"I was an only child. My parents weren't amazingly rich--my Da was one of those middle management types and Mum was a secretary for a solicitor--but they had just enough money to send me to public schools."

He traced the lip of his glass with one finger and stared at the whiskey within.

"I stayed with the Earth Military Coalition as it became the Earth Republic. Made my way up the ranks. There aren't a whole lot of career options anymore. Military. Trader. Tracker. Frontiersman. Miner. Raider. Prostitute." He shrugged. "Military seemed the best option. So you were thirteen when you first joined up?" He winced. "Damn."

And then it occurred to him that he didn't know which war the other man was talking about. He was so used to taking it for granted that when people talked about "the war" there was only one war it could be. But from what Una had said, and the brochure, different times and different universes...his drinking companion might have fought in the Russian Revolution for all he knew.

"What year are you from?"