15 Persistence

Eva and Chengli had sprinted the entire rest of the way back, and so were red-faced and panting heavily when they arrived. This seemed to have appeased the sergeants, so they continued to the next lesson of the cycle.

But not everyone was happy about the 'wonder duo', and a few jealous glares had come from a handful of cadets.

Everyone was then ushered into a large sparring gymnasium, where the floor was covered in shock-absorbing mats.

But before they could start any exercises, the sergeants instructed all the cadets to partner up and form into duo wings.

"Choose well, because it's all about trust," said sergeant Elyn. "You gotta be able to truly rely on each other, 'coz your lives depend on it."

It was the single best way for them to learn and cover each others' backs. It taught them resilience in the face of their peers, and was one of the most powerful lessons any military could teach.

'Cover my back, and I'll cover yours.'