did not announce the exercise was over.”
“That’s because you shot him before he could speak!”
“That’s enough,” said Graves, sighing. “Anyone else want to say anything before I announce my disciplinary decision?”
Someone cleared his throat at the back of the room. Everyone turned to look. It was Veteran Harris. He was having difficulty walking, as he’d only just returned from the revival center. I felt my throat constrict at the sight of him.
“I’d like to say something, sir,” he said.
“Please do.”
“I know Legion Varus is a harsh unit. We train our troops to think for themselves. We kill them now and then to keep them sharp and to make sure they take their training seriously. All that said, I would suggest that this young man has done me a favor.”
Centurion Graves’ eyebrows raised high in surprise. “And what favor is that?”
“He taught me a lesson today. One I’ll not soon forget.”
The centurion nodded thoughtfully. “I take it then, that you wish to drop the charges?” he asked.
Veteran Harris coughed and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Very well. The charges are dropped. Dismissed.”
“That’s it?” the adjunct asked rudely.
“Do you have something to add?”
“Yes. I don’t want a man like this in my group. He’ll shoot me in the back one day if he doesn’t like how I run things.”
“All right. Transfer him to Adjunct Leeson’s group.”
I couldn’t believe the ordeal was over. It had been a grueling day. Before noon, I’d been placed in detention. After hours, the officers and veterans had formed a pack and I’d spent an hour being debriefed, grilled, and just plain yelled at.
A few minutes after Graves had announced his decision I was out in the hallway, breathing a sigh of relief. Harris followed me down the long, echoing tubes toward our quarters.
“Why’d you shoot me, son?” he asked.
“I was pissed off,” I said.
He nodded. “That’s what I figured. Do you know that I haven’t died in three campaigns?”
I looked at him. He did look old. Almost as old as Graves himself. I shook my head. “No, I didn’t know that.”
“That’s why they call me the old man. Do you know how I kept from dying all that time, through three campaigns on three worlds?”
“No, Veteran.”
“Because I always killed the other guy first. But this time, you surprised me. No warning, no shouting. You just fired your weapon. You won’t surprise me again, Recruit.”
“I’m sure you’re right, Veteran.”
He left me then, moving painfully off toward the non-com sleeping quarters on Deck Eight. I heaved another sigh. I could understand his anger.
A grim thought occurred to me. What if he’d spoken up on my behalf in order to keep me in this unit? Not because he understood my actions, but because he wanted the opportunity to get even—personally.
I’d expected that my actions would make an enemy out of Harris. But now I thought I might have made something far worse: a committed enemy.
I crashed on my bunk on Deck Nine, stretching my arms over my head. Lights were already out, and everyone was asleep.
The moment my head hit the pillow, I heard stealthy footsteps. I lurched awake, lifting my hands, reaching for the throat of my attacker—I barely stopped myself in time.
It was Kivi. She smiled at me in the dim light.
“I wanted to thank you for killing the old man.”
I laughed softly. “I think you’re the only one who’s happy about it.”
“Are you kidding?” she whispered. “The whole unit is talking about it. No one can believe it. He hasn’t died for years, you know. He was the oldest living ground troop in the legion.”
“I’ve heard that. How are your legs?”
“They’re good. The bio people worked on them for six hours, pulling out metal and re-growing tissue. Now I’m ready for anything again. That brings me to why I’m here. Have you figured it out, yet?”
Then she opened her shirt as a hint, and I got the
“That’s because you shot him before he could speak!”
“That’s enough,” said Graves, sighing. “Anyone else want to say anything before I announce my disciplinary decision?”
Someone cleared his throat at the back of the room. Everyone turned to look. It was Veteran Harris. He was having difficulty walking, as he’d only just returned from the revival center. I felt my throat constrict at the sight of him.
“I’d like to say something, sir,” he said.
“Please do.”
“I know Legion Varus is a harsh unit. We train our troops to think for themselves. We kill them now and then to keep them sharp and to make sure they take their training seriously. All that said, I would suggest that this young man has done me a favor.”
Centurion Graves’ eyebrows raised high in surprise. “And what favor is that?”
“He taught me a lesson today. One I’ll not soon forget.”
The centurion nodded thoughtfully. “I take it then, that you wish to drop the charges?” he asked.
Veteran Harris coughed and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Very well. The charges are dropped. Dismissed.”
“That’s it?” the adjunct asked rudely.
“Do you have something to add?”
“Yes. I don’t want a man like this in my group. He’ll shoot me in the back one day if he doesn’t like how I run things.”
“All right. Transfer him to Adjunct Leeson’s group.”
I couldn’t believe the ordeal was over. It had been a grueling day. Before noon, I’d been placed in detention. After hours, the officers and veterans had formed a pack and I’d spent an hour being debriefed, grilled, and just plain yelled at.
A few minutes after Graves had announced his decision I was out in the hallway, breathing a sigh of relief. Harris followed me down the long, echoing tubes toward our quarters.
“Why’d you shoot me, son?” he asked.
“I was pissed off,” I said.
He nodded. “That’s what I figured. Do you know that I haven’t died in three campaigns?”
I looked at him. He did look old. Almost as old as Graves himself. I shook my head. “No, I didn’t know that.”
“That’s why they call me the old man. Do you know how I kept from dying all that time, through three campaigns on three worlds?”
“No, Veteran.”
“Because I always killed the other guy first. But this time, you surprised me. No warning, no shouting. You just fired your weapon. You won’t surprise me again, Recruit.”
“I’m sure you’re right, Veteran.”
He left me then, moving painfully off toward the non-com sleeping quarters on Deck Eight. I heaved another sigh. I could understand his anger.
A grim thought occurred to me. What if he’d spoken up on my behalf in order to keep me in this unit? Not because he understood my actions, but because he wanted the opportunity to get even—personally.
I’d expected that my actions would make an enemy out of Harris. But now I thought I might have made something far worse: a committed enemy.
I crashed on my bunk on Deck Nine, stretching my arms over my head. Lights were already out, and everyone was asleep.
The moment my head hit the pillow, I heard stealthy footsteps. I lurched awake, lifting my hands, reaching for the throat of my attacker—I barely stopped myself in time.
It was Kivi. She smiled at me in the dim light.
“I wanted to thank you for killing the old man.”
I laughed softly. “I think you’re the only one who’s happy about it.”
“Are you kidding?” she whispered. “The whole unit is talking about it. No one can believe it. He hasn’t died for years, you know. He was the oldest living ground troop in the legion.”
“I’ve heard that. How are your legs?”
“They’re good. The bio people worked on them for six hours, pulling out metal and re-growing tissue. Now I’m ready for anything again. That brings me to why I’m here. Have you figured it out, yet?”
Then she opened her shirt as a hint, and I got the
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