"A red cross on a white field is by far the most common internationally recognized symbol for medics and medical personnel."

She pulls up a photo.

"Does merely not wearing one suffice to indicate that I'm not a noncombatant?"

"It is sufficient that you will not be falsely claiming a protected status, which is the act at issue in the Conventions, to my understanding. Would you like me to have someone double-check and clarify?"

"Yes. It comes up in the Acts."

"Alright, let me send off that request." Typing typing typing. "What next?"

"Since I have some Comprehend Languages prepared today, if there's any enemy material you'd like deciphered more confidently, I can do it and it would also provide me with useful context on the nature of the conflict."

"-That's a good idea. In the interests of transparency, I think, we'll also include some material that we are fairly confident of the translation on. Do you want to do that now? It may take a little bit to get examples together."

"If it will take a while perhaps it would be a good time to arrange lunch."

"Right. We can get you lunch. Either base lunch - not the best food available because of logistical considerations, but it's food - or Create Food And Drink if you prepared it. If you do Create some food, they have cleared it for on-base consumption, so it can actually be properly enjoyed."

"I didn't prepare it today; I can do so in the future if rations are tight and there aren't needful third-circle spells, but I only had it before because that was my plan for paying for my lodging on the road back in Cheliax. I have a Protection from Energy instead, in case of more of those energy weapons, though I would need someone to tell me if they're more like fire or electricity."

"They're definitely more like fire. It's... The same sort of phenomenon as stars, so far as we understand it, in the way that a lake and a cup of water are the same sort of phenomenon. We should get you science lessons. And gun range training. Approval for that came through a little while ago if you are interested."

She stands and starts heading towards a door of the rec room they've been occupying a corner of.

"I appreciate that." He follows her.

Here is another room that is quite similar to the last one. Slightly different decorations. Smell of food on the air.

"Some alien weapons are pure force projectiles. Those are generally considered less dangerous than the starfire - 'plasma' - weapons... Hrm. The intel samples may be a while. Shall I pencil you in for range time after lunch?"

"Please. When you say force projectiles do you mean they deal force damage or just that they propel some kind of projectile with a great deal of force behind it?"

"They propel a projectile with a great deal of force. Sometimes the projectiles themselves explode, but that is mostly large human projectile weapons more than alien ones. If they're making a system heavy enough that we would use explosive projectiles, they just use plasma. We are learning a lot from salvage of alien machinery, materials, and technology. There is a lot of motivation to do so. Though our weapons and armor are both decidedly inferior to alien versions that use similar amounts of materials, and dependent on the starkly limited supply of alien materials which we cannot produce ourselves. Yet."

And here is the cafeteria. His handler explains the situation. Lunch for two: Corn or peas or refried beans, shredded chicken taco or shredded chicken on rice, mashed potatoes with gravy, slightly stale palm sized bread, all on a thin aluminum tray.

It's not Worldwound stew and it has salt in it! He takes peas and chicken and potatoes and gravy and bread.

His handler is mostly quiet during the meal.

Afterwards they return the trays in a receptacle designated for this, and head into a different part of the base. There's a checkpoint with armed guards and procedures to follow.

"...I forgot to check before now but range rules indicate that any weapons you are not training on be kept in one of the lockers outside. Would it be acceptable to check any weapons on you, such as your mace, into a locker for the duration of your range time? Also, rather than have you spend a Comprehend Languages, I am going to be an interpreter for your instructor."

"The mace is magic. I can't replace it. I expect the locker is safe for most situations but this one might reasonably be exceptional, and it's also not a ranged weapon."

Talking talking to some other people...

......Fine he can keep the mace. There are maybe some faces being made but they really want his cooperation long term, so.

Here is a side room with a rather scarred older man with some guns! Here is a lengthy lesson on the general operating principles, steps to disassemble and reassemble and safe and unsafe and aim and fire them, and some jargon for the parts and calibers and ammunition and so on. Here are the firearms safety rules and range rules.

Blai listens extremely attentively to all this! Do the rules have any sort of priority order should they come into conflict?

Sensible military people with plenty of experience definitely have a clear and satisfying answer which this margin is too narrow to contain.

Marvelous. Eventually he thinks he's got the hang of it and can go learn to shoot.

The range can help him with that! It's only thirty feet long so the focus is on pistols, shotguns, and SMGs, not long rifles.

Experienced tutors in the matter of shooting things with guns who are watching closely may note that:

a) he's obviously never held a gun before in his life
b) he is not naturally talented with guns, and
c) he is still somehow aiming remarkably well given this as soon as he's been introduced to the basics of how each piece handles.

...After a while of this they his handler asks if he has some sort of natural advantage at wielding guns. The rangemaster is saying he is much more accurate than expected, especially since he has imperfect form.