The 5th Battalion expects their new Commanding Officer as the search for the Professor’s research and the Nebula Company continues.

Husker strolled out of his giant military tent. He basked in the warm morning sun with his spectacles askew and with his eyes half closed, he stretched his body lazily.

“Sir, we have signal!” Master Sergeant Pike ran across the field of marching soldiers towards Husker, who was still in his pyjamas.

Husker yawned as he replied, “take it easy, Puke. You don’t have to report every nitty-gritty to me. Who’s the duty officer?”

Pike ran to an empty spot near a tree, bent over and started vomiting.

Husker headed back into his tent. A minute later, he emerged from his tent, wearing his military uniform.

“Take it easy, man,” he said with a chuckle, patting Pike’s back, “come now, show me what the hype is all about.”

Pike wiped his mouth with the tissue which Husker offered. Husker headed off first, leaving Pike behind to catch up with him.

Husker busted into the make-shift command tent.

“Lovely day, boys! I hope you have good news for me. Puke just drowned another patch of vegetation with his vomit for this.”

The room went scarcely quiet. Every personnel in the command center stared at Husker blankly, wondering who was this scrawny joker wearing his military uniform over his pyjamas. Besides, his uniform was oversized on the overly scraggy soldier.

“This is not a place for you to be in, private!” Captain Kilo retorted, in which Husker ignored.

Master Sergeant Pike hurried into the room.

“Sir, wait for me!”

Pike bent down to catch his breath.

“No, no, no, not in this room,” Husker blurted out as he grabbed the nearest trash bin and shoved it to Pike. Pike threw up in the bin as the soldiers watched in confusion and silence.

Captain Kilo barked impatiently, “Can someone tell me why are these two clowns barging into MY COMMAND CENTER and making a big commotion here!”

Husker looked at the sickly Master Sergeant pointedly and whispered, “you didn’t tell them?”

“They’re expecting you, they just don’t know how you…”

Pike threw out more food before continuing, “look like.”

“Oh,” Husker muttered, “no worries, I can explain.”

He raised his arms to show that he meant no harm and explained, “I’m”

Before he could even complete his sentence, the fuming Koli Kilo interrupted him, “I DON’T CARE WHO YOU ARE. GET OUT OF THIS ROOM NOW! AND SERGEANT PIKE, I WILL HAVE A WORD WITH YOU LATER!”

Pike feebly rummaged the folds of his uniform and drew out a translucent green Jadeite slab with a carving of an ankh symbol in the middle, which he pushed into Husker’s palm. After which, he pulled out an epaulette with the insignia of a phoenix with its wings spread.

“You forgot your rank, Sir.”

“Thanks, Puke. Er… I mean, Pike.”

Everyone froze in confusion. No one understood what was going on. Moreover, no one wanted to get on the bad side of Captain Kilo, one of the officer-in-commands. They watched Husker don the epaulette on his green pixelated uniform. They finally realised how deep in trouble they were, especially Captain Kilo.

“ROOM DIAM!”

The soldier who realised first shouted at the top of his voice. Every soldier in that tent stomped their right foot, saluted and froze at attention simultaneously. Even the commissioned officers put their best foot forward, standing straight and looking as smart as possible. All of them wanted to give their commanding officer the best first impression. Even Captain Kilo puffed out his chest as much as possible, even though his whole face was red with embarrassment.

“GOOD MORNING, SIR!” they chorused in unison.

The lanky man faced the entire crowd awkwardly, resting his weight on his right foot as he scratched his left cheek. He tried to avert as much eye contact he could. Husker was uncomfortable with the attention he was given.

“Sir…” Pike prompted with a whisper.

Catching on, Husker returned a neat salute back at his subordinates. “At ease, gentlemen.”

Ironically, they dropped their salutes uneasily.

The silence was interrupted by the radio cackling with static.

“Zerga 2 to base. Can you read me. Over.”

Husker hustled to the elaborate communication set-up and engaged the soldier.

“Zerga 2, base reads you. What’s at your end? A week without signal, you got us worried.”

“Base, it’s difficult to get a signal from here. Looks like the whole area’s been jammed. We are 20 clicks north away from base. Recon and intel have reported a facility nearby.”

Husker’s heart raced.

“Are you able to get more intelligence?”

“We are heading to that facility to search the area. Looks like the jamming signal is coming from there. Permission to carry on, base.”

“Permission granted. Standby for Code Orange.”

“Zerga 2 to base, over.”

Husker ended the conversation with the Zerga company. He then directed his orders to the entire command centre.

“Standby for Code Orange. Any sign of activity, we’ll break camp to assist them. Locating the rest of the Nebula company is priority. We’ll follow the breadcrumbs the enemy left.”

Husker’s commanding tone faded as he continued, “oh… and er… assemble in thirty minutes just outside at the open field.”

He glanced at Captain Kilo’s direction and pondered for a while. However, he turned back and left the tent with his shoulders slouched.

Master Sergeant Pike finally found his superior after he disappeared from the command centre twenty minutes ago.

Colonel Harrold Husker lay on the grass patch behind his tent. He had changed out of his pyjamas. Husker was gazing at his jadeite slab in his hand. The almost transparent emerald stone glowed magnificently under the sun.

“I screwed up,” Husker sighed.

What a bad impression he gave the officers back in the tent. How could a sloppy commander lead his troops properly? All the confidence training he did back in HQ Command was wasted.

Colonel Harrold Husker. Though it gave a nice ring to his name, he disliked the fact that he did not earn the rank. The phoenix was the creature Oclia was represented by. It’s insignia represented the colonels of Oclia’s military. Because of his abilities, he was recruited into the military and was immediately promoted to a full colonel rank after he completed the “Officers Course”. Compared to all the much older colonels in HQ Command, he definitely did not deserve his rank. He was just a twenty-six year old boy who just completed his Masters in Applied Physics and who was still living in his parents’ basement.

Introverted and shy by nature, he was bullied by his schoolmates from primary school all the way to Junior College. In university, he cooped himself in the laboratory as much as possible to avoid his classmates. Coming in top in the dean’s list did not help improve his self-esteem though, until he met Pike during his military training, who became his only friend.

The jadeite slab was of “imperial” quality which costed more than $3 million per carat. Imperial jadeites were rumoured to be given only to a certain “ghost” unit which comprised of only the best. Upon flashing the jadeite, no one was to disobey the orders given. Disobeying the direct order would be an act of insubordination, regardless what rank the military personnel held.

“Sir, I finally found you!” Pike anxiously said. Then he ran to a nearby tree and started throwing up again.

Husker still lay on the cool grass, undisturbed by Pike’s interruption. “Hey Parry, I wonder which idiot would give his life to protect me when the war begins…” Husker murmured.

Pike replied, “Sir, the owner of the jadeite must be protected at all cost, even if it meant sacrificing one’s life. That is the law.”

“I’m not good at this, Parry. I just made a mess out of it…”

“Sir, you’ll do great,” Pike stood up straight and said, “the 5th Battalion is assembled for your inspection, Sir.”

Husker picked himself up and put on his dark green beret.

“Let’s go then, Parry. Let’s not keep the 5th Battalion waiting…”

Master Sergeant Pike saluted Husker and he returned the salute.

“Sir, the 5th Battalion and special reinforcement team are assembled, Sir. All accounted for, Sir. Permission to carry on, Sir.”

Husker gave a weak nod.

Pike did a short march to face the entire battalion of soldiers and yelled the command.

“Good morning, gentlemen.”

GOOD MORNING, SIR!

“I’m Colonel Husker, deployed to command the 5th Battalion as your new commanding officer because Lieutenant Colonel Myer’s condition worsened and was sent back to the capital. Currently, we still have hundred and twenty six soldiers from the Nebula Company who are still Missing In Action. Let’s bring them home. The special reinforcement team will be dissolved into the 5th Battalion, please work together harmoniously. I am under your care.”

Husker finished off with a bow to the soldiers. After the Battalion fell out, the platoons were whispering among themselves. It seemed like they had no confidence in their new commanding officer…