Chapter 3
Claude spent the next few days on the base, blending in and scouting for a weakness in the line. Thanks to Keigal and Vancey, he had a rough idea of the base's outline and where to start.
Since both armies gathered at the border, both sides agreed to leave a no man's land in the middle and fortified their lines a short distance behind. The Federation's line was a makeshift wooden barricade stretching alongside the no man's land. A grenadier company stationed at the line at all time, rotated out every two days at five in the afternoon. Some platoons of scouts and shock troopers also manned the line, rotated out every eight hours per the usual standard. But that was about the only thing standard. The troops came to post late, maintained their weapons poorly, and talked all the time at the frontline. Despite being the Ranger Corps, fresh recruits and peacetime, albeit with tension, made it hard for them to be serious. Except for the veterans who returned from combats, former squad E included, everyone else talked about this assignment as a hindrance to their lives and went about their mission the same way.
Perhaps thanks to their veterancy, most squad E members got promoted to their current position. Keigal made Sergeant First Class and became a drill instructor for a new batch of lancers. Vancey made Second Lieutenant and led a special-operation squad, mostly for covert operation. Given that any offensive action could trigger war again, her squad was on indefinite standby, and she spent her days looking for people who could drink. Mabel was promoted to Staff Sergeant, but she was eyeing Sergeant First Class like Keigal. Teresa got reassigned as a combat medic as she wished, although peacetime significantly reduced her chance to practice her hobby. They seemed happy with their current positions, so much so Claude felt bad letting them know about his situation. But Keigal let them know anyway. Mabel would only help him cross since she wanted the officer commission. But Teresa said she would join him. With that, Claude began formulating a plan.
He sneaked out of Keigal's quarter every other night, explored the routes and inspected the base's armory. He thought crossing unarmed would help him fool the Empire into thinking he was an immigrant. But then again, he decided to borrow arms from the armory, preferring to stay active in the Empire's territory, and given that the armory guards wouldn't mind. The wooden barricades had a few thin spots that he could hear the wind breezing through. An engineer or a few concentrated shots could make a breakthrough for one person at a time. Claude was also sure that all troops at the line would pay too much attention at the Empire's direction to care about him making a ruckus behind their back. But he was less sure how he could sneak through the no man's land without being shot in the back. He could not go to the line to survey the posts, and none of his friends were assigned there. He wouldn't consider asking more of his squad members who had given him so much already.
As he feared wasting more time stuck at the border, an old face came to him. Minerva came barging in Keigal's quarter when Claude was drinking with Keigal and Vancey. It was unsightly of him, but he was a bit tipsy to care about that.
"Claude, I know it was you."
Minerva's voice almost deafened Claude, but at least it knocked him sober.
"You're here?"
Keigal and Claude responded the same way and Vancey kept drinking without care.
"Yes, I'm here of course. You're looking at Captain Minerva, mind you. But more importantly, I heard from Mabel. You need to stop Claude. This is suicide."
That killed the mood quickly, if her presence alone had not. Claude scratched his chin and smiled awkwardly.
"It can't be that bad. Sure it is dangerous, but I have to try."
"You're not even coherent and you expect to defend your excuse? Turn back Claude. If Raz is still alive, he'll make his way back on his own. He's invincible, is he not?"
The liquor inside Vancey's bottle stopped shaking and Keigal lowered his own.
"You can't expect him to do that alone. He would need help. Be realistic."
"The realistic thing to expect is that he's dead. If he survives, what can you do to help him and not sabotage the entire ceasefire treaty? If you cross the border now, if you don't get shot at first sight, how do you expect to continue on and break him out of whatever prisons they're holding him? What are you thinking even risking Vancey and Teresa? And Mabel and Keigal here to the Federation martial court? You're not just throwing away your life here. You're throwing away your friends' lives and many more if you restart the war."
"No, I'm not." Claude murmured.
"What about Kai? Does she know? Why are you here and she isn't? Are you being delusional and unwilling to move on?"
"No. Kai knows. But she refuses to believe."
"And what of Riley? What of Angie? Do they know? Not that Raz might live that you're about to throw away the peace that you both worked so hard for? That you're about to throw your life away and leave her behind?"
"Shut up! You would do the same if it was Christel!"
He said without thinking, and in an instance, got a slap in the face.
"Something's wrong with you Claude. You're welcome to die alone, but don't drag everyone else with you."
Minerva said and left the quarters. The other two sneaked a glance at Claude and hid their faces behind the half-empty bottles.
Minerva moved fast. The next morning, Claude noticed double the number of troops on the front line, and extra patrol squads around the perimeter between the quarters and the line. He was running out of time, even before Minerva entered the picture. But the wind called to him the next night, and he made his call. Whether it was fate behind him or pure chance, he rallied everyone to Keigal's quarter anyway.
"Time is running out, so I'll try to make this brief." Claude said as he laid out a sketch of the base on the table and everyone gathered around it. "We're going tonight. It will be cloudy and there won't be moonlight. And if we wait any further, Minerva might establish a curfew on base. We will split into two teams. Teresa will lead the first team to the armory and get all the equipment you need. Pack light because we will be traveling in enemy territory. I will lead a second team to this point here at the barricade and start working on making a hole. We will wait for the first team and then leave for the Empire. However, be careful when you move. If you get spotted by sentries, just abandon the plan and return to your quarters. Be mindful that we cannot open fire. Especially, don't get caught by Minerva. Mabel, I understand that you only thought she would help us. Don't feel too bad about it. And thank you to all of you here."
Claude almost choked on his last words, but Keigal caught him and slapped on his back. The man uttered a hearty laugh and leaded Mabel outside. Then followed Teresa. Then Vancey looked at Claude in the eye. Her lingering almost made Claude questioned himself again, but she just smiled and patted his shoulder before heading out. Left alone, he glanced at the bottle half emptied rolling on Keigal's bed, probably belonged to Vancey.
When he stepped outside, Keigal and Teresa already grouped up while Mabel and Vancey prepared their weapons. To his surprise, Mabel had her hands on a rifle, probably sniper privilege, and was loading non-lethal rounds. Vancey too, loaded up a Reising model with an extra ammo belt. They all looked at him, waiting.
"Squad E, move… Sorry, habit."
Keigal's laugh alone could have woken up everyone.
Claude and Vancey went the opposite direction of Teresa's team while Mabel split off to find a vantage point. Sneaking in a friendly base gave Claude an odd feeling. He felt like a child afraid of being caught doing something bad. No, it was even more intense compared to when he led his squad in combat, when he had a legitimate reason to fight and defend himself. Now, what would he even do if he got caught? But luckily, they made it all the way to the barricade undetected.
"What now?" Vancey asked, staring at the wooden barricade as tall as the Siegval Line's hill.
"Blast it with everything you've got." Claude said. And Vancey began unloading onto the wall. Had they got an engineer, this manual drilling would be done much quicker with much less noise. Claude thought about ragnite explosive or going even more manual with hammers and saws, but since Vancey brought her weapon, he would just go with it. But even then, he second-guessed himself as the wall was still intact when Teresa and Keigal arrived.
"We've got the gears. Medical equipment for me. Brown rifle and extra ammunition for you and Vancey. How are we doing on the wall?" Teresa said.
"Not so well." Claude said.
"Well, I can take this then." Keigal said and readied the lance on his shoulder. Claude gave one look at it and froze.
"Wait, stop, it would alert everyone."
"And Vancey blasting her machine gun wouldn't then? Have a better idea?"
"He doesn't, but I do."
The whole squad turn around and stared at Minerva who intruded upon the scene. She was unarmed, but her menacing look was enough to subdue Claude.
"I won't give up, Minerva." He pleaded.
"I know. And I won't stop you." She said.
Felt like his heart skipped a beat.
"You were right Claude. If it was Christel, I would come for her. Despite all that I say about the risk, if it was up to me… Look Claude. You led us through the war. I want to trust that you can bring Raz back. But more importantly, I want you to bring everyone back alive. Can you give me that?"
Claude hesitated.
"Yes."
"Then Keigal, you'll blow that wall up. Claude, you'll escape to the no man's land and wait there. I will order a refugee convoy into the Empire as a pretense for a manhunt. Then you can enter the Empire hiding in the convoy. That way, I can assign Vancey, Teresa, and Mabel to leave the base officially. Zaiga will be joining you. Keigal?"
"I'm staying. I'm too old for this."
"Then so be it. Take care of the squad, Claude. Do us proud."
Minerva turned around and walk away. Claude stared as she vanished into the dark, until Keigal called him back to reality. Shortly after a loud explosion, the Federation got one man short.