“Anyway. I just wanted to thank you personally for stepping up yesterday. You did a good job, Private. Have you eaten today?” At Andrew’s shake of his head, he nodded. “Go and get something to eat and rest until we need you again.”
“Sir,” Andrew replied, saluted, and left the office, his stomach now emphasizing that the suggestion to get something to eat was a good idea.

Chapter 11

Another twist

Toshiro was enjoying the third day of his four days of leave in a house on the outskirts of a small coastal town. It was his first leave since the invasion started. The house was built on a rise overlooking the ocean and beach with a patio or balcony out the front. He had a comfortable armchair he was stretched out in with a smaller chair in front of him for his feet to rest on. This was the third day of his leave, and so far, his second in command had not called him from brigade headquarters to report any disasters. The brigade was slowly advancing along a broad front, attempting to take the coastal town of Angalsee and the regional town of Winchalsee. His forces were spread more thinly than he would wish, and he had given his second-in-command some very careful instructions about not letting his forces get stretched too thin.

Suddenly he heard a voice yelling his name. Damn! He hunkered down. Maybe they would go away.

“Lord Ozawa!” called the voice once more. Damn!

“On the back porch.” He yelled in reply.

The sound of clumping feet came, and then the back door opened, revealing his commander Lord Yamashita, now designated the General commanding the southern front. Toshiro reluctantly got to his feet and saluted. The General was accompanied by another man whom Toshiro didn’t recognize.

“Ah, here you are,” Yamashita said, looking around. “Not a bad spot. Sorry to interrupt your leave.”

“Is anyone truly on leave when there is a war going on?” Toshiro replied.

Yamashita nodded with a tight smile. “Very refreshing attitude. Now, this is Lord Saburo Gentaro from Natori.”

He and Toshiro exchanged bows.

“Saburo will be commanding the new Third Battalion we are assigning to your Brigade, Toshiro.”

Natori was sending them troops? Now that was interesting if unexpected. At what price?

“I hadn’t heard that Natori was lending us troops.” He replied.

“They’re not,” Yamashita replied. “You’ve heard about the disastrous attack on Home?”

“Only that it didn’t go well.”

“It was an unmitigated disaster. There will be a full report on what happened, as far as we’ve determined what happened, distributed to senior officers shortly. Of more immediate concern, have you heard of the Orgy drug?”

Toshiro nodded. “I’ve heard of it and a lot of ridiculous claims about what it can do.”

Yamashita said nothing for a moment frowning as he clearly decided whether to tell Toshiro the truth or the government line. Toshiro had gotten quite good at reading his commander even before he had been officially made a General and given overall command of the southwestern flank of the invasion. Yamashita sighed.