KERPLACK! Like a steel wall shot out of a cannon, the unconscious shell of bear hugger was launched right into drop kicker’s path.
CRACK! Drop kicker immediately ate his knees when his feet collided with the wrong target, demolishing his visor, and redirecting him toward the ground instead of Euphretes.
“They really need to work on their coordinated assaults,” The voice analyzed.
“Or at least learn to never leave their feet,” Euphretes replied.
SSCCRREEAACCHH! After running a horrendous gauntlet, bear hugger skidded eleven feet across the motorpool floor before coming to a stop.
CRUNCH!
Falling at the same rate as if he were plunging from a three and half story building, drop kicker made first contact with the ground with his lower back. The wretched landing resulted in him slamming the back of his head onto the ground with such force that his helmet’s traumatic brain injury prevention mechanisms took over. A foaming sort of goo swelled inside drop kicker’s helmet and then partially hardened to prevent any further injury. At the same time, an anesthetic was sent directly into his internal carotid artery to cause instant unconsciousness. Ironically, the soldier didn’t even receive a concussion from either of the blows to the head.
A split second after throwing his weight into bear hugger, the pins and needles hitting Euphretes's left armpit stopped.
“Here it comes.”
Forced to raise his arms to fend off bear hugger, Euphretes’s original three o’clock now had a wide open view of the soft spot along his side. Hurling himself into the move, the attacker happened to be a natural born fighter with years of training outside the military.
WACK!
The Baikal soldier’s knee landed much harder than Euphretes anticipated, cracking his concrete foundation while a beautifully maneuvered swipe altered his center of gravity.
“Could’ve shielded the pain better there champ!” Euphretes sarcastically groaned. Even so, he was able to twist his torso mid fall to land facing his new threat.
“It’s a lesson that could save your life, so it’s gotta hurt.”
THUMP!
Euphretes timed his muscle contractions perfectly to literally, like rubber, bounce off the ground and end up back on one knee. The spry fighter, however, was already back on his feet and trying to get behind him before he could respond appropriately. Euphretes studied the subtle draw of the attacker’s right arm reaching behind his back, noticing the grip to a weapon concealed beneath the armored plates. “Oh, I see how it is,” He scoffed as his visor identified the new threat.
Barely visible in the attacker’s right hand was a small device used by local police to penetrate military grade under suits and issue enough volts to take down an elephant.
“Pretty sure that’s not authorized.”
Euphretes pretended to be dazed while he waited for his attacker to get parallel with his body before pouncing.
SMACK!
Euphretes twisted his muscular frame to face the attacker and launched himself with enough force to literally lift the combatant off of his feet and pile drive him into the ground. The maneuver allowed him to him rip the device from the attacker’s hand in one swift motion.
“You did this to yourself,” The Captain stated before arming the device, his tone sounding like a father speaking to a rebellious son.
ZZZRRRRRRR ZZZZZRRRR ZZZZZZRRRR
Although there were no visible signs on the outside, the attackers body shook violently underneath his armor. Five seconds later, the agony would stop, but the violent muscle spasms would render him unable to walk for the next hour. Now that his original three o’clock was taken care of, he turned his focus toward the remaining two.
“They had their chance. Get the RAI out of here.”
“No, this is the end, it’s gotta be.”
“Yeah? And what if it isn’t?”
Euphretes popped up to his feet and immediately started charging at the two dumbfounded soldiers. “Fine. I’ll take them out and then make a run for it.”
Surprisingly, the two Baikal soldiers stood their ground.
“This isn’t right. They know something.”
Euphretes kept charging and ignored the warning.
“Euphretes, they’re legitimately armed!” The anguished voice urged as both Baikal soldiers suddenly wielded side arms.
As if in a dream, Euphretes found himself unable to close the gap in time but was far too close to abort and find cover. Both soldiers confidently raised their arms and tilted their heads slightly to the right, their fingers beginning to press down upon the firing mechanisms.
“ENOUGH!” As if it had come from the underworld itself, the thunderous voice shook the entire motorpool. Everyone stood frozen in their tracks.
“Goodness did they drag this out!” Euphretes sighed, thankful to be done.
“Still building that character.”
Just then the room lit up, revealing a small stadium filled with people that had been hiding in the shadows. Only the occasional moans and groans from the attackers, now sprawled around the room, broke the eerie silence. In the background, medics quietly made their way onto the objective and began administering first aid.
“Euphretes,” the deep voice spoke again, not quite as overbearing as his first outburst. The voice had no apparent or visible source. It seemed to seep from the building itself.
“You failed to double check your team’s translations. You were seen apprehending HH7 and running through the city in broad daylight. And two of your soldiers missed their hit times because you were not aware of the actual status of their equipment. But let me guess, you ASSUMED that they would be squared away.”
CLICK. CLICK. SSSHHHRRRR.
Euphretes unlocked both sides of his helmet, allowing the visor to disassemble. He turned to face the crowd. “Negative, I was well aware of the risk, but TRUSTED that they would be squared away. I’d rather they learn to fail miserably here than when it really matters!” Whispers instantly erupted from the stands.
“Blind trust is a risky thing, Captain Promotable Euphretes.”
“And combat is no place to find yourself if you can’t trust the training of those to the left and right of you!” Euphretes fired back with contempt.
Ignoring the comment, “You were seen by four security droids escaping out of the Atropean Objective, opening up the possibility of linking the operation to your Empire. And despite being able to outrun security forces, you allowed yourself to get cornered.”
“I’m starting to like this one.”
“Of course you do,” Euphretes whispered to his mind space.
The voice continued, “You did not take the initiative to attack. You allowed your assailants to make the first move and therefore have an advantage. More importantly, when you had the chance to run and ensure the success of your mission, you didn’t. I know you are an exception to all things human, but even you can’t survive the plasma from those weapons.”
“Try me.”
Euphretes stood unwavering, showing no signs of fatigue or pain. The catharsis of having completed an event that he had been dreading for months pulsated throughout his body, like Destiny itself was hugging him for a job well done. He found himself unable to restrain the grin on his face. Despite the harsh criticism, he knew that he was about to become the youngest Huron Royal Special Operations Commander in the history of the storied Group. Euphretes would also become the first member of any Royal Family to actually earn such a high-ranking position.
“However,” the voice took on an heir of respect, “I have never ended a final Test to protect the other participants. In fact, I have never actually seen anyone reach their pick up site and put up a fight, let alone demoralize these Senior Cadets.”
“Demoralized is putting it mildly.”
“You overcame your helmet’s overload of information flawlessly, not to anyone’s surprise. As always, you showed supernatural strength, endurance, and an agility I’ve never assessed in one so big as yours
elf. For the first time, it was I who did the underestimating, not the other way around. Therefore, I hereby strip you of your Main Line Rank and Re-Commission you into the Huron Royal Special Operations Command at the next equivalent rank of Warden Admiral. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the nine hundred and seventieth Commander of the Huron Military’s Royal Special Operations Command. Congratulations Admiral Euphretes.”
The motorpool exploded with applause, quickly followed by a waterfall of people coming off the stands to greet their new Commander. They rushed forward, anxious to congratulate him for his extraordinary accomplishment. Euphretes was both honored and humbled. It truly was a moment he would never forget.
“Well done!”
“Thanks,” he whispered to his mind space. “Honestly, I just want a shower and to go to bed.”
The Senior Officer Royal Special Forces Test took weeks to plan and administer. It was a strenuous course, designed solely around the candidate. It challenged the body and mind, pushing them both to their limits. While the overall purpose stayed the same, stealing an enemy Regulated Artificial Intelligence, the actual method of how that was accomplished was based on the individual candidate. The who, what, when, where, why and final physical portion of the Test was determined by the candidate’s age and overall physical abilities. As a whole, it was meant to be a failure from the start. The evaluator wanted to see the candidates fail in order to see how far they were willing to push their bodies. The intent was to prevent a Total Mission Failure. Adding to the pressure weighing upon the candidate was knowing his future soldiers were watching his every move throughout the entire process. A twenty ton, red diamond with The Test’s purpose etched onto its face, was the first thing candidates saw on day zero; serving as The Test’s one and only contract.
Stewards of Death are Born Through the Fire
Their Impurities Scorched Clean,
Made Bare For All to See
Fear Bows In Our Presence
Death Trembles At Our Approach
We Earned Our Respect
NOW YOU EARN OURS
The two foot tall letters were written using vaporized synthetic green diamonds that seeped into the red surface before cooling off. Royal blue diamonds were used to outline each letter, further emphasizing the color contrasts. Instead of the green lettering, the last line was snow white with a gold outline; giving physical emphasis to the last line’s significance for everyone entering the testing grounds.
Only those who had graduated from the grueling, eight year long Special Forces Selection school were allowed to watch the event live throughout the entire process. Of those, only the individuals who were going to be directly assigned to the candidate, should he pass, were allowed to watch inside the stadium. In this case, Euphretes’s Headquarters Element filled the stands. All in all, the system of scrutinization created a weapon far more powerful than anything human hands could create - an atmosphere of genuine respect and sense of equality between the soldiers and their leader.
The Huron Royal Special Forces Group was inspired by an impoverished orphan who made a name for himself on the battlefield thousands of years ago. In the absence of orders, he pulled together a small group of fighters and began training them to sneak behind enemy lines. The orphan’s team ended up causing so much damage and chaos that the Huron Military offered them their own unit, effectively creating the Royal Huron Special Forces Group. Because of the orphan’s meager upbringing, the Group always held fast to the belief that its soldiers deserved to be led by one of their own, and not an appointed Officer from the main-line ranks. More importantly, instructors taught the cadets how to be supreme on the battlefield, yet remain cognizant of the weak and oppressed, like the orphans left homeless in War’s wake.
Euphretes’s physical portion of the Test was brutal. Because of his reputation, no mercy was given. Fifty hours of no sleep prior to reaching the surface, forced to scale down a one hundred and fifty foot building using improvised scaling gear, evading capture in a city littered with police, and running roughly eighteen total miles to a Hail Mary rendezvous point were just a few of the obstacles he faced.
The grader for Euphretes’s Test, an RAI named NM0, worked for the Royal Special Forces Command and was specifically designed for his role as the Event Coordinator, Moderator, and Evaluator. As soon as NM0 finished speaking, monitors brightened the darkened top of the motorpool’s space allowing the politicians, other Senior Officers, and Royal Family Members to see the new Rank Pinning Ceremony. Euphretes immediately started scanning through monitors looking for familiar faces. While Emperor Carpathian of the Huron Empire had already given him a message mid test saying that he would not make it, breaking several testing rules in the process, Euphretes was surprised to notice that his mom and brother were absent. Disappointed, he kept scanning until his heart nearly skipped out of his chest. Auburn hair, sun kissed cheeks, and a radiant smile filling a monitor instantly lifted his spirits.
“I’m glad she could make it!”
Euphretes did his best to catch her attention and give a thankful smile and wink. Immediately, Lani N. Natron’s face beamed as their eye’s met. For a split fraction in time, the pair was all alone in the universe. Not even two million light years of open space could make them feel separated at that moment. But as quickly as her smile came, a tear streamed from Lani’s eye and she closed her profile; turning the monitor black.
“What was that all about?” Euphretes asked within his mind space.
“No idea, but there has to be a reason. I didn’t see any other Natron Royal Family members and half of Emperor Carpathian’s Cabinet was missing. She’s not the only one acting strange.”
“We gotta find out why.” The gnawing feelings of uncertainty about Lani’s tear and his family’s absence were doing a number on Euphretes’s insides.
.
“Don’t stress out now, please. We’ve had enough fun for one day,” She paused as she gathered her thoughts. “Tell you what, let me take this burden and get you through the rest of the shift; because there isn’t much else I can do to keep you going at this pace. We BOTH need some rest so that we can face whatever is going on with fresh eyes. Tomorrow. Deal?”
Despite pride demanding that he refuse the offer, exhaustion was quickly taking over. “Deal.” As soon as he uttered that word, his racing mind slowed and muscles began to relax. His hatred for procrastination and fierce anxiety were still fighting to be heard; however, it was now simple for him to shove aside their constant nagging and settle down his restless brain. It was as if everything was just a dream and that things were actually the way he expected them to be. On the other hand, he was still fully aware of the situation. He knew that he was forcing himself to put the issues to the side and rest in order to face reality tomorrow. He also knew that he desperately wanted to chase after Lani and fix whatever situation was going on in his family’s life, but the weight of it upon his mind space was gone.
“Good. Now put your game face back on, we’re nowhere close to getting out of here.”
After another hour of forced pleasantries and interviews, Euphretes slipped out of the Motorpool. No longer a rust bucket on the inside after the motorpool’s camouflage programs were shut down, Euphretes exited a spirited party to be alone for the first time in weeks. Instead of taking the Shuttle assigned to the Commander, Euphretes walked right past the wide eyed driver and bodyguard now dedicated to him. Sticking out like a sore thumb as the only person in a full armored Kit, Steward Operative Caruso didn’t know what to do. “Uh, Sir, do you want a ride?”
The informalness of Caruso’s address caught Euphretes’s attention. Rather than take offense, he simply turned to Caruso and said, “I’d rather walk. Caruso. Kharuso? Am I pronouncing that right?” Euphretes chuckled as he thought to himself. “This guy should make for interesting company!”
“You got it right the first time, Sir. But, you do know it’s quite a walk, right?” Caruso stated, genuinely unsure if the Admiral was a
ware of how far away the Headquarters Building was.
“Great. And yeah, I’m aware, I only just ran from Alphero to here,” Euphretes answered with a grin. “Thanks for the offer Steward Operative Caruso, but like I said, I’d rather walk. Besides, haven’t you heard? The new Commander is ordering everyone home immediately. If he’s too tired to work, then so are his soldiers.”
Caruso shook his head at the comment, “Sir, you’re making sense and actually following through with it. Are you SURE you don’t need a ride? Cause I think you’re having one of those little strokes that Royals tend to get.”
Euphretes burst out laughing, “Little strokes? That’s a first. Well done, Caruso. I just might have to hold on to that one. And I’m sure about walking. Besides, we Royals like to wander off and get lost in the woods. Enjoy your evening.” Euphretes chuckled as he continued on his way. All of a sudden he realized that he was about to walk off with a helmet that wasn’t his. “Actually hey, can you do me a favor?” The Admiral looked back at Caruso.
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