On a jungle planet, the Saibamen were the indigenous population ruled over by the Insane. The Saibamen were plant-based with light green skin, red eyes, clawed fingers and toes, and hairless. They were conceived as seeds in the ground and then born when they sprouted. As with ordinary plants, they survived on water and sunlight. Their height was generally 153 centimeters. The Insane used them for training purposes as each Saibamen had the equivalent power level of a low-level warrior. Mon, himself, fought against multiple Saibamen attackers at once as a child. The Saibamen were kept from fighting with Insane warriors in battle since it was considered dishonorable to use them this way and would take glory from the Insane.

Over a thousand years ago, during the decline of the Insane Empire, the Saibamen rebelled against their Insane masters. They often used hit-and-run tactics and guerrilla warfare in the jungles. In one such skirmish, an Insane patrol went up and down the highlands. "Fucking grass, fucking heat, this fucking sucks," an Insane commander remarked.

A beam suddenly went through his head and an explosion ripped through the Insane column. The Saibamen charged from both sides in an elaborate ambush. The Insane returned fire with energy beams of their own. The Insane were far more powerful with their energy discharges, but the Saibamen came in overwhelming numbers. As the Saibamen breached the Insane lines, some of them attached themselves to the Insane and blew themselves up. In short order, all of the Insane warriors were killed.

Present Day

As part of her crusade, Imperial Princess Mara-El came upon the Saibamen world. As it happened, the world was facing a brutal civil war between the northern and southern hemispheres. Mara offered the Christian faith to both sides but only the South was interested. The new leader of the South became a devout Christian and offered to impose Christian faith and morals upon his people whether they liked it or not. Mara was pleased by this gesture and offered an alliance between South Saiba and the Galactic Federation. However, many in the South were pissed off because they weren't particularly keen on the sudden change in religion and morals and because Mara was an Insane. Many believed Mara was one of many Insane that had used and enslaved the Saibamen for their purposes over thousands of years. President Din Die was unconcerned with his people's outrage and believed completely in his faith and the Galactic Federation's alliance. He became a total dictator and started purging the South of dissidents.

In the North, news of Mara's intervention was a propaganda boom for them. The North was more unified, more numerous, and ideologically driven to unify the planet. They were also, secretly, being given considerable military, logistical, and financial support by the Dominators, who were a rival to the Galactic Federation. The war quickly became a proxy war between the Galactic Federation and the Dominators.

The Imperial fleet bombed the North relentlessly from space while drone armies conducted search and destroy missions in the South. Mara hesitated, for now, to engage the North directly. Instead, she decided to shore up support in the South. Seeing this as an opportunity to give the Space Marines some experience, Mara dropped them into South Saiba for low-risk patrols and guard duty.

Mara met with several Space Marine Primarchs on the matter on the USS Kara, the flagship of the Imperial fleet. "I have justified this build-up to Metropolis on the promise of a quick victory against...plant people," Mara said seriously.

"The problem with Saiba is terrain. The jungles, mountains, rivers, and maneuvering are a nightmare," Jorus said knowingly.

"That's why we should be using helicopters to leap in and out of battle. We should run a test on the idea," Tagnus said.

"What leader do you suggest?" Mara asked.

"I know a chapter master named Gibson who is a badass. He's into leaping out of airplanes without a parachute. Says they're for pussies," Hulgrim pointed out.

"I'm not sure how to take that, but he sounds like my man," Mara agreed.

Fort Gibson, Georgia

Immediately, a battalion of the Empress' Children Space Marines was assigned to begin training for battle on Saiba. Chapter Master Gibson and Senior Sergeant Elliot welcomed the opportunity to kick ass. As it happened, Alex was in this battalion. The men trained on their weapon systems and air-assault missions with helicopters. As a helicopter landed on the ground, the lieutenant in charge was gung-ho to get out.

"Your officer is dead, what do you do?" Gibson asked as he pushed the lieutenant back in.

"Well...," the Veteran Sgt hesitated.

"Okay, you're dead, too. What are the rest of you going to do?" Gibson asked the rest.

"Get out of the chopper!" Alex shouted and then pushed the other men to get out. The men exited the helicopter and formed a perimeter.

"Come on in, that was shit," Gibson said unimpressed. "You all need to learn the job of the man above you and teach your job below you in rank. We'll be landing under fire. Men will die."

Gibson trained the captains and lieutenants with constant field runs and they, in turn, trained their men. After a rather tough ruck, one good lieutenant ordered his men to check their feet, treat injuries, and get new socks from supply. Alex's lieutenant was the other guy. "Why the hell are you in the back? God damn it, why are you in the back? More your ass. What the fuck?" Alex's lieutenant yelled at his men.

Meanwhile, Kelly attended a meeting with the wives of the Space Marines about to go into battle. Gibson's wife was leading it, naturally. "Ladies, I'm really glad you're here today. I know some of you are new to the Space Marines and to this post, so I thought we should pull our ration resources together and answer any questions you may have. So, does everyone know where the commissaries are in case one is out of the food item you need?"

"I've thought about going to the one in town, but I keep thinking my water's gonna break right in the checkout aisle," one woman joked. The other women laughed at that.

"Oh, being female and pregnant is funny," Gibson's wife chuckled. "What about laundry?"

"The base's laundry facilities are down because the men decided it was a good idea to put clothes with pockets full of sand in the washing machines," one woman reported.

"I'll take care of that bullshit," Gibson's wife noted.

"In the meantime, the laundromat in town is okay but they won't let Black Cats, Golden Retrievers, ChapSticks, Studs, Uhauls, Vagitarians, Gal-Pals, Bulldaggers, and Dykons allowed in. I don't even know what some of those words mean, honestly," one said. "I mean, why on Earth would you put a Black Cat in a washing machine?"

"They mean heterosexual women only," Kelly said patiently.

"Wait...what?" the other woman said confused.

"It's not a big deal. I know what my wife is fighting for and that's why I can smile," Kelly said brightly.

In the chapel, Alex contemplated her existence. "What the fuck am I fighting for?" she wondered.

Gibson came by and noticed Alex in the pews. "Oh, Sir," Alex said as she noticed him.

"At ease, at ease, I heard one of my Space Marines is married to a woman and is a mother, and I just had to see it, myself," Gibson said brightly. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"It's fine, Sir," Alex said as they sat down together in the pews.

"How's your partner?" Gibson asked nonchalantly.

"She's sleeping with my daughter. I come here occasionally in the early morning," Alex said. "Sir, what do you think about being both a parent and a Space Marine?"

"I hope that being good in one makes me better in the other...in that order," Gibson said honestly. "Why, what about you?"

"I have been through some crazy shit in my life. I just hope God has a plan for me and has not discarded me as a lost cause," Alex said.

"Well, let's ask Him," Gibson advised.

The two got on their knees before God. "Our Father in Heaven, before we go into glorious battle, every Space Marine will approach you, each in his or her own sexuality. Our enemies, too, according to their own weird-ass plant sexuality. And so, we bow before your infinite wisdom and offer our prayers the best we can...and outsource our prayers to your saints and angels who will then filter our filthy requests into something you'll actually accept. I pray that you watch over young queer women like Alex Olsen that I lead into battle. You use me as an instrument in this holiest of crusades to watch over them and ignore our enemies' heathen prayers and help us blow those little bastards straight to hell where they belong. Amen," Gibson prayed.

"How inappropriate, thank you, Sir," Alex said sincerely.

Alex skipped the Space Marine party to avoid controversy as the only queer couple present. However, Kelly insisted on being present when the Space Marines were shipped out. Gibson addressed his battalion on a football field wearing his Space Marine armor.

"Look around you, we got a captain from Ukraine, another from Puerto Rico. We've got Japanese, Chinese, Africans, Latins, Indians, Jews, and Gentiles. All Space Marines. Now, here in the great state of Georgia, one woman in this unit may experience discrimination because of her sexuality...," Gibson began.

Alex kept a straight face even as she was being pandered to. Gibson continued his speech. "But for you and me, that's all gone. We're moving into the shadow of the valley of death where you will wash the back of the man behind you, and he will wash yours. And you won't care if it seems queer at the time, because you'll be sweating your ass off out there in that jungle. They say we're leaving home. We're going where home was always supposed to be. Saiba, North and South, properly belongs in the Galactic Federation as one of our new rental properties, so to speak. So, let me be clear. We are going into battle against a tough and determined enemy. I can't promise you I'll bring you all, or most, or some, or even a few of you home alive. But this I swear, before Almighty God, that when we go into battle, I will be the first to set foot on the field and I will be the last one to step off. And I will leave no one behind, dead or alive, we will all come home together, so help me God."

Saiba

Mara was constantly briefed on the missions to shore up the South's defenses before an invasion into the North. "The enemy engaged our Space Marine outpost here and withdrew into the mountains toward the hemispheric border. No casualties," Hulgrim reported to Mara.

"How many men are battle-ready to respond?" Mara asked.

"Nearly four hundred," Hulgrim reported.

"What is the enemy's strength?" Mara asked.

"Manageable, probably, maybe," Hulgrim shrugged.

"You have no idea," Mara concluded.

"The Saibamen are cold-blooded and have the same infrared signature as the vegetation. They're also known for building underground tunnels for surprise attacks. However, they have been quite ineffective against both the drones and Space Marines. We haven't lost a man since we got here," Hulgrim said.

"It looks like an ambush," Mara judged.

"Are we going to just sit on our ass the whole war?" Hulgrim asked impatiently.

"Alex Olsen is in your unit," Mara noticed as she reviewed the men's names.

"Yeah...," Hulgrim said embarrassed.

"Send them out for a recon mission, few hours, bring them back. We'll see how the enemy responds," Mara allowed.

The Space Marines on the surface rushed into helicopters. They were all wearing their combat armor and were armed with plasma rifles, grenades, and knives. The multiple-winged helicopters took the battalion to a cleared-out landing zone outside the wire. Below the helicopters was thick jungle vegetation. The helicopter squadron moved in a linear formation. Nearby artillery fired on the perimeter of the landing zone with bunker-blasting shells. The ground exploded as shells fell all around. Nearby tunnel systems were exposed and blocked as the shell went deep.

The helicopters arrived at the landing zone, and, true to his word, Gibson was the first to step foot on the field. A perimeter was quickly formed as the men got out of the helicopters and then let the jungle have it with suppressive fire. The jungle was lit up as the Space Marines fired their plasma rifles non-stop. The shooting continued until everyone was dropped off at the landing zone.

Gibson motioned for a cease-fire as the enemy didn't appear to be present. The expectation was for the Space Marines to hang out in the field for a couple of hours, engage no one, and go back. The drone army was the main driver of military combat. Alex's platoon got up and made their way into the wood line to recon the area. They spotted a random Saibaman hanging out.

"It's a scout, let's take it prisoner, and put our thumb up its butt!" the lieutenant shouted and then ran after him.

"Oh my God, this is such a bad idea," Alex muttered as she ran with the rest of the men.

As it happened, it was a bad idea. Not only was this "scout" leading the Space Marines into a trap, but it was also already unnecessary. A local Saibaman had been captured by Gibson's HQ men and interrogated. Apparently, an entire division of the Saibamen enemy was in the mountains. Gibson quickly ordered all of his leaders to hold their positions, but Alex's lieutenant was too busy being a hero to hear the radio message.

In the dense forest, the Saibamen fired on the Space Marines with ki energy beams from their hands. "Chapter Master says to...," the radio tech officer said and then got shot down dead. Bravo Company 2nd Platoon was now fully engaged by the Saibamen forces. Alex and her platoon quickly returned fire but found themselves overwhelmed. They attempted to pull back with the rest of the battalion, taking the wounded with them. The Saibamen quickly moved to surround Alex's platoon to cut them off. The forest became alive with plasma fire from both sides. Alex's lieutenant was mortally wounded in the intense crossfire. Alex and a sergeant did what they could to save him, but it was too late.

"For God, for the empire," the lieutenant said as he died. Also, their veteran sergeant was killed.

"Well...shit," Alex sighed and got on the radio. "We are cut off, copy? We are cut off."

The rest of the battalion was generally being engaged on all sides at the landing zone. Additional helicopters arrived to double down on the landing zone with more Space Marines. Artillery from a distance fired on the enemy position giving Alex's platoon some relief. The artillery shells blasted the Saibamen to bits, throwing limbs and green blood everywhere.

"They're getting closer. Repeat, repeat," Alex radioed. "They're right on top of us. Bring it in close."

The artillery fired more shells blasting the encroaching Saibamen right in front of Alex. Despite the relentless and accurate artillery fire, the Saibamen kept coming using the tunnel systems to try to find a weakness within the perimeter. Helicopters arrived to drop off more Space Marines but did not land due to the intensity of the fire. The Space Marines made use of a dried-up creek bed to give themselves some cover. Gibson, despite being in the center of the landing zone, was occasionally messed with by Saibamen getting through the perimeter.

Alex's platoon was now contending with a swarm of Saibamen ready to get on top of them. "This is where we hold them. This is where we fuck them. This is where we give them a reach around!" Sgt. Savage declared.

"Hoorah!" the platoon shouted.

"Remember this day, men, for it will be yours for all time. "Let's get some!" Sgt Savage said to his men and then faced down the Saibamen swarm. "Come!" he challenged the Saibamen.

"Give them everything, take nothing!" Sgt. Savage said to his men as they were about to fire. "Fire!"

The two sides blasted each other with energy beams and then clashed physically with blades and claws. The Space Marines pushed the Saibaman back using their chainsaw swords and pistols at close range. The battlefield became an instant bloodbath as Saibamen fell all around them.

"No prisoners, no mercy!" Sgt. Savage told his men.

As the battlefield thinned out, Sgt Savage went out to get some freestyle kills. With some expert fancy moves he split in half and sliced off the limbs of individual Saibaman fighters. Other Space Marines joined him until the Saibamen swarm backed off.

The Saibamen then tried a different approach, launching large plant-based horned beasts and charging them at the Space Marine lines. Alex fired a TOW missile which blasted the head off the plant beast, dropping it. The Saibamen then charged the Space Marine lines to get some suicide bombing kills. One grabbed ahold of a Space Marine to self-destruct. The Space Marine charged the Saibamen lines and allowed himself to detonate in the middle of them, creating a large explosion that tossed Saibamen body parts in all directions.

The Saibamen continued to send wave after wave of attackers. Even though the Space Marines were getting a 20:1 kill count, each Space Marine loss was a significant blow. The Saibamen then sent their elite squads, able to fire off ki beams from their hands and mouths. These warriors were a bit more difficult to take down, but the Space Marines were eventually victorious and then used the Saibamen body parts to create wall fortifications.

In space, Mara was monitoring the situation. "I need immediate air support, burn them out on this hilltop, alpha-shift bravo, coordinates, Golf 4509," the radio tech officer transmitted to the USS Kara.

"Fire the Trinity missile," Mara ordered.

An Apollo fighter from a ground base on the planet fired the tactical nuclear missile into the mountains, creating a 20-kiloton explosion. The entire mountainside exploded, and all vegetation was instantly fried. The light, heat, sound, and shockwave blast stunned the nearby Space Marines. A 5km diameter was completely scorched in front of the Space Marine battalion. Two other Apollo fighters fired off tactical nuclear missiles of the same yield on the other sides of the landing zone. The Space Marines were now surrounded by nuclear ash and fire.

Despite the devastation to the countryside, the Saibamen kept coming. Helicopters arrived to drop more fresh Space Marines onto the landing zone and collect the wounded. One helicopter was fired on repeatedly by Saibamen and crashed on the ground, sending shrapnel everywhere. Tens of thousands of Saibamen flooded the area to engage the beseeched Space Marine battalion.

"First time out, a whole Space Marine battalion massacred. I don't like it," Mara informed Hulgrim on the USS Kara.

"It's not really a massacre," Hulgrim said dismissively.

"Losing a couple of hundred grunts is a bad week. Losing a chapter master is a massacre," Mara clarified.

"Gibson is still fighting," Hulgrim insisted.

"He's under-strength against more enemies than he can count. He's lost a platoon," Mara said as she looked at the map.

"They're not lost. Only cut off and surrounded," Hulgrim corrected.

"Then, they're lost," Mara said coldly.

On the surface, Gibson's HQ blew up some dense vegetation with explosives to make a new landing zone since the first one was compromised. Helicopters arrived at the new landing zone, delivered more power cells, and collected the wounded. Alex's platoon remained cut off from the rest of the battalion. "Pick your target, one shot, one kill," Sgt Savage told the men. "How we doing, doc?" he asked Alex.

"We're out of water so shitty," Alex replied.

A Saibamen self-detonated near a Space Marine blasting shrapnel body parts into the Space Marine's face. Alex rushed to the scene, took out a knife, and had to dig the burning Saibamen body part out of the screaming Space Marine's face. "Anyone got any bandages!" Alex shouted as other Space Marines dropped.

A Space Marine company attempted to move toward Alex's men only to face heavy resistance and got stalled down.

As it turned to night, Alex's platoon dug in. Every so often, Saibamen would approach close enough within range and get blasted down by the Space Marines. The charges were relentless with no one getting any rest. The battlefield was full of corpses. Artillery shells rained down around them to keep them from getting overrun. The forest was full of sparks, fires, and smoke.

"Is the company coming?" Alex asked Sgt Savage.

"They've assessed the situation, and they said no," Sgt. Savage said dryly. "We have to hold out until morning."

"Well...shit," Alex sighed.

An exhausted corporal approached Sgt. Savage within earshot of Alex. "My entire life, I have lived without regret until this moment. It's not that I fear losing my life for God and country. It's that I never told the queen that I loved her the most, that everything that was best in me came from her," he said sincerely.

"Jesus," Alex sighed.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Sgt. Savage said sympathetically.

"Loss? I have filled my heart with hate. I'm a true hater now," the corporal replied.

"Good," Sgt. Savage nodded. He then turned to the rest of the Space Marines. "Marines, ready your plates and spoons, for tonight, we eat ass in hell!"

"Hoorah!" the Space Marines shouted.

On the USS Kara, Hulgrim requested an update. "We're surrounded but we're holding up, Sir," Gibson reported. "I need a confirmed count of our dead and wounded. I need to know where my Space Marines are, whether they're with you or in heaven."

"You'll get it," Hulgrim said with false sincerity.

Gibson then quickly engaged another charge of Saibamen that had gotten through. Afterward, Gibson prayed over the dead bodies that were before him. "Out of the depths, I cry onto thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, O Lord, shall mark our iniquities, Lord, who can abide them? But with thee, there is mercy. Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. And through the mercy of God, may they rest in peace. Amen."

For the rest of the night, the Saibamen and Space Marines fought to a draw with charges and countercharges.

That morning, the Space Marines remained intact on the battlefield. Even Alex's platoon was still alive for the most part. "Shoot at anything that looks queer," Gibson ordered his men. As soon as they lit up the forest, the Saibamen fired right back and charged them on all sides. Alex and Sgt. Savage worked as a team to throw grenades behind hills and then shoot up what was left.

"Let's get back to the line," Sgt. Savage said to Alex.

The two ran back with Alex behind. She got shot to the shoulder and dropped. Sgt. Savage went back for her, grabbed her over his shoulders, and took her back toward the line. He got shot through the torso in the attempt and dropped. Artillery rained down on the charging Saibamen as Alex dragged Sgt. Savage toward the line.

At HQ, Gibson continued to direct artillery fire on the hills. A lone Saibaman tried to blow himself up next to him. Gibson shot him in the head just in time. "What the fuck is wrong with my mortar fire? Why aren't you firing? What is your malfunction?" Gibson yelled at the mortar guys.

"The tubes are too hot, and we don't have any water, Sir," they told him.

"Then piss on them," Gibson said obviously.

After another charge at HQ that was barely defended, Gibson had enough. "Broken Arrow," he radioed to the USS Kara.

On the USS Kara, Mara and Hulgrim heard the radio transmission. "Broken Arrow!"

"Well...no shit," Hulgrim frowned as he saw the map of the battalion surrounded.

"Fire, Castle missiles," Mara escalated.

Several Apollo fighters left the USS Kara's docking bay and headed toward the general location of the surrounded Space Marines. They fired off 15-megaton tactical nuclear missiles creating several mushroom clouds in a circle around the battalion. Each detonation leveled 30km of forest in diameter. The Space Marines braced for impact as they felt the shockwaves around them.

"Holy shit!" they shouted as the blasts rattled them.

Mara kept firing tactical nuclear missiles scorching the equivalent of a small country on Earth. One blast got too close to the Space Marines and scorched some of them. "That last one fucked us up a bit...but keep them coming," Gibson radioed to the USS Kara.

Mara obliged him and continued to increase the power of the nuclear missiles being deployed. "Fire, Tsar missiles," Mara ordered finally. This time, Apollo fighters fired off 50-megaton nuclear missiles causing 60km diameter destruction zones with each one. At this point, millions of Saibamen fighters had been killed in the blasts trying to destroy this Space Marine battalion.

With artillery support, Bravo company finally rescued their lost platoon. Virtually everyone in Alex's platoon was wounded, low to the dirt, and using the vegetation to conceal themselves. "What's your count?" Senior Sergeant Eliot asked Sgt. Savage.

"Forty KIA, two unaccounted for," Sgt. Savage replied.

"Not bad," Senior Sergeant Eliot complimented and then walked off.

With the battle settling down for the moment, helicopters arrived in mass to take the wounded off the field. Alex was in a sitting position, dumbfounded. Her face and uniform were covered in ash, dirt, and blood. She fought back tears of relief and pain.

"Permission to rejoin the line," Sgt. Savage said to Gibson.

"Alright, son," Gibson allowed.

Alex got up and followed after him. Gibson gave Alex a look, slightly surprised by her appearance and simply nodded.

Despite there being literally 100km of nuclear wasteland in all directions, the Saibamen regrouped and moved forward to finish the Space Marines off. Out of ammunition, the Space Marines resorted to chainsaw swords for close combat fighting. This time, the Space Marines charged forward and took the initiative. The Space Marines sliced through the swarm of Saibamen with their chainsaw swords and kept advancing. Helicopters then arrived on the scene and fired plasma fire non-stop at the Saibamen blasting them up. The retreating Saibamen were quickly cut down. Having conquered this particular hill in the middle of the nuclear wasteland, Gibson called it good. The Saibamen withdrew across the equator to the north.

With the battle won, helicopters landed and took up all of the Space Marines. A Charon shuttle arrived at the landing zone. Mara and Hulgrim stepped out to survey the battlefield. Mara glanced at Alex, grateful she was still alive, and then focused on Gibson. "How many casualties?" she asked coldly.

"Your Majesty, I don't have the figures yet. A quarter of my men are dead, another quarter are wounded. It's around five hundred total," Gibson estimated. "I'll never forgive myself."

"Why?" Mara asked curiously.

"Because my men died and I didn't," he said simply.

"The crusade on this planet has just begun. You'll have your chance to die in battle," Mara assured him.

"I...don't know how to tell this story. I mean...what the fuck happened here?" Gibson asked stunned.

"I'll tell your story to the entire Galactic Federation. How your Space Marines died to bring faith, hope, and peace to these people," Mara said.

"Thank you," Gibson said appreciatively.

All told, eighteen million Saibamen were killed in battle, most from nuclear weapons. The Space Marines were immediately treated for radiation sickness that would ordinarily kill a human within a day. True to his word, Gibson was the last to lift off the ground to go back to base.

On the USS Kara, Mara was back on the bridge. Her bridge crew stared at recent news reports that had come in. The South Saibamen's president, Din Die, had been assassinated in a church, no less, by rival heathen generals in a coup. The new South Saiba government provided a bullshit story that Die Die had committed suicide, but Mara knew otherwise.

"I am the new president of South Saiba. My name is Big Min. Of course, we will honor our alliance with the Galactic Federation and would appreciate any assistance you can provide to us in the fight for freedom," Big Min said to her.

"This sudden change in government gives me a lot to think about," Mara replied and then ended the video transmission. She sank back in her chair dismayed and dumbfounded.

"Your orders, Your Majesty?" Hulgrim asked.

Mara ignored him for a few moments deep in thought. "Offer to evacuate the registered Christian Saibamen off the planet. We're done here," she said finally. She then went to the window overlooking the jungle planet. The destruction she had caused had made a considerable scar on the planet's surface. She looked away from the planet in grief and then back at the planet reflectively. She then walked off the bridge to meditate on this setback.

Author's Notes: It's truly heart breaking when you're leading a holy crusade, and you lose a war. Is it God forsaking you? Is it due to your sins? Is it God's way of humbling you and your men? Is it because the enemy has greater faith? Is it part of a grander plan? Ultimately, one must do the best they can even with these uncertainties in life and hope to understand the answer in the next life.