There probably will not be many spoilers for plot points in this stories except passing references to the books when I feel they are necessary. This story contains massive amounts of OCs and I will try to stay away from cannon characters unless referenced in passing.
Lieutenant (Senior Grade) Maximilian Carson smiled as he grabbed the grab bar and swung himself in the massive space station Hephaestus.
It was amazing how large this space station was. Nothing in Grayson orbit was so advanced (Though considering the alliance he was sure that would definitely not be the case for long,) and he was in awe. This space station was vast and powerful, servicing and repairing the RMN.. and it was only one of three such stations he had learned, one for each planet.
But that wasn't what he was here for. He was here to go find his ship. It was currently in dock for some minor repairs. The Tillingham, as it was named was a Sphinx-class superdreadnought and supposedly it was one of the newer SDs of the class. She was already past her trials and such but Tester it felt great to be given such an opportunity.
He looked down at his personal memopad and then up at the wall to look for the colored stripe he was to follow to find his ship.
There it was, white and green and he began to follow the line, watching the crowd around him with interest. It still... bothered him a bit to see women of all ages walking around in uniforms. Oh sure he understood they were from a different culture and all looked healthy from what he could tell so it wasn't like they were being abused or mutated up here. But he still could not imagine it feeling right. Like he couldn't see his sisters walking around in a uniform, directing people on a ship, or handling the tools used to build a ship.
But he had taken the trip here to get use to the idea, trying his best to look over the history and cultureal downloads as well as avail himself of a couple movies which would of been downright scandalous on Grayson just a few years earlier because of their female leading roles. It was a pale and somewhat shallow start to what he was doing but as he looked around he felt himself preparing and accepting what was fact here in the RMN, rationalizing that every woman had just as much reason to be here as he did. As he walked he'd spy one and create a story for each to help him. That one wants to protect her younger sisters, this one wanted to protect Manticore, she joined because she felt it was what she was meant to do, what God had told her to do.
He knew the little fictions were probably wrong, but it gave a human face unlike the god-like one Honor had back home, and the faces of his mothers who had never had rights until the treaty began to take effect.
He soon reached his destination and looked up at the marines guarding the end of the tube to the superdreadnought. As he approached he pulled out his ID card and handed it to the senior one of the two. The man studied it for a moment then handed it back with a nod. "Lieutenant Carson, Captain Frazer had been expecting yoiu. He has informed me to tell you to get aboard and get settled then coming to see him. An officer should be waiting for you on the other side of the tube."
Carson gave him a thankful nod and said as such and launched himself into the tube, watching carefully for anyone who may be coming down the tube.
As he landed on the other side adjusting the personal locker he had been given to care his uniforms he looked around and his eyes fell to a Commander in the black and gold of Manticore and he saluted.
He noted that the officer was a man, he wondered if that was on purpose, and as his hand lowered from the salute and was welcomed on board the man spoke. "Lieutenant Maximilian Carson, I am Commander Jason Cox, the tactical officer aboard the Tillingham. I will be the one mainly in charge of your 'stay' in the RMN. We will treat you like one of our own." He began to walk towards the lift. "I should of sent on your fellow Lieutenants down to gather you up, but most of them took leave and left me high and dry so they could go groundside." He got into the lift, punched in a code and the lift began to move. "I hope your stay here will be an eye-opener... and I hope that your religious differences will not get in the way of your duty..." Cox looked over at Carson. "Will they?"
"No Sir." He said respectfully. "I know that your navy is different then mine, I was briefed about and am fully prepared to accept your females officers as my superiors, equals or subordinates." He stated with a confidence he hadn't thought he had. He would certainly try or he would ask to be sent home and another person be sent out who could do his duty better than he.
"Good Lieutenant." Cox said as the lift stopped and he walked a ways down the passage and tapped a door. "This is you'll bunk, we have a full crew so there are 6 to a room. You can download schematics onto your memopad from the terminal and welcome aboard, we're happy to have you."
It was about two hours later, after some deep discussion with Captain Frazer that he had some free time before he'd have to turn into his bunk. The Captain was a nice man, who was a touch curious about Carson and what he expected to learn and do here in the RMN. He had the downloads from his superiors but after discussing with Carson what he thought, the SN captain seemed a bit more relaxed, like he had expected to get some conservative jackass then what he had gotten.
So now he was headed down the officers gym. given that either everyone was working or the repairs or groundside instead of aboard ship he was gradified to find it nearly empty except for a a man lifting weights and a rough looking marine spotting for him. He walked over to the changing rooms and took a deep breath, he couldn't hear anyone in there but he'd just have to take it in stride if there was and walked in.
There was no one in sight and he went to his locker and began to pull off uniform so he could change into his work-out clothing.
He had just pulled his shirt over his head when a voice spoke.
"Oh you must be the Grayson officer."
He paused and pulled off the shirt and turned to face the friendly, and female, voice.
And froze.
The woman's face was blocked by the towel she was using to dry her wet hair. And she wore nothing else.
It the sense of the alienness grew within him to see that youthful female body naked in front of him. He'd only seen his younger sisters naked when they were children, his mothers had always wore the proper dresses and clothing around the house and only a few times among friends in school had he seen naked women shared by those who happen to find their fathers collection of pornography (even though it was illegal). It felt wrong. He thought that he would embarrass himself by getting an erection when he saw the sacredly clothed (in his religion) body of woman. But he felt nothing, just shock.
As she pulled the towel away from her face the woman realized that by the look on his face that he was shocked and wrapped the towel around her quickly. He felt a bit of shock fading as she moved to a locker beside his. She had blonde hair that fell a bit past her shoulders and eyes that were a dull blue-gray. "I'm sorry about that, I wasn't thinking." She apologized and Carson shook his head to clear his thoughts.
"Not your fault..." He paused, not knowing her name.
"Oh! I haven't even introduced myself, how silly." She said as she dropped the towel in her locker and pulled on the uniform a bit quickly, he noted, and held out a hand. "I am Lieutenant Linea Cartwright, assistant supply officer to Lieutenant Commander Sai, I'm one of the officers sharing the bunk room with you."
"But Commander Cox said none were aboard." Carson argued as he shook her hand and Linea shrugged.
"I came aboard about one and half hours ago after a long relaxing weekend with my mom and dad dirt side, I felt like I tone-weight after all the food they fed me so I came straight to the gym." She explained. "But may i ask your name?"
"I'm Lieutenant, Senior Grade, Maximilian Carson," He smiled a little. "But I like to just be called Max if that's alright with you."
"Then its nice to meet you Max!" She said cheerfully, pulling out a brush and beginning to run it through her hair. "I assume you found the bunk room alright and everything?"
"It was fine, not exactly thrilled to have a top bunk though." Carson said, looking down at his half naked body and reaching to grab his work-out shirt and pull it on. "Got to talk with the Captain too, nice man."
"Yeah he's pretty cool." Linea responded. "Though don't get him mad, the man can go off on you if you're not careful." She warned.
He nodded, acknowledging her warning and looked own, the workout sweatpants he used lay on the bench and he looked up at the fellow lieutenant, still brushing her hair and sighed quietly. He better start getting over it, if they go into combat then he'd have to put on his skinsuit no matter who was staring at him. He quickly pulled the uniform trousers off and pulled sweat pants on before he packed the stuff away, still feeling a bit off balance about his first encounter on his first day here and looked up at her.
"Um Ms. Cartwright..."
"Please call me Linea." She corrected.
Okay, Linea." He said, it felt odd not to address her by her first name, it felt more respectful by saying Ms even though the two were the same rank. "I was wonder if you could help spot me while I lifted some weights?" He asked a bit nervously. "I mean if your not busy."
Linea smiled as she packed up her own locker. "I'd be happy to Max, and it was nice meeting you." As the two started to walk out the gym Carson stopped as she put a hand on her shoulder. "And I'm sorry about the way I approached you. I should of known better."
"No it really is alright." Carson replied, suddenly grinning. "You know, best to get all that shock out of my system before hand. I think I just might be over it by now." He chuckled at his words and Linea smiled.
Maybe this would go better then he thought.
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