“Enough.” Harbin glanced between the men. “None of you want to do this mission, but that is not your choice. You will—”
“I do.” Jedriek, the largest of them all, crossed his arms, and in his armor, he looked like a monstrous beast, even for Rhimodian standards.
Harbin sighed. “You always want to, Jedriek.”
Jedriek smiled.
Wrathin shivered because Jedriek’s smiles were almost as scary as his frowns.
“This mission will not be exciting. But it is important. We are doing it. Every one of you will make sure the Ambassador gets to Sol-3 so that negotiations can begin.”
“Connect,” Harbin said.
Wrathin turned and touched a port behind him. The lysteel in his gauntlets formed thread-like tentacles that connected into the port’s systems.
Instantly, details of the mission parameters were updated via Master System. It included extra details about arrival plans and where the ambassadors needed to be taken.
Like a head rush, it installed instantly.
And calmed the adrenalin as well.
He released the port. The lines from his gauntlet disconnected, sliding back into the metal from where it came.
Wrathin noticed that everyone else pulled away, and all faced each other. The fight that had been on Kian’s face was gone as well.
It was foolish to engage him.
This was not the time for such behavior.
“Coded and locked,” Harbin said.
Their leader held out his hand, palm down.
Wrathin held out his own hand, palm down, his pinky touching Harbin’s thumb. Kian did the same, until they all made a circle, finger to thumb, like a cog.
“Three. Two. One,” Harbin said.
“Execute,” they all said.
The simple chant was something Wrathin said before any mission. They all did.
And no matter how he felt, the words were just enough to move him forward.
And get him where he needed to be.
He stepped to the door of his air pod, and before entering, he glanced at Kian. “Sorry.”
Kian waved his hand. “Forgotten.”
“To the next,” Wrathin said.
Kian nodded. “To the next.”
Wrathin stepped into his ship to launch for the escort.
