Rourke glanced at her.
"That's going in my notebook."
"Make sure you spell it correctly."
Afterward, Cross asked Elena to remain behind.
"General Mercer wants to see you."
Mercer was standing beside the secure terminal, reviewing the security report.
"Staff Sergeant, I understand you received an anonymous message."
"Yes, sir."
"Did you recognize the sender?"
"No."
"Did it contain any information that wasn't already known to people involved in the investigation?"
"It referred to the industrial settlement operation, but I don't know who has been informed that the review is underway."
"Did you interpret it as a threat?"
Elena considered the wording.
"I interpreted it as an attempt to discourage me from asking questions. Whether it constitutes a credible threat depends on information I don't have."
Mercer nodded.
"That's a sensible assessment."
"Have you considered requesting reassignment until the review is complete?"
"No, sir."
"Why not?"
"Because I have no evidence that my current assignment is unsafe. If security identifies a credible risk, I'll follow the appropriate instructions."
Mercer studied her.
"Two years ago, you believed that you had to accept responsibility for every consequence of the operation. Now you're refusing to assume responsibility for something you cannot verify."
Elena looked at him.
"Is that a criticism?"
"No. It's an observation."
"The investigation will continue, but I want you to understand that you are not required to become the investigator. Your role is to provide information when requested. You have duties here, and I expect you to continue performing them."
"Understood."
"Also, if anyone contacts you about the investigation, do not engage them. Preserve the message and report it."
"Yes, sir."
Mercer closed the security report.
"I don't know who sent it. I won't pretend otherwise. But I will not allow an anonymous message to determine the outcome of an official review."
Elena nodded.
"Thank you, sir."
She left the office and returned to the barracks.
That evening, she found Rourke sitting at the common-room table, reviewing the leadership assessment results.
He looked up.
"How did it go?"
"Mercer told me to continue my duties and report any further contact."
"That's sensible."
"Yes."
Rourke hesitated.
"I wanted to say something."
Elena sat across from him.
"Go ahead."
"When you first arrived, I thought your silence meant you believed you were better than everyone else."
"And now?"
"Now I think you were trying to keep everyone at a distance."
Elena looked at him carefully.
"Perhaps."
"Because of what happened?"
"Partly."
Rourke rubbed his hands together.
"I can't tell you that I understand what you've been through. I don't. But I can tell you that if someone on this team tries to intimidate you, I won't ignore it."
She studied him for a moment.
"That's a good intention. Just remember that helping doesn't always mean confronting someone."
"I'll remember."
"Good. Then you may be learning."
Rourke laughed.
For a while, they reviewed the assessment results together. They discussed the team's communication, the decisions that had worked, and the moments where they could have done better.
But Elena was no longer carrying every concern alone.
That distinction, she was beginning to understand, could matter as much as any technical skill.
Major Victor Sloane received the formal request for an interview on Friday morning.
The notice informed him that an internal review had identified discrepancies in the archived communications associated with the industrial settlement operation. He was asked to provide a statement regarding the evacuation warning, the movement order issued at 21:19, and the procedures used to assess conflicting intelligence during the mission.
But Sloane understood the implications.
Sloane stared at the denial.
At Blackridge, Elena was informed that Sloane had agreed to an interview.
"The review team expects to speak with him next week," he said. "You may be asked to clarify certain details afterward."
"Understood."
"Do you have any concerns about the process?"
"Only that the record needs to distinguish between what Sloane knew, what he was told, and what he reasonably believed at the time."
Cross leaned back.
"Do you think those distinctions will be easy to establish?"
"No."
"Then why emphasize them?"
"Because the difficulty doesn't make them less important."
Cross nodded.
"You have changed since you arrived here."
Elena looked at him.
"How?"
"You still ask difficult questions. But you're no longer treating every unanswered question as proof that someone has failed."
"I'm trying to learn the difference between uncertainty and danger."
"That is a useful distinction."
"Your team completed the leadership assessment with one of the highest overall scores. The instructors have recommended that you remain in the program."
"Thank you, Sergeant Major."
"Don't thank me yet. The next phase will be more demanding."
Elena took the schedule.
"I look forward to it."
"I heard the investigation is moving forward."
"Yes."
"Are you going to confront Sloane if you get the chance?"
Elena looked at him.
"No."
He seemed surprised.
"Why not?"
"Because the investigation isn't a personal confrontation. It's a process for establishing what happened."
"But if he made the wrong decision—"