During training, there would be a variety of challenges and tasks. The cadets who scored the highest among all the cadets would form the gold squad. Zander, who had been in the gold squad last year, told me that each member of the gold squad would lead one of the squads that the other first-year cadets would form. What was most important was that the gold squad members would each have a chance to be paired to a second-year command class cadet.
In the third year, the command class students would captain a trainee crew and part of their training this year involved assessing the current first-year cadets for those they wanted for their trainee ship crew. The gold squad members would serve as the first officers to the trainee captains and help assess their fellow first years. At the end of the year the captains would compete, with the winning captain commissioning his crew first. Then it would go down the ranking, with each captain picking their crew in order.
Zander knew that I had already passed most of the first-year flight modules, and I had admitted to him that I had also been using the battle simulator. Over the last few days, we had come to an agreement. I would join the gold squad and Zander would do his best to win the first command course competition to get the first pick of gold squad cadets. Normally the command cadets would only get a small file on the gold squad and would need to select their first officers without having a chance to even meet them first.
Neither of us wanted to be paired with someone we might clash with, as we would be stuck together until graduation, and I wanted someone I could work well with. Zander had told me his captain from last year had been a complete prick to him. He also hadn't responded well when he had found out Zander had tested into the command course, which meant he would need to choose a new first officer. He had apparently been fond of pushing some of his command school tasks onto Zander and it was this that caused Zander to take an interest in becoming a captain.
There were other benefits to my pairing up with Zander. The command course cadets would normally serve on a larger ship under a senior captain for a few years before getting their own command. With one exception—if a trainee captain could lead their ship to victory in both the third and fourth year war games, then that captain would be given their own command on a escort cruiser, and most of the time they would be able to request the commission of their bridge crew from among the graduating cadets.
If we won, then Zander would graduate as a full captain, and I could take the lead pilot position on his ship. It would be the only way I would gain a lead pilot position without having to spend time as a co-pilot first. My uncle and Captain Harris had gone through the academy together the same way. My uncle was his lead pilot and first officer from first year and had been his first officer ever since.
Chapter 23
An hour later, my wrist display buzzed and I stood from where I had been sitting on my bed. Glancing around the barracks, I found it almost empty. The three girls were now doing each other's hair into different styles and had been joined by another girl with dark brown hair.
A few other cadets were napping on their bunks or reading on their datapads. Cadet Cormac, the boy who had family in the fleet, was pulling on his boots and hurried to follow me as I left the barracks. I was happy to find almost twenty cadets lined up outside waiting for me as I exited. Two more cadets suddenly ran out to join the lines, leaving me with twenty-three cadets who were waiting patiently for me.
"Cadets, I will take you all on a quick tour of the training grounds. We will then move to the dining hall for lunch. After lunch, we will return to the barracks. When we return, you will tidy your bunk area and ensure you are in uniform. I will warn you now, during our training there will be many times when there will be a surprise inspection by our lieutenant. You will all be prepared at all times for such inspections," I said, and several cadets nodded.
"I will also let you all in on a bit of information. At the end of each week, the best ranking squad will be given a special privilege. The point of this is to push the squads to train harder. Each week the reward is different. It could be a meal of real food for a night or a few hours spent in the main campus recreation area. Cadets, I intend to claim these rewards every single week. But to do that, our squad must be the best," I stared at each one in turn before taking a deep breath and straightening my shoulders.
"Are you going to be the best with me, Cadets?" I called out loudly.
The cadets all yelled either "Yes, Squad leader!" or "Yes!" and I nodded with a grin.
In the book on leadership my mother had sent, it said I needed to do my best to keep my subordinates motivated. I also needed to secure my place as squad leader, and to do that I needed to give them a reason to see that I was someone worth following. Spinning on my heel, I began to march, calling out the steps in the pace as I went. Slowly, the squad managed to align with the pace. Previously the lines had drifted and many of them had been marching out of pace. We would not be starting marching practice until the next day, but I had studied the fleet regulation module, which had a marching section. I had also been practicing with Zander, and the others who had been giving me pointers.
We marched for just over an hour, stopping at each of the training buildings and the obstacle course. At each location, I gave a brief description of what each building was used for, utilizing the information I had been given along with the map. Arriving at the dining hall we stopped outside, and I addressed the cadets in my squad.
"Green squad, at ease. Thirty minutes for lunch, then we depart for the barracks," I said, and the cadets all saluted and made their way into the dining hall.
Following the group, I walked to the back of the hall and grabbed a tray. Moving along with the other cadets, I made my way through the serving section, grimacing at the sight of the foil containers. I had not eaten RMPs since leaving N2390 and was not looking forward to returning to them. Grabbing one that contained a meat stew, I made my way to an empty table and peeled off the top. A few of my squad joined me, and I looked up, giving them a small nod before digging into my meal.
"Ugh, I hate RMPs. It just isn't the same as fresh food," Cadet Cormac said, poking at his own meal with a fork. I nodded in agreement with a few other cadets also chiming in with their own complaints.
"Cadet Cormac, are your brothers all in tactical, too?" I asked.
Cadet Cormac's skin was a soft beige color, and his eyes and hair were such a deep brown they almost appeared black. He had short build, but was well muscled. Cadet Cormac looked up at me in surprise at my question, fork stopping halfway to his mouth.
"How did you know I was in the tactical program?" he asked, lowering his fork completely.
"Lt Moore gave me basic information on the squad. Just name, age, and training program. To be a good squad leader, I must first know my squad," I said, and he nodded with a look of understanding.
"My brothers are in security ops, all non-commissioned officers. None of them managed to get into the academy and went the general enlistment route. I'm the first one in my family to get a place in the academy," he said, a glimmer of pride in his eyes.
"It is an achievement to be proud of," I said, giving him a friendly smile.
Several of the others around the table all slowly began introducing themselves and talking about the programs they were in. I listened, responding when needed, and allowed the conversation to flow around me. Out of the six cadets who sat around me, only Luke Cormac and David Orson appeared to have family in the fleet. Cadet Orson's father was surprisingly on the FSS Gretna as a weapons engineer and Orson intended to follow in his footsteps.
"Um, Squad Leader?" Cadet Orson was looking nervously at me. I gave him a small nod of acknowledgment and waited for him to speak. He seemed to be a very nervous boy and was rather scrawny looking with flaxen hair that he had styled flat with some type of gel.
"I—well—I was wondering, if maybe you might be able to help me with some extra training? You really seem to know a lot. My Da was really surprised when I managed to get into t
he academy. He didn't think I would make it through the physical tests," he said with a disheartened expression. I looked at him, running my gaze over his form. He didn't look very fit.
"What did you reach on the obstacle course?" I asked.
"The beam? Isn't that what we were meant to reach?" he replied, bewildered.
"The beam is the minimum entry standard. If you want, I am happy to let you train with me. Same goes for anyone in the squad. But, Cadet, it won't be easy. If you're going to make it, then you need to give it your all. I won't go easy on you," I said firmly, and he nodded, straightening his shoulders with a look of determination. I gave him a smile before I stood to put away my tray.
Seeing my movements, the cadets all began to clear away their own trays before joining me outside. Watching as the group easily formed into their lines, I felt a sense of pride.
"Cadets, we will return to the barracks now. Remember what I said about surprise inspections. They can happen at any time. This is your only warning. I will not babysit you, if you fail to meet inspection standards then it is likely you will be running laps," I told them before I turned and led the way back to our barracks.
As we marched, we passed a few small groups of cadets from other squads, and I noticed we were the only squad who was marching. The other squads all just wondered about aimlessly. They would soon learn that during basic training marching was expected at all times when moving as a squad.
We entered the barracks and the cadets with me dispersed, each moving to their bunks. Looking around, I didn't see the three blonde girls or the brunette who had joined them. The only other cadet who hadn't joined our group was still laying on his bunk, fast asleep. I considered waking him before I decided to simply leave him be. It was better to weed out the weaker ones first. It shouldn't take long for the less capable cadets to drop out. I expected the three girls to leave before the week was up. In total there were twelve girls and sixteen boys in the squad, not including myself.
Looking around, I decided to take a quick shower and headed to the ablution unit marked for female use. While the barracks were mixed, they at least had the decency to provide separate toilets and showers. The female ablution unit had three showers and toilets, each split into its own stall. Pulling my damp hair back into a ponytail, I examined my arm. I had pulled the bandage off a little early so I could shower. There was a very small pink circle where the horrid Chief Wilson had taken his sample from, which was only just covered by the short sleeve of the jumpsuit I had changed into.
The fleet uniform had three set versions for female cadets; the dress which I had worn previously, a jumpsuit, and a tunic paired with trousers. Each cadet was issued two of each uniform style, one in long sleeve and another in short. We were also issued a jacket, cap, a pair of dress shoes, and a pair of boots.
The fleet uniform was all black, aside from the trims and buttons which were a royal blue. Only upon graduating would we gain silver colored trims and buttons as officers, or gold for those ranked captain and above. Once I passed basic training and officially joined the pilot program, I would be given a patch to place on the right arm of my uniforms. The patch would have the insignia of the pilot division, along with a numeral showing my cadet rank. If I managed to join the gold squad, the numeral would be gold, unlike the other first-year cadets who would have silver. Command students like Zander would also have gold numerals along with a command division patch.
Leaving the ablution unit, I looked around the barracks. Most of the squad had followed my example and were changing into their uniforms. Mo was hovering over his charging dock, which he had installed on the floor near my bed. Walking over I stared at him for a few moments, contemplating if I should leave him in his utility skin in the barracks. I would probably ruin the whole strict squad leader image if I was seen cuddling a furry color-changing Fizmo, so I decided to wait until I had solidified the squad before I changed Mo into my fluffy cuddle buddy.
Glancing at my wrist display, I saw I had a message from Zander.
‘@Aristeia Kelras—Settling in okay? Did you get picked for squad leader like we thought you would?’
Taking a seat on the side of my bed, I grabbed my newly issued datapad from Mo and sent Zander a short response.
‘@Zander Altair—Yeah, I'm green squad leader, though I have a few issues to cull out.’
‘@Aristeia Kelras—Leave your issues behind in the morning.’
I grinned as my datapad pinged and I read Zander’s response. The idea had already occurred to me. Leaving the girls to suffer through Lt Moore's wake-up call would certainly be amusing, though it was a rather horrid thing to do.
‘@Zander Altair—Mean, but I suppose it may be effective.’
‘@Aristeia Kelras—Very effective, it's why they do it. Though Moore's a sadist who goes well beyond what the other lieutenants do. The others only use flash grenades.’
I grimaced, remembering the stories Zander and Quinn had told me about their time in basic training. They had both been in the same squad, and like me they had been assigned to Lt Moore.
‘@Zander Altair—You do remember my communications are monitored during basic training, right?’
I sighed, running a hand over my almost dry ponytail. Hopefully Lt Moore wouldn’t see Zander’s message about him being a sadist. Not that I was worried about hurting the man’s feelings or anything, he would likely take it as a compliment. It wouldn’t stop him from punishing me, though.
‘@Aristeia Kelras—Yeah, but Moore's locked up with you for two months. I'm safe.’
‘@Aristeia Kelras, @Zander Altair—Neither of you is safe, Cadets.’
I stared at the message I had received from Lt Moore and gritted my teeth. I was definitely going to pay for Zander's comment. I didn't even bother trying to argue that I had nothing to do with it. Lt Moore would still punish me, just for the joy of doing it.
I'd gotten to know the lieutenant rather well the last few days. There were instructors assigned to every area of the campus that was used by cadets. They were there to maintain order and prevent any of the occasional fights. As Lt Moore was assigned to the recreational area, I had seen him often. He was also a close friend of my uncle and Captain Harris, having been a part of their trainee crew during the academy. Lt Moore had also served with them during their first commission before later being commissioned to another ship. He had then joined the academy as an instructor after he met and married his wife.
Chapter 24
Checking the time on my lens display, I saw it was thirty-five past five in the evening. Stretching my arms above my head, I looked around the barracks, doing a quick head count. Lt Moore would be showing up soon for his 'surprise' inspection and would lead us to dinner after. Then, after dinner, there would be a small presentation in the lecture hall before we retired for the night.
Twenty-eight. I nodded to myself in satisfaction. All the cadets were in the barracks. Looking to the bunks nearest the door, I saw the cluster of girls who had recently returned. The brunette cadet had left them to join another girl, and they were sitting together braiding each other's hair. The three blondes were all together on a lower bunk and looked to be applying makeup. I pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance. This was a military academy, not a fashion show. And the makeup wasn't even the worst of it.
Cadet Doyle had pink ribbons in her hair, and I could see the pink on her nails from across the room. It was so bright. The smallest of the girls, Cadet Kale, had a sparkly head band and wore several bangles on her right wrist. Cadet Raina was just as bad, with a pair of earrings that had small dangling stars. The girls all wore the dress uniform, but each had paired it with a pair of high-heeled shoes which were most certainly not fleet-issued footwear. The brunette cadet whose name showed on my lens as Cadet Tarle must have shown the girls where to get their uniforms.
It was obvious none of the girls had read the cadet handbook, and I was extremely confused as to how any of them had managed to get a spot in the academy. Ch
ecking their files, I saw they had each entered into the ship operations course. It was the program with the lowest requirements to enter and it also had the most available positions. The officers in ship operations would run the operation department that was an integral part of keeping a ship and crew running. They ordered the supplies, helped coordinate the crew, and performed a variety of daily tasks.
As I watched the girls, Mo, who I had sent outside to watch for Lt Moore, sent me an alert and I leapt to my feet. Some cadets looked my way but didn't react until I yelled. "Green Squad, at attention!"
I quickly smoothed the wrinkles on my bed and tucked in the corners before moving to the end of the bed. Glancing down the rows of bunks, I saw most of the cadets quickly following my motions. The three blonde annoyances and their brunette friend simply looked confused as they looked around. The boy who had slept through lunch stumbled off his bunk, disorientated. Checking on Mo and the lieutenant’s distance to the barracks, I called out to the cadets again.
"Two minutes, cadets, move it!"
I watched as the remaining cadets quickly stood at attention in front of their bunks. Soon, I had exactly twenty-three cadets ready for inspection. The three blonde girls still sat on their bunks, as did the brunette, and the sleepy boy had disappeared into the ablution unit. The door to our barracks slid open with a swoosh, and Lt Moore walked in looking annoyed as Mo zoomed in behind him flying over to his charging dock. Lt Moore had no doubt realized I had foiled his surprise inspection.
Seeing the girls still sitting on their bunks, Lt Moore glared coldly down at them.
"Why are you not at attention with the rest of your squad?"
Lt Moore’s voice echoed loudly in the room and more than a few cadets flinched at the sound of it. The brunette cadet quickly ran to the end of her bunk, with the three blondes following her at a slower pace.
"Move it! Now, Cadets," Lt Moore yelled even louder, and they jumped and scrambled forwards in frantic movements.
Striving for the stars (The Kelras Chronicles Book 1) Page 18