“You shabuir,” Niner hissed. “Don’t you shabla well stay with me. Go with Kad. You can’t leave him.” “And I can’t leave you,” Darman said, his heart not just broken but utterly destroyed forever. How could he feel so much pain twice? The LAAT/i medic thudded onto the permacrete beside them and started putting a brace on Niner’s neck, immobilizing his spine. The man had no idea what was going on; he couldn’t possibly have known they were talking about desertion. “Kad’s fine. You’ll be fine. One day—we’ll all be fine. I can’t leave you. You never left me. You came for me on Qiilura. You didn’t
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