Chapter 7: The Cost of Victory
The battle had been won, but the cost was already beginning to show. The streets of the settlement were scarred, the once-bustling city now a twisted wreckage of shattered buildings and broken infrastructure. The behemoths had wreaked havoc, but the team had held the line, saving hundreds of lives.
Carter stood near the edge of the battlefield, his gaze sweeping over the destruction. The civilians had been evacuated, but it would take weeks—maybe months—before they could rebuild. The war had already ravaged too much of the planet, and the behemoths didn't show signs of stopping. It felt like they were always one step behind, always fighting to keep what little they had left.
Sierra approached him, her mech trailing behind her. She had cleaned up well, but he could still see the traces of exhaustion in her eyes. The adrenaline from the fight had worn off, and now the weight of what they'd just been through was settling in.
"How are you holding up?" Carter asked, turning to face her. He tried to keep his voice light, but he couldn't shake the concern that tugged at him.
Sierra shrugged, though it was a little too stiff. "I'm fine. Just... a lot to process."
Carter nodded. He knew exactly how she felt. Every battle left its mark—on the city, on the people, on the soldiers. And sometimes, the scars were harder to deal with than the ones you could see.
"Listen, you did good out there today," Carter said, his tone softer than usual. "You kept your head. We couldn't have done it without you."
Sierra gave him a half-hearted smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I did my part. But it's not enough, is it? We've been doing this for months, and it feels like we're always playing catch-up."
Her words hit him harder than he expected. She was right, in a way. The behemoths kept coming, their numbers increasing with every attack. And no matter how many battles they won, it never seemed to make a dent in the overall war. Every victory felt like a brief respite before the next wave hit.
"We're doing the best we can," Carter said, trying to offer reassurance. "That's all we can do. One fight at a time."
Sierra didn't respond immediately. She turned away from him, her gaze drawn to the horizon, where the sky was turning a dull shade of red. It was a beautiful sight, in its own way, but it only made the weight of the day feel heavier.
Later that night, the team gathered in the mess hall, the air thick with the quiet hum of conversation. Soldiers milled around, swapping stories, sharing drinks, and decompressing after the mission. Carter sat at a table in the corner, picking at his food as he watched his recruits. Sierra was sitting a few seats down from him, her posture still tense, her eyes distant.
He knew something was off, but he didn't know how to reach her. She was slipping into herself again, retreating like she always did after a battle. But this time, there was more to it. He could see it in the way she kept her distance from the others, the way she avoided looking at him directly. She was holding something back.
Carter took a deep breath and pushed away from the table. He needed to talk to her. Now.
He made his way over to her, his boots making a soft clack against the floor. She looked up when he approached, her expression guarded.
"Sierra," Carter said, his voice quiet but firm. "We need to talk."
She raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Instead, she motioned to the side, indicating that they should step outside. He followed her, and they walked in silence, the cold night air brushing against their skin as they stepped out into the courtyard.
Carter turned to face her, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets. "What's going on, Sierra? You've been quiet ever since the battle."
She crossed her arms, looking away. "I'm fine," she said, but her voice lacked conviction. "Just tired, that's all."
"That's not it," Carter said, his voice softening. "I know you better than that. You're holding something in, and it's eating at you."
Sierra sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I just... I don't know if I can keep doing this, Carter. Every time we fight, it feels like the behemoths get stronger. And we keep losing people. I'm scared that we're losing this war, and no matter how hard we try, it won't be enough."
Carter stayed silent, watching her closely. Her vulnerability was rare, but when it came, it was raw. He understood the fear she was speaking about. It was a fear he carried with him too—the fear of running out of time, of running out of resources, of never being able to keep up with the enemy's relentless advance.
"I get it," Carter said finally. "I feel the same way. It's hard to stay hopeful when we keep losing ground. But what you need to remember is this—we're not alone. We're a team. And no matter how big the threat is, we face it together."
She didn't respond immediately. She looked up at him, her eyes searching, as though she was trying to decide if she could trust his words. Finally, she spoke.
"What if it's not enough, Carter? What if this team... this mission... doesn't work out the way we hope?"
Carter's heart clenched, but he forced himself to meet her gaze. "Then we fight anyway," he said, his voice firm. "Because that's all we can do. And if it's not enough, we give everything we've got and then some. We do it for the people we're trying to protect. For the ones who can't fight for themselves."
Sierra looked at him for a long moment, and Carter could see the battle going on behind her eyes. She was fighting herself, fighting the doubt that had been creeping in ever since they started this mission.
Finally, she gave him a small nod. "Alright," she said quietly. "I'll keep fighting. For them. For all of us."
A sense of relief washed over him, though it was tempered by the knowledge that the war wasn't over. They were still in the thick of it, and there would be many more battles to fight. But for now, he was glad she was with him, still standing beside him.
The next day, Carter received new orders from command. The behemoths were regrouping in greater numbers, and they were moving toward a major industrial hub that could turn the tide of the war in the enemy's favor if it fell. The team was being sent to intercept and hold the line.
As the team gathered to prepare, Carter glanced over at Sierra. Her shoulders were squared, her face set with determination. She was no longer the uncertain soldier she had been when they first met. She was becoming a leader in her own right.
And together, they would face whatever came next.