WotH Chpt 50

==War on the Horizon - Chapter 50==
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===Departing for potentially Prison===
"Which ships are you taking for escort?" Sheppard asked Hull as he threw some clothing and weapons into a duffle bag. 
 
"I'm leaving the Leviathan with y'all," Hull checked the chamber on an ancient looking handgun before sliding it into a holster underneath his duster. "I want to make an impression though."
 
"So you're bringing the Katana," Sheppard grinned. "You just live to piss off the politicians, don't you?" 
 
"What gives you that idea?" Hull grinned as he tucked a few extra magazines into some concealed pouches and allowed the duster to cover them. 
 
"The fact that you're planning on smuggling weapons onto the Senate floor," Sheppard began counting off of his fingers. "Showing up in the flagship of their old fleet, you had a representative frozen in carbonite-"
 
"That one was completely justified," Hull glanced up. "He's a menace, and there was no way I was allowing him to wander the Leviathan while we were still in a combat zone."
 
"You still did it though," Sheppard pointed out. "Even if you did make it look like he stumbled into it by accident."
 
"We're moving on from the subject," Hull straightened up and slung the duffle bag over his shoulder. "You've got the notes for the expansion and the promotions."
 
"Yeah," Sheppard nodded. "I do."
 
"Then enjoy yourself, Lieutenant Colonel." Hull saluted. 
 
"Great," Sheppard groaned. "Lemme guess, more paperwork?"
 
"Always," Hull chuckled. "Anyway, you have full authority to negotiate more contracts while I'm gone."
 
"And if you end up in a Republican prison somewhere?" the XO asked. 
 
"Then I fully expect a professionally done jailbreak," Hull retorted. "I don't expect to be arrested, but I'm going to make some contingencies if it happens. And the Count is helping with some of that planning."
 
"Godspeed, Hull," Jack brought his friend in for a hug before patting him on the back and nodding. "Show 'em how a true Marksman does it."
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===Tales of Past Lives===
"So, it seems you're just always assigned to me," I glanced at Siri as she stepped up on my right flank. 
 
"It's better to have someone familiar with you and how you work," Siri shrugged. "That, and it's never a dull moment around you."
 
"Colonel," A man in the Marksman's gold and black uniform saluted. "Lieutenant Kit Sturn, I'm the one who's been put in charge of your bodyguard detail."
 
"Lieutenant," I returned the salute. "I don't think we've met before."
 
"No, sir, we haven't." Kit moved to the opposite side. "I joined up a while ago, been working my way up the ranks ever since."
 
"Well, we're glad to have you," I smiled. "You got any family, Lieutenant?"
 
"Yessir," Kit reached into his pocket and pulled out a holographic frame, five young faces appearing and a gorgeous woman smiling at the camera. "Got five kids, and might have a few more on the way soon."
 
"That's awesome!" I grinned. "I love large families. Lieutenant, if you need anything to help take care of them you just let me know. I'm all for helping out the large families. Now, tell me a bit about them."
 
"Well, my oldest is Xan," Kit smiled as he pointed at the girl who was starting to enter puberty. "She's a fiery little Mandalorian, just like her mother, Sara. I think she's on the ASF track right out of school. She wants to be a pilot, and really likes those ones that you guys developed and improved on."
 
"The modified Aethersprites?" I raised an eyebrow. 
 
"Yeah," Kit rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I may have let her pilot the family freighter a time too many when she was growing up." 
 
"Well, we did make them safer than they originally were," I pointed out. "Doctor Rogers is a very talented engineer."
 
"Yeah," Kit shrugged. "I just don't know where I went wrong. I tried to teach her to be a good groundpounder but it didn't seem to take."
 
"I'm sure one of them'll take after you," I replied. 
 
"Ullal wants to become a 'mech pilot," Kit continued. "He's not old enough to do anything more than play with those small sims that you guys put in the schools, but he loves the war droids. He thinks they're right out of the old stories."
 
"Old stories?" Siri spoke up. 
 
"Long time ago," he waved a hand to indicate it was a very old story. "Old Republic era, the Mandalorians had Basilisk War Droids, rode them down from orbit in attacks. There are poems and songs written about it and we've passed them on down."
 
"Well, while orbital insertion is an option," I snarked. "We'd rather not put that sort of wear and tear on our units unless it's required."
 
"Believe me," Kit shuddered. "Once I got into O-School they showed us the stats on different battles and the casualty rates. I'd rather not do a contested orbital insertion if I can help it."
 
"Well, Lieutenant," I paused as we reached my quarters. "It was a pleasure meeting you, I believe that I'm in good hands. Get some rest and call your family. They'll want to spend some time talking to their dad."
 
"Yessir!" The man saluted before heading off to his own quarters, leaving me alone with Siri Tachi. 
 
"A very interesting man," Siri said as she took a seat at the small table in the quarters I had been assigned. "Why the focus on such large families though?"
 
"I'm the oldest of fourteen," I sat on the bunk bed as I cast my mind back quite a few years. "And I used to have a handful of kids of my own. If I hadn't been separated from them I'd probably have had six to eight kids myself. But it seems that there were other things in store for me."
 
"Fourteen," Siri smirked. "That is nearly the size of one of your squads is it not?"
 
"I didn't come up with the fifteen man squad," I chuckled as I realized what she meant. "But I can see how it looks that way."
 
"I do not mean to pry," Siri finally said after some thought. "But what happened to your family? It seems that most of your group brought their families with them. I've met Peterson's wife, and many of the others had their families. But you, you alone do not seem to have anyone like that."
 
"Well," I stroked my beard. "It's a bit of a long story."
 
"We have time," Siri replied. "It will take at least a week to arrive at Corsuscant, if not longer."
 
"So, it all started about fifteen or so years ago," I began. "When I woke up on a derelict called the Manassas."
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Chapter 50