Reckless Abandon

[Stoat]

Rachel sat on her bunk, staring in disbelief at the Lieutenants pips she cupped in her palm. It had all gone so fast. From her decision to join up only four months had passed, and now here she was, an officer in the armed forces. She remembered the two ensigns that had been posted to the York with her. James Simkins and Donnie Hachett, both dead. Simkins lost to Gallic forces only two days after they were posted to the York, Hachett to Molly terrorists as he was on a routine patrol to Planet Leeds just a week ago.

It seemed so senseless, the unrelenting loss of life. Besieged on all sides, she didn’t think things looked good for Bretonia. She’d had her fair share of close calls as well. Twice she’d lost her Templar, both times to Gallic forces. Then the most recent loss of a Challenger to a corsair Imperator. That still smarted. She received an almighty bollocking for trying to tackle the gunboat solo, and the fact that she’d eventually received backup from the BPA held little water with her superior officers, especially when he’d lost his own Challenger as well. Resources. It was all about resources, and human lives didn't seem to factor into those resources .

Reckless, that’s what they’d called her. Decision making skills insufficient for an officer of the armed forces. She rubbed angrily at a tear that was starting to form. Bastards! She hurt enough from the knowledge she’d let the corsair escape, she didn’t need it rubbed in all the more. And the furore she’d caused when she suggested that more time be spent developing the tracking ability of their Nova torpedoes……. She sighed deeply, before reattaching her pips. It was too late to regret her decisions now. She glanced at her watch. Time for yet another patrol. Grabbing her flight suit, she pulled it on and then ran for the hangars.

A trip to Newcastle this time, the cushy patrol. It had been two weeks since anyone had been lost in Newcastle. As she launched, she hoped that would continue.

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