Page 283 of Commander’s Mate

My fingers tightened around the slate.

“From Breskaa?”

“Yes.”

“How many?”

“I do not know.”

“Where?”

“Julconi.”

The word had already become heavy.

“You heard the guards say that?”

“One guard. And one transport worker.”

“Could they have been lying?”

“Yes.”

Not good, but useful.

“What did you see?”

Nera closed her eyes.

I waited.

“Three transports in the last cycle. Maybe more before I was moved to Sector Six. They chose people differently.”

“How?”

“Children sometimes. Skilled workers. Farseek. Anyone who caused problems.”

“Problems?”

Her mouth twisted.

“People who kept trying to organize.”

Of course.

“Were they prisoners or slaves?”

“Both.”

I hated the answer.

“They marked them?”

Nera’s eyes opened.

“Black triangles.”

I entered it.