Twelve or thirteen? ( ivan gives a low whistle and a shake of his head ) Miles and I were seventeen when we entered the Academy.

( or rather: miles failed his entrance exam, went to go visit his grandmother, and ended up with an entire mercenary fleet at his beck and call. shoving him into the academy after that was just a matter of making sure someone could keep an eye on him. )

Really? Why's that? I know I'm twenty-five, and enough weeks have passed that it's probably getting close to winter now back home... ( he's caught by surprise at remembering something ) Gregor's birthday-- it's going to be soon.

( and there won't be fireworks or a ball or anything like that. )