Chapter 130: Duties of the National Defense Forces Officer Corps: Episode 8
"My junior seems absolutely thrilled playing around with your invention. Reports from the battlefield are flooding the secret comms network every minute—it's nonstop. Hoo... honestly, does she think she's still that young warrant officer zooming around with her insignia shining bright?"
Grozny clutched his throbbing head as he absorbed the news from Kaif in his office. He had no room to talk, though—he'd once charged the front lines himself, inhaling poison gas and getting stretchered off with gunshot wounds.
I joined the military at ten, became a division commander at twenty, and by thirty—when most folks are lucky to lead a company—I was supreme commander of the army. But thirty's still young enough to romp on the battlefield, right? That had been Grozny's logic back then. Considering his specialty was infantry, he was even more reckless than Kaif hunkered down in a tank.
Kaif's nicknames even included "Apprentice of the Sorcerer (Grozny)," but who exactly had taught her to charge so eagerly into the front lines? Knowing blame would just spit back in his own face, Grozny opted not to recall Kaif. Instead, he sent reinforcements with a prayer she wouldn't get hurt—and now here they were.
"I was hoping she'd join us here... When do you think she'll return to HQ?"
"I doubt she'll make it back even by day's end, so no point waiting. Just continue with what you were saying."
Putting Kaif aside for other matters, across from Grozny sat Kaldir Astra, sharply dressed in her National Defense Forces Army uniform. The military hadn't designed officer garb with women in mind originally, so while they'd rushed to procure and fit her uniform and process her enlistment, Kaif had already sortied to the front.
"Uh... so, you're saying I should create military records for this... person and fabricate a custom uniform to match?"
"Don't say a word—just do as I say."
Of course, when the top brass orders a uniform tailored, you tailor it... but the poor soul assigned to measure Kaldir's dimensions and whip up the outfit couldn't hide his bewilderment, causing a slight delay. Her records took time too... but impatience got the better of them.
Kaldir had planned to share extra intel with both the supreme commander and deputy present, but with things as they were, she'd have to tell Kaif separately later. Perhaps her timing was off—becoming an official soldier before handing over Lucid intel or advising on the army's path forward.
One expected attendee missing, and though she was now military, her rank and post remained ambiguous, but Kaldir heeded Grozny's words and launched into Lucid military secrets.
Current Lucid deployments across Atlantis territory, locations of dormant strategic weapons, their operational plans, mobilizable manpower, even internal layouts of their space battleships—each detail was pure gold. Cross-verification was needed, of course, but Kaldir backed her words with holographic files, plunking them squarely before Grozny.
"Even if used solely for cross-checking, these would greatly aid our operations."
Grozny could verify some on the spot against his own intel, and the rough match boosted his trust in Kaldir even higher. (He said "rough match" rather than "perfect" because her self-gathered data via her abilities outshone his shaky spy networks.)
Until now, she'd only tapped the Akashic Records during sex with the princess or Shuga, but in truth, it was terrifying wielded like this. No espionage needed to unearth enemy top secrets—or betray the homeland by selling allied ones if treason stirred.
"Truth be told, Your Excellency... even coming to meet you, I worried you might not acknowledge me. Like with the Secretary-General, I planned to show weapon intel first, then—if you accepted me—advise on their deployment direction..."
"What? You thought I wouldn't recognize you? How could I fail to honor a patriot like you?"
As Kaldir droned on in her thin voice—unsuited to a soldier—she paused mid-report, adding a touched remark. Grozny shook his head, signaling she could be confident.
If he'd truly dismissed her, why handle her enlistment personally or commission a bespoke army uniform? He'd have just shooed her away with "Don't come back," planting seeds of "I respected the legitimate government, but it rejected me"—turning her dark.
Handing her an Army uniform over Navy or Air Force wasn't arbitrary either. Human as he was, he favored his own branch—better to bind a talent like Kaldir to the Army than let her drift elsewhere.
Thus reconfirmed in Grozny's favor, Kaldir wrapped her report with the boilerplate: "Should any info prove inaccurate, please cross-verify thoroughly before operations."
Relying on Akashic Records or future precognition could falter critically. As always, she'd hoard intel obsessively, test theories relentlessly. Her final words urged Grozny to do the same.
The veteran commander grasped her point, nodding as he pocketed her files. That wraps the report... Then, as if struck by a thought, he spoke.
"Your family name is 'Astra,' right? Ever heard of Colonel Astra?"
He sought confirmation of a link, given he'd pinned medals on that very female officer himself.
"If the Colonel Astra Your Excellency means is the one you personally awarded the Knight's Iron Cross and battalion command... then yes, my adoptive mother."
"Ah... just as I thought... She's raised her long-lost daughter well..."
Grozny muttered, nodding. Hm, 'adoptive' mother, not birth? Kaldir's human—must have real parents somewhere. If raised by foster care, her bio folks... Might've poked a sore spot. No good prying further.
Having received her full report, he'd hoped for casual chat, but sensing he'd brushed her weakness, he faltered. Then, shifting gears:
"Speaking of which, I haven't assigned you an office here yet. Good grief... my oversight."
"No need for concern, Your Excellency. The Secretary-General prepared a room for me in the People's Government Administrative Building."
"That's a relief. Anyone sharing it?"
"Sharing? Well... I bonded with the Secretary-General after rescuing his young son and youngest daughter. Among them, I'm rooming with the princess. She relies on me greatly."
Truthfully, Kaldir clung to the princess more, but Grozny had no way to unearth her masochistic walls here.
"The princess... Princess Atlantia? Glad tidings for Comrade Secretary-General, then. His children, once amid Lucids, now have her company..."
Steering to her lodgings—and noting her first day as soldier, with a place and roommates—Grozny dismissed her. Music to Kaldir's ears, who'd only awaited return to the princess's embrace.
"I'll expedite an office for your stay at HQ—complete with hotline for contact. You're free to go today."
Kaldir placed her self-made communicator on his desk and scampered out, elated. Serving her nation's flesh was fulfilling, but moments with loved ones? Irreplaceable joys.
Saying "Actually, I have clone abilities, so I can be everywhere at once" would've killed early dismissal—first day, and she'd be ground to machine parts.
Better satisfied snaring trust from army brass and Secretary-General alike. No sense delaying the princess further.