Journal of the 106th #7

>What I remember about the rise of the Atlas's imperial rule is...
>Is how quiet it was.
>During the waning hours of the Color Wars, the 106th Legion was discreetly transferred back to the capital.
>It was a silent trip.
>We all knew what was about to happen, what we were about to do.
>Did we have any doubts?
>Any private, traitorous thoughts?
>Perhaps, but no one said a word.
>Not on the flight to Atlas, not when Order 66 came down, and not when we marched into the Haven.
>Not a word.
>Officially, we were deployed to quell an uprising when the Hunters tried to overthrow the government.
>Unofficially, General Montgomery Ironwood didn't believe the Hunters to be fit for duty.
>He thought their ideals made them soft and weak, a liability to Atlas.
>It was Ironwood's belief that they needed to be destroyed in order to be rebuilt, in his own image.
>When we arrived at Haven, we quietly exited our Toucans and formed our ranks without a word.
>Our CO stood at the front and looked us over silently before turning around.
>The radios in our helmets came alive for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.
>"You know your orders."
>Followed by the sounds of boots hitting cement.
>Our marching echoed through the halls of Haven, slowly awaking the Hunters that slumbered within.
>The usual banter, the joking, even the praying to come back alive.
>None of it could be heard as we entered Haven's main hall.
>We silently spread out through building's dozens of halls.
>Soon the sound of gunfire began to echo through the  otherwise deathly silent hallways.
>We kicked down doors, slaughtering the occupants of dorms without so much as an after thought.
>The gunfire intensified as Hunters began gathering themselves and fighting back.
>Try as they might, our sheer amount of numbers kept them from being able to put up much of fight.
>Those who tried simply to escape were mowed down before they had the chance.
>I kicked down another door and raised my weapon.
>Sitting on the bed was a tiny girl.
>She couldn't have been older than 16.
>She held her sword in front of her as tears streamed down her face.
>I exhaled as my gun shook slightly.
>And pulled the trigger.
>I scanned the room, making sure no one else was here and turned back to the hallway.
>There was a Hunter fighting with my squad.
>The narrow hall left him unable to use his weapon effectively, and when I arrived, I quickly shot his leg.
>It was all my comrades needed to finish him off as he fell over.
>We cleared the remaining rooms and regrouped back in the main hall.
>We thought we were done, but apparently we missed a few Hunters.
>They ended up attacking Ironwood in his office, but he took care of them personally.
>Using their attack, he was able to use emergency powers to make himself Atlas' leader.
>The next thing he did was abolish the government and replace it with a militaristic leadership, with him in charge.
>We weren't aware at the time, but this was happening at every battlefield.
>Hunter commanders suddenly found themselves being taken out by their own men.
>Not a single member of Haven was left alive.
>With the fall of Atlas' government and the elimination of the 'traitorous' Hunters, Ironwood's rise to power was complete.
>In recognition of our service and loyalty to the General, the 106th were placed under the direct command of the newly appointed Lt. General Vermilion.
>Armed with deadly new weapons, blazing new ships, and shiny new armor, our presence let the continent know that the days of the Old Atlas were well and truly over.
>We were establishing a new era, an era of order and peace.