>>6376931"Thank you, Commander," you address Gordon.
"Good luck, and good work," he replies before turning his attention to Edith and walking off to speak with her.
Shortly after, the Super-X takes off, and a chopper lands on the helipad of the Equinox. The three of you are ushered onboard, and the chopper takes off. Looking down at the boat beneath you, you spot Dayo, waving up as you and the others depart. You wave back, unsure if you're ever going to see her again.
The ride back to base is pretty uneventful and quiet, as at this point the three of you more or less let exhaustion take over and doze off a bit. With no superhero robot out the window flying beside you, you're less enthused about watching your surroundings anyway, even if there is some impressive scenery. When you touch down at the Antarctic base, you find a group of people waiting for you, all of whom salute as you step out of the chopper. Unsure what to do, the three of you salute back.
One of them steps forward, and you recognize him as Afonso Souza Oliveira of Brazil, a Sergeant who mostly deals with base security.
"Welcome back, sirs," he says, surprising you as he outranks all three of you. "I've been asked to escort you to your meeting with Chief Namikawa."
He and his people take up positions around the three of you, as if escorting an important guest or officer, and lead you through the base. You share looks with Lena and Absko, who also seem unsure about what's going on. The walk to Chief Namikawa's office is quiet and a little awkward. When you finally arrive, Afonso salutes once again, and the three of you once more awkwardly salute back before he and his people depart, and the three of you step into the office, where Chief Namikawa sits waiting behind her desk.
"Welcome back," she greets as the door slides shut behind you. "I've been over the reports sent by Commander Gordon and Miss Winter. You three had quite the exciting expedition. And, by all accounts, all three of you performed exceptionally in dealing with everything thrown your way. That is why I've decided to promote you. Miss Lindgren, Mister Okoth, you have each been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Congratulations."
"Thank you, ma'am," Lena replies as she and Absko salute her.
Chief Namikawa nods at them, then looks at you. "And you are promoted to Captain."
"Ma'am, I'd like to request assignment under Alo-uh, the Captain," Lena speaks up.
As you and Absko look over at her, she explains. "He's somebody I know and trust, and we've worked well together."
"I'll discuss it with him," Namikawa promises. "Speaking of which, Lieutenants, you are both dismissed. I need to discuss some things with the new Captain."
The pair salute and leave the office, giving you and Chief Namikawa some privacy.
>Continued 