Heart of the Warrior

Chapter 1 - The New Captain

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Sergeant Farron, otherwise known by her codename: Lightning, moved past the numerous cubicles in the Guardian Corps HQ with purpose. She needed to see her C.O. about certain rumors that had been floating around; normally she would not have cared about a stupid rumor, but this was something that truly bothered her. Moving up the flight of metal stairs that separated the Captain's office from the rest of the Headquarters, Lightning knocked twice on the metal door before she was allowed in with a deep "Enter."

Pushing open the metal door, Light stepped into the office: for being the head officer's workplace it was little more than a glorified cubicle, same carpeted floor and gray walls, but with the exception of a great mahogany desk, squashy swivel chair and a lone window directly behind the desk.

Inside was the portly Lieutenant Amodar and Captain Matsuki; Matsuki, who was an experienced and one of the strongest and most honorable soldiers in the whole Corps, was beginning to look like the sixty-five year old man that he was. Silvery hair cascaded down from underneath his peaked cap and his cream uniform looked baggy on a quickly frail turning body.

"Oh Farron," he said in a voice that did not reflect the exterior age "What can I do for you?"

Snapping into a crisp salute, Lightning said with authority "Sir, permission to speak freely?"

"Granted. Now what's on your mind?"

"Captain, I only came to see if the rumors are true sir?"

"Rumors of my retirement?" he inquired lifting his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yes Captain,"

"Farron, I'm surprised at you!" Amodar scolded lightheartedly "You ought to know not to believe everything you hear---"

"---Actually," interrupted Matsuki with a hardness in his voice that made Amodar turn in surprise. "The Sanctum thinks that it's time to retire this old dog"

"That's outrageous!" fumed Lightning "You've been the best Captain the Bodhum Corp ever had, they can't just toss you out like yesterday's rubbish!"

"Calm down Farron," said Matsuki as though he was calming a raging toddler, "It's not completely the Sanctum's idea."

The revelation was as startling to Amodar as it was to Lightning. "Yes, Perenelle thinks that I ought to start slowing down after thirty years, and I have to follow an order from my CO" he said with a chuckle.

"But-" started Lightning but she was stopped as Matsuki held up a hand.

"No 'buts' Farron, my mind is made up and my wife has been looking at retirement cottages in Eden. We leave at the end of the week."

Lightning bit her tongue in order to keep herself from saying anything naïve or stupid, but Amodar made the comment:

"Well, er, is there any word on who is replacing you sir?"

Matsuki reclined in his swivel chair with a defiant look on his face "Well, the damn Sanctum tried to cheat me of my right to choose a successor by trying to put one of those PSICOM bastards in my office." He suddenly began sporting a grin that made him look years younger "but I fought that with a lucky bluff!"

The lieutenant exchanged confused looks with the strawberry-haired sergeant, "A lucky bluff sir?"

"I told 'em I already had someone in mind, wasn't until later that day that bluff became fact!" he said triumphantly.