King Of The Skies

Chapter 20

Eva, Root Roost, Sector Periit, 4:52 pm

Eva had also heard everything, and she was livid. She didn't intend on listening to the twins conversation, but the faint increase of Jaspers heartbeat made her worry. Eva almost snapped the pen in her hand at Jacksons unforgiving tone, all the tension left her body when she heard Nathan stand up and lead the panicking Jasper out of the room.

As Jackson came up to Kage to hand him the equipment list, she scowled at him. Jackson didn't look at her as he laid down on the couches, he seemed unbothered by the panic he caused his twin.

Eva turned her focus back on the route they were planning. She turned her rage into determination and focused on what Lyn was saying about the size of tunnels. After hours, they had come up with one route of entry and two routes of exit from Base Nidus.

They then conferred with Kai and Angelica on the tunnels under the Palace, Lyn, Kage and Kai took it from there. Angelica chatted with Eva, she tried to listen but was focusing her hearing on Nathan and Jasper in the hall. Once Nathan returned Eva dropped her pecking, hoping that Nathan had calmed Jasper down.

Hours passed again and the conversation jumped around at random times. Kage had gathered all of the maps and stuffed them into his satchel for later, saying that they needed to focus on anything but the heist.

They all complied and dove into an elaborate conversation about pelicans and seagulls and geese and which type of people were worse. Jasper returned after a few moments, his face was pale and he avoided everyones eyes. Nathan lifted his arm slightly and Jasper didn't hesitate to collapse on the couch next to him, Jasper immediately fell asleep.

"Does he normally do that?" Kai asked quietly.

"Oh yeah, once he tapped out during a lecture from First Sergeant North Harris, she slapped him so hard his hearing got better," Lyn chuckled at the memory, Kai sent a worrying glance at Jaspers sleeping body.

"Remember when we had just come back from the Grey Cliffs Training when we had joined the First Year cadets and Jasper just collapsed and fell asleep right as that osprey commander was giving us a debrief?" Angelica said.

Eva snickered, "I couldn't tell if the look on Commander Hali's face was surprise or disgust."

Nathan smiled at the memory as he gently stroked Jaspers hair, Eva didn't miss the affectionate look in his eyes. Jasper snored quietly as the others talked. Jackson didn't join them, Eva was thankful for that. She wouldn't make friends with someone who hurts their own family intentionally.

"Eva does her fair share of tapping out, too," Angelica said again.

"Maybe, but I have a good reason," Eva tried to defend herself.

"Wait, remember when Jasper fell asleep during the end of year awards ceremony and then Eva followed suit and Kage got so mad at them that we all had to help clean the Aerial Combat Domes," Lyn recounted the memory.

"I have never cleaned up so much blood," Angelica shuddered.

Eva felt guilty as she smiled. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"What was it like," Kai asked. "Living in the army, I mean. What was it like?"

"Imagine you're lost in the woods and you only have your Commander and the other people in your squad. Except you don't like your squad, they don't like you, your Commander runs off twenty minutes of sleep and the forest is on fire and the trees are trying to kill you," Lyn summarised with a blank face.