The Quarry

[Rage Menelas]

[font=Lucida Sans Unicode]The pilot would live. He was suffering from trauma to the head, severe burns across the right arm and shoulder, and other more minor abrasions and contusions. Ryan felt like crap. But how was he to know?

“This is an expensive way to learn to listen to your master, my apprentice,” Charlie stated, a mild tone of admonition in his voice. “Please, take it to heart. Lawful starflyers never fire on an unidentified craft. You should know better than that from your tour in your sea navy back home. Would you have opened fire on an unidentified aircraft back then?”

Ryan drew in a deep breath, let it out slowly, audibly... “All depends on the rules of engagement, I suppose... where in the world we were operating. But... generally, no... you are right, I was wrong. It won't happen again.”

“Very well, apology accepted... from me anyway...” Charlie motioned toward the invalid wrapped in medical webbing on the steel-colored table. “I hope your apology to him is as well received.” Ryan glanced at the man. He was stout, well-muscled and toned without having the look of steroids about him. His bronzed skin had just a tinge of golden-yellow to it. His close cropped jet black hair, shaved to the skin around the ears, was thick and bristly. He looked tough as nails and fully capable of eating same for breakfast.

“Should I be worried?”

“Perhaps... Quang has a temper at times. He was a R.O.K. Marine before I took him. To save his comrades, he threw himself on a grenade during a live-fire exercise, which technically allowed me to harvest him. And...” he winked at his apprentice with a sorrowful look of pity, “he is proficient in nearly every combat technique your planet knows... and by now some it does not know, I suspect...”

“Ah... maybe I should just pack my bags and run... or... can we just pull the plug on him...?”

“I assume that was a bad joke, Ryan.”

Assume away, Ryan thought. The Republic of Korea Marines were one of the only military units that the U.S. Marines respected enough in a fight to consider them their equals. He sure hoped this guy had a sense of humor.