"We must meet this threat with our courage, our valor, indeed with our very lives to ensure that human civilization, not insect, dominates this galaxy now and always" -Sky Marshall Dienes
Such an thunderous Applause Rang out in the Conference room as People are more than United in the Fight against the Bugs, as Politicians from both side of the Aisle of Warhawks and Doves agreed that this atrocious act will not go Unanswered....
Millions of People, Signed up in the Mobile Infantry, The Fleet Command as their Hatred towards the Bugs was at the all time high... Propaganda and Merchandising was pumped into the Media Every Single Day...
Many of the more prominent messages ones are
"Buenos Aires Was the First, Yours could be Next"
"Bugs, No need no Mercy"
"They Blasted Earth, Which Planet is next?"
"Peace was never an Option, To a Stinking Bug"
"Bugs never Wanted Peace"
Detractors wanted to Slow down the Heat of war, but the Arachnids Attacked Zegama Beach and Slaughtered the Civilians by a Third, if it weren't for the Fact that there was a Battalion sized M.A.Rs Garrison was Stationed there overseeing the Base there being built took up arms and Fought a Fighting Retreat Along with the Mobile Infantry "Roughnecks", and assist Evacuating the Civilians and Tourist as they Escape from the From the Resort World as the Nearest M.A.Rs Space Fleet that was On Pirate Cleansing operation nearby, heeded Contact For help and Stopped their mission to Assist People to get offworld... While the Ground Forces Of M.A.Rs left behind and Stood their Ground for a Week until the rest of the forces from the Reserves was sent for Cleanup Operations of the aftermath... Smoldering Bug Corpses were in front of the Gate of the Base now Fully Operational... and vehicles are rushing out from the garages, since there was not a single Federation Person on site, The Base now Releasing Hourly, Squads Of men and Vehicles and Overwhelm the Bugs With Little or No Casualties, Only after a week ended as the High Command Managed to reach Zegama Beach, It was claimed as "Safe" and now undergoing reconstruction, to much of mystery, how did M.A.Rs did it?
"Federation Future Debate Called this the "Zegama Mystery" and the only people on the ground as the Branch refused any Clarification or Answers till this day at the Resort Planet and the other party is a dead Bug that is being processed as fuel for the Leman Russ tanks..."
and It Cause Suspicion to the No-War faction as A Pro-Arachnids Faction that some were Tossed in High Security or was "Silenced" for such depraved thoughts that we should be Friendly to Bugs that Harmed Humanity?
Such was a Fate against Two Expansionist Species through the lens of the Outsiders...
After Being Escorted from the Venue, he reached into the Office he once knew... And Sigh as he grabs a Shot of Amasec to ease his nerves, As if he felt the Blood on his Hands and the Logistics of Such Endeavors behind closed doors... While they are certain that Klendathu was the Bug Capital... He Is Unsure if "It" Was the Capital... Since it was a System that is blocking the Unknown Regions, who Would know what other Monsters is behind the system of Klendathu...And His planners are Too Positive that they will Win the War by the time they landed on the planet.. He is Doubtful as they are too Young and Too inexperienced and only Follow Textbook Examples, and the said Textbook Focused on Human to Human Tactics not Arachnids
And He read the Reports of the First Expedition... It was a Blood Bath... 450000 People that Joined the First expedition into what He known as the "Expedition to the East"... Only 29000 remained, They Managed to Capture So Called Warrior Bugs and Utility bugs, and managed to Be Shipped To Earth to Research it with even more casualties... Pistol Rounds that the Submachine Guns used by the First Expedition Heavily Did Not work... Regular Rifle Shots Did Some Damage, but not to the Point of Decapitation... And the Bugs can Faked their deaths causing more Expeditions deaths in Later Expeditions...
He Sighed about the Logistics of Such an endeavor as the War Machine is starting to Awaken to produce the goods and Materials for the War Effort, He needed an Army immediately to Supplement the Forces... And Time Is Not On Humanity Side, Soldiers needed to be Trained in months... Pilots are being Drafted as Captains and Ships are Being Built Overtime... But the Bugs need a Spore on the Planet and they will have Armies within Weeks...
He Knew sooner or Later the Bugs will not be satisfied with the status quo, and those who do not blink first is the winner and sadly Humanity failed in that Gambit and the Propaganda of Peace Could ease the tension...How Long now they Managed to Guess the Caliber of the Moon Defense? Or are there Traitors?
As He Read More and More Reports of the Arachnids Incursion in Human Space is getting more and More Being Stacked On his Desk...
If it weren't For Alexander Proposal to Build a M.A.Rs Garrisons in every Planet in the Federation and the Request for the Expansion of his Fleet, Despite the rest of the Branches was Unsatisfied with the Buildup, Alecander Explained the Benefits of his Plan, though Alexander Only Requested Food instead of Materials to build his fleet was a Plus side on the Coffers of the Federation, it also serves as a Orbital defense as they waited for the Fleet Command, and Making the M.A.Rs as Garrison, so that the Mobile Infantry could Focused their Manpower onto more Important issue Like Quelling a Colony Rebellion or Shipped to more important theaters of war, M.A.Rs Managed to Repel the Arachnid Incursion in the Frontier planets and the Badly needed Mobile Infantry managed to Reinforced into the Desperate lines, much to Dienes relieve... He Shudder to Imagine the Implications of him didn't agree with Alexander Plans How Much More Blood will be on his Hands?
As if God Did hear his calls, He Received a Message from Alexander to Join him in the Inauguration of the Fleet he Gave Permission and the Military Parade of M.A.Rs, He Gladly did so to get away from the Reporters that are More than Willing to get a new Scoop... Using what he Learned in the Academy, he managed to avoid the Reporters and head to the Nearest Landing Zones of the M.A.Rs that there was a Valkyrie Transport that is modified for Officer use, is waiting for him...
Alongside with Air Escorts as they went to Orbit and he looked from a Window as a Fleet was Permanently Stationed Above Earth, Far Bigger than the Federation Could Field and a Ramilles Class Star-fort Was Slowly Being Constructed On Earth Orbit,
much of the Chief Of Economy Lament at the Yearly Naval Review, for Such a Waste, Only to Be Chided by others that It was M.A.Rs Pockets that they could Have Security and the Materials Was Not Needed To Build the Ships to much by the skeptical observer thinking that this ships are just Paper Tiger and the M.A.Rs Fleet gave a "Demonstration" of their Firepower of the Fleet and Cleared a Path through the Asteroid Field in a Minute thus shutting the Skeptics that the fleet was not just a mere propaganda...and it serves as A beacon to Humanity that their Ancestral Home was and always be Protected by Humanity...
Mars
Base Zero Landing Zone
Many Years ago, this Base was Created in a Canyon to Hide from the Federation Satellites, Ever since Alexander received Permission to Build The Branch, The Base was Expanded Several Times and the Canyon was Removed and Now a proper Base of Operations with a Functioning Airfield, A wall with Turrets that was placed on top of the wall Encircled around the Base, Barracks, Artillery Zone as EarthShakers was Placed there, ready to load Rounds into the enemy, Garages Housing of several hundreds of vehicles, Greenhouses, a Military Hospital and the Entertainment Sector for relief... and a Generator District that powered the whole Base, there was a Several Underground Elevators That was Scattered all over the Base that was Heavily Defended and It was a Restricted Access and Only Known by the Inspectors as a "Emergency" Shelters thus shutting down any argument of probing the City that was hidden underneath...
And a Fanfare was Made for the Sky Marshall As he Arrives at this Base
As Row Of Elite Men that practice their saluted and presented their Arms, as a Glamourous Officer Drew His Saber as his Sword Now Gleaming in the Sun, as EarthShaker Cannons Shot Modified Confetti Shot toward the Horizon giving Puffs of White Smoke and the Red Carpet Stood Alexander As he smiled warmly and Greeted Sky Marshall Dienes
He Was Greeted by Alexander and While Greeted Formalities and was accompanied to Alexander Office, He Noticed the Number of Bleached Skulls that was placed In Alexander Study, Upon Examine the Skull they held the name of the Pirate Captains that were Causing the problems that Fleet Command didn't Bother to look, since Pirate Hunting was Beneath their Job and there is No Glory of Hunting Pirates... However the Skulls he is Examining were Known as Ex-Federation Fleet Officers that went to Piracy... And they did had Connections from the Rival Factions... Seems like Alexander taken no for an Answer... And Pissed off the people that profit from the Piracy trade...
"Alexander, Tell me the truth... Is the Klendathu Plan going to fail? "
"I looked at the Plans and I Have to be Blunt...Yes... It would be a Failure... And lot of the detractors will defame you as a Fool, and you will be the scapegoat of the mishaps of the operation for the cost of human lives and Materials that is left... Despite my input, Most of my words Fell on Deaf Ears by the Youths that are Brash for Glory...It would be a Political Suicide...Despite my Efforts to lower Casualties, it would still be painful..."
"I see... So I will Die Either way Huh?"
"Here, Let Me Show You...Your Work..."
Dienes was Led to the Top of a Observation Tower Now Built to Oversee the Base
A Parade was Made, Just For Dienes, as Battalion Upon Battalion Of Men and Women Clad in Olive Armor Marched down the Parade Street as Boots Marched as on as one, Chimeras, and Leman Russ were in Sync as they Rolled down in the Road, Sentinels Walked in a Diamond formation, and Basilisks Came in Rows with their Big Caliber Guns Proudly Aiming at the Skies and A BaneBlade Now Fully Repaired from the Derelicts At the Necron base below, Fixed and Now Roaring its Engines and the Turrets looked as if it would open fire at any minute and Dienes was In Awe Of Such Behemoth of the Tank as it swiftly move past the Observation tower... And Specialized Troops Is What Amazed Dienes, As Red Cloaked Hooded Figures was Moving past By with Behemoth Robots that is accompanied them and a Battalion of Gas Masked soldiers Moved past the towers Dienes felt that these individuals went through Hell and instead of desiring to leave, it as if they wanted to be there...
And a 26 Feet Mini-Titans Clad in Gold as Alexander Called Pack hounds Came in groups of Twenty, as they walk Mini-Tremors felt on the Ground as if it fears the Machine, that is now Armed with 75mm Rocket Racks on the Top, Dual Quad Linked Bolters to its left Arms and Dual Quad Stubbers was On the Right Arms... As the Group Passed by a Air Wing of Marauder Bombers and Valkyries pass by the Tower thus ending the Parade Alexander Spoke...
"Even if you Stepped down from the failure Of the Operation, seared this Image in your Eyes, this is your Legacy Sky Marshall Dienes, had I been in Other Sky Marshalls time, they will most likely Curbed My Branch...They would ensure that this branch would have never Existed, and I would have never gotten into the Jack in the Box without a Sky Marshall Recommendation...This Army would never come into Fruition."
As Boy...No Leader of M.A.Rs is Smiling along with the sun that is setting...
Later
As Sky Marshall Diene was returned to Earth, He was satisfied with the Response from Alexander... Even if it was a Failure of the Operation, He would Be glad, that even when he is no longer in Office... His Legacy Lives on...