"Everybody, wake up! Reinforcements have arrived." Peter said, being the first to rise. Somehow, that does not surprise me at all.
"How many? What do we have?" I asked.
"Word just got passed down from Commando Albaz. He approved the deployment of at least 500 soldiers, plus some armor." Peter said.
"Armor? We are already wearing it." Ibis said drowsily.
"Not that kind. Armor on wheels. Tanks. Artillery." Nigel said. Woah, have we really escalated to that level already? This really has gotten bad.
"Well, actually Commando Albaz only approved the usage of light armor such as some armored trucks...but it still counts." Peter said.
"Like the one you guys kidnapped me in?" I asked with a bit of snark. Man, that feels so long ago.
"A bit beefier than that one. These ones are designed to take sustained fire and then deliver more sustained fire." Peter said.
"We'll have an entire army out here...is the Commando intending to take that fortress? Or are we just going after Senar?" Angela asked.
"O'Reily told me that the Commando said that he will take the fortress if we can. Otherwise, he'll get approval for heavy armor and higher ranking troopers to come in to take it." Peter said.
"I see this incident is starting to work it's way up the chain of command here..." I said.
"Getting there. We haven't quite attracted top brass just yet, but we've certainly have the middle division interested now." Marshall said.
"Now then, let's go! The Commando and his army are forming at a higher ridge back the way we came." Peter said.
We all gathered what little supplies we had brung and started hiking up the ramp of ash. I can't help but feel that this it. The big battle of the war. I know it's crazy to say that now, given that historically speaking some battles have millions of troops participating. But given what I know, for every Sunai trooper there could be three or four Unity Lance ones out there. That means around two to three thousand soldiers could be fighting this fight.
We had made it back to the rift to see three single-file lines of Sunai troopers forming. Directing them up the ridge where Senar's footprints were was O'Reily, giving many of the soldiers a firm pat on the back as they trudged forward. He was in full officers gear, complete with the cap with a blue winged emblem sown onto it.
"O'Rye! You made it!" Peter said.
"I really don't have the energy in me right now to deal with your enthusiasm, Anders." He replied flatly. "As per usual, you are all in my unit. Endvitz has scouts up ahead trying to determine where Senar is headed. Albaz is debriefing the arrivals up ahead."
"So what would you like us to do, sir?" I asked.
"I sometimes forget that you are an American and thus actually genuinely are calling me sir out of respect rather than sarcasm." O'Reily said. "Anyway, yes. What I want you all to do is link up with a squad of soldiers and make your way down the eastern portion of the ridge past those crystals over there. You will rally at a point I give you and then wait until our scouting party gives us Senar's location."
"Aye aye, Officer Captain Sir!" Nigel said and gave an exaggerated salute with a smile on his face. O'Reily sighed and put a gloved hand over his face.
"It is sad that I have come to expect this treatment from my soldiers. Now move it!" He commanded.
"Wait, are we in your unit too?" Angela said while gesturing to Ibis.
"Yes! I mean...well, now that I think about it technically no but..." O'Reily said, putting a hand on his chin tentatively.
"It's alright. I'll respect your orders...long as I agree with them." Angela said with a wink.
YOU ARE READING
The Soul Conflict
AdventureIt was supposed to be a relatively simple occasion. Nathan was to be a college graduate and the he would have headed out into the world to look for a job like anyone else. He then finds his future yanked out from him as his past conflict with a supe...
