Her picture, and the memories that went with it.
He picked it up; stared at it.
She was wearing her first uniform, with its student stripes, the silver comet Cartel insignia shining against the dark blue of the lapels. But even official tailoring and close-combed regulation hair-do couldn't hide her radiance. The blue eyes laughed with sheer love of living. Her lips showed soft and smiling, better styled for kisses than commands.
That was the Eileen Rey whom he remembered ... the Eileen of his own student unit days, the girl who'd climbed rank after rank beside him through Interplanetary Cartels' service.
Till now....
He cursed Krobis under his breath, slapped the picture back, face down on the cabinet.
There was another guard at the gate to the Titan ramp. Boone bared his ID plate.
But the man made no move to step aside. "Sorry, Mister Boone."
"What—?"
"Mister Krobis' orders, sir. You are barred from the ramp till after the ship gravs off."