S1, 02 Meeting the Squad (August 21, 2015)

**August 20th 2095**
Orbit around Soateria

Major Tom: “Ground Control. Cadet Training Center Ground Command. This is Major Bowie. We are in orbit around Soateria. Permission to land.”

Ground Control: “This is Ground Control calling Major Tom. You have permission to land. Good luck with the rookies.”

Kayne stared out of the window at the planet below. This was the first time that he had left Earth. As he was lost in thought, a young ginger man walked up to him.

Ginger man: “Beautiful isn’t it?”

Kayne: “Yeah it is. It’s my first time leaving Earth and staring down at an alien planet. It really makes me think about everything.”

Ginger man: “Very true. I spent a lot of time as a child looking up at the stars thinking about what planets could have been out there. Now ever since the shift, those thoughts have become a reality. A reality for us to explore.”

Kayne: “I completely agree.”

Kayne turned towards the young man and reached out his hand.
Kayne: “Kayne Arrowsmith. Nice to meet you.”

Jacob: “Jacob Knight. Pleasure to meet you Kayne.”

Kayne: “Well at least it’s good to know at least one person at this cadet center.”

At this moment, their conversation gets interrupted by a voice from the cockpit.

Major Tom: “We are going to be beginning our decent to the planet surface. Please note that security has been increased recently due to the assassination of Commander Firth on Rerador. So don’t try anything funny with the guards or they will shot you. Enjoy.”

Jacob: “Damn. I know things have got bad recently but not that bad!”

Kayne: “Insurgents, Collective and damn Marauders. They are scum that needs to face justice.”

Jacob: “Well then Rambo, you give it a try. Yeah we have had several small victories recently but nothing is looking our way, we are…” (Kayne cuts him off)

Kayne: “But that’s what we are training for. To do our bit to make this a better place. You can’t let yourself think like that. If a soldier believes that they have lost the battle before they started the fight, then they will lose. That’s why you can never have that sense of mind. Always look for the option that leads to victory as there will always be one.”

Jacob: “Man… I hope I end up in a squad with you. I know that my ass will be save then. Where on earth did you get that mind set from?”

Kayne: “Haha, it was just something my dad had taught me.” He stopped. Just mentioning his father made him think of what happened to him and what had happened to Jon. He couldn’t let himself think like that. “So, where you from?”

Jacob: “Well, I’m from London. So nothing special compared to my dad, who thanks to his work now lives here on this planet.”

Kayne: “Oh really? What does he do?”

Jacob: “Oh nothing special.”

Their conversation is cut off again by another call from the cockpit.

Major Tom: “We are now landing on the surface. Please, can all cadets assemble at the docking bay to exit the ship and walk out towards the bunker in front of here.”

Jacob: “Well we better start moving.”

Kayne: “Good point. Come on then.”

The two cadets begin to run in the direction of the docking bay.

**Training Center Briefing Room**
A few moments later.

The new cadets have arrived inside of the bunker and are beginning to get into formation in front of a stage where three officers are talking before speaking.

General Randall: “Looks like a punch of ragtags to me. Gian, good luck training this lot.”

Gian McMillen: “Oh come on general. We don’t know what they are capable of yet.

Gian: Hey Tom, who’s the long hair one over there next to the Knight boy?” Pointing towards Kayne.”

Major Tom: “That would be Kayne Arrowsmith. Son of Kai Arrow…” (Cut off by Gian)

Gian: “Wait, son? Heh, dude looks like a lady.”

General Randall: “Now, now gentlemen. Let’s start this briefing.”

Randall moves forward on the stage and speaks to the cadets.

Randall: “Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, you worms and maggots. Welcome to the Galactic Imperium Cadet Training Center. Or as I like to call it, The Bunker. Here we will make you into the next line of defence for your homes, the future of this army or at least we will break you enough for you to become our new target practice.” (Softly jokes to himself) “But I kid. My name in General Victor Randall. Here on my left is Major Tom Bowie, who will be your examiner and head of internal affairs. And here on my right is Training Officer Sergeant Gian McMillen, who will be in charge of turning you lot into the next Imperium soldiers.”

Gian: “Okay newbies. The first thing we have to do is assign you to squads. So when I call your name, please step forward.
Donnelly, Smith, Naoum, Webb, and Sames. You will be Squad One.
Mather, Lay, Vishinina, Clarke and Dover. You are Squad Two.
Grantham, Newton, Hill, Jones and Norris. You are squad Three.
Beech, Thomas, Aust, Sarphie and Gibbs. You are Squad Four.
Jenkins, Howard, Coll, Severn and Growing. You are Squad Five.
And finally, Knight, Connors, Arrowsmith, Gaul and Taylor. You are Squad Six.
Alright. That’s your teams please meet together with them inside your barracks at 0900 hours.”
Randall: “From this moment on you are no longer citizens, you are the fighting force of The Galactic Imperium. You are dismissed.”

The cadets saluted and began to walk out of the briefing room. Kayne turns towards the door to see Jacob walking towards him.

Jacob: “God, we got lucky to end up together.”

Kayden: “I agree mate.”

As the two friends are talking, the General walks behind them.
Randall: “Good to see you again Master Knight.” Said sarcastically. “You can tell your father that you won’t be getting any special treatment. Good luck.”

As Randall walks off, Kayne turns to Jacob.

Kayne: "What on earth was he talking about?"

Jacob: “It really doesn’t matter. Come on we should get to the barracks.”

**Cadet Squad 6 Barracks**
A few moments later.

Kayne and Jacob calmly walk into the room to see two other cadets. One human who is blonde with some stubble looking around in his mid-20s. The other one was an alien that Kayne that never seen before in his life. One stood near a door and the other was sitting on a bed, they are slightly laughing to see each other as they notice Kayne and Jacob enter the room.

Kayne: “What’s so funny you two?”

The two giggling cadets quickly turn to each other before looking back towards Kayne.

Alien: “Oh nothing nothing. Hi, my name in Baxter Gaul and this here is Thane Connors.”

Kayne: “Kayne Arrowsmith and this is Jacob Knight.”

Thane: “So you two are in our squad then. Look we need to get into our uniforms so we need to go into the changing rooms here.”

The two begin giggling again.

Baxter: “Oh yeh. Oi Kayne, I think we will let you in first.”

Thane: “Yeh just walk in here.”

Kayne looks towards Jacob with a confused look on his face to get a small shrug from him.

He decided that there couldn’t be anything to worry about. The two cadets watched him move towards the door trying to stop themselves from laughing.

Kayne opened the door slowly entering into the barracks changing room. His eyes browsed around the room looking at the new shiny cadet uniforms sitting on the side.
While looking at the uniforms he thought to himself that there were only four full uniforms there even though there was meant to be five cadets in this squad.
As he continue to push on the door more of the room, to his shock he realised why the two cadets were laughing at when they told him to come in.

In the middle of the room, to Kayne’s embarrassment and surprise was a young woman facing away from the door who have was standing there in only a white bra and was about to take off her trousers until she noticed him.

Her face filled off shock but then quickly turned to anger. Kayne rose to cover his eyes and felt as embarrassed as the girl was.

Kayne: “Oh god! I’m sorry! I didn’t know you were in here! So sorr…” He was cut off as the young woman had frown a small object at him.

Girl: “The hell out of here! You perv!”

Kayne in complete shame slammed the door and turned back into the main room where Baxter and Thane were laughing their heads off. Even Jacob was giggling to himself about what had just happened to his friend.

Kayne: “What the hell! Why didn’t you tell me about the girl inside their changing?”

Thane: “Hahaha, sorry man. We just didn’t think you would do it!”

As the three cadets laughed at Kayne as he stood there in complete embarrassment, the young woman who had now put her shirt back on walked into the room. Her face was full of anger.
The moment he walked in, the laughs suddenly stopped.

As soon as he had turned around to face her, she slapped his face.

Girl: “You fricking perv!”

Kayne: “Ouch! Look I didn’t know. I’m sorry!”

Thane and Baxter began to laugh again. The girl quickly turned her attention to them.

Girl: “You two shouldn’t laugh! You two are next!” The guys suddenly stopped laughing.

Thane: “Look Kat, we just thought it would be a good laugh.”

Baxter: “And it sure was.”

Kat: “Well, it will be funny when I kick you in the teeth, Bugeye!"

Baxter: “Hey hey, I find that offense!”

Kat: “And I find it offense when you allow this creep to see me naked!”

Kayne: Can I just say: One I didn’t see you naked. And two I had no idea you were in there. Why didn’t you just lock the door?”

Kat: “That is because the damn lock is broken! So I asked these morons to stand into of the door to stop people walking in on me.”

Jacob: “Well that’s your problem there. Leaving these two morons in charge.”

Thane: “Oi! You are calling a moron!”

Kayne: “Now, now let’s not start a fight here. We are meant to be a team.”

Gian: “I completely agree.”

The cadets turn towards the door to see Training Officer McMillen standing there.

Gian: “You cadets are supposed to be a sort of family. You need to be close and there for each other. On the frontlines you should have each other’s backs or one of you might get killed. So buck up your ideas and try to get along.”

Cadets: “Yes sir.” Said with a shameful look.

Kayne: “Sorry sir.”

Gian: “It’s okay Cadet… Arrowsmith is it?”

Kayne: “Yes sir. Kayne Arrowsmith.”

Gian: “Well Kayne. You and your team should get into your uniform. I need you to run the mile in one hour.”

Jacob: “Sorry sir, but what is the mile?”

Gian: “Ah. That’s the fun part. All I can say is, you need to keep on toes and keep your eyes open.”

Training Officer McMillen turned with a small grin on his face and walked out of the barracks. The cadets turned to each other in confusion about the task they were about to face. Kayne with a shamed face turned to Kat.

Kayne: “I’m sorry for what happened.”

Kat: “It’s fine. Just don’t walk in on my again and it won’t be just a slap you will be getting.”

Kat quickly turned back towards the door to the changing room. Yet in the doorway, she stopped and turned around back towards Kayne.

Kat: “Oh and Kayne…”

Kayne: “Um yeah?”

Kat: “The name is Katherine. Katherine Taylor. But you can call me Kat.”

Kayne: “Umm thanks.”

Kat: “Don’t think anything of it. It’s just easier to say then my full name when you are getting shot at.”

Kayne: “Sure. That makes sense.”

Kat turns back and walks into the room, leaving Kayne with a bit of a confused look on his face.
Baxter (yelling): Oi! Kat! Hurry up though! We all got to get into our gear too!

Kat (calling from inside the room): Oh piss off Bugeye!

**Eventually**

All the members of Cadet Squad 6 were in their new cadet uniform. The white battle armour with GI blue arms. A classic cadet helmet and pauldrons to identify them as rookies.
Training Officer McMillen stood in front from them with a smirk on his face.

Gian: “Now rookies, we are about to enter your first challenge here on Soateria. The six of you will enter together and simply head through to the end which is a mile away. Sounds simple, right? Well keep your eyes open, there will be more than just you in there stopping you from leaving the other side. Choose a stun-gun here and enter when I give the go.”

Cadets: Sir yes sir!

The team walk over towards a small table with several stun-guns laying there. Each member picked up a weapon of their choice. Kayne looked over the table and decided on a small pistol, checked it’s rounds, clicked the safety off and joined with his team at the entrance to the mile.

Gian: “Ready! Time set! Go go go!”

=== BONUS:

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*Thank you for reading my Second Episode of my TI series. This is also my entry to the August Challenge as I tried to include references to the events happening in the larger world that are characters will eventually begin to explore.*

The original cover photo.