" Alpha Wing Leader! "

" This is Alpha Wing Leader. Go ahead, Neba. " Reya answered.

" You have fresh orders from Lord Krelian. Data transferring now. Neba out."

Barely a scant second after the communications died, Caliginus had already received the new orders. Reya frowned as she considered the implications. She only knew that Krelian had vetoed her previously planned mission objectives when she reported for duty in the morning. All she had managed to find out before having to dock in her own Caliginus into the holding deck of Neba, a standard Solarian Class B carrier, was that Kahr and Sigurd had been assigned different missions from hers.

Together with the whole squadron wing assigned under her command, Reya was presently sitting smug in her own gear in the lower belly of Neba heading towards an unknown destination. Suppressing the sense of unease that was gnawing at her, Reya called up the new orders to her combat screen.

It caught her attention immediately being the coordinates for the region of Simarn, the continent southeast of the Aquavy Islands. As far as Reya knew of the warring fractions on the surface, Simarn was strongly supporting her ally continent Kunad in the war against Solaris but Solaris had yet to officially declare war on Simarn.

Other than another pair of detailed coordinates that marked their drop zone, nothing was revealed about the mission purpose. Reya had to resist the urge to swear when the words on her screen faded. The strange secrecy that cloaked the entire mission was beyond her understanding.

" Request denied. You will maintain radio silence until drop off. "

" Wait! " But she was too late, her protest answered by the buzz of the dropped channel.

" … "

" Vonern? "

" … Yes, Commander… "

" Keep it to yourself, I don't want any panic. "

" … Understood. "

" Good. Anything else? "

" No, Commander. Guess we just have to wait and see then. Vonern out. "

Deciding not to waste any precious Gear fuel, Reya switched off all energy channels, maintaining only the essential life-support system. The whole squadron was being kept in perpetual alert mode meaning all pilots were on combat standby, ready to launch for battle on spilt second notice. War was not purely physical but mental as well and Reya fully approved letting the new Jugend graduates have a taste of the mental pressure that a soldier had to learn how to get used to. Closing her eyes, Reya lapsed into a meditative mode.

" Then I guess I'll have to take a chance on getting hurt. "

The tune played softly from the tiny piece of memory crystal that Sigurd had fashioned into a pendant for her. Reya closed her hand over it, holding the warm glowing stone. She wondered if Sigurd knew that she understood every single word in the song. It was sung entirely in Noln. Besides Sigurd, she was perhaps the only person in Solaris who still understood the language. Reya whispered the lyrics to the sad melancholic melody.

This was a gamble she would brave for a chance for happiness not matter how swift or transient. The man she loved returned her feelings and that was enough even if it may be nothing more than a bittersweet memory later. The tune softly faded into silence and Reya carefully tucked the pendant away beneath her uniform.

Turning her attention back to her immediate environment, Reya noticed that Caliginus' altitude meter showed a drop, indicating that the carrier had begun a descent. At the rate that they were gradually descending, Reya estimated that it would be no more than 30 seconds before they reach an altitude suitable for dropping the troops off.

" Alpha Wing Leader, prepare squadron for drop off. "

" Comprehend. " Switching communication channels, Reya swiftly conveyed the orders.

She barely had time to do a last check on her Gear when she heard the low grinding whine that signaled the opening of the bay doors. Warning amber lights flashed, and the alarm sounded shrilly joined by the sound of short dull whirs as the Gears powered up. Caliginus emerged from its cocoon of midnight; dark shadowy metal wings unfurling as Reya finished preparations to follow after her squad as one by one they jumped into a twilight sky.

The timing was perfect. The gathering darkness provided natural cover as thirty Gears sped low across the vast horizon, heading for a destination that was only a pair of numbers. Watching the terrain carefully, Reya recognized some distinguishing sights that told her that her squadron was near the ocean border of Simarn, which was more than a long way off from Kunad, the theatre of war. As the Gears spiral down to land on the designated area marked by the coordinates, fresh orders came in.

Their current position was near Tasma, one of the small western ocean border city of Simarn. Reya almost could not believe her eyes as the mission objective flashed across her screen - her squad had just been ordered to take the city.

" Wing Leader? "

" It's no mistake. Get ready to deploy. "

"Yes, Wing Leader! "

Reya watched as her squad broke up into smaller units and fanned out with the lighter scout class Gears in the lead. Caliginus followed slowly behind, a silent herald of darkness. Not knowing what to expect, Reya chose to play observer. If her students had been well taught they would know what to do without looking to her unless the situation warranted it. Reya pondered as her Gear sped ever closer to Tasma. She was not worried, knowing that a border city would not be well defended especially for one so far from the war front but what she could not understand was what strategic purpose did it served for her to seize it.

Strictly speaking, Tasma was more of a town than city with a small population that did not even number five hundred in total. Solaris had yet to declared war with Simarn even though she had staunchly supported Kunan as an ally both financially and militarily. If her mission was mean to be the first offensive, Reya would choose to take one of the major northern cities instead for their immediate strategic advantages than some backwater town.

" Wing Leader, the scouts have returned. "

" Any visuals? "

" Yes, uploading now. Preliminary analysis indicates that defenses are almost non-existent. In fact the scouts can take the place single-handedly but I guess it pays to be more careful. "

" You got that right, Vonern. "

Reya studied the images on her screen but could not refute her wingman's comments. The border city was really under defended without even any watch towers. Besides the handful of light Gears that were located at the main gate sections and near the small harbor, Reya could not make out any other sources of defense.

" Proceed then. I'll let you assume full command from here. "

" Understood! Mynn and Stern move out! "

Good combination... Reya observed as the named pilots swiftly detached themselves from the main squadron with their assigned teams.

It was barely a skirmish and over in what seemed like mere seconds. Tasma took up token resistance but under the superior firepower of the more powerful Solarian Gears, it quickly fell apart. There was turmoil and confusion as residents tried to flee but her subordinates had done an excellent job - they had not only taken the border city but has efficiently sealed it off.

" Neba Command. This is Alpha Wing Leader reporting status. City has been taken and contained. "

" Excellent. I see that your squadron has indeed been well trained. You have not disappointed me, Areya. "

A strange sensation of dread suddenly filled Reya as she recognized the voice. It was him. Trying to keep her voice composed and distant, Reya replied.

" Thank you, Lord Krelian. "

" Now you can proceed on to the second set of orders - Destroy the city. "

" Destroy? I am not aware that we are at war with Simarn. Has that changed? " Reya's hand unconsciously curled into a fist, a reflection of the apprehension that gnawed away within.

" No, not until the Contact is ready. You have your orders, Areya. Destroy the city. " Krelian's frigid voice sounded even colder than ever.

" But this place is no threat! There are only women and children in the city! "

" Precisely. This is to test the suitability of the new soldiers. Solaris has no need for cowards among her soldiers' ranks. "

" Don't disappoint me, Areya. "

" No! I refuse to kill innocents who can't even defend themselves! " Reya cried adamantly. Her voice shaking with unsuppressed emotion.

" Do you remember your promise? " Krelian asked.

" Do you remember? "

If these hands have to be washed by blood...

The inferno raged uncontrolled, turning the dark night sky bright with red gold flames fanned by the strong coastal gales. The whole city burned fiercely, the fire consuming everything in its path as high above watched a silent observer. Suspended between the darkness of the night and the version of hell beneath, the observer was motionless. Held in space by four shadowy wings, it watched the city's funeral pyre.

But the Angel of Death shed no tears.