[Bel closed their eyes. The conversations of the room were claustrophobic, echoing, a din of nonsense. They were abjectly comfortable.

When they opened again, that boiling anger was back.]

You, pretending to be Admiral Naismith, have stolen the Ariel, Green Squad and myself to a raid on Bharaputra’s main compound to rescue over 40 children.

As of my last memory, we are pinned under heavy fire, shuttle lost, two dead, one salvageable, two grievously injured.