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Originally a sergeant of the all-male [[Valhallan 301st]], Lustig proved to be one of the more adaptable [[Infantry Squad|squad]] leaders, who accepted the merger between the 301st and the all-female [[Valhallan 296th]]. The new regiment's [[commissar]], [[Ciaphas Cain]], instituted generous prizes for the most disciplined units formed from the male and female troopers{{Fn|1a}}, and Lustig's squad won the weekly competition shortly before the 597th's arrival on [[Gravalax]]{{Fn|1b}}.

In any unit he was assigned to, Cain had a habit of picking out the most professional soldiers and gathering them around himself (reasoning that they would be most likely to keep him safe if anything dangerous happened). He therefore selected Lustig's squad as an [[Honour Guard]] for himself and [[Colonel Kasteen]], while attending a diplomatic reception at the [[Governor]]'s palace{{Fn|1b}}. Cain was not expecting trouble, but this proved to be a wise decision: a riot broke out in the capital city, and the Valhallan soldiers were pressed into duty as an escort for the [[Tau]] delegation attending the reception{{Fn|1c}}. While escorting the Tau back to their embassy, the Guard forces were threatened by a misinformed [[PDF]] squad, forcing Cain to order them shot down. Lustig and his squad did so, and Cain made a point of thanking them, painfully aware that this was not the glorious first taste of combat that the regiment was hoping for{{Fn|1d}}.

During the 597th's deployment to [[Simia Orichalcae]], Lustig's squad was naturally Cain's first choice to accompany him on an exploration of the underground ice tunnels beneath a [[promethium]] refinery, where some mysterious creature was thought to be stalking the miners.

By the time of the 597th's deployment to [[Adumbria]], Lustig was [[Lieutenant]] [[Jenit Sulla]]'s strong right hand in her [[platoon]] command. When Sulla was given a brevet promotion to [[Imperial Guard Captain|Captain]], to replace a temporarily incapacitated [[Imperial Guard Company|company]] commander, Lustig became the platoon's ad hoc leader. Cain and Colonel Kasteen reflected wryly that, as much as Lustig would be happy to remain a [[Veteran Sergeant]] forever, his competence and the respect held for him by the lower ranks would force a promotion on him.

Sure enough, approximately five years later, Sulla's captaincy had been confirmed, and Lustig was a [[Lieutenant]] and a platoon commander. Cain noted that he handled his new responsibilities with as much competence as everyone had expected.

==Sources==

**{{Endn|1a}}: Chapter Two, pg. 52

**{{Endn|1b}}: Chapter Four, pgs. 87-88

**{{Endn|1c}}: Chapter Five, pg. 106

**{{Endn|1d}}: Chapter Six, pgs. 116-119

[[Category:Characters (Human)]]

[[Category:Ciaphas Cain (Novel Series)]]