Mika winced. "civvies," she scoffed. "I didn't think I could imagine anything worse than a merchie skipper who thinks he knows better than a 30-year Navy veteran about gate traffic control patterns. Almost as bad as the ones who think they can sneak undeclared cargo through customs because we're not 'real marines' anymore. I can sympathize," she said calmly.<br/><br/>She waited a moment for the tension to dissolve somewhat, "can I..." she straightened up, "can I get you something from the mess?" she asked. "I'm sure the skipper will be having you dine with us first chance he gets anyway, but in the meantime, EVAs always leave me parched."