Gate: War Of Two Worlds

Only thirty-four minutes ago Vanguard-7 got the word to mobilize. The team is currently outside, loading up their JTLVs for the sudden mission. It is early in the morning with light rain at the base.

Right beside their vehicle is two M1083 transport trucks. They are currently being loaded by some Imperialist soldiers.

"I thought we had three more days on base," Alicia says complaining.

Randy walks pass her, carrying some ammo boxes. "Knock it off Sergeant. This comes with the job."

"Yeah but what about our next mission?" Alicia says, testing her radio equipment. "We spent two days in classes for our next mission. And they just take it away."

"O come on Alicia. Stop complaining. What is done is done." Steele says as he loads up some supplies.

"…I know… I just hate wasting my time." She then hits the radio. "Damn I miss satellite radio." When she hits it with her hand the radio set turns on and acts normally. "Wow, that actually worked."

Steele laughs, watching the event happen. "Yeah, that actually works sometimes. When I was a kid, my computer wasn't working. Frustrated I kicked it and then it works."

Alicia looks up him with. "Steele… you're always something."

That is when the new member of the team Sergeant Harvey Frost walks up. He tosses his bag into the back of their JTLV. "I don't know why you are complaining so much. Any chance to get out there and see this world a gift."

Alicia looks over to him. "Look, new guy, few things. The view is pretty, and the world is brutal. Everything out there wants to kill us kiss your sweet a.s.s. And not in a fun way. We are lucky our weapons are so powerful many of the villages just submit to us."

Steele looks to him. "Yup. Everything you think they told you back on Earth, not even the surface." He then moves his hands, expressing what he is going to say next. "An example, they have these beautiful catgirls everywhere."

Frost looks to him. "Catgirls?"

Steele then elbows Frost in the shoulder. "O yeah, not just that but all different kinds of women. Very exotic."

Frost starts to think about what he said. So far all he knows is what has been released by the government.

Alicia looks at them and rolls her eyes. "Boys… never grow up"

Steele looks at her. "Weren't you talking about how hot some of the guys were the other night?"

"No… what are you talking about?" Alicia says confused.

"You were pretty drunk. You couldn't shut up about how hot this one guy was." Steele says back to her.

"Bullsh… O damn I was…" Replies Alicia, realizing she might have embarrassed herself like that. "Do you remember his name or what he looked like?"

Steele shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know, I don't really pay attention to other guy's looks."

As both of the guys laugh, she looks at Frost's bag and then back at him. "Well, what are you doing here Frost?"

Harvey looks at her confused. "I am assigned to your team."

"I know, I mean here, in this vehicle. Your bag is in the girl's spot." Alicia points out.

Harvey looks at his bag. "What girls? Wait, you mean that one's you guys been hanging out with at the bar?"

Steele chimes in, siding with Alicia. "Yup, they usually ride in this vehicle. That's not really up for debate. They like to stay close to the Major."

Harvey just looks confused. "Those kids, that isn't proper to have them come with us."

Alicia laughs at what he said. "Nothing in this unit is proper. You will learn that fast. Still, that's their spot."

"How does the Major allow that?" Hervey asks.

"He pretty much doesn't have a choice." First Lieutenant Sarah Rose says as she walks up to their vehicle. "One can turn him and all of us into an animal with magic. The other is a demi-goddess. And the last, well. She is just adorable."

Everyone looks behind and sees Sarah.

"Hey, Lieutenant! Came down to say goodbye… wait, why do you have your bags?" Alicia says after realizing she has her bags.

"I am coming with. This is an escort mission after all." Sarah says.

"Wait. It is? I thought this was a diplomatic mission, whatever that means." Steele asks. "I was wondering why they were here."

Sarah looks a little annoyed now. "I take it he didn't tell you? It is both. Our main mission is in Italica but since we are going down there anyway, we have to escort the prisoners."

"Expect for the wakeup call, we haven't seen him all morning," Alicia says. "And I didn't become a Ranger to babysit a bunch of barbarians."

"Neither did I but that is the mission. That is probably is because he is pissed. He has been working on that mountain mission for the past week now." Sarah says to them. "Also Sergeant Harvey Frost, if you really…"

As the conversation will suddenly get interrupted by this guy yelling. They all look over to one of the two M1083.

They are Empire prisoners from the Battle of Philadelphia. There are about forty of them being loaded up. Part of the treaty is to hand over a few of the thousands of prisoners we have. Part of a goodwill gesture for peace. Normally the American government wouldn't do something like this but with their overwhelming technological edge, most don't see this as a threat.

A few of the Imperialist men are yelling, struggling a little bit. They are clearly not happy with how they are being treated. "I am a member of the Imperial Senate! Your dogs can't treat me like some common slave!"

Another will speak up afterward. "You all will be killed, and women enslaved for this. You all will pay."

A few more will say further insults and resisting going into the truck.

As the prisoner speaks, Alicia looks towards everyone. "And that pretty sums up why I hate people in power."

"They must be afraid of the truck." Steele points out as he watches.

"Probably. Such babies they are." Alicia adds to what Steele says.

"Maybe but someone better deal with it before it gets out of hand." Sarah takes a deep breath realizing she is the only officer she can see. "I guess that is me."

When she finishes saying that, she walks over the trucks. A few Military Police are loading them up.

As Sarah walks up, she points to the man who said he was a senator. "You stop complaining and get on. We are la…"

As she spoke everyone could hear some of the Imperialists say some s.e.xist terms towards her. That caught her off guard as she looks at the back of the truck.

"Hey, shut up. We kicked your a.s.s in battle how many times now!?" Sarah states in a more authoritative tone.

"A woman can't speak to us like that! Know your place." Some kid that looks like fifteen days.

When she looks towards the kid, three of the prisoners rustle up. The MPs would work on getting them under control. Two of them would be able to jump off the back of the truck and try to rustle away.

Sarah tries to help regain order before soldiers start firing but would get hit on the helmet.

As the situation begins to get out of control, more MPs would rush in but then everyone will hear this guy yelling.

Sharpe walks up to the senator and grabs him by the throat. He then rams him into the side of the truck. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!"

Then the guy he is holding speaks to him. "You think we fear you. You believed you could have wooed us with your gifts and kindness. You are weak and one day we will rule over you." He says, struggling to speak with Sharpe's hand around his throat.

"So you're the one who started this? Stand down or I am going to rip your throat out." And then Sharpe looks at the other who was trying to riot. "All of you, back in the damn truck!"

For most of them, they would submit to the Military Police after seeing their Senator in a submissive position. Slowly, they are forced back into the truck.

"You talk big to a man who Is bonded. I guarantee you wouldn't be saying that on the field." The Imperialist Senator says, trying to chuckle. He is showing no fear of Sharpe or the other soldiers around.

After listening to what he said. "Private, uncuff him." When the Private hesitated, question the order, Sharpe would say that again in an angrier tone.

Sarah grabs Sharpe's arms and looks at him. "Sir, Major. It is under control. Let the jackass go."

Sharpe slowly let's go of the Senator after thinking about what she said.

Right when he lets go, the man laughs as he catches his breath. "Taking orders from a woman, how pathetic… Ahh!"

As he was finishing his sentence, Sarah gives the guy a hard punch on the face, nearly knocking him out. The man falls on his a.s.s. After that, two MPs grab him and drag him into the truck.

Sarah shakes her head after the punch, hurting far more then she expected. "See, under control."

"Nice punch," Sharpe says as he watches them take him away. He then looks at the truck with the prisoners on it. "Now, can you explain to me why these people are here?"

Sarah looks to him confused and then annoyed. "Sharpe, it is in the memo."

"I read the memo. It said nothing about a prisoner transfer. Just the diplomats want our presence." He looks to her, confused as well.

The memo came from Lieutenant Colonel Kasen, one of the commanders of the operations on the base. He must have sent Sharpe an edited memo to mess with him. Payback for embarrassing him from the Elias Forest Campaign. "Did you get it from Kasen?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Kasen, yeah. Why do…" That is when Sharpe comes to the same conclusion. "O that son of a bitch. Takes away my mission and then bs the order. Where is he."

Before Sharpe could walk away, Sarah stops him. "No no no, we are late as it is. You can kill him when we get back." Then she pulls his arms towards the teams JLTV.

Sharpe just grumbles to himself, pissed that his mountain mission was taken away from him. He accepts the situation and goes to the vehicles.

That is when Sharpe walks past everyone. "Why is everyone just standing around? We are five minutes late. And… Sarah, what are you doing here anyway?" He says, now looking at them.

"I am coming along. Sarah says with a cheeky smirk, trying to be cheerful. Before he can reply to her, she holds up a laptop bag. "I also have all this paperwork for the mission, treaty stuff. Unless you like to do it."

Sharpe looks at the bag and holds up a figure. "Ok, two minutes." He then looks towards one of the other JTLVs. "Where is Johnson." Then he walks away to find Charles Johnson.

When he walks away, Sarah just laughs, letting out some of the stress.

"Sarah… you're such a girl…" Alicia says. "But… I'm glad you are coming now." Then she gives Sarah a thumbs up. "By the way, nice punch."

Sarah then holds her fist. "Thank you. I didn't pass Ranger school because of my looks. Hand still hurts though."

"Really? I never would have known." Alicia says in a sarcastic voice. She notices Sarah glaring at her and just laughs at her look.

"Sergeant." Sarah looks towards her and then looks to Hervey. "For you. You're with Randy."

"Yes, sir," Hervey says and then begins to reach for his bag.

As he reaches to grab it, he feels a pull from behind. He turns around to see who it is pulling his uniform.

Harvey sees Rory Mercury standing there glaring at him. "You're in my spot," Rory says, not liking that his bag is on her spot, which is right behind Sharpe's seat.

Hervey, getting a little scared after looking at her eyes. "I am leaving right now." He grabs his stuff and heads to Randy's vehicle.

Alicia just laughs after he leaves, thinking that was funny.

"What is so funny, this is my spot," Rory says all serious about it.

***

Many hours after the team left Fort Alnus, they are getting close to the city of Italica. It has been a long time since the team last been here. They were able to contact the Diplomatic Outpost, letting them know the team is almost there.

The prisoners didn't make much of a fuss on the way to the city. Watching their Senator get knocked out took the fighting out of them.

Sarah is in the back watching something with Selina and Lelei on the laptop. Beforehand, Lelei has express interest in the laptop, impressed by the fact it can store so many 'books'.

Rory is currently leaning forward between both Steel and Sharpe seats.

"You need to stop complaining about it," Rory says to Sharpe, teasing him a little.

"No, god damn Vanguard-2. I'm going to kick Major Davis a.s.s next time. All that work and they get the mission with the SAS." Sharpe complains, really upset that his mission got taken away from him. "This better be worth it."

"You're the one that set this in motions remember. Didn't Sarah say before that it was Princess Pina that requested… wait…" As Rory said that out loud, she realizes another woman requests his presence. Realizing that, she no longer is liking this mission. "Maybe we should turn back."

Sharpe looks at Rory confused now. "What…?"

That is when Scott speaks through the team radio network. "Hey Vanguard-7, Italic is right up ahead."

That is when everyone looks out, trying to get a good view as they approach the city.

As they get to the gate, they can see dozens of the city population on the walls, waving towards them. Men, women, and children, from all ages and races standing around, welcoming the arrival of Vanguard-7.

As they pass through the city gate, people will be gathering around, all celebrating this team return. The mood inside the team vehicles would improve.

Everyone be waving back as they drive slowly. "Hi everyone, we are back," Alicia says out the window. "Now this is the welcome I like."

As Sharpe looks into the crow, he can hear Sarah say something towards him. "What?" He says back.

Selina speaks for Sarah this time. "She said what's wrong!"

Sharpe chuckles at that. "O… nothing." He replies and then thinks. "It just feels wired seeing people thanking you."

Almost everything he has done is classified so he and his old team never got a big celebration to thank you. It never has crossed his mind until now.

"Well, how does it feel?" Sarah speaks up.

"Wired! But I could get used to this." As Sharpe says that, someone tried walking up to hand gifts to him. "Sorry, no thank you."

The team reaches the outpost gate. Three Marines open the door for them so they can drive right in.

Lelei looks at the Marines and then looks to Sarah. "Why do those soldiers look different?"

"They are Marines. Technically the United States has two armies. One for the ground and another acting as Naval Infantry." Sarah says to Lelei.

"Wait, you have two armies? Why?" Selina asks, very confused by that. She wouldn't be the only one. The other two girls are confused by that.

Sharpe looks behind. "Because we can. That sums it up. On our world, the U.S. is a massive continent size island nation. So we control the world seas. The Marines attack form our sh.i.p.s. Sometimes they help the Army fight inland, depending on the war."

They would know what Sharpe means by continent size island. They all have seen a map of Earth and all the nations at the Cultural Center.

Sarah nods and then adds to what Sharpe said. "They are also considered America 911 force. If a crisis happens, they are usually the ones called first. Also, they are the ones who protect our ambassadors and embassies."

"Still, isn't that a waste of resources?" Lelei asks again.

"Maybe, people have made that argument before," Sarah says.

"But here is something about America. It's a core value. We love and demand competition. In sports, business, politics and the military." Sharpe points out. "That is why we have three Air Forces, two navies, two armies. Well, three if you count the National Guard."

That is when Alicia decided to make her point. "However, Marines are assholes. So stay away from them."

"Alicia, that is highly unprofessional," Sharpe says to her.

"Even if it's true?" Alicia says back to him.

"Especially when it's true," Sharpe says with a chuckle and then looks forward as their vehicle stops.

The United States Army and Marines always had a big friendly rivalry. While on the same team, they always want to out beat each other.

All the vehicles will pull into the compound. It will be tight when inside the compound. No one expected so many vehicles to be arriving here this quickly.

The two trucks transporting the prisoners stop on the far side. Some of the Military Police and Marines begin unloading them.

Princess Pina walks up, witnessing the people she has chosen are be offloaded. "Wow… I honestly did not think you would honor this." She notices that they are well clothed, look healthy and fed.

"Well yeah, I explained this before," Sharpe says as he steps out of the JLTV.

Ambassador Willington stands beside Pina. "Yes, under the Geneva Convention we are required to treat prisoners to the best standards we can offer. Even if we weren't, we would anyway."

Pina is impressed by this. That blue hair girl talked about that, but she didn't fully believe it. Seeing these people in good health seems to confirm that these Other Worlders kept their word. That is when she notices a senator. He hopes down and she notices his right cheek is all bruised.

"What happens to him?" Pina asks. She notices that Willington wants to know.

"Prisoner Riot. They wouldn't corporate with us when we were bringing them here." Sharpe says.

Sarah walks up to hand Willington some doc.u.ments. "He is lucky that is all that happens." She says in a tone that implies something else.

As the Prisoners offload, many of them see Princess Pina. Seeing here, many begin to cheer, thinking that she forced them to return them.

That same fifteen-year-old kid would begin to preach. "You will all fall under the god of Emroy! You have no honor and break the natural orders of the world! Emroy is on our side and we shall crush you all!"

That is when Rory walks up. "I heard someone say my god name."

At first, they all cheer at her sight but then some of them begin to ask the question why is she with them.

Someone will yell, asking why she is with these unholy barbarians is.

"Barbarians? That is a mean thing to say to my friends." Rory says with a smirk.

That same Senator from before then steps forward. "Rory, how can you call them friends? It is not right. Emroy will be displeased with you!"

Rory holds up her hand, demanding their silence. "You do not get the right to speak to me like that. You are lucky that they are even returning you. If they listen to me, I would have put all your heads on a pike. It is your souls that Emroy demands. Not theirs." She finishes giving them a death looking glare and then turns around and joins the team.

What Rory said scares all of them, realizing that she considers them the enemy. Their spirits will drop after seeing the situation turn against them.

Princess Pina saw all of that. She watched when Rory helped them during the Siege of Italica. She was hoping that just a temporary alliance and would aid the Empire in the struggle. For her, it is clear that at least one of the Apostles of this world are allied with the Americans. This treaty has to get signed as soon as possible.

Willington accepts the doc.u.ments and looks at the Rangers. "Thank you for coming on short notice. As you can see the town is really happy to see you all. We are going to be leaving tomorrow morning so please make yourself at home. Also remember, we are their guests."

Willington also saw that little event. This is the first time he got to see Rory and the other two girls. Major General Stanford warned him about this unit and these three girls. Not in a negative way just how unorthodox the unit has become. It is interesting to see a real demi-goddess and a magic-user for the first time.

That is when he sees Princess Pina go walk up to Major Sharpe. He wouldn't be the only one, all those prisoners, the Marine guards, and his team.

Pina walks up to Sharpe. Then she holds out her hand. "Nice to meet you again Major Sharpe, I hope the situation will be more productive than before."

Sharpe sees her hand and then takes it. "Same. But I wouldn't mind not dealing with a siege though."

Pina laughs, agreeing.