Xaviers!

It was a while before the Admiral was up to dealing with visitors, though she was giving some orders well before that. She was currently going reports about what and who they had left and what condition the remaining ships were in.

"...that was a hell of a gamble you took there," Sam says as she approaches.

"Who said it was a gamble? I did what I had to do. The only outcome that mattered was that I succeeded at what I was doing. I have a mission, I fulfill it no matter the cost," she said, not looking up from her reports.

"But it wasn't all you, was it?"

"I don't have the slightest idea what you are talking about."

"I know you didn't kill my double."

That got her to look up. "And your point?"

"I also know that not all of your powers were originally yours."

"And just what is it you intend to do with this information?"

"At the moment? Nothing. Do you still have her? What were you planning to do with her powers?"

Siberia considered her for a long moment, "Your double? No. She escaped. Which makes what I intended to do with her powers somewhat moot."

"When my powers came out it was utter hell, and I don't know how this usually goes for you, but I could tell she was getting to you."

"There is no 'usually' for this sort of thing, but I was managing."

"I just... I can't believe you lectured me on that and went and pulled this."

"I said she had to be dealt with. That you assumed I meant killing her is not on me, is it?"

"Well now she's loose, so I guess we'll have to see what that means."

"Based on her attitude, I find it likely that she more than gorged herself on the death of my sailors today, but if I do see her again, I will most certainly kill her."

"You never soften up, do you? I just mopped your brain up from where it was floating in the bloody ocean, and still we're at it."

"What do you want me to say? Thank you? Maybe you were looking for some sort of life-altering near death experience? Softness is a luxury and one I'm not afforded. Maybe when you return to your world, you'll find my counterpart and get what you want from her, but I am *not* her." She looked back at her reports, "I have a mission to complete and I have to figure out how to do it with none of my warships, my air commander injured, most of my sailors dead, and a handful of dimensional strays, one of whom is currently bitching about things she cannot possibly comprehend because surely everything must cowtow to what she expects." She looked up, a familiar fire in her eyes, "You're more like your counterpart than I think you realize."

"Yes, because bloody eating sailors is so comparable to just asking that you not blow me off."

"No, you're wanting me to have grand remorseful turn where I admit the error of my ways and promise to do better. You're wanting me to bow to your expectations because you've attached some meaning to me because you think you know me because I look like someone you know." She rose somewhat unsteadily, "You don't know me. You don't know how things work here. And you've made it abundantly clear that you are just passing through. So why do you care?"

"Because I can't just... turn it off, you know?"

"No, I don't know. Perhaps it's time you learned, because this entire endeavor just became much much harder."

"Any strong feeling is hard to ignore. When there's this many in the air? It's damned near impossible."

"What are you talking about?"

"They idolize you. When they fished you out of the sea they practically worshiped the ice you were in as a saint's relic."

"And?" Siberia settled slowly back into her chair, obviously with some pain.

"And I can't take their hope away, bit I can bloody well try to make sure it isn't misplaced."

"So we've effectively come full circle. What are you going to do? Do you want command? Do you think I'm unfit?"

"Right now I'm trying to come up with reasons to still trust you after what I saw in your head just from having to pull you back together, but you're not making it easy."

Siberia considered that for a moment, "My motives and intentions with regards to you have not changed. If anything, these losses have made you and your friends even more important."

"I'll do my best to calm their concerns, but morale is bloody low with my team, and they're starting to think the lot of you have gone mad."

Perhaps we have. It was nothing more than an idle musing with a bit of frustration mixed in.

"We'll do what we can to get you home, but I do have a mission I need to see to completion."

"And your mission is still our mission."

"Then we agree on at least that much."