Quote:The room is dark, a single shaft of white light shining from a narrow window high on the wall. The light falls upon a single table and chair, throwing them into sharp relief against the otherwise bare room. Commander James Fleming, still dressed in his crisp Royal Navy dress uniform, is seated, unconscious.
The door slams shut behind another man, dressed in a black suit, startling Fleming to alertness as the man strides purposefully to the centre of the room, his face hidden in silhouette against the white light.
Wha... what's going on? Where am I?
Commander Fleming. I must say, it's an honour to finally meet you. We've had our eye on you for quite some time now.
Is that so? If you wanted an autograph, you could have just asked...
You were the commanding officer of the HMS Defiance, a navy submarine on Leeds, is that correct?
It is.
Do you remember what happened?
Yes, I do. And I'll bloody well ask you not to remind me.
Of course, I apologise. We all lost someone that day...
Yes well I lost my ship. My crew.
And this is your chance to avenge them. I'm not here for nostalgia Fleming. I'm interested in what you were doing before that day. You were investigating spies on Leeds, were you not?
How do you know about that? That was of my own accord, it wasn't on record.
We know a great deal about you, Commander. And its for that very reason I had you brought here today.
Which is?
I want you to enlist in the Bretonian Armed Forces. You have the skills we're looking for, and the independence that many commanders lack. The Black Guard could use you.
The man strides back towards the door.
I'll give you an hour to think it over, and when I return, you'd better have an answer for me.
Fifty minutes had passed. Fleming glared at the unforgiving beam of light. He couldn't do this, could he? He thought about his crew, those that had died under his command. He snorted. He hadn't even been able to protect them. His own crew. His family. All gone, because he hadn't been able to help them. He had no place in protecting anyone else.
Then he thought of his first officer, how she looked at him when the shells struck the hull. How she pushed him out of the way of the overloading console. What she whispered in his ear as she lay, dying in his arms.
By the time the door opened once more, he knew that his mind had already been made up for him.
And when the man strode in, and asked him what his answer was, he stood up, head held high. White hot fury in his eyes and vengeance in his heart.
I'm in.
//OORP so from what I can tell, the BIS isn't exactly active, so I've redone the application for the BAF instead.
