The red armor covering Yusuf's body was in stark contrast to the dark blue carapace armor Ardo wore. The plates of reinforced ceramite covered only his shoulders, his chest and his groin, while Yusuf's personalized Techmarine armor was already fitted to his body and working perfectly. Ardo knew it was because of tech priests on Mars, where his brother had spent the last year, and he knew they had installed the black carapace, the link between flesh and armor, early to insure he was ready for combat. Ardo was still adjusting to having the black material under his skin. Sometimes he wondered what would happen if he cut himself open and tore out the material. He usually quashed those thoughts, but they sometimes remained.
"Initiates, Tiger Lord on deck!"
Ardo quickly saluted in the traditional Imperial Tigers way, the right arm slapped across the chest to touch over the heart. He smiled inside as he saw his father emerge from a dark hallway and stand in front of them, but no such smile was on his father's face. His face was rumpled into a grimacing frown, and his eyebrows were drawn together.
"Initiates, you have survived the worst that this legion can throw at you. But, you are not Imperial Tigers yet. You must first survive the trial of the enemy. The trial by fire, as it is called by the veterans. If, and only if, you survive will you be counted amongst our number."
"You are very lucky. Today, you get to fight the foul Xenos known as the Eldar. They are crafty, deceitful and extremely deadly. Their weapons are ancient but brutally lethal, and they will not hesitate to kill you. They may look frail, but know that they don't have to be physically strong to crush their opponents."
Leo Felis turned and walked away, and Ardo could feel the pain radiating from him. Ardo knew his father didn't expect many of the initiates to survive, and Ardo found himself agreeing.
As they were dismissed to the waiting Thunderhawks, Ardo knew only one thing for certain: he would survive and he would become a Space Marine.