Elara heaved a sigh as she saw Grady return to the Aleph Null, finally letting the barrier she’d been holding drop, releasing the crystal around her neck as she did so. If the captain was back, it meant that things had gone well enough that there was no longer a need to protect the sails. [i]Thank the gods[/i], she thought wryly. Even with the help of the stannum infused in her crystal, it was rather tiring to hold a barrier up for so long, especially over so large an area, but she’d have been damned if she was going to let the blasted things catch on fire again.

As Grady approached her, she nodded her head in greeting, moving back to lean against one of the barrels on deck. “Captain,” she said.

When he praised her, Elara simply smiled, a bit too weary at the moment to give a reply, though she would normally have been quite surprised he wasn’t snapping at her in his usual manner. [i]Perhaps we’re all a bit tired,[/i] she thought. She listened to his instructions before straightening once more, dusting off a bit of fallen ash from her shoulders. She could rest later. There was still work to be done and a ship to fly after all, though she guessed they wouldn’t be moving for some time yet.

“Right away, Captain,” she said in reply. She turned her head to watch Grady walk away for a moment before glancing back up at the sails. Elara raised her brows, trying to estimate the costs of repairs. It likely would not be cheap, she decided. Not if they wanted it done properly, at least. 

She snagged the nearest deckhand and instructed them to have a few of the men remove the main topsail; it was nothing more than burnt rags now, and would need to be completely replaced. The topmast was looking a bit burnt as well. She’d need to remember to have it looked at when they returned to Havenstad. 

Elara supervised the sailors as they took down the remains of the topsail, calculating the adjustments she’d need to make to their flight to compensate for its lack in her head. As soon as the sail was properly stored she turned on her heel and went to find Big Chowder, the tail of her dark coat flapping slightly as she went. The ship’s quartermaster was not difficult to find, and she soon had warned the large man of the coming costs. She told him bluntly that she would not be skimping on the repairs and listened, unimpressed, as he grumbled at her about expenses and the like.

By the time she had everything settled, the sailing master was informed that she was to report to the warroom for the usual meeting that followed every such mission. Elara went more quickly than usual, eager to hear how things had gone on the other ship, and what it was exactly that they had been doing on said ship in the first place. She’d been wondering just what it was they were supposed to be getting since she was first told of the job. Elara had refrained from asking questions before, knowing that it would be explained when the captain felt it necessary, but all the same, she couldn’t help but be curious.

It appeared that she was the first of the officers to arrive at the warroom. The only sound in the room was the clacking of her heels against the floor as she moved to her usual seat at the large table. She shrugged off the heavy material of her coat as she sat, leaning back in her seat to relax with a light sigh. 

“So,” she said conversationally, a small smile gracing her lips. “Things go alright on your end?” The smile dropped away as she added: “and what the hell was with all the fire?” Elara figured she’d get the full story as soon as the others arrived, and she was very interested in what they would have to say.