I started shooting some more targets. And then another. And then another. They all disappeared in a ball of fire, lighting up the landscape of grass, trees, and rocks with orange and red.

The exercise was finished, and I stepped out of the simulator cockpit. I could see the technicians of sim company in their MARPAT camouflage monitoring their equipment.

"You did well, sir," said Master Sergeant Rebekah Avital, also dressed in MARPAT camouflage.

"As you were, Master Sergeant," I said. I went back to the officers' locker room to change out of my doublet. It was much more fun than handling paperwork in the office. I wondered when the next live-fire exercise would be.

Ooooooo

After a hard day's work, I was relaxing in the O-club, sipping a beer with the guys. It was not too crowded that day. Memories of my former captivity still cast a shadow over me, even as I took another cold sip.

I saw Jack enter the room, wearing a sweater and jeans.

"Good to see you back," I said.

"Thanks for taking care of my house, you guys," he said.

"It wasn't a big deal for us," said Mike.

"Did you like sleeping in the house?"

"It was okay," I said.

His house did allow greater privacy than the men's BOQ. Hanging with the guys was cool, but sometimes a dude needs just a little privacy and quiet sometimes. I enjoyed just taking naps on the bed. It was almost like a mini-vacation, at least when I was off duty. Plus, it was good sometimes just to have a snack for supper rather than going to the officers' mess. But I guessed that I get to sleep in my tiny room at the men's BOQ again.

And I wondered how Jack was doing. He seemed quieter than usual; he did not even go up to the karaoke jockey to try and sing a song. He was putting up a smile.

I wondered what he did on his leave to Monument City. I figured he stayed with his dad there. Did he spend all those nights crying himself to sleep?

Ooooooooo

Sometime the next day, Lieutenant Colonel Lupon Kravshera called the headquarters staff to a briefing at the main office. We all stood at attention facing him, and Major Jack Emerson and Master Sergeant Avital stood at Kravshera's sides.

"Listen up," said the colonel. "I just received an order from Colonel Trautman's office at regiment headquarters. We and the rest of the regiment are to prepare for a potential offensive against an enemy ground position. We will coordinate with the other battalions and the Military Airlift Command to get into position."

I recalled some of the reports; we should be ready to deploy.

"Inform all troops and companies," said Kravshera.

"Yes, sir," we all said.

We spent the next few hours or so making sure everything was tidy, that the hovertanks were working, that the ammo, equipment, and supplies were ready to go, and other things. Master Sergeant Avital and the other sergeants were working the soldiers even harder than usual. And I had to do my part to check and file all the paperwork and even go around the troops.

And finally we were ready to go, with the hovertanks and supplies and equipment being mounted on trucks.

It was a long journey by road and rail, with local soldiers escorting us. I remembered reading somewhere that the King of Morocco had agreed to allow United Nations forces to use the highways and railways of the kingdom for transporting personnel, supplies, and equipment from the U.N. bases in Morocco to the battlefield.

In my mind, there was some stress. Would I be captured again by the Robotech Masters? I looked at a few other officers with whom I was riding.

"Anyone up for a game of poker after we beat the enemy?" asked a young lady who was a butter bar.

"I just hope I still have enough fingers to hold the cards," said a male lieutenant, whose name I knew as Volchek.

Humor like that did ease the tension a bit.

It was after a long journey that we reached the fallback point- where all of the troops would withdraw should things go pear-shaped. Already, some battalions were setting up tents and Quonset huts. We were in the desert, though it was just warm, not blazing hot, on account of the earliness of the year. Once again, we unloaded, with Sergeant Avital and the other sergeants barking orders to the junior enlisted soldiers as they unloaded the ammo, supplies, and equipment. A perimeter was quickly established, and soldiers in full gear patrolled; I did not envy them. As for my part, it was doing more paperwork like any third lieutenant would do in a combat battalion when not fighting the enemy or training to fight.

Neither Colonel Kravshera nor Major Emerson was with us at this moment; they were attending a briefing with the regiment's staff.

"At least the change of scenery is nice," said Lieutenant Michael Meyers.

"Yeah," I said, looking beyond the perimeter to the seemingly endless desert beyond.

Even as more soldiers, supplies, and equipment arrived by truck and helicopter, a sergeant announced to us, "Chow time, everyone!"

And we were served our chow, which was simply MRE's. We were not expected to stay here for long, so no mess tents were set up.

"Nothing like an MRE for lunch," said Lieutenant Volchek, sticking a plastic fork into the aluminum container.

It was better than starving, and that was all I could say or write about it.

Colonel Kravshera and Major Emerson came out to greet us; all of us not on a work detail stood at attention.

"All hovertank drivers get ready for action," he said.

And so we did. I started my hovertank's engine and glanced at the gauges. Kravshera then led us out. I was assigned to be with the command group, as extra mechanical muscle. After a few minutes of driving, we reached our destination, which looked out over a wide expanse of desert. I could clearly see the enemy encampments, with the parked enemy spaceships and bioroids and enemy infantry.

I did not even need to hear the announcement to know that the attack started. I saw explosions and plumes of smoke. Some veritech fighter jets moved in and transformed into helicopters- they were Ajaxes. I had read about Ajaxes on the way here, reading about how they can provide close infantry support, close air support, and air interception duties.

"Okay, the enemy is being engaged," said the colonel. "All troops close in."

And we did. We got closer and changed into battloid mode, making a solid wall ofVHT-1 Spartas battloids. We delivered volleys of fire at the Robotech Masters' forces. The thick smoke made it difficult to see our targets.

"18th, cover my flank," said Kravshera. "17th, lay cover fire for the infantry!"

"Enemy reinforcements coming from south-southeast," I heard a voice say. "They're approach…ahhhhhh!"

"More reinforcements?" asked Jack.

"All units, keep it together," said Colonel Trautman, speaking to all of the battalions in the regiment. "Able Squadron will move to intercept."

"Here they come!" yelled Colonel Kravshera. "Command group, provide cover fire for the 18th as they engage the enemy."

And we did, transforming into guardian mode.

"We are getting coordinates," said Kravshera. "Open fire."

I looked at the HUD and fired upwards, the rounds flying in an arc before hitting the ground.

"All right, command group, let's change position," said Kravshera.

"Incoming!" yelled Avital.

We all scrambled to move out of the way. I heard some explosions and my vision was obscured with smoke.

"Is everyone all right?" asked Jack.

"I think so," I replied.

"Colonel?' asked Sergeant Avital. "What is your status?"

Through the smoke I could see an overturned hovertank.

"Cover me!" I yelled.

I leaped out of the cockpit of my hovertank. I felt as if I was on some sort of automatic pilot. I did not deviate from my course even as explosions rang around me, kicking up rocks and dirt and showering me with some of it.

I ran to the fallen figure next to the hovertank, pulling him away. I heard myself say, "You'll be safe, sir", though I did not feel myself say it.

I removed the helmet and saw Colonel Kravshera's face. He winced a smile.

At least he was alive for now.

And then came a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter with the red cross logo. I ran to the helicopter. Army medics rushed out to meet me even before the helicopter's landing gears had made contact with the rocky ground.

"We'll take over from here, sir," said a sergeant with a red cross armband on her left sleeve.

I watched as they loaded the colonel onto the helicopter, presumably to fly him to the theater emergency room. I ran back to where my hovertank was parked, hopping into the cockpit and checking the instrumentation.

"We've orders to retreat," said Jack.

A retreat did not mean we turned tail and ran. Instead, we slowly pulled back, firing on the enemy. I could see the Ajax veritech battloids at the very front, with other Ajaxes in helicopter mode providing close air support. Hover-transports carrying infantry left the battlefield, with at least one soldier firing a high-caliber machine gun at the enemy bioroids. More artillery fire was delivered. We crept back from the battlefield.

I saw one of the enemy ship take off and fly towards the sky. I then saw several streaks of smoke head right at the ship, turning it into a bright fireball. I focused on shooting whatever enemy targets that I could lock on. The fighting continued for some time even after we reached our fallback position, which was fortified with portable blockhouses and machine gun and cannon emplacements.

And then the fighting died down. There was tension for a while; I had wondered if this was the eye of the hurricane .

It was not until nightfall that most of the regiment stood down, save for a few soldiers on watch.

Oooooooo

I went to the Quonset hut that served as the theater hospital. I could glimpse through the windows the hectic activity inside, with doctors, nurses, and orderlies trying to save lives.

A man in his late thirties to early forties approached the hospital. I could see he had the eagle insignia of an O-6 colonel; the name on his lapel identified him as Colonel Trautman, commander of the regiment. I stood and saluted, and he saluted me back.

Then an orderly in a blue outfit went out of the hospital, put on his cover, and saluted me. I returned the salute.

"Colonel Kravshera would like to see you, sir," said the orderly.

I went inside the hospital. There were curtains everywhere. Some of the people were even missing limbs.

I looked and saw the lavender shape of Lupon Kravshera lying down on a bed. He had tubes going into his arms and a bag with this red fluid was held up by this stainless steel stand. A bandage covered the left side of his head. The colonel seemed to be in one piece.

"Please don't take too long, Lieutenant," said a nurse.

"How are you feeling, sir?" I asked.

"Messed up," replied Colonel Kravshera. "I owe you my life, Micronian."

"Not just me, sir," I said.

"We lost another one," I heard someone say, perhaps a doctor or a nurse.

"These doctors and nurses and orderlies, you owe them your life too," I continued. "They're the real heroes, sir."

Indeed they were. I could only admire their dedication to fight despite the odds, to work continuously for up to fourteen hours at a time to save people's lives and limbs.

"Yes, Lieutenant, they are."

I left the hospital. Jack and Sergeant Avital were waiting outside.

"Colonel Kravshera is alive, and he needs to rest," I said.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good to know," he said. "I just got out of a debriefing with the regiment commander."

"What do we do now, sir?" asked Master Sergeant Avital.

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because, Major Emerson, you are in command now, sir."