#so i'm just happy! just one comm from my first round left to finish then i'll advertise myself again

[crownedinmarigolds]

Just so satisfied with my work. I know my art style is definitely not everyone's cup of tea but I'm just so pleased with what I've been able to do. Thank you all so much because doing all this work is never ending lessons for me and building blocks to become better. Gah just so warm with happiness.

[agentexeider]

Zootopia: Kaiden’s Story...Chapter 10: Welcome to the 204th

Sorry for the huge delay in my production schedule, the holidays and life came up, hopefully I can start to get back into the swing of things and update more often.

Chapter 10: Welcome to the 204th

A month later…

Kaiden and squad had settled into the nuances of working with the Army, learning how to work with a larger cohesive system. The fiends had been assigned to Kit's squad which was "A" squad of Bravo Company.

The one thing that wasn't expected was the fact that with the 'fiends' now under the auspices of military authority meant that for the first time in a long time, Jarod was not in charge and this was a position he didn't tolerate. After being verbally smacked down by the Major twice, he relented and accepted his fate though it didn't help his disposition on the matter.

Initially it seemed that actual work involved what appeared elementary to the 'fiends', as they were used to more direct actions against many of the MIA's targets, this concept of scouting, the occasional firefight but for the most part, doing what they were told regardless of the apparent nonsensical nature of it was as best described 'Easy'.

Though Jarod would mutter a few incomprehensible phrases about the idea, the occasional understood phrases of "waste of talent" And "beneath us" would come out of his mouth. Everything was going smoothly, until one botched scouting mission, a mission that should have fallen well within the aforementioned difficulty or lack thereof. Yet this time, it was because of a 'difference in style' is how Jarod would describe it.

Two Humvees raced into the camp that had been established, tents and other non permanent structures were dotted in the area, looking around it had a sense of permanence, of structure, like a small village much like the ones they were used to seeing, yet at a moment's notice the whole camp could be packed away and all evidence of their presence left to be buried by a good gust of wind, scattering and burying their pawprints and post holes.

"MEDIC!" called out Kit as his Humvee came to a rapid halt, the dirt crunching under the tires.

The second Humvee containing the rest of his team including the 'fiends' halted just behind them.

As they arrived, medical personnel raced toward them to tend to the wounded. Kit quickly described the nature of each member's injuries. The medics managed to escort those still able to walk into the nearby hospital tent, while those unable, were put on stretchers and carried in. The rapid bustle ended as quickly as it started.

Kaiden jumped out of the vehicle and stepped over to Kit.

"Look I just wanted to say I was sorry that it went down like that," apologized Kaiden.

The fox quickly found himself pinned against the Humvee, the large blonde wolf holding him there, nose to nose, teeth bared and a very surly expression.

"I don't know what they taught you at 'spook school' but the one thing, the one thing we do not do is leave a mammal behind!" exclaimed Kit.

"WE DON'T LEAVE ANYONE BEHIND!" exclaiming louder almost a scream.

"Do you understand that?!" asked Kit, a few dots of saliva spattering against Kaiden's face.

"I'm sorry." Kaiden replied, the only reply he could muster.

It was at this time that they noticed the lynx had stepped out of the Humvee and was standing next to the pair.

"Get your paws off my agent, wolf!" demanded Jarod sternly.

"And don't blame him for the incompetence of your troopers." He added.

Kit's expression of anger turned incredulous as he spun his head to face Jarod

"What the fuck did you just say?"

"You heard me, don't you dare blame you casualties on him, he cannot be held liable for the incompetence of your staff." Said Jarod

Kit spun the rest of himself to face Jarod and took a step towards the lynx.

"Keep talking fucker, and the corpsman will have another casualty to deal with."

"Corporal Ballanger!" called out the Major.

The heads of the group turned in the direction of the voice, the Major was walking fast towards their position and was not happy.

"What in the blue fuck happened out there?!" the major demanded.

"Scouting mission sir, completely FUBAR." Kit replied.

"Let me guess, another difference of opinion in command styles." The major replied looking at Kit and then at Jarod.

The major pointed at the "fiends".

"You four, get your shit and go to your tent, stay there until I come and deal with you…NOW!" He bellowed.

The four gathered their gear and walked away from the Humvees making a line directly for the tent they had been assigned. Leaving Kit to be dressed down by the major.

They had not been sitting five minutes when the major came in. At first they stood up to salute him.

"Don't fucking bother, it's very clear you four don't have any respect for us or what we do. Jarod, we need to talk, come with me."

The Lynx followed the Major to speak in the command tent, Kaiden looked out the tent flap and saw Kit standing outside of the hospital tent, he wanted to finish their conversation. Kaiden approached the wolf. Kit scoffed as he caught sight of the fox.

"Fuck, I don't need any more of this." The wolf turned to go into the tent.

Kaiden quickly stepped in front of him holding out his paws.

"Wait, wait, please. Just let me talk."

"Fine." Kit replied folding his arms.

"Jarod says things sometimes, but I don't agree with it. I'm sorry about what he said, I'm sorry about what happened to your squad."

"Sorry that doesn't change the fact that they're injured or that there is a very good possibility someone might die. Sometimes people make mistakes you just can't take back." Replied Kit.

"I know, and if you only knew what the MIA has had us do…I don't, I mean I thought I knew what things where, the black and white of it. But I've learned that it's anything but. I'm…"

"Conflicted?" asked Kit

"Yeah." Kaiden replied

"Well it sounds like to me you need to come to a decision," stated Kit as he opened the tent flap.

"Decision? About what?" asked Kaiden puzzled.

"About what kind of fox you want to be, because it sounds to me that you have a problem with the MIA and the way they do things. So maybe you need to have a serious moment with yourself and make that decision." Pointed Kit at Kaiden's chest.

"So while you're having your existential crisis, I need to tend to my troopers, excuse me." scoffed Kit as he left Kaiden there with his thoughts.

A few days later…

The major had called all the squad leaders into command tent for a mission briefing. The objective was to make a push into South Mousel to gain strategic ground, with secondary objective to capture any of the high value targets they may find. The latest reports had shown the insurgency was fortifying their positions in the south end of the city and the 204th along with several other battalions were going to be part of this larger offensive push.

After the briefing each squad leader was handed their maps and they went back to their respective squads to pack up their equipment and brief them on their respective portions of the overall mission. Corporal Ballanger had managed to get the two wounded members of his squad replaced with reassignments from Bravo and Charlie.

Several hours later after the encampment had been packed and the Battalion ready to move, Kit along with his squad and the fiends took to their Humvees. Kaiden had decided to ride with Kit this time, still feeling guilty over the troopers that had been "Cas-Evaced" days prior.

As the Battalion pulled out and made their way towards to their destination, the occasional radio chatter breaking the silence, The driver would chat about the strange nature of perception when running on no sleep, at how the sun looked red yet was supposed to be yellow, as well as all other manner of strange conversation brought upon by too much stimulants and not enough sleep.

This was the nature of this job, long stretches of boredom punctuated by frenetic high energy moments and the realization of one wrong moment and death is what waits. Of seemingly perpetual exhaustion but to anxious to actually feel tired, the buzzing of tension in the brain of wanting to be both asleep and awake. There was a palpable tension in the Humvee knowing they were heading towards a major battle.

After some time they started to hear it, the clatter of gunfire, the occasional deep pop of an exploding munition followed by its resonating echo.

"OK, check and charge weapons." Ordered Kit, speaking to the mammals in his vehicle.

Kaiden slid the bolt back on his rifle, and charged a round into the chamber; the mammal to his left checked his S.A.W. (Squad Automatic Weapon) and then stood up and charged the .50 caliber mounted weapon on the roof.

They saw a vehicle up ahead from Alpha company taking fire, the private on the .50 squeezed the trigger, firing in a short burst. "Dakka-Dakka-Dakka" resounded the weapon.

The insurgents took notice to the new players on their field, turning their fire towards Kit's vehicle, the 'pings' and clunks of the weapons fire bouncing off their vehicle, and the occupants taking shots at the insurgents coming into their respective firing arcs. A cacophony of weapons fire.

"Pearson, move left, give me a better angle." Shouted Kit.

The young feline in the driver's seat jerked the wheel left giving Kit, Kaiden and the .50 caliber private on top ample firing opportunity.

The air filled with bullets from their weapons, laying into two windows and a balcony killing the occupants inside.

"Corporal, we got foot-mobiles!" called out the porcine private on the .50.

"Pearson forward, forward!" Kit directed with his paw.

Pearson hit the gas, the engine roared, the Humvee lurching forward trying to get closer to their compatriots, there was a small rubble pile between them and the vehicle.

"Alpha Vehicle, this is Bravo actual, Interrogative, What are you casualties, Over?" Asked Kit over the comms.

Kit quickly checking the list of callsigns on his sheet for Alpha Company.

"Acacia Victor, this is Blackthorn actual, How copy?"

"Shit!" Kit exclaimed once he realized they were unable to respond.

"Pearson, over the rubble pile, put us between them and the fire."

Pearson roared the engine as the thick radials gripped into the rubble and they slowly climbed over. Such a thing would be difficult under normal circumstances, and even more dangerous in a firefight. The Humvee bounced over the rubble, its occupants being thrown side to side as they came down the pile.

Coming into the hail of gun fire as they placed themselves between the shot up vehicle and the insurgents, the members of the humvee returned fire, the boar on the .50 caliber opened up, unleashing the heavy metal fury upon the nearby building, peppering it with holes, occasionally one of the bursts of fire would stop abruptly indicating a kill. Within seconds practically every square inch of the building had bullets flying through it and the firefight came to a dramatic conclusion, the return fire stopped and they waited a moment. Quiet except the distant popping of gunfire though it seemed that their volleys had eliminated this building as a threat.

Kit got out of the vehicle and went to check the other and its occupants. They were all dead, the driver and vehicle C.O. burnt, the other two in the rear of the vehicle dead from several gunshot wounds. Kit took a moment of silence for them before turning to climb back into his vehicle ordering Pearson to move on.

They continued to press their advance along with the other units until they got to their deployment area. Parking the vehicle along the side of the street, they dismounted, taking up line positions behind Kit who was guiding them along the rest of the length of the street. Other soldiers were deploying along their respective streets as well, securing this section of the city. Kit and squad went from door to door, securing the area.

They walked by a store, a parked car in front of it, a convenience store. Kaiden's ear twitched when he heard the click, the next thing he knew, he felt a rush of sensation, he found himself staring up at the sky. Rolling on his side, taking notice of the ringing in his ears. Regaining some of his bearings, thoughts came rushing back to him.

It was an IED, an Improvised Explosive Device, it had been placed in the parked car and one of the squad had triggered it as they passed.

Kaiden could hear muttering, a few loud expletives from nearby, his vision focused as he saw Kit kneeling down tending to Pearson, whom the former dragged the latter into the nearby convenience store, which now had its front window blown out. The feline had a piece of shrapnel tear across his chest and the wolf was doing his best to tend to him, Kit himself had a leg wound that was dripping, staining his tan colored desert fatigues a red hue.

"Come on Pearson, stay with me man, you're going to be alright." said Kit through frantic breath.

Kaiden got up and lurched toward them, as he past the front, Kaiden took notice of what seemed like a pile of fur, a pool of blood and entrails, culminating in a pair of fatigued and booted feet. It was the boar that Kaiden had been sitting next to in the vehicle, he never did get his name. He paced over to Kit and sat on the floor.

Kit had managed to stabilize Pearson, thankfully, or rather incidentally the deeper wound where the shrapnel actually lay lodged in Pearson's shoulder area was hot enough to have cauterized the wound. So long as no one attempted to actually remove said shrapnel it would act as a plug to keep Pearson's blood volume inside him, Kit knew not to even attempt to remove it, for it would start a blood geyser that he wouldn't be able to stop, pouring water over i to irrigate and cool it, and a loose sterile dressing was all that he could do, that and try to keep Pearson conscious. Kaiden was just starting at the fur and blood pile.

"You hurt anywhere?" Kit asked.

Kit clapped his paws once to get Kaiden's attention, who the fox spun his head around.

"What?" he asked.

"I said 'Are you hurt?'"

Kaiden looked down at himself, checking for wounds, not finding any.

"No, I guess I'm just dazed."

"Good, Pearson's not good, I'm going to need to get him 'Cas-Evaced', and I can't carry him out of here."

Kaiden levied his finger at the fur pile.

"What…What happened to…"

"…He took the brunt of the blast, was killed instantly." Kit replied, finishing the fox's thought.

"Help me." Kit requested, pointing towards his own bleeding leg.

Kaiden helped Kit, acting as a second pair of paws, tending to his leg wound, adding a clotting powder to the wound, and kit placing gauze and wrapping his leg tightly in a dressing.

"God damn that stuff burns," grunted Kit.

"Why can't we just get back to the Humvee?" asked Kaiden.

Kit answered that by reaching over and pulling out the key ring from Pearson's chest pocket, holding up the ring. The shrapnel mangled the keys on its way up his chest.

"That answer your question?" groaned Kit.

"Shit." Kaiden replied.

"Yes, and a lot of it, apparently." Kit replied.

"What are we going to do?" asked Kaiden.

Kit thought about it for a moment, trying consider his options but mainly whether to put his life and Pearson's life in the hands of this fox.

"You're going to go get help." Kit stated matter of factly.

"By myself?" asked Kaiden for clarity

"Yep." Kit replied.

"I can't move Pearson and I can't walk, at least not without help. You have to do it," said Kit.

"I won't even get a block before I get picked off," countered Kaiden.

"Yes you can, listen, most of the bad guys we killed just getting in here, as long as you head back north you'll be fine. Besides, you don't have to go all the way back just enough to get a radio call. Backup or a Casevac, which ever you can get your paws on."

"And you'll be alright while I'm gone, right?" asked Kaiden

"Look, I can't predict the future, I have no idea who's going to come through that door, but if you hurry there and back, we can likely all go home. I need you to dig deep on this one. Don't think, just go." Kit replied.

Kaiden mustered himself and grabbed his weapon off the floor. Standing up, his sense of balance returning to him, walking out the blown out window he turned to see Kit and Pearson.

"I promise, I'll be back." He said.

"I'll hold you to it," Kit replied.

Without another word Kaiden started to make his way back up the street. Passing the now useless Humvee, he grabbed a couple extra magazines of ammo, tucking them into his vest. Making his way North again. Walking over to the next block he stuck to the sidewalk, the blown out and shot up buildings, cars they passed on their way in seemed a lot more bleak on the second viewing. Another block northward, he stopped at a corner and tried his radio.

"This is Blackthorn one four to any friendly units, I need assistance, how copy?" spoke Kaiden into his radio.

Letting go of the transmit button he listened to the static that was on the line, hearing the distant rumbles and pops of war around him.

"This is Blackthorm one four to any friendly units, anyone at all, how copy?" he spoke again into the radio.

Craning his head leftward and spotted movement, a squad of about 8 insurgents came walking down the way, they hadn't noticed him. Wide eyed and heart racing, he ran down the block until he found a boarded up living space, the best description would be a small efficiency apartment of one room, and small to boot. He kicked in the door, practically diving inside as he saw the squad come rounding the corner with haste but not to battle him. He closed the door, but in his efforts to gain entry he broke the door and it would not stay closed. Grabbing a nearby chair and propping up against the door keeping it shut but not locked or barricaded by any stretch of the imagination.

If they decided to start trying doors, they would surely find this one open, and a worthy kill inside. Kaiden was stuck, the only window was next to the door facing the street, it was boarded up but leaving enough gaps for rifle barrels. What once was a home to a mammal would now be the perfect killing floor for him, should they find him. Kaiden pressed himself into the farthest corner he could find levying his weapon at the door. The quiet, the heat, the sweat. Kaiden's heart raced, his panting soft but audible, fear racing through him. He could hear them approaching and the thoughts rolling through his head over and over again "Please walk by, please walk by."

Trying to force himself to breathe slower and more quietly made his chest burn as they approached. He could hear them speaking in their guttural native language as they stopped in front of the space. One of the boards popped off and a flashlight beam at the end of a rifle came through the hole, the beam started at the other end of the room. Kaiden dropped to the floor, quickly kneeling behind a wide recliner nearby. Heart pounding in his chest, trying not to second guess, or make any sudden moves. One error here would mean certain death.

The flashlight beam took several sweeps in what seemed like eternity, before just as quickly as it came, it left, gun barrel and all. More soft guttural words and the retreating paw steps of the death squad seemingly satisfied at finding nothing. Kaiden waited several moments after the silence resumed before he could loosen his stance and heave a heavy sigh of relief and the burst of cold sweat that followed. He panted loudly catching his breath, his chest still burning upon each intake. He stood up, grabbing his weapon from off the floor, he carefully walked over to the window, looking out through the new hole from the removed board, scanning the street, no one in sight.

Kaiden practically jumped out of his fur when the radio chirped and words came out of it

"Blackthorn one four, Blackthorn one four, this is Timbermill, how copy?"

Kaiden turned down the radio in his ear, and heaved a small chuckle. "Timbermill" was the code name for battalion headquarters which means they must have heard his transmission.

"Timbermill, holy shit, it's good to hear your voice, this is Blackthorn one four, I need assistance my squad is down, repeat my squad is down. One KIA, two wounded. Both stable but one in critical condition, I need Casevac on the double. How copy?"

A few moments passed before he got a reply.

"Blackthorn one four, switch to coded channel Sierra one dash alpha, break break. "

Kaiden frantically tried to see the selector switches against the dark, switching to the appropriate frequency and coded channel.

"This is Blackthorn one four, switched to coded frequency, Romeo two Romeo" spoke Kaiden, indicating he was 'ready to receive' whatever message.

"Kaiden…this is Jarod." Spoke the lynx.

"Jarod? What's going on?"

"You need to evacuate the area now." Spoke Jarod.

"I have two men down here, I need back up or at least Casevac." Explained Kaiden.

There was a heavy breath on the line before he got his reply.

"Negative." Replied Jarod

"Negative what? Negative on transmission or Negative on availability?"

"Negative, as in we are not sending you anything. You need to get out of there."

"But the mammals here–" Kaiden started

"–are expendable." Finished Jarod.

"What?!" Kaiden asked incredulously.

"The plan was never to take the south end of the city by a ground assault, there were too many insurgents. It was only to stir the hive enough to make them swarm so we could hit them hard with something else."

"Which is?" demanded Kaiden

"Aerial Bombardment." Jarod answered.

"You're telling me you sent troops in here to bomb them along with the enemy?"

"In short, yes, there is no time to explain, you have to get out of their now." Explained Jarod

"And what about Kit and Pearson?"

"Casualties of war."

"You bastard." Whispered Kaiden.

"It was not my choice, Kaiden, I didn't want for us to be here in the first place remember?"

"Now get your ass out of the kill zone before you become a casualty too."

Kaiden stopped and realized the reality of the situation.

"Roger, transmission received." Kaiden spoke clicking off the radio.

He winced and gritted his teeth in frustration. Kit's words echoing in his ears. "We don't leave anyone behind."

"Son of a bitch." Kaiden spoke with conviction, an idea crossing his mind.

Without delay he grabbed his weapon and flung open the door, checked the street and quickly went towards his objective.

Minutes later, Kaiden arrived at the torn up vehicle they had encountered before, opening the doors and pulling out the dead corpses.

"I'm sorry guys, but I need this to save my friends." He apologized, hoping that in spirit they understood what he was trying to do.

Jumping into the vehicle he tried to turn the engine over. It groaned and grunted but failed to start.

"Come on…Come on god damn it!" he cursed at the Humvee.

Starting it again, it groaned and grunted again but this time sprang to life, it's V8 turbo diesel roaring to life.

"Yes!" Kaiden celebrated as he put it in gear.

Driving quickly back towards the convenience store as quickly as he could.

Minutes later…

Bursting around the corner Kaiden almost passed the store, screeching the vehicle to a halt, scrambling out of the vehicle, to collect Kit and Pearson.

"Holy crap, that's certainly surprising." said Kit.

"Come on, we got to go." Kaiden said urgently as he collected Pearson.

"What's going on?" asked Kit

"I don't have time to explain, we just have to go, like now!" Kaiden fired back.

Putting Pearson in the back seat, and Kit in the front passenger, helping to strap them both in. Kaiden jumped back into the driver's seat and turned the vehicle around, ramming into the nearby junked out car before screeching back down the road. The Humvee's engine roaring as he presses the gas.

"What the hell is going on Kaiden?" Demanded Kit.

"The plan, the whole plan, it's completely fucked." Said Kaiden.

"You're not making any sense." Kit shook his head.

"The god damn plan, it was never about the ground assault, they just wanted to get them to gather in one spot."

"And then what?"

Kaiden mimicked a plane with his paw, and then drew a line, whistling a falling sliding tone as his finger moved downward, and then mimicked an explosion sound as he opened his paw.

"Fuck you…No way they would approve bombing their own men." Kit shook his head incredulously.

"I don't think it was the Army's idea." Replied Kaiden

Kit thought about it and realized what the fox was insinuating.

"You mother fuckers." He shook his head disapprovingly.

"Hey, not my idea either," The fox retorted."

"Let me guess, just following orders, huh?" Kit asked angrily.

"Hey asshole, I didn't say I agree with it, and no, I'm not following orders."

"How so?"

"I was ordered to leave you behind." Kaiden fired back.

Kit was taken aback by that statement, not sure whether it was the fact that the fox was ordered to leave them, or the fact that he came back anyway.

"I remembered what you said 'No one gets left behind'" Kaiden smiled.

"Thanks." Kit replied sincerely.

Kaiden managed to get to out of the winding streets and onto the main highway, gunning the engine as hard as he could, trying to pick up as much speed as vehicle would take. The roar of plane engines overhead, the swoop of a metal airframe. The sound of intense explosions ringing out, plumes of fireballs and black smoke shooting skyward, getting closer and closer. The bombing runs were commencing, each explosion louder and louder, the fire closer and closer. Though they didn't say it, they could both swear they felt the heat of them.

"Come on, get this fucking tub moving!" cursed Kit.

"Hey, you think I want to die out here, I'm trying!" replied back Kaiden.

The multiple pops piling onto top of one another, the bombardment getting closer, the anxiety and fear gripping at them. Kit looked back as he felt an intense rush of air pass over them. Kit's mouth dropped and his eyes wide, Kaiden hadn't seen fear on the wolf's face before and that fact was enough to do so made his mind wonder what he was looking at. Peering into the left mirror all Kaiden saw was a wall of fire coming at them, like a pyroclastic flow, a wall of burning death. The wind kicked up dirt, and the sunlight seemed to drain away. The dust plumes washed over them and now driving practically blind, the sand gave the air a dark tan hue, bits of sand gave the air a gritty taste, trying their best not to breathe it in.

They just hoped the road was still clear of obstructions for they wouldn't have much warning if there was, if the signs on the side of the road were any indication. They would simply materialize from a vague shadow, then come close and pass by all within seconds. The fact that they had not been roasted alive yet was a good sign, perhaps they would live to see another day.

After another twenty minutes of driving they came out of the cloud, looking back they realized that the bombardment kicking up the sand and dust created a break in the heat of the sun, which in turn created its own sandstorm. Which gave way to the subsequent 'shamal' or northerly wind. Shamals were weather patterns where the cooler wind from the North would wash over an area creating high winds, stinging sands and even lower visibility than what they just endured. From their vantage point they could see the dark tan clouds moving toward the city, and suddenly the rushed conflict seemed to make sense. In this area of the world the one thing that can stop the fighting are Shamals, it's the one thing where anyone with a brain in their head simply packs it in and bunkers down for the duration, and a big caveat of any modern technological army is that all forms of air cover or support cannot fly in such conditions. Taking stock in their situation, what had happened, they drove silently back to the Northern headquarters.

A few days later…North Mousel, Irat, Regional Airport.

Kit was sitting on the rear ramp of a C-130 Hercules a number of pieces of cargo dotted around the aircraft but focusing mainly on the nearby metal cases, coffins containing his squad mates. Reflecting pensively as his left foot paw twitched nervously against the metal ramp.

Kaiden had walked into view, a packed duffle over his shoulder, unsure about whether or not to approach, he waited until Kit noticed him.

"So I take it you're on your way out of here?" Kit asked.

"Yeah. The MIA finally sent a plane for us." Kaiden replied meekly

"Yeah, well I can't say I'm going to lose any sleep that you're leaving." Kit replied coldly.

"I deserve that." Kaiden replied.

"That and so much more." Kit interjected.

"I want you to take a look around, just look." Kit added, gesturing with his paw.

"These are the bodies of some good mammals, who followed orders, did the job they were asked, and got fucked over for it." Kit said sternly

"I had nothing to do with that." Kaiden responded.

"I know, trust me, I know. If you did, you'd be in one of these boxes already." Kit replied.

Kaiden stood stunned.

"You came back for us, Pearson and me, I won't forget that. But I think you need to start realizing who you're actually working for, and the level they will go to, to achieve whatever the hell it is they do."

"I'm serious kid, the people you're working for don't seem to care about the mammal cost of what it is they're doing." Kit finished.

Kaiden noticed that Kit was holding something in his paws, a pair of epaulets.

"What do you have there?" the fox asked.

Kit stared down at his paw, letting out a sad huff, showing the front of the epaulets. They had three chevrons denoting sergeant rank, a battlefield promotion. Normally this would be a cause for celebration and congratulations but these were clearly not normal times.

"I'd been busting my hump to get sergeant stripes, every single one of these guys knew it. And now that it's actually here, I don't have anyone to share it with. Hell, part of me knows the only reason I got these is because most of the sergeants in my unit are dead, sitting here on this plane anyway."

"Don't say that Kit, I've seen you doing your job, you of all people deserve to command." Said Kaiden.

Kit looked back up at the fox, unsure of how to reply.

"Yeah well, unfortunately for me I don't have anyone else left to command." Kit replied

"Would it help to say that I'm sorry?" Kaiden asked.

"Maybe–Eventually, but right now, no– Right now I just want to be left alone."

"Ok, I can understand." Kaiden replied gripping his duffle tighter.

The fox turned to walk away and paced a few steps before looking back.

"See you around?" he asked.

The wolf turned back to the fox, understanding that he was trying to reach out, knowing he was trying to empathize. Kit huffed again and smirked.

"Yeah, sure." He replied calmly.