Saryn of Elisia

by StarAndrea

  “They would have lost the Eltaran market,” Timmin said. “Right? Isn’t that why they protested in the first place?”

  “Eltare receives colony imports at a significantly reduced rate,” Saryn said. “The Border is a better market for local goods and services.”

  “The Border doesn’t trade Eltaran goods,” Timmin said.

  “No, that’s true,” Cairo agreed. “We trade for them, not in them.”

  “But the Eltaran market remains,” Saryn said. “Secession didn’t even go before the public for consideration, and the terms of our global trade with Eltare are unchanged.”

  “Global trade,” Cairo repeated. “Individual industries have renegotiated since then; the contracts might be different. I can look into it if you’re interested.”

  “I would appreciate that,” Saryn said. And then, because the “why?” hung unspoken between them, he added, “I have a teammate from New Hope, and we’ve had several discussions about why a referendum on independence did not proceed. I’d like to be better informed.”

  “Oh, the new one?” Cairo said, then added, “I mean, the other new one? I thought she sounded familiar.”

  “I didn't recognize her,” Saryn admitted. “But neither did she recognize me, so I suppose we didn’t make much of an impression on each other at the time.”

  “Trying to change that now?” Cairo asked, carefully neutral in expression but quietly amused. Apparently Mirine wasn’t the only one entertained by his interaction with Jenna.

  “Yes,” Saryn admitted. Denying it would make him less sympathetic, and there was no reason to do so. “Unfortunately, we have another appointment to keep this morning.”

  “Here?” Cairo asked. “You didn’t come just to see me after raiders entered the system and shot one of--wait, was that you? That was RAV 4 that went down in the desert, right? The new Ranger is RAV 5. The other new Ranger.”

  “That was me,” Saryn confirmed.

  “Are you all right?” Cairo wanted to know. “A RAV hasn’t crashed since…”

  “Since the other Rangers were new,” Saryn said.

  “Fair point,” Cairo agreed. “Did you get training, at least? When did you have time? How long have you been flying with them?”

  “My training is ongoing,” Saryn said. “Obviously remedial piloting will be necessary; I’m sure I’ll be hearing about that crash for some time. We’re on our way to meet Oreyla now, but I’ll contact you later today to discuss scheduling and workload.”

  “When it’s convenient,” Cairo said. “If you’re being reassigned, officially or otherwise, we should be able to get a temporary attachment. You want me to wait to request someone?”

  “No,” Saryn said. “Tell them training and public relations are an unplanned full-time commitment in light of current military engagement, and immediate assistance is necessary.”

  “That should be enough to get our favorite apprentice some practical experience,” Cairo said. “I assume you want Shiseneth. I want Shiseneth.”

  “Yes,” Saryn agreed. “We should steal her back from Education as soon as possible.”

  “Before they get too comfortable,” Cairo said. “I’m on it.”

  “Thank you,” Saryn said.

  “Anytime,” Cairo said. “Congratulations on not dying; keep it up.”

  “I will endeavor to do so,” Saryn said.

  “Nice to meet you,” Cairo added, nodding to Timmin.

  “And you,” Timmin agreed with a smile.

  As they left, Saryn remarked quietly, “Cairo is exceptionally knowledgeable about Eltaran engagement on the Border. Not only with regard to our colony, but any that maintain relations with the Alliance. Should you require insight into offworld political maneuvering not filtered through the military or the Council, I recommend this office as a resource.”

  “What about you?” Timmin replied, just as quietly. “Cairo said you work together; aren’t you a resource?”

  “I interact more frequently with the other Border worlds,” Saryn said. “We are a highly compatible team.”

  Someone came out of an office right in front of them, and Saryn nodded politely. He didn’t recognize her, but she did a double take, even pausing for a moment on the other side of the hall when he looked back. He had Timmin with him, after all, and he forgot that he was wearing a Ranger uniform himself. There were only five of them on the entire planet; of course they would stand out.

  “Are you okay with this sudden, uh, career change?” Timmin asked under his breath, and only after they passed the person who stared. “Lyris says you didn’t get much of a chance to think about it.”

  Saryn noted that Lyris had clearly said something to his teammates, despite Jenna’s earlier remark about him not being forthcoming. He was exceedingly tempted to respond with sarcasm, but it wasn’t the time or the place. He of all people knew what kind of an audience these halls could contain.

  “Of course,” he said instead. He was, as he had told Lyris, exactly as calm as he appeared. Any convincing negotiator knew how to believe things that weren’t true. “It’s an honor to serve in any way I can.”

  He didn’t have to turn his head to be aware of the skeptical look Timmin was giving him, and he added, “If I had reservations, I wouldn’t mention them here.”

  “No?” Timmin didn’t raise his voice, but he sounded more relaxed all of a sudden. “So this isn’t familiar territory?”

  “It’s very familiar,” Saryn said. “That doesn’t make it neutral.”

  “Is anywhere?” Timmin asked. It could have been a rhetorical question, but Saryn thought there was genuine curiosity behind it. They knew no more about him than he did about them, and it was an understandable concern.

  “Only by the agreement and demonstrated goodwill of all participating parties,” Saryn said. In other words, he thought, no. But it would be cynical to say so aloud.

  “Reasonable conditions,” Timmin said. Unspoken was the question of why they weren’t met here, and Saryn thought the Rangers were much too trusting if they could ask something like that.

  He didn’t expect to find Oreyla in her office, but he was pleased that her assistant was at her desk. She didn’t look up until he tapped on the low wall beside her desk, and he knew she was used to ignoring people who weren’t her problem. She caught his eye as soon as he did it.

  “Ambassador,” she said. Exactly as though she’d been expecting him, which he approved of. Lyris was correct to value calm. “What can I do for you?”

  “The councilor is expecting my guest,” Saryn told her. “May I escort him to her location?”

  Her eyes flicked past him to Timmin, then back to him, and this time her gaze dropped to the Ranger emblem on his uniform. “Of course,” she said, looking up again. “She’s down the hall in Conference Room 2. I’ll let her know you’re on your way.”

  “Thank you,” Saryn said.

  “Hello,” Timmin added, as Saryn stepped away from her desk. He lifted his hand and waved. “Nice to meet you.”

  Oreyla’s assistant, whom Saryn had never known to be anything other than efficient and polite in her interactions with him, smiled back at Timmin without hesitation. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she replied. “Thank you for your service, Ranger Timmin.”

  “Honored to serve,” he said cheerfully. “What’s your name?”

  “Kestin,” she said. “Of New Hope.”

  Saryn looked at her in surprise. He hadn’t known that.

  “Oh, hey,” Timmin said. “One of our teammates is from New Hope. Do you know Jenna?”

  “Yes,” she said, glancing at Saryn and then back. “We’re all very proud of her.”

  “You should be,” Timmin said with a smile. “She’s very proud of you. I’ll tell her we met, okay? Thanks for the directions.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said. “Have a nice day.”

  “Yeah, you too,” Timmin agreed. He went to follow Saryn, who took the cue and started to move down the
hall again. Neither of them said anything until they reached the second conference room on the Council side of the hall.

  The door was open, and Saryn was confident Oreyla was the only person inside. Nonetheless, he paused in the doorway as he said, “Greetings, Councilor. May we join you?”

  She stood with a welcoming smile that he thought hid her irritation well. “Ambassador Saryn,” she said. “Of course, please come in. Ranger Timmin, thank you for coming.”

  Then, before either of them could reply, she added, “I did provide an escort, Ambassador; you didn’t need to walk him in.”

  “Timmin and I arrived together,” Saryn said. “We were able to conduct other business on the way, so we made good use of the time.”

  “Saryn’s actually here to answer your questions,” Timmin added, with the same smile he’d given to Kestin. “I’m just along for the ride.”

  “I requested a Ranger statement,” Oreyla said, but she was looking at Saryn’s uniform now too.

  “And Kris provided one,” Saryn said. “She told you everything we’ve confirmed to date. Are there other details we can provide in service to the larger narrative?”

  “Ranger Kris,” Oreyla said, “indicated that another Ranger would be available for additional questions at this time.”

  “Yes,” Saryn said. He waited.

  “Thank you for accompanying Ranger Timmin,” Oreyla said. “I’ll see him out myself after we’ve spoken.”

  “Perhaps you misunderstand,” Saryn said. “Kris sent me to address any concerns you might have after her statement. Timmin kindly accompanied me, to lend his support in the event that someone questioned my status as an EPD Border Ranger.”

  “I wasn’t aware you were an EPD Border Ranger,” Oreyla replied, glancing at Timmin again. Saryn could see him standing motionless, offering no response other than, as Saryn had claimed, his support.

  “It’s only recently become public knowledge,” Saryn said. “As I transition to a more active role on the team, I’ll be working with the diplomatic corps to ensure my responsibilities are met and managed.”

  “Forgive my surprise,” Oreyla said, and Saryn could already tell he wasn’t going to like what followed. “But how does your diplomatic background prepare you for the military lifestyle of a Border Ranger?”

  “A reasonable question,” Saryn said, “that I’m sure Kris will be eager to address in the future. At this time, however, the selection process is not relevant to the audience you requested.”

  “There’s nothing more relevant than the qualifications of my audience in matters of planetary defense,” Oreyla told him. “Can you give me numbers, projections? Military casualty reports versus civilian loss?”

  “That information is not currently available,” Saryn told her. “Kris is on her way to meet with the fighters now.”

  “Which means the information is available,” Oreyla remarked. “You just don’t have it.”

  “A statement has been provided,” Saryn said, “with the information we have that is suitable for public broadcast.”

  “You may not be aware of this, Ambassador,” and he was sure she used the title deliberately, “but members of the Council are authorized to receive reports beyond what is suitable for public broadcast. It appears that the response provided by Ranger Kris in this case will be inadequate to address Council concerns.”

  Timmin was dangerously close to replying, and Saryn was careful to make no visible indication of his suggestion to wait.

  “I’ll let Kris know that you don't feel the personal visit of two Rangers is an appropriate response to Council concerns,” Saryn said. “I’m sure she'll be pleased to consider other, more remote alternatives in the future.

  “In the meantime,” he added, “it seems there's nothing more we can do here, so we'll take our leave. Thank you for your time, Councilor.”

  Timmin took a step back before Saryn could, proving he was serious more dramatically than anything Saryn could have said, and he appreciated it. He also heard traffic in the hallway, so he paused after turning himself to wait. Timmin looked from him to the doorway just as Jayden strode in, with Rissin right behind her.

  “I’m sorry we’re late,” Jayden said, stopping inside the door as though they were holding the meeting right there. She made space for Rissin without seeming to, and Saryn felt an unmistakable sense of respect for the Councilor who treated her assistant as an extension of herself.

  He looked at Rissin in surprise, and found said assistant staring back.

  “We had another meeting,” Jayden was saying. “Obviously this is more important, but sometimes it’s dangerous to say so.” She didn’t smile, but the intent to amuse was there in her tone. “I was going to ask if you’d discussed the new Rangers, but I see you didn’t have to.”

  Focus, Lyris’ voice told him.

  Rissin noticed. He’d heard she had a stronger than usual awareness, but even councilors had to declare empathic assistants. Saryn had assumed that if those rules were being broken, security would report it.

  “Our discussion was brief,” Saryn said, because until such an accusation was substantiated, Jayden remained reasonable and sympathetic. She was both intelligent and susceptible to logic, and her goals often aligned with his own.

  “I find that hard to believe,” Jayden said, and this time she did smile. “Is it still Ambassador Saryn, or am I addressing Ranger Saryn, now?”

  He glanced at Oreyla to let her know why he didn’t smile in return. “Both titles are correct at this time,” Saryn said. “I expect a formal announcement will be forthcoming.”

  “I’m sure it can only benefit the EPD to have someone with your experience,” Jayden said, and Saryn had to wonder if she’d heard more than she pretended before entering the room. She made it sound like something she took for granted, rather than an implied question.

  It felt more like reassurance than curiosity, and he didn’t look at Rissin again. She would speak or not. There was nothing he could do until she decided.

  “We’re definitely glad to have him around,” Timmin was saying. He was just the right combination of personable and confident, and Saryn might have been more impressed if he wasn’t being distracted by Lyris’ alarm over Rissin.

  “Sorry to take him away from you, of course,” Timmin continued, “but maybe we can work out some kind of professional sharing arrangement.”

  Jayden laughed at that. “Yes, I’m familiar with how the Rangers share,” she said. “But Saryn is used to all-consuming work. I think he likes it, if it comes to that. You’ve certainly chosen well.”

  “We try,” Timmin said with a grin. “Right now he isn’t sleeping, though, so we’ll try to make it just mostly consuming in the future. Once we get a handle on these raids.”

  “I assume that’s why you’re recruiting?” Jayden said. “The increase in raid frequency?”

  “It’s never a bad idea to train more people to do what we do,” Timmin said. “If they’re available and qualified, we want to make sure planetary defense is spread out over the strongest foundation possible.”

  It was almost as though Lyris were standing in the room with him. His attention was so strong that Saryn thought, Your focus is my greatest distraction.

  Rissin’s going to ask to talk to you, Lyris replied, and Saryn blinked. He almost looked over his shoulder, because it was one thing to feel Lyris’ presence, real or imagined, and another to hear him say something so clearly unambiguous.

  How could you know that, Saryn wondered. He wasn’t sure if he was asking Lyris or himself.

  “That’s an excellent way to frame today’s events,” Jayden was saying. “Saryn, can we get a recording of you in uniform for your corps profile?”

  The question was so unexpected that he didn’t know how to answer. “I’m sure my profile will be updated by the EPD,” he said.

  “Just for now,” Jayden insisted. “We won’t draw attention to it, but if you’re still an ambassador it doesn’t look good
for your government profile to be outdated. Rissin can take an ID-only image right now, and Ranger Kris can have it replaced at her convenience.”

  The mention of Rissin made him pause. Timmin exchanged glances with him, apparently deferring the decision. He’d already declared his allegiance; there were no secrets to keep that an official recording of his uniform would reveal.

  “All right,” Saryn said abruptly. He supposed it gave both councilors a chance to question Timmin privately, if they so chose, but Timmin didn’t seem alarmed.

  Rissin led him across the hall, likely heading for the corps conference rooms, and sure enough, she asked over her shoulder, “Do you want the real emblem behind you, even if it’s edited out later?”

  “Yes, that’s fine,” he said, aware of the symbolism even if it wasn’t her primary motivation. “Will our conference room be far enough away for whatever you wish to ask me?”

  “I guess you’ll have to tell me,” she replied. He wondered how she could have secured Jayden’s support without any outward indication. Was Jayden, too, unusually sensitive?

  Was Saryn overly paranoid now that he had Lyris’ voice in his head, that perhaps everyone else had something similar and he’d just never realized?

  He waited until she’d joined him in the conference room to ask, “May I close the door?”

  “Please,” she agreed.

  He did so, and then he waited. He didn’t move to stand in front of the emblem of the diplomatic corps, and she didn’t ask him to. He could feel Lyris, very close, but he tried to ignore anything other than what he could see and hear.

  Focus, Lyris had told him.

  Saryn was very focused.

  “I apologize in advance for the personal question,” Rissin said. “I have a strong resonance, and it gives me an empathic awareness that’s almost enough to disqualify me from political service.”

  “I am aware of the effect,” Saryn said, though his knowledge of it was so recent as to be nearly non-existent. “I was not aware of the cause.”

  Rissin didn’t elaborate, but neither did she go straight to the point from there. “Security typically identifies empaths within a certain proximity,” she said. “Whether they’re expecting them or not.”