RED MIST

Her Royal Guest

   2 days before the operation..

      "What the fuck.." 6 looked through the window at the dormitories. It was blocked by a giant structure. "Am I still dreaming..?"

...

   "Ship successfully docked." The automated voice commenced.
   The airlock opened, merging the giant ship with the station.
   0 and 7 was waiting just about at the outside of the airlock. Several moments later, a group of people entered the station, wearing a different tone of uniform, dark blue compared to the BVA grey uniform. One of them was a woman, she wore a high novelty officer attire, with red cape covering only left shoulder.
   "Welcome to the Black Vulture station." 7 said while bowing.
   "Ah.. the memories.. It's been long since I've been here." She said. On her belt was an idcard, with her picture and her name, read 'Dame. Luna Archambeau', the force general of Galactic Swan Force. "I forgot how cramped this station is." She mocked.
   "It's a pleasure having the GS force into our station." 0 said.
   "Yeah sure.." Luna replied while rolling her eyes. "Anyway, the UHMF ordered me to stay in here for several months, quite a pity." She sighed. "Both for you and me. I hope your food here is suitable for my fancy appetite."
   "You know the condition here." 0 said. "Ever since the UHMF stopped funding us, we relied on food rationing from habitable hubs."
   "You gotta be kidding me, right?" Luna made a disgusted face. "Ugh whatever, as long as the food is fresh. But I won't take any of that military ration. That thing disgust me."
   7 looked at 0 with uncomfortable face.
   "Now where is my room?" Luna asked.
   "7, would you be kind to show Miss Luna the dormitories?"
   "Dormitories!?" Luna shouted. "You don't have personal rooms? What are you? Living in a wartime situation?"
   "Actually.. yes. Yes we are." 0 replied. "Although if you want a personal room, there is a choice. The infirmary."
   "Is there nothing better than that? I'll be staying for several months you know.. don't you be embarrassed? Treating your guest like this."
   "Well as you said, Miss Luna, we're in wartime, all the time. We treat everyone equal here to maintain their morale." 0 said.
   "What..?" Luna was holding her anger. "You know what.. whatever! But I want the bunk bed to be all mine! Bottom one for me and the top for my stuff!"
   "Alright, set. 7, plase show her the way." 0 smirked.
   "On it, sir." 7 replied.

   On the way to the dorm, Luna was very communicative..
   "What's your name again?" She asked.
   "Seven." 7 said.
   "No, I mean.. your real name, duh.."
   "Yeah.. seven." She repeated.
   "Are you dumb? Just tell me your name. We're not used to numbers there. Name please!" Luna pursued.
   "I'm not comfortable saying my name to a stranger."
   "Stranger!? Who do you think I am? I'm not a stranger!" Luna replied. "I am a knight! Dame! The force general!"
   "Yes, I'm aware of that." 7 rolled her eyes. All this time she only talked to her through intercom, she never expected the person to be this annoying.
   "I'm hungry." Luna said. "Can we go to the dining hall first?"
   "No. We'll put your stuff at the dorm first." 7 refused.
   Luna sighed. "Fine.."

...

   "Man, this shit covered the scenery." 6 complained.
   They were at the observatory. The GSF ship was still docked, it was twice the size of the station, so it blocked the observatory window completely.
   "Who's coming anyway?" A man asked. Patch read 25.
   "Pretty sure it's Galactic Swan. But I never expected them to come this fast. What an engineering, isn't it?" He glanced at 25. "Being able to travel several light years in such short amounts of time."
   "Galactic Swan.." 25 nodded slowly in awe.
   "A royal military force. It was once a stand alone kingdom, but then it merged with the federation, turning it into a military branch." 6 explained.
   "So this ship is once a kingdom..?" 25 asked.
   "No.." 6 chuckled. "This is merely one of their fleet. If I remember correctly, this is their smallest unit. A ship that they referred as the mini shuttle."