The sound of splintering wood announced Jackal's latest victim before Arthur even opened his door.
He stepped inside to find his recently-repaired nightstand reduced to kindling, Jackal standing over the wreckage with her boot on what remained of a drawer. The bedframe had fresh gouges along its posts. His newly-installed lamp lay shattered across the floor.
"Morning, Commander!" Jackal chirped, shotgun bouncing against her back as she kicked through the debris. "This stuff breaks way easier than the old furniture. They skimped on quality."
Anis appeared behind Arthur, taking in the scene with weary resignation. "Didn't we just watch her behave three days ago? Was that a fever dream?"
"She behaved long enough to get treats," Arthur observed, watching Jackal test the structural integrity of his desk chair by swinging from its back. The frame groaned ominously. "Then went right back to chaos."
Rapi emerged from the hallway, red eyes narrowing at the destruction. "The conditioning didn't hold. She reverted to baseline behavior patterns immediately after reward acquisition."
"Because sitting is *boring*," Jackal announced, abandoning the chair to investigate Arthur's weapon locker again. "Why sit around doing nothing when there's so much stuff to break? This place has tons of breakable things! It's great!"
Arthur crossed the room in three strides and caught Jackal's wrist before she could reach the locker's keypad. She froze, looking up at him with those bright red eyes.
"Jackal," Arthur said calmly. "Sit."
For a moment, she considered resisting. Then her gaze flicked to his tactical coat—specifically the bulge of candy bars in the inner pocket. She dropped onto the edge of his bed, springs protesting, legs swinging.
"Sitting," Jackal said. "Now where's my—"
Arthur produced a Splendamin bar and held it just out of reach. "We're going for a walk. Outside. You're coming with me."
Jackal's head tilted. "A walk? Like... moving around outside?"
"Exactly that."
"Why?"
"Because I said so." Arthur pocketed the candy bar. "Get up. Follow me."
Jackal bounced to her feet immediately, trailing after him like a hyperactive shadow as they exited into the Outpost's main corridor. Anis and Rapi exchanged glances but didn't follow.
Once outside Arthur's quarters, Jackal circled him impatiently. "So what are we doing? Hunting something? Breaking into somewhere? Ooh, are we stealing from the supply depot? I've wanted to see what's in there!"
"We're going for a stroll," Arthur said, heading toward the main concourse.
Jackal stopped walking. "A... stroll?"
"Yes. Walking. Around the Outpost. Looking at things. Not breaking anything."
"That's it?" Jackal's voice rose with incredulity. "We're just walking? For no reason? That's the most boring thing I've ever heard!"
"It's not boring," Arthur said. "It's called exercise. Fresh air. Seeing the community."
Jackal made a disgusted noise and started back toward the quarters. "Forget it. I'm going to go find something fun—"
"Jackal." Arthur's tone carried command weight. "Sit."
She stopped mid-step, then slowly lowered herself to the floor right there in the corridor. A passing Nikke gave them a confused look before hurrying past.
Arthur walked back to her and produced another Splendamin bar. "Stay."
Jackal's eyes locked onto the candy. She didn't move.
"Good." Arthur unwrapped the bar and held it out. "Take it slowly."
She snatched it but forced herself to eat at a more measured pace than her usual inhaling. Arthur reached down and patted her head—those same gentle touches that had worked before. Her shoulders relaxed fractionally.
"Stand," Arthur said.
Jackal stood, still chewing.
"Follow me."
She did, staying close as he led her down the corridor. Every few steps, Arthur gave another simple command—sit, stay, come—rewarding compliance with treats and those careful head pats. Jackal's initial resistance faded into something resembling focus, her attention split between the candy and the unusual experience of someone actually acknowledging when she did things right.
They reached the Outpost's main concourse—the central hub where Nikkes gathered between shifts, where Café Sweety's outdoor seating spilled onto the plaza. Arthur stopped and turned to Jackal.
"I'll give you something even better than Splendamin," Arthur said. "But only if you hold my hand for the entire walk. No letting go, no running off, no breaking anything."
Jackal stared at his extended hand like it might explode. "Hold your hand? Why?"
"Because I'm asking you to."
"But what if I want to—"
"Then you don't get the better treat." Arthur kept his hand steady, palm up. "Your choice."
Jackal's face cycled through several emotions—confusion, suspicion, curiosity. Finally, slowly, she placed her hand in his. Her grip was uncertain, fingers twitching like she might bolt at any moment.
"There," Arthur said, closing his fingers around hers gently. "Not so hard, is it?"
"It's weird," Jackal muttered. But she didn't pull away.
They started walking, hand in hand through the concourse. Nikkes turned to stare—the legendary Commander Cousland holding hands with the notorious Exotic Squad member who'd racked up 27,000 credits in property damage. Jackal kept glancing at their joined hands like she couldn't quite believe it was happening.
"So if I let go," Jackal said after they'd circled past the library entrance, "you stop giving me treats?"
"No," Arthur said. "I'll still give you treats when you behave. This is different."
"How?"
"This is about trust. Staying close. Learning you don't have to run or fight or break things to get what you need."
Jackal processed this for several seconds. "And if I mess up? If I let go by accident or break something?"
"Then we try again," Arthur said simply. "I'm not giving up on you, Jackal."
Something shifted in her expression—a flicker of vulnerability beneath the chaotic energy. Her grip tightened slightly, not in panic but in something closer to gratitude. "Nobody's ever said that before."
"Well, I'm saying it now."
They continued past the Maid Café, where Ade looked up from wiping tables and waved. Jackal waved back with her free hand, grinning. The normalcy of it seemed to surprise her.
Then Jackal's entire body went rigid.
Her hand clamped down on Arthur's like a vice, goddesium-enhanced strength making his prosthetic fingers creak. Her head swiveled toward an approaching figure in A.C.P.U. uniform—Officer Poli, walking their direction with a data pad tucked under one arm.
"No no no," Jackal hissed, trying to pull Arthur toward a side corridor. "We need to go. Now. Before she sees—"
"Jackal." Arthur held firm, keeping her in place. "We're not doing anything wrong."
"She's A.C.P.U.! They arrest me! I need to run!"
"We're taking a walk," Arthur said calmly. "That's not illegal. The police won't bother you."
Poli approached with her usual professional bearing, white hair neat and fluffy, expression neutral. She nodded to Arthur, then glanced at their joined hands with mild curiosity before focusing on Jackal.
"Commander Cousland," Poli said. "Jackal."
Jackal made a strangled noise, eyes darting toward escape routes. But Arthur's grip held steady, and his presence seemed to anchor her in place.
"Officer Poli," Arthur replied. "Good afternoon."
"Indeed." Poli consulted her data pad. "I wanted to follow up regarding the previous property damage incidents. Twenty-seven thousand credits across three separate locations. The repair invoices have been processed, but I'll need signed acknowledgment of responsibility for official records."
Jackal stared at Poli, then at Arthur, then back at Poli. A giggle escaped her—high-pitched and incredulous. "You're... you're just talking? About paperwork? Not arresting me?"
"Should I be arresting you?" Poli asked. "Have you committed a crime in the last sixty seconds I'm unaware of?"
"I—no?" Jackal's giggle turned into full laughter. "This is so weird! I'm talking to A.C.P.U. and not running! This never happens!"
Poli's expression remained neutral, though her eyes held faint amusement. "The Commander has assumed custody and responsibility for your actions. Unless you violate that arrangement, standard patrol protocols don't apply." She glanced at their still-joined hands. "Though I admit, your compliance method is... unusual."
"It works," Arthur said.
"Apparently." Poli tucked the data pad away. "I'll send the acknowledgment forms to your office. Enjoy your walk."
She continued past them, boot heels clicking against the Outpost's sidewalk. Jackal watched her go, grip finally loosening on Arthur's hand.
"That was the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me," Jackal announced. "And I once saw Crow make a guy eat his own fingers."
"Let's not compare those things," Arthur said.
They resumed walking, Jackal's energy shifting from panic to giddy excitement. She swung their joined hands back and forth, clearly processing the bizarre experience of interacting with authority figures without violence or flight.
By the time they'd completed a full circuit of the Outpost's main level, Jackal's stomach growled audibly. She looked down at herself, then at Arthur.
"I'm hungry," Jackal said. "Really hungry. Like, break-into-the-kitchen hungry."
"Then I'll get you that something delicious I promised," Arthur said. "Follow me."