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Hordvik said, grinning. “Not some parade uniform, but the real thing, built for fighting.” Sue looked at the tacticus. He was of the Moon people, with distinct, angular features and the bearing of a man whose heritage was something he always measured himself up against.
    “Some of you may come to love the battle dress, those of you who get a chance to wear it in combat, for it will save your life.” He looked at every one of them, taking his time. There were nine left from her initiate squadron. From her team, all except Albert were still there, meaning that the other teams had taken harder losses. Sue was glad to still have Brad, Julian, and Keisha, but she would have been even happier if she didn’t have to deal with Quinn.
    “In the Janissaries, you should expect injuries. You may stand too close to a blast, get caught up in a chemical attack, or get sprayed by a hail from a machine gun, storming an enemy position. And the battle dress will be the only thing standing between you and glory. Meaning death , Sue thought.
    “A Janissary and his suit are as one single organism. It’s like a symbiosis, where if you treat your suit well, it will keep you alive. Sensors all over, both on the outside and inside, will notice subtle changes in you and your environment. The powerful AI knows your needs even before you do, and acts accordingly, sending its little nano bots out to fix you up, or giving you whatever you need to survive a tight situation.” The tacticus walked slowly from side to side, and Sue listened intently as he explained some of the battle suit’s functionality.
    “Of course, it protects you from most small-arms fire, blast and fragments. But it can do so much more. Say you’re dead tired from days of fighting, or lying surrounded, enemies all around, and yet you struggle to keep awake. If you fall asleep, you may not be able to get out of a sticky situation. And all the while, your eyes keep sliding shut, and you have trouble keeping a clear thought. Well, the suit will notice, and when you reach a certain level of fatigue, the suit will inject stimulants directly into your blood stream. Enough to keep you from falling asleep if you need to lie still, or enough to give you a real adrenaline boost if the situation demands it.” Sue looked at the suit again. An AI to make life or death decisions almost frightened her. But she also knew there were situations where you needed to act quickly, and one day, the suit’s abilities might save her life.
    “Sometimes, though, even Janissaries need to sleep. The suit can fix that, too. Just tell the AI, and it will help you find the rest you need, through chemical and electrical stimuli of certain parts of your brain. Heck, you can even set the timer.” Tac Hordvik chuckled, and a few of the initiates smiled, as well. The tacticus stopped and looked at them. His ice blue eyes sometimes unnerved her. Moon people eyes.
    “Imagine being alone out there. Near the coast, the fog can get as thick as soup, and your line of sight stretches no more than a few meters in front of you. The suit can warn you of an enemy’s approach long before your eyes can see them and pinpoint their exact location. And if you’re incapacitated, the suit can disperse a poisonous gas that kills up to fifteen meters away. Of course, you won’t be harmed, as you will be injected with an antidote.
    “Later, we will have a look at the nano bots, but suffice it to say, those little fellas will become your best friends, keeping your visor clean, your suit tight, and even stitch you up when needed.” He looked straight at her, and Sue looked away for a second. When she looked back, his eyes were still on her.
    “Lots of people think they know a Janissary. People all over the Covenant have seen the proud Janissaries parading in their black uniforms. This, though, is the true color of our Service. The battle dress is what sets us apart from our enemies. We have powerful weapons, just as they