Nova looked up from her breakfast bowl when the call cut through the din of chatter, the scrape of chairs on the bare floor, the clatter of dishes being stacked and sorted in the nearby kitchen. Lieutenant Sulean and her Caga squad roommate also scanned the mess hall to find Captain Dakad striding toward them. Nova slapped the com screen on her sleeve as if that would make it work properly. “I could have sworn that I wound this thing up this morning.” Sulean snickered and nudged one of the replacement pilots who had finally arrived just two days ago. “He likes to shout. The com bands aren’t conducive to shouting.” “He’d find a way,” Nova mumbled. The day had barely begun and already Dakad had found some reason to bark. “He scares me,” the pilot said, not frightened enough to let it interrupt his breakfast. Nova cast a curious glance his way. That Lieutenant Ko hailed from Feyd was clear by the deep brown of his skin, embellished on all exposed parts with intricate tattoos that carried much meaning for his people.
