Mallory finally looked up from the screen and glanced at the datapad being offered to him. He raised an eyebrow curiously and took the PDA, scanning over the requisition form. His gaze wandered up to behold the deputy marshal before him, appraising the young woman.
The deputy director knew Cotton to be a promising marshal and had personally advocated for and finally signed off on her recent promotion. Equipping her with a more versatile and survivable ship than the light interceptor she had been flying so far seemed like a worthwhile investment. He nodded to himself once and returned his attention to the form.
"I expect you know the responsibility that comes with this requisition," Mallory stated more than asked, clearly not wanting an answer. With a few touches to the screen, he approved the request and signed at the bottom before handing the datapad back to Cotton. But before she could retrieve it, he pulled it back an inch and locked eyes with his subordinate.
"I also expect your future reports to be up to a more professional standard," the elder man said sternly, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. With that, he returned the PDA to Cotton and his gaze to his own screen.
"Anything else?" He asked, his attention already occupied by his work.
