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Authors: Bennett R. Coles
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than a passing interest.
“They were just talking about the Astral trial we were handling,” she said without taking her eyes off the screen. “The firm is getting some amazing publicity over this.”
Any thoughts of smiling disappeared. Katja fought down new anger.
“So what part did you play in that, exactly?”
“I did a lot of the research, and I helped prep the defendant for being on the stand.”
Merje hadn’t personally defended that mutineer, Katja reminded herself. She supposed that made it
somewhat
better.
“But there’s still all this chatter on the networks about the violence coming to Terra one day,” Merje muttered. “Why can’t people just accept that there was no actual war, and that it’s over?”
“What do you mean there was no war?”
“It was a police action, right? Some colonists rebelled and you brave servants of Terra sorted them out.”
Katja felt the sudden need to put some space between herself and her sister.
“I’m heading down to the cafeteria,” she said abruptly. “You want anything?”
“Just bring me back some fruit or something.” Suddenly Merje turned. “Oh, and can you bring me back yesterday evening where I
don’t
get a gun pointed at me?” Her smile had that slight edge to it Katja had learned to back away from.
The corridor outside was open to the dry, warm air, and offered a spectacular view across the irrigated playing fields toward the Astral College buildings. A mixture of dark, solar-glass and local red stone, the main buildings sat at the top of a gentle rise looking every bit the elite scholastic institution. Smaller buildings on the far side of the playing fields housed the shooting ranges, and down near the shores of Lake Sapphire were the stubby boat sheds.
Katja took a moment to drink it in, the dusty smell of the Outback conjuring memories of the simpler, happier times of her cadet years. Then she dismissed the notion and walked with purpose toward the elevator. Her college years had been neither simple nor happy—they just seemed so in comparison to life today.
A swift ride down and she found herself strolling into the large, economically furnished dining hall made available to all residents in her building. The lunchtime rush was waning, but most of the tables were still occupied by junior officers from both Fleet and Corps. Many were in uniform, and Katja wondered for a moment if she was breaking some new regulation by dining in her bright, summery outfit. A few patrons were clustered in amiable groups, but most dined alone, hardly glancing up at those forced to share their table. Most were transients like her, she knew, but some poor sods found themselves living here for months while on a course or while waiting for their ship to return.
None of the food options particularly excited her, but she knew she had to start eating properly if she was going to get back into fighting shape. She piled her plate with proteins and vitamins and found a spare seat at a nearby table. Those already seated barely took notice. One Fleet lieutenant did smile at her, but she noticed that his eyes spent more time on her figure than her face, and she ignored his overture. The steak and chicken on her plate was the only sort of meat she was interested in right now.
She was just shoveling the last awkward lettuce leaf into her mouth when laughter from a nearby table caught her ear. It wasn’t the first outburst she’d heard over the general din of the cafeteria, but something familiar about it caused her eyes to snap up.
Two tables away, a group of very young officers was just breaking apart as their meal drew to a close. Little more than children, she reckoned they were less than a year out of the College and probably still in training. One in particular drew her gaze as he rose to his feet, his laughter just fading.
He was stocky in his blue Fleet coveralls, and not overly tall. His brown hair was shaggy by regulation standards, but she wasn’t too
“They were just talking about the Astral trial we were handling,” she said without taking her eyes off the screen. “The firm is getting some amazing publicity over this.”
Any thoughts of smiling disappeared. Katja fought down new anger.
“So what part did you play in that, exactly?”
“I did a lot of the research, and I helped prep the defendant for being on the stand.”
Merje hadn’t personally defended that mutineer, Katja reminded herself. She supposed that made it
somewhat
better.
“But there’s still all this chatter on the networks about the violence coming to Terra one day,” Merje muttered. “Why can’t people just accept that there was no actual war, and that it’s over?”
“What do you mean there was no war?”
“It was a police action, right? Some colonists rebelled and you brave servants of Terra sorted them out.”
Katja felt the sudden need to put some space between herself and her sister.
“I’m heading down to the cafeteria,” she said abruptly. “You want anything?”
“Just bring me back some fruit or something.” Suddenly Merje turned. “Oh, and can you bring me back yesterday evening where I
don’t
get a gun pointed at me?” Her smile had that slight edge to it Katja had learned to back away from.
The corridor outside was open to the dry, warm air, and offered a spectacular view across the irrigated playing fields toward the Astral College buildings. A mixture of dark, solar-glass and local red stone, the main buildings sat at the top of a gentle rise looking every bit the elite scholastic institution. Smaller buildings on the far side of the playing fields housed the shooting ranges, and down near the shores of Lake Sapphire were the stubby boat sheds.
Katja took a moment to drink it in, the dusty smell of the Outback conjuring memories of the simpler, happier times of her cadet years. Then she dismissed the notion and walked with purpose toward the elevator. Her college years had been neither simple nor happy—they just seemed so in comparison to life today.
A swift ride down and she found herself strolling into the large, economically furnished dining hall made available to all residents in her building. The lunchtime rush was waning, but most of the tables were still occupied by junior officers from both Fleet and Corps. Many were in uniform, and Katja wondered for a moment if she was breaking some new regulation by dining in her bright, summery outfit. A few patrons were clustered in amiable groups, but most dined alone, hardly glancing up at those forced to share their table. Most were transients like her, she knew, but some poor sods found themselves living here for months while on a course or while waiting for their ship to return.
None of the food options particularly excited her, but she knew she had to start eating properly if she was going to get back into fighting shape. She piled her plate with proteins and vitamins and found a spare seat at a nearby table. Those already seated barely took notice. One Fleet lieutenant did smile at her, but she noticed that his eyes spent more time on her figure than her face, and she ignored his overture. The steak and chicken on her plate was the only sort of meat she was interested in right now.
She was just shoveling the last awkward lettuce leaf into her mouth when laughter from a nearby table caught her ear. It wasn’t the first outburst she’d heard over the general din of the cafeteria, but something familiar about it caused her eyes to snap up.
Two tables away, a group of very young officers was just breaking apart as their meal drew to a close. Little more than children, she reckoned they were less than a year out of the College and probably still in training. One in particular drew her gaze as he rose to his feet, his laughter just fading.
He was stocky in his blue Fleet coveralls, and not overly tall. His brown hair was shaggy by regulation standards, but she wasn’t too
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