Azur Lane: Land To Sea.

Prologue: Dealing with New Realities

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"3-7 Alphas. Greenlight to Checkpoint Whiskey." The voice spoke through the speakers. As I look down at the clear sky below and sees nothing but smog, but it clears out as I see the desert below. Looking back to my men, they're nervous. But I get it. We're dropping into a warzone.

"Are you guys all ready!?" I screamed at the soldiers inside the Osprey.

"YES, SIR!" The soldiers yelled back at me in agreement. But I can safely assume that they are still somewhat nervous about the thought of fighting down there with our lives on the line. You may be asking: 'Isn't that what they signed up for?' In that, I would answer: Yes. They're doing it for our country.

But realize that all of these people. My brothers have come from all sorts of livelihoods. Different backstories. Different reasons on why they joined this grueling, mentally exhausting job. Helping their respective families, to prove to themselves, and a plethora more of reasons on why they joined.

But there's one thing that ties them together no matter the backstory, the ethnicity, and moral code... They're here because they're patriots and want to protect our country.

"Wild Hogs! Greenlight!" I told my comrades signaling that they need to jump even if they're still scared of heights.

One by one, they all jump off the Osprey, and the speaker said that we need to hurry up because the Rally Point is getting farther and farther away from the plane's position.

One young soldier though was still hesitant to jump off the plane. And I'm not having any of that. So I walked up to the hesitant Private and told him:

"What's the matter, wuss?" I told the soldier playfully, but he didn't take it that way. And he was stuttering on his words and the voice behind the speaker had enough of us two and demanded us to jump off.

"Are we gonna be okay, Commander?" The young blood asked me. Wanting some reassurance. But I can't promise him that. This is war after all.

"We hold our own fate. So go get them!" I pushed the young soldier towards the clouds.

My name is Edrich Caster. Commander of my own task force named Wild Hogs. And we're going into hell. And just call me "Caster."

I jumped off the Osprey last and we can't turn back now.

After 2 minutes of adrenaline-filled parachuting, me and my men reached our landing zone, and unstrapped our parachutes.

"Find your assigned buildings! We're escorting the VP codenamed: 'Sun.'" I told everyone on the radio. "Time to kick ass! Hoorah?!"

"HOORAH!"

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"Great mission there Edrich. But we're going out again tomorrow. This is really important in order to win this war." A higher-up told me.

"No need for briefing, sir. I already know the mission." I told him which he made a confused face.

"Really? The intel sure spreads too fast. Plus, you've been on the field risking your life for the last 3 missions now. Are you sure that you aren't going to stay behind and command your task force that way?" He asked me with a tone of concern but I chucked.

I didn't really answer the question. But it was a... Awkward interaction to say the least. But I walked away from the conversation leaving my higher-up... Waiting. Waiting for a response to that all-important question. In which I haven't answered since I became a Commander. To any other commander, it would be a sure-fire 'yes' but I really can't answer that. Not right now, not later, not in... Forever.