[IC] Valkyria Chronicles: Lions of the South

[BytheSpleen]

Emmaline Muller

For the longest of times, Emmaline spent little to none of her waking moments in thought. After her village had been gutted of its resources and inhabitants, she was in no position to let herself wander off thinking about things of the past. Only the present stayed with her, and her eyes reflected the anticipation, the anxiety for what would be coming in the future.

Had she been some deity or other entity beyond the endurance of a human, she would've remained so indefinitely, but simply responding with a "Yes, sir!" was getting old. For having reached so far into Gallia, the Empire was sure taking its sweet time advancing its force.

With the potty break came the release of tension, both in her bladder and brain, and when Muller headed back to the rest of the squad, Sgt. Harald was considering some ideas. Fire teams, he said?

That, she didn't mind. More people to talk to, more lancers to share the burden of the explosives. God, if they had to come across another tank...well, she'd done it once.

You know, walking right up on top and dropping a grenade in?

[CitrusArms]

Private Durandal

She'd taken the APC ride to read that mysterious journal she'd found among her things. It wasn't hers, so who's was it? It was some Captain Attenborough. Sounded like a nice guy, but why did she have his journal? Maybe she'd find out. As far as she got, she hadn't heard any mention of herself. The man clearly cared about his men, but she couldn't quite figure out... there was something a little strange about it she couldn't put her finger on.

The young lady from before came and addressed her. "Yeah, I'm feeling alright. I'm still a little," she pauses, "foggy, on details, but... I think I'll manage. We're fighting an imperial invasion. My training was a little different than guns and mortars, but I'm no stranger to a fight."

[Little_ninja]

Collaboration

Private First Class Cecilia Rousseau

and

Private First Class Evan Carn

His targets sighted, Evan strode over and greeted them. "Evenin', you two. What d'ya think of the squad so far?"

Ashart looked up when he addressed them, and quickly made an excuse before scurrying off. Hmm... Rude. Though maybe his actions, what with kidnapping them as well as his actions in the APC, hadn't left them with a very favorable impression of him. Fortunately, Rousseau didn't seem scared off by the mountain approaching her. Shrugging his shoulders, he tried to strike up the conversation again.

"Ok then, let's try this again. Good evenin', PFC Rousseau. What do you think of the squad so far? Feel like ya fit in yet?"

---

With little of anything to do after joining the squad, Cecilia struggled to get along with the others it seemed. It just didn't seem right to strike up any conversations since everyone else was already pretty much talking to someone else, leaving her to just sit and wear off the last bit of the booze, sobering up early in the drive. As she was thinking about what to do if she got the chance to go back to base and the possibilities of what has happened to her stuff, someone started to approach.

"Evenin', you two. What d'ya think of the squad so far?" he asked. Thinking for a moment, she watched as the other shocktrooper that was recruited seemed to scurry away. Looking at the mountain of a man approaching, she was wondering, Who is this guy? "Ok then, let's try this again. Good evenin', PFC Rousseau. What do you think of the squad so far? Feel like ya fit in yet?"

Suddenly something clicked. She pointed at him. The voice, she had heard it, just earlier in the day in fact. "So ... it was YOU who drove this APC into the base. It was YOU who parked it in the practice vehicles area. It was YOU who drove it to the battlefield. So, it was YOU who got me into this mess. I mean, who the hell drives an APC into the practice vehicles area!? Why didn't you check if there was a drunk person or something!? I end up on the battlefield with no gear, clothes and really bad hangover."

After she had her word, she stopped for a moment, lowering her hand. "Ah, oh well. No used crying over spilled milk. But, I don't care what you say, your paying for my drinks the next chance we get. Think of it as your punishment for dragging a drunk onto the battlefield when they were sleeping. Anyway, moving along. Evenin'. I haven't really spoken to much of the squad so no idea whether I fit. Everyone else was talking, and I didn't really have much of a chance to speak so yeah. By the way, who are you? And how did you know my name? I don't remember introducing myself to anyone, besides Celeste, Seargent Harald and that guy who just ran away."
[/hr]
The sudden tirade of accusations caught Evan by surprise, though admittedly he shouldn't have been. In answer to all the questions that had been leveled at him, all he could do was shrug. "Oops." In truth, he hadn't even checked the APC for stowaways until they were about to leave, and his exhausted mind had thought it was a perfectly logical thing to simply drag the sleeping drunk along with them - with or without her gear. Not that Evan was going to apologize. Too late for that now. "Well yer mostly kitted up now, so you're good to go. Seems like it all worked out in the end. Besides! Now you've got another story to tell who ever your drinking buddies were. How often do ya get a chance to say: 'Yeah, well one time I got so drunk that I woke up on a field op.'?"

When the girl started insisting that he pay for her next round of drinks, Evan let out a hearty laugh. "Ahaha! Alright, I suppose I owe you at least that much." Something told him this was a mistake, though, and that his wallet would be regretting it later on. When Cecilia asked for introductions, Evan extended his hand for a handshake. "Name's Evan. Evan Carn. And I think I checked your ID tags when I originally... heh. Kidnapped you." He mentally prepared himself for another outburst to be directed at him due to the fact that he admitted to actually knowing about her being in the APC when they drove off.

"You're a shocktrooper though, right? Well you're off to a good start if you were talking to Ashart. Uh... Ashart, Sykora and Skye. Evan counted on his fingers as he recounted the number of troopers in their squad. "Yeah, those three are the only other shocktroopers we got. Ya might wanna get to know them since you'll probably all be fighting in the same areas."

---

Glaring at him, Cecilia sighed. She knew he wasn't really feeling bad about what he did at all. Making a joke of the whole thing. At least he accepted to pay for her drinks next time. He finally ended up introducing himself, "Name's Evan. Evan Carn. And I think I checked your ID tags when I originally... heh. Kidnapped you." When she heard it ... she paused. So ... he knew I was sleeping drunk in the APC ... and still took off? What's with this guy was all she could think.

"Yes, I am a shocktrooper. Nice to know there's a few of them on the team. I was the only one in one of the other squads I filled in for. So ... Ashart, Sykora and Skye ... Guess I need to meet them some time." Cecilia replied as Evan told her about the situation with the shocktroopers. "So, what's the squad like? Like who is who and everything." Cecilia asked, wondering about what information she could get. She could then hear her name being called out, "Alright then, Ashart, Fairglaive and Rousseau sound off so I know who every one is!"

"Uh... Who's that calling me? And what does he do?" Cecilia asked.

---

Evan thumbed towards Hunt, when asked who was calling her. "PFC Hunt, our daily reminder of how the Army looks down on us militia. Was a scout in the army, but got transferred here for... some godforsaken reason." He shrugged. "As for the rest of the squad, we've got... Evan listed off the members of the squad and gave a quick (albeit somewhat sarcastic sounding) description of each of them. "I think that's everyone. Anyways. You might as well go figure out what soldier boy wants from you. He'll get all pissy with ya if you don't."

---

"Oh, someone from the army. I see. Hunt, huh ..." Cecilia said. She listed to her brief introduction to the members of the squad, nodding a bit. "Yeah I should get going. I'll see you later" she replied, grabbing the SMG she was given and headed out of the APC.

Heading to where Hunt was, she peered at his stripes. Lance Corporal? I thought Evan said he was a PFC she wondered. "Excuse me, Hunt. I was informed you were a PFC... Also, sorry for the late introduction." she straightened up to give a salute, "Private First Class, Cecilia Rousseau, reporting in."

[Zarkun]

Lance Corporal James Hunt|On the road to Vasel

@Little_ninja

Hunt caught the saluting hand before it went all the way up, but not in a menacing way. "Easy, Rousseau, don't wanna get me, the Corporal, or the Sarge shot, so don't salute in the field. Anyways, pleasure. Sarge just gave me a field promotion and I'm your new fire team leader. Just wanted to see who was who since we have some new faces."

[Lennon79]

Sergeant Harald, Gallian Militia

Despite his attempt at breaking the ice, neither Ashart or Louque seemed much interested in talking. Harald persevered for a time, trying to get some background on them at least, but Ashart clearly felt uncomfortable and Louque refused to drop her lone wolf sniper schick. He eventually gave up and wandered off to smoke one last rollie. After giving the others an hour or so to mingle, he pulled himself back into the back of the APC, taking up position next to the gunner's plate. 'Squad, pile on. Carn, you're driving. Hunt, watch the rear. And... Muller, you come up from on the gun.' He turned his eye back to the road as the squad got organised. The route ahead was fairly straightforward, but they were heading further into Imperial controlled territory. It wouldn't surprise him if they ran into a stray patrol before too long. '... Alright Carn, pull chocks.' As the APC grumbled to life and slowly accelerated down the road, Harald surveyed the area ahead through his binoculars. It was relatively open land as the forests and bocage gave way to wild fields and prairie. Beautiful landscape, but pretty dangerous for a lone, thinly armoured APC. Harald took solace in the fact that they would see anyone coming way before they got to engagement range. Unfortunately, so would the enemy.

---

It was some hours later that something on the horizon grabbed his attention. Harald peered through his binos, straining to make out the shapes up ahead. 'Hey Muller. Can you tell what that is up there?' He passed his binos over, still squinting against the afternoon sun. It was blocky, half hidden in foliage. Possibly a tank..? As far as he could tell, it didn't have the usual dull brown Imperial camo. They needed a keener set of eyes. 'Jatmoore, get up here.' He pointed out the object, frowning slightly. 'What d'you think that is? Looks like a tank, but it's blue. Friendly?' He ordered Carn to pull up anyway, just in case.

[Kitsune]

Alex Glaive

Alex looked more than a little surprised by the situation as not only was she being placed with some of the newer members of the crew, not that some of the others on the team trusted her anyway due to their suspicions that she an imperial. Still the biggest thing to swallow was that she was to work under Hunt who did not even get a real promotion and was already decorating himself.

Hoisting her rifle onto her shoulders she rested her hands on either side, a action that made her chest stand out a little in her tank top but she didn't seem to care as she made her way closer to the fire team. "Hey Cecilia good to meet ya. I'm Private Alex Glaive" Her eye brow twitched ever so slightly at the mention of her own rank, as she once held a rank far above others and she was respected.. She really had to stop thinking on such things or her cover was going to be blown.

"Hunt, maybe we should get moving? We have a long road. I'll stick to the back and watch other Cecilia" With that she lowered her rifle so that it was sluing over her back, motioning towards the convoy they were meant to be joining.

@Lennon79@Little_ninja@Zarkun

[BytheSpleen]

Emmaline Muller

As Emmaline was passed the binoculars, she coughed and sniffled a little bit. Pollen wasn't too bad, but nevertheless, she was going to have a runny nose sooner or later if they stayed in the forest by late afternoon.

With the binoculars up her eyes, Muller pivoted the gun towards the general direction of the vehicle in question, and squinted to see if it really was blue in terms of paint, not just a blue tarp or something mundane.

The question was : were they right to even discover this in the first place? The APC wasn't made for vehicular combat, much less against something that could be a full-on ambush.

Well, she'd have to see for herself. If it was the red or black of the Empire, that would be no good.

Hopefully she wasn't going to see white and gold either. The last thing Gallia needed was a two-pronged invasion on both fronts.

[Raven_Operative]

Lilly And Brenna Collab Post

Brenna jumped a little when Lilly spoke. "Um...sort of" Brenna spoke, her voice wavering a bit. My head hurts still. "But uh....how are you?" Her stance jolted to the left a bit as she winced in brief pain from her leg.

---

Lilly smiled and waved off the question. "I am doing fine. Despite what Mr. Hunt seems to believe, I'm actually alright." Maybe. Lilly frowned and looked at her stomach. "Well... Aside from being sore all over. Despite ragnaid's myriad uses, I suppose it is not perfect in it's healing capabilities." As she spoke, Lilly noticed Brenna's wavering voice and her shifting stance. If anything, Brenna was the one who people should have been asking about. "What of you, Ms. Sykora? Are you well? You do not seem to be completely healed yet."

---

Lilly looked fine, outside of her mention to her soreness. But when Lilly spoke about her injuries, Brenna looked a bit shocked. "No no no, I'm fine." She kept her facial expression as best she could. "I'm fine, really, I am." Though with little experience in lying, it wouldn't be too hard to see through her lies.

---

Lilly frowned when she heard this. Brenna certainly didn't look fine, and it didn't take a diplomat's eye to see that. "Are you certain? You do not-" Lilly caught herself and shook her head. She did not want anyone prying into her troubles, so likewise she would not pry into Brenna's. "I apologize, please forget I said anything. ... However, if you were ever to be injured or frightened, you need not hesitate if you wish to talk to me. I would certainly try to help in a situation such as that. I am sure the rest of the squadron would be of a similar mindset as well." Lilly smiled, both in order to appear friendly and from her amusement at just how hypocritical she was being. Unfortunately, that was the way things had to be. While others might need to rely on the support of the squad, Lilly was certain she could function without having to burden them even more. She hoped. She had to.

*crick*

ANYWAYS! Her mind was starting to drift to unpleasant places, so in an attempt to stave off those thoughts, she shifted the conversation in a different direction. "Do you know much about astronomy, Ms. Sykora? My father saw little value in it, but my butler made a note of teaching me a small bit about it during the evenings. It is a fascinating subject."

---

"I know some astronomy.." Brenna wanted to break down so badly. Lily obviously could see she was far from ok, but Lily instead maneuvered around the subject. Why? Why do this? She thought. Why noticed my pain, then turn away from it? Brenna worked hard to hold back tears. She was fighting to hold back the urge to cry, the only thing helping the fight was the nearby squad members. Brenna didn't want to openly cry with them around. She didn't want to deal with the embarrassment and possible humiliation. She even wanted to become friends with some of these people, but if she cried, would they even let her near them?

All of this internal stress found it's way onto her face.

---

That was wrong. This was bad. She had just made things worse. Lilly had expected that a quiet girl like Brenna would have preferred to avoid discussing personal problems, but apparently skirting the subject had just caused even more issues. But then, why? If Brenna was truly in pain and wanted to discuss it, why hadn't she?

Because she was a quiet girl.

Lilly berated herself for her idiocy as she tumbled to (what she thought was) the answer. Brenna probably didn't want anyone else to see her upset - a desire Lilly could fully appreciate. She didn't want to force anyone to discuss anything against their will, but Brenna's expression was quickly becoming the definition of 'not alright', and she still felt like she had to do something to help. "Brenna, could you come with me for a moment?" Lilly's formality momentarily slipped as she waved Brenna to follow her, leading her away from the APC and the squad. She hoped she'd have enough time before the Sergeant came looking for them.

Once they were out of earshot and hidden behind a rather impressive bush, Lilly turned back again to Brenna. "Bren- Ms Skyora, I apologize, for I am not usually as intrusive as this, but you truly do not look well. Are you absolutely certain there is nothing I can do to help?"

---

Brenna nodded as Lily asked her to follow her. She feared Lily may be aiming to insult her privately for her obvious show of weakness. But what happened surprised Brenna. Lily asked if she truly couldn't do anything to help Brenna. She wanted to cry so badly, but continued to resist the desire to cry.

She did however, open up about how she felt. "It hurts. My head, and my leg. They hurt." Brenna looked desperate for help. "If you think you can help...Please do. Seeing what happened to you that night, combined with my own injuries..I'm having a hard time dealing with it all." She hugged Lily, and couldn't resist any longer. She started to cry softly. "I didn't want you to die....You're the only person I've been the closest to being friends with..Even though we didn't talk much, I still valued you as such." Brenna had broken, and was showing a more vulnerable side she had worked to keep hidden. How she truly felt about Lily, and recent events.

---

Lilly stiffened for a moment as Brenna hugged her, before smiling and returning the embrace. Patting her on the back in a rather motherly gesture, she spoke in a gentle tone as Brenna cried into her. "It's alright, Brenna. It's alright." No it really isn't... "Do not worry about me. I'm not going to die." Maybe... "It will take much more than that to kill me, I promise." That's wrong...

As she held and comforted Brenna, a melancholy started to creep over Lilly. She did not like to lie, and the fact that she believed none of the things that she herself had said made it even worse. ...But she couldn't let Brenna know that. She had to stay strong. For Brenna, for the squad, for her family, everyone. She had someone who was relying on her now. Now she really could not afford a slip up.

Once Brenna's tears had subsided and she broke off the hug, Lilly patted her on the shoulder. "Are you feeling better now? Would you like me to ask Sergeant Harald about getting you some more ragnaid?"

---

Brenna felt relieved that Lily didn't outcast her for her actions. And also felt better that Lily was comforting her. She pulled back from the embrace and smiled a little. "You didn't have to say those things." She wiped some tears away. "Don't force yourself to be strong for me all the time." Brenna hugged Lily again, except this time it was with more warmth. "And I'll be there if you need me."

But Lily's mention of bringing this up to the Sergeant made Brenna nervous. "I-I'd rather not." Brenna pulled away again. "I'll tough it out for you." She patted Lily on the shoulder "So you don't have to be so strong for me." Brenna smiled. The feeling of smiling in front of another person gave her butterflies. It was an odd sensation. A rare sensation. But one she fully accepted for Lily.

"But, should we head back anyway? So the sergeant doesn't get suspicious?"

---

Lilly giggled softly as Brenna hugged her a second time, happy at least that the girl was feeling better. "I am glad that you are feeling better, Ms. Sykora, but please do not force yourself to suffer for my sake. If you do feel you're injured, please see that it is tended to. ... But yes, we should start heading back. It would not due to worry the squadron and have them come looking for us." Lilly kept up a cheerful facade as they walked back to the APC, but Brenna's words kept bouncing around her head, causing her strife.

You don't have to say those things. Yes I do. Don't force yourself to be strong for me all the time. And what state would you have been in if I was sulking instead of helping? *crick* I'll tough it out for you so you don't have to be so strong for me. You don't understand. It's not just *crack* for you. It's for everyone. And I'll be there if you need me. I don't need you. This is my problem. My duty. *pop* No one else's.

Not for the first time, she thanked the strict lessons on composure and diplomacy that her father and mentors had taught her. Had she not received them, she had no doubt that she would have broken down long, long ago. But even her mental fortitude had it's limits. I wonder how long I'll last... *static* And why won't that thrice damned cracking sound go away!

***

When they arrived back at the APC, most of the activity had died down. PFC Lance Corporal Hunt had organized his section, Sergeant Harald had finished his discussion, and most of the squad was just milling about. Good. It didn't seem like they had missed anything. When Brenna went off to do her own thing, Lilly sat down and leaned against a tree that was a few meters away from the APC. Closing her eyes and relaxing, Lilly began to refocus her thoughts. Maybe she should go check on Private Durandal. She hadn't had much time to chat with her, and the poor girl had been through a lot. *static* ... Or she would if she wasn't feeling completely drained at the moment. Well she wouldn't be helping anyone by mentally exhausting herself, so Lilly took the remainder of their down time to relax and recuperate as much as she could. Fortunately no one came to bother her during that time.

When Sergeant Harald called for everyone to mount up, Lilly piled into the back of the APC with the rest of the squad and resumed acting as if nothing was wrong at all. At least at this time of night, the chances of getting attacked were probably lower, so eventually she drifted off to sleep for a quick nap.

***

'Jatmoore, get up here. What d'you think that is? Looks like a tank, but it's blue. Friendly?'

Lilly was jolted out of her sleep by the Darcsen yelling down to her. A couple hours had passed, and the Sun was just starting to rise - a good thing too, since though her vision was well above average, she doubted she would have been able to see what Harald had been pointing at if it were pitch black out. Pulling herself up and standing beside the Sergeant, she retrieved her own binoculars from her leg pouch and peered towards the indicated vehicle. What was that... Yes, it was a tank. There's the turret ring... It was blue, but that didn't mean anything unless-WAIT! A slight breeze caused the vegetation to shift, and she spotted a coat of arms painted on the side of the turret - a sure sign that this was a Gallian tank. A medium tank to be precise, due to the shape and size of it's silhouette. Nodding, she relayed this information to the Sergeant. "Yes, Sergeant. It is a Gallian medium tank, and it appears to..." She took another look through her binoculars at the coat of arms. She couldn't tell what squad it signified at this distance, but it seemed to be a militia crest. "It seems to belong to a militia squadron." She put her binoculars away and gave Harald a confused look. "Sergeant, were we not supposed to be the only militia element operating in this area?"

---Interactions---
@Lennon79

[Zarkun]

Lance Corporal James Hunt| Road to Vasel

@Kitsune@Little_ninja@Lennon79@Raven_Operative@BytheSpleen

James looked at the others and nodded, stepping down to let the others get in. "Yeah, sorry. Load up ahead of me, Sarge wants me covering the rear." Once everyone had loaded up, he made sure he didn't need anything from his pack and sat down on the back.

---

James listened to the others, scanning behind them as the APC sat at a stop. He found it odd that they hasn't at least seen an imperial patrol by now, but he wasn't going to bring it up. In fact, he'd been about to lean back and resume the drone of rear watching when it was brought up that they'd stopped to look at a Gallian Militia tank. He then decided to chime in. "Hey Sarge, it could be left overs from when the Army and regular Militia was retreating. We didn't exactly have time to grab everything on the way out." Still, he choose to err on the side of caution and checked his chamber to make sure a round was loaded.

[BytheSpleen]

Emmaline Muller

Emmaline broke a sweat, and this time not from her suit. With a glance down back at her lance sitting inside the APC, the young lady shifted in her seat for comfort, before pointing the machinegun down the tank's way. As the gunner, she was supposed to be looking for soft targets...maybe? If that was the case, they could be from anywhere, hiding in any part of the thick foliage.

"Hey Sarge, it could be leftovers from when the Army and regular Militia was retreating. We didn't exactly have time to grab everything on the way out."

Who said that? Regardless, while it did seem like a very possible event, but considering how quiet things were, and the fact that the outpost she had just visited prior was attacked, an ambush just felt about ready to spring out. And if things had the risk of involving vehicular combat, shouldn't at least one of the lancers be out?

Well, then if she was out, the Sergeant would have to be the gunner. Easy pickings for a sniper...or the tank that may have very well been commandeered by the enemy.

What to do, what to do...

[caliban22]

Sam

From atop the Tank Sam hid, using the natural light, the natural curves of the tank and her small body to hide. From he place atop the tank she laid on her stomach with her Sniper rifle aimed right at the heads of the people in the incoming APC. From this range she couldn't see any uniforms or anything just faces. While the APC had Gallian colors, it was possible it was a trap so she had been told to ID the APC. Slowly she scanned the faces. At first none of them seemed familiar until a male Darcsen popped his head up and looked their way " Sargent Hoek its 4th squad." she said with a sigh of relief as the squad below her lowered their weapons. When she had spotted the APC and alerted the squad, they had rushed to the hastily dug trench besides the tank. while it was near impossible to see from the range and angle of the approaching APC. The squad had a very good angle of attack should it turn out to be a Captured vehicle. From where she hid she could see Paul as he put his weapon down against the rough wall of the trench. With a chuckle " well Dresdner, wave them over." the Sargent said as he went back to the card game he had been playing with some of the squad just moments before.

Paul

Paul nodded as he took a deep breath. Only moments before he had playing cards, trying to put off reading a letter from his mother. When suddenly the squad had gotten word of a vehicle nearby. Now suddenly he was volunteered to risk his life trying to flag down 4th squad Even if they were friendly that didn't change the fact they may shoot him. A nervous gunner, or one of them unable to identify his uniform, could let off a burst of fire that could end his life just as easy as an enemies. slowly he move to the top of the tank making sure he was in plain view for the Incoming APC, Hoping some one was looking at them from the APC he waved them over. He prayed one of the recognized him, and wouldn't try to snipe him as he stood there. Once he had felt it was enough time to recognize him he climbed down, look sideways at Sam with a look of relief and happiness that he wasn't out right shot. Sam smiled and chuckled slightly in response. He knew they were both glad to see the 4th again. they both had been a part of the squad several weeks ago, before the 9th took massive casualties during one of the offensives. Since they lost both their sniper and almost all of their shock troopers they were both assigned to to fill in the gaps. The squad really only had three veterans Sargent hoek,Paul and Sam, the rest were replacements with this being their first time that they were bring sent into battle. For the most Part Paul was proud of them, since it barely showed as they had learned well with Hoek. While still green as grass they showed some signs of being more skilled and disciplined then the average Militia. In Paul's eyes Hoek was a good leader, considering his age, Paul was surprised that he could keep up. At 40, Sargent Hoek was by far older then anyone else in the squad.From under his helmet Andrew Hoek's close chopped black hair was peppered with grey. Paul knew he was shorter then the average man, as Hoek stood at an impressive five feet seven inches. When he had arrived in the squad, much to Sam's amusement, Paul would often bump into him. While Hoek had been easy going about it, it bugged Paul that his CO was so short. While he was short Paul could not deny he was a tough one, as Paul had seen him running laps and doing push ups around the base. Sargent Hoek was a good man, during some of their down time, he had shown Paul a photo of his wife and two daughters in front of his families farm. One of them had been Paul's age, and much to his annoyance, Hoek joked about setting them up after the war.

[Slypheed]

Celeste

The ride was the same as any other ride in the APC. Boring, monotonous, and really low on the social interactions meter. Though for some, the shear emptiness of social interaction during the ride was probably a blast. Though Skye's occasional foot taps and slightly disgruntled look puzzled Celeste. Maybe she was bored, and was quite the action girl. No idea. Though a Darcsen wanting trouble was very odd, but then again, so was a Darcsen Sergeant.

However, the ride went on. Leaving Celeste with her own thoughts for some time before the Sergeant noticed something on the Horizon. The field promoted Mr. Hunt said something about it possibly being an abandoned tank. Though his actions said he wasn't confident in his own explanation. She didn't say, or do, anything about it and turned her attention back the Sergeant, aiming to keep it there till they found out what it was.

But everyone seemed to be preparing for the worst. She really couldn't blame them, no one had expected that tank. So chances were that tanks had left a very bad impression in the mind's of everyone. Celeste chose to sit by in a more calm demeanor, waiting for the all clear or a frantic dismount order.

[CitrusArms]

Private Durandal

The young woman had been taking the opportunity to collect herself. Memories beyond a certain point became a jumble, and then a haze. She could try to remember, but nothing made sense unless she took the time to put them in order. It was a tiring exercise, a strange kind of fatigue that leaves you drained, but not physically tried. She wanted to move through her stances and forms, but there was no space. They were moving somewhere, though she wasn't sure where. She wished she had a map to study. How far was she from home?

No, she shouldn't get distracted. She'd probably remember if she put it all together. Or... if she read through more of this journal?

---------------------

Somehow, the more she read of the journal, she more she was filled with a profound sadness. She had a sense that she knew how the story ended. Really, the dogtags that came with the journal were story enough. She couldn't read much of the journal at once, but the man had become aware of a new addition to his squad, a lancer for their next mission. It was at this point in her reading that the APC stopped. She closed the book and tucked it away swiftly, looking up at the Sergeant. A tank...? She reached for her mortar, prepared to make a sprint.

[Little_ninja]

Private First Class Cecilia Rousseau

Being told to be at ease, and the reason why, Cecilia simply shrugged it off. Introducing herself was Alex Glaive, Cecilia replied, "Nice to meet you! Hope to get along!. It was time to get back into the APC and for the squad to continue moving.

---

In the rather silent travel, Cecilia was feeling bored. Didn't have any of her gear to check over or to waste time with. Looking over to Alex, who said she would look after her, she asked, trying to stave off some boredom. "So, uh.. Alex? It's alright to call you Alex yeah? How has your experience with this squad been?"

However, by the time she had gotten an answer, the APC stopped, being alerted about a tank. She was familiar with a situation like this, having been squad hopping. Being ambushed by a captured tank is no fun. Grabbing the SMG she was borrowing, she prepared for a firefight, if one were to break loose. It seemed a few of the others were also quite cautious, something probably happened with this squad involving tanks, from what she could gather. The squad seemed a bit edgier to the situation than others.

[Kitsune]

Alex Glaive

Alex had her eyes closed as she rested back against the shaking APC as she relaxed her tired body, a side effect of trying to stay awake as long as she could the night before in order to watch over the team. However even she could not properly sleep in the roaring tin can so when Cecilia started talking with her she responded without even opening her eyes. "I don't mind you calling me Alex. As for this squad?" She paused for a moment, thinking on the question as she recounted her experiences, all their actions over the course of their adventure so far before sh finally answered honestly.

"They are good people... However most are not suited to war."

Suddenly the APC came to a halt and Alex opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling of the machine as she listened to everyone talking and right away she suspected what was going on. "Just move on and avoid it." Finally sitting upright and rubbing her eyes she spoke to the people trying to figure out just what the heck was going on. "Its a trap. A imperial tactic of using a fake or, as you said, a wreck that they use to draw people like you in, thinking that someone may still be alive behind enemy lines or they were just lucky enough to find a TANK abandoned and oddly left by the imperials for them... In short avoid it." She knew she gave a little too much away, her knowledge of imperial tactics that a normal militia shouldn't have but the last thing she wanted to have happen was dying because of this.

[Slypheed]

Celeste

The squad talked some more. But it was Glaive's suggestion that made Celeste a little edgy. She thought about it's possibility. Then came up with something. It was a selfless move of her to suggest such an action, but there was only one way to find out right? She stayed low as the mentioned her plan to Harald. "Hay, Harald. What if I went up and checked it out? I can stay in sight the whole time. If it's a trap, you guys just floor it in the other direction." She waited for his answer. "And don't worry about me. I'm sure you'd get a more worth while Corporal soon enough if I die." She put on a smile to hide her own feelings on the situation.

Though deep down, she was terrified of how high the chances were of her dying.
@Lennon79

Skye

The talk of this tank and how it could be a trap was rather annoying. She'd rather be doing something. And so she did just that. Skye looked at Cecilla and spoke towards her. Aiming for a conversations while the others bickered on about the tank. "So. I don't quite know or remembered everyone's names yet. Would you mind telling me yours?" She paused for a few seconds before realizing she hadn't spoken hers. "Oh, and before you ask, my name is Skye." Skye spoke with a smile.
@Little_ninja

[Lennon79]

Sergeant Harald, Gallian Militia

'We are...' Despite the potentially dangerous situation, Harald tried to think positively for once. 'We are, but there are other Militia elements in the area. Besides, the Army's been probing Vasel for days. Might be a stray squad ahead of the others..? Maybe?' The chances weren't high though, he knew too well. Chances were that it was a derelict, or worse an Imp trap, a sentiment echoed by Glaive. The Sergeant turned to her, gave her an appraising eye. 'Could be, but do we really have the luxury of going around? We're on a tight schedule here y'know.' He paused for a long moment in indecision... until Stichler proposed a plan. 'Sure, Corporal? No offence, but you ain't exactly the most mobile one here. If things do go south, you might get caught flat-footed.' He didn't like her self-derisive tone either; NCOs needed to act confident for the sake of their subordinates. 'Alright, let's try this. Stichler, drop your lance and armour. You and Hunt scout ahead, take wide spacing. Once you get an idea of who's who, cell it in on the radio.'

[Zarkun]

Lance Corporal James Hunt| Road to Vasel

@Lennon79@Slypheed

Of all the jobs he'd had as a scout, it wasn't the most fantastic, but it was right up a scout's alleyway. Standing, he hefts his rifle up and steps down out of the APC. "Can do, Sarge. Ready when you are, Corporal."

[Little_ninja]

Private First Class Cecilia Rousseau

"I see..." Cecilia replied to Alex. It seemed to Cecilia that there wasn't much of a sense of camaraderie in the squad. Nonetheless, everyone was clearly anxious over the tank. Everyone cautious and throwing a number of suggestions. Cecilia was tempted to peak out of the APC to get a view. Suddenly one of the others called out to her. It was a Darcsen who, although they were both sitting, quite tall. Cecilia was generally considered tall, but this person was even taller.

She was asking for Cecilia's name, facing her, she answered, "Name's Cecilia Rousseau, nice to meet you ... um..." not having caught her name, she was about to ask for her, before Skye answered, "Oh, and before you ask, my name is Skye.". "Nice to meet you, Skye." she replied.

"Also recently recruited?" she asked making small talk, before going back to wanting to peak outside. "Well, sending people to check the situation is good and all, but has there been any movement from the tank side? Maybe they will send someone to meet with us, do we really need to risk it by showing ourselves?" Cecilia suggested still holding the SMG, ready for what could happen.

[Slypheed]

Corporal Celeste Stichler

@Zarkun
Geez, dropping both her lance and armor. Being forced to take the weapon she wasn't all to good with. A rifle.

Celeste sighed softly. While the loss of weight was much better, she did feel more vulnerable. Being rather used to the weight of the armor plates and lance. This must be what a scout feels like. She thought to herself before dismounting the APC then looking at Hunt. "Alright, lets go." She didn't catch any of what Rousseau had said, but had heard her speaking up about something.

Private Skye

@Little_ninja
"Cecilia Rousseau, it's nice to meet you." Skye smiled. When she brought up the subject of being recently recruited as well, Skye nodded. "Yup, just about dragged here." But when Rousseau brought up the notion about the tank, Skye shrugged "I dunno. I'm only a private after all, don't get to make decisions or give orders. But I'd personally rather see something done about it, than sit around and squabble like clucking chickens."