[ChicletPrime]

Chapter Two

i apologize ahead of time. This is another Caleb-centric story and I am probably going to quote every second sentence because i find it amazing and want to cross-stitch it. if you are looking for brevity in a playwatchthrough, you will not find it here. This is not a place of honour.

• worky worky time in the morning. Caleb's at least added some stuff to his apartment but honestly, this boy needs a fashion intervention in all aspects of his life. then again, his work/work balance doesn't leave a lot of time for a life to happen.
  
• yes, Caleb, we're still slightly bothered by the fact that you found out we were assigned to this mission before we had a chance to surprise you with it. can you please stop being two steps ahead constantly? i know your legs are long, but i can break one for you, it's really no problem. 
  
• aaaand before i can get to my untied shoelace, the Colonel's on one knee to deal with it. 
  
• as a real person, this would be so offputting. as a fictional character, i am happy to just stick out my Cinderella-combatboot and continue to grill the top of his hair.
  
• "I pick up the cap from the nearby coat rack, run my thumb over the silver insignia, and then place it on Caleb's head." 
  
• lick the insignia. get your cosmic DNA all over it so any computer scan knows who he belongs to. 
  
• ... i may not be well adjusted either. 
  
• "Your entire demeanor changes when you're wearing a uniform."  "Is it too intimidating? Or is the color too heavy for you?"
  
• oh, nice. universal key to everything Caleb owns apparently. i wonder if that will come in handy in about two chapters.
  
• since we chose to come in by civilian train and didn't book a seat on the Fleet shuttle, i gotta ride shotgun with Caleb this week.  oh noes. that means i'm in charge of calling out any horses we see by shouting "cows!" as we go by (and vice versa) and finding the good radio station.
  
• The Fleet command centre is on the 17th floor. yeah, these skyscrapers are pretty tall for a floating island. Caleb's adjutant is named Liam who takes me through the entry procedure. i may have to revise my fanfiction.
  
• i am not even in my seat and already somebody is doubting my credentials as a Hunter.  amigo, would you like me to stuff those chest medals up your throat through your evacuation canal? 
  
•  "So the command centre allows anyone to just waltz right in now huh? Caleb sure has a knack for being an eyesore."
  
• that has to be a really crappy literal translation or something, that is a really weak sentence. military address is last name only in the west, is it not the same in the east? everyone just wanders around calling out first names? then again, in this english dub, Caleb doesn't have a last name so maybe they were just stuck and didn't want to call him by title.
  
• so this rude guy is "Colonel Heath". i guess above Caleb in seniority? "...the Tuum Fleet's Colonel." curious is that is a ship name or a particular division of the Fleet or...
  
• oooh, political factioning upcoming?  /grabs notebook.  
  
• oh, Caleb's in charge of this conference? how did i not guess. :P 
  
• "...there will be personnel changes within the Fleet next week. I will assume command over the Tuum Fleet. Colonel Heath will be relieved of his duties so he can rest and recuperate at Atley Island."
  
• notes:  is "Atley Island" the place that the nurses on the Fleet ship were alluding to while I was in lockdown in the medical bay? what does Heath need to recuperate from? he's obviously walking around and attending conferences without issue.
  
• "The Wanderers and Metaflux index in the Deepspace Tunnel are on a whole different scale to what Skyhaven and Linkon display."  something something collab with the Association to supervise physical evaluations of the Tuum Fleet officers.  wouldn't.. wouldn't Zayne be a better choice here? what would i be able to evaluate them for, other than if my heart thinks they're tasty? 
  
• oh god, i can just imagine it. we slap a hand on some lowly sub-lieutenant, our Evol goes nuts with sympatico vibes  as the exam room lights up in rainbows and Caleb shoots him in the head before anybody can start to develop loving feelings. sorry, sixth LI! maybe on your next reincarnation. 
  
• so we get through the day and presumably the fleet transfer of command, then on the tarmac Caleb is waylaid before he can get to me by Heath, who wants to know why he's not interested in the banquet. 
  
• (because he wants to get home and nibble my ears. honestly, do i have to lick more of his insignia for the scanners?)
  
• "Well, I'd like to give you some advice, young man."
  
• oh this should be good.
  
• "I know how you got this position. You're just Lucius' pawn, planted here to infiltrate the Fleet." and then how pawns are easily replaced. "A year ago I was standing in your shoes."
  
• not wrong! so yeah, confirmation at least the The Prof is playing an outside game from the Fleet command perspective. Although if he's "in" enough to install Caleb at the highest levels and arrange for him to command what sounds like a fair chunk of the Fleet/Fleetships...? 
  
• "In other words, you've been abandoned, Colonel Heath." 
  
• ooooh. thems fighting words. 
  
• Heath is a fool and says he's might be a pawn in (the Prof's) game but not in others. and that Caleb would do well to consider giving himself a way out.
  
• he's with me. we're going together or not at all. and i might be shorter than some but have you seen my guns? Onychinus made them special for me.
  
• "Once you're off the ground, the only path is forward."  also... very true. "Atley Island's been experiencing a lot of storms lately. Even the sturdiest aircraft could be torn apart - worry about yourself first."   yeah. Caleb's threat displays are pretty decent, all things considered. and when the guy goes for him, he just stops him in his tracks.
  
• ....then he sees me and strides over, genuine joy in his eyes. 
  
• this boy, i swear. the switch inside him better be titanium with how often he flips it.
  
• it's midnight, we're home and i'm just now really realizing that Caleb has his own struggles with the Fleet.
  
• and the boy's wearing jewelry! a stone bead bracelet and a thick ring on his right index finger. nice!
  
• ah, okay. so Caleb is not only taking over "Tuum" Fleet, he's also keeping his own so its more of a hostile takeover than a merger. and that whoever is supporting Heath is the real problem to watch out for. aaaand then i ask who's supporting him in this current bid for more Fleet control. 
  
• (you have the name girlfriend, c'mon, you heard Heath say it)
  
• and Caleb blinks his baby purples and says "Isn't that you?"
  
• imma gonna die
  
• I touch his hand. and say no matter what, i've got his back. 
  
• as you should, girlfriend, as you should.
  
• okay i think i know what i'm supposed to be doing as a Hunter .. since my evol is "anhausen" or resonance, i need to check the Tuum fleet personnel for Metaflux... call it poisoning i guess. if Deepspace is that many orders of magnitude stronger than Skyhaven or Linkon' disturbances and I already know that people can turn into Wanderers, i guess i need to check them to make sure nobody is on the flashpoint for when they head back to the Tunnel.
  
• I"ll protect you, you dumb, helpless colonel from getting fired!"  me and my kaleidomoonscope diagnosis rod will save the day!