Why do Combatants Keep Joining?

After serving in Black Faction for 4 years, with no break. Zero break.

Booting up every day, masking up every day, carrying the weapon every day.

Days, upon weeks, upon months of boredom broken up with sporadic skirms, disgusting encounters with Azologoth and the ever looming possibility of being expended.

Tac the seemingly contemptuous treatment by the higher ups of the combat units.

Why would someone re-join after 4 years? 

Well most don't. They cut and run.

But some are pressured back into service contracts, others are tempted.

Another 4 years of insanity in the uniform and typically a good proportion will re-join.

If they have lasted this long, they will likely continue re-joining until they are expended or fail to pass physical tests. That is if they are not promoted to command positions.

Some will seek surgical augmentations in their 40s to "re-youthen" themselves to continue serving the Mistress.

This sees women servicing combat ranks until their late 40s and often into their 50s, with augmentations.

But why?

Typically when a young woman enters Mallera-9 they do so quietly. They depart their lives where ever they are and contact is ceased for the period of the contract. If they return after the 4 years the chances of their being remnants of their old life there are high.

After two contracts remnants of their old lives remain, but their goals were always generally to escape to somewhere better with their pay outs.

Connecting with new people, who have no clue of what happens on Mallera-9, adjusting to making decisions for yourself, making your own food, rediscovering new music, culture, movies, food everything again is daunting.

Its easier to just return and submit.

After a third or 4th contract, there is no going back. Some will lie to themselves that they will settle down, pull off the mask and live a good life.

But they know that who they are now, what they are now.

They're evil, they're monsters.

Faceless, thoughtless and emotionless killers.

They say to themselves "Stay here, stay and never leave"

Being taken out in combat, sinking into liquid earth or being swallowed by the Azologoth is how it ends.

That's what they want.