"To a shocking surprise but welcomed by the defense industry, Congress recently passed a surge in military defense stimulus, providing funding for critical areas. Majority Leader Senator Harry Knox (TX) stated that an internal review of US military capabilities found significant deficiencies. This had caught many experts off guard, as a recent report released six months earlier stated the opposite. While there was always room for improvement, the Armed Forces were in a healthy place.
The Senator said that Congress sometimes conducted its own, more in-depth reviews upon request and was worried about how ready the Armed Services were for a major war after a multi-decade conflict against the Cartels, the USAM pirate operations in the South Pacific Sea, and the growing influence of the Indian-Russian Alliance. While the Senator was unclear about what he meant, it seems Congress is concerned about a future major war.
Some believe the Senator Majority was providing additional funding to boost some of the defense and aerospace contracts in his home State of Texas, attempting to secure his reelection. Currently, the Texas State Legislature has not attempted to select a replacement, so many were confused as to why the Senator, if so, felt threatened by his position.
The additional funding was Army-focused, which many found surprising. The primary focus was tripling the ammunition stockpiles, ranging from 6.8mm to cruise missiles, with the understanding that the stockpiles should have enough in reserve for a two-year conflict without being depleted.
The other big focus that surprised people was expanding on hardware and equipment, which the Pentagon requested two weeks ago in a leaked private meeting of the Arms Committee. The Army wants enough hardware to create two additional Divisions if needed, without waiting for resupply or replacements, in the event of a major war. All areas of the Army, from infantry to armor to the air fleet, would see rapid expansion in equipment and hardware.
Lastly, IV Corps was formally created and stationed at Fort Carson. A massive surge of funds went into the fort, as well as into Space Base Raymond and Peterson, to expand for large-scale warfare. Leak accounts have stated that the Fort could potentially host and support up to five divisions for combat operations. Why has no information been provided? Some have speculated that with the international community's growing development on Luna and Mars, some believe that Congress and Pentagon fear a large-scale Astro war in the near future." - Indi News
March 19th, 2069 (military calendar)
Hiplose Woods, the former Confederacy of Daru'uie
Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore
*****
After exiting their vehicles and nearing the forest edge, the Comanche rushed through the forest until they reached the outskirts of the US-occupied town. As they drew closer, they could hear the intensity of the combat in the distance.
Breaking through the foliage, Fraeya Holiadon saw the small town with smoke rising from it. The Unity occupied a nearby hill connected to the town, firing down into the rest of the city. According to reports from DEFNET, troops from the other airship had stormed the town, and the two sides were now fighting for supremacy in the area.
Before now, the Americans had been attempting to push as far east as possible, with some success. However, they had failed to break the Aristocracy formations. Based on the reports and the Unity's entry into the fray, the Vampires were now on the offensive, slowly pushing the Americans back.
The town was built around a small, rocky hill that had been urbanized. Many wooden buildings, some multi-story, stood surrounded by a stone wall. The central hill was covered with stone, making it a prominent sight for the townsfolk.
Below, all the Comanche could see was the live feed from Ivy soldiers in their battlesuits, showing the intense sounds of battle between the Unity and the townsfolk. However, they could also see some Unity troops occupying the hill, firing into the lower sections. Both Orgat airships hovered overhead, firing into the city with shrouds.
"Drones," Ford said. "Incoming."
Staring toward the sky, Fraeya saw a small fin-like missile flying overhead. She had seen them before—loitering munitions. Upon hearing the radio chatter, a nearby Ivy unit fired at the drone to assist the second platoon.
Two of the Skylance loitering munitions went for one of the first Orgat airships. In response to the American attack, the transport ship fired multiple energy bolts, destroying the first drone. However, the second drone impacted the side, causing a small explosion. The airship was not destroyed, but smoke issued from an open hatch on its side, causing it to float away and retreat from the siege.
The other Orgat followed behind, escorting the wounded airship from the battlespace.
Because the airships were retreating, the third Skylance drone didn't engage. Whoever the operator was, they decided the target was no longer a threat and moved on to higher-priority targets. Higgins reported on DEFNET that the drone had switched toward a hostile position on the hilltop.
As the loitering munition came flying down toward the Unity position occupying the hill, a sudden glow appeared around a mage, and an electronic pulse emanated. The drone then missed its target, impacting one of the buildings and exploding on contact.
"That is not good," Wallace said.
"We need to clear that hill," King said. "Ford, Higgins, get the Skylance."
"Didn't we just watch the enemy stop one?" Ford asked. "What will that do?"
"We need to do it the hard way," King responded. "We will assault that hilltop, remove the mage, or at least distract them. The drone will then come into play. Once you're done, join us. Wallace, get the third arm and switch out your M252 with the M338."
"It will take me a minute to attach the robotic arm to my Itlian," Wallace said.
"You could always use the Staff Sergeant's arm," Barrios said.
"I think I could rock it," Wallace said.
As the two fist-bumped, King said, "Lock it down. Now, Ford and Higgins. When I give the order, you two will assist us in assaulting the hill. Then regroup with us."
"What about me?" Ar'lya asked.
"Are you willing to get your hands dirty?" King asked.
"I am not a fighter type," Ar'lya said. "But I do not like feeling useless. Besides, there might be jewels inside."
Rommel King's response was somewhat hesitant. "When we breach the wall, split off and scout. See if you can get a good eye on the enemy while we navigate," he said.
"I see," Ar'lya said. "I do stick out less than you people."
Seeing the three rush toward the vehicle, Fraeya saw Ford among them. She attempted to gain his attention but failed to stop the Sergeant. Seeing that it was too late, she was confused by a comment the Warrant Officer-1 made regarding an additional arm. "You can add arms?"
"If time calls for it," Forest said. "Our suits allow us to attach a robot arm when needed. Wallace is getting the medium-sized machine gun off the Hound. The weapon is great for vehicles and bunkers, but too heavy to carry offensively unless you have a third arm like mine. In short, it helps with the weight."
"It does reduce mobility," Gonzales added. "Any of us can have a third arm, so we don't use it often."
"We are going to break some Utopists," Barrios said eagerly.
The rest of the Comanche rushed forward, prioritizing speed over stealth, and headed toward the town's stone wall. To their surprise, no one engaged or spotted their advance. This made Fraeya wonder whether the enemy, hostiles, and townsfolk were busy with internal affairs. This allowed the Minutemen team to reach the base of the wall quickly.
"Fraeya," King said. "Can you carve a hole in the wall?"
"Let me try." Fraeya took a step back and placed her hands against the fortification. Closing her eyes, she channeled her mana toward her hands. The stone felt denser and better reinforced than she had hoped—thicker than Salva's outer layers and lacking the convenient weaknesses she preferred. Her mana, already somewhat thinned from earlier exertions that day, resisted at first, sending a familiar cold pressure through her chest.
The stone wall cracked around her hands as she pushed harder. Sweat beaded on her forehead from the strain of forcing denser mana through the spell. After a minute, Fraeya let go, breathing heavily. Forest handed her a cloth to wipe the sweat off her forehead. She thanked the Staff Sergeant and turned toward the acting commander. "I can break through it, but it will take me significant time and a large portion of my reserves. The mana cost is higher than I expected. Do you want me to continue?"
"Forget it then," King said, looking up and around. "We are going to have to go over it. Fraeya, can you raise the ground enough to get over?"
Looking up at the wall, it was lower than Salva's but still quite tall. Even with her Alg elevation spell, the elf girl knew sustaining the platform to the full height would drain her dangerously and risk instability as her mana thinned further.
"Halfway, yes," Fraeya said. "That is the best I can offer without overextending."
"That can work," King said.
"Twins, you two first," Barrett said.
The elf girl was concerned that the two heaviest men in the unit were going first. Still, remembering his disobedience at the Mountain Airbase, she decided not to question the orders. She cast the elevation spell, concentrating the ground and reinforcing it so it would be sturdy enough to support the humans. The mana flowed more willingly here—the loose dirt responded better than solid stone—but she still felt the pull as her reserves dipped.
Wallace stepped onto the spell, and the ground rose, scaling the wall until it reached halfway. He dropped to his knees, grabbing onto the side as the heavy weapons specialist stabilized himself, commenting on how freaky the experience was.
"Hurry," Fraeya said, her voice tighter than she intended. A faint tremor had started in her hands.
Seeing the urgency, the Comanche did not delay. The bulky teammate lifted the Hispanic member onto the dirt platform before descending the slope to assist the medic onto it.
With all the weight, Fraeya struggled to keep the dirt platform stable. Her mana was thinning noticeably now, making the construct feel sluggish and brittle. As Gonzales was being lifted onto the stone wall, the elevation started crumbling, which almost caused Barrios to fall.
With quick thinking, the elf girl cast a lighter ice spell, forming a wrapping around the dirt elevation to secure it. The emergency weave cost less but still sent a spike of fatigue through her limbs. With the near-disastrous situation dealt with, the Comanche quickly reached the top of the wall. Wallace reached the top first, which drew enemy fire. He swung his third robotic arm with the M338 and provided suppressive fire while the rest of the team climbed.
With everyone on top except Forest and her, the elf girl released the elevation spell. A wave of light-headedness washed over her as the mana flow cut off. She rushed up the elevated dirt. The Staff Sergeant grabbed her arm and lifted her onto the platform. There was no time to talk as Marcos Gonzales reached down to help her up.
After reaching the top, Fraeya turned toward the Staff Sergeant and saw the ice wrapping shattering. Sections of the ice fell to the ground, causing a micro-quake as the dirt platform destabilized beneath the Comanche NCO.
Nearly falling off, Kurt Forest stabilized himself. The Comanche mage reached down with her glowing hand, feeding a small thread of mana to steady the elevation just long enough. Gonzales reached down with his hand for the Staff Sergeant to grab. Only then did the dirt platform collapse below, but the NCO was pulled onto the safety of the stone wall.
"Thanks," Forest said.
The elf girl and the medic acknowledged his appreciation. Fraeya flexed her fingers, feeling the lingering cold emptiness in her core. She was approaching her limit faster than she liked.
Once the Comanche were united on the wall, Fraeya turned toward her friends and witnessed them in intense engagement. Most of the team struggled to find cover because they were facing the wrong direction, toward the wall battlements. Wallace stood while firing the medium machine gun toward the hostiles, providing cover for his vulnerable teammates. However, she noticed that someone was missing—the Farian.
Knowing that Ar'lya was ahead of the Comanche, the elf girl assumed that the rodent had already gone ahead.
She turned toward the town. Most buildings were intact, as the battle was concentrated on the other side. While this town was nowhere near the size of Salva, it had more structured architecture compared to the surrounding villages.
On the other side of the town, there was smoke and the sound of battle. One of the structures was on fire, lit by the glow from magical weapons and the crackle of gunfire. The enemy on the small hill within the town was firing upon them, pinning the Americans down.
Now that the enemy knew the Comanche had breached the city wall, an intense firefight erupted between hostiles on rooftops and in the alleyways. However, there seemed to be more hostiles than the two Orgat transports could carry, implying that some townsfolk had sided with the Unity.
"Then let's not hesitate," King said. "Comanche!"
Fraeya heard everyone speak loudly in sync with each other, the words "Red Moon" catching her off guard. The only thing she knew about this Minutemen team was the mythology told by Ryder and scattered comments in conversation. Comanche was one of the great Indian tribes that the Americans had fought during their expansion. During what they called the full moon, these warriors would devastate all their enemies.
The Comanche abandoned their position and rushed down the wall until they reached a stairway. To her surprise, Marcos Gonzales performed a point jump once he reached the stairs, with the rest of the team following suit.
When she arrived, she watched them leap toward the stairway's center platform, using their battlesuits to make the jump. Knowing she couldn't make the jump, she found another path that let her catch up quickly.
To Fraeya's surprise, she noticed that the enemy was no longer attacking them. "What happened?" she asked.
"They have yet to reposition," Barrett answered. "They were unprepared for us flanking them, focusing too much on the second platoon."
"That won't last long," Wallace said.
Instead of wasting time, the Comanche started rushing through the brick-laid streets. Civilians rushed past the Americans as they sought cover. As they sped through the streets, Fraeya noticed a few civilians rushing for cover. Others peeked through their windows, while some hid under the front decks of their homes and shops. This was a sight she never thought she would see. She had heard stories from the front lines in the news, but seeing urban warfare was radically different from what she had expected. While the elf had started to grow used to the harsh life of being a soldier, she still vividly remembered how safe and civil the streets of Matho were.
Based on the size of the buildings, alleyways, and doors, Luperca was the dominant race in this town. However, she noticed many other species mixed within the town—something typical in more civilized settlements—all beast-type humanoids.
Unlike the Luperca she had encountered in the goblin-infested mountain tunnels, which were more monster-like and barbaric, these wolves were more civil, well-groomed, and wore sophisticated clothing while displaying refined mannerisms.
As the elf girl was focused on the inhabitants of the town, she ran into Wallace, the person in front of her. "I am sorry," she said, but noticed no response. Typically, she had come to expect a sarcastic human comment; however, there was none.
When Fraeya looked past the bodybuilder soldier, the elf girl noticed everyone else in the unit had their weapons firing in all directions. Around them were three Luperca and eight other beast types. All the town's inhabitants surrounded them with spears and lower-grade energy staff weapons. To her horror, one of the wolf beasts had Gonzales and was using him as a human shield.
"Stand fast," King ordered.
Fraeya rushed past everyone to the Warrant Officer's side and said, "Excuse me, I can speak for the Altaerrie. We are friends, not enemies."
The Luperca who held the medic only snarled, showing that he had the Comanche warrior tightly restrained and was ready to kill the medic if anyone acted aggressively.
"Can you speak with him?" Barrett asked.
"I do not think he will listen to me," Fraeya said. "And I do not know what to say."
"I don't need a translation." King spoke loudly so the townsfolk surrounding them could hear. While they couldn't understand each other, the Warrant Officer wanted to make it clear that he did not fear the giant wolves. "They want us to surrender, which I will not command. Comanche, at the ready. If they harm Marcos, lay waste to them all."
Fraeya Holiadon felt the intense tension between the two sides as a standoff began. The Comanche aimed their weapons, ready to pull the trigger. The townsfolk pointed their guns and spears at the Altaerrie.
Before either side could pull the trigger, a spear impacted the back of the Luperca who was holding Marcos Gonzales, causing him to let go of the man from the sudden pain.
From behind one of the buildings, Ar'lya appeared, shouting insults toward the remaining Luperca, which got their attention. When the enemy turned toward the Farian woman, a towering humanoid wolf and three other townsfolk appeared, attacking the hostiles.
This gave Rommel King the opportunity to aim and fire his M31, placing a bullet into the beast's head. The rest of the Comanche opened fire on the remaining non-Luperca within the group. At the same time, the two wolves were killed by the sudden reinforcements and rifle fire.
When the skirmish was over, Fraeya attempted to help Marcos Gonzales from the ground. However, he was too heavy. Barrios walked over and helped up his comrade, so she headed toward the Warrant Officer.
Rommel King was staring at the Luperca with distrust, but didn't have his weapon ready after what had just happened.
Ar'lya approached and said, "About time."
"What is going on here?" King asked.
"These people?" Ar'lya said. "I found them while exploring for loot. Apparently, this town has been divided over who to side with. This battle only widens that wedge."
"A minor civil war," Barrett said. "Tell them thank you for their assistance."
"Will do," Ar'lya said. "The question is, now what?"
"Simple," King said. "Gather anyone who wishes to side with us and move them to the other side of the town."
"You will be taking us away from our homes?" the Luperca asked.
"No choice," King explained. "Everything we are doing now is a delaying action. So be it if half of your people want to side with the enemy. We won't stay here to clear them out."
"I thought you were offering protection," the Luperca said.
"We are." King looked away after hearing an explosion. "At Salva, there are plenty of empty buildings to house everyone who comes with us. We need to clear that hill right now, so I cannot talk for long."
Forest approached and said, "Ford reported that they are ready with the Skylance."
"Tell them to fire," King said. "Ar'lya, can you manage the rebels?"
"Rebels?" Ar'lya then looked toward the Luperca and then toward a store. "I can do that. And maybe secure some enemy goods?"
"Only what you can carry," King said. "And what is needed. I'll let you decide that. Everyone else, up the hill."
The Farian gathered the rebel townsfolk and left. The Comanche regrouped and continued advancing up the hill. Fraeya expected more ambushes from the loyal townsfolk, but none attacked. The elf wondered if everyone was scared after how easily the Comanche had killed the previous group that tried to oppose them.
With the lack of opposition, the Comanche took only a short time to reach the pathway up the hill. The path was integrated into the town, with buildings and brick roads leading up to the Unity position. When they drew close, Fraeya saw the colorful glow from the occupied position. Within it, she noticed a four-legged Crawler with a glowing orb on top of it.
"Sir," Fraeya said. "I see an Amplifier Crawler."
"That explains how they are taking out our drones," Barrett said.
A shroud impacted one of the wooden structures. The crystalized flechette had a slight black glow before fading. With two additional shrouds aimed toward the Americans, it was clear that the Unity rearguard had spotted them, forcing the Comanche to seek cover.
"They have the high ground," Barrett said. "It's going to be a pain to advance."
"They need the advantage," King stated. "Forest, tell Higgins to direct the drone against their position. Barrios, after they cast their defensive spell, fire your rocket at that crawler. We'll toss three grenades to soften the front door. Wallace, I want you upfront when we push."
As the team fanned out, the Skylance circled the town, waiting for orders. The drone then changed course and flew directly toward the Unity position. The battle mage within the enemy ranks activated the orb on the crawler, and it started glowing with electric sparks. Then, a pulse was emitted from the crawler's orb, destroying the drone.
With the enemy spell cast, the battle mage and orb needed a moment to recharge. This gave Bruno Barrios the opening he needed, and he fired a rocket.
The rocket impacted next to the crawler, destroying its right side but failing to completely neutralize the construct, even with the intense suppressive fire that Wallace's medium machine gun and the rest of the unit unleashed against the Unity rearguard. The enemy remained in position, continuing to return fire.
However, this was exactly what Rommel King wanted. It allowed Forest and Gonzales to move closer through the small buildings. When they got in range, they tossed their fragmentation grenades into the enemy position, killing two with the shrapnel. At the same time, the other two were protected by their armor but knocked over by the impact.
With the Warrant Officer's order to advance, the Comanche left their positions. They formed a makeshift line along the brick road, weapons ready, firing at the Unity as they marched forward. Sergeant Edgar Wallace was in the middle, carrying the specialized medium machine gun with a third robotic arm to stabilize the weapon and fire against the enemy.
Seeing the enemy battle mage moving into position to assist their comrades, Fraeya noticed the wooden wall of a nearby building. Her mana reserves were dangerously low now, but she had just enough for one more focused working. Casting the spell, she tore apart a section of the wall and flung it in front of Wallace. The effort sent a sharp spike of pain behind her eyes and left her hands trembling.
When the enemy battle mage cast an electric spell toward the bulky Comanche, the wooden barrier absorbed the spell, catching on fire but protecting Wallace. This allowed him to aim his M338, tearing apart the mage.
The rest of the Comanche stormed past Wallace and reached the top of the hill. Only a few enemy soldiers remained, who were quickly dealt with. Gregory Barrett gave the 'all clear' sign with his hands, and Fraeya rushed up to the hill's edge on unsteady legs. Rommel King promptly joined her, staring at the rest of the town.
The distance was shorter than she expected from this angle. It was still a significant drop, and if someone fell, they would be seriously hurt or die. But most of the tallest rooftops were about two-thirds of the height.
Staring at one of the roofs, the elf girl noticed two enemy soldiers lying on top, aiming their circiletum toward the Ivy position below, which was pinned inside several buildings. One of the buildings was on fire as the Americans fired from the windows. The ones on the streets were behind tipped-over carts and booths. Three IRiSS humanoid robots stood on the street, firing at the Unity to provide suppressive fire.
"Can I take care of those two?" Fraeya asked, her voice quieter than usual.
"What?" King looked to where the team's mage was pointing. "Go for it."
The Comanche mage directed her left arm toward the building. Her hand glowed green, and focusing her mana on her target at this range took the last of her concentration. Her reserves were nearly spent; the spell felt ragged and turbulent. With sheer will, she summoned the collapse she wanted. The roof the enemy soldiers were lying on cracked, scaring them. Before they could react, the roof imploded into the house.
"Good job," King said.
Feeling a new sense of being included in the team despite the exhaustion pulling at her, she noticed two soldiers below waving toward her. Confused but not wanting to be rude, she waved back. Those soldiers then displaced themselves and rushed toward the western wall to join their comrades. On the west side of the town, the Unity was occupying the fortification wall, shooting at the American platoon.
Barrett approached and said, "I think they were trying to separate all Ivy companies in the area from the Battalion."
"What do we do?" Fraeya asked, fighting the growing haze at the edges of her vision.
The elf girl noticed Rommel King looking right, staring at a Unity accelerator ballista.
"Barrett, get two men to cover the second platoon's rear," King said. "Give the enemy something else to focus on. Have Ford and Higgins rally the troops below. Everyone else, on the ballista."
Everyone acted as the final orders left the Warrant Officer's lips. Barrett, Forest, and Gonzales lined up against the edge and opened fire on the remaining Unity and townsfolk allied with them.
The others pushed the ballista into position, aiming toward the western wall, which the hostile townsfolk had occupied. Bruno Barrios loaded the projectile while Edgar Wallace aimed the weapon platform. The projectile looked different from the traditional artillery shells the Altaerrie used. It had a blue crystal between the tip and the base, and a see-through layer over the body to contain it. A micro-command orb was at the center tip.
Once everything was ready, King ordered, "Fire!"
The three coils in the accelerator began spinning as the ballista channeled energy from the battery to them. Seconds later, the weapon let out a loud sound as it fired toward the stone wall.
A bright blue lightning strike consumed the area when the projectile impacted the wall. One of the nearby carts caught fire. The wall was left dark and heavily scarred, and the sizable impact neutralized the enemy occupiers.
"Sir," Forest said. "Contact, due west. In the forest."
Hearing the Staff Sergeant, Fraeya noticed dozens of soldiers emerging from the foliage. While she didn't have a VISOR, she could tell they were Americans based on their battlesuits. Based on the size, she assumed they were one of the sister units of Second Platoon, coming to their comrades' aid.
"Alright," King said. "Pick your targets and let them have it."
*****
Standing on the muddy dirt ground, Fraeya watched as the Americans gathered the allied townsfolk to be taken to Salva. The others who had sided with the Unity watched from their homes or stood by the buildings.
Some of the survivors from the second platoon had their rifles aimed at the hostile townsfolk, deterring any further aggression.
On her radio, she heard soldiers say "fire in the hole" before a small explosion followed. She found the phrase baffling — they were not literally putting fire in a hole — but she understood the intent: they were about to make something explode.
The Elf girl turned toward the hill they had occupied earlier. Smoke was still rising into the sky. From what she understood, the American soldiers had destroyed the Unity accelerator so the enemy couldn't reuse it until they recaptured it.
As she watched the smoke, her ears perked up at the sound of someone approaching.
Fraeya turned and saw that it was Benjamin Ford. He wasn't approaching her directly but was passing by, pushing a cart of goods taken from the allied townsfolk. He stopped when he noticed her.
Ford raised his hand in a half-hearted acknowledgment. "Hey."
The Elf girl started to raise her hand in return but stopped herself, remembering how the Sergeant had halted her near the Unity transport airship. Instead, her hand curled into a fist and pressed against her body as frustration took hold, silencing her response.
The Sergeant nodded upon noticing her reserved behavior and continued on his way. This made her feel horrible, and her ears drooped.
"That was silly."
Hearing another voice nearby, Fraeya looked around until she spotted Ar'lya sitting on a barrel, digging through a large cloth bag full of repurposed goods she had scavenged throughout the town. To her shock, she had never even heard the rodent sneak up on her. "How did you sneak up on me?"
"It's not hard," Ar'lya said, not looking up as she inspected a bent metal spoon before tossing it into her bag. "I had to learn to be stealthy to survive. Every Farian kit learns that before they can walk straight. Besides, I'm a Farian. We know how to move like shadows — it's how we've lasted this long."
"Oh," Fraeya mumbled. "And what did you mean by 'that was silly'?"
Ar'lya finally glanced up, her whiskers twitching. "I mean you're still punishing him for saving you. That's not the Farian way."
"I am not," Fraeya said.
"Then why didn't you wave at him?" Ar'lya asked, digging deeper into the bag. "I noticed you two were close before that moment on the mountain, but since then you've built a wall thicker than a warren entrance in winter. You're letting one loss eat your whole life."
Fraeya wanted to protest, but she knew it was true. Wiping her cheek, she replied, "I cannot help it. I was so close to saving my father, and it was ripped away from me. I don't know how else to feel."
"So, is it all Ford's fault?" Ar'lya flicked an ear. "If I recall, Captain Ryder ordered you not to rush out like that because it could get others killed — including yourself. The ancestors don't reward those who throw their lives away chasing ghosts."
Fraeya closed her eyes as she remembered disobeying their captain's orders. That meant Ford had only been following orders to keep her safe. Opening her eyes, she said, "I know I'm in the wrong. I just don't know what to do."
"It's simple," Ar'lya said, dropping a silver sphere platter into the bag with a soft clink. "Apologize. Thank him for protecting you. Then stop drowning in self-pity. The living must keep moving — that's what we believe. The dead don't need your tears. They need you to survive and remember them by living well."
"How? How will that remove my feelings about failing to save my father?"
"By getting over yourself," Ar'lya said flatly. "You think you're the only one who's lost something? I had to abandon my entire clan because of this stupid war. We Farians have a saying: 'When the burrow burns, you don't sit in the ashes crying. You dig a new one.' I have no hope of seeing my kin again, but you still might. Yet here you are, wasting days in yesterday."
The Elf's ears drooped again as she realized the Farian was right. "I'm sorry. I'm not used to this. I thought I had it hard in the academy, but out here, everything feels like a threat."
"That's because you haven't learned to live like we do," Ar'lya replied, tying off the top of her scavenged bag. "Out here, every day is a Shadow Trial. You take what the world gives you — even if it's scraps — and you make it useful. It's okay to want to find your father, but your place is here and now, with these people who are still breathing. Don't hate those who are helping you just because it's convenient. Hate these pricks instead."
Ar'lya tossed a pebble at one of the Unity corpses.
Seeing the Farian motion for her to come closer, Fraeya approached. Ar'lya urged her to kick the corpses. She hesitated — they smelled terrible and it felt wrong. However, as she stared at the orc's body, rage built inside her until she finally kicked the dead body hard.
"Good," Ar'lya said, her small tail flicking in approval. "You finally learned to channel your anger instead of letting it chew you from the inside. The ancestors smile on useful rage, not wasted sorrow. Now go apologize and end this madness."
"Okay," Fraeya said. "You could have said that in a gentler way."
"I'm not Natilite," Ar'lya replied with a sharp-toothed grin. "She's genetically enhanced. We're not. Being that gentle out here gets you killed. We Farians speak truth plainly — it's kinder in the long run."
Watching the Farian walk toward Wallace, the Elf girl crossed her arms in frustration. While she didn't like the bluntness of the conversation, she knew the rodent was correct.
Deciding not to wait until they returned to Salva, Fraeya wandered the town looking for Ford. She could see that the Ivy sister platoon had arrived, loading their unmanned ground vehicles — known as Deuces — into the cargo bays. The second platoon's dead and wounded were being loaded first before any townsfolk were allowed onto the robotic vehicles.
That didn't mean there weren't hostiles around. It had become clear that everyone in the town was considered potentially hostile. If not for the heavily armed Americans occupying the city, they likely would have attacked, especially surrounded by Luperca. Luckily, a decent number of the population had defected to the Altaerrie side — especially now that the battle was over, even though they were retreating to Salva.
She saw the enemy townsfolk standing all around, watching. Their numbers surprised her. She realized the Americans would be badly outnumbered if the locals decided to attack. While not a military strategist, Fraeya understood there were far more hostile civilians than American soldiers in the town. They could overrun them if they struck all at once. She wondered if fear of death, the soldiers aiming weapons at them, or the sight of the alien armored vehicles known as Lances that had arrived with First Platoon was what kept them at bay. Perhaps it was the defeat of the Unity forces — or a combination of all three. She had no way of knowing.
Heading toward where the Comanches were regrouping, Fraeya saw Benjamin Ford helping the last of the allied townsfolk board a Deuce. When he noticed her, she waved to get his attention without getting too close.
Bruno whispered something to Ford, which she couldn't hear, before the Sergeant walked over.
Before he could speak, Fraeya raised her hand to signal that she wanted to talk first. A sudden fear gripped her again, but she forced it down. She needed to say what she had to say.
"Benjamin," Fraeya said. "Please, let me say what I should have said earlier."
She saw the Sergeant about to interrupt, so she shot him a sharp glare and raised her hand again, warning him to stay silent. He leaned back defensively.
"Let me finish, please," Fraeya said. She took a deep breath and continued, "I know you were only trying to protect me, and the way I responded was wrong. I never should have punished you for my father being taken away a second time, especially when you were the only one looking out for my well-being. You were following our commander's orders. I was the one who disobeyed, putting myself above everyone else and endangering both you and me."
She clasped her hands together. "I value your friendship. You've been a big help in bringing me onto the team, and I don't want to ruin that relationship."
A sense of relief washed over her shoulders. The Elf girl finally felt she had righted a wrong and hoped she could move forward and be friends with the attractive Sergeant again. However, she didn't get the reaction she expected. Ford stood there with a confused expression.
Before she could ask what was wrong, Benjamin pointed to his ears and then to her chest. Confused, she glanced down at her clothing and realized the translation amulet was off.
Exasperation and melancholy filled her at once. She had forgotten to reactivate it, and Ford had been trying to warn her. Too caught up in what she wanted to say, she hadn't noticed.
Ford started speaking. She understood some of the words from her language lessons on the tablet, but she couldn't focus. Tearing up, she tried to walk away. The Sergeant gently grabbed her arm and pointed at the amulet again, clearly wanting her to turn it back on.
While she could have pulled away, Fraeya was glad he had stopped her. She placed her hand over the amulet and activated it with her mana. "Can you understand me now?"
"Now I can," Ford said. "What's going on? Is something wrong?"
"Yes!" Fraeya responded. "What I was trying to say was that I shouldn't have—"
The amulet shut off again. She realized it was dying, which explained why it had been off earlier. Frustrated, Fraeya placed her hand over it once more, channeling her mana to power it temporarily.
"What happened?" Ford asked.
"The translation amulet is dying," Fraeya said. "I think it's finally breaking down from—"
The device shut off again. Feeling only frustration now, the wood elf knew she couldn't wait any longer. She reactivated the amulet and quickly blurted out, "I'm sorry for punishing you for saving me! You were only protecting me, and I was being foolish!"
Ford stood there, looking surprised rather than confused this time. "Well, you didn't have to apologize—"
"Yes, I did!"
"Okay. Thank you, Fraeya. We just want you to be safe. We wouldn't want to disappoint your atar."
Noticing the translation fade at the end, Fraeya understood what he meant. In English, atar meant dad or father. She was about to reactivate the amulet again when he stopped her.
Looking up at the Altaerrie man, he smiled and said, "Amica?"
To her surprise, Ford had used the feminine form of the word for "friend" in Latin. He must have picked it up from the Salva militiamen or their language apps. The American military had been encouraging both sides to learn each other's languages to reduce the communication barrier.
Fraeya smiled and replied with the masculine form in Lain: "Amicus."
When Ford extended his arm, Fraeya understood it was a gesture of friendship, signaling that everything was good between them. However, she noticed many Americans glancing their way, probably wondering what was happening. She could only imagine what a spectacle she had made — gesturing wildly while struggling with her dead amulet. Embarrassment washed over her.
Deciding she didn't want to be the only one embarrassed, she ignored his outstretched hand and hugged him instead. The move clearly shocked, confused, and embarrassed him as he glanced around at his teammates.
Feeling satisfied, the Elf girl let go, waved, and headed toward the Comanche vehicles. That was when she noticed Ar'lya sitting on a stool, covering her laughter with one hand.
"That went well," Ar'lya commented.
"Yeah," Fraeya said. "It went worse than I hoped, but everything worked out in the end."
With the weight she had wanted to lift now gone, Fraeya saw Warrant Officer 1 Rommel King rallying the Comanches to mount up and head back to Salva as the Americans prepared to leave the town to the enemy.