Page 22 of Warrior’s Mate

Maelis understood the discipline in that breath. He was not trying to dismiss her. He was trying to keep the officer inside him from making a decision faster than the evidence allowed.

That distinction mattered. It also infuriated her.

"Kaiven."

It was the first time she had used his given name. His eyes met hers. She had expected the intimacy of it to feel strange after what had happened between them at the signal station. Instead it felt inevitable, which was more dangerous.

"What if this is the warning?" she asked.

His jaw tightened.

"What if the thing everyone says can't happen to Farseek is already happening, and we're waiting for permission to notice?"

He turned away and looked through the station window. Wasaytu spread beneath the morning light.

A pair of school transports crossed the bridge over the southern canal. Market awnings snapped in a mild breeze. On the distant hills, harvest machines moved through grain in patient lines.

He had spent his life defending places like this. Maybe that was why the possibility of danger here seemed obscene. Maelis knew the feeling. She simply had less faith that obscenity prevented reality. Kaiven touched the field terminal and opened a secure channel.

"Who are you calling?"

"Someone who'll answer the question I actually ask."

The connection took several attempts. Finally a man's voice came through, roughened by interference.

"Daratu?"

"Hessantu. I need theater-level routing status."

"You're supposed to be doing district readiness."

"I am."

A pause.

"That sounded unpleasant."

"Traffic is being diverted through defense relays. Regional says maintain routine operations."

For a moment there was only silence—not confusion or dismissal, but the kind that made Kaiven's posture change before either of them said another word.

"Hessantu."

"I'm here."

"What aren't they telling us?"

The response came broken by static.

"...orders... not local..."

"Repeat."

"...main Brigade units still committed off-world. There was a security advisory overnight. Nothing confirmed."

"What kind of advisory?"

"Possible Sargan movement."