Valor's Trial by Tanya Huff Page A

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    It still came down to doing what was necessary to keep her people alive, but that, that made it personal. Only the thought that it would make it harder to get them around Harnett’s throat kept her from curling her hands into fists.
    Two meters away, she came to parade rest, and waited. Gunnery sergeants didn’t speak first, colonels did. It took Harnett a moment to remember that.
    â€œSo, Gunnery Sergeant Kerr, is it?” His smile was broad and false. He didn’t seem to recognize her name, but from the reaction sweeping through his goon squad, at least a few of them did. “What brings you here?”
    â€œReporting to the commander of this area, sir.” She’d have liked to use that sir to tell him what she thought of him, but it seemed wisest to keep her tone ice and iron. He’d have her opinion on things soon enough.
    Pleased by what he heard as deference but clearly confused, Harnett frowned. “How did you get past my guards?”
    â€œI was challenged.”
    â€œNot the purple idiot!” He’d clearly heard what had happened just after she entered the node. “The guards in the . . .” Torin almost saw the lights go on. “You didn’t come from the other pipe, did you? You woke up in a small cave,” he continued, answering his own question. “Last day or two.”
    â€œShe’s got the tunnel rat with her, Colonel Harnett, sir,” Edwards told him before Torin could answer. He spoke quickly, eagerly, currying favor with information. “The Krai. The one with the fukked foot. I knew he was still alive. I told you, remember? She left him outside. And that’s not all, the rest of them, they’re all up and crowdin’ the fukking line. Waiting to see what the . . . what she’s going to do.”
    â€œCrowding the fukking line?” Harnett’s smile twisted. “Well, get your ass out there and discourage them from crowding the fukking line. Take Bakune and Maeken with you. Let’s show the gunny we can maintain discipline.”
    â€œYes, sir, Colonel Harnett.” Edwards grinned so broadly he could barely get his lips around the words.
    When Edwards left, he took two of the three di’Taykan with him, lowering the odds to six to one. No one moved into his place behind her. And while the six remaining goons had moved closer, not one of them moved to cover Harnett’s left. When this was over, she’d have a few words to say about proper security measures.
    â€œColonel Harnett, sir. Look at her boot.”
    His eyes flicked down to the knife and up again to her face. “So you did run into some of my guards.”
    Torin let nothing show on her face. “I believe the three persons were referred to as a hunting party, sir.”
    â€œWere?” This new smile told her he finally understood what was going on and was happy his world made sense again. “Well, yes, I believe they were . The question becomes, what are we going to do with you, Gunnery Sergeant Kerr?” He spread his hands, and, still smiling, slowly turned.
    Clearly, there’d been coup attempts before.
    For a moment, Torin thought about making the bastard work a little harder for it, but she’d had about as much of Colonel Harnett as she could stomach, so she took her cue.
    They expected her to go for the knife in her boot. That was one of the reasons she wore it. Ignoring the knife gave her a two or three second jump on a reaction.
    He expected her to try and stab him in the back.
    When he whirled to face her, she was two seconds closer than expected and already on her knees sliding under his kick. Up on her feet inside his guard, one hand went to his chin and the other to the back of his head. Once again, momentum, his and hers, added force as she straightened her inner arm.
    He was already sagging when she felt a knife slam into her vest, and although it didn’t have a hope getting through the body armor, the