There was commotion in the gathered crowd. It didn’t come only from the spectators, but also from the Marines who were restlessly talking among themselves. Every drop of discipline was momentarily forgotten in response to her words.

Security forces and House Arthas troops nervously gathered their weapons near the dais, misinterpreting the crowd’s mood. It wasn’t anger or frustration. Yes, these emotions were also present and a part of the energy that vibrated within us.

But the notion, the return to a place that was more of a legend than an actual location, spurred us to forget where we were. I saw the sorrow and loss around me, forgotten for a moment and replaced by hope for the future. Who wouldn’t want to visit the Milky Way?

Okay, nowadays it was a lawless place with little going on. Resources were scarce, having been mined extensively for eons on end. The first colonies on Mars and Kepler-452b were warzones without any command structure or central organization. But there was also…

Terra. Humanity's birthplace and where we evolved until the post-Astro times freed us from the galaxy’s clutches. It was said that Terra was still mostly an ice planet and that thousands of years would pass before it could become suitable for migration. Yet, some people still lived on her frozen form.

I tried to think of the reasons why we would be sent there. From the sounds of it, it was an expedition that would take years to complete. Merely the travel time between Cerebrus and the Milky Way would take the better part of a year.

I thought hard about it. House Arthas’ ploys were never without meaning. The SFC had lost the majority of its combat troops in a single battle, the expendable part but also the necessary part to continue normal operations.

There were several seed planets right in our neighborhood. The SFC wouldn’t need to leave Cerebrus to draft fresh troops. It would only be a problem if House Arthas didn’t allow it. Why would they not though?

I clenched my fist, feeling my wrist and fingers pop as I intensified the range of motion. This could be the opening we had been waiting for. No matter their reasons for sending us so far away, we would also be leaving behind their sphere of influence.

Hmmm. We would have to prepare well, just in case. I watched Seraphina return to her seat and nudged Tommy standing at parade rest to my left. “What do you think, Toms?”

He startled and blinked his eyes rapidly as if his thoughts had put a sleep spell on him. “Pff, sorry I was a bit lost in thought there, what was it again?” He said, clearing his head with a shake.

“Fancy a nice winter vacation to old Terra my friend?” I replied with a genuine smile. His mustache made him look quite funny. Let us say I was not used to it just yet.

He straightened his spine, pulling at his shoulders with his arms behind his back. “A vacation you say? If I didn’t know any better I’d say they are trying to finish the job the Overlords started. That shithole of a galaxy is full of pirates and warlords, eager to get their hands on newer battleships, and we are happily delivering them to their doorstep.”

“I see you are looking brightly to our new posting. I didn’t know you felt so strongly attached to our beautiful hub. Is it the ample selection of mealbars you are going to miss?” I asked jokingly but also with some curiosity. I knew how much Tommy hated being here.

“Ehh, not exactly. I just think it will be dangerous. There is some political game at play here that I can’t wrap my head around.” He said before we were interrupted by another high-ranking officer taking his place at the podium and offering a few short words before the funeral ceremony came to a close.

I watched the important guests stand and followed them with my sight, scanning their information with my Optics. It would not hurt to know who was interested in meddling with the SFC. I made files for all of them for when I gained access to the main servers. Seraphina surrounded by a group of House Arthas troops made her way to a vehicle that would probably take her up to Prime Unity. I didn't see her wanting to stay anywhere else but her luxurious rooms on the flagship.

It took some time for the crowd to disperse, and Tommy and I navigated the crowd to where Ella was chatting with Gardenia. The two girls had started hitting it off on the return trip to the main hub. Ella quickly caught on to the struggling Gardenia and went out of her way to keep her company. She was good at that and I already saw Gardenia responding positively to the attention.

They noticed us right before we reached them and I saw Ella elbowing Gardenia with a smirk I had been on the receiving end more than a few times. Someone was in for another round of teasing.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Hey Tommy, Amon!” Ella giggled in a melodic tone. “Gardenia was just telling me how handsome you guys look.”

“Ella! What? Noooooo, you guys it’s not that. Ella, what the heck?!” Gardenia said with a look of horror.

I chuckled at her discomfort. It was pretty funny when you were not the target of Ella’s mischievous jokes. Tommy didn’t even hesitate to play his part.

“Gardenia, what a compliment, you make me blush,” Tommy said, bashing his eyelids and patting her shoulder. To make matters worse, Gardenia turned bright red.

I couldn’t let the bullying continue. “Guys enough. Our little Gardenia isn’t prepared to fight back just yet. It's not a fair fight.” I said, grabbing their shoulders in each hand and bringing them in for a tight hug. “Here is a fight worth your time.”

“Amon! Not fair!” Ella yelped pushing against my embrace but I didn’t relent. Tommy on the other hand had given up the moment I grabbed him. My buddy knew a lost fight when he saw it.

I released them with an attack on their hair. My hands ruffled them up quite nicely before I stepped back to look at the result.

Ella pouted, trying to get her raven hair back into shape. She had them cut into shoulder-length bangs, whereas Tommy just shrugged uncaring, since his were already an untamed bunch and too short to make much of a difference.

“Let's get out of here,” I said, realizing the square was almost empty after we dallied with our shenanigans.

We left the square behind, moving with the lighter crowd, mostly other Marines toward the company blocks and barracks. We passed the closed-down F567 building and continued to the A300 block, our new home.

While the A300 two-story building was the exact replica of the F567, the surroundings differed quite a bit. We were now at the furthest end of the combat personnel living quarters and unfortunately neighboring the security force blocks.

We were separated by a tall steel palisade fence providing an unimpeded view both ways. From the barracks’ window, I could clearly see the buildings on the opposite side. One of them was also the hub’s detention center with its barbed-wired windows and reinforced doors. What a view to lift our spirits, huh?

Luckily, a familiar face entered the A300 company barracks. Jin Karf strode in with purpose. I was happy to see he survived the battle even when he wasn’t exactly one of us. He must have withdrawn from the Ortheon II before it got overwhelmed.

I also quickly noticed the new insignia on his uniform marking him our captain and waited sitting on my bunk for the coming instructions.

The A300 building was a disorganized mess, with Marines absorbed from several different companies trying to arrange their personal items and belongings to their liking. Not all bunks were occupied yet and new faces were still streaming in through the front door. Reorganizing the whole combat force took a lot of time.

Jin Karf came to a stop at the center of the vast room and surveyed the chaos.

“A300, your company commander is here!” He roared with the air of a seasoned military officer.

That got the attention of the room all right. I perked up to see better.

“We have been given a month to prepare before the fleet departs for the Milky Way.” He continued unabated, his speech carrying around the room. “Tomorrow morning nine hundred hours sharp I expect all of you to be on the company grounds ready for training. You may reach out with questions or concerns at appropriate hours, I’ll be at my office.”

With that, he strode the rest of the way out of the barracks’ main room and climbed the stairs to the first floor.

Only a month before we left the main hub for a long-ass posting out of the galaxy and an adventure that might just promise the completion of my years-long plans. Needless to say, I was excited at the prospects.

—-

The company commander wasn’t kidding when he talked about training. I always prided myself for my endurance and strength but that worked against me this time.

After we were separated into ranking groups based on our workout performance I was picked out by the commander. The reason? Well, maybe because by the end of the session I stood where everyone else in our company struggled to breathe.

“Sergeant Amon, a word please,” Jin Karf called out before I followed the rest of the company into the barracks to clean up.

“Yes, sir,” I said, curious about what this was all about. Facing him I struggled to keep myself from wiping at the sweat dripping down my forehead. The main hub's environment regulators had comfortably cool air venting like a slow breeze, but it wasn't cool enough to prevent me from dumping what seemed like litters of water out of my body.

“You’ve been a long time with the Marines,” the commander stated, but it wasn’t a question so I waited for him to continue. “I won’t pry for the details that got you where you are today and I won't hide that I've been keeping my eyes on you for quite some time. You are skilled and resourceful, the customized weapons, alterations on your biosuit... It's a fortunate thing that you are in my company. I believe I will need your skills for what’s to come. The Milky Way…” He paused considering his next words.

I kept my face blank. The little alarm bells that rang in my head were accompanied by an interest in where he was going with it. Since Ortheon's II destruction, I didn't have access to the mainserver, I was practically blind to the happenings around the hub. “What about it, sir?” I asked.

“The Milky Way will be challenging for the SFC, especially with our reduced numbers. I’ll need a competent second in command that will get things done, the proper way.” He said holding his hips with both hands, giving me a knowing look.

I considered his words. Maybe he didn’t have much faith in the staff he had been assigned for this mission or the dangers we would face were so dire...?!

“Sir? But how will that work out?” I asked, confused. The chain of command would certainly not allow something like this to happen.

We were alone in the courtyard in front of the barracks, but still, he took a moment to look around and check to make sure. He leaned closer. “Do you have Marines you can trust inside the company, Sergeant?” He asked in a hushed tone.

I hoped no one saw us at that moment because we looked guilty of something. As if Commander Jin realized the same thing he took a step back and resumed his usual stern look.

“...Yes, I do have a few people,” I finally uttered. I had to be careful here, I was certain this was not a setup, but dealing with higher-ranked officers was complicated.

“Good, good. We will work it out during the trip. Lots of time to plan things thoroughly,” He said, nodding at himself.

It was something to consider. I trusted the commander to an extent, but not with my life or the lives of my friends. But if I was included in plans or decisions for the company I could protect them better too. Interesting.

“Okay, sir,” I said with a blank face revealing nothing.

“You are excused, Sergeant,” He said, staring thoughtfully at the darkness of space. I wasn’t the only one that needed time to think.