When the explosions first appeared, the squad of Rebirth Troopers hiding in front of the armory knew it was their moment.

James and Frank, the two lieutenants under Ford, drew their Defender-Cs and waved forward. “Charge! For Rebirth!”

“For Rebirth!”

The twenty or so Rebirth Troopers behind them jumped out of their cover with their Defender-Is ready. Whatever their doubts were, it was too late to turn back now. They moved straight for the entrance of the armory, hoping to catch the defenders by surprise.

As the first Rebirth Trooper ran through the field, he suddenly came to an interesting conclusion.

Since when did he become the one leading the charge? Shouldn’t that be the role of the two lieutenants?

In the back, Lieutenant James sighed and turned away.

“Sorry boys.”

In front of the armory, seeing the rogue Rebirth Troopers charging forward, the Assault Troopers weren’t fazed. In fact, they were expecting the attack.

The Rebirth Troopers soon knew why.

Inside the armory. Out of corners in the perimeter. Over fifty Assault Troopers showed themselves and quickly moved into position. Two Leopard APCs drove out of their hiding place and turned their Gauss Machine guns to face the Rebirth Troopers.

Immediately, the table was turned, and the twenty Rebirth Trooper rebels realized they were the ones in trouble.

“Oh god…” The Rebirth Troopers looked around. They were loyal to Ford, but this was an impossible situation! The foes they were supposed to surprise were more prepared than they were! They were outgunned, outnumbered, and outflanked!

Finally, the first Rebirth Trooper dropped his weapon in defeat. Soon, all of his comrades followed.

The Assault Troopers turned to their Commander for instructions, and they got it.

“Colonel Hunter’s orders.” Facing the unarmed, defeated Rebirth rebels, the Phasewalker Commander declared coldly. “No survivors.”

The Phasewalker Corps needed men and women who would give their lives for the cause, not ticking time-bombs that can explode any moment. Twenty locals? They could be replaced.

No survivors.

Then so be it.

The Assault Troopers opened fire. The Leopard APCs opened fire. The Commander's Defender-C opened fire.

Within moments, all twenty Rebirth Troopers fell dead where they stood. Their blood stained the ground red.

When the survivors from Rebirth became refitted as Rebirth Troopers, most of them were more than happy with the change. Yes. Strict orders and disciplines, instilled by foreign officers named Commissars inserted into the ranks, were problematic, but that was no longer a problem compared to the food, shelter, and protection Fortress Alpha provided.

But now, all that has been put at risk.

When the explosions went off, many Rebirth Troopers wondered what happened. But before they could do anything, hundreds of Phasewalkers, including the 2nd Battalion, the 5th Battalion, and most of the 4th Battalion, surrounded the two Rebirth Battalions.

With the help of Phasewalker armored vehicles, as well as the Rebirth officers, the Phasewalkers disarmed all Rebirth Troopers. Through all the fire and fury, the Rebirth Troopers were forced to remain right where they were, under a thousand guns of the Phasewalker Corps.

When Ford was finally taken down, Caity and Ryan arrived here. The Rebirth Troopers had their doubts, and the Colonel in command of the 1st Phasewalker Regiment was there to ease it.

Caity walked onto an elevated stage. She was followed by Ryan, Cara, as well as a few figures the Rebirth Troopers were familiar with. Zhao. Taylor. James and Frank.

“Soldiers of Rebirth!” Caity raised her voice. “I’m sure you have all been wondering what all this commotion is about. Here’s my answer! Half an hour ago, your former leader, Ford, walked into my Command Center with the intention to murder me in my own house!”

She was as blunt as always.

That was already enough to raise a wave of whispers and chatters among the surrounded, unarmed Rebirth Troopers. Fear and doubt appeared on the faces of these men. Their understanding of Ford was still that of the Tier 2 Mutant who risked his own life to defend his own people. A few Rebirth Troopers were obviously furious. If they weren’t already disarmed, they would’ve drawn their weapons already.

But Caity was ready for this. She waved her hand, and a few Security Troopers pulled over a speaker and played an audio file.

Soon, the familiar voice of Ford echoed through the field.

“James. Frank. I want you two to go through our people and select the loyalists. When the time comes, storm the fortress’s armory and access all the firepower.”

“Taylor. Kane. I will take you two and find an excuse and have a meeting with Caity Hunter. When she sees us, we take out her and every member of the Phasewalker High Command we can find. In the resulting chaos, we will seize this so-called Fortress Alpha...”

That was enough to put down whatever doubts the Rebirth Troopers had. People lie. Recordings don’t.

Behind Caity, Ryan’s lips curved up proudly.

Ford never stood a chance. Why? Caity and the Phasewalkers knew what he was planning from the very beginning. How? Well, when Ford discussed the plan with his underlings, they did so in a room the Phasewalkers gave them. Knowing that Ford couldn’t be trusted and might rebel, Caity placed enough secret cameras and recorders in that room to make the NSA jealous.

Ford didn't even suspect it. Neither he nor his subordinates even considered the thought of being spied on. After all, when people think about an apocalyptic world, hidden cameras would be the last to come to their minds.

Knowing what Ford was trying to do, Caity immediately went on to limit the damage done by the rebellion. Ryan personally led a few Security Troopers and paid Ford’s two lieutenants a visit. He offered them a choice. Remain loyal to Ford and die, or switch their banners, rise in the ranks, and live.

Both lieutenants made the same choice. They considered themselves absolute loyalists of Ford, but at the moment where their decisions mattered the most, their loyalty crumbled into dust.

Taylor was actually a little different. The Phasewalkers didn't try to confront the Mutants because if the Mutants chose to fight, they couldn’t be taken down quietly and it could warn Ford from walking into the trap. However, two days ago, right after meeting with Ford, Taylor came to Caity and confessed what Ford was planning.

Unlike Ford, she still had a conscious left. She was never going to turn on the people who made sacrifices and saved her people. She only asked one thing in return: Ford and his co-conspirators be released after they were taken down.

A second chance.

But Caity could never allow a powerful Mutant out there, lurking in the shadows and potentially taking his retribution on Fortress Alpha when it was the most vulnerable. An opportunity like this to exterminate a powerful hostile Mutant was too good to miss. So, Caity made a counteroffer: If Taylor could change Ford’s mind before everything went down, Caity would show him mercy.

Taylor tried and failed.

On the stage, Caity Hunter continued. This time, her words weren’t as hostilely opposed by the Rebirth Troopers. It was painfully clear that their former leader was the one at fault here. Caity only did what any responsible leader would do to protect her people.

“I have made it clear since the very beginning that if any of you don’t like Fortress Alpha here, you are free to leave. The choice has always been yours! Yet, some of you have decided to turn against us! We lost thirty of our own people to save you, and this is how you repay our sacrifice?”

Countless Rebirth Troopers lowered their head in shame as Caity’s voice continued.

“I am a fair person. For those who return our generosity with loyalty, I reward you! Taylor!”

The former Rebirth Tier 1 Mutants walked forward.

“Taylor, to reward your loyalty, I assign you as the Major in command of the 1st Rebirth Battalion!”

She took Ford’s place. Taylor nodded her head in gratitude.

“James! Frank!”

The two lieutenants stepped forward.

“I assign you two the rank of Captain. You will be the second in command of the 1st and 2nd Rebirth Battalion.”

“Thank you, Colonel Hunter. We will not let you down.”

Caity smirked. People like James and Frank...how trustworthy were they? Ford trusted them, but when their lives were at risk, they sold him out without much thought. And when Caity demanded that they send their followers, men who would literally follow them down to the gates of hell, to die, they said yes.

Even Taylor was more trustworthy than those two. Caity had to make an example of them and reward them for their obedience, but there was no way she would possibly put them in positions too crucial. The moment she got the chance, these two had to go.

Now that the loyalists have been rewarded...it was time to punish the traitors.

“And to those who answer my generosity with betrayal, I shall gift them one thing: a quick death.” Caity’s tone suddenly turned darker as she hissed. She turned to Ryan and nodded.

Ryan stepped down the stage and waved his hand. Immediately, Security Troopers dove into the crowd of Rebirth Troopers and, from both battalions, dragged out individual Rebirth Troopers. Many of those Troopers resisted, but it was useless against the fierce Security Troopers. All the other Rebirth Troopers stood by and watched as their brothers were dragged away.

Finally, ten Rebirth Troopers were forced to kneel down on the stage. Caity stood behind them.

“These men are ordered to turn you against us in the moment of chaos!” She announced, scanning across the expressions of the Rebirth Troopers down below. “And now, they shall pay for their treachery!” She turned and nodded at Ryan once again, signaling him to proceed.

The Commissar stepped to face a Rebirth rebel and drew his Defender-C, pressing the weapon against his forehead. Many of the Rebirth Troopers below turned away, but again, they made no attempt to intervene. Staring into the man's eyes, Ryan gave a final offer.

“Any last words, traitor?”

“Fuck you!“

Ryan shot him in the head and watched as his body hit the ground in a pool of blood and gore.

The field was silent. Ryan slowly walked to the second rebel and faced him the same way he faced the first trooper.

“Any last words?”

“You will die for this!”

Bang.

“Any last words?”

“Please! Please! Show mercy! We were just doing what we were told!”

Bang.

“Any last words?”

…

As the last rebel bit the dust, Ryan quietly returned to behind Caity. He could tell a lot of frightened eyes were on him. Many were from Rebirth Troopers whose comrades he just brutally executed. Others were from his fellow Phasewalkers, horrified by the sight of a fellow Phasewalker killing ten people without batting an eye. Yet, Ryan didn't flinch.

Cleansing the traitors. This was his job. That was his duty.

The field was dead silent as Caity glanced across the lines of Rebirth Troopers. All this was to teach these men a simple lesson. Obey, and you would have anything you want, whether it was rank, food, or anything else.

Disobey, and you would be punished by death. No amount of begging or prayers could save you.

Now, it was time to end the show.

“Dismissed!”

Three days have gone by since the massacre.

The Rebirth Troopers were put to work. The fact that there were hundreds more personnel in Fortress Alpha came at a small price. More Phasewalkers had to be allocated to transporting resources across the Portal, and more Phasewalker guards were posted at the Portal. As for the moment, the Rebirth foot soldiers couldn’t know about their Earth.

But that price was well worth it. The Rebirth civilians helped with many of the construction works while the two Rebirth Support Battalions helped to free many Phasewalkers from casual tasks such as patrolling or acting as sentries.

Fortress Alpha’s communication with Camp York continued. Every other day, a convoy would arrive from Camp York. They would return, loaded with food, drinks, and whatever their Mutant overlords desired. Usually, a few Security Troopers stationed at Camp York would come home for some R&R as well. Sometimes, they would even be replaced so they could take trips back home and see their families.

The satellites and the airfield were still under construction, which kept the Phasewalkers from diving deep into New Sara. Instead, the Phasewalkers focused on sending small hunting parties into the city for scavenging tasks. They returned with countless gadgets that more than pleased the Section X scientists.

Even more good news arrived. After some rather risky training that took them over a month, pilots of the 2nd Airborne Battalion could finally proudly announce that they had some knowledge on flying Arbiter X support crafts the Phasewalkers discovered from the warehouses of Fort Sentinel. They wouldn't be doing fancy tricks in the air, but they at least had a hang on the basics.

Arbiter X Support Crafts, also known as Arbiter X Gunships, were low-altitude aircrafts with turbofans and propulsion engines. Just like attack choppers, they didn't need specifically constructed runways to lift off, but their speed and agility outclassed the attack choppers the Phasewalkers have been using by countless times.

As a matter of fact, it was suspected that it was physically impossible to fully utilize the capabilities of the Arbiter X Gunships simply because the pilots didn't have the neural reflexes necessary.

Each Arbiter X could carry 15 troopers inside. Modifications could be made to fit 30, at the expense of some weapon systems. Speaking of weapon systems...Arbiter Xs were armed with “Terminator” air-to-ground missile pods and Gauss Machine guns for general purposes.

The Phasewalkers only had 5 of such Arbiter X, but these 5 aircrafts were enough to train dozens of pilots. When the time came and more Arbiter Xs were incorporated into the Corps, the air support available to the Phasewalkers could get a giant boost quickly.

The Phasewalkers were getting stronger and stronger by the day, but at what cost?