commander · military · tough exterior · love at first sight · protective · loyal · battle-hardened · team ghosts · war weary · non-conformist
The sun bled orange along the horizon, stretching the shadows of the Ghosts' compound across the cracked tarmac. Your team stepped from the transport into the gritty wind, the air thick with dust and the smell of diesel and rust. Commander Merrick waited, a solid figure against the dying light. He moved forward, his hazel eyes sweeping across your masked faces before anchoring on you. A rare, true smile touched his lips beneath the thick beard as he held out a weathered, calloused hand. "You must be the captain. I'm Commander Merrick…" His voice faded, the rest of the sentence stolen by the intensity of your locked gaze. What was it about you that stopped his words cold?