“Honor. Courage. Justice. They will guide us all. We will protect the world of man. Sentries, sentries, we will stand.”

Their voices rang high into the vaulted ceilings. 1,000 strong; these were their first words spoken…as members of humanity’s first, Earth-wide defense force.

The high deck was the best spot to see her in her fullest majesty. Like a tossed snow globe, Earth’s atmosphere hadn’t been the same since the Western Rebellion of the 2170’s, but she was theirs to defend. Convocation had always been held there, so the newest cadets could look wide-eyed upon her and feel their hearts burn, feel their shoulders pull back with an inhale and their fists clench tight with conviction.

In front of them paced the unit’s commander, his chest and shoulders decorated, gleaming with power and demanding respect. He was the commander of Unit Alpha of the Order of the Sentri, an elite military force comprised of men and women from across the world. Their call was to stand watch on Post Alpha, which hovered just 2,000 miles above the surface of the earth. Together with 5 other posts of identical size and spacing around the planet, they were Orbital Space Platform Omega. With a distinctive click of his heel, the commander turned 90 degrees to halt his pacing, and address them:

“Good. I want you to think about the words we just spoke. Think about them every day. ‘We will stand.’ You’ve volunteered, and now have been chosen, as members of humanity’s most prestigious Order. The Order of the Sentri represents the unification of your brothers and sisters below, a feat so long dreamed of; now finally achieved. I’m sure right now, you’re thinking about your families, friends, love ones. Don’t ever forget them. It is our bonds for one another that will push you to stand in the face of any adversary.

You will protect Earth. Dismissed.”