Afilada's unit eventually arrived at the steep cliff that led into the concrete maze that Ardy spoke of.

  It was a massive field of convoluted paths that weren’t limited to one axis. Some went along towering slabs of concrete while others went underground.

  Some parts of the maze were jagged and lined with sharp concrete protrusions while other parts were really smooth.

  The maze had multiple exists which were highlighted by Ardy but actually going through them would be the challenging part.

  “How much energy does everyone have after that little jog?” The still-serious Afilada asked as the local star sunk into the horizon.

  “800W!”

  “799W.”

  “801W.”

  “So, a ten-kilometre run will set us back about each hundred each. And we have forty Kilometres of concrete to wade through but we’ll be going much slower so…” Uan kept his eyes on Afilada as she visibly planned her unit’s course of action.

  Several gunshots then filled the air to the right, prompting everyone to look.

  Sitting atop a fifty-meter-long pole was a turret which was shooting at a squad that was walking along the smoother parts of the maze. While thru were fairly straightforward to traverse, those parts also had far less cover.

  Uan took his eyes off the troubled unit below and saw a fairly even path that went along the middle of the maze.

  He suggested it to Afilada who nodded.

  “Good one. That’ll save us some juice as well but it’s also gonna be a tight squeeze so I want each of you to be extra careful, alright?”

  “Yes, ma’am!” Uan found himself joining Saai and Gizagi in responding but still, he bit his teeth.

  He couldn’t figure out why Afilada was trying so hard to care.

  He would have to ask her later.

  Afilada led the way down and her men followed closely behind her.

  The unit snuck past several turrets and climbed over countless large blocks of concrete.

  This continued for an hour and the further they went, the taller the blocks were and the tighter the spaces got. Luckily, their new bodies were able to move in ways that far surpassed their old capabilities. Depending on how much energy they used, they could jump several meters high, balance perfectly, hold onto ledges for extended periods and squeeze into all tight spaces. The Unit was also forced to use their rope to descend into a deep gap that abruptly halted their otherwise smooth traversal.

  Afilada almost got shot in the face when, after emerging from a narrow walkway, she was met by two turrets.

  Fortunately, she was able to avoid getting shot but the unit ended up having to retreat a little and using an alternative route.

  Another hour passed and, after reaching a small platform that was surrounded by several concrete blocks, some of which covered the night sky, Afilada told her men to stop.

  “Alright. Let’s take a break!” She loudly groaned as she sprawled herself on the floor, seemingly returning to her more freeform self.

  “Why are we stopping? At this rate, it’ll be days before we finish the course!” Uan protested but Saai and Gizagi were already sitting down and Gizagi was already dozing off.

  “Remember, it’s not a race. Any faster and we’ll burn through more juice and might not be able to complete the course at all.” Afilada sighed.

  “We only managed to cover five kilometres today and we used about 50W each. Multiply that by our remaining distance and we should use, at most, 400W each.” Afilada sighed.

  Uan clicked his tongue because he knew she was right.

  He begrudgingly sat down and crossed his arms before wondering if there was an alternative way for them to regain energy.

  His dark brown eyes turned to the concrete below him and Ardy immediately intervened.

  [You cannot biodegrade concrete and thus cannot gain energy from it.]

  Uan rolled his eyes.

  “You’re probably wondering why I’m so pushy, right?” Afilada softly asked.

  “Not at all, ma’am! If anything, I appreciate-“

  “She’s not talking to you, knucklehead.” Gizagi snored at Saai who’s eyes widened a little in realization.

  “Just hurry up and explain yourself so that we can move forward from this.” Uan sighed.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “Is that any way to speak to your senior?” Afilada smirked but Uan didn’t even bother with a response.

  “The truth is that you aren’t the first squad I’ve had to lead into war. Heck, you’re not even the second. I was stationed on a Harvest World near the centre of the galaxy, where the territories all converge so you can imagine just how much fighting goes on there. I’m ashamed to say but I have lost three sets of men on that stupid rock but one thing I always made sure to do was check if my boys were happy. Because, even though we’re in a meat grinder of galactic proportions, I don’t see a reason why we should cast aside our softer, needy parts even if our deaths are already writ. I want my men to not only serve their duties well but I also want them to be happy. Because if we’re gonna die anyway, might as well die with a smile, right?”

  Uan, Saai and Gizagi all stared at each other for a moment before staring at Afilada who was smiling with her eyes closed.

  “I…” Uan felt as though he had so much to say but no words came.

  He had heard all he needed to hear and understood her intent completely even though he still didn’t agree.

  But this led to him asking why he was even fighting in the first place.

  He didn’t even know where to begin when asking himself and so he turned the question to Afilada.

  “Sargent?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I know it is not my place to ask but I am curious, why did you sign up for the Armada? Why are you still fighting?”

  Afilada sat up and scratched her head.

  “Well, that’s where the second half of my story comes in. I barely made it out alive when my most recent batch died and was deemed unable to continue serving without heavy augmentation. So, in the days that passed as I waited in that hospital bed, I heard about everything that happened here. I then saw the adverts for the Armada and instantly signed up because so many exciting things were happening here every day! There was no way I was going to miss it!” She grinned but this made Saai narrow his eyes in a comical manner.

  “I dunno, ma’am. Kinda sounds like you’re a battle junkie.”

  “I AM NOT!” Afilada screeched making even Gizagi laugh.

  “You’ve told me how you’re still fighting but I still don’t know why,” Uan said.

  “Apart from the fact that serving the captains is mandatory, I don’t know why exactly. I could’ve easily retired after getting my legs and arms blown off but after receiving the Admiral’s blessing and awakening in this new body, I felt as if that desire of mine was several times stronger. I want to take care of men, any who find themselves going into battle behind me. It may sound stupid or pointless but that’s how I feel.”

  Uan nodded before trying to answer his own question and the only answer he found was that he was operating solely on the instinct of self-preservation.

  He was just living from day to day.

  There wasn’t much else.

  That’s because back on LC-935, that’s all one needed.

  “Anyway, rest up. We’ll start moving in an hour.” Afilada laid back down and closed her eyes.

  Uan softly scoffed and counted every second that passed.

  His mind was in a silent spiral where he asked himself where he was going.

  Where was he destined to go?

  What was he fated to do?

  Not that he believed in such things.

  He simply wanted to know what was in store for him and what other paths were available to him.

  And, maybe most terrifyingly, if there was joy to be found in any of them.

  .

  ..

  Afilada’s unit eventually made their way to the end of the maze and, as she had guessed, they used just a little under 400W each meaning they had around 400W each.

  The sun had long since risen but its light barely reached the floor of the jungle before them.

  “Everyone, grab your combat knives,” Afilada instructed and her men did so, brandishing sturdy silver blades that were thirty centimetres long.

  Countless footprints could be seen leading into the jungle and the path that Ardy suggested led the same way.

  So, after taking a breath, Afilada stepped forward, leading her men into the jungle.

  The unit followed the man-made path for about one Kilometre before coming across a sheer cliff that was around twenty meters tall and covered in vines.

  The furthest they could jump was five meters so they’d need to find another way.

  “Alright. While ropes are the first thing to come to mind, I think we can do one better. Two in fact. Saai, give your knife to Gizagi. She’ll scale the cliff with Uan while we defend this position.” Afilada explained.

  “That would be faster than the ropes.” Uan realized aloud as Afilada handed him her knife.

  “Exactly. Now get moving.” She gave him a thumbs up and Uan promptly turned to the cliff which he and Gizagi climbed by digging into the rock with their knives which sustained little damage from being repeatedly dug into the cliff.

  “And with that, you two are our designated scouts. Keep an eye out.” Afilada cheered from below.

  “Oh- captain! I just thought of an excellent name for our group!” Saai yelled as Uan and Gizagi continued their ascent.

  “Oh? Do share it with us.”

  “Ahem! Unit 1 aka Shatter Rock!”

  Uan squinted as he climbed.

  It was definitely… a name but he didn’t hate it.

  “I like it! Any objections?” Afilada asked and no one responded.

  “Alright. From here on out, we are Shatterrock!”

  Uan eventually got over the cliff to find more trees and vines but before he could survey his surroundings any further, what could only be described as a robotic gorilla rushed out of the treeline and punched him in the gut, launching him off the cliff.

  [DI: 80%]

  Uan let out a mortified screen as he fell but just before he hit the ground, Saai jumped up and caught him.

  The two landed with a bit of a tumble but Uan quickly got back onto his feet and rushed towards the cliff face again.

  “Gizagi is still up there!” He let out a panicked cry while scaling the cliff.

  “Wait!” Afilada barked making a terrified Uan turn to her.

  “What?” He snapped as Saai stood by his Sargent's side

  “Come here and we’ll launch you!”

  Uan dropped from the Cliffside and allowed Afilada and Saai to pick him up.

  The two then threw him fifteen meters in the air and, after striking the rock, he quickly climbed over the cliff to find Gizagi desperately fighting the gorilla although it seemed as though they had both taken significant amounts of damage with the gorilla missing its left arm and Gizagi only having a DI of only 50%.

  Uan thought of running in to assist her but before he could, she rushed towards the machine just as it threw a large fist at her.

  Gizagi narrowly avoided the attack and stabbed the gorilla in the neck, severing its connection to the body.

  The large frame of metal and wires then fell to the side revealing a dirtied Gizagi whose eyes burnt fiercely.

  Uan turned to the cliff and dropped his knives for Afilada and Saai to use before rushing to Gizagi's side.

  “Are you alright?” He asked but she weakly smiled.

  “I am although I’m surprised. I thought you wouldn’t care.” She said while walking over to the cliff.

  “You’re a part of the unit! Losing you would weaken us significantly!” Uan blurted as Gizagi dropped her knives for Saai to use.

  Afilada was already halfway and she gave her subordinate a questioning thumbs up to which Gizagi replied with a positive thumbs up, making her Sargent nod.

  “Your mouth says one thing but your actions speak differently. Either way, I’m happy you got here as quickly as you did.”

  Uan’s eyes widened a little as Gizagi turned her smile towards him.

  “Now I know that if this was a real fight and I needed help, you’d be right there when I needed you.”