Three Strikes [✓]

Recompense

Chapter Fifty-One: Recompense

|...|...|...|

Tyler Island, Spring Sea.
October 14th, 2019.
0700hrs.

|...|...|...|

"It's been four days."

Naomi turned her head away from the window, looking to where her father sat across the desk from her in one of the chairs. The office wasn't exactly hers, she had no idea who it belonged to, but given that the previous occupants of these offices were nowhere to be seen she and Beckett had just picked whichever ones were in one piece. Naomi picked this one because she had a perfect view of the hangars and the flight line from the window, which is what she'd been watching all this time.

Her father had invited himself in and made very little conversation, going quiet for several minutes before he made that comment. Ever since Naomi's outburst, she hadn't been punished by Beckett or the others in any way, but everyone that witnessed it gave her space. Tabloid spent most of his time helping with the refugees, while Avril busied herself with everyone's aircraft, Bandog busy with Sarge, and Beckett and Jaeger avoided speaking to her unless it was about work. She hadn't seen much of Tailor, but she'd tried to make conversation and he'd seemed terrified to death to speak to her. Only Count and her father spent considerable time with her, even then it was usually brief.

The relationships among the rest of the LRSSG became tense as a result. Word got around, and now everyone was split between whether their commander was justified or not in what she had argued for. No one outright disrespected her, they still believed in her, they just disagreed on her actions in this particular situation. As a result of not knowing how to handle this, Naomi just left it alone, spending time in her new office and quarters trying to figure out if there was anything to be done. It was like Count had said. She'd created a rift between everyone. The very same thing she'd accused the Princess of.

Naomi leaned her hand against her fist, blinking a few times before she answered her father. "Was there a point or did you just feel like pointing out the obvious?"

"You can't avoid this forever. Sooner or later you need to reach some kind of peace," her father said, leaning back in the seat with a sigh. He stared her down, his expression not angry or scolding. "Everyone's worried about you, including me. Anger will only get you so far, take it from me. It won't fix anything."

"I know that...I'm just not good at thinking things through," Naomi admitted, turning her attention back to the window. It had been raining on and off, and right now things were sunny but still damp. She could barely see much through the droplets still covering the window. She scoffed, mostly to herself. "This whole thing is just stupid. I never asked to fight the Eruseans. I never asked them to shoot their own people just over their heritage. I know we need to win this war, but...why do I have to take that step?"

"Because she already extended the olive branch to you. Stupid as it may be, you have to decide whether you're going to take it or burn it," her father told her. She didn't look at him, so she had no idea what expression was on his face. But in the barely visible reflection on the window she was aware he was still looking at her. "Look, all I know is that PJ is a very patient and forgiving man, but he's only going to take so much. He's giving you a chance to decide something, or else he's going to make a decision himself. And I can tell you right now he's more willing to negotiate than you are."

"If that's the case, then it's not really a choice, is it?" Naomi pointed out, tilting her head back his way. She frowned. "I mean, it doesn't matter what I decide if he's going to go over my head. So why waste your time with me?"