“Did you really mean it?” Veera asked as she and Winters maneuvered back onto the main road. He noticed she’d become much more subdued since leaving the barracks in a state of elation.

“Mean what Veera?” Winters scratched his head and tried to rack his brain for any promise or commitment he’d given her that he’d broken or lied about.

“Just now, will you really train me to fight like you do?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” He asked confusedly. Veera had seemed so excited just a moment before.

“You saw how that older guard treated me, didn’t you? Women aren’t meant to fight.” She hung her head dejectedly. “I just figured…even if I learn your language and letters, am I really learning anything about you? Am I really doing something that could bring us closer together? I don’t like the idea of sitting at home waiting for you to come home from something dangerous. You don’t like the idea of me being in dangerous situations where you’d have to take care of me. It just seemed like the right solution in the moment. I wasn’t thinking.”

“You know what happens if you think too much on a battlefield?” He smiled as she looked back up at him. “You die.”

“Was that supposed to make me feel better?” She asked, though not maliciously.

“In its own way, yes. You identified a problem, you considered a solution, and you acted to make that solution a reality. I just don’t know why the opinions of your fellow villager suddenly matter to you.”

“I wasn’t worried about them Russell.” He nodded in understanding.

“You thought I might be of the same persuasion then, regarding women in combat?”

“I didn’t even mean anything organized, just fighting at all. It’s not very ladylike, is it?” Winters considered her statement.

“No, perhaps not. But let me tell you something, if I ever see a female HEL Jumper, I want her in my squad. Never actually happened since I was assigned to a ship with only one jumper, but I stand by that statement even so.”

‘Well look at you Casanova,’ Io teased. Veera jostled him lightly.

“You don’t have to lie to make me feel better you know, though I admit it’s a surprise to hear your people have female warriors at all. Io’s figure seemed very…frail in comparison to yours.”

‘Even though that’s absolutely correct I’m choosing to resent that statement as a matter of principle,’ Io declared dramatically.

“Again Veera, you’re not wrong. I wasn’t lying either though. Up for a little history lesson?”

“I don’t see why not, it might make the walk home more interesting.” Winters threw an arm around her shoulder.

“Excellent. So about twenty years before we made first contact with the Ghaelen there was an open debate in my society about whether or not women should be allowed to serve in front line combat roles in the armed forces. So we aren’t talking about healers or support personnel. We’re talking about going toe to toe with the enemy. Even though it seemed unlikely that many women would want to do so, the decision was made to open up that option for them. For a time, that satisfied the people who wanted that policy enacted. Unfortunately for them, others’ suspicions proved true. Very few women did apply for those positions, and even fewer were able to complete the grueling training and examinations that came with the territory.”

“Well, that’s to be expected, right?” Veera interrupted with a tug on his cloak.

“It is, yes. But that didn’t sit well with certain individuals who wanted a more diverse face for the military.”

“Why would they want that?”

“They all had their reasons. It’s not really something I understand. It’s an argument from almost fifty years ago now. In any case, those people had enough power and influence to eventually get the standards lowered for female applicants. Lo and behold, more women in combat roles.” Winters made a mocking flourish to show what he thought of that result.

“Now I understand you original comment even less.” Veera had developed an air of skepticism.

“Sorry, that was the necessary background. Between those years and the moment of first contact, my country didn’t fight any major wars. There were occupations, operations, and protective actions here and there, but no full scale war. No one ever actually ended up dying because the woman next to them on the battlefield couldn’t carry them to safety or anything. But then we made first contact and formed the HEL. Wouldn’t you know it, that debate came up again. People wanted female HEL Jumpers, female Delta’s, that sort of thing. Good news is that this new generation had a different idea of what purpose a female soldier should serve. Back at the turn of the millennium it was to be a face, to make a point. A different sort of mentality surrounded the formation of humanity’s extra-terrestrial army. No compromises were made in terms of physical and mental fitness. No corners were cut in terms of aptitude for anybody. The idea of fighting other species that could potentially far surpass us technologically cured everyone of their desire to have anything other than the most capable and lethal fighters on the front line.”

“That sounds most wise Russell, but I still fail to understand why that would make women in your position a preferable teammate.”

“It’s the same reason that you’d make an excellent soldier, assuming your body is up to the task.” Winters paused and allowed his praise to seep in. Veera stopped walking entirely, breaking contact with him.

“Me? A soldier?”

“Didn’t you just say you wanted to fight?”

“That’s not the same thing Russell!”

“True, so allow me to finish my explanation. When men enter the military they do so for all sorts of reasons. Some, like me, do it because there’s nothing else for us. We do it to get straightened out and find purpose in our lives. Others do it because they feel it’s expected of them. They might come from families with a long history of service and they want to honor their father or grandfather’s legacy. Some do so just because they want to fight. Those are all reasonable enough, but each makes a different type of soldier. In a broad sense what I just said is true for women as well, but that changes when you’re talking about trying out for a Delta ranger squad, or HEL Jumper training. Those women are doing that for one reason and one reason only; because they want to. They want to fight, they want to be deadly, they want to push themselves to the limits. If they manage to make it through training, then you know exactly what kind of soldier you’re dealing with. Some guys can scrape by without that drive, just by nature of being bigger and stronger by default. Women don’t have that luxury. So if you get paired up with one, you know she’s the best. Make sense now?”

“Why does it sound like you’re talking about an ex-mate of yours?” Veera asked suspiciously. Winters responded with a booming laugh.

“My class wasn’t so lucky. Twenty men, no women. There was very little of interest in the showers, let’s just say that.”

“What’s a shower?”

“Oh…uh, yeah I guess I haven’t seen any Cauthan bathing or anything. A shower is a contained space where we pipe water in and use it to clean ourselves. After you’ve been training all day, it’s necessary, believe me. The stench is…unenviable.” Veera didn’t respond to his quip about body odor, instead she took a tight grip on his hand. She was focused on the original point.

“So…you really want to teach me?”

“Do you really want to learn?” Winters batted the question back.

“Yes, I do.” Veera fixed him with a steely gaze.

“It will be hard, you know. I’m not just going to teach you how to hit people. We’re going to have to build your body into something people don’t want to get hit with, though I’ll admit having claws and talons is definitely a head start.”

“I don’t care if it’s difficult…not if you’re the one teaching me.” She moved close and hugged him as they walked, feeling the strength of his chest and core even under all of his clothing. “Seeing you today and being treated that way…made me want to become stronger.”

“You’re already strong Veera, but I do understand your meaning. Do you honestly think I could ever deny you something like that?” Winters gave his heartfelt answer, leaning down to give her a peck on the lips as they reached home. “When do you want to start?”

“Now!” Veera jumped with excitement. He chuckled softly into her hear.

“Maybe not just yet, alright? Io, can you piece together a training regimen that will keep me at standard while getting Veera up to speed? My guess is that her conditioning is decent, but that we’ll have to work on strength and perhaps exertion over a long duration. Flexibility as well.”

‘Do I have the authority to adapt it as I see fit to complement whatever the strengths of Veera’s physiology may be? Without detailed scanning equipment we won’t know until she begins to train and fight. I’m not even going to bother asking if you’re sure this is a good idea since I know the both of you are already invested.’ In spite of her statement of reticence, Io’s tone indicated she was just as invested.

“Permission granted Io, I’d expect nothing less. Excited?”

‘To learn more about Veera’s species and apply those traits to martial arts and combat? Just call me war machine,’ Io insisted proudly.

“Well, you heard the lady Veera. Sounds like you’re getting a personalized training regimen from the best in VI tech that Omega has to offer. Until then though, how about lunch and some time with the alphabet again? I’m not trying to kill your excitement or anything, but no one performs well on an empty stomach,” he offered apologetically while holding the leather flap open for her.

“It suddenly occurs to me that I’ve got quite a bit on my plate this winter,” Veera said, proceeding inside ahead of him.

“Sounds a lot better than scrounging for food and hopping between fires if you ask me.”

“Yes my love, it most certainly is. Hello there Io!” Veera waved to the VI, who had projected herself to render a greeting. She looked over her shoulder at Winters. “What would you like for lunch?”

“Little bit of everything?”

“Sounds good to me. Can you handle the fire?”

“No problem.”

-----

As they digested their afternoon meal, Io led Veera through the letters S to Z, before starting anew and running her through the whole alphabet again, as well as the numbers up to ten. Winters was happy to see that Veera adapted to the numbers much more easily, as they corresponded to concepts that she already innately understood, as opposed to learning a new lexicon.

“Good idea suggesting numbers, Io. I have to admit I’d kind of forgotten about math,” he said, giving Veera a repentant look. She seemed most unconcerned. If anything, she looked anxious and excited.

‘I believe someone is much more interested in training, sir.’ Io pointed out the obvious. Winters looked her over.

“I suppose I can’t blame you. I felt excited on the first day of basic training too. Didn’t last.” Veera frowned at him.

“Count on you to ruin all the fun,” she pouted, turning instead to her VI friend. “Io, do you have something for me?”

‘I’m glad that at least one of you is eager to hear about my work. May I sir?’

“Go ahead Io. Have to admit I’m interested as well. Besides, I think we’ve done plenty of work on language today, don’t you?”

‘Without a deadline for achievement of fluency it’s hard to say sir, but I believe Veera is progressing as well as could be expected. How do you feel Veera?’ Io chose to direct her attention to the Cauthan, remembering Winters’ lesson about how to talk about people when in their presence.

“I don’t know for sure, but I think I’m getting the hang of it. The B and D are a tad difficult though. They look and sound very similar.”

“I think if those are your biggest concerns then you’ll do just fine. Io, do you have any thoughts on what the next step of her language education should be?”

‘I do sir, but I believe you’re preventing us from discussing something fun. I would politely request that you stop.’

“I second that request!” Veera informed him happily. He held up his hands in surrender.

“I give up. Io, the floor is yours.”

‘Thank you sir, I’m glad I did not have to request impolitely. Now Veera, both the Lieutenant and I are of a military persuasion when it comes to honing the body as a weapon. That means we might take this a bit more…seriously than you imagined. I will not tell you to stand down or to expect less of yourself, but I do want to impress upon you how important it is that you listen to your body. I am sure the Lieutenant will agree.’ She looked over at Winters, who nodded emphatically. ‘You will likely feel sore and tired, that’s alright. If anything, that’s a good sign. What is not good is pain. If your muscles, joints, or anything else begins to feel not right, let us know immediately. To say that this endeavor will be an experiment is an understatement. We will be attempting to design a course of study, if you will, for a Cauthan by drawing only from human experience. As time goes on and you adapt and become stronger, that will certainly change. After all, you are not human, and we may identify things you can do that humans cannot, or the opposite. Until then however, we will all be in uncharted waters. I know I’m making a big deal out of few pushups, but I wanted to be clear on this point right from the start. I know that neither of us would forgive ourselves if we ended up hurting you.'

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“You two are the sweetest,” Veera told them kindly, standing from her chair and hugging Winters to her chest while giving Io a nod of happiness and understanding. “I get what you’re saying Io. Thank you for looking out for me. If anything begins to feel off or go wrong I’ll be the first to let you know. It’s not like I’m looking to join your armed forces or anything, even if I am wearing the symbol.” She pointed at the Omega patch on her shoulder. “For now I’m content to see where this all takes us. Is that alright?”

‘Of course Veera, I think that’s a healthy attitude. I believe we should proceed as follows.’ Io snapped her fingers, producing an empty pentagon at her side while donning wire-frame glasses and a pointer. She used the implement to indicate each corner of the shape. ‘I decided to start with how I’ve come to think about the Lieutenant’s physical fitness. Overall, I believe it is sufficient to divide the whole into five aspects: strength, endurance, flexibility, speed, and combat skill. In order to avoid confusion, I will use power to indicate strength, so as not to confuse it with speed.’ Io placed one word at each corner of the pentagon.

“Want to take a quick reading break?” Winters asked, seeing an opportunity. At Veera’s assent, he spoke each of the five words and showed her how the syllables flowed together. Veera managed to passably pronounce ‘speed’ and ‘power’ as well, but had trouble with the longer words. “Sorry for the detour Io, ready to continue?”

‘I consider that time well spent sir. Veera, your pronunciation is good, but a little soft. Your language flows like water, whereas English is a bit sharper around the edges. Try to listen for it in the Lieutenant’s voice over the coming days.’

“Oh, alright. I think I understand what you mean Io.” Veera looked to Winters as if he were about to present a monologue, but he held his tongue, pointing and returning her attention to Io’s display. The VI had filled in a majority of the pentagon.

‘This is my current estimate of the Lieutenant’s physical fitness overall. These figures were compiled using all of my data recorded since arriving here on Mara. As you can see, in keeping with HEL Jumper doctrine, he is a well-rounded soldier. His endurance and combat skill are exceptional.’ She highlighted those two quadrants. ‘His strength, flexibility, and speed are relatively balanced, with a bit of a tilt towards strength, as would be expected from a human of his type.’

“Uh, I have a question,” Veera spoke, raising her crest feathers almost as if raising a hand in class. Winters couldn’t help a smile.

‘Of course Veera, what is it?’

“You speak about those three attributes as though they are in conflict with one another, why is that?”

‘A very astute observation Veera. In reality, it would be more accurate to say that strength is antagonistic to the other two. Let’s take the argument to the absurd, shall we? Imagine that the Lieutenant doubled his muscle mass. Don’t you think it would be most difficult to move such a body gracefully?’ Veera understood Io’s analogy quickly.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right Io. So you’re saying that Russell’s above average strength results in lower flexibility and speed?”

‘Close, but not exact Veera. The Lieutenant is far above average in all of these categories compared to a typical human. I am speaking purely within the context of the elite of humanity’s soldiers. We were discussing female HEL Jumpers earlier. They might look like this.’ Io increased the flexibility and speed score while decreasing the strength score and endurance score slightly. ‘Shall I continue?’

“Yes, please. What will I be doing? What do I look like on this thing?” Veera demanded eagerly. Io vanished all of the information. Veera’s face fell. “Oh…”

‘Don’t despair Veera, I am not saying that you are without ability. I am saying that we have no baseline. We do not know what you are capable of as you are now. Over the next couple of days that will be our mission, so to speak.’

“How will we do that?” Veera was hungry for specifics. Winters continued to sit on the chair that he’d claimed as his and sip some tea.

‘That would depend on the category Veera. Let’s start with power. This is a measure of your raw strength and the effort that your muscles are capable of during short, explosive actions. You could think of it in terms of how much you can lift, how high you can jump, or how hard you can punch. To improve this skill, you would perform strenuous exercises like lifting heavy objects, repeated jumps or squats, and mock battles.’

“Ooh, I like the sound of that last one! Can I fight Russell? You wouldn’t hurt me, right?” She asked him, batting her eyelids.

“Not too much,” he winked in reply, knowing she’d not forgive him if he went too easy on her. Veera gave him a mocking look of shock.

“Barbar,” she and Io both said at once, causing them to devolve into a fit of laughter as Winters rested a hand on the back of his neck. Once they’d recovered, Io moved on.

‘Second is endurance, Veera. This is how long you can exert yourself at a moderate rate. Think about long treks while carrying a large amount of gear, running long distances, or a drawn out combat scenario. This is the single most important attribute of a HEL Jumper Veera, and because of your history I believe your baseline won’t actually be too bad here. You’ve not got too much muscle mass, but what you do have has been worked long and hard over the years, according to your own tales.’

“I think that’s fair to say,” Veera affirmed. “If nothing else I can walk for long distances with only mild discomfort.” Io nodded.

‘Everyone starts somewhere. Now then, speed is straight forward, how fast can you move at your peak. This will improve as your leg muscles become stronger and your heart and lungs improve in their functioning.’

“Wait…my heart and lungs?” Veera had slipped back into confusion again.

‘Yes Veera. Your body, if it’s anything like a human’s, will adapt in all sorts of ways once you begin to push it to its limits. Your blood will become better at circulating the things your muscles need to function. Your lungs will take in more air. Your heart will beat stronger.’

“That sounds…very nice actually,” Veera admitted, enjoying a momentary fantasy of becoming that sort of being, someone like her mate, who could bend the world to his will.

‘Indeed. Now where were we? Oh yes, flexibility. This one is a bit different than the others in that improving it does not require exertion per se. Instead, this is a measure of how wide a range of motion your body is capable of. This is very important when engaged in close combat. The more flexible you are, the less likely you are to injure yourself when forced into tight situations. Finally, combat skill is exactly what it sounds like. It’s your ability to use your body to defeat the enemy. This includes everything from unarmed combat to weapons training to survival skills. Was all of that clear Veera?’

“Well enough I suppose. How will I work on all of this though, it seems like so much!”

‘That is where I come in Veera. I have put together a tentative schedule that should allow you to focus on each area in turn, allowing your body to recover as you work different parts of it. Interspersed will be plenty of time for relaxation, hunting, learning to read, and any other activities the two of you deem necessary to accomplish this winter. I will adjust accordingly in order to accommodate your body’s response and to prevent boredom and repetition. As much as possible sir, I believe you should be with her so that I can get as many readings as possible.’

“So full armor then,” Winters concluded.

‘That would be best sir, for your own conditioning as well. Oh I must say I’m very much looking forward to this project!’ Io declared happily, vanishing the pentagon and projecting instead a weekly schedule. Veera didn’t bother trying to take it all in, content for the moment to simply do as she was told. Io and Winters had proven nothing but trustworthy in that regard.

“What are we Io, guinea pigs?” Winters asked sarcastically before clarifying for Veera. “Humans have a long history of experimenting on animals. A guinea pig is one such animal.”

“That’s barbaric Russell,” she told him seriously.

“Maybe so, but it was either that or experiment on other humans…let’s just say the former makes it a lot easier to sleep at night. Io, when do we start?” He attempted to steer them away from a discussion about scientific ethics.

‘Veera, is right now a good time?’

“Yes! What are we going to do first?”

‘As I explained before, it is important to first understand your baseline abilities, what you are capable of right now. Is there any particular order you’d like to proceed in?’ Io asked courteously.

“I don’t really even know where to start Io; maybe you and Russell should take the lead on this?”

‘Very well Veera, I propose we begin with something simple. Let’s test your raw power, shall we? Sir, would you kindly fill the cooking pot with snow or water, whichever you prefer, and then change into your undersuit?’ Winters placed his tea aside and nodded.

“I think I see where you’re going with this Io. Have fun while I’m gone then!” He donned his cloak before grabbing the cooking pot and striding out of the room. They soon heard the sound of shuffling snow outside. Veera hoped there was still enough given the heat of the star that day.

‘Now then Veera, would you please position me right over there and then jump as high as you can for me?’ Io requested, pointing to the near corner of the bedframe. Veera complied before looking around and finding some open space. For a moment she just stood still.

“Uh…Io…this feels a bit awkward to be honest.” Veera bounced up and down on the balls of her feet a couple of times.

‘I can understand that Veera, however we need to know these things if we are to record your progress. Awkward as it may be, I can assure you that knowing how much you’ve grown will help you power through less pleasant exercises.’

“Oh alright…high as I can huh?” Veera repeated, looking at the ceiling before crouching down, coiling her muscles and thrusting herself into the air as high as she could, even reaching for the roof of her home, which she didn’t quite manage to reach. Upon landing back in a crouch, she looked over at Io. “Well? How did I do?”

‘Twenty inches. For reference Veera, your height is seventy inches.’ Io displayed a quick bar chart of Veera’s height as well as her vertical jump tacked on. ‘This would actually be considered a decent leap for an average human female. I do not know how it would stack up against others of your species, but it is not a bad start.’ Io’s words buoyed Veera’s spirits as Winters returned with a pot full of snow.

“So, what did I miss?”

“Io says my jump wasn’t bad!” Veera informed him happily.

‘Twenty inches sir.’

“Wow, damn right that isn’t bad.”

‘I would like to again posit my theory that the Cauthan and hyrven share a common ancestor sir.’

“Again, off topic Io. Veera, that’s really something to be proud of.”

“Thanks!” She hugged him briefly before turning around and allowing him to change. “What do I do with this Io?”

‘I would like you to lift it please.’

“Remember to lift with the legs! Don’t throw your back out!” Winters called over his shoulder.

“Yes yes, thank you darling. I’ve only been harvesting dato most of my adult life,” Veera replied sarcastically as she squatted down to get a good hold on the pot. She was able to lift it, but barely, holding it firmly to her body. “Uh, Russell…help!” She managed to gasp, feeling her legs and arms beginning to shake violently as she remained still, afraid that if she tried to complete the lift that her legs would give out.

“Hang on, I’ve got you.” Winters was in front of her again, clad in his black undersuit, and took the weight of the pot from her, allowing Veera to sit with a sigh of relief.

‘Hmmm, interesting. Sir, please allow the snow to melt. I will record the water level and make a note. Veera, if we can gain access to those stones that were used in the festival, I think we could make a more exact measure. In the meantime, I will use this as best I can.’

“That was…heavy.” Veera breathed as Winters sat next to her on the bed.

“It’s alright. No one’s good at everything from the get go. We’ll work on that, alright?”

“Alright. Why are you dressed like that by the way?”

“I believe Io wants you to hit me,” he said with a devious smile.

“Io!”

‘What? It’s the only way I can measure your ability to kick or punch. Besides, if the Lieutenant here can take a hit from a sun guard’s weapon, I don’t think you pose much of a threat.’

“Yes yes, I’m sure that’s the case,” Veera groaned as Winters rested his hand on hers and beckoned her to stand.

“Come here, let me show you. Now make a fist alright? There you go, not too tight. Make sure your thumb is on the outside; don’t want that to break when you hit me. There you go. Now, you want to hit me with this part of your knuckle right here.” He stroked her back knuckles with a finger. “And remember, your power will come from your core, not just your arm alright? So give it a good wind up with your upper body ok? And as for the kick, aim here, alright?” He pointed to the sides of his core. “Last thing we need is you breaking your foot before your body gets used to this alright?”

“I don’t want to hurt you…” Veera told him, suddenly unsure of herself.

“You won’t, now come.” Winters braced himself as Io looked on as though at a boxing match. With a grunt, Veera twisted her body and delivered a punch directly to Winters’ chest. Other than a mild grunt, he didn’t flinch. “Now, go ahead and try a kick with both sides, alright? And hit me with your left hand too.” Veera delivered a second punch. “Good, good. Your form is fine for someone new to this. Most important thing is not hurting yourself. Now go ahead and kick me.” Veera complied, feeling utterly silly, even in comparison to her attempt at jumping. Winters was nothing but encouraging though as they sat down to review the results.

‘Veera, as would be expected given your decent jump, your legs are much stronger than your arms on a relative basis. Your upper body strength is not particularly good.’ Winters rubbed her back as she hung her head.

“Come here love.” He hugged her to him and planted a kiss on her head. They both knew she was being unreasonable, but he didn’t care. “Do you know how long it took me to get my jump wings?”

“How long?” Veera asked, resting against his chest.

“Four years of training. You’ve been at it for less than an hour.” His voice was kind and without judgment.

“Sorry for being silly,” Veera whispered. “I am happy that I can jump high though! Should we do some more today?”

‘Of course Veera. Why don’t we take a break from physical exertion and ascertain your flexibility. Sir, you may change back into your street clothes. Now Veera, I will ask the Lieutenant to show you a series of poses and stretches. I only ask that you mimic them to the best of your ability, alright?’

“Ok, I think I can do that. What’s first?”

‘Well, while we are waiting for the Lieutenant to be decent, would you mind placing your feet together and trying to touch your toes? That shouldn’t require a visual aid.’

“Oh, sure! You mean like this?” Veera asked, bringing her legs together and effortlessly touching her talons.

‘Uh…yes Veera. Can you do more? Can you place your hands flat on the ground?’

“Like this?” Veera complied immediately.

‘Why don’t you just go until you begin to feel discomfort?’ Io suggested. ‘Sir, you should probably see this.’

“Huh, what’s…oh. Wow.” Winters turned in the process of throwing on his shirt to find Veera hugging her chin to her knees with only mild discomfort. As she popped back to a standing position, she immediately requested her results.

‘Veera, the Lieutenant is not capable of the feat you just accomplished.’

“He’s…not?” Veera asked in shock, looking over at her human. He nodded.

“I’m pretty flexible, but I can’t pull off anything like that. Io, let’s run a few more,” he suggested, receiving eager agreement from both her and Veera. After a few more minutes they determined that the flexibility of Veera’s back and hips was not an aberration. She excelled at stretches for the groin and legs, arms and sides. Even her neck was capable of a larger degree of motion than Winters’. As they returned to their seats, she allowed Winters to gently play around with her fingers and wrists, testing just how dexterous she was.

‘That was most impressive Veera.’ Io declared, fully filling out the quadrant of her pentagon devoted to agility. ‘I think it is safe to say that you earned a maximum score here. All of your other trials and improvements will be measured in relation to this.’ Veera clapped her hands together and looked at Winters.

“Good job Veera.”

“I didn’t really do anything, but thank you!” She replied happily, clearly set at ease following her less than stellar performance in terms of strength. As they sat, Veera looked intently at her chart, even though only three sections had been filled. “Io, why do I have a small amount of combat skill?”

‘You exceed the Lieutenant in terms of skill with a bow and arrow, not to mention your survival skills are substantial…if civilian. I gave you some credit where I felt it was due.’

“Ok!” Winters grinned at her, unable to help but feel warm in the face of her genuine cheerfulness. “What about the rest?”

‘I believe we can test your speed tonight Veera. I had hoped that we could do it on one of the main roads but that would require minimal foot traffic. As such, we all have some free time before dinner. If you would, sir?’

“What’s that Io?”

‘You are the ranking officer here sir.’ She saluted him crisply, causing Veera to roughly mimic the motion even though she was seated. She knew well enough that it was meant to be a sign of respect. The human just shook his head with a smile.

“Very well, dismissed!”