Marcus of Duros Ch. 01

Most of his lieutenants were between the ages of 19 and 26, which in Durosian society was prime marriage age.

A young man was expected to join The Legion after completing his training at the war college, which had started when he was eight years old, and only finished when he was sixteen.

Raw recruits out of the war college were ranked as privates with promotions to lead sections of four men as corporals, or squads of eight as sergeants, when positions became available.

From sergeant, the very brightest and most capable leaders were promoted to lieutenant and put in command of a platoon which comprised of 36 men, or four squads.

Lieutenants who excelled were then elevated to captain in command of a company of 148 men. Many never rose above the rank of captain, as it was second in seniority only to the position which Marcus now held: Battalion Commander.

The Legion of Duros consisted of 16 independent battalions which consisted of four companies. The battalions carried out the various contracts which The Lords of Duros entered into. If more than one battalion was required, then the most senior Commander would lead the campaign.

In addition to serving at least twenty years of service in the Legion of Duros, it was expected that each man sire two children. At least enough to take the place of himself and his wife in the next generation. Having more was often encouraged, so as to bolster the number of troops in The Legion. To achieve this end, many young men married soon after they had several campaigns under their belts.

Pregnancies outside of a marriage were not permitted, and the fetuses were aborted by the medical division. Furthermore, babies born with defects, or babies that were born which were likely to require lifelong support were killed. While some deplored these practices, a strong majority of Durosian society defended them as essential to state survival in the age after the war.

His young lieutenants began to blush under his scrutiny as he smiled slightly, knowing full well that each of them intended to seek out a patron to arrange a wedding as soon as they were back in Duros.

He hoped that his lieutenants would treat their wives kindly, unlike some men of The Legion. As he dismissed the men and began to walk back to his quarters he contemplated the customs of his state.

It was not uncommon in Durosian society for a man to abuse his wife, both physically and sexually, and since there were no laws forbidding such treatment, it was allowed to continue. While it did not occur in public, which would have been frowned upon as weakness on the husband's part, behind closed doors a man was infallible, and his wife was merely his property.

As with the other social mandates of The Lords of Duros with which he disagreed, Marcus was resigned to their immutable presence in his state. He didn't like it, but he couldn't change the fact that the laws would remain, assuring an unequal society. After all, The Lords of Duros had ultimate and limitless authority over Duros.

The Lords were elected officials who served for ten years. There were five Lords, and every two years, the term of one Lord was up and there would be a general election for the man who would fill his position. There was little political campaigning, and no lead up to the election. Election day was held on the 15th of December in the middle of summer when there was often very little campaigning to be done. It was irrelevant anyway, because by law, no contract could interfere with election day.

On election day the entire Legion crammed into the meeting hall's stadium seating, which was the only building in Duros that could fit all of the nearly 10,000 men. In the morning all those who wished to be considered for the position of Lord of Duros wrote his name on a large board. Typically the candidates were decorated officers who had recently, or were about to retire from the Legion, but there were no codified restrictions on candidacy.

After lunchtime, when the Legionaries returned, each candidate would discuss why they felt they should be considered, and went over their career histories and personal politics. After all the candidates had spoken, the men marked the name of their choice for the new Lord of Duros on a slip of paper and placed it in the voting box. When the men returned from dinner, the winner was announced and sworn in.

As he walked back to his quarters Marcus wondered briefly if Captain Jarrod would put his name forward to be considered for the position of Lord of Duros the following year when the next election occurred. Jarrod was nearing mandatory retirement age, within the next three years as it happened, and had often hinted that he would not be content with a quiet retirement job.

Reaching the door to his quarters he remembered that he had thought to look in on Paxton after dinner. He knew that occasionally, younger officers needed some support when they had undergone an extreme loss.

He sighed loudly. All he really wanted to do was go to bed, but instead he turned on his heel and headed towards Paxton's quarters on the deck below.

As he neared the door he heard muted voices from inside the tiny room. He quietly turned the handle, and for once something on the ship didn't squeak, as he inched the door open. Paxton and Jarrod were sitting together on Paxton's bunk, talking quietly while tears rolled freely down Paxton's face.

Marcus shook his head as he walked back to his cabin. He certainly hoped Jarrod wouldn't make a bid for a Lordship. He wasn't sure he would be able to run he Battalion without his trusted second picking up his slack.

******