Chapter 17: Migrant Fleet Marine
Even aboard military vessels, quarian captains received identical treatment to their crew as concerned living arrangements. Nolta rapped four times on the hard surface of the captain's cubicle wall. After a few seconds without a response, Nolta tried again. Again, he was rewarded only by silence.
"Captain?" Nothing.
A new voice entered the scene. "Captain Tenga's on the bridge, need something?" The other quarian was a full head shorter than Nolta but lacking none of his confidence. He wore a tan environment suit with a gold and black officers' cowl over his helmet. "Muta'Jahg vas Andras, Field Marshall."
Nolta blinked. "Field Marshall, Ser? Beggen' yer pardon but what're y' doin' 'board a destroyer?"
Muta offered a chuckle. "I'm in charge of the garrison here. Keep the men sharp; organize rotations, schedules, that sort of thing. Not the usual tasks for someone of my rank, but I'm content."
Nolta nodded to signify that he understood. "Any idea when th' Captain'll be available?"
"No. Sorry." Jahg shook his head and started past the young man. "Oh, Nolta-" He stopped halfway down the hall, his body partially turned to face him. "-come see me on the combat deck some time soon. I'd like to discuss a few things with you."
Nolta arched his brow. He hadn't given his name, but then, this was a quarian ship, news and names both spread like fire here.
It took nearly an hour of waiting before Captain Tenga left the bridge. When he did, he was flanked by a pair of quarians with whom Nolta was unfamiliar. At the sight of the youth, the Captain motioned his companions to continue on without him.
"Nolta." The officer nodded and waved for the young man to follow. "I take it you wanted to see me?"
"Aye Ser. I've geven et a lot o' thought, and I'd like t' join the service, as a marine. I thenk I can de a lot o' good."
Tenga smiled. "Glad to hear it. Have you given any thought as to how or when you want to start training your biotics?"
Nolta stopped. "Aren't those details decided by my trainers?"
"To a point. You get to pick who teaches you to use your skills…"
Lae stared at the captain, uncertain. "So… well I get a lest, or do I gev y' a name?"
Genro smiled. "Did you have someone in mind?"
"This is Captain Tenga. In four days we will be admitting the first non-quarian to step aboard our ship since its construction. She will be wearing a full environment suit at all times, so there will be no danger of contamination." The PA was quiet for a little before the officer resumed. "The admiralty board has given us special permission to admit this guest and I expect you all to show her the same respect that you show me. That will be all."
Rikka looked up from her omni-tool and voiced a query aloud. "Any idea who it is?"
"Nae," Nolta's single word response came out more terse than he'd intended, but Rikka didn't seem to mind. From what little he'd observed, she was a bit more reserved than the average quarian, choosing to do most of her talking when she was buried in an extranet article or fumbling with her omni tool. It had taken less than a day for each of them to explore the ship, and a fair amount of their time was now being spent in the diminutive cubicle simply resting up before they took their assignments.
The young biotic allowed himself a few minute's contemplation before directing his own question towards his bunkie. "I know we've only known each other fer three days, but I want t' thank y'."
Rikka leaned out from the bottom bunk and arched an eyebrow, genuinely confused. "What?"
"Y' haven't treated me defferent, strange. Haven't looked at m' funny er anetheng."
"Why… what?"
Nolta leaned over his bunk and realized she was staring back at him. "Well I- Wait, y' dedn't… know?"
"Know what?" She motioned to indicate that she was very much in the dark as to his topic.
"My- biotics."
Rikka nearly slammed her facemask against the bedpost then and there. That was why everyone seemed so nervous around him. She'd kept her own anxiety hidden subconsciously, an effort facilitated by the respectful manner of her bunkmate.
"You're a… wow… I didn't know… Wow." Rikka mulled over the revelation in the awkward silence that had fallen. The only knowledge she'd possessed as concerned that particular field of abilities had come from her pre-pilgrimage briefings: all asari were biotics, they weren't particularly effective against shields, just the bare bones basics. "So, what can you do with them?" She finally managed. Despite her best efforts, Nolta picked up the uneasiness in her voice.
He frowned. Same song different notes. Still, Kala and Tokus had treated him normally, and they weren't even the same species. Rikka had only known him a few days, it would be unfair of him to assume the worst now, after all as they said, no sense scrapping a working ship. "I don' really know. I only figured out how I was defferent on m' pelgremege. S' far I've only been able t' push stuff." He paused for a moment. "Well, tha's not entirely true. I ded pull somethen te."
Neither of them said anything for a moment. "You're blessed, you may not know what you can do just yet, but you're gonna pull off something impressive. Me? I'll probably just end up as another tech." Rikka's own words surprised her.
Usually she wasn't in a position to encourage others, much less someone as big or ostensibly strong as Nolta. Maybe she'd picked up some of her guts from her Va'Seras.
Nolta followed the now familiar route to the combat deck until he had passed the mess hall, then took a turn to the left, deciding that he might as well see if the alternate route that Jahg had told him about was faster. A few minutes later, he stood on the forward half of the deck, staring at the doors to the armory.
It did take less time to get to the 'CDL' as it was colloquially known, but the training and practice facilities were an extra five or six minutes' walk from here. On the way, Nolta bumped into a few of the new recruits that would be joining him in training. Rene'Kerra, was a young man who'd arrived from his pilgrimage three months ago and taken a temporary assignment as a food prep before deciding that KP duty wasn't for him.
Qell'Jehn vas Remalat had been a marine for three years but was due for a week's worth of drills. Her reputation had yet to be established aboard the Andras. Hun'Nalit had arrived a mere week ago and decided that he'd try his hand at military service.
The youngest in the group, Selva'Dei had ended up on the Andras with Qell'Jehn after a brief discussion with the Remalat's Captain. The group finally arrived at the training center where they were greeted but a ruby armored quarian Drill Sergeant by the name of Colthe'Raan vas Qwib Qwib.
Nolta thumped his chest in salute and snapped to attention. "Ser! Nolta'Lae vas Andras nar Iktome reporting for duty, Ser!"
"I know who you are, and you can drop the melodrama." Raan's voice was calm and confident, despite Nolta's towering figure. "You'll have plenty of time to learn proper posture and stance later. Follow me."
The Drill Sergeant led the group to the sparring ring and Nolta could remember the exact spot where Mizna had fallen. Colthe's voice drew his attention. "At 0600 every day you will report to this location for training, calisthenics and inspection, excepting those days where you are expressly excused in advance."
Raan halted in front of the group. "All right, today, I want to see exactly what each of you can do in this ring. Nolta, you are exempted per the Captain's orders… …I hear you downed Mizna?"
The young quarian nodded an affirmative.
"All right then, you two, you're in first…"
"And you're certain you can arrange a mission?" The dark figure's voice rumbled through the quarian. It was a familiar yet disconcerting experience. Something he would probably never get used to.
"Not yet. He just started training yesterday, he's scheduled to begin biotics training in three more days. There's no way they'll put him in circulation before he's as battle ready as they can make him. That'll be at least a year, probably two."
The other's response was delayed. "Our client is patient; I think we can be as well."
"The first attempt to bring him in failed…"
The apparition waved a hand dismissively. "Tarret was an inexpensive option; nothing was lost in his failure."
"They do know that they're likely to suffer losses?" The quarian ventured.
"They are prepared to accept a high body count on either side. Just stick with the plan. If it takes a few extra months, so be it."
"Acknowledged, I'll keep you updated."
The Shadow Broker cut the link and leaned back in his 'chair' tenting his finger s in front of him. Getting an agent into the migrant fleet had been difficult, but not impossible. Not to say that his contact had been slacking or was unreliable. In point of fact, The Gunner was an exemplary agent. Now, however, the man would manifest his true value.
Crack! The rifle spat a tongue of orange-red flame and the holographic geth down the shooting range slumped to the ground, its neck throwing off sparks where its head had once been.
"Weapons… Up!" Drill Sergeant Colthe'Raan vas Qwib Qwib barked the order and all of his pupils complied instantly. Five weapons pointed muzzle up and safeties were unanimously engaged. Nolta waited, kneeling on one leg, the other supporting his arm and by extension, his rifle.
Raan stepped behind each recruit and checked their stances.
"Selva, bring your left arm back, your rifle should be pointed directly upward."
He waited for the young marine to correct her posture and checked again before moving on.
"Good, good, goo- Nolta!"
"Ser!"
"When your commanding officer tells you to move, you move! You will be tasting your team's dust ifyou're sitting on that leg like that."
Nolta shifted, adjusting his position in accordance will the Drill Sergeant's veiled directive.
"Much better. Mobility on the battlefield iiis paramount. You must be able to outmaneuver your opponent at all times."
Nolta was quickly growing familiar with the instructor's verbal singsong cadence. Yes, it was stereotypical, but it had a grounding element to it.
Raan finished checking the cadets and proceeded to the next part of the exercise.
"Alright, prone firing! Assume stance!"
As soon as the recruits had taken positions, the holo-projectors presented a fresh batch of geth.
"Opennnn Fire!"
The shooting range lit up with dozens of slugs as the recruited sighted on individual geth, flaring and overloading the holo geth's 'shields'.
By the time the projector simulated the last geth falling, Nolta had racked up nearly twice as many kills as his compatriots. He shook his head. And to think that he had just started formal training…
3 Days later
The Andras' bridge was shaped in a semicircle with a raised horseshoe shaped walkway cutting into the center to serve as the Captain's 'overwatch'. Captain Tenga stood in the center, keeping his gaze focused on the primary view screen. A tiny blue shuttle glided into position with the destroyer's aft port docking cradle.
Nolta had already started basic training and was showing himself remarkably proficient in both marksmanship and hand to hand.
"Sir?" The docking traffic controller turned to face the captain. "Our guest is requesting permission to board."
Very soon, the young soldier would begin to learn the various intricacies of his own biotic talents. "Tell her she's cleared to board, I'm on my way down there myself."
Author's note:
Well, looks like I managed to get this chapter up three days ahead of when I thought I would. It's not unlikely that I'll expand the training introduction scene, so check back on this chapter from time to time.