Just A Soldier

First Tour Aftermath

Leeeezzz goooooo

Y/N's POV:

After the events of Na'Basa my battalion was pulled back for two months.

I find myself waking up to soft and steady breathing of Jane against my chest. It's been a peaceful leave. I run my fingers through her brown hair absentmindedly.

My thoughts however don't let me enjoy the moment. My mind flashes with the bodies of my men, their blood curdling screams echo throughout my ears.

I pull myself out of our bed and hold my head in my hands. I can see the faces of the people I've killed. I see them everyday. I hear them begging for their lives constantly.

Letting out a sigh I reach over to the nightstand and open a drawer on the bottom of it. I pull out a leather journal that I've been writing in. Doc says it's supposed to help me express what I can't express to others.

I remember the Fields of Verdun.

The sounds of that battle still haunt me to this day.

Heavy Blaster fire from enemy lines.

The sickening sound of a helmet smashing a rebels face.

The soldier next to me firing their rifle in desperation.

All these sounds still echo in my mind.

And as conducted by Death himself.

It all comes together as music.

A rhythm of death.

A symphony of war.

3rd Person POV:

We find two people sitting on a blanket. A man and a woman who happily hold eachother's hand. A smile of content spreads across the man's lips as he gazed upon his wife and beautiful child.

Doc: I missed this.

Kimberly: We missed you a lot. Not a night went by where she didn't want her daddy to come back.

Doc: Well I made it back didn't I?

Emily: Daddy!

Doc looks up to see his daughter running to him happily. He holds his hands out to embrace her when his eyes widen.

His hands are covered in blood as he begins to the voices. Not just any voices. The Voices. He hears them begging him to save their lives, that they're in pain. That he didn't do enough for them.

He's brought back to reality as his daughter tackles him in a hug. He lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Emily: I'm so happy your home! Can we please go get ice cream?!

Doc: Sure my little star.

He stands up while carrying his daughter and looks to the sky.

Meanwhile on a beautiful planet we find Ace standing alone next to a grave.

In his hand are orange flowers that he sets down before beginning to clean the grave of any dirt or dust.

Once satisfied with his work he places his hand on the grave and a lone tear falls from his face.

Ace: Hey...I'm still here, I'll always still be here.

He watches the sun set as he talks about his tour with the men that would become known as the Devil Dogs.

Sighing he rises to his feet and casts one last look at the grave.

Ace: I'll be back Bella.

Elsewhere we find Evelyn at a shooting competition.

She zeros in on her target before the target suddenly changes.

In her sights as a Rakghoul. Her heart rate quickens as she fires. Her shot strike the Rakghoul as it lets out its screech that's plagued her nightmares.

The people around her cheer as they collect their bets. The man next to her grumbles as he packs away his rifle.

Evelyn: C'mon someone give me a real challenge!

Ace: Don't go asking for something you can't handle.

She turns to see Ace standing behind her with his rifle on his back.

Evelyn smiles as she gestures to the space next to her.

Evelyn: I think it's about time I took you down a peg.

Ace: We'll see about that.

In a dark cantina we find Bruce and Brock.

The two heavy gunners have countless alcoholic beverages around them. They had been drinking for a long time.

Bruce stares at his drink as he shuts his eyes. He's already lost two of his greatest friends from bootcamp. He can still hear Alex begging for his mother as he died on that damned hill.

Brock stares up at the ceiling as he can remember the jokes he and Sid used to tell. Sid was his best friend before the rebels cut him down.

A waitress comes by and drops off the men's next round.

Bruce: To our brothers.

Brock: To our brothers.

They connect their drinks before downing them.

We find Ethan sitting by himself at a lake.

He looks down at the reflective water and runs his hands across the scars that he gained during his first tour.

He sighs as he casts his fishing rod into the water. It's quiet at the lake. But with the quiet comes the sounds of a barking E-11.

Why was it that he was allowed to make it? Why was he the one still alive? There were good men with so much more to lose then he did, that didn't make it back.

His hand reaches for his dog tags. He runs his fingers across the cold metal and tries to focus on something else.

But he can't. The sounds of bombs going off and screams become a wailing song of death and sorrow.

He drops to his knees. He grits his teeth as he begins to slam his fist into the wooden docks he had been standing on.

The docks are stained red with the blood of Ethan's knuckles as he looks to the sky.

Ethan: Why me?

We find Tyler sitting alone in his room.

His mind goes back to the rebel flag ship that he was on with Knox and the others.

He had found a wounded rebel. The rebel looked scared as his life was pouring out of him.

Tyler didn't want to kill the man. But the rebel raised his blaster up in defiance.

Tyler shuts his eyes closed as he remembers the sound and feeling of his blaster going off.

On a beach stands a slim figure with blonde hair.

She stands clad in a black bikini. Her soft eyes watch the water rise and fall before stepping into it herself.

Her hands trail across her body mentally counting her scars. Whenever she closes her eyes she can still hear the cold metallic voice of a certain man.

She can remember his woodland camo and his brutality.

Natalie: Fucking Revenant...

And finally we find Sandman stand with a real estate agent.

The property in question was a farm. Sandman decided he was going to start living for the first time in his life.

He smiles upon remembering the conversation he had with Knox.

Sandman owed it to all of his fallen brothers to live on for them.

Sandman: I'll take it.

Aaaand scene. This was more or less filler but I figured we'd dive into how the war has affected the cast.