Rae van Daleon – The Roots of the Storm
by Lea von Löwenstein
Chapter 56: The Field Weeks Begin – War Games
The announcement came during the morning assembly in the Scola courtyard. The air was thick with tension as Commissar Varn addressed the assembled novices, his voice sharp and commanding.
“Today marks the beginning of the Field Weeks,” he declared, his steely gaze sweeping across the rows of recruits. “For the next month, you will be taken out of these walls and into the wilderness. This is not a simulation. You will face real challenges, real adversity, and real danger.”
He paused, letting the gravity of his words settle. “These exercises are meant to prepare you for the chaos of war. You will learn to survive, to strategize, and to fight as a cohesive unit. And you will do so without the comforts of this Scola.”
Behind him, Drill Instructor Halek stepped forward, his rough voice cutting through the silence. “You’ll be divided into squads and dropped into separate zones. Your objective: outlast and outmaneuver your competitors. Only the strongest team will win, and only the strongest novices will rise.”
The novices murmured among themselves, the mix of excitement and apprehension palpable. Rae exchanged a glance with her team. They had trained for this moment, but even so, the stakes felt higher than ever.
Deployment
The first day began with a chaotic rush to prepare. Each team was issued standard gear: ration packs, basic survival tools, and training-grade weapons. The instructors made it clear that while the weapons were non-lethal, the conditions they’d face would be anything but forgiving.
Rae and her team stood together near the transports, checking their equipment. Celestine strapped her twin knives to her belt, her expression sharp with anticipation. Marcus hefted his hammer, its weight a reassuring constant. Tyren adjusted the settings on his cogitator, while Soren meticulously inspected his crossbow.
“We’ve got this,” Marcus said, his voice steady. “We’ve trained harder than anyone else here.”
“Let’s just hope the others don’t play dirty,” Celestine muttered, her eyes scanning the other squads. “You know someone will.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Rae said firmly. “We focus on our strengths. Stay together, cover each other, and we’ll come out on top.”
Zone Alpha
The transport landed in a dense forest, the canopy above blocking most of the sunlight. The air was thick with the scent of moss and damp earth, and the only sounds were the distant calls of unknown creatures.
Rae and her team disembarked, their boots sinking slightly into the soft ground. A servo-skull hovered nearby, projecting a map of their designated zone. Key objectives were marked in red: supply caches, observation points, and fortified outposts.
“We’ll start here,” Rae said, pointing to a nearby ridge on the map. “It’ll give us a good vantage point to scout the area.”
The team moved swiftly, their training kicking in. Tyren used his cogitator to scan for any hidden traps or enemy movements, while Celestine and Soren took point, their eyes sharp for any signs of danger. Marcus stayed close to Rae, ready to defend if necessary.
First Contact
As the team approached the ridge, they heard the faint crunch of footsteps nearby. Rae signaled for the group to stop, her hand raised in a silent command. They crouched low, blending into the underbrush as a rival squad emerged from the trees.
The opposing team, clad in the same training uniforms, was clearly unaware of Rae’s presence. They moved toward a supply cache marked on the map, their focus entirely on the objective.
Rae motioned to her team, her voice barely above a whisper. “We’ll let them take the cache and follow them. If we engage now, we’ll expose our position.”
The team nodded, their movements silent as they shadowed the rival squad. When the opposing team reached the cache, Rae gave the signal.
Celestine and Soren struck first, their speed and precision overwhelming the unprepared squad. Marcus moved in next, his hammer delivering heavy blows that incapacitated the rivals without causing serious injury. Tyren disrupted their communications using his cogitator, ensuring no reinforcements would arrive.
In minutes, the skirmish was over. The rival squad lay defeated, their supplies now in Rae’s control.
Setting Up Camp
That night, the team found a secluded spot to set up camp. Marcus gathered firewood while Tyren secured their perimeter with motion sensors. Soren and Celestine prepared their rations, their conversation light despite the day’s intensity.
Rae sat slightly apart from the group, studying the map by the firelight. The forest seemed to stretch endlessly, and the challenges ahead felt daunting. But as she looked at her team, she felt a surge of pride.
“We’re doing well,” Soren said, sitting beside her. “But it’s only going to get harder from here.”
Rae nodded. “I know. We’ll need to be ready for anything.”
A New Threat
As the second day began, the team moved deeper into the forest, their goal to reach a fortified outpost marked on the map. But the further they went, the more the terrain seemed to work against them—steeper hills, thicker undergrowth, and an eerie silence that set everyone on edge.
Tyren’s cogitator beeped suddenly, breaking the quiet. “We’ve got movement,” he said, pointing to a cluster of red dots on his display. “And it’s coming fast.”
“Another squad?” Marcus asked, gripping his hammer.
“Too many for that,” Tyren replied, his brow furrowing. “And they’re not following a normal pattern.”
Before anyone could respond, a loud crack echoed through the forest. Rae’s team barely had time to react before a training-grade bolt whizzed past, embedding itself in a tree.
“Ambush!” Rae shouted, drawing her blade. “Fall back and regroup!”
The forest erupted into chaos as figures emerged from the shadows, their attacks relentless. Rae’s team moved with precision, countering every strike while retreating to higher ground.
“Who are they?” Celestine yelled, her knives flashing as she defended against two attackers.
“Doesn’t matter,” Rae said, her voice calm despite the chaos. “Stay together. We end this—now.”
Rising Tensions
As the day turned into night, Rae’s team regrouped, their bodies bruised but their resolve unbroken. The ambush had revealed something unsettling: not all squads were playing by the rules.
“Whoever they were, they weren’t just here to win,” Soren said, his tone dark. “They were here to take us out.”
Rae tightened her grip on her blade, her jaw set. “Then we’ll make sure they don’t get the chance again.”
The Field Weeks were no longer just a test of skill—they were a battle for survival. And Rae’s team was ready to face whatever came next. Together.
