The wind had kicked up a troublesome dust cloud that whipped and bit at peoples uncovered faces, but Solomon's mood could not be cast down as he crunched one of the gingerbread biscuits between his teeth, keeping his lips sealed as to not ruin the taste with air-sand. Decius sat outside the command squads barracks in the dust, with Private Schniebler kneeling beside him, talking in hushed words, not noticing Solomon until he was stood next to them, offering them both a cinnamon roll. "They look alike though!" whispered Schniebler before he silenced himself. Solomon looked at the two men inquisitively before asking them who looks like who.
"They look very similar, just paler and weirder coloured eyes!" said Decius quietly and quickly to the two men, looking over his shoulder to see if any one else was near by, Solomon just blinked at him. What was the young lad nattering on about now? Copan Schniebler cleared his throat as the wind kicked up even more dust, "Sir, The Gryph... and Those creatures on that green ship we butted heads with, come to think of it, it was a Gryph ship, wasnt it? It looked just like the ones in orbit, watching our landing" Solomon paused as he recalled the pale murderous creatures on the beach in his head.
Similar heights.
Similar head shape.
Exact eye shape.
Solomon dismissed the idea to the two men, however would ponder on the thought silently for a few more days to come. Solomon sat with the two men, asking them how they liked their rooms and the Red Sector, Decius fetched his helmet that was still wet from the red colouring that now had a red line running down the middle of the once fully blue head bowl. proudly, he presented the coloured piece of metal to Solomon, "What do you think of the new colours, boss?" he asked eagerly, as if needing his peers approval of his work. Solomon nodded with a smile as he excused himself from the two men, making his way down the dusty street towards the scolding sun. The company commanders of The Evergreen had been summoned to the command building that stood with full armoured plate walls, unlike the slums the soldiers and civilians had been given, half built from wood and stone, half plated walls. The Command structure was always the first priority. Solomon understood this, growing up with a military family, he knew, without the command structure, if the settlements were attacked, there would be no defensible haven. no last stand. The forces would be split into small pockets to be picked off one by one until they had all been slaughtered, As high as Solomon held his men and women fighters, he knew, without a defence point, they wouldn't last long. He knew it was always possible, because it had happened before. The Luna Rebellions; it's how they overrun and beat them. The Evergreen had been deployed on a flanking mission against one of the Primary War Lords who had fled to Mars the entire 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 11th companies had been obliterated on the landing zone with much more of the other companies. Only remnants of the other military bodies had survived. A dark time. So many family died on that mission.
Solomon sighed deeply as he recalled the O'Riley Twins, finding their shot up bodies in the room that once resembled the Evergreen Third Companies Armoury with most of the remains of the third. Captain Tricks had suffered an insufferable loss that day. So many friends, brothers and sisters in arms killed. It took its toll on the poor man. Not even out of his twenties and suffered more loss than most people will ever suffer in their entire long lives three times over.
The Sun had risen past its central point and had begun to slowly descend as Solomon entered the heavily sandbagged entrance. Walls reinforced with the local sand in brown bags, two Human Soldiers stood with a salute as Solomon approached the entrance area. The dust kicked up from the wind had made his blue uniform more of a tanned and weathered shade, with a cough, he patted himself down, causing a small cloud to surround him. The small sandbagged room ended with an armoured door, and the two armed soldiers who looked Solomon up and down, clearly scanning for his command colour and emblem. Clearing the cloud with his hands and approaching them, his command emblem obviously became clear as they straightened their backs with another salute and opened the heavy armoured door. The floor past the door was immaculate. Clean beyond belief considering the previous room, you could build a sand castle or two! The room was spacious, small lights built in the walls and ceiling illuminating the way, three rows of black coloured metal seating lined up in the centre of the room. Solomon looked for a sign for 'Briefing Room'. After a couple of attempts, he sighed, rubbing his eyes which itched from the sand, walking over to a water cooler he had just spotted in the corner of the waiting room, he got himself a cup of water and waited. For what? he did not know. A sign, perhaps. After his second cup, the heavily armoured door opened again and, in walked the massive hulking body of Captain Deeph, leering a glance at Solomon, Lucius merely grunted with a nod towards the corridor. Quickly finishing his drink, Solomon followed Lucius down the metal clean corridor with doors every few meters on each side. Lucius eventually halted at one half way down, and entered. All the Company Commanders were in attendance, already seated. They had been waiting on Solomon and Lucius.