April 6, 2056

I enter the dimly lit room, make my way to the back of the room and take a seat. There are whispers and mumbling amongst the other Shards, but I remain quiet and a few minutes later the captain enters the room with the lieutenant trailing closely behind.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I'm going to assume that everyone is present, correct?"

Her question is promptly answered as I glance toward the door and notice someone quietly slipping into the room and taking a seat. She must have noticed too, yet she proceeds to the front of the room, positioning herself slightly off to the side of the blank screen on the wall.

"Before we begin, try to save your comments until the end. I know you guys loove interrupting me after every sentence but please restrain yourselves. There's a lot to go over today and I'm already busy as is. So, with that out of the way, let's get started."

A couple of moments later the screen comes to life as a series of pictures appear before us. There are a few gasps and exhales from some shards behind me and for good reason. The images display the remains of charred vehicles, bullet-ridden soldiers, and a few more up-close pictures of the... executed individuals.

"Two days ago, an Atlis convoy escorting an ambassador was ambushed within the Belesta province near the Tyranian border. All its occupants have been pronounced KIA, but after further investigation, it was found out that the captain in charge of the convoy and the Ambassador were executed by a shot to the head," She continues. "Furthermore. The Federation has come out and taken responsibility for this incident."

Her final words stir a murmur of voices in the room.

The Federation huh? I've been aware of their 'movement group' for some time now, but I never would have imagined that their next step would be to attack a foreign nation and openly admit to it.

"The reasoning behind their attack has not yet been confirmed, so don't go believing in whatever you see or hear on the internet. Whatever the case may be, it doesn't change the fact that it was an unjust and deliberate act of aggression against Atlis. Before the events in question, Atlis had only been involved as a mediator between both parties, but that approach has been thrown out the window now."

The screen behind her switches to display the words 'Operation Avenger'. Along with it is also an overview of the nation of Rambell and the area of operations that we'll be confined to. By the looks of it, it seems they want our force to be concentrated towards the provinces bordering the northern nation of Tyran.

"Yesterday, The Feds were declared a Foreign Terrorist Organization and as a result, we've been assigned to Operation Avenger to tag and bag the leader of The Federation. They must've really pissed someone off in SOCOM because we've also been given authorization to neutralize the target should it be too difficult to escort him out. But I'm confident in my company's abilities so that shouldn't be a problem." She pauses to wink at us before continuing, "Moving on to our main objective, it'll comprise mainly securing intel via contacts and High Valued Individuals. Apparently, info regarding the Fed's leader has been scarce but with the help of Atlis and Ram Intelligence, we're bound to get something soon. As more info comes through, I'll be sure to inform you but for now, let's go over the rules we have been given for the AO and... let me tell you, it's a handful."

For the rest of the briefing, she goes over the RoE that Atlis has given us to follow with only two being noteworthy.

First and foremost, the use of wide-range, explosive, or piercing Divinity Enhancements in populated areas will be strictly prohibited. It'll make operating within city limits troublesome, but we don't have much of a choice. Well... not that it'll affect me anyway.

Moving forward, any riots we encounter should be handled by the local Rambell forces unless there is an immediate threat. While it's evident there are a few extremists within the Federation's ranks, it's still mostly comprised of civilians. During the recent ambush, the Federation forces were noted to be wearing decommissioned Rambell uniforms, which should simplify identifying combatants. However, insurrections are messy, and distinguishing threats on the field will become more challenging if the Federation is determined to wage war against Atlis and Rambell.

Pushing the thought aside, the captain also mentions that Rambell will also be assisting us on the ground by providing the necessary assets, such as transportation. I guess even after all that's happened, they still refuse to allow Atlis military assets within their nation. I'm starting the believe the word cooperation doesn't exist in their dictionary.

"Any questions?" She asks now but surprisingly no one raises their hand.

I don't have any questions in mind, but I feel as if I should raise mine out of courtesy.

"I swear you guys do this on purpose..." she rolls her eyes before continuing, "In any case, meeting is over. Inform your squads and start packing your gear. We'll be dropped off in Tyran first before heading into Rambell with an escort. The departure date is on the eighth at zero-one hundred hours. Dismissed."

The lights turn on as the shards around me make their way out of the room. I, however, remain seated as the Lieutenant approaches me.

"Did I really have to attend this meeting, Frost?" I ask mundanely to him.

I'm in the same squad as him and the captain so everything that was mentioned would've just been relayed to me later.

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"Doesn't hurt to get the information now than later." He yawns before taking a seat next to me. "Isn't that right, Macy?"

"Don't fret over it too much," Macy walks over now, "I just needed one more person to fill in an empty seat in the room and you just so happened to be next to Frost. I love seeing a full room in front of me y'know?" She says with a smug look on her face.

Fantastic... She could've just had Frost take a seat if that were the case...

"Well... that's certainly a good reason then," I say sarcastically with an awkward smile.

"Yes. Yes, it is. That aside though, how are you feeling, Luna?"

"What do you mean?" I tilt my head, not fully understanding her question.

"Well, it's been a while since we last been deployed, hasn't it?"

Oh. That's what she meant. The last deployment Black Shard saw was almost two years ago and that was an ordeal I'd like to forget.

"If I'm being honest... it does make me a little uneasy."

"I figured as much. Even after a long period of time, something like that would be hard for anyone to move past." She thinks to herself for a moment before looking back towards me, "I wouldn't have any problems with you wanting to stay back y'know?"

I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to go, but that's just not in my nature. My early years spent in the Atlis military have conditioned me to thrive in combat. To put it simply, I find the battlefield exhilarating. It's an aspect I hate about myself. I've found ways to mitigate it but it's just something that never truly fades away. Furthermore, it wouldn't sit right with me to sit around while my friends risk their lives out there.

"I appreciate the concern, but I think I'll be fine."

Her expression suggests she doesn't completely believe me at first, but eventually, she smiles and comes to accept my words.

"Alright, I trust you," she says before sneaking a glance at a half-awake Frost next to me, "In any case, I'll leave the two of you to your own devices. I have a lot to get done with very little time. Talk to you later, Luna." She waves goodbye and makes her way out of the room where I find myself staring at a now fully asleep Frost.

I hold back the urge to poke his cheek and instead shake him gently, causing him to jolt awake. He's so overdramatic...

"Huh!? Oh, sorry." He rubs his eyes and yawns again, "Must've drifted off when you and Macy were talking."

"It's fine. Want to get something to eat?"

"Yeah, I could use some coffee right about now." He declares as the two of us begin to make our way towards the cafeteria.

On our way there, I can't help but think back to the meeting. The Federation has really stirred the hornet's nest this time, and they're fully aware of it. They weren't always like this, however...

Some years ago, provinces near Lake Aero with similar beliefs started to merge, forming what is now called The Federation. They criticized Rambell for the harsh conditions imposed upon them, as their provinces were constantly pressured for the lake's water resources. Even with rampant crime and diseases that annually swept across the region, Rambell felt no remorse.

After all this, The Federation would go about protesting in other provinces, calling for change and aid towards their regions. The Feds continued to rally more people behind their cause but did little to achieve their goal. For Rambell, a few provinces expressing their frustrations at them compared little to everything else on their plate. Unfortunately, things would soon turn for the worse for the Feds.

On January 17 of this year, an assembly was being held in front of a city hall. Matthew Balakin, the head of the Federation, was at the forefront of delivering one of his speeches when suddenly two bombs detonated, leaving the former Fed leader dead along with twenty-seven civilians.

To this day, no one knows who was behind the bombing. Some speculate Insurgents caused it, while others say it was a scheme from the government themselves, attempting to put an end to the movement once and for all. With no evidence, however, speculations remained speculations. Everyone thought after this The Federation would give up on its hopes and continue to its old ways. But some things refuse to die out...

A few weeks later, a new leader was appointed. His methods were... unorthodox... from the last one. Peaceful protests turned into violent riots. Government buildings were starting to be damaged, and chaos was beginning to creep into the other provinces. Skip two months later, and this new leader has united more districts along Lake Aero to form a stronger Federation. With all this happening, the Northern nation of Tyran closed its borders and garrisoned more troops on the borders. Later along the line, Atlis somehow got involved and that's how we ended up here.

I still wonder why Atlis got involved in the first place. I know they like to stick their nose in things they shouldn't but what do they achieve from all this? An ambassador is dead and now they have justification to deploy boots on the ground in this conflict. At this rate, war is inevitable.

"Luna, you have that strained look on your face again."

I snap out of my train of thoughts and stop in my tracks when I realize I'm standing in front of our destination. I was so deep in thought that I didn't realize that we made it to the cafeteria.

"Sorry. I was just going over some things from the meeting. Let's head in."

We enter the fairly lively mess hall before heading to the serving table.

"Can I ask you something?" I start the conversation as I receive my tray.

"You can ask me about anything," Frost says, already pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Macy mentioned we're going to have an escort going into Rambell. Do you know anything about who that'll be?"

"Hmm. If I remember correctly, I believe she said would be a cadre of Sentinels."

"Sentinels?"

"Don't know the full details, but my guess is that Atlis and Rambell want to see how well our two group's cohesion will be." He states.

I'm not all that familiar with Sentinels other than they're Rambell's attempt at making their own Divinity-Enhanced Users. The things I do hear about them, however, don't convey them as all too friendly.

"Hopefully it goes well. We have enough trouble trying to get along with the army."

"Yeah... how's your Rambellion by the way? Haven't gotten rusty, have you?"

"I remember a few phrases and sentences."

"Really now?" He takes a sip from his cup, "Can you give me a phrase you know off the top of your head?"

"Uh... передай, ёб твою мать, водку."

He rubs his chin to ponder on the saying for a few seconds.

"That one doesn't sound familiar to me. What does it mean?"

"It means pass the vodka." It's a phrase I heard way too many times when I was little. It's actually not the first thing that came to mind, but I'd be too embarrassed to say those in front of him...

"Interesting. Considering you don't drink; I tend to forget you're from Rambell." He chuckles.

I attempt to laugh with him, but I'm hit with a migraine that makes me grab my head.

"Tch... again?" I mutter.

It's been an entire month since I've gotten a headache like this. I was beginning to believe that they'd finally gone away but guess I was wrong. To make matters worse, the pain is getting progressively worse each time and there's nothing the doctors can do about them. Macy said it could be a result of my pent-up Divinity... but I just can't bring myself to expel it... and she knows that. Not after our last deployment.

"Luna? What's wrong?" He asks concerningly, placing his hand over my shoulder.

"It's nothing. Let's eat, shall we?" I ease him with a smile as we find a table and discuss amongst each other for the remainder of our time together.