"You are stalling with an attempt to appeal to me in the hope that I will say you don't have to finish. It won't work; you have six more to do." He went quiet as he considered the recruit. "Those six can take an hour, or all night. It's your choice, but not getting rest will not exempt you from tomorrow's training."

The Soldier rarely spoke so much to those he trained — rarely spoke so much at all. He needed to pause to swallow, and run his tongue over his lips to moisten them. "You are an Asset now. You have no home."