Humans’ life had always been populated by numerous trial and event that shaped who they were, had been and what they would achieve in their life. Most of those events were taking part at the beginning of their life. This was not a human only thing, most species were like that, but humans always took it seriously. Among all those numerous events they had been repeating every year or so, one had to be more important. That last, in Earth, was the thirteen anniversaries. The day one was walking out of the childish years to become more. Not an adult yet, but a teenager old enough to take responsibility for themselves. And that, Camille knew it well.

Her clock was not even displaying seven, yet she was already up. At this hour in the morning, everyone would still be asleep. Even domestic drones were turned off to avoid waking up the inhabitant. What could go through her mind?

Well, if it had been a normal day, she would have slept until ten or so. But for that more than unique time, she wanted to see the sun rise over her world. From the window of her room, she was looking at the horizon. The dark blue sky, looming between night and the first light of dawn was turning more vivid as if someone were dropping pellets of colour into the scenery.

By a movement of the hand, she turned off the window. A summer breeze started to flow through the room, blowing away the curtain and her long and luxurious ash brown hair. Camille took a deep breath, filling her nose with the wet smell of plants and flowers covered in dew. The tickling fragrance was rising from the paradise garden the family had maintained for decades. It felts like the planet herself was celebrating her coming of age with a spotless wither.

She smiled to herself, pleased with the beginning of her thirteen birthdays. If it was rare to have clouds or rain in this season, she was sure her father had not left a single unexpected possibility and had kindly proposed to the authorities to make sure the weather would not change. No one wanted the party organised in her honour to be a mess, and a sunny day with a soft wind was the starting point of any successful one. Or so her mother would say, Camille had no idea on how to organise a party and she didn’t care much as her parents were there to do it.

Leaving the window, she jumped back in her sheets before bundling up inside the cotton candy like tissue to avoid the morning cold all while enjoying the view.

While doing so, she activated the holo-screen which was engulfing most part of the wall facing her bed. Camille was never awake at this hour. She had no idea what kind of peculiar show could be seen on Earth TV and was a bit curious about them. Taking the occasion as a good excuse to try out new things, she started the opulent piece of technology. Most of the time, Camille would watch movies or series that were more appealing to her, sweet romance or childish fantasy were her go too.

She avoided like the pest serious shows, war story and documentary that were all so boring. Of course, when you have access to an unlimited stream at any moment, never one would waste time on trying out new things. But this day was marked with novelty and so, the symbol of the Global Confederation appeared on the screen.

It was one of those poorly interesting information broadcasts. Useless at best, a torture when her father would watch that during their diner. When she was in command, she avoided them like rats with cats and as everyday she was about to change. Although, her attention was snared when a tiny detail came to her bored eyes. Frowning a bit her thin eyebrow, she took a time to look at the screen.

The show was some kind of interview, but the participants were startling. The reporter, a human most lambda was dressed in an aggressive yellow suit, giving her stomach-ache just by looking at him. He was sitting next to three people. One woman and two men, which were much more gaze catching than that last one. One of them, a giant, was putting a solid twenty centimetres to the presenter and like his two colleges were wearing a neat yet sober uniform. Navy blue, almost black it was decorated with a legion of medal and plate. But what was really catchy about him was not the decoration or his immense build but his left harm.

Camille had already seen bionic in her life, in history books of courses, who would still use that? Yet, that man was wearing one and not the common kind as well. The dark metal was merging with flesh in a gruesome display. The skin was turning purply around the join and the metal was marked by scratch, rust and decayed paint. The fact that was not covering it was simply disgusting.

Why would someone do that?

Finally thinking that the yellow jacket was not that horrible, she opened her ears to what was being said.

- Hello everyone and welcome on Singularity for our morning interview. Today, I’m pleased to welcome heroes of our country. First, Miss Honesty, leader of the prime squad of the third army and current champion of the battle of thrill and older of the trophy for two consequential years. And as last news, you have confirmed your participation in the next galactic army tournament with your squad.

The woman flicked her long blond hair in an attractive way. She was eye catching and her perfect smile showed her conviction, one could know in a gaze that she was not joking with her look. Camille was surprised as even in the nasty looking uniform, she managed to be gorgeous and would not have any problem to make people fall for her.

At the same time, a clip presenting her squad was displayed behind them. One could watch Honesty in her piloting suit, leaning against the atrocity she was driving into battle with an aggressive electronic music playing behind. The young Camille had seen those before, MEA they were called. Giant robotic armour that would protect the user in battle. The spectator had no interest in the steel junk, but watching the woman and all her teammates posing was entertaining. The six men were all large and frightening, the skinny suit was coloured in sky-blue, and grey was highlighting their muscle. She had never seen someone like that.

- Hello everyone! She smiled while waving at the camera. Yes, we will gave our everything like last time.

- In the second seat we have lieutenant Cardosa! Rising star of team star-light and member of the private subdivision of the military freehold. Finalist last year and sad looser of the match against your arch enemy and now girlfriend if the rumours are true.

With the announce, another clip started. Cardosa was in the middle, juggling with a bullet the size of a finger. His small dark eyes were surrounded by fluorescent red pain, extending to all his bare chest in a perfectly symmetrical pattern. Behind him flashed his MEA, dropping again in the darkness, the same tattoos started to glimmer through the shadow. The team’s name written itself as the six other members made the entry, all marked in a similar way but with different colour. Even for Camille, who was not interested the slightest in the stupidity of the war league, she found the short video amazing. It was conveying on point their strength.

Cardosa smiled to the remark, all white teeth out. He had also a masculine charm, his dark skin marked by scars giving him a threatening look. To the trained eye of Camille, he was kind of regular at best, the other woman was wasting her beauty on her match. He had good jaws, she acknowledged before losing any interest in him forever.

- Yes Parker! I didn’t believe in the old saying, your worst enemy may become your friend. But I’m forced to acknowledge they can become even more.

- I hope you can tell us more about that later, first I will announce our last participant. Major Alexandr Lesskov… The reporter hesitated a bit, looking at his notes. You are actually working at one of Erin IV’s training camp and you are a veteran of the union war? And actually…

- I’m an engineer technician at the base. All pleasure is mine.

Camille was thrown off. He had a rough voice as if his throat was of the same metal as his harm. His words were barren, not a trace of heat within them. But colder were his eyes, blue as ice and frozen as the winter bites. Even from far, far away, the were enough to send shiver down the little girl’s spine. Those were the eyes of a free man, someone that had no regards for others opinion about himself. She was shattered, the frozen orbs were a display of force none could match.

- Thank you for the precision. You don’t seem to have participated in any cup recently…

The woman was twitching her butt on her chair, as soon the occasion presented, she started to speak. Preventing the old man to respond for himself in an attempt to claim back her place in the spotlight.

- Of course, Major Lesskov has already served for decades. Battle Cup are not something he is made for. It’s so different from what he knows, he would be lost there.

Camille stood on her bed, a furious mood over her little face. Her interest had been stricken by the old man and that’s attention seeker was preventing her from fulfilling it. Could she not get out of the screen? No one would care about her anyway.

- As Lieutenant Honestly presented, and like many other veterans, I don’t have any interest with tournaments. I have served my years, fought a ladle of battles and after that I don’t want to lay a foot on a battleground, even a fake one. No fame and glory could change my mind, I leave those to rising star like my companions tonight.

The lack of arrogance was the more nerve racking for the two others. To the audience, it was another verse. Every word leaving his mouth were true and unbeatable stone wall. If he had told at any moment that the two others were clowns in military uniform, she would have believed so.

- You... Such deference in someone of your status. I need a man like you in my life.

- I’m sorry, I already gave my hand to someone else. He apologies while showing the golden alliance on his finger. I’m sure a man of your influence has a lot of suitors.

- A shame, I would have tried. Before me move to our agenda that will not interest you much. Do you have something to say to the world?

The reporter was a bit ashamed. He couldn’t hide it, no one was watching the show for the old and unknown major. Everyone’s attention was lurking around the two big fish that would soon clash in the cup. Over hundreds of words, Camille was the only one that wanted to know more about him.

- Do not worry. I know my place and that I’m only at this seat to force my colleague to leave at the end. But yes, if I have something to say. Then it will be a message to the future recruit. The one that would soon leave their home to join military school around our nation.

- Of course! The revolutionary recruitment will soon come to an end.

Actually, it will finish tomorrow and like every revolution some of our children will be called to be part of the army. This invitation is random and anyone who reached or will reach the age of thirteen this year can be call and receive their letter to join one of the training bases and in a few years be ready to defend our worlds.

Camille had never heard of anything that stupid. A question jumped into her mind, could that strange enlistment touch her? Why no one would have told her? Leaving her family to discover the universe was a bit attractive, she would love to meet new people and could have a lot of fun. But as the soldier, she was not so sure.

Nice girl from good family would not aspire to that kind of poor and dirty work. Her history courses displayed by skilled professor always showed that war was like hell and hell was not a place she wanted to be. Especially when her home was in the middle of paradise. And the fact that the Alliance had been at peace for as long as she had been alive would not change a thing.

- Young people that receive your letters are taken away from their family and receive training so one day they can protect who they love. The most talented join the fighting group, first line troupes, pilots and in the end compete against our stars in the cup. The weaker are sent to another sector of the army, there is a place for everyone it seems.

- Yes, this treatment looks harsh. But in the end, it shaped us as we are today. The major had no such thing when he enlisted.

Camille saw herself flying from battlefield to another. Fighting surrounded by her battle brothers and sisters clad in some glorious cyber-armour while a storm of fire and metal rained upon them. The shine of spotlights when she would win the cup and the yells of her fan. Those would change her monotonous daily life, but sacrificing her pillow? Never!

- Anyone can be called?

- Yes, every child born from a citizen can receive the letter. Only nobles don’t take that into consideration, but I don’t think any of them are watching us anyway.

- Sure, I war can’t scare you. The federation nobility will not do.

- Yet, they can join the rank. They can enlist if they wish like anyone else and every year some of them join us, looking for glory or a place to belong. Therefore, if you love your home and want to protect it, don’t wait for any paper. Go to your closest army chain command and join us.

The two other soldiers laughed at the same time. Even the big major hinted a kind smile at that moment.

- We actually learn this line during our training. It’s kind of a joke for us.

- For sure the major was convincing saying it. So now let’s proceed to out next subject.

From that point and afterward, the show turned uninteresting. The major was silent, and the two attention-seekers were talking about the greatest people among the stars, themselves. Camille took no time to lose any interest and turned off the TV. Enough of novelty for today, the rush of stress of the possibility of mobilisation had been lifted. She could not be forced into the rank and was not about to do so, her birthday was still a perfect sunny day. Pleased with this conviction, she walked out of her room, her stomach growling. She opened the door without a second thought, finding a little mouse standing in front of it.

- Happy birthday sis! Yelled her little sister while hugging her. I wanted to make you a surprise… Why are you awake!

- Liane? Stammered out the eldest. I wanted to see the sunrise. Do you want to come with me? We can still watch the end in the garden, in the middles of the flowers.

Liane nodded swiftly which make her smile. Taking her by the hand she took the lead toward the back door which opened on the mansion garden. The Weiss where an import family, noble by birth, their property had to reflect that status in the eyes of the everyone. A family that was not showing off would be badly seen.

Consequently, they had settled for a big manor, built following the ancient Victorian style that was dear to the owner of the land. Needless to say, all the sweetness of modern lifestyle had been added, but the garden circling around was still maintained by hand. Sir Jasper, butler of the family, could take all day to carve the hedges and plants with his surgical precision and keen eyes. He always gave his best in the rose garden. Place he knew deer to the children of his lords and where the two girls had obviously chosen to watch the end of the show.

- Hey big sis, what were you watching on TV? Asked the younger after some time, already bored by the slow spectacle. It sounded strange…

- Some kind of interview. They were like a giant soldier and two small one, the old one talked about enlistment in military school.

- I heard of it, Simon always says that we will be sent there and never see our family again!

Camille had a pinch at her heart, her little frightened face was so cute to watch. Each time she laid eyes on her sister she would flutter.

- Simon should stop saying nonsense. Noble like us cannot go into the military. You don’t have to worry Liane. You will be able to do whatever you heart want. You were always saying that you would be like mom in the future did you changed your plan?

- No… It’s not like I can do Dad’s job, you are the elder so you will inherit the company. I need to find something else to do.

- There is a lot of beautiful profession, a flower like you can do anything, everyone will kneel before you!

- Don’t be ridiculous. She said blushing. And It’s not for me that I’m worried. I will only be thirteen in six months. You are thirteen today, what should I do if they take you? I would be all alone! No one to play with me at all! It would be so boring.

- You would not be alone, feather. Mom and Dad are still there, you have all your friend don’t play like you are not popular. And I would even come back just to tickle you!

Adding gesture to her words, Camille attacked the poor defenceless little girl who tried her best to prevent the damage before succumbing to an assault of unstopping tickle and started laughing out loud in her sister embrace.

- Stop! Camille, you are mean! She managed between two strokes of tear. I’m dying!

- See! There is no problem. I will never become a soldier, it’s as sure as the sun will continue to shine.

The reassuring tone of the elder was not enough for Liane, the girl had doubt in her mind, and she wanted to share them. Seeking a reason to get more cuddles from the sister she was looking up to.

- Granny always say to never say never. Muttered the girl. She says it’s calling bad fortune to do so.

Camille rolled her eyes. Her grandmother was not someone she would use as a reference. Her mom would always say to not listen to her old gibberish even if Camille liked the story that the old woman would tell them.

- Granny thinks that alien doesn’t exist. You believe that too?

- No! Protested the girl before laughing with her sibling. Am not an idiot.

Over them, the star had finally reached the sky. Stating his long race against the clock which would be the first day of the thirteen year of Camille’s life. The burning sun and limpid sky, imperious to any bad omen were shining above them. Maybe if all of this had not been rigged, would she have lifted her chin and see the dark omen looming over her.