The Fleet Marshal’s Diary

Book 6 of 6 (Short Story)

A few hours prior to her formal retirement, Fleet Marshal Wanda Wats sat behind a long desk, in her almost empty Academy office. Surrounded by old holo disks, well-thumbed textbooks, fleet flimsies and odd collectables, she daydreamed about her successes and failures, friends and colleagues, loves and losses. Startled by a change in the relative brightness of Gital-Gustol, she quickly drained the last of her tea and stood to look over the accumulation of a lifetime.

“Not much is there, Wanda? Still have a few hours. Have to start a new diary. Now . . . what might be of interest to a bunch of seniors and juniors . . . and can’t forget the Terrans.”

Poking through the piles, she began to make speaking notes. Chuckling over several old diary entries Wanda found enough material to make a dull evening into something memorable.

“Might be a bit much for some,” Wanda smiled to herself, “What’s the worst the Marshal’s Council can do, make me retire? They have no idea.”

Wanda laughed wholeheartedly for over a minute.                                                                                                        Farther down the long corridor, laughter resonated in every corner of a nearly empty building.