Kuta took a long, deep breath as they made their way through their work. Currently, they were going through a long list of approvals to monitor potentially hostile exo-Rethan threats, most notably a Torr sect that that believed in supremacy over other Epanian races, a Lanex splinter group that were trying to recruit people into worshipping the Whenvern and several Temthan labs that were known to experiment on other races, but they needed evidence before the Rethan military proper could go in and deal with them. Admittedly, Kuta normally dealt with interior affairs, keeping an eye on dangerous Rethan flair ups, information and data hacks and security for the governmental legions, but anything that involved other species was normally triple-checked by the 11th, 12th and 13th Legions before being put into work.
Although, to be fair, the Rethavok were actually a rather tame species. For reasons Kuta (and the majority of ruling Rethavok) couldn’t understand, most Rethavok would just fall in line and follow their leaders, and violence among Rethans was incredibly, insanely low. Kuta often wondered if there was some sort of pheromone-based system or perhaps even an incredibly low level telepathic network that kept their fellow Rethans in check. But no one had ever proven anything, so it remained a mystery.
A knock on the door distracted Kuta. They quickly checked their calendar, to see if they had forgotten a meeting or something. No, nothing. It was clearly something important though, as Kuta had requested that their captains leave them alone to work. With a tut, Kuta got up and opened the door to their office, pausing only to tidy up the cushions on the sofa bed they kept in the corner.
As the door opened though, Kuta stepped back in shock.
“General Kuta, how was your trip?”
Standing in the doorway was General Vaksavar Ethranios, the leader of the 100th Legion. Better known to pretty much everyone as the Master of Generals. Vaksavar was as pure-blooded a Rethan as possible, a member of one of the Rethan Purity Bloodlines, similar to the Rethianos Tradition that had produced the perfect specimen that was the High General. The Ethranios Tradition though was somewhat different, aimed at creating massive, hulking monstrosities, but also vastly intelligent ones.
Vaksavar in particular towered over Kuta. Kuta was barely 2.4m tall, but Vaksavar easily hit the 3m mark and barely fit in the hallway outside. Just like the Rethianoi, the Ethranioi had dark skin with red natural plating, but their eyes were orange, and their upper caste plating, the thin, extra organic armour that ran along their shoulders, chest and head plate, was purple.
As always, Vaksavar was wearing the traditional pure gold ceremonial armour of the 100th Legion, On top of being physically and mentally powerful and a massive presence, Vaksavar was politically insanely powerful as well. Vaksavar ran the 100th Legion and had been doing so for the last 100 years, longer than Kuta had even been alive. And the 100th Legion was in charge of making sure that every other General of the Rethan Military was fit for service. This included the ability to demote a General and have them replaced, and surprise visits and inspections were not uncommon.
“My trip was fine, thank you, Kyr Vaksavar. May I ask, why are you here?”
Vaksavar smiled. Their teeth neatly slotted together, making Kuta painfully aware of their own dental problems.
“Oh, nothing much. You have been travelling a lot lately. Working hard. More than usual. May I come in?”
Kuta nodded and moved to one side, closing the door behind Vaksavar. Rather than sitting at the desk, Vaksavar opted to sit on the sofa bed, still smiling. Kuta knew they had done nothing wrong, that this was most likely just a brief check up, but they still felt nervous. Everyone felt nervous around the Master of Generals. Even the High General had an uneasy aura whenever Vaksavar was around.
“So, why were you in End One?” Vaksavar got straight to the point as Kuta sat down next to them.
“You are aware of my… unholy abilities, yes?” Kuta asked a question of their own.
“Indeed. You have shadow powers, similar to those of the darkness-blessed Skyavok elite.”
“Well, identical powers. Including the ability to shadowjump. And also including all the downsides…” Kuta did their best to explain. “Unfortunately, there is a weird… issue where, if you attempt a shadowjump without considering a final location, you end up in End One.”
“But you got out, no problem?”
Kuta sighed. “I have… a connection there. Someone who has assisted me in the past.”
Vaksavar didn’t immediately accept Kuta’s statement. “The K-Class filed a report about a shadowjumping Rethavok. While the information is heavily redacted, this clearly points to you being held in custody by the Skyavok, being released without charge and then put on a flight back here. You do realise this could be somewhat damaging, yes?”
“Yes, I realise, General. Am I in trouble?”
“Oh, no. Not at all. High General Rethais had a nice chat with the All-Ksa of the Skyavok. Relations with the Skyavok have been at an all time high now that both races are run by military figures. You do need to be more careful though.”
“I will try my best, Kyr Vaksavar…”
“Is there anything else you should be telling me?”
Kuta glanced up at Vaksavar. Granted, being short, Kuta had to look up to most Rethans, but Vaksavar’s question put Kuta even more on edge.
“I… I do not understand.”
“You have been travelling a lot lately. Normally, you rarely leave your office, outside of meetings. You sleep here on the regular, but lately, you have been returning home, ever since High General Rethais sent you on that little mission. I would like you to be honest with me, Kuta, is something going on?”
“You mean, aside from the deity that has taken an interest in me?”
Vaksavar tutted. “Let me guess, the Thantophor likes you. The same way they like the exiled Rethianos. There has been a worrying up-tick in Thantophoric interest in us, and I am concerned that the Lady of Light will be upset.”
Kuta grunted. “From what I have been told, our Lady does not care unless we are Torr or we make Her Highness look bad. And surely you can understand the population’s desires to give interest back to the Thantophor? Arkay takes our shape, after all.”
“That latter comment is fair, and I can doubly see why the deity tied to darkness would have an interest in you…” Vaksavar paused, then smiled some more. “Perhaps you could plant a tracker, the next time you meet.”
“That would be a sure-fire way for me to die!” Kuta exclaimed, not caring that they had interrupted. “I… I will pass on knowledge that the Thantophor happens to give me, of course, but he is aware of my duties as General of Hidden Affairs and he knows to not say too much. A tracker though would be too far.”
“Fair, fair…” Vaksavar shrugged. “Still, a somewhat related question. When was the last time you took time off work? Actual time off work, not the days you were forced to take off due to your misadventures?”
Kuta fell silent. “I… I do not remember.”
“I think it might be time to take some time off work. While yes, you have done nothing wrong lately, and this is just a random inspection, you have been somewhat… sloppy. Which is unlike you, little one.” Vaksavar put a heavy arm around Kuta. The fact that the Master of Generals had called Kuta, a Rethan who had just reached 100 years of age and had been serving as General of Hidden Affairs for a good three decades, “little” genuinely bothered Kuta, but they knew not to say anything.
“I think that is an unfair assessment, General, but perhaps you are right, I should take a break. But I cannot just drop all my duties.”
“Yes, you can.”
“With all due respect, I cannot. I have-”
“A legion of soldiers at your command. I am sure your captains can continue your duties while you take a much needed break.”
“Do I…” Kuta sighed. “Do I have any choice in any of this?”
Vaksavar smiled. “No, you do not. As the Master of Generals, I make sure that all serving Generals are fit for their duties. You have not taken a true holiday in five years. I am making you take a holiday before you are no longer fit for duty. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Kyr Vaksavar.”
Vaksavar patted Kuta on the back, then stood up. “You have a day to sort your staff out. If I discover you in your office tomorrow, I will be upset. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Kyr Vaksavar…” Kuta repeated.
“Wonderful. Have a good day!”
The wise old General left Kuta’s office, slamming the door behind them. Kuta waited for a moment, until they could no longer sense Vaksavar’s presence, then returned to their desk. After a while though, Kuta suddenly smiled and reached for their communicator.
“I suppose I should let my new friend know about my holiday…” Kuta grinned. “It will be nice to have some free time for once…”