He’d better hurry up and get a message to Governor Oma on Archer Link, since Lights knew how long a message would take to get out of chaotic space. They wouldn’t let him contact Archer Link’s networks directly, but if he could use his civilian identity and get to a relay point, he might be able to get something through. “Hey, who’s on comms duty? My aunt said she’d message me, and I want to pick it up.”

“Oh,” Basavi said. From her great height, her expression softened in a way that made Tennal feel like he’d just accidentally played the pity card. “I am. Stara, you could put him on shift with me later.”

Istara threw up their hands. “He’s the fleet reader, not a stray puppy,” they said. “You’re going soft again.”

“It’s not soft to want to hear from your family,” Basavi said defensively. Damn it, now Tennal owed her as well. He had enough on his hands with one do-gooder.

“Ugh, all right, all right,” Istara said. Tennal was still getting a feel for how the unit worked, but ranker, first-class seemed to mean Istara and Basavi acted as deputies for Surit, and Istara certainly seemed to have access to the duty roster. “Fine, you’re on comms for the afternoon shift, Halkana. Lights. Fuck off and get me a coffee. Get everyone else one while you’re at it.”

By no means unsatisfied with this outcome, Tennal got up and stretched, just as Surit stepped through the airlock and saluted the room. Istara and Basavi scrambled to their feet with the rest of the rankers, and Tennal had another opportunity to practice his salute. He reflected that anyone who had known him up until one month ago would be laughing themself sick right now.

“You knew the lieutenant before, right?” Istara said under their breath, as they all settled down again. Surit took the lieutenant’s workstation overseeing the room, earnestly greeting a technician who opened three light-screens in front of him. “What’s he like?”

Tennal glanced over at Istara. There was still suspicion there: the soldiers of Retrieval Two had been temporarily brought into line yesterday but still hadn’t decided what to make of the new lieutenant. Tennal rolled several answers around in his head. He didn’t feel guilty, as such, that Surit was going to deal with the fallout from Tennal’s escape, but it did infuriate him that the army seemed not to realize they had Surit working for them. It was just such a waste. Surit could at least be properly in charge of his own unit. “Oh, didn’t I mention?” Tennal said. “He’s my aunt’s handpicked choice. Top scores in everything. He fixed an air leak in her shuttle when she visited the academy. Got a commendation.”