The Rain: The End, Marietta Standlee [year 7 reading list TXT] 📗

I already miss Alfredo, and I doubt I'm the only one. Last night we were served microwave dinners and this morning cereal, all of it probably imported from Earth. We'll need to address this issue with the Gorongiaths soon, and most of all, we need to find out if their food can be consumed by us and vice versa. What they served us so far will not sustain our bodies for long, especially with the training we're about to do.

"I've told you this before, but I want to reiterate it again." Colin stands on one of the tables and looks at the assembled soldiers in the room. "It is of utmost importance each and every one of us will hold back during training. We're not here right now to settle a score or to show off. I know it would feel good to beat one or two of them to a heap, but this is not what this training is about."

"We're here for one reason only, and that is to learn. We need to learn the Gorongiaths' ways, their tactics, their combat methods, their technology." He pauses, makes sure that everybody understands how important this is.

"We don't need heroes today, probably not tomorrow either, but our time will come if we bide our time right now, study the enemy, and don't forget they are the enemy, no matter what they want us to believe. No matter if they want to buddy up with us or not. No matter if we do end up fighting together. They. Are. The. Enemy."

"You'll get beat up today and tomorrow and the next day and the day after that, but that's okay because we will...." he waits for the others to say it out loud. As one, the entire garrison yells.

.... bide our time!"

"Good. We need them to underestimate us, this will be hard on all of us, but it's imperative. That goes for the pilots too." He looks at our group of pilots, led by Lieutenant Commander Briggs. "I need you to play as dumb as possible; I can't stress this enough; they need to underestimate us."

"You'll be walking a very fine line; we can't afford to raise their suspicions. I trust in your own judgment."

"Hooah!" The group answers, and I swell with pride for Colin.

"Alright, go get your tablets and be mindful of what you say and do while wearing them. If I were them, I'd spy on us with exactly that piece of equipment."

Again, the group shouts, "Hooah!" before we disperse to get our tablets.

Of course, Colin and I share a room, it's a shame wasting the space assigned to me, but that's where we stand. At least they're right next to each other, and having two bathrooms, albeit in different rooms, is kind of nice. I'll not deny myself or Colin this one little perk.

Together we go to our room to retrieve our new electronic leashes. The nice thing is that a few selected people have the same devices back on Earth, and we can talk to our family, even though we know we might be listened to. It's good to see Maggie's sweet face whenever I feel the need for it and vice versa.

"I'll appoint Derek as our liaison with the aliens if you're okay with that," Colin says.

I'm all too happy with that arrangement, the less I have to do with them, the better. "Tell him to make food a priority. I'm already dreading lunch."

"We might have them fly Alfredo in." Colin laughs, only half kidding.

Before we enter the training facility, we're waylaid by High Commander Quill himself. He is the highest-ranking military man the aliens have to offer and by far the tallest and broadest alien I've seen so far. His red uniform is decorated with several chest chains bearing medals of honor.

"I came to express my gratitude for your cooperation. I hope my men will learn as much from yours as yours will from mine."

"I'm grateful as well for the opportunity High Commander." Colin sounds and appears respectful, but I detect a hint of hidden animosity. Warningly I put my hand on his arm to remind him not to lose his cool.

The High Commander observes my gesture but doesn't say anything. The look in his eyes makes it clear this kind of showing affection between us is bothering him. But that is just too bad for him. We're not about to change our conduct, and neither will the other couples. After all, this is one of the many perks of serving in the militia versus the military. We don't have a good understanding of the alien's customs, but they'll have to adjust to ours on this.

"We don't show affection between superior and subordinate in our army." Quill finally makes his misgivings known.

A sardonic smile plays around Colin's lips; one side rises just a little most arrogantly, as he takes my hand firmly in his. "Seems like our armiesagree on that, but our whole battalion is not Army. We're militia, and we don't obey by the same rules." I smile at that, because Colin is omitting a few details, like the AF or the Navy members in our ranks. But it is true, that all branches of the military for this mission fall under the militia.

Quill tilts his head a little to the side. "You don't frown on fraternization between soldiers?"

"As I said, our Armed Forcesdo, but we aren't answering to them. And as far as I know, we're not here to answer to you either. We're here to establish cross-and team training, get to know each other if I'm not mistaken."

Colin's words are laced with sarcasm; Quill seems to sense it as well, but he knows he can't do anything about it without looking petty, and he knows it. To his credit, his face doesn't betray any annoyance whatsoever. "As you wish."

"Shall we begin?" Colin challenges.

Quill bows slightly to let Colin and me pass, and we enter the training room together. What I see takes my breath