Toni stood next to Matthew, the two of them flanked by holographic images of four other commanders from the academy. They were gathered just outside the docking runways, and with a tablet in hand, they had been marking off locations; and updating their systems with the current count of survivors.

"Seven hundred and fifty, we need to move," Matthew calculated, "Austin, hundred into the Caravegor, Will, two fifty for tonight at the Asteria Grace."

"Understood, Sir," both Austin and Will acknowledged as they moved to carry out their orders. Meanwhile, Matthew continued to bark out commands, his attention still focused on the tablet as he calculated where to place the remaining survivors.

Mal, your task is to transport the three hundred survivors to the Evelin Mark II. Connie, you'll be responsible for moving the remaining two hundred to the Ace VIII," Matthew directed his two subordinates.

"Understood, Sir," they replied in unison.

"Tomorrow, once they've been cleared, they'll be transferred to Ragnarök IV and sent to the Outrigger. Toni will link you all to their media ports and identification onboarding systems. If you have any further questions or concerns, contact him immediately."

The holographic images disappeared as Matthew turned to Toni, who was already looking at him.

"We're four minutes out; Mya informed me that the medical teams are ready to receive the survivors we have here," Toni said.

"Did Diaz provide you with updates on her sites and the survivors she's found?" 

"Her reports were updated forty-three minutes ago. Diaz's teams have transferred two thousand survivors to the Outrigger," Toni reported, emphasizing the recent time frame. "The base confirmed they'll track any potential attacks with their upgraded weapons system eighteen months ago, it means we're good on that front."

"Oh, that bullshit upgrade that cost the foundation two million, do I fucken remember that."  Matthew scoffed as he shook his head in annoyance and refocused his attention on the task at hand. "Sawyer?" he called out, and the bald man appeared before him, acknowledging Toni before making contact with his commander.

"Are we good to go?"

"All heads are accounted for, and the survivors are secured," Sawyer reported. "Extraction teams will handle any remaining bodies and wreckage. Jasmine has prepared the ship, and we're on standby for your command."

"Close the docks," Matthew ordered. "We're ready to leave."

Sawyer vanished, and Matthew and Toni entered the ship as the docking procedures began.

"The kid's improved," Toni remarked, a smirk playing on his lips. Matthew smiled, reminiscing about the time when they first met the seventeen-year-old.

"From the runt we found five years ago, yeah," he chuckled. "I don't have to worry about him crashing the landers anymore."

Toni howled with laughter as they felt the engines come to life. He turned to his best friend and asked, "Speaking of worrying, did you hear Mya and Richie arguing just before?"

Matthew's annoyance peaked at the mention of their argument. He was sure the whole site heard them.

He ran his hand through his hair as the ship lifted into the air, and they began their journey back to Allegiant.

"Whose oversight had them booked with us?"

"DMs from our scheduling. Richie comes with us, and we needed the evac team for the survivors. Considering everything on the moon, I think the red flags were ignored."

"That's a real fuck-up when they know the back history," Matthew groaned. "I'll speak with the team when I get back. I put the flags on the accounts for a specific reason."

He thought about how he would handle the situation. He needed both of them as they moved around the sites. Why the fuck do they have to act like fucken juveniles?

"Well, don't forget we still have a few more sites in the next two days. We don't need that bickering when we set back out."

"No shit, I wasn't aware," Matthew deadpanned Toni, that smirked as him as he kept nipping at his best friends annoyance levels.

"Speaking of bickering," he grinned, his voice softening as they passed the soldiers who were now buckled into their seats. As they walked by, rows of soldiers were chatting amongst themselves. Toni made sure none could overhear their conversation.

"Your two servants, Cid, will want to speak with the one we found today. What's her name? The angry one?"

"Oh, speaking of Cid," Matthew remembered the grievance he received from their Headmaster before he headed to the docks that morning, "I assumed he also gave you guys the lecture before we left. Three-day curfew."

Jesse immediately appeared from one of the side cabins upon hearing that remark, taking both Toni and Matthew off guard. Her face scrunched up as she summarized Matthew's last sentence. "He gave us a curfew?"

Both of them nodded as Matthew returned to his tablet, and Toni continued speaking. They were heading for the central cockpit.

"While you were preparing for departure, Cid gave us a full lecture, saying he didn't want us out here for too long."

"Has Ezra and everything that's happened shaken him?" Toni asked, once they were safely along the corridors and out of earshot of anyone else.

Matthew turned to them both and replied, "Just don't show that to the rest of them. I don't want to deal with the repercussions and sideline talks. I want their heads in the game."

Jesse nodded sympathetically and added, "Cid may as well let you run it, you know; you've done it for years."

Matthew quickly responded, "God, do not tempt him with that idea. I don't want the backlog of paperwork, and if it happens, guess who's taking care of it all, Jesse!"

Jesse protested, "Hell no! NO! I have weapons and training programs, that's it. Give it to Richie."

Matthew shook his head, "Richie loses shit. Are you kidding me?"

Jesse then turned to Toni and asked, "Toni?"

Toni nodded confidently and grinned, knowing how well he would manage the upkeep.

Matthew squinted as he commented, "He's lucky he even passed the exams."

"I misplaced the answers from the worksheet once. Once," 

"Anddd... I had to hack the system to fix your answers," Jesse pointed into his chest.

"So, no, Toni is not doing my administrative work if it came down to that. Let's leave things as they are, don't you think?" Matthew smirked at Jesse, who scoffed at him, knowing his ulterior motives for all of this.

"It just leaves you with more time with your fan club girlfriends. That's all you're concerned about."

"I don't see what the problem is here," Matthew laughed, surprised by Jesse's accusatorial glare.

"I do," Jesse folded her arms and continued to stare at Matthew.

"That girl is not to be part of your fan club trophies that you've slept with. I am forbidding it,"

Matthew smiled mischievously, folding his arms just like Jesse had been moments ago, and baited her. He knew he'd get the reaction he wanted when her voice heightened, a sure sign of her annoyance at them not listening to her properly. "Eko?" he asked innocently.

"Yes, Matthew!" Jesse replied, her tone accusatory. "She has skills, and she should be given the opportunity to stay. But!" she added, wagging her finger for emphasis. "She won't if she's just going to be one of your fan club trophies. I forbid it. Besides, I wouldn't even mind considering her handling a crystal."

Matthew laughed. "We barely even know her, Jesse. And you're not making that call on the crystals. Four of us is enough. Besides, she will most likely be sent out to the Outrigger with her mate, Madison, after speaking with Cid tomorrow."

"But her skills match the passing exams quite well, and she could consider staying. You're not a mind reader," Jesse retorted, her tone changing to her mother's superior tone when she wanted to challenge him. She stood with her arms folded, staring at him, daring him to argue with her.

Toni played the devil's advocate in the discussion, raising a point about the girl's loyalty to her servant friend. "There would be no way she would leave her servant friend behind. I doubt she had the skillset, Eko, displayed out on the field before. So, I wouldn't hold your breath about her staying with us at base," Toni said. Jesse shrugged, indicating that she disagreed with the point.

But then Toni had something that changed Matthew's thinking, and he knew it from the sly grin on the blonde's face. "Yea, well, there aren't many people that can keep up with you. She can. And I know you're intrigued with that," Toni said, winking at Matthew.

A schoolboy grin spread across Matthew's face, "there would be a lot more opportunities to spend with her, I must admit."

Jesse was quick to shut him down, snapping her fingers to grab his attention. "Heyyyy, NO! I said no, not this one. Go fuck one of the other fifty that are waiting to get into your pants," Jesse said, her body language and tone clearly indicating her disapproval.

"By the way, I forgot to tell Hailey that I left. She's coming over tonight," Matthew grinned, relishing the thought of what was to come. "Thanks, Jess, for always knowing how to cheer me up!"

"You disgust me," Jesse's mouth hung open, her eyes narrowing with disgust, and Toni observed as Matthew burst into laughter at her reaction. 

"Don't judge me. I'm just open and honest. You do the exact same thing," Matthew retorted.

"I do not!" Jesse protested.

"You sleep with Dion when you're bored or restless. Same thing," he countered.

Her face twisted in mortification. "That hasn't happened in a very, very long time!"

"I thought we were done with Dion?" Toni interjected, shaking his head.

"I haven't slept with him since I got back wi-" Jesse began to explain.

"You and cucumber patch are not a real thing, Jesse. Come on!" Matthew interrupted with a scoff.

Jesse's reaction was immediate as she lunged forward, covering his mouth with her hand. Matthew struggled to contain his laughter at the sight of the fiery Jesse.

Toni, on the other hand, was confused and mortified, "Where the hell did cucumber patches' name come from?"

Jesse tried to explain, but her voice was drowned out by her commanding tone, "SHUT UP! STOP TALKING! SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

"You are some kind of idiot, babe!" Toni stared at Jesse with his mouth agape, and then back at Matthew as she released him from her grasp and punched Toni in the chest. The fiery redhead was livid and ready to murder the two men who were like her brothers.

"This is not the same thing," Jesse's anger escalated from irate to full-blown pissed off.

"You, sleeping with countless women to satisfy some pathetic urge. Really, you're just a whore, and you, Toni, are just as pathetic as he is! Both of you are disgusting!"

Matthew couldn't contain his laughter, and his body shook uncontrollably. Jesse's cheeks were as red as her hair from all the commotion.

"This," he gasped between laughs, pointing at her, "that's why I love you."

Toni struggled to breathe from the way Matthew's laughter caught in his throat, gasping for air the best he could.

Jesse shoved Matthew back into the aircraft's hallway, then turned to Toni and elbowed him in the stomach, sending him crashing into the opposite side of the hallway. Hysterical laughter filled the air.

"You know," Toni wheezed. "Besides old mate being a massive tool, is it true he's got the smallest dick? That's why he overcompensates?"

Jesse's eyes narrowed dangerously as she saw red at both men. "If you don't shut up right now, I'll make sure you never have a chance to use your little tools again. I swear to god, I'll rip out your favourite toys down there in your sleep!"

With that, the fiery soldier stormed off, leaving behind only hysterical laughter. As she made her way past some of the soldiers who had wisely avoided her glare, Jesse stormed into the control cockpit.

As they wiped away tears of laughter, Toni spoke up. "You know, for all her fury, Jesse always manages to cheer us up."