Disclaimer: I'm not a historian and I am not of the mind to properly research this thing, especially with my remaining school work. Expect little historical accuracy. I'd say it's for the lol's and laughs, but given the premise of this snippet, that'd be a lie. Expect much bloodshed

9th Armored, 1st Army

Czechoslovakia

October 1945

Hey sis, heard you finally got your orders to ship out. I'd congratulate you and all, but we both know that's a load of crap. And I'm sorry for saying it, but thank God I'm not with you girls. Now don't start crying, you and I both know you'd be saying the same thing in my spot.

Remember when I first got my orders to move out and join the 9th? Man, those were the days. The worst we got of it was just Sargeant Reizei trashing us for waking up too late or staying up too late drinking in the Mess and feeling up for some of the men. We were so happy, and you were so pissed when I got top of the class and was offered a spot in the European Theater. I still remember it, early January, when we said our goodbye's and I got on a boat bound for England.

Got with my regiment just in time for Remagen, when we finally kicked the Nazi's over that stupid river of theirs and stepped foot on proper German ground for the first time in the war. God it felt so good standing on the opposite side of that bridge. Wish you were there.

I suppose you'll have that soon enough, though? Words spread fast with bored soldiers, and I know that the 6th is consolidating at Okinawa for some top secret operation. Bullshit. They wouldn't bring you all to Okinawa if you weren't going for the Empire itself.

Shit. Shit shit shit. I'm sorry sis, I really am. Lord knew we all hoped the Emperor would come to his senses by now, but either he's truly a moron or he really has bought into the crazy pile that home has become.

It feels like just yesterday we had snuck out of Mindinao and caught the last escape boats heading to Australia, didn't it? What the hell were we thinking, running away? Don't answer that, it was rhetorical.

Just…I know it must be hard having to come home like this, and fuck I wish I could be there, but orders are orders. We're not to join you girls till next year at best. If there is even a slight amount of luck in our lives, then Japan will surrender by then. But we've been hoping for 3 years now. Why would our luck cash in now?

God help you girls, and remember. If you see one running at you, pull the trigger. They aren't our friends, not anymore.

- Corporal Keiko 'Kay' Abrams

—-

February 14, 1946

Valentines Day

Everyone knew that between D-Day and Operation Cobra, it took the boys of the Normandy Invasion just under two months to break out of Normandy, roll back the German line, and sweep into the inland of France.

Maho stopped loading her gun for a moment, and dabbed her sweat-glistened forehead as she looked over the bombed-out and cratered city of Kagoshima. We'll be lucky to break out of the city before St. Patrick's Day, she thought.

In that same time, the 6th Army is barely holding onto their first week objectives. Ibusuki is still challenging Allied access to the Kagoshima Bay, not that it would have been much help because Kagoshima itself has been and is still under siege since early January by the 5th Amphibious. The 11th and 1st Corps saw larger success in following objectives, linking up with each other two weeks into the fighting and eventually taking Miyazaki, but they've been bogged down trying to capture the other end of the Bay through Tarumizu and Mt. Sakurajima, as well as in Kirishima-Yaku National Park.

Even with the 9th in reserve, and with extra hands from the First Army, little headway has been made in the offensive. Adding up the numerous casualties suffered from Typhoon Louise, which swept through Okinawa and sank the Howe, Unicorn, and Shangri-La, casualties already numbered at nearly 150,000, with close to 40% of that dead.

All that, and they haven't even cleared the Bay yet.

"Plane." Her gunner, Matthew, pointed out to her. She looked up at the sunset sky. It was another suicide bomber, trying to knock out the supply boats off shore. Such things used to make her jumpy and scared for her life, but somewhere around the 20th plane she stopped caring.

"Just let the 40 milli-meter's take care of them," she said, going back to her smoke. Several seconds later, she was proven correct by the nearby AA emplacement lighting up, quickly shredding the plane's wing off and sending it tumbling tail-first into the ocean.

When did such a thing become so normal to her?

"Somewhere around the 20th and 25th plane, I suppose," Her friend/surrogate sister, Nonna, pointed out.

Shit. Did she say that out loud?

"Yeah, you did," her other friend/surrogate sister, Nishi, said, coming in behind Nonna. Behind her was her other other friend/surrogate sister, Pepperoni.

"Whoops." She deadpanned, dropping her cigarette and putting it out with the tip of her boot. "What's the order?"

"We're going back in," Nonna simply said, sitting next to Maho on the crate and putting out her arm. Maho opened her pack and gave her a cigarette, which she just slipped into her mouth and let Maho light for her. She breathed in slowly, before taking it out and exhaling smoke, "Orders are to push towards the Kotsuki River by the end of the week. We need to take the Daini-Kagoshima Middle School and set up a forward base there."

"The fucking middle school?" Nishi swore, "That's 7 blocks from the hospital, and the river is another 7-are they mad?! We can't push 14 blocks in 3 days!"

"The boys in France retook Paris in less than a week," Pepperoni muttered, reaching for a cigarette. She was smacked away by Nishi, who growled at her.

"Well we're not in fucking France, are we?"