"It really doesn't change at all."
"Oh good, you're a fast learner. Unlike the locals."

Ori Hadar served rotations in both Strabo Confederation and the Euphrates Continuation War from 2008 to 2013. Even if he came home in one piece, several of his squadmates didn't, and a few even went home in boxes. Such is life at the spear point of an imperial hyperpower. Crazy locals who hate you, an increasingly unhinged CO, brain-damaged objectives, and the realization that few things compare with whimpering in a corner, covered in the blood and viscera of the enemy (and possibly their concubines and their kids. Ugh.) Nearly five years was really too much...it's a wonder that he hasn't decided to crawl into a bottle and stay there.

The incredibly nearsighted Sgt. Ogden "Birch" Burchell is still off fighting the good fight and trying to keep his motley squad of fuzzies alive. The replacement lieutenant is far better than the last one who made off-duty hours such a nightmare. "I'd like to go on leave in Shinano. Just once. A place that isn't full of damn apocalypse cultists. Oh...right. It's full of Rovagug cultists." (I'm debating gender-flipping Burchell in order to fix gender imbalances.)

Artwork, Characters © of me

"Don't call him Sgt. Rocksteady. Everyone got punished the last time that happened. He's nice as long as you don't compare him to idiot henchmen from some television series." (TMNT or its analog is a semi-obscure Sentai equivalent in this universe. Go figure.)