CHAPTER 26: LEE
THEIR WORLD was shaken up even more the following week, by another fun reminder that arrived during their morning trainings:
Placement deadlines were coming up.
Yet another parameter to add to the mix. And with that application due date quickly approaching—it was like his options were being funneled into one of those narrow air purification lines that ran throughout the ship. But with nowhere to go, they simply churned round, rehashing the same arguments in his head. He could barely think straight anymore, let alone be trusted to make rational decisions where his future was concerned.
He watched his first year Rads slide through the modicum review he’d set up, covering the concepts from last term with swaggering ease. It had all seemed so straight-forward back then. Back before he’d known all that lay outside the ship. Back before he’d learned there were games and politics involved.
As he’d told Whistler the other day, he’d gotten nowhere with their search on the General. He had no further clues into what he might be up to, or why he’d been after Segura, or how they were supposed to fit into any of this. If he still wanted to fit into any of this…
Only this morning over breakfast, Lee had found reports of that fancy new audit division, AAIR, taking over some imports checkpoint along one of the major star routes. They had certainly been granted some very liberal accessibilities. If Lee didn’t know better, he’d say it sounded eerily similar to the rest of the General’s shadow market activity and monitoring of the energy landscape. But why create a new division for that? What sudden urgency could have arisen to demand such a position be necessary, unless this was also related to Segura’s recent appearance…
Lee shook his head to shake the thought. But that would be much too obsessive, wouldn’t it? General Narron wouldn’t still be after Segura…
He thought about reaching out to Nolan. But that would mean admitting they still questioned the General and the AMG. He didn’t know what sort of red flags that would put on their potential Placement opportunities. No, Nolan had to be a last resort.
Which reminded him. He hadn’t heard back yet on their lab results from their latest raid to De Zolar. They needed to file those soon.
He sent out a quick follow-up before going back to the Commander’s message on Placement deadlines once more. It stared at him. Here she was, hastening them along, as if they could just ignore what was going on right before their faces. As if they could ever go back to the way things were before. As if he wanted to. But then again, Lee wasn’t sure at this point what he wanted.
The alert for the blaster showcase after lunch took over the face of his hyperband. They had the Laser Rounds coming up again, too. Yet one more thing to get behind.
Silencing his notifications, Lee tucked his arms behind his back, settling in for the crawl. And crawl they did, as he ledhis cadets back through layer after layer of basic fundamentals, key concepts they should be able to operate without a second thought. It was a lesson that was useful for his Rads. Drudgingly dull for his older Xs and Ultras. But he couldn’t help it. These were the future of their galaxy. Pretty soon he would be gone and they would be on their own to shape their futures, and decide what to make of them when the ground was pulled out from underneath them. He knew too well how quickly things could change overnight.
“I think my brain has been fried like those chickpeas they served at dinner last night,” Kiara complained as she and Nikola walked out from that last training with Lee.
“I believe technically when the dish is prepared that way it’s called falafel,” Nikola explained.
“I don’t think you realize how hungry I am after that doozy of a lesson. No offense Waters.”
“None taken,” Lee said, already bracing himself for the onslaught of the Canteen as they fell into line alongside a few of the other Gammas.
“Sup, Waters.” They nodded to him as Sean launched into his Placement news.
“Did you guys submit yours yet? I just finished mine this morning, Sector V,” he announced proudly. “Completed the application right before that reminder went out. Mine was probably the one that spurred the Commander.”
Lee rolled his eyes, Flyn seeming to do the same as Marco took the bait with his subtle accent. “I wonder who she’s even waiting on, I submitted mine over a week ago. What about you, Waters? Where did you request Placement?”
“Eh.” Lee pasted a faintly amused expression to his face as he pretended to toy with them.
“We all know where he and Hanneman are headed,” Flyn said, cutting in. “Sector XVII.” He clapped Lee on the back. “I’m applying too, hopefully you save some posts for the rest of us.”
“Right,” Lee said, shooting them a tight grin. He feigned interest as best he could as Marco told them about the post he’d applied for over another of the sectors, some industrial oversight, grateful to give himself over to loading a tray when they reached the food.
Kat was waiting for him when he got to their table with Kiara and Nikola. “Congratulations, Hanneman,” Flyn called after them, splitting off to his own table.
“Should I know what that means?” Kat asked, glancing back behind them.
“Nah. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Commander Kat Hanneman.
That dream wasn’t so far off from where she was sitting. Fearless and uninhibited—provided she didn’t get pulled down too deep in the chaos with the AMG…
She shrugged, snapping up a few of the green bean fries from his tray.
“So I’m guessing you got the reminder about applications today?” she asked when they’d slipped around the other side of the table.
