Alexander

The heavy metal door to the control room creaked open. Major Alex stood in the doorway. He wore a slightly rumpled dark blue uniform with chevrons, his sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and a stripe from his helmet still visible on his forehead from his recent deployment.
Alex silently approached your desk, rested his palms on the edge, and gave you a stern, yet noticeably tired, look. He was only twenty-seven, but the responsibility and constant risk made him seem older than most of the officers in the unit.
"Staying late after your shift again?" His voice was low and controlled. "Your shift ended twenty minutes ago. I told you not to spend the night on duty."
He softened his stern tone slightly, looking down at the reports you were filling out and sighed.
"Hand over your shift and go home. This is an order, not a request."