Ch. 5 Legends
''Mad Dog' Stoppable and his 'Wolves',' Kim thought, as the Aquila Lander left the Emperor Class Battleship, the Alshain.
That's what a couple of Imperial Sailors said when she told them that she was being assigned to the 23rd Company of the 8th Cadian Shock Trooper Regiment. The 23rd or Wolf Company as they are also known as, is said to be the best company in the Imperial Guard. At 97.6%, the 23rd has the highest survival rate of any unit in the Imperial Guard and even some Space Marine Chapters. They've been known to face impossible odds and come out on top. They also have a reputation for being mavericks and saying things that could run very close to heresy. But the legends surrounding the 23rd were nothing compare to what she'd heard about their commander, Lieutenant Ronald 'Mad Dog' Stoppable.
Reports say that he received survival and jungle warfare training at Fort Wannaweep and spent six months training with the Catachan Jungle Fighters. Once, according to legend, they were out on patrol and Stoppable got cut off from the rest of his unit and spent a week lost in the jungle, by himself. When they found him, he was muttering something about 'monkeys'. Another legend she heard was that when the 8th Cadian was tasked to bring a rebel world back into the Imperium, Stoppable gave out Lho Sticks to a group of captured insurrectionists…before killing them. One legend she heard that somewhat alarmed her was that Stoppable executed the 8th 's last commissar. The reason as to the execution is unclear.
"Miss Possible?" the pilot's voice snapped Kim out of her thoughts. "We're entering Cadia's atmosphere."
"Thank you, pilot," she said courteously. "Continue on course."
"Yes, ma'am," the pilot answered back. ''Mad Dog', huh,' she thought. 'We'll see.'
As the Aquila Lander touched the ground, Kim looked out the window to see two men standing on the landing platform. The one on the left was tall and appeared to be a Commissar. The one on the right was a large and broad man. As Kim stepped off the Lander, she got a better look at the two men. The Commissar had a small scar under his left eye but that wasn't his most distinct feature, he had blue skin. The two men walked towards the Lander as the pilot began unloading her luggage.
The large man approached her first, "Princess Kim?" he asked. Kim nodded as she picked up a duffle bag.
The man put out his hand and said, "I'm Colonel Steve Barkin, Commander of the 8th Cadian Sock Troop Regiment."
Kim shook his hand and smiled. "It's good to meet you, Colonel," Kim said. Colonel Barkin then motioned to the men beside him, "…And this is our Commissar, Drew Lipsky."
The Commissar bowed before Kim and said, "It is an honor to meet the Princess of the Imperium herself."
"Thank you, Commissar," Kim said, bowing back. Kim looked around for her new commanding officer, "Where's Lieutenant Stoppable?"
"Well," Colonel Barkin said, as he walked off the landing pad with Commissar Lipsky and Kim following. "The 23rd just returned form reinforcing the defenses at Kasr Holn and are 'licking their wounds' so to speak."
"…And the Lieutenant was among the wounded." Kim said.
"Uhm, no, actually." Commissar Lipsky said. "The Lieutenant has other pressing matters to attend to." He said the last part with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Then he turned to Colonel Barkin and said, "Speaking of which we have matters of our own to attend to."
Colonel Barkin sighed. Must they discuss this again? The Colonel turned to Kim and said, "I'm sorry, Princess, but we must leave you now."
After they had gone, Kim looked for any sign that would lead her to the whereabouts of the 23rd. Then she noticed a Guardsman passing out mail and thought he could help her find the 'Wolves'. He was a stout man with dark skin and two chevrons signifying that he was a Corporal.
"Excuse me, Corporal?" she called. The Corporal stopped and looked towards Kim's direction, she beckoned him to come to her.
"What can I do you for?" he asked.
"I'm looking for Lieutenant Stoppable," she said. "Can you help me find him?"
"Well," he said, looking through his bag. "I haven't delivered the Lieutenant's mail yet, so okay. My name's Wade Load, by the way, the clerk and the quartermaster around here, if you need anything, then just ask me."
Kim extended her hand, which he shook and said, "Glad to meet you, Wade. I'm Kim Possible." "The Emperor's Daughter!" Wade exclaimed. "Boy, the folks back home won't believe this."
"The answer is no," Colonel Barkin said, entering his office. "The answer shall be and forever remain no."
"Just hear me out, Colonel," Commissar Lipsky said.
"I have Drew, three times I've listened to you rant about how Stoppable should be replaced and just like the last three times, I'm telling you no. Stoppable is one of the finest field officers I have ever seen and I will not replace him. Even if I did who would I put in his place? Shames?"
"DO NOT EVER TALK WHEN I'M TALKING! YOU GOT THAT?" yelled 2nd Lieutenant Edward Shames at two 'insubordinate' Guardsmen, while the others were doing their best not to burst out laughing. "YOU NEVER EVER TALK WHEN I'M TALKING! BOTH YOU LITTLE CRAPHEADS DID NOT HEAR A WORD I SAID DURING THAT WHOLE BRIEFING, DID YOU?"
"Shames seen too many war movies," concluded Barkin. "He thinks he has to yell all the time." "Junior?" the Colonel suggested.
Lieutenant S. 'Junior' Senior Jr. was doing his best to find his bearings. He checked the map then he checked the compass, it didn't make sense! Then his Vox Officer came over and turned the map around, it still didn't make sense.
"Emperor bless him, no one tries harder than him. But I don't want him in charge of a company when I don't really want him as a platoon leader."
"What about Mankey?" Lipsky suggested."
Barkin sighed. "He's really the only choice."
Lieutenant Josh 'Monk' Mankey led his platoon heart a battle. With expert precision, he maneuvered his men exactly into the right position. He was the one who won the day that time.
"Monk's a real combat leader. But I want Wolf Company to have at least one experience platoon leader. But it doesn't matter anyway because I'm not getting rid of Stoppable." Barkin concluded as he stood up and left.
Commissar Lipsky sat there a moment, 'We'll see,' he thought before leaving.
"So what is Lieutenant Stoppable like?" Kim asked.
"Well," Wade began. "He's, uhm, kind of… you know you'll just have to wait and see."
As they got nearer to the part of the base were the 23rd was stationed, she began to hear something. It sounded somewhat like music but no music she ever heard before,
Oh baby don't it feel like heaven right now
Don't it feel like something from a dream
Yeah I've never known nothing quite like this
Don't it feel like tonight might never be again
Baby we know better than to try and pretend
No one coulda ever told me 'bout this I said yeah yeah
The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
The songs she usually heard were either about faith in the Emperor or giving praises to the Imperium.
'Mavericks,' she remembered.
As they came closer to the 'Wolf's Den' as Wade had put it, the music became louder. Then something else invaded one of her other senses.
She covered her mouth and nose with her hand and asked, "What is that awful aroma?"
Wade looked at her and said, "If the wind is coming from the East, then it's the garbage heap; West, then it's the latrines."
Kim checked. "The wind's coming from the North," she said.
"Oh, then it's the kitchen," he replied.
'Father,' thought Kim. 'What have you gotten me into?'
Well yeah I might have chased a couple women around
All it ever got me was down
Then there were those that made me feel good
But never as good as I'm feeling right now
Baby you're the only one that's ever known how
To make me wanna live like I wanna live now I said yeah yeah
The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you get one more yard
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
The Wolf's Den, that's what a large sign said hanging over the entrance to a circle of barracks with in the center is the company's banner waving in the evening breeze. The standards were simple: a wolf holding a bayonet in it's teeth. Around the flag pole were wounded being treated by medics.
As Wade lead Kim past them, some gave her the famed thousand-yard stare, but she passed a Guardsman who did more than stare.
"Damn, I'd like to ride that," he said, taking a drag of his Lho and leaning against his pack.
Kim stopped dead in her tracks, she turned to the Guardsman and said, "Excuse me?" she said.
"You, me, and sex. Is that clear enough for ya?"
"Crystal," she said. Just as she was contemplating a punishment for this scum, someone else did it for her.
A Sergeant came over kick the pack from under him and said, "Show some respect, that's our new psyker."
"Hey, Sarge, relax," the Guardsmen said. "I'm just having a little fun."
"Well you won't have any fun when she sends lightning bolt straight up your ass," a few men laughed. The Sergeant came over to Kim and said, "I'm Sergeant John Grimm, but most call me Reaper."
"Nice to meet you Sergeant," Kim said. "I'm looking for your C.O.."
"You mean Ron?" Reaper asked. "He's in the Mess Hall, getting his marks."
'Marks?' Kim thought. 'What does that mean?'
"Thank you Sergeant," she said.
Oh don't let it kill you baby, don't let it get to you
Don't let it kill you baby, don't let it get to you
I'll be your bleedin' heart, I'll be your cryin' fool
Don't let this go too far Don't let it get to you
The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you get one more yard
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
She made her way to the Mess Hall and just before entering she heard a buzzing noise coming from inside. She opened the doors and found a nearly empty Mess Hall. The only other people inside were two men, one was sitting on a table the other was sitting on a bench doing something too the other man's arm.
"Hurry up, Monk," the man on the table said, smoking a Lho Stick.
"I'm going as fast as I can," replied Monk. "We had a lot of battles this time," he smiled.
"Don't I know it," the other man said somberly.
"There," Monk said. "All done."
He checked his arm, looking at the five new tally marks tattooed on his shoulder. "Good job," he said.
"Thanks," Monk said, as he put the tattoo kit up.
"Excuse me Lieutenant Mankey, Lieutenant Stoppable," Wade said. The two men turned towards him. "I brought the mail and your new psyker."
"Really," Lieutenant Stoppable said, looking to Kim then the mail. Just as Kim was about to introduce herself, Stoppable said, "So what's in the mail?"
"Well," Wade said, digging through the bag. "I have a package from your Dad and a letter from that girl who's always writing to you, Andrea."
Wade gave him both the letter and the package. Stoppable looked at the letter, then at Wade and said. "Wade, Andrea is my mom."
"Oh," Wade said. "Sorry."
"Excuse, Lieutenant," Kim spoke up. "But I'm Kim Possible, your new psyker."
"Kim Possible?" he said. "The Emperor's Daughter?"
"Yes," Kim replied.
"Wow, that's amazing," Stoppable said. "After all these years, the Emperor can still get it up."
"I beg your pardon?" Kim said, becoming irritated. Not my five minutes ago, someone had insulted her. Now, this man, her commanding officer, was insulting her father.
After a good laugh, Stoppable looked at her and said, "Alright Possible, lets get you squared away."
He walked out of the Mess Hall, expecting her to follow. She stood there for a moment, her hand clenched into a fist.
'You are not getting away with that,' she thought before going after him.
Vox officer - a vox-caster (see below) user. Usually one per squad.
Vox-caster - communications back-pack device. Used to contact other squads.
lyrics belong to Tom Petty
A/N: GKN, do me a favor and don't mention the commas I already know.