“Carter. Are you on Kublar?”
I give her my poker face. This kind of thing happens a lot. Wives, family, friends… they all want to know where you’re deployed. And there’s nothing wrong with that because you know they’re just trying to get an edge on anything that might happen to you. Watch the news, hope that any reports of trouble aren’t you. And knowing where your loved one is helps a lot. But in this case, I can’t divulge that info.
“Why would you think I’m on Kublar?”
Mel’s face goes expressionless. Another look I’m familiar with. The one that’s asking, “Really?”
“Carter, have you cheated on me since you left?”
What the hell?
“No,” I answer.
“Is your shotgun still named after me?”
“Yes.”
“Have any of the guys in your squad been killed?”
“No. Mel, what’s going on?”
“You are such a terrible liar, Carter.”
I give a half smile and scoff. “No, I’m not. And none of my team has been shot and I haven’t been fooling around on you. I swear.”
The smile returns to Mel’s face. “That I know. You’re lying about Kublar, though. You always deflect when you’re lying. I ask you about cheating, your gun, or your team, it’s ‘no,’ ‘yes,’ ‘no.’ I ask you about Kublar and it’s…” she deepens her voice and makes herself sound goofy. “‘Why would I be there, Mel, a-hyuk’?”
I give a disapproving frown. “That’s your impression of me?”
“It is. And don’t try doing one of me. It’ll ruin the moment. Why are you there?”
“Honey, I can’t… I can’t talk about that.”
“Well, you’re about the only one who can’t.”
I furrow my brow in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I mean it’s all over the news. Most of the planet has declared independence and the capital is just about the only holdout. They’re asking for Legion support to remain in the Republic.”
This has my attention. Not that Mel didn’t have my attention before. She was looking at me with those eyes that hinted that I just might be able to get into some trouble with her if I wanted to try it. And if I weren’t a ridiculous number of light-years away. But if the Legion is looking at Kublar—and in support of that worthless government no less—then that’s something I need to know about.
“So what’d they decide to do?” I ask.
The thought of getting into a tangle with the Legion is not one I’m even considering. And not just because it would be a bloodbath for my guys. I don’t see how I could fight other legionnaires unless they were trying to harm my family.
“That’s why everyone is talking. Legion Commander Chhun is supposed to have a briefing on the subject. But it’s a whole thing. The planets that went with the Legion against the Empire, Spilursa, Sinasia, all those, they all seem to not want Kublar in the Republic at all. But a lot of the planets that have rejoined after Article Nineteen was carried out, they don’t feel a planet should be allowed to leave the Republic. Same stance the House of Reason used to have.”
I nod. “Well, doesn’t matter. I’m not on Kublar.”
“Carter, your mama must be ashamed to have a son who is such a liar.”
I smile. “Nah. She figured I must be a pretty good liar to have snookered you into agreeing to marry me.”
“I didn’t need convincing, babe. Nobody had to pull a fast one on me when it came to pickin’ you.”
The smiles and grins keep on coming. I can’t remember the last time things were this light—this happy—between the two of us. Whoever said money won’t solve problems didn’t have any.
“You got time to talk to the girls?”
I lean back and look out the window of my mobile hab. The team is assembling. I check and my chrono… they’re right on time.
“No. Sorry. Got a thing—a thing, not a fling, Mel.”
She laughs. “Better not be. I’ll tell the girls you love them.”
“Good, because I do. And, Mel, I love you, too.”
“Same here, babe. Love you, too.”
I kill the transmission and power down my datapad, then lean back in my seat, staring at the roof of the mobile hab. A long sigh escapes my lips because for the first time in a long time, all I want to do is be back home. With the girls. With Mel. A family.
“And that’s what gets you killed,” I mumble to myself. “KTF, Carter. You only go home if they don’t.”
Pep talk over, I get up and head to the flap of my hab. We’re about to visit a koob village who won’t want us there. And usually, that wouldn’t be a thing. But right now… I’m being sentimental. I don’t want this to go bad. I want to make it home alive.
And over the next several days on Kublar, that’s hardly going to be a sure thing.
39
I jog out of my hab, kitted out and ready to roll as I attach my comm to my ear and pull my cap down over my hair. The call with Mel made me late, but I’m doing my best to act like I don’t know it. Mainly because that’s how every officer I ever knew always acted.
Big Nee doesn’t have a proper military structure—we’re all on payroll and we’re all expected to do whatever job is presented us, which includes listening to whoever he tells us our supervisor is. My role now, as I understand it, is to be the big dog in combat; supervising my own team but with the authority to tell other teams—including Hopper’s—what I want done.
So… Sergeant-General. I guess. General Sergeant maybe. But ultimately, I’m just…
“Carter!”
Easy has that smile on his face telling me that what he’s about to say isn’t important.
“What is it, Easy?”
“I thought we were supposed to fall in outside your hab five minutes ago. Only when we got here, you weren’t here. So, and I’m not sure about this, but does that make you… late?”
Abers adds his own jab. “Were you hidin’, Carter? And we was supposed to find you?
