always that scared around me.”
Vance snapped to attention and saluted. “Captain Young, it’s a pleasure to see you again, Sir.”
The captain dismissed the formalities with a flippant wave of his hand. “I make the new recruits do that, because it reminds them we’re a military at war. I served with your father too long to have you stand at attention in front of me.” He motioned Vance to sit and pulled over his own chair. “Speaking of which, how is your father?”
“Yes, Sir, our mission went exceptionally well. Thank you for your concern.”
The captain rolled his eyes. “What’s wrong with a little small talk? I’ve known your family for years. You were away on your mission for only two weeks. My relationship with your family takes seniority.”
“Last I talked to him,” Vance conceded, “he was doing quite well.”
“How long ago was that?”
Vance shifted uneasily. Though his father was one of the commanding generals in charge of the Alliance Infantry, father and son didn’t always see eye to eye. “Is it OK if we talk about something other than my father?”
“Fine. How’s your love life these days?”
Vance laughed. “No, believe me. I’d really prefer we didn’t start getting into my love life.” He knocked his boot against the chair leg, jarring caked red sand from the tread.
“Someone will have to clean that up, you know.” Captain Young pointed at the growing pile of dirt under the lip of Vance’s seat.
“That wouldn’t be an issue if you’d quit sending us to dustbowls on our missions. I’m still not entirely sure why the Terrans continue picking such horrid places on which to establish outposts. Whatever happened to outposts on tropical islands full of bikini-clad women?”
“If that were the case, I wouldn’t have any problem keeping my finest soldiers in boots. Well, next-to-finest soldiers. Your group is still the best.” He paused. “I assume they are.”
Vance reached under his robe and retrieved a data disk earmarked as Terran property. “We haven’t failed you yet, Sir. We’re still the best in the Alliance.”
Captain Young carried the disk to her personal computer console on the podium. He slid in the disk and waited for Alliance technology to decode the complex Terran encryption.
After less than a minute, a flood of data poured across the monitor. His eyes flicked back and forth across the screen, trying to take in the information. Hands tapping on the screen, he scrolled through file after file of Terran plans and operations. In the bottom right corner of the screen, a red light flashed persistently.
“Anything of importance?” Vance asked, feeling awkward at being ignored while the captain ran through the data.
He grunted in confirmation. “Quite a bit, actually.” He mechanically chewed his nails. “Unfortunately, there isn’t much I can share with you until High Council sees this.”
Vance nodded. It would be weeks or more before he and his men saw any results from their mission. “Sir, if it’s going to be awhile until we get anything out of the disk, and, I’m guessing, before our next mission, I’d like to request leave for me and my men. We’re a little tired and could use the downtime.”
Captain Young smiled, wrinkles extending from the corners of his eyes. “Let me guess—somewhere tropical with bikini-clad women?”
“Something like that.” Vance
Vance snapped to attention and saluted. “Captain Young, it’s a pleasure to see you again, Sir.”
The captain dismissed the formalities with a flippant wave of his hand. “I make the new recruits do that, because it reminds them we’re a military at war. I served with your father too long to have you stand at attention in front of me.” He motioned Vance to sit and pulled over his own chair. “Speaking of which, how is your father?”
“Yes, Sir, our mission went exceptionally well. Thank you for your concern.”
The captain rolled his eyes. “What’s wrong with a little small talk? I’ve known your family for years. You were away on your mission for only two weeks. My relationship with your family takes seniority.”
“Last I talked to him,” Vance conceded, “he was doing quite well.”
“How long ago was that?”
Vance shifted uneasily. Though his father was one of the commanding generals in charge of the Alliance Infantry, father and son didn’t always see eye to eye. “Is it OK if we talk about something other than my father?”
“Fine. How’s your love life these days?”
Vance laughed. “No, believe me. I’d really prefer we didn’t start getting into my love life.” He knocked his boot against the chair leg, jarring caked red sand from the tread.
“Someone will have to clean that up, you know.” Captain Young pointed at the growing pile of dirt under the lip of Vance’s seat.
“That wouldn’t be an issue if you’d quit sending us to dustbowls on our missions. I’m still not entirely sure why the Terrans continue picking such horrid places on which to establish outposts. Whatever happened to outposts on tropical islands full of bikini-clad women?”
“If that were the case, I wouldn’t have any problem keeping my finest soldiers in boots. Well, next-to-finest soldiers. Your group is still the best.” He paused. “I assume they are.”
Vance reached under his robe and retrieved a data disk earmarked as Terran property. “We haven’t failed you yet, Sir. We’re still the best in the Alliance.”
Captain Young carried the disk to her personal computer console on the podium. He slid in the disk and waited for Alliance technology to decode the complex Terran encryption.
After less than a minute, a flood of data poured across the monitor. His eyes flicked back and forth across the screen, trying to take in the information. Hands tapping on the screen, he scrolled through file after file of Terran plans and operations. In the bottom right corner of the screen, a red light flashed persistently.
“Anything of importance?” Vance asked, feeling awkward at being ignored while the captain ran through the data.
He grunted in confirmation. “Quite a bit, actually.” He mechanically chewed his nails. “Unfortunately, there isn’t much I can share with you until High Council sees this.”
Vance nodded. It would be weeks or more before he and his men saw any results from their mission. “Sir, if it’s going to be awhile until we get anything out of the disk, and, I’m guessing, before our next mission, I’d like to request leave for me and my men. We’re a little tired and could use the downtime.”
Captain Young smiled, wrinkles extending from the corners of his eyes. “Let me guess—somewhere tropical with bikini-clad women?”
“Something like that.” Vance
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