WARNING BEFORE YOU START READING: This is a story that is, essentially, a story about the writer, me, "hooking up" with IF and Compa from Hyperdimension Neptunia. It WILL include sexually explicit content, if you do not wish to read these materials...
Cold, it's all I feel whenever I step outside anymore. I used to be excited about this. But now, knowing that I'm gonna be spending the next 20 years in this frozen hell, I'm not feeling too hot. The rest of the squad and I run routine patrols, acting as security for the researchers and scientists that were requisitioned here. At least they get to go home every couple of months. I communicate with family only via letters. It's the only way we can. As of writing this for the log, my current coordinates are 71.8675° S, 170.6500° E. Go ahead and try and guess where that is. Can't? Yeah, you're not supposed to be able to. This mass of land didn't exist until a few years ago. And now, it's a god damn militarized research facility. I can't stay for long until my patrol party comes to fetch me.
-"I want you rooks in your jets ready for takeoff in 5! If I'm training you, I want you to be ready when I give the word!" I yelled to my new squad.
-"SIR! YES SIR!" They all said in unison, rushing off to their jets.
I was about to grab a quick drink before heading out until my old friend stopped me.
-"Logan! Hold on brother!" I heard Zeke say from behind me.
I turned to face him.
-"Zeke, you merc! What is it?" I said, happy to see a familiar face in the crowd of unknowns.
-"*cough cough* I...I heard you got a "new" squad!" He said in his usual loud voice.
-"*sigh* Yes, it's true. Seems like they send all the rookies to me for some reason." I said.
-"Some reason?! Logan! You once shot down more than fifty planes in the battle of New Halls Pass!" He said, like it's a big deal.
-"Zeke, that hardly justifies me being able to be a teacher."
-"I know but think about all the other missions you've been on! I remember that one mission me and you went on! We were both operating that tank, a stray shell comes out of nowhere! Two men killed and the cannon sent flying off! And what do you do? You charge the enemy armor and ram him! Pushing him off a cliff, assuring his death!"
-"I did what I had to do to survive."
Now that he brings it up, I do remember the fact that the pedals were flaming and the treads were ripped off.
-"You should take some more pride in your work!" he said.
-"I know I should but I really just wanna consider myself an average soldier right now." I said.
-"Whatever you say, brother. Now go, your trainees are waitin'." he said, leaving with his beer in hand.
That guy will never change. I walked up to the group and saw them all standing in line.
-"Alright, now I don't want any funny business once we're in the air, looking at you Carl. This is a standard patrol so remember, keep your weapons off and wait until my command to do any unplanned maneuvers. Am I understood?" I asked.
-"SIR! YES SIR!" They all said in unison.
-"Alright let's get this discussion airborne!" I said.
We all mounted in our jets, got clearance from the tower and took off on our normal route.
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We went through basic drills. Missile dodging, rolls, formations and a bunch of other boring stuff. I was about to say something until one of my privates spoke up.
-"Logan, sir! Look! Enemy ship on your right!" he said.
I looked down to my right and there was indeed a lone ship, belonging to Leanbox, sailing. From what I could see through the clouds, it looked like it was heading for the research facility.
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-"Easy pickings, what do you say?" The same private said.
-"Negative private, our orders are to recon and report back. I hope I don't have to remind you that Leanbox has a reputation for having some of the best naval defenses in Gamindustri." I said.
-"Come on Logan, it'll be a turkey shoot!" Another private said.
One by one they all started saying how much they wanted to finally get at least one kill under their belts. Maybe it was the temptation, maybe it was my greed, but I eventually gave in.
-"Fine, Let's go in for a closer look. Weapons hot!" I shouted.
They all lined up behind me and I dived down.
...
That was the worst mistake I have ever made. Once we crossed the clouds, I saw what had been hidden.
-"Holy shit it's the whole enemy fleet!!!" One of my privates said in panic.
They were already aiming their guns at us.
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It was too late to pull up.
-"FIRE!!!" I said in a panic.
With our guns firing and theirs being all too powerful, our fate had seemed decided already.
-"Get out of there Marcus!" I said just before his left wing was torn off.
There were too many screams in the radio chatter. I couldn't hear the sound of my own weapon firing. All that filled my ears was the sound of my heart slowing down. I had soon come to realize that within seconds...I was the only one left. Alone in the sky with nowhere to go but hell. But there's no way I'm gonna go down without taking at least one other person with me!!!
-"Eat this fuckers!" I sent out all of my missile salvos at once at a single warship.
I didn't have the luxury of watching my kill sink however, for I was soon hit in my rear-left engine and sent down like all the others. The last thing I remember seeing before impacting the water was each and every one of the 36 missiles I launched hit their target.
...
...
...
A flash of light, then darkness. Another flash, then darkness. Someone calling out to me, then darkness. A final flash that made my eyes snap open. I felt it fading though, my life. I was powerless to do anything as I felt myself being moved into somewhere cold, very cold. Before I knew what was happening, I found myself in a glass pod. I'm about to go in cryo-sleep, presumably for recovery after surgery. Using the tiny amount of strength I had, I wrote on the icy glass of the tube a message. "Others?", I wrote. I saw the look of sorrow on the others' faces. I wasn't stupid...I knew what that meant. The last sensation I felt before being consumed by sleep was a single drop of liquid, sliding down my now frozen face...
