We will go through this one more time before we head off, and it'd better be perfect," Auclair-Stolz commands over the coms. "Like last time, you are coming in from the north as a distraction, Kizashi. Make sure you get their focus so we can slip through."

"Understood."

With that, the waiting screen fades as the sim loads in our target. Our time in the sims as a squad has been fairly consistent in the two days since the attack. To start, I make sure to reserve the sims first thing in the morning. As I reserve the sims, I take some time to practice for myself, making sure not to use the central one.

For the hour that I wait for the rest of my squad, I try my best to work on the mistakes I made during the Martian ambush. Using the sims, I recreate my side of the ambush and do my best to try and fight through it, acting on the mistakes I observed during my many viewings of the footage. However, try as I might, it proves to be a wall that I am unable to overcome.

For each mistake I try to correct, I discover or make a new one. To add salt to the wound, each of my attempts ends in failure, with the enemies either reaching the ship and bombing it or me being killed by the AI. Despite my urge to keep at it, I limit myself to 10 attempts in the morning. Once I reach my limit, I get out and go through my regular workout routine to keep people away from the sims.

When the rest of the squad arrives, we enter the machines and run through a base assault mission. The mission has us fly through a model of a Martian outpost, a heavily fortified encampment surrounded by tall walls and several defensive towers. Here, despite my failure to improve, I manage to prove my worth by adequately supporting the team. After around 20 rounds in the sim, the squad separates to allow another squad to use the machines.

Once we finish up in the sims, I handle cleanup and then head off to make myself useful. After a quick breakfast, I head over to the Mechbay to see where I can make myself useful. I end up helping around by ferrying tools and messages, but beyond that, I don't do all that much.

When the evening comes, I reserve the sims for another session. This session is much like the one in the morning and ends a bit before the end of dinner. After cleaning up the sims, I head over to the dining hall to eat. After a meal and a quick shower, I head to bed, allowing my past performances to lull me to sleep.

"Now!"

At Auclair-Stolz's command, I activate my thrusters, charging through the sky toward the base. As I enter the range of the turrets, I activate my booster pack, gripping the controls tightly as the simulated force attempts to slam me back into the chair. After a few seconds of boost, I cut my engines, allowing my built-up momentum to carry forward as I fly over the top of one of the towers. Readying a pair of Foudre, more disposable rocket launchers, I fire down at the tower before casting them aside and reaching for the next pair.

Two blasts appear on my sensors, followed by confirmation of downing the tower, but I don't pay them more than a cursory glance, focused on the next target. Kicking my thrusters back on, I boost into the air to get a bead on my next target. Just looking at it, it looks like an odd gash on the surface of the moon. However, looking at the sensors, I can see it for what it is: an elevator for carrying up Martian Fighters.

I jet forward, careful not to enter the range of another tower before firing down at the elevator, firing one at a time to make sure I am able to hit both ends of the elevator. As I discard the spent launchers, I draw up my last pair of Foudre and watch for a minute, watching to make sure that the elevator is no longer a threat.

Once the neutralization of the target is confirmed, I take a second to glance over the sensors. With the commotion I have caused, the base has come to life, with several hostile signatures approaching me.

"We are moving in now. Make sure to hold their focus," Auclair-Stolz commands.

"Understood," I reply, turning my focus over to one of the towers closer to the command center of the base. I jet forward once again, weaving through bullet fire as the tower fires on me. Once I am in position above the tower, I fire down on it and cast aside the Foudre in exchange for a chaff grenade that I throw out before jetting back.

The grenade serves its purpose, managing to derail the swarm of missiles the tower managed to send out before being destroyed, causing them to fly off or slam into each other. Clear from the missiles, I look to the approaching threats, columns of tanks. With the air advantage they aren't much of a threat, but with the towers limiting my movement I'm not able to get a clear shot.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

After wracking my brain for a moment I decide to focus on being a decoy. I dance through the air, evading the futile fire from below as the rest of my squad moves in. They charge in and fire on the southern tower, clearing the way for them to start firing at the command center. Seeing that they have begun the assault, I join them using my Tempête, hammering the building as best as I can in between dodging tank rounds.

Soon, the building starts to collapse, and seeing the others retreat, I follow suit, fleeing over the wreckage of the tower I just destroyed. As we retreat, the sim starts to fade out.

"Adequate performance, Kizashi," Auclair-Stolz calls out. "Quickly clean up here before heading to the Captain's office. Don't be late."

With that, I hear the others step out of their sim capsules. Moving quickly, I rush out of my capsule and get to work wiping the sims down. Once I am done, I rush out of the room, carefully dodging crewmen as I run to the Captain's office. After a few minutes of running, I make it to the Captain's office. I take a minute to catch my breath before I knock on the door.

“Come in, Ensign Kizashi. We have been waiting for you," the Captain says, his voice tinged with annoyance.

"Sorry, Sir," I reply as I enter the room, moving to stand behind Auclair-Stolz alongside Di'Lotta. As I do, I see that Reese-Cato and her squadmates are also present in the room.

"Well, your apparent issues with timeliness aside, we can begin this meeting," the Captain says from behind his desk. "Your Squads have been assigned to the ground assault detail for our big assignment, Operation: Fear Eater. That means your squads will be in charge of taking out the security outpost on Phobos proper while my Squad and Squad 2 handle the orbital outpost as well as their air presence."

"Understood, Sir," Auclair-Stolz says with a nod. "We have already been training with the current data that we have on Martian outposts. So far, our squad has been able to successfully take care of the outpost on our own."

"That's good to hear, Ensign, but be careful not to get too complacent from your training. Training is all well and good, but it is nothing like proper contact with the enemy. After all, computers are much easier to predict than human actors."

"Understood, Sir," Auclair-Stolz replies, twitching a little bit.

"Will it be possible for us to get some joint sim time, Captain?" Reese-Cato interjects. "While we have also been training with the data given, it would be easier to strategize if we are given time to work on this issue together."

"I will make sure to assign a slot to your squads. Make sure to use the time wisely."

"Of course, Captain. Also, will we have to handle the approach ourselves, or will we be approaching using the ship?"

"Given the expected resistance and the fact that both Phobos and Deimos are meant to be anti-fleet warning stations, you will have to make the approach for yourselves."

"Understood, something to account for then," Reese-Cato says with a nod and a smile. "I'll make sure to keep that in mind then, sir."

"That's good. Then, you are all dismissed. And Ensign Kizashi, work on being more punctual in the future," the Captain says with a dismissive wave.

"Yes, Sir!" I say quickly, offering a bow as I join the others in leaving.

"Soooo, I have a fun idea," Reese-Cato says with a grin full of trouble as we enter the hall. "How about, before we get settled in practicing the base assault, we have a little match between our squads?"

"That sounds like an utter waste of time," Auclair-Stolz scoffs.

"How so? It's the perfect opportunity for us to know and understand each other's preferred combat styles, something that would be key to developing any plan of approach for our mission that would actually involve any kind of synergy between our groups."

"We've already seen how we fight at the academy," Aucliar-Stolz replies, turning away from Reese-Cato.

"Ah, that was at the Academy before we had actual hands-on experience with our machines. I'm sure that someone who managed to get to the top of the leaderboards back at the Academy wouldn't be piloting the exact same way after being in a machine for himself. After all, an excellent pilot is able to adapt to different situations. Besides, it shouldn't even be less of a minute for my squad to decimate yours.

"What do you mean 'decimate?'" Auclair-Stolz asks, wheeling around to glare back at her.

"Well, my squad does have a collective higher ranking than yours if we are going by the Academy. It shouldn't be too hard for us to crush you after getting a sense of how you all fight."

"We are the ones who actually have some combat experience that isn't just shooting a defenseless carrier."

"Clearly, it doesn't amount to much if you aren't confident in putting up a fight."

"Who said I wasn't?"

"Wouldn't that be the only reason you wouldn't want a quick match? Reservation blocks are already long. And the mission shouldn't take more than a few minutes to complete. So, the only reason I can think of you wanting to 'save a few minutes' by not entertaining a match is that you are scared. Am I wrong?"

"Dead wrong. We'll face you and your squad, and we will beat you."

"Ok. Glad to see that you have some fire in you," Reese-Cato laughs. "See you tomorrow whenever we have our time assigned."

With that, she saunters off, followed by the rest of her squad.

"You better not drag me down tomorrow," Auclair-Stolz says, glaring my way before walking off, followed by Di'Lotta.

With a sigh, I make my way to the cafe to get something to eat. Another concern added to my plate.