Uniformly across the houses in Pervomaisc, steam arose from the chimneys as lunch time approached with the arrival of noon. While most families busied themselves with cooking a meal for their loved ones, the one exception was the houses inhabited by the few Marines hiding in the town. Accustomed to living on field kitchens or nutrition paste, these men mostly didn't know how to cook. On top of that, a Marine's nutritional needs far surpassed those of a human, requiring upward of three times the calories of a normal adult to be satiated. For this reason, the kind cooks at Pervomaisc's only tavern would help feed their hungry guests as long as the Marines provided the kitchen with wild animals hunted early in the morning.
As Oltevin and his group arrived at the local tavern, they were just in time to see Nilsson carrying a slain wild boar into the kitchen on his shoulder. Judging by the patrons' reaction, they seem to be normalized to such a sight. Usually, killing a boar with just a plain combat knife is a challenge, but Nilsson and his brothers from other fleets seemed to pull this type of feat daily without breaking a sweat.
[Nilsson] - "Jaaah! Oltevin, right on time to join us for lunch. "
Said Nilsson as he set the boar on the floor.
[Oltevin] - "I didn't know it was your turn to hunt today. "
Said Oltevin as he approached his friend.
[Nilsson] - "Michalis and Christos told me they were busy today, saying they had to pack up for tomorrow, since they're leaving town. Speaking of which, here they are! "
Said Nilsson as he saw the two Marines enter the tavern behind Oltevin.
[Oltevin] - "Yeah, they are leaving soon. Why don't you let the chef take care of cooking, and let's settle down to talk? "
[Nilsson] - "Sure, let me just get the chef's attention. "
As Nilsson turned around, looking for the chef, Oltevin noticed the usual absence left by Voss, who seemed never to be interested in having lunch with the rest. However, the truth is, Voss, unlike his brothers, knew how to make his own meals. Alongside the rows of steaming chimneys, Voss' house also let out a steady stream of smoke.
Inside, Voss washed the massive plates he had just eaten from while the oven buzzed with light and heat. As he dried and put back his dishes with military precision, the timer suddenly shut the oven down. Putting on mittens and an apron, Voss delicately removed the plate from the oven before settling it against the counter and getting to work. Each step was done with a level of care uncharacteristic of a soldier. The details and the craftsmanship were on par with those of a seasoned artist. Alas, as Voss finished putting on the final touch, he proudly leaned down and placed his eyes at the level of the counter like a peeking child.
Yet, what reflected off his irises was not the brutalist or rugged result expected from a man of his calibre, but a collection of freshly made macarons sporting fragrant colours. Ritualistically, Voss moved his hand forward and picked up a lemon-coloured macaron. Then, slowly, a smile shone across his face as he felt the crispy crunch of the crust echo across his mind before he felt the bliss of the lemony aroma that coated his tongue. As the flavour faded away in his mouth, it remained in his mind, tingling his memory as he moved his tongue around to savour the last of the fleeting sweetness.
It was during the start of the Cleansing Crusade, yet instead of the familiar vegetation of Earth, Voss found himself fighting in a jungle populated by uncanny alien plants. Looking up, he could see three massive moons in the atmosphere, each sporting a beautiful ring, tainted purple by the hue of the violet sky.
Suddenly, the serenity of the scene was broken by the horns of the enemy forces. As Voss's visor rose above the jungle's grassy cover, what assaulted their position was no man, but a race of insectoid aliens fielding advanced weapons and vehicles. Though their hand-held railguns didn't punch hard enough to penetrate the Forge Marines' armour, their kinetic energy still caused considerable pain and knockback. With a cool mind, Voss instructed his men to spread out and eliminate the opposition through their flanks.
With his Chimera Carbine raised, Voss and his men then unleashed deadly and precise devastation against their foes. Every shot meant a kill as the Marines systematically wiped out all charging or entrenched enemies. Yet, despite their casualties, the alien threat didn't waver as horde after horde of those creatures ascended onto the surface from the underground.
With his company spread out across the whole front, when a horde of alien warriors decided to storm Voss's position, they proved too numerous for him and his two Marines to handle. As an insectoid leaped over the trench toward Voss, he immediately got up and grappled the foe with his hands. Then, with inhuman strength, Voss snapped the xenos' arms in half before punching it in the head so hard, the creature's head was practically decapitated.
[Voss] - "Death to Antinoid! Glory to humanity! "
Yelled Voss as he picked up his warhammer and smashed three Antinoid warriors into mush.
Despite being swarmed by a dozen enemies, the three Marines easily tore through their ranks with their bare hands or with their melee weapons. Even as they massacred the horde of enemy warriors, the rest kept swarming Voss while screaming words in their native language. Though Voss couldn't understand them, the sheer tone of hatred in the alien's voice confirmed to him that mercy was not expected on both sides.
Suddenly, a trio of enemy sharpshooters approached Voss and shot him at near point-blank range with their railgun rifle. The projectiles, at this range, were starting to become lethal as they cracked his chestplate, sending Titanium-Graphene composite shards in all directions. Yet, even as burning pain and blood flooded Voss's chest, the captain staggered forward and, with his bare hands, crushed the first Antinoid head. As the two others kept blasting him, he presented to them the bracing side of his asymmetrical armour and tanked the shots without issue. In one swift move, Voss then drew his pistol and shot both of the xenos dead.
By now, even Voss was unaware that the battle was over, as he still maintained a bracing stance, expecting the next wave of enemy to rush him. It wasn't until when a medical Marine rushed up to him that Voss was finally snapped back to his senses. Looking around, he was shocked to find himself standing in a pile of dead enemies stacked so high, he couldn't even find the soil with his eyes. Alas, the adrenaline in his body left his nerves, and Voss immediately collapsed onto the ground in a world of pain.
The battle was over, and in the end, Voss' company hadn't lost a single Marine, with him being the only injured man out of the one hundred. Meanwhile, the Antinoid, all 50,000 of them on this outpost planet, were wiped down to the last member.
As the medical Marine worked on Voss's injuries, the captain still had to bite down on a piece of fabric as the Imperial Marines' physiology cleared the anesthetic at an incredibly fast rate. Every few minutes, the anesthetic will have to be injected anew, but it will leave a few agonizing seconds of pure suffering before the new dose can take effect.
[Med Marine] - "Captain, you have to stop moving so much! I know it hurts, but this shard has to be pulled out of your chest, or else it can sink toward your heart. "
Said the Marine as he used one of his servo-arms to pin Voss's arm down.
[Voss] - "Fuuuuck! "
Screamed Voss as the pain was so overwhelming, it caused his back to arch forward.
As the second dose of anesthesia finally began to take effect, Voss settled down and breathed heavily. With tears streaming down his face, Voss watched as the medical Marine pulled a massive shard of his own armour out of his chest. Later, while auxiliaries and fleet soldiers mopped up the mountain of dead bodies, Voss simply sat like a miserable mummy wrapped in bandages in the middle of the field hospital.
As one of the wounded fleet soldiers stopped to look at Voss, as she had never seen an Imperial Marine without his armour, Voss frustratingly shot her a death stare, which scared her gaze away. Besides Voss, the medical Marine's armour loudly announced his presence as he kneeled down and gave him a shot of antibiotics.
[Med Marine] - "Take some rest, Captain. It will do you good for a fast recovery. "
Voss quickly grabbed the doctor by the arm and pulled him close toward him.
[Voss] - "Get me the fuck out of here! It's fucking embarrassing, don't you see? It's fucking shameful for me, a Forge Marine, to be looking like this. "
Whispered Voss angrily.
[Med Marine] - "Everyone gets wounded from time to time. There's nothing to be ashamed of, my Captain. "
[Voss] - "Do you not understand the effects I might have on otherz? While mm... entire company wasn't wounded, I'm the one bandaged like a maggot here. What will my men think of me? What will these normal soldiers and auxiliaries think of mmm? Is this what represents us, the elite of the elite of the Empure? "
Whispered Voss, his voice partially butchered by the pain in his wounded lips.
[Med Marine] - "Look, my Captain, it's not me who wants to embarrass you, it's that we have no ship to get off-world. Our fleet dispatched us here through drop pods, so we'll probably have to stay until they have concluded the fighting on Ares IV. "
[Marine 1] - "Probably going to forget us here for months. All this shit we do, only for them to not even acknowledge our contribution. "
[Marine 2] - "It ain't a surprise. A Marine's operation only gets mentioned if most of us return to the fleet in our caskets. "
[Voss] - "Just leave me be, you three. Go complain somewhere else. "
Said Voss nervously as he looked around.
[Med Marine] - "I'll warn you when the next ship lands, don't worry. Just rest for now. "
Said the medical Marine as he walked away from Voss.
As Voss slowly lay down on his bed, he tried not to get bothered by the noises around him. However, Voss was not a machine and the sheer amount of cries of pain and tortured screams in the field medical camp was overwhelming. The soldiers of the World Forger fleet, unlike the superhuman Marines, weren't protected against the Antinoid's railgun rifles. While the Marines ate shots like nothing, a single hit on a fleet soldier basically meant fatal injuries and guaranteed mutilation in luckier cases.
Looking around, Voss felt pity for the men or women who were missing limbs, but even worse for those clinging onto life with half their abdomen or face missing. Meanwhile, he himself is here complaining about shame with his body still whole. If Voss felt shame before, now he truly felt ashamed of himself for being this ungrateful for his situation.
Suddenly, a small transport ship flew above the camp before landing not far from it. As the ramp opened, the crew worked quickly to unload the crates of food and medicine for the 19th Marine Company and their fleet-assigned support soldiers. While that happened, the medical Marine quickly rushed up to Voss.
[Med Marine] - "Captain, that ship is said to be able to bring some wounded back to the main fleet. Shall we go? "
Said the medical Marine as he tried to carry Voss up from his bed.
Voss hesitated as he looked at the rows of grievously wounded soldiers around him.
[Voss] - "After! Let's just wait for it to unload its cargo first. "
Said Voss as he pushed the doctor away.
However, unexpectedly, as all the cargo left the ship's hull, two figures stepped out of the ramp. To everyone's shock, the Grand Knight and his assistant soon walked among the crowd, their faces obscured by their pitch black helmets. After greeting the staff working at the unloading area, Mike arrived inside the medical camp with Kadyn by his side. Then, without rushing, Mike greeted each and every one of the wounded soldiers with a handshake and a few comforting words.
Kadyn, for her part, presented a box filled with macarons to the wounded soldiers and mended their suffering with one sweet treat each. For those too wounded to reach inside the box, Kadyn even went as far as to feed them their deserved treat herself. Soon, Mike arrived before Voss and even kneeled down to his level to shake his hand. Instinctively, Voss tried to cover his bandages with his blanket, fearing that he might be judged for his sorry state by his leader.
[Mike] - "Captain Voss, for the capture of Ares II, I present to you the Imperial Star third-class. You have led your men to a victory, which resulted in minimal casualties. For this, I salute you, valued warrior of the Empire! "
Said Mike before saluting Voss.
On his end, Voss felt compelled to bow to Mike as the sheer aura surrounding the Grand Knight made him uncomfortable to even look him in the eyes. To Voss, the sensation could only be described as a fear of the divine, which made it impossible for him to see Mike as an equal. Yet, while his head remained lowered, Mike deposited the medal in his hand and moved on to the next man.
Thinking back, Voss wasn't ridiculed or scolded for his appearance and was instead respected and awarded. In the Marines' ranks, only appearance and duty mattered, yet here, the Grand Knight ignored those factors. Voss was viewed as a man, not just a tool of war for the Empire, as his indoctrination training made him believe.
Yet another figure followed Mike's steps before she stopped in front of Voss. This time, as Voss looked up, he didn't feel the same fear as he did before. Instead, though he could not see the face behind the helmet, he felt a warmth in his heart. With an audible smile, Kadyn presented Voss with her box of macarons. The sudden show of colours overwhelmed Voss as he had to take a second to process the scene before his eyes, before the sweet scent assaulted his nostrils.
[Kadyn] - "Macarons? "
Said Kadyn in a kind voice.
With trembling hand, Voss reached into the box and landed on a lemon-coloured macaron. Yet, clumsily, Voss dropped the treat before it could reach his mouth. Yet, with inhuman speed, Kadyn caught the falling macaron and brought it to Voss's mouth.
[Kadyn] - "Aaaah! "
Though Voss is a hardened Marine, a man moulded to be serious and to fight in unforgiving conflicts, the tenderness of the assistant's manner and voice compelled him to obey without objection. As the treat arrived safely in his mouth, Kadyn stood up, nodded respectfully at Voss and walked away. Yet, to Voss, her presence remained in the form of the blissful explosion in his mouth. For a moment, Voss remembered his mother and home, and it almost made him cry. The bitterness and pain vanished and were replaced by the soothing aroma of a lemon.
The taste of that single macaron healed his injuries in a way no medication could. With a smile, Voss swallowed, but the sweetness remained engraved in his memory. Looking toward Kadyn's direction, Voss's mouth twitched. Never in his life would Voss have expected the assistant, and possibly even the wife of the Grand Knight, to personally feed him a macaron. Either way, it truly moved him.
[Voss] - "Thank you, Dark Angel. "
Whispered Voss under his breath.
As Mike and Kadyn finished their tour around the camp, the cries and screams were reduced to pained moans and quickened breaths. In hindsight, Kadyn's gesture should've been trivial at best, yet the effect it had on the wounded soldiers was remarkable. When the world showed indifference to the suffering of these men and women, the Grand Knight and his assistant showed that they cared. It gave people a brief taste of hope in a situation where hope was not expected.
For Voss, it did more than bring peace to his heart. After the end of the campaign, Voss started to develop his culinary skills, vowing to recreate the treat that marked him. People will often ask Voss why he decided to waste his time on such a useless skill. Yet, Voss never answered as the result of his confections on his company's morals spoke for him. The previously bitter tone shifted into optimism and eagerness to fight.
Yet, all good things have to come to an end eventually. When Mike perished and Kadyn disappeared, Voss became disillusioned with his purpose. If the World Forgers lost both their heart and soul, what is there left to fight for? For this reason, Voss left the fleet as they retreated to the moon, choosing to seek shelter in Pervomaisc alongside another fellow deserter, Nilsson.
Back in the present, Voss put the rest of the macarons in a large Tupperware and waited. Before long, a young woman knocked on Voss's door and entered.
[Sabrina] - "Hey, Voss. You got today's batch ready? "
[Voss] - "Made exactly enough for everyone at the tavern. Just don't eat more than one. I heard you got greedy and ate three last time on your way to the tavern. "
Said Voss as he handed the box to Sabrina.
[Sabrina] - "Can I even help it? They're just so good. "
Said Sabrina with a smile as she immediately ate one from the box.
[Voss] - "I'm being serious. That's already your portion gone there! "
[Sabrina] - "Pfft! Don't worry about it, it won't happen again. "
Said Sabrina dismissively as she walked out the door.
At the tavern, Nilsson listened intently as Oltevin tried to recruit him for the mission to save Kadyn. Yet, after hearing everything and taking a look at Michalis and Christos, Nilsson got up and pushed away his plate.
[Nilsson] - "As much as I want to help ya, my friend, I need time to think about it. "
[Senju] - "We don't have much time left. You have to decide now, or we are leaving tomorrow at first light. Just like these two, your armour and gear probably need some maintenance as well, so we need a decision quickly. "
Said Senju as he pointed at Michalis and Christos.
[Nilsson] - "Sigh... I can't give you a guarantee. Look, if I'm not waiting for ya guys at the tavern by tomorrow morning, it means I won't be going. "
[Oltevin] - "I won't force you, friend. It's your choice. "
With a silent nod, Nilsson left the tavern and headed home, his heart torn between conflicting thoughts.
[McCree] - "I guess he ain't comin'. "
Said McCree, his arms stretched behind his head.
Suddenly, Sabrina arrived inside the tavern and began distributing macrons around. At Oltevin's table, Sabrina presented the box to the men and allowed them to pick whatever flavour they liked. Upon seeing how everyone reached for a treat, McCree and Senju also followed the crowd. However, it meant that the total count was again two macarons short.
[Sabrina] - "Wait! Why is it two short again? I didn't eat any more than my portion. "
Said Sabrina as she looked confusedly at the empty box.
[McCree] - "Hmm, these are pretty dang good. Who's making these? "
Said McCree as he chewed on an orange one.
Oltevin looked at his green macaron before looking toward the direction of Voss's house.
[Oltevin] - "If we're done eating, we have another comrade we can recruit. "
Later, as the group arrived at Voss's home, they were met with straight-up refusal at the entrance, before they could even enter to discuss the matter further.
[Voss] - "You seriously expect me to put away my peaceful life and go on a mission to save some random woman with you? What kind of parody is this? "
Said Voss, his voice full of hostility.
[McCree] - "But I thought you were a Marine from the World Forgers fleet. Ain't you recognize her? She's your leader's wife. "
Voss's eyes widened as memories flushed back into his mind, yet he kept a doubtful look at McCree and his group.
[Voss] - "Bullshit! How could I know you're not lying? Also, if she's out there, how could she be stuck in the fucking Allied Forces out of all the places? "
[Oltevin] - "It's a long story for another day. But believe it or not, we are going to rescue her with or without your help. "
Voss thought for a moment. The World Forgers fleet wasn't what it used to be anymore, ever since those two pillars vanished. If Kadyn was restored to the fleet, then maybe there could be a chance to save the dream that had been snuffed out. Reluctantly, Voss nodded in agreement before shutting the door on the group.
As Voss walked toward the ceiling hatch that hid his gear, he reminded himself of his shame. Instead of loyally following his brothers to the moon, he abandoned his company and home, just because he lost faith. This could be his redemption for being a coward. In one swift move, Voss used the firepoll to pull the hatch downward.
Meanwhile, at home, Nilsson approached the fireplace and kneeled down. As much as he wanted to help Oltevin, he felt that the ghost of his company and Captain would not approve his involvement. Nilsson didn't even try to reach for the carbine stashed behind the chimney, as he already knew that he would be burned by the phantom flame of his past.
However, just as Nilsson sighed on his sofa, the carbine dropped down into the fireplace by itself. Shocked, Nilsson jumped up and stared with wide eyes at the unusual sight. Then, carefully, Nilsson approached the fireplace. In his eyes, the fire still burned as brightly as the heatwave that consumed Sven, yet as his hand reached forward, he never felt pain. Before Nilsson even knew it, he lifted the carbine up in the air.
[Nilsson] - "Captain Sven... I understand. "
Said Nilsson as he stared at the weapon.
At night, while the fireplace burned bright, Nilsson worked on fixing his armour and gear so they could become operational again. Though Nilsson was eager to experience action again, his eagerness was equally balanced by temperance. This is not about war, but about doing the right thing. The difference being, war requires savagery, while this requires control.
As dawn loomed over the horizon the next morning, the whole town gathered to cheer for Oltevin. To the town, he was their saviour, the man who selflessly risked his life to bring a better tomorrow for the people. The prosperity in Pervomaisc is thanks to Oltevin. People will not try to hold Oltevin from leaving, but the least they can do is give him a proper send-off. He might or might not come back; that's why the people of Pervomaisc loved him as if this were the last time they would see him.
[Wife] - "Come back alive, ok? "
[Oltevin] - "I promise, dear, I will. When have I ever come back dead? "
Said Oltevin as he hugged his wife and children.
On the other side, Nilsson shook the hands of the tavern chef while Sabrina hugged Voss.
With the Marines' heavy armour loaded in the back of a truck, the four Marines saluted the town that had so kindly harboured them. After the men said their final goodbyes, they boarded the truck and watched as the sight of the town's population disappeared behind the large metal doors. In the front, McCree nodded at Senju and Oltevin before the engine started. Slowly, the vehicle disappeared under the horizon, driving into the sun as it rose.
To be continued...