FORTUNA / POE DAMERON

₀₄ inopportune arguments

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

    "SHE'S AVOIDING US." DELPHIE SAID. Fortuna Squad, minus Commander Astalles, were all cramped around a meeting table in an Astromech workspace by Fortuna's hangar bay. Five of them didn't fit comfortably in any space, even the Fortuna offices, so finding an appropriate location for all of them to meet was always a challenge. The base on D'Qar was somehow so empty, yet so full.

    It had been two days, and they hadn't spoken to Elara once. They swung by her room, the med bay, Fortuna's docking bay, the offices, and it seemed like she had changed her schedule around completely to not see them. Elara typically had something to do every day. Reports, fighter tests, training courses, pilot training, mission mapping. They had even split up to try and locate her, to no avail. It was worrying.

    "I wonder why." Kathy replied, her voice light and airy. Her eyebrows furrowed together and her head tilted to the left as she stared at a drawing of an R2 unit on the wall. "It's not like her."

    It also was not like Kathy to talk with such a delicate tone, almost as if she said anything out of line it would shatter her. Kathy, the youngest of the group, always seemed to be dependent on the rest. If one piece fell out of play, she would panic. Secretly, Delphie thought that was why Elara had yet to give her any missions without herself present. Kathy was unable to act as an official when she didn't have anyone to take guidance from. They needed Elara.

    Fortuna never admitted that out loud. Not around each other, at least. Having a commanding officer that was not only close personally, but constantly present was difficult on everybody when they became distant.

    "You're right." Kai said, rising from the table. The walls were decorated with either scrapped or incomplete droid blueprints. It was a bright room, despite the only light source being from a standing lamp in the corner of the room. "The last time she did this..."

    "We know, Kai." Delphie snapped without meaning to. "Sorry." She quickly apologized, and he waved his hand through the air. Doesn't matter. "I just mean that, this is bad. You know that, right?"

    "Yeah." Kathy replied.

    Delphie's gaze switched between all the members in the room. Winnie had her hands in her lap. Her shoulders were scrunched. She looked smaller than Delphie had ever seen her before. She resisted the urge to reach out from her place standing behind her chair and place her fingertips on her shoulder.

    Rose picked her head up. "Maybe we're just reading into this too much--" at the sharp looks she received, she rethought her words. "I mean, maybe things just got moved around. And she just... forgot to tell us."

    No. Delphie wanted to say. That's not Elara.

    "We're not." Winnie finally spoke up. She picked her head up and looked around at the group. "Something is wrong."