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Sevro looks atmoment, then he hops up on a banister and howls at the top of his lungs down at the hangar bay

The bay howls back

It coes It co on tubes And it comes from the Golds who requested transfer to my ship

"That’s no lie"

And that’s when I see the standards of the legions fall, replaced with so new Gone are the pyramids of the society Gone are the laurel and the scepter and the sword and the book Gone is Augustus’s lion Instead, the high golden standards that the legions carry to battle are peaked olves and slingBlades

These legions arein those around me A sort of physical fanaticism It did not buzz in the Golds quite like this The Golds loveThese other Colors lovefarGold would have vented the ship, but I did not because they chose ave therips ht differently today?"

"I get it, Sevro" I try to shake off his hand

"You don’t" He pulls nar back "Every move you make today will be recorded and broadcast to every part of the Solar System This battle is to make the fleet yours" His voice drops to a harsh whisper "The Sons will spread it Jackal will spread it House Augustus will spread it Act like a god, get followed like a god Register?"

"Win or lose, this is still Augustus’s fleet," I say

"Not if he’s dead"

I assigned Sevro to infiltrate the Citadel in Agea where the ArchGovernor is being held captive But I did not tell hi to kill him," I say with authority "I forbid it It is …"

"Necessary You don’t need his legitiet what you take, no round "You are twenty years old If you win Mars, Darrow, you becood And so when you reveal what you really are … you transcend Color Do I register?"

Sevro has groiser since we first met No doubt about that But I fear he thinks too ustus thinks he is A god is not what I should be A god is so to worship I’ve never wanted that Eo never wanted that Sevro will have to learn This is about freedo oversees the troop operations today She floats through the air with Milia, the horsefaced Gold we adopted at the Institute Nearer , pitiless Gold with a fah and point hinantly

"Proctor Jupiter?" I call to the , could that really be you?"

"Who else would it be, you uppity brat?" Jupiter coht Half a foot taller than ant streak a kilonar are twoeach other up He eyes the razor wrapped around my forearm, and I see his is worn in the same new fashion "I heard you’re the one responsible for the new style" He holds up his arm "I do approve Bold as a naked prick in an ant nest"

"Li still?" Sevro asks