Beyond the Gates

Soldier

Token Character

Ordis

Ordis Recruit

Common

Protecting the people of Asgartha is the greatest honor.

I take stock of the ranks of new recruits. They all know what's at stake. They are no longer cadets; they can now be awarded the rank of trooper, as long as they pass the two-year probation period. I know that most of them will join the Aegis contingents with flying colors. And even if some of them are rejected, they can still aspire to a logistics or administrative assistant post instead of returning to civilian life, and thus still earn their Rhombus that way. But there's another reason for the tense atmosphere. Many of them are hoping for a position within the Expeditionary Corps. Competition for these positions is particularly fierce, and only the best will succeed. I scan the ranks. The other instructors have placed bets on who will be the lucky ones that finish top of the class this year.

Even though I never stoop so low as to join in with such childish games, I can't help assessing my recruits. My role is also to decide who has what it takes to become an officer. Amensisa has that required firm hand, and Sunisa has that natural ease that makes her succeed in whatever she puts her mind to. But it's Osoyo that I feel has the most room for growth. The young man is not the most eloquent or the most talented, but he has patience and discipline. His is certainly a quiet strength, but he also has the hardness of steel in his eyes. He's always got his eyes on the objective, and he has a drive I've rarely seen in someone so young. The recruits stand to attention as the staff officers enter the mess. There's Admiral Singh, followed by Commodore Jeanty, and Sigismar as well. With a know-it-all smile on his face and a smugness that only nobility can produce, he scrutinizes each recruit in turn.