The announcement had spread like wildfire through Vetra's settlements and outposts:
> "Commendation ceremony for frontline heroes. All civilians welcome."
By noon, the plaza outside FAWS headquarters was overflowing. Soldiers filled the front ranks, their uniforms pressed and gleaming despite the fatigue of constant deployments. Medics still carried faint stains of antiseptic on their fatigues. Engineers with grease under their nails stood shoulder to shoulder with civilians. Children perched on their parents' shoulders, wide-eyed, waving scraps of cloth like banners.
For the first time in years, the air didn't carry just exhaustion. It carried hope.
The war had taken too much, for too long. But today was about the ones who gave something back.
---
The Stage
Chief Engineer Loras stood at the podium, his formal coat freshly pressed but his face lined with wear. His voice carried across the plaza, boosted by comms loudspeakers mounted on every corner.
"Thirty years of war," he began, voice slow and deliberate. "Thirty years of blood spilled on Vetra's soil. And yet—today, we stand. Not because of high command. Not because of strategy on paper. We stand because of the men and women who fought, who bled, and who refused to let humanity break."
The crowd stirred. Murmurs turned to cheers.
Loras lifted a hand. "Today, we recognize those who became more than soldiers. Today, we promote them—for their courage, their leadership, and their defiance."
He gestured to the side of the stage. "The Renegade Squad."
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause.
---
Jinx
"Corporal Emmanuel Alvarez—Rapid Assault."
Jinx strode forward with his usual swagger, his grin wide enough to reach his ears. He saluted sharp, then thumped his fist against his chest.
"Promoted to Sergeant," Loras declared, pinning the insignia to Jinx's uniform. "A man reckless enough to breach swarm lines, and brave enough to survive them. His recklessness has carved paths for others to live."
The crowd roared with laughter and cheers as Jinx raised his arms. "Still got plenty of fight left!"
---
Stone
"Sergeant Dominic Varga—Heavy Infantry."
Stone marched forward like a fortress in motion. His heavy boots thudded against the stage as the applause rolled like thunder. Many civilians in the crowd already knew his name; rumors had long spread of the giant who held the trench even when Hivebug Tanks bore down.
"Promoted to Sergeant Major," Loras announced, pinning the new insignia to his uniform with both hands. "When others faltered, this man stood. He is the wall the Hivebugs could not break."
Stone gave a single nod, his voice deep as bedrock. "Still standing."
The soldiers in the crowd echoed his words like a chant. Still standing!
---
Bear
"Sergeant Mikhail Ivanov—Mechanized Support."
Bear lumbered forward, his size alone drawing chuckles from the crowd. The faint tang of machine oil still clung to him. A child in the front row pointed at him and whispered, "That's the mech man!"
"Promoted to Warrant Officer," Loras said, smiling faintly. "This man piloted a half-broken mech into a Hivebug Tank and lived to tell the tale. Humanity salutes him."
Bear smirked, flashing a grin. "Mech still runs. So do I." The plaza erupted in laughter.
---
Whisper
"Sergeant Liora Kade—Combat Medic."
Whisper walked forward, her calm, steady steps met with softer, reverent applause. Soldiers in the audience stood straighter. Many of them had been pulled from death's edge by her hands.
"Promoted to Staff Sergeant," Loras said, his tone dropping lower. "When blood ran in rivers, she did not falter. She brought men and women back from death's door. She carried hope when no one else could."
Whisper bowed her head, the necklace of her parents' wedding rings glinting in the sun.
---
Sparks
"Private Elara Novik—Weapons Systems Operator."
Sparks bounded up with barely contained energy, earning laughter from the younger crowd. Her reputation for brashness preceded her.
"Promoted to Corporal," Loras announced. "She has kept weapons alive when systems failed, defended soldiers when turrets jammed, and followed Blake into more than one questionable idea."
Sparks winked at the crowd. "Questionable's just another word for brilliant." The plaza laughed with her.
---
Shade
"Corporal Kaelen Dross—Recon Sniper."
Shade approached quietly, his steps measured. Applause met him, not thunderous but deeply respectful. Veterans in the crowd whispered: that's the one who blinded the Hive Queen fragment.
"Promoted to Sergeant," Loras said. "Every war needs eyes in the dark, every squad a steady hand. Shade has been both. Silent, but deadly."
Shade gave no words, only a sharp nod.
---
Sirius
Finally, Loras' voice shifted, weightier than before.
"And now… Corporal Sirius Blake. The Renegade."
The plaza shook. Soldiers stamped their boots. Civilians raised their fists. Children chanted his nickname.
Sirius stepped forward, Carbine X slung across his back. It was scarred and battered, nothing ceremonial about it—just the rifle that had saved thousands. His grin was smaller than before, more controlled, but still unmistakably his.
"Promoted to Lieutenant," Loras declared, pinning the insignia on Sirius' uniform. "This man has built miracles. The Carbine X. The Shatterstorm. The Optic Helmets. Systems that kept us alive when the Hive Queen bore down. He is mad, reckless, unorthodox—but he is ours. Humanity's armorer. Humanity's shield."
Sirius tilted his head, smirk curling wider. "I'm just getting started."
The roar of the crowd nearly shook the plaza apart.
---
The Squad United
And so, they stood together on the stage:
Lieutenant Sirius "Renegade" Blake
Sergeant Major Dominic "Stone" Varga
Warrant Officer Mikhail "Bear" Ivanov
Staff Sergeant Liora "Whisper" Kade
Sergeant Emmanuel "Jinx" Alvarez
Corporal Elara "Sparks" Novik
Sergeant Kaelen "Shade" Dross
The Renegade Squad.
For the first time, civilians saw them not as scattered heroes but as a unit. A symbol.
Stone planted his feet like a wall. Bear crossed his arms, grin wide. Whisper stood serene, Sparks buzzing with energy. Shade was shadow-still. Jinx grinned like fire. And Sirius, at the center, the laughing storm now tempered by something harder—resolve.
The crowd began to chant, voices overlapping into one thunderous rhythm:
> "Ren-e-gade! Ren-e-gade! Ren-e-gade!"
For one shining moment, Vetra forgot its scars.
And in that moment, Loras looked at them from behind the podium, his chest tightening. He knew. This squad wasn't just FAWS anymore.
They were the future of the Terran fight.