Chapter Text
>This was it.
>Selection day.
>When your draft card came in the mail you never would have expected to get this far.
>But you were about to be apprenticed to an officer of the Lupan Space Empire.
>The Lupans had been pretty scarce throughout testing, not having too many bodies on earth so soon after annexation, but there were a lot of them here now.
>You had learned to tell them apart by uniforms.
>Scores of them were assembled now, one for each of the human men who, like you, had met all of the Lupans’ criteria for “cultural exchange”.
>As gentle shepherds through the dangerous stars, they wanted to bring a few humans with them to learn and grow.
>At least, that’s how they put it.
>Earth powers from D.C. to Disney weren’t happy to be knocked off the top of the totem pole.
>The Lupan authority ignored their kicking and screaming, and engaged the U.S. Selective Service to bring them cadets.
>Humans were going to become capable spacefarers with or without the consent of their wheezing old bureaucracy.
>Your eyes bored holes into the wall straight ahead of you.
>At the conclusion of the current speech, Lupans would proceed, one by one, to select the human they will be personally taking along to learn under them on their next deep-space voyage.
>Each Lupan had a catalog detailing every human’s aptitude scores, relevant experience, and a little profile you had filled out in basic training.
>One thing, however, perplexed you.
>How the hell had Che gotten through?
>The human to your left was named David, but he looked like an anemic Che Guevara.
>Hence the nickname.
>He had showed up a few days after everyone else, who had gone through a general vetting and testing before being sent to train.
>The Lupans were very interested in a trainee’s moral character and charisma, and those without it had filtered out pretty quickly.
>Except Che.
>He was quiet and unfriendly, and always muttering to himself under his breath.
>His dark face and unkempt hair made him stand out from the rest of you just as much as his lanky, scrawny form.
>But somehow he managed to scrape by, always hanging in the program while better men dropped out.
>You snapped back to the present moment as the speech began to wrap up.
>The applause from the human audience seemed measured.
>Just enough to seem enthusiastic without actually being such.
>Then the announcer said a line that would change your life forever.
>”Here for the honor of choosing the first human among the stars, the esteemed Starvise Vela!”
>Che fidgeted next to you at the sound of her name, one you were not familiar with.
>You began to wonder if that loser could do anything right if he couldn’t even stand still.
>Vela, you then learned, was not seated with the rest of the officers as she entered the arena by herself.
>You could hear a pin drop in the stadium when she did.
>Silence was expected while the officers inspected their apprentices, but this seemed more deliberate.
>Even fearful.
>The Lupans, more than the humans, sat stiffer when she walked by.
>Her catalog was rolled up in her hand, clasped behind her back.
>She trod across the field slowly, looking each of the cadets in the eye.
>She was searching for something that the book wouldn’t have in it.
>Being in the front row, you were pleased that it wouldn’t take her long to pass you by.
>There was something awfully intimidating about her, and you would rather get picked up by a charming science officer or jolly engineer.
>But you were in the perfect position to see what the alpha female thought of Che.
>She squinted at him and scrunched her nose, but only so much that you could barely tell as she strode by, not breaking her casual pace.
>And it looked like she wasn’t going to stop for you either as her piercing eyes met yours.
>They reminded you of a high, icy mountain peak. Sharp, cold and inhospitable.
>Then something in your left ear told you to look away from them.
>Fucking Che, what could it be now?
>Your hand shot out faster than you could think, having outpaced your brain.
>It deflected Che’s arm, which had swung out to point a derringer straight at the Lupan commander.
>Two deafening gunshots flew wide and high as the rest of your body whipped around in tight unison to deliver a devastating blow to Che’s throat.
>He fell, choking and gasping and swearing oaths in between.
>He had dropped the empty gun on the way down.
>Your wits finally caught up to the present moment.
>Che was there to assassinate Starvise Vela.
>He would've done it if you weren't paying attention.
>”You.”
>Your ringing ears reminded you that there were other people in the room.
>Hundreds of them.
>And all eyes were now trained on you and Vela.
>She was standing closer to you now, reading your profile.
>”Background. Simulated Atmospheric Flight?”
>You had really talked up your hours in DCS…
“Yes Ma’am”
>She paced around you, huge paws stepping neatly over Che, whom she paid no further attention.
>Her English seemed less developed than that of the few other Lupans who you had met during training.
>Given her high status, she probably had better things to do than brush up.
>Her Snout came across your shoulder to give you a long sniff.
>Her nose went up past your ear and into your hair.
>Then she reached down a paw and pinched your ass.
>You took it gracefully, not flinching only a touch from the surprise.
>Then she corrected your response.
>”*Master*. You will be mine now. Follow.”
>With those words she started walking away, and you with her.
>She waltzed straight past the security which had formed a perimeter around her, seemingly too afraid of her to approach the would-be assassin until they were sure she was done with him.
>As the two of you proceeded into the vaulted concrete tunnel that led to her shuttle, her jowls raised in satisfaction.
>Upon seeing her teeth you suddenly understood why Lupans rarely smile.