Oaths

"Repeat after me. I swear by the faithful of Ainbetae I will bear true allegiance to the precepts of the Canticle.”

Tycho Bane repeated the phrase—including his name after the opening “I” slightly ahead of the recruit to his left, Drax, and slightly behind the recruit to his right, Evgy. The group of 15 was this cycle’s graduating class. Fifteen of the sixty that began.

The commander continued, “And defend his Majesty, the Emperor, his heirs and successors, against all enemies.”

The graduates had shifted to a more uniform repetition of Commander Jenrenk’s citation of the Oath. Bane had hoped for this day for nearly as long as he could remember. Like any young child, he had first dreamed of the Marines or elite Nigarth Commandoes. The Regulator Corps of Yros were beyond his expectations, but Regulator recruiters had visited the school in the Noro orbital. They had seen some potential in the young Tycho, so much so the corps had financed his education. In fact, recruiting was so selective, the number found so few, that all potential Corps members received financed education and development training before entering the grueling four-cycle final preparation training.

“And observe and obey all orders of the officers appointed over me unto even the giving of my life.”

Noro, which circled the holy and reserved planet of Yros, was a 10,000-kilometer long rotating cylinder with a 1,000 kilometer radius. Its population of nearly five billion seemed an unlikely place to find a potential Regulator. 

“My property.”

Tycho felt the pride his father beamed when then Lieutenant Jenrenk had visited the Bane flat, absorbed its humble furnishings, and promised to the hard-working dock skipper a better future for his talented son.

“And my honor.” Jenrenk lifted his chin slightly and looked out over the recruits. Tycho thought he spied a rare, albeit just noticeable, smile on the man. “It is my sincerest pleasure as a commander to welcome you to the ranks of the Regulator Corps, the duties it asks of you, the sacrifices its requires of you, and the dedication necessitated from you. You serve not yourselves anymore. Rather, you serve the Imperium, the Canticles, the citizens of Yros, and the billions in the orbitals around Yros so many call home. I would, normally, recommend you have a celebration of this most prestigious day. But I have just received word of crisis. Already, you are needed. You are called to action. Report to your commanding officers in five.”

Drax turned to Tycho, smiled, and extended his hand, which Tycho took and then pulled Drax toward him. When they finished their hug, Evgy wrapped her arms around them both. They all congratulated each other. Evgy then left, rising up on her tiptoes to find Colonel Syont and report. Drax pointed over Tycho’s left shoulder, and when he turned, he saw Jenrenk. Both Drax and Tycho walked over, pressed their fists lightly to their chests, and said in unison, “Reporting.”

Jenrenk nodded, turned in his normally crisp manner and walked out the nearest exit.

#

The interrogation room was painted a solid black and kept to a fine gloss. Jenrenk, who ran this substation, maintained everything in as close to new condition as possible. Jenrenk turned to face both men. “Drax, stop that smiling. This is serious. You are here to observe for right now. Do not ask questions. But notice the suspects’ thoughts. This is a complex case. So I will focus on the general truthfulness of statements. Drax, you focus on thoughts that stray, that might be leaks to other substantive information. Tycho, you watch for non-linear memories, thoughts, whatever. If something comes up, just clear your throat. Clear?” Both nodded. “Good.”

With that final statement, the door dilated open and two regular security personnel brought in a petite woman, perhaps a few years older than Tycho’s 23. Her hair was a silvery-white, close cut on the sides but standing tall and stiff from the forehead to the back of the neck. She had the small, behind the ears port connections that many sported these days. Tycho preferred the older net-connected direct implants, which the Regulator Corps had paid for shortly after Tycho’s recruitment.