The Grey Chronicles Part One: New Declaration of An Old War

Chapter 16: A Night to Remember...or Not.

The Anarchist, en route to Onyx Seven, April of 8096 AL.

"WHAT?!?" Korana shrieked, her voice as shrill as it was loud.

The room fell silent and all eyes turned to her. Her husband was the first to react; Salem grabbed his wife by the arm and dragged her through the crowd that parted instantly. He stepped into the arena, sighing as he went. She stomped along behind him and slammed her palm against the button to close the blast doors. A spark hit the end of her fuse the moment the doors closed.

"Why in HELL did you promote him?" she screamed.

"Why not? He's a SHOK veteran from the Trench Wars, he beat you, our best hand-to-hand specialist, and he's in better condition than most of the rest of our unit." Salem pointed back at the door, "I just did five hundred and ninety-three push-ups. I'm covered in sweat, I think I popped a few stitches, and I had an hour to rest beforehand. He just finished marching up and down that mountain hefting a four-hundred-pound sheet of metal, kicked both of our asses, and barely has a drop on him. Don't tell me he's not qualified, he's in better condition than I've been in two-thousand years."

"Okay, I understand that," Korana had calmed down somewhat, but she was still brimming with anger, "But lieutenant colonel? And to our unit?"

"We made a deal that if he beat Gunny I'd promote him to Lieutenant, and if he beat me I'd assign him to Badger Platoon." Salem almost grinned, at the last moment he tempered his eagerness; he thought it better not to agitate her further. "He's almost as stubborn as me! He refused to settle for less than colonel and an assignment to Demon squadron. I agreed."

"Why? You're his superior! The High King!" she growled, her face flushing red again, "You could simply order him to accept!"

"You know I don't work like that," Salem looked back at the door. "He lost his leg on Calx Urbs and spent his entire GI bill getting a prosthetic implant just so he could reenlist. I've never met someone like him, he's perfectly qualified and I think he sincerely wants to be in our unit."

"No, he really wants to be in our daughter's pants!" Korana countered. "Didn't you see how he looked at her after the first round? And not twenty minutes ago she was just giddy over him!"

"Good," he snapped shortly as he turned away from her.

"Good? What do you mean good?" her cheeks somehow became more colorful and she screamed even louder, "This is our daughter we're talking about!"

"I know, but I talked to him a little after the first round." Salem sighed and looked her in the eye, "He's a great man and I think he's genuinely interested in her as a person."

"I will not allow him to become a member of our squadron!" Korana growled.

Salem sighed heavily and his entire body became rigid, preparing for a storm, "I really didn't want to play this card, considering I just told you I don't play that way, but as the Master General of the UCAM and the rightful High King of the Machinae Empire, I order you to shut your damn mouth and accept him as your squad mate."

"WHAT?! How DARE you!" her hands balled into fists, she gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to kick him again. "I will not let you-"

"Yes, you will. You may be my wife, and as much as I respect you for putting up with my shit you're also lower in the chain of command, making you my subordinate a far as military is concerned. I don't like doing this, not the slightest bit, but you're not exactly giving me any other options. I will look into his file and make sure he's truly qualified before I push the paperwork through, and you will accept him as a squad mate or you will be punished."