He had given thirty years of his life to the military. He had barely turned eighteen when he’d joined—not so much by choice as by obligation. His father had served, as had his own father before that, and so many of his ancestors. Even his mother, in her own way, had worked for the military. TriVid recordings of epic battles helped, as did the feats of legendary heroes. But his heart had always been in the stars. He dreamed of traveling through them—and, to be fair, the army had given him that gift.

His years in the Academy had been fun at first, but then had come the harsh realities of the Imperium, and all the political nonsense that took place behind the scenes.

Still, Bregg had done well enough to work his way up. He got noticed and mentored by a high-ranked officer who shaped him into the cold-hearted soldier he’d become. He got posted on various ships, one after the other, and earned each of his promotions through hard work and dedication.

Then, of course, everything had come crashing down.

He stared at the annoying little man who stood before him, refusing to budge.

“Are you blind?” Bregg asked, his voice a clear sign of his mounting impatience. “Do you not see my uniform?”

The other crossed his arms.

“I see it well enough. But this building is beyond the Imperium’s jurisdiction.”

The Colonel frowned. Though the man was correct, it was preposterous. No place should be beyond the Imperium’s reach. Especially not one that sat at the heart of a world that belonged to said Imperium.

“I need to speak with Thiari,” he repeated.

“I heard you the first time. And I’ll give you the same response. You can wait for her here. She’s been informed of your presence.”

It was disgraceful. One of his rank should not have to wait outside, standing in the open, where everyone could see him.

Of course, his rank meant very little since that shameful day.

He had made one mistake, one little mistake in thirty years of service—twenty, at the time—and that had been enough to destroy his career, to erase everything good he had ever done for the Imperium.

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That, too, was disgraceful.

He’d have quit if he had known what else to do with his life. But the army was all he knew. It was his home, ungrateful as it was.

Two soldiers had come with him, for security reasons, and they stood now very straight behind him, keeping quiet.

He wondered if, once back on the ship, they’d tell everyone about this and mock him behind his back. It wouldn’t be the first time.

His face hardened.

“Fine. But know that the Imperium never forgets.”

He knew this for a fact. He’d been on the receiving end, after all.

Ten years after the incident, he still was stuck patrolling this remote section of the Empire, with no hope of ever being promoted again. He would remain a Colonel for the rest of his life—however much longer that may be.

The insolent bug shrugged.

“Nor do we.”

A smug smile crept over the man’s lips that Bregg would have loved to wipe off with his fist. But he knew that would only have caused political turmoil that would eventually have backfired on him. He didn’t need that.

He remained silent, trying to keep as much dignity as he could muster in the current circumstances.

Five minutes later—five minutes that felt like an eternity—a woman came out of the building. She paused when she reached them. Her expression was serious as she considered Bregg. She then looked at the other man and gave him a nod.

“Thank you, Lordek. You can leave now.”

The little man frowned.

“But I cannot leave you alone—”

“I said go.”

There was steel in the woman’s voice, and it pleased Bregg to see the bug squirm, then turn, and walk away.

Thiari brought her eyes to him.

“To what do I owe the displeasure of seeing you again, Colonel?”

He snorted.

“You might want us inside for this conversation.”

“Nice try, but not happening.” She lifted her arm and tapped a couple of times on her wristpad. The air around the two of them shimmered and darkened. “You can speak freely now. No one else will hear you—not even your men.”

She said this with a jerk of her chin toward the two who still stood behind him. He glanced back and saw that the shield had formed between him and them. With a grunt, he turned back to face the woman.

“Convenient. Very well. Since you will not offer the hospitality I am due, we shall talk here. But know that—”

“—the Imperium forgets nothing. Yes, I am aware.”

“I was going to say, know that your actions speak louder than words.” He glanced over her shoulder at the Gnorlian Embassy. “You people are up to something in there that you do not want the Imperium to know about. There will be an investigation.”

It was mostly bluff, of course, though she wouldn’t know that. He’d send a report, he’d have to, but there was little hope anyone would pay any attention to anything he had to say.

She clicked her tongue impatiently.

“Say what you’ve come to say, old man. I don’t have all day.”

Another blatant affront to his dignity. For a second, he wondered if she knew about his disgrace? But that was impossible. Few did, and they were not the sort to sing. Besides, he’d met this woman many times in the past decade, and she’d never behaved like this. He glanced again at the building, wondering what was going on in there that could put her on edge.

He looked back at the woman and smiled.

“I need your help,” he said finally, “to capture a thief.”