Chapter 852: Final Briefing (2)
Chapter 852: Final Briefing (2)
The projection displayed each category as Thion spoke."Your instructors will review it after the assessment. If you make a poor decision but explain the information available to you at the time, that will matter. If you make a reasonable decision and fail to record the reason, that failure will also matter. Command that cannot account for its choices is not command. It is impulse with witnesses."
Maxwell, muttered quietly, "That is definitely going to become Edith’s nightmare."
Dylan whispered back, "Edith looks like she was born holding a command log."
"She does, actually."
Thion did not appear to hear them, though with the Headmaster it was difficult to be sure.
"Objectives will come in phases," he continued, "but not always cleanly. Some tasks will be urgent. Some will be distractions. Some may become dangerous if accepted at the wrong time. The academy is not only testing obedience. It is testing judgment."
The earlier note from Lucia returned, but now it carried more weight.
"A commander may reject or delay an objective if they can justify it properly," Thion said. "But ignoring objectives out of laziness, fear, poor communication, or internal conflict will be punished. Understand the difference. One is command judgment. The other is failure dressed as caution."
Several students looked more uncomfortable with that than with the threats. It was easier to imagine fighting beasts than deciding whether an academy-issued objective should be delayed while peers argued and supplies dwindled.
The projection shifted to show a glowing image of the communication insignias they had been told they would receive.
"These insignias will assist with short-range communication," Thion said. "However, Eldervale’s Myst conditions may interfere with them. Signals may distort, weaken, or fail entirely in certain areas. You are expected to prepare backup methods. Runners. Signal stones. Prearranged meeting points. Marked routes. If your entire communication plan depends on one enchanted item working perfectly in a realm known for Myst irregularities, the failure will be yours."
Liam approved of that warning.
He also knew many students would still forget it once panic began.
Next, the projection changed to show the emergency extraction mark.
"Each of you will receive one emergency extraction mark before deployment," Thion said. "It is not a toy. It is not an easy escape button. It is not to be used because you are tired, frightened, embarrassed, separated from friends, or unhappy with your assigned role."