Warm Welcome (Adventure) - Reuben Calloway Saga 2

As the shuttle flew toward the training ground, Reuben glanced around at the other passengers.  Most of them were boys his age.  Two of them were girls.  The Imperium would only draft females if they could pass certain physical requirements or if they had special skills.

The shuttle landed.  The doors opened to admit sunlight and shouting into the shuttle.  It was overwhelming.  Reuben didn't dare move from his seat because he didn't know what to do.  A sergeant marched over and grabbed the front of his tunic.

"DID YOU HEAR ME?!" he shouted at Reuben.

All Reuben could do was nod affirmative.

"THEN GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF THIS SHUTTLE!"

Reuben scrambled to unbuckle his crash harness and then followed the rest of the group.  They were lead by another sergeant into a large building.

"Line up!" the second sergeant barked.

The cadets scrambled to comply.

"Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life, cadets.  I'm Sergeant Kon.  The man giving the warm welcome at the shuttle is Sergeant Vert.  We are your parents.  We are your gods.  You had no life before training.  Is that understood?"

The cadets nervously looked at each other.  Were they supposed to reply?

Sergeant Kon paced the line and stopped right in front of Reuben.  "I said, IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!"

"Yes, sir!" the cadets answered in unison.

"For the next five years you will receive an education in advanced military tactics, weapons and hand-to-hand combat.  A solider that is prepared is one that can survive.  When you encounter other races, you need to know how to kill them and how they think.  Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Right now you are standing in an equipment facility.  Follow Seargeant Vert and he'll get you geared up."