As Jason viewed their approaching destination out of the window of the car, he could only conclude that once you’d seen one military base, you’d seen them all.
“Nervous?” Yaro asked from the driver’s seat.
He eyed the woman in her Marine fatigues. “Hardly. As I said last night, they’ll probably want me to run another dog and pony show.”
He’d been on-loan to the Interior for the last two months, so it only made sense that the military-proper would want their own slice of the ‘Hero of Gurathu’ pie.
“Dog and pony?” Yaro asked. “I assume that refers to something media related?”
He just nodded, reminding himself to try and cut down on the idioms in future. It wasn’t so much of a problem in regular conversation, but it would be an issue if he used something from Earth during a speech or interview.
Both of them pulled out their ID cards as they reached the gate, the Shil’vati Marine there gave them both a quick once-over before waving them through.
“That was odd,” Jason said as Yaro drove toward the nearest parking-spot.
“What was?”
He cocked his head. “She barely even glanced at me.”
“And that’s an issue?” Yaro snickered as she pulled into a parking spot. “Do you think perhaps your recent fame is getting to your head, Jason?”
He scowled at the grinning Rakiri as they clambered out of the car and into the tropical Shil’vati heat.
“I got stared at before I became middlingly famous,” he said with feigned pretentiousness. “It comes with the territory of being male and Human, as far as Shil’vati are concerned. Rakiri, too.”
Hell, most races, given that Humanity was the odd one out when it came to having an even number of males to females.
“Perhaps she was expecting you?” the Rakiri said as they started walking toward the nearby administrative building. “As you said, you are middlingly famous.”
He shrugged. He supposed it didn’t matter in the end. It was just a momentary curiosity.
Truth be told, what he was really curious about was why he and Yaro had been called to this meeting together. Both had gotten a nondescript message ordering them to report for duty at this base today.
Which was a little odd, given that while they’d both been on the Whisker’s crew, before it had been pulled apart and everyone had been reassigned – where, he didn’t know – they both undeniably existed in different worlds as far as their duties were concerned.
Sure, they were both Marines, but while Jason had spent the last month attending parties and generally schmoozing with the upper classes Yaro had been given little to do but attend debriefings on the events at Gurathu and busywork.
Something he knew was privately driving her up the wall. While he wouldn’t exactly call his lover ambitious, she did like for her work to actually have some value. She’d lamented to him more than once about her quiet envy of Kernathu, who seemed positively ecstatic that her work on Ares had been noticed, which in turn had landed her a place in the Aviary – as an Engineer – working on the trainee Exos there.
If only we could all be like Tarcil, he thought.
His diminutive male friend was just on leave, after what was by all accounts a thoroughly boring series of exploratory missions in the deep periphery.
“Privates Jason and Yaro,” he said as they reached the front desk. “We were told to report at this location for further orders?”
The male civilian sitting at the desk glanced up at him – again, that curious non-reaction -- before tapping away at his monitor.
“Ah yes,” he said softly. “Please take a seat here, and the Colonel will be with you shortly.”
Even as he thanked the man and turned to take his seat, he found his brain puzzling over what had just been said.
Colonel? He mouthed at Yaro as they sat down.
The woman shrugged, indicating she had no more idea as to what was going on there than he did.
Sure, the entire crew of the Whisker – Jason in particular – had met a number of high-ranking officers in the days after Hela’s arrest, but those had been at award ceremonies and the like. In the normal flow of things, Privates like Yaro and he were very much beneath the notice of higher-ranking officers. A situation that suited most enlisted right down to the ground.
As had become a habit in recent days, he felt his palms beginning to itch as he began to wonder if something… unfortunate was about to happen.
He had not forgotten about Hela’s family.
Nothing had come of it yet, but he sincerely doubted the powerful noble family would just forget his role in getting their daughter arrested and besmirching the family name.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do about it beyond keeping his eyes open and enjoying the relative safety provided by his current fame for as long as he could.
Which was why he couldn’t help but wonder if this latest set of orders was them finally making their move? Content to attack him now that a lot of the initial furor of his popularity had died down?
A little paranoid perhaps, just from an unexpected meeting with someone who was a little higher ranking than expected, but given that he’d been assigned to the iceball that was Gurathu the last time he’d offended a lady of noble lineage, he thought the paranoia was well warranted.
“Privates, Jason and Yaro?”
He almost jumped at the unexpected voice, also nearly slapping off a salute, before he realized the speaker was a Sergeant. Which sent a shudder of dread through him. The Colonel was a possible distant threat, but the rage of a Sergeant mistaken as an officer was a danger that all low-ranked enlisted were all too familiar with.
“Sergeant,” he and Yaro both acknowledged standing up.
The woman – a Helkam, just like Scales had been – nodded and gestured for them to follow her.
“The Colonel is ready to see you now,” she said as she took off down the hall.
The pair were guided into an office, where a woman sat at a desk piled high with data-pads as she hastily typed away at the monitor in front of her.
She was a… he didn’t really know what she was.
Some kind of moth-person? Bat-person? Both?
Sure, most of her was covered up by the black Marine jumpsuit she was wearing, but there was no missing the white fluff poking out of a neckline that was unzipped just enough to allow for it.
Exposing a deep valley of pale cleavage beneath.
Which was all sorts of strange. Was she like Scales? Some kind of platypus-style, shark, lizard, dolphin… thing? Because, for what possible reason would a moth person have breasts?
When he got an opportunity, he really needed to look into the evolutionary patterns of the other races of the universe, because there was no way breasts on an insectoid person would be natural.
Nor should her face have such a Human, almost elfin, appearance, he noted. The pitch black eyes are a bit creepy. Especially combined with that porcelain pale skin.
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The wings were definitely nice; poking out of holes in the back of her jumpsuit, they were a series of deep purples, whites and greens that had him wondering if perhaps he’d been off in assuming she was a moth rather than a butterfly?
…Or is she a bat?
It was only as Yaro discreetly elbowed him in the side that he realized he was staring. Quickly, he followed her in snapping off a salute.
“Privates, Yaro and Jason reporting ma’am,” Yaro said entirely professionally.
The only indication the woman gave that she’d heard them was the slightest twitching of the feathery-looking antennae that jutted out from her forehead.
“At ease,” the woman said without stopping in her typing or looking up from her screen.
Still, Jason nearly jolted at her voice. It was strange for sure, an almost musical, double-toned thing. That wasn’t what had made him jolt though. What he’d initially assumed to be the skin of her face was actually some kind of flexible segmented carapace that parted around her jaw line.
Revealing teeth. Lots of rows of needlelike razor-sharp teeth.
Yeah, that was a bit more… alien.
Definitely insectoid, he thought.
“Well, I imagine the pair of you are curious about why you’re here.” she said, placing two hands on the table.
Which was odd, because two hands were still typing. Because she had four arms. And a very impressive ability to multitask, apparently.
Neither Jason nor Yaro had been given leave to speak, , but they did stand a little straighter to show that they were listening and attentive.
“Feel free to speak freely here,” the Colonel said. “Given your new role, I imagine we’ll be working together often, and it does none of us any favors for you to be antennae-tied the whole time.”
Resisting the urge to cock an eyebrow in surprise, or glance at Yaro, Jason nonetheless relaxed slightly.
“Thank you ma-” he started to say, only to be cut off as the Colonel raised a hand to stop him.
“Let me reiterate that you are only to speak freely in here,” she said warningly, a strange inhuman chitter entering her tone. “Your new role may allow you certain freedoms denied other enlisted, but you are still enlisted and I expect you to act as such.”
He waited for just a moment to see if he would be interrupted again, stifling a little irritation as he did, before speaking again.
“Thank you, ma’am.” He glanced at Yaro. “But I think I speak for both of us when I say I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. What is this new role I’m apparently being placed into?”
And why did it apparently provide him freedoms denied the common soldier?
It was a little hard to read the moth-woman’s expressions given that her face was more akin to a solid mask than flesh and blood, but he did catch just a hint of surprise in the way her eyes contracted.
“You weren’t informed?”
Both he and Yaro shook their heads, causing the woman to curse in a language he could honestly say he’d never heard before. Truth be told, it was rather pleasant to the ears, despite the obvious content and context. Like the tinkling of bells.
“Interior cunts,” she hissed, her double-toned voice flaring. “Couldn’t follow proper procedure if it were strapped to their oversized purple asses.”
Jason politely declined to comment. Precisely because he’d developed much the same opinion in the incredibly short period of time in which he’d been seconded to Pernora. Certainly the woman could follow procedure, but did so only when it benefited her to. From what he’d seen, the organization as a whole seemed to regard rules as things that only applied to other people.
Finally the woman seemed to come to a decision. She stood up suddenly, wings flaring out slightly as she did. “Alright, you two follow me. You were going to get a tour of the place anyway, so I figure I might as well fill you in on everything that you should have been filled in on weeks ago.”
He and Yaro had to scramble to follow after the woman as she swept out of the office without another word.
“We, uh, appear not to have gotten your name, Colonel?” Yaro asked tentatively as they followed the woman out of the building.
“You should have. It was on the door, my desk and my jumpsuit,” she said without turning around. “Doesn’t matter. Shil’vati lack the vocal cords to say my actual name, and I doubt you two are any different.”
Jason glanced at Yaro, who shrugged in a way that said ‘she’s right.’
“I go by ‘Colonel Cleff’, both in person and on official documentation.” As the woman spoke, her lower set of arms tapped away at her data-pad, causing both Yaro and his own data-pads to ping simultaneously. “I’m also your new commanding officer. Please confirm the transfer on your own time.”
Both Jason and Yaro stopped to salute. “Reporting for duty, ma’am.”
The action caused Cleff to finally stop, turning around to give them both a wry look.
“Good,” she said. “It seems the fame hasn’t totally gone to your head.”
Jason frowned. Had she been testing him?
Scarily, the officer seemed to read his mind, as she grinned, displaying the rows of weapons she called teeth.
“Was that a test? Yes and no,” she shrugged with all four arms. “In the past I’ve had to work with some Noble girls who didn’t like being ordered around by an alien. I’ve found it’s easier to discover that fact sooner rather than later and nip it in the bud. With that in mind, I figured I’d pull the same test with you. You are, after all, a hot commodity right now.”
“Understandable, ma’am.” He nodded – grudgingly. “And in what way wasn’t that a test?”
She had said yes and no. It was a reasonable question.
The Colonel nodded. “At most, my species live to be about fifty. We have short lives and live like it. Because of that, some other species tend to find us a bit brusque. Lacking in niceties. Normally, I try and rein it in.”
She stopped to take a deep sniff of the tropical Shil air, seemingly reveling in it as her antennae twitched. “Now though? Now I’m in charge - and one of the benefits of rank is that I can act as I damn well please so long as none of my superiors are around.” She eyed him. “And where we’re headed, superiors will be few and far between.”
Well, that sounds ominous, he thought. He was about to ask for clarification – on a number of things – when he noticed something. Were those… no, it couldn’t be?
“Are those Humans?” Yaro asked the question he’d just been ruminating over.
The moth woman glanced casually to the side. “Yes.”
“So many,” Yaro breathed. “I thought it was military policy to spread races out, ma’am.”
The Colonel shrugged. “Normally it is. But I’m sure you're aware of the exceptions.”
Yaro’s ears twitched as her gaze returned to the colonel. “This is a color regiment, ma’am?
Jason glanced between the two women, as he had no idea what a color regiment was. Something his new commanding officer was quick to notice.
“You might want to fill your boyfriend in on what that means, Private Yaro.”
He stiffened a bit, a little offended at what calling him that implied, before he forcibly relaxed.
She did say she was brusque, he reminded himself. Have to remember that she’s an alien. Alien in different ways to your regular aliens.
And until he met another example of her race, he’d keep assuming that whatever oddities his new commander had, they were cultural.
Life was simpler that way.
Yaro looked at him, shifting a little uneasily. “Color regiments are more… cultural than military.” She paused. “It’s difficult to explain.”
The moth-woman made a scoffing sound, her upper arms crossed over her – unreasonably ample – chest, while her lower pair gesticulated. “What she’s trying to say is that they’re normally trophies. Parade pieces. Made up almost entirely of races the Imperium has annexed. The Rakiri Highlanders. The Helkem Desert Raiders. Thulusian Marines.” She grinned. “Actual Marines. With water and shit.”
Before Jason could comment on that, she continued.
“The Empress likes to parade them in front of her palace every now and then. Show off how many worlds and species the Imperium encompasses.”
Glancing at Yaro for confirmation, he could see from the bend of her ears that his lover didn’t quite appreciate the way their new CO had described it – but wasn’t quite able to argue. As a result of respect for their difference in rank, or as a result of there being some truth in the other woman’s statement, he didn’t know. He’d have to ask when they were away from the possibility of official censure.
“You said normally,” Jason ventured before Yaro said something perhaps unwise. “And if we’re supposed to be a regiment of Earth, ma’am, why are you-”
“Here? In charge? Not Human?” The moth woman cut him off.
He simply nodded.
“Well, it’s not going to be normal,” the insect woman said simply. “Because I have no intention of my first regimental command being a toothless trophy piece.”
She gestured to where a bundle of Human recruits in Marine jumpsuits were jogging around a track, a Shil’vati NCO hounding them with such force that he could hear her even over the sound of the base and the distance between them.
“Second.” Cleff raised a delicate chitin covered finger. “Imperial Officer training is a three year course. Most Humans attempting to go that route are only halfway through it, and even if they were finished, they’d just be junior-lieutenants. Hardly the ranks required to fill up an entire regiment’s officer corps.”
“We had officers on Earth, ma’am.” Jason tried to keep his voice as even as possible as he said, but even he could hear the hint of bitterness there. As evidenced by the way Yaro shuffled almost imperceptibly closer.
Fortunately, his CO chose not to comment. On either item.
Instead she answered his question with the frankness he was coming to expect from her. “And how many of those officers were alive when the Shil’vati were done? How many were willing to sign up with the military that defeated them, killed their friends, and then disbanded their armies?”
The moth-woman made a strange clicking sound. “More to the point, do the Shil seem big on acknowledging other ways of being and doing?” She shook her head. “No, in their eyes, if you didn’t do it the Imperial way, you didn’t do it.
She shook her head.
“So no, you aren’t likely to see a bunch of Human officers here. You’ve got a bunch of non-Shil’vati, like me, who are going to be here until your Human larval officers metamorphosize into the correct rank to lead something like this.”
Which would take years, he acknowledged. Also, did her race metamorphosize? Did they start as larvae?
Then why does she have breasts!? he couldn’t help but think. He knew it wasn’t relevant, but it really bugged him.
Deliberately turning away from that train of thought, he glanced over to where the Humans were still running around the track. Funnily enough, it seemed their NCO had fallen behind at some point in the last few minutes. Clearly she wasn’t as familiar with Humans as his own trainers had been by the end of his time in the Crucible.
“So where do I fit into all this?” he asked finally. “Ma’am.”
Once again, the moth-woman gave him that unnerving grin, before she pulled out something brass and shiny.
“You’re our new Champion, Human.” She flung it toward him, making him scramble to catch the tiny piece of metal. “My condolences.”