THE PROUD, THE FEW

CHAPTER 1: ALPHA FORCE:

Dense waves crashed over the far-reaching void. A pair of black boots clanged to the sleek metal deck. Drearily brown eyes gazed out to the interweaved blue horizon. The morning breeze picked up thin light brown strands, wind caressed her pale toned skin and refreshing air filled her lungs. A black jumpsuit hung over the woman's form, red straps wrapped over the stitching and silver lining rode along the front zipper. The uncomfortable suit stiffly stuck to her joints and limbs, it's design varied from the officer's common fashion.

She glanced back to the almost isolated ship deck, the elegant floor was all but empty except for herself and a handful of assault helicopters. These aircraft had a smooth furnish with the Techno insignia painted to the black haul, a capital T encased in a halo. Mounted to a single flank were Gatling mini-guns, the barrels were long and thin. Blades curved over the rotor and along the tail was another symbol of two joint Ts in a crimson triangle. Techno Troopers.

Techno Troopers, the special forces branch of Lord Ram's empire. This division was built up by elite squads, each operates individually and efficiently to accomplish missions that the bulk of the Techno army would stumble through. Covert intelligence and subtle sabotage were the Troopers speciality. Yet as of late, missions had been rare, perhaps there was no need for them or had they become obsolete. And so the squads had been confined to this flagship, the Prey. And all that kept complacency and mutiny from reigning over the vessel was Kage, the Commandant of the Techno Trooper Corps and Captain of the Prey. An anchor for the crew and to Captain Pierce, second in command of the famed Alpha Force. Her unit was her family, siblings. Kage had been a father to them and to the other units, who were cousins in this analogy.

She breathed in the sea air again. The bowels beneath her feet seethed with life, Captain Pierce knew this without any signs of affirmation. All that filled her ears was the colliding waves and bristling gusts. Boots creaked over the vast deck, Pierce turned as two uniformed figures strode from the ship's depths. The first a woman, black raven hair, hazel eyed and lean like her, and the other a male of medium build with spiked blond hair. The two Troopers paced side-by-side.

"Swift, Slick," Pierce's voice was firm yet there was a tender undertone to her comrades, "good morning."

Lieutenant Swift gave a half smile as she reached her, her fair skin shimmered in the sunlight, "Pierce, we've been looking for you..."

"Never a good sign," Sergeant Slick smirked to quoting the Captain herself, "We know... what brings you up here this early on?"

"The morning air wakes me up," Pierce lightly answered, "an all natural coffee."

"Since we can't get coffee," Swift asked somewhat rhetorically.

"Exactly," Pierce formed a brief smirk, "something wrong then?"

"The Commandant wants us in his office at nine hundred hours," replied Slick.

"What for?"

"He didn't say," the Sergeant responded with a nod, "but it seemed important."

Pierce then paused, a hopeful smile crossed her face, "Could be a mission."

"If we were only so lucky," Swift said before breathing in the fresh air.

"Nice isn't it," asked Pierce.

"Yeah, it is."

Slick sniffed the breeze and shook his head, "I don't get it."

"What else is new," Pierce snickered. Then she looked back to Swift, "We can stare out to sea later on, where's the lads?"

"I sent Twitch to find Haze and Charr." The mildly serious expression over the Lieutenant's face softened with a mischievous gleam in those hazel eyes, "I bet Twitch's new scope that those two would be doing something stupid."

"Well," the Captain scoffed with a creak of metal beneath her boots, "that's one way to upgrade your gear."

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Black clad shapes circled over the solid floorboards, enticed yells filled the hall. The long grey tables had been dragged aside, scattered bowls rolled through puddles of gruesome soup. Gloved fists slammed the illuminated air, hoots echoed to the metal corners.

A set of knuckles collided to a dark skinned jaw. In the heart of the uniformed halo stood two solid men, both bare from the waist up, exposing sets of tattoos, Techno crests and matching squad symbols were inked to their skin.

Haze clenched his fists again as his opponent fell back a step, sweat filled his thick brown goatee and bead ran over his upper body. His fists raised back up to guard his skull as Charr charged in, brutally striking at his defence. Haze's boots skid back against the rapid hits, until heavy breathing broke from the attacker and his stance stumbled.

At this Haze clashed again, landing a blow to the midsection, thrusting Charr back. He then slammed his opposing fist to the clean shaved chin. Charr fell to the crowd only to be shoved back into Haze's right hook. Blood dripped from his dark lip and he staggered in a half arch. Over the excited cheers a single voice roared over the commotion, "COLONEL!"

At hearing his title Haze twisted on his heels and caught a glanced of the dark haired Corporal, before being sent to the cold floor. A splintering pain running through out his jaw and an eruption of ecstatic joy filled the mess hall. Charr's stance slackened and his fists pounded the empty air in victory. Haze planted his palm to the metal ground and moved up, emerald eyes caught another glimpse of the Corporal who shuffled through the crowd that swarmed Charr in praise.

Colonel Haze stood up and shook his head to the subsided jolt in his mouth. With a blink he found himself looking down at the Corporal. A stiff voice escaped his dry mouth, "What's up Twitch?"

Corporal Twitch's pale lips opened again this time projecting his voice over the noise, "The Commandant wants to talk to us."

"Right," Haze nodded, he twisted back to the concentrated majority and he sorely shouted in a dull pitch, "CHARR, CHARR!"

The heavily breathing Trooper had been elevated above the engrossed audience. Wiping the red stain from his chin, Charr yelled back to his commanding officer, "THERE WILL BE NO REMATCHES!"

"SHUT IT!" Haze bellowed back, "KAGE WANTS SOMETHING, SO GET YOUR ASS DOWN!"

Charr growled to the officers beneath him, speech blurred out by the company's solace. Waving his hands down eventually brought him back to the steel foundation. Moments past and a silence of sorts came, just enough for them to talk, "He probably caught our little bet on the security feed."

"Um," a sudden grimace crossed Twitch's face, "I don't think so."

"Why not," Haze asked as he stepped aside and scooped up his shredded garment from the floor.

"He was more agitated than angry."

Tanned arms slid through the sleeves, the material clasped over his biceps and wrists. Haze locked the zipper pieces together and tore the metal tag around his waistband, "You alright Twitch?"

"Uh," stuttered the Corporal, "I just remembered why I shouldn't bet."

"Because you always lose them," Charr spoke rhetorically. Strapping on his own suit, ripping the front zip over his torso.

"Lose anything other than your dignity," Haze asked with a quick whiz.

"My new scope," trailed Twitch's voice.

"The one with the three levels of magnification?" The Colonel's uniform clasped over his body now.

"Yeah..."

"Ouch Corp," Charr snickered as he stretched his arms and shoulder blades back.

"Yeah well," Twitch paused, "are you two ready?"

"Twitch you should know by now," Haze smirked with an almost amused tone to his voice, "we're always ready."