Vesper met Warren's gaze and gave him a nod in return. He surely didn't like that he'd be required to have her a his shadow for a time but she was sure many others felt the same with her new appointment. She watched them go but did not attempt to follow them. There would be time enough for that. Instead she moved to stand beside Hadrian Usher on his side of the desk, her thighs lightly touching the edge of the desk.

She said nothing for a moment, giving a little extra time for Warren and Aldrich to go about their business since the door was still cracked open. She could still feel Hadrian's emotions rolling off of him as if the feeling danced along her skin. "Lesson learned, I hope," she said but sounded not quite convinced. She would be watching Warren especially closely for any hints that he might push back again. His appointment to Captain was fairly new and could be taken away. Much would depend on what she found out and what she decided was worth sharing with the Commander.

“How can they not see?” Hadrian spat in frustration, “Even when confronted with it, they fail to understand. Have we really fallen so far that even they cannot be trusted to exercise basic good judgement?” Hadrian fumed. If it were anyone else, he might not have spoken so openly, but he trusted Vesper. In fact, she was one of the few left he did trust.

“Watch Woodwick carefully,” Hadrian grumbled, “Any sign of indiscretion, poor judgement, personal, professional, I want to hear about it. I'll make arrangements for you to pay a surprise visit to Cambria once he's arrived and settled in. There can be no mistakes.”

As Hadrian opened up his frustration to her, Vesper fully rested her backside against his desk, not quite sitting but not fully standing either. Moments like this reminded her of when she served under him as Naval Captain. They had trusted each other then as well. She had forgotten how much she missed that.

She agreed with all that Hadrian had said. These two men were no boys. Forty years old or nearing it, they should know by now the natural chain of command. To think that it simply 'slipped their mind' that perhaps they ought to speak to their commander before provided troops with such important information was absolutely ludicrous. The point was not in the usefulness of the information that was shared but that perhaps these two lower level officers might not have all the information that perhaps others who outranked them might have. It was beyond disappointing.

"It seems to me that they have all sat idly for too long. There are still many soldiers who have yet to be tested in battle. Nevermere is strong politically as well as in its military and though we have taken over two other kingdoms, we did so with little test to our soldiers. I fear many of them do not understand what it truly means to fight for one's kingdom." War was looming but as it had yet to happen, the soldiers seemed to be getting antsy in anticipation.

"You have my word. Nothing will go unnoticed," she told him. Though she spoke with an almost eerie calm, she felt the thrill rolling through her veins. Warren better watch himself. She intended to miss nothing. "Hadrian," she said, leaning towards him while keeping her place against his desk, lowering herself so that she could fully meet his gaze. "They will learn. And the Nevermeren military will be stronger than it's ever been under your command." There was that edge of thrill in her voice and a fire in her gaze as she imagined Hadrian as a feared military leader throughout all of Terra Nova.

As always, Vesper approached the situation with calm clarity. Hadrian wondered idly if men should be pulled from military leadership altogether; if it were not best for the women to take over. So far it was the men who’d made a mess of things. But he pulled himself back to the matter at hand.

“Perhaps you’re right,” He grumbled, though he knew full well Warren and Aldrich had both seen conflict—though nothing like what lay ahead. When Vesper addressed him by his first name, he looked up, breaking from his simmering rage. His expression was one of gratitude. It was a comfort to have her; someone he trusted implicitly, who he knew would do whatever was asked of her in his service.

“I’m glad you’re here, Vesper,” Hadrian said softly, stormy eyes fixed on her with intensity.

Their eyes met and Vesper felt like could she could see every storm at sea in the man's eyes. She saw him standing at the helm with sea whipped hair and skin as they fought through storms together both literal and figurative. He had a left a mark in the navy and continued to do so in this newer promoted position.

Her hand moved to rest on top of his as she kept that lock of their eyes. "As am I," she replied with a note of softness that he'd heard only a few times in the years they had known each other.