Orders

When Vato checked in at North City, he was handed a packet with a further change in his orders, directing him on to Briggs to report to Major Scimitar. Also included in the packet was something he had long ago given up expecting: a promotion letter. He was now a Second Lieutenant. The packet even included some stars to sew on his epaulettes. It was one of the easy ranks to update: just add a single star to the thin middle yellow ribbon. No ribbons to change, no existing stars to move.

Vato understood the transfer to Briggs. That was the place in the north where he was most likely to be exposed to combat. He figured that Breda would end up on the Creta border and Fuery on the Aerugo border. Mustang and Hawkeye were in a combat zone of their own, facing the homunculi. Havoc was the only one of them who was unlikely to be exposed directly to danger, but Vato didn't begrudge him the cost he'd paid for that.

He went to the room he'd been assigned in the BOQ for the night, where he'd stay before going on to Briggs the next day. When he got there, he took off his jacket and got out his sewing kit to sew on the stars.

Why had they promoted him? Did Briggs really have no open positions rated for Warrant Officers? That seemed unlikely. Perhaps it was just Bradley's idea of a joke. No promotions for over ten years and now he'd gotten one just when he'd been sent away from Mustang and possibly into combat? Yes, that was probably it. And it's just like me to take this long to figure out the joke.

This promotion would set the new record for lack of celebration. Vato was a stranger in a town where he knew absolutely no one. Well, at least he'd go somewhere in town for dinner, instead of the Mess Hall. And if he could find an indoor pay phone with some privacy, he'd call Mom and ... whoever he could reach from Mustang's office, including the Colonel himself.

As it turned out, Vato found a phone and talked to his mom, but wasn't able to get anyone else. He sent the same telegram to Central HQ, South HQ, West HQ, and Havoc General Store out east with different addressees: Transferred Briggs stop Commanding officer Major Scimitar stop Promoted Second Lieutenant stop.

When Vato got to Briggs the next morning, he checked in at the Admin office and received his inprocessing packet. It included maps of the various levels of the fortress and how to get to his rooms in its BOQ section. An enlisted man had been tasked with taking his luggage to his quarters, so Vato had only his briefcase with the packet and some papers with him.

He showed up at Major Scimitar's staff room at 1350, ten minutes before he was scheduled to report. A brown-haired Warrant Officer with thin mustaches and a square goatee, not quite as light-skinned as Vato, waved him to a chair next to the door and went back to a table that reminded Vato of Fuery's. The Communications officer, then. Although there were four tables in the room, all of which appeared to be in use, his was the only one occupied at the moment.

At 1400 on the dot, the Major looked up from the work on his desk. "Falman?" he called.

Vato went to the desk and saluted. "Second Lieutenant Falman, reporting for duty, sir." It sounded good to use his new rank.

Scimitar returned the salute casually but precisely. The major's hair was black and his mustache merged into his short, neatly trimmed beard. His eyes were like Mustang's, very dark and almond shaped, and his skin was brown like Lieutenant General Raven's from Central. "Sit down, please," he said, looking at a folder that Vato imagined was his personnel file.

"What is your specialty?" he asked.

"Intelligence, sir. Specifically, military history," Vato answered.

"We don't need anyone else in Intelligence," said the Major, looking at the folder. "And you're not rated for combat." He paused, then added, "And no technical skills."

Vato was beginning to be annoyed at the officer's rudeness. The major had yet to address him by his rank. Once people had worked together awhile, they tended to drop the rank sometimes, but Colonel Mustang used it even among his own subordinates more often than not.

After a few moments the Major seemed to finish looking at the file. "Well then, maintenance it is. Report to Second Lieutenant Henschel. Warrant Officer Karley, have someone come up to show Falman where to go."

Now Vato knew the Major was being deliberately rude.

"Sir," he said, calmly but with authority, "I know where the Maintenance offices are. Level 1, Corrider B, Hall B-4. The closest elevator on this level is in Corrider H, Hall H-1. That's out this office to the left and left again at the second hall. It's on the right side."

The Major smiled unpleasantly. "So you were expecting to be put in Maintenance, Falman?"

"No sir," Vato answered. "I just read the maps they gave me when I checked in this morning."

"So where's the Power Plant?" the Major asked. On getting another correct reply from Falman, he asked for two other locations.

"Very well," Scimitar said finally. "Warrant Officer, it looks like we don't need a guide. Second Lieutenant Falman, report to Second Lieutenant Henschel. You're dismissed."

Vato smiled very slightly and saluted before heading for the door.

"What do you think of that, Karley?" Scimitar asked after Falman had left. "He must have spent all morning memorizing the map."

The Warrant Officer nodded. "At least he prepares, sir," he answered.

Author's Note

This is the same Major Scimitar from The Toll.

The description of Major Scimitar is based on the officer to Captain Buccaneer's left, in a picture of Buccaneer leading a group of Briggs soldiers. I don't know where the picture is from, but I think it might be from the Brotherhood anime.

The Supermarine Scimitar was a British naval fighter aircraft operated by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. The prototype for the eventual production version flew in January 1956 and production aircraft were delivered in 1957. It saw service with the Royal Navy from 1958 until 1969.