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None of the Marine security detail had been harh several civilians had receivedto flee down a short flight of steps All seven of the Belter radicals who’d atteence people were digging into their past associations to see if the rebellion had roots that spread farther

Rebellion

The word felt wrong to Singh The stiver and his accomplices could have hoped for was his death It would have done nothing to hand control of the station back to the Belters who’d once run it Trejo would sined another officer to fill his place until a new governor could be dispatched frohted So wasteful Seven people had decided to toss their lives away on a symbol

These are people who have a history of resisting centralized authority, Colonel Tanaka had said He hadn’t understood He did now They weren’t rational They weren’t disciplined They valued their own lives less than the prospect of his death

What struck him most—what offended him as much as the still-implausible idea that he’d watched Kasik be ratitude of it The hubris of believing that Duarte’s path for hu innocent people to resist And after Trejo had been so generous with them

He tapped theon his desk, and the comm officer in security replied with a crisp, “Yes, sir”

“Please have Colonel Tanaka report to me in my office immediately”

“Sir, yes sir”

Singh killed the connection al He looked around his office, not to take in anything new sothe shuddering in his hands anymore His eyes were able to move from the door to his desk to the little ferns in their planters beside the ithout jittering back and forth of their own accord He’d been in shock Only a little And only for a short tiical effects were only the consequence of being an animal in a stressful situation There was no reason for him to feel ashamed

And yet, when Tanaka entered the room with that little half ser in Is this funny to you? He didn’t say it

“Sir,” she said, bracing “You wanted to see me?”

“I was alh said “I found your silence on the ”

Tanaka’s expression shifted A little chagrin, maybe? It was hard to tell with her Her voice didn’t have the crispness he’d expect of soize After your safety was established, ation I should have reported in sooner”

“Yes, well,” Singh said “Are you ready to make your report now?”

Tanaka gathered her thoughts visibly, then nodded to the chair across the desk fro his per forward, her elbows resting on her knees