This is part of a two-piece release today. The other part will resume the main story plot.

I've decided to put some life into the 407th's sister unit, the 865th CSH as well as some of the other oddities of the coalition exploits...

Handle With Care

Colonel Potter finished his review of the latest batch of papers waiting his signature. He had a strong suspicion at least half the reports he sent in would never again be read by a living soul. But woe unto thee who failed to do his part in feeding the ravenous demands of the bureaucracy. As he finished jotting his name on the last page, he looked up as the office door swung open and Radar came in.

"What can I do you for, Radar?"

"Uh, there's a Colonel Richardson here to see you, sir."

"Send him right in!"

"Yes, sir." Radar turned to see the other colonel, a good-sized man, almost physically the opposite of Colonel Potter, stroll in with a grin on his face.

"Sherman T. Potter! As I live and breathe!"

"Marv!" Potter said, extending a hand which the larger man gripped firmly. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm out here to take over the 865th from Colonel Boyette."

"Shingles," Potter nodded. Nobody was taking any chances out here, so Boyette's diagnosis meant immediately being relieved and sent to a hospital in Tokyo for recovery.

"Yeah... damned fool thing." Richardson looked over at Potter. "How long have we known each other, Sherm? Going on fifteen years now, right?"

"About that," Potter agreed.

"We went through a lot over the years."

"As I recall, you didn't exactly like me that much when we first met."

"Why would I? I was a hotshot kid with fresh bars and you were an old dog who'd worked his way up the hard way. I knew I was a better surgeon than you. But you... You were more stubborn and determined than any other man I'd ever met." Marv looked thoughtful. "Do you remember that time back in Iraq? Hummvee hit in a Blue on Blue. We worked for seven hours on that one kid."

"As I recall, he didn't make it."

"No. But you tried. You tried harder and with more conviction and that's when I realized you were a better doctor and a better man than I was, Sherm." He laughed without humor "'Friendly Fire', they call it. We just blew the living hell outta you but we're powerful sorry about it!"

"You offered me a drink afterward. Some of the worst scotch I ever had as I recall."

"You mean compared to what came out of that still we set up afterward? Now that was bad."

Potter nodded and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of Kentucky Bourbon.

"What's on your mind, Marv?" He asked, offering a glass to his old friend.

"I need the straight story on this place, Sherm. I'm hearing from the brass like they're expecting all hell to break loose any time now?"

"I'm afraid the odds are more than likely. Not everyone over here is an idiot but it looks like the idiots are the ones in control at the moment. Sooner or later, something will set off, and then it'll get ugly."

"I was afraid of that. Have you been over to the 865?"

"Not really, I've had plenty enough to do here."

"The Head Nurse, Major Hinkley, got promoted out just before they got here. So they promoted Kate Steele in her place."

"Steele? Related to Senator Steele? Those Steeles?"

"Yeah. Senator Preston Steele is her old man and Major General Bartford Steele is her uncle. But for once, I don't think nepotism had much to do with it. She knows her job and does it well from what I can see."

"But...?"

"But Captain McCall thought she deserved the nod and she's got no problem telling me about it."

"Wait... 'Irish' McCall?"

"You remember her," Marv chuckled.

"I'm only glad Major Houlihan isn't that bad on the regs."

"Well, all in all, I'm not too worried about the nurses. My doctors on the other hand... You know I've got 'Fumbles' Hobson as my XO."

"Hobson? He's still in the Army? He makes Frank Burns look like a surgeon!"

"What can I say? Everybody is short on doctors. I can't get rid of him when I've just been complaining that we're understaffed!"

"Any luck on that?"

"Yeah. They offered me MacKenzie and Martinelli."

"Great. I've seen their files! Mackenzie's a drunk and Martinelli couldn't operate his way out of a wet paper bag!"

"Luckily, this is an international thing, so I managed to get a Canadian surgeon and one from South Korea. Major Rebecca Gordon, and Lieutenant Yoon Myung-Ju. They at least look like they know their business."

"And the rest?"

"Some good, some bad. Simmons, Gates, and Yamato look solid. Pinkham and Russell? Not so good."

"And the rest?"

"Roger Danforth, Roy Dupree, Augustus Bedford 'Duke' Forrest, and isn't that a name that portends! ...and then there's me, Sherm. I've been on desk duty for three years since I last operated."

"You're a good surgeon, Marv. I'll stake my life on that."

"I hope so, Sherm. Because I'm the new guy in town and I'm going to have to make a lot of changes because I got too many people thinking it's still a 'Peacetime Army' out here. 'Good enough is good enough!' Well, it isn't. And I better have the credibility to make any changes I make, stick."

"I'll back you up anyway I can, Marv."

"Thanks, Sherm. So, why don't you show me around? Let me in on what's what out here?"

"Alright," Potter said, getting up. "Come on! I'll show you around!"

We cameo another classic anime...

Those Who Hunt Idiots

Captain Hiraga was unhappy, to say the least. The current source of his rampant displeasure was the tank crew somewhat standing in front of his desk. The three humans, one elf, and the cat perched on Corporal Inoue's shoulder were still suffering from massive hangovers, and this suited Hiraga just fine for the headache that they had given him. Perhaps the Elven mage was not yet to the hangover stage of the group's little adventure, Hiraga noted as she still had a hazy grin as she imitated the salutes and stance of the others. Her fellow adept, Ennette, stood on the right side of his desk, regarding her compatriot with a look of long-suffering resignation.

"Sergeant Ryuzouji!" Hiraga barked, gesturing to the stack of papers on his desk. "Do you happen to know just what this is?" He leaned back appraisingly.

"No sir," Ryuzouji replied, dearly wishing the drumming in his head would stop.

"THIS... This is the aftermath of your little drunken rampage, sergeant! These are the complaints from the Elven City Council, depositions from citizens who were subjected to invasive searches, lists of damages..."

"Sir... I..."

"I didn't give you permission to speak, sergeant. But by all means! If you can explain this to me, go right ahead!"

"Sir... We didn't intend to stumble into a major Elven settlement but we had standing instructions to make peaceful contact with non-aligned local populations when presented with the opportunity to do so. It wasn't our fault that the locals were so welcoming. We couldn't exactly be impolite and refuse their hospitality, sir."

Adept Ennette nodded her head and sighed. "They arrived during our Festival of Gratitude. The ale was flowing quite liberally." She gave a long-suffering look at her counterpart, who swayed somewhat and then leaned on Sergeant Ryuzouji.

"If I may... your Majesty..." Adept Celcia said, raising a finger, still obviously quite drunk. "I Lost my spellbook... My spells were scattered everywhere. Junpei..." She giggled slightly at that, looking up at him even as she continued to lean on his shoulder. "Junpei and his crew agreed to help me find them... " She giggled again and then pushed herself off Sergeant Ryuzouji. "We found one..." She smiled and mooned Captain Hiraga, displaying the large glyph adorning her right cheek.

"See?"

Ennette responded with a facepalm and pointed to a large tome on the corner of Captain Hiraga's desk.

"What's that?"

"This is your spellbook, Celcia." She gestured to the glyph. "THAT is a tattoo!"

"Really?"

"Yes, Celcia."

"Oh! Junpei! We found it! Thank you so much!"

Captain Hiraga sighed. "Sergeant Ryuzouji... I have been informed that the Elven Council will not be pressing charges as according to what Bishop Beenal has told General Hazama, your little escapade has been declared an 'an act of the gods'. Instead, they have agreed to settle for a payment of reparations and for our engineers to repair the damage. As for you, Sergeant Komiyama, and Corporal Inoue? If I had my way, I would have you three maniacs safely put away forever under lock and key." Hiraga frowned.

"Unfortunately, I can't. If word of this leaked out... We all saw what Representative Kohara tried to pull at the Diet hearings with Lieutenant Itami's group. We are NOT giving her a scandal presented on a silver platter. So, unfortunately, I can't hang you." Then glancing up at Ennette, his lips pulled back in a smirk.

"However, it seems there is some justice in the universe. Ennette tells me that you and Miss Celcia entered into a legally binding contract of marriage. Seeing what a sentimental fellow I am, I certainly can't separate you newlyweds. It seems that Celcia's people are occasionally subjected to raids from marauders out of the Northern Mountains. You and your crew have just volunteered to be stationed in their city to assist in its defenses. You'll be leaving in the morning. Dismissed."

The next morning, Sergeant Ryuzouji and his crew, his new bride accompanying him. smiling, and waving as she stood in the open top hatch of the big Type 74 tank, now painted with cat's whiskers on the front, began the long drive north. Passing the American vehicle repair depot, they attracted more than a few stares from onlookers, including one Sergeant Ozaki.

"Al," she said. "We definitely aren't in Kansas anymore."

Calling The Cavalry

With 2nd Platoon, Fox Company, near Foraoise Spéir (Sky Forest)

Corporal Wesson checked his map again. Aerial drone surveys couldn't see much through the dense forest canopy so the only way to know what was there was to send in a ground team to go take a look.

"Those trees must be nearly two hundred feet tall," Sergeant Pryce commented. "So? what are we going to find in there?"

'Dragonfly' smirked. "Well, ye've got High Elves but they live a lot deeper into the forest."

"Lucky them that big dragon didn't get up this way," Wesson noted.

"Aye that," Tsetse agreed. "There's about two or three thousand of 'em."

"An then there's a colony of Èireannach clans, Maybe thirty or forty thousand strong!" Dragonfly put in.

"I hope you're on good terms with them?" Wesson asked.

"It should be fine, luv! But I figure their scouts have already spotted us. More'n likely since we're a small group, I expect they might send a company of cavalry in a display of force."

"Cavalry?" Pryce asked. "What are we talking about? Hawks? Eagles?" In the distance, a horn sounded.

"Nay, but I think ye'll be seeing very soon..."

After a minute, Wesson could swear he heard yipping...

"I don't believe it... I just don't believe it..." Lieutenant Harmon said, head shaking as the first riders came into view.

"Corgis?" Pryce asked in disbelief.

Harmon just nodded numbly.

"Corgis..."

Notes:

1) MASH was a one-of-a-kind show but that didn't stop Fox television productions and CBS from trying to copy it. Twice in late 1977 and early 1978, they made pilots for shows set at a MASH in Korea but the shows would focus on the nurses' points of view. These shows were 'Handle With Care' and 'The Fighting Nightingales'. Of the two, I think Handle With Care would have been a better show as from what I could gather from the breakdown and casting of the Fighting Nightingales, it would have had a CO who would have made Henry Blake look like Sherman Potter. And the Head nurse seems like the worse aspects of Margaret Houlihan on pushing the regs with the added employment of a camp snitch. The CO on Handle with Care would have been played by Brian Dennehy and the Head nurse by Adrienne Barbeau.

2) Yes! Those who Hunt Elves in a context that fits this setting. Also cameoing at the end were Leanna Ozaki and her partner Al Southwell from "Dominion Tank Police"

3) Yes, Corgis. They really are the preferred mounts of Faeries in folklore. That patch of white fur on their backs is called a 'faery saddle'. And we can now picture Queen Elizabeth trading one of the uninhabited islands for three of their best breeding steeds...