Thane POV
Shawn stood up immediately. The moment she moved, something inside me tightened, a sudden sense that she intended to speak on my behalf.
I couldn't tell what she would say, only that she had chosen to stand between me and whatever came next.
She faced President Mark with a confidence that stopped the murmuring for a heartbeat. Her chin was up, her back straight. Even from where I sat I could see the set of her jaw. “President Mark, commanders, and my fellow officers,”
She began, her voice steady. “I know I have no right to interfere with your decisions or the discipline you impose on Kaelor Thane, but I must say this: what is being done to him is unfair.”
Her words hit me like a slap. I watched her closely, remembering the small kindnesses she’d shown me in our recent meet
