Oliver of the Red Rose

As Bogi and his organization, set off toward their rendezvous with Red Rose Company 1, the vast desert stretched endlessly before them. What had once been an unbroken expanse of clear sky now bore the first gathering of clouds in a long time. Their ominous presence loomed overhead, casting shifting shadows upon the dunes.

A sense of unease settled over Bogi and his company as they navigated through the swirling sand clouds, their vehicles cutting a determined path toward the signal Red Rose Company 1 had sent them. The desert, once a silent witness to countless journeys, now seemed to whisper of unseen dangers ahead.

As they neared the rendezvous point, the sky darkened further, and for the first time in ages, it seemed as if rain might finally pour over the parched desert. The anticipation of the storm mirrored the tension among Bogi's men.

Through the crackle of the radio, Luke's voice came through. "I see Red Rose's convoy up ahead. We'll reach them in about two minutes."

Bogi straightened in his seat, his eyes sharpening as he turned to Lazar. "Listen, please—just refrain from saying anything stupid and follow my lead. They need our help, and we need theirs if we want to survive the Blue Humans this time."

Lazar nodded, his usual smirk absent. Instead, his expression was somber, his jaw set in understanding.

As their vehicles rolled to a halt, Bogi climbed down from his truck. His boots hit the sand with a muted crunch, the weight of the moment settling on his shoulders. Ahead, standing with an air of quiet authority, was Oliver—a man who had clearly been waiting for quite some time. At his sides stood his two sub-captains, Ogar and Zeke, both watching the arriving convoy with unreadable expressions.

As Bogi and Lazar approached, Zeke let out a snicker. "You're late." The remark was a casual jab aimed at Lazar, who was known for his temper.

This time, however, Lazar didn't react. Instead, Bogi responded, his voice laced with derision. "Oliver, it seems your sub-captains are giving themselves too much authority—speaking over you like that. Haha."

Oliver, a man who lived by the code of strength, turned his gaze to Zeke without a word. A sharp slap echoed in the tense air as he struck his subordinate. "Do not meddle where it is not your place to talk."

Turning back to Bogi, Oliver gave a curt nod. "Bogi, as always, you are on time. I apologize for my subordinate's unruly comment. Now, shall we sit and talk?" He gestured toward a makeshift tent set up between three desert trucks.

Bogi nodded and turned to Lazar. "Go get Michael. We need to discuss strategy."

As Bogi took his seat opposite Oliver and his sub-captains, Lazar returned with Michael, both taking their places behind him. Without hesitation, Oliver activated a holographic projection of the desert. A red marker indicated the location of the Red Rose base camp.

"The Blue Humans tried to breach us and failed. We repelled them but couldn't pursue them without leaving our base defenseless. Our superiors recalled all Red Rose companies to the desert to hunt down and eliminate any remaining enemies in the area." Oliver's tone was steady, but there was a weight behind his words. "However, something bizarre has happened. Several of our companies have gone missing in this sector. That's why our superiors called for your organization's help. Now that we've met up, Red Rose Company 1 and Black Gold Company 1 will investigate this area together."

Bogi and his sub-captains listened carefully. Then, Bogi frowned. "It seems there's been a misunderstanding. We came here to help repel the enemy from your base and surrounding areas. No one mentioned investigating disappearances."

Oliver smirked as if expecting this response. Without a word, he pulled out a message recorder and handed it to Bogi. As Bogi read the transmission, his expression darkened.

The message was clear: Black Gold companies are to follow the orders of the higher-ranked companies they are assigned to.

With a heavy voice, Bogi exhaled. "Alright… What's the plan?"

Oliver chuckled. "Just follow us and stay alert."

As they left the tent, Bogi reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with a practiced flick. Smoke curled into the heavy desert air.

"Michael, revise our structure. Tell Roki and his team to be on high alert for the next few days," he ordered.

Turning to Lazar, he continued. "Tell Fredo and Mane to stick to Viper at all times. We can't afford to lose our medic. If anything goes down, he is to be protected at all costs. And tell Viper to stay out of sight around Red Rose. We're in deep trouble."

As Bogi's company moved out, Oliver turned to Zeke, his voice quiet but firm.

"Listen carefully. He's not someone you should challenge. You may have a higher kill count than him, but his were made in war. Yours? From hunting. Don't compare yourself to him. Understood?"

Zeke swallowed and nodded.

Oliver then turned to Ogar. "Tell the troops to prepare. We move forward with caution. Understood?"

Ogar gave a single nod before leaving the tent. Soon after, Oliver followed, Zeke in tow, as they climbed into their desert trucks.

In less than five minutes, everything was ready. Engines roared to life, and the convoy moved out—Bogi's company trailing behind Oliver's. Their journey would last three days, taking them deep into the desert toward the location Oliver had marked.

Unbeknownst to them, far ahead, a massive column of smoke billowed toward the sky. As they neared, corpses—both human and Blue Human—lay scattered across the sands beneath the towering desert cliffs.

Where Red Rose's base camp had once stood, there was now only destruction. The camp had been overturned, the last human defenders wiped out. No living soldier remained.

In a hidden vantage point, a squad of Blue Human scouts watched a glowing screen. On it, 50 or so green dots moved in and around the base camp. Two dots, however, were pulling away.

One of the scouts pointed at the retreating markers and turned to his comrade. "Go report to the leader. Those two convoys are trying to escape. We need to eliminate them before they can call for help."

Misinterpreting Bogi and Oliver's approach as an attempt to flee, the Blue Humans sprang into action.

Six new dots blinked onto the screen—enemy forces setting out to intercept them. They were faster. They would catch up soon.

Oblivious to the approaching danger, Bogi and his team sat inside their desert trucks, following Oliver toward what they thought would be another battlefield.

But what awaited them was far worse.