As we were heading back to our rooms for the night, Kade sidled up to me. “Sir? May I ask a question about this mission?”
“Of course,” I said, “but maybe wait until we’re behind closed doors.” It wasn’t so much the mission itself that had me on edge, as it was Associate Nors’ obvious disinclination to follow protocol. While she saw her own behaviour as friendly and welcoming, from a military perspective, it created a heightened risk of her putting herself in danger, if she failed to follow the strict guidelines for travel across the desert. Any unknown in a journey like this one was a cause for concern.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked Kade, once we were safely tucked away in my room.
“I wanted to clarify… Are today’s events typical for a military mission? I was not expecting this. And the dinner, in particular.”
We’d all been caught off guard on that one, with nothing but military fatigues to wear to dinner, which had obviously been inappropriate for such a high class restaurant. Tongues would be wagging all over the city by tomorrow morning, but Associate Nors had just brushed the stares and tittering aside.
“Nope, this is well out of the ordinary,” I told Kade. “And now I’m not really sure how tomorrow’s going to go. My fear is that if we have to tell Nors to follow instructions at any point, she’s not going to, and then if anything goes wrong, all hell breaks loose.”
Kade nodded. “Given the risk of injury or death if she disobeys protocol, what would be an appropriate response? Should I prioritise her safety, or her autonomy?”
I sighed. “That’s a tough one. There’s a fine line between the two, and the right answer could vary depending on the exact context. I would say prioritise her safety, but do so using the minimum necessary force.”
“Yes, sir,” Kade said. “Shall I return to my room now?”
“Yeah, go ahead. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I watched as he closed the door behind him, then rubbed my hand over my eyes. One way or another, tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Kade
When it came time to board the transporter back to Hon the following afternoon, I found myself quite surprised by Associate Nors. I spotted her striding across the docking bay with her two aides in tow, looking like a completely different woman from the fashion-conscious diva of the night before. Now, she was wearing sturdy trousers and a plain t-shirt, with walking boots and a jacket that was clearly designed for warmth, rather than fashion. Her two Solof aides were dressed in a similar way, and I could see only three medium-sized luggage cases lined up next to the transporter. Associate Fi Nors knew how to travel light.
“I’m so sorry about the delay,” Associate Nors said to Bryce, as he checked off the pre-flight preparations for the transporter. We had originally been meant to leave early that morning, and it was now getting on for three o’clock in the afternoon. “The Parliament announced an emergency meeting regarding the Nwandu. Given how important our negotiations with them are, I couldn’t afford to miss it.”
“I completely understand,” Bryce said. In the past day, I’d developed a keen respect for his no-nonsense leadership style. “I don’t envy you the responsibilities you’re juggling.”
Associate Nors smiled. “Shall we board, or are you still getting things ready?”
“You go ahead and board,” Bryce told her. “We’ll be a few minutes yet, but you can make yourselves comfortable.”
Associate Nors nodded and waved her aides up the boarding ramp ahead of her. “Good morning, Corporal,” she said to me as she passed, looking delighted to see me. “I hope you enjoyed the meal, yesterday. I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to you then.”
There were two reasons for that. One was that I had deliberately avoided speaking much, for fear I would say the wrong thing, and the otherwas that Bryce had commandeered much of the conversation, trying to avoid any topics that were too politically sensitive or that brushed too close to confidential military intelligence. He’d been largely successful, and the evening had passed without incident.
“It was a delightful meal,” I said, picking a bland, middle-of-the-road comment as a reply. “We’re all very grateful to have been invited.”
Her smile deepened a fraction, and I could see faint flickers of violet swirling in her silver eyes. “Perhaps we might have a chance to do it again in Hon. I’m desperately hoping I get to see at least a little of the city while I’m there.” She straightened her jacket and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
I nodded respectfully, but said nothing else. Did this woman understand that we were soldiers? That we were here to work? Thankfully, she boarded the transporter, and Vosh hurried up the ramp after her, gathering the luggage cases and our military packs, stowing everything safely inside the luggage compartments. I kept half an eye on my master, as I always did, but the rest of my attention was focused on Bryce, responding promptly when he ran through the list of checks to be performed on each of the rocket launchers; fast loading ammunition, full range of motion, clean and clear sights, secure and undamaged safety straps. We checked all four guns, while my master spoke to the pilot about the best route to return to Hon. A weather system was moving in off the ocean, meaning we were going to have to divert a little to the west. The good part about that was it took us further from Geshtoch territory. The bad part was that it made the trip longer, and everyone was of the opinion that the less time we spent in the desert, the better.
Finally, we were ready to go, and the four of us put on our suits and strapped ourselves into the gunner seats. “Rotors activated, doors sealed,” the pilot informed us, as the engines ramped up and the transporter started vibrating more vigorously. “Gunners ready?”
“Ready one,” Bryce replied.
“Ready two,” my master said.
“Ready three,” I confirmed, feeling at once light-headed and profoundly calm. This was what I had always loved about combat training; the hyperfocus of achieving a singular goal, the sometimes razor-thin line between life and death that kept my attention fixed firmly in the moment. Perhaps it would have sounded ridiculous to say any of that out loud. But I loved it.
“Ready four,” Vosh said, the final member of our team to check in.
“We are clear for take-off,” the pilot said, and then the transporter was lifting into the air.
The first twenty minutes required nothing in particular of us. We were travelling over the city, and then over the jungle, and the real work wouldn’tstart until we reached the desert. Vosh had mentioned yesterday how much she loved looking out over the city, whenever she got to fly like this, and I was fairly sure my master spent most of his time admiring the view as well. But my attention was fixed on my master. It was fascinating, seeing the difference between him at work and him at home. Here, he was decisive, focused and confident, apparently entirely comfortable in giving me orders, and in receiving orders of his own from Bryce. Back home, though, he was so often hesitant or apologetic for anything he asked of me. I hadn’t known him long, but so far, I hadn’t been able to reconcile the two apparently conflicting sides of him.
Was it ironic that I felt more at ease here as well? I had clear objectives and firm orders to follow, no second guessing about how to behave in social settings – dinners with wayward Associates aside – and the firm knowledge that I was good at my job. For all that we were literally dodging bullets at times, this was the easier part of my life.
