Part 12: The ghosts of the desert.

There was no shortage of upgrading to be done. After three battles with no chance for a proper refit, the suits were looking wrecked.










I'd beaten some meathead in the arena the other day, he wanted to join up. The Junker. What with the Snatcher as well, we were ready for anything.


...Olson was going on about how our work wasn't over.


We had to advance into a contested are in the desert and scope out the locale for a forward fueling base. Our planes couldn't reach the USN missile silos in the Philippenes without it, and those TMLs were wearing our navy down.



Natalie gave me a history lesson. She'd decided that reading was the best way not to appear stupid, but I wasn't interested in where we were. I just wanted to get back home. Desert fighting is a real pain.



But I wasn't myself that day.



I'd been thinking too much, and that was dangerous.






But some fat bitch with a grudge against us interrupted me. Called in those units, I'm sure now.




When would people learn that the reason the French Resistance did well was because they acted behind enemy lines, not tried to be fucking one man armies...




We hadn't been fighting long before the USN realised who we were.



And they didn't last long afterwards, either.





I hated the ungrateful swine from this point on.




God I hate pacifists. Especially pacifists who fucking bring the enemy to us with their inane whining.



So I tested her. If she hated this war so much, then she could end it right now.




What the fuck. That was all I could say. We had no option but to bring her back to base for a proving mission, though. But if I had my way she was never going to the front line again.




Those two were beginning to get on my nerves. You can't have secrets in a military unit.



I suppose I owed the people of this area a small favour.





And anyway getting a SCCE in to fix up the wreckage would cost thousands.





God I hated that woman so much. I divert the front away from her hometown and she doesn't even give me a speck of gratitude. Fuck her.






And the day got better and better.

That is one hell of an update, isn't it? But this is quite an important mission...