A chorus of "Hi" and other greetings were shouted, a little bit of cheering could not take hold and by the time I found a free space things were back to normal. "Dude, you are for real!" said the cadet opposite of me. The others around him nodded and agreed. Looking around I saw that I had sat right into a group of Weapons-Wizards who were vigorously decimating their food. Still, while agreeing.
I smiled and made a small circular movement with my hand. "So are you guys. Enjoy!" I smiled, they smiled, we were friends. Weapons-Wizards were an uncomplicated bunch, and I honestly felt myself connecting to them well, just as to the ones back on the Brick. I suspected that the old healer-soldier bond was at play here - but I would not complain!
I dug in myself, enjoying my food as always. I had let the dispenser give me a random ration, and it gave me variation 31-14-1, Meat loaf with cut asparagus, potatoes and carrots in brown sauce. Yum. "You eat like a weapon yourself, man!" "Well, I am going to be a weapon too." I waved my white sleeve around and grinned. They laughed and we were comrades in addition to friends. A good start indeed!
Then I heard a bit of silence trying to break through the noisy mess hall. It failed, but all the weapons around me had picked it up as well. "I think that this is the powerful Omni-Wizard Hector Johnson." "Well, he does have a pip and he is Omni. So he is powerful." They looked at me with astonishment. "You defending him?" "Well, it's a bit early to jump to conclusions I think. Why don't we give him the benefit of the doubt and let him prove himself first?" "There is wisdom in that." I shrugged and said "I am Omni." as if that explained anything. Then I grinned and they laughed again.
Chapter 3: THE ACCIDENT
When lunch was over, I left the group with a lot of good-byes and see-yous and headed back to my quarters. The afternoon was a large training session - I lay on my cot and snooped around the entire academy with my mind. Most of the academy, not the Officer Wing. I felt a strong sensor there who gave me a mental raised eyebrow when I got close. So I diverted to a Training Brick, as if that had been the plan all along. 'Uh-huh...' he gave me a mental grin and I grinned back. 'Sir.'
I moved on to the landing pads, which were still in use by the last arrivals. I noticed "my" Brick offloading a group of 4 and leaving right after. Their sensor and I waved to each other mentally and off they were. I felt the officer from before joining me mentally. 'You got yourself a good crew there. The captain is Captain Jack Miller, a very experienced and capable officer. The same goes for his second, Commander Pator Praotoan, and most all of their crew.' 'Aye, sir. I consider myself fortunate for having been added to that crew, sir.' The officer nodded mentally and went back to his duties.
I was getting tired, so I pulled back and got up. "Screen, query: How is tonight's introduction going to happen?"
"First, all the cadets will be directed by the instructors to one side of the parade ground. Then the Admiral will speak. Then the cadets go sleep." I smiled. Short and to the point! I went out again, to watch the newcomers and rest my mind.
Some time later, I was not paying attention to anything in particular (That's called daydreaming), I heard a very loud crash from the landing pads. Then a voice smashed through the late afternoon: "Prime Cadet Stone, report to the infirmary at once. Prime Cadet Stone to the infirmary at once." I was on my feet and running down the Training Wing towards the infirmary before the order was finished. A couple of figures were leaving the infirmary and running towards the landing pads, some of them waving me along so I changed course to join with them.
I reached them as they were passing between two of the Training Bricks and joined them. I said nothing, focusing on breathing, just as them.
As we cleared the Training Bricks it became clear what had happened quickly: A Brick, an old one by the looks of it, lay across two landing pads. I could feel its magic just barely, it must have crash-landed. We were approaching it from its front, and people were climbing out of the front airlock. One of the officers in front of me yelled: "Stone, you take lead of team two. Team two, to the back!" Me and two others veered off, beginning to round the Brick in front of us as the others reached its front airlock.
Taking a quick look around, I saw that the other two were lieutenants and Able Healers. I figured that it was me being Adept Healer that had made the chief healer give me command. That and my being an Omni-Wizard, I was going to lead people for the rest of my career. So I got a training session in leading here.
The back of the Brick looked bad. Obviously it had smashed into the ground and skidded some meters before coming to a stop. There was a smear of wooden splinters on the ground behind the Brick and the airlock was closed. "If you can, open that airlock." I ordered and pointed. They nodded and went to the airlock, producing sticks that were about as long as a lower arm. Purple, thin beams of destruction shot out of the sticks and cut one of the airlocks open. Neat!
We entered the back airlock and I gave orders to people who were vastly senior to me: "You, stay here and organize an orderly evacuation and first aid of everyone coming your way. You, go to the right and check the right weapons turrets if someone is till in there. If yes, send them to the closest airlock if they can still walk. If they can't walk, administer first aid, stabilize them and move on. If someone of team one is already on it, come to the training hall. I will go there and see what's up." They went to work, and so did I.
The back training hall was separated from the airlock by a solid wall, so I had to go the long way around. On the way I checked the two back weapons turrets, found no one, and entered the training hall.
It looked like they were training when they crashed. I saw 5 Weapons-Wizards lying on the ground, near the spots where they had smashed into the wall. I went to the first and healed is worst injuries, saving my energy for the others. Leaving him lying on his side, breathing and surviving, I went to the next and repeated until all were sure to survive.
Then a coughing fit hit me and I went down hard. Too many broken ribs in too little time, a ruptured spleen, several punctured lungs and a broken skull took their toll. I could not give up now, however, and forced myself up on my feet after a moment. "Are you o.k.?" I looked up and saw an unfamiliar healer whose arm was limp looking at me. I nodded, put my hand on his arm and added that pain to the rest in me. As his arm straightened and healed, he looked at me with astonishment. "That's an old injury! Don't..." It was too late, the arm was straight again.
He tested it, swinging it around. "What are your orders, sir?" "I assume you are with the crew?" He nodded. "Besides these 5, should there be any other weapons here?" "No, they were in their quarters." "I came in through the back airlock and found none in the back corridor. What about the infirmary and mess hall?" "Empty, luckily." "Good, let's go check the rest of the training area then." "Sir!" That was the healer I had sent forward to clear the weapon turrets. "All clear on the right side, sir." "Very good. There are five guys here who need help, go link up with the back airlock and see that they get rescued, please." "Aye, sir."
We all walked left along the shooting part of the training area, the officer (whose name I can't remember for the world of it) stopped by the first of the wounded and we went on. Turning right around the corner and into the physical training part of the training area I almost ran over a woman, a Weapons-Wizard Lieutenant, who was limping towards the back. On reflex, I touched her shoulder and healed her worst injuries which in her case were a broken toe and collarbone. Peanuts compared to the other guys.
"Thank you. There are others in need of help back there." She pointed to her back, deeper into the Brick. "Understood. Go to the back airlock, there are other healers there." She nodded and went to the injured guys and our healer. I grinned and left for the other injured people.
Just as I reached them the medical chief of staff of the academy arrived there as well. "I'll take care of these, Prime Cadet. How's the situation?" "Five badly injured, but healed well enough that they'll survive for the moment. They are being evacuated. All turrets on the back, right and
left sides empty as well as the infirmary and mess hall. This is the Brick's healer." I indicated the healer I'd picked up. "Sir." He said.
"Well done. The larger bridge area is empty, the quarters are being evacuated and the game room was empty too. Looks like most were in their quarters at the time of the crash and were not badly injured. Go back to the back airlock and see to the evacuation of your patients." "Aye, sir."
The Brick's healer and I turned and went toward the back of the Brick again. Just as we arrived, one of the cadets came around the corner with a gurney. "Help them, I'll see what's happening at the airlock." I told the Brick's healer. He nodded and went to help, I went to the airlock.
More gurneys passed me, so the injured would be rescued alright. Very well. As I reached the airlock, I saw that the other two exits had been forced open as well and everything looked orderly with parts of the Brick's crew ready to help the injured that would be coming out soon.
"Sir, everything is ready." Reported the healer I'd left at the airlock. "Very well. 5 injured are coming, we were lucky: Most of the crew was in their quarters and mostly okay. The Brick's healer is helping his crew mates." Relief washed through me, everything looked set. As I relaxed a bit, the world suddenly sounded a bit weird and everything was suddenly of a much brighter color. Then a rushing sound filled my ears and the world disappeared behind a white curtain.
Chapter 4: THE BANDAGED LEG
Waking up was weird. First I heard some voices saying unintelligible things. Then those things got clearer. I heard people speaking about over-taxation, saving lives, doing well in the first command situation and other things that made no sense to me. The first clear thing I heard was a female voice reporting: "He's coming to."
Opening my eyes, I quickly saw that I was in a large room of some kind with lots of gurneys. Ah, the infirmary. "What happened?" I croaked. "Water, please." Divine, my throat was dry!
Someone handed me a glass of water and sipping it I learned what had happened:
The five badly injured officers I had healed of their worst injuries survived, two of them were actually already discharged. The other three were forbidden to get too close to me, for fear of me healing them and setting my own recovery back. I was given assurances that they did not mind being a bit pampered for in the infirmary, which was something that never would have crossed my mind. But their remaining injuries were superficial, after my preliminary healing the other healers had gotten to work on them. Forcing a full healing on them would actually also be disrespectful towards my fellow healers I guessed.
Anyway, I collapsed outside of the back airlock of the crashed Brick and was rushed into the academy infirmary. Apparently what I did was considered heroic. I tried to disagree, but nobody listened to me. They were going to credit me with the saving of five lives, and they were very pleased with how I had managed the whole thing. Apparently me being put in command was the Admiral's idea, as a test of how I'd react in a live crisis situation and how I'd lead people in such a situation. Somewhere in that explanation I glanced down to my rank insignia and saw a cluster of three stars instead of two.
Then the Admiral himself entered the infirmary. I tried to stand, still woozy, but he looked at me sternly and made a flattening move with his hand. I made myself comfortable again, and his face relaxed a bit. He passed my gurney, I saw that he was holding four small boxes, and went to three gurneys a bit deeper in the infirmary. He positioned himself at the foot of the first one and said:
"First Lieutenant Montag, you have been injured in the line of duty. For that I hereby present you with the order of the Broken Leg." He opened the first box and handed it to the officer. "Thank you, sir." The Admiral went to the other two officers and repeated the ritual. Then he came up to me. Standing at the foot of my gurney and holding the forth closed box in his hand, he dropped a bombshell in my lap.
"Prime Cadet Adept Healer Stone, your quick thinking today in organizing those under your command was commendable. That is what you got the third star for. Your actions when faced with no less than five mortally wounded officers, not spending all your energy healing one or two completely but, without any training, managing your energy to save all five by healing them just enough, was a shining example of what we all are to strive for. You went so far above and beyond the call of duty that this is the only possible consequence." Then he opened the box. "I hereby present you with the order of the Bandaged Leg." He smiled and there was even a bit of applause and, from the three officers down the infirmary, a bit of cheering.
The Admiral and I shook hands and he left. After my swearing to the Supreme Divine that I would not force-heal the others, they were allowed to come to me.
We all grinned and shook hands, then we did the man thing to do: We compared our orders. Theirs and mine were modeled after a human, most likely male, leg mid-thigh to the foot. It was basically a fancy pin, really. Theirs were a bit thin and broken just above the knee. I actually cringed a bit when I saw that the first time. Mine was just as thin, but thickly bandaged and the upper leg was straight, not in an angle. The color was the usual gold of orders, with the bandage of mine in silver for a very nice optical effect. When I asked them about the orders they were astonished. Then I explained that tomorrow my training would begin they looked at me with much more respect than before.
First Lieutenant Montag explained: "The order of the Broken Leg is given to any and all officers of the Swiss Federated Space Navy who get injured in the line of duty. In our present navy that means that if you get hurt while considered 'on duty' you get a Broken Leg. Amongst weapons that is a very common order, as you might guess. This is my - let me think - seventh I believe." "Won't your dress uniform get a bit crowded?" They laughed. "You only wear one, even if you have several. Yours is very different, however. Healers who go above and beyond the call of duty and exhaust themselves while healing others get the Bandaged Leg. That is both the healer version of the Broken Leg for the exhausted part, which in the more mind-based forms of magic qualifies as being injured in the line of duty, and to honor your efforts to save lives. Ours in this case, I thought I was a goner honestly. If you had just healed two of us and then collapsed nobody would have thought bad of you, ourselves included. In that case you would likely have received the Bandaged Leg as well, honestly."
"That reminds me, I forgot to ask: Has everyone come out of the crash all right?" They laughed. "Typical healer. Thinking of everyone but themselves." Montag looked me square in the eye. "Yes, everyone made it out okay. You, sir, need to focus on yourself and to get on your feet in due time. Do not rush, with all your decorations you have passed the academy already. The rest is just for form's sake."
The academy maybe - but slowing down just was not an option, with the prophecy and all. That reminded me: "Talking of the academy: What time is it?" "Forget the introduction. You'll watch it from here, we'll see that you get yourself some rest." All three were suddenly standing around my gurney. "Yes, sir. I will be good, sir." They seemed to believe me more or less.
Chapter 5: INTRODUCTION
The cadets were streaming out of their accommodations, the instructors were already standing in one half of the parade field, their backs to the training wing. After everyone was gathered the Admiral spoke:
"Welcome, cadets, to the 498 academy 4 on Eden 6-1. We are the fourth of 12 academies on this moon, the other 5 are on Eden 4. You have been chosen amongst your peers as the ones that show the most promise to be good officers of the Swiss Federated Space Navy."
"However, you are not there yet. First you need to prove yourselves here, in this academy. Graduation is simple: Get 2 stars for your rank insignia or get promoted to First Cadet or Prime Cadet. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Getting these stars is easy: For every 2 pips you earn you get one star automatically and if you show us your determination and willingness to work you will get more stars. Some of you helped with the crash this afternoon and were awarded a star for that - you are already halfway there.
Cadet Linuson, step forward."
While Lindan weaved through the masses of the other cadets, I looked at Lieutenant Montag questioningly. "He organized his fellow cadets when they arrived and helped the evacuation efforts immediately without having to be told what to do. He really earned this." I nodded. "He is a good guy. He was on my flight and I respect him." Montag nodded.
Lindan stood before the Admiral. "Cadet Lindan Linuson, you arrived at the crash site and immediately took command and organized your fellow cadets in a good manner that does the navy proud. The ones you worked with were awarded a star for their insignia, as were you. But you have gone above and beyond the call of duty, which in your case would have been to just offer your help and wait for orders. For this, you are hereby made First Cadet." There was some applause, even a bit of cheering - no doubt by the ones Lindan had worked with. I was happy for him. As he walked back to where he was before he looked a bit shocked. Then he visibly started and stared at his insignia, which now had a nice silver rim. "That vibrating thing almost gave me a heart attack the first time too." I smiled. Montag nodded. "Aye."
Xandrian Stone Book 2: The Academy Part 1 Page 2
