1 The Meeting of the Damned

'Die faithfully for mankind. Hail Mankind. Hail Humanity. Hail the Solar System!'

The speaker said monotonously. A recorded piece of junk that has been bugging our ears. It was a terrible sound. Yes, we know that we are doing this for the good of humanity and all that bullshit. I've heard those words for so many times that I might as well know it already.

It was trembling. Strapped with only a metal bar The thing that I was riding trembled. In front of me were people who were experiencing their first orbital drop. It was hot. It was scorching hot. It was blistering that the guy by my left fainted. We were dropping with incredible speed to a godforsaken shithole that most of us will not survive. For the glory of mankind. And all that fluff bullshit that we were fed.

The drop fell down hotly. We were blistered from the drop. My eyes were dry just because of the heat. I looked around me. The people that I was with were either injured or dead. Some got lucky like me and were alive. Out of the fifty, there were only twenty left of us.

Heard someone shout in pain. I staggeringly walked to that person. Saw his left arm and sides burned up, his fingers cut by the laser rifle he was holding. Probably pulled the trigger, then the rifle did the work. I was about to offer him some aid. But the Captain patted my shoulder. He pointed his rifle at the man's head and shot him dead.

"Not enough Medicare. We had to around and tend to those who can fight. He'll die within the first firefight," he said behind his battered helmet. I looked at the Captain who tries to herd us sheep of the battlefields. Yes, we are sheep. We are bastards that won't be alive by sunset. 'Like a sheep herded to slaughter' is what they call us.

What are we facing? We are facing obloid shape bastards that outnumber us. They are shaped like mantises and worms. And the strongest of these monsters can turn a million to stone.They were spotted at some nation called Russia back in the earth. They turned an entire military base into stone.

The Captain herded us into this rough valley. I looked around and saw that there were corpses piled up. The entire valley was filled with the dead. The smell was quite something. This was my second rodeo. In my first, it was only one Xeno trying to murder an entire city.

"The way should be here. Rendezvous with the forward line-"

There was a laser beam. The Captain was standing open so his head burst open. I didn't know who the Captain was but he was really dumb. The rest were stunned. Another 'Captain' took over and led us this time a bit more carefully. The Captain was weird. I don't know why but I think the Captain was masking his voice. Why would the Captain do that? I don't really know.

But we followed this Captain. By some shit luck, I became the Captain's aide. I didn't refuse. No one wanted it so I just accepted the position. I shouted 'fuck my life' inwardly and just followed the Captain. About the Captain, he was not a 'he'. The Captain was a 'she'.

It wasn't surprising really. The universe couldn't give a shit what your gender was. But what made me curious was that the Captain was a familiar figure. The universe went to shit but the internet was still working. I could recognize the face of the Captain who was from Earth.

"How the fuck did a high noble like you ended up here?"

"You know me?"

She was shocked. She made this expression as if everything was over. I couldn't really a give a shit who she was. But she was a high noble from a failure of a clan. But this 'noble' was a figure that has been recently making waves all over the place.

"Who doesn't know of the person who saved an entire passenger starship? If I know that you were our Captain. I won't cursing how shitty my luck was."

"You overestimate me. I did nothing worth.

"That's what you think. You are someone that most of the females back in the mothership worship."

"It doesn't matter. Once you are gone they would move on to another 'idol'. I am just some another fodder."

Humble. That was what I thought the moment she said that. She looked like she was unworried. There was no joy in her face. It was like she didn't even care about how she was idolized by the female soldiers back in the mothership warship.

I peered at her. She wore the basic marine loadout. But I could see the patch of a high-noble and Corporal. The image of the planet Mars, a skull, and the three swords that represents the unity of man, machines, and God. The God of Mars was a deity that represented war.

"Pardon me,"I said.

She looked at me with perplexed eyes.

"I said 'Captain' but in truth, you are actually a 'Corporal'. Please pardon me, I haven't noticed."

"It's okay."

She said with her eyes looking at the plains that were filled with the dead. The others were behind me and they seemed to be just following for the sake of following. No one was stupid enough to assume the role of the Captain after the first one died because of a careless action.

"Still," I said lightly. "Why would you allow the dead captain to take over? Shouldn't you take the role?"

"I wanted to. But I didn't expect that he'd do it before I took some action."

I nodded. Taking the role of the Captain means that you'd be the captain of the soldiers. Since once the main invasion forces in and you're stuck with that role. They would just assume that you were the Captain and be done with it. After all, if you were able to lead a group of soldiers then you have the capability.

...

I crept around the field with the Captain. We were like maggots crawling over a corpse. There were corpses around us so still, I think it was the appropriate way to describe it. We are maggots of war, the pitiful idiots that were told how glorious we are.

"Looks like we are done for."

I said in a low tone. The Captain heard my pessimistic voice and looked at me with this annoyed look. Her face scrunched up seriously that I raised a brow and tilt my head. The Captain sighs heavily as she looks at me again. I have no idea why she was looking at me like that first.

"How about try being optimistic?"

"That word still exists?"

"It does," she taps her forehead and places her rifle in her lap. "If you want to make it out alive."

"Then do what Captain? Try dying in another barren shithole again? That's really nice."

She looked at me tiredly. The Captain's expression flickered. I looked at her as I was trying to understand what she was thinking. She said.

"High nobles have higher chances of being promoted. You recognize me then you should know what happens if I survive here."

High nobles are privileged. They are given a choice to do what they can. Everyone's given a chance but a high noble has a higher chance of getting that wonderful choice. It was still my second rodeo so there was no way that chance would come.

"So what are you trying to say, Captain?"

"I can rope you in. You'll serve as my aide and follow me. Isn't that preferable to being a cannon fodder for these kinds of battlefields?"

I frowned. I looked at her and said. "Are you speaking the truth?"

She nodded. "Yes, I will hire you as my aide. I'll try getting an interceptor as a ship."

"Wait, are you planning to become a Freelancer?"

"I am," she nodded. "I will take time trying to get a ship but it is still better than doing these kinds of things."

"Why me? Wait, don't answer that."

She looked at me with a stolid expression. She peeked out of cover and hunkered down after a blanket fire of laser beams tore past our heads. I looked to my left and saw five of the ones following us died instantly. Half of their skulls were vaporized.

"Well, If you don't survive I'll probably pick another one. How many times have you been dropped from the stratosphere?"

"This is my second time."

"That's good enough," she raised her shoulders up. "All the folks that I tried to ask died. The captain...was actually the first one."

"The dumb one awhile ago?"

"Yup, I thought he'd be good. But he died just like that."

"Just like that huh?" I said.

The captain seemed to be unlucky. If he survived then maybe he should be able to get out of this shithole and get the chance. I am not optimistic about all of this though. The Captain says that I just need to survive. But what about her? Will she survive this garbage place?

"Well, it all depends if we survive this, Captain."

"You are right. If I die then you might as well forget everything."

Heard something about so I looked up. There was this giant obloid shape freak that was firing shots at the bunker. The Captain peeked too so she told everyone to open fucking fire at the motherfucker. We obliged by pointing our laser rifles at the freak.

We killed the freak but the other freaks returned fire. We all hunkered down. Heard someone shouting in agony as I tap my laser rifle and cock it. The rifle took a long deep breath as she taps on her helmet. I tapped on my helmet too and listened in to whatever the support unit was blabbering.

"All forces proceed to rendezvous line. All forces proceed to the rendezvous line, defend the fusion core facility at all cost!"

The transmission went static. I lifted my hand away from the helmet and frowned deeply. I looked at the cosmos above before having this wanting to tear the support unit in half. They pretty much told us that go to the rendezvous line that has been overrun with the enemy because that was such a good idea. I can't wait to die out there for the glory of whatever's left of 'humanity'.

"We should probably rush in."

I was about to speak more nihilistic bullshits but the Captain suddenly vaulted out of cover. I gaped my jaws open but seeing her dodge laser beams and crouch near a rock made me question what I am seeing. How could she just sprint like that?

"Not following?"

I almost wanted to refute her and shout all the air out of my lungs. But the bland look that the Captain gave me made me unable to do so. She was staring right through me. The others were equally dumbfounded by what the Captain did. Was she brave or foolish? All of our thoughts aligned at that moment.

"And may God have mercy on my soul!"

I chanted and sprinted. I speeded through the laser beams and dived near where the Captain was. She pulled me to cover and hugged the rock while the streaks of laser passed over our heads. I looked at where we were hunkered down. The others started assaulting the enemies as well.

"I am starting to regret agreeing to this!"

"You agreed?"

"I didn't! But who wouldn't want to get out of this shithole?"

"Well, at least you are motivated aren't you?"

She gave this sly look. I couldn't tell what the Captain was thinking. I don't really care if she's foolish or not. I'll follow her out of that motive. Either way, I'd be dead if I don't. At least I was having this fragile sense of choice.

...

We slowly crossed the plains filled with bodies. The others were covering us but in truth, they just want to know if we would die by the volley of laser beam fire. They recognize the Captain as the leader, but the dropship troopers have no proper commanding officer.

We are dogs and maggots of war, all we can do is try to survive. Our allies are not evil men. They are pragmatic warriors that want nothing but to win against the aliens that appeared over the solar system. Mankind has been living through a golden age only for them to appear.

I'd understand the plight of mankind. The horrible realities of the elite armies being cloned to death so they can just fight the threat of humanity. We've reached the stars yet these alien scums try to take this 'freedom' from us?

Mankind has always fought for freedom. We fought for love. We fought everything that tries to take it away from us. I can understand it all. I know because the feeling was the same. But even so, mankind has always been selfish! I am selfish! I want to break free from this shackles!

Hence why would I even bother to follow the Captain? The Captain was some High Noble from a failure of a clan. She was just another hero that somehow saved people. I thought that it was just propaganda. But in the end, I was left to face the truth.

The Captain was indeed someone absurd! She's been fucking running through the fields like it was some dodgeball contest. Not only that she was able to dodge the attacks of the freaks and slide as if she was experienced about it. It was so astonishing that all fear in my body disappeared.

She sprinted with that bland face. I followed behind while the fools were cheering at our rather suicidal charge. I looked at the Captain and saw her engaging a fucking freak. The freak tried to hit the Captain but she maneuvered around the covers to return fire.

The laser rifle was not the strongest weapon. But it was capable of piercing through enemies and take a chunk of their meat. The Captain handled the laser rifle well. But she was still alone against this freak so I dive to prone and aimed at the freak's head. I pulled the trigger and saw the freak's head being blown apart into many pieces!

Heard a cheer behind me but it was all drowned when a laser beam almost tore my right eye. My right eye went blind. The heat of the laser beam dried my eyes. I fell down on my four. I tried to stand up but saw that a mantis-like freak was charging at me.

"Help me!"

I shouted. But the people behind me didn't shoot. I turned my eyes to the Captain who was running and thought that she probably didn't have time rescue me. I felt a sense of despair. I looked at the mantis-like abomination and pointed my rifle at it.

"May God have mercy on me!"

I open fired. It was not enough. The beast was ten steps away when I spotted a figure being blasted towards the mantis. It was the Captain. She was firing at the top of the mantis-like abomination. All of her shot hit the head and the mantis died!

She was able to easily land on top of the manti's corpse and rolled forward to dampen the impact. She heaved a big long sigh as her stolid and composed eyes looked at me.

"You okay?"

"I am."

"Good, try to keep up okay?"

I nodded. The Captain turned her back yet again and sprinted to the rendezvous point. The rendezvous was actually not a simple point. It was the facility itself, the facility overrun by hundreds of our enemies. The Captain obviously knows this but like the madwoman she was. She rushed towards the metal double-doors of the facility. She raised her rifle and shot the freaks.

"My God!" I shouted.

"Keep up!"

"FUCK!"

I didn't even think anymore. I just sprinted and imitated the batshit behavior of the Captain and trudge through the alien abominations were before us. I expected to get killed by the Xeno around me but the Captain gunned them down with her laser rifle.

She arrived halfway through the entrance. I was behind her when I heard the people behind us being attacked by waves of freaks. I looked over my shoulder. I saw them stare at me with 'Save us' eyes. I bit my lip and turned my head forward.

"Sorry!"

I sprinted. I followed behind the Captain until we hugged the wall. She placed her rifle's barrel on the handle. She fired three-four shots at the door. I planted my left foot down and kick with my other. The door swung upon and beyond it was the enemies.

"Throwing!"

She squeezed a plasma grenade and threw it inside. The sounds of something being incinerated and squished followed. It was quite gory.

"There's something on our six!"

I faced the enemy and fired a continuous shot. My laser rifle heated up and I felt like my hand was going to get burned if I kept it up.

"CLEAR!"

She shouted. I fired covering fire while moving. She cleared the hallway and lead the way through the sectors of the facility. The place was overrun with enemies. We didn't dare to open fire and thank whatever God there was that the Captain didn't run and gun like she would do.

We hunkered down near the glass panels. I peeked at the glass and saw that we have hordes of mantis-like freaks. There was even a humanoid-class abomination with tumors on its back. I felt vomiting looking at that fear. It was an abomination that should be purged by fire.

"What should we do, Captain?"

I got this far because of the Captain. There was no need to think otherwise.

"Hmm, run and gun?"

I almost wanted to cry at that reply. I asked.

"You have a reasoning for that right?"

She taps her laser rifle and pointed at the pipes above us. She open fired and surprisingly the pipes didn't burst.

"So what did you do?"

"That should disturb the distribution. We should take the control room and be done with all of this."

It was too good to be true. But I followed her to the control room. We met no mishaps but we had to fight for the control room. We were making noise, it was impossible to be ignored so I hurried up by throwing a frag grenade. The Captain looked at me blandly.

"Throwing!"

The grenade rolled. The freaks in the control room died. We hurried and tried to control the facility. But my fears came true. The facility was overrun so the turrets were unusable.

"Well, shit, we are fuck."

"Not yet, really."

Heard something happening on her side. I looked over her shoulder and saw that she was instructing the whole facility to go to kingdom come.

"Oh God, you are not just trying to fry those freaks!"

"I suggest that we should run now, aide."

"MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON US!"

I sprinted as fast as I can. She was faster than me, her steps were unhurried, there was this cold calculated look on her face that made me realize that all that we did were according to her plan. Why would anyone try to rush into this place without a plan?

Our race against time continued. We crossed the corridors and pierce through enemy lines. I don't know how many times I missed death, but it didn't matter as I needed to run.

Then heard something exploding, I didn't dare to look back.

But the explosion caught me.

...

My world rang so hard that I didn't know what was left or right.

I looked at the facility that seemed to have been split in half by the explosion. I could feel the fire from where I was lying, there was a pain in my right leg.

"Still alive?"

I heard the bland voice. My ear was still ringing so there was nothing that I could do other than look over quietly towards that voice.

'Captain, your leg's a bust too?"

She nodded.

"It looks like it is. I'll lend you my shoulder, lend yours too."

I didn't know what she was planning to do. I just crawled to her and helped her get up. The Captain's leg was definitely broken, mine was the same.

"It hurts."

She said a complaint. I looked at her and said.

"Now you ruin that stolid façade of yours."

"Is that so?"

She said blandly. I didn't ask her and just gazed at the fleet of ships that was breaking through the atmosphere. Their orbital attack punished the alien pest and before long, the planet of Begin-01 housed humanity's fleet. The Argos was finally able to reign down hell from above.

...

We were taken by troopers. They found us dragging our feet away from the facility. They asked us if we are the ones that did the facility in.

"Yes," replied the Captain.

The trooper raised his brow. Clearly, he didn't believe that the two of us could pull it. I was almost cursing our shit luck but the Captain revealed a holographic tape that showed us operating the control room. From killing the aliens to running the fuck away from the facility. It was hilarious seeing my own figure rotating around the air.

"Doesn't look like it was faked. Come on troopers, time for some rest."

"Oh, may I ask for a Commanding Officer?" The Captain pointed at her patch. "I want that 'choice' now and by the right given to us by people of Earth, I demand it."

The trooper peered at the patch before nodding. He radioed for contact and before long, a transport vehicle carried us towards the place where the fleet has landed. The vehicle wasn't cramped and there were only a few soldiers that were inside it.

"This isn't the only ones right?" I asked.

The trooper was that browsing his PDA glanced at me. "This place was filled with the aliens. Those obloid motherfuckers stormed half of the continent. In fact, you should thank your partner. She just killed a hive mother and she'd become a commander if she doesn't turn it down. "

"Really?"

"That's right, it is a fortune. You'd be promoted too since you took part in it."

The promotion was a beautiful thing to hear. But as a cannon fodder who survived because of the Captain's masterplan. I don't dare to take the promotion. I want that promotion to allow me to accompany the Captain. She promised me that would be the case. I looked at her and asked.

"Captain, are you still going to take me as your aide?"

The Captain was leaning on the walls of the vehicle. She was making this stolid expression as she hums a song. The Captain slightly moved her eyes at me. "I will. You prefer the field of corpses?"

"No, not a chance. You promised, captain!"

She nodded her head.

"I don't break my promise. You were a good help."

I nodded my head. I took a long big sigh as I stare at the swaying rifles that were mounted on the walls. They probably are just spare rifles. Most of us don't dare to let go of our weapons since the aliens might still be outside of the vehicle. I was still holding on to my plasma rifle. The laser rifles were handy but our plasma rifles were our best friends. They can be recharged because of the microfusion breeding cells it has. The only problem with the plasma pistols was their recharge time. The laser rifle only needs to be tapped and the cooling mechanism would activate.

The plasma rifle doesn't have that function. It was impossible to attach a cooling mechanism to plasma-type weaponry. The laser rifles were already a trouble, so producing a plasma rifle would surely result in death by friendly fire or unintentional suicide.

The plasma pistols were our saving grace. But most of us treat the laser rifles as our extra arm. It was tiresome inside the vehicle so I just waited for us to arrive. The Captain was playing with her PDA when she noticed me staring. She was probably thinking of something as she drags her butt against the seat.

"Give me your link, I'll need your profile and data."

"What for?" I asked.

"To make you my aide. I'll enter the data now. Hmm, that should do it, I added your 'feats' and with this, there should be no problem in pulling you out of the military. You sure that you want to join me?"

"I do."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I see."

The Captain nodded her head. She lazily typed in the details. She slightly glanced at me.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, just looking at what you are doing."

"Don't look."

"Why?"

"I said so. You are my aide right?"

"Am I now?"

"Yes," she nodded. "So please don't look. It's basic manners."

"Manners still exist in this world, Captain?"

"Thy do. Let me ask you though, why are you still calling me Captain?"

"I don't know your name," I said truthfully.

"Hmm, I don't know yours too. Regina Doll. Yours?"

"Nix Villa."

"Nix?" she said.

"You got a problem with the name that my mother gave me?"

"Not at all. My last name is Doll. Yours is Villa. Quite similar."

"I don't think so."

"It has two 'L' in it."

It was at that time that there was a desire of wanting to refute her badly. I truly wanted to say how there was nothing similar to what she just said. I calmed down, I couldn't allow myself to lose. I took deep breaths and smiled slightly.

"That was a joke."

"May God Have Mercy on me."

I couldn't take it anymore. There was a big desire to shout inside me but I hold it in as I tried to pretend that I was sleeping. She didn't bother me and stared at her PDA. I didn't talk to her and just reflected on what happened.

The vehicle we were riding arrived at the newly established base. The ships created a formation and we were taken to the medical area where we got treated. It was at that time that a commanding officer approached Regina about her choice.

She said what she wanted and pointed at me. The commanding officer read my achievements and raised his brow. He looked at Regina and then back to me with a frown.

"Outstanding soldiers, leaving to become Freelancers. What a shame. But that is your choices."

I don't know what the officer was talking about. I didn't really care since it only means that I am finally out of the military. I almost wanted to buy some beer to celebrate it.

But of course, at that moment, I don't know what will happen if I follow the Captain. If I knew, I'd probably just try to hide inside a starship and pray that I'd be sentenced to a lifetime in prison instead.