"Yon? I get why letting them see Rita is an absolute no, but what's wrong with the chatterer? There isn't anything too abnormal about him."
"Even if you can't acknowledge it, there's still far too much wrong with that assessment, even at face value."
"Who the hell cares? I can admit he's talented, but I don't find him that exceptional compared to the others. What makes it so important that we hide him from any Lieutenant or Captain?"
"It's not something I can explain yet. Actually, it's a problem I haven't even managed to identify."
Oliver exited the operations center after submitting the highly classified data that comprised the Nebula's mission report.
The reason Cosmo's warning to him and Clarisse flashed through his mind once again was because he only now realized that Yon, whom he had left for only a moment just outside the room, was nowhere to be found.
One could argue the Engineer was slightly at fault for not warning the officer to stay put. But they would also have to acknowledge that such a thing should have gone without saying.
Truthfully, Oliver didn't care much for following Cosmo's request, which was probably why the latter had reminded him of his promise to Mama Maria to cooperate until they returned to the Nebula's base.
Still, he had never mentioned the level of enthusiasm he'd approach his tasks with. Meaning if Yon happened to cross paths with a Lieutenant, or, less likely, a Captain. Oliver would not take the blame lying down.
***
Sauer was on his way to rendezvous with his supposed partners before he abruptly stopped.
The plan was to meet at a debriefing center before departing through a portal to Raiz, a boundary very close to the central axis.
Oddly, he was in a hurry after word had quickly reached his location about a recent event at the crossroads.
Fearing his own mysterious inclination, Sauer did not want to remain in the 56th for much longer.
He intended to leave as quickly as possible.
At least, that had been the plan until a somewhat familiar voice called out to him.
"Hey! Hold on for a second!"
When Sauer finally stopped, he turned around to see an officer in a white jacket slowing to a halt.
His hair was black with yellow streaks, and he held a sword in its scabbard in his right hand.
When Sauer examined him, his eyes widened slightly, but noticeably.
"You've grown," he remarked. "You finally look the part."
"Thanks, I guess," Yon responded. "I think I finally get what you were talking about that day."
The Nebula's first impression of Sauer had been of someone who needlessly insulted their appearance and deemed them improper for the role of Veil officers.
They hadn't taken the insult well, and Yon had gotten uncharacteristically upset, enough to provoke a fight.
"When I think back, we really did look like a bunch of newbies who had no idea we were actively putting our lives on the line. If I could see my past self before that portal opened, I might want to punch him."
"I wouldn't go that far, but it's more common among first‑timers than you'd think. The problem is that it leads to more avoidable deaths than I can count. It would be a shame if the Nebula was taken out of the run before it could begin again."
Sauer's casual response only made Yon more curious about what expectations the new Nebula was supposed to live up to.
"Strange," Yon said after a moment. "Last time we met, it felt like we were on equal terms. I know better now, you'd probably kick my ass, but it still feels like I can't help but see you as my equal. What's up with that?"
To Yon's curiosity, Sauer only smirked with quiet understanding.
"I knew you'd grown. But it's unbelievable that you'd notice something like that so easily. Especially as an artifact wielder."
"Oh yeah?" Yon replied with a hint of confidence. "Just so ya know, I'm kinda good at reading people. It's the one quality I have worth bragging about. I sometimes get to know more than meets the eye."
"Is that so?" Sauer asked, genuinely curious. "What can you tell me about myself?"
"Well, for starters, I know you're trying to avoid the Captain."
Sauer's eye twitched.
"I called out to you twenty‑seven seconds before you made any attempt to stop. It was obvious you heard me, since your level of urgency increased just a bit," Yon continued. "You were coming from the direction of the armory. You had the same weapon last time, so it must've just been inspected and polished. As far as I know, meticulous officers take their non‑artifact weapons in for maintenance right after deployment or right before another one. It had to be the latter since you're wearing an untouched, fresh set. Congratulations on the promotion, by the way."
They both eyed the customized insignia on the chest of Sauer's uniform.
The insignia on recruits was the base symbol of Veil, but as an officer climbed higher, a new line alternating between white and black encircled the symbol.
Sauer currently held eight, leaving him one line away from the position of Lieutenant–An impressive jump from the six he'd held only a year before.
"Obviously you're being deployed, but with no urgency. At least not until you needed an excuse to avoid the group I was potentially with, which wouldn't have been a problem if you were able to sense the presence of someone significantly higher in level than you. Someone who wouldn't want to startle the officers around him by throwing his aura around. But without knowing whether the voice calling you was accompanied by such a person, you had no choice but to shuffle away until you reached this empty passage where you could only hear my footsteps."
Sauer sighed, indirectly admitting defeat.
"So… why are you avoiding the Captain?"
"I admit I'm impressed, but you were wrong about one thing." Sauer tapped the hilt of the blade behind his hip. "It's not an artifact, but I still wouldn't let anybody touch this blade. It means that much to me. My visit to the armory was for other hidden weapons suited for my arsenal."
"Hidden weapons? I thought you were purely a swordsman. The way you're carrying that sword says you have full confidence in it, and in your ability to swing it."
"A swordsman? So he hasn't taught you 'that'?" Sauer seemed puzzled by Yon's curiosity.
"Taught me what?"
"Actually, it's not something I can teach you. You'll have to ask your Captain what that word means to an officer. As for my reasons, I hate to say it's none of your business."
"What? I think you owe me that much after all that."
"It's not entirely personal. I can at least tell you it's a tactical way for me to fulfill an order. I know I wouldn't be able to watch my mouth if I met him again."
"..."
"Do me a favor and pretend we never met. After your accomplishments, I'm sure you'll be busy from here on out. Good luck." Sauer turned away to continue.
"R–right," Yon said, accepting the reasoning. He had no reason to get involved with something that clearly didn't concern him. "It's probably weird for me to say this, but it was nice meeting you again."
Sauer was about to leave, but an itching sense of wrong stopped him.
He felt as if he needed to tell Yon something, but he didn't know how to put it into words.
He turned around, but the words didn't come.
It was as if his instincts as an Eminent had grasped something about Yon he couldn't yet comprehend. All he knew was that it deeply saddened him.
"That sword…"
"Hey, dipshit!"
Somebody knocked Yon on the back of his head.
"What part of leaving me behind and walking off on your own seemed like a good idea to you?"
Oliver appeared without warning and began chiding Yon without so much as a greeting.
Seeing as it would last a while, Sauer decided to let things go and move on.
He didn't know what exactly he sensed, but if it was troublesome, then there was no way Cosmo wouldn't have accounted for it.
So he chose to mind his own affairs and look forward to his own mission.
He left the two in the passage and went his way.
***
"It's strange. I don't see anything physically wrong with either of you."
Blue heard the nurse's voice as her body slowly hovered out of the full‑body scanner.
"But your vitality says the opposite. It's almost as if your body was forced to overtax its own ability to heal. The structure of your bones and tissues appears to be woven into finer states than they originally were, but it's been done on such a wide scale that it doesn't cripple you or interfere with your nervous system and circulation. That's far beyond what standard nano‑machines can accomplish, so what exactly is responsible?"
Tyson was waiting ahead of her as Blue got up. He handed her the jacket of her uniform, which he had been holding.
Before arriving at the branch, they had both agreed that Tzuri's scales were probably something Cosmo expected them to keep hidden.
He might not have mentioned it outright, but it was obvious each branch sought to maintain its own upper hand.
Despite the care she wanted to provide, they knew they could not answer the woman's questions, innocent as her curiosity was.
"A card dealt is a card lost." Another nurse, her arms placed atop one another, strode in gently.
Her attire suggested she was an assistant. And as the head nurse directed Tyson and Blue to sit on two large chairs, it became clear she had been expected.
"You're right," the head nurse gasped, covering her mouth. "That truly is none of my business. It seems I let my curiosity get the better of me."
"It's alright," Blue responded. "We can't actually answer you anyway, so there's absolutely no problem."
Tyson sighed.
He wanted to trust Blue to keep a secret, and she had done so in her own way.
But the way she answered was basically announcing that they did, in fact, have something to hide.
He knew to keep his mouth shut if he couldn't circumvent the question, but with Blue being naturally social, she never ignored conversations directed at her.
"Haha, you're such an honest girl. It's quite adorable, and rare to find among officers these days." The nurse pinched Blue's cheek while she laughed, almost as if Blue were a child.
"So, what's this for?" Blue asked after rubbing her cheek.
"This is my assistant, Bolin." The head nurse, Cherry, gestured at the woman now approaching Blue. "While I'm in charge of major physical injuries at the direct request of the branch Captains, she's tasked with assessing the mental state of officers, as well as the condition of their Authorities."
"I see," Tyson suddenly spoke. "I was wondering why the head nurse from another branch would see us directly. This medical room is reserved for major requests?"
"Of course," Cherry responded. "A direct request from a Captain to our branch is a major upset in the grand scheme. It comes with a penalty, you see."
"What kind?" Blue asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"The best we could ask for, naturally," Cherry smirked. "Said Captain would owe our branch one irrefutable debt within their capabilities for each request."
Blue's heart sank, and Tyson jumped from his seat.
He knew just how much of a liability it was for a Captain to submit to such a term, and he wasn't about to have it wasted on a simple checkup. Blue was about to do the same until–
"What, pray tell, are you doing?" The nurse's tone changed drastically.
Blue was held still with inconceivable strength.
"To refuse my care, it had better be for a reason that would cost your life. And I mean that quite literally," Cherry declared, glaring at Tyson.
He frowned in protest.
"That's better than the alternative. There's absolutely nothing wrong with me."
"Fools concern themselves with the movements of the clouds while the ground crumbles beneath," the assistant nurse commented.
"I was informed by the Razor that your Captain prioritized your treatments above all else. Particularly this one's." Cherry said before pinning Blue against the chair, leaving her unable to protest. "Do you intend to spit on his judgment?"
"I refuse to be spoiled by his needless sentiments. Blue's the only one who needs your help. I won't allow you to twist this into two different requests and take advantage of his urgency."
"Is that so?" The nurse smiled. "I can forgive your ignorance as to how things work around here. As such, I will offer to have the charge for your examination cut to nothing. Besides, in case you've forgotten, I have already provided my service to you as well."
To this, Tyson folded his arms and remained grounded.
"I'm not as ignorant as you think. You haven't provided anything exceptional beyond a scan performed by a machine. That's available to any officer regardless. There's no such thing as 'free' between those Captains, so you will check Blue as I said, and leave it at that."
"Tyson!" Blue glared at him.
"I'm sorry, but he probably didn't want you to feel as if you alone are causing him concern. But I can't be cowardly enough to let you keep being oblivious. You're not alright, and nobody blames you for it."
Her breath hitched as Tyson confessed.
Of course, he was lying.
He was in a terrible state, but he couldn't begin to guess why Cosmo would risk allowing strangers to become aware of his desperately hidden matter.
It was an unforgivable intrusion Tyson didn't believe he could forgive.
But he would have to have Blue accept a truth based on the qualities she appeared to perceive from Cosmo.
The ones Tyson himself tried not to identify in the Captain.
"I…" Blue's expression turned solemn, and a sense of guilt overwhelmed her.
This made Cherry sigh.
"Fine."
Blue was suddenly buckled to the chair.
"Alright, Bolin. This girl will have to be your only patient today."
Tyson's guard softened as Cherry finally conceded.
"But you, feisty boy, are blacklisted from my services."
Tyson was entirely fine with that.
He couldn't begin to imagine how detrimental losing potential access to the services of a single nurse could be, so he didn't lament the outcome.