(Fallon)

"I solemnly swear and affirm to loyally serve the north American commonwealth. And to bravely defend its laws, and the freedom of its citizens." I signed my re-enlistment forms yesterday in the captain's office.

So my butt is already public property for the next five years. But the military likes ritual, we're in one of the briefing rooms and the captain and XO are standing on either side of the briefing lectern. Someone dragged out a wrinkled North American Commonwealth flag and draped it over the wall display.

I have my hand in the air as I repeat the oath of service for the second time in my military career. A corporeal from the fleet news service is recording the event for, whatever reason? Even with our recent trouble, the Military still has a 90 percent retention rate after the first term of enlistment. So a re-up ceremony isn't exactly an uncommon event.

"Congratulations Staff sergeant Fallon." The captain says after I complete the oath.

"Your back in the fold for another five years." What else was I gonna do anyway? I think.

"Thank you sir." I say and take the entirely ceremonial re-enlistment certificate from his outstretched hand. This means a bonus in my account which has been growing steadily since my first day of basic five years ago. But commonwealth currency is becoming increasingly worthless.

By the time I get out, the money in my government account will probably be just enough to get a breakfast and a train ride home to the welfare section of Pittsburgh 9, I didn't reenlist for the money of course. I reenlisted because I didn't know what the hell else to do. All my professional skills revolve around Blowing things up, Working classified neural networks systems and operating Automated. Transport. Loader or ATL's.

An ATL is basically a large twenty-foot exoskeleton without a head, and shit gyroscopes. They were developed forty years ago are used for loading ordnance, debris clearing, and moving other heavy loads, so basically it's a giant bipedal forklift that falls over to much. These skills make me pretty much useless in the civilian world. I don't much like going back to earth and claiming a welfare apartment until I die, early.

I haven't been back to Terra since the day I left navy indock at great lakes for fleet school on Luna. But from what I hear over the Milnet the old homeworld isn't doing so well. Some guys say the worst thing we could do to the UEC is let them land there. The population crested 38 billion people two years ago and five billion of them are crammed into north America. Terra is an ant hive Teeming with hungry, discontent, and antisocial ants and I have no intention of adding to the headcount. At least the military still feeds its people.

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"Our target. Is the UEC colony of Bagmare." Captain Packers announced. We are sitting in the Briefing hall of camp frostbite.

The briefing room erupts into a cacophony as we process this information. Bagmare is one of the planets we learned the location of from the now dead Princess Cadence. The Bagmare system is a designated UEC planet and has been in their possession for a little over thirty of our years. It's almost as established enemy soil as the Lanky homeworld, or Equis.

"The name of this operation is Blackout. Command has figured that the time has come to continue our attack and let them have a taste of their own medicine."

"Their going to have to send along an empty fleet tender just for all the body bags." my seat neighbor a SEAL says. The Only reason we were able to kick the UECs ass so thoroughly the first time is because we had the element of surprise and the Lankies showed up and decided to help us. However this time the Odds of the Lankies helping if they even show up is very low, and the UEC is expecting us.

Their ships might be weak compared to ours when it comes to firepower but they are fast, shielded, and posses a kind of energy blade that can tear right through both our hulls and the hulls of the Lankies siege ships. There's a reason the NAC only fights the SRA over the new real estate. The old colonies are tough nuts to crack and they are hardly ever worth the butcher's bill.

"I know what your thinking. That this will be another Barnard star. You're also thinking That command has lost the block completely, and that the old man can afford to be all gung ho because he won't be bleeding down in the dirt with the rest of you." Some of the guys chuckles at this, but my seat neighbor and I don't join in because the Captain is pretty much right on the money. Barnard star was a failed offensive ninety years ago.

Before the War with the Lankies even began, the NAC tried to take an ore rich mining colony away from the SRA. And we got a severe mauling in the process, the attacking force expected a Russian regiment and garrison. They ran into a full chines combined arms brigade instead our forces attacked with force parody and suffered a three to one casualty rate.

"Well it won't and ill tell you why. First off we have perfect until this time fleet sent in three Indie class ships and they have been collecting data in system for the last seventeen days. secondly and this is the big deal, we have figured out where their alcubierre transit nodes are located. That's both inbound and outbound shoots." Some of the troops present actually shout out in surprise at this revelation and the room is once again abuzz with barely suppressed conversations.

Captain Packers smiles clearly pleased with the reactions. Finding the enemy's transit zones the arias where their alcubierre travel shoots enter and exit the system is a major intelligence asset. The locations of transition zones are closely guarded secrets because if you have them you can just mine the entrance or exit and sit back and watch the enemy get blown to shit.

"Holy hell"

"Here's a rough sketch. We are to punch them in the nose hard. For this one, we'll be Siege task force 42. We're going in with two Siege breakers, eight cruisers, two Assault Carriers, two destroyers, four frigates, two hammerhead space control cruisers, and the Annihilator one of the Back breaker class Siege Breakers. We are also taking along the two entire regiments the 9th and 12th SI divisions. That's in addition to our own 6th regiment."

I can't remember when we last hit a target with one and half brigades of troops dropping from space. Three full regiments of spaceborne infantry represent a fearsome amount of combat power. Six thousand combat troops in advanced battle armor, four wings of dropships, eight batteries of mobile field artillery, and four reinforced armor companies.

"Right now intel tells us that garrison down on Bagmare consists of a single understrength regiment, they are also dispersed all over that rock. so we can first blow the shit out of their pussy ass fleet, hammer’em from orbit and then hit them with all of our regiments in turn. With any luck we'll be facing an under-strength company once the shrikes are done with them." Staff officers are notoriously over-optimistic in mission briefings, but I can't help but be a little filled with hope that this won't be the epic body bag filler it had appeared to be at first.

"This briefing is over. Anyone who is ATL trained stay behind." The captain says and I stay in my seat as the others get up and leave. I look around and see that there are about thirty of us still seated in the briefing hall after everyone is gone.

"The Fleet R&D in their infinite wisdom have seen fit to try out a new toy during the operation." the captain announces to us he then presses a button on the lectern and we all lean forward to see what looks like an ATL being displayed.

It has the rough shape of an ATL which is already humanoid in appearance only this version has armor plating and a three lenses sensor bubble where the operator would usually sit. the whole thing is covered in armor and its legs strange appearance that makes it look like it is standing on its toes. its feet are large cushioned pads with four small claw-like protrusions at each of their corners. And large modular arms remind me of a body builder, its five-fingered hand have a sort of padding on the inside. All together it looks imposing and like it was designed to deal a lot of damage.

"This baby is what you will have in each of your platoons. It is designed for heavy fire support where Mules and Tanks can't go. They way around 40 tons without weapons or load out and can put on a world of hurt. And comes with two kits like our gear an A, and B kit." he begins the picture changes to that of what looks like an M66 blown up.

"This is the A-001 Pulse rifle the main weapon of the A kit. It fires a caseless .seven-five caliber tungsten flechette penetrator. The gun can knock a dragonfly out of the sky and is smart linked to the HUD inside the cockpit, which is linked to your tactical computer. The A-001 is also equipped with a dial of pain weapon. however unlike the forty mike mikes on our M66's this is a one hundred twenty millimeter grenade launcher, for use against anything from tanks to reinforced bunkers.

The A-kit is also equipped with a modular shoulder mounted weapons system. And the Arms are equipped with a kind of magnetic shielding to protect squadmates from incoming weapons fire." he continues as he rotates the image for us to see a kind of arm unfold from its back and reveal a missile pod, and the thing holds out its hands and a kind of rippling effect appear.

"But sir what about the gyros the things fall over all the time?" one of the other ATL operators a SEAL asks.

"That has been taken into account. New gyroscopes have been fitted as well as a kind of emergency venting system for the generators that will allow you to thrust your weight. On top of that, the System is equipped with a new computer system that will allow MOS Deployment as necessary."

"What powers it?"

"A series of Fusion cores Linked together."

"What about the B-Kit?" I ask

"The B-Kit is the Anti Lanky design they were originally designed for. It is equipped with a Large caliber ground assault cannon firing depleted uranium shells, at hyper sonic speeds. As well as Oxygen recharge stations, extra filters, and adaptive camouflage."

"You mean the same that the Bug suits have?"

"Yes." the room breaks out into excited conversation and the Captain has to quiet us down before continuing.

"Both Are equipped with Polychromatic, ceramic plates the same as tank armor. Try to take it easy on these they are new and untested. A-Kit on this mission, they will be waiting for you on board the Annihilator, go get your teams and report to the annihilator..."

"Wait sir what are these things called?"

"It is called the All. Terrain. Light. Armoured. System. Or ATLAS."