The sunderer lurched forward with a mighty jerk as we hit another snow bank. It was nearly impossible to see the road in this weather. As we continued across the frozen expanse, I got back to thinking how this happened. How all of this happened. I looked down at my pistol. 'Ns-44P commissioner' shimmered in platinum on its side. The gun had served me well over the years, it saved my ass a great many times. I still found it hard to believe that all of this, this whole war, was one huge joke. I looked around to my fellow soldiers. Once proud and eager to fight, their sullen faces and downtrodden deafening silence showed just how far we'd fallen. Our strict uniformity had been replaced by a hodgepodge that reeked of desperation.   

"1 km away from the outpost Captain!" shouted Henry, pulling me out of my trance. "Alright boys, weapons check," We went through the usual checklist, carefully ensuring our guns were up to par. It was pointless really, most of these guns being salvaged from what scraps remained on the battlefield anyways. At least it made us feel safer. I handed my gun off to Charlie and took her MSW-R. Breech looked clear, ammo was stocked, barrel was clear, all looked good. I primed her weapon and returned it to her. "ETA 30 seconds," the intercom crackled. All this was just a painful reminder of the glory days. Sitting in a battle-bus like a bull just waiting to be let out of his pen, we would charge into battle and smash through the enemy lines. Ferocious. Proud. Powerful. Unfearing we charged, for we knew death was not the end. We couldn't truly die. We were immortal. We were gods. Ever since our betrayal at behest of Nanite Systems, death was no longer the blasé inconvenience we had come to know. Every bullet was now a guillotine. Every bomb a noose. 

"ETA 10 seconds." I braced for our arrival. We all knew what awaited us out there in the cold, but we didn't want to think about it. "ETA 5 seconds." I took a deep breath. "We have arrived sir." Without hesitation I gave the order to move out. We sank thigh deep in the slush when we jumped out of the sundie. "Charlie, Vance, I want you two to come with me. Sarah, James, Jessica, you three secure the tower." Charlie tugged at my arm, "George, where are we going?"  

"To the last known spot of TR-3029," I replied dryly. She gave me a look of annoyance. 
"I thought the mission was to capture the tower?" 

"Missions change." 

​

"If anything, we can always use the supplies left in the gal," Vance chimed in. Begrudgingly, Charlie followed Vance and I. I'm going to have to have a little talk with her when we get back, I though to myself, If we can find our way back. Our flashlights could hardly penetrate the thick snowfall. Every step we took the deeper the drifts got, to the point where we were practically swimming in them. I look to my HUD. "The last known transmission came from 2 meters from here. Spread out and search. If you see something call it out."  

"All I see is fucking snow!" Charlie quipped. I thought I heard Vance Stifle a chuckle. "We won't last long out here, save the jokes for when we're warm," I reprimanded her. She was always so wily.  I suppose part of me was jealous of her ability to crack jokes in the worst of conditions To be honest. Trudging through the white expanse, all I wished for was a normal life. Her and I, sitting warm by the heater, blissfully drinking the finest whisky and laughing at our own jokes. For that, I would give anything. I paused as I felt my heart sink in my chest. I knew it would never happen.  

"Something wrong cap?" Vance's voice questioned over the intercom. I snapped out of my trance. "Yes, I'm fine. Just, uh, concentrating on the mission," From her characteristic sigh, I could tell Charlie knew. "Ok, just making sure, I'd hate to see one of those Vanu assholes catch you off guard," Vance  mumbled. I could feel the pain in his voice. I can't imagine how he was feeling at the moment. Our forces had been decimated, but we were lucky compared to New Conglomerate. The Vanu overran the NC first, Vance was one of the few who survived the assault. I'm still astonished how he braved this blizzard to come find us. He didn't talk much about the fighting, but every night I could hear him quietly weeping. "Georgie!" Charlie yelled. "It's captain when on coms, lieutenant!" I scolded her. "Yeah yeah yeah, I found the galaxy. 

Vance and I hurried towards her, the unmistakable tail fin of the ship barley sticking out of the snow. Vance brushed off the ice that had built up on the side of the aircraft, revealing the Terran roundel underneath. "Yup, that's ours alright," Lance said, "Let's check for signs of life." The three of us circled the downed craft. The cockpit was a busted, mangled mess. I couldn't see the pilot's corpse in the seat. I'm not sure I wanted to. "Georgie, help me get this ramp open," Charlie's voice crackled over the radio. I was too cold and weary to correct her language again. I wandered back to the rear of the aircraft and began to aid in Charlie's attempt to dig the loading walkway out of the snow. The snow turned to slush as we dug, desperately trying to clear just enough to open the wounded bird and salvage the cargo inside. "Hold on, I've got a better way," Vance interrupted us. Charlie and I stepped back as the former Conglomerate soldier drew his flare gun. With a blinding flash, the slush melted just enough to wiggle the walkway loose. It fell with a clang.  

red tracer fire lit up the area. "Contact! We have contact!" I shouted into my radio. I quickly fired off a few rounds from my lmg across the opening. The gunfire stopped. A voice came over the emergency frequency, "This is TR-3029 flight 09383, we were brought down by AA fire en route to Crystal Ridge Comm. Array. If there are Republic forces in the area please assist. We have wounded." I was skeptical. The Vanu had set traps for us before, could this just be another ruse? Was the Galaxy filled with enemies waiting to finish the job they started? I braced myself against the side of the ship, frag grenade in hand. "TR-3029 flight 09383 what is your authorization code?" I commanded. Silence. I primed my explosive. "TR-3029 flight 09383 what is your authorization code?" Again, only the wind answered my question. I signaled Vance and Charlie and prepared to breech. "TR-3029 flight 09383 what is your authorization code? This is your final warning."  Finally a response came. "Authorization code 58341." I checked my records. It was a match. 

​

I signaled my men to stand down. Cautiously, I crawled into the galaxy. Immediately I was greeted by a corpse. Had I been a more squeamish man I might have screamed, yet corpses seem so common and banal in times like this. "We're back here" a voice shouted. I wiggled myself further into the dropship, finally finding a place to properly stand up. Towards the front of the aircraft sat 2 men. One I quickly recognized as Colonel MacDonald; our mission objective. "Looks like you've made yourself quite a home here, Colonel!"

​

MacDonald snorted, "Better than the barracks." I continued down the crew compartment, careful to avoid the bodies and weaponry that littered the floor. "That's not a very high bar Colonel, I'd rather live in a cardboard box than the barracks." Macdonald stood up uneasily. I rushed to his aide, barley stopping him from falling over. He looked Dreadful. His skin was pale as the snow outside, and felt just as cold. As I braced myself against him he winced in pain. I felt his broken ribs stab into my side. I took out a medkit. Uncapping the device, I stuck it in his arm. He let out a small yelp, and watched as the nanites did their work. Flesh melded with flesh, his bones repositioning to their proper place. The characteristic warmth of the healing nanobots radiated from the Colonel, providing some comfort from the blizzard outside. "You got another one of those for the kid?" Macdonald motioned to the soldier laying behind him.  I searched my pack and found none. That was the last medkit I had, very possibly the last medkit I would ever have. I shook my head. "Go help him, I can walk on my own. Be careful, he lost a leg in the crash. I don't Think he'll be able to walk in this weather." I obliged Colonel MacDonald, escaping from under his arms to assist the young man at my feet. If the Colonel looked bad, this kid looked terrible. Scratches and cuts covered his face, dried blood smeared on his lips. It was hard to distinguish him from the dead bodies he lay near. He groaned as I scooped him up. "What's your name, kid?"  

​

"Private Max," he moaned, pain etched in his voice, "Max Justinian." I nearly dropped him right then and there. Max Justinian? The Max Justinian?! "Shit, you're the Admiral's kid?" He nodded. "When Project Blight took hold, even royalty was conscripted," Macdonald added ominously. I had almost forgotten about the "All Hands" order. I looked over the boy in my arms. The young man I'd seen in propaganda was nowhere to be seen. His confidence that was once a rallying point of the Republic was no more, buried under misery and despair. I wondered what horrors he had seen. Was he prepared for this war? He grew up in a lap of luxury, but now he was struggling to stay alive down here in this shithole. I couldn’t help but pity him. "Well, this place is certainly no Admiral's quarters," I joked. Max managed a chuckle and a small grin, nothing more.  

We squeezed through the small opening once more, emerging back into the tundra. "Colonel MacDonald, always a pleasure to see you," Charlie cautiously beamed before embracing him. "I'm glad to see you too, kiddo." Macdonald noticed Vance standing awkwardly to the side. "Who's the muscle?" He questioned. We paused. "Vance Gallard," I hesitantly responded, struggling to keep max in my arms as a gust of wind picked up. "Huh, Conglomerate General Vance Gallard?" Vance nodded sheepishly. MacDonald punched him square in the nose sending Vance tumbling into the snow. "That was for the making me look like an ass at The Crown," the Colonel scowled. The disgraced general righted himself and prepared to retaliate. "Woah, woah, we're all on the same side here! What the fuck Colonel?" Charlie intervened.  

"Do you not remember who this fucker is?!"  

"Uncle Mac, now's not the time for personal Grudges!"  

"You haven't changed at all Charlie, just as naïve as you always were." 

Charlie squeezed her fist in anger. "Let it go," I calmed her. She stormed over to help Vance up. "With all due respect Colonel, let's focus on the people trying to kill us," Vance added. 

"Fuck you, General Dipshit," Mac spat. 

"Ah Colonel, never one for civil discourse," Vance chuckled, "Perhaps that is why you got demoted?" MacDonald went in for another blow, but Charlie stopped him before he could land a punch. "Let's get back to the sunderer," I burst out, "Max is looking pretty bad,". After a brief moment of tension, the two men appeared to come to a truce. Perhaps even in this time of chaos, old rivals can set aside their differences. More likely though, my optimism would be proven wrong.  

"For the record, I was demoted for 'being too passive about battle losses' not for aggression," the Colonal reminded Vance.  

"Yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night," Gallard grumbled.  

​

I was expecting violence to erupt at any time on our way back, but none came. The frigid air bit us to the bone; we were too cold to feel. As we stumbled through the snow, head beams barley illuminating the way, I couldn't help but think back to my more youthful days wandering drunkenly around bars looking for another fight. I'm fortunate Charlie brought me out of that mess. She cared for me when no one else did, and I loved her for it. Just the sight of her walking up ahead gave me the strength to keep going. My arms were weak. My hands were cold. My feet burned. Yet, she gave me the courage to not give in to my temptations.  

I had to make it to the tower. For Charlie. All those times she walked me home, all those times she cleaned me up, all those time she put up with my petty bullshit; I had to make it up to her. I don't know why she stayed with me all these years. Even after getting my act together and joining the army, she still felt the need to be by my side. Even when I rejected her advances over and over again. lame excuse after lame excuse she still loved me. I was just too stupid to see it back then.  

"Captain, slow down!" Vance yelled. "The comm station is right up there, don’t hurt yourself Georgie." Charlie snickered over the radio. "Hey," I reminded Vance, "That's Captain Georgie to you!" And with a smile, we arrived at The Crystal Ridge Communications Array. 

Jessica greeted us at the door, "Back so soon captain?"  

"Oh you know, just went around the block," I joked. I set Max down, careful to not further injure Justinian. "Can we get Sarah over here to check out this young man?"  

She nodded, running down the corridor to grab the combat medic. Justinian's condition was worsening by the second. I knew if he didn't receive care fast, we would lose him. It was strange, mere months ago death was nothing more than an annoyance. The reaper's hand had changed though, watching someone die was no longer met with indifference; it was horrifying. If Max died, there would be no respawning, there would be no reviving, only the black void of the dark abyss awaited.  

​

Sarah rushed down the hallway, medical equipment in hand. Jessica and James followed close behind her. The medic kneeled over Max, "He's in worse condition than I thought. What's left of his right leg is gangrenous. If we didn’t have any more nanites, I would be preparing to amputate right now. Fortunately, my medical applicator still has some charge in it." Sarah took a deep breath, "Hold him down, this is going to hurt."  

She held the device to the boy's chest. Green nanobots flowed from it, spreading quickly through Justinian's body. He started groaning, color beginning to return to his face. I watched as his leg slowly but surely regenerated. His thigh reformed as he screamed and struggled. Max's strength seemed to have returned to him; we were having trouble controlling him. I let out a sigh of relief as the warm healing robots finished their work. With a sudden stutter, Sarah concluded the procedure. 

"Fucking hell," Max cried out, "What the hell is going on?" He looked around room frantically. "Where's the rest of the squad?! Did we make it to the tower?!"  

The Colonel helped him up, "We crashed, don't you remember?"  

Max thought for a moment. "No, I don't." 

"Well you're lucky to be alive, kid. Sergent Sarah here just saved your life." 

"Sergent... Sarah? I don't remember her being the medic in our squad. What happened to Sergent Fred?" 

An awkward quiet descended upon the group. The Colonel put a hand on his shoulder. The entire room avoided eye contact with Max. He quickly got the message.  

"Bently too? What about Regina?" 

"It's only us. Like I said, you're lucky to be alive." 

Max hugged Colonel Mac, and wept. 

After that emotional scene, I ordered a meeting in the garage so we could get our bearings. Henry and Luke pulled the Sundie and the Prowler into the building as per my command. Hopping out of their vehicles, I began our debrief. "I want a security sweep of the compound. Be thorough, I want every nook and cranny checked with a dark-light. I don't want some infiltrator jeopardizing this mission. Then, we can work on capturing point A." The group nodded, preparing to move out.  

"Split into groups of two and spread out. And Remember," I shouted, "If it ain't red, kill it dead!" With a chuckle, we started the sweep.  

 

 

Charlie and I quickly paired up. As we searched the mass of buildings and surveillance centers, we struck up a conversation.  

"I see 'The Colonel' hasn't changed much," she grumbled. Seeing how cordial she acted around Mac, I almost forgot how much she hated him. "Of all the places to run into Uncle Mac, why out here?"  

"Look on the bright side," I chimed in, "at least you have family out here!" 

"Ha! Like you'd want to see your drunk-ass brother again." 

"He may be an asshole but I could go for a couple shots right about now." 

Our lights swept over the walls, our keen eyes looking for any signs of movement. A loud crash broke our concentration. Something had knocked over a crate. We fell silent as we approached the site of the incident. My finger rested on the trigger, ready to unleash hell on whatever foe might lunge out at us. Another scuffle stopped us dead in our tracks. We scanned the room over and over again. Were we being watched? Has some stealthy assassin already sealed our fate? My mind panicked. We were trapped, I told myself. I saw both of us dying a thousand different ways. Dismemberment by sub-machine gun. Bleeding to death from a stab wound. Obliterated by a grenade. Blown up by a mine. Movement caught my eye and with a flash I let a burst out of my gun. As the smoke cleared, our "enemy" was revealed. A single rat. 

Charlie tried to stifle a chuckle. Soon, I started to crack up. We burst out laughing, our voices echoing through the empty warehouse. We laughed. And laughed. We laughed 'till we cried. Radio static ended that moment. "Uh, captain," James stuttered, "You're going to want to see this." 

Charlie and I sauntered outside the main Comm building, and stood frozen at the sight. Bodies. Hundreds of bodies, piled up in pits, each one with a single bullet wound directly to the forehead. The rest of my men stared in shock. "I-I thought they took these guys prisoners," Sarah muttered. I reached down to brush off some of the snow. Hands, legs, torsos stuck out all over the place as I dug. I took the helmet off one of the corpses. Its gold trim and faded emblems told me everything. It all made sense now. "They did take them prisoner," I responded, "then they killed them."  

We tried to get as many of our fallen brothers as we could. Their bodies were almost perfectly preserved by the cold. Some held skeletal grimaces and reached out with ethereal hands. Alas, the snow was building up too much, and we were forced to abandon our mission. "Get the ID cards off of the ones we have, I want to catalog all this," I ordered. I had to make sense to this madness. 

 "What good will it do," Mac snorted, "There's not anyone left to report the deaths to!" Fury singed in my veins. He didn't get it, that fucking asshole didn't get it. I clenched my jaw tightly.  

"We need to document this. So the Vanu know what they did. So the future can know what happened here." 

"Some fuckin' future. Can't you see! There is no future! Auraxis is doomed! If the Vanu don't kill us all, their NS overlords will!" 

"Even if the way is futile we must fight-" 

"Fight! Why?! You're just too stupid to see none of this matters. All your paperwork, all your bureaucracy and micromanaging and fuckery can't change the fact you're a drunk and a dirty filthy rapist!" 

I did not, I told myself, I am NOT!  

But I couldn't control myself. I exploded. I threw the helmet in my hands at the Colonel and lunged. Fuck this guy, who did he think he was?! Just because past is troubled doesn't make me a bad person, right? I didn't do that to her, I would never... Would I?  

I leapt on him and beat him. Punch after punch, hit after hit I beat him. I beat the shit out of him. His blood splattered all over. His jaw hung out; he could barely breath when I was pulled off of him. Some of his putrid blood spilled on the helmet I threw at him, soiling it's golden decadence. I couldn't help but remember the man who wore it into battle. The man that trained me. The man I considered a father. The man I had just found out had been brutally executed. Mac's vile stench should never be mixed with his righteous existence. What a cruel world to let scum like Mac exist and have Pop be brutally murdered.  

I calmed down as Sarah treated Mac. "I'm fresh out of nanites, we'll have to go back to base to get some more," she reported.  

"Fine," I obliged, "We have two options. One is to head back to base; the other is to finish securing this outpost. Who wants to do what?" 

No one dared to answer. I don't think anyone besides Charlie had seen that side of me before. I hadn't seen that side of me for a long time, not since I was back on Earth. Charlie patted my shoulder, "I think it's best if we just head home." 

​

 

The ride back was quiet. Sarah cared for Mac as best she could, but there was nothing much she could do. He just sat there. Moaning. Mocking me. Yet again judging me for my violent outbursts. When we returned to the warpgate I immediately went to my study to work on the mission report. I couldn't deal with any more of this bullshit. All this politicking and bickering, all this nonsense; I've had it. I entered my study and worked on the only thing that made sense to me. Reports were simple. Cold. Concise. They wouldn’t yell at me for my past woes, they wouldn't spread lies or misinformation. Just facts. Facts like how Pop was dead. Looking at the identity chip in my hand, I put in the database General James Pop as K.I.A. I scrolled through his ranks. Colonel Preston Inglesiez, K.I.A. Sergent Frank Miller, K.I.A. Commander Brittany Young, K.I.A. On and on it went. Those three letters showed no emotion, just status. I channeled them. I wanted to scream and cry at all the friends I realized I lost, at all the injustice and death in this world, but I just wrote K.I.A. It kept me sane, somewhat. Paperwork had that effect on me. Had it not been for paperwork, I probably would have shot myself long, long ago. 

I heard my door open. I paid no attention as I busily wrote down all the events that had just transpired, even the ones I was not so proud of. As I proofread and adjusted my report, a figure approached the desk. I looked up. Boobs stared back at me. Evidently someone's exposed breasts were trying to interrupt my studies, and I knew exactly who that someone was. "Not now Charlie," I dismissed her and returned my face to the screen. "Aw come on Georgie, we haven't had sex in weeks," she pouted. It was painfully obvious she was trying to tease me as she slowly unzipped her jumpsuit. I didn't have time for this. "Work needs to be done Charrolette, we can do the hankey-pankey later," I said coldly. She got even more pissy, she always does when I call her by her full name. "I don't get why you have to do these fucking reports, its not like anyone is going to read them, why waste your time?" She crossed her arms. I stared her dead in the eye, and glowered, "You know damn well its not about that." Her soft, warm brown eyes welled with tears. I couldn't bear see such pain within her. I fucked it up. I always did, she hated me for my stupid goddamn temper. I would never make things write. George, you bastard, you ruin everything! I had to make it up to her. I moved to apologize, "I'm sorry I-" 

"No, I forgot about that, I apologize," she zipped herself up and shied away from me. Begrudgingly she plopped down on my couch. I continued with what I was doing. "You didn't rape me," Charlie burst out. 

"You tell me that but I'm still afraid-" 

"No," she demanded, "You didn't rape me." 

I got up from my desk to comfort her. 

"Look, we were both drunk and don't remember. Mac was the one that found us like that and told your family, so he must've known you didn't consent." 

"I lied Georgie. I wasn't drunk. Only you." 

I stood there, speechless. Could this mean- 

"Uncle Mac walked in on us and told me he'd beat the shit out of me if I ever saw you again. He made up the story about the rape to convince the rest of my family to keep you away from me. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I didn't..." She burst into tears. "I just was so afraid he would hurt me again I-i-" I laid on the couch and wrapped my arms around her.  

"It's ok, I forgive you," 

"Mac just... just hated you. I'm so mad he made me turn my family against you, it's all my fault! I'm so, so sorry," 

She cried for a long time. Warm tears flowed like a river down my arm as I held her tightly. I hated seeing her cry, it just broke my heart. Pretty soon I was welling up myself. We just sat there and cried. Eventually we calmed ourselves. I stroked her hair as we sat together. For a moment, the warmth of her body made me forget the horrors of the outside. Listening to her heart beat and her lungs fill with air then collapse, knowing she was alive and well, was a luxury I couldn't afford before.  

"George," she broke the silence, "Do you think we'll ever go back to being, you know, normal again." 

I paused. Would we? We still had no idea what the effects of these nanites truly were. Would we be forever monsters trapped in our own skins? Could Nanite Systems develop a way to eliminate those who didn't comply? We were guinea pigs, poked and prodded into submission. Who knows what horrifying fates we might meet. 

"I don't know, but I think we could," I lied. I found in times like these, hope is powerful. If her fantasies about a normal life took her mind off of the stench of death we so often smelled, I would indulge in them. 

"After all this, do you ever think we could start a family Georgie? I mean, I don't even know if I can get pregnant anymore... You think these nanites could do that? Take away our kids?"  

That was a hard pill to swallow. No one we knew who had been exposed to the nanobots had kids; did these medical wonders make you impotent? Moreover, would we want kids? I never wanted kids back on earth, but Charlie changed my mind. Now all I wanted was a house in the hills, watching the children play in the yard while her and I watched from the porch.  But how can we bring life into this twisted world? Would we ever get over the horrors of battle? Or would they inevitably scar us, turning us into husks of our former selves? Could I look my son in the eyes and tell him 'I love him' after what I've done? I don't know was the answer. It always seemed to be the answer.  

I squeezed her tight. "I can't answer that," I whispered. Her tears puddled on the couch. What kind of monster was I? Here was my favorite woman in existence, my savior, my love, who comforted me for years through my darkest time, and I couldn't even give her a simple answer. All I could do was hold her close. It felt like the tighter I hugged her, the further away we got from each other. The cold reality sunk in. We both had no idea what the future would hold, let alone if we were to survive today.  

I tried to open my mouth to form some kind of response, but before I could speak her lips were on mine. I suppose that was the only answer we needed: as long as Charlie and I were together, things would be all right. 

​

​

Chapter 2

​

“Captain Johnston”, the door slid open. Vance glanced up from his tablet to see Charlie and I in the nude. “Oh, I’m sorry!” I got on my pants. “It’s fine, Vance. Just... Don’t tell the Admiral, ok?” Vance laughed, “George, do you honestly think there’s anyone on this warpgate that doesn’t know about you two?” “While we’re on the topic of relationships, maybe we should figure out who doesn’t know about you and Sarah?” Charlie snorted. The NC soldier froze. Charlie started laughing at his expense, eventually rolling off the couch as Vance blushed in embarrassment. “Ha ha, very funny. If we’re done talking about our sex lives, the Admiral called a leadership meeting at 1700. I’d recommend you show up fully clothed, Captain.” With that, I got dressed in my parade uniform, and left with Gallard.  

We stared down the stark grey corridors. The bland white lights glowed an unnatural shine all around the halls, painting them a shade of cynical. Like a surgeon's room waiting for a dissection. Sergent Vance, still somewhat flustered by our previous exchange, looked over. “Was it really that obvious?” he questioned. “Absolutely. Did you see how quickly you paired up with her at Crystal?”  

He nodded, knowing he had been beat. In a close-knit environment like this, it is hard to keep anything from anyone. I know the Admiral knew about our relationship. I know the Admiral should have court marshalled us for having such a relationship. In the early days, he probably would have. At this point, he didn’t care. It was cold. It was dark. The enemy could land a killing blow any time they pleased. Who would care about two adults fucking? Besides, we needed all the manpower we could muster.  

The mood of the room as we entered was dour. A hologram stood on the center table giving some impassioned speech. I recognized him immediately. “The armies of the Vanu Soverignty stand ready to destroy the heretics on this continent. Almighty Vanu has blessed us with life eternal, and his technologies gifted us His knowledge. I assure you, we will not hesitate the execute His will.” Admiral Justinian watched the figure wearily. I sat opposite of him, next to a revived Colonel MacDonald. Uncle Mac flashed me a smile; if the incident earlier had affected his view of me, he did not show it. The man continued his tirade. “But, there is hope for those non-believers. Vanu will accept you with open arms if you lay down your weaponry and surrender. The life which you once lived can be restored. All that is needed is repentance. I assure you, whatever resistance the heretics mount will be futile. They believe the inclement weather shall protect them. Even now they strike out from their Warpgate, but they are so weak they cannot even take a singular territory. I say to you, Vanu cares not for this blizzard. He shall give us the strength to crush those that oppose us. The tyrannical remnant of Terra on this continent will end soon. Our faith shields us from the cold, our persistence protects us from frost. Again, I plead to our enemies; surrender and no harm shall come to you. Resist, and you shall face Vanu’s wrath. You have one rotation to repent. After that time passes, the final crusade shall commence. Hail Vanu!” A great cheer came through the audio feed before it cut out. We stared at the blank holodeck. Deafening silence descended upon the room. Vice-Admiral Qing stood up after a short time. “Gentlemen, we know what we must do. I am going to surrender to the Vanu. It would be wise of you all to do the same.”  

“You coward,” Mac disdainfully commented under his breath. I spoke up, “With all due respect, Vice-Admiral, if you read my report on the incident at Crystal Communications Array, you’ll kno-” 

“Shut the hell up, you busy-body!” he scowled, “Before we all die, let me tell you something: nobody reads your fucking reports. You sit here and write in your diary about all the boys you have a crush on, while the rest of us do what an actual soldier is supposed to do. You think scrapbooking all of your escapades is really going to help us?” 

“Vice-Admiral, the Vanu killed Pop and the rest of our friends that surrendered there. What makes you think you will be treated better?” 

“I’ll take my chances. Staying and fighting means certain death, at least I might live if I surrender.” 

Qing turned to walk out. I looked to the Admiral for comment. He was still staring at an invisible hologram of the Zealot. Without warning, Justinian stood, unholstered his revolver, and shot Qing dead. His limp body oozed crimson blood all over the meeting room’s floor. No one in the room dared to move, lest they incur Justinian’s wrath. 

“Anyone else wish to entertain the idea of giving ourselves to the Vanu?” he barked. There was no answer.  

“Good, I didn’t think so.” 

 He loaded another round into his Underboss. He paced uneasily around the table, looking somberly at each of us. 

“The Terran Republic’s outpost on Esamir is unsuitable for defense. Our position is untenable. The end is finally close at hand. My final act as Admiral of the Navy of the Terran Republic, I order Section 309.a, Section 309.b, Section 310., and Section 311. to be carried out. Captain Johnston will see to it these orders are completed to the fullest extent. As for my cabinet, I thank you for your service and loyalty over all these years. Your guidance has been invaluable to the Republic’s operations on this continent,” One of his cabinet members shifted nervously in her seat.  

What is he doing? I thought. 

“Your tour of duty has come to an end. You have successfully fulfilled the will of Thomas Connery, and it saddens me it has to end this way. With a heavy heart, I bid you farewell.”  

Before anyone could react, Justinian lifted his sidearm and fired into his advisors. The lead hit the unsuspecting officers with a fury, killing all 5 members of his cabinet in an instant. I froze in shock. The man I had trusted so much had just murdered his subordinates in cold blood. The war had finally driven him mad. Who was he going to kill next? If he didn’t kill me, how could I carry his last order? Justinian wanted me to wipe out all the data and disband the entire army. Part of me recognized the damage the Vanu could do with the information on this base, but Section 311 called for ‘suicide for the protection of vital intelligence’! Did he want us to kill ourselves to avoid capture? Did the admiral develop some perverse bloodlust?! Why did he choose me?! He was insane, there was no other conclusion. There was no way I was going to carry out the orders of a madman. I couldn’t just lie down as he murdered my friends. I may have respected him once, but this was not the man I knew and loved. He was but a shadow of his former self. I threw myself at him, and we began to grapple for his gun.  

“Admiral, what are you doing?!” I pleaded.  

“This last bullet isn’t for you George!” Justinian cried.  

“Don’t do this Admiral.” 

“This last bullet isn’t for you Captain.” 

“Your son-” 

“This last bullet isn’t for you!” 

With his last ounce of strength, he wrestled the gun to his head, and blew it clean off.  

The highest ranking Terran on the continent was dead in my arms.  

Tenderly, I laid him on the ground. I almost vomited at all the gore. My god there was so much blood! It just wouldn’t stop coming out.  

The others emerged from hiding underneath the holodeck.  

“So, that’s it,” Sarah sighed, “we’ve officially gone crazy. I guess George is in charge now, he’s the highest ranking one still left.” 

Mac stood, “Are we actually going to carry out all the stuff he wanted us to, Captain?”  

Vance interrupted, “I have no clue what those orders were, but if you want me murder my friends this is not going to end well.” 

“I’m not going to do his last orders, Vance,” I responded. This entire situation exhausted me. So much carnage, so much pain, for nothing.  I just needed to recuperate. I needed Charlie.  

“I need time to think about what the best course of action is. For now, just lock off the conference room and make sure no one gets in here. Nobody should have to witness this mess. I’ll be in my quarters.” 

The three acknowledged, and I left the horrid scene. 

​

I hurried down the corridor, shell-shocked at the situation that had just unfolded. “Captain,” a bright-eyed young boy saluted me. I glanced over, startled. Max stood rigidly at attention. I paused. The Admiral’s son did not know of the tragedy that had just unfolded. I was overcome by emotion, and gave that poor child the biggest bear hug I have ever given. Justinian awkwardly reciprocated, clearly frightened by my uncharacteristic warmth. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save him,” I whimpered. I failed again. In a moment, the young man’s life would be forever destroyed. And it was all my fault. I was not strong enough to wrestle that gun away from the Admiral. He was ill, and I couldn’t help a father when his son needed him most. “C-captain?” he asked quizzically, “What’s going on?” I looked Max in the eye. “You’ll find out soon enough,” I patted his shoulder, and continued sulking back to my office.  

The mechanical door whirred open. Charolette was still sleeping on the couch, half-full bottle of scotch still dangling from her fingers. I plucked it from her soft hands. 200 Year Aged Hennessy boasted the label. Damn, I can’t believe she cracked this, I thought. She gave this to me almost 500 years ago. It was a bit of an ironic gift, celebrating me being 5 years sober. It would’ve been an insult had almost anyone else given it, but Charlie had such a charm to her I couldn’t help but laugh at her joke.  She’s such an idiot, I smiled. Hazel eyes noticed my grin. “Sorry I didn’t ask you before I broke into that,” the eyes’ owner drunkenly stammered. I ruffled her hair. “Eh, don’t worry. It’s just a bottle of old juice,” her boyfriend assuaged her. She lazily batted my hand away.  

“How’d the meeting go?” she propped herself up. What should I tell her? I let out a deep sigh, “The Admiral killed himself and his cabinet, I am the highest-ranking officer on Esamir now, and the Vanu are going to kill us all.” Charlie was taken aback. Her face awkwardly scrunched up, “Uh, what the hell?” Her voice awkwardly cracked on the word hell, and we burst into laughter.  Charlie’s drunken shenanigans always managed to crack me up. “God, you’re such a dork,” I booped her on the nose. “No, you’re the dork!” she recoiled. Sussing out her red mess of a head of hair, she cooed, “If the vanu are coming to kill us, can we have some more sexytime?”  

“Sorry, love. I have to figure out our next move. The Vanu are coming in less than one rotation, you should sober up and get ready. Meet me in Vance’s office when you’ve slept it off,”  

I shook off the pouty girl clinging to me, swiped the Hennessy, and left.  

​

Vance and Sarah were all over each other when I waltzed in. “Ahem,” I made my presence known. They hurriedly composed themselves. “Admiral, sorry about that, we were just-” 

“Relax Vance, and don’t call me admiral. I’m still a captain until another title is conferred on me,” I walked to the table situated centrally in the room. “Sit, we have much to discuss.” 

Sarah and Vance sat opposite myself. Sarah spied the brandy in my hand. “Admi- er, Captain, have you been drinking?” she remarked. “No,” I assuaged her, “Charlie just got into this and I had to pry it away from her. If you think it’d help you strategize better, you’re welcome to have some.” 

“I’m good, thank you for the offer George,” 

“My dad would beat the shit out of me if I said ‘No’ to a 200 year Hennessy,” Vance boomed, “I’d love a glass, I always work best drunk anyways.” Sarah shot him a dirty look as I poured two glasses. I set one down in front of the former Conglomerate General and held one for myself.  

“I haven’t had alcohol in 485 years, but I might as well break my prohibition on this fine drink before we all die,” I admitted, “Cheers!” 

Vance and I clinked our glasses and took a sip. 

Damn it was smooth! Back in my drunkard days I would almost always drink vodka. I had never had a cognac, and it’s fruity flavor surprised me. It was strange, drinking used to be a tool I used to store my pain and anger, but now it seemed as if to be a fine art, cultured by only those of the highest class. Back then, I drank to forget; on that day, I drank to remember.  

With a deep sigh, I decided to get down to business, “Sarah, how many troops do we have that are battle-ready?” 

“72, sir. We have 25 stable in the sick bay in various states of recovery and 7 in critical condition,” 

“How long can any of the injured stay off life support?” 

“The 25 should be fine without medical attention for at least a month or so, many of them are simply nursing their wounds. Of the 7, we have 2 in comas, 3 are suffering from serious burns due to laser damage, and 2 are suffering from bullet wounds. The comatose need a constant nanite stream in order to survive. The burn victims also need a stream of nanites, at least until their skin reforms. The other 2 patients are awaiting surgery to remove the bullets lodged in them. They’ll be ok without nanites so long as the foreign objects are still in them, but once the surgery is performed, they need nanites to heal.” 

“The question becomes,” Vance interjected, “What does our nanite supply look like?” 

Sarah’s face gave a troubled look as she scrolled through her medical records. 

“If we continue to use them at our current pace, we’ll have enough to get us through the week, but as you know-” 

“The Vanu will be here tomorrow,” I reminded myself. I turned my attentions to Gallard. 

“What are the conditions of our supplies, General,” 

Vance looked surprised to hear his old title being used.  

“Well, Cap, the good news is we’ve got plenty of shit. Bullets for days, guns for days, we have all the munitions we could ever need. Same goes for food. We’d easily be able to hold out for 6 months against an enemy siege of around 100, but we know the Vanu aren’t stupid. They’re bringing way more than just a hundred dudes. Infantry isn’t going to be the main concern. Our biggest issue is going to be tanks. We have three operational Prowlers with a skeleton crew of 4 trained drivers and gunners across the lot of them. I think our best defense against an armored attack will be the Phalanx turrets outside the dome.” 

“What about air defenses?” 

“We’ve got bursters and rockets for days. I still have my Reaver that’s in a bit of a sorry state, as well as a couple more mosquitoes lying about. I doubt they’d be crazy enough to try flying in this storm, but I’m confident your guys are good enough pilots to put up a fight if they do. If they can still do the same shit I saw back at Indar Comm Array, I’d be glad to put my money on ‘em.”  

I took in the information I just heard. Our choices seemed to be few in number. We couldn’t call for help as communications were hampered by the blizzard. Surrender wasn’t an option, not after what I saw had become of Pop. Fighting would mean certain death, but at least we’d go out in a blaze of glory. Maybe that was the fate of all the other Terran outposts on Auraxis. But what was the fate of the forces on the other continents? I thought, We haven’t heard anything from them since the beginning of this mess. They might still be alive! A plan formulated in my head.  

“How many Valkyries and Galaxies do we have?”  

Vance perused his logs. 

“Looks like we have 3 Galaxies and 2 Valkyries, but I don’t think those will be all that useful for combat, George-” 

“We’re not going to use them for combat. There’s another way then just staying here and dying. Think about it, what messages have we received from the contingencies on other continents?” 

Sarah furrowed her brow. “There’s no evidence they’ve faired any better than us,” 

“But there’s also no evidence they didn’t,”  

Vance began to put on his signature smirk. 

“You’re saying there’s a chance, cap? I don’t know about Sarah, but I’m a gambling man!” 

“But what if they’re hostile! What they’re also overrun?!” Sarah fretted, “Vance, we have to be serious. We can’t just go galivanting off following whatever rabbit hole we find.” 

Vance looked between the two of us, weighing his options between his friend and his lover.  

After a minute, he lit up. 

“Hossin,”  

“What about Hossin?” I asked curiously. 

“It’s the perfect place to go! The Conglomerate has always had a strong presence there, I’m sure guerilla units are still operating in the swamps. It just so happens I know exactly where they would be. After all, before I came here, I made the contingency plan to continue a guerilla war there. All the hideouts, all the weapons caches, I know where they all are, all of them! Even if there is no conglomerate force established there, we would have what we need to continue the war. Including nanites.” 

“Alright, I’ll give in,” the medic sighed, “If you know where everything is, Hossin is our best bet,” 

Gallard let out a hearty laugh and clapped his hands, “Hell yeah! I’m excited for this, we finally get to leave this shithole!” 

Vance’s enthusiasm was intoxicating, soon all three of us were giddy to get going. 

A strategy was coming together. Maybe all hope wasn’t lost. We had the chance to win. 

“Listen up,” I smiled, “Here’s the plan...” 

​