The Dual Command System was a good system for an army, just as the assembly line was for a factory.
The former kept specialists from being overlooked; the latter created more jobs.
But they had no experience with it, and Annan didn't want to bite off more than he could chew. He planned to pilot it in the Hellfire Legion first. As for the Political Commissar candidates... Since he was introducing a new policy, he might as well go all the way and select them from the Military Academy at Free City University.
A Political Commissar was a noncombat officer. He would have to step in if necessary, such as when a Legion Commander died, but he normally wouldn't need to fight. So there was only one requirement for selection: his political convictions had to be beyond question.
Early on the second morning after Annan's return to Free City, Femi arrived at the Military Academy in a Standard Uniform, accompanied only by his adjutant, Locran.
Hellfire soldiers had three sets of clothing: Plate Armor and its underlayer for battle, plus a Training Uniform and a Standard Uniform for training and daily wear. That alone showed how highly Hellfire was valued.
Even the Guard Legion had only two sets of clothing: armor and a Training Uniform.
Annan had wanted to tailor a uniform to each soldier's measurements, but the factories clearly couldn't keep up. The other two Legions felt slighted, too: We haven't even seen our third uniform yet, and you're already working on the details for Hellfire?
As it happened, the medium size among the three standard sizes fit Femi perfectly. Years of grueling training had given him a solid build that filled out the slightly loose Standard Uniform, its dark red tones lending him an air of authority.
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