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The mother looked down at her son, only two days over twelve, and couldn't stop the concern from showing on her face. Nor could she blot out the noise of the transport arriving. The hum of anti-gravity engines enveloped the scene as she knelt down next to her youngest son. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Her son frowned at her with the sea-green eyes she gave him. "Metera," he whined, "I'm sure! We've already talked about this a hundred times!" A hand rested on her shoulder. She glanced up to her husband, who shared his tan skin and dark hair with the entire family. "He's made his choice," he quietly reminded her. She knew. Oh, she knew. Every since her precious boy had turned ten, he had become obsessed with this path, despite her warnings of how hard it would be, the struggles he would endure. None of her words could dissuade him. The block-like transport landed on the sole landing pad on the tiny isle of Skiros with a thud. After a few seconds, a door opened and a pretty young woman climbed out before calling for passengers. The father announced, "It's time." With a heart submerged in ice, the mother stood up, and the family of six made their way to the transport's entrance. Every step sounded like the funeral bell to her. She desperately wanted to hold her son's hand but knew he wouldn't allow it, so eager to prove his masculinity to the unfamiliar faces. With every step, a memory flashed in her mind. His first steps. His first words. The first time he came home with his own caught fish, smiling so proudly as he stood next to his father. All too soon, they were at the transport's entrance. The young woman smiled over them and asked, "Going on a family trip?" The father shook his head. "No, just myself and my son." He looked down with pride. "He's enlisting." The mother could see the logic working in the young woman's eyes, calculating her son's age. While there were exceptions, the Imperial Army had a conscription age limit set at 16 Terran years. The Delian Guard insisted on a higher age limit of 18 Terran years. Given her son's younger age, that could only mean one thing. The young woman gave a sly smile to the boy. "So, you think you have what it takes to become a Son of Salim?" Akylles nodded his head vigorously before pounding his chest in the Imperial salute. "I'm going to become a Halcyon Warden!"