The parade grounds were eerily quiet.
The entire base was assembled in formation.
250 marines stood in neat squares, with the 'damned 33' assembled in front. To the side, stood the 100 women of the support corps.
Alexander stood on his wooden stage, with Wagner chained and kneeling beside him.
To his right was Inés and to the left was Klaus.
"First Sergeant Wagner."
Alexander's tone was cold fury, "You stand accused before the Colonial Marine Corps. The charges are: destruction of fort property. Willful disregard of a lawful sentry post, assault on a fellow NCO, and threatening the life of a superior officer."
Alexander paused, his gaze sweeping over the gathered marines.
"But the chief charge among them is mutiny."
He turned his gaze on Wagner.
"You refused to train the men under your command because of a dispute over logistics. You willfully jeopardized our mission, because you valued your pride more than their lives."
Wagner chuckled, "Whatever you say, boy. But it's not me who's jeopardizing their lives."
Alexander ignored him.
"General, your testimony."
Inés stepped forward.
"First Sergeant Wagner, bypassed a lawful sentry post in the command wing. Forced his entry into my office, threatened me, and when ordered for his arrest, assaulted the Sergeant Major."
A low murmur rippled through the crowd.
Inés continued, gesturing a hand towards Wagner.
"His primary offense, however, was his refusal to perform his duties. This all started, because he refused to work within the approved budget. This act alone constitutes a failure to obey. His subsequent actions elevate it to mutiny."
Wagner glared at her, but said nothing.
"My testimony is complete."
She stepped back.
Alexander turned to Klaus.
Klaus stepped forward with an unreadable expression.
"Sir, the general's report is accurate and I have nothing to add."
Alexander turned to the woman of the support corps.
Two women stood front and center, with new strips stitched on their ill-fitting uniforms.
"He threatened her life, sir," Iris said, barely containing the fear in her voice.
"Yes, and he threatened us when we arrested him," Frida added.
Alexander nodded before turning back to Wagner.
"You've heard the testimony, do you deny the charges?
Wagner smirked.
"Nah, I don't. I'm proud of what I did. I stood up for my men, getting them the training they deserved. And if that means I die, then they'll know I died with pride."
Alexander stood perfectly still, and he let the words hang in the air.
Then, he knelt beside Wagner.
"The punishment for your crimes is death."
Wagner met his gaze, his smirk replaced with a hardened expression.
"Get on with it."
Alexander nodded, reaching for Wagner's throat.
Then, within the blink of an eye, he ripped it out.
Blood pooled at Wagner's knees as he bled out from the neck.
His body tensed once, then collapsed with a heavy, wet thud.
Alexander tossed the loose flesh aside, standing to his feet.
The entire fort was frozen.
Alexander stood over the corpse, his face coated in crimson.
"This," he announced, his voice cutting through the horrified silence.
"It was my fault."
He turned to his Marines.
"I thought I was clear when I said you would obey my orders."
He gestured his bloodied hand towards Wagner.
"He believed that he could pick what orders to obey. And it has led to his death. To avoid this happening again, let me make it explicitly clear. You will be monsters, tampered only by your elite discipline!"
He pointed a bloody finger into the crowd.
"Repeat after me!"
The entire fort was in horrified silence, frozen by the sight of Wagner's body.
"I SAID REPEAT AFTER ME!" Alexander roared, his voice cracking like thunder.
Klaus was the first to snap to attention, his body moving out of instinct.
"You will be forged into monsters!" Alexander bellowed.
"We… will be forged into monsters." The crowd whispered sporadically.
"LOUDER!"
The Marines flinched, their expressions grim.
"We will be forged into monsters!"
"PUT SOME FIRE BEHIND YOUR VOICES, GET LOUDER!"
"WE WILL BE FORGED INTO MONSTERS."
Alexander glared at the women in the support corps, who were barely whispering.
"ALL OF YOU!"
"WE WILL BE FORGED INTO MONSTERS!"
Their voices were a unified block.
Alexander began pacing.
"TAMPERED ONLY BY YOUR ELITE DISCIPLINE!"
"TAMPERED ONLY BY OUR ELITE DISCIPLINE!"
"YOU WILL JUMP WHEN I SAY JUMP!"
"WE WILL JUMP WHEN YOU SAY JUMP!"
"YOU WILL MARCH WHEN I SAY MARCH!"
"WE WILL MARCH WHEN YOU SAY MARCH!"
"NO MATTER THE OBSTACLE, IF I GIVE THE ORDER YOU WILL OBEY IT!"
"NO MATTER THE OBSTACLE, IF YOU GIVE THE ORDER WE WILL OBEY IT!"
"DOWN TO THE LAST MAN!"
"DOWN TO THE LAST MAN!"
Alexander saluted with a hand to his chest.
"VICTORY OR DEATH!"
The Marines shouted in a frenzy of adrenaline and fear.
"VICTORY OR DEATH!"
Alexander's chest heaved.
He lowered his hand as a fanatical grin crossed his lips.
"Good, next time one of you decides to pull a Wagner… you'll know the consequences."
He gestured towards the corpse dismissively.
"Someone take this trash out and burn it, he doesn't deserve a proper burial."
He walked past Inés, stopping.
"Get this base back in order, then meet me in your office."
He spoke softly, before continuing.
Inés turned her attention to the marines.
"Two of you step forward…"
— — —
Inés got the base in order and returned to her office.
Inside, Alexander sat at her desk.
His face was still covered in dried blood.
"Inés… I've been thinking about why this started."
He looked up, his gaze chillingly calm.
"It was the training and quite frankly he was right."
Inés blinked.
"Sir?"
Was he serious?
He just killed this man in cold blood, and then proceeded to say he was right.
He stood to his feet, approaching slowly.
"Your training solution was shit. You're training them to be line infantry, when I wanted shock troopers."
Inés stood her ground.
"Sir, his methods burned through supply, you wouldn't have had an army to train in a week."
Alexander stood in front of her, reaching for the collar of her coat.
"I know, you both sucked. Which is why Klaus will take over training."
He straightened her collar, his bloodied hand dangerously close to her cheek.
"Klaus?" she echoed.
Alexander nodded, his hands resting on her shoulders.
"Mhm, you'll work with him to produce something better."
He sighed, pulling her into an embrace.
Inés went rigid, her hands frozen in the air.
"I don't enjoy killing my soldiers, Inés. You understand?"
His voice was muffled against her chest.
Inés's face scrunched in quiet disgust.
She reached for his arms, not to return the embrace, but to push him away.
Alexander chuckled softly, his grip tightening.
"But I did it, because we're a team."
He looked up with dilated pupils.
His golden eyes burst like supernovas.
"You identify the flaws in my system, and I remove them."
He released her, wiping his blood on her coat.
"But I don't have many sergeants, Inés. So, try not to let this happen again, or the next throat I rip out will be yours."
He smiled, before turning to leave.
He stopped at the doorway, his gaze focused on the broken door.
"I'm going to miss him."
His smile turned into tears and a frown.
"I can't stop losing people, good people."
He covered his eyes, stepping outside.
Inés stood shivering long after Alexander had left.
She looked down at her bloodied uniform, the smell of copper overwhelming her senses.
She dry heaved, before quickly removing her uniform.
Her fingers were trembling with each button undone.
Inés finally realized the man she rested her future with wasn't just a fool, but a psychopath.
And yet, she found a strange comfort in the fact that he backed her over his top dog.
For the first time in a long time, her skills were appreciated.
"What is wrong with me?"
She whispered, taking off her coat.