Time-Space Administration Bureau Headquarters, Dimensional Space (coordinates classified)

It wasn't a common occurrence to see high-ranking Naval brass in line for the food court aboard the space station that made up the Bureau's headquarters. No one, however, was really paying attention to the fact that two Naval admirals were mixed into the queue with them; between the two junior Air Force officers in their pristine white uniforms complaining audibly about how the cafeteria was serving Southern Cone cuisine for the third day in a row, the Navy secretary in royal blue busily taking notes on her touchpad, and the brown-clad Ground Force engineers chattering about something unimportant, everyone was wrapped up in their own little worlds and failed to notice the tall, stately, black-uniformed man in the center of the line. Next to him was a slightly shorter man in Naval blues, but no less authoritative.

Not even the cafeteria worker seemed to care that Chrono Harlaown was the next person to be served; she just passed him his tray with not even a nod. He silently took it and proceeded to a table near the center of the room, dusting off the crumbs left on the table before he sat. His companion, following right behind him, took a seat next to him.

"Shrimp filigree..." the Naval officer muttered. "Can't say I wanted it, but it's not like I had any food in the office." He removed his hat and sat it in his lap before he took a quick look at Chrono sitting contemplatively. "Paperwork tiring you out again?"

"Oh, no, not that..." Chrono muttered. Admiral Vanek Fischer was a relatively handsome man of twenty-five, who was renowned among the TSAB for being the youngest graduate of the prestigious Salkof Military Academy, and having ascended to the rank of Admiral at the age of twenty-two by, as a fleet commander assigned to a far outpost numbered in the high hundreds, successfully bluffing and defeating a pirate fleet twice the size of his command. It was due to his brilliant strategic mind that colonization was proceeding in the hundred worlds smoothly and in great numbers. Normally, only mages rose through the ranks so quickly (as Chrono did), but Fischer did not possess a bit of magical aptitude; it was just his intelligence that allowed him to reach his rank.

"Another meeting broke down again today. Routine stuff, how to best handle the unrest on Clazaria and Yne, budgeting, that sort of thing. The Air Force was angry at Lieutenant General Yagami again...apparently she was in favor of a clemency program for federal prisoners who have proven usefulness to the Bureau, but...it was the wrong time to bring it up. There was a breakout at Orbital Prison-06 today. One of the Combat Cyborgs shot the other three, two guards and five techs, stole a starfighter, and escaped. Ground Forces is on high alert looking for her."

"That's quite unexpected," Fischer replied succinctly.

"Unprecedented in thirty years. The Navy was already angry their impregnable fortress had been breached, and then she goes and brings that up...it got nasty really quickly. One of the Air Force generals was saying that of course only a criminal would want leniency after what just happened and then one of the Ground Force's younger mages, about 15 or so, calls him an incompetent bigot and then says people like him are the reason the JS incident happened. I've never seen an old man move so fast...he jumps up and tries to cross the room to smack the kid in the face and security got called and had to separate them."

"I don't see what was so wrong with what the boy said," Fischer replied. "She has a proven track record. Only twenty-one and already behind the defusing of the most serious terrorist attack Midchilda had seen since the Great War. And corruption and nepotism in the TSAB's higher ranks are what caused the whole incident with Scaglietti anyways. The officers who complain the most about unjust promotions and hate mages are always the most useless ones."

"I wouldn't go that far," Chrono replied. "I told her what had happened before the meeting, and warned that now was not the time to bring her proposal up, but she completely forgot about it. And I'm not saying she's a bad commander, but...when you're in charge of monsters like Riot Force Six, only a fool could screw that up."

"Sounds like you're saying she is a bad commander."

"There's no good way to put it. Just that...I think she's more suited for the front lines than the desk. That officer had a point. She was in possession of a double S-class Logia-" Chrono paused for a second. "I don't really want to go into too much detail about that. But point is, she gets arrested, then immediately pardoned without any consultation of any non-magical commanders...obviously, they're going to be angry. And that kid implying that the general was on the take...great way to get someone extremely pissed at you. I wish the teenagers in the mage brigades would know when to keep their mouths shut."

"Seems a bit ironic to me, weren't you high ranking when you were young?"

"Yes. I was. And when I was thirteen I would have done the exact same thing. Especially if they'd said something about my little sister. That's what worries me."

"Your sister? I didn't think you had one- oh, Captain Testarossa," Fischer said, a bit wistfully. "I've only had the chance to meet her a couple times. She hardly seems like the type to raise any objections from me. I guess it was different a decade ago, when I was still just taking classes in secondary? But I digress. I'd sure like to have tea with her or something soon. I need to take more time to get to know my junior officers."

Chrono bristled a little. "I don't think she would have any interest in your type."

"Me? Stop acting like I'm some sort of playboy, Harlaown. You're making me feel bad," Fischer chuckled. "It's not everyday you get someone like the Golden Flash under your command."

Chrono sighed. "So, pleasantries aside, what exactly is the reason you called me out here? This isn't like you to want to chat."

"Well, you see..." Fischer drew a packet of paper out from inside his jacket. "Take a look at this." He passed it to Chrono, who examined the front cover.

"They're having the Saint Games on Yne? Who approved of this?"

"Well, it's not really my decision to make," Fischer replied coyly. "The planetary governor has fat pockets and he wants to improve his world's public image. Money talks, and they figured why not have the best person in charge of defense that money can buy? So the organizers came straight to me."

"I assume this has something to do with having to borrow something from my command."

"Well, yes. Not just something...someone, would you say. I mean, the planetary government and games organizers really want tourists to come and see how great their world is. How it's not the crime-ridden slums you hear about. How it's safe to visit and live in. And what better way than a ringing endorsement from the hero that saved Midchilda?"

"...You're not thinking of-"

"I am. Nanoha Takamachi, hero of the universe, there to promote the games. People come out in force to get the chance to see her, and stay for the culture and events..."

"I'm not sure she would be too receptive-"

That response was a poor one and Chrono knew it as soon as he said it. Nanoha never shied away from something because there was a chance she would be in danger. If anything, it just strengthened her resolve. It was really that one selfish corner of his heart that still beat for her, more so than just what a commander feels for his men, that wanted to keep her out of harm. After everything that she had been through, he didn't know what he would do if she died. Even though he had a family of his own; although his spouse was chosen for him before he was born, he still loved her and his two children, and didn't want to hurt them. Even if Nanoha had someone else she loved far more than him. He still didn't want her getting hurt again.

But he was also her commanding officer, and a soldier had to not fear death.

She's survived a Linker Core rupture when she was eight. She fought Precia Testarossa and lived to tell the tale. And she saved Midchilda. What threat could there possibly be worse than Precia, or the Tome of the Night Sky, or Scaglietti and his army of cyborgs?

"Harlaown, are you listening?"

"Huh? Oh, right, I guess I'll ask her about it."

"Ask her? You're her commanding officer, aren't you? Why are you letting your subordinate decide what she can do?"

"Well...you don't get to tell the biggest celebrity in the TSAB to go put herself in danger for something pointless."

To tell the truth, that was also a lie. A part of him was secretly hoping she'd say no because he was just a tiny bit jealous. Once again, she got to go on another adventure, getting adored by the public, while he, the actual architect of Riot Force 6, was ignored. True, Nanoha and his younger sister and their trainees may have saved the day, but without his suggestion to let them form their own special unit to train the elite mages of the future, the JS incident would have been much messier.

But then again, he wasn't one for the spotlight.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

It has been a long time since I wrote something for fun, and I mean it. I started this chapter sometime around late March and ended it in late November. Actually, it feels really like an eternity ago. I was a whole different person back then, and I hope this means I've gained a new perspective on life, but maybe that's just asking a little too much.

I was a freshman when I finished this. I am now a sophomore. My workload is the worst it has ever been. I'm still watching anime, though not as many. I'm still playing video games, though not as many.

Maybe I have changed, but to me I feel like the same old person who loves to write is still there and that's what inspired me to finish this story. I want to see it come to a satisfying end because I want to share my ideas with all of you.

I really hope I get to see you soon.

-mrcmc888