“Do you know what’s in this file?”

“No, General,” Carter said.

The easy, mocking tone he’d used at Gate C27 was completely gone.

General Vance picked up the top document, holding the thick white pages by the upper left corner.

“This is the formal evaluation file for the Second Battalion, Fourth Marines,” General Vance said.

“It holds the full readiness criteria for your unit’s coming overseas deployment.”

He laid the papers back down on the desk with a quiet, solid thump.