[u][b]Mordant Prime 13th Mordant Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 3rd platoon (Mechanized) Pvt. Cato Euchar[/b][/u] The overwhelming smell of burning rubber mixed with the smell of death and flesh continuously wafted in through the open commander’s hatch. The eye watering stench made the private visibly gag multiple times before he composed himself enough to look around the troop bay of the ST-110. Through the dim red light he could just barely out the faces of his platoon, some sitting stone faced staring at walls in front of them while others looked over personal mementos longingly. ‘They seemed so fearless’ Private Euchar thought to himself with envy, he wanted the confidence they had. Private Cato Euchar had lived for nearly 20 revolutions around the holy star known as “Vida”. The second his parents and the church allowed him to join the military he jumped at the chance, this was the life he wanted after all. His father and his father before him, tended the land for their entire existence. Cato grew up learning the same farming trade, interlaced with lessons of how the solar warmth of Vida would give life and in turn nourish their bodies with the food that it brought. His family was not overly religious, members of the church yes, but they wouldn’t consider themselves “true believers” as they are known colloquially. They were not fanatics of the cult of the sun, but believed it to be a divine entity capable of giving life. Cato wanted something different and idolized the military life from a young age. He wanted to be a soldier, he wanted to explore and discover new worlds while defending his home from those that would wish to destroy their way of life. Basic training was easy for Cato, he would even call it easy at times. Although being short, Cato thought the skills he learned would turn him into a hardened warrior, capable of handling anything without fear. After finishing training and being deployed to the neighboring world of Mordant Prime, Cato quickly discovered that his training only prepared him for the basics of what he would face. The heretics rebellion. as it was known, was in its end stages and Cato wanted to join the fighting before it was all over. He was Emboldened by the string of terror attacks employed by the so called “heretics”. The local human population of Mordant, deeply resented the cult of the sun and refused to assimilate into the church. The Ecclesia, was eager to expand their territory to yet another human planet. The proud people of Mordant prime would not allow these cultist to take their home without a fight and an organized rebellion ensued. After years of grinding attrition on both sides, the Solites gained the upper hand and pushed the Mordant rebels back to one final mega city. This final battle of the rebellion would be Cato’s first combat action [u][b]City 252 (Formerly known as Luiza City)[/b][/u] [img]https://www.wallpaperup.com/uploads/wallpapers/2015/09/04/799164/7879cac61ec20a20a224b53352649b14.jpg[/img] Cato gagged again, attempting to hide it within the sleeve of his uniform before being distracted by the sudden change in light. First, the dim red light that illuminated the troop bay of the ST-110 went out, quickly being replaced by a bright blue light completely illuminating the interior of the troop bay. Almost as quickly as the light changed, men were already readying weapons and gear for the upcoming assault. Cato’ stomach violently and audibly turned before he suddenly lurched forward, vomiting his breakfast rations all over his boots and the floor. For a moment, the feeling of embarrassment overtook the feeling of fear as he looked up, expecting to see the displeasure on the faces of his platoon mates. To his surprise, no one seemed to care or notice, increasing the uneasy feeling growing in Cato. Once again, Cato was ripped from his own thoughts as the commander of the tank, quickly dropped down into the craft and hastily closed the hatch. “ Cannon, second floor, 4 o-clock high” the commander yelled before the electric whirring of the traversing turret could be heard, followed by the dull thuds of the weapon firing a quick burst. “ Give em another burst” The commander continued, before letting out a dark chuckle “ You got em” he quipped, “ Prep the IR-Smoke” He said before turning around to face the troop in the back “ 30 seconds!” he yelled before flipping a switch, turning the lights back to a dull red. The electrical engine of the ST-110 growled as the driver downshifted, slowly bringing the tank to a halt. Suddenly, a shrill siren sounded throughout the troop bay as the back of the craft opened up, exposing the battered hellscape of the outskirts of City 252. “Lets Go!” the platoon leader yelled as Cato was pretty much pushed out of the craft, before running to a trench line just in front of the tank. The city looked like a giant furnace, large infernos could be seen burning in some of its tallest buildings and smoke billowed high into the sky. An almost endless whine of aircraft could be heard as naval strike craft descended from the upper atmosphere to bomb the city, before returning to their carriers in orbit. The smell was unbearable, an acrid acidic smell mixed with decomposition wafted from the city as the wind picked up. The smell alone would turn your stomach but the soldiers milling around the trench did not seem to notice, as they sat at their posts smoking and talking amongst themselves. No one seemed too bothered that a new platoon had just jumped into their muddy home. “ Third Platoon?!” a woman yelled as she slowly walked up to the group, the four pointed sun insignia on her chest plate easily identifying her as a captain. “ Yes Maam” he platoon leader responded, walking past the group to speak quietly with the captain Cato continued to look around the trench before walking to the edge, stepping up on a makeshift step to peer over. Haggard looking men, seemingly dressed in rags carried bodies from a truck bed to a giant pit, hastily dug in the ground. They were guarded by a number of soldiers, looking equally as somber at the procession of the dead. The bodies were dressed in a variety of civilian clothes and makeshift armor, ‘They are rebels’ Cato thought to himself. He continued to watch as the rebels carried the last of their dead to the pit before watching the body disappear behind the crest of the hole. With an audible sigh, two soldiers nodded at each other and walked up to the rebel group, ordering them to stand in front of the mass grave. “Are they….” Cato said quietly to himself before his quip was cut short by the sound of automatic weapons fire. “Shit….” Cato said in a surprised tone as he saw the rebels drop into the pit, almost falling back into the trench at the sight, his eyes wide with fear and surprise. He quickly stumbled back onto the makeshift step, looking as a third soldier threw an incendiary grenade into the pit before walking away. “ We all return to ash” Cato heard behind him as quickly turned his head to see his platoon leader behind him, the yellow circle on his unclasped helmet clearly denoting him as a lieutenant. “ Its scripture…… Through the cleansing flame of the stars we all return to ash in the end” the lieutenant said nodding towards the rest of the platoon walking away down the trench. “ We have orders, keep up with your platoon private….and stay close” he finished before raising an eyebrow, waiting for Cato to start moving. “ Y-Yes sir…” he sputtered, quickly jumping down from the step and taking off at a jog towards the rear of his platoon. This was certainly not the war he imagined, and he hadn’t even seen true combat yet.