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But bringing up his age now felt like a power play A way to point out how little experience he had He tried not to show that it got under his skin

“Not old enough to think of it as the Io Cahly versed on the history”

“I was a JG when that shitstor with Belter factions back then You probably think these people are a half step up froes—”

“I don’t—”

“And you’d be right,” she continued “They can be the most stupidly stubborn people you’ll ever h as nails, and resourceful”

“I think youto keep a flush out of his cheeks

“I’m sure,” Tanaka said, then stood up “I have an intervieith the technical-assessment crew I’ll report in when I’m done with them In the meantime, don’t leave this office without your monitor on Security directive”

“Of course,” Singh said, the flush of shaer Personnel security fell under Tanaka’s operational co the station It was one of the few areas where Singh could not counter his understanding of their situation, she was now delivering a direct order The hu

“Appreciated,” she said, and headed for the door

“Colonel,” Singh said at her back He waited until she’d turned to look back at hiovernor of this station, by direct order froh Consul Duarte himself When you’re in this office, you will stand at attention until I offer you a seat, and you will salute me as your superior Is that understood?”

Tanaka cocked her head to the side and gave hih that Aliana Tanaka had risen to the rank of colonel in the ly trained combat unit humanity had ever known, and that he was alone in his office with her He wanted to look down at her legs, see if she was rolling up onto the balls of her feet or shifting her stance Instead, he stared her in the eye and clamped his stomach down into a knot If he was supposed to be kind and humble, to ask about her fa a poor job of it

“Sir,” Tanaka said, co to attention with a sharp salute “Yes, sir”

“Dish said, then sat down and looked at his h she’d already disappeared A moment later, his door opened and then closed

Only then did he collapse back into his chair and wipe the sweat off his face

“Give o fuck yourselves,” the head of Medina Station’s Air, Water, and Power Authority said “The AWP—”