When the trucks finally rolled to a stop after almost non-stop going all day, they were only 5 miles from the trenches, and the first obvious signs of war were showing. Craters marred the ground here and there and the sound of artillery could be heard even from this distance, along with the fire of machine guns and other weapons. As all 5000 of the troops unloaded, Julion looked out towards the front lines, "Do you think we're going to survive that hell?" A soldier next to him asked. Julion let out a small chuckle before saying, "Son, I know that none of us have any true experience in war, hell, the last war was the war with the Spanish. but, I do know that you cannot know who will survive and who won't by day's end by just lookin', because there's one thing that I do truly know about war, and that though it helps to have all the best weapons, all the best technology, in the end, it all comes down to luck. One lucky break, and the Germans could punch through and take Paris, another lucky break finds us marchin on Berlin. You just never know." Julion turned to see that his troops had finished unloading and were waiting for orders, "Alright men!" He yelled loud enough for all of them to hear, even over the cannon fire, "We are going to be relieving a mile stretch of trenches from the good folk who have held here for two weeks, if you take to heart all that I've told ya'll, I'm sure you will pull through. Now onward to the trenches!"
Well, I only got three clips left. I could go back get a few more, but I'd be shot. I shoulda joined the Navy. The Infantry is utter hell. No use crying over spilt milk, I guess. I keep going forward. Wonderful. I found an empty machine gun nest. I throw a grenade in there just to make nobodies' crouching down in there waiting for me. I guess not. I hop in the nest, turn that son of a ***** around and start spraying. Except for one thing. There are no Germans.
The sound of a german maxim machine gun echoed in the distance but it was strange it sounded like it was firing at the Germans. "but all germans are in the trenches what the hell is our man firing at" Blackadder thought to himself it had been an hour since some ponies went other the top and out of the 1000 that left only 50 came back unharmed and 200 came back seriously wounded with either lost limbs or heavy bleeding. Blackadder stepped up to the firing step managing to kill 3 privates and a full mg team with his lee Enfield.
((I might be qouting Blackadder goes forth quite alot I already did it once with this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk37TD_08eA))
S**t, the sun is starting to got down, and I'm all alone. And lemme tell you there is no greater feeling than being alone in a battlefield at sundown surrounded by hundreds of dead or dying soldiers. No. Greater. Feeling. I dig into back and see what I've got for rations. Stale cookies as usual. I shoulda joined the US Marines. I heard their ration are pretty swell. I hop down into a deserted German trench, try to find a dugout, and get some shuteye. I found a nice dugout with a fireplace and a bed, only to see it was occupied by a German captain. There would be two really nice to kill him. One, creep up slowly behind him, and slowly put my bayonet in his back, or quietly roll a grenade in there and wait for the booms. I chose the latter. Nothin' like killin' some unsuspecting German scum.
"Oh boy! Trenches! My favorite kind of hole in the ground..." Firebreeze said, jumping out of the truck.
(30 minutes later...) "Well boys, you better get to liking digging, because that's what you're going to be doing! These trenches are pitiful!" Julion exclaimed as they came into the trench line, two-way traffic clogging the trenches as the men they were replacing left, and they came in. "And wouldn't you know it, we have the highest ground for miles! Well, I've got plans for this place!" Julion said excitedly, chuckling to himself over the deep system of trenches and tunnels he was planning on putting in. He wasn't as naive as most commanders, he reconized that once the trenches had been dug, it would be a long time before they are buried again. "You there, Sargent Firewind or whatever!" he yelled to a green pegasus, "Get those men under your command to start digging, I want this place to be properly drained and reinforced before we do anything else! Spread the word to the other sargents and others, I got to decide my final plans for the trenches here!"
"You heard him, boys! Drain the damn trenches and get ready to fight!" Firebreeze yelled out, "Get the word out to the others!"
"Well then looks like we got some greenskins here, I'll check it out you boys stay here until I get back," says Rashall the others just nod in response. Rashall then proceeds to make his way over to the trenches keeping low as he goes along. When Rashall gets to the trenches he notices a sergeant having his troops dig in order to widen the trench further. "Well then what do we have going on here?" Asks Rashall some of the troops near him jump as they hadn't heard him approach.
"Good to hear, they finally send some fresh meat to the grinder," says Rashall noting some of the expressions on the troopers as he says it.
Julion heard a stallion questioning the sargent he just ordered to dig about the digging so he turned around and walked up to him, "Well hello, why are you here marine. This is army turf now until the next rotation, and also, I ordered my men to improve this pitiful trenches you are currently in. By the time I'm through with this hill it will be the hardest fortress to assualt until you reach the Hindenburg Line. I am Colonel Tropa, commander of the Third Brigade, and you are?"
"Sergeant Rashall Firemane of the First US Marine Division stationed aboard the USS Texas. My squad is first squad of the Force Recon element, so we are going no where," says Rashall.
"Well, I guess you'll have to stay then, get diggin', just 'cause your a marine or a sargent does not exempt you from digging. I want the walls strengthened, the draining improved, hell, I want this whole trench improved in any way!" and Julion walked away, thinking in his head of the crisscrossing tunnels and great trenches he had in mind.
"Well then let me offer my apologies in advance, I am needed back out at the forward observation post. Me and my squad are due for another patrol sweep," says Rashall turning and leaving.
"That's our colonel..." Fire says in a joking tone, picking up a shovel and jumping into the trenches.
(Shall we make a time jump of, oh I don't know... 2-3 weeks? Not very much is gonna happen from what I see other then digging and other menial things that have no major point to the story.)
