Marshall Jackson, a man who took pride in his never-shaved beard, waltzes into the recruiting office. He looks around, peering at the numerous empty seats, and promptly takes on near a corner. Glancing around, He rubs his beard, and sighs.
Santorini looks at the line of prospective recruits outside all the offices, and tsks. Too many of them are not fit enough to dig a hole to bury themselves in, let alone fight for the cause. She did not usually do recruitment, being deemed "too harsh" by the Premier. But now, looking at the massive swarm of recruits, she decided to take a hand.
Choosing Rhade's office at random, she goes inside, looks at the bunch of people standing, picks out a man, and drags him by the neck towards her office.
While Rhade looks in shock, she only mutters a Helping you Out, Aloysius.
Now, back in her office, she looks at the man she captured, who looks visibly disconcerted. Sitting down behind the table, she motions the man to sit. Now, the interview, or more aptly, interrogation could begin.
Your name, Senor? was her first question.
The response came slowly. Adalrich.
Si, Senor Adalrich, what makes you think you can join the Coalition?
Making an obvious effort to put his face into a neutral expression Ian Answered. "Well I was born on New Berlin and thats where I was pretty much raised. I don't think I have even been in space till June 2 years ago."
"I did. Some of the older KNF generation pilots had their escape pods deactivated. They rather preferred ... death above getting into enemy hands. Fortunately the new generation does not insist on it anymore. It was waste of many lives but it was their decision."
Ichiro sighed.
"Once I was forced to shoot my own friend. He had some kind of defect on his oxygen mask. First I did not notice anything unusual but then he started reporting things that couldn't be clearly truth. He had hallucinations and we got attacked by small Hogosha fleet. I got order to neutralize him because there was risk that he could turn onto us and we hoped we will get him safe. Before I could recover his pod one of the Hogosha fighters fired on it. Some time it was hard to not blame myself for it."
He stopped for a moment again and looked out the window.
"As I said I grew up on the New Tokyo. But I lived in shantytown. Lot of gangs fighting for their bit of power. Usually those fights between them were no more than bruises and some scratches. But then in one night we've been attacked by one of the new gangs. I was attacked by a man with knife who did not even know how to use it..."
Ian heard his name from the office. Ahh, the life of a soldier. Wait, wait, wait some more, and then risk getting your head blown off.
He stood up and straightened his jacket, grabbed his briefcase and strode in.
Snapping a salute in the doorway, he moved forward and stood at ease before the desk. "Good morn tae ye sah, my name is Ian Holmes and I am here to apply to the Fighter Corps."
gone four years, first day back: Zoners still getting shot in Theta :|
"One expressed interest, but i did some research on his past, and it turns out he was the one leading the Marines that stormed Toronto during the Ontario Incident, sah. I didn't feel like ending a friendship by betraying a man to his execution sah, though no doubt we shall meet again, on far less friendly terms."
Holmes shrugged.
"Two others said they would consider it, and when i got the news report from Shasta, the leading bulletin was that the Las Vegas and the New Orleans had gone rogue an' rebelled 'gainst the Navy, sah, so they may still make their way here, Colonel Rhade."
gone four years, first day back: Zoners still getting shot in Theta :|