My life’s been crazy lately. First, that ops officer I gifted Tourville for his birthday, went and did something reckless. It’s almost like she took a lesson from Tourville. Next, Eloise got arrested. And brigged. And sentenced by a kangaroo court of angry naval officers. And I had to explain to them that I wasn’t going to support her execution, in fact, I’d try to defend her. And, I got into an argument with Lester, of all people, (he’d been a close friend for years) that ended with a compromise.

 

 

I was at the stage where I needed a drink, but I knew I shouldn’t. Then, we headed back to Haven. And the waves of the storm of chaos grew higher and stronger, like blue-black crashing pillars of stone on a rocky beach.

 

 

I’m Admiral Javier Giscard. I don’t miss StateSec’s reign of terror over the Navy. I’m really tired. But here’s what happened, once we got back to Haven.

 

 

It was midnight. Admiral Tourville and I, along with our Commissioners, who’d been under arrest since hours after that ops officer started the storm of chaos, were told to report to St-Just’s old office (now Admiral/Head of State Theisman’s office, shared with his former Commissioner, Denis LePic). Ellie was freezing, and exhausted, with what the Navy had been doing to her. Honeker looked better, but not great. 

 

 

We finally got to the office, and at least us naval officers got offered coffee. I grabbed Ellie some, though because they’d left her in handcuffs “for our safety”, and “forgot” to give me the key, I had to hold the coffee for her, while keeping her from collapsing, and trying to pay attention to what our new boss was saying. 

 

 

I ended up giving her my jacket, and my extra naval academy hoodie, as she was leaning on me, barely awake, and shivering in the prison uniform they’d had her wear. I think Tourville grabbed Honeker some coffee as well (because he hadn’t been an Aprilist assassin, and because he’d helped the navy publically, they hadn’t cuffed him), but I was tired, and don’t remember everything. 

 

 

Eloise kept her eyes pointed at the floor, after the first comment from someone about her being on St-Just’s list of good commissioners.

 

 

Somehow, despite the lights, and coffee, Eloise fell asleep. I ended up carrying her to the nearest large seating area, and trying to make her comfortable, with help from LePic, despite that it wasn’t designed to be used for sleeping. After all, I was taught as a naval officer to defend a lady’s honor, and to respect women, not to take advantage of them (not like I’d ever do that to my Ellie).

 

 

We eventually hashed out an agreement that got our commissioners confined to quarters, under supervision, among other things (including them stopping spying on the Navy). Somehow, by the time the sun rose over Nouveau Paris, we had finished up. I ended up just carrying Eloise back to the pinnace (she somehow slept through it all, including the great celebratory fireworks that Capital Fleet launched), and letting her sleep, instead of waking her up.

 

 

I finally convinced the people with the key to uncuff her, got her tucked into bed, and fell asleep next to her.

 

 

Eventually I wake up, and check my wristcom, to see how much more chaos has happened since last night. Eloise is still sleeping peacefully, like Sleeping Beauty.

 

 

She finally wakes up, and looks at me, “What happened last night?” Eloise whispers. She’s probably wondering how she ended up in bed.

 

 

“You’re safe.” I reassure her, before explaining the summary of our meeting with Theisman and LePic. She looks reassured to hear that last night wasn’t a repeat of the kangaroo court. I put an arm around her.