Chapter 2 – Tightening the Belt

Samuel Byrne leaned against the wall next to Pad, his fingers scratching at his growing stubble as he waited somewhat impatiently for Lt. Hoffman's door to open. He and Private Salton had taken their new Pesanga troops for a spin, and he had to admit: the little fuckers were silent. He and Pad had only taken down one member of the ten man team that had infiltrated the rugged hills behind Anvegad. The rest had met their end in the form of a machete, courtesy of Bai Tak and his countrymen. What was worse, the little Gears had done it in near silence. If Sam and Pad hadn't have been watching, they would have never known the Pesangas had made their kills.

And here he was, indulging the time-honored tradition of 'Hurry up and wait' that had been bred into the army for generations, while Hoffman indulged some poor scout's suicidal tendencies. Whatever the news was, the volume and tone of Lt. Hoffman's voice indicated bad news.

And I just got married. In hindsight, maybe his timing had been somewhat rushed. But the more Sam thought of his beautiful girlfrie- no, wife, the more certain he became that he had made the right choice. As the wife of a Gear, Sheraya now had free reign among the troops. She had the right to go anywhere she pleased, with the exception of certain command rooms, and she could give Lt. Hoffman any amount of lip service she could stand, and he couldn't do a thing. Sam now realized that his wife wielded power most enlisted men could only dream of.

Sgt. Byrne was jolted out of his existential crisis as the doors to Hoffman's office were thrown open by the young corporal that had been on the receiving end of Hoffman's tirade. The man's face was pale, and he did his best to look composed as he fled the general area. Needless to say, he wasn't fooling anyone.

Sam rolled his eyes as the fresh Boot ran off, then he nudged Pvt. Salton on the arm.

"Come on, Pad. Let's get this over with. The sooner we're done with this, the sooner Hoffman turns back into another one of us mortals." Pad snorted with mirth, and together the two entered the lion's den, shutting the double doors behind them quietly as opposed to how they had been opened.

They found Lt. Hoffman as one would normally find him now that he was in command: bent over a map stressing about what to do about the enemy knocking on their front door. The bald commander made no move to acknowledge their arrival, but Sam tossed off a lazy salute anyway.

"Sgt. Byrne and Private Salton, reporting back from patrol, sir." He said with a smirk. "What got you so angry you made the young guy brown his briefs?"

Hoffman did look up this time, his bulldog frown present even now, though his furrowed brow indicated trouble. He grabbed a marking tool and drew a new line on the map, which was now covered in similar marks, then stood up and paced around the area behind his desk. This concerned Sam since he had seen this behavior before. Whenever Victor Hoffman was unsettled, he fell back to old instincts, pacing like a cornered predator.

"I just got intel from our scouts to the north that there was an explosion a few klicks out." Hoffman growled, his temper flaring again as he dwelled on the predicament. "Three hours later, one of the locals comes up and says that the underground river we use for water has dried up. It doesn't take an idiot to put two and two together; they've got us by the balls, and they're ready to wait us out." He punctuated his irritated report by kicking the chair next to him, rocking it off of its four legs, but not breaking it. He needed the furniture.

Sam couldn't stop the grimace from crossing his face. One of the reasons Anvegad's fort was so impregnable was its ability to last through a siege. With a small town and a few outlying farms, food was plentiful. An underground river had been tapped long ago, providing the fort with nearly an unlimited supply of fresh water. Now, however, it seemed that the reason for the fort's success wasn't exactly a closely guarded secret.

"I'm guessing we're going to get new ration protocols, then?" Sam knew right away that would be Hoffman's reaction: without their source of water, they would obviously wind up tightening their belts. The bald commander nodded grimly.

"I've already updated the SOPs. As of now, we are officially under siege. I'll have new orders for the mayor to look over by noon. I'm sure that's going to be a pleasant conversation." Hoffman growled. He looked over at the two enlisted men, suddenly realizing their previous mission. "But I didn't call you two in here to tell you about my problems. What do you have to report?"

"We found ten commando specialists camped out near the apex of the hills," Sam said, pointing out a nearly unblemished part of the map. "The Pesangas Captain Sander requested lived up to their hype: six green soldiers took out ten Indie commandos with no casualties, no firefights, there was hardly any sound at all. Those Pesangas are quiet little fuckers." Sam tried to overlook the pained wince that crossed Hoffman's face at the mention of his predecessor, but it was obvious Hoffman had looked up to him. Before an uncomfortable silence could settle in, Pad offered his piece.

"We only got one of the buggers ourselves, sir. The rest got nicked by those little guys and their machetes. One of them even lost his knob when he went for a piss." The red-headed South Islander said with a chuckle. Sam grinned at the memory as well; Cho had snuck up on one of the few remaining commandos while the man had snuck off to take a leak. Unfortunately, his cover had turned into the bush that the man had used for target practice. Cho had slid out from behind the impromptu urinal quickly, slashing at the man's wrists – and his manhood that was grasped in one hand – before beheading him. He'd griped the whole way back about getting pissed on, something the rest of the Gears had found amusing.

"They still had quite a bit of ordinance, and we brought back what food they had." Sam said, though he could hardly call the bastardized union of vomit and MRE the Indies handed out to their soldiers as food. "I know it isn't much, but it should help."

Hoffman nodded absently, his mind grasping the report of his new troops and their effectiveness. He couldn't tell what he was more surprised at, their stealth and killing ability, or the volume of Indies that had snuck into the hills.

"Alright, I'll get the quartermaster to get those Pesangas fitted with lighter plates. I hear they're not too fond of full kit. Sergeant, you and the private here can go debrief the Pesangas and tell them they may have another mission soon. I'm giving you boys thirty hours of leave; it's all I can spare you for." A knock on the door interrupted him, and Hoffman sighed wearily. "You two are dismissed; get out of here."

Sam and Pad both saluted smartly, then turned and walked to the door. When Sam opened it, a medical officer swept past him, her eyes locked on Hoffman as she clutched a data disk like it held the battle plans of the UIR. He and Pad shook their heads in unison and stepped out. Whatever was happening, it wasn't their business.

"Come on, Pad. Let's get this done so I can go see my wife." Sam said with a conspiratory smirk. Pad caught the look and wagged his finger.

"Ah ah ah, save it for the honeymoon, sir. You don't want to look desperate." Sam slugged him in the shoulder with a grin, Pad's own smile mirroring his own as they left the command building to find their Pesanga cohorts. Samuel's mind raced as he thought about seeing Sheraya again. She wouldn't believe him for anything.

If Sheraya hadn't seen everything she had over the course of the last two days, the man before her would have shocked her into a coma. In her endeavors to learn Naruto's language, she hadn't noticed that he had been learning hers as well. She had walked into his 'cell', notes and recorder in hand, and he had looked up and casually greeted her, "Good morning, Sheraya-san." She had been so startled she'd nearly dropped her things.

Since the previous day, he had continued to surprise her with his burgeoning understanding of the Tyran language, though she did have to correct him here and there. He was eager to learn, and soon Sheraya's focus moved from studying him to teaching him. That didn't mean she didn't ask questions, though. She'd discovered his full name, Naruto Namikaze, and he'd given her a rough translation of it. In her opinion, he was the exact opposite of the swirling vortex of energy that his name implied. When she'd asked his age, he simply smiled and shook his head.

"Old." He had said, his eyes glazing over as he stared into the distance. "Old. But not wise." She had talked with the guards as well, one of which admitted with a certain amount of guilt that he had spent his entire shift imparting the more coarse elements of Tyran vocabulary upon his prisoner. She'd smacked him with the clipboard when she discovered that while sentence structure was still something of a challenge, the many applications of the word shit were firmly grasped within Naruto's mind.

From Naruto's perspective, he was rather enjoying himself. Having guessed right on their obliviousness to chakra and its uses, he had deployed clones to scour the fort. Several had gotten curious and traveled around the small village within, disguised as fully armored Gears. The memories had come back to him as he had lain in his cot, a spare brought over from one of the barracks. Considering his growing understanding of the language, several copies of himself mingling with the people had given him quite the repertoire of words and phrases to review in his head, using context and what he could gather from his conversations with Sheraya in order to guess at Tyran. He'd managed to nail down the meanings of a few words, though the tone and emphasis still stumped him at times. Apparently, a change in pitch and/or context would change the entire meaning of a word. 'Read' and 'foot' were especially interesting.

And Sheraya's dumbfounded expression had made the whole night of brainstorming worth it. In retrospect, it was probably disappointing for Naruto to be this easily amused. But considering he had imposed self-inflicted hermitage upon himself, this kind of human contact made him realize that he had missed people. The guard from the previous shift had also been generous enough to offer the fouler portions of the Tyran language, though whether it was for Naruto's benefit or his own humor, the shinobi couldn't tell. If the Third Hokage had taught him anything, it was that using coarse language around a woman was considered rude.

"Well now that you can understand me better, Lieutenant Hoffman asked me to 'interrogate' you." Sheraya said, her eyes still wide as she processed his grasp of the Tyran language. Naruto stiffened at the word, having heard it a few times in passing. Sheraya picked up on his wariness and chuckled.

"Oh, don't mind Vic. He's all bark and no bite, as far as you're concerned. Since it's my job to make sure you are able to understand us, that makes you my little project. And he can't lay a finger on you without answering to me." She patted him on the knee reassuringly. Naruto didn't pick up the entirety of the message, but he got the gist of what she meant, and smiled gratefully. While the term 'project' reminded him of Orochimaru, he was glad that he had at least one friend to back him up in the ever approaching meeting with this Hoffman. Even though Sheraya seemed sure that the lieutenant wouldn't do anything rash, a war with shrewd and deceitful individuals had taught Naruto that caution saved more lives than blind trust.

"So," He said awkwardly, trying to change the subject. "Tell me about your husband." While he was sure he wouldn't understand some of it, every moment of exposure to the Tyran language made it easier to interpret. And when Sheraya got to talking, she hardly cared to stop. The only effort came in coaxing her into speech.

"I can tell you all about him after I ask you these few questions from Vic. Is that alright?" She didn't bite, seeing right through his deflection. He sighed internally, but nodded anyway. She looked down at her clipboard, turning on her recorder along the way, and looked back up to ask her first question. But to her surprise and growing ire, Naruto had disappeared. Her head whipped from side to side as she searched for him, only to find her blonde prisoner standing directly behind the guard, who was absentmindedly filling in a crossword puzzle brought over from the rec room. Naruto peered over the Gear's shoulder silently, watching the man as he slowly filled in several spaces, before cursing and erasing his marks roughly. Sheraya was extremely tempted to call Naruto back over to her, but that would alert the guard. She looked down at her watch and saw that she had forty-five minutes left. It was enough time to ask Naruto her questions later, so she was content to merely watch in silence.

Naruto peered at the jumble of scratches and curves, his analytical mind attempting to connect the symbols to the pronunciations he was beginning to understand. TO him, it was like studying fuuinjutsu all over again. Deciphering seemingly random script had become something of a hobby for Naruto. He could also hear the Gear, still oblivious to his presence, muttering the words aloud as well. It was like a crash course in Tyran, and he only had to listen. After observing the clueless guard for a couple minutes, he silently walked back over to where Sheraya was sitting and found his seat across from her like nothing had happened.

"As I was saying..." She said slowly, her eyes scolding him for breaking off the conversation. He shrugged sheepishly in response. She smacked his hand with the clipboard, and the blonde yanked his hand away with a small yelp of pain. He rubbed his knuckles and glowered, though she could see his playful nature beneath the visage, in the glint of his eyes.

"Anyway, Vic just wants me to ask you if you have any plans to threaten us, this fort, or the Coalition of Ordered Governments as a whole. So, got any evil schemes?" She prodded, more for her own curiosity than to follow Hoffman's orders. She was the wife of a Gear; she could pull rank on the bald commander if she wanted to.

"Well, I got here on accident." Naruto said tentatively, the words like a complex seal as he struggled to lend her his thoughts. He tried to remember the patterns his clones had heard in the speech of the villagers and Gears around Anvegad.

"I did not know this place was here. I am..." He trailed off, brow furrowed as he struggled to find the word he was looking for. Sheraya cocked a brow, and tried to supply his small repertoire of words.

"Exploring? Hunting? Lost?" He perked up at the last one.

"Yes. Lost. I do not know my way." He found that stating the assumed definition, if he could, served as clarification. Sheraya nodded and wrote down his exact words. Vic was anal about things like that, always trying to see past the veneer of the world around him, as if he were looking for traps within a jungle.

"And you pose no threat whatsoever to the COG?" And so it went on.

The video had been set to loop, though Hoffman was beginning to wish he had two going, one at normal speed and the other at the speed that had picked up the actions. And though he had watched it five times over, he still couldn't believe it.

"Rosa, are you ABSOLUTELY sure this hasn't been doctored?" It was the only plausible explanation, and yet Victor knew it would fall through. Sure enough, the Chief shook her head.

"I pulled these tapes AS SOON as they were recorded, and they've been in my office under lock and key ever since. Besides, look at Sheraya: her posture remains the exact same, and she's spooked throughout the rest of the session. There's no questioning it sir. He's fast."

Fast didn't even begin to cover it. He had removed Sheraya's ring at speeds too fast for the human eye, and yet Sheraya was still seeing him with only one guard present?! And if his eyes were to be believed, the guard had obviously been lured into some sense of security, since he was gazing off into la la land.

"Why didn't you bring this to me two days ago?" Hoffman tried to remain calm, but with the new ration protocol and the loss of their water supply, his patience was even thinner than usual. To her credit, Chief Rosa didn't back down from his piercing glare.

"He trusts Sheraya. And right now, I think that's the only thing keeping him in check. You've seen the footage, and I've seen his x-rays. I've tested his muscle density. If he wanted to, he could probably kick down the door into the hallway. My point is, he hasn't. Either he isn't interested in fighting us, he's friends with Byrne, or both. At this point, he is completely content." She cocked her brow and bit her lip, bargaining on the next one. "And according to Sheraya, he's beginning to understand our language. He said her name the first day, and has only been learning since."

Of all the things Hoffman hated about his commission, it was situations like this. Here he had a perfect physical human specimen, the likes of which any COG medical and military scientist would blow an Indie for the chance to study. A quick crack over the head and hooking him up to an IV drip would be good enough to tie him down until the siege was over, and then he could hand the kid over to the eggheads. With a physique like his, a medical breakthrough was nigh guaranteed. Handing Naruto over to the scientists might give the Coalition the edge they needed to defeat the UIR, after nearly sixty years of fighting.

On the other hand, this kid was absolutely harmless, as far as could be told. He and Sheraya were goofing off and joking like a couple of civilian friends, like they would go to a movie or out to eat at any time. He had displayed remarkable speed, and his biology was incredible, yet he showed no malice whatsoever. And if he went through with the science approach, as any man who loved the COG would, he would be betraying the trust that Naruto had given Sheraya. He would never be seen again, and she would be out for blood.

"Can he understand Tyran, Chief?" Hoffman growled, reaching into a desk drawer and pulling out his service pistol. Rosa blinked, somewhat alarmed, but nodded hurriedly.

"For the most part, yes. Just stick to simple sentences, and try not to use too many turns of phrase. You're not going to interrogate him, are you?!" Hoffman holstered his weapon and strode around his desk, nearly brushing Rosa off with his shoulder. He opened the door and held it, his eyes on the Chief Warrant Officer as he waited for her to exit.

"I've only got one question for him, and I'll be the one to ask him." Victor said with a frown. Rosa hurriedly dashed out the door, and he closed it behind him. Together, the two marched to the med bay at a relatively quick pace, passing by Gears and support personnel working to stock up the recently confiscated food and water. Now that they were effectively cut off from supply, Hoffman had ordered the seizure of every scrap of food and drop of water in the fort and its village. He had put the administrative team to work formulating ration quantities, and every measure was taken to make sure people would get their fill and no more. The townspeople hadn't been happy about the orders, but Hoffman was determined to hold out for as long as necessary.

When they reached the medical cell where Naruto and Sheraya were still conversing, Hoffman pointed a Gear out of the hallway and had the man follow him in. He pulled the soldier aside and addressed Rosa.

"I want you to call Byrne out here like you would normally. This Gear," He sent a piercing glare to the helmeted soldier, who stiffened ever so slightly, "will make sure she doesn't do anything rash while I talk to this kid. Are we clear?" Rosa frowned slightly, but slowly nodded her head in agreement. It wouldn't do now to argue with him now that he was up and running.

With that covered, Rosa crossed over to the door. Her hand shook slightly as she grasped the door, but a grunt from Hoffman steeled her. He was her commanding officer; she had to trust him, regardless of her own reservations. The door slid open easier than she would have thought, and she quickly put on the facade of medical indifference.

"... and then, I kicked him across the village. No lie, his head slammed into the main gate!" Rosa walked in to Naruto and Sheraya sharing a laugh as he told her about his life in his village. They continued to chuckle until Naruto noticed Rosa standing in the doorway. Sheraya ceased as well and followed his gaze, her grin still in place when she saw her friend.

"Oh, hey Malory. What's up?" Her tone even carried a chuckle in it, which made Rosa suddenly feel very dirty for participating in Hoffman's temporary farce. Still, she kept her voice level and her face indifferent, and acted her part.

"I've got some more tests you have to see. This guy just continues to surprise." She hated herself for saying it. Her self-loathing grew even more when she saw Sheraya so blatantly accept her words. The newly wed woman nodded a farewell to Naruto and stood up, leaving her things inside with him. She followed Rosa out the door and closed it behind them. Now that they were both out, Rosa turned to Sheraya just as the interpreter put her hands on her hips.

"So, what did you want to show me that was-" She was cut off when Hoffman and the guard appeared from the observation room. Sheraya's eyes went first to Hoffman, then the guard, and finally settled on Rosa, who had already turned away to hide her shame. Before she could react, the guard placed a hand on her shoulder as Hoffman swept past her, unholstering his pistol as he went.

"No, what are you doing?! Victor, stop!" Sheraya cried, struggled against her captor as the Gear grabbed both of her arms to stop her. Rosa fled to the hallway, closing the door behind her in an effort to hide from whatever Victor was planning. Sheraya continued to struggle, but a gloved hand restricted her ability to give Victor the tongue-lashing of the century as her shock turned to ire. Hoffman ignored her and threw open the door, striding in to address Naruto for the first time.

When the door opened, Naruto immediately stepped down off of the bed he was sitting on and took up a guarded stance. Hoffman ignored the obvious martial arts stance and stalked up within ten feet of Naruto before pointing the pistol in Naruto's face. To the young (well, in appearance) man's credit, he didn't flinch despite the gun ready to blow his gray matter all

over the wall behind him. Hoffman's eyes narrowed as he felt his gun was suddenly lighter, as if the magazine had been ejected.

"Give it back, kid. I've still got one in the chamber." He growled, and Naruto grinned as he held up Hoffman's clip in his left hand, his right beckoning the commander.

"Come and get it." For once, Hoffman smirked, somewhat content to be back to a black and white situation: an insolent brat was challenging his authority. Freak strength and speed or not, Hoffman tossed his gun away and cracked his knuckles in preparation to interrogate the blonde the old fashioned way. Naruto also tossed the magazine with it, though no one saw the two meet and the clip slide home in mid air. The two closed what little space there was between them in what could only be considered a flying grapple, their arms fighting for leverage to throw each other down. Hoffman stopped grabbing and brought an elbow across, but Naruto leaned back from the blow and captured the arm in a lock, spinning behind Hoffman in an attempt to overstretch him. Hoffman took a knee, using his weight to pull Naruto down toward him, then stood back up quickly. The action slammed Hoffman's bald head into Naruto's nose. The blonde stumbled back, releasing the lieutenant's arm, and barely ducked in time to avoid a straight punch. He followed up with some of his own, though they were rendered glancing blows upon Hoffman's forearms and sides.

The bald man pushed forward aggressively; he jabbed and elbowed with decent accuracy, forcing Naruto to backpedal somewhat to allow himself enough space to block. He felt the wall hit his back all too soon, and decided to stop playing around. He caught the fist coming toward his face and brought it over to the side, the other fist he caught as it tried to join his kidney with the concrete. They stood there for a second, Hoffman pushing Naruto into the wall, but Naruto allowing him to move no farther.

"Why haven't you killed us yet?" Hoffman snarled in his face, the power struggle stalemated. Naruto's brow furrowed as he glared right back into Hoffman's bulldog eyes. That's what this was all about, wasn't it?

"Because I don't want to." He gritted his teeth as Hoffman's push renewed in tenacity, forcing him to actually try to keep the fist out of his face.

"Sheraya's been in here every day for the past week with you, and you could have snapped her neck and escaped with no trouble. I'll ask you again: WHY. HAVEN'T. YOU. KILLED. US?" Victor's voice reached a deeper pitch and higher volume, nearly screaming his question into Naruto's face. He couldn't afford a gray area here; everyone under his command was at stake. Again, Naruto pushed back, only this time he pushed hard enough to send Hoffman to the other side of the med bay, slamming up against the empty bed. Naruto's guard made a move, but Hoffman held up his hand to stop him.

"I haven't done anything because you haven't given me a reason to! I have no idea where I am, or how to get back home. If it weren't for Sheraya, I'd have left the night I got here." Naruto said coldly, his eyes blazing with indignation. Hoffman nodded, then slowly stood up, retrieving his pistol from where it had landed. He noted that its magazine was securely locked in its place, then eyed Naruto warily.

"You could have killed me at any time." He stated. It was a simple fact: Hoffman had put all his strength into those blows, and the kid had stopped them cold. Naruto smirked.

"And you could have painted the wall with my head." They both nodded in respect, then Hoffman reeled on the guard this time. The Gear jumped back in surprise, not expecting to suddenly become the target of Hoffman's infamous ire.

"And don't think I didn't notice your lazy ass, Montez! I scrutinized those tapes, and in every one of them, you were sitting on your ass! Playing crossword, sleeping, all things against code for standing duty!" Pvt. Montez backed up slightly, which only invited Hoffman to get in his face.

"THE NEXT TIME YOU FEEL LIKE A CROSSWORD PUZZLE, I'LL TATTOO EVERY RATING AND RANK ACROSS YOUR FACE, SO YOU'LL NEVER FORGET! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, PRIVATE?!" Hoffman's red face filled Montez's vision, and he suddenly felt faint.

"Y-y-yessir, Lieutenant! I'll shape up, sir!" And he nearly died; he'd forgotten that the COG was a collective, and there were no individuals. This concept had been pounded into his head all through boot, and Hoffman's face purpled as he reared up for another go.

"I? I?! You've got two eyes, private! And neither of them were helping you do your job! So unless the private decides to do his goddamned job, I'll have your head on a plate and served for evening mess! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" Sometimes, Victor missed his NCO days a little too much.

"YES SIR! THE PRIVATE UNDERSTANDS PERFECTLY, SIR!" Montez belted out, his gaze straight ahead as if it were his first week of Boot all over again. Hoffman glared at him for several seconds, daring the private to even blink. Content that he'd gotten his point across, he stomped over to the door.

Sheraya was half-tempted to bite off her captor's hand in an effort to yell at Hoffman, but the commander opened up the door just before she opened her mouth. He looked haggard, but he gestured at her guard, who quickly released her.

"Apologies, ma'am." The Gear had the decency to say, though the look of pure murder she sent him could have turned wine to blood. He didn't look her in the eye, though his helmet hid his face perfectly anyway. She turned her gaze to Hoffman, who gestured toward the medical room.

"He isn't a threat to us, at least not for now. He also isn't hurt, so it's up to you to find him lodging and get him acquainted with people; I don't need him taking up space in my med bay." His tone was gruff, but she could tell that things had worked out well enough. Sheraya's mood brightened considerably, and she moved past Victor to see if Naruto was alright. As she did, her guard inched closer to Hoffman.

"Sir, are you sure you want to release the prisoner?" He asked, following the lieutenant as he walked out into the main hallway. There was no sign of Rosa; Hoffman made a note to talk to her later.

"Prisoner? Son, that man in there is an unwanted guest, not a prisoner. He could have escaped at any time." The Gear balked at that; surely no one could escape from deep within the fort!

Hoffman dismissed the Gear and headed back to his study, intent on trying to requisition more food and water. He'd been swatted down by command a dozen times now, but he wasn't going to quit until they promised at least one chopper's worth of provisions. It's easy to deny supplies when you aren't the one starving. And we've only got so much food left. How long can this siege last? The last time he'd tried, Colonel Choi himself had threatened to demote him to PFC for pestering Command. Hoffman had been furious.

"Sir, I've got five thousand starving civilians giving their food to a garrison of two hundred Gears. If I have to, I'll call every hour on the hour until you blow a hole in your own damned skull. With all due respect, Colonel, go fuck yourself. My men are more important than your goddamned reputation!"

Choi had not responded, but had merely disconnected the line. Somehow Hoffman knew that the colonel would send something, though the amount had no guarantee. Still, he'd trade in his bar and every other commendation he'd received in his military career if it would get his men and their charges food and water. And with his recent disrespect toward the man who was largely in charge of the defense of Kashkur, odds are that was what would happen. He reached his office with no interruptions and was inside before anything else could trifle him. Considering he'd just gotten in a fight with a kid that could probably shatter cinder blocks, his own mortality was suddenly brought into perspective. What if, during the shelling that came every day and would follow henceforth, he suddenly thought of Sander, with no message of any kind to his wife. He walked over to his desk, fingers numb from his close brush with death.

Naruto – he had earned the right for Hoffman to call him by name – could have beaten him ragged and broken with little hassle, if the medical records and how he had thrown Victor across the room were any indication. That in itself was considered foolhardy, since Victor had provoked him on paranoia alone. It had been his best course at the time, but in all his years, Victor had hardly ever come across a truly neutral combatant. And now he's stuck here with us. He said the only reason he's still here is because of his friendship with Sheraya. So I've only brought about another mouth to feed. The Pesangas will be hunting hard this week...

With all his worries in mind, Lt. Hoffman began drafting a letter for Margaret, for the ever more likely scenario in which his last words would be passed to her along with a notice of decease. He expressed his love for her, even though their marriage was still newfound. He told her of his regret to still be fighting the war of their grandfathers, and that he wished everything could be peaceful for once on this war-torn planet. And he wrote very simply that his only wish at this point was to hold her close. He owed her that much for putting up with him.

Weeks passed, and their rations dwindled, consumed at an alarming rate between the Gears and the civilians. On two occasions, the food storage had been stolen from. His phone had remained silent, a fact that did nothing to raise Hoffman's hopes. The day after his fight with Naruto, Sheraya had burst into his office. Sgt. Byrne had to pull his pregnant wife off of Hoffman as she had thrown the tantrum of the century.

Officially released from medical, Naruto now had free reign of the fort, or as much as they could keep from him. He'd intentionally broken into Hoffman's office several times just to spite the bald man, but he'd quickly learned the situation that plagued Anvegad. With no water, every last vestige was reserved for drinking purposes. Not only that, but the sewer system was as ancient as the rest of the fort, and relied upon the infinite and constant supply of water from the underground river the Indies had been so good as to dam up. As such, there was no water to move the waste out of the town, and it soon reeked of human excrement. The town mayor, Alderman Casani, had organized a team of men to load up the human waste and dump it outside of the fort at nigh, under cover of darkness. It was dangerous, but living with the bacteria farm that was a pile of shit was one hundred times worse. A bullet would kill you quick. Dysentery and infections were the slow bleeders.

Sheraya was beginning to show, her slightly bulging belly detailing her pregnancy. As such, she received the same chow that Gears did, since she was eating for two. Only one Kashkuri had complained about it, and a single glare from Hoffman had silenced him before the argument could begin. With his wife beginning to come under the effects of carrying a child, Samuel Byrne became increasingly anxious. She had introduced him to Naruto, who assured him that no harm would come to Sheraya. Even so, the line between dissent and outright crime was growing ever thinner, and Sam worried if his wife might be targeted by angry natives.

It was the third week of the siege, twenty five days since the river had been blocked, when Hoffman's phone suddenly rang. The lieutenant had long given up hope of resupply, and had stared at it for a full three seconds before ripping the receiver from the rack.

"This is Lt. Hoffman, commander of the Anvegad garrison. Is that you, Colonel?" He tried to remain civil, since his last conversation with his superior had been less so. The colonel didn't seem to mind.

"Lieutenant, I've got an outdated Corva loaded with fuel and provisions headed in your direction. If you can use those cannons attached to that fort of yours, it should be safe enough to land. This is all the aid we can spare for now." He sounded haggard, as if the battle for the rest of Kashkur wasn't going well. Hoffman immediately regretted chewing his ass in the earlier weeks.

"Thank you sir. I apologize if I was rude earlier. I was out of line." He had to kiss ass now, since there was a chance Choi would send more aid if Hoffman buttered him up.

"Sod it, Lieutenant. Your job right now is to hold that fort. I'm just making sure your men don't eat each other. If you hold that fort, we'll be square." He paused for a moment. "And I want that pilot back in one piece, Hoffman. She's risking her neck for the lot of you."

The line disconnected, and he set the receiver down gently. Somehow, his ire had brought about results from HQ, in defiance of both chain of command and whatever problems the rest of the army was facing. Still, he'd gotten his people food.

Victor stomped out of his office, making a bee line for the ancient cannon battery atop Anvil Gate. It was several flights of steps up to the top, but sure enough he found the chief engineer, Hollis, staring out toward the UIR forces while eating what passed for rations these days.

"Hollis!" Hoffman barked, startling the man and nearly making him drop his food. "We've got a bird coming in with food and fuel. When it gets here, I want that cannon to make sure those Indies' assholes are so tight, they won't be able to fart for a week. How many shells do you have?"

The engineer set his food down and half jogged, half sprinted to the ammo store, Hoffman right on his tail. Hollis threw open the doors, and Hoffman was content to see stacks upon stacks of ordinance.

"Sir, I could blow Gorasnaya off the map with all the shot I've got in here." Hollis said with a sneer. "You won't get any trouble from the ones in front of us." He then walked over to the radio and began ordering the other gunners up.

"The bird will be here in two hours, just as it hit dawn. We have until then to prepare. Get to it, Warrant Officer!" Hoffman barked. He turned on his heel and moved back down into the town, the stink not affecting him as it would have the first few days of the siege. He had to find Bai Tak and the rest of the Pesangas.

He did find them, or at least four of them, in the mess hall. Bai, Lau En, and Cho were all there running whetstones over their machetes. Their size still made them look like children to him, but they were the most brutal children he'd ever seen.

"Rifleman Tak!" He said gruffly, slapping the little Pesanga on the shoulder. If he was surprised to see Hoffman, Bai hid it behind his constant grin.

"What can we do, Hoffman sah?" He asked, and Hoffman was reminded of the little Tyran they spoke. They had improved dramatically, but it was still choppy.

"I need you to head up into the hills and make sure we get any surprises. I've got a chopper loaded with food on the way. I need those Indies up there exterminated. Do you understand?" Bai nodded enthusiastically, then belted out a long string of Pesang to the others. His grin quickly spread to their faces as well. They began talking among each other animatedly, sheathing their blades and retrieving their rifles from under the table. Bai looked back at Hoffman.

"No worries, sah. We gut them like fish." Together, eerily quite despite the gear they were toting, the Pesangas stood up and moved off, preparing for their hunt. Hoffman's next order of business was finding Pad Salton. He trusted the little Pesangas, but a sniper on duty always calmed his nerves a bit.

Ten minutes later, he found Pad and Sheraya talking in the market place, which was now completely empty of the food and wares that had been sold there just a month prior. It was more of a meeting place than anything, since people preferred company to sitting alone in stink. Humans always were social creatures.

"Private Salton." Hoffman growled, nodding in Sheraya's direction. Pad turned and faced him, the dying light of the day giving his facial tattoos an odd glare.

"Sir?" Sheraya cocked her brow as well, interested in the news. If Hoffman thought it was important, she took it upon herself to be nosy.

"We have an old Corva coming in to resupply our food stores in about an hour. I want you to set up with that rifle of yours and watch the hills. I've sent the Pesangas up there as well, but I need the added insurance. With our cannons to the front and you boys to the back, that chopper should be safe."

"Should be?" A new voice joined in, and Hoffman turned with mild surprise to find Naruto, perched atop the wall that separated the market from the town square. How he had gotten up there, Hoffman had stopped asking days ago. He was just a natural at things.

"I can't guarantee one hundred percent safety. Even with the Pesangas in the hills, those commandos are clever bastards." He nodded to Pad and Sheraya, then walked toward the wall Naruto sat up. The blonde jumped down, taking the twelve foot fall and smoothly landing in a crouch. Such acts were becoming commonplace. He'd already climbed to the highest point, and had taken a sniper round from a UIR commando in the process. The Indie had been found minutes later with three of those kunai Naruto liked so much lodged in his face. No one messed with the blonde after that, though the fact he'd tossed Hoffman across a room made his list of challengers few in the first place.

"I'm not going to ask you to fight our battles." Hoffman said gruffly, not quite believing his own words. "But if you could help us in any way, I'd appreciate it." It felt dirty, asking for help after being so distrustful earlier. But Naruto didn't seem to mind.

"I'm not used to fighting wars with firearms and vehicles. But when the time comes, I'll do what I can." He didn't promise anything, but he didn't exactly refuse, either. I guess I couldn't expect more. Hoffman thought to himself. With that said, he ended the exchange with a curt nod and left. Just because Naruto wasn't a threat, it didn't mean Hoffman had to like him. The trio watched him stalk off, then Pad rolled his shoulders.

"Well, those Indies won't plink themselves. I'd better get on, you know how he gets." With that, he bid them farewell and jogged off, leaving Sheraya and Naruto alone in the market. The two grinned slightly as they watched Pad leave. They looked at each other and chuckled.

"So, Victor gets one phone call, and the next moment he's sprinting all over the fort. He really is a man of his people." Sheraya said. Naruto smirked.

"If it weren't for his gruff exterior, I might actually like him. He's a hard man, that one." Naruto's understanding of Tyran had grown exponentially since his release. He hardly even carried an accent. Sheraya frowned slightly.

"What will you do? To help, I mean. That helicopter is going to have food for everyone." She said imploringly. Naruto looked away, his arms crossed defensively.

"I promised to what I can. I didn't say I'd slaughter the soldiers beating on your door. This isn't my war, Sheraya." He pointed at her bulging stomach, and the child growing within. "Do you want to bring your kid up in a world like this? One so focused around military strength and might that it won't have a good life?" He walked away before she could answer, his fleeting steps leaving her to ponder his question. If she could, she would end the war right then and there. But the problem was, the generation that had started this war had all died out. It was a war that no one remembered the cause of. They just kept following the orders of their superiors, who in turn followed their orders as well. It was an endless cycle of war. Still, her thoughts turned to the future. Kashkur was a major offensive in a long line of battles. Once this one was over, for better or worse, the fighting would go somewhere else. And Anvegad would be a quiet little hamlet once again.

The hour flew by quickly, and sure enough, Hoffman was contacted over the radio by the pilot.

"This is CC-Seventy-Four-Five calling Anvil Gate." She said. "You boys have a place for me?"

"Affirmative, Seven Four Five. There's a sloped hill slightly above the fort. We've got security teams all over it; you can hover and roll your cargo out there." Hoffman replied. "And mind the cannons. They're going to keep the Indies at bay."

"Roger that, Anvil Gate. If it's all the same to you, I'll land. It's a bit breezy up here." He couldn't blame her; the winds around Anvegad changed frequently due to the rivers and lakes nearby. All that evaporated air tended to change currents.

"There's a clearing just outside the walls. I know it's an old bird, but you should be able to land there." This was where Pad and Bai would earn their place; the fort broke the line of sight for their frontal attackers, but any dumbass with a rocket launcher could turn their life saving chopper into a fireball if he fired from the hills.

Sure enough, he heard the steady thrum of the helicopter approaching. As it got closer, he signaled Warrant Officer Hollis, who began firing on the UIR troops down range. It would keep them occupied. A few minutes later, sound was greeted by sight as the black silhouette of the Corva rose from the north-east, its rotors beating the shit out of the air as it struggled to haul its heavy load. She circled Hoffman's designated LZ twice before committing, setting down the landing struts just as Gears made a break from Anvegad to open ground. Hoffman watched from the wall, his binoculars torn between watching the hills for attackers and watching his relief roll off the chopper.

"Off load the fuel first; I don't like sitting on a bomb any longer than I have to." He heard the pilot say. His Gears, Sam Byrne included, began pulling the giant tank of fuel off of the Corva, and Hoffman breathed a sigh of relief. Another month of food and medicine, airdropped or not, definitely shaved some stress off of his psyche. He was so focused on managing the supplies that were being off-loaded, he didn't recognized the distant pop for what it was until he saw the rocket flying towards the Corva.