Outpost Defiance, Cauldron Front, Eridani, Qir System, FDA territories

  September 8th, 2506

  Eridani’s soldiers took up defensive positions from the trenches, watch towers, turrets, demolition munitions, and mortars. From his binoculars, Colonel Hakim Ayani saw the silhouette from one of the Dominion’s battalions in one of the rooftops as it marched closer to Outpost Defiance. Watchtowers were all manned with snipers and demolitions. Heavy machine-guns up in the trenches. Outpost Defiance was one of the few critical defenses for their capitol city, only 75 kilometers from the capitol city of Fury. If it falls, so would the other critical defenses in time. The soldiers of Ayani’s battalion took their breathes. Some were twitchy and scared, just like their commanding officer, but still stood resolute in their mission.

  Ayani let go and had his right arm up, his hand open. Sweat pored over his face, breaths grew heavily from the dread. He knew a day like this would come. He knew it. And even still, he felt fear when he glanced at the enemy. The march of the Main Battle Tanks, the armored vehicles, and the troops in blue.

  Ayani threw his arm forward, and shouted “Open fire!”. First came the smoke that filled in front of the trenches. Then, came the volley of ballistics, mortars, turrets as they flew towards their enemy. He didn’t hear whether the mortars reached their target, but waited for the smoke to dissipate. But that was his folly, as an artillery from a tank cannon had hit the Command Center on his right, and destroyed much of its walls. Eridani’s warriors stopped and watched in shock.

  Ayani screamed. “Keep firing!” and his soldiers valiantly got to work. Their volleys were hitting wherever they could: infantry, armor, and support. But then came another tank cannon fire, and it instantly destroyed the front watch tower.

  Several UHD soldiers poured from the smoke, and shot their way to the trenches. A dozen of them fell, which allowed the defenders to shoot them down. But the Dominion, in it’s relentless march, sent its armored units to decimate the defenders with support of infantry units from above. Over time, the defenses all across Outpost Defiance were overwhelmed. Trenches, watch towers gunners, riflemen, were all cut down. Brave men and women fired from every corner possible, with little effect, soon to be ripped apart by bullets, explosives, as the Dominion’s tide drowned the trenches And in the midst of it, additional volleys from Dominion tanks damaged more of the structures around the base, killing more EDF soldiers, who took defenses inside there.

  Colonel Ayani stood in shock. His posture cold. This wasn’t a war, this was a massacre. His face twisted in despair, his soldiers butchered by the Dominion’s war machine. This base, the size of a huge camp, once held by 200 fighters, have been reduced rapidly. Colonel!

  He couldn’t give any more orders. Why would he, when this is the end? Colonel!

  The Cauldron Front had fallen. This was the end for Eridani. This was the end for his people. What was expected to be a prolonged battle became relentless slaughter.

  “Colonel, we need to evacuate now!” Sergeant Kali Agrinya shook her superior out of his trance. Ayani snapped to, and nodded while following his aide alongside 40 of his soldiers, having left Outpost Defiance via the back entrance, and ran towards a convoy of the 12 F52 variant of F-71 Puma Light Armored Vehicles parked by the parking venue that was only 2 minutes away from the base. Similar in design to the vintage humvees, the F-52 is designed for troop transport. As such, Ayani, Agrinya, and a dozen of the surviving soldiers commandeered the F52s and accelerated in haste to avoid the carnage and traces of enemy fire.

  [All Eridani Defense Force soldiers still alive in their outposts, evacuate immediately to the capitol city of Fury, and set perimeters. Repeat, all Eridani Force soldiers evacuate to Fury, and set defensive perimeters!] An announcement was heard on all the comms that EDF soldiers wore, including Ayani and Agrinya.

  Ayani was in the passenger seat of the 1st F52 in the line, with his aide and three soldiers in the back. “This is it, yeah boss? It’s over?” One of his subordinates asked wearily.

  Ayani was weary too, his eyes were haunted. He and his people knew that a day like this would come, but never in such overwhelming brutality.

  He shifted his eyes to his subordinate, Lieutenant Nasser Al-Hadid then spoke. “I won’t lie to you, Lieutenant. it is the end. But one thing is for sure; We will not let them take our homeland. Even to our deaths.”

  Al-Hadad’s face twisted to determination. With the stakes being as they were, every measure to prevent the Dominion from conquering Eridani must be followed at all costs.

  The F52 convoy continued accelerating, and then they saw the silhouette. Fury, their capitol. If Eridani was the crown jewel of the Frontier, then Fury is the prime example for that. Tall buildings that stretch across the sky. Architecture and arts inspired by different culture groups that permeated this colony. And of course, the former beauty of its beaches that stretched across the city’s shoreline.

  The smoke and embers of the Dominion’s assault have battered that beauty. There’s no coming back for it, at all.

  Colonel Hakim Ayani was ruminating, of course. Reflecting over the past years. What could’ve been done different. If there was another way to ensure Eridani’s people in living self-determined lives.

  [All Eridani Defense Force stations, all EDF stations, do you read me? This is Strike Team 9. We’re in the mid-town section of the capitol.] The voice from his comm was unmistakable. He saw the grins from Agrinya and his fellow soldiers in the back.

  “This is Colonel Ayani. Glad to hear from you, Captain Wolf!” Ayani responded.

  [Ayani? Thank god. We thought you died when we heard the news about your base.] Ranger Raptor replied.

  “Likewise, Captain. We’re making our way to the city center, to set up defensive perimeters. Are any of our specialists with you?”

  Ayani expected more protest, but only heard silence for a few seconds. [Affirmative, we’re helping them set up the warhead. Once we’re done, we’ll be extracting out to orbit and… you know what I mean]

  The Colonel sighed. “Yeah, I do. Protect our specialists, defend the warhead, extract out to orbit, and set up a surprise gift for those Dominion.”

  [Semper Vigilatus, Colonel] Raptor commented.

  “Latin for Ever Vigilant. That your motto?” Ayani was curious when he heard it.

  [That’s an affirmative, sir.] Raptor responded, which made the Colonel smile with pride.

  “Semper Vigilatus, Captain. Colonel Ayani, out.” The call ended, and he felt the wind breeze as his convoy moved further into the city. As they got closer, he saw bodies of the soldiers and civilians, mangled and eviscerated. As a soldier with years of experience, he was no stranger to war. Which only made the upcoming mission only more harder.

  But he also felt glimmer of hope when he saw the civilians, the everyday people, whom his duty was to protect them volunteering for combat. Even when this was their day of their lives, they’ve followed this oath they’ve taught from childhood. To defend Eridani, no matter the cost.

  “So, we’re gonna follow through this crazy bullshit, after all, huh sir?” Lieutenant Al-Hadid inquired, and Colonel Ayani nodded. The lieutenant’s smile was wide. It was hope, not despair. Duty, not desertion. And most importantly, it was defiance.

  “About time we show those Dominion bastards.” Lieutenant Al-Hadid spoke with pride.

  “Even if we stop them here, it’ll only make our home a wasteland. It’ll take decades to recover, and they can still steal our land, be it wearing anti-radiation gear.” Staff Sergeant Kali Agrinya spoke her mind, and Al-Hadid rolled his eyes at her cynicism.

  “I don’t know about that, Staff Sergeant. Chances are likely that our home will be a quarantine zone once the ORUS Warhead is set to blow.” Ayani spoke up, and Agrinya shifted her face to her superior.

  “I remember the history lessons. ORUS-class warheads are also known to devastate the ecosystem. Yeah, our home is gonna be a wasteland for a long time.” Agrinya remembered bitterly

  “Figures. But given what we’re dealing with, we can’t let them have it. Not now. Not ever.” Al-Hadid spoke his mind. Silence filled the air for a few seconds, then Ayani spoke again. “If turning our home into a radioactive wasteland means preventing the UHD from taking over, that’s a price I’m more than willing to pay.”

  Agrinya and Al-Hadid didn’t say anything, except “Me too.”

  [Same here, sir.]

  [Likewise, sir.]

  [To the bitter end, sir.]

  [Eridani, Eternal, sir!]

  Ayani heard some of his soldiers from the back of the convoy in the comms. They affirmed their commitment, and with pride.

  The hour has approached. And soon, the Dominion will learn.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  City Center, capitol city of Fury, Eridani, Qir system, Frontier Defense Alliance’s territories.

  Though Strike Team 9 managed to get to Fury through an hour-long fast and bumpy ride from the Kur Mountain Range, the state of the city itself was less pretty. The usual sights; Bodies of dead civilians and soldiers, the cries and wails of despair, and the ruins of a city that once bustled with life, lights, and activity.

  They’re Special Tactics Recon operatives, so of course they were used to this ugliness and hell. Compartmentalized it. But it never got easier for them over the years.

  Rangers Grim and Lid set up a defensive perimeter around the south and south-eastern sides of the City Center, while Rangers Iris and Bullet set up perimeters around north and north-western sides. Then, there were Rangers Hawk and Raptor who set up shop in the large empty fountain alongside EDF’s warhead ordnance specialists, who were working on the ORUS-class warhead settled in the hole right at the fountain’s center, in addition to three platoons of EDF soldiers, equipped with riflemen, marksmen, grenadiers, and demolitions who were settled up in the south and north sides in the center. Grenadiers besides the riflemen, demolitions on the flank, and the marksmen took positions up on the roofs of the four-story buildings around each sector.

  “What’s the timetable?” Hawk inquired to one of the specialists. “15 minutes, but we need to work fast before the Dominion’s battalions arrive!”

  “Great.” Hawk hissed, then shifted to Raptor, and nodded.

  Raptor calls up to her COMM “Raptor to Striker. We need extraction in 15 minutes.”

  The Kite’s pilot, in feminine voice, responded [Affirmative, 9-1 Actual. Bravo 257 on the way.]

  “Team, set a timer. 15 minutes.” Raptor had set the timer via her TACPAD, which was shown in the upper left corner in her Heads-Up Display. Likewise, the timer showed up with the rest of the team.

  “Do or die, Rangers.” Raptor set up by the roadblocks that covered the fountain from the outside, while Hawk stayed by the fountain.

  Despite the screams of gunfire and combatants fighting each other in other parts of Fury, the Rangers felt calm and serene. This was not their first rodeo with combat in urban environment.

  For Eridani’s defenders, on the other hand, it was a mix of fear and determination. But bravery is in spite of the former, not in absence of it.

  Smoke billowed across the streets ahead of their positions from each sector, and the UHD troops poured in to the fight. “Now!” Raptor shouted.

  Ballistic volleys from the riflemen flew through a dozen of Dominion soldiers, a number of them were dead on the ground, though a dozen took cover inside the buildings, and they were promptly hit the center by the marksmen on the roofs, collapsed in pools of their own blood.

  The Rangers followed the crescendo, as they shot down dozens of UHD troops pouring from their smoke screens and in their sectors. Rounds fired with controlled bursts, spent shells fell on the ground, empty magazines changed to full magazines. The harmony continued forward, until…

  Pop! One EDF rifleman was shot straight in the head, and collapsed on the ground.

  “Snipers! Get down!” Another EDF soldier shouted as another high-caliber round from a tall beige-colored building’s rooftop one block away hit him straight in the chest, and ended him. The riflemen, grenadiers, and demolitions took cover from the UHD snipers who came to play. EDF’s Marksmen dived to cover, more sniper fire whizzed by them.

  Grim and Lid also hit the dirt. Didn’t want the Dominion to get a lucky shot on them, and avoided the volley of those caliber rounds that would’ve critically wounded them. While their allies got busy with them, Grim tapped Lid on the shoulder, and gestured her to fall back to the fountain. Lid nodded, and the duo went to the fountain to grab cover, with Raptor and Hawk on their flank. Over the perch, the two Rangers scoped on four Dominion snipers shooting from the rooftop of the tall building. In sync, they shot them down, and gave an opening for their ally marksmen to continue. Together, Grim/Lid and the EDF marksmen continued the crescendo against the troop advance, still relentless. While reloading her sniper, Lid called up Raptor during the chaos. “How we’re looking, boss?”

  “10 minutes!” Raptor replied back. Lid cursed, then continued firing “Tell those specialists to hurry up! We can’t survive ten minutes without reinforcements!”

  “They can’t do that, Lid! The process is pretty sensitive, and if it goes wrong…” Hawk interjected, and Lid concluded “Then our mission is a waste of time. Yeah, I got it!”

  Lid put her head down, and avoided another round that whizzed by her. “Jesus!” She shouted, then continued the pressure alongside her friend.

  Meanwhile, Grim continued through the motion, firing her KI-8 MMR. Each shot was like a hard press of each piano key, reverberated against the enemy. Even when taking cover from enemy snipers, she didn’t flinch. Even when changing mags, she didn’t flinch. And even now, she wasn’t flinching in firing her shots against the Dominion troops in her scopes. Rifleman, support, snipers, whatever it was in her way. She pressed those keys with calm. No hatred, no anger. Just simple serenity.

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  [Boss, north and north-western sectors are clear for the time being. We’re ready to assist the other sectors, on your order.] Bullet interjected via the STR-COMM.

  “Negative, hold positions and protect your sectors in case they send in..” Raptor didn’t finish when a munition flew a couple of meters above and hit a building behind her.

  “THE FUCKING BIG GUNS!” Raptor shouted. The rest of her team hit the dirt, when another tank munition hit near the northern-east sector. The EDF riflemen and grenadiers ran inside the buildings and further back.

  They’ve sent in their MBTs. That much was clear. two tanks came in from the north and one from the northern-western sector. Another two came from the south and one from the southern-east.

  “Demolitions!” The EDF Demolition troops on the south side split in two groups and took their positions on the windows, both right and left. They readied their E-76B rocket launchers, sights clear.

  “Fire!” They fired their launchers in harmony, and pulverized the UHD tanks, leaving them in flames.

  Likewise, the EDF Demolitions on the north side did the same, and fired their launchers against the tanks, which destroyed them tanks. Which left only two Dominion tanks that came towards the center

  “Shit!” An EDF Rifleman cursed, when she saw one of the tanks seemingly aiming their cannons at the fountain. Two full-sized Dominion platoons came forward and aimed at the Rangers

  The other tank, just besides the northern-east, was aiming at both Bullet and Iris, who dropped their weapons and put their hands up, knowing they had no chance.

  “This is Major Willem Connor of the 128th Tank Battalion” The speaker was heard in the tank just near the fountain “You are surrounded, STR. Surrender your weapons and I’ll ensure a fast and dignified execution.”

  Raptor, Grim, and Lid dropped their weapons and put their hands up, while Hawk was besides the specialists still working on the warhead. Their situation was totally fucked, and they knew it. She was about to drop her weapon, when luck just came by when she saw an explosive charge and a detonator on her feet. Not wasting time, Hawk took the equipment to her pocket.

  Hawk took a glance at the specialists, and they were looking at her. Their bodies shaking from dread, tears dripped from their eyes. They were afraid. She was afraid.

  With a sigh, Hawk put her weapon by her feet, then winked at them. One specialist attempted to stop her, but their friend stopped them, lest they get themselves killed.

  On the surface, Hawk put her hands up towards the tank right in front of her. The command hatch opened, and Major Connor revealed himself. Face weathered from years of combat, brown hair graying on the top and the sides, his eyes full of hate. Hawk saw scorn in the Major’s face, when he took a look at her.

  “Well then, why don’t you take off that helmet and reveal thyself?” Major Connor ordered.

  [Hawk, do as he says. Got word that Colonel Ayani and his troops are coming from the northern-east in two minutes to provide a distraction. Make the most of it.] Raptor ordered Hawk via their comms, which the latter proceeded without protest. With the helmet off and by held by her hand, Connor’s face turned into delight as he saw the unmistakable lineage that was a thorn to the Dominion’s side.

  “Amazing. It is not every day I see a member of the Hawkins family among the Rangers.” Connor spoke in baritone and condescending voice, and Hawk only looked stoically.

  “Of course, that shouldn’t be a surprise given the treasonous actions that your great-grandfather, Malcolm Hawkins, the Sparrow, took against our glorious Dominion!”

  Hawk’s teammates were still in surrender, and they weren’t in any position to make a move. The remaining EDF riflemen, grenadiers, demolition and marksmen were holding their positions.

  “You think this battle armor that you wear was made from scratch, child? I think not. It was a property of thee Dominion. You, Special Tactics Recon, were our property!”

  Hawk’s face didn’t change, and neither did her fellow teammates. They refused to give the Major some satisfaction

  “You were supposed to be our vanguard, the ace in the hole. Specialized operatives to terminate those that threaten our grand designs by any means necessary!” Major Connor’s face contorted in anger and hatred.

  The EDF troops, on the other hand, looked at each other in confusion. Though most of them shook their heads, unwilling to believe this raving lunacy.

  “Alas, sometimes a disease must be cut out of its root, in order to cure it.” Connor smiled, and readied his pistol towards Hawk.

  “Goodbye, filthy spawn of Sparrow!” Major Connor’s forehead was met with a hole, and he was plunged into the abyss. Not wasting time, Hawk slammed on and jumped towards the main tank, while her fellow Rangers brought their weapons and took cover.

  “Now!” A shout came from the north-east as a volley of rockets propelled towards the Dominion tank from the north-west, broken and defeated. Colonel Hakim Ayani’s convoy had arrived, and splattered any Dominion foot mobiles who were in the way. Meanwhile, the EDF marksmen shot their marks at a number of the Dominion soldiers. The riflemen and demolitions didn’t waste time perforating the UHD soldiers, as dozens of them went down fast. Likewise, Strike Team 9 used the distraction, and removed a number of them from the equation. Across the chaos, Hawk jumped on the tank’s cannon barrel, crawling slowly towards the command hatch. The zig-zagging of the barrel didn’t make it any easier, especially as the tank was trying to avoid incoming fire.

  Still, Hawk pushed through, and was near to the command hatch, her pistol unsheathed. A peek at another hatch just beside her revealed a Dominion trooper, and promptly shot her in the head before she could’ve acted. Her lifeless upper body was backwards. Not wasting time, she put the explosive charge on the unlamented Major Connor’s body and shoved it inside the command hatch and closed it. She jumped down to the ground and awaited till that damned thing was away from her, then she pressed the detonator. In explosive fashion, the tank was destroyed.

  Hawk got up and saw Lid and Grim running towards her. “Anyone ever tell you’re a crazy bastard, Hawk?” Lid inquired.

  Hawk didn’t take offense. She knew the question was in good banter, then shrugged. “Not always.”

  “Lieutenant!” Hawk heard Colonel Ayani shout while he walked towards her as well. They shook hands “Damned fine work, Ranger.”

  Hawk nodded, while Grim and Lid stood beside her, then Ayani gave them a report. “Just got word from the specialists, the ORUS Warhead is ready for detonation as soon you enter the codes. If you have any second thoughts…”

  “None.” Hawk interrupted. Ayani nodded, then left her be, for the moment.

  The Ranger trio walked back to the fountain, meeting Bullet, Iris, and Raptor over there, where they nodded.

  “So…” Hawk started talking “Any reprimands, ma’am?”

  Bullet chuckled, while Iris lightly slapped his chest.

  “None.” Raptor shook her head and tapped her hand on Hawk’s shoulder “Although I wanted Ayani’s convoy and EDF Demolitions to take care of Connor’s tank, you took initiative when needed be. Just try to not do crazy stunts from hereon out, okay?”

  “I won’t promise anything.” Hawk gave Raptor a half-answer. “Do your best, Hawk. Now if you’ll excuse me…”

  They felt it again. The warp jump came forward, and it was another Dominion cruiser from orbit. A few minutes after the warp jump, Dominion fighters swooped in and made runs on the rooftops that EDF marksmen set up shop there. They didn’t see how they’d die, but it was better they didn’t know.

  “Fuck! They’ve got reinforcements. Everybody get ready!” Colonel Ayani rallied the troops and took cover.

  Raptor hastily called up to Bravo 257 “Striker, we need immediate evac, now!”

  [Almost there!] Bravo 257’s Pilot responded, and the Rangers saw their dropship from the skies as it landed near the south-western sector. Named after the Kite bird, its design was inspired by the bird as well and came with assortments of rocket pods, and machine gun fire in addition to a troop bay.

  [I’m here, but we need to move fast. I’d rather not get blown up by their fighters.] The pilot shouted, then ended the call.

  If Hawk and her fellow Rangers had any hesitation left, it was gone when Colonel Ayani shouted at them “Go! You’ve still got work to do.”

  Sadly, when Ayani stepped a few feet in, it was an opening from a an unexpected sniper fire among the dead to hit them squarely in the chest. He fell on the ground, lifeless.

  “Colonel Ayani is down! Form up!” Staff Sergeant Agrinya shouted, and the remainder EDF soldiers formed up. Lieutenant Nasser Al-Hadid shouted at them again “Go! Now! For Eridani!”

  The Rangers didn’t need any further encouragement, as they sprinted towards the troop bay. As it closed, they felt the dropship hovering and readying for flight.

  “Okay, strap in, Rangers. This is gonna get bumpy!” Striker shouted while the Kite flew towards the atmosphere, dodging incoming Dominion fire. Luckily for them, the Dominion cruisers was too busy concentrating on Eridani to bother firing.

  As it reached orbit, Bravo 257 flew many kilometers away from the cruisers, then stopped. Striker saw Eridani in all its beauty from her cockpit’s window. She didn’t say anything, she didn’t make a sound. Only looked somberly from her helmet.

  Likewise, things was somber with the Rangers. Iris, Grim, Lid, and Bullet looked down. Raptor attempted to hail any surviving EDF troops. Meanwhile, Hawk unstrapped and moved towards the cockpit.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Bravo 257’s Troop Bay, in orbit of Eridani, Qir System

  “Captain Wolf to any EDF stations, come in! Any EDF stations, come in!” All Raptor’s attempt to hail was in vain, there was only static, then she heard grabled transmission.

  [Lieutenant… overrun… do it…]

  The garbled transmission then met clarity. [Captain, we’re being overrun, we cannot stop them. Let me talk to Lieutenant Hawkins.] It was the voice of Staff Sergeant Kali Agrinya, a plentiful of gunfire heard in the background.

  Raptor walked towards the cockpit, where she saw Hawk and Striker eyes on Eridani. Hawk shifted her face to Raptor, where the latter transferred EDF comms to her friend.

  [Lieutenant, if you can hear me, we’re done for. Prime the warhead. Send them to oblivion.] Hawk didn’t say anything, while she set up her wrist’s TACPAD.

  [Eridani is a beautiful home. A beautiful paradise being defiled by tyrants and despots for profit, resources, cruelty.]

  Hawk saw the words from her wrist. ORUS-WARHEAD DETONATION. PLEASE ENTER THE DETONATION CODE.

  [The warhead will prevent the Dominion from taking over, but it’ll turn our paradise into a wasteland. But someday, it’ll be a paradise again, once all of the Frontier are free.] Agrinya continued talking, even as the battle intensified.

  Hawk started putting the numbers. 999194ERI. Then another set of words; CONFIRM?

  [The Dominion shall fall. But if there’s one I can ask of you and the FDA, Lieutenant. It’s to remember us, always. Can you do that?] Agrinya inquired

  “You got it, Sergeant” Hawk calmly replied.

  [And, Lieutenant?] Agrinya inquired again

  “Yes, Sergeant.” Hawk calmly replied again, her finger ready to press the confirm button.

  [Eridani, Eternal!] Agrinya shouted, then the comm went to static again.

  Hawk pressed the button, the signal traveled and the orbit was far. The nuke crowded by the last of Eridani’s defenses and a flurry of warning radio waves. Doom and freedom proved stronger than panicked calls and troop movements. Seconds ticked by, but like the next day’s sun, a new but a brief one from the cradle of the colony. It was done.

  Striker, Bravo 257’s Pilot, sobbed and put away her helmet. Tears fell down.

  Grim, Bullet, Iris, and Lid didn’t come to the cockpit. The sobs from Striker was more than enough to confirm.

  Hawk kept her sight on the two Dominion-Tyrant class Cruisers who just moved away from the planet’s orbit. In seconds, they warp jumped, and left only trails of blue from where they stood.

  She didn’t need to see the planet either, as she went back to the troop bay to take, with Raptor to follow.

  Minutes after, the sobbing stopped. Striker was by herself when she heard a call, and answered. “Bravo 257 here.”

  [Bravo 257, this is the Audacity-Class Cruiser Frontier’s Shield. We’ll be warp jumping near your position and send the Rangers to their HQ. Get ready to dock once we’re there.]

  “Understood, Frontier’s Shield.” Striker understood, and the call went down. As expected, Frontier’s Shield had arrived just a few kilometers away from Bravo 257, starboard side. Striker didn’t waste time, and got ahead to move her bird towards the ship’s hangar bay.

  Meanwhile, the Rangers were all silent on their seats. Not a word. Not a sound. Nothing. They all looked down, except Hawk, Grim, and Raptor.

  “Hawk…” Hawk shifted her head to Grim, who was by her side, and put her hand was by her friend’s shoulder.

  “I’m so sorry.” Grim whispered. Hawk nodded, then Grim let go. Hawk went about her business, staying quiet after the mission.

  Her chest felt heavy, and felt like she wanted to scream, yell, cry. She held on, despite what her body language said otherwise. Raptor could tell this action was eating at Hawk. She could’ve made condolences, apologies, but that didn’t change anything. Eridani was gone. There’s no coming back from that.

  So, Raptor did what she could to honor the fallen soldiers of Eridani.

  “Eridani, Eternal.” She stated.

  “Eridani, Eternal.” The rest of the Rangers reciprocated.

  In the past, Eridani was a paradise, a jewel crown. Just hours ago, it was a battlefield. And now, it was a wasteland.

  But one day, Eridani will become a symbol. A battle-cry. A turning point.