"What's up, el-tee?"
Lt. Bowles looked up from his clipboard as he was checking items off the list.
After Bravo Zero had landed, their passengers disembarked for refreshments in the tavern, while Lugo and Crosby were helping Bowles load up food and supplies onto the Blawkhawk. Lugo had been noticing that the lieutenant seemed preoccupied.
"Jessica was acting a bit funny this morning."
He shook his head.
"Probably nothing, she acted this way when we first picked you guys up. It's just separation anxiety."
They continued their work for a few more minutes uninterrupted, then the door to the tavern opened, and the brunette barmaid with the kerchief came out with a tray of ale tankards. She smiled at Bowles.
"I thought you would get thirsty, so I brought some refreshments out."
"Thanks, sweetie. How are the rest of the guests holding up?"
She giggled.
"Well, Marlène and Jeanne and positively shooting daggers at Alex's new girlfriend, and I think the feeling is mutual. Lady Vallière has been drinking lots of water, something about having a bad taste in her mouth."
Crosby spoke up.
"She isn't being mean to Saito, is she?"
Jessica shook her head.
"No, she's been quite well-behaved in that regard."
Lugo grinned.
"Guess that little 'attitude adjustment you did last night worked, eh sarge?"
Bowles looked up.
"What happened?"
"It's a long story, el-tee, but basically Pinkie was particularly obnoxious last night in her ongoing quest to humiliate her boyfriend, and sarge had enough."
The lieutenant chuckled.
"Oh no, sergeant, not the dreaded Gym Sock Sandwich?"
Lugo nodded.
"And from what your girlfriend said, it worked!"
The three soldiers shared a laugh, but Lugo noticed that Jessica was looking at him in an odd manner. Bowles spoke up.
"What's wrong, sweetie?"
She closed her eyes and lowered her head.
"Last night, when you were gone, one of my tables was a group of Gallian nobles. Stupid, crude and smelly lot, and they were obvious Reconquista sympathizers."
She continued.
"One of them, the leader I think, was gloating about how King Jozef was offering a large reward for a strange commoner who murdered one of his connected friends."
She paused.
"His high-connected friend was Count Mott."
Lugo whistled.
"Wow, who would have thought he was BFF's with the king."
"The noble went on to say that they hoped that the powers at be caught him, because the murderer also massacred the count's entire household, right down to the servants."
She suddenly looked up at Lugo, her aquamarine eyes shimmering with tears.
"Please tell me that horrid noble was lying, please tell me you wouldn't kill innocent civilians! I thought what you did, when you rescued my cousin, that was a good thing and that you were a good person!"
Lugo and Crosby shared a knowing look, and for a long time the Delta sniper was silent. Finally he spoke.
"Jessica, I've done some very bad things in my old life in my world. Things that if I could, I'd take back. But I would never knowingly kill innocents. That's not my way of getting things done. That Gallian noble was lying."
Bowles also spoke up.
"More likely than not whoever Count Mott's connections were killed any of the servants left behind to cover it up, and blamed Mr. Lugo for it."
The maid nodded.
"Please forgive me for asking such a horrible question, but it upset me greatly when I found out."
He put a reassuring hand on Jessica's shoulder.
"It's okay sweetie. Just one more reason it was a good thing Mr. Lugo found Siesta and took her home, otherwise she would have suffered the same fate as the servants."
When the barmaid left Bowles turned back to Lugo.
"Don't take it too hard sergeant, there's all sorts of rumors and shit flying in the face of this upcoming war."
He smiled humorlessly.
"Gordon told me he has a price on his head for apparently killing some high ranking muckety-muck in a raid he did in Albion. Even had an assassin dumb enough to try and collect."
He saw the concerned look on the Zulu Squad sergeant's face.
"Never got close to him, but he's grown an extra pair of eyes as a result."
He grabbed one of the tankards of ale and took a long pull on it.
"You've said it before, Sgt. Crosby, but I'll say it for you. This place is nuts."
(Later, somewhere in the Nephthys desert)
"Bravo Six, this is Bravo Zero, be advised my bird is starting to run a temperature, do you have a visual on the oasis ahead?"
Bowles' voice crackled over the static.
"Roger that Bravo Zero, I have eyes on the oasis, we'll follow your lead. Bravo Six out."
The small convoy had been traveling for almost a week, and crossing the desert was slow going, every few hours they would have to stop to prevent their helicopters from overheating. It was almost dusk, and the angry burning sky was taking on shades of red and orange. It was Saito who spotted the oasis, and determined it would be a good place to stop and camp for the night.
After making a fly-bys, Crosby heard Bravo Six on the radio.
"Can't make out too much in the treeline, vegetation's too thick, but there's a nice flat spot close to the watering hole."
Crosby nodded.
"Roger that."
He turned to Saito.
"Take us in, kid."
It was almost nightfall when they landed and disembarked. Crosby spoke up in his radio.
"Keep your heads on a swivel, if this oasis is inhabited they're not bound to be real friendly. From what Gordon told us, these elves don't have a high opinion of humans, so we need to be careful. Nobody gets trigger happy, we don't want to start another war."
He then switched to individual channels.
"Alex, Lugo you take up positions on higher ground covering the edge of the treeline, and scan using your night vision."
"Roger that."
He turned to Gordon and Bowles.
"Sirs, since you both have the firepower, we're taking up defensive positions by the water's edge. Objections?"
Gordon shook his head.
"Negative sergeant, lead the way."
Crosby then turned to Saito.
"Kid, I need you and the girls to carry the water bags, cans, anything that can hold water and start filling up. Don't take them all at once, we might have to bug out in a big hurry."
Saito nodded.
"Roger that, Crosby-san!"
After he set up a perimeter around the water, Crosby spoke up into his radio.
"How we looking up there, Lugo?"
"Five by five, sarge. No movement, nothing on the IR or night vision scope. It's quiet."
Crosby nodded.
"Too quiet for my liking. We made quite a noisy entrance with our 'birds, if this place was inhabited they know we're here."
He switched his radio to the main channel.
"All units I want weapons hot but do not fire upon unless the order is given. I don't care if they start throwing rocks or spears at us, do not fire unless ordered, understood?"
All the radios squawked in response. Well, everyone but Saito and the two females, but they weren't armed. Then he heard a twig snap. Alex's voice came on the radio.
"Contact right! Unknown number of tangos approaching your position!"
Crosby swore under his breathe.
"Shit, everybody be cool."
He raised his voice.
"We know you can hear us, we mean you no harm."
Several figures emerged from the heavy thicket, and Crosby recognized they were indeed elves. One of them, a tall male with long blonde hair, stepped forward, brandishing a long halberd. With the pointed end mere inches from Crosby's chest.
"Humans!" The male elf spoke.
Crosby raised his hands in a placating gesture.
"We were looking for the inhabitants of this oasis."
The warrior glared and tightened his grip on his weapon.
"Why, so you could kill us too? Like the mages who came before you?"
He turned to speak to his people.
"Humans have come to rob us of our water, and slay us in our sleep!"
Crosby shook his head.
"No, that's not true, we are crossing the desert and only came here for water and shelter, we mean you no harm."
"Lies!"
The male elf glared at him with burning blue eyes.
"You ride on loud metal dragons and brandish weapons of destruction and you speak of peace? You lie!"
Crosby was about to speak when there was a loud bang.
"Dammit! Who fired?"
He looked over and saw the blonde knight Agnès sitting on her rump, her revolver still trembling in her hands and smoking. Her shot went wild, but it didn't matter, the leader tensed up and said something in his own tongue, and more elves drew bows and brandished spears.
Shit, Crosby thought to himself, this is going to end badly. He and the other soldiers took cover where they could, and he opened the main channel on his radio.
"All units fall back to cover, we are going to make an orderly retreat back to the birds. Tebby, if you can hear this, get the Blackhawk and your Little Bird fired up, we're going to need a pretty hot extraction soon."
He ducked as a spear was thrown his direction.
"Do not fire upon unless you've been fired up, and then shoot to wound."
Gordon cursed that he didn't bring his Heavy Trooper armor and stood up to cover Crosby's and Bowles' retreat. One elf warrior, the leader, ambushed Gordon and he clubbed the warrior with his AA12, preparing to fire.
"Stop!"
A familiar female voice rang out in the darkness, speaking in the elves' own language. Crosby couldn't place it. It was having the desired effect, since the warriors lowered their weapons and halted their advance. Something came running out of the treeline and collided with the lieutenant, knocking him to the ground in a cascade of long blonde hair. It was then that Crosby recognized her.
"Tiffania? What the hell are you doing here?"
(AN: Aaaaand Tiffania makes an appearance and makes a saving throw on her people's behalf. After all, only fools bring spears and arrows to a gunfight, Battle for Endor notwithstanding. Guess we should change Agnès de Milan's name to Leeroy Jenkins, but at least a massacre was averted. Next chapter is a filler chapter with a working title of 'Life Among Elves' and then the following chapter will be the one you have all been waiting for! Should have both chapters up by the end of the week/first part of next week. Hope you enjoyed!)
