‘I exist in a state of both life and death,’ she replied. My eyes were adjusting now, and I could just make out her face. It was bruised and cut, but she did not look pained or fearful. Her eyes were cold and empty as the void.

‘Do you speak of some philosophy? I know little of such things.’

‘No. I literally sit awaiting an impasse between your friend Dolos and military command. Obviously, my punishment should be the remit of my superior officer, but once a planetary governor begins exerting their authority the situation becomes complex.’

‘I take it she has demanded your death?’

‘Yes. I wasn’t sure why at first. After all, I didn’t steal anything from her. Then again, I did pilfer her pet propagandist.’

‘She has tired of me.’

‘Well, you are tiresome,’ she conceded, gaze returning to the ceiling.

‘Are you injured?’

‘Only superficially.’

‘Can you stand?’

‘I imagine so. I could when I arrived, and I don’t think much has changed since then. We’ll find out once dinner turns up. Assuming it does. You should hear the fuss coming out of the kitchen.’

‘The orks are bombing us.’

‘That’s probably why, then,’ she sighed. ‘I did warn them that might happen. But no, apparently I was lying about our attackers, because I didn’t care to admit an ork had bested me. Which is demonstrably false, as my account clearly states that I was defeated by an ork. Granted, he was operating a flying stronghold supported by an aerial armada. And I had the wrong damn plane. Still though, their lack of faith is tiresome.’

‘So, you admit no fault?’

‘I made mistakes. I picked the wrong co-pilot for a start.’

‘You still blame me?’

‘You brought the wrong seer-skull,’ she said. ‘Which is this one, by the way?’

‘Kikazar.’

‘That doesn’t help. What does it do?’

‘Listens.’

‘So, nothing, then?’

‘Why does it matter? Did you have some daring escape planned? One that hinges on a different seer-skull?’

‘No,’ she replied. ‘From the sound of things, I’m better off in the cell. Besides, I have orders.’

‘Orders?’

‘Yes, and I’m supposed to follow them,’ she said. ‘Wing Commander Pros­pherous was clear about that. The whole regiment bore witness to his rant about my failings. It lasted nearly an hour. He kept returning to how I had gone rogue, and that he never suspected I would do something so reckless.’

She smiled, before continuing.

‘Still, he was adamant that my sentence should be postponed, for we had a shortage of pilots and need every fighter in the sky. Dolos held a different view. So, I was ordered to remain in this cell until the matter was resolved.’

As she spoke, a tremor rocked the bunker. Perhaps from a detonating shell.

‘I saw the wing commander laid out in the medical bay,’ I said.

She rolled her eyes. ‘That man is such a shirker.’