*Maurice Allard had spent the last hour smoking his electronic cigarette. The nicotine helped him cope with all that had happened in his life. From the academy, to the horrors of live combat, nicotine never failed. The same couldn’t be said about his loyalty. Those scales of loyalty to his captain, or loyalty to the government, violently tipped back and forth like a teeter-totter as he walked in the bar. Instantly, he noticed his comrades, and silently slipped in to a chair to listen to the conversation.*