Disintegration: Chapter 3
"How pathetic."
Following these words, Ishtar took a closer look at the human she was holding. A few details immediately caught her attention. Firstly, her captive showed the typical physical characteristics of a human female. Secondly, the small woman was wearing a uniform befitting of someone part of a tank crew, and it came complete with an odd cap accompanied by a set of goggles concealing her head.
Lastly, she wouldn't stop screaming.
The woman wasn't alone, though. The rynar forces were capturing what remained of the human military forces by merely picking them up, but the humans usually didn't respond well to that. Meanwhile, the rest either fled into a forest or did something odd by throwing down their weapons and raising their hands in the air. It made Ishtar internally question herself about what they should do with their new prisoners of war... and seeing a young rynar soldier under her direct command caught her attention.
"Specialist Andraste!"
The rynar in question stopped sifting through what remained of several vehicles and faced Ishtar. Consequently, a golden pair of eyes came into contact with amber ones. "How may this specialist be of assistance?"
"This battlemaster cannot currently recall proper containment procedures for captured human hostiles. What might the specialist suggest?"
Andraste cocked her head to the side. "There is none. Would it not be easier to simply kill yours to stop it from screaming? This one finds it irritating."
"That would be dishonorable!" declared Ishtar with a venomous hiss. "Not to mention foolish. Killing helpless or surrendering enemy combatants just causes the others to fight to the death." She looked down and spotted a water canteen clipped to Andraste's waist. "Perhaps there is another way... speaking of which, the battlemaster requires the specialist's water canteen."
The other rynar woman nodded. "As she wishes." From there, Andraste procured the container and held it with one hand as she approached her superior.
"Is it empty?" asked Ishtar.
"Mostly."
"That shall suffice. Open it."
With a simple twist of a cap, the specialist opened the canteen. She swayed it a little, and a slight swooshing sound let them both know for sure that little water remained. After this, Andraste extended the canteen towards Ishtar, who proceeded to place her screaming captive inside of the only opening before letting go, and the human unceremoniously landed at the bottom moments later with a small splash as her screaming momentarily echoed throughout the container.
Afterward, Ishtar replaced her own canteen with the one imprisoning a human before giving it to Andraste. "Bah. There really needs to be a proper way to deal with captured humans in the future." She paused to pocket the canteen cap. "Improvised solutions will do for now."
The specialist looked at her with wide eyes. "Wait... why did the battlemaster put the cap in her pocket?"
"Is it not obvious? Ishtar is trying to imprison the poor creature, not suffocate her! She doubts the human can get out anyway."
"Ah, she sees." said Andraste as she flicked her tongue.
"Regardless, the battlemaster no longer requires the services of the specialist and thanks her for the assistance."
"You are welcome!" The rynar made a small bow towards Ishtar. "This one shall assist with crushing what little resistance remains. There is, however, some dead and wounded among us."
A glance at the battle's aftermath made what she said clear enough. A few rynar corpses were scattered around the area after either succumbing to a death of a thousand cuts or having a tank shell strike a vital area. Smoke continued to fill the air thanks to a forest burning to the ground, and snowfall resumed softly falling over the vicinity as it gradually coated destroyed husks that used to be individual tanks, infantry transports, and attack helicopters.
Ishtar cocked her head following a moment of silence, where she simply stared at the aftermath. "Hmph. This one understands. Andraste should return to her duties, nonetheless."
"As she wishes." said the young woman with a flick of her tail. With that, Andraste went back to searching through vehicle remains and other debris.
Meanwhile, Ishtar looked down at her armor. It was adorned with fresh dents, scratches, and other tiny signs of damage. Otherwise, she appeared completely unharmed. The woman held her compact plasma rifle with both hands as she walked among the ashes and remains. She spotted members of her warpack rounding up human survivors while others were tending to a few wounded yet unfamiliar rynar soldiers, who had inferior arms and armor compared to the rest of her warpack. They also had odd markings on their gear that the battlemaster recognized...
"What are garrison troops doing out here?!" growled Ishtar, catching the attention of those present.
One of the few garrison troops that wasn't dead or wounded saluted her. "Thank the gods that your warpack arrived, battlemaster!"
Ishtar narrowed her eyes. "That does not answer the question."
"Ah. Well... a detachment was sent once human military forces were spotted."
"And it apparently bore the brunt of the insane human assault." said Ishtar as she looked among the ranks. Compared to the detachment, her own unit was nearly untouched in comparison. The only exception was a rynar man snarling as others began treating a severe leg injury. She activated a communication device within her helmet with a flick of her tongue. "Is the area clear?"
"Clear!" chirped back one of her underlings in the distance.
Content with this answer, Ishtar faced the city itself. She could see some more Collective soldiers gradually approaching their positions. "Then this battlemaster believes our business is concluded here. She entrusts reinforcements to properly deal with the dead, wounded, and prisoners of war."
"If that is her will, then so be it." replied the garrison soldier with a low hiss.
From there, Ishtar waltzed towards several members of her warpack as her voice filled the air. "The area is secure! Return to the infantry transport, and leave any humans to the garrison forces. Alternatively, store them in your canteen and drop them off once we reach the deployment zone. They will all go to the same place anyway."
At her words, a few soldiers proceeded to empty the contents of their canteens. The sheer amount of water ruptured the ground, cleaving through fragile grass and snow alike. Despite this, it allowed them to deal with what little humans they were able to capture by placing them within the containers.
Ishtar almost facepalmed at the sight. "Also, try not to harm the local environment if possible."
With a shake of her head, the battlemaster waltzed towards the infantry transport. Most of the soldiers instinctively followed her. Meanwhile, some began carrying the wounded man towards it, while others were already awaiting them next to the transport. This included Andraste, who was wagging her tail rapidly with a crooked smile on her muzzle as she proudly presented her water canteen.
"This specialist caught one!"
Ishtar ignored this as she became the first to enter the vehicle. Soon, she was met by the familiar sight of the infantry vehicle's interior. Her adrenaline died down, the pupils of her reptilian eyes grew a little wider, and she suddenly showed signs of exhaustion as her shoulders drooped downwards. Only one thing was on her mind, however...
She had to make sure her baby was okay.
As other soldiers seated themselves inside, Ishtar opened the door to the restroom. Her heart sank upon hearing a familiar whine. The woman made short work of entering the room and locking the door before focusing all of her attention on the human child. He was still sitting in the sink on his washcloth, but tears were streaming down his face as he cried and sobbed to himself.
The rynar's face contorted at the scene. "Little Suko!" She paused to remove her helmet and set it aside. "Everything is alright! Mommy is here!" With wide eyes, she clung onto the sink and lowered her head. "Did something happen while she was gone?" Her serpentine tongue flicked out of her muzzle, but she couldn't smell or taste any signs of blood or something more severe.
Consequently, the crying of the child died down, but he kept softly sobbing to himself.
Witnessing this made Ishtar's tail droop. "Is something wrong? Was Suko sad about how Ishtar was gone?"
Once more, the child didn't respond.
"She should have known better. Leaving a hatchling unattended in a sink of all places is a recipe for disaster. Is he hurt?"
Following these words, Ishtar started inspecting Suko. A glance at his limbs revealed nothing was visibly wrong. She puffed air from her nose before her face suddenly beamed up. "Mommy can do the funny faces her hatchling loves so much!"
The woman followed up on this promise by lowering her head. Her eyes went in two different directions as she stuck out her tongue with her tail wagging, which repeatedly thumped against the floor and a door. She also made a distinct blep noise. Whether it be from her efforts or for no reason at all, the child stopped crying, and he buried his head in the washcloth before hugging the synthetic fabric. Ishtar's artificial happiness vanished upon realizing that what she was doing might not be working, but Suko appeared calm rather than upset at the very least.
"Ishtar wishes she knew what was wrong with her little hatchling..."
Without warning, the woman heard faint wailing emanating from her water canteen. Her head perked up. Then she bared her fangs upon remembering that a human was still stored inside of it. Ishtar quickly put her helmet back on, where augmented reality greeted her with a heads up display that occupied her vision. She opened a menu before manipulating it with simple movements of her eyes and flicks of her tongue until a translation device finally activated.
Afterward, she tapped the water canteen a few times as a human-sounding voice emitted from her helmet. [Ah, I almost forgot about you. Be quiet. You won't come to any harm if you follow my instructions.]
"Wait... what?!" exclaimed the woman within. "I must be losing my mind! You can talk...?"
The Rynar responded with a growl, sending the human into silence. [Are you unable to follow simple instructions? Don't bother with responding unless you receive my permission.]
Ishtar allowed silence to reign supreme for a few moments before she resumed speaking.
[Good girl. And yes, our people have deciphered the various tongues of your species. I took a wild guess and assumed that you spoke a language known as... Rushin? Is that how it's pronounced?]
As before, the rynar didn't receive an answer from the human.
[Ah, right. We can have a proper conversation later. These godforsaken human languages are so odd... from what I know, they're structured in such a way that you talk like you're the center of the universe. I'm getting off-topic, though. For now, consider yourself a prisoner of war, and don't make too much noise if you value your life.] She paused to look at Suko, who still showed signs of distress, then back at her water canteen. [You're also something of a rarity for your species. More specifically, a ferocious female warrior. Your maternal instincts may prove useful to me, so sit tight and allow me to contemplate your fate.]
With that, Ishtar disabled her translation software. An insidious scheme hatched in her mind as she narrowed her eyes and waited until the transport reached her destination...
The deployment zone.
Eventually, Ishtar exited the infantry transport with the rest of her squad. Suko rested against her chest, safely wrapped in a washcloth. Gazing upon her surroundings revealed massive fortifications being constructed alongside similarly large yet temporary structures, whether they be complex buildings or simple tents. Additional infantry, vehicles, and ships spanned in every direction. They were all devoted to occupying the city of Omsk, while the deployment zone adjacent to it came complete with some abandoned buildings integrated into its defenses.
"All of Deimo's soldiers are dismissed," said a familiar and masculine voice, "And they should get some rest, rations, and recreation during the downtime."
Despite this order, the soldiers in Ishtar's warpack looked to her for guidance.
She let out a light chortle. "Yes, this warpack is dismissed. Deimo may be a fresh ensign, but the man technically outranks Ishtar. Do as the officer orders... and remember where to drop off prisoners of war."
Specialist Andraste nodded first, and the others mimicked her. They dispersed into several different groups, some of which gave Ishtar and Suko weird looks, before walking towards the various structures. This included a few assisting the wounded man as they relocated him to a makeshift medical facility. During this commotion, Ishtar couldn't help but notice that Andraste was walking to tents serving as their personal quarters with her tail happily swaying, but she ignored the young woman once she saw Deimo approaching with a sly smile on his face.
"Ah, Battlemaster Ishtar! This ensign forgot to thank her for efficiently dealing with the sudden human attack. The garrison might not have been able to handle it."
Ishtar placed her hands behind her back, concealing Suko as she pivoted towards him. "Yet... one of her underlings was wounded. He might not be able to fight for the foreseeable future. Additionally, those garrison troops that dare to call themselves soldiers somehow took a plethora of casualties before Ishtar's warpack arrived!"
The man flicked his tongue. "It was a bad situation, and the battlemaster handled it perfectly. We will need her continued efforts. Also, Ensign Deimo has been informed that local human forces are retreating to an area known as Siberia, so this city is officially on the frontlines."
Ishtar glanced at the ground. "If Deimo says so."
In response, he cocked his head to the side. "There is also no need for formalities. The battlemaster does not need to conceal her claws and fangs in Deimo's presence. Additionally, the way she holds her hands behind her back is... odd."
"She insists on upholding traditional." hissed the woman as she stared at him with unblinking eyes. "Ishtar also requires something."
"And what would that be?"
She spent a moment in silence as she stuck out her serpentine tongue. "Well, it is simple, really. Ishtar and her warpack had difficulties with human prisoners of war due to no proper means of containing them. She would like to know how to handle them in the future."
"Truth be told, there is no official method." replied the man as his smile transitioned to a grimace. "This operation was supposed to be over by now, but most of the various human nations have refused to surrender."
Ishtar exposed her fangs. "How foolish. There should have been contingency plans. This battlemaster has had to resort to using her foot as a weapon since her plasma rifle proved to be inappropriate for fighting humans in close quarters! Not to mention the cold weather occasionally chilling her scales..."
"Then what course of action would Ishtar suggest?" asked Deimo with another flick of his tongue.
"She would request plasma casters, fully charged erestal crystals, and proper attire for the weather. As she mentioned many times before, there also needs to be a proper procedure for capturing humans. Unnecessary death sickens her."
"Very well. This is anything but a textbook situation." He paused to watch the woman sway her tail side to side. "Ishtar is a battlemaster, after all, and she has been doing this for far longer than Deimo. He will treat her with proper respect and do as she advises, even if the ensign technically outranks her."
She created a cute little blep in response. "So you are a wise ensign! Ishtar never knew such a thing existed!"
"Do not think much of it. Besides, it is important to respect your elders."
"Here we go with the old woman jokes again..." she said with a sneer, "Keep in mind, Ishtar was your age nearly two decades ago."
He waved with a clawed hand and chortled. "Deimo is only teasing her. Once again, he thanks her, and wants to know if she requires anything else."
"She does not for now, at least." answered Ishtar with a crooked smile on her muzzle. "She must rest in the meantime. Nonetheless, she is grateful!"
"Then don't let Deimo keep you waiting, battlemaster."
"Understood, and thanks again!"
Upon uttering these words, Deimo did something unorthodox by holding a clenched fist in front of his torso. Ishtar couldn't really return the salute due to having her hands full. Afterward, the ensign walked away with a swagger in his step, and the two went their separate ways. As for Ishtar, her first priority was reaching her own personal quarters. She eventually walked by a series of tents, where she spotted a few of her soldiers getting ready to sleep for the night, and found a private one reserved for herself.
It was one of the many perks of being a rynar battlemaster.
When Ishtar entered the tent, she saw that it was just as she left it. Although the interior was cramped, it had enough room for a minimalistic bed residing in the corner alongside a desk that came with a personal computer. The most essential component was an erestal powered heater filling the tent with hot air. Otherwise, the entire tent was relatively secure, and the only way to enter or exit the tent came in the form of a flap, which Ishtar promptly zipped after setting her plasma rifle in the corner.
Afterward, Suko poked his tiny head from the concealment of the washcloth, making the woman smile. "Welcome to our new home!"
She used her free hand to gesture at the tent interior. From there, she gently set the human on the ground, where his little feet came into contact with the canvas-covered ground. He looked around in confusion while Ishtar pulled a chair aside and sat on it. She let out a hiss of relief with her serpentine tongue temporarily lolling from her muzzle. "This one does not have a proper room prepared for her hatchling yet, but she shall figure something out. For now, mommy needs to relax and run some errands after a hard day of work!"
With a firm grasp on one of her boots, Ishtar removed them both one by one. She wiggled all eight her clawed toes afterward. However, after taking a look at her footwear, the rynar noticed that there was mud alongside a small amount of browning blood smeared underneath one of them.
"Oh."
She made use of the discarded washcloth to clean her footwear to the best of her ability. Meanwhile, Suko explored the tent. Ishtar couldn't help but smile as he went about this task, and she started removing some of her other armor, including her helmet, before putting the gear underneath her bed. It was a long and tedious process, but soon she was free from the confinements of her armor. All she wore from that point included a skin-tight, black uniform that covered her legs and torso. From there, the woman deliberately set her water canteen on a desk so that it was facing her.
It took a bit of effort as Ishtar sifted through a desk drawer, but she found a slim earpiece and a microphone. She activated her personal computer to make sure its translation software was updated, but she froze upon seeing her desktop background. The holographic display showed her embracing a young rynar that looked almost exactly like her thanks to his bronze-colored scales. It inspired Ishtar to open the options menu with a few simple clicks, and she hovered a clawed finger over the change background option... but instead, she simply spent several seconds staring at it with her tail drooping down. Ultimately, Ishtar selected the cancel option. Then the woman quickly opened some software that synced to her earpiece, updated its translation programs so that it had similar capabilities to her helmet, and finally prepared a small microphone that she placed in the center of the desk.
At long last, Ishtar was ready to interrogate her prisoner. She secured the earpiece, clipping it onto one of the small spikes near the back of her head, and activated the device by simply pressing a finger against it. A mechanical click marked the moment it activated and glowed orange. With that accomplished, Ishtar adjusted a microphone extending from it so that it was next to her muzzle. Afterward, she took a deep breath, picked up the water canteen, and spoke with her translator turning her words into something her prisoner could comprehend as a human voice blasted from some nearby computer speakers.
[I have so many questions about your hatchlings, human.]
Before Ishtar received a response, she slowly tilted the canteen and waited for a human to fall onto her awaiting open palm.