Devon bolted upright in bed with a gasp as she snatched her gun from under her pillow. She swept the gun back and forth steadily as her eyes scanned her tiny apartment, thinking he was there. Her breathing was ragged and her eyes wide as the tendril of the nightmare kept themselves anchored in her mind, like a ship that didn't want to leave port. Once she realized she was alone, she began to calm herself. She was covered in a thin sheen of sweat that soaked through her top and made the mundane bedsheets stick to any exposed skin. Devon took deep breaths as she peeled the covers from her body and swung her legs over the side of the bed, bracing herself on the edge. This was third in as many days her brother had haunted her dreams and it wasn't something she was taking lightly. Somewhere deep inside her, something tugged at her, warning that something was going to happen. It wasn't a feeling she liked very well. She hadn't had a nightmare like that for a long time, not since her first nights under quarantine. Usually, they were veiled and empty threats with no meaning, meant to remind of her the constant anger to herself and those around her. But, this one, had something to it, what it was she couldn't figure out. Though, the nightmare left her with an impending sense of dread and put her senses on high alert.
She took a gulp of air and surveyed her apartment. Her mind was still wired and alert as the shadows of the nightmare still floated around in her consciousness. It was bare with only the essentials for furniture: a bed, nightstand and a small dinning table pushed into the corner with only a chair for company. She didn't even have a dresser, preferring to keep everything hanging in the closet on the other side of the room. There were no pictures hanging on her walls, no mementos or even awards for her to proudly display. Not that she would anyways, with a majority of her awards reminding her of the atrocities she committed in the name of a different regime. She didn't want to remember, there were plenty of other people doing that for her.
She heard yelling outside her window from workers as they went about setting up Geneva for Fleet Week, one of them yelling something about reposition a banner. A screech drowned them out as someone tested the city wide loud speakers, taping and blowing into the mike. Devon winced when they screeched again. Earth's way of celebrating was much different from how the Front did. For one, Geneva was decorated not with banners of propaganda but merely with the UNSA and SATO symbols. There were other banners of bright colors that lined the river that separated the city into two halves, serving as guide for the agile warships. There would be risers and stages set up for the spectators that would flock to the city, cheering and celebrating what they had considered a victory even though it wasn't. Devon hardly thought it the time for celebrating, not with this nightmare winding her tighter than a spring.
She had scoffed at the way they celebrated the ending of the Succession Wars, even after being on Earth three years. She still remembered her first Fleet Week, still stuck in the damn hospital bed. The nurse had babbled on and on about how she had the best seats of any of the patients there to watch as each of the UNSA's warships floated by. Earth didn't even have half as many warships in their arsenal as the Front did and were vastly out numbered in manpower. She had grumbled about it to the nurse that if SetDef really wanted to end them, they'd attack during Fleet Week, when all their warships were parade floats. The nurse had merely given her a small smile and told her they were busy with their own celebration on the red planet. Devon had sneered at the remark like an old woman.
Devon glanced at the digital clock and knew she would need to get up and ready for the festivities, however much she didn't want to go. She heaved herself up and limbered the short distance to her bathroom. The bathroom, much like the rest of the apartment was compact and bare, holding only the bare essentials. She had saw no need to decorate, it was a waste of time and energy that could be put towards training or something else of equal productiveness. The walls and floors were a stained off white color as the previous occupants hadn't seen fit to clean it regularly. Devon was a finicky person and constantly cleaned anything and everything from her apartment to her jackal. If she didn't, something would go wrong and at the worst possible moment. Situated in the far corner was a paltry shower and across was the sink and cabinet, the only item that held a color other than white. Above the sink was a metal medicine cabinet with a mirror on its front. Devon took the two strides from the doorway to the shower and turned to knob so the water ran cold. She still acted like she was in the SetDef when it came to luxuries like a warm shower and comfy bed. She saw those things as frivolous and a hindrance to her training. It had been engrained into her mind since childhood that said things were unnecessary and as such were not used.
After turning the shower knob, she turned back to the doorway where she had installed the pull-bar. It was part of her daily routine since she started her military service at a young age to do some kind of work-out after wake-up, whether it be push-ups, sit-ups, squats, or pull-ups. When she was planet-side, she did all four exercises, another carry-over form her days in SetDef. Just because she was on Earth and far from the clutches of her family, didn't mean she could be lax when it came to physical fitness. After doing her customary pull-ups, she stripped herself of her shorts and tank top before stepping under the cold spray. Cold showers tended to shake off the lingering effects of the nightmares and helped to alleviate stress, contrary to what the others thought. Hot showers were a luxury on Mars and she almost never got them. She liked the cold anyways, it kept her alert and miserable. This shower was miserable but did little in the way of shaking the shackles of the nightmares from her limbs and her mind. It didn't last long, but long enough for her to do a quick scrub of her body and hair before jerking the knob to close the spray. She didn't want to linger as he mind would start tracing all the scars that ran like a busy highway over her body. They were relics of time when she stood in-line with another set beliefs, another mind set. If her mind lingered too long on any of them, she would jerked back into an unpleasant memory. But, she couldn't collapse now, not every. She refused to give them the satisfaction of breaking her, even in private.
Devon cautiously stepped out of the shower and surveyed for any tiny detail that might alert her to an intruder. She knew it would be too bold for them to enter her apartment and take her there, but that didn't mean they hadn't thought of it. Once she was certain she was alone, grabbed the scratchy cheap towel from the hook, wrapped it tightly around her torso, and treaded over to the vanity. One of the perks of taking a cold shower, was that there was no fog to wipe off the mirror. Though, the downside was she was faced immediately with her reflection. Her face was oval but harsh. Any softness or femininity had been worn away by years of training, hardships, and military service. She was all rough edges now, with sharp corners that tear someone apart. She flinched every time she saw herself, her face heavily scarred on the right side and it sprayed out form there. Her right eye did not match her left, a cloud of grey obscuring the color. Her ebony hair was cut short like a male in regulation, it didn't touch her ears nor her collar.
Devon shook her head as she finished drying herself and exited her bathroom. Directly across, was a small kitchen across. Like everything else in her life, it was just the bare bones, not frills and the essentials. Even her coffee machine was simple, old by the standards of what they kept on Retribution as it still used a paper filter and the amount of coffee and water had to be measured out by hand. She liked doing things herself, still made her feel save when things were within her control. On Retribution, the coffee was made easier, with pre-measured small cups of coffee grounds and the size of the cup being measure with the push of a button. Even the SDF had these onboard their ships and in any office areas. It was seen as time efficient and didn't take away from the overall object. Devon reached over the back wall where the large coffee sat and popped the lid as the jar filled with tap water. It was quick work for her to dump a few scoops of coffee grounds into the filter and shut it close before putting the tin back into its original spot. By this time, the jar had filled to her desired level and she shut the faucet off and poured the water. As the coffee dripped through down into the pot, Devon's apartment was filled with the strong aroma of strong, dark coffee. She smirked inwardly at Salter's anticipated reaction if she ever stopped by, her face turning green with nausea and would loudly curse her out in Arabic.
Devon took the time while the pot was filled to get ready for the day and made her way to her closet. She didn't have much in the way of clothes except for jeans and a few tops. Everything else was military uniforms and that said a lot about it, Salter had once mentioned. She chose her standard issue flight ACUs and laid it across her bed. She finished drying off her body and hair before tossing the damp towel on the back of her plain dinning chair. She had her bottoms on and was about to put her arms into the sleeves when the alarm on the coffee machine went off. She temporarily abandoned her task for the fresh cup of coffee. She poured the warm dark liquid in her only coffee cup and relished in the first taste, knowing full well she wouldn't be able to for the next forty-eight hours. Having had enough for the time being, she went back over to the bed and finished getting dressed. She pulls on her boots when there was knock at the door. She yelled that she would be there as she finished tying a knot in her laces. She sighed and answer the door. When she opened it, she find Salter standing out in the hall, her fist raised for another knock. Salter almost wheeled back at the smell of coffee and Devon had to keep herself from chuckling as Salter's face scrunched in disgust as she wheeled back further into the hall.
Lieutenant Nora Salter was something different entirely. The first time the two had met, Devon had had the unfortunate business of being unconscious, having been blown side ways into Geneva Bay by a Skelter. The nurses had told Devon the Lieutenant had dove into the frigid water herself and pulled her into the Coast Guard raft. Their next encounter-as it had become for everyone Devon had met after waking up-was a bit terse. She didn't know if the UNSA would turn her back over to Mars in exchange for POWs still left over from the Succession Wars. She wasn't very trusting. But, as time went on and they trained together more and more, they created a bond. Devon wouldn't call it friendship, per se, maybe more of a companionship and a partner-in-crime. It certainly showed whenever they were in the air and would pick at each other, earning a laugh from the control tower as they listened in on the chatter.
"What, Fever?" Devon asked as she turned from the doorway and grabbed her half empty cup. Salter stayed outside the door, her face betraying the mistrust she felt towards her teammate and friend.
"We've been called to Raines' office." she said, squinting her eyes. "SetDef ransacked our site on Europa. Reyes is already on his way." Devon cursed under her breath.
"He put you up to this?" she asked as she poured the rest of her coffee into the sink and gently placed the cup inside. Oh well, another unfinished cup down the drain. She should be use to this by now.
"Unfortunately," Salter replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "I think he did it because he knew you would be having your coffee." Devon chuckled.
"Yeah, that sounds like him." Devon holsters her Kendall 44 and combat knife as she leaves her apartment, closing the door behind her.
Devon's apartment was situated at the far end of the hall so they had a ways to walk. Salter noticed her demeanor and knew full well something had happened during her brief sleep. They had only been in Geneva less than twenty-four hours and already things seemed to be getting dark. She had known Devon since her crash landing in the river three years prior. Hell, Salter had even pulled her from river when the SDF bastards tried to blow her up. It had been difficult in the beginning-even three years later, she still had problems opening up to her and Reyes. But, the trust had begun to form over time and the two of them learned they could trust her with every fiber of her being. She had her own reason for wanting to take out SetDef. It had become interesting for the team as Devon knew how to counter one of Salter's snarky comments and the two would trade light banter whenever out on patrol in their jackals. Salter heads for the elevator while Devon goes for the stairs. Salter looks at her weird and asks if she's really going to take the sixteen flights of stairs. Devon shrugs and tells her its part of a workout before disappearing into the stairwell. Salter shakes her head and waits for the elevator. The elevator doors opened up, Salter stepped in and pressed the first floor button. She continued on her train of thought about how to broach the topic of Devon's optional nightmare with her. It wasn't easy as one look from the pilot sent a chill down the spine. It had been one she and Reyes' had been on the receiving end of.
The elevator ride was quick as the doors open, Salter found Devon leaning against one of the lobby's pillars, looking bored. It was almost comical as it looked like she wasn't even trying and Salter couldn't help but chuckled and shook her head. The two of them make the short walk across the street to UNSA HQ, passing enlisted and city personnel as they put the finishing touches on the Fleet Week decorations. Spectators had already begun walking around the city in search of a good spot to watch the warships as they passed by. Salter caught the scowl on Devon's face as they passed all the decorations and people and laughed.
"Oh, and what are you finding so amusing?" Dev asked.
"Three years of being on Earth and you still scowl at Fleet Week." Salter laughed.
"Its ridiculous." Devon grumbled. "Whole fleet here is a danger."
"Yes, I know." Salter told her she knows as they enter HQ. "Hey, if it means anything, Reyes thinks the same way." Devon merely hummed as they stepped into the elevators. Raines' office was located on the top floor the UNSA's headquarters. They had to pass through the regular security, even her and Salter, who were beginning to become regulars. When they checked with Raines' assistant, a Petty Officer, she told them Reyes was already inside speaking to the Admiral. The meeting seemed to drag on and on. The two women decided to loiter out in the hall as they waited for Reyes to be done. Devon eventually became bored and unholstered her pistol to disassemble and reassemble it. Salter shake her head at her and Devon to ignored her. Reyes finally emerges from Raines' office, clearly tense. He tells them of the SCAR team on Europa. Raines then calls Devon into his office. Reyes tells her they'll meet her on the roof with the Admiral.
"How many?" Salter asked.
"Four. KIA." Reyes replied. His jaw straining as he clenched it tightly while his body was relaxed. It was an odd combination. He looked over at her and tossed his head in the direction of Raines' door. Devon nodded and headed inside.
"We'll wait for you on the roof!" Salter called out as Devon entered the office. She found the Admiral of the UNSa sitting behind his desk going over a data pad. Behind him, a vast window spread the length of the wall, showing the Geneva river as their ships that had already made their entrance. Raines' office was like any of the other commanders in the military: awards and plagues were spread out on the wall, his desk directly across from the door with two chairs seated in front at an angle. He only spared a glance at the door when he heard her enter and gently closed it behind her.
"Have a seat, Lieutenant." he called out, his voice rather loud. Admiral Frederick Raines was an older, black man with a face line with the history of battle. His dark wiry hair was cut high and tight, and his face was marked by scars from before they stuck him behind a desk. He had served during the Succession Wars some thirty years ago as a fighter pilot, serving on tours on Enceladus and Deimos. The man lost a friends in that battle, least of all Reyes' father. She had felt guilty about that as her family was the one to start this whole thing. The two of them had told her it wasn't her fault as she hadn't even been born yet. Devon raised an eyebrow as she took the three strides to one of the chairs and eased herself down.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked. Raines merely gestured over her shoulder. Behind her, there was a full length screen that was about four feet across. The screen was stilled on a shot from a helmet of an SDF soldier jamming the flag into the hard ice below. Walking towards a Warden drop ship, was figured dressed in the red space suit top of the commanders. But, through the hazy of the cold winds that blew, she could make a lights in the sky and a ginormous. A warship? No, it was too big. But, what? Devon stood from her chair and walked over to the screen and studied the image, tilting her head and squinting as if it would be all clear the answer would appear like magic.
"SCAR team seven was sent into to secure a prototype weapons after SetDef attacked the site." Raines informed him. Dev shook her head and grumbled about not being fast enough. She head the wheels of Raines' chair roll against the floor as he stood and walked over to her. He brought up the control panel and reversed the footage back to when SetDef entered the frame and began beating up their men. That all stopped when shots were fired into the air. The footage panned over to the left where she found the commander flanked by C6s on either side. She couldn't make out who he was until they were face to face where Raines paused it. Devon squinted her eyes at the screen with disgust and growled like a feral dog.
"Bloody hell." she gritted. Raines continued the video until a soldier kneeled behind him.
"Admiral Kotch. Gun destroyed. Data retrieved. Initiating RIAH." the soldier reported. Raines paused it and looked to her.
"What is RIAH?" he asked. Dev shook her head as he went back to his desk. She took her time to think as she slowly turned and walked back to the desk. The name was familiar but she couldn't remember from where she had heard it. Intracore? Or one of the various meetings that her sit in on. A person, weapons, or program, she couldn't remember and it was bugging the hell out of her. She shook her head.
"I-I…" she hesitated. "I don't know." Raines sat back in his chair and stroked his chin as he thought.
"What about the grainy photo from two days ago?" he asked. She thought back and compared the satellite footage to the feed.
"It does fit what we saw in the background of the helmet cam." she said. She wanted to say more, but had already voiced the idea of the Front attacking them multiple times, practically hammer it into the UN Security Council's head in an effort for them to beef up their defenses. But, in the end they had dismissed her. Raines saw the hesitation in her body language and the way she looked away.
"You're holding back." he stated.
"Same ramble."
"Lieutenant…" he warned.
"I think they're going to attack." she said. "Part of the fleet should pull out to safe distance." Raines chuckled.
"Reyes suggested the same thing." told her. "Sometimes I think you two share a mind."
"He's not wrong." Dev shot out.
"And I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Reyes: the warriors aren't in charge until there's war." he stated. Dev scowled and looked off to the side, catching the video on the feed.
"Play it again." she asked, as she walked back over to the screen. "But, stop it when the flag is being planted." He did what was asked and paused it when Wolf fell onto his left side. She studied the the shadow in the background and Raines caught on.
"See something?" he asked.
"Seems he's been busy." she thought aloud.
"You did warn us when you first arrived that he was planning something big." he mentioned.
"This is beyond big, Admiral. Its immense." Raines hummed from his seat and the two were plunged into a brief silence before the screen turned off. Dev shook her head and looked it up and down.
"Hey!" she yelped. She whipped her head around and gave him a stink face. He motioned for her to follow as he he moved to the door.
"Roof transport." he said, as he shut the door after her. They took the short route to the landing pad, all the while he filled her in on the UNSA's big reveal. It was a intelligent bot that had been in the works since the end of the Wars. Trying to keep under SetDef's radar was hard as the engineers creating it were excited about what it would yield in terms of their odds against Mars. Devon told him they were failing on the leak as they had information on the bot, but it was sparse what they had didn't connect. The two of them emerged on the roof just as Orion was announced over the loud speaker. All around them, people cheered and cursed the SDF. Devon shrank back some, remember that some of these men and women hated her because of what she had been. Raines catches the slight movements and tells her he wants her off to the side with Salter and Reyes.
"Why am I needed sir?" she asked.
"E3N will be stationed with SCAR Team One on Retribution for the remainder of the tour." he informed her. "Think of it as a field test to see what it can do." Dev hummed in thought as they walked up to the transport. At the door was a humanoid bot who had offered up a hand. It was human in the sense that its chassis was modeled after the human anatomy with arms, legs, five digits on each hand. Its head, however, looked more like a snake as it was long and narrow and instead of two smaller eyes, one large lens was seated in the center. Raines ignored the hand and climbed in with ease.
"Step aside, Ethan." he ordered. "This old goat can still climb." The bot's one eye followed the Admiral as he climbed aboard.
"Welcome aboard, Admiral!" it chirped. Its voice was mechanical like she expected but with emotion like it was trying to be human and sound like a man. He hadn't noticed Devon climbing in until it turned its head at the sound of boots making contact with the metal walkway. He jumped when he saw her, no doubt seeing the abundance of scars on her face. Devon took a position next to Reyes just off the door as the Raven began to lift.
"Petty Officer First Class Ethan," Raines began. "Meet SCAR Lieutenant, Devon Kotch."
"How do you do, ma'am?" he nodded. Devon growled when he called her "ma'am" and glowered at him. She hated that word.
"Don't call her, ma'am, Ethan." Reyes warned. "Just call her Dev."
"Yeah, and don't ever say her last name." Salter half laughed. "Unless you want to end up in the scrapyard."
"Alright, Salter." Raines warned. Devon caught the bot staring at her in what was guessed as fascination. She didn't know how much data had been put into that memory chip brain and she didn't care to know at the moment. Ethan seemed to become unnerved from her constant staring and physically began to shrink back.
"Sir, she's a bit intimidating." Ethan said. Raines chuckled.
"He's not a threat, Lieutenant." he said, turning his head to Devon. "You can back off." She obey the order and trained her sight on the city below.
"You kept the Ethan project well under the radar, Admiral." Reyes said.
"Captain Alder knew." Raines informed. "First troop ready model. Quite remarkable. We're revealing him at the ceremony today."
"Not enough." Devon countered. "SetDef has bits and pieces."
"You know I get stage fright, right sir?" Ethan joked.
"You got feelings Ethan?" Salter asked, taking the bait.
"I do, Lieutenant." he remarks. "I carry the brain of a human farmer."
"Holy shit." Salter breathed, her eyes going wide. "Are you serious?" The was brief silence before the he spoke.
"No, ma'am." he conceded, shaking his head. "Not at all." Everyone chuckled.
"He got you there, Lieutenant." Raines laughed.
"Did not." Salter retorted.
"Come on, Salter. I thought you were smarter than that?" Devon cajoles.
"Oh, fuck off." Salter quickly shoots back, earning another round of chuckling. Devon threw a smirk in Salter's direction with a raised eyebrow for added effect. Dev turned attention back to the exterior of the Raven. Below, was the AATIS Guns, Earth's iron shield and the first line of defense in the case of an invasion. There were several placed in key cities around the world and all connect to the control tower at the center of Geneva. One shot could sink a destroyer. AATIS construction began when things began to heat up between Earth and some of its off-world colonies and finished just a few months into the war. By that time, the SDF had already turned on its creators and were adding more fuel to the succession fire.
"AATIS guns are working overtime today, huh, Admiral?" Reyes said sarcastically.
"Lot of allied traffic. Always vigilant, Lieutenant." Raines reminded.
"You familiar with the air intercept system, Ethan?" Salter asked.
"Earth's iron shield." he responded. "Major firepower."
"One shot can bring a destroyer down." Devon chimed in. At the cockpit, the pilot radioed in one of their destroyers and they responded in kind. A chill ran down Devon's spine and leaned out the door to a detailed sweep of the area before them. Ethan seemed to sense something, too.
"Admiral, sir." he called out.
"What is it Ethan?" Raines asked, a smile still on his face about something Reyes had just told him.
"The AATIS guns. They appear to be tracking our fleet." he informed. Devon snapped her in the direction of the nearest gun just a round shot out from its barrel. "Incoming!" Everyone clung for purchase inside the raven just as the round struck the side of the cockpit. Devon clung to the Raven's doorframe as the helicopter began to loose control. Salter yelled out that both pilots were hit as they are dragged form their seats. Reyes and Salter took over as more shots were fired on their fleet. Devon grabbed for the nearest med kit as Ethan and the Admiral did their best to triage. A flash of bright light filled the inside momentarily, causing Devon to pause in his work to looked out.
"We got company!" she yelled out, before going back to tying the tourniquet.
"SDF destroyers inbound!" Ethan announced.
"Bloody fucking hell!" Devon screamed as they life from the pilot's eyes drained and his body went limp.
"This is not a drill!" Raines yelled into his earwig. "Divert and deploy all available assist immediately!" Devon looked to the cockpit window in time to see the roof of the mall speed up to meet them as Reyes yelled for everyone to brace. Devon anchored her hands on one of the support beams inside the body and squeezed her eyes close as the sound of glass breaking and metal screaming and twisting filled her ears.