Category: Writing

3rd Year, P. 12

It wasn’t as if Savoi had given anyone a chance to volunteer themselves for the task. Yoshida ground his teeth and Roudan held his tongue, both knowing full well she would have it no other way. Though she performed miraculously under fire the day before, no one knew what was behind the walls and doors of the lighthouse. Savoi could easily make the climb up through the window, but her preparedness for any impending threat was at stake.


Yoshida called out to Farouk, as he scanned the area with a laser rifle from one of his spheres. “Remind me of her name again.” There was no trace of jesting in his voice.

Farouk turned back to look at him.

“Who?” he asked.

Yoshida wasted no time in answering.

“You know, the girl.”

Both Shevchenko and Roudan turned to look at Yoshida, both confused.

“What girl?” Farouk, Shevchenko, and Roudan asked in unison.

Yoshida sighed.

“The girl you once loved.”

A sharp pain thrusted through Farouk’s chest. No one had mentioned that incident since their 1st year at the academy.

“Taqdeer,” he slowly responded. “Why do you ask about her? Why now?”

Yoshida kept his laser rifle at the ready and never took his eyes off surveillance.

“Because I need you to remember her at this moment.”

Farouk walked over to address Yoshida face to face.

“Why is that?” he asked. His face was flushed, but he wanted to look Yoshida in

the eyes for this conversation.

“It’s important for you to remember Taqdeer. It’s important for you to remember the rage you felt when you saw her slip away from your grasp,” Yoshida replied somberly.

Shevchenko gasped at Yoshida’s boldness. Farouk stood silent, seething and still confused.

“Haru, there is no way I could ever forget that rage. Why bring this up now?” he demanded with a stiffened composure.

Yoshida placed his hand on Farouk’s shoulder, then said, “Believe me in earnest Maaz, I wouldn’t bring this up if it weren’t important. Don’t think for a second that I’ve ever looked down on you for your actions that night. I understood then what I understand now; love will drive anyone to the brink of insanity.” He nodded his head towards the sky, then fell into a daze as he watched Savoi continue to climb the wall. “Just as your beloved Taqdeer was swept away from you, the girl I love walks that thin line of being taken away from me.”

Farouk was so dumbfounded and lost in his own thoughts that Yoshida’s confession did not register with him. Nothing was lost on Roudan or Shevchenko.

“Love?” Shevchenko choked up with a bewildered cry.

Yoshida continued, with no acknowledgement of Shevchenko’s despair.

He looked at Farouk intently.

“Maaz, I need you to find that rage. The very rage that caused you to set your entire world on fire. Please look after Thomasa. Keep her safe for me,” he pleaded.

Farouk snapped into good form at Yoshida’s words. He felt validated after all this

time. Someone finally understood how he felt that night when Taqdeer went away. Farouk felt a new sense of resilience after seeing Yoshida’s passion..

Shevchenko nearly burst into tears.

” You—love—her—,” she cried.

Roudan irately interjected.

“Oh, come on, now. We ALL love Thomasa, and we ALL will make sure she is alright!”

The wide array of emotions varied from fear, frustration, determination, and pure heartbreak. None of which were spent towards the exit exam itself. The war lasting for 25 years was something that affected everyone’s experiences, as Roudan came to understand.. Suffering for the sake of the cause was only a symptom to the root of the actual problem. Each man and woman would need to determine for themselves what was worth fighting for. Was it love, or something else entirely?

Roudan looked at Farouk, who by then was fired up like never. With no commands, Farouk harnessed himself to the tail end of Savoi’s rope and climbed behind her. He gave Yoshida a nod of assurance that he would do everything within his power to support Savoi. Roudan, Shevchenko, and Yoshida stood at the base of the lighthouse in silence. They retook their positions, walked around the perimeter of the lighthouse, and waited.

Roudan sensed Shevchenko’s disarray. He knew it would not be long before she completely unraveled. Calmly, he spoke to her.

“Haru did what he had to do for both Maaz and Thomasa’s sake.”

Shevchenko shuddered at the very thought of Yoshida’s confession. His sincerity shook at her the most. There had been no doubt he had carried a strong affection for Savoi, but now no one could ever play ignorant of it.

Roudan trailed behind and continued to press at Shevchenko.

“Everyone is emotional in this situation. Haru saw fit to use his feelings in a proactive way.” He lightly chuckled. “Even if it was at Maaz’s expense.”

Shevchenko felt conflicted in her spirit in the matter. It was not as if Savoi had ever earned her scorn. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Thomasa Savoi was one of the most well-revered cadets to grace the campus of Calvary Academy. However, because of this, Shevchenko would never receive as much favor in the eyes of the man she had a long-standing infatuation with. Then there was also Roudan to consider. Unrequited love also entangled him in its web.

Yoshida’s attempt to set the tone for the next round of combat succeeded. In Shevchenko’s mind, it did not matter that Farouk would feel more determined to save Savoi from the perils of danger. Yoshida’s willingness to express his love for the girl she was in direct competition with provoked a different fire in the pit of Shevchenko’s belly.

An ominous silence took hold just before the trio saw over a dozen red laser beams broke through the fog and were aimed at them.

“Get down! We’re under attack!” Yoshida scream.
~The Waring Robins~

3rd Year, Part 11

Shevchenko roused from slumber at the sound of laughter. An uncontrollable sense of hellish rage engulfed her as she watched Savoi gayly conversing with Roudan and Yoshida. It was almost as if the three of them were merely on a fun camping trip, rather than in the throes of battle against their opponents. No matter the case of their ease amongst each other, there was no question they had earned the right to be so informal together. They had masterfully outwitted and beaten the other cadets to a bloody pulp not even a full day ago.

A gust of wind swept through the campsite, which signaled it was time to prepare for the next portion of the exit exam. Though Farouk did not stir, Shevchenko rubbed her eyes, hopped to her feet, and began erratically breaking down their tents. The trio did not notice right away, so she sighed and grunted loud enough for them to hear. With little further ado, they joined her.

Savoi attempted to help Shevchenko fold a sleeping bag, but Shevchenko gruffly snatched the sack and walked away. Savoi looked puzzled at Yoshida, who then nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. Roudan starred intently at Shevchenko, as if to penetrate her thoughts. She could feel his heavy gaze, but busied herself so that she would not have to respond to his obvious disapproval.

Farouk howled when Shevchenko rocked his tent.

“Wake up, Mousey!” she yelled.

He peeked his head outside to see what the commotion was about.

“Hey, no one has called me that since our 1

st year,” he whimpered, as he flopped out of his sleeping bag.

“No one may call him that, but me,” Yoshida interjected.

Shevchenko winced at his rebuke.

“Then I shall call him scaredy cat, instead,” she replied.

Farouk was still drowsy, but did not miss the jab thrown at him. He postured himself, standing perfectly erect. Before he could get a word in, Yoshida beat him to the punch.

“If memory serves me correctly, you’re in no position to talk. You sat idly while Emmett and I saved your ass. Let’s not forget Thomasa came to your rescue after hauling Maaz all the way up the shaft to capture our flag. If anything, he kept you company on the sidelines.”

His condemnation completely unnerved Shevchenko.

“Oh, get off my case. I helped too, long before you showed up!” she stammered.

Savoi swiftly leapt over to Yoshida and covered his mouth with her hand. He did not protest.

“We all have contributed to our team’s success,” she said.

Shevchenko murmured under her breath, then turned to walk away. Roudan stood behind her with his arms folded, causing her to crash abruptly into him. Her eyes averted his glare. He grabbed her by the shoulders so she would not stumble backwards. Savoi spoke up to break their silent tension.

“We need to paddle over to the southern harbor, near the lighthouse. I have a feeling we’ll find more flags in that area than any other.”

Shevchenko scoffed. “It will take us half the day to get there. We shouldn’t dally or waste time when it would be faster for us to comb the area here.”

Farouk crinkled his nose and added,

“Oh, but the lighthouse was an essential aspect of the entrance exam. I’m almost certain we’ll benefit from going there first.”

Shevchenko’s seething glower made him hide behind Savoi and Yoshida.

“Like I said, searching here is faster,” she answered.

“Direction is more important than speed,” Savoi blurted out. “In this instance, we need to focus on where we can find the most flags. Other teams may not think the lighthouse is important anymore, so it might not get searched. Besides, we’ve been on this side of the harbor for hours with no flags recovered.”

Shevchenko sighed and looked to Roudan to take her side, but his distant eyes gave away that he had grown weary of her. Without warning, he gently pressed his forehead with her hand and said,

“We’ve come such a long way together. The enemy is on the other side of the beach. Let’s exchange anger with passion and sadness with compassion for one another.”

Sluggishly, she shuffled off to sit by a log while the team prepared for departure. They issued each cadet from Calvary Academy a special utility belt to wear around their

wetsuits. The spheres holstered four small metal spheres designed to retract specific weapons. Just before sunrise, they embarked on their boards and paddled towards the lighthouse. Roudan led the team, with Yoshida on the right flank, Shevchenko center, Farouk on the left flank, and Savoi in the rear.

A fierce storm had been brewing before they began the trek. Turbulent choppy waters brought on an added challenge to paddle to the southern harbor. Roudan encouraged his mates to dig deep and stay the course. There were no shortcuts from where they came from. By the time they reached the middle of the ocean, everyone was suffering from fatigue and muscle failure. Going back was not an option, so they soldier on through thick beads of rain that nearly blinded their vision.

The team fought hard as their arms and legs feverishly burned from strenuously paddling. The freezing water penetrated through the high-grade material of their wetsuits. A distant shriek carried over the waves. Suddenly, the Alpha squad had to dodge and weave through a spray of arrows from every direction.

Roudan used this as an advantage to hasten their advance closer to the lighthouse. He gave the command to stand upright and surf the rest of the way. A large tidal wave brought them to shore. They nearly crashed into a stone wall which wrapped around a muddy pathway leading to the lighthouse.

Each member plopped onto their stomachs or on their side in the sand. Farouk doubled over in pain as a stray arrow had grazed him on the shoulder. Groggy and exhausted, he breathed laboriously as sea salt coated his throat. Desperate to redeem himself, he refused help from Savoi and Roudan to stand.

 Once the team had fully recovered, they moved in formation. They used the utmost caution in anticipation of another ambush or traps. They seized nine flags during the sixty-foot climb up. Upon arrival at the entryway, they found two doors made of petrified wood bolted shut. Savoi removed a sphere from her belt and extracted a python from the sphere. The large snake morphed into a heavy, knotted rope. She tied an anchor at the tail end, then lassoed the rope inside a window midway up the lighthouse.

Yoshida and Roudan stood guard, as Shevchenko and Farouk watched her climb the rope into the window.

~The Waring Robins~

3rd Year, Part 9

They escaped the area by climbing a 12ft tall nylon-threaded rope ladder out of a window. Shevchenko struggled with her climb and needed to be encouraged by her teammates to complete the task. Though she coasted through each term and exams, the exit exam would be her hardest challenge. She had watched listlessly over the years as Farouk, Savoi, Yoshida, and even Roudan made strides for success. Now it was her turn to soldier through. 

Midday came with a scorching hot sun that was only tamed, with a light breeze from the ocean. Shevchenko was lethargic by the time they made it over the wall. Roudan sat her down on the gravel with his canteen. He became concerned when she was too tired to drink from it. 

“Liliya!” he shouted, to command her attention. “Take a sip.” 

Shevchenko’s arms trembled as she tried to hold the canteen to her cracked lips. Roudan sat behind her to help hold it in place. With eyes shut tight, she leaned her head back against his chest. Much of the water spilt down and all over her BDU top, which caused her to choke. Roudan promptly pushed her back up, then she snapped back to consciousness. 

Just as they roused to their feet, mingled sets of squads staggered over to them. When they were nearly six-feet away, one of the remaining female Delta members shouted, 

“Hey losers, I think you have something that belongs to us!” 

“Then come and get it, because as you see, we ain’t running!” Yoshida smugly called back. 

Farouk stiffened, not knowing what to do. 

“Haru, what the hell are you doing?” he whimpered. 

“We really have no choice in this matter,” Savoi answered. 

Farouk gulped. He frantically searched his mind for an answer why they had to fight the other teams. 

“What do you mean?” he shuddered, as he reached for his laser pistol. 

Roudan calmly stood beside Farouk, with one arm around his shoulder and the other placed on top of the pistol. Farouk placed his weapon back inside the holster when Roudan nodded. Their eyes met briefly so that Farouk could stand down. 

Roudan sighed and said, “Unlike the entrance exam, this time each squad is in pursuit of the same flags. There are no separate colors, because we are a part of the graduating class.” 

“Apparently, none of the other teams successfully retrieved any flags from the warehouse,” Savoi gloated. 

 Farouk had draped their flag over his rucksack, which gave them away.  

“There are over twenty flags planted all over the exam area,” Roudan shouted to their opponents. 

 The Delta girl scoffed. 

“Now you know damn well that won’t do! General Benavides said in his speech that the team to capture the most would be the winning contender of the exit exam.” 

Farouk gulped once more. He knew Roudan and Yoshida were up for the task, and even Savoi still appeared to be in good form. He had already been at his breaking point during his time in the shaft. It was a miracle that he could retrieve the flag. He looked over at Shevchenko, who appeared gray in the face. The stakes were higher, as cadets faced each other along with the psychological and physical effects of war. 

The opposing teams aligned and sauntered towards the Alpha squad. No weapons were drawn, as they had been instructed that this was a hand-to-hand duel. Roudan stood in front of his team, as if he were the tip of a poisonous dart. Yoshida stood directly behind his right shoulder, and Savoi on his left. Shevchenko and Farouk stood awkwardly behind them, unsure of how to maneuver. Roudan, Yoshida, and Savoi shifted into their fighting stances. Roudan drew a line in the gravel with the heel of his boot and said, 

“Be sure you want to come at us. Once you cross this line, there’ll be no turning back.” 

Several members of the opposition cackled nervously. Going against Roudan and Yoshida had always been a losing battle, but with the unpredictability of cadet Savoi, they were in for a wild ride. The Alpha squad proved to be formidable contenders. Tension was doused with hesitation and fear. Yoshida taunted them by making noises like a chicken. In a matter of seconds, the teams were fully engaged in combat.  

Roudan easily countered a Charlie cadet’s attempts to strike him with leg sweeps. Savoi tussled with a bravo cadet for mere minutes, then waited until he exposed his rib area to deliver a crippling jab. Three Bravos teamed against Yoshida. Before they could pounce on him, they were met with cross chops and acrobatic snap kicks. The Alpha trio veered their opponents away from Shevchenko and Farouk. It was almost as if the latter had been forbidden to take part in the fight. 

The melee of flying kicks, counter blows, and pile drives was an extraordinary sight. Though Roudan, Yoshida, and Savoi held their own, each appeared to be in an improvised dance-like solidarity. There was something to be said for their intimate harmony evoked by life-or-death situations. Cries of shock and pain carried through the air. This was a hard-charged takedown for the opposing teams. Retaliation seemed impossible.  

Suddenly, a bullet blasted overhead and ricocheted off the warehouse. The cadets froze in place. General Benavides could be heard over the loudspeakers. 

“Standdown at once! This portion of the exit exam has now concluded. All squads should retreat to set camp for the night.” 

The opposing teams scrambled away, heaving with contusions and torn ligaments. 

Enraged, Shevchenko lashed out at Roudan. 

“Why didn’t you let us fight? Maaz and I aren’t defenseless. We could’ve fended for ourselves!” 

Roudan was speechless. He hadn’t realized that Yoshida and Savoi had also intercepted any harm to them.  

Savoi ran beside her and slipped an arm around her shoulders. 

“Of course you can Lily.” She winked at Farouk. “You were protecting our precious flag. Nothing is more important than that.” 

3rd Year, P. 8

With all her strength, Shevchenko pulled slack from the polyproylene rope so that Savoi and Farouk could continue to scale up towards the flag. Her vision was blurry from the sprayed liquid and her arms were tired from the added weight Savoi brought on. The liquid also made her leather gloves slippery. She yanked the rope hard enough to release it and quickly snatch the gloves off with her teeth. Once she retrieved the rope again, her arms grew heavier. She wanted to quit, but just as the rope slipped from her grip, a new wave of determination set in.      

Suddenly, a combination of 6 cadets from Bravo, Charlie, and Delta squads surrounded Shevchenko. They were confused why she was holding on to a rope that seemed to lead nowhere. At that point, they had no awareness that the rope was also attached to the line which held Savoi and Farouk inside the vented shaft. She stood silently as the group peered cautiously at her.

“Hey pretty girl, what’s up with the rope?” Cadet Pearcy, from Charlie squad, demanded.

Shevchenko did not respond.

Pearcy did not take well to her silence, so he motioned for his team members to detain her. Savoi and Farouk heard the voices outside, and held their breath to continue their climb quietly. Farouk often lost his footing against the steel wall because his boots were covered in liquid. Savoi scrambled each time to pull him back into place. The closer they got to reaching the flag, the more they worried for Shevchenko’s safety.

Inside the control room, General Benavides green-lit squad leaders and co-leads to be released and join their teams. Each had been observing developments, which gave them an advantage of scouting alternative routes within the warehouse. Several hazardous traps were installed along those routes, which hindered and delayed the leads from rescue efforts. The senior cadets encountered everything from oscillating floors to a five-hundred-pound mechanical swinging gavel.

Roudan and Yoshida agilely sprinted to the area where Shevchenko was surrounded by the other teams. They came in hot and were prepared to use maximum force against their adversaries. There was little time to decide on a precise plan other than to eliminate any opposing force. The 2 men burst through a final metal door to witness Shevchenko in a standoff with 9MM laser pistols aimed at her. Yoshida drew his metallic sonic boomerang blade, which spiraled around the room to disarm their enemies. Meanwhile, Roudan rushed to support Shevchenko’s hold on the rope.

The opposing cadets instinctively knew they had no chance against Yoshida in a hand-to-hand duel. He stood patiently for a moment, but not long enough for anyone to decide who would attack him first. Without warning, Yoshida pounced and kicked the Delta team member in the chest. Then he swung the wounded cadet into Pearcy, which took both out. Yoshida dodged an upper cut from a female Bravo cadet and countered with a roundhouse sweep to her legs. After she recovered from her fall, 2 male Bravo cadets joined the match.

Yoshida interchangeably sparred with them using the shadow boxing techniques Roudan trained the Alpha squad in. He was so enthralled with his opponents that he did not notice the remaining Bravo cadet had re-obtained his weapon.

“NO!” Shevchenko screamed as the Bravo cadet unloaded his weapon.

The Bravo cadet was easily unnerved as he watched Yoshida eliminate his team with brute force, which caused his aim to falter. In fact, his rapid fire of lasers could only sever the rope. Yoshida lunged in the air to grip the rope before it snapped in half, but to no avail.

“What have you done, you fool?” Yoshida belted, before taking the pistol and knocking the Bravo cadet unconscious with the weapon.

Shevchenko, Roudan, and Yoshida scrambled to the vent door to see if Savoi and Farouk had fallen because the rope broke. When they looked down the shaft, they could see nothing. Once they spanned upward, they saw Savoi. Her back was pinned against the wall where Farouk once was. There was barely enough room for him to ease himself up and position himself on her back. Her legs were the only thing holding them both up.

“Hang on, Thomasa! We’re here to help,” Shevchenko cried.

Fortunately, they were only a mere few inches away from the flag. Farouk braced himself to stand and snatch the fan. Roudan knew Savoi’s legs would not hold them for long. He instructed Yoshida and Shevchenko to scale down the shaft quickly. In no time, the trio reached the bottom of the shaft. They found some sandbags and hay to pile together. Not knowing how her team would assist at the bottom of the shaft, Savoi’s legs gave out. She held on to Farouk as they plummeted down.

~The Waring Robins~

3rd Year, Part 7

Roudan slumped in the black leather swivel chair and rubbed his temples with both hands.

“Did that really just happen?”

“Hell yeah, it did,” Yoshida cackled. “That can’t be unseen or unheard, ever.”

Roudan smirked.

“It was kinda of hot though, right?”

Yoshida nodded in agreement, then turned his attention to the monitors’ screens. He moved the coordinates of the camera angles to zoom in on the corridor that Savoi led the team down. It was sectioned off by large steel walls, so they could not see members from the Bravo, Charlie, and Delta squads also in the area. Each group traveled through the maze until they came upon a door that merged them all into the same room. The room was roughly 4000 square feet, with only one entrance and exit on the other side.

Without warning, an unknown liquid sprayed rapidly from sprinklers on the ceiling. The cadets were drenched with a sticky solution. Mist from the spray was so thick no one could see in anything even directly in front of them. Although everyone was in full battle gear, the liquid ricocheted off their Kevlar helmets and seared some of their faces. It felt as if hell-fire rained upon them. Blood-curdling screams echoed through the room and bounced off the walls. Panic ensued, as everyone struggled to pull their protective headgear from their rucksacks.

Savoi was the first to don her MOPP suit correctly. She frantically scanned the room in search of where the control board for the sprinklers would be. The academy issued infrared goggles, which had thermal imaging technology. Through the steam and fog, on the opposite side of the room, she could see a metal box with a circuit breaker inside. She aimed a laser pistol in that direction, as she was clear across the room near the entrance.

A cluster of terrified cadets pummeled into her, which caused her to miss the target. By then, Shevchenko and Farouk were in full gear, prepared to block interferences. Savoi shut her eyes and counted to ten. She calmed her breathing, opened her eyes, braced herself, and took another shot. This time, she blasted the metal box open. The sprinklers system was disabled. Instantly, the room erupted with cheers.

Yoshida and Roudan were in awe of Savoi’s calm demeanor during so much chaos.

“I can’t believe she made the shot!” Roudan shouted.

“The epitome of grace under fire,” Yoshida beamed energetically.

Moments later, the lights in the room flickered out. Another wave of pandemonium arose in the darkness. Savoi seized both her teammates by the arms and slung them forward. They mad dashed towards the exit with their flashlights. The remaining cadets brawled amongst each other without noticing the Alpha squad had escaped. Shevchenko took a large rubbish bin and blocked the door path behind them.

The trio sprinted towards a door which led to a tiny room. The room was barely large enough to fit the three of them inside.

“This must be one of the main control panels,” Farouk said, as he shined his flashlight across the circuit board.

After a few fumbles, he turned on the building lights. When they came out of the room, they noticed a metal pulley hanging from the ceiling. Two ropes were attached to the pulley, but appeared to lead nowhere. Behind the pulley was a vented shaft door mounted on the wall. When they carefully opened the door, there was another rope hanging inside. Farouk scanned his flashlight to see a red flag hanging 100 meters upward.

“I see our flag, but how do we get to it?” he asked.

Savoi looked at the pulley and ropes just outside the shaft door, then back at Farouk.

“One of us is going to have to tie themselves to the rope inside the shaft, while two of us pull him up to it,” she replied.

The trio gawked at each other until they heard voices coming from down the hall.

Shevchenko broke their silence.

“There isn’t much time, and this is a no-brainer. I nominate Maaz,” she blurted.

“What? Why me?” he gasped.

Shevchenko patted his shoulder.

“You’re the lightest weight among the three of us,” she said, then winked at Savoi. “No offense, Thomasa.”

“None taken,” Savoi sighed.

Farouk wanted to protest, but did not want to take time away from the team’s effort to capture the first flag. He perched himself on the ledge of the shaft doorway and allowed the girls to harness the rope around his waist. Then he waited for them to grip one rope attached to the pulley before he plunged down the shaft. The walls were made of steel, which made it difficult to climb. Since Farouk’s MOPP suit had not absorbed the wetness from the sticky liquid sprayed earlier, he could not plant his feet and slipped off the walls.

“I can’t stop slipping,” he cried. “Perhaps a little coaching or a pep talk might help!”

“Move your ass, Maaz!” Shevchenko shouted.

“What kind of pep talk is that?” he asked, as he was slightly frustrated and hurt at the same time.

Savoi released her portion of the rope, which caused Shevchenko to lose a bit of her grip.

Both Shevchenko and Farouk screeched.

“What the hell, Thomasa?”

Savoi took a step backward to rummage through her rucksack.

“It was a lube,” she whispered, as she rubbed the stickiness of her sleeve.

Shevchenko and Farouk looked at each other in panic.

Savoi continued to talk in a low whisper to herself.

“This viscous solution is a combination of parabens, petroleum, and phenomia acid.” She looked up at her confused team mates and spoke in a normal voice. “They sprayed us with that solution so that we couldn’t easily climb up the shaft to retrieve the flag.”

Savoi grabbed her end of the rope and signaled for Shevchenko to pull Farouk back up. She took a bar of charcoal out of her rucksack and rubbed it all over and Farouk. His eyes revealed a certain level of concern, so she calmly explained what she was doing.

“This charcoal has a chemical agent that can decrease the effects of the lubricant.” She looked at Shevchenko, was crossed for not receiving the same treatment for the lube. “I only have enough for the two of us. Maaz is light enough to pull up, but he will need more support from me.”

Shevchenko helped adjust the rope harnessed around Farouk so that Savoi was also squeezed inside. The pair lunged backwards inside the shaft, then braced their backs against each other and scaled the walls in unison.

~The Waring Robins~

3rd Year, P. 6

Seven hours after the squads broke down their assigned Conex boxes, they made camp to rest. Before daylight, everyone was back on another road march to designated areas for each group. Alpha squad found a handwritten map which would lead them to an abandoned warehouse. The scribbles made the map difficult to read. Frustrations heightened everyone’s temperament, but they could still make good time compared to the other squads who had gotten lost on the way.

Once inside the building, the team was given earbuds for communication and tracking. Yoshida and Roudan were sent to a control room where they could monitor Shevchenko, Savoi, and Farouk navigate through a series of time-sensitive challenges. A loud buzzer went off, indicating the portion of the exam had begun. The trio bolted down a long corridor to an opened black door. On the other side of the room was another black door. Farouk checked the door and found it was locked. In the center of the room was a wicker basket filled with a dozen multi-colored numbered velvet pouches was placed on a cylinder stand.

Savoi was the first to peer over the basket.

“There are several colors to choose from,” she said as she gently sifted through the pouches. “Yellow, black, brown, red, and blue. Which one do you want to go with?”

Farouk panted out loud, “Ooh, I know; let me pick!”

Savoi looked at Shevchenko, who seemed less assured of an answer.

“Okay, Maaz, which one?” she asked.

Without hesitation, he blurted, “GREEN!”

Incredulously, Shevchenko popped Farouk on the back of the neck.

“Why did you even bother with him?” she asked

“I really thought he knew,” Savoi sighed.

The trio stood silent, waiting for each other to come up with a solution.

Savoi broke the tension when her eyes beamed brightly.

Shevchenko tapped her on the shoulder.

“You’ve got something, don’t you?”

Savoi stalled, as she was apprehensive about making another wrong assertion.

Farouk panicked at the sound of the buzzer ticking away.

“Thomasa, say something! Don’t leave us in suspense!” he demanded.

Savoi took in a deep breath, then said, “Let’s think of this more strategically. During the entrance exam, we captured a red flag and became the Alpha squad from that victory.”

Shevchenko squinted her eyes and her mind went blank.

“Yeah, so? I’m not following.”

Savoi searched again through the pouches.

“We were the first to capture our flag. Maybe we should look for a red pouch with the #1 stitched on it.”

Farouk dove his hand inside the basket until he plucked out the pouch she described.

“Found it!” he cried.

Inside the pouch was a medium-sized metal key. They ran across the room to the locked door. Farouk took the key, then clumsily banged it up against the hole.

“The opening is too small. I can’t get it in,” he said.

“Well, you can’t just keep pounding it like that. There’s no way it will jam itself in,” Shevchenko scoffed.

Savoi curiously tilted her head to the side, then guided his wrist so that the key was flipped upside down.

“Maybe turn it at a different angle?” she guessed.

Shevchenko huffed.

“You two obviously know nothing about these kinds of things.”

Savoi shrugged with the last of her patience, and replied, “Please enlighten us with your knowledge, oh wise one.”

Shevchenko grinned.

“Clearly, a bit of lubrication is needed. Since we don’t have any, and time is of the essence, someone has to spit on it.”

Savoi shook her head in defiance.

“I’m not doing that!”

Farouk, still puzzled, spat lightly on the tip of the key.

Shevchenko flailed her arms.

“No, no! Not like that! You have to wet it until it slides in with ease.” She spat a large wad of saliva on the key and rubbed along the base and inside the entrance of the keyhole with her index finger.

Suddenly, the key glided into the hole perfectly.

“Wow! I never would’ve had known how to make it work. Lily, where did you learn such a neat trick?” Farouk asked.

Suddenly, Shevchenko became flushed and self-conscious about what she shared with her team.

“Why would you ask me something like that?” she stuttered.

Farouk was puzzled by her change in demeanor. He pressed his lips together, searching for a response. Savoi was ready to move forward from there.

She waved a hand in their air and said, “An uncreative mind finds every wrong answer, but a creative mind will find fault with the questions. Lily, you solved this riddle perfectly fine. Now, we should focus on why a lubricant agent was so important to the task. I think it’s a clue for something else.”

As she led the team through the unlocked door, Shevchenko whispered to Farouk.

“Let’s just say I have my ways.”

Yoshida and Roudan stared at each other, completely mortified and dumbfounded by the absurdity of the situation.

~The Waring Robins~

3rd Year, P. 5

The excursion part of the exit exam was delayed by several hours because of some last-minute changes. Each squad spent the night in the great hall of battalion headquarters. Both laughter and a few minor squabbles filled the room until everyone fell into a silent sleep. At approximately 0200 hours, the squad leaders were awakened and commanded to gear up their squads for departure. Once roll call and weapons checks were complete, the excursion begun. Calvary academy’s 3rd year unit exit exam was fully underway.

A thick fog covered the night sky, and a chill filled the air. Though they were dressed in the mandatory winter battle dress uniform (heavy cotton and polyester material, with chameleon-styled camouflage), the bitter cold seeped through their gloves. Many cadets griped it made holding their laser beam M16 rifles nearly unbearable. For the first 12K miles, the squad leaders took turns calling cadence. Their complaints were met with a harsh rebuke from Master Sergeant Abdullah, who was at least 6 foot 7 and dubbed “the surly giant”.

Roudan’s voice was clear, full of resolve and determination. He knew his team was bent to come out on top by the end of the exam. This would be Alpha squad’s shining moment since the entrance exam. So many slipups had left blemishes on their records and personal lives between then and now. Unfortunately, the road to redemption also paved the way for their demise. He figured they should go out in glory, rather than weasel away with their tails tucked. Squads Bravo through Delta were in for a rude awakening if they believed anyone could best the Alpha squad.

Hours of marching led the unit through a desert, inside a woodland labyrinth, and eventually to a swamp marsh. A recent monsoon caused the water to rise waist-level to the average sized cadet. Slowly, the cadets drudged through the swamp with their weapons overhead. All was going well until Shevchenko became dizzy and nauseous. She retched, then vomited twice before she was asked if she needed to be sent back to the rear detachment for medical treatment. Her team was concerned for her wellbeing, but she played it off by recalling how heavily she drank Roudan’s hooch.

Savoi pulled a tiny vial from her rucksack and offered it for Shevchenko to drink. The women quarreled briefly over the necessity of such a measure. Savoi assured her that there were more than enough medicines in her bag to last the duration of the exam. Shevchenko reluctantly took a small sip, then saw the eagerness in everyone’s eyes. Not wanting to be the weakest link, she downed the rest in a flash. To her satisfaction, the neon blue potion quickly eased all her ailing symptoms. Feeling rejuvenated, Shevchenko to the lead in calling cadence for the rest of their trek.

Once the unit cleared the marsh, they camped for 3 days and two nights to recover. Long before sunrise, another 12K road march ensued. Two female cadets, (Kaleigh from Bravo and Zepeda from Charlie) were treated for dehydration. Cadet Samuels, who had ranked from the Echo squad into Delta, was so exhausted and lethargic from the march that the Chaplin carried his weapon most of the way. His feet were bruised by cysts and he was deemed unfit to continue the exam.

After which, the unit marched upon a tarmac where four Ch-47F Chinook helicopters waited for them to board. Conex boxes containing more equipment were loaded before takeoff. At one point, the pilots spooked the cadets by opening the hydraulic ramp in the back. The sight of height in the air caused a stir among some cadets. Fortunately, no one in the Alpha squad was deterred. Farouk became excited, knowing he could soon fly the helicopter. Shevchenko was relieved to feel well enough to appreciate the moment with him.

Fifteen hours of air travel brought them to a meager landing strip. Choppy winds caused high turbulence as the helicopters landed. The cadets were instructed to remove the Conex boxes and carry them to a designated location. Master Sergeant Abdullah warned everyone to “stay low,” while running from the helicopters. The wind from the propellers alone where enough to blow wind at 200 MPH.

Cadet Drafus, of the Charlie squad, did not take heed of the Master Sergeant’s words. He quickly tired from running in a hunched position while carrying one side of a Conex box. He stood straight and was instantly propelled forward. His hand snatched away from the box as he was forced to run faster. Then Drafus tripped, which sent him tumbling down the strip. After a series of tucked rolls, he came to a stop. The on-site medic declared Drafus suffered a concussion and fractured right tibia from the incident, and was sent back to the rear detachment.

~The Waring Robins~

3rd Year, P. 4

The exit exam comprised an excursion, which lasted over a period of several days, followed by twenty-five separate obstacle courses. There were riddles and puzzles to be solved, like those from the entrance exam. Every 3rd year squad, from Alpha to Delta, was expected to compete against each other and capture a minimum of 20 flags. The grueling six months of extensive training would prove whether any of the cadets were fit to graduate and be sent on the front lines. Anticipation, anxiety, and hopefulness filled the air as everyone crammed themselves inside the battalion situation room to prepare for the event.

While no one else noticed, Roudan tenderly kissed the side of Shevchenko’s neck. A few wisps of hair were in the way, but it did not deter his desire to show affection. She blushed and seemed pleasantly surprised by the gesture until she saw Yoshida and Savoi talking in her peripheral view. Savoi’s beaming grin showed she and Yoshida had mended their broken connection, or so it seemed. There was no way to interpret the subject of their conversation, but both parties appeared to be genuinely amused.

Shevchenko frowned as she turned in their direction. Her heart sank knowing Yoshida had long hoped Savoi would let him back into her graces, and Savoi was obviously ready to reconcile as well.

“A win for her means a loss for me,” Shevchenko thought with a heavy sigh. She looked at the crossed expression on Roudan’s face and straightened her posture. He shrugged, silently handed her a flask, and walked over to Farouk. She nursed her bruised ego later, as she nestled the flask inside her left breast pocket.

Farouk was the least enthusiastic soul in the room. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was nowhere near as talkative as usual.

Roudan grimaced.

“What’s bugging you so early this morning?

Farouk stood with his eyes shut, as if to be in a trance.

“I’d like to go back to bed. You know, to take another stab at trying to sleep,” he said.

Roudan chuckled for a moment, then realized Farouk’s tiredness was regarding what happened earlier in the night before when he brought Shevchenko to their barracks. It was not the best plan, but he knew Yoshida and Savoi were at their usual hangout spot beneath the overpass. That night, things got hot and heavy between him and Shevchenko. Once they got inside the room, their entangled bodies brushed up against a coatrack, which caused a tumbling sound. Farouk kept quiet and pretended to be asleep, as he planned to stay unrevealed for the duration of their tryst. He did not want to repeat the incident when Roudan and Yoshida snuck in female cadets from the Echo squad during their 1st year.

Shevchenko mustered enough annoyance to join Roudan and Farouk. She peered back at Yoshida and Savoi as they kept up their playful banter.

“They look awfully cozy,” Farouk noted, with one eye opened.

Shevchenko rolled her eyes.

“Maybe they need to get a room,” she replied.

Roudan was about to speak but was cut off by a female police officer who had short brown hair and hazel eyes.

“Cadet Roudan, General Benavides, would like to see you for a moment,” she said.

Roudan followed her outside.

“Wow, she’s incredible,” Farouk stammered, this time with both eyes opened.

Yoshida crept behind him and playfully slapped him on the shoulder.

“You should ask her out. She’s totally your type,” he teased.

Farouk looked as if he were strongly considering taking up the task. Wide grins shared between him and Yoshida forced Savoi to intervene. 

“Don’t bother. Her name is Warrant Officer Kaitlyn Calamaan, and she is one of the battalion administrative secretaries.”

Yoshida scoffed.

“Are you implying she’s out of his league?”

“Way out of his league,” Shevchenko cackled.

Farouk fixed his mouth to defend himself, but Savoi chimed in first.

“That’s not what I meant, silly goose.” She nudged Yoshida’s arm. “Kaitlyn is married to the other admin secretary, Warrant Officer Diana Calamaan. I met them both at my hearing with the Tribunal Council. They’re both strikingly beautiful, but unavailable. So, my assertion is that Maaz shouldn’t waste his time on someone already spoken for.”

Farouk was relieved of Savoi’s rescue. It had been a while since she had come to his aid in such a way that quelled Yoshida and Shevchenko’s thirst to poke fun at his expense.

Meanwhile, Roudan met with General Benavides in an office outside the situation room. He knew Benavides would want to be briefed on the Alpha squad’s progression towards graduation. Though there was nothing negative to report, Roudan always felt uneasy about their secret meetings. He kept his team in the dark about the impending doom that awaited them after their venture at Calvary academy.

The men stood in silence with only piercing glares. Benavides smirked at Roudan’s seemingly confident stance. Time was of the essence, so without warning, he rattled his thoughts out like a rapid-fire machine gun.

“New developments in the war have increased anxiety throughout the kingdom. Battlegrounds in key states have gotten worse since the last attack on the prior graduates. Even as we’ve amped up our training modules and modified our weapons, I’m uncertain that we can accomplish much. Our central intelligence has been compromised. Apparently, there is a traitor among us who is determined to see us fail and have the kingdom come to ruin.”

Roudan’s eyes watered as he processed what Benavides said.

“I’m sorry, Sir. I’m not understanding how I’m supposed to take this information,” he replied shakily.

Benavides became dismayed that Roudan was so easily shaken.

“I’m telling you this, so that you will be in the loop on what is about to happen,” he answered calmly.

Roudan took a step back to lean against the wall and shook his head.

“Then what is the point to any of this? The exit exam tests our skill levels, but if you’re saying it won’t make a difference, how does it help the kingdom?” he asked.

Benavides drew in a sharp breath.

“The exit exam, like all other exams and training here, are formalities which were set in place a long time ago. This was long before the kingdom was in the crisis that has overtaken us now. It seemed purposeful and had a significant impact on our successes. Everything has changed, and we are at the mercy of whomever has tainted the rules of the game. However, the rules of engagement are still intact. You will lead your squad to the designated drop zone. Unfortunately, this area is a hotspot and considered one of the deadliest territories.”

General Benavides left Roudan to sit with his thoughts. The burden of knowing they were headed to a highly concentrated conflict area meant imminent death for every single graduating cadet. Roudan did not return to the situation room until it had been nearly cleared out, and all that remained was his squad. He watched them as they surveyed the map and argued over who would take point on the excursion route. His team members seemed serious enough about the mission at hand, but not serious enough about their lives being in jeopardy.

Shevchenko stood next to Yoshida, as his mood soured after Savoi mentioned her near expulsion from the academy. It was obviously still a sore point for him. Shevchenko thought of using the opportunity to ingratiate him, though to no avail. He rebuffed her every attempt, and issued scornful glares instead. Yoshida did not bat an eye, yet Shevchenko’s eyes twitched with the swelling of tears.

Roudan disused the situation by delegating Yoshida to take Savoi and Farouk to the armory to collect their gear. Once they left, he and Shevchenko stood alone in the room. She took out the flask from her pocket and drank somberly.

“You might want to slow down with that. We have a long day ahead of us,” Roudan warned.

She quickly gulped the last of her drink to avoid an awkward reply. Roudan shuffled his feet, not knowing what to say either.

Finally, she cried, “He’s so stubborn. I don’t know why he’s still bent out of shape over a non-issue. Only a fool torments himself over a problem he can’t solve.”

“It seems to me that you’re in the same boat. If you’re looking for more reasons to dislike him, you may as well admit there was never a chance to begin with.” Roudan replied.

Disgruntled, he stormed off and slammed the door behind him.

~The Waring Robins~