Page 24 of Warrior’s Mate

"Send it."

Another pause.

"Already doing it."

The connection terminated. Maelis looked at Kaiven.

"You're disobeying the order."

"No."

She lifted a brow.

"I'm not initiating a civilian alert."

"Very careful."

"I am initiating a readiness test."

Understanding came quickly. Maelis moved to the district console before he finished speaking.

"Which shelters?"

"All of them."

"If we call it a test, people will take their time."

"Then don't tell them it's optional."

She glanced over her shoulder. He had already opened the military operations channel.

"Captain Daratu to Wasaytu district emergency services. Begin immediate readiness verification. Staff all designated shelters, medical staging points, and local transport hubs. Bring reserve communications online."

A dispatcher answered, startled. "Captain, regional hasn't issued—"

"This is a district readiness exercise under Brigade authority."

Maelis heard the emphasis in his wording: this was an exercise, a readiness test, anything except the alert or evacuation order neither of them had authorization to give.

Enough to move people into position without violating the literal wording of the order. She almost smiled.

"You do know how civilian systems work," she said.

"Don't spread that rumor."

She began sending activation messages. Shelter supervisors acknowledged, school administrators checked emergency rosters, and medical teams reported to staging areas.

At the agricultural exchange, loaders were told to keep three heavy transports fueled and clear. Nothing about the morning visibly changed. That was the frightening part.

Outside the operations floor, people kept buying fruit, children stayed in lessons, and farmers continued working the fields as if routine itself could hold the day together.

But beneath normal life, Wasaytu began to brace. Maelis pulled up the family registry.

"Why that?"

"If this becomes real, I want current household locations."

"We already have district population records."