Last Man Out (Poor Man's Fight, #5)

by Elliott Kay

“You’re asking me to go with you to some sketchy hellhole on the ass end of human space on a job that pays in class credit,” said Tanner. “You already trust me.”

The whole reason I’m still alive is because I read all the manuals, not because I have magic murder powers.”

“Does this mean we’re pirates now?” Elise looked up with sudden excitement. “Good pirates, I mean. The singing kind. Like in children’s movies.”

“Y’know, the problem with having faith in your ability to sense a lie is sometimes you have to accept a truth you might not want.”

Tedium turned out to be a solid measure of counter-surveillance.

“I can think of shittier jobs than watching two guys dig a hole,” said Nigel. “What, you mean like actually digging one?”

The mercenaries were legitimate infantrymen, at least: not only could they keep up the pace on an uphill climb, they could bitch endlessly while they were at it.

“You don’t beat an insurgency with guns and intimidation. Not really. You beat insurgencies with jobs and civil rights. You beat them with progress. Naturally, big money types find that galling. They don’t want to do that kind of hard work. They’d rather pay someone to stomp on the insurgents. It doesn’t work. It only keeps the people with guns in business.”

“An earthquake is just an earthquake,” Vandenberg went on. “Right until you’ve made a discovery. Then everyone thinks any infrequent phenomenon is a warning from the gods.”

“We’re not mercenaries,” Solanke corrected. “We’re a military corporation.” “That’s what you call a big group of mercenaries. It’s the same thing,”

“I don’t have a problem with anyone building a big business or getting rich, Sanjay. I’d like to be rich, too. It’s only a problem when the rich people start being assholes.”

“Some advice a friend gave me once. Always scope out the parking lot before you walk into the party.”

She grabbed the sentinel’s helmet and twisting it hard on his head, leaving him blinded by his own armor.

“I don’t care if it’s dirty and I don’t care if it’s ugly. There’s no such thing as a fair fight. You fight for real and you fight to win and to hell with anything else, because you do not know what’s gonna happen if you lose.” --Gunnery Sergeant Michelle Janeka, June 2274

“Go, go, c’mon, go!” Solanke urged the others. He tugged Olivia along by the arm, refusing to let her lag behind. For all his bluster and coarse manner, he was an infantryman. The culture had its virtues.

“Well Dad, you wanted me to go to college!” he shouted. “Here I fucking am! Having a great time!”

“The Nyuyinaro bring warning to the humans, and the humans answer. Yes. Wow.”

“This is exactly how I picture your wedding reception someday,” she said. “Right before everything catches fire.”

“Malone, Tanner: disruptive, disrespectful, assignments incomplete. Endangers classmates. Failing marks.” --Expedition Gradebook, Professor Joseph Vandenberg, 2280

The shuttle started to move. For the first time, Vandenberg spoke up. “What are you going to do?” he called back. “I’ve seen their base and I met the head bad guy,” said Tanner. “What do you think I’m gonna do?”

Honestly, those ‘work with your enemy’ moments are never as fulfilling as the movies make out. You still wanna punch ‘em and they still have it coming.”

“1. Never give an order you would not personally carry out. Delegation is a responsibility, not a privilege.” --Officer’s Code of Conduct, Archangel Navy

“Don’t apologize for doing your job,” Janeka replied with all her characteristic warmth. Even her encouragement could leave a scar.

“He’s a deckhand.” “Yes, sir,” Janeka replied. “The Navy has had a lot of good deckhands. He’ll be fine.”

“We don’t have to get them all,” she called back. “Some is better than none. We wouldn’t be marines if we needed things to be perfect.”

“She says Tanner Malone is on the planet and he’s organizing a decapitation strike.”

“Admiral, I should advise you this situation will most definitely escalate.”

Falling was no more of an option than taking a break.

never open the doors into enemy fire.

“None of this military stuff is ever as precise as they want the public to believe. You train for that, but in practice combat is a lot of stumbling and flopping and improvisation. I’m starting to think a lot of other jobs are like that, too.” --Crewman Tanner Malone, Unused Interview Video, January 2276

You know he’s in the middle of this somewhere. This is almost exactly what I expected.” “You did not expect a war zone full of alien psychos,” Lynette countered. “Lyn. C’mon. Who are we talking about here?”

“The situation will likely be chaotic and fluid. Defense of the civilian population will remain your top priority until instructed otherwise. Any other objective is secondary.” --Marine Deployment Orders, Minos Task Force, August 2280

“On the bright side, I found a thousand-year-old jar. Okay, technically the drone found the jar while I was operating it, but still. This trip hasn’t been great, but I’m really proud of that.” --Tanner Malone, Personal Correspondence, August 2280

The Minoans had spent centuries fighting the Nyuyinaro and Krokinthians. They fielded deadly robots and advanced armor. They mastered and weaponized their own environment. And they had never needed to defend against a speeding truck.

“Given the costs of recent conflicts and the ongoing economic fallout, the Union’s current defense posture is particularly fragile. We must do whatever we can to avoid conflict with our alien neighbors.” --Union Assembly Defense Memorandum (Classified: Highly Secret), August 2280

“Mister Santos, thank you for handling the executives. In answer to their queries, please remind them of their loss of planetary sovereignty and their lengthy violations of Union law. The Fleet does not recognize Minos Enterprises as a creditor nor as a contracting entity. “I imagine that point may provide some relief to our other refugees. These people have lost so much already. We should at least give them the assurance of leaving their debts behind.” --Admiral Divya Khatri, Beowulf Internal Communications, August 2280

The ones who did lose someone may need help. It’s hard to think straight when you’re scared and hurt, y’know? Hard to do simple stuff. That’s why it’s important to help.

“I think you’re supposed to sit on the floor when you’re brooding. That’s how it works in the movies,”

We’d be hiring you for what you do.” “What’s that?” asked Tanner. “Damage control.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I stuck with my target from one end of the Union to the other and got a front row seat for first contact with an alien civilization and I carried a dozen civilians out of a crisis. But technically, yes, I blew my cover to keep everyone alive. Oh please, forgive me. Also, I want all of my course credits added to my records.” --Agent Gina Ramos, Internal Communications, Archangel Ministry of Intelligence, September 2280

People invest in their grudges and their views. They don’t give that up easily.”