Chapter 6
Leena readied the rifle and adjusted the scope. She caressed the wooden stock before sliding a bullet inside the chamber and cocked the bolt. It felt just like old time, even if old time was merely a month ago.
"Looks like you're ready."
Leena lowered the rifle and turned around. Riley stood leaning next to the doorway, her hand resting on Angie's head. She lifted her hands up and Angie, like a pet off the leash, leaped toward Leena and hugged her.
"Is Miles here already?" Leena asked.
"Soon." Riley said.
Leena pulled Angie toward the bed and sat down.
"You be a good girl and study well okay? Big sisters will be back soon. And don't stay up too late. Don't let Miles spoil you too much okay? One ice cream a week only. Did you pack your backpack yet? And your schoolwork? Your teddy bear?"
Angie nodded and kept her face in Leena's embrace while Leena kept patting Angie on her back and telling her things. Leena was so absorbed she didn't notice Riley approaching them and put a hand on her shoulder.
"It's time." Riley said. Leena didn't let Angie go until Riley pulled on her shoulder softly. The little girl nudged a little more before gave Leena a kiss on her cheek and ran out of the room.
"You don't pack any clothes?" Riley asked.
"I don't think we have a hotel on a cruise like last time. Did you pack clothes? Why are you still standing? Isn't it hurt?"
"A bit. But don't worry. If I can't stand, I can't go, right?"
Leena smiled bitterly.
"Let's go." She said.
Leena and Riley took a few days on train to go to a naval base on the coast and sweet talked their way into meeting with captain Morgan. Minerva's name didn't give them much. Even their names didn't give them much. It was like squad E's profile got wiped and they weren't even veterans. Riley was getting pissed off until they met with captain Morgan. The captain leaded them into his private office and took extra measures to make sure they wouldn't be eavesdropped. Then he handed them a file.
"Lovely to have you young folks come to see me." He greeted them. "But I don't suppose you come here to see to my health, isn't it Officer Miller, Sergeant Schulen?"
"We're just civilians sir. We're here because Minerva told us…"
"Let's talk somewhere else."
"Sir, what is this?" Leena asked.
"Operation Meteor. The Federation War Council was made aware of the Imperial X-0 element and deemed them potential risk in the future, even in peacetime. We're going in again to destroy the X-0, before they finish negotiating a permanent peace agreement. They brought me back in from retirement because I had sailed the Crystal Sea. And of course, Minerva told me you're both interested in finishing the job."
"Actually, sir…"
"Yes, we're interested in your team, if you still have open slots." Leena nudged Riley's knee as she looked at the captain.
"As a matter of fact, I do. Due to the nature of the operation, I'm not allowed to retrain or recruit new personnel. We have a limited team enough to fill a small icebreaker."
"Icebreaker, sir? You mean like a Centurion?" Riley asked.
"No, of course. Back in the day before war, Edinburgh used to trade with the Nord Republic through the Crystal Sea. We made specialized cargo ship that could break thin ice layer. It's no Centurion, but it will get us where we need to be."
"And where is that, sir?" Leena asked.
"The town islands where we once picked up refugees. The War Council believes the X-0 headquartered there, or at least will give us a lead. Well, any other question?"
Leena looked at Riley.
"No, sir."
"I'll have Andre shown you the armory. Karen will have you filled in the paperwork. We'll sall in two days."
Riley had been hiding everyone that her legs still ached when she walked. The two days before they sailed were terrible because she had to take up the post as the crew's weapon specialist. The grenadiers would be the only anti-ship defense they had. Things got a little easier once they got onboard, and she spent most of her time below deck in her quarter. The ship was small like one of the civilian cruisers she took to go to United States of Vinland. But it was large enough to house an armory and a crew of thirty. Aside from captain Morgan, Andre, Brian, Louffe, Marie and Sergio were also onboard. Karen took up Sergio's post as the ship surgeon, while Sergio filled in as a lancer. So were other navy members taking up their combat roles except for Marie. Of the thirty crewmembers, only ten were ground troops. Riley feared they would be severely outnumbered.
Because the ship was smaller and carried less weigh, it ran faster than the Centurion. To Riley surprise, they made it pass the cliff where the Centurion picked up squad E in only a few days since they departed Federation base. When they were passing by the cliff, Leena helped her topside just to have a look, and a quick trip down the memory lane. Riley almost felt like a leisure cruise trip, until the captain called her to the deck the next day.
"Yes, captain?"
"Riley, we're going to slow down from now on. I'm going to need you on the radio. This is the latest equipment from Edinburg, the Puzzler. It will receive any radio frequency undetected. But you will need to catch all frequency by turning this knob here. And push this button to start recording. If you have any question, just ask me."
"Yes sir. But, sir, wasn't there a radio operator?"
"Don't worry about taking someone else's job. We're all understaffed." The captain said.
The first action came a day later at dusk.
"Captain, I just picked up an Imperial signal. A patrol coming into base. Twenty minutes out. Seems like a big base, a lot of chatter." Riley said.
"Marie, tell Sergeant Kai to assemble her squad. We need to capture them alive. Tell Louffe to be on mortar. Good work, Riley."
"Captain, shouldn't I join the fight?"
"No, you should stay here and monitor the situation." The captain said.
That was how Riley learned about the captain putting her on reserve. Sitting in the deck, doing nothing but listening to the voice comm while her friends were out there fighting almost choke her crying. Not once did she say anything at the captain, but she bit her lip in between relaying orders to the squad on the field.
The fight was intense listening in from the outside. It wasn't the first for Riley. She was a grenadier leader, listening from a far and directing artillery fire, pushing buttons without seeing the results. But now, she was just listening. Thirty minutes of fighting lasted an eternity when she was just waiting for it to end. And when it ended, she leapt out of the seat toward the door, forgetting for a second her legs weren't as good as they were.
The squad captured two wounded Imperial soldiers. Riley joined the captain at the sickbay where the prisoners were chained to their sick bed as Karen treated them. One of them was unconscious.
"Federation pig." The other younger looking one hurled as soon as Riley stepped inside the sickbay. In an instant, Leena put a rifle muzzle at his cheek, shutting him up, but unable to wipe the disgusted look in his eyes. Captain Morgan gestured Leena to lower the weapon and pulled a seat next to the soldier.
"You have Fhiraldian accent. Must have travelled a long way to this cold land, haven't we?" The captain said. The soldier's eyes softened.
"I travelled there once. To Fhirald. When I was a young man your age. Got to make friend with a horse named Vilkan. He was a beautiful horse. Didn't run as fast as his peer, but he was a proudful one. Do you know how to ride a horse?"
"Yes." The soldier grunted.
"Do you have a horse?"
"Zahir. A stallion."
"Is he here in the north?"
"She's back home in Fhirald. Just two years old before I went to the army."
"Do you come back often?"
"No. They… the Empire wouldn't let us take a break."
"Ah, I see. Me too. We too actually. We've been sailing for months now, just wanting to go home. What's your name, soldier?"
"Jaegar."
"What a beautiful name. Jaeger, I'm Morgan. These are my people. We're not here to kill you. We're not here to kill anyone. The war is over, okay? We're only looking for our missing friends. They might be staying in some of these islands. Can you tell me where they are? And then we'll let you and your friends back to shore. Safe. Fed. So you can go and see Zahir."
Riley could tell the young soldier was holding back. He burst out crying as soon as the captain finished and everyone in the room watched him in silence. Now that Riley looed at him long enough, he looked as young as Neige and Nico.
"I didn't want to be up here. It's cold up here. They made me." The young fellow stuttered as he cried while captain Morgan pat him on his back. "Some Federation pigs showed up last week and then they made me go to the Crystal Sea. My captain is a turncoat. He treats those pigs like they were old friends. He made me walk the ice. It's so cold out there even though it's spring. I don't want to fight anymore."
The soldier cried and continued, but Riley wasn't listening anymore.