Titan, the second largest moon in the solar system.

I was new in the gang, I had only participated in a couple jobs and that job seemed to be just one more. I had no idea, but that mission was, without a shadow of a doubt, the most important one of my life.

Coretex, a megacorporation with branches scattered throughout the Earth and other colonies of the solar system, had participation in the most diverse segments of the market, especially the development and trade of weapons.

I was part of a third-party paramilitary group. We lived to kill and die fighting the war of others, winning on behalf of those who paid the most and Coretex had a predilection for our efficiency.

My name is Agnes and I was the only woman on that team, but who I am, or was, didn't matter to anyone there. I lived with men whose pasts were full of mistakes and regrets that they made sure to forget. At first glance, everyone seemed tough and misfaced, but each one was running away from something, or someone, abandoning their lives and leaving everything behind.

What better job than that to do it?

I had my mind dispersed when I felt a bump. It was a sign that we had entered Titan's atmosphere.

We used a patent scheme of our own and the head of the operation had the simple designation of leader C1. We were gathering around a holographic table and he reviewed the entire scheme of our operation. We would invade a colony that was inside a hydrocarbon extraction plant, the most important fuel producer in the solar system, since Titan was in fact a gigantic fuel tank orbiting Saturn.

We had no support for a siege, so we should invade and surrender the place without there being the slightest chance of reaction from the enemy, otherwise it would be our end.

C1 designed a hologram of the entire complex and pointed out the weaknesses and strengths of the place explaining how and where we were going to enter.

— Attention, we have minus five minutes and counting from now on for landing. Team Styx will blow up that steel wall with battering missiles and team Eridanus will support them. As soon as that armor falls we, the Phlegethon, we'll come in – said C1.

He then turned off the holographic projection.

— Prepare to face resistance. Our job will be to pave the way for the teams Lethe, Cocytus and Acheron. As you all already know, but it doesn't hurt to remember, everything you see and hear is confidential.

— Outside the temperature is around -140° Celsius. Your Xcores will use settings identical to that used on Earth. – He followed with the instructions. – Atmospheric pressure is similar, you'll only have to worry about oxygen and cryogenic temperatures. It's raining methane, but visibility is still good.

He stared at our troops. He tried to read in our eyes the determination and encouragement of each one. No one hesitated.

That team was composed of the wildest and most competent animals that could be hired for the dirty work of large corporations and government: industrial espionage, hacking, guerrilla... the range of options was vast. And I was right there in the middle of them, a mean, angry brat. I wasn't an idiot to think it was unanimous there, I knew there was resistance as to my presence, and I always had an asshole willing to try to prove that I was inferior due to my stature and gender and make my life a living hell.

C11 was that kind of jerk. He pierced me with my eyes in a pathetic attempt to intimidate me. I gave him something that offended him much more than if he tried to fight back his taunts.

My utter contempt.

As his menacing eyes came to me, I yawned, he stowed me, but the last drop was when I used the reflection of my gun to check my makeup.

He was pissed.

— It will be our first incursion into civilian-inhabited areas. If anyone has any scruples against it report now. — challenged C1.

No one hesitated.

— Great. To your stations - He commanded. - Good luck gentlemen...

— ... And miss. – He made a point of standing me out while completing. – Rookie, you follow me closely.

— The rest already have your orders – Closed the briefing dismissing us soon after.

While we left the command bridge toward the ship's hangars C11 blocked my passage.

— But look at that guys, isn't it a beauty? - He addressed me in a tone of mockery. The team stopped to see his little show.

— The newcomer is already the highlight of the team. What do you think of that? - He spoke as he took another step towards me.

The man was testing me, wanted to see my reaction. The team, in turn, also waited curious to know what my answer would be. They wanted to know what kind of person I was.

One more step. I could already feel his nasty breath.

— What's up doll, don't you think you're lost? – He continued. – I've been through a lot, you wore diapers when me and these guys here blew heads around like you make bread, you hear? - He bragged while puffing out his chest like a peacock.

I didn't answer, but I didn't look away from him for a second either.

— I didn't go through everything I've been through for just now having to endure the humiliation of sharing a man's job with a high school bitch like you – He pointed his finger at me.

— Aren't you going to say anything, you little shit? - And to complete, he took another step.

The sucker was there spending saliva to try to intimidate me, it seems that in the end he wanted to panic me with talking, without having to get to the real thing, but the first rule of those who grew up on the streets is: "At the time of the mess, do more, think less."

He was almost twice my size, but his nuts were well within reach of my knee and the keel of his armor had a vulnerable spot. By surprise, I nailed my knee right there with all my strength, he fell to his knees in shock roaring in pain.

The jackass didn't even see what hit him, maybe I overdid it on the strength, but I couldn't risk giving him a chance to come back. I couldn't handle with that gigantic carcass if he tried to attack me.

Second rule of those who grew up on the streets is... Well, okay, this also appears in the main personal combat manuals and is widely confirmed with statistical data: whoever attacks first comes out ahead in 80% of the clashes.

There on his knees his head finally got at perfect height and I definitely wasn't in the mood to give up all the advantage built with that knee. I was never a power puncher so I decided to apply an elbow to settle the invoice, but again I overdid it at the dose: His nose splattered and almost ended up in the ear.

The giant was stretched to the ground with no chance of recovery as C1 looked at his inert body with contempt.

— Report that C11 was dismissed for indiscipline. All others to his Xcore – He ordered. – We lost a precious minute with this nonsense. Speed up, come on!

As we left the command bridge, C10 approached me with that tattooed face of his and his red beard.

— Rapunzel, you're sick! Can I buy you a beer after the mission? Actually, there's an Irish Mob crowd behind me charging me some money and I'm in need of a security guard, you know?

— Sounds like fun, big guy. – I answered in a good mood. – One of these days we can make a little visit to these "friends" of yours, who knows?

Heavy Duty, or simply Stork, was an immense stork ship with a transport capacity of 28 Xcore units. It depended on a launch assisted by solid fuel rockets, but had re-entry ability. In the Hangar our Xcore were being prepared for takeoff by the numerous track operators. They were impeccable professionals working hard so that everything would work like the "hands" of an atomic clock.

These guys had the lives of us, pilots, literally in their hands.

I got the information that my Xcore was ready and fueled. I checked the listing with the head of the track and then I was cleared to take off.

The Xcore MK1 was Coretex's most advanced patented combat suit that ever existed. It was fast, easy to maintain, cheap and mostly lethal.

And no one could beat me in a fair fight inside one of those.

— Attention. 5, 4, 3… — The leader from inside his cockpit did the countdown.

As soon as I gave the OK signal my unit closed hermetically with me inside.

— 3, 2, 1…

As soon as I started the engine my armored began to slide through the propellant until I was catapulted out of Heavy Duty.

Titan's gravity helped a lot and we almost glided toward firm land. As soon as we touch the ground the thrusters installed on the legs of our humanoids turned on and started sliding over the sand as if we skated on ice.

C1 went ahead leading us.

— Rookie. You get my left flank. – He said referring to me – C9, you take care of the ammunition. C8 the right flank is all yours. C10, you are the battering ram C12 rear. The others in formation behind us. LET'S GO!

Our squadron approached a rocky chain with some quite visible caves.

— What's the situation, C2? – Asked the leader.

— Our Stork and the other Coretex motherships have entered the atmosphere without being noticed by their security system. When they finally noticed our presence the Styx team was already positioned and drilling an entrance for us. However, our people lack the artillery to defend themselves since they are overloaded with excavation equipment. — Pilot C2 gave the report.

— You heard the man. We have to overcome their siege, the surprise factor is still our ally. ACCELERATE! – Ordered the leader.

As predicted the snipers emerged among the rocks. They were wearing heavy thermal clothing, oxygen cylinders and rudimentary armaments that were not the most suitable against the fury of our Xcores.

I saw through the radars of my cockpit the action of the defenders.

— Snipers. 11 o’clock. – I alerted the others.

The leader, also from his cockpit, redistributes the orders.

— You heard C6, get out of formation, evasive maneuvers. Attention C9, when they are in the crosshairs they are all yours.

We dispersed during the advance to confuse enemy artillery. We deviated from mortars and swallowed without fear the bursts of their rifles.

As soon as we reached the correct distance C9 fired one of his mortars.

We followed through the radar the missile's trajectory to the hillside.

The projectile hit the target with millimetric accuracy. C9 destroyed the mountain slope causing a collapse that annihilated the sniper defenders.

It was easy for our squad. We crossed the cloud of dust and stones generated by the explosion and followed the edge of the rock to the cave where the drilling team was.

— What's up, Team Styx. Are we on schedule? – Once inside the cave the leader spoke through his communicator with the excavation team.

— Affirmative. Team Eridanus cleared the area. This wall falls in minus seven seconds. – We got the message return.

Our Xcores advanced by sliding through the terrain.

— Guys, that's our cue. Prepare weapons. – Instructed C1.

Team Styx's Xcores, using a heavy drill, managed to beat the wall of rocks and metal that gave access to the colony.

As soon as they're done, they signaled that team Eridanus would approach.

With a precision of seconds they placed the bombs inside the perforations.

An explosion and then the wall came down.

Immediately the colony's defense forces rushed to try to stop our invasion by setting up mobile barricades on the other side of the hole.

— C9. Now! — The leader shouted at the communicator.

Number C9 upon hearing the order given by C1 fired a rain of mortars that crossed the hole into the wall.

The projectiles exploded in the interior the colony.

Guiding ourselves through the sensors amid all that smoke, dust and soot we entered shooting into the colony.

Even after a few minutes the visibility was still null and from inside the cockpit I kept shooting at the targets displayed and marked by the computer on my instruments.

We move quickly and start exchanging shots with some entrenched defenders better equipped in the deeper layers of the fortress.

As soon as we passed through their defenses, the job started to get easy. There was still resistance, but they were mere soldiers without armor. It was cowardice, but this kind of code of honor didn't fit us.

There was a point where the defenders, contrary to our expectations, did not surrender. The peak of the absurdity was when they confronted us using only tunics and low caliber machine guns.

The enemies wore ceremonial clothes. They looked like clerics.

It was as if we had interrupted a kind of cult and the priests and believers themselves had taken the last weapons available to try to resist.

Poor bastards, it was their choice, we had nothing to do with it.

In a short time the enemy's suppression work was over.

As soon as our drones confirmed our victory we left the Xcores and walked into the interior of the complex in order to accomplish the second part of the mission.

We were looking for our extraction target.

I walked with a gun in my hand through the colony facilities. Everything was destroyed, dimly lit and blood-stained.

I realized there were candles lit and unknown symbols across all the walls. And to get even more bizarre all these signs had been painted with blood, probably human.

At first I imagined that all that blood came from those who fell in combat, but no.

Most of that blood used in those scribbles was from the civilian population. Surely done well before the battle began.

Altars and statues hinted that this place was the basis of a religious sect. I took this for sure after seeing evidence of human sacrifices. There were piles and more piles of bodies piled up and so many others hanging on the walls.

— But what kind of shit happened around here? - I inquired alone horrified.

The leader in front of me slowed down to get close to me.

— The company in charge of the exploration of this moon was fed up with this rebel colony. Here, instead of working as miners, the locals spent their time as devotees of a crazy cult, you know? – He explained it to me.

— Cult?