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Sebastian was startled, awoken by the sounds of a firm knocking at his door. He frantically reached for his mobile, seeing it was ten in the morning. [Shit!] he thought to himself as he hurried to grab his uniform. Halfway through getting it on, he realized he wasn’t on work schedule that day. [Who is it?!]

“Sam, you idiot!” he heard from the other side of the door. “You said you’d go with me to Sao Paolo! You don’t remember?!”

[Agh, damn it!] he sputtered as he continued frantically to finish putting his uniform on all the way.

Sam was seated next to Sebastian on the train they boarded as they awaited departure. The car was divided into private booths, each holding up to four passengers. Theirs was just the two of them, stiff air dividing the two. “I’m still waiting on an answer. You never sleep late. Why today?” she asked with a stoic expression, suspicious of something.

Sebastian was still rubbing his eyes as if he was fighting through a severe headache. “I told you. I wasn’t feeling well.”

Sam’s expression immediately switched to the offensive, poking him repeatedly in the arm. “I told you not to solve anything by drinking! You are hung over and can’t fool me!”

“So, what?!” he grumbled back, holding up a hand to stop her.

Confusing him further, she broke into laughter. “Chill out! I wasn’t going to let you forget. But seriously? You really can’t handle a night after, can you!”

“A night after what?”

“I saw that one bottle of tequila in your room just then! That’s it?” she continued as she kept laughing. “Fucking rookie, I swear!” She leaned back into her chair, backing off of the harassment. “But in all seriousness, if I can turn a new leaf on that- sorry… start over new… on that… so can you. Did you get to do any real thinking before you passed out?”

“You can’t speak of starting new, saying you don’t drink just because you have nothing to drink,” he retorted, taking the napkin from under his water bottle, wadding it up, and tossing it at her.

The wad fell under the table as she returned the jab “oh, look you made it fall on the floor,” driving her foot into his shin as she reached to pick it up.

Sebastian barely had time to react before he heard his mobile ring. He looked down to see a message from Renzo. “Not him… not today.”

“Wait! You said you’d talk it through with them, right?” Sam said as she sat back up straight, tossing the napkin in the bin nearby. “What is he saying? At least read it!”

He reluctantly opened it up, seeing something to his surprise. “Samantha, their train stopped.”

“What happened, I wonder?”

He paused in thought, only to shake his head with a look of disappointment. “He’s just trying to scare me. He does this a lot to make me feel guilty and go help. He has been doing this kind of trick on me since we were kids. Every time, which is not much, I say no like this to him, he does this. Ignore it, please.”

“If you say so,” she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. “And to be honest, the outages reached a whole five kilometers up the railway. They are likely to have all kinds of electrical issues. Maybe he wants you to pick him up?”

“Actually, yes. But they can call Infinity. Not me.” He then muted his mobile. “It’s your last day in Colombia. Enjoy the countryside,” he finished with a more relaxed smile. They then felt the train’s brakes release as it started to roll, humming along as the linear motors levitated the cars over the tracks. “See?” he asked with a point of his fingers to the now-visible mountainsides lining the back of the city outskirts.

Within less than a minute as the train accelerated to full cruising speed, she was now able to see the endless plains and mountainsides without a trace of urban development. “You’re right. Wow, I only saw this kind of view from history class. Even my trip to Europe when I was real little was only in the middle of big cities.”

“And if our country didn’t lose its spaceport way back, you would miss this view. This is the only view I would think of going out to see, if it’s not my own town.”

“Really?” she said as she looked back to him. “You never thought to travel for fun one day? Not to move, just, to see for a weekend?”

He leaned against the window, looking out as he answered: “I traveled for Boss a few times to Peru. Once to Bolivia and Argentina. Every time was me and my brother and a few others for security. It was nice, but I never did think to go by myself. What about you?”

“You don’t see anything real in space,” she responded as she, too, leaned against the window, eyes stuck on the mountains in view. “Nothing to travel to see. I only traveled to other space nations that look just like mine… for things like school… or shopping. Hell, I am finding this incredibly expansive sky alone worth the bucks. You don’t realize how droning it is to see cityscapes for a ceiling all your life.”

Sebastian’s eyes wandered back over to Sam. “Hey, I would like to see what your view of your city looks like… this city for ceiling thing. Send me a picture of how your view looks one day, OK?” he said as he opened up his link request from his mobile.

“Sure, of course!” Sam smiled back and clicked accept from the request as the contact information access was initiated.

* 　●　● Off Coast of Bangladesh, Bay of Bengal

The monsoon season had long been underway as a large freighter vessel pulled towards a guarded industrial canal entrance. Isaiah could hear the rain beating down as he watched feeds from a screen labeled “Reaper”. He saw from viewfinder stream a stopped train from which several carrier cars opened up to show them containing LTACs bearing Hexa’s camouflage scheme.

“Hey, Reap’, you see that, right?” Revenant’s voice came over Isaiah’s headset. “That’s one persistent bunch of little shits if you ask me.”

“They really are testing me, and something says I can’t afford perceivable failures this time around. Thanks for keeping me posted,” Isaiah replied as he looked at his current heading. “Now, I need to wrap up so I can get us through security. Go ahead and make it quick. Leave a survivor or two to be a mouthpiece for us while you’re at it.”

“On our way!”

Marian walked up behind him, seeing Revenant’s feed and communication line close out as she let out a disappointed sigh. “You weren’t serious earlier about going down that route again, were you?”

“If it’s big changes you were expecting, Marian, forget it,” he softly replied with a weak smile. “This is who I am, and I decided it’s not time to kick that efficiency that has served me for so long. With the trust they have in me in jeopardy, I can’t continue to do like you’d expect, at least not anytime soon.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

She would never admit holding onto more idealistic albeit unfulfillable expectations of him, having seen the various sides of his personality far removed from the battlefield over the years. Still, in that same sense she refused to admit she was chasing a dream as any other might be when having such expectations, still hoping deep down he could turn that leaf and walk down that same walk as her, eye to eye. “Isaiah, damn it, you just essentially won the last campaign- why are you luring out and murdering non-essential interests?! You don’t have to do a thing! Just look ahead! That is your only responsibility right now!”

“No,” he said as he stood up to walk up to the front cabin door. “We haven’t truly won there just yet, for one. Second… you mentioned murdering.” Isaiah had seen far too many pilots and crewmen dying around them, barely a decade separated from the present. The gut-wrenching sensation that came from not only witnessing it but being the one pulling the trigger had long been fully desensitized, becoming nothing more than a variable in the equation of winning on the field. He simply looked back at her with calm conviction and was not about to give into emotions at a time like this. “There is no murder in war.”

* 　●　● Sonson, Colombia, En Route to Medellin via Train

Renzo took a long drink from his canteen inside his Ap50 which stood amongst the others, all remaining within their platform cars. They stood with the view of a town in the distance, roughly five kilometers away as they were surrounded by trees on one end, open field on the other. He then wiped the sweat from his brow, helmet off, door open as hot air continued to blow in. [I swear. If we don’t get clearance to move…]

[They could at least let us turn on our systems for the AC!] another complained over the radio.

“Cuba CCC responding! Incoming threat to your north!” a Hexa operators voice came up, startling the dozen. “Activation clearance granted! Connecting you with Cuba directly!”

With no hesitation, each pilot closed their doors, locked helmets and visors in, and powered up all systems. [Alright, Cuba, give us a heads up on our friends who made us sit through this shit if you would, please!] Renzo shouted over the channel.

“Galeano Dozen, this is Cuba CCC- you have multiple traces of unidentified explosives detected, moving inbound seven kilometers away on the highway parallel to your tracks. Engage after they clear the city limits!”

“Here comes their little welcoming party!” Dani replied enthusiastically in English.

[Show off,] Renzo chided with a birdie to the in-cockpit camera. [Alright. My squad on the left. Move in straight along the tracks. Dani’s squad on the right, cut around the tree line then swoop behind once they clear the city limit.] With his orders, the two groups of six took off, each fully utilizing their aerial drives to hover a meter above ground at speeds much faster than they were accustomed to by rollers alone. [And fuck the new rules of engagement for these rifles,] he said to his squad. [We are outside the city! Three round burst mode! Don’t worry about conserving ammo! We will wipe them out like we did last week!]

Dani’s Av25 group, armed with anti-vehicle equipment, was now separated from the rest by trees zipping by. She looked at her corner map that showed the southbound movement of the explosives detection marker. [One more kilometer. Cut back in on my mark!] she barked. [They are moving in fast, Renzo, watch your timing!] She then switched over to her anti-tank rocket launcher’s targeting computer. She swung her barrel around, awaiting proper timing to move in. She was then startled by a chill she felt shoot up her spine. Instinctively, she spun her head to her left to see a large chunk of armor flung just past her, causing her to hit the brakes and switch to her main cannon. Before she could acquire any target, she saw her cannon severed in two, one of her crewmate’s LTACs already violently tumbling to a stop. She thought to shout out but was instantly silenced by a flash of brilliant green light removing the mass of metal and machinery above her head as sunlight and sparks poured down.

[Why isn’t anyone responding!] Renzo shouted in futility over the radio now overcome by distortion. He force-fired without properly functioning aim-tracking, firing on a cloaked LTAC weaving in and out of the disoriented squad of six, swinging a large plasma-arc equipped sword with each pass. Seeing no decent hits were landing, he turned and bolted for the nearest buildings of the city they approached. He hated the idea of using them for shelter but in his situation, he felt it was do or die. Lord knows what I wouldn’t do for Bas to be here covering my six. He quickly decelerated around the first street corner he hit, aiming to turn back towards the enemy at the next intersection. The second he turned the corner, his camera feed went blank as he felt the sound of split metal. He then felt his LTAC violently knocked over, subsequently rammed into a concrete wall, slamming his helmet against the cockpit’s restraint bar.

Dani came to, gathering whatever strength she had to unbuckle her restraints, falling to the side of her cockpit with a painful thud. She had been through a thrashing a month prior, but never one that tested even the safety limits of such an advanced pilot-focused cockpit. Renzo, hold on, she thought to speak but couldn’t find the strength, failing to recall her communication equipment had already been smashed. Recognizing the daylight pouring in from the hole severed open earlier, she rolled out of the wreckage best she could. Once her body hit the sun-warmed earth beneath, her breathing became uncontrollable once more as she found herself unable to stand, knees failing her. Boys, are you still with me? Why is it so quiet? Once her vision became clear enough, she saw two tattered cloak-bearing figures standing in the distance beyond the other blue and black camouflaged Hexa LTAC carcasses, most ablaze. Unable to shout or scream out, she could only feel a hot tear fall down her cheek before collapsing again to the ground.

(Revenant (left), Requiem (right))

[https://i.imgur.com/wlYBISb.jpg]

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* 　●　● Sao Paolo International Spaceport, Brazil

Sam had for the first time in many years eyed down a mass driver that sharply curved up and extended into the sky. This was one of the few present as each would be used to help hurl large transports into space. “Your shuttle will be separate from your container, so make sure you run a check at C-7 before boarding at A-2,” an SAU military officer from behind her guided as they walked down a transparent, sealed path suspended above the ground surrounded by jet transports and other large vessels parked at their respective terminals. “And don’t forget to keep your passes visible. It’s not often we have non-military personnel using this wing of the spaceport.”

“Yes, sir,” she responded as she focused back on the two officers behind her. She noticed Sebastian, who had been walking at her side, seemed to be stuck gazing at the mass drivers as well. “Your first time seeing them?”

“Yes, it is. I have never been to this city before, either,” he said as he also took notice of the myriad of skyscrapers off in the distance on the opposite side of the horizon. He felt his mobile start to vibrate from an incoming call but elected to ignore it for the time being.

The two approached a security checkpoint where an officer took Sam’s pass and scanned it. “You may proceed, Ms. Knight. But you,” he said to Sebastian, “this is as far as you can go. No more visitors beyond this point.”

“But I am an Infinity pilot, too,” he reacted with surprise, as did Sam.

“Security purposes. We are handling military grade weaponry with only one authorized access allowed.”

“Well, shit,” Samantha mumbled in disappointment, looking back to Sebastian. “I didn’t think we would have to say goodbye here.”

“I… guess I have to,” he responded with an equally deflated tone. He turned to face her just as he heard the vibration of his mobile coming from his shoulder bag once more.

“Excuse me, sir,” the officer said as he approached him, “but that is starting to concern me. Please take it out.”

“It’s just my mobile,” he said, cooperating with orders as he pulled it from his bag. “I will call them later,” he said before noticing it was from Hexa - Cuba CCC. [Oh… oh shit,] he mumbled with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

“Sebastian, what happened?” Sam asked as she sensed the sudden change in the air.

[Yes, sorry I was away from my device…] he quickly answered without hesitation. [Yes, I am in Sao Paolo escorting Ms. Knight to her shuttle to Akkadia… they what?!] he said as his eyes grew wider than Sam had ever seen or ever imagined. [Who?!]

“Sebastian!” Sam continued to inquire persistently, now with a hand nudging his shoulder. She then felt her mobile starting to ring as well. “Yes?” she picked up without even seeing who it was from. “Dad!... hold on! I am already about to board. What happened? … Hold on,” she said as she opened the holographic live stream call function, holding her mobile in front of her. “Look, we are right here at the checkpoint.”

“I see,” Al said as he looked at both her and Sebastian. “Sorry, I had to confirm everything with my own eyes. Glad you two got that far. Tell Sebastian to hold on. I am getting him clearance to get on board with you.”

“But why!? Dad, what happened? Even Sebastian is over here freaking out.”

“We lost eight pilots from the original Colombia Dozen. They were ambushed near Sonson not too long ago. Renzo and Daniela, his siblings as you know, are in critical condition on their way to the nearest hospital along with one other survivor in a similar situation.” He could see Sam starting to panic as well but continued instructing: “Sebastian’s position back in Colombia is now considered fully compromised as this may be a plotted act of revenge. I sent instructions for them to hold you two there until you and he both are cleared to board that shuttle.”

Paralyzed, Sam couldn’t think of what to say in response, now looking to Sebastian who was looking like he was about to go off.

“No evidence of anything yet, but everything points to those mystery men that hit you on the day of your drop,” Al continued. “So, get your asses up in space A S A P.”