Chapter 2

Planet Coruscant – 14th District Coruscant Security Force Academy

The test was complete, and Kallus knew he had passed, and not just passed, but passed with flying colors. It had taken, by this point, sixteen hours to complete these tests, exams, and physicals. The tests had started before the sun had risen and now, the sun had long since set. He'd placed top in his testing group during their various PT tests. There was the two-mile run, the fifty, one-hundred, two-hundred, and five-hundred meter sprints which took place in that order as a test of pure physical fitness. Then there was an obstacle course to test their mental strength, an inclined sprint up a forty-five degree slope, shuttle run, standing long-jump, bodyweight bench presses, chin-up, push-up, and sit-up counts. There was no doubt in his mind that he had likewise performed well in the written and recorded oral exam. He'd been confronted by a series of questions testing his leadership mantra, the rapidity and the soundness his tactical decision-making with virtual reality goggles. He and the others were, without rest given a marksmanship test with blaster pistol and blaster rifle. While he hadn't placed at the absolute top, he was close enough to the top.

Young Aleksandr was likewise tested on political and diplomatic knowledge such as some of the various issues at play regarding the conflict itself. He knew this to be a case of checking political reliability. This was likewise checked by the fact he had to answer, with a lie detector test as to whether he had contacts or friendships or even acquaintances amongst those in the Separatist camp. This was a simple security background check, the first phase of which he was required to do as a test of honesty. An automated security check program would confirm his background checks were likewise in order and crosscheck them with his own verbal answers. As he sat inside the 14th District Coruscant Security Forces Academy classroom with his testing group he was confident. Now, he was awaiting the final results, as today would be the day he received word of whether he would be commissioned into the Republic Army.

That meant Kallus had to continue to endure perhaps the most annoying individual he'd ever known, the one person he both hated and respected. Her name was Kime Myllir, another child of a powerful Coruscanti political family with whom Kallus had competed with since grade school in all things. The girl was, like him, raised to fulfill the goal of uplifting her family's status through achievements within high society, through superior performance in school, athletics, and most annoying of all to Kallus himself, in the Coruscanti Planetary Security Forces, a role in which the highly-traditional Kallus family saw as fit for men, not high society girls. To Kallus, her being here was the same as if she were questioning his place, whether he was worthy of the task of an officer of the military. She, in the ballrooms and parties was a model of civilized feminine beauty, with an alluring figure and goddess-esque facial structure and flowing hair. But here, in what he'd grown up knowing as the realm of men, it chafed at him with every smirk she gave to him past her long brunette locks and dark brown huntress's eyes as she stood in the same light gray uniform tunic he did, with the same boots, competing lockstep with him every moment.

"So, Aleksandr," Kime leaned against an empty desk next to him as he calmly sat awaiting their proctor's return, flipping her hair a bit as she crossed her arms over her chest, "You haven't said a word all day to me, what's the matter? Been a bit uneasy that you're not as special as you say you are?"

"Not at all, the fact you're still here however…that is what seems more troubling if the Republic Army would be willing to let you come this far, then this war must be truly desperate," he said back, matching her sass with an arched eyebrow of mock contempt.

"Desperate, oh yes, because only the most desperate would want to induct an officer candidate who has scored in the top three percent of all the applied exams," she said cockily, getting a side eye glare from Kallus, "Oops, I'm sorry, did that reveal come as a shock? After all, you did score…what was it you were bragging about again? Four percent? Looks like you were just a bit…less today."

"You? Three percent score?" Kallus said in a scoff, looking at her up and down, "Strange, you're tunic lacks the collar for you flaunt before the proctor, must have been an aberration."

"Oh-ho-ho, good one Aleksandr, I haven't heard an accusation of seduction to get ahead this week, glad to see you're still able to keep to the low bar of the misogynist's accusations," Kime retorted angrily, lowing her chin and glowering at him from narrowed eyes and gritting teeth.

"What's the matter, Kimmi, did a nerve get struck? Tsk tsk, that would be unbecoming of a three percent scorer."

"I'll give you something that's been struck, should you wish," the girl leaned forward her hands onto Kallus's desk after stepping forward, quietly glowering at him.

"Ten-hut!" the bellowing voice of the duty NCO assisting their officer proctor stepped in, announcing the presence of the major whom had been administering their tests and exams.

All the candidates stood to attention in a screech of chairs and desks. Kallus gave Kime a wry smirk as he knew she'd been cut off from venting her frustrations and anger out upon him. This he knew had left her seething. Once again, it was just part of the dance the two knew all-too-well by this point. The man they'd awaited stepped inside the classroom with a silver protocol droid with him holding a box of code cylinders, these objects were their entire identities, their future within the Republic Army, if they had passed.

"Stand at ease," the old man said with a gravelly voice, "Now, when I call your name, step forward and claim your code cylinders and you will step outside and follow the signs to the tailor, where you will receive your new issued uniforms. If your name is not called, you will remain here."

They all knew what that meant. Those whose names were not called would be known to have failed the exams, a blight upon their names and legacies. It was a possibility in the highly-judgmental society of Coruscant that would send chills down many a nervous officer candidate. Kallus could tell that more than a few would be receiving this poor news today judging by the difference between the number of code cylinders and the number of young men and few girls here in the classroom. It was to be expected, everyone knew that the dropout rate for officer candidates ranged from thirty to sixty percent. Today, it was close to half.

"Myllir," the major called out, and Kime smirked to Kallus as she walked over and he handed her a pair of code cylinders which she then signed for.

"Kallus," came his own name and he came over and likewise he took his blue-tipped code cylinders and walked out into the hall where Kime was there waiting for him.

"So, number one, and number two second lieutenants for our class eh, dear Aleksandr?" Kime said as she fell into step next to him, humored at the fact she had scored higher in the end.

"You know what this means now?" Kallus asked her, "We're going to war, perhaps the largest war since the Ruusan Reformation."

"And war is where people can die, where we could die," Kime nodded back, somewhat soberly, "But odd as it seems, I'm not worried about dying, it's…" she trailed off.

"Getting your troopers killed," Kallus finished the thought that they both felt and it was a thought that he knew to be true when he and Kime's eyes locked with one another, seeking something of a confirmation that the other felt as nervous about this fear as they did. Then, the two of them reached the makeshift large tailor that had been set up for fitting their uniforms.

"Well then, sorry Aleks, but this little tender moment doesn't mean you get to watch me disrobe," she said quickly as she put her mind back to the task at hand, "First in class goes first."

She sauntered in and was directed to a female fitting area while Kallus was put in the one next to it. He had to remove his clothes and a scanner dropped down next to him and he lifted his arms. The scanning rays enveloped his body, taking his measurements and almost as soon as the green light triggered a large multiarmed service droid to select the correct undergarments, a simple white undershirt, a pair of socks, and a pair of leather boots was produced which were heat-fitted to an expanding variant of his own feet for maximum comfort. While this was conducted, his tunic and pants were custom-fitted by a droid whose arms and needles and threads moved at a speed scarcely visible to the human eye. It took mere moments for the material to be taken in and stitched back up, passed through a steamer, pressed for crisp clean creases, and then starched. With that, Kallus stepped into a fitting booth and donned his new uniform as his rank insignia and cap were delivered along with a belt and an empty holster.

He looked down at the one-by-two rank plaque which went one red tile to the left and one blue tile to the right, and knew what this represented. Before he'd just been Aleksandr Kallus, a student, a son of a socialite pair of parents, now he was Second Lieutenant Aleksandr Kallus of the Republic Army. Kallus slipped the pin into his tunic and used a small built-in liquid vial and bubble to make certain it was level. He then secured it and then put his code cylinders into the chest pockets and likewise slipped on his boots and kepi before clipping his belt into place. It was a picture he quickly stepped in front of the mirror in the fitting room he was in, and smirked to himself that it was indeed a good look. He stepped out, and was now in a much more lively area with other newly-minted lieutenants bringing their own uniforms to be put on.

"If you have your uniforms put on, proceed to claim your gear and receive orders," Kallus heard a voice over the room's intercom call out so he proceeded to do as instructed.

A trio of spare uniform tunics a trio of spare pants, an extra pair of boots, and an extra belt were provided for, as well as a few extra issued underwear and undershirts. And of course, an extra pair of black gloves for everyday wear plus a cold weather pair of gloves were present. Likewise, a long trench coat was provided for, a poncho was provided, and two much more utilitarian combat boots were in the box which Kallus had to claim. No weapons, no equipment, and no armor was provided on this date. Apparently, that would come later. Separately, he had to claim his issued datapad, which had his orders on it but he first had to accomplish a set of instructions for setting up his network ID and password and facial recognition profile and be linked to his second code cylinder which acted as his security pass while the first was a storage device for his personnel file. This didn't take long, and Kallus found himself confronted with his first official orders.

He was now officially assigned to take command of 2nd Line Platoon of Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion of the 10th Repulsorlift Regiment. Kallus would report to Senior Captain Luthen Rael, commanding officer of Alpha Company, and he would report tomorrow morning, right here at the academy. He knew from his military classwork that, according to the doctrines of various Core Worlds and Inner Rim planetary defense forces, a repulsorlift regiment was not the go-to unit for combat per se, but these units were more of a catch-all force that were used for more taskings than any other. It meant that at the very least, Kallus would have very little in the way of monotony ahead of him. But, he then checked the company roster, and sure enough, Kime's name was there, commanding officer of 1st Line Platoon. Wherever he was going, so was she, and numerically at least, she was placed ahead of him.

"Dank farrick…"

The next morning, after being picked up and spending one last night at home with his mother and father which had been organized as a celebratory affair Kallus was right back where he was meant to be. As he was dropped off he saw that there were a set of shuttles already landed and waiting. All of them were pretty obviously civilian Star Commuter 2000's which had been contracted for military uses. Many officers were assembled already, speaking with one another almost all of them very junior in rank, lieutenants of the junior and senior grades with captains scattered amongst them. There were all of them, his fellow Coruscanti officers wearing the uniform of the Republic. He wasn't able to tell the difference between Grand Army, Army, or Navy but it didn't matter to Kallus as he knew what he needed to and where to go. His battalion's officers were assigned to meet inside one of the classrooms.

Kallus wore his leather trench coat and fur-lined collar to brush off the cold and wet morning as he walked over with his other gear in his large duffle bag which he likewise had stuffed some extra stuff from home with him, namely some extra minor clothing items like socks and undergarments for cold nights, an inflatable pillow able to shrink down to the size of a folded shirt, some toiletries, and a couple other odds and ends. He had checked his datapad for unit communications, of course, checking for what the approved uniform of the day was. Sure enough the weather necessitated the heavy trench coat, and Kallus was now walking into the academy, and smirked to himself in satisfaction as he used his code cylinder for the first time to get into the academy grounds past a pair of Coruscant Security Force guards at the gate. Walking in, he was confronted with the gravity of the situation, it was real now, he was now an officer in the Army. He walked by a major with a pair of captains trailing along with him, and he saluted and had it returned. It felt good, even this small gesture was just gratifying. Enlisted men and women were also walking about doing their duties, some of their number also stood on guard. And Kallus was right there amongst them, being saluted and returning those salutes as he passed them.

He entered the assigned former classroom which his datapad had ordered him to report to, having been quite a bit early to the assigned location. And sure enough, to his internal annoyance there she was, Lieutenant Kime Myllir. She was walking with her own duffel bag slung over her shoulder while emerging from a restroom down the hall.

"Well, hello Aleksandr," she smirked to him, "Quite early, yes?"

"Kimmi, I see you're not hungover, I suppose that's all well and good for the sake of our unit," he responded as the door now opened, and out stepped a man wearing the rank insignia of not just a captain, but bore the four red tiles of a senior captain. Even though he was at the higher-end of company command, more of a seniority and pay rank over the regular captain rank, Captain Rael was older than Kallus would have expected of a mere company commander.

"Lieutenant Kallus? Lieutenant Myllir?" the captain stated, looking at them as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"Sir," both young lieutenants snapped to attention, lowering their duffel bags to the floor and saluted.

"Hmm…" the man nodded, examining the two, before he too returned the salute, "I'm Captain Luthen Rael, commanding officer of Alpha Company. Come inside and take your seats, you're the last two of my officers, now we can begin," he said but then he stopped, "Wait…" he turned to examine the two and stepped over to Kallus and leaned over on both sides, "I trust that you shaved this morning lieutenant?"

"Yes sir," Kallus said quickly, getting a pit in his stomach and felt that he most certainly had, although at his youthful age of eighteen, nearly nineteen with fairly soft peach-fuzz facial hair it wasn't like it would be that noticeable if he hadn't anyway.

"I see…next time trim your nose hairs as well…and…" he then gestured to his ears, "Get a haircut before you take command of your platoon. I won't have officers flirting with the limits of the Army's regulations," he then turned his attention to Kime, who had seemed to have enjoyed that but snapped to attention, "If we were to explore what was inside your duffel bag I wouldn't find a designer makeup kit?" he curtly asked.

"N-no sir," she stammered, utterly taken aback.

"See to it that we don't," the man grumbled, and raised a finger towards the left side of her face and she noted that two strands of hair were just out of place, not hanging down but out of place from the bun she had tied her hair in, "Make sure that you're able to keep your hair tied back."

"Sir," she replied in the affirmative.

"Go take your seats," Luthen then ordered.

This was without doubt it a bit of a shot at the two of them. Luthen was no fool. He knew all-too-well that these two were incredibly high-scoring officer cadets and he knew that they'd very much be a handful. Top-ranked officers were sometimes a bit too self-confident, arrogant even. And right at the outset the older man knew he had to set the young bucks in the right tone. So, he'd purposely ordered the equally-young but lower-scoring 2nd Lieutenant Jess Tyx and his much more experienced executive officer, Senior Lieutenant Myr Tarpo, to arrive even earlier just so that the two high-scorer junior officers might feel a little humility right off the bat and set their minds right from the start so Luthen could make something of them that might be useful.

Where they were going, they weren't going to have second chances.