experimentally as she approached. "Damn, that shot I took from Izzy earlier really stings."
Izzy had crept back up the landing, though she looked more than a little worse for wear. Her white fur had puffed out from the plasma shot, and she looked more comical than lethal. Nolan tried not to laugh. Despite Fizgig dressing him down, he was proud of his victory.
"Maybe you're right, but this was just a scenario. Not a real battle. In a real battle I shouldn't be commanding a squad anyway. That's Hannan's turf," Nolan protested, meeting Fizgig's feline gaze.
"There you are wrong," Fizgig said, showing an ample supply of fangs. "A commander commands. It does not matter if she is commanding infantry, or a starship. You must be adaptable, and you cannot sacrifice yourself for short-term goals."
"I haven't been trained for that," Nolan said, sighing. "We're not Tigris, Fizgig. I'm not a bad shot, but I'll never be able to fight like Hannan."
"Never?" Fizgig asked, her gaze smoldering. She took a pace closer to Nolan. "You are intelligent, determined, and a fast learner. You can learn to fight. You must learn to fight. Do you know why we so easily overcame humanity during the Eight Year War, Nolan?"
"Because you had superior technology," Nolan replied immediately. It was the line often given by UFC command.
"No," Fizgig snapped. "We won because we adapted. We won because we are willing to learn new technology." She ignited the plasma blade on her wrist, raising it to show Nolan. "I had never even seen one of these until a few days ago, yet already I am proficient in its use. Why have you not picked one up?"
Nolan was silent for a long moment. Her words struck him like a physical blow. "You're right. Clearly I'm operating from the conventions I was trained under. I'm limiting myself."
"I'm glad you can see reason," Fizgig said. Her tail stopped swishing, and she smiled.
"We have--" Nolan checked his chronometer; his resolve firmed. "--eighty-one days before we reach a Helios Gate. Starting today, I want you to train me for an hour a day with one of those plasma blades. We'll spend another two hours drilling squad tactics, like today. Afternoons will be tactical theory."
"What of me, Captain?" Lena said, creeping cautiously over the stairs. "I'd like to be included in this combat training, yet I must also have time for my studies. We possess both the Primo VI and the one commandeered from the Void Wraith."
"Your top priority should be data parsing those," Nolan said, using his forearm to wipe sweat from his forehead. "It would be good to get you combat experience, but the things you discover could determine whether or not we win this war with the Void Wraith. They've got a three-month head start on us. I need you to balance that."
"Yes, mighty Nolan," she said, nodding deferentially. It was new, at least from her. The haughtiness was still there, but it was tempered by respect now.
The next few months were going to be hellish, and Nolan knew it. Not the training-- that , he looked forward to--but the wondering. What were the Void Wraith up to?
Chapter 1- 81 Days Later
The last three months had been hellish. Dryker gripped the curved railing, peering out the First Light 's transparent dome. The Primo carrier provided a gorgeous view: an ever-growing fleet of massive warships orbiting a beautiful blue world. It was also mind-numbingly boring, because he'd seen the same view for the past eighty-one days, ever since they'd been rescued by the Primo.
"Another three carriers arrived during the night," Khar growled, joining him at the railing. The Tigris was back in fighting form, though he had several new scars from their last encounter with the Void Wraith. The most notable was a twelve inch patch of white fur across his chest. Khar's tail lashed back and forth, and his eyes narrowed as he stared out at the fleet. His mane added to his height, and he towered over Dryker.
"I'll have Juliard catalogue them," Dryker said,
Izzy had crept back up the landing, though she looked more than a little worse for wear. Her white fur had puffed out from the plasma shot, and she looked more comical than lethal. Nolan tried not to laugh. Despite Fizgig dressing him down, he was proud of his victory.
"Maybe you're right, but this was just a scenario. Not a real battle. In a real battle I shouldn't be commanding a squad anyway. That's Hannan's turf," Nolan protested, meeting Fizgig's feline gaze.
"There you are wrong," Fizgig said, showing an ample supply of fangs. "A commander commands. It does not matter if she is commanding infantry, or a starship. You must be adaptable, and you cannot sacrifice yourself for short-term goals."
"I haven't been trained for that," Nolan said, sighing. "We're not Tigris, Fizgig. I'm not a bad shot, but I'll never be able to fight like Hannan."
"Never?" Fizgig asked, her gaze smoldering. She took a pace closer to Nolan. "You are intelligent, determined, and a fast learner. You can learn to fight. You must learn to fight. Do you know why we so easily overcame humanity during the Eight Year War, Nolan?"
"Because you had superior technology," Nolan replied immediately. It was the line often given by UFC command.
"No," Fizgig snapped. "We won because we adapted. We won because we are willing to learn new technology." She ignited the plasma blade on her wrist, raising it to show Nolan. "I had never even seen one of these until a few days ago, yet already I am proficient in its use. Why have you not picked one up?"
Nolan was silent for a long moment. Her words struck him like a physical blow. "You're right. Clearly I'm operating from the conventions I was trained under. I'm limiting myself."
"I'm glad you can see reason," Fizgig said. Her tail stopped swishing, and she smiled.
"We have--" Nolan checked his chronometer; his resolve firmed. "--eighty-one days before we reach a Helios Gate. Starting today, I want you to train me for an hour a day with one of those plasma blades. We'll spend another two hours drilling squad tactics, like today. Afternoons will be tactical theory."
"What of me, Captain?" Lena said, creeping cautiously over the stairs. "I'd like to be included in this combat training, yet I must also have time for my studies. We possess both the Primo VI and the one commandeered from the Void Wraith."
"Your top priority should be data parsing those," Nolan said, using his forearm to wipe sweat from his forehead. "It would be good to get you combat experience, but the things you discover could determine whether or not we win this war with the Void Wraith. They've got a three-month head start on us. I need you to balance that."
"Yes, mighty Nolan," she said, nodding deferentially. It was new, at least from her. The haughtiness was still there, but it was tempered by respect now.
The next few months were going to be hellish, and Nolan knew it. Not the training-- that , he looked forward to--but the wondering. What were the Void Wraith up to?
Chapter 1- 81 Days Later
The last three months had been hellish. Dryker gripped the curved railing, peering out the First Light 's transparent dome. The Primo carrier provided a gorgeous view: an ever-growing fleet of massive warships orbiting a beautiful blue world. It was also mind-numbingly boring, because he'd seen the same view for the past eighty-one days, ever since they'd been rescued by the Primo.
"Another three carriers arrived during the night," Khar growled, joining him at the railing. The Tigris was back in fighting form, though he had several new scars from their last encounter with the Void Wraith. The most notable was a twelve inch patch of white fur across his chest. Khar's tail lashed back and forth, and his eyes narrowed as he stared out at the fleet. His mane added to his height, and he towered over Dryker.
"I'll have Juliard catalogue them," Dryker said,
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