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#scifistories1977 #hfy #thenewthreat
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This story is written by a human author and adapted with care into a visual audiobook format by our team.
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The story format and video structure are fully planned, produced and uploaded by humans.
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===================================
This story is written by a human author and adapted with care into a visual audiobook format by our team.
How This Video Was Made:
Narration is performed using AI voice technology (ElevenLabs), guided and edited by a human to preserve tone and pacing.
Visuals are created with AI image tools, but every image is manually prompted and selected to match the story's themes.
All elements — audio, visuals, and timing — are manually assembled in a video editor to produce the final format you see on dailymotion.
The story format and video structure are fully planned, produced and uploaded by humans.
This is not automated or mass-generated content.
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FunTranscript
00:00They can't do this. It's disgraceful. I mean, a human? What could he have possibly done besides
00:05being exceptionally average in every conceivable manner? General Karn, it was nearly unanimous in
00:12the Senate. I think you're just jealous someone else is going to be in the limelight for a change.
00:17But two in the same century? And to a human, no less. Honestly, they're handing them out to anyone
00:23now. What next? They're going to give one to a lethan for getting above-average scrap in his
00:27junk-scavenging quota? Well, before you come to your conclusions too quickly, General,
00:32let's at least give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe this human was slightly above-average.
00:38Ambassador Calix chuckled. But I do agree. It's far too soon. I mean eleven medals in five thousand
00:45years, and we get to witness two in our lifetime? Regardless, I am happy for another holiday being
00:51added to the human calendar on the dreadful occasion that I have to work with them again.
00:56General Karn grumbled as they made their way down the red carpet that stretched up the steps of the
01:01Great Hall. General Karn was greeted with a spectacular fanfare of music and cheers as he
01:08stepped through the entryway. As the last recipient of the Galactic Honor Medal, he would be one of the
01:14guests of honor for the ceremony. Just yesterday, he turned down the offer to be the one to personally
01:20gift the medal to the human, saying his presence alone would be enough of an honor. He made his way to
01:25his seating near the front of the opulent awards hall and took his place near the podium. In his
01:30seat was a small paper-bound book titled The Askaido Conflict, A First-Hand Account. He picked up the
01:37volume with a grumble so he could sit down. Why did they think he wanted to waste his time with reading
01:42about Askaido? He personally peer-reviewed countless publications on the military strategy and political
01:49consequences of Askaido. He was sure he could retell the statistics and strategy of the Askaido
01:55conflict better than any mere foot soldier on the ground. Seeing the Great Hall decorated for a
02:00Galactic Honor Medal was an opportunity very few would get to witness in their lifespan. And here he
02:05was seeing it all over again. But this time it wasn't adorned for him, but for some pitiful human.
02:11The massive banners that bore the insignia of his species' last ceremony had now been replaced with
02:18the emblem of the humans. It seemed rather distasteful to have his beautiful banners replaced
02:23with something so minimalist. The Great Hall had the capacity for nearly a million spectators from
02:29hundreds of different species, and for the second time in a century it was completely full. Once the
02:35remaining important dignitaries, ambassadors, and political and military leaders found their
02:40respective places, the ceremony began. The leader of the Terran Republic made their way on stage
02:47and gave his opening remarks. Nothing really worth paying attention to, General Karn was more focused
02:54on the empty seat near the podium, hoping to get a look at this supposed above-average human. He wanted
03:01to witness the man for himself, and see what could be so special about him. Confusion was spreading
03:07across the crowd once more, and more people took notice of the strangely empty seat. This human is
03:12giving me more and more reasons to dislike him. I mean not showing up to his own galactic honor
03:17ceremony? That should be a crime if you ask me, General Karn said to the ambassador seated next to him.
03:23Perhaps they have some grand entrance planned. Leave it to the humans to be overly extra with their
03:28presentations. They don't even have the decency to adhere to millennia of traditions. Well, if it gets
03:34any worse than this, they'll ensure they're never given the opportunity to earn another, which is fine by
03:39me. After the usual introductions and dreadfully boring formalities of starting the ceremony, General Karn
03:46finally blessed the speaking human with a modicum of attention. For over 5,000 years the galactic honor
03:52medal and its recipients has stood as a beacon for all of our members in service, from any origin or species,
03:58it represents something that anyone can strive to achieve, and to be the change that would impact
04:04the galaxy for the better. It is reserved for individuals who display acts of valor that save
04:10the lives of millions, whose actions single-handedly change the course of history as we know it,
04:16and whose displays of courage are to be remembered and appreciated by all. With this in mind, it is my
04:22hope that today we shall remember a soldier who has given more to the galaxy than anyone presently in
04:27this room. General Karn rolled his eyes at the last remark, thinking that it might have been somewhat
04:32directed at him. This human probably did not have the slightest comprehension of what he had to do to
04:38earn his. A soldier whose acts of uncontested bravery may be an example for all to strive for
04:44in their military service, United Terran Army Private John William Ringwet has distinguished himself from
04:50his peers by going above and beyond anything expected of him when he entered service to the Galactic
04:56Republic one year ago. And it is with great sadness that he is not present with us today to receive
05:02this honor in person. General Karn leaned over, whispering again,
05:07Oh, I'm sure he has much more important things to do right now, but I guess desecrating the prestige of
05:13the most important award in the galaxy is pretty paramount. Ambassador Kallax gave a small laugh,
05:18and they refer to him in the past tense, as if he is someone different now, and is no longer the same
05:24human who earned this award. Private John William Ringwet graduated from the Terran Infantry Academy
05:30and Orbital Strike School, and immediately was sent to Escaido to take part in the large-scale
05:35stabilization operation there. At seventeen years of age, he left Earth and was dropped into one of the
05:41most hostile zones on the planet. After three months of fighting on the surface of Escaido, it was seen as
05:48a losing battle, and his squad was issued an evacuation order. They were told to depart from
05:53the planet and leave it to its destruction. At around eighteen hundred hours on the seventh of
05:59June Terran Standard Time, his squad made the executive decision to stay behind to ensure the
06:04evacuation of Escaidian civilians. At the time they did not know it, but they were escorting the very
06:10last members of the Escaidian species. Upon this revelation, though filled with countless people,
06:16the room had grown completely silent. Many had heard of the tragedies on Escaido, but until now
06:22none had known just how severe the circumstances of the war had been, and how close the species was
06:27to complete extinction. His squad secured the only remaining spaceport on the planet, and started the
06:33evacuation of the civilians. However, at the time of arrival only three of the squad of nine remained.
06:40His two squad mates, Staff Sergeant Andrew Miller and Technical Sergeant Brian Jones,
06:45took control of a military transport, and set to bring the civilians out of the war zone.
06:51As they prepared to start the evacuation, they became aware of an enemy battalion expeditiously
06:56advancing towards the last remaining entry tunnel. Private John William chose to stay behind to ensure
07:02the safety of his squad and the civilians, in the hope that he could buy time for their withdrawal.
07:08Before their departure, Private John William sealed the doors to the facility,
07:12and set up a hasty defense in the tunnel. At 2,000 hours, a battalion of enemy combatants aided with
07:19multiple military support vehicles, began to assault the facility, set to ensure the complete
07:24extermination of the Escaidian people. Private John William placed himself between the attackers
07:30and the entrance door at the end of the tunnel and attempted to stave them off. Ignoring insurmountable
07:37odds, Private John William continued to fight in an unwinnable battle against an unending enemy
07:42opposition. Beset by an endless barrage of machine gun fire and plasma fire, Private John William held
07:49the line for the four hours it took to evacuate the civilians. It took nearly three trips to transport
07:54all of the citizens from the port. When they began their transport trips, military forces had already
08:00completely withdrawn from the surface of Escaido. As the final soldier on the front lines in the Escaido
08:06conflict, Private John William gave the ultimate sacrifice, knowing that there would be no reinforcements
08:12and no evacuation for himself. For his utmost bravery and courage in the face of an indomitable enemy,
08:19his actions reflect the highest glory upon himself and his unit. For his service on Escaido and to the
08:25galaxy, Terran Republic, Private John William Ringuet is awarded the Galactic Honor Medal.
08:33Let it be known, a soldier does not have to return from a conflict to be recognized as the pinnacle of
08:39military valor. Private John William is the first individual to posthumously receive the Galactic
08:45Honor Medal. In your seats, you will find his personal diary of his time on Escaido, published at his last
08:52request. It was his hope that the tragedy that transpired on Escaido is never forgotten to
08:57history, and his first-hand account aids in making that possible. When his speech ended, the Great Hall
09:02did not cheer nor celebrate as it had for past ceremonies. No extravagant light display or confetti
09:08decorated the Great Hall and dazzled the spectators with the glory of the recipient as it normally would.
09:15The human speaker merely placed the medal atop an empty wooden casket that was hidden behind him,
09:21and departed from the stage. The long and drawn-out tradition of handshakes and exquisite feasts
09:27did not follow the ceremony. What followed was a procession of delegates and dignitaries paying
09:32respects to the empty casket that symbolized the recipient of the award. General Karn looked down
09:38at the paper-bound book that was still in his claws, regretting that he was so quick to dismiss it
09:44earlier. He made a note to take the day off tomorrow so he could read it in its entirety.
09:49He walked up the stage and made his way towards the simplistic wooden box. He was not entirely sure
09:56what its purpose was, but it seemed to be something reserved for a solemn affair.
10:01After waiting in the line of people placing gifts and colorful flora from various worlds around it,
10:07it was his turn to pay his respects. Inside was a flag, a pair of small metal tags with human writing
10:14stamped into them, and the metal, which would normally be the center of attention.
10:19However, this piece of metal seemed rather minuscule in comparison to what it represented.
10:24He stood over the box and placed his clawed hand on the side of it.
10:29Do you have anything to give, General? asked Ambassador Calix in a small voice.
10:33Nothing that would do him justice. Only my condolences and apologies for how I composed myself earlier.
10:38I suppose this human was above average, after all. But I now feel that would be quite an inadequate way
10:45to describe him. General Karn sat in his office. The floor-to-ceiling window that lined the far wall
10:52displayed a sprawling metropolis that sat at the galactic core. He looked down at the book resting
10:58in his claws, reading the title again. The Askaido Conflict, a first-hand account,
11:03written by Private J.W. Ringuet. After witnessing the awards ceremony the day prior, he had decided
11:10to pick up what would be his first piece of human literature. He really was looking forward to
11:15seeing that particular human yesterday. But at the time, it had been for the wrong reasons.
11:21Now he had a different rationale for wanting to meet him, but that would not be possible.
11:26As meaningful as the ceremony was, the actual speech had been rather brief.
11:30Before attending, he would have been glad if someone told it would be short.
11:36He now knows that such a brief recollection of events did not do this human's actions justice.
11:41He remembered his own acceptance speech being nearly three hours long,
11:45and included various celebrations throughout, as he covered every detail of his command decisions
11:50during his tenure in the Outer Belt Rebellion. But this award had differed greatly from every other
11:55galactic honor medal that had been given. This was the first time it had been given to someone who
12:01was not an officer, and not even a non-commissioned officer at that. This wasn't given to someone who
12:07had the luxuries of a command post off-world in a pristine office or a comfortable room aboard the
12:12galaxy's strongest dreadnought. This was given to someone who had been in the dirt and the mud and the
12:18blood. One who had seen the worst the galaxy has to offer, and made something that mattered out of
12:24it. He poured himself a glass of methane-infused tea and leaned back in his chair, curling his scaled
12:31tail into a comfortable position. He opened the book and began to read the words written by the
12:36recently deceased soldier. Below are excerpts taken from The Askaido Conflict, a first-hand account
12:42written by Galactic Honor recipient Private John William Ringwet during his short time on Askaido.
12:49Additional quotes are sourced from surviving Askaido soldiers and Terran military documents,
12:54along with statistical analyses of the conflict. February 28, 2287 Terran Standard Calendar
13:00I wasn't always sure what I was going to end up doing. I mean I knew I'd join the army,
13:05my dad was in the army, and his dad before him and so on. But I didn't know exactly what I would
13:10end up doing if that makes any sense. Twenty years with no combat, a boring desk job after ten,
13:17where's the fun in that? I wanted to do the things that kids read about in history books growing up.
13:23That's why I chose the infantry. I thought about the navy, too. Loved pirates since I was a kid.
13:29Hell, I still am a kid. Maybe I joined to stand out, get noticed, which is pretty damn hard when you
13:35got fifteen brothers and sisters all under the same roof. I joined up as early as I could,
13:39got my parents to sign the forms at seventeen, and a few months later I found myself here at Fort
13:44Benavidez. Training isn't bad, but sure was harder than running track for my high school back in
13:50Boston. Met some great guys here, only a few of us got an OD slot. Never thought I'd get the chance
13:57to see some action so early, but I've always wanted to do the things that a soldier's supposed to do,
14:02so this is my chance. We get our duty stations tomorrow. All but a few of us are going to
14:08Escaido. All the boys are excited, talking about all the aliens that they're gonna kill.
14:14I'm one of the ones that got an OD slot, so I'll actually get a real fucking combat jump.
14:19My brother is going to be so jealous when I get back with an orbital strike combat patch.
14:24March 22, 87. Easyco 395 class consisted of 235 infantry graduates. 198 of them were sent to
14:35Escaido, all ages 17, 20. Only 26 survived. E-395 in. Training Company March Graduates 2287.
14:46March 7, 2287 Terran Standard Calendar. Well, I passed Orbital Drop School. It was everything that
14:53I was expecting it to be, and more. A welcome change of pace compared to infantry school, though.
14:59The food was better. We ran a lot more, which was fine by me. It was funny finishing all the runs
15:05minutes ahead of the other guys. I just sat there yelling at them, cheering them on when they passed
15:10the finish line. Sometimes the Black Hats would talk to me to pass the time. Other times they just
15:15said good job and left it at that. I wasn't really looking for their validation, but it was cool to get it.
15:22Guess all that time I spent running finally paid off. Which is a good feeling.
15:28They say we're going to be at Escaido in less than a week. I'm getting nervous as it's getting
15:32closer. I mean, this is the first war that we've been in for almost a century.
15:37I finally understand how those soldiers felt back during D-Day in World War II.
15:41I wonder what it's like off-world. I don't know much about Escaido, but I think I remember some
15:47other guys saying it's cold. We've only been involved with all these different aliens for a
15:52few years, and we're already getting into a fight. I'm no politician, but I'm not sure that's a great
15:58look for intergalactic politics if you ask me. Oh well. All I gotta worry about is the cold,
16:04and I don't do well with the cold. But I guess it's my job to be uncomfortable. Now I just gotta
16:10embrace it. During Escaido, our para-droppers had a 75% fatality rate. If they survived entry,
16:16then they were often killed before joining up with their squad. 60% of para-droppers had less than
16:22three months of training. L.T. Colonel Mickey Hayes when asked about Escaido para-droppers.
16:28March 12, 2287 Terran Standard Calendar
16:32Fuck today was surreal. It honestly felt like a dream. Maybe fever dream would be the better way
16:38to describe it. We were all crammed into that shuttle when we reached orbit. We couldn't see outside to
16:44know what was going on, just had to trust our pilot to get us over the drop zone. We had a shaky entry,
16:51and the shuttle sounded like it was going to tear itself apart. We all lined up at the door as we felt
16:57the dropship heating up. Once we got the go-ahead, we were pushed out the door one by one.
17:03I looked up to see the shuttle itself nearly melted as the last few almost made it out.
17:07Then I got my first look at Escaido. I saw the vast, white expanse of ice and rocky hills that
17:13littered the landscape. Fuck, guess him fighting on Hoth. That's a cool way to look at this. Some cities
17:19were visible in the distance, but the biggest thing I noticed was the tracer fire. Well, I thought it was
17:24tracers. Turns out that was superheated plasma. Other shuttles weren't as lucky as ours, and several
17:31other paratroopers pulled too early, and their chutes got burned up by some stray shots. I waited
17:36for my altimeter to start beeping before I pulled the chute, just like I'd been trained. I hit the
17:41ground. I'd done two drops before, but fuck landing on rocks hurts a lot more than soft grass.
17:47There wasn't any cover around, but thankfully I was in a pretty secluded area.
17:50I pulled out my Terra map and started making my way to the rally point. As much as I loved
17:56rucking, I wasn't too keen on walking 12 miles in an active war zone all by myself. Oh well,
18:02just gotta embrace it. I got to the patrol base a few hours ago, chafing like a motherfucker
18:08and just wanting to stop walking. We had most of the platoon out here by the time I arrived.
18:14I had never actually met them before today. They didn't say much in the shuttle, but they said
18:18there was supposed to be a lot more of us. We holed up in the snow that night. I was thankful
18:23that we got issued the Arctic drop suit for this, and yet my hands are still trembling
18:28from the cold as I hold this pencil right now. Yeah, it was about minus 40 during the
18:32day to maybe minus 80 at night when I was on Escaido. Yay Celsius, so I guess that's around
18:37minus 100 for you Americans. I remember sometimes someone would get shot and they wouldn't bleed.
18:43Come to find out the blood in the wound had already frozen solid the second it touched the air.
18:48SGT Takeshi Tiny Man Munamori when recalling Escaido
18:53March 14, 2287, Terran Standard Calendar
18:58I killed one today. Well, I think I did. I shot one today might be a better way to say it.
19:05To be honest it was kind of hard to tell. He was so far off in the distance, and wind really whipped
19:10around the snow so it was really hard to see anything. The thermal goggles barely even worked
19:15after 100 meters. He was running across a road maybe 500 out. I took the shot, and he fell down,
19:22but slowly dragged himself to his feet. I think I was too stunned to shoot him a second time.
19:28I don't know why I didn't. But it didn't feel as good as I thought it would. Didn't feel like
19:33anything. But it's not like I was looking him in his eyes when I shot him. Do they even have eyes?
19:39Maybe they have something entirely different. Other than that, I still don't know what they
19:44look like. It looked tall. I think they're supposed to be reptilian, or maybe amphibian.
19:50Don't quote me on it. I'm not a biologist. That was really all that happened today.
19:55PL says we're heading into a town here soon to look for signs of civilians.
19:59I wonder what the Escaidians look like. I guess technically that's why I'm here. For them,
20:05that is. It's just weird thinking that I'm supposed to be here to save a species that
20:09I've never seen or heard of before. And now I'm fighting a species I've also never seen or heard
20:14of. Until I shot one. For many in Escaido, this was their first experience off-world.
20:20At the time of the conflict, only the most privileged and elite had been able to travel to
20:24other systems. Many who joined the war effort came from families who could not afford to go
20:29off-world, hoping for a chance to see the stars. They had no way of knowing just how brutal Escaido
20:36would be. Quote from Political Inequality in a Galactic World by M.A.J. Matt Anderson
20:41March 25, 2287 Terran Standard Calendar
20:46I haven't written in a while. I've sent some recordings back home, but we're not getting any
20:51back. LT said it was cause there's E-Dub, Electronic Warfare, going on. I don't think
20:57that's the case. I mean, we're so advanced we can jump onto another planet, but can't
21:02send a simple recording out here? It is what it is, I guess. Just gotta focus on the mission
21:06and take it a day at a time.
21:09We didn't find any Escaidians in the town we went to. Well, none that were alive. Most of
21:15them were just piles of ash mixed into the snow. Figure that's what lots of plasma fire does
21:20to someone. We didn't come across any of the enemies in the town either. Just the bodies
21:25and dust should be bodies. It's hard to believe that thousands of people lived in this burnt
21:30crater of a city at one point. The few bodies that weren't ash didn't look very good. I'm
21:35not sure if it's cause the Escaidians looked like that to begin with or something else.
21:39I tell myself that's how they usually look. I try not to dwell on it too much. Tommy died
21:45this morning. He was our saw gunner, and he was a good dude. He never had any issues making
21:50us laugh when we were in the shit. Wish I had more things to say about him. I only knew
21:54him for a couple weeks. One second I was talking to him on security about his girl back in London,
22:00him showing me a frozen picture. The next he had a hole in his head. I had to roll him
22:05off the gun and return fire into one of the buildings down the road. We buried him in the
22:11shallow snow in some courtyard. They say we don't have the resources to bring the bodies back.
22:16I kept the picture that Tommy had in his hand when he died. Maybe I'll try to find his girl
22:21and give it to her. He never had the chance to tell me her name. We're leaving this place tomorrow,
22:27grouping up with some guys from First Armor. We're supposed to be light infantry, but I'd welcome
22:31a ride on a tank. I've always wanted to do that. Shit looked like so much fun in those historical
22:36pictures, and now I'm living it. It's one thing seeing those badass pics in books and imagining
22:42yourself doing it. It doesn't feel as badass actually going through it. Just feels normal.
22:48Terran armor units were rare on Eskaido. The thick snow that permanently covered the planet made it
22:53near impossible for tracked vehicles to traverse the hilly terrain. Eskaido saw the first introduction
22:59of armored hovercraft. Terrain Join Forces Doctrine TP-113 updated after Eskaido conflict.
23:05March 29, 2287 Terran Standard Calendar
23:09Urban Ops was the most fun thing we did in training. It was different here. We lost almost half the
23:16platoon today. Well, we were already at half strength to begin with after the drop. It wasn't a day I feel
23:22like dwelling on right now. I just want to curl up in my snow hole and sleep. That's all I'm going to
23:28write for today. I wonder if there's snow back in Boston right now. It'd be nice to have one thing in
23:34common with my friends and family back home. The intense urban operations on Eskaido were a
23:40disaster for Terran forces. Inferior weapons and armor posed a challenge to Terran infantrymen tasked
23:46with breaching buildings. The point man in the breach was usually the lowest-ranking soldier on
23:51the team. Excerpt from CQC on an Alien World by Lance Corporal Andrew Flores. General Karn placed the
23:58book down on his desk before letting out a long sigh, deciding that the last entry for March was
24:04a good place to stop for a break. If he was hoping to get through the next two chapters this evening,
24:09he might need something a little stronger than this tea. He reached down and pressed a small
24:14button on the side of his desk, and one of his assistants made their way into the room.
24:18How may I assist you, sir? Vanix, clear my meeting with Araxium General Tannix tomorrow.
24:24I think I'm going to make a day trip. Of course, sir, right away. And would you please bring me that
24:29new human beverage that everyone is fawning over? The ethanol one? He asked, unable to remember the
24:35direct human word for it. Yes, sir. Any flavor that you have in mind? Do they have a flavor from this
24:41human settlement called Boston? I'll track it down, sir. See you shortly. The general turned back in his
24:47chair, looking to his left, his eyes fixated on the display case that housed his own galactic honor
24:53medal. He thought about his time spent earning the award. He had made difficult decisions, had to
24:59sacrifice people he cared about for the betterment of others. Many people he cared about. But it had
25:05all seemed so impersonal. Just orders and commands from a terminal or through a comms channel. He had never
25:12been required to go through the experience of being on the ground when it was all going down.
25:17Never had to witness it firsthand. Of the many books and articles that filled his digital library,
25:24they all described war from a statistical standpoint, measuring numbers against numbers,
25:29as if it were something that could be broken down into a cost-benefit analysis.
25:34He never had the need to read a firsthand account at his position. He regretted that it had taken him
25:39this long. I think writing about yesterday will make me feel better. I didn't get much sleep last night
25:50between the security shifts and the fire bombings. Once we ran them out of town, they must have decided
25:55to get this place off the map. Johnson ended up under one of the bombs. The snow melted around him,
26:01and once we got to him, he was frozen solid. He ended up in the same shallow snow hole as Tommy.
26:07We're inside burning the Eskaidan bodies and clothes to stay warm. Cook says it's minus 89 right now.
26:14Can't even take my helmet off to eat, otherwise I'd freeze. We've been sustaining ourselves with
26:18injections. I miss the taste of food. Right. About yesterday. We got word saying there was an enemy
26:25platoon holed up on the other end of town. PL gave us the brief, and in it we're supposed to cross
26:30five miles through this ghost town. As bad as it's been, I'd say this was the coolest part of it all.
26:36My favorite hobby back home was exploring all the abandoned buildings around town.
26:40There isn't much to do in Maynard except drive around and see old stuff. Cause well,
26:44it's fucking Maynard. But this was like my own desolate city of ice to explore. Ice and bodies.
26:50We pulled up on them around 1700 after a few hours of slow rucking. We were careful when we moved.
26:56So many windows and buildings, and each one could mean the death of us.
27:00PL let me call in the air support. Said it would be good practice on the comms.
27:05Once we got the all clear from air, we moved in. First squad took the south side while second took
27:11the east. We only had enough of us for two squads now. On cue, Ramirez kicked in the door and I
27:18breached. They were right behind me. There were three of them sleeping on the floor inside and another
27:23four playing some game in the middle. I put two in one of the ones around the table as I made my way to
27:29the right corner. The first one I shot screamed and writhed on the floor while we all cleared the
27:34room. The rest of the team made quick work of the others. It felt good having my urban ops training
27:41payoff. Seemed easy so far. SGT Miller put a few into the ones that were still making some weird
27:46noises. Somehow still alive. They bled just like us. I'm not sure what I was expecting. I mean, it makes
27:53sense. Maybe it would have felt cooler if it was purple like a video game. Would have been easier
27:58for me if they were more alien, less like us. It still felt like I was killing another human being,
28:04but I don't think we had a problem seeing them as something else. That first one I shot finally bled
28:09out when we finished our lace reports. It was clutching some picture when it died, just like
28:14Tommy. We moved to the next building. There were a few in the street still screaming, screeching,
28:19not sure how to describe the sound, from the chemical bombs before. I shot one as I walked
28:24over it. Seeing its scaled skin melting off looked like a bad way to go. Maybe that's what
28:29he was asking for. I hope that's what he was asking for. Only PL had a translator. I was point
28:36man again. They said I would keep doing it until I couldn't anymore. I know we don't have the means
28:41to bring back the bodies. I wonder if I'd be considered a body if I was only wounded. Kicked in the next
28:47door and did it again. It wasn't as clean the second time. Before I even got through the doorway,
28:53one of them pulled me to the ground. He saved my life in a way, because the next two guys who
28:57entered the room got dropped. Last man SGT Grom had the saw and laid into the room. I was on the ground
29:04with one of these monsters on top of me, a serrated blade coming down at my face. We rolled on the
29:10ground while the machine gun fire grazed over top of us. I started to pull my own blade out with my one
29:16free arm. I should count myself lucky that its teeth were stuck behind its suit. Guess they
29:22needed to stay warm too. I finally got my knife out and stabbed it in the stomach. The cold air made
29:28its blood solidify around my blade after the first stab, and I couldn't pull it out. I rolled again,
29:34getting on top of him and brought my helmet down onto its face. I did it again and again until SGT Grom
29:41pulled me off of him. I couldn't see anything anymore, the blood covering my goggles. Once I
29:46was calmed down, we scraped the icy red liquid off with a knife. I looked down at the body and there
29:52was a crater where its face should have been. Still haven't seen who I'm fighting. We couldn't do
29:57anything to help Ramirez or McRae on the ground. Ramirez was still alive when we moved to the next
30:03building, shivering and gasping for air. SGT said there's nothing we can do to help. It's too cold.
30:10I would have felt better if we at least tried. Grom put down more covering fire as the last few guys
30:16of our squad moved to the final building. PL and the rest of the platoon seemed to be in their own
30:22fight on the other side of it. We consolidated into one team, I kicked in the door, and did it again.
30:28They were ready for us this time. They didn't have much cover in the room and I shot one in the face
30:34as I entered. I was nearly knocked back from something hitting my front plates but was pushed
30:39forward by the rest of the team. Just following my training, I went to my corner like I'd been
30:45taught peering over at what might be the next threat. I focused my rifle on the door to the next
30:50room. About that time it opened up and something was thrown through. I didn't have to guess what it
30:56was as I hit the ground. Thankfully one of the bodies was there to block the blast.
31:01I stood up as three of them came through the door. I saw all three of them fall to my shots.
31:07Once we were sure the building was clear, we met up with what was left of the platoon.
31:11We lost eight in total. Didn't have time to search the bodies or help anyone that was still alive.
31:17PL said we needed to move cause there's enemy air coming in. We booked it out of there the way we came.
31:22I wonder if Ramirez was still alive when we left. We got back to the PB late that night.
31:29Supply crate had been dropped nearby. Being the last private that was still alive, I was one of
31:34the ones sent to grab it. You'd think that being able to traverse the stars and fight against aliens,
31:39we'd get the badass gear you see in all of those sci-fi stories. Guess a century without war really
31:45stagnates military advancement. What we have is way better than what it was 100 years ago, sure.
31:51But where's the energy shields and laser rifles? Maybe they have that stuff reserved for the high
31:56speed special forces guys out here. We're staying in position for today waiting on orders from higher,
32:02so I had the time to write this out. I didn't want to think about it, but it's best that someone
32:07records these kinds of things. Otherwise, nobody will ever know what we did out here. This way nobody
32:12forgets the people we lost or the shit we did. On Eskaido, it was virtually impossible to render aid to
32:19fallen comrades. Once the environmental suit was breached and the cold air made its way in,
32:24the body shut down in minutes. The only historical conflict in Terran history that could even be
32:30comparable to Eskaido was the Korean War, which reached temperatures of minus 54 degrees Fahrenheit,
32:3748 C. But they didn't have the luxury of temperature regulation suits back then.
32:43Excerpt from Eskaido, A Modern Day Korean War by Geisket Billy, M.C. Reiner III
32:49March 31, 2287 Terran Standard Calendar
32:55I took my own headcount when I got back with the equipment. For a platoon, we should have been about
33:0140 strong. We had about a squad and a half now, 15 total. Higher says that we're still combat effective,
33:08regardless of the losses, Charlie Mike. Suppose we're not getting any others to come help us
33:13anytime soon. I guess I should be glad about that. Least happy for them that they don't have
33:18to be here with us. I got a couple hours to rest tonight. We consolidated our defenses into a smaller
33:23area for the time being, but we're going to be moving out tomorrow at sunrise. PL says it's not safe
33:29to stay in the patrol base longer than 24 hours, and we're already well past that so we need to get a
33:34move on. No light pollution here means you get a good view of the stars under the night vision.
33:39I have to say one of the coolest things about Eskaido is the rings. Looking up at the night sky
33:45right now makes me feel like I'm surviving on some fucked up version of Saturn. Not writing much
33:50tonight. Going to focus on getting some sleep. The rings on Eskaido posed a major tactical and
33:56logistical issue to Terran forces during the initial incursion. Many hasty defenses were constructed
34:02about the rings to entrap enemy forces as they entered the Eskaido system. Many Terran ships
34:08suffered devastating losses at the beginning of the conflict, due to being in close proximity to
34:14hidden nuclear explosive devices. Excerpt from Asymmetric Warfare on a Planetary Front
34:19by Terran Lieutenant General Stephen Smatgen III
34:22Upon finishing the chapter, General Karn heard a knock at the door. He folded the corner of the page
34:29marking his place in the book. It wasn't often that he actually read a physical book. The humans
34:35seemed to be more traditional in that sense. He placed it down on his desk and beckoned them to
34:40enter. It's open. Sir, I cleared your schedule and tracked down the beverage you requested.
34:46Ah, of course, thank you. And I assume there were no issues with the cancellation?
34:50He was angry and was wondering what could take precedence over an important military meeting.
34:54Well, lucky for me, I am the one who organizes those meetings, so it's none of his concern.
35:00Anyway, book me transport to Earth tomorrow, first thing in the morning.
35:05Earth, sir? You're going to the Middle Rim? Yes, I just want to see the place for myself.
35:10And if I can possibly meet some people that are in this book. That will be all.
35:13Right away, sir, Valak said, bringing over a tray of solidified silica bottles containing the requested
35:20Terran liquid. The labeling on the bottle read, Samuel Adams Boston Lager. Karn sat back at his
35:27desk picking up a bottle and opened up his interface, checking through various news feeds and recent
35:32publications. The human book has made the rounds across many different systems. Many are criticizing
35:39its amateur writing style, or the sheer brutality of it. But even with that in mind, it's the most
35:44widespread book in the Republic in recent years. I am glad that it is getting the recognition it
35:50deserves. Even my own book wasn't this widely recognized. He took a sip of the Terran beverage.
35:56Well, this is awful. How can they get enough sales to mass produce this stuff? He decided to power
36:02through the taste of the beverage, thinking it would help him relate with the deceased Terran soldier.
36:07Looking back at the story, it was quite different from most accounts, to say the least.
36:12Such depictions of war that do not display it as heroic and majestic are usually not as popular
36:18with a wider audience. People like to see a hero that can conquer all and shows no weakness.
36:24But he began to understand that's not how it is in reality. It's not numbers and statistics or
36:31countless valiant heroes who all commit great feats that are remembered by all. It's just young
36:37sapients thrown into a foreign world beyond their comprehension, and expected to achieve things
36:42that nobody should be asked to do. He picked the book back up once more, content with reading
36:46another chapter before retiring for the night. Or a couple, as he has become quite invested in the
36:52life of this common soldier whom he shares almost no similarities with.
36:56April 2nd, 2287 Terran Standard Calendar
37:00IDF is something else, let me say that. One second you're walking along just going about the routine,
37:07next thing you know you can't hear or see shit with all the snow it's whipping up around here.
37:12If it weren't for the comms in my helmet, no way I would have heard where to run.
37:16Going from town to town around here isn't easy. Just walking across vast fields, only cover is the
37:22occasional giant spike of ice and rock sticking out of the ground. I just took off in the direction
37:28they said to run, if I get hit I get hit. Not like there'll be much left of me to feel it anyway,
37:32so it's better to keep running. Saw the guy in front of me, wish I remembered his name, fall into a crevasse.
37:39One moment he was there, next the snow gave out underneath him, and he fell into this pit that
37:45was darker than the night sky. We took cover underneath one of the shards. That's what we're
37:50calling the large spike sticking out of the ground around here. Got the all clear a few minutes later
37:55to start stepping again. We lost two more, down to twelve in our platoon now, if you could even call
38:01us a platoon now. We got ambushed getting into town today. Graham said I should count myself lucky it
38:07wasn't a nearside ambush. They were about two hundred meters out on the ridgeline of a snow
38:11cornice when they opened fire on us. With no cover around, half of us shot back, while the other half
38:18dug in the snow frantically to make some semblance of cover. Sergeant Mickey was behind me digging while
38:23I was shooting. He yelled at me to jump into the hole he dug about the same time he took a shot to the
38:28hand. It pierced his glove, and I could already tell it wasn't good. With his suit pierced, he wouldn't last
38:34long, even if it was just his hand. I taped up the hole, and he was already starting to shiver and go
38:40into temperature shock. Doc jumped over and stabilized him, but it was clear Mickey was ever going to be
38:46able to play the violin again after this. Sorry I shouldn't make jokes like that. Mickey died there
38:52in that unremarkable stretch of white snow. We had to leave him. PL said we wouldn't have the extra weight
38:58slowing us down. Doc overdosed him on painkillers as we left so he wouldn't suffer. We lasted long
39:04enough for PL to get air support in, didn't see any more of them after that. We lost another,
39:10ten of us left now, and we've only been here a little over a month. We set up in a much smaller
39:15town than the last one, but this one was different. We got into the center of the village when we saw
39:20the pile. There had to be at least a thousand of them, if not more. I'd never seen this many
39:26Ascadians in one place. I can't really tell the ages apart, but they were all different sizes.
39:32I guess these snakes are more focused on fighting the civilians than us. You could tell there wasn't
39:38an attempt to dig mass graves. They just resorted to throwing all the bodies into the pile in the
39:43center of town. There was a big banner hanging over it strung up between the buildings that read
39:48their symbology. I asked PL what it said since he was the only one with the translator. He told me not
39:55to worry about it. What struck me as odd here was that they weren't piles of ash. You know? Like what
40:02happens when they're shot with plasma. They were crushed. Sliced. Whatever else. You name it. Seems
40:08like they made a point to leave the bodies intact. Why? Beats the fuck out of me. I'm just here to do
40:14my job. Not wonder why they're killing all the civvies. We set up the PB as far from the bodies as we
40:20could. Not sure what this building was supposed to be for. I don't know the first thing about their
40:25culture or their world, so its purpose was lost on me. It looked nice, though. Much more intricate
40:32than the other buildings I've been in. There was a lot of frozen blood in here. Looked like the
40:37citizens of this town tried to hold up in this building but were all dragged out to add to the
40:41pile. A few days in, and it became clear what the true purpose of the war on Eskaido was.
40:47The clues weren't hidden, far from it. It was quite evident what they were doing.
40:52The piles made the rounds fast. They were everywhere. Then the facilities started being
40:57found, and that revealed just how extensive their operation was. It wasn't an occupation or conquest
41:03or anything like that. It was an extermination. Excerpt from The Ascadian Xenocide, The First
41:09But Not The Last by Dr. Caspian Crew
41:11April 4th, 2287, Terran Standard Calendar
41:15Morale has never been this high. We got a space cat. Not sure how else to describe the little guy.
41:22They put me in charge of taking care of him as the sole surviving private. He must have been native
41:27to this planet, cause he's got so much fur on him you can barely tell what he's supposed to look like.
41:32Just this big ball of fluff that loves cuddling with us in our snoles. Snow holes. We came up with a
41:38fun name for our shitty snow foxholes. It's like a cat, cause he's got the two ears and the two eyes,
41:45which from what I'm tracking is pretty rare in the rest of the galaxy.
41:49Six legs, though. He's pretty goofy looking the way he waddles around over the snow to stop from
41:54sinking in. We named him Wintergreen. It's the only flavor of nicotine pouches we get out here due to
42:00some deal a corpo made with Big Army and the new MREs. It was SGT Miller's idea, not mine. But the guys
42:06loved it, so it stuck. I'm sure those shareholders are living it up back on Earth,
42:12rolling in that defense budget money. And here I am, cuddling Lil Wintergreen because no matter how
42:18cold it gets, I can still feel his warmth through the suit. I miss feeling warm. It's been a month
42:24since I've felt any warmth, much less the heat of anyone or anything other than myself or a fire
42:29fueled by bodies. That's a luxury I'll never take for granted again. Once I'm out of here,
42:34fuck the mountains, fuck the snow, all that cold, icy shit. I'm going to a beach in the Caribbean,
42:40buying a boat and enjoying year-round summer temps.
42:44April 7th, 2287, Terran Standard Calendar
42:47Joint operations. It's been a while since we've had anyone to help us out here, so it was a welcome
42:53reprieve when PL mumbled those words through frostbitten lips. Then he said the word,
42:58Marines. Fucking hell, why'd it have to be the Marines? Don't get me wrong, I respect the Marines,
43:04I appreciate any infantry support we can get out here, but riddle me this. Have you ever met a Marine
43:10who isn't at least a little bit of a dick about how he's a Marine, and he's a divine gift to this
43:15universe because of it? Maybe a couple, I concede, but still working with them can be a pain.
43:21Now, after the mission, fuck I'm glad we had the Marines there with us. Without the Marines taking
43:28the spire wouldn't have been possible. We were tasked with conducting an amphibious assault on
43:33an island. Notice how I put both of those words in quotes. You'd be hard-pressed to find any liquid
43:39water on this hunk of ice, much less an actual island. However, comma, it was a frozen ocean we
43:45were assaulting across on armored hovercraft. So in their great military intellect, the higher-ups
43:51deemed that the Marines would be a key military component to the operation. They weren't wrong.
43:57They knew more about dismounting onto contested beaches and assaulting through than we did,
44:02so we were attached to a Marine company. I think in total we were the only Army platoon,
44:08if you could even call us that at this point, attached to an entire Marine division,
44:12the first Marine division from the old U.S. Their CO gave the company Oport, and we were
44:18on our way. Sent one hundred miles across a frozen plain on these hastily made hovercraft
44:24to take a mountain that jutted out of the solid sea. It stretched about a mile into the sky,
44:30and a few miles offshore from the nearest continent. We hit the beach under more fire than I thought
44:35possible. Why was our command throwing us at a mountain in the middle of nowhere? That's beyond
44:40me. But all I knew is that we had to take that hill or die trying, and die trying we did.
44:47During the couple-hour ride over, we got into an argument with first Marine guys about how
44:51Eskaido ain't shit, compared to what they did in Korea. Like any of them even studied Korea,
44:57let alone had any relatives in it. Our PL informed them that there were just as many Army guys it
45:03chosen as Marine, but they didn't care. That carried on for a while until we started getting
45:08fired upon. It was pretty interesting to see that once shit started to hit the fan,
45:13that the rivalries died down. Everyone kinda consolidated together and started to see each
45:19other as one and the same. Regardless of the centuries-old rivalries, we're all here together,
45:25in the shit, with the same mission in mind. Take the hill, or die on our way up the hill,
45:30no other way about it. We hit that beach with a fire in our hearts that burned bright enough to melt
45:36all the ice on Eskaido. The frenzy of orders coming from the NCOs of both units kept us on task,
45:42moving across the beach, onto the hills, up the mountain, and into the bunkers. We stormed and
45:48took down their fortress as if it were made of plywood. Granted we had a few thousand more than
45:54they did, and traversing the mountainous terrain took a few days, but in the end, our dead nearly
46:00matched theirs. Considering you usually want three to one odds for an attack, and one to three for a
46:05defense, it was pretty good. I'm currently writing this from the peak of hill 28,885, not 50 meters
46:14from the old enemy headquarters. Joint operations between marine and army divisions on Eskaido
46:19transcended any rivalry that is currently present in any armed forces across the galaxy. During my time
46:26there I came to respect the navy, the space force, and the air force, but the marines above anyone else.
46:33Fighting alongside marines on Eskaido was like fighting alongside a cornered animal who never had
46:39anything to lose in the first place. No matter how bad the conditions, no matter how great the
46:44casualties, no matter how fucking brutal it gets, they will keep fighting alongside you until the bitter
46:51end. I literally saw men who knew they were going to die, and they went out with a smile on their face
46:57and bled out in a pile of spent brass and bodies.
47:02TSGT Brian Jones, A Living Hell Eskaido
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