Mess Hall

Myrina strode into the bar where she was due to meet Zero. She was late. She hated being late but the perils of commanding a unit often included being called into meetings and conferences that she had little interest in. She stopped in the doorway and glanced around. She saw him sat by himself, patiently waiting for her. Rina inhaled deeply and made her way to his table. She looked over to the bar and raised two fingers high then pointed to the table. She ignored the nod of the barman and sat, unclipping her grey and gold helmet. She pulled it from her head with a smile as she sat it down on the table between them.


"So, you’re Zero then."


It was more of a statement than a question. She tucked the wild strands of dark hair behind her ears and sat back. Rina eyed him up and down, getting some sort of measure on him but he was closed off and secretive; perfect for the missions he had been previously assigned.


"I’ve heard worse call signs. So, you wanted in on this unit I hear?"


Rina nodded her thanks as the barman brought over two large glasses of ale. She took a sip and awaited her answer. It was rare that new men joined her unit. She commanded a small but tightknit group, predominantly handpicked and Zero was one of the very few that were ever assigned. She made it her business to find out who and why but in Zero’s case, information was very, very hard to come by.

She listened intently to him. His words didn’t convince her entirely but he had so far given her little reason to doubt him. She had hoped to keep her intentions as quiet as possible but it was inevitable that word of them were to slip. In a way it was a good thing; those that were betraying her people would know that she was coming for them and if they knew anything of her at all, they’d know she would find them and she would kill them.

Her face grew serious as she leaned forward, her elbows resting on the glass table top. There was no mistaking the clarity of her demeanour as she spoke.

"We’re a family. My unit may not be bound by blood but we fight, live and, if necessary die for each other. If you want in on any of this then I expect the same of you. Betray my family and I, and I’ll make sure there’s zero chance you make it out alive. Am I clear?"

She sat back, glass in hand. The importance and severity of her words still lingered in the air but her body language changed to a more relaxed state. She had made her point.

But do me a courtesy and never call me ma’am again. Ma’am was my mother. Rina or Ri will do, the squad call me most things and I answer.

Rina leaned forward taking the datapad from him. She thumbed through it quickly. There was little in the way of useful information. A good eighty five percent was redacted. Some argued that the omittals and struck words were in the interest of imperial security but Myrina didn’t share that view. Details were often struck to hide mistakes. She looked between Zero and his file.

"Are you sure they don’t call you Zero because the amount of useful information in this file is approximately that?"

She arched an eyebrow with a smile then pressed a thumb to the screen, confirming the transfer of Zero to her unit. She would be watching him closely despite his insistence that he would be loyal to her and his newfound family.

"I’ll see to it that you have all that you require. If you need anything a little more hard to come by, be assured that it will be available to you. The rest of the guys are enjoying a little downtime, we have several days before we’re due out."

"What is or isn’t in my file is beyond my control, but I’ve no issue with what I’ve done or who I’ve killed."

Myrina shrugged as she twisted the glass on the table.

"There’s six more; five men and one other woman. They’re a solid group, expertise in a number of areas; everything from medicine to communications and engineering to elite weaponry. You’ll get to meet them all in due time and although they’re on down time I’d stake a month’s pay that they’ve not actually left the barracks. Their dedication and loyalty to the Empire has cost them all dearly, so I don’t blame them for wanting to stick around and hone their skills before we ship out."

She took a sip of her ale then pushed the glass away from her. She leaned forward again, staring at him and although eye contact was impossible she knew exactly where she was looking. Her next question would no doubt put him on the spot – She had dealt with Special Ops before and they were as secretive as they came but she wanted, or rather needed to know.

"Tell me, Zero ... What has your loyalty cost you?"

Myrina laughed at what he said. He sounded just like her father on the day Myrina and her brother started military academy. He made sure that each of his children knew and understood the gravity of life and death. Both had been young when their mother had passed and he had made it a priority to be honest with his children about the world, the evils that existed within it and the necessity of action and its consequences.

"You sound just like my father"

She quipped with a sad smile. He had died not long after her brother’s ill-fated mission to Feenix and the presentation of his son’s weapon to her. Fever had taken him early into his 50s. He had grown tired of the world and the corruption that had existed within it. It had taken his strength, his fight and his family but he knew Myrina would find it in herself to put right the wrongs that had so plagued them.

“Death and loss are inevitable” he would tell us. “it comes to us all whether we want it to or not. It’s a match that ignites our world. Never be afraid to use that fire but if you do, use it wisely. Never shy away from what you do or what you have to do. Haat and Ijaa above all else.”

Rina smiled at his toast, stood and grabbed hold of her helmet by its rim. She looked at Zero and motioned for him to follow her with a jerk of her head. She left the remainder of her drink on the table along with a small stack of credits; enough to cover both their drinks and several for the team when they came in later.


As Zero fell in beside her, the two left the cantina and stepped out into the hazy sunlight. She blinked a few times against the relative brightness and carried on down the path that lead towards the living quarters.


“Your list … speak to Sacha, she’ll be able to hook you up. She’s our go to. No-one asks questions so I suggest you do the same. Like I’ve said, the team is solid, not fond of outsiders so you might be a little … put out in the cold so to speak. It’s nothing personal. We’ve all be burned before so it’s a natural reaction, but I’ll treat you no different to anyone else on the team because you are no different.”


The path weaved through buildings populated by civilians and military alike. Both played an important role in the Empire and one could not function without the other.


As they approached the building her squad called home, a row of three tents became visible. The dark green panels rippled in the breeze. Outside, a bare-chested man sat lounged in a chair with his eyes closed against the sunlight. His booted feet were propped up on a munitions case and his blaster was within easy reach to the side of him. Rina and Zero passed him, with the commander scoffing as she took the stairs two at a time.


“You won’t catch a tan in this light”


The man didn’t move. He knew Rina’s footsteps better than he knew his own.


“I’m just getting the base going. All this haze will burn off by the time the hard work starts.”

He called after her but his only reply was Rina’s fading laughter.
 She pulled the door open and held it briefly for Zero to enter behind her.


“That was Jax. Token pretty boy but he’s a damn good soldier. Lost his mother and two brothers a while back, rarely talks about them. We were in the same class back at the academy. There’s no formal second in command but everyone falls in behind him.”


She led Zero down a brightly lit corridor to a large room lined with bunk beds; five sets each side. Only a small number of them were made up, the rest still had their mattress rolled and blankets folded neatly beside them. Sacha sat on the floor between two bunks, the pieces of her blaster rifle laid out before her. Looked up, her cheek mottled purple and green with a fading bruise and a dark line on her lower lip. She was about thirty two, slightly older than Myrina with blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. She looked back and forth between Rina and Zero.


“Who’s he?” she asked, speaking to Myrina but looking straight at Zero.


“New guy. Where are the boys?”


“Where do you think? But what do you mean new guy? Since when did we need a new guy?”


“Since I approved it, that’s when.”


Myrina lead Zero past Sacha towards the double doors that lead away from the bunks towards a large room that the rest of the squad used as an impromptu training room. Before they reached the doors, they passed Ellis, a dark haired technical operative in his mid-twenties. He was hunched over a schematic, tracing the wiring and cross referencing it against an exposed piece of kit in front of him. Myrina nudged him with a smile. He grunted and waved her off. Rina continued to smile as she pushed the doors open and lead Zero down the corridor.


“Ellis a good kid. He’s tech ops and coms. He can fix just about anything put in front of him.”


As they reached the doors, Rina stopped and looked at Zero.


“These guys are assholes but they’re some of the most loyal men you will ever call a brother.”


She pushed the doors open to the sound of grunting, crunching bone and the splattering of blood. Two brutish men fought with each other. They were a mass of scarred skin, rippling muscle and traditional tattoos. Caeda was six foot four inches, shaven head with burn scars across his upper torso. He had been burned during a mission long before he had met Myrina and as much as he hated his scars they were as much a part of him as his own beating heart. He fought with his blood brother Aaeron Aaeron was slightly smaller than his kin but built just as heavily. They were watched by Nazaar, the last to join their group. He was just shy of six feet, glassy blue eyes and generally mean looking. Traditional tattoos weaved their way up his arms and peeped from the top of his black t-shirt. The brothers continued to fight as Naz looked over his shoulder at Myrina and Zero. He looked Zero up and down and then looked back to Rina.


“New guy?”

Naz looked to Caeda and Aaeron, his finger pointed straight at Zero. The look on his face was one of disbelief. There was no denying that Zero’s words and the way he stood were nothing short of ballsy.

N: “Get a load of him”

He said, jerking his head in Zero’s direction. Rina remained quiet with her hands folded behind her back. Her silence allowed the exchange to continue, but she was ready to step in and put them both in their place should it be warranted.

Caeda and Aaeron made their way over to the small group. Both of them eyed Zero with the same caution that Rina had in the cantina. They had heard Zero warn Naz from a distance and it was Aaeron, the younger of the two that spoke up.

A: “Who’s the one implying, now? He said you were new, not green. Do you really think you’d be stood next to her if you were fresh outta school?”

Aaeron motioned towards Myrina. All of them had long careers, some more distinguished than others but all had proven themselves in combat in some way. He passed Zero and grabbed a towel that was hanging over the chair beside him. He wiped the blood from his knuckles, picked up a small cantina of water and took a generous mouthful. He tossed it to his brother once he was done. The work out had left him a little breathless but he felt good for the bruises.

A: “Aaeron. Caeda and Naz.”

He pointed to the men as he named them then slung the towel over his shoulder.

A: “Zero. Self-given nickname?”

Naz chirped in as quickly as he could. He stood and took a step towards Zero. The dislike between them was becoming clearer and clearer with each passing second.

N: “Please tell me it is, I just need a reason…”

Caeda laughed and screwed the top back onto the cantina.

C: “Turn it in boys”

Rina smiled and moved to speak when the doors came flying open. Ellis slid into the room amid the group. His enthusiasm was tangible.

E: “Who fancies a trip to Rishi?”