Since Xiao knew little outside of his orders to hit the Federation supply depot, his interrogations were short and polite before he was flown out to this place. He knew it was about a week and a half flight aboard the Prowler before he'd been transferred to an orbital platform, and then to the surface where he'd been cooling his heels in a cell ever since. Along with Wolfe, he'd seen a woman he recognized and had spent the last forty minutes since the admiral had left trying to remember where he'd seen her.

"Xiao! Chow time!" the slovenly jailer announced as an orderly followed behind him with a cart. The food they were given was actually quite good. To be honest, the rations the prisoners were fed in a Federation political prison were a step above the food the enlisted crews aboard Alliance ships got.

"Chief Evers. A pleasure, as always."

"You know the drill, Admiral," Chief Petty Officer Evers said. "Back up to the red circles and put your hands over your head."

Xiao backed up to the red circles on the floor and put his hands up, touching the wall. The powerful electromagnets engaged, and the steel bracelets on his wrist smacked into the wall with an audible clink. He had steel cuffs on each wrist, his ankles, and a belt made of the same metal. They could remotely activate different magnets throughout his cell to restrain him. When he'd first been brought in, they warned him a full-power hit would slam the cuffs to the floor with enough force to break bones if he wasn't ready for it.

"What is on the menu today, Chief?"

"Chicken and pasta," Evers said. "It's not bad."

"I saw a new arrival came in today. Must be someone very important for Admiral Wolfe himself to deliver her."

"You saw that?" Evers asked, poking about the cell as the orderly put the food on the table and left. "Smug, arrogant-ass Earther. I've been running this brig for eleven years, and he comes down here, talking to me like I'm some kind of child. Like I'm one of his shipboard lackeys who jumps when he barks."

"It is the nature of admirals to be arrogant," Xiao said.

"Eh, you're all right," Evers said. "No idea who the girl is, though. Wolfe seemed half-afraid of her. Said she's killed a bunch of people, and that she's some sort of badass operative. I have my doubts. If she was so badass, they wouldn't have brought her here. She'd have been sent to the Fleet supermax on DeLonges."

"Who do you think she is then?"

"Who the hell knows. Probably some fling he had that became inconvenient," Evers said. "I've seen some wild shit since I started working here. Anyway, I better go feed her before she wastes away."

"Enjoy your day, Chief Petty Officer."

Evers nodded at him and walked out of the cell. The door hisses closed, and the magnets released his wrists a moment later. Xiao contemplated what Evers had said as he ate his food with mechanical efficiency, barely tasting it. The man was a disgusting pig. Unprofessional, lazy, and too stupid to understand Xiao's friendliness did not make them friends. A few kind platitudes and Evers was giving up OPSEC details about the facility like they were old drinking buddies.