agreed. “All I can say is…those people who judge others by their appearance never saw the woman I spoke with in the woods a week ago. That person was a fearsome thing to behold. More importantly, she forgave when it became crystal clear what a dolt her adversary was.” He paused. “In my own way, I was no better than those men who’d have discriminated against you, Keira. I saw a woman in a man’s world and assumed wrongly.”
She spoke more softly. “Not without some reason for suspicion. Besides, you have a very solid reputation. You’re both beloved and trusted. You’re not the kind of man that would corner me in the armory, and try to convince me to go to bed with him for the offer of a promotion.”
Dillon’s hands automatically clenched, she put hers over them quickly.
“The situation with you and me was quite different,” she continued. “You were doing what you thought was right. You made a mistake in judgment. Let’s say no more about it.”
He paused for a very long moment, staring down at her with a serious expression where none was warranted.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I wish I’d met you a long time ago. And now you’re leaving. With a change of command you’ll be given a few days or a week off as is custom. But you won’t ever be back this way again, will you? Stints on Taurean Seven can last five years or more. And that you were inflicted with such odious duty, from some self-serving prick in an officer’s uniform, makes me want to find the bastard and pound on his face!” He put his hands on her shoulders. “Give me his name, Keira. I’ll make sure the bottom-sucking vermin gets what’s coming—”
“I’m not going to Taurean Seven,” she smilingly interrupted. “I think I confused you. I apologize.”
He lifted his chin and a startled expression covered his face. “What?”
She laughed. “General Trask has changed my duty station to Mythreal. Since everyone thinks Godpoppa originated the latest strategies, Fisk thinks I should keep formulating more as if—”
“As if they’d been left behind, in a long series of pre-designed operations thought up by General Albright,” he finished as he slowly nodded. “Keira that will leave everyone believing you had nothing to do with them. That’s not fair.”
“Since past centuries have turned the military units of Earth into law enforcers, and since we’ve been stationed at these embassy outposts on all sentient planets in the galaxy, we’ve struggled to get piracy under control. Lives on all sides have been lost. What’s not fair is watching our enforcers die with broken-hearted families left behind, just for the sake of somebody’s pride. If anything I say or do will help slow or stop the pirates, and get their children medical help in such a way that could change hearts and minds, then it doesn’t matter where the damned plans came from.” She smiled and added more.
“Fisk will know. So will most of his cronies in Allied High Command. What they do with the information is up to them. It’ll be Fisk’s job to convince all the other embassy commanders that this scheme will work. If they’re not in agreement, nothing I ever said or did will have made any difference. Thinking up the ideas is just a very small portion of what has to happen before long-range tactics get implemented. Furthermore, I was told by General Fisk that there are brand new cadets out of Earth Force Academy who actually want to go to that horrid place. Just to make a name for themselves. That knowledge releases me from bouts of conscience over letting them. I was only telling you about Taurean Seven to explain why I changed my appearance.”
He gazed down at her for a long moment before speaking. Then his tone softened. “You really are something else. I…I’ve never in my life met anyone like you.”
“I’m just me. I’m trying to do the best I can.”
“I’ll say you’ve done far more than your best, Keira. I only wish
She spoke more softly. “Not without some reason for suspicion. Besides, you have a very solid reputation. You’re both beloved and trusted. You’re not the kind of man that would corner me in the armory, and try to convince me to go to bed with him for the offer of a promotion.”
Dillon’s hands automatically clenched, she put hers over them quickly.
“The situation with you and me was quite different,” she continued. “You were doing what you thought was right. You made a mistake in judgment. Let’s say no more about it.”
He paused for a very long moment, staring down at her with a serious expression where none was warranted.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I wish I’d met you a long time ago. And now you’re leaving. With a change of command you’ll be given a few days or a week off as is custom. But you won’t ever be back this way again, will you? Stints on Taurean Seven can last five years or more. And that you were inflicted with such odious duty, from some self-serving prick in an officer’s uniform, makes me want to find the bastard and pound on his face!” He put his hands on her shoulders. “Give me his name, Keira. I’ll make sure the bottom-sucking vermin gets what’s coming—”
“I’m not going to Taurean Seven,” she smilingly interrupted. “I think I confused you. I apologize.”
He lifted his chin and a startled expression covered his face. “What?”
She laughed. “General Trask has changed my duty station to Mythreal. Since everyone thinks Godpoppa originated the latest strategies, Fisk thinks I should keep formulating more as if—”
“As if they’d been left behind, in a long series of pre-designed operations thought up by General Albright,” he finished as he slowly nodded. “Keira that will leave everyone believing you had nothing to do with them. That’s not fair.”
“Since past centuries have turned the military units of Earth into law enforcers, and since we’ve been stationed at these embassy outposts on all sentient planets in the galaxy, we’ve struggled to get piracy under control. Lives on all sides have been lost. What’s not fair is watching our enforcers die with broken-hearted families left behind, just for the sake of somebody’s pride. If anything I say or do will help slow or stop the pirates, and get their children medical help in such a way that could change hearts and minds, then it doesn’t matter where the damned plans came from.” She smiled and added more.
“Fisk will know. So will most of his cronies in Allied High Command. What they do with the information is up to them. It’ll be Fisk’s job to convince all the other embassy commanders that this scheme will work. If they’re not in agreement, nothing I ever said or did will have made any difference. Thinking up the ideas is just a very small portion of what has to happen before long-range tactics get implemented. Furthermore, I was told by General Fisk that there are brand new cadets out of Earth Force Academy who actually want to go to that horrid place. Just to make a name for themselves. That knowledge releases me from bouts of conscience over letting them. I was only telling you about Taurean Seven to explain why I changed my appearance.”
He gazed down at her for a long moment before speaking. Then his tone softened. “You really are something else. I…I’ve never in my life met anyone like you.”
“I’m just me. I’m trying to do the best I can.”
“I’ll say you’ve done far more than your best, Keira. I only wish
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