ACT X: HOME GUARD

Don't work for recognition, but do work worthy of recognition.

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

SD 195-10-10, Downtown Hicho, Planet Ekosiak I, 0800 hours

BEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEP!

An intense and deafening sound was heard in Erma Felna's room inside the Home Guard, where she slept in an special apartment reserved for senior officers located downtown, a place where she has been living for the last three months since she first arrived to Ekosiak.

BEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEP!

And that sound was still rumbling in the room, which caused the young officer to wake up halfway, quite upset by how annoying the noise was. She just wanted the beeps to stop so she could rest a little longer...

-"ahuum! I want to sleep just a bit longer... please..."-

But it was more than obvious that someone else wasn't going to let her oversleep...

BEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEP!

-"Oh... damn! I just want to sleep for some extra 30 minutes..."-

But the beeping continued, which was a sign that Erma had to get out of bed, and when she heard that the deafening sound would not stop until she opened her eyes, the young Feline girl had no choice but to get up, somewhat numb from being awakened like that.

-"Good morning, Lieutenant."-

The Net's electronic voice was the first thing Erma heard when she opened her eyes, much for her disgust.

-"Good... morning... for you."-

When she tried to remember why she had been awakened abruptly, she quickly recalled that she had asked the AI to wake her early in the morning, as she had several commitments to make that day.

-"Now I remember, I had an appointment earlier today with one of Colonel Hitzok's aides, right?"-

-"That's right."-

-"What time was I and that guy scheduled to meet?"-

-"You two were supposed to meet at 1000 hours in the main courtyard of the base and have some breakfast at the club."-

-"I see."-

And while the Net reminded Erma of her commitments, the officer quickly went into the hygiene unit to take a shower. Since Erma normally slept naked, she didn't have to take anything off beforehand, so she ordered the shower, which was also connected to the Net as well, to turn on the water tap and start bathing.

For Erma, there was nothing like a cold water bath to wake her up fully after a night of deep sleep, and she enjoyed every minute she was in the shower and how the water ran through her body and coat, cleaning up any dirt she might have.

-"Net, please turn off the shower."-

-"Understood."-

Once she had finished bathing fully, she went to the dressing room, where she began to comb her long reddish hair, while other small robots in the bathroom were in charge of combing her fur in the same way, so she wouldn't waste her time doing it herself, not to mention that the robots could comb her in places that would be very difficult or complicated for her to do by traditional means.

Now that Erma had her hair done and dressed, she put on a bathrobe and went back to her room so that she could, at least before leaving the room, read some things from her Data Pad, especially the news of the day, her schedule and any emails she had received in advance.

-"OK, let's read the news..."-

After turning on the tablet-like device, she first started by reading the news of the day, and the first thing she noticed was the news of the attack on Derzon by the ILR where she participated, something that the inhabitants of that distant planet are just learning about three months late. The news on the subject was given by an Avian (eagle), who spoke with a certain tone of concern regarding what had happened on that planet and the response of the EDF:

...The planet was invaded by an incredibly large attack force, which included tanks and even several air vehicles, including air fortresses, aerodynes and even some vehicles that had not been seen before in past conflicts, of which the EDF has refused to give information, since it is considered classified information, although some witnesses have reported that they had seen similar vehicles belonging to the invading forces. The occupying forces took control of several cities on the planet, especially the capital city of Andis, where several armed incidents were reported against members of the local Home Guard, which is said to have been destroyed within hours. There are also reports of war crimes against the civilian population, especially against the Lepine population who lived in many of the Derzonii cities and of whom disappearances, systematic torture and even mass executions were reported, although there is no official information on the subject...

...The EDF, upon hearing the news of the invasion, formed an attack force large enough to retake control of Derzon and repel the invaders, something that took the EDF about three and a half days, eventually achieving the goal of expelling the invaders...

...But for the inhabitants of Derzon, there was nothing to celebrate, even with the arrival of the defending force sent to protect the planet from its invaders: In a desperate attempt to eliminate the enemy force that controlled the planet, the EDF used whatever weapon was available, including the bombing from space of many of the cities of Derzon that were not the capital, which not only inflicted damage on the invading army, but also on the civilian infrastructure, and there's also reports of collateral victims due to the bombing. Apparently, it seems that EDF has a policy of asserting its authority at any cost, regardless of the price that the people of the member planet in question have to pay for it, including civilian and military lives. As an example of this, the capital Andis was left completely in ruins, with all its infrastructure permanently damaged, and it will take years, if not decades, to repair all the damage caused by the conflict, not to mention the lasting consequences for their people...

...Due to the unquantifiable damage caused to their world in terms of lives and material damage, the inhabitants of Derzon sent a loud complaint to the Confederation of Planets through their ambassador about what their armed wing, the Extraplanetary Defense Force, caused to their homeland by repelling the invasion. It is said that this incident may have seriously damaged the trust of the residents of that planet in the ConFed and the EDF, since the former and the latter have only been held liable to a limited extent for the damage they caused to Derzon and his people...

...And what about those responsible for all this mess in the first place? To the best of our knowledge and according to eyewitness reports, the invaders were all Lepines and carried ILR weapons and equipment, but the Independent Lepine Republic itself made a statement a few months ago rejecting the accusations that they were responsible for the invasion, and that the invaders who attacked Derzon were most likely pirates, terrorists or even other Lepines who might have belonged to the EDF in order to discredit their nation in the most crude and gross fashion imaginable...

...And aside from that, and to conclude this special report on the Derzon issue, the opinion of many experts in the field is that, considering what was seen in that unfortunate world, there is a possibility that other planets could suffer the same fate should a similar incident occur, something that for the supporters of the independence from both the EDF and the ConFed, including the terrorists who have carried out several attacks in recent months, could use to their advantage...

Hearing all this depressing news about the Derzon incident, Erma immediately turned off the Data Pad, and she put her head in the bed, completely depressed that the efforts of her and the rest of EDF only ended up alienating the Derzonii people due to the collateral damage done to that planet and its people, including the large number of deaths caused by both sides. She felt that despite her best efforts and sacrifices, which included being shot in the gut, everything was in vain and the geopolitical consequences were there for all to see, including the fact of giving independent terrorists a pretext to separate from the EDF and the ConFed and the fact the people of Derzon and other planets were beginning to distrust both organizations, among other problems.

-"Damn! I can't believe we just ended up making things worse than they already are."-

But before she continued cursing herself, the voice of the Net was heard in her room, since there was another message she had to hear...

-"I'm sorry to interrupt you in your sorrow, Lieutenant, but you just got a message from your mother, Honorable Eda Felna"-

-"My mother, you say?"-

-"Yes."

Erma could not believe what she had heard a few moments ago, for several reasons: Since she joined the EDF, she had not spoken to her family for several years, because her mother was against her joining the army, since she did not want her to suffer the same sad fate as her father, who suffered psychological and physical torture at the hands of the ILR when Erma was still a teenager. Since then, she thought her mother didn't want to hear anything from her, but apparently it wasn't, so getting an email from her was something that would at least help lift her spirits up.

-"You want me to open the mail, Lieutenant? I remind you it's a voicemail and there's no video image."-

-"No problem... Please play that voicemail."-

The Net heeded Erma's orders and her mother's voice was heard on that voicemail she received. It was surprising that, despite the years of not seeing each other and the fact that Erma left home despite her mother's opposition, she still sounded warm and affectionate towards her, and she did not seem to hold any resentment towards her daughter:

Hello, Erma! How are you going? I heard you were transferred to Ekosiak after what happened in Derzon, thanks to your uncle Joseph, and at the same time I'm glad you were able to recover from your injuries you suffered there. You don't know how scared we were to know you were hurt and we all thought you were already dead, until we got the news that your injuries weren't serious.

Aside from Derzon, it's good to know that at least the EDF rewarded you in some way by transferring you to Ekosiak, something that made us all happy here at home, even if it probably wasn't what you expected at first. Even your brother, who is usually a little jealous of you, is also proud of what you have done, even if he doesn't show it openly. And as for him, Tasak just joined the Air Force and is very likely to join the local Home Guard here at Annahport as soon as an available position opens up.

And as for the Arrats, Itzak, Joseph's son, received a few months ago the command of a spaceship, the DH270, which is a destroyer or something like that. All these war-related things have never interested me very much, you know very well, so I'm sorry if I'm missing any specifics on the issue, apart from the fact that Itzak was sent on an apparently secret mission that he didn't want to give me any more details about.

I imagine you're wondering about this right now. What about your father, Kanoc? As for him, I gave him the news about you and as always, he seemed to pay no attention to what I was saying. Fortunately, he seems fine, apart from what I mentioned a few moments ago, and he hasn't had any outbursts in the last few months, as long as nobody mentions anything about the army or anything war-related.

Well, I think the message is running a little longer than it should, so I'm going to conclude, but I just want to remind you that you're always welcome to come home anytime. Take care of yourself and I wish you the best in your career, even if you and I don't have the same opinion about it.

Your mother

Eda Kammati Felna

At the end of the voicemail, tears crept through Erma's cheeks, as she could hear her mother's voice once again after so many years without hearing anything from her, and especially comforting for her to know that, even though she still didn't agree with the career choice she had made, especially in the circumstances in which she did it, her mother Eda did not seem to hold a grudge against her daughter and she was happy to know that Erma was well and that she had been transferred to Derzon, regardless the way she was sent there.

-"Are you OK, Lieutenant?"-

The Net asked her this question when the computer saw the tears Erma had on her face...

-"I'm fine. I'm just a little... emotional right now."-

-"Are you sure about that? Judging by your tone of voice and expression on your face, it seems that your mother's voicemail seemed to affect you in a meaningful way."-

Erma's voice, which at the time was lower than normal, suddenly became more aggressive as she heard how the Net was beginning to question her current state of mind, considering that she had important things to address with the colonel's aide, and she couldn't allow herself the luxury of looking weak in his presence.

-"I said I'M FINE!"- Erma yelled at the AI. -"Now let me finish dressing now that my hair and fur are dry. And I don't want to discuss this matter with you until I get back to the apartment. Is that clear?"-

-"Understood, ma'am."-

SD 195-10-10, EDF Home Guard Base, Hicho, Planet Ekosiak I, 1000 hours

Two hours after Erma finished getting ready, she arrived at the Home Guard base in a private vehicle leased by the EDF, where she would meet with Colonel Onni Hitzok's assistant, with whom she would have breakfast at the club in the aforesaid place.

Before arriving at the base, she had been told that the aide, whose name she never bothered to ask, would wait for her inside the club instead of receiving her at the base entrance. Considering Erma's position as a tactical combat instructor, that could have been seen anywhere else in the ConFed and in the EDF itself as a very serious disrespect towards a foreign guest like Erma, but she didn't seem to care about that in the least, considering there were more important things to deal with that man about. Besides, Erma wasn't very formalistic, preferring to get to the point beforehand.

And with mention of that last point and after identifying herself fully at the entrance of the base, she went straight to the club without any further delay, in order to get to her meeting with that man on time.

Once at the club, Erma noticed that all eyes were on her as she entered the building. And it was no wonder: She was the only woman who was not only at the base at the time, but also at that club, since all the customers there were men, something that even for her started to intimidate her a bit, and which Erma tried to hide very well.

-"Good mornin', Lieutenant, I hope ya had a very good rest."-

That was the voice of the colonel's assistant, who held the rank of sergeant, according to the stripes he had on his shoulders, and who welcomed Erma warmly and kindly, compared to the cold reception she received from his immediate superior the last time she met him three months ago. That soldier, like his superior, was a Canine, and of the same type as Hitzok (a wolf), but outside of that, he had nothing to distinguish him from his boss in terms of personality, apart from the fact that his local accent was quite noticeable and she was having some trouble trying to understand him at first, but Erma quickly managed to understand what that man said.

-"Well, thank you, Sargeant."-

-"I guess you haven't had time to come here to the base to see what's here, have you?"- The man asked to his guest.

-"Technically, no."- Erma responded as quickly as she could. -"Apart from the fact that I have been very busy working in the Home Guard office downtown with Secretary Shato, the truth is that I haven't even had time to go out for a walk around the city itself."-

-"Oh, I see... If you wish, I can accompany you around the base to get to know the place and explain anythin' you want to know."-

-"It would be a great honor if you did, Sergeant."- Erma thanked the sergeant for taking the trouble to show her around the base once they both finished eating. -"And with regard to our breakfast, I understand that in this club the food is all-you-can-eat kind of service, isn't it?"-

-"Yeah, that's right."- The Canine man confirmed his guest's observation about the food. -"If you like, we can go to the food court to show you what's here."-

-"OK"-

Already at the food court, the sergeant showed him the food that was on it, which was in large quantities. There were so many different types of dishes, both local and foreign, that Erma couldn't decide on a particular one, so she had to ask her host for advice as to which dish he would recommend.

-"Mmmm... I don't know much about local cuisine and I have already tried many of these foreign dishes in other places, so which one would you recommend?"-

-"If you ask me, our most popular food is soy soup with tomato sauce, apart from soy noodles, which are also famous 'round here."-

Erma looked carefully at the soup, and indeed the dish looked very pleasing to the eye, compared to the soy noodles, which were much simpler and had no other ingredient other than salt in comparison to the former.

-"I think I'd better try the soup with the tomato sauce one, and thanks for the advice."-

After they served their meals, both characters went straight to a table for two, where Erma planned to start talking to her host. It was obvious that the subject of the conversation she was intending to begin was the sergeant's commanding officer, Colonel Onni Hitzok, and the aggressive attitude he had towards her the first time they met months ago. But apparently, it was the sergeant who was planning to start the conversation with her, so she let him start talking first.

-"All right, thanks for the opportunity to start the conversation, Lieutenant."- The Canine sargeant begins the chat with Erma. -"First and foremost, I wish to apologize for the rude attitude of my superior, Colonel Hitzok, considerin' that you came from so far away only to be received in such a manner..."-

-"Don't worry about it, Sergeant, I'm more than used to this kind of treatment."- Erma answered trying not to give any thought to what happened with the colonel.

-"Good."- The man said. -"I was worried from the start that you were very upset about what the colonel told you three months ago. In fact, I heard about the whole thing only yesterday from the colonel, so I decided to talk to you alone to explain why he acted that way."-

-"And can you tell me why the colonel was behaving like that, if you don't mind telling me?"-

The sargeant took a short break before continuing, as he was still eating his soup in order to continue the talk.

-"Well, here's the gist of it:"- The military officer starts his explanation. -"The colonel has been very busy in recent months dealin' with the independence terrorists who have been sunnin' several cities on this planet. As you know, Lieutenant, they want Ekosiak to become independent of both the ConFed and the EDF. And because of that, the local government has been demandin' results from the colonel and the EDF in their fight against these guys, but so far, and to be frank, we haven't had much luck dealin' with them."-

-"I see, that's why the colonel was very hostile towards me when I met him."-

-"Yeah, I think you struck him in a very bad mood that day, as he didn't feel much like talkin' to anyone outside his social circle."- The Canine man continued with his chat about Hitzok. -"But believe it or not, and as absurd as this may sound, the colonel cannot help but sympathize with the rebels, since he comes from a very old family who were the first settlers of this planet, as I and most likely many others in Ekosiak. And we Ekosiaki have prided ourselves on always being self-sufficient and not askin' for help from anyone, not even from the ConFed or the EDF, except when it is needed."-

-"The truth is, I find it hard to believe that someone like that man could sympathize with criminals, considering that he was treating me like one when I met him."- Erma replied in a puzzled way after hearing the fact Hitzok hold some sympathy to the terrorists.

-"Aye, but you don't have to worry about it. He is very loyal to the local government and the EDF like all of us, and he will not allow criminals to use the longings of many people for independence as an excuse to commit crimes, especially if innocent people are affected by their actions."-

-"I'm glad to hear that, because I really wouldn't want to have to deal with someone whose loyalty might be in question, especially if it's someone like him."- The Feline woman said after hearing Hitzok, despite his sympathies towards the rebels, he was still in their side.

-"There is one thing I would like to make clear about this dilemma that I, the colonel and many people on this planet are worried about: As far as I and the colonel are concerned, and I don't mean about everyone else, we are not against the ConFed or the EDF per se, but if there is somethin' that irritates us, and that thing is the fact that, after what happened in Derzon and in the event that things get ugly, they could drag us into a conflict that we don't have anythin' to do with."- The sargeant explained, with a concerned tone in his voice. -"And there is another thing that bothers us even more: It is one thing to participate in a war on equal terms, but it is another thing to be cheap cannon fodder, so that they can show off, while we put the dead on the battlefield."-

Erma analyzed in detail the comments of her interlocutor, while she ate her soup. It was evident that the situation the sergeant was talking about was more complicated than it seemed compared to the reports she received when she arrived at Ekosiak, but she quickly came to a conclusion of what the terrorists intended to do, something she made known to the sergeant.

-"Mmmm, If I had to deduce what is really going on here and from what you are telling me, what the terrorists are aiming for is to turn the local population against us in order to gain more support for their intentions of independence. Thus, if the Ekosiaki people supports independence from the ConFed, it would not be necessary to resort to violence to achieve that goal..."-

-"Exactly!"- The man congratulated the Dornthantii woman. -"I see you quickly understood the whole thing and the reasons why the colonel is under so much pressure to get results in dealin' with the terrorists."-

-"Thanks a lot, sergeant, but I don't think that's a big deal."- Erma humbly replied the man. -"I have been analyzing the local situation in the last three months that I have been on this planet, and thanks to what you have told me right now, I think I have an idea of Ekosiak's socio-political situation is like and what you are dealing with right now."-

-"It's very good that you have understood all this quickly, Lieutenant,"- the aidee responded with what it looks like a unsincere smile in his face. -"since the truth is..."-

But before he could continue with the talk, Erma quickly interrupted him in a very blunt way, as she quickly deduced what he meant by this last part, something that she did not like.

-"Although it may not seem so to you, I am not as ignorant in political matters as I might seem, since I have theoretical experience in political science when I was at the academy, in case you mean to imply otherwise."- The Feline girl qucikly reacted of what it looked like a condenscendent remark from the Ekosiaki sargeant regarding her ability to comprend the whole deal, on the grounds she is a woman. -"I also want to make one thing clear: Even if I am a foreigner, I have no intention of exercising control beyond what is authorized of your local forces, since it is not my style to begin with. To be completely fair, I am just a combat pilot sent to this planet, whose only mission is to work as an instructor, nothing more and nothing less."-

The sergeant, hearing all this, saw that Erma was much smarter than he expected, but just as humble, seeing that she had no more ambitions than to carry out her assigned duties, so he did not comment on the fact that he was abruptly interrupted and decided to continue the conversation as if nothing had happened.

-"Well, yeah, a combat pilot, I see..."- The Canine man said, while ignoring Erma's previous interruption. -"If that is your job, I don't think it would do us any harm to have you on our side, as long as you do your duty here, Lieutenant."-

-"Thank you for your understanding, Sergeant."-

-"But there is a... little problem regardin' you, Lieutenant."-

-"What kind of little problem do I have?"- Erma responded in a bewildered tone.

-"It's about the fact that you're goin' to be workin' continuously on this base."- The man explained the situation regarding Erma. -"To date you have worked outside, so it has not been a big deal, but if you are goin' to work here with us at this facility, there is the small issue that all the workers on this base, from the senior officers to the maintenance personnel are male."-

-"And so?"-

The sergeant lowered his wolf ears in a sign of embarrassment about what he was going to tell Erma with regard to the following:

-"Well, there's no... ya know... female... hygiene units.. or any kinda facilities for women here."-

Erma, hearing about the problem that she wouldn't have a special place to do her physiological and personal needs, just smiled jokingly, trying not to give any weight to that dilemma, since she had already been through the same situation on previous times, if not worse in perspective.

-"And who needs separate facilities? Me?"-

-"Well... yeah... I mean... You can't just barge into a men's room all by yourself, at least here in Ekosiak..."-

-"Heh, heh, heh"- Erma then sips some tea in her mouth a bit. -"I understand your concerns, Sergeant, and I know full well that there aren't sex-segregated public restrooms everywhere, but where I come those are very rare and in other worlds it's something similar, so we can see how we cope with that later, can't we?"-

The sergeant was astonished at Erma's attitude towards her personal hygiene, because she didn't mind having to use facilities made especially for males, but considering the sexism prevailing in the EDF and to some extent, in the society where she lived, she didn't have much choice about it, so Erma had to deal with it on a daily basis in her job.

But for that man, the fact that Erma was willing to use facilities for males was not something he was very fond of, as it was very uncommon in the society where he was originally from, where the gender roles were much more conservative than on other planets, due to the independent mindset of the Ekosiaki people.

But before the two of them could discuss that point any further, both Erma and the sergeant had finished eating their food for the day, and he was going to show Erma the base's facilities, as he had promised, and he did not intend to act disrespectfully towards a lady like her, much less a foreigner, on such an absurd subject as personal hygiene.

-"Well, now that we're done eatin' and assumin' you're not goin' to eat anythin' else, do you want me to show you the base as we agreed, Lieutenant?"-

-"Right, I'm already finished, so let's sightsee the place, shall we?"-

-"OK."-

SD 195-10-10, EDF Home Guard Base (courtyard), Hicho, Planet Ekosiak I, 1200 hours

Once outside the club, the sergeant set out to show Erma the base's facilities as he had agreed with her. The place was not particularly big, at least not bigger than any local airport, since the administrative functions of the base were carried out in the capital Hicho, leaving the military in the aforementioned place, so the tour around the base was not going to last long.

-"Well, Lieutenant, where do you want us to start our little walk?"-

-"We could start with a look at the airstrip, if you don't mind."-

"So, let's go over there, then."-

Swiftly, both soldiers headed for the airstrip at the base, which was only 3 minutes away from where they were. The runway, although it was a decent size compared to the rest of the place, was not much compared to similar places she had seen on other planets or cities she had visited before, but at least on that day there was a lot of air traffic that could be seen from afar, as several aircraft and some aerodynes were taking off and landing at that time. And considering the problems with local terrorism Ekosiak was experiencing at the time, it was normal for the runway to be in full swing.

-"What do you think about the airstrip, Lieutenant?"- The sargeant asked Erma about the place. -"Our base may be small, but our runway is something we are at least proud of because of its size and operational capabilities. As you can see, to the north are the hangars and maintenance workshops, to the south are the storage sites, to the southwest are the barracks and in front of us is the control tower."-

-"I must admit, the place looks pretty busy for a base this size."-

-"Yeah, that's right."- The Canine sargeant boasted proudly about the place. -"And considerin' how ugly things are at the moment, it is normal that we feel even more proud of what we can do in this place, if we also take into account that our base is small and the resources with which we operate are not always enough. Although, obviously, I would like things to be more peaceful here too so that we don't have to do all this, of course."-

-"Indeed."- Erma agreed with the sargeant.

-"Other places here are the club, where we were a few minutes ago, the parkin' lot and another place that might interest you."-

-"Which place do you mean that might interest me?"-

-"We have an underground facility, due to our aforementioned lack of space, where the flight simulators are installed."- The man pointed his finger toward some small building, when the ladders that lead to the underground facility are located. -"That's where our pilots train and practice daily, and since you're goin' to be workin' here as an instructor, I think you'll find them useful for your cadet trainin'."-

-"I see."- Erma responded. -"Could we see the place, if you don't mind, Sergeant?"-

-"Of course! It will be a pleasure for me."-

And without further ado, both characters headed for the underground training facilities, where the simulators were located. Once there, Erma realized that the place was quite large, something that could be obvious, considering that the simulators themselves normally take up a lot of physical space and that was the reason why the training center was underground, where that was not a big problem.

-"This place sure is big."-

-"That's right."- The Canine sargeant responde to his guest. -"We needed a place for the simulators, and the budget wasn't enough to expand the base, so we had to install 'em underground. Also here is the hospital, the maintenance center, since the simulators require a lot of staff to keep them runnin', among other things."

The young lieutenant looked closely at one of the simulators, as she wished to see it more closely.

-"Wouldn't it be a problem if we take a closer look at that simulator in front of us?"-

-"Of course not, let's see it if you want to, Lieutenant."-

-"OK."-

Erma and the sergeant approached the simulator near them. The device was a simulator designed by the EDF design bureau to train aerodyne pilots, although, in plain sight, the machine may seem a little simpler than it might seem, if not smaller than other aerodynes simulators. That simulator on that day was inoperative, as it was in maintenance, so it was safe for both to get close to the machine without risk.

-"As you may have noticed, Lieutenant, our simulators are a bit simple, as they are somewhat old models, although they are still in very good condition, with the exception of the one in front of us, which is currently being repaired."- The sargeant pointed his finger to the simulator. -"Secretary Shato asked the EDF and the local government for a budget increase to buy more recent models, but we don't know if this increase will be authorized or not."-

-"And how long have you been using these models?"-

-"To be honest, we've been usin' them since the war ended."-

Erma quickly noticed that these simulators are older than even herself, which meant that they were practically using machines that should be in a recycling center or somewhere else other than to train pilots. But considering that Ekosiak had not had any serious problems since the end of the war until the problems with the terrorists began, it was obvious that there was never any urgency to replace them with new models. After all, if it wasn't broken, why replace it?

-"And you've never had any safety issues with using simulators that old?"- Erma asked in a very concerned tone of voice toward her host.

-"To date, no, except that sometimes the simulators suddenly stop workin' due to the safety systems implemented in the machines and their operatin' systems. It also helps that the Net helps us to verify anythin' that could go wrong, so we have not had any serious accidents with 'em."- The sargeant explained about the simulators and their age. At least the man agreed the machines are too old to keep using them in a safe way. -"Even with our animosity with the EDF, we should at least thank 'em for givin' us such solid simulators that they still continue to work after so many years. But, to be completely sure and avoid a tragedy that we may regret, the simulators are now limited to a speed of 5 Gs on all their axis, so thanks to this the machines have continued to work without much trouble for us."-

-"I get it."-

Afterwards, the sergeant took Erma to the infirmary and other places of interest of the underground training facility for her to meet them, while both people talked about what was there and the concerns and doubts Erma might have about the place and its equipment, something that lasted a few hours longer than the sergeant had planned.

What they both didn't know was that someone else was watching them from somewhere on the same base...

SD 195-10-10, EDF Home Guard Base (unknown location), Hicho, Planet Ekosiak I, 1500 hours

Indeed, both Erma and the sergeant were being spied on from some secret place on the base, to which only a few people knew their exact location, from where the young Dornthantii lieutenant's steps were carefully followed to find out what her intentions were with regard to what she intended to do in Ekosiak.

And the person in charge of the spying operation was none other than Col. Onni Hitzok himself.

It was well known by many that Hitzok distrusted foreigners like many of his countrymen, something that the sergeant, the colonel's aide, had already told Erma at the club, but the colonel took an extra step and decided to know what Erma intended to do at the base and in Ekosiak, just to make sure she had no other intentions about the issue.

-"Colonel, with all due respect, don't you think all this spying on Lieutenant Felna is a little bit... exaggerated?"-

-"Yeah, it's one thing to spy on her, but using one of your assistants to lure her to the base so you can spy on her safely is something I think is too much for someone like her."- Another assistant was more vocal in his objection about spying on the Feline girl. -"Besides, she doesn't seem to have any intention of taking your job away or taking on any function that a local officer should have, other than being a flight instructor, don't you think?"-

-"I know, and I'm seeing it right now, but I'm not going to let this go until I'm absolutely sure that stranger doesn't have any other intentions around here."- The Canine man replied in a annoyed way on that question. -"Just because she fought a war doesn't mean that I'm going to trust her completely, and more so if the EDF sent her here to Ekosiak for some reason that I don't fully understand."-

-"Well, I think you're exaggerating things a little, if I may say so myself, sir."-

-"Yeah, I already know that, too, but I want you to keep filming her until the lieutenant leaves the base."- Hitzok responded without changing the tone of his voice, despite the intrusiveness that one of his subordinates did to him. -"Whenever possible, I will try to talk to her in private, to see what I can see of her in a more casual way."-

-"That would be very advisable, sir."-

SD 195-10-15, ILR National Military Cemetery, Independent Lepine Republic (ILR), Planet Hiahhoch, 1200 hours

We see a young member of the ILR, who had several dogtags in his hands, standing in that cemetery, as he placed each dogtag on top of the tombstone corresponding to the names of the dead who lay in those tombs. That young Lepine had a sad look on his face, with no emotions at all, for it was evident that those IDs were from his friends in arms that he lost in combat.

The ILR National Cemetery was one of the many military cemeteries that the Independent Lepine Republic had on both planets that formed that nation, Baliannian and Hiahhoch, which served to honor those who offered their lives for the service of their country. For a nation as militaristic as this one, the government wanted the sacrifice of its soldiers to serve as an example and inspiration for those who wished to follow in its footsteps.

But for that soldier, more than inspiration for the sacrifice made by his comrades, the only thing he wanted to know was who was responsible for their deaths.

-"Lieutenant Ruby?"-

Ruby didn't seem very keen to talk at the time and his reply was quite blunt.

-"Hello, Iqit."-

Iqit Athuzhuzh, one of the few survivors of Ruby's squadron during the air battle he and his superior officer had had against Erma and her squadron in Derzon's skies months ago, had also come to the cemetery to offer his regards to his fallen comrades in combat, although his personal disposition was more reasonable than that of his officer.

-"I wonder where you found those dogtags from our partners?"-

-"The ground forces at Andis collected the remains of the Deltas and their pilots, and they gave me the dogtags to give to the families of the dead."- Ruby explained Iqit why he had those dogtags. -"For some reason, none of the families accepted them and they asked me to take them to the graves of their relatives."-

-"I see."- Iqit said with a sad expression in his face. -"I think it must be very hard for you, sir."-

-"It is."-

Ruby finished putting the last dogtag in the last corresponding tomb, and proceeded to make the military salute to his comrades killed in action, next to Iqit, who also did the same. Both Lepines could not help but shed tears in their eyes at the fact that their companions with whom they had fought for so long, and in some cases, were studying at the same military academy, were now dead.

And for Ruby, the only thing he wanted to know was who killed them. It was obvious that the EDF pilot who knocked down his jets was not just any pilot and had an ability that Ruby could not explain to herself. It was as if that pilot had been sent to Derzon in order to finish them off because the EDF knew that that person had some kind of gift that separated that person from other fighter pilots with whom he had fought both in Derzon and on previous missions.

Was Ruby becoming overly obsessed with a pilot who was simply very lucky and what that person accomplished was a combination of many factors, including the fact that Ruby and company underestimated the EDF fighters? Something in his own pride indicated to him that he should know more about that tragic air duel and he wanted to know the answers right now.

-"Does anyone know what attacked us in Derzon, Iqit?"-

-"Well, as far as military intelligence can tell so far, they're only known to be new fighters, nothing more."- Ruby's junior answered. -"We don't know anything more about the identity of their pilots or anything that could tell us how advanced those aircraft are compared to ours."-

-"Damn."- Ruby cursed.

-"I think so too."- Iquit responded with the same annoyed expression as his senior -"Is there anything you intend to do about it, sir?"-

Ruby then looked at the graves of his dead comrades, knowing that what happened to them was not going to go unpunished, even if neither he nor the ILR knew the identity behind the person or persons responsible for their deaths. Finding the person responsible could be a very difficult and even dangerous task, but he would not let the sacrifices of his companions not be wasted.

-"I will do my best to find the bastard who did all this, and once I find him, I will personally see to it that he regrets the day he and his friends got in my way. And I will not return to this cemetery where they lie now until I have the dogtag or even the head of the person who murdered them. Only then can they rest in peace."-

Ruby uttered those words without losing his cool, but with a dreadful look of fury in his eyes, which indicated that what he was saying to Iqit was not just an empty threat, but something that he was going to spend as much time as necessary.

What Ruby didn't know was that the wheels of fate were going to send him and his nation to places and situations that were never planned before...

END OF ACT X