Free The Last Legion: Book One of the Last Legion Series by Chris Bunch

company area?”
    “Right, boss.”
    Njangu’s eyebrows lifted. Hedley caught it.
    “This is a good place for instant flipping orientation,” he said. “We have a few rules. First is that we’re all flipping volunteers. Mess up, and you’re devolunteered back into one of the regiments to become part of the madding herd.
    “Second is not to get a big flipping head. We’re nothing more than crunchies who happen to work in small lots. What we do, we do faster, better, and dirtier’n anybody else. So don’t go bragging about how billyjo-bad you are and pushing civilians or the herd around when you’re outside the company area. Starting a fight is another reason to get punted out. Especially if you don’t win.
    “I said we’re dirty, but when we’re not, we’re the cleanest. We depil, we bathe, we keep the boots shined and the uniforms as clean as we can. Any idiot can be a pig. We’re not idiots.
    “Three is that we’ve got our own ways, which aren’t anybody’s business but ours. I saw you look a bit surprised when I called Senior
Tweg
Gonzales by his first name, and he called me boss. But if there’d been an outsider around, I would have used his full rank and last name, and he would’ve called me sir.
    “You can call people whatever you want … or, more precisely, what they’ll allow you to. Senior
Tweg
Gonzales, for instance, happens to have about seven campaigns and two major wars behind him, so if you called him Reb when he comes back, he’d probably hammer you into a thin paste suitable for wallpaper. Save that for when you’re trained and on a team. Or better yet, after you’ve been shot at a time or two.
    “As I said, our business is our business. Keep it that way, and you’ll be a credit to I&R.
    “Petr Kipchak … who I just punted up to
finf
, because nobody stays in the flipping ranks in I&R if they’re good, unless they want to … recommended you, and Reb thinks he’s a good man, which is why I asked personnel if you’d be interested in volunteering. Don’t screw up and make Petr … and me … out to be a liar.”
    “Nossir,” Yoshitaro said, relaxing in the warmth of Hedley’s smile.
    The door came open and Senior
Tweg
Gonzales came in, accompanied by one of the more beautiful women Njangu had ever seen. She had close-cropped blond hair and an athletic body. As for her face … Njangu remembered a song he’d always hated, with the stupid lyric of “bee-kissed lips,” and wondered what the hell a bee was. He still didn’t know, but thought it looked pretty good.
    “You wanted me, boss?”
    “I did,” Hedley said. “This piece of meat is yours. Njangu Yoshitaro, this is
Dec
Monique Lir, our training NCO and First Troop Gamma Team Leader. You’ll find out that most of us wear at least two hats.
    “I’m unit CO, which is a
cent’s
slot, and Second Troop Leader, Reb is Company First Sergeant, which is a first
tweg
position, and so forth. The TO&E says we should have four officers, we’ve got myself and
Aspirant
Vauxhall, who’s XO and First Troop Leader. If you qualify for I&R, you’ll find yourself doing a couple of jobs, too.
    “That’s about it. Monique, take this disgustingly soft former civilian from my sight and transform him into something acceptable.” Hedley’s voice was just as friendly as it’d been a minute earlier.
    “ ’Kay, boss,” the woman said. “You … out!”
    Njangu saluted, Hedley unwound from the desk, returned the salute, and smiled gently.
    “Try to have some flipping fun.”
    • • •
    Garvin woke up with a headache.
    “That’s that,” Dill said.
    “What’s what?”
    “You’ve seen the holos, where newbies spend all their time marching back and forth, getting hollered at by drill
twegs
and such?”
    “Sure,” Jaansma said. “Can I get up?”
    “Do it.”
    Garvin slid out of the contoured chair, rubbed his arm where Dill had given him the injection three hours earlier.
    “Now, about all that square-bashing,” Dill