The sound woke Sirius before the sunlight did.
Not alarms, not Hivebug shrieks, but something stranger — the thunder of dozens of machines whirring, stamping, clanging. The FAWS bay had turned into a storm of industry overnight. Workers rushed in every direction, assembly lines hissed as fresh Carbine X rifles were printed and calibrated, and crates of micro mags clattered onto pallets waiting for transport.
Sirius sat up, hair sticking in every direction, one boot half-off his foot. He blinked at the noise, rubbed his eyes, and then grinned.
"Well, well… looks like somebody lit a fire under them while I was dreaming," he muttered, swinging his legs off the cot.
> "Correction," ARI chimed in his mind, "Chief Engineer Loras secured approval from High Command. Mass production of your designs is under way. Priority deployment scheduled for today."
Sirius chuckled, tugging on his vest and belt. "And here I thought I'd have to beg them to build my toys. Guess the world finally caught up with me."
He strolled into the bay, weaving through the chaos. Technicians barked orders, mechanics sweated over calibration rigs, and supply officers shouted about shipment deadlines. Yet when Sirius passed, heads turned. Some smiled, others shook their heads knowingly.
"There he is."
"Renegade Blake himself."
"Figures he's grinning while the rest of us are drowning."
Sirius clapped one worker on the back and winked. "Relax. Chaos is just creativity wearing boots."
The man groaned, but a smile tugged at his lips anyway.
---
Despite the storm, Sirius couldn't just stand by. He rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a calibration kit, and dove into the nearest workstation.
"Hold it steady," he told a nervous junior tech, guiding their hands as they fitted a micro mag slot into place. "You're thinking too hard. Let the weapon tell you what it needs."
"Tell me what—?" the tech stammered.
Sirius tapped the rifle. "They talk if you listen. This one's saying: 'Align my chamber before you strip my screws, you idiot.'"
The tech burst out laughing, shaking his head, but his hands steadied. With Sirius' help, the weapon snapped perfectly into calibration.
All around, Sirius bounced from station to station, tweaking firing rates, reinforcing micro slug chambers, and showing the others how to keep the automatic ejection systems running smooth. His grin never faltered, his hands never slowed.
By midday, dozens of Carbine X rifles gleamed in neat racks, ready for deployment.
---
The announcement came over the loudspeakers:
"Attention all units — Carbine X and newly retrofitted weapons now cleared for frontline distribution. Deployment begins immediately."
A cheer rippled through the bay. Crates were loaded onto transports, soldiers filed in to receive their gear, and the first squads assembled in the courtyard. Sirius slipped quietly to the observation deck, overlooking the FAWS live-feed monitors. His fingers twitched with excitement.
"ARI," he whispered, "record everything. Every shot, every reload, every bug they drop. I want the whole story."
> "Acknowledged. Recording initiated."
On the monitors, soldiers unboxed their new weapons. Carbine X rifles gleamed under the sun, lighter and sleeker than their old standard-issue gear. Infantrymen turned them over in awe, sliding in the palm-sized micro mags. The subtle click of the chamber locking was followed by murmurs of disbelief.
"It's so light."
"Wait—this thing carries how many rounds?"
"No more fumbling with reloads? You've got to be kidding me."
Among the squads, Sirius' friends stood out.
Jinx Alvarez twirled his Carbine X like it was a toy, grinning ear to ear. "Oh, I'm gonna love this."
Stone Varga hefted his rifle, testing the balance. "Feels solid. Lighter too. Good work, Renegade."
Whisper Kade gave hers a careful inspection, her medic's eyes noting the clean efficiency of the design. "Reliable. Exactly what we needed."
Sparks Novik smirked, already fiddling with the optics. "Finally, a weapon that keeps up with me."
Shade silently slotted a micro mag, raised the rifle, and fired a perfect shot downrange without a word. His faint nod said everything.
Only Bear Ivanov, stationed with heavy armor, remained with the older models. He gave Sirius' monitor a mock salute and a booming laugh. "Don't forget us big boys when you're done playing with your toys, Renegade!"
Sirius laughed aloud, startling the nearby technicians. "Wouldn't dream of it, Bear."
---
The first live engagement came faster than expected. Hivebugs surged toward the forward trenches in writhing waves. The new Carbine X units lit up the battlefield.
Sirius leaned over the feed, eyes sharp. "Alright, babies… show me what you can do."
The soldiers fired. Micro mags spat round after round with barely a pause. As soon as one emptied, the automatic ejection snapped the chamber clear. Fresh mags slid in with fluid ease.
> "Observation," ARI noted. "Reload efficiency improved by 46%. Soldier firing rates sustained at unprecedented levels."
"Yeah," Sirius muttered, grinning, "that's my girl."
But then the unexpected happened. The Hivebugs adapted. Instead of surging head-on, they split, flanking from multiple angles. The trenches shook as claws scraped against reinforced barriers.
On the monitors, Sirius' friends were caught in the thick of it. Jinx fired wildly, laughing even as he ducked. Stone anchored the line, Carbine X steady in his hands. Whisper patched a bleeding soldier while still firing one-handed. Sparks shouted over the comms about turret sync. Shade moved like a shadow, dropping Hivebugs before they got too close.
Sirius' chest tightened. His weapons were holding, but the swarm was overwhelming.
> "Probability of breach: rising. 38%," ARI warned.
"Adjust," Sirius ordered. His fingers flew across a console, tweaking firing patterns for the automated turrets linked to the new system. "ARI, patch in. Push their recoil dampeners two percent higher, stabilize optics in low-visibility."
> "Adjustments implemented. Feedback loop engaged."
On the feed, the difference was immediate. Shots tightened, bursts cut cleaner, and soldiers stopped wasting rounds. The Hivebugs fell faster, piling up in smoking heaps.
By dusk, the swarm broke. The line held.
---
Back in the command room, officers murmured in awe at the combat data streaming in.
"Reload times cut in half."
"Casualties lower than projected."
"These weapons… they turned the tide."
And on the frontlines, soldiers lifted their Carbine X rifles high, cheering despite the blood and exhaustion.
"Renegade Blake! He's the reason we're still alive!"
"Tell FAWS—tell Blake—thank you!"
"Renegade, you mad genius, you did it!"
The name spread across comm channels, echoing back into the FAWS bay. Techs, medics, and even grizzled infantry laughed and shouted it proudly.
Sirius stood quietly in the observation deck, hands clasped behind his back. His grin was softer now, almost shy.
"ARI," he whispered, "save every second of that."
> "Recording complete. Renegade Blake's legacy is expanding."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Legacy, huh? Nah. Just keeping the babies happy."
Yet deep down, as the cheers of his friends and the soldiers carried through the speakers, Sirius knew something had changed. His work wasn't just saving lives anymore. It was inspiring them.
And the legend of Renegade Blake had only just begun.