The Prelude to the Great War

Nine o'clock in the morning, December 29th, 2023.

Inside the A400M Airbus cargo bay. Reynolds approached Graves who was having a somber expression on his face. 

"I'm sorry for your loss," Reynolds said. "I know it's tough when your comrades are killed in action."

Graves looked up to him and spoke. "You experienced this?"

"During my tour in Afghanistan, in the town of Marjah, we were ambushed. Lost a good friend of mine. It never gets easier, you just learn to carry it with you," Reynolds shared.

Graves nodded, understanding the shared bond of loss that soldiers often carried. "It's part of the job, but it doesn't make it any less difficult. We train together, fight together, and sometimes... we lose people together. It's the harsh reality of being in the field."

"It sounded like this isn't the first time you experienced such a loss."