Cadets
Ivan Ivanich
It’s been a month I think since Moscow was destroyed along with the federation. The Elysium Republic extended an offer requiring only a battalion of volunteers. I of course set out to be one. After seeing the devastation they could produce and having gotten to know many of them… I know in my heart they fight for what’s right.
So here I am getting off a boat onto what looks more like a military bunker than a civilian dock with huge turrets flanking it. The other volunteers are with me and we are guided deeper inside.
I have no idea what to expect from here on.
They split us into two groups and herded us into bunks. To my surprise, it was already half full. We each got a bead and foot locker and dropped our duffels. We were allowed a night of rest.
Or so we thought. At what must have been three in the morning what must have been the drill sergeant came in screaming for everyone to get up. Having gone through the Russian Army basic training I thought I was prepared but every day I would rethink that. While normally drill sergeants are angry creatures this one seemed to be made out of pure malice that would make my previous drill sergeant shy away.
“Get the fuck up. Up up up now god damn it” The volume he could reach was truly insane. Luckily I was on autopilot and was already at attention by my bed. Only now am I truly thankful those of the 104th helped me learn their language. However, we were also given what looked like hearing aids that translated.
“From here on out you all belong to me. You will not eat without my permission you will not sleep without my permission and most of all you will not die without my explicit consent and god knows you poor bastards are going to wish I’d give it before you graduate here”
I initially thought this was just talk to sound scary but it became the truth. “Now get dressed and ready then get in formation in three the last one goes without dinner” he briskly walks out. In a flash, I get ready and jog out to the field.
How they grew such a large field so deep underground amazed me. the scale is mind-boggling. As I fell into the formation a recruit next to me nudged me and spoke with a thick Scottish accent “You seem military” I nodded and quickly replied “Russian Federation” After a moment he nods in understanding.
The drill sergeant found his victim “Cadet you will be without dinner tonight now the rest of you cow turds. One hundred push-ups count them off” As I dropped down I noticed in absolute bewilderment that he did as well and without breaking a sweat he counted off all one hundred where several cadets were completely soaked.
“Next one hundred sit-ups, count ‘‘'em off” Halfway through someone purged their stomach. I only felt absolute burning in my muscles. “next jumping jacks” we continued for what was likely actual hours and by the end of it most of the cadets were on the ground groaning. Myself partly included. The drill sergeant however just wiped a single bead of sweat off his brow.
“That’s enough calisthenics for this morning. On your feet, we have a short walk to the classroom” The short walk turned out to be a ten-mile march. I can hardly believe this is all underground. My respect for the 104th has grown immensely that each and everyone made it through this.
We reach a new compound and file into a large lecture hall. I find a seat and nearly fall into it but I manage to restrain myself until the drill sergeant says we can sit. The Scottish guy took a seat next to mine.
He whispers to me “I’m Finlay McAllister” I respond just as quietly “Ivan Ivonich” he stifles a laugh. Before we can continue our drill sergeant walks onto the stage. “Before we begin today’s lecture we have a very special guest. She has many awards and medals but she asked me not to name any of them but I can name her conquest medals”
He pauses for a second “I should explain what one is as half of you are immigrants, a conquest medal is awarded to those who have participated in a war. I’ll name the top three that have been awarded so far, the beachhead invasion, the conquest of Africa, the subjugation of the Russian Federation and an unofficial one granted by the Unified East itself a medal for protecting them”
He studies us all “Being awarded one is an honor and should be worn with pride. Our guest has all of these” he lets it hang in the air and I’m pretty sure I know who it is. “Allow me to introduce the major general of the 104th Tanya Rex”
He steps back and that terrifying woman walks out to the podium. She’s not wearing an eye patch and has a strange glass eye. Then I remember she had someone collect her visor after she was shot. Did she make it into a replacement?
Before I can contemplate further she clears her throat and cuts off the small amount of murmurs there were. I noticed none of my fellows were talking. Fin leans over “What’s up with her eye did she get shot” he asks to which I replied “Yeah in Moscow She got shot in the face with an anti-material rifle” he stared “No shit”
“I’m going to keep this brief, I know some of you were soldiers in other military’s and think you can breeze through another basic training… though the smarter among you all have already figured out that isn’t the case”
An evil smile creeps across her face “There is a reason no force can match our prowess and it’s because of the dedicated work of those like your drill sergeant here. By the time you leave, if you last, you will both hate and respect him. Keep in mind he is to prepare you to march into hell and be the baddest motherfucker there”
She surveys us all “I believe that’s all I have to say they're all yours feel free to be extra rough with them” she says the last part as she turns to leave and the D.I steps back up.
“I will break each and every one of you both physically and mentally, because if I don’t do it now you will break on the battlefield and get someone near you killed."
the next few hours we go over rank structure and while it's mostly the same the tops of the branches are different and drill sergeants are basically at the top of the chain. he also stated that some units or large formations are unofficially excluded from this structure so strange ranks may pop up from time to time. at the end, he states "That is class for today time for the playground"
We went on another march that ended at the most insane obstacle course I’ve ever seen. “Today your goal is to ring the bell first one gets dessert. To the cadet that’s to go without dinner if you are the first you will be allowed to enjoy it”
That cadet immediately puts her undivided attention on the task. The drill sergeant continues “However before we begin make four rows of equal length” Fin scoots next to me. I whisper over “What are you doing” he has a sly smile and whispers back “I’m taking a bet, I recan they’re putting us in teams”
I nod. It’s a fair assumption. I end up being the middle row as another two forms on my other side. “Each row of four is your squad now. You will be together until you graduate. Good luck” he steps aside and the first few rows sprint. Fin and I look at the other two in our squad.
One is Japanese and probably just over five feet tall the other looks American. “I’m Ivan this is Finlay” they both quickly replied introducing themselves as Ping and Jeff. Ping speaks up in the most broken Elysian “I spotted the fastest route”
I grab his shoulder before he runs off “Let’s take the second fastest the first will be clogged” he points it out and we all break into a run together. While the last to leave the starting area we quickly pass many other squads.
The course quickly becomes obviously built for team building as many sections you can not pass without help. We get to a cargo net bridge and me and fin hold it while the other two cross then they hold it for us.
Next was a fifteen-foot wall, the fastest route didn’t have one, we launched Jeff with my direction and he pulled us up as we launched one another up. I was last and had to get a running start to get high enough.
The other obstacles took time and teamwork but eventually, we got through. The last one was the bell on top of a pole. Several others were trying to climb the pole itself. I saw there was a bunch of poles almost like a forest by the main bell pole and a rope leading to a platform behind us.
“Let’s go for the rope to climb over” I lead us back and we begin to scoot across. I watch one cadet ring the bell and run to the finish line. It was the one who was without dinner tonight. But she’s alone. We one by one make it across ring the bell and drop down waiting for everyone we cross the line together. The first full squad.
The drill sergeant speaks just loud enough for my squad to hear “an unorthodox way but I won’t argue with results” he then raises his voice to what it’s been all day “We have a winner but that doesn’t mean you all get off easy hurry up and ring the damn bell”
The first cadet begins to complain but gets tossed like a child into the mud pit below us. Jeff is breathing heavily “Man what the fuck where’s the kick-ass armor everyone wears” Finlay laughs as we walk away “Like they would waste that on us, worthless cadets”
I nod “Plus I think we’re supposed to be effective outside of it… back in Russia one of Major Rex’s guys didn’t have a radio because it broke on impact” My squad looks at me but Fin asks “What do you mean impact” I shrug, “he told me later but our flack hit his parachute and he had a hard landing”
Jeff looks a little pale “fucking Christ what does it take to kill somebody in that armor” as we wait for the rest then on our way to the cafeteria I retail the scene of Rex getting shot and also how they breached the Kremlin and again with Rex how she was covered in napalm storming our trenches.
They cracked a few jokes at me, a lot of them pertaining to me having been a general. We sat down to eat and by god, if I didn’t know where I was I’d think this was a six-star restaurant. There were huge stakes cooked to absolute perfection and the sides were just as delicious.
We all but inhaled the food. And before we knew it it was the next morning. Unfortunately, the drill sergeant now has assistants. Who all have cattle prods? As I scrambled out of bed I heard the yelp of several unfortunate fellows who didn’t get up fast enough.
The rest of the day was basically the same except with electric shocks and everyone subconsciously grouped into their squads. The class was more basic information followed by the bell which was even more of a hell.
This went on for weeks each day the same as the last. That first cadet well she went nearly rabid. I think something inside her snapped already. She’s become the leader of her squad because they're all scared of her, with good reason.
After that first day whoever was last to ring the bell and cross the line went hungry. It’s working out well enough that everyone is actually gaining mass. As for that squad, they were last on the second day and nearly the third. The second day though she kicked one of her squad members back into the mud.
She was reprimanded but… most everyone doesn’t like them because they will force their way through everyone just to be first to wait at a section. My squad has meshed basically perfectly. We keep sneaking around the longer routes and while not always first we’ve never been last.
Right now we’re on another march to the lecture hall. I guess we’ve learned enough of the language to have to sing cadence as we march.
-Through fields of struggle, we find our way,
Side by side, we forge a brighter day,
No obstacle too great, no challenge too tough,
Together, we rise, our strength enough.-
I really enjoy the cadences. Back at the barracks, we’ve been allowed a radio so we’ve all heard the latest top hits. One sounds like it’s based off Tanya. If that’s true whoever wrote it is insane.
Seated in the lecture hall we have a bit of a surprise. "today forward we’ll be getting to the fun topics in this hall”
A few people lean forward. “You're going to see some footage. It’s real mind you and then we’ll pick it apart and impart unto you all the knowledge that got these soldiers through the encounter”
The video started and it immediately becomes obvious that it’s from a helmet. They slap a breaching charge on a wall and flow in like water. We watch as several small firefighters break out until it’s the last guys in the last room.
They breach but one gets shot. His partner picks him up and uses him like a shield. The last guy clears the room except for one large guy. We’ve all realized by now this was from a training as both side's armors are the same.
The video ends with the video owner getting tossed over the big guy but somehow reversing it and sending the much larger man against a wall. “This was a demonstration years ago in a shoot house. So we also have aerial footage of this to assist in picking it apart”
We spend the next few hours going over it. One main point was they should have had more people. “Normally yes however this specific case was a war game. The two squads were a really bad match so it was just for fun hence the lack of more players”
As we continued through any issue we had found had been addressed and we were told how it had already been fixed in doctrine. the ease at which they sem to fix problems and become better at war is unnerving.
Cadets
Ivan Ivanich
It’s been a month I think since Moscow was destroyed along with the federation. The Elysium Republic extended an offer requiring only a battalion of volunteers. I of course set out to be one. After seeing the devastation they could produce and having gotten to know many of them… I know in my heart they fight for what’s right.
So here I am getting off a boat onto what looks more like a military bunker than a civilian dock with huge turrets flanking it. The other volunteers are with me and we are guided deeper inside.
I have no idea what to expect from here on.
They split us into two groups and herded us into bunks. To my surprise, it was already half full. We each got a bead and foot locker and dropped our duffels. We were allowed a night of rest.
Or so we thought. At what must have been three in the morning what must have been the drill sergeant came in screaming for everyone to get up. Having gone through the Russian Army basic training I thought I was prepared but every day I would rethink that. While normally drill sergeants are angry creatures this one seemed to be made out of pure malice that would make my previous drill sergeant shy away.
“Get the fuck up. Up up up now god damn it” The volume he could reach was truly insane. Luckily I was on autopilot and was already at attention by my bed. Only now am I truly thankful those of the 104th helped me learn their language. However, we were also given what looked like hearing aids that translated.
“From here on out you all belong to me. You will not eat without my permission you will not sleep without my permission and most of all you will not die without my explicit consent and god knows you poor bastards are going to wish I’d give it before you graduate here”
I initially thought this was just talk to sound scary but it became the truth. “Now get dressed and ready then get in formation in three the last one goes without dinner” he briskly walks out. In a flash, I get ready and jog out to the field.
How they grew such a large field so deep underground amazed me. the scale is mind-boggling. As I fell into the formation a recruit next to me nudged me and spoke with a thick Scottish accent “You seem military” I nodded and quickly replied “Russian Federation” After a moment he nods in understanding.
The drill sergeant found his victim “Cadet you will be without dinner tonight now the rest of you cow turds. One hundred push-ups count them off” As I dropped down I noticed in absolute bewilderment that he did as well and without breaking a sweat he counted off all one hundred where several cadets were completely soaked.
“Next one hundred sit-ups, count ‘‘'em off” Halfway through someone purged their stomach. I only felt absolute burning in my muscles. “next jumping jacks” we continued for what was likely actual hours and by the end of it most of the cadets were on the ground groaning. Myself partly included. The drill sergeant however just wiped a single bead of sweat off his brow.
“That’s enough calisthenics for this morning. On your feet, we have a short walk to the classroom” The short walk turned out to be a ten-mile march. I can hardly believe this is all underground. My respect for the 104th has grown immensely that each and everyone made it through this.
We reach a new compound and file into a large lecture hall. I find a seat and nearly fall into it but I manage to restrain myself until the drill sergeant says we can sit. The Scottish guy took a seat next to mine.
He whispers to me “I’m Finlay McAllister” I respond just as quietly “Ivan Ivonich” he stifles a laugh. Before we can continue our drill sergeant walks onto the stage. “Before we begin today’s lecture we have a very special guest. She has many awards and medals but she asked me not to name any of them but I can name her conquest medals”
He pauses for a second “I should explain what one is as half of you are immigrants, a conquest medal is awarded to those who have participated in a war. I’ll name the top three that have been awarded so far, the beachhead invasion, the conquest of Africa, the subjugation of the Russian Federation and an unofficial one granted by the Unified East itself a medal for protecting them”
He studies us all “Being awarded one is an honor and should be worn with pride. Our guest has all of these” he lets it hang in the air and I’m pretty sure I know who it is. “Allow me to introduce the major general of the 104th Tanya Rex”
He steps back and that terrifying woman walks out to the podium. She’s not wearing an eye patch and has a strange glass eye. Then I remember she had someone collect her visor after she was shot. Did she make it into a replacement?
Before I can contemplate further she clears her throat and cuts off the small amount of murmurs there were. I noticed none of my fellows were talking. Fin leans over “What’s up with her eye did she get shot” he asks to which I replied “Yeah in Moscow She got shot in the face with an anti-material rifle” he stared “No shit”
“I’m going to keep this brief, I know some of you were soldiers in other military’s and think you can breeze through another basic training… though the smarter among you all have already figured out that isn’t the case”
An evil smile creeps across her face “There is a reason no force can match our prowess and it’s because of the dedicated work of those like your drill sergeant here. By the time you leave, if you last, you will both hate and respect him. Keep in mind he is to prepare you to march into hell and be the baddest motherfucker there”
She surveys us all “I believe that’s all I have to say they're all yours feel free to be extra rough with them” she says the last part as she turns to leave and the D.I steps back up.
“I will break each and every one of you both physically and mentally, because if I don’t do it now you will break on the battlefield and get someone near you killed."
the next few hours we go over rank structure and while it's mostly the same the tops of the branches are different and drill sergeants are basically at the top of the chain. he also stated that some units or large formations are unofficially excluded from this structure so strange ranks may pop up from time to time. at the end, he states "That is class for today time for the playground"
We went on another march that ended at the most insane obstacle course I’ve ever seen. “Today your goal is to ring the bell first one gets dessert. To the cadet that’s to go without dinner if you are the first you will be allowed to enjoy it”
That cadet immediately puts her undivided attention on the task. The drill sergeant continues “However before we begin make four rows of equal length” Fin scoots next to me. I whisper over “What are you doing” he has a sly smile and whispers back “I’m taking a bet, I recan they’re putting us in teams”
I nod. It’s a fair assumption. I end up being the middle row as another two forms on my other side. “Each row of four is your squad now. You will be together until you graduate. Good luck” he steps aside and the first few rows sprint. Fin and I look at the other two in our squad.
One is Japanese and probably just over five feet tall the other looks American. “I’m Ivan this is Finlay” they both quickly replied introducing themselves as Ping and Jeff. Ping speaks up in the most broken Elysian “I spotted the fastest route”
I grab his shoulder before he runs off “Let’s take the second fastest the first will be clogged” he points it out and we all break into a run together. While the last to leave the starting area we quickly pass many other squads.
The course quickly becomes obviously built for team building as many sections you can not pass without help. We get to a cargo net bridge and me and fin hold it while the other two cross then they hold it for us.
Next was a fifteen-foot wall, the fastest route didn’t have one, we launched Jeff with my direction and he pulled us up as we launched one another up. I was last and had to get a running start to get high enough.
The other obstacles took time and teamwork but eventually, we got through. The last one was the bell on top of a pole. Several others were trying to climb the pole itself. I saw there was a bunch of poles almost like a forest by the main bell pole and a rope leading to a platform behind us.
“Let’s go for the rope to climb over” I lead us back and we begin to scoot across. I watch one cadet ring the bell and run to the finish line. It was the one who was without dinner tonight. But she’s alone. We one by one make it across ring the bell and drop down waiting for everyone we cross the line together. The first full squad.
The drill sergeant speaks just loud enough for my squad to hear “an unorthodox way but I won’t argue with results” he then raises his voice to what it’s been all day “We have a winner but that doesn’t mean you all get off easy hurry up and ring the damn bell”
The first cadet begins to complain but gets tossed like a child into the mud pit below us. Jeff is breathing heavily “Man what the fuck where’s the kick-ass armor everyone wears” Finlay laughs as we walk away “Like they would waste that on us, worthless cadets”
I nod “Plus I think we’re supposed to be effective outside of it… back in Russia one of Major Rex’s guys didn’t have a radio because it broke on impact” My squad looks at me but Fin asks “What do you mean impact” I shrug, “he told me later but our flack hit his parachute and he had a hard landing”
Jeff looks a little pale “fucking Christ what does it take to kill somebody in that armor” as we wait for the rest then on our way to the cafeteria I retail the scene of Rex getting shot and also how they breached the Kremlin and again with Rex how she was covered in napalm storming our trenches.
They cracked a few jokes at me, a lot of them pertaining to me having been a general. We sat down to eat and by god, if I didn’t know where I was I’d think this was a six-star restaurant. There were huge stakes cooked to absolute perfection and the sides were just as delicious.
We all but inhaled the food. And before we knew it it was the next morning. Unfortunately, the drill sergeant now has assistants. Who all have cattle prods? As I scrambled out of bed I heard the yelp of several unfortunate fellows who didn’t get up fast enough.
The rest of the day was basically the same except with electric shocks and everyone subconsciously grouped into their squads. The class was more basic information followed by the bell which was even more of a hell.
This went on for weeks each day the same as the last. That first cadet well she went nearly rabid. I think something inside her snapped already. She’s become the leader of her squad because they're all scared of her, with good reason.
After that first day whoever was last to ring the bell and cross the line went hungry. It’s working out well enough that everyone is actually gaining mass. As for that squad, they were last on the second day and nearly the third. The second day though she kicked one of her squad members back into the mud.
She was reprimanded but… most everyone doesn’t like them because they will force their way through everyone just to be first to wait at a section. My squad has meshed basically perfectly. We keep sneaking around the longer routes and while not always first we’ve never been last.
Right now we’re on another march to the lecture hall. I guess we’ve learned enough of the language to have to sing cadence as we march.
-Through fields of struggle, we find our way,
Side by side, we forge a brighter day,
No obstacle too great, no challenge too tough,
Together, we rise, our strength enough.-
I really enjoy the cadences. Back at the barracks, we’ve been allowed a radio so we’ve all heard the latest top hits. One sounds like it’s based off Tanya. If that’s true whoever wrote it is insane.
Seated in the lecture hall we have a bit of a surprise. "today forward we’ll be getting to the fun topics in this hall”
A few people lean forward. “You're going to see some footage. It’s real mind you and then we’ll pick it apart and impart unto you all the knowledge that got these soldiers through the encounter”
The video started and it immediately becomes obvious that it’s from a helmet. They slap a breaching charge on a wall and flow in like water. We watch as several small firefighters break out until it’s the last guys in the last room.
They breach but one gets shot. His partner picks him up and uses him like a shield. The last guy clears the room except for one large guy. We’ve all realized by now this was from a training as both side's armors are the same.
The video ends with the video owner getting tossed over the big guy but somehow reversing it and sending the much larger man against a wall. “This was a demonstration years ago in a shoot house. So we also have aerial footage of this to assist in picking it apart”
We spend the next few hours going over it. One main point was they should have had more people. “Normally yes however this specific case was a war game. The two squads were a really bad match so it was just for fun hence the lack of more players”
As we continued through any issue we had found had been addressed and we were told how it had already been fixed in doctrine. the ease at which they sem to fix problems and become better at war is unnerving.
