Azure: Gunner

Standard infantry kit must be worn at all times when in the field. At a minimum, the body-worn kit includes:

One service pistol with no less than two spare magazines. One mil-spec combat knife with a blade length of no less than eight inches. One canteen (minimum one quart) drinkable water. One field medkit containing two tourniquets, two healing potions, one antivenom, one stim, one stamina potion and one calibrated mana potion (for Mage-type Classes only). Two flares.

Other required gear may be issued by your superior officers depending on your unit and mission.

- Army Tactical Manual (ATM) 402.42

Monday morning we all showed up to PT with our guns on – the rule was you had to run in ‘full kit’. That meant everything you’d plan to wear into a dungeon, you were required to train with. The basic list included canteens and medkits as well as backup weapons and, of course, full armor.

As we stood around waiting for the last of our classmates to arrive, I was surprised to see Clarice and Marta approaching me. Normally our groups stayed as far away from each other as possible at all times.

“Well Azure, I can see you’ve made a wise decision, committing to the Hammersmiths,” Clarice said, and I started to open my mouth to ask what in the Wastes she meant by that.

<Az, go along with it!> Raylan almost shouted into the Comms, making me look over at him in surprise for a moment before turning back to Clarice. I don’t know what he’s getting at, but I trust him…

“The Hammersmiths have been very kind to us,” I replied in as neutral a tone as I could manage when looking at her annoying face.

“Yes, very generous of them,” Marta said with a sneer before Clarice shushed her.

“I think it’s a good time for our groups to… attempt more cordial relations,” Clarice said with a warning glance at her cousin.

My jaw dropped open and I hastily shut it as Raylan elbowed me and repeated his instructions over the Comms.

“Um, sure,” I responded hesitantly, and Clarice nodded before stalking off, pulling Marta along with her.

As JJ and Leon got the group started for our morning run, I looked sideways at Raylan who was still next to me.

<What in the Wastes was that about? Why did you want me to mislead her like that?!>

<Yuri is gone, Az – at least for now,> he replied. I could almost feel the rest of our group intently listening to his explanation.

<Yeah, but – >

<Clarice must think that because of these guns we’re going to work for Hammersmith after we graduate, like those auxiliaries Wolf warned you about before. I think it’s best to let them think that.>

<Why?> G’hala’s voice was almost a growl even over the Comms.

<Because, do we really care about the rest of them?> Raylan asked.

<I had not considered this outcome, but I believe Raylan’s suggestion has merit,> Arlo put in. <If they believe that you are associated with my family, they are much less likely to provoke you as they will be concerned about offending my parents as well.>

<They should be concerned about offending the Ironhide Clan,> H’ruk added.

<It doesn’t matter why they leave us alone,> Raylan stated calmly. <The point is that we don’t like them, and I’m sure they still don’t like us, but now we can at least pretend to get along, and hopefully not start any more feuds! Having to keep an eye out for Yuri in the future is bad enough without adding more wealthy families to our list of enemies!>

<I… Well, I suppose that makes sense,> I agreed begrudgingly. <Fine, then we’ll keep wearing the guns and I guess pretend to be Hammersmith auxiliaries for a while and see how it goes.>

<I would prefer we leave your status vague, Az,> Arlo cut in. <I know you well enough to see that you have no interest in working for my family at this time. Let’s simply respond noncommittally to any inquiries, and allow people to assume what they will. That way, when it’s time for us to part ways, no one will be able to rightfully claim that you lied about your plans.>

I found myself nodding even as I processed the fact that Arlo wouldn’t be with us past the end of the year. I knew that, of course, but it was easy to forget. He’d always been the trainee who cared the least about his status. Even Tara, after more than a month as a recruit, still complained about the dining hall food regularly, not to mention the lack of hot water in the showers.

I kept a wary eye on Clarice and her friends throughout the day, but they kept to themselves. They probably only gave me half the usual number of dirty looks during Ranged Combat, and in Magical Practice I think Clarice even tried smiling at me. Tried being the key word there.

That afternoon, as Tactics wrapped up and we followed Wolf outside for Team Combat, I was rudely interrupted in the middle of a conversation with G’hala about the differences between a spear and a totem – which to me looked like a spear with feathers.

[Gunner Ashley, a moment of silence please!]

I stopped in the middle of a sentence, confused, and G’hala gave me a strange look.

“Sorry, I just – “

[A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE!]

I winced at the sudden shout ringing in my skull and G’hala gave me a concerned look as I rubbed my temples.

“Az, are you OK? Do you have a headache?” she asked.

“Yes! I have a PAST-sized head – “

[GUNNER! BE QUIET!]

“Fuck you, PAST!” I retorted out loud, drawing stares from the rest of my team. I shrugged helplessly.

[DAAAA-DAAAA-DAAHHHHHHH! DAAAA-DAAHH-DAHHHHHHHH! DA-]

“WHAT THE FUCK, PAST!? My alarm already went off this morning! Stop it!”

[WE ARE OBSERVING A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN HONOR OF THE NATIONAL MOMENT OF REMEMBRANCE!]

“I am NOT hearing any silence around here!” I retorted, extremely confused.

[IS IT NOT THE LAST MONDAY OF THE MONTH OF MAY!?]

“You’re the one who keeps track of the Wasted time here, you tell me!”

By this point we had reached the fighting pits and Wolf was trying to explain the drill he wanted as PAST continued to argue with me.

[I SAY IT IS THE LAST MONDAY OF MAY! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, GUNNER?!]

“I’m not talking to you if you keep yelling at me like that!”

[IT IS MEMORIAL DAY! A GLORIOUS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, WHEN WE CELEBRATE THE SACRIFICE OF THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN DEFENDING THIS GREAT NATION OF AMERICA!]

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“I. AM. NOT. INTERESTED!”

[YOU WISH TO FORGET THE MEMORY OF THE BRAVE PFC KANE?!]

“What?! Of course not!”

[WELL, THEN – ]

“Az! Your team is up!” Wolf yelled at me, an irritated expression on his face. I quickly made the shocking discovery that it is very difficult to fight someone physically while someone else is bellowing nonsense in your head. PAST didn’t shut up until Venkat’s longsword went right through my gut, punching through the chain mail just below my breastplate.

I lay in the hot sand, curled up in agony waiting for the team fight to conclude, screaming at PAST.

“YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!”

As Lydia healed me – leaving the lingering, brutal pain of the wound – I thought I faintly heard a voice say [sorry], but I must have been mistaken because it wasn’t a shout. I didn’t speak to PAST again for quite a while after that little incident.

Later that week, I made sure our true status was clear to both Wolf and Thompson. The Head Instructor asked about it when I stopped by her office to see if she had news about the kids. She did not, but told me that she might the following week or week after at the latest. Wolf didn’t seem too upset at our little deception, even agreeing that it was smart politically – though he added that part with a sneer.

We certainly didn’t become friends with Elite Squad as a result. In fact, Marta was just as vicious as always when we sparred in Melee Combat on Wednesday, so I didn’t take it easy on her either. I did manage to refrain from punching her in the face, which I thought was quite admirably diplomatic of me. Of the other members of their team, Vera, Polina, and Gullen seemed to follow Clarice’s lead – more than Marta did – in backing off.

The biggest problem on their Squad now was actually their newest member, Halas. He was quite definitely racist – or at least anti-orc, anti-manaborn, and anti-cyborg, judging from his comments. Though I never heard him express similar feelings towards his dwarven teammate. He did at least stay quiet when Clarice was around, and I wasn’t particularly worried about him breaking into my room to try and murder me. What an upgrade…

That Saturday we had an interesting break from classes when the Alchemist arrived. She turned out to be a small, older woman with a lined face and a bright smile. She showed up with a small group of Delvers that apparently were her bodyguards. When I Identified her, I was stunned at the result.