Innes in Command
Copyright© 2026 by Lumpy
Chapter 22
The detachment common area was quiet when Innes arrived. The evening shift was already on station, and most of the day personnel were either in their bunks or off to enjoy some of Shiro’s nightlife. He’d come looking for a few minutes somewhere that wasn’t his quarters or the operations center.
He’d kept Sage up much too late the night before and, even though she would have said it was fine and she didn’t mind, he wanted her to be able to get a full night’s sleep tonight.
“Sir?”
Innes looked up from where he was sitting to see Private Brooks standing a few meters away.
“Brooks, something I can help you with?”
“I hope so, sir.” Brooks glanced around the empty common area, then approached. “I have a favor to ask, if you have a minute.”
Innes gestured to the chair across from him. “Sit down.”
Brooks sat, then paused, opening his mouth twice before any words came out.
“It’s about Seori, sir, the woman I’ve been seeing.”
“The one who got you into trouble in the restricted corridor.”
“Yes, sir, that one. Things have progressed, and her family has formally approved our courtship.”
“Congratulations, that’s good news.”
“It is, sir, but they’re traditional. Very traditional. Before I’m allowed to actually start dating her properly, they need to meet my family to make sure I come from a stable background, that the match is appropriate for their daughter.”
“Your family is pretty far away.”
“Yes, sir, which means meeting them isn’t really an option. Seori talked to her parents about it, and they said they’d accept my commanding officer as a substitute, someone who can speak to my character and my situation.”
“Are you asking me to go speak to her parents for you?”
“Sort of. They’ve invited us to a late dinner. They’d ask you questions, get to know you, and use that to determine whether I’m a good match for their daughter. I know it’s a lot to ask, and I know you’re busy, and this isn’t really part of your duties, but I wanted to ask you before I went to Lieutenant Roberts.”
“Why not just go to Lieutenant Roberts? He is your direct commanding officer.”
“Yes, sir. I like Lieutenant Roberts, and I think he’s a good officer, but if I had my preference, I’d prefer it be you, sir, if you’re willing.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve been fair with me. When you could have thrown the book at me for that corridor thing, you didn’t. You asked questions, first. I just think you’d be the best person to argue my case.”
Innes didn’t respond immediately. Part of him wanted to decline, since this was hardly appropriate, blurring the lines between his professional responsibilities and the private lives of the personnel under his command. He could picture Wexler’s sneer if the man ever found out.
But then he thought about the conversation he’d had with Sage the night before, about his father and all the people who cared more about what looked right than what was right.
“Sure. Why not?”
Brooks’s face lit up. “Thank you, sir, really. I’ll let her know we’re on our way, if it’s alright with you?”
“Tonight?” Innes hadn’t expected it to happen quite so fast.
“Her parents are expecting an answer, and I didn’t want to keep them waiting.” Brooks was already rising from his chair. “I’ll send you the location, Ring B, residential sector. Thank you again, sir.”
He was gone before Innes could object, disappearing through the common area’s hatch.
It almost made Innes laugh.
This was his first time in one of the residential rings. Except for a few trips to the Promenade, he’d spent all of his time down in the detachment corridor. It was interesting, comparing them. It was definitely nicer than what was found in the detachment corridor, which was tighter and more cramped, nowhere near as spacious, if spacious could be applied to anything on this station, except the homes on the Promenade.
Brooks led the way, his dress uniform pressed and his boots polished to a mirror shine. Innes had noticed how he was dressed and decided to stop back by his quarters and put on his own dress uniform, which he hadn’t worn since the day he’d signed on to the Illustrious.
“It’s just up here, sir,” Brooks said, stopping at a door that looked just like every other one along this corridor.
The door slid open before either of them could signal their arrival, revealing a young woman standing in the entrance.
“You’re early,” she said.
“I didn’t want to make you wait.” Brooks gestured toward Innes. “Seori, this is Ensign Kingsford. Sir, this is Seori Makhan.”
Seori offered a small bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ensign. Finn talks about you constantly, and I think he believes you hung the stars yourself.”
Brooks’s ears went red. “I don’t...”
“It’s nice to finally put a face to the name,” Seori continued, waving him off.
“I appreciate the kind words,” Innes said.
Seori stepped aside, gesturing them into the apartment. “Come in, my parents are waiting.”
The interior was modest but well-kept, with photographs lining the wall. A dining table dominated the main living space, already set for dinner.
An older man stood near the table, arms crossed over his chest. Beside him, a shorter woman emerged from what appeared to be a kitchen alcove, wiping her hands on a cloth.
Seori gestured toward them. “Father, Mother, this is Ensign Innes Kingsford, Finn’s commanding officer.”
The woman said something in Dongbei, and Seori responded in the same language.
Seori’s mother shrugged and switched to Standard. “Welcome to our home, ensign. I am Anmiria, and this is my husband, Karotan. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”
She retreated back toward the kitchen without waiting for a response.
Karotan unfolded his arms but didn’t offer his hand. “Please, sit.”
The meal mostly passed in silence or with pleasantries. He had learned enough from Aria’s mother to know that in this culture, talking about more serious topics was for after the meal. The food itself was all very good and, while some of it was a little foreign to him, it was clearly prepared with care and skill.
As the meal wound down, Seori’s father leaned back and began his ... examination was the only word Innes could think to call it.
“This custom may seem strange to you, ensign. To Concordians, courtship is often a private matter between two individuals, but for us, it is different. Marriage affects families, not just the people involved, and we take seriously the question of who will join our household, what kind of person they are, and what kind of life they will build with our daughter.”
“Perfectly reasonable.”
“I have to ask, why did you agree to come here tonight, seeing as you aren’t his parent?”
“Because he asked me to, and because I believe he deserves someone willing to speak for him.”
Karotan made a grunting noise at that and asked, “Is he well-liked by his squad?”
“He is.”
Anmiria spoke from across the table. “Does that mean he follows the crowd, or does it mean he has earned their respect?”
“I would say the latter. I’ve seen him under pressure. In fact, he was among the men who helped rescue the passengers on the transport that was attacked. He performed his duties without hesitation. So yes, I’d say he’s reliable and he’s brave when it counts.”
“Brave can mean reckless,” Anmiria said.
“I can assure you he is not. The private may be young, but our marines go through extensive training and are selected for their judgment and clear thinking. They are not glory seekers, but hardworking men and women who do what needs to be done to protect all of us, and Private Brooks exemplifies those qualities.”
Anmiria studied him for a moment, then turned to Brooks. “You are not from our community, and you did not grow up with our customs, our language, our way of seeing the world. If this courtship proceeds, how do you plan to respect that?”
“I’ve been learning already, ma’am,” Brooks said. “Seori has been teaching me the language and your traditions. I’m not going to pretend I know everything overnight, or that I’m even close, but I’ll keep trying. I want to do this right.”
“Words are easy,” Karotan said. “Many have made similar promises before.”
“I know I can’t prove anything with words alone. All I can do is show you over time.”
Karotan shifted his attention back to Innes. “What about his future? He is a marine, and his career will take him places, demand things of him that may conflict with family obligations. Can someone without a traditional family structure provide the stability our daughter deserves?”
“I’ve known Brooks for only a short time, but I’ve seen how he handles responsibility, and that when he makes a commitment, he follows through. As for keeping things together when he’s so far away ... travel is much easier these days, and nowhere in the Republic is really all that far. There are lots of people in the Navy who are married, including people from this system, and they have made it work.”
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