The Pride of Echelon 3

I Need A Hero

The facility is in an uproar with the recent failure with a combat mission, everyone is in a frenzy as they are preparing for the arrival of the teams. Echelon 2 is the first to arrive from the battlefield after a hasty retreat from heavy combat with the enemy. Everyone is badly injured to the point where they must be carried to the repair bay. As units are sprinting left and right amongst all the chaos, the Commander comes out to see what the commotion is all about. The Commander looks at his badly injured units as they are hauled away to the Repair Bay, obviously in dismay and shock. But he keeps all of this inside as he motions them to get their much-needed repairs. Then from the other corner of the facility, the Commanders logistics officer comes sprinting towards him. As she finally reaches the Commander, she waits a few seconds before saying anything; catching her breathe before saying anything. Then...

"COMMANDER!!!" She says, wheezing after every spoken word.

"Kalina, I am going to have to ask you to please calm down." Said the Commander. "Regain your composure, and repeat it back to me."

Kalina then takes several deep breathes before uttering any more words. Sweat is crawling down her face and she is flushed red. She then settles down and speaks.

"That's better." Said the Commander. "Now, what were you going to say?"

She takes a deep breath in, then utters, "COMMANDER!!!" At the top of her lungs. This burst of excitement takes the Commander by surprise as he is had to regain his own stance.

"Sorry, let me continue. Echelon 2 was taken by surprise as Sangvis forces quickly surrounded them in a strategic attack from all sides. This isn't something that Sangivs has done before, and that's why it went so badly for us." Kalina exclaimed. "The enemy has been attacking civilian settlement along side G&K allied outposts. It could have been a plan to draw us in, it may have been a trap."

"Well... Didn't we scout the area before we sent out our units?" questioned the Commander, obviously irritated.

"Yes.... And no. We did scout the area, but.... I guess our unit didn't survey the area to our own specifications. I am so sorry Commander."

The Commander, emotionless in the face. Walks in the opposite direction away from his Logistics Officer.

"Wait!! Where are you going?" Says Kalina, running towards her Commander. "Listen sir, I will take full responsibility for this mishap and miss handling of your units. Just please don't be mad and give me a second chance to-"

"Take me to the factory."

Kalina, perplexed, "Excuse me?"

"I said take me to the Factory, please." The Commander said, "Whatever that has been damaged can be rebuilt, and whatever has been lost can be built again. I am disappointed with what has happened, but we can both take this as a learning experience and continue to move forward. We've rebuilt many units before, we can rebuild it again."

Kalina then looked down at the ground, like a child that had just been scolded by their parent. But she corrected herself. "I'll take you to the factory, but what do you plan on accomplishing by going there?" She said, walking by the side of the Commander.

"Well, I believe we are missing something. Possibly a missing link that is keeping us from executing the mission successfully. We need a team player, a star, someone to carry the team to victory and for everyone to look up to."

"What we need is-"

"A hero." Kalina said as they arrived at the factory, which was already in the process of making new and expendable units.

"I couldn't have said it any better, and that's why you are where you are now. Standing next to me."

Sparks were flying all around. The sound of clanking metal could be heard all around as it echoed to all corners of the factory. Alarms were going off signaling the production start of new units and the birthing of the newly built ones. Parts were being made from one assembly line and immediately brought to another line to be constructed into a greater body. The entire faculty was in a complete and total frenzy.