Shadow Slave

Master Jet pointed at another new symbol on the screen of his communicator.

"The process is basically the same. You can shop for members of the cohort through your comm… well, not really. Contribution points have nothing to do with the selection, of course. There is a pull of elite Awakened fighters that have been transferred to this port. The First Irregular Company has priority right to recruit forty-two of them, six per cohort. As the youngest captain, you get the first pick."

Sunny stared at the screen, deep in thought.

So, the first thing he had to do was to pick six Awakened that would become his soldiers during the Antarctica campaign. He had no doubt that each of them was an elite warrior among the government forces… but being a good fighter was not enough.

Creating a strong cohort was no small feat. Its members not only had to be able to pull their own weight, but also meet a long list of needs that a combat unit possessed. This was especially true for the seven cohorts that were going to comprise the First Irregular Company, since each of them was expected to operate independently.

In a sense, this approach was more familiar to him. Awakened serving a large force were able to specialize within the confines of their units. One cohort could do especially well in melee combat, but lack the means of dealing damage from range. Another cohort could specialize in attacking exclusively from distance. By working together, these different units were able to shore up each other's weaknesses and allow the soldiers to express their greatest strengths.

An independent cohort was very different. Although it could possess a specialization, it had to be well-rounded and excel in various aspects by necessity. This is how most cohorts in the Dream Realm functioned, and what Sunny was familiar with.

In any case, choosing six Awakened that could fulfill a multitude of roles while synergizing with each other was a daunting task. There was a lot of factors he would have to consider.

And after that… he had to assume command of these strangers and lead them into battle after battle. Their survival was his responsibility. Their deaths, should any of his soldiers fall, would be on his conscience, too.

Sunny let out a long sigh, then looked at Master Jet.

"Any advice?"

a few moments,

element and the deadliest weapon of the cohort. Don't neglect variability, but

Sunny smiled.

can do a bit of everything. That leaves me at a disadvantage in some situations, but it also means that I can work well with a great variety of Awakened. Anyone can benefit from having

for a few

itself. Since you are not limited by a narrow focus, the best course of action would be to assemble a well-balanced group of fighters that can respond to any situation with a high level of effectiveness. That will actually make my job a bit

lingered for a bit, and then

piece of advice I can give, it's to not neglect utility in favor of direct combat strength. Antarctica… no matter how prepared we think we are, it is going to test us in ways that no one expects. Things will go wrong, and then go from bad to worse. Mobility, survival, mental resilience… all these things and plenty others might turn out to be much more important than we think. It is also going to be a long, cruel, and punishing campaign. Keep that

sighed. Long, cruel, and punishing… that was basically the description of most of his experiences with the Nightmare

his communicator

probably older than me. They are also devoted government servants, while I am somewhat of a hired mercenary. I doubt that they will be happy to be

Reaper shook her

it's a sign of excellence and greater potential. After all, none of us managed to Ascend before turning twenty. I am considered somewhat of a prodigy, and you beat my record by five years. So, I don't expect these

added

inspire confidence. There is no easy method to make your soldiers follow you, not simply obey you. You will have to find a

Master Jet smiled.

things will fall into

a bit,

spoke louder than words. He might face some resistance at the start, but battle would swiftly resolve everything. Either he would win his soldiers over, or all seven of them would die.

briefly gripped his shoulder,

should worry about these matters yet. You have plenty of other issues to solve. No matter how professional and prepared these guys are, forming a strong cohort takes more than simply assembling all its members together. You