Sibirtsev looked neither upset nor pleased. His demeanor was stoic as if nothing happened at all. The smoke from a small dot in the floor was smoking and giving a smell of burned metal.
"Your objection understood. I am a soldier, not a commissar to think too much over a kill. For all my life I have been killing, by gun as a marine or being in an aircraft. And yet it is intriguing how killing once again proved to be wrong. How amusing. Well, I am not here to lick anyone's boots, comrade Commissar. I know how to obey orders and how to kill - that was enough to pilot an interceptor. There, on the front line it is we who improvise and press on while the orders are lagging. If that is not enough for being a captain of a "Typhoon" class vessel - so be it, the decision is yours and I a, to obey. It is when the SCRA lacks recruits and can barely assert its influence even in the neighbouring Omega-49. Of course, it is up to the command - I merely follow the orders whatever they might be."
His hand communicator beeped on receiving an incoming message. With a gesture of excuse Sibirtsev checked the message and grinned.
"With due respect, I must beg my leave, Comrade Kirov. Major Valuev from the Auxiliary Command has invited me to take part in a new offensive against Rheinland serving undercover as a cruiser captain of our allies - the Red Hessians."
On leaving the office, captain tuned, saluted the commissar and added: "If it is our allies who are more decisive and welcoming the path of war - so be it. A pity I can't serve under the coat-of-arms of my Motherland and have to protect our interesting under a name of some Rheinlander."
Without a iota of disturbance on his face, he left.