“So you pulled a gun on Ivan, and planned to do what?”
“I hadn’t gotten that far into my operational planning.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake John, how could you be that reckless? How were you planning on getting offworld if you shot one of the instructors of the Nagelring? What were you thinking?” Cameron was nothing if not practical.
“I said i hadn’t gotten that far.”
“And that’s part of the problem, John. How can you rule if you can’t plan?”
“We don’t have time for that argument again, Cameron.” Aya tried to divert this conversation. They’d been arguing about it for years, and the last time Cameron broke her hand punching a wall instead of John.
“You stay out of this.” Cameron’s accusatory finger came up like a pistol.
“Ladies, while home continues to be a distant goal to return to, i think our current predicament requires us to exercise caution and figure out what we’re going to do about Ivan.” Barton stepped between the two of them, continuing to make peace the same way he had since they were kids.
“We’ll get back to Zathras, some day.” John said with a finality that tabled the discussion, temporarily. Aya smiled,seeing traces of John’s father in him.
“Fine, what do we do?” Cameron let out an angry sigh.
“We could go to the Kommandant?” Aya said slowly.
“We could call the government, I’m sure the intelligence services would be curious to talk to him.” John managed to breathe.
“Whoa...Ivan took me in when my father was blown up. It was the hardest thing my mom ever did, and Ivan smiled, patted me on the head and gave me a safe place to stay during the shittiest period of my life to date.” Cameron said firmly. THey all remembered her dad fondly. One of the original Marauders… “We’re not turning him into anybody.”
“What about your dad, Aya, does he know anything?” Barton asked thoughtfully.
“Henry? Henry’s a different sort of animal. I heard he was on Tukkayyid, working on some sort of a computer system for the FRR. He took his entire unit with him, which i haven’t heard of him doing in years.”
“He’s got all three of his Artillery companies somewhere? Talk about Death from Above…” Cameron let out a slow chuckle.
“And all three mech companies.”
“Oh…” Barton said slowly. They had seen Henry and his Battalion tangle with the Zetas in a friendly exhibition on Outreach, but he was pretty sure they forgot what “friendly” meant. That had been...ugly.
“What about your great aunt, John?” Cameron asked him.
“She’s at least aware of what he is, i haven’t heard anything super special out of her, but something’s up. She usually makes plan for summer vacations when we get close to the end of the year, and i haven’t heard anything out of her.”
“She did just have a baby.”
“You remember that time she put her Victor through an Atlas and crashed through that bridge and landed in the middle of a canyon?”
“Yeah, she was laid up for months.”
“Still made summer vacation plans, even if Ivan had to carry her around.”
“Hmmm.” Aya thought out loud.
“Hmm?” Barton looked at her.
“We could just ask him.” Aya said slowly.
“What?” John asked her.
“If what we have heard about them from all the reports and everything is true, they are a direct people who don’t necessarily do subterfuge. We could just ask him directly.”
“But he’s a spy?” John said slowly.
“He’s never lied to us, about anything. I bet if we’d asked him about it, he would have told us before now.” Barton said with a slow nod of agreement.
“I hadn’t gotten that far into my operational planning.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake John, how could you be that reckless? How were you planning on getting offworld if you shot one of the instructors of the Nagelring? What were you thinking?” Cameron was nothing if not practical.
“I said i hadn’t gotten that far.”
“And that’s part of the problem, John. How can you rule if you can’t plan?”
“We don’t have time for that argument again, Cameron.” Aya tried to divert this conversation. They’d been arguing about it for years, and the last time Cameron broke her hand punching a wall instead of John.
“You stay out of this.” Cameron’s accusatory finger came up like a pistol.
“Ladies, while home continues to be a distant goal to return to, i think our current predicament requires us to exercise caution and figure out what we’re going to do about Ivan.” Barton stepped between the two of them, continuing to make peace the same way he had since they were kids.
“We’ll get back to Zathras, some day.” John said with a finality that tabled the discussion, temporarily. Aya smiled,seeing traces of John’s father in him.
“Fine, what do we do?” Cameron let out an angry sigh.
“We could go to the Kommandant?” Aya said slowly.
“We could call the government, I’m sure the intelligence services would be curious to talk to him.” John managed to breathe.
“Whoa...Ivan took me in when my father was blown up. It was the hardest thing my mom ever did, and Ivan smiled, patted me on the head and gave me a safe place to stay during the shittiest period of my life to date.” Cameron said firmly. THey all remembered her dad fondly. One of the original Marauders… “We’re not turning him into anybody.”
“What about your dad, Aya, does he know anything?” Barton asked thoughtfully.
“Henry? Henry’s a different sort of animal. I heard he was on Tukkayyid, working on some sort of a computer system for the FRR. He took his entire unit with him, which i haven’t heard of him doing in years.”
“He’s got all three of his Artillery companies somewhere? Talk about Death from Above…” Cameron let out a slow chuckle.
“And all three mech companies.”
“Oh…” Barton said slowly. They had seen Henry and his Battalion tangle with the Zetas in a friendly exhibition on Outreach, but he was pretty sure they forgot what “friendly” meant. That had been...ugly.
“What about your great aunt, John?” Cameron asked him.
“She’s at least aware of what he is, i haven’t heard anything super special out of her, but something’s up. She usually makes plan for summer vacations when we get close to the end of the year, and i haven’t heard anything out of her.”
“She did just have a baby.”
“You remember that time she put her Victor through an Atlas and crashed through that bridge and landed in the middle of a canyon?”
“Yeah, she was laid up for months.”
“Still made summer vacation plans, even if Ivan had to carry her around.”
“Hmmm.” Aya thought out loud.
“Hmm?” Barton looked at her.
“We could just ask him.” Aya said slowly.
“What?” John asked her.
“If what we have heard about them from all the reports and everything is true, they are a direct people who don’t necessarily do subterfuge. We could just ask him directly.”
“But he’s a spy?” John said slowly.
“He’s never lied to us, about anything. I bet if we’d asked him about it, he would have told us before now.” Barton said with a slow nod of agreement.
“That’s insane.”
“The universe went upside down when we got attacked from the Periphery by persons unknown.” Cameron said slowly. “Let’s get this year finished up and then we’ll sort out Ivan and this bundle of nerves.”
“Okay.” Barton said with a soft smile. Aya nodded, and John finally agreed.
“Just think, last week all we were worried about were finals.” Cameron smiled at her friends.
“Oh god, finals?” Barton asked with a sudden seriousness. John, Aya, and Cameron all laughed.
“The universe went upside down when we got attacked from the Periphery by persons unknown.” Cameron said slowly. “Let’s get this year finished up and then we’ll sort out Ivan and this bundle of nerves.”
“Okay.” Barton said with a soft smile. Aya nodded, and John finally agreed.
“Just think, last week all we were worried about were finals.” Cameron smiled at her friends.
“Oh god, finals?” Barton asked with a sudden seriousness. John, Aya, and Cameron all laughed.
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