Tatehan couldn't sleep.
He'd tried, lay in bed, stared at the ceiling, closed his eyes and willed himself to rest. But his mind wouldn't stop. It kept running through the plan, over and over, looking for flaws, imagining everything that could go wrong.
Finally, he gave up.
He got dressed and left his quarters, wandering through the base.
The corridors were quiet, most of the members of the Red crest clan asleep or trying to be. But as Tatehan walked, he passed a few who were still awake, sitting alone in the common areas, checking their gear one last time, staring off into space.
He stopped when he saw a small group gathered in one of the training rooms.
Three Red crest clan members, young, maybe early twenties, sitting on the floor, talking in low voices. They looked up when Tatehan entered.
"Battle Commander," one of them said, straightening.
Tatehan waved a hand.
"At ease," he said. "Couldn't sleep either?"
The soldier, a woman with short-cropped hair, shook her head.
