Gryzzk held his ground for a moment, as jumbled memories came at him with all the power of a learning stick. He took a deep breath, steadying and reminding himself that they were not fighting to the death any more. He'd just told everyone looking at him that if they were not ready for the moment that they could leave. And yet here in front of him was the moment he was not ready for.

The spell was broken by Reilly moving to a relaxed stance and using the movement as cover to gently elbow him in the ribs to do something. All the words he'd said seemed just that, words. It was simple. Words that didn't have the backing of deeds were useless. And if he was to truly lead, he would have to do something.

Gryzzk stepped forward and gave Pafreet a gentle clasp of the forearm and leaned in to take in Pafreets scent where neck and shoulder joined. Pafreet returned the gesture and stepped back.

"The Throne of Hurdop is in...safe hands?" It seemed odd to even hear those words come from his mouth.

There was a nod in reply. "My son takes my name and place with the blessing of the Throne. It is time to make peace by fighting together."

There was a wry smile touching Gryzzks face. "So it would seem. I would speak with you more later, but for the moment hold fast, I have arrangements to make." He turned and tapped his shoulder communicator once.

"O'Brien here."

"This is Captain Gryzzk, I need tablets and temporary quarters for seventy-two Hurdop."

"Hooah, sir. I'm gettin' your Vilantians quartered now."

"And the children?"

"There's the rub. I asked 'em, and there's maybe three out of the dozen that got any family to speak of, and that family's right here. The question's getting kicked up the line 'cause respectfully sir, we ain't running an orphanage out here." There was a pause. "Beggin' your pardon sir, but how deep into the barrel was Vilantia scrapin' for troops?"

"Deeper than I thought, First Sergeant."

"No lie there." There was a pause for a moment. "Alright, we got quarters for them, and we'll print up tablets for them there. Three to a room for now, we'll sort out more later."

"Well enough. Report to docking berth 9 so that we can show them to their quarters. We'll be having the company assemble after lunch."

"Hooah sir. O'Brien out."

Gryzzk took a breath, looking around and raising his voice again. "Troop. First Sergeant O'Brien will be arriving shortly to show us to the company area. The rooms are self-contained, and have an item printer for your use. Use it to make your duty uniforms, a translator if you don't have one, a meal, and a tablet. Eat, get dressed, fill out the forms on the tablet, and then stand by. We will be assembling at Drydock one this afternoon, and you will be meeting the rest of the company - who are from Vilantia." He paused for a moment, as his mouth was becoming dry. "Again, if you have any doubts in your mind about this, there is no shame in returning and serving in other ways."

Nobody moved, which was pleasing and concerning all at once. Gryzzk kept himself calm by distracting himself with pleasant thoughts until O'Brien arrived. The time was much longer than he cared for.

The First Sergeant stopped and saluted, which Gryzzk returned.

"Captain, Company area's on the sixth floor. Hope they like walking."

There was a slight nod. "They'll need to do something to stay in shape. Gravity here is a bit lower than our homeworlds."

"So I heard."

"Let's get them moving. Reilly, Edwards, dismissed. Get lunch and prepare for the NCO boards." Gryzzk squared himself up, and glanced at his tablet to get the route to the company area before turning to the assembled Hurdop.

"Troop. Assemble in threes, and then follow me." He spun and began jogging to the company area, with the Hurdop and the three Terrans in tow.

The company area looked to have been carved sheer from the asteroid itself, with only a slightly tacky finish to it. It had a row of apartments overlooking the dock area, then another area was carved out to provide a courtyard for general use and company assembly. It seemed that the First Sergeant had quartered the Vilantians in every other room, leaving no choice but to place the Hurdop in their quarters in like manner. The view was dizzying, and looking down was something he was going to have to get used to.

It took some time to get everyone in their quarters with more than a few of the Hurdop looking at him questioningly as if this was an unexpected luxury. Gryzzk was quiet, letting the First Sergeant do most of the talking.

Once they were all quartered, Gryzzk tapped his tablet to open communications to the entire company.

"Attention. This is Captain Gryzzk. All personnel are to assemble at Drydock One in two hours. That is all." He then closed the channel, had a thought and opened a second channel to his Terran crew while heading down the stairs. "This is Captain Gryzzk again. If you are hearing this, the assembly at the drydock will be a dress uniform occasion for you. Prepare appropriately. That is all."

O'Brien chuckled to herself. "They ain't gonna like that at all. You'll do. Sir."

"I think it would be good to have an impression of what they want to become."

"You'll definitely do."

They arrived at Gryzzk's quarters and as the door opened Gro'zel and Nhoot promptly greeted him by tackling his legs, as was quickly becoming a habit. The scent of whatever was being cooked was something unrecognizable to Gryzzk, and even appeared to catch O'Brien by surprise. She looked down at Nhoot and there was the smallest whisper from her throat. "...beautiful eyes."

Gryzzk glanced at her with a puzzled look, causing her to swallow and look down a little. "Sorry sir. Been a few places in my life but I've never seen purple eyes before and they're – well, you don't always see six of them."

Gryzzk spread his hands apologetically. "They are rare." He didn't go into detail about what happened to the ill-fated infant born with such coloration.

"Mmm. Do I smell corned beef hash?" O'Brien's nose twitched a bit as she inhaled.

"I do not know, I've never smelled such a thing."

Grezzk came out of the kitchen with a large pan, serving out amounts for everyone before settling in herself. "It is. I made inquiries, and it seemed appropriate. I do apologize, it may be different than what you are used to, but it is lunch."

"Smells close enough. You never had this?"

"I thought it might make you comfortable, and let you speak freely."

"Well, my family has never been burdened by silence when it comes to opinions." O'Brien began to dig in as soon as she sat down. "Cap'n, I read up on you as soon as I got the call from Major Williams. You want my honest opinion right now?"

"Anything else would be improper, First Sergeant."

"You need to get your mind right, double-time. I took a look at the action reports. You went from a butler to an observer making sure the job got done right and legal, and along the way you racked up a good body count for first action. In the moment you did the right thing. That moment's long gone, but part of you's still there." O'Brien took a few more mouthfuls before continuing. "Part of you's never gonna leave there, lad. Always gonna be on the Glorious Purpose, and thinking about a different solution. There wasn't one. And now, you're standing here commanding seventy-two Hurdop, like the ones you killed. You have to teach them. You have to lead them. You have to give them example of what to be. And the more you listen to that part of you that's creeping doubt into your mind, the less effective you're going to be as a commander. Doubt kills. Fear kills. Mistakes kill." She glanced down and found her plate empty, before glancing up and boring her eyes into Gryzzk's soul. "When you make mistakes, we got counselors. Question yourself, but once you've made your decision, stick to it until something comes along that'll change your mind. And that company we gotta meet in forty-three minutes? You need to be their rock when they're down, and their lightning-chucking god almighty when they screw up. Because that is what they need to be effective."

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Gryzzk took in her words like a tonic, as a part of him wondered how she could have deduced all of that before actually meeting him. He barely noticed what he was eating, except that it was quite unique in taste and texture.

"Now, the second part. The Vilantians upstairs? They're an absolute mess. Too old, too young, infirm. Hurdop don't look to be in much better shape – looks like both of you put all your hale and hearty in the ground before realizing whatever the war was over wasn't worth it. We might get three combat squads squared away out of the whole lot by the time the ship's ready to go."

"So is there anything positive to be spoken of?"

O'Brien nodded, helping herself to a second portion. "Your wife's a damn fine cook, for starters. Second bit of good news is that you're anything to judge by, even the bottom of the barrel could be formidable with the right training. That's where we come in. First thing you wanna do, give them something to strive for. What that is will be entirely up to you. You had staff back home while you were playing Jarvis, and that's experience you're gonna be able to draw on. Now, with your permission sir, I'd like to excuse myself and get dressed for formation. Clock's ticking."

Gryzzk nodded and O'Brien took her plate into the kitchen for recycling before resting her hand on Grezzks shoulder and giving the children very brief hugs before leaving. For Gryzzks part he went into the bedroom to change into his dress uniform.

"She knows things about you that I don't." Grezzk was quiet, moving to the bedroom.

Gryzzk nodded. "She does. And I do not know how to tell you."

She settled on the bed. "Had you not done what you had done, would you be here? Would Nhoot?"

"I. I do not know."

"But you did them, and we are here. She is here with us." Grezzk lowered herself to sit on the bed. "And that makes it worth it. But you must promise me that soon you will let me share what you carry."

Gryzzk swallowed a few times as he remembered, finishing up all the buttons and adjusting his triangle of ribbons. "I will. How do I look?"

"Like twilight given form. Is that the idea?"

"It was."

"Quite handsome." Grezzk's golden eyes sparkled. "Of course, you are handsome in anything. Or nothing."

Gryzzk chuffed in spite of himself. "The last time we had a conversation like this was the night twins decided to make your belly their den."

"And you had nothing to do with that I suppose."

"I may have assisted."

"Assisted he says." Grezzk's upper eyes rolled upwards. "Gods give my husband a brain." She levered herself to standing, giving Gryzzk's ears a rub and pressing her forehead to his. "Show them why you were chosen, my handsome hand."

Gryzzk stepped to the living room and both Nhoot and Gro'zel were impressed if the oohs and aahs told a tale. For once they didn't immediately attempt to tackle him at the knees. He knelt to give both of them a quick hug before checking his tablet and realizing he did not have much time left.

As he hustled down the stairs he took a breath, remembering that Lead Servants never ran unless it was a true emergency. So he altered his gait appropriately, taking longer steps to cover more ground while still keeping a calm pace. While doing so, he glanced at his tablet and went over the roster. The Twilight Rose was going to have an AI installed that would also act as his Executive Officer. From there he had Lieutenants in charge of medical, supply, armory, aerial forces, ground forces, and finally a pair of Warrant Officers in charge of engineering. While he did outrank the Warrant Officers, the side note from Major Williams read "They have expertise we will never know. Give them orders if they're about to die, otherwise leave them be." As he looked, they seemed to be a curious thing – more than sergeants, but less than officers as far as authority was concerned.

Still, he would have preferred to have time to consider his words. This was a rather important moment, and he needed to say the right things. He had to speak to both Vilantian and Hurdop, bringing them to a oneness. He thought of all the other times he'd addressed the staff in the spring, twisting words and phrasings depending on whom he was speaking to. But this time he didn't have the luxury of talking to small groups. He had a hundred and thirty-five recruits who had a month to learn how to be a single cohesive group of maximally effective mercenaries. And it had to begin with what he was about to do.

No pressure. Gryzzk squared his beret and took a breath.

He walked into the drydock, and saw his entire company in front of him. Officers, sergeants, and troops. The Terrans were in their purple and gold dress uniforms and all were wearing multiple rows of ribbons. At the fore were Edwards and Reilly, each of them carrying a banner. Reilly's banner was that of the Legion, while Edwards held a banner consisting of the number 7 atop two Terran swords that had been crossed over each other.

The troops were less impressive. They had put on their Legion shipwear for the most part, but overall lacked the crispness of the Terrans. For a first meeting, it certainly could have gone better. That said, he flinched inwardly as he thought back to his first meeting with Bravo Company. It was time to tell them what would be, and what could be.

First Sergeant O'Brien snapped herself around to face Gryzzk and walked forward stopping at arms' length before saluting and declaring in the loudest of Terran voices. "Captain Gryzzk, Alpha Company stands ready for inspection." At her words, the entire Terran contingent brought their heels together in unison to stand rigidly. After a moment of uncertainty and sideways looks, the Hurdop and Vilantians approximated the movement.

Gryzzk saluted O'Brien in return, walking between the contingents in silence as he looked at first his cadre, then the enlisted. Then he walked along each rank in silence, committing their faces and scents to memory as rapidly as he could and keeping his face expressionless as possible. Just like checking the staff and servants for a dinner party. Once he was completed with his once-over, he returned to the front of the cadre to speak to everyone. Loudly.

"Welcome to Alpha Company. Enjoy the rest granted today, because it will be the last restful day for next Terran month. For the first two weeks, you will learn weapons, you will be tested physically and you will be tested mentally. For the two weeks after that, in addition to the previous testing, you will be learning your specific duties as a member of the Company. The Terrans behind me will be your teachers in all things, and you will learn well from them. Make no mistake, this will not be easy. It will not be easy because if it were easy, it would have been done already. Someone else would have done it. But we will be the first. And because we are the first, we wear the colors of twilight. We are the unknown. We are the moment in time when neither the living gods nor the dead gods hold sway. That is why our ship is the Twilight Rose. A beauty to be respected, and roots that bring death to unwary."

Gryzzk began to pace the ranks as he spoke, gathering his voice to continue. "This Company is Terrans, Hurdop, and Vilantian. We are new, and so we will make our traditions for those that follow. Our first tradition is the tradition of naming. Private Reilly, what is the company name?"

Reilly blinked for a moment before taking a deep breath and roaring out "Alpha Howlers, SIR!"

Gryzzk nodded. "Outstanding Private Reilly. So it is that the Company takes its name. Platoons will be expected to have a name, so that when someone asks, you tell them who you are."

Gryzzk mentally braced himself for the next part, wishing he would have thought of this before. "Our second tradition is the clanfur. That all will know that wherever we are, we are one scent, one heart, one mind."

Gryzzk deliberately unbuttoned his jacket and pulled at the collar of his shirt to pull a handful of fur from his chest with a single swift yank. It stung deeply and he was pressed to maintain his composure - but all the while O'Brien's' words carried him, that he was their example. Once it was done, he left his jacket unbuttoned to pace back and forth again.

"This. This is the clanfur of Alpha Company. When we go to where the dead gods dwell, they will scent your clans and know where you walked. They will send for your ancestors to hear the tales of your clans, and in time the ones who follow us will know your scent and seek it out to tell their tales to you. Who here wishes to see their fur with mine?"

The response was a muted agreement.

Gryzzk's raised his voice, repeating. "Who here?!"

The second response was more enthusiastic but still soft in tone.

Gryzzk took a step forward, raising his fist and bellowing a challenge. "Let the gods know who wishes it."

The company broke out into a roared agreement that evolved into the entire company howling enthusiasm and joy. The roar continued for far longer than Gryzzk expected, and when it finally died down, Gryzzk brought his heels together and looked left and right.

"Company, report here after breakfast. Dismissed." Gryzzk felt a wave of relief as he said the final words.

As the group left, Gryzzk noted that some of the Vilantians and Hurdop were intermingled with each other. Not many. But it was a start. He tucked his fur into his breast pocket, and re-buttoned his jacket.

First Sergeant O'Brien was next to him after a few moments. "Well sir – if this mercenary thing doesn't pan out you might have a career as a cheerleader. That last bit, I'm pretty sure most of Homeplate heard it. And if they ain't jealous of us now, they will be." She gave a little knowing smile, giving him a wink before she turned to her task of herding the company toward the future.