Ves spent a couple of hours at Melinda's place. They reminisced about the past and exchanged their thoughts about the war.
Unlike most Larkinsons, Melinda didn't seem so eager to distinguish herself in the great conflict. "I'm not so hungry to earn acknowledgement from our uncles and aunts. What's the use of making a name for yourself when you end up in an early grave?"
"You should be careful with such talk. Others might think you're a coward."
"So what if they did? I'm my own person. I don't need anyone's acknowledgement. Besides, I've more than earned my chops in the Planetary Guard and that stupid duel."
"What will you do if the war reaches the surface of Bentheim? It could always happen."
"Pah." Melinda dismissively waved her hand. "The Vesians never managed to set foot on Bentheim before and they won't do so for the foreseeable future. They can't break the Republic all by themselves."
"It can always happen. No one can be certain of how this war will progress."
