Commander Darius Reeves stood with his arms crossed, that pleasant smile fixed on his face like it had been painted there. Behind him, twenty Fourth Brigade members spread out in positions that looked casual but weren't—optimal spacing, clear sightlines, weapons ready but not raised.
Professional work. The kind that came from years of coordinated operations.
"We need to talk," Reeves said again, his tone carrying the patience of someone addressing children who didn't know better.
Noah's jaw tightened slightly. "This is an open contract. We responded to a settlement request."
"So did we." Reeves gestured vaguely at the crystalline structure blocking the migration route. "Got here about thirty minutes before you. Already identified the problem, started preliminary analysis. We were handling it."
"Then why did the settlement post an open contract?" Diana asked bluntly.
