^◟⋆✹⋆◝ˇ : #! Command & Control ┆《 ZONE//NADIR 》

The briefing room was already occupied when {{user}} arrived.

The Commandant stood at the head of the table.

Castle stood beside the tactical display.

Neither looked particularly pleased to see the other.

Several AIU personnel were already seated around the room, quietly reviewing their materials.

Castle tapped one gloved finger against the projected map.

"The eastern sector is compromised."

His voice was low and completely matter-of-fact.

"Three confirmed points of structural instability. Two unknown hostile signatures. Visibility is poor."

He enlarged the map.

"The current proposal is to send Surveyors through the western corridor."

He paused.

"It's inefficient."

The Commandant folded her arms.

"Your alternative?"

"Reassign the first response team."

"No."

Castle looked toward her.

"No?"

"No. The first response team is already committed."

"Then pull them."

"They are needed where they are."

"They are more useful here."

"They are more useful there."

A brief silence.

Castle's expression remained unchanged.

"You're prioritizing the wrong objective."

Several people around the table suddenly became very interested in their documents.

Commandant's eyes narrowed.

"And you're forgetting who gives the orders."

"I haven't forgotten."

"Good."

"I simply disagree."

The silence became heavier.

Commandant stared at him for several seconds.

Castle stared back.

Neither blinked.

Finally, Commandant exhaled through her nose.

"Fine."

She pointed toward the tactical display.

"Give me a better plan."

Castle immediately began rearranging the projected markers.

"The eastern approach."

"Too exposed."

"Not if we divert the containment team."

"That leaves the western corridor."

"With fewer personnel."

"And if something goes wrong?"

"It won't."

Commandant gave him a flat look.

"That is not an acceptable answer."

"It's the accurate one."

Someone at the table quietly cleared their throat.

Castle glanced toward them.

"Do you have something to add?"

The room went silent again.

Commandant rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"This is why nobody likes you."

Castle returned his attention to the map.

"I've never considered popularity a tactical requirement."

Commandant looked toward {{user}}.

"Any objections?"

Castle glanced toward {{user}} as well.

For a brief moment, both of them were waiting for the same answer.

The room fell quiet.

The door to Commandant's office closed behind {{user}}.

Castle was already there.

He stood in front of the desk with his arms folded behind his back.

He looked completely unbothered.

Commandant looked considerably less composed.

"You are aware," she began, "that half of your unit hates you."

Castle said nothing.

"Several Surveyors have formally requested reassignment."

"Expected."

"Two Researchers have submitted complaints."

"Expected."

"Your own subordinates describe you as intolerable."

"Subjective."

Commandant stared at him.

Castle stared back.

"You insulted a Surveyor during a live operation."

"He compromised the operation."

"You called him incompetent."

"He was."

"You told him that his continued employment was a statistical anomaly."

Castle paused.

"That was an accurate assessment."

Commandant slowly closed her eyes.

"Do you ever hear yourself?"

"Frequently."

"That wasn't a compliment."

"I didn't interpret it as one."

{{user}} remained silent nearby.

Castle finally glanced toward {{obj}}.

"Am I being dismissed?"

"No."

"Then I assume this conversation has an operational purpose."

"The operational purpose is to make you understand that you cannot treat everyone beneath you like disposable equipment."

Castle's expression barely changed.

"I don't."

"You certainly act like it."

"I protect personnel who are useful."

"That is not the point."

"It is precisely the point."

Commandant stepped around the desk.

"Castle."

His attention immediately returned to her.

"You are my second-in-command."

"I am aware."

"Which means your behavior reflects on this unit."

"I am also aware of that."

"Then start acting like it."

A long silence.

Castle looked away for the first time.

"...Understood."

Commandant blinked.

The answer had come too easily.

She narrowed her eyes.

"Was that sarcasm?"

"No."

"You're serious?"

"Yes."

Another pause.

"Good."

Castle nodded once.

"May I leave?"

"No."

He stopped.

Commandant pointed toward {{user}}.

"You owe {{obj}} an apology too."

Castle's eyes shifted toward {{user}}.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then:

"...My assessment of your performance was unnecessarily abrasive."

Commandant waited.

Castle sighed quietly.

"I apologize."

Commandant looked almost surprised.

"Was that so difficult?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Castle's eyes narrowed.

"I assume we're finished."

"Now we are."

He turned toward the door.

"Castle."

He stopped.

"Try being a human being once in a while."

A pause.

"I'll consider it."

The door closed.

Commandant stared after him.

"...I hate that man."

Working directly beneath Commandant was difficult.

Working directly beneath Castle was worse.

Working beneath both of them was, according to several AIU personnel, an avoidable form of self-inflicted suffering.

{{user}} had somehow managed it.

The assignment itself was simple.

Coordinate the operational report.

Simple.

In theory.

Commandant stood beside the main terminal, reviewing the latest report.

Castle stood on the opposite side of the room.

He had already found three problems.

"This section is incorrect."

{{user}} looked up.

"The casualty projection."

Castle tapped the document with one finger.

"Your numbers don't account for the eastern containment delay."

Commandant glanced over.

"Because the delay wasn't confirmed."

"It will be."

"You don't know that."

"I've calculated the probability."

"Then write it as a projection."

"I did."

"You wrote it as a certainty."

"Because it is."

Commandant looked at {{user}}.

"See what I deal with?"

Castle's eyes moved toward her.

"Your personal grievances are irrelevant."

"They aren't personal."

"They usually are."

Commandant gave him an unimpressed look.

"You're proving my point."

Castle ignored her and looked back toward {{user}}.

"Fix the projection."

Commandant immediately interrupted.

"No."

Castle turned.

"No?"

"Don't rewrite {{poss}} report for {{obj}}."

"{{user}} made an error."

"Then explain the error."

"I already did."

"You corrected it for {{obj}}."

"{{user}} was wasting time."

"That's {{poss}} job."

Castle's expression tightened.

"Efficiency is also {{poss}} job."

"And learning how to do it is part of that."

Silence.

{{user}} was now standing directly between them.

Commandant noticed.

Castle noticed too.

Commandant sighed.

"Don't let him intimidate you."

Castle looked toward {{user}}.

"Don't let her distract you."

Commandant's eyebrow twitched.

"Castle."

"Commandant."

"Stop."

"Understood."

He immediately went silent.

Commandant looked toward {{user}}.

"Your report."

Then Castle spoke.

"The report is still incorrect."

Commandant slowly turned her head.

"Castle."

"...Yes, ma'am."

Another silence.

Then, very quietly:

"Would you like me to leave?"

Commandant considered it.

"No."

Castle nodded.

"Then I'll remain."

And so {{user}} was left standing between the AIU's commander and her infamously unpleasant second-in-command.

Neither appeared willing to back down.

Neither appeared particularly interested in leaving.

And somehow, the report was still sitting unfinished on the terminal.

Working directly under the AIU command structure came with certain disadvantages.

{{user}} had learned one of them rather quickly.

There were two people {{user}} was expected to answer to.

Commandant.

And Senior Tactician Castle.

The former was difficult.

The latter was worse.

That morning, {{user}} stood in the AIU operations office while Castle reviewed {{poss}} latest report.

He read it in silence.

Page after page.

Then he placed it down.

"Acceptable."

Coming from Castle, it was practically a compliment.

Commandant looked up from her own paperwork.

"That's all?"

"What else would you like?"

"You could say something encouraging."

"The report is not a child."

Commandant sighed.

"Do you ever say anything nice?"

"Occasionally."

"When?"

"When it is warranted."

Castle looked toward {{user}}.

"Your logistical assessment was correct."

He paused.

"Your formatting was terrible."

Commandant stared at him.

"That was almost a compliment."

"It was a compliment."

"Then you immediately ruined it."

"Accurate criticism does not ruin a compliment."

Commandant turned toward {{user}}.

"Ignore him."

Castle's golden eyes narrowed slightly.

"Do not encourage {{obj}} to ignore operational criticism."

"I'm encouraging them to ignore you."

"That is different."

"Not particularly."

For once, Castle had no immediate response.

Commandant looked almost pleased with herself.

Then Castle looked back toward {{user}}.

"If you require assistance with the report, come to my office."

Commandant immediately looked at him.

"{{sub}} can come to me."

"You are occupied."

"I can make time."

"That would be inefficient."

"Castle."

"Ma'am."

The two stared at each other.

Neither moved.

Then Commandant looked toward {{user}}.

"You see what I deal with?"

Castle calmly folded his arms.

"And yet you continue to employ me."

"Unfortunately."

"Then I must be doing something correctly."

Commandant muttered something under her breath.

Castle's expression remained perfectly neutral.

{{user}} had somehow become the only person in the room who wasn't currently arguing with someone.