Chapter Two
The new uniform had arrived. Still mostly yellow (hardly her color), but the blue areas now had a purple cast. Her lord was forming a special escort for those operations that required him to have trustworthy soldiers available in a pinch.
Geary donned it, noting that the torso armoring had also changed. The new material was a Galactor invention, superior to most on the market. Her headgear was more of a helmet, with a built-in radio transceiver in addition to the audio and visual equipment. The new materials caused the new uniform to hang differently from her old one. It would take some getting used to.
She closed the locker and stepped out of the changing room.
Captain Maddox leaned against the wall. "Good morning, Sergeant."
None of the (few) photographs did Maddox justice. Like Lord Katse, she had a presence no image could convey. And she did indeed resemble him, as if she were his twin sister. "Good morning, ma'am. Are you here to see Lord Katse?"
"I came here for you. I thought it was time you met my Devilstars."
Galactor's all-female assassination unit, whose members were rumored to be born into it rather than recruited. She had seen them, at a distance. "Yes, ma'am."
Ranjit had told her about a rumor that Captain Maddox was one of Lord Katse's disguises. She had no doubt that he could pull off a female disguise, but there was no way that Maddox was one of them. Her one-piece fit like a second skin, leaving no place to conceal any indications of padding or other prostheses. Nor was there an Adam's apple on that elegant throat.
"You've been on Lord Katse's staff almost three months, am I right?"
"Yes, ma'am." Where was this going?
"You have made them all quite jealous."
"Ma'am?"
"Certain jokers in Galactor call the Devilstars 'Lord Katse's harem.' I think some of them took it too seriously."
And I'm meeting them? Pissed off, armed, women? She searched Maddox's face for treachery, found only tolerant amusement. "They serve Galactor and Lord Katse, as do I. He needs them." Are they jealous of my position, or do they each wish to be his lover? Which desire she could empathize with.
***** ***** *****
They entered a lounge area that looked to Geary like any other break/recreation/ready room on the base, except for the décor and scattered magazines. Only here, she thought, would women's magazines and gun magazines share the same table. I'll bet their shopping trips are unusual: cute shoes and big guns.
The women stopped talking and looked at her. They were mostly young, in their twenties, and their appearance ran from plain to beautiful. No truly distinctive features. At least a third were in their thirties or older.
A woman in her late thirties, dusky-skinned with Arab/Middle Eastern features, rose from her seat, leaving a cute Asiatic pouting.
"Zaida, my lieutenant," Maddox said. Her tone suggested that they might be more than superior and subordinate. "Zaida, this is Sergeant Geary."
A quick appraisal, with special attention to Geary's bust. "A pleasure to meet you, Sergeant."
I must be her type. "Yes, ma'am. I've heard a great deal about the Devilstars."
"We deny everything. Let me introduce them."
Devilstar membership was international. There was a Scandinavian woman so pale she just missed albinism, an African woman so dark she was almost literally black, and nearly every hue and ethnicity in between. There would never be any difficulty finding an assassin to blend into the crowd.
And, yes, most of them were jealous (and perhaps envious). They were Lord Katse's elite unit. Sure, they were assassins, used only for that purpose, but they had been here while he fought off an attack with her. If he has me, he doesn't need them. That's what they think.
"Lord Katse," Maddox said, "is forming another specialized unit, at Leader X's request. It is not a personal guard, although his protection will be among their primary duties. The men and women chosen will be the best, so it will take time to bring it up to strength. This unit will supplement existing forces, or replace them, as needed. Lord Katse has asked me for recommendations. Since Sergeant Geary's word should be taken as our lord's word, I thought you should meet her."
Several of the women looked hopefully at their captain. We don't need the lovesick. He has two of those, already.
"And now I should return her to her duties. Sergeant?"
"After you, ma'am."
In the corridor, Geary said, "You were looking for claws, ma'am."
"Perceptive. The Devilstars live, eat, and breathe their purpose, but they are also human. When he graced us with a first visit, at least half fell in lust."
"It --- happens."
"I wished to see their reactions to you. Lord Katse does not need soldiers who cannot keep their minds on their work."
And I don't need a bullet in the back.
