a"Of course I do. You gave the Warmaster one h.e.l.l of a black eye, and youa"ve every right to be proud instead of wallowing in this self-pitying nonsense Ia"m seeing right now. But shake Creeda"s hand at the ceremony tomorrow and remember: this isna"t all for you, you selfish b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Ita"s for the 88th. The men need some inspiration to take with them after all this. Home still needs a lot of our sweat before ita"s all ours again.a"

Thade drifted back to the present, feeling the shiver of the ship around him.

a"Colonel?a" asked a voice nearby. Thade looked out of the porthole, comfortable in the flight seat, staring out into the void of s.p.a.ce. The troop carrier Infinite Faith rumbled onward, and a planet slowly hove into view. A planet of blue oceans and silver cities, a planet that Thade knew better than any other, ringed by a colossal war fleet that looked like twinkling stars from this distance.

a"Colonel?a" Darrick repeated. Thade turned his head.

a"Thata"s a"warden-colonela" to you.a" He grinned and turned back to the window, looking out at the planet as they slowly drew closer. The night side of the world showed glints of flame flaring on the surface, like distant candles in the blackness. War, viewed from orbit, had a beauty all its own. Darrick moved around Rax, who sat polished and oiled by his mastera"s side, and he nodded to the porthole.

a"How does Home look, Par?a"

a"Same as always, Taan.a" He stared at the planet below, watching parts of it burn.

a"Unbroken.a"

end.