Welcome to the newest story! I'm starting you out learning about the Officers Corps, something dear to this author's heart. This story will be told from Helen's point of view, but don't worry. You'll be seeing plenty of the original characters.
Helen sighed in relief as she changed into her new clothes. It felt like a lifetime since she had last had the chance to bathe, and she was finally clean. She laced up her clunky boots, which had survived almost as many battles as she had, and went down to the Officer's mess hall.
She smiled as she approached; the sounds of talk and laughter filled the air, just like the old days. When she had just been a fighter and a teacher, spending all her free time with the friends she loved. Listening to her comrades-turned-family now, you could think for a moment that Horunvendush day had never happened. That their ill conceived attempt at ending the regime by themselves had never been attempted. She could almost believe that when she turned the corner everyone would be there, George and Quinn would be alive and well, she would just be another knife hand. Almost.
When she turned the corner, conversation stopped and everyone stood at attention. She felt her mood plummet.
"At ease." She ordered, and conversation slowly resumed. She made her miserable way towards James, who was sitting alone, watching her.
"Any way I could make them stop doing that?" she asked.
"Sorry, Helen. It's protocol. It shows respect." James said, knowing she didn't feel worthy of her role as commander.
I don't deserve their respect. A small part of her said. It's just me, I'm just Helen. Time help me, I only ever wanted to be a teacher and a knife! I'm not made for command!
"How many of us are left?" she asked.
"We started before the mutiny with one hundred souls. After that, we had thirty-seven. After we recruited some from the resistance, we had forty-three. After we were freed, we took the count in at twenty five." James said gently, knowing how much he was hurting his friend and commander.
Helen seemed to freeze for a moment, as if lack of movement could keep the pain of loss away.
"Have we started to gather new recruits yet?" she asked.
"I sent Catherine to work on it." James said, making Helen smile. Catherine had been her own personal student before the mutiny. Aside from the general lessons that she used to teach, the trainees were chosen by Officers and taught one-on-one Catherine had been her first, and last student.
"How could they say no? I certainly never could." Helen said. "Inform every officer that they must choose a student. We need to bring our numbers back up. Assign Raina as the new instructor, she'll do a good job. Ah, here's Cat now."
Catherine plopped herself down in the chair across from Helen.
"We have ten new recruits as of today. They're weak and green as grass, but it's a start, right?" She looked at Helen. Even after all they'd been through she still saw Helen as infallible. She would always be a student wanting to please her teacher.
"That's a great start. We can only have twenty five at this time, so don't go overboard." Cat looked confused.
"We can only have twenty four. Helen… commander, you're a commander, and commanders don't get students."
Helen put her head in her hands. She had known that, but she also knew that if they didn't get enough members soon, the Officers corps would collapse.
"I hate this." She muttered to herself. "But , Time help me, I love these people."
"I'll be in my office if you need me." Helen said, and left, lost in her own thoughts.