Chapter 5. Ahmeena

  Lucian sat across from Ahmeena in ships crew quarters.

  He saw the pale scars that raked the brown skin of her face.

  "I was there the day you earned those."

  "Were you now." She turned to face him. "I have a lot more scars on

  my body, if you'd like to stare at them as well."

  Lucian raised his hands. "No disrespect intended."

  Ahmeena took his measure. "You have an eagle on each arm."

  "I completed a 25 year Imperium enlistment." Lucian said.

  "25 years." she said in surprise.

  "It was the only enlistment term my brother and I were offered, it was that or nothing"

  "...and the second eagle."

  "I was a Praetorian guard."

  "The chosen elite." Ahmeena said. "Was your brother in the Praetorian guard?"

  "Tread lightly." Lucian cautioned. "Galba served as a legionnaire and he

  did his duty. His strengths, as time has so amply proven, are in the political arena."

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "No disrespect intended." Ahmeena said.

  "I know the Imperium offered you an extention on your enlistment. Why did

  you leave the Legions. Surely not to become a mercenary."

  "The Imperium didn't offer me an extension. They told me that I had no other

  option but to accept it." Ahmeena stroked the side of her face and smiled.

  "... so I refused."

  Lucian noticed the slight unevenness in her features, a healed broken jaw.

  "The Imperium doesn't take to kindly to it's gifts being refused…"

  "I took the punishment,” Ahmeena said. “that was handed out to me as a

  reward for 10 years of faultless service, but I left the Legion with the

  Lunar citizenship that was promised to my family. That was the only reason I

  joined in the first place."

  "We're not so different Ahmeena. I wanted to join the Legion, but I wouldn’t

  without taking Galba with me. It was the only way out of the shit hole mining

  settlement we grew up in. It's a pity the Praetorian guard was disbanded,

  you would of made an excellent candidate."

  Ahmeena acknowledged the compliment.

  "Your colleague Ithaniel is an interesting fellow."

  "I wouldn't call him a colleague, he's here as technical support."

  "Just technical support?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "After our first mission briefing, the squad indulged in a little drinking

  and some dice games."

  "I do miss the dice throwing." Lucian said.

  "There was the usual shit talk, and bit of pushing and shoving that

  involved Ithaniel."

  "Feeling out the new boy." Lucian said. "Seeing what he's made of,

  perfectly understandable."

  Ahmeena nodded.

  " And what was he made of?" Lucian asked.

  "Three of my squad are in the medic pods for facial and skeletal

  reconstruction. He beat them half to death without even raising his voice."

  "That's somewhat of a surprise. I was unaware that Ithaniel had any kind

  combat training or experience. Your men in the medic pods. Is it going to

  affect the mission."

  Ahmeens put her hands on the table. "We're going to make contact at the

  closest point of the Valkyrie's orbit. When that happens, I don't think squad

  numbers are going to change the outcome one way or another."

  There is no denying that thought Lucian. "Is the offer to look at the scars on

  your body still good."

  "It wasn't an offer, you stupid man."

  "I'm not hearing no," Lucian said, "so it's a maybe then."

  Ahmeena smiled. "Maybe."

  *