"She's gone. My baby is gone." Gita gripped the links of the fencing in her fingers until her knuckles turned white. A gentle hand rested on her shoulder.
"Mistress, you know why she had to leave." The eyes of this young woman always seemed to see right through her. "She saw the same things you did. We destroyed this planet's ability to sustain our life, and lifestyle. She knows the only place left is out there." She pointed up into the sky. Gita lowered her eyes.
"Do you think she'll ever forgive me for that lesson?" The woman shrugged.
"Who knows her mind? She has your intelligence, and your father's ferocity. I saw that look in her eyes...." She gulped hard. "Cold and emotionless when she.....punished you for that lesson." She looked back up into her mistress's eyes. "That will keep her alive. And she has little Shayna to think about."
"Yes. Little Shayna. Just as Talia was the result of my lesson, Shayna was hers." She closed her eyes again. "It had to be done. Father would have done much worse to her, and I couldn't let that happen." Her eyes hardened. "Not again!" She turned towards her, and smiled. "Come. She's waiting back at the complex, and I need some comfort." Tonya smiled and blushed.
She enjoyed Gita's company, just as her mistress enjoyed hers, but there was no real love there. Just comfort. That's all anyone could ask in a world gone mad, where people ate other people just to stay alive.
It was a brutal world bent on killing every human that remained upon the surface.
"Another storm is brewing, mistress. We need to get back quickly. The door won't open when the wind's get too fierce."
"Just as I programmed them. Lets hurry then. Can't afford to stay outside in one of those monsters."
"The next batch of recruits are here." She muttered under her breath. "Lets see if any of them have what it takes to survive up there." She turned to the squad trainer. "Get them assembled."
"Yes, Lieutenant." He snapped a quick salute and turned away. The sergeant wore a grim mask, but his authoritative voice brought the new recruits to attention, or at least, their version of it. "Get up off your asses!" She rolled her eyes. Some of their members took their rank too seriously, and played into the role like they were soldiers, or marines. This was one of those guys.
They were not military, though some of their members were ex-military. Before the fall of organized governments, they were recruited by the progenitor into the program, and were to report for duty when it came time.
This was a civilian organized venture that would develop a military system for exploration and colonization of their solar system. The reason was obvious. Space would be less harsh then their own planet.
She frowned as she watched one set of recruits. A young woman with a cold stare and harder eyes, along with another young woman who looked like she was imitating her. Not for amusement, or for show. She followed her lead because she had that aura. The aura of power.
"When I ask what your name is, speak your full name, and your age! First ....you." He pointed to the one imitating the woman.
"Coral, sir. No last name. Age 17, I think." He frowned.
"You think? Don't you know?" She shook her head.
"No sir. I have no family, no papers, and no home." The briefest of looks was given to her from the harder woman. He turned towards her.
"Something to say?"
"Talia Gitatytar. Age 16." He frowned.
"Are you a moron?" She turned her hard gaze towards him.
"Explain, sir."
"You're sixteen years old, and what is with that name? What makes you think you deserve to be within these......hurk!" He yelled out as he was turned over onto his back and her knee was put to his throat. She had a grip on his arm that began to bend it into an unnatural angle. "ARGGHH!"
"The name is conventional among the North men, Finland and other areas, sir. Honoring my mother. My age is irrelevant. My skill, however, is not." The lieutenant smiled.
"Cadet Talia! Release him!" She immediately released her hold and watched him spring to his feet. The foolish sergeant punched out immediately and regretted it as the cold ground greeted his back once again. The lieutenant chuckled. "You deserved that one, sergeant. Cadet Talia, release him, please." She nodded, released his arm, and stood at attention. He looked up at her, and wondered if it was safe to stand. She reached out her hand.
"Sir, I regret the unfortunate circumstances that led up to that. Accept my apologies." She pulled him to his feet without a grunt. He smiled a bit sheepishly.
"Teach me to question the skill of a cadet without first testing her. Return to the formation, Cadet Talia!" She stepped backwards two steps, and stood beside her footlocker. He nodded, then looked to his superior officer. "I think we've found a squad leader." He said in a low voice, at which she nodded.
"Agreed. Cadet Talia!"
"Yes, sir!"
"You are now squad leader of Beta Squad. There is also an Alpha squad, but the names were chosen by being the first squad. Beta is the second, but can also be considered a trial run within technology firms. Being squad leader is not a permanent position, as you can lose that privilege through dishonorable actions, or not performing your duties." Talia was about to ask when she held up a hand. "That will be answered momentarily. Sergeant, if you will." He nodded.
"The sole responsibility of the squad is to ensure survival of the squad. The squad is your family, your brothers, and your sisters. As such, if anyone messes with your squad, they are a threat to your family. All threats to your family must be removed." The words were familiar. Talia knew them by heart, as she was the one who wrote them.
"Personal gripes can only be settled in personal sanctioned combat, authorized only by your commanding officer, which Lieutenant Ayers currently is, and it is non-lethal combat. Attempts to use lethal force will be met with lethal force. If anyone attacks a squad member, you have the personal right to retaliate without getting authorization, but can not use lethal force. Lethal force can only be authorized by a commanding officer, unless lethal force is being used against you. If you should use lethal force without it being used against you, you will be executed immediately." He had walked back and forth in front of the cadets, and finally stood in the middle, then turned and faced them. "Do you understand these laws?" A hand went up. "Yes, cadet?"
"Just our squad, sir? What about the larger unit we will be attached to later?"
"The squad is a small unit, but each squad will be responsible to a department. That department then becomes the squad. Lieutenant Ayers has only two squads under her, but that is because your two squads are the only ones that currently exist. She may have five squads under her later, but all five are her squad. Her family. She also has a family over and around her, and under the command of the lieutenant commander, and over them will be the commander, then the captain. There is currently no admiral or captain assigned, as there is no need with a fleet that only entails one main ship, two supply ships, and one station." He looked around at the bewildered faces, all accept for Talia's. The wheels were turning there, and plans formulated.
"The structure behind you will be a temporary barracks. All cadets will be assessed for skills they may already possess, or can develop. Grab your gear, stow it beside a bunk, and get your asses back outside for a run!" He frowned as Talia bent to pick up her locker, but no one else did. "Did I just give you an order?" He shouted.
"Yes, sir!" They turned quickly, and grabbed their lockers. He shook his head in disgust. This would not be an easy job. Raw recruits just seemed to piss him off more then those who thought they knew what they were doing, but knew even less then these yard apes.
Unfortunately, that was Alpha squad to a T.
Coral watched how Talia laid her locker down, the distance she placed from the bunk, and copied her as closely as she could. She chose the closest bunk, even though someone else also tried to claim it. A cold hard stare from Talia convinced them to chose another.
"Thank you." She said softly. Talia turned away from her and jogged outside without a word. She lowered her eyes, and followed her. She had no other choice but to try and learn all she could from this hard young woman, but somehow, she felt safer in her presence. She couldn't explain it, but she felt stronger just being near her. And more human.
"That was brutal!" One of the cadets groaned as he fell into his bunk.
"Don't get comfortable!" Talia called out. "Chow will be on in five minutes, and those who do not eat it quickly, or get in line quickly, will end up with reduced rations!" His eyebrows furrowed and his eyes narrowed to slits.
"Are you threatening me?" she stared down at him.
"Those are your instructions. Do with them as you please." She turned away and looked at Coral. As she started to open her mouth, Talia noticed Coral's eyes dart to a spot over her shoulder. She ducked quickly, watched the cadet's foot sail over her head, reached up, and turned over. The leverage she exerted pulled him forward and face first into the ground.
"If you try something like that again...." She pulled his arm outwards and put a modest amount of pressure on his forearm and slowly increased it. At first, he thought he could wriggle free, but as he felt his forearm begin to flex, he quickly slapped his other hand against the ground.
"I give! I give!" She released the hold, and pulled him to his feet effortlessly.
"I gave you instructions, cadet. Not orders. Its lunch time. If you want to eat the whole meal, you follow my instructions. Do you understand?" He nodded. "Good." She turned to the rest of the squad.
"I do not hold grudges. I was raised in a military family, know military rules, and behaviors. Take my advice if you wish. If you don't, you'll wish you had. And you'll learn that lesson from this meal." She gestured to Coral. "Lunch time. Come on."
The meal was as quick as she expected. A few of the cadets decided to bull their way through the training, and not listen to her advice. Within ten minutes, the sergeant stepped up to the benches.
"Everyone still eating is done! On short meals like lunch, and during training, you are to eat as quickly as possible! This means that your attention is less on your meal, and more on your surroundings! That skill will be invaluable in space where a hull breach could spell the death of the entire crew, or a micro meteorite can punch a pin hole that could vent all the atmosphere, and no one notice until its too late." He looked over at Talia, and one other cadet. "Cadet Wilson!" The cadet stood up.
"Yes, sir?"
"I expected that you would dawdle over your food. Your complaints about the training were quite...vocal." The cadet swallowed a lump in his throat.
"I would have, sir, if Squad Leader Talia had not instructed us prior to the meal." The sergeant smiled a small smile.
"I see." Then he turned to the three who were ordered to stop eating. The rest had already finished their food. "Since you three decided not to obey her instructions, that means you'll be repeating this lesson in a ten kilometer run! Get your asses up and get moving!" Talia stood up.
"Sir, the squad failed to teach their fellow cadets the importance of doing things as a squad. We should join them for that run. That way, each squad member will realize that we depend on each other, not on ourselves. Sir." He nodded.
"Agreed. Everyone! Get your asses up! Training continues until the last cadet gets back to the barracks! Move it!"
"Coral." She looked at her, but fear was in her eyes. The run had just finished, and supper would follow in twenty minutes. This break was to allow them some rest, as it was just their first day, and already they had run more then anyone was used to, save for Talia, and Coral. "Follow me." She reluctantly obeyed, and followed her outside. She had a hand grab her just outside the door and pull her to the side.
"Eeep!" She let out a squeak, but stayed quiet. Talia looked her in the eyes, and saw something buried there, hidden, and protected. Being quiet and compliant while being held like this also told her something else. Someone had done something to her, and trained obedience into her personality.
"I don't know what happened to you, but if you need help, I'll give it to you." She frowned.
"You mean it?" Coral stepped forward, her eyes warming up quickly.
"I mean, if you need help with training, to learn, I'll teach you." Coral bit her bottom lip.
"Can you protect me?" Talia shook her head.
"But I can teach you to protect yourself. You need that more then my protection." Coral had to believe she was right, but a glimpse back through her own past gave her ample reason not to believe it.
This mission into space was her last hope for a real life. As a person, and not an animal.
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