minute delay for interstellar envoy meeting.]

Rachel glanced at her ear comm. “Looks like your other half is telling us to hurry.”

Alex nodded, and they hurried to the ship’s bridge. The once rusty and worn interior had been completely transformed, with shiny silver surfaces replacing the old gray-orange metal. Shipyard drones, aided by Nameless’s worker units, had meticulously overhauled every inch of the space.

The ‘new’ systems that had been hastily installed to replace failing components incompatible with FedTech standards had all been ripped out and sent to salvage. In their place were the Meltisar Navy’s finest equipment or custom-fitted parts designed by Nameless himself.

Despite being an old Federation Destroyer design, its size and architecture still rivaled one of Meltisar’s current heavy cruiser designs. Although its weapon layout was non-standard since it was a Federation point defense boat.

Alex had insisted on removing the missile bays entirely in favor of adding a pair of high-caliber railguns and revamping the power and heatsink systems. The extensive modifications required considerable space, but removing the missile magazines provided ample room and mass savings.

The ship now bristled with even more powerful PDC-Ls and PDC-Ks.

Having experienced firsthand the power the massed number of PDCs had unleashed during the jump point battle in Nu Crateris, Alex decided to replace the Kinetics with up-sized calibers capable of switching between smart flak burst shells and heavy core armor-piercing rounds—a formidable challenge even for battleship-grade armor plates.

As they approached the entrance to the bridge, the marine security officer nodded to them respectfully before granting access without protest. Alex couldn’t help but smile as she took in the new bridge.

Captain-Major Thraker sat at the new command dais, which could swivel 180 degrees between three state-of-the-art main monitors that hung from the ceiling. The array of information displayed on these screens bathed the room in a soft glow, and his view of the other stations was still unimpeded. Three sub-command stations sat directly below, forming an efficient hierarchy in the most critical nerve center of the ship.

Alex and Rachel stepped forward; their gazes were steady yet respectful as they both crisply saluted the older man. He returned their salute in kind; the gesture wasn’t exactly necessary, but it did convey their respect to him.

“Cadets. We’ll be departing shortly and should be on time for your arrival on MOR-1.” Thraker said.

Rachel launched into a quick discussion with him about their authorizations, but Alex found her attention wavering as she scanned the rest of the room.

Despite all the trouble and issues with her journey from Nu Crateris to Meltisar, Alex had finally come to terms with what had happened. She didn’t think she could blame Captain-Major Thraker at all for his decisions and choices, despite Nameless inferring that he had essentially kidnapped them and brought them to the central star nation.

The shock of losing Beeper and Booper, the Shrike, and nearly losing Elis as a result of their seemingly heroic defense of Dedia from the Corporate Fleet under Commodore Bridgit had been harrowing. She’d been paralyzed when her brain-Nameless connection was severed completely, leaving her wallowing in self-pitying depression.

It had been a long journey.

Even with all the challenges they now faced, she couldn’t imagine how her life would be without having met Tia, Thea, or Rachel. As Alex stood there on SRS Iron Horse’s bridge – surrounded by sleek metal surfaces, humming machinery, and well-trained personnel – she realized that every step along this arduous path had led her to somewhere she did not regret being.

“Alex?” Rachel said, both her and Thraker looking at her expectantly.

Realizing they’d been asking her a question while she got lost in thought, Alex shook her head slightly. “Sorry, just… got lost processing some history. Last time I was on the bridge, I was in a bit darker place,” she explained.

They both nodded understandingly. “We’re ready to depart. Can you confirm with Celestia our travel clearance?” Thraker asked.

Alex nodded and sent a thought to Nameless, whose voice came through the ship’s main screen clear for everyone.

[Notice: Clearance granted, transit authorization code - Charlie, Lima, Echo, Alfa, Romeo, 13, 37. MIL-1A to MOR-1 transit, SRS Iron Horse.]

Alex’s nose wrinkled as she mentally spelled out the phonetic alphabet. “Are you poking fun making our authorization code?”

[Informative: This unit endeavors to adapt to Avatar's personality when possible.]

“It’s easy to input at least,” Thraker commented dryly.

Rachel had to cover her mouth to stop from giggling. Alex took a seat in one of the secondary command seats, and Rachel hurried to follow her. It would be a short trip, but it was a treat to get to ride along with a front-row seat and not have to worry about carrying out operations.

The atmosphere on the bridge was charged with anticipation as the crew members prepared for departure. The hum of machinery grew louder as systems powered up and screens displayed vital information about their upcoming journey.

The trip ended much too quickly, and two hours later, she found herself stepping off the ship. Captain Mackey and Admiral Westlake stood waiting for her and Rachel.

“Cadets.” Westlake intoned, but a smile crept onto his face, perhaps against his will as he looked at Rachel.

“Uncle, Dad, I’ve brought you one air-headed Chi NAI ready for political warfare.”

Alex elbowed her in the side, but it didn’t remove the smile. Captain Mackey and Admiral Westlake turned their attention to Alex and she felt herself swallowing.

“Are you ready?” Westlake asked.

“I’m still not sure why I’m the one to be doing this.” Alex said hesitantly.

“You’re here as Psi Celestia’s right hand. I’m afraid the envoys wouldn’t take things seriously unless a NAI was present leading our side of the discussions.” Westlake explained.

“She should have come herself; this really isn’t something I’m looking forward to.” Alex said.

Captain Mackey gestured them forward, and the four began to walk down the corridor away from the station’s mooring arm.

“Celestia’s word would be law, but since she’s delegated things to you, there is some deniability if we need to delay.” Westlake explained.

“Yeah, but when I tell them to fuck off, things are going to go sideways?” Alex muttered.

The admiral and captain shared a look. “Don’t do that.” Captain Mackey said worriedly.