Stars in the Sand Read Online Free PDF Page B

realize what that means? That on average, a man would be seriously wounded twice and still come back for another try. At one point, strategic command assumed that 25% of a detachment wouldn’t be coming back from a combat operation. I lost an older brother and an aunt that way.”
     “ I’m sorry,” she began, but he continued.
     “ Let’s look at some recent history. Out of a detachment of thirty Espatiers on Alamo, I’m the only one that is left – and because of my hand, as soon as I get back I’m going to be invalided out of the service. So basically, Alamo began with thirty and ended up with none. It’s a dangerous galaxy out there, but for the footsoldier – because despite our fancy training and equipment, that’s still essentially what we are – it is a million times worse.”
     “ That’s my point,” she said.
     “ What?”
     “ I don’t see it as fair that you are taking the brunt of the casualties. I mean, I lost a couple of mates in the last battle when the sensor deck was hit, but you...you lost everyone. I wanted to do my share.”
     Sighing, Cooper replied, “I’m sorry I snapped at you.”
     “ I’m sorry I hit a sore spot. I didn’t mean to.” She looked around, then asked, “Is it always like this?”
     “ Usually it’s a damn sight worse. We didn’t lose anyone today.” He frowned, then continued, “You got lucky as well, you know.”
      “ What do you mean?”
     “ You shot three people, and all of them are going to live.”
     “ They were the enemy, and they were attacking us. What else would I have done?”
     “ How old are you?” Cooper asked, shaking his head.
     “ Eighteen, just before we left. I just finished Basic in time to be assigned to Alamo.”
     “ Ah, you’re still a kid, then,” he said.
     “ Really?” she replied, waving down at her uniform.
     “ That doesn’t count,” Cooper said, turning back to his work.”
     “ What will do it?”
     “ I’ll tell you what did it for me,” he replied, “if you really want.”
     “ Go on.”
     “ I grew up the first time I killed someone, and watched one of my friends die in front of me. If I were you, I’d try and find an easier way.” He looked up for a moment, and his gaze seemed to be focus a long way away. “I wish to hell I had.”
     A light beeped on the console, and he was drawn back to the system, his face breaking out into a smile that widened as he realized that he had found what he had been searching for. Alamo might not have been able to put the pieces together, but Ouroboros had been able to give him the last piece of the puzzle.
     “ That’s it!” he said, grabbing Cantrell by the shoulder. “Get on the other terminal, pull up everything you can find about the system I’ve highlighted. The whole works, and get it downloaded to Alamo’s mainframe as fast as you can.”
     Peering down at the display, she said, “Why?”
     “ Because, Spaceman, that’s where the prisoners they took from us are being held. At least a dozen members of my platoon have been taken there, and I want to get them back.”
     Looking up, she replied, “There are no habitable planets in that system. It’s much too hot.”
     “ A planet doesn’t have to be habitable to be inhabited, does it?”
     Sighing, she started to read out, “Let’s see. Denebola, nineteen planets by the IAU definition, including six gas giants, all ice. Lost of dry dusty moons, hmm…”
     “ What?”
     “ Three asteroid belts, and one of them close in. Good for resource extraction if it wasn’t so far from Sol.” Looking up, blushing, she said, “My father is an asteroid prospector.”
     “ Hell, sounds perfect.”
      “ One planet in the Goldilocks zone, but even if the star wasn’t too bright, it wouldn’t be any good. According to this readout it’s a carbon-type, lots of nasty stuff in the atmosphere. Pressure and temperature are fine, though. You