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 Thonblood said. “I do not agree fully, but I will accept that you came to no harm by your actions. However there will be a wing with you after this. I will go over the list of openings Al gave me and see who I know that could fit, as well. For all I am sure that They will see to some as well for the ship. The boy enrolled on his own saying that he was doing so against the expressed wishes of the one he wanted trained to serve.” Jade flushed. “That being the case he has been on a punishment course, but is set to complete it in two weeks and will be brought to me. I will keep him until your other bond is fully set, but then you will have to take him. Regardless of you feelings he has been trained to you. He will of course expected the full of your wrath to fall on him. I know you do not want it, but you know the law, there is not I can change.”
Jade took a shaky breath. “That Fool! He promised that was not what he was doing! I! He Promised! He stood right in front of me and. Damn him. How dare.” She was shaking, Henry pressed against her whimpering. “I am alright boy. Yes you may knell next to me. It will be all right. No, this isn’t for either of you. Yes the other one will get his share later, but you don’t need more.” She shook her head. “To think it is just to get worse. It shouldn’t, but what is done can’t be unmade. That is one thing. His actions though were not. Should not. There was no tie there. No need for it. He knew. He said so. He. To do this after. We talked. I know he heard me and understood. Then he goes and. Don’t worry he will get what he earned, by forcing this on me.” She shook her head. “I should have known he gave in to easy. I just.” Albert looked at her worried, she was a bit to controlled. “No I am not going to bottle it. I will deal with it, but most of it has to dealt with when he is here to answer. Don’t worry Robert will get the welts as Thon intended by telling me now. Then both boys will see that I sleep, you know that between them I will not be getting up until long after you have left on the patrol. Now Thon said you had a list a list of open spots?”
Albert smiled and handed it to her. “Now Grandfather said he is sure that one of the new arrivals will be up to the Navigator position, I will start the testing tomorrow. For the today’s run I had one from a team that wasn’t flying. That said we are not doing anything complex. Tomorrow’s run is in Delata, and I can handle it myself, so it is a safe testing.”
Jade nodded. “Just see you throw some questions about none straight flying, but it will wait until I am there. It is not going to be easy to find a Navigator, but I can arrange one that will work with us until we find one and fill in the gaps in their training. Not all that we need will be taught in the schools here. In the mean time Henry will have to help out when I am with the wing. Long as there is another with the title the boy should be fine with giving checks . I take it he has been doing most of for the last year?”
Albert nodded. “The last half more so, but some before then. The only one that was capable turned out to be a drunk, and it is out of control. At first it was just in off hours, but now it is seldom he shows up sober and he can’t last a shift if he does. I have given up on him, as much as I wanted to help, there is nothing more I can do. I imagine the guards will have to tell him again that he is washed out once he sobers up. There were a few others that made their last trip with us, and a couple that I feel will soon. Likely I should, but well. It isn’t easy to tell them that they aren’t fit when they are not a danger. Others are good, but might not be for this crew. That is harder for me to tell.”
Jade nodded. “I expect that there will be changes I need to do, you have done well to get this much. I know it is not a place you want to be in. I trust Vic is helping? Still I need to find a second. You just can’t do the job off the bridge, I do understand that. It is just I needed to step back to see that it has to me. That I have to take Captain, not just Wing Command, but I do and will. Tomorrow I am staying here, then I will go to the base. Now I can see that Victory isn’t here are you going to her? You don’t need to spend tonight alone unless you want to. My anger is affecting you, so if you need her then go. Henry will stay with me for now, but you may spend time with her.”
Albert smiled. “Yes she has been, but as she is running the Wing I have to take the crew. I am doing my best, but all will be glad to see you. They wanted to come, but felt it best to wait until you had been on base. I will be fine, as long as you are letting the boys see to you, Sis. Vic felt that it was best to wait to come over, and I didn’t think I should stay on base, so I believe she has other plans. I will let her know that you said I could stay tomorrow and see if that is what she wishes. However I do think she is going to want to wait. She implied it would be after the ceremony before that happened unless you ordered otherwise.”
Jade said. “For now I am fine with leaving it to her, just tell her it is up to her, that there I have removed my restrictions.” Albert smiled and nodded, loving that she was able to do it, and let Fred hear her. That was as much of a help as the orders.
Fred looked at them, and shook his head. “That is not talk to have at a dinner table! It is sicking that it is even happening, you don’t need to advertise it! Keep it out of public, show some sense of decency. It isn’t right. There is no reason! As if talking of beating your slaves wasn’t enough! Just what are you doing? And to. Just why do you even know what your brother? It isn’t. To know that, and for to imply that.”
Jade said. “I have the right to control what Albert does that is first. Then he has given a secondary control to Victory, so yes it is out of his control when he gets that type of pleasure. Yes we could have discussed it away from the table or even just mentally, but there are none here that would be harmed by our conversation. It was important that he knew my feelings, as that was a part of what was upsetting him. He feared I would think he was trying to hide it from me. The other is the question of the med officer. So did Glade make it in?”
Thonblood said. “I brought him in, he is bunking with the crew tonight and will be with them tomorrow. Right now he is just a possible med officer, that will let him get a feel for them. The two of you need to end this. It is going to destroy both of you other wise.”
Jade said. “The three of us, you mean, and four as Vic is going to get tied in. But yes, his Oath needs to happen at the same time, as hard as that is going to be. No, he will come back to the house with me, I am not going to wait. Just the vows will. However yes that means it is likely I will pass out after them, but Glade will be ready for it and will talk Al though it. Fred we will be on the base, the vows are done after the children are gone. The only ones there are those that know they have an idea what to expect. I will not be back here until I have recovered. So drop the fake outrage. You have known since I was six that this would happen. It is to late to be upset over what can not change. We both know that, and.” She shook her head. “I am to tried and upset to be here right now. If you don’t think I ate enough, then have Henry bring some to the room, he knows where the warm is. Now I mean it Al, if it gets to much, go to Vic, you know she will understand if you need her. It won’t scare her to know that I am having it rough tonight.”
Al said. “I am fine sis, yes it is pulling, but you are going to see to it. That is enough. Truly it is helping me more this way. I know it is troubling, but I need this. If I need more I will go, but now I just need to know you are dealing with it and letting them see to you.” Jade nodded and stood up. Al looked at Henry, he bowed and went to the food as Robert followed Jade into the house.
Thon said. “That is good to see, and yes I agree, you need to stay here. It will hurt, but will do you more good right now. After the opening is indeed the right time for anything more than cuddling and I will talk to Vic about it.”
Al said. “Thank you. I think she will know that I need to be told no, but it helps that you will see to it. It is going to be hard on Jade even after the bond is open. She is still feeling so guilty over it. No matter what she says, she blames herself.”