From cannon fodder to sweeping across thousands of stars

"Sir, we are civilians! Please let us go!"

"Civilians? Okay. What kind of civilians are you?"

The federal soldiers wearing combat exoskeletons carried another group of civilians to the wall like chickens, and at the same time asked one of the civilians who kept begging.

The other party was obviously confused by this question. Aren't they all civilians? How can we still distinguish ‘which kind’?

"I don't know. Let me give you a few options. A good citizen who honestly did nothing? A hostile element who helped hide Imperial soldiers? Or a mob trying to attack the federal army?"

As he spoke, the federal soldier raised the electromagnetic rifle in his hand.

"Good people! We are good people. We really don't know where the empire's troops have gone."

"Oh, but it doesn't look like it to me."

"Bang bang bang!"

The high-speed piercing rod fired by the electromagnetic rifle shattered the fragile human body and penetrated the wall behind.

With expressions of panic and disbelief, another batch of mutilated corpses of imperial civilians fell onto the almost paved ground.

——

After hearing the news from the reconnaissance team, the platoon leader and platoon sergeant were stunned for a moment.

"Are you sure it's an execution?"

"Yes, all the civilians were gathered and kneeling here. The surrounding federal soldiers were pulling groups of civilians aside. After questioning, all civilians except women were shot."

Having said this, the correspondent of the 'My Neighbor Totoro' investigation team paused, seemingly confirming the news with his teammates next to him. After a moment, he continued:

“The federal army we detected is probably a reinforced company, but we don’t know if there are any troops hiding around.

Now they have sent people over, and we are negotiating with their people. The current situation is probably that the federal army believes that these civilians are helping to hide the imperial troops, so they are 'interrogating' these civilians in batches for this reason."

"Huh, interrogation."

After hearing the report of the reconnaissance team, the platoon leader who led the search mission couldn't help snorting.

"I'm afraid it's not an excuse to commit violence. Moreover, they deliberately left behind female survivors. What they want to do next is not too obvious."

However, although there was anger in his heart, the platoon leader also knew that it would be best for them not to conflict with the federal army at this time, and to try not to use force if the problem could be solved through negotiation.

"I'll ask the communications squad and company headquarters to report the situation, and then let's press forward and stabilize the situation first? If there is only one reinforced company on the surface, we have reinforced units and fire support, so it's not impossible to fight."

The platoon sergeant on the side asked.

"Well, let's do it this way, but try not to use violent means to solve the problem, otherwise it will go against the Boss's original intention."

The platoon leader nodded and replied, and then he issued new instructions to the investigation team through the communication channel.

"Attention, 'My Neighbor Totoro', keep negotiating with the federal army, tell them that the large forces are approaching, and ask them to pay attention to armed control."

——

"We are searching for people who are helping to hide the Imperial Army. I advise you not to mind your own business."

The federal soldiers who were negotiating with the Totoro team made a loud sound from the loudspeaker on their tactical visors.

After the soldiers on guard at the periphery noticed the approaching white-painted infantry fighting vehicle, the company sergeant major of the company headquarters led the soldiers of the guard squad closer.

They did not take Atlas's 'humanitarian assistance' force lightly. At this moment, the weapons in their hands were pointed at the My Neighbor Totoro investigation team intentionally or unintentionally.

"Hey, this friend of the Federation, we are not trying to interfere with your combat operations."

The leader of the investigation team, a tall lion-headed man, hung the weapon under his ribs to express "harmless" and said:

"We just hope that you will not treat these civilians in such a bloody way. According to the Convention of Trares, troops from both sides of the war should"

"No, no, no, don't talk to me about international conventions in a war zone."

The federal soldier rudely interrupted the lion-headed man.

"These imperial guys are all to blame for themselves. We told them at the beginning of the war that as long as they did not participate in the battle, we would not harm civilians.

But they didn’t take us seriously at all. They have been helping to hide the remaining imperial soldiers in this town and giving them information so that these remaining imperial soldiers could sneak attack our patrols.”

Having said this, the federal sergeant glanced angrily at the group of civilians being escorted to the wall, and then continued:

"We have lost many brothers in this town during this period, so now we just want to catch those who are hiding the remnants of the empire."

"But according to what I saw, the civilians you dragged to the wall for 'interrogation' were all shot by you. Not all of them were shot. The female civilians were left behind by you."

The lion-headed man still maintained normal communication, but this time there was a hint of something else in his tone.

"Sirating me?"

The federal sergeant tilted his head and took a step forward to approach the lion-headed man.

Although after wearing a combat exoskeleton, he was still not as tall as the sturdy Roma man in front of him, but with his own numerical advantage, the federal sergeant major was not afraid at all.

"Who made them face the gunpoint one by one and refuse to reveal the movements of the remaining soldiers of the empire? They are quite courageous.

As for those women? We care about them and don’t want to hurt them, so we are going to take them back and put them in good health.”

Having said this, the surrounding federal soldiers also laughed, and their laughter also conveyed a new message - 'We did this, what can you do? ’

That arrogant and obscene appearance made the members of the My Neighbor Totoro team unable to see the slightest trace of 'soldier' ​​in them.

"Brother, you should go back with your men. Don't waste our time here. There are some things that you stuffed animals can't handle."

Feeling that enough had been said, the federal sergeant waved his hand and signaled the Totoro team to leave, so that they could go back to 'observe' the interrogations by the wall.

"Fuck you, you fucking scum"

The lion-headed captain of the My Neighbor Totoro team usually has a very good personality, but this time he finally couldn't suppress his temper.

Upon hearing this, the federal sergeant on the opposite side raised his electromagnetic rifle and aimed it at the lion-headed man. The soldiers around him raised their weapons in unison.

"Go back to your nest and don't let me say it again."

While the federal sergeant was speaking, their actions also triggered a chain reaction.

The members of the Totoro team soon discovered that there were federal troops running between the buildings in the distance. Judging from the outlines of weapons loaded on the racks behind their exoskeletons, they should be several anti-vehicle teams.

However, although Totoro was outnumbered, it did not show weakness at this moment. Taking the lion-headed captain's raised gun as a signal, others also raised their weapons, and the miniature rocket capsule behind one team member also rose.

The armored infantry fighting vehicle responsible for transporting the team also drove up. The low prismatic turret loaded with a 50mm chain gun and a coaxial electromagnetic machine gun was aimed directly at the federal army non-commissioned officer.

"With just a few of you, even a broken armored vehicle wants to challenge us."

The sergeant's originally disdainful words gradually became smaller and smaller amid a rumble from far to near, and finally he closed his mouth.

Because from the street entrance behind the Totoro team, three medium-sized multi-legged tanks that relied on auxiliary wheels to maneuver quickly slid out. Dots of blue light were flashing on the lightweight electromagnetic reconnection cannon on the rear turret.