Day 2: July 8, 2062 | 1406 Horus | Base S09 Helipad A
The door of the helicopter transporting AR Team slid open before it even touched down on the helipad. Sopmod dashed towards Juno like an eager puppy happy to see its owner. "I did it, Commander! I did it! Praise me, praise me!"
Unsure what to do, Juno looked over to Kalina, who simply patted herself on the head. So, Juno did patted Sopmod on the head. "You did well, Miss Sopmod.
Juno looked down at the AR Team member. She had long blonde hair with a streak of blood red to the right of her bangs and eyes that matched the vibrant color. She wore black leggings with a single red band at the top of her thigh and a zipped up black jacket. From what Juno could see, she wore nothing else underneath. Notably, Sopmod's left arm seemed to be an SF model with sharp fingertips. Where she got it or why she has it, Juno had no idea.
Out of the four of them, Sopmod was the youngest and had a sort of childish personality. Everything seemed to be fun and games for her, and while Juno didn't like the lack of professionalism, Sopmod's childish demeanor was actually terrifying when paired with her clever tinkering, vicious combat style, and her mechanical arm. When Juno went over Sopmod's combat records, there were times where she ripped apart SF units with her bare hands. Watching her was like watching a feral animal being set loose, and she had nothing but joy on her face when she fought.
As she patted Sopmod on the head, Juno noticed that the T-Doll was holding an arm in her left hand. "Umm… Miss Sopmod, what is that?"
She raised the limb in celebration and handed it to her. "It's an SF arm! I thought you'd want it as a trophy!"
"An arm…" Juno felt nauseous as she looked down at the severed limb while Kalina gagged. She wondered how the T-Doll even got a hold of it. ""H-How thoughtful of you, but I'm afraid I don't have anywhere to… display this."
"Aww." SOPMOD looked disappointed at the news before Juno handed the limb back to her. "I guess I can keep it for spare parts."
The Commander wiped her hands of a blood-like fluid. However, once she looked back at SOPMOD she realized that the T-Doll had suffered minor damages. She then looked at the rest of AR team and saw that they also had the same level of damage.
"What happened out there?" Juno asked M4.
"We ran into Sangvis scum and kicked their ass, that's what happened!" M16 said with a confident smile on her face. "Didn't even stand a chance."
"I apologize, Commander" M4 spoke up. "An SF drone spotted us while we were scouting out the area."
"Why wasn't I informed of this?" Juno clearly sounded displeased.
"I-I thought that since it was a minor engagement and we only suffered minimal damage, it wasn't urgent enough to report in."
"Miss M4, it doesn't matter if you're fighting all of SF or one dinergate, I expect to be told of any sort of engagement. Is that clear?"
"Y-Yes, Ma'am."
Out of the members of AR Team, Juno would've thought that M16 was the leader of the squad. She had more combat experience than all of them combined, was the oldest of the four, and displayed the confidence expected of a leader. However, Juno was unsure whether the confidence could be attributed to M16's consumption of alcohol. Nevertheless, when she found out that this shy, quiet, and gentle looking T-Doll was the leader of AR Team, it surprised her quite a bit. M4 was not what she expected from a leader of an Elite T-Doll squad.
Juno returned to the business at hand. "Now then. How did the rest of the recon op. go?"
M4 handed a tablet full of information the team gathered. "SF seems to be fortifying various outposts and checkpoints along the edge of their territory."
Juno read over the report. "They're probably preparing their defenses since Griffin operations are only going to expand now that I'm here."
"That's not the only thing." M4 continued. "We suspect there's a High-End SF model operating in the area."
She moved to the side while Star reached into her pack and took out a damaged drone. "This is the one that saw us. I took it out before it could return to its owner."
Juno held the small drone and looked at the single bullet hole on its side. "Clean shot. You must be pretty good to hit a moving target this small."
"Thank you, Commander." Star held her chin high.
Star had a more civilian look to her, wearing a dark grey blue jacket, a short white dress underneath, and brown leather boots. Like the rest of AR Team, she also had a purple colored strand of hair that stood out from her light pink hair.
Star was the more serious member of the four compared to M16's laid back attitude and Sopmod's energy. When they first met in the debriefing room earlier in the day, Juno noticed an eagerness within her. However, it was different compared to M16 and SOPMOD. Those two wanted to get out there and fight SF to kick their ass or have fun, but STAR seemed like she was trying to prove something, but Juno couldn't exactly place her finger on what that was.
"The drone matches those used by the SF ringleader, Scarecrow." M4 explained.
"Scarecrow…" Juno turned to Kalina and gave her the drone and recon report, "Miss Kalina, can you get me all the information Griffin has on her?"
"You'll have it on your desk in no time, Commander!" Kalina headed towards the command center.
"Well then, if there's nothing left to discuss, you're all dismissed," Juno said.
M4 faced the team. "Do you guys want to get something to eat?"
Sopmod raised her hand that still held the severed arm she had taken. "I do! I do!"
"I'll just get a little snack or something." Star answered.
"What about you, 16?" M4 looked at her older sister.
Her older sister smiled. "You three can go on ahead. I need to ask the Commander something."
M4 nodded before taking Star's hand and heading towards the residential building with Sopmod following closely behind.
"So, what do you need, Miss M16?" Juno said.
"What do you think of them?" M16 asked.
"They're an interesting group." Juno answered. "However, it still puzzles me that you're not team leader. After reading all your records, it'd make the most sense to assign you as leader."
"I could say something similar about you." M16 leaned against the helicopter, "Fresh out of the academy, no field experience? Sometimes I think the old man is going senile assigning a complete greenhorn like you."
"Thanks for the reassurance." Juno positioned herself next to M16 and sat down with her back against the helicopter.
The AR doll had a nostalgic look in here eye. "You should've seen M4 when Persica started the team. She was a mess of a leader. Clumsy and indecisive. Hell, Star hated her when they first met while Sopmod terrified her."
"I can understand that last bit." Juno looked down at the smeared blood on her hands left by the severed arm Sopmod gave her. "What about you?"
M16 looked off at the distance. "A girl like her doesn't belong on the battlefield. But she's my little sister, and I'll be by her side for as long as she needs me."
Juno found M16's response heartwarming. "That's what family is for."
M16 took out an empty flask from her coat. "Though I do wish she was a teeny bit more lenient with her drinking restrictions."
"The sacrifices we make for the ones we love." Juno checked her watch and seeing the time, she got up on her feet and fixed her skirt. "Well, I need to head out and attend to the paperwork waiting for me in the office."
M16 nodded. "Oh, Boss. One more thing. I was wondering if you'd want to go to the bar sometime. I'm sure Thompson and the others would love to share a drink with you."
Juno rubbed the back of her neck, "I'm not really a bar person."
"Aw, c'mon, Boss. It'll be fun." M16 said, "Get a few drinks, good food, and even make some friends with the dolls."
Friends… Juno sighed. "I'll think about."
"Better than a no!" M16 patted her on the back. "I'll catch you later, Boss!"
Juno nodded and waved goodbye to the T-Doll as they parted ways. Heading towards the command center, Kalina's words from the previous night echoed in her head. That it'd be impossible to not develop some sort of relationship with those under her command. That it would happen whether she wanted it or not.
"If only they were emotionless killing machines." Juno whispered quietly to herself. "Then I wouldn't have to worry about making friends."
…
Two Years Ago: September 2060 | 1953 Hours
It had only been a few days since Juno arrived at the academy to begin her training as a Griffin Commander. Since she was going to be a frontline commander, she was going to spend two years in training. Most frontline commanders were veterans from the war, so they were either exempt from the training or went through it in less time.
Juno sat quietly at the bar with a glass of apple juice in her hand. It was a busy night for the bar which was filled with Griffin employees and T-Dolls socializing with one another. However, Juno knew no one there or even in the entire city. She was all alone. A feeling that she was too familiar with.
"Quite packed tonight, ain't it?"
Juno turned to see a young man, slightly older than her, with short dark brown hair, friendly brown eyes, and an average build. He was wearing black slacks and a white shirt with the sleeves folded up to his elbows, the collar unbuttoned, and his tie loosened up.
"Mind if I sit here?" He pointed at the seat next to her.
"Nope." Juno paid him little attention.
"Name's Orion Castillo." The young man sat down and eyed the glass in front of Juno. "You a whiskey girl?"
"It's apple juice." Juno answered before taking a sip.
"Ah, I see." Orion waved at the bartender, who immediately started to grab a glass and headed to the beer keg. Judging from the fact that the bartender knew what drink to get him, Juno figured that he was a regular customer, "Well, I'm a beer guy myself."
"Interesting." Juno said in a rather uninterested tone.
"Not one for conversation I see." Orion rested his elbow on the counter.
"I'm just here to have a drink."
"Well, if you wanted to have a cup of apple juice without having to worry about socializing, then you could've went to the convenience store and buy a jug."
"If you wanted to talk to someone, there's plenty of people aside from me to choose from."
"I'd rather not interrupt their fun," Orion said. "Besides, I think we rookies should get to know each other more."
Juno looked at Orion for the first time since he introduced himself. "You're a new recruit as well?" He nodded as the bartender came by and handed over his drink. "How did you know I was a recruit?" Juno asked because she wore nothing that indicated who she was.
"I remember seeing you at orientation and your violet eyes left quite an impression." Orion explained.
Juno grew a slight shade of red from the compliment. "T-Thank you."
The fellow recruit took a swig of his drink and let out a satisfied sigh. "That hits the spot. Almost as good as the beer back home."
"You're not from here?" Juno asked.
"Nah." Orion wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Are you?" Juno shook her head. "At least we have one thing in common." Orion took another sip form his glass. "Should've seen my parents. Told me I was crazy to leave and join Griffin. Said I should've just been an accountant or something instead of willingly going to war."
"Maybe they were right." Juno chuckled.
Orion laughed as well. "What about you? Did your parents call you insane when you applied?"
Juno quietly looked down at her glass as a subtle pain filled her eyes. "No…"
"I see…" Orion knew what the reaction meant. "Shit, here I go ruining the mood."
"It's alright." Juno tried to reassure him.
"How about I buy you a drink?" He offered. "Least I can do for you."
Juno thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Sure, but nothing too strong, alright?"
"Hey Jill! Can you get me an apple ale for…" Orion stopped himself and realized that he didn't know the name of the woman he was ordering for.
She giggled before introducing herself. "Juno."