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“Yes, sir!” Sergeant Buckholz grinned from ear to ear. “Jeffe, Aires? You heard the captain. Suit up. I’ll get on the horn with Klysgaard.”

“Come with me, Recruit Tavi.” The captain turned and walked towards the three flags on the poles behind Sergeant Buckholz’s desk. Unsure, Diego followed, and stopped a few feet away from him. The captain coughed and shook his head. “Normally we have a little more pomp and circumstance with these, but time is precious. Since everything in this room is recorded . . . This is Captain Armando Rhys, Commanding Officer of Legion Recruiting Station Sininen, Syngaard District, Myrkyma. Standing before me is Legion Recruit Diego Tavi, of Syngaard. Time and date stamp for reference is on file with this recording. I solemnly avow as a citizen of the Protectorate and as a commissioned officer within the Mars Foreign Legions that the following oath is given with free consent and free will of Recruit Tavi. Recruit, are you here of your own free will and volition?”

“Yes, sir.”

The captain nodded. “Please turn and face the Protectorate flag—that’s the red-and-white one in the middle—and place your right hand over your heart. Good. Now, repeat after me.

“I, state your name, make this Oath of Enlistment of sound mind and body . . .”

“I, state . . . I mean, Diego Tavi, make this Oath of Enlistment of sound mind and body.”

“To uphold the laws of the Protectorate . . .”

“To uphold the laws of the Protectorate.”

“And follow any lawfully given order . . .”

He repeated everything the captain said. It was brief and to the point, which Diego appreciated. Part of him had been afraid it would be a long and tedious ordeal. At the very end, the captain nodded before offering him the final line in the oath.

“. . . and lastly, I promise to comport myself to the highest standard possible for as long as I serve in the Legion . . .”

“Sir?” Diego paused, uncertain.

“Problem, Recruit?”

Diego swallowed nervously. “I . . . I don’t know what comport means, sir. I’m sorry, sir.”

“Ah. Comport means to conduct or behave oneself in a given manner. I expect you, as a legionnaire, to be an example of just what the Legion is, and is meant to be. To protect the weak, defend the innocent, and follow Protectorate law to its fullest. Does that explain it?”

“Yes, sir.” Diego understood the words, though he suspected there was a deeper meaning behind them, something he couldn’t quite grasp just yet. Still, promising anything was better than being torn apart by the mob outside. “I promise to comport myself to the highest standard possible for as long as I serve in the Legion.”

“So help me God . . .”

“So help me God.”

“Congratulations, Recruit. You are officially enlisted in the Legion.” Captain Rhys nodded briskly. “As soon as this issue here is sorted, we’ll get you on a shuttle and sent to Mars Primus for Basic Training. From there you’ll be sent to Advanced Combat School, and then you’ll be assigned to your legion. Now, let’s go outside and talk with these . . . hooligans.”

Diego followed the captain back to the front of the office, where both Jeffe and Aires had quickly dressed in some sort of strange armor. Parts of it reminded him of the gear the police and enforcers wore in Overdark: ballistic armor designed to thwart most attacks. However, there were strange gaps in the armor which would allow a knife or bullet through, with the only thing protecting the wearer being some sort of thin material beneath. While it looked flexible and soft, there was an underlying mottled gray pigmentation to it which made Diego’s eyes drift away. After a second he realized the armor was adjusting to the wall behind them. Even the plates on top were shifting color slightly to better match the surroundings. He’d never seen anything like it before.

At the front door, Sergeant Buckholz was in similar armor, though there was a red “VII” emblazoned on his left shoulder. Diego glanced at the other two and noticed they both sported a white “X” on theirs.

Seeing Diego’s querying look, Captain Rhys took the time to explain.

“Those were their legions before they were pulled for recruiter duty. Corporals Jeffe and Aires were part of the 10th Legion, Protectores Legio. The sergeant was in the 7th Legion, Serpens Bellator Legio. I myself served in the 5th Legion.” His chest swelled with pride. “Sol Custodes.”

None of the words meant anything to Diego, but clearly they were important to the legionnaires. He would ask them to explain later . . . if they survived this mess, he decided.

“The duty watch officer at Klysgaard has been notified, sir, and our ambassador is making a formal protest with whoever is running the show now on the planet,” Sergeant Buckholz reported upon seeing the captain. He offered Diego a comforting grin before continuing his report. “The crowd is restless, no firebrands yet. We might see a few eventually as word spreads, sir.”

“Well, there are only legionnaires in this building now, so they’ll need to disperse,” Captain Rhys said. “Quickly.”

Any nervousness Tavi might have had was instantly quelled by Rhys’ calm demeaner.

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