”One of the four was the first to strike. He was a dirty hunched man with a beard and torn brown rags. He stood behind one man wearing a grey sac ...ied with rope and another man on the left who was wearing black rags that left a shoulder exposed. The ones in grey and black were squared up to the former guard. The man in brown who leapt forward didn’t connect his wild slash but it started the frenzy. The guard dodged right and made his own slash. A cry came out as the man in black caught. When Carter seemed fully recovered, Ginny said "You've wanted him to see you for a long time, haven't you?"That triggered the little girl reaction of covering her face with her hands and then hiding it against Ginny's breast. Then, a flood of emotion was unleashed. "Oh, Mom!" she cried out, throwing her arms around Ginny's neck. "I can't believe it! It's all so wonderful! I never thought ... I never even hoped... !" That was all the intelligible words she could get out.The rule for the day. ." Desiree ducked her head.It was my turn. "The night Crystal and I met, I was drunk and angry and I did something reprehensible. If you were pushing things -- and I do, in my own mind, because I can't forgive myself, you could call it assault."Crystal took it up. "Keith..." She stopped to savor my name. "Keith didn't hurt me or anything -- he was just a little pushy and grabby. We've both had worse. But that isn't Keith, so he was worried that I might decide that I'd been violated or something. “Yes, sir.”“The rest of the squadrons to prioritise their landing ships.”“Yes, sir.”“The Florvens have sent word that they are sending a flotilla of their missile carrying Cruisers, though expect to be late to the battle,” the Comm Officer reported.“Acknowledge with thanks,” Clessik replied.“Ask the Hegemony ships to emerge to the back of the alien formation,” Clessik ordered after studying the alien fleet dispositions in the tri-dee tank. “They are to attempt to close with the larger vessel.