Roach was carefully conversing with the other members of his platoon and lieutenant Haverson over the commander's plan. He had to personally vouch for the credibility when Alpha's lieutenant voiced his suspicions and then had to all but order his men to go along with it.
When that was done Steven had managed to find his way onto the wall just as Pixis was preparing to give a speech. "I heard everything through the radio, are you sure about this?!" He asked incredulously, matching his superiors pace as they walked to meet the rest of the marines on the surface.
Truth be told Roach was still debating if this was still a good idea, hell he was half willing to just throw Dot's previous lecture to the back of his mind, but the chain-of-command was clear and he had to respect the older man's decision. "Yes," he hoped the sergeant didn't catch the uncertainty in his voice. "Look just get with it alright Steven. All we need to do is get the Titans attention and try to keep that...I-can't-believe-I'm-saying-this, titan-shifter alive while he puts that rock into place."
"Can't we get the pelican to do it?" Steven asked hopefully, but Roach knew that he already knew the answer.
"Rock's too heavy, not to mention it's too uneven for one pelican. The weight distribution will mess up the flight and you could very well see us trying to rescue a crashed pelican than celebrating a victory," Roach explained anyways.
"But-"
"Need I remind you it took two pelicans to life a Shaw-Fujikawa drive?" Steven immediately clamped up. It was a low blow, and judging from Steven's eyes, one that cut deeply but Roach was pressed for time and he needed things done.
"This is the only sure fire-way, plus the Pelicans will be vulnerable with the rock attached to them and let's not forget we'll have to wait for a second pelican to arrive all the way from New Harmony in order to get the significant strength to properly lift the rock without it becoming a danger to the pilots." Steven finally threw his hands up in acquittal, understanding that he had lost this fight.
"Fine, alright, I get it." Steven shook his head and took a spot next to Roach as they took the elevator down towards the ground. They were still close enough to Dot's position for them to be able to hear the older man's speech, which helped rekindle some spirit in the fear-stricken soldiers of the Walls.
"Been a long time since I heard a speech like that..," Steven muttered, "The last time was on the Shield World."
Roach grimaced, gripping the handles of elevator tighter. Dot made it clear of his naivety and he couldn't fault his logic but just what exactly was this war to the Wallers. The Titans were nothing more than a deadly nuisance, big cumbersome things that made it quite pleasurable to waste bullets on. But for the Wallers, this was about the same as during the flood for the UNSC. Monstrosities that could turn their weapons mute and rip whole scores of men apart.
Something like that, the Wallers needed trust in their army. Trust in soldiers who had faced their struggles in the walls rather than the 'easy-living' outsiders. Roach was beginning to think he should have been an engineer, they probably didn't need to play battlefield politician as often as he did.
When they reached the ground floor Dot's voice was just a distant echo, he could only barely hear him say something about a collective sin they all shared. Roach shrugged and kept moving forward towards where his men were lining up separate from the Wallers.
Even from this distance Roach could tell some were passing some conspiratorial glances between each other. Others were more or less still skeptical about the idea of a human that could turn into a Titan. Roach didn't blame them, he too had figured it was the deranged ramblings of stricken soldiers than truth of any level.
"Where's the pelican?" Roach asked. Haverson stepped up next to him, calming his men with a simple hand gesture and meeting Roach with a nod of greeting and respect.
"It's preparing itself to do as you asked. Sanderson, are you absolutely sure this situation is...well plausible? Can we even trust this Eren kid?" Haverson asked.
Roach would have shrugged, but with the looks some of his men were giving him he decided that was not the best way to elevate their spirits. "From what I understand this is a gamble for both parties. Doesn't matter either way, we have to let them solve these problems on their own."
"Which means we have to work together with the Wallers?" Roach stared at Haverson. It didn't sound apprehensive but it didn't sound like he was jumping for joy either. Roach couldn't quite place the sound but nonetheless he slowly nodded his head.
"I heard you adopted most of the Let's-all-get-along squad?" Haverson nodded and gestured towards where a group of younger marines were crowding to themselves. Roach supposed that being regularly placed with the Wallers had slightly askew them with their UNSC brethren.
"They're all there and those that aren't are at the triage. The rest...," Haverson shrugged. Roach glanced back at the group of young men and nodded gravely at their depleted numbers.
"They have the most experience with operating alongside the Wallers, so I think you should work with them in corralling the Titans to one side of the wall," Roach paused to let that sink in.
"What about you?" Haverson asked. Roach sighed, glancing back at Steven who was watching with his arms crossed over his chest.
"I'll take my men and our warthogs so we'll move through Trost. Get as much of the heat as we can on us and keep moving." Haverson didn't seem convinced and Roach could tell it was because he himself didn't sound like he wanted to do this either.
"And if it doesn't work?" He asked.
"I don't know, wait out for reinforcements?" Everything was riding on Pixis' faith in that Eren kid. If that didn't work, then they were right back at square one, which was wait for the UNSC to come and fix everything. That is if the UNSC could given the density of Titans within Trost. That was a situation Roach would rather avoid as best he could, since he had to directly answer for that.
"Alright, I'll trust your judgement on this one." Haverson turned away from Roach and moved towards Alpha, who were all watching the two of them like hawks. Roach straightened his back and breathed in deeply, cracking his neck as he went to greet with his own men.
Eliza was waiting for him and for some reason she had a khaki jacket wrapped around her waist, there was no doubt in Roach's mind that it belonged to Kitts. Speaking of the captain, "What did you do to him?"
She smiled before gesturing her head towards where the Wallers were gathered, "He was being resistant, sir. I didn't know how Wallers treated insubordinate soldiers, so I punched him and tied him up. The military police has been notified, or so I'm told."
"You didn't know their policy so you resorted to punching?" He replied mildly. When all he got was a nod Roach moved away, not wanting to continue this train of thought. "Alright, everyone gather around."
The marines in Bravo glanced at each other but did as ordered without question, especially when Steven gave them all the stink eye at how slow they were going. Roach was starting to grow thankful that Steven was his sergeant and also at how he didn't get slugged in the face yet with that being the case. "I'm not gonna lie to you, this situation is fucked no matter how you look at it. That Eren kid is going to the rock at the other side of this wall, while that's going on Alpha will assist the Wallers in rearing as many Titans as possible onto the wall."
"But that's not what we're doing is it, sir?" A marine asked. Roach shook his head but nodded regardless.
"No, we will be taking the warthogs and we'll be riding through Trost purposefully getting the Titans attention. Our objective is to make sure that Eren kid is safe while he transports...if he can transport the rock."
"And what if he can't?" Eliza asked this question and Roach noticed how she was gripping her grenade launcher tighter than he thought it was safe for her to.
"Then...we'll hold position on Trost until either reinforcements arrive or until we've cleared out as many Titans as we can to safely open the gate for us to re enter." Silence reigned on the group, the marines looking at Roach as though he had ordered them to point a gun to their heads and shoot themselves, which would be an apt explanation to what he had ordered them.
"Sir, I'm sorry but that's fucked," Roach didn't feel the need to reprimand the marine for his lack of respect but at the same time he needed to make sure they knew this was what they signed up for. They either take the hierarchical shit they were given or they face a court-martial for insubordination.
"I know it is, marine. But the situation is out of my hand, you've all read the Rose Pact, we are formally under command of the Rose forces until either Trost is retaken or the UNSC arrives. Neither of those has happened and unless one of you is ranked major or higher, the situation is out of my hand." Steven stepped up at that point, he looked just as up for the coming mission as Roach did but like his lieutenant he knew his job.
"Anybody else got anything they want to say before we get ready?" He asked, his voice surprisingly quiet as opposed to his usual rough and tumble sergeant's voice.
"When's the earliest I can retire?" Somebody asked.
"Whenever you want but it must be submitted to a colonel or higher 120 days prior to your retirement with details on civilian sector job and whether it is part-time or full-time. Full-time is preferable and you must clean out your barracks and hand in your equipment to the supply officer by yourself alongside a written letter to your section commander and/or base commander," Steven recited dutifully.
The marine who said that kicked the ground, strapping on his helmet at the same time, "Shit, I don't suppose any of you are colonel or higher?"
Steven scoffed, "Please I work for a living." All of the marines shared a laugh at this before they pulled on their helmets and hopped into their warthogs. Roach grinned at Steven who patted his shoulder as he went to the only other warthog not being occupied by a group of marines.
"Remind me when our kid turned suicidal," Steven asked Eliza as he passed her.
"Well I don't know about that, I caught protein powder in his locker once." Steven chuckled as he pulled himself up on the gunner position.
"There's more protein in my balls than in one of those cop outs," Roach grinned as he dropped into his driver's seat, chuckling as Eliza patted his shoulder with a small pitying shake of her head. The lieutenant ignored the two of them as he revved his engine up, driving his car towards the gate as Wallers were trickling together.
"Are more coming in?" Roach asked. Eliza just shrugged her shoulders, understandable considering she had been in private discussion with Captain Kitts and Roach himself so she had no idea what the Wallers would have been doing.
"Does it matter?" Steven said as he kicked the railing separating the back of the car with the front. "They're opening the gate for us, get it in gear Gary."
"There's a reason why I have a nickname." Roach mumbled as the gates where the company nearly had a shootout with Waller forces reopened to let them through. Roach slowed his breath and pushed the pedal to speed the vehicle through. Once they were through and Alpha is able to push the Titans onto the wall and away from Trost, the gate wouldn't open until either the operation is completed successfully or until UNSC reinforcements arrive.
"How many warthogs or behind us?" The Wallers were scrambling all over the place, launching their 3DMG's as they tried to secure their forces and prepare for the coming operation. Some were even standing idly atop rooftops watching the UNSC marines do their own part in the coming hours, their hands gripping their muskets with some carrying the M1 around.
"Seven, one's missing a side passenger though," Eliza answered. Roach cleared his throat, hoping that seven warthogs worth of firepower would be enough for everyone to come back alive from Trost and that maybe, just maybe he hadn't committed UNSC forces into a suicide mission from the blind faith of an old man.
This is Viktor-712 flying over your shoulder, Bravo. We are go on all systems and awaiting your go ahead. The sharp whine of UNSC machinery was heard overhead and Roach knew that the pelican was prepared and ready to go. Nodding to himself Roach keyed in on his radio to the Pelican's frequency and prepared himself to give his final set of orders until the end of the operation.
"Viktor-712, you're orders are clear. Maintain overwatch on the Waller forces escorting priority target Kilo throughout Trost. Do not engage any Titans or Kilo itself unless it is absolutely clear they have engaged in armed combat with either, is that understood?"
Roger lieutenant, just so you know, Sir I still have a few gas canisters inside my cargo compartment leftover from the resupply, the pilot reported as the pelican moved forward in a burst of speed, ascending the length of the wall to pass right over it.
"If a Waller squad is under threat of losing gas or is close to being decimated try and swoop down and give them a hand, that's a second priority though and you should maintain air cover at all times." There was a brief affirmative before the pelican disappeared over the wall and a Waller stationed near the gate was gesturing for the convoy to head on through.
"Hurry up! The Titans are going to move through soon!" He was shouting too and judging from how red his face was, that threat wasn't half-assed. So whatever insecurities Roach felt about everything, he promptly ignored it as he pulled the brakes off and led his marines through the gate, almost immediately marked by Steven opening fire into a group of Titans nearby, clearing the way for the rest of the convoy to spread out around them.
Mina Carolina
Mina was among the group of Trainees who were moving extra equipment and supplies to the other members of the counter-attack. Since she had coordinated the supply run on the Military HQ she was given the strenuous duty of assisting the Garrison soldiers in making sure every soldier had the proper equipment for his or her job in the retaking of Trost.
She also had experience dealing with the UNSC medical personnel, who had more bite than they expected, and she was more often than not called in to mediate some things between the Garrison and the UNSC. Which was made further important with the fact that the UNSC were treating many of the Trainees who were injured in Trost before the evacuation.
Which was why she wasn't all too surprised when she found herself in the triage room again hefting a box full of 3DMG gears and canisters for any Trainee that was treated well enough to return to active duty. One of the passing medics noticed her and after recognizing her as one of the more frequent soldiers that entered waved her in.
"What's this?" The medic asked, her eyebrows raised questioningly at the apparently heavy contents inside.
"Just equipment for anyone that can return to active duty," Mina explained, leaning her weight onto the box as she had to tiredly drag the thing all the way from the nearest military base.
The medic's eyebrow went higher up her hairline in incredulity. "Your superior do realise that most injuries caused by Titans usually mean a missing limb or to and even if they are fine to return to active duty as medical personnel who have taken a sworn oath, we will not allow a patient who has just recovered to return to active duty without a period of rest...right?" Mina shrugged her shoulder, looking far too tired to care that she looked like a hapless subordinate following the command of some sitcom superior.
The medic, who looked unusually sympathetic to her plight, patted her shoulder lightly and carefully pushed the box of 3DMG's away from the rush of medical personnel. "Sit down and get a breath, you look ragged," the medic commanded.
"Thanks," Mina said in genuine thanks as she sat down on an empty cot. As she sat down, she was able to see the rush of medics who looked no different than a marine saved for the fact that they're helmets were replaced with caps and there was a red cross on their right shoulder pauldron.
"Lieutenant Ferene Jeb," the medic greeted. Mina looked in surprise at the honey-haired young woman, a little bit of knowledge that Nolan and the book he lent her rushing to her forefront in confusion.
"But aren't there already two lieutenants in charge of the marines that came through?" She asked, her face scrunched up in confusion.
The medic seemed surprised by the question but suddenly smiled in some unknown emotion as she pulled out several miscellaneous bags from some crate to hand over to a loose gaggle of passing medics. "Oh, no you don't understand. Most medical personnel are given commissioned ranks so that they can overrule any unruly soldier trying to get out of the hospital."
"Why would they be unruly?" This really did confuse Mina. Most Trainee's loved the medical facility, since they were able to escape the hellish training of the day and rest up. Nobody caused trouble in the medical facilities because everybody respected the peace it provided.
"Most marines don't like being in the hospital because...well it's not pleasant with all the other, sometimes more injured patients around them. Besides most marines can't stand still after coming back from the battlefield, doesn't really play into adrenaline it's just them not liking being on a bed after a firefight," Ferene explained. To Mina the medic seemed a little bit exasperated with her own explanation, however she did look like a competent doctor evident with how seamlessly she exchanged medical supplies with those around her while making conversation with Mina.
"I...see." To be honest she didn't but she was able to understand that pursuing the subject wasn't really productive. She glanced at the cots next to hers, which were occupied by a multitude of medical supplies that shouldn't be on the ground but had nowhere else to go but a bed. Interestingly the bed to her back was occupied by a small little boy who had his knees tucked to his chest.
The boy peeked at her, only to squeak when he realised that she was already looking at him. Mina blinked at the odd noise, which sounded hoarse and like he had been crying for a very long time. "Don't mind him, he's in shock and refuses to speak."
"Why don't you have someone to watch over him?" Mina asked, idly pulling herself closer to the child who shrunk into himself at her growing proximity.
"I'm here aren't I," Ferene replied, "and I am more than qualified." She didn't really sound offended but there was a definite mix of something in her voice, Mina was beginning to understand that talking to this woman meant not knowing a lot of what her words mean.
"Again, he doesn't really talk either way and when he does all he does is recount the events that led him here. The marine that found him in particular." The medic ran a hand through the child's hair, almost to calm him down, and it seemed to work as he relaxed at her touch. Ferene noticed Mjna staring and smiled playfully, "I make quite the image of a budding housewife don't I?"
Mina would have scoffed. Between the plates of armor and her rather gruff demeanor she looked more like the patriarch of a household than any mother she had ever seen. "Who is this marine that found him? I had several friends in the marines that we're stationed here."
Ferene looked more surprised at that than for the reason Mina was there in the first place. Placing a hand to her chin she seemed to nod at herself when she found the information she was looking for, "He's a funny looking one, well, funny in a handsome sort of way. His name was Nolan, I think, Quentin North. The easiest name to remember as far as I can tell, and I think he was in one of these cots until just recently."
Mina was already off the cot when she heard the marines name, looking at Ferene in some emotion she didn't know. "Quentin was here? Where is he now?" She asked right after Ferene had finished.
The medic blinked at the sudden almost-interruption. She opened her mouth to answer, only to stall when she realised something. "Quentin? Oh my." She smiled coyly at Mina as though she had discovered the lottery.
Mina balked and before the medic could say anything she was bolting out the door, "I don't want to be here for this." Instead of trying to sound indignant or trying to get her to stay, Ferene only laughed out in the open. Mina realised, that was worst than suffering through the inevitable misconception and teasing thereafter.
When she left however she was greeted to someone she didn't expect, "North?" There standing in front of her with a crutch on one hand and the other pressed on his side was the marine that indirectly caused her to storm out of the triage. He blinked down at her and Mina realised that his eyes seemed a lot more tired than she remembered and his hair seemed to be matted to his head as the fringe covered his forehead entirely.
After a moment, the marine quirked his lips at her, "So how was maintenance duty?"
I'm really sorry with the late update and the lack of action when I did update. I fell incredibly ill the past few weeks and I had to suffer through hospital wifi and bad television. Then when I did finally get back home, I spent most of my time handling my little brother, whom my mother couldn't care for at the time.
It's not really an excuse but my body just wasn't up for writing during the whole ordeal. Sorry for taking so long and hopefully I can get back on schedule (which was one chapter per week...I think?) With this fic.