Snippet #2784306

When Thrawn had left, Varona sat in silence for several long minutes, fist pressed to his chin, while Božidar paced the length of the conference room, hands jammed into his pockets and shoulders hunched. The shadows from the blinds shifted ever so slightly, and a pair of trucks rumbled by, accompanied by vaguely cheerful but unintelligible banter.

The whole place stank of ruined aspirations.

"You think Vilhjálmsdóttir and Olson will support a civilian indictment?" Božidar spoke darkly, the side of his mouth curling in distaste.

Varona shook his head. "Justice has no jurisdiction. Thrawn is ours. It's a military matter. Vilhjálmsdóttir can stay in her lane."

"So what then?" Božidar continued pacing, not looking at Varona as he spoke. "Thrawn gets a slap on the wrist? Demotion, couple of months in the brig, some kind of punishment duty? Then act like nothing happened? We all know that's how things operate around here. Look what happened in Parliament. At the TIB."

The defense minister slammed his fist on the table.

"No! No. I'm no fucking sycophant. No one's yes man. The Grand Admiral isn't either." Varona leaned backward, turning his chair with the faintest mechanical whir to follow Božidar pacing. "The judge won't throw him in the brig longer than a year or so, but that's because he's intelligent enough not to attempt, oh, I don't know. Fucking treason or espionage or something. He's loyal... enough for now, anyway." Varona's eye twitched. "Still. The fucking audacity he has, coming in to the TAF, thinking he can strut around like he owns the place! Where did he learn his fucking discipline?"

Božidar shrugged. "Honestly, I don't care if he's in the brig for a few fucking months or a few fucking years, as long as he stays the hell away from Foreign Affairs."

"We're on the same page there, mate," Varona replied. In afterthought, he crumpled a page from the table and threw it at the wall.

"Fine then. Keep me updated." Božidar turned to leave without further pleasantries.

Varona found himself alone with only the droll walls and sagging chairs as company.