(Note from Author, this is something I made on the spur of the moment, lacking real plot movement but bear with it.)

Darius Malcolm. That is my name. I'm in the United States Air Force, currently at the rank of Major. Sporting a height of six foot one, exactly 175 pounds, I suppose you could say I'm light. I'm currently apart of the Aerial Assault squadron VMFA-166th "Grey Vipers".

Whilst being at war with the BETA, I've been assigned to the front lines in Japan. Eastern lines, in other words. It's not exactly a good thing either. With the loss and advances of the BETA from the Sadogashima Hive, it's tough work. Work I am willing to do.

I stare at myself in my mirror that was placed in my room. I see short black hair and grey eyes. Strong jaw line, and some stubble. I need to shave-I gotta look nice for the BETA. Heh. I quickly put on my forest-green armored suit, and head out of my room to the hangar. As I briskly walk to where my TSF is located, a grey F-14 Tomcat I hear someone call out to me.

"Oi, Darius why are you in such a hurry?"

It was Melina. I turn towards her, and shoot her a cold stare, brows furrowed.

"That is Major Malcolm to you, Melina. Try to keep that in mind"

"Whatever, you always say that, don't really matter, eh?" She gave me a mischievous grin. I sighed out my displeasure.

"Well, if you are contempt on being disobedient towards me, at least try to maintain a façade for the rest of the squad. Or is that too much to handle for a feeble minded wench like you?" She mused at my jest. I simply clicked my tongue and continued to my machine. However before grabbing onto the entry, cable, I looked up at the Raptors right shoulder. There stood the tail markings of the 166th.

There were two serpents, coiling around a knife. The serpents were grey and the knife was black. Since the iconography was a circle, there stood in bolded white letters "VMFA-166th". It does me pride to be one with the Serpents.

Melina said something behind my back. Pivoting on my feet, I quickly reel on her.

"Melina, you best be watching your ass, I will not give you any more support than you deserve. You think your hot-shit because you felled two fort-classes? Think again, woman. Had not I or Cyrene taken up the brunt of tank-class, you wouldn't be standing here. Do I make myself clear?" I snapped my fingers and Melina jumped.

"Y-Yes Sir!" she murmured. Boy, Melina did piss me off sometimes. But that is to be expected of that blonde-bimbo. I didn't actually have a problem with her, it's just her arrogance and lack of discipline is what got me. We are actually good friends. Before she could do anything more, I was already entering my beloved Tomcat.

March 15th 1998 – Akita

I could see the BETA Forces nearing Sakata. There was a lot, and there were Japanese forces there too. My squad and I were flying low, and cautiously. There were signs of Laser Class BETA in Sakata. It was going to be a tricky fight. As we drew ever nearer, I could see fort-class in the distance. Great. I lifted my 36mm with its drained uranium rounds and fire a burst of three shots, firing six times; I hit a bunch of Destroyer-class BETA. The ones I shot went down, and I could see Melina swerve around, firing a spray at the other destroyers.

Tank-class came from the trees. I gritted my teeth, and shot at them, using my hind engines to give a low jump over them. There were probably 30. As such I took precautions and signaled for Cyrene and Joseph to watch my flanks. They fell, and luckily I could hear the earth being impacted from missiles. It seemed the some Japanese navy-men had made their appearance.

Something hit my TSF; it was a tank-class. I shot it off before it could ruin my machine. However more were coming. I thought my flank was being covered? I turned quickly and saw that Joseph was being surrounded.

"Joseph, get the fuck out of there!" I snarled. I quickly pivoted and shot a bunch from the right of Joseph.

"Major, I'm sorry, but they took out one of my jump units. I-I am not too sure I'll get out of this pinch…" Damnit. Joseph was only 15. Cyrene was also on my side, helping me shoot them down. Something big was coming. I just barely reacted in time. A destroyer has suddenly surged out of nowhere. I didn't pick it up for some reason. The metal cloud the Jap's ships released was messing with the channels and radar.

I quickly moved to the right, and shot upwards, while traveling underneath the fort-class. Luckily its tentacle didn't hit me. Cyrene wasn't so lucky. I swore out loud as the tentacle has pierced Cyrene's cockpit. She was screaming over the channel, blood clogging her throat. The wailing was nerve-wracking. I was starting to lose my concentration.

"Ughh, M…Major..." gagged Cyrene. The fort-class was dealt with. Melina was nowhere to be seen. Joseph has managed to get away, but he was damaged. He would have to be carried. He would have to wait, I flew over to Cyrene. That damage was bad; her TSF was lying in half, the bladed tip of the fort-classes tentacle bedded in the cockpit. She opened an encrypted channel.

"M….Major…I…"

"Cyrene. It's okay. Don't speak." I said. This was bad, blood was dripping from her lips, and I could only see a fraction of her. The blade was blocking most of her out. I could see her rib's poking out. It was a hit almost directly in the sternum. She wouldn't survive.

"D…Darius…" she slurred my name. I tried to give her a smile. But I couldn't. It was too hard, and I couldn't do anything for her. I looked away. I couldn't hold back my dismay and horror.

"Cyrene, I am sorry. I should've have coordinated this attack better." I didn't know what to say. I could have done this better. But I didn't realize the majority of the BETA were all ready in-land. The BETA are unpredictable, they say. It's true.

"Cyrene…" My mouth froze. I looked at her, but she was staring, the life from her eyes had all but faded. Cyrene, Second Lieutenant Cyrene Karol was dead. She had a faint smile from her blood-caked lips though. I snarled out of anger, and turned away, and jumped and flew forwards. I put my guns on full auto and shot the BETA in sight. The gun on in my right hand was depleted; I quickly discarded it and grabbed the knife from by knee-port. I slashed the head off of a Grappler and shot another in the face. I jumped up and made a 360 degree rotation, shooting the BETA.

I heard Joseph yelling at me over our comm.-link. It mattered not, these mother fucking aliens killed the girl whom I've known since childhood. My odium knew no bounds. I relentlessly slaughtered the BETA. My knife got stuck in a grapplers face. To my fortune, I saw one of the Japanese swords lying on the ground. Better length, I took it and swung it in an arc, slicing through grapplers-and tanks alike.

A destroyer charged me, but I dodged it with a quick succession of moves. I strafed left and right, and made a semi-circle around another, shooting the soft alien flesh from its back. Joseph has appeared, reeling along, all arms on his TSF mounted with the 36mm, firing on auto at the mass of Grapplers.

It didn't take long for me to realize the error of my choler. I forgot about the Laser threat due to the Japanese fleet and their Iron Cloud.