Deandra Lowe
Hyppo, Augustine, Prefecture VII

It wasn’t . . . satisfying. It was necessary, I guess. But it didn’t feel good. Didn’t set things right.

I’ll get off for it. I saw to that quickly. Once I knew Riktofven’s people weren’t the ones after me, I let them know what I knew and told them what I was willing to do for them. They’re not the most scrupulous people in the Inner Sphere, so they didn’t have a problem with my plan. Plus, I finally pulled some rank. The Republic may not be much anymore, but being a knight still carries weight. We worked out a deal.

Maybe I should have drawn it out more. Maybe that would have been more satisfying. I don’t know. But he was expecting that, probably, guarding against it. That sort of move—taking him to torture him like he tortured me—is easier to defend. A bullet to the heart from half a kilometer away is tougher. I hope he held on for a few seconds after I got him. I hope he held on long enough to know.