Barracks

Praesidium

Early October 2017

"Hey."

I turned to look at Lian, her figure somewhat obstructed by the sheer amount of steam in the bathrooms. We'd just finished showering for the night, and now dozens of women in various states of dress walked around chatting. I'd gotten used to it a while ago, as we'd pretty much seen each other without clothes countless times here. I myself was trying to fix my hair while trying to keep the towel - the only thing I was wearing - from falling.

"Hey," I said meekly. "How's it going?"

"I'm fine." She shrugged. "I noticed you were kind of quiet at girl talk today. You weren't really saying anything."

I didn't say anything.

"It's the recent operation, isn't it?"

"I guess."

"You guess? You've been deathly quiet lately. If you need to talk-"

"Trauma's one thing. Seeing dead alien kids get euthanized is another," I groaned. "I swear to god, there's some power in the universe that wants me to ride the trauma train. It's incredible how…wrong it all is."

"Yeah, I understand."

"No." I shook my head. "It's not just Desolan. It's not just the Bringer. It's the entire twisted structure of…everything. The reason this happened in the first place is that a literal child had an ego trip and thought he could do better. He's surrounded by adults who could've at any time usurped or stopped him. Yet they just stand there and don't question anything he does."

I looked at her. "We're fighting millenia-old beings who're supposed to be these super-enlightened figures that know so much. And yet they do shit like this. They act like barbarians." I snorted. "You know, when I was there, the Vitakara had the gall to call me a barbarian!" I chortled. "The gall of them!"

"What's your point?"

"The point is, how do we defeat them? An organization that's become so embedded in its own cult of personality that they believe their own lies? They seriously believe they can defeat the Sovereigns! One guy! Usually there's dissent or some kind of rebellion, but no. They know it's flawed. They know what they're doing is going to lead to failure. We're fighting the worst case of sunk-cost fallacy that we've ever seen, and they're going to risk the entire galaxy because of it."

I sighed. "I know I should be surprised, but I'm not. I'm fighting psionic gods with the minds of people who've drunk their own Kool-Aid."

"Sounds like people I knew back home, before this." Lian said. "You had people believing everything they said."

"And you didn't?" I said. "You don't seem to say anything when someone brings up Taiwan."

"You want to know a secret? That wasn't something I cared about, or frankly quite a few people. We had our ultranationalists, but most of us knew it was rhetoric on all sides." She pursed her lips. "Those of us who knew that were fortunate, and even then it was hard, even before Beijing."

"What was hard?"

"De-learning what's pushed into your head. You're lucky. Not because your country wasn't as openly propagandized as mine was, but because there were alternatives. Your companies, media, and people can say what they want without a US representative checking it first. Even those who knew couldn't escape it." She paused. "Do you know how they talk about you in cartoons?"

"...no?"

She smiled. "It's funny. You're all shown as these little animated eagles with rifles and helmets. We're these tiny rabbits that run around. 'Oh no, the big bad eagle is gonna get us. He's gonna snatch us up with his big claws and eat us'!"

I laughed, giggling like a kid as she went on.

"It's funny, but you get the point. You don't need to ask me about Tiananmen Square, the Uyghurs, or the political prisoners. I know that."

"How do you deal with it? Knowing that you were living a lie?" I asked, grabbing my toothbrush.

She raised an eyebrow. "It wasn't a lie, not in the way you're thinking. I served my role, I was good at what I did, and propaganda or not, there are things I agreed with. You don't serve in the Chinese military if you don't see some worth in it." She shrugged. "There's plenty of people unhappy about ADVENT, but frankly, we're getting out of it better than a lot of us feared. You know what?"

"What?" I said, my mouth full of toothbrush and toothpaste.

"I think we got our happy ending," she said. "As happy as we can get it, anyway. Taiwan, Tibet, Upper Mongolia…not part of China anymore, but the rest of it? Well, we could have been dismembered if ADVENT really wanted it, and we weren't. As far as I'm concerned, that's a happy ending. "

"Really?"

"What else would you call it?" She smirked. "An 'acceptable outcome?' Eh, I'll take that as well. ADVENT will probably also do us a favor and purge the CCP remnants of the corrupt parts of it. It's gonna be an adjustment for a lot of us, but at least there is still a China left."

She took her towel off and wiped down her hair. "C'mon, no more doom and gloom. It's getting late."

I took mine off, cleaning my legs and feet just to be sure before hanging it on the wall like she did. I went to my locker, grabbing the red PJs my Ethereal friend made for me.

"What are those?"

"Caelior got them for me as a gift-"

She rolled her eyes. "Can you two just kiss already?"

I just rolled my eyes. "Ha ha."

Carreria's Quarters

Praesidium

Early October 2017

I walked in to find a very angry Borelian staring at the wall. Carreria hadn't even said anything to me, only that she wanted to meet me for some reason.

"Hi-"

She let out a growl, like something a dog would make. "Do you believe my people are stupid, Dawn? Ignorant?"

"Um, no, I-"

"I thought I had already been used enough. Manipulated like a tool back from the Runiararch. Made to fight for false ideals. The Bringer was enough for me. But this is also despicable."

"You mean-"

"The slave factories? Of course! I went for so long believing them to be willing soldiers." She said, balling her fists. "They never told us how it worked, of course. Only that they saw themselves fit to fight and die alongside us. We always had our doubts, of course. There were signs they were…underdeveloped. They did not seem to have a culture or sense of development amongst them. There were signs they were different, but we never asked. You were not supposed to."

"It pains me- no, it hurts me." She growled. "Borelians have a code. Military service is a form of servitude, yes, but not slavery. When you are a soldier, you serve the people and state. You are the wall that defends them from those who wish to do harm. You stand resolute so that others can be in peace- that is our code, and every good Borelian parent teaches their young that. That is why we are willing to go to war when the other species of our kind will not. We fight, we sacrifice, we evolve. That is how we survived the Wastes."

I felt her pain, and I understood why she was so distressed. Slavery was dishonorable to her- and of course. Slavery to the Borelians was the polar - forgive my pun - opposite of their code. They had a society with a hierarchy, where everyone on it played a part.

An oppressed class like slaves served no part of it, as they suffered immensely because of their owners. Such suffering would only serve to weaken their society, as everyone had to do their part to survive the Wastes in the old days. A satisfied and duty-bound citizen that had commitment with all the amenities they needed to live a good life was a much better and effective citizen than a slave.

She stopped talking for a moment. "And then I saw what you saw. I was working for slavers. Brutes!" She almost yelled. "And yet my brethren back home continue to worship them as if they are saviors!" She growled again. "I cannot stand it! The shame of having kowtowed to such people. I served with them.."

"I-"

She snorted. "I am sure you have heard the other Vitakara talk about how more advanced they are than you. How their past is so much more civilized and ordered." She shook her head. "They are wrong. The Vitakarians, all of them, have their own racial biases. But it's the base ones that're the worst. The Vitakara. The 'template race', they call themselves. I have never heard something so astoundingly arrogant and self-centered. They named our planet after themselves without considering others. And they called my people brutes!
She almost laughed. "While they bend the knee to false gods like the Ethereals and are culpable as I."

"Wait, where is all of this-"

"It's so ironic. You people are so open about your history. You do not ignore the past crimes your people have committed. Your Germans in particular are clear about that. You are honest. You tell the past to all."

"And you're saying your people don't?"

"It is…complicated, as always," she said. "When the Vitakara eventually met all of us, they had the edge. They had the technology, the cultural development, you understand. They always had this superiority complex about themselves. They like to shape history around themselves."

"They will not say this to you, of course. Much like your racists would never out themselves in public. But many still believe these things. How my people are such brutes because we fought the bloodiest wars and used gas weapons on ourselves. How they see the Sar'Manda as people who would rather own the seas than talk to everyone else. How the Cobrarians are misandrists who would rather die out than make their males. How the Dath'Haram are so peaceful, yet call themselves the 'Blades of the People' and craft the deadliest poisons."

"And the Oyariah?"

"They see them like religious fanatics. Stone-covered peoples that eat moss and refuse to advance to the level of civilization. They decry them for still using carved stone, and living in their caves."

"I've never heard that kind of talk from others."

"Because they have interacted with us heavily, Dawn. They are soldiers, and have worked with many other species in their time. Many of the civilians have not."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Data can only tell you so much, Dawn. I have been there, in person. You never have. It's a matter of understanding how the situation is back at my home. If you want to help...change us, you need to understand what the fabric of our society is like."

"By 'change' you mean invade." I said. "There's no other way."

"I know that as well as you do." She said, her voice sounding like a sad puppy when it realized its owner had to go to work that day. "We are not responsible enough to fix our own problems. We dug this hole ourselves."

I paused for a moment. "You never mentioned the Vitakara."

"Every people have their own dark secrets." She looked around. "There are things about them they would rather keep secret. The Oyariah have their connection to the Eld-Ethereals, the Dath'Haram have their Crypt, and the Vitakara…" She got up and walked over to a shelf. She pulled out a rolled piece of paper, and sat back down. She unfurled it, unveiling an old map that'd clearly seen better days. It was covered in a lament-like cover, so fingers wouldn't damage it. "You see this?"

I nodded.

"My great-great-great grandfather was a cartographer. Back before we had computers and satellites, he made these."

"How old is this map?"

"Hundreds of years old, probably older than your family."

I couldn't argue with that, leaning in to get a better look.

"You see this?" She pointed to the lone continent where all the species, save one, lived. I nodded. "Right here…" Her claw traced to a part of the map. "This is where the Vitakara live. Here is Vitiary. You see this canyon here?"

I looked at the map, nodding. It was many kilometers from the city, and didn't look too different from the Grand Canyon. "Is there something I should know about?"

She nodded. "It is called the Canyon of the Dead. It is where a famous expedition of Vitakarian explorers died when they were finding a location to build the Fifteen Tribes' capitol."

"And?"

"It's not called the Canyon of the Dead because it's not just where those explorers died." She paused. "Underneath this canyon is a cave. Inside of that cave is a mass grave. Buried there are the remains of when the Vitakarians killed all of the-"

The door opened. Sandeath walked in, holding a large plastic-covered bowl. "Ria! I have brought-" He stopped. "Am I interrupting something?"

The smell of whatever he had in his hand immediately got my attention. It smelled like a combination of coconut and cinnamon.

"What is that?"

"Cake. Ah, I should have told you." She rolled the map back up and put it away. "Today is our anniversary."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "How many years?"

"Ten."

I nodded. "Wait, how old are you?"

She cocked her head. "You never asked?"

"I guess it just never came up. I can't really tell your age under all of that…fur."

"I am not a dog."

"You're certainly a polar bear if I've ever seen it."

She ruffled her hair. "I am…thirty-five in your years, I think."

"Wow, you're younger than my parents."

Her husband unwrapped the cake, and it didn't look a whole lot different to what I'd eat from my birthday. "Would you like some?"

"I guess, but isn't it your anniversary?"

Carreria nodded. "Yes, but I have trained you, little cub. Come and try the food."

"But the map-"

"Will be discussed later. Come, today is a special day."

Caelior's Room

Praesidium

Early October 2017

The two of them woke up at the same time, their bonded minds acting as one. Human and Ethereal, both of their heads lifted from pillows to look at each other.

Caelior stared at Dawn, her eyes glowing purple as the two looked at each other.

"Good morning." Both of them said at the same time, their linked minds perfectly synced. "How did you sleep last night?" Caelior knew what it was- the time spent bonded had put them in a sort of trance, becoming of one mind.

And right now, he was fine with it.

"I slept great, but there was this alien next to me." Both of them let out a giggle, putting a hand to their mouth, smiling.

Did I just giggle? Clearly all of the bondings they had rubbed off on him.

The two of them just looked at each other for a minute, Caelior's orange eyes looking into Dawn's purple ones. None of them were groggy or tired- the energy the bond gave them made sure of that.

Eventually, he blinked, snapping out of the trance, which caused Dawn to briefly flinch.

Good morning. He communicated through their bond. That dream you shared last night was amazing.

She frowned. We couldn't have stayed in the trance for a little longer? It feels great.

The last time we did that, we said the exact same words to each other for an hour.

Fine. She sighed. But… She looked at the bed, noticing two of his arms pinned under her. Oh, I'm sorry, I'll move-

No. He motioned for her to come closer, allowing for the arms to wrap around her, causing her to smile. The warmth resonated through their bond, causing both of them to inch closer. Dawn put her head on his shoulder as he gently pulled her closer to him, their matching Christmas-themed sleepwear coming together.

My mother used to do this when I was an infant.

Really?

Every baby has a bond with their mother, remember? Every night, she would wrap me up and put me between the two of them. The images of an infant Caelior resonated through their bond, causing Dawn's face to light up.

That is so cute! She almost blushed. Ohmygod, you're so little. You're like my dog when he was a puppy!

It pleased him when she was happy like that. It helps the child develop their own aura.

My parents just put us in cribs. Lucky.

Clearly we have superior parenting compared to you apes. She snickered, sighing into his shoulder.

What would they think of…us? Being together like this? He sensed her uncertainty, soothing her mind through the bond. An aspect of bonding he found humans barely talked about was the mental health aspect. Bondings reduced stress and eased traumatic thoughts and memories. When she slept over, Dawn barely-if ever, had nightmares anymore.

Even after bonding, she'd been feeling much better about her experiences. Even after ending a bond, both 'partners' had remnants of each other's mind, be it memories or information. That was why Dawn's Ethereal Script was so good, or why she one day woke up and was able to perfectly recite math and science she could barely herself understand.

And as for him? Well, he'd sensed changes in his personality and manner. Some days he used more human mannerisms and figures of speech, which she found hilarious.

You and I know they wouldn't like it. They would probably accuse me of being a xeno sympathizer or being 'corrupted'.

Guess I should feel lucky mine approve of our relationship. Speaking of…you said you liked the dream I shared last night?

It was wonderful. I have never been to a 'beach' before. Feeling the sand and breeze with you was special.

I promise you I'll take you to a real one someday. There's gotta be at least one deserted island where we can have some privacy.

He nodded, using a free hand to play with her hair. She had no issues with it, seeing it as him simply being curious. We never had moments like this during the war.

The Synthesized?

He nodded. Even when we were away from the front lines, there was that knowing they would be here sooner or later. You always knew the end was coming for everyone.

Dawn felt the negative emotions through him. But not here?

There is hope here. He 'spoke' in a deadpan tone. Your people can win today. Mine never could.

She snuggled closer to him, generating feelings of warmth through the bond. Do you really think we have a chance at beating them after this war? We don't have what you did.

Do you believe there is a chance?

He sensed the doubt within her. I don't know. We have the Sovereign, and we know they're coming. You never had any forewarings, right?

He nodded.

It's slim. I know that. And I know I won't be around when it happens. All I know is I'm doing the best I can so whoever comes after can try.

Dawn, I know you do not wish to, but I feel like we need to have the 'life span talk' soon.

What do you mean-oh.

He sensed her nervousness, their bond betraying him, as bonded partners could see all of each others' minds. We are very close, and I appreciate that. However, we must one day talk about the fact that you and I will not grow old together.

She said nothing for a moment. I know. I just don't know when I want to.

Do you wish to have the therapist be there?

No. This is private. I want it to be just you and me.

He understood. The Doctor had helped in many ways the old Empire had failed him in, but she could not solve everything.

I wanna change the topic, but can you promise me one thing?

Yes?

When I'm gone… She reached out, doing her best to hug him. Don't forget me, ok? Don't forget the things we did and learned together.

It was a heartfelt request, one he fully agreed with.

I…I won't sister. She was doing her best not to hide the sadness behind her words, but he sensed it nonetheless. I promise I will remember you, just like I do Amera.

I know I'm not her, but-

No. We are not romantically involved, but I will remember you like her. A caring woman who did her best to be a friend in a chaotic world. I will keep the trinkets and gifts we have exchanged. They will always have a place in my world.

She nodded. Thank you, Caelior. That…that means a lot.

He pulled her just a little bit tighter, comforting her physically and mentally. For a few minutes, they said nothing, simply exchanging feelings and emotions.

Finally, she communicated. So…do you wanna do anything today?

I have no plans.

Oh! Could we spend the whole day bonded? That'd be cool.

He had to admit, it was intriguing. The most they'd bonded was when they slept.

I do not see why not.

Her excitement flooded through his mind. Yes! We can cuddle, watch movies, stay in our PJs-

He cocked his head at that. What?

She elbowed him. I'm declaring today pajama day.

All right. With a flick of his hand, the bathroom door opened and her toiletries flew out. But please maintain your hygiene. Your breath can be atrocious. With another move, drinks and food began to be prepared. He watched as she brushed her teeth, the taste of toothpaste reverberating in his mouth. Once she was done, the toiletries went back into the bathroom, and he looked at her.

Would you like to dream-share again? I believe you would enjoy my visit to the Planet of Floating Crystals.

The look on her face told him all he needed to know.

Let us dream again. He said, pulling Dawn close into his embrace. Let us treasure this time together.

Gym

Praesidium

Early October 2017

Sweat dripped down my forehead as I kept the weight above my head. "Five…six…seven…" The seven-hundred kilogram weight did it best to bear down on me, the huge cyborg woman next to me holding it.

"Com on, you can do it." Sierra said. "Five more."

"Six…seven…eight…" My arms shook as I breathed harder. "Nine…ten!" Sierra lifted the weight away and set it down on the rack.

"Good job." She helped me get up. "You need water?"

"No." I panted. "I'm good-I think."

"Okay. You spot me next."

When it came to exercising, ever since I'd met her, Sierra had become a kind of exercise coach for me. A little bit of a personal trainer here, a little bit of drill sergeant here, and a little bit of mom all mixed together.

"Can't believe they actually have weights for us this heavy." She said as she did her best to put her seven foot plus height onto the bench, holding a much larger weight.

"I think they have some junk vehicles in the next room." I wasn't kidding, they actually did. I'd seen Caelior lift a locomotive engine when we trained together.

"Nah." She grinned. "I want to go easy today."

"Don't wanna challenge yourself today?"

"You can try it. I'm sure that video would get a lot of views."

"Whatever you say, Starscream."

She gave me her red-eye stare. "Keep talking like that young lady, and I'm dragging your ass to another round of Archangel training."

We both looked at each other before bursting into laughter. "Young lady? Good god Sierra, you're getting old!" I laughed.

"Did I seriously say that?" She shook her head in mock exasperation. " I'm sounding more like my mother."

"Hey, I'd be cool with you adopting me. I don't think anyone has a cyborg mom who can fly."

She smiled. "I don't think I'm responsible enough yet."

"Can I at least be a bridesmaid if you ever get married?"

"How about a flower girl?"

More laughter.

"Alright, alright. Spot me for real now."

I positioned myself properly and gingerly held on to the massive weight as Sierra lifted it up. As she began repping, she didn't sweat a single bit.

Does she even have sweat glands anymore?

"Four…five…six, keep going."

She huffed and breathed, pumping the weight like it was nothing.

That's what, two hundred more than mine?

"Eight…nine…ten!"

She got up and put the weight on the rack seamlessly. She wiped her forehead.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Huh?"

"You're not sweating, but you still wiped it off like you were." She looked at her hand.

"Oh." She frowned. "That's…ah."

"Is it like a phantom limb thing?" I asked, following her to a bench by a locker room. "You don't do it anymore, but you have the instinct?"

"Yeah. That's accurate, actually. It happens with a lot of things," she shrugged. "I've been like this for months, but some habits die hard, I suppose."

"Like what?"

"Well, you've seen me 'eat'. Sometimes after that, I wander into bathrooms even if I don't use them." She patted her stomach. "Other times I feel like I have to clip my nails if they're too long, but those aren't there too."

"Do you ever feel empty because of it?"

She shrugged. "Not really, at least in the way you're thinking. I don't feel depressed or anything because of it, but I wouldn't lie and say it doesn't bug me sometimes. I do miss real food, knowing it can't fuel me or that my teeth aren't real. My brain thinks it's all real, but I know I don't. Hell, I don't really have any muscles. I just do this to keep myself occupied…" She looked at me. "And to do something with my friends."

I put my hand on hers. "That's really nice of you. Thanks to XCOM, I've got dozens of new parent figures like you."

"Don't make me blush." She smiled. "Dawn, that's sweet of you."

"I know. It just makes me feel bad that I can't help with…" I waved my hand. "This. I know you've sacrificed a lot, but it's not right that you don't feel whole. I mean, do you still count as human, even?"

"I don't follow."

"I mean, I can sense a few of your organs, but-"

"Wait, you can do that?"

"Yeah. Biopathy. It's kind of innate. If I try, I can feel people's flesh. I know that sounds really weird, but it's something I can do. I don't use it a whole lot, but it's there."

She showed a mix of surprise and astoundment. "So what can you sense?"

"Your brain and your tongue. Everything else, well, it's metal."

"And that's why you asked if I'm still human?"

"I mean, no offense, but you're basically a brain in a jar now. Barely any of you is organic. Your brain thinks you're human, but do you think you're still human."

"Well, I'm not an AI like Abby is."

"I know, but she-it-whatever's all computer. You've still got flesh. But most of you is gone. You're a cyborg, but in retrospect, do you think you're still human?"

She pursed her lips. "As far as I'm concerned, yeah. Just a Human with a lot of parts taken out and replaced. I'd consider Humans to be more than the sum of their parts, or lack thereof. So, I'm still Human, even if some would say I'm not."

"Would you take it back, though?"

"What?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. If after all of this you had a chance to go back to being flesh and bone, would you take it?"

She looked away for a moment. "No."

"You wouldn't?"

"No. I made this choice, and everything I've experienced makes me sure it is the right one. It's easier in many ways; I may sometimes miss my biological needs, but more as a novelty than true loss," she answered. "I'm still me, and that's what matters. Only a me that's with fewer restraints and restrictions. It's a freedom that I wouldn't take back."

"Really?"

"And I can do this." She effortlessly picked me up, heaving me over her shoulders. "Look at that. You don't even weigh as much as the weights."

"Hey!"

"What are you going to do, take my arms away?"

I sighed as she put me down. "Very funny." I rolled my eyes.

"And I didn't mention the best part!" Her skin changed to a dark brown, then a lighter shade, and another short range of tones before reverting to her regular pale. "Can you do that?"

"You got me beat."

"Not too bad, huh?" Her voice suddenly adopted a thick Southern accent, one that was almost an exact copy of mine. "How ya doing, pardner?" She grinned.

"I do not sound like that!"

"Ya sure do! Got any moonshine in there?"

I rolled my eyes. "How many crayons did they feed you in the Marines again?"

"Too many." She switched back to her normal voice. "C'mon. Let's see if you can beat me."

Mess Hall

Praesidium

Early October 2017

There was a reason Kunio hadn't talked with me recently, and we both knew it. He hadn't contacted me since Desolan, and I hadn't seen him anywhere.

Until today.

I found him in the mess hall, sitting in front of an empty plate, quiet. I sat down across from, taking my attention away from the large burgers my stomach had been screaming at me to eat.

"Hey." I said. Kunio didn't look up, continuing to look at his food. "I haven't seen you in a bit."

Still nothing. I put my food down, rapping my knuckle on the table. "Hello?"

Finally, I got a reaction. He nodded. "Dawn. It's been a minute." I sat down.

"You okay? I haven't seen you in a while."

"No. No, I'm not okay."

I didn't need to be a telepath to tell he wasn't feeling happy. "I just wanted to check up on you. I haven't heard anything from you since the mission, and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I respect that, Dawn. But I really don't want to talk about it."

I gulped. "We got that little notification about reprisals. I'm guessing that was us."

"Don't have to guess, I'm pretty sure it's confirmed…somewhere." Kunio said.

"Personally, I think it's all bullshit. They were justified and I'm not gonna be lectured on it. I don't care if you're a goddamn janitor or a teacher. Complacency means you're okay with it. The Commander wasn't there." I said. "Do they seriously think we're gonna go around and just shoot everybody now?"

"Maybe. I get it from their perspective. Doesn't change how I feel, but I get why." Kunio said, taking a drink. "We're sending that footage to everyone. I hear we're taking it to Vitakar, too. The Collective soldiers have to know something."

"They're in a cult. That's why. Have you seen how they talk about the Ethereals? The Vitakarians talk on and on about how they're above religion, then they'll turn around and worship the Ethereals like gods. I've talked to them. When they came to Earth, they didn't know why they were fighting. They just knew the Ethereals wanted them to, and that was all they needed."

"It's interesting," he mused. "Even aliens fall into the same traps we did. Soldiers and civilizations following the orders of states and leaders without thought or question. In that respect, they're not too different than we have acted."

"It's worse there. They've been under the yoke for hundreds of years. The Vitakarians are so naive the Zararch will take their neighbors away and they won't question it. They won't ask questions. If you tell a Vitakara the Elders want them to fight and die, they will. How do you break something like that?"

"That's not some cult-like mentality, that's basic survival instinct," Kunio shook his head. "Sure, they will fight and die. So do we because the Commander or Chancellor order it. That's not special, and perhaps we should start thinking that they're some misguided, weak, or subservient people."

He swirled his drink. "Perhaps they simply believe it, and are fighting accordingly. Maybe we shouldn't treat them as children, infantilizing their actions. Maybe the reason we're not getting through to them despite everything is that they ultimately, truly, believe it."

"I feel like we need to hit harder. I want them to see what their rulers really are, but we can't. They should be scared, Kunio. They should be ashamed. They're sending their kids off to die in a stupid war and worshiping the people who're basically putting them in the ground. What we did back there? I'd do it again."

Kunio didn't speak, but simply acknowledged with a head nod.

"I swear, if someone says that footage is fake to my face, I'm blowing their damn brains out."

Kunio nodded again.

What was that quote?

Get it all on record now-get the films-get the witnesses-because somewhere down the road of history some bastard will get up and say that this never happened.

Thanks, Ike.

"What do you think the other side's gonna say about it?"

"That we attacked a military installation and caused severe damage to the war effort, if they make an effort to share it at all," Kunio considered. "The people we killed will be used as a rallying cry - or at least a justification."

"When we take over Vitakar, we're gonna have our work cut out for us, won't we?"

He gave a little smile. "At least occupation duty will be easier than this."

"So what're you going to do now?" I asked.

"For now, I'll have a few days off, then it's back to work." He said. "Orders from the Commander directly, ADVENT psions that I'm going to be training. It'll be good to have something else to focus on."

"I understand that." I said. "But I think I have something that'll cheer you up." I pulled out my phone, scrolling through some pictures before handing it to him. "You like being a teacher?"

He looked at the photo, lifting an eyebrow. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Yep."

He looked at the person I'd just recruited for a few minutes, saying nothing. He gave a little smile before handing the phone back to me. "He didn't tell me you got this one on board."

I cocked my head. "Sorry?"

"Just so happens that she's one of those I'm expecting," he smiled slightly. "Good work, and thank you."

I just shrugged. "Just doing my job."

"Well," He said. "Looks like I've got something else to look forward to in the future. I'll be sure to bring her by sometime after training."

To be continued in:

Legal Matters