Starfist: Wings of Hell by David Sherman & Dan Cragg

and came around the vehicle to join Captain Reems. The captain introduced her to Sturgeon: “Sir, may I present Special Envoy from Wanderjahr Ms. Sonia Motlaw.”
    Sturgeon took Sonia’s hand, squeezed it briefly, and introduced Colonel Ramadan. He shook hands with Reems. “Billy, thanks loads for getting us those hydration units in such good time,” he said. “Well, shall we get inside out of this freezing wind?”
    “Captain, don’t wait on me. I don’t know how long I might be. I have detained you long enough from your important duties.” Sonia laid a hand on Reems’s shoulder and kissed him lightly on one cheek.
    “I’ll have someone drive her back to Mainside, Billy,” Sturgeon offered. “Thanks very much for bringing her down here.”
    “No problem, sir.” Reems saluted, climbed very reluctantly back into his vehicle, and drove off.
    “We can put you up here in our guest quarters for the night if you wish, madam…”
    “Sonia.” She gave Sturgeon her smile. “Call me Sonia. I apologize for the inconvenience, Brigadier, Colonel.” She nodded at Ramadan. “And I promise not to take up very much of your time. Thanks for the offer but I’m catching the twenty-hours shuttle back to New Oslo.”
    “Well, Sonia, I’m Ted, and Colonel Ramadan is Izzy.” Once inside the building they took seats around Sturgeon’s desk. “Very Spartan in here, Brigadier.” Sonia grinned.
    “Well, I don’t spend much time in the HQ, Sonia. You know, with comfortable offices, commanders will find too much time to spend in them and that’s not how I run this FIST.” He smiled. “Coffee or something stronger to drive out the chill?”
    “No, thank you, Ted. I’ll come straight to the point of my visit. I have a personal message for Joseph Finucane Dean, who I believe is assigned to the third platoon of Company L in your infantry battalion.”
    Few things in life ever surprised Brigadier Theodosius Sturgeon, but this information did. However, he kept his composure. “Yes, that’d be Corporal Dean; he’s in Captain Conorado’s company. Colonel Ramadan, would you have Sergeant Major Shiro get Dean up here on the double.”
    “Excuse me, Brigadier, but I’d much rather go to him. If that’s possible and no trouble for you.”
    “Well, sure, Sonia, but you’re the highest-ranking visitor we’ve had to this place in as long as I can remember and…” Sturgeon shrugged.
    “Oh, not that high ranking, Brigadier.” Sonia smiled. “I’m just a messenger, in fact. Is his residence far from here?”
    Colonel Ramadan could hardly suppress a smile. No one, in his memory, had ever referred to an enlisted Marine’s barracks as a “residence.” “It’s a brisk walk, ma’am, and I’d be honored to escort you there.”
    “That is very kind of you, Colonel.”
    “Are you sure you can’t spend the night with us, Sonia?” Sturgeon asked.
    “No, Ted, my business with Dean will not take very long. Besides, I have parsecs to travel before I sleep and promises to keep, as the poet hath said.” She laughed and her laughter proved infectious, even bringing a smile to Ramadan’s normally grave expression.
    “Very well. I’ll have Dean meet you in his orderly room where Colonel Ramadan will escort you. Uh, Sonia, one thing, though. Can you tell us what this is all about? Dean is a fine Marine and he’ll go far in the Corps. I hope this does not mean trouble for him. As his FIST commander I need to know about such things. You understand.”
    “Yes, I do, Ted, I do. But this is a purely personal matter, and I am not at liberty to divulge any more than that. I am sorry, truly. This must seem a great imposition to you. But just remember, we Wander-jahrians will never forget what your men did for us. While my message is important to Mister, er, Corporal Dean, it in no way reflects unfavorably upon him, this FIST, or the Confederation Marine Corps. I assure you of that.”
    On the way to the Company L orderly room,