Shoot the Rebels! Shoot Them!

Shots Fired

“Shoot the rebels! Shoot them!”

Timifires off another shot. “Why thank you, Captain. I never would have guessed it.” She lets fly another round of bullets.

“Shut your smart mouth, Young T,” growlsPoromo, firing his gun. A rebel falls forward clutching the bleeding stump of her leg.

“Fire at the leader!” hollers Captain Rembone.

“Nope, I’d rather fire at the donkey,” barks Timi.

“Young T,” groans Poromo. A volley of shots downs two more rebels. “If she hears you, the rebels will be the least of your problems.”

“Keep at them!” Captain Rembonecommands, yet again.

A bullet hits perilously close to Timi. She glances up at the burning hole in the bricks above herbefore reloading her weapon. Ten minutes into battle and she is already out. Poromo, on the other hand, is going strong on his first gun.

“No wisecracks this time?” retorts Poromo.

Timismirks before aiming her pistol at a red-coated rebel and firing. The shot hits the mark and the rebel collapses, blood darkening her coat. “I was about to make one, but some of us are working, you know.”

Poromosmiles and ducks under the next window. “I got a clear view of the leader.”

“Take it!”

Poromolifts his gun,ready to shoot, but doesn’t. “Our ground troops are there.”

“Where?” asks Timi. She sticks her head out the window only to duck back in to avoid a volley of gunfire.

“Whoa there, Young T! Watch your face,” says Poromo.

Timiinhales sharply. “Yeah! I quite like my face the way it is.”

“Be careful.” Poromograbs Timi’s hand and pulls her up, genuine concern writ on his face.

“I’m fine, Po.” Timislaps his arm. “You can’t get rid of me that fast.”

Poromosqueezes her shoulders for a moment before returning to his new spot. “Dammit.”

“What?” Timifires off two more shots at the surrounding gaggle of rebels. More blood on red coats.

“The leader’s behind a barricade. I missed my chance.”

Timirisks a peak. There are fewer shots fired in her direction this time. “Eh... she can’t hide forever.” Timiwinks at Poromo. He grimaces in return.

“Shoot the rebels!”

Timirolls her eyes. “Oh my frigging gosh, is she still at it?” Poromoglares at her. “We are shooting at the rebels, Captain!”

More gunfire.Five red-coats down. Timi’s sure they’re hers. The battlefield is littered with red bodies. Interspersed among them, a handful of blues.

“We’ll be getting that ale sooner than tomorrow, methinks,” Timiyells to Poromo.

“Don’t get cocky, T.” Poromohas the rifle now and shootsin slow, measured patterns.

“Cocky? Moi?”Timimimes a tear falling. “The reds are piling up, Po. Ale for dinner!”

Poromo’s rifle hiccupps. “Damn, I’m out,” he says, scampering behind a wall to reload.

A bullet rips through the brick beside Timi. She winces and dives down. “It’s a good spot, yeah? This one?”

Poromolooks at her quizzically. “Yeah, sure.”

“What’s it like being ground level? No walls to hide behind? Up close to the action?”

Poromofinishes reloading. “It’s pretty hairy, T.”

“I like the high ground.”

“That’s what you’re trained for.”

“They didn’t have to pick me for this. Could’ve sent me to the front lines.”

Poromococks his rifle and fires out the window. “They didn’t because you’re not trained for that.”

“Reiner wasn’t trained either.”

Poromo’s head falls. “You can’t think about her now, T. It’s battle.”

“Can’t help it,’ Timi says in between breaths‘She could’ve been here. It could’ve been three of us on the high ground.” Timiswallows. “Then, we’d definitely get ale for dinner.”

Poromoducks under the window again and crawls over to Timi. “T, Reiner was an exceptional soldier. Yeah, she would’ve been great today but she’s not here. She’s... in a better place.” Poromolifts his hand to silence Timi. “You think about her now and you’ll end up just like her.Dead. We could’ve shot four reds by now. We got the best position but that’s ‘causethe captain expects us to get the most kills. Groundies, they don’t have to. They’re defence. We,’ he points to himself and Timi,‘are the offence. You know who’s gonna win this war? It’s us.” With a hard slap to her shoulder, Poromo gets up and takes aim.

“Wow, I never thought about it like that.”Timi’s reloading her gun again. “Gee, thanks for that, Po.”

“We aren’t supposed to think we’re special. All troops are the same, groundiesan’ highs. But, we are special, T. We are going to win this, you and me.” Poromotakes his eyes of the quarry for a moment. “For Reiner.”

“Yeah, for Reiner!” A renewed vigourlifts Timi to her feet. She grabs her pistols, gets to the window to her right and aims with both barrels. Eight red-coats soon liedead.Timiglances at Poromo and the two exchange a quick smile before returning to the battlefield. But as Timireadies herself again a cry sounds over the battlefield: “I surrender!”.

“She’s going to surrender!” yells the Captain.

“No shit.” Timigroans.

“Hey, language.”Poromoseems at the end of his tether.

They keep their aim steady on the emerging figure of the rebel leader, her hands above her head. The red-coats on the battlefield are kneeling; the blue-coats stand victorious.

The Captain turns to Timi and Poromo and nods for them to put down their guns.

“Stay sharp, Po,” laughs Timi. “She may be unarmed, but those rebels may still try and kill us.”

“Maybe she’ll aim for the Captain,”.

“Yeah, right!” says Timi, eyes still on the arena below.

“She could have a concealed knife.”

“That is so 21st century. Nobody does that anymore.”

They watch as the rebel leader kneels before the Captain, her hands pressed against the back of her head.

“FolusPlankoon,” announces the Captain, her voice booming in the now silent battlefield. “Erstwhile leader of the rebellion against the Hetron Government, your surrender is hereby accepted. Your rebellion,”the Captain produces a pair of handcuffs from her belt, “is at an end.” Timi and Po hear the snap of the handcuffs as they close around the rebel’s wrists.

“Never thought I’d see the day,” sighsPoromo.

“What? Their rebellion was a joke. I’m surprised it took us two weeks to defeat them.” Timibegins packing her guns away but Poromoremains unmoved.

“Plankoon was one of Hetron’s greatest warriors, T. Seeing her like this, on her knees, it hurts.”

“Okay,” Timibarks, swinging her bag over her shoulder. “I’m sorry your hero sucks.”

Poromo says nothing as he lowers his gun and starts packing.

The ground is littered with bodies. Under the direction of the blue-coats, the remaining red-coats pile their fallen comrades’ bodies in a heap near the centre of the battlefield.

Timi and Poromohead to the Captain’s tent. They can hear her shouting from a few feet outside.

“You’ve got to be joking! What do you mean ‘now’? Why is she coming now?”

Timi and Poromo exchange glances,Timimouthing: ‘The Senator?’ Poromo shrugs. They walk into the tent, side by side.

“Will you fucking believe it,” hollers the Captain. Poromowinces at the foul language. “The bloody Senator, of all people, wants to celebrate the victory with us! Why the fuck can’t she stay in the capital, like all the idiot politicians?”

Timiclears her throat. “Perhaps, Captain, we can dissuade her by telling her that an active battlefield is not safe for her?”

“It’s not really an ‘active’ battlefield, though,” says Poromo.

“Yeah, I know that, Po,” snaps Timi.Why is he disagreeing with her? “But, we have the rebel leader in custody...”

“Exactly, she’s ‘in custody’. The Senator believes the site is safe.”

The Captain looks from one to the other. “We have no more excuses, then?”

“Well,” Timibegins. “There is risk to her life, Captain. What if Plankoongets loose or one of the rebels tries to make a run for it?Death of a Senator? That’s the start of civil war.”

“We’re going to tell the Senator we can’t hold a prisoner?” Poromoasks, appalled.

“That’s not what I meant,” Timireplies.

“Basically, you don’t have excuses.” The Captain turns to her guards. “Get the soldiers to clean up the field as best they can. And, ensure there are more guards on jail duty.”

Cleaning a battlefield so soon after a skirmish is never easy but they manage a semblance of decency by the time the Senator arrives.

As highs, Timi and Poromoare among the first to greet the Senator. They stand beside each other, though slightly apart, their recent argument wedging a wider gap between them. Before them the Captain’s guards flank the Captain, now dressed in her cleanest livery.

The Senator arrives on horseback, followed by a ceremonial entourage. She surveys the soldiers and battlefield before dismounting gracefully.

“Well done, Captain.” She shakes the Captain’s hand. “And these must be your valiant guards.” She shakes each guard’s hand. “Thank you for your exemplary work.”

Timigrimaces. The guards never actually do any fighting. They stay close to the Captain and ensure her safety.

Having shaken the hands of all five guards, the Senator turns to Timi. Fighting all day had tired Timi but she was still excited to meet the Senator face to face. They shake hands and Timismiles when the Senator thanks her for helping win the battle.

The Senator then moves on to Poromo. Timiexpects him to be calm; he’s met politicians before. But Poromolooks tense. He takes the Senator’s hand with such force, she falls against him.

“Senator?”Timireaches for her. Something glints in the darkness. The Senator turns to Timi, her eyes wide. Then, she crumbles to the ground, blood spurting from her heart.

“Senator!”The Captain’s guards try to catch the body. But it’s no use. She is dead.

Their fears had come true. Timi’sfear had come true. They secured the battlefield; but the Senator lies dead in front of them. Timi knows only one person who can explain away this miscalculation. She turns to Poromo, ready to speak. Her friend and mentor, the one person who can understand this catastrophe, stands mute, a knife in his hands, dripping with blood.

The End