Touchstone 1 - Stray

using psionic talents. It’s from worrying that someone in his squad will get killed. I need to stop asking myself how bad First’s injuries would have been if they hadn’t been enhanced.
    Saturday, March 29
    Competition
    First Squad’s off rotation for a few days to give them a chance to recover. I asked Mara if squads ever went out with less than six members, and she said it’s rare, but possible so long as all the required talents are covered.
    “Did it seem to you those hairy people prepare that ambush and trap particular for Setari?” I asked.
    “It certainly felt that way, didn’t it?” Mara said, straightforward as usual. “But the type isn’t in our records at all, so it’s more likely we stumbled into some kind of inter-Ionoth dispute. Perhaps a different band of their own kind.”
    “That happen a lot?”
    “No. Many Ionoth do move to nearby spaces seeking food, but usually return to their own after hunting. Roamers that are systematic explorers, or make any attempt to dominate other areas, are rare and most will fade if they are too long away from their home space. Those were well-organised. Formidable.”
    Mara has moved on from just throwing balls at me, and in today’s lesson was trying to get me to block attacks. She’d told me that I had no instinct for combat but that that was no reason I couldn’t be taught to defend myself. I still have my doubts, but I accept the value of trying to learn. She’s not soft with me, but she doesn’t ever say nasty things or make fun of me for being so bad, and in a painful way I’m enjoying being back with her.
    “Who is best fighter in Setari?” I asked, thinking over the battle between Kajal and Ruuel.
    “A question best not asked, as you apparently learned.”
    “Did Kajal get punish for that?”
    “He would have lost privileges. The aether effect is not enough to excuse his behaviour, but does mean he’s not likely to lose captaincy over the incident.”
    “Maze doesn’t like Setari competing against each other, because of scene like that? Ruuel could have defuse situation by agree to fight him. But Kajal would never been satisfied, right?”
    “Not unless he won,” Mara agreed. “Maze doesn’t like anything which focuses our energy on each other rather than the Ionoth. While we were still Kalrani it was useful, but it’s becoming an unhealthy distraction for a few of the younger Setari.”
    Ruuel’s been on my mind a lot today (not that he isn’t usually) because now that First Squad’s on sick leave, I’ve been assigned to Fourth Squad for tomorrow’s rotation. I wonder how the black eye’s progressing?
    He was really annoyed about it. More being forced to fight than the injuries. And he didn’t think Kajal had the slightest chance of beating him. That moment of anger, of disdainful arrogance, caught me by surprise. I’ve been putting a lot of thought into what Kaoren Ruuel is really like: whether he’s a humourless robot with a rod up his ass, or the Taren stereotype of a Place Sight talent, all sensitive and haunted and needing always to keep control. That fight showed me that I don’t know him at all.
    I need to spend more time practicing ways to get home.
    Sunday, March 30
    Touchstone
    I made sure to be early down to Red Lock for the rotation with Fourth Squad, and then had to wonder if I was trying to impress Ruuel, and what I thought that would achieve. I need to be sensible where he’s concerned. Anyway, turning up early was more about not being on the receiving end of one of those brief glances he gives people when they waste his time. Just a momentary look, not even a change of expression, and I know I’d shrivel.
    The point was moot this morning because I was there in plenty of time and Ruuel was almost late. That gave me a chance to chat with Ferus and Eyse about the kinds of missions they usually do and how they’re still playing catch up from when the Pillar’s deactivation shifted so many spaces about. Both of them are really easy to talk to, with actual and apparent senses of humour. They’re looking forward to going back to Muina, to do exploration work in the larger cities.
    Ruuel brought us all into mission channel and gave us the two sentences he considered a briefing just before he came into view. “In addition to on-going goals, we’ll be looking for the new type of roamer which First Squad encountered. Tracking their source space has been marked priority.”
    Triggering the gate-lock to