Of Beasts and Men

[Chrysalis]

The last loose book slips into place and Bassam looks around the now neat room, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. He admires the newly found ordered state of things for a few moments as if he brought perfect harmony to the universe. A new dispatch interrupts his thoughts.

"We have entered a stable orbit. Requesting your presence at the bridge, Captain." - Thorne said, with a hint of impatience in his voice.

Bassam reached for a button on his side, while simultaneously picking up his jumpsuit from the end table. He pressed it and announced - "Heading over now, initiate the docking protocols."

"Yes, sir. This is the Adjudicator to Genoa, requesting permission to-..." - He cuts off the feed midsentence.

He slips into the jumpsuit and makes his way towards the bridge. On the way, he passes the ship mechanic, a young thing in her early twenties, red hair falling over her shoulders. She looks at him, unsure how to react. He stops and locks his eyes with hers, examining the pleasing symmetry of her facial features. An unblinking and unmoving death stare. Examining. Rating. Categorizing. This chills her to the core.

"S-sir?" - She finally mumbles under her breath, a cold sweat breaking on her brow.

He scowls for a moment, her voice breaking his concentration and ending the momentary fascination.

"Don't wear your hair like that, it's unprofessional." - he states bluntly - "At ease."

"Yessir!" - She confirms, still not quite certain about what had just transpired.

With that, he continues forward, moving with purpose down the hallway. At the doorway leading to the bridge, two guards stand clad in combat armor complete with helmets, appearing in his eyes as two faceless drones. Statues. They salute him and he gives them a quick nod but doesn't expend any more effort to regard them further, simply storming past them and onto the bridge, finally.

The officers on the bridge salute him in a similar way, and Thorne stands up from the "the chair" as he approaches. - "Captain on the Bridge! Welcome, sir." - he announces, putting on a smile.

Bassam walks past him and quickly sits down in his chair. - "Is everything in order? Have they confirmed our landing request?"

"Everything is in order, we have clearance to land." - the communications officer chimes in.

"Proceed." - Bassam puts his arms on the armrests, leans back and crosses his legs. - "Thorne, brief me."

The gunship drifts slowly towards the base and the docking bay doors open.

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