The title of temporary squad leader was given to Jackson without warning. He felt both surprised and happy. The position did not make him a true leader, but it added a valuable credential. In the Cabas Empire military, ability mattered most. Experience came next.

Jackson thought, “I don’t know why Hoffman did this. He beat me up, then gave me this role.”

Despite his confusion, he respected Hoffman. Jackson belonged to the Panhua people, who were oppressed in the Cabas Empire. Yet Hoffman removed Paul, a Cabas recruit, and promoted Jackson without hesitation.

“Hoffman is a true soldier,” Jackson thought.

Some recruits close to Jackson, like Li Feng, Xiao Yi, Keen, and Nangong Yi, came to congratulate him.

Thompson, Gatsby, and a few Cabas recruits also acknowledged Jackson’s position. This was because Jackson had worked hard to earn respect. Since joining, he had shown himself as responsible, helpful, and approachable.

Some Cabas recruits stayed silent. They neither accepted nor opposed him. Jackson decided to wait and see.

Military life continued as usual.

“Keen, put the magnetic conduit into the barrel. Lock the targeting system. Snap the magazine in until you hear a click. Then it’s ready,” Jackson said. He was teaching Keen how to assemble the CL2053 magnetic rifle.

The CL2053 rifle looked futuristic. Its gray-black design was sharp and geometric. It was the standard weapon for interstellar paratroopers. It was very powerful.

The rifle could fire 0.7-centimeter bullets at 3,400 meters per second. It could pierce 50 centimeters of steel.

Interstellar paratroopers often fought inside planetary atmospheres. In such environments, energy weapons like lasers and particle beams lost much of their power.

The CL2053 solved this problem. It used magnetic coils to accelerate bullets to extreme speeds. The bullets destroyed targets with kinetic energy.

The rifle’s magazine could hold 300 bullets. It was powered by a crystal called “Xi.” A small piece of Xi could fire 100,000 shots.

Jackson loved the CL2053 as soon as he saw it. Like many men, he had always admired firearms. On Earth, he never had the chance to use one.

After learning about the rifle, Jackson imagined taking one back to Earth. He believed it could overpower an entire country. Its ability to pierce steel and its 20-kilometer range made it unstoppable.

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A sharp click broke Jackson’s thoughts. Keen had just loaded the magazine into the rifle.

“Squad leader! I did it! This isn’t so hard,” Keen said, smiling. He looked more confident now.

Keen had struggled during earlier training. When Jackson became squad leader, he spent extra time helping Keen.

Many recruits mocked Keen for being slow to learn. What others mastered in three tries, Keen needed 100 attempts. Paul’s group, who disliked Jackson, often laughed at Keen’s failures to insult Jackson indirectly.

This made Keen feel pressured. He thought about quitting.

Jackson didn’t let him quit. Keen was important for Jackson’s leadership. If Jackson could train Keen successfully, it would show Hoffman that Jackson deserved the role. It would also show the recruits that Jackson would not give up on anyone.

Because of this, Jackson continued to help Keen.

Keen turned out to be talented with weapons. He struggled with other tasks, but he excelled at handling rifles. After three lessons, he could assemble the CL2053 faster than Jackson.

“Attention!” Bill shouted. The recruits immediately straightened their posture. They stood with their rifles resting at their sides.

Hoffman walked through the rows of recruits. His sharp eyes scanned each one. After the inspection, he seemed satisfied.

Hoffman addressed the recruits. “Tonight, you will sleep with your rifles. Give your rifle a girl’s name. This is your only partner now.”

Jackson thought the order was strange. Sleeping with the rifle was fine, but naming it seemed odd. He decided he would never name his rifle after Kai.

Hoffman continued, “You will no longer touch another person. From now on, this weapon is your spouse. Be loyal to it. Get to bed.”

The recruits obeyed. They lay down with their rifles beside them.

Hoffman gave another command. “Pray!”

The recruits held their rifles parallel to their bodies and recited the Rifleman’s Creed:

“This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

My rifle is my best friend. It is my life.

I must master my rifle as I must master my life.

Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless.

I must fire my rifle true.

I must shoot my enemy before he shoots me.

I will.

Before the universe, I swear this creed.

My rifle and I are the defenders of the Empire.

We are the saviors of life.

So be it, until there is no enemy, but peace. Amen.”

The lights went out. The room became silent.

Jackson lay awake in the dark. The creed stirred something inside him. He felt a strange sense of belonging.

“Squad leader, the instructor wants to see you,” a recruit called out to him.

“I’m coming,” Jackson replied.

He had been browsing the interstellar network. He was looking for information about the solar system and learning more about this world.

Jackson had parts of Justin’s memories, but they were incomplete. Justin had disliked studying, which left Jackson with many gaps in knowledge.

Jackson used his free time to study history, politics, technology, and military basics. He wanted to understand this world better.

He thought about Earth. “What did our ancestors do to deserve this? The solar system is called a prison for devils, but there’s so little information about it.”

He had asked Panhua people about their history. They only knew their empire had fallen. Their ancestors were either exiled or scattered. Much of their history had been erased.

The Panhua people seemed to accept this. They didn’t question it.

Jackson didn’t respect their silence. He had recently seen a new imperial announcement. The government had introduced a war tax targeting Panhua people to fund the war against the Frol Federation.

The Panhua people accepted the tax without complaint. No one protested. Jackson felt disgusted by their passivity.