formation-discipline

This chapter explores Captain Kel Cheris's early training experience with phobia-induced formation discipline and her current precarious situation involving servitors and political intrigue. It reveals the complex relationship between humans and servitors, the dangers posed by the Nirai hexarch and the Immolation Fox, and Cheris's disorienting awakening in a strange place where she encounters the voice and reflection of Shuos Jedao, a controversial figure whose presence unsettles her identity and expectations.

In this chapter, General Cheris Jedao commands a formation against a heretical enemy employing a kaleidoscope swarm and fungal weaponry, revealing the complexities of formation tactics and the dangers posed by unorthodox warfare. Despite internal dissent and the reckless actions of Commander Vidona Diaiya, Jedao's forces manage to identify and target the original enemy moths, forcing a retreat and receiving a cryptic challenge from the Fortress of Scattered Needles. The chapter concludes with preparations to adapt to the heretical calendar and concerns about the stability of their advance.