#kovac

On the 8th of June 2022, Giants Foundry and it's quest, Sleeping Giants, was released which means that today is it and Kovac's third anniversary! To celebrate, I thought it would be fun to redraw/recreate the wonderful promotional image by Terence Abbott (tezmobot.com)

Captain Becca 2nd in Command of the Dark Horses Mercenary unit stared at the object in her hands, so familiar and yet strangely alien to her at this time of stress. She tapped her finger on the guard and looked up taking a deep breath to fortify her nerves.

Becca stepped forward and looked at the door to the quartermaster's stores. As she raised her hand she paused to study the painted wooden door; as she would expect of Major Kovac's base it was freshly painted but it was obvious whomever had done the job hadn't stripped or prepared the door first causing the paint to blister and crack. A minor thing but surprising for any of Kovac's Dark Horses. Becca pushed open the door.

The lights in the storefront were dimmed enabling Becca to see into the backroom of the QM's office, Major Kovac for once not wearing uniform was lounging on an old burst sofa, his bare foot resting on the corner of a low table. Leaning against him, possibly asleep was Sergeant Knickers, Captain Becca's 2IC. Sitting opposite them in a large relaxing chair of faded and shredded leather was Lisa the Quarter Master of the Dark Horses, ruddy faced and squat (possibly as broad as she was tall) she was wearing her ever present leather waistcoat, complete with her archaic pencil attached by a piece of string.

Lisa appeared to be smiling fondly at the two soldiers as she finished pouring herself a mug of tea. Kovac turned his head to look at Becca as she stood in the doorway and nodded to make the QM aware of her presence.

The QM stood and with a glower at Becca stomped into the front office, she leant her knuckles on her worktop and leaned forward. "Stilts?" The QM never called anyone by their rank or name.

"A requisition order for equipment and uniforms," Becca swallowed and continued, "I've itemised and prioritised them, some are for the troop others are for the Squadron as a whole Quatermaster."

Becca didn't know what eldritch power the QM possessed but something about the short, rotund woman with the greasy red hair terrified the Captain, her obvious displeasure at Becca's simple presence made her very gaze baleful.

"Bex, come join us," called Kovac.

Becca closed her eyes and offered a prayer to any gods who might receive her.

"Yeah come on Bex," called Knickers.

Unsure if she would ever breathe again Becca walked forward stiffly, passing a handswidth from the QM Becca had a moments surprise as she smelled lavender from the woman rather than dried blood as she expected. After she passed the QM Becca realised there was nowhere to sit, so stood awkwardly by the couch. The QM passed her, returning to her own throne, Becca worried that she'd lost all sensation on her right side as the QM passes that side.

"Stilts is too tall to be in here," growled the QM.

"Oh knock it off mother, she's 6 inches shorter than I am," Kovac said.

"Exactly, that's 12 feet of people in my lounge." A vague gesture at Knickers, "Sweet and you are alright Troop but add another body and it makes the place look untidy."

"Be nice to Bex, Lees, she's starting to sway, I think Captains Wolf and Dorman are coming here too with the Sergeant Major." Knickers said.

"Better put some water on mother," said Kovac - they weren't related, though it was a term Kovac used for the QM and none other.

"No point, I only own three bloody cups."

Hearing this Kovac closed his eyes and smiled and then looked upwards muttered under his breath, "of course you fucking do." He stood, and moving across the room kissed the hairline on the round woman's head, "never change RQ, never do that to me."

Kicking on his thong-sandles Kovac strolled past Becca to the door, "we'll relocate to my office."

Kovac and Knickers were the only two out of uniform, the others; Becca, Captain Dorman and Wolf and Sergeant Major Chloe aka "Panther" and sergeants Fluke and Glover were all in uniform. Even for Becca who was Kovac's partner it seemed odd to see him in anything but military dress. He was in an unusual mood too, strangely glib and appeared disinterested.

"Apologies sir, is there a better time for us to do this?" Becca asked, irritated as the Major toyed with a pocket knife.

Suddenly Kovac was sitting at his desk, his face intense. He swept his gaze across the faces of his subordinate officers and senior NCOs, "we're lost."

The matter of fact statement was met with silence, "we fought in a nasty war, we did nasty things. The mask slipped and we didn't get to see ourselves as noble heroes we saw behind the curtain and it turns out we're killers."

He gestured around the room, "we've all been guilty of it, humans are the protectors of the galaxy, cosmic heroes who fly in on a spaceship and win the battles for the vulnerable and protecting the peace. Then we used chemical weapons to win the war against the Xhost. Millions dead and Billions; Trillions maybe, saved.

Kovac gave a shrug, "what difference is there between killing someone with a rifle than with White Phosphorous?"

Becca looked at her fellow officers faces, they were blank.

Kovac closed his eyes, "it has always saddened me that humans made contact with the rest of the galaxy and it was our war fighting, our savage nature that made us. How few of humanity's contributions to the Galaxy have been anything non-military?"

"We all joined the military for different reasons, some of us have family history, others wanted to see the galaxy, a few of us made the decision based on poverty and wanting to avoid starvation or incarceration. Whatever the reason we've ended up soldiers hoping to do good things, wanting to be heroes, when the feeling comes to you that you might be the villains the glamour slips away and you're left to see what we really are. Paid killers."

"The Xhost campaign, what we did...it was all necessary sir" Captain Mark Dorman said, rather forcefully.

"I know Captain, I was the one that ordered it, the issue is our perception." Kivac glanced around the room, "so much of our cultural heritage, our heroes of myths and legends are war fighters, the Song of Roland, Thermopylae, Captain America, Rambo..." he gestured vaguely to indicate he couldn't think of many others currently. "Warriors all, sadly the reality isn't as good as the myths and legends."

Captain Becca was watching her fellow Sublalterns, none of them looked happy. "What's your point sir?"

"That war is terrible, its awful and anyone who tells you differently is selling something. We get sold a glittering ideal and then up closewe find its caked in the blood and shit of friends and lovers." He sighed, "to borrow a phrase, war crimes...all wars are crimes. You're either a perpetrator or a victim but it's still a crime you're involved in."

Major Kovac stood up, he looked more animated than he had done in weeks. His gaze swept across the captains and their sergeants. "The scales have fallen, some of our men; most of our men are realising that what we do is take and end lives. Others put there come in after and save lived, they heal and rebuild. We are killers, destroyers and wreckers. If they can't come to peace with that then they will need to make a decision."

"The malaise has gone on long enough, get out there and drill them, beast them, get them too tired to think and too obsessed with their skills and drills to worry about why they do it. Anyone has any issues is welcome to come and talk to me, we have a pension fund for a reason. Dismissed."

“You know, just before that last raid in the compound, Jack told me how he couldn't wait to get home, because more than anything, he needed a decent slice of greasy pizza... with you.”

Riley Davis and Kovac | MacGyver Season 5 Episode 5

AMG s5 gif series Part 11/?