Mackenzie stood confidently on a box in front of fourteen other Royal Nation soldiers. She looked out at her team, and then the rest of the cavern – observing the flags and the disarray of their base.
“Attention!!” she screamed, her voice bouncing off the cavern walls. “Our goal today is to gain new ground. But that fanatical Empire has the same goal. We must be the ones who prevail.” She took a deep breath.
“We are not just fighting for ourselves, we are fighting for every citizen of the Royal Nation.” She looked around the crowd at her men, before glancing down at her watch to check the time.
She stood there for some time, simply staring down at her wrist. Waiting. Then it was time.
“Onward! We must take Point Charlie!” And with that, she blew her whistle, and everyone charged forward. She waited for everyone else to pass by before going herself. Many officers do this out of cowardice, yes, but Mackenzie was stuck thinking about how many of these people would soon be dead.
But there was no time to be caught up on the morality of war. So she charged in behind her team, as they mined through the earth all the way to Point Charlie, passing through Able and Baker along the way.
After non-stop mining, they finally arrived in the cavern Point Charlie resided in, but the yellow glow in the distance meant they were not alone. Mackenzie watched as soldiers, good soldiers, charged in followed by a barrage of gunfire. She couldn’t help but wince, but she had to focus on directing them. She barked orders and directions, trying her best to keep them alive.
Mackenzie advanced through the point as bullets whizzed by. She took a glance to her left only to see a round pierce the face of an ally, then she set up a telescope. The telescope helped her to spot enemies, thus she yelled out enemy positions, before a shot drove through the telescope. She flinched hard, but more incoming bullets knocked her out of her daze.
She quickly sprinted around to a nearby building, using it as cover, before peaking inside. It took her a few moments to register that she was staring at a Golden Empire soldier. They looked to be a mortician, and they were tending to their wounds. But none of that registered to Mackenzie. She simply drew both her Talons and fired away.
“Shit!” She sighed as she watched the blood pool around this soldier, staining its white uniform. The sight of a corpse barely fazed her, so she pressed forward in the building. She had her Talons up and aimed on the entryway mere meters in front of her, trying her best to listen for footsteps in lieu of all the gunshots.
As she crept, she saw the barrel of a gun just a few meters in front of her. Her gaze quickly shifted upwards and saw a knightly helm. Right then she realized her mistake: she knew she had overextended, that she hadn’t been cautious enough, that dying would let her team down. But all those thoughts dissipated the moment the bullet pierced her leg.
It hurt like hell, and she almost collapsed from how horrible the impact was, but she had to focus. She shuffled to the side as she fired at the soldier, attempting to remove their helmet – alas, it was a miss. But Mackenzie was ambidextrous, so immediately she fired with her other Talon, although her aim was shakier… but then she heard a reassuring clash of metal,only to see the shot had knocked her enemy’s helmet off. This was very shocking for the enemy, so shocking that their next shot went wide.
She saw the look of panic in her opponent’s eyes. They shuffled back, as they considered retreating, but then took a step forward. Mackenzie exploited their indecisiveness, using these moments to fire as much as she could.
Most of her shots missed, merely blending into the hundreds of other bullets in the background, but one pierced the opponent's chest. And as she tried to finish them, her left Talon clicked. She was out of ammo. Panic set in and then a shot struck her waist. Her vision started going blurry, but she pulled her right index-finger down on the trigger and closed her eyes.
That moment seemed to last forever. She stood there, just waiting for death to claim her.
But when she opened her eyes, she saw her opponent dead. She had no time to think though, so she side-stepped into cover, coughing up blood. She fetched a first-aid kit from her belt and removed a bullet and reloaded. Her whole body hurt like hell, but she couldn’t give up.
She stood in that small room, trying to steady her breathing, listening to the gunshots that were now nothing more than white noise.
Once she had collected herself, she once again stood in that entryway. But this time, she fired out a flare across the point to help locate any potential enemies. She watched teammates in front of her claim lives and subsequently lose their own. She watched to the side as several reinforcements charged into battle, continuing the cycle. But she tried her very best to direct her team to survival and victory. Still, she watched on as many died.
Eventually the gunfire subsided. and she saw the Royal Nation flag hoisted at the center of the point. Some celebrated, but Mackenzie could not - for she knew this was only the beginning. Still, it had taken ten minutes and nearly a hundred lives to get there.
Soon enough, Mackenzie was on the move, yet again wandering through a tunnel with her team. As they approached Point Delta, she drew her whistle and shouted, “Focus your fire!” as the whistle screeched through the tunnel. As they grew closer to the end of the tunnel, a Golden Empire banner was visible in the distance.
Immediately after, a barrage of bullets greeted them, as the Golden Empire had already secured this point. Another officer fell on the ground next to Mackenzie, his head blown into pieces. She grimaced and proceeded through a tunnel that ran around the perimeter of Point Delta, directing her allies as she ran.
She wandered through tunnels trying to scout for enemies. Distant gunshots and screams were her only company. She kept turning around to see if someone was sneaking up on her, but there was no one.
Eventually she heard mining to her left, and then frantic gunshots. She quickly turned the corner to see two Empire soldiers attacking a Nation soldier. One of them was impaling the Nation soldier, while the other fired a few rifle rounds into them. Mackenzie yelped, and with one bullet, the rifleman fell to the floor. She then quickly turned to face the impaler, getting a shot in before they could pry the corpse off their lance.
Then they charged. Mackenzie fired as fast as she could, but their lance just barely pierced her chest as the lancer fell to the floor – lifeless.
Mackenzie inspected the wound, trying to see how bad it was (it had barely pierced her skin), before checking her ammo reserves in a panic. Eight shots loaded. Twelve more in reserves. “I can work with this,” she whispered, before heading back into the Point.
She skulked around the outskirts of the point, looking for enemies and allies using her binoculars, but… there were no allies?
She watched as Empire soldiers reloaded and tended to their wounds. They set up barricades, telescopes, and traps.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” she muttered as she slowly backed up, more into cover. But then she felt the sensation of being watched and spun around, aiming at whatever was there.
A white shield. An Empire vanguard. Her first reaction was to fire, but none could pierce the shield. Five shots left.
Mackenzie backed into a tunnel behind her and fired once more. It hit the shield. Four shots.
She backed away more, but the vanguard followed. They stared at each other for many moments, remaining a constant distance apart. And then Mackenzie fired the moment she thought the vanguard was going to. Alas, they did not, and thus the shot was absorbed. Three more chances.
The two continued more and more down the tunnel, and then the vanguard fired. It struck Mackenzie’s leg, the same one as before. She retorted by firing back. It struck a panel at the shop of the shield… and that panel fell to the ground. Two more shots.
The vanguard was evidently, and understandably, pissed. They fired again, striking the same leg. Mackenzie had to use the wall as support to remain standing. Blood poured out of her leg, and she coughed up even more.
But the vanguard got greedy and fired once more, and it went wide. Mackenzie was ready, well, as ready as someone bleeding out could be. She fired right into the vanguard’s helm, and it flew off. Last chance.
“E-even now-” Mackenzie panted, referring to the lack of helmets. She coughed up a little more blood before continuing, “-ou’re k-kinda cute-” She looked at the vanguard's long, messy, light-brown hair. She looked at her soft face, which seemed so unsuited for war. She looked at the little handmade bracelet on her arm. Despite all this, her Talons remained focused on her. “M-more th-than kinda…”
They stood in a stalemate for some time. Eventually Mackenzie pulled the trigger, and the vanguard let her shield down to fire at the same time. Mackenzie had read her correctly.
The last thing Mackenzie saw was her shot whizzing by the vanguard’s head, and then it all went dark.
With every ounce of will, Mackenzie opened her eyes. She was on the ground. She fell hard. The vanguard stood over her. In an act of desperation, Mackenzie pointed her gun up and fired. Nothing came out. The vanguard didn't even flinch.
“I counted,” The vanguard's voice had some snark in it, yet her exhaustion was evident. She towered over Mackenzie, her duty pistol trained on her head. “If it weren’t for all the blood, you wouldn't look too bad yourself.” She holstered her pistol.
“... I-I’m.. so f-fla-flattered.” Mackenzie stuttered, desperately trying to stay alive.
“All things considered, not the worst shot either! Nearly killed me.” She laughed a little.
“...”
The vanguard crouched down in front of Mackenzie and wiped some blood off her face. “Yeah.. One of the prettiest I’ve seen.” She bandaged some of Mackenzie’s wounds. She was so gentle. Mackenzie could feel her body temperature increasing and her face burning as the vanguard’s exploratory touches continued.
The vanguard just smirked when she noticed this and then stared into Mackenzie’s eyes. “You’re even more adorable like this-”
“You’re b-beautiful.” Mackenzie murmured, oh-so softly. It surprised herself, as she had never felt this way before. It made the vanguard’s face turn a soft shade of pink.
The vanguard helped Mackenzie sit up and ran her fingers through Mackenzie’s hair. Then she planted a kiss on Mackenzie's cheek and pulled away. Afterwards she grabbed a flare and flare gun from Mackenzie’s side.
“Your team will come for you once I fire this,” she smiled weakly at Mackenzie, “I hope you make it out of this alive, milady.” And then she turned around and walked off.
“W-WAIT!” Mackenzie coughed, “What’s y-your na-name? I’m.. Kenzie.”
“Joan.”
…
“Hey! Hey! Stay with me corporeal!” Mackenzie’s eyes crept open to this unfamiliar voice. She felt a sharp pain in her legs. Her vision grew clearer, she felt much better.
“W-Where am I?!” She looked ahead, recalling how she got here. A mortician in a gas mask kneeled in front of her. He tended to some of her wounds.
“It will only hurt for a moment!” The mortician said, his tone uncharacteristically cheerful. And then a syringe stabbed through her leg. “That should do it!” He chuckled. “Get up. We have a point to take.”
Mackenzie just looked at the mortician, a bit confused, as he walked down the tunnel. She shakily stood up and followed him. She was groggy and still in pain. She couldn’t stop thinking about her, about Joan. She couldn’t wrap her head around why she was spared.
…
The Nation had taken point Delta, but the Empire was fighting hard to get it back. Mackenzie climbed onto a perch and screamed, “Hold your positions,” as she blew on her whistle as hard as she could. She surveyed the battlefield, looking for enemies and shouting out orders and information on enemy positions. But she couldn't help but also look for Joan.
“I’m not letting you die!” she chanted to the soldiers. She knew this was a promise she couldn’t keep, but she would try. Strangely, as the Empire’s assault continued, no more Nation soldiers were slain. They pushed them all back with only one life lost.
Once the enemies cleared, soldiers looked at Mackenzie for an order. It didn’t take long for her to give one. “Full speed ahead! We’re taking Echo!” And her whistle blew again. Mackenzie reloaded and collected some extra ammo and gear from a nearby cache and then set off with her team.
They were running through tunnels dug by the Empire, and Mackenzie had worked her way near the front of the charge – a single vanguard in front of her. As they ran, Mackenzie spotted something. A wire.
“STOP!” she commanded, grabbing onto the vanguard’s shoulder. “A trap.” She pointed just a meter ahead at the wire. It was quickly deactivated, but it had put Mackenzie on edge.
To counter the Empire firing down the tunnel, the Nation squadron split into smaller groups in smaller tunnels – some new, some old.
Mackenzie didn’t have the luxury of going through a new tunnel. She had to get to the battlefield fast. Digging would take too long.
As they rushed, shots flew by her and her team. Despite her best efforts, the lives of some allies were claimed. But they fired back at the Empire, taking down several of them and their defenses. She heard gunshots, screams, and explosions in the distance. All white noise now. She was far too used to it.
…
The siege on Point Echo was a deadly one. One-hundred-and-three lives were lost in just this battle. The Royal Nation had nearly run out of reinforcements. Mackenzie tried her best to prevent the loss, but she’s just one girl. Despite that, she helped prevent the loss of many of her allies’ lives. But she had caused many more to lose their lives, she had even taken some herself.
She couldn’t help but feel some guilt. But she needed to do this – if she didn’t, then it would be her or her allies dying instead. She was saving people, at least that’s what she told herself. She convinced herself that this was all necessary, that more would die if she didn’t do this.
She didn’t know if she really believed this.
In the end, the Royal Nation had taken Point Echo. Most of the lives lost were Empire soldiers. Mackenzie couldn’t help but wonder if Joan was alive. She couldn’t help but wonder if a soldier she led could’ve killed her.
…
Following the loss of Point Echo, the Golden Empire was ordered to retreat to their base. Many were killed as they ran back. They were being hunted like animals.
Moments prior to the Royal Nation claiming Point Echo, Mackenzie had ventured towards the Empire’s base. She was confident the point would be won, so she figured it would be more beneficial to scout ahead.
She walked through many tunnels, some large, some small. She looked down the other tunnels to watch Empire forces retreat, bullets chasing them. She even branched off, forming new tunnels to reach where she wanted to go.
Digging had slowed her down a bit, as she could hear other Nation members in nearby skirmishes, but flanking was worth it. She continued to dig until she hit another tunnel. Smoke clouded a further part of the tunnel, but closer to Mackenzie a vanguard sat coughing. She was bleeding badly, and evidently ill.
It didn’t take long for her to realize this was Joan.
“H-Hey!” She fumbled with her first-aid pouch as she approached Joan. “Take this… please,” she dropped some Peridaxon in her hand. Joan just looked at her, dumbfounded. Without another word, Mackenzie dropped to her knees and did surgery on Joan’s wounds.
“Kenzie… you-” Joan began, her voice so much sweeter than before, but Mackenzie interrupted, “Thank you for sparing me, "her voice was hushed, but full of emotion, “I can’t thank you enough.”
The two sat there, cuddled together, as Mackenzie tended to Joan. They talked about their lives, where they were born, their family, their friends, their disdain for the war, all of it. Maybe it wasn’t the place for it, but it felt right. Despite that, Mackenzie never asked why Joan spared her. Maybe it didn’t matter. For those moments, the war faded into the background. In those moments, the world was just them.
If they hadn't in their last encounter, this was when they truly fell for each other.
Eventually Joan stood up with Mackenzie’s aid. They stood there for a moment, just admiring one another. Mackenzie couldn’t help but ask, “May I kiss you?”. And in that moment, they kissed. They stumbled against the wall as their lips collided desperately.
Blood still pounded in their ears, but all they could hear was each other’s gasps – it was all both of them ever wanted. Sure, there was something so wrong and forbidden about this, but at this moment, it didn’t matter. They had each other.
Eventually, they pulled away, both red and panting for air.
“Surrender.” Joan blurted.
“H-Huh? What d-do you-”
“Please,” she desperately took hold of Mackenzie’s wrist, “we can be together if you do. I-I promise. A-And after the war we can-”
“Joan,” Mackenzie stared at Joan ruefully, “I-I can’t.”
For a few moments there was silence. “I can’t just leave them all to die. I can’t surrender. T-They need me.”
“You’re just a… a pawn to them!” Joan rebutted.
“... Maybe. But I know them. I guided them! If I guide them to their deaths, the least I can do is die with them-”
“Don’t say that!”
“It’s the truth, Joan! Look.. I’d love to spend my life with you – I really would – but I can’t in good conscience leave my people.”
“...”
“You’re lovely, really. Thank you for saving me. I loved talking to you. I loved kissing you. I love how strong and resilient you are… how perfect you are. I love you, Joan. With all my heart.”
“T-Then stay with me – please! I k-know this is fast but – I love you too! I want to be with you – forever.” She desperately wrapped Mackenzie into a hug.
“I wish I could.” Mackenzie pushed away and took off her dog tags, then planted them around Joan. She looked at Joan, and gave her one last kiss. “You’ve gotta go, milady. I love you.” Then she ran off.
…
The Empire’s last stand had drained all the Nation’s reinforcements, both sides were hunting each other. This final conflict lasted a long while, with many several minute long stalemates.
After a long while of talking with Joan, Mackenzie regrouped with what few Nation soldiers remained. They all had accepted their demises were imminent, yet they charged valiantly – like true heroes.
As they charged, Mackenzie watched as the last of her team fell.
She was alone, and It was far too late to surrender.
Bullets crashed into Mackenzie. She didn’t stand a chance.
Joan watched helplessly.
…
In war, it is the people who fight. It is people who must suffer. It is the people who must pay the price of conflict.
Hundreds of lives are lost in each and every battle, three-hundred-sixty-three in just this skirmish, Mackenzie is simply another statistic.
At the time of her death, Mackenzie Culver had no surviving family. Culver will not be remembered as a hero, or as anything. In a day, the world will have forgotten she ever existed. All besides Joan.
She’ll never forget the short time they spent together. She’ll never forget the care Mackenzie had for her, despite being enemies. She’ll never forget her story. She’ll never forget how honourable and brave she was. She’ll never forget her face. She’ll never forget her voice. She’ll never forget the way her lips felt.
And maybe in another world, they could’ve got their happily ever after.
Or maybe it was never meant to be.
…
“I wish for a life where souls were valued for more than coin, fame and selfish desires to trample those beneath you.”
Squire George (1902 - 1924).