Ad Astra - The Alagore War

AA V0 Prolog, Chapter 7

2/20/2069 (military calendar)

Raymond Space Force Base, Colorado, USA

*****

Standing on the spaceport tarmac, Captain Mathew Ryder of Comanche looked up into the bright blue sky. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, enjoying the natural fresh air. Feeling the sun's rays warming his skin, he felt rejuvenated. It felt natural, both the fresh air and the sunlight giving him a new appreciation of these little delights that Mankind has taken for granted.

"This is the best moment in my life," Wallace said.

"No kidding," Gonzales replied. "The sun never felt so good."

The team had spent nearly one month on that mission extracting and escorting that package, and the captain couldn't have agreed more. They were being attacked and forced to abandon ship in the middle of nowhere with little hope of being rescued. Being stuck inside a small capsule for the better part of a day, with double its capacity, was not an experience he wanted to repeat. Dealing with foreign relations would make anyone appreciate the little things on Earth. Just being able to breathe fresh air made all those troubles worth it.

Noticing a heavily armed convoy approaching, Ryder knew what they were coming for. "Vacation over. Gentlemen, back to work. Can I get the package, Higgins?"

Sergeant Charlie Higgins approached the team leader while carrying the container. "Here you go, sir."

As Ryder pulled the container from the Sergeant's hand, he was surprised by how light it was, which made him wonder what the hell was inside.

Once the vehicles stopped, a dozen guardians exited their cars, all armed with P52s. Within the group, one man, unarmed, approached their position. As he drew closer, Ryder noticed that the man had no name on his uniform, only a full-bird pin indicating the rank of Colonel. "I assume you are Captain Ryder, CFT-1?"

"The one and only, sir," Ryder replied with an excited but renewed spirit.

The Colonel returned the joke with an unfazed stare, standing silently.

"Sorry..., sir. I have the package as ordered." He then lifted the container and handed it over. To his horror, he watched the Colonel lift the container with a puzzled look, already knowing what he would say.

"It is lighter than I expected," the Colonel said. He then turned and headed toward the convoy.

"I wonder what was in the container," King asked.

"No idea," Ryder said as the convoy drove off. "Whatever it was, every power was willing to start a war over it, and no one was willing to go public about it."

"Never a good sign," King stated.

"Heads up," Barrett said.

Ryder turned to see his superior and most trusted mentor exiting his vehicle: Colonel William Hackett, the leader and founder of the 2nd Special Forces Operational Detachment-Minutemen. He created a specialized unit that could be quickly deployed against any threat in their hostile world. Slight, lean, and able to mobilize at a moment's notice with many teams with their own identity.

"Attention!" Barrett said.

The group saluted in the presence of their leader. Hackett approached and ordered them to be at ease. "Good job, everyone. I know this wasn't the mission you were prepared for, and it was tough, but you accomplished it. You all made your country and the Minutemen proud. Your actions are exactly why I fought for this program. Be ready, adapt, and mobilize at a minute's notice. Congratulations. You all will have the next forty-eight hours for R&R before reporting for duty."