The Recruitment: Rise of the Free Fleet by Michael Chatfield

compared them to Taleel
     
    Taleel was already wearing his Mecha as he brought his squad into Shrift’s armoury. His plasmid daggers in their scabbards giving off a greenish blue hue as the plasma which made the blades so deadly was held within an electrostatic field.
     
    He had his rail gun strapped across his back with a pistol in his drop leg holster. It painted the picture of deadly Mecha, yet there was no drive in Taleel’s eyes. Instead there was a dullness to them. The only emotion that showed was sadness hidden behind joy as he hurt his recruits. Shrift banged on the knee joint as he looked away, frustration at the system he found himself in and how he and Taleel had to do what they were told. Otherwise they and their recruits would get punished more.
     
    Shrift pushed that thought aside as he focused on working on the knee joint of one of the Mechas. The bugger’s magnetic bearing was off kilt and causing the whole thing to lock up.
     
    “Shrift!”
     
    “What you want Taleel! Some of us have to work!” Shrift twirled waving a crowbar at the officer. Taleel recoiled as Shrift moved towards him. The Sarenmenti might be big and deadly looking, but the Kuruvians were known for their strength and smarts. It was the basic reason why none of the Sarenmenti ever picked fights with them.
     
    “You want someone ask for them with a damn hello, or, are you busy! Especially if it’s the Kuruvian looking after your own armour!” He advanced until he metres away from the humans he was to train.
     
    That goes for you all too!” He said brandishing his crowbar bringing himself to his full height of four foot, his upper’s wielding the crowbar as he crossed his lowers. Their eyes popping from their heads at the sight.   Heh, they look kind of cute.   Shrift thought as he caught one not looking at him in surprise, but studying the Mechas instead.
     
    “What’re you looking at?” He demanded as the boy looked straight ahead.
     
    “Mechas sir!”
     
    A look of disgust crossed Shift’s face.
     
    I’m no officer. I am just Shrift.” He said, making sure all of them had got the message.
     
    “Be easier to work on that with a jack than trying to crowbar it out.” The human continued.
     
    “Oh would it?” Shrift asked brandishing the crowbar in front of the man’s face. To his credit the man didn’t flinch at all as he took the crowbar walking over to the Mecha.
     
    “Yes.” He turned to the tools locker opening the drawers.
     
    “Shrift.”   Taleel said in warning.
     
    Shrift silenced Taleel with a motion as the human got another tool from the drawers. Shrift recognized it as an expanding wrench. He shrugged looking to the other humans.
     
    “George give me a hand.” Another human went, holding the wrench in position as the first opened it.
     
    The opening jaws pushed the magnetic fields acting on the joint out of position. Shrift grinned, his mentor would be pleased, and it seemed that these humans at least had a few more brain cells to rub together than their Sarenmenti trainers. The second held the wrench as the first applied the crowbar.
     
    “Smart.” Shrift said approvingly as he came up to observe the work. The human used the crowbar to pop out the magnetic bearing from its counter acting upper and lower leg rings, catching it as it came out.
     
    Shrift pulled the new one off of his belt and slotted it in place.
     
    “Release the clamp.” The second human did so as Shrift pulled a universal jack cord from his belt attached to his own in the palm of his hand, and to the Mecha as reams of information passed across his eyes, symbolizing the Mecha’s.
     
    “She’s all aligned.” Shrift said with a grin. “What’s your name?”
     
    “Salchar.” The human put his hand forward obviously wanting a returning gesture.
     
    “Shrift, the armourer and the guy that puts everything back together after you’ve broken it.” He said pointedly, his three fingered hand clasping the