Alliances among the Stars

[Marcus Wright]

Marcus felt rather bored with the concept of hanging out with his Commander, John Connor half the time but he had to protect him. But something interesting that came up. John Connor came up with a proposal for Marcus.

"Marcus, I know you've been bored protecting me and there's something I've been meaning to talk to with the ARC. Will you be willing to go to space again and talk to General Leia and the ARC and help out with mechanical work there? I'm extending

I’m extending this offer out to you, Sgt." "Skynet hasn't popped in and there's an extended offer of peace here."

Marcus' dull-gray mechanical eyes flickered with momentary interest at John Connor's proposal, betraying his usually stoic demeanor. Space. Mechanical work. This was precisely what he had been built for, even if his current station had him fulfilling a more protective role.
"Very well, John Connor," he responded in his typical, monotone voice. "I will attend to your request and assist the Resistance in any capacity I can. I trust that you are certain this is in the best interest of our cause?"

John Connor gave him a slight, reassuring smile. "You have my word, Marcus. We need someone with your skill set there, and it will be a welcome change of pace from patrolling the Earth. We're allies with the ARC and General Leia now, remember? There's no need to worry about Skynet here on Earth."

With John’s confirmation, Marcus set about searching for a ship toward the ARC.

Marcus’s commander quickly called the ARC’s database.

“General Leia, it is good to talk to you again. My Sgt needs a ride to the ARC, can you provide him one temporarily back and forth to my base? I will send private coordinates”

John sent off the private coordinates and soon, a sleek Resistance ship arrived at the base’s hanger and Marcus was ready with his bag of tools and supplies.

Marcus frowned, “Are you sure you can handle things, Connor while I’m away?”

John frowned, “I have Kyle Reese and hundreds of soldiers awaiting orders plus my T-800 guardian. Don’t worry.”


Marcus turned, worried less about John Connor and moved toward the Arc’s new ship and sighed.

The Collaboration between Resistances would happen soon.

Marcus asked the crew “How long are we from the ARC?” As the ship left Erde Noda in the distance.

He turned toward the window on board as he watched the stars twinkle as they left the planet behind.

The ship stopped in one of the ARC’s many supply areas.

“We are here, Marcus.”

Within then, Marcus stepped off and General Leia smiled “Welcome back, Marcus. How was your trip among the stars?”

Marcus nodded “Long trip but I’m eager to help your Resistance as much as I can. Our Resistances should foster and forge a relationship with each other.”

480/5000- Alliances among the Stars with Marcus Wright

 

[Marcus Wright]

Marcus walked along General Leia’s side and nodded, handing her his General’s own private comms number. “General, in your time of need, I’m sure General Connor would like to talk to you, strengthening our bonds among each other to protect the Crossroads both against Skynet, Darkseid and its enemies.

John had already reached out to General Leia once before and Marcus was being sent to simply strengthen bonds between the two Resistances.

“I personally invite you to Connor’s base as a marked VIP in case something happens to the ARC. I know that it may be a target someday.”

The female General sighed, “What about my soldiers? Will they be invited as well? What will they return to?”

Marcus nodded “In all seriousness, General. We are here to protect both our alliance and not compromise any of our positions.

The woman leader nodded, “I sure hope so, Sergeant.”

Marcus frowned “I also warn you about Skynet’s possible return in this universe. Not only does Connor worry about its possible return, he worries about Darkseid. He’s thinking about all the listed possibilities and Roy wants to lay low at the moment. He doesn’t quite trust DA alliances.

General Leia looked up thoughtfully “Thank you, Marcus. I will keep in touch with your Commander. “

Marcus looked up “I should get going on fixing some of those brand new model starships you assigned me on.”

The cyborg sighed but nodded, taking his tool of the trade with him as he explored the ARC’s spaceship. This base was understated from the outside, this place was MASSIVE.

Quite a few different soldiers from all races passed by him, confusing him slightly. He’d never seen such a variety of races around the base considering all he was used to was the human race.

A few of the soldiers were giggling.


Marcus looked around, seeing all the advanced technologies one could learn and absorb getting to know.

He walked by General Leia. “I’ll let you know later improvements and all.”

As Marcus took in the Arc’s scenery, he finally got to where the mechanics worked, seeing many mechanics working on what they called advanced spaceships. They happened to notice Marcus and when they did, they turned, eying the terminator with brief surprise.

“Hello, so you must be the new mechanic General Leia was gushing about, am I right?”

The terminator nodded “That’s right, My name is Marcus Wright. I live in Erde but my Commander sent me up here to help on ships and more. Think you can help me out on these ships?”

The woman nodded, hands on her hips “Well, that’s what i was going to ask you, Marcus. So what did you do in this little Resistance of yours?”

Marcus eyed the woman and nodded “I fixed machines and mechanics for a living, it just came to me and I seem to be good at fixing things.”

Tema smirked and looked up, “Well then, newbie, why don’t I show you the ropes and you show me what you can do?”

Marcus followed Tema as she led him through the maze of advanced spaceships being worked on. He observed the intricate technology with a mixture of fascination and determination. As they walked, Tema explained the functions of each ship and pointed out areas that often required maintenance.

After a while, they reached a large spacecraft that seemed to be in need of extensive repairs. Tema turned to Marcus with a challenging glint in her eye. "This one's been giving us some trouble. Let's see what you're made of, Marcus."

Marcus nodded, rolling up his sleeves as he approached the spacecraft. He began analyzing the systems, his cyborg brain processing information at lightning speed. With precise movements, he started making adjustments and repairs that left Tema watching in awe.

Hours passed as Marcus worked diligently on the spacecraft, his focus unbroken. Finally, he stepped back and signaled for Tema to power up the systems. The spacecraft hummed to life, lights flickering on in sequence.

Tema’s eyes widened as the spaceship’s engines started to roar and came to life along with its systems.

“And to think, Marcus, I underestimated a newbie like you.”

Marcus gave a coy smile, a look of pride flashing through his eyes “Like I said before, I love fixing things and making them better. Let’s say I had a lot of time on my hands.”

Tema laughed “Well Marcus, you sure outproved yourself today. We could definitely use your skills

around here. She paused and added “How about we grab some food after this? My treat. You’ve definitely earned it.

Marcus couldn’t believe it, his first job here and he already felt like he belonged here in a cause bigger than himself. It was true he only had Connor’s begrudging respect as a cyborg and man but at least his new teammates treated him as an equal. It was a refreshing change from how humans typically viewed him back home.

Alliances among the Stars with Marcus Wright 1,307/5,000

 

[Marcus Wright]

Tema led the normally cold and distanced cyborg toward the ARC’s mess hall, the both of them taking in the smells of alien food, different stands awaited them. This place truly had almost everything. Marcus was taking it all in, grateful in the change of pace his commander allowed him for once.


Tema finally got the food that allowed her to feel at home and pulled Marcus to try it as well. The woman nodded “So, Marcus, where are you originally from?”

The part cyborg soldier was suddenly tense, mostly quiet about his past. “I didn’t .. have a good past, my family wasn’t good to me and me and my brother didn’t have the best life, so we turned to a life..of crime.”

Tema blinked “What happened then?”

Marcus blinked “Well I landed in prison after my brother’s latest carjacking stint. It actually killed him and I got blamed for it all.”

After a moment of silence, Tema spoke softly, "I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Marcus. It must have been incredibly tough for you." She reached out and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, offering him a sense of solace.

Marcus looked at Tema, surprised by her genuine compassion. He felt a wave of gratitude towards this stranger who had shown him kindness when he least expected it. "Thank you, Tema. It means a lot."

Tema smiled warmly, "We all have our pasts and our struggles, Marcus. What matters now is who we choose to be in the present." She squeezed his shoulder reassuringly before taking a bite of her food.

Marcus kept bits and pieces out that made him uncomfortable about talking about his brother. He sighed and nodded “Well i didn’t get to see much outside of prison walls, and oddly enough I.. was reborn into 2018 coming out of a grave.”

Tema's eyes widened in astonishment at Marcus's revelation. She set down her food, completely engrossed in his story. "Wait, you were reborn in 2018? That's... incredible and unbelievable at the same time. What was it like for you, Marcus?"

Marcus hesitated for a moment, reliving the memories of his resurrection. "It was disorienting at first, waking up in a world so different from the one I knew. Everything had changed, technology had advanced beyond my wildest imagination. I felt like a stranger in a strange land."

Tema listened intently, hanging on to every word Marcus spoke. She could sense the weight of his experiences and the depth of emotions he must have felt during such a profound transition. "I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like for you. But look at how far you've come since then, Marcus. You've adapted, you've found your place here."

The man nodded slowly “I kind of have to thank you and your Commander for such a warm welcome to the arc. At first i was expecting a harsh reaction like Connor’s first reaction to me.”

Temu looked sheepish for a bit and nodded “Well General Leia is always welcoming to her people after all. But in all things, I really should get ready for my shift after all.”

Marcus got up “Yeah, I really should get up and do the same.” His life in 2018 and his life here was something out of a science fiction novel.

With that, Marcus grabbed a few hints of his tools and got up to get to work. The spaceships wouldn’t fix themselves after all. The terminator headed toward the hanger once again to eye a few other spaceships he normally wouldn’t of understood if he didn’t read it for a long time but he got the hang of things after awhile here.

Alliances among the Stars with Marcus Wright 2,226/5,000

 

[Marcus Wright]

Marcus couldn’t believe what he accomplished here in such little time, he couldn’t help but wonder how Blair, his Resistance pilot girlfriend, now turned Pilot Union soldier was doing there. Her quest must of been harder than the one he faced right now.

With a hint of a smirk, he walked past another robot and couldn’t help but lightly jump from the reaction he had from the robot kind on the ARC.

He had never seen such a robot before and he admitted he was a little nervous after seeing him. But he eventually calmed down. He must have thought of xenophobic thoughts at that moment, realizing that these robots were not capable of violence and didn’t want to kill Connor or him at a sudden moment.

He blames Skynet for that problem and any problems Skynet caused internally, he’d live with eventually through his own problems and fear.

Temu giggled, placing a arm on Marcus’s “Wait, you are scared of our robots?”

Marcus stopped in his tracks. “They bring up bad memories that I don’t want to remember at the moment. Blame Skynet.” He shuddered for a second.

Temu looked up, rather confused “What’s Skynet?”

Marcus stopped, his voice cracked a second “…Skynet is - Not sure you’d understand” as the man walked to the side, pushing Temu’s helping hand aside.

Temu blinked, unamused “Wait, Marcus. I don’t understand! Let me help you.” The cyborg never turned around after Temu went to chase him.

Marcus sat at a table alone with a beer in his hand, quickly drowning his sorrows. “Fuck, I wish Connor never mentioned Skynet here. It’s.. yeah.”

He left a pound mark on a mess hall table more frustrated than he had anticipated.

I'm sorry if I upset you earlier by asking about Skynet. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories," Tema began, her tone gentle. Marcus looked at her, seeing genuine compassion in her eyes.

"It's not your fault, Tema. Skynet was... is a dark chapter in my past that I'd rather forget," Marcus replied, his voice tinged with sadness.

“I wish Connor wouldn’t bring it up so often, but it’s something that needs to be dealt with.”

Temu smiled and placed a hand on Marcus, compassion in her eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m sure General Leia and General Connor will figure out a solution to rid of Skynet for good.”

Marcus sighed “Maybe I should go tell General Leia more about Skynet, maybe it would ease my worries some at least. It’s as big a threat as the unmaking.”

As soon as Temu and Marcus sat at the table, General Leia looked up “What’s bothering you guys?”

Marcus sighed “The usual. Skynet, Darkseid, the Unmaking, all valid annoying threats in this galaxy. Any of these threats solo may be awkward but together could pose a really bad threat.”

General Leia understood the things needed to stop all the threats she could in this galaxy and allies were welcome.
Marcus looked up and frowned “And what if … Darkseid unmakes Skynet?” unsure of the potential consequences this galaxy had for things like this.

General Leia’s brow furrowed in debate “Well, stories I’ve heard that whatever goes insane and gets even worse.”

Marcus slapped his hand on the table. “We just can’t have that happen. If it can attack us, it can attack the entire galaxy!”

Temu spoke up, her determination was evident in her voice. “We should gather all our resources and allies to launch a coordinated attack on both threats. With our combined forces, we have a better chance of success.”

Marcus nodded in agreement. “We also need to gather as much information as we can about their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. We can’t go into this blindly.”

General Leia “I trust you Marcus, but we need everything about our enemies to stop them. Weak points, whatever you can find.

Another annoyance between two coworkers happened when Temu and Marcus argued over which method of fixing spaceships was better. Marcus had a mechanical and criminal background, in which he learned how to carjack and fix cars, whereas Temu had more experience in advanced technology. What could they learn from each other?

Over the next few days, Marcus taught Temu some basic mechanics skills while she showed him how to use advanced technology more efficiently. They also shared information about their respective enemies, finding weaknesses that neither of them would have noticed on their own.

As they worked together more closely, a mutual respect grew between Marcus and Temu. They may have started off as adversaries, but now they were becoming a formidable team.

As Marcus and Temu worked together on fixing a damaged spacecraft, Marcus showed Temu how to replace the engine with a more efficient one. Temu was amazed at how quickly Marcus could disassemble and reassemble the engine, while Marcus was impressed with Temu’s ability to navigate the advanced technology onboard.

“Wow, I never would have thought to use that tool for this,” Temu said as she watched Marcus work.

“I’ve picked up a few tricks from my time on the streets,” Marcus replied with a grin.

Temu nodded in understanding. “And I’ve picked up some techniques from my time in the academy.”

They continued to work in silence for a while, each lost in their thoughts. But as they finished repairing the spacecraft, they both knew that they had learned something valuable from each other.

“Thank you for teaching me those mechanics skills,” Temu said sincerely.

Marcus smiled. “Thank you for showing me how to use technology in ways I never thought of before.”

Their teamwork was undeniable as they stood back and admired their handiwork. The repaired spacecraft gleamed in the hangar, a testament to their newfound partnership. General Leia approached them, her expression reflecting pride and approval.

“Well done, Marcus and Temu. Your collaboration has not only fixed this ship but also strengthened our unity in the face of looming threats,” she commended.

Marcus and Temu exchanged a look of mutual understanding, knowing that they had indeed come a long way from their initial disagreements. Together, they turned to General Leia with determination in their eyes.

Alliances among the stars with Marcus Wright 2,226+1,036= 3262/5000

 

[Marcus Wright]

General Leia looked up at the two. “See what happens when you work together?”

Marcus smirked and Temu nodded “Right, yeah I can see.”

Both of them aimed to work closer together for now.

Marcus nodded “How about lunch, I’ll treat.”

The mess hall was bustling full of various creatures both big and small and walking through them proved to be quite a challenge. Different species speaking foreign languages Marcus could never of thought possible as he stopped at the nearest strange food restaurant.He would of never had so many choices if he was still in the hellscape known as his planet Earth.

“I’ll take the biggest Chinese feast you can whip up in minutes” as Marcus ordered, his mouth watered at the many dishes on display. The chef was oddly a octopus-like creature with multiple arms, nodded and got to work expertly tossing ingredients in the air and catching them in a sizzling wok.

With alien flavorings, the strange looking wok had the best smell as it was poured onto two plates and handed over to Temu and the cyborg.

“Holy crap, i didn’t know how big the portions was going to be here, but I never dreamed I’d get the best food in the house.”

Temu smirked “Of course, what does Connor feed you down there?

Marcus groaned “We have to scavenge our own food, pending coffee if we are lucky.”

Temu sighed “Well they never met the Arc’s food court then.” Marcus happily enjoyed his lunch more and more everyday looking back at the woman “I can see why." The cyborg terminator never had it so good for once in his life, he felt “normal” and not treated like some outcast.

Temu, while eating her food looked at Marcus “So how does your Commander treat you if the others around your base don’t really like you, just tolerate your presence?

Temu was prying again and Marcus sighed “Well, I only have 4 friends on the base back home. A “family” of sorts. One is here already, she works for the Pilot Union.”

Temu raised a eyebrow “The Pilot’s Union, huh? I believe I’ve heard of that as well. I looked at that myself at one time. Do you know someone there?”

Marcus frowned, not sure if he should reveal a lot about her “Well, I knew someone named Blair, she helped out in the last Cevanti problem. She’s been doing a lot in the Pilot’s Union helping someone by the name of Roy Mustang. He’s apparently a big name. Do you know about him, Temu?”

Temu crossed her arms and sighed “Hm, Every so often, i watch the tv news and hear about the planets Darkseid has or has under his control.”

Marcus frowned “I don’t usually have time for that unless I’m off on a mission myself for Connor.”

Even though Marcus didn’t really care that much about his Commander, he couldn’t help but share a begrudgingly big respect for the man. “Now even though we have Blair and Mustang out doing their part, doesn’t mean the rest of us get shoved to the back. Connor’s had his own share of victories and he’s pushing for a way to defeat our enemies as well.

Temu nodded, her interest piqued by Marcus’ words. “Your Commander sounds like a strong leader. I can see why he has earned your respect.”

Marcus shrugged, trying not to seem too impressed. “I wouldn’t say that exactly. He’s just…good at what he does.”

Temu's eyes glinted with curiosity as she leaned in slightly, intrigued by Marcus' guarded admiration for his Commander. "He must be more than just good at what he does to earn such loyalty from you," she remarked, her tone almost challenging.

Marcus hesitated, not used to discussing his feelings about Connor with anyone. But there was something about Temu's genuine interest that made him want to open up, even just a little. "Yeah, well, Connor's not like any other leader I've known. He... he cares about us, you know? He doesn't just see us as soldiers or tools to be used and discarded."

Temu listened intently, nodding in understanding. "A leader who values the lives of his people is a rare find indeed," she commented softly.

Marcus looked down at his half-eaten meal, feeling a swell of unexpected emotion. "Yeah," he said quietly, more to himself than to Temu. "He's... he

A sly smile tugged at Temu's lips as she observed Marcus trying to downplay his admiration for Commander Connor. "Oh, come on now, Marcus. I can see the respect in your eyes when you talk about him. It's clear he means more to you than just a commanding officer," she teased gently.

Marcus shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not used to discussing personal matters with anyone, let alone a colleague like Temu. "He's just someone I work for, that's all. Let's focus on the task at hand," he deflected, quickly changing the subject back to their mission.

But Temu was not one to let things go easily. She leaned in closer, her eyes glinting with curiosity. "You can't fool me, Marcus. I see the loyalty and dedication you have towards him. It's admirable."

Marcus sighed, realizing he couldn't escape Temu's perceptive gaze. After a moment of silence, he relented in a soft voice, "Fine, you're right. Commander Connor... he's more than just a leader to me. He took me in when no one else would, gave me a purpose, a chance to make a difference. I owe him a lot."

Temu's expression softened, a look of understanding in her eyes. "It sounds like he's been a mentor to you, someone who believed in you when others didn't."


Marcus nodded, grateful for Temu's empathy. "Yeah, exactly. He saw something in me that I didn't even see in myself. And I'll always be thankful for that."

Marcus, eventually trying to shake off any signs of emotion on his face looked over at Temu.

Just then, General Leia came back to the Mess Hall, looking for the familiar faces of Marcus and Temu. “Marcus, I believe I’ve heard news back from your Commander. He is willing to do what it takes to ally up with us. Thank you again for bringing up your Commander’s name to our cause.”

3262+1049=4,311/5000 Alliances among the Stars with Marcus Wright

 

[Marcus Wright]

Marcus swung his pack of items near his back, plenty of things on his mind.

General Leia placed a hand on the cyborg’s shoulder “You alright there, Marcus?”

The Cyborg turned to the General “I’m conflicted now, General, ma’am.”

Leia appeared puzzled for a second and said “Why is that? We are combined in our efforts now, Marcus, don’t worry about what could happen.”

Marcus frowned “It’s the fact I can’t be in two places at once. I want to help the alliance yet I can’t go back and forth. The space trip is a long one from Erde Noda.”

General Leia seemed interested in Marcus’s question.

“We do, actually, Marcus. You are part of us now, so you can come and go as many times as you wish! “

Marcus raised an eyebrow “Wait? I don’t have to get naked to use it either?” It’s clear Marcus was more used to a time travel machine than a teleporter.

The wayward General sighed “Uh, I don’t think you have to get naked to use the teleporter. It just teleports you back to your base!”

Marcus sweatdrops “Yeah, I didn’t think it would do that, General, Ma’am.”

“Set the teleporter to Connor’s base, please.”

Marcus appeared back in Connor’s base and the men turned around and noticed Marcus show up out of nowhere.

“How did you get back here so fast? Are you some sort of magician?” Connor asked, eyeing Marcus suspiciously

Marcus mumbled under his breath “Home, sweet, home. Lucky me.”

Marcus grinned sheepishly, adjusting his pack. "Didn't mean to startle you, Connor. General Leia sent me back here using the teleporter."

Connor's expression softened as he realized the situation. "Oh, so you have access to that technology now? That's pretty handy. But be careful, Marcus. Teleporting around like that could attract unwanted attention."
Marcus nodded in understanding, grateful for the warning. "I'll keep that in mind, Connor. Thanks for looking out for me."

As they settled back into their routine at the base, Marcus couldn't shake off the feeling of being torn between two worlds. The alliance's mission weighed heavily on him, but a part of him longed for the familiar comforts of Erde Noda.

He found solace in the quiet moments he stole for himself, reflecting on his past and the choices that led him to this point. The hazy memories of his human life clashed with the cold efficiency of his cyborg existence, leaving him longing for something he couldn't quite name.

Marcus sighed, dragging his pack back to his room in Connor’s base. “Connor. Anything happen while I was gone?”

Connor held up paperwork “Just getting reports of the Unmaking, the ARC reports from General Leia and more. It’s a long story.”

Soldiers walk the halls, eying Marcus and Connor for a second before walking back on their paths.

“Sir! Oh, Marcus is back.”

It’s when Kyle paced the halls walking in “Marcus? Where’d you go?”

Marcus nodded “Well, I got sent on a mission to the ARC to combine possible alliances and cement our allyship with each other.”

Kyle said “Space? I haven’t gone there since the Last Dante’s Abyss, let me tell you that’s not the place you want to be on a battlefield.”

Marcus frowned “Kyle, I know you were out there fighting for your life, but the ARC promises to be different out there. We are not only fighting for Connor, we are fighting for the whole galaxy here.”

Kyle nodded grimly, the memories of the Last Dante's Abyss still fresh in his mind. "I understand, Marcus. I just hope this alliance brings us closer to peace, not another war."

Kyle crossed his arms, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "I get that, Marcus. But space is a different beast altogether. The unknown dangers lurking in the shadows, the vast emptiness that swallows you whole... it's not something to underestimate."

Marcus placed a reassuring hand on Kyle's shoulder. "I understand your concerns, Kyle. But we can't back down now. The alliance needs us, and we have to do whatever it takes to secure our future."
With all that in mind, the soldiers began their debate about the new alliance between General Leia and General Connor.

The debate in Connor's base crackled with tension. The soldiers, used to the gritty realities of ground warfare, eyed the prospect of space travel with a mix of apprehension and grudging acceptance.

"Space is a whole different ball game," grumbled a grizzled veteran named Hawk, his scarred face etched with skepticism. "Out there, there's nothin' to hide behind. No trenches, no cover, just you and the vast emptiness waitin' to swallow you whole."
Marcus nodded, his enhanced vision flickering as he accessed data on past space battles, checking out various details on the ARC and battles it’s done . "There are risks, Hawk, that's undeniable. But the ARC has advanced technology, shields, and fighters that can hold their own against most threats. I know, I personally worked on them with a coworker.”

A fiery, young soldier named Anya argued back “Besides what about those myths and rumors floating around about monsters that can rip ships apart with their bare hands, huh? Besides why should we trust a machine like you anyway?”

Marcus had to keep from squeezing his nose in frustration again as Connor’s soldiers didn’t understand their new allyship.
"But there's no evidence they don't either," Kyle muttered, the memory of the Last Dante's Abyss still heavy on his mind.

Just then, the doors whooshed open, and Connor stepped forward, his voice ringing with authority. "Enough! We fight because we have to. The Unmaking is a threat unlike anything we've faced before. General Leia believes the ARC may hold the key to stopping it, and I trust her judgment."

A tense silence followed. Slowly, murmurs of agreement began to rise. The soldiers, despite their fear of the unknown, understood the gravity of the situation.

"Alright," Hawk finally conceded, his voice gruff but resolute. "If this alliance gives us a fighting chance, then I'm in. But if anyone tries to pull a fast one on us out there in the black, they'll answer to me."

A chorus of grunts and nods echoed through the room. A fragile unity had formed, forged by fear and a desperate hope for survival.

Anya scoffed. "Trust a machine that can't even understand what it means to be human? What makes you think this fancy tech of yours won't turn on us the first chance it gets?"
A pang of something akin to sadness shot through Marcus. He glanced at Connor, hoping for backup. The General met his gaze with a curt nod, silently urging him to handle it.
Taking a deep breath, Marcus addressed Anya directly. "I understand your reservations. But the enemy we face, the Unmaking, is unlike anything we've encountered before. General Leia trusts the ARC's technology, and I assure you, the people who built it, human and otherwise, poured their hearts and souls into making it a force for good."
A tense silence hung heavy in the air. The soldiers exchanged uncertain glances. Marcus could see the flicker of doubt battling with desperation in their eyes.
"Look," Hawk finally rumbled, his voice gruff but laced with a hint of begrudging acceptance. "We ain't got many choices here. This Unmaking sounds nasty, and if this fancy space station is our best shot, then so be it. But you, cyborg," he fixed Marcus with a steely gaze, "you better make damn sure those machines of yours know who their friends are."

4,311+1258=5579/5000 Alliances among the Stars with Marcus Wright