The Orbital Gatling Barrage.

An offensive strategem designed for swift close-range support, its explosive rounds and sheer weight of fire penetrate and destroy all but the heaviest of targets.

A supplement to the Class-Six Series Crewed Interplanetary Combat Vessel's main cannons, it provides, albeit much less-powered, swift and constant supportive fire from low orbit. Designed as a four-barreled rotary cannon chambered in twenty-three-millimeter autocannon rounds, it can unleash a barrage of Armor-Piercing-High-Explosive-Tracers at a blistering one-thousand-three-hundred-thirty-three rounds per minute, with a full unimpeded burst consisting of three-hundred rounds.

Though, in the case of the Helldivers, each salvo is limited to sixty rounds to mitigate ammunition expenditure, alongside the reduction in the rotary cannon's rate of fire to ensure combat effectiveness over prolonged missions.

Although the rounds fired from the rotary cannon are hampered by a multitude of other factors, such as terminal velocity and air resistance that is not as prevalent with its brother variants, it circumvents the fact through sheer weight of fire.

Each round fired contains a significant High-Explosive payload relative to its weight, and is tipped with a depleted uranium penetrator, ensuring maximum Anti-Personnel and Anti-Armor capabilities despite the aforementioned.

When requested by the Helldiver, the area subsequently lit up by the requisite strategem beacon will then be locked down by the barrage, eviscerating most targets that fall under its fire. With a maximum effective radius of twenty meters, and with its barrage lasting around twelve seconds, an area can be effectively suppressed and cleared of any enemies that would dare to step in the face of Democracy.

What further differentiates the Orbital Gatling Barrage from its brothers is its ability to be requested at a faster rate. With its one-hundred-twenty and three-hundred-eighty-millimeter counterparts requiring a few seconds at least to reach its target, the OGB takes a fraction of that time.

Similarly with its reload time, requiring a little over a minute to rearm and cooldown, its brother variants require at least two minutes to rearm. This allows the Orbital Gatling Barrage to be requested a multitude of times over the course of a mission.

Though lacking the earth-cracking firepower of its peers, its versatility and speed more than makes up for the lack of, placing it in a position to shore up areas its brothers cannot.

The Orbital Gatling Barrage.

This Democratic Message Is Brought To You By: The Arrowhead Space Agency.

Within the Shiba Seki Ramen Restaurant

Shifting my seat to the other side of the table, I positioned myself to keep an eye on the dissidents hanging out across the street. Sure enough, they were still there, weapons stowed but close at hand. Counting at least a dozen of the dissidents, I twiddled my thumbs, racking my brain for any plans.

"Your ramen." Serika stated blandly as she set down the steaming bowl onto my table.

I turned my head to meet her. "Thanks..." I trailed off as I perked my head back up. "Also, do you mind sitting here with me?"

A hard glare is sent my way.

I glanced at the bowl. "Just hoping we could talk."

She crossed her arms. "About?"

I waved a hand. "Oh y'know, life-" She rolled her eyes. "-School, tactics, your glaring hatred towards me."

She froze up at that last part.

I shrugged. "I don't know what I did to earn your ire, but I wasn't hired as a 'Sensei' for no reason, Serika."

She scoffed my way, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I've had my fair share of cadets under me." I leaned forward onto the table. "All types of people, across all sorts of planets and battlefields." I shook my head. "One doesn't make it to the rank of Sergeant without knowing a thing or two about handling personnel."

She stared into my visor for a few seconds before huffing, ultimately relenting as she pulled up a chair from an adjacent table. Seating herself across from me, she slumped back and crossed her arms once more.

"Of course, I'm not going to interrogate you or anything, merely curious." I looked down at my bowl, searching for anything to eat the ramen that sat in front of me with.

With a sigh, Serika patted her apron a few times before producing a pair of wooden sticks, setting them down onto the table with some force.

"Thanks."

"Mmm hmm." She hummed.

I picked up the sticks and stared at them. Now this definitely isn't standard issue in the mess kit.

"Uh..." I began as I held them up. "Got any forks?"

She raised a brow my way. "You don't know how to use them?"

I drummed my bowl with the sticks. "Nope."

A sigh escapes her as she held up one hand, with the other holding up another pair of sticks.

"Like this."

Placing the one stick in the valley of her index finger and thumb, she had the stick be supported by her ring finger as she placed the other stick to be held with the thumb, index and middle finger.

I raised a brow as I mirrored her actions. Heard of chopsticks before, never actually seen them in action.

With a few clumsy attempts, I finally had the sticks seated in my hand properly. Pinching the sticks together, I nodded approvingly at them before poking at my ramen.

"So, where to begin?" I asked as I lifted up some of the noodles, steam coming off the food.

She exhaled. "Do we really have to do this?"

I nodded. "Yes, anything that affects team cohesion negatively could cost us." I looked up back at the uniformed student. "Quite expensively at that too."

She rolled her eyes. "So? It's not like you're going to be around all that long anyways."

I set the noodles back into the bowl. "What makes you say that?"

"You adults are all the same-" She spat out with malice. "-Quick to sweet talk just because you're all older than us."

Looks like she has a bit of a history. "What do you mean by that?" I questioned as I set down the chopsticks.

She clicked her tongue. "We've had plenty of adults come by to Abydos, promising to help and all that-" She waved a hand outside, presumably towards the desert. "-And look where all that help, got us."

I slumped back into my seat. "So this does have to do with the debt."

She shot me a hard glare as she leaned forward. "You don't get to talk about that."

I crossed my arms, getting somewhere at least. "I don't know how to convince you otherwise, but I'm here to stay and help." I jabbed a thumb at myself. "Wouldn't have gotten you and your squad mates all that equipment otherwise."

She opened her mouth to retort, but held it back.

I leaned in closer. "Look, Serika." I interlocked my hands and let my chin rest on them. "I can't say I know what you all have been through. Given what you told me, it looks like your distrust isn't all that unearned."

"Uh huh." She deadpanned.

"But, what I do know for sure, is that it'll be different this time around."

She shook her head in turn. "How so?"

"Because, my dear Cadet-!" I raised my voice as I got to my feet, knocking down my chair. "-That is what the Helldivers do!"

I jabbed a thumb at myself. "We turn impossible odds into ones that are favorable!"

With a hand outstretched towards her, I continued. "Though, when we work together, we can get that done a little faster."

With a bewildered look, she glanced at my hand, then back into my visor.

"So what do you say, Serika? Care to give this Diver a chance?"

The edges of her mouth crept up ever so slightly. Contemplating whether or not to accept the gesture, she slowly raised her own hand.

"Sensei! Watch out!" Arona cried out.

Shooting my head up, my eyes went wide as I locked onto the dissidents outside. Just as I had let my guard down, the gang surrounded the exterior of the restaurant, guns at the ready and barrels trained on us.

"GET DOWN!"

Just before she could shake my hand, I had leapt forward, knocking the table to the side as I tackled Serika.

"W-w-what are you doing!?" She cried out, a deep flush of red painting her face.

Dozens of rounds flew overhead as they shattered the window, digging themselves into the wall behind us, sending all manner of wooden splinters and shredded paper around.

"Looks like they got tired of waiting!"

Reaching my hand around, I grabbed a G-12 H.E grenade from my hip before ripping the pin out.

"'NADE OUT!"

Throwing the grenade out the window, I placed both hands onto Serika's shoulders before lifting her up.

"Up and at 'em, Cadet! Time to get the lead out!"

I realize she's still in a sort of daze after the ambush.

Pushing her to the side, I took up my 'Breaker' as I positioned myself next to the broken window to return fire. As the Helmet Gang was in the middle of recovering from the grenade, I took the opportunity to put a few shells down range. After putting down a few dissidents, I tossed away the empty mag before dropping the shotgun, my sling catching it as I prepped another G-12 to be thrown.

"Throwing grenade!"

After tossing the explosive device, I vaulted over the windowsill. Assuming cover behind a concrete planter, I patted myself down for another magazine before realizing I never did restock back at Abydos.

I craned my head around towards the restaurant, 'Redeemer' in hand. "Any time now, Cadet!"

A stray round pings off my chestplate, the Titanium-A plating doing wonders to keep the lead out of me. Putting a few bursts down range, I tossed myself out from behind the concrete planter towards a ruined car before throwing away an empty magazine, subsequently slamming another into the machine pistol.

I can hear a few of the dissidents creeping up on me. "Serika! No time like the present, Cadet!"

A burst of rounds flew out from the window and impacted a gang member in my blind spot, the three rounds finding themselves a new home in their helmet.

"Oh, now it's ON!" Serika roared as she clenched a fist.

As she vaulted over the windowsill, something like a blue flame created a circular outline around her before burning out of existence just as quickly as it came.

I left any questions unspoken as I got to my feet, my 'Redeemer' kicking in my hands as I emptied its magazine into a few of the dissidents. Crouching back down into cover, I watched as the now angered black cat engaged the enemy with an unseen swiftness and vigor, rapidly and accurately firing bursts into the helmeted gang members.

"C'mon! I'll take you all on!" She roared as she tossed away an empty mag, subsequently loading in another.

Just as what's left of the gang retreated, a deep thump reverberated all around us. Serika's ears flickered as she looked around to identify where the noise originated from. As I was about to join her, an explosion took us both off of our feet.

Hitting the ground hard, I feel something break as my back met the concrete.

"Sensei!? Serika!?"

Struggling to get any air into my lungs, my diaphragm refusing to cooperate, I reached around into my stim pouch before pulling away with one of the cylindrical devices. Stabbing down onto my thigh, my body shuddered as the solution worked its magic.

With a deep inhale, I picked myself up and scrambled towards Serika, her crumpled form sent a few meters away from where the blast originated. As I approached, she struggled to stay awake, her halo flickering in and out of existence as she slowly blinked.

Crouching down next to her, I inspected her injuries. I grimaced as I looked down at her abdomen, where her clothes were disintegrated, large and deep bruises were revealed, most of which dominating a great majority of her body.

"Hey! Ain't that Sensei!?" One of the dissidents pointed out in the distance behind me.

I catch the sounds of several sets of footsteps come into earshot.

A sharp snap of a bolt being released filled the air. "You're right! What's he doin' here?"

"Hell if I know, but he's here on his own too! We can take him out and get that Abydos brat!"

"Hol' up, doesn't he have that alien ship or whatever?"

"Pfffft!" One of them laughs as a faint slap rang out. "You really believe all that?"

"Yeah right, we can get him out the picture right here and now! Get that flak gun reloaded!"

"Sensei!" Arona began, her voice laced with worry. "They have artillery a few meters out! Be careful!"

No point sticking around to find out if that flak gun really does exist. Picking up her rifle, I attached it to another sling on my chestplate before pulling her up and over my shoulder. With a grunt, I got to my feet and hightailed it in the opposite direction.

"Hey! They're getting away!"

"After them!"

As our assailants pursued us, another deep thump echoed all around us. I grimaced as the shell whistled through the air, the projectile being a stark reminder of-

The shell narrowly hit its mark, the projectile shattering and exploding the asphalt a few meters next to us, sending debris into the air. Throwing the both of us to the side, I held Serika close as I used myself to shield her from the hail of asphalt. Once more hitting the ground, I reach around and stab myself with another stim, my arm that was screaming in pain subsequently calming down as it fixed itself. With exhaustion bearing down on me, I make the call to set Serika down in an abandoned car close by.

With the dust kicked up by the artillery acting as our screen, I took the chance to set the injured student down into the back seat of the car.

I contemplated whether or not to use a stim on her before having those thoughts thoroughly redirected towards our aggressors. With rounds flying through the air, I grabbed a strategem beacon and lifted up my terminal.

'Up Right Right.'

Tossing the beacon as far as I could, I catch a few more rounds to the chest. I internally thank the durable construction of my armor as it deflected the small caliber rounds. With the beacon hitting the ground, an angry red pillar of light pierced the air and sky, the impromptu light show catching the dissidents off guard.

"Hey..." One of them began as the stared at the beacon. "Ain't that the same light thing from when that alien ship or whatever came by?"

The gang members paused to glance at each other before locking back onto the beacon.

Just before any of them could get another word out, the road was subsequently riddled with thirty-millimeter rounds, shredding, shattering and annihilating whatever stood in its way. Strafing run complete, the Eagle fighter sped on by towards the sky, releasing chaff as it disappeared into the blue canvas.

With their ranks broken, I advanced. G-12's in hand, I ripped out their pins and tossed them their way, the high-explosive grenades kicking the dissidents off their feet. Lifting up my 'Redeemer', I put a few rounds into the dazed dissidents, the bullets finding themselves planted into their helmets.

A round jerks my head to the side violently, giving me a minor concussion. With a growl, I turned their way, sending another burst into the air as they jumped for cover. As my machine pistol clicked empty, I holstered it as I tossed myself towards one of the many guns that littered the floor. Pulling away with a rifle, I patted down one of the dissidents for any extra magazines.

Shoving a few into my pouches, I picked myself up into a crouch as I shouldered the unfamiliar rifle. Outnumbered ten to one, I advanced slowly, gunning down any dissident that crossed my sights.

"It's just one guy!"

I catch another round to the shoulder before swinging my rifle around, subsequently putting an accurate burst into their helmet.

"How's he not goin' down!?"

Another round tears through my right thigh. Ignoring the pain, I continued my advance, tossing away my empty rifle before grabbing another from the multitude of unconscious dissidents.

Jabbing another stim into my neck, I tossed away the empty injector before shoulder checking a dissident caught off guard. Submachine gun haphazardly spraying into the air, my chestplate deflected another round as I grabbed the barrel. Disarming the gang member, I turned the weapon back onto them before ripping a burst into their helmet.

"H-holy- I didn't sign up for this!"

"T-that's Sensei!? I'm outta here!"

"O-oi! Get your asses back here! We still have the flak gun!"

True to her words, the flak gun was still in commission. Just as what was left of the gang retreated to a more defensible position, the report of the artillery piece filled the air. With exhaustion bearing down on me, I found myself caught in the open as the flak round pierced the air, a blood-chilling whistle produced in its wake.

Forcing myself to dive to the side, the flak round flew by at sub-sonic speeds before planting itself into an abandoned shop, with the subsequent explosion sending shattered concrete and glass shards into the air. Unfortunately, I didn't escape the shrapnel. Chunks of concrete pelted me, denting my armor on impact, and wherever I wasn't armored, the glass shredded and tore through. On the bright side, the dust kicked up from the explosion created a screen, giving me the chance to retreat.

"H-hey! He's gettin' away!"

"After him!"

Stubborn, I'll give them that, but sorely unorganized. Grabbing another beacon, I lifted my strategem terminal to input another code.

'Right Down Left Up Up.'

Throwing the beacon behind me, I continued my retreat towards Serika. Not risking the chance of glancing over my shoulder, I trusted that the beacon would do its job. And do its job it did, as not too long after, round after round after round of twenty-three-millimeter A.P.H.E.T's impacted the ground, building and dissident alike.

With the area suppressed, I made my way back towards the wrecked car housing the injured student. Still unconscious, I hefted the student back over my shoulder after I re-slung her rifle back onto me. With labored pants, I held her close as I painstakingly moved as fast as I could.

"Oh no, no no no, your heartrate's dropping! Sensei, we need to get you medical assistance now!" Arona cried out as she monitored my steadily decreasing biometrics.

My vision tunneling, I reached around into my stim pouch. Grasping at air, I grimaced as pulled away with nothing. With gritted teeth, I continued my retreat as blood trailed down my armor. Shaking my head, I grunted in pain as I redoubled my efforts, the adrenaline in my body doing its damnest to keep me awake and moving.

As exhaustion, pain and dread clawed at every ounce of my being, I bit down harder. If they never gave up, how could I?

I am not losing a cadet. Not ever again.