"Jack. Jack. Savage." One of our trainees is trying to get my attention, apparently.
I sigh and turns toward him. I was sitting at a desk in my office, sorting through all the necessary paperwork for the training/mission for today. The clock on the wall read 5:18. In the morning. "Yes?" If he asks me for an autograph, the quickest and quietest way to do so is to just give it to him.
This is a REAL hostage situation. He's a trainee. Breakable, but very valuable. So it's a no-no to just knock him out and leave him in the hall. I'm to tired for this nonsense.
The trainee, a jackal, holds out his paw and smiles winningly. I shake it, and do a quick examination.
He's taller than me, but most mammals are. He's about half a foot taller than Officer Wilde, I'd say. His red fur, carefully smoothed into place, has odd grey specks floating through it. His eyes are yellowy green that flick over me, assessing me as we've both been trained to do.
He's left pawed, but has learned to use both equally, but he favors his left.
He's got bruises from sparring, but all the trainees do.
And he'd probably go for my left side in a fight.
All of this takes less than three seconds to assess, for him longer than I. It's all rote for me now.
"What did you need, greenie?" I ask as he releases my paw.
"Bekka sent me. She said that I was to go along with you on your training exercise." He smiles, obviously excited about getting to work in the field. It's a great chance for every trainee.
I sigh, feeling a bit like Anniclaw Furwalker when he got his Padawan.
"She said that, did she?"
He nodded enthusiastically.
"Alright. Guess I can't argue. Just, try not to get in the officers way. They think this is a real mission, and they may get a little trigger happy. Report back in three hours. Get some rest. You'll need it."
He starts bouncing around energetically. "Oh, I'm sure I can handle it, Savage. My instructed says I'm the best in my group."
"Do they now? Interesting?" I sit back down, and start working on the paperwork again.
"I bet I could take you." He says.
My head jerks up and I snort. "Don't count on it, kid."
