Chapter 01: Deployment Arabia Terra

-2 August 2485-

Through the darkness of space, an empty void of endless possibilities, stands out a star system. It like the countless trillions of similar stars which inhabit the universe and the quadrillions of planets, moons and asteroids make it no different.

However as far as human knowledge goes, this star system, Sol, is the only one with a naturally habitable planet. Sol-3, the third planet, Earth. Humanity has expanded out from their homeworld, colonising the planets within their star system. Yet, war filled and overwhelmed the young race over and over again. Where space was meant for peaceful purposes, human nature fought back and brought the fires of war once more. The future of Humanity's days, are numbered.

Tick, tick, tick.

"Goddammit.... Warp Cohesion must be wearing out soon. Not getting any signal..." A young man complained while examining his mobile phone, tapping the reset option several times in frustration.

This was to be expected being on a civilian starliner while travelling in a drop pocket. Kissing his teeth, the man rolled his eyes and stuffed his phone back into his pockets.

"Well... that means we're influxing out soon..." The man murmured, staring out at the display which acted as the starliner's artificial window.

The soldier wore a military-issued, jumpsuit, fairly new and tailored, it was more comfortable than the previous iteration. He had his name and nationality pasted on by good old velcro. The attire he wore was grey, having a blend of digitalized camouflage and black pads on all joints. The man had the rank of first sergeant, slapped on by another piece of velcro onto the torso.

"Here's your club sandwich and iced tea, Mr. Kasey. May I get you anything else? Maybe the dessert menu?" A woman's voice cut into his thoughts, a stewardess.

"What? Oh uhm... no thanks. And no please, this'll do." Kasey looked away from the screen, blinking several times.

He was quite lost by her words but after seeing his order served, his brain began processing what she said. He took a while before responding at last, "N-no I'm all good Ma'a-... Miss, sorry about that, old habit." Kasey mumbled near the end, burying his face into an open palm.

However, the attendant maintained her compusure, offering a small giggle before walking off to tend to other passengers.

Christ, do I always talk like that? What is wrong with me?

The soldier thought to himself, staring back at the sandwich. He'd soon tear open the plastic packaging which held his utensils. Not that he was going to eat a sandwich with them. That would be silly. The butter was just packed within the same packaging. He digged in soon enough, trying to enjoy the trip in business class.

Looking to his left, he watched the display screen which was connected to an exterior camera, helping to simulate a window. It was odd that they weren't flying in a CL-15 troop carrier, but he'd jump on the chance to get out of the cramped, suffocatingly utilitarian layout of such a vessel.

"Out of all places in the solar system, Mars? Well could be worse, either freezing my balls off on Europa or sweating puddles on Venus..." Kasey reassured himself while taking a bite, staring at the beautiful streams of light, despite the annoying signal interference, travelling in a warp pocket was always a spectacle.

The situation was unusual too, normally a civilian vessel like this would've had him strapped down against a seat in a constant acceleration drive, simulating linear gravity. Most vessels were still built with a vertical layout, like skyscrapers with rocket engines on them.

However, these new addolinium plates made good work at simulating standard Earth gravity. It even accommodated seperate cabins with a third of the gravity for Outies, names Earthers usually called them. A small beep came from the intercom above his seat, gasing up at the series of symbols he saw one resembling a speaker being illuminated.

An announcement soon came from an attendant, "All passengers, please ensure you'reat your seats soon. We are influxing in ten-minutes. To ensure your safety and comfort, please make sure you're seated as soon as possible."

The soldier made sure his seatbelt was buckled in tight, attendants spending the last minutes collected all the trash from other passengers. Eventually enough, another announcement came, this one automated, a more artificial tone in it's voice.

"Arrival imminent, Warp Cohesion Dissipating. Influxing in 3... 2... 1..." And just like that the bubble the ship was in prior would be sucked out of its pocket with slight turbulence, the streams of light outside transitioning to normal space and the dazzling array of stars.

Kasey sighed, he'll never get used to doing that. Taking a sip of some water, the voice continued, "Successful Drop, 99.9% accuracy. Solar Wind interference Minimal, initiating conventional propulsion. Welcome to Mars."

The Starliner's fusion blocks slowly fired up, beginning to move towards Mars. The symbol to buckle soon came off as passengers went about their usual business, attendants serving last call refreshments before docking.

"Huh... Was expecting more red." Kasey murmured quietly as he saw Mars, bringing his sights on the planet. It was unlike anything he had seen in holo-displays, videos or even that Mars globe back in High School. Though, the school was pretty understaffed, hell the globe was a century and a half out of date.

The image he pictured was a far cry to the reality of the planet. Dense clouds hung in the atmosphere, massive magnetic anchoring stations which orbitted the planet, provided it with an artificial magnetosphere, allowing for the beautiful dance of colours which were auroras to gleam across the poles. Entire sectors were green with plantlife. Reservoirs too were spotted, laid out across the not so barren surface in the planet's many craters.

Truly it was miracle as part of the terrafomation process, Mars being the second project of such geo-engineering. However, much like the Earth itself, Mars was enclosed within a massive mega-structure spanning the entire planet, covered by an intricate and complex series of sattelites and reinforced scaffolding, much like a cage. The Martian Orbital Net was there to make sure that the entire planet would maintain its climate, speeding up terraformation by centuries.

Cut off by his memories of self-research regarding the intricacies of Mars' terraformation, he overhead the speaker once more. A different symbol this time, signalling the Captain's voice.

"Good evening passengers. This is your Captain speaking. First we'd like to thank everyone for flying with Red Chariot, Flight 612CS. We are currently at the cruising phase at a comfortable 290,000 km/h. Solar Flares seem to be stabilising now and we are expected to get coverage within the next 5 minutes, if maintaining current speeds. The time now is 21:25 MST, as we expect to dock with the Mars International Space Elevator, twenty minutes ahead of schedule might I add? Mars temperature today is at an awfully cosy -10 degrees Celsius outside. Visitors make sure you have thick coats to keep yourselves nice and warm. As of now sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of the flight. Red Chariot Spacelines welcomes you to Mars. For any Martians on board, welcome home."

An hour later, Kasey would be walking through the arrival halls. He had his beret neatly tucked while carrying his combat bag and a duffel slung on his shoulder. He felt a little nauseous, recently taking the marked Coalition space elevator down. An elevator going down at hundreds of metres a second was quite intense for anyone.

Still something felt funny to him. Despite the Spaceport being the place for all nationalities to mingle about, they were to be seperated by borders when reaching planetside. However, he couldn't slow down and think too deep. He needed to get to the military bay or they'll have him walk the entire trip to base.

"I feel like I'm forgetting something... Right, respirator..." Kasey sighed, taking out the mask-sized apparatus, pulling the straps to the back of his head and activating the oxygen recyclers. Soon air would circulate through, the small circuits giving out a low humming sound. Eventhough Mars was much greener than the last century, carbon dioxide levels were still uncomfortably high.

The First Sergeant walked up to the rally point, seeing groups of similarly attired soldiers. They all wore their respirators and carried their bags getting ready to enter the guarded airlock. He would double up and made a slow jog to it, showing his ID card to the military police officer on duty. The door closed behind them before the vents began sucking out the excess air pressure.

On instinct, Kasey flexed his jaw, opening it a few times to clear the pressure in his ears. Once regulating to the outdoor surface pressure, the doors came open on the other side.

The group walked out to see the military bay, guards and workers toiled as they did their mandated jobs. Shipments from orbit were sent down here it seems. They saw other soldiers hanging around, some in formation while others were more relaxed. Nevertheless, the unusually chilly temperatures were a freezing hell for those who weren't Martianborn. Not having the comfort of the heaters back in the spaceport was a pain in the ass. All of a sudden, they heard honks from vehicles.

"Get on you lot! You're all with us! Sergeant, split them into ten." A captain yelled out, looking into the APC he was in.

"You heard the man! Double up and load up!" The sergeant spoke up, sticking his head out from the rear door of the vehicle.

More APCs would enter the bay shortly after. They parked at the loading ramps, deploying their rear doors. The Captain and Sergeant emerged out, both having the British and German flag sewn respectively beneath that of the Coalition's, though they certainly weren't Earthers. Both were Martians, the thick insulating fur and protective scales weren't hard to miss. The Sergeant seperated out soldiers into the various vehicles, until Kasey and his group were the last to board.

I remember this, I was only sixteen-years when I got drafted. Receiving pathetic, minimal training before being given a rifle and sent off. There were thousands.... maybe even millions of young patriots sent out to the frontlines. These vehicles were sorely out of date, the design's a century old and barely a thing's changed, but.... atleast there's actually functioning AC.

Kasey continued on in his thoughts, getting memories. With that, the doors closed and the Captain gave the callsign to move. Their hour long drive began, heading to the capital district in Coalition territory, Highfall District. Small talk would be formed among them, curious about the group they'd be with for a whole tour.

"Hey you lads heard? Union's imposed more trade sanctions against us. Their hoarding all that Addolinium, they're fucking crazy. They lost the second war trying to pull that off and now they try it again? Nutjobs, all of 'em" One of the Coalitions soldiers said, a Corporal Jun, the flag of his uniform indicated he was from Südostasien.

"Oh sod off, they're going to have to resume trading with us soon. I mean the threats made by their High Chancellor? Sounds like he's smoking a fat one to me." Replied another Coalition soldier, smirking.

Chuckles would be exchanged around the team, Kasey joining in just fine as he liked the group he was paired to already. The Martianborn Captain who was in the same vehicle as them emerged through the hatch connected to the driver module. He overheard their conversation before taking a seat on an empty spot.

"Don't underestimate them. We may have forced them into an armistice in the Second Solar Rising but they've learned since then." The Captain started off, Kasey gave him a glance and a look over. He noticed the lack of a Martian Accent, his voice sounded more akin to the British back on Earth. The tufts of fur and scales were a paler hue of red, more like ginger. His eyes meanwhile were a deep gold. On his uniform read the name, 'K. Daniels'.

The Captain continued, "Have you seen the scale of their mining? Their industry's practically out matching both the Coalition and Federation, combined... each of their vessels easily outclass our latest ships! Hell, the Oswaldians have been preparing for eight decades since the First Solar Rising, their population's quadrupled, military's nearly ten times larger now."

Slience filled the APC, leaving the soldiers to ponder on what this would mean for stellar society, if the peace would remain despite the aggressive buildup of their formerly defeated enemy. However attention would shift as outside, multiple domes were in sight, one of them the jewel of the district Highfall Dome. It peaked a kilometre tall, connected to numerous sealed highways to other domes within the District. But what was more beautiful to these soldiers were the intense military presence. Massive railgun networks stretched across the area, each the size of a two-hundred-metre tower as they secured the perimeter around Highfall and her sister domes.

"Zalwei... I've heard those things could split a Supercarrier in two....Even being Martian, those things still freak me out, Nha'?" A soldier next to Kasey spoke.

"They sure pack a punch... But you should see the ones on Earth, goliaths for sure. Name's Kasey, you?" Kasey asked him back, having his eyes still glued to the Railguns.

"Zayed. It's short for Zayedizhen, Martian Born and raised." He smiled as he introduced himself.

Kasey smirked seeing the Martianborn next to him, giving Zayed a quick glance like he did the Captain, he'd notice a tall, slender but definitely powerful frame, tufts of thick, maroon fur and scales in exposed portions of his uniform. His eyes meanwhile were a subtle orange. Genotypes aren't common on Earth, Kasey was always fascinated by the genetically modified species of humans.

"Nal Cha'! I see you checking me out. I look good, Nha'?" Zayed joked, seeing how Kasey looked him up and down. The Earther couldn't help but chuckle, noticing his much thicker Martian accent which wasn't present with the Captain. Kasey snickered, raising a brow at the Martian. Turning his attention back to the view port, he'd see the compound he would call home for the next two years. The convoy would form a beeline towards the main compound of the Coalition Armed Forces, being halted at a military checkpoint.

"Lieutenant Mershell, this is Captain Daniels! Open 'em up. We got fresh grub!" The captain said, contacting the Marshall up ahead.

"Admiral's expecting you in ten. Don't leave him waiting. Convoy cleared!" The Marshall responded in a calm yet grizzly tone

With the click of a few security applications, the metallic gates slid open. Small sparks were sent flying as the torques went blasting away to move them apart. Once cleared the convoy carried on, getting deeper into the military compound. The massive dune surrounding the base was utilized as training grounds, the whole radius of about six kilometres. The sounds of gunfire were heard through kill houses, raid courses as well as dune-based warfare. Tanks would charge out in the practice zone, some treaded and others hovering as they practiced long-distance firing.

"Last briefing troops, this is Mars. And you're on the most important planet behind Mother Earth. If these Union bastards think they'll take it, then they haven't seen the Coalition Armed Forces. I'll expect to see you all in field patrol! Now get off my damn APC!" The Captain yelled out before the rear doors swung open, Military Police beginning to pull them all out from the APCs. Military Police officers were no joke.

One by one they were moving out in a rush, trying to avoid pissing off the Military Police. The other troops from the convoy were unloading from their own vehicles. They were all escorted into the main complex, seeing rows of troops which arrived earlier. All settled down by now. Ahead of them was a single man in formal blue-black attire, most likely from the Coalition Naval Fleet. He sat his butt on the desk as he waited for the arrivals to settle down. He was a prim and proper asian man, in his late fifties, revealing his black hair and slightly greyish sides after removing his admiral's hat.

"Welcome to the Mars Coalition Zone. I'm Admiral Zhang, the acting CO for Highfall District as well as the Fleet Admiral for the whole MCZ. As you know, you're the newly appointed Stagger Company. You may be asking yourself, a company? We're too small to be a complete company. That's true, however it holds a greater purpose. All 534 of you to be exact, are to be enlisted to the latest branch of the CAF."

The troops focused and listened closely to the Admiral's words, intrigued with what he was saying. Apparently if a belated promotion was in order, this was it. Kasey reached for the metal chain around his neck, pulling it to reveal the dog tag which was tucked under his collar. He gave it a firm squeeze in his palms and shut his eyes tightly. Admiral Zhang continued on, recalling the Second Solar Rising.

"All of you will be trained to push your limits. You are not like the rest of these other grunts. You've seen war first hand, it taking away the childhood you could've enjoyed and the adulthood you could've had." Zhang spoke as Kasey listened, recalling his time on Europa, ice, ash, smog from the blowout of explosives, kilometres of icy trenches and tunnels.

"The desperation and bleak future prospects of it, yet you survived through impossible odds. All of you in one way or another, drafted 15 years ago to fight for the Coalition on many worlds, ones you never came from. Each of you has a more than adequate military report for your years of service and expertise. This? This is why you've all been selected for the Specialist Response Unit."

Low murmurs and whispers could be heard among the seated troops, a little shocked that they'd be picked. The briefing went on for another hour, Kasey and Zayed hearing in closely, word for word. The Specialist Response Unit apparently is a rapid response unit like the Coalition Marine Corps. However that's where similarities end. The Unit was specifically designed as a specialist reactionary force, being as well geared and self-sustaining as the armed forces while as swift as the marines.

"Specialist Response Unit, e'ke? Advanced gear, weapons and all those goodies. Zalwei... Sounds like our kinda thing, Nha'?"Zayed asked, nudging his elbow towards Kasey. It's been awhile after the briefing, all the troops being given their assigned bunks.

Kasey shrugged in response, having a look at the dog tag once more. It digitally flickered his credentials in a light blue hue. He hung it back around his neck after getting off the bunk. He landed on his boots causing a low thud against the concrete he stood above on.

The speakers laid throughout the hallways sounded out loudly, signalling the very late dinner meant for the whole Unit. "We'll see for now Zayed. But at least we get our own cafeteria booths, pretty big upgrade." He joked which brought a good chuckle out from Kasey while they went to get grub.