7. 3 Year's Later

In one of the heavily hit cities of the war, a platoon of 40 soldiers: consisting of 4 squads; surrounds a dilapidated 3 story building in the slum area. The zulaiths in the area quickly flee after seeing the soldiers. The comms crackle to life as each squad gives their sitrep; I look at the live data at my helmet visor's HUD and the screens in my vehicle.

"Alpha in position." They position themselves in front of the main entrance, ready to breach.

"Bravo in position." Likewise, they position themselves at the back entrance.

"Charlie in position." Providing overwatch, they watch the building and the surrounding area; providing sniper support and LMG(Light Machine Gun) fire.

After hearing their reports, I gave my response, "Foxtrot copies; commence operation!" Like a well-oiled machine, Alpha and Bravo immediately breaches the building and multiple gunshots erupt. With the help of Charlie, they pick off enemy combatants with sniper fire while the gunners with LMG provide suppressing fire. In just under 3 minutes, Alpha and Bravo secured the building and the subject. Everything was streamed by drones flying in the area and the soldier's helmet-mounted camera as I watched the operation.

With the operation done, I order the command vehicle's driver to head over to the area. "Yes, sir." 

When we reach the area, I grab my bullpup assault rifle and dismount the vehicle; my nine squadmates follow behind me as we walk towards the building. I see Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie in front of the building as they do a mop-up operation; capturing any combatants that survive and providing first aid. When they saw me and my squad approaching, the sergeants and their members saluted me; wearing black camouflage uniforms, helmets with integrated digital visors, advanced body armor, and armed with bullpup assault rifles, shotguns, LMG, and sniper rifles. 

Returning their salutes, I ask them for a brief rundown. "How was the operation?"

Carrying a standard-issue bullpup assault rifle, a black human man with a shaved head and orange eyes answer me. "The operation went well, First Lieutenant. No casualties and we secured the subject."

"Good job, Sergeant. Where's the subject?"

"Sir, right this way," He says. Following him, we arrived at a parked ambulance. A female zulaith mouse attends to a young human girl with blue eyes and straight shoulder-length white-blond hair; wearing an expensive-looking dress that is now stained with dirt and a few specks of blood as she wraps herself with a thermal blanket. As the medic tries to help the girl, she keeps complaining, making it harder for the medic to do her job. 

Slapping the medic's hand away, the girl yells at her. "I said don't touch me! I had enough of the zulaiths messing my day!" 

"But ma'am, I need to make sure you're not injured." The medic tries to calm her down, but to no avail. "I'm fine, so don't touch me! Just look at my dress! It's a mess!" 

Sighing, I walk over to her. As the medic tries to reason with the girl, she notices me and salutes. "Don't mind me," I say to the medic.

"Sir!" With a squeak, she drops her arm to her side. When I look back at the girl, she was intently staring at me. 

"I'm First Lieutenant Blaze Orlov, the one leading the operation. How are you doing? Did they do anything to you?" I ask the girl.

"Other than kidnapping me and messing up my dress! No, they didn't do anything else to me."

"I see; and did they tell you or heard anything about why they captured you?"

"How can I? I had a sack over my head and I can't understand anything about what they were saying!"

As I was about to ask another question, she suddenly asked me a question instead. "Blaze Orlov… I see you're the zulaith that my Uncle adopted."

"Huh, Uncle? You mean Nikolai is your uncle?" I say, surprised. 

That's why he immediately sent an emergency order.

"Yes, I am!" She says proudly; suddenly, it turns into a scowl as she talks. "That's why I'm mad at you!"

"Mad? Why?"

"Cause why is he giving you more attention than me!?"

I sigh. This is going to be a pain in the ass.

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[Year: 2563]

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Opening my eyes, I see an unfamiliar ceiling above me. As I try to move my body, a sharp pain hits me, making me groan before I collapse on the unfamiliar bed. I try to communicate with the AI. 

Hey, are you there?

<Affirmative.> I sigh in relief when it answered. 

Where am I?

<You are inside the Orlov mansion.>

Nikolai has a mansion?' As I was thinking that, the man himself enters the room.

"Good to see your up!" He says excitedly.

"Yeah, but it hurts like hell though," I groan as I try to move my arm.

"It's bound to happen after using the combat drugs."

"Combat drugs?"

"Yes, the TBCI can modify your hormones to make an artificial combat drug that it can release on command. The aftereffect is taxing if you don't have adequate tolerance to it."

"Wait…" Suddenly, the memories that happened last night came back like a hammer. Without warning, gastric juices start rising in my throat. Covering my mouth, I look around the room and see a bin beside the bed; quickly grabbing it, I vomit the contents of my stomach into the bin.

"Are you all right!?" Nikolai quickly grabs my chest to make sure I don't fall over the bed, rubbing my back as I empty my stomach. Breathing heavily, I place the bin on the floor as I wipe the vile off my mouth. 

"Don't scare me like that, Fox!" Nikolai worriedly says.

"Say, where is Amber?" I ask Nikolai, and only a silent pause was heard. "Hey, please tell me where she is."

Nikolai closes his eyes.

"Where is she!?" I shout.

Letting out a deep breath, he told me something that has been buried deep in my mind. "I'm sorry, she was left behind so that we can save you."

"No… no… I don't want to believe that! We have to go back and save her! Please, we have to go back!" I plead as tears fall down my eyes.

With a loud voice, he shouts, "Blaze!" Surprised by his shouting, I close my mouth. "It's already been three days, there's nothing we can do." Speechless, the only thing I can do is grieve. Placing his hand on my head, he gently rubs my hair as I sob, comforting me for how many minutes. As the tears start to dry up, I spoke to Nikolai. "I want to get stronger, I want to learn, I want to fight, I'm tired of losing everything important to me. Please, help me."

"Ok, I'll arrange that."

"Thank you."

After recovering for a week in the mansion, I was sent immediately to a private military academy that Nikolai has connections with and started brutally training me to become an officer for a few months. After I graduated as a Second Lieutenant, I was immediately sent to highly dangerous operations that have 25 percent survival rates. But due to luck or skills, I managed to lead my platoon safely and successfully through each combat operation with only minimal casualties and was promoted to First Lieutenant a year after graduating. 

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[Year: 2566; 12:00 AM]

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After the operation ended, I headed back to my small officer's room at the base. Entering my room, I removed my pair of boots and placed them beside the door; I took off my jacket and hung it in the wardrobe. Afterward, I unstrapped my holster and handgun from my thighs, placing them on my nightstand. Finally, I fell into bed; my head crashing into the pillows as I ready myself to sleep. Suddenly, I hear an electronic chime from my pocket. Groaning, I reluctantly fish my phone out to check the message. 

`Sender: Annoying Doctor`

Of course, him. Opening the message, I check the contents.

`Good work on saving my Niece, Fox! We should celebrate this occasion at home! Meet me at the mansion at 9 AM tomorrow, I also have something to talk about with you. Good night and don't be late!`

After reading that, I place my phone on the nightstand. Closing my eyes, I drift off to sleep.

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Waking up at 0600 hours, I took a quick shower in my bathroom before changing into civilian clothes: a hoodie jacket over a simple t-shirt, and jeans made to accommodate a zulaith's tail. Grabbing my handgun from the nightstand, I slide it behind the waistbands of my jeans and insert 2 extra magazines in my pocket. I grab my phone, texting the office that I'll be leaving the base for a few hours to meet with Nikolai and I receive approval. 

Normally it would take a few more minutes before I can receive approval to leave the base, but when I mention Nikolai, they would immediately approve of it. Probably because the Private Military I work with is managed by Nikolai himself, so they might have given me a little bit of freedom than they normally would allow. 

Heading to the parking lot, I noticed my platoon sergeant leaning on the side of my car. "Yo!" She raises her hand."Going somewhere, Lieutenant?" A human woman with dark brown bob-cut hair and deep brown eyes calls out to me; wearing a leather jacket and cargo pants.

"What are you doing here, Jean?" I ask.

`Sergeant First Class Jeanette Schmitt: My assistant and the sergeant platoon leader, her job is to provide me support in commanding the platoon. With 10 years' worth of combat experience after I graduated from the academy; Jean gave me valuable advice that helped me and my platoon maintain minimal casualty.`

"Well, I'm going to join you on your trip," Jean says as she walks to the passenger side of my car.

"Shouldn't you be with the platoon? It's not good to leave them without the lieutenant and the sergeant at the same time."

"They'll be fine, it's not like they're going to die off if we leave them alone for just a few hours," she says with a cocky grin.

Jean might be a good leader, but she tends to get cocky sometimes. Which was the reason why her previous lieutenants got irritated by her and asked for a replacement before landing under my command. Surprisingly, I have a knack for keeping her under control.

Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I call Tarik Brown: Alpha's squad leader. After a few seconds of ringing, he immediately picks up. "Lieutenant, what can I do for you?"

Staff Sergeant Tarik Brown: the black human man leading Alpha squad from the recent operation. 

"I need you to keep an eye on the platoon, Tarik. Jean and I have to go visit… my father."

"Already on it, Lieutenant. I'll keep an eye on the platoon in your absence."

"Thanks and sorry to bother you."

"It's no problem, Lieutenant. Have a safe trip."

Ending the call, I walked towards my car, automatically unlocking the door as I went near. 

Entering the car with Jean, I press the button on the dashboard, which starts the hydrogen engine. With an audible humming of the fuel cell, I switch to gear and drive towards the security gate of the base. Stopping beside the security booth, I swipe my EWB(Electronic WristBand) or commonly known as E-band on the dashboard console of my car, which sends the data to the guard stationed in the booth. With a quick salute, he opened the heavily fortified gate before driving off.

"Did you come just to babysit me?" I ask Jean as I'm driving down the road.

"Who knows?" She shrugs her shoulders. "It's fun following you around."

After driving for a few minutes, we head into the human-controlled city of Aurora. Stopping in front of the checkpoint armed with guards, stationary turrets, and patrolling drones; I let the guard scan my E-band. With my military ID sent to his tablet, he quickly reviews it before he sends the command to let me pass. Merging with the traffic, I head to the mansion at the edge of the city boundary.

Arriving at the mansion, the double gate opens. I drive the car around the fountain in front of the mansion. Parking parallel in the roundabout, I notice another car parked on the driveway. Turning off the engine, I got out of the car and walked towards the double door with Jean. An old human man with graying hair and wearing a butler's uniform greeted us as he opens the wooden double door. "Welcome home, Blaze, and hello Miss Jeanette."

"Hey, Kaleem! How are ya doing?" Jean asks.

"I'm doing good. Thank you for asking," Kaleem replies.

"Good morning, Kaleem. Where's Nikolai?"

"Morning to you too. Master is at his office with a guest."

"I see." I look at the luxury car parked in front of the driveway. "I'm going to go upstairs, you can wait in the living room, Jean."

"Roger that."

As Jean heads to the living room with Kaleem in tow, I walk up the stairs and head to Nikolai's office. Standing in front of the door, I knock on it three times. Afterward, I heard him call out behind the door. "Come in!" When I opened the door, I was surprised who the guest was, and likewise were surprised as well.

The girl in question was the same one I rescued at the operation yesterday, which was now angrily pointing a finger at me. "Him!? Why him!?"

"Uh… what is she yelling about?" I ask, confused.

While Nikolai is sitting at his desk, chuckling, he passes me a tablet.

`Contract Form

Requesting Blaze Orlov to be the personal bodyguard for Kayla Hess. Any type of equipment will be provided upon request and a daily payment of 2,500 credits will be transferred into your account.

Signed by Executive Officer of Black Claw: Nikolai Orlov.`

I sigh. "So you're ordering me to be your Niece's babysitter?"

"Hey! I'm right here you know!?" She yells at me again.

Chuckling, even more, Nikolai answers my question. "Basically, yes," Nikolai answers. 

"Uncle!" Nikolai's niece complains, but he ignores her.

"After the kidnapping, I want to make sure that won't happen again. And which better qualified for this is my son who rescued my Niece!" I rolled my eyes when he called me "son".

"Are you serious, Uncle!?" She says in disbelief.

"Yes, I am, Kayla. I trust him, so I trust that he's going to protect you," Nikolai says with a gentle voice. Not able to argue with his Uncle, she glares at me before grunting and stomping out of the room.

"You're seriously enjoying this, are you?" I say with one of my eyebrows raised and Nikolai only laughs.