C12

For the past twenty days, the whole UNOE was going crazy although the government and media came up with a bunch of excuses but in the end, everyone more or less knew that war was coming.

Fleet and military academy rushed their graduations, factories that were already working 24/7 increased their production up to 110 percent, and the scarce food stores almost became empty overnight.

Thousands of active service grunts from the army got transferred to the marine and mech cores while thousands more got recalled back to active duty to fill up the army ranks.

Hundreds of thousands of teenagers got conscripted overnight night to the point that the old dogs who knew the smell of war better than anyone else started storming the recruitment centers demanding that they be recalled to active service instead of them.

But since most of them could barely take a shit by themselves they got stuffed by the secret police that directly reports to the president and no one else into military cars and sent to military prison until they cool off.

Because of the unification that didn't go as calmly as one would think military and civilian police got merged into the secret police that supervises both military and civilian sides long ago.

In order to effectively respond to the countless terrorists, unhappy politicians that lost their power, businessmen that lost their interests, and unhappy people who just didn't like the idea of humanity becoming one.

And they were effective although some would say they were too effective with their policy of using force first ask questions later but in the end, no one can deny that they were the ones that kept the fresh UNOE in one piece.

Plus the current situation needed an iron fist more than ever.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

Hans who was already nearing his forties shouted as he walked towards his security door through his messy and rundown apartment only to stumble on a pile of unwashed clothes because he was still tipsy from the beer he had just drunk.

"Who are y...?"

Hans started asking only to fall silent after recognizing the 3 headed hellhound emblem on the two men's black field uniforms inside his security cameras live video feed.

After a slight hesitation, Hans opened up his door.

"Seargent Hans you have been recalled to active duty all the information is inside this file"

One of the soldiers from the secret police said as he took out his military-grade phone from his black armored vest's chest front kangaroo-like chest pocket.

Hans immediately took out his phone and after briefly skimming through it he couldn't help but freeze on the spot as his whole world seemed to turn upside down instantly.

"Failure to arrive in the specified location at the specified time will be considered as desertion and will result in execution by a firing squad, sir"

The soldier's partner said after noticing Han's intoxicated state as she touched her sidearm inside her black holster tied around her right thigh.

"Understood..."

Hans managed to mutter out as he sobered up instantly.

"Thank you for your understanding sir have a good evening."

The female soldier said as she gave a nod.

Even after the secret police left Hans was still in a daze and unknowingly he walked into his daughter's and son's room who were already asleep.

As he did his gaze focused immediately, Hans used to serve in the marine core and later transferred to the mech core otherwise known as Orbital Drop Mech Troops, ODMT for short then it became a thing.

But shortly after that he married his girlfriend and a few years later he was already a father of two but as life would have it his wife left him for another, the reason?

The other one had money, lots of it and as for kids, she didn't want unnecessary baggage to drag her down so Hans had no choice but to quit the military in order to take care of his two children.

"F*ck!"

Hans cursed out softly as he walked towards his room and started packing his duffle back while tears started gathering in his eyes because he had a feeling that he might be seeing his two children for the last time.

Once he was done he dialed his grandmother because she was the only one left that he could entrust his children at this point who were the entire world to him.

"Spek brat! What do you want?! If it's money don't even ask!"

Hans couldn't help but lower his phone volume immediately out of fear that his kids will wake up after he spent so much effort in getting them to bed.

"Gran it's not money, I... I got called back to active service, C... can you look after them until I get back?"

Hans used all the strength he could muster up to speak up in front of his grandmother.

"Bring them to me and come back alive brat!"

The grandmother said as she hung up.

...

"Fox2! Fox2!"

Karl who was playing the current most popular VRI strike craft pilot simulator game with an immersion rating of whole 70 percent screamed into his team's communication channel as he fired his phantom class fighters which was designed for both space and atmospheric combat multipurpose missile at the Briaan space bomber.

As for why the government would allow the game developers to use a strike craft that was an exact copy down to the last detail of the navy's current most cutting-edge strike craft well the truth was that this game and countless others like this one.

Were in fact specifically made to unofficially train children from a young age in the art of warfare so that when they got conscripted they would already know the basics and could even skip specialization training if they met the requirements.

And Karl was one of those who passed the requirements with flying colors in fact he was so good that he could already be considered an elite.

[Enemy bomber destroyed]

Karl heard and saw the notification only for his view to become black before he could throw a fit his gaming pod was forcefully opened up.

"I was in the middle of my m...!"

Karl started screaming only to freeze on the spot after seeing the fully geared up secret police with red berets and Cerberus emblems staring back at him while another one was pressing down his mother on the ground.

"Do you know who my husband is?! he's the CEO of Michel Munitions! He works for the government! Just you wait until he hears about it!"

"Karl Michel you have 5 minutes to pack up your personal stuff if you have no need for them then come with us right away"

The secret police soldier said as he started his wristwatch timer.

Karl was in a state of shock he couldn't understand what was happening he was only 17 and up till this point he lived a life of luxury, but now a soldier from the secret police was telling him that he had 5 minutes to pack up?

What the hell was going on?!

At this moment his father barged in.

"What are you doing, you scumba...?!"

His father charged in as he roared at the top of his lungs while swinging his alloy bat only to freeze on the spot after seeing the two soldiers staring at him with their hands on their sidearms ready to gun him down at any moment.

"Sirs what... what is going on? Did my son brake any laws? If... If he did ill pay the fine no matter the cost"

Karl's father stuttered out.

Only to see the soldier that opened Karl's pod walk to him and open up the holographic document in front of his eyes.

"We can give you five more minutes to say your goodbyes but I'm warning don't try anything funny, if you do we are authorized to execute anyone who interferes with our duties for treason on the spot no questions asked"

These scenes happened all over Earth and especially Taprib Prime a tropical-type planet where flora and fauna had evolved into a predatory eat-or-be-eaten scheme causing UNOE to implement increased paramilitary training there for the colonists which resulted in its colonists being the prime candidates for soldiers.

Those who got assigned to the army are the lucky ones because they have a much higher chance of coming back alive as long as the empire doesn't invade, as for those who got assigned to the navy.

Well, the sad truth is that most likely 90 percent of them won't get to see their wives, husbands, parents, grandparents, and siblings again as for their close ones if they're lucky they'll get to bury a body bag.

While the rest will have to bury an empty coffin.

But although those 10 percent might just make it back alive but in which state they will make it back is an entirely different question.

Only those who have Devil's luck will come back in one piece as for the others less fortunate they can already thank their lucky stars if they come back with only one missing limb.