The rest of the team had a short discussion on the planned journey back to the base, but it didn’t last long. They were all tired and seemed content to simply stare into the fire and take a rare opportunity to rest. I shuffled a little closer to the fire. The night was becoming noticeably cool, and my clothing wasn’t designed to be particularly warm. Presumably, my master hadn’t been anticipating being in the middle of this mission when he’d arranged my delivery. Otherwise, he would have requested that my trainers provide warmer clothing. Still, it was a minor inconvenience, and two or three nights in the cold wouldn’t kill me.
It was maybe half an hour later when Kent and Vosh both yawned widely, Vosh rubbing at her eyes. She was a short woman, with bright yellow skin and thin black stripes running in horizontal lines across her face and arms. A Wasop, I think my master had called her. She’d been quiet all afternoon, and she’d mentioned to me while we were securing the tarp that the woman who’d been killed earlier that day had been a close friend of hers.
“Time to hit the hay,” my master said, though he hadn’t yet yawned, or displayed any other sign of tiredness. “I’ll take first watch. I’m not all that tired yet. Kade, can you take the second shift?”
“Yes, Master,” I replied eagerly, keen to be of service. But Vosh spoke up at that.
“Is he trained to do that? I mean, I know he’s been helpful this afternoon, but we barely know him. And there could be Geshtoch roaming around.”
My master turned back to me. “Have you been trained to keep watch? I mean, you’ve been on proper survival excursions, right?”
“Yes, Master,” I confirmed. “I’ve completed eight high risk training exercises in actual combat zones, along with dozens of simulated exercises in controlled environments.”
My master’s eyebrows rose. “Nice. Kent, is that good enough for you?”
“If it means I get a couple of extra hours of sleep, I’m all for it,” the tall man said, standing up and brushing the dirt off his ass. “I’ll take third watch. Vosh, you’re on fourth.”
“But we could actually die if we’re attacked,” Vosh argued, apparently not yet convinced of my skills. “You’re going to trust him just because he says so?”
My master rolled his eyes. “Kade’s already saved my life at least once today,” he said to the younger woman. “And he’s been able to do everything he said he could, plus a bit more. If he says he knows what he’s doing, then I believe him.”
I felt a rush of elation at his praise. He’d announced to his whole team that I’d saved his life. Such public acknowledgement was something I’d been taught to savour. I stored the feeling away, knowing I would take it out and remember it in quiet moments, thrilled to know that I’d pleased my master so thoroughly.
“What about me?” Nichols asked, standing up with a little bounce. “When am I on watch?”
Kent snorted. “You’re a baby, Nichols. I wouldn’t trust you to boil water, never mind keep our entire team alive.”
Nichols sagged a little, though he didn’t seem genuinely upset by the scolding. “That is so rude,” he said, with overdone indignation. Then he brightened. “Well, that means I get to sleep properly all through the night.”
“Not fucking likely,” my master said. “You’re on watch with me. Pay attention and you might actually learn something.”
My heart swelled a little as I realised the implications of the arrangements. Nichols, an assigned member of this team, was not trustworthy enough to stand guard alone, but according to my master, I was. Both my master, and now Kent, trusted me enough to watch their backs while they slept. I gritted my teeth to repress my smile. Smiling right then could be taken as glee at someone else’s misfortune, and I didn’t want to antagonise Nichols. Instead, I heaped dirt onto the fire to make sure it was out properly, then followed my master to where we’d set up our bedding. Nichols stared at my thin mat, frowning as he noted that the rest of them all had sleeping bags.
“Are you going to be warm enough?” he asked.
I smiled in amusement. “I’ve slept outside plenty of times before,” I told him. And I had. Winter, summer, even in snow, a couple of times. We’d camped out in the rain, we’d slept in trees, we’d been taught to rest in a wide range of entirely uncomfortable circumstances, and to not complain about it. A dry mat on solid ground was hardly something to be concerned about.
My master, though, seemed to have entirely different ideas. “You can sleep in my sleeping bag for the first couple of hours,” he said, nudging me towards his bedding. “And after that, I’ll give you my jumper. It’s too cold to be sleeping without anything over you.”
“You can have my jumper too,” Nichols promised. “I won’t need it, in the sleeping bag.”
Now, I was smiling for an entirely different reason. “Thank you,” I said, ducking my head demurely towards my master. He was letting me sleep in his bed – albeit while he wasn’t in it – but that was just one more confirmation that I had nothing to worry about, as far as his approval of me went. Our first interaction had just been a fluke. His disappointment and shock hadn’t been directed at me after all. He wanted me. He valued me. Everything was going to be just fine.
CHAPTER SIX
Aiden
I’d never been so glad to see a military base in my life. Well, no, that was probably an exaggeration. But after three solid days of walking – minus the four hours we’d had to seek shelter during a pelting rain storm – seeing the green and grey walls rising out of the jungle was like finding water in a desert.
“Made it,” Nichols announced, throwing his arms wide.
My legs were too sore and the rest of me was too tired to do much celebrating. I concentrated on climbing the slope towards the base, pausing to shoo Vosh and Kade up ahead of me.
Inside, I dropped my pack into one of the storage bays in the transporter docking station and motioned for Kade to do the same, knowing we’d be back to collect them soon enough. Then I led Kade through into the canteen, Kent hot on my heels.
“Kent and I have to go and report to Major Glech,” I told Kade. “She’ll want to know how Hanes and Revier died, and what we can salvage from the cargo. Get something to eat and then wait for me on the observation deck.” I pointed to the wide deck stretching out over the jungle, then nudged him towards the food service area. It was just after midday, but there wasn’t yet much of a line up for lunchtime food. There was a long row of cabinets containing foods from five out of the six species in the Alliance – there was no Sedgeged food, since none of them ever joined the military – though in reality, there was also a fair bit of overlap as to what each species enjoyed. Hopefully Kade would be able to find something amongst all the variety that was suitable for a Vangravian. And on that note, I really should look up their dietary requirements, along with all the other details about Kade that I was going to have to learn.
Predictably, he replied, “Yes, Master,” drawing the curious stares of a couple of soldiers at a nearby table. Fucking hell, I was really going to haveto find something else for him to call me. With a nod, I left him there, hoping for the best, while Kent and I headed for Major Glech’s office.
