“Forget about it, friend.” Stockton kept his voice even, though he allowed a little firmness to creep in. It didn’t really matter what hand he’d thrown away…but he suspected his opponent would not react well to having been so thoroughly suckered and bluffed. Stockton had come to unwind, to win a little money. He didn’t think much of the idea of spending his shore leave in the stockade.

Assuming this guy doesn’t just break me in half.

“I said show me those cards.” The Marine reached out, moving his hand toward Stockton’s cards.

Stockton reached out and put his own hand down over the cards. “Let’s move on.” He held his ground, but he couldn’t help but notice his hand was barely half the size of the giant Marine’s.

“C’mon, J.T., we don’t want any trouble.” It was one of the busted players, who had hung around to watch the game. He was joined by two of the other players, all Marines and clearly friends of the big man, all urging their comrade to be calm.

“I want to see those cards!” he roared, standing up, completely ignoring his friends’ efforts to calm him.

Stockton kept his hand over the cards. He knew the door was right behind him, but any quick escape meant leaving his chips—half a year’s pay—behind. If he stayed, and the shit hit the fan, he was alone. The Siren’s Call was mostly a Marine hangout. There were a few spacers, probably crews of Archellia’s system patrol force, but no one he recognized from Dauntless. In a fight, he’d be on his own…

“Friend, come on…”

“There you are. We’ve been looking all over for you.” Kyle Jamison walked through the door, flanked by two of Dauntless’s other pilots. Jamison was the ship’s strike force commander, Stockton’s superior officer…and his best friend. “You’re supposed to have your com unit with you, even on shore leave. I know you know that.”

“You’re right, Commander. My fault.” Stockton stood up and reached across the table, pulling the chips toward himself and gathering them together as he did.

“Come on, we’ve got to get back to Dauntless. We got a recall notice.”

“But we’re on shore leave, Commander.”

“Not any more, Lieutenant. All leaves are canceled.”

The Marine stood up and glared across the table. He was clearly still angry, but the appearance of a superior officer and more pilots had taken him by surprise.

Jamison looked at Stockton then at the enraged Marine. He fought back a smile. “Sergeant,” he said to the Marine, “I’m afraid we have to break up your game.”

The big man stared back, but then he just nodded, clearly not willing to risk a brawl with a superior officer.