Part 3: The General’s Inspection
The silence across the training grounds was so absolute that the sound of heavy vehicle tires crunching against the gravel driveway echoed like a gunshot.
A sleek, black staff car bearing three star-embroidered flags pulled up to the edge of the courtyard, followed by two military police escorts. The colonel’s face drained of every bit of color. The sudden inspection was unscheduled—General Vance, the supreme commander of the regional division, had arrived.
General Vance stepped out of the vehicle, his chest covered in commendation ribbons, his sharp eyes instantly taking in the scene: the entire unit frozen in formation, the heavy shears in the dirt, the dark braid resting in the dust, and Recruit Ana standing at rigid attention with a freshly shorn head.
The general walked slowly toward the center of the courtyard, his polished boots clicking against the hard earth. He stopped directly in front of the colonel, who was frantically attempting to salute while adjusting his uniform. …
