Two weeks had passed since the beginning of the Resistance’s fight against the nobles. Two weeks of periodic fighting and trailblazing, and it wasn’t very easy.
The weather wasn’t any help. Almost every day it had poured down rain, the winds causing it to come down in angled sheets that both blinded and chilled you at the same time. On the days it wasn’t raining, it was hot and humid, the foliage only seeming to make the air that much thicker.
The terrain of Vedel only served to make warfare that much more difficult. It was a heavily forested country with rolling hills, and the only time the tree lines disappeared was when the landscape opened up to empty grassland. Because of this, it was a matter of picking and choosing your battles; did you keep to the cover of the trees and make your own task of taking down enemy soldiers more challenging, or did you fight out in the open and pray that you had numbers on the enemy who’s artillery was superior to your own?
Either way, Natsuki could tell that her troops were slowly but surely being defeated.
Even so, she had fought just as bravely as the rest of her soldiers on top of leading the troops. Of course, she wasn’t alone in making major decisions. Jousuke was also at her side to help in the process, plus they had a few section leaders who were each in charge of smaller groups of soldiers, but ultimately answered to the two Kruger’s.
It was just after one of these evening meetings of the commanders and captains that Natsuki pulled her uncle aside to speak to him in private.
“What’s up, kid?”
“The Nobles…they’re beginning to get an upper hand on us…”
“Yeah, we are feeling a bit of pressure, aren’t we?” the man commented, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Do you think mom and Commander Warren have made it to the capital yet?”
“Who knows? It’s not like they can communicate with us. They’d risk being discovered if they did, but I’d say they should be pretty damn close by now.”
“We need to buy them some more time. I’m afraid if we don’t pose as a big enough threat, there will be more Northerners in the capital than their small groups can handle.”
Jousuke eyed his niece suspiciously, “What are you suggesting?”
“…A night raid. Aiming right for the center of the Noble’s camp to take out their commander.”
“That’s insane. How are you going to sneak a group of soldiers into enemy territory?”
“Who said anything about a group?”
“Wait…are you thinking about going in solo?”
Silence.
“Natsuki?!”
“It could work. It’ll cause hysteria among their troops and give us an edge for a counterattack.”
“Yeah, but—“
“It’s the most logical option right now.”
“And put you at serious risk of getting killed? No, I don’t like this.”
“This isn’t just about me, Uncle. It’s for the good of the Resistance and the people of Vedel.”
“…It’s a suicide mission,” the man somberly stated.
“Isn’t this whole plan a suicide mission? Besides, I have the best chance of making it in an out because of the nano-machines in my body.”
“That’ll leave me to face the wrath of your mother if anything bad happens.”
“I won’t let that happen, I promise.”
“Stubborn…just like your father …” Jousuke mumbled, agitated at his inability to protest any further, “Alright, what do you need me to do?”
There hadn’t been a word about Natsuki or the situation in Vedel, and Shizuru could no longer handle the not knowing. The wondering if she was okay…if she was alive…That was why she was leaving. She would go to Vedel and find that answer for herself.
She would bring Natsuki back home.
But wasn’t she at home right now? No…no…The answer was certainly no, because home was here with Shizuru in the safety of the school gates where no war or anything else bad in the world could reach them.
She should have just left, materialized her robe and started flying, but instead she went to the Headmistress’s office to inform Oleander-sama of what she was about to do, and that, to her future effort, was a fatal error.
After she had blatantly disclosed her plan, the older Column only stared at her intently from her desk, her blue eyes seeming to freeze Shizuru in place.
“You can’t.”
“Why not?”
“You have responsibilities as a Column.”
“There are three other women who are highly capable of handling anything that may occur in my short absence.”
Standing, Lucretia slammed her hands onto the desktop, “It’s not that simple. You took an oath, Shizuru.”
“Then I quit,” the younger woman threatened, her hand reaching up to the earring on her left lobe.
Calming herself, the older woman chose a new approach, “Do you really think that’ll make her happy?”
“What?”
“Knowing that it’s her fault that you abandoned everything you worked so hard for? That you overlooked what you had sworn to uphold? To protect?”
“It won’t matter if she’s dead!” Shizuru yelled, choking on her own words, “I-I just can’t sit around anymore…knowing that she’s in danger…”
Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, and she squeezed her turbulent crimson eyes shut to try to stop them, covering her trembling lips with a shaky hand.
She heard shuffling, and before she knew it, Shizuru was enveloped in soothing warmth.
Embracing the girl, Lucretia gently stroked her chestnut-colored tresses, “I know, I know…But we have to believe that Natsuki will come back…I have faith in her; you should too.”
“I don’t want to lose her…I can’t…”
“You won’t,” the woman assured the younger Column, “If Natsuki wants to return, then she will.”
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