The Kristang, whatever his name was, set the empty glass on the carpeted floor and rose unsteadily to his feet. "Enjoy the view," he laughed and waved dismissively, "it may be your new home forever, as our slaves. Or it may become your grave." He laughed again and staggered out the doorway.

"Shit." I breathed when he was out of sight.

Chang nodded, then spoke in perfect English. "I think this is not a good place for us to talk about, about, what our friend there said."

No doubt the Kristang had us under close surveillance aboard the station. "You're right, Colonel Chang." I felt ashamed that Chang spoke English, while the only word of Chinese I knew was 'pinguah', which I think was the word for 'apple'. I'd seen it on a fortune cookie, and it stuck with me. My entire language knowledge  of one of the world's oldest and greatest civilizations was from a fortune cookie. And fortune cookies were an American thing, not Chinese.

"Lieutenant Colonel," he said in a tone that had a touch of bitterness.

"Hey, you were a real officer before all this. I wear a colonel's uniform, and I know that all I am is a publicity stunt for UNEF," there was definitely bitterness in my voice. "I'll be happy when UNEF finds an excuse to knock me back down to sergeant, and I can be a real soldier again. Last thing I want to do is be a fobbit and ride a desk."

"Fobbit?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, sorry, US Army slang. A fobbit is a guy who stays safe inside the fence at a Forward Operating Base, while real soldiers are out in the field. Someone who pushes paper instead of carrying a rifle."

"Ah, yes. We have those in our army, also. On this planet, though, there is no true rear area, I think. When the enemy can attack from orbit, everywhere on the surface of the planet is the front lines."

"True enough." I stood up and walked over to the window. "I was at Fort Arrow. Before that, my EOT was at a hamster village near the bend in that river, west of those mountains," I pointed unhelpfully. "Where are you stationed?"