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THE BED WAS THE MOST comfortable Radko had been on in close to two years and he really did not want to leave it.
Cagliari’s rooms aboard Thor’s Hammer were spacious by space station standards, all furniture of the highest quality still available. It was, in fact, the kind of lodging that most of the Commonwealth senior officers had taken and the same kind that Radko himself had been offered and refused. For someone like Cagliari, it made sense – this was home for the foreseeable future – but Radko’s home would be, now and for as far into the future as he could look, the HMCS Vimy Ridge.
A fresh mug of tea in each hand and wearing nothing but her underwear and a t-shirt advising 'your mom won't like me,' Cagliari came back into the bedroom and, handing Radko one of the mugs, sat cross-legged on the bed. She sported one of the most impressively abstract examples of bed-head Radko had ever seen.
"All I have is Earl Grey – I hope that’s all right," she said.
"Perfect," he said with a small smile. "I’ll take what I can get. I don’t think we have any colonies under Commonwealth control still producing tea."
"No limes and no tea," she said, trying to hide a lopsided grin behind her mug. "War is truly hell."
They sipped their tea in silence for a moment before Cagliari spoke up again.
"Okay," she said, sitting up a little straighter. "I can have Captain Singh ready to leave within a few hours, if that works?"
Radko chuckled. He was more relaxed than he had been in weeks. Perhaps it was having someone new to talk to, to confide in, or perhaps it was finally—finally—having a course of action before him. A clear goal.
"Slow down. We’re not just rushing in and I’m not leaving it to Singh’s people – I want people I know I can trust and I want to make this as covert an operation as we possibly can."
"Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry, I’m just... I’m eager to get into the fight."
"And we will get you into the fight, but we need to make sure we launch an operation that has the highest possible odds of success," he said. "Cortez has found a way to get a team inside Duster’s Range with little to no resistance and give you exactly four hours to get your planes out."
She nodded, sipping her tea.
"Who are you planning to send in with us? We can’t take Commonwealth soldiers – that would create some huge problems, wouldn’t it?"
"Icaran commandos."
"What?" she said, choking a little. "Icaran commandos? Seriously?"
"Much to the displeasure of the Prime Minister and his cronies, my friends come in many shapes and sizes and political affiliations. Including icaran. With them agreeing to help, it keeps this thing from looking too much like what it really is – an inside job."
"I’m impressed, Commander. You might be more of a devious little shit than I am."
"Quite possibly the strangest compliment I’ve ever been given."
"I believe it. The question is, though – sorry, getting back to the icarans, I mean – how do we get them to Duster’s Range? An icaran ship would be picked up on their LiDAR and raise the alarm."
"Muriel’s Moon," he said. "You have a facility there, and while it isn’t under Commonwealth control, the ril-galas haven’t shown any interest in it either. The icarans will be waiting for you on the dark side, where they will transfer all personnel and equipment to the Azrael’s Tear."
Her smile slowly spreading, Cagliari nodded.
"Which is invisible to LiDAR and so ATC Castle won’t see us coming. That is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant."
"I have my moments. But if you think that part is good, wait until you see what Cortez has cooked up to get you onto Duster’s Range."