Witness [A First Contact Romance]

10. Competition Day

Lumiea

Year -20 (L.D.)

Aeryn's childhood home had smelled of dirt and earthy crops. And her school grounds of wild flowers. Today at Iyla the wind whipped up the jarring smell of tangy blood mingling with that of fried foods.

It was her first Competition Day, but she'd heard from others who had lived here longer than her that it was essentially the best holiday of the year. It took so much rigorous training to arrive at Iyla that she'd never had time for fun or friends. Now that she'd been truly accepted here, that had dramatically changed. Commander Vehru and the instructors had altered the rules she lived by. No longer was it leave all those you love behind and have no ties. Aeryn's comrades were to be her family and Iyla her world. She had arrived.

A full-throated roar bursting with agony and stubborn fury erupted from the closest pit. Aeryn glanced over to see two women, slick with sweat, lunging for one another. The one who had been screaming hadn't stopped. Her dislocated arm waved uselessly at her side as she thrust forward with the small boom of force exerted from her palm mod. The two clashed with their fists striking faster than seemed possible. A mist of blood caught the breeze.

"Nice." Nikka grinned beside her, eyeing the same sparring match. "I can't wait for my day."

The fellow first year private had become one of her only friends. While Aeryn studied the sciences and only engaged in basic training, Nikka excelled as a combat soldier with a focus on cybernetic processing enhancements. It made them a nice pair, that while many soldiers wanted the latest weapon upgrades and mod packs, Nikka trained her mind, edging out many competitors with instinct honed by a brain that could run like a computer in battle. The science behind it was far more intriguing than boot thrusters or energized palm implants. And that intrigued Aeryn.

This Competition Day intrigued her as well. The training fields had been transformed. Simple pits roped off with a short fence littered the field, while larger stages for the more advanced soldiers were concentrated at the center of the festival. Food vendors from all over the nearby city flocked in to sell to the soldiers-in-training, the instructors, and their families. Although the purpose of Competition Day was to provide intense training and to test the freshly recruited soldiers, it had grown into an enormous festival at some point. But it was also their final task to accomplish before actually entering the field. Part of the training here at Iyla required two-week tours in active war zones to help keep the insurrectionists at bay. These competitions prepared them for the real battles they would face at the end of the month.

The conflicting smell of blood and food filled her mind again.

"I wonder how the matches on the stage are." Aeryn peered far across the field, trying to catch a glimpse. They would have to make their way over there soon.

It still felt too early for her and Nikka to compete. But all soldiers took part in Competition Day, no matter how fresh they were. And it always started with the fighters. To get into the good matches that actually drew real crowds, combat soldiers had to earn their spot. That usually meant several years at Iyla. Her friend Nikka would duel in cheap pits on the outskirts of the field where dozens of other boots had already trampled the grass to mud.