Chapter 132: Questions & Answers

(3rd Person: POV)

Sitting in her personal quarters aboard the Infinity Dalinat typed away on her desk terminal.

Making sure all matters that needed her personal attention were being taken care of.

As Dalinat finished up another portion of her work she leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms above her head.

Then a few seconds later when she put them down she suddenly started to receive a request for a communication on her desk terminal.

Dalinat didn't hesitate and answered it. "Yes. Hello?"

"Admiral, we've just received a comms request for you from the fleet admiral. Shall I put it through?" The comms officer spoke to Dalinat.

"Yes. Put it through." Dalinat immediately replied.

"Yes admiral." The comms officer replied.

They then signed off and put the communication from the fleet admiral through fo Dalinats' terminal.

So within seconds Dalinat found herself looking at a purple-skinned Nautolan female.

[Image Here]

Her name being Fro Ret.

An admiral in the ADF Navy, and the admiral in command of the Alliances' first fleet.

She is also currently in charge of overseeing the Halthor Sector Campaign.

"Admiral Ret." Dalinat spoke. Standing up from her seat to give Ret a proper salute.

"At ease rear-admiral Killest." Ret told her.

"Mam." Dalinat replied.

She then re-took her seat.

Though Dalinat was tense. Since this call from admiral Ret was coming out of nowhere.

"Ah, no reason to be so tense rear-admiral Killest I am not calling to reprimand you or deliver any bad news, rather I simply got in touch with you to get your personal assessment on how your mission went and to see if you anything to make it run more smoothly." Fro explained.

"I see." Dalinat replied. A lot of the tension disappearing from her body when she heard admiral Ret's words.

"Yes." Ret spoke. "So then, let us get too it." The Nautolan admiral said.

She and Dalinat then began discussing the finer points of the Halthor system campaign in great detail.

Since if they tried to discuss the entire thing in one discussion they would be talking for hours.

Given the campaign lasted two and a half months.

Today neither admiral had the time for that.

So they did a cliffnotes discussion so to speak.

Which they completed in hardly any time at all.

"Thank you rear-admiral Killest. This conversation has been most informative." Admiral Ret spoke.

"No problem mam." Dalinat replied. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss with me?"

"Actually there is." Ret said. "Though it's a proposition overall."

"I'm listening." Dalinat replied.

Very curious about this proposal Fro Ret was about to make to her.

Seeing this Fro Ret couldn't stop a small from forming in her face.

Thus she made her proposal to Dalinat.

Who in turn was slightly shocked by it.

Though that didn't mean she wasn't going to accept it.

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(Van: POV)

Dressed in my ADF army officers uniform I found myself seated in the first briefing room aboard the Infinity.

Along with all the other two highest-ranking officers aboard.

The first being the one who called for the meeting.

My friend Dalinat Killest.

While the second is a familiar and unexpected, but still welcoming, face to see.

The commander of the starfighter detachment aboard the Infinity Nial Declann.

A man with immense potential.

Not only because he is a force-sensitive but because of his piloting skills and the fact in the original timelime old Palpy made him one of his original Grand Admirals. A position I'm sure not just anyone could claim.

The fact he's now apart of the ADF and working for the GSA fills me with immense joy.

Especially since it takes another potential ally away from Sidious.

One I don't have to kill or arranged to have killed.

A situation I'll work to maintain where Declann is concerned.

But on the off chance it can't be...I'll make sure he gets a visit from HK-47.

Moving on.

"Welcome the both of you." Dalinat began. "I appreciate you being able to attend this meeting on such short notice."

"It's fine. I didn't really have any pressing matters that needed my immediate attention." I spoke.

"Neither did I." Nial said.

"Right. So the reason I called you both there is because earlier today I was contacted by admiral Ret. Who not only wanted a personal update from me on our status in the liberation of Halthor and it's populace, but also to make a proposal in regards to me. Put simply she wants to make the Infinity my personal flagship on a permanent basis and wants me to head up a Rapid Response Taskforce high command is creating. The taskforce itself will be of a semi-antonomous nature. Its overall objective will be to patrol anywhere in GSA space it sees fit unless under direct orders to do otherwise." Dalinat explained to Nial and I. "The taskforce will also be directed to handle critical and time sensitive situations. As for the reason I am telling you both this it is because although I already accepted admiral Ret's officer to command the taskforce I would like you both to stay on board the Infinity and help me run it. With you colonel Sunrider as the commander of our taskforce ground forces, and with you major Declann as the commander for the taskforce starfighter forces." She spoke. "Also major Declann if you accept my proposal you will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant Colonel."

After Dalinat finished speaking Nial and I didn't immediately respond.

Instead we both took a few seconds to process all she had just explained to us.

Then after we did I was the first to speak up and break the silence.

"Admiral Killest, while I would love to accept your offer I hope you also took into account I am a member of the Jedaii Order. Which will sometimes overrule my obligations to the taskforce." I spoke.

"I have and that's fine." Dalinat immediately replied. "I already took that into account."

"And even taking that into account you still want me to be the overall ground forces commander of the taskforce you will be heading up?" I asked.

"I do." Dalinat replied without any hesitation.

"Alright then. I accept your offer." I told her. "But only on one condition." I said.

I then made my condition known.

"That is acceptable." Dalinat replied after I told her my condition for being apart of her taskforce.

"Excellent." I spoke.

Dalinat nodded. She then turned her attention to Declann. "Major Declann, what say you?" She asked him.

"I too will take you up on your offer." Nial replied. "Though I am curious as to why you made it in the first place."

Declann taking the words right out of my mouth.

"After observing your work ethics and command styles over the past couple of months as we liberated Halthor I found myself liking them. Hence why I made you this offer." Dalinat explained.

"I see." Nial replied.

"Okay." I said.

"Well then it looks like things are settled. Well if there is nothing else I call this meeting to an end." Dalinat said.

"Actually I would like to say one more thing." I said. I then turned my attention to Nial. "Major Declann you are a force-sensitive."

Shocking both him and Dalinat.

"Colonel are you sure?" Declann asked me.

"I am." I replied. "And if you would like I can arrange for you to receive some training on how to control the Force. Of course I'm not saying you have to join the Jedaii Order or become a Jedaii, I'm just saying that I could help you learn some extra skills that would serve you well on the battlefield and in life in general."

"Can I have some time to thin about it?" Declann asked me.

"Of course major." I told him.

Once I did so the meeting truly ended.

When it did I went to find Kaidan.

After doing so I explained to him the contents of the meeting between Dalinat, Declann, and I.

"I see." Alenko mused after I finished my explanation. "That sounds like a wonderful opportunity colonel."

"I know. Which is why I accepted admiral Killest proposal. But only on one condition. That you remain my second-in-command. That is if you want too." I spoke.

Since during the whole Halthor campaign Kaidan and I worked well together.

He chewed me out when I deserved it, but backed me when I needed it.

It's hard to find people like him.

That's why I want him to stay on as my right-hand man.

But I don't want to force him.

I want him to make the choice on his own.

Kaidan took several seconds to respond to my proposal.

"I will gladly take you up on your offer Colonel Sunrider." Kaidan told me.

"Thank you. Also since we're going to be working together for the foreseeable future you can call me Van."

"Okay and you can call me Kaidan." He replied.

"Will do." I said.

The two of us then shared a man's handshake.

Me knowing this was the start of a good friendship.