Last Resistance to Peace
Chapter 7

by Scarlet Eve

#SundayFundayBitches

A.C. 204

Early July

The personnel and officers quarters for the Sanc Kingdom military was located on the property that belonged to the Peacecraft family. Near a far back corner of the property, away from major roads populated areas, stood several low buildings, most only two stories high. The buildings were painted a rather ugly green-brown color, but helped to blend in with the surrounding area. It was here that the Sanc soldiers were trained, housed, and prepared for the eventual attacks on the country.

Below the personnel buildings was the underground mobile suit hangar. The floor of each dormitory building had a trapdoor that led to a stairwell and elevator, which would take the soldiers down to their mobile suits. No matter the time of day, the soldiers would have quick access to their weapons to protect the kingdom.

Lieutenant Colonel Noin was in charge of training and overseeing these soldiers. During her time at the academy, she'd excelled in all areas and frequently ran workshops to help other soldiers get up to speed. That's why it was easy for Milliardo to convince Relena and Sally to hire Noin as the officer of charge of training. She considered this small group of buildings her domain. She knew every inch of every building and the surrounding grounds.

That was why, as she approached in her ATV, the lump on the ground just outside the tree line drew her attention. The two soldiers on guard duty opened the gate at her approach. She waved them out.

"Did you see that over there?" she called out to them, pointing to the lump on the ground. Both young men shook their heads. Noin sighed. "Come on," she shouted. The two soldiers pushed their rifles around to their backs and hopped into her ATV. "What have I taught you about guard duty?" she asked, her tone severe. The two young soldiers flinched.

"Know every inch of the land," they said together, acting like dogs with their tails between their legs. Noin nodded.

"Know every inch of land," she repeated.

"We figured it was just a dead animal or a branch," one of the soldiers commented.

"You still verify. It could be a hidden bomb," Noin said. She wasn't intentionally trying to make them paranoid, but checking on a slight difference in the landscape could be the difference between life and death. Noin pulled her ATV up alongside the lump on the ground and threw the vehicle in park.

It was not a branch, nor a dead animal.

"It's a person!"

Noin climbed out of the ATV and knelt beside the person collapsed on the ground. It appeared to be a young woman with short, dark hair, not unlike her own, wearing a military uniform. Her face was dirty, and she appeared to be injured.

"Hey, she's from Germany," one of the soldiers with her commented. Noin glanced up at him. "I recognize that insignia on her shoulder," he added with a blush. Noin smiled at him.

"Good call," she said. "Help me, here." Between the three of them, they lifted the woman off the ground and gently laid her across the back seat of the ATV.

"How did she get out here?"

Noin glanced back towards the trees. Nothing else appeared to be disturbed. "Wait here," she ordered, and un-holstered the gun at her hip. With her hands wrapped around the grip, she ventured forward through the trees, looking for any signs of how this woman ended up on Sanc Kingdom property. Other than her footprints in the soft earth, Noin couldn't see anything else.

She was about to give up when she saw a torn parachute in a tree. It was almost invisible among the budding trees, but she saw the cables hanging down, still attached to the backpack that it must have deployed from. Noin stood underneath the parachute and glanced up. Sure enough, the same insignia from the woman's uniform was stitched into the leather backpack.

Noin left the parachute in the tree and walked back to the ATV. The two soldiers were standing guard, their eyes scanning the trees, like she'd taught them.

"Looks like she came in on a parachute," Noin said. "Let's get her back to the medical facility. When she wakes up, she can give us her whole story."

A.C. 204

Early July

Sally joined Noin in the medical facility. Sally had been a field medic for many years before climbing the ranks to Major, so the facility was familiar to her. Though she frequently had to remind herself to let the doctors do their jobs and not interfere.

Noin led Sally to the room of the stranger that was found collapsed. Inside the room, the woman soldier was sitting up in her bed, bandages covering the scrapes on her face. Her eyes were a little foggy, but otherwise, she seemed alert. Sally stepped to the bedside and folded her arms behind her back.

"I understand you stumbled into our country," Sally said to the woman. "I'm hoping you can offer up an explanation. My name is Major General Sally Po, of the Sanc security guards."

"Hilde Schbeiker, Staff Sergeant in the Deutsches Heer," she said, her voice lilting with a slight accent. "At least, what was left."

"What do you mean?" Sally asked. Hilde closed her eyes for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts.

"OZ came in and dismantled everything," Hilde said. "Some of us tried to escape, to find sanctuary in countries that haven't yet fallen. OZ is locking up all the military officers and personnel of the countries they take over." Emotion seemed to overtake her for a moment, and a tear leaked from her eye. Sally frowned, feeling sorry for the young soldier. "We stole a plane and I jumped out over the Sanc Kingdom. My landing was not ideal."

"I see," Sally said. She stepped away from the bed and paced across the room for a moment. "Where have your comrades gone?" Hilde shook her head.

"I don't know. There aren't many places left that aren't controlled by Romefeller and OZ," she replied. "It's only a matter of time before they come for Sanc." Sally stopped pacing and glanced back at Hilde.

"We know," she replied, sadly. "Queen Relena is well aware of what might happen."

"Will her highness accept me here?" Hilde asked.

"I would consider myself a great misjudge of character if she turns you away," Sally replied. She turned towards Noin, who had been silently observing the exchange from the door. "Find her a place in the dormitories."

"Yes, ma'am," Noin said, and turned away to leave the room.

"I will talk to you more later. Rest up," Sally said. Hilde smiled and thanked her.

-SE