The most important rule to remember in battle is probably, "Don't get shot."

But the second most important rule is, "Don't shoot the soldiers on your team."

Unfortunately, Thandis didn't have the best eyesight. What he did have were trained reflexes and a decently good aim. 

"Are you checking your scores again?" Aiden asked, leaning over Thandis's shoulder to try and peek at the screen.

Thandis clicked out of that window lazily and went back to staring at the security camera feeds showing the empty forest outside their station. "I don't know why I keep checking. It's the same thing every week." He flashed a dry smile, "Its a good thing my dream in life isn't to be the best sniper in the Makaiian army. Because that isn't happening anytime soon."

Aiden laughed, "An even bigger problem would be if you somehow DID become a sniper. For your teammates, anyway. Because you'd probably shoot them." 

Thandis went to smack him, but Aiden dodged by scooting his chair to the side. 

Thandis sighed, settling back into his chair. "I could beat that test easily, if they'd just let me wear my contacts, or even glasses. But apparently those never exist in emergencies."

"Well, if you retake the test enough times, maybe you'll pass by accident." Aiden's tone was less than encouraging. Neither was the amused glint in his eyes. "Other than the small detail of being partly blind, you're the perfect soldier. I'm sure they can't wait to have you out on the front lines."

"Yeah, well. That's something we have in common then." Thandis muttered under his breath, staring at the flickering screens with a scowl. 

He wanted to be out there. Being useful.

"I'm going to retake the test again next week." He added after a moment.

Aiden grunted, "I figured. You're not really full of surprises there, Than."

"I can't help it." Thandis shrugged, "I became a Soldier to end up on the front lines. As soon as I score high enough they'll have to reassign me there. Instead of..." He motioned to the dimly lit room they were sitting in as if that finished his sentence for him.

"Yeah..." Aiden let out a long sigh, "Getting assigned to a communication station wasn't exactly what I had in mind either."

"It's not even one of the cool stations, they sometimes get to fight off enemy soldiers or get sent out as backup to the battle grounds." Thandis complained. "We got the useless one. The one that's a half an hour away from the city. Our job is to sit and look pretty."

"Wrong." Aiden grunted, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head. "Your job is to listen to the radio and write down relevant information to send to Commander Holt. My job is to sit and look pretty. And I'm fantastic at it."

Thandis grunted, sliding his headphones back over his ears."Yeah. Good for you. If we ever get a message I'll be fantastic at my job too. Now get back to looking at the security feeds. If we manage to get ambushed at the most boring outpost in Makaiian territory, we'll never get to the front lines no matter how well we score that test."

"It's not like there's anything to be ambushed by." Aiden yawned. "The Cithari never manage to get past the front lines. They're nowhere near here."

-----

"You can relax, Danin." Theo smiled sympathetically, "This deep into Makaiian territory they stop looking for Cithari."

Danin glanced up, the worry lines in his forehead easing just slightly. "Sorry. I guess I'm not used to being on this side of the mountain anymore."

"I don't blame you. It's been a long time." Theo agreed, studying his apprentice's expression for a moment before he added, "Don't worry kid. It's a quick mission. We'll be in and out of the city before nightfall, they'll never know we were ever there."

"And then you can shave off that awful beard." Danin grinned, his green eyes flashing boyishly for a moment.

"Hey!" Theo stroked his blond beard defensively, "I told you, the beard stays."

"You said, ''If the council sends you to Makaii for your final test, I'll shave off my beard.'" Danin quoted with an uncanny impression of his mentor. He paused thoughtfully and then looked up with an innocent smile, "And guess where we're going?" 

"Alright, so I lost the bet, I'll give you that. But I'm not shaving the beard." Theo grunted, his eyes softening into a smile even as he attempted a stern scowl.

Danin chuckled, but his grin slowly faded as he looked up at the sky.

Theo looked up too, realizing the sun had started peaking over the horizon. 

They couldn't see the city yet, but he knew they were close to the borders. Everything was beginning to have that sad familiarity attached to it. 

He glanced at Danin thoughtfully, shaking his head when he saw the nervous tension had returned to the boys expression. 

"It's my last week to have you as my apprentice." Theo said softly, "Let me do the worrying, okay? It's my job as your master to protect you." He threw his arm casually around Danin's shoulders, eyes crinkling in a smile, "I've been here hundreds of times. Don't worry kid, I won't let anything happen to you."

Danin nodded, his green eyes troubled but determined. "Yes sir."

-----

Thandis quit trying to keep his drooping eyelids open. He let them close, his eyes burning as he rubbed them tiredly. He really hated the night shifts. 

The sun was up. Barely. It was that golden hour in the morning where everything was quiet and soft, with the sunlight streaking shadows through the trees. 

He opened his eyes, blinking quickly to try and snap himself awake. 

A snore from beside him jolted him a bit more awake and he looked over to see Aiden slumped in his chair with his chin on his chest.

Thandis snorted, whacking Aiden's arm, "Come on, man!"

Aiden woke up with a jolt and then immediately groaned, rubbing his neck with a wince as he stretched, "Next time Than, make sure I fall asleep in a position that doesn't hurt when I wake up."

"Yeah whatever, there won't be a next time, right?"

Aiden groaned again, "Have mercy, Than. As long as one of us stays awake, it's fine, right?"

"Shut up," Thandis said, holding up a hand. 

"No really," Aiden pushed, standing up with a stretch, "it should work! if you just-"

"Shhhh!" Thandis said more urgently.

Aiden stopped, suddenly realizing Thandis had both ears covered with his headphones, eyes distant with concentration. 

His head snapped over to the camera feeds, he leaned forward, squinting, "Is that... is that smoke?"

Thandis started furiously typing on his keyboard, "It's smoke." He confirmed. 

"What's going on?" Aiden asked in confusion, zooming in just in time to see a flash of blue light and a soldier wearing a black uniform run between the trees. "That's one of ours!"

"They're ambushing two Cithari they found in our borders." Thandis explained quickly, still straining to catch everything being said over the radio, "They're telling us to prep two of our holding cells. And-" His eyes widened, "They're coming here. Once they capture the Cithari they're bringing them here."

"Can we go help them?" Aiden asked eagerly.

Another flash of blue light. Gunshots. A burst of fire. The faint sound of yelling coming from Thandis's headphones.

"They said stay here. We're not authorized to help them." 

"What? But we're authorized for battle." Aiden blinked at the camera feeds again, "...Who are they fighting? How did they even get this close to the city?"

Thandis didn't respond. The silence stretched out for a long moment. Then he finally looked at Aiden, "They're already done. They have both the Cithari in custody, they're on their way."

-----

Thandis and Aiden stood on either side of the door to the station, watching the group of Makaiian soldiers approach, their black armor standing out against the light green foliage around them.

A group of fifteen, from what Thandis could tell. 

Their leader was easily identifiable from the rest.  Both from the blue symbol on the armor on his chest, and the fact that he was easily taller than the rest of his soldiers, walking in front.

The group of soldiers came to a halt, and the leader approached the door.

Thandis and Aiden stood to attention, looking up as he stopped in front of them, morning sunlight glinting off his smooth black helmet.

"Have you prepared the cells?" His voice was stern and cold. 

"Yes sir." Thandis nodded. "They're secure and ready."

The tall officer nodded once in acknowledgement, "Let us in." 

Thandis and Aiden both held up their wrists to the door. After a short humming noise, the door beeped and slid open. The tall officer stepped to the side, and his soldiers moved one by one into the station.

The soldiers toward the end of the group were dragging two bodies behind them. Thandis couldn't tell just by looking at them if they were unconscious, or dead.

He only got a glimpse of them, blond hair, bound arms and legs, and then they vanished into the station. 

The officer waited for Thandis and Aiden to step inside as well before he followed, the door sliding shut behind him. 

"Take the Master to a cell." He ordered, pointing down the hall. 

The soldiers nodded wordlessly, their faces hidden under their sleek black helmets as they hauled one of the unconscious figures out of the room.

The officer turned to Thandis and Aiden, "My team can handle things from here. I'm reassigning you, temporarily. You two will take over guarding the Apprentice."

Thandis and Aiden looked at each other, then at the officer, "Yes sir." They answered in unison. 

The officer nodded stiffly, "Good. Everything that happens here today is classified, understood? Commander Holt will be here soon. If he decides to tell you what's going on, that's his choice. But don't expect an explanation from me. And you know the consequences of telling anyone about what you see here today." 

"Yes sir." Thandis said more slowly, not missing the warning tone in the man's voice.

"Good. Now go."

Thandis and Aiden turned, following the two Soldiers holding on to the unconscious Cithari as they strode down the hall. 

"A Commander? Coming here?" Aiden murmured once they were out of earshot of the tall officer. "Just who are these two?"

"I don't know. No other group of Cithari would need a team of fifteen to capture them."

"Thirty."

"What?" Thandis and Aiden both looked up in surprise as one of the soldiers glanced over her shoulder at them, her voice slightly fuzzy from the speakers in her helmet, "We're a team of thirty. Half our number is either busy gathering our wounded, or they're busy being gathered."

The two boys fell silent.

Thandis didn't know what to say to that.

What in the world was going on?

The two soldiers drug the Cithari into the cell and then fastened him into the chair waiting against the back wall of the room, then they stepped outside, "We'll wait out here." The soldier told them, "You two guard him in there."

They nodded their agreement and stepped inside, the clear door closing behind them with a whirring click. 

Thandis stepped to the side of the room, studying the young prisoner curiously. He looked maybe twenty, maybe younger. He couldn't be too much older than Thandis and Aiden. The way his blond hair fell softly over his eyes made him look so... young, and harmless. Even more so with the blood trickling down his cheek.

"He's just a kid." He remarked, sounding slightly surprised. After all the buildup, he expected something... more.

"You heard what that officer called him, the apprentice. Clearly they're just here for the Master... whoever he is." Aiden shook his head in bewilderment. "He must be one very powerful Cithari. I've never heard of anything like this."

"Me neither."