"Set…rimeter….ses….flank depends…"
The video feed though garbeled left little to the imagination.
"What's the order,sir?"
The lieutenant paused for a moment,gathering thoughts from the corners of his mind before turning to face the sergeant.
"You heard the man…"
"Barely."
"Don't need to read the stars to figure out what's our mission,Frank.Talk to the boys,have'em set up perimeter then send a recon to the far side of the outskirts."
"Any news 'bout air support?"
"Just go…"
"Yes,sir."
The officer didn't want to give his friend no bull so he said as little as he could. Couldn't afford to let his men share his less than stirling optimism for the job at hand.He took instead his rangefinder to his eyes,searching the hills laying to the west of the city for any movement.
Back at the intersection,the squad of marines wore out their nerves waiting for word from their superior.
"Better hope he fuckin' get here before I die of old age!"
"Cool your jets soldier!He ain't hurrying on account of your bitching about."
"You're lucky I was sitting too close to that Arclite when it fired or I'd think I just heard you growing a couple of balls,Cypher."
"Gonna give you something more to chew on than that tobacco of yours if you don't can the wiseass routine pronto,Mitchells!"
"Bring it on,munchkin!"
"That's it fuckface,I'm takin' your sorry…"
"STAND THE FUCK DOWN,BOTH OF YOU,NOW!!"
Sarge's voice boomed,stopping the two marines dead in their tracks.
"Now I don't give a dropshipped fuck what the two of you ladies are cussin' about,when I am around you will stay your sorry behinds at attention.AM I CRYSTAL FUCKING CLEAR?"
His menacing figure now inches away from their faces,the two had no choice but to leave each other be for the time.Looking at one another with nothing but pure,refined contempt,they slammed their hands against their visors,giving the sarge a flawless salute.
"Now that you two have made up,we can get down to business."
"What's the word,sir?"
"Nothing we weren't expecting,Rico.Standard perimeter overwatch and a recon to the hills."
"Fortifications,sir?"
"Couple of bunkers if we're lucky,not really anything beyond that.We can call our asses blessed if we even find that much.The higher-ups had them built a helluva long time ago,part of the anti-smugglering laws.Anyways,6 of you are going to check out the hills right now.Who's feeling like doin' some sightseeing?"
The marines huddled around their sergeant,looking at each other,hoping someone other than themselves would step forward.Even as they stood armed and battle ready in their heavy armour,they knew what lay beyond their sight,over the dusty hills,at the heart of the setting sun.
"What's the matter?You all turning yellow on me?Just a quick hike,out and back before e on ladies,don't make me regret my choice in lines of work."
The squad kept quiet still,none of them being eager to put their asses on the line for a lousy recon to some bug hill.
"Now ain't you the sorr…"
"I'll go,sir."
The sergeant turned to face the marine that spoke out.
"Good man,Rico.Now who else would care to serve our great Confederacy by hauling their sorry behinds along with Rico's?"
The sergeant looked his men in the eye,not willing to waste anymore time with petty details such as free will.
"Nilfgaard,Greensville,step forward,you've just been volunteered."
The marines fell in line,cursing the foul luck that got them picked out of the lot.
"Mitchells,you were just about to show the squad how brave you are.How 'bout you prove in the field?"
"Hehe…"
"Cypher,since you're feeling so amused you can take point."
"For fuck's sake…"
"DID I JUST HEAR YOU SQUEEL,BOY?"
"HELL NO,SIR!"
"Damn good.Now,you four along with White and Roumain haul ass pronto.MOVE OUT MARINES!"