Tale 3: Well wasn't that nice?

4:23 P.M. Liberty Cruiser. Five years before the Battle of Corpagia

Commander Bryan Rawling ran a hand through his long brown hair, exhausted beyond even his belief. Sighing–more like grunting–in fatigue, he sat back in the chair at the desk and shoved the papers in front of him away from his body. "If this isn't the hardest work I've ever had to do..." he huffed into laughter.

Sitting next to him in her own chair, Admiral Emilie Rodenski looked up from her own papers. "You think this is hard work?"

Bryan looked over at her crazy-eyed, remembering the difference in their command ranks. "For a Commander, yes."

"Awww, poor baby," Emilie teased.

Bryan fixed her with a dark look. "Haha, your so funny."

Emilie chuckled and hunched back over her work. "We only got four more to go through; it won't be that bad."

Grunting again, he leaned forward and pulled the papers back to him. "Still, I don't see why we have to read every single detail of every single one of these papers––these–these stations. I mean I can understand the need to be safe, but I don't see how two paragraphs"–his eyes scanned the two paragraphs– "on how the tradition of grocery shopping has practically been turned from a tradition into a law applies to choosing a station for this little–meeting."

Emilie snickered in amusement. "What station is that, Kozer Outpost?" She scooted her chair over to read the paper he was reading.

Bryan pointed to the alleged sentence he had referred to. "Yes, ma'am—right there."

Emilie read the sentence and laughed. "Oh my God, that is—weeeeird."

"Yep, well that's why I don't understand why we're reading all this crap. How is 'grocery tradition becoming law' gonna affect the negotiations?"

Emilie shrugged. "Well that's—one of the few insignificant things. Ignore it."

"Oh, now you tell me," Bryan said sarcastically.

"Excuse me," Emilie warned. "You don't talk to me like that, Commander. I am the Admiral."

"Yeah," he said rudely. "And your in charge," he mocked.

Emilie broke into a smile at the sound of the mock voice. "Cut it out! Get back to work!"

Bryan smacked his lips at her sarcastically. "Damn. Jeez." He started reading the paper again, muttering random things like a five year old would. "Stupid Admiral...give me stupid orders like she's all the big boss...in her fancy Admiral's quarters..."

Emilie smiled again at the "Admiral's quarters" remark.

Bryan continued: "We Commanders have to—bunk with our pilots in small rooms, and the Admiral's get the fancy rooms with the"–he gazed around at Emilie's quarters–"three couches, a giant, big observation window, double-mattress bed...stupid Admiral..."

"Hey," Emilie finally said. "Shut up and get back to work; faster we finish this, faster you can get outta here, and faster I go on to the"–she slapped him hard on the shoulder–"harder work."

Bryan chuckled. "Yeah. I guess I am lucky then."

Emilie fixed him with a quizzical look. "More than you know, pal. Now shut up and finish reading." As she said this, he communication's monitor beeped and flashed a white light.

Bryan took this chance to extend his little joke. "Stupid fancy big communications system..."

Emilie cracked again, and slapped him on the shoulder again. "Shut up!"

Bryan laughed delightfully as she flipped the system on. "Rodenski here. Go ahead."

"Sorry to disturb you, ma'am," came the answer. "But she said it was urgent. Transmission from Juniper Station on the civilian channel."

"Oh," Emilie said in surprise. "Put it through here. Thank you."

"Aye, ma'am."

A moment later, Emilie's monitor came to life, and Maya Ranadan's pretty face appeared on it. She was obviously sitting in her office in her station, judging from the desk top that could be seen in the picture. That and the fact that her hair was tied back behind her head formally, along with the gloss on her lips and the plushness of the makeup on her dark cheeks. Her brown eyes lit up like stars when they laid eyes on Emilie. "Hi," she said cheerfully.

"Hey," Emilie responded. "Did you manage to get it?" she asked seriously.

Maya nodded. "Yes. Secured it five minutes ago. Easily too," she smiled proudly. "You can come and get it anytime you want." She looked over in Bryan's direction and started. "Oh. Hello," she said with the same cheerfulness.

Bryan nodded curtly in greeting as he always did. "Hey. How's it going?"

"Excuse me?" Emilie said quickly, gesturing for him to turn away. "Get back to work."

Bryan eyed her quizzically again. "So Maya," he said sarcastically. "How's life been treatin' ya huh?" He asked, intentionally pretending to ignore Emilie.

This cause Maya to laugh. "Pretty good. You?"

Bryan cocked his head once. "Oh, just peachy. Sittin' here reading about how traditions become laws on some distant station while looking at the station for possible diplomacy options." He gave a thumbs us. "Just perfect, you know?"

Emilie gave him a stern warning look. "Bryan!"

"Oh for crying out loud we haven't even made a choice yet, what can she do?"

Maya smiled for a moment. "So wait, you guys are looking for a station. What do you need it for?"

"Can't tell you that, Maya, sorry," Emilie answered.

"Would Juniper be okay? I'd love to see you again, and to give you the intelligence chip, and it's more than big enough to handle any meeting or conference."

"Well—" Emilie closed her mouth and opened, trying to think of what to say. "Maybe." She looked back over at Bryan and shrugged. "I mean, it's–it's out of the way..."

"Yeah," Bryan answered, leaning forward in his chair, "And it's also near the border of the Autrelliens, who have been known to make deals with the Empire in the past—no offense Maya."

"It's all right." She giggled. "I get that all the time."

"I don't think it's the best idea but hey," he held his hands up in surrender. "You're the Admiral, as you've made it abundantly clear. Can't override you."

Emilie rolled her eyes at him, then turned back to Maya. "We'd be delighted," she blurted.

Bryan jumped in surprise at her quick decision. Even he thought she would have given it more thought than that. But oh well, she was the Admiral...he still had a right to complain though. "Are you kidding me? We've spent the last four hours going over all this paperwork on this and that station, detail after detail, and you make your decision like that?" he snapped his fingers.

Both Emilie and Maya broke into laughs.

Bryan opened his hands to the ceiling and looked up, and screamed in exasperation. "Ahhhhhhh!"

That caused Emilie to keel over in her chair, stomach heaving with her laughter.

Bryan shook his head. "I swear to God, Emilie, your gonna be the death of me one day."

The Admiral sat back up and looked at him with a bright smile. She then stopped laughing long enough to shrug innocently, then burst out again. She turned back to Maya, recovering quickly. "Juniper it is Maya."