2026-02-06 12:01:38The birds were screeching just beneath the clouds as the sun set on the event of the day.
An awarding ceremony for the soldiers who had accomplished the first-ever Rank C mission would be taking place at the sector front. The commander had taken it upon himself to honour the heroes who brought hope back to the last lamplight of humanity.
With the apocalypse in full swing, it was hard to make anything feel official, but the military managed, making it at least half as good as ceremonies from the old world.
Jane watched the setup. To her, all these were mere formalities that could have been skipped—yet the constant, rapid tempo of her heartbeat said otherwise.
Father… little Jane hasn’t let you down.
Jane’s cheeks went wet as tears slipped down onto her fist, clenched tightly at her waist.
“Is everything fine, Captain? I can’t help but notice that you haven’t dressed up for the ceremony.” At some point, the commander had managed to appear at her side.
“Ah, Commander—” Jane flinched, then straightened and saluted, but the commander waved it off with a smile.
“No need to be so tense, soldier. You should get going now.”
Jane nodded and left to change into her ceremonial uniform. The rest of the soldiers were just about done with the final touches for the party.
Flashback
“Little Jane, here’s something I got you on the way to work, okay?” A soldier with a thick moustache held a small package tucked under his arm.
A little girl who had been playing tag with her pet dog ran into the main room the moment she heard his voice.
“Father!” She sprinted toward him and jumped into his arms.
“Heh, you’re finally seven. I remember promising to show up on your birthday, but my luck seems terrible. A weird phenomenon took place, with Daddy being a good soldier. They couldn't help but have me picked again.” The soldier held his daughter close; tears twinkled in his eyes but never fell.
Little Jane fell quiet at her father’s words. She clenched her fists as she tried not to cry, but that was exactly what she felt. “So Father is leaving… ku… sobs!”
The soldier sighed and turned to the nanny standing in the corner, the woman in charge of taking care of his daughter. She caught the signal in his eyes and gently took Little Jane away, despite the girl’s screams and tantrums, her legs and arms thrashing as she tried to break free of the maid’s grip to reach her father.
“Father, no! Don’t leave! Jane is a good girl now, don’t go! Let me stay with my father! Aghhhh… leave me alone!” Little Jane yelled and kicked.
The soldier kept his head bowed. If only my wife were alive to care for our child… but life…
Sigh…
“Let’s go,” he said at last, meeting his comrade outside. Together, they set off.
The main room returned to its earlier, quiet state. Nothing had changed—except for a gift pack sitting at two o’clock from the entrance door.
A few days from then, the nanny would notice the present that Little Jane had never opened. A few years later, Jane Orio would cherish the necklace inside it as the last thing her father had given her—and as proof that her father…
“Alandro Orio died while covering for the first squad during a top mission and managed to keep three A-Rank scientists alive. His death was a great loss to humanity. Captain Jane has proven she is not just like her father in looks and tendencies, but that she has inherited his passion and sense of reliability as well. That is why this award and Medal of Honor goes to you. Please give a befitting applause as she steps on stage.”
Time was a fleeting thing. The awarding ceremony had begun already. Henrik and Sarah had taken their paths in the force. As for Max, Lorne, and Merc, they weren’t enlisted; they would be registered as survivors recovered by the retrieval team—though only Jane knew better than to say what was and what wasn’t.
They were all seated in the front row of the event—except Merc. He was a quest freak and had probably already booked a mission at the Mercenary Association’s quest hall, Jane thought.
“Don’t space out, Captain. Quick, everyone’s eager to see you win,” Sarah said from beside her. After the battle, a strange camaraderie had formed between them, so it felt right that they’d chosen seats close to her.
Giving a curt nod, Jane walked to the stage and delivered a simple speech while the commander attached the badge and helped her with the medal.
A round of applause rose to finalize the day.
Just when everyone thought it was over, the supposed MC received a message. He frowned, then hurried over and whispered into the commander’s ear.
“Thank you, everyone. There’s more, though,” the commander said, clearing his throat. He had chosen to act as the MC for the day. “Orders from the highest authority: Marshal Argon has requested that the captain be relieved of her duty, with the inclusion of Henrik Wild, Sarah Wonda, and Rio… pardon, it seems the last member has been reported dead, so I will skip that.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd of well-trained warriors. In the front row where Jane stood, Max, Lorne, and Professor Garfield could be seen frowning.
This can’t be possible. Is there a mix-up? That was the thought in everyone’s mind, but only Professor Garfield voiced it.
The acting MC received another message that made him curse under his breath—but he quickly composed himself, feeling the weight of a few hundred ghastly gazes.
He summarized it for the commander, who finally smiled.
“My apologies; it seems there was a mix-up indeed. Ahem. Captain Jane will become part of the first set of special soldiers who answer only to the Supreme Commander himself, making their ranks even above mine. And she has been granted authority to…” He paused, then continued, slightly stunned by the words on the screen. “To deal with the selection of the members of her special squad. All soldiers are to respect her team, as their rank is far beyond all others, except… the Marshal himself.”
Reading all that out caused the commander to falter for a moment and sent an uproar through the crowd. Was this the legendary carp-turning-dragon scenario?
Jane only had one question:
“Is this… real?”
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The birds were screeching just beneath the clouds as the sun set on the event of the day.An awarding ceremony for the soldiers who had accomplished the first-ever Rank C mission would be taking place at the sector front. The commander had taken it upon himself to honour the heroes who brought hope back to the last lamplight of humanity.With the apocalypse in full swing, it was hard to make anything feel official, but the military managed, making it at least half as good as ceremonies from the old world.Jane watched the setup. To her, all these were mere formalities that could have been skipped—yet the constant, rapid tempo of her heartbeat said otherwise.Father… little Jane hasn’t let you down.Jane’s cheeks went wet as tears slipped down onto her fist, clenched tightly at her waist.“Is everything fine, Captain? I can’t help but notice that you haven’t dressed up for the ceremony.” At some point, the commander had managed to appear at her side.“Ah, Commander—” Jane flinched, the
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