Page 98 of Aviatrix

“There won’t be any problems in the field, Sasha,” Eli says, rolling his eyes.

“Especially since Kinley is engaged to Colonel Jones,” someone pipes up. A red-headed woman I’ve seen once or twice before.

Sasha’s eyes widen. “You’re engaged? Does Major Kopelman know this?”

“Was engaged,” I correct, my gaze drifting to Lark as he runs a hand over his face. “Not anymore. Now, are we starting this briefing, or are you planning to argue with my ex-fiancé all day? Some of us actually have work to do.”

“Watch your tone, Captain,” Sasha snaps, arching a stern brow. “Or you’ll be dismissed.”

“Please, please dismiss me,” I quietly beg.

“She’s right,” Lark cuts in. “We’ve wasted an hour bickering over who’s in charge. I’m lead on Alien Warfare, Miss Ivanov. Either take your seat, or you’ll be the one dismissed.”

I exhale, annoyed. I don’t need Lark to defend me. I don’t need him to agree. I just need him to wrap this up so I can start hunting for the Legion.

I’m not exactly sure where to begin, but I plan to start with Walker—Calvin Shoemaker. I want to know who he is, how long he served, and every single person he’s been in contact with. Maybe he’s a kook now, but he once ran Langdon, and that’s no small thing. You don’t get put in charge of a secret air station without one hell of a résumé.

“Our goal today is to establish—” Lark begins.

“Discuss,” Sasha corrects as the Colonel’s jaw tightens.

“—a plan of attack,” he continues, undeterred, as a map lights up the screen behind him. “We have four primary ships stationed over major cities—”

“Los Angeles, Seattle, Miami, and D.C.,” Sasha interjects with a cunning smile.

“Space Command is working on getting teams up in the air to examine the ships as we speak,” Lark says. “We’re evaluating their ports of entry, weapons capabilities, and the materials they’re constructed from.”

“Tachylite,” Sasha adds.

“What?” Lark’s head snaps toward her.

“We believe the ships are composed of something similar to tachylite—volcanic glass,” she explains, standing as she speaks. She gestures to D.C. on the map. “This is the vessel we’re most interested in. It’s slightly different from the others. Larger. It appears to shift shape.”

Shift? Like the crafts that obliterated Langdon? Like the one taken to the Pentagon?

I raise my hand. Sasha sighs, clearly irritated. “Yes, Kinley?”

“What happened to the ship recovered at Langdon?” I ask.

“That’s above your clearance, Captain,” she replies with a smug grin.

“Is that ship also made of tachylite-like substrate?” I push. “Have you opened it? Do you know what’s inside?”

“Once again, Captain, that’s above your pay grade.”

“If we’re meant to be establishing—sorry, discussing—a plan of attack, shouldn’t everyone here know what happened to the ship? Especially if someone in this very room helped bring it down?”

“Yeah,” Thea chimes in. “I was one of the two pilots who shot it down. If anyone’s earned the right to know, it’s me.”

Lark’s smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. He’s enjoying this.

Sasha exhales, clearly annoyed. “We’ll update when we know more.”

“So… you don’t know?” Eli presses. “You don’t know what’s in the ship, what it’s made of, or how it operates?”

“We know it’s made of—”

“Tachylite-like substrate,” I say. “But it shape-shifts. Pulses. It’s not just some hunk of metal. It’s breathing. Living.”