A world Apart (The alien Assassin)

Chapter 3.

POV; Assassin's

The oak door opened with a loud creak, Fatima couldn't see who opened it as the inside was pitch black, she groped her way in the dark and felt the walls.

She let it guard her as she moved slowly forward.

The dark reception led into one of the largest halls she had seen in her life.

Countless students of different species lined up in a neat rows that streched all the way back to the entrance, gleaming chandeliers hung from the high ceiling.

"There was a large marble table in the center of the hall where two men and a woman sat.

The woman and one of the men where kedrish; the man had an air of authority, he wore his white hair in a tight bun a had a sling over his eye, he wore a red and white attire which were the colors of the federation.

His crooked face and his broken nose completed the picture of an experience soldier.

"The woman beside him was younger than he was, though her stern face made her look older. She was dressed similarly to the man in federation attire.

The third person looked different from his collegeaus, he had a large oval face and his skin was a deep mammalian green colour.

He was also dressed in a federation garb, though it was loss on his slim body.

"He had a huge welcoming smile on his face which made him look accessible.

‘Silence; a huge voice boomed across the hall startling some and and making all the students look at the speaker.

It was kedrish instructor, he waited until there was silence before he spoke.

You've all been invited here to learn, I'm master Yedder, he gestured to the woman on his right hand and said, “This is mistress Kishra.

She acknowledged this by slightly tilting her head.

“And this is Master Krim from mammalian planet, Reshon’ he said with a bitter look on his face. Fatima senced that he didn't like Master Krim, the formal waved at all the students smiling broadly as he did so.

“We're going to be your instructor for the next “two years, that's if you can make it till then, he. Looked around as he made the last statement, some students recoiled under his mocking gaze.

“There will be several elimination rounds, there are 126 of you coming from roughly 14 different countries.

"You've been assigned numbers, they will be your ID here.

Check the noticeboard besides the door for yours.

"You have been chosen because you have been recommended by sponsors and have shown an apttitude for learning fast, we're going to test that to the last while you're here, also there'll be no visitation.

"We're not raising babies here.

There was a loud buzz in the room as the students protested.

“Are we slaves?” A boy shouted from the back.

“No, you aren't, though in a way, you're all slaves to the Emperor.

For those of you that haven't noticed, phones and digital devices don't work here so they will be no distractions.

Some places are out of boundaries so do well to avoid them so you don't die.

A boy raised his hand from the middle of the room, Master Yedder continued talking on and didn't acknowledged it. The defiant boy kept it up.

“Questions will be answered at the end of the speech, he finally said, looking sternly at the boy.

Any other interruption and the guard will deal with that person, he said; looking round the hall. The din dropped and the students looked attentively at him.

“You'll be test tomorrow in your general knowledge and calculation skills, you were all thought this in your different planets by our instructors so it should be easy for you.

"Tomorrow will be the last elimination round; the twenty lowest scores will be eliminated. I teach Martial arts, Mistress Kishra teaches history and philosophy and Master Krim takes Navigation and calculations.

“There'll be twelve elimination rounds for the duration of your stay here, with two months interval between these test, we'll weed out those of you that are week.

"We need assets to the federation not liabilities.

Fatima noticed a group of kedrish boys laughing aloud at the last statement and pointing at there section.

"She wondered why they have set up to fail.

The kedrishs had advanced intellectually than any other race and could easily beat them in the exams.

“Lastly, we're are disciplined here.

Training starts tomorrow morning from seven to ten which I over see, I don't forgive late comers, eleven to two is Navigation and calculation, two to five is history and philosophy and five to seven is training again.

Boys and girls will stay in different buildings were you'll be subdivided according to your constellation.

"That means the mammalian planetary constellation like Reshon and Aqui stay together. The milky way constellation like earth and Mars also do and so on.

That will be all, subsequent details will be communicated to you.

"You are dismissed.

“Master Yedder!” The boy who had earlier raised his hand was now jumping frantically to be heard.

“Some of us are not cleared about why we're here, what are we training for? He shouted out about the crowd.

Master Yedder stopped midway to his seat and returned to the podium.