I lifted the bowl to my face as I gingerly took a sip of the fragrant broth. It was definitely not based on any human livestock. It smelled like lemon grass with pepper and has a strange savory taste that was not unpleasant. I decided that it reminded me of cold soup.

I sipped half of the life-giving liquid before setting it back down on my bed table. The purple meat that was floating around in it was making me uncomfortable.

“So, what’s a CPM officer doing here? I mean, it’s great to see and all but I didn’t even know that there was any CPM officer was onboard.”

“You’re not supposed to and if you did, we would have been questioning you. I can’t tell you much as that is classified information but what I can say is that those slavers we rooted out in Illustratum? They had a whole lot of things to say once we got those terrible collars off. A special strike team was able to incapacitate a number of slave soldiers and were able to deactivate the trigger mechanisms of their collars and implants before it had a chance to classify the beings harboring them as compromised.

That was not easy. The technology on those collars are way beyond what the alliance had seen before and it was only through the cooperation of the collective minds of the scientists working from across different worlds and judicious use of the QE communicators were they able to crack that piece of technological marvel. The council made a mistake in not recognizing Xiao Bin’s grievances. Most of the egghead types tend to be very quirky and requires a lot of babying. Shunting him in a room away from his family and only allowing limited access was a recipe for disaster. That man is a bonafide genius.

Anyway, long story short, Ronald and I were reassigned to Galactic Alliance Intelligence for the moment. Somebody pointed fingers, or claws… or tentacles now that I'm thinking about it, at the problem you have here. We’re here to get to the bottom of the terrorist attacks on the core worlds. Yes, worlds. Ceres was not the only alliance world to have an infestation of slavers. Hence the GAI presence.

You, my manly, manly friend, was a delightful surprise. You can’t seem to get away from the action, can’t you?”

I almost choked on a not-bread that I was having a hard time masticating. She was coming on hard. I coughed it up then tried chewing it slowly. The grainy texture was more like sand than wheat.

“I don’t know why this keeps happening to me. It’s like one huge cosmic joke. Isn’t there like a sushi chef somewhere needing an emergency help in the kitchen or something? Is it too much to ask to just have some peace and quiet?”

“You’re Red Tiger now. Trouble is part of the name.”

“I’m a cook.” I emphasized with a hard bite on my not-bread.

“A mercenary cook.”

“I’m not supposed to fight, though.”

“Yet here you are.” Nabila fired back with a smile.

“You’re not helping.”

“Just making you face reality.”

I finished eating my food in peace, if not quiet, as the Ceresian officer allowed me to focus on my tray. She was rhythmically squeezing a ball on her left hand and squeaking sound was starting to irritate me but I didn’t give her the satisfaction of reacting to it.

The doctor appeared as soon as I was done and set aside my tray. She then took out an instrument and started scanning my body. I kept as still as I could while sitting up on my reclined bed. I’ve done this before and it would go much quicker if I let her do her job.

“Good tidings, Mr. Mayon. You are now technically well. All your organs are registering as functional and your muscle tissues all regrew properly. You would still feel some pain for the next two days but I will inject some nanomeds to minimize its impact. If you could please remain still...” The doctor unsocketed an injector from its holding rack. She gently touched the dispensing nozzle on my arm. I felt a brief pressure as she pulled the trigger but it was so fast that I doubted if I felt anything at all. She returned the instrument then started scanning me again. A flick of her ear indicated her satisfaction with the readouts on her holo.

“I will be signing for your release. According to the vessel executor, you have been assigned quarters here in the ship for the time being. The forest lord’s liaison will be here momentarily to escort you to your quarters. I recommended rest. More sleep will allow the nanomeds I’ve injected you time to complete their work. It would be for the best.

For now, I leave you with Ms. Akseldatter. If you are in need, The call for care button is beside you.” The doctor gave a short bow then turned around and briskly exited the room.

“Would you stop that!” I said sharply at Nabila. On the course of my examination, she was slowly building up the speed of her squeezing. The squeaking noise was not loud at all but it was very irritating. By the time the doctor left, she was furiously squeezing the thing.

“Ha! Made you mad. Fine, I’ll stop. You have any plans?” She was completely unrepentant even as she pocketed her squeeze ball in her straining blazer.

“I don’t know. I can’t leave the ship until the investigation is over or the forest lord lets me leave. By the way, shouldn’t you be helping root out fanatics? This is the kind of thing you specialize on right?” I asked.

“I’m off-duty right now. You should be thankful I’m spending my precious down time with you. How about you pay me back with a date?” She crossed her legs then palmed her chin, looking like a very cute space Viking.

“By the stars, woman. You don’t let up, do you? I said I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now. Doctor said a liaison officer is going to come by to pick me up.” I temporized. I was not used to getting hit on so brazenly.

“So that’s a maybe then?”

“Let’s see if we survive the Pegasi sector first then we can talk about dating.”

“You’re so cute when you’re flustered.” Nabila had a shit-eating grin plastered on her face. I had to admit, I was probably burning like a ripe tomato.

Before things got more awkward for me, the door to my room slid open and an Inugorian officer stepped inside. It was the same liaison officer that greeted and guided the human cooks around.

“Mr. Mayon, It is relieving to see you well. The forest lord is most happy of your recovery. He has planned to meet you in a day or so but he has other matters to attend to at the moment. If you and Ms. Akseldatter could follow me, please?” As usual, she was very economical in her time and did not wait for us to see if we were following. Her only concession was she walked slower to accommodate my still-recovering strength.

“The forest lord wants you to know that you have the gratitude of the Inugorian nation and would be compensated accordingly. You have acted beyond the call of duty, especially as a mercenary, and have prevented the assassination of one of the most venerated worthies of the Inugorian society.

Personally, I would like to extend the friendship of the sentinels. It was our lack of vigilance that allowed for such a thing to happen. We have looked into how the situation has come about and found that there is more to this attack than what it would seem on the surface.

You are cordially invited to dine with us tomorrow for dinner in the sentinel’s bay, if you so choose. There are a few people that would be interested in meeting you.” The liaison looked back to check for my answer.

“Of course, I would be there. I don’t have anything to wear, though. This is the only thing I have in my possession right now.” I waved as my ensemble. It was not bad. The blood was cleaned out and rips and tears from, I would hesitate to call it a fight, my mauling had also been repaired. It was standard mercenary shipboard outfit. Practical and unadorned.

“Do not concern yourself with that. Your clothing is the last of our considerations. You have but to present yourself and that would be enough.”

“Then I'll make sure that I’m not late. By the way, what’s going to happen to me now? I know that there is an investigation happening onboard so I’m probably restricted to some areas of the ship. I can’t leave for the moment right?”

“Correct. The purge of these fanatics from our ranks has taken top priority at the moment. A QE transmission to the council informing them of the infiltration had caused quite a stir among the sitting members. The council had alerted all member species of the, what is the human term, ‘moles’ is it? And the various militaries are also going through their personnel with a critical eye. This could potentially be a disaster.” The officer explained. I paused to think for a moment. Nabila was quiet but she was obviously listening to the conversation.

“Should you be telling me this? I’m grateful and all to be told anything about what’s going on but is that safe?” I carefully asked. I was not interested in learning secrets. Classified information normally comes with a tightening noose with it.

“Oh, all of what I am sharing with is broadcasted to the public. It is quite a smart move by the council. They had requested that all broadcasting stations in all alliance worlds to stream the recording of the attack on the forest lord. It has inflamed the citizens’ patriotism and greatly legitimizes the offensive against the current occupying force of the Pegasi sector. It was no longer strikes against high-ranking politicians and celebrities but an attack on the people that keep the alliance safe. If there was a boon in this whole debacle, it is that we now have the complete support of the masses.

There are some concerns about the competency of our militaries but those are coming from extreme groups that have very little support base outside their hardcore members and supporters. The council has dismissed these allegations but internally, the intelligence division of each species has been reported to be reviewing their own screening process in taking in recruits and is going over the files of their current service personnel. It is distasteful but necessary. There is little to be gained by offending a man-at-arms by doubting his integrity to the service. The things we do to maintain the dictates of our tenets is a hard road to follow.”

By the tone of her voice, it sounded to me that she was trying to convince herself of what she was saying. It must have been a hard blow to find fanatical spies in your ranks. I can’t even understand how the Inugorain military has been penetrated. From what I remember, recruiters scour your mind through direct contact to ensure that you are decided in joining the military. I know for a fact that no human had ever successfully hidden anything from an Inugorian interrogator. Being mentally probed via alien powers is not something humanity has developed a defense for. I had to cut my musings as the officer was still talking.

“You be assigned temporary quarters in the officers’ branch, or ‘country’ from what I remember our human colleagues’ term for it, for the time being. You are free to come and go but understand, you’ll be restricted to a few areas as this is still a warship. Hopefully, you’ll be allowed to return to your ship in a few days’ time.” She informed. It was strange, not being required to do anything. The first day on the Woglinde was very busy. I was already at a loss as to what to do with my time.

We took a quick lift a few decks up until we came upon the Officers’ berthing. Everybody was wearing a patch or something else to signify their rank that was lost to me. I should better use my free time to learn about the Inugorian military organization.

“Here we are. You can take your meals at the officers’ galley. I was informed that you might be limited in the selection of food you can consume. The ship normally carries a small supply of foodstuff from the various space-faring species in case of visitation but it is a bit presumptuous to force our cook to prepare a specific meal for one human.” The officer looked back at me in silence. The question was very clear. We stopped in front of an unremarkable door. It appears to be my temporary home for the moment.

“I understand completely. In fact, I would like to request, if possible, to be allowed to work with my Inugorian colleagues. I’m certified in cooking Inugoiran cuisine and it would allow me to prepare my own meals. It’s a bit weird not doing anything, to be honest.” I admitted. I didn’t like the feeling of uselessness.

“Why am I not surprised. You just got gutted like a fish and you’re already itching to get behind a counter. Not that I mind, though. I rather fancy your cooking. How about you cook for us too?” Nabila suggested boldly. I was not even sure I was allowed to work in the galley and was about to remind her of the fact when the officer cut in the conversation.

“An excellent proposal. It would allow our cooks to share experiences and notes with you. It would be a benefit to all if you can teach our galley crew a bit about human food preparation. I could arrange something like a seminar for our cooks while you work with them. Would that be agreeable to you?”

“I’d love to. You guys use very different utensils and appliances. I could count on one hand how many times I had been allowed inside an Inugorian kitchen with a traditional setup. If you could arrange a meeting with the head cook, I could voice some suggestions of what I could discuss and he could tell me what they would like to know.” I was already thinking up some dishes that could be prepared easily with Inugorian ingredients. It wouldn’t be exactly the same as their human equivalents but it would be a great introduction to human cuisine.

“Done. I would have the head cook send you a communication in a few hours. You can coordinate with him. If you need anything, I am confident the head cook could accommodate you.

Anyway, I will inform you when the forest lord has an opening in his schedule. He is a very busy man so it would take some time. Good day, Mr. Mayon. You as well, Ms. Akseldatter.” She gave both of us a slight nod then spun away in her characteristic manner.

“Well, I have to get going too. I need some sleep. Ronald and I are helping in weeding out the implanted saboteurs and spies. Long hours that. Keep out of trouble. Toodles!” She waved her fingers at me then walked back to the lift. She suddenly turned and found me watching her back. I tried to avert my gaze before she could see me when she unexpectedly spun but she caught me anyway. She had a huge grin on her face then gave me a saucy wink. Mercifully, the lift doors shut closed, relieving me of the source of my embarrassment.

Stars! That woman is a handful.

I composed myself then stepped up to the door. I was expecting that it would first verify my identity with a scan but apparently, I was already registered in the system. It picked up on my intent to enter and the door slid noiselessly.

The room was very Spartan but that was expected in a military warship. It was extremely clean though and the deck was wooden paneled. That would feel great on my feet rather than the cold, hard metal deck of a human warship.

I brought nothing with me so I didn’t have to put anything away. I decided to get comfy so I took off my bandolier and hung it on the backrest of the solitary chair tucked in the communicator desk. I removed my shoes and socks and to my satisfaction, the wooden floor felt as good as I imagined. I sat on the bed and found that it was a bit firmer than what I was used to but it was still a good bed.

I took off my pants and plopped on my bed. It felt comfortable enough. I was still feeling tired even after getting a lot of sleep in medical but I suppose that was not really resting. My body was still recovering from the traumatic injury I just suffered and it would take some time before I would feel in top shape again. At least I didn’t have to worry about my mental condition. The doctor made sure that psychic effects of my violent confrontation with the fanatic would feel like a distant thing. Even examining myself right now, It felt like it was something that happened to me a long time ago that I had already come to grips with. If anything, Inugorian mind healing was probably the most important contribution the Inugorians shared to the Alliance worlds. They were the only species to be able to heal traumatic experiences with no side effects. Humans, who were particularly vulnerable to mental attacks and psychological trauma, greatly benefited from it. Gone were the days of incurable post-traumatic stress disorder and the likes. Solider turnover was drastically cut down in combat zones and high-pressure situations. It was also beneficial to the civilian sector, if not more so. Crime victims, those that experienced rape or kidnapping, were able to recover to complete health. Mental instability among the young is easily identified and corrected through psychic conditioning. Even among human elders, they manage to retain complete functionality of their brains through both psychic and medical treatments. Dementia and Alzheimer’s is a thing of the far past.

I wiggled myself to a more comfortable position then drifted asleep. It has been some time ago that I didn’t have to look at my chronometer and I would make the best of it. The last thought I had was that I would need to give Franny a call. She would likely want an update from me personally. I was starting to think about what I could teach my Inugorian counterparts in the galley when sleep finally claimed me.

***

“You just can’t get away from trouble, can you?” Franny’s exasperated look said it all. Her floating head was being projected on the communicator table. It took some doing to get a hold of her. She was busy with something and arranged for me to call back later.

“Not my fault. Bastard was going to stick the forest lord. I had my bandolier on. It just happened. All that training I’ve been doing must have done something. I don’t remember actually thinking about doing it.” I mused back. It was true. I was running for a tackle before my brain registered what I was doing.

“Oh, I’m not blaming you. In fact, you did us good. Military is starting to treat us with respect now. It was merc that saved the forest lord. That has got to sting. Worse part was, it was a cook. Not a trooper that cooks once in a while, a full-time shipboard cook.” By the end of it, Franny was giggling and snorting. She was really tickled about it.

“Sure, I stopped the forest lord from getting skewered by I got eviscerated. That sucked! Did you know I would have been dead if I wasn’t on this ship? Doctor said I got lucky.”

“I heard. Count your lucky stars, you don’t get lucky that often. So, when can we expect you to get back? Musaka is starting to feel the strain. They need you back here. With the ship full of ground pounders, the galleys have to work doubly hard.” Franny asked.

“I know but I can’t do anything about it. The forest lord wants to talk to me. The liaison cannot give me a definite answer as to when will that happen. Besides, the investigation isn’t over yet. Ronald and Franny just rooted out a well-entrenched mole earlier today. The captain is fuming, from what I understand.

“I would be too if I was a captain. That’s betrayal of the highest order. Anyway, I have to go back to work. I’m sending you some recipes you could use for your presentation. See you soon.” Franny gave me nod then her holo dissolved.

I sat back as my communicator beeped. I accepted the file transfer then stretched my back. I was sitting for the better part of thirty minutes, giving Franny the full rundown of everything that happened since I got aboard the ship. She got a report from the Inugorian military but it was very dry and light on details. She grilled me on everything, making sure that I didn’t do anything untoward. I had a feeling that she didn’t really want to interrogate me but I understood. Red Tiger could ill-afford to slight the Inugorians. They were the mercenaries’ biggest supporter and proponent in using their services. We want to keep to their good side.

I got up and started doing some stretching and basic calisthenics. I don’t think I’m ready to do anything more strenuous and I got winded pretty quickly. The doctor did say it would take some time.

I checked my chronometer and it was almost midday, shipboard time. I dressed and made sure my seminar packet was loaded properly in my ArmComm then walked out of my room. Inugorians don’t have a midday meal like humans so it was the perfect time for my seminar. I strode down the passageway towards the lift. I passed by some officers, finally was able to recognize the ranks after doing some reading on the Inugorian military structure, and gave them a polite nod. They also nodded back to me. The few sentinels I did pass gave a deeper bow than their shipboard counterparts. I guess they felt they owe me something, no matter how strange that sounds.

There were already quite a few people waiting when I arrived at the galley. I greeted those that I knew, the guys that help us during the feast, and was introduced to those that I haven't met yet.

The others trickled in while I made some small talk with the cooks. They were a lot more reserved than the people I'm normally surrounded with but that is to be expected. Inugorians are not the most expressive of people.

With permission from the head cook, I placed my holo tab on the central preparation table and projected a few recipes for them to peruse. I went into a somewhat deep explanation of the human pallet and what tastes good for us then discussed what are some commonalities we share with the Inugorians. They were very curious about what make humans tick and had a lot of questions in the course of the one-hour presentation.

After a short break, I proceeded to demonstrate how to cook the recipes that I showed earlier. It took some effort since I didn't have the right equipment but I was able to use what was available with some help from the listening cooks.

I prepared three simple dishes and had the cooks taste them. While it tasted excellent to me, the cooks were quick to point out that it was bland or was missing something.

I knew that they would say that and purposefully made the dishes as human as possible with the Inugorian ingredients at hand. I explained the difference in our ability to taste things simultaneously. The two-tone basis of every Inugorian dish is not common in human cuisine.

I added a few more ingredients in the dishes I prepared and had them taste it again. This time, the food was received more positively. A number of the cooks really enjoyed the taste and were quick to save a copy of the modified recipe.

While they liked it, my human tongue found the dishes overwhelming or confusing. I gave them a good description of how it tasted for me and it drove the point that though we have biocompatible foodstuff, what taste good is always subjective. They knew that what they liked doesn't necessarily translate well in xenoculinary but it was different when it was no longer a theory and they were able to sample it themselves.

The seminar wrapped up with the head cook being very grateful for my presentation. He intimated that is was very rare for them to experience human cooking since very few of our species could travel to their home system. None of the cooks have tasted human cuisine and the head cook asked if I could let them try human food prepared with human ingredients if they could procure some and find time for it. I agreed wholeheartedly, it was nice being able to work with your peers. Who knows, I might learn a few secrets myself. I know a lot about their cuisine but I'm still not native Inugorian.

After the seminar, I was at a loss as to what to do. I didn't have any duties at the moment so I decided to explore. I was limited to the areas I could visit but it was still a large ship. I moved through the decks, visiting two galleys, some kind of sitting room but a bit strange since it was also like a planetarium, a recreational room, then an Inugorian gym.

I wanted to see how well I've healed so I decided to do some light workout. I entered the gym and saw a few Inugorians exercising. I noticed that the people lifting weights were lifting record-breaking weights if they were human. The sinewy muscles of the Inugorians were very deceptive in their strength. They could move at speed and hit you with power. I don't want to get punched by any of them.

The gym was a large one and almost similar with to what I was used with. They have the same machines but with heavier and more numerous plates. A few forest sentinels were paired off and were sparring in an open space. Their arms and legs were a blur as they sparred at an incredible pace. I made sure to give them room to work with and started stretching. I didn't feel any soreness, which I'm very glad of, and was able to complete my warm-up.

I strolled towards the back of the room and found myself staring at a training dummy. It was scarred with numerous hits from bladed weapons and it had a few missing chunks on it. This was a perfect opportunity to practice my throwing.

I counted my steps then turned around and drew some of my knives. I started slowly, throwing at a slower speed, more concerned with my technique and accuracy.

After a few minutes of deliberate throws, I started ramping up my speed. I also practiced changing grips. My overhead and side throws were good but my underhand one needs to be polished.

I checked my groupings and was satisfied that they were very close. I started throwing even faster, my hands flashing as I threw at multiple angles. I even practiced draw throwing. It's slower but very necessary. I wouldn't always have a knife in my hand.

"Impressive."

I was startled by the comment and paused from my practice. I turned around and found myself staring at the most muscular Inugorian I've ever seen.

Inugorians are uniformly slim. It is a racial characteristic so it is why I was so surprised. The forest sentinel that addressed me would pass as a bodybuilder, if they have such a thing. Of course, he was not as bulky as a human one but considering he was almost twice as large as the usual Inugorian, it was damn unusual.

The sentinel also has a solid color on his fur. Midnight black. I imagine it would be terrifying to fight this Inugorian in low visibility.

The large sentinel gave me an alliance salute and I tried to do the same. I haven't had a lot of chances to perfect it and suspected that I was sloppy at it.

"Would you mind if I examine your weapon?" The sentinel asked. I shrugged and handed him one of my knives. He palmed it then looked it over, slowly turning it over then balancing it on a finger.

"A well-made weapon. Simple, yet effective." He said. His calm, baritone voice has that loud quality that didn't require him to speak at a loud volume but it still cuts through the room.

He eyed the target dummy downrange and with a flick of his hand, it flew like an arrow, embedding itself deeply in the center of the target.

I was impressed by the strength that he was able to put behind the throw. It was small in his hand yet he was able to effectively use it. The power behind the throw was also substantial. I could probably do as much if my force multiplier was to be put into play.

"I've been watching you. You are a natural. I could see that you have some basic training in the handling of a throwing weapon but there is yet more for you to learn. Do you mind if I give you some instruction?" He looked at me in open curiosity with that question. I hastily agreed. How many chances does a person get personal training from a forest sentinel? Going by the deep red color of the sentinel tattoo on his right cheek, he was a veteran and has been in service for at least twenty years. That is prime experience right there.

"I'm honored. I've been doing this mostly alone, watching videos and getting a holo trainer. I haven't met a mercenary that uses throwing weapons as their main fighting technique. I guess that makes sense since the throwing skill is not a priority for a frontline trooper."

"Why use it then? Is not an energy weapon much more effective?"

"Oh, I agree but my body can't seem to work the idea of it. I could hit a stationary target at my own pace but that is only during practice. When I was forced to rely on my shooting skills during combat, I was useless. I just wasted power cells. I figured that since I was good at throwing, might as well take advantage of it. It would be easier for me to practice and I was I right. Still, if you could correct me to better my technique, I would be very grateful." I honestly replied.

"Let us see then, what we can do. It is good that you recognize your weakness and was able to find a solution for it. I agree that being able to shoot properly is a vital and foremost skill of a trooper but it doesn't mean it's the only way to fight. Exploiting your strengths allows you to maximize your effectiveness. Let us see how much potential we can uncover with yours." The black-furred sentinel said.

"My name is Albert Mayon, by the way. I'm a cook aboard the Woglinde. Nice to meet you." I decided that I should probably introduce myself if we are going to work together.

"I know. I am Fend Rakar. Sentinel commander of the Inugorian Special Forces. Shall we?" Fend gestured for me to hand him some of the knives as he stood beside me.

It seems like I was about to get some special training...