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A highly decorated officer in high, black, steel-tipped boots walked on the wrecked shuttle platform, the wreckage of the last and previous flight burning in the distance. On the cracked platform were many people, all bound and tied down. The officer, arms folded behind his back, paced back and for on the platform, an amused look on his face.

"It was a valiant effort… but such an organized militia such as yourselves will never match up to the technical and sophisticated superiority of the IMC." The officer said. "It's a sad but true fact."

"No." A bound man said. "What's sad is that IMC has nothing better to do other than invade Frontier Colonies out of pure private interest. And here we have a jack-off-of-an-officer barking nonexistent bullshit with nothing better to do than waste our time."

The officer quickly turned to the man that spoke. In a swift motion, the officer backhanded the man with full force. The man was hit hard but stood his ground.

"And such is the insolence of Frontier Colonists." The officer snarled. "You ungrateful savages should be thankful that the IMC didn't wipe out everyone living here! We could have done that you fools!"

The man spat on the ground. "No, what you could have done was leave us alone."

"Silence!" The officer screamed at the man. Then, he ran his gloved hand through his own thinning gray hair and composed himself. With an unnerving grin and expression on his face, he turned to face the bound civilians again.

"Now, if all you people could cooperate, everything would be so much more easier." The officer said in icy, calm voice. "Just tell us where the Advanced Core Drive is and we'll be on our way."

The man glared back up at the officer. "I told you. You are wasting your time."

"Oh?" The officer said, a mock-confused look on his face. "Am I? How about I provide some incentive?"

He whistled for his men. And soon, they brought forward a girl, wearing torn combat armor, scars and burns lining her face. She wore a red headband that had specks of dirt sprinkled over.

"Sarah!" The man exclaimed as the IMC troops dragged her onto the platform. "Wh-what did they do to you?!"

"They didn't touch her, Arlot." The officer said calmly. "But that doesn't mean they won't later…"

"You bastard…" Arlot said behind gritted teeth. "Leave her out of this! She's innocent!"

The officer laughed maniacally. "Innocent?! Far from it! Can't you see what she is wearing?!"

"Th-that's… Black Sparrow gear…"

"Exactly!" The officer said. "She also killed several men that were in a convoy I sent to suppress the Black Sparrow outpost by the border. If anything, she is guilty of murdering IMC personnel in cold blood."

"Guilty?!" Arlot yelled. "You bastards come to this colony and murder nearly hundreds of civilians but when a civilian kills several IMC troops in self-defense, it's murder?!"

"I said silence!" The officer said, punching the man in the jaw. The crowd of bound civilians gasped.

"Daddy!" Sarah exclaimed.

Arlot spat blood at the officer's feet. "You aren't going to get anything out of me…"

The officer shrugged and mused off. "Alright. Have it your way then. Pilot, got get the rustiest data-knife you can find. We'll see if we get the girl to say anything."

"What?!" Arlot yelled, looking at the officer with disbelief. "I told you! She doesn't know anything!"

"Yes." The officer said. "We established that. But you do. So what is it going to be, Arlot? Is that Core Drive really worth your daughter's life?"

"D-daddy please…" Sarah whimpered, an IMC pilot holding a knife to her throat.

"You bastard…" Arlot muttered.

"Don't do it Arlot." A man said from the crowd. "It's not worth it."

"Not worth it?!" Arlot screamed. "She's my daughter! You'd do the same for Adrian and Dominic!"

"No." The voice said again. "They'd understand."

"No they wouldn't! They're childre-"

"What is it going to be?!" The officer yelled.

"I… I…"

Arlot glanced back into the crowd and saw Aiden's face. His eyes pleaded to Arlot, to say no. but Arlot knew what he had to do.

"I'll tell you…" He whispered.

"Ah!" The officer exclaimed. "Thank you! Now we are finally getting somewhere! And now, tell me, where is it?"

"It's… it's in the Black Sparrow outpost by the borderlands." Arlot said, shaking.

"Thank you Arlot." The officer said, reaching for his pocket. "You have done us a great service…"

Arlot was looking down and he slowly looked up. Only to find a cold, silver-gray cylinder pressed against his face.

"And here's your reward."

The officer pulled the trigger and a shower of rain exploded outward. Arlot crumpled to the ground without a sound and his face landed in full view of Sarah… or what was left of it.

"NO!" Sarah screamed. "DADDY NO!"

The officer blew the smoke away from the barrel of his gun and holstered it. He ordered the pilot holding Sarah to bind and her and her with the rest of the prisoners. He then proceeded to walk off the shuttle platform with a several IMC soldiers. As he walked down the dirt road, another officer walked to join him.

"Ah, Marcus." The officer said, cheerfully. "I wondered when you were going to show up…"

"You didn't have to kill him, deFranco." Marcus Graves said. "He could have been a valuable asset to us."

"I don't need to take any lip from you Captain Graves." deFranco said coldly. "Know your rank, Captain."

"Yes, Fleet Admiral." Graves said.

deFranco stopped and pulled out a cigar. He quickly lit it and puffed a cloud of sweet smoke. "Get cleaned up here Marcus. I want the IMC forces heading back towards Demeter System. We have some coordinating to do there."

"Yes sir. I will have MacAllan prepare the Odyssey soon."

"No" deFranco said, shaking his head. "I will take the Odyssey with me. Your Executive Officer MacAllan showed some insolence and I intend to discipline him on the way back to Demeter. You may take the Longsword back to Demeter."

"Yes sir." Graves said. "But over what exactly did MacAllan show disrespect on?"

"Treatment to civilians." deFranco said, breathing the cigar in again. "That boy's got a soft spot for civvies. And I intend to eradicate that emotion… Go and prepare the Longsword."

"Yes sir. But what about the civilians?"

"Line them up outside the city walls."

Graves nodded.

"And kill them all."

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