Chapter 9 - LESSONS IN THE DARK
Before leaving the combat station, the Incoming Commander stopped and turned back to face Airman First Class Nash.
The young Airman was standing at rigid attention, staring straight ahead at the radar screen, his hands pressed tightly against the seams of his fatigues, sweating profusely under her gaze.
"Airman Nash," she spoke softly.
"Ma'am!" Nash snapped, his voice trembling.
"You failed your station today," she said, her voice firm, holding a heavy, unyielding truth. "You allowed your emotion to sever the line between command and the cockpit. If you ever shove a fellow service member or freeze at that radio again, I will personally strip your stripes and remove you from this command."
"Understood, Ma'am!" Nash choked out, tears of stress brimming in his eyes.
She paused for a beat, her eyes softening just a fraction—not with pity, but with the stern, protective instinct of a true battle commander.
"Log your telemetry data, report to the debrief room, and review the vector I executed," she added calmly. "You will run that canyon simulation fifty times before your next shift."
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Nash blinked in surprise, looking up for a brief second. He had expected to be court-martialed or immediately reassigned to base maintenance. Instead, she was giving him a path to fix his mistake.
"Yes, Ma'am," Nash breathed, a newfound sense of discipline and gratitude entering his voice. "Thank you, Ma'am."
