"My name is Nephilm Solaris Elizabeth Muller, Daughter of the former Starship Navy Captain Alexandros Soldath Schimth Muller. I was born with a disability, it seems I was born in a way where I can't see the faces of people. In exchange however I am rather gifted in identifying the talents and affiliations of others."

"I don't know how but I just knew it. People are like chess pieces they all have their purposes and to survive in this world one must use those pieces in a way where I can benefit from them."

"Especially in this world. Democracy is a brutal regime, in which the power lies on the corporations who control the lives of every citizen of the Democratic Federation of Humanity."

"Justice is reserve for those who can afford it and the path to a better life for a woman like me is to join the military or get married to a rich fossil."

"Getting recruited to the military is not hard. Getting a place to the elite group is harder, unless one can afford it."

"The elite group are the ones in charge of leading the troupes by using strategy and logistics. Basically by sitting in front of a table and writing orders. A job that is perfect for me."

"I graduated a top of my class in literature, mathematics, history and strategic analysis though my physical exams are below average I still believe I am qualified for the job."

"My leadership is the best of the best and I even managed to defeat squads of stronger and more capable elites, with the help of my teammates of course, in mock battles."

"Do I also have to mention that I am hot. I have blue eyes and red hair, this isn't the result of gene engineering by the way, I am naturally born as a beauty. Then again in a world where being beautiful is so common that even the peasants are good looking, being hot isn't really going to help me. Besides what do I know about beauty. I can't see faces to begin with."

"Holy cow, What am I writing?" says a woman in front of a screen "If a peacekeeper read this I'll be executed for treason. I guess this is the reason why they told us to write our own biography." She sighs "The Federation is really terrifying."

She deleted the things she wrote, then proceeds to type a new one, this time moe formal and more democratic, her words more patriotic, each sentence reads like freedom with each paragraph containing uncountable amounts of liberty. The democratic way.

Besides her is a bunk bed in which the top was empty. Below is a bag that contains all of her belongings. And a bigger bag that contains all of her papers.

Near the bunkbed is a screen containing the black abyss of space with the light of the stars as the only solace to the black empty void.

Then her door slides open revealing a well dressed man. "Cadet Nephilim may I speak with you" says the man.

She looks at the man, her face devoid of emotion despite her charming smile. "Sir Narcus what brings you here." she says in a surprisingly jolly tone.

The man in uniform panics. "Please don't say that Neph, We'll get in trouble if the Church of Transcendence hears this Treachery"

The red haired girl chuckles "Relax Narcus you have enough skill to become a Knight" she smirks "You might even become a Guardian with your skills alone."

The man blushes "I appreciate your confidence in my skill but we really shouldn't catch the chickens before the eggs hatch."

"I agree" she replies. At the depths of her mind she analyses the man 'His skills are increasing' she says to herself, while scanning the man from head to toe 'He has talent and potential for stealth and an enormous talent and potential with light mechs that specializes in projectiles and that talent will increase as long as his ambition and confidence increases... However he seems to become more possessive and arrogant the more his confidence increase... Damn, he is a good pilot but I don't want anything to do with this guy... But it won't be bad to have connections with a powerful knight I guess.' 

While she was having an internal monologue the young well dressed blonde man was stuttering. "I AHH UMM... AHHH I mean I just want you to know that." His heart was racing, his face is red and his legs are shaking "I.. uhm ahhh I have feelings for you." 

She showed no reaction making him feel more embarrassed.

"I want you to know... I mean I want you to know that I ahhh I L-"

"What branch are you going?" The red haired girl interrupts him.

"WHAT?! I ahh I am going with the scouts."

"The scouts? Huh?" She puts her hand in her chin thinking "that is not a bad choice for your talents but I think you will be suited more for the Infiltrator branch with your talents."

"What?!" The man replies scandalized "Are you trying to get me killed?! No one passes infiltrator training alive."

"I'm sure you will survive, thrive even."

"Well if I choose to go there will you go out with me?"

"Its your choice Squire Narcus not mine. Please don't take your life lightly. You are a valuable pilot for the Democratic Federation to lose you is to lose a valuable protector of humanity."

He blushes even further "I'll think about it"

"Please do, is there something else you want to talk about?" 

"No-I mean YES! Yes! I mean Yes." He clears his throat as he tries to compose himself. "Will you go out with me?"

She looks at him confused "For what exactly?" she answers.

What followed was a bunch of giggles near her door.

The man looks at the source of the sound. Annoyed and angry at the ones hiding near the door.

Nephilim looks at the man confused at his body language. 'he seems to be annoyed' she says to herself 'Did I said something wrong?'

"I mean would you go out with me?" The man replies, his face is red. His heart beating so fast and his entire body is shaking.

"I heard you" she replies "but where?"

"..."

"I meant where are we going? Where are you taking me? Where do you want me to go with you?"

Laughter erupted. Nephilim recognized those voices.

"May I inquire on what is so humorous in this conversation?" she asked the voices.

"Sorry Narcus" says a man who is dressed the same way as the young blonde gentleman.

"I guess that was a no" another one laughed this one has a girl in his arms.

"Nephilim I know you are dense" the girl chuckled "but I didn't know you were this dense." The trio laughed one of the men even leans on the wall as his legs starts to give in to laughter.

"Dense?" Nephilim asks her expression aloof and confused "I don't understand. What part in our conversation did I misunderstand?"

The trio laughed even more to the expense of Narcus.

"Well you see Neph teheeehee. What Narcus is saying is-"

"That is enough Alex" Narcus cuts his friend of.

"But I was only getting to the good part"

"Enough! What is done is done."

"Well she didn't say no." The man with the girl cockily replies with grin.

"You-You guys ruined the timing!" Narcus starts a little temper tantrum "You know what?! Screw you guys I'm going back to my room!"

"Too bad you aren't taking Neph with you."

"Shut Up!"

Nephilim ignored their banter and went back to her business. 'If the logistics team won't accept me then I guess I'll join an artillery regiment I guess. Surely shelling aliens were we use the horizon as a cover meant I would work far away from the frontlines.'

***** ***** *****

Years have passed since then.

Nephilim was being interviewed by a man dressed in a military trench coat. He has more badges attached to his chest and he carries an air of authority that puts Nephilim on edge.

"I see your grades are indeed good... But why choose the artillery branch, you could earn more glory in the infantry branches, you can even earn glory on the armor branch."

'Because the logistics branch are full' she answers to herself. "Because I believe that artillery is the king of the battlefield. To have the ability to destroy the foe with precision and at a distance with minimum casualties is glory on its own right."

A smile appeared on the man's face "Sweet Liberty, finally someone gets it!" He almost shouted in joy.

'Sounds like I nailed the interview' she chuckles inside her head 'that job is as good as mine'

"You're in citizen" the man enthusiastically says.

'Yes'

"I'll see you on the frontlines"

"What?"

"Why the hesitation, soldier?"

"I-I'm sorry it just happened so quickly. I am shell shocked."

The man stares at her. She tries her best not to gulp or show any signs of fear.

"Shell shocked in excitement" she continues.

"Hahahahaha" the man cackles "Don't worry young soldier you will annihilate those aliens soon. Just wait a bit longer! For Democracy!"

"For Democracy" she says forcing a smile. 'Ahh sweet liberty, I'm screwed.' she shouts and curses on her mind.

***** ***** *****

A few months later.

'this is not what I expected' she says to herself while looking around the trenches. There are soldiers men and women gambling around their stations, some are simply sleeping on the ground, their snores can be heard underneath their helmets. There are soldiers sitting near the artillery cannons while playing cards, such a sight is not new to her 'I wish everything stays this way.' she says to herself.

Then her communicator vibrates, she opens it then winces in annoyance. 

"Everyone fire at this coordinates" she orders her soldiers, there are a hundred and fifty souls on her command, fifty of these souls she sent on scout duty, they are not ordered to attack but to watch the enemy.

She choose those fifty of course, she mostly choose the ones with good eyesight, good sense of direction but mot importantly those with good spatial awareness. 

The moment she received the reports she shouted to her soldiers.

"Load those explosive shells and fire at this coordinates"

"Aye captain!" Her crew enthusiastically replies, for some reason this annoys her.

Then what follows are the roaring cannons. Each gun sends shockwaves, Nephilim ordered her soldiers to wear specialized helmets in which they can only hear each other. Seeing the shockwave from those cannons, she realizes that it is a good idea otherwise her entire crew would be deaf.

After an hour of firing, the guns finally went silent.

"Did we got them?"

It was at this time that Nephilim then turns on a projection. It depicts one of the view of the scouts who discovered their target. To their surprise it was an armored division of aliens. These aliens whose tall war machines that walk on three legs. Underneath this machines are sharp tentacles that are ready to shred those caught underneath them, On top is the head that was attached by a plasma cannon. It was a formidable machine in its own right and there are ten of them. The soldiers gulp when they see it, but then a shell hits the cohort of tripods at the center, sending an enormous explosion.

The soldiers cheered at the sight.

"Liberty!" They shouted.

"Take that alien scum!" They chanted.

The shelling did not stop it continued. Each explosion sends cheers to the soldiers, even to the scouts, who they can hear them cheer.

"Hell yeah! Nothing can survive that!"

After the explosions the wreck of the ten tripods can be seen broken into unrecognizable chunks of steel. The soldiers cheered at the sight.

Then the video switches to another scouting party, this time the soldiers gasp at the sight. It was an alien base. To be more precise an alien starcraft that just landed on the planet. The scout then says the coordinates, one of the soldiers who has a good memory then cheers.

Then after a few minutes the ordinates finds their mark landing directly at the starship, at first the shields held but then came the second and third until the shields collapse and the shells finally land their marks on the hull. 

The bombardment did not stop until the starship was destroyed.

The soldiers cheered with pride as they witness their own work. Their Captain however is already sleeping at the side of one of the humongous cannons, her helmet has shielded her from the noise from her men.

***** ***** *****

Few days later. 

Nephilim can be seen eating some blue ice cream with her soldiers. 

She watches the scouts on a hologram, that she is watching with some of her soldiers, what the scouts see she sees. And the scouts are messing around some eating ice cream while the others hunting the wild life.

"Wait a minute?" says one of the soldiers enjoying his ice cream "Where did the captain get the ice cream?"

"The grease monkeys made a refrigerator. Some of us collected the berries and the chefs made the ice cream."

"We have a chef?"

"No, not really, just a hot chick that happens to be good at cooking."

"The refrigerator?"

"The grease monkeys are messing around with the alien tech, then one of them got bored and made a refrigerator."

"Wait isn't that treachery?"

"Not really, the rules only apply to human tech not alien tech."

"The barbecue?"

"Hunted by the scouts, cooked by the chef."

"No I'm talking about the meat."

"Oh that would be.... Ahhh... Oh yeah now that you mention it I don't really know."

The two soldiers look at the blue meat they are eating. At a glance it doesn't look appetizing at all due to the color of the alien beast's blood being blue.

"..."

"..."

"Well it is much better than those MRE's"

"Those things are expired!"

"Bright eyes, I'll tell you this. It is an open secret among us soldiers that the guys from the logistics branch... are either corrupt or incompetent. So if you don't want to eat those explosive plastics then you better learn how to hunt or to gather shrubs."

Another soldier approach their position "Grab your equipment, Captain says we are moving out."

"You heard her bright eyes, lets move."

The army moved. The huge artillery cannons are being moved by machines that resembles a six legged spider. Its enormous cannon was crewed by two people while the driver was located at the head of the machine. The three crew members exposed to the elements. 

Behind them are machines that resembles a huge bus. Each of those machines have three turrets on top l, each turret crewed by a single soldier. The soldiers loving refer to the machines as armored lunch boxes, for these machines specializes in carrying food and ammunition. Some serve as personnel transports and even a makeshift hospital or in Nephilim's case a command center.

Inside Nephilim's command center are holographic screens that contain essential information about the ongoing war. In front of the screens are glass cylinders connected to the screens. The engineers refer to these cylinders as processors, for its job is to process information. However they too get freak out by these processors for they can see that inside those cylinders protected by a clear liquid are brains, human brains.

Powered by the uncanny processors, the holograms gave Nephilim an active image of the war. She clicks her tongue in annoyance. "What were they thinking?" she complained as she watch an armored unit get destroyed by a unit of tripods.

She checks the casualties on humanity's side of the war. She sighs in disappointment. "Glory hungry fools" she complains. 

The mission that was given to her was simple; Regroup with the other units.

She studied the other two units; One is a sapper unit the other one is an armored unit, however the similarities end there much to Nephilim's dismay. 

Both units were led by squires who failed the knight exam. Both units have been here for years, the units are veteran units. Both units have their captains 'mysteriously' disappear, hence their captains are MIA.

Nephilim massages her head, a desperate attempt to quell the headache she is feeling.

Days have passed by. Led by Captain Nephilim of the 3010th Terran Artillery Division. The soldiers moved slowly but cautiously, earning some glory in the process by small skirmishes.

It didn't take long for them to unite with the Sappers.

The Sappers are all encamped on their trenches hidden underground. Nephilim has saw them lounging around lazily on the floor sleeping and drinking alcohol. The sight made her eyebrows raise.

"Soldier" she asked a soldier that is gambling with another soldier "where did you get the alcohol?"

"We made it" The man lazily replies. Just like all of the soldiers his armor is full of scratches, bun marks and is covered in mud. His helmet folded to his armor like a hood, he doesn't even hide his disdain from Nephilim, who wears a pristine armor decorated with medals, even her cape is free from grime.

"How?"

"Just grab some berries and give it to the cook"

"Is it good?"

The soldier and his buddy looks at Nephilim intrigued. "No, not really, that was if you compare it to the booze from Terra. You'll get used to it."

"I'll be the judge of that."

The soldier gave her a bottle in which she immediately drinks "It will pass" she replies.

"Can I have it back?"

"What?! Why?! I need this thing to help me forget the headache that's been bothering me ever since I come to this damn planet."

The two soldiers raises an eyebrow "Suit yourself"

The woman then grabs a microphone as she begins to address the crowd of soldiers. "I am Solaris Nephilim, Captain of the 3010th Artillery division, Long story short command has ordered me to absorb your unit with mine. So welcome to the 3010th I guess. So first things first... Give us some booze and light a barbecue I'm bored."

The sappers looked at each other then shrugs as they prepare a barbeque.

Nephilim however went straight to the captain's headquarters that has became a infirmary for the wounded. 

"So how long have you guys been here exactly?"

"About three years I guess."

"And your leg?"

"Step into an alien mine"

"Prosthetics?"

"Unavailable."

"..."

"..."

She rubs her brows "damn logistics!" She curses. "The medical officer?"

"Blown away by the landmine."

"All of them?"

"Well the other two were executed by the captain for treason."

"No wonder he is missing in action." She looks at the other wounded. "Where are the rest?" 

"Pardon?"

"I only saw ten soldiers out there. And fifteen of you here, Where are the rest?" She replies as she pointed outside of the headquarters.

"We are all that is left, Captain."

"Very well. You soldiers are to reorganized on my squad. For now on I am your Captain." She looks at the wounded, then to her second in command "Bring them inside an armored lunchbox."

A few minutes later they are on the move, but the new captain made a requests to the new but able sappers. "I need you to plant IED's on these places."

"Those aren't roads" a sapper complains "Not to mention those are alien minefields. No Alien would go there."

"The alien soldiers will not use the roads when attacking human positions... Your positions have been compromised thanks to you guys who kept removing enemy mines... Alien tech can trace mines that exploded and mines that are disarmed, as long as those mines belong to theirs. Those mines also won't explode if the aliens were the one who step in there."

"Just like our mines? That can't be right."

"The aliens are smarter than command have give them credit for. They are reverse engineering our tech. That is why their tripods have bubble shields."

One of the sappers click his tongue in frustration "We are aware of that captain. Otherwise this war wouldn't be a stalemate."

"That is why I need you to mix their mines with our own. They aren't afraid of stepping on their own mines. Make this aliens scarred of the technology they stole from us."

"I see."

"We'll met at this location. Try your best not to engage the enemy."

"Yes captain."

***** ***** *****

After a few days of travel they arrived at a military base. It has a thick and sturdy wall guarded by turrets, a shield protecting the entire base. 

Nephilim herself wonders how the base is still standing, for her it looked like an artillery crew's favorite target, A huge stationary target.

Inside the base is a bunch of engineers. Diligently maintaining the turrets and most importantly the missile interceptors and the lone bubble shield.

"Soldier, where are the others?" Nephilim asks a combat engineer that is maintaining a turret.

"They have been gone for months now captain."

"Gone?"

"Yes Captain" the combat engineer replies, her armor filled with grease and oil. "They decided to engage the enemy base with the armored vehicles."

"And they still haven't returned?"

"Yes captain."

"Are they dead?"

"... Probably" she nonchalantly answers.

Nephilim looks at the soldiers and realizes something. They all look sick, their complexion is dry as if they are a few steps closer to being mummified.

"What do you guys eat here?" She asks the combat engineer.

The combat engineer looks away, there is a sense of trauma and embarrassment on her eyes. "M.R.E.s Captain, and nutrition bars."

"...." A look of pity and horror appeared in Nephilim's face, even her own soldiers flinches at the thought of eating the dreaded plastic meals.

"All right. I'll be this units new captain now, your unit will be absorbed by the 3010th. Welcome to the 3010th Artillery Division Soldier."

"Yes Captain."

"Also tell the others to move out. Start those armored recovery vehicles right there, we will be needing them. That one too."

"That tank destroyer captain?"

"Yes start that one." Nephilim points at a small tank. It doesn't have a turret. It is low, so much so that Nephilim is actually taller than the tank. It's cannon is a 150mm short cannon that launches kinetic projectiles.

"Captain, we just made that thing out of boredom."

"And you folks made a brilliant job with it, start its engine, I would like to ride that cute thing."

Nephilim then looks at one of her soldiers "Give these new guys some food. Actual food."

"Aye Captain."