Bab 8: "Clash of Ideologies: Shawn's Dilemma in Lithium Ero Zone"

While the UPKF was deciding it's fate or you can say 'move'. Shawn had to deal with a moral dilemma.

8 days before the infiltration of 'Oak Bay Town' :

Shawn POV :

I woke up after a dreadful night of sleep, the kind where nightmares haunt you until the morning light. The cold wind of this desolate planet pierced through my bones, and the rays of G-404 made me squint as I stumbled out of my tent. The burning sensation on my skin gave me a familiar sense of comfort. My hair whipped around in the wind as I struggled to adjust to the temperature after a warm sleep.

As I step out of my tent, I see the Lithium Ero Zone residents gathered on the outskirts of our camp, protesting against the UPKF's presence on their planet.

The Lithium Ero Zone residents are seen exhibiting their disapproval for The UPKF. Their voices echo through the air as they raise their voices in a protest, with their shouts and chants creating an intense and charged atmosphere. The chants and shouts of the Lithium Ero Zone residents can be heard loud and clear, as they shout "Our planet, our rules, no more corporate tools!", "UPKF, hear our voice, Lithium Ero is not your choice!", "We don't need your help, we don't need your greed, UPKF, leave us be!", and "Lithium Ero's fate is not for you to decide, UPKF, step aside!" the voices are loud and clear, with a mix of anger, frustration, and helplessness evident in their tone.

I know that we have to maintain our composure and not let their emotions get to us. But I feel a stinging emotion in my soul but I mock myself for it, 'There is no place for emotions of pity in a world like this.'

But I can't help but feel a sense of empathy towards the protestors. They have their reasons for wanting independence, and it's not my place to judge them.

But, I also know that the UPKF has its own reasons for being here. The Lithium Ero Zone is rich in resources that the UPKF needs for its military strength. It's a difficult situation, and I can't help but wonder if there's a way to resolve it peacefully.

I continue with my daily routine gloating at myself for my rebellious thoughts before I go to bed the last night and trying to ignore the protests outside our camp. As the Lithium Ero Zone residents continued their protest, the tension in the air escalated. Suddenly, a few of the residents picked up stones from the ground and hurled them at the UPKF personnel stationed at the campsite. The stones flew through the air, and some of them hit the ultrasound producers, causing damage to the equipment.

In response to this I immediately ordered my team to spring into action, as they hear my orders the UPKF personnel immediately sprang into action. They activated their ultrasound producers, and within seconds, the stones that were thrown at them were shattered into dust. The residents were taken aback by this display of technology, and their protest was momentarily silenced.

The ultrasound producers were incredibly effective, and the UPKF personnel made sure that they were used with precision and accuracy. With each activation of the equipment, the stones were destroyed before they could cause any harm, and the protesters realized that they were no match for the advanced technology of the UPKF.

The ultrasound producers caused shockwaves in the surrounding air and cause a adrenaline rush in the personnel using it.

As the ultrasound producers got to work, the sound of stones hitting the equipment was replaced by the sound of shattering stones, and the Lithium Ero Zone residents were left with no choice but to retreat, realizing that their protests were no match for the superior technology of the UPKF.

I can see the exhaustion in the faces of my team members, as great technolgy's usage always comes with a price.

We have been stationed here for weeks now, constantly on alert and ready to respond to any threats. The days blend into each other, and time seems to stand still in this desolate wasteland. The protests slowly subside as the protestors finding it of no use to stay anymore. But there was a spark of resentment in each and every protestor present there.

"Violence is never the key, anybody who is reading this can remember that." But I had no choice, you really don't know me yet, I can bet you can't list 3 points about me so let me introduce myself for you.

My name is Shawn, Captain of the 63rd Battalion of the 'Sword Legion', I belong to the UPKF's War or you can put it in the way UPKF says it "Peace-keeping Department"

Now, let me tell you more about the war department of the UPKF, it consists of three legions leading the way :

(I) The first one is the 'Dreg Legions', comprised of weak and incompetent people. They are only deployed as a delaying tactic in wars and as a distraction during military operations. They are basically used as cannon fodder. The public has given them nicknames such as "Bugs in the System", "Momentary Lapse of Progress", "Casualties Imminent", "Last in Line for Healing", and "Not Worth the Effort".

(II) The second division is the 'Shield Legions'. They are mainly there to establish the defenses of the Sword Legions. They have popular nicknames like "Moment of Silence", "Pleased to Meet You", "Front towards the Enemy", and "End of the Line".

(III) Now, the third and most critical division is the 'Sword Legions'. This is where the real action happens. We prepare all the counterattacks and are one of the main components in the UPKF's war-machine. Our popular nicknames are "Flawless Execution", "Damned Good", "The Hanging Blade", "Inevitable Outcome", and "A Taste for Carnage".

I belong to the 'Sword Legion', and we are currently stationed in the 'Lithium Ero Zone', tasked with curbing the demands for independence by the residents of this planet. Eleven casualties in just one day of protests, it's a sad reality of the world we live in.

The wind continued to blow around me, and the rays of G-404 continued to beat down on my skin. I slowly take a seat in the charred ground below and and ponder about the world's hypocrisy. You may wonder I am some old monster for speaking such philosophical words but I am telling you 1 day is enough for you to become like I am. Just one day.

But today, something is different. The air is thick with tension, and I can feel it in my bones. There's a sense of impending danger lurking just around the corner. I don't know what it is, but I can feel it.

As we gather for our morning briefing, I can see the concern etched on the faces of my fellow soldiers. We are all aware that tensions have been rising between the UPKF and the Lithium Ero residents, and we had our first clash mere minutes ago.

Before my morning briefing starts I ponder about the traitor situation that Commanding Officer Steven told my team the other day. After working in the 'War Department' for a while now I realize that this UPKF is not as simple as it looks. It's true meaning isn't in its abbreviation which is 'Universal Peace Keeping Forces.' Peace-keeping forces are a joke to mess with the public. I bloody work in these forces and murdering and fighting protestors isn't exactly my definition of peace.

'I need to investigate this traitor situation', I think to myself. But before I ponder more, a hologram gets displayed in front of us while my whole team is getting ready to have a seat for the briefing.

The Hologram shines with the message; "Commanding Officer Steven won't be giving you today's briefing as he is caught up with some "work", but I am here to relay you the order from the higher-ups. Our intelligence forces stationed on this planet have found a plot involving a group of rebels trying to attack the capital city 'Aaria' with brute force; our stronghold there has asked for assistance as the rebel force threatens the stability of our presence."

I felt a chill run down my spine as the hologram states it's purpose. The news of a rebel attack on our stronghold was not something I was prepared for. The tension in the air was palpable as my team members exchanged worried glances. We were trained to handle tough situations, but an attack on the capital city was a whole different ball game.

I could feel my heart racing as I tried to process the situation. Was this related to the traitor that Commanding Officer Steven had warned us about? I had to find out. My mind raced with the possibilities, the potential consequences of failure.

The hologram continued, "Your battalion has been chosen to provide assistance to the stronghold. You are to report to the command center immediately and prepare for deployment. This is a critical situation, and the UPKF is counting on you to handle it with professionalism and efficiency."

I swallowed hard, my mind already racing with the logistics of the mission. My mind starts drawing out a plan, First I have to find the root cause for this insurgency and secondly I have to know the timings of the attack this insurgency as this could have devastating consequences for oir presence on this planet.

As my team gathered their gear and prepared to move out, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Was the rebellion on this planet been brewing for months as the tensions were high? This mission had the potential to go sideways quickly.

But as a member of the Sword Legion, it wasn't like me to turn my back now on my brothers who share the same feelings as mine. I started overthinking pretty bad as I started to shiver because of the negative things that could potentially happen.

I quickly recollect myself by taking some deep breaths and I shout to my teamates to assemble in the briefing room to inform them about the plan to quell the insurgency. team, and we prepare to leave our camp.

The plan is as follows ...