Minka told her everything. The Whiteshields. How the others all managed. The injuries they’d suffered. ‘Karni’s arm is a mess. Dreno’s under investigation. We lost Allun and Maenard. When the evacuation came they left without us.’

‘Sparker should never have given you that job.’

‘It wasn’t that,’ Minka said. She didn’t like her competence being brought into question.

‘What was it?’

Minka shook her head. She didn’t want to explain it all. ‘We were left behind. Fought some traitor survivors, but they were more messed up than we were. The eruption made it difficult. There was very little to salvage. No vox. No food. No water. We only got off the island today,’ Minka said.

They talked a little longer but this had not gone how she had expected.

At last Dido said, ‘Here I am, moaning at you. Throne! You should go and get yourself a shower or something.’

Minka had run out of things to say. ‘Yes. I’m sure I have some reports to fill out. I’ll come back as soon as possible,’ she promised.

Dido reached up to take Minka’s hand. ‘Listen. I’m cranky. Sorry. But I’m glad you’re leading the platoon. I wouldn’t want anyone else. They’re a great bunch. Remember. You can’t do everything yourself. You’ll know when your time comes. It’s when the others are pausing. That’s when you’ve got to put yourself at the front. You have to lead.’ She gestured to her own body. ‘Whatever the cost.’

Minka nodded. ‘Thank you. I will remember that.’

Minka strode back through the wards, looking at the lines of wounded and dying, and thanked the Golden Throne that she was not one of them.

The Rakallion guards were still sitting around their pot of recaff. She accelerated away, the dirtbike weaving through the lines of military traffic.

Prassan was waiting for her by the camp gates. She pulled to a halt, left the engine still running as she handed it over to him. ‘How was she?’ he asked.

‘Not good,’ she said. ‘Think she’ll walk again?’

He shook his head. Unlikely. They didn’t give spinal augmetics to lieutenants, and if they did it was hard to get up to combat effectiveness. ‘Maybe she can come and work at HQ,’ he said. He was trying to sound cheerful.

Minka nodded. She put out her hand. ‘Thanks for the ride. Look after yourself. Don’t go getting fat on us. You never know when Tyson will call you back to the front lines.’

Prassan saluted her. ‘Is that an order, Lieutenant Lesk?’

She punched him. ‘Get out of here.’

As he drove off she repeated the words ‘Lieutenant Lesk’ to herself.

She thought of Colonel Rath Sturm. She’d like to tell him that she’d made it. She wondered where he was now, and if he was still alive.