Chapter nineteen: Adam's team

Back in Sendak's base, In the training room, Adam was rigorously training for revenge against Keith. He found out the best way to do was to sparing with gladiators.

Learning that he was able to take out his anger when he was in heat of the moment, so he figured that a fight with a robotic warriors would do the trick. Plus, it was a great way for him to work on his sword skills. The warriors parried with their weapons only to be sidestepped by Adam.

One of the robot then swung to the left, which Adam blocked, then he pivoted on his foot and found himself behind the warrior before doing a body cut with his sword, the gladiator fell to its defeat as Adam rubbed the sweat his brow.

Then the other robot launch Itself to Adam but he manage to defeat it with a counter cut and a swift move.

"Start training level fourteen!" Adam ordered the deck computer.

The robots repaired itself and quickly stood back on their feet along with several others. The singular eyes glowing brightly as they charged at Adam as he quickly brought his own sword and blocked the multiple swings from the robots. They clashed many times with being more ferocious than before.

It then that one of the robots jabbed him in the stomach and threw him across the room. Adam, panting and got up, feeling that was enough for the day.

"End training sequence".

The system register to Adam's command and the robots shut down.

"Yo, Sendak! How was my form on that last kick?" Adam said as he left the training room and walked into the locker room.

And soon as possible, Sendak answered. "Your from was the same as the first one!" he walked towards him. "Remember everything else has to be hammered down!"

"Don't remind me, But it's still not enough!" Adam said as Sendak turned around, the glow of his eye gaze menacingly.

"I tell you nothing will be the same after that day!" Sendak told him.

"Ugh!" Adam groaned in frustration, "Don't you think I don't know that, l...Keith...He in my head like a bad scene that won't leave your mind!"

"I can relate, I to have bad scenes going around in my head!" Sendak said. "But what do I do with those bad scenes, I crush them that's what you should be doing!" Then, he left the locker room.

"Sigh!" Adam said as he smack his head in the locker.

In the base's command center, Sendak was walking down the steps to give his command to his soldiers, just when, Haggar and Zarkon's hologram appeared in front of him.

"Sendak!" Zarkon said.

"Yes, Lord Zarkon!" said Sendak as he bow and kneel in front of the presence of his leader.

"You have disobeyed my orders." Lord Zarkon said.

"I've done no such thing, Lord Zarkon. My will is your will". Sendak said, feeling accused.

"Then explain to me why you've requisitioned one unmarked soldier to be in charge of one of our operation bases!" asked Lord Zarkon.

"Adam is not Galra, but he has proven himself to be a valuable asset in our cause-" Sendak answered.

Zarkon then slammed his hands against the arm rests of his throne, like a judge banging his gavel in a courtroom. "Our mission is to kill Balto Swamp so we can march on the Heartstone Refuge. Our mission is to destroy the rebels and their ridiculous rebellion. You are distracted, Sendak. Our ground troops demand your full attention. The siege on Aurs has carried on for too long. You will give the order to increase power until victory is achieved. And never forget, I gave you your power and at my slightest whim, I can take it away. Understand?!"

Sendak could only nod in agreement, "Of course, Lord Zarkon. Vrapit sa!"

Emperor Zarkon seemed satisfied with Sendak's answer and cut the communication. Once Zarkon's face disappeared from the hologram, Sendak turned around to his men.

"Where is Adam!"

In his room, Adam was feeling starving, starving for a fight, Yesterday and the days before proved to be a stressful as usual for the newly human Galra soldier. There were too many things he came across that would've driven anyone in his mad mind from insanity.

First and foremost, his boyfriend and future fiance refuse to join the Galra for the sake

of innocent people. The boyfriend he knew for as long as he remembered, a fellow member of the garrison and the very last person he ever thought would choose someone else over him.

Secondly, he discovered that Shiro defected to the enemy's side. It wasn't just the fact he choice to defending a simple village full of innocent townspeople! he couldn't believe what he was doing, comprehend that this was what the Galra Empire had always been doing since the war started. Attacking an innocent village that appeared to be no threat to the Galra empire?

And finally, his only support was Sendak who was surprisingly became some sort of mentor to him, the first person who made him a commander. But unfortunately, that the only one who didn't want him, scratch that, never wanted him to be a commander of the

The Galra empire was Haggar, Zarkon's Witch.

How he gonna prove himself to her, since that day, where they send that monster to attack Keith and the others, he's been doing everything in his power to keep himself distracted, waiting for the right time to strike back.

He watched diligently as the time of the day go by as he waited for the next big things. Just then, his door opens and a galra soldier stands at attention before he speaks.

"Commander Sendak required your present!"

Adam walk to the command center of the base where Sendak was standing, Adam bow and kneel in front of the presence of his leader.

"Hey, Sendak, What you need!" Adam spoke.

"Nothing of the sort! I got contact from lord Zarkon! Seems that he was...displeased our efforts!" Sendak said as he turned to Adam!

"What...why!" Adam said.

"Because of your actions!" Sendak said as he got right in Adam's face as he asked him that question.

"My actions...My actions!" Adam shouted back, "I have been royal to you guys ever since I arrived here!"

Sendak came closer and closer, his dark shadow creeping around him. "It's not that, Is about something else, Its Shiro isn't it!"

"It has nothing to do with Shiro!" Adam said. "I will be able Galra to glory and win the war for you!"

They stare at each other for the time being, until Sendak said. "You say you can defeat the Rebels? Prove it. Come with me."

Filling with certainty, Adam decide to walking with Sendak, As they walked into the hangar, a shuttle ship lands in the hangar.

"Sense you're distracted by 'Attachments', I am signing you to be a part of a special group!" Sendak said.

"A...Special group!" Adam asked.

"Yes, they are Experimental unit Deamon force 99. They're...half daemons with, uh...Desirable mutations." Sendak answered.

"99, eh? Nice touch!" Adam said.

"We call them the lower moons!" Sendak said.

After the shuttle lands, stairs come down from the shuttle and soon the lower moons exit the shuttle, they have unique appearance, Each of them had their number and ranks engraved only into one eye. Once they're out, All of them, salute Sendak and Adam.

The group approach each other, the one with the number two etched into his left, shake hands with Sendak.

"Doctor Rokuro. Good to see you again". Sendak Introduce.

"You too, sir!" Rokuro said.

Sendak turned to Adam, "This is dr. Rokuro!" he said. "He is the 2nd in command of this unit!"

Adam nods, "Well, it's pleasure to meet you!"

"Sorry we're late, Commander. We were putting down an insurrection on Kipo when your comm came in. Had a few unforeseen… complications." Rokuro said.

"As unforeseen complications as lose your commander to a attack!" Sendak said.

"Yes, The insurrection of Kipo was... complicated but a success none the less". Rokuro said.

"I see!" Sendak said.

"So, Who are your teammates names!" Adam said

"Oh, right!, my colleagues, This is Emmu, Wakun, Kam, and Rose Nebel!" Rokuro Introduced.

"Hi." Rose said

"Hello." Wakun said.

"A pleasure." Emmu said.

"Nice to meet you." Kam said.

"Well, hello to all of you!" Adam said.

"So, Commander, what kind of suicide mission do you have for us this time?" Rokuro said.

"Let's get going. We'll brief you on the way." Sendak said.

The seven immediately made the way to the briefing room, Adam was the second one to make it to the briefing room, Rose and Wakun rushing up behind him and Rokuro and Sendak was stand at a holotable.

"Here's your scenario: your target is this Cyber Center." Sendak said as he pulls up a holographic display of the Cyber Center. "It's the brains of the entire rebels campaign here on Aurs".

Adam watched and listening attentively as Sendak gave the team the scenario. "I could demolish that with one hand. Yeah!" said Kam.

"This isn't a demo job, Kam. It's strictly a retrieval operation." Sendak said. "The Cyber Center is full of Rebels, vicious, violent instigators. They will take you out if given the chance!"

Just that, Adam notices Rose starting at him.

"What are you looking at?!" Adam said.

"Nothing!" she said.

"Ok!" Adam said.

"Don't worry about her, she's shy!" Wakun said. "But don't take it personal."

"Don't worry, I'm not!" Adam said.

"So, who gonna lead us in this mission!" Rokuro said.

"Adam!" Sendak said, looking at his appearance, "He will be the one that will be lead on this mission!"

"Me, I will lead!" Adam shrugged, having been Surprise by this subject.

"Yes, You are a commander after all!" Sendak said.

He wasted no time, walking between Sendak and Rokuro, next to the holotable, takes command into the mission was no easy task but he did take a lot of training for the right moment.

"So, this cyber center, What's it for!" Adam said.

"I explain that, the cyber center is the brains of the entire rebels campaign here on Aurs!" Sendak explained. "If we cripple it, we are this close into completely the siege on Aurs!"

"l see!" Adam said. "That's our plan!"

"Your plan!" Sendak correct him. "This is what I've been training you!"

"And You think I'm ready!" Adam said, looking back at everyone here in the briefing room.

"I don't think, I know!" Sendak said as he pressed a shiny force Captain badge bearing the Galra logo into Adam's hand. "It's your time to prove yourself."

Adam stared at the badge, his eyes wide with awe.

"With you at the forefront, we will crush the rebellion once and for all", Sendak said "Do not disappoint me".

"I won't let you down!" Adam said.

With that, Adam and the lower moons head to the shuttle bay to their ship to their mission, It was only a few minutes later of marching down the bay. Rokuro picked up Sendak and headed to walked towards him.

"Sendak!" Rokuro said as his attention shifted to Adam. "Why did you let that boy to be In charge of our mission!"

"He is not like the others!" Sendak answered. "That is why I give him this mission, In hopes that he can prove himself to Emperor Zarkon!"

"I understand!" Rokuro said as he turned to Adam as he understand that how hard is it to impress Emperor Zarkon, With that, Rokuro joined the others as they all get on the gunship as it lifts off from the base and flies away.

Inside, Adam was slightly startled to the next person next to him, without a doubt, Enmu was starting at him.

"What are you looking at?" Adam asked.

"Normally, We don't work with people! It's like a Dream!" Answered Enmu.

"Ok!" Adam said, awkwardly.

"Don't worry about Enmu! He always says that about every mission!" Rokuro told him as he flipped several tiny switches with digits form.

"Look alive!" Kam said as he was in the pilot seat. "We arrived at our destination! The Cyber Center."

Right then, the shuttle is spotted by Rebels, and their gun open fire on the ship.

"Incoming fire! Hold on!" Kam call out as he starts trying to evade the incoming fire.

For several tense moments, the incoming fire misses. Then, a bolt from a minigun strikes the cockpit, which bursts into flames, and the ship begins to fall from the sky.

"We're going down!" Rose says with a fright.

The ship scrapes against the cliff beside them, then loses altitude altogether and smashes into the ground, skidding along the ground for several hundred yards before coming to a stop.

The team slowly climbs out of the gunship. Enmu comments, "We always get shot down when we fly with new people."

"Kam!" Adam shouts, seeing Kam pinned under the wreckage of the gunship. "Are you all right!"

"I'm fine!" Kam said as he tried to free himself from the wreckage, Adam tried to help him, but Kam holds him back. "Easy, Team leader," he says before his muscles turn into massive ones, like a wrestler.

Kam crouches down and gets a grip on the ship controller. Then, groaning a bit with the effort, he slowly lifts the controller up, shoving it upright. The force is enough that the controller rolls over onto its other sider.

Kam left the pilot seat, Unaffected, turns around, walking back to the rest of the group. Adam soon followed him, right before the gunship explodes behind him.

"It's everyone all right!" Adam said.

"Of course we're fine!" Rokuro said.

Wakun walks up to the top of a small mound of dirt, looking down the canyon. "We not going to fine anymore," he says.

Everyone looks down the canyon, and sees a number of rebels approaching their position. Wakun turns back to the group and says, "That blast gave away our position."

"I thought getting shot down gave away our position," Enmu says sarcastically.

"Everyone, find cover. We'll hold this position and let them come to us," Adam says.

"I don't think so, Team leader. That's not our style. We prefer going to them," Rokuro says before turning his attention to his squad and saying, "Plan 82, Sleep tight!"

The five spring into action. Kam grabs the door of the ship, holding it out in front of him as a shield. The other two assemble behind the door, and the squad charges towards the incoming rebels.

The rebels open fire, but the bolts harmlessly hit the door. Rokuro, Enmu, and Wakun fire back at the rebels, Killing a Rebel with almost every shot.

Wakun scans the approaching droids and calls out, "45, Mark 151."

Enmu echoes, "45, Mark 151." He then throws an Stun grenade into the air. Rokuro fires at it and hits it, sending out a pulse that disables over a dozen Rebels.

Adam starts to grin as he watches the lower moons in action. "Well, well. They don't disappoint," he says. He then turns to Rose and says, "Well, Rose. Don't want to miss out on the fun, do ya?"

Rose grins and says, "No, sir!" She and Adam fire their assault blasters down onto the Rebels, while Enmu and Rokuro each drop Stun grenades onto the Rebels, knocking out even more.

Adam looks up ahead, and sees a pair of Rebels with miniguns approaching, along with more Rebels. "Mini Users!" he calls out as Rose fire her rockets from her jetpack. The rockets hit the Rebels, and destroy both them and the accompanying Rebels. At about the same time, Rokuro and the others, destroy the last of the rebels.

Adam walk up right as the lower moons. "That was some show you put on just now," Adam says.

"Just doing our job, Team leader," Rokuro says.

"Alright. Let's move out before reinforcements arrive," Hall says before he starts moving down the canyon. The rest of the strike team follows close behind him, Adam's first attempt at leader was close to being a success.

Short time later, a small transport flies down, and a Rebel leader steps out. The rebel walks over to wreckage of the ship, where several Rebel are waiting.

The Rebel leader brings up a commlink, which brings up a transmission of Sokka. One of the rebel says, "We wanted to speak to you directly, sir. This infiltration is irregular."

"Were there Galra with this squad?" Sokka asks.

"Yes, sir. but using tactics like we have never seen before." the lead commando replies. "They were also accompanied by a Terran!"

"Interesting". Sokka says. He pauses for a moment, then says "They're on foot now, in the middle of nowhere. Sweep the area, locate these Galra, and notify me if the incursion escalates."

Later, after sunset, Adam leans himself against a tree, looking around at the rest of the strike team. They've stopped to rest for a while.

A few feet away, Adam speaks up and asks, "So, I get what makes the other galra unique, but what's so special about Rokuro?"

Kem, kneeling down in front of their lamp, says, "He was born with heightened senses. A place like the Cyber Center, Rokuro can feel the electromagnetic frequencies from anywhere on the planet."

"And here I thought we were smart just using a holomap," Adam says to Rose.

"Well, maps can be wrong. Rokuro never is," Rose says.

Only a second later, Adam stands up and walks over. "Listen up. We have to move out," he says.

Wakun jump down from the rock he's been sitting on. "Are you sure that's reasonable!"

"We can't waste any time. And I've got a plan for how to get into that Cyber Center," Adam said.

"If your plans are so good, why did Commander Sendak have to call us in?" Enmu asks with a smirk.

"Why, Because you will need a commander!" Adam asked.

"No, It's because you got on Zarkon and Haggar's bad side, like us!" Enmu added.

Just in, Rokuro steps forward. "Alright, then. Let's cut the chatter and finish what we started. We'll do it your way, Team leader."

"Okay. Let's gear up and move out." Adam said firmly. Everyone just turns aside and starts gearing up without a word.

Early in the next morning, Adam makes his way around a plant, his assault blaster in hand. They've been moving ever since the crash and even since on what Enmu was says, that he was on the bad side of Zarkon and Haggar.

Looking ahead, he sees something through the vegetation. As the team reaches the edge of the vegetation, Adam motions for them to get down as he crouches against a plant, examining the rebel outpost that has just come into view up ahead.

"Not our primary target." Adam said.

"It's an outpost. Should we take it?" Rokuro said.

"It'll probably be easier than going around," Adam says.

"Alright. What are your orders? We pick 'em off from the tree line, one-by-one?" Rokuro said.

Adam then turns to Rokuro, grinning, and says, "I think we'll take a page out of your book. We'll rush them head on."

"I like your style," Rokuro says. Adam just nods, then charges out of the plants, firing his assault blaster. The lower moons burst out of the plants behind him, firing their weapons as well. In only a few seconds, all the rebels outside the outpost have been destroyed.

Adam, Rokuro, Kam, Wakun and Enmu get on a lift to take them to the top of the outpost, while Rose wait at the bottom.

As the lift raises into the control center, Adam and the team open fire on the Rebels manning the consoles, destroying them all in seconds. They begin to examine the consoles as Rose come up.

"Yay, the fighting stop!" Rose said.

"Not bad, for a Terran," Rokuro says in a slight teasing tone to Adam.

"Well, there's the Cyber Center," Kam says, looking out of the window towards the Cyber Center.

"It looks like the Cyber Center itself has minimal guards. About thirty Rebels," Wakun said. He pauses for a second, then says, "Wait. Wait. I got a massive signal coming in. A whole platoon of Rebels is headed this way."

"Someone's noticed our handiwork back at the crash site," Rokuro points out.

"Yeah," Adam says. He then looks at Wakun and says, "Make sure you keep an eye on those incoming forces. I want to know when they reach this outpost."

"You've got it, Team Leader," Wakun says.

"Alright. We gotta move quick," Adam said.

"We'll grab some speeder bikes and flank them from the back," Rokuro said, looking outside the outpost to where a number of speeder bikes are parked.

The team heads down, and the lower moons each grabs a speeder bike. Meanwhile, Adam make their way through the vegetation towards the Cyber Center.

He easily take out two Rebels standing among the trees, then take cover behind some trees right at the edge of the forest. Adam raises his commlink and calls out, "Is everyone in position?"

"Affirmative," Rokuro said.

"Affirmative," Enmu said as well.

Wakun then comes on and says, "Team Leader, you wanted to know when those forces reached the outpost. Well, they're getting there just about now."

At the Outpost, The rebel commander rides the lift up into the control center, then pulls out a commlink, brining up Sokka again.

"Sir, we tracked the Galra and the Terran here. They seem to have captured this location and deserted it. I cannot understand the logic of this assault," the rebel commander said.

"There is no tactical advantage to taking the outpost. Their target will be the nearby Cyber Center. Get me in contact with the Cyber Center at once!" Sokka says.

At the Cyber Center, one of the rebel holds up a commlink, Sokka's voice calls in. "An attack is coming. Do not allow the Center to be destroyed, but allow the Galra to access the Center".

Before the Rebel can respond, he gets knocked out by Adam as he rushes out of the trees. He then charge towards the Rebel, firing his blaster.

Adam takes cover behind some crates, firing all the while. It's not long before he have destroyed every rebel outside the Cyber Center.

As Adam take up positions behind the front door into the Center, the doors open, and Rokuro and Enmu walk out.

"What took you so long?" Adam asked with a sly grin.

"Hey, this is a 'delicate operation'," Enmu says, mocking the words said by Wakun just a minute earlier.

Right then, an MTT comes crashing through the trees, heading right for the Center.

"Better get in there, team leader," said Rokuro

Adam nods, then says, "Rose, with me. Wakun, start setting the charges." Rose nods and follows Adam into the Center, while Kam also head into the Center to start setting explosives to destroy the Center.

Adam and Rose make their way to the main control room, where Wakun is working on one of the computers. As they run up, Wakun says, "Okay, I'm in. What am I looking for?"

Adam hands a chip to Wakun and said, "Here's the algorithm. You're looking for a program using this sequence."

Wakun plugs the chip in and starts typing. After a few moments, he says, "I've found it. But is strange. It's not a program. It's a live signal from another land...Balto.

"A live signal?" Adam said.

"I don't know. But it seems as if Balto is the source" Wakun said.

"Alright. Download everything you can, and then let's get out of here," Adam said.

Wakun hurries to download everything useful from the computers. As he finishes, Rokuro hurries into the control room and says, "Team Leader, the charges are set, and the rebels are entering the Center. We gotta go!"

"Got it. Let's move!" Adam says. The three of them hurry out and out the back door, where Enmu, Kam, and Rose is waiting with a transport for them all. The rest of the team boards, and starts heading for an arranged pickup spot.

As they head away, Adam looks at Rokuro and says, "Blow the charges." Rokuro just nods and presses a button on one of his vambraces. Instantly, the charges detonate, destroying the Cyber Center.

After that, the team has return Sendak's base and Adam makes his way over to the holo-projector, where Sendak is waiting. Sendak has already sent his report on the cyber center's destruction.

As he approaches, Sendak looks up at him.

"Commander!" Sendak said.

"Commander," Adam said in respect.

"I have spoke to lord Zarkon, he said since your mission was a excess, he allowing you to become leader of the lower moons". Sendak said.

"Understood, commander," Adam says.

Sendak steps forward and lays a hand on Adam's shoulder. "Good luck, team leader," he says.

Adam just nods before doing an smile on his face and walking away, his mission was excellent and excess, It look like he was on his way to the top.