It's been too long but finally, a chapter is being posted for one of my stories. My profile will have the full explanation as this affects all my stories.

Thank you to J Shute Norway for agreeing to edit this chapter!

Important! For those who don't know, I did a complete 180 of Jack's character since his introduction. Reason being is that I could not find a way to make it work so I wrote him as more light-hearted.

January 1915,

Second Lieutenant Jack Savage and General Bogo remained silent as they watch Judy leave the office, letting the emotions from the recent conversation soothe before resuming their meeting. Jack hoped that he could catch up to Judy afterwards. Meanwhile, Bogo started to take deep breaths, trying hard to suppress the truth in the doe's words. It was the General who finally broke the silence.

"I must commend your efforts to cheer up Miss Hopps, Lieutenant," Bogo saw the curious look on Jack's face when the rabbit turned his attention back to him. "Anyone else would have questioned your ability to fight in this war with that sympathy for predators."

Jack nodded, understanding the General's words. "I'm only looking out for her, Sir. That and I spent time studying predator culture before the war."

The latter sparked a small curiosity in Bogo. The curiosity grew until the Cape Buffalo began to consider it something to look into. "Hmm, I wish I had known that before making your assignment. Still, I don't believe it will make much difference."

"Sir?"

Bogo placed a folder before Jack. "You are currently assigned to an outpost near the Zooez Canal. Our main concern is that if the predators capture the waterway, we will be cut off from our colonies in the East and be forced to travel around the continent to supply our forces. That alternative will take too much time. But I want to discuss your history with predators. I'm considering transferring you to the Bruish Intelligence in Cairoryx. Your job will be to draw the maps and relay information to the frontlines. If you choose that option, it will take time to produce the necessary documents, so you'll still visit the outpost. I'll give you a few minutes to think on this."

Jack slowly leaned back in the seat and began to consider the options. Having already completed training, he felt that it would be a waste to not apply those skills and training on the frontlines. Yet, Intelligence has always played a vital role in wars. The rabbit suddenly remembered Bogo mentioning that it will take time to produce the necessary papers.

Jack then made his decision and straightened himself up. "I'll join Intelligence, and I can carry out the original assignment while you prepare the papers. If the predators attack, I already have the skills and training to lead the troops."

Bogo nodded, "Just remember to obey the commanding officers there. If you make any mistakes, it will look bad on both of us, and there is very little I can do to protect you."

Jack had no objections and took the folder. "When will I be leaving?"

"At the end of the week so you can time to pack your belongings and say goodbye to your family. A train will take you to a ship that will sail for Cairoryx. From there, the convoy will take you to the outpost. I will have escorts waiting for you, but they will waste no time hurrying you. Dismissed."

"Thank you, sir."

Jack Jumped from his seat and promptly left to prepare for the trip. He stopped momentarily when a group of prey was exiting a room and blocked his path. Upon exiting the building, Jack suddenly picked up the sounds of someone crying. He became worried that the mammal could get into trouble if discovered.

Following the sounds, the buck was startled at the sight of a weeping Judy sitting on the ground. To see the drastic change from when he last saw her tugged at his heart. Feeling burdened and wanting to know why, Jack slowly approached the doe until he stood in front of her.

"Judy?" He said quietly and friendly.

It took a few seconds, but Judy managed to stop crying and look up. Her eyes were bloodshot, and the tears stained the fur from where they fell. "O-oh, I didn't hear you coming. How long were you standing there?" She sniffled and wiped her nose with her arm.

"I just came outside when I heard you," Jack smiled, trying to cheer her up with a little humor. "It's a good thing no one else found you. Who knows what would have happened?!"

The doe let out a small giggle which was good enough for him. "It is. I'm sorry you had to see me like this."

"Was it something that happened during your meeting with Bogo?"

Judy closed her eyes and sighed heavily, "If only you knew."

Jack didn't press any further, not wanting to worsen her mood and knowing it wasn't his business. "Do you need a hug?" He didn't care if the action was appropriate or not.

Judy sniffled again. "Yes please."

Smiling, Jack sat down next to Judy and wrapped his arms around her. The doe smiled and slowly returned the hug. The gesture brought a smile to Jack's face, happy to see her calming down. The two remained embraced for a few moments more before reluctantly separating. The moment they did, their ears picked up the sounds of cars approaching.

"That must be for me," the two rabbits said simultaneously.

Surprised, Judy and Jack looked at each other with a blank expression before slowly breaking out into laughter. Jack helped Judy to her feet and was about to offer the doe his neckerchief to clean her face when she pulled out a red one of her own. The doe wiped her tears and nose before tying the neckerchief around her neck and hiding it in her uniform. Judy then recovered her cap and placed it back on her head.

Before parting ways, Jack offered his paw to her. "Good luck. I hope we meet again."

Judy accepted his paw. "Me too. I wish you a successful career."

The bunnies shook on it and walked to their escorts together. They waved each other one last goodbye before separating and entering their respective cars.

February 1, 1915, Cairoryx

The sun bore down on Jack while he watched the coast slowly appeared over the horizon. Once the city was in full view, the rabbit felt as if he was returning to his second home, already seeing the many changes since his last trip. Taking one last sight, Jack returned to his room to gather his bags before going below deck and assist with unloading the ship's cargo.

After loading the last crate, Jack hopped into a jeep that had a Kudu in the driver seat and an Oryx standing behind the machine gun. All three felt the ship come to a halt at the docks, and they waited for clearance to be given. None of the mammals spoke as time passed. Finally, the ramp lowered, and the vehicles unloaded from the ship and rode to their destination.

During the drive, Jack was focusing on the scenery when he heard the Kudu trying to talk to him.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant."

Jack turned his head towards him. "Yes?"

"Pardon me, but this is an unusual place for your species to be. It would make more sense if you were a desert rabbit."

Jack let out a chuckle, sharing his thoughts. "I was wondering the same thing when I got the assignment."

"Join the club," the Oryx said. "But this environment is normal for us two."

Jack gave a look at the two mammals and quickly understood their meaning. "I can tell. Are you new recruits or transfers?"

"The name's Bucky Antlerson, and that's Pronk Oryx. We're transferring from the Western Front where are our original unit disbanded. Most of us were sent home while the rest got reassigned according to our species and natural environments."

Jack nodded sympathetically, feeling for their situation. "That's a shame. Speaking of the Western Front, I heard some interesting tales coming from there and the Eastern Front."

"Believe me, Lieutenant," Pronk said. "The Western Front is not a pleasant place, and that's putting it lightly."

"I guess you appreciate the change of scenery then," the bunny guessed.

"We'll see," Bucky said. "What about you? What's your story?"

"The name's Jack Savage and I just completed my officer's training. I'm to be transferred to Intelligence later. But while my superior is working on that, I'm here to help defend the outpost we're going to. The reason for the transfer is because I had spent some time here before joining the army."

"Intelligence?" Pronk said. "Lucky you. Get to stay out of this heat."

"Quit complaining!" Bucky shouted. "You did that in the mud and rain."

"Oh shut up!"

"No, you shut up!

"No, you!"

"You!"

Jack turned his attention back to the scenery, trying to block out the argument. The thought of working in Intelligence couldn't come any sooner.

Upon arriving at the outpost, the troops were directed where to unload the supplies while Jack left in search for headquarters to report their arrival. The rabbit would explore the outpost later, but that didn't stop him from taking sight of different features along the path. He came upon a tent that was being guarded by a wildebeest and a bighorn sheep. The two soldiers saw the rabbit officer approaching and quickly stood at attention as Jack stopped before them.

"Is this headquarters?" The buck asked. "Your commanding officer is expecting me."

"This is the location," the wildebeest said.

"And he is inside. Go right in," the sheep answered.

"Thank you."

Jack walked in and saw a black rhino colonel. He carefully approached the large mammal, putting enough distance between himself and the rhino to avoid being stepped on.

"Excuse me, sir?" Jack said.

The black rhino turned around and looked for the mammal asking for him.

"Down here."

The Colonel looked down to see Jack standing at attention. Unfamiliar with the rabbit, the rhino immediately got down to business. "Who are you and why have you come here?"

"Second Lieutenant Jack Savage. General Bogo assigned me to this region."

The rhino continued to stare down and loom over the small mammal, searching his memories of previous conversations he had with the Cape Buffalo. His mind drifted to a correspondence he received from Bogo a few days ago. As the details emerged, he suddenly remembered the name Jack Savage being mentioned, and the rhino made the connection from there. "Ah yes," he said, his voice relaxing. "I received his letter informing me of your arrival. Colonel Hornson. At ease."

Jack relaxed his stance. "General Bogo informed me that the predators plan to attack and capture the canal."

"Indeed. It is good to see my request for reinforcements granted. We already had two surprise attacks only days ago. Thankfully, they appear to be their flanks, but that means the bulk of their forces should be arriving any day now."

"Then we should have the necessary mammalpower to halt their advances. Right?" Jack enquired.

Hornson narrowed his eyes at Jack and became serious. "Do not underestimate these predators. They traveled for days across the desert to get here. If they can accomplish that, then they will have all the motivation to capture the canal."

"Right sir. What are my orders?"

Jack's eagerness caused Hornson to chuckle, but he tried to hide the concerns over the buck's ambitiousness. "Be patient. Everything will be ready once I send word for you. For now, take some time to get accustomed here. Dismissed."

"Thank you, sir."

After their meeting, Jack did what Hornson requested and began exploring the outpost. The main thing he noticed was the majority of the building being tents. The buildings with some form of walls were used to house supplies and transport. It didn't take him long to remember the important locations such as the mess hall and the bunkers. Jack came to a rest at his own tent after completing his survey. The tent contained a cot, a table, and a single chest. Nodding with satisfaction, Jack trudged over to the cot and let himself collapse on his belly. He exhaling a sigh of relief and smiled as the location began reminding him of his expedition to the region years ago.

The afternoon of February 2,

Jack began to grow impatient from the lack of news, both of his assignment and his troops. But he understood that the recent attacks had forced the Colonel to reorganize the soldiers for counterattacks and defenses. Still, he hoped to have enough time to contribute to defending the canal.

After familiarizing himself with the outpost, Jack took the time to research on the previous attacks in hopes of gaining an advantage. There, he learned that the predators attacked in the middle of the night but quickly lost the element of surprise and failed to break through the prey's defenses. The attacks led the prey to believe that the predators are planning more attacks all along the canal. Jack wrote down the information on paper and stored it for later in his uniform.

While strolling along, a private kangaroo rat came running up and shouting at the buck. "Lieutenant!"

Jack stopped walking and turned to the rodent, "Yes?"

"The Colonel requests for you."

The bunny's ears perked up behind his cap, but he fought to suppress the oncoming excitement. "Thank you."

Jack hurried over to the headquarters and found the Colonel inside waiting for him, already suspecting why Hornson requested him.

"You're here. Good." The rhino said. "I assume you know why I called you?"

"The predators are preparing an attack at a location on the canal." He stated.

"Correct. You will be assigned to a town and be tasked to reinforce and defend the area. You will also be working alongside the Captain currently there. Your troops have been organized, and I deeply apologize for the delay."

"I understand the circumstances, sir. Where will I be meeting them?"

"Near the outpost exit. They've already been informed of your arrival. Dismissed."

"Thank you, sir."

Jack wasted no time, gathering his weapons and the necessary gear from his private quarters. But before preparing to fight the predators, he needed to prepare to encounter any dissenting voices among his troops. Neither of which he feels will proceed smoothly.

While walking to the exit, Jack saw that most of the soldiers had gone off to fight, except for a few mammals who were either non-combatants or guards, highlighting the seriousness of the situation.

The rabbit finally arrived at the outskirts, where a group of soldiers and a couple of jeeps were waiting for him. Jack stopped for a moment to fix his appearance before approaching the mammals.

"Attention!"

The soldiers instantly turned their attention to the direction of Jack's voice and stood straight. From their line of sight, Jack could see them expecting a much larger mammal and wouldn't move unless ordered so. He took a deep breath, ready for their objections or ridicule.

"Down here!"

Those in the front looked down to see Jack standing before them. He immediately saw a few showing their disdain at having a small mammal as their commanding officer. Jack quickly continued before they could protest and began pacing so that others could see him.

"I realize that I am not who you were expecting to be, but I will remind that Colonel Hornson assigned me to you. If you have any objections, I will not stop you from going to the Colonel. In fact, I will even escort you myself."

Jack returned to his original spot and glared at the troops. "But you will need to explain why you're wasting his time questioning his judgment while the predators are trying to capture an important asset. Does anyone want to go?" The buck waited for any response, but he could see on their faces that none of them wanted to face the Colonel.

"No, sir,"

"Excellent. After we've defended the canal, you can complain and cry to your heart's contents. Or better yet, put your frustration and anger to good use by unleashing it on the predators. But most importantly, I will not tolerate soldiers who put their self-interests first." Jack resumed pacing. "To recap, the predators are attempting to capture the canal. The town we have been assigned to is in dire need of reinforcements after repelling another assault. It is vital that we arrive before the predators return." While scanning the soldiers, Jack saw a familiar Kudu and Oryx and pointed at them. "Both of you will ride with me. The rest of you will follow behind."

"Yes, sir!"

As the prey entered a jeep, Jack, Bucky, and Pronk sat in the same seat during their introduction. The rabbit Lieutenant checked behind to see that everyone else was ready and then signaled Bucky to start the jeep.

Jack let out a deep sigh, leaning back in his seat as the convoy drove to their destination.

"Great job asserting your authority back there," Bucky said.

Jack smiled at the Kudu, "Thank you. After my experience during training, I understood that I must remind any soldiers under my command of what's important. Speaking of which," His expression became curious. "You two strangely have no issues with having a rabbit in charge."

"That's because we had one before," Pronk said. "We were tougher on her at first, but she quickly earned our respect and trust."

"Wait, did you say she?" Jack asked, starting to feel suspicious about the mammal in question.

"Yes, we had a female rabbit lieutenant," Bucky answered. "Do you know her?"

"Is her name Judy?"

Part of him hoped that was the case.

"That's her!" Pronk exclaimed. "How you do you know her? Does that mean you two are related?"

Jack chuckled and shook his head. "No, I met Judy while getting my assignment. She and I were meeting the same general." He decided not to bring up their encounter outside the building and quickly changed topics, deeming it too personal to share. "One thing. Since you are under my command, I won't hesitate to give out harsh punishments for your disruptive arguments. The last thing everyone here needs is you two being distracting and getting yourselves and others killed."

"Give us a little more credit, sir!" Pronk exclaimed. "We wouldn't be alive if we weren't disciplined enough to stop arguing with each other."

"He's right!" Bucky concurred. "If we can remain focused on the Western Front, then we can do the same here."

"Calm down," Jack said. "I only wanted to give a reminder, but seeing the evidence before me, you have my confidence."

The conversations then delved into topics about themselves and their military history. During the ride, Jack heard a few grumblings about him from behind, but he let them speak their minds, only intervening if their actions endangered their lives. Whether their opinions of him would change was of no concern to Jack.

Jack finally saw smoke appearing over the horizon and signaled for the jeeps to slow down. Moments later, the town came in full view: defenses spread along the bank of the canal and various buildings destroyed by explosions. The convoy was amazed to see the town still under their control. They stopped at the entrance where a brown horse in a captain's uniform and two soldiers approached Jack's vehicle.

"Finally, you're here!" The horse said. "Captain Oates. Who is in charge here?"

Jack stood up in his seat and saluted. "I am. Second Lieutenant Jack Savage."

He, Bucky, and Pronk saw Oates' demeanor instantly change as the Captain leaned closer and narrowed his eyes at the buck, scrutinizing him, "This has to be a joke."

Jack inwardly winced from the remark but remained professional. "No, sir. Colonel Hornson formed this unit here and placed me in charge. You can confirm with him if you wish. If I may continue, the predators are preparing another attack at this location that could lead to them capturing the town and us suffering high casualties. Yet you want to question why you will be working with a rabbit instead of preparing to stop them?"

Oates shot a glare at the rabbit as anger radiated from his body, but the Lieutenant did not flinch. The soldiers escorting Oates felt grateful from not being under his wrath, but Bucky and Pronk were not so fortunate. It took all their strength not to flinch and cower.

"Privates," He said in a low voice. "Watch them while I make a phone call."

"Yes, sir!"

The Captain took his leave.

Jack calmly sat back down but kept his eyes on Oates' soldiers. Bucky and Pronk suddenly decided that town was a much more interesting sight, and the two privates also found the rest of the convoy suddenly more interesting. All five remained silent, having no desire to act without repercussions. The rest of the chatter came from the jeeps behind where most barely heard the conversation. Finally, the horse captain returned with a disgruntled face.

"Follow me, Lieutenant. Your soldiers will be directed elsewhere."

Jack said nothing and hopped from the jeep to follow the Captain to headquarters. He used the silence as an opportunity to take in the conditions of the town. Alongside the destroyed buildings, craters marked the ground from explosions. Some more noticeable than others. Soldiers who spotted the two officers became curious but said nothing, only standing at attention when they pass by near them.

Jack and Oates finally arrived at a building adorned with the Bruish Empire flag. It was notable for being unscathed from the predators' attacks. Inside, Oates led Jack to the war room where maps and other documents laid on the table. The bunny saw a field telephone that he knew the Captain used to call Hornson earlier.

Oates moved around the table to where he and Jack faced each other. "Let's get down to business."

The Lieutenant quickly noticed how the horse left it to him to see the maps. Jack held his tongue as he padded forward and jumped onto the table.

"Yes. Let us," the buck said.

Oates placed a hoof on a map of the town and directed it to two spots. "We successfully repelled two predator attacks so far. Those savages thought they could catch us off guard by only moving at the night, but our scouts discovered them setting camp near the canal. Despite losing the element of surprise, the predators pressed forward with their attacks."

"How bad was the situation before our arrival?"

The horse moved his hoof opposite of their location on the map. "The predators here had fought from across the canal, compared to other locations where they actually made an attempt to cross. I fear that the previous attacks were meant to weaken our defenses and their next attempt will be to cross the canal. Also, in the previous attacks, the predators came in small numbers which leads me to believe that they will come at us in full force this time around."

"I believe the predators are crossing at night because they have the advantage of night vision and some are nocturnal. The maneuver would certainly create chaos for us. What have you done to halt their advances?"

"It's on the map. My current plan has been successful, so I see no reason for an alternative."

Jack looked down at the details laid out. He noted the different points of interests on the map as his mind processed the information.

"With all due respect Captain," He said, looking back up at Oates. "If the predators intended to weaken your defenses, then they will know our weaknesses. We must switch tactics because using the same one puts us at a significant disadvantage."

Oates flared his nostrils, feeling irritated that the buck was questioning his successes. He decided to hear Jack's plan; if only to satisfy his curiosity and reject it. "And what do you propose?"

Jack placed his finger on their bank of the canal. "Since we know they will cross and a few will undoubtedly make it, I propose digging a trench here where the smaller half of our forces can surprise the surviving predators." Jack then moved his fingers to the edges of the town. "I am expecting them to focus on the town, so I propose we move our forces to the outskirts where they can avoid the brunt of the attack."

The Captain flared his nostrils loudly. "You must be mad if you think I will leave this location defenseless!"

"I am not saying we do that! Obviously, some must remain behind to protect and operate the equipment. But I believe this is our best chance for success. Please consider this."

After Jack finished his explanation, the two officers silently stared at each other. The Lieutenant could see the stern expression on Oates' face, not knowing his reaction, but he expected the worse.

The tension finally broke when Oates closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "Very well," he reluctantly agreed. "My forces will be on one side of the town and yours on the other. I will gather my smaller mammals and send them to you."

Jack felt an overwhelming relief for the opportunity but kept his professional appearance. "Thank you, Captain."

"But," the horse added, his stern look returning. "Your plan better work or losing this position will be the least of your worries. Dismissed."

Jack saluted and hurried to find his troops, aware that he had only hours before nightfall. It didn't take him long to locate them loitering around near the jeeps, the latter assuming they needed to wait until he returned with new orders.

"Listen up everyone!"

Hearing the Lieutenant's voice, the prey stopped their idling and gathered around Jack to listen.

"Follow me, please. I will explain the plan and show your positions for tonight's attack."

Jack led his troops to the bank and got ready to speak when another group of soldiers appeared. A donkey from the group stepped forward to the Lieutenant and saluted.

"Captain Oates said that you needed smaller prey of our size and placed us under your command. What would you have us do?"

Happy that communications between him and Oates were slowly improving, Jack began by dividing the soldiers into one large and one small group. First, he explained to the small group about the trench and their role in surprise predators. Next, the rabbit informed the large group of their positions at the outskirts for protection. The soldiers understood their orders with no objections, and they got to work on the trench and the outskirt positions. The length of the trench spanned the town, and the width nearly covered the bank. The soldiers hid trench by building a dune from the sand dug up. Later, Jack's group moved all their weapons and equipment to their assigned position on the outskirts.

Jack himself took up a position on a roof to provide support and give the signal to fire. To that end, the Lieutenant set up a machine gun nest and managed to acquire a rabbit-sized sniper rifle from among the casualties. He established a field telephone in the room to communicate with Oates during the fight.

Meanwhile, Oates assigned his troops to important positions in the town and directed the rest to the outskirts. The horse decided to remain inside headquarters to update the Colonel on their status throughout the night as done in the previou stwo attacks.

Once they completed the tasks, Jack reported to Oates who then asked the rabbit to accompany him while he inspected the locations. The Lieutenant hoped that the Captain would approve of the measures. Standing at the top of the bank, Jack remained silent as Oates gazed upon the trench. The nervous rabbit didn't dare look up at the horse for fear of embarrassment.

"Better than I expected," Oates said.

Jack's ears stiffened from the positive response, "Thank you, sir."

"Now to see if can withstand the predators."

The horse took his leave, and it wasn't until his footsteps were out of range that Jack felt any relief.

After the inspections, Oates granted the soldiers rest, and they gladly took full advantage of it. Meanwhile, he and Jack continued to work, developing alternative plans and reporting their status to Hornson. The hours went by and their soldiers noticed how weary their commanding officers were becoming. Knowing they will do more harm than good in the fight, the soldiers made an intervention. At their behest and with some persuasion by Jack to Oates, the officers finally took a break from their duties to eat and sleep, the latter happening in shifts.

When night arrived, everyone moved into positions and waited for the predators to appear. Since the prey did not know when they would attack, Jack and Oates decided to rotate the troops who were on watch, simultaneously keep them alert and allowing for more rest. They also brought supplies to sustain them during the night.

Hours started to go by with no activity from the predators as February the 2nd turned to February the 3rd. The cold temperatures of the desert kept some soldiers awake, but others had trouble staying alert. The supply runs and rotations were helping to prevent the prey from being caught off guard.

After another supply run, Jack sat down to rest, bringing out his canteen to take a drink of water. He turned his head to see Bucky and Pronk near him, the two appearing sleepy and bored.

"How are you holding up?" The Lieutenant asked, trying to keep them alert and awake.

Bucky covered his mouth as he let out a yawn. "Honestly, this feels similar to the Western Front. The only differences are the living conditions."

That brought a previous topic they discussed on the way to the outpost. "You mentioned the mud and rain earlier. Is the weather really that terrible?"

"You could only imagine, Lieutenant," Pronk said. "Unless you get transferred there."

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "You never know, and if I do, I'll know who come to for advice."

"I got to ask," Bucky said. "You said you've been here before. What were you doing then?"

"A research trip when I was in school years ago. I got to study predator language and culture and also had the opportunity to visit an excavation site. Very illuminating."

"Then why are you fighting against them?" Pronk asked.

Jack sighed heavily, slumping against the sandbags. "It's hard to say. Maybe it's my sense of duty to fight for the empire. Maybe I'm thrilled to return here even if it is to fight instead of conducting research. I honestly can't pinpoint a single reason. Do you understand?"

Before either of them could answer, the rabbit's ears suddenly stiffened, along with those of all the other lagomorphs.

Bucky and Pronk noticed the sudden change of behavior and became worried when Jack stood up and gazed at the other side of the canal.

"What is it, Lieutenant?" Bucky asked.

"What do you hear?" Pronk asked.

Jack turned his attention back to the troops with a dreaded look. "They're coming…"

The words sent fear through every soldier present, and they all wasted no time mobilizing, knowing every second counted.

An out-of-breath Jack barged into headquarters to alert Oates, only to find that the Captain had fallen asleep.

"Captain!"

The horse jolted from his slumber at the rude awakening, and his angry eyes fell on the rabbit standing in the doorway.

Jack didn't give him a chance to reprimand him. "They're here!"

The reprimand died in Oates' mouth and with lighting speed that stunned Jack, the horse put on his coat and rushed outside, pass the Lieutenant. The shock wore off in time for Jack to see Oates running ahead and him scrambling to catch up. The two officers conducted one last check on all the positions, finding everyone and everything in place before they took up their own positions.

In the machine gun nest after shuffling through his equipment and ammo, Jack stood behind the shield with the flare gun in his paw. He closed his eyes and began concentrating his hearing in the direction of the predators.

Being a moonless night, the prey could not see the enemy until they came extremely close, putting the former at a great disadvantage.

Finally, the other prey could hear the predators movements and aimed their weapons, waiting for Jack to light their vision. Those in the trench remained still and silent, but the tension and anxiety from not being able to see the predators coursed through them.

Jack's eyes shot open, and he let out a sharp gasp when he began picking up the predators' voices. With one paw on the machine gun, he aimed the flare gun at the other side of the canal and fired.

The light illuminated the night sky, revealing a terrifying sight and stunning the prey. Predators were boarding pontoons and rafts and attempting to cross the water. More infantry was stationed along the dunes and in trenches, ready to fire. The predators too were stunned into silence at losing the element of surprise once again.

The panic started to set in before becoming overwhelmed, leading a soldier to fire a shot, followed by another and another before the entire area devolved into chaos as both sides unleashed a barrage of bullets at each other.

Jack straightened the bullet belt and fired at the dunes, trusting the troops to shoot at the predators trying to cross. He fired in bursts to protect his hearing from the machine gun's loud noises and reduce the chances of it overheating and jamming the bullet belt inside.

Even after the flare went out, the prey knew the predators' location and continued their attack. And even if their surprise attack failed, the predators persevered and managed to launch the watercrafts in the chaos. But some quickly abandoned their attempts halfway across the canal and jumped in the water to swim to safety. Others managed to reach their objective, only to be ambushed by the prey hiding in the trench, leading to a firefight breaking out between those groups of soldiers.

On the trench incline, many predators threw their weapons down and fell to the ground in surrender, but the remainder chose to fight back, getting either wounded or killed in the process. The prey also suffered casualties from the onslaught and now got involved in the overall fight. A portion of the prey kept their weapons trained on the surrendered predators while the rest joined the main fight. Meanwhile, the wounded predators lay in the sand in pain and agony, praying they will survive.

Jack finally heard the gun click and a feeling a dread overcame him when seeing the box empty. Cursing at the ill-timing, the rabbit ran to grab more ammo when halfway across the room; he suddenly felt himself slam against the wall. Jack fell to the floor in a daze, but that disorientation was quickly replaced with a sharp, intense pain to his head. The rabbit clutched his ears in a vice grip and shrieked in pain and agony. Jack tried to push through it, but all he could feel was the pain in his head and hear the howling of the wind.

After what seemed an eternity, the pain slowly subsided and his hearing started to return. Jack slowly opened his eyes and was shocked to see the entire machine gun placement destroyed. This led him to one horrifying conclusion. The predators had mortars or artillery, both able to destroy his forces and the town if not eliminated. Judging from the size of the damages, he assumed the former.

Still in shellshock, Jack saw the field radio nearby and desperately crawled to it. He hoisted himself up against the radio and wasted no time grabbing the pawset to call Oates.

"Captain! We got enemy mortars firing on us!" The rabbit shouted.

"I realize that! I'm mobilizing our mortar teams right now, but you must mark the locations for them."

"But Captain!"

"No questions, Lieutenant! Lives are at stake here!"

"Yes, sir."

Jack knew the predators had the advantage of night vision, but Oates was correct. He saw the sniper rifle lying before him and reached for it. Finding them undamaged, the rabbit reached into his uniform to check the flare gun and thanked the deities for his luck. More explosions went off and the cries of the unfortunate soldiers caught in the blast reached his ears, pushing him to hurry.

The rabbit limped forward to the hole in the building, collapsing to his knees upon arrival. With no time to search for his binoculars, Jack needed to use the sniper scope to search for the mortar teams.

After checking the ammo, he peered through the lenses and was greeted flashes of white in a dark background. The rabbit jerked back as panic started to set in at the task becoming increasingly difficult. But Jack took a deep breath to calm himself down and remembered what to specifically look for. He peered through the scope again and focused away from the fighting, searching for any movement or flashes. Jack's hopes were raised when he caught sight of a few silhouettes huddled together and trained the scope on them. His suspicions were confirmed when a flash suddenly appeared among them, followed by an explosion on the prey's side.

Still looking through the scope, Jack fired the flare gun again. While dismayed that it did not land on the mortar team itself, he felt relieved that the light still revealed their positions. Moments later, Jack saw everything around the flare, including the mortar nest, bombarded with shells. He celebrated only for a moment before continuing the search for other mortar nests.

Despite losing the machine gun, the rabbit still contributed with the sniper rifle, keeping in mind that his task will soon lead the predators to focus on his position. His small size granted him the advantage of being able to easily hide and be hard to see from their vantage point. Jack focused on the predators on the bank because of his rifle's limited range, but he knew that only a headshot was necessary.

As the fighting dragged on, the prey began seeing the predators cease trying to cross the canal, drastically boosting their morale. The predators continued to fight in spite of failing to achieve their goal, but they slowly started to feel overwhelmed. The prey also sensed this, and did not slow down their attacks even if the tide began turning in their favor.

Slowly, the predators began to realize the outcome from the lack of progress until, finally, their leaders gave the order to retreat. Jack saw this through the scope and scrambled to the field telephone to inform Oates of the good news.

"Captain! They're retreating!"

Hearing his excitement, the horse came out rushing just in time to barely see the predators falling back. He could also hear their cries of panic in the chaos.

"Cease fire! But don't lay down your weapons!"

The soldiers obeyed, and they all remained alert should the tactic be a diversion. The anxious prey waited and watched the surviving predators disappear over the horizon before the battlefield became silent. As the minutes passed, the predators had not yet appeared, but the prey continued to wait.

Jack managed to recover his binoculars in the brief lull and use it to search for any sign of them, ready to signal everyone else. After what seemed an eternity, Oates knew they had won.

"Stand down mammals. We've earned our victory tonight!"

The prey promptly began to celebrate, shouting speciesist remarks across the canal.

"Run home you savages!"

"Crawl back to your caves!"

"Don't let the desert kill you!"

Jack let out a huge sigh of relief and collapsed on the floor, rejoicing in the victory. But the moment was short-lived as he needed to report to Oates, else he would be assumed dead. The rabbit rushed out of the building and found Oates nearby, congratulating the soldiers.

"Captain!" He cried, running to the horse and stopping in front of him. "We did it."

"Yes, Lieutenant," The horse smiled. "We did."

Oates let them celebrate for briefly before giving commands for the recovery. He ordered Jack to assist the troops while he reported their status to Hornson, which the rabbit agreed.

As the horse left for headquarters, Bucky and Pronk, who survived the attack, approached Jack to congratulate him.

"Great work, Lieutenant!" Bucky said.

"Your plan worked!" Pronk concurred.

Jack smiled at the praise. "Thank you. Now as much as I want to celebrate, we have much work to do."

The Lieutenant first divided up the mammals for the tasks ahead of them. One group apprehended the surviving predators on their side of the canal as prisoners. Another group counted the number of casualties and carefully treated the bodies. In total, 30 prey soldiers died with another 60 wounded. The last group performed the cleanup and assessment of the town.

Dawn arrived, and the recovery process was ongoing. Jack sat on a crate in the destroyed room, taking a break. The rabbit felt exhausted from assessing the damages and carrying the fallen, but the successful defense stifled his complaints. As the sun slowly rose, he heard two mammals enter the room and approach him. Their voices gave the identities away.

"There you are, Lieutenant!" Bucky exclaimed. "What are you doing up here?"

Jack said nothing, still facing ahead. Curious, Bucky and Pronk followed his gaze and found their answer when the sun finally appeared over the horizon.

The morning light revealed the carnage from the assault on full display. The predators killed after successfully crossing the canal lay in the sand. Bodies littered the water as the blood stained the canal red. Along the bank defenses, surviving pontoons and rafts were beached against the sand while those destroyed had partially sunk. On the other side lay bodies of predators killed during the assault and retreat. The smell of gunpowder and corpses wreaked the air, causing Jack's nose to twitch.

"Quite a view, isn't it?" Pronk finally said.

Jack opened his canteen and drank some water before returning his gaze to the canal. "Yes, it is."

Historical reference: Raid on the Suez Canal. I also made a nod to Saving Private Ryan.

With Jack in the picture, you can hint who the next chapter will be about. Call it an intermission from Nick and Judy.

Just like in Spirit of Christmas, there may be around 4 chapters for them as an introduction.

See you all next chapter!