Until the End
Chapter 30
The Call of Battle
General Parker glanced out the window of his helicopter as the ship came into view. The pilot, a young Marine lieutenant, called to the air- traffic controllers on the ship to ask for clearance. After what seemed like an eternity, they got clearance and descended to the deck. Making sure he had his campaign hat and briefcase, Parker exited the helicopter and stretched his muscles. He readjusted his uniform, making sure the creases in his pants had not been mussed by the long ride, and turned to what he presumed was the XO of the ship.
His presumption was wrong; as Parker noticed that the man was wearing an Admiral's uniform, and had matched the photo he had been given to allow him to correctly identify Admiral Leahy. Without thinking he saluted and was greeted with an amused smile from the Admiral. 'I'm being silently laughed at.' Parker thought to himself as the Admiral made a brief hand motion somewhere near his forehead, returning his salute.
"General Parker I presume," Admiral Leahy said, his smile still not leaving his face. The Admiral was tall, almost as tall as Parker's 6'4" and had a face that would be described by most as handsome.
"Admiral Leahy I presume," Parker said and immediately regretted it. 'There you go again Parker. Why the hell are you trying to mock a senior officer that is capable of denying your request?'
Luckily for Parker, the smile still did not leave Leahy's face and he let a loud laugh escape his throat before extending his hand to Parker. Parker grabbed the extended hand and shook it. Leahy's grip was firm, and Parker immediately drew the conclusion that this man was a real soldier.
Admiral Leahy was about to open his mouth when he looked past Parker. Turning to follow his gaze, Parker saw that the Marine lieutenant who had carried him to the battle cruiser was starting the engines of the helicopter.
"Looks like your ride is leaving," Leahy commented, though he phrased it as a question.
"It was only a loaner Admiral," Parker replied. "The Marines have always been a little possessive of their helicopters. They seem to think that the Navy and the Army will take any chance they can get to steal their stuff."
Once again, Parker realized that his comment had come without his thinking, and was sure that the Admiral would be pissed.
"This wouldn't be the first time I've seen the Marines expert ability to keep what they have in their hands away from those that might snatch it up General," Admiral Leahy said gravely.
Parker laughed and was led across the deck towards the conning tower where he was thereupon taken to Admiral Leahy's office.
"So," Leahy began after Parker had been given a cup of coffee and he had given his XO orders not to be disturbed unless the ship came under attack. "What is it that the Navy can do for an officer of the Army?"
Smiling slightly, Parker dipped his hand inside his briefcase and came up with a small folder, and handed it to Admiral Leahy. Leahy wordlessly accepted the folder and begun to read what it contained.
'Christ,' Parker thought to himself. 'If the Admiral isn't willing to lend me some aircraft to get back into Siberia then I'm going to be stranded here and there's no way I'll be able to acquire a ride till next month.'
President Winnfield had made it painfully clear that even though the Chinese were making a second push into the Alden area, the United States was still low on troops available for service in Asia. Aside from pulling forces out of Afghanistan or out of the Homeland Defense Force, then the only thing that could be offered to the Russians were National Guardsmen, and Parker was sure the Russians shot that idea down as soon as it was brought up.
'So now all that's left is to put the Japanese back in action, only this time they'll be fighting for our side. I really hope that President Winnfield is capable of convincing Kimura to send what exists of the remaining forces in Japan.
Leahy finished reading the contents and set it down, meanwhile slowly bringing his eyes up to meet Parker's.
'Oh Christ! He's going to tell me that there's no available aircraft'
"I trust that you understand we are terribly undermanned as it is here, and that parting with even one aircraft could seriously call into jeopardy the security of our ships?"
Parker shifted uneasily in the chair. "Yes sir, I realize it is a hell of large strain to put on your ship, but I simply have to get into Siberia."
Admiral Leahy allowed Parker to sit uncomfortably under his gaze for a full minute before he finally smiled. To Parker it felt like a much greater amount of time.
"Well, far be it from me to argue with the President," Leahy said as he stood up from his seat. "Let's go talk with the XO and see if he has any aircraft that I might be able to lend to you."
===============
"What do you see Captain?" the Russian PFC asked Gogol as he gazed through the binoculars at the advancing Chinese troops.
"Looks like a light armored division," Gogol said as he scanned the assembled tanks and half-tracks. "They're most likely attempting to out- flank third division and cut them off from the main defense force."
"Should we radio into headquarters?" the PFC asked.
"Yeah," Gogol said softly. "And go find the American Green Beret that came with us and ask him to come see me.
The PFC stood and walked through the thick snow-covered brush and a few minutes later Captain Ferdinand appeared through the bush. By the time it took the captain to appear, the Chinese had moved at least two kilometers forward.
"You wanted to see me Captain?" Ferdinand asked in Russian.
"Take a look," Gogol intoned and handed him the binoculars. Kneeling down the Captain took Gogol's position as Gogol stood to stretch his back.
"The Chinese 27th Light Armor Division," Captain Ferdinand furnished as he handed the binoculars back. "They at least fifty kilometers ahead of the main force, and I'd imagine that they're attempting to cut off 3rd Division."
"You ever hear, Captain, that the true test of a man's intelligence is by how much he agrees with you?" Gogol asked. Without waiting for a reply he stooped low beside Ferdinand and pulled his Global Positioning System from his pack.
"The Chinese still have a fair way to go before they can arrive at Alden," Gogol said as he went over their position and the Chinese. "Since we won't be getting reinforcements till at least May, it might not be possible for us to stop the Chinese where we did last time. Luckily, the destruction that happened the first time around is going to seriously impede their progress, giving us time to evacuate Alden."
"It seems all were capable of nowadays is retreating," Ferdinand commented bitterly.
"I received the OK from Division Headquarters to start setting up small platoons to carry out hit-and-run attacks on the advancing enemy, but aside from slowing them down slightly, it won't accomplish much."
Ferdinand nodded his head, agreeing with Gogol.
"And now Captain, we're going to set an example for the young men we're about to leave behind to harass the enemy by going out ourselves and taking out four tanks each."
"What?" Captain Ferdinand asked incredulously.
Gogol smiled. "Come now Captain, were not old men yet, I'm sure you'll be able to keep up with the others, heck, I'll even let you have the first shot."
===============
It was dark. And cold. Ranma had left his platoon to check out the path ahead of them, since there had been reports that a squad of Russian infantry had been shadowing the division for the past few days. The dense foliage was nearly impossible to maneuver through without creating a disturbance in the trees and bushes. Slipping into the Umisen-Ken enabled him to lower the amount of noise he made, but Ranma had little faith in the thought that it hid him completely from the men he was hunting.
The night air was frigid and sharp. Each intake of breath stabbed at his lungs, even though Ranma was not winded from his hike through the foliage. His eyes had long ago adjusted to the absolute darkness of the environment, but even a gentle breeze could change a branch or bush to appear as if someone was there, and it took almost all of his discipline to keep from opening fire. Alone as he was, it was possible for Ranma to admit to himself that he was terrified. From the moment he had left the base in Okinawa he'd seen sights that he would never wish anyone to see.
Before his experiences in this war, the only association Ranma had had with death was during his fight with Saffron on Jusendo, where he had killed the demi-god. In many ways that experience had been easier than what he had been forced to go through in Siberia. Saffron, while he most certainly did die, was reborn a few moments later, taking away some of that sense of death that had lingered in his mind.
The night seemed to get colder with that thought, and Ranma shivered in his fatigues, breaking his train of thought and taking him out of the Umisen-Ken. Just as he began to move again, the sound of someone's breathing reached his ears. Immediately stopping all movement, Ranma stopped, and listened. After a moment he did indeed pick up the sound of someone breathing. Moving as slowly as he could, he crept forward through the thick brush and ducked down low attempting to lower any possibility of being spotted.
A Russian soldier was curled up next to a fallen tree trunk wrapped in what appeared to be a sleeping bag. His breathing was even, and not heavy, indicating he was asleep.
Without thinking of it, Ranma brought his rifle to bear and took aim of the sleeping soldier. With his finger poised on the trigger guard, he realized what he was doing. The rifle fell from his hands and Ranma knelt low in the snow, tears filling his eyes. The cool air chilled his tears before they could drift down his face. His eyes stung from the pain and he brushed at them absently. Realizing that he was making too much noise, Ranma quickly got to his feet and turned to leave. As he placed his foot down he heard the snap of a frozen branch. In the silence that the night held, it was like a gunshot.
The next few moments happened very slowly. The Russian soldier, like most experienced soldiers, slept very lightly when in the field, and was awake in the instant it took for the sound of the breaking branch to reach his ears. As his conditioning went, his hands were around his rifle in an instant and he was turning around to get a fix for the area that the sound came from.
Ranma felt the tears leave his eyes instantly, and he dove for the rifle he had discarded early. The Russian soldier caught sight of him, and fired a short burst at him, all of which passed harmlessly over Ranma's head. The sight of the flash blinded Ranma for a moment, but gave him enough of an indication of where the soldier was for him to fire.
It took only a few seconds, but Ranma felt as if a millennia had passed before he realized that he had hit the soldier. He let out a breath of relief just as he heard the strangled sound of the Russian soldier trying to crawl away. Like a pedestrian watching the aftermaths of an auto accident, he was drawn to where the Russian soldier was desperately trying to get to his feet. As he approached, Ranma saw that he had hit the soldier twice, one bullet had hit the man in the chest, and the other had gone high, striking him in the throat. The soldier heard him approach, and his eyes turned to fixate on Ranma.
The tears were present in the man's eyes, as well as the fear that covered his face. The soldier tried to say something, a plea maybe, but the bullet that had struck him in the throat passed blood through his larynx and disabled his ability to speak. As pain wracked his body, the soldier seemed to begin to convulse, and he vomited, which consisted of arterial blood and muscle tissue. Ranma watched transfixed as the life slowly left the soldier's eyes. The tears that were in his eyes slowly fell down the soldier's face, and his body went slack.
Ranma failed to notice that he was crying himself, as the sight of the horror-stricken soldier's face burned itself in his mind.
Ranma's eyes snapped open. The thick foliage was now replaced with a drab white, and the gun in his hands was gone. His breathing was heavy, and he felt a sharp pain in his chest. As he took in his surroundings, the face of the Russian soldier came back to his, and the tears returned to his eyes. The memory pounded in his mind and he pressed his face down into his hands and wept.
The feeling of a pair of arms wrapping around him startled him until he looked and saw that it was Ryoga who was now holding him.
"It hurts doesn't it?" Ryoga asked softly. His grip was firm, but also very comforting. "I know I can't begin to imagine the things that you've experienced Ranma, but if it is within my power I will do everything I can to make sure you never have to experience it again."
Ranma wept uncontrollably now, and Ryoga held him tighter.
===============
Isamu Kimura watched as Akane and Akari sorted through some of the many files that were scattered across his desk. Kimura had moved into former Prime Minister Shizuko's office (not his decision), and was at the moment going through some of the many reports that had been turned over to him to look at.
"I think I can see why Shizuko went insane," Kimura commented dryly as he grabbed a very thick folder.
"Now, now Kimura, we wouldn't want anyone to hear you talking like that, they might lock you up for being a conspirator," Akane remarked.
Kimura gestured at all the clutter. "How could any one man do this every day?"
"Shizuko had a bunch of help Kimura, so much so that he didn't have to do anything except dream up insane fantasies. We're stuck with all this because over half of the bureaucrats in the country are being investigated to see if they were in collaboration with Shizuko."
"And I'm sure almost all of them were which means I'm going to be stuck with all this stuff until someone qualified can step in and take over," Kimura replied.
"Oh stop your whining," Akari chided softly.
Kimura was about to reply but the phone on his desk rang. Unfortunately he was unable to locate it.
"With my luck it's going to be the President of the United States and he'll think I'm purposely trying to make him wait to show my own importance," Kimura commented as he searched his desk. He found it and quickly picked up the receiver.
"Isamu Kimura," he spoke into the phone.
*One moment please,* a female voice responded.
Kimura shook his head bitterly. "I throw all the papers from me desk to find the phone and I'm put on hold."
*Mr. Kimura?* a deep voice asked from the other end.
"This is he," Kimura replied, and then realized he sounded like an idiot. The reply from the other end reflected this belief.
*This is President Winnfield, Mr. Kimura,* Winnfield said.
"Mr. President, it's good to hear from you sir."
With the mention of the President, Akari and Akane moved closer to the desk. Kimura noticed their curiosity and switched over to speaker- phone.
*I apologize that I have taken so long to get back to you but things have been very busy on my end.*
"I understand sir; I've been quite busy myself."
*Mr. Kimura, I'm afraid my call today has not been placed to exchange formalities; a very serious matter has been put forth to me.* A slight pause came over the line and the sound of paper rustling could be heard. *A report fashioned to me just under an hour ago reported that the Chinese forces in Siberia had just passed into the outskirts of Alden. By now the city will most likely have been overrun.*
"I'm very sorry to hear that sir."
*What makes this news even worse is that the Chinese forces have just received reinforcement, which brings their numbers to at least 300 000 strong in Siberia. At last count, Russian and American forces numbered near the 120 000 mark.*
"I had not realized it was so bad," Kimura remarked gravely.
*The Russian military has never been able to recover from the economic problems it encountered after the fall of the Soviet Union, and our military ventures in the Middle East have dwindled down our active forces to a number that is barely capable of occupying the Homeland Defense Force.* Winnfield's voice was slightly tight, suggesting that any comments on the topic would not be advised. *At the moment no other nation has answered our calls for their assistance. It would seem the UN is not feeling very obliging at the moment.*
"I'm sorry to hear that sir," Kimura repeated. "If there were anything that I could do to help I assure you that I would do it."
*I'm very pleased to hear that Mr. Kimura,* Winnfield said, his tone much lighter. *As it is, I think there is something that you can do for me.*
"Sir?"
*I'm sure you're well aware that shortly before Shizuko was toppled in your coup de tat, our forces in Siberia had captured nearly 40 000 Japanese troops?* Winnfield paused and when Kimura didn't respond, he continued. *It was proposed to me by the Commander of US Forces in Siberia that I might ask of you to loan us those soldiers to fight for us against the Chinese.*
Kimura could have sworn that his heart had stopped. He lifted his head and looked at Akane and Akari, who were staring at the phone in disbelief. Realizing that the President of the United States was waiting for his answer, Kimura attempted to shake himself from his stupor.
"Sir, I'm not sure that I'm authorized to make that kind of decision."
*Kimura-san,* Winnfield began, suddenly switching to Japanese. *You are the only man in the country that the people will follow, and unless you make this decision than there will be civilian unrest. I hate to say this but, we don't necessarily need your approval to do this. If needed, I will order my commanders to arm the Japanese prisoners and force them into fighting. I know it sounds cruel, but the very balance of power in the world rests on the outcome of this war. China could very well come into possession of enough oil to make other countries turn from Canada and the Middle Eastern countries to them.*
Kimura felt the very sudden weight of his situation. As President Winnfield saw it, he had two choices. He could either give the order to have the Japanese troops rearmed and sent into battle with the Americans and Russians, and thereby ensuring the relationship that Japan now held with America, or he could not, and have the United States order the Japanese soldiers to suit up anyways, and then get UN approval to move into Japan and take it under American rule, much like General MacArthur did back in World War II.
"I will send the order out for Japanese troops to prepare to once again go into Russia, Mr. President," Kimura said softly. "I will inform the media once I get the opportunity, and will try and convince the country why we must go to war again."
*Japan was never out of this war Mr. Kimura, and now thanks to this they will have a chance to put right all the things that they have wronged,* President Winnfield said simply and hung up.
"That sonofabitch," Akane said softly, but angrily.
"Don't blame the President, Akane," Kimura said lightly. "They're faced with war on two fronts, both of which are very dire to their survival as a nation, and I don't think President Winnfield would do this to just be a prick. He's right, despite not having much control over it, we did help the Chinese in their plan to take over Siberia, and we have a duty to help fix what we did wrong."
"It still sounds like were getting the short end of the stick," Akari said bitterly. "All those poor soldiers in Siberia that were captured are going to have to fight against the Chinese now."
"The world is not always fair Akari," Kimura said, though his voice held little conviction. "We've got to do now what we must in order to keep our nation free."
"I know that," Akari said. "But it doesn't mean I have to like it do I?"
"Of course not," Kimura smiled. "Now come on, you two have to help me think of a speech I'll deliver to the public to inform them of this, and I don't want to wind up being labeled a traitor."
===============
Author's Notes: I'm terrible sorry everyone. My work sent me to London for the past three weeks in order to attend some conferences, and I was away from my computer for far too long. Even worse, I won't be able to put up any new chapters till at least a little bit into the New Year.
I'm really sorry.
Chapter 30
The Call of Battle
General Parker glanced out the window of his helicopter as the ship came into view. The pilot, a young Marine lieutenant, called to the air- traffic controllers on the ship to ask for clearance. After what seemed like an eternity, they got clearance and descended to the deck. Making sure he had his campaign hat and briefcase, Parker exited the helicopter and stretched his muscles. He readjusted his uniform, making sure the creases in his pants had not been mussed by the long ride, and turned to what he presumed was the XO of the ship.
His presumption was wrong; as Parker noticed that the man was wearing an Admiral's uniform, and had matched the photo he had been given to allow him to correctly identify Admiral Leahy. Without thinking he saluted and was greeted with an amused smile from the Admiral. 'I'm being silently laughed at.' Parker thought to himself as the Admiral made a brief hand motion somewhere near his forehead, returning his salute.
"General Parker I presume," Admiral Leahy said, his smile still not leaving his face. The Admiral was tall, almost as tall as Parker's 6'4" and had a face that would be described by most as handsome.
"Admiral Leahy I presume," Parker said and immediately regretted it. 'There you go again Parker. Why the hell are you trying to mock a senior officer that is capable of denying your request?'
Luckily for Parker, the smile still did not leave Leahy's face and he let a loud laugh escape his throat before extending his hand to Parker. Parker grabbed the extended hand and shook it. Leahy's grip was firm, and Parker immediately drew the conclusion that this man was a real soldier.
Admiral Leahy was about to open his mouth when he looked past Parker. Turning to follow his gaze, Parker saw that the Marine lieutenant who had carried him to the battle cruiser was starting the engines of the helicopter.
"Looks like your ride is leaving," Leahy commented, though he phrased it as a question.
"It was only a loaner Admiral," Parker replied. "The Marines have always been a little possessive of their helicopters. They seem to think that the Navy and the Army will take any chance they can get to steal their stuff."
Once again, Parker realized that his comment had come without his thinking, and was sure that the Admiral would be pissed.
"This wouldn't be the first time I've seen the Marines expert ability to keep what they have in their hands away from those that might snatch it up General," Admiral Leahy said gravely.
Parker laughed and was led across the deck towards the conning tower where he was thereupon taken to Admiral Leahy's office.
"So," Leahy began after Parker had been given a cup of coffee and he had given his XO orders not to be disturbed unless the ship came under attack. "What is it that the Navy can do for an officer of the Army?"
Smiling slightly, Parker dipped his hand inside his briefcase and came up with a small folder, and handed it to Admiral Leahy. Leahy wordlessly accepted the folder and begun to read what it contained.
'Christ,' Parker thought to himself. 'If the Admiral isn't willing to lend me some aircraft to get back into Siberia then I'm going to be stranded here and there's no way I'll be able to acquire a ride till next month.'
President Winnfield had made it painfully clear that even though the Chinese were making a second push into the Alden area, the United States was still low on troops available for service in Asia. Aside from pulling forces out of Afghanistan or out of the Homeland Defense Force, then the only thing that could be offered to the Russians were National Guardsmen, and Parker was sure the Russians shot that idea down as soon as it was brought up.
'So now all that's left is to put the Japanese back in action, only this time they'll be fighting for our side. I really hope that President Winnfield is capable of convincing Kimura to send what exists of the remaining forces in Japan.
Leahy finished reading the contents and set it down, meanwhile slowly bringing his eyes up to meet Parker's.
'Oh Christ! He's going to tell me that there's no available aircraft'
"I trust that you understand we are terribly undermanned as it is here, and that parting with even one aircraft could seriously call into jeopardy the security of our ships?"
Parker shifted uneasily in the chair. "Yes sir, I realize it is a hell of large strain to put on your ship, but I simply have to get into Siberia."
Admiral Leahy allowed Parker to sit uncomfortably under his gaze for a full minute before he finally smiled. To Parker it felt like a much greater amount of time.
"Well, far be it from me to argue with the President," Leahy said as he stood up from his seat. "Let's go talk with the XO and see if he has any aircraft that I might be able to lend to you."
===============
"What do you see Captain?" the Russian PFC asked Gogol as he gazed through the binoculars at the advancing Chinese troops.
"Looks like a light armored division," Gogol said as he scanned the assembled tanks and half-tracks. "They're most likely attempting to out- flank third division and cut them off from the main defense force."
"Should we radio into headquarters?" the PFC asked.
"Yeah," Gogol said softly. "And go find the American Green Beret that came with us and ask him to come see me.
The PFC stood and walked through the thick snow-covered brush and a few minutes later Captain Ferdinand appeared through the bush. By the time it took the captain to appear, the Chinese had moved at least two kilometers forward.
"You wanted to see me Captain?" Ferdinand asked in Russian.
"Take a look," Gogol intoned and handed him the binoculars. Kneeling down the Captain took Gogol's position as Gogol stood to stretch his back.
"The Chinese 27th Light Armor Division," Captain Ferdinand furnished as he handed the binoculars back. "They at least fifty kilometers ahead of the main force, and I'd imagine that they're attempting to cut off 3rd Division."
"You ever hear, Captain, that the true test of a man's intelligence is by how much he agrees with you?" Gogol asked. Without waiting for a reply he stooped low beside Ferdinand and pulled his Global Positioning System from his pack.
"The Chinese still have a fair way to go before they can arrive at Alden," Gogol said as he went over their position and the Chinese. "Since we won't be getting reinforcements till at least May, it might not be possible for us to stop the Chinese where we did last time. Luckily, the destruction that happened the first time around is going to seriously impede their progress, giving us time to evacuate Alden."
"It seems all were capable of nowadays is retreating," Ferdinand commented bitterly.
"I received the OK from Division Headquarters to start setting up small platoons to carry out hit-and-run attacks on the advancing enemy, but aside from slowing them down slightly, it won't accomplish much."
Ferdinand nodded his head, agreeing with Gogol.
"And now Captain, we're going to set an example for the young men we're about to leave behind to harass the enemy by going out ourselves and taking out four tanks each."
"What?" Captain Ferdinand asked incredulously.
Gogol smiled. "Come now Captain, were not old men yet, I'm sure you'll be able to keep up with the others, heck, I'll even let you have the first shot."
===============
It was dark. And cold. Ranma had left his platoon to check out the path ahead of them, since there had been reports that a squad of Russian infantry had been shadowing the division for the past few days. The dense foliage was nearly impossible to maneuver through without creating a disturbance in the trees and bushes. Slipping into the Umisen-Ken enabled him to lower the amount of noise he made, but Ranma had little faith in the thought that it hid him completely from the men he was hunting.
The night air was frigid and sharp. Each intake of breath stabbed at his lungs, even though Ranma was not winded from his hike through the foliage. His eyes had long ago adjusted to the absolute darkness of the environment, but even a gentle breeze could change a branch or bush to appear as if someone was there, and it took almost all of his discipline to keep from opening fire. Alone as he was, it was possible for Ranma to admit to himself that he was terrified. From the moment he had left the base in Okinawa he'd seen sights that he would never wish anyone to see.
Before his experiences in this war, the only association Ranma had had with death was during his fight with Saffron on Jusendo, where he had killed the demi-god. In many ways that experience had been easier than what he had been forced to go through in Siberia. Saffron, while he most certainly did die, was reborn a few moments later, taking away some of that sense of death that had lingered in his mind.
The night seemed to get colder with that thought, and Ranma shivered in his fatigues, breaking his train of thought and taking him out of the Umisen-Ken. Just as he began to move again, the sound of someone's breathing reached his ears. Immediately stopping all movement, Ranma stopped, and listened. After a moment he did indeed pick up the sound of someone breathing. Moving as slowly as he could, he crept forward through the thick brush and ducked down low attempting to lower any possibility of being spotted.
A Russian soldier was curled up next to a fallen tree trunk wrapped in what appeared to be a sleeping bag. His breathing was even, and not heavy, indicating he was asleep.
Without thinking of it, Ranma brought his rifle to bear and took aim of the sleeping soldier. With his finger poised on the trigger guard, he realized what he was doing. The rifle fell from his hands and Ranma knelt low in the snow, tears filling his eyes. The cool air chilled his tears before they could drift down his face. His eyes stung from the pain and he brushed at them absently. Realizing that he was making too much noise, Ranma quickly got to his feet and turned to leave. As he placed his foot down he heard the snap of a frozen branch. In the silence that the night held, it was like a gunshot.
The next few moments happened very slowly. The Russian soldier, like most experienced soldiers, slept very lightly when in the field, and was awake in the instant it took for the sound of the breaking branch to reach his ears. As his conditioning went, his hands were around his rifle in an instant and he was turning around to get a fix for the area that the sound came from.
Ranma felt the tears leave his eyes instantly, and he dove for the rifle he had discarded early. The Russian soldier caught sight of him, and fired a short burst at him, all of which passed harmlessly over Ranma's head. The sight of the flash blinded Ranma for a moment, but gave him enough of an indication of where the soldier was for him to fire.
It took only a few seconds, but Ranma felt as if a millennia had passed before he realized that he had hit the soldier. He let out a breath of relief just as he heard the strangled sound of the Russian soldier trying to crawl away. Like a pedestrian watching the aftermaths of an auto accident, he was drawn to where the Russian soldier was desperately trying to get to his feet. As he approached, Ranma saw that he had hit the soldier twice, one bullet had hit the man in the chest, and the other had gone high, striking him in the throat. The soldier heard him approach, and his eyes turned to fixate on Ranma.
The tears were present in the man's eyes, as well as the fear that covered his face. The soldier tried to say something, a plea maybe, but the bullet that had struck him in the throat passed blood through his larynx and disabled his ability to speak. As pain wracked his body, the soldier seemed to begin to convulse, and he vomited, which consisted of arterial blood and muscle tissue. Ranma watched transfixed as the life slowly left the soldier's eyes. The tears that were in his eyes slowly fell down the soldier's face, and his body went slack.
Ranma failed to notice that he was crying himself, as the sight of the horror-stricken soldier's face burned itself in his mind.
Ranma's eyes snapped open. The thick foliage was now replaced with a drab white, and the gun in his hands was gone. His breathing was heavy, and he felt a sharp pain in his chest. As he took in his surroundings, the face of the Russian soldier came back to his, and the tears returned to his eyes. The memory pounded in his mind and he pressed his face down into his hands and wept.
The feeling of a pair of arms wrapping around him startled him until he looked and saw that it was Ryoga who was now holding him.
"It hurts doesn't it?" Ryoga asked softly. His grip was firm, but also very comforting. "I know I can't begin to imagine the things that you've experienced Ranma, but if it is within my power I will do everything I can to make sure you never have to experience it again."
Ranma wept uncontrollably now, and Ryoga held him tighter.
===============
Isamu Kimura watched as Akane and Akari sorted through some of the many files that were scattered across his desk. Kimura had moved into former Prime Minister Shizuko's office (not his decision), and was at the moment going through some of the many reports that had been turned over to him to look at.
"I think I can see why Shizuko went insane," Kimura commented dryly as he grabbed a very thick folder.
"Now, now Kimura, we wouldn't want anyone to hear you talking like that, they might lock you up for being a conspirator," Akane remarked.
Kimura gestured at all the clutter. "How could any one man do this every day?"
"Shizuko had a bunch of help Kimura, so much so that he didn't have to do anything except dream up insane fantasies. We're stuck with all this because over half of the bureaucrats in the country are being investigated to see if they were in collaboration with Shizuko."
"And I'm sure almost all of them were which means I'm going to be stuck with all this stuff until someone qualified can step in and take over," Kimura replied.
"Oh stop your whining," Akari chided softly.
Kimura was about to reply but the phone on his desk rang. Unfortunately he was unable to locate it.
"With my luck it's going to be the President of the United States and he'll think I'm purposely trying to make him wait to show my own importance," Kimura commented as he searched his desk. He found it and quickly picked up the receiver.
"Isamu Kimura," he spoke into the phone.
*One moment please,* a female voice responded.
Kimura shook his head bitterly. "I throw all the papers from me desk to find the phone and I'm put on hold."
*Mr. Kimura?* a deep voice asked from the other end.
"This is he," Kimura replied, and then realized he sounded like an idiot. The reply from the other end reflected this belief.
*This is President Winnfield, Mr. Kimura,* Winnfield said.
"Mr. President, it's good to hear from you sir."
With the mention of the President, Akari and Akane moved closer to the desk. Kimura noticed their curiosity and switched over to speaker- phone.
*I apologize that I have taken so long to get back to you but things have been very busy on my end.*
"I understand sir; I've been quite busy myself."
*Mr. Kimura, I'm afraid my call today has not been placed to exchange formalities; a very serious matter has been put forth to me.* A slight pause came over the line and the sound of paper rustling could be heard. *A report fashioned to me just under an hour ago reported that the Chinese forces in Siberia had just passed into the outskirts of Alden. By now the city will most likely have been overrun.*
"I'm very sorry to hear that sir."
*What makes this news even worse is that the Chinese forces have just received reinforcement, which brings their numbers to at least 300 000 strong in Siberia. At last count, Russian and American forces numbered near the 120 000 mark.*
"I had not realized it was so bad," Kimura remarked gravely.
*The Russian military has never been able to recover from the economic problems it encountered after the fall of the Soviet Union, and our military ventures in the Middle East have dwindled down our active forces to a number that is barely capable of occupying the Homeland Defense Force.* Winnfield's voice was slightly tight, suggesting that any comments on the topic would not be advised. *At the moment no other nation has answered our calls for their assistance. It would seem the UN is not feeling very obliging at the moment.*
"I'm sorry to hear that sir," Kimura repeated. "If there were anything that I could do to help I assure you that I would do it."
*I'm very pleased to hear that Mr. Kimura,* Winnfield said, his tone much lighter. *As it is, I think there is something that you can do for me.*
"Sir?"
*I'm sure you're well aware that shortly before Shizuko was toppled in your coup de tat, our forces in Siberia had captured nearly 40 000 Japanese troops?* Winnfield paused and when Kimura didn't respond, he continued. *It was proposed to me by the Commander of US Forces in Siberia that I might ask of you to loan us those soldiers to fight for us against the Chinese.*
Kimura could have sworn that his heart had stopped. He lifted his head and looked at Akane and Akari, who were staring at the phone in disbelief. Realizing that the President of the United States was waiting for his answer, Kimura attempted to shake himself from his stupor.
"Sir, I'm not sure that I'm authorized to make that kind of decision."
*Kimura-san,* Winnfield began, suddenly switching to Japanese. *You are the only man in the country that the people will follow, and unless you make this decision than there will be civilian unrest. I hate to say this but, we don't necessarily need your approval to do this. If needed, I will order my commanders to arm the Japanese prisoners and force them into fighting. I know it sounds cruel, but the very balance of power in the world rests on the outcome of this war. China could very well come into possession of enough oil to make other countries turn from Canada and the Middle Eastern countries to them.*
Kimura felt the very sudden weight of his situation. As President Winnfield saw it, he had two choices. He could either give the order to have the Japanese troops rearmed and sent into battle with the Americans and Russians, and thereby ensuring the relationship that Japan now held with America, or he could not, and have the United States order the Japanese soldiers to suit up anyways, and then get UN approval to move into Japan and take it under American rule, much like General MacArthur did back in World War II.
"I will send the order out for Japanese troops to prepare to once again go into Russia, Mr. President," Kimura said softly. "I will inform the media once I get the opportunity, and will try and convince the country why we must go to war again."
*Japan was never out of this war Mr. Kimura, and now thanks to this they will have a chance to put right all the things that they have wronged,* President Winnfield said simply and hung up.
"That sonofabitch," Akane said softly, but angrily.
"Don't blame the President, Akane," Kimura said lightly. "They're faced with war on two fronts, both of which are very dire to their survival as a nation, and I don't think President Winnfield would do this to just be a prick. He's right, despite not having much control over it, we did help the Chinese in their plan to take over Siberia, and we have a duty to help fix what we did wrong."
"It still sounds like were getting the short end of the stick," Akari said bitterly. "All those poor soldiers in Siberia that were captured are going to have to fight against the Chinese now."
"The world is not always fair Akari," Kimura said, though his voice held little conviction. "We've got to do now what we must in order to keep our nation free."
"I know that," Akari said. "But it doesn't mean I have to like it do I?"
"Of course not," Kimura smiled. "Now come on, you two have to help me think of a speech I'll deliver to the public to inform them of this, and I don't want to wind up being labeled a traitor."
===============
Author's Notes: I'm terrible sorry everyone. My work sent me to London for the past three weeks in order to attend some conferences, and I was away from my computer for far too long. Even worse, I won't be able to put up any new chapters till at least a little bit into the New Year.
I'm really sorry.