“We’re in port, Pilot, that’s Ma’am, Commander or Commander Decker.” She said, smiling to both pilots.
“Right you are, Ma’am. My apologies.” Ash replied. Decker patter both of her pilots shoulders and turned to leave the flight deck.
“I’ll call C.O. Richards to the starboard exit hatch then?” Ash called, spinning in his chair to watch his captain leave. She waved over her shoulder and ash stood up. “Give Richards a call, Bartlett.” The pilot yawned, “I have an appointment in Odin’s lower east side entertainment district.”

Kara Decker sat with an edge of uncomfortableness in the waiting room just outside the President of the Aesyr’s office. She sat at attention, as if at any moment she was going to have a uniform check.
The Presidents administrative assistant sat behind a large wooden desk, his eyes continuously darting between his holo-screen and the Commander of Dark Wolf. She smiled at him every time, partially to be polite but mostly to lull him into a false sense of security for when he gave her the wrong look and lost one of his eyes.
“Commander Decker?” the admin said, standing up.
“Yes?” she replied, standing up.
“She’ll see you now.” He said, standing up himself.
“Thank you.” The commander said, nodding her head and heading towards the door. she paused as she reached it, one hand on the handle and turned to the man behind the desk. “Is there something you wanted to ask me?” she asked, noticing her personnel profile up on his screen.
“Ma’am?” he asked confused. he turned to his screen and comprehension dawned. “Oh, it’s nothing... it’s just... my sister... she was... you know what? don’t worry.”
Kara frowned and turned back to the man. “What’s your name?”
“My... Daniel Garr.” he replied.
“Your sister... Alexa Garr, she served under me three years ago when I was Brynhild of the twelfth Valkyrie unit on the Brown Bear. She died in a battle with the Dark Elves... she was a strong, brave valkyrie... Odin simply claimed her early.” Kara nodded at the sad looking man, who nodded back. She smiled and continued into the presidents office.

“What’re you doing here?” The pilot asked, frowning at Dark Wolf’s third Brynhild and second Sigurd as they sipped drinks at one of Odins lower east bars. “More importantly how did you beat me here?”
“Well you know us, Swift” The Sigurn said, not looking up from the woman he sat with. “First off the ship, first in the bar, first back on.”
“You had to finish all the procedures for docking before you could get to the exit, we were there with our Valkyries and Infantry before you even got the chance to tell Bartlett to do your work for you. Got the first transport down here.”
“Fair enough.” Ash said, looking around. “I’ll leave you love monkeys to your drinks, there are some fine looking women around, and I’ve been due for some decent R’n’R.”
“Good luck Swift.” The Brynhild said.
“No need for luck, Helen, I got my natural suave.” He said, partially in jest. “See you back on the ship, Helen, David. See ya.”
“Later, Swift.” David, the Sigurd, said, continuing the drinks with his fiancée. The two had been dating on and off for years when they could, it wasn’t until Commander Decker commissioned them for her ship that David Right finally popped the question, and quite clearly she hadn’t said no as his fragile male ego had feared she would. David was the Dark wolf’s second Sigurd of the five infantry captains that the ship’s minimal hull carried. He had risen quite quickly through the ranks for an infantry man. Most Sigurds were thirty or forty, David was twenty-five. Helen Dass was also young for her title, twenty-six and still among the top pilots in the army she was the third Brynhild, of the three Brynhilds that captained valkyrie squads on the Forsetti-Class. she had gained significant reputation three years earlier as one of Commander Deckers Valkyries against the Dark Elves. Dass had saved the commanders life, though not her eye and her career as a valkyrie. it was then that Decker was promoted to Dark Wolf’s commander and Dass was brought aboard as one of her Brynhilds.

“That’s suicide, President.” Decker said flatly. “I’m not going to do it.”
“You don’t have a choice, it’s that or the entire battle is lost... You lose a fine soldier or the king?” the president said confidently.
“Surely I have another choice...” Kara muttered... eying the table with great interest.
“None that I can see and I’m the best in the field. One of the reason’s I’m president.” the President said, smiling confidently.
Decker frowned and moved her queen in front of her King, blocking the way for the presidents white Bishop. “I had no idea that they settled the presidency on who won a board game.” The commander pouted.
“I battled the other candidate from my party for the right to run.” President Cartle said, taking the black queen with her Bishop. “Check.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah...” Kara muttered to her old mentor as she eyed the board again. She moved the knight forward and took the bishop. “Anyway, surely you didn’t call my ship back from the Niffleheim sieges just to beat me as thoroughly as always in a game of chess.”
“No, I didn’t and you’re not doing as bad as usual.” The president muttered, eying the board and moving her last bishop diagonally downwards.
“Thank you, I hadn’t noticed... something on your mind?” Kara said, moving a pawn up out of the bishops path and cursing as she realized she had left her rook open to attack.
The president took the rook. “It’s your next mission... very dangerous... I’m worried... but there are civilians in trouble, or there will be... I have no choice but to send my best and you’re as close to Odin as any, closer than most...”