Free First To Fight (The Empire's Corps Book 11) by Christopher Nuttall

me when I went to war.
     
    “See how easy it is to quit?”  Bainbridge asked.  “Anyone else want to go now?”
     
    There was an awkward pause.  No one said a word.  I tried to avoid rubbing my arms as the Drill Instructors looked at us, then started to show us more exercises.  Some of them were easy enough, others were far more complicated; the stretching exercises, in particular, seemed designed to tear our limbs from their sockets.  I puzzled over them as we were put through our paces, then ordered to take another run to the Chow Hall and back.
     
    “There are fifty headshots - criminal acts - you can commit that will get you kicked out of Boot Camp,” Bainbridge informed us, as we ran.  “These include insubordination, use of drugs, tobacco and alcohol, possession and/or consumption of food outside designated eating periods, possession of any contraband, failure to perform duties as assigned to you by lawful authority, being absent without leave and, last, but far from least, fraternisation.  To repeat; any of those offences will get you a punishment that may range from summarily discharged to court martial and execution.  You will have those offences read to you every day, along with the definition of each offence.  You will have no excuse for committing any of them!”
     
    “Fraternisation,” Nordstrom said.  He was talking and running, but he didn't sound even remotely winded.  “Sexual contact with a marine, marine recruit, marine auxiliary or marine consultant.  Punishment: immediate discharge from the corps.  You may request a court martial, if you wish, but a court martial can heap additional punishment on you if it feels you have no acceptable excuse.”
     
    I glanced at the recruits running beside me.  They were all male: hot, sweaty, smelly and tired.  It didn't seem likely that I’d come to see any of them as potential conquests, assuming I’d have the energy.  The files I’d read told me that we’d be worked to death every day, then woken up after seven hours of sleep to do it all over again.  It wasn't until later that I learned just how badly sexual integration had damaged the Imperial Army when the discipline to enforce regulations against fraternisation had faltered.  The Marine Corps was determined not to allow it to undermine its fighting power.
     
    The day started to blur into a haze as we worked our way through a long program of exercises, running, more exercises and yet more running.  I rapidly realised that Bainbridge hadn't been kidding about using push-ups as punishment; every little mistake, no matter how minor, was greeted with an order to do an immediate ten push-ups.  Nordstrom watched us closely, snapping orders to repeat the entire ten push-ups if a single one was dropped.  We lost two more recruits after lunch, when one gave up in the middle of a push-up and the other tried to throw a punch at Nordstrom.  The Drill Instructor caught his arm and asked if he wanted to quit.  It wasn't until later that I realised it was a mercy.  Legally, the recruit could have been put in front of a court martial for attempting to strike a superior officer.
     
    By the time we staggered back into barracks, we were tired, cranky and utterly drained ... but it didn't end.  The Drill Instructors lined us up in front of the showers and demonstrated how to use them, one by one.  I couldn't believe it when they told us we were expected to wash by numbers - heads, then arms, then legs, etc - but they were insistent.  Somehow, I forgot my embarrassment as we were marched through a hasty shower, then were guided towards our bunks.  I noted that several of the other recruits clearly intended to go to the head after the rest of us were fast asleep.  It was hard to blame them.  I knew, all too well, what could happen to people at school who were caught in the toilets by the bullies.
     
    “If you wish to make a head call,” Bainbridge informed us, once we had all showered