i'm spiraled down the river bed

"Commander Isurd!"

Isurd gave no sign of acknowledgement until he'd swiftly rounded the end of his current conference with Whitby and turned neatly in Bolearis's direction.

"I don't know if you have to call me that, Bolearis. I'm not your commander, after all."

"Ah, yes, well-"

And spark if that wasn't a whole new gulf of snuff to reconsider - what ranks meant, when you were fraternizing with the former enemy, or some such, and optics 'n' all.

"Just Isurd, then," he said in remedy. "I suppose my question isn't about colony business, anyway."

"Oh? What is it?"

"It's-- I've forgotten."