《War of Falling Stars》 Chapter 1: Graduation ¡°You are our nation''s Greatest Generation!¡± The speaker''s voice fills the auditorium, speakers placed throughout the hall carrying his voice, as a giant screen allows him to be seen from every angle. However, I don¡¯t have an issue hearing him, and I certainly don¡¯t have any issues seeing him from my position behind him. I sit with eleven others¡­at the furthest distance from the speaker. However, even though my seat is the lowest of all of them, I can still feel the gazes coming from the crowd¡ªenvious, jealous, mocking, pitting¡ªa whole collection of them. Swallowing the nerves that have been battling within me all morning, I try to pay attention to the speech being given in our collective honor. My gaze locks in on the back of the Supreme Commander, a small back for all the authority and respect it commands. ¡°Today, you all graduate. You are the first generation to properly complete the most rigorous military academy among the stars. You are the first generation to be trained alongside the next generation of war machines. You are the first generation to be fully prepared for the steps we must take to liberate ourselves from the yoke of Terra! ¡°For too long have we, those who humanity flung into the stars, lived under the oppression of a regime that knows not of our struggles. Ever since we were thrust into the heavens, forced to cobble together homes out of cold, unfeeling steel, we have been under their heel. As we fought and struggled just to stay alive, they stole from us. First, with their astroid levy, forcing us to risk countless lives to feed the rampant greed of their industry. Then, with their rampant taxes, treating our lives as if they were a luxury! Now we say NO MORE!¡± At the Commander''s words, the whole auditorium erupts into cheers. My voice joins them as the spirit sweeps through me. He allows us to cheer for a few seconds, patriotic chants filling the room before he raises his hand, and like magic, the crowd falls silent. ¡°Those who live restrained by gravity have no right to determine our fate! They have no right to tell us how we should live! They have no right to demand the labor of our hands and the sweat of our brow! And they have no right to demand our fealty! ¡°So I call upon you all. You, who are all innovators and pioneers! Join those who have come before you as a valiant blade of liberation. Those behind me on this dias have already made their intentions known. In a few days, these twelve patriots will embark on a mission of liberty. They shall be the first, but I ask. NAY! I PLEAD TO EVERY ONE OF YOU WITH A FIBER OF PATRIOTISM, WITH A SINGLE OUNCE OF LOVE FOR YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE STARS TO JOIN THEM IN THE COMING DAYS!¡± The Commander takes another breath to thunderous applause before raising his hand to calm the storm he created. ¡°Now, I will hand it over to your valedictorian, Marie Shutz-Seishoku, to continue,¡± the Commander says, stepping back to thunderous applause. As he steps back, the top student of the academy walks forward. She strides to the podium with the confidence of one who knows she stands at the top of society. Her long black hair trails behind her like a cape as she makes her way to the podium. ¡°Before I say any of the words I have prepared for my peers, I would like to give my thanks to Supreme Commander Robert Bellamy. First, I thank you for taking up the noble task of guiding our new nation through these trying times. And second, and most relevant to today, for taking time from your busy schedule to give words of encouragement to us.¡± With that, she turns and places her hand over her heart in a salute to the Supreme Commander, and the auditorium erupts in applause. Our line quickly rises to salute the Supreme Commander as well, and after a few seconds of saluting, the applause and cheers die down, giving us the opportunity to return to our seats. ¡°My fellow graduates, these four years together have been long.¡± Marie starts, and I take a moment to think about her words. It really has been a long four years, and never did once think I would end up here. A glance to my side proves how out of place I am. All but one of my compatriots on the stage belongs to the emerging elite class of the UCC. Heirs to mining companies, manufacturers, or politicians. Future elites who are already training to take control of our new nation. Then there¡¯s me, the idiot who somehow managed to luck my way onto this stage. ¡°While we may be the ones sitting up here, we are all equals in our earnest desire to serve our nation. While we may have a head start, I look forward to seeing the rest of you alongside us in the battle to rid the stars of Terran tyranny.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it If we are ¡°all equals,¡± then what have the past months been for? The chaos caused as soon as they announced this opportunity? The harassment students received in the fire tests and the simulated battles, all to ensure that only the ¡°right¡± kind of student ends up on the stage? All to ensure that no one like me ends up at this stage. My stomach starts to churn a bit, and my skin crawls as I feel gazes focus on me once more, more openly, the Supreme Commander no longer demanding their attention. When Shutz-Seishoku¡¯s speech ends, I am one of the quickest to rise to give applause, if only to have something else to focus on. However, as she sits back down, it''s back to the torture of their stares as awards are given. The whole auditorium goes through to gain their diplomas and deployment information. However, we are saved for last. ¡°Ensign James Kizashi!¡± Hearing my name, I try my best to walk forward confidently. My legs carry me forward carefully, doing their best to ignore the weight of the stares sent my way. ¡°I hope you serve this nation well,¡± the Headmaster says as he hands me my diploma and shakes my hand. I nod before quickly sitting down. The rest of the line is awarded, and until Shutz-Seishoku, they all receive the same speech as me. ¡°Lieutenant Junior Grade Shutz-Seishoku. It has been an honor watching your growth. I hope to see you develop further in the coming weeks. May you serve as a guiding beacon to all of your fellows of the Academy as well as those you will soon be fighting alongside.¡± ¡°Of course, sir. I will do my best to uphold the name of this Academy that I have come to love. Just as I strive to uphold its values and the values of our great nation.¡± The ceremony ends with thunderous applause, but for us, it is only a beginning as we are escorted to our fates.
What once was empty void has become a garden of death. Ships and Astral Gear litter what was once empty space. Among the wreckage remain a few desperate souls attempting to fight the emissary of death that rampages among the garden of its creation. The emissary is white, black lines breaking up the paint of its armor at certain points, with wings made of luminous amethyst energy propelling it through the wreckage. In one of its hands, it holds a brilliant blue blade that easily pierces the cockpit of its prey, its stylized face coldly looking on as it damns yet another soul. It swiftly flies back, removing its blade from its kill just in time to avoid an explosion. The empty face turns to face the source of the blast, sensor eyes flashing purple and focusing on a group of six desperate souls in the same mass-produced Astral Gear as the one it had just slain, the only difference being a wolf¡¯s head placed upon the right shoulder alongside a number. Upon seeing their surprise attack fail, four of the AGs open fire with machine guns as the remaining two ready rocket launchers. The emissary doesn¡¯t even bother to evade their attacks, charging forward and immediately dashing their hopes as their machine guns prove worthless. Two in the back fire their rocket launchers. However, the emissary evades with a grace unfitting of its massive size. The emissary falls upon them swiftly, running through one of the members of the small pack with its blade. As another comrade falls, a desperate energy fills the rest of the pack. Seeing their machine guns are worthless; they are abandoned to the void in favor of axes as they charge in. The first attack, the emissary evades by jetting back, but it manages to block the second and third, revealing an additional blade in the process. Superheated metal clashes against beams of captive plasma for a few precious seconds before the emissary shifts. Its right blade breaks free from the clash to slice through one of its targets. An escape pod bursts free from the AG seconds before it explodes, knocking the close combatants back. No longer at risk of hitting their allies, the two backline AGs take their shot. Their desperate attacks land, striking one of the emissary¡¯s arms. However, it is only a glancing blow, the attack absorbed by its heavy armor. With a vengeful flash of purple, the emissary dashes across the battlefield to impale its prey. One falls immediately, impaled like so many others, while the other manages to slightly evade the attack, losing only an arm in the exchange. Desperate, another shot is fired off, slamming into the damaged arm as the desperate pilot flies backward. Before death can chase them, the pilot¡¯s allies charge in, axes at the ready. Once again, brilliant blue clashes with red as the pilots try their best to face off against death. As if to answer their desperate pleas, one of the sabers begins to sputter. Seeing a window, the pilots charge in once more, aiming for the already damaged limb with all the power their machines can give them. And while an axe finds its mark, so too does the sputtering blade, the cockpit of yet another AG. The other is once again blocked by the emissary, its remaining brilliant blade starting to stutter. The emissary presses forward, its brilliant blade cutting through the arm of the remaining AG, removing its last hope of resistance. It thrusts its blade forward, ready to claim yet another life, but like a bolt from the blue, another rocket flies in, forcing the emissary to jump back to evade the attack. As its remaining blade sputters and dies, the emissary leaves. Vanishing from the battlefield as quickly as it arrived, leaving the two broken machines as witnesses to its terror. Chapter 2: The March Toward Fate The shuttle ride is mercifully brief. While nothing happens during the ride, with the exception of a few annoyed glances being sent my way, the atmosphere of the shuttle is stifling. The whispered conversations of the upper class serve as a needling reminder that I don¡¯t belong. I try my best to relax, looking out the shuttle¡¯s window to watch as the street flies by. Through the window, I see people on the street stop and stare at us. A small child waves at the bus, and I raise a slight hand and wave back at them, watching as they quickly fade into the distance. The road is fairly empty. With most of the private vehicle owners still at the academy, it is, as usual, clear of clutter, with the exception of a few transportation trucks and buses. All who clear the road for our shuttle as we make our way to the port. As I watch the empty asphalt, my mind wanders. When I entered the academy, I never expected things to end up like this. All I wanted was a little bit more money to help out my family. With mom already working two jobs and dad already in the service, the best option was the Elysium Military Academy, especially with the scholarship that I managed to win. However, if I knew what I would have to endure, I would have just looked for a normal job instead. The moment I was announced as one of four special scholarship scholars, a target was placed on my back. From day one, the wealthy and those who wished to suck up to them made my life hell. Everything short of physical violence was used, though not for lack of trying. Of course, I wasn¡¯t the only one. The other scholarship students all dropped out, with one making his¡­ disappearance¡­ rather public, displayed for the whole school to witness. However, I stuck with it and endured. It was the only option available. I couldn¡¯t bear to see Mother disappointed after making it in. And I couldn¡¯t try to get them off my back by self-sabotaging as the scholarship was tied to having grades in the upper percentile. So enduring was the only option. Fortunately, I managed to do well enough for myself. I figured I would be able to get a decent position, but never did I ever imagine that I would end up here. The shuttle¡¯s shudder as it comes to a stop pulls me from my memories and thoughts. A hiss fills the bus, ending the conversation of the others as a pale-skinned man with short brown hair steps onto the bus. His office¡¯s uniform looks to be practically brand new, and across from the bronze Astral Cross, there is the insignia of a Lieutenant. Marking him as above us in rank even though he looks to be fairly fresh from the academy himself. ¡°Hello,¡± the man says, offering a salute that we all quickly return. ¡°I am Lieutenant Sean Blaustien. I have been sent to retrieve you and lead you over to what will be your home carrier, The Mother Wolf. Please retrieve your baggage and follow me.¡± Our orders received, the others head out of the shuttle. I follow after them, falling into place at the back of the line. While there are plenty of whispers and glances toward the Lieutenant, it doesn¡¯t take us long to all be lined up on the walkway, with bags at our side. Without any words, the officer enters the port terminal, and we follow. The building is clear of traffic, but the signs of the recent military conversion still litter the port, from tarps covering unfinished areas to recently painted walls. Walking through the once-bustling port, we make our way to our boarding gate. As we arrive at the gate, we are able to see what is to be our new home waiting for us. Sitting in the gate with what looks to be a fresh coat of red and bronze paint is a Liberation Class Battlecarrier, the newest ship in the UCC fleet. Its prow proudly displays its main canons for all to stand in awe. Some of the others take the suggestion of the ship, pausing to stare at the ship. However, Lieutenant Blaustien doesn¡¯t stop, and I keep after him, unfortunately, joining the likes of the Shutz-Seishoku and the other members of the top three, the number two student Minerva Reese-Cato and Walter Auclair-Stolz, the number three. As close as I am to them, I can¡¯t help but observe them a little. Despite sharing the status at the top of the academy and society in general, the three of them are so very different. Shutz-Seishoku leads the trio, walking forward with confident and assured steps, her black hair trailing after her. To her slight right, Reese-Cato walks, her tanned skin and blonde hair at perfect odds with Shutz-Seishoku as well as the relaxed steps she takes, effortlessly keeping pace as she glances over at the ship, her ponytail whipping around as she does so. Walter immediately stands out amongst the three for his gender and sharper energy. Each of his steps is a forceful staccato, and his slicked brown hair reminds me of the recruitment posters I would see before entering the academy. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. I do my best to keep my distance and limit my glances, but Walter takes notice of me, shooting a glare my way. Taking the glance for what it is, make sure to create some distance between us. An act that unfortunately leads to me getting bumped into from behind and shoved to the side as the rest of the group catches up. I quickly move to the side to avoid getting shoved again and look back to see Lieutenant Blaustien shooting an apologetic glance my way. With me back at the rear, we board the ship. As we make our way through, we are treated to the sight of crewmen and marines saluting. We continue making our way through the ship till, eventually, we are led to a large open hall with several rows of people standing at attention. The Lieutenant leads us through the crowd to stand at its center, where several of the ship¡¯s officers stand on a raised platform. At the center is a fierce-looking man whose lips are curled into a smile that looks like it is barely restraining itself from becoming a smirk. ¡°Greetings, young pilots. I am your commanding officer, Captain Julius Jackson-Gladio. You all have been assigned to my personal unit, the Wolf Corps. As such, you shall join me in giving the first true display of our new nation¡¯s might. But before we get to that, I will assign you to your squads. First, I would like the following pilots to step forward. Liutenant Junior Grade Shutz-Sieshoku, Ensign Reese-Cato, and Ensign Auclair-Stolz. At the Captain¡¯s order, the three of them step forward, Shutz-Sieshoku and Reese-Cato both wearing calm expressions, though Ensign Auclair-Stolz¡¯s face reveals a hint of pride on his. ¡°As you were the top students at the academy, I am entrusting you to lead your fellows well alongside me. You are to be the next generation of leaders, and that starts now. Lieutenant Junior Grade Shutz-Sieshoku, you shall be designated as Wolf 2, and you shall lead Squad 2. Ensign Reese-Cato, you are to be designated as Wolf 3, and you shall lead Squad 3. Finally, Ensign Auclair-Stolz, you are to be designated as Wolf 4 and the leader of Squad 4. ¡°Now, I know that you may be a bit tired, but I will need to keep you squad leaders around for a little bit. As for the rest of you, your designations and flight uniforms are in your rooms. There will be a welcome ceremony in two hours in the mess. I expect to see you all there. Lieutenant Blaustien, if you would guide the new pilots as you have been.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain,¡± the Lieutenant responds, snapping to attention before motioning for the rest of the pilots to follow him. We are led to the officers¡¯ quarters, where we see several doors with names on them. As the others disperse to head to their rooms, I walk over to Lieutenant Blaustien. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Yes, Ensign Kizashi?¡± ¡°Umm, were you part of the revolutions on Blaustien?¡± ¡°Yes, I was. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Well, I was curious what it was like and how it compares to your service now. When the revolutions were over, we were told about them as ¡°glorious examples of revolutionary action to be modeled,¡± but they didn¡¯t talk much about them.¡± ¡°If they didn¡¯t tell you much about it, how did you figure I was part of them?¡± ¡°...I figured that being one of the revolutionaries would be the only way for someone from a place like Blaustien to get as high as a position as yours,¡± I say after a few seconds, looking away at the wall. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be wrong,¡± The Lieutenant sighs. ¡°Tell you what, we can talk after the welcome ceremony. I have duties to handle before the ceremony. Would that work for you?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I reply eagerly, nodding. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± ¡°Not a problem at all,¡± With that, he heads off, and I make my way over to my room. On it, I see my name and the unfortunate words ¡°Squad 4, Wolf 13.¡± I stare at the sight for a few seconds before sighing and opening the door. As I step into the room, I am treated to the familiar sight of a spartan room. Placing my bag down, I quickly peek into the closet to see that there are a few pairs of uniforms as well as a flight suit. I stare over the uniforms for a few seconds before closing the closet and heading over to the bed. Lying down, I set my alarm for an hour and allow myself to drift off. Chapter 3: Helping Out and Finding Out The beeping of my alarm wakes me from my sleep. Moving quickly, I rise from the bed and head over to the closet. I quickly put my uniform on before combing my hair. Checking the mirror to see that everything is in order, I head out of my room and make my way over to the mess. The trip over to the mess is, fortunately, uneventful. None of the others are in the hallway, allowing me to get to the mess without any issues. As I arrive, I see Lieutenant Blaustien directing some of the ship crew to move tables. Seeing he could use a helping hand, I make my way over. ¡°Hello, Lieutenant. Is there anything I can help with?¡± ¡°Thank you for the offer, but there is no need,¡± the Lieutenant says, shooting a glance my way. ¡°This is in your honor, after all. It¡¯d be like helping to set things up on your birthday.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something I¡¯m rather used to,¡± I chuckle. ¡°It¡¯d feel wrong just sitting around doing nothing. Even if it is just moving tables and chairs, I¡¯d like to help out.¡± ¡°Well, if you are gonna insist like that, can you help move some of the supplies from the kitchen? That would be of decent help, and you should keep your uniform looking pristine more so than move around some tables.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± I say with a nod and a quick salute. In a matter of minutes, I am helping to move cutlery and platters of food. Time goes by fairly quickly, and while I get some looks from the crew for helping out, they are merely ones of curiosity, which barely last a moment. A few minutes after I started working, I hear a commotion. Glancing from the kitchen, I see another man in a pilot¡¯s uniform standing in front of Lieutenant Blaustien. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you can¡¯t even manage this simple task right!¡± the man shouts, jabbing a finger into the Lieutenant¡¯s chest. ¡°You were entrusted with the simple task of having this done before the graduates arrived. But not only did you fail to do that, you have one of them working with the crew!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lieutenant Grimm,¡± Lieutenant Blaustein replies, his face expressionless. ¡°I take full responsibility for this failing.¡± ¡°Of course, you will. It¡¯s your failing and yours alone,¡± the man sneers before walking off. Seeing him walking away, I quickly walk over to the Lieutenant. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for causing trouble. If..¡± ¡®It¡¯s fine,¡± he interrupts. ¡°He would have found some issue with me no matter what. That¡¯s just the kind of person he is. I recommend that you do what you can to stay away from him. He¡¯s the type who picks on anyone he sees as beneath him. And, forgive me if this is a bit presumptive of me, but you don¡¯t seem like you are on more well-off side of things.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong, and thanks for that advice. You still want my help?¡± ¡°He can¡¯t complain more than he already has. So go right ahead.¡± With that, I get right back to work. Fortunately, Lieutenant Grimm doesn¡¯t show up again, and by the time others start to trickle in, everything is set up. As they arrive, I head over to the side, watching carefully as Lieutenant Blaustien and the workers direct the others to grab some food and sit down. After a few minutes, I decide to make myself a small plate and sit off to the side. Keeping to myself, I focus on eating quickly. A few minutes after starting, however, I hear a pair of familiar footsteps. ¡°Peon. At attention,¡± the sharp voice of Auclair-Stolz interrupts my meal as I look up to see him and my walking headache, Salvador Di¡¯Lotta. His smirk is focused firmly on me as he tosses his black hair back, standing proudly to Auclair-Stolz¡¯s right. ¡°As I am sure you know by now, I am in charge of this little squad,¡± Auclair-Stolz starts, glaring down at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you managed to join this elite group. However, I refuse to have you weigh me down. When we fight, you will follow my orders to the letter. Am I understood?¡± ¡°You are, sir,¡± I reply with a nod. ¡°Good. Now tomorrow, we will have sim training. It will be first thing in the morning, so you better not try to skip it for breakfast. While I have arranged this training, it will be your job to make sure that the sim is free for us in the future. I expect time either before or after lunch. Any time that you get for us outside that range, I had better see a full report explaining why you were unable to obtain a proper time. Am I understood?¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I respond quickly ¡°Hmph.¡± With that, the two walk off, sitting with the rest of the well-to-dos. As things are winding down, the Captain enters the room and gives his second speech, my fourth of the day. The speech passes through my head, though I try my best to appear attentive. It is filled with the usual empty platitudes, praising ¡°us¡± for being the finest generation and calling for ¡°us¡± to unite to serve our nation. ¡°In the coming days, you will have your first operation,¡± at those words, I tune into his speech. ¡°Operation Consuming Fear. We will take action to dismantle the corrupt anti-liberation regime of Mars. So prepare yourself and make ready for the first steps of our liberation!¡± There is a wave of cheers to which I offer my voice, but I quickly return to my meal. The celebrations last for a bit longer after the Captain speaks, though I still keep to myself. The others break up into their squads and leave the room, with Auclair-Stolz and Di¡¯Lotta heading out fairly early. Once the room is emptied out, I get to work helping the crew with cleaning up. As soon as everything is cleaned, I make my way over to where Lieutenant Blaustien is. ¡°Excuse me, but would now be a good time for you?¡± ¡°Sure. Now works. And thanks for helping, by the way. You didn¡¯t need to at all. Especially since this event was partially for you.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t sit right with me to not help out after getting in early. Besides, I¡¯m used to it. I helped out all around the house growing up, and I even managed to make some money on the side helping out at the academy. So moving some stuff around was barely work.¡± ¡°Still, thank you,¡± the Lieutenant says, offering a smile. ¡°So, were you curious about Blaustien?¡± ¡°Yes. As I mentioned, they always praised the revolutionaries as ¡°The first stars to strike back against our Terran Oppressors,¡± but they never really talked much about it. It was just sort of breezed over.¡± ¡°Huh. Well, can¡¯t blame them too much,¡± he sighs. ¡°It would sorta mess with the rosy picture I hear they have painted of us. As I have said to some others who have asked, we really weren¡¯t looking to make any grand statement of revolution when we started. We were just sick of it all. They worked us to the bone there. Day and day out. It didn¡¯t matter who you were or where you came from. ¡°And people came from all over. Most of the people there were from the colonies, true, but there were several people from Mars, Luna and even Terra. However, where you came from didn¡¯t matter to the overseers there. They worked everyone the same. ¡°The only rest you could catch was the short breaks we had to stuff down a meal bar and liquid nutrients. If you had the misfortune of falling ill, you had to be lucky enough to know someone with any degree of medical skill cause they didn¡¯t offer any care for us. A simple cough could be the end of you. And if it was, they just cleaned off your belongings and tossed you into the void.¡± At that, he pauses, the blaze that has been steadily growing in his eyes flaring up as memories dance within his mind. ¡°Eventually, some of us had enough. We weren¡¯t the first, of course. Others had tried before us and were cast out to the void. But¡­.We just couldn¡¯t live like that anymore. So, we fought. There wasn¡¯t much of a plan. Not at first. We just sorta¡­snapped. I found one of my comrades beating up a guard who was assaulting a child, and I joined her. We managed to grab the guard¡¯s weapon, and we started there. ¡°From here, things just spread like wildfire. Eventually, some of the miners started to use their equipment as makeshift power armor. We started using that to take out operations across Blaustien. After a while, we were pretty close to being free.¡± ¡°Where does the UCCs come into the story?¡± ¡°Well, right at the end of it. Just as we were putting pressure on the last groups of resistance, they came in with early production Ashigaru. They blew up some buildings, called it a victory, and declared us all patriots and heroes.¡± ¡°Wait. That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Eh, oversimplifying things a bit, but there wasn¡¯t much for them to do at the time. Blaustien was short-staffed thanks to the Martian Rebellion, and we happened to be lucky enough to throw our revolt right in the middle of the worst of it. There weren¡¯t many people who were really going to resist us, and besides the security forces, there were a lot of people on Blaustien who were sent there to end their careers. We had plenty of collaborators to help us once we started looking. ¡°By the time the UCC got involved, most of the fighting had been done. Though I can¡¯t say they did nothing. They brought food and medical supplies when they arrived. All were severely needed, as what little transports Terra sent had stopped by that point.¡± ¡°So what has you fighting here then?¡± ¡°Well, I was born in the colonies, so it feels right for me to fight for them. It¡¯s not like I have any other real skills at the moment. I was on Blaustien for most of my life. So, the only skills I have are mining and fighting, and I NEVER want to use power tools as they were intended ever again. Hell, I still feel a bit dirty misusing them. It¡¯s why I didn¡¯t cling to them like some of my fellow fighters. ¡°Also, I like the message of the UCC. We colonists shouldn¡¯t be bound by the government of Terra any longer. Especially given how they view us. We aren¡¯t human in their eyes. We are numbers on a sheet. Numbers to be thrown away the second another number says we aren¡¯t profitable. I refuse to live like that any longer. And fighting here gives me the best chance to do something about it.¡± ¡°Even if you have to put up with people like Lieutenant Grimm?¡± ¡°He talks a big game, but he¡¯s nowhere near the worst I¡¯ve dealt with. But yes. I¡¯ll endure a thousand of them if it means that we can be free from Terra. I¡¯d endure anything for that.¡± ¡°Well, thank you for answering my questions. Sorry if I brought back any bad memories.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fine. I wish you luck during your stay here. Feel free if you ever want to talk again.¡± With that, he walks off, throwing me a wave as he marches off to other duties. Seeing no more reason for me to stick around, I make my way back to my room. I take some time to write in my journal, one of my few personal effects, before heading to sleep. Chapter 4: Janissary Explosions dance through a sea of black. Voices scream out only to be silenced. My alarm clock tears me from the nightmare I was caught in. I take a few seconds to breathe, staring out into the darkness of the room, the only light coming from my clock. Once I have settled a bit, I rise to my feet and quickly run through my regular routine of stretches and light exercise to try and chase away the shadows of sleep. Once I finish, I head to the bathroom and quickly use the showers. Fortunately, it seems that despite the new environment, people are keeping to their usual schedules, as the bathrooms are, as usual, empty as I shower. Once I finish up, I quickly make my way through the ship¡¯s halls. Running through my mental map, I make my way over to where the simulators are. Fortunately, it is around the same place as some of the other ships I have been trained to navigate, located in a sort of common space near the Mess Hall. The sims sit together along the western and eastern walls, their blocky bodies taking up quite a bit of the room. On the back of each pod is a view screen that allows observers, casual or otherwise, to share in the view of the cockpit. Stepping over to the eastern wall, pull out my ID and insert it into a card reader. After a few seconds, my name and rank show up, and the sim doors open with a hiss. I crawl into the cramped faux cockpit, settling into the worn plastic of the seat before buckling up. As the door closes, I take a second to gaze over the controls. The screen flashes to life, and my focus rises from the controls to take a second to look over it. The first thing I am greeted with is a visual of the Astral Gear that I will be piloting for the sim, and presumably my time here, the UCC-AG¨C06 Janissary. Looking over the visual for a second it looks fairly similar to our main training machine back at the academy, the UCC-AG-05 Ashigaru. Both machines are roughly the same height, standing a bit over 17 meters, though thanks to its armor, the Janissary stands a bit taller. The Janissary is also a bit stockier, its armor giving it a wider profile. The main difference that catches my eye is the head of the Janissary. Compared to the Ashigaru¡¯s relatively simple head, a structure almost reminiscent of a warrior with a simple helmet, the Janissary has a bit more going on. The most noticeable aspects being the two curved horns that stick out on the sides of its head and the venting cables attached to a radiator. Turning away from the Janissary for a moment, I look over to the armaments. These I find to be much more familiar to me. Looking over the weapons for a second, I select my usual armaments: the 120mm Arashi Assault Rifle, the Temp¨ºte Bazooka, and the M2 CCW. With my weapons selected, I move over to setting the parameters for my training. Not exactly knowing what we¡¯re going to be doing soon, I decide to stick to the drill that we usually ran through at the academy. I set the simulator to spawn in a single Martian flight, four Cockatrice interceptors, and a H¨­¨­ to lead the pack. The sim controls fade away, and the monitors shift over to a simulated view of the void. Across from me on the battlefield, the simulated sensors display my enemy, already in motion. Taking a breath, I push the control forward and feel the sim shift a bit as I take off toward the enemy. As I fly, I draw my bazooka, taking careful aim at the lead craft. The distance between me and the fighters closes as we both charge toward each other, and I soon hear the targeting system¡¯s low growl shift to a confirming hum. Locked on, I fire before quickly moving to load another rocket. Unfortunately, the AI manages to evade my attack, splitting up as my rocket flies harmlessly through the formation. Seeing my failure, I quickly fire off another rocket, barely listening for the hum before switching to my gun. As I complete the swap, I am treated to a blinding flash from my sensors as my attack lands. When the void returns to its natural darkness, I am able to see that the H¨­¨­ now has a damaged wing, and the Cockatrice on its right wing has been taken out. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. However, the AI doesn¡¯t make a second thought, instead continuing to barrel toward me. The remaining Cockatrices take the lead from their injured commander, firing a swarm of missiles. Seeing their opening salvo, I raise my shield and begin defensive maneuvers. I fly through the void, evading the missiles as best as I can to the urgent beeping of the alerts. Unfortunately, it isn¡¯t good enough, and the cockpit shakes, and alarms buzz out warnings as simulated hits strike my legs. Fortunately, the Janissary¡¯s armor is able to endure the attacks, and the simulation doesn¡¯t end, Fighting through the chaos of the beeps and buzzes, I train my gun on the H¨­¨­ and squeeze off a round of shells. As they tear through space, I raise my shield just in time to block a return missile from the H¨­¨­. The impact rocks the simulated cockpit, but I do my best to stay focused, firing another round over at the H¨­¨­ before dodging another missile swarm from the Cockatrices. This time, the alarms continue their warning song as I weave through the salvo, but their beeps fade away as my thrusters manage to free me from the swarm. As I break free, my sensors alert me to an explosion, marking the end of the H¨­¨­. The biggest threat dealt with, I flip around to face my pursuers. I open fire into the lead Cockatrice before quickly raising my shield to block machine gunfire from its allies. As their shots harmlessly slam into my shield, my shots tear through into the machine, one shearing through a wing and the other two slamming into the main body. It keeps formation for a few brief seconds before it veers off and explodes, leaving only two Cockatrices left. With their missile racks spent, the Cockatrices circle before they begin a strafing run. Hitting my thrusters as hard as I can, I jet to the side and fire. My shots go wide, but they are enough to cause one to veer off slightly. Taking advantage of the moment, I open fire on the other, managing to take off a wing, causing it to spiral through the void. Swapping focus once again, I raise my shield to try and block another round of machine gunfire, but my actions come too slow, and I am treated to the sound of alarms as their attacks land once more, though fortunately, most of the rounds are stopped by the armor. As the Cockatrice jets past, I quickly squeeze off another round and chase after it. The shots land true, and the Cockatrice ends in a simulated explosion. I take no time to watch, instead flipping around to see the one-winged Cockatrice on a direct run toward me, its guns blazing. I raise my shield and return fire. My shield takes the fire for me this time, and my sensors alert me to the success of my own shots as it displays the exploding wreckage of the Cockatrice fly by me. With the last Cockatrice down, the sim fades away and returns to the start-up screen. Looking over the results, I feel shocked to see that they are better than what I usually got in the academy. I feel a little smile start to form and get ready to set up another round before I hear a banging on the sim door. The infant smile dies as I quickly open the door to see Auclair-Stolz and Di¡¯Lotta staring down at me. ¡°What are you doing in the center sim?¡± Auclair-Stolz asks, glaring down at me. ¡°You remember that the center sim is for the squad leader, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, sir, but I figured the best way to reserve the necessary machines would be to take the center one. After all, if I just took one of the ones on the edge¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any excuses. Get out now.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I say, moving quickly to log off the sim and get out of the machine. As I exit the sim, Di¡¯Lotta pushes me to the side, causing me to stumble a bit before catching my balance. Looking over, I see Auclair-Stolz glancing around the cockpit with critical eyes. ¡°Hmm, fortunately, you don¡¯t seem to have gotten your sweat all over the machine, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to make sure. Grab a wipe and clean up your mess. It¡¯s bad enough to be forced to use this machine after you. I won¡¯t have your filth on it when I do.¡± Without argument, I turn and head over to a supply box for some wipes and quickly begin to wipe the seat down as thoroughly as I can. After wiping the cockpit down for a few minutes, I step aside so Auclair-Stolz can examine it. ¡°This appears adequate,¡± he scoffs before heading into the machine. ¡°Toss those aside and hurry up. Your foolishness has already cost us valuable training time.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I reply before running to toss the wipes away and running back over to the sims. Catching sight of the sim to the right of closing, I head over to my designated sim on the left and head log myself in. Chapter 5: Team Building ¡°Took you long enough.¡± Di¡¯Lotta¡¯s scoff joins the sim¡¯s start-up as the first noises that I hear as I log in. ¡°For our unit¡¯s first training, we are going to practice doing a site assault mission,¡± Auclair-Stolz says, pressing past the comment. ¡°In the coming days, it will be important for the war effort that you follow my lead and direction. So equip yourselves with missile pods in addition to your regular armaments.¡± Hearing the order, I scan the armaments section, making my way to the bottom to find the disposable missile pods. Glancing between the two options, I select the M1-MP, the weaker of the two but one with plenty of missiles to fire off. ¡°I am good to go,¡± I say quickly, assigning the pod to my right arm. ¡®There were only two options. How did it take you so long to pick one?¡± Di¡¯Lotta mocks. ¡°Focus up,¡± Acluair-Stolz¡¯s voice cuts through on the coms, cutting off Di¡¯Lotta. ¡°The mission we will be trying out is simple: site destruction. Our target is a generator complex. To get to it, we will have to deal with two ground defense sites, a missile site, and a flak gun. In addition, a single Martian flight will serve as air defense. While I deal with the flight, I expect the two of you to deal with the ground sites. Di¡¯Lotta, you are to eliminate the flak gun and then aid Kizashi if he is unable to eliminate the missile site before you complete your mission. Once you are done, move in to eliminate the site unless I give further orders.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± I reply quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to finish quickly so I can bail Kizashi out,¡± Di¡¯Lotta says, his voice oozing with smug confidence. With no chance for any rebuttal, the sim shifts from set up to our false battle. Most of the screen is taken up by a simulated void once more. However, this time, joining me in the void are the AGs of Auclair-Stolz and Di¡¯Lotta, as well as rough, misshapen stone. We fly in a small v formation, Auclair-Stolz in the lead and me on the left. Behind Auclair-stolz, I am able to see that the head of his AG is slightly different, having an additional horn that rises from its forehead. However, I only have a few brief moments to observe the AG before our opponents appear on my sensors. Rising from the stone below them is a hail of bullets and a swarm of missiles. ¡°Break.¡± At the order, the three of us separate, and I dive down to the rocky surface below as I push my thrusters to the limit, the simulated cockpit shaking as I fly. Joining the chaos is a cacophony of beeps as my sensors try to warn me of incoming missiles. My hands fly over the controls as I slam my AG to the side. While it doesn¡¯t free me from the missiles, it allows me a chance to switch over to my Arashi as the missiles wheel around to chase after me. Wheeling around, I spray a desperate barrage of bullets at the missile swarm. One of my wild shots manages to clip the lead missile, taking it out, but the rest of the swarm keeps on coming, flying right at me. As they come in again, I dodge and weave as best as I can, but I still manage to get clipped by one of the missiles. Fortunately, the layered armor of the left arm is enough to protect the vulnerable servo beneath. I quickly right my AG, pushing my thrusters to recover from the force of the blast, only to watch with annoyance as I see more missiles coming my way. Moving quickly, I slam the thrusters and charge forward with my shield raised. Training my gun on the swarm, I unload the magazine. Fortune rewards my strategy as my wild shots hit most of the missiles, the few that manage to get through slamming into my shield. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! I cast my shield aside and swap over to the Tempete. The hum of the targeting system alerts me to the fact that I have entered into combat range on the missile site. However, the growl of the lock-on is joined by the worrying alarms of enemy lock-ons. Seeing the missiles streaming toward me, I quickly fire my rocket over at the site before shooting upward. By the barest of centimeters, the missiles stream past me, warning sirens screaming the entire time. As my display lights up in warnings, however, there is a spot of relief as the missile site explodes on my view screen. Target eliminated, I whip around, straining against the simulated pressure of the cockpit, to face off against the missile once more. Facing down the missiles, I ready my Arashi, jetting up at the last second once again to allow the missiles to pass under me. As they do, I flip around in the air, firing at the missiles as they try to turn. Once again, my shots land true, taking out the missiles and freeing me from my pursuers. With my target dealt with, I glance over the radar to see that while Di¡¯Lotta looks to have cleared his target, Auclair¨CStolz is still dealing with two of the Cockatrices. I take flight, rocketing over to his side as I ready my missile pod. As I charge over to him, I take the time to observe him and his fight. Auclair-Stolz wields the M1 combined weapon, one of the later weapons added to our training. As implied by the name, the M1 combined weapon was a combination of two armaments: the M2 Autocannon, an improved version of one of the first weapons that was developed for the Ashigaru, the M1 Autocannon, and a variant of the M1 Rocket launcher designed to be an attachment weapon. While I had the chance to test it out in the academy, the fact that the weapon was so cumbersome made me dread using it. However, Auclair-Stolz has no such qualms. As I charge into range, I watch as he quickly lines up a shot and fires a rocket straight into the body of one of the Cockatrices, taking out the fighter with the shot before turning his gun on the survivor. The two of them trade fire as they circle each other and dance in the sky. However, neither of them manages to land a finishing hit. Grrrrrrr. The sound of a confirming lock on pulls me out of the battle and back behind my controls. With the lock confirmed and only one enemy remaining, I decide to make sure that I can sink it in one shot if I hit. Flipping through auxiliary controls, I release a salvo of eight, more than enough to sink the fighter if they all find their mark. And with the Cockatrice focused on Auclair-Stolz, they do. The AI pilot doesn¡¯t even have time to dodge as missiles fly in from behind and erase the Cockatrice. ¡°Decent, but unneeded¡± Auclair-Stolz. ¡°Your attack was woefully inefficient, and your time would have been better spent targeting the generator as Di¡¯Lotta did.¡± As he says that, I see the signature of the generator go dead as a simulated explosion erupts in the distance. The void starts to melt away as the simulation fades out with the mission¡¯s completion. ¡°Prepare yourself for another round,¡± Auclair-Stloz commands. As Auclair-Stolz takes a few seconds to reset the sim, I try to catch my breath. As the sounds of the cockpit die down, I am finally able to hear the sound of my own breathing and heartbeat. However, I¡¯m not left to the silence for long as the sim stirs to life without warning, and I hear Auclair-Stolz¡¯s voice come through once more. ¡°Same as last time. We will run this till we are perfect.¡± The next hour is spent in the sims, running the variations of the same mission over and over. The first couple of times, the mission is the exact same, to the point that I start to memorize my part of the attack. After the sixth time of running the mission, things change slightly, such as both sites becoming missile sites or flak sites or having an additional site. While the sites being the same isn¡¯t much of a change, though I find the flak much easier to deal with compared to the missiles, the addition of a third site makes things much more difficult. With two sites, we were always able to divide the roles perfectly. When the ground sites were dealt with, we had a moment of rest. However, the third site erases that brief moment, creating a continued moment of stress as I am made to deal with it as Di¡¯lotta takes out the generator. We continue running the mission, adding additional sites until the sim is an inescapable hell of shells and missiles. We spend hours running that same tortuous route, and by the time we are free, my body is soaked from the heat of the enclosed pod and the stress of the sim. ¡°We have launch drills around 1400,¡± Auclair-Stolz announces as we finish up another round. ¡°Make sure you are ready for that. We will meet up in Mech Bay 2 at 1345. Until then, you are free. Clean the sims up before you leave.¡± With that, I hear a ping of him breaking the connection between the pods and a faint hiss from outside the sim. Not seeing a reason to rush to clean, I take a moment to breathe and recover, resting in the dim glow of the sim. Chapter 6: Mech Bay Loitering It doesn¡¯t take me long to clean up the sims when I get to it. Thanks to my time at the academy, I have more than enough experience scrubbing down the machines after particularly intense sessions, and with only three to scrub down, it doesn¡¯t take long before I am finished. Checking the time, I head over to breakfast, making the relatively short trip over to the mess hall. Once there, I grab myself an out-of-the-way table and quickly make my way through a light meal featuring a chicken sandwich with bacon. All artificial meat, of course. The only time I ever had proper meat was at one of the academy¡¯s functions. It was an interesting taste, but it didn¡¯t seem too much different from the artificial stuff, despite what some of the other students seemed to assert. As I finish up, I wander the ship for a while. I first attempt to head back over to the sims to see if I can get some more practice in. However, as I arrive, I see two of the other squads have already taken up residence in the room. Not wanting to interrupt, I start to wander through the halls of the ship with no real destination in my head, but eventually, my wandering legs take me over to the mech bay. I don¡¯t even realize that fact until I hear the commotion. The hum of machinery, the crackle of sparks, and the shouts of mechanics. A chaotic cacophony of production and repair. Peering into the bay, I see crewmen rushing around, handling all sorts of tasks. However, they are all overshadowed by the Astral Gears. Looking across the bay, there are a total of ten machines. Most of them are Janissaries, though there are also four Ashigaru, almost tucked away in the corner. However, my eyes don¡¯t linger over the Ashigaru for long. Instead, my gaze focuses on the Janissaries. After all, I have seen Ashigarus before, even having the chance to pilot training models while I was at the academy, but I have only ever had the opportunity to see Janissaries in the simulator. Looking up at the Janissaries, I feel a strange sense of awe. While it is only a bit taller than the Ashigaru, that slight extra height adds to its sense of power. Along with that, the horns on the head, most having only two to the side, though there are 2 with an additional forehead horn, add to that design. Away from the head and looking over the body, one of the clearest differences between the Janissary and its predecessor is immediately apparent. The heavier armor of the Janissaries, from the basic armor that covers the entire frame to the shields mounted at the shoulders that grant extra protection to the upper arms. Comparing the Ashigaru and the Janissaries off pure looks alone, the Ashigaru feels deadlier. However, even under the hood, the specs are more impressive. Additional thrusters in the leg which allow for higher speeds in space. While still not fast enough to rival the speed achievable by Martian jets unassisted, they are fast enough to successfully engage with them in combat. Also, they possess a more advanced sensor suite, allowing for further detection/ engagement range. Finally, to top it all off, a stronger battery grants it a longer engagement time. ¡°Hey, you got a purpose for standing in the door like that?¡± A sharp voice takes me out of my observation, and I look over to see a dark-skinned and muscular woman glaring over at me, a crate held in her arms. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I say quickly, stepping out of the way. ¡°Thanks, but as I said, do you have a reason for being over here? I can tell that you are a pilot, but you all aren¡¯t scheduled to be over here for another couple of hours. ¡°Oh no, I just wanted to find something to do, and I ended up over here. If you need any help, I would be glad to lend a hand.¡± ¡°Carry this then,¡± she says, handing the crate over. I take it carefully, surprised at its weight and how easily she carried it. She looks over at me for a few seconds before nodding and turning, motioning for me to follow as she does so. Following her, I am led into the heart of the chaos that is the mech bay. After walking for a minute, though with the weight it feels longer, we stop at a roughly set up workstation with computers surrounded by several boxes and scattered tools. ¡°You can just place it down and then be off. I don¡¯t need you standing around underfoot.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Are you sure there isn¡¯t anything else I can help you with? I don¡¯t have to do for the until we are scheduled to be here.¡± ¡°Are you sure you can help out? You looked like you were struggling with that crate I just gave you.¡± ¡°I will try my best,¡± I say, shaking my arms out. ¡°....Fine enough. But you don¡¯t go anywhere. I don¡¯t need you slipping into something you ain¡¯t supposed to and ruining things. And I don¡¯t want any of your pilot friends thinking they can just roam freely on my turf.¡± ¡°Your turf?¡± ¡°Yeah, My turf,¡± she says before a flash of understanding flies across her face. ¡°Oh, right, introductions. I¡¯m Nasreen, and I am in charge of this mech bay.¡± ¡°Oh, Ensign James Kizarashi,¡± I say quickly, saluting only to have her waving away. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t need any of that. It¡¯s a waste of time, honestly. The only thing that matters is that whenever I tell you not to do something, you listen. Other than that, the rank doesn¡¯t mean much of anything. As for you helping out, I can put you to work, but you are only gonna be doing what I say to do. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± ¡°None of that,¡± she says, shuddering. ¡°Makes me feel old. Just say understood or something else.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± ¡°Now¡­.¡± Silence sits between us for a few minutes as she taps away at a keyboard in front of her. After a while, she looks up from the keyboard and starts writing something down on a piece of paper. ¡°Alright, run this down over to Kyles. He¡¯ll be the big guy shouting at people over by the Ashigarus,¡± she says, handing the slip over to me. Nodding, I rush across the bay and over to the Ashigaru. Looking over them, compared to the shiny, pristine armor and fresh coats of paint of the Janissaries, the Ashigarus look more worn. Their armor shows signs of damage, and in certain spots, their paint is chipped and worn. As I look over their armor, I also notice that their usual shoulder-mounted shield is missing. In addition, their heads are different from that of normal Ashigaru. Instead of the normal sort of helmet shape, they all have what looks to be a visor on their forehead that looks like it can slide down over their sensor. ¡°Come on, Boys! Let¡¯s get this shit done so we can get to lunch!¡± A loud shout followed by groans directs me over to a group of crewmen. As the group disperses, I see a large man with a scowl on his face as he watches the others move to work on one of the Ashigaru. ¡°Umm, excuse me? Would you happen to be a Mr. Kyles?¡± ¡°Yes, that would be me,¡± he says, glancing down at me. ¡°I was given this by Bay Officer Nasreen to hand to you.¡± With that, I hand the paper over to him. He looks over the paper for a couple of seconds, his eyes narrowing for a second before he starts to nod his head. ¡°Ok. Thanks for delivering this. Tell the boss that I will get right on this.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°Oh, and can you tell her that the adjustments for Unit 2¡¯s sensors should be done before the pilots come in.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± With that, I cross the bay once again over to Nasreen. ¡°Thanks for that,¡± she replies, glancing up from her work for a second. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure. Also, he told me to tell you that the adjustments for Unit 2¡¯s sensors should be done before the pilots come in.¡± ¡°Good. Been waiting a minute on those. No offense, but those Ashigaru have put in more work than any of your Janissaries probably will.¡± ¡°Are those Ashigaru special for some reason?¡± ¡°Right, Academy grad,¡± she says after blinking for a second. ¡°Those are a relatively new machine, which came out a bit after the Janissary, though it¡¯s more accurate to call them the result of a mod kit that was released for the Ashigaru. They are officially the UCC-AG-05-S, the S standing for sniper. They are modified to have speed compared to the base Janissary and are primarily equipped to wield the M1-Sniper Rifle, also known as the Arquebus.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Yeah, and currently, those are used by the most useful pilots on this entire ship. While that might change, I don¡¯t see that happening anytime soon if you follow in the footsteps of what we have been having with our Ashigaru pilots. ¡° ¡°Oh, have they been doing something wrong?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say they have been doing anything wrong per say, just not doing much right. Let me put it this way. The Ashigaru pilots give me less work to do. As much as I like working on these machines, I hate having to do extra work. If you don¡¯t give me much extra work to do, you all will be golden.¡± ¡°Understood. I will do my best not to give you too much work.¡± ¡°Keep up that attitude,¡± she says with a chuckle. ¡°Now for your next task¡­¡± Chapter 7: First Flight For the next hour, Nasreen sends me on all sorts of errands across the bay. For the most part, they are all simple tasks, with me running documents to her or checking on the status of repairs. However, despite the constant running around, the job is enjoyable, giving me something to occupy my time with. Unfortunately, the peace comes to an end as I spy Auclair-Stolz and Di¡¯Lotta make their way into the mech bay. The two of them walk into the bay as if they own the place, marching through without a second thought. Auclair-Slolz surveys the room, his eyes sliding over me for a brief second as he scans the room before locking on me. ¡°The rest of my squad is here,¡± I say, stepping a bit closer to Nasreen. ¡°Huh, guess that means I have to get this bullshit over with then,¡± she sighs, rising from her computer. I follow as she quickly crosses the mech bay and makes her way over to Auclair-Stolz and Di¡¯Lotta. ¡°So you are the others from Squad 3?¡± ¡°I am the leader of squad 3, Ensign Walter Auclair-Stolz. I take it you are in charge here?¡± ¡°Yup, I am the ship¡¯s secondary Assistant Chief Mechanical Officer and the Head of the Secondary mech bay. Name¡¯s Nasreen.¡± ¡°Just Nasreen?¡± Di¡¯Lotta asks, one of his eyebrows raising. ¡°Yeah, Nasreen. Got a problem with it?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m just surprised that someone of your background...¡± ¡°Ok, gonna shut you the fuck up right there. You¡¯re high status, right? Can you fix up an Astral Gear? Can you design equipment? Can you modify equipment for individual AG use?¡± ¡°Well, no, but I¡¯m sure that someone of a higher status could meet those qualifications.¡± ¡°Well, two things about that. A) I didn¡¯t list the requirements for my position. The requirements really only need you to know how to repair an AG. I know all the other stuff cause I¡¯m amazing and more than qualified. B) Even if there was another who matches my credentials, they ain¡¯t here. So let me tell you how things will work. I am the second most qualified person on this ship when it comes to AGs. And I¡¯m the most qualified in this entire room. ¡°If you got a problem with me, you can take that up with the chief. But I can tell you right now that he¡¯ll just tell you to shove it. He is the one who vouched for me. And unless I decide to place a bomb in your cockpit, he ain¡¯t gonna fire me. Hell, he might not even fire me if I can defend you having a bomb in your cockpit.¡± ¡°Wa..What!¡± ¡°Trust me, while a good pilot is a valuable part of the machine, what you just said proves you ain¡¯t a good pilot. Anyone with any sense knows not to insult people who are in charge of working on the machine you rely on. All it takes is one misplaced bolt, and then whoosh. To space with your sorry ass. ¡°Anyway, Nasreen. In charge in here. And if you have sense and don¡¯t try to antagonize like a little pedant, the person who makes sure that your AG is up to date, ship shape, and customized to meet your needs. But you aren¡¯t here for all that right now. You are here for the flight check, right?¡± ¡°That would be correct, Bay Officer Nasreen,¡± Auclair-Stolz replies. ¡°Can we get to that?¡± ¡°Sure. Follow me.¡± With that, she smoothly turns on her heel and makes her way toward some of the Janissaries. ¡°Your AG¡¯s are over here,¡± she says after some walking. With a wave of her hand, she points us over to three Janissaries. The two on the outside are almost identical, being the standard Janissary that I trained with in the sims, with the exception of a unique decal. On the right shoulder shield, there is a painting of a grinning wolf, and below that, there are numbers 13 on one and 12 on the other. In the center, I see one of the tri-horned Janissary, and on its soldier is the same wolf and the number 4. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Auclair-Stolz¡¯s face twitch into a frown, but when I blink, his face is locked into its usual cold expression. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°These are your machines. The ones on the outer ends are just your standard Janissaries nothing too fancy going on with them, though you got the new armor/ weapon system that allows for quite a bit of options. More than enough to blow the Martians and the bastards on Terra into cosmic dust. As for the center, that is a Janissary Commander. How much have they made you aware of that machine and its capabilities?¡± ¡°I was informed about many of the combat applications during a briefing with Captain Jackson-Gladio as well as Chief Mechanical Officer Lucian Vulcan-Bastille. I have been made aware that it can equip the same modular weapons as the Janissary and possess a more advanced sensor suite and thruster portfolio. Finally, we were informed of a backup sensor system located within the torso in addition to the base head-mounted sensors.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s great,¡± Nasreen replies, as a smirk crosses her face. ¡°That means I can save both of our time. The only thing that they didn¡¯t mention from the sound of it is the fact that thanks to the advanced sensors you will be rocking, you can field the Arquebus, or as it is officially known, the M1-Sniper Rifle.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a weapon specced out for advanced distance fighting. It was paired with the Ashigaru Sniper, a rather overhauled version of the Ashigaru, so don¡¯t be too worried if it sounds unfamiliar. All it is is a gun specced out for long-distance combat. And by long distance, they mean it. Thing struggles in the normal combat range, but it is like having a miniaturized cruiser cannon so it is what it is.¡± ¡°While that is interesting, I don¡¯t think I would be changing my armaments to that degree. I figured. Most of you Academy folk have preferences already. But that is beside the point at the moment. I¡¯m not here to sell you on a better weapon that would allow you to more efficiently deal with enemies that you would face. No, I¡¯m here to help you do system checks. Boring, boring systems checks. ¡°Now, feel free to head on up. Your machines have already been checked to make sure they are flight-ready. Everything is clear and ready to go. For this test you will be armed with the standard loadout, that being the Arashi, the Temp¨ºte, and the Cleaver, or to use its official name, the M2 CCW. Oh, and as a very, very important note. While your armaments will be loaded, please refrain from wasting ammunition. They are loaded only, so you will get a chance to experience the machines and the weights with which you will be working. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes, Bay officer.¡± ¡°Good. Now, feel free to head over. Once you get in, activate the machines, and then we will guide you through the start-up checklist.¡± With that, we make our way over to the machines. Each step I take closer to the machine increases the sensation of being dwarfed by it. I eventually make my way over to the ladder on the dock wall and quickly clamber up onto the scaffolding. On the scaffold, I make my way over to its front. Standing in front of the armored chest of the AG, I look around for a bit before I find the access hatch and head into the heart of my machine. Sitting in the seat of the cockpit, I am hit by a strange feeling. The cockpit, off of pure looks, is fairly similar to the sims that I have spent so much time in. However, at the same time, everything is ever so slightly¡­off. The seat is fresh, not worn by countless others. There is a strange shine to everything, and as the hatch seals itself, the world becomes silenced. Not wanting to keep the others waiting, I begin the activation sequence, which, fortunately, is the same as in the sim. Unlike the gentle start of the sim, the Janissary roars to life, announcing its presence to the world. Along with the roar, lights all across the cockpit flicker to life alongside the view screen, which displays the hanger bay in sharp clarity. As the roar dies down a bit, I see my com light flicker on. Switching the coms on, I am greeted by Nasreen¡¯s voice. ¡°Ok, pilots. I am going to run you through flight checks, and then we will get you onto the catapult. Once you are out in the void, you will have a few minutes to do some flight drills and acclimate yourselves to your machines.¡± The next few minutes are spent hovering over the dashboard, making sure that everything is in order. Seeing no issues, I run through my system checks and test out the limbs, raising and lowering them before taking a test step guided by Nasreen and the flight crew. ¡°Ok, Unit 12 is clear of the launch path. You are clear to head over to the catapult Wolf 13.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± I reply. Gently, I push the drive, and I feel the machine obey my commands. It lumbers over to the catapult, and I shift into the launch position, crouching as the clamps magnetize to the Jannissary¡¯s feet. ¡°Wolf 13, you are clear for launch.¡± With that, I switch to flight mode, activating my thrusters. I am held in place for a second before being rocketed forward by the catapult. The force of the launch throws me back into my seat as I am carried out of the ship. As the catapult releases me, I am sent flying forward. Panic rises up only to be cut down as I take control, easing back on the thrusters and guiding myself over to where Auclair-Stolz and Di¡¯Lotta are holding. I fly over to their position as Auclair-Stolz¡¯s voice comes over my com. ¡°We are just going to do a few flight drills around the ship. The emphasis will be flying in formation and adjusting to my commands. First, V formation.¡± With that, he takes off, leading us on through the void. We follow, maneuvering around our machines at his command. Along with flying in a basic V formation, he has us practice swapping our weapons rapidly as well as scattering on his command. ¡°Hmm, that will have to¡­.¡± Auclair-Stolz¡¯s voice cuts off as he breaks communication. I don¡¯t have time to wonder why as his voice quickly returns. ¡°Men formation! We have contact!¡± Chapter 8: First Fight Auclair-Stolz¡¯s voice rings over the coms, a hint of panic lurking within its usual steel. On the sensors, I am able to identify his panic¡¯s source. Three contacts, all Martian ships, and from the way that more contacts pour from them, two are fully equipped with the usual Martian fighter squadron. ¡°Men! Our orders are in!¡± The clear shout of Auclair-Stolz pulls me from the panic that has momentarily set in. ¡°We are to engage the enemy as the rest of the squads launch. Each of us has to hold off a flight, something we have already trained to do. Prioritize the H¨­¨­¡¯s; they are the more significant threat.¡± With that, he draws his weapon and trains it on the coming swarm. Di¡¯Lotta follows his lead, and I do the same as well, a painful churning in my stomach as I look over at the approaching swarm of death. While my sensors inform me that there are ¡°only¡± 2 squadrons. A mere 30 jets heading our way that blur together like a cloud on the view screen. Grrrrrr The growl of the lock-on serves as a distant reminder of the impossible task in front of me. Despite being louder than the sim, it seems quiet in the face of our task. I raise my Temp¨ºte, bracing it against my shield, as I gaze into the swarm helplessly. Suddenly, without a shot fired between the three of us, one of the H¨­¨­s explodes. I blink before checking the scan once again, and as soon as I do, I hear the crackle of the coms as a message comes through. ¡°Wolf Corps Squad 4, this is Auxiliary Squad leader Lieutenant Blaustien. We will be providing you with cover fire from the ship. Just do your best to keep the enemy busy.¡± As if to emphasize his words, another H¨­¨­ explodes as the approaching storm scatters into the flights that make it up. With the spell of the Martians shattering, I raise my Temp¨ºte and take a breath as I take aim toward the center of one of the flights, flying up to get a better shot. As soon as the shot is lined up, I fire. The rocket flies true, erasing the Cockatrice at the heart of the formation and heavily damaging its surrounding allies. Thanks to my panic, I don¡¯t have enough time for another shot, so I don¡¯t waste any time reloading. Instead, I cast it to the void and draw my Arashi, raising my shield up as I do so. Right before the Martians fall upon us, the Hoo leading my foes goes up in a ball of explosive fury. That is the only mercy fate affords me. The Cockatrices unleash a swarm of missiles that tear through the void toward me. I challenge the swarm, squeezing the trigger and unleashing a hail of bullets of my own. I don¡¯t sit around and wait for the results, however. As hard as I can, I slam the throttle, shifting the thrusters into high gear in an effort to evade. However, several of the missiles manage to stay on me and strike my limbs. The cockpit shakes from the impacts, slamming me forward as the entire cockpit is stained red with warning lights. Sirens blare, drowning out my thoughts, as I fight to right the Janissary. The Cockatrices chasing me don¡¯t give me the time to do so, unleashing yet another salvo of death my way. As death rushes toward me, the world seems to slow. My hands move by instinct, flying across my controls to activate thrusters and shift my machine. I move with the momentum of the last attack, flipping over and jetting downward. As I go, I fire off shots at the jets as the missiles scream past me, practically scratching the paint of the Janissary. My shots slam into the underbelly of one, and as it starts to explode, I send a burst toward another as I chase after them. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The jets peel away from each other, my burst flying harmlessly past my target. However, thanks to their speed, their turn is a wide one, allowing me to fire off two more bursts. Only one hits its mark, but both jets explode all the same. Flying through the debris of my foe, I check the scanner to see that the rest of the Martian forces are heading over to the ship. Suppressing the panic leaping through my mind, I glance at my allies¡¯ signals and see that Auclair-Stolz is helping Di¡¯Lotta deal with the flight on him, leaving the ship open to the Martians. In a split second, a thousand thoughts fill my head. I shouldn¡¯t have thrown away the Temp¨ºte. What will happen to me when the Martians down the ship? Everyone is going to die because of me. All helpless to do anything because I wasn¡¯t able to stop them. I will never see Mom, Dad, or any of my siblings. Why did I ever think I was¡­ A twinge of pain and the taste of blood snaps me out of the spiral. Shaking my head, I slam the thrusters and desperately charge forward. I raise my Arashi with a wordless cry and release a round of bullets after them. Thanks to the distance between us and their speed, most of the bullets go wild. However, one manages to hit the mark, sheering off the wing. As the wing careens off into the void, the jet turns to face me, but for their effort, I send another hail of bullets that take the jet out. Flying past the wreckage, I fire on the jets in a desperate attempt to slow them down, but this time, none of my bullets land. Unphased by my bullets or by the fire from Lieutenant Blaustien and his men, the jets fly on before unleashing a wave of missiles at the ship. My grip around the throttle tightens, and I push against its limits, vainly hoping to pull some extra speed up and catch the missiles, but the machine can¡¯t answer my pleas, so I am forced to watch as the missiles swiftly approach the ship. However, before they can arrive, two Ags burst forth from the side. One I recognize, as the same AG Auclair-Stolz has been assigned, a Jannissary Commander. The other is new, a heavy-looking machine with an impressive array of thrusters emerging from its back. They jet forward, leaping into the path of the missiles with shields raised and readied. Then, from their head, gunfire emerges, taking out the swarm of missiles as they get in close. While they aren¡¯t able to take out all of the missiles, they manage to intercept most with their gunfire. They then manage to catch several of them with their shields before tossing them away. With the salvo shot down, my breath returns to me. I continue chasing after the Martians, watching as the two new AGs engage with the support of the sniper squad. The pilot of the Janissary Commander unleashes a seemingly endless rain of bullets toward the Martians. The only interruption to their assault is the occasional explosion, either of Matian ships or of rockets that they fire off. The unidentified AG has an almost completely opposite approach. They fire off methodical shots on the enemy as they fly, taking out a similar number with fewer rounds. As the jets focus in on them, two more Janissaries fly out, one being a Commander. They join the battlefield, cutting through the Martian jets with their combined fire. Seeing that the situation has turned against them, the jets try to wheel around to flee. ¡°Squad 4! No survivors!¡± The Captain¡¯s voice roars across the coms as the jets make their way toward me. Staring at the jets charging toward me, I hurriedly open fire. My shots hit their mark, turning one of the Cockatrices into a blazing mess on a collision course with me. I dive down, and the jet flies over me, granting me a close look at the cockpit as it and the pilot within explode above me. As the shrapnel batters my machine, I fly up, firing on the few remaining jets. I manage to nail another jet, turning the number of fleeing Martians from five to four. From there, Auclair-Stolz and Di¡¯Lotta jump in to finish off another two while the last ones are dealt with by the sniper squad. ¡°Good work Squad 4! Return to the ship and await further orders!¡± The Captain¡¯s orders come across the coms as clear as day and I feel my breath and heart start to slow as I slump against the controls. ¡°Move Kizashi. We have our orders.¡± However, Auclair-Stolz¡¯s words refuse me even a second of rest. Pulling myself back up, I gently push the throttle and make my way toward the ship. As we fly back, several more Janissaries emerge and begin to fly off in the direction of the enemy as the cannons continue to fire. Chapter 9: Recovery We return to the ship without any hassle, watching as the other AGs fly off to finish off the enemy. Without their jets defending them and with their drives most likely needing to recharge from their attempt to ambush us, they should be easy enough for the others to deal with. However, that is behind me. Landing in the bay, I walk my machine back over to its station. As soon as I hear the faint hiss of the latches, I tear off my helmet, breathing the stale air of the cockpit for myself. After a few desperate gulps, I shut down my machine, slump against my controls, and close my eyes. Slowly, I breathe in and out, trying to calm my shaking body. From within the cockpit, the rocking of the ship as it fires and receives fire from the Martian ships seems so distant, and I allow myself to slip away. For a moment, my body feels like it¡¯s floating, the fading warmth of the controls the only thing grounding me to the world as I sit in a void of my own making. ¡°Hey, Ensign Kizashi. I need you out of the machine!¡± Officer Nasreen¡¯s voice pulls me back to reality. I flounder behind the controls, eventually finding the hatch controls and managing to pop it open. Grabbing my helmet, I stumble out of the cockpit only to be caught by Officer Nasreen. ¡°You ok?¡± she asks, scanning me with a discerning eye. ¡°You know the rest of your squad went out a while ago?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I say, nodding after a moment. ¡°I Just needed a moment. Thank you for catching me.¡± ¡°Not a problem. Be a waste if you fell to your death here. ¡®Specially after what you just did out there.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You were great out there,¡± Nasreen says, slapping my back. ¡°I was honestly a bit concerned about how you would do, but you blew my expectations out of the water. I guess you and the others are worth making a bit of a fuss over. Though, of course, the star of the show here are these beauties.¡± As she says that, she turns away from me and looks over at the Janissary. I turn as well and see that where there was once pristine red and gold paint, there are now signs of damage. Scorch marks stain the body, as well as dents from bullet impacts. While none of the vulnerable servos underneath the armor are exposed, I was not able to get through the battle unscathed and it shows on the machine. After taking a moment to look over my machine, I look over at the others. Auclair-Stolz¡¯s machine is in a similar condition to mine, with a few scorch marks and pockmarks marring the paint. However, Di¡¯Lotta¡¯s machine looks like it took some serious damage. The shield on the right shoulder has several dents in it, and just below it, I can see a section where the armor has been damaged to the point that the servo underneath has been exposed. Along with that, there are several significant scars on the torso. ¡°Yeah, snotnose gave me plenty of work to do with his machine, but he seemed like the type who would. After all, it¡¯s always the ones who talk the most shit who can¡¯t back it up when the chips are down. Might not be in the pristine shape that the Captain wants, but that just means snot nose doesn¡¯t get to be in all the glamor shots, which is more than fine by me.¡± ¡°Huh, glamor shots?¡± ¡°Oh. I guess things didn¡¯t trickle down yet. You lot are gonna be used in some propo reels. So that means I get the great task of making sure that these things, at the very least, appear shiny and undamaged as they head out into battle. I think the whole thing is dumb and pointless, but I ain¡¯t the one in charge of making those kinds of decisions, so whatever.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s actually part of why I needed you out of the cockpit. Need to collect your combat log.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think anything I did will be too impressive,¡± I say, shrinking back. ¡°I certainly disagree, and while I ain¡¯t the one who is putting the logs together, I¡¯m sure that the other will agree with me as well. Feel free to check it over some time. I¡¯m sure it will be good practice for you to look over your own logs.¡± ¡°If you say so. If it can help me get better, I¡¯ll gladly take your advice.¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯ll send it over to you once the propo folks are done with it. For now, you should probably head out and rest up. While you were sitting around, the rest of your squad went out, and unfortunately, I don¡¯t know where, though I know the mess is open to the returning pilots, so you can probably try that.¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m not all that hungry.¡± ¡°Alright then. Watch yourself on the climb down.¡± I nod and carefully make my way around the scaffolding, watching the crew scurry about. Making it down without any issue, I quickly rush out of the mech bay and head into the hallway. To my surprise, there is a rather energetic mood in the halls as I make my way through with the sound of distant cheering greeting me as I step in. ¡°Nice work!¡± an excited crewman cheers as he waves over to me with a smile on his face. ¡° I nod, not quite sure how to respond to the praise. Fortunately, he quickly moves on allowing me to continue on my way over to our quarters. I move quickly, rushing through the halls. After a quick detour to my room, I make my way over to the shower. Freezing cold water strikes my body sending shocks throughout my body as I endure it. The cold drives away all my thoughts and concerns for a brief moment, forcing me to focus on moving to keep warm and get myself out of the shower. I don¡¯t spend much time under the water, managing to wash off rather quickly, thanks to my previous experiences. Once I am out, I vigorously dry myself off before changing and dashing out of the bathroom, I make it back to my dorm without any problems, and as I collapse onto the bed, the thoughts I had tried to chase away with the cold come rushing back in. You almost let everyone down. If it wasn¡¯t for the others launching in time, you would have had them all killed because of your failure. Hundreds of people would have died, helpless, all because you aren¡¯t good enough. You should have done more. You missed too many of the shots you took. Just like back in training, your accuracy is pathetic. Did you think that just because you had one good training session, you were some kind of Ace? Give me a break. If you had even landed half of the shots you took, you might have been able to make a difference. Instead, you had to be carried by the sniper squad. You¡¯re lucky that Lieutenant Blaustien wasn¡¯t waiting for you. I¡¯m sure that if he was, he would be filled with nothing but disgust for you. As he should be. Dancing alongside my myriad doubts are scenes of battle. I find myself back within the cockpit at different points of the battle. Behind the controls once more, I try to see what I can do better as I face off against the swarm. From changing my targets in the battle, rushing the enemy, attempting to reload the Tempete, or moving to group back up with the others, I try everything that I can think of to see how it could have impacted the battle. However, my imagined efforts only end in failure. Some see me failing to protect the ship even worse than my already poor performance. The Martian forces slip by me and head over to the ship, engaging in a bombing run that shatters the ship. The screams of hundreds of lives spilling into the void before being silenced. Others see me going up like the pilots I shot down. My cockpit becomes a furnace of a coffin as failing systems light a fire within the cockpit before the entire machine goes up in an explosion that ends the pain. Knock knock knock The frantic pounding pulls me from another fiery death. Breathing heavily, I rise from the bed and stumble over to the door, straightening out my uniform as I make the short journey. As I slide the door open, I feel my heart sink as I see a crew member staring me down. ¡°Ensign Kizashi?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The Captain has called for all hands to report to the main hall.¡± Chapter 10: Reset A chill rushes through my body at his words as my mind works overtime to try and figure out what he could want us to assemble for. ¡°Ensign?¡± The voice of the crewman snaps me from my fear, and I look over to him. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m good to go,¡± I reply, straightening up my uniform. His gaze lingers on me for a second before he hurries down the hallway. I follow after him, trying to calm my heart as I straighten out my clothes. However, try as I might, the fear still swirls around my head. He¡¯s going to call you out for your failure in front of everyone. Wouldn¡¯t be the first time, and knowing you, it certainly won¡¯t be the last. Despite the dread filling my mind, my feet follow my guide faithfully, and it isn¡¯t long before I find myself at the doors of the hall. As the door slides open, I am treated to the stares of the gathered crew and other pilots. The crew is stationed around the hall in informal groups. However, the other pilots are standing on a raised dais alongside the Captain and the other officers of the crew. In the center of the group are Auclair-Stolz and Di¡¯Lotta, who glare over at me as I enter the room. Seeing me, the Captain motions for me to make my way up to the stage. The world seems to slow to a crawl as I make my way up to the stage. The whole room follows my every step, their eyes drilling into me. Despite being practically empty, my stomach churns, threatening to release what little is within it in front of everyone. The Captain gives a slight gesture, pointing over to Auclair-Stolz¡¯s side, and I make my way over, trying my best to ignore his stare as I brace myself for the coming tongue-lashing. ¡°It¡¯s good to finally have all of our valiant pilots present. With all of you present, I would like to thank you for your performance in this last engagement. This was the perfect example of the valiance and bravery of our forces. In the face of a swift and furious enemy ambush, you were able to repel them with ease, with not a single soul falling to their treachery. ¡°While all of you who went out to defend this vessel are heroes who deserve recognition, there are three who deserve the spotlight. Pilots of Squad 4, it is thanks to your bravery and the actions you took that we are all still here. Even though you were ambushed by those detestable Martian curs, you did not panic. No. Instead, you three valiantly charged forward and faced the enemy with all that you had. You proved that in the face of superior numbers, our spirits stand firm. You are examples that we all should follow, and when this war is over, your actions will be retold for the ages. ¡°Now, let us all salute and applaud these heroes!¡± as he says that, he turns to face us and begins clapping. With the Captain¡¯s orders, the room bursts into applause, sending me into a world of confusion. The stares that seemed so accusing seconds ago look up at us, eagerly applauding. The applause doesn¡¯t last long before the Captain turns back around to address the men. ¡°As we have seen today, the Martian forces are aggressive. There will only be more attacks as we get closer to Mars. As we prepare for Operation Fear Eater we must keep up our guard. We will be moving closer into Martian-controlled space, and we will surely be attacked again. Therefore, I need all of you to be on your guard and move with the readiness and bravery that was on display. Only then will we be able to get through this struggle and see the glory of our nation on the other side. ¡°Remember, the actions we take here are not just for our own sake. No. Each battle we enter, each challenge we endure, is in the name of our freedom and liberty. Not just for Elysium. Nor just for the U.C.C. We fight for the freedom of all who call the void their home, willingly or not. We are the stars that shall point the way to freedom, and we must shine bright to guide the way!¡± Once more, the crowd bursts into cheers and applause, and I awkwardly join, my mind a mess of swirling fears and confusion. I glance at the Captain out of the corner of my eye to try and get a read on his mood and see him merely taking in the applause of the crew. After a few seconds, he walks off the podium without another word, and the rest of the officers follow after him. Once they make it to the door, the crowd starts to disperse as well. I start to head off myself, only to stop dead in my tracks as I feel a hand grip my shoulders. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Kizashi!¡± Auclair-Stolz¡¯s hiss causes me to freeze in my boots. I turn to face him, and as I do, I see that his eyes are alight with a fury that peaks through his usual mask of calm. Beside him, I can see Di¡¯Lotta smirking with glee at the suffering about to befall me. ¡°Kizashi. How long did you keep the Captain waiting with your refusal to show up when ordered?¡± ¡°I was asleep, Sir, so¡­.¡± ¡°Inexcusable,¡± Auclair-Stolz says, striking me across the face with the back of his hand. ¡°I will not tolerate insubordination. You kept the Captain waiting for a total of 15 minutes. Not only did you insult our commanding officer with your actions, but you harmed the appearance of this unit. That is inexcusable.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± I reply swiftly with the practice of several years, ignoring the familiar sting on my face. ¡°I don¡¯t care about your apology. I now have the Captain thinking I can¡¯t control my squad. Be thankful that he didn¡¯t decide to bring it up. Now, never let this happen again. Otherwise, I will make sure you are discharged for negligence on your part.¡± With that, he lets out a sigh and releases me from his grip, ¡°Tomorrow, we will have practice in the morning. Make sure the sims are cleaned and ready to use. And don¡¯t make the mistake you did last time.¡± With that, he marches off, heading down the stairs. I watch him leave, subtly bracing myself as, just as I expected, Di¡¯Lotta takes the time to smack the back of my head. He lets out a chuckle before heading down the stairs himself. I take a breath to steady myself, looking over at the rest of the crew as I do so. As my eyes scan the room, several of the eyes that were trained on me dart away, finding spots on the floor or the ceiling to examine. Paying them no mind, I descend the stage and allow my feet to carry me over to the mess. It¡¯s as he said. You¡¯re lucky you got away with those little love taps. I mean, you held up that ceremony for 15 minutes, and he didn¡¯t even mention what a colossal failure you were on the battlefield. I mean, you, a symbol of bravery? It¡¯s hilarious. You should be grateful they haven¡¯t just sent you back home. ¡°Hey, is this seat free?¡± The voice startles me from my thoughts and I look up from my food to see Bay Officer Nasreen already in the process of sitting down despite her question. ¡°Sure. Feel free,¡± I reply, even though my words are pointless. She quickly makes herself comfortable, lounging in her chair while fixing me with an odd glare. I try my best to ignore it, focusing instead on the sandwich I got. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you hit him back?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Back there. You let the two dipshits hit you and didn¡¯t even do anything about it. What was the deal there?¡± ¡°I mean, it would just be more trouble, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you fight back, that gives them license to do more to you. Or, in the worst case, get you labeled as a troublemaker and expelled.¡± ¡°The hell are you talking about.¡± ¡°Back at the academy, things were way worse. I¡¯m surprised that I got off so lightly to be honest.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re fine with them treating you like that?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to do about it,¡± I reply with a shrug. ¡°If I fight back, I risk getting in more trouble than if I just let them beat on me. I risk losing my position here, and my parents could suffer retaliation as well. Besides, it¡¯s not like any of them are particularly strong anyway. It only stings for a moment and I can continue on with my day.¡± ¡°Where I¡¯m from, if you let people walk over you like that, you would just find yourself as a punching bag.¡± ¡°Probably. But this technique has worked to get me through the last four years of my life. It¡¯s the only reason that I¡¯m able to be here. So I think I¡¯ll stick to it. Was that all you had for me?¡± ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to listen to my advice? Yeah,¡± she sighs with a shrug. ¡°Ok,¡± I say, nodding before a thought strikes me. ¡°Oh, you mentioned the recordings when would I be able to have a look at that? I was going through my performance today, and I would like to look at it to see where I can improve.¡± ¡°Sure, if you want, you can swing over and check on it once you¡¯re finished eating.¡± ¡°Got it. Just give me a second.¡± With that, I quickly turn my attention to devouring my sandwich, foring it down my throat as quickly as I can. Once it is all done, I quickly clean up and turn over to blinking Nasreen. ¡°I¡¯m good to go.¡± Chapter 11: The Odd One Out POV Bay Officer Nasreen I glance over at the Ensign for a quick second before deciding not to question his decision. After all, I¡¯ve seen people do stupider in the name of haste. As I make my way into the hallway with him in tow, I feel my mind mull over his words. While I try not to make it my business how other people spend their lives, something about his words just ended up rubbing me the wrong way. Though thinking about them some more, they fit with the rest of the general mindset of the ship. Outside of bays, there is a clear class system. While I had somewhat gotten used to seeing the divide between Blaustien and his men vs Lieutenant Prissy Prick and his gaggle it is a bit strange to see it from people who were part of the same clique. Despite it not being my business, I can¡¯t help but mull over his words. Something about them just rubs me the wrong way. After walking for a bit, it hits me. It reminds me all too much of the general mindset of the ship. While the mech bay, thanks to the chief, is fairly egalitarian, the rest of the ship isn¡¯t by any means. The clearest divide being the way Lieutenant Prissy Prick and his gaggle treat everyone, especially Blaustien and his men. I guess I was hoping that they would not add to that general vibe. Though the Ensign¡¯s attitude proves that hope to be a foolish one. ¡°It¡¯s honestly amazing he can think like that with how he flies,¡± I mutter to myself as I enter the bay. I clear my head with a quick shake before marching straight over to my workstation. I clear it up a little bit so the Ensign can have some room as I quickly work to pull up the footage. Most of the footage I had to work with wasn¡¯t anything all that special. Bluastien and his group, as skilled as they are, are snipers. Meaning that their footage didn¡¯t make them look impressive, but it did make for some good views of the battle. Lieutenant PP, on the other hand, was late to the whole party, meaning all I got footage-wise was him taking potshots at the Martians. Out of all that footage, Kizashi and his squad leader stood out like a forest on an asteroid. When I first saw their machines, I was a bit amazed. They both went into the thick of the battle and still only gave me relatively minor repair work. With all the modifications that we have been forced to focus on, that sight almost had me break out into praise. However, seeing their footage only added to my amazement, especially of Kizashi. The way he moved his AG, each movement smoothly transitioning to the next. Comparing him to his squad lead would be like comparing a drill and a pick. Both can break stone, but one is a much more refined solution than the other. As I grab the file, my mind flashes to the moment I realized that, when he got hit by a missile salvo. Seeing him, instead of fighting against the impact to right the machine, going with the motion, just adding a bit of thrust to flip himself around was such an astonishing sight. A single efficient burst of movement that turned being struck into a new angle for attack, and it was done all without a moment of floundering. Compared to his squad lead, who managed to pull off a textbook recovery, it¡¯s almost night and day. ¡°Feel free to take a seat,¡± I say, offering my chair to him before taking a step back, curious to see how he reacts to seeing the footage. As Kizashi sits down and hits play, his dark eyes glue to the monitor and dart around to follow every bit of movement on the screen. A few seconds before the footage gets to the part where a missile salvo hits his Janissary, he winces slightly and does so again once the enemy craft exits his range of fire. But other than that, he is practically motionless except for the steady motion of his breathing and the flickering of his eyes. As the video finishes, he snaps forward and restarts it to watch it back from the beginning of the battle. Once again, he watches the screen like a fresh guard in a tower, though this time, he winces in a few more spots than just the other two, seemingly at random. He resets it once again, and the process repeats itself a third time. Once it ends and I see him going for a fourth, I tap him on the shoulder.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°As glad as I am that you are clearly getting something out of the footage, I do have some other stuff to organize as well.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry about that,¡± he says, hurriedly rising. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. As I said, I¡¯m glad you are interested in looking over the footage. If you want, I can upload it so you can view it later.¡± ¡°Yes, please. I was able to see several spots where I could improve. I¡¯m sure I could find some more if I had more time.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re quite the dedicated one,¡± I chuckle. ¡°Hopefully, everyone else from the academy is as dedicated as you are.¡± ¡°Oh, you have to be,¡± he replies, handing over his ID. ¡°The training was rigorous, the testing was constant, and the instructors were always unsatisfied. I spent a lot of nights in the sims when I could. And if I was unable, I would go over my footage like this. So, again, thank you very much for helping me out like this.¡± ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± I reply, waving away this thanks before focusing on transferring a copy of the footage to his account. ¡°You being willing to put in the work like this makes my job easier. The less damage your machine takes, the less I have to do repair work. As much as I like working on machines, and these machines especially, avoidable repairs are always just the slightest bit annoying to have to work on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure not to give you any more,¡± he replies, bowing a bit as I hand his ID back over to him. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that then,¡± I chuckle. ¡°Take care.¡± ¡°Thank you again,¡± he says, bowing before carefully walking out of the bay. ¡°It¡¯s honestly a shame that he¡¯s stuck in a simple Janissary for the moment,¡± I sigh, looking over at his machine before shaking my head. ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about that for the moment.¡± Turning back to my computer, I gather up all the files before sending them off to the commander as he ordered before getting back to my usual duties. Kizashi pov As I walk out of the bay, my thoughts race through the footage. Alight with ways that I can improve. Within the footage, my flaws were as clear as a diamond and twice as sharp. My feet lead my body through the halls as my mind focuses on those flaws. They dance through my head as I try to organize and order them before the voices of my past instructors chime in, shattering the ordering I have created and demanding a new one. By the time I make it to my room, they are the only thing on my mind. I rush over to the small desk, grab the tablet placed there for me, and insert my card into it. Pulling up the footage, I sit down and allow the footage to pull me in once again, freeing my mind for a second as I watch myself launch out of the ship. The view on the screen is a condensed version of what I see within the cockpit, the only difference being the addition of some additional display information, though as I focus in, they naturally tune themselves out of my mind. I skip past the initial footage and move straight to the point where the battle begins. From there, I watch the footage unfold, watching over and over again for each and every possible mistake I make during the battle. Thanks to my time at the academy, I am able to find several. Not reacting quickly enough to the enemy, not changing weapons fast enough, not going for a retribution attack, and an endless number of additional flaws. After a while, I feel my eyes start to get a bit tired, so after quickly rushing through my usual sleep routine, I head to bed. As I retreat under the covers, I bring the tablet with me, allowing the footage to lull me to sleep. The battlefield consumes my mind. As I cross the void in my shell of steel, I face off against my enemy. Their number seems countless, and they swarm me with the ferocity of a beast. However, the shell moves for me. As they enter my sights, I launch a missile at them. I don¡¯t waste a second waiting to see results already casting aside my initial weapon in favor of another. I release a spray of bullets as I charge forward into the cloud of death. Bullets and bombs fly my way, but their paths are as clear as a summer day, and the shell moves how I wish. It dances through the danger free from any restraints or inhibitions. As it dances, my foes fall. Each death is accompanied by a flowering explosion that lights up the void. Behind each of the beautiful flowers are echoing screams. Each is different; some are high, some are low, some seem masculine, and others feminine, but they accompany the flowers of light all the same. The dream loops throughout the night. Twisting, changing, yet ever remaining. Chapter 12: Approaching Fear We will go through this one more time before we head off, and it''d better be perfect," Auclair-Stolz commands over the coms. "Like last time, you are coming in from the north as a distraction, Kizashi. Make sure you get their focus so we can slip through." "Understood." With that, the waiting screen fades as the sim loads in our target. Our time in the sims as a squad has been fairly consistent in the two days since the attack. To start, I make sure to reserve the sims first thing in the morning. As I reserve the sims, I take some time to practice for myself, making sure not to use the central one. For the hour that I wait for the rest of my squad, I try my best to work on the mistakes I made during the Martian ambush. Using the sims, I recreate my side of the ambush and do my best to try and fight through it, acting on the mistakes I observed during my many viewings of the footage. However, try as I might, it proves to be a wall that I am unable to overcome. For each mistake I try to correct, I discover or make a new one. To add salt to the wound, each of my attempts ends in failure, with the enemies either reaching the ship and bombing it or me being killed by the AI. Despite my urge to keep at it, I limit myself to 10 attempts in the morning. Once I reach my limit, I get out and go through my regular workout routine to keep people away from the sims. When the rest of the squad arrives, we enter the machines and run through a base assault mission. The mission has us fly through a model of a Martian outpost, a heavily fortified encampment surrounded by tall walls and several defensive towers. Here, despite my failure to improve, I manage to prove my worth by adequately supporting the team. After around 20 rounds in the sim, the squad separates to allow another squad to use the machines. Once we finish up in the sims, I handle cleanup and then head off to make myself useful. After a quick breakfast, I head over to the Mechbay to see where I can make myself useful. I end up helping around by ferrying tools and messages, but beyond that, I don''t do all that much. When the evening comes, I reserve the sims for another session. This session is much like the one in the morning and ends a bit before the end of dinner. After cleaning up the sims, I head over to the dining hall to eat. Once finished, I take a quick shower and head to bed, lulled to sleep by my past performances. ¡°Now!¡± Auclair-Stolz¡¯s command cuts through the haze of memory like a knife. I activate my thrusters, tear through the void, focused on the simulated Martian base. Entering the range of the turrets, I activate my booster pack, tightly gripping the controls as the simulated force attempts to slam me back into the chair. After a few seconds of boost, I cut my engines, allowing my built-up momentum to carry forward as I fly over the top of one of the towers. Readying a pair of Foudre, more disposable rocket launchers, I fire down at the tower before casting them aside and reaching for the next pair. Two blasts appear on my sensors, followed by confirmation of downing the tower, but I don''t pay them more than a cursory glance, focused on the next target. Kicking my thrusters back on, I boost into the air to get a bead on my next target. Just looking at it, it looks like an odd gash on the surface of the moon. However, looking at the sensors, I can see it for what it is: an elevator for carrying up Martian Fighters. I jet forward, careful not to enter the range of another tower before firing down at the elevator, firing one at a time to make sure I am able to hit both ends of the elevator. As I discard the spent launchers, I draw up my last pair of Foudre and watch for a minute, watching to make sure that the elevator is no longer a threat. Once the neutralization of the target is confirmed, I take a second to glance over the sensors. With the commotion I have caused, the base has come to life, with several hostile signatures approaching me. "We are moving in now. Make sure to hold their focus," Auclair-Stolz commands. "Understood," I reply, turning my focus over to one of the towers closer to the command center of the base. I jet forward once again, weaving through bullet fire as the tower fires on me. Once I am in position above the tower, I fire down on it and cast aside the Foudre in exchange for a chaff grenade that I throw out before jetting back. The grenade serves its purpose, managing to derail the swarm of missiles the tower managed to send out before being destroyed, causing them to fly off or slam into each other. Clear from the missiles, I look to the approaching threats, columns of tanks. With the air advantage they aren''t much of a threat, but with the towers limiting my movement I''m not able to get a clear shot.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. After wracking my brain for a moment I decide to focus on being a decoy. I dance through the air, evading the futile fire from below as the rest of my squad moves in. They charge in and fire on the southern tower, clearing the way for them to start firing at the command center. Seeing that they have begun the assault, I join them using my Temp¨ºte, hammering the building as best as I can in between dodging tank rounds. Soon, the building starts to collapse, and seeing the others retreat, I follow suit, fleeing over the wreckage of the tower I just destroyed. As we retreat, the sim starts to fade out. "Adequate performance, Kizashi," Auclair-Stolz calls out. "Quickly clean up here before heading to the Captain''s office. Don''t be late." With that, I hear the others step out of their sim capsules. Moving quickly, I rush out of my capsule and get to work wiping the sims down. Once I am done, I rush out of the room, carefully dodging crewmen as I run to the Captain''s office. After a few minutes of running, I make it to the Captain''s office. I take a minute to catch my breath before I knock on the door. ¡°Come in, Ensign Kizashi. We have been waiting for you," the Captain says, his voice tinged with annoyance. "Sorry, Sir," I reply as I enter the room, moving to stand behind Auclair-Stolz alongside Di''Lotta. As I do, I see that Reese-Cato and her squadmates are also present in the room. "Well, your apparent issues with timeliness aside, we can begin this meeting," the Captain says from behind his desk. "Your Squads have been assigned to the ground assault detail for our big assignment, Operation: Fear Eater. That means your squads will be in charge of taking out the security outpost on Phobos proper while my Squad and Squad 2 handle the orbital outpost as well as their air presence." "Understood, Sir," Auclair-Stolz says with a nod. "We have already been training with the current data that we have on Martian outposts. So far, our squad has been able to successfully take care of the outpost on our own." "That''s good to hear, Ensign, but be careful not to get too complacent from your training. Training is all well and good, but it is nothing like proper contact with the enemy. After all, computers are much easier to predict than human actors." "Understood, Sir," Auclair-Stolz replies, twitching a little bit. "Will it be possible for us to get some joint sim time, Captain?" Reese-Cato interjects. "While we have also been training with the data given, it would be easier to strategize if we are given time to work on this issue together." "I will make sure to assign a slot to your squads. Make sure to use the time wisely." "Of course, Captain. Also, will we have to handle the approach ourselves, or will we be approaching using the ship?" "Given the expected resistance and the fact that both Phobos and Deimos are meant to be anti-fleet warning stations, you will have to make the approach for yourselves." "Understood, something to account for then," Reese-Cato says with a nod and a smile. "I''ll make sure to keep that in mind then, sir." "That''s good. Then, you are all dismissed. And Ensign Kizashi, work on being more punctual in the future," the Captain says with a dismissive wave. "Yes, Sir!" I say quickly, offering a bow as I join the others in leaving. "Soooo, I have a fun idea," Reese-Cato says with a grin full of trouble as we enter the hall. "How about, before we get settled in practicing the base assault, we have a little match between our squads?" "That sounds like an utter waste of time," Auclair-Stolz scoffs. "How so? It''s the perfect opportunity for us to know and understand each other''s preferred combat styles, something that would be key to developing any plan of approach for our mission that would actually involve any kind of synergy between our groups." "We''ve already seen how we fight at the academy," Aucliar-Stolz replies, turning away from Reese-Cato. "Ah, that was at the Academy before we had actual hands-on experience with our machines. I''m sure that someone who managed to get to the top of the leaderboards back at the Academy wouldn''t be piloting the exact same way after being in a machine for himself. After all, an excellent pilot is able to adapt to different situations. Besides, it shouldn''t even be less of a minute for my squad to decimate yours. "What do you mean ''decimate?''" Auclair-Stolz asks, wheeling around to glare back at her. "Well, my squad does have a collective higher ranking than yours if we are going by the Academy. It shouldn''t be too hard for us to crush you after getting a sense of how you all fight." "We are the ones who actually have some combat experience that isn''t just shooting a defenseless carrier." "Clearly, it doesn''t amount to much if you aren''t confident in putting up a fight." "Who said I wasn''t?" "Wouldn''t that be the only reason you wouldn''t want a quick match? Reservation blocks are already long. And the mission shouldn''t take more than a few minutes to complete. So, the only reason I can think of you wanting to ''save a few minutes'' by not entertaining a match is that you are scared. Am I wrong?" "Dead wrong. We''ll face you and your squad, and we will beat you." "Ok. Glad to see that you have some fire in you," Reese-Cato laughs. "See you tomorrow whenever we have our time assigned." With that, she saunters off, followed by the rest of her squad. "You better not drag me down tomorrow," Auclair-Stolz says, glaring my way before walking off, followed by Di''Lotta. With a sigh, I make my way to the cafe to get something to eat. Another concern added to my plate. Chapter 13: 3 on 3 The morning comes without any fanfare, and I fall into my usual routine. However, when I make my way over to the training room, I see that the lights are on for once. Walking in, I see that our usual machines are in use by another squad. Carefully, I make my way over to the machines and peer over at the screen on the back of the lead machine. As I do, I am treated to a distant view of a battle I have become fairly familiar with. While it is much farther away than I am used to, I see the familiar towers and compound of the base assault mission that we have been practicing. Captured on the screen, two janissaries fly over a destroyed tower, firing on the other towers along the way as they do so. With their entry into the base secured, the team unleashes a salvo of missile fire while the pilot of the machine that I am viewing offers supporting fire using the Arquebus sniper rifle used by Ashigaru Snipers. After a few moments, the simulation comes to an end, displaying a list of statistics for the team. As their information flashes up, my suspicions are confirmed. I start to take a couple of steps back, but before I can get anywhere, the capsules start to open up, and I see Minerva Reese-Cato step out of the lead machine. ¡°Ah, those things are always so cramped,¡± she sighs, stretching out before casting a lazy glance my way. ¡°Oh, hey. I knew you were early, but I didn¡¯t think you were this early.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting your training.¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t be. After all, I¡¯m the one who stole the early morning slot from you all,¡± she laughs. ¡°I can already imagine the look on Walter¡¯s face. He¡¯s gonna be piiisssed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I am,¡± Auclair-Stolz says as he walks into the room, followed by Di¡¯Lotta. ¡°And I don¡¯t recall us being close enough for you to address me by name.¡± I take a step back as Auclair-Stolz walks over to Reese-Cato, using the few inches he has on her to look down at her with an extra stern expression. ¡°Lighten up, Wally,¡± Reese-Cato replies, causing a twitch to run through his body. ¡°I mean, haven¡¯t the two of us been through a lot? Our time at the academy? Being right there together, neck and neck, in the rankings? Why, we¡¯re practically family. ¡° ¡°What are you doing here Reese-Cato?¡± ¡°Oh, me? Just training.¡± ¡°At our appointed time?¡± ¡°Your appointed time or the time that you just happen to head out to train at? Cause I didn¡¯t see any list with your name on it or your name on these machines. So, given that, I figured we might as well take some time and train for our match. Oh, since you are here now, we might as well have it now.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Well, the first thing I did this morning was check in with the captain. I¡¯m sure you just came from doing that yourself as well. And when I met with him, he said that it would be best to have our match time in the morning. So, this block of time was carved out for us. Though if that is unacceptable for you¡­.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Auclair-Stolz replies. ¡°Excellent,¡± Reese-Cato replies, smirking. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll give you time to get in. Would you all need time to train, or are you ready to go?¡± ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± Auclair-Stolz replies instantly. ¡°Unlike your squad, mine doesn¡¯t need to warm up for a match like this. After all, our performance has been tested in true battle.¡± ¡°You''re right. We did miss that opportunity. So, thank you for allowing us to attempt to catch up to you with training. Would you allow us another mercy?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, for our match. We have faced each other before. So, my suggestion is that we change things up a little bit. We make it more of a competition than a direct fight. After all, it doesn¡¯t serve much purpose to fight each other directly. Soooo, I was thinking we could combine a bit of our training with a competition. Instead of fighting directly, we compete to see who can deal with a base the fastest.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°...Go on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. We target a base together, and we see who can get the kill first. We can also give points for targets destroyed and extraction.¡± ¡°So you wish to make a competition out of training?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the general gist of things. So you in? Or are we just going to have to beat you in a normal match?¡± ¡°Who said you were going to win?¡± ¡°Me. Well, me and my previous win records. Which, come to think of it, were usually in regular spars. Maybe I¡¯m a genius at them or something.¡± ¡°Fine. You¡¯ll get your wish. Cause I promise I will destroy you in this match. So you will have nothing to brag about.¡± ¡°Sounds wonderful. I got the match all setup and ready. All you do is hop in and get beat.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that!¡± Auclair-Stolz scowls before motioning us to follow him to the pods. While not the familiar seats we are used to, we quickly log in to the machines, and after a few seconds, we find ourselves behind the menus for the simulator. ¡°Full assault loadouts,¡± Auclair-Stolz orders over the coms. ¡°We will need as much firepower as possible if we are to deal with this swiftly. Carry as much as you can and make every missile count!¡± I follow the orders, equipping a pair of M1-MPs to my arms. As soon as I am finish selecting my missile pods, a com notice comes through ¡°I¡¯m sending the data over your way,¡± Reese-Cato announces. ¡°How this is going to work is simple. We will appear on opposite sides of the base from each other. As soon as we spawn, the challenge begins. The base will be worth 10 points since it is the point of the mission proper. However, enemy guns and vehicles will be worth 1 point each to give you something to use to catch up with. You will lose 5 points for each of you that goes down and, of course, no points for taking the other team out.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± As soon as Auclair-Stolz replies, the menu pops up with an alert that quickly fades away as you are pulled into the mission. ¡°As soon as we are in, you are all to charge forward,¡± Auclair-Stolz states as the simulator takes its time to load our mission. ¡°The initial target is the center tower of the wall. Take out the defense systems in place, and then from there, we will target the command center. Kizashi, you are going to be in charge of hunting the enemy. First, you are to deal with the towers that could attack us as we target the bases. Once they are handled, you are to keep any fighters and tanks away from us so that we have enough time to eliminate the base. Once that is done, we will decimate any remaining enemy forces to deny points to Reese-Cato. ¡°Am I understood?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I say, my voice joining Di¡¯Lotta¡¯s. ¡°Good,¡± As Auclair-Stolz gives his reply, the view within the faux cockpit transforms, displaying a lifeless rocky moon before us. ¡°MOVE!¡± Before the roar even leaves Auclair-Stolz¡¯s mouth, my hands are in motion. I light up my thrusters and tear across the void toward the fortress ahead of us. With my target set on the initial tower, I draw my Foudre and open fire. The two rockets punch through the tower, and as it crumbles, I jet over the wall and set my sights on another tower. Once more, the Foudre fire, destroying another tower and clearing a path for Auclair-Stolz and Di¡¯Lotta to charge over the base. My first task accomplished, my focus changes to the remaining tower in our path. I unleash my last two Foudre on the nearest tower and swap to my Temp¨ºte as my shots hit their mark. Scanning the battlefield, I spy the elevator raising up a group of enemy aircraft. I spend a second to aim the Temp¨ºte at the lead aircraft before firing a shot down. As I load the next rocket, my sensors pull me away from the elevator for a second, showing two groups of tanks moving from either side of the base toward our position. Filing that information away for a moment, I focus back on the elevator, watching as the two remaining fighters take to the sky. Not wanting to waste any more Temp¨ºte shots, I raise my left arm and unleash a swarm of missiles from the equipped M1-MP. The swarm finds its mark, tearing apart one of the fighters before it can do much more than lift off the ground. However, the other manages to take to the void, rising up toward Auclair-Stolz and Di¡¯Lotta. Seeing its course, my hands fly over the controls, pushing my thrusters as hard as I can and activating my boosters in the hope of intercepting the fighter. As I charge in, I ignore the flashing warnings informing me of lock-ons from one of the nearby defenses, focused on the jet. My effort pays off, and the fighter breaks its course to dodge out of the way as I charge into the scene. As the jet wheels around, I quickly drop and reactivate my thrusters for a second to whip myself around to face it. Face to face with the jet as well as a swarm of missiles, I activate my boosters once more, flying forward at the last second before the missiles make contact. Evading the missiles, I unleash the remaining missiles from my left arm before ejecting the spent pod. Enough of my hurried salvo hits the target, causing it to go down, spiraling through the void before crashing into the wall of the fortress. A sigh leaves my mouth, and I quickly drop to the ground to get ready to deal with the approaching tank groups. As I do, I take a second to glance over at Auclair-Stolz and Di¡¯Lotta. The two of them have done a number on the central building. Holes and cracks mark its surface, and large chunks of the interior sit exposed to the elements. From the state of the building, I feel confident that we are only a salvo or two away from victory. However, before they can fire again, the building shakes and crumbles, their latest salvo slamming into the already crumbling building. Chapter 14: 3 on 3 2/2 ¡°Oh. Looks like you all have lost this little challenge of mine,¡± Reese-Cato¡¯s voice chimes over the coms. ¡°What a shame, and you were so close, too.¡± At her provocation, a com alert from Auclai-Stolz comes through. ¡°Hunt them down! We can¡¯t let them get a single enemy unit if we are to win. We will target the bases. You eliminate the tanks!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± I reply, my eyes snapping to my sensors and the closest tank group. Drawing my Temp¨ºte, I open fire on the approaching squad. The rocket lands dead on, with the target striking the tank in the turret. As the blast clears, I see that the lead tank has been damaged, but thanks to the thick armor of the tanks, it is still functional. I send another rocket at the lead tank and get another hit on the turret, this one disabling the machine and doing some more damage to the rest of the pack. However, once again, their armor keeps the blast from being too disabling. The tanks ready their guns, training them on me as I utilize the final rocket in my Temp¨ºte to take out another tank. With the last of my Temp¨ºte rockets fired, I launch myself to the side, evading the tank shells by a hair. Not seeing time to stow away the Temp¨ºte, I toss it aside before unleashing a swarm of Mp Missles at one of the more damaged-looking tanks. The full salvo manages to hit the target, downing yet another tank, leaving me with two targets in front of me as my sensors tell me that the five from the other side are creeping up on me. ¡°Hurry up with the tanks!¡± Auclair-Stolz orders, his voice screaming across the coms as he and Di¡¯Lotta fly overhead, having destroyed another tower. Trying to follow his orders, I draw my Arashi, quickly activating my thrusters to evade a pair of shells shot my way. I return fire with a barrage of bullets that manages to down the two remaining before the rumble of a nearby blast alerts me to the closing danger of the second tank group. As the tanks close in, I train my gun on them. Overhead, my sensors show Auclair-Stolz and Di¡¯Lotta battling it out with one of the turrets, placing me all by myself as I fend off against the group. Not looking to give me a moment to think, the tanks open fire, raining shells on me. I do my best to evade, but one of them manages to land a hit on my right arm, causing a warning to flash through the cockpit. I try to retaliate with a burst of fire from my Arashi, but most of the spray fails to hit the target, and what does fails to pierce through the armor. So the dance continues. I frantically dart around, trying to down the tanks with fire from my Arashi, while desperately trying to evade shots from their cannons. It becomes a desperate dance. I dart around the sky, firing down at the tanks from every odd angle I can. Many of my bullets land, but the thickness of the armor makes it so several salvos are required to down even a single tank. Still, I manage to down two of the machines flanking the leader. The first with a lucky salvo from behind that disables the turret and the second, with a steady barrage of salvos. However, in exchange for those victories, my machine gains several scars. Careless actions earning me the chastisement of the warning systems and placing several systems in near critical condition. Doing my best to tune out the chaotic screams, I launch an aerial assault on the lead machine. My shots find their mark and dig into the tank, sliding past damaged armor to finally down the leader. With my clip empty, I jet back and attempt to reload. However, as I do so, my machine is rocked back by an impact. Sirens scream out in agony as the status report screen gives me dreadful news: my arm has been disabled, the camera footage from my sensors showing it practically cut in half. Down, one arm, and my main avenue of attack, my mind whirls, desperately trying to figure out what do do next. ¡°Kizashi! Why are there still tanks on the ground!¡± Auclair-Stolz shouts out through the coms, his voice joining the cacophony surrounding me. ¡°We need to eliminate them and take out Reese-Cato¡¯s as well!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± I reply, scrambling over the controls to grab my weapon of last resort, the M2 CCW. As I grab the unfamiliar weapon in my machine¡¯s left hand, I feel my heart sink. Despite running several sims with the weapon equipped, I never had much training in its use. After all, it and its predecessor, the M1, were merely weapons of last resort. To be used once out of ammo or in a last-stand, like I find myself in now. Mentally bracing myself for the tongue-lashing I know is coming, I dive toward one of the remaining two tanks, only to be forced to jet to the side as the tank fires on me. It is then that I discover another issue. With the removal of my arm¡¯s weight, my thrust sends me further than intended, forcing me to hurriedly correct my course as the tanks prepare for another round. Carefully, I activate my thrusters once more, jetting up more radically than I¡¯m used to, but enough to evade the tank shells. Once more, I charge in, readying a swipe with the M1, the edge of the thick metal blade glowing red as I activate it. The tank tries to back away, but it is not enough to escape my desperate charge. My arm swings down, and despite the awkward nature, I manage to hit the target, the glowing metal sheering the turret and biting into the body of the tank. As I boost away, the machine explodes, leaving only one target left. The tank fires at me, but with a diagonal boost forward, I am able to evade the attack and press my assault. The tank tries to back away to create some distance, but without the weight of the arm, my machine is more than fast enough to close the distance. For a brief moment, as the M1 carves through the final tank, the sirens seem like a roar of victory. ¡°Oh, looks like you have things covered over here. And here I was going to offer you a hand,¡± Reese-Cato teases, her voice somehow making its way to my ears over the mess of sirens.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Glancing at the sensors, I see her and the rest of her unit hovering in the air over the destroyed compound. Looking over at them, I see that while they aren¡¯t in pristine condition, they are a far cry from the worn and torn state of my machine. ¡°But, since we took out the base and our side of the fortress, it looks like it is my win. See you all outside.¡± With that, the simulation ends, and the void melts away into the sim¡¯s menus. I quickly exit and see Auclair-Stolz is already out of his machine, glaring at an especially smug-looking Reese-Cato. ¡°I¡¯ll say you all did much better than I thought you would. I was sure that I would have to give you a hand. Good thing I didn¡¯t put any money on this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how I managed to let you goad me into this ego massage session of yours. You know there was no way my team would beat yours!¡± Auclair-Stolz hisses. ¡°I mean, yeah, I knew we were going to win, but not for the reason you think. For starters, don¡¯t think about whining about academy rankings. I meant what I said earlier. You all have real combat experience against Martian forces. A thousand times more valuable than outdated sims in the academy or guesswork done on the ship. Second, the main area of difference in the rankings was in the top three. Or, more accurately, Miss Perfect and us two below her. The rest of the rankings were fairly competitive, all the way down to our twelfth. ¡°No, the reason we won was our strategy. One that I wanted to test under fire before sharing it with you. Thanks for letting me do so by the way.¡± ¡°Oh, and what is your oh-so-glorious strategy?¡± ¡°First, some confirmation. You did the standard split-up tactic they suggest back at the academy, right?¡± ¡°Modified, but yes.¡± ¡°Modified by you and Di¡¯Lotta working to take out the heavy targets?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright, point one. That strategy is inefficient for this type of mission. Or more accurately, how we did this mission.¡± ¡°Oh, and what makes you so confident about that?¡± ¡°My general sense of confidence and ability, as well as this test. My strategy was for us to assault targets as a unit. That allowed us to slip in faster and made it harder for a single pilot to get caught up. I saw that Kizashi over there was rocking a machine that looked more like scrap metal than an advanced war machine. If he had support, he would have been more efficient. ¡°Well, that or if you followed the academy strategy closer. Two and one is just not nearly efficient enough as all three together or all separate. The one scenario I see working well would be if the two served as a decoy unit, pulling focus on them as the remaining pilot went for the kill on the base, though that has its own extreme risks. ¡°With how we split up our forces, the three of us were able to quickly burst through the center tower. From there, we briefly split up, Philip-Arnold and Lanzentr?ger handling the towers and me the enemy elevator. Once we had dealt with our targets, we focused fire on the base. Of course, you did some of the work for us, but with more focused fire, it was easier to down the target. Once that was done, we dealt with the remaining targets as a unit. ¡°There is also one thing that must be said,¡± Reese-Cato says, her playful expression vanishing completely. ¡°It must be said that, at least when it comes to tanks, our doctrine has a clear flaw.¡± ¡°So now you want to critique standard doctrine?¡± ¡°I will when it isn¡¯t backed up by any real combat experience. As I¡¯m sure Kizashi can tell you, the armor on the tanks is a bit thicker than I think the people in manufacturing were expecting. Our armaments were meant to deal with fighter craft rather than tanks and ships. While there are some exceptions, the main weapons we fight with struggle with the thickness and designs of the armor. However, the M2, with its heated edge, actually has an advantage when dealing with them. ¡°I tested it out myself. You know my preferences Auclair-Stolz, I don¡¯t like being close to targets if I can help it. However, even I have to acknowledge its effectiveness. Before we came to this battle, we did multiple tests comparing time to kill with our standard armaments and the M2. The only weapons that rivaled it were the Foudre and the Temp¨ºte, though a full MP salvo was a runner up, though deemed far too inefficient. ¡°The thing is, both the Foudre and Temp¨ºte share a similar problem. The Foudre is a one-rocket option. It has the power, but it can¡¯t get the kill in an instant unless you are spot on in your aim and manage to hit one of the few vulnerabilities in the armor. Something not at all guaranteed in the heat of combat. The Temp¨ºte has more ammunition, allowing for a greater number of attacks, which does make it a better choice, but the issues are the same. You still need that lucky, or perfect, shot. ¡°The M2, or the Cleaver as the Mech bay calls it, is able to carve through the armor. You really just need to get the hit to be able to get the kills you desire. In addition, with the proximity the weapon requires for its use, there is less margin of error, as it were. Sure, you have to get close, but that¡¯s the same problem with attacking the towers in my opinion. Once you are in, it is a simple matter to remove the threat of the turret and thus the vehicle as a whole.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that this challenge of yours was a combat doctrine test for you?¡± ¡°Essentially. Though it was fun to race you all,¡± she laughs. ¡°I needed the one team who I knew would be training like mad and who would mostly be sticking to doctrine as my test case. The fact that we were paired up for the assault mission just made it easier to approach you for the test. And it went swimmingly.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Well, I confirmed my suspicions about our combat doctrine, got to test out my theory, got to compare my squad to the most experienced team, and got to explain my theory to them. So, what do you think?¡± ¡°I think you are insufferable.¡± ¡°I already knew that, Wally,¡± Reese-Cato replies, rolling her eyes. ¡°I mean about what I spent the last few minutes explaining?¡± ¡°Well, I will concede the possible faults with Tank doctrine, though I don¡¯t believe you have proved the value of your focus approach. More disproved a hasty formation I designed for the mission. I shall consider your tank argument, but I believe I shall be sticking to standard doctrine for the assault.¡± ¡°Your loss, though I guess we should talk about the assault since we are on the subject. After breakfast though. I need to eat,¡± she says with a chuckle. ¡°Let¡¯s say we clean up and talk over food?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s get moving,¡± Reese-Cato says before heading over to grab the wipes. ¡°Kizashi, you know what to do. I will go and get a table,¡± With that Auclair-Stolz and Di¡¯Lotta take their leave. Chapter 15: Cleaning up and Setting up ¡°Huh, that¡¯s just like him to go and divide the work like that,¡± Reese-Cato chuckles. ¡°You need a hand, Kizashi?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine thank you,¡± I reply, quickly grabbing some wipes and rushing over to the pods to get cleaning. ¡°Nonsense,¡± Reese-Cato chuckles, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hand in a second. After all, I need to talk with your team, and that requires you to be there.¡± ¡°...Thanks.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. As I said, this is completely for my sake.¡± With that, silence falls between us as I focus on cleaning the pods, carefully wiping them down and ensuring they are cleaned for the next users. Finishing up with mine, I move over to Auclair-Stolz¡¯s, and after a few minutes, Reese-Cato appears. ¡°Looks like you have had plenty of practice with this huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just done this a lot.¡± ¡°Soooo, do they usually make you do this?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± ¡°And you just go along with it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Huh. Interesting,¡± she replies before silence rushes in to fill the space between us, only to be cut off by her once again. ¡°So how was using the Cleaver? Kinda want the opinion of someone who actually used it. Specially since your experience will be key to this plan of mine.¡± ¡°It was fine enough. I mean, it did the job of dealing with the tanks well enough.¡± ¡°I mean, yeah, but do you think it¡¯s feasible to use them as a main weapon? I mean, at least to deal with tanks.¡± ¡°I mean, maybe? I only used it because I was out of options.¡± ¡°Hmmm, alright then. In that case, I want you to keep it in mind for the next battle. You don¡¯t need to go out of your way to use it, but just keep it in mind when you are dealing with the tanks. Especially since if the raid goes like today, or more likely worse, you will be dealing with plenty of them.¡± ¡°So your plan has me dealing with the tanks?¡± ¡°More, that¡¯s what I think Wally will have you do when he hears my plan. Don¡¯t worry too much about it though. While I think I have a pretty good plan cooking right now, I don¡¯t want all my eggs in the same basket. So I got a couple of backup plans. But I will admit, most of them are based on how the Cleaver performed in the tests I¡¯ve done. But if you think you have a better idea of the battlefield go ahead, especially since you aren¡¯t confident in using the weapon.¡± ¡°What do you mean go ahead?¡± I ask, turning away from the sim. ¡°I mean, if you think my plan won¡¯t work or you can¡¯t execute it exactly to orders, don¡¯t stick to it,¡± She replies, matching my gaze with a stare of her own. She holds eye contact for a few seconds before giving a little shrug, ¡°If a plan¡¯s bad, only a fool sticks to it. And I don¡¯t like being seen as one or spending my time with one. Though if you don¡¯t think you can do it, please tell me now so I can move over to my backup plans.¡± ¡°I should be fine,¡± I say, turning back over to the pod. ¡°I hoped as much,¡± she chuckles. ¡°Anyway, I think we are about done here. I mean, how much cleaner can this thing actually get? Let¡¯s head over to the cafe. I can tell you more about my plan there anyway.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll follow shortly. There are still a few spots that need some focus.¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯ll leave it to your expertise then,¡± she replies, rising to her feet. ¡°Come on guys, I think we¡¯ve done enough.¡± ¡°God, finally, I can only scrub the same spot so many times,¡± Philip-Arnold sighs as he and Lanzentr?ger rise from the sim they were working on. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.The trio head over to the trash and toss their wipes before heading out of the room. After a few final touches, catching some of the spots that Reese-Cato and her squadmates missed, I take my leave as well. My legs swiftly carry me to the mess hall, and after a short wait in line for a plate of meatloaf, I make my way over to a round table where the rest of the group is already sitting. ¡°Well, now that we are all together, I guess I can begin talking about my plan in earnest,¡± Reese-Cato says with a smile. ¡°Simply put, we do our best to replicate what we just did.¡± ¡°Elaborate,¡± Auclair-Stolz says, fixing a sharp stare on Reese-Cato. ¡°Well, simply put, I think it would be best for us to split our forces, like we just did with our little training mission, and assault the base from two directions simultaneously. We are going to be outnumbered, so I think it would be best for us to move as fast as we can to take out the base.¡± ¡°In that case, wouldn¡¯t it be more efficient to strike from one side in force?¡± ¡°Not quite. My biggest concern is that if we all attack from one side, we will get caught by air reinforcements from the elevators. As it stands, while we are able to outgun and outarmor their forces, we are currently behind in speed. If it comes down to a chase, we¡¯ll get caught. From what I¡¯ve heard listening in on the mechbay, the Serpent Corps is going to be testing out a tool to help with that issue during their part of this operation. However, we won¡¯t have access to it. So we¡¯ll need a workaround, hence my suggestion. ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t be perfect, but I figure, if we split up, we can take out both of the elevators, keeping them from being able to muster up the brunt of their air forces. Leaving us to deal with the artillery, which can¡¯t move, the tanks, which can be outmaneuvered, and any air elements already present. Not easy by any means, but still easier than getting snared in their rhythm. So, you willing to go for it?¡± ¡°I take it we will each be commanding our own squads?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Fine then.¡± ¡°Excellent. Now, on our end, I will be approaching with my usual preference. I will try to take out whatever air elements I can with my rifle. Once there are no longer any threatening air elements, I will switch my attention over to either the base or any artillery pieces causing trouble. While I handle that, Lanzentr?ger and Philip-Arnold will charge in. Their aim will be the elevator before clearing an area for us to assault our target.¡± ¡°We should be able to take care of it pretty quickly. We have been practicing for a bit,¡± Philip-Arnold says with a smile as Lanzentr?ger merely nods her head. ¡°Alright. In that case, Kizashi, you will follow Di¡¯Lotta and deal with the elevator. Once that is eliminated, I want you to deal with any ground forces. Di¡¯Lotta, once you are done, you are to deal with any remaining air elements before assisting me in clearing out any artillery.¡± ¡°¡°Understood¡±¡± I reply in unison with Di¡¯Lotta, who shoots a glare at me. ¡°I can handle the elevator myself, but I will allow Kizashi to tag along as fire support,¡± Di¡¯Lotta replies, a smirk on his face as he glances my way. ¡°Alright. Sounds like we have a plan,¡± Reese-Cato cheers with a clap. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope it survives contact.¡± Chapter 16: Operation Fear Eater- Part 1 The days before the operation pass quickly as we train for the upcoming mission. Our morning training is expanded, with Reese-Cato and her squad joining us. We continue to do mock raids, doing our best to get used to assaulting the base. As we do, I try to follow Reese-Cato¡¯s advice, trying to adjust to using the Cleaver in combat. To accomplish that, in addition to the group training, I try to find whatever time I can to use the sims, pushing back my already early wake-up time so I can get more time practicing with it. As I practice alongside Squad 3, I do my best to observe how they fight. Unlike our squad, where the three of us operate individually for the most part, Reese-Cato¡¯s squad operates as a unit guided by her. Reese-Cato, fights from the back, picking out targets with her rifle as Lanzentr?ger and Philip-Arnold get into position. Once they are engaged with the enemy, she offers fire support to cover their backs and ensure the enemy doesn¡¯t overwhelm them. While she does that, Philip-Arnold and Lanzentr?ger work together to down enemies, targeting the same targets to make sure they are eliminated before moving on to the next one. Watching the three of them fight, I can¡¯t help but think back over Reese-Cato¡¯s explanation of her strategy. While we are able to spread out and wreak havoc across the base, by the end of each training session, our machines are torn up, and only once are we able to take out the heart of the base before them, much to Auclair-Stolz¡¯s annoyance. However, Auclair-Stolz keeps to the divide and conquer mindset, focused on ensuring we understand our duties and are ready to execute them. The day before the mission finally arrives, all of the pilots are called to the hall for a final briefing. Recalling the shame of my previous tardiness, I rush to the hall as soon as the call is given. As I walk in, I catch Lieutenant Blaustien taking a seat beside some other people who I figure to be his unit. Noticing my gaze, he gives me a wave before turning his attention forward. I quickly find Auclair-Stolz in the room and take a seat beside him, doing my best to make myself small in the seat to not disturb him. After a few tense moments of waiting for the room to fill and earning a glare from Di¡¯Lotta when he sits down on the opposite side of Auclair-Stolz, the Captain makes his way to the podium and clears his throat. In an instant, the quiet hum of noise dies down, leaving only the hum of the machine as accompaniment to the Captain¡¯s voice. ¡°Everyone, the moment we have been awaiting has arrived. In a few hours, we will engage in an operation that will determine the fate of our movement. We have been given the honor and privilege of being one of the two spears of Operation Fear Eater.¡± At that, a small cheer erupts through the crowd, originating from some of my former classmates. ¡°I too share your enthusiasm, but please hold it for the moment,¡± The Captain says, smiling as he motions for everyone to calm down. Once the room has settled, he points to a screen behind him displaying a visual that I remember from some of my classes: the twin moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos. The two misshapen masses of celestial stone bristle with man-made craters and openings, as well as a pair of towering fortresses. ¡°The goal of this operation is to disable and capture the twin orbital stations of Phobos and Deimos. These bases will be used as staging posts for troops and supplies for our invasion of Mars. Our forces were assigned to this mission as a bombardment could destroy facilities the Supreme Commander believed would be better to claim. As such, our plan calls for a precision strike on the defense outposts. Our goal is to destroy only the base¡¯s defenses so we can capture the base intact. ¡°Now, our forces will be split into two parts for this mission. The main brunt of our forces will be engaged in a diversionary assault. We will be working alongside the forces of the Serpent Corps from the Technical Evaluation Unit, who will focus on Diemos, leaving us to handle Phobos. The aim of our main forces is to pull away as much of their air force as possible, allowing for a small strike team, composed of squads 3 and 4, to descend to Phobos and take out the defense outpost.¡± As the Captain says that, he turns to look toward us for a second before motioning back to the screen. The screen shifts from an overview of both moons to a close-up of the surface of Phobos, focused on the towering structure that dominates the moon¡¯s surface. Once more, the screen shifts, changing its focus to show an overhead view of a familiar sight. Comprised of a hexagon with towers at every bend of the massive walls and with small gates at the north and south. Within the walls stands a large rectangular concrete building, its roof bristling with a tangle of satellite dishes, sensors, and rocket launchers. Large circular concrete defensive towers were placed at each of the four corners of the central building, a solitary blocky building surrounded by four additional towers at each point. ¡°The target of your mission is this Martian Fortress. It follows the standard Martian design with 50-meter walls surrounding an operations center. Each of the walls has several artillery towers composed of anti-fighter flak cannons and several missile batteries. After the ship is engaged, squads 3 and 4 will launch and aim to land to the fortress¡¯s west. From there, you will engage the fortress and any defensive elements left. Your main mission is to disable the operations center and defensive batteries, a mix of Martian Flak batteries and Missile sites stationed on the corners of the wall that should be familiar to you from simulated training. If you can disable that, your mission will be considered complete, and you are to pull out from the base, destroying any air assets you can. ¡°For this mission, you will have a loadout focused on destroying the defenses of the base. To that end, your primary armaments will be the Foudre Anti-Fortification Disposable Rocket Launchers and the Temp¨ºte Bazooka. Your aim with the Foudre will be to eliminate the two elevators on either side of the base. Once those elevators are destroyed, the enemy will be unable to launch their air assets. From there, you are to target the central operations tower and disable the defensive batteries to ensure an easy transfer of control. ¡°As for the rest of you,¡± the Captain says, changing the screen to an illustration of the ship. ¡°I will be leading us in the diversionary attack. Our goal is to force Phobos to divert its air assets over to us. We will close within to be outside of their anti-ship defenses. From there, we will engage in Astral Gear combat. For this engagement, focus on holding the Martian forces. Our aim is to pull as much of the enemy forces as possible, but we also need to make sure they don¡¯t take out the ship. Remember to keep an eye on your surroundings and trust your training. However, do remember that there is a difference between the sims and live combat. ¡°Launch time is 1200. Rest well and be ready for tomorrow. You are all dismissed.¡± At the command, the crew begins to disperse the other squads gathering together while Auclair-Stolz and Di¡¯Lotta head off somewhere. I consider following them for a moment, curious to see if they might be discussing anything important, but I quickly shake the thought from my head. If it were something that I needed to hear, I would have been called over. Probably better off making sure everything is in order with the Astral Gear. As that thought, I carefully make my way through the crowd, doing my best to make sure I don¡¯t bump into anyone. As I make it to the door, I notice a flash of movement out of the corner of my eyes. Glancing toward it, I see Lieutenant Blaustien waving me over to where he is standing, alongside two men and a single woman.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yes sir?¡± I ask, approaching him, feeling the watchful eyes of the men and woman beside him. The only similarity between the two men is that they are clearly men. To the Lieutenant¡¯s left is a short man with dark hair and an elaborate-looking tattoo interrupted by a scar over his right eye, and to his right is a man who is about half a head taller than me with light blonde hair and a clean-shaven face. Between them and standing directly next to the Lieutenant is a woman around my height with sky-blue hair framing a stern-looking face. ¡°I just wanted to wish you luck since your squad is going to be part of the special strike force,¡± he says with a smile before pointing over to the others with a thumb. ¡°Since you are here, I hope you don¡¯t mind if I introduce my squad to you?¡± ¡°As the boss said, good luck, kid,¡± the woman beside Lieutenant Blaustien says, stepping forward with a slight smile that melts away the impression of sternness. ¡°The battlefield can be a rough place.¡± ¡°Pretty sure he knows that, Nora,¡± the tattooed man says, rolling his eyes at his companions¡¯ words. ¡°After all, he¡¯s one of the few who actually did something of value during that skirmish we had.¡± ¡°I mean, doesn¡¯t hurt to give a bit of warning, Gideon,¡± the woman replies, sticking her tongue out. ¡°Can¡¯t have too many blessings out there. Need all the luck you can get if you want to survive.¡± ¡°Quit bickering, you two,¡± the blonde sighs in a nasally voice before turning his focus on you. ¡°Good luck kid. As I¡¯m sure you can figure, this mission will be a bit different from just shooting down some fighters. But if you keep your head on a swivel and fly like you did during that last battle, I¡¯m sure you will manage to make it out more than fine. Oh, the name¡¯s Roland, by the way, since we were supposed to introduce ourselves.¡± ¡°Uh¡­.Thank you,¡± I reply, my eyes flickering between them. ¡°Nice to meet you all.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind Nora and Gideon, they¡¯ve always bickered like that since I¡¯ve had the pleasure of knowing them,¡± The Lieutenant chuckles, shaking his head. ¡°But as they said, we just wanted to give you a bit of luck. And if you happen to need any support as your squad is pulling out feel free to contact us. After all, that is our main use.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± I say, offering a deep nod of my head. ¡°Was there anything else?¡± ¡°Not really. Just wanted to wish you luck before you headed out, and since I was here with my squad, I kinda had to introduce them as well.¡± ¡°Ah, well, thank you. But I was planning on running over to Mechbay to see if I can check on my machine¡¯s status. I want to make sure that there isn¡¯t anything that I am missing before I head out tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ah, smart thinking kid,¡± Nora says with a smile. ¡°The machines they got us riding are fickle things. The damage can add up quickly and cause issues in places you might never have thought of. Always a good idea to make sure you know what¡¯s going on in your machine.¡± ¡°As she said, it¡¯s a good habit to get into. Especially since, given the way the Captain was talking, I don¡¯t think we will be having much time for rest or repairs after this operation,¡± the Lieutenant says with a sigh before shaking his head. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t let us keep you then. Again, good luck.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I reply, turning from him and slipping into the hall. Thanks to the small delay, the halls are a bit more clear, allowing me to make it over to the mech bay without any delay. However, as soon as I enter the bay, I am blasted by the sound of the bay operating at full capacity. People roaring orders across the bay, the sound of parts being welded, and the whir of screws and drills assault my ears. ¡°HEY, WHAT ARE YOU¡­oh, it¡¯s you,¡± Nasreen says, looking over at me sharply. ¡°You hear to check on your machine?¡± ¡°Yes, if that would be ok.¡± ¡°All right, follow me. And make sure you stick to me. I refuse to be responsible for you getting hit by something since you decided to wander in on us during rush hour,¡± she sighs before she strides off. I follow after her, keeping right behind her as she makes her way over to my squad¡¯s Janissaries. As I get over to the Janissaries, the machine is as imposing as ever, though it has changed a bit since I last had the chance to get a good look at it. The red and gold paint of the armor is chipped in some places, and in others, I can see scorch marks. However, the biggest change is a pair of additions to the machine. At the machine¡¯s waist, I can see four clamps, two on each side. On the forearms, there are the M1-Missile Pods, which, with their odd pentagonal design, look like the shields of an ancient warrior. ¡°Well, you are lucky that your machine isn¡¯t one of the ones that needed a lot of work done, mainly a bit of cosmetic work and some touch-ups on the armor. That being the case, you shouldn¡¯t have any issues with heading out for the operation tomorrow.¡± As she says that, she scrunches up her face a bit before sighing. ¡°Actually, you might want to check your thrust as you head out tomorrow. Oh, and use up the missile pods as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Why? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Eh, not exactly more, just a bit of advice from the technical side of things. The Missile Pod system is finicky, to say the least. Since they aren¡¯t part of the machine proper and are designed to be purged, their weight might impact your aim and flight speed a bit, especially with the fact that you are going to be carrying four of the handhelds. Which is what the waist clamps were for, if you were wondering.¡± ¡°So you suggest using them quickly and purging them?¡± ¡°Yeah. They shouldn¡¯t be an issue if you quickly purge the system. Though I¡¯m not a pilot, don¡¯t take my advice as gospel.¡± ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯ll keep that in mind as I head out tomorrow,¡± I say, offering her a slight bow. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to make sure you and that thing come back in one piece, ¡®Specially since¡­.¡± she catches whatever she was about to say and shakes her head before offering a tired smile. ¡°Well, you got enough on your plate without my worries on it.¡± ¡°Would it be fine if I go and run over the controls for a bit? I want to make sure i am ready to take off tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah, just make sure you are mindful of the repair work going on. I also can¡¯t promise you too much time in there with all of this going on. ¡° ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll make sure to be quick and careful.¡± With her clearance granted, I quickly rushed over to the scaffold ladder, making my way up to the walkway and back into the cockpit of the Jannissary. As soon as I hear the hiss of the hatch sealing, a strange choking sensation squeezes my throat. I take two slow breaths before placing my hands on the controls, allowing the countless hours in the sims to do their work as I run through my start-up checks. As the machine roars to life, silencing the faint hum of the mech bay, I run over my machine vitals, checking pressure and fuel before doing my system checks. After finishing up with my systems, I carefully power my machine down, returning to the darkness. You know you could die tomorrow. The thought flashes through my mind, freezing my hand above the hatch release. You don¡¯t belong here at all. Someone with your skills the enemy will definitely notice and take out quickly. After all, you¡¯ll be easy pickings out there all alone. You¡¯ll die, either gunned down by a jet or one of the towers, and you¡¯ll just prove them all right. The idiot who didn¡¯t know any better became nothing but space dust without even sending a check back home. The roar of the mech bay frees me from my thoughts, and I quickly rush out of the cockpit, forcing down the bile, trying to rise up my throat. As quickly as I can, I rush to the bathroom, releasing the meager contents of my stomach into a toilet before washing up. Throwing myself a cold shower, I try to silence my mind. However, as I enter my bed, shivering, they return, claiming my dreams. A Janissary flies throughout the fortress, doing its best to evade Martian fire. One of its legs blown off by by Martian fire, and the other on its last legs with the rest of the machine not far behind it. The machine raises its arms, unleashing a full salvo from both missile pods, the pilot desperate to cling to life. However, it is futile as a missile salvo strikes a direct hit on the body of the machine. In a blinding flash, the life of machine and pilot ends, leaving only a shattered metal coffin to fall to the moon¡¯s surface. Chapter 17: Operation Fear Eater-Part 2 I bolt awake, a thin film of sweat covering my body as my breath comes out in ragged gasps. As I stare into the dim darkness of my room, I slow my breathing, fighting to gain control. It¡¯s just a dream. It¡¯s just a dream. I sit in the darkness for a moment till my breath returns to its regular rhythm. As soon as it does, I rise from bed and check the time to see that it is a few minutes before what has become my usual wake-up time of 05:00. Lowering myself to the ground, I try to drive the nightmare from my mind through exercise, running through as many drills as I can till my alarm goes off. After turning it off, I return to my usual exercises before stumbling to the shower. With the nightmares successfully chased away by my exhaustion and the freezing water, I return to my room. Carefully, I put on my flight uniform, checking myself twice in the mirror before heading over to the mess for a small meal. I grab my food and sit in silence as a few others trickle into the mess hall, mainly looking to be part of the bay crews. As soon as I finish my food, I head to the sims, walking right into Reese-Cato and her squad. ¡°Oh, Morning Kizashi. Fancy running into you,¡± She says, chuckling as I jump back to avoid rushing into her and barely keep myself on my feet. ¡±Surprised to see you coming here late, used to running into you the other way around. Did you get pre-battle jitters or something?¡± She teases. ¡°No. I just felt that it would be better for me to make sure I ate before doing my drills. Didn¡¯t want to be caught up in a situation where I didn¡¯t have anything in me before heading out to battle.¡± ¡°Well, the operation time is 12:00, so that shouldn¡¯t be too much of a concern, but if it helps you,¡± she shrugs. ¡°Anyway, you think you and your squad are good for today¡¯s mission?¡± ¡°Yes, we should be able to complete the mission without any issues,¡± I reply, taking a deep breath. ¡°Hopefully, that¡¯s the case,¡± she sighs. ¡°I honestly can¡¯t believe that Wally is this stubborn. But what can one do? Anyway, I need to get some food myself. See you when it¡¯s time to launch.¡± With her piece said, Reese-Cato and her squad walk off, leaving the room to me. Slowly, I make my way over to the sims, feeling my stomach churn as I do so. Forcing myself to endure it, I slide into the sim and allow the suffocating darkness to surround me. I take a few seconds to calm down, slowly counting each breath until my heart manages to calm down. Once I am in control of myself again, I allow myself to fade into the start-up process. After around 100 practice runs, I consider trying a practice raid. However, as my fingers prepare to input the information into the sim, a vision of a machine bursting into flames before crashing into the moon flashes into my mind. Immediately, my stomach revolts against me, and it''s all I can do to keep its contents within me. I rush out of the machine and into the hall, earning more than a few looks from the other pilots in the room as I do so. Grabbing onto a wall for support, I try my best to catch my breath, fighting the urge to spill the contents of my stomach all over the pristine metal of the hall. It takes me a few minutes for my stomach to settle, and when I finally feel good to move, I return to my room. Collapsing into my chair, I pull up my combat footage and try to banish the vision of death from my mind by observing the Martians and their tactics. ¡°All pilots, head to your bay and prepare for launch. We strike for freedom!¡± The Captain¡¯s cry rings over the calm, pulling me from the footage and calling me to action. Rushing out of my room, I join the rest of the pilots, awkwardly joining them in the lift. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see some action,¡± one of the others chuckles. ¡°It was nice flying last time, but all we got to do was sink an already doomed ship.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me. We barely got a chance to do anything with the Captain and Shutz-Seishoku flying around. This time will be different, though.¡± The others in the lift join in, cheerily chatting as we make our way down. When the lift lets out, I break from the crowd and speed through the halls to the mech bay. As I arrive, I see a flurry of motion, with technicians running all over the hanger. At the center of that commotion are the three other Janissaries in the bay and their pilots, including the Lieutenant who harassed Lieutenant Blaustein. ¡°You¡¯re telling me there are still issues with my machine!¡± the Lieutenant shouts, his voice carrying across the bay clearly despite all the noise. ¡°Lieutenant, we¡¯ve been working round the clock since we docked,¡± A tired-looking mechanic replies. ¡°Unfortunately, the thrusters are a rather delicate part of the machine. They are in a workable position, but given the attack and the work we¡¯ve had to do on the other machines, your squads were no longer our top priority. You shouldn¡¯t have any problems though. ¡°In fact, as long as you aren¡¯t trying to push your machine and putting too much strain on the thrusters, you shouldn¡¯t even notice the issues. You might have to hang back a little¡­¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°And refuse to participate in this glorious assault!!!¡± ¡°Alright, let me cut you off here before this gets any stupider,¡± Officer Nasreen says, storming over to the Lieutenant, tablet in hand. ¡°Your thrusters were almost completely shot from the maneuvers you pulled last time. We¡¯ve spent god knows how long trying to repair them after your little stunt, and they are in serviceable condition. If that isn¡¯t good enough for you, then don¡¯t fly. What you won¡¯t be doing is messing around in my bay.¡± She shoots him one final glare before turning to face me, fire fading a bit from her eyes. ¡°You. Follow,¡± she snaps, gesturing me toward my astral gear. Obediently, I follow after her, quickly walking past the scene and over to where our machines are. As I make my way over to the machines, I see Officer Nasreen wave to the technicians around Di¡¯Lotta¡¯s machine before turning to look at me. ¡°You¡¯re early enough that we haven¡¯t even gotten the fools who are supposed to be launching on the catapult yet,¡± she sighs, her eyes rolling as she glances back over at the Lieutenant, still exchanging words with the technician. ¡°Thanks for not being another idiot like him, by the way.¡± ¡°Thank you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Now, as I told you yesterday, your machine should be good to fly. Just watch your thrusters and be smart in purging the M1s. Since that is all I need to talk with you about, you can feel free to go and run your checks in the cockpit. Unless you feel like listening to Prissy Prick over there,¡± she says, jabbing a thumb over in the direction of the Lieutenant. ¡°I will get to my checklist.¡± ¡°Figured,¡± she replies with a shrug. ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t fall. Be embarrassing to die like that before this big operation.¡± With that, she marches off to join the gaggle of technicians surrounding Di¡¯Lotta¡¯s machine. I quickly turn my eyes to the ladder and begin my ascent. Once I get to the top of the scaffolding, I slowly make my way across, my feet feeling heavy as I stare into the already opened cockpit of my Janissary. Taking a deep breath, I force myself to step into the cockpit. I take my seat and take deep breaths as I start to run through the startup process. Soon, my mind fades away into the results of months of practice running through the startup procedure. The first few presses bring the cockpit to life as screens blink on one by one. Loud mechanical whirring fills the cockpit as the starters begin to charge the engines. With my hands busy, the dread and nightmares flooding my head slowly drain away. ¡°Ensign Kizashi, Come in!¡± Officer Nasreen¡¯s voice calls out again. Ringing out through the coms. ¡°Yes, Officer Nasreen,¡± I reply, blinking as I activate the coms. ¡°Ensign Kizashi, all systems are green on our end. How are they in the cockpit?¡± ¡°No issues here in the cockpit.¡± ¡°Good to hear. In that case, Squad 3, all pilots are clear to launch. Wolf 4, you have the catapult.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Auclair-Stolz¡¯s voice rings out over the coms. Looking through the cameras, I see his machine step through the Mechbay and onto the catapult. The thrusters on the back of this machine roar to life as his machine is launched from the bay into the void. ¡°Clear. Wolf 12, you are clear to approach the catapult and prepare for launch,¡± Officer Nasreen says after a few seconds of silence. Di¡¯Lotta doesn¡¯t respond with her words. Instead, his machine silently approaches the catapult. As he mounts the catapult, I see that the legs of his machine show signs of damage, still not properly repaired from the last battle. However, even with that, the launch goes smoothly, flinging the machine into the void. ¡°Clear. Wolf 13, you are clear to approach the catapult and prepare for launch.¡± At her voice, I feel the dread rush back in, forming a pit in my stomach. Pushing through the sensation, I place my hands on the control. With weighty, careful steps, I make my way onto the catapult. As I do, I get an alert from the catapult, alerting me to the beginning of the launch procedure. Once more, my training kicks in, and I slowly bring my thrusters to life. The dull roar of the thrusters and the hum of the engine fill my ears, letting me know my machine is ready. I take one breath and call out my callsign, ¡°Wolf 13.¡± ¡°Launch,¡± Officer Nasreen replies With that, I am held to the back of my seat as my machine is launched into the void. Several tons of metal flung into the abyss in the blink of an eye. Pushing against the force of the launch, I follow procedure, pressing against the throttle and rising up to enter formation with the rest of the squad. Once I take up my position to Auclair-Stolz¡¯s left, we begin diving toward our target. The view from the cockpit is vastly different from the photos in the briefing. While Mars looms in the distance, what has been a red dot for most of my life now standing like an angry giant, Phobos rests before me, a massive misshapen hunk. Dominating the lifeless stone is the outpost its command tower and walls standing out against the barren and cratered surface. ¡°This is Wolf 3 to Squad 4. Do you copy?¡± ¡°This is Wolf 4. What is it?¡± ¡°Just wanted to make sure. You are still following through with your planned approach.¡± ¡°Of course. Why would we change at this point.¡± ¡°...Understood,¡± She replies with a sigh. ¡°If you need support, just let me know. I should be in a position to offer it when the time comes.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Auclair-Stolz curtly replies. With that, we continue our approach in silence, the hum of my machine and the roar of the thrusters the only thing breaking through it. As we approach, I take a moment to check over the sensors. On the display, I see the signatures of several Janissaries facing off against the Martian fighters. While the fight is distant enough that I can¡¯t get a proper visual, from what the sensors show, they are holding their own against the Martian forces. I gaze at the distant explosions for a few seconds before focusing on the mission. We close in on the uneven moon quickly, slamming into the ground with a terrifying thud that sends a pillar of dust into the air. The impact jolts me around, but my restraints keep me held tightly against my seat. Without any time to right myself, I hear the coms ring to life. ¡°Squad 4, Move out!¡± With Auclair-Stolz¡¯s order, his machine charges forward, weapons raised high and thrusters blazing.