BoTH Chpt 82

==Blood on the Horizon - Chapter 82 -==
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Date: May, 3008Location: New Aragon, Capellan Confederation
The trails of LRM and SRM smoke filled the atmosphere. Exhaust from the ICE-powered vehicles mixed with the smell of ozone from the PPCs. 
"Smells like shit around here, Jaime," Natasha was leaning against the leg of her Marauder. "Nice of you to join the afterparty though."
 
She held up a bottle of scotch she'd liberated from one of the officer tents.
 
"Say what you will about the Highlanders, but they've got good booze."
 
"I will take your word for it," Jaime chuckled. "Now, did you get an ID on where the Marksman and Zeta are?"
 
"Marksman set up a med tent over there," Natasha jerked her head over towards where a Warhammer was kneeling. "Zeta stripping whatever remains of the material here. The Highlanders managed to pull a bunch of their gear out, but the Waco Rangers weren't as good at salvaging their own kit."
 
"Major," Jaime nodded at his brother.
 
"I will ensure that the salvage is divided appropriately," Joshua nodded. 
"Good, I will meet with Colonel Hull and see what damage he has taken."
 
Jaime walked across the battlefield, burnt out craters and large shells of autocannon littered the ground, the fallen 'Mechs of the Waco Rangers and Northwind Highlanders towered above him. 
 
At the foot of a nearby Wasp was the tent that Natasha had pointed out earlier. The golden "M" of the Marksman logo hung on a nearby flagpole and the screams of pained soldiers echoed through the fabric.
 
"Just breath, soldier," Colonel Hull was packing a leg wound with gauze. "What's your name?"
 
"Clint Sullivan," the man's bit out through clenched teeth. 
 
"Well, I've managed to stop the blood loss," the Marksman CO finished packing the wound before wrapping the gauze and pressure bandage around it. "You got lucky. The shrapnel missed the artery. We're going to keep you restrained for a little while though."
 
"Why? Don't trust a Highlander to keep to his word once captured?" he grit out. 
 
"No," Hull smiled darkly. "Soldiers always complain about the pain of the tourniquets." 
 
The bearded Colonel tapped gently on the windlass of the medical device. "For some reason, they think that it'll be fine if they loosen their tourniquet. Only for them to bleed out a short while later. So the straps stay on until you're seen by a surgeon or more experienced Corpsman."
 
After standing up and peeling the gloves off of his hands, Hull noticed the Wolf's Dragoons CO. 
"Colonel Wolf," he nodded. "Just give me a minute and I'll be free to speak. I'd rather not walk around with blood all over me."
 
"First a technician, and now a medic?" Jaime raised an eyebrow as Hull washed his hands. 
 
"Everyone gets basic medical training," Hull's eyes turned to steel. "I'm just doing basic stop the bleed until they can get more qualified help." 
 
Turning, Hull wiped his hands off on a clean towel before placing it in a bin for laundry. 
 
"Now, before we get into anything else, you're going to need to walk with me," Hull gestured for Jaime to follow him.
 
"What did you find?" Jaime raised an eyebrow. 
 
"Something that you lost," Hull grinned and held open the door to the mobile HQ. 
 
"Colonel Wolf!" Travis King stood up and snapped to attention. 
 
"Colonel King," Jaime's face twisted into a cautious smile. "We thought you dead."
 
"I managed to bail out ahead of the ammo detonation," the Delta Regiment Colonel sighed as he recalled the actions. "Turns out I broke my arm when I hit the ground and didn't realize it until picked up by the Marksman."
 
"We've already given him his pick of our salvage for a replacement ride," Hull sat in a seat around the holotable and Jaime did the same. "I know you were counting on us to be able to provide a mobile QRF to assist with the rest of this op, but we got demolished. We're down half of our battalion. If y'all hadn't pushed up when you did we'd be dead."
 
"I think you'd have been just fine!" A redhead poked her head through the door, a slightly older redhead just behind her. 
 
"Sorry, sir," Alice gasped. "I couldn't stop her from barging in."
 
"I heard you made Mech Ace today," Natasha grinned at me. "You up for a friendly spar yet?"
 
"After a battle that wrecked half of my forces?" Hull's voice was sharp. "I know you're a bloody fucking Kerensky, but even The General wasn't this insane."
 
"Natasha," Jaime's voice held a note of warning. 
 
"Fine," she sat down next to King. "So, what's the plan from here?"
 
"Capellan forces are retreating from New Aragon," Jaime replied. "We have been tasked with ensuring that they continue to retreat. Beta and Gamma regiments are going to keep the pressure on them while the rest of us consolidate here until the Highlanders and other forces are gone."
 
"And after that?" Hull asked.
 
"We are here or on New Valencia until 3009," Jaime replied. "After that our contract with both you and the Federated Suns will be completed."
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Chapter 82