Page 18 of Subchief Flander

Hel would review the files and assign jobs to some of them. It depended on what they were able and willing to do. Some of them would be assigned work at the base, but if you, hopefully, they would go to the ship for duties there. First-year warriors were often assigned duties in medical, the greenhouse, laundry, and the kitchen. A dozen warriors or more could still be freed from those positions and put into those positions where they were needed. While it was true that there were reasons that first-year warriors weren't immediately put into fieldwork, it was done when it was necessary, and right now, it was.

They would be closely supervised by their leaders. Flander hoped that that would work because they needed warriors so badly. Refugees from previous trips still had to be listed by their abilities. These new ones wouldn't be enough to make a difference, although they might make a difference here, where many workers are needed. This latest situation just made him angry at the emperor, but there was little he could do about it. Eventually, there would be a time of reckoning, but that also wouldn't be his doing.

Everyone went where they were supposed to, and he went to his spare office and began to work. Flander was checking the list his mate made. It listed what some refugees could do and where they could be put. From the first list, he saw they had people for the kitchen on the ship, one at the base, and people for the greenhouse. Some even said they wouldn't mind working on the trash chute and other areas that didn't require skill. Those people needed to be sorted out and taken to the ship a few at a time to see how they could handle those positions. These peoplewould help with the shortages immediately. Putting skilled people into security positions was a whole lot different. That required a measure of trust. At the moment, he didn't feel much confidence in anyone.

It was lunchtime, and he went to join the squad, noting that Hel was there. She looked so young, but she was sexy and drew him in. What he felt for her continued to grow stronger. Flander couldn't see that same possessiveness on her face. He'd thought he'd seen it the other night, but had he been wrong? Flander decided he needed to move forward in his relationship, or he could lose her. His mind was made up, and he would start once they got back on the ship. It was time to get over the fact that she was young and just remember that she was his. Everyone finished eating and spread to the wind, going to where their work was.

He continued to work with the names and got thirty people who could do various jobs on the ship. Hopefully, they would work out. While that would only be a small help, at least it would help. That was all he could do for now, and he gave the list of today's people to the secretary working nearby. She would notify the people on the list, and they would get to choose whether they came to the ship or not. If they decided not to, they would work down here, but the work did not pay as well as going to the ship did. Some of these people might be able to slide into security jobs.

It was time to return to the ship, and he met up with his squad. A shuttle was there because the ship had long since returned, and that was what they would ride back. Those who agreed to go to the ship to work would go there in the morning. Security on the ship would monitor them to ensure nobody was there to cause harm. It was a start, and they would see where they went from there. The emperor would be hard to thwartbecause he would just devise another way to take away some of the warriors here.

Flander found it hard to believe that he would do this when he had a deal with Kasey for her high-tech plans. Contracts were something that the Majuri had always followed through on. They were considered a race that kept their word, which would not help their reputation. It seemed he wanted to get rid of his son so badly that he was willing to do anything, even messing up a good reputation that the warrior race had for a long time. This was a bigger concern because it would affect everyone who worked in the field. They would all be at risk, and he wasn't sure what to do.

He made it to the shuttle, where everyone was waiting for him, and it didn't take long to make it to the ship. Everyone was waiting for him, and then they left immediately. They landed and had just enough time to clean up and change before supper. Flander planned to ask Hel to work in the office with him to get some of these potential workers sorted out. She understood what the problems would be and what they needed to be. The other guys were great warriors, but office work was beyond them. They could find enough people, especially if they stopped in a population center in the morning, where they might find more qualified people.

Flander made it to supper when several of the other squad members did. Hel wasn't there yet, and he worried she might not show. She did about the time he was halfway through his meal. He ate slowly so he could wait around for her. The other guys left one by one until it was just the two of them.

"I could use some help going through the lists of refugee names," Flander said.

“I can help you. What jobs are you looking to fill?”

“Honestly? I want to fill some of the low priority jobs, but I want someone that can move over into security after we are sure they are trustworthy.”

“I can help with that. This critical shortage will not be good for us. I'm not sure why the douchebag did this because this doesn't just affect Ranni. It affects the whole ship," Hel admitted.

“That's true, but he's a selfish bastard. I fear he's only going to get worse. Ranni has not attempted to challenge him or get his position, so I don't understand why he's doing this.”

“I think he has some kind of mental issue. It will only worsen, and we will all suffer for it.”

“Maybe that’s the case. We’ve never had an insane emperor in all our history.” Flander admitted.

“He may have been dropped as a child.”

“That’s not funny.”

"It's not meant to be. Babies, even Majuri ones, are sensitive to being dropped, shaken, and mistreated in other ways," Hel observed. "It's clear something is wrong with him."

“I can't deny that, but wouldn't it have shown up when he was young?”

“Maybe it did, and people wrote it off because they couldn't question him. He was the heir apparent and could do no wrong. That would make it hard to deal with those kinds of issues when they showed up and were brought to someone's attention who could do something about them.”

“There was a rumor that his father was about to name a different heir, but he died suddenly. Some think that he killed his father," Flander admitted.

“This whole thing is unfortunate. He had potential, and it may have been stolen from him by an abusive caretaker.”

“It was more than sad since the whole empire has suffered, and we will continue to suffer until he is gone."

"That won't be easy to do," Hel offered.

“It won’t happen anytime soon. That would require support that we don’t have. That’s what he is counting on.”

“Our work for now is done. It’s time for rest.”

"Is rest what you really want?" Flander asked, and his eyes glowed.

Majuri often showed strong feelings that way. Was rest what she really wanted? She wasn't sure. It was apparent that wasn't what Flander wanted. Hel needed to decide what she wanted from him. Could she sleep with him and walk away? Maybe that was something she wanted to find out. She could do it and then decide if that was all she wanted or wanted more. He seemed to realize she was having difficulty deciding what to do, and he was there next to her in a second. Flander pressed her up against the wall, and she could feel the heat from his body and the bulge between his legs. Heaven help her, and the desire seemed to take over. It was like it was just the two of them, and there was nothing else.

His kiss sent heat through her body, and she was wet between her legs. Flander’s fingers pinched her nipples, and she moaned. Yes, this felt so good. This was going to happen right here in the office. Maybe his desk was not the best place for her first time, but she was ready and willing. That's why she was confused and more than a little upset when he pulled away. Did he just not want her?

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