Bang! Bang! Bang!

The rhythmic staccato of gunfire was a constant companion within the training yard. Whether from target practice or another of the youths like myself being executed for failure.

we were soldiers bred for fighting, and dying. We succeeded and joined our brothers and sisters on the battlefield, or failed and were executed.

We could not even truly fight back, we were programmed from birth to obey all orders from a recognized commanding officer, or trainer. I had witnessed my own sister blowing her own head off, not because she had failed, but to set that fact home to us fresh cadets at the time. We were expendable, and easily replaced.

That had been when I was ten, I was eighteen now and the perfect soldier. From training, to physique, to thought process. I did as I was told, and when I was told to do it without question or thought.

I had made my first kill when I was eleven, and commanded my first squad at the age of thirteen when I had shown promise. We were pitted against each other in this training field of super soldiers. We fought to kill, and survive. We did nothing else, thought of nothing else. Friends were a myth, everyone here was a potential enemy and target.

The fact we were drilled with information about the Human Empire we were bred to serve and defend added to that brainwashing. Each of us were zealots in a cause we did not understand, or care to. We would be sent to any and all destinations once our squads were selected after this final contest.

Two Officer Cadets, myself and another, with a handpicked squad from other possible graduates numbering ten would go to battle each other in a man made structure like maze. It was designed to test our thinking ability, planning skills, and risk management. If we could make the hard choices, sacrifice the one for the many to ensure victory.

We could, and I was about to do just that. My squad still retained ten soldiers, we had killed two of our academy Brothers and Sisters already. The rest were playing a hiding game. If I were lucky, the young woman I had just sent out to draw enemy fire would survive, if not, at least it meant we had a location.

Bang!

A shot fired, her head exploded, and I turned in a fluid motion toward the flash of the bullet leaving the barrel, and unloaded three shots into the directions.

‘Kill confirmed, Alpha 3 KIA, Alpha 1,2, and 4 move forward to Enemy location and sweep for any others in the area. Kill with extreme prejudice.’

I stated through the mic, a ragged yes sir of male and female voices rang through my head set. The Soldiers in question moved, and swept the area. One more of my men died, a young male I had enjoyed using as a second in command, pity. But we had wiped out another three enemy soldiers.

‘Alpha 0, three targets confirmed kills, one KIA, orders?’

‘Alpha 2, progress deeper search and destroy. Alpha 6,9,8 flank right. Alpha 5 and 10 on me.’

‘Yes Sir!’

We moved out. I swept the area to the left of the main corridor. Bang! a bullet hit the woman to my right in the stomach, armor is an amazing factor. I swiveled my gun up onto the wall hanging with the other and shot a three round burst into the body. Our armor may be good, and would likely keep her alive, but it could not stand up to much. We had trainee armor along, after all.

‘Alpha 5 hit, 40% survival chance. Continue moving Alpha 10.’

‘Sir, yes Sir!’

‘Make that 60% Sir, I plan to fight for the Empire!’

Spirit, we would need that to quell those that wished to rise against the Empire, and our Empress. I raised her chances of survival to 70% for that alone. She was already applying the standard med kit and digging the bullet out of her stomach muscle.

We continued our sweep, finding nothing. Shots were fired and heard over our headsets, the sound echoing through the building.

‘Shot fired, penned down in central hallway, Alpha 1 down, still breathing. Request immediate backup, enemy numbers 3, last surviving squad members.’

‘Alpha 4, return fire, use alpha 1 as a shield if needed. I want them down by two when we arrive.’

‘Sir, yes Sir. For the Empire!’

I heard the scream of Alpha 1 dying, and felt nothing. It was a required sacrifice to ensure victory. We made our way, sweeping every angle, just in case Alpha 4 was wrong in the heat of the moment.

Upon arrival, Alpha 1 was dead, riddled with holes throughout her armor, and Alpha 4 was dying. But the enemy was dead. I walked up to him, seeing his battered armor, and the blood pooling around him.

“Good work Soldier, you died ensuring heroes would rise for the Empire.”

He weakly saluted me, smiling with a mouth full of blood, before responding in a weak, raspy voice.

“All glory to our Empress, all glory to the future Heroes of The Empire, to you Captain, and the rest of our Squad. Please, make it quick.”

I pulled out a Carbine Pistol that was strapped to my outer thigh, all Officer Cadets received one. They were to be used to ease the passing of a dying squad mate. I saluted him once, and shot him between the eyes, ending his pain.

“For The Empire” I stated, with utter conviction, and the rest of my squad echoed it. we left the building, moving as one, picking Alpha 5 up on our way out. She walked under her own power, the blood flow had been stopped with the med kit.

When we exited, we were met by the calm claps of military superiors, Generals, and Admirals for ground and fleet commands.

They were here to observe, and select the winning squads for their outfit. The Empress had a Proxy here as well, searching for those that might be of use to her. I prayed one day we would be graced with her magnificent presence, and have served the Empire proudly.

As it was, we stood on display. The survivors, the Victors. Myself and the Six remaining members of my squad. We would be judged, evaluated and assigned. If we were lucky, we would be chosen by a General to be used as a special squad. If we were unlucky, we would be sent to the mobile Infantry that dealt with basic uprisings, and not the true threats of the masterminds.

My Squad mates, four females, and two males were now my family. We were bonded eternal, and would now receive our names, rather than designations and numbers, and we would receive a Squad name. As it was, they were my Brothers and Sisters, the dead were only the dead.

One of the Generals approached us, his walk crisp and precise.

“You have done the Empire, your Empress, proud this day Soldiers. You have passed through the Crucible of Death and come out Victorious on the other side. The promise you have shown, has made you eligible to be selected as a General's personal Squad. Now, ATTENTION!”

We all snapped to attention, arms behind our backs, grabbing our wrists, heads held high and legs spread apart.

Another General arrived. He seemed fresh, a newly minted General in his later eighties now doubt, one of the few true benefits of our breeding was an elongated lifespan, the oldest soldier any of us had ever seen was the High General, the man who lived and breathed the Empress’ orders at nearly 300 years of age. Very few made it past age 50 however. The Empire was seldom peaceful. It spanned too far across the Star System to be peaceful for long.

“This is General Azazel! He has been given the command of overseeing the Delta Quadrant and the five planets therein. He is a new General with five Battle-cruisers, and ten Combat Grade Shuttles. You will be his first Personal Squad, if he accepts you. is that understood?”

“Sir, Yes Sir!” we all said at once.

The fit man observed us, his eyes were calculating and cold. Measuring us, weighing us, seeing if we would bend. we did not. Finally, he said at ease, we stood at ease.

“You are the survivors, and show much promise. I had to turn in countless favors to ensure I would have first selection of the countless that would graduate today. You are my pick. You will serve me, the Empire, and The Empress with utter devotion and pride. You will show me I was right to pick you. Is that understood?”

“Sir, yes Sir!”

“Good, your squad is named the Death Dealers. You will be the Angels of my swift and harsh punishment within my quadrant. Your personal names will be chosen once we arrive upon my personal Battle-cruiser. Follow me!”

He turned on his heel, and marched out. We followed, sparing not even a glance at our surroundings, our sights trained on the man that held our leash. We would be his personal hit squad, his personal Soldiers, the first of no doubt dozens.

We would die for him, and kill for him. He was our owner, and as such nothing save defiling our Empress, or Empire would break us from him. He had taken a chance, as the only method a new General could rise in prominence was through the accomplishments of his First Personal Squad. We would be the first of many, that I swore to myself. Regardless of how many of my family must die and be replaced in time, I would ensure this man rose so high that my Brothers and Sisters and I would meet our Empress, and bask in her eternal glory. This man was our present, and future. As we were his instruments to Glory, and Victory.

We moved, toward our lives as the ‘Death Dealers’ a Squad name that would live in the annals of history, I swore it would be so.