Weapon 86 ✔️

I. Unit X

"Colonel Kyden. There's been another breach, sir. Civilians have torn down the barrier to East Wall Section 32."

Kyden sighed and leaned back in his large leather chair. He dropped his pen on his desk and anxiously flexed his weary hands.

"That's the 4th breach this week... they're getting more restless..."

"General Commander Rockwell has also requested your presence," the cadet continued.

Kyden looked up from his desk and nodded.

"Thank you, Cadet..."

The cadet nodded with a salute and took his leave. Kyden rubbed his hands against his forehead. His steely grey eyes darted from the multiple assignments on his desk to the picture of his late wife at the corner. He picked up the frame and rubbed his thumb across the image of her smiling face.

"The days are longer.... harder...without you, my love...."

Placing the frame back down, he stood from his desk and fixed the collar of his uniform before exiting his office.

**

"We must take action, General Commander. The longer we delay, the greater risk to our security."

"That much is obvious, Colonel Mackie. What type of action is the issue at hand..."

Kyden could hear the voices of his leader, General Commander Richard Rockwell and his fellow partner Colonel Ryan Mackie speaking tensely in the General Commander's main office.

He politely knocked on the door.

"Enter," came Rockwell's voice.

Kyden opened the door stepping inside. General Commander Rockwell sat at his large desk smoking a cigar and building one of his many boats from his boat-in-a-bottle collection, looking as nonchalant and relaxed as ever, as if their security barriers weren't on the verge of a collapse.

"Mackie..." Kyden said acknowledging his partner. Mackie looked at him tensely, a frown creasing the skin on his forehead.

"I'm sure you've heard, Colonel Kyden," Rockwell's aged deep voice reverberated throughout the room.

"Yes, General Commander... another breach... the 4th one this week," Kyden said with his hands folded behind his back.

"Colonel Mackie seems to think we need to take immediate hostile action," Rockwell said not looking up from this boat sculpture.

"General Commander, that's not what I-"

"What do you think we should do, Colonel Kyden," Rockwell said cutting Mackie off.

Kyden glanced up at Mackie who looked to be seething, waiting on a response from Kyden he knew he wouldn't like.

"They are still our people," Kyden said finally. "They're just frustrated. Hungry. Our resources are running thin. I would advise against immediate hostile action lest we provoke an even angrier response."

Kyden could practically feel the anger radiating from his partner.

"The type of answer I would expect from a man of your standing," Rockwell smiled warmly. He pushed back from his desk, stood to his feet, and walked to the large window that looked out over the post-apocalyptic city that stood before them.

"Indeed... we need more resources. That should be our primary focus. Not squelching civilian unrest," Rockwell mused.

"General Commander, we haven't been able to find resources since the Event," Mackie insisted. "Our rations grow smaller, our enemies are multiplying exponentially. The Xree nearly wiped out an entire fleet and are soon to declare war against us. We are backed into a corner. We must retaliate."