Along one of the shallow flowing creek beds, four young boys move quietly in a “V” formation with a bright eyed, well built looking lad leading the way as if on a military operation. The eager squad is armed with harmless toy rifles and a great deal of enthusiasm.
“Why are we walking through the water?” Asks one of the young boys.
The leader of the young squad, Alexander, replies sharply, “Because the most difficult approach is the least expected by the enemy, silence!”
After scouting ahead, Alexander carefully places each of his young friends along the rising outer bank of the creek bed, and then orders the assault. Suddenly, the four young Soldiers-to-be pounce on their enemies, screaming a war cry and shooting their harmless rifles on a small group of unprepared slaves working a tobacco field near the large house.
“Surrender yourself to the Empire or face certain death!!!” screams Alex as he charges the very surprised field workers.
Abruptly, from the direction of the house, a large, deep voice booms, “Alex! What did I tell you about bothering the slaves while they work? Get over here right now!” Pointing to his friends, “All of you, go home immediately.”
Instantly, Alex’s friends vanished in a mad dash for safety from the imposing voice’s owner, Philip Audaci. With this head down, Alex slowly walked towards his father who was standing on the wide front porch of the large house. His father stared menancingly down on his son as he approached. Philip was tall, well built, with piercing blue eyes and a cold intelligence that struck fear into the very souls of those who didn’t know him, not to mention his son. The piercing eyes betrayed the secrets of quiet man who had seen too much in service to the Emperor. A renowned Officer in the Imperial Army, Phillip was a proud man with proven combat experience in the vital, yet much less glorious role of a ground commander. He’d fought countless campaigns on behalf of the Empire, against slave rebellions, pirates, and the Minmatar in places where the famed power of the Emperor’s starships could not reach. Slowly, Phillip had risen through the ranks to become one of the most powerful and widely respected ground commanders in the Army, before retiring and moving back to his home planet in Sarum Prime. Unlike the glorious captains of the Empire’s Battle cruisers, Philip faced his enemies face to face in armed combat, fighting for his life and the lives of his men.
As Alex approached you could see the pain in the eyes of a father who wanted dearly for his son to pursue a different path, a path of peace and prosperity, but knew that was not to be as he observed his son leading peers in imaginary combat operations at such a young age. There was simply too much of him in his son to prevent the inevitable.
“Son, explain yourself.” Demanded Phillip.
Standing erect, with shoulders back and eyes forward, “No excuse, Sir. I knew better then to bother the slaves from their work.”
“You knew, and yet persisted anyways. As punishment, tomorrow you will work alongside them from dawn to dusk. You will share in their provisions, in their sweat, and in their blood. “
Looking down, “Yes sir.”
“Alex, there is more to leading then hunting defenseless workers. To be a true leader, capable of inspiring calm in the midst of chaos, you must create a team, and to build a team you must share with your men the sacrifices they make. You must share in their sacrifice of blood, sweat, and tears. Only through shared hardships can you gain the trust and respect of your subordinates. That will be tomorrow’s lesson, a lesson, I trust, you will not soon forget.”
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