Reflection and Lament

[Accell]

29483, May: Training for this latest contract has begun. The Unicorns don’t seem to think we get it these bugz are nothing to laugh at… No one on my team had any delusions of grandeur, we are here for one purpose and one purpose only… to die defending our homes and families from the Kyr’Ozch threat.
For some reason we are not learning the bugz tactics yet, a lesson in an ancient warrior culture from the planet Earth some Omni researcher dug up on some expedition many years ago was on tap for us… There were only two of us, me and Dethsentance who decided to take names honoring great leaders or warriors from those times… From 27, May 29484 I would be known as, Joe “Accellerator” Blackwolf… Deth an me took this contract as a way out of the gutter we knew as Borealis… he went the road of Combat Medic and took the name Joe “Dethsentance” Redcloud, both of us were orphaned early on and thrown into the fight young, Maybe we could help end the conflict…

29486, December: The Outzones… We have been out here performing mainly recon missions so the Unicorns could bomb the aliens back to their creator, with the odd search and rescue mission thrown in. Usually those were in areas the Unicorns deemed too “hot” for their tastes. Those were the most satisfying of all the possible missions. For the last year we have been knee deep in alien gore, Sargent Kim had been a huge help on a few of our excursions behind alien lines.

29487, January: Orders came down Sargent Kim was to take his team West of our position to scout a rumored Kyr’Ozch position, His team was the most experienced with this sort of mission, my team was to be on standby for rapid extraction of Sarge and his men. A new recruit Timestops, Joined Sarge’s team a few days before, there was something not quite right with him, but Omni said he was good to go, and who were any of us to argue.

[Accell]

26487, February 20: Outzone Camp Delta, HQ main hall… Word arrived late Sarge’s team was heading back, they were about 3 hours out and moving fast, the area was hot outside the camp walls. Hot enough to make the Unicorns not want to go out there… a few pilots were chosen and trained to fly the shuttles, they were given field promotions. Only down side to that is they were not fully instructed in using the different sensor arrays and instrumentation built into the damn things to help make a smooth flight. We were all sitting around waiting for word from the LZ connected to the West gate the team was making its way through Decon and Debriefing…
For the last six months there was only one thing Sarge could talk about… His contract was up soon enough, he was done. This was his last mission out there and would be home soon to Jennifer, Jacob, and Jason…
The concussion was unmistakable, the damn Unicorns missed another battery… another shuttle was downed just outside the LZ this one to the North, the rush of the medics and heavy fire teams looked like a chaotic ballet, haphazardly choreographed yet working flawlessly. This scene played out at least three times a month. The bugz were really laying down the fire this time. Our defense teams moved into their positions and started to lay down a heavy suppressive fire, giving the medics a chance to find survivors. In the distance a loud explosion shook the ground…