After a week of reports of the thing in the sky getting closer and closer, it landed at some airplane place far away from us and the Marines relaxed a bit. They still carried their rifles around, but I could see the looks on their faces. They were not as worried about having to fight.

  “We can breathe a bit, but since they haven’t shown they can behave themselves in front of the UN, don’t unbutton everything.” Ashley told me after we got the latest update from the Pentagon.

  “First cat person from another world and now unknown peoples from who knows? Your world get exciting quickly.” I joked.

  “Yeah, who knew? Though I can’t help but think that they are here because of you. The timing is too… convenient.” Ashley pondered.

  “My world does not have means of leaving world and going to other, what happened to me apart. Don’t know how that was made so.”

  “I still feel like the other shoe has yet to drop. The public seems to have calmed down at least. That was an interesting few days.”

  “Well, I teach more knife fight to Marines. Some of them good. They teach me how to shoot rifle. Learn fast, shoot rifle for real soon. For now, practice take apart and clean, and practice correct shoot skill.”

  “Technique.” Ashley corrected.

  “Yes, that, I think. Not able to do all the things with rifle that can do with bow though. Not shoot around blocking object.”

  A few more days of living in the forest and we were cleared to go back to the barracks. When the Captains called all the Marines to stand together in their people-box in the armored truck place I stood at the end of the line next to Givens. No one told me no.

  Later I was sitting in the day room learning a card game with some of the Marines.

  “What, are we not worried about the space aliens any more?” asked DeFranco. He paused and looked at me. “We need more magic aliens. You guys are cool.”

  “As much as I enjoy time here, I hope one day there be one less magic alien. I have home and family and want to see again one day.” I played a card, and my partner across the table groaned. “Also, fight monsters dangerous, but Marine base make me soft.”

  “Rumor has it that the brass are trying to find a squiddie for the aliens to train. All the big navy countries have to send someone.” said Ramirez to my left. He played his card and took the set that was now on the table. “Kos, you are bad at this game.”

  “I am new to game. You play bad too on first day. What is squiddie?”

  “The Navy guys are squids. We are Jarheads. It’s a term that was originally intended to be insulting, but since we all decided to own it, it isn’t insulting any more.” said Roberts across the table.

  “So we are going to have a space navy?” asked my partner Jones. He played his card. “Do you think there will be space marines?”

  “If there is then there had better be power assisted armor!” enthused Given’s from over my shoulder. He reached past my head and pointed out a card he thought I should play.” I shook my head and he tapped it again, insistent.

  “Are you getting your Nerdity all over my cards?” asked Defranco.

  “Maybe a little, but it cleans up with disinfectant wipes.” Givens retorted. It was my turn, so I played a different card from the one Givens wanted. My partner took the set and played a new card.

  “So when we go shoot?” I asked as the play came back to me again. I played my card and when Ramirez didn't beat it I picked up the 4 cards on the table and laid down another.

  “You wasted that one.” criticized Roberts as he laid down a card. “We don’t have a range day coming up for a while, but some of us have some personal pieces we can take to a civie target range this weekend. Just gotta stay close in case the aliens act up.”

  The aliens did behave themselves and Saturday morning Ashley and I climbed into the Suburban to take another trip off of the base. I studied a medical text in the right side seat while waiting for Ashley to get us to the outside range, which was about two thirds of an hour from the barracks.

  When we arrived, there were at least three double handfuls of Marines there already. All were armed with some type of rifle or pistol, although there were at least one handful wearing their body armor with helmets and watching the approaches to the vehicle parking places.

  “They all look so much like they want to ask nicely for a battle.” I observed.

  “It looks like the Raiders like you.” Ashley decided as we came to a stop. “They probably all want to see how you shoot. Two teams volunteered for protection detail, so they will take turns rotating those crews in to shoot with the others.”

  “I shoot OK, sure. I remember sight picture, and wind and drop, and smack-rack-pow, and SPORTS.” I climbed out and checked to make sure my clothing was properly covering my ears and tail.

  “Remember you are supposed to stay in the car until I determine it is safe.” Ashley warned me.

  “Sorry, Marines have all paths here watched, so I thought it was alright.”

  “Just try to let me do my job. If you get shot and I could have prevented it my career is finished.”

  “If I get shot I chase down assassin and beat to death with own weapon. It take more umph than most have in them to keep me downed.” I told her.

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  “I feel like you are not taking cavitation and spalling into consideration.” Ashley prodded.

  “Had parts removed before when fighting monsters. If wound not contaminated with opposing magic energies, can heal it very fast. Is my best-at skills.”

  Our conversation had got the attention of several of the Marines, and some whispered conversations started.

  “Let's not demonstrate that?” Ashley recommended.

  “Demonstration actually fine, but not today. Dress is nice, feel bad if got blood.” I twirled, flaring the skirt. “Body vest mess up curve outline though.”

  “The sacrifices that are demanded of us!” Ashley laughed, and thumped her own armor under her oversized knit top.

  I looked at the Marines gathering around us.

  “Everyone have different weapon. Which we shoot first?”

  “Before that, we have something for you.” Said one of the nearby Marines. He flagged Givens over.

  “We’ve been working on it all week.” Givens said. “We can see the ear muff style hearing protectors won’t work for you, so we cobbled this together. I worked up a schematic, Cruiz 3d printed the pods, DeFranco figured out the foam lining, and Jenson over there donated an old tactical helmet for us to mount them to keep them against the top of your head.”

  He handed me a helmet with two large holes cut in the top. Into each of them he clipped a plastic and foam piece. They were obviously where my ears would go, so I put it on. They did a good job, as it didn’t pinch my ears.

  “Hey everybody!” Givens announced. “K-A here is an operator! Who’s got a plate carrier we can use for pictures?”

  “My wife left hers in my car, it should fit!” came a shout from the back, followed by a double beep from the car next to him. In seconds the Marines were strapping more armor onto me. I quickly moved Ashley’s vest into storage so I still had room to breathe. Another Marine stuck a mk 18 in my hands.

  “Guys!” Ashley started throwing elbows. “I strongly recommend you all calm down and back up before either I or Kos-Api decide to feel threatened. I’ll just put a hole in you, she’ll start removing parts.”

  That got the guys to all back up instantly.

  “No harm. Let’s go shoot.” I handed the plate carrier to the closest Marine, confident that they could sort it all out themselves and headed to the range store with the mk 18 and my new helmet.

  “Who do we see about details?”

  “We booked the place for a private event. We are good until lunch.” Said Givens.

  “Can I have my 18 back?” came a call from my right.

  “Who say that?” I demanded. A hand raised.

  “You just hand odd person weapon? What wrong you?”

  “No! I kept the bolt!” He held it up. I opened the weapon shotgun-style to look inside. “You smarter than I think. Good Dog!”

  “Good what?” sputtered Ashley.

  “They Devil Dogs, yes? Read that. What is Devil?”

  “That would require a lot of explaining, but suffice it to say it makes for a meaner dog.” offered Givens.

  “Operator Magi-Cat and her Devil Dogs.” One of the other Marines quipped.

  “You lucky magic not work, I strike you with lightning where stand for call me cat.”

  “If you tell them you don’t like it they are going to tease you more.” warned Ashley.

  “Do you want get striked?”

  I handed back the weapon and looked around. One of the senior sergeants stepped up.

  “Most of the guys want you to see their favorite pieces. Gun nuts, all of them. So each of them are going to spend two minutes explaining to you anything you need to know specific to the firearm, and you will have three minutes to handle it and put rounds down range. It’s the only way we are going to get out of here by lunch time. If you have any favorites you can go back to them after we get through everything that the guys want you to see. If this all works out we can try pistols at a future time.

  I spent two hours trying different variations on carbines. All of them were fine weapons, as the Marines knew their work well. Some of them were easier to handle and more comfortable, but this was obviously a physiology issue. When a big Marine handed me a weapon that seemed too small to be comfortable for him I paid attention.

  My favorite model of the day was one called a Tavor. I got to shoot it again before lunch. I also liked the Herstal weapon I got to use, but they told me that the bullets for it were less common and harder to get. After we were finished, I pulled a wand out of my storage and used a Minor Working on myself to remove the gun smell.

  When the Marines figured out what I did they were amazed.

  “Many Workers make such things shiny to amaze. I hunter though, not reveal position.”

  Givens noticed the wand.

  “You use a magic wand?” he was so excited he practically vibrated.

  “Use tools for magic make it safer. Using energies to move physical world sometimes go wrong. Sometimes hurt, sometimes die.” I answered. “Try magic Working with instructions from memory, see how long still live.”

  “So what is the plan for the rest of the day?” Asked Givens.

  “More study. Requirement for combat doctor is citizen. Study for that. Qualify for citizen by become service member and do test. Do things specific order, get all done, be combat doctor.”

  “Probably still going to need some waivers. The timing is pretty tight.” Givens advised.

  “Talk to Elder Marines at next meeting. Make it all happen. Tonight, study.”

  “Tomorrow do you want to meet up and talk about magic? I have some cool new anime we can watch too.”

  “Netflix and chill, Givens?” asked Ashley, much to Given’s embarrassment.

  “Givens, you are… courting?” I teased.

  Givens came to attention and stared off into the distance.

  “You’re cool and all, but I would like to avoid the appearance of any impropriety or engage in any activities that would run afoul of some regulation I can’t recall the specifics for at this time.”

  “You are probably still OK, Givens.” Ashley chimed in. “Kos is still technically a civilian, although you might want to be up front about it to your command, as fraternizing with a foreign national might have implications towards your security clearance.”

  “You also know that Murenyan have different relationship than Earth human do. We not have marry custom and I probably long outlive you. I also older, which I am tell matters here.” I added. “I start magic training when you born.”

  Givens looked like he wasn’t sure he could speak without getting himself into trouble.

  “Is OK Givens. If no problems, we do as Ashley say and chill with netfix. What ever netfix is.”

  “Trust me girl, it’s not that important.” joked Ashley.

  The remaining Marines hooted uproariously at Given’s predicament.