Escorted by Humvees, Thomas the Train crawls to a stop at the train station recommissioned by the 501st Airborne. Lush in nature and with clear signs of years of disuse, Bolimów would have been a nice location to explore if not for the sordid affair Thomas and its passengers had experienced prior. All around the stopped train are pockets of 501st Airborne soldiers and their vehicles, taking up sentry positions to protect their mission-critical objective. When the doors on the wagons are opened, medics and soldiers from the 501st rush up to the train to help the many injured civilians. As the many casualties are being relocated to the nearby field hospital, Adam and Rokossovsky stand by the external railing of a wagon, overseeing the activities.

"You talked with Moscow yet, General?" Adam asked suddenly. Now that the adrenaline has subsided, Adam's exhaustion is evident in his voice.

Rokossovsky is much the same with his face having a haggard look. "I talked to General Secretary Stalin himself. Long story short, the man is incensed at the Polanians while praising us simultaneously. Already, troops are mobilized near the Polanian-Rusviet borders. I can just about smell another war over the horizon, Adam."

The grim way Rokossovsky said the last sentence casts a spell of silence over the two of them. It's not until Adam and Rokossovsky see a kid being carried out on a stretcher that the Belkan Lieutenant sighs. "What a sad time we're living in..."

"A sad time indeed, Adam." Rokossovsky mutters before saying. "Still, it's shocking to see how fast the Reich has managed to deploy such a sizeable force deep in hostile territory. For your nation to deploy both your Air Force and Army in droves without the Polanians able to retaliate one bit is just unheard of. Just what has happened in Belka these last few years?"

Adam mulls over the question for a bit before saying. "I am not at liberty to say much, General. What I can say for sure is that Belka has been advancing much in many areas, including the Art of War. Since you are a part of the VIP delegation to review our military, I reckon that Berlin will be able to give you a more in-depth answer."

Rokossovsky nods understandingly. "I suspect as much." Taking a look at the field hospital that is now bustling with activities and noises, the General continues. "Can we unload all of the civilians here?"

Adam shakes his head. "The 501st can't handle all of the casualties unless they bring in heavier equipment. This is impossible to do when the airstrip that they landed on doesn't support much capacity for anything large. According to my math, the best the 501st can do is to extract a bit more than half of the civilians. The rest will have to be carried by us to Berlin."

"I reckon we will be carrying those with lighter injuries?" Rokossovsky asks.

"Yes, General. To prevent any complications along the way, the 501st is also restocking our supplies and munitions. On the return trip, a part of their medical and infantry units will be accompanying us. We can rest assured that we will be better prepared this time around."

"Not sure whether I have said it before in the heat of combat but..." Rokossovsky pats Adam's shoulder. "Belka is one reliable friend to have. I can't help but anticipate the hospitality of Belka when we finally get out of this shithole."

Adam chuckles. "If it's even possible, I would like to lead you on a tour of the ranch back home. If you want a cozy and down-to-Gaia place to visit, then nothing beats my home."

"I think I can weasel in a request to visit your homestead, son. Speaking of your home though, how was the call with your fiancee?" Rokossovsky queries with a smirk.

Adam slumps his shoulders. "She will never let me live this down, sir. I even thought that if I somehow got killed, she would resurrect me just so that she could tease me with a big grin. At least I came off with only a few bad bruises and a banged-up leg."

Hearing what Adam said, Rokossovsky laughs at his expense. The Belkan Lieutenant sighs before remembering something.

"Right, General, the letter you were supposed to help that dessert shop owner with, what happened to it?"

Rokossovsky slowly loses his smile before shaking his head forlornly. "You remember that girl we saved from that Polanian Captain?"

Adam nods, answering. "Yes, sir. I think I saw a medic giving her a medical checkup earlier." Adam searches for a bit before pointing at a MEDEVAC Humvee with its back open. "There she is."

The little girl Adam and Rokossovsky are talking about is having her scratches and cuts checked and disinfected by a female medic.

Rokossovsky nods, saying. "Right, the relatives that the owner was having us deliver the letter to... Well, they were the deceased parents of that girl, Adam. Small world, ain't it?"

Adam looks in the girl's direction in shock before uttering. "... That's just fucked up though. To think she was nearly executed too."

Rokossovsky comments in a low voice. "Such is the state of this sad, sad world. For us humans to act like barbarians, what makes us any different than those Zombies and Demons? Will tragedies like this ever stop for good? At this point, humanity needs to be saved from itself. Yet, who or what will save it?"

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This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Yuki is back.

Riding on a Humvee that is driving along the length of the Technical Areas, I watch as the Morgan, barely visible due to its lights, deploys its landing gears. Even when I'm inside the Humvee driven by Erika, I can still hear the screeching reverberations of jet engines loud and clear. As my small motorcade comes to a stop, I see Yuki's plane touching down on the runway. The sound of tires scraping on the tarmac mixed with the distinct audio signature of an Aria fighter jet has brought me a sense of nostalgia. Indeed, it has been a while since the two of us have flown together. Last time around in another world, the experience had been exquisite.

Slowly, the Morgan taxis near us before coming to a complete stop, with its engines finally going to sleep. The mighty beast of an aircraft deserves its rest on this particular occasion. From my point of view, the Morgan has already used up its external payload. Other than that, scorched marks are visible around the muzzles of the 30mm Gatling guns, signifying their intense use. I won't be surprised if the after-action report has the guns empty of ammo and some parts showing signs of wear and tear.

Shaking my head with a wry smile at my thoughts, I step closer to the Morgan. Now that the aircraft is inert, its armored cockpit opens up, revealing Yuki in her flight suit. Deploying the side ladder, Yuki starts dismounting as I approach the side of the warplane. I greet her with a warm smile. "That was some splendid flying out there, Yuki."

However, Yuki does not reply immediately. The moment my lover sets her foot on the ground, she stumbles and nearly falls flat on the floor if not for me catching her. In a stern voice, I shout behind my shoulder. "Medic!"

Keeping my wits about me, I quickly remove the helmet of her flight suit, letting it fall clattering down onto the ground. It's at this moment that I finally see Yuki's pale face. It only takes me a blink to know that she is struggling to breathe, and a moment to know what's ailing her. From the look of it, she has pushed her body too hard while flying out there. When Erika runs up with a medic in tow, I immediately request. "She needs oxygen."

While the medic starts bringing out her kit, I conjure of a small green magic circle in my hand, holding it over Yuki's heaving chest. The spell I am using is to alleviate fatigue, restore stamina, and reduce pain. Though minor, this spell is hard to learn as it requires in-depth knowledge of physiology. One wrong move and the spell will worsen the target's condition instead. With my effort and the oxygen mask being placed on her face, Yuki starts calming down. Her breathing soon returns to normal as she inhales the fresh oxygen that is being supplied by a small canister attached to the mask. I sigh in relief when I see that color returns to her face.

"We completely dominated the airspace, there was no dogfight, so how come you managed to fly yourself ragged, Yuki?" I asks, subtly chiding her recklessness at the same time. "I take my eyes off you for one moment and you give me a scare once more." My admonishing gaze seems to make Yuki sheepish. Good.

Slowly removing the mask from her face, Yuki scratches her cheek apologetically. "I am sorry, really. It hasn't been my intention to scare you or worry anyone."

"Seriously, you already got hurt once and nearly made me and the guards die of a heart attack. What's the reason behind this jumpscare anyway?" I ask in an exasperated tone.

"Well," Yuki explains with a wry smile. "I've been testing out the new pilot suit for Einstein and Mobius, in fact. It's an advanced suit that incorporated Magitech in its fabrication. Supposedly, it should help with dampening the amount of Gs a pilot will feel in combat. It's also the basis for the new astronaut suit that will allow the astronaut to be launched using the mass driver. However..."

I heave a sigh, already knowing where this will lead. "It failed."

Yuki giggles wryly. "It needs some further tweaking, to be honest. It did minimize the G-force, but it's only marginally better than our current suits. It's still an improvement though so I must applaud Einstein and Mobius when I get back. Without this suit, I wouldn't have been as reckless back then. One of the stunts I pulled had me pulling up after a supersonic dive, putting me darn close to the G-force that person would feel if they got launched by the mass driver. If it's the old suits, I reckon I might have blacked out and the autopilot would have kicked in. After that, I tried more stunts to test the limit of the suits... And apparently the limit of my body also."

Once again, Yuki offers an apology. "Sorry, Bryn, truly..."

I sigh once more, seeing her chastised expression. "I need to have a word with Mobius and Einstein for this."

Yuki chuckles hesitantly. "Should I pray for them...?"

I eye her without changing my expression. "You're not off the hook just yet, Yuki."

Yuki slumps her shoulders. "Worth a shot."

I then help Yuki up, surprising her by holding her in a bridal carry. I relish the stunned embarrassment on Yuki's face. "W-Wait!? What are you doing!? We're still in public!"

I stop walking, deliberately looking around to see the guards and airbase personnel carrying on their tasks dutifully.

"I don't see anyone voicing a complaint, nor is this base a public setting. ONI installations are the very definition of private, in case you forgot." I say in a faux serious tone, making Yuki stop her struggle knowing that I wouldn't give up.

"You and your surprise attacks..." Yuki utters a final complaint with tinted cheeks before settling comfortably in my arms.

As we make our way to the motorcade, I report. "The train has reached the 501st QRF safely. They're now hunkering down for a night before resuming their trip to Berlin. The delay happened due to some casualties requiring immediate treatments before they could be shipped to safety. I have taken the liberty to set up a constant aerial patrol above their location."

Yuki nods in my embrace, saying. "At least the crew and civilians will be able to get some rest and a good meal. I presume that when morning comes, Thomas will be escorted by elements of the 501st?"

I reply. "It's as you have surmised, Yuki. Ground units of the 501st will ride alongside the train for added security. The delay has given the Polanians time to prepare, the improvement in firepower may be needed if they up their aggression."

"And our diplomats?"

"Both our diplomats and their Rusviet counterparts have been released without further trouble." I answer.

"At this point, the Polanians know that they have messed up splendidly. They will try to justify everything but with how much evidence we stack against them, they will be facing tough choices. Either disband the government and elect a new one, or stay and fight a war on multiple fronts."

"Shall I make preparations to announce the news?" I ask dutifully.

"May as well get the ball rolling. Start by alerting the other superpowers of the matter." Yuki say before we started mounting up on the Humvee. "But not before we get a good night's rest. I want to see just how far this Revolutionary Command Council of theirs would take this matter."