A/N: This is a little one shot that I've created for the Anniversary of the D-Day landings as my other story revolves around that campaign (for now). there is also a lack of stories featuring the two sisters Yukiho and Alisa so this is my way of rectifying it.
This also contains some swearing.
So without further ado...
Remembrance a Muse Section Story
6th June 1958 0800hrs, Somewhere in the English Channel
Yukiho looked out across the grey waters of the channel, the water no less inviting than it was thirteen years ago. The overcast sky obscured the June sun as she leant against the guard rail on the cross-channel ferry, her mind heavy with memories.
She sighed, it was always tricky to go to these remembrance services they reminded her of worse times, like everyone else she'd sacrificed so much, and all she had to show for it was a few strips of coloured cloth on her left breast and a war wound that meant she needed a cane to simply walk.
At least I'll be able to catch up with some friends from the Hampshires. She smiled softly at the thought of the running jokes and banter they would have left over from the war.
"At least that would be the case if I didn't have to 'keep up appearances as a secretary of state', Bloody Wilson" Yukiho tucked a strand of her red hair that was tugged free by the breeze behind her ear as she lamented the dull prospects for the day.
"It won't be that bad now will it Miss defence secretary?" Yukiho jumped slightly as two arms wrapped around her waist. Yet the blonde hair and blue eyes made it obvious who they belonged to, so she settled back into her wife's embrace.
"Alisa, don't do that you know that I don't like it." Yukiho pouted, while her wife merely beamed at her.
"But you look so cute when you're mad though" the blonde girl said planting a kiss on the politician's cheek. Yukiho greeted her with a stony silence as the waves lapped the side of the ship.
"Hey Alisa…"
"What is it?"
"Doesn't the weather remind you of that day?"
"A bit, at least this time I can keep a hold of my breakfast better." Yukiho giggled at the image of Alisa thirteen years ago, Alisa reaching for her beloved's hand as her laughter cut through her mood like a ray of sunshine.
6th June 1944 0545hrs off the coast of Gold Beach Normandy.
Yukiho rubbed her fellow officer's back holding back the strands of golden hair as she retched over the side of the rail on their transport ship.
"Kill me" the plea was almost inaudible, the stricken Alisa slowly rising to her full height, replacing her beret.
Yukiho inwardly cringed at her friend's ghostly pallor; her skin was the same sickly grey as the national loaf, her cold clammy skin covered in seat meaning her fair hair stuck in clumps to her forehead and her cheeks.
"You know I can't do that just because you're feeling seasick." Yukiho sighed sympathetically "It'll be over soon we'll be on dry land. Maybe this'll make you feel a bit better." she kissed Alisa's cold forehead bringing a bit of colour back to her friend as she blushed madly.
"You know I do feel a little better now, thanks Yukiho."
"It's my plea-"she was cut off from finishing her sentence as Alisa threw herself over the rail, retching once more as she emptied out her stomach.
You shouldn't lie Alisa, it only hurts you. Yukiho sighed resuming her routine of holding back the blonde's hair looking out on the grey waters of the channel, and the armada that sat upon it.
The numbers of ships was truly mind blowing Yukiho could see transports tiny little landing craft destroyers LSMs and the huge cruiser's that would provide them with their supporting fire. It truly illustrated the lengths and difficulty that the feat of pulling off this invasion must be as well as the lengths to which mankind could go just to harm one another.
The bone shaking 'BOOM' of the naval guns had been going on for awhile now, but that didn't mean that each salvo was any less loud, Yukiho found herself flinching with every shell. The crescendo accompanied by Fighter bombers flying overhead and rocket ships releasing their distinctive payload in the distance, the glare of rocket fire occasionally cutting through the overcast sky like a flash of lightning.
She couldn't see the shore no matter how hard she squinted her eyes, but Yukiho definitely didn't want to be on the receiving end of the hail of noise and metal that was going to be replicated a million times worse for the Germans.
A crackly announcement came over the ship's PA system that informed Yukiho that she Alisa and all other officers were to get their platoons together and embark on the landing craft.
"Come on Alisa we've got to go, we need to embark on the landing craft." Yukiho looked at the blonde lieutenant as she started lifelessly into the depths of the sea., no doubt contemplating the prospect of the next hour and a half of her life being spent on a tiny metal box being tossed around by the waves with even worse stability than the ship they were on now.
"Yukiho, do you love me?" the whispered question from the horrendously sick girl triggering a rising blush on the Redhead's cheeks
"Of course…as a friend I mean…why do you ask?" Alisa tore her gaze away from the water staring Yukiho right in the face as she muttered the words she'd been repeating over and over.
"Kill me…"
0715hrs
A plume of water erupted next to Yukiho's landing craft sending water raining down upon the sodden men and women of the interior as the small craft sped across the top of the waves towards the sands of France. The noise of German counter fire and the naval bombardment mixed with the engines of the landing craft to make an awful racket. It was like having two loud gramophones right next to her ears
Yukiho brushed off the water that had collected on her helmet with a soaking wet hand. She looked across sympathetically at Alisa who was crouched on the metal floor of the craft sicker than ever, although looking at their two platoons it looked like they weren't doing much better.
The sound of an explosion and the screaming of wounded and dying men indicated that the Germans had found their mark on yet another landing craft. The flames shooting up in a column over the cold grey sides showing that the noise of explosions wasn't just for show.
Yukiho tightened her grip on her Thompson, cursing the feeling of helplessness, the fact that she couldn't even see over the sides of the craft, let alone help anyone. She could only observe a little glimpse of events afforded by the pitching and rolling of the craft, as sea spray continued to pour of the lip of the ramp while the craft bucked wildly on the waves.
Typhoons screamed overhead letting off a barrage of rockets at some distant pillbox. One of Yukiho's NCOs, who was in a much better condition than Alisa, stalked his way up sometimes stumbling while he shouted instructions to the soldiers in the landing craft. It boiled down to 'keep running, and don't get shot' but with a very liberal application of swear words and cursing.
The Navy rating piloting the craft help up his hand with only one finger one it for Yukiho to see the craft had now slowed considerably and all that meant one thing.
One minute until we hit the beach.
"Alisa you need to get up or else we're dead, we're one minute out!" Yukiho dragged the lieutenant up by her lapels, leaning her on the side of the craft for balance.
She heard a murmured 'Ok' from her comrade and decided until the hit the beach that was the best she was going to get from the blonde girl.
"Thirty Seconds Guys and Gals! Good luck out there!" Yukiho shouted to both platoons in the nearest thing to a pep talk they were going to get, Alisa certainly wasn't in the mood to be giving the rousing speeches she normally would at this time.
The remaining time passed slowly as each person contemplated the possible fates they would meet shortly.
The jarring crash as the craft ran up ono the sand threw the occupants about in the craft as the residual momentum carried them forward. The distant chatter of machinegun fire could be heard as Yukiho briefly hoped they weren't near any pillboxes
Alisa jumped on the balls of her feet for a bit now that they weren't swaying about anymore, making it look like she was about to go on a jog not stare death in the face in only a few seconds.
The whir of the motor and a metallic 'clunk' signified the ramp was descending.
The sudden thunder of machinegun fire put paid to Yukiho's earlier hopes of their beach being lightly defended. The 'pings' and sparks that echoed off of the metal ramp
The ramp hit the sand, Yukiho heard Alisa give an almighty shout that was picked up by the men as they all ran out into the shallow water.
The freezing cold of the channel sapped Yukiho's energy as she splashed towards the beach. Concrete pillboxes sprayed fire and death all over the sand and the water the metal prongs of landing craft obstacles and tank traps littering the beach.
Yukiho grabbed Alisa's arm by instinct, as they hit the sand, dragging her alongside as she sprinted across the sand. bullets rained down in a hail of metal from the German machineguns kicking up the sand in miniature clouds of dirt and plumes of water as the bullets hit all around.
All semblance of organisation had gone out of the window as men and women sought to find shelter from the withering fire of the German machineguns, the command structure had broken down, as each individual member of their platoon found their own cover. The two units getting mixed up as men and women dashed around on the beach zig-zagging while bullets tried, and succeeded, to find their mark.
The air filled with the sound of gunfire, very little of it theirs. The fleshy 'thwomps' and 'thuds' echoing louder than they should as the attacking infantry were cut down in vast swathes.
One of the machine gunners switched his fire towards Yukiho as she dived behind a Czech hedgehog dragging the blonde girl with her. Rounds ricocheted off of the rusted steel and the surrounding sand as the two girls tried to take advantage of the piece of cover on the otherwise sparse beach. Yukiho took a breath and examined the situation.
The sand behind them was littered with dead and wounded soldiers at least one person was drowning under the weight of their kit. Explosions occasionally tore up part of the beach, sometimes taking a person with them. People were all sprinting up the beach in short dashes going cover to cover, but at some point they were wither cut down or suppressed by the vigilant guards of the beach. The two platoons were spread out over way too far a distance maybe four hundred meters in total.
This is bad the attack is getting bogged down.
The pillbox and it's nearby machinegun nest shouldn't have posed much of a problem but as Yukiho looked around she noticed that on her section of the beach something wasn't there that should've been.
"Shit!" Yukiho fired off a burst from her Thompson at the nearest German position.
"Where's our armour support?" Alisa looked surprised while she articulated Yukiho's exact thoughts on the situation.
"Further up the beach I expect. The current must've pushed them off target." The 'Funnies' that had been designed to deal with the beach obstacles and pillboxes weren't supporting them.
"We'll have to move the platoons up in bursts all together then." Alisa noted sternly, unslinging her Sten firing a burst at the machinegun nest that had them pinned down.
"Well whatever we're doing we can't stay here!"
Yukiho looked off to her right, before yelling across to the next pocket of pinned down soldiers.
"Kuramata get over here! The rest of you Covering Fire!" the Green haired Woman with a radio on her back jumped into action as her comrades opened fire.
The two lieutenants poured in rounds into the German machinegun nest that had them pinned covering the radio operator's rush over the sand.
"Yes Ma'am?" the older woman enquired
"Can you get any kind of support on the line?"
"The Navy are tied up and the RAF says we need to mark the target for them if we want to get anywhere."
"Bloody hell!" Alisa swore.
"We're going to have to move up alternating fields of fire on one position then…Alisa cover me. I'm going to tell the rest and get this lot organised."
"Got it. Take care Ok?" Yukiho flashed a smile at Alisa's concern.
"Kuramata get on the line to the RAF I want air support guaranteed or else this will all be for nothing."
"Yes Ma'am!" the green haired radio operator gave a quick salute before unslinging the radio from her back and shouting down the receiver.
Yukiho raised herself to a crouch before giving a nod to Alisa.
"COVERING FIRE!" the blonde shouted as she poured the rest of her magazine into the sandbags on top of the dunes in front of them.
The energy stored in Yukiho's legs exploded as she pushed off, sprinting as fast as she could keeping her head down as she expected to see bullets tracking her progress. She allowed herself a quick look back to see that she wasn't being focussed on.
Alisa's cover must be working then. She smiled at the thought of her closest friend. When I next get leave I'll have to introduce Sis to her.
Her mind refocussed as she slid across the wet sand to the next position. Briefing her sergeant on the plan while she caught her breath she despatched another runner under covering fire before running off again herself.
This time the Germans had noticed her. It became quickly obvious that the British were getting organised and that she was the reason for it. The 'zip' of rounds flying through the air soon sounded like it was everywhere, like it was the only sound that existed in the world. Yukiho threw herself behind one of the tank traps briefing the soldiers there as well while bullets flew all around.
the world seemed to move in slow motion as Yukiho's legs burned while she ran back her muscles ached, her lungs felt like they had had molten metal poured into them. Her body was operating on overdrive as she sprinted for all she was worth. The swift chatter of machinegun fire reminding her constantly that she wasn't going fast enough.
Suddenly Yukiho's world went black as she lost her footing on the cool wet sand.
It was as though the ground had erupted beneath her and thrown her away like she was some sort of rag doll.
The redhead lay there dazed, confused exactly as to what was going on, what had happened. She blinked open her eyes as sand rained down upon her from above. Staring up at the overcast sky for a minute or two Yukiho tried to collect her wits. She looked around trying to figure out where she was.
What happened? Where am I? What am I doing?
A loud explosion echoed in the distance as Yukiho clutched her throbbing head. Rounds kicked up sand all around her as she rolled over onto her stomach. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see a sharp pair of blue eyes looking over her concerned.
"Alisa?" Yukiho asked her green eyes slowly blinking.
"…" the blonde didn't respond she simply took Yukiho's arm around her shoulder supporting her body weight while she guided the dazed lieutenant back to relative safety.
Yukiho took a few seconds to collect her thoughts it was only then that she saw the huge smoking crater a few metres away from where she had been lying, that she realised she'd been thrown in the air by an explosion probably a mortar.
"Don't worry me like that again…" Alisa said her eyes hidden under the shadow of her helmet as she looked down at the ground. Yukiho pulled her into a quick hug whispering into her ear as she did so.
"Sorry, Alisa but now isn't the time…Kuramata have we got the RAF in support?"
The green haired radio operator shook her head vigorously as she continued to shout down the radio at high command.
"Bugger!" Yukiho swore punching the metal tank trap "right we need to do this the old fashioned way, Beatham's take your section and provide covering fire! Sergeant Strachan you move up with me and provide a new base of fire!"
"Yes Ma'am" came back the simultaneous reply
"The rest of you more fire from this position! I'll charge up and take out the pillbox with grenades."
Alisa shuddered at the suggestion. She gripped Yukiho's arm tightly getting the redhead's attention.
"You're not doing that, you had enough bravery today. I'll go, give me your grenades." The firmness in her voice was unlike her, her aura so dominating, so determined that if she had said that she would march into berlin and punch Hitler's face everyone there would've believed her.
Yukiho couldn't remember the last time she'd seen anything so beautiful, she was overawed by the attitude, by her friend's hidden strength that cut through the chaos of battle like diamond through glass. She acquiesced to Alisa's demands without a fight.
"OK. You heard her! On my mark give Lieutenant Ayase covering fire!" Alisa got ready to run, bouncing on the balls of her feet as was her habit. "MARK!"
Alisa shot off as the two sections moved forward under the immense suppressive barrage laid down by the rest of the platoons. The crack of rifle fire blended into one long crescendo punctuated by the swift sharp chatter of sub-machinegun fire. The dull thud of the Bren soon accompanied them as Beatham's section opened up with the light machinegun from point blank range.
Alisa reached the dunes preparing to throw a grenade into the machinegun nest, before a burst of fire came from the top of the pillbox pinning her down, an audible yelp could be heard as Yukiho saw her friend go down.
"ALISA!" Yukiho screamed the world seemed to narrow and go dark. The redhead forgot everything about the plan, all she knew was her friend, her beautiful friend, was in danger.
The redheaded officer charged forward firing her Tommy Gun from the hip she took aim crouched on one knee firing a burst at the German who had Alisa in his sights. He fell as several bullets impacted him, one taking off a chunk of his face, in a spray of red.
Yukiho kept running forward scraping into the dunes next to her blonde companion. Her awareness of the situation returned to her.
"I thought I told you I had this one, all I did was slip." Alisa fumed at her friend's recklessness.
"Sorry about that, but hey I'm here now so I may as well help." Yukiho flashed a grin at the blonde girl.
"You're such a glory hog" Alisa rolled her eyes as s he reluctantly handed over a grenade for Yukiho to use. Yet despite everything, Alisa's ice blue eyes showed relief in them, along with some other unrecognisable emotion.
"On three?" Yukiho asked innocently
"Why not."
Both girls pulled the pins on their grenades, checking the Germans were still suppressed or had no clue they were this close to them.
"One" Alisa started
"Two"
"Three!" both shouted the last word in unison as they threw their grenades into the sandbags and the concrete pillbox.
A second later they were rewarded with two deafening bangs and a fountain of sand and dune grass as the explosives went off. The sound of wounded men reverberating from within the now incapacitated bunker.
Yukiho scrambled up the dune, the other officer not far behind, they both checked the pillbox to make sure it was clear, one survivor was quickly eliminated by a burst from Alisa's Sten
As the blonde dove into the bunker Yukiho looked out across the beach. The second wave's landing craft were approaching now and mercifully they included armour. The two platoons rushed up cheering to congratulate their officers on the feat as a Fighter bomber screamed overhead.
Smoke and fire dotted the horizon and the entire beach area as Yukiho and Alisa slumped against the cold rough concrete, both of them were shattered as the adrenaline left their systems. Yukiho checked her watch. Before moaning and showing it to Alisa
"It's only 9 o'clock?!" the shocked blonde shrieked. Yukiho nodded wearily the sea breeze tugging loose a strand of her red hair.
"This is going to be a long day."
6th June 1958 1700hrs Bayeux War Cemetery
"And so as we stand here today, we must remember the sacrifice of those who fought here. OF those who fought to liberate Europe from Tyranny and to save the world from Nazi oppression. In these times of tension between East and West, in the face of the looming threat of terrorism, let us pray, and let us hope that the road that lead many men and Women to making this sacrifice is never repeated..." Yukiho paused for dramatic effect.
"That is why we attend these events and that is why we remember."
Soft applause greeted the end of Yukiho's speech to the assembled veterans dignitaries and local people who were here to witness the service. As the service held a minute's silence the breeze tugged free a strand of hair from Yukiho's bun as she bowed her head.
Images of the war flashed through her mind, of young boys sent out to die, of girls no older than eighteen lying on the ground their bodies burned by passing flame throwers, of the bombed out hulls of European cities that she had passed through London, Caen, Cologne.
It still amazed her. The barbarity that humans could inflict on one another. It was why she demanded the defence portfolio, so she could at least try to curb the influence of war.
The drone of the bugle and the strained notes of the Last Post marked the end of the silence. As the Reveille marked the end of the service, and served as a reminder to not dwell to heavily on the past. The assembled veterans got up and started to mingle, exchanging stories of life on Civvie street, old war stories and so on.
Yukiho sighed when no-one she recognised had turned up
Even if they had I wouldn't be able to talk to them
She spied her wife chatting with a few girls from the armoured corps. She appeared to be telling them of how they had both got the DSOs that Alisa conspicuously displayed on her breast the blonde girl opposite her appeared to be telling Alisa about her time commanding a Churchill tank.
Yukiho knew that her wife would be awhile, so she found herself wandering she spotted a familiar face in the crowd and started towards her a smile on her face, recalling her words as she looked out over the sea of graves and people, as the horrors of war once more flashed through her mind she realised something the people here were content, smiling with old friends and new ones, they had been given closure.
Yukiho smiled wistfully at this thought
"That is why we remember." She said softly.
A/N: So I hope you liked this little one shot, if you did and haven't already try my other story Muse Section (shameless plug) please review so I can write better landing scenes in the future. for those wandering why I chose Yukiho and Alisa, it was to avoid spoilers and clashes with my other story.
Glossary
DSO: Distinguished Service Order
LSM: Landing Ship Medium a form of landing ship that allowed for large scale transportation of supplies and material the (R) variant is the source of the rocket fire that Yukiho witnessed in the beginning.
Sten: (Mk II) cheap sub-machine gun made by the British
Tommy Gun/ Thompson: American made sub-machine gun widely used by the allies in WW2
Pillbox, a type of concrete fortification often housing a machine gun
Czech Hedgehog: the most iconic form of tank trap the one which is basically three girder welded together.
Funnies: Hobart's Funnies a series of specialised tanks specifically designed for D-Day to overcome the obstacles on the landing beaches. high casualties on Omaha have been atributed to among other things the AMerican Failure to appreciate the value of these tanks and their non-purchase by Gen. Bradley.