War and MG Chap 8

Emrald watched as Casey broke into his sprint; as a soldier behind him took aim. Her shout to get down or dodge went unheard, and she watched as the gunman fired. The instant Casey was impacted by the round, his legs went limp. He collapsed into a heap, completely still.

 

Reia caught the motion out of the corner of her eye, turning to look just as Casey began to fall. Emrald was very nearly leaving the little cover she had to run to him.

 

“That stupid fox!”

 

There was going to be another causality soon unless she did something.  Only a few men were left, but they had hunkered down behind a rocky outcropping. From her position there wasn’t any way to advance, and they were too far to use a grenade.

 

Sitting, back pressed against the boulder, she looked around for something – anything. The pickings were on the slim side, but she saw something she could use. Signalling her women away from the nearest truck, she crawled over to it and scuttled up into the cab of the vehicle, laying down with her legs sticking out of the door. She was far too large to sit up in it; not that she would want to right now anyways.

 

Cursing the tiny controls all the while, she managed to start the vehicle and work it into first gear, sending it on a slow crawl forward. Peeking up ever so slightly above the dash, she steered the vehicle with one hand and mashed down on the accelerator with the other, pointing the truck in the direction of the men hiding behind the rocks.

 

Once she was sure it’d head towards its intended target unassisted, she rolled out of the cab , spreading herself as flat as possible on the ground. A few stray rounds screamed past her, others hitting the vehicle as it crossed in front of her. Looking behind her, she waved for her troop to advance forward, running behind the truck. Unfortunately since she had to drop her weapon to get into the truck, Reia was left to scuttle back towards her cover where her machine gun lay.

 

As the truck barrelled towards the German position, the female troops began to lob grenades up and over their mobile cover in an attempt to flush out the men. Most of the grenades missed, but at least one or two found their mark, punctuated by screams of agony. Clunking into the rocks with a dull thud, Reia’s troops dashed around and over the vehicle, gunning down the remaining men before they could respond.

 

In just a few short minutes, the battle had come to a close.  Even before the echoes from the last gunshots had faded, Emrald flashed from her position and appeared next to Casey, bandages in hand. A deep crimson bloom had already spread across his back from the bullet wound. Running her hand underneath his flank inside his uniform, she felt the warmth and stickiness of fresh blood. At least there would be no bullet to remove, but he was losing blood at dangerous rate. His pulse was already growing weak, his breaths rapid and shallow.

 

“Oxygen, dopamine, IV!” Emrald barked at the medic who had run up behind her. Nodding, she darted back to the truck while Emrald worked feverishly to bandage Casey and stymie the bleeding. In only moments the medic returned, items in hand, and began working on him alongside Emrald. Reia jogged over after ensuring the area was secured.

 

“Anything you need a hand with?,” asked Reia

 

Emrald looked up at her. Reia frowned at the quantity of blood that was slicked up the fox’s arms and across her chest.

 

“Stretcher,” came Emrald’s curt reply.  

 

Nodding, Reia ran to the truck and brought out a stretcher, setting it on the ground next to Casey. Emrald and the medic carefully rotated and eased him onto it, placing bundles of clothing under his legs to raise them.

 

“Bring him to the truck.” Emrald snapped to no one in particular, though Reia knew she was talking to her. Sighing a bit to herself, Reia carried the man to a truck for the second time since meeting him.

 

“Take us back to base,” said Emrald to the medic, then ran into the back of the truck.

 

Reia counted those remaining as the truck sped off back towards where they had come from. Three had been killed during the initial ambush, four more were injured, though they were fairly minor injuries. Of those still living, Casey certainly got the worst of it, she thought.

 

“Load up the bodies and let’s get back to base. Someone is going to have to explain how that human unit had gotten behind our lines,” she said, walking to one of the fallen to assist in moving her to the truck.

 

--

 

Reia found Emrald on a bench outside the recovery ward, staring up at the ceiling.

 

“Hey,” said Reia.

 

Emrald’s head rolled over, weary eyes attempting to focus on Reia.

 

“Hey,” she responded. The melancholy in her voice was unmistakable.

 

Reia walked up to and past Emrald, then sat on the bench with a thud. She remained silent for a time, Emrald again focusing on the ceiling. A nearby clock ticked and tocked; the only sound to break the quiet atmosphere.

 

“How is he?,” said Reia, sighing just before she spoke.

 

Emrald remained silent, though Reia noticed her eyes twinge. The clocked continued to tick away the seconds. Then, with a great sigh that seemed far too large for her small body, Emrald hung her head then looked ahead at the door to the recovery ward.

 

“I think he’ll be fine. We blood typed the other men soon after they arrived so we were able to get transfusions from a couple of them. Without that he would have most certainly died.”

 

Emrald buried her face in her hands, ears laid flat upon her head.  

 

“He’ll be surprised to find out he lost a kidney though. There was no saving it.”

 

Reia scratched at her cheek. She was never very good at attempting to console people.

 

“Well if you hadn’t been there, he probably would have died,” said Reia, smiling slightly.

 

“If I hadn’t taken him with me, he wouldn’t have been shot in the first place!” dropping her hands from her face, Emrald stared up at Reia, anger replacing the note of melancholy in her voice. Just as quickly as it had been kindled, the fire in her eyes faded into nothingness and she slumped over, resting her head on Reia’s arm. She stared into space for a time, then buried her face into Reia’s arm. The diminutive  kitsune began to tremble; she reached up, placing her hands and arms against Reia.

 

“I… I don’t know… what I’m… supposed to feel…”

 

Her voice came in starts and gasps. Reia felt something warm splashing against her skin. She sighed, lifting her arm away from Emrald’s sobbing grasp and then took her up in a hug against her chest. Rather than bursting into a wailing sob as she expected, Emrald instead seemed to calm within her grasp. Her ears seemed to pick up slightly.

 

Throwing her arms around Reia’s midsection, Emrald squeezed tightly then relaxed, keeping her face buried in Reia’s chest. Neither one said anything as the clock ticked away time. Reia attempted to keep track of the seconds, but soon last track.

 

“You still awake?,” said Reia, stroking Emrald’s foxy ears.

 

“mmmf,” came a reply.

 

With a push, Emrald freed herself from Reia’s clutch. Her face was still tear-streaked and her eyes red, but it looked like she had recomposed herself.

 

“Thanks,” said Emrald.

 

“Don’t worry about it.”

 

Reia smiled at the dejected-looking fox.

 

Emrald leaned against the wall, again staring at the ceiling.

 

“I’ve been so… angry, and sad, and happy, then mad again. I don’t know. I blame myself, then I blame them, then him, then myself again.”

 

Massaging her face, she spoke quietly.

 

“Is this what love is supposed to be like?”

 

She lowered her hands down to her lap, looking down.

 

“Who knows?,” said Reia, standing from the bench. She stretched and let out a mighty yawn.

 

“You’re the first amongst us to experience it, I’d wager”

 

Reia crouched down to nearly face-level with Emrald.

 

“And if I do say so, I am a bit envious. This morning you seemed to be happier than I have ever seen you. I’d say that’s worth what you’re feeling now. Not to mention you seemed rather pleased by his performance from what I heard,” Reia said with a wink and gave Emrald a playful jab.

 

Emrald flashed her a coy smile.

 

Standing back up, Reia cracked her back and shoulders.

 

“I’m fairly beat from today, though I imagine you’re far more exhausted than I am. You should probably get some rest.”

 

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Goodnight, I guess. And… thanks.”

 

Reia simply nodded, a small grin crooking a corner of her mouth. She walked past Emrald without another word said and headed off to her quarters. As Reia vanished down the hall,  Emrald walked up to the door, leaning her head against the glass. She stayed like that for a few minutes, watching Casey rest on the far side of the room. Finally she stood up, and trudged wearily to her quarters.

 

Collapsing on the bed, she immediately realized there weren’t any sheets on it. She began laughing to herself, breathing in the lingering scents still upon the mattress

 

“What a fool I am. Old enough to be a grandmother to almost everyone here…”

 

Her laughter slowly subsided, replaced by the soft murmurs of her breathing as she drifted to sleep.

 

--

 

Serlov tapped her pencil absentmindedly on the desk. The human offensive was easily turned aside, but there had been several instances of units that breached the lines and caused some minor havoc. It was a new tactic from them, and that worried her more than the damage they caused. Rather than attempting to control areas, it seemed like they were pushing for objectives instead. They’d already seen this happen to an extent elsewhere; the human forces would give considerable ground to reinforce a position that guarded certain supply lines or cities that functioned as logistical hubs. The Coalition forces would need to start adapting their deployments and tactics as well to counter these irregular advances or else the Eastern Offensive wasn’t going to go nearly as smooth as the Western one had.

 

Leaning back, she sighed and started drumming on her chin with the pencil.

 

The issue with Casey had caused quite a stir. While most of the other men did not blame Emrald or the other girls, there was a vocal minority that was deeply opposed to what they saw as ‘slave labor.’ This latest incident only served to intensify their complaints. Things were beginning to get out of hand. In some cases they had complained about being groomed to become ‘sex slaves.’

 

Serlov snorted at that thought, but... maybe it wasn’t too far off the mark. If an unwilling party was under duress to consummate a romance, were they slaves? She didn’t deny that progeny were their chief goal. If it came down to it, force would almost certainly be used.

 

Well, before they could begin to enact their plan of co-existence the war would need to end first. Garrison forces seemed to be getting along well enough where they were stationed, but it was an uneasy peace at times. They were an invading army, after all. No matter how much leniency you gave a people, they were still not entirely autonomous.

 

Sighing, she flopped down on her desk.

 

“How I wish to be a lieutenant again…”

 

Her plan was proceeding fairly well, but she thought that it may need to be accelerated.

 

Sitting back up, she developed an idea. She would need to clear it with command first, but if they approved it… she smiled. It would be a boon for her. Perhaps she would begin preparations now. Glancing at the time, she thought Reia might still be awake, and headed off to her quarters.

 

 

Reia heard a gentle rapping on her door and sighed. She had sat down all of five minutes ago.

 

“Yes, who is it?”

 

“Serlov.”

 

“Oh, ah, uh, sorry sir. Please come in.” Reia snapped to attention as the lamia opened the door and slithered in.

 

“At ease, lieutenant. I have something I’d like to ask you.”

 

Folding her arms behind her back, “Sir?”

 

Heading to one end of the room then doubling back, Reia assumed it was Serlov’s attempt at pacing. Serlov kept quiet, studying Reia for a while.

 

“What do you think of the combat capabilities of the men we have interred here?”

 

Reia blinked.

 

“You can’t mean to…?”

 

“Oh, I do,” said Serlov, her face blooming into a smile.

 

“Well… I, ah…” Reia searched through her memory for what she knew of them.

 

“I haven’t really been in close contact with many of them. Just a few that help me out with supplies, weapon maintenance, those sort of things. There are a few of them that are solid and reliable, I think, but none of us have seen them in combat.”

 

“But are there any you would be willing to take with you into the field?”

 

“A… few, I suppose.” Reia was rather perplexed. She thought it too soon to attempt to convert them from prisoners into soldiers or citizens.

 

“Good.” Serlov began towards the door.

 

“In the morning come to my office, then we will select members for another platoon for you to lead… captain.”

 

“Wai-- what?," said Reia, shocked

 

Serlov simply smiled and left the room.

 

Falling onto her bunk, Reia groaned and wondered what she just got herself into.