The squad is tasked to destroy the outpost that is located southwest of their base. Their primary objective is to destroy the portal above anything else, a top priority. Kirin was given permission by Lonara to command one of their finest land destroyers. After the briefing, they were asked to meet the crews at the gate.
After they are suited up and rearmed, they headed towards the gate. On the way there, Kirin closed in on Niela. "Niela, I'm allowing you to share my command on the Gallant" She said. Niela's eyes widen. "A-are you sure?" Her voice slightly shivered.
"Yes. You can ask me whatever you want it to do and I'll tell 'em" Kirin winked. Niela was rather nervous looking. "I... don't know" She shook her head.
"No worries, I'm just saying that you can suggest to me anything about the Gallant's actions in case you have thought any ideas out there. I will still be in control" Kirin reassured her. "Sure" Niela nodded with a sigh of relief.
"Oh my...!" They heard Sterling's voice and looked ahead and then their jaws dropped, except for Kirin. They all stopped to admire the Gallant up ahead. "Everyone, that is the Sintrad-49 Tank Destroyer 'Gallant' or just S-49 Gallant. Made by the famous Sintrad company" Kirin then walked ahead, and the squad followed towards the tank. "This beast carries the largest cannon a land vehicle can have. Its thirty feet length hull is able to mount the two hundred and five-millimeter cannon in its rear. No Narukh'za or Zakana armor is safe with its firepower, even Narukh'za's Devastator or Zakana's Shielder" Kirin introduced the tank with pride.
The main armament of the tank is located in the rear of its hull, making it very unique and different from the common designs of armed military vehicles. Its engine is apparently on the front, between the driver's seat and the cannon. It has two big square shapes that seemed to look like vents, but every vehicle is energy powered. The vents are currently lit up, showing that the engine is currently running. The front has two hatches for the driver and a support gunner. The support gunner seat has a Justice machinegun sticking out from the hull serving as its frontal anti-infantry defense.
While the others were glued to how long and big the tank is, Niela looked up to Kirin. "It's so big, Miss Kirin. How are we going to that outpost without alerting the enemies?" She asked. "She will stay here, silly. This baby will carry it into the field if we call it in" Kirin pointed to their right with her thumb.
An unarmed spacecraft is parked up to their right, near the Gallant. "Remember the Porter? This is a Porter, our space transport vessel. We will be riding one like this once we are finally headed to Valorna" Kirin said. Niela stared at the Porter.
The Porter has multiple round windows for its passengers. It has two wings with its individual thrusters beneath them. Niela noticed there is a square shape in the middle between the windows in the middle just slightly lower. Right now, its thrusters are fired up, making loud noises and revealing its main thrusters at its rear. Now looking closely, the crews were running tests on the Porter.
"How are we going to get in?" Niela asked. "It has a warp device in the middle" Kirin pointed below the Porter. "It's been a while since I have tried warping" Niela said and Kirin smiled at her.
"Greetings, Miss Kirin" A male soldier appeared in front of them, along with three others. "Ah, you must be the crew of the Gallant?" Kirin guessed from their suits. The soldier saluted. "Yes, Sergeant First Class Averthos Santre. The Gallant is now under your care, Miss Kirin. We are honored to serve under your command" He introduced himself. Out of the members of the squad, Chirlin looked really amazed.
The soldier looked like he is in his fifties. Despite his age, he managed to keep a cool look with a shade he just took off and his black wavy hair.
"Glad to have you with us, Averthos" Kirin returned the salutation. It was an odd sight for Kirin to be formal, making the squad give her the looks. Sterling leaned on Marve's ear. "I never heard such name as Averthos" She whispered. "Me neither" Marve whispered back. Kirin cleared her throat. "Squad, let me introduce Averthos Santre. He is one of the best Gallant commanders in the Arkula. Just like anybody else, he started out as a foot soldier. He climbed up the ranks by staying in service for years and doing outstanding performance. He is known for his story on how he climbed up to become a commander for the Gallant"
"During his time as a Corporal, the mechanized infantry he was in was ambushed by numbers of Zakanas. They disembarked the Varen they were riding on and immediately setup a perimeter around the disabled APC"
Varen is the Arkula's mass-produced six-wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier, the very first armed and armored wheeled transport vehicle to be designed and put into service in Kryok's history. It is armed with a forty-millimeter auto-cannon, a Justice machinegun, and two R-92 Heat-Seeking Missiles. Its ability to transport troops in and out of combat and become a fighting vehicle at the same time surprised the Narukh'za and especially the Krygstek. The idea of the Varen was quickly requested by the Krygstek once their war with the Arkula has ended for research and further improvement of the vehicle. The idea of troop transport was later scrapped and the Krygstek proceeded to develop numerous wheeled armored fighting vehicles instead.
"The Zakanas became frenzied knowing that they have successfully ambushed the vehicle with soldiers in it. Averthos and the soldiers, despite the odds, withstood. Averthos acted as the Varen's commander and gunner as its crews are wounded to perform. The ambush became a big battle. Two Puras from the platoon rushed in to open a safe path back to the others, but they were overwhelmed. Averthos and some of the soldiers ran towards the Puras to check on them, and ended up using one of them as defense"
"The situation there is dire, described by those soldiers. But Averthos avoided kept his comrades straight and they were able to hold off before they were rescued" Kirin finished telling the soldier's story. "Wow, Miss Kirin. You told them my story just like telling bed-time stories" The soldier looked flattered. "Ah, you know. It's good to let these guys know you mean business out there" Kirin said and Averthos nodded.
"I believe we all mean business out there, Miss Kirin" He said. "Ah, come on! I want them to be proud that they get to be with an honorable soldier. Don't break the mood" Kirin got slightly annoyed and the squad laughed. Averthos chuckled. "I'm sure they are, Miss Kirin" He then got his attention to Chirlin. "Look what we have here" He smiled as he approached her. He then crouched.
"You know it's rude to sit like that when talking to children" Chirlin gave a glare. Averthos got amused. "I don't believe so, Miss" He said with a smile. "My children love it when I do so they can give me a hug" He said, getting Chirlin embarrassed. She then glared at Niela for a second. "Oh, oh" Averthos stood up, amused even more.
"I can never forget that look you gave to your big sister, Miss Chirlin" He then turned to Niela. "Am I right? She's your little sister, right?" He asked. Niela properly faced him and bowed slightly. "Yes. I am Niela Harvon, and this is my little sister, Chirlin" She laid a hand on Chirlin's shoulder.
"Niela, I swear. Do you always bow?" Kirin asked. "S-sorry, is it bad?" Niela looked at both Kirin and Chirlin. "Well, it's not bad. But just so you know, we have a way to greet fellow soldiers here" Kirin then saluted. "This is called Salute" "Salute!" Chirlin spoke with her. "Hah, Chirlin knew it better than you do" Kirin grinned.
"I have two daughters at home with my wife. The youngest one will always give that look to her sister whenever she refused anything she wanted. And I'm guessing your big sister Niela here never sit down in front of you for you to give that hug" Averthos said. "W-what?" Niela looked uneasy. "Chirlin?" She looked at Chirlin, who was averting her gaze. Averthos chuckled. "Well, hugs might be rare from her, but I know she loves you dearly, little miss" He said. Niela then pats Chirlin's head.
"Alright, we can hang out and talk after we're done with this one. Lonara wants this outpost gone ASAP. We're worried about this portal they have brought into the outpost, anything can come out of that thing. Averthos, stand by for my call, alright? As fun as it might fighting their Devastators, I will call you if we really have to, you will be our last resort" Kirin said. "I thought we really, really need the Gallant?" Chirlin asked.
"Well, I kinda want to take them down myself. We will see to it" Kirin shrugged lightly. "Do you think you can penetrate through that armor with your eyes, Miss Kirin?" Averthos asked. Kirin moved her head sideways. "I'm not quite sure, but maybe I can sneak up a bomb or two and boom?" She said. "I know you are also aware that none of our explosives are effective against that mobile fortress" Averthos sighed.
"Eh, laser eyes it is then. But it will be too much for me if more Devastators appear" Kirin mumbled. "That's why the Gallant is assigned for you to use, Miss Kirin" Averthos said. "Yeah, I know" Kirin shrugged lightly.
"Alright, we should get going. Looks like they prepped up our Lancers at the gate again" Kirin looked ahead and saw their Lancers parked up outside the gate. "I saw the privates parked them out there not too long ago" Averthos said. "Well, let's go" Kirin walked ahead and the squad followed after.
The gate opened for them and they head for their Lancers. The squad rode the Lancers and drove ahead with Kirin leading the way.
Not long after they departed, Kirin used her eyes to project a live feed. Lonara's image came. "Hey, are you the one taking out our Lancers at the gate? This is the second time I've noticed them outside with hot engines ready" She asked. "Yes, and why do you ask?" Through the weakly stable projection, Kirin saw her curious look. "Ah, you know, just want to say thank you" Kirin looked ahead, smiling.
Lonara brushed her hair. "Oh, seriously, it's nothing. You have a mission, after all" She answered. A second of silence went by before Lonara spoke up. "Let me remind you again. Remember that there are tanks patrolling around the outpost, you can't park up close. You will have to leave your Lancers away from their paths, away to a safe distance, and just go on foot from that point. Do your best not to alert them. Those tank patrols don't belong to the outpost garrison, those are a part of a large group of armors, a platoon-sized group if I must say again. I assume they are just on the opposite side of that portal" Lonara reminded her about the patrols outside the outpost.
"Thanks for the heads up" Kirin nodded. "Yes. If you somehow slipped and got the outpost alarmed, go head straight for the portal. Use anything to get it done right away, use your eyes" Lonara said. "Sure, sure. We will handle it" Kirin waved her hand and turned off the projection.
"You heard her, people. We will have to leave our Lancers from a distance from the outpost and proceed on foot from there. We will find a way to sneak ahead without alerting the armored patrols. She warned us about the possible heavy reinforcement that will come from the portal if we leave it for too long. The portal is our first main focus, our only goal until it's done"
"Now, this one ain't gonna be like our first outpost, guys. The blueprint used to build the portal is what the Narukh'za and the Krygstek have been fighting for years. They will protect it with their lives. So that means not only will they become fierce, there will be seasoned soldiers along. So I'm telling you right now, especially you Sterling, to NOT act recklessly. They will be everywhere if everything goes down. You will only need to be shot ONCE to bring the whole squad down"
Her words struck fear into the squad. "Of course, you are all under my care. I take heavy responsibility for taking you guys out on a dangerous mission in your first week in the military. What I need you to do is your trust, and to follow everything I say and your chances of surviving will be higher. Why? Because we are relying on these eyes" Kirin pointed to her eyes.
"You guys seem to underestimate these eyes that much. Remember that these eyes are made for combat. Everything I see is calculated and I can see through walls and see other people's signature" She said. The squad is still uncertain.
"How is your performance with your eyes before you made this squad?" Sterling asked. "Oh, you have no idea how special I felt" Kirin chuckled. "The soldiers feel safe whenever I'm with them" She said. "Look, I've been into many battles with these eyes leading a squad bigger than what I have now. I've made sure to use every ounce of help from these eyes, and all of the squads I led lived, no casualties" Kirin said. "All?!" Sterling's brows rose. "All" Kirin nodded.
"You can ask anyone in the military if you'd like to prove it. If I can lead multiple squads of ten privates and survive, so does with your squad of five troops" She said. "Well, those privates had trainings, we haven't" Marve said. "Aw, come on! Don't be such a downer! I'm practically a god" Kirin laughed. "A God? I've read on the Internet that god used to be a taboo word in Kryok" Chirlin said.
"Who have you been talking to, Chirlin?" Kirin glanced over her shoulders. "N-no one, actually. But do you know the hidden place on the Internet called The Hidden Hand?" Kirin quickly looked behind to Chirlin, brows furrowed. Chirlin slightly hid behind her sister. "W-what is this place you're talking about, Chirlin?" Niela looked very concerned.
Kirin looked back ahead. "Niela, you haven't been watching her computer, are you?" She asked. Niela slightly panicked. "I-I... I know nothing about the computer, Miss Kirin" She then looked down at Chirlin. "What have you been doing?!" She angrily whispered. Kirin sighed. "I think I know why Chirlin called it a taboo" Sterling said, getting their attention.
"As you guys already know, I've been studying our history, both the Arkula and Narukh'za. There are myths about a god. The people on both sides, especially the Narukh'za, believed that there was once a powerful being with feminine features that reached out to our great ancestors before our people settled to Kryok and found our great leader and formed our first military called the Arkula Heavenly Forces. They call her a god" The squad eagerly listened to her.
"We are all aware that our past has been nothing but war. There was one side that gets to meet that god first. They pledged their unconditional loyalty to this god, and the god, in return, aided them in their war. The god, despite her power to destroy everything, failed to notice their evil intentions. They have led this god to brutal slaughters of many innocents. It was too late, the god has caused too many deaths, her enemies are completely aware of her presence"
"Only by that time the god has decided to punish them for their lies. She purged almost half of their population in fury. Filled with guilt and sorrow, she sought for her former enemies, letting them know of her big mistake, in hopes of their understanding and letting her do what's actually right. But her news brought nothing but more fear to the people, she was quickly driven away by the people. And ever since then, our people considered the word 'god' a taboo. They believed the name only means disaster. But it died out after the next generation took over, though the name brings scare to people still"
Niela gasped at what she has heard. "They also connect our immortalization to this myth, they say it's that god who actually made us immortal by age cessation and its bizarre functions within our bodies" Chirlin supported her explanation. Kirin scoffed.
"People still believe those 'theories'? We are already this way ever since, there's no such thing as 'god' that made us 'immortal'" She said. "Don't you think they're worth believing, Miss Kirin? Some of our scientists are really on it. It's difficult to find out, but they say there is a possibility that they're actually true" Sterling said.
"Nah, too busy fighting Zakanas and Narukh'za" Kirin said. "It's not like it will affect me or anything if they actually happened to be true or not at all" After what she said, the topic died out and they traveled deep in their thoughts.
After some time, they start to notice the sands beneath them are slightly shaking. "Squad. Stay alert" Kirin instructed and the squad quickly put their guards up. After a few seconds, Lonara called in. The transmitter went on and Lonara sounded afraid.