Sabatine let the water sluice over her in one of the small shower units in the communal bathing area. Given the size limitations of a starship, the space could be struck down to a mess in a matter of minutes, allow a watch to eat and then be converted back to showers just as quickly. That wouldn't be necessary while they were in an RCN base and there were barracks and showers ashore and most spacers preferred to spend their pay to eat at restaurants, or more frequently bars, along the strip. Once their money ran out they would be back aboard for the packet rations the RCN provided, though it was rare that a ship stayed in port that long. She thought about Kaiden's words as the water sluiced over her naked body. He hadn't asked for this, probably hadn't at any rate, any more than she did and there seemed little to be gained by perpetuating a fued that had been over for years. Still the memories of his treachery strung her even now, RCN officers didn't marry if they knew what was good for them, not before attaining the rank of Captain at least and she wouldn't have been of a social match for Kaiden anyway. Perhaps it was the realization that despite what she had thought they shared, she had been just another in a long line of women to him. The embarrassment at her own actions only served to inflame the situation, even if she couldn't fully admit it. She turned the shower off and stood dripping for several long seconds before roughly toweling herself off. Byron, the mess steward, a power room tech who took extra coin from the officers in exchange for performing the duty of manservant had whisked away her dirty uniform to be laundered and laid her second best second class uniform, dress grays. She really would have preferred the gray on gray battledress of her third class uniform but she hadn't left instructions and this was perfectly proper. Pulling on the uniform she stood under the heated dryer for a minute while running a brush through her hair. She normally wouldn't have washed it but if they were to dine with Commodore this evening it meant she would eventually need to change into her whites and she couldn't very well ruin those with muddy hair. Struck by the thought she touched her lapel mic.

"Byron, this is ....," she stumbled knowing her designation was about to change and then went with a name instead, "Hickoring. Lay out my dress whites for me will you. Also better let ... uh the new boson that just came aboard with the new XO, I didn't catch the name, let her know to ready an escort of four mostly sober spacers to escort us to dinner tonight."

"Ma'am," came Byron's terse response, obviously not best pleased at having to lay out another uniform after already having done so even though dinner was a couple of hours away. It might have been polite to suggest that he lay out Caladwardem's uniform also, but as she doubted he had unpacked yet, and he hadn't yet come to an arrangement with Byron it wouldn't have been proper for her to ask in any case. Servants, even hired ones like Byron, were sensitive of their rights in Cinnabar society, and for all she knew Kaiden had bought a servant of his own, it would be his style, and she didn't want to infringe on THAT servant's right and prerogatives either. Besides if he had to scramble for a uniform at the last second it would serve the prick right. 

That pleasant though was cut of by her com bead.

"Five this is Howarth, there is a blonde haired piece down at the entryway that wants to come aboard," Howarth declared. His voice held a touch of... not panic, but uncertainty about what to do. What exactly a 'blonde haired piece' was doing at the gangway was an open question. Clearly this wasn't a naval officer or spacer of Howarth wouldn't have bothered to ask her for direction.

"Is she a civilian?" Sabatine asked, puzzled as to why anyone would be approaching the ship.

"Yes..er no, that is... I don't," Howarth stammered miserably. Sabatine sighed.

"ALright, hold what you got spacer, I'll be there soonest. Sabatine slipped on her boots and hustled down the companion way to C deck where the hold was located. Howarth and his mate were both on their feet now, neither held their weapons, a win for everyone, and both seemed to be talking animatedly to a striking woman in an expensive looking civilian dress suit in white and cream. She could see why Howarth had described her as a 'blonde haired piece' she was shapely and attractive and straispherically above the sort of doxy a spacer would find in one of the brothels on the strip. A lanyard with a pictograph embedded in hung around the woman neck. She turned at the sound of Sabatine's boots and Howarth and his mate straightened looking a little guilty. 

"Ah Lieutenant is it?" the woman asked pleasantly.

"Yes, and misstress there are no civilian's permitted on the ship at this time," Sabatine told her coldly. The woman's eyes hardened slightly and it was then that Sabatine noticed the very small but expensive recording rig nestled around the woman's shoulders like an ermine fur. 

"I'm Tilda Savari," the woman said smoothly, "I'm a reporter with the Sarento Gazette and I have every..." Her hand dipped towards her lanyard but Sabatine didn't let her finish.

"Mistress," she repeated a trifle more firmly, "No civilians on the ship, please get to the bottom of the boarding ramp." By now her tone had lost some of its neutrality, exhaustion and Kaiden's unwelcome intrusion into her life coloring her words with hostility. 

"I am a member of the press and I..."

"Listen," Sabatine snapped, "I don't care if you have authorization the Senate and the Gods in assembly, I dont care if you are the Senate and Gods in assembly, if you don't get off this ship in the next ten seconds I'll have these spacers throw you down the gangway. That is the metal ramp you should be moving your ass down right now." Howarth and his mate stiffened. THey didn't look happy but there was no question they would obey such an order instantly if Sabatine gave one.

"Ok, ok!" the reporter squaked backing down the gangway with commendable ease. Sabatine uncharitably wished that the woman would fall into the slip but she managed the task with commendable ease.

"Just one quick question Lieutenant, was that Kaiden Caladwardem I just saw coming aboard what is such an eligble bachelor doing out here?"

"I'm not a liberty to discuss personnel assignments and neither is anyone else without Commodore Welkin's written permission," Sabatine snapped, eliciting a guilty wince from the two spacer on entry watch.

"Lieutenant I really must protest this is..."

"Engine's this is Five," she spoke, queing the link to the chief of ship, chief engineer Savachev.

"Go ahead Five," Savachev responded instantly.

"Run up the induction pump on starboard three will you?" she asked a split second later a powerful hydraulic pump roared to life drowning out the reporters shrill complaints. Sabatine gave the woman a jaunty salute and then turned and headed for the bridge.

"Unbefuckinglievable," she groused.