Epilogue

An Imperial year has passed since the aliens were finally defeated in a war of extinction. Granted it ended almost in a whimper, but that’s probably for the best, as Vreekoos’ lower level is definitely not the best place to have an all-out war.

After being given a full bill of health I returned to my studies as a Healer with the 467^th Regiment on Trennec, though, as was usual in Ground Force for Healers, found myself being passed around on a regular basis to wherever a Healer was needed. All the time, I gained more experience and finally had the ‘in training’ colours removed from my badge. This took slightly longer than most of my peers, though that was mainly because, as a Commander, my ‘other’ expertise was occasionally needed in various brushfire war incidents that the Empire ran into along its borders, mostly involving evacuating Imperial subjects from planets with internal troubles that lay just outside the Empire. Whilst we prioritised Imperial subjects, we would also lift citizens from associated allies (and vice versa if their Fleets were involved).

Ground Force’s expansion had been scaled back in the wake of our victory. Most of the rejuved Monitors had been released back to civilian life with their partners or, in a good few cases of the single ones, re-marrying and re-settling the harvested worlds. This included Gramps Tivey and his bride. Allia, who were on Garsoss and already had a second baby on the way.

The way we fought had also changed. The adaptation of beam-proof armour being available to various Realms now, a few of them belligerent or downright hostile. We now carried a variety of weapons, from polearms adapted to be able to pierce armour, to pellet firers capable of doing the same. We also kept a variety of the heavier weapons to deal with more extreme circumstances, including the use of beam-proof shields in order to approach and place explosives.