[dcs_p]At first she wondered at this, but then dismissed it. It mattered not. She was
drenched in sweat, but first had to debrief. She started to head to the debriefing
room, then paused and went back up to the cockpit. She reached in and cut a
piece of cloth from the Mechs control couch. She did not know why she did this,
it just came to her that she should. Stuffing the cloth into one of her belt pouches,
she again left the Mech and went to the debriefing room.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]
Walking into the briefing room was like stepping into some alternate world.
Green screens flickered their light across everyone in the room. A holotank
already had the battle rom from the trial playing, some person Sasha did not
know stood at the front of the room with Tiveli. By the rank shown on his uniform
he was a Star Colonel. Why he was here was anyone’s guess.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Everything immediately preceding the trial had been so formal, so ritualized, no
one had told her what to expect afterwards, simply that she would be shipping
out within the week – if she had passed. The precious few black leather seats in
the room were already filled with warriors who had participated in the trial. There
were members of other sibkos as well as her own – it had been done en masse.
This was somewhat different than the training facilities on Arcadia, but it was
tradition here on New Kent. When the facility was just starting the first
Commander, Kerin Masters, had believed that was the best method, and no one
had stopped him from instigating his practices, so the tradition had been born.
Some might think that this would produce inferior warriors, but on the battlefield,
that logic was not supported.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]The unknown man stepped forward, “I am Star Colonel Regis Moffat.” The air in
the room was electric. Excitement was ebbing from every pore of those who had
passed, anger and disappointment from those who had not. The smell of sweat
and blood was evident throughout the room. “In seven days, I will be taking
those who have passed the Trial of Position,” he said it as if an honorary title, “to
the Inner Sphere. There they will be assigned to various units.” He made a quick
glance around the room. “That is all.” Everyone stood to attention as he walked
out of the room.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Tiveli stepped forward. “Those of you who did not pass, you will be able to
participate in the secondary Trial of Position for placement with a regular infantry
unit.” He sounded not so much disgusted by these worthless Mechwarriors, as
disappointed. “Now, as I call your name, step forward for the updating of your
codex.” Sasha looked down at the wristband, her life, her Codex. Now she was
a true warrior.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]The names were called, starting with those who failed. Sasha had originally
thought upon entering the small room that fifteen or so people at the most had
passed. She was wrong. Only about half did – and that was largely in part to a
good showing of her own sibko. Four of them had passed, the largest class from
one sibko in a long while. Only two others passed with them.[/dcs_p]