Ichor

Major General (Part III)

Year 10 - Major General
Planet Primae

° ° ° °

So many things to do. Percy had so many things to do. He came out of that meeting well after dinner with a two-page list of things to do. Yet he couldn't start on any of it because he had a kid to mentor. This was going to be one heck of a year.

Percy made his way back to his office and was greeted with an interesting sight. Sam was sitting at the table looking over a map while Andrew Faren hung suspended in the air.

"Mr. Walker, what is going on?"

"Major! Thank Chaos you're back! Colonel Faren came in with a bunch of maps and went to grab a pen off your desk. He touched it before I could warn him not to and the chains pulled him up. Could you get him down, sir?"

Percy looked over to Andrew. It was clear Andrew was uncomfortable, but there were no signs of distress, so he said, "I could. But Faren knows better than to touch my desk. Maybe I'll leave him up there all night."

"Wow, Ichor, never knew you were into-"

"Mr. Walker, please explain what you're doing with those maps."

Sam kept glancing between the two soldiers. Neither seemed too upset about the situation, so he shrugged it off and explained what he was doing.

"Colonel Faren asked me to take a look and mark the weaknesses in the troops if I saw any. I don't really know what I was supposed to be looking for, but I think I found a few spots that could be fortified better."

Percy picked up the map and brought it over to his desk for further inspection. Andrew was hanging above his head, but Percy paid no mind to that. The boy's marks were chosen well. Those spots did indeed have weak points. And only a tactful eye could catch them. Maybe he had a strategist on his hands.

"Well done, Mr. Walker. You've a good eye."

"Thank you, sir."

"Why don't we head to the mess hall. I haven't eaten dinner yet and they've got some good desserts if you're interested."

"Definitely interested, sir. But... are you actually going to leave him up there?" Sam asked, pointing to Andrew.

Percy turned to face his friend with a contemplative look.

"Oh, come on, Ichor. Let me down. I'm going to need to use the bathroom soon and I've got paperwork of my own to fill out. My division is starting their mentor program in a couple of weeks and I need to choose quickly."

Percy relented and lazily raised his hand, which the biometric scanner recognized as his, to unlock Andrew from the chains. But that also meant Andrew came crashing to the floor, just behind the desk.

A loud, pained groan was released followed by a huff of annoyance.

"Ichor. I can't feel my arms. I can't get up."

Percy rolled his eyes amusedly and walked over to assist his friend. With outstretched hands, Andrew was pulled off the floor and up to his feet.

"Don't make this a habit, Faren. I will leave you up there next time."

"Understood, Ichor," Andrew responded with a cheeky grin.

Then they all left Percy's office and went about their night.

° ° ° °

Several months later, Sam walked into Percy's office two hours after the second sun rose. He had improved much over his time on Primae. Turns out his instincts and analytical skills made him a top-notch strategist. His training was coming along great and he blew all the other mentees out of the water. Percy taught him how to hone his skills in combat, not just on paper. They worked well together. Sam helped Percy with the paperwork seeing as his dyslexia could not be helped unless everything was translated to ancient Greek. In return, Percy paid him out of pocket every week. It wasn't enough that others would notice, but it was enough to cover the bills Sam's family owed.

Percy also passed on the wisdom he earned and emphasized being a good person above all else. He stressed adaptability, acceptance, and patience. Not once did Percy lose his temper with Sam, even when Sam accidentally shredded the wrong documents and an entire month's worth of work was lost. Granted, Sam was made to clean all the bathrooms in the palace—there were a lot of bathrooms—with a toothbrush (not his), but the point was that Percy didn't lose his cool. Luckily, nothing as bad as that happened again.

"Ichor, the tables are set, but shouldn't we add chairs instead of a long bench? That way people could move chairs and sit where they please."

"Mr. Walker, people are like water. People are more adaptable than objects. Go with the flow."

"Sir, with all due respect, lay off the water puns."

"Never."

It was all for kicks and giggles, so to speak, but then Sam shifted his attitude. Percy easily caught on and waited patiently for his mentee to say whatever it was he wanted to say.

"Sir, why me? Why did you choose me?"

Percy sighed through his nose. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because," he started to say in a small voice, "I want to know if it was a mistake. I know what the soldiers have said about me. Still say. So did you pick me out of pity? Or as a scapegoat? Did you not actually pick me?" The questions were asked with a hint of fear that the answer might be yes. That he was chosen was out of pity or as a scapegoat or that Ichor didn't actually pick him by choice.

Percy looked Sam in the eye so the boy would know he wasn't lying. "It wasn't pity, I promise you that. You weren't chosen as a scapegoat. But I assure you, you were willingly chosen. When I looked at all the files, I could've picked anyone. I outranked the colonels so I could've taken their mentee with a simple request. But I didn't because I wanted someone genuine, someone who I knew would shine if given the chance."

"But how did you know that was me? How did you know I wouldn't fail?"

"I didn't know you wouldn't fail. But I thought you deserved a chance. A chance to either fail or succeed. And I knew you were the right choice because, as conceded as it sounds, you are very much like myself."

"But you risked your reputation by choosing me. Why invest in someone who knew nothing?"

"People are more important than knowledge because knowledge comes from people. Knowledge worth knowing comes from people worth knowing—good people, compassionate people, people with grit and merit. You are a good person. You care about family, you are loyal to them. You have thick skin, yet you have a big heart."

All of this was said in a mostly even tone, but the sincerity shined through. It was probably the most heartfelt thing he had said in the past ten years. It was quiet for a time before Sam hesitantly spoke again.

"I know you can't talk about your past much, but does this mean you were like me growing up?"

Percy nodded slowly. "Yes. I wasn't well off either. I had it better than you, but things were hard in their own way. My childhood was painful with blips of happiness that pushed me through. And I had to grow up pretty quickly, just like you. I can't say much more, but one day... one day I will tell you. One day, when my past doesn't matter as much, I will tell you who I am."

"I'll look forward to that day, Ichor. But I already know who you are," Sam added with a warm smile. "I may not know how you got here, but I know you. Your friends know you more than I think you think they do."

Percy returned Sam's smile by ruffling the boy's hair before playfully pushing his head away as an older brother might. But in a typical fashion, he became a pain again.

"Let's go finish the banquet set up. Lots of work to be done," Percy stated.

Sam dramatically groaned in response but made no further argument as they walked out the door and down the hall. Only a few more years and Sam would be enlisted. One thing to note about enlisting is that a soldier must be at least eighteen years old when they are inducted into the army. So in four years, Sam would join the A Division and work to become a lead strategist. And he would continue to see Ichor as his mentor long past the program.