“No, ma’am.”

“Very well.” She glanced at the ship’s chronometer. “According to Captain Abibi’s calculations, Turalon is currently about thirty-six hours from achieving a standard orbit over Donovan. From your record, I see that you are familiar with a maneuver called a ‘hot pre-orbital insertion.’”

“Ma’am,” Creamer was doing all he could to keep from squirming. “For the record, you should know that my team has been in transit for the last year and seven months. We’ll need time to get our equipment—”

“Excuse me?” Kalico leaned forward, narrowing an eye. “You have been in space for a year and seven months, preparing to enter a star system that might be in God-knows-what circumstances, for which you have no information regarding the status of its people, and you haven’t even got your equipment online? Is that what you’re telling me?”

Creamer went bolt upright. “Ma’am, I—”

“You will address me as Board Supervisor, Colonel. And, starting this instant, you will jump your lazy ass into the harness. Even Captain Max Taggart was ready for a hot pre-orbital insertion on arrival at Donovan, and he was supposed to be dead weight.”

She glanced at the clock again. “You have four hours to have your teams on shuttles and deployed for a hot insertion. You will receive the coordinates for a team of nine marines under your command to insert within ten kilometers of Port Authority. Once dirtside, you will be under the instructional command of Corporal Mohammed Abu Sassi for survival training. An additional ten of your marines, under Lieutenant Tomolo, will be inserted at the smelter complex at Corporate Mine. There, they will be placed under the operative command of Private Dina Michegan for instruction in forest survival. The final team of ten, under the command of Corporal Tran, will set down at Southern Diggings, and, under the command of Private Briah Muldare, will reinforce the security force there. All three shuttles will dust off, rendezvousing with Turalon at the same time she achieves orbit.”

“Excuse me, Corporate Supervisor? You want to place my officers under the command of—”

“Under the command of Donovanian veterans for survival training, Colonel,” Kalico snapped. “Or are you familiar with the best way to kill scimitars and how to avoid nightmares? Let alone where slugs lurk?”

“No, ma—er. Corporate Supervisor.” He seemed to be having trouble swallowing.

“Further,” Kalico continued, “all personnel will be armored, equipped, and rationed for a ten-day deployment with all necessary tech and support. Especially the team under Corporal Abu Sassi’s command that inserts ten kicks from PA. And, Colonel, pay attention here: The bush surrounding PA is hostile territory. We’re on quetzal alert here. Everything out there will kill you and your people.” She pointed a scarred finger his way. “So I recommend that you pay very close attention to everything Abu Sassi tells you.”

“Ma’am, I—”

“Board Supervisor.”