If there’s one thing Artemis remembered about their attacking fleet, it was that they had three Capital ships. A Capital ship was ten kilometers long, ten times the size of any other ship. They were so massive that they were built in space since their weight was too much to feasibly launch from the surface. They combined the firepower of Battleships, the defense and troop-carrying of Cruisers, and the versatility of Carriers. There were even greenhouses and foundries to supplement food and munitions for long-term deployments. Each of the seven defensive fleets had one, and those seven Capital ships had been fighting long before the Aegis Line had been established. From the videos she’d seen, Artemis was sure that their attacking fleet was the strongest they’d ever have.

So when she saw The Beacon of Light, one of the three Capital ships, plummeting from the sky surrounded by flaming wreckage, she felt her panic was justified.

“That’s...that’s impossible!” said Vixen, completely frozen at the sight. She wasn’t the only one. All around them, Raptors had stopped fighting to witness the fiery rain. Ships of all shapes and sizes, some intact, some in pieces. Chasing them were Sentinel fighters, shooting any smaller ships that fled from their larger coffins. In the distance, there was a mass exodus of people running from impact sites. Some were fast enough. Others were not. Their hard-fought stability was lost in an instant, and the Sentinels resumed their offense with even greater force.

“How...how?” said Vixen, slowly walking toward The Beacon. “How did they fuck this up so badly? We had the advantage! We had a bigger fleet! How many lives did they sacrifice?” she screamed.

Had Artemis been in a normal state of mind, she would share the same frustrations with Vixen. However, given that she was still surprised to be alive, she only thought about how to keep it that way. With their morale shattered, the scattered soldiers would be vulnerable to Sentinel attack. Even worse, there were now Sentinel fighters in the air, something she became acutely aware of when one bombed the supposed “safe zone” she and Vixen were moving towards. At this rate, there was nowhere-

The ground shook violently, throwing Artemis and Vixen to the ground. Artemis looked across the fields to see that The Beacon had landed. Upon closer inspection, Artemis realized that unlike some of the other flaming wrecks, the ship was still mostly intact. In fact, many of its defensive turrets began firing, and she even saw fighters flying out of the launch bays. It was operational. And if it was operational…

That’s probably the safest place in their entire area.

“Pull yourself together,” said Artemis, scrambling to her feet and helping Vixen up. “We’re heading to The Beacon.”

“The Capital ship? Why?” asked Vixen. “We should regroup with Ripper-”

“Ripper can take care of himself,” said Artemis. She knew Ripper would just throw himself into danger again, leading strike after strike on other Sentinel bases. She, on the other hand, wasn’t in the mood for getting cut off from the rest of their forces. The problem was she knew she wasn’t skilled enough to get to The Beacon by herself. Considering she was the only other survivor from their group, Vixen was a great fighter. She could keep her safe.

I just need to...well, lie in order to get her to follow me.

“That ship is likely going to become the hub of all ground operations,” said Artemis. “But that’s only if it survives. We help hold it, and any future fights are gonna be significantly easier.”

Huh. Not much of that was a lie. Glad I took that elective on military logistics.

“You must have a lot of confidence in us, then,” said Vixen, pointing toward the crashed ship. “Sentinels are currently swarming.”

The sight of the gray tide moving toward their supposed safe haven gave Artemis pause. Seeing the hordes of machines made her realize the area wasn’t as safe as she’d thought. If they went to The Beacon, she’d be repelling an endless siege. She should’ve looked beforehand. Maybe it wasn’t too late to find Ripper and-

“Well, now you got me excited, Ma’am!” said Vixen, slapping her on the shoulder. “You seemed like a coward before, but you got more guts than I thought. There’s a lot of non-infantry personnel on that ship. They’re gonna need help. Let’s go!”

Without waiting for her, Vixen started moving forward. Artemis, realizing something important, shouted, “Wait!”

The scout turned around as Artemis jogged back toward somewhere she’d rather avoid. However, given where they were going, they needed the firepower. She needed another weapon to keep Sentinel fighters off of them. To keep herself safe.

She felt truly blessed that Raccoon’s rocket launcher was scattered far away from his body, even more so when it looked perfectly functional. It felt heavier than it should’ve, however. The colored patterns matched his armor scheme. The fit of the stock and grips were obviously made for someone with a smaller frame. It was his weapon after all. Of course it would be a constant reminder of the young demo.

Still, she swallowed her feelings and hooked the launcher onto her back. As nice as it would have been to have him by her side, she made her choice. She chose to hide instead of trying to save him. If having to carry the extra physical and emotional weight of his weapon was the price for staying alive, so be it.

Nearby, Vixen grabbed Whiplash’s knife and held it against her chest while kneeling. Then, she hooked it on her belt.

“You’re not gonna grab her dog tags?”

“Later,” said Vixen, standing up. “Like I said, we’re coming back to bury them when this is all over. Both of us.” Artemis gulped, dreading having to see the remains of Raccoon. Given what she heard of Reapers-

“Ma’am, stop daydreaming. Let’s go!”

Shaking her head, she joined Vixen and moved out.

Artemis found themselves in fewer engagements than before, only finding pre-occupied groups of Sentinels or Raptors trying to rest and recover. In between the brief firefights and small exchanges with Vixen, her mind and eyes started to wander. The parting of rain clouds was already beginning to close, bringing back the constant rain. Although she expected moving through the mud to be worse, she found herself walking through it with ease. She thanked whoever invented strength-enhancing armor decades ago.

A closer look at her armor revealed just how worn it was. Given its white color, it was easy to spot all the scratches, dents, and chips on the plates. Spots that were clearly bullet markings sent a chill through her. What would’ve been a fatal wound was reduced to a bruise and some soreness. It made her initial discomfort from the lack of mobility and skin-tight undersuit fade away. It helped that she wasn’t that picky in the first place.

After all, Dad was pretty sure to drill that in.

Trying to push any positive thoughts associated with her father out of her head, she looked over at Vixen. Unlike Artemis, her armor had smaller plates and more exposed sections around her joints. There were also small thrusters on her hip and legs. Her armor had some battle damage as well, but it didn’t look recent. They were likely from her past missions.

“How many missions have you been on before?” asked Artemis.

Vixen chuckled. “Kind of a weird time to be asking that question,” she said as she peeked over an edge of a trench.

“Sorry, it’s just...I was looking at your armor. And of everyone else...you were the only one who...survived,” said Artemis, her voice getting quieter with every word.

Vixen, in response, stayed silent. Artemis grew more nervous every second. Was she upset at her for surviving? Did she bring up a bad memory? She really didn’t want Vixen to turn on her. She was her only chance for survival and if she messed this up-

“Let’s just say it’s nice I wasn’t the only survivor this time, okay?” said Vixen, turning around and seemingly flashing her a grin under her helmet.

That’s...a lot to unpack. How the hell do I respond to that?

“As for how I survived, I just got lucky,” she continued. “I was lucky enough to not be blasted by an artillery gun directly or to fight a Reaper alone. You weren’t, yet you still survived.”

Artemis felt her blood freeze. This was it. The accusations. The blame. The endless tirade of insults. This time, however, she would be ready.

“I’d say that means your luck is better than mine,” she said with a smile. “Either way, doesn’t really matter. Surviving one thing just means the next thing is closer, you know? Just keep pointing and shooting.”

All defensive words died on Artemis’s lips. The whole speech justifying how there was no possible way she could’ve saved any of their squad members so she had to hide was useless now. Vixen didn’t care that she was the only survivor. She had already moved on to their next objective. She released the breath she didn’t know she was holding and smiled.

“Good advice. Much better than the long doctrines. Easier to remember as well.”

Stop being so nervous. She may have heard of the incident, but she doesn’t know who I am...I think.

“I know you’re still shaken up by it, but I’m happy you’re thinking clearly,” said Vixen as the two of them marched forward.

“How so?”

“I’ve seen other officers crack under less. Probably some Inner children who never experienced an invasion drill. You know, those stuck-up pricks who only go on ‘humanitarian’ trips to look good.”

Jeez. This’ll be an interesting conversation later on- Hey! I am an Inner child!

“You, on the other hand, are holding up pretty well considering you watched your entire squad get massacred on your first mission.”

“...Oh…”

Artemis hadn’t realized that. Was her behavior abnormal? Sure, she had already tried to push their final moments out of her head to focus on the immediate danger, but did that mean she was a good soldier? To forget the lives she threw away and wash her hands of the guilt- 

“Heads up!”

Before she could continue her thoughts, Vixen started running forward. “Ten Brutes fighting one Raptor!”

Artemis rushed forward and surveyed the area. The landscape declined slightly, giving her the height advantage. Below, she saw a turquoise heavy-class Raptor wielding a machine gun and a shield taking fire from a group of Sentinels. Despite being safe in cover, they were completely pinned and slowly getting surrounded. However, they did not falter.

“Vixen. We’ll use our range. Your DMR should be effective.”

She turned to her side only to find empty space. The scout was already rushing toward the Brutes and firing their weapon. Artemis immediately started firing at any Brutes near her. The increased distance, however, made her miss her marks.

God dammit Vixen! I can’t aim this fast!

“We got you covered, Turquoise!” said Vixen over the radio.

“Please!” said a female voice. “I have injured behind me! We have to hold!”

That’s when Artemis saw nine soldiers in a small ditch near the Heavy. Vixen started running even faster, activating the thrusters on her legs. She rocketed forward and kicked a Brute onto the ground before finishing it off. Then, she snapped her rifle into place and eliminated another one. One by one, she fought the chain of Brutes all the way to the turquoise Raptor. They soon turned their guns toward her.

That’s when the heavy made her move. She charged forward and slammed her shield into a Brute, knocking it into another. Then, she stomped on the two and unloaded her machine gun into them. Finally, she turned her fire toward the remaining enemies. Between her and Vixen, they were quickly eliminated.

The entire time, Artemis stayed high and far away from the fighting, completely safe. Taken aback, she was amazed by their speed and strength. So amazed, in fact, that she didn’t react in time when more Brutes appeared on their flank. She tried to fire, but her spray was unfocused and none of Brutes went down.

Suddenly, the head of a Brute exploded and its body was thrown to the side. Then another. And another. Combined with Artemis’ suppressing fire, this caused enough disorganization for Vixen to turn around and finish off the rest.

“Good shooting, Ma’am!” said Vixen, waving to Artemis as she ran down the hill.

“That...uh..wasn’t me,” she said, inspecting the Brute wrecks. “These holes...are they from a sniper?”

“Yup!” said the Heavy. “There’s a sniper about half a klick away. They’ve been providing cover for a lot of us.”

“Us?”

“Oh! Sorry, where are my manners?” said the Heavy, holstering her equipment and wiping her hands on her legs before saluting. “Private Diamond from Delta-4-5! Machine-gunner and Defense Specialist!”

Despite being superior in rank and a small distance away, Artemis felt small. Standing at seven feet tall, Diamond was covered in heavy plates, exterior hydraulics, and bullet marks. Her silver visor shined bright like the smile in her voice, and for once, Artemis felt at ease.

“Speaking of which, how’s the rest of Delta-4-5, Artemis?” asked Vixen before making her own introduction to Diamond.

Oh yeah! If they’re in good fighting shape, we could use the extra help. Nine Raptors would be great-

Any hopes Artemis had for reinforcements died, just like all the bodies in the trench. From the blood pooled around them, it was obvious they bled to death. There were missing limbs. Holes in armor. She saw drag marks leading to each of them. Some died next to their mounted guns, making her realize that even while dying, they kept trying to support Diamond. But that was at least an hour ago.

Diamond had risked the last hour of her life defending corpses.

“So? Everybody good?” asked Vixen, running up to Artemis. The scout almost tripped over from the sight. “Well...fuck.”

The two of them stood there while Diamond continued to guard the area, asking how the rest of her squad was. Artemis looked at Vixen, who could only respond with a nervous shrug.

“She has to know, but I don’t want her to see this,” said Vixen.

“So you tell her.”

“Why me? Why not you, the leader? Don’t they train you to like...console others on death or something?”

“I’ve spent the last two hours trying to console myself,” snapped Artemis. “I don’t think I’d be very effective at the moment.”

“Alright, point taken.”

“Besides, you actually fought next to her. She probably would like you more.”

Vixen sighed. “Fine...I’ll do it. Just...help me out if she breaks down, okay? I think it’s her first mission, too.”

Artemis nodded. After grabbing some of the ammunition from the bodies, the two walked up to Diamond, who hadn’t moved from her spot. She didn’t even look up, eyes tracking the area.

“Are they patched up enough to move?” she asked. “I know Stitches got hit, but he said it was just a flesh wound, so he should’ve been able to help the others.”

“Um...about that…” said Vixen, who began to tap her foot.

“...They didn’t make it, did they?” said Diamond, losing all rigidity in her posture.

The two women looked at each other. Artemis rose her shoulders with tension, trying to convey her unspoken words to Vixen.

I didn’t expect that. She caught on quickly.

“What the fuck do I say now?” whispered Vixen on a private comms channel.

“...Yeah. They didn’t,” said Artemis, trying not to grit her teeth. “But they went down fighting. I think...no, I saw that they tried to support you in their final moments.” She touched her shoulder. “You did everything you could.”

Diamond choked back a sob. “They...they wanted to protect me. Because I was their newbie. And yet…”

“I know,” said Artemis, kneeling down next to her. “Trust me...I know.”

She thought about Husky’s words, about how if anyone needed to survive, it was her. About how he tried to save her in his last moments, even though she was a rookie. She couldn’t let his death go to waste.

“But they would want you to fight on. This battle isn’t over yet.”

“You’re strong, Diamond,” said Vixen, offering her hand. “That’s why they left the defense to you.”

She sniffed. “Okay...I’m okay.”

“Good. Because we need your help.” Artemis stood and pointed at The Beacon. “Unlike your squad, the people on The Beacon aren’t fighters. They’re surrounded. Scared. Hopeless. We’re going to assist and repel any Sentinel that approaches. If that ship falls, we might just lose this entire battle. Everyone’s deaths will be in vain. Will you help us?”

Without hesitation, Diamond took Vixen’s hand and stood up, nearly pulling down the scout.

“I’m with you, Lieutenant!”

Artemis grinned. “Then let’s go.”

Artemis quickly arranged their formations and established their strategies as they moved. Diamond was very attentive and quickly fell into line. Vixen, on the other hand, grumbled about how she was no longer taking point. In the distance, they heard another sniper shot ring out.

“Damn. I don’t think they’ve missed a shot yet,” said Vixen, looking at a crumbling Brute in the distance.

“The sniper’s been a great help to all of us. They’ve killed well over a hundred Sentinels.”

Sounds like someone I want on my team. If they’re that skilled, that’s one more soldier between me and death- wait-

Artemis turned her head. “From the same spot?”

“I think so,” said Diamond. “It’s the hill I mentioned earlier. Why?”

“Are you really judging people who just sit in one spot and fire all day? Damn, Ma’am.”

If all those shots came from one area, then it’s only a matter of time before…

“That sniper’s in danger,” said Artemis, bringing up a map to readjust their course.

“Really?” asked Vixen. “I’m pretty sure having the high ground and a good rifle means you’re invincible.”

“Not if you never move. Don’t you know the saying? Only shoot twice from the same position? Shoot ‘n scoot?”

The scout just stared before shrugging slightly.

Right. She’s always on the move.

“The Sentinels definitely marked them as a priority threat and are probably closing in. Diamond, are there any Sentinels moving toward the hill?”

The heavy stood tall and tried to look into the distance. “Umm...I don’t think my helmet was designed for that.”

“Right, sorry...uh, Vixen?”

Artemis turned to only find empty space.

God Fucking Dammit, Vixen!

Diamond jumped back in surprise. “Wha? Where’d she go?”

“She ran off to save someone...again,” said Artemis, spotting black and orange not too far away. “How the hell are we going to catch up?”

Suddenly, Artemis was being lifted and placed onto Diamond’s back.

“If you can shoot, I’ll just focus on running and blocking,” she said, passing her machinegun up to Artemis. “There should be a mounting point on the right shoulder.” Before she could say anything, Diamond started running.

They were moving fast. Much faster than she expected. Artemis barely maintained her grip on the machine gun before attaching it into the designated slot. Water gathered and ran on her visor. Mud splashed with every stomp. Slowly, they closed in on Vixen, who had left a small trail of Brutes in her wake. Anything left standing was eliminated by a short burst of a machine gun. It ratted Artemis’ teeth a little, but she couldn’t deny how satisfying it felt.

If I ever get stronger, I’m definitely switching to one of these.

“Vixen, wait!” cried Diamond, who was beginning to slow down.

“Hey! You guys caught up!” said Vixen. “You were right about Sentinels closing in. We’re out of time! I’m heading up the hill!”

“No!” shouted Artemis. “You charge up that hill and you’ll get surrounded and killed!”

“Okay, surrounded, yes. Killed? We’ll see about that!”

“Diamond, stop her!”

The heavy faltered for a moment, trying to figure out how to stop the scout when she wasn’t in arm’s reach. Then, she threw her shield. The hunk of metal only clipped Vixen’s arm, but it sent the right message considering her yelp of surprise. All of them slowed down and took cover.

“Alright...alright. No need to break my leg,” said Vixen, huffing from her shock.

She needed a plan fast. While Vixen’s rush was premature, she was right. Every second, the Sentinels closed their grip on the Sniper. Diamond’s newfound speed, however, did open up new strategies. When she looked up, she saw the Sentinels focused solely on the hill. Every few seconds, a shot rang out and a Sentinel fell. However, there were too many. And if they all gathered, they would be unstoppable.

...Or they would be easier targets...

“So what’s the plan, Ma’am? Hang back and tickle them from a distance?”

“I was thinking of something more...explosive,” said Artemis, pulling the rocket launcher off of her back. “If you can herd them into groups, we’ll make quick work of them.”

“What do I look like, a sheepdog?”

“I mean, you run like one,” said Diamond.

Vixen only stared at the heavy while Artemis muted her mic to hide her giggles. Then, the scout grumbled as she ran off.

“What did I say?” asked Diamond, concern in her voice.

“It’s nothing, Diamond,” said Artemis, finally calming down. “I need you to help draw their attention, okay?” The heavy nodded and got to work.

For once, things went according to plan. With all the noise Diamond and Vixen made, it wasn’t long before the Brutes changed targets and started grouping up. Two well-aimed rockets later, and the area was pretty much clear. To think, if Artemis hadn’t taken the rocket launcher, they would’ve been in much more trouble.

Thanks Raccoon.

“Well, that was no fun,” said Vixen, walking back to the others.

“I think the explosions were cool!” said Diamond.

“You got to run around and shoot. What more did you want?” asked Artemis.

“Probably a plan involving her running into the middle of the fray,” said a female voice, poise and pride through the air. “You know, the type that would get her killed.”

Walking toward them was a forest-green Raptor with a golden visor. Her armor was built for recon, featuring smaller plates, extra pockets, and a ghillie scarf. In her arms was a heavily modified sniper rifle that obviously had a lot of time and care put into it.

“You’re welcome for saving your life, Miss Buzzkill,” said Vixen.

“It’s Jade. Corporal Jade,” said the sniper. “And it was a compliment to your CO. The...one wearing white armor...covered in mud.”

Artemis flushed and quickly tried to wipe off the worst of it. Realizing it was futile, she did her best to hold her head and hand high. The sniper only stood there in silence, likely with a look of disgust or confusion.

“Second Lieutenant Artemis. It’s nice to meet you, Jade. You’ve done great work from what I’ve heard.”

“I’ve only done what’s expected of me,” said Jade, turning her attention to Diamond. “Still, it wasn’t enough. I’m sorry about your squad. If only I saw your group sooner-”

The heavy quickly pulled her into a hug, causing Jade to choke from the surprise and pressure.

“Thank you. Thank you for doing what you could,” said Diamond, her voice wavering a little.

“...you’re welcome…” croaked Jade, gasping for air once Diamond released her. “And...thank you.” She turned to Vixen. “All of you...for saving me.”

Vixen walked over to Jade, but before her hand could make contact with her shoulder, the sniper caught it.

“Don’t push it.”

“Jeez, lighten up,” said Vixen, pulling back her hand and rubbing her wrist. “We’re going to be traveling together for a while, after all.”

That caught her attention. “You’re not going to help me reinforce this position?”

“Aside from the fact that there’s a second wave of Brutes coming,” said Artemis, pulling up her map, “we’re heading to The Beacon. If that ship falls-”

“Then we’re all as good as dead,” said Jade, nodding her head. “You got a good head on your shoulders, Ma’am.”

“Especially for a rookie,” said Vixen, playfully bumping her shoulder. “That plan, while boring, was genius.”

“Or maybe you’re just a dumbass.”

“Excuse me? I just saved your life! I think I warrant a little more respect than that!”

“You ran away from your only two allies and had to be stopped from charging to your death. I’m giving you the respect you deserve.”

Before Vixen could shove Jade, Diamond stepped between the two.

“Come on, guys. Can we please just get along?” she pleaded.

“Or at the very least, focus on the task at hand?” asked Artemis, starting to move forward. “Because it’d be very awkward if you two killed each other before the Sentinels did.”

The two quickly turned away from one another before following her.

“Only if your scout decides to be civil.”

“And if miss jaded can take the stick out of her ass.”

Artemis groaned before kicking a Brute head.

Great...this is what I’m stuck with. Two decent markswomen who won’t get along and a rookie heavy who seems like she’s a camp counselor instead of a soldier.

It was only a few steps later did Artemis realize the absurdity of her thoughts.

Here I am, a rookie Raptor, and I’m already judging the more skilled soldiers around me. You’re falling into this role way too easily, Artemis. Remember why you’re here. Survive, and the rest of your life should be easy.