video; @c.silva

[childofaxios]

[ When the video kicks in, it's clear that Chyler is in one of the Perimeter Guard's offices. She's standing close to the lens, adjusting the feed until it lines up to her satisfaction. Then she steps back and stands at attention.

For one brief, brief, oh-so-brief moment there's a flicker of exasperation on her face. Then she locks her gaze on nothing in particular and shouts like she's in the middle of a drill: ]

MY NAME IS CADET SILVA AND I AM A CLOCK.

[ A pause, oh-so-brief a pause, but her expression doesn't waver this time. ]

IF AT ANY POINT YOU REQUIRE THE LOCAL TIME, IT IS MY DUTY TO PROVIDE IT DOWN TO THE SECOND. I AM REQUIRED TO DO THIS REGARDLESS OF WHERE I AM OR WHAT I AM DOING AT THE TIME OF YOUR REQUEST.

IF AT ANY POINT I REFUSE, PLEASE INFORM PERIMETER GUARD SQUAD LEADER JOHN SHEPPARD OF RR-1.

[ Chyler snaps off a salute, then reaches forward and turns off the feed with equal crispness. ]

Comments

private text; @a.holdo

[protectingthelight]

[ Text so that Chyler won't see that Amilyn is really really struggling to keep a straight face. She's made people do things like this before. At the same time, she is reminded in an oblique way of her and Leia's girlhood, where they themselves had to grow up a little too fast. ]

Can I ask how you got yourself into this fix, Cadet Silva?

permathat

[childofaxios]

Excessive honesty.

[ At least she's acclimated enough to how many civilians there are here that she's not adding sir to the end of every statement made to a stranger THERE'S IRONY FOR YOU I GUESS. ]

[protectingthelight]

For some officers, a little of that quality does indeed go a long way.

How long are you in for?

[childofaxios]

[ Something about that statement says this person speaks from experience, which means military, which means... whoops. Still, it's a private conversation, so she feels slightly more confident in her sass. ]

Until he remembers he told me to do it. Most likely.

May I ask to whom I'm speaking?

[ A person can be sassy and polite. ]

[protectingthelight]

Amilyn Holdo. Former commanding admiral of a starship, now community ambassador.

And you?

[childofaxios]

Cadet Chyler Silva, formerly of Corbulo Academy of Military Science on Circinius IV, sir.

[protectingthelight]

Pleasure to meet you. Not a planet or military academy that I recognize, so I'm guessing we're from entirely different worlds.

[childofaxios]

That's not unexpected. I haven't met anyone else from my home worlds here, though I'm told it happens often enough.

[protectingthelight]

There's something of a crowd from mine.

A word of advice, if I may? In the event someone you know does show up, make certain of *when* they came from, not just where.

[childofaxios]

I'm afraid I don't understand.

[protectingthelight]

Easier to explain with an example.

Not long after I arrived, I encountered [ Not included in the text: the long pause as Holdo picks out a word for Poe ] an acquaintance from my home world. His experience there extended to a particular day, and mine, some number of days beyond that. So I knew about things that, from his point of view, had not happened yet.

It was awkward.

[childofaxios]

[ There's a long pause on Chyler's end while she digests that. The new possibility that someone could come from her past, from before the invasion, or from the future, where she's dead. Where at least she could find out if someone else survived. ]

I see.

[ Another long pause. ]

Is that common?

[protectingthelight]

I'm not sure if it's common, but it isn't rare either.

[childofaxios]

The more I learn about this place, the more I believe they don't bring us here to purpose. No one sensible wants this kind of chaos.

[protectingthelight]

The alternative is that they know exactly what they're doing and that's part of the plan. Not a comfortable thought.