Novek, Tanner, and Savron returned to the hallway from which they'd come scant minutes before. It was thus somewhat surprising to Novek that the soldiers they'd captured and locked in the cages were breaking the locks on the cages holding their remaining comrades.

  Novek immediately backpedaled, throwing his arm to the side to stop Tanner and Savron before they were seen. He himself was not fast enough, but the momentary view at least gave him enough time to assess the situation. Two were aiming weapons each way down the hall, and a short command barked out from one, suggesting he'd been seen.

  “What is it?” Tanner had ducked and was holding Khe tightly to his chest.

  “Our four friends from outside are here. Screening the others while they break the locks of the ones we took captive. They saw me.”

  “Oceans deep — this day… What's the plan, Novek?”

  “They're not advancing. But no telling what they do once their friends are loose. Back down the hall?”

  With a whisper, Savron interjected, “The kids. Do they have the kids?”

  “No, the only people I saw are the soldiers.”

  Savron pointed to the stairs, “Then we can go back down, and take the hall leading the other way. The whole building is a loop, one level down. Was what you came back for important?”

  “Just my crossbow. I can make do without it. Okay, then yeah, I think we back up.”

  Novek and the others were already a third of the way back down the stairs, when a shout echoed down the hallway. “Hold a moment, Brin. I've got something to say.”

  They paused, but Novek made eye contact with Tanner and Savron, and motioned they should make ready to run. He crouch-walked back up the stairs, then peeked around the corner enough to see, but not present a target.

  The first guard — the talkative one — from outside was standing in the middle of the hall, no weapon in hand. He was a few meters forward in front of the crossbowman covering him, but Novek had to give it to him, it was bold to stand there, in the open, with an enemy within range.

  He continued shouting after a beat, “I'm told that my dead men at the entry are due to a black panther — I'm guessing that was you. Now, all the aether vanished suddenly — so for whatever reason, your agent left you alone here. They've either been disrupted, distracted, or just wandered off after some delusion — I know how it goes with them. But we were told this creche doesn't have a patron — so someone here has violated the non-interference clauses in the accords.”

  The rest of the cages had been opened by this point, and the men started to form up, hugging the walls, armed soldiers in front. Novek tensed, ready to dash down the stairs.

  As the freed soldiers lined up, the shouter kept going, “Now, me? I don't know who, and I don't care — I was sent here on a talent acquisition mission, so I'll do my best to see the job done. If we were misinformed regarding the patronage status of this place, then I extend my apologies to your Moira on behalf of Klaxon. We are leaving the facility, immediately — all of us. In a gesture of cooperation, we're leaving the talent behind. I'd strongly suggest that your agent get in touch with our agent to clear this up, within a day or two. We're within a few hours march — have your avatar invoke this signature.”

  With a flick of his wrist, the soldier rolled a small, glowing metal ball down the hallway, which dragged to a stop against the wall nearby. Novek didn't move to pick it up, as the man continued his monologue. “Otherwise, or agents forbid if this was some ruse, and this Moira — who I have never heard of, incidentally — is not actually an agent…” The soldier paused meaningfully, “Well, then we'll be seeing you, and maybe your pack, soon — Novek, Tanner.”

  Novek muttered mostly to himself, “This — this is why you never leave a live enemy behind.”

  The group of soldiers began to move, silent other than the speaker, towards the entrance. Novek backed down the stairway and motioned Tanner and Savron down one of the side halls. They sat quietly, waiting and listening, until the sound of the soldiers vanished, the sound of the boot steps identifiable as they left the hard stone floor and stepped out into the softer, rocky dirt.

  Five minutes of dead silence later and Novek finally decided to take a look at whatever had been left for them. He put his hand up in a stopping motion to Tanner and Savron, then crept into the hall, swept the ball into his hand, and retreated behind the back wall. A quick rotation to check for connection points for triggers; he saw none — it simply looked like someone had etched a ball bearing with glowing ink. With a quick hop, he set it atop one of the rocky pillars in the room and mentally marked the particular pillar for a later return — there was no way he'd carry that thing around, but neither was he going to leave it for some kid to pick up. That finished, Novek moved to secure the front door — they'd closed it behind them after they left, and Novek saw no reason to check it for traps at the moment while someone could be watching it from outside.

  Tanner had crept up the stairs and was looking towards Novek from around the corner. “All clear?”

  “Sounds it. Can't be sure, but I don't think they'd stick around with only four weapons between them.”

  “What's next?”

  Savron came up the stairs into the entryway as well, and took the opportunity to make his desire known again. “If we're done here, I really need to get back to the observation room before my absence causes a problem.”

  Tanner started to speak, when a commotion in the hall beneath them interrupted whatever he was going to say. All three tensed as the noise increased in volume, but then relaxed again as it resolved into the sound of pups, kits, and other young Brin and Ber of various species. The group then swarmed up the stairs into the entryway, with half a dozen adults attempting to corral the flood down the hallway opposite of the cages.

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  “Trudy!”, Savron exclaimed as one of the adults passed by where they'd taken quick cover — a Ber, no, a Human woman — wearing an exoskeleton made of wood? She turned and embraced Savron.

  Two pups in the passing stream suddenly turned and started bouncing up and down excitedly, tiny tails wagging. With an excited yelp, Tanner knelt and swept them both into his paws; a small chorus of “Pa!” was commingled with excited barks. A third pup joined, pressing against Tanner's leg, tail bent downwards, but still wagging. He put Khe down to reposition, and a moment later was hugging all four tightly in his arms, clearly overcome with emotion.

  Novek decided to give Tanner some space for a few minutes, before he would ask about preferred next steps. Thus resolved, he turned to watch Savron and the human — who was half-sheathed in thin, twining wood and purple leaves that resembled scales.

  Two of the adults herding the stream of thirty or more children stopped briefly to exchange words with Savron and Trudy, who at this point Novek assumed was his wife. The children had all but vanished down the hallway and the adults broke off to follow them, leaving the two alone. Trudy was gently stroking Savron's neck with her thumb, then glanced at her hand — her posture stiffening. Another question and response went back and forth, and Trudy turned and was suddenly only a meter away from Novek, having moved faster than Novek had considered could be possible.

  Her hand, covered entirely in a thin weave of woody material, was just as suddenly at his throat — and he was being pressed into the wall, finding it difficult to take a breath. Oh, yeah — definitely Savron's wife.

  “First off, I'm told I have you to thank for the departure of the agent team kidnapping our students while we were otherwise indisposed. For that, you have my sincere thanks. Also, if you ever harm my husband again, no matter the reason, I will use you as an object lesson in my next class. A personal favorite of mine — never leave an enemy alive.”

  The pressure lessened enough that Novek could respond — a variety of possible defusing responses suggested themselves to Novek — he didn't take any of them. “Behind you.”

  “What?”

  “I'd heard it as never leave a live enemy behind you.”

  “No, I think that perhaps we think about conflict very differently. I said exactly what I meant.”

  Nobody had ever said Novek was a smart Brin — today wouldn't be the day either, apparently. “It pairs well with my favorite; that which does not kill me has made a tactical error.”

  “Are you trying to convince me to kill you?”

  “No — but you've already made up your mind, I'm just waiting to see what you've decided. That said, in my defense—”

  And the pressure was back, and whatever good humor or restraint she'd had before vanished in less than a heartbeat. “Before you finish that sentence, ask yourself this; do you honestly believe there is anything — anything at all — that you could possibly say that I would consider a valid reason for you to harm my husband?”

  Novek could not speak, try as he might, at the moment — the pressure was close to crushing his windpipe. He held her gaze, and shook his head side to side. The pressure vanished, and Novek took a deep breath — his racing pulse and lack of oxygen made him feel light-headed.

  “Then let's try this again, from the top. I'm Tru'dee — note the glottal stop. Tru is my Ent'ender side, Dee my Human. I have long since ceased to differentiate. Trudy to my friends — which you aren't.”

  With only light gasping, Novek put out his paw to shake, “Pleased to meet you, Tru'dee. I'm Novek. So, what classes do you teach?”

  Tru'dee did not take his proffered hand, “Close quarters combat, applied natural weaponry, battlefield medicine; all practical studies.”

  “Oh, well, other than this little bump in the road, I think we're going to get along just fine.”

  “I seriously doubt that.”

  Savron had been watching their interaction intently, though Novek noted it was not with a look of concern. He walked over, now — calm as could be. “What happened — is that all the children?”

  “The Brin, and any young Ber not lured out earlier, yes. Something happened in the central chamber that took their attention — a wall of aetheric fire, and something else. Vera, Krekt and I decided it was then or never. Vera and Krekt stayed behind to ensure our escape — it was decided I'd be a liability if I remained, or was recaptured.”

  Novek raised an eyebrow, “Because they'd continue to have leverage over the Doctor, here?”

  “No — because out of all of my sisters, only I have Human components capable of feeling pain.”

  “Ah. Well, Doctor — what's your plan now?”

  “It hasn't changed — though we no longer have to attempt to negotiate for Tanner's pups. But I, myself still have to return, as I said.”

  An eyebrow went up as Novek stared at Savron, the question almost too obvious to ask, “But your wife is safe, and the children have escaped.”

  “The children escaping has changed things, yes, but my wife is in no way safe.”

  Novek was very confused, “But she's right here — what possible danger could she be in?”

  Tru'dee turned to her husband, “Dear, allow me, please.” The doctor nodded.

  “It is true that I — personally — am not presently in danger. But the ones holding the children have a larger force outside the facility, with a sizable force occupying the central area of my colony, which they have threatened to destroy if we do not cooperate and help provide them soldiers for their war.”

  “Your colony?”

  “Yes — the forest surrounding the creche is the tip of our southeast extension. The main body of our colony is some kilometers to the northwest.”

  “And this… threatens you, directly somehow?”

  “Yes. If the main colony were to be destroyed, the older, more independent of us might survive to found colonies of our own, but that would be one or two at best, and I am not among them. In the meantime, Wehven creche would fail — the colony provides almost half of the staff.”

  “Is that why we encountered only students when we arrived?”

  “Yes, a number of us were lured out, ostensibly to defend the colony. Which is when they sent a smaller force in to retrieve the children. If not for the agent interference, they likely would have taken most of them.”

  “So, you're telling me that the only reason they haven't won is that the agent soldiers — that we drove off — were keeping them from doing so?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you, and others who are clearly combat capable could not defeat them?”

  “I'm not representative, though not entirely an outlier, either. And yes, their capability, even reduced, far outstrips our own.”

  “Okay. So what I'm hearing is that we need to keep them from learning that there is no longer a competing force penning them in.”

  “Correct.”

  “Well, congratulations, Doctor. I finally agree with you; you need to go back, if only to keep up the fiction.”

  “I'm so glad you've finally seen sense.”

  “Oh, no, there's precious little of that here. Tanner? We're sending you, and your pups, out of here immediately. You need to get to Ellie, and then the both of you tell all of this to the pack.”

  Tanner managed to ask, between struggling to hold on to his rambunctious children, “What are you going to do?”

  “What, to spoof an agent's black bag team, while my own team remains trapped — by a misguided friendly no less — in an airless room with a vault door controlled by a superior opposing force? I'm thinking find the kitchens — hopefully the larder is well-stocked.”