~The Cost Of War~
Chapter 1
I did some research on the army on this, but they might be wrong. Forgive (and correct, pleaseā¦!) me if there are any mistakes. (Especially the rankings. I don't get that.)
Ever since you were young, you had wanted to enlist in the army.
It wasn't for the glory. You just enjoyed the thrill of it. The fighting, the weaponry, the teamwork - all of it. The thrill of living on the border of death excited you, and the feeling only became stronger as you grew. The people discouraging you were more than enough to push you along the path you desired.
Your parents said you would grow out of it eventually, but you didn't. Quite the opposite - you decided to go for a spot in the army right after college. Years of training had not been wasted, and you got the spot with little difficulty.
Of course, a girl in the army was not a big surprise, so you did the best you could. It was tough, but you managed.
After a few years of training you were at the top of your class, the best marksman your team had. Anything related to sniper business - it was your call. Sometimes the trainers would even allow you to lead a small team of marksmen in mock battle.
Pretty soon the promotions started rolling in. Your childhood dream had become a reality and you were determined to make it last. You rose through the ranks, and finally after years of servicing the army, you were the general of your own troop which consisted of approximately 75 mediocre soldiers. At your request, they were swapped with a squad of 15 elite snipers and marksmen, excelling at taking down your enemies from a distant. You guys ran the support column of the army.
Now with only the best people to accommodate your own natural abilities, you were sent to a camp with your team for a week. A survival camp, with three other elite squads and their generals, summing up to approximately 52 other people.
It was all down to power. Whoever had the best ability, did the best job, automatically had higher authority within the same rank. That was how your team had agreed on. In the week-long survival camp, trainings and mock battles and wars were arranged, pitting one team against the other or having a two-to-two war, using paintballs.
Although you were the youngest in your team, your people still listened to you. It was your personal opinion, but this was too similar to a dictatorship. You'd much rather have a democratic team, but on the battlefield, there's no time for the inexperienced to think too much.
It was the last day of camp, and it was supposedly the biggest mock war in the history of camp. You woke at six, taking a few seconds to warm yourself up and then going around the tent calling your teammates. Once everyone was somewhat functional, you herded them outside for the usual eight-mile run to build up their stamina. Just because most of the time they'd be hiding up trees and in bushes doesn't mean they didn't need to make a quick escape.
Once the morning exercise was over, it was seven. Time for breakfast. Anyone who wasn't done with the run by now would just have the scraps from the meals. You'd found that this was a great motivation for your team. Rest and food were two big motivators, and you really couldn't blame them. It was better than getting a measly compliment.
Then were the preparations for the upcoming battle. As a warmup, you had your team reassemble disassembled weapons of their choice, climb up a tree with their weapon and shoot a target at least half a mile away. You did this all with them, of course - no use having a general that can't do anything but spew shit. It takes a soldier to know a soldier, and you all have deep connections within your team.
After warmup, you gathered your squad to run through a few commands and formations. They'll probably be used in battle, though what actually happened on the field largely depended on who their opponents were. Jeremy was usually easy to read, but if it was Riley then your team will need to improvise a lot.
"Everybody remember who their war buddies are?" You asked again, just to make sure. You'd assigned them war buddies at the start of the training camp, and you doubted they'd forget. Basically what these were was to keep you safe and have your back covered at all times. You expected war buddies to have a closer relationship than normal teammates.
One of your soldiers raised their hand to ask a question. "You've been avoiding the subject of your war buddy. Who're you paired up with?"
In truth you had no war buddy. Your sole responsibility was your teammates. As their general, you valued their safety above everything else, and in return your teammates constantly looked out for you, not that you didn't mind. You just thought maybe they should focus more on themselves and their own war buddies than spend all their time worrying about you.
"That's not important - " You were cut off by the arrival of a commander, along with a new person.
You and your team immediately snapped to attention, giving a sharp salute. "Commander Kendrick," you greeted.
The commander nodded in return and you relaxed, settling back into a more comfortable position. "This will be the new addition to your ranks." The commander said, gesturing to the newcomer. With that said, he left, leaving her in your company.
"What's your name, soldier?" You asked, while looking over her. She had a lean figure, and her hands seemed steady. You couldn't tell what she could do since she had missed the morning exercise, but the fact that the commander had left her with you spoke volumes about her ability.
"The name's Brooke, ma'am," the newcomer said. You switched your gaze to her features. Sharp brown eyes, not a hint of fatigue in them, even though she must've risen early to come all the way from the army camp to here at this time. Her hair was tied neatly into a bun and she was just a tad shorter than you. And you weren't taller than anyone on your squad.
"Welcome to the squad, Brooke," you smiled, dropping your rigid posture. Discipline should be taught over time, not straight on the spot, as not to scare away any new arrivals. "Let me introduce you to the team." You called out the names one by one and they responded, letting Brooke know roughly who everyone is.
After the introductions - Brooke knew you by your reputation already - you frowned. Everyone already had a war buddy, so Brooke would be left out.
Evidently your team knew what you was on your mind. "If I may be so bold to suggest, Brooke can be your war partner," Jan said. "You need one."
You glanced over at Brooke for her approval. "I would be honored," she smirked.
Glaring at her, you said irritatedly, "Better lose that attitude if you want dinner." Brooke immediately lost the smirk and quietly fell in line.
You began briefing the team with what little knowledge you had. "We'll be on the red team, as always. Remember to look out for any spare ammunition on fallen soldiers. One partner should do that while the other covers them. Most importantly, you should look for any strategic positions that need to be taken over. Signal for assistance if you find yourself in a tight spot and leave the area immediately. If you think a specific enemy may destroy our plans, or are even slightly more dangerous than the others, target them immediately and report their whereabouts constantly."
Behind the team, a soldier from another general's team was rushing over. You paused in your briefing - which was just the usual information anyway - and went to intercept the messenger.
What you received left you shocked for a few moments. "We can't possibly do that! What does the commander think we are, unstoppable killing machines?" You sighed heavily. The messenger shrugged helplessly, then went off in the direction of the other generals.
"Was that news of the war?" Quinn asked. The team had sneaked up behind you, though they didn't seem to know what the messenger had told you.
You thought of how to say this. "Just remember that we aren't invincible. If you get surrounded, pick off as many of them as possible to make things easier for the rest of us. Better yet, don't let yourself be found. Changing positions would be tricky, since the enemy might see you, but use your surroundings to your advantage. Move quickly and you might escape in a tight spot."
"General, who are we up against?"
"You're not alone in this. You have war buddies for a reason." You continued, wanting to get this all out of your system first. "Kill anyone you see and leave none of them alive."
"General!" Lonnie yelled.
"Be patient," you rolled your eyes. "We'll be using the forest as the battlefield, and we have a twenty-second headstart."
You paused for dramatic effect. "We're going to team up."
The team stood still for a moment before starting to demand explanations. "Is it a two-on-two war?"
"We're going to form one big team with the rest of the generals."
That seemed to take their minds off their opponents for a few moments. "What kind of shit rule is that?!" seemed to be the general sentence going around, as well as "Jerry is going to ruin everything!" and "How am I supposed to work with Riley's team?!"
You snapped your fingers for silence. "I agree that going onto the battlefield under different generals may be disorienting, but I assume it's part of your training, since it's put in the agenda for today.
Only Brooke was still focused on the issue of opponents. "General? Our opponents?"
"I still need to explain the rules."
Brooke's enquiry reminded the others of the matter at hand. "Yeah, if we're teaming up who's gonna be our opponents?" Arron asked.
You took a deep breath. "The rest of the army."
