"In accordance with the needs of the Marine Corps, your service has been extended indefinitely."

Erika scoffed, staring down at the pool of rising opaque water that, sitting down, almost entirely engulfed her legs as she mulled over those words. Had it not been for whatever was happening here on Harvest- a planet that wasn't even her own- she'd be home right now, enjoying civilian life for the first time in six years.

She looked back up and sighed. No matter how many times she thought about how things could be different right now, it didn't change anything. She was stuck in this foxhole, on this foreign planet, in this downpour for as long as the Marine Corps deemed necessary.
But for what? It still wasn't clear why they were there. All Erika knew from the vague briefing the 29th had was that this was "urgent". But urgent could mean a lot of things. Was it disaster response? It was possible, but they weren't exactly equipped for anything on a large scale. Counter insurgency could be another possibility, but then why would they entrench themselves? The Innies didn't exactly fight in a conventional manner.
Erika could've gone back and forth with herself for hours, but her thoughts were suddenly interrupted with a-
SPLOOSH

The dirty, freezing water that had been pooling up in her foxhole shot under her visor, blinding and drenching her further..
Sputtering and wiping her eyes, she looked up and tried to make sense of what just happened.
Some kid had jumped into her refuge unannounced. Well, not a literal kid, but certainly a fresh face to the corps.
The initial shock and confusion were now wholly replaced with irritation.

"Who... who the fuck are you?!"

He flinched, hugging his MA5B like a child with a comfort blanket.
"I-I'm..." His voice trailed off ...or maybe it hadn't. The rain was so loud it was hard to tell if he was still speaking or not as he awkwardly looked at the ground

What is up with this guy? She opened her mouth, ready to let loose on him when she stopped herself.
What the-
Erika heard the sound of dozens of approaching pairs of boots squelching in the mud. She poked her head over the top of her foxhole to see two, maybe three platoons emerging from the woodline up ahead. Most on foot, but some hurriedly offloaded from warthogs.
They seemed to be in a rush, jogging towards the foxholes, some hopping in themselves.

She sat back down, now more confused than ever.

Just what the hell is going on?

She hadn't gotten the best look at those marines, but they didn't look very well off, and she could've sworn she saw stretchers. If that were the case, and her new guest was among those marines, than maybe...
The muscles in her face relaxed as she slid back down, sitting slack in her armor.

"Sorry..." She muttered, sheepishly looking at her feet. Or, where they would be if she could see them under the ever rising water. "You just startled me."

The kid seemed to ease up as well, though he probably couldn't hear her over the rain, he could see her shift in posture.
He then said something, or at least she thought he did. His lips were moving but the storm still continued to drown him out as well.
She cocked her head to the side giving him a quizzical look.
"Can't hear you" she mouthed.

He hesitated for a moment before his eyes lit up. He felt around at the side of his helmet for a while before pressing something, and a moment later:

[PVT. J PROCKTER- REQUESTING PRIVATE COMM CHANNEL]

She squinted as the text flashed brightly and obnoxiously across her HUD.
She sighed and accepted the request.

"Sorry again" His voice crackled through her helmet speakers. Nervous and quiet, His voice matched his face perfectly. "I thought this one was empty."

"You don't have your own foxhole?" Erika asked, trying to keep the edge out of her voice.

Water dripped from the brim of his helmet as he shook his head.
"I just got here, and I saw this shell crater and thought it was vacant..."

Shell crater?
Erika was confused now. "No, like I said, these are all foxholes we dug today. Why would there be..."
He'd gone pale
"Shell craters...?" Erika finished her thought, now feeling a pit in her stomach.

"Hey... what exactly is going on here?" she asked softly, scooting closer to the young private.

He turned towards her, his face etched with horror.
"They... they really didn't tell you?"

Erika shook her head.

"...Harvest has been invaded"

For a moment, the only sound between the two of them was the rain and quiet rumbling thunder that had begun to roll in.

"The innies...invaded? How- that doesn't make any-"

"No" He cut her off.

"Not insurrectionist... Not human."

Erika was pale now too.

She swallowed "If not innies, not human, than...?"

He looked back down.
"I don't know" His voice trembled, barely above a whisper.

Erika went cold, despite her armor's heated plates. She could see the private shaking too. Maybe because of the cold, or fear, or both.
Wordlessly, she rummaged through her duffel bag and found a heated blanket. She draped it over the two of them and sat with him in there silence.

There would be a briefing tomorrow.

There she would get her answers.
And
Her orders.