SERE: Survival, evasion, resistance and escape

I had been in a dozen different military academies since the age of five. My father was a fleet admiral and a bastard as far as I was concerned. My mother had left not long after I was born and I had no idea where she was. My father's new post meant one more military academy on a new world.

I was sixteen and Gregson world was an old colony. The academy was a couple of thousand kilometers from the nearest city or town. A lot of noble children or children of the rich were sent here. Mostly it was because they got into trouble and it was their last stop. On the trip down I had looked at the dozen new students arriving with me.

It was mid year and I knew that would mean trouble from those that had been here. I pulled the leash for the large travel case and followed the others off the cargo shuttle. A sergeant in a pressed uniform was already bellowing for us to line up. Of course the others did not know what to do but I caught a girl my age and pulled her after me to a line on the tarmac.

I showed her how to stand and then came to attention beside her. It was several minutes before the sergeant loaded us onto a vehicle. I leaned back and the girl looked at me and grinned, "thanks."

The others were still gripping and I smiled and nodded. She cleared her throat, "I am Emma."

I glanced at her, "Cory."

When we reached the academy grounds it was a repeat of when we got off the shuttle. At least this time everyone knew a little about what to do. I ended up with a room to myself and then joined the others in a complete issue of new uniforms and equipment. Next was orientation and then class schedules.

I noticed something strange about a few instructors and the way they kept looking at Emma. I knew she was beautiful but it was not lust I saw. My first confrontation came after the classes ended for the day. The cadet company commander walked into my room without knocking.

I was unpacking and glanced at him, "next time knock."

He sneered, "I am your company..."

I turned, "I do not give a fuck who you are. You enter my room without knocking again and I will teach you all about pain. Now get the fuck out."

He straightened, "you have..."

I took a step, "get out before I break something."

He backed away while pointing, "you have five demerits and will report to..."

I stepped and grabbed his hand and twisted and turned. I yanked and brought him around and into the wall and followed as he yelled. I grabbed his hair, "listen close sperm sucker. You fuck with me and I will break your legs."

I shoved him and backed away, "now get the fuck out of my room."

He turned and glared but when I shifted he ran for the door. I sighed, "I really hate being the new boy."

A minute later a instructor stepped into the room, "at ease!"

I ignored him as I kept putting things away and he growled, "get your ass to parade rest!"

I glanced at him, "I have had a long trip. Go away before you piss me off."

He moved and reached for me and a lifetime of military academies and martial arts kicked in. I slid back as I caught his hand, twisted and yanked it down. He dropped to his knees while screaming and I snapped a kick out and into his chest as I let the hand go. He flew back and rolled before coming to his feet, "you just made a big mistake punk."

I shifted and waited as he moved towards me. I brushed the front kick away and then leaned back as I deflected a fist. I slid in as he started to spin in a spinning back fist and caught his arm and kicked behind his knee. I turned and lifted and slammed him down hard and followed with a strike in the gut.

I rolled away and came to my feet as he gasped for air, "get up and fight!"

He rolled but still could not get air and that was when the other two instructors arrived. I gestured, "come on!"

One grinned as the other started to pull a stun bag pistol and I spun and yanked out a plasma pistol and aimed. They froze and the one with the stun bag pistol licked his lips. I gestured, "drop it."

He did and the other growled, "there is no place you can go."

I grinned, "I can beat your ass until someone comes to rescue you."

His face paled and I kicked the one still on his knees, "get your ass up and get out."

He glared, "if you did not..."

I laughed, "I could put it down and let you try again."

He backed away and all three left and I sighed. I knew what was coming next and put the nose filters in as I went back to putting things away. The hiss told me I was right and I glanced at the door when two of the instructors started to come in, "get out."

They were wearing masks and froze before backing out. It was several minutes before the wall comm came on. I turned to see my father and he growled, "what the fuck do you think you are doing?"

I snorted, "I have had enough abuse from assholes like these."

He leaned forward, "I do not care if you..."

I took a step, "exactly! You are a bastard and do not care about me or what happens to me. Everything is about you and your fleet and your command. Guess what you son of a bitch, I am not in your command!"

He sat back and sighed, "I do not have time for your tantrums Cory."

I snorted, "you do not have time for me at anytime. One more year and you can kiss my ass."

He shook his head, "give them the weapon and face the punishment. We will talk in a few weeks."

I glanced at the door to see a guy in the uniform of a general. I looked at my father, "do not bother."

I hit the disconnect and turned, "you might as well come in."

I went to finished unpacking as the school headmaster, General Diamond stepped in. I glanced at him, "your ... instructors are heavy handed and incompetent. I am not playing your military soldier games. I am here to learn and have no intention of becoming a soldier."

He looked at me calmly, "you will do as..."

I turned, "actually I will go to classes and learn and that is it. If your dumb ass wantabe soldiers push it I will hurt them. I have been doing this since I was five and have had enough."

He blinked and then smiled, "okay. I guess we will send you back to your father."

I grinned, "and return the money he paid?"

His face turned red, "you are..."

I laughed, "I am a kid that is tired of bullies."

He shook his head, "fine but you are going to have to wait until next quarter."

I looked at him, "and what do I do until then?"

He turned towards the door, "sit in your room and stare at the wall."

He stopped in the door, "or you could mentor one of the new students on a SERE course."

He grinned, "something to keep them busy."

I thought of the girl Emma and smiled, "maybe I will."

After he left it was quiet as I went to shower and put a utility uniform on. I walked out and went looking and found Emma scrubbing a floor with a cadet sergeant leaning against the wall watching her. I ignored the cadet and cleared my throat, "you going out on the SERE course tomorrow?"

She looked up as the cadet hissed, "she is being..."

I looked at him, "shut the fuck up and leave before I hurt you."

His face went red before he spun, "lets see you play that with one of the instructors."

I watched him leave before looking at Emma as she giggled. She smiled, "yeah we can not start until the new quarter in a week so all the new people are going out on that course."

I looked at the instructor that came around the corner, "want a partner?"

Emma grinned, "sure."

I nodded, "see you first thing in the morning. Wear something warm under the utility uniform."

The instructor stopped, "do not interfere with..."

I snorted, "go play soldier somewhere else before you get hurt."

I looked at Emma, "see you in the morning."

I turned and walked away and shoved the smirking cadet sergeant into the wall, "try being a man instead of a crybaby."

I returned to my room and pulled out a few things and slipped them into the pockets of another utility uniform. I went to eat at the warning bell and slipped out after and walked around. I stopped at the hedges around a smoking area for the instructors. I looked out towards a large pool and heard instructors come out.

I shifted and was ready to walk away when they started to talk. One cleared his throat "listen up."

I pulled my comp and began to record everything as they spoke at the same time. The instructors quieted, "the new girl Emma Gossemer is to have an accident on the SERE course. Her aunt is paying us twice the normal fee. We are getting paid extra if the body disappears for a few weeks before it is found."

One of the others growled, "that asshole is going with her."

Another one snorted, "kill him too."

They laughed and the first one spoke again, "just make it look like an accident. Take them when they try to escape and make it look like they got away."

I slipped away and headed back to my room while going over what they had said. I added a couple of things to the uniform pockets and exchanged a few things. I laid back on the bed after setting the alarm. I sent a encrypted message with the recording to a friend that was the son of a imperial judge. I told him what I heard, when I heard it and where and what I was going to do.

I woke to the quiet beep of my watch and rolled out of bed and went to the fresher. I found Emma's room and knocked before opening the door. She turned with another girl who blushed and I stepped in and crossed to check what she was putting on. I ignored the other girl as I tossed clothes aside and pulled out others.

I stripped her as she grinned and rubbed both nipples before I dressed her carefully, "now we can go."

My mind was spinning as we left the building and headed for the transport. One of the instructors was already there and sneered as he tossed us rations. I caught Emma and had her wait as we climbed into the transport. She looked at me as I tucked the ration inside my shirt and reluctantly copied me.

The other last minute students arrived and climbed in and started eating as the transport lifted. Six instructors watched us as the transport flew towards the training area they were going to use. When the transport landed the instructors started the safety briefing. I watched the other five as they constantly watched me and Emma.

First we would have a day to play prisoner and resist their torture. After that we were supposed to find a way to escape. We had to survive and evade capture once we escaped. There was a mock prison camp and we were marched towards the gate. My eyes looked at everything, this was not my first time doing a SERE course.

I was not going to wait for them to start the torments and saw four of the instructors peel off and head for a small building. We were pushed and shoved towards what looked like a large standing cage. I slowed and let the others move forward while holding Emma back. I was the last one going through the cage door when I made my move.

I side stepped and caught one of the instructors and spun to slam his head into the solid bars of the cage. I kicked out and into the groin of the other as he lunged towards me and he folded over. I slammed the head of the first one into the bar again and let him fall as I moved after the other one.

I grabbed his hair and yanked him up and then down as I brought my knee up. It struck his face and he flew back and down and lay still. I knelt and stripped the weapon belt with the stun bag pistol off before moving to the other one and holding out the belt to Emma, "take this."

She hesitated before moving closer and taking it, "what are you doing?"

All the others were looking at me and listening and I growled, "these fucks are planning to kill you. I heard them last night and we are not waiting around to give them a chance."

I stripped the other weapon belt off the instructor and slugged him, "see you in hell asshole."

I stood and grabbed her hand as I started out of the cage, "time to go."

I pulled Emma after me as I headed for the locked gate and let her go when we got there. I kicked three of the barbed strands on the bottom lose and held them while she crawled out. I followed and started putting the weapon belt on as we headed for the forest. The safe area was to the south but that was not the direction we were going.