Shireroth

Five large transports pull up to the end of the road leading to what is thought to be the Naval Base. The recruits are packed in; there are 100 personnel on each. As the transports stop everyone gets off and starts to gaze around. It appears to be just an open field.

A moment later the transports shut the doors and pull away, leaving everyone standing there.

A rather large man steps away from the group and yells with such a loud voice most thought the worms would come out of the ground to hear what he was saying, or maybe just because the earth seem to shake with his voice.

"My name is Earl, Earl Raquin. You might not have known this but I´m the commanding officer. The papers are here in my pocket for anyone who questions me. Now if anyone else here has papers showing them to be an officer, step up and show them to me."

Earl stepped back two paces and waiting. Then he waited again. Everyone jood there looking at him and looking around at the open area.

"Dang! - they gave me a bunch of raw recruits and an open field for a naval base." He yelled out so all could hear him again. CO Raquin looked at the sea, "They didn´t even park a ship out there!"

"OK - your training starts now. I want six groups. You work out who is in what group. I´m not telling you what for yet - just do as your told. Group one - thirty-four of you. Stand over there." CO - Raquin pointed to a spot just off to his right.

"Group two- twenty of you. Find a place to stand, just your group, AND DON´T GO TOO FAR!" Raquin stroked his chin thinking from his past experience ~I just know they sent me idiots again, I just know I´m gonna haveta teach em some common sense~

"Group three - sixty of you. STOP TALKING! You´re here to listen to everything I have to say before you start off doing something I didn´t say. GOTIT?"

"Group four - a hundred and five. STOP MOVING AROUND! Stand there and listen til I´m done talking!"
"Group five - a hundred and thirty five. Group six - a hundred forty five."

"LISTEN UP, I DIDN´T SAY TO START TALKING YET OR TO START MOVING." ~ yup, a bunch of idiots, just like I thought.~

"I don´t care who´s in what group, but your group better not be more than I said! GOTIT - I don´t care if you have to kick out the dumbest one to get down to where you belong or steal a smart guy from another group to get the right number. Once you have enough in your group, don´t let anyone else in, GOTIT!"

"OK, MOVE!" Everyone started jumping to. "AND DON´T ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS. IF YOU IDIOTS CAN´T DO THIS SIMPLE THING THEN SIT DOWN RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE AND START EATING GRASS! GOTIT!"

Raquin stood there and watched.

Commander Raquin looked around as everyone began to from their groups.

"LISTEN UP - THIS IS AN ALERT, YOU ARE ON MILITRARY ALERT" Raquin started to walk between the groups. "THERE´S A SHIP ON IT´S WAY HERE AS WE SPEAK. WHEN IT GETS HERE ALL OF YOU WILL GET ABOARD AND FIND A SPOT FROM WHERE YOU CAN MAN THE WEAPONS."

The new recruits stood still, not knowing what to do. Raquin raised his head a little and everyone got the message to quite down and listen.

"That´s better," he called out. "This group of twenty right here are the officers." the commander cast his eyes towards group two. "Remember what group you´re in and who´s in it with you. Today you had better begin to work as a group." Earl turned around quickly and faced the groups that were behind him.

"And another thing, when I said group two are the officers, I meant it." his eyes tightened, "They will be fighting officers. As of now you had better do what they tell you and not even wonder if it´s right or wrong. They´ll be getting officers training, the sense they showed by forming the smallest group qualifies them to be officers and it best not be questioned by anyone, not even them!"

Raquin stopped suddenly and pointed towards the ocean, "Officiers, get your sailors done to the beach. Prepare them to board the ship, it will be here soon!" Earl started to jog towards the beach and all the men started to run with him.

Sudden he stopped, "WHICH OF YOUR OFFICERS TOLD YOU RUN WITH ME?" The men stopped dead in their tracks. The officers looked around. "YOU OFFICERS BETTER GET THESE SAILORS UNDER CONTROL, --- RIGHT NOW!" the commander added, "Prepare your men to fight a battle in support of the rebels in the Duchy of Elwynn"

Raquin tuned and started to run towards the beach, the men stood still this time. About the time Raquin was 20 yards away he heard some of the officiers starting to yell out orders to get in lines.

As commader Raquin reached the beach he was happy to see a Kaiser Class aircraft carrier sitting out to sea just a little off the shore. He stopped and picked up two hugh leafs. Raquin held them up and made some motions in the air with them, held the leafs down to his side, put them back in the air and repeated the signals.

Suddenly small boats were launched from the side of the boat and began to speed towards the shore.

Within a few minutes the sailors were on the beach behind him. An officer yelled out "Halt", and Raquin turned around. "What´s your name?" he said to the officer who had just halted the formation as was now approaching him.

"I´m Carl Rothshin, Sir" came the reply and smart look salute. Raquin smiled a little noticing the salute wasn´t quite up to par but at least Rothshin saluted. "ROTHSHIN IS NOW SECOND IN COMMAND." Raquins´ voice made a strategic pause, `ALL OTHER OFFICERS WILL REPORT TO HIM, HE WILL REPORT DIRECTLY TO ME."

"Rothshin", Raquin quietly said, "Get your officers in order and get them assigned. If my expectations are correct there will be at least 500 more sailors and a fighter plane out there. Are you prepared to be ships´ captain?"

"Yes Sir, I am." Carl appeared to speak with confidence.
"Alright Captain Rothshin" Earl turned back to look out at the approaching transport boats. "Someone from Dutch of Elwynn might well take command of your ship at some point. You better be damn sure you don´t give control to the wrong person, always ask me before you make a decision, ALWAYS! Got that Rothshin?"

"Yes Sir", Rothshin watched as Raquin spoke.

"Good, if no one from Elwynn takes over you will be in control of the ship and the fighting from her. You had better be sure you´re fighting on the right side of the battle." Raquin looked into his eyes "I´m not a forgiving commander when it comes to stupid mistakes, so all your mistakes best not be because you didn´t ask or don´t know better." Use those boats and get your sailors on the ship. And it better not be long before I hear your officers repeating your orders."

Carl saluted again, "Yes Sir" he then turned and begin his orders, "ALL OFFICERS OVER HERE RIGHT NOW." Those officers who were close and heard the conversation quickly passed the word that Carl Rothshin was second in command and officers hurried over.

"Don´t ask me who´s in charge of what, you officers can see those boats coming towards the shore. You heard how many men are in each group. Divide yourselves up with the right amount of officers taking charge of each group and then get your men on board that ship. Remember you are fighting officers, don´t just bark orders, I had best see you doing every job and knowing how it´s to be done, and making good assignments. " Rothshin looked around, "Ok, that´s it for now."

The officers turned back to the men and begin the task as the Captain began to go towards the sailors, telling them to that their particular officer would become apparent and that the task now is to get aboard the ship.