Deathwatch (The Faded Earth Book 1)(41)
Jeremy made a derisive noise in his throat. “Except for all the Pales we’ll end up killing.”
“Pales aren’t people,” Tala said.
“The point,” Beck interjected, derailing a discussion on its way to being an argument for what felt like the billionth time, “is that they’re preparing us for what we’ll actually be doing out in the world. And that means working as a single force. Come on, how can you guys not see this?”
One or two of them looked at her in genuine curiosity, the others annoyance at what they saw as her condescension. They might have a point, but Beck was growing tired of trying to take baby steps around them. Or around anyone, for that matter. “It’s just like every other damn thing we’ve done since we got here. They start with one step that ends up being part of a bigger dance. We’re working in a small unit right now, figuring out all the kinks in our teamwork. They’ll put us in some weird situation that forces us to work with one of the other teams at the least, which will teach us the next step. Working with other Deathwatch units who might be complete strangers. By doing it here, we’ll be more prepared to do it right in the real world.”
Comprehension dawned on their faces, wiping away the irritation. Though Beck had no way to know it, the hope that kindled in her chest that they were finally starting to see the larger pattern was one shared by countless generations of captains and generals before her.
*
The next morning, Reeves stopped their group on the way to the track before they could begin their run.
“Head over to Supply,” he said. “You have new uniforms waiting for you. Then meet me at training ground four. You have fifteen minutes.” Without offering a word of explanation, he trotted off toward the training ground.
“What do you think that’s about?” Jeremy asked the group, though after a week of getting to know each other as a unit, everyone present understood he was really asking Beck.
“No idea, but it’s probably not going to be fun for us,” she said. “Come on, I don’t want to imagine what he’ll do to us if we’re late.”
She found the break in routine surprisingly bothersome. She was used to the increasingly tough workouts the first half of their long days, from the grueling runs to strength exercise, but especially the combat training. None of them were anything like experts, not after less than a month, though Beck felt she understood the fundamentals fairly well. Fighting was just another system, and once the mechanics of it became clear she adapted with relative ease.
She pushed down the longing to step out onto the track, to heft a spear or sword. The habits were already ingrained, which was probably the point of breaking them. Reeves seemed to have a knack for judging exactly when the lessons and reactions were beginning to internalize and choosing that moment to add something new or change the pace.
It was, Beck thought, a brilliant way to make adaptable thinkers able to react well on instinct rather than rote training.
Supply was manned by an ancient woman named Kady, who hurried them into separate rooms where their uniforms waited. These were solid black and made of a blend of materials that felt stretched at the joints but was hardened everywhere else. Beck felt like she was wearing a tight glove over every inch of her.
Once her unit was dressed, Kady gave them helmets. They weren’t the large, complex affairs with advanced electronics and sensors that sat atop Deathwatch armor, but their hardened polymer shells and transparent face plates were solid enough.
Thirty seconds remained on their time when the unit came to a stop in a cloud of dust kicked up by their run. Reeves stood outside training ground four, an enclosed space rather than the open-topped arena they normally practiced in.
“This isn’t one of those things where I trick you,” Reeves said, his face unusually expressive with worry. Granted, any emotion was unusual, so the trace of concern was a relative thing. “You’re about to participate in combat. This door opens into a small anteroom. Once I seal you inside, the inner doors will open. I can’t tell you what the conditions will be. They randomize every time. All I can say is that you should remember everything you’ve learned so far and use it well.”
Beck heard the layers in the word. Not just how to fight or even the more subtle lessons to help them think around corners, but all of it. Reeves rarely spoke without saying something important, so Beck did not take his words as simple encouragement. The way his eyes settled on her at the end was what made the most important implication of his words hit home.
The most important lesson, the one that had been woven from gossamer threads to become the critical binding force for their training, was teamwork. Specifically, watching out for each other.
“Fire teams,” Beck ordered. Her people immediately responded, breaking into two groups. Jeremy stepped to the side with Jen and Wojcik while Tala and Lucia lined up behind Beck. She had devised three separate training routines for the group—as a unit of six, as individuals, and in two teams of three. Splitting into fire teams was her preferred method of meeting an unknown threat. One group could take the attention of whatever enemy lay beyond and support each other while the second group was free to assess, react, and support as needed.
Reeves ushered them through and within a handful of seconds the inner doors opened.
The interior space was dark but not black. The lighting system was off, only guttering flames from hidden fires giving off uneven light. Half walls and obstacles covered the normally flat floor, creating nooks and hiding places.