Later that day, they joined the platoon of thirty-three women in the ready room for the daily briefing. A pit opened up in Kayla’s stomach, but the Rangers ignored the newcomers and chatted amongst themselves, until Lieutenant Minako Akane entered and stood at the front.

“Second platoon,” she said, with pride in her voice, “that was a tough exercise we conducted, and I want to thank each and every one of you for putting out one hundred and ten percent effort. I just came here after meeting with Captain Aguilar, and the Company Sergeant Major, and they both said that we were on fire out there.”

The Rangers nodded solemnly, and a few exchanged winks and nods.

“The first movement to contact was great,” Akane continued. “Not sure how we can improve on it, but this is Mountain Rangers, so we’ll find a way. On the other hand, the medevac of the simulated casualty was slower than I’m happy with. Third squad, your radio calls and directions to the landing zone were slow and confused. You need to work on being clear and snappy.”

“Already working on that LT,” called a corporal.

Akane nodded. “I’m not having any one of my Rangers bleed out in a dropship because we lost a couple of minutes messing around on protocols.”

“It won’t happen again,” replied the corporal with sincerity.

“Outstanding. Listen, apart from a few hiccups, it was a great EX, and you should all feel proud of yourselves. We have been awarded a weekend off-world, already confirmed by the Battalion X-O.”

The platoon cheered and clapped.

Akane grinned. “Enjoy your free time,” she said when they’d quietened, “party and have fun. Don’t break too many hearts.”

The Rangers laughed.

Lieutenant Akane cleared her throat. “Let’s not forget that overconfidence is our greatest enemy. The day we think we’re good enough is the day we lose a Ranger. How copy?”

This was met with a more subdued assent.

The Lieutenant moved on to address the day-to-day concerns of the platoon. Kayla waited with growing anxiety as the Rangers talked at length about personnel issues, upcoming training schedules and duty assignments.

“Last but not least,” said Akane eventually, “we have a couple of new faces here with us today. Privates Kayla Barnes and Thandi Khawula, please make yourselves known.”

Kayla stood up from her chair, almost shaking with nervousness as the glares of thirty-three completely unimpressed women turned on her and Thandi. They were studied closely, as if all their flaws were being noted for later reference.

“Welcome to Second Platoon,” Akane said. “Bravo company are known as the Venomous Vipers, and this platoon provides the Venom.”

Someone hissed, prompting sniggers.

“This is a high-performance outfit,” continued the Lieutenant, “and we expect everyone to keep up. If you have a problem with that, First Sergeant Reyes over here will set you up with a transfer somewhere else. Nothing personal, but I don’t carry dead weight.”

Kayla caught the smirk and raised eyebrow of her former boot camp instructor, and repressed the instinct to smile back. There was silence, and Kayla realized Akane was waiting for her to speak. She wracked her brain for something impressive to say, but came up short. Honesty was probably the best option.

“Yes ma’am,” she said. “We will keep up.”

That drew a few unimpressed smirks from the other Rangers, and their eyes turned to Thandi.

“Yes ma’am,” Thandi said.

The Lieutenant eyed them for a moment, then nodded. “The Mountain Ranger battalion was stood up in 1634 Anno Domini. Since then, it has worked through some of the toughest operations in the organization’s history. It is our family. You girls may have designs on a long and prosperous career elsewhere in the organization after your five-year tour, but we are career Rangers. We stay in the fight, together, and we don’t need to serve as a steppingstone to anybody. If you can respect that, you will fit in just fine.”

She smiled. “Over in the main building you will find the battalion library. I expect you to have the full, detailed history memorized within a week. There will be a quiz.”

That evening, the squad leader took a look through Kayla and Thandi’s gear and gave her approval. Once they’d packed up, Kayla jumped into a chair with her tablet.

“What are you doing?” Thandi asked, studying her carefully.

Kayla froze, like a deer caught in headlights. “Nothing,” she said.

Thandi rolled her eyes. “Okay, point one—never play me at poker. Point two—I know that look anywhere. You’ve got a crush on.”

“Uh…” Kayla thought quickly. “Gambling is a sin, you know?”

Thandi’s expectant expression didn’t waver.

Kayla waved a hand and chuckled. “It’s nothing. We’re just old friends.”

“That’s sweet,” cut in Kes. “I remember when me and my man were just old friends. Then we got married, then we divorced—now we hang out occasionally and quietly judge each other.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“That’s a beautiful story, Kes,” said Private Lyna Bondarenko. “Star-crossed lovers separated only by the size of their own egos.”

“Just don’t forget your communications are monitored,” Kes warned Kayla. “But hey, lucky you—your new squad are a bunch of hard-charging tigresses and earned you some planet-leave. Good chance for you to catch up, but don’t forget you’re going to have to repay us in kind.”

Kayla nodded and tapped out a message. Strangely, Weslan hadn’t responded since inviting her to meet him in Rackeye. Had she said something wrong? Was he annoyed by her slow responses? With Allana Rayker on Caldera, she couldn’t prevent her imagination from running out of control.

Kayla set down her tablet and tried to remind herself that she was probably overreacting, and that Weslan was just busy. Even so, her mood darkened as she contemplated the constant threats to her home.

She turned to Kes. “Corporal, have you ever deployed to Caldera?” she asked.

Kes’s brow furrowed. “Deployed to Caldera? No, that’s a settled planet. Maybe the tier one operators go there, but our unit generally stays clear of civilization.”

“I heard there was a terrorist there. Allana Rayker.”

“So?”

Kayla scratched at her arm. “I just thought between that and the animal attacks that have been going on…”

The corporal raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like you have your head stuck at home. You’re going to have to let it go if you want to stay focused.”

Kayla pursed her lips. That was not an answer she wanted to hear. “I heard that Rayker is a smuggler of Jotnar artefacts. And there is a species of vicious alien monsters roaming around the planet and killing people. I just think there has to be a connection.”

“Didn’t you say you hung out with Urtiga?”

Kayla nodded.

“That’s the kind of thing her unit gets involved in. If you do well here, you will probably earn a slot in their selection program.”

“In five years?”

Kes held her gaze. “I’m sorry your home is under attack, Barnes. If there was anything the battalion could do to help, I’d be banging on Akane’s door to get the squad into the thick of it. That’s why we’re all here.”

Kayla kicked her legs up onto the coffee table. “Yeah, well, it’s been ten years and no-one in Valkyrie seems to be able to figure out what to do about Caldera.”

Kes was about to speak again when Ash entered the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

She had a tired look on her face. “Kes—runway detail tomorrow morning.”

The corporal sat up, her face a picture of concern. “Who?”

“Don’t know yet,” Ash said. “Two from Alpha company weapons platoon. They were attached to a Desert Ranger Op somewhere.”

“Shit,” Kes said quietly, staring into the distance.

“Let’s bring the rookies?”

“Yeah—Okay rookies, listen up. You need to take your dress uniforms, and get them fully ironed. Shine up all the metal, shine up your boots. I want you looking like the palace guard of the God Emperor, got it? Then you need to be outside the building at zero-six-thirty.”

“Uh… it’s one a.m. corporal,” said Thandi, then closed her eyes, obviously realizing the stupidity of what she’d said.

“Do I look like I give a damn, Sandy?” Kes snapped at her.

“Yes, Corporal,” Kayla said as she got to her feet and headed for her room, followed meekly by Thandi.

They got out cleaning kits and began the laborious process of smartening their freshly unpacked dress uniforms. Ash passed from room to room, letting the other Rangers know what was happening. Some of the girls had been asleep and blinked wearily at the news. Without comment, they all took out their dress uniforms and went to work.

Kayla’s mind became robotic. Tired from lack of sleep, and a day spent absorbing new information, she found that she didn’t want to think about what was happening.

The whole battalion assembled on the parade ground as the sun peeked up over the surrounding mountains, only to be swallowed by overhanging clouds. While Kayla waited, trying to suppress shivers from the cold air, Kes looked carefully over her and Thandi’s uniforms. They were very smart, the brass buttons and badges shining so brightly they looked more like gold than brass, while their boots were black mirrors.

Kes was not impressed when she found a loose thread hanging on Kayla’s sleeve. “Get it cut, and make a proper effort next time,” she said coldly.

“Yes, Corporal.”

“Perfect means Perfect. As in, better than your wedding day,” she snapped.

“Yes, Corporal.”

Auto-Buses took the crowd of Rangers to a nearby airstrip, where they gathered on the apron. They were all so resplendent in their uniforms that, to Kayla, they really did resemble a palace guard on display.

Time passed while the Rangers huddled in small groups, talking quietly. They were a far cry from the loud-mouthed chaotic mob that had returned from the field exercise, and Kayla wondered how such apparently opposite character types could exist within the same women. On the other hand, why did she assume they were different?

Lieutenant Akane passed by the platoon, checking them over, and paying particular attention to Kayla and Thandi.

After a good look, she appeared satisfied. “Good job getting those two ready, Corporal,” she said warmly to Kes.

The corporal nodded. “Wasn’t a problem LT—they’re good girls.”

“Glad to hear it.” Akane turned to address Kayla and Thandi directly. “We need good Rangers in this battalion. If you two keep your attitude up, you will both go a long way.”

“Yes, Lieutenant,” they said in unison.

After some time passed, the platoon sergeants moved the Rangers into parade formation, neat ranks facing the landing strip.

Once they were in position, a tall, angry looking Sergeant Major—flanked by the battalion’s commanding officers—called out to them. “BATTALION- ATTEEEEHHN…SHUN!”

Six-hundred women snapped into position; backs slightly arched, heads held high, arms straight as planks, bodies still as statues. For several minutes there was only silence, until the drone of an approaching shuttle filled the grey morning sky. The spacecraft landed gently on the runway with only the slightest screech of tires, then taxied over to the apron by the waiting battalion. The loading ramp dropped as the whine of the engines receded.

“BATTALION! PREEEEEE SENT… ARMS!”

Six hundred arms snapped up into a salute.

Four Rangers descended the aircraft’s ramp, carrying on their shoulders a steel coffin. The blue and gold Mountain Ranger flag was draped over the top, the cloth’s smooth cleanliness contrasting sharply with the blood-stained uniforms of the Rangers carrying it. The women’s eyes were-red rimmed, tear tracks running through the grime and dried blood on their faces, but they held themselves upright. The procession marched past the still battalion, heading for the nearby terminal building. One of the coffin bearers was missing an arm—her sleeve tied in a hasty knot.

A second group emerged from the plane, carrying another coffin. They, too, passed in front of the battalion and into the terminal.

The battalion held their position for a while until the aircraft engines shut down and the crew emerged.

“BATTALION—STAND AT EASE!”

“BATTALION DISMISSED!”

Then it was over.

Kayla and Thandi stood alone at the edge of the crowds of Rangers. Thandi said nothing, and Kayla wanted to ask her how often she guessed they would find themselves back in the same place, but stifled the thought. She felt a sickening heaviness, a connection to the shared grief of her new tribe. The only thing she knew for certain was that she didn’t want to feel it again, even though it was inevitable.

Ash approached them. “It was Lance-Corporal Rachel Holmes, and Sergeant Wu Cheng,” she said. “Two very excellent Rangers.”

“Did you know them?” Kayla asked.

Ash shrugged. “Not well. But they were Mountain Rangers—part of the family. They wore the patch.” She gestured to a diamond on her right arm: gold swords crossed over a pair of blue peaks against a background of stars. “Your combat suits won’t carry that patch—not until we decide that you’ve earned it. Until then, you’re just a pair of nobodies, using us to get somewhere else.” She smiled. “See you back at the compound.”