He and Herzer went back to the apprentice program in Raven’s Mill and it had been Herzer who had convinced him that resigning from the Legions was in his best interest. Especially when Herzer, who was at least as “good with his hands” as Cruz, had explained that he had recommended court-martial. Cruz couldn’t find it in his heart to blame Herzer, who was the paladin’s paladin. But he much preferred his current bosses, who had a much grayer approach to the value of human life.
“I’ve got a mission coming up,” Herzer said.
“The quest to capture the fuel ship,” Cruz said, nodding.
“I hope all of Washan isn’t aware of it?” Herzer asked.
“Not even the horsey boys,” Cruz said. “But the legionnaires and Blood Lords are. They don’t talk, though. Our sources haven’t picked it up in the capital so far.”
“Good,” Herzer said, ignoring the point that Cruz was getting intel that he wasn’t. “I want you on the mission.”
“Why?” Cruz asked, frowning. “I thought you didn’t care for my kind.”
“Bullshit,” Herzer said. “And you know it. This is going to be one hairy fisking mission, Cruz. Damned straight I want you on it. You are one stone bitch killer and that’s what it’s going to take. Don’t give me shit about ‘your kind.’ That is ‘your kind.’ ”
“Okay,” Cruz said. “But you’ve got your pick of the damned legions and the Lords. Why me?”
“Because this thing is going to be… weird,” Herzer pointed out. “I’ll take the Lords and even the legionnaires if it was just a stand-up fight in a field. No problem. This is going to be shit coming out of corridor walls and in every direction. Maybe external on the ship. You can handle that, I take it?”
“I’m not afraid of heights or close spaces if that’s what you mean,” Cruz said, still frowning.
“You’re not going to panic if we get hit from behind by whatever monster Celine has dreamed up this time,” Herzer said. “You’re just going to do the job. I know that. That’s why. So I want you in.”
“What do I get?” Cruz asked.
“Besides killing people and breaking things?” Herzer asked. “What do you want?”
“A commission,” Cruz said. “My record expunged. I want back in. I want in on the invasion. I swear to you, Herzer, I won’t fisk up again. I want to be in the battles. I want to die or drop, damnit,” he finished, his mask finally cracking.
Herzer looked at him for a long time, then nodded.
“I’ll try,” he said. “I’ll have to get the duke to agree. And that incident with the bandits really pissed him off. But I’ll talk him around. No ‘deal’ to it. You do the mission as an ensign—”
“Lieutenant, for God’s sake,” Cruz said.
“Okay, lieutenant,” Herzer said, his face unreadable. “Or you don’t do it at all. But if you fisk me, now or in the future, run far and fast.”
“Got it,” Cruz said. “What’s my job?”
“When I figure that out, I’ll tell you,” Herzer said sourly. “This thing is a cluster fisk if I’ve ever seen one. I don’t actually see a good way to win. That’s why I want you to be there, because we’re going to have to change plans on the fly and I know you can keep up. You’ll have a team, that much I know. Beyond that, I’m still working on it.”
“Got it.”
“In the meantime, just keep Megan alive,” Herzer added. “You heard about the things that took down the Icarus team?”
“That’s why we were brought in on it,” Cruz said. “Nasty. But at least one of them got taken down by the team itself; the colonel killed one with a bedpost, if you’ll believe it.”
“I can,” Herzer said, sadly. “He was very good.”
“The braincase is right behind the mandibles. They’re not the solfugids that your lady was talking about, by the way. They’re more or less straightforward giant scorpions. Stinger and all, very nasty toxin, and dual metallic composite claws. Metallic mandibles as well. The carapace isn’t chitin, some sort of polycarbonate, very tough. But they’re vulnerable right at the brain case. Hit them between the eyes and they go down. Weak at the joints as well. Fighting them will be a bugger if you don’t have a shield, but you or I could take one down with a long sword. Short sword would be iffy. Long mace or halberd would be optimum. I’ve been retraining some of the Lords with both.”
Herzer nodded, filing that away.
“That is exactly why I want you,” Herzer said, finally smiling.
“Your servant, Commander,” Cruz said, cracking a smile as well.
“That’s it for now,” Herzer said, standing up. “Keep on the Detail until we move up to the training facility and then you move over to the teams.”
“Works,” Cruz said, standing up as well. “Thank you.”
“Joel’s going to scream about losing you, you know,” Herzer said.
“Well, I’ll still be around,” Cruz said, shrugging. “Somehow, I don’t think I’ll end up as a legion commander. But… I want the damned rank on my shoulders. I want to be able to say I’m somebody besides an accountant or an aide, you know?”
“I know,” Herzer admitted. “Welcome back. I hope.”
“Yeah,” Cruz said, shaking his hand. “I’ll tell you something, but you’ve got to promise that you won’t fisk me.”
“Okay,” Herzer said, frowning.
“I’ll do the mission even if you can’t get me back in,” Cruz said. “It sounds like fun. As long as I get a team command. Not just Joe Sword Fodder. But try, damnit.”
“I will,” Herzer said.
Chapter Eight
“Mike, Courtney,” Herzer said, gesturing them into the foyer. He shook Mike’s hand and gave Courtney a hug as Megan came in. “Good to see you.”
“What’s so damned important we had to wait until this evening?” Mike said, half angrily. “We were going to leave on the evening stage.”
“It had to wait until this evening because I’ve been running my ass off,” Herzer said. “And it was urgent because it’s urgent. Mike, I’m about to piss you off. Ready?”
“What?” Mike said warily.
“I have to talk to Courtney, alone,” Herzer said. “I’ve got to ask her to do something, something for… well, the nation I suppose. And it’s something I can’t discuss with you and she won’t be able to either. And it’s hazardous.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?” Mike asked angrily. “Are you crazy?”
“No, he’s not,” Megan interjected. “Herzer, and I, have a mission. We need Courtney. And some other people. We can’t, won’t, tell you what the mission is. And it’s not just going for a walk in the park, it’s going to be bad. But we need her. We can’t even tell you why because… well, because New Destiny will find out. The other people that we’re talking to, we’re going to be asking to volunteer just like Courtney. If they don’t, they’re not going anywhere until the mission is over.”
“And I can’t ask what it is?” Mike said. “Damn.” He sighed and shook his head. “Okay, I can understand that. I don’t like it, though.”
“Big surprise,” Herzer said, finally smiling.
“Why don’t we go talk farming,” Megan said, taking his arm. “And let Herzer go recruit your wife.”
“If he can,” Courtney said tartly. “Lead on, hunkaroo.”
Herzer frowned but led her to Meredith’s office.
“Have a seat,” Herzer said, gesturing at the sole chair. He perched on the weight bench.