“Sergeant Zhang, please begin your oratory.”

Chieftain General Smyrna’s words brought the meeting to order as the assembled officers of Task Force Nemesis stopped their private chattering and quietened down.

Christie watched from her position in a back seat as her boss lit up the conference room’s holo-projector with a three-dimensional map of the city of Rackeye.

“It appears that our contact on Caldera,” Zhang said, “Mr. Jack Fenway, recently came into possession of information regarding the movement of several top secret VennZech shipping containers into Rackeye’s starport. According to the source, this took place three weeks ago, and neatly lines up with the date of Rayker’s escape from site Delta-Three-Alpha. Comparing his estimates with the capacity of the assembly plant we found, we have very strong reason to believe that Rayker has moved her new war-machines onto Calderan soil.”

There was a hushed silence around the room.

“And the source for this information?” Smyrna asked.

“A member of a private investigation group currently pursuing VennZech’s human trafficking activities,” Zhang said. “Apparently this individual had some historical connection with our contact, and thought he might be able to benefit from stirring up trouble amongst the locals.”

Colonel Haft, commander of the Mountain Rangers battalion, chuckled. “I can’t imagine it would be difficult to set them off, given the state of affairs down there.”

Zhang tapped a button and a series of documents appeared on the display. “We did manage to corroborate his information by accessing confidential files in the starport’s data center.”

Haft smiled in bemusement. “How’d you pull that off?”

“One of my team was already on location at that time, and was able to improvise.”

Christie wrinkled her nose. That was likely all the credit she was going to receive for pulling off the most difficult data breach in her career. The shrill laugh of the center chief still rang in her ears—an elderly woman in dire need of a cat. And the wig had made her scalp itchy for days afterwards. To cap it off, Moiray had driven back in a huff since their weekend break had been cut short. And the absolute worst part of it all had been Kayla and Thandi’s completely blank expressions as the conversations and plans had played out. As though they were completely above the whole affair. The stubborn brats hadn’t even had the decency to gloat.

“What’s this about a terrorist attack on the facility?” Captain Nazli, the Raider squadron commander demanded. “According to Rackeye news, it happened in the same time frame.”

“Yes, I have the report here,” Zhang replied, “Though it seems to have been marked as non-significant.” She turned in her chair. “Stirling, why is that?”

Christie leaned forward. “The incident was attributed to cartel friction within the port services,” she said, impressed that her voice didn’t even break. “We think it was the inciting factor for the source to come forward, though not technically relevant to VennZech’s activities.”

“Oh yes, right,” Zhang said.

They had all been so overloaded with potential leads over the past two days that nobody in the group had been unhappy when Christie had volunteered to run it down herself.

“Thus, we must come to face the inevitable, and long ignored contingency of Jotnar weapons among a civilian population,” Smyrna explained. “No doubt we shall all be blamed by the council of chiefs—a condemnation that will only be expunged with total success in resolving this catastrophe. Let us therefore begin.”

Haft sneered. “I just want to go on record that the council itself is to blame for assigning so few assets to the task force. Rayker has gone unchallenged for far too long. She’s an obviously enhanced individual with a personal connection to incredibly powerful backers we don’t understand. She pulled the Caldera facility out of her ass, and this plant on Delta-Three-Alpha. Completely unmapped locations that we knew nothing about, even though the database for human adjacent space was supposed to be complete. And the rocket artillery on Ambrosia? We are so for behind the curve she’s about to lap us.”

“The concern was passed along, Colonel,” Smyrna said delicately.

“They don’t know what the hell they’re doing. Thousands of years of experience and they think that a reinforced Ranger company is going to resolve this? It’s bullshit—with all due respect, General.”

“What would you have asked for?” Captain Nazli asked with a curious smile.

“Everyone. Every deployable battalion, every ship, every aircraft for a full-scale invasion of the planet under total communications blackout.”

“And how would the galaxy react to such a startling development?” Smyrna asked idly.

Haft raised her hands. “Who cares? Let them make up conspiracy theories. There won’t be any evidence and they can spin themselves into a tizzy with rumors and make believe into the next century for all I care. And then, the council will have the breathing room it needs to actually start planning how they are going to deal with stuff like this when—not if, but when—it happens again.”

“I see,” Smyrna said patiently. “Unfortunately, the council is understandably hesitant to disturb the socio-political assumptions that human civilization is founded upon, and are not yet to be dissuaded. We must continue with our task to the best of our ability.”

“This pot is going to boil over eventually. All I’m saying is that as long as we are kicking the can down the road, women will die unnecessarily, and the situation will get worse. That’s what pussyfooting around gets you.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Duly-noted, Colonel. If you would now adjust your focus?”

“Red squadron has a full contingency plan developed for this kind of situation,” Nazli interjected. “Once the location of these weapon systems can be established, teams of vehicle patrols in civilian attire can attack multiple locations simultaneously. We have small scale nanitic charges that can reduce them to dust.” She smiled. “Assuming they aren’t active, obviously.”

“Do we have enough Raiders and ODTs for that?” Haft demanded.

Nazli raised her eyebrows. “I think Bravo company can be trained to operate and support such an assault in the same capacity. What do you think, Colonel?”

The woman’s expression lightened slightly. “I guess we can make that work. Give us a couple of weeks of crash course training.”

“In the meantime, Sergeant Zhang,” Smyrna continued, “can I assume plans are in place to insert your agents into Rackeye?”

“Absolutely,” Zhang replied.

Christie let her mind wander. Perhaps the relationship with Moiray would be reparable if she was going to be in the city for an extended stay.

“But you’re not actually going down there?” Kayla demanded, as they walked together through the grounds of Tyr’s central hospital.

“Of course not,” Christie said in exasperation. “I am not going anywhere, or doing anything of any use to the organization, ever. I am to stay at home with my knitting and copious supplies of wine and ice cream. Heaven forbid I contravene the orders of a Ranger lance-corporal.”

“But Rayker has seen you. She knows you’re bad news. If you run into her—”

“If, hypothetically, I found myself in the city of Rackeye, I should think the chances of running into any one individual, particularly one who is trying to keep a low profile, should be around the same as being killed in a traffic accident. Though, of course, this conversation is irrelevant, because the particular activities of my unit are none of your business.”

Kayla huffed in annoyance. It seemed to fly in the face of common sense that anyone would take such a risk. She was beginning to see suggestions of the reckless air in Christie she had seen in other Valkyrie, including herself. But of course, she was just a Ranger, so what did she know?

“You can be a smart ass all you like, but I don’t see how anyone is served by you putting yourself in unnecessary danger,” Kayla said forcefully.

Christie stopped and faced her friend. At first, she seemed like she might double down on her condescending rebuttals, but her expression softened. “I appreciate your concern, of course. But don’t you think that’s hypocritical? You wouldn’t have said that the same to Yak, would you?”

Kayla’s brow scrunched in confusion. “That’s completely different.”

“How so?”

“I mean, I don’t know exactly, but it is.”

Ahead of them, Thandi emerged from the main lobby of the hospital with a kit bag, a post-workout glow, and a gleaming smile.

“Cleared for active duty,” she said. “Legs as good as new. These nanites are such a blessing.”

They continued into the depths of the hospital until they came to Yak’s room. When Kayla stepped inside, she stopped dead, while Thandi and Christie, caught by surprise, walked into her back.

Yak was still unconscious, lying in her bed in the center of the room, while machines beeped around her. Alone in a chair sat Birgit Voigt—the Ranger who had shot Yak and Thandi. She was curled up with her head down as though she had been sleeping, but her head shot up when Kayla entered. Her eyes were red rimmed, and her hair was a tangled mess.

“Hey, Birgit,” Kayla said, and pushed deeper into the room as the others nervously followed her.

“Uh… hey,” Birgit said, and pulled out her phone to check the screen. “Oh, I should be probably going.”

“You can stay if you want,” Kayla said as sensitively as she could manage.

“Um… well I don’t want to… uh…”

For a moment, the distraught young woman looked like she was going to cry.

Thandi swept over to her with a warm smile and clasped her hands. “I want you to know I’ve been praying for you Birgit,” she said. “For your well-being and your spirit. I didn’t want you to leave the battalion. I know you are going through a lot.”

Birgit turned bright red. “I’m going through a lot? Thandi I… I should be in prison, I should be kicked out, not getting a transfer. I shot you. I nearly killed Yak.”

“Nonsense child,” Thandi said soothingly. “Look at the poor dear. In bad shape, yes, but recovering. Soon she will be awake to tell you that she forgives you, as I have.”

Birgit stared at her in confusion. “Do you really believe that?”

“I do. I believe it with all my heart. Yak is a strong woman, and she wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

Kayla approached the still body on the bed and squeezed her arm. She didn’t really know how to handle the pain her fellow Ranger was going through, and thought it was probably best not to say anything. Birgit had returned the fire that she had ordered Yak to give. Kayla herself had fired several rounds at their position, though none of them had hit anything. As far as she was concerned, it was her fault, and she had taken to making herself run an extra ten miles into the mountains every day, to remind herself to identify targets before shooting. But that was her.

Birgit, however, looked inconsolable, even despite Thandi and Christie’s reassuring comments. It was different, Kayla imagined, to have fired the shot that could have killed one of your friends.

“Where are you going next?” Christie asked. “Desert battalion, I imagine?”

It was another of the elite units in the Rangers, coveted by those that wanted a tougher fight than most other girls.

Birgit shook her head. “No. I’m getting out. Leaving Valkyrie. I don’t… I can’t do it anymore.”

“But that’s nonsense,” Christie complained. “Everyone knows you are a great Ranger.”

She glanced encouragingly at Kayla, who only nodded quietly.

“Didn’t you only have a year left?” Thandi asked. “Then you can do whatever you want in the organization.”

Birgit turned away with a hand to her forehead and didn’t acknowledge the question.

Kayla wanted to talk to her and find the key that would unlock her confidence, so that she could once again accept herself as a valued soldier. She wanted to help her understand that, although she had severely screwed up, she was only human. That the cost of war meant confronting mistakes as much as enemy ammunition.

But there was something else in the woman’s posture and look. She was hunching and shying away from them. In place of the confident and proud body language of most Valkyrie, Birgit was closing herself off. Wild, daring eyes had gone dim. She looked hunted, or even wounded. She looked a lot like the girls Kayla and Thandi had pulled out of the Rackeye starport. A soul preferring to hide, instead of striding forward.

Kayla thought back to Jess. Her early nervousness had started to fade, and the new girl had returned to Tyr with the buoyant confidence of a woman who believed she would live forever. Although the hero worship had been somewhat hidden away, replaced by a more focused attitude, she still wore the determined expression of one who would do anything to impress her peers.

Once upon a time, Birgit had been that young Ranger. Now her joy had been crushed, as her mind battled against pain like a dying star fighting gravity.

Kayla fingered her necklace. She stepped around the bed, took Birgit her in her arms and hugged her as tightly as she could.

“We’ll be a lesser unit without you,” she said somberly. “I hope you find yourself again, wherever you go.”

“Thank you,” Birgit said as she sniffed back tears.

She said goodbye to the others and left the room.

“I thought you would try to argue with her,” Christie noted curiously.

“Everyone’s cup has a limit,” Kayla said. “Hers was full.”

She left the words hanging in the air as she turned back to Yak. The molten coals that had sat permanently in her stomach since her father died began to glow again. There seemed to be no end to the ways her friends could get hurt. Running off to save people in crisis was all well and good. But if she could find a way to stop the problem before it even developed, that would work better.