1 week later

Today we would go on our first assignment. I had received my schedule and it was the only thing on today's agenda so we had all day to rest and prepare. We now stood in light marine-standard armor tailored to our bodies. We were told to wait in the briefing room and now stood stiffly. The Commander came in and we saluted. I had been training hard last week and now we were all pretty accustomed to physical expectations here. "At ease cadets. Today, you go on your first assignment." He said, pacing.

"Now, your mission is to navigate through a forest environment to the pickup point east of where we will drop you. There will be a pelican with 4 guards stationed at it that will escort you inside. Today you are here to test your adaptability to natural environments and test what you have learned. There will be obstacles you will have to cross through your own creativity and hard work. I'm expecting great things from all of you." He said, stopping in front of us.

"One last thing, you only have 6 hours to complete this exercise. Go over that time and you will be left behind and disqualified from the program. Your suits have vital monitors to make sure you can be airlifted in case of an accident but I highly doubt it. Good luck everyone."

"Sir, yes sir!" We shouted and saluted again, filing out and heading towards the hangar. We boarded our Pelican, buckling into the seats. As the Pelican took off I spoke. "You guys ready for this?"

"I was born ready." replied Scott enthusiastically. We all laughed quietly at his comment.

"I think it's going to go pretty well. We only have to be careful of those obstacles and we should be fine." said Grayson.

"I sure hope so." Sift nodded, "I don't want to have to provide first aid to another person, one in a month is enough."

There was a shake as the Pelican hit turbulence and steadied. Then the Pelican lowered and hovered just above the ground, the hatch opening to a clearing surrounded with trees. We all stood up and the Sergeant stood at the opening. "All right you greenies, get out there and hustle, your time starts now! Go! Go! Go!" He yelled. We ran out the hatch, dropping and rolling out of the way for the next team member.

I dropped and immediately stood, darting aside for Kade. The Pelican rose after Kade and Grayson jumped, quickly closing the hatch and flying far out of sight. "Ok, we need to find east, look at environmental signs." I said, we spread out and Selina studied the early night sky. "We go this way," Kade said, indicating to his left. He was pointing at a patch of moss on a tree trunk. "Let's get moving team." I said, nodding at him. We gathered into a group and ran out of the clearing. "Stay close. With the fading light we could easily lose someone." I said. They moved a bit closer together, traveling carefully.

The moon came out, allowing some light to reach the forest floor. I walked over a fallen tree and stopped abruptly, putting up my hand, and Scott accidentally bumping me. I leaned off-balance above the large, deep crevice I had stopped for before Scott pulled me back. "Woah there." He said and they steadied me. "What are we going to do?" Selina said. I looked down both sides, "Too long to go around. This must be the first obstacle. Stay close but look for something to go over on." I said. They nodded and looked at the ground and trees. I looked up for any over-hanging branches.

After a minute I saw one, low and not completely over but far enough to jump. "Here," I said, pointing. They looked up and we walked to our left to the tree. The branch was thick and had broken off most likely from another branch. It didn't reach to the other side completely but only had about a 3 foot(1 meter) gap to the other end and was about 7-8(2.5 m) feet above the ground. I motioned for them to climb and they swung up into the tree. I waited for Scott to go before going last.

Selina reached the branch first, crawling on all fours before scooting to the end in a crouch. Kade waited near the tree so he wouldn't off-balance her. She crouched a bit more... And jumped, flying far past the edge and rolling once before standing. Kade then began scooting to the edge in the same way. He tensed and leaped, rolling twice as he hit the ground before slowly standing. Scott and Grayson jumped as well. They waited for Sift to go, and she scooted to the edge more cautiously on all fours, going on two only once she was near the end.

She steadied herself with her hands and I climbed onto the branch, inching forward so I wouldn't knock her off. She jumped, flying across, and landing half on, half off. She started sliding off the cliff. I got up, taking a running jump and angling it downward.

I reached for Sift and landed next to her, glimpsing the team running toward us. Grabbing the back of her suit before she slipped off, I rolled from my momentum, flipping Sift with me away from the edge. We tumbled a few feet, flipping her once more before I came to a stop on my back and her on her face.

I let go and got up, Selina helping me and Kade helping Sift up. "Thanks," she said, spitting out some dirt but obviously grateful I had just saved her life. I nodded, "Don't mention it, just repaying the favor. We have to get moving its almost been an hour already." she nodded and we continued in the forest.

We stumbled every once in a while when the moon was completely shadowed by the canopy but managed to keep the same course. The second obstacle came up after about an hour and a half.

"Well, we've found the next obstacle." Scott commented. I looked across the wide fast-rushing river, sparkling with the midnight moonlight. They were standing next to me, grouped around. "Too fast to swim alone." Grayson commented. I nodded. We stood thinking.

"I know!" Sift said. "How about we all go at once, the strongest in the front, Grayson, and two after him, and then the three that are left. This way it's kind of like a wedge shape and there is less resistance and we can support the people in front of us who have more resistance." She said excitedly.

The others nodded. "Sounds like it could work, strongest three on the right, weakest in the middle." Kade said. "Who's the weakest?" I asked. "Either Sift or Selina." Grayson said. The girls looked at each other. After a moment Selina said, "I'll be the middle"

"Then let's get to it, we have no time to waste." I said. They nodded and we slowly got into the freezing water, chilled by the night air. Grayson moved to the far left, facing us so he could lean against the river. Kade and Sift took the second row, turning sideways to walk forward. Scott went to the far end, shivering. Selena went the middle and I took the back. "Ok, everyone hold on to each other and don't try to swim, walk along the bottom leaning against the current." I said. They nodded and grabbed each other's arms and hands. "Ok, go." I said. We started moving forward. I leaned against the current, shivering and almost swept off my feet with the initial current. We walked slowly, Grayson slipping every once in a while and being helped by Kade and Sift. We reached the middle after a few cold minutes. Now I really struggled. I pushed on Sift as she lost her footing and couldn't stay upright. Grayson was practically sideways, pushing against the current, and Kade and Scott were trying to pull us as hard as they could.

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Then, as we passed the middle, Grayson slipped, falling underwater between Kade, Sift, and Selina. I let go of Sift, swinging out using Selina and grabbing Grayson's disappearing hand. It jolted Selina and she nearly fell, barely standing by support from Sift. I could barely hold on with the water reducing the friction between our hands, my fingers numb beyond belief. He floundered, trying desperately to get upright. We were still moving towards the edge, Kade and Sift now taking the brunt of the water flow and barely keeping all of us from going down.

I thought desperately and after a moment knew what to do. I said over the roaring river, "when I let go, swim as hard as you can towards the bank." He looked up with fear in his eyes but slowly nodded. We were a few feet away from the shallower part. I brought my arm back with a huge effort and swinging Grayson into the current, then swinging back with the combined force and sliding him towards the bank. He let go and immediately started swimming with the force of the swing carrying him closer. I struggled to get back to Sift and Selina in formation and we made it to the bank. I got out and ran down the river bank. "Grayson!" I shouted just loud enough for it to carry over the water.

I looked down and saw him. He was climbing out a few yards down. "Over here!" I shouted. He looked up and walked towards me, though something was wrong. He was limping and only placing the toe of his boot on the ground. He came up to me. "What happened to your foot?" He looked down at it. "Oh, well the reason I fell was because I slipped on a rock and it cut my foot through my boot. Thank you for saving me by the way." I shook my head, "No problem, but we need that wrapped." I looked over to the team walking towards us. "Hey Sift, can you take care of a cut?"

"Sure, as long as it isn't too bad I should be able to find a plant to keep it from becoming infected and wrap it. Sit." she told Grayson. He sat down and she took off his boot. "Yeah, not too bad. Someone get me a leaf from that tree and one from a blue-flowered plant with green leaves."

Scott went in search of the flower and Kade grabbed a leaf. He handed it to Sift and she cupped some water in her hands from the river, pouring it over the cut and washing it gently. Scott came back and handed the leaf to her. She crushed it in her palm and added water to make it a paste. Applying it to the cut, she then wrapped the leaf around his foot. He sighed a bit and she put his boot back on. "Well, he's good to go. We should get moving, that river crossing took a while." She said, standing up and wiping her hands on her pants. Kade helped Grayson up. "Ok, let's go." I said. We headed into the forest, but at a slightly slower pace because of Grayson's limp and the rest of us freezing a bit in our wet pants and boots. After not too long there was a weird sound, possibly an angry bird call?

I gave the signal to halt as it came again, definitely not a bird call. There was a green flash on our right as something passed and disappeared. The moon disappeared for a moment and something large with purple lights passed overhead. We crouched. A moment passed, and then there was a whistling sound. Something glowing purple shot out of the brush a few hundred feet away. It struck Sift in the chest as she was in the motion of crouching. She collapsed, falling into a bush. "Sift!" Selena yelled from a few feet away. I ran over with Kade and Grayson. Kade pulled Sift's limp body over his shoulders and started running. We ran as well.

Green blurs and purple shards flew around us, missing by only inches. I jumped over a log, leading us out and east still. A green sizzling bolt burned my thigh. I stumbled, but Selina pushed me back up and we kept running. Then I heard something. I almost couldn't hope to believe it but then it came again. Gunfire! Human gunfire and the sound of a Pelican overhead! I almost jumped for joy but I was running too fast. I signaled the team to turn left. There was a clearing nearby. We turned, and I heard another wrenching sound of pain from Grayson as he was hit by a needle in his side. He signaled for us to stop and we took cover in a large group of bushes. "I can't go on, I'll bleed to death before we can make it to the Pelican." He said with pained gasps. Blood was quickly soaking down his shirt, the needle must have hit something vital. Selena started tearing up. "No, we won't let you sacrifice yourself, we can still get out of this together."

He pressed his hand to his side where the glowing purple shard could be seen. "No, I'll lead them away, you guys split off, and then you will have a chance. Otherwise, they will surround you in the clearing and destroy the Pelican. And this will be a favor to you for saving my life." He looked at me and smiled weakly, wincing as he breathed in. Selena had a tear rolling down her face and she looked to me. "Don't let him go, maybe..." I shook my head slowly and she lowered hers. "You're right." She looked to Grayson and hugged his neck. "Be brave and try to get away. We'll come back for you if you are still alive." He nodded.

"Let's go." He said and we got up after a moment running hard towards the Pelican. After a few hundred feet I reluctantly gave the signal to break off and we rolled into a bush, Kade being careful of Sift. Grayson kept running as best he could. We stayed completely still as weird aliens of different types ran after him, firing spiky guns and long smooth weapons.

Finally, the last one passed. We waited for a few minutes and then rose. Selena had red eyes but didn't make a sound as we trudged on toward the clearing. We broke out of the foliage and spotted the Pelican. I took Sift in my arms, her heartbeat faint. There were men with weapons surrounding the pelican fighting off stray aliens and as soon as we stepped out they ran towards us. One tried to take Sift but I wouldn't let them. They ushered us into the Pelican, and it immediately closed the hatch so they could take off. A medic pulled out a stretcher and put Sift on it. He felt her pulse and checked her eyes and vitals. After he was done he took off his stethoscope and sighed. "I'm sorry but she won't make it to the base, she's lost too much blood and I don't have the tools I need. It was surprising that she stayed alive this long but I wouldn't count on her living even until the next 5 minutes. The best I can do is prepare her for emergency stasis. I'll leave you alone to say your goodbyes." He packed up his equipment and went up to the front. The team crowded around, Selena in silent sobs, and the rest of us had tears in our eyes that never fell. I cradled her fragile head and Selina smoothed her blond hair. I didn't even know her that long but she had already done so much for me. First Grayson and now Sift, I was losing my family. Again. We sat silently.

Her heartbeat faded in my arms just as we landed and they put her in a cryo-tube at the base. They told me they would keep her there until they could try to revive her in the future. She was clinically dead and still had electrical activity, but there was nothing else they could do to restore her breathing at the time. We were released after a brief report of what happened during the mission and left to our own devices. I sat in my room, looking out numbly at the early dawn. I heard the smooth slide of the door as the three remaining members of my team entered the room.

There was a moment of silence.

Finally, Kade spoke, "We will honor them by becoming the best of the best. It's the least we can do." He said, looking around at Selina and Scott. "We can't allow this to happen to anyone else. We have to keep moving forward, For the Fallen. " I turned around to look at him holding his hand out in a fist. The other members nodded. On their faces were looks of determination. I nodded, replacing my sorrow with the same. "For the Fallen." I said, standing up and placing my hand on his. The others joined and for a moment, we just stood like that. I slowly dropped my hand and turned around. They looked at me expectantly. I walked towards the door. "Well let's get started."