After the initial rush to get back on the ship, I was expecting that we’d be all running around, trying to get to our stations before the shooting started.

The reality of it is what the first sergeant told me that day in the car. Hurry up and wait.

It has been two days and we were still docked in the station, waiting for the last few shipments slated for delivery. I was busy inventorying our stocks with our newest member of the dirty galley crew.

“Why do we have a hundred kilos of Hoaka seedpods? Are we eating Jappal stew for the next few months?” Nika’s incredulous voice sounding faint from the other side of the storage racks. I snorted in amusement, remembering my own reaction when I found it on our inventory list.

“We have plans for that. Franny said that they got a good deal on it and they had the budget so the former head cook decided to buy the entire bulk on sale. From what I understood, the old head cook was some kind of snooty elitist. A great cook, just felt like that being a cook in a mercenary warship was beneath him.” I said back.

“They why work here in the first place!? Sometimes, I just don’t understand people.” Nika grumbled. Nika has very little patience for people who complain about things that is within their power to change.

“I dunno but I’m glad he's gone. I like working with Franny. Are you almost done there?”

“Just give me a second. A can of mushrooms is missing… ah, got it. It got shoved behind the sack of potatoes. I’m good.” A few thumps and some scraping noises signaled Nika’s completion of her work. She did a physical inspection of our foodstuff that was kept in the Galley’s storage room. We only keep what we would need to use for the week and restock it regularly with our main stocks in a larger and environmentally-controlled storage bay.

Nika appeared from around the racks, brushing dust from her shirt. Nika Kolettis was one of the three badly-needed new hires for the ‘stoves and grills’ division. Franny was finally able to do her job properly as a head cook. She has been covering for the dirty galley due to the lack of manpower but with the addition of Nika, she could now work on the stuff she had to put on the backburner and circulate among the ship’s galleys, like a proper head cook should. Musaka has been promoted to kitchen boss. T has finally graduated from cutting up vegetables to being able to work the soup vats. Musaka and I still have to taste his work and make final adjustments when necessary but T has gotten better at his job.

“What next? Are we doing lunch now?” The energetic woman asked. She has a smile on her face and her clear, blue eyes were staring at me with expectation.

Nika was a native of Tyr. Both of her parents were former mercenaries and were retired. As soon as she finished her primary and secondary education, she signed up with her father’s old outfit. She always had a love for cooking and was also interested in visiting new worlds. She served as one of the ship’s three rotating cooks. It was a small frigate that had about sixty people on board. She served her contract time with them of three years before she left. She was disappointed that the ship was relegated to working contracts within a few transitions and most of the places they’ve been was small colonies that needed anti-piracy patrols or raid protection. The opening in the Woglinde came at the right time after her mother, who was a former Red Tiger, suggested to check the company’s GalNet. There were some good offers from the other outfits but Red Tiger was the only one that she felt reasonably confident that would guarantee that she would be able to see what’s beyond the three transition points that she had been circling the past three years.

“Yup. We’re making some Samosa. We’ll be using some of those Hoaka seedpods. That’ll give it a kick. C’mon, let’s get out of here.” I gestured at her to follow me out. We secured the door then cleaned up. I made sure to grab a pod or two to add to the Samosa for later. I brought a small pill canister so I wouldn’t misplace it.

“All is well?” Musaka asked when he found us at the sink. He was working on the meat vats, cultivating the Antuana meat that Franny and I brought back. It only takes a little bit to grow them into fifty-kilogram chunks.

“Everything’s there. We could use more green curry but looking at the local prices, I’d rather wait until we get somewhere else where they locally produce it then buy some. We have enough for a variety of dishes anyway. The prices in Tyr are nothing less than robbery.” It was almost a four hundred percent price hike from the previous registered market value. They could take that curry and shove it up their assholes.

“Indeed, the merchants are being unreasonable. It is expected, the Pegasi system supplies most of the curry within the sector and with the system now under New World control, the trade has been shifted to only a few worlds, Tyr not being one of them.” Musaka calmly agreed. It doesn’t really matter for the moment. We have stocked up on a lot of food stuff so it’s not like we were hurting for spices. Still, I love curry.

“It is time for us to prepare for lunch. Nika, you will be helping me make Gas’teka. I assume that your file is correct in informing me that you have training in Inugorian cuisine?” Musaka looked inquiringly at the woman.

“That’s right. I’m still working on my two-tone tasting skills but I do alright.” Though not particularly difficult to practice, being able to taste two dominant flavors at the same time and make it taste good takes some skill.

“Excellent. Albert, I have Titus preparing a pair of vegetable soup, One cabbage based for the humans and a Hamali one for the Inugorians. Please observe him and give him advice when necessary but let him make them on his own. He has improved since he started working in the galley and frankly speaking, chopping vegetables is beneath him. I suspect that Franny had him doing so to focus his attention on the importance of consistency and patience. He has already created very edible dishes before. I would like for him to be more productive.” Musaka instructed. I’ve noticed that too. T was not actually a bad cook. He was just lazy and would rather throw a large potato in the stock rather than properly chopping it up. It didnt mean that he was bad at it. He made some awesome grilled fish before that I could remember.

Once his instructions were given, we broke up to attend to our own tasks. T was already at the large vats, keeping an eye on the mixer controls. He didn’t want it to mash the vegetables. He gave me a high five when I passed him to get my apron.

I started working on the samosa for lunch by making the dough from scratch. We actually have some ready-made ones but they’re more for baking sweet desserts. I started scooping out flour and throwing it in the dough mixer. Once I decided it was enough, I added salt, butter, and the Hoaka seedpod instead of using carom seeds. I crushed the grain-sized seedpod by placing it on the center of my palm then crushing it with my right-hand thumb. The pod made an audible soft pop and then the pungent smell of the seedpod wafted throughout the galley. It was almost too strong for me so I quickly ground it, ensuring that it felt powdery before sprinkling it on the flour. I ran my hands on the flour to ensure that none of the Hoaka remained on me before adding water then running the mixer.

“Wooo! That smells nice! Is that the Hoaka seedpod? I’ve never smelled that thing fresh. We always had to use the synthesized ones.” Nika yelled from the other side of the preparation area. She was carving out a large, blue, cylindrical fruit. She was dumping the slimy innards of it in a bio-recycler. It was interesting to watch her work. She was clearly enjoying what she was doing. She was humming while she carved and was doing some dance moves whenever she thought nobody was looking. She was definitely one quirky lady.

“Those synthesized spices do the job but they pale in comparison with the real thing. There must be something more to it than just the proper combination of chemical compounds.”

“You got that right else we wouldn’t have paid for a truckload of those things.”

“It’s just a hundred kilos, Nika.”

“That hundred kilos could have paid for a new car.” She pointed out. I paused to consider then agreed with her argument.

“We must have had a larger budget before.” I hazarded to guess. The former head cook probably had a lot of interesting dishes that he had in mind.

We finished preparing lunch surprisingly quickly. Nika has proven herself invaluable. Given her experience in working in a ship’s galley before, It didn’t take her long to get into the groove of things. She was zipping around the preparation area in less than an hour, throwing dance moves here and there. It was amusing to watch her while she worked.

We were manning the counter by the time the first wave of hungry people came tromping in for lunch. We had to increase our normal food quantity since the ship was carrying an extra one thousand mercs along with their equipment. The oversized battalion came streaming in, one shuttle after another, yesterday. The ship was as busy as a dockyard the night before with people running around, trying to get their equipment and themselves properly situated. This morning was also different because the formerly open bays were converted into an impromptu training field. You could hear all the banging and clanging of armored troopers going through drills, working on keeping themselves sharp. Franny had us break out the food carts to deliver some snacks to the sweating troopers. Nika and I were like celebrities when we appeared bringing some sandwiches and dried sweet fruits. Nika made a special liquid blend for the Barrals and they loved it. We knew that they loved it because they made sure to say so. It made Nika’s day. It’s not often that a Barral would make the effort to compliment somebody unless they really thought it was worth saying.

The first production batch of the trail mix I had proposed and was recently approved just got distributed to the troops. They were initially wary of it, it looked very different from the regular ration bar, so it was understandable that there was some trepidation in replacing something that was already a standard. Sokolov and his people were like damned evangelists, spreading the good word about the ‘Red Tiger Action Bar.’ I don’t know who made up the name, so cheesy, but it stuck.

It went into production last night and already the people that have tried it was already feeling a proprietary affection towards the ration bar. In their minds, this is a Red Tiger product. This was made for them by one of them. Well, they were not wrong but I honestly made it because I refuse to shove that shite that they call a ration bar in my mouth anymore if I can possibly do so. It dawned on me that I changed a company standard just because I didn’t want to eat something. Like a petulant child.

Nika and I were busy serving lunch and as usual, people were interested about the new gal. She was getting a lot of questions and people were slow to move off her line. She was doing a lot better that I did the first time I met the crowd. She was laughing and making jokes. She was even winking at some of the guys that were staring too much.

Nika was the complete opposite of the Franny, the crowned beauty. She’s about a bit shorter than me but her puffy, brunette hair made her look taller. She normally had it in a ponytail to keep it away from being a bother when working but when she lets it down, her thick, healthy hair explodes into unruliness. Nika confessed that she had given up on trying to tame it. It was just too much work but she didn’t want to cut it either.

The experienced cook also has a well-defined body. She has the same healthy vibe that reminded me of Nabila but rather than hulking muscles, hers were more of a fitness expert. She was leaner but not sinewy and still has some muscles visible when she flexed. Her tanned skin indicated that she spent a lot of time outdoors. Her blocky face could be said to be more handsome than beautiful. She has a crooked nose that was never corrected. It looked like it got mashed during a fight but that was just me thinking. Her deep brown eyes were always full of life, always making you feel comfortable every time she made eye contact.

We were serving the second wave of lunch goers when Franny made an appearance. She greeted the people in the dining room while she looked around, ensuring that the galley kitchen was working like the well-lubricated machine that she left it to be. She now has the time to make her rounds since the new hires were able to take up the slack. Franny let us finish serving before she had us move near the store room to have an impromptu meeting.

“Just so you guys know, we’ll be moving out in an hour. We finally got the go signal from the council through QE communication. We’ll be attached to an Inugorian battle group since they have the most experience working with us closely. Galactic military still thinks we’re an undisciplined bunch of nutters that happened to have guns so they don’t really trust us to do our part. Bastards.

We will rendezvous with Task Force 2.1 a few transitions from the Pegasi system. What that means for us it that we have less than a week to get our performance times up. Albert, I want to see you at the range every day after your shift here. Do you hear me? Every day. We’ll also be running team drills until I’m satisfied. We’ll be coordinating our exercises with ShipSec. Let’s see if we could work on our teamwork a bit. Yes, Nika?” Franny noticed that Nika wanted to ask a question but she was uncomfortable about voicing it out.

“I’m not familiar with the procedures yet.”

“I was about to go into that. You’ll be reporting to Musaka after dinner duty. You’ll be fitted for your environmental suit and you’ll be going over your responsibilities as damage control. You’ll be pulling extra hours until you get all caught up. Sorry, but we’re at war footing. We don’t have the luxury of time. Understand?” Nika just nodded in agreement. I was lucky that my circumstances of joining didn’t necessitate a rushed training scheme. I wouldn’t have been able to cope. Nika has done this before so she probably would not find it too much of a challenge.

We hardly noticed until Musaka informed the galley crew that we were underway. We were preparing the ingredients for dinner and there was no feeling of movement. T also got some updates from his trooper friends. Apparently, T.S. Ines would meet us halfway through with her battle group. The behemoth-class ship was being escorted by two light carriers and half a dozen destroyers. It was a sizable group that could make any potential enemy pause.

Aquila, SpeckTech, and Red Tiger formed the main fighting body of the mercenary fleet. The Woglinde was reunited with its sister ships, the Wellgunde and the Flosshilde. Their function for the upcoming battle will be twofold, they were to act as the last line of defense for the three, massive trooper transports that were carrying a combined total of fifteen thousand troopers and their equipment. The transports were unarmed ships, they cannot be left without escort. They are favorite targets of strike fighters.

If a hole in the shield net happens, the three ships would form their own interlocking shield net to supplement the transports’ own shield power. The ships’ weaponry will be tied to a master data system that would coordinate weapons fire, enabling the ships to act as one therefore improving defensive fire.

The sisters were also to act as reserves for the troopers, once the action on the ground started. Each ship has a thousand troopers that could be called upon to action, a brigade of troopers with air and Risastór mech support. That’s an impressive force that is powerful enough to handle almost anything.

The admiral was sitting on his own ship, commanding the Red Tiger force. I didn’t know that he had his own ship. I have always assumed that the Woglinde was his. I was wrong. The Red Tiger flagship was a heavy battleship named Hanuman, after the Indian god of the same namesake. The flagship was an impressive machine of destruction. A three-and-a-half kilometer hulking amalgamation of missile racks, rail cannons, and plasma turrets. It was no world ender but it was one destructive ship.

Red Tiger was the core of the mercenary fleet. Aquila, with their carrier-centric ships acted as combat space patrol. Their fighters would be doing the main fighting before fleet engagement happens. SpeckTech would augmenting the entire force with drone fighters and their semi-autonomous centurion combat robots. These war machines will be the first wave that the fanatics would face, greatly lessening the casualties among the mercs. The council would be underwriting the expenses anyways so they have no qualms in the prospect of losing their entire mechanized force. SpeckTech was also an expert in espionage. Rumor was that a cloaked courier ship left yesterday for Pegasi. Nobody knows where the rumor started but everybody believed it.

For the next week and a half, the fleet transitioned from one system to another, moving at a moderate pace. T.S. Ines joined the fleet a five days ago and was integrated in the formation seamlessly.

The fleet finally blinked into existence in the Horatio system, Camella cluster. It was our staging area before we make our final push towards the Pegasi system. It was also the last system that has a military installation before entering conquered space. I was on the viewing deck, watching as the viewing window was filled with numerous ships from a multitude of species. The Inugorians, being the preeminent military power in council space was leading the combined fleet. The large, cylindrical battle cruisers that the Inugorians prefer hogged the majority of the window. The Humans, Barral, Parnesh, and Xentilla were also represented among the floating starships. The Parnesh and the Xentilla were the closest species to the Pegasi system. The mineral-like Parnesh wanted to address the problem immediately but they were forbidden by the council. They make very bad communicators. They have a shoot first-then shoot again mentality. They were liable to keep fighting until the invaders were repelled or they were destroyed to the last being. The Parnesh have little attachment to life. It was a miracle that their species continued to survive. It’s probably good that the council heavily regulates their world.

The Xentilla was the species that most closely associate with the Vellager in terms with their evolutionary tract. Their technology is heavily organic. Almost everything they made was grown. The insect-like Xentilla was the most peaceable of the council races. They inhabited only a few worlds and was following a very long term plan for the species. Their species espouses peace and cooperation. They abhor war but will fight fiercely when driven into a corner. The Xentilla are telepathic, allowing them to communicate instantaneously depending on the power of each individual. They normally work as negotiators between species.

I was interrupted in gawking when a hand landed heavily on my shoulder. I flinched and jumped a little. I quickly looked over my shoulder so see a grinning T.

“Man, you almost scared the pants off me. What’s up?”

“There’s going to be a war council on the Adanas, that’s the Inugorian flagship. Forest Lord Islanni’s liaison was asking around if the human contingent could provide some cooks for it. Guess what, the admiral has your name on the list.”

“What!? Sure, I’m not bad as a cook but didn’t Franny say that the head cook of the Hanuman is a real chef? Why am I the one going?” Not that I was against the idea. It was just strange.

“He’s not certified in xeno-culinary. You forget that most people that carry that license tend to get snatched up quickly by restaurants. They pay a lot of money for a card-carrying xeno chef. You, my friend, are certified for Human, Inugorian, and Barral cuisine. You and two other people will be preparing dishes for our guys.” T explained. I sighed. I wish I was informed earlier.

“Alright. I gotta go if I gotta go. So, when am I suppose to be there?” I asked. T’s smile widen that I thought he was going to split his face.

“In an hour. The shuttle pilot is warming up your ride. You better hurry.” I stared at the man incredulously for a moment before I exploded into movement but not before I shouted a curse at the grinning fool.

I was running full tilt towards the shuttle bays when my ArmComm dinged. Good thing I was keeping up with my exercises. I could still talk.

“Ye...Yeah?” I puffed.

“Albert… good, you’re running. I left a package for you in the shuttle. Make good use of it. Call me if you have any problems. By the way, don’t poison anybody! Clear?” Franny didn’t wait for my reply and just cut the connection.

I had to run quite a distance. I was two decks up and a few hundred meters away from the shuttle bays. I detoured to my room to change quickly. My current outfit smelled like lunch and it was also covered with food stains. I threw on a gray Red Tiger work shirt and a new pair of well-pressed pants then I was again out the door running.

I got to the shuttle bay with the cargo master impatiently waiting for me. I puffed as I crossed the deck.

“I’m…here…ugh…” My hands were on my knees, keeping me from collapsing on the floor. My lungs were working like bellows as I sucked as much air as I can.

“You’re late. I do not appreciate that. Enter the shuttle and secure yourself.” The glowering Barral was very unhappy with me. I wanted to breath more but it was probably more expedient to do that within the confines of the shuttle. I followed the cargo master as he tromped up the cargo door. The shuttle was loaded with just a few crates so there was a lot of room to move in. I flipped down one of the stowaway chairs and took a seat. Before I could strap myself in, the Barral made a noise that made me look up. He then pointed at a small crate just in front of me. I gave him a thumbs up then grabbed the handles of the small crate and pulled it to my feet. I opened it up and saw that Franny had thoughtfully packed me my cooking equipment. A set of kitchen knives, a full spice box, and a few other bits and bobs that you would need but not find in an Inugorian ship. The Inugorian military is homogenous. You would not find any other species working their ships so there would be no reason for them to have equipment for a human’s convenience. They have special yachts that they use to accommodate other species. It suddenly made me aware that the ship might not have human-compatible food but that could be easily remedied. I suppose that I could request from any of the human ships but that would be a time-consuming hassle. I started mentally cataloging what Inugorian fruits and vegetables would be good for eating for humans. My main problem was that just because it was bio-compatible, it doesn’t mean that it tasted good. That occupied my mind until I was distracted by the cargo master who was standing in front of me.

“Up. We’re here. Get out.” The Barral pointed at the opening cargo door then moved back to check the crates. I unbuckled myself, frustrated that I didn’t realize that we were already at our destination. I grabbed the small crate containing my tools then walked down the lowered cargo door.

As soon as I passed the internal environmental field of the shuttle, I got smacked by the warm, humid air of the ship. The Inugorian homeworld is akin to a human tropical climate. I felt that I would break down in sweat in soon. I saw a couple of other shuttles landing in the bay and I just realized that I don’t know who to report to and where to go. I was getting concerned when I saw two other humans scanning the crowd, looking for something. The shorter of the two spotted me eyeing them and let out a shout of relief. He was too far for me to hear but I could see him gesturing at me to come to them. Not having a better idea, I hustled towards the humans.

I felt a little intimidated by the situation. Here I was, running in an unfamiliar ship amidst people I don’t know being asked to cook for people who I also have no idea whom all without preparation. Oh, I was also the shortest guy in the hangar. Sure, Inugorians as a race are tall people but that didn’t make me feel better. Even the two other guys I was hurrying to was taller than me, from what I could see.

“Hey, guy. You the cook from Woglinde?” asked the taller one once I was within a comfortable talking range. I placed the crate on the ground to stretch my back. I was not heavy but it was awkward to carry.

“Yes, that’s me. You guys the other cooks?” I hopefully asked.

“Yes. I’m Amal from New Horizons and this is Frederick from Argent. Good that you could make it.” We shook hands, all of us feeling anxious from the situation.

“Do you guys know where we are suppose to work? Also, do they even load up on human food? I’m certified for Barral and Inugorian cuisine so I’ve thought about a couple of dishes but that’s severely limiting what we could serve.”

“Got some good news for you, then. First, somebody is going to meet us here to bring us to the galley we’re going to work in. Second, my captain had me load some foodstuff in our shuttle. He anticipated the issue. Here, let me pass you guys a list of what I brought along.” Amal used his ArmComm to share his list. Both of us scanned it and I found it to be a relief. Amal was able to bring a variety of meats and vegetables. It’s not a lot but from what I gather from T, we were to serve just for one meal during the war council.

“You brought some good things along. That’s great! I could imagine doing a couple of interesting dishes with some of the vegetables you have here. Where’s our guide?” Frederick wondered. He again was scanning the crowd, looking for anybody looking for a bunch of humans. I also started looking around the busy hangar. My ride was gone and a new shuttle has replaced it. I felt very out of place. It's not just that we were in an Inugorian ship, it was also a military one. I was more used to the more relaxed nature of the mercs. Here, everybody was walking around in uniform, saluting one another, and the sense of order was almost overpowering. I would not do well in the military.

"I think I found our guide." Frederick said. I looked back to see that we were being approached by a rather short Inugorian. She was moving at a brisk pace and crossed the remaining space between us in a moment. The Inugorian officer was a longhair. A member of the species' elite. Her golden yellow and silver diagonal striping was another clue. Only the highborn have that coloration.

The officer halted abruptly in front of us. She took a moment to look us over and I have the feeling that she was not impressed. I could understand that I was not exactly military materials but the other two guys were both in council uniform. Both cooks came into attention and gave a very crisp salute. The highborn returned the salute with a small bow. I was not familiar with council military ranks but going by the actions of the two, she must be an officer.

"Are the three of you the human cooks?" Her precise voice cutting through the noise of the hangar bay.

"Yes sir." was the response of the two military men while I answered with a lame 'yeah.'

"Excellent. Follow me." The Inugorian officer turned around and started walking back from where we saw her. She didn't look to check if we were following. The other two guys were quick on their feet and were already on her heels. Amal tilted his head at me to hurry up. I cursed at the unexpected quickness of the event and almost fumbled my crate. I stopped to get a better grip on it then jogged to catch up with the fast-moving officer.

"I apologize for the short warning. The Forest Lord is, well, a traditionalist. Normally, war councils are done via holo but the Forest Lord insists that we should have a feast to commemorate the start of a campaign. It is an old practice well before Inugorian space travel. The Forest Lord has invited the captains of each ship to participate. We had not been informed of his intentions until recently, hence the haste. The feast is to be held in three hours time. We have made the officer's galley available to you and our galley staff available to assist. Let us know if you need anything." The officer explained. Three hours is not a lot of time and we were not yet sure of what kind of feast it is. Will this be a banquet? A buffet? Are we doing a full course dinner? I don't know about the other two but I was not ready for it.

We walked quickly through the ship. I noticed that the ship was heavy in wood. The deck and the bulkheads were paneled with it. I was not sure if that was just for the flagship or it was standard in all Inugorian ships. It seems to me like it was a waste.

The officer must have divined my thoughts because she pointed at a maintenance worker holding a length of wood.

"What you are seeing is not just paneling. The wood comes from a special kind of tree that can only be found in the Inugorian homeworld. It makes up for most of our inner hull and decks. Please watch." We paused to watch as the maintenance worker removed a section of the wooden deck that was darker in color that the rest. I was expecting to see metal underneath but it looked like he peeled out about six to seven centimeters deep of ship wood. he then took out some kind of tool that he loaded with a clear canister filled with cloudy white liquid. He carefully squirted it on the deep groove that he made. Nothing happened for a while and I was wondering if that was it. Suddenly, the wooden sides of the groove started flexing. It then slowly grew like wood soaked in water but at a much faster pace. In the minute that we watched it, the groove was entirely covered and looked like there was never even one in the first place. The maintenance worker took out some other tools then started shaving it to level it with the rest of the deck then polish it. We didn't watch him finish as the officer, satisfied that we had enough of watching, continued our trip.

"That always trip me out." Frederick said.

"Our lives would be so much better if our ships could do that." Amal muttered back.

"I didn't even know that wood could do that." I wonderingly said.

"We would be surprised if you do. That species of trees is strictly controlled. You would only find that in the Inugorian navy." Amal explained to me.

We walked for about three more minutes before we entered what I assumed was the officer's galley. It was a lot more expansive that the one I got used to in the Woglinde and it was bare of any decorations other than a tree growing in the middle of the dining room floor. The officer led us towards the kitchen. She opened the door and we entered to find also a larger-than-human-normal preparation area.

"This is where you will work." The officer said with a wave.

The galley kitchen was completely Inugorian. There was no fryer that I could see but that was understandable. The physiology of the species could not handle oil that way. Everything was placed higher and the counters were also at an awkward height. The ovens were galactic-standard but they don't have stoves. The Inugorians prefer using a fire pit in cooking and they had a nook for it at the far end of the kitchen. I glanced at the two other cooks and I could see that they also have looks of concern.

This is gonna be hard...