ly dead, a declaration Ranger Odeon will not contest."

Cortin winced, then nodded. "It makes sense, Mike--too damned much
sense. Okay, that's how I'll handle it . . . but in that case, it'd be
best if you weren't around."

"I won't be, for long; the Emperor wants me to go to Terra, and I need
to start learning a whole lot more about the Empire as soon as I can,
so I'll be going up to Jim's ship, probably within an hour or so. It
would probably be better if I don't come back to the Systems unless I
have to on assignment."

"Yeah." Cortin started forward as if to embrace him, then dropped her
arms and stepped back. "That wouldn't work, would it? Keith told me
about your detachment . . ."

"No, it wouldn't. I won't forget any of you--but I don't feel anything
beyond liking for you any longer, either. The kindest thing to do is
break off now." Odeon studied her for a moment, then decided it would
be best to make the break with no delay at all. He made the sign of
the cross in the air between them. "God bless you and Family Cortin,
Colonel."

She returned the gesture. "And you, Ranger Odeon. You will have our
prayers."

Odeon bowed, then turned to his colleague. "I'm going up to the ship,
Jim. See you later."

This continues in the novel Resurrection

[Preparer's note: This is the end of the main story. The material
following this note is the supplementary material linked to from
elsewhere in this file.]

1a. Raid Master

St. Thomas, Wednesday, 19 June 2571

"The goddamned Bitch is still alive, Raidmaster."

Lawrence Shannon looked up from the shabby table he was using as a
desk, smiling as one of his doubles threw a newspaper down in front of
him. "Yes, excellent. Thank you, James."

"Excellent!" the double snarled. "I said she's alive!"

"You weren't mumbling," Shannon assured him. "If I'd wanted to kill
her then, I would have. I chose to let her live for now, maimed and
crippled; that will make it all the more satisfying when I do decide to
kill her." He smiled in a way that made his double flinch. "Isn't it
better to have her alive and in pain than dead and free of it? Doing
something of the sort to her was my purpose in leading that raid, after
all."

"But I thought--"

"Yes, I know." Shannon raised his hand, silencing the other. "For you
Brothers, the hospital was the target; for me, Cortin was. We both
accomplished our objectives, without casualties and