Flynn hadn’t expected to stay on Soocilla long, but two and a half hours was definitely not what he’d planned, either. He would have at least liked to have said hello to his mother and father. As it was, he’d barely glimpsed the home in which he’d grown up.
He slept through the trip to Sukiyaki. It was a trick he’d learned during the war. Conditioned sleep timing was an indispensible skill when enemies were around every corner.
The way he saw it, downtime was for catching up on the lost sleep of missions. In space transit, the only time you needed to be awake was to take a trip to the head, or snatch a meal. Otherwise, it was lights out. Not that many of his men had agreed with him. But it served him well.
They were in orbit over Sukiyaki when Flynn finally dragged himself from his shipboard routine and the closet-sized sleeping compartment. It was better for everyone involved if he avoided the civilians on board. They probably wouldn’t understand the raw wound of a necklace he wore.
He’d managed to keep to himself for the better part of an hour when Putty found him. Together they made their way to a deserted observation deck.
Putty leaned against the window, looking down at the planet below them. “I always used to think they’d look like giant marbles… but they don’t. They’re not hard, or shiny… they’re just dirt and water and air.”
“And a half million other things.” Flynn turned away from the golden brown surface of the planet below them, the only interesting bit was the band of swirling red and orange near its equator. “It’s safe to just call it carbon and forget about the rest… makes it easier to leave it all behind when you’re done – especially if it ends up being more rubble than anything else.”
“That’s kind of harsh, don’t you think?” Putty turned to face him and Flynn saw the trace of annoyance in his eyes.
“It’s a coping mechanism.” Flynn shrugged. He watched his brother’s fist clench. For two seconds, he though Putty would hit him again.
For two seconds, he wanted him to. He had caused his family more than enough pain.
Flynn let out a heavy sigh and turned to look at his older brother. “Putty, following me around like this isn’t going to get her back. It’s not going to save my life, either. All you’re doing is making it that much more likely mom’s going to lose all her children to something she has no hope of saving them from.”
“I’m here because you’re my brother, Flynn. Brothers keep each other safe. They tell each other when they’re being stupid and going to get themselves killed. Chad’s my friend too, remember? He came for me, and I’m not letting him drag you into another unwinnable fight.”
“Look at this planet, Putty.” Flynn turned back to look out at the not-marble. “This is going to end up being a land dispute between two settlers that got out of hand. It’ll take us a day or two to clear up and then we’ll go home no worse for the wear. Frankly, I don’t see a point to you being here unless you want to fix their mining equipment.”
“I guess we’re on even footing then. I don’t see a reason for you to be here either.” Putty turned to leave and stopped at the door. “Since when have simple land disputes needed a soldier to deal with them? When have they needed mercenaries or pagoans for that matter?”
When Putty left, Flynn turned back to the window overlooking the planet. With a long sigh, he hoped they didn’t need a soldier… or the type of man any soldier could become. He hoped he’d left those parts of him on Ludo when he’d deserted the Lazarai.