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She sat down and reached for a fork. He d taken us my brother Nattie and me, she clarified,
into the sewer systems under the town. For some reason those things couldn t hunt down there.
It s their eyes, Menace said and gestured to his with a fork. They need a certain amount of light
to process shapes and colors and shades. It s why we developed weapons that target their faces. The
skin is the secondary target on a Merkorian amphibicore. They require a certain amount of moisture to
keep their scaly, slimy skins alive. He opened the carton and poured blue liquid into his glass. How
long were you down there?
Three weeks, she said and purposely pushed the gross memories into the farthest recesses of her
mind. We were in the storm drain sections mostly, so it wasn t too horrifying. I was only nine at the
time. Daddy was able to make it into a big adventure at first so I wasn t too afraid, but then a week
became two and I started to wonder if I would ever see sunlight again. She laughed as the good
memories shone through for once. Daddy came up with all these games and wild stories to keep me
occupied.
You loved your father.
Very much, she said and poked at her mound of fluffy scrambled eggs. He always did his very
best to protect us, but it wasn t enough that day.
What happened?
Nattie got into an argument with our father. He took off out of the sewers and Daddy went after
him and, well, you know. She touched her neck. I found him later that night, just after sunset.
Menace s eyes widened. You went out alone? After dark?
Nattie and Daddy didn t come back. I had to do something. I couldn t just sit there alone and wait
forever. Her eyelids drifted together as the tormenting memory of her father s gashed throat and
bloodless body flashed before her.
What happened after you found him? Menace asked, his voice soft and gentle.
I started digging.
What? By yourself?
She stared at him. Well, who the hell else was going to bury him?
But your brother
Is the fucking laziest, most irresponsible dickhead you ll ever meet.
Menace frowned. Language, Naya.
She rolled her eyes. He s a jerk, okay? Even back then he was a huge jerk.
But you didn t see it?
No, I saw it all right. I was just dumb enough and naive enough to think that people change. They
don t.
No, he agreed.
Not wanting to talk about her brother or her father any longer, Naya changed the subject. Your
home is very nice.
Thank you. Menace splashed the blue liquid into her glass. I think you ll like this. It s juice from
a fruit that grows on Harcos Prime. It s a little sweet and just the slightest bit tart.
She warily eyed the glass. Is it mixed with water?
Yes.
From your planet or mine?
Mine. Why?
Because I haven t been able to drink water in Connor s Run without boiling it since I was ten,
she said and picked up the glass. After a curious sniff, she sipped the brightly colored juice. To her
surprise, it was quite delicious. Oh! This is nice.
I m glad you like it. He bit a piece of crispy bacon. Why are water supplies compromised in
your town?
The Merkorians destroyed most of the town s infrastructure. What they didn t screw up, you guys
blew up during your aerial attacks on their ships. There hasn t been any money to fix it, so we boil
water or we don t drink.
You don t have to worry about that here. Water supplies are adequate and clean. The plumbing
systems allocate a rationed amount per apartment per day but it s more than enough for the two of us
to drink, bathe and do household chores.
She glanced around the space. Your home is very clean. Do you clean it yourself?
He nodded. I m eligible for a cleaning service, but I don t enjoy having other people in my
space. He hesitated. If you d prefer, I can request those services.
Naya understood what he was asking. I m not going to lie. I m not the world s worst housekeeper
but I m not the kind of girl who embroiders tablecloths and cooks five-course meals.
Neither am I, he said with a smile. Between the two of us, I m sure we can make it work. He
motioned to her plate. Eat. It s getting cold.
Yes, sir. She gave a mock salute and tucked into her meal. It was actually quite good. She looked
around his home as she ate. At least you don t have a lot to dust.
I haven t been here long enough to clutter up the place.
No?
He shook his head. I lived in a section set aside for bachelor officers until a month ago. When I
put forth my name for this quarter s Grab, the housing department offered me a choice of married
housing units. I picked this one because it s close to friends who have taken wives. I thought it would
be good for you to have support nearby.
His consideration touched her. Even before he d taken a wife, he d put thought into how to make
her transition to this new and scary life easier. What made you decide to enter the Grab now? Earlier
you said you d been a soldier for twenty-four years. Why not do it earlier? Did you not have enough
points?
I had the points. He drank some juice. I ve had enough points for years, but we were on the front
lines for so long. Fighting in the field for months on end isn t conducive to building a new
relationship. It s one of the reasons why they rotated our battle group out here. It s still dangerous but
it s much quieter. It s our reward for fighting in the very worst battles of the war. He suddenly had a
far-off look. There were battles where less than twenty percent of our forces returned. It was more
than the enemy, but just barely.
Naya tried to reconcile those figures. To go into battle knowing that only twenty out of one hundred
men would survive must have been harrowing. Menace had been one of those lucky ones. Of course,
she wasn t so sure if lucky was the right word for surviving an experience like that.
I was happy living my single life. I didn t really see a reason to change anything until Hallie.
She remembered the woman s name from earlier. Your friend s wife?
Vicious, he said. He s a general and the highest-ranking member of the land corps in this
sector.
So he s your boss?
Menace nodded. He s a good one. There isn t a man I d trust more with my life. Well, he
hesitated, maybe Terror. He s just as honorable and brave. The three of us were raised together at
the academy and fought side by side in the worst of it. He took another drink. I never thought
Vicious would take a wife, but he found Hallie down there in Harper s Well and his whole life
changed. In a good way, he added. I grew envious of his happiness and thought, why not me? Why
shouldn t I take my reward?
Naya tried to process the idea that he considered her his greatest reward. Menace, she said
gently, you shouldn t put so much stock in me. I don t want you to be disappointed.
His gaze snapped to her face. How in the world could I ever be disappointed in you?
She blew out a noisy breath. I m a nobody. I m nothing, okay? I m just some poor kid who never
finished school. I m not the kind of person most men would consider worthy of being deemed a
reward.
Don t say that. Menace looked irritated. You re a survivor. You had a successful business. You
showed loyalty and honor during the Grab. You re a good person.
You don t know me. She dropped her gaze to the plate of half-eaten food. I ve done things that
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