Ethan shook his head at his friend. She had obviously forgotten that Optio Walker had followed them in. Now that she saw him standing next to her with a hard look in his eyes, she probably regretted ever opening her mouth, Ethan thought.
"Recruit, sit down, right now. In fact, all of you sit down over here, circle around me." He waited until everyone was seated. Ethan grimaced. He had looked forward to a nice hot meal, and now Ariel had ruined it with her big mouth.
"The Lumin War..." he began. "I guess most of you are too young to remember, except Avila perhaps. I was just a boy back then, but old enough to understand what was happening. The Lumins were exterminating us, and fast. As for soldiers, most weren´t equipped or trained to meet such a threat, not to mention the politicians ultimately in charge. We nuked everything where we were losing, which meant almost everywhere. That didn´t stop them. Australia, East Asia, nothing but a wasteland even today. We did that. Not them. We. Mexico, that was a country just south of the United States that most of you have heard of. Nothing, but radioactive desert there as well. All over the world we left huge pockets of destruction, where no human will live for a thousand years. And to no avail. The Lumins were taking over. Only after the Battle of the Rockies did our troops regain the initiative. And once we got the support of the Confederacy, everything changed. The Blue Sector Confederacy didn´t fight, they never do, but they supplied the technology that enabled us to beat the enemy and chase them off the planet, and ultimately most of the solar system." He looked at them all, one after the other.
"You know, in those initial phases, before The Rockies, there were some minor victories. Nobody speaks of it today, since the Rockies was the big battle that changed everything, and with the Confederacy on our side, we kicked butt. But those minor victories, such as holding half of Luna, beating back the landing in Finland, capturing that first shuttle outside of Madrid, were more important than most people realize. That´s where some units, led by exceptional men and women, who later became part of the Leadership, who led the Unification, began to realize there were ways to beat the Lumins. And what made the difference, you may ask?" He leaned forward.
"Those people, the ones that held Luna, and beat the enemy in Finland, the team that captured the first shuttle, they were all better. They were better soldiers, more fit, knew better how to utilize their weapons and equipment, knew how to work the terrain to their advantage. They were less dependent on supplies, more self-reliant. Studies after the war found that they had a higher intelligence score, and a proportionally higher score on certain traits, ones that can only be found among certain types. The types we try to breed here in the Legion." He got to his feet and looked them over.
"That´s why we drive you all so hard. That´s why we take you to your limits and emphasize self-reliance, independent thinking, deep knowledge of your weapons and equipment, of yourselves. That´s why most people fail, most recruits are mustered out of the Legion, sent off to other units or discharged altogether. Because we only want those individuals who can fight the Lumins and win."
20.
Latrine duty. The least popular of tasks. Sweaty hard labor for hours, cleaning out the tanks beneath the toilets. The smell was so bad, it would stick in your nose for hours afterwards. Only one perk made it better: everyone put on latrine duty got a nice long shower and a clean set of clothes afterwards. Probably more for the benefit of everyone else, but it was a definite perk in an existence of sweat and dirt, physical and mental hardship and constant time restraints. That hour of indulgence and relaxation was a luxury, and Ethan enjoyed it to its fullest as he closed his eyes and let the warm water run, loosening up his sore muscles and feeling clean for the first time in a week.
Ethan, Eileen, Jed and Ariel had been the lucky ones today, and were standing in the joint showers, with Ariel singing as loudly as she could. The false notes could cut glass, Ethan thought, so it was a relief when she finally stopped. Ethan heard Ariel and Jed laughing over something, but he didn´t pay attention, and barely noticed when they finished up, went and got dressed and left to grab some lunch.
Just a few more minutes, he thought. A few more minutes of steaming hot water. He had plenty of time, and lunch would be available once he got out. The luxurious shower was more important than food right now, such that he didn´t notice Eileen had snuck up on him.
"We´re all alone", she whispered in his ear, startling him. She laid a hand on his chest and let it rest there. He was lost for words. Then she kissed him, a quick kiss on the mouth, before smiling broadly. She glanced at the entrance, before she looked him in the eyes. Those deep green eyes held his, entranced him, paralyzed him. She let out a giggle and kissed him again, more intensely, hungrily. He returned the kiss, and his hands found hers. She took a step back and looked him up and down, grinning. He´d been raised to be modest, a gentleman as some put it, but he couldn´t help staring at her body, lean and fit with milky white skin, small breasts and red hair flowing across her shoulders. She swayed slightly as she took a small step toward him, then another, until she stood close to him, her perfect body touching his.
"I want you to make love to me," she said. He stuttered and placed a fumbling hand on her breast, feeling a hard nipple.
"I´ve never..." he began. He never finished the sentence, as she kissed him greedily. He closed his eyes and let her lead the way.
Afterward they dried off, and got dressed.
"I´m not yours," she said, surprising him.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I´m not your girlfriend. We´re not a couple just because we had sex." He nodded.
"Was it... was I that bad? Do you think we could, perhaps sometime..." He was searching for words. She laughed, and kissed him on the cheek.
"Cassanova, it was great. Maybe we´ll do it again some time. It´s just that we´re recruits. And relationships... complicate things. Let´s not make this complicated." She pulled her belt tight, grabbed her rifle and walked out, leaving Ethan standing there.
Sure. No strings. She was right, of course. Still, Ethan felt a pang of remorse. He didn´t know if he really wanted a girlfriend, but still, wasn´t it supposed to be like that?
The alarm blared, cutting off his train of thought. Ethan jumped into his boots, leaving the laces hanging, and grabbed his rifle. He checked his magazine, but left the safety on. Then he ran outside to find out what was happening, fearing the worst.
21.
Ethan cradled his rifle and looked around. He checked the magazine for the tenth time, and clicked it back into place. They had trained for this from the first days they were allowed to hold onto their rifles. Everyone had live ammo locked inside their personal lockers, and two magazines on them at all times; one in the weapon and one on their belts. Ethan sometimes wondered how safe this was, but Decurion Schwartz had already laid the issue to rest.
"We´ve had Lumin incursions here before, single unit raids meant to frighten us, keep us on our toes, and we need to be ready to fight at all times. The next invasion could start tomorrow, right here, and if it does we´ll give them hell." And that was that.
Right now, Ethan was glad to have weapons and ammo easily available, but when he looked around again, he saw some of the recruits were laughing, and Optio Walker grinned broadly as he shook his head. Decurion Schwartz, on the other hand, was fuming.
"Seriously? That´s the best you can do? If this was for real, you´d all be toast right now." He glared at each and every one of them before he continued.
"Put your safety back on, empty your chamber and relax. This was your first drill, and there will be plenty more." Ethan noticed a twinkle in the decurion´s eye, and saw the grin coming.
"I have a surprise you!" he signaled for optios Walker and Morales to fetch two crates, which they did, both wearing the biggest smiles Ethan had seen on either of their faces.
"Beer for everyone! Help yourselves, and don´t forget; in the Legion we take care of our own!"
Ethan was shoved aside by Ar
iel, who shouted something about how this was turning into the best day since they joined up. Julian, Antonio, Fran, Eileen, Jamila, Tom, Jed and all the recruits who remained stormed forward, all whooping and shouting gleefully. Ethan grinned, and met the eyes of Optio Walker, who nodded to him.
"Enjoy yourself, Ethan, you´ve earned it," he said. Ethan stepped over and grabbed an ice cold beer. Ice! That was a true luxury here in the jungle. He put the can up to his forehead and closed his eyes. Just a few minutes ago, he´d been so confused, so frustrated, after what Eileen had said to him. And now everything felt just right. He looked over at Eileen, who turned toward him just at the same moment. She smiled, and he smiled back, and all the confusion, all doubt, all frustration, it all seeped out of him, being replaced by a feeling of contentment. He popped the can and took a long swig. Damn, that felt good!
"So Ethan, are you finding your place here in the Legion?" someone said behind his back. He turned and saw the face of Decurion Schwartz.
"Sir..." he began, but the decurion waved him off.
"No ranks. Not now, not tonight. Today we are brothers, Ethan. You can call me Hans."
"Eh, Hans, yes sir, I mean, yes Hans..." Decurion Schwartz guffawed, spurting beer out of his nose, and Ethan couldn´t help but laugh as well. The decurion slapped his shoulder and they both took long swigs together.
"You know, Ethan, I can be a real asshole sometimes. To you recruits, I mean. But trust me, it´s all for a good reason. I´m pushing you to the limit because if I don´t, the aliens will. No recruit understands this. Maybe in their head, but never truly in their gut, in their heart. No, all recruits hate me. Which is fine. Some though, like Optio Morales over there, return from combat alive to thank me. Because the hardship I caused them in basic saved their lives once it got real. There´s a saying, you know, "Sweat saves blood." I think there´s a lot of truth to it. Think about it!" With that, he turned and walked away, to talk to someone else.
Ethan looked over at Ariel and Julian, who waved for him to come. He grabbed a few more beers and walked over to them. He tossed one to Jed, who nodded back to him, and gave the others to Ariel and Julian. He still hadn´t finished his first.
"What exactly did you and Eileen do in the showers after we left?" Ariel said, and Ethan felt his cheeks redden.
"Yeah, that´s what I thought," she continued, grinning. Ethan shushed at her, hoping no one had heard. She just laughed and Julian slapped him on the back.
"Congrats man," he said.
"She´s not my girlfriend or anything," Ethan replied, and immediately regretted opening his mouth.
"Wow! Just wow, that´s even better!" Julian whooped. "You know what they call that, hey!” Ethan punched him in the stomach. Not too hard, just to make him shut up. A friendly punch. It worked.
"Have some more beer," he said, and Julian gulped down half his can, without a word.
"Hey, look out," Ariel said, and they all looked over to where she was looking.
Adjunct Lyons didn´t spend much time with the recruits, so they didn´t really know him. Optio Walker had once told them he was a former French officer, who had fought as a private in the Lumin War. Walker had told them that Lyons had served in a combat unit not unlike the Ghost Legion, which had lost more than 90 percent of its manpower at one point. The unit had been disbanded and the remaining survivors had formed a new unit after the Unification. Lyons had remained with this unit, and rose in rank throughout the war. When the war on Earth ended, he had been discharged. He had been among the first to join up when the Legion was formed a few years later, and had served in space for several campaigns. After losing both legs and surviving cancer to boot, he´d been relegated to training new recruits. Ethan thought the adjunct looked troubled, but he never said anything. Anyone who had been through so much was bound to carry some of their experiences with them.
Today though, Adjunct Lyons looked happy. And for the first time, Ethan saw him smile. When Decurion Schwartz handed him a can, he popped it and took a long swig. Then he addressed the recruits.
"Brothers and sisters. Today we use no ranks, no last names. Today, I am just Eric, and I am your brother. Let us have a good time, and tomorrow we shall recommence training. You have passed the first half of basic training, which is no small feat. So drink, and be happy. A vos santés!!"
Ethan took another swig and found that he´d emptied his beer. He walked over to find another one, before he caught the eye of Malika, and she flashed him a big smile. He smiled back, and was about to go over to her, when Eileen stepped in front of him.
"Cassanova, what do you say?" she whispered huskily. "Wanna go somewhere quiet?" And before he could answer, she took his hand.
"But you said..." he began, but then she put a finger on his lips as a knowing smile spread across her face.
"And I meant it. No strings. So, how about it?"
She didn´t wait for an answer, and led him by the hand. He looked around for Malika, but she was nowhere to be seen. Then he let her lead him away, more confused than ever.
22.
It was the worst hangover Ethan had ever had. His head felt as if it was going to explode, while his stomach churned along. He hated himself for not holding anything back once he returned from his little "excursion" with Eileen. That girl was insatiable! He´d held out into the night, drinking and singing all the legionnaire songs Walker and Morales had taught them. How many beers had he had? And what kind of liquor did he drink once they ran out of beer?
Adjunct Lyons and Decurion Schwartz though, had mysteriously disappeared before they got too drunk, and Ethan suspected the beer and the no-ranks policy was all just a ploy to make the recruits suffer even worse the next day.
"Oh my god, I want to die!" Ariel mumbled as she stumbled past him on her way to the toilets, not for the first time this morning. They had been allowed to sleep in, which meant they didn´t have to get up until nine, three hours later than usual. But since they were accustomed to the routine, most had already been up for a while now, half an hour before reveille.
The door opened, and Ethan expected Optio Morales to come in early, but when he saw who it was, he gaped.
Dan and Robbie stepped inside, and slung their bags on a pair of empty beds. Then they walked past him on their way out.
"Did you think you could get rid of us so easily, shithead?" Robbie sneered as he walked by. Dan didn´t say a word, but his eyes were so full of hate, Ethan knew he would have to watch his back from now on.
He lay back on the bed, not wanting to worry about anything right now. He had enough just to keep it together.
At nine sharp the door burst open again. Decurion Schwartz and Optio Morales stepped inside, shouting and cursing to get them up and dressed and ready for today´s activities.
"We are going for a little walk. Mount Wallis." Everybody groaned and the NCOs both stifled a collective grin. "Ten kilometers uphill, and then ten kilometers right back down on the far side. Then we´re going back to camp to train some more," the decurion said. Optio Morales stepped forward.
"Listen up! I want you all pack your standard backpack load, and to divide into four man teams. You will stick with your team throughout the day, and if someone struggles, you will help them. I want everyone to complete the march, and if one fails, the team fails. Got it? Then move it. You got five minutes, and please, do shower. It stinks in here."
Ethan stumbled into the shower. With five minutes to shower, take a leak and get dressed, he barely made it in time. Many others didn´t, and had to pay with push ups until they threw up. Ethan stuck with Ariel and Julian, and Jed attached himself to their team.
The first half of the march went surprisingly well. Jed had gotten into shape, and even though he was still one of those who still had a hard time when it came to physical activities, he gritted his teeth and carried his own weight — most of the time. Ariel struggled though, and Ethan and Julian had to push her so she wouldn´t drag them all down with her. She pulled herself together though, an
d they managed to get halfway up the mountain without incident.
On the halfway mark, they stopped to adjust their backpacks, hydrate and check their feet. Another team caught up with them, and Ethan groaned when he saw who it was. Dan and Robbie led the way, with Eileen and Fran following a few meters behind.
"Hey, dickheads!" Julian shouted as they passed them. "Ever hear of the word team?"
Robbie flipped him off, while Dan didn´t even seem to notice the taunt. He was glaring at Jed and Ethan all the while, until they had passed.
"Why´d you say that?" he asked. Julian just shrugged.
"Well they need to make sure they keep a pace everyone on the team can keep up with," he said innocently.
"You know what I mean."
"Oh that. Well, they are." Then he took a swig of his water bottle and bent to tighten his shoelaces.
Ethan didn´t say anything. It was time to move on. He didn´t care if Dan and his crew beat their time, even though it stung watching Eileen. Complicated.
He did care that they get moving though. If they didn´t, the rest of the march would be awful with sore feet and lactic acid in every muscle of their bodies.
Jed slowly got to his feet, helping Ariel up. She looked terrible; she had pale skin and occasional shivers running through her body. She was struggling just to stand.
"How are you holding up, Ariel?" Ethan said. She gritted her teeth, and let out a slow breath, steadying herself.
"Hell, if I can´t stand fighting my way through a simple hangover, I´ve got no business in the Legion," she said. Ethan smiled and patted her on the back.
"Good to know," he said. "Everyone ready? Let´s not give Dan and Robbie the pleasure of watching us give in, right?"
They continued the march, and even though they lost ground to the other team, they reached the summit in decent time. Decurion Schwartz stood there, waiting for them with a big smile on his face.
"Not bad, recruits. Especially with a sobering wreck of a drunk on your team." Ariel didn´t react to the insult. She just stood there, swaying, and Julian helped steady her. It would be a long time until they binged like they had last night again, Ethan thought.
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