Chapter Text
Tamtey’s small body quivers. Cold metal bars bouncing of her skin as the RDA vehicle swerves and twists in strange directions. ‘Where are we going Tamtey?’, Teylan whimpers in her arms. Ri’nela’s tiny cries echo through the cramped crate and Nor’s confusion and rage clashes with her own.
‘I don’t know’.
—
The air is cold in the middle of a void.
Tamtey’s ears flick as droplets begin to land on her face. Each one emitting odd sounds of unique variation, snippets of moments. The droplets turn into sprinkles. The sprinkles turn into rain. The intensity of the noise increasing until bloodcurdling screams cascade around her as all the sounds merge into one. Teylan, Ri’nela, Nor. Each of her loved ones taking centre stage to cry out in agony as Tamtey is helpless to do anything. She whips round in all directions, the tears falling from her own water logged eyes contribute to the symphony of horrors as she collapses in on her self. Hands over her ears, rocking back and forth as she lets out a cry of desperation. Her hands begin to peel the skin from her face as she suddenly awakes.
Tamtey tightly grips the scratchy blanket that covers her as she heaves herself up, attempting to control her choked sobs.
‘Your name is Tamtey, you are Sarentu and you need to breathe’, she whispers to herself repeatedly, rocking back and forth in intervals, head squeezed between her hands.
Her heartbeat slows and her rocking comes to a stop. ‘Your family are safe’. She mutters.
‘Your family are safe’.
—
Tamtey barely flinches at the crack of a hand on a desk.
‘Please… Nor just- just stop’.
Their teacher, Alma Cortez, stands in front of Nor, visibly expended with her dream walker hands placed on his desk.
‘No! I will not learn about these useless things- let you fill our heads with poison!’. He rises, Alma stepping back immediately, lifting a finger to her earpiece.
‘Nor, please just sit down’, the sweet voice of Ri’nela, full of sorrow as she attempts to calm the situation. Nor looks to Ri’nela, then to her and Teylan.
‘What good little soldiers you all are’, he spits. Tamtey snarls.
She had never gotten along with Nor. They were too similar, and yet, so different. Like colours that are too close, or reflections that are too real. Tamtey had the same fire as Nor, they should work but she just didn’t understand him. Didn’t understand how he constantly neglects to think about how much his behaviour affects the ones around him. How it causes Teylan’s panic attacks or Ri’nela’s breakdowns.
Tamtey realised along time ago that un-channeled rage wasn’t going to help her here, it wasn’t going to protect her family so she kept it inside. She followed the rules with a scowl and a furrowed brow, but followed them nonetheless.
She looks over to Teylan, whose body shakes as he fidgets with his fingers nervously. Tamtey reaches over to place a hand on his shoulder, giving him a sympathetic smile.
The clank of the door draws her attention back to the front as an amp suit comes striding in to grab hold of a hissing Nor.
Ri’nela places a hand over her mouth as she steps away in fear, Tamtey immediately gets up to grasp her arm, guiding her over to the corner where Teylan sits so they can be together.
Tamtey knows that all Ri’nela needs is her presence to feel grounded, having the equal maturity to be able to calm herself down, unlike Teylan who is younger and more sensitive.
Tamtey grimaces as Nor fights back, struggling to handle the sight of one of her family being harmed. Her rage reaches its peak as starts towards the struggling pair.
She halts. Suddenly overcome by a change in the rooms atmosphere.
‘stand down soldier’.
The commanding voice of Bukowski spreads through the room like deathly gas as he walks in, flanked by two hellhounds. The amp immediately obeys, releasing Nor from his grasp and standing to the side out of the way.
Nor hisses as the amp lets him go, Tamtey standing at the ready a few paces behind.
Bukowski walks towards them slowly, assessing Nor before catching Tamtey’s eyes. ‘At ease, ambassador’. It’s a command disguised as a request, Tamtey knows this. She holds her position for as long as she can get away with before finally backing down, a livid but controlled expression as she turns away.
‘Sargent Bukowski, Nor just had a little-‘, Alma stutters before being promptly silenced by the man’s raised hand.
‘It’s quite alright Cortez’. He reasures her, turning his attention back to Nor.
Bukowski sighs, almost as if trying to imitate a parent dealing with a difficult child.
‘What seems to be the problem here, hm? You can be honest with me Nor’.
Tamtey hated that.
Nor falters slightly, relying on his lashing tail to convey his fury instead of his words. ‘Nothing Sargent’, he murmurs through gritted teeth, slumping back down on his seat.
Bukowski offers, or attempts, a sympathetic smile before turning to face the entire room, hellhounds feet clanking against the floor as they re-arrange themselves. He begins to speak in navi.
‘Young soldiers. Ambassadors. The navi of the future’, he begins. ‘I am here today to tell you all something very important, and very special. Something that will be a real step forward here in TAP’. Ri’nela looks at her, sharing a confused expression.
‘Today you will be meeting the rest of your platoon. Your fellow navi soldiers of the Trr’ong clan’.
Tamtey felt her breath leave her body.
There were other navi here?. Navi caged in the same metal walls as them all this time and they didn’t even know it.
‘You will all meet each other in the new shared gym in four hours time, you’ll train and eat together, getting to know your comrades over the next couple of years until we feel that you are all ready for your first mission’. Bukowski finishes with a sigh.
‘Don’t be late and be in good shape if you want to make a good first impression’, he adds in English as he takes his leave, tapping the door twice as he exits, the electronic sound of the hellhounds echoing down the hall.
Tamtey thought about impressions. She wasn’t familiar with these navi, so despite their shared circumstances and customs, until she had seen them face to face they were a threat.
A threat she must counteract.
—
Tamtey spent the whole of that morning in the Sarentu’s gym. Camo trousers swapped for combat shorts and dark grey top exchanged for a lightweight tank. Her wild hair tamed and tied back.
She slammed her fists into the punching bag with relentless and repeated force, not satisfied until she had beat her previous score at least two times over.
A drop of sweat rolls down her forehead as her head jerks up, ears flicking instinctively to the sound of an opening door.
That same gas rolls in.
‘Working hard to set a good impression I see’.
Bukowski.
Tamtey turns to face him, straightening her posture, steadying the swinging punching bag with one hand.
‘I’ve never met them before, I won’t know what to expect’. She states, voice plain and saturated with forced control.
‘That’s smart’. He praises, tapping a finger to his head. ‘A good way to think’, he trails off as he gestures to one of his robotic hellhounds, carrying a touchscreen in its mouth, delivered straight to the Sargent’s hands.
‘You’ve always been the most admirable amoung your Sarentu comrades’, he says as he opens a file on the screen in his hands.
Admirable. She internally recoils at the statement. There was nothing admirable about being able to play pretend better than others.
‘That’s why I have this for you’, he lifts the touchscreen, open on a file tab, placing it down on a nearby stack of mats. ‘Look through it, don’t look through it, I don’t mind. Just know that it’s there and I trust you with it’. He gives a quick nod, turning back towards the door and taking his leave. The moment he turns away from Tamtey, her face falls with her pinned ears.
She was not so easily manipulated.
But her tail gave a knowing flick. Tamtey desperately wanted to see what was on the device. She gives a quick growl before snatching the screen up into her hands, pausing after one swipe of the screen. These were files. Files of the Trr’ong navi with their pictures, stats and descriptions. Why had he given this to her?
Tamtey can’t blame herself for wanting to access more information before swiftly realising that the device had been riddled with locks before being given to her. A bitter laugh leaves her followed by a sigh as she looks through the Trr’ong members. Three males, one female.
Kiset, a burly male with brown eyes and an incredibly punchable face, going by his picture. Yikes.
Description: determined with a drive to impress the people around him, skilled in face to face combat. Tamtey briefly looks over his stats before moving on.
Raxk, a wirey female with sharp fangs and narrowed eyes. An obvious threat if Tamtey had ever seen one, she’d have to be watchful of her. Description: skilled with long range weapons such as the sniper rifle, generally respectful and a fast learner. Tamtey noted that her stats reflected that.
Na’tangu, seemingly innocent face with big hair and a small smile. Description: an eager learner who wishes to prove himself, skilled in coordination. Tamtey stood by her threat until proven otherwise mindset, but that didn’t stop her slight smile as she imagined him and Teylan getting on well.
Tamtey gave another swipe to look at the last Trr’ong member.
So’lek.
Tamtey assessed his picture. A solemn looking navi male with large and piercing golden eyes and a look of drive similar to her own. Description: most promising of the Trr’ong group, a silent but deadly threat. More than less obedient in the classroom and incredibly skilled in most areas of combat with an impressive amount of resilience. She looked at the small piece of text attached to his file which read, ‘marked by T.Bukowski’.
Interesting.
She places the device down with a sigh, grabbing her small towel of the floor and rubbing her face with it.
Meeting these other navi might be the best and worst thing to happen to them in a long time.