Chapter 5: Silent Steps Forward
April 16th, 2145 – Military Rail Transport, Eastern Frontline Route
The rhythmic clatter of the train filled the silence in Lena's cabin. She sat near the window, watching the outskirts of the Republic blur past—farmland, abandoned towns, the rusted sprawl of forgotten zones.
Soon, the transport would cross into 86 territory.
She sat in her military-issued uniform, insignia freshly polished. No visible sign of nerves.
But her fingers curled slightly in her lap.
This is the unit where everything changed. Where I changed.
The memory tugged at her—but she shut it down.
She wasn't here for closure.
She was here to work.
---
April 16th – Command Outpost Near Spearhead's Zone
"Another noble?" whispered a technician, eyeing Lena as she stepped into the handler command station. "She's just a cadet."
"Probably another one looking for glory," another muttered. "Won't last the week."
Lena heard them. She didn't care.
She set down her data drive and plugged it into the main console, fingers dancing over the terminal as she prepped her interface.
One of the officers approached. "Cadet Milizé, you'll be overseeing Spearhead Squadron from now on. You're the fifth handler they've had this quarter."
"I understand," she said calmly.
"They don't talk much. And they don't listen unless you give them a reason."
Lena glanced at him. "Then I'll listen first."
He raised an eyebrow but said nothing more.
---
April 16th – Spearhead Barracks, Internment Zone 86
Raiden was the first to notice the blinking light on their comm terminal.
"The hell?" he muttered, crossing the room. "Didn't we just lose the last handler?"
Kurena peeked up from her cot. "Is it another one already?"
Theo groaned. "I swear, if it's another cheerful idiot with zero clue..."
Raiden tapped the receiver. A calm female voice filtered through the static.
"Good evening, Spearhead Squadron. This is Handler One. No unnecessary formalities. Just your coordinates, a functional map, and an open channel."
The squad exchanged looks.
Kurena blinked. "That's it?"
"She didn't introduce herself," Theo said, surprised. "No fake sympathy?"
Shin sat in the corner, cleaning his rifle. Silent. Detached.
Raiden exhaled through his nose. "Huh. Might be the first sane one we've had."
---
April 17th – Early Morning Patrol
> "Spearhead, report sighting of Legion units west of Echo-5," Lena said, voice crisp through the line.
"Confirmed," came Raiden's reply. "Three Shephards. They're circling."
> "Intercept if confident. Retreat and regroup if not. I'll update the satellite feed every three minutes."
"Copy that, Handler One."
The transmission ended. No excessive instruction. No naive optimism.
Kurena leaned forward in her cockpit. "She's good. Doesn't choke or panic."
"She's… different," Raiden admitted. "Quiet."
Theo smirked. "Almost makes me nervous."
Shin remained silent, eyes locked ahead as the Reginleifs surged forward.
---
April 18th – Handler Control Room
The air in the command hub was cold. Lena sat with perfect posture, reviewing each mech's vitals, ammo status, movement patterns. She logged them carefully—not out of duty, but out of care.
The kind they wouldn't notice. Not yet.
Her hand hovered over Shin's signal.
He hadn't spoken a single word to her.
It stung, more than she wanted to admit.
But she understood.
I'm not here to be remembered.
Not yet.
---
April 18th – Evening, Spearhead Barracks
"She didn't ask a single personal question," Kurena said over dinner.
"Didn't call us 'brave soldiers,'" Theo added, chewing on rations.
Raiden leaned back. "Honestly? I think she might just be doing her job."
Shin rose without comment and left the room.
The door hissed shut behind him.
---
April 18th – Outside, Under the Stars
Shin walked to the outskirts of the barracks, where the wind howled low through metal ruins and long-dead trees.
He stared upward.
The stars were the same as they'd always been—cold, distant, watching.
His earpiece crackled once.
> "Unit 01, your Reginleif's right shoulder armor is slightly misaligned. You may want to check the bolts."
A pause.
It was her voice. Calm. Neutral.
He said nothing. Just looked out into the dark.
> "No reply necessary. Good work today."
The transmission clicked off.
Shin stared a moment longer, then turned back toward the hangar.
No interest. No recognition. No reason to care.
But he would remember to check the bolts.
---
End of Chapter 5