Chapter 9 - The New CommanderThe knock on my office door was crisp and measured.
"Enter," I said.
The door swung open, and Admiral Marcus Thorne stepped inside, holding a fresh dossier under his arm. He gave me a respectful nod, which I returned with a sharp tilt of my chin.
"The Senate committee just signed off on the restructuring of Vance Maritime," Admiral Thorne said, tossing the folder onto my desk. "The government is seizing the remaining shipyards and converting them into state-managed naval repair hubs. And you, Captain, have been officially appointed as the Director of Federal Maritime Oversight."
I picked up the folder, opening it to reveal my new commission orders signed directly by the Secretary of Defense.
"It seems my family's legacy of building defective ships is finally coming to an end," I remarked, a faint, humorless smile touching the corners of my mouth.
"Your family built a house of cards on lies, Captain," Admiral Thorne replied, walking over to look out at the river. "You built yours out of titanium and survival. There is a massive difference."
He turned back to look at me, his expression softening slightly.
"The fleet is holding a commissioning ceremony next week for the new USS Leviathan II. The Secretary requested that you personally christen the vessel."
May you like
I stood up from my desk, buttoning the front of my dark navy blazer, smoothing the fabric over my back where the scars lay hidden—not as a mark of shame, but as armor.
"Tell the Secretary," I said, my voice ringing with absolute authority, "that I wouldn't miss it for the world."
