Sunday Snippet: Command Authority

Wow, I can't believe January is almost over. Actually… yeah, I can. It's been a strange month. The weather is definitely not winter-like, which I'm not really complaining about. It might be nice to have snow… but maybe after we get our roof repaired.

Slow week for television as I had a few projects to get caught up on. I caught a new arc of Classic Who episodes. I'm in the tenth season and have one more to go with Three.

Also watched two more episodes of Gargoyles and finished out the first season. The second is super long with something like fifty-plus episodes. I'll gradually make my way through those.

I watched the first episode season eight's Arrow. Man… I'm going to miss this show so much. I'm excited there might be carry-on with Mia and the Dinah's and I actually hope some of the others in the 2040 version of Starling City find their way to the new show.

Caught an episode of Murdoch Mysteries and loved it. I always find it fun when they have historical figures mixed in with the regular cast. And I love the soft jabs the show takes at current events.

Watched another episode of Frankie Drake Mysteries and I have one left for the third season. I really love how they work Flo and Mary into the storylines and I'll be interested to see what season four has on the horizon. If there is a season four.

Started the Riverdale finale for season three. I'm so hoping Edgar is gone for season four and I know Hiram isn't but I at least I might get one wish to come true. Seriously, I hate Hiram with the passion of a thousand burning suns. Ugh.

And that's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Command Authority, a sexy short that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Addie Varns and Neal Columbo are thisclose to having everything they want, namely each other, when Neal gets promoted to commander. Used to being on equal footing, Addie needs some time to adjust to the new chain of leadership. Neal gives her some space, but if need be, he'll invoke his command authority.

And a sneaky peek…

"Hey, Addie. Did you see the new flight roster yet?" Lucia Xing called out from the shower two stalls down.

Addie frowned. She had, but didn't notice any changes.

She angled her head toward the other pilot. "Yeah, is there a problem?"

Lucia laughed. "Hell, no. Which is exactly the point. Two full months with almost zero changes, barring that last minute switch last week when Rumbleseat whacked his head on the canopy and knocked himself out."

Addie finally got it. "You want me to punch you so you know it's real?"

Showoff threw her hands up, mock terrified. "No, no. Not necessary." She ducked her head under the spray, making sure all the shampoo rinsed away.

Addie shut her water supply off and snagged a towel. Xing did the same and moved to stand beside Addie at the line of mirrors.

Addie went for humor. "You sure get excited about the most bizarre things around here."

Using her fingers to comb through her short mop of hair, Lucia shot back. "Look, when standard operating procedure is a sharp stab to the back, something like a consistent schedule takes some getting used to." She met Addie's gaze in the mirror. "But it doesn't go unnoticed. Commander's doing a damned good job." Finished with her primping, she turned and left the area to head for her locker.

Addie pondered Lucia's words. James Trask, the first replacement for Ames, had been a wheeler dealer who never thought to have a command. The bastard ran the ship the way he ran his acquisition duties. More than a few of the crew felt the bite of a double deal.

Addie had her own run in with Trask's system when she'd dropped a delivery of supplies at an outpost and discovered she'd been promised in the deal. Several gunshots and a wicked spiral fly out from the landing bay later, she'd contacted Neal on a secured private comm and filled him in. Acting as the Amalthea's liaison and Ganymead's CAG at the time, Neal kept a closer watch on the commander, observing his underhanded practices and wondered aloud how long Trask could keep it up.

The quartermaster feared for his life. Forced to be a go between, he took most of the heat when Trask kept using off log suppliers and short changed them on trades and payment. The quartermaster finally landed in the infirmary with several broken bones, after a severe beating from one of Trask's sources. Trask didn't fare as well. He ended up on the wrong side of the airlock. They'd found his body, floating in space, outside the base station.

James Trask might have been friendlier than his predecessor. He'd had to be. To further his own agenda, he mixed business with pleasure. But his double dealing hadn't been limited to the ships in the fleet. More than a few of the Ganymead crew had bite marks on their ass from his tenure as commander. And they had the scars to prove it. Considering they still double checked the duty rosters to make sure they wouldn't be caught out by a last minute change—courtesy of a trademark command payoff—the wounds hadn't completely healed.

Yet, Addie had noticed the solid, positive changes made and Neal's hand in getting it done. She should. When Neal had been assigned to be the Ganymead's liaison, he'd often sought her opinion about former command initiatives, asking her what she'd change. They'd grown very close during the time they spent deep in discussion. Okay, closer. Addie never suspected he'd be commanding the ship a short time afterward.

 But seeing the relaxed countenance of the crew made her weird uncomfortable vibe worth it. Neal had recently brokered an arrangement for supplies in trade and it went super smooth. The crew finally trusted the flight roster and had started singing Neal's praises.

Addie got a zing. She and Neal had always worked in tandem, tag-teaming to get things done for the pilots on the Amalthea. She missed it, working closely with him. But holy hell, it felt good to see the confirmation that their work had paid off. The Ganymead staff and crew had followed Trask because they had to… they followed Neal because they wanted to.

And okay, she'd become part of his command staff—temporarily—but it didn't feel the same. She didn't quite have her bearings yet. Completely on her. Neal treated her the same… but she saw him differently. Addie needed an adjustment period—something new and foreign for her go with the flow attitude. Threw her off-kilter and she didn't like it.

She and Neal… they had a push-pull thing. Attracted to each other, they played it fairly safe, acknowledging the heat, but not acting on it. They'd come so close a few times, but she pulled away. Neal told her to be sure, absolutely certain. Once they crossed the line, they couldn't go back.

Okay, he wouldn't go back. He'd made it very clear. Then stepped back and gave her some room to figure shit out.

Too bad hell landed on the hangar deck in the form of the Ganymead and it's whacked out crew. Who the hell had time to think when life went sideways and everything changed? Except maybe late at night, when sleep wouldn't come no matter how tired she got.

Addie had plenty of time to think then. And she knew what she wanted with Neal. But with the game-changing stuff going on, she didn't know how they'd ever pull off making a relationship work. Throw in the possible reaction from Neal's old man and Colonel Shitface and Addie wondered which ship would implode in on itself first.

I'm excited about this story. The narrative is a little different than the usual for me and I enjoy playing with the structure.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Command Authority

Whew. The Last Ship had one of the best finales I've seen in a while. I'm so thrilled season four and five are already on tap and we'll get more of this terrific show. I'm honestly excited to see where things go with Tom, who's so broken right now, the Greens and their new family, and the rest of the crew of the Nathan James. Gonna be a very loooonnng wait for 2017.

Still need to catch up on Dark Matter so I haven't seen the finale yet. Hopefully next week I'll have some final thoughts on this season.

I think Gotham starts this week and I'm interested in where things will end up. With so many disturbed and unbalanced people on the loose, Gordon and company will have their hands full.

Fall television will be in full swing soon so there might be more shows added to the roundup.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Command Authority, a novella that started as a sexy short but matured into something else. Still sexy, but with more depth.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Addie Varns and Neal Columbo are thisclose to having everything they want, namely each other, when Neal gets promoted to commander. Used to being on equal footing, Addie needs some time to adjust to the new chain of leadership. Neal gives her some space, but if need be, he'll invoke his command authority.

And a sneaky peek…

Addie Varns wondered if the upheaval and turmoil of the last three months might finally be over. Neal Columbo, promoted from captain to commander a full month ago, certainly appeared at ease during the morning briefing. So did his group of officers. A vast improvement over the previous three months.

War did horrible things to people and surprise attacks, when every military branch got caught with their pants down, threw everything and everyone into a tailspin of reaction. Trying to get civilians to safety and pull all their asses out of the fire while fighting a battle against a relentless enemy had everyone on edge. But they had to keep it together or lose everything.

Addie listened intently when Neal briefed the command officers on the day's schedule.

"First dog watch needs two additional crewmen on comms." He directed his attention to the shift leader. "Make that happen, but don't use anyone who pulled duty yesterday."

Decidedly less formal than Admiral Ames, Neal opted to have everyone seated comfortably on the plush furniture, arranged in a u-shaped configuration, in his quarters. It made a palpable difference to have the commander sitting right among his group of officers instead of looming behind a huge table. Where Ames ignored opinions differing from her own and ruled with an iron will, Neal encouraged independent thinking among his officers and respected what they had to offer. That sense of camaraderie had won over the entire crew.

Addie let her mind wander. She knew the briefing notes upside down and sideways. Had worked with Neal long enough to not need them. Instead, she pondered the difference in command style. She'd respected Admiral Necia Ames, but the peril of war had taken its toll, pushing the novice admiral beyond the limits of sanity.

By the time Ames made the rendezvous—six months after the initial attacks—a third of her crew had been lost. She'd executed her XO for countermanding orders and by doing so, lost the one buffer she had against her questionable grasp on reality. Tim Braddox had done his level best to be her voice of reason.

His replacement, Colonel James Trask, did nothing to dispel Ames's method of commanding by fear and intimidation. He encouraged it to further his own nefarious agenda, but Addie didn't want to think about Trask at the moment. Still broke out in a cold sweat when she did.

Ames's ghost no longer lingered in her former quarters and the bloodstains were long gone. But the shadow of the admiral's harsh tenure had long tendrils. If Addie hadn't overheard the conversation between Ames and her XO Trask, she wouldn't have believed the words flowed from the woman's mouth. But Addie had a prime listening spot, directly behind the admiral in the formerly hidden compartment the woman used to record her strategy sessions and private meetings—a major bucking of protocol.

The discussion continued to haunt Addie.

Ames had a feral smirk when a young private entered, carrying a tray with coffee. "Trask, I think I'm going to have my contingent of marines act as my enforcement squad."

Trask raised an eyebrow. "Do you think that's wise, Admiral?" The man could give two shits, but always played the game the way Ames preferred.

She'd given him a long, sideways glance. "Of course. After all, they did an outstanding job of interrogating the crew to find sympathizers." Her gaze shifted to the young man.

Ethan Janisay. Private, first class. Victim of multiple interrogations.

Trask's lips twisted in a knowing smile. "Whatever you feel is best, Admiral." He shot a quick look at the private. "Although they might need to brush up on how to break the holdouts."

Addie didn't know the history, but she witnessed the final chapter when the lowly private ended the admiral's reign of terror—he shot her after delivering her morning coffee. Janisay barely escaped with his life. Trask had his sidearm drawn and against the kid's head before Addie could blink. But with her mission scrapped, she went against orders and revealed her position to the XO.

With a surprising calm, she exited the compartment, her weapon drawn. "I wouldn't dig myself a deeper hole by shooting him, Sir, but please feel free to do what you want."

I'm looking forward to seeing how this one turns out. Hopefully in early 2017.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Command Authority

Even the Super Bowl food coma I want to be in won't keep me from posting my weekly snippet. :D Seriously, I'm blessed with a husband who makes the BEST party food ever. Buffalo chicken dip, nachos, barbecue chicken drumsticks and thighs, and pizza. And okay, he didn't do the pizza from scratch this time, but who cares? Everything tasted so good I just want a nice, long nap. :D

But…Sunday Snippet first. Tonight's post is from Command Authority, another fairly focused short story that could end up heading into novella length. The sages are a little cagey about how everything is going to come together. LOL

Here's a tagline:

Addie Varns and Neal Columbo are thisclose to having everything they want, namely each other, when Neal gets promoted to commander. Used to being on equal footing, Addie needs some time to adjust to the new chain of leadership. Neal gives her some space, but if need be, he'll invoke his command authority.

And here's the wee sneaky peek…

Addie kicked back on the bunk in her cell, nose buried deep in a book. Pilots from both ships had dropped by, each one bearing something for her to read. With the exception of Porkchop, he'd brought her an adult magazine chock full of naked men. Addie refrained from asking why he had one in his possession.

A series of beeps followed by the jangle of keys interrupted her reading respite. Addie glanced up from the pages of her book.

"Let's go, Captain. You're sprung."

Addie stared at the marine corporal. "Seriously? Old Shitface told me I'd be here at least two weeks this time." Not that she blamed him. Seven times in two weeks was excessive. Even for her.

The corporal sent her a bland look while she gathered up her pile of reading material. Smart guy. Old Shitface could put him on latrine duty.

He cracked a smile. "Someone's got pull higher than him." The corporal winked.

Addie grinned. Neal. And the old man. At least when Neal made deals, he went straight to the top. Behind the scenes maybe, but not underhanded or double backed. And Neal's crew wouldn't have to worry they'd feel the bite. Neal would bear the full brunt of any backlash.

Not that there'd be any.

Addie shook her head. "I can't believe it." She stepped out of her home away from home setting the books on the meal cart outside the door.

The corporal shoved a clipboard in front of her. "Believe it." She signed the release. "Sign this one, too." He lifted the top page to reveal another one beneath it.

Add shot him a questioning look.

"Transfer papers, Captain. You're headed back home." His cheeky grin made her smile.

The corporal calling the Ganymead home made her chuckle. "That obvious, is it?" She scribbled her name a second time.

The man shrugged. "You guys aren't in everyone's face, but we've known you a long time." He tore off her copy. "There's no one who isn't damned happy for you."

Addie rolled her eyes. "Except Old Shitface."

The corporal didn't bat an eye. "That guy doesn't do happy. His loss."

Addie couldn't argue. "Guess I'll see you around, then. Thanks for letting everyone smuggle the books in." She nodded toward the towering pile.

He flashed a smile. "Couldn't stand watching you climb the walls."

Addie snorted. "Hey, I did a mess of pushups, too." She stuck out her hand. "Seriously, thanks."

Corporal Gant pumped her hand then held it. "You two are good for each other. Remember that."

Addie nodded. "I will." She left the brig and went to pack her gear.

Poor Addie. A little background…she got transferred back to a different ship when her relationship with Neal went public. Neither fared well, but Addie lashed out often enough to get sent to the brig almost every other day. :D Love can be a very messy thing sometimes. LOL

Until next week, catch everyone on the flip!

ML Skye