Blackstar Squad Prequel Stories
Relocation
"Greetings, citizens of the republic. This is an official announcement. In light of recent plots by terrorists backed by the High Prince of Kelt, the senate has decreed that our capital, Aurora Argenta, will no longer welcome those of Kelti descent. We ask for everyone's full cooperation in removing these foreigners from our great city.
"In the coming weeks, the republic army will be relocating Kelti from all districts of the city. Do not interrupt their work, and inform the local authorities if any foreigners resist the relocation process. Citizens requiring remedial spans may apply for posts as guards or drivers at the recruitment posts in each district."
Captain Emil gestured to his squad, having them fan out in groups of two or three. Each of them had at least one person holding a tablet, displaying the residences of all known Kelti inhabitants of the Dusk District. They moved quickly, knocking on house and apartment doors and announcing their warrants. Within minutes, doors were being kicked in or micro-charges set to blow the locks.
As the captain observed his soldiers, Adjutant Annika waved down a pair of trucks. She nodded back to her CO, indicating that they were prepared to move the first batch when they arrived.
There was a flurry of confusion among the neighborhood as soldiers asked people to step outside and present their resident documentation. Citizens and foreigners alike seemed confused; the initial announcement about the relocation had only been an hour before, and not everyone was aware of the decree. A few belligerent residents began shouting at the soldiers, forcing the adjutant to step in.
"Do not question a soldier of the republic! It is only through our service that the republic continues to stand." Annika glanced at the papers of one of the angry residents. "What is his citizen status?"
"Let's see..." The soldier holding the documents cross-referenced them with the database from his tablet. "Name is Conor, which sounds Kelti to me... Resident ID number... says status is 'foreigner'."
"I've lived here for my entire life!" The man growled, standing up straight and towering over Annika. "My parents and their parents lived in this city. My family was here even before the Argent Republic existed!"
"All of that may be true, but you are Kelti. Only those of Argenti descent can be citizens of the republic." Annika motioned with her head. "Take him to the truck."
"I will not be dragged from my home!" The man called Conor shouted, pulling a kitchen knife from behind his back and brandishing it. "I've done everything I can for this city, even with people like you refusing to acknowledge it."
The nearby soldiers reached for their weapons, and Annika flinched as the man took a step toward her. A gunshot rang out, and the knife flew from Conor's hand. Everyone turned to see Captain Emil holding up his smart pistol, its laser targeting Conor's wrist.
"Threatening a member of the republic military is a grave crime." Captain Emil glared at Conor, then slowly lowered the weapon. "Do not resist. Criminals will be shot without trial while carrying out this decree."
Conor slowly shook his head, gritting his teeth. "This isn't right. This is our home."
"It was your home. The senate has decided that is no longer the case." The captain holstered his pistol, then indicated the way to the truck. "It is time for you to be relocated."
For a moment, Annika wondered if Conor was going to continue to resist. But all of a sudden, he slumped his shoulders and let the soldiers lead him to the truck. Sighing with relief, she nodded her thanks to the captain.
The captain and adjutant continued through the neighborhood, calling out residents and having their citizen status verified. Things moved smoothly at first, but starting with the fourth batch things got complicated. Some of the residents had realized what was happening, and a few armed residents barricaded themselves in an office building, firing at soldiers who came near.
Arriving at the perimeter, Captain Emil took out his binoculars and scanned the building quickly. As he observed, he spoke to a nearby soldier. "Any demands? How many were seen going in?"
"We think there are about two dozen hostiles inside, alongside a dozen or so hostages, mostly children. No demands have been made."
"Any ID on them?" Emil asked, spotting a few of the hostiles in a window before they hid behind cover.
"We believe most of them are Kelti who are resisting relocation, but we saw a few citizens among them."
"As hostages, or hostiles?"
"Hostiles." The soldier responded, sighing as she shook her head. "Orders?"
"Announce that the citizens have ten minutes to lay down their weapons and exit the building before they are branded as traitors. After that time has passed, eliminate any remaining hostiles. Lethal force authorized." Captain Emil put his binoculars away and looked at the soldier. "Afterward, retrieve any surviving Kelti and march them to the trucks."
"Understood, sir!" The soldier saluted, then hurried to relay the orders.
Meanwhile, Annika was supervising the relocation effort further into the district. A part of her felt pity for a few of the citizens, seeing them separated from loved ones, but she shrugged it off... they didn't have to marry and start families with resident foreigners.
During a sweep of an apartment where some residents had resisted, Annika found herself alone in a ransacked bedroom. She glanced around, seeing the scattered belongings. She wondered if the senate had any plans to reimburse the relocated Kelti for the property they held in the city. Even if their current belongings had to be checked for dangerous materials, it would be difficult for them to move without something to work with.
As Annika turned to leave, she heard a sneeze. Turning back into the room, she saw a closet with its handle torn away. Walking over, she forced the door open, finding a young girl crouched under a pile of clothes.
"...What is going on?"
Annika frowned, kneeling down. "What is your name? Is this your home?"
"...Where did those people take my dad?" The girl was holding herself, as if she might fall apart if she wasn't clutching her knees close.
"Is your father Kelti? If so, we have to move them." Annika said softly, reaching out. "What's your name?"
"...Maeve." The girl muttered, taking Annika's hand.
Annika helped the girl stand up. "That sounds like a Kelti name to me. Let's see if we can get you on the same truck as your father."
While Annika had Maeve processed and moved to the trucks, Captain Emil stood in the street with a group of resisters. They had not left their house when ordered to, and had attacked Emil with an unfamiliar rifle when he and his soldiers had forced their way in.
Captain Emil held up the rifle, trying to understand it. When it had been fired at him, it seemed like it had fired a laser of some kind, but it hadn't caused obvious harm. "I want this taken to HQ and scanned. It must be a new form of weapon, if it wasn't just for intimidation."
One soldier took the rifle, then left with it. Emil took in a deep breath and stared down at the four Kelti. They seemed like a nuclear family... two middle-aged adults and two adult children.
"What reason do you think you have for resisting a legal decree? You assaulted a military officer carrying out legal orders."
"Your orders are bullshit!" One of the younger Kelti shouted, a woman. "We've done nothing wrong! You can't make us leave!"
"No, we very much can." Emil motioned to his soldiers. "And you have done something wrong now. Which you must be punished for."
With a nod, the captain ordered his soldiers to execute the four resisters. After their bodies hit the pavement, Emil took one of the soldiers aside. "ID them. We'll need to specify them in the final report."
"Understood, captain." The soldier took out his tablet and began checking the IDs of the dead Kelti. Captain Emil turned and walked away, off to check on the rest of the operation.
It took most of the daylight hours, but eventually the initial relocation efforts for the Dusk District were complete. As the last trucks drove out of the city, Captain Emil and Adjutant Annika checked their active report on their tablets.
"All known Kelti residents seem to be accounted for." Annika noted as she checked the database. "Sounds like it wasn't as comprehensive in some of the other districts."
"We got lucky. Most of those who resisted did so violently enough that we could simply execute them." Captain Emil adjusted his uniform. "We also started earlier in the day, giving them less time to go into hiding."
Annika nodded along as she read more of the report so far. "By the way, captain, do we know where the trucks are taking them? Is there a specific city the Kelti are being moved to?"
"I'm not certain... it wasn't in the briefing. Perhaps they're being sent back to Kelt." Emil shrugged. "It is of no consequence to us. We did our duty to the republic today."
"I suppose you're right." Annika grinned, feeling a hint of pride in her chest. "It feels good to accomplish something."
"Hold onto that feeling, adjutant." Captain Emil put his tablet away and locked eyes with Annika. "Citizenship is enhanced by service. If you remember that, no perk will seem to require too many spans. Who knows...? Perhaps one day you can join the senate."
"Understood, captain." Annika nodded enthusiastically. "Our report is nearly finished... Shall we return to base?"
"Yes. Today's mission is complete."
Recruitment: Lilith
Instead of her alarm, a sharp knocking at the door jolted Hilda from sleep. She quickly got up from her bunk in the small, sparse provisional barracks and hurried to the door. When she pressed the button for it to open, she saw two women standing in the hallway, one wearing loose fatigues and the other wearing an officer's uniform.
Checking the rank insignia on the officer's sleeve, Hilda quickly saluted. "Major." She inwardly cringed at being seen in her bedclothes by a superior, but she assumed there was a reason she was woken before the usual time.
Without providing her name, the officer nodded her head. "At ease, Commander Hilda."
Hilda relaxed her stance, hands behind her back. She examined the officer, noting the hints of age lining her stern face. She reasoned that this was a long-service officer, one with an intention of joining the senate.
Beside the officer, the other woman was taller and had longer, dark hair with red highlights. She seemed tense, as if she wanted to be anywhere else. Her eyes darted between the two officers, and she seemed to be gnashing her teeth together nervously.
"Excuse the early visit, but unfortunately Lilith only just arrived on the shuttle and has nowhere else to stay in the outpost, so I figured it was best to introduce her now." The major indicated the woman beside her with one hand. "This is Private Lilith, your first subordinate for Blackstar Squad."
"...Commander." Lilith said awkwardly, giving a quick salute.
The major sighed and shook her head before turning back to Hilda. "I would like to reassure you that the rest of your team will be more... suitable."
"What do you mean by that, major?" Hilda asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Lilith has made a habit of... challenging orders." The major glared at Lilith for a brief moment, causing the private to flinch. "While her combat record is impeccable, most of her spans have been invalidated for insubordination."
"I will keep that in mind." Hilda stated, trying to remain tactful.
"I recommend checking her records yourself when you have the time. She will be a handful, but the senators who sponsored your team believe she can still be of use to the republic." The major nodded, as if that settled the matter. "I will leave you two to introduce yourselves."
Once the major left and the door shut behind her, Hilda further relaxed her posture. After waiting almost a minute to ensure the major didn't return, Hilda forced a smile. "Welcome to the team, Lilith."
"...I'll try not to fuck things up." Lilith muttered, looking around the barracks. "I'd ask which bed is mine, but it seems like we only have three here..."
"You can have either of the bunks I'm not using." Hilda pointed out her unmade sheets, her smile strained. "I apologize for the undisciplined state things are in... I didn't expect a meeting before the morning alarm."
"N-nah... it's fine by me..." Lilith sighed, dropping a bag onto one of the empty bunks and sitting down. "Besides, it's not like I have any right to get mad about an unmade bed..."
Hilda glanced at the door, as if she could sense if anyone was in the hallway that way. Then she walked over to Lilith and leaned in. "Hey... Lilith, right? While we're just with the team in the barracks like this, don't worry about the usual decorum, alright?"
Lilith stared at Hilda, as if trying to guess whether this was a test. "Huh?"
"I've seen enough problems from my subordinates feeling like they couldn't talk to me. As long as it's not outright treason, I want to hear from my teammates."
"...Okay." Lilith sighed, laying down on the bed and seeming to finally relax. "Fuck, you better not be some intelligence agent trying to trick me..."
"We don't have the resources to toy with one soldier like that." Hilda said teasingly, moving to make her bed and get dressed.
Lilith glanced up from the bunk, then shook her head. "You're a weird one, boss..."
Over the following days, Hilda slowly got Lilith to open up. As Hilda expected from Lilith's military record, the private was not particularly patriotic. Before long, Hilda discovered why: Lilith had grown up in a city on the Greckland border, and had known a lot of Grecki growing up, before the relocations had begun.
Patriotism wasn't exactly a requirement for the republic military... service was mandatory, after all. But Hilda knew from her years as a lieutenant that soldiers would collapse under the pressures of battle without a reason to fight. And so she tried to befriend Lilith, despite the explicit regulations against such behavior, hoping to build unit cohesion in a way that felt more human to her.
Even though she knew it would be risky when the rest of her team was assigned if they turned out to be more by-the-book, Hilda allowed Lilith to vent about her frustrations with the republic. One or two nights, Hilda remained awake listening to Lilith rant about times she had been given orders that would have led to her unit being wiped out. Even when Hilda could sense that Lilith's unit was meant to be a sacrificial pawn in a larger strategy, she stayed quiet or agreed with Lilith's decisions.
One morning, Hilda and Lilith were showering together when Hilda realized that Lilith was staring at her. She tilted her head at Lilith in a silent question.
"Uh... I've been wondering..." Lilith bit her lip as she stared at Hilda's hair. "Is that... natural?"
Hilda smirked, recalling the reactions of her peers when she had arrived to the summons to lead Blackstar Squad with pink hair. "I do hear that some people get gene therapy for their children to have special hair colors, but it's not something that's common here in the republic... nor something my family was interested in."
"In that case, why pink?" Lilith played with her own highlights. "I'd also ask how you got enough dye to do all your hair, but your hair is shorter than mine and you aren't serving remedial spans..."
"It was..." Hilda sighed, turning into the warm water of the shower. "When I was young, I recall reading a story about a Kelti princess that I really liked. On the cover of the book, she had pink hair." She shrugged. "When I thought I was going back to civilian life, I figured... why not? I had requisition credits to spend."
Lilith nodded slowly, feeling like she was in risky territory. She didn't want to bring up sad memories in her commanding officer, not when this one actually seemed to like her. "...What color is your hair normally?"
"Blonde. 'Berry' Blonde." Hilda grinned. "Which is probably what the illustration was meant to represent anyway."
"Well, it helps tell you apart this way." Lilith gave a wide shrug, then went back to washing off. "Thanks for telling me, boss. I hope it wasn't too weird of a question."
"Don't worry about it." Hilda gave a positive gesture to Lilith. Seeing her subordinate smile in response, Hilda almost dared to have hope in this new assignment.
Recruitment: Kristina
Kristina felt like she was in an interrogation, sitting at the table in a sealed room with two military intelligence agents sitting across from her. The two agents looked over files on their tablets as Kristina tried to keep from fidgeting in her seat.
"Researcher Kristina." One of the agents, a young man, looked up from the tablets. "You are certain that there is no way to recover the data for Project Talon?"
"...Yes. I am certain."
The other agent, a middle-aged woman with cropped hair, put her tablet down to glare at Kristina. "Do you recognize the damage you have done to the republic with your negligence? That weapon could have been the answer to Greckland's robot soldiers, maybe even the robot titans."
"I... understand..."
"Do you, Kristina?" The woman leaned closer, her voice rising in volume. "If you understood, why did you not take extra precautions? Why was the entire project schematic contained within a single device, which could easily be lost, stolen, or destroyed?"
Kristina shivered, trying to keep her voice from cracking. "I was told to keep it off the network. Everyone working on the project knew it wasn't to be moved from that device."
The man wrote something on his tablet, then looked at Kristina again. "We will no longer allow such essential projects to be isolated from the network. However, it is still your responsibility for losing the device."
"The only way I could have saved it from the blast is if I knew the lab was being targeted, and covered the computer with my body."
Even as Kristina said the words, she realized that they were dooming her. The research for Project Talon was far more valuable than the life of one researcher. The two agents looked at each other, as if debating who should be the one to inform Kristina that she should have died to save the schematics from the attack.
"She lacks discipline." The older agent, the woman, finally said. "I maintain my position that it is a mistake for researchers to be exempt from conditioning."
"Perhaps you are correct. The newer researchers are too soft these days." The man turned back to Kristina. "It says on your records that you completed officer training... perhaps serving as a lieutenant will teach you the discipline you need to serve the republic."
"She wouldn't last a day in a normal unit, not without putting her through conditioning first."
"Perhaps there is a special unit for her, then..." The agent tapped at his tablet, seeming to have an idea.
Kristina chewed on her lip, realizing that her fate was no longer in her own hands. She sat in terrified silence as the two agents conferred, deciding on how to punish her for not saving the weapon research data.
When Hilda and Lilith were informed they were getting their third member and would soon be undertaking official missions, they were not expecting the slender and timid young woman that was introduced to them by a military intelligence agent.
"This is Lieutenant Kristina." The agent explained, pointing to the nervous woman. "Be sure to read her records carefully. Most of the details of her service are redacted, but you should be aware that she was originally exempt from direct combat service."
"Big brain, tiny body?" Lilith whispered to Hilda, awkwardly raising an eyebrow.
Ignoring Lilith so the private wouldn't get into trouble, Hilda nodded to the agent. "Thank you for the warning. I will be sure to read her profile before we get our first mission."
The agent left, and Hilda led her team back to their barracks. She pointed out which bunk would be Kristina's, then watched with worry as the petite woman unpacked her scant belongings.
"This is fucking bad, boss." Lilith muttered, leaning in close. "Did you piss someone off? This looks like it's going to be a rejects' team."
"...You know how things are these days, Lilith." Hilda forced a rueful smile. "Have to make do with what we get."
"...Still sucks being the trash that's being used to plug the holes." Lilith sighed, then turned to look at Kristina. "So, former researcher, I take it? Are you one of the minds behind the new energy shields for 'power armor'?"
"Um... not quite..." Kristina sat on the bunk, averting her gaze. "That was before my time..."
"Uh, didn't it just get out of prototype this year...?" Lilith's eyes widened with concern as she glanced at Hilda.
"I, uh... I was only a researcher for about a year or so..."
Lilith's eyes somehow got even wider, and she stepped back to let Hilda take the lead. Hilda sat on the bunk across from Kristina and leaned in toward her. "Sounds like you're still pretty young, then. Why did they transfer you to a combat role?"
"...It's classified, I think." Kristina shrugged weakly. "I messed up. They said I needed more discipline."
Hilda nodded slowly, not wanting to push the matter if it would get Kristina in trouble. "Well, in that case, we should run some training simulations. The higher-ups want the team to start running missions soon, even if we aren't fully staffed yet. We'll want to be ready, which means we need to know what everyone's capabilities are."
As the holographic enemies of the simulation vanished and the room reconfigured the environment, Hilda sighed deeply and pulled off her helmet. "Right, that could have gone better..."
Lilith and Kristina were struggling to their feet, the haptic feedback from the training armor having knocked them prone from taking too many hits. While they recovered, Hilda went to the rack of training weapons and grabbed a pistol and scanner. Returning to Kristina, she held out the equipment, indicating that Kristina should trade her rifle for the new gear.
"For now, we're going to set you up with a smart pistol and combat scanner." Hilda demonstrated the settings on the pistol. "When the targeting computer is on, the gun will try to curve the trajectory of the bullet toward your target."
"Y-yeah, I know... I worked on the targeting system's updates for a bit..." Kristina sighed as she exchanged weapons. "So you want me on support, then? Marking and backup?"
"Exactly."
Lilith stretched her shoulders and neck, sighing. "You know these aren't real enemies, right, lieutenant?" She frowned at Kristina. "You keep freezing up the moment you get spotted. You need to at least dive for cover, or you're going to get ripped apart."
Hilda sighed. "Lilith, try to be a bit more tactful. Especially when we're somewhere you might be recorded, and you're addressing an officer."
"...Right. Good point." Lilith looked away, chastened, and fiddled with her rifle settings.
"Lilith is right, though." Kristina shook her head. "I don't know how to--... I keep locking up..."
"For now, the best we can do is run the simulation until you learn." Hilda patted Kristina on the shoulder. "Start it up."
The three kept at it, using the training room until it was scheduled for use by another unit. Kristina slowly improved her reaction times, and switching her combat role seemed to make her more confident. Even so, Hilda couldn't help but worry. She had to wonder if she really was being set up to fail...
Senate Recess
Even though it was no longer strictly necessary under standard protocol, Senator Athena would still make time to visit the Senate Assembly building in Aurora Argenta's Dawn District when she was able to. While most senators, especially of the newest generation, preferred to use digital means to attend their committee hearings, Athena was one of the old guard from when physical attendance was mandatory. And even with reduced attendance, she felt it necessary to observe the newer members between sessions in order to study the way society was changing.
At almost 70 years old, Athena was among the oldest of active senators. While a senator usually retained their position until death, many would move on from public life in their 60s, leaving all their committees to live privately. Not only that, but during Athena's rise to prominence the span requirement for making senator was lower, and so she had served longer than most other senators. This made her an object of interest for the newest senators, who tended to be in their late 30s or early 40s.
After sitting through a session of the Grecki Front Committee where the main order of business was the logistics of removing those of Grecki descent from major cities and convincing the public to cooperate, a trio of younger senators approached where Athena was seated in the room. Athena switched off her personal holo-projector and watched the group as they approached.
"Elder senator!" One of the senators began, smiling softly. His hair was thinning and his beard stubble seemed loosely trimmed. By his demeanor, Athena reasoned he had served his spans in technological research rather than proper military service. "We noticed you didn't speak much during the session. Why is that?"
"I am not part of the Grecki Front Committee... I'm merely here as an observer today. My main focus in today's hearings is the Special Operations Committee." Athena steepled her fingers as she glanced at the trio of senators. "Did you have a question for me?"
One of the other senators, a woman with faint wrinkles but a stern jaw, nodded. "As one of the most senior senators and one who still actively serves as a general, you must have an opinion on the war with Greckland. Do you think our strategy is sound?"
Athena examined each of the senators in turn. "Are you certain you desire my take on this? Even if it does not match what you might be expecting?"
"I do." The third senator said, his face solid like stone, as if he had seen it all. "If our plan has flaws, we need to address them."
Raising an eyebrow, Athena slowly sat back in her seat. "Does that go for all of you?"
Seeing the trio all nod, Athena sighed inwardly before giving them all a piercing stare.
"This war with Greckland is damaging the republic. It is a pointless waste of resources, and exists only because of the personal vendettas of the leaders of the Grecki Front Committee."
The senators seemed taken aback by how harsh Athena's words were. She almost smirked when--with no surprise to her--the stone-faced senator suddenly became flustered and struggled to say something in response.
"How can the war be a waste? Those... that slime claims to share common ancestry with our forebears in the imperium! We cannot let that slight stand!"
Cutting him off by raising her hand, Athena replied simply: "And what is the goal of this war?"
"Eradication, of course!" The man sputtered.
"Do the leaders of your committee have that same objective?" Athena asked coldly.
The softer man replied as his companion grumbled. "Right now, our goal is containment of the threat. In particular, getting the Grecki government to retract its claims that we committed war crimes against people of Grecki descent for... genocidal intent."
"Did we not declare war upon them when they made those claims?" Athena asked rhetorically before leaning forward in her seat. "That is the fatal flaw of the current war plan on the Grecki Front: there is no plan. No realistic goal that we can achieve with our current resources. It is nothing more than blind retaliation from a select group of senators who feel personally slighted by the Grecki." She motioned toward the third senator, who was still too angry to speak.
"What would you suggest, then?" The woman asked, raising an eyebrow. "You saw the meeting today. It's like we're talking in circles around the problem, making up operations without a common strategy to guide them."
"Simple: decide on a realistic goal. Even if that goal is simply to end the war." Athena frowned deeply at the trio. "Until your committee has an honest objective, its efforts are doomed to failure."
"We cannot end the war until Greckland is dust beneath our boots!" The frustrated senator growled.
"We do not have the army to manage that. We're in a stalemate as it is..." The former scientist said, turning to the others.
The woman crossed her arms in thought. "We cannot fight the war forever. We must decide on what concessions we want from Greckland, or we'll both be weakened and thus invite another nation to invade us."
Seeing that her committee session was to begin soon, Athena quietly stood up and went to find another place to sit with her holo-projector. Seeing these newer senators bickering only served to confirm what she already believed: the republic would falter soon if its leadership did not shape up. The senate had clearly been diluted by fools and warmongers; someone had to whip them back into shape.