2011 in this days post. over 40k

 Jade went to the headquarters as Albert went to the ready room, he would see they knew she would be there. She was going to officially announce her return and find out what they had in mind, then change it. She needed to see the crew in action, so wanted the asteroid belt, this time then a edge runs for the rest of the week. It shouldn’t be to hard to get it set up, they were expecting her to make changes. Sure enough there were three other captains waiting. “Told you she would be here. So what are you after Jade? I want Flagen that you are slated for.”
Jade smiled. “Astro for today, then any of the edges after that. Once see where things are I might need a certain stretch.”
The other one there smiled. “Perfect, I want his Ester, so you take mine and I will take his. You got that all Healen?”
The secretary nodded. “It’s all entered and Jade, your code is good, so set your routes before eight. You earned the rank, so you will use it.”
Jade said. “Yes ma’am, if the Rank is still mine. I am coming to see where I stand after my absences.”
She said. “Get in there and get your tags. You shouldn’t have left them and you know it, General.”
Jade shook her head but walked into the office only to see the radars were on, she looked and frowned as a blimp on one flashed. “That blimp in Orness been regular?”
Oliver said. “Tecs say it is a screen glitch, but sweeps are done all the same. No alerts out there are lit and activity is in the normal range. It is the Waves in Warren that we are watching. There is signs of something massing in the Ort cloud. We have reached out to Mixtra, as they have the better filters for it. Nothing close to the Paper wall right now, little own Reguals. It is odd, but they have been staying to that line. They will fire if approached, but will not talk, and don’t go out of the way to find the ships.”
One of the others handed her some tags, including the one for Ship Captain, as well as her rank. “Yes you will wear it now, for all we are holding off on the formal Cermany. It has to be the full thing, so it waits until the Council is here next week. However I won’t have you pretend you are just a Flight Commander any longer. That was the last time you leave those. General Jadather, by full vote of the Interplanetary Concave, you are a Ranked Four Star Ship Captain, for life.” Jade shook her head. “Your stunt had a price that you didn’t expect. They were most upset and will see that was the only time you pull such a move.”
Jade was frowning. “That is going a bit to far. Putting me in this rank means putting us on Red missions. I am going to have non-service members in my crew. My first officer has been declared unfit for service after all, and he will not be the only one. I will have fighter wings that are smugglers. Mul and Thon will each have one of there Oath bonded teams on my ship. I do not know if Wiggnerrrs will be bonded or just sworn, but there will be one. That is just a start. There will be personnel will not be in any recognized service. I am going to place by skill, nothing else. I am waiting to hear for sure which Ship I will have, but regardless we will be working with an out side crew from a nonmember world for a minimum of two weeks. This is giving them all access. I will not keep my wing leaders in the dark. So I ask are you still sure about this ranking?”
“When have you ever paid attention to a uniform? They should know this and they approved it. Put your tags on, you are not going to get out of it. So who is your second in command?”
Jade sighed and put the medals on, she could hear the yelling that was going to happen. “It shouldn’t be a big mystery. Al is a great Pilot and the only one fit to take the bridge, but he is not fit to lead in the other areas. So where would I look but to my other tie? Both bonds must be set, and it should be done formally so will happen after the ceremony. Even now I know it is to be a full council. So there will be yelling. A lot are thinking it is Al not Glade after all. They fail to see who Albert is.” There were a number that were startled there.
Oliver nodded. “The bond, even closed, gives him assurance that you are there. That lets him appear fit. They don’t see how much of what goes on off the ship is being done by Vic not him as well. They know you are bonded to Glade so should expecting to be involved. Now you have a code you can check the scans yourself, but twice a day for the last three weeks. Like I said they are sure it is a glitching sensor and are tracking it down. Not the first time one has started flickering. Have a good flight and bring Glade back to the house. He should be with you not in the bunks.”
Jade nodded. “I was playing on it. Vic will wait until next week, but she won’t be as stalling if they have gotten used to Glade first. With the Council coming so soon they need the reminders that not all of us look like they do.” She looked at the screens again and left. It wasn’t a glitch it was an alarm, but they wouldn’t agree. Everyone there insisted that Fullton had died before the Thermo War. They didn’t go that deep, and would be alarmed to know she had jumped Wagoners as it was listed as unstable. The Dreamers started those stories, wanting it to be forgotten. Just why she didn’t know, that part of the writing was to decayed. However the stones were there and they would be telling of the danger coming. However that would have to wait. She wasn’t well enough to make a trip that would take a week. She needed the bonds set before another long trip. Not that she like admitting it, but it was hard to take the changes. Space was where she felt whole, being on the ground it was harder to be. Something seemed to be pressing on her, yet another was pulling it was just a lot to find the balance point. That is what the bonds did, but as she got older the limits that the unfinished bond was able to help.
She reached the ready room and took a breath, walking over after putting on the tags hadn’t troubled her, but entering did. It made it real, not that it wasn’t but. She didn’t want a fleet command, she had pushed for General because it let her set most of her runs. That was the limit though, she had done her best to keep out of situations that would lead more. The rank gave her the right to take command of most ships in the sectors she tended to take. Likely why they did it. Well that and it was now a crime for her to be more than a days distance from a ship that was registered with the fleet.  Their form of yelling at her for flying commercially to Earth. Like Thon they felt she should have taken a short wing at least, not seeing why that imposable. Why she had to do it the way she had. Shaking her head a bit she opened the door and walked in.
 Albert jumped up. “Captain.” He saluted, as the rest came to attention copping him. His eyes widened a bit as he saw the tags, but he smiled as well. It was only right, for all he could tell she didn’t think so.
Jade shook her head. “Stop that, you know better than that.  As to the rest that was the last time you stop what you are doing to great me. Back to work. If something is needed you will know it, but the formality has to end. Henry go let Al get you in your flight suit, you two need some time so you will be staying with him for the flight.” Henry frowned a bit. “Robert will be staying with me, not that there is much call for it.” He bowed then and went over to Al. “We are taking the Asteroid belt, so I want to see three different routs to it by the time I am changed.” She knew six off the top of her head so the navigator should be able to have three plotted easily, if they were going to be trainable.
A freckled lad said. “Yes Captain.” He already had a tablet out, and didn’t seem troubled. So that was a good sign.
Jade looked around the room, Al pointed at her changing, knowing she was looking for Glade. He had told him to use it, knowing he would feel better not in the open. As silly as it was, until the team was set his gills were going to trouble him. She nodded and went to the room. Her flight suits were in there anyway, and she did need to get it on.
Glade looked up and flushed. “Al told me that I could change in here I didn’t.”
Jade had crossed the small room and silenced him with a kiss. “This is just where you should be, love Captains and first offers share the changeling room, it gives them a chance to go over anything that needs be said away from the crew before boarding. Not that we will bother with that much. I don’t keep my crew out of the loop, no matter what is expected.” She kissed him again. “I am sorry, but I needed that. For all it was rude of me to great you like that given how I ended things. I’m.”
He kissed her this time. “Love the only reason I wasn’t standing at the door was because I couldn’t be sure you wanted me here yet. I am not mad at you. I do understand why you needed me to go. We were both to young to be getting so close. You were right then, just don’t expect me to leave again.” He wrapped his arms around her. “I don’t want to let you go but we do need to get changed. Just what are they going to do when they find out that I am next in line?” He let go of her slowly. Wishing there was more time.
Jade was just as slow to move and find her clothes. “I told those in the office, but there is going to be a lot of yelling. It is to be a full Council affair. I am still going to accept the Oaths after, yours and Al’s, if you are all right with it. It has to be public, and it is best that they happen the same time. For all it is going to be hard on me it would be harder to only do one. I still don’t like it, but it has to be. You will need to wear the rank symbol but it can wait until after the ceremony if you want.” He looked at her. “I need them to understand that you do have power. They won’t if they don’t see it. Yes that will triple the yelling, but as I told them they had best get over it. I am only worried about skill and loyalty to me not allegiance to the alliance with wings or crew.”