“You never asked. It didn’t seem important, but I just found out a few days ago that he did a stint in the Corps.”
“No shit. Who do you think recommended this little trooper for his commission?”
She was surprised. “You know Kane?”
Scott laughed. “That story I was just telling about the Dog Watch? Who do you think the lieutenant was who busted us?”
“I had no idea.” She felt a smile growing on her lips. “I can see him busting you, too. But I also understand why you were never charged.”
“He was no-nonsense in the field, but, man, did he have a good sense of humor in barracks. Hey! You should invite him here this evening. He wasn’t Levantine, but once a trooper, always a trooper.”
A flurry of emotions swarmed through Katja’s chest. “Oh, no, I’m sure—”
“Yeah! Give him a call,” Scott persisted. “Just see if he wants to come down for a drink. It’ll be good to see him.”
“Scott, I’m sure he’s still busy writing his mission report—”
“All the more reason to get him out for a friendly drink.”
“He’s your friend—
you
call him.”
Scott grabbed her shoulders and gently but firmly turned her and pushed her away from the bar. “You call him, and tell him to be here in twenty minutes. I have to go round up the other Saracens. I’ll see you at the windows.”
Propelled clear of the crowd, Katja stopped for a moment, feeling exposed and stupid. Professionally, there was nothing wrong with inviting her CO out for a drink, especially since he was a former trooper. But something was making her feel guilty, and she was embarrassed at her own guilt.
She forced herself to take a step forward, then another.
There was a bank of comms stations near the entrance, and Katja sidled into one of the half-booths. She searched out the cabin number for “Kane, Thomas, Lt(C).” When the five-digit number appeared before her, she felt a knot in her stomach. Procrastinating for a moment, she took a pull of her beer and gazed around the room. Maybe he was already there…
Frowning, she put down her glass and tapped in the number before she had a chance to think.
The sound of ringing warbled in the headset. Once. Twice.
Maybe he wasn’t home—
“Lieutenant Commander Kane.”
“Uhh, hi, sir. It’s Lieutenant Emmes.”
“Hi, Ops. What can I do for you?” His tone suggested mild surprise.
“I’m not disturbing you, am I, sir?”
“Not really. I was just thinking about getting something to eat before I finish off the mission report.”
“Oh. Well, umm, there’s a Levantine Jihad going on down in the star lounge, and, since you used to be a trooper yourself, I was—that is, we were wondering… hey, do you know Scott Lahko?”
There was a pause, and Katja felt her stomach contracting to one tenth its normal size. Could she sound more like an idiot?
“Scott Lahko…” Thomas mused. “Oh, yeah, one of my troopers. Good kid.”
“Well, he’s here, and when he heard that you were the CO, he said you should come down and have a drink with us.”
“That’s nice he remembers me.”
“And not just him, sir. I mean, it’d be nice—for me—to spend, to have a drink with you.” Katja closed her eyes and rested her head against the bulkhead. Her cheeks were burning.
“I’ll come on one condition, Katja.”
“What’s that, sir?”
“That you stop calling me sir. At least for an evening.”
She laughed nervously. “I’ll try my best, sir. Ah! Shit. Okay, now I’ll try my best.” His warm laughter eased the knot in her stomach. A bit. “We’re just having a snakepit with our troop commander. We should be done in about twenty minutes.”
“Great. Have you eaten?”
“Me? Uhh, no. Just beer so far.”
“Do you and Lahko want to eat with me at the star lounge? I’m starving.”
“I’ll ask him. If not, I’m sure he’d be happy to just drink at the table.”
More laughter. “Then he hasn’t changed much.”
“See you soon,
“No shit. Who do you think recommended this little trooper for his commission?”
She was surprised. “You know Kane?”
Scott laughed. “That story I was just telling about the Dog Watch? Who do you think the lieutenant was who busted us?”
“I had no idea.” She felt a smile growing on her lips. “I can see him busting you, too. But I also understand why you were never charged.”
“He was no-nonsense in the field, but, man, did he have a good sense of humor in barracks. Hey! You should invite him here this evening. He wasn’t Levantine, but once a trooper, always a trooper.”
A flurry of emotions swarmed through Katja’s chest. “Oh, no, I’m sure—”
“Yeah! Give him a call,” Scott persisted. “Just see if he wants to come down for a drink. It’ll be good to see him.”
“Scott, I’m sure he’s still busy writing his mission report—”
“All the more reason to get him out for a friendly drink.”
“He’s your friend—
you
call him.”
Scott grabbed her shoulders and gently but firmly turned her and pushed her away from the bar. “You call him, and tell him to be here in twenty minutes. I have to go round up the other Saracens. I’ll see you at the windows.”
Propelled clear of the crowd, Katja stopped for a moment, feeling exposed and stupid. Professionally, there was nothing wrong with inviting her CO out for a drink, especially since he was a former trooper. But something was making her feel guilty, and she was embarrassed at her own guilt.
She forced herself to take a step forward, then another.
There was a bank of comms stations near the entrance, and Katja sidled into one of the half-booths. She searched out the cabin number for “Kane, Thomas, Lt(C).” When the five-digit number appeared before her, she felt a knot in her stomach. Procrastinating for a moment, she took a pull of her beer and gazed around the room. Maybe he was already there…
Frowning, she put down her glass and tapped in the number before she had a chance to think.
The sound of ringing warbled in the headset. Once. Twice.
Maybe he wasn’t home—
“Lieutenant Commander Kane.”
“Uhh, hi, sir. It’s Lieutenant Emmes.”
“Hi, Ops. What can I do for you?” His tone suggested mild surprise.
“I’m not disturbing you, am I, sir?”
“Not really. I was just thinking about getting something to eat before I finish off the mission report.”
“Oh. Well, umm, there’s a Levantine Jihad going on down in the star lounge, and, since you used to be a trooper yourself, I was—that is, we were wondering… hey, do you know Scott Lahko?”
There was a pause, and Katja felt her stomach contracting to one tenth its normal size. Could she sound more like an idiot?
“Scott Lahko…” Thomas mused. “Oh, yeah, one of my troopers. Good kid.”
“Well, he’s here, and when he heard that you were the CO, he said you should come down and have a drink with us.”
“That’s nice he remembers me.”
“And not just him, sir. I mean, it’d be nice—for me—to spend, to have a drink with you.” Katja closed her eyes and rested her head against the bulkhead. Her cheeks were burning.
“I’ll come on one condition, Katja.”
“What’s that, sir?”
“That you stop calling me sir. At least for an evening.”
She laughed nervously. “I’ll try my best, sir. Ah! Shit. Okay, now I’ll try my best.” His warm laughter eased the knot in her stomach. A bit. “We’re just having a snakepit with our troop commander. We should be done in about twenty minutes.”
“Great. Have you eaten?”
“Me? Uhh, no. Just beer so far.”
“Do you and Lahko want to eat with me at the star lounge? I’m starving.”
“I’ll ask him. If not, I’m sure he’d be happy to just drink at the table.”
More laughter. “Then he hasn’t changed much.”
“See you soon,
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