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nesaluvstherecoms · 2 months

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𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱.

ᴍᴀɪɴ ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍ ᴄᴏʟᴏɴᴇʟ ᴍɪʟᴇꜱ Qᴜᴀʀɪᴛᴄʜ x ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍ ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟ ꜰᴇᴍ. ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: none.

ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ ʟɪɴᴋ

。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑: 𝐄𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐬

“You’re not in Kansas anymore…”

Miles walks slowly towards the front of the room, dragging his steps lazily.

“We are going to Pandora.”

His tall, lean frame blocks a part of the light beams that fall into the room from the large glass panels, separating them from outer space.

“Now… I know you’re all asking yourselves the same question.” He continues as he slowly turns around to face his squadron, keeping his left hand on his belt. He purses his lips, taking a quick scan around the room, eyes lingering over their faces for a few seconds.

“Why so blue?”

His lips stretch in a grin, canines showing and tongue darting out slightly as he snickers at his own joke. The Recoms laugh collectively at their Colonel’s sense of humor. Lyle shakes his head, tail flicking behind him in amusement as the tension in the room is lifted briefly. Quaritch smiles while looking at them for a few seconds, before continuing.

“For our sins in our past lives, we’ve been brought back in the form of our enemy.”

Z Dog shifts in place, blowing her bubblegum and popping it as she listens to Quaritch intently. Ja’s ears shift at the sound but he continues to look at their Colonel.

“That gives us their… size, their strength, their speed.”

Fike brings another seed up to his mouth, front teeth nibbling at the outer shell to crack it. Walker continues to curl the dumbbell she’s holding in her left hand, her bicep flexing at the movement.

“And… with our training… that’s a pretty potent mix.” Miles adds, the end of his tail flicking slowly behind him. Wainfleet sniffs, shifting in place before he speaks.

“We’ve a mission yet?”

Quaritch looks at him.

“Indeed we do.” He replies, his eyes gleaming from the light within the room and his expression turning cold as he continues speaking. “Our mission is to hunt down and kill, the leader of the Na’vi insurgency.” He raises his head, canines coming out as he says the word kill. A deep growl rumbles from the back of Wainfleet’s throat at the mention of the man, and he leans back.

“The one they call Toruk Makto.”

Fike beats the left side of his chest with his balled up fist, a grin coming up to his face as excitement for bloodshed builds up in him. Miles grins lightly, giving a nod of approval at Fike’s thirst for violence, before he turns to the rest of the team with a determined expression. His hears fold back and he shows his canines yet again, head lifting up slightly to finish his sentence.

“Jake Sully.”

The room erupts in spirited cries, all Recoms showing their enthusiasm for the mission. After all, it has been a long time since they’ve been able to kill anything. And with their new bodies, they’re sure to bring hell to that fucking bastard who betrayed his entire species. Mansk chuckles, smiling as he shakes his head while Lopez raises his fist up in enthusiasm and Brown and Prager do a handshake. Z Dog grins widely, turning to look at Ja who is also grinning like a Cheshire cat, already planning victory. Wainfleet takes a quick scan around the room, watching with a smile as his teammates get riled up. He turns back to Miles, their eyes locking.

“Oorah.”

Miles chuckles at Lyle’s enthusiastic cry. He watches his squadron with a smile on his face, nodding once.

This time he has hope that everything will go as planned.

“Welcome to Hell, ladies and gentlemen.”

Y/N’s combat boots thud on the floor as she walks between her 10-man squadron, sat in two groups of five on either side of the large room, leaving a line for their Colonel to walk through. Their eyes follow her with admiration, as she slowly but firmly walks towards the front of the room.

“It’s not quite as you remember.”

As she reaches the large glass panels separating them from outer space, she turns around, facing her team. Her eyes linger over their faces. An eery feeling creeps in the pit of her stomach at first, instincts being alerted from the unfamiliar aliens watching, with ten pairs of golden eyes following her every move. But as she continues scanning their faces, their features start feeling more familiar, more like she remembers, more like the features of the squadron that followed her to every battlefield. Y/N smiles heartedly.

“Hello, old friends.”

The Recoms all chuckle, adoration and respect plastered all over their faces as they smile back at her. Y/N’s eyes fall upon her team Captain. John smiles, nodding at her once in respect. She turns to the rest of the room again.

“For our loyalty to the Corps, we have been chosen to fight for humanity’s future, in the form of our enemy. That gives us an advantage to explore them and their abilities better than anyone. And with our training, our qualifications, our expertise in warfare and our experience in a broad variation of battlefields… that’s a pretty lethal combo.”

Her eyes fall upon her First Lieutenant: Fernando Álvarez. He looks back at her, with his usual confident demeanor, smirking slightly. He’s also changed a lot, now being a Na’vi. But his features seem to have changed the least out of all the other Recoms. Maybe it will be easier for him to adapt in this new body, she thinks. She looks back at the rest of the team and the expression on her beautiful face falls serious.

“I will say this only once. We all knew what we signed up for the second we put our signatures on those contracts. So I do not want to hear any sob stories, complaints or any other bullshit of that kind. We are not on Earth anymore and we are not humans anymore either. You are here to bark on command and that is what you’re going to do. If you display any signs that you do not agree with our overall mission or with what the RDA is doing…”

Her eyes turn cold, icy stare pinning them all in place.

“The RDA will not hesitate to put a bullet through your heads and leave your carcasses out for the scientists to cut open.”

The Recoms all fall quiet, not even moving a muscle. They then look at each other, searching for any fear or hesitation among their faces, but there is none. As if they made a silent pact, they turn to look back at their Colonel. Her eyes linger over each and every one of them, but all she finds is determination and their usual blind loyalty to her. Y/N grins proudly. She turns to look at John again, who gives her a smile.

“So we’ve got a mission then, Colonel?”

Multiple eyes turn to the man who just spoke. Second Lieutenant Riley Jones remains calm, looking at his Colonel for an answer. He’s the only one who’s already in full gear, sitting next to Sergeant Scott McCaskill, with one double gloved hand grasping the left shoulder strap of his personalized plate carrier. Y/N clicks her tongue.

“Our overall mission is to help tame the frontier on Pandora for humanity’s future home. I will be personally assisting General Frances Ardmore in accomplishing this mission. And you all, will be my loyal special operations team as always. As for a specific mission, we don’t have one yet. We will first have to board on Bridgehead City and then we will be given our respective tasks.”

The Recoms nod, some of them looking at each other.

“That’s a little bit of shaky ground, is it not, comandante?”

Y/N nods.

“It is, Maria. But yet again, we’re now in the living and breathing form of the Na’vi. As long as we learn the terrain and the creatures inhabiting it, we will more than excel.”

Maria nods, her tongue pushing against the inside of her left cheek and she leans back in her seat, putting one elbow behind the back of her chair and manspreading. Fernando gives her an annoyed look as her knee pushes against his thigh and he nudges it away from him with the barrel of his handgun. She gives him a brief glare but doesn’t say anything.

“So we’re operating on unfamiliar terrain with alien creatures, in an unfamiliar base, with unfamiliar equipment and getting commands from a General we have met only once, while working for a non-governmental organization that claims that it will save humanity, which we also have never worked for before.”

All eyes turn on Riley again. Scott stares him down, eyeing one side of his face. Riley was always known to be the smartass one, always questioning their missions and every move, and that seems to not have changed one bit. And that’s what Y/N always liked about him. He always provided a different perspective on every strategy and questioned it until it was flawless. Before Y/N can respond, John replies.

“We all knew what we signed up for, Phoenix.”

Riley turns to John, his eyes scanning over the Captain’s features.

“Oh I wasn’t denying that.” He replies, squinting his eyes briefly at John. “I was simply stating the same facts I stated when we signed said contracts.”

“Well we appreciate your accurate insights, but they’re not helping, mate.” John says back.

Y/N’s eyes remain on him for a few seconds. She turns back to the group of Recoms who have now turned at her for an answer.

“I know you all have your doubts. Trust me, I have mine as well. But when we signed said contracts, The Recom Program was still just a backup plan. It was not planned throughly. However, it’s been fourteen years since then, and while we’ve been developing in our amnio tanks, the RDA and General Ardmore have been working relentlessly to develop the Program flawlessly. Everything has already been thought and planned for us, and when we get to Pandora we’ll have a clear vision on our mission as well as our purpose. And when that happens, I’ll allow you all to express your opinions on it. Just not to the RDA, but to me. We cannot be risking anything.”

There’s a low chatter amongst the Recoms at Y/N’s words. The Colonel lets them talk it out with each other for some minutes. She looks over all of them as the chatter dies down, before continuing.

“With that being said, we have reached the end of this meeting.” She finishes, watching them carefully and leaving no room for discussion. Her eyes are still looking for any signs of uncertainty on their faces. But yet again, after some minutes, they find none. Y/N smiles proudly, raising her head slightly up and taking a deep breath.

“Low and behold my darling friends, there is no going back.”

The room erupts in spirited cries, the Recoms clapping to show appreciation for their Colonel’s speech. Y/N smiles and walks closer to them as they all stand up and start greeting and chatting with each other. As the room gets loud in chatter and laughter, Y/N walks right up to them, patting John’s and Fernando’s backs as she gets in the group.

“Now, who wants to go for a few drinks? We have some catching up to do.” She asks and the Recoms cheer, all talking and laughing with each other as they noisily make their way out of the room, eleven pairs of combat boots thudding heavily on the floor below them. John and Y/N walk last, making sure that no one stays behind.

“You nailed it, Colonel.” John says, looking down at her with his bright and warm smile.

Y/N chuckles.

“That’s my job, Captain.”

It’s quiet inside the aircraft, except for the noise of the engine and the occasional hiss of the Recom Breathers, as Y/N and her squadron sip carbon dioxide every two minutes. The inside of the aircraft is dark, except for a dim red light that illuminates above, casting shadows on the Recoms’ faces. Y/N’s breathing is steady, grounding, her chest expanding with every inhale as the mask provides her lungs with the much needed carbon dioxide. Her eyes lift her vision forward, scanning over the faces of the Recoms in the row in front of her. Scott raises his head up, as his gaze meets hers. He takes a deep inhale, sipping more carbon dioxide as he continues to look at his Colonel. Y/N can see as his lips curl up into a warm smile behind the mask of the Recom Breather, his eyes give her his usual confident but assuring look, and his head nods once. Y/N closes her eyes once in acknowledgment to his gesture, before she lowers her gaze again. A shuffle and a thud are heard and she looks over at Riley who has leaned his head back, the back of his tactical helmet pressed against the cold metal of the aircraft.

“What’s taking so bloody long?” He huffs, his deep voice sounding nothing less than annoyed, and muffled behind the mask. He’s still the only one in full gear, armed to the teeth as the equipment weighs heavy against his body.

“Patience, Lieutenant.” John mumbles, opening his eyes briefly to look at him once before closing them again.

“This ain’t a field trip, ay.” Scott adds, also turning his eyes towards Riley who gives him a glare in response. Y/N takes another sip of carbon dioxide, dulling out their voices in the background.

“Apologies for the inconvenience,” A human soldier says, sat in the front of the room, right behind the cockpit. All Recoms turn their eyes towards him. “It’s taking a long time because we have to fly carefully. We’re still moving above Na’vi and wildlife territory, and this aircraft is small compared to the one before us which transported everything else. This one is made especially to transport one team of Recoms. Hardware such as this triggers the wildlife to attack it, if not moving carefully.”

Y/N’s team look at each other silently.

“The wildlife attacks our hardware?” Henry Davis, their Operations Officer, repeats, looking at the man. Before he can respond, Y/N speaks.

“It’s Pandora’s immune response.” She states, looking at a random spot in front of her. “The wildlife attacks everything that is not part of the moon’s natural ecosystem.”

“That means us too, I presume.” Henry replies, looking at her. Y/N shakes her head.

“With what I’ve read, the wildlife attacks only humans and machines. Unlike them, we have Na’vi DNA, so theoretically we should not be detected as a threat by the immune system.” She replies, taking another sip of carbon dioxide from her Recom Breather.

“Theoretically.” Riley comments.

Maria raises a brow before leaning close to Fernando , who is sitting next to her.

“¿Alguna vez sacará la cabeza del culo?”(Will he ever pull his head out of his ass?) She whispers in his ear as she looks at Riley with a raised brow, and Fernando shrugs.

“You came prepared, Colonel.” Sergeant Major Silva comments with a smile.

“Naturally.” Y/N replies shortly, before leaning back and closing her eyes again. The human soldier at the front speaks again.

“As soon as we’re somewhere far within the Kill Zone, we can open the side door of the aircraft so you all can get some fresh air and a glimpse of the head base.” He states and the Recoms nod silently before going back to sipping carbon dioxide quietly from their Recom Breathers.

After about half an hour, a buzz is heard throughout the aircraft and the red light starts flickering. The Recoms all look up towards the speakers above as the human soldier puts on his breathing mask. After adjusting it to his liking, he turns to Y/N and gives her an affirmative nod. Y/N stands up from her seat and while keeping her upper body bent over as to not hit the ceiling of the aircraft, she walks to the side door. It doesn’t take much from her new muscles to pull the door to the side and soon enough, a blast of air bursts in as well as light entering through. The red light switches off and the Recoms all slowly move towards the opening.

Y/N sticks her right shoulder and head out of the aircraft while the rest remove their Breathers to take in fresh air. Her golden eyes fall onto the sight in front of the vehicle, wind blowing into her hair and kuru, while her hand moves to lower the mask from her face. The Recoms follow suit in looking out of the aircraft, standing carefully behind their Colonel, and soon enough their eyes widen at the sight in front of them.

“Well I’ll be damned…” Y/N murmurs.

In front of their eyes lays nearly a mile of strip bare earth, not counting the mile they have already left behind, starting from the natural tree line and ending at the land part of the 19 mile defensive wall that surrounds the “boom town”. The Kill Zone. Treated with herbicides and defended with automated weapons to keep Pandora’s network of sensors and death creatures away.

As the aircraft moves closer, Y/N and her team of Recoms watch in awe as the defensive wall gets larger and larger and their Marine hearts immediately start admiring the incredible firepower incorporated on it.

“Wouldya lookit tha’.” Scott says in awe, as they all watch the variety of gun and missile systems.

“Could blow off a fuckin’ army of tanks like swatting flies off a piece of meat.” Riley comments just as amazed as the others.

“Damn right.” John replies, as they get closer to the missiles installed on the massive concrete pylons.

As the aircraft flies over the defensive wall, preparing to head for the airfield, the Recoms are now overseeing the massive hive of chaotic construction. Heavy lift blimps and nimble robotic cranes loom over robotic swarm assemblers and hulking, yellow AMP suits while humans drive a variety of ground utility vehicles. Hundreds of tower cranes stack prefabbed structures into enormous power and processing plans, while a web of high-speed maglev train lines delivers materials and robots to where they are needed. As everyone watches the landscape before them, Y/N speaks again.

“We’re finally here.”

They have arrived on the destination they were created for.

The city of a thousand cranes.

Bridgehead City.

Y/N’s steps hold authority in them as she walks, heavy combat boots thudding on the ground below her feet. Her posture is straight, firm, calm and calculated like the commanding officer she is, as she makes her way through the Sec-Ops Armor Bay. Soldiers and staff turn their heads to look at the tall Recom walking among them, her second in command following right behind. She tries not to let her expression show the amazement at the sheer amount of weapon power and machinery she is walking through, as for now her focus is only one.

“General Ardmore!” Her voice booms firmly, stopping right a few feet away from the woman in what seems to be a metal skeleton suit. Y/N salutes, John following suit as the Expeditionary Force Commander turns towards her, blue eyes immediately falling on the Na’vi woman. Ardmore smiles.

“Human or Recombinant, I could spot that unchecked determination and authority holding demeanor from a mile away, L/N.”

Y/N chuckles, grasping the metal hand of the suit that has been reached towards her, before engaging in a respectful embrace with the General and patting each other’s backs once.

“Good to see you, General. It’s been a while.” Y/N says with a smile as they pull apart.

“True that is, Colonel.” Ardmore replies before turning to John. “Captain Keller.” She calls out once to acknowledge his presence and he nods once in respect. Ardmore turns to Y/N.

“It’s good to finally have you under my command, Colonel L/N. Welcome to Pandora. We have a lot to discuss. Come, walk with me.” She says before walking ahead, as Y/N and John start following behind.

“As you may know, this is the Sec-Ops Armor Bay.” Ardmore states as she walks through the machinery. “From AMP and Skel Suits to ground assault vehicles, SeaWasps, and Kestrels - if it walks, rolls or flies for Sec-Ops, it gets maintained and sometimes parked in the Armor Bay. Our weapon technicians work hard to keep our gun and missile systems functioning optimally in the moon’s tropical environment, and our engineers perform repairs on vehicles that have sustained damage from contact with Pandoran forces.”

“Impressive…” Y/N replies as she and John watch the numerous people working on the vehicles, welding sparkles flying in the air and the smell of machinery work fills her nostrils. Ardmore leads them outside, the sun falling above them as they’re now walking through one of the industrial zones. Machines and vehicles surround them, all working fast and precisely, building relentlessly. The General notices as Y/N’s eyes follow them, looking somewhat in awe at how quickly and efficiently they build.

“So what’s with this place? Why rush to build not just a base but a city, General?” She asks, turning her head to look at Ardmore. The General chuckles.

“Observant as always, Colonel.” She replies as they continue walking. “That was always one of your best traits.”

She stops and turns around, looking more serious now as she stares at Y/N and John.

“Earth is dying.” Ardmore states, blue eyes turning to look at the construction going on. “As you know, our task here is to tame this frontier. To make Pandora the new home for humanity. We’re here to “build tomorrow”, seeing that we’re the last hope for a dying Earth. But before we can do that, we need to…. pacify, the hostiles.”

Y/N nods once, also turning to look at the construction. Her ears fold back for a moment, as her tail moves slowly side to side behind her.

“I must say, this new flagship installation has gotten quite far considering how little time the RDA CON-DEV has been here.” She points out, looking over at Ardmore. The General nods.

“The construction of Bridgehead and its supporting outposts is larger than anything the RDA has attempted on Pandora. Bridgehead is roughly the size and composition of Long Beach, California and vastly larger than the older Hell’s Gate. Getting it done requires a blank slate attack on the logistical challenges, and what emerges are innovative building techniques and the need to rely on heavy automation at all scales. The process is heavily robotic and algorithmic, doing away with all RDA remote vehicles controlled by human operators. From robotic material extraction, through high-tech manufacturing, and then onto swarm assembly of enormous structures, the new style of RDA construction is productive and highly organized.” Ardmore states, before turning to point at some spider-looking yellow machines.

“Swarm assemblers, latest-generation machines with a “Triple R” construction strategy - Rapid, Remote, Robotic. These machines can put up a building in six days.” She says before continuing to walk, with Y/N and John following behind. Ardmore turns her head to look at Y/N over her shoulder.

“That look on your face tells me you want to know everything about everything here.” She says and Y/N chuckles.

“It’s in my principles, General. I could argue that knowledge is much more important for a commanding officer than muscles.” Y/N replies, and Ardmore chuckles back.

“And that’s one of your strongest qualities. You’ve always been prepared, always knew how the world around you operated.”

“And that’s not gonna change.” Y/N replies back.

Ardmore, Y/N and John now stand behind the rail that overlooks the enormous 3D printers as they churn out vast amounts of components for vehicles, weapons, robotics, data equipment and buildings.

“How big is this bad boy?” Y/N asks as she looks amazed at the print heads as they work rapidly, hissing as they spew out hot, freshly printed red metal from the pressurized tubing. A construction supervisor nearby, dressed in a red construction vest, looks up at the Recom and answers.

“This is our largest printer, ma’am. It has a build volume of 220ft (67 m) long x 95ft (29m) wide x 45 ft (14 m) high.” He replies as Ardmore turns to grab her RDA standard-issue coffee mug.

“Holy shit.” John mumbles as he hears the supervisor’s words, both him and Y/N watching the enormous printer in awe.

“Now,” Ardmore speaks. “Back to business.”

Y/N and John turn to her, focusing their attention on the more important matter.

“As I said before, we’re here to colonize Pandora. Naturally, we’ve been met with massive resistance and every time we have fought back, we have taken loses.” Ardmore says over the noise of the print heads, before turning to walk away from the 3D printer. Y/N and John follow her as she leads them towards the high-tech Ops Center. They walk through the corridors, passing workers and military personnel who all seem to be in their own corporate world, carrying files and stacks of papers, until they reach the Holofloor. Y/N and John watch as Ardmore hops off her Skel suit and takes off her breathing mask. They put on their own Recom Breather masks on to sip the carbon dioxide that is lacking inside the human-air facility. Ardmore walks through the imagery of Pandora terrain, videos of Na’vi and wildlife attacking RDA hardware and holograms of Pandoran sites.

“However, dealing with the resistance from the hostiles is not your job momentarily.” She tells Y/N as she sips coffee from her mug. “We have assigned someone else for that issue.”

Y/N raises a brow, bringing her Recom Breather mask up to sip carbon dioxide.

“Someone else? I thought that was my job.” She replies, lowering the mask before looking at Ardmore for an answer. The General takes a sip of her coffee before turning to her.

“Yes. Before Project Phoenix came to life, that was planned to have been your job. However, a few things have changed since then.” Ardmore turns to nod at an operator nearby who presses something on his datapad and pulls up the holograms of twelve Recombinants that Y/N has never seen before.

“This is the Deja Blu team.” Ardmore continues before turning towards Y/N again. “After you and your team were required to sign up for Project Phoenix, Colonel Quaritch and his team signed up right after you. The Recoms you see here are the Recombinants of said Colonel and his team. They arrived on Bridgehead a few days before you, and I gave them the mission of dealing with the leader of the Na’vi insurgency.”

Y/N’s jaw clenches and Ardmore doesn’t miss that. The Recom’s eyes turn away from the General to trace over the features of the hologram of who she assumes is this Colonel Quaritch. If she wasn’t so tense right now, she would’ve thought to herself that he’s quite handsome. Y/N swallows, and turns her head towards Ardmore again, measuring out her next words carefully.

“With all due respect ma’am, with as much as I know, isn’t Colonel Quaritch the man responsible for the expulsion of the RDA from Pandora?” She asks carefully, watching for the General’s reaction. Ardmore sighs, putting down her coffee mug.

“That is precisely why I gave him this mission. The man who organized the war against the RDA fourteen years ago goes by the name of Jake Sully. He was a human who permanently took over an avatar body, and as we speak, he’s still leading the attacks against our forces. At the time of the war, Sully was under Colonel Quaritch’s wing, before killing him in battle. Hunting down and killing him was supposed to be your mission first yes, but it seemed more fitting to give it to Colonel Quaritch, since he knows Sully better than anyone else here, and seeks revenge for his treason. There’s nothing more deadly and determined than a soldier who seeks payback.”

Y/N sucks in the inside of her left cheek before biting onto it lightly, pursing her lips in the process. Her ears fold back and her tail moves cautiously behind her. She makes brief eye contact with John who was also looking over the holograms of the Deja Blu team, before turning to Ardmore who has picked up her coffee mug again.

“So then, what becomes of me and my team?” She asks. Ardmore takes a long sip of coffee before turning to look up at the tall Recombinant.

“I have a greater mission for you, L/N.” She says, and watches as Y/N’s eyes glint dangerously. “You and your team are now the highest qualifying operators I have here. Your skills and knowledge are highly valuable to us and I believe that you could be the key to colonizing Pandora.” She waves her hand and the holograms of the Deja Blu team disappear. She turns to Y/N with a proud smile, and puts her hands behind her back, puffing out her chest.

“Colonel F/N L/N, I am promoting you to Major General. With the absence of my Lieutenant General who is still on his way, you are now my second in command. I am giving you full secondary command and authority over all of my air, land and sea forces. You have always been one of the Marine Corps’ most valuable and brilliant operators and I believe this post would be perfect for you. Your mission is now the same as mine and you and your team will help me in retaking Pandora to make it humanity’s new home. I have renamed your squadron to team ALPHA, and their ranks will retain the same position and authority that they held back on Earth.”

Y/N’s eyes widen for a few moments, before she returns to her calm and calculated demeanor. She balls up her right fist and puts it above her heart, nodding once at Ardmore in respect.

“Thank you, General. I promise you that me and my team will not disappoint.”

Ardmore smiles before nodding once in acknowledgment.

“I’m counting on it. Now, with that out of the way, what do you say you join me for a drink and some conversation? Just like the first time we met.” She offers, watching as the Recom hides a smile.

“Of course, ma’am. It would be my pleasure.” Y/N replies, her tail flicking behind her, before they both start making their way out of the Holofloor room. John stays behind, knowing that now it is not his place to join them, and Y/N nods at him once over her shoulder in acknowledgment, before the sliding doors close behind her.

Y/N and Ardmore sit in her office, sat next to each other on either side of the leather couch on the side of the room, talking as they occasionally sip from a respective can of “Viperwolf Ale”.

“May I say something, General.” Y/N asks carefully, her large body sat somewhat uncomfortably in the human-sized room. Ardmore turns to look up at Y/N and nods at her to continue.

“I don’t know how I feel about this Colonel Quaritch.” Y/N finally says. Ardmore sighs, taking a sip from her can.

“I don’t blame you. You’ve never met him and the only perspective you have of him is how he lost the war.” She replies. “But Quaritch is a skilled and knowledgeable operator. He has the most experience with Pandora and his team will be very useful to us in our mission.”

Y/N listens carefully but Ardmore can tell that she is not convinced.

“I’m just not sure how we can trust a man who made a mistake that fatal for humanity.” She replies. Ardmore nods slowly, before taking another sip of beer.

“For now, I see no issue with him. If he is still as determined as they say he once was, he will be a major bonus to have on our side.” Ardmore replies shortly, leaving no more room for discussion. Y/N nods slowly and looks away, before taking a sip of her own.

“But I do want you to know, that I will not go easy on any of your operators.” She tells Ardmore, turning back to her. Ardmore turns to look at the Recom, with the corners of her wrinkled lips turning up into a smirk. Y/N makes eye contact with her coldly and her ears fold back before continuing in a firm voice.

“You gave me this position and I will fill it. But I will not tolerate any mistakes from anyone. I will do my job as perfectly and flawlessly as possible, and that includes getting rid of some of our own.” She stops for a bit, looking for any negative reaction.

“I will not hesitate to execute if necessary.”

This time Ardmore does not hide her smirk, looking at Y/N proudly. She takes a deep breath, and does not break eye contact with her, before she replies to Y/N’s words.

“Very well.”

Title Explanation

Esprit de Corps - The "spirit" of a unit. This spirit is commonly reflected by all members. It implies devotion and loyalty to the Marine Corps, with deep regard for history, traditions and honor. This spirit is also reflected by all of the Recoms, both Deja Blu and ALPHA.

ᴜɴɪᴛ ᴀʟᴘʜᴀ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴅᴀᴛᴀ ꜱʜᴇᴇᴛ - This data sheet contains detailed information on all of the members of Y/N’s squadron. This may be helpful to get the full insights on them as well as reduce complications and confusion upon reading upcoming chapters.

ᴘʀᴇᴠɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ

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