Disclaimer: I do not own Mai-HiME or Mai-Otome and their characters, events or places.
[X]
"Colonel Viola, do come in." Lieutenant General Hood, a relatively young man with thick brown hair, stood proudly at his map; his determined eyes looked gravely over the page as he murmured, "We have to stop the Union forces from retreating. What say you?"
"I agree, sir, but how? They're obviously going to try and retreat into Nashville. We wouldn't be able to get them that way." Hiroki watched as the brash young man began to pace. "May I suggest something, sir?"
"Anything, Viola, anything." John Bell Hood was man of intense military training with a penchant for bravery that bordered on reckless.
Colonel Hiroki Viola replied, "Perhaps we should wait until the beginning of this winter settles and then attack. It would give the men time to recuperate and adjust to the rapidly dropping conditions."
The other man shook his head. "No time for that, friend. We've gotta attack while we're still in motion. We move out tomorrow." He pointed to the notes written on the map and explained, "We can probably make it between them; they're about a hundred and twenty or so kilometers apart, see? I want to aim for three days of marching."
"Three days? That's more than a hundred kilometers away! We'd be going almost non-stop!" exclaimed the lower-ranking officer.
"We have no other option, Viola. We move out tomorrow, on the twenty-first of November. Tell the troops to get ready," Lt. General Hood commanded.
Hiroki gritted his teeth and snapped to attention, fists clenched fiercely at his sides while he retorted, "Very well, sir."
"Very well. Carry on, colonel." The brunettes turned away from one another and the colonel stormed out of his commanding general's tent, shoulders tense and tears burning his eyes. Upon arriving at his own tent, the blue-eyed officer quickly scribbled a letter to his wife.
Asenith-
My love, Hood has lost his senses. We set out tomorrow to cut between Pulaski and Nashville, where the Union forces are currently split. He aims to make it there in three days; seventy miles in three days, beloved. Our men will be exhausted. Be wary, as we might be forced to come to the mansion, as Hood is well-aware that our home has been turned into a field hospital.
Give my love to Shizuru and Enyo. And tell Shizuru not to worry about her situation. We can discuss it when I get home.
Your beloved,
Hiroki
[X]
"Hey, mutt. Get up, we gotta get packed," Jules urged the still recuperating private first class. Nat grumbled, rolling over on his bedroll and ignoring the Irishman. Irritated already, the redhead kicked the other Southerner in the behind, shouting, "We move out tomorrow before dawn, ye dumb dog, now gettup and pack! I ain't doin' it for ye!"
"What d'ya mean we move out tomorrow? Move out for what?" Nat growled as he sat up. His emerald eyes looked up at the clearly upset sergeant and asked, "What the hell is goin' on?"
Jules sneered, "Our commandin' officer is takin' us on a three-day march between Pulaski and Nashville. Our goal is to cut off the Union army, seein' as they're stationed in both towns. Morons." He went to the entrance of the tent and murmured, "I don't like the way this feels."
"Bad feeling?" Nat Kruger stood and pulled on his cotton shirt, slipping it over his currently messy ebony hair. "Jules?"
"Yeah. Real bad feelin' to be honest with ye," the Irishman replied quietly. He turned his own green eyes to his comrade and stated, "Get ready, Kruger. We move out before sunrise." And, with that, the redheaded sergeant exited the small tent.
