Chapter 8
The young Genii soldier stood outside the door, his hand poised ready to knock but his apprehension about how the report he carried would be received was making even this simple task seem impossible. He knew Chief Radim, some of his senior officers and some of their Atlantean allies sat on the other side of the door, all eagerly waiting for the information. Less clear to him was how he, a junior attaché with no significant patron to protect him, came to be saddled with the responsibility for telling the Chief that his sister was probably missing. He lowered his hand and sighed. No. That was wrong, there was no probably about it, the situation was quite cut and dried. Dahlia Radim was gone and there was no way to gloss over the fact. They had searched her quarters, all the places she was know to frequent down in the city, like the archives, and on the surface, they had spoken to people in her confidence and strangers who knew her only by sight, men had been to the gate and back but to no avail. And to make matters worse, her bodyguard, Aerimon Penze seemed to have disappeared into thin air too.
Beads of perspiration started to form just above his hairline, quickly forming small rivulets that ran down inside the collar of his wool serge jacket. A quick look both ways along the shadowy, empty corridor merely confirmed what he already knew, that no help or support was going to be forthcoming. So there was nothing to do but go in, give his report and just hope that he was not held responsible for its content.
Taking a deep breath he finally knocked firmly on the door and immediately a muffled voice told him enter. Squaring his shoulders he reached out to take the large, well polished door knob in a sweaty hand, pushed open the door and walked in, desperately hoping that he was projecting a sense of confidence he certainly was not feeling.
-o-o-o-o-
In an unexpected show of hospitality Ladon had invited his Atlantean visitors to wait somewhere more comfortable while his men went to find Dahlia so they had moved from the laboratory to one of his private rooms. Once there Sheppard had recognized the carved wooden table that had caught his eye when he and Rodney came here the last time, back when he had finally acknowledged the need to face the demons that had been spawned by his experiences with Kolya, the underground prison and Todd's feeding.
As on that occasion the guests were offered a couple of well upholstered chairs on one side of the table across from two Genii officers who had joined them on the walk from the lab. Ladon sat at the head of the table while two of his bodyguards stood near the wall behind him, one at each shoulder.
They were also offered refreshments, not the particularly potent alcohol that Sheppard remembered from his first, unforgettable visit with the Genii, but cups of a fruit juice he knew had just a slightly tart flavor. Ronon refused to take one, preferring to just look uncomfortable and bored. Conversation was muted. Ladon was convinced that his sister was still in the city, Sheppard was equally sure that she was the woman they had passed on their way from the gate.
When it finally came, the sharp knock on the door was a welcome relief to them all. Watching Ladon's face as he ordered the messenger to enter, for the first time since they had arrived, Sheppard saw the Genii leader momentarily reveal something other than supreme confidence.
Everyone turned expectantly towards the door as a young officer entered, a young man dressed in the familiar Genii uniform whose confident demeanor was significantly diminished by the haunted look of apprehension that haunted his face. Based on that alone, Sheppard was more certain than ever that the news about to be delivered would not be what Ladon wanted to hear and thinking back to his junior officer days in the Air Force he felt some pangs of sympathy as the underling swallowed nervously a couple of times before speaking.
"I ... we have searched the city Chief Radim, your sister is not … does not appear to be here. One of her bodyguards seems not to be here either."
All eyes in the room immediately turned to Ladon but the Genii leader sat stony faced for several moments. The longer they waited, the more sure Sheppard became that the young officer's expectations of an angry response from his leader were about to be met. Knowing that berating the messenger would not help the situation, he glanced quickly at Ronon before making the snap decision to speak first. "That'd be the guy we saw walking to the gate with her I guess?"
Ladon's angry eyes swept away from the hapless messenger to scan his visitors but he merely nodded before returning his piercing gaze to his own man. But Sheppard's intervention served its purpose and when Ladon finally spoke, his voice was surprisingly calm. "The road to the gate has been searched?"
"Yes sir, the two of them spent some time at the gate but left to return to the city. They did not make it back here."
While diplomacy demanded he not sound too smug about being right, Sheppard was pretty sure any further search on this world would be a complete waste of time and resources. "I'm willing to bet she's long gone Ladon," he stated before turning to the young soldier. "Much gate activity this afternoon?"
The officer breathed a visible sigh of relief. He had obviously anticipated this question and delivered a far more confident answer. "Coming through? Besides you two," he cast an apprehensive look at Ronon, "a few groups of traders and a couple of strangers who told the guards they were refugees but it was more likely they are mercenaries seeking to sell their services."
"Has anyone spoken to them yet?"
The officer glanced briefly at Ladon before shaking his head. "We are still looking for them," he replied, his tone again slightly defensive. "Men like that often have contacts here already so we will need to do a thorough search to find them."
Ladon took over to offer more information. "Since the Wraith started culling more ruthlessly we have had an influx of refugees. If these men who arrived this afternoon are mercenaries, they will probably lay low for a couple of days, get a feel for the place before offering their services. That seems to have become the pattern lately. We do o't accept all of them," he smiled weakly, "we have certain standards."
"Some of them could be spies, you ever consider that?" Ronon's deep voice took them all by surprise.
"Of course. But that's a risk we always take. Anyone who comes through the gate could be a spy," Ladon paused and looked thoughtfully at his two visitors. "Often we only have their word that they are friends."
Sheppard just grimaced. "Yeah, okay, we get the picture." He turned back to the young Genii. "How many people went back the other way?"
It was clear the young officer was starting to pick-up on the undercurrents of antipathy between his leader and the visitors and looked even more eager to be finished his report and gone. "Only some groups of traders sir but they were mostly regular visitors and..."
Sheppard's irritated voice cut across this explanation. "Yeah? Traders? Mostly regular visitors? You know I'm betting they all had carts loaded with stuff but I don't suppose anyone checked that? Did the two 'refugees' have a cart? Were the guards changed during the afternoon?"
The young officer's confidence started to falter even more in the face of Sheppard's questioning. "Yes sir, there was a change just after you arrived. As far as they knew there was no reason to check people leaving, as I said they were were leaving so," aware he was starting to repeat himself, the young officer's voice trailed off into uncertainty, leaving Ladon to take over.
"Rightly or wrongly we have been put most of our attention into screening people who are arriving and so have not been as rigorous watching who left. Obviously with the benefit of hindsight that may have been a mistake."
"Yeah, hindsight is a wonderful thing." Sheppard glanced over just in time to see Ronon roll his eyes. "Well, one thing's for sure, I'm prepared to bet you won't be seeing those particular refugees … mercenaries … traders … whatever they are … again and wherever they are now, that's where you'll find your sister."
"On this occasion Colonel I have to agree with you and I am also prepared to bet that is where we will also find Kolya."
Sheppard nodded. "Yeah, I'd say that's pretty certain. This missing bodyguard, d'you think he's involved?"
"Aerimon Penze?" Ladon looked genuinely surprised by this suggestion and flashed a thoughtful look at his other officers. "I have known him just about all my life, which is why I assigned him as one of Dahlia's guards. I would trust him with my own life and if they have both been taken by Kolya and who ever is behind his escape, then Aerimon will do everything he can to protect her."
x-X-00-X-x
Todd looked down into the wizened face that now stared back at him through dull, lifeless eyes but did not experience the feeling of physical well-being and satisfaction that generally came at the end of a feeding. Not that he was really surprised. While the meeting with the queen had achieved his goal of gaining the upper hand in their budding relationship, he had forgotten how demanding dealing with a female of the species could be. Bearing in mind that he had actually challenged her natural authority, the whole process had left him feeling far more exhausted, both physically and mentally, than he had anticipated.
So now, even though he had fed twice, he knew it would take more than human energy to bring him back to full health. Time would be needed just to rest, to restore his mental faculties by putting his mind into the semi-dormant state that would allow his intellectual auras to regenerate. Still there was plenty of time ahead for that as they travelled through hyperspace to the Genii outpost world he had earmarked as their next destination.
Looking down at his feeding hand, the maw gaping, sill slick with blood and feeding enzyme, he flexed his long fingers and experienced a slight tingle of anticipation over the exquisite pleasure of finally feeding on one particular human. Kolya. Todd rarely took time to actually get to know humans well enough to be able to differentiate one from another. But Kolya was very different. Every inch of the craggy face, the deep voice were indelibly etched into his mind.
Before he could fully savor the anticipation of feeding, unwanted memories forced their way into his mind, memories that were normally hidden so deeply in his subconscious they were inaccessible to even the most determined and invasive eavesdropper. Without warning he was transported back to that wretched Genii prison. The confined space of his small cell with its half-light and cold, unyielding surfaces that denied him any comfort, the stale, dank air that filled his nostrils and sensory pits and the mental anguish and emptiness of being separated from the voices and minds of his Wraith brothers suddenly felt as real as if he were still there.
He stood motionless, fighting the past, pushing such negativity back into the depths of his subconscious until he was able to marshal the memories that fired his thirst for revenge, the memories of his Genii tormentors. Anger snaked though his body as he remembered the disparaging looks they used to throw in his direction and the sheer contempt with which they had treated him surged forward causing a long, low growl to rise in his throat.
Turning his anger to the husk at his feet, he delivered a kick to the lifeless body. While there was some comfort to be gained from the fact that all bar one of those vile Genii tormentors were now dead, he still harbored some latent disappointment that he had not been responsible for all of those deaths. He took a deep breath, refocusing his mind on the one upon whom he will exact retribution for the sins of the others and a look of grim determination returned to his face.
Of course he was all too aware he had to accept some of the responsibility for allowing Kolya to be in a position from which he was able to escape and his mouth twisted into a contemptuous snarl in recognition of his own failure. A rare act of benevolence, totally at odds with his nature, an error of judgement that would not happen again. Ever. This time he would have his revenge in full even if it irreparably damaged his relationship with John Sheppard and Atlantis.
The faint whisper of voices suddenly infiltrated his thoughts, bringing his ruminations to an abrupt stop. Unfamiliar voices, human voices so he turned his head slightly to catch sight of two males standing bowed and submissive, waiting to dispose of the husks. They were the slaves who maintained the culling pods, pathetic creatures who usually keep well out of the way of their Wraith masters and were also shunned by other human worshippers because of the nature of their work.
While the stench of their unwashed bodies and their deprivation was distasteful, Todd immediately sensed their utter terror as they realized that the Wraith before them was the commander. It briefly crossed his mind that some pleasure might to be had from punishing their intrusion but they they were hardly worth the energy. Besides, such action was beneath his station so he just gave them with a harsh, guttural snarl as he swept past to begin his long walk back to the bridge.
x-X-00-X-x
Feeling insecure about his position on the hive was not something the second had experienced before and it was not a situation that sat particularly well with him. Especially since it was based in his own perceptions rather than any concrete evidence and the source of his insecurity was a newcomer, an unknown quantity who posed a threat that might or might not be real. He walked over to look out of one of the two small portals that brought some natural light into the small room where he assessed their human agents' reports. While he was quickly mesmerized by the erratic display of lights that characterized hyperspace travel, they also injected some logic into his thoughts.
Taking a deep breath he considered the situation in a clear, methodical way. He would not be the second-in-command of this hive if the commander did not trust him completely and have confidence in his judgement in critical situations. A confident spread smile crossed his face. Even his lack of experience in serving a queen had stood him in good stead, helping the commander in his plan to dominate this new female. But the smile disappeared as insecurity resurfaced at the mere thought of her, the prize this newcomer, this cruiser captain had delivered. Even more concerning was the commander's obvious approval of the way this new underling had dealt with the queen and brought her over to the hive.
He growled softly to himself, turning away from the portal to walk back through to the bridge's main control room. The hive was under his command and as usual when traveling in hyperspace they were operating with reduced crewing levels. So with only one other officer on duty, he did a slow circuit of the monitors and control panels, accessing readouts, watching streams of colored data chase across dark screens, checking power levels and other critical functions.
Like all Wraith officers, his organic attachment to the hive meant he could sense any problems as surely as he knew when his own body was not functioning at full capacity but the visual check of the systems was a secondary requirement that had to be performed regularly. Satisfied that all were operating at appropriate levels he went over to a long bench in the shadows at the back of the room, sat down heavily, flexed his shoulders and stretched his long legs out in front of him.
Putting his head back against the wall he closed his eyes, freed up his mind and let it drift out into the hive. As expected, with most of the crew in their quarters resting, there was not much movement. As expected, the commander was out and about, passing through the dart bay on his way back from feeding. His leader's thoughts were inaccessible, a tightly-focused, heavily-veiled mind deflecting intrusions in a way the second could only envy and aspire to match.
Acknowledging the futility of trying to determine if the commander was heading directly to his own quarters or if he intended to visit to the bridge, the second moved on. On to the scientists and engineers working in different labs or completing routine maintenance tasks while various warriors and human worshippers went about their mundane duties.
Suddenly another mind crossed his path, a confident mind belonging to an officer who was heading towards the bridge. Instinctively his senses sharpened but he took time to enjoy one final stretch of his body before closing his mind to await the captain's arrival. It was not a long wait. The newcomer strode in confidently and looked around before moving to the main control panel where he began checking some of the systems. A deliberately provocative action. The Second growled softly. Obviously his attempt to close his mind had not worked as well as he would have hoped, so he moved out into the light.
=You have no business here,=he snarled, making no attempt to keep the tone of admonition out of his voice.
=The commander told me to meet him here.=The captain turned slowly to face his interrogator, a smile slowly crossing his face. =Did he not tell you?=
Biting back an overwhelming urge to snarl at his rival, an action that would only serve to expose and compound his own insecurities, the Second moved in front of the main control station, forcing the captain to step away. His eyes searched the array of monitors in a cursory fashion as he tried to resettle his auras before replying.
=Why would he? His meeting with you is of no concern to me. When you have served him longer, if you get that opportunity, you will know it is not in his nature to provide unnecessary information.=
With a slight turn of his head the second glanced out of the corner of his eye, just in time to see the captain's lips twist briefly in a nascent snarl before he regained control. Though his first reaction was to smile smugly, the second resisted the temptation, preferring to simply take satisfaction that his words had achieved the desired effect. But before their sparring had the chance to escalate, both sensed the commander's approach and while the second remained by the control station, the aaptain stepped away, demonstrating his subordinate position.
So the two stood apart, their natural antagonism growing like some invisible yet potentially potent barrier as they waited for the Commander to arrive, each started to think about how best to promote his own interests at the expense of the other.
x-X-00-X-x
Kolya was in a quiet, contemplative mood as he finally entered the ruined city he had seen in the distance when he arrived on this world. Aware of his mood, the small group of men with him were keeping their distance and also remained silent. Some of the trepidation he had felt when he first saw the ruins had returned but Rix had chosen to have their unexpected visitors brought here so Kolya had no choice but to come here too. Still it was a good distance from the damp caves he now, reluctantly, called home and the walk down, despite taking a route across the old battlefield, had been invigorating.
But once within the city boundaries his opinion changed. Traveling further through the abandoned edifices, he realized that up close it was actually in much better condition structurally than it had appeared from a distance. The Ancients had built their cities to last and although this particular one was smaller than Atlantis, the similarities in its design and architecture were still unmistakeable. Unlike Atlantis though, this unnamed city bore the scars of invasions, battles, habitation by other civilizations and, finally, many years of neglect.
As they drew closer to their destination Kolya wondered why Rix had not chosen to set up his headquarters here. Certainly the cave complex had the advantage of secrecy and would be easier to defend if the need arose but it also offered far fewer escape routes than the city with its second gate located somewhere in one of these buildings. Still the decision has been made and Kolya knew it would be futile trying to suggest any changes. Rix was not contemplating failure and the accompanying need to escape and, based on the attributes displayed to date, clearly shared his late brother's reluctance to change a plan or strategy once he had embarked a particular course of action.
Finally they stopped outside a relatively small building with a single sliding door guarded by three soldiers, none of whom Kolya recognized. Nevertheless, he was pleased to see they nodded their heads with a degree of respect as he approached a tall, well-built man who seemed to be in charge.
"They are all here?" Before leaving the caves, Rix had calmed down enough to provide some basic details of what had happened so Kolya knew that Dahlia Radim, her bodyguard and the two men hired to kidnap her were already here.
"Yes Commander. Kolya She is still unconscious but the two mercenaries are getting edgy, they want their money and want to know why they are been kept here. They are in a holding room in this building. "
"Good," Kolya murmured, more to himself than anyone else, before addressing the soldier. "Take me to them." He turned to the small group who accompanied him down from the caves and singled out a couple of men, "you and you with me and the rest of you stay here and keep watch. I do not want to be surprised by any unexpected visitors."
A look of resigned skepticism passed between the men designated to stay behind as they took up posts at strategic positions around the building but Kolya ignored them. He knew they thought him overly cautious but years of living on the move had developed habits he saw no reason to dispense with even though others might see them as being excessive. Instead he turned his attention to the building he was about to enter.
The original sophisticated security systems had long since fallen into disrepair so one of the guards simply pushed open the door and then stood aside to allow Kolya and his team to pass. After only a couple of steps inside he was immediately taken back to that brief but eventful visit to Atlantis. Although the neglect and resulting decay was evident, some effort had been made to clean and restore this particular corridor and enough traces remained of the once distinctive architecture and color scheme to remind him of the scores he had to settle beyond those to be pursued in Rix's name. He took a deep breath. This was not the time to be distracted by John Sheppard so he paused briefly, ostensibly to look down an adjoining corridor but in reality to refocus on the present and the job at hand before continuing along the meet their visitors.
-o-o-o-o-
Finally arriving at the closed door to the holding room, Kolya paused as the sounds of raised voices filtered through from the room behind the door. Two voices in particular and although the words were unintelligible, coming through as just a serious of muffled sounds, their owners were obviously arguing. Kolya opened the door quietly, hoping to catch the two opponents off-guard, and walked in to see them standing chest-to-chest obviously ready to exchange more than words.
"I strongly suggest you wait until you have explained why you decided to disobey your orders before settling whatever personal differences might exist between you."
Two heads turned simultaneously and cast antagonistic looks in Kolya's direction as he did a quick sweep of the room. While their clothing marked these two as traders, their general demeanor set them apart as military men though definitely not Genii. Two chairs lying on their sides showed that the pair had been sitting opposite each other at a small table while a third man, obviously the bodyguard, sat alone, crouched on his haunches, in a corner. Despite the presence of a third chair at the table, his aloofness clearly showed he had no wish to be associated with the other two.
Stepping away from each other, the taller of the two men took the initiative to speak. "We have nothing to explain. We delivered the goods as requested so now all you have to do is pay us and we will be on our way."
Kolya laughed, a cold humourless response that was lost on the two truculent faces in front of him. Such a simple understanding, but then these men were ignorant of the bigger picture so had no idea of the part their particular actions played in that picture. They were typical mercenaries. No loyalty to anything or anyone but the rewards they could garner through their less than satisfactory services.
"So you think it is that simple? I believe you actually disobeyed the quite explicit but simple directions that were given to you to carry out this job," Kolya said quietly but the irritation in his voice was unmistakable. He waited for an answer but when none came he shrugged his shoulders. There was no value wasting more time here. These men had nothing to offer so there was only one way to deal with them. "Very well, stay here and someone will take care of you soon." He glanced over at the third man who now stood but remained in the shadows. "Come with me."
The bodyguard took his jacket from the back of the still standing chair before following Kolya out of the room. Collecting the men who had waited outside the holding room, the little party reached the first bend in the corridor before Kolya turned to the three soldiers and nodded back towards the holding room.
"They have outlived their usefulness, deal with them."
The three turned to retrace their steps back to the holding room while Kolya and the bodyguard continued back towards the entrance. The eerie silence was broken only by the tread of their boots on the floor and sound of two muffled gunshots.
"What is your name?" Kolya finally asked.
"Aerimon Penze. My brother-"
Not wanting to be distracted by useless personal trivia, Kolya cut him off abruptly. "Yes, I know your brother was one of the elite guards who died in Ladon's coup. Would you like to tell me what happened here?"
"It all happened so quickly, too quickly. We were at the gate when they arrived, it was part of the plan, to give them an opportunity to see her, recognize her, then I allowed them time to get ahead of us before we started back to the city. But we came over a hill to find them arguing over something. They saw us, panicked and attacked Dahlia before I had chance to stop them."
Kolya nodded but felt a growing sense of animosity towards this man. It was a plausible explanation, one that confirmed his decision to dispose of the two kidnappers was the only sensible option. But it still did not explain why this soldier, one of Rix's key agents within Ladon's inner circle, had deserted his post at the first sign of trouble.
"I understood that your orders were fairly clear, that you were to ensure you remained in Ladon's trust after she had been taken. Why did you feel it necessary to ignore those orders?"
The looked that passed across Aerimon's face confirmed that he had expected this question but his reply was still delivered with a tone of humility. "Commander, I had no choice. I had to make a decision based on how I saw the situation unfolding. Those fools compromised my position by taking her when she was under my protection making it impossible for me to return to the city without her. It would have looked suspicious if they had left me alive and my death would have served no purpose. But I did not willfully desert my post, I did not escape to save my life, they will think that I have been captured too."
Kolya stopped, looked across at Aerimon and nodded his head slowly as a new idea came to him. Both men turned as their three companions caught-up and looked expectantly at their commander.
"She is here, in this building too?" His question was addressed to the soldier who had joined them when they arrived at the complex.
"No Commander, she is further in the city. But she is still unconscious. One of our medics has examined her and says she should come round soon."
"Good," Kolya nodded as he turned to Aerimon. "I want you to go there, let her believe you were captured too so she will trust you just as she did before. And remember this, there is no room for more mistakes this time, especially from you."
x-X-00-X-x
The tensions emanating from the bridge were unmistakable so when Todd entered his face was set in an impenetrable mask of indifference. But as he went through the mandatory round of checking the controls, the occasional looks he cast in the direction of his two underlings told a different story, one he was sure made it clear their mutual animosity was neither welcome nor acceptable.
For some reason he felt slightly disappointed although it was a situation he had faced before, more times than he cared to remember. Both were merely displaying their natural aggression and the rivalry that fed their attitudes to everyone and everything around them, especially others they saw as potential threats to their position. Todd knew exactly how they felt but in their present situation, it was a distraction he would not allow. There was no reason for his lieutenant to feel threatened. His position was safe and while the captain was displaying new levels of confidence, Todd sensed his real ambition was to regain command to his own ship. Removing the newcomer would be the easiest way to deal with the situation but it did not fit with his immediate plans so his choices were simple, either intervene and defuse this rivalry before it gained momentum or standby and allow it to continue to its natural conclusion.
But before he could decide on his preferred strategy, the second's thoughts cut across his own. =I will leave you to-=
Todd's response is swift and succinct. =You will stay exactly where you are. You have command of the hive, that duty is not terminated simply by my presence here.=
The brusque snarl that accompanied this order caused both underlings to bow their heads but they still exchanged resentful glances, each clearly blaming the other for the commander's ill temper.
Growling softly, his eyes flickering between the two officers, Todd made his decision. While pleased with his lieutenant's development, this was exactly the type of challenge the young Wraith must learn to handle if he was to reach his full potential. And in truth, as yet this was just a minor altercation, one that needed to be watched but one Todd knew would only require his intervention if the tentacles of discontent spread further and the command structure of the hive began to be compromised.
Decision made, he recalled why he had ordered the captain to meet him here. Sighing softly, he walked over to the seat his lieutenant had occupied just a short time ago, sat down and surveyed the two officers through hooded eyes. =You dealt with the queen effectively o you will remain on the hive and take charge of the detachment of drones I have assigned to her personal service.=
As expected, this was not the news the captain had hoped to hear and he made little effort to hide his disappointment. =Commander, I was hoping to return-=
A fleeting smile crossed Todd's mouth as he interrupted. =Do not worry, you have not been relieved of your command … unless you see some reason for me to take such action.=
Disappointment was immediately replaced by uncertainty, about whether to pursue the issue further or simply let it drop. It took only a few seconds for the captain to chose the line of least resistance. =No, I merely … No.= Seemingly reluctant to leave until he was formally dismissed, the captain simply took a couple of steps back.
Satisfied with this response, Todd turned to his second. =Once we arrive at this Genii outpost you will take us into orbit and prepare for a culling.=
The second nodded, remembering the human who had shared the commander's vendetta against this particular enemy. =And the humans from Atlantis?=
While the question was addressed to the commander, the second's eyes turned to watch the captain's response and was not disappointed. As his perceived rival's attention darted from the monitor he had been watching to the commander, a look of complete surprise dominated his face.
=The humans from Atlantis? Why do we care what humans think about a culling? Of what importance is Atlan-=
Todd calmly cut across this uninvited opinion. =I have had dealings with these particular humans on various projects that have been of benefit to both my alliance and Wraith as a whole.=
=But they are humans, we-=
Again Todd cut in, this time irritation and impatience coloring his tone, =I am not in the habit of repeating myself nor of explaining my actions to an underling, you will do well to remember this if you wish to serve me and prosper.=
The captain looked suitably chastised, nodded his head slowly and finally left the bridge. The second just looked straight ahead, satisfied that his innocent question had caused this upstart newcomer to raise the commander's ire and put just a small dent in his rival's confidence. Todd left too, the need for rest even stronger.
