2 Chapter two

I opened my eyes as I woke. I stood getting dressed and gathered my stuff. The last two days had gone by so slow for me. I stood and stretched. I headed to the door with my stuff. I opened the door and walked out headed down the hallway.

It was almost 5:30AM. I headed down the stairs once I entered the stairwell. I soon exited the stairwell and walked outside. The streets were fairly empty this early in the morning. I was normally up this early but never came out because the gym was closed for at least two more hours. I stood with my stuff waiting. I started to tap my foot.

I sighed as I started to pace waiting. I looked at my phone. It was now 5: 57AM. I looked down the roads and soon saw a hover bus. I watched as it pulled up and opened its doors and I walked up.

I asked the driver "this the ride that's to take people to war?" The driver answered with "are you Kanami Sand Suzuki?" I nod "yes" the bus driver nodded "then yes this is the ride"

I nodded and got on board. I looked at the few others on board. They all had military uniforms on and most were decorated. I took an open seat.

I sat holding my stuff and looked out the window as the bus started forward. I looked over at the guy across the aisle as he spoke. The guy was fairly young but was decorated with the bronze star medal.

The guy spoke "hi I'm Charles. How long did you serve?" I shook my head "never served before"

Charles looked shocked "and they are just shipping you into war without first going to boot camp?!" I nodded "yeah, but Howser told me it would be basically pointless.. so?" I shrugged my shoulders. Charles gasped "you mean General S.S. Howser?" I nodded "yeah"

Charles whistled. I looked around, noticing the other guys staring at me shocked looks on their faces. Some of them were older while others looked about as young or younger than Charles.

Charles spoke "wow, you actually met the general?" I nodded "yeah, he had to personally give me my draft letter" I rolled my eyes. Charles smiled "that must have been such an honor. You have to tell me when you first met him" I shrugged "I first met him during the revolt of 2072" Charles froze "oh.."

I sighed. Most of the talk stopped after that. I looked out the window as the scenery changed around them. I watched as we picked up a few more people before we headed for the airport. It had been a long time since I had been to the airport. I sighed watching as we drove up the the airport and parked. I waited before the driver opened the door and the people started to file off the hover bus. I stood and followed them with my stuff. I stepped off the bus and lined up with the others. I watched as it looked to me, a command sergeant major spoke.

I listened as the guy spoke "you have been asked to come back and once more fight for your country. I want to personally thank you for your service." I yawned. I stood out from the rest of the others. I stood listening to the guy talk for about thirty minutes before he finally stopped talking and led the others and myself to a plane. I watched as the others boarded first before I followed. I found a seat and put my stuff in the overhaul. I then sat down and buckled in waiting while tapping my foot waiting for take off.

I listened as a flight lady said to turn off all devices and I turned my phone off. I pocketed my phone and waited. Soon we were moving the sound of the engines extremely loud to me. Even though the engines were silent to the others to me they were very loud and annoying. Soon we took off. I closed my eyes waiting while listening to the engines roar. I sighed looking around as the plane leveled off. I stayed in my seat looking out of the window to the right of me. I had a seat next to me but no one wanted to sit next to me nor talk to me.

I watched as we flew past some clouds and then I heard the ding that said seat belts were aloud off. I yawned closing my eyes. It would be a long flight so I decided to try and get some rest. I kept my eyes shut as I heard others moving around and some talking. I sighed opening my eyes and looked up at the ceiling. I looked back out the window starting to tap my foot in boredom. I sighed starting to think about the last time I had been on a plane.

~

I smiled as I saw San Francisco through the window in the plane. I had gotten enough money finally to be able to fly and move to San francisco. I had been saving my money for more than a year now. I buckled up as the seat belt light came on. I smiled waiting to touch ground. I had promised my mother that I would call her as soon as I touched ground. I smiled waiting for the plane to land, I soon felt the plane touchdown and I grinned. I waited for the plane to stop moving. I stood and grabbed my stuff as soon as the plane stopped and they said it was safe for us to stand. I smiled starting off the plane as the doors opened. Suddenly I was flung backwards and for a moment everything went white and I was filled with pain then it all went black.

~

I sighed, shaking my thoughts of the past from my head. I looked out the window looking at the blue sky. I sighed looking around the plain. I wasn't nervous like most people would've been after what had happened to me. I couldn't really feel fear anymore. Nor could I feel any other emotion a lot any more. It was like my emotions were dulled after that incident happened.

I sighed looking out of the window again starting to tap my foot again. I tapped my foot idly as I waited. I sighed looking around at the others who were calmly waiting. I watched them as a few glanced at me as they were talking to a few others. I sigh looking back out my window. It would be a long flight.

I sat there for about two hours tapping my foot waiting impatiently. I sighed as I heard the buckle up beep. I buckled up and waited. I was about to go stir crazy. I waited as the plane landed and slowly came to a stop. I unbuckled as soon as I could and grabbed my bag and stood stretching. I sighed in relief as we were allowed off of the plane. I walked off the plane and looked around the base. It was fairly big and completely surrounded by shrubbery coming from the jungle surrounding us. I looked towards a few tents and buildings. I sighed before turning my attention to the person talking.

I listened as he spoke about where everyone was going. I was the last name he called out and I was going to be in the vanguard with Charles and another guy. I sighed as the man walked towards me and then once in front of me he held out a second private badge. I took the badge and listened as he told me that I had to wear the badge at all times. I nodded putting it on then he gave me some dog tags which I slipped the chain over my head and wore it. The man walked away and then led everyone to a helicopter.

I sighed getting into the helicopter. I crouched since the helicopter had no seats. I waited as the helicopter took flight. I looked out the pilot's window and watched as the helicopter silently took flight. I read the diagnostics on the screen for the pilot. I sighed thinking about how I used to work on building the designs for helicopters and planes. I sighed looking to the others thinking of how the others probably couldn't understand even the basics of the helicopter design. I sighed, most of the helicopter designs now had been made by me before I had quit my job. I had been working on a new design for planes but I had never finished it. The design would have made the planes faster, smoother, and quieter.

I waited as we dropped people off at other bases before we were on our way to the last base which would be the vanguard. I waited reading the diagnostics on the helicopters flight, altitude, fuel and such. I watched as we landed and I was able to get off. I landed on the ground and quickly looked around. This base was smaller than the first base, but even still it was ok. The base had several tents which two of them looked like supply storage and the other a mess hall. The other smaller tents I assumed were for sleeping quarters. I looked over to the others before I followed the guy who was currently in charge. I walked calmly behind the guy as he walked over to a tent.

The guy stopped in front of the tent and told us to wait before he entered the tent. I listened as he spoke to the commanding officer. Most people would be unable to hear the two men talking but since that accident that one day I had extremely good hearing, almost as good as a dog's from what doctors had said. I waited, listening as the two exited the tent. I almost burst out laughing as I saw my commanding officer. The commanding officer was my brother, Togima. He had on a white military standard top with navy blue pants and black boots. He had his normal long dark brown hair up in a ponytail with some of it is his face slightly covering one of his blue eyes. His outfit was decorated with several metals. I smiled for once and spoke.

"Hello, Togima. How have you been?" I surprised most of the others including my brother who gaped at me before he spoke "Kanami? What are you doing here?" I waved at him "I got drafted"

The guy who had led us here was shocked and asked "how do you two know each other?!" I replied the smile now gone from my face "He is my brother." The guy gaped. Togima looked to the guy his composure regained "Yes, Kanami is my younger sister." I nodded in agreement.

The guy mumbled something about how hard it was to believe. I shrugged before I saw my brother shake his head before speaking.

"I am your commanding officer, I am Togima smith. You will follow my orders without question on the battlefield, Understand. If you do not you are liable to die. I would wish for you not to die so listen to my commands at all times."

I nodded my eyes going cold for a moment. I saw the other two also nod their heads at Togima. Togima nodded "good now follow me to your sleeping quarters." I followed as Togima led the way to a tent. Once to the tent, Togima spoke again "this is where you will sleep. You'll be assigned guns in an hour." I watched as he stalked off. I shrugged before walking into the tent looking around at the bunk beds and bedding that was neatly folded up. I walked over to a bed by the entrance to the tent and sat my stuff on the top bunk bed. It seemed no one had claimed the beds by the entryway. I jumped up onto the top bunk bed and dangled my feet down listening as some others walked towards the tent I was in. The others were not that silent either. I looked towards the others as they walked in. I noticed right away that there was only one other girl with the others.

I watched as they walked in and one of them walked up to charles saying "Hey, that's my bed!" Charles smiled "Oh, Sorry." He moved his stuff and I heard the one guy mutter "damn newbies" I sighed and spoke startling everyone there except charles and the other guy I came in with.

"He is no newbie to war, he was awarded the bronze star medal so show some respect." The guy growled and walked towards me. He was a large grizzled guy. He growled at me saying

"Oh really then what metal were you given and what experienced soldier would bunk by the entrance of the tent; if they could help it?" I spoke calmly not fazed by his angry attitude "I am a newbie but he isn't. And I chose the bed here because of the chance that some enemy could sneak into camp and try and kill me. I do not wish for death. I sleep lightly so I would be the best person to sleep by the entrance so you don't get killed."

The guy stared in shock at me. The others were all silent shocked by my calmly stated speech. The guy sighed and mumbled "Oh, sorry then. I guess I value my own life more than I do the others." He walked over to his bed and sat. I shrugged looking over the others. The only other girl whistled and walked over speaking.

"Damn, I never thought someone could ever put Buck in his place other than Togima. Hi, I'm Jamie." I nodded, shaking her out held hand "I'm Kanami, pleasure to meet you." Jamie smiled "Same here! Looks like we are the only girls in this tent so let's stick together." I Nodded "sure"

I watched as Jamie walked over to a bed which I assumed was her bed and plopped down on it. I saw charles pick a bed and sit on it. I closed my eyes and listened to the chatter of the others as they spoke about the war and other things. I overheard one guy whispering to another about the fact that his wife was pregnant. I looked to the guy and jumped down from the bed after a while and spoke with the others getting their names. The guy whose wife was pregnant was nicknamed Bronze but his real name was Bronno.