Kira paused before smirking. "I remember Courtland getting so drunk he couldn't see straight and walking into a door. He had a black eye for weeks."
Raider paused and pointed at her. "Oh yeah, we all got put on extra duty for a week because of that."
Extra duty was used as a punishment in the military. Most shifts were a determined length of time. Sometimes eight hours, other times ten or twelve. Whatever the length, extra duty took place after normal working hours and on days off. Sometimes it was cleaning the flight deck. Other times it was swabbing the head—or bathroom as civilians called it.
"That was the first night we remembered the fallen." Raider took a seat and grabbed a familiar-looking tequila bottle. He started pouring the liquid into one row of the shots. "You said as long as we told stories about them, they'd never really be gone."
Tired of standing over him, Kira took a seat. "I know what I said."
"That night, we drank to each person we'd lost." Raider capped the tequila bottle and reached for one she suspected heldkeeva. "We still do that, you know. Every year on the anniversary of the war's ending, we remember them."
Pain ran through Kira at the evidence of another aspect of her former life she'd been absent for.
"What I remember most from that night is you ending it shirtless while wearing a pair of boxers on your head," Kira said, pushing away the bad feelings.
Raider paused in pouring thekeeva. "I never did figure out whose those were."
"They were Walker's," Kira said. "He dared you to do a triple flip off the bar. When you only did a double, he gave you them as your penance."
Kira snickered at the look of horror on Raider's face.
"That bastard. He always swore he didn't do it."
"Elise tried to warn you, but you refused to listen. Said something about how no one would malign your skills."
Raider pulled a face. "We were all so young."
With no idea of what was coming.
Raider finished pouring thekeevainto the last of the glasses. He picked up one and gestured for Kira to do the same. "Tonight, we'll create new memories. I think it’s time we put our brothers and sisters to rest, don't you?"
Reluctantly, Kira reached for the first glass. "We're nowhere close to Rothchild's anniversary."
Raider downed his first shot. Kira followed suit, warmth spreading through her veins.
"Who do you want to start with?" Raider asked, slamming the shot onto the table.
SEVENTEEN
"You know I always hated Bates," Raider said hours later, slamming his latest shot. Outside, the world had deepened to a golden hue tinged with blush and azure. "He was a pretentious know it all. Always telling us about the origin of a word or term. Used to drive me crazy."
"I don't think you were the only one," Kira said.
"Elise always called him Brainy Bates," Raider confessed, startling a laugh out of Kira.
"She didn't."
Raider nodded. "She did."
"I didn't know that," Kira said, her laugh fading. "That name used to drive him crazy, and I never could figure out where it came from."
This time Raider's grin was cagey as he swayed in his seat. "She was always proud she was able to keep that tidbit from you. Thought it was a game."
Kira snorted, not surprised in the least. Elise had taken great joy in her pranks. She and Jin had had a long-standing prank war that had made Kira the unsuspecting victim too many times.
"He died a hero though," Raider said in a soft voice.
Kira's nod was slight. "That he did. Drew that eel even knowing there was no way he'd outrun it. Saved a lot of lives in the process."
