After all, she was the leader of the unit and therefore the responsibility of the mission ultimately lay with her. Suspension? Incarceration? Death?
She shivered at the last thought. Would it come down to that final of all punishments? Would she fight the sentence? Would it matter if she did? She checked her chronometer several times and wished it was all over, one way or the other.
She pushed off from the wall and traversed the final few yards to the front door. She touched her temple to clear the lens for scanning. The door slid silently aside. She took a deep breath and stepped across the portal to her future.
She felt a coldness in the room, and it wasn’t from the air. Corman and his two cohorts had already arrived, and by the frigid reception she got, they had already convinced the others that this disaster was all her fault.
Tarris was content to occupy one corner. She leaned against the wall so she could face all her enemies at once. One of the younger members approached her and took his place alongside her.
“How are you feeling today, Shark?” The question was more one of courtesy than one of concern. She knew exactly how he felt.
“Like shit,” he muttered. The others were studying the two of them keenly.
“Happens.”
“Does it get any easier?”
“Not really, no.” She smiled as his head dropped. “But it doesn’t come as a shock anymore. You just learn to be more careful.” Her pale eyes caught his. At least he had the good sense to feel berated. “Now you know.”
“Yeah, now I know.”
She remembered the first time Rya was blinded. It felt like her insides had been ripped out. Terror flowed through her tired body like a tide, the missing entity leaving a hollowness that threatened to swallow her whole. The experience was sobering, one that brought her mortality into sharp focus. Rya did return, and for that she was forever grateful.
“So what have they been up to?” Tarris nodded slightly in the direction of her nemesis.
“The usual.” Shark’s voice remained low; his words wouldn’t carry the length of the room. “Corman’s trying to convince us that it’s all your fault.”
“So what else is new? He’s a dick.”
The young man didn’t reply, but it did bring a hint of a smile to his face.
“And?”
“And?” Shark didn’t understand.
“And what’s the verdict?”
“I don’t know.”
“Oh, come on, Shark. You must know what’s going on.” Despite the cold shoulder, she felt she knew the members of her team. Tarris’s eyes met each person in the room as she tried to gauge their reactions. Apart from the open hostility of Corman and his followers, emotions seemed to range from mild interest to mild disinterest. No one would let her know where their loyalty lay.
The door slid open. The meeting was about to begin, and her fate was in the hands of the man who filled the doorway.
“Everyone, be seated.” The Monitor’s voice remained emotionless.
Everyone tried to sit as far away from the aggressive rogue as possible, leaving just a few seats available. Tarris had no choice but to sit next to him. When she reached for the chair, Corman lifted his feet and placed them on the cushion. She was tempted to smack the smile off his face, but she settled for leaning against the wall. No way in hell was she going to beg.
“Well, that was a massive cock up,” the Monitor said.
Tarris blinked once… then blinked again. Did he say what she thought he said? Or was it the fact that he said it so calmly that startled her?
“Don’t all answer me at once.”
“As far as I’m concerned”—Corman jumped in before Tarris had a chance to air her grievances—“the blame lies with the leader.”
“True…”
Tarris could feel her chances of survival drop at the word.
“But she wasn’t the one who openly disobeyed orders, was she, Corman?” The Monitor leaned forward and rested his arms on the conference table. “Oh, that doesn’t mean Tarris will escape
She shivered at the last thought. Would it come down to that final of all punishments? Would she fight the sentence? Would it matter if she did? She checked her chronometer several times and wished it was all over, one way or the other.
She pushed off from the wall and traversed the final few yards to the front door. She touched her temple to clear the lens for scanning. The door slid silently aside. She took a deep breath and stepped across the portal to her future.
She felt a coldness in the room, and it wasn’t from the air. Corman and his two cohorts had already arrived, and by the frigid reception she got, they had already convinced the others that this disaster was all her fault.
Tarris was content to occupy one corner. She leaned against the wall so she could face all her enemies at once. One of the younger members approached her and took his place alongside her.
“How are you feeling today, Shark?” The question was more one of courtesy than one of concern. She knew exactly how he felt.
“Like shit,” he muttered. The others were studying the two of them keenly.
“Happens.”
“Does it get any easier?”
“Not really, no.” She smiled as his head dropped. “But it doesn’t come as a shock anymore. You just learn to be more careful.” Her pale eyes caught his. At least he had the good sense to feel berated. “Now you know.”
“Yeah, now I know.”
She remembered the first time Rya was blinded. It felt like her insides had been ripped out. Terror flowed through her tired body like a tide, the missing entity leaving a hollowness that threatened to swallow her whole. The experience was sobering, one that brought her mortality into sharp focus. Rya did return, and for that she was forever grateful.
“So what have they been up to?” Tarris nodded slightly in the direction of her nemesis.
“The usual.” Shark’s voice remained low; his words wouldn’t carry the length of the room. “Corman’s trying to convince us that it’s all your fault.”
“So what else is new? He’s a dick.”
The young man didn’t reply, but it did bring a hint of a smile to his face.
“And?”
“And?” Shark didn’t understand.
“And what’s the verdict?”
“I don’t know.”
“Oh, come on, Shark. You must know what’s going on.” Despite the cold shoulder, she felt she knew the members of her team. Tarris’s eyes met each person in the room as she tried to gauge their reactions. Apart from the open hostility of Corman and his followers, emotions seemed to range from mild interest to mild disinterest. No one would let her know where their loyalty lay.
The door slid open. The meeting was about to begin, and her fate was in the hands of the man who filled the doorway.
“Everyone, be seated.” The Monitor’s voice remained emotionless.
Everyone tried to sit as far away from the aggressive rogue as possible, leaving just a few seats available. Tarris had no choice but to sit next to him. When she reached for the chair, Corman lifted his feet and placed them on the cushion. She was tempted to smack the smile off his face, but she settled for leaning against the wall. No way in hell was she going to beg.
“Well, that was a massive cock up,” the Monitor said.
Tarris blinked once… then blinked again. Did he say what she thought he said? Or was it the fact that he said it so calmly that startled her?
“Don’t all answer me at once.”
“As far as I’m concerned”—Corman jumped in before Tarris had a chance to air her grievances—“the blame lies with the leader.”
“True…”
Tarris could feel her chances of survival drop at the word.
“But she wasn’t the one who openly disobeyed orders, was she, Corman?” The Monitor leaned forward and rested his arms on the conference table. “Oh, that doesn’t mean Tarris will escape
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