Internal Matters
Although the building's exterior may have been plain, on the inside it was anything but ordinary. Between all the people buzzing about, and the strange assortment of non-perishables, weapons, and an odd amount of boots, it resembled nothing more than an eye spy scene from a children’s book.
The line Logan was in still stretched on through the chaos until it reached another doorway in the back of the main room. That left Logan to still wait for the seemingly endless line to finally admit him, all the while dodging the various people rushing about. That is, until he wasn’t quick enough.
While he was trying to move out of the way of a man carrying a crate, Logan got blindsided by a young woman with fiery red hair. He didn’t notice what color her hair was right away though.
The first thing Logan noticed was the pain in his back from getting shoved with something hard and metallic. The next thing was the sudden addition of more weight for him to carry, catching him off guard, and sending the two to the floor. Then, that was when he noticed the mop of red hair spooled all over him.
“What the hell were you doing in my way you asshole!”
Getting to her feet, the woman rose over Logan. She was reasonably tall, standing at almost six feet, with strong and well defined arms.
“W-what?” Logan was pretty sure she knew what he was doing in the line, so Logan didn’t know what to say.
“All these damn recruits, always taking up space that they are just gonna waste and stand around pointlessly in… If I had the time I would teach you a lesson.”
“Uhhh, I’m… sorry?”
Logan, standing himself, realized that the metal thing that jabbed into his back had been a truly hefty looking smith’s hammer. Although no one would call the woman in front of Logan dainty, the hammer’s size still made the redhead holding it appear undersized with its bulk.
“You better be. Once you finish induction I expect you to report to my station to formally apologize.”
“Yes ma’am, just… Whose station should I go to to apologize?”
“I’m Arasaka. You better not forget, recruit.”
Yeah, Logan didn’t think he would be forgetting anytime soon.
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Thankfully, the people around Logan let him keep his place in line after the incident with Arasaka, otherwise he might have lost his cool. Instead, it only took Logan another half hour to finally make it to the front of the line.
In that time, Remy had finally lost his patience, and had begun pestering Logan nonstop, so it was with doubly great relief to leave the endless line behind him. The attendant at the door motioned Logan forward, and he entered the destination point of the line.
Walking through the doorway, Logan came upon a rather ordinary office that wouldn’t look too far out of place on Earth. Behind a simple wooden desk was a similarly simple man, wearing what Logan had learned to be simple fare, a linen tunic and trousers.
His face, despite being plain, kindled warm thoughts in Logan, as he reminded him of an aging grandpa.
“Hello there son, I’m Quartermaster Kelvin Scotts, and I’ll help you get all sorted out for your stay here. What’s your name son?” The quartermaster asked.
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“I’m Logan Brewer, and I think I’ve been assigned to ‘Reena’s Squadron’? Uhh, sir.”
As Logan said this Kelvin started scratching down notes on a clipboard.
“Hmmm, really now? Reena’s gotten a decent amount of fresh meat today, unusual that. Some batches she doesn’t get anyone, but I guess a few of you fit the crazy mold this time, eh?”
“Sorry, sir, I don’t really know what you mean by that. Is… Reena’s squadron special?”
“Eh, you’ll see for yourself soon enough. No sense trying to prepare you for it regardless. Now, let me see what size uniforms you’ll need.”
With this the man took out a tape measurer and began taking the various sizes for Logan’s Legion gear. Which, at further questioning, would be almost exactly what Kelvin himself was wearing, just with some additional leathers and the Legion’s signature red overcoat.
Then, Logan found out the reason for all the boots outside. Making Logan take off his boots, Kelvin quickly measured his insole and other relevant parts of his feet.
“Lots of quartermaster apprentices think they have some genius wisdom when they say ‘An army marches on its stomach’. Then they lose a third of their army’s feet to rot and infection, and they realize that an army marches on its feet, same as the rest of us. A good boot is worth as much as the man who wears ‘em, in my book.”
“Well, I’ll do my best to fill the boots you get for me, then.”
With a harumph, Kelvin finished writing the required measurements, and shooed Logan out of the room.
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Watching both Logan and Gregor enter and then exit the tent without issue, some of the anxiety left Amar. She had some concerns over Gregor’s unique exit, but he hadn’t raised a fuss so she imagined he would be alright.
So, as they always did when she had a second, Amar’s thoughts turned to Jeremiah.
Her father.
And he had died without knowing. Amar had meant to tell him that very night, but…
“Dammit.” She said under her breath. This was not the time.
As Logan walked out the tent he gave her a little wave before heading the same direction as most of the other recruits. Then it was her turn, the attendant controlling the line waving her on through. Amar stepped forwards, and walked in the tent.
Immediately, her focus was drawn to the man sitting in the center of the table, although both a woman and another man flanked him on either side. Amar felt her hackles raise, as though the man were a predator. She wasn’t much for that comparison, because that squarely labeled her as the prey.
“Huh, two in a row for Reena. I guess miracles do happen statistically every now and again. You happen to know the guy who just left?”
Despite the man’s aura, his tone and face were nothing if not cheery. It broke the paralysis that had been triggered in Amar for a second, clearing her head.
“Yes sir, Logan Brewer, I just traveled from Alteep village to enlist with him.”
“Oh, so you two know each other, how interesting. Reena’s gonna have a fun-”
Just then, the tent’s flap opened again, and the scarred woman who had spoken earlier entered.
“-time. Speak of Death and she shall appear, wouldya look at that.”
The woman did not appear impressed, just grunting in response.
“Well, if you are gonna be like that, why don’t you take your latest recruit to her new barracks?”
She just flipped him off, and stalked back out.
“Come on.” Came through the flaps as they swung closed. Amar rushed after her new Captain. Behind her as she was leaving, Amar heard the other man speak up for the first time.
“For fuck’s sake, we literally just talked about this Michael.”
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From there, the attendant outside informed him how he could find Lieutenant Reena’s barracks and Logan left the quartermaster’s office. Walking even further down the thoroughfare, Logan kept going until he reached the edge of camp. Just like the attendant had said, his destination was there, slightly separated from the rest of the structures.
Just like the new recruits' barracks, there was a building for both male and female troops. In fact, everything about the layout looked identical to the other barracks he had seen on camp, but the people standing out front… Well, they immediately drew Logan’s attention.
Logan didn’t know if he had ever seen a group where every member stood out so much. There were about ten people standing together in between the buildings, each wildly different than the last. Logan wanted to spend time inspecting each one of them, but a familiar hair shade drew his eyes first.
Araska stood with her back to Logan, talking to the rest of the group. When they noticed Logan’s approach however, she turned with them.
“Ah, here to apologize already are you? That was quick, I must have scared you silly huh, recruit?”
“Ah, Arasaka, I am sorry again. But no, this is apparently my squadron, I’m under ‘Reena’s’ command.”
“That’s Captain Frear to you, and I doubt it. This is where they send the people who actually have some potential, and from your physique and pet rat that seems unlikely.”
Ok, Logan had been willing to put up with this girl, but she was crossing a line there. Remy was nothing but a refined Rizzel, and didn’t deserve to be slandered.
“Never insult Remy again. I don’t care if you wanna be a bitch to me, but the little guy doesn’t deserve that and I won’t stand for it.”
Stepping right up to Logan’s nose, Arasaka said, “And what are you going to do about it?”