Meanwhile, far from the school on the northeast side of Enceladus, Jack and Jessica were standing amongst 138 other people. Everyone was wearing military attire, with a few of them having more embellishments that indicated a higher status or ranking.

 

"Squad 3 has reported some changes at the abyss. We aren't entirely sure what is happening, but we believe that it requires our immediate attention. As you all know, the threat posed by the abyss is great, and affects the entirety of humanity." A man in a pure black military suit, adorned with multiple bright golden circles on the shoulders, and a blue wave embroidery on the left pec addressed the 140 people.

 

"As a result, we are issuing a command for 9 of the 10 squads to station around the abyss 32/7. The final team will rotate shifts with one other team every 5 days." the man glanced over the crowd to see their reactions before getting a consensus and adjusting his next words accordingly

 

"I understand that this means you will be away from home for long periods and you won't have much time when you do get to come home, but this is incredibly important. We can't afford to be careless about this. This is a sacrifice all of you are expected to make. When you joined the Covert Corps, you were all explicitly informed about the sacrifices you might be required to make. I don't believe this needs to be said, as you all are amongst the bravest warriors on Enceladus, none the less I feel its only right that I am as transparent as possible." pausing to take a deep breath, he continued

 

"Since communication will also be limited with this arrangement, you will be trusted to make decisions as necessary depending on the situation. However, you are NOT to engage in battle with the soldiers from other Strongholds unless you have no other choice... Any questions?" The man observed the crowd.

 

a short discussion started within the various groups. Eventually one spoke up

 

"Sir, Is it correct to assume that if we have noticed these changes, then the other strongholds have as well?" The captain of squad 7 asked.

 

"Yes, that is what we believe. We expect them to have a similar response as us." The man responded. his words implied that this was serious enough that every stronghold would throw everything they could at the issue. Also that this was just an educated guess.

 

"Thank you, Sir! Squad 7 has no further questions." Squad 7s captain responded.

 

It seems no one else had any questions. Even if they did they believed they wouldn't receive an answer. Some things were concealed from even them, and other things just had to be experienced.

 

"As always this information, as well as your mission parameters, must remain a secret. Even from your families... You set out tomorrow." The man said, surveying the room one last time.

 

"You are dismissed."

 

Everyone grouped up in their squads before leaving. Jack and Jessica were both in Squad 4. Each squad had 20 people in it, with a Captain and two lieutenants. The Captain was the leader of the squads, and the two lieutenants were 2nd in command and held equal power within the team. The lieutenants were there for the Captain to delegate tasks to them in order to reduce the burden on their shoulders, but also to take command should the Captain be incapacitated. 

 

Jack was one of the two lieutenants, with a good reputation within the team. He was well respected and was widely considered as the only second in command within the team. Even the other lieutenant would follow Jack's order should the time come for Jack to take command.

 

After leaving the building, Squad 4 traveled to a nearby building. This was their squad 'barracks'. Each of their 10 squads had their own barracks in the same area.

 

Silence. Everyone sat in a rough circle, but no one spoke. The atmosphere was tense. Everyone understands that this mission would be difficult and dangerous. They were no strangers to danger but this mission felt different. If even the higher ranks were so solemn, then the situation had to be bad.

 

"Jack." the captain said, breaking the silence.

 

"How's that brat of yours doing?" he said after a brief pause

 

This caught Jack and the rest of the team off guard. It seems the captain was trying to diffuse the tension in the atmosphere, and it certainly worked.

 

"Calling him a brat is accurate. He has yet to mature enough for me to teach him everything I'd like to." Jack said, before pausing for some time to think.

 

No one spoke. Everyone was waiting for Jack to continue. They knew quite a bit about Keros and Catherine. The squad members were all quite close, and the captain would always ask about Keros since finding out that Jack was training him so intently. Of course, when he learned about Keros he never failed to ask about Catherine, and Jessica was always the one to respond.

 

"We fought last night. The training has been hard on him, and he felt it was unfair for me to force him into it. But I'll be damned if the kid didn't apologize and thank me this morning." Jack said as a grin appeared on his face towards the end.

 

every one of his teammates sported a small smile at the last sentence. Only the captain had ever met Jack and Jessica's kids, but they all felt some attachment to them since they heard stories about them every mission.

 

"looks like Little Vao isn't completely lost."

 

"that's what I'm talkin about. I wish my kid admitted he was wrong."

 

"I'll pay you to teach my kid how to respect his elders Jack!"

 

The team broke out, many of them commenting about the situation.

 

"From what we've heard, it sounds like there is potential for him to rise and join us sometime, huh?" the captain asked.

 

Jack's grin grew wider "Sure, I think he has the potential to rise to this level. He won't be here long though, he will surpass all of soon after!"

 

The captain started laughing, and the team was jeering. the atmosphere was lively, but shortly reality crept back in.

 

"I just hope I'm here to see it and guide him when needed." Jack said adding to the tensing environment

 

"No worries brother!" the captain said, placing his hand on Jack's shoulder

 

"You're strong, and you're in the best team in Enceladus. Hell, maybe the best team on New Genesis!" the captain boasted arrogantly

 

"We won't die easily, but if the day comes that you go out... The team will pick up where you left off and do what we can." his grip tightened in a comforting gesture.

 

many of the team nodding, in agreement with the captain. Jack took comfort knowing that he had friends he could count.

 

"Now, how about Daisy? I bet there are a few funny stories you guys can tell about her yea?" As usual, the captain asked about Catherine.

 

Jessica chimed in, detailing some of the excitement that Catherine brought them. Catherine's whimsical nature always brought a few laughs.

 

After hearing about Catherine the captain spoke up again "Well I don't think any of us gruff soldiers would be good a good fit to look after Daisy, but we won't allow her to suffer any injustice!"

 

once again the team nodded. It was rare for spouses to both be in the military, much less in the same squad. Coupled with the fact that the Covert corps we assigned more dangerous missions, there was every possibility that their lives could be lost. If so, what would happen to their kids? That was the biggest worry, and why the team seemed to care so much about Keros and Catherine.

 

Their parents were in a noble line of work. Protecting everyone in Enceladus and fighting for a better future. While some thought bad of them for taking the risk of leaving their children alone in this world, some understood how much courage it took to risk so much so the ones they loved could have a better life.

 

"I've worried about our children since what we do is dangerous. So I've taken some actions to set up a contingency. My sister is similar to Catherine and will take care of her." Jessica said with a firm expression.

 

the team continued on the same topic for a little longer before things became more serious.

 

"Brothers, Sisters, I think its time we face our current situation." the captain said, squashing the idle chatter.

 

"We know things have become difficult. We weren't briefed on the specifics on what 'changes' have occurred, but we can assume that it is serious since they are deploying every team simultaneously. Normally they only deploy 3 teams at a time." the captain leaned back in his chair, stroking the stubble on his face

 

"There is danger from the abyss, however, we can't discount the danger that the other strongholds will pose. If they have the same response as our superiors, then we will likely be surrounded by our enemies. While I understand 'an enemy of my enemy is my friend', I also understand that some might use this as an opportunity." his eyes closed, and scrunched up and he stopped speaking

 

After a short while, Jack decided to continue "I know none of us are happy with the situation. Everyone will be tense, and a single spark can cause a fire with dry tinder. It will be a volatile combination." Jack looked to the captain to see if he wanted to pick back up, but the captain remained the same

 

"The important thing is that we look after one another. This way none of us will have a knee jerk reaction and allow the situation to get out of control, should something happen. We will have each other to block snuff out the fire before it grows." jack said.

 

the captain finally spoke up again, picking up there "We will spend some time developing plans once we understand the situation better. Then we will act accordingly, and decide what the highest priority is, be it protecting the team as a whole, or sacrificing for the mission." the captain said with a sullen expression. it was clear that he truly did not want to see his team be sacrificed for any mission, but such was the plight of their profession.

 

-----------------------

 

Each class participating were assigned an aide to supervise and guide them even if they were familiar with the route to the Franz gym, only the trouble makers would split and cause trouble for the coach and other teachers. As Enceladus had a high population the schools also had a large number of students and it was difficult to lead such a large group any amount of distance. So the school assigned Aides to assist, and their jobs were to devise a route to the gym and ensure the entire class assigned to them made it safely and on time.

 

The Franz gym was not part of the school. It was built by the Franz Academy, a school for the upper class, so that the middle class and lower could have access to proper equipment and was used by all of the schools in the lesser districts on special occasions, as such it was in the most convenient location for all schools to access. Unfortunately, that meant that there was quite a distance between each school and the gym. Building the school wasn't entirely a benevolent act by the upper class but partially for the accuracy in testing, to ensure that none that they considered beneath them would be able to 'Cheat the system'. It also gave the upper class some control over the physical activities of the lower classes. There were even times that a class or two from Franz academy would also test at the Franz gym under the guise of inspiring others, though everyone knew it was just so they could boast and get some enjoyment from looking down on others.

 

Physical education was taken more seriously than most other subjects in Enceladus because power was most important for life on New Genesis. While knowledge is an important part of power, many believe it to only be secondary to physical prowess. 

 

Most youths didn't begin serious training until they were 12 years old, as such the last 4 years of their education focused heavily on Physical improvement and combat knowledge. Consequently, their scores matter more as well during the last 4 years, their final year being the most significant. At 16 they would graduate and they would begin finding careers. Many aspired to follow a career path that would bring them glory, and in Enceladus, there was nothing more glorious than combat. So the military was many students' primary goal, while others preferred the idea of being a mercenary. If one couldn't become one of those two, they started to settle for less prestigious positions. Such as a wall guard, or a scout. 

 

Some even settled for being an enforcer. Enceladus could be considered fairly lax when it came to rules which meant that enforcers didn't have much power. Most of the laws were centered around how you should interact with the upper class, but of course, the laws would benefit them, they have a say in what laws are approved. See even though Power is king on New Genesis, personal strength isn't the ONLY way to obtain power. Politics, commerce, networking, these are some of the things that you can use to your advantage to stand above the rest. Therefore the nobles quarreled over the laws. The physically strong don't believe they have any need for laws to protect them or their way of life because their power comes from themselves, but the ones without physical power wanted to make sure that it was as difficult as possible for someone to topple their ivory towers. Eventually, they came to a compromise. The physically strong realized that other paths were important too and so they needed to allow safety measures for the ones focused on things other than personal strength, in order to maintain their way of life.

 

When the laws were implemented there needed to be people who would enforce those laws. The only downside is that most of the population consists of the middle class and lower, and who would want to protect the same people that want to keep you under their boot? Besides, if you become strong enough or obtains enough merits you could become join the upper class yourself, so why limit yourself as an enforcer? Realizing that the upper class decided to give enforcers some perks such as enjoying some things that only the upper class could obtain. This successfully enticed some of those that couldn't get into the military or a mercenary group.

 

Some kids understood that they weren't suited for conflict, and there were many jobs that needed to be done. So not everyone aspired to obtain glory through battle. Even if someone couldn't find something they enjoyed they would still take any job they could get. No one wanted to be labeled as 'useless', or a bum. 

 

Though humanity has come a long since Genesis, and in certain aspects surpassed humanity before Genesis, there was still a long way to go before humanity was stable. Therefore anyone who didn't contribute in some way would be looked down upon. The only exceptions are for housewives and the upper class. It was acceptable to become a housewife, to look after the children and take care of affairs concerning the household, though few took advantage of it. The upper class had the advantage of relying on their status and coasting by and some did, but some still had to worry about their status declining if they were inactive.

 

-------------

 

Keros arrived with his class to the gym. Luckily their aide this year had planned well and they made it to the gym a bit early. They were the second class to arrive. He surveyed the gym for a long while, and he noticed an odd attendant. The woman was wearing very nice clothes made from soft and colorful material, with many expensive accessories. She had a Curvacious figure, with a confident and haughty demeanor, and was quite beautiful. Looking at her most would assume that she is a part of the upper class based on these observations

 

'Is she part of the staff?' Keros wondered, he had seen many of the Franz Staff over the years and a few had been a part of the upper class, so she could be as well. The only other reason for her to be here would be if a class from Franz academy was coming. If it was the latter, then trouble would likely follow.

 

'At least it would be interesting' Keros mused.

 

The aide led the class to a section of the gym and took attendance to make sure that no one was missing. She advised them to limber up and stay put before walking off to meet up with the other aides and teachers. Now the just had to wait for the rest of the classes to arrive. There were 2 classes per school, and usually, 2-3 schools that participate each time.

 

Before long, classes start to arrive one after the other and were led to the area designated for each school. It seemed there would be 3 schools participating this time, luckily the gym was large enough to comfortably accommodate everyone. When the other class from his school arrived, he spotted Millie who arrived with them. after mingling a bit with her friends she noticed Keros and Booker. She gestured to a few friends and led them over to greet the two.

 

 

"Hey, guys! these are my friends I was talking about yesterday." Millie said as she gestured the to three following her.

 

there were two boys and one girl behind her. All of them had light smiles on their faces and seem polite. Keros could tell from their builds which ones like to compete at the game center.

 

"I'm Sasha, it's nice to meet you both. The two behind me are Phillip and George." the girl said as she stuck her hand out.

 

"Keros, it's nice to meet you too. My buddy here is Booker." Keros said as he grasped her hand. Her handshake was firm, but that came as no surprise to Keros since he had already guessed that she was one of the ones that competed. She had medium length blonde hair tied into a ponytail and bright blue eyes. she was taller than most of the other girls in either of their classes and had a somewhat stocky frame.

 

Booker took the initiative to introduce himself and Keros to the two guys in the meantime. Phillip wore glasses that resembled goggles, he had messy light brown hair and a pointy nose. he was thin and short. He certainly didn't look like a fighter but looks can be deceiving sometimes.

 

George had a medium height and also had a stocky frame, but he sported a bit of extra weight that gave him a bit of a round look. He had short kempt blonde hair, green eyes, a square jaw, and a chubby face. and from the conversation Keros found out he was right again, George also competed.

 

"I heard you guys compete at the game center a lot." said Sasha

 

Keros moved his gaze back to her "I do sometimes, not often. Mainly Booker competes and I go cheer him on."

 

"I prefer trying just about everything there, its fun to see my rank improve on so many games. I guess it can be fun to watch sometimes too though." she replied

 

the gym seemed to go mute for a second, before breaking out in hushed whispers. Looking at the doors Keros saw another two classes entering. They wore pale blue uniforms with a black F circled by a dragon tail embroidered on the shoulder, the signature of Franz academy. Today would an interesting day.