Segura had challenged that. They had questioned the dark rays. And unless someone stepped in, that curiosity and that fire would be stamped out, swept away with whatever other secrets lay dormant out there with the ashes of Argos. Maybe the way to finally win against the dark rays wasn’t through pure might and strength and tech. But through trust and the courage to try.
With Commander Blanche out of the way, her involvement sealed away in photon ink, there was nothing stopping the General from going after Segura, from tying off all the loose ends in the galaxy. He’d won the council. He had the resources and the funding and who knew what else. And where they all came together, Lee was certain would not be all green juice and rainbows. Everything came with a cost—or a risk.
Someone had to warn them.
Someone had to stop him.
And if someone wanted to find answers and find out what they knew, that someone would have to find them before he did. They were running out of time.
“Any questions?” Commander Blanche asked, glancing between them, with ever the air of triumph for who she believed to be her prized cadets. Those set to pave the way and build the bridge for the next year of cadets to follow.
And in those few seconds, Lee considered demanding answers and explaining all he suspected. But it wouldn’t change anything, he would still be right back here. It hadn’t been enough then, it wouldn’t be enough now.
As Commander, she was under direct order by the General of the AMG to stand down. She couldn’t do anything where the people of Segura were concerned.
And as raiders, they would also be required to submit and fall in line.
But while he was a Gamma cadet, while he was just Lee Waters… he might still be able to do something.
Revitalizing the mask on his face as the Commander went into detail on their objective, he accepted the details and logic as they were, knowing his raids with the Academy were numbered.
Commander Blanche let some of her triumph linger even after the appropriate pause for questions. So Lee was expecting some of her directness when she addressed each of them by name.
“Cadets Waters and Hanneman, I wanted to remind you of the approaching Placement deadline. I’m sure you’re aware of this, but on behalf of both myself and the AMG, we eagerly await your applications.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded, and he heard Kat echo a similar sentiment at his side.
“Very well, then. I expect we will hear from you soon.” And with that, she turned to her commanding secretary once more. “Secretary Nolan, if you will.”
Lee very carefully avoided Nolan’s eyes when he glanced between them. Lee wasn’t sure what the Commander’s secretary had intended when he’d sent them those files. But he was fairly certain it wasn’t this.
He was leaving. Of that, Lee was sure.
But sitting next to Kat in the Hideaway while they ran through the usual pre-raid motions, her vanilla-blonde ponytail swaying as she prattled on about how many more times they’d get sent out to the De Myra grouping, Lee had no idea how to bring it up. It had felt like the longest day of Lee’s life. His stomach had long since gone numb to the sparkflies banging around his insides.
Would she see this coming? She had to know where his head was at after the last few weeks, they’d danced around the idea several times. His mouth went dry, his palms sweating as he wiped them yet again on his pants.
He’d made her a promise only yesterday that he wouldn’t ask her to do anything she wasn’t comfortable with. And where she’d just been burned by the Commander, that wound still raw and aching, how could he ask her to do this, to burn yet another bridge and go with him? He was very aware of what he could lose. Of what they stood to lose. The gravity of this latest decision. But he was also very ardently aware that he wasn’tgoing anywhere without her. It was he and Kat and the stars. Always.
Sighing, Lee braced his hands on the table.
“Hey Kat—”
“Lee—” she said at the same time.
He huffed a laugh, as the breathy reprieve ghosted along his ribs. “You first,” he said.
“I was just going to say, I think I’m going to call it an early night. Maybe catch up on some lesson stuff for Neha since we were out yesterday and she’s taking over my cadets tomorrow.”
And he knew that made him a coward for putting it off one more day, but Lee was grateful. He really truly did not want to screw this up when the stakes were already this high.
“I’ll walk you,” he said, climbing to his feet.
“What were you going to say?” Kat asked as they started up through the Heptagon.
“Oh, uh, just that I was thinking I’d squeeze in a workout tonight.”
“That’ll be nice,” Kat said, her face carefully neutral as he stole glances her way.
