Zane also relinquished some of the tension in his arms and shoulders as he rolled them back a few times.
“Maybe it should be,” Zane said quietly. “I think you’re aware of just who we’re dealing with and how much power he wields.”
“We can shoulder it.”
“Can we?” Zane asked, his challenge a reminder of the stormy look he’d given Lee in the Laser Rounds, and outside the Command wing that day. And the promise Lee had made to Kat.
“We got off easy. I know we made a choice out there,” Zane said. “But General Narron has had this scripted from the beginning. Not even Commander Blanche, I think, fully saw this coming. He was never going to allow Segura to exist; one way or other, that ship had to go. In helping them escape, we played right into his hands. And now he’s got that ground to stand on for whatever comes next.”
And for some reason, Lee had a feeling he really didn’t want to know what these plans entailed. But he couldn’t deny thesudden rage that built up every time he pictured the look on the General’s face. The desire to fight all over again.
“It doesn’t matter what else we want right now, or what we wish had happened with Segura,” Zane said. “If we want to be here, we’ve got to play it safe. We can’t afford to draw any more attention.”
On the topic of not drawing attention, though… “How’s Neha handling the raid restrictions?” Lee asked. Kat had been with him through all of this, so they were on the same page. But for those like Whistler and Zane whose squadron leads hadn’t been on their raid…
“We’re dealing with it.” Zane frowned. But then he shrugged. The casualness and implication of the she’ll-get-over-it gesture was enough to make Lee chuckle.
“How’s Kat?” Zane countered with a smirk.
It was Lee’s turn to shrug, but he let some of the feral, fanged creature bare its teeth as he cut back. “We’re dealing with it.”
“You haven’t done her yet.”
“Piss off.”
Zane was laughing as Lee shot him the finger on his way out of the training room. No one did her dirty and got the last word.
Kat was already in the Canteen by the time Lee showered and headed down for a late breakfast.
To be sitting down at their table again was one thing, but to see her down herelaughingand seeming to genuinely enjoy herself? Her eyes sparkled, her vanilla-blonde hair shimmeringas she said something to Whistler and the dark-haired cadet beside him.
Lee allowed himself a quick look before carrying his tray over. He nodded to Kiara and Kamata as he slid into the seat alongside Kat.
“Hey you,” he said.
She beamed up at him. “I did it,” she sang, her warmth seeping into his side as she leaned into him almost subconsciously. “Day two, and I’m officially over my fear.”
“So I see. Very nice,” he said softly into her ear, enjoying the way she melted further into him with the sensation. It probably helped, too, having her friends here with her again.
He peered past the cadet by Whistler, to the tables nearest them. Lee had to admit, the twins had done well with their little alligator rumor. Even sitting here with some of their former squadron and three of the four squadron leads who’d been out that week, he didn’t hear any odd whisperings—not unless he counted some of the IRs in their little cluster next door. Apparently space alligators really loved power drinks.
He snorted, Kat peering up at him curiously.
“It’s nothing,” he said, giving her a smile. Give it a day. A half-day. Word of their doings with the raid would eventually circulate. But its delay had gotten Kat back into the Canteen, so he was taking that small victory for what it was.
His gaze lingered again on Kat, her lithe shoulders bouncing as she rejoined the current conversation, boasting of their skill climbing at the Wall. She would be fine; she was strong.
“Hey Waters, you haven’t said much over there. I know Kat says you’ve got some moves. But you sure you can handle our style of climbing?” Kamata called over the table.
Lee picked up the fork from his tray, twirling it between his fingers as he met Kat’s glittering eyes. “I think I’ll manage.”
The crew had gone before with Kat. But they hadn’t gone with Lee. It was a good thing his hands were itching for a scale.
The moment their plates were clean, he was being ushered back across the skywalk and into the training levels. Apparentlysomeonehad talked him up like nobody’s business.
It had been a minute since he’d been in here, but his hands remembered, a jolt of adrenaline shooting down through his fingers as they curled around the pocket-sized route controller. He toggled down the difficulty levels, flicking through several different routes until he found the one he’d been searching for.
Freestyle – Cragmonster
