Soldiers of Fortune by Joshua Dalzelle Page A

his friend, and his family, so he had no desire to impose meaningless "punishment" for something he would have likely participated in himself.
     
                  "No," he said, "I think they've suffered enough already, and if not they certainly will tomorrow." He took a slow drink from his glass, savoring the flavor. "Besides, these guys have been cooped up on a small ship, practically on top of each other, for months on end. Add the stress of dangerous operations and then getting locked in this room when we finally do make it planetside somewhere... I can understand the need to blow off some steam. In the grand scheme of things, if all we got from a drunk Galvetic warrior is some bruises and a broken chair, I'd say we came out on top. Wouldn't you?"
     
                  "When put that way, yes... I would," Doc chuckled. The two finished their drinks and discussed what the new job might be while Lucky made rounds to each room to check on his fallen comrades. After another drink apiece, Jason and Doc went to bed while Lucky, per his usual habit, stood guard in the middle of the common area. Jason always felt like he was taking advantage of the synth when he stood watch while the others slept, but Lucky assured him he would be "awake" anyway, so he may as well do something useful with his time. In truth, he took the time to sift through the events of the day and give each incident, each interaction, a level of scrutiny he wasn't able to as it happened. It allowed him to continue to grow and find how he fit into this new world as a free-thinking being.
     
     
                  The next morning Jason walked out and found that Doc had taken the liberty of ordering a veritable buffet from room service and had it stretched out along the bar. When he smelled it, his stomach growled in anticipation and he made his way directly to the food with only a wave of greeting to Lucky and Doc. The others were nowhere to be found.
                  "Good call on breakfast, Doc," Jason said as he grabbed a plate. "I didn't eat much last night."
     
                  "I don't think any of us did. You want me to rouse the others?" Doc replied.
     
                  "Nah. The smell should start breaking through their stupor pretty soon," Jason answered between bites. As if on cue, Crusher shuffled out of his room holding his head in one hand and growling softly. "Hungry?" Jason asked brightly.
     
                  "Yes," Crusher said simply, but instead of walking to the bar he came to stand directly in front of Jason and drew himself up to his full height. "Captain. I apologize for my actions last night. I will accept any punishment you deem necessary." His rigid, formal stance let Jason know he needed to do something more than wave him off, so he stood as well.
     
                  "Very well. I accept, and appreciate, your apology Crusher," Jason said. He actually didn't feel it was necessary, but he knew the big warrior would feel cheated without some sort of penance. "I have no intention of 'punishing' you. You're my crewmate and my friend, and you're a free man to do as you will. But I will ask that you refrain from excess for the rest of the time we're on Eshquaria, I need you clear headed and watching our backs until we're back on the Phoenix and flying offworld."
     
                  "Yes, Captain," Crusher said. He didn't quite bow, but he did nod deeply. His gaze also sneaked over to the bar laden with food, the smell must have been driving him crazy. Jason smiled.
     
                  "Go get some food," he said lightly, slapping Crusher on the shoulder. And just like that, all was forgotten. It was simply amazing how quickly his injuries from the night before had healed and Crusher wasn’t pumped full of medical nanotech that worked to heal his body like the rest of them were.
                  Kage was the next to