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Trinity RPG: Back to the Stars - Prelude: Fire & Ice [Astrid Magnussen]


Krul

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The Legions, the psychokinetic order, masters of motion, able to develop control over fire, ice and movement, a paramilitary organization devoted to the protection of humanity, centered in Australia, with active divisions all over the place. Lead by General Solvieg Larresn, the psychokinetic proxy, the Legions is one of the most loved of the orders, in part because they are the first into the breach, the fighters in the trenchs, and quite open about their purpose.

Psychokinetic latency is one of the most common forms of latency, and it also has the largest number of psions, some where around 10,000 or so. Into this situation, comes one Astrid Magnussen, tested for psychokinetic latency and coming out very strongly, the order has offered her a place within their ranks, and apparently has a few ideas of where she can best fit.

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Exceptional.

It sounded nice, she decided, rolling it slowly about in her mind, savoring each syllable like a stolen candy melting on her tongue. She appreciated, too, the way the Legion recruiter's lips shaped the word as she peeked around the edge of the open kitchen doorway. It helped that he was good-looking, of course, with sharp cheekbones and a hawkish nose, and hints of grey in his well-trimmed hair. She couldn't tell what color his eyes were, but in the glow of the firelight crackling merrily in the den, they seemed wonderfully dark and mysterious.

How noble he looks! she thought dreamily, leaning on the door frame and studying his profile against the flickering orange and gold of the fire. He was certainly nothing like the boys in the kommune, or even in Trondheim. He must have been a hero in his own country many times over, she was sure, and her thoughts were filled with the dozens of battles he must have won.

"Sir, I... we just don't understand. How has this happened?" It sounded strange to hear him speaking in English. Astrid smiled at the rumble of her father's voice, and she was sure if she just averted her gaze slightly, she'd see his bear-like form enthroned in his massive, sagging recliner. The frame of the chair creaked in protest as Eirik shifted. Her mother, she knew, would be sitting quietly nearby, fidgeting with something in her hands as she listened and tried not to interrupt; the scarf she'd been knitting, perhaps.

I don't understand either, pappa. Is it a mistake, maybe? If not, it must be that it ought to be so, ja? There was no way to be sure. Even if it had been an error, this man was here now, and who could say whether this, even if it was a mistake, was not her fate? It was too convoluted to think on long without having a headache, so she resolved to pay more attention to the conversation and leave such questions to those better suited to the task.

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"How has this happened? I am not sure as to your meaning, sir, but I can give you the basics. About one individual in 8000 to 10000 possesses psionic potential, and only about 1 in a 100 of those possesses the level of potential your daughter possesses. Humanity needs people with her strength and capability." He turned to Astrid, and smiled at her. "Not to mention drive, and sense of responsiblity."

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Astrid winced as the recruiter glanced in her direction, knowing her parents would do likewise. She'd been trying to keep out of sight, to listen to the conversation without interrupting, but it hadn't worked out quite the way she'd intended.

"I didn't mean to interrupt. I just thought someone might be thirsty," she murmured, grateful that the red flooding her cheeks would be mostly obscured by the firelight. She could feel the weight of her father's gaze, inwardly sighing with relief when he muttered a gruff assent.

"Coffee, unless our guest prefers something else."

His tone brooked no argument; the stern-faced, middle-aged man was clearly unhappy with the reason for the recruiter's presence, but the rules of hospitality were not to be questioned.

"Yes, pappa." Coffee was practically a staple in every Norwegian household, and the Magnussen home was no exception. When the Legionnaire just nodded his head, the young girl ducked back into the kitchen, blushing furiously. She had never been praised so effusively before- it simply wasn't done in Norway- and though pleased, it did make her more than a little uncomfortable.

As the awkward silence in the other room grew deafening, Astrid busied herself in the kitchen.

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The recruiter, such that he was, looked between the girl, her father, and back to the parents again. Ah, that's the problem, the girl's parents had a very clear idea what they wanted for her, and now that's all been turned upside down. He thought to himself, even as he turned his full attention on her parents, setting the girl herself to the side for the moment.

"Sir, humanity is at war, with the Abberants, with the alien Chromatics, and who knows who else in the future. Not a war for resources, but a war for our very survival. Your daughter has the exceptional talent and strength to add to the legions, the kind that is rarely seen amoung latents." He paused a moment.

"This is a rare thing, and it's because of her genetics, from both of you, that it's even possible." He leaned back and waited, even as Astrid returned with the coffee, taking it from her with thanks.

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  • 2 weeks later...

There was no way to slink back into the kitchen now, not after the Legionnaire had called her out. Resignedly, Astrid took a seat near her mother and held her mug of coffee in both hands. She knew her parents weren't happy with her, though the presence of the soldier gave their displeasure a more immediate target. She didn't understand why they were angry, and the first real argument they'd ever had as a family- the one they'd had a week ago when the school contacted them about her "career choice"- really hadn't resolved much. Hadn't they always told her how important it was to defend her home? To cultivate strength, and protect the things that were important? To live joyfully, to grow from hardship, and never shirk from her duty?

She couldn't have known it, but her parents had thought of nothing but that over the past few days. With her placid temperament and apparent lack of ambition, they never expected she'd do something so rash, so careless, and so completely in line with their faith. It was all well and good to cherish the old ways, but when it came to their only daughter, well, who could blame them for being reluctant to send her off to her death?

It took several hours, and more coffee accompanied by thick ham sandwiches on warm, homemade bread, before they finally, grudgingly, conceded to the Legionnaire's arguments and Astrid's wishes.

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It wasn’t easy for her parents, indeed, it is rarely easy for parents when their children leave the nest, but sooner or later, regardless it must happen. In this case, both of them almost regretted the way that they had raised their daughter, but both of them had to admit, privately, to one another, that she had proved herself much more true to the way she was raised then they expected.

It took another day or so, but finally, with a certain amount of reluctance, her parents gave her their blessing. Of course, at 16 years of age, she required her parents approval and blessing. Finally, however, with their agreement, she was prepared to begin the 12 week basic training course that General Larssen required all Legionnaire members to go through.

Her father even had a private word with her, before they let her go “It’s not easy, to send my little girl out to war, darling, even though it is in keeping with our faith. A father wants to protect his daughters, not send them to battle. I love you, Astrid, darling, and I know you’ll make me proud.” With a kiss to the forehead, he sent her onto the plane that would take her to basic training, before she was triggered to her new aptitude.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Basic training, for the Legions, is 12 weeks of some of the toughest hardest military training one can experance. It's designed to take a civilian, who might normally do whatever they want, and turn them into a soldier who does that they are told. The Legions don't also don't separate their soldiers, except in terms of sleeping quarters for male and female, other then that, normal or potential psion, skin color, personal creed, it's all the same. What's important, is that your signing on to become one of the defenders of humanity. Indeed that was part of her initial oath of service, to defend humanity, and to obey her superiors with the order.

The next 12 weeks are spent with her Drill Sergeants driving Astrid and her fellow trainees hard, pushing them physically and mentally, training them to live and think like a soldier, rather then a civilian. Some of that time is also spent teaching her military command structure, leadership, and some measure of fighting, with weapons and without in bare handed combat. It was a intense 12 weeks, what moments aren't spent in training, are spent sleeping, or standing guard while the others in her unit are sleeping.

Mornings involve getting up hours before the sun rises for physical training and exercise, and exercising until everyone but the most physically fit are pushed to their physical limits. Then just enough time to get cleaned up, take a shower, and run down to the chow hall, eat, and then off to the next part of training. Which could be marskmanship, or hand to hand, or military justice or procedures of command, etc. The day would end with yet more physical training, and long after the sun had set, they would return to the barracks, to clean up after a long day, shower, and then sleep, after being required to set up a rotating guard roster for the night. That was just the physical aspects, the trainers, were also working to push folks in order to get the mentally weak or generally unsuitable to drop out, and to get the trainees to the point that they obeyed commands instantly without thinking about them. some of the individuals who were physically capable of dealing with the training, were not capable of dealing with it mentally.

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