Andrea Vale had never enjoyed being underestimated by idiots.
Unfortunately, the world was full of them.
It was worse, somehow, when the intelligent ones watched him and pretended not to.
He stood beside Eva with one hand near the stabilizing band locked around his wrist, his assigned range clearly marked on the field display projected across the inside of his visor. Ten meters forward. Six meters left. No independent command access. No open channel to Draxil units without Sahan relay approval.
A leash.
A very elegant leash, polished with diplomatic language and Eva's old plea until everyone could pretend it was a kindness.
Andrea had smiled when they granted it.
He had thanked them.
He had even lowered his eyes at the correct moment, as if the humiliation of his field interdiction being temporarily lifted under foreign supervision had humbled him.
It had not.
It had merely taught him how many eyes were on his hands.
