Moment of Valor
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Staff Srgnt Brett Williams stood upon the edge of the battleship Akani Mesa. The sight before him seemed unreal. The wolves have fortified Kino and are not gonna give it up so easily. Many brave foxes have come before him and he now sees their progress. Echo company has moved onto the beach after removing the coastal gun threats. Planes fly overhead as they begin their strafing and bombing runs. With so much chaos unraveling before him he wonders if he will really make a change.
As he made his way down to the loading bay he gets into a LVT. He could hear the others talking about taking trophies and what their gonna do when they go home after the war. A thought of what he might do as well runs through his mind. A soft rumble brings him back to attention and the bay doors open. Large splashes in the water signal incoming heavy artillery. Many of them seem a little too close for comfort.
An LVT to his left erupts in a hail of fire and metal. They never even made it out of the bay. The others look on in shock as its charred remains begin to sink. What once was full of fighting soldiers is now no more. Williams offers a quick prayer and looks forward as his LVT begins moving toward the beach.
Echo companies job was to secure the beaches of Kino and then wait for the other companies to arrive before making the push inwards. With a hail of incoming fire, this job was easier said than done.
Wolves have been using Kino to rearm and refuel their long range bombers that have been hitting Neon City for days now. A counter strike here will allow the foxes to organize a coastal defense along Neon City and give their own bombers a chance to strike the wolves. But first they must get a foothold on Kino and force the wolves back.
Once upon the shore Williams the LVT drops its ramp. A snap is heard as a soldier behind him falls to a well placed sniper shot. Taking no chances Williams leads everyone off the LVT. As he leads them he could see his brothers in arms falling to machine gun fire and mortar rounds all around him. A soldier brushes past him and makes it a few yards away before being engulfed in a cloud of smoke.
Williams watches as the smoke clears and sees a blast hole with bits and pieces of the soldier remaining.
Knowing his job was of high importance he steeled his nerves and pushed on. The faint sound of a radio was drowned out by the screams of the others who lay dying. Most of them yound foxes who up until recently have never seen war or heard of its cruel devices.
A single fox caught his eye. He could see that fear had struck her to the core. She clutched her rifle close to her fearing that the next bullet whizzing by may have her name on it.
Slowly he made his way over to her, "Why aren't you moving ahead? All the actions up there not back here"
Shaken the she fox lifts her gaze to him, the sun lighting up her green eyes, "I'm never going home am I sarge?" That said she curls up a bit.
Williams puts his hand on her shoulder and looks into her eyes, "We'll make it home one day. Till then we bide our time and push forward. The people back home are depending on us here and now. If the wolves aren't stopped we'll never see our homes at all."
A loud whistle echoes in the sky and a mortar lands not to far from them. The she fox nearly jumps out of her fur and starts to cry. Her nerves are almost completely shot.
As he stared down upon the vixen he reaches into his front pocket and takes a cigarette from his pack and lights it up. "What's your name soldier?".
Slowly she looks up again and speaks, "Private Kihara Jansen, Sir. Alpha Company"
Williams knows that many young foxes never live their first encounter with the enemy and this particular soldier may be right. "Well Kihara", as he exhales his smoke, "If you don't do anything now, the war is as good as over. I know for a fact that the wolves don't take prisoners. They didn't take any when they invaded Neon City, I should know I was there when they did. It wasn't a pretty sight seeing vixens and little ones lying dead in the street. No innocence deserves to die so horribly."
Inside, Kihara knew he was right and looks toward the battlefield. Dirt flying in the air and tracers flying over the field, she looks toward a group of foxes pushing forward into the fray. A sense of pride washes over her and she wipes her tears.
"As long as one of us still fights, there is a hope." Wlliams words pierced her soul and broke her fear.
Quickly Kihara checks her rifle and musters her newfound courage.
Williams watches as she looks over the field and begins to move forward. Taking a last drag of his cigarette he flicks it away and moves ahead.
Todays battle has only just begun and he already feels its won. At least for now..................