Blader could see the high walls of Domstall as the Transriot rumbled toward it. The military installation rose high and imposing out of the plains, its walls marked with watchtowers and weapons mountings. Despite serving for a year at this point, Blader had never been to Midgard's main military base before.

"Whoa," Vandri breathed.

The Transriot ground to a halt before the gates, a pair of skera einherjar entering the vehicle. Even though it was a military Transriot, they were taking no chances. All of the squad members presented their IDs and tags and the skera checked their names against those on the list for that particular Transriot before signaling for the gates to open.

They continued on into the base, the gates slowly trundling shut behind them. Blader stiffened slightly as he gazed out the window. Like Vigrid, Domstall was laid out in a very stoic manner, the buildings all severe and uniform. But unlike Vigrid, Domstall wasn't an einherjar only base; families of the einherjar and civilians also lived inside the walls, creating a bustling town atmosphere missing in Asgard's strictly military installation.

The Transriot took them to the military quadrant of the city, pulling up in front of Domstall's Headquarters. Blader led the einherjar, Valkyrie, and aldnari off the vehicle, all of them shouldering their packs and weapons as they headed into Headquarters.

"Commander Blader Thrym, of Mjolnir Squad, reporting in from Alfheim," he told the receptionist, a young female einherjar with short blonde hair.

Her eyes widened. "I will alert General Vali."

Blader nodded and stepped back while she grabbed the comm for the transmitter, taking a breath before calmly leaving a communication for the god with all the information. She looked back up at Blader and the others. "You may go up to the third floor to wait."

"Thank you, einherjar," Blader said and headed toward the lifts. Skalfi fell into step beside him, gazing around the stoic interior. Wolfsted, Vandri, Sodull, Yngvild, Raena, Ohrein, Sig, and Nyyri followed closely behind them, splitting into two groups once they reached the lifts.

Blader knew that, very soon, they would be meeting Endryr Tharin and Valdar Paaviken, the last two members of the squad and the only two who hadn't fought as members of Mjolnir yet. Then the official squad training would begin. And the squad members' files would be at his fingertips...as would the files of the first Mjolnir Squad.

Something to look into.

The lift doors opened softly. "This is it," Wolfsted muttered, as they all stepped out, joining the other einherjar. "Back to training, here we come."

Blader smiled slightly at that. Wolfsted returned his grin. "I thought we were done with all that Vigrid stuff," he continued. "But despite our promotions, we need to go through it all again?"

"It's for our own benefit," Sig said seriously. "We need to learn to work together as a team. It is essential."

Wolfsted lifted an eyebrow at her. "I know, Drengr. I am joking."

Sig eyed him for a moment before saying lamely, "Oh."

They waited only several moments before an einherjar approached them. "Commander Thrym?" he said. "Drengr Sig? The general is ready to see you."

Sig and Blader followed the einherjar out of the stark waiting room through a door into an outer office. The einherjar stepped up to the door leading into the god's office and rapped smartly on the door before retreating several steps, gesturing for the einherjar and the Valkyrie to approach. As they did so, the door slid open and they entered the office.

Vali stood behind a broad desk, his eyes fixed on Blader and Sig. His brown hair was pulled back in a low tail, his muscular chest covered with thick leather armor. Weathered and defiant, his features were harboring a wariness and determination Blader had come to read in the faces of experienced soldiers. And Vali had been a warrior for thousands of years, even before the Reborn Cosmos. He had been born to avenge wrongs committed against his family, against his brother, the High King.

"General Vali," Blader said, bowing his head slightly. Sig did the same. "Commander Thrym and Drengr Sig, reporting in with Mjolnir Squad."

"Commander Thrym," Vali greeted, his dark eyes grim. "Drengr Sig. Welcome to Domstall." He gestured to the chairs before his desk. "Sit."

Blader and Sig approached the desk and took their seats, sitting at attention. Vali pulled out his own chair and sank into it with a sigh, resting his arms on his desk. "Modi has sent me a report about your first mission, Commander. I wasn't informed this unit was operational yet."

"Sir, we were in Meilikki when it was attacked by Racarl's troops," Blader said, keeping his voice level and his expression neutral. "I offered Captain Mattr our services in the battle. He accepted, and gave us a station to defend. While we were there, Racarl targeted us, attacked us, and when he set the city on fire, we pursued him to his camp in the forest in an attempt to capture him. We lent aid while in battle. That is all."

Vali lifted his eyebrows. "But you did more than that when you chose to chase Jorid Racarl away from Meilikki. That was not following orders, Commander, that was giving them."

"With all due respect, I was given the rank of commander to give orders, General," Blader returned, fighting to keep his tone respectful but firm. "Not just to take them. From what I was given to understood, Mjolnir is designed to take initial orders and then use the judgement of the commander, Valkyrie, and individual einherjar to best carry out the mission. That is what I did."

"And in doing so, Skjoldr Klora Nidr was killed," Vali reminded him. "And Racarl escaped, regardless of your efforts."

The words struck Blader at his core. No matter what others told him, he knew that was all true. Klora had died, due to his orders. And Jorid had escaped to kill again.

"Commander Thrym made a decision in the moment of battle," Sig interjected, her tone respectful yet icy cold. "We all have to make such decisions, General. If we waited to ponder every alternative and outcome, the war would never be fought." She paused for a moment. "Besides, Commander Thrym did not order us into battle."

Vali furrowed his brow, puzzlement sparking in his eyes. "Explain yourself, Drengr."

"Commander Thrym told us he intended to pursue Racarl alone," Sig told him. Blader glanced over at her, wondering what she was doing. How much could this really help him? What type of commander left his squad, the squad handpicked for that very mission, to go after their target alone? "It was his squad that insisted on accompanying him. He had no choice but to lead all of us against the sorcerer. We wouldn't have it any other way."

Vali looked to Blader. "Is this true, Commander?"

Blader nodded. "Yes, sir. I did wish to continue after Racarl alone."

"Why?"

Blader drew back slightly. "Because he had just demonstrated exactly what he was capable of. I wanted to bring him down, but...but there were risks."

"Risks every einherjar agreed to," Sig added. "General, Skjoldr Nidr's death is a terrible tragedy, but one that should be avenged on Racarl, not taken out on Commander Thrym."

Vali sighed, glancing up at the two of them. "Commander Thrym, Magni believes you are the best einherjar for leading this squad. I trust his judgement; however, due to your family's close connection to this unit, some look on this promotion as favoritism. So I will hold you and your decisions within Mjolnir to the same standard as I hold all others; in fact, I will hold you to a higher one. You must prove your worthiness, Commander Thrym, and you must prove it loud and clear to all those doubters."

"Yes, sir," Blader replied stoically.

"Your family created Mjolnir," Vali stated. "Your grandfather came up with the squad and your father led the first iteration of it. And here you stand before me, leading the second squad. I know Magni selected you for your courageous actions in the Reenactment, and for your bravery in the war ever since, but your name alone makes it seem you won this position through nepotism. I want you to show otherwise." He held Blader's gaze for a long moment. "The first Mjolnir Squad was highly effective, but it had its flaws. I know nothing is perfect, but I want this squad to be as close as possible. Got that, Thrym?"

Blader gave a short nod. "Understood, sir."

"Both of you have been given clearance to access the old files from the first squad," Vali added. "I want you to understand their flaws, to see their weaknesses, and then to find the problems in your squad and fix them. Mjolnir worked the first time in killing Dyr Gunar, but they left enough behind to start this war. I want nothing left behind after we conclude this war. No remains, no memories to trigger something else. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," Sig stated, and Blader echoed her agreement.

"Good," Vali muttered. He gestured to the door. "You're dismissed. Settle into your quarters and meet the last two members of the squad. Tomorrow, Commander, I expect your training regimen to be on my desk and to see your preliminary report, Drengr. Train like Muspelheim's setting a flame beneath you. The Reborn Cosmos might just depend on it."

[----]

"Thanks," Blader muttered to the Valkyrie as the door closed behind them.

Sig glanced over at him. "Of course. It's the truth." She flicked her eyes away. "Let's meet Tharin and Paaviken before getting settled in our quarters."

The other einherjar looked up as the two approached them. "How'd it go?" Skalfi asked.

"It went well," Blader replied. "Tomorrow, we begin training. For now, we meet the rest of the squad."

Blader and Sig led the way down to the living quarters, where a young aide showed them down to the section assigned to Mjolnir Squad. "This is where the first squad bunked," he said. "Hasn't been used since then."

A real legacy, then.

The aide stopped in front of the door. "Skjoldr Tharin and Paaviken have already taken up residence inside," he said, glancing at Blader. "Is that all, Commander?"

"That's all," Blader said, with a nod. "You're dismissed, einherjar."

The aide nodded, snapped a brief salute, and headed off as Sig opened the door to their quarters. Stepping inside, the einherjar, Valkyrie, and aldnari glanced around.

The quarters were comprised of a simple living area, several couches around a low table in the center of the room. Two doors led off to either side, hiding the barracks from sight. Against the far wall was a fireplace, the smouldering embers from a previous fire sending wisps of smoke trailing up into the chimney.

Sitting on one of the couches, cleaning their rifles, were two young men, who rose as they entered. Both had close cut hair, one dark and the other a honey blonde, and their eyes were differing shades of grey. Dressed in grey everyday einherjar tunics, their gazes were narrow and slightly hostile, sizing up Blader. The dark-haired one had a slender build, while the other was stockier, but both were well-muscled.

"Skjoldr Valdar Paaviken and Skjoldr Endryr Tharin, I presume?" Blader inquired, keeping his voice quiet yet assertive.

"Skjoldr Paaviken," the blonde boy nodded.

"Skjoldr Tharin," the dark-haired boy verified, his brow furrowing.

"I am Commander Thrym, head of Mjolnir Squad. This is Drengr Sig, our Valkyrie liaison." Briefly, Blader had the rest of the squad introduce themselves. Tharin and Paaviken looked confused when Nyyri stepped forward, but Blader didn't address their unasked question about why an aldnari was on the squad. "All right, squad, settle in. Tomorrow, we begin training."

"Right," Wolfsted grunted, heading toward the barracks on the right. Sodull and Ohrein followed them as Skalfi, Vandri, and Raena walked toward the left barracks. After a moment of hesitation, Nyyri trailed lightly after them, leaving Sig, Blader, Valdar, and Endryr in the sparse living area.

"So you're our commander," Endryr stated, folding his arms over his chest. "A little younger, huh, Valdar?"

"Yep," Valdar grunted, squinting at Blader and tilting his head in scrutiny. "Looks a kid, don't he?"

Blader kept his gaze level. "You two skjoldr looking for trouble?" he asked calmly.

"Nah," Endryr drawled. "If we were, we'd poke at someone who could strike back."

Blader worked hard to keep his expression under control. Holding Endryr's gaze, he stated in a low voice, "I may be young, skjoldr, but that doesn't mean I don't have fangs. For your insubordination, I order you to take a lap of the city walls, with sword and shield on your back." His gaze slid to Valdar. "Both of you."

"How you expect to make us?" Valdar inquired.

Blader felt Sig bristle beside him, but the Valkyrie fortunately held her tongue. She seemed to understand that this was a battle he had to win on his own. "I'll be writing you up under a double charge, otherwise, and submitting a removal order to have you transferred back to your old unit. Mjolnir needs good einherjar, who are willing to work as a team. We don't need you otherwise."

By the brief flash of surprise in Valdar's and Endryr's eyes, Blader could tell they had not expected that. Blader held his ground, narrowing his eyes slightly. "So. Will you take that lap, or will I be writing up your reports and transfer orders?"

There was a moment of silence as the two einherjar seemed to be considering, weighing their choices. "All right then, Commander," Endryr said eventually. "But keep this in mind. You can buy your command, but you can't buy us."

Endryr and Valdar grabbed their weapons off the weapons rack, settling them onto their back, and brushed past Blader and Sig to leave the quarters. They watched them leave, the door closing behind the two einherjar.

"I see what you mean," Blader said when they were alone, glancing at the Valkyrie. "About the older einherjar not accepting me."

"Hopefully it won't last," Sig stated, crossing her arms. "That was a risk, though, Thrym, pulling that bluff."

"It wasn't a bluff," Blader stated. "I meant it. If Paaviken and Tharin aren't willing to work with the rest of the squad, then I don't need them. We've already proven we can work effectively together, and I won't have them mess that up."

"You were really going to transfer them off Mjolnir?" Sig clarified, her brow furrowed.

"Yes," Blader said, moving past her to the righthand barracks. "I was."

Palming the sensor for the door, Blader stepped inside as it slid back and glanced around the barracks, a sense of relief coursing through his veins. He found something comforting in the sight of the bunks, the identical washstands and trunks standing in their designated spots.

There were three sets of bunks. The one furthest from the door belonged to Endryr and Valdar by the look of the personal possessions neatly around it. Sodull had claimed the bottom bunk of the one beside it, leaving one bunk in between them, and Ohrein was hanging his weapons up beside it, having taken the top bunk. Blader felt a pang seeing the kid. Last year, at Vigrid, Sodull had also had the bottom bunk, but Erik had been his bunkmate.

But now Erik was dead.

"Guess we're bunkmates again," Wolfsted said with a smirk as Blader placed his stuff down. "The good old times, huh?"

Sodull gave a brief smile, but by the darkness in his eyes, Blader could tell that he, too, was thinking about Erik. Wolfsted's smile faded in the silence.

After quickly organizing his things, Blader headed out into the main space to begin work on his training schedule. The girls had also settled into their barracks, and Sig filled him in on the bunkmate situation: Skalfi and Vandri, Raena and Yngvild, and Nyyri and Sig. Then Blader dismissed the einherjar to their leisure time.

Quiet fell over the living quarters as the einherjar left, out to explore Domstall and get fresh air after their cross-country trip in the Transriot. Blader glanced at the sunlight falling through the window, suddenly longing to be back in the grove on his family's farm, watching the sun filter through the foliage and sparkle on the surface of the creek. For a moment, he just stared at the patch of sunlight, imagining Ivan, Hilda, and Freyja. It had been so long since he had seen any of them.

I need to write, or call, tell them about my promotion. Father will be proud.

Tapping his pen against the tabletop, Blader reluctantly turned his gaze and focus back to the screen before him. He brought the dull tip of the stylus to the surface and began to sketch out a brief training regimen for his squad, thinking about the areas they needed to work on. Teamwork, definitely. Drilling in formation. And just general exercises, like at Vigrid. I need to see where everyone's strengths are, and what their weaknesses are.

What else?

The door slid open and Blader looked up as Sig stepped inside. "Back so soon?" he asked, setting his stylus down.

"I headed back down to headquarters, to report in to Domstall's head Valkyrie," Sig said, moving across the space toward the table. "I received some interesting information from her, which I thought you should know."

Blader furrowed his brow. "What?"

"Your father, Karl Thrym," Sig stated, making Blader's blood run cold for a moment. "He's been summoned back to service by the High King. He's here, in Domstall."