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Post by Yahtzee on Oct 19, 2011 2:37:54 GMT -5
The northern border of the Empire, it was the line no one crossed. To the north were the barbarian clans and beyond them was the Republic of Ashan. Between the Empire and Republic is a vast snow-covered wasteland impossible to protect against the barbarians, making any invasion against the Republic, or vice-versa, a foolish venture.
The war-train of the 5th Battalion rolled into station, it's massive wheels screeching to a steady halt. Plumes of smoke rolled from the front car as a long hiss escaped.
Men and women went to work, pulling open the cars and beginning maintenance. The troops of the 5th Battalion stretched their legs as they finally were freed. All of them looked tense, but happy that they were getting some R&R.
Colonel Kirk Mansfield stepped off and lit a cigarette. He was an old-timer who knew more about war than most soldiers would ever forget and a paunch that made them suspicious of the officer's mess. As he observed his troops dispersing his hand tugged on his mustache.
A tall man with stiff black hair swept back stopped before the Colonel. His insignia designated him a Captain and the patch on his arm indicated he was with Delta Company. He pulled off a crisp salute.
"Captain Sunders." Kirk saluted. "Need something?"
Leon Sunders dropped his salute. "Just some paperwork, sir. Apparently we're receiving a new transfer. I'm to pick her up this afternoon. Just sign here."
The Colonel took the papers. "I can't say no?"
The Captain shrugged. "Command says no. We get a new trooper."
The papers were signed and handed back. "You're in charge of whoever it is. I know you don't have anything planned."
"I have a delivery at the post office to pick up. But other than that I'm supervising the loading of ammunition."
"Not even visiting the officer's club?"
Sunders shrugged and patted his jacket. A dull tap hinted at a flask tucked away. "I'll get this done, sir. The orders I mean. Not the...you know."
Kirk waved him off and chuckled. "Then off with you!"
Sunders saluted once more and walked off. As he went the Captain addressed several others, berating those who hadn't yet vacated the station and greeting other officers. Kirk admired the Captain. He was a man who could run this entire Battalion in the back of his mind and still hold a conversation. Plus he could hit the head of a pin at 1000 yards.
"What's he doing, sir?" Lt. Colonel Christine Falsey hopped off the train. She was a woman on the fringes of middle-age, but had the glare of a crotchety old hag.
"New transfer. He's doing...your job actually."
"He enjoys it."
A pair of dice danced across the makeshift table, the top of a barrel. Half a dozen NCO's stomped their boots and whooped as the dice rolled to a stop. A chorus of disappointed moans and one excited shriek echoed.
"Yes!" exclaimed Staff Sergeant Lucy Garnier. She pumped her arm and scooped her winnings up, just some pocket change, but if it meant a drink or two it was worth it. Lucy stuffed the paper bills into the big pockets in her overalls and grabbed the dice. "Ready for another roll?"
"Hell yeah!" They started digging out whatever money they had left. Fox Company, the engineers, were always willing to risk their well-being for the jackpot. War trains were notorious for having the most complex and dangerous engines of any piece of equipment used in the Empire. You had to be a little insane to work around one. Lucy herself had a few pieces of shrapnel embedded in her arm from a routine maintenance. They all did.
The door to the car slid open and slammed loudly as the door locked into place. Captain Sunders looked at the six of them with an expression of expected aggravation. "So...what are you all doing?"
They all froze, except for Lucy who turned her back to the barrel and shoved the dice down the back of her pants. "Victor! How's it going?"
"That's sir to you, Sergeant. Don't make me stick my boot up your ass."
"Mmm, how kinky, sir." Lucy growled flirtatiously. "We're just having a chat. Don't mind us."
Leon considered pressing the matter, but quickly decided against it. Lucy had a knack for turning a situation like this into something bad. More than one officer had underestimated her and suffered sexual harassment investigations before being quickly transferred. "Right. Get out or help them load the train."
The NCO's mumbled excuses and quickly vacated the area. Lucy jumped out of the car and walked away. "See ya later, Victor."
The Captain chased Lucy out of the station.
An Army jeep sped past the train station, engine rumbling happily. One of the men in the passenger's seat spun his head back. "Did you see that? That guy was chasin' a grease monkey!"
"Hmm?" The driver, 1st Lieutenant Alfred Mayer, glanced. "Yeah, that's the 301st, fifth battalion."
"The fifth?" Sub-Lieutenant Elliot Dyer was a graduate from the academy and thus assigned to a superior officer.
"Yeah, they're some fancy expeditionary unit. They go on big missions for months, sometimes years alone." He turned and headed toward the center of the base. Camp Teter was second largest base in the Empire and the center for every supply train in the north.
"Sounds like a cover."
"Yeah, but they're war train is different. The wheels can be swapped out for treads and sleds. Plus there's at least half a dozen more cars. One's even a greenhouse."
"You sure know a lot about them. We never heard about them in the academy."
Alfred nodded. "Yep. They recruit on a need basis and only from existing companies. Almost joined up with them."
Elliot nodded. "Sounds pretty awesome. Why didn't you?"
The Lieutenant gave his subordinate a look. "Hundred extra bucks a month so I can sit in the worst hell-holes in the world? No thank you."
Elliot laughed and they drove on.
"I still don't see why I have to drive you." Lucy pushed down on the accelerator, going a bit faster than the speed limit.
Sunders looked at her. "That's two."
"Dammit." The Sergeant pulled the turn, wheels grinding into the street as they blazed down the road.
"Hey, slow down."
The jeep kept going at the same speed.
"Hey, stop at the post office."
"Aye-aye, sir." Lucy grinned.
"We're not in the Navy." The car rolled into the parking lot and stopped in front of the door. Leon hopped out before the engine died. "Stay if you want."
"It's too hot," replied the Sergeant. She got out and followed. "So what are we picking up here?"
"My whiskey and a rifle scope. I ordered them last time we were here."
The post office was an impressively large building with its own airstrip. Planes made drops regularly with mail too urgent for train. Every military outpost in the North sent it's mail through Camp Teter to be processed and then sent to the desired address. Leon walked across the big waiting room. There were a few lines of people waiting to send their packages. The Captain ignored them and went to the special deliveries desk.
"Hey." Leon waved. "How's it going, Malcolm?"
Corporal Malcolm Harding looked up from his magazine. "Oh, hello, sir. Train come in?"
"You know it." Leon pulled out his pocketbook and opened it. "How have you been?"
"Alright. This weather is killing me though. We're this close to water rationing. Lieutenant Harken is organizing weekly shipments just in case."
The Captain paused. "Will this affect our resupplying? We can't leave until we have enough water."
Lucy perked up.
"Maybe just a few more days." The Corporal shrugged as he pulled out a massive book. "You want your whiskey, right?"
"I have another order too. A rifle scope."
"Already worn out your last one?" Malcolm went into the back and pulled two packages from the shelves.
"You don't wear out a scope," snapped Leon. He kept his equipment in pristine order. "Anyways, this one is new. The XR-318 Oracle scope is electronic. It can switch levels of zoom at the press of a button."
"You sound excited." Lucy hooked her arm around his neck and craned her neck over. "Sounds cool. Lemme see."
Leon took the smaller package from Malcolm's hand and passed it to her. "Try not to break it. That cost half a months pay."
Lucy whistled as she ripped the paper wrapping apart. She popped out a rectangular black machine with smooth edges, a few buttons, and lenses on both sides. "It's so sleek."
"And here's your whiskey, Jameson Irish, aged 18 years. Just sign here." He took the clipboard back. "And that'll be $1,389.95."
Leon pulled out a heavy wad of notes and handed them over. "Keep the change. I have to get going. I'll probably send a runner with another order."
"Don't worry, sir. I already made another order for you."
He smiled. "I appreciate that."
Leon and Lucy walked away. She stopped. "I wanna check my mail."
The Captain checked his watch. "I guess I'll do the same. Probably nothing though."
"Awe, don't be that way. I'm sure someone back home sent you something. A girlfriend perhaps?"
They got in line before Leon replied. "The only people who send me mail are my parents. They live in the capital."
"Really? What part? I have family in the Meihim district, a sister and her family."
"Dozengan District, down on Himel street. It's...a nice place, kinda dirty, but..." He stopped talking as Lucy got to the front of the line.
To his surprise, they both received mail. Lucy opened her's quickly. "My sister had a baby girl! Her name's Violet." She looked to Leon. Hey, what's up?"
Leon was clutching his letter, knuckles white with anger. His blue eyes narrowed as they pupils ran back and forth. "Son of a-."
He pushed his way to the front of the line. "Gimme an envelope." He snatched it up and quickly jotted down an address. Then he yanked out his check book and frantically wrote out check. He licked it shut and handed it back. "Send this off. Priority mail."
When he walked back to Lucy the Sergeant was giving him a concerned look. "What was that about? I've never seen you that worried before."
"It's nothing. Let's go." He grabbed the scope from her grasp and walked out.
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Post by Yahtzee on Oct 24, 2011 0:38:09 GMT -5
Erin Harper stepped off the bus. Camp Teter was hotter than she thought it would be. Must be over 100 degrees. She wasn't used to this kind of weather. It was always raining at the capital.
Someone was supposed to meet her.
"Seriously, what was that all about?" asked Lucy as they waited. Both of them sat on a bench as bus after bus rolled by. Dust kicked up as the wheels spun. It was a hot and miserable place, but whey were far away enough to not be bothered.
Leon just sat there. His hands were holding his whiskey, a clear bottle with a liquid the color of a sunset. He just stared at it, mind a million miles away. "It's nothing worth bothering about. Just something that comes up every now and then."
Lucy made a face. As relationships went, she was probably the closest non-officer friend Leon had. Delta Company always needed special work on their equipment and Lucy and her team worked closely with them, so the two spent a lot of time together. Leon was a strange fellow, very professional, but reserved, save for a few moments of mirth. But he was a good man. "So who are we waiting for?"
The Captain dug out the orders from his jacket. He read, "Private 1st Class Eliza Harper. She's coming in on bus number 15...it's late."
The Sergeant looked around, reading the bus numbers. "There's 14."
Leon checked his watch. "I should be drunk by now. Damn kids don't know how to be on time."
Bus 14 drove away, revealing another bus behind it, one marked with the number 15. A young woman stood there, looking very lost in a new uniform.
"Talk about irony," muttered Lucy with a grin. Leon gave her a look as they stood and walked over.
"Private Harper?"
The girl stiffened, noticing the two. She took a moment to recognize their ranks. She jumped to attention and saluted. "Sir! Private First Class Erin Harper reporting for duty."
"At ease," sighed Leon. "Nice to meet you. I'm Captain Leon Sunder. This is Sergeant Lucy Garnier."
Erin nodded, chestnut hair bobbing. "Nice to meet you too, sir." She reached into her bag. "Here are my papers."
Leon took them and checked them over. They looked fine, about what one would expect. It just seemed all too clean. The beauricrats at headquarters must be getting better. "Good. Let's go. Is that all your stuff?"
"Hmm? No." Erin turned around and opened up the bus's luggage compartment. She pulled out three heavy duffle bags.
Leon looked at Lucy with an exacerbated look.
"First Lieutenant Eugene Walten reporting for duty." A tall man with a shaved head, dark skin, wide nose, and thick lips snapped to attention.
Colonel Mansfield looked up from his newspaper. "At ease, soldier.
Eugene calmed down. "Yes, sir."
"We have a new transfer coming in, fresh from boot from what I understand. I want you to take her."
Lieutenant Walten was the commanding officer of Alpha company, the largest company in the battalion. They had a dozen more members than the other companies and were the main fighting force, the muscle. "No offense, sir, but I don't have any room. Every Company is full."
Kirk puffed his cigarette. "So who would you suggest?"
"Captain Sunder. A new recruit would have more time to adjust in Delta."
"By that logic Lieutenant Reynolds would do."
"No offense, sir, but Reynolds isn't the most welcoming person. It takes a while for any newcomers to learn anything. Sunder is at least thorough." Eugene shifted. New recruits in the Fifth Battalion were trouble. The company who got saddled with them were stuck training them. That took time as well as men who weren't available. It was only logical that Delta took her since that company operated in small groups.
"That he is indeed," muttered Kirk. He ground his cigarette into an ashtray. "Alright, we'll go with Sunder. But you owe him one. Lord knows he has enough problems."
Lucy opened the door and pushed Erin into the room. "You'll be living here in the women's barracks. Rooms suck, the food sucks, and they only clean once a week, but it's free. I'm right down the hall if you need me."
"Stay for a minute. I have questions."
The Sergeant paused. Harper's attitude surprised her. Usually new NCO's were more fidgety, scared, and more reverent of their superiors. But this girl held herself differently, almost regal. "Better watch your tone or some officer will whoop you. Captain Sunder has been known to stick his boot up people's asses."
"That's what I wanted to ask about. Is he going to be my superior officer?" She looked intent.
Lucy shrugged. "Probably not. I wouldn't want him as mine."
"Why not?"
"You're pretty curious. Keen on getting into Delta Company?"
"They're the best in the battalion, right?"
That was odd. How did she know anything about the battalion? "You're...right. Well, Leon is a hard ass most of the time, but he's a good guy. Still an ass though."
Erin laughed. "Sounds like someone useful."
Lucy didn't know what to say to that.
Leon walked through the empty train car. A war train runs on four rails, a pair on each side, allowing for a wide bed. Basically it was a house on wheels, except with enough armor to shrug off tank shells. Each company had a separate car for the most part and Leon had his own room. It was tiny, but was at least private.
He sat down on his cot and pulled off his boots. Unbuttoning his shirt, he listened to the remarkable silence. The work had stopped for the night, so the only noises were the occasional rumbling of a passing train or a cricket. Leon was used to the silence. He had spent two years in silence, tracking and killing people. He felt at home.
The whiskey he had bought earlier was sitting on his table. It was staring at him. The light was steady so the glint didn't shift. For a while he just watched it, daring it to tempt him.
His focus was broken by the distant sound, footsteps. Leon reached into a drawer and wrapped his fingers around a pistol.
A knock came from the door. Leon relaxed and released his grip. He opened the door. "Well, hello, ma'am."
Erin crept through the war train slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible. The morning sun wasn't high enough to sneak through the windows and there was no one around. The company cars were a standard bunk car with more than enough triple bunks and adjacent lockers to house the members. The commanding officer's room was shoved to one corner and sealed off by a thick metal door to ensure privacy.
Where the hell was the medical car? She pressed herself against the door and peered outside at the walkway that joined the two cars. No one. The door was heavy, but was well oiled and glided silently on the hinges. She managed two steps on the segmented walkway before the far door swung open.
A woman stood before her, golden hair cut in a bob, full lips, and woeful brown eyes. She was dressed in military garb, save for her jacket, so Erin didn't know the woman's rank or company. For safe measure, she saluted.
The blonde smiled. "At ease, private. I'm Lieutenant Helen Mobly, B Company's CO."
"Erin Harper," replied the girl. "I was looking for the med car."
"Really? It's the other way past the kitchen."
"Thank you. I'll head there now."
"There's no one there." Helen looked at the NCO with a quizzical look.
Erin grinned stupidly. "Oh, right. I'll just come back later." She saluted once more and then hurried off. But the moment she was out of site she hid, slipping under one of the bunks. Helen walked through as well, boots clomping on the metal floor until disappearing through the far door.
The girl slithered out from under and pondered what to do. If she went to the medical now she would risk coming across Helen again, and that, while not incriminating, would be awkward to explain. So she went the other way, slipping into the next car. A large trident was painted on the door along with 'Delta Company' underneath.
Delta car was different. The beds were more compact, sets of quadruple bunk beds arranged so close that you had to turn sideways to get in. The saved space had been converted into a better living area, several tables for working and a lounge area.
Hunched over one of the tables, a man was busy at work. His black hair shrouded his face somewhat. Before him was a disembowled rifle, parts scattered across the desk.
Erin tip-toed closer, earning her no reaction from the man. He, like Helen, wasn't wearing his jacket, or a shirt at all for that matter. A lean, well-exercised, body worked efficiently, toned arms moving from piece to piece with exact precision. Erin found herself staring.
The man looked up It was Leon. "Oh, hello."
He stood, slipping on his jacket and walking around. Erin snapped to a salute.
The Captain gave a half-hearted salute. "Relax. I'm off-duty."
Erin complied. "Sorry. Are you working?"
"No. But why are you here? Everyone is supposed to meet at the hospital."
"I must have missed Lucy."
"Well, get over there."
"What about you, sir?"
Leon gave her a look, but didn't have a good answer. He went to fix his uniform while Erin looked around. She settled down on a couch and let out a breath. She was not very good at this whole sneaking thing.
As an expeditionary unit, the 5th battalion was on it's own. Which meant they needed
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