Chapter 3 #2
Although it felt a bit like a cold shower, it was also a good reminder that this male no longer was the sweet Uncle Ghan.
He would tell me about my beloved and graciously played messenger to take the presents I prepared for my Zhara to her and bring me the ones she reciprocated with.
This was the fierce First Officer of the Sentinels, and right hand of General Praghan.
In many ways, he would likely have to act even more severely with me than with anyone else to make sure there would be no perception of favoritism.
As soon as we finished descending the ramp, standing in a loose line in front of the two officers, Ghan took a step forward.
“Welcome to Veredia and to the Sentinels’ training camp,” Ghan said with a booming voice.
“For those who do not know me, I am First Officer Ghan Delphin. This is Second Officer Sohr, who will become your Company Commander for those of you who successfully complete the training,” he added, gesturing at the male on his left before turning to the one on his right.
“And this is Squad Leader Yhan. He will oversee your basic training.”
Both males quietly examined each of us, their gazes assessing and their expressions unreadable.
Based on what Zhara told me about the recruitment process, basic training would be grueling.
The Sentinels only welcomed the cream of the crop.
The question for me was whether they would crank up the difficulty level for us due to our significantly greater strength compared to most other species.
“You will first unload your personal items. Squad Leader Yhan will take you to the barracks. Recruits in basic training share a dorm and locker room. For larger items like personal shuttles, hoverbikes, or any superfluous things that will not fit in either space, you will be required to put them in storage or in the hangars reserved for transportations.”
We nodded in understanding. Inwardly, I groaned fiercely at that prospect.
Although I expected this, it still sucked, especially after so many years living in extreme comfort and luxury.
The thought of roughing it on a hard cot didn’t bother me.
After all, I enjoyed countless camping trips and extended hunting expeditions with my Grappa in the brutal wilderness of Braxia.
But sharing a room with Nolar and countless others didn’t appeal to me.
I loved my peace and quiet. And that bigoted idiot was notorious for his loud snoring.
“You will report to the gym in forty-five minutes to meet the others,” Ghan continued, dragging me out of my musings.
My heart immediately soared. A discreet glance at my bracer confirmed that we were just thirty minutes after noon. She would be well into her lunch break. Without a doubt, Zhara knew by now that we had landed. If she wasn’t waiting for me near the barracks, surely she would be present at the gym.
Forcing myself to focus on the task at hand, I swiftly grabbed my two suitcases and hastened after Yhan to the barracks.
The large building was only one of ten located at the southern edge of the vast training camp.
Each barrack offered twenty-five beds, a massive communal shower, ten toilet stalls, and a large locker room, attached to a basic armory.
The latter had a series of uniforms already labeled with our names, a pair of boots, spare uniforms neatly folded on a shelf above it, a staff, and a training blaster.
Despite my curiosity to further examine them, I swiftly unpacked my belongings in the locker and brought a handful of personal items to the nightstand next to my cot. Fighting the urge to send another message to Zhara, I hurried back out where Yhan patiently waited for us to finish.
As previously agreed to with Captain Yulan, he and his crew handled the transfer of my chaser, personal shuttle, and hover bike to a local hangar. They also took care of the larger items that my companions brought with them.
To my delight, the others joined us outside with plenty of time to spare before our forty-five minutes were up.
While I didn’t really get along with a couple of the pureblood males who joined us because of their backward thinking philosophies, I wanted all of us to make a great first impression and to succeed in this endeavor.
We were the first of our species to sign up for the Sentinels.
Representing our people with honor was a matter of pride.
With Yhan in the lead, we headed to the gym.
It struck me as an interesting name for the humongous holodeck, large enough to accommodate most team-based ball games.
At a glance, I estimated it to measure about one hundred and fifty meters long, and maybe sixty to seventy-five meters wide.
The open space testified to the advanced technology that allowed different holographic clusters to operate simultaneously without wall divisions.
My gaze flicked in every direction, roaming over the various people sparring, training in all types of disciplines, and a few semi-idling while talking.
Although multiple species could be seen, I skipped over the Korletheans, Aveans, humans, and Xelixians to focus on the Veredians.
To my dismay, none of the latter had gray skin.
“Lost something, Aldriss?”
Second Officer Sohr’s sharp voice snapped me back to attention.
“Apologies,” I replied, my face heating.
“More like, lost someone,” Nolar snickered while glancing at me with malicious glee.
“Shut the fuck up unless spoken to!” Sohr shouted at Nolar, who immediately straightened, all traces of mockery wiped out of his obnoxious face.
I felt petty for my childish urge to smirk.
By the Ancestors, the last thing we needed was for the Sentinels to think we were just a bunch of spoiled brats trying to play grown-ups.
It was especially true in my case that I barely reached the minimum age requirement of twenty-one for most species.
No one but the Veredian Titans benefited from this exemption, allowing them to sign up at seventeen.
Initially, people wrongfully assumed General Praghan was granting them preferential treatment.
But once anyone saw their unusual level of maturity and their insane powers, you had no choice but to acknowledge they deserved to be here.
And above all, they would turn the tide in the upcoming war.
As all the prophecies claimed that the war would begin any day now and reach its apogee within the next three to four years, we couldn’t afford not to give them the best possible training while we still could.
Summoning all the discipline I could muster, acquired over years of brutal training on Braxia, I focused on the present instead of pining for my woman. Whatever was detaining Zhara would be cleared up soon enough.
For the next hour, Sohr and Yhan walked us through the various modules we would need to complete over the next two days.
We would then undergo an evaluation on day three.
Our score would determine which unit we would train for and eventually be integrated with or if we were dismissed and not allowed to stay.
Although we were mainly trying out to join Sohr’s command—which Zhara belonged to—only the best would receive that honor.
And I absolutely intended to be the top one among them.
Despite my sadness, learning about each module quickly had my blood pumping with anticipation.
Most of them involved combat simulations, shooting ranges with a plethora of weapons, driving and piloting vehicles or ships of every make, type, and size in a broad array of situations, many of them increasingly dire.
As an adrenaline junkie, none of this struck me as a challenge and felt far more like a treat.
The module that concerned me the most involved making the type of lose-lose decisions that would inevitably arise during war, like choosing which person or group to rescue knowing the other would certainly die.
Both officers took us to each station, either showing us how to activate the training, or making us observe other people already partaking in it.
To my delight, the excitement I felt was reflected on the faces of my companions.
Although I could see which modules would prove challenging for some of them, most of the combat related ones would be a breeze thanks to the grueling training we got back home.
“You may redo each of the modules as many times as you would like over the next couple of days to improve your score,” Sohr said once he completed the tour.
“Should you have any questions or trouble operating them, there will always be an around-the-clock trainer present, as well as a virtual assistant. This means, you can choose your own schedule as to how late or early you want to begin. However, your presence is compulsory from 07:00 AM to 12:00 PM.”
He pointed in the direction of one of the four entrances into the gym. A small booth housed the desk where the trainer would stand guard.
“Next to the desk, you will find the scanner that will automatically record the time of your arrival and departure,” he explained.
“You have nothing more to do than walk in. It will pick up the signal from your insignia, which has already been attached to your uniform. Note that it will also scan your face, so don’t try to pull some stunt. ”
A few of us snorted. While I could see someone trying to cover for a buddy running late by taking his insignia with him on the way in, it still struck me as scandalous that someone attempting to join the Sentinels would try to fool the squad leaders with such stupid games.