Jin continued to tell Nio his funny childhood story which made everyone at the table laugh. He was joined also by Takeo and another Demon Squadron member Alexei, a pilot from Norio's European Russian branch. The four of them were in one of the barracks lobby areas chatting after returning from a patrol.
"
Jin's lips curved into a smile as he started to laugh.
"Yes?" Alexei said.
"
The others began to laugh hysterically.
"
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"
"
Jin explained to the group that he lived in Russia with his mother for three years before coming back to Japan, attending school in Sakhalin where his mother was stationed due to work. He explained that he enjoyed his time there and was heavily immersed in both cultures.
"
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As they group continued to chat a pilot walked over towards their table and made his presence known. Telling Jin and the others that the commander wanted to see them, and that something urgent was happening.
***
While Norio pilots were trained to fight against their primary opponent, the Xenos, eventually their threats grew to something more controversial, but necessary in the eyes of the organization: other humans.
While the majority of the worlds countries in 2038 were more than willing to surrender their authority to the United Nations, it was no surprise that there were others that did not share the same idea. After Norio was officially established and became the UN's primary agency, insurgent and revolutionary movements rose across the Earth. From small sized paramilitaries, to entire nations that had gone rogue. People wanting complete liberation from the UN by attacking cargo for member states, sealing off their ports, and adopting radical ideals.
It was during this period of instability that Norio knew it had to subdue the problem, even if it meant killing other humans. And both Norio's pilots and their security forces were trained to do just that. That's where Jin and his team came in. With their endless access to firearms they learned not only to combat the Xenos from the safety of a jet, but humans in close quarters engagements.
Demon Squadron flew their jets at a high altitude through a set of Martian clouds as they neared the sight, the sun setting for one day and it was soon going to be dark. The operation had now been underway with the goal to figure out the fate of the mining team and report back to command.
Joining them was Diva Squadron led by Ayane Nakamura, one of the few all female fighter squadrons in Norio and among the best within the organization, making this a joint operation with ten pilots in total.
"
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A set of red lights followed by an alarm began to go off within Jins cockpit. Looking at his radar he could see two sets of missiles coming towards him, activating his flare countermeasures he raised altitude a bit before coming back down to get a clearer view.
"
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Jin could see the origin of the missiles, an anti-aircraft gun with a number of individuals armed with weapons and low budget HE suits outside of a mining facility, a facility owned by Matsuura Industries. Jin opened fire on the insurgents below before destroying their AA gun, Nio had followed suit sending down a missile towards another AA weapon before the area was clear of heavy ordinance.
"
Jin lowered his altitude to just above the red surface and, after attaching his oxygen supply and grabbing his weapon, opened the canopy and jumped onto the Martian ground below. The rest of the team forming up on him as their jets flew off towards a safe area.
"
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The five pilots proceeded pass the gates and made their way down a metal walkway just as they could hear chatter over their comms channels, they knew it was the insurgents inside the base. Stacking up on a door Nio planted a charge with the Matsuura Industries logo plastered on the front, his family name.
"
Jin opened the door and pressurized the area they were in, allowing them to disengage their oxygen packs for a while. Proceeding into the base they walked down a narrow steel hallway with windows on either side, revealing industrial and mechanized equipment within their rooms. All things that space miners would use.
Red emergency lights lined the ceilings illuminating the floor below and the walls were covered in propaganda, work schedules, and the Matsuura Industries crest.
"
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Jin looked to the floor to see blood trails leading them into a room on their left, walking inside he was met with the disgusting stench that pierced his nose and caused him to cover his mouth. Dead bodies piled the floor beneath them, they were miners and other base workers. The walls were covered in blood along with destroyed lights that flickered on and off.
"" Jin said. "
"
The group continued further down the halls until coming upon another door. Once it was opened they were met with the sight of armed men on the other side dressed in armored HE suits. One of them catching Ayane off guard as he fired a shot past her head.
"
Bullets began to fly across the large open room as the squadrons faced off against the insurgents. Jin knew he had to act fast as the beacon signal was getting stronger and they were close, reloading his rifle Jin sent down several more shots striking two insurgents in the head an chest. He then boosted up to a nearby catwalk and gunned down several more shooting at them from above.
"
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Jin ran into an adjacent room before being pinned down from across another catwalk by an insurgent armed with a LGM, taking a grenade from his chest Jin pressed a button and tossed it over his cover out the frame. The room was soon covered with a thick cloud of smoke causing the team to activate their thermal vision. Jin leaped from cover and fired twelve more rounds at the armed men ahead of them.
Their silhouettes were outline in red which made identifying the enemy easy. When Jin killed the last insurgent the team was finally able to advance. Proceeding further into the facility Jin and Takeo led them down another hallway and came upon a seal off steel door, faint voices could be heard on the other side.
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As Jin and Alexei took both sides of the door Nio planted a circle shaped charge at the center, after punching in the codes he stood back and prepared to breach into the room. A small flash of light illuminated their area followed with a wall shaking explosion as the door disintegrated , Jin and Nio rushed in and, aiming their weapons at the red highlighted insurgents, gunned them down in a flash. Making sure not to hit the hostages.
The smoke had cleared as the squadron now held control of the area.
"
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Jin watched the door as Ayane cut loose the workers, their faces gradually calmed down after realizing she was a Norio pilot. He spoke Russian which Ayane couldn't understand.
"О, слава Богу. Спасибо, они держали нас несколько часов!"
(Oh thank god. Thank you, they've been holding us for hours), a worker said.
"Спокойно, товарищ, теперь ты в безопасности. Собирайтесь, нам пора в путь
(Easy comrade, you're safe now. Collect yourself, we need to get going)" Jin replied.
"
Jin looked at his wrist computer and pulled up a live feed of the outside where they came in, to his shock he could see what appeared to be rovers armed with guns. Low-budget ones that had a radical symbol implanted on them. More armed figures with HE suits emerging from each of them with killer intent.
"
"
Jin and Nio had taken point and led the group out of the room and down another hallway, the sounds of faint footsteps pounding against the steel floor were heard. Growing closer and closer as Jin kept his rifle up and prepared to shoot anything that moved. His heartbeat rose steadily as ever passing moment felt like an eternity, escaping the base would be no easy task.
First they would have to get to the outside, then hold out for a dropship to arrive. Whatever the case may have been, Jin was ever more prepared to kill whatever stood in his way. While his primary goal was to combat the Xenos, he had no qualms about killing other humans as well. Especially those who targeted the innocent and undeserving.
Kicking down another door the group came upon more insurgents, once the enemy began firing Jin immediately retaliated with gunfire of his own as he looked down his weapons sight. An evil cloud wrapping around his mind as he killed them one by one in order to protect the civilians behind them. Whenever he was with his girlfriend Emma or his family, Jin was a kind and lovable teddy bear.
But when it came to combat against insurgents who targeted the innocent, even Xenos, he was cold, brutal, and ruthless. A side he would never let Emma see.