Ashwood Estates and accompanying base was a broken, burnt, collapsed ruin.
Serkova was, to put it mildly, unhappy with this state of affairs.
He was even less happy when the trueborn officer stepped disdainfully into the tiny, makeshift room, which resembled a prison cell more than anything, and delivered his orders for reassignment.
Serkova hadn't gotten where he was by mouthing off to his superiors (had been, he reminded himself. he wouldn't be where he was now if not for that goddamn traitor). All the same, he wasn't quite sure this was happening. Deep down, he hoped that it wasn't.
"Sir, has there been a mistake?" he asked, staring at the papers in his hands.
"None," the officer said curtly.
"But, sir," he protested, "I'm a data surveyor. I haven't been trained to work in the field. Surely someone more qualified—"
"There is no mistake," the officer said, a warning edge to his voice. "In fact, I believe the General personally chose you for this assignment."
The General himself? That didn't make any sense. Was he being punished? Why? He'd been in charge of the traitor before he showed his colors, but he couldn't have known, could he? What could the General have expected him to do differently?
When he did not speak, the officer continued. "You are to report to the location listed in your new orders at 0800 hours tomorrow morning. Bring only what you must." He glanced around the tiny room, almost bare. Most of Serkova's belongings were buried somewhere in the rubble of Ashwood Estates. "Your commanding officer will be Veritus Am-Reth. He will brief you further when you report."
Biting his lip to keep down the sick, oily rage seeping to the surface, Serkova saluted.
Satisfied, the officer turned on his heel and left without further ado, the door clanging shut behind him.
Serkova let the papers fall from his shaking hands and sat heavily on the edge of the narrow bed. He stared at the blank wall for a long time, feeling numb with helplessness and dread, until he decided that he might as well lie down and sleep while he had the chance.
It wasn't until he was already falling asleep that it occurred to him to wonder why his new commanding officer had the name of a vatborn.