Preview Phalanx
Prisoners used as soldiers. More like cannon fodder.
When the aliens popped up this side of the asteroid belt, earth panicked. All the petty wars and disputes on the planet were forgotten as they faced a new threat from outer space.
There were no space marines. There wasn't a space navy. No one was prepared.
A committee had a bright idea. The poor had always fought the wars before. Why not fight the aliens too? Empty out the prisons, ship them off to the Red Planet and leave them to stop the alien menace. It's a holding mission, buying time while the real soldiers train for space combat.
A young kid was in the wrong place, wrong time. Just being homeless was enough to get picked up and shipped off. He's dropped in the middle of a firefight and has to learn to survive. Assigned to a platoon with a by the books commander, the new soldier gets to choose sides.
Either one could get him killed. Probably will since they have one mission. Destroy the alien gun emplacements to get much needed supplies. Hope they have enough weapons and air to make it, otherwise the suicide mission won't stop the alien colonization of Mars, a beachhead for invading earth.
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