Concept of Operations
After the excitement of the recent events died down a little, the lieutenant decided to set up a course of action.
"I need to link back up with American forces." He paused, searching his mind for a reasonable solution to the problem at hand. "I'm not sure how to do that. Renamon?" Her ears perked up and she looked at him with a focused stare.
"Yes, my tamer?" Her use of the word tamer to describe him made the lieutenant a bit uncomfortable, but he reluctantly accepted the title.
"Have you ever seen any other humans here before?"
"No." She thought more on the question. "Although, I did hear the movement of strange machines through the woods only a few days ago."
"Really? What kind of machines?"
"I'm not exactly sure. I did not manage to see them, as I was hoping to evade them. There seemed to be many of them though, and voices conversing. They did not speak in English."
"Hmm…" I'm not so sure about what that could be. If it were a military unit, I'd say an enemy motorized or mechanized company. But, it could be non-military related.
"Could they have been digimon?"
"I doubt so. Digimon rarely travel in such large numbers, or with machines."
"I believe it could have been an enemy mechanized unit. If I could track it, I could find how this unit is linked to the rest of their military. They probably have an arch portal of their own."
This is the only course of action I have available that wouldn't involve desertion. It is very dangerous though.
"What are you thinking, tamer?" Renamon was waiting in earnest for his decision, she was excited to go an adventure with her new tamer.
"I will track the movement of this mechanized unit, and hopefully find their C-P. From there, I would be able to find out if I have any chance of getting back to my unit. I'll have to play it by ear." He considered her role in the course of action he just outlined. "Renamon?"
"Yes?" Most of what he said flew over her head, but he seemed to have his plan thought out.
"Would you be able to take me to where you heard the machines?"
"Yes, what did you have in mind?"
"When we get there, we would then search for track or tire treads, and I would be able to find out where they were headed. After that, I would follow the tracks and you would go home."
"Wait, we would split up? Why would I go home?" She did not want to separate from her newfound tamer, she wanted to go wherever he went.
"This mission is very dangerous. I would be tracking a mechanized unit that by far outnumbers and outguns me. You don't need to go along, you would probably get hurt or killed. The same goes for me, but I have to."
"I am going with you; all the way. I'm not heading back here."
"Don't you understand?" the lieutenant was frustrated with her stubbornness. He did not want her to become a liability in the field. "This is dangerous, and you have no reason to be out there with me. Why don't you just head back here after and go back to living like normal?"
"No!" This upset her. She was ready to go out and fight and possibly die for her new tamer, but he acted like they weren't even partners. "Don't you understand? We are PARTNERS! We are supposed to travel together and protect each other, no matter what. I cannot protect you while I stay here. I have been waiting for this moment my whole life, I've been training my whole life for this. I will not go back to 'normal' life. We are partners, and partners are forever."
Damnit, Mike. You've pissed off your only friend here.
The lieutenant reached out and put his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her. She gave him an agitated look. "Alright, you can go with me. I just didn't want you to get hurt is all. I want to keep you safe."
Renamon pondered his sentiment, and came to accept his reasons. She slightly distanced herself from him socially, due to the strain he caused in their relationship. They ate, and prepared for a long excursion, with the thought that it was probably a one-way trip.
"Let's ruck up and roll out." The lieutenant led the way.
