Well this is a longish chapter. Took a while but was fun writing it. I took some liberties with some stuff here with some military equipment and gear along with some little easter eggs that I'm sure some will get. Thank you for reading and reviews from the last chapter!
Hope you guys enjoy!
I looked up from the ground to find the pointed end of a wooden broadsword. Taking a deep calming breath, I tossed my wooden training sword to the side and threw my hands up in surrender. "You got me Jayce. It's your win today."
My best and longtime friend smirked down at me, full of confidence. "I picked up a few things since the last time." He looped the wooden sword on his belt and reached down with a hand.
I looked at the hands and grabbed it with a smile. "Yeah...you caught me off guard there. Good counter." I dusted myself off of the bits of grass that was stuck to me and stared down at the smaller man. "I supposed my reach or luck didn't save me today." I chuckled. "Or maybe you finally grew that last bit that you've been promised by the doctor."
Jayce gave me a mock glare with his silver eyes as he pushed a couple strands of his silver hair out of his eyes. "Oh shut up about that will you?"
I shrugged at him. "Not until you realize it's just genetics! Blame my father if anything." After all, I was always the taller one between the two of us and taller than most of my fellow Alba countrymen.
"Maybe I'll just blame your whole family for being genetic freaks, even your mom."
"You can blame whoever you want." I shot back as I took a moment to stretch out my worn and battered limbs and finally catch my beating heart. "Are you still good to sit down for some tea?" I finally asked.
I watched as Jayce crossed his muscular arms across his chest and had to admit Jayce in his own right was a freak of nature. While not quite as tall and limber as I was, he was far stronger than me with his tree trunk like body and legs. My arms and shoulders still burned and tingled from the abuse they took.
"Hmmm yeah, let's hurry up and shower. I've got a meeting with my father at noon."
I nodded and bent down to retrieve my training sword. I winced at the hairline fractures and cracks running up and down the sword. "Damn it."
"What?"
I raised the wooden sword up to his eyes. "Broke another one."
Jayce rubbed the back of his head and had the common decency to look somewhat apologetic. "Heh, guess I'm too strong for my own good. I'll buy you another one later."
"You better!" I chuckled. "I'm not made of money like you."
"I am not made of money!"
"No...but your family is and it's basically the same thing at this point."
He rolled his eyes at me and turned around and began walking away. "You use our money for your little shenanigans whenever you're broke so I don't want to hear it, Lieutenant Colonel."
"Wilco Major, I copy." I brushed off the slight on my financial account as I followed him into his mansion. As always I was reminded of just how rich my friend was. The white and silver mansion was one of the largest I had ever seen and probably will ever see for a long while. Priceless paintings were strung up along the hallways that dated back to the founding fathers where the Stillen lineage could be traced back to.
We took a quick pit stop to grab a clean uniform for ourselves before hitting the shower. I walked into the guest room and with practiced ease, stripped myself and hopped into the shower. I let out a loud sigh as the warm water soothed my aching muscles. Closing my eyes I leaned against the shower wall and slowly felt myself falling asleep underneath the showerhead. I mustered all my strength, pushed off the wall and turned the water to the coldest it could go.
My breath suddenly left me as the frigid water slammed into me. The cold water did its purpose though, I was wide awake now.
"Shit!" I cursed out loud to the empty room. I took the chance to speed through washing myself off to get away from the cold water.
Once I was finished I turned off the water and dried myself off as I stepped out of the shower. I quickly dried off and with practiced hands, put on my clean uniform for the day. Looking at myself in the mirror I took the chance to straighten my uniform out and dry my still damp hair.
Looking at the sides of my head, I still had a little while before I would need another trim. I slicked my hair to the side with a slight application of gel, just enough to hold it. Afterwards I test fitted my cover over my hair.
The military cap covered all of my hair without messing it up in the process.
Perfect.
I nodded to myself in satisfaction. As I was about to walk out I took a quick chance to stare at myself. I found the usual greyish silver eyes staring back, not a single speck of blue like many said I had.
Ice Cold Richter. What a silly name.
I shook myself from the thought and walked out of the bathroom. The guest room I was in was nicer than my own room, I noted. Nothing out of the ordinary for the Stillen family.
I closed the door of the guest room behind me and walked down the white walled hallway with practiced ease. Upon reaching my destination I knocked a couple times on the large door.
"Come in!"
I had to put some effort into pushing the door open and with a soft grunt I quietly clicked it shut behind me. The room in front of me was grand in nature. Pictures of family and Jayce himself hung high on the walls and the ceiling was higher than anything in my own little mansion.
If only I had this kind of money…..
"Tea is nice and hot, sit brother." Jayce offered a seat at his table for guests, a separate table from his own main desk where he worked. Just. For. Guests. And I was the only real regular around this mansion.
Absurd no matter how many times I see it.
I hid my jealousy with a smile. "Don't mind if I do." Pulling out the chair I watched my friend pour me a hot cup of tea. "Thanks." I graciously took the cup and softly blew on it for a moment before drinking its contents.
"Mmm honey tea?" I asked as I tasted the sweet liquid.
Jayce nodded as he took a quick sip. "With a touch of jasmine, artificial of course."
I sighed, machine made products only got so far. As good as it was, there was always a hint of something artificial in the aftertaste. It didn't matter what kind of food or drink, it was always the same. Real food and ingredients were scarce and out of his budget. "Yes of course….you know it would be nice if we were able to use our farmlands again or maybe import spices and herbs."
"You just have to wait two years Johan."
I narrowed my eyes. "I would have no problems waiting that long if it was guaranteed that the Legion would be gone."
Jayce suddenly looked tired and annoyed. "We've had this conversation before brother, It's likely the Legion will expire in two years. The worst of this war is over."
"Likely to expire." I put in air quotes. "I'm not convinced Jayce. I think the Legion is more of a threat than this country wants to make them out to be."
"Again I think you're overthinking it. It's not too late to stop."
I shook my head. "No, I can clearly see the end of the Republic if we continue down this road. The Legion will utterly annihilate us if nothing is done." I put down my cup and settled a hard stare at my friend. "You have to realize the Legion has already won this war years ago when we turned away our fellow countrymen to treat them as fodder, as less than human. I'm just here to try and change the course of nature."
"And I know what I have to show right now is nothing but a hypothesis." I continued, uncaring of the exasperated look I was getting. "But the dots are there! The Legions movements may have slowed down but it is not because they are weak! These aren't the all out attacks we faced at the start of this war because they are poking our defenses for weaknesses and when the 86s have been weakened more than they are or wiped out, we will face the final ultimatum and when that time comes…..as we are now we will just roll over and die. This is not the road to peace but a road to destruction!"
"And you'll destroy this nation from within in response." Jayce quietly stated firmly. "And what happens when the Legion knows we are weakened even more from killing ourselves. What then?!"
"That is a risk we must take!" I countered. "Should we sit here and accept the morally unacceptable because that's what it means to be a good soldier?!" I slammed down on the table, shaking the cups. "I refuse that!"
Jayce quietly stared at me for a long time and I glared back at him with the same intensity.
"I never should have recommended you to join Intel of all places." He quietly mumbled as he rubbed his temples. "Tell me, do you really care about the 86s that much? I never pinged you along the same line as Major Milize. You're far too ambitious to even really care for rabble such as them, aren't they just a means to an end at this point? A way for you to kill your way to the top?"
I crossed my arms and didn't bother to hide a grimace as I looked away from him. "Well….having clearance to any piece of document definitely helps change one's view of their country but beyond that, is it just weird that I refuse to continue living in a morally bankrupt nation?"
Jayce scoffed at me. "In the eyes of everyone else here, you're the morally bankrupt one for even thinking about challenging the status quo."
"As if those fools really know, I'm not like the good natured Major Milize."
"Yes you're more likely to follow through…" He scrutinized me for a moment with a piercing gaze. "So they are just a means to an end."
"In my own way yes but at least with me, they'll have their freedom."
"Or death."
I gave my friend an incredulous look. "Death awaits them regardless, at least I can give these children hope of something more than just dying on the battlefield."
"You're being delusional, the country would never accept it. We as a people are at the point of no return. If any of the surviving countries learn-"
"They'll know one way or another, how in the hell would we explain a whole group of people just disappearing?" I threw my hands up. "Think! If only us Alba are left alive, you think people won't find it weird and start investigating? You think it's really that hard to find corpses of 86s in their tin cans? Go look for 5 minutes on the battlefield! And then what?!" I couldn't suppress a laugh, this shouldn't even be a conversation. "Oops! Sorry guys we just accidentally committed genocide!"
The two of us fell into a long stretch of silence as we just stared into our cups. It wasn't the first time we had this conversation but Jayce had finally found out my intentions were never pure. He probably figured I just wanted to turn the country around and hold people accountable for their actions. Except what I wanted was power, plain and simple. I knew I could rule this country better than the current president, so what better way than to take his position by force? It just so happened that the 86s would no doubt jump at the opportunity to revolt against the Alba. It would be even better if they were better equipped with some better hardware. The deadliest force in the nation would get even deadlier and they would be under his control.
But I couldn't do it without the support of Jayce. I needed an Alba to unite us as a people and who better than the genius son of the Stillen Family, one of the founding members of this country.
I was forced from my thoughts by a chuckle.
"You always had a way with words Johan. Once you're done with being a revolutionary, you should go be a public speaker."
I smiled a bit at the compliment. "And you should go be a model, pretty boy. I'm sure the ladies would love that."
We both shared a small laugh before falling into a comfortable silence.
"So? Let's hear it, what's your plan?"
A wide grin broke out on my face.
A few weeks later.
"Come on Lena! I told you that I don't want to meet this guy!"
"You just said a week ago that you would! Come on, he's not scary Annette!" Lena chastised her friend as she dragged her along. Today was the day she would introduce her to the Lieutenant Colonel. Hopefully, he could help her better understand the situations of the 86s and maybe even provide some sort of solution.
Annette stomped her feet on the ground as she struggled against her aggressor. "Well I changed my mind!"
Lena rolled her eyes as they got closer to Richter's office. "Too late now." She replied with a devious smirk.
As they approached the office door, she watched as an officer stumbled out of the office with a pale expression. Unlike her friend, she paid the man no mind as she pulled her along. "Good morning Lieutenant Colonel!" She chirped as walked into the room.
Her breath stopped cold as she was suddenly facing down a pair of frigid silvery blue eyes shadowed by his military cover. She felt goosebumps run down her arm and a shiver run down her spine as she locked eyes with those silvery blue eyes. It felt as if she was staring down a lion...or a devil. She opened her mouth but no words came out.
It took him a moment before he cracked a small apologetic smile at them and with it, the oppressive aura disappeared in a flash. "Ah my apologies, I must've had you two in a fright." He took off his cover and ran a hand through his silver hair. "It's been a rather stressful morning, dealing with incompetence and all. Please sit."
Lena took a deep breath to calm her nerves. 'So that's why they call him that.' She thought to herself as she took one of the well cushioned seats. She blinked as she realized Annette wasn't next to her. Looking behind her, she found her rooted to her spot by the door with a terrified expression.
"Annette, come on." She whispered for god knows what reason.
Annette perked up at her name being called before hesitantly walking forward. Once she sat down, the Lieutenant Colonel gave them another apology.
"This wasn't how I imagined our morning chat would start off, I really do apologize...I don't even have anything ready for you two to drink." He apologized with a small bow of his head.
Lena almost frantically waved her hands in front of her. "N-No no, it's nothing to apologize about Mr. Johan."
He gave Lena a thankful smile. "You're too kind, Major." He turned to Annette. "And I assume this is the infamous Henrietta von Penrose that the Major has been speaking ill of?"
Annette's neck snapped to her childhood friend. "What did you tell him?!" She angrily whispered.
"What? I-I didn't say anything!" Lena exclaimed with an embarrassed expression.
Johan's shoulder shook as he held back his laughter. "I jest, the Major has only said great things about you Miss Penrose." He offered his hand. "Johan Richter, a pleasure."
Annette quickly wiped off her sweaty palms and gently grasped his strangely calloused hands. To her surprise he gently yet firmly pulled her hand closer to him and softly laid a kiss on the back of her hand. Now that she had a chance to properly look at the officer, she had to admit he was pretty easy on the eyes, if a little on the "bland" side.
Even while sitting in the chair, he towered a bit over her and Lena and his face was fairly slim along with his body. However unlike many of his peers, he filled out his uniform well with broad shoulders and chest. That along with his calloused hands, she knew the Lieutenant Colonel kept himself in good shape.
And he had the manners of a true gentleman and noble.
He was perfect, she decided.
"Oh no, the pleasure is all mine Mister Johan." She slowly pulled back her hand, as to not be rude and placed the hand on her cheek as she blushed. "Lena has told me many great things about you sir."
Lena watched the exchange with disbelieving eyes. Annette really went from fearing for her life to practically stripping the man with her eyes in a matter of seconds.
And yet she wasn't even that surprised.
"How are you Lieut-" Lena stopped herself as she saw the brand new rank pinned on his collar. "Colonel? I didn't realize you got promoted! Congratulations!" She happily complimented.
"Thank you Major Milize but as you can see, it just means I've got the pleasure of dealing with evenmore incompetant rabble."
She really didn't know how to respond to that other than an apology. "I'm sorry to hear that sir."
He waved her off. "If anyone should be apologizing, it's these fools." He sighed before looking at her with a smirk. "But thank you. Anyway, it has been some weeks since we last had our chat. Anything new in your life Major?"
Lena perked up as she puffed her chest out in pride. "Yes, I was recently placed in command of Spearhead Squadron on the Eastern Front."
He only blinked at her for a moment. "The Reapers unit? Commanded by Captain Undertaker?" He reached over and began clicking through his computer screen.
"Yes?" Lena replied cautiously. "I've already seen them in action just yesterday, they're an incredible unit from what I can see, especially their commander. They were ready to go before I even called them. I'm surprised you know of them, Colonel."
"Of course I would know of them." He scoffed at her. "I'm the best the Intelligence Division has at the moment, I'm offended that you would assume I wouldn't be able to do my job properly." He laid his hands over his heart in fake sadness.
Lena pouted at the jest. "Sir, don't tease me like that, I would never." As she found out just moments ago, being on the Colonels' bad side was the last thing she would ever want to face.
"Well I am happy that you are doing well but I would advise caution while being their Handler. You know of their history with the Captain?"
"Yes I do."
"I've told her to not get close to them Colonel, she just won't listen to me." Annette chimed in. "Won't you try and convince her?" She asked with puppy eyes.
"Absolutely not Miss Penrose."
Annette blinked at the blunt reply before narrowing her eyes. Was he like Lena? "I'm not sure I understand."
"I see no issue with a commander wishing to get to know her men and women. It shows the mark of a great leader, especially given the circumstances we find ourselves in." He nonchalantly replied.
Lena's wide and approving smile didn't go unnoticed by her. It all made sense why her friend was so happy to meet the mysterious Colonel. "I see, I understand the sentiment but surely you know it is all pointless, it won't change anything."
"Maybe not but I see no harm in the act, so long as the Major is careful. These reports of madness and even suicide from the past handlers are a little disconcerning to be honest." He admitted as he read through the pulled up dossier of the unit on his screen.
"It's dangerous for her health and futile in the grand scheme of things," She retorted. "Nothings changed in the last decade….and most likely won't in the near future."
The Colonel let out a loud tired sigh. "Well with an attitude like that it makes me wonder how you managed to create the Para-RAID."
Her eyes widened in rage. "You-!"
"Our problems are man-made Miss Penrose and they can be solved by man, should we put the effort in."
And just like that the wind was knocked out of her sails as she lost her train of thought. What could she even say to that? Nothing came to mind so she did the only thing she could do.
Leave.
She angrily pushed back her chair and stormed out of the room without another word to either of them.
The pair watched as the door slammed shut, leaving them alone.
"I must've overstepped my bounds with my last comment. I would have to apologize later."
Lena just shook her head in disapproval. "It's fine Colonel, I'll let her know."
"No that won't be necessary, I'll find some time later to find her and apologize to her myself." He firmly stated before leaning back in his chair. "But other than that, how's the unit so far? Is there anything you need?"
Her face scrunched up in thought as she mulled over the question. Her face lit up as she remembered a small little bit of information she overheard. "I believe it has been a while since they were last resupplied….and if I am not mistaken most of them are using the same Juggernaut they had since the beginning of their service. An elite unit such as them shouldn't be left on their own devices for so long."
Johan carefully stared down the young Major without betraying any of his thoughts. Did she really not know the purpose of Spearhead Squadron? If so, she would be absolutely livid once she found out and he was sure she would eventually find out one way or another. While he was tempted to tell her of the death that awaited those in the squadron, a part of him wanted her to find out on her own.
And for her to hand onto her pure ideals for just a little longer.
He looked over at his monitor, looking over the squadron again with a critical eye. As he ran down the list of the 86s, a thought occurred to him.
The perfect opportunity.
"Considering the situation….it would be hard to requisite more supplies before their scheduled drop off a couple months from now." He started off, making sure to keep his face as neutral as possible. "Despite my position here, I have little sway over those in Transport and Logistics unfortunately."
Lena looked sad at the news, yet she didn't seem surprised by it. He was reasonably sure she already tried to expedite the process through her uncle.
Of course that man wouldn't be able to do anything...nor would he try. That man had lost his fangs a long while ago.
She clutched the hem of her uniform tightly. "Isn't there anything we could do to help them?"
He watched as a myriad of emotions flickered through her features before responding in a slow, deliberate tone. "There may be something I can do. It would benefit both your men and me as well."
"What would that be, Colonel?"
"Simple, I give them my own modified Juggernauts." He shrugged nonchalantly.
Lena blinked as she processed the statement. "But...they wouldn't even allow normal replacements, why would they allow what is basically a brand new experimental weapon?"
"The military wouldn't ever allow such a thing to happen in its current state." He admitted in a no nonsense tone before continuing. "Thankfully these Juggernauts are my own property, the military have little say in what I do with them."
A sense of realization dawned on her. "I see…."
"The only real issue I see is that I don't have replacements for everyone. Unfortunately, I don't have the monetary means to mass produce Juggernauts."
Lena quietly studied him for a moment. "What would you gain from this?"
"Data collection." He bluntly stated, no use in hiding it. "I am curious as to how one of the most experienced and elite units would fare when they aren't in complete tin cans. And I also wonder how the Legion will react." He explained briefly. "These are just a few of the questions I wish to be answered and in doing so I can hopefully save some lives while I'm at it. Maybe even bring this war to a quicker end, if I am lucky."
"I see….." She trailed off softly before bowing her head. "That would be great but….."
"But?"
She sighed. "It's just that I feel powerless to do anything."
He chuckled at her.
"Colonel?"
He raised his hands up in mock surrender. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything malicious. I'll let you in on a little secret." He leaned forward and motioned her to get closer. "Quit playing fair." He softly whispered before continuing in a louder voice. "Use any leverage you have to bully your way through and if you don't have something….then figure out a way to make it your own. Use anything and everything in your arsenal Miss Lena, that's how you win at this game of chess."
"I see…" She trailed off for a moment as she collected her thoughts. "You sound awfully like a tyrant sir." She commented offhandedly before covering her mouth with a terrified expression, as if she couldn't believe she had just let that slip.
Johan for his part wasn't at all bothered as he chuckled at her.. "If that's what it takes to change things around here then I'll play the role of one." Leaned back in his chair again. "Now, as much as I would like to continue our chat, I have some extra business to take care of thanks to a certain Major." He lightly teased her, easing her expression with a smile.
Lena smiled back at the older officer. "Thank you sir, I'm in your debt." She softly spoke with a bow of her head.
"Think nothing of it, Major." He waved her off. It's for the benefit of all parties involved however if you truly do feel indebted then I'll go ahead and cash my little debt in, if you don't mind that is."
She perked up slightly. "Of course."
"I would enjoy it if we did these little chats more often, it's quite refreshing conversing with a normal human being. Even Miss Penrose is welcome, should she choose to." He added in.
"Yes sir!" She replied with a beaming smile. She pushed her chair back and stood up to give the Colonel a quick salute.
He gave her a rather sloppy salute, especially by his own standards, before she left with a slight hop to her step. His happy disposition faded as he turned away from the door and to the computer screen.
Now he was left to figure out this mess that he put himself in.
The Stillen family would normally be his go-to but even they wouldn't be able to leverage any other connections to acquire a military transport big enough to fit 5 Juggernauts. Only those in Transport would be able to and he just didn't have the leeway there.
Idly he ran down the list of individuals he was acquainted with in the department and stopped at a picture of a portly balding man with a crooked smile.
He smiled deviously.
This would do.
He grabbed an antiquated cell phone and rang up the man's contacts and without a beat gave him a call. Honestly, everyone should just start using Para-RAIDs.
A low grumble sounded over the line. "Hello?"
"Count Artilus! This is Colonel Richter, a pleasure." He cheerfully greeted over the phone.
"R-Richter?!" He squeaked. "I-Is there something I can help you with sir?"
"There is." He bluntly replied. "I'm cashing in my little favor, it's something I can only entrust to you." He idly gazed at a single photo he managed to pull up on his screen. One where the good count was busy with another partner.
There was an audible gulp over the phone. "Whatever it is, I'll do it." The count mumbled with a trembling voice.
"I am in need of a military transport, one of the 130s to be exact."
"A C-130?! B-But you already have your own birds! W-"
"That doesn't concern you Count." He cut him off harshly, leaving no room for any argument. "Just give me the transport and we will be even."
"...truly?"
He smirked. "Yes, you have my word and honor as the head of the Richter Family."
"When will you need it?"
He looked over at the calendar. "Monday, one week from today."
There was a silent pause on the other end, one long enough to make him question himself if the connection had terminated. He was about to say something when the deep voice spoke again.
"It's done Colonel, you have your plane scheduled for Monday morning at 7 AM." There was a deep breath. "You will have to take care of transporting whatever you need to the airbase but everything is off the book sir."
His eyebrows went up at the news. "Impressive Count Artilus, my men will be there come Monday morning. I must say, there are few men in this Republic who can pull this off on such a fast notice."
There was scoff over the line. "Save it Colonel, just keep your end of the deal." The connection was cut immediately afterwards.
He laughed slightly. Capable people blinded by bliss and ignorance. That defined this current generation of Alba and the Republic. If people had some motivation, like the Count, they were capable of far greater things than what they were doing right now.
Unfortunately for him, motivation to do anything in this country was hard to come by. That just meant that he had to be the motivating factor.
Easy enough.
He tossed the phone to the side and picked up his Para-RAID. With practiced ease he clipped the circular device behind his neck and snapped the necklace in place with a solid click.
"Para-RAID activate. Synchronization target, Saber 1."
There was a low hum as the Para-RAID connected with his target.
"Saber 1, reporting." A smooth feminine voice responded.
"It's me. I've got a new detail for you, cancel your current assignment Saber, this takes priority."
"My my, what could be so important Colonel? Congrats on the promotion by the way."
He gazed on at the still opened dossiers of Spearhead as he answered. "Thank you and I'll send the details right now but the gist of it is, I'm sending my Juggernauts out for some testing next Monday." He quickly typed up a brief on the subject before sending her the file.
A few moments later he heard an exasperated sigh. "You're going outside the Gran Mur….."
"And?" He casually responded as he twirled a pen in his hand.
There was a light scoff over the line. "And? God, you need some self preservation skills." Another sigh. "I won't try to change your mind but I have just one stipulation."
"Which is?" He questioned.
"I won't feel secure with just us, we need more manpower." She started in a serious tone. "I want Assassin, Caster and Archer on site with us in case something happens."
He narrowed his eyes at the demand. "That….." He trailed off as he analyzed the Eastern front on a separate screen. There have been heavy fighting over the past few weeks, even more so than usual. "Is fine. Pull Assassin from their assignment and notify Caster and Archer. Let Lancer know what's going on and prepare for a QRF if necessary."
"Understood."
He silently nodded to himself as a detailed plan came together in his head. "I'll let the Wildcard know, hopefully he won't freak out."
A quiet giggled echoed in his ear through the Para-RAID. "You two will work it out I'm sure, you always have. Until then Colonel."
"See you Monday, Sebrina."
A Week Later
I yawned loudly as I arrived at the airbase we would be using for the operation. Walking through the base I noticed the complete lack of security, either from the Counts orders or from lack of able bodied personnel. In the end, it only made his job easier. This base was only used a few times a year to supply Spearhead when the time came.
I looked down at my watch.
0441.
It was before the sun was even up and yet here I was, working. As I approached the airfield I could hear machinery being moved along with a chorus of voices that cut through the quiet morning.
When I approached the large transport craft, most of the work was already done. All 5 Juggernauts were on board plus some extra goodies and supplies for Spearhead. Beside the C-130, there was Archer with their two dual rotor transport helicopters that had been turned into a miniature flying artillery piece with miniguns lining both sides of the craft. Off to the side I saw Caster moving their heavy mortars onto one of Archers helicopters and the members of Saber were checking over their equipment.
I looked around for a moment longer, looking for the final piece of the team. My ears perked up as I heard the roar of another vehicle approaching. Looking down the runway I saw a black buggy speeding towards us. Squinting my eyes I could see the signature of two members of Assassine along with their large rifles.
A large grin broke out on my face as, for the first time in a long time, we were all together. Minus Lancer of course, hopefully their presence wouldn't be needed.
That would be the absolute worst case scenario.
For a long while I watched everyone work diligently with a quiet and satisfied smile. There were a handful of greetings between me and the team as they passed by me. Eventually the sun began poking up from beyond the horizon and everyone was standing in formation in front of me.
I cleared my throat before projecting my voice onto my men. "Good morning everyone!"
"Good morning sir!" They echoed back in a chipper tone. Seems like they were excited to be together too.
I nodded in satisfaction. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's been a long time since we were last together like this! Feels good doesn't it?"
"Yes sir!" Their bright smiles matched my own.
"As you all probably guessed, this is just the beginning of our endeavour! From here on out, it's long days filled with battle and even longer nights! And everything else in between!" I paused for effect. "Today, we take the first step of a thousand miles! Be prepared but more importantly, be kind, be helpful, be honorable and be downright visciuous when the time is right!"
"Rah Colonel!"
"It's about time we got our hands dirty again isn't it?!"
"Rah!"
I swept my hands over them. "You all are the finest Marines from the Old Republic! It's about damn time we reminded some of these people what that emblem on your chest means!"
"RAH!"
"Forward unto death! Semper Fidelis until the end!"
"Semper Fi!"
"Good! Dismissed! Get ready for takeoff men!"
With a chorus of "Yes sir" they all broke out of formation and ran towards their craft. I looked down at my digital timepiece again.
0653.
I felt a presence slide up next to me. "Morning Sebrina." I greeted the shorter woman. She held her helmet in her slender arms as she stared out at the men. I took in her slender facial features. Her face still had some scars of the past, particularly a jagged scar across her left cheek that ran all the way up past her eye. Her hair was cut in a messy pixie bob haircut. I leaned a little closer to her head, the roots of her hair were a faded mix of silver and yellow.
"Something in my hair?'
I nodded. "Your roots."
She sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "Damn it, is it noticeable?"
"Not really." I shook my head. "You have to look for it. Still, you should take care of that ASAP." No one here cared but in the 85 other districts, those people definitely cared.
"Yeah…." She trailed off before she haphazardly threw on her helmet. "Come on Johan, let's get going."
I nodded and fell in behind her. I looked down at myself in my typical dress uniform while everyone else wore their green battle dress uniforms. I stuck out like a sore thumb, but that was the point. It would be his first time interacting with the 86s, with the exception of a small handful that he was already acquainted with that is.
As I sat down towards the back of the helicopter as I wanted to be the first one out as soon as we landed. I waved off the curious looks from the rest of Saber for the seat choice and placed my cover on my lap. I leaned back slightly and rested my head on the metal wall of the craft and closed my eyes for a quick power nap.
Not a moment later I heard the turbines spool up and the once quiet cabin was filled with the chaotic cacophony of the harsh wind created by the rotors. I felt a nudge on my arm before someone placed two rubber earplugs. Keeping my eyes closed, I gave them a thumbs up before muting the sounds with the rubber plugs.
It wouldn't be long now.
"Ugh Shin it's barely 8:30 …..why did they decide to come so early?" Kaie grumbled as she swayed back and forth in her place.
"I don't know." Shin quietly replied as he continued reading his book at the head of the formation.
There were a few more grumbles as everyone from Spearhead stood in formation in front of their building. Lev, their chief mechanic was standing off to the side as he usually was in cases like this but something was off about this visit.
First, no one with as high a rank as a Colonel ever came to visit Spearhead.
And second, the Colonel was from Intel. The name was vaguely familiar but the fact in itself was alarming. What more did they want from a bunch of kids on a one way trip to death?
Suddenly the quiet air around them was pierced by the roar of a large aircraft. Everyone's eyes scanned the skies for the source and a moment later they saw it.
The signature outline of a C-130 transport. As the plane grew closer, they could make out two more smaller aircraft flanking the transport.
"That's new, never seen a real life helicopter before." Kaie commented on the new objects.
Lev's eyes widened. "Those are Chinooks!" Who in the world was using those ancient machines? As far as he knew, those were either destroyed by the Legion or turned into scrap for Juggernauts.
They watched in fascination as the C-130 landed parallel to the train tracks that ran across their base.
The whole plane lurched as it touched down in a huge plume of dirt. It's massive profile eased to a stop just past their building before the engines spooled down. Right behind the transport was the two dual rotor helicopters.
All of Spearhead froze as they were suddenly staring down a skull masked soldier with a minigun of all things pointed at them. The Chinooks turned in place and softly touched down with the ramps facing towards Spearhead. Even from several dozen meters away, the wind threatened to push them back. After a few agonizing moments, the rotors came to a stop and the ramp dropped on one of the helicopters.
Standing at the top of the ramp was clearly the Colonel they were told of. Everyone else in the craft was wearing green combat fatigues and armed to the teeth. The Colonel was just there, in his pristine uniform.
Spearhead watched as the imposing officer strolled off the helicopter with his hands clasped behind his back. The proud rank of Colonel was pinned on his collar as he strode up to them.
Shin quickly put away his book as the officer approached them. Even as the man approached them it was hard to tell his features as his cover shadowed the upper portion of his face. The Colonel stopped a few paces away from him and he finally got a chance to see what lurked underneath the military hat.
Unconsciously he stood a little straighter as a piercing set of icy silver blue orbs stared into his own. He finally found his voice. "Spearhead reporting sir."
The Colonel finally cracked a miniature grin. "Good morning, Captain Undertaker. Thank you for gathering your men at such hours, I know you must be tired."
He blinked. That was unexpected. "Yes sir." Was all he managed.
"And good morning Spearhead!"
There was a pause as everyone looked at each other in confusion.
A quiet chuckle echoed out. "This is where you say good morning back."
"Good morning sir!" Everyone chorus together.
He adjusted his cover up and everyone got a chance to see his pale features. "I'll keep this as short as possible and I will answer any questions at the end."
"I am Colonel Johan Richter and I will be working closely with you all for the near future. As you may know, I am Intel and as such Intel officers typically work behind the scenes but here I am! So why?" He paused before continuing. "Unlike the majority of my peers, I know the Legion are not likely to just disappear. With how inhumanly we treat you all, it's only a matter of time before something breaks and at this rate, it won't be the Legion. The upper brass will happily continue their drunken escapades while you all die out here...for us. I am here to change that."
He gestured to the large transport. "I've managed a small handful of new Juggernauts to replace some of your aging tin cans for a start." He took pleasure at seeing the excited faces of some of the kids. "However, these are not your run of the mill tin cans. While it's not entirely a new model, they have been improved in their own ways to help enhance your survival." He raised his hands and motioned it in a circular motion over his head. As soon as his hands were up, the second chinook dropped its ramp and soldiers began pouring out of both of them as they moved towards the larger transport.
"As I said, these are just a handful of the new models. I unfortunately didn't have quite the time for more but I think this would be a good direction for a trial run." He paid the noise of men and moving equipment no mind as he continued his speech. "However, I am not just giving you this for free. I am not like Major Milize. I expect a little something in return. It's nothing crazy I assure you, it's just a simple promise that you would quietly consider this amongst yourselves. Would you like to hear it?"
All of Spearhead nodded.
"As of now, you all are guaranteed to die on the battlefield, no matter what machinery I can give you. However, I say right here, right now, away from the eyes and ears of the ignorant masses you and I have the opportunity to change the course of human destiny." He gave them a devilish smirk. "By turning this Republic upside down as we start from zero."
"...A revolution." Shin bluntly stated.
"Correct!" He nodded in approval. "How else would this country change? Now, I understand if you are apprehensive and have some questions and I will answer them in a moment but...do you all truly wish to accept your fates? I believe at the end of all of this can be a peaceful world where you guys can have a chance at a normal life."
"A chance?" Kaie questioned.
"There are no guarantees in life other than death, we can't change that but we can certainly change how we get there."
"How would we even pull it off? We're just one squadron along with some ragtag soldiers up against the whole Alba military." Raiden asked with narrowed eyes.
He just chuckled and pointed behind him. "What military? Most of these fools can't hit the broadside of a barn from the inside." They all collectively shared a short laugh at the insult. "The men you see before you, my men, are the only ones with steel in their hearts and willing to sacrifice it all for the good of mankind in this god forsaken country. Their love of Corps and their fellow countrymen are not to be underestimated."
"Corps?" Lev's mumbled before perking up. "Those are Marines? I thought they were disbanded long ago."
"They were, I dug through some files and managed to scrounge up the remnants to form my personal little army. You'll find no bigotry among them, as far as they are concerned, you all are brothers and sisters in arms. Anything else?"
Theo raised his hand. "I do. Why even bother trying to help us? We're just 86s right? Not even a human being in your eyes."
"True, in the eyes of the public you all aren't even worth the dirt on my shoes." He pointed directly at the young blonde. "And for a time I fell right in line but that changed when I decided to visit the Northern Front some 5 years ago to grab a destroyed Juggernaut for my own research."
"And?" Theo asked with a curious look.
His eyes got a far away look as he pulled up the memory. "I opened one and saw a dead child, barely in their teens. Shocked me right to my core. Silly right? People die on the battlefield, that's how it's always been throughout our history but that was the first time I saw the consequences of our actions towards you all. That's when I decided to start using the brain that had been given to me and start questioning the way things were. Eventually, about 2 years ago I landed my position in Intelligence and had access to every single incriminating document that our country likes to pretend doesn't exist." He shrugged nonchalantly. "And here I am."
"I assure you." He continued. "My motives, while pure in some sense, are not completely benevolent in nature." He slowly raised his hand and offered it to the members of Spearhead. "I am confident I can turn this country around, with you as my aces. Not a single member in the military sees you 86s as a threat while they sit behind the walls but I wonder how they will feel when you have the barrel of your guns in their face?"
Everyone in Spearhead cast sideways glances at each other, silently gauging what each of them were thinking. He allowed them to ponder on his proposition for a moment before finishing up. "You have time to discuss this amongst yourselves but in the meantime." He pointed to the five new Juggernauts parked in front of the squadron. "Enjoy the new toys, I leave it up to you all to decide who gets what."
They all excitedly looked at the new machines and quietly began talking amongst themselves as to who would get what. The young captain on the other hand looked antsy as his eyes darted back and forth to his adjutant.
How odd. Undertaker seemed the stoic type, what got him so riled up?
"Oh and by the way!" He grabbed their attention again. "Parts and modifications are interchangeable with the older tin cans." He placed a hand over his cover and bowed down as he kicked his left leg back and off to the side. "The Major sends her regards, Spearhead. May they serve you well in battle."
The members of Spearhead broke formation as they ran towards their new machines. Only Raiden and Undertaker remained. "Is something the matter?"
Raiden scratched the back of his head as he looked away nervously. "Uhhh….I'm not sure how to say this sir."
"What is it?"
Raiden looked uncomfortable as he stared at him. Suddenly they both went still and all chatter from the rest of Spearhead stopped cold. There was only one hushed whisper that echoed into his ears.
"An attack now of all times?!"
His neck snapped over to where everyone was. They were looking at each other silently. His men were staring at him in quiet anticipation as they awaited his orders.
"Sir." Undertaker grabbed his attention. "Major Milize is on the line, we're under attack. You need to get out of here, it's not safe anymore."
Raiden took the chance to begin making his way to his Juggernaut. "Handler One, we still have the Colonel here with us."
He closed his eyes for a moment as he collected his thoughts. While it certainly would be safer to leave, another part of him saw this as an opportunity. Not only for his new Juggernauts but also his men.
They've been hungry for war for the better part of the last 9 years.
There wasn't any other option in his mind.
When his eyes opened, he was staring at a rather impatient looking Undertaker. He quickly grabbed his Para-RAID and snapped the device over his neck, not missing the wide eyed look the captain was giving him. "Para-RAID activate. Synchronization target….Handler One, Major Milize." There was a short pause before he heard the feminine voice of the young major.
"Huh what?"
He cleared his throat. "Major Milize, this is Colonel Richter, I'm patching in along with my men. A pleasure to finally work with you." He left no room for argument in his tone.
"What did he say?!"
"The hell?"
"Wow…."
He ignored the surprised comments and looked back at his men. "Lock in with Spearhead gentlemen! It's about time we get in on the fun!"
"Yes sir!" They cheered happily before grabbing their own Para-RAIDs and linking up with the Major and Spearhead. The rotors of the Chinooks slowly began spinning and a lone buggy sped out from one of the open ramps, surprising everyone in Spearhead, and parked itself near the Juggernauts.
"What?! Colonel, what's going on?!" The major asked in a panicked voice.
"We'll be backing up Spearhead for this. My men and I are in your care Major Milize." His no nonsense comment and tone was cemented by the roll calls of his men over the link.
"Saber reporting in Major, me and my men are the ground pounders in charge of security of the Colonel. We'll be in your care."
"This is Caster, we'll work the magic with our mortars."
"This is Archer 1, we got the skies."
"This is Archer 2, as long as the skies are clear, you have our support! Let's dance with the Angels ladies!"
"This is Assassin, we'll provide long range recon."
He stared out at the distant empty and war torn town, one day they would retake it all. "I hope you're ready, Major Milize!"
"W-What!"
A viscous grin began forming on his face. "Let's make history people."
