"Absolutely not, I forbid it! There is no way you are joining the military!"

Jason frowned as the words from his father echoed around the hallway. Having carefully made his way out of the underground with Aurora without further incident he was passionate about his decision to sign up for the military and had done nothing but talk about it all the way to his home high in the clouds.

Aurora shared his enthusiasm and had already planned to meet him at the recruitment station tomorrow, a new adventure in the stars was what awaited both of them. The encounter with the gang earlier had done nothing to discourage them.

His father, though, thought very differently on the subject.

"But father, I can make a real difference, I'm skilled, intelligent, fit, everything the military needs, can't you see that!?" Jason responded exasperatedly.

This argument would have been good if he wasn't arguing with Yulrian Scharn, one of the top Generals in the United Solar Military (USM). One of the youngest and smartest Generals that had ever donned the uniform and was renowned as a superb tactician.

"What makes you special Jason, what makes you think that you can make more of a difference than the person next to you?" Yulrian demanded a response.

Jason was slightly disappointed he was being asked the question having expected his father to be supportive of his decision. "My grades are the highest in the school, I am far fitter than most if not all my classmates, I am highly skilled in seven forms of martial arts and my marksmanship is exceptional. I am more than capable." he replied with a tinge of arrogance.

Yulrian frowned furiously, something which Jason had not expected. His father was generally a calm and collected individual who very rarely lost his temper. It appeared this discussion was taking a turn for the worse.

"Here's a few numbers for you. Seventy-four. That's how many people before this day I have unfortunately ordered to their deaths. Some of them were even more capable than you. Another number, thirty-two thousand. That's how many soldiers we lost on this day alone. Twice as many civilians! Eight thousand, the minimum number of hours those people spent training to be the fighting force they were before they lost their lives. One! The total number of times it takes for your luck to run out and your life to end!"

He continued clearly agitated by Jason's demeanour. "Some of our special forces undergo years of training, become the best soldiers the USM has to offer and then get shot down and die on route to a target before they even get the opportunity to use those expertise. They thought they were the best, they understood their roles, their target, their objective and yet they still died. It was not because they were not prepared, or they were not trained. Sometimes it's just because the enemy trained harder, prepared better, or sometimes it's just plain old bad luck! We are now fighting an enemy which we currently know very little about! How do YOU think you can make a difference against something like that?" He sternly commented while pointing a finger directly at his face.

Something stirred in Jason. He wasn't sure if it was his arrogance, his pride or his determination, yet what he was certain of now was that he was definitely joining the military.

"I'm 18 and I can make my own decisions!" He responded defiantly. As he was about to turn and storm away, a realisation hit him that he wasn't only talking to his father, but also to his potential superior. Despite his mind and body screaming at him to turn and walk away, he remained stationary, determined to prove to his father that he was as mature as he had just claimed to be.

Yulrian smoothed down his uniform, his damning blue eyes focused on Jason's at all times. "Fine." Yulrian responded.

Jason had half expected the argument to continue, instead, he had just gained an unlikely and unnerving victory.

Despite the uncelebrated victory, Yulrian wasn't about to leave things as they stood, "You will get no help from me and you will work damn hard to succeed. You must learn the value of life for you to become an asset to the USM. Aurora will no doubt follow you throughout the galaxy, so remember that when you make decisions. They will undoubtedly affect her also."

"And if I hear of any of your exploits similar to that of your trips to the underground, I'll make sure I'm on the tribunal assigned for your arrest and dismissal. Understood?"

Before Jason could even respond, Yulrian had briskly turned and walked away with unprecedented purpose.

Jason immediately questioned in his mind how long his father was aware of his expeditions to the underground, or whether Aurora's loyalty was as unwavering as had been suggested. The questions aching his mind, however, quickly dispersed as he realised that he had been given the permission he desperately wanted; to live his lifelong dream.

Throughout the military, the name Yulrian Scharn was revered. Now it was time for them to remember the name Jason Scharn.

***

The euphoria created by the Pro-Gish music that Jason had bellowing in his room was exhilarating. As it blanketed his senses, causing a rippling and wave sensation throughout his body, the argument with his father had long been forgotten.

The easing and calming of his the stress that enveloped his mind had also allowed him to miss the large framed figure standing in his doorway.

The figure's silver-haired bushy moustache hid a smile as Jason's eccentric dance made it appear that he was floating around the room, and as Jason's eyes fixed on the early to mid-sixties man, a smile of great proportions plastered itself on Jason's face.

"Music off!" Jason commanded, causing the room to fall into silence. "Uncle Vladimir!" He called in excitement instantly leaping towards the man and shaking his hand firmly.

They were not related by blood, but Vladimir Proviski had been a stoic and loyal friend of the Scharn family since long before Jason was born. Like Yulrian, Vladimir was one of the top Generals in the USM, and also the mentor of Yulrian Scharn. Their mutual respect and understanding had been the cornerstone of their friendship and when Jason came into the universe, Vladimir did not hesitate at accepting the role of godparent to the enigmatic child.

Vladimir was as eccentric as his bushy moustache that covered his mouth. Despite not having the personality of a typical military general, his genius-level intellect, superb tactical mind and sometimes questionable morals had earned him the right to receive the rank. Among his peers, he was widely respected and feared.

As they shook hands, Vladimir did not respond instantly, carefully choosing his words before opening his mouth."Jason, don't be angry with your father, he means well even if he isn't the most... warm character."

Jason frowned. "He must see that I'm capable of being a great soldier, he's always trying to stop me from achieving my potential."

Vladimir's smile did not seem to fade, not that you could see his mouth much past his impressive moustache. "He knows you're capable, as do I, but this is an especially worrying time for the USM and the Human Confederate."

He walked into the room to ensure that the door slid closed behind him.

"What we are to talk about must not leave this room." His smile gradually disappeared. "The attack on Charon Station was simply a diversion, a ruse, and USM arrogance caused us to react in a heavy handed way. We sent a large retaliatory force expecting to make an impression on the aliens, causing them to reconsider attacking us again. Well the ruse worked, as our ships entered orbit, a full scale assault in Alpha Centauri took place, we simply couldn't move those forces back into position in time. We've practically been caught with our pants down."

He continued "these aliens fight like nothing we've encountered before. While their technology is similar to ours in strength, they are extremely well disciplined, exceptional at ground warfare and tactically astute, and, at this time, we still don't know a great deal about them."

He rubbed the sides of his moustache. "Yulrian has enough on his plate trying to identify strategies that could gain us a foothold in Alpha Centauri without knowing that he may have to send his only son on one of those possibly fateful missions."

Jason listened. His father had never been one for expressing emotions or opinions, so to hear these words from Vladimir spoke volumes, even if he couldn't fully comprehend his father's anxiety.

"I'm still joining though." Jason eventually responded.

Vladimir chuckled. "I wouldn't expect anything different from a Scharn. Your father has said that he will not help you, but it does not mean that I will not."

Jason smiled in return "Thanks Uncle, but I want to make this on my own and be the best soldier that I can be through my own achievements."

Vladimir's face seemed to turn slightly sinister as he responded "That is exactly what I want, and when you become the best, that is when I'll help."

On that note, Vladimir turned and walked out leaving Jason slightly bewildered by the response. Vladimir was not one for explaining his plans and schemes, but it was obvious that he already had plans for Jason's military career.

Not dwelling on it for too long, Jason's excitement for what was to come took over once again. He gestured for the music to go louder, dancing once again as if possessed by a free spirit and prepared himself for the military recruitment centre in Europa.