The daughter of a soldier

Welcome to the desert

The mortar attack was unexpected and caught coalition forces by surprise. Mortar exploded all around the trench, some shells landing inside, others on top and around the surface. Amelia dived into the nearest dugout when the first explosion landed. She peeked outside, watching for an enemy advance, but noticed a fallen soldier. He was about thirty meters from Amelia's dugout, and Amelia could see that he was bleeding. Without hesitating, Amelia lifted her rifle and ran forwards, through the explosions, dust and shrapnel. A shell landed close by, knocking Amelia over with the shockwave, but she quickly got back up and kept moving. To stop moving was to die. Amelia reached the fallen soldier and picked him up, carrying him back towards the dugout. Just as she reaches the entryway, a shell lands right behind her, throwing her and the soldier she saved forwards into the dugout.

Amelia wasn't hit by shrapnel, and neither was the other soldier. Amelia was however, knocked out by the blast. She lay where she fell, sprawled across the ground, covered in dust, blood trickling down her forehead. The other soldier was conscious, however his injuries were too severe for him to help Amelia. This soldier was the captain Amelia had spoken to just before the attack.

The attack lasted another five minutes after Amelia was knocked out. Shortly after, medics and doctors could be seen throughout the trenches, working to help the wounded. In response to the attack, American artillery located a potential spot for the mortars, and blew it to smithereens. The captain was taken away to a hospital by helicopter, but Amelia was only taken to a field nursing station, checked over and once able to see properly again, was sent back to the lines.

As Amelia walked back to the lines, she thought to herself,
'I hope this isn't a bad omen. Dad got hurt all the time like this.' Amelia very quickly consumed herself with other thoughts, thinking about the upcoming offensive she was to take part of.

2000hrs. Amelia cocks her weapon and flicks the safety on. She lines up against the front wall of the trench, awaiting the whistle to signal the start of their advance. Amelia peeked over the top, looking forwards at the city, half illuminated in light from the city streets. Contained in this city, 20,000 Isis soldiers, all equiped to kill. For the two days previously, coalition forces had bombed the city to aid the advance. Only time would tell if it had worked as they planned.

"PEEEEEEEEEP!" Blows the whistle, and Amelia jumps up over the trench wall, and begins running forwards towards the city. Around the city, razor wire rolls marked the outer perimeter, which Isis patrols guarded. These patrols, as the advancing soldiers advanced on them, were taken out by snipers. Amelia leapt over the razor wire and kept jogging forwards. Amelia's section had to take control of the parliamentary building, no easy feat considering their enemy. It was located in the north west corner of the city, and Amelia's attack had begun in the south. She had plenty of fighting to do to get there.

Amelia came around a corner and stopped dead. 40 meters down the road, a machine gun nest stood, and just as Amelia turned to get behind cover, the barrel swung around towards her. Amelia knew she had seconds to live, and dived towards cover behind a concrete barrier. The machine gun opened fire, taking out another soldier who had come around the corner behind Amelia. Amelia landed hard on the ground, sucking in breaths of air. A bullet had grazed her abdomen, ripping past the Kevlar plates she had on and tearing her skin. She was lucky it was her only injury. Amelia got herself into a defensive position, ready to return fire on the nest when the enemy stopped firing to reload. The wall Amelia was hiding behind was beginning to crumble with all the machine gun fire, meaning Amelia was running out of time. Just as Amelia thought she was definitely going to die, covered in dust and tears rolling down her face, cutting trails in the dust on her face, a loud bang sounded behind her. The machine gun instantly silenced. Amelia stayed were she was, too frightened to move. She had been so close to death. A stream of allied soldiers poured past her, leaving her to be collected as a casualty, continuing the advance towards their target. Moments later, an arm rested across her back. Shaking, she turned to see who it was.
"Hey" the Captain said.
"It's ok, it's over. Their dead. They can't shoot at you anymore." He said. He helped Amelia stand, wrapping her in his arms.
"I uh, I never asked for your name?" Amelia says to him quietly.
"And how are you out of hospital so quickly?"
"My name is Captain Thomas Wolfe. I just recover quickly from these things. Plus as a sniper specialist I'm not held to the same fitness requirements as you. And your name is?" He says, still holding her.
"I'm Pilot Officer Amelia Barrington. Thank you. I need to keep moving." Amelia replies, moving away from the captain and reloading her rifle. She wipes the dust and tears from her face.
"Pilot Officer, just remember, I'm your covering fire. I'll be following along." Thomas calls as Amelia jogs after her section. Amelia raises a hand in recognition. The captain walks along with the remainder of his platoon, not needing to be right up front.

After several intense battles, Amelia's section break into the parliament building, and Amelia moves through to what is meant to be the mayors office. Outside the door, Amelia can hear a man shouting something in a different language. Amelia kicks the door open, raises her rifle, and shouts at the occupants of the room.
"This is the Australian Defence Force, and I'm placing you under arrest! Nobody move!" Amelia aims her rifle at the man standing in the window, the other occupants of the room turn towards them and raise their hands.
"Sir, turn around! NOW!" Amelia shouts at him. Two soldiers move forwards, handcuffing the other occupants. The man in the window turns quickly, lifts a large caliber pistol and fires. Amelia fires at exactly the same time. The man drops to the floor, wounded through the shoulder.