The Promise (The Piecer Chronicles)

When the aliens attacked, humanity was nearly wiped out.

There weren't enough fighting men or women left alive to defend Earth. Desperate to survive, the Piecer Corp plan was initiated; thousands upon thousands of DNA manipulated recruits were created to defend Earth. But they needed them now, so they created the "Sixers," grown adult soldiers in as little as six years. It worked. They beat them back. A truce was called and Earth rebuilt.

After twenty years, the Earth was repopulated, humanity salvaged; human soldiers could now take the place of manufactured Piecer Corp soldiers, ending the Corp.

Current day: celebration for the graduation class of 2173. For the members of the Piecer Corp it was over. Chase 523, a Piecer fire team leader wondered if this was the last day he would see his team again. They could now live a normal life and take their place among the normally conceived humans, and start families of their own. To celebrate, the first Starship ever built, "The Promise", was flown to the stadium in their honor. The graduation ceremony was to be held in the Piecer Academy stadium. General Gilbert Tupi, a "normie" soldier presiding over the ceremony, congratulated them all and dismissed them from military service.

That's when the sky lit up.