Chapter 6 Stiches

Chapter 6; Stitches

2110 Base C, somewhere in the Wastelands.

**I winced as the doctor poked at the massive wounds on my back. It had been 6 months since I lost my wings to Titan, and it took 2 surgeries after the initial emergency care to make sure the wounds and stubs healed properly. The latest took place only 12 days ago and it was time to take the stitches out for the final time. Humans used ones that decayed naturally and fell out after time, but our medical facilities out here where the revolutionist forces were hiding were a little behind the times and very stretched for resources. It was at least clean here, the walls and floor sterile and white, bright lights everywhere.

The doctor grabbed some scissors and tweezers from the tray beside me and started talking, either to try to keep me comfortable or just let me know how things were in his eyes back there. “This is healing up very nicely, Jake. We tried to make things as clean as we could, but there is going to be two large scars back here. The nubs of the wing arms and two thick lines where the membranes had attached.” I heard a snip then felt a stitch slid out. “Everything is healed closed now, the risk of infection is low if not gone.” Another snip followed by a tug “I’m going to get you some antibacterial cream” a snip and a tug “This will completely remove what little risk of infection” snip, tug “and it will also act as a scale healer, hopefully keep this scar to a minimum” a snip then a tug from the other side now “Your next two or three sheds might” snip, and a tug then he paused “will be painful in this area. It’s going to sting a little”

Fuel for the fire to me, a gentle reminder the next couple years of my goals in life now.

I sat awkwardly on the bed as the last stitches came out, the doctor caught the attention of a passing medic “Medic, are you busy?” he asked, the medic shaking his head. “Good, can you run down to medicine and get us a can of benoryzine, the natural stuff I think will be better if they have it. If the pharmacist asks give him my name and tell him it’s for the..” he paused, realizing he didn’t want to say it in front of me but already opened his mouth “the execution survivor” The medic nodded in affirmation and walked away, nearly running into Sodin.

A General, but in a militia this small it didn’t matter much as of now. He was humble and personable, and had been a friend of Mom and Dad and came to visit me several times during my stay here. I told him I wanted to fight, he wanted to wait how things played out for me. He walked toward us and took a stand in front of me, crossing his arms in front of his chest but smiling. The bright ring light above us lit up his orange eyes and his black uniform so well lit the cheap dye was making the fabric appear dark blue. The doctor snipped another stitch as I felt the tug of it coming out.

“I’ve got some good news for you” he spoke “I’ve pulled some strings, and by pulling strings issued some orders. You’ve been accepted into the militia,” he paused briefly as the expression on his face changed to some slight concern “despite your disability”

“How is it a disability if I lost limbs no one around here knows how to use?” I retorted back, I already had grown weary of being treated like I was disabled. I only lost a skill that apparently only I knew how to use. Even the best trained soldiers around here didn’t know how to fly. The doctor snipped one more time, barely noticing the final stitch being removed, then standing upright behind me.

“Easy, Jake, I don’t mean to offend, I did come to give you good news after all” he grew a little more disciplined now “Technically, now that you are in our militia, I’m not a friend anymore, I’m your General now, and going forward, I’d like a little more respect”

“Yes, Sir, sorry” Sheepishly I looked down, realizing I had already overstepped. The General turned his attention to the doctor.

“Will he be cleared for boot camp in one week?” As he asked the doctor as the medic returned, handing the doctor a small can.

The doctor grabbed my arm and squeezed it, then poked at my side before turning his attention to the wounds in my back. “The amputations are healing nicely, but he’s also still thin and pretty malnourished from his time on that human ship.” He thought for a moment, being sure he was making the right choice. “If he can have double rations for another 6 weeks while doing basic training, he should put on more muscle and be in fine shape. The first two weeks he has my consent to sit out training if he passes out, for the rest of that day. If the wounds happen to open, which I don’t think they will, he will have to be pulled out of training. Without wings he’ll have to skip any training that involves using them, some of the exercises and stretches some trainers have them do in the morning. It also goes without saying he will never be a pilot” That comment caught me off guard, I didn’t know how a lack of wings would keep me from moving a control stick, but I was still thinking a little like a human perhaps. “He’s good to go in a week, and I think getting out of here would do him some good. He’s been in our ward for months now.” The doctor turned his attention to me handed me the can of medical cream for my scars. “You’ll be fine now, physically anyways. As far as I’m concerned you’re released as of now. Apply this once per day after you shower until it’s been used up”**

**The general nodded to the doctor “Thank you, Doctor, I’ll be in touch” He turned his attention to me. “Walk with me Cadet” It was strange, my military career was only moments old, but this was the first time being called any rank, even if it was the absolute lowest rank that existed.

“Yes Sodin- err, General sorry” I stood up, my balance was off for a second, my body still used to the weight of my wings and it was still training itself to balance without them. My lower back and the base of my tail would hurt if I stood or walked too long as both learned to adjust for new balance. The doctor had told me that would go away after some time. I walked out the door of the ward behind the General, but once in the hallway I walked beside him.

“First off I know you have no where to go, so the last string I pulled is getting you into the barracks a week early. The barrack officer is already aware, but there is a class graduating today, so you won’t be able to give you a bed until tonight” The all too familiar scent of disinfectant filled my nose again as it had the last 6 months, honestly I was pleased to learn I could sleep elsewhere tonight. “I see you’re actually very able bodied, so I want you to help the barrack officers prep for the next class as well in return for you week of free stay” He reached out and pushed open the door ad the end of the white hallway we had reached. We stepped outside and the bright sun took me a little by surprise, the air filled with musty wood from the jungle surrounding the base. It was hot, and it was humid. We started walking down a path towards what I assumed would be the barracks. “Tell the line cooks at the mess hall that you’re on double rations, they’ll have a list of who else may be, some dragons arriving from Titan’s domain are usually a little thin, so I doubt you will be the only one. But imagine some of the other cadets might get jealous.” he walked in silence for a moment “Which brings up another point. Your parent’s very public execution as well as your own unfortunate events have really pissed off the public. Dragons have been sneaking off all Titan’s worlds and even from some of the other Guilds and many of them are lining up to fight with us. In the last 6 months we’ve had record amounts of dragons signing up, we were doing a camp of 50 every 6 weeks before. Now we’re doing a camp of 100 every second week.”**

**As we walked along the sounds of training solders started becoming louder, mostly yelling from the trainers, and the path were walking along was becoming more heavily used. We approached 4 large buildings. “These buildings are the barracks, you’ll call that home the next 6 months. Not really an upgrade form the hospital bed.” He sighed and stopped and turn to me. “Your parents, Jake. I knew them well, even fought shoulder to shoulder with them a few times. In their absence we lost ground. Things didn’t exactly go as planned your parents didn’t mean to be gone as long as they were.” He paused, stared off to space for a moment before remembering where he was. “People are going to know who you are, your commanding officers and your fellow cadets. I thought about listing you under a pseudo name, but with your physical appearance now people would catch on pretty quick anyways. You’re going to be treated different from others here in both favoritism and jealousy, between your missing wings and who your parents where. As a friend and not as a General in this second, please, do not take advantage of this, and don’t let it get you down.” He reached out and patted my shoulder. “As a friend, good luck, but as your General, get your shit together” He pointed to the 2nd barracks.

“Yes Sir! Thank you, Sir!” He nodded in approval of the now professional address, and turned and walked away in the direction we were traveling. I took a moment to adjust, remembering this was the path I chose, the path I wanted to get myself back in reach of that tyrant someday. The cadets grunting and moaning behind me as the commanders barked out orders. I took a deep breath and walked into the barracks.

I walked in the door and I instantly hated it, I wish I had stayed in the hospital. 4 rows of double bunks stretched about a dozen deep, everything was gray. I reminded me where I had just spent the last 5 years. It was tight too, but no where as tight as the prison ship, and at least everything was painted gray instead of white. It was still full of dragons, packing their few belongings and extra uniforms into duffel bags. Each one wearing the same black pants, gray top, and some had tact vests over top of that. I slowly walked in towards the back, getting some weird stares and awkward gazes. The wingless dragon walking past in just a plain white hospital issued thin cloth hanging down from my waist. I must have looked like a lost animal. About halfway down the rows of beds I stopped and asked on of the dragons packing “I’m looking for the-”

“WHAT in the FUCK is that?” a voice yelled down the row of bunks “Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my barracks?” I looked in the direction of the voice as the dragon I tried to asked went back to packing. A tall dark green and very pissed off dragon stared me down and started stomping towards me “I asked you, who the hell are you?” he yelled as he walked up. Wearing a slightly different uniform from the rest, he also had a wide silver band with a thin gold one above it on his left horn. Obviously I had found the one in charge.

“I’m Jake, I was told I could stay here until I started my training if I he-”

He imitated a buzzer “Wrong meathead, wanna try that again?”

I was taken back, perhaps I walked into the wrong barrack? “I’m Jake”

“EEEEEEER WRONG AGAIN!” he poked me in the chest “Who the hell are you? I’ll give you a hint, it’s starts with ‘Cadet’”

Suddenly it made sense, he was looking for rank along with the name maybe “Cadet Jake, I am Cadet Ja-”

“You don’t need to fucking tell me twice meathead!” He raised his arms to gesture to all the dragons packing around me “All these fuckers are done training, they’re privates now!” he spoke up to the room “Hey Privates! Looky here, it’s the one turd you useless fuckers all out rank!” The group chuckled, a little forced from some, from being sick of this guy for the last 6 months. “You’re a week early meathead!” He looked behind me “The rest of you coming in a week? Two part shipment? Where’s the rest of you?”

“I’m told, bronzed and put on display in Titan’s tower palace” I said trying to get this guys angle, surely he knew and was expecting me.

“Oh you’re THAT meathead!” he looked around to make a point then looked at me, a couple of murmurs came from the packing soldiers. “You’re too early, the previous tenants have barely been evicted and aren’t even out yet! You weren’t supposed to be here until tonight. And what in the flying fuck are you wearing?!?” he pointed at the thin cloth on my front “Hospital shit? Wow the really are scrapping the bottom now!”

“I did just walk over from the hospital” I said

“From the hospital what?”

“From the hospital, SIR!”

“That was fast, you might be a quick learner! We’ll still have to drill that into you stupid head won’t we. Don’t worry, six months and we’ll have you barking like the dog you are.” Wait, do dragons have dogs? I they were from Ea- “I’m Lieutenant Skro, I’ll be your nightmare for the duration of your training, it’s my job to show you how not to shoot yourself in the head, how to shoot others in the head, and how to keep them from shooting you in the head!” He looked me up and down “This look makes me want to puke! Head up front and my supply officer will get you your first uniform.” He pointed towards the opposite direction from where I came in. “Move!” I walked briskly in the direction he pointed as he went back to yelling at the other soldiers to “Hurry up and get the fuck out!”

I walked towards a hallway when a soldier, one with a just a single wide silver band on one of his horns, stepped out and put his hand up “Here, heard the whole thing.” He chuckled “Meathead” gesturing me towards a room off the hallway. Inside where racks all holding folded up identical clothing, He grabbed a gray thing off one of the shelves and threw it at me “Put that on, these caplets are one size fits all” As I unfolded it and found the center whole to slid my head through, it was a tradition poncho like top, oval instead of square and larger than civilian wear, it also extended down the body more than a civilian top, not leaving the midsection exposed like most do. I got my head through just as he threw a pack at me, the same one the other soldiers were packing their things into “That’s your house okay? Keep everything in there unless your washing it or wearing it, open it up.” He started digging though some black clothes on another rack “You can take that hospital cloth back to them later. What size are you for pants?”

Suddenly I was dumbfounded “I- I don’t know, Sir” He swore to himself, grabbing a length of some plastic strip of the corner of a rack as he approached me and threw it around my waist and muttered to himself before returning to the rack.

“Medium!” he glanced at me then reach over one pile “Medium, tall” and grabbed the item and threw it at me “Try those on, Cadet”

Now I was really embarrassed, I never had worn pants before, I didn’t know what to do, he looked at me slightly annoyed “WELL?”

“I’ve never worn pants before, sir”

“You’ve got to be kidding me, how are you that stupid? Where the fuck did you come from?” He barked

“Earth, Sir” as I told him his face changed, as he suddenly knew what I had been through.**

**He walked over and grabbed a corner of the strange article of clothing. The leg parts fell towards the floor but a third section lay oddly open. “One leg goes in here, the leg hole, the other in the other leg hole.” Speaking to me as you might teach a child to dress “Then button up this part around your tail” he pointed at the part hanging off the back. As he explained I looked at his pants, and figured it all out. Unlike human clothes that buttoned up the front, dragon pants button up the back, above the tail, making the third section almost as if a short “tail sleeve” As I slid my legs int and buttoned up the back more items came flying at me.

“Belt” It hit me in the mid section and fell on top the of the pack as I struggled to button up pants for the first time “Tact vest” he threw it hitting my leg as I got the last button done. “Bad weather caplet” He threw another top, this one had a hood, was black, and was made out of a soft but rubbery material. Then he looked at me again “How do those fit?” He looked at my pants “Alright, use the belt they’re a bit loose, you skinny fuck” He went back to the rack and grabbed two more pairs of pants from the same pile as before “You get 3” and dropped them on my pack, he grabbed two more of the gray tops and threw it on the pile. He turned to the other rack and grabbed some gray things and threw them at me as well, seeming a set of 3. “Fatigues, you aren’t allowed to wear those yet though, only when we say so. Be in uniform at all times! Pack all the shit up then after these privates leave you’re going to help us change 100 beds.” He looked a the clock “Did you eat yet?” I shook my head now “Mess hall is down the path, go eat something then get back here. You got 30 minutes, everyone should be out by then. You can leave your pack right here for now”

“Yes, Sir!” I knelt down and started shoving the items into the pack then shocked it under one of the racks out of the way, I stood up and instinctively wanted to thank him but before I could say a word he looked me in the face and barked “Dismissed” So I turned out and walked past the thinning group in the barrack and outside to walked further up the path. Some of the newly promoted privates were heading in the same direction but I stopped when I faintly smelled food in front of one of the buildings and started inside. Pausing and looking up the path I could see the new soldiers where loading themselves onto some sort of craft, I assumed it was taking them to their first posts.

I walked into the mess hall, it was also painted gray inside, same color as the barracks, rows of tables and stools filled most of the space. They were mostly empty at this time but a few soldiers sat around eating and talking. It got quieter as I entered and a few looked at me, a little surprised to see a dragon without wings enter and in a uniform, but after a few seconds the talking returned, most not really caring. I walked to the back where there was a pile of trays and two cooks standing around. Wrong time of day for a meal but there still was food to be served. They noticed me and one grabbed a tray, threw down a very square cut of meat of some kind, obviously very processed, and then grabbed a scoop laying in a serving tray slapped a glob of white mushy stuff beside the meat. He handed me the tray and said “Enjoy” rather sarcastically.

I sat down at one of the tables alone and started putting this strange looking food in my mouth. I think the taste surprised me, maybe my reaction even surprised the few noticing me. To them it was gross military food, but after 5 years of freeze dried human rations, this was delicious to me. I cleaned my plate in minutes, returned the tray to a pile of dirty ones, and made my way back to the barracks.

The officer who gave me my uniform was already waiting just inside the door, he had a clipboard in his hand. “That was only 20 minutes, I’d have taken my 30 but I guess you’re eager to prove yourself.” Before I could respond he talked more “You’re in bed 32. Grab that pack you left in supply and throw it on your bed for now, then we’ll show you how to make up a bed military style. Then you’ll do it probably 50 more times tonight”

“Yes, Sir!” I said and walked back to the room where I left the pack, brought it out looked for the bed labeled 32. I found it, a bottom bunk, and threw my pack on the empty bed.

“Hey meathead!” I turned to see Skro, who threw some bed dressings at me “Do the bed up like this” and he expertly pulled a sheet over the bed next mine, folded the end under the end, then the side under, not a single wrinkle left when he was done. “Do it just like that, and I don’t want to see a single fold or lose bit” I tried to do exactly as he did, and I thought for a moment I did okay, but a roll was diagonal towards the bottom corner. Skro pulled it off and threw the sheet back in my arms “Again, and make it tighter” After a few moments I had it down again, tight, no wrinkles this time. He didn’t smile, or say anything positive, just “Now do it about 50 more times” as he pointed around the empty bunks.

At least I wasn’t alone. Although I did half the beds myself, two officers under Skro’s command helped too. Skro himself mopped the floor, making the barracks floor spotless. I think being early meant I got to see a couple things the others might not see. These officers were meant to be cruel, to toughen us up for whatever we might see in our career, but I carefully watched them as I made the beds, they carefully watched me too, and I noticed the had a certain amount of pride in this building. They weren’t very highly ranking themselves, but this space was theirs and Skro was in charge, and they made sure it represented them, clean, ready for action, and perfectly organized.

After making all the beds we washed every inch of every wall. Ever doorknob, every light switch, anything that could get wet was washed. Other than some wear marked in and out of doorways the entire space was spotless, and the scent of strong cleaners filled the air. It wasn’t until everything was clean, late into the night, nearly 2 am, the Skro himself spoke to me again. This time also nothing positive, but blunt “You can sleep now meathead. But the next two days we are all on leave between classes. Keep this space fucking spotless until we get, the first of the other cadets show up in 4 days”

“Yes, Sir!” I replied, and he walked down the hallway towards the front of the building. Once they were out of sight I went to the showers and cleaned myself up. I put on the ordered cream and made sure I had left the showers spotless. I made my way to bed 32, turning out the light along the way, and laid down on my stomach to sleep. Faint noises and shouts came from the distance as a camp was doing some night training it seemed. I think most dragons sleep on their stomach because of our wings tails and spikes, but I used to prefer sleeping on my sides and back. But for the last 6 months I’ve been force to sleep on only my stomach because of the wounds on my back. I think I drifted off to sleep quickly, but thoughts shifted to my brother as I feel asleep. I hoped he had survived, but there was no word yet where the ship with the big “2” had landed. Maybe it hasn’t even landed yet, it could have fallen behind. What about that purple kid he was helping? Curious if that dragon survived too, had the two become friends? I had too many questions in my head, but eventually I feel asleep.

The next morning was uneventful, I went to the mess hall and got my breakfast. When I asked for my double serving they did check a list, and informed me I was on it for 8 weeks. A little surprised, the doctor must have extended it or there was a clerical error. I wasn’t going to argue, this food was substandard to everyone else but a meal for kings to me. As I took my tray to a table I passed a stand with two large dispensers with a label that only said “Char”. There was a third stand beside them with mugs. I took one and put it under the spout and pulled the handle, causing a steaming hot dark liquid to come out. A little lacking in my own culture I assumed this was the dragon version of coffee. I continued with my loaded tray in one hand and the steaming mug in the other and sat down to begin eating. The mush this morning tasted faintly like eggs, they probably were but from some “alien” form of avian. It tasted amazing. The meat was similar to what I had yesterday, but now I had two squares instead of one, for my doubled calories as ordered. But my surprised was this hot drink. I only had coffee once on Earth, it was hard to come by for us, but this tasted as if someone had melted chocolate into coffee. It didn’t need any sweeteners or cream like some humans liked, it was already sweet. It was delicious, and as I learned as the morning went on, also had a large caffeine content.

After I ate I decided to walk around, get to know the base and give myself an advantage over the other new recruited once they arrived. Also to give my body more exercise to account for my missing counterweight. I passed a couple groups doing jumping jacks and push ups, Other body weight strength exercises specific to dragons, but nothing involving the wings. Like everyone else in my ancestral culture they just hung on their back, useless and unmoving aside from their own swinging momentum. I had found the range a small distance from the base by following a path, but didn’t venture too close. I could hear the gunfire from practice and training going on. There was a large landing pad, well actually several in a small network, on the north side of the base. Was it the north side? Was there even a north on this planet? It sort of “felt” north. I found the armory, between the range and the main part of the base, it was another point I decided to keep my distance from for now. I did also wander back to the hospital to return the thin cloth I left with. If the militia was so short on resources I could at least help by returning this one item, to be washed and reused. I did return to the mess hall for a lunch and again at dinner, in the evening I was thankful there was many latrines and facilities around. I showered, applied my medical cream to my scars with the help of a single small mirror in the shower room.

Again I drifted off the sleep, thinking of my family. Was my brother still alive? I was alone in this barrack, and suddenly I didn’t want to be. The image of my mother’s head staring back at me from the floor flashed in my mind and the deep anger started to return. I had a hard time falling asleep that night.

The next day was much of the same, I think other cadets and some officers were concerned with how much I enjoyed the food. Walking around the base and watching the other Cadets being trained, maybe sort of studying them to learn what I was up against. So far everything I had seen was nothing that I couldn’t handle. I walked to a couple new places in the afternoon and found an obstacle course. At the end there was a 5 or 6 meter tall wall with a thick rope hanging over it, the Cadets were required to climb over. That part seemed so strange to me, if they were trained to use their wings they could jump and with grabbing a couple wingfulls of the air they would be over it without touching it.

That evening was when I learned I was maybe seeing too much. Skro and his officers returned to the barrack late at night, I was already in bed when they stumbled in, 4 of them, I got out of bed to greet them, which was a bad idea. As I got closer my nostril were filled with the scent of alcohol and something else. Something I wasn’t used to smelling, one or more of them had also been with someone else’s company, to say it lightly. “Meathead!” Skro yelled when he saw me, slightly slurring “The fuck are you doing awake!” he stumbled to one side “You’re not sup-supposed to be awake Cadet!” he stumbled towards a bed, a single bed not a bunk like the others, the bed where he was meant to sleep. “Meathead you dumbass go to bed!” and he turned and fell face first onto the bed “You didn’t see tonight, meat-” He belched “Meathead” What a neat nickname he had picked for me. The other three officers turned out the lights, leaving me in the dark to find my way back to bed 32 as the officers climbed into bunks across the room from Skro.

I slept easier somehow, know there was at least others in the building, even if I wasn’t meant to talk to them. Maybe deep inside somewhere we were pack animals, or maybe I was finally distracted a little from my thoughts, but morning came quick for day 3. I was awoke to someone kicking my mattress. I opened my eyes for Skro over my head, the smell of the alcohol from the night before was still on his breath, but somehow he was showered already, cleaned up and full of energy. “Wakey wakey sunshine” he said sarcastically, pausing for a second “GET THE FUCK UP CADET!” he yelled and I jumped out of the bed to my feet, the shock throwing my still recovering balance off for a second. “The first group arrives tomorrow and your sorry ass has been selected by fate to get the place ready!”

“Yes, Sir!” But then I paused “But didn’t we already clean it up, Sir?”

“I could slap that stupid our of your head” he sounded annoyed “You got more than a clean bed didn’t you? A uniform, a pack, weather hood! Now we got to get ready to do this 100 times!” He pointed towards the room where I got my uniform from “The supply officer is going to make 99 other kits, take them to each bed in preparation for the other arriving cadets. Nice and neat, all arranged the same, make it look like you know what you’re doing” after a brief pause he barked “What are you waiting for, a kiss? GO!”

“Yes sir!” and I nearly ran over the supply room. The one who had given my uniform was already at work, piling everything but a pair of pants into neat piles, he grabbed a couple and handed them to me.

“One kit for each bed, this is the bulk of what each cadet gets, aside from pants and fatigues. We need to size each cadet for that.” he smiled at but not in a friendly way. “You and this one down, 98 to go”

I spend the next hour or so walking back and forth between the supply room and the bunks, taking two kits at a time, and arranging them neatly near the foot of each bed. Skro walked through the beds a couple times to make sure every kit was neatly arranged. After a while he sat on the edge of his bed with his nose buried into a tablet like device. I assumed he was either reading personnel files of the incoming recruits or looking at porn. I couldn’t tell with this guy. Eventually every bed, except for my own and the officers’, each had a kit laying on it. It was still quite early in the day but was told to go eat breakfast.

I came back with a full stomach again but was surprised when I entered the barrack and 20 or 30 new dragons were inside. Most were skinny, wearing very little, listening to Skro who was already rambling on about making beds and keeping this barracks cleans. The supply officer got between me and the crowd and started quickly adjusting my uniform, making sure it was perfectly straight, then told me to go stand next to Skro. Once beside him he pointed me our in front of everyone, “You got two hours to get yourselves in uniform, and be as proper as this one, I want you looking just like him! But of course you will all have you wings!” I don’t think I could hid my annoyance of darkening spikes at that remark. The new recruits murmured a bit “SHUT UP!” Skro yelled “You’re going to find most of your uniform on your bed, that’s the one size fits all, and on you skinny lot it’s going to look extra big. Your Pants and fatigues are sized to you, my supply officer will get those to you shortly, one by one. There’s only 25 of you so it better not take 2 hours. In the meantime get those civilian clothes off” He paused and looked around, realizing some had showed up without a single personal item, not even a cloth around their waist “Well those of who came with civilian clothes. You’re not civilians anymore, you’re fighters now! Totally untrained useless soldiers, but in 6 months who knows, maybe one or two of you might know how to load a gun or throw a punch.”

I made my way to my bed to digest breakfast. I was sitting on the edge when a light blue dragon came up to the bunk I was sitting on. He looked the numbers and muttered “33” and started picking at the kit on the top bunk above me, throwing the top on first. He pulling it over his head, catching for a moment on his horns and awkwardly adjusting himself, it was a little obvious to me this one was not used to wearing tops at all. He went through the rest of the kit realizing nothing else was of interest then finally looked down at me sitting on the bottom bunk and awkwardly got an introduction out of his mouth. “Hi, I’m Jude” I could see his eye already twitching, I don’t think he had many manners.

“Hi Jude, I’m Jake” I started to reach out for a moment, oddly to give a handshake, I don’t know why I kept doing this, it wasn’t even a dragon habit, just something we picked up on earth, and placed my hand back down. But I did notice his face nearly contorting as he held it in, I could tell what he wanted but he was being to polite to ask. “It’s okay, go ahead.”

Almost like a child eager to ask a stupid question he blurted out “What happened to your wings?!?”

“Cut off by Titan, about 6 months ago.”

“So you’re THAT guy?”

“Yup, it seems news of what I went though has gotten around” It still wasn’t a topic I liked talking about, so I decided to steer the conversation away “ So where are you from?”

“Industry” he replied

“Like, you work in industry? I mean, where?”

“No, Industry, it’s a planet in Titan’s domain not even really worthy a name, it’s full of factories and pretty much everyone is a slave”

A female voice suddenly came from the bed across from us “We’re all from Industry, 25 of us on this transport that came this morning. It’s been a tough time, they tried to shoot us down as we left. I think more coming in a couple days though. Hi, I’m Larice” She greeted as she unfolded her top from her kit and threw it over her head “So if your wings were cut off by Titan himself, and you’re THAT Jake, does that mean you’re from ‘Arth’?”

“’Earth’, and yea, my and brother Deakon. Our parents gave up human names in hopes that it would later make life easier for us for dealing with them.” I told them a little but, but I didn’t want to say much yet. “Dad used to say it was a peace offering.”

“You looked skinnier than we do” Jude noticed “Was that human ship really as bad as people said?”

“I don’t think it was, at least not on our level, but we did run out of food for 3 months. I only ate once a week during that time, and the 4 years before that I didn’t eat much to begin with” I sighed “But, I don’t really want to talk about that” The two lowered their heads for a moment, before Larice stood up

“I guess I better get in line for those pants”

“Yea, me too” said Jude, they walked towards the supply room.

Once every had their uniforms on a standing inspection was made by Skro, he looked over every recruit and corrected anything wrong, along with an insult. Then he stood in front of us all and gave us an outline of how the next 6 months would go. Every morning would be exercise before breakfast. Probably the same group push-ups and jumping jacks I saw earlier. The first week would be theory, leaning about weapons and learning proper protocol and rankings, and a lot of physical training. Then on week 2 we’d dive right into learning to fire and take care of a gun. Skro said the first two weeks were most important. Then into physical training, the hardest, requiring to pass that obstacle course to continue. The last couple weeks were about formations, battle tactics, advanced weapons like grenades and bigger guns. Then at the end, ship gunning, and life aboard ships in space. Then our fates would be decided, finding out which role we would be best suiting for. He didn’t use such nice words though, he said things like “how to shit in space” and “Which way dumb asses like us should look down a barrel of a riffle”

“You still have 3 days before the rest of the camp shows up, but that’s not going to stop me from harassing your asses until then! Tomorrow morning we’re waking up when the sun rises and I’m going to run you all hard! If I’m feeling nice I’ll let you eat breakfast, then I’ll run your asses more again! Other thing! This is MY fucking barrack, and if you so much as leave a single shed scale on the floor you’ll be cleaning every inch of this hall with your tongue! KEEP IT FUCKING CLEAN! Any part of of your uniform that isn’t on you is in your pack, your pack goes under the bunks. No personal effects left out at any time!” I stood at attention with the rest as he droned off the rules, mostly about keeping the place clean and tidy, keeping ourselves clean and tidy, where the important things were like the showers, shitters, and linen cleaners, the typical housekeeping stuff.

The next morning we were all were all awakened quite violently. Skro and his officers started marching through the rows of bunks hitting metal sheets with ladles stolen form the mess hall. Every single one of use was up and at attention in seconds. Mostly everyone still in full uniform, but a few it seems chose to sleep in the nude, as the humid hot night from the nearby jungle made it hard for some to sleep. Jude slid nude from the bunk above, nearly toppling on top of me before we both scrambled to stand at attention at the foot of our bunks. Skro noticed and quickly marched up to him, he voice so loud it nearly hurt my ears being next to them “WHAT IN THE FUCK IS THIS CADET?!?! Who the hell said you could take off your uniform?! This isn’t kiddy care! You don’t get to show off those pretty blue scales whenever you want! You can take your uniform off on 3 occasions and these 3 occasions only! When you shit! When you shower! And when we say you can! HURRY THE FUCK UP AND GET DRESSED!” His attention diverted to a pair a few bunks away, who had also stripped for a cooler sleep, and began yelling at them. Jude turned and grabbed the parts of his uniform and started sliding into them.

Larice stood at attention at the foot of her bunk beside. Suppressing some laughter, hoping not to get Skro’s attention, I glanced at her, she looked back at me and whispered in a joking voice “Kiddy care”

Skro wasn’t kidding about the running, within a few minutes we were all outside in the big open space in front of the bunks running laps, everyone was in uniform now. The sun of this planet not even completely risen, the dark jungle surrounding us. It didn’t take long, maybe 10 minutes, before the first dropped. A skinny dragon who was struggling to keep up. I expected Skro to start yelling obscenities at them, but instead he ran up to them with a couple of officers, they said a few things back and forth and the officers helped them to their feet, walked them to the center of the parade, and made them sit down. I thought to myself, he wasn’t running us to be a prick, to instead to see where our physical abilities where, to know who would need extra attention and who would just need to get in better shape. I ran for 20 minutes, slowing to a jog after the first few. A few of other dragons had dropped in that time, including my bunkmate Jude, but Larice was still going strong. This was when I learned I wouldn’t be going any further. About 12 of us were still jogging after 30 minutes when as I was running my head started feeling very light. The tunnels started in my vision. I Stopped and put my hands on my knees as I leaned over. One of the officers ran up to me “Nope! Not you! You go down and we lose you for the day!” he grabbed my arm and started walking me to the center, the tunneling slowing but still present as he sat me down. I was panting heavily as I sat down, but after only a few moments the lightheadedness and the narrow vision started going away. As I rest with the other I noticed Skro with his tablet, marking up who was doing what I’m assuming.

After an hour of jogging, only 3 dragons remaining running around the field. Larice, and two others. Those 3 were in great shape it seemed, and Skro called them to the center.

“OKAY! We know who the weaklings are now!” He looked at me “And who might be a little better than I thought! I thought this meathead would be the first to drop for sure!” Looking at the small group he had a momentary look of worry, between myself and the other dragons who had been forced to work themselves skinny, there wasn’t a lot of room for improvement until we put weight on. More than half of use where gaping our maws open, trying to cool off in the morning air. “Catch your breath then head to the mess hall and eat breakfast!”

I made my way to the mess hall behind the group, letting them get their food first, I was day 4 into double rations and some of them looked like they hadn’t eaten in days. One of the last to get my try of food, my double rations, I sat alone at a table. To my surprise Jude, Larice, and two others moved to the table and sat with me. Larice sat beside me spoke first “You surprised me, ‘Earthian’” she said and patted my back “I with how skinny you are, I though you’d be the first down”

“Earthling” I said

“Huh?”

“Someone form Earth, is called ‘Earthling’” I turned and smiled at her “Just so you know”

“Well, either way, you did good”

“I’m surprised you outran me” Jude said after swallowing a bite “You got more stamina than I do, but I’m probably stronger” He wasn’t wrong, he wasn’t as skinny as I am, but his stamina would need some work. I nodded to imply agreement and started shoving more of the breakfast meat into my maw. I think I must have smiled or something subconscious as he spoke up again “You like this stuff?” I nodded and swallowed the meat, taking a sip of char form my mug

“Best food I’ve had in 5 years!”**

**“Wow, you’ve really had it bad then” Jude said, idly turning his food with the spoon-fork thing they had us eat with “This is going to take some getting used to”

“Well, I you don’t want it, I’ll have some more” I joked, as Jude slowly pulled his tray back. He definitely wasn’t interested in sharing, even if he didn’t like it. We chatted some more, the 5 of us, the asked a few question about Earth as we ate, I asked a few question about Industry.**

**I noticed Skro and his officers sitting at a nearby table as we spoke, they weren’t really eating, despite having tray of food before them, rather they were all chatting and pointing at their tablets, sometimes pointing at someone randomly from our group at tablets, planning out more undoubtedly fun things for us to do. He looked up and nodded at his officers and then stood, and yelled out “COMPANY 2! Breakfast is over be back outside in 3 minutes!” I think most of us had no idea we were called that until Skro yelled it at us. I guess it made sense, since we were staying in Barracks 2

The few that hadn’t finished their meals shoved what they could into their mouths as everyone got up, returned the trays to a messy pile on a table near the food and we all walked out to the parade where we had just spent our time. Skro and his officers were already impatiently waiting. My full stomach was not looking forward to more running but is was as if the officers knew already it was a bad idea in the quickly warming morning. Skro started his usual shouting “Okay listen up! You’re all pretty worst off than we thought, so instead of making you run and barf up breakfast like we had planned, we’re going to start a little early. More are coming this afternoon and two more groups of the next two days. We’re going to teach you basic drill and formation right now, then when those late lazy fuckers show up it’ll be your jobs to make sure they fall in line!” First off, properly standing at attention! There’s 25 of you, get in 5 lines of 5 facing me, then stand straight up as you can, tall and proud, arms at your sides, hands in fists, and stare straight ahead” It took us a few minutes, fumbling around, before arranging ourself in 5 crooked lines and stared ahead “Well that was pathetic! We’re going to come around and fix you all up” Skro and his officers walked through the group, straightening out the lines, our uniforms, our postures, where our hands were, everything, taking some time to do so before he stood in front of the group again “This is shit, but we can work on this.”

The next few hours was pretty boring, learning a proper salute, the right hand placed on our chest and a slight bow, not like humans with their odd hand thing to the side of the head. Learning how to fall in line quickly for a formation. Properly standing at attention, all the basic drill stuff. We didn’t skip lunch, they obviously wanted most of us to put on a few pounds, then back to much of the same of the same for the afternoon. We were moved form the parade in front of our barrack as another company needed the space for their own training, and ended up closer to the jungle on the far side of the field. The hot sun and humid jungle air added to the difficulty in standing still that afternoon.

We were saved from the heat by the arrival of the next group. We were ordered into the barracks with the new arrivals, most of us being new themselves, I was the only exception now here for 5 days. We were ordered to help them “Get their shit together” Help them into uniform, get their things arranged, and this time with our help this group was only given an hour. I noticed of the new arrivals had his top on sloppy and a little sideways, but as I approached to help I was met with a very rude “Don’t fucking touch me, cripple!” I stepped back, greatly surprised, the first time I have been something so harshly, but he would almost instantly regret it.

“WHAT?!?” The second I heard Skro’s voice I knew it was going to get very serious and very nasty very fast. “WHAT IN THE FUCK DID I JUST HEAR?!?!” Skro stepped toe to toe with him, pushing me out of the way, he stood silent and surprised for a moment then Skro tore into him again “I ASKED YOU A FUCKING QUESTION, CADET, WHAT IN THE FUCK DID I JUST HEAR?!?!”

“I said ‘don’t fucking touch me, cripple’” he replied, pretty quietly.

“DON’T TOUCH ME, CRIPPLE, WHAT?” this guy was caught off guard “I SAID DON’T TOUCH ME WHAT? EVERYTHING YOU SAY WILL END IN ‘SIR’ WHEN YOU TALK TO ME, SHITSTAIN!”

“I said, ‘Don’t fucking touch me, cripple’ SIR” His reply was still low

“THIS ‘FUCKING CRIPPLE’ OUTRAN HALF THE COMPANY THIS MORNING AND I’M WILLING TO BET EVEN WITHOUT WINGS HE COULD KICK YOUR SORRY ASS FROM HERE TO THE END OF TRAINING, What is your name cadet?!”

“Parith, sir!”

“Paretih?!? Fucking shitty name! A shitty name for a shitstain!” Skro grabbed my arm and pulled me in front of him “Cadet Jake, help this useless shitstain fix his uniform, cadet Jake!” Awkwardly I reached out and started straightening his top as I had originally intended as Skro went off again “YOU’RE SUCH A STUPID FUCK! SOMEDAY YOU MAY BE IN A TRENCH PINNED DOWN BY THE ASSHOLES WE’RE HERE TO FIGHT AND THIS FUCKER GONNA BE BESIDE YOU, YOU WANT HIM TO LEAVE YOU THERE TO DIE? OR WOULD YOU WANT HIM TO PULL YOU BACK AND STAY ALIVE?!?” The was a silent pause as I let go of his now straight uniform “WELL?!?!”

“Alive, sir” he said quietly

“I’m hard of hearing, shitstain, speak the fuck up”

“ALIVE, SIR!”

“How old are you, cadet?”

“25, Sir”

“You’re still a baby, but it’s time to grow the fuck up, you’re brother in arms with everyone in this room now” He leaned in even closer and put his mouth nearly up to his ear, nearly whispering, but loud enough for everyone to barely hear “I hear shit like this again, and you’re going to be flunked out and put on your ass on the street with no way home faster than you pick your asshole, you got that?” Parith nodded obediently and Skro walked back to attend to other new recruits, yelling about crooked tops and pants too low. Then Parith turned to look at me for a second before turning his back and pretending to busy himself in the pack. I walked back toward my bunk and Larice put her hand on my shoulder

“Making great friends already, look at you go!” She chuckled

“Yeah, I feel a little better about my nickname too” I laughed with her, as I got to my bunk Jude’s feet were dangling in my way, I looked up and him and he stared down in my face and smiled before playfully putting his left foot up on my shoulder and pushing gently.

“Yeup, you could totally kick that guys ass” His toned changed to a little mocking “Just look at this big beefy shoulders” as he moved his foot around on my shoulder. I pushed it off “Love ya princess” he joked. I was a little surprised how close we were getting already

“I bet I could, but that guy isn’t who I’m here to fight”

The next day was more of the same, running until most passed out, breakfast, then drill. After that the 3rd group showed up, and we went through the process again. Someone would say something stupid, not about me this time, and get chewed out by Skro, then in the evening more formations drills.

The last day before training officially because came and the last group showed up in the afternoon again. We were now 100 strong, but strong would be the wrong word for what were were. Thin, untrained, useless soldiers, just as Skro had told us.**