The 3010th Terran Artillery Division led by Solaria Nephilim of Terra, is being killed by boredom.

"Join the defenders they say, explore the galaxy they say." A soldier manning the turret of an armored lunchbox complains. "See exotic lifeforms they say." 

"Please try not talk too much when wearing your helmet, We've been hearing your complaints all day." Another soldier answers.

"Why are we wearing out helmets again?"

"We are in the front lines bright eyes, Trust me, its better for you not to remove your helmet."

Then a familiar voice rang to their ears. "Artillery fire at these coordinates, Don't stop moving, fire while moving. I repeat fire while moving."

The guns on the back of the spider like machines began to slowly swivel, the guns pointed at an angle that seems to adjust with every movement the machine makes and then it began to fire. 

The soldiers were rattled by the sonic boom from the massive cannons, despite being protected by their vehicle's bubble shield and their own armor. 

"Glad I'm wearing my helmet" says a soldier "I'll be deaf if this routine continues.

Nephilim was sitting in front of a hologram, containing live feeds from her scouts who are far away from their main force. They only have one tank, and it doesn't have a turret, most of their vehicles are light scout vehicles, armored vehicles that is meant for carrying ammunition, armored recovery vehicles and twelve spider like mechs with the artillery cannons behind them. She is doing her very best to avoid close to medium range combat while trying to destroy enemy forces who are also moving. The sappers integrated with the scouts, though they do not engage in combat they do plant mines and sabotage enemy mines by planting their own mines with them, provided by the grease monkeys from the remnants of the armored division. All while the artillery guns bombard enemy positions. The result is an infuriated enemy and the bored complaints of the human troops. The sappers and the scouts however are content with that. Though they don't get to fight they often do see the results of their actions, a mine explodes sending a smirk to the sappers, an artillery barrage strikes an enemy column making the scouts cheer silently. Thus the unit move closer and closer and the front lines gets pushed towards the enemy aliens. Their kill count was massive and their own casualties are non existent.

For two years Nephilim and her unit have been advancing deeper to enemy lines, cutting of enemy supplies and sabotaging enemy defenses and lines. Making way for other units to advance.

Her work has caught the attention of two knights aboard a starship that is hovering on the alien planet.

"Who is the captain of the 3010th Terran Artillery division?" A man wearing majestic power armor asks. His helmet has wings on its side with a falcon head."

"That is Nephilim Solaris Elizabeth Muller" a man wearing with an equally glorious power armor, the only difference is his helmet has a owl head. "She is one of my brilliant finds." He says with pride "I am lucky man for having a good captain with potential."

"Can I have her?"

"No"

"Too bad... We're sending her back to Terra for promotion... We'll take the war from here, this theatre has been going for far too long."

"Are we finally allowed to use first class technology?"

"Yes"

"Finally."

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

A few minutes later. 

"Attention all soldiers" Nephilim's voice echoed through the helmets of her soldiers "The knights are coming down so tidy your uniforms and armor, practice your salutes for democracy and present yourselves as patriotic, unless you want to get accuse of treachery I suggest you embraced Liberty in her full glory. That includes the scout squads."

Nephilim's unit then became busy. Donning their uniforms and cleaning their weapons and armor. The scouting units came rushing forward to their main unit. Donning their best uniforms and wearing their medals and badges. 

The flag of the two headed eagle was raised as clean and pristine as if it never left its plastic container to begin with... Because it never did.

Just hovering above the planet's atmosphere. A starship five kilometers in length, its shield like hull looms over the planet. Inside its hull are soldiers wearing power armor that are nothing short of works of art, each armor has its own motifs, one was a falcon, the other is a owl, the next is a bear and the last one a wolf. 

In front of these four power armored soldiers are four human like machines that they call mechs.

Each power armored soldier has their designated machine that is decorated with the same motif.

The wolf is the smallest mech. Its thin and lanky with a distinct wolf head and a huge rectangular prism connected on its back, the contraption itself is taller than the 9 meter tall mech.

The largest mech is a 18 meter tall machine. It has the head of a bear, and the largest arms out of all the four mechs. It carries a hammer on its shoulder but what sets it apart is its huge size and bulk that is nothing short of intimidating. It goes without saying that it is the most armored one out of all the four machines.

The next one is a machine with the head of a falcon. The 12 meter tall machine is armed with claws on both hands. It has digitigrade legs and the claws on its feet are as sharp as the ones attached to its hands. And on its arms are blades that greatly resembles wings.

The final machine has the head of an owl. Standing 12 meters tall and with two pairs of daggers as its main weapons. But what is striking about the mech are the folded cannons attached on its back that resembles wings.

The four powered armor led men went to their respective machines. Once they went inside the eyes of the machines all glowed and their engines started to roar.

These machines are dropped of to the planet's atmosphere. Their mighty frames and even their paint didn't took any damage as they enter the planet's atmosphere.

Meanwhile on the planet itself.

Nephilim was busy planting every badge she earned on her chest armor. She faces a mirror revealing her armored form as she wears the cape that contains the insignia of an owl.

'Think democratically' she says to herself 'Calm down and think democratically. Ah I can't wait to go back home and sleep on an actual bed... Though I will miss that blue meat.'

She hops inside the tank that she herself labeled as cute. She looks at the sky, seeing four meteors that are approaching her position. She and her soldiers saluted them, by having their fists on their chests and their chin up high.

The four meteors landed sending an explosion, an earthquake and some debris that hit some of Nephilim's equipment and soldiers, nevertheless the soldiers still saluted. Nephilim was annoyed by their entrance since some of her soldiers were wounded by their entrance, she even feared that she has to list casualties due to the size of some debris that fallen to her soldiers. She wonders how is she going to right a report about that if some of soldiers did get killed by landing knights.

Soon the smoke cleared revealing the figure of four mechs under a rather large crater.

"Hail the Knights!" She shouted "Protectors of Liberty and Democracy!"

Her soldiers follows her lead "Hail the Knights of Humanity!"

"At ease" says a voice that came from the Falcon head. 

"You all fought well" says the one with an Owl head "Captain Solaris Nephilim Elizabeth Muller."

Nephilim felt the gazes of the four mechs especially the one that had a Wolf head.

Her helmet folded to her back, revealing her long red hair, that she tied into braids, and blue eyes. "Yes Sir" she saluted, her back straight and her chin up, for she needs to look up at the 12 meter mech.

"You and your unit are now discharge in this battlefield, you are required to go to back to Terra for your promotion. Congratulations Major."

"I'm honored for your recommendation Sir."

"You earned it Major, you have bought glory to our branch. You and your unit return to Terra, we will take things from here."

"As you command Sir."

The magnificent knights then moved forward, soon a bigger meteor appeared on the planet's atmosphere. The flames dissipate revealing a huge sphere shape starship.

Nephilim gulps as she realize that the starship doesn't seem to slow down. In fact it seems to be going faster.

"Don't run or flinch soldiers" Nephilim orders her soldiers underneath her helmet. "This is a test of courage for the knights. Show no fear or they will execute you for treason."

The soldiers gulps as they face the incoming starship that seems to be getting bigger and bigger. As if the starship was about to crash to their positions the sphere like  machine suddenly halted. Its shadow covers the entire unit and beyond, a huge ramp slowly opens revealing two mechs that served as guards. 

"Forward, march to the troop carrier" Nephilim orders her soldiers.

 The soldiers marched on the gigantic and strangely clean ramp. "Hide the wounded on the armored lunch boxes and march like you guys did during training. The truth seekers night be taking footage of us, so look sharp."

The first ones to enter are the sappers, followed by the armored vehicles driven by the combat engineers of the armored branch, then the cannons of the Artillery branch, riding them are the artillery crew, then the reconnaissance squads. Nephilim was supposed to be the first one to enter but she let her soldiers enter first, it was then that her entry was interrupted by a deep voice that she can hear on her helmet.

"Captain Nephilim." the voice itself sends shivers down her spine and she did not know why "or should I say Major Nephilim."

"What is that you require My Lord?" Nephilim asks.

"Oh.. you probably don't recognize me because I am inside a mech. Its me Narcus. Do you remember me?"

'Yes the awkward one' she inwardly commented 'too bad I can't see his skills inside that mech of his. "I see you have made it, Sir Narcus" Nephilim formally replies "You must have worked hard, you earned that position sir Narcus."

"I'm still a junior knight, fresh from being a squire."

"What is it that you want to request Sir Narcus?"

"You know. You are the one who recommended me to the Infiltrator branch... and I did well thanks to your recommendation... I've never thank you for that, so I want to say... Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me Sir Narcus. For I did not recommend you to the Infiltrators, I don't have that power, you did though. That rank and your position as a knight, all of it are the fruits of your hard work and labor, it is you, not me, who is responsible for your success."

"Tha-thank you. Hey After this war would you like to go out with me."

"..."

"..."

"Sir Narcus...Go where? Exactly." She heard a low chuckle on her helmet.

"I-I meant go out with me. Date me. I want to you to be my girlfriend. I have always love you, even at our time at the academy."

A frown appeared on her face. He is a noble and she is a former noble. If she does this she would get riches and increase her status and citizenship tier... However she remembers her mother who was a peasant, that married her father a noble. She can't remember the face of her mother for she can't see it, but she knows loneliness and despair when she sees it.

"I'm afraid the answer is No, my Lord."

"..."

"..."

"What?"

"My answer is no my Lord, I don't have time for romance." She started to sweat nervously even though her armored suit is actually well ventilated. "I'm afraid my answer is no, I can't start a family where I live in a galaxy where democracy is threatened by aliens, communist, socialist and traitors. I'm afraid to start a family where democracy is being threatened on all sides. I'll get married when I'm done killing the enemies of democracy." she lied so much, she sounded patriotic.

Inside the human like machines "ahh she is one of those" says the man with a falcon helmet "you better find another girl rookie" he says with a chuckle "she is the ambitious type, you can't conquer that."

The man with the wolf helmet clicks his tongue in annoyance. "I can protect you" he says, his voice was deeper and bigger thanks to the machine. "I'll protect you and provide for you as long as I live, I can promise you that."

Nephilim tries her best not to shake, she felt uncomfortable and scared, she remembers how she evaluated the man when they were still young, and she fears that her evaluation was correct. "My Lord, your duty is to protect humanity itself not a single person, but our species, you have sworn an oath to protect righteousness to protect liberty and democracy. I am not those things I am nothing more than an insignificant cog on a grand machine, the machine of democracy. I won't let you break your oath because of me."

"No, I refuse your refusal"

"Dude?" The man with the bear helmet then decided to interfere, to prevent embarrassing his comrade he sent his message privately "there are other girls out there man, Just let her go? You are not making her comfortable."

The man gritted his teeth annoyed at the message. "Neph... I love you and I will always love you. I know that you do too. Maybe my timing was off, but Neph don't lie to yourself I know you love me. So please be truthful to me."

"My Lord, my answer is No. I have already committed my life to Liberty, I'm afraid I don't have time for romance."

"But-"

The wolf was cut off when a mech with the head of an owl stands between him and Nephilim. "We have a mission Knight Narcus, focus on the mission."

"But sir I-"

"Knight Narcus Obsessio Corrumpo Valentino, are you disobeying a direct order?! "

"Never sir."

"Good. Then leave the major alone we have a planet to liberate"

"Yes sir."

With that, the four machines went to where their sensors would take them. Giving Nephilim the respite she needs.

'Great, as if a creep wasn't enough, Now I'm the target of obsession of a powerful creep.' she curls her fist 'I need to become a general to avoid that guy.' she then remembers all of the battles she has to face just to became a high ranking general 'I just want a desk job' she sighs.

The orb like starship emerges above the planets atmosphere without any real effort. Nephilim can hear her soldiers cheering as they watch the footage of the knights massacring the aliens of the planet. She is not in the mood to watch those footages but she fears that the squires on board would suspect her of treason if she didn't watch the footage.

Thus she hop on the bar orders a drink from the bartender and hopes to get herself get drunk. She is not wearing her uniform like most of the soldiers who are just excited to go home to their home planets, instead she is wearing a standard space suit that was worn by second class citizens like herself.

To her surprise the bartender is decent at his job. One look at the bartender and she can tell that the man is very observant, creative, emphatic and have a sensitive sense of taste, by her estimation the man just loves being a bartender, and he is a noble, basing by his grand uniform.

"What would you like?" he says with a smile, that Nephilim can't see. 

"Something strong please."

"I wouldn't recommend that." he answers with a smile as he looks at his crew mates who have their eyes on Nephilim "How about a cinderella?"

"How much will it cost me?"

"It won't, its a tradition, drinks are free for returning soldiers."

"Sweet Liberty! I Love You!"

The bartender simply laughed, as the starship went into FTL.

Nephilim went into her private quarters. The bartender made her a cocktail with little to no alcohol, causing her to get disappointed a little, so she asks for vodka instead, when she returned to her personal quarters she drank the bottle as if it was cold water.

Then suddenly the world shook and the alarms ring. Nephilim woke up with an empty vodka bottle in her arms.

"Traitors!" the crew shouted

"Enemy traitor fleet spotted."

Nephilim stands up. Her head hurling but otherwise still active. "Status?!" she asks a running crew member. 

"We are under attack by a traitor fleet! Go to the designated rooms soldier, we'll take it from here."

She rushed to her belongings quickly equipping her arms and armor before rushing to the designated rooms where she met her unit, all of them are armored and armed to the teeth.

"Tough luck." One soldier complains "I just want to go home."

Many of them sigh in frustration, their helmets have failed to mask their worries and disappointments.

The battle continued sending mini earthquakes to the ships hull. These earthquakes are getting stronger and stronger, the alarms get louder and louder. 

"We are crash landing to the nearest planet, I repeat this vessel is crash landing to the nearest planet."

"Get down!"

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

'All of my buddies are dead. I am the only one left behind. The only weather in this planet is a never ending storm, the rains are blinding and the tornadoes threatened me with flying debris. The creatures are monstrous and out there for my blood. There is no day or night in this planet where I have to make mountains of corpses.'

'Stars above help me... I am starting to like this place. It reminds me of home' a white haired man with heterochromia writes at his diary. He found solace on a cave while cooking a meal made out of alien beast meat. To his delight the beasts are delicious.

Guarding the entrance of his cave is a turret armed with a laser cannon that was independently controlled by his machine's processor.

He lead the beasts away from the towers he planted and the flora he introduced. The cave entrance was actually blocked by all of the corpses he killed. If he has to get out then he has no choice but to use the explosive he kept. 

The planet is still rebelling. The storm and the lightning is following his location and the local fauna is after him. Yet for some reason he can't help but smile at his situation.

"Just like home" he says to himself "just like home" he says as he eats his own cooled meal. "Though I do wish I could share this with someone." loneliness is reflected on his eyes.

Despite the murderous growl of thunder, Malas has managed to fall asleep inside his machine. All thanks to his full stomach.

When he woke up, he adjust his machine. The turret that he made was attached at the top of his machine, serving as an independent turret.

Checking his machine again and again. After that was done. He approached a wall of corpses that is not too far from where he cooked and slept. With him is a box that is filled with a jelly orange substance. He cuts a part of that orange jelly, that weirdly looks delicious, at least in his eyes. He cuts a part of the orange Jelly into a rectangle then skewers the cut part with two rectangular rods, that is connected to a long wire, after that he puts the skewer jelly on the wall of corpses. Following the wire while carrying the rest of the orange jelly. The two wires are connected to a single button. Hoping inside his machine he secures the box inside it, the box reads 'Explosive Jelatin.' carrying the button towards his machine he sits on his pilot seat, a huge needle then attaches to his back, awakening his machine's engine. With that he presses the button, sending a command to the lines towards the two rods it happened in less than a second. A huge explosion clears the wall of corpses giving way to a cloud of dust, blood and flesh. 

Malas quickly tosses the trigger away, his hatch quickly closes as he charges outside, once again. 

Almost immediately he was greeted by an alien beast, he cuts its scaly head with his machine's chainsaw. 

Then another one follows, then another. The turret on top of his machine began firing at the alien horde, the heavy rain has helped the weapon in cooling down. Soon a new mountain starts to form.

His machine roars and howls once again. But this time something new happens. He looks at the sky, a huge meteor enters the planet's atmosphere. The great spherical meteor covered in flames was falling to the planet, however something is weird about the meteor, rather than falling straight down, it pivots to a curve. 

The curve change the trajectory of the large meteor and heads straight to his position. Seeing the judgement of the cosmos heading straight towards him, he runs away.

"Since when do planets learn how to send meteors?!" He complains as he tries to run away from his impending doom. 

Chasing his machine are mad beasts trying to erase him from existence. Then the meteor lands, sending huge shockwaves and an earthquake to the planet. It send tons of debris flying all over the stormy environment. A cloud of mud, stone and rain, was immediately released. Sending some beasts flying, and crushing other beasts with gigantic debris.

To protect himself, Malas folded his machine to a ball, with the turret on top of the ball. Unfortunately for Malas the machine can't roll it was designed to fold simply for storage. His machine was sent flying away, by the shockwave, the turret on top of his machines was immediately smashed to pieces by debris. Miraculously his machine landed in tact. 

He lands near a river, his fall broken by hundreds of tree branches that broke but otherwise slows his descend.

His machine unfolded, the beasts that were chasing him have mostly died due to the meteor. Walking towards the meteor he saw a smoking sphere shaped starship, the heavy rains have helped the starship cool down after entering the atmosphere. Almost immediately a horde of alien beasts approach the downed starship, almost ignoring Malas and his machine.

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

It was far from a smooth landing. Nephilim was on the floor of the starship. She immediately activated her night vision since their isn't any light on the starship.

"If any of you are still alive makes some noise." She orders her soldiers.

Immediately a bunch of complaints, moans, shouts and screams and curses greets her helmet. She looks around seeing her unit all around the place.

"Ahh damn, did I broke something?" A soldier complains.

"I just want to go home." says another.

"I can't see!" A soldier panics.

"Turn on your nightvision"

"Everything is green!"

"What do you expect!"

"Wait, his helmet might be broken."

"I think mine is broken too."

"I think my ribs are broken."

"Well that sucks."

"Tend to the wounded" Nephilim orders "The rest come with me. We have a planet to explore."

She and her soldiers enters a corridor. "Power?" she asks a crew man.

"Damaged by the traitors." The crewman replies "we are implementing emergency repairs."

"All right. Status outside?"

"I wouldn't go out there if I were you captain. The rains are heavy and we are detecting a huge number of alien beasts."

"I see"

"But we do need your help. Sensors have indicated that the air is breathable but the fauna is unnaturally aggressive towards human life." I don't think these beasts are capable of destroying our vessel the problem is... She is need of repairs and we need to go outside to repair the vessel."

"I understand you need us to guard you."

"Yes Captain."

"All right. where do you need to go?"

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

Malas follows the alien beasts who are approaching the fallen starship, he slaughters one beast to another with his claws and chainsaw, there are no wasted movements in his machine each swing and strike has killed a beast or two.

Soon he heard something else. 

Gunfire.