Chapter 591: Stock Car Race (1/2)

”When I was born, FTL travel was a pipe dream. WE were what were scientific triumphs. Now FTL is commonplace, our friends are gone, and our return is a scientific triumph.

”The more things change, you know?” - CPL Telli Brubaker-3BGL8YL27, canis lupus nobilis.

Vuxten's intercom beeped.

”Go ahead,” Vuxten said, tapping the button.

”Three to see you, sir,” PFC Yelretit said from his desk in the Orderly Room. ”They're from 193rd Special Troops.”

”Send them in,” Vuxten said, saving and closing the file he was working on. Before the three spaced knocks rattled the door he had his desk looking good.

”Enter,” Vuxten called out.

The door opened and Vuxten stared at the three that entered.

Two were tall, black and brown patterning on their muzzles, heads, and necks. Those two had upright triangular ears and long muzzles. The other one was shorter, with whitish-yellow and dark gray fur, with longer floppy ears. They had long arms, digitigrade legs, and looked more related to Telkans than anything Vuxten had seen.

One of the taller ones stepped in front of the other two and they stopped three paces from the desk.

”Sir, Second Lieutenant Rex Fullstrike, 193rd Special Troops, with Gunnery Sergeant Spot Rightsmart and Sergeant Lucky Desperado, reporting, sir,” the being said.

Vuxten returned the salute the stood up, extending his hand. ”Good to meet you, gentlemen,” he said. After all three of them shook his hand he waved at the seats on the side. ”Take a seat.”

”Thank you, sir,” the Lieutenant said. All of them moved 'smartly', to use a Corps phrase. Vuxten noticed they were all carrying their hats in their left hands, sat with their backs rigid, their knees at a 90 degree angle, and put their hands on their knees, turning their heads to look at him.

”So what can I do for you?” Vuxten asked.

The Lieutenant gave a frown. ”You weren't informed, sir?”

”No, Lieutenant, I was not. Can you elaborate?” Vuxten said.

”21st Replacement Battalion assigned us to Headquarters Company, Headquarters Battalion, First Telkan Marine Division, yesterday, with a reporting date of between zero eight hundred and eleven hundred thirty hours,” the Lieutenant said. ”Not only us, but an entire thirteen man recon team in addition to the Gunny and myself.”

”Forgive me, Lieutenant,” Vuxten said. He glanced down and activated the datascreen in his desk. He scrolled through his notes but didn't see anything in any of the morning bulletins. ”I don't see anything here.”

”It's the Corps Way, sir,” the Gunnery Sergeant with the floppy ears said.

Vuxten checked the TO&E (Table of Organization & Equipment) real quick. First Platoon, Recon Platoon, was made up of four squads of eight. While having fifteen was a stretch, he could just add a fifth squad to First platoon, divvy up the excess seven between the other three platoons, including Headquarters Platoon.

After a moment he looked up. ”All right. How many NCO's do you have?”

”The Gunnery Sergeant here, a Staff Sergeant, Sergeant Desperado, and another Sergeant, two corporals,” the Lieutenant said.

Vuxten nodded. ”All right, I'll assign you, Lieutenant, and the Gunnery Sergeant, to Headquarters Platoon, the Staff Sergeant and whichever Sergeant and whichever Corporal and five lower enlisted to Recon Platoon. We'll divide up the others with the other platoons, probably put them in the Recon squads.”

All three nodded.

Vuxten leaned back in his chair, folding his hands over his stomach. ”I'd ask you what your last posting was, Lieutenant, but I have a feeling that I would have no context.”

The Lieutenant nodded. Vuxten was still trying to parse and figure out the Marine's body language. ”My last posting was with Third Marine Expeditionary Force, part of the Earth Defense Force during the First Interdimensional War. I served from... uh...” the Lieutenant cocked his head. ”Weird.”

”What?” Vuxten asked.

”I can't seem to remember the dates exactly,” the Lieutenant said. He shook his head. ”I'm sorry, Captain, my men and I have problems with dates and historical names.”

Vuxten nodded. ”It's all right,” he gave a grin. ”You're over nine thousand years old, there's bound to be a little bit of drift here and there.”

The Lieutenant nodded, lifting his upper lift in a close approximation of a human smile. ”At least we've all been through recertification and refamiliarization.”

Vuxten nodded. ”All right. I'll get a hold of Brigade and Regiment, have them pass up to Division that we need priority on the ranges so we can get you up to speed with how the Telkan Marines do things.”

All three nodded together.

”Right now, let's get your men into rooms, get the Senior NCO's and yourself into quarters, and we'll get the assignments handled. Over the next few days I'll arrange individual interviews with all of you,” Vuxten finished.

”Thank you, sir,” the Lieutenant said.

”Anything else, gentlemen?” Vuxten asked.

All three shook their heads as the Lieutenant said: ”No, sir.”

”Well, get with Sergeant Holkurt, he's the Supply Sergeant. He'll start getting you squared away with your gear and other necessitites,” Vuxten said. ”Dismissed.”

”Thank you, sir,” the Lieutenant said. All three stood up.

Vuxten watched them leave. As the door closed his desk beeped at the same time as his datalink. He looked down to see he had fifteen messages from 21st Replacement, one from Division, one from Brigade, and one from Regiment.

Vuxten sighed and shook his head. He tabbed the intercom and asked the Specialist who answered to have the First Sergeant and the Executive Officer meet him in his office.

That done, he opened the messages from 21st. Copies of the fifteen troops CDOMC (Confederate Department of the Marine Corps) 201 files as well as data on canis lupus nobilis.

He glanced them over and noticed that all of them had the same birthplace.

Lone Star Military Complex, Hamburger Kingdom, XXXX Pre-Glassing. Afterwards were creche numbers.

What surprised him was the ages. The youngest was only three Terran years old, the Gunnery Sergeant was only thirteen years old and had eleven years in service.

He closed the file and waited till Second Lieutenant Hrevex, who had been assigned to the Company only a week before, and First Sergeant Awrktrawt, a Kobold Marine, came in.

”Have a seat,” Vuxten said, before either could say anything.

”What's going on, sir?” the Kobold asked after sitting down in one of the two chairs built for someone with a tail.

”Met our new Marines?” Vuxten asked.

Both shook their heads.

”Ever heard of a canis lupus nobilis?” Vuxten asked.

Again, both shook their heads, but the Kobold looked up. ”Wait, isn't that a Terran dog?”

”Goodboi, to be exact,” Vuxten said. He kicked the toe switch and the ceiling holoemitter came on, showing the Lieutenant's image from his 201 file. He was in a dress uniform, severe looking, staring straight ahead, his fur cut extremely short.

Vuxten noticed that the datalink he'd seen on the Lieutenant's head was missing from the file picture.

The Kobold shook his head. ”By the Digital Omnimessiah, I'd heard they're back,” he looked at the hologram again. ”Wait, is he assigned to us?”

”Yes he is. As a,” Vuxten consulted the Lieutenant's file. ”A Force Recon 0326, Reconnaissance Man, Parachutist, Orbital Drop, and Combatant Diver Qualified*”* as well as a Marine Rifleman,” Vuxten shook his head. ”He's got a list of schools as long as my arm. Former enlisted, made it to Sergeant.”