Joining the Legion

Walkthrough
To join the Imperial Legion, travel to the city of Solitude in the north-west of Skyrim and speak to General Tullius. He will remember you from the Imperial fort, Helgen, when you were brought in as a captive before the dragon attacked.

He will tell you to talk to Legate Rikke, his second in command. She decides that before letting you join the legion she wants to test your abilities. She then tells you to go to Fort Hraggstad to the west of Solitude and eliminate the bandits who now inhabit it.

Clear out Fort Hraggstad
This quest requires that you eliminate every bandit in the fort, including the few who are outside. There are two interior areas that have bandits and a few bowmen positioned inside. If you kill several of them and still have not completed the quest, you should see quest markers to every surviving bandit.

Note: Systematically exploring Skyrim the Dragonborn may already have cleared the fort, thus need not do so again.

Report to Legate Rikke
When all the bandits are dead, return to Legate Rikke in Solitude. She will congratulate you and send you back to General Tullius.

Take the oath
He will then ask you to swear the oath of the Imperial Legion. Once you do this, you have officially joined the Legion. You carry the starting rank of Auxiliary. Tullius will direct you to the blacksmith to be issued with Legion armour.

Note: Completing this quest causes Joining the Stormcloaks to fail, for obvious reasons.

Ein neuer Rekrut