The Keronian that entered the conference room was a light blue color and wore a long jet-black cloak. His hat was a vivid red with an 6-pointed star on the front. As he entered the room, everyone fell silent.
Suddenly, a fellow Keronian stood up and soluted. "Admiral Solulu! What a pleasent surprise to have you join us, sir!"
Solulu nodded a greeting to him. "I'm glad I have all of you here. I have an announcement to make."
He sat at the head of the table and took a deep breath, preparing himself to speak in front of the other officers. He took out a laptop-like device and opened it. A blank hologram popped up.
"I propose an offer," Solulu began. "Most of you say that I need training in teamwork in order to keep my rank."
His audience nodded and whispered among themselves.
"Well, since Admirals are the ones who choose platoon members, I figured I would create the most elite team to command. I came to get your opinions on the soldiers I have chosen."
Once again, a silence swept across the room. Finally, another Admiral spoke up, "Personally, I think you're crazy. But continue on, rookie."
Solulu blinked. True, he was the most recent Keronian to earn his rank, but that didn't mean he was crazy. Or maybe he was. He didn't remember being tested. He typed something into the device, and a hologram popped up.
The Keronian in the picture had dark brown skin and a matching hat. He wore an old, yellowish vest, and had a large earpiece resting on his left hat-flap.
"My first choice was Ace Pilot Macoco as my weapons specialist. He's been known to build drones outfitted with automated guns, incorporating engineering and weapons in one."
The crowd murmured positive remarks. Solulu felt a weight lift from his heart, and a smile tugged at his lips. Until someone retorted, "He's too proud, and is a well-known 'womanizer' in the Keron Army."
The weight slammed back down on Solulu.
"A-Admiral Eilala," Solulu muttered. He had been the same one to call him crazy earlier.
"I seriously hope you have no girls on your list if you wish to carry him," Eilala continued.
Solulu irritably jabbed his device, which then projected a picture of an older grey Keronian woman, who had her brown hair tied back in a messy bun. She adorned a long purple gown, and her eyes seemed lifeless.
"Senior Chief Medic Filili. Teacher of many young medics. She is blind, yet has superb psychic skills." Solulu leaned back and smirked.
"Impressive," Eilala agreed with a nod. "Keeps the younger members in control. Yet she doesn't listen. You'll have to work extra hard to get her to do anything."
Solulu heaved a sigh. No impressing this guy whatsoever. Solulu leaned forward and jabbed another button.
This picture was of a cute, dark-grey tadpole with a black hat, a large gold chain connecting his ears behind his head. One of his large eyes was yellow with a blue pupil.
"I understand Chanana has yet to become a soldier. Which is why I wish to take him as my apprentice."
Eilala instantly pounced, "He's an experiment of the army though. Highly unstable, and-"
"Exactly," Solulu said quickly. "But do you honestly expect him to regard soldiers as friends in a cage in a lab? Plus, he could be useful on the battlefield."
Eilala just stared at the Admiral, then shrugged. "Who wants to argue with logic like that?"
Solulu nearly growled at his sarcasm. "So, would you like to see my last choice?"
"Why not? The rest have been terrible as it is."
Solulu smiled almost evilly. He knew this was his ticket: his last soldier. He tapped at the device, and the Keronian that came up made everyone gasp in fear.
She was a bright orange Keronian with a furry white hat, and two cat ears sticking up off her head. Black stripes curved on the fur. She also adored matching gloves and socks. A tail even slinked against her back, and a blue bandana was tied around her neck. Her bright green eyes were unmistakable.
"Sgt. Nekoko, huh?" Eilala smiled. "She's a firework, I'll give you that. Everyone's afraid of her. Her ninja skills and martial arts are unmatched throughout the galaxy. Her grandmother was an Admiral, and she trained Nekoko. She's practically unbeatable. Of course, this means everyone is afraid of her. Interesting choice," he added, nodding slowly.
"She, of course, would be my second-in-command," Solulu almost bragged.
The entire room just gazed at him in a mixture of awe and you're-an-idiot looks.
Eilala actually nodded, and smiled. "Nice work, rookie. You might actually get your platoon."
Solulu stood and bowed. "Oh, yeah, and I'd like to gather them by tomorrow."
"Ha!" Eilala gave him an evil smile. "You're crazy."