Well, it's been awhile since I last updated this story, so sorry for the wait. This chapter is called "Maiden" for a reason. You'll find out why when you read it.

I thank everyone who has read this, is continuing to read this, and reviewing this. Such things help me and I appreciate any and all responses that we get. Perhaps more of you will respond. (Any and all comments are welcomed.)

Enjoy

Chapter 4- Maiden

It seemed like our plan to take back the Hiradechi back had succeeded. So much so, that we had recovered the bulk of our former assets, minus a few men. Of those men being the XO, the comm. officer, and finally the Systems Analyst Officer. And out of those, the only person we would really miss in the near future was the Systems Analyst Officer, but hopefully, this person that Trap and Polan rescued will be able to take his place.

I had mentioned this to Captain Hiro just after running a quick head count. And precisely at that moment, Trap and the other two waltzed on to the bridge.

"Well, Damn, Maria! You act like everybody here was a fucking statistic!" Trap said in slightly restrained rage and scorn. I knew that soldiers hated being thought of as nothing more than numbers, but how can one report it?

"Only to those that aren't necessary." I shot back. There was a slight spark of tension between the two of us at that moment.

"Calm down you two." The captain said, turning his head to face the both of us. He continued, "Trap, Polan; why don't you go throw yourselves in the showers? You smell worse than shit."

Trap and Polan walked out of the bridge without a word. They seemed to still have that connection that the "frontline" soldiers got after a while. In that respect, I envied them all.

"Maria, I know that you and him aren't very close and never were too particularly close, but please...Don't start off like that, okay?" The captain stated.

"Alright," I replied. There wasn't much else to say in response to that statement, it was true after all. And no matter how one looked at it, they were all kind of like family…and what kind of person, wants to fight with their family?

I left the bridge and headed towards my quarters, towards the center of the ship. We would be taking off within a few minutes, after the Ballistic Engines were fueled.

I had walked down these corridors thousands of times, but this was the first time I actually looked at them. And, for the first time, I realized how boring they actually are. Grey side panels for walls and ceilings, with blue overheads and bulkheads. The doors were metallic grey, and the floor was of the same color with metal paneling and grilling. In other words, it was standard military styling.

I rounded the corner and saw Gaur rush by. His face cleaned up and shaven, no longer dirty with a scraggy looking beard. Though, it was still obvious he hadn't been eating well. His cheeks were sunken in slightly and his overall physique made the uniform he was wearing seem extremely baggy. He looked more like a soldier now, minus those few physical depletions that he had endured of the last few months. He had his hair neatly trimmed back, not to the regulation style we had in the past, but it was neat and tidy, none-the-less. This went not only for his mustache, but his light brown hair on his head, which had been left a little long in the back and cut a little short to the front. He really was self-styled, but despite that, it was a vast improvement to that which was only about twenty minutes ago.

The only thing that these people had left, including Gaur, was the firm smell of stale prison air about them. I was slightly unnerved in my gut, so I rushed past the shower area.

And before I could round the bend from the corridor of the bathing area to the Officer's Quarters area, which was separated by a strong bulkhead door, I ran into Trap. He had a bad habit of taking his time, as he was still en route to the bathing area from the Pilot's Quarters area to the Bathing Area.

"Wha-cha in a rush for, huh?" Trap asked rather playfully.

I ignored him, mainly cause of the potent smell within the air around him, and continued down walking briskly down the corridor, turning into the Officer's Quarters area. And before he could catch up, I closed the door separating the two areas and ran headlong to my personal Quarters and locked that door behind me. He always liked to tease me, almost like an annoying older brother, although I never had a brother to mention. This was so, almost flawlessly, right down to the fights and arguments we had. I had given up trying to figure him out.

Being a group of mercenaries employed by the federal government, one should expect to do some pretty horrific shit, but this latest mission was lower than shit. The lowest of low, I couldn't figure a word strong enough to say. Despite our feelings, we really didn't have a choice in the matter; we'd have ended up in prison if we didn't take this job…But still…

Laying on the cot in my Quarters and staring at the ceiling, I muttered to myself, "Despite that, It was just a lose-lose situation for us anyway, wasn't it?"

There was nothing to be said by anyone in the Briefing Room, a very rare occasion. Even Trap and Polan had kept their tongues tied.

"Looks like everyone's here." The Captain said. "Some of you may have noticed the location of the map displayed on this table. Some of you might also think this is a joke or a mistake," The Captain paused, "But I can assure you that neither true." Changing to a more serious tone, "Our target is within the City-State Province of Bellforest."

To us of the Hiradechi, those words of that speech echoed into eternity. At least for me, not a day passes where I haven't though about that set of words.

That set of words seemingly altered the future destinies every person onboard the Hiradechi had. There is only one option for us now, and that is to survive.

"Only a few months ago, it would have been so unlike anyone on board the Hiradechi...Boy, those were good times we had."

Well, Thanks again for reading. As previously stated, I apreciate any and all comments that you have.

I will try and get the next chapter up ASAP, but no guarantees.

See y'all around