Chapter 49: "They’re coming"
"A soul seal is a form of mana branding. So long as it is active, we have to follow whatever the contract says." The lieutenant said grimly while sitting down. "What this ans for you is that we will never betray you. The Empire treated us like slaves, we were worked harsher than the civilians we captured."
He sighed while the commander slumped over as well. "Most of us have been forced to be here, the only consolation was that our families were brought with us. We simply want an end to this war. A chance at peace. I am placing my bets on you and your n to finally have a year where I do not bury my brothers and sisters in arms."
Strizen looked at Eric, his usual harsh glare replaced by somber one. "We can follow orders, and understand that we will not be allowed access to your weaponry, we just want to be free from the shackles placed on us by that dreadful empire."
Eric leaned back in his chair as he looked at the n. He thought back to all the n he had t in his infiltration missions. So enjoyed the treatnt, others did not. In Strizen’s base, the facilities were dysfunctional, and quality of life there was abysmal. "Were you actually being punished by getting stationed there?" Eric said, looking at the lieutenant.
"Yes. That location is where the soldiers they do not want around go."
Eric nodded while looking at the n. "Alright, check it out. I am not in a position where I can say ’yes, you can work with us’ or ’no, you have to go’. I have to authorize this with my commander. Co back in around six hours. I will have an answer for you then."
The n nodded as they walked out. Eric looked up at the ceiling. "Look’s like I’m not coming ho soon." He said gently. He then turned to his LT. "Get comms and have them set up a radio in my office. I need to have a conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Milano."
The room then shook as a loud "Boom" shook the atmosphere. Eric steadied himself as he looked around. "What in the actual fuck was th-" His eyes went wide as the palm of his hand slapped across his forehead. "And take a small elent of soldiers to go check whatever just landed in that valley is."
He slumped back against his desk as he looked down. There, in a valley so thousands of feet down, was a large parking lot filled with vehicles. A structure stood in front of the parking lot, so massive that Eric couldn’t see either end of it from his vantage point. "You have got to be kidding ." Then...
A ding on his cell phone. He had one bar.
"Okay... what the fuck?!"
A single text sent from his sister on 12/03/2028
"I hope you’re doing okay!"
He had deployed on August 12th, 2025.
Deciding to test his luck, he made a call to Milano. The tone dialed, before milano answered. "Sir... we have a problem."
The other line was silent before a patchy voice ca through. The ssage was garbled and sounded as if read by a robot. Eric heard just enough to understand. "Yes sir, I’ll call on the net." He responded before hanging up.
"What in the actual fuck is going on?" He grumbled. A sobering thought ca to mind, and he tried to wipe it away imdiately, but once it was there, it stayed. "What if over there, beca over here?" He thought, unsuccessfully trying to push the thought aside.
"Master Sergeant Dryer, co in." A voice called on the radio. It was Michael. "Sarn’t. We have made contact with the building leadership Sarn’t... and there’s a problem. It’s an ammo factory Sarn’t."
Eric sighed as he called Milano on the radio. "Colonel Milano, co in. This is Master Sergeant Dryer."
"WHAT?" Milano yelled as Eric explained the situation. His voice was so loud Eric thought he might be in the next room. "Alright, maintain security. It is ti for
to radio in the Riemskin alliance. We need more manpower. Milano out."
"Dryer out." Eric splashed water on his face while holding his phone. His screensaver was a picture of Eric holding Mia. Her smile as dazzling as could be as they embraced. He smiled himself as he looked at it before putting the phone away. He didn’t bother to check it again. He didn’t want to be reminded of the problems he had left behind on earth.
As troops started to arrive within the next few days, Eric had a platoon sized elent head over to the factory. Alliance soldiers stood guard over the encampnts, and negotiation with the forr empire soldiers eased his worries about them giving him their forr commander treatnt.
Sitting at his desk sifting through papers, Eric sighed. "I hate desk jobs." He groaned. Another quake rumbled out, the fourth one that week. "Oh boy. I wonder what that one is." He growled before looking up at the sky. "Can ya give us a break down here!" He yelled, but he had forgotten that one person was still in the room, Ayeolla.
Ayeolla cleared her throat to get his attention "So... uh." Eric waved his hand. "Sorry about that, this has been a very stressful mission so far. Her eyes move to look at the factory down the valley. "I see that." She responded softly.
"I assu you did not co here to catch up." He said grimly, knowing that if she was here sothing that would need his attention was happening. "The baby is fine, don’t worry." Ayeolla responded, motioning for him to sit down. "Mia is okay." Eric let out an audible sigh of relief, slumping over.
"I ca here to see the state of the Esponia encampnts myself. Father said he felt wary about the soul seals, sothing he asked
to peruse them myself. If I may?"
Eric handed her the docunts, still calming down from his near heart attack. "You can’t scare
like that, ya know? I was about to run down the mountain and get my vehicle, breaking all sorts of doctrine."
Ayeolla chuckled, looking through the docunts with shock. "And they signed these themselves? These are seriously detrintal terms to them, but very good for you guys." She said with shock taking over her expression.
Eric nodded while filing the papers away. "I know. When I first read them I had the sa questions, but honestly, we do not do much. They self govern, and have proven very capable and reliable. There is even so intermixing now going on." He said with a groan, rembering how Strizen had been seen with a female Staff Sergeant from his battalion. "By the way, when are you going to tie the knot with Michael, cousin?"
Ayelloa blushed in response as she looked away from Eric. "We are too young to get married!" She said shyly, her face for once looking like a regular eighteen year old woman. "Besides, he wants to wait until he can afford a place in the township. Apparently those new buildings are super expensive because of the materials from our world and the techniques from your world."
Eric smirked as he listened to the young woman daydream. "Im glad you guys are finally getting serious about your plans though. Don’t wait too long, or you will regret it. I almost did. Seal the deal while you are young. Your brother is first in line anyway. When he cos back from school, you can free yourself from the responsibility no eighteen year old should have."
Ayeolla sighed and then looked up, hugging Eric. "Thank you Eric. Those words an a lot to . You don’t know how much I’ve been struggling with that very dilemma." She then left the room, her guards sharing a bemused look with Eric while shutting the door. "Kids." He grumbled. Turning back to his paperwork.
"Alright, what’s next."
A month after the encampnts had been taken control of, Eric sat back in his desk. The factory was now on regular working order. It was printing out ammunition for the battalion faster than Jonny could, making it so that Jonny mainly focused on tank rounds and paladin shells.
Eric signed the final set of reports before looking at the man who would be replacing him. "Don’t look so goddamn happy about it, fucker." Hammond growled at Eric, eyeing him.
No E-8 or higher had wanted this job, and the officers were busy with the bureaucracy behind their operations. It had co down to a ga of poker. Whoever lost first would be the E-8 heading to Esponia.
Hammond patted Eric on the back, shaking his hand. "Go ho to your wife man. I got it here." Eric shivered in shock, acting like he touched sothing gross. "Ew. Who died and took over your body." Hammond smirked and pushed Eric. "Get out of here punk."
A soldier walked into the room, looking at the two E-8’s. "Uh, Sarn’t, First Sargent?" The Sergeant said, looking at the two. "We have ISR assets on hand, and they...
You might want to see this."
Eric and Hammond shared a look while heading to the truck that compiles drone imagery. They stood in silence as they watched the screen. "Is that an entire division?" Eric said, his fists clenching.
"Yes. It looks like it."
A mass of soldiers was marching up the mountains.
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