"All right, we are closing in," said Lieutenant Jack Emerson. "Stay in formation."
We were in the French countryside, responding to a request of reinforcements from the French government. I barely noticed the rolling green hills and the farms. To the distance, I could see smoke rising where the enemy was fighting the local forces.
"We're in position," said Lieutenant Michael Meyers.
"The locals will be sending us coordinates," said Lieutenant Colonel Lupon Kravshera. "Fire as soon as you receive the coordinates."
Soon enough, the locals gave us coordinates. I switched to guardian mode. Using the coordinates received from the French troops, I aimed the turret and opened fire. I looked around and our troop was opening fire.
"All right," said Jack. "Let's reposition ourselves and wait to deliver another salvo."
One important lesson when performing artillery operations is to assume that the enemy knows exactly where we are after we open fire, so we have to move. For a moment I wondered if we destroyed the enemy.
That was answered when enemy fire rained down on our former position.
"Everyone all right?" asked Executive Sergeant Rebekah Avital.
"Copy," said Private First Class Glenn La Belle.
"We're receiving coordinates again," said Jack. "Transmitting to the targeting system."
And we fired another salvo. We moved to another position, and waited for further orders.
"Everyone move in," said Kravshera.
And so we did, moving towards the spot where the enemy had invaded. It was this French town and some of the buildings had been wrecked. I could see remains of the enemy mecha, which the Supreme Command called bioroids. French infantry soldiers were patrolling the streets, clutching their rifles. Civilians peeked out of the doors of buildings and a bomb shelter.
"It looks like we did a good job," said Major Yoon.
I looked up to the sky. I knew that we could not win this war unless we crush the enemy fleet above us.
"Can we get some leave?" asked Mike. "I heard the French countryside could be beautiful."
"If you like battlescapes," said Jack, noting the current scenery.
"You can visit France on your days off, Meyers," said Kravshera. "Which is not today. Let's head back to base."
And so we did.
That evening, I was still finishing up my after-action report in the troop office. Private La Belle was assigned to the office for the graveyard shift.
"Anything I can help you with, sir?" he asked.
"See if there is paper in the printer," I said.
"Yes, sir," he said. He checked the printer and came back. "We have paper, sir."
I reread my report going over some editing. "And what are you up to?" I asked. "Everything going okay with your life, Private?"
"Aside from Executive Sergeant Avital making me work hard, sir?" replied La Belle. "I am getting married."
"You do not look that old," I said. I was surprised that a young fellow like him was getting married.
"Well, sir, my biggest worry is finding a place for my bride to live."
"She certainly won't fit in at the men's BEQ."
"I would like to have an apartment in base. It would be much easier than hunting for an apartment in Tangier, not to mention having to get a car and commuting."
"You can discuss this with Lieutenant Emerson and Sergeant Avital tomorrow," I said. "I'm sure you have floors to sweep."
His words reminded me of my situation. I did want to get married, and there were a few people I had met whom I would have married if I had the chance. And yet, considering marriage was too early. I should not imagine being married until I am sure it would happen. I wondered into what La Belle was getting himself in.
I did not want to think too deeply about this. It was ultimately counterproductive.
Oooooo
A few nights later, I had a date with Melissa Sharp since my return from Monument City. I briefly spoke to her when I got back, but then our scheduled conflicted. On one hand, it was nice for women to be able to live their own lives and have their own paths, and yet it can be inconvenient at times. We were in this Italian-Spanish-Lebanese fusion restaurant in Tangier. It was not very crowded, which added to the intimate atmosphere. The dim lighting came from candles and a few ceiling fixtures. The walls were decorated with pictures of various landscapes like ports and villages. The menu revealed how expensive the food was, with appetizers around ten dollars. I saw the owner of the restaurant, this old Nigerian dude, watching over the patrons.
"So how's it like, combat?" asked Melissa.
I stopped to think about my life, and how being in combat had changed it. "It is thrilling at times," I said. "I remember my first combat a few months ago. I also remember getting hurt- that is how I met you, recovering from an injury. I also know that some people don't come back. Our battalion just lost our master sergeant back when we were deployed in Monument City."
"I'm sorry," said Melissa. "I guess I should not bring it up."
"Well, your work is important even though you do not go out there. I mean, who is going to help us get back on duty whenever we stub our toes?"
She smiled. I suppose people could not help but talk about the war, since it was going on all over the world and there had been engagements with enemy ground forces all over the world. And people would naturally want to talk about the war with those who served in it, wanting to understand just a bit of what we go through. And yet, we also need our escapes from the stress of war life and combat, otherwise people go crazy.
"I wonder if that was what caused the Zentraedi uprisings a few years ago," I said. "All the stress they endured from being in combat all the time."
"PTSD," said Melissa. "Post traumatic stress disorder. A lot of combat veterans suffer it. I guess it wasn't such a huge problem for the Zentraedi before the end of the First Robotech War, as most of them usually did not live long enough. A lot of the Zentraedi immigrants form close-knit communities; there is one in Savannah in Georgia, and another one in Brooklyn in New York."
"And tell me more about Georgia," I said.
"Friendly people," she said. "It is the home of southern hospitality. My town has this café, which serves a great breakfast. I remember my days in the park with my mom, or hanging out with my girlfriends back home."
"And why did you join the Air Force?" I asked.
"I wanted to work in physical therapy, but getting the education and training was so expensive, not to mention trying to find a job afterward. The Air Force paid for my training and gave me a post. And I like my current post. Great weather, just a short flight to world tourist sites- I went to a trip to Egypt with some girlfriends, saw the pyramids in Giza. Plus I get free meals in the officers' mess."
"You sound like a recruitment commercial," I said, sticking a fork in the pasta. A waitress came to our table and served our entrees; I had this fusion pasta with this creamy red sauce as well as mushrooms, chickens, and bell peppers. "And what they do not tell you is that you could be transferred anywhere- including Antarctica or even the other side of the galaxy."
"It's in the small print when you sign to accept a commission," said Melissa.
"Yeah, always beware of the small print. I wonder what fine print the menu has."
"Not liable for salmonella poisoning?"
We both laughed.
Oooooo
We finished up with a bottle of expensive wine. It was not at the restaurant, though. It was a hotel room in Tangier, a very luxurious hotel room with soft carpets, a king-sized bed, a desk, and a Sony plasma television. The wallpaper had this marine-motif design.
"Nothing like a great bottle of wine," said Melissa.
"And a great hotel room to drink it in," I said. "At least the combat pay I got from my deployment in Monument City covers it."
We toasted and sipped the wine.
The next morning, I woke up in the bed. I had a great sleep, and it was a much better bed than the bed in the BOQ, like comparing a high-end restaurant to a McDonald's. Some light entered the room, filtered by the curtain over the window.
"Good morning," I said to Melissa.
"Good morning," she replied.
I felt a brief moment of hesitation. There were feelings inside me, churning like a blender. Memories of the previous night still surfaced.
"We should go steady," I said, kissing her.
"Of course," she said.
And so we did.
Ooooooooo
A few days later, I was having breakfast in the mess hall. I told them about getting together with Melissa.
"Congratulations," said Jack. "And I mean it. Having a girlfriend is great, even though you have to spend some of your time with her."
"That's the upside," I said, putting a spoon in my wheat bran.
"Don't forget what you learned at that VD workshop," said Mike.
I grimaced. I could still remember that mandatory workshop on VD, and the images.
oooooooo
I briefly glanced at a picture of an open marketplace in Istanbul in Turkey. Melissa and I were in the picture. The marketplace was packed with so many people and we bought some souvenirs. During our weekend trip there, we visited some historic sites and crossed the bridge over the Bosporus on foot, thus walking from one continent to another. It was hard to believe that it was two months since we had decided to go steady. We visited places around the Mediterranean, as well as local places in Tangier. I put the picture away and got back to my paperwork.
"We have some announcements," said Jack. "The battalion has announced it will be demobilized for December 23-27."
"So they are giving us a vacation, sir?" I asked, standing at attention with the others.
"Yes, Lieutenant, a paid vacation. A reserve battalion will fill in for us."
I recalled that the UEF can order servicemen and even entire units to take leave. "Well, at least until the enemy ramps up the offensive."
The war has been pretty low intensity, with skirmishes between enemy forces and the UEF, with no large scale battles. This did not mean we had nothing to do, aside from paperwork, we also had to train for the battles that surely would lie ahead, absent the enemy completely withdrawing.
"The base will also be holding a Christmas party on the 21st, just before we go on leave," said Jack. "Formal attire is required."
"In the meantime, we still have a troop to drill," said Mike.
"And I have a meeting with the battalion XO," said Jack, standing up and taking a manila folder.
Oooooooo
It was the day for the Christmas party, and I was buttoning my white shirt. It had been a long time since I had to wear the Army's formal dress uniform. I then tied the necktie.
"Do you need help with that?" asked Mike.
"Not really," I said. "You could hand me the coat."
"Sure thing."
I put on the dark blue coat, buttoning the buttons. I looked at myself. The formal dress uniform had blue pants with a yellow stripe running down the pant legs, a blue coat, and a collared white shirt and a necktie. My rank insignia was on the shoulders. A braid was looped around my left shoulder. My service ribbons were pinned to the left side of the coat. The last time I wore this uniform was at the end of basic training, when we all had to wear the uniforms and march in formation for a formal march.
I went out to the common area of the men's BOQ. Many of the men were dressed up for the occasion. A few of the men were in casual clothes, sitting down on the couches and watching television.
"You guys look great," said one of the officers who was staying in quarters, a dude whose name was Simon.
"Why aren't you going?" I asked.
"It's just not my thing," he said.
I saw Jack decked out in the Army dress blues; I noticed he had many more ribbons and medals than I did.
"Gentlemen, shall we?" asked Jack.
Ooooooo
The party was held in a multipurpose room in the base's community center. It was decorated with all sorts of Christmas decorations such as wreaths and Christmas lights. A Christmas tree stood in the corner. Many people were there, clad in their dress blues. Other people who were civilians were clad in fine outfits. Christmas music played from the speakers.
I escorted Melissa inside, holding her hand.
"Let's go get some punch," she said, clad in her dress uniform.
And so we did. Punch was served at this table with a white table cloth. I looked and saw alcoholic beverages being served at an open bar.
"Good evening, sir," I said, seeing Colonel Kravshera standing at the table. I noticed he had a lot of ribbons and medals, including those for his service with the Zentraedi back when they were Earth's enemies.
"Good evening, Lieutenant," he said.
I noticed a dark-haired, ruddy-skinned lady in her thirties standing next to him. She was wearing this red dress going down to her knees.
"And you are?" I asked.
"Leslie," she said. "Lupon is my husband."
I introduced myself. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kravshera," I said, shaking her hand. "And this is my date, Melissa Sharp."
"Nice to meet you, madam," said Melissa. "Where are your from?"
"From a land called Arizona," said Mrs. Kravshera.
"What's it like there?" inquired Melissa.
"A lot of mountains getting snow in the winter, plenty of forests and canyons and deserts. I grew up in this little village in the northeastern part of Arizona. Many of us move to Flagstaff. There's a U.N. Army base near there. Lupon was stationed there ten years ago."
"Great story, madam," I said, drinking the punch. I looked at Melissa. "Shall we dance?"
"Okay," she said, taking my hand.
And so we did, dancing to some holiday rock tune on the wooden dance floor. I enjoyed being close to her. And I definitely would love to be even closer to her than we could dancing on this dance floor.
After a few songs, we stopped.
"I've got to take a rest," said Melissa. "And a drink."
And so we went to the open bar. I saw Jack together with Nina Washington.
"Hello," Melissa said to Jack. "Jack, isn't it?"
"That's right, Melissa," said Jack. "This is my girlfriend Nina."
"Hi there," said Nina, shaking my girlfriend's hand.
I ordered some cocktails. "A toast," I said.
"Cheers," we all said.
"Sir," I heard.
I looked and saw Glenn La Belle, decked out in his dress uniform.
"Good evening, Private La Belle," I said. "Enjoying the night."
"Yes, sir," he said. "This is my wife Courtney."
I looked and saw a lady with a blue dress. Her light-brown hair was tied in a ponytail.
"Good evening, Mrs. La Belle," I said, introducing myself.
"I'm still trying to get used to being called Mrs. La Belle," she said. "I've only been married for about a month or so."
"And how has that been?" I asked.
"It seems like such a long time."
"Especially since the war wound down," said Private La Belle, placing his arm around the waist of his new wife. "We now live in a studio apartment. It's not much, but it is mostly better than living with a bunch of immature singles."
"Now he only has to live with them when you deploy," said Mrs. La Belle.
"Who knows," said Melissa. "Maybe the enemy will withdraw. Maybe the Spacy will destroy all the enemy ships."
I briefly thought of the expeditionary forces. Did they find the enemy's supply base?
Or will the enemy crush Earth's defense fleet, giving them the ability to bomb us from orbit at will?
Melissa and I sat down with Jack, Nina, and the other officers in our battalion and their guests. No meal was served, only appetizers like stuffed mushrooms and mozzarella cheese sticks and nachos buffet style from a buffet table set up.
"Got to enjoy these appetizers," said Lieutenant Isamu Shirogane. "You won't find good food like this in the officers' mess."
"We had a local catering company," said another lieutenant, a dark-haired woman. "If we had the Army prepare the food, we might as well have this party in the mess."
We all laughed.
"With all due respect, sirs and madams," said Executive Sergeant Avital, standing near us, "the Army cooks are not exactly gourmet chefs, but they keep us from going hungry when we are out in the field. And I heard rumors that the whole battalion will be spending a week in the field soon. So, sirs and madams, I strongly advise you enjoy the appetizers. You will soon be grateful for getting to eat a hot meal."
We all remembered our deployment to that campsite near Monument City just a few months ago, and the primitive conditions that we endured.
"Okay, the colonel has an announcement to make," said an executive sergeant in our battalion.
We all looked at Colonel Kravshera.
"It is my honor to formally announce that the O-5 selection board's decision has been ratified," said the colonel. "Lim Yoon is now a lieutenant colonel."
We all applauded, both those of us in the battalion and those who were in other units and the civilians.
The newly minted lieutenant colonel spoke up next. "Because of my promotion, I have outgrown my post," said Colonel Yoon. "I am being transferred to my new post at the United Nations Army garrison in Glorie Colony."
We all applauded.
Mike walked up to Yoon. "Congratulations on your promotion and assignment, Lieutenant Colonel," he said. "Glorie Colony is a great place. We are like pioneers there, sir."
"You are from Glorie Colony, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
We all put on our covers and those of us junior to Colonel Yoon saluted him, and he returned our salute.
"This is a party," said Colonel Yoon. "At ease."
I then took Melissa out for another dance.
Ooooooooo
"It was so much fun," said Melissa, as I walked her back to the women's BOQ. The streets were empty; the only light came from the lampposts, as clouds obscured the sky. The outline of the building where Melissa's quarters were was revealed, a building that looked pretty much like the buildings in the men's BOQ.
"What else could it be?" I asked.
My Nokia cell phone rang. I answered it.
"It's Jack," said the voice. "We have to scramble. Gibraltar Air Base is under attack and they have requested reinforcements."
"I have to go," I said, kissing Melissa.
Oooooooo
I sat in my VHT-1 Spartas hovertank, driving it over the Strait of Gibraltar. I was still wearing the dress shirt and dress pants underneath my arming doublet; I did not have time to change to my MARPAT camouflage that I would normally wear under the doublet. Nina was traveling with Jack.
"No doubt about it," I said. "I could see the action from here."
"Maybe the enemy will be gone by the time we get there," said Jack.
I doubted it. We soon reached the Spanish coastline and slowed down, navigating along the roads. The Spanish authorities had cleared the highways for military traffic, both local and UEF.
"There's the base," said Mike. I could clearly see the smoke.
"Okay," said Jack. "Ducasse, check out the hangars. Avital, you are at my side."
"Enemy bioroids," said Staff Sergeant Wing.
"Everyone attack."
We could see the enemy bioroids. I opened fire and then we took cover.
"Everyone to the hangars."
And so we all followed Jack through the streets of the air base. We soon reached the buildings where the fighter craft were located. There were wrecked aircraft on some of the taxiways.
"You, Wing, and La Belle go to the BOQ and try to see if anyone needs help," Jack said to me. "Nina's going to suit up and get her fighter airborne."
"Yes, sir," I said. I turned the hovertank and drove on the streets, keeping an eye of for the enemy forces. "Is anyone there?" I asked over the radio.
"Here's the BOQ," said Nina. "I'm lighting it."
I could see the buildings illuminated by Nina's aircraft. I headed over there.
"Cover me," I said to La Belle and Wing. I got out. "Is anyone there?" I asked.
I saw Lieutenant Shelby Porter run out of the building, her blond hair unkempt. "We're all pinned down here," she said. "The enemy is all over."
"Get inside," I said. Shelby climbed into the cockpit of the Spartas. "Listen," I said. "We need to clear a path so the pilots can get to their planes."
"We copy," said Shirogane. "I'll lead a team to guard the path."
"All right," I said. "Wing, La Belle, cover me as I get to the hangar."
"Yes, sir," they said.
I sped through the darkness, towards the hangar.
"Where is it?" I asked, being unfamiliar with the layout of the air base.
"Make a right turn here," said Shelby.
So I did. We soon reached the hangar.
Shelby leaped out of the hovertank and went inside one of the rooms. I switched to battloid mode in the meantime. I looked and saw Shelby in her flight suit, climbing into the cockpit of the VF-11 Thunderbolt.
"We'll cover you," I said through the loudspeaker.
She taxied the plane to the hangar door and blasted off. I could see a few bioroids flying about in their sky sleds; I opened fire on them, shooting one of them down as Shelby's fighter moved up into the air.
"Okay," I heard Colonel Kravshera say. "Make sure to cover for the fighters' takeoff."
And we did, shooting at the enemy on the ground and in the sky even as more pilots took off.
"All right," said Jack. "what is the game plan now?"
"I dare not broadcast it," said Kravshera. "All troop captains rendezvous with me."
Jack drove his hovertank to Kravshera's position, and the rest of us in our troop covered him. We stayed on the lookout for enemy activity.
"We got more of them coming from the northeast," said Private La Belle.
We saw them and opened up a salvo, with the VF-4 Lightnings finishing them off.
Soon enough, Jack came back. He instructed me, Mike, and Sergeant Avital to speak with him in person, as he did not want to broadcast our plan over the radio.
"The UNOP has a cruiser in the Med," said Jack, referring to the United Nations Ocean Patrol. "Once we give them a target, they will fire a cruise missile salvo. So we need to lure the enemy into the middle of this airfield. Let's get going."
And so we did. I led Wing and La Belle with me, looking for enemy bioroids.
"I see them," said Wing.
We opened fire, predictably drawing their fire.
"Everyone fall back," I said. We slowly retreated while returning fire, taking down a few bioroids. It was a slow process, withdrawing to cover, while firing on the enemy. Soon we retreated back to the airfield.
We then raced across the airfield in hovertank mode, with the others laying down cover fire. We took cover behind another building. I could see the bioroids emerging out of the airfield, firing behind them. I figured some of our squads were forcing them to retreat into the airfield.
"Keep clear of the target area!" shouted Kravshera.
The entire airfield was illuminated.
And then I saw these streaks of smoke. A split second later, there was a blast so powerful I could feel it. The smoke obscured our vision for over a minute.
As the smoke faded, I could see the wreckage of enemy bioroids.
"Score one for the Ocean Patrol," said Sergeant Avital.
"All right," said Kravshera. "Let's clean up."
And so we did. The enemy did not put much resistance. The remainder of them escaped in enemy transports as they flew towards the sky, with fighter jets chasing them.
And yet, I did not feel too victorious. What have we actually won? For all we know, this could have been a diversion. And the enemy is still in orbit.
"We lost Lieutenant Shirogane," I heard a female voice say.
Oooooooo
The next morning, all of the officers in the battalion had breakfast in the officers' mess. The usual was served- scrambled eggs, bacon, oatmeal, ham, fruit.
"Let's have a toast to First Lieutenant Isamu Shirogane," said Lieutenant Sue Lau, who was in Shirogane's troop. She held up a plastic cup full of orange juice.
"To Lieutenant Shirogane," we all said.
I did not know Shirogane well; he was competitive. I remembered the times when our troop and his troop played war games in the simulators, using various scenarios from capture the flag to escort missions.
And now he was gone. I wondered how his family would celebrate the holidays.
Ooooooooo
It was evening, and I stood outside the men's BOQ along with many other men. We were all granted leave, and we all booked flights through the base's travel agency.
"So what will you do?" I asked Jack.
"Go back to Monument City," he said, carrying his duffel bag. "It's going to be very cold there. You should be lucky you're going to Jamaica."
"Don't forget your skis," I said. Soon the shuttle van arrived; it was this huge van whose dark red color was revealed by the lampposts.
"Goodbye," said Melissa. "And have a merry Christmas." She kissed me, placing her hand on the back of my head.
"I sure will," I said before hopping into the van. The van left the base and went along the highway to Tangier. It was dark, so we could not see anything aside from the lights of the cars, lampposts, and buildings. The Atlantic Ocean was reduced to a dark expanse. We soon reached the Ibn Battouta Airport, the airport that serves Tangier.
"See you later, guys," I said, heading for the British Airways terminal. The terminal was busy, as I would expect for this time of year. Fortunately, my boarding pass was printed already. I went through security to the crowded boarding area where over a hundred people waited for their flight. I sat in the terminal, while others read newspapers or drank beverages they bought from fast food outlets and restaurants located in the terminal. Announcements in various languages blared out from speakers.
About an hour later, the gate was opened and I walked through a jetway into the British Airways passenger jet. I would have to take a flight to British Airway's hub in London before taking a connecting flight to Kingston. About forty minutes later, I felt the plane take off.