Song of Blu

by J A Ebonlight

  “You speak out of turn, marine! You are just an enlisted, don't think because you have a command in your company, you can address me in such a manner.” General Plows said.

  “Who fault is that?” Daryl spoke up.

  “Excuse me?” The general said.

  “Who fault is it that an enlisted have command in a company? Who stacked this company with nothing but newbies? If it wasn’t for Commander Blu’s leadership, we would be dead right now. In fact, him growing up in a gang is the reason we survive with so little experience in our company.” The general’s face was red with rage. A jolt of pride and pleasure pulsed through my body. I never had anyone defend my name before.

  “I’m in agreement.” Warmaster Noxxic said. “Until proven otherwise, I’m not doing anything but reconsidering your position in my legion. I advise you to put your personal bias away, general. Good day.” Then the warmaster logged off. The general glared at me with so much hatred it would have made my old gang leaders envious. He logged off without saying a word. Now I had to face my company.

  My heartbeat pounded in my ears as I faced them. Their faces were unreadable to my sophomoric knowledge of expressions. What would I say to them? I haven’t been truthful with them. In leadership class, they explicitly stated the importance of a soldier's trust in their commanding officer. My eyes found Jerry and Alicia to the side, who stared at my squad leaders. Then my eyes found Justin, red as an apple and scowling

  “It was you,” I said, looking at Justin. His eyebrows rose, and he reached for his pistol. “You recorded the underking saying I was a gangster in my youth,” I said. There was a slight smirk on his face.

  “Damn right,” Justin said. There was a collective gasp from a few of my squad leaders. “He said you were one of the best killers he ever seen.”

  “That’s in the past,” I said. Justin marched toward me.

  “You think that makes everything okay? What about all the people you killed? All the families you destroyed? There thousands probably suffering right now for the things you have done!” Justin said. I clenched my jaw. I didn’t know what to say to him. I was just a kid that didn’t have much choice. I was born in a gang and conditioned by them.

  “At least he’s trying to make things right,” Alicia said. Justin whirled to her.

  “Make things right? He needs to be in prison. This man is a monster.”

  “To what ends? To sit there collecting time, while the victim of his family still remains in shambles.” Alicia retorted.

  “I’m of liked mind,” Daryl said. “In prison, he’ll waste tax dollars. At least in the military, he’ll risk his life for the greater good.”

  “Greater good? Like killing rebels for fighting a just war against their corrupt margrave?” Justin said. That stole the voice from everyone in the squad but Rolland.

  “Enough of your prattle!” Rolland roared as he closed the distance between him and Justin. So tall he looked down on Justin who’s rage simmered at the sight of the man. “All you have done since day one is sow dissent and mistrust. Despite Blu’s past, he’s saved all our lives, including yours. Now, if you have such a problem with his origins, you can leave or request a transfer after the campaign, but we won’t turn on him for you.”

  Silence gripped Justin as he glanced around, looking for support but found none. Defeated, Justin stormed off. I looked to my other squad leaders, and then I exhaled.

  “Well?” I asked.

  “Well, what?” Gary asked.

  “What’s your orders, commander?” Rolland asked. I arched my eyebrows.

  “You’re not mad after finding out my truth?”

  “Nah,” Gary said. “As much as you saved our lives and helped us, I can’t be mad. Plus, you’re a good guy.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Bad guys are better at keeping secrets.” Gary teased. Everyone giggled.

  “Plus, you were born and raised in a gang. You had no choice but to be who you were, but you became a marine as soon as you were freed. Marines are well known for going right into the heart of battle and fighting all kinds of alien forces. You are on the path of redemption.” Jen said.

  “From a pure math perspective, even if you killed thousands of people, by joining the Marines, you’ll contribute to saving billions,” Daryl said. Jen elbowed him.

  “Don't look at human lives as a math problem,” Jen said.

  “Okay...” Daryl said. More laughter followed. An ocean of relief flooded me as my company took the news. They understood. They all understood―well, everyone but Justin. I will have to mend the bond between us soon or request him to be removed from my company. Then Jerry jumped in the middle of the group.

  “Since everybody is cool with this, I think it’s time we celebrate,” Jerry said.

  “What are we celebrating?” I asked.

  “Celebrate the fact that we took down an underking and got the warmaster approval!”

  “Hell yeah!” Gary said.

  “Let’s do it, let’s go.”

  We made our way to a local skating rink. The underking was in tow with chains and weights. We chained him down in the locker rooms and took turns guarding him. I ordered one squad to go grab food from the nearest spot. We removed our armor but left on our combat skins. The skin-tight suits would be suitable protection against any wayward clusters of gangs.

  Jerry broke into the control booth and started playing music. A collective cheer erupted from my company, and I never felt better. Secrets grew heavier the longer one kept them. The whole night my company got more friendly than was proper, but I wasn’t going to police them. Music and skating was the only thing I was going to bother with tonight. I found Rolland, Gary, and Jerry chilling at the bar and decided to hop over to them. They all sat facing the rink, lean back against the bar. I decided to join them, and they greeted me simply and stared at Darryl and Jen. The two lovebirds were slow dancing on hover skates.

  “He’s going to fuck her tonight,” Jerry said, keeping his eyes on them.

  “Nah!” Gary said.

  “I don’t think the little guy has it in him,” Rolland added.

  I immediately felt self-conscious. I hadn’t been with a real woman since my gang days. I wouldn’t even count breeders since they were broken down by drugs and abuse. I didn’t want my sex history to be questioned, so I remained quiet and carefully chose my words.

  “Mhm,” I added.

  “I’m telling you, that nerd going to be in there hitting that punay hard while screaming a bunch of different calculations.” Everyone peeled over and laughed.

  “Oh no, not the calculations!” Gary said, falling into Jerry while holding his stomach.

  “The square root of this nut I’m about to put in you, girl!” Jerry said, mimicking Darryl’s tone. They laughed until tears fell out of their eye then settled for a time. Several minutes passed before Maria skated by and waved at us. Gary waved back but not Rolland.

  “I thought Maria, and you were going to be a thing,” I said to Rolland. Gary's eyebrows centered, and he focused on him.

  “I’m engaged,” Rolland said. A collective gasp radiated through us.

  “Since when?” Gary said.

  “Since before I joined the military,” Rolland said as if we were the strange ones for being surprised. “My family is all military, and I didn’t feel like a man until I had at least one military campaign under my belt. I promised my fiance I’ll marry her as soon as I return from my campaign.”

  “Wow,” Gary said.

  “Dang, that’s a hell of an oath.”

  “Good thing this campaign ain’t that bad,” I added. We quieted for a time until Jerry spoke again.

  “I feel more threatened by Justin than most of these gangsters,” Jerry said.

  “You can say that again. Tension always skyrocket when he’s in the room.” Gary said, shivering as he spoke.

  “He said no more than two words to me since our first joust of words. You really need to remove him fr
om command. Don’t want him to fester.” Rolland said.

  “I know, but I just don’t want to deal with it tonight. Let him cool off, I guess.” Gary whirled and grabbed some beers from behind the counter. He gave each of us one, and we cheered.

  “To brothers in arm who don’t care about each other past just where we going!” Gary yelled.

  “Here, here!” We all said, clashing our drinks. We drunk and chat more until we broke off from one another for one reason or another. I found myself alone for a moment. Then there was Alicia, who struggled to find her balance. I grabbed her hand and helped her.

  “Thanks.” She said as we skated along with the rink.

  “Surprised you don't know how to skate,” I said.

  “Well, I was a bit shelter growing up,” Alicia said, and her face winced.

  “You don't have to talk about your past,” I told her. Alicia's eyes widened.

  “If you want to know―”

  “I want you to tell me when you feel it's right. As someone with a bloody past, I understand the desire not to share any details.” I said. She showed a faint smile.

  “Let’s make a pact. We won’t force each other to talk about each other's past.”

  “Deal!” I said. Although I said that, I wondered what was so dark about her past that she wished it buried? As I ponder it, I understood why people wanted to know someone's history. I wanted to learn more about Alicia, but how could I without knowing her past? These questions were something I would have to consider later.

  We spent the entire night skating, eating, and drinking. I knew that if the general saw any of this, he would be having a fit. Probably accused us of treason for having fun during a campaign. For tonight I would let my worries go and enjoy myself.

  It was past midnight. My head rang as the explosions happened across the building. Having drunk too much, I struggled to find my footing. Eventually, I dragged myself to my armor platings and weapons. I clumsily equipped my armor and took an adrenaline shot. My senses cleared a bit but not fully.

  “All forces, we’re being attacked. Pump yourself with adrenaline shots quickly!” I said, not realizing a squad of my marines were already trying to fight. The wall of the skating rink building had several holes in it. A few enemy fighters rolled through the hole wearing red, white, and blue uniforms with similar gear to mine. I raced to find some cover and started firing back.

  These fighters were organized and moved with purpose and direction. I fired, attempting to cover my ill-prepared marines, but I was too late. Several of my marines were gunned down as they tried to recover from a drunken stupor. I felt like a fool. I was in a combat zone, and I decided to have a little party with drinks and everything.

  I heard a yell and found Rolland. He took his large shield and bashed it into three of the enemy fighters. Without a rifle, he was forced to fight with a shield and sword. I had to help him but was pinned down by a fireteam focused on me. I gritted my teeth. I looked around and found a grenade launcher near a dead marine. For the first time in a long time, I was enraged.

  I rolled to the side, picking up the grenade launcher and firing it at the enemy soldiers snugged behind rubble. They screamed, and I charged forward to help Rolland but again was too late. Justin got in close and stabbed Rolland through the back with his blade.

  “No!” I yelled as I flung my body across dozens of feet and came down on Justin. Justin was too slow and found my blade slashed through his chest armor and met flesh. He fell back, and a few of his squadmates fell to his defense. I howled with rage and pain and cut through his squadmates like they were novices with a blade. Justin stumbled out the hole in the wall, and I gave chase. Shower of enemy fire kept me from pursuing.

  Finally, Alicia and Jerry reinforced me. The three of us, with their squads, started covering the breaches in the walls and giving them hell. I turned back to find Maria attempting to save Rolland, but his injuries were worse than I thought. Rolland had already been shot several times. The blade through his back was the final nail in the coffin. Rolland was dead.

  Tears flow from my eyes. Rolland accepted me. Rolland taught me. Rolland made me feel like a friend. How rare was it that I found friends anywhere? My heart broke, and I fought like hell against these invaders. My rounds found an enemy every few shots. It was not long before they fell into a full retreat. I growled and punched the wall next to me.

  “That bastard went that far?” Jerry said. “Who the hell was those guys?”

  “They were Freedom Ranger. I know those colors anywhere. They are an interspace rebel group that sticks their nose into any rebellion, hoping to hijack it for their own ends..” Alicia said.

  “They are dead, and so is Justin,” I said. Everyone looked at me as if I just removed my mask. I heard footsteps from behind, and I turned with my hand gripping my cleaver so hard it hurt. I found Daryl and Jen. At least they were still alive.

  “Bad news, the underking is free,” Jen said. As he said that, the backroom exploded. The underking walked out of the flames and waved his hands. Lights shined on the ground, and more of those cyborg warriors appeared. At least two dozen spawn out of the light and started attacking us.

  “Teleportation?! They have that tech?” Daryl exclaimed.

  “No time to gawk, fight!” I said, firing on the underking. I couldn’t lose anymore. I lunged at the underking, using my boot rockets to propel me fast and far. My blade clashed with the underking arm blade. I was glad he didn’t have that sword. I sent that away in the supply exchange from the general.

  “You look mad.” The underking teased, holding me back.

  “You have no idea.”

  “Then show me! Show me that warrior spirit!” The underking said, moving with inhuman speed. Even with my augmentation that made me four times stronger than the average man, I had a hard time keeping up with him. His blade consistently found openings, and soon, I was decorated with light wounds. Rage and adrenaline kept me going.

  “More!” he said, unleashing six strikes. “More!” he said again, unloading another six strikes. “More!” He said with another five strikes. I barely dodged or deflected half of them. That’s when Gary appeared behind the underking. He brought down his blade. I followed the underking’s eyes and knew he needed to stop.

  “Wait, Gary!” I said but yet again, too late. The underking whirled from in front of Gary and stabbed him through the back. He stabbed him three more times before I could push him off. I caught Gary before he fell to the ground.

  “No, Gary.”

  “You look like you needed help. Can’t have a fellow future Vindicator die before he reaches his goal, you know.” He started coughing up blood. “Well, at least one of us has to become a Vindicator. You gotta do it for the both of us.”

  “No, we’re going to do it together!” I said. Gary chuckled. Then the life faded from Gary’s eyes. The rest of my company still struggled with the cyborg warriors. Half of my company was too disorientated to put up a proper fight. This was all my fault. I glared at the underking, and he shrugged.

  “This happened because you’re holding back.” The underking said.

  “What did you say?”

  “You heard me. You’re trying to fight clean and proper, but you’re a brutal fighter. I’ve watched many videos of you. You also should have killed that Justin boy a long time ago. He was a ticking time bomb that was bound to go off eventually. You’re afraid people will see you as a monster, but the hell with them. The only thing that matters in life is results, damn how you look getting the results..” As he said that, two Cyborg Warriors pounced on either side. I grit my teeth. He was right.

  I dashed to the side, impaling the Cyborg warrior that was inches from stepping on Gary’s dead body. While he was still on my blade, I swung his body like a baseball bat. The body crashed with the other cyborg warrior, then I tossed a loaded grenade at them as they fell.

  I didn’t even wait until the smoke from the explosion cleared before I leaped out at the underki
ng. He jumped backward with a gleeful expression. My blade stilled found his shoulder, tasting blood. The worst part about all this was that he will be fine no matter what I did to him. He’d live on to torment and hurt others. I couldn’t dwell on that. The only objective was to kill this underking so no more of my company would die. I followed him like a predator chasing prey. His inhuman speed was useless now that I cut his shoulder in his sword arm.

  Soon all his cyborg warriors had fallen, and the underking was surrounded. I didn’t let up on the attack, but the underking had one more trick up his sleeve. He floated off the ground and shot an explosive projectile into the ceiling, causing debris to fall to the ground. While everyone scattered, I used the debris as stepping stones. I used my rocket boots to keep my momentum up as I ascended up to the underking.

  “Magnificent.” The underking said as I reached his height and took my blade to lop off his head. The gang threat of this world has finally been neutralized, and I’ll never get thanked for it. I landed hard on the ground. As I hit the ground, my eyes went low, and my vision faded.

  Entry 14

  Phoenician Date: October 17, 1026AR

  Military Time: 09:45

  Phoenician Classified World: Alexandria Prime

  The day was grim, and I couldn’t repress it like my childhood. Blocking my feelings would be dishonoring their memory. I had to feel the pain, handle their loss, and it was a new feeling. No one cared about me in my gang, and I cared little about everyone else, but here I cared. These two men, I considered true friends, and I had to watch them get slaughtered. Never have I experienced the true depths of loss until this moment.

  Gary was always a ray of sunshine, and he kept a positive attitude no matter the outcome. Many were hurt from his absence, Maria out of all of them. Even in his weakest moments, he was still glorious. The Shield’s Pledge came to my mind. Flawed but glorious. That was Gary, in a nutshell. I would never forget how he accepted me despite my past. Before, my dream of becoming a Vindicator was flimsy at best. But now, it was reinforced with the blood of a fallen comrade. I needed to accomplish this dream for both of us.