Chronicle:Star-crossed

Who could have thought that the rival superpower blocs of the world would actually work together one day? That's what Dylan Bluebell thought when the news broke out about the ABC's intervention in Blausland. In true TTO fashion, almost all member states decided to join in aiding with the invasion.

This was the young sergeant's first time going into actual conflict, one moment he was stationed on the East Coast next moment he knew he was on a transport plane. Even worse he was in the 13th Airborne Battalion, the only division in the whole kauriss knows active battalions in the Union State that was a airborne battalion so Kaurisss forbid that he has to jump out of a plane in a static line drop into hostile territory.

The invasion had started just a few days ago with extensive air battles alongside naval landings to secure the coast. Now was the ground war and so he would be dropping into enemy territory, rapid deployment to take the strategically important town of Monroe Hill for coalition forces. From there he had no idea what they were going to do.

Packed like sardines, he and pretty much the entirety of his company was stuck together on a single plane. Everyone else in the battalion just like their vehicles and heavier equipment was on other transports flying right beside the one they were on but the loud sound of the plane's engines made it hard to determine if there really were multiple planes traveling together. All they could do was pray everything goes well and the 3rd Brigade completed their task easily without any problem.

There were 2 saving graces that kept everyone's hopes up higher than they would be in a situation like this. 1, the Blauslanders had already been pummeled into oblivion the first few days with extensive air campaigns and artillery bombardments and it was rumored that the legendary ace MorningStar was escorting the transports. No one had gotten a good look at the FSF-15s escorting them yet to see if any had a morning star emblem on the tail yet but hopes were high it really was him.

Some of the higher-ranking officers including the major began to get up. Dylan felt someone nudge his shoulder to his right. "You think it's time?". His automatic rifleman, corporal Sampson asks him. "Looks like it-" His response is cut short when the major raised his voice, standing in front of them all.

Almost like clockwork he began to issue orders, every time he shouted everyone carried out the order shouting 'yes sir!'. All 80 plus of them echoed in what was essentially a big metal tube with wings. Even the aircraft crewman looked annoyed, rightfully so because he probably would have seen and heard this charade over and over again through multiple exercises.

Orders begin to be issued left right and center, what to do now and later and after. Officers walk back and forth between the lines of men checking if they had clipped their harnesses properly lest the troops dont fall to their deaths because of 1 little mistake.

Everything is set and the aircrewman opens the door patting the first man in line to jump on the back to encourage him. He steps forward, his face becoming pale but he knows he needs to do it and thus he jumps as soon as he is told to. Like a chain reaction paratroopers jump out of the transport plane, and within seconds it is Dylan's turn. There was nothing else to do but jump.

And so, he did.

The landing went smoothly, the rest of the brigade was landing around them too. He had landed in a massive patch of golden yellow plains with patches of woodland dotted around the area, their arrival had thrown the animals into fleeing the area leaving the place devoid of life. "Rifle squad 1! Gather your shit up and let's move." Dylan's squad leader, Staff Sargent Baywood Hale utters.

The 9 of them began to make a move, around them their fellow squads began to disperse covering ground that needed to be secured before taking the town. Several villages dotted the road to Monroe Hill so they had to be cleared out. Their first engagement was a close call when an RPG missed hitting them by overshot, the humvee next to the squad was kind enough to retaliate alongside the rifle squad with its 50. caliber machine gun mounted on top.

Over time as they advanced towards the town, resistance got worse and worse until it was a full-blown gunfight between Blausland troops and Union State paratroopers for the last village before Monroe Hill. Both sides exchanged fire at a moderate distance but it was clear who had the advantage.

"Splashed another, nice work.". Dylan watched as another Blauslander fighter fell telling Sampson whenever he hit one. The fury of the Union State soldiers was quickly degrading the combat effectiveness of their opponents. "WE SURRENDER DONT KILL!!! NO MORE!" Bravely one of the Blauslanders got up with his arms in the air from his position yelling in broken Saessish, he looked to be no more than 20 years old judging from his young face younger than him.

"All of you out of your fucking trenches! Hands up no sudden movements!!! ANY SUDDEN MOVEMENTS AND YOU WILL BE SHOT!!!" The squad leader of another squad yells, more Blauslanders arise from their positions laying down their arms, intent to end the senseless slaughter. "Walk towards us! SLOWLY!!!" The same squad leader barks at them.

Dylan looked to his own squad lead nodding his head in the direction of the slowly approaching soldiers, intent on finding out what to do. "Me and bravo element will take them into custody, go up to the village and check for enemies. Go!".

"You heard him lets move!" Dylan tells his element. The whole squad gets up in sync from their positions. The village was nothing more than a few brick houses, the first house Dylan and his men cleared they found deserted. Elements from the other squads too moved up and began to secure the village clearing the other houses.

The 4 men ended up at a house that was nothing more than a brick rectangle that had sheet corrugated metal for its roof, curtains covering the only window giving them no insight into what was inside. But it was certain that something was inside evident by the sounds of shuffling. Could these be a family that chose to remain or just a Blauslander ambush? There was only one way to find out.

Dylan signaled for his rifleman, private Terry Burch, to breach, he kicks in the door with enough force to make the wood it was made out of splinter. "Union State!" He screams announcing who was coming in followed by the others entering behind him.

The 4 men rush into the building. A gunshot is fired toward them but misses hitting the brick wall instead as they enter. Corporal Sampson turns to the person who had fired at them intent on giving them a dose of lead in retaliation. Dylan looks to the people inside the tool shed with them, wait. They didn't look like a Blauslander, oh shit. "Dont fire! They ain't Blauslanders!!! Look at him!"

All 4 take a closer look, the person who fired at them didn't look anything like a Blauslander. They were Fengese. "What the fuck?! What are Fengs doing here???". There wasn't just 1 exactly, there were 3 in total but the other 2 looked to be dead already. "Tell the squad leader." Dylan looks to his men and gets on 1 knee to be at eye level with the feng.

Both their eyes lock together, he gets a good look at the Fengese and it looks like it was a girl on closer inspection and she was bleeding from the side of her abdomen. "Easy gal, we're not killing each other this time.". Slowly he put his free hand onto the slide of her pistol and pushed it down toward the ground gently. She offered no resistance but looked to be in shock, evident by her hyperventilating.

"I need to look at your wounds okay?"

There was no resistance at Monroe Hill, it was left entirely abandoned by the Blauslanders. Almost, they were in the process of destroying what they could but were stopped midway by the arrival. 3rd Brigade of the 13th Airborne held the town and the area around it anticipating a counterattack even if the chances of one happening were slim. If everything goes to plan the 3rd Avalonian Marines are coming up to reinforce them and the Arsytian 6th Guards motor rifle division is securing their backline.

Confident there would be nothing happening through the night, Union State troops set up intent on resting to recuperate their energy. "Hey." Baywood says after hitting Dylan's shoulder to get his attention. The squad was set up camp in the local police station having commandeered it when rolling into the town. "The feng is going to be staying with us, coalition command can't find the time to extract her."

"Shit, who's going to tell her?" He asks back, Baywood looks back at him simply. Dylan takes a while" to realize that he is the one that has to tell her. "Why me?" He points to himself, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"You were the first one to talk to her so...yeah just go and tell her. She on the roof or something." The squad leader just walks off leaving him to carry out the order.

He finds her on the rooftop, sitting by a small fire she had set up and cooking something. She stares blankly at the flame, her eyes were devoid of life. It was as if all the youth in her had been sucked out. At least her wounds from before had been patched up. It was all dark now, the sun has set on them leaving the 2 in complete darkness other than the moonlight and the small fire. "Hey uh, coalition command says you're stuck with us now..."

She keeps silent, still staring at the fire not even acknowledging his presence. The situation was getting awkward fast, Dylan either could just bug out or try to talk with her again. "You know you could come downstairs and hang with the rest of us right...? We aren't Arsytians."

"No ill stay here, it's not like you northwesternites are better." Welp, at least he was getting some conversation now, he walks over and hops on the thick concrete ledge sitting on it and facing her little campsite. "And what do they say about us eh? Beheading POWs? Heretics?"

"Heretics, Dishonorable, no values, too optimistic." The last part raised some eyebrows. How was being optimistic a bad thing? "Too optimistic? Dont tell me you fengs are that nihilistic-"

"Its how we see the world. Our nations are opposites, not as much as the motherland with Arsytians but still very different." She turns to face him, again their eyes lock again. Seemingly whenever both their eyes lock, they can't seem to separate easily almost stuck in a trance-like state. "Well we have to get along because we're both stuck together...hey what the hell is that" He points to the pot above the fire, 3 cubes of pale pink mystery meat bobbing up and down in boiling water.

"KS consol nutri cubes? Want one?" She says while taking the pot off the fire to let it cool. "Oh hell no, why don't you come downstairs and get some moderately better food?". All he got in response was silence, staring blankly at the pot. Dylan sighs and takes initiative walking back down and appearing with some Union State combat rations.

But she stays silent, even when Dylan tries to hand her the rations she doesn't budge. "If you are concerned that it's poisoned or anything it's not...okay how about we eat together. Same rations same foods?". Finally, he gets a response from her. She nods slightly and responds, "Okay..."

"By the way whats your name?" He asks as he prepares the food.

"Ling."

"I'm Dylan, Dylan Bluebell. I think we'll get along just fine"