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He knew she heard him, and took his words seriously. In regard to Cass’s treatment as a prisoner, she’d issued orders, guidelines, warnings… even a few out and out threats. The seers backed off due to her vehemence, but the feelings never went away.

At this point, it really did feel like a damned mutiny.

Balidor was about to say something else to the ex-Rebel, when another voice broke into the security channel.

“Open the link,” the voice said. “Patch me through to the internal speakers.”

Balidor nearly stumbled on the stairs.

Catching himself on the metal banister, he glanced over his shoulder at Wreg and Jon, who followed him at a near sprint. Wreg gave him a returning frown, but didn’t slow his rapid pace down to the mesh landing.

Focusing back on the virtual half of his split awareness, Balidor stared at Allie.

She stood in front of him in avatar form, eyes blazing with sparking light, their telekinetic glow showing just enough that he could feel the glimmer of electrical charge in the surrounding Barrier space.

That told him two things.

One, she was outside the tank, since he could feel her in the construct.

Two, she’d probably heard his thoughts about this being a mutiny.

Her hair hung loose down her back, but she looked strangely formal inside his headset’s imagery, wearing black pants and a pale green shirt. That shirt nearly matched the color of her irises where she’d ignited the bare edges of her telekinesis, but she wore boots, he noted, a hand-held wrapped around her wrist in locked position.

Looking at her for another second, he realized he was seeing her as she actually was, that it wasn’t an avatar. Even as he thought it, the channel blew out, giving him a perfect view of the security station, and the console where Allie stood.

The Elaerian clicked her fingers at the woman sitting behind that console.

“Now.” Allie glanced at the door to T1, where Cassandra was being held. “Raddi, I want you to open the locks. But I want to speak to Revikright fucking now,please.”

Balidor felt something in his shoulders relax, even as he picked up speed, vaulting over the railing for a metal ladder embedded in the wall. As he slid down it, gripping the sides for balance, he saw Allie aim a glare at Neela inside the virtual screen.

Raddi bowed to her, then began to slowly do as she’d asked.

Allie must have noticed that the male seer wasn’t exactly hurrying to do her bidding, but her lightly sparking eyes remained focused on Neela. Even apart from Raddi’s semi-resistance, Alyson looked furious. Despite that fact, her voice came out smooth, calm, strangely reassuring as she gazed at Neela’s face.

“Now, Lieutenant,” she said. “Open the channel.”

* * *

“Revik?”

My voice jerked his eyes up, towards the tank compartment’s speakers.

…Right before it caused him to scowl.

He didn’t lower the gun, but I saw his clear eyes shift, this time towards the camera embedded in the interior wall of the tank.

“Revik.” I forced myself to exhale. “Are you really going to disobey a direct order from me? In front of witnesses?”

I saw his face harden at the question.

His jaw clenched in the pause after I spoke, and for a second, the barest instant, I could almost see the thoughts running behind his clear eyes. I saw him weigh what he was doing, weigh the consequences of finishing what he’d started. I saw him consider just doing it anyway, just firing the gun, ending Cass’s life and only talking to me about it afterwards.

Forgiveness rather than permission, I suppose.

He held the gun there, his arm flexed as he fought briefly on whether he could do it, whether heshoulddo it.

I held my breath, watching him. I waited to see which way he would go.