Fall of the Faithful

As Sear stood, overlooking the battlefield, the plan had fallen apart. Unit 2 had opened fire awhile ago, yet the UAF commander remained safe.

“Commander Abiit, come in. This is Sear.”

The response was almost instant.

“Sir, awaiting your orders.”

Sear smiled at Abiit’s fast awnser.

“Abiit, you are hereby ordered to engage the UAF. Your target is their commander—do whatever it takes.”

“I will fight until my last breath, Sir.”

The transmission ended, and Sear’s grin widened as he thought about Abiits seemingly unwavering obedience

“He’s smiling again.” a female pilot said

“What should we do, Alis? You know him better,” an older pilot asked

The remaining exo-suit pilots were panicked.

“We should regroup and leave this mission.”** Alis hesitated, “Leave? He killed two of us! Sure, they were new, but they were still part of us!” the female pilot screamed thru her microphone “Cara stop it, you just like them are nearly beginners, even thru all my experience i wouldn’t want to engage in combat in fear of loosing the two of you as well” The older pilot yelled, Cara seemingly mad but still understands the older pilot, at the seeming understanding Alis smiled in relief

She looked over at sear and turned on her outside speakers. “Hey, SF—Sear—whatever you go by. I doubt you’re working with the UAF, so we’ll leave them to you.”

Sear’s grin vanished. He had hoped they would stay and fight, but instead, they were retreating. “goodbye little friends hope to see you soon again!” Without another word, he turned back toward the front lines.

His radio crackled to life.

“Sear, this is Exitus. The enemy is retreating. Only survivors are me and K9. Ignis is still wounded—taken by a Fallo unit for treatment.”

Exitus’s voice was quiet and steady.

“Copy that. Return to me—we’ll attack without additional support. Over and out.”

Sear turned his gaze toward the UAF encampment, waiting for Exitus and K9. When they arrived, they moved through the terrain, closing in on the enemy base. From their vantage point, they spotted the UAF commander sitting atop an armored vehicle, lounging on what resembled a throne. Next to him lay a corpse clad in unmistakable Lab-issued armor.

Sear handed his binoculars to Exitus. “Tell me who that is.”

It didn’t take long for Exitus to confirm it. “Commander Abiit.”

Sear let out a sigh—disappointment, not sadness. “What a shame.”

He turned to his men. “Alright, let’s move. K9, you’re with me. Exitus, be our eyes—make sure we aren’t spotted.”

With Exitus guiding them from afar, they navigated through cover, creeping closer to the armored vehicle. Once positioned at its side, K9 whispered, “What now, sir?”

“You help me up, I take out the commander. Simple enough?”

K9 didn’t argue, giving a single nod before boosting Sear onto the vehicle. Sear moved swiftly, drawing his knife as he sneaked up behind the chair and whispered to the commander, “you seem way too calm about this” and with that Sear drove his knife thru the back of the commander’s chair—straight through the man’s spine. The UAF commander slumped forward, dead in an instant. his closest guard noticed and immediately started climbing up the vehicle

Then—

“Sear! Help me!”

K9’s voice rang out from behind the vehicle. A UAF soldier had him in a choke hold. Without hesitation, Sear flicked his dagger, burying it between the soldier’s eyes before leaping down.

He grabbed K9 by the arm, hauling him to his feet. “You must be terrible at sneaking.”

K9 coughed, rubbing his throat. “I’m sorry, sir. And… thank you. You saved my life—I’m in your debt.”

Sear rolled his eyes. “Please, I only threw a dagger.”

K9 shook his head. “I don’t mean that. I mean when you showed up to help against the exo-suits. If you hadn’t come, I would’ve died.”

Sear didn’t respond. He thought back to his reason for going after the exo-suits in the first place. It wasn’t loyalty. It wasn’t duty.

He had just been bored.

Raising his radio, he gave the final order.

“This is Marshal Sear of Unit 2. All forces, pull back to the extraction point.”

One by one, the survivors regrouped.

Miraculously, all of Unit 2 had made it back without injury. Clue and Flame sat on a fallen tree, talking, while Pulse and Havoc stood nearby, smiling at the two younger soldiers.

Unit 17 was not so lucky. Though most had survived, their expressions were grim. Their commander—Abiit—was gone.

And of the fifty Fallo units that had marched into battle…

Only twenty remained.