I had a gun. I should have used it. But she was a child, and in her face I saw Scorpia, Lyre, Andromeda. I froze. Drunk though he was, Uwe still reacted before I did, and his first thought was to shield me from the worst of the blast. He tackled me to the ground with his armored body on top of mine. My only injury was a gash on my cheek where my face hit the concrete floor. There wasn’t enough left of Uwe for a proper funeral. When I emerged from that tunnel, covered in the remains of both my teammate and a little girl, I was ready to leave Titan, despite the love that I’ve gained for both the planet and its people. I sent the message to my family the next day, when I was still so sure, before Altair made his offer and the doubt set in.

But Ivennie doesn’t know any of that, and none of it is her fault. She’s a quick learner with exceptionally high potential, perhaps even for leadership, according to Altair’s recommendation. I should be doing a better job of teaching her how a team operates. If there’s one thing I can do for the others before I leave them behind, I should at least give them the ability to rely on each other.

I clear my throat and lower my hand as I realize I’m touching the scar on my cheek. It would have been an easy thing for Titan doctors to fix, but I asked to keep it as a reminder. My eyes shift to Ivennie, who immediately glances away as if she hadn’t been staring.

“You can ask, if you want,” I tell her. “I’ll answer any questions you have. I know you must have heard plenty of rumors.” A sergeant who was raised off-world is no small thing on Titan. I know the things they say about me, both good and bad.

No doubt Ivennie would have asked the others about me already, if they weren’t as reluctant to accept her as I am. She hesitates for barely a moment before she gives in to curiosity.

“Is it true you’re an off-worlder?”

“No. I’m a Titan. I was born here.” The response is automatic. Confusion creases her forehead, and after a moment, I relent. “But, yes, I’ve spent most of my life off-world, though I’ve always been Titan at heart. I returned when duty called me.” A mouthful of lies. When I was growing up, Momma always reminded me that blood came first. The last thing she said to me was “You’re a Kaiser, not a Titan. Don’t forget that.” But the truth would not serve me well here.

“So before coming here, you lived… where?”

“I lived on a ship. But I grew up mostly on Gaia, then a few years on Nibiru.”