The room was large and circular and I stood at attention in my more human-like form before row of desks and platforms that the three Alphas had sat at. The one had been running the selections and pulled her tricks had been the one in the center. Even as a prisoner, I had recognized her as the facilities commandant, or at least that she was high ranking with regard to the Lycothan's administration of it. Now, as a Warrior, I'd responded to her in an instinctive way. On some way, it reminded me of what Lartara had said the night before on how the different castes worked. I was bigger and stronger than any Alpha as a Warrior, and in any fight, I'd be more willing to make the fight personal, but I wouldn't have the ambition to start internal conflicts, and my own response seemed to be indicative of that.
I figured though that I wouldn't get much time to think over that. The Alpha in the center stood up, nodded to the other two and then departed back to a set of doors behind the platform, while the other two, a male and female sat quietly and even sternly on the two wings. I glanced out of the corner of an eye to see that Lartara hadn't moved from where she stood. I then stayed still as well. After all, these two were Alphas and if they were enough to get Lartara to stay still, I wasn't going to challenge them either. The two of them then stood up and came around the platform until they were directly in front of Lartara and I.
They were dressed far more formally than Lartara and I. The uniform I wore felt sort of like various synthetic fabrics I'd know before and was quite stretchy. I could even feel the fabric stretch when I straightened it. It also seemed to accommodate a Lycothan's ability to shift forms. If I had to change into my more wolven form while in uniform, I wouldn't have to worry about pushing my tail through my uniform. It would grow out and the slit in the back of the loin cloth I wore would fit above my tail, but the uniform was still rather simple. What the two Alphas wore was far more formal. The female wore a tight black dress with a gold wolf's head pin on her right shoulder along with gold trim. The dress, like my loin cloth had a slit in the back to allow the Alpha to grow her tail if she had to shift forms while dressed. The male wore a loin cloth and a more formal looking shirt. It also had a gold wolf's head pin on his right shoulder.
"We apologize for circumstances under which Jinara forced you into your choice, Warrior Recruit Harkaal," the female said slowly to me in a voice that had sounded similar to the way Lartara had talked to me at times when I was a prisoner.
"What is past is past," I answered, finally learning the name of the Alpha that had been heading those recruitment sessions, "and I am what I am."
"All the same... Jinara has had a bee in her butt about being an Alpha Lycothan, who was born an Alpha Lycothan, being kept as the commandant of a transformation facility," the female stated, "she wishes to be in charge of one of the city reclamation or restructuring projects... set her self up for a place in the Alpha's Council and thus gain leadership within our society as a whole."
That represented the sort of ambition that Lartara mentioned on the nature of the Alpha's caste. Part of me was curious as to why this Alpha was mentioning it to me. Lartara came up beside me as the female spoke.
"And in this... Jinara will hurt our chances of making real progress in transforming the prisoners we have," the male Alpha spoke, placing one hand on the female's shoulder, "she's tried to break them... and Nillara and I have watched countless prisoners resist the gift out of either fear or resentment..."
"And from all the reports, you were one of those that resisted in such a way," the female Alpha, Nillara, finished, "which isn't the overall objective of this facility."
"I promise that I will serve and train my best," I said to her, "and serve as well as my Captain will train me to."
Nillara smiled at the comment and looked to me, "and that is good Warrior Recruit Harkaal. As Jinara will probably try to test you as much as she can... probably in the hopes of getting my sister to accept the gift and become an Alpha."
"Your sister?" I found myself asking.
"Human 995403," Nillara answered.
I blinked for a moment and tried to go through the numbers the Lycothans used when I was still a prisoner. It took me a moment to realize that Nillara was referring to Amanda. Nillara was Amanda's sister. I had thought that Amanda's sister was assigned to oversee the Lycothan actions in Baltimore, since Amanda had come from there. The fact that Amanda's sister was standing before me was a surprise, but I still wasn't sure as how to respond. I remembered being Haley, but Lartara had said that wasn't something the Alphas looked fondly on.
"I will not harm her," I said after a moment.
"I'm sure," Nillara answered, "since like Jaxar, Lartara, and I... you remember being human..."
I gasped in surprise and looked at both Alphas and then to Lartara. The male Alpha, Jaxar, the female Alpha, Nillara, and my Captain, Lartara.
"Don't be too shocked, Warrior Recruit Harkaal, there are occurrences in which we remember our pasts after getting the gift," Jaxar gave a chuckle.
"You... you all remember?" I asked.
"Yes," Nillara answered, "my mate here was a rebel resisting the invasion and I had been in hiding... he managed to assassinate an Alpha in Annapolis that was there to see the "leveling" of that city and made his way back to me..."
"But the Alpha did manage to claw me before he died and I began to slowly change," Jaxar answered, "when I returned to Nillara, then Nellie, the raised libido of a new recruit was raising in me, though I didn't know it then."
"And I didn't know it either, but I did love Jaxar, then Jackson," Nillara picked up, "So... yes we had sex... which accelerated Jackson's transformation into Jaxar and started my transformation into Nillara. The Warriors that tracked Jackson were then quite shocked to find two Alphas having sex when they arrived. We remembered who we were, but as Jaxar howled and I howled soon after... we both realized that we had changed and that we couldn't get out of it. We were shipped here for training and taking our position within Lycothan society..."
That reminded me of the news reports I had seen before my capture while humans were still running them. People bitten or scratched did change, though not as fast as the method Lartara had used to change me. It was when I was a prisoner that I learned that Lycothans preferred to use sex as the means of transforming humans. And as Lartara had told me about her transformation, they didn't always give humans a choice. In this case it appeared to be accidental for both Nillara and Jaxar.
"I ended up the head officer in charge of the male wing and Nillara ended up the head of the female wing, though both of us were placed under Jinara as the facility's head commandant," Jaxar answered, "and we soon learned Lartara remembered her past and learned on where humanity stood..."
"That humans won't win," I said slowly, slightly depressed, based on what I knew of Jinara's actions and what Lartara had told me.
"Yes," Nillara nodded, "the initial invasion did enough to assure that Lycothans would conquer Earth. The best we can do make it so that prisoners choose to join us and avoid the prejudices of Alphas like Jinara turn to people being killed because they didn't want to get the gift..."
I slowly nodded to that. It reminded me of how many of the Lycothan actions carried mixed messages. They'd never done me any serious harm while I was a prisoner, but it seemed to cover up the prejudices and more violent actions that the Lycothans could go through, as Lartara had told me about before my transformation. I didn't personally like that sort of double standard, but neither did I know about how remove that double standard and leave the humans with the ability to choose their fate without being cruel. I wanted to voice my suggestions, but found myself unable to. They were Alphas and I was only a recruit. It didn't matter if they seemed to hold ideas similar to those that I had. It wasn't my place to advise them, though a question did eventually come mind.
"How do you know I remember?" I asked.
"Because I didn't pull you out the instant Jinara cleared you for duty and training," Lartara answered, "it's part of an unsaid agreement I've had with Nillara and Jaxar. I have to bring new recruits before the Alphas and if any remember who they were, I was to remain after being cleared to take you for duty and training. It'll allow for the conversation I said we'd have to have..."
"And you're with Lycothans like yourself," Nillara spoke, "in that we all remember who we were."
"I see," I said slowly, "I'll admit that it's left me a bit nervous on how I'm to interact with the prisoners... I don't want them to fear me... particularly those I knew... your sister, Amanda and a young resistance child... Casey."
"995403 and 997295," Lartara spoke, "I know you remember them and I know you will want to try and retain the friendships you had as a human... but you ARE a Warrior now. You will be expected to follow protocol, which will include using their numbers. If someone hears you use their names... the consequences on you and them could be dire. It's rough, but you will have to do it."
I looked down. The use of numbers rather than names and the inhuman treatment was why I had resisted. I only accepted my change because Lartara in a way had been kind and caring to me.
"But... that will only make them fear us... fear me... make them think that the only reason I want to change them is to further the take over of Earth," I said nervously. "That isn't why I'd want their transformation..."
"As do we all," Jaxar answered, "but you must still be careful..."
"I want my sister to choose to join us, but we still have to follow the rules, even as Alphas," Nillara added, "Especially while Jinara is the one who has written the rules for this facility. We remember, yes, but that doesn't change the fact that we must follow the rules. There is room that you can use to avoid being too frightening, but you will have to walk that path."
"How do I do that?" I asked to Lartara, nervousness evident in my voice.
"You remember how I talked with you?" Lartara responded to me, and I nodded in response, "that would be an example of how to do that. It can allow you to follow protocol and show that you do care, it may take time to perfect... but I can help you..."
I nodded. However, what Nillara said next raised some concerns.
"Jinara isn't likely to give Warrior Recruit Harkaal that time," Nillara said in warning, "she wants my sister to mark a sign of her own success here and is determined to demonstrate Lycothan power over humanity and the prisoners in our hands. And given that Warrior Recruit Harkaal as Human 992014 resisted the gift firmly for so long... she has the intention of using Warrior Recruit Harkaal as that sort of "teachable lesson" regarding Lycothan power."
"That'll complicate things," Lartara sighed, and turned to me, "and it will mean you MUST get to know Lycothan protocol quickly. Even if it means that they fear you at first... they are the rules that we as Warriors must follow. And many of them are designed to protect against bullying behavior."
I didn't really have an answer. I didn't fully know the protocol yet and could only remember the actions that I had found inhumane as a prisoner and what had fueled my resistance to being changed.
"I don't want to let you down, Captain," I said weakly.
"You won't, no recruit I've trained has," Lartara answered, "Jinara's games may make it tougher, but but if you focus, you will succeed."
"I will do my best, Captain, Alphas," I said to Lartara and Nillara and Jaxar.
"Good," Nillara spoke, "You may return your training, now."
Lartara and I nodded.
"Thank you for the warning, Alpha Nillara," Lartara answered.
With that, Lartara motioned for me to follow her and we left the room in which I'd been presented to the Alphas as Harkaal. From there we left and headed into a long hallway, which was presently empty. As we walked, Lartara gave me a little bit of encouragement.
"Jinara's games will make this tough, but I repeat Harkaal that if you focus you'll do well..." Lartara spoke.
"And my remembering my past?" I asked.
"You can't mention that to them, for your own safety in case someone else hears," Lartara answered, "and it will mean you'll have to strike a balance between the rules we as Warriors must follow and the want to save them from potential abuse..."
"Like you did?" I asked.
"In a way," Lartara sighed, "Though, I don't really have experiences to help you with. When prisoners started arriving after I was trained as a Warrior, they were people I didn't know..."
"Other than your husband and son, whom they didn't let you see," I commented, noticing Lartara look down, "which wasn't fair... they should have let you see them... tell them you loved them and that you could be a family again..."
"I cannot change what the Alphas decided back then, Harkaal," Lartara sighed heavily, "It hurt me badly to find out what they had done... and a part of me longs to rip Jinara apart for deciding that was a good idea... but she is still an Alpha in charge here. She outranks both Nillara and Jaxar, who weren't here when it happened, and thus as an Alpha outranks me. That is the basic rule of our society, Harkaal. We're Warriors. We fight for the Pack and to protect it. We don't rule over it. That role is reserved for the Alphas, otherwise..."
"We'd be killed," I gave a sigh.
"Along with our sisters," Lartara answered, "the Alphas like their orders and commands being followed."
"And what if the Alphas do something wrong?" I asked.
"In theory there are ranks within the Alpha caste that look over actions taken by Alphas on any level, and regarding war, specific tactics and strategy are purely within our Caste's domain, about all the Alphas can do with regard to war is decide on who to attack," Lartara answered, "Generals can advise them in favor or against such actions based on the situation or the supplies available... but that's only advice... and the Alphas wouldn't have to follow it. The only thing that would counter it is that once it moves into the generals' paws for planning... it can either speed up or slow down depending on the situation."
We walked quietly down the hallway. It was all a lot to take in and while I was now officially one of the guards, I had a lot to learn, and it would appear that I wouldn't get the chance to be fully trained before being given missions or tasks. That still had me nervous.
"But that's well above our heads, Harkaal," Lartara then spoke, "You will have to train and do well in the training to follow protocol."
"I will do my best, Captain," I told her.
"Good," Lartara nodded, "you can do it. Think and keep yourself balanced. That'll allow you to follow protocol, use the prisoner numbers, and show that you are not out to hurt them."
I nodded.