I don't know how long we traveled. There were no windows and the only illumination in the cramped compartment came from the dim red locked light of the only door. I knew we were moving, though from the occasional change in the center of gravity turns.

Inside the transport were six other kids like me. One, I'd guess he was about nine or ten, was just sitting in the corner crying. Talking to a couple of others, I found out that their stories were almost identical to my own. However, I was the only one to take out any of the seven that came 'recruiting.'

The constant whine ended as the speeder came to an abrupt stop. The red light turned green for only a moment before the hatch was opened and blinding light filled the compartment. A chilled breeze blew in, carrying the smells of pine, dirt, and sweet sap. As my vision adapted to the brightness, I could see the low scrub trees from the forests outside the mining zone.

"Everyone out," one of the faceless warriors barked, waving his carbine to get us to move faster. I crawled out and looked back to make sure the other six got out, too. The little one was pulled out by the back of his shirt and thrown face down on the grass to the laughter of two of the other men.

We were on the outskirts of an old strip mine. There was grass on the rim and shrubs clinging to the sides of the walls. As we walked down the slopes to the bottom I saw that the edges were rounded and smooth, marking it as really old, probably from before the wars.

In the bottom of the mine, there were about a hundred kids and a lot of those strange armored warriors. The kids looked about my age with a few older and a few younger. Though, I noticed that there were no girls, only boys. The warriors were the same way.

When we got to the bottom of the pit with the other kids, one warrior used his rocket pack to jet to the second tier of the mine. His armor was beaten and dented, unlike the almost pristine look of the others. Also, he had a huge scar across his buy'ce. He lifted it off of his head and revealed a plate bolted over his eye in line with where the scar fell. His hair was white and he had a sneer that seemed to never fall off of his lips.

"My name is Ruus'alor Devin Farr," he said. His voice was loud and echoed around the walls, drawing even the whimpering to a silence. "I am your Rally Master."

He looked around at us and spat. "You will follow orders without question. If you question, you will be shot. If you disobey, you will be shot. If you fail, you will be shot. If we are displeased with your performance, you will be shot."

He looked around at the frightened faces. I wasn't scared, though. He made eye contact with me and I narrowed my gaze. I wanted to kill him, to kill them all for my buire. I saw him smile at that before continuing his gaze around.

"Are any of you injured?"

There was a slight buzz of conversation before a boy not too far in front of me raised his hand. We cleared a small circle around him, but I found myself uncomfortably close to him for the look Devin Farr was giving him.

"I… I think my wrist is broken," he said. He held out his hand. There was a purpling bruise around his forearm and his hand was a little bluer than it should have been. He cradled it back against his chest.

Devin nodded to a warrior who walked through the crowd toward the boy. When someone wasn't quick enough to get out of the way, they were back handed or kicked. The warrior roughly grabbed the boys injured arm, causing a cry of pain as it was turned and inspected.

The warrior let the boy's hand go and started walking back to the edge. The kids cleared a wider path this time. Once back in his original position, he looked up at Devin and nodded.

The older warrior smiled like a wild nexu, drew one of his pistols, and fired a single shot that hit the boy in the chest. The force of the blast flung him back into me. I didn't move, only let his lifeless body fall to the ground.

"You are now Ge'verd," Devin Farr announced, donning his helmet. "For those of you who do not speak the glorious language of our forefathers, and you will soon enough, that means you are almost warriors."

He launched himself into the air and hovered over us. "Get them their uniforms, feed them, and show them where to sleep. Welcome to Death Watch!"