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"I didn't make questionable decisions," Halver said from beside the wall.

I looked toward him. "You aren't Alex."

"Exactly."

Jade's mouth twitched. I caught it before she could hide it and pointed toward her. "That. Do that."

The amusement vanished, suspicion taking its place. "Do what?"

"Tell me when something bothers you instead of guessing what I'm going to say and working around it."

"I just did."

"Yes."

"And now you're annoyed."

"I am not annoyed with you."

"You keep saying that while sounding annoyed."

Halver turned his head away, his shoulders moving suspiciously. I ignored him and looked back at Jade.

"I have no intention of becoming another person who controls where you go, what you eat, what you do in your own room or whether you're trusted with your own body. That doesn't mean there aren't rules. You're part of Nephrite now, and squad decisions affect everyone. In the field there are moments when somebody needs to make the call quickly. When that's my decision, I'll make it. Everything else belongs to you unless there's an actual reason it can't."

"And who decides what's an actual reason?"

"Sometimes me. Sometimes Janus. Sometimes Citadel law. Sometimes nobody. I'm not promising absolute freedom because that would be nonsense and you know it."

She looked toward the equipment rack for a moment before turning back. I continued before she could find another objection. "If I tell you no, you can ask me why."

"And you'll answer?"

"Yes."

"What if it's classified?"

"I'll tell you it's classified."

"That isn't an answer."

"It will be the answer available."

Her frown deepened, and I nearly laughed. "We're going to argue a lot, aren't we?"

"Probably."

"Fine." I gestured toward her holsters. "Use your knives. If I want training blades for a specific drill, I'll tell you."

"See? That wasn't difficult."

Halver coughed into his fist. I looked at Jade, who managed to keep her expression serious for almost two seconds before the corner of her mouth moved.

"You're going to fit in terribly."

"I've been here one day."

"Exactly."