Mydriasis

[Enkidu]

Border Station Lubeck: Hamburg System.

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He stumbled for the soap.

“I am a major! I outrank him.”Finn echoed at the walls.

He stumbled out of the shower, towelling himself until the bristles on his face panged "enough", fumbling for uniform.

Crisp. Starched. Ironed. Smells of discipline; hopes and dreams. Of the old guard.

“Nothing more than a trumped-up two-bit parts trader... Where's my tie?”

His tie was transparently not there. It wasn't anywhere else, either. All of his ties had dematerialised. This irked Finn - he was usually rather attached to his ties. Now he was tieless, tired, yet anything but tongue-tied. Attempting to compensate, he buttoned everything on his body.

“You don't need a tie. Eins, zwei, drei, breathe, eins, zwei, drei, breathe. You're a major. You're the major. They are police officers. Not having a tie, is not a crime.”

And yet, he had no tie. Just as he had no command. Instead of the tie, he had the image of Gilger's face smirking down at him. First time the bastard ever smiled. The only smile Finn needed to remember.