After getting a drink, Veep sat on the floor of the plane, his back up against one of the transport truck wheels. His eyes were closed and he was taking long, slow breaths, though his twitchy tail betrayed his agitation. 

He reached for the locket around his neck and opened it. He looked at the picture inside. He and Siva, young, happy, their arms round each other. This had been taken before the Totality had reached their little community in the hills. The threat had seemed so far away, until it wasn't. But before that, the brothers had often enjoyed playing. Climbing the hills and rolling down the slopes laughing. He focused on that memory and held it inside as he closed his eyes again. As the minutes passed his heartbeat slowed to normal and his tail stopped twitching. He wouldn't describe himself as content exactly, but he certainly felt calmer than he had since getting the call for duty.

He briefly considered apologising to Feanulde but given how irritable she seemed, he felt that approaching her so soon after an argument would only rile him up again and undo his calming meditation. Best to keep distance for the time being. So instead he accessed the mission briefing files on his Pebble and started to study them more closely.