KIMBERLY

	The second battle for New Vaelyn was a disaster. We had managed to push back the tide of Federalists, but a line had been drawn in the sand where there were miles where neither side could cross, and a scene that perfectly recreated those of the photos of No Man's Land from the Great War came to mind when I looked out across the trench-covered battlefields.
	Craters had been bombed into the landscape by continuous Mule fire from either side and were filled with muddy water and blood, oil from broken MUTTs and their pulverized riders stained the ground, some of them still burning from aetheric flames even a day later. The burnt husks and skeletal structures of airships littered the land here and there, ghosts of their former selves reminding us of the lives spent only hours ago. We lost a lot of people yesterday, both sides did.
	But right now we were heading back for a meeting where the higher-ups of Oceana Venture would be present, at least in one form or another. They weren't stupid enough to all congregate in the same place, not after yesterday. General Baldwyn and his retinue lost their lives in the battle, and Oceana Venture lost its figurehead. His airship was burned out of the sky at the height of the battle, I had seen it happen myself. 

	My team, Star, and Landfall took out every enemy they could, but one had somehow managed to get through completely undetected by anyone. The surviving crewmen of the airships screening for General Baldwyn all reported that the enemy WarMUTT appeared out of nowhere and left just as quickly.
	James and Eddie both said they didn't see him until he fired, and by then it was too late. I was too busy scrapping with two of those new Harriers, just to give them more time to take out the others… but fate seemed to be against us, or maybe General Baldwyn's luck just ran out that day.
	Whatever the case, Oceana Venture was effectively leaderless at the moment. Maybe that was what this meeting was for, I figured. It seemed to me that our jobs rested on the decision of our next appointed leader. Carter shared my opinion, as did the others. I didn't know any of the OV officials, other than a few names I could remember. Sterling was directly under Baldwyn, but I knew nothing beyond that. How good of a leader could he really be? He was too young to have been in the Great War, but he could have fought in the Calendar War. 
	Dunahan was American, and they never participated in the Great War, or the Calendar War that followed a few years later. In fact, if I remembered right, their last war was the Spanish-American war, almost a hundred years ago, unless he participated in the skirmishes against the orc invasion of Canada, otherwise his experience in war was subpar at best.
	The worst case was if they appointed someone else entirely. It would be a complete wildcard with no way of telling whether they would be worth following.

	We entered the meeting room, a large auditorium in what was left of the government administration building next to the bombed-out city hall. It was large enough to accomodate reps from every mercenary team, and several screens had been hastily set up at the back of the stage where Sterling and Dunahan stood with a few others in foreign uniforms I didn't recognize.
	Each mercenary team representative had varying looks of dread, despair, sorrow and anger plastered on their faces. They had lost friends, colleagues, some were there because their commanders had been killed in action and now they had to pick up the pieces. Any remaining teams had been put on watch to beef up security, so Eddie and James were made to stand guard along with Garth and Quill with Tiggs as their support.
	Carter sat by me on my left, his eyes hidden behind those sunglasses of his. He remained stoic, not wanting to give off the impression that we had been lucky enough to survive the rough patches of the fighting. Some might also have found us responsible for Baldwyn's death as we were the first mercenary team to respond to the enemy that broke through.
	Jackie sat on my right, he leaned back in his chair and used his hat to cover his eyes, napping wherever he could. He might have been the only person in here that seemed like he didn't have a worry in the world.
	I watched silently and waited for this meeting to begin as more and more people filled the room. The screens turned on and I saw yet more men that I didn't recognize. They looked like salarymen, men in suits and ties, men with slimy looks on their faces. I didn't know who any of them were, where they were from or if they even had military experience. They looked like the worst that every race of man had to offer, grimy looking gnomes with unkempt beards, haughty elves who looked lousy with arrogance, dull-eyed humans who seemed disinterested and inconvenienced in even being here, wildly hairy dwarves who looked at us with avaricious eyes and even half-cocked halflings way in over their heads. The only thing I knew was that I didn't like them.
	When the doors finally closed, Colonel Sterling cleared his throat. He looked at each of us sternly, waiting for the room to quiet down before he spoke.
	“Many of you already know, General Baldwyn is dead,” he announced grimly, and many solemnly agreed, “The Federalists have pushed us hard, but we kept them back. We've had our losses, but the hardest part is over. We beat back the tide, we didn't give an inch and we still have Baldwyn's battle plan. Now is the time that we strike! We take the west and leave no enemy at our backs. More troops and MUTTs will be arriving from Indonesia to help on both fronts. Many of our benefactors are sending in the best their militaries have to offer.”
	There was a murmur of assent to the knowledge of reinforcements, but the mood remained lukewarm at best. Sterling motioned something to Dunahan who stepped forward and adjusted his uniform.
	“There is also the issue of your contracts. While we are willing to honor them, we have a new offer for you to become regulars in Oh-Vee,” He said.
	“What exactly does that entail?” I heard one of the other teams ask. All eyes were glued to the American Colonel for his answer.
	Dunahan grinned at the question as if he was waiting for it, “Regular pay every week, even if you're in the reserves, on top of the earnings you'll make when this is all over. First pick on replacement parts for your MUTTs, as well as being the first bunch to get the new models the Russo Dwarva will be providing us in the coming weeks. As for the freelance mercenaries, you'll be paid by the job from now on, so you'll have more dangerous work to look forward to and less stable income. You'll still get your payout at the end of the war, so don't go having a heart attack! As for work, don't worry too much, we will find a use for you somewhere.”
	“And what happens when we join Oh-Vee as regulars?” Carter asked, his tone carrying his displeasure, “I read the old contract front to back. Our old agreement clearly states that if we deem our orders as suicide missions we can decline them and still remain within our terms. What about the regulars? Can they decline orders?”
	This question seemed to irk Colonel Sterling while Dunahan's smile dissolved to a look of worry. Carter crossed his arms and leaned back as he waited for Dunahan's answer. The Colonel cleared his throat.
	“Regulars in Oh-Vee will be treated like soldiers in Oh-Vee's joint military.”
	“In other words, if we disobey, we'll be at the mercy of our commanding officers,” Carter inferred, a scowl on his face, “We will be jailed at best and at worst shot for desertion.”
	The many faces on the screens barely contained their anger at Carter's pointed prodding, leaving me to believe they didn't want any of us to acknowledge that possibility. Some even began to swear up and down in languages I had only heard once or twice in my life, which Carter probably found amusing, while Jackie certainly did, even chuckling from beneath his hat.
	“The choice is yours, of course,” Dunahan replied hastily before the men on the screen could damage their reputation further, “No one will force you to join the regulars, but with Baldwyn gone the board has come to the decision that we need to restructure our forces and leadership.”
	“And who exactly is our new leader?”
	Dunahan stepped aside.
	“That would be me,” Sterling answered, trying his best to keep his composure and look the part. I was thoroughly unimpressed, as was Carter.
	“The offer to join Oh-Vee as regulars is always on the table,” Dunahan added, “You can always think on it and join later!”
	There were whispers among the other teams as they debated amongst themselves, trying to come to a decision.
	I looked at Carter who took his shades off to look me in the eye. I knew our decision immediately, and he clearly agreed with me. No way in hell were we soldiers, we did things our way or we didn't do them at all. I looked to Jackie who seemed as disinterested in all of this as one might be with the fading paint on the wall. Maybe he felt the same way, I thought.
	There were some takers, those who likely were completely broken teams with hardly any direction left to them, but many of them, like us, declined, much to Sterling’s irritation. Dunahan seemed much less flustered, in fact he seemed to understand perfectly why mercs like us wanted our freedom on the battlefield.
	He cleared his throat again, “Those of you who will be regulars, remain here, we will be discussing the rules and regulations as well as what units you will be integrated into. We will get you your new gear and uniforms before the day is up. The rest of you are dismissed.”

	Carter had spent some time on his own getting us our next job. I had offered to go along with him, but he insisted he would handle it on his own, so I reconvened with the rest of the group where our MUTTs and hover truck were stationed. I took a moment to look around the factory block where we were, the damage from the battle that had taken place on the first day wasn't too extensive and the MUTTs had been salvaged and disposed of, but what was left in place was the still smoldering burns on the ground and asphalt. The buildings showed signs of slagging from stray fire and there was the odd heap of metal that had previously been liquified and solidified into a lump of metal. OV had their work cut out for them.
	I banged my fist on the door to the back, and after a few moments of scuttling around, I heard him scream some profanities my way. I banged on the door again, and Tiggs finally opened up. He looked as if he was trying to menace me with a wrench.
	“Oh, it's you,” he said, stepping aside to let me in.
	“What's with you?” I asked with a chuckle.
	“It's the locals. They're not exactly welcoming,” he explained, throwing the wrench into a nearby toolbox with a loud crash of metal.
	“So?”
	“They've been throwing rocks at us for hours. Some even threw bricks. I'm afraid they'll realize that doesn't work and upgrade to molotovs.”
	I rolled my eyes at the skittish gremlin, “Have James and Eddie scare them off with the MUTTs, they're not suicidal.”
	“That'll probably just piss them off more,” Tiggs grumbled back.
	I shrugged, “Beats getting burned alive. Next time don't open the door until you know it's one of us, alright?”
	“Where's Carter anyway?” He asked.
	“He's getting us our next job. Oh-Vee tried to screw us over and now we gotta do extra to get paid.”
	“Well shit.”
	“We also won't get all the new toys and parts for the MUTTs.”
	Tiggs grinned, “That's not a problem. I already scavenged some parts off the ones you guys put down yesterday, and Eddie's MUTT is good as new. We'll just have to do that more often now.”
	“I'll just have to aim for the cockpit more often, I guess. I'll leave the rest to you,” I said, less than enthused.
	Tiggs didn't seem to mind either way, as he gave me a wide grin, “Sure thing! Just make sure you don't blow them up!”
	I nodded, and checked on the rest of the truck. When I was satisfied that everything was in fighting condition I turned back to the door at the back, “I'm gonna go check on the others, let them know what's up.”
	Tiggs shrugged, “Sure. Just keep your eyes peeled.”
	I exited the truck and quickly found the two of them out lazily walking in a small perimeter around the hover truck. When James' red eye looked at me I beckoned him over and he stomped over. It took me a while to get used to MUTTs approaching like that, it was like a giant was about to run me down and crush me underfoot, an almost instinctual feeling of terror that had to be trained out of every rider. Depending on who was in the cockpit it was a very apt fear, but thankfully James was as good as any of us and stopped a few paces away from me before he knelt down and popped his hatch.
	“Oh, hey, Captain! How was the meeting?”
	“Terrible. We got more work ahead of us,” I answered, which soured his mood immediately. I decided it would be better to change the subject before his day was thoroughly ruined, “What's this I hear about the locals throwing rocks at the hover truck?”
	He chuckled, “Oh, that? It was just some kids.”
	That gave me pause. Thoughts of the child soldiers the Romeristas would employ made me wonder if things had gotten that bad here. But this wasn't like Mexico… right?
	“You know how Tiggs is,” James finished, snapping me out of it.
	“Yeah, I do, figured I would ask anyway,” I laughed with him, “How's Eddie?”
	“He hasn't said a thing all day. I bet he's been reading that bible again. Not like there's a single Feddie to see here, right?”
	“Well, enjoy it while you can. Here comes Carter now,” I pointed out, seeing him walking with a purpose toward the hover truck.
	“Shit. Downtime is over, huh?”
	“Probably.”
	“That mean we're movin’ out?”
	“Most likely.”
	“I need to take a shit.”
	I laughed again, “You should have thought of that an hour ago.”
	“And leave poor Eddie on guard duty by himself?” He retorted.
	“I'm sure he could handle it. Not like you two had a lot to talk about.”
	“Damn it…” James growled.
	“Make it quick, I'll stall,” I offered, and he leapt down out of his cockpit and rushed to the nearest crater.
	“Don't slip in it this time!” I shouted after him.
	“Ha, ha! Very funny!” He hollered from within the hole. I shook my head and headed back to the truck.

	“We're heading back south? Why?” James groaned.
	“Because that's what the job is. The pay is decent and easy. What, are you afraid of a little jog?” Carter shot back over the radio, “We'll be going further this time, and guess what else? Landfall will be with us again, and we packed enough food for the both of us.”
	“I hope so. Those lousy freeloaders…”
	“Shut your yap,” I butted in, “They carried their weight in the last battle, it's the least we can do if they need more help.”
	“You're such a bleeding heart,” James jeered.
	“Nice of ya to stick up for us, Captain Kilroy,” Jackie's voice came in over the local channel. Garth and Quill chuckled as James seemed to be stumbling over his words.
	“You'll have to forgive James, he has a bad habit of not playing well with others,” I said with a smirk, enjoying James’ verbal squirming.
	“We should get a move on, we got a lot of ground to cover.”

	Travel was awful as usual in the Australian heat while conversely the nights tended to be much colder in the desert and I began to wonder which was worse. Whenever we stopped nearby the jungle the air would warm up, likely from the aetheric energies causing anomalous weather. We didn't do that often as that strange feeling from before reared its ugly head more often. Whatever it was, aether or not, I had somehow managed to ignore it for the most part, though it made sleeping next to impossible when we were so close to the Oasis.
	My mind often wandered because of it and I had to wonder if the jungles grew because of the aether that sprung up from the ground or was it some other magical means? Were they even related? Or was it purely serendipitous for the flora and fauna as well as the people who lived nearby for the more moderate climates caused by the aether?
	I supposed that wasn't really something I needed to worry about given the reason we were here. It wasn't like I was gifted with some scientific mind or inquisitive nature. I never bothered to look into things like that for answers, it was only a passing curiosity after all. I had no doubt the others would have no interest in it either. James, like me, lacked an interest for magical studies, and Eddie was far too religious and taciturn to even hold a conversation about such things. Tiggs would likely be the only one who even remotely cared about something like that and only because of the practical applications of such things that he could use. Carter had his mind on other things, and he was likely occupied keeping an eye out for anything unusual or any aether disruptions to his divining (besides ours, of course).
	We had stopped for the night by another plateau and powered down our MUTTs, setting up camouflage as best as we could with what we had, digging holes deep enough to conceal them and covering them with tarps with just enough dirt to blend in. Landfall kept their MUTTs separate from ours just in case something went down.
	Didn't want to lose all of our war machines to one unlucky aether shelling. We made a scaled down trench system that lead between the MUTTs and the truck that we had dug in as well. I was inside the truck keeping Tiggs company while Carter kept up his divining even as he slept. It was a strange trick of his he had learned and I knew by now not to question it.
	“We've been traveling for days! Where are we even going?” James complained as he entered the hover truck and slammed the door behind him.
	“We’re going to an abandoned town close to the Oasis called Polk Fremore. It’s an old gnomish colony. It’s a good spot for us to keep an eye on the southern approach,” Carter explained in a monotone voice. He was capable of talking even as he slept. I hated it when he did that, freaked me the hell out even now and I would never get used to it.
	“Okay, great. When do we get there?” James asked, unperturbed by our Commander's parlor tricks. Carter took a deep breath and groaned before pulling himself up from his bunk. He looked at me, then at James.
	“Tomorrow afternoon,” he replied.
	“Oh wonderful. More marching. Tell ya what, I'm gonna get me some grub, what do you say captain?”
	“Sure. I'll take whatever,” I replied.
	“You two better get some sleep. I get the feeling tomorrow is gonna be a long day,” said Carter.
	“Aye, aye cap-i-taine,” James gave another of his mock salutes as he tossed me one of the MRE bags and headed out of the truck.
	Spaghetti with beef sauce, another good one of Tiggs’ making. I nodded my approval before looking at Carter again, “What if the enemy’s already there? They probably have the same idea as us.”
	“That’s what you guys are gonna find out. We’re gonna flush it out first, then make camp. Go get some rest.”
	“Yes, Commander,” I answered with my own salute, which made him smile.
	“You guys tryin’ to make this feel like the military? Get the hell outta my truck.”

	The march was as grueling as the last, the sun beating down on our MUTTs like a platoon of spitfires threatening to cook us alive any second. The built-in air conditioning on my Harrier was barely keeping up. I had unzipped my jumpsuit and let it fall around my waist, getting a moment of respite the second the cool air hit my wet skin. Sweat dripped down my forehead from my hair and I had to move my manascope to wipe it off.
	“Everything okay, Captain?” James asked. I realized I had stopped.
	“I’m fine,” I answered, pulling down my visor again before continuing on. The flatlands were gradually turning into an incline as we approached a tall hill, the jungle from the Oasis looming over our left as we climbed. I got the feeling that something wasn’t right about those trees now that I was up close. It wasn’t that they were scarred, burnt or broken from stray fire, or that there were MUTTs hiding under the canopy, but there was something else I could feel giving me goosebumps. I didn’t know what to make of it.
	“Miss Star captain,” Jackie had taken to calling me, “Looks like we’re at Polk Fremore.”
	“Switch to local channels,” I ordered immediately, snapping myself out of it and flipping the switch on my radio, “Any sign of the enemy?”
	“Nothin’ yet. Doesn’t mean they’re not there,” Garth answered. I climbed up to the hill’s crest, peeking over it just enough to get a visual. I could barely see Landfall’s Dingos in the trees overlooking the town and the outskirts around it. Polk Fremore was a gnomish colony like Carter had said. It was built around a plateau, much of their buildings rising up naturally from the carved stone cliffside. The town went inward into the rock, the top having holes carved out to allow sunlight inside while the arches were used to support any skyscrapers the gnomes had built. It must have been beautiful back then, I thought. Now it was an empty husk worn away by the sands of the desert and the vines of the Oasis.
	“We should wait, see if anything moves in there before we head in,” I instructed, “Give it an hour, then I’ll take point and lead us in if the enemy doesn’t show themselves.”
	“Roger.”
	“Copy.”
	“Yes, ma’am.”
	“Shut up,” I groaned. “Carter, move the truck up behind Eddie and me, James, you get into position with Jackie’s Dingo squad.”

	The hour came and went, with nothing but wind blowing through the town. An hour and nothing. Carter saw nothing through his divining magic, Tiggs saw nothing on the periscope. None of us could see any signs of life down in that little town. Maybe the enemy wasn’t even here? Or maybe they were smarter than us and they were waiting under the rock where it was nice and cool, ready to ambush us the moment we set foot inside the town.
	I couldn’t let my paranoia stop us here, I already said I was going to take point, so that was that. I stood my Harrier up and began moving over the hill, “I’m going to move up to the first few buildings. Eddie, you keep the truck covered, the rest of you keep an eye out for me, I don’t wanna die for nothing.”
	I was on the move before they could even respond. I could feel myself shaking in my seat. I had said all that but this looming ghost town could have sharpshooters hiding up in the buildings for all I knew. Even if this town was made by gnomishmen, they could easily fit a Harrier in one of those buildings. They were tall enough that they cut through the skyline like a spear, the tip of the tallest building must have been over six to seven hundred feet, easily the tallest man-made thing out in this wilderness. What was even more ominous was the amount of foliage that had already begun to grow up their sides. That Oasis was something else…
	“Captain.” I heard someone call. I didn’t know who. I quickly found a place behind one of the buildings at the town’s edge.
	“What?”
	“I saw movement on the east side of the city,” It was either Garth or Quill. I didn’t expect one of them to start calling me captain.
	“Are you sure?”
	“It didn’t look like a MUTT. I don’t know what it was. Just keep an eye out.”
	“I’m comin’ down there with ya,” Jackie butted in. I turned and watched as his Dingo made an effortless jaunt down beside me, taking the field much faster than my bulkier machine.
	“Your call,” I said, turning back to the town ahead. “We should circle around the east to meet it, whatever it is. That will keep us out of the open from the west and we can use the trees for cover.”
	It was a sound plan, I nodded as if he could see me, “ Let’s go then. Tiggs, keep scanning for aether disruptions.“
	“Already on it,” He replied, “You’ll know if I see anything.”
	Running house to house, building to building, Jackie and I gradually made our advance eastward, circling Polk Fremore with every step. Every time I broke cover I anticipated a spitfire to blast the ground around me, or an aether beam to cut right through my armor, but neither ever came. Something was strange about this town, but I couldn’t tell what exactly. Still more strange, we had reached the eastern side and saw no hide nor hair of whatever Eddie spotted not twenty minutes ago. Whatever it was, it was probably long gone by now. Was it some kind of animal? It was big enough for him to spot it from that distance. I didn’t want to think about that.
	“Shall we head into town and check if our mates are in?” Jackie asked, waving his aether rifle up toward the town center. I took point again, turning around the library we were taking cover behind, its walls half eaten away by the Oasis. I dashed to the first building big enough to hide my Harrier, my torch primed on the off chance we bumped into any of our ‘mates,’ as Jackie put it.
	His Dingo dashed past me, bracing himself against a clocktower. We were close to the stairs heading into the plateau. It was my turn now, and I’d be the first to enter the downtown area. I kept my torch forward, making for the corner of the wall, the only way in or out of the downtown area from this side. I took a deep breath, turning the corner with my torch at the ready.
	Nothing.
	There was nothing here. The streets were littered with trash and broken down cars caved in with their windshields shattered and glass scattered across the streets. There were no bodies, no citizens or soldiers. I even spotted an armored car that had been toppled over and scratched up all across its top, weapons strewn all around with no one to claim them. I slowly approached a truck that was half as tall as my Harrier, its trailer torn open on the side like a ragged sheet. I crossed behind it ready to torch an enemy that wasn't there. Were we alone? Or were they further in and we simply didn't see one another.
	Jackie came up behind me, looking through the alleyways as he went.
	“Everything okay?” He asked.
	“...Yeah. What happened here?” I asked, my voice betrayed that I was more than a little spooked.
	“I'm not sure… these don't look like aether weapons. Close combat?”
	“With who? We're the first here from Oh-Vee. I doubt the Crowns came all the way over here,” I pointed out, “And I don't even see any MUTTs.”
	“Let's have a look around before we say that,” He said, heading down the main street. I followed after him, leaving the wrecked cars behind. We went closer to one of the highrises, the side of its stone brick walls carved up by some strange weapon. It wasn't exactly a straight cut into it, and besides, who in their right mind would blunt their blades stabbing them into the walls like this?
	“You ever see anything like this?” I asked, not expecting a satisfying answer.
	“No… I've heard stories about ghost towns but those were just soldiers messing with one another,” Jackie explained, “I figured this place was just abandoned before the war.”
	I took a moment to look through the front windows of the local grocery store, “Anyone see any movement, anything at all?”
	Tiggs was the first to answer, “No new aether signatures on the scope, you two are it.”
	“No visual,” Eddie replied in a deep growl.
	“Nothing on this side,” Garth reported.
	“I'm picking up faint traces of mana currents, but nothing the size of a reactor. Could be an animal,” Said Carter, “It's coming from the jungle side. Still, keep on your toes.”
	“Could be survivors,” James theorized, “Civvies or soldiers or whoever living out here away from the war.”
	“In the Oasis? I doubt it. That shit's harsher than the bush,” Quill dismissed the idea.
	I turned to Jackie's Dingo and sighed, “Maybe we should bring the others in already. Get a more thorough search going for anything of use here.”
	“I doubt there's anything edible,” Groaned the Aussie merc captain.
	“Why don't we ‘have a look around before we say that,’ huh?” I quoted him. 
	He laughed, “Got me there. Feisty sheila, aren't ya?”
	“When I need to be,” I smiled, “All units, the town seems clear, approach with caution.”
	“Moving in,” Carter answered, “Garth, you and Eddie in the front, James and Quill in the rear, keep the truck in the center.”
	Jackie and I went out to the other side of the plateau where they'd be coming in, the two of us waiting for them. I kept my eye on the support truck, the dust it kicked up and the MUTTs from both of our teams trundling along.
	From the corner of my eye I could see Jackie slowly pulling up his aether rifle, looking back at the hill we had come from on our way in.
	“What is it?” I became alert, looking for whatever he clearly saw. I was endlessly frustrated that my manascope didn't see as far as his.
	“It's nothing, I just… thought I saw something moving. Whatever it was it's gone now,” He let off a nervous chuckle, “I think your jumpiness is rubbin’ off on me.”
	He used his Dingo to give my Harrier a gentle tap on the shoulder, the thunk from the chassis ringing for a brief moment.
	“Team, keep your eyes open on all sides,” I wasn’t about to take any chances.

	We headed further into the town by the mainstreet, finding our way into the front end of a bank, its tall pillars and facade awning providing both cover from the sun and any prying eyes up in the skyscrapers. I made it a point to check them out while we were here and maybe set James up in one of them for a better view of the land.
	Hours passed and the rations that night were okay, I'd had better of course but the chocolate was nice and the coffee was helpful in both soothing my nerves and keeping me alert. James had already started smoking again, I could see the fumes from his open hatch billowing out. Maybe he was feeling out of place in this town, too.
	Somehow Tiggs had managed to get the truck inside of the bank, after we helped pull the doors off the front wall. Not like anyone was around to care about property damage. 
	The buildings I noticed were all built with tallfolk in mind, the gnomes were surprisingly courteous in that way. This bank was another story, the vaulted ceiling going high enough for even our MUTTs to get inside. The boys were itching to see if there was any cash left in the vault. Garth was even spouting nonsense that there might be gold inside. The idea was nice but I couldn't help but feel that uneasiness creeping back in and my goosebumps flared up again. I decided I didn't like Polk Fremore.
	I got out of my Harrier and went into the support truck, looking for Carter. I found him continuing to monitor our situation with his magic.
	“You need a break,” I said plainly.
	“I don't like it here,” He answered, “The mana doesn't feel right. I can't sense anything else but that strange mana current. It moved again. It was coming from the jungle before and now it's back north of us by the hill we came in on.”
	“Jackie thought he saw something over there when you guys came in.” I told him, “You don't think it's some kind of Federalist stealth weapon, do you?”
	“I don't know. If it was, wouldn't they have killed us already?”
	“I would have.” I agreed, “It makes the most sense to catch us out in the open before we had a chance to respond. Now we're effectively bunkered down.”
	“It doesn't make sense. It must be an animal of some kind, but this mana signature is… weird. I can't explain it.”
	“Do you suppose whatever it is it was affected by the aether?” I asked, unsure of what exactly that effect could be.
	“Maybe. Or maybe it just absorbed a lot of mana and It's suffering from mana poisoning,” He considered. Just then a message began printing out from the radio console, Carter standing up to check it immediately.
	I waited for him to finish reading it before asking what it was, “Orders from Oh-Vee?”
	 “They want us to head a few more miles south.”
	“I don’t get it, why have us push out that far? If the enemy was going to counterattack from the south we’d have spotted them already,” I pointed out. Carter seemed to agree with me.
	“Oh-Vee must be planning something. Otherwise we could have stayed put here and kept watch from the skyscrapers,” He rubbed his temples and groaned, “Although I'll admit I'd prefer leaving this dump.”
	I could feel myself getting angry, now, and Jackie's tales about the ‘Brekkies’ resurfaced. “The job was recon. As far as I'm concerned we did that and we haven't seen a feddie for four days. Why the hell should we push further out with just two squads and no resupply?”
	“We still have enough food for a week,” Carter said, pointing at a cabinet at the back of the truck, “Mostly just rice but it's better than nothing.”
	“Is that a week for the five of us or a week for all of us? We have three extra mouths on this mission and they didn't bring enough food for that long,” I reminded him, my frustration becoming apparent.
	“Good point,” He conceded, “Between all the divining and the feeling I'm gettin’ from this town I guess I forgot. We probably have about four days worth.”
	I shook my head, deciding I had already made my point. I wanted to know something else, “Why do they want us to push this far out anyway? What can six MUTTs do if we find the enemy out here? Are they planning something?”
	“My money’s on them wanting to take the whole west coast for themselves without our help. That or that Sterling prick is trying to teach us a lesson. We were already playing early warning for a second counterattack, now I'm guessing they want us to find pockets of resistance before they send more mercs south.”
	I couldn’t believe my ears, “Do we even have the manpower for that?”
	He sighed as if he had gone over this question a dozen times himself, “I don’t know. Even if we managed to cut a line straight down the middle that’s too much ground to cover. We’d never hold it all. Not unless they lied about Oh-Vee's numbers.”
	“We're not expendable. I'm not going to march our men out so far just to die of starvation,” I said with a little more force than was needed, “I don't know Oh-Vee from the Feddies or the Crowns, how do we know they won't just let us waste away out here?”
	Carter nodded, “I know. We'll stay the night, then we'll give them a reply in the morning when I've had time to think of a response. Something that doesn't get our contract shredded,” He wagged a finger at me before I could say where they could shove that contract.
	Only a week in and already I was annoyed with our benefactors. Sure, I understood we're just mercenaries, but we're people, too. We can't run a war if we're always worrying about food. I wondered how much worse it would be if we needed more aether for our weapons, especially with the whole regulars nonsense. Could we run out of ammo? Was that even possible?
	Carter went back to his divining as I ran the worst case scenarios through my head. Apparently whatever I had in mind I was still being too optimistic, as his head turned in my direction, eyes still shut. His body went rigid, the worry on his face obvious, “Mana spike at the town entrance!”

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