Peldaks returning home after extended stays in the military are routinely being met with awe and fascination over their new, strange, foreign skin tones.

Elven skin tones throughout recorded history have always been shades of white and gray, which we now attribute to our lack of a sun. Because most peldaks who leave Peldor do so as part of the legions, young peldaks – less than 150 years old – are now reporting that they associate tanned skin with military service, and overly pale skin as lacking in patriotic dedication.

Young adults have been rushing to enlist in the legions, and the children of veterans are excitedly telling their parents how they want to enlist too.

An exciting development, but one that’s meeting logistical hurdles. Young adults are enlisting faster than veterans are leaving, with all positions in the 30 combat legions filled. This problem is set to get worse once the large ‘Star Boom’ generation – those born in the the decades between the sayran uplifting us to space and the start of the Founding War – comes of age in the next 20-40 years.

The Lord Protector and Senate, not wanting young peldaks to sell themselves out as mercenaries just to see the stars and get fashionable tans, have put forward two temporary measures.

The first is to commission five more legions, opening 500,000 additional combat and 250,000 logistics positions.

The second is to add youth roles for each legion. Once a peldak becomes a physical adult around 75 years old, they can opt-in for military service and assist the legions. The work will be demanding, but non-threatening, and will consist of whatever tasks the legion needs done.

This, the Lord Protector said, should tide the population over until either the fad dies out, or a more permanent solution can be arranged.