Page 6 of Warrior’s Mate

"I'm honored."

"Don't be. The current standard is very low."

She turned away before he could answer. Kaiven watched her disappear into the exchange crowd, gray-green tunic swallowed by traders, clerks, families, and workers. His wrist chimed again. This time the message carried a security flag.

MULTIPLE CIVILIAN ROUTING IRREGULARITIES UNDER REVIEW. NO ACTION REQUIRED.

Kaiven read it once. Then he opened the raw traffic log instead of dismissing it.

Chapter 2 — The Officer and the Registrar

Maelis expected the captain to disappear after lunch. Officers often did. They arrived in civilian facilities with crisp objectives and limited time, identified whichever procedural defect matched the language of their assignment, and returned to command with a report that made the problem look appropriately manageable.

Captain Kaiven Daratu came back carrying two field tablets, a portable signal reader, and a bag of sweet rolls from Nemi's bakery. Maelis stared at the bag.

"Is that bribery?"

"Fuel."

"For whom?"

"I haven't decided."

He placed the bag on her desk and set one of the tablets beside it.

"Your northern service route is approved for provisional emergency use."

Maelis forgot the sweet rolls.

"Already?"

"Don't sound so disappointed."

"I'm suspicious."

"That seems to be your natural condition."

She picked up the tablet. His approval wasn't superficial. He had attached load tests, turning-clearance measurements, bridge capacities, and a temporary override authorizing Civil Defense software to recognize the route even though the Public Works database still categorized part of it as agricultural access. He had also flagged two points she had missed.

Maelis looked up.

"The west culvert."

"Your school evacuation stream crosses it."

"Only on foot."

"It's structurally adequate for foot traffic, but if families panic and bring personal haulers—"

"They'll overload the approach."

"Exactly."

She zoomed into the map. He had added a recommendation for collapsible barriers that could block vehicle access without interfering with pedestrians.

"That's good," she said.

Kaiven leaned one hip against the desk. "You sound surprised again."