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She carried her weapon at the ready, rather than slung over her back. He did understand. His hands kept going to the hilt of his rahir or for the stock of his draagves, but he forced himself to leave them sheathed and at rest. There was no danger here.

“I do understand,” Khoth gentled his voice.

Her eyes flickered over to him. “Gods, Khoth, if you’re speaking to me like I’m Chili, I must be a mess.”

“You are a mess,” he agreed, which had her letting out a bright laugh.

She continued to laugh. In fact, she laughed so hard that she started crying. As what he had said was not that funny, he realized that it was stress. He stepped towards her and awkwardly opened his arms. For one moment, she embraced him and allowed him to embrace her. But then she was stepping back and waving him off.

She wiped tears from her cheeks. “I was gone over by one of those bots that decontaminated me, but I still feel… you know? I don’t want to touch anyone until I’m cleaned up. Which means chemical showers at very high temperatures.”

“Yes, but Jace assured me that we are clean already.”

“Yeah, I know we are. I trust him with my life. With everything.” She looked over at where Jace lay, sleeping. “Poor guy. So much on his shoulders and he can’t even trust his own body not to give out on him.”

“He has had this issue all his life,” Khoth said, but he agreed with her. It was another burden.

After she had left, Davies had come in.

Davies had explained, “I know the Pilot wants everybody to feel things are hunky dory here, and that’s fine, but I want our armor and weapons. Lots and lots of weapons. We don’t go anywhere again without being fully suited up.”

Khoth had not disagreed. “Yes, Lieutenant-Commander, I am in full agreement with your assessment.”

“So I’m going back up to the Osiris to get our stuff. Also, Dr. Hayter needs some TLC and my understanding is that the Osiris has some requirements for things that need to be brought here for the Pilot.” Davies had flashed a surprising smile as he’d added, “I guess if Mohammed won’t go to the mountain, the mountain will come to Mohammed.”

“I believe I understand that saying,” Khoth responded. “The Pilot is intent that nothing in our plans change because of the Khul attack.”

Davies nodded, chewing his right cheek as he clearly thought about this. “But everything’s changed. It was one thing when Jace could show them all those pretty powers, but another thing altogether when he uses them for a cause that affects them. We’ve got the upper hand, Commander. We just saved the Alliance. Anyone who goes up against us… well, they’ll have their work cut out for them.”

“They will indeed.” Khoth nodded.

“What’s this about Gehenna being missing? We haven’t lost the murderball forever, have we?” Davies asked.

“Murder… no, Jace believes she had time to transfer her consciousness to some of the old tech below us,” Khoth explained.

“You mean the stuff the Osiris can’t access and makes the Pilot sick just being around? Oh, and that the Khul were interested in?” Davies’ eyebrows lifted with every sentence he made.

“Yes, it does indeed appear that all of these things are linked,” Khoth said.

Davies nodded. “Well, if I know the Pilot, and I’m beginning to, I’m sure he’ll get it sorted after he wakes up and has a shower. Permission to be dismissed, sir?”

“Permission granted.” Khoth watched him turn to leave the bedroom, but called him at the door, “Lieutenant-Commander!”

Davies turned around. “Yes, sir?”

“I thought you would like to know that… General Intoshkin and the rest of the crew of the human contingent survived the battle.”

Davies blinked slowly then nodded. “That’s good to hear. I’m sure that they acquitted themselves well. But all eyes are on us. I hope they stay out of the fray from now on.”

Khoth inclined his head. “Indeed.”

Davies had then disappeared out of the door. Khoth wondered at himself for saying what he had. Was he warning Davies that he knew he was a spy? Or was he simply relieving the man’s likely concern for a superior officer? Yet Davies had not seemed either alarmed or relieved. Just focused on their mission as if it was all there was. Davies had behaved valiantly on Haseon. He had exceeded any of Khoth’s expectations and they had not been low.

Maybe I am disappointed to think that someone such as him would not be on the Pilot’s side completely, Khoth realized.

Khoth was not left alone long in his vigil over Jace. He had just taken the young man’s right hand in his, stroking the soft skin on the back of it, when there was a soft chime. It was his mother and father. They were standing about three feet from one another, evidently having come from different locations in the Compound, but somehow had ended up here at the same time. He sighed, but allowed them in. He gestured for them both to join him outside in the garden. Already, he wondered that Jace had slept through so many interruptions. He did not wish a family argument to occur in front of Jace, sleeping or not.

There was a sitting area near a bubbling stream that was sheltered from direct sunlight by the gracious, spreading limbs of a golden koiu tree with dark red leaves. The three of them sat almost in unison. None of them relaxed against the chairs, but sat bolt upright and none of them met each other’s eye directly.