The weight of my blade, Oblivion's Edge, hung at my side as I walked through the dim corridor to the briefing room. Its dark, serrated metal felt alive beneath my fingertips, humming faintly, as if feeding off my growing anticipation. Each step echoed in the silence, my boots striking the metallic floor with precision. The armor on my shoulders and chest, forged from Celestium, gleamed faintly under the sterile lights. It was both a symbol of my power and a reminder of what I'd become.
The memory of my last mission lingered in my mind like the smoke that clung to my skin after battle. Entire cities left burning. Bodies left in piles. Screams silenced under my command. I wasn't the little girl abducted by space pirates anymore. I was Commander Kaida, the weapon Father had forged in blood and fire. And yet, as much as I hated the destruction, a part of me—dark and unyielding—thrived on it.
The door to the briefing room slid open, revealing my squad. Lyric, with her ever-present smirk, was sprawled in her chair, tossing a dagger in the air. Vex leaned against the wall, his towering cybernetic frame casting long shadows across the room. Azrael, silent as always, was meticulously cleaning his sniper rifle.
Lyric looked up as I entered, her bright purple hair glinting under the light. "Kaida! Right on time to hear about Father's latest way to ruin our day."
I ignored her sarcasm, taking my seat at the head of the table. "He's not ruining our day. He's giving us a purpose."
Lyric snorted, flipping her dagger. "If by 'purpose,' you mean slaughtering half the galaxy, sure."
Before I could reply, the room fell silent as Father entered. His presence was suffocating, his masked visage a constant reminder of the power he wielded.
"Commander Kaida," he said, his voice cold and unyielding, "and her squad. I expect this mission to be executed flawlessly. Xythera, Vralis Prime, and Zareth-4 are prime examples of how failure is not tolerated."
"Failure isn't in my vocabulary," Vex rumbled, his deep voice like grinding metal.
Father's gaze shifted to him briefly before returning to me. "The planet Kaltheris houses a group of insurgents. They've been disrupting my operations, and their leader possesses information I need. You will extract it and eliminate him."
"What kind of resistance are we expecting?" Azrael asked, his tone measured.
Father's voice dropped, the weight of his words palpable. "Substantial. They have fortified their base and recruited mercenaries. But you are the best, and I expect nothing less than complete success."
He turned to me, his masked face unreadable. "You will lead them to victory, Commander."
"Yes, Father," I said, my voice steady, though the questions in my mind were anything but.
What did he gain from this endless war? Why did he hide behind the mask? And more importantly, what was the point of all this destruction?
Mission One: The Fall of Kaltheris
The first shot rang out, slicing through the humid air of Kaltheris. The jungle around us erupted into chaos as enemy forces descended upon us.
"Ambush!" Lyric yelled, her dagger already in hand.
I drew Oblivion's Edge, the blade gleaming with an otherworldly energy. "Stay together! Push forward!"
Azrael dropped to one knee, his sniper rifle barking as he took out targets with cold precision. "Three down. Two on your left."
"Got it!" Vex charged ahead, his cybernetic arm smashing through enemy lines like a battering ram.
Lyric fought with the grace of a dancer, her twin daggers flashing as she moved through the chaos. "Kaida! Little help here?"
I surged forward, slicing through the enemies flanking her. My blade drank deeply, and for a brief moment, I felt it—the rush, the dark satisfaction that came with each life I took. It was intoxicating.
We fought for hours, our squad cutting a bloody path through the jungle until we reached the enemy's base.
"Commander," Azrael said, his voice calm despite the carnage around us, "the leader is in the central tower. What's the plan?"
I hesitated for a split second, the weight of my decisions pressing down on me. "No survivors," I said, my voice colder than I felt.
Lyric shot me a look. "Kaida—"
"No survivors," I repeated, cutting her off.
The battle ended with the tower in flames and the insurgents wiped out. But as I stood amidst the wreckage, watching the bodies burn, the questions gnawed at me.
Why did this feel right? Why did I enjoy it?
And why did I hate myself for it?
The Siege of Vralis Prime
The city of Vralis Prime was a shining beacon of civilization, its spires reaching for the heavens. By the time we were done with it, it was nothing more than rubble.
"We're monsters," Lyric said as we walked through the ruins, her voice uncharacteristically quiet.
I didn't reply, but her words lingered.
The Trap on Zareth-4
Zareth-4 was supposed to be routine. Recon, infiltration, and neutralization—a mission we'd completed countless times before. The desert planet was a wasteland, its red sands stretching endlessly beneath a harsh, unforgiving sun. As we approached the target zone, the tension in the air was palpable.
"I don't like this," Lyric muttered, twirling her dagger as we walked. Her light armor reflected the heatwaves rising from the ground. "It's too quiet."
Azrael, ever the pragmatist, adjusted his sniper rifle. "Quiet is good. Means less resistance."
Vex stomped forward, his massive cybernetic frame kicking up sand. "Or it means they're hiding, waiting for us to screw up."
"Enough," I said, cutting off their banter. "Stay focused. We've handled worse."
But even as I said it, unease crept into my mind. Something was off.
The base came into view—an abandoned mining facility built into a canyon. The shadows cast by the towering walls felt like they were closing in on us.
Azrael scanned the area through his scope. "No movement. Either they've abandoned this place, or they're really good at hiding."
"Let's hope it's the former," Lyric said, her voice laced with unease.
We moved in, weapons drawn, senses sharp. The silence was deafening, broken only by the sound of our footsteps on the gritty floor.
"Commander," Azrael said, his tone low, "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Before I could respond, the world exploded around us.
Blaster fire erupted from every direction, pinning us down.
"Ambush!" I yelled, diving for cover.
Azrael took position behind a crate, his sniper rifle barking as he picked off enemies with deadly precision.
"Two down. Three more incoming!" he called out, his voice calm despite the chaos.
Lyric darted through the crossfire, her daggers flashing as she took down enemies with ruthless efficiency. "Kaida! We're surrounded!"
"I see that!" I snapped, slicing through a soldier who got too close.
Vex roared, charging into the fray with his cybernetic arm. He smashed through their defenses, buying us precious time.
But it wasn't enough.
A high-pitched whine filled the air, followed by an explosion. I turned just in time to see Azrael collapse, blood pooling beneath him.
"Azrael!" I screamed, my voice breaking.
He coughed, blood staining his lips. "Commander... get them out... of here..." His hand trembled as he tried to lift his rifle one last time.
I grabbed his shoulder, shaking my head. "No! Stay with me!"
His eyes locked onto mine, filled with a quiet acceptance. "It's... too late. Finish the mission... Kaida."
And then he was gone.
I barely had time to process his death before Lyric's scream pierced the air.
"Kaida! Help!"
I turned to see her pinned beneath a pile of debris, her leg crushed. She was fighting off three attackers with nothing but a broken dagger.
I charged toward her, cutting down two of the soldiers before the third tackled me. We wrestled in the dirt, his blade slashing at my armor. I drove Oblivion's Edge into his chest, the blade humming as it drank his life.
But by the time I reached Lyric, it was too late.
Her breaths were ragged, her face pale. "Guess... this is it, huh?" she said, her voice barely audible.
"Don't say that," I whispered, kneeling beside her.
She managed a weak smile. "You were always... the stronger one. Guess I was just trying to keep up."
I clenched my fists, rage and despair swirling inside me. "I'm not leaving you behind."
"You don't have a choice," she said, her eyes fluttering shut. "Finish it... for us."
Her body went limp, and something inside me shattered.
"Kaida!" Vex's voice snapped me back to reality.
I turned to see him fighting off a group of soldiers, his cybernetic arm sparking as he swung it like a club.
"They just keep coming!" he roared, his voice filled with fury.
I joined him, cutting through the enemy lines with brutal efficiency. But for every soldier we killed, two more seemed to take their place.
"We need to retreat!" I yelled, but Vex shook his head.
"No retreat. Not for me," he said, his voice grim.
Before I could stop him, he charged into the thick of the enemy forces, taking them down one by one.
"Vex! Fall back!" I screamed, but he didn't listen.
An explosion rocked the ground, and when the smoke cleared, all that was left of Vex was a mangled heap of metal and flesh.
I stood frozen, the weight of their deaths crushing me.
And then I felt it—a blaster shot to my chest.
I stumbled, my vision swimming as more shots hit me. I fell to the ground, my body broken and bleeding.
As I lay there, staring up at the sky, I thought it was over.
But somehow, I survived.
When I woke, I wasn't the same. My arms and legs were gone, replaced by gleaming Celestium prosthetics. My right eye was a mechanical implant, its red glow a constant reminder of what I'd lost.
Father stood over me, his masked face as unreadable as ever.
"You are stronger now," he said, his voice cold and detached.
"You turned me into a monster," I whispered, my voice trembling.
"You've always been a monster, Kaida," he said. "Now, you are perfect."