Authors Note:
Sorry it took me so long to get this next part out everyone. I will try to be more timely in the future. As always, comments, critique, and suggestions are welcome.
******
As the knock on the door echoed into the kitchen Marcus heard Chloe's voice cut off abruptly.
Her nervous mutterings about a variety of mundane tasks she wanted to finish had sounded completely foreign to him. He thought he had even heard her say a few minutes ago that she wanted to water the plants before everyone arrived. Why their guests should be concerned for the status of their house plants was beyond him, but clearly it made sense to her somehow.
Chloe poked her head out of the kitchen as their guests knocked on the door again. "Aren't you going to get the door Marcus?" Chloe asked, the skin around her eyes taut, as if she were trying to conceal her nervousness.
"I thought I would let them sweat for a minute or two." Marcus answered, his eyes glinting with barely concealed mirth.
"Well don't do that, it's just rude!" Chloe exclaimed, calling his bluff and heading towards the door to answer it herself.
"All right, all right, I'm coming," Marcus answered, "but you know, if you opened the door without me and said that Commander Crassus had moved to an apartment down the hall, they might get rather confused. Could be fun to watch."
"We couldn't do that to them Marcus." Chloe responded her nervousness abating slightly and giving way to amusement. "They are expecting good company, and all you want to do it trick them. What kind of compassionate commander are you?" She finished, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Marcus began to make his witty retort, but she cut him off.
"Don't answer that. Answer the more important question: How do I look?" She said spinning around to twirl her long skirt.
"Lovely, as usual." Marcus answered with a wink.
Turning to the foyer he took her hand in his and walked to the door. The knock rang out again, and unable to contain himself Marcus looked through the peephole. Outside he saw his Captains with their wives on their arms. The women seemed unconcerned by the lack of response from the apartment, but he saw his men shooting each other curious glances.
Marcus turned to look at Chloe who was watching him expectantly, waiting for him to answer the door. Still looking at her, he called out in his sternest voice. "Who is it?!"
Chloe's eyes narrowed with suspicion. By her expression he could clearly see she was wondering what he was planning to say next.
From behind the door he heard Jarrod's voice. "Uhhhhh, Captains Jarrod, Phillips, Anastasi and Kriger. Commander Crassus, Sir."
Still looking at Chloe, Marcus decided to take his joke to the next level.
"Clearance code?" He called out in the same tone.
Chloe's eyes shot open as her hand clapped over her mouth, her eyes betraying her laughter despite her covered mouth. Quickly looking through the peephole he saw Jarrod's confusion as he stuttered and looked at the other captains. The wives smiled at each other, their amusement contrasting starkly with their husbands confusion. Apparently his little joke was transparent to them, but had worked perfectly on their husbands.
Before Jarrod could attempt to answer he briskly opened the door; the men's confusion still plastered to their faces.
"I would have accepted 'open sesame,' or 'we brought expensive wine.'" Marcus said, laughing openly at their confusion.
"Marcus was that a joke?" Jarrod asked from the front of the group.
"Yes Jarrod, I obviously do not require some sort of password from you, and I'm very well aware of who you are." Marcus replied, still smiling, tapping the peephole significantly.
"I don't think you've ever played a practical joke on us before Sir. Not that I can remember." Jarrod answered bemusedly.
"Well," Marcus answered casually, "this past week has been one of firsts to be sure."
Smiling at them he reached out and shook each of his Captain's hands and invited them in. Leading them into the foyer he stopped next to Chloe, who had been concealed by the door.
"Gentlemen allow me to present my wife Chloe. Chloe, this is Captain Jarrod. Captain Philips, and his wife Sophia. Captain Anastasi, his wife Valentina, and finally Captain Krieger, and Dorthea."
Each of captains shook her hand respectfully, their wives embracing Chloe and kissing her cheek. Marcus only barely had time to glimpse Chloe's face, flushed from the warm greetings, before Sophia, Valentina, and Dorthea caught hold of her hands and whisked her away to the kitchen.
"Sophia, I had no idea the Commander was such a trickster." Valentina said, laughing as the crossed through the living room.
"Neither did I apparently." Chloe responded, looking over her shoulder and glaring teasingly back at Marcus, still surrounded by his captains.
Once the women entered the kitchen their voices became less intelligible, and he could not longer make out what they were discussing. Marcus had expected that the women would be excited to meet Chloe, and as such the fact that they had rushed away with her as soon as they had been introduced did not surprise him. Inviting his officer's into the living room, they took their usual seats.
This was not the first time he had had his captains over for dinner. As a matter of fact he enjoyed having his friends over for dinner quite often. When they were not on a campaign he would invite them over at least once a week. As such they each had their favorite spots in the large living room.
The living room was quite spacious, and was furnished with several couches as well as a couple of easy chairs. A large overstuffed armchair near his bookshelf was Marcus's favorite spot. Jarrod for his part took the other easy chair situated near the passageway that led to the kitchen. He always contended that it was the most comfortable, but Marcus suspected that he did not wish to take an entire couch to himself, unmarried as he was. Krieger always took one of the couches. He preferred the long couch nearest to the foyer that allowed him to remove his shoes and stretch out lengthwise. Anastasi preferred the second couch in the room; the loveseat that faced the kitchen with a small ottoman to support his feet, his shoes similarly removed. Taking up the last piece of furniture, Phillips sat comfortably on the final couch that faced Krieger's and the passageway to the foyer.
As each man sat down a they let out a contented sigh. They said not a word to each other, but merely enjoyed the pleasant comfort of their favorite spots. Soon; however, conversation started, predictably hinging on Chloe.
"So," Anastasi said finally, "She's only here a couple days and already you're thawing out from a hard-ass into a practical joker."
Anastasi was smiling, letting Marcus know that he was only teasing, but he knew that his words mirrored what the rest were thinking.
"Yes, it would seem so." Marcus answered, blushing slightly at his previous behavior.
"Well it's about time, wouldn't you say fellows?" Anastasi guffawed.
Captain Anastasi was one of the most jovial men in Marcus's battalion. His ancestors had made the long journey south from Little Italy in the now abandoned city of New York. Proud of their heritage his forefathers had always married Italian women, and as such his family was not subject to the blending of ethnicity that was now commonplace in Durosian society. His family's case was rare, as the Lords of Duros had always encouraged a melting pot mentality, hoping to cut down on issues of racism, xenophobia, and genetic disorders that had caused difficulty in society before the war.
Following their example, Anastasi himself had selected the most Italian woman he could find in the forum. His wife, Valentina was uncommonly beautiful. So much so that it was surprising really that she had not been married to someone at the behest of the Lords themselves.
Valentina's skin was a delicate olive tone, complementing her dark hair and brown eyes. Her figure was soft and curvy, with a chest that was slightly too large for Marcus's taste, but evidently suited Anastasi's perfectly. The two made an excellent couple, as well as being best of friends they were clearly deeply in love with each other. Certainly they were not afraid to be affectionate in public, often to the embarrassment of Krieger, who was a polar opposite of Anastasi.
Captain Krieger for his part was extremely reserved. His tall lanky form and his usual dispassionate expression made him appear ill-humored. Marcus knew, however, that behind his dark exterior hid an extremely intelligent mind.
Krieger was perhaps the smartest man Marcus had ever met. He was a brilliant tactician, often foreseeing changes in the enemy formation that Marcus himself could not have predicted. Despite this, his greatest downfall was his introversion. He never spoke more than was necessary, made few friends, and often was perceived as a cold, uncaring man.
Unable to deny his military brilliance however, the Lords of Duros had promoted him to captain, but had "suggested" that he leave the actual captaining to his lieutenants and spend most of his time at headquarters devising strategy. This suited Krieger just fine; content as he was to expend his energy using his brain rather than his brawn, as he had never been a successful soldier. He wore only wore two silver cords over his shoulder, indicating a kill count of 20. A small number, comparatively speaking, for a captain.
Krieger's relationship with his wife was the real puzzle. Shortly after Marcus took command of the battalion he had announced that he was getting married. This came as quite a shock to the men, who had never seen Krieger have any sort of interest in women, or any human being regardless of gender for that matter. Why he chose the woman he did was a mystery to many as well, although it made perfect sense to those who really knew Krieger.
His wife Dorthea was a very small woman. Standing only one and a half meters tall she was easily dwarfed by Krieger's imposing two plus meters. Mirroring Krieger's slim build, Marcus estimated that Dorthea could only weigh about 100 pounds soaking wet. Her athletic body was none the less attractive, and what she lacked in height she made up for with personality.
Dorthea was the most bubbly woman Marcus had ever met. He had never seen her in a bad mood. Ever enthusiastic and full of ideas, she lit up the room with her presence. Her personality richly contrasted with Krieger's, and that was probably for the best Marcus reasoned. He could hardly imagine what it would be like if Krieger had married a woman exactly like him. A drag, Marcus concluded, chuckling silently to himself.
