Eight days after my promotion to sergeant, our brigade received orders to deploy. I’d been scrambling to get up to speed for the next war game, Operation Razor, in ten days. We got the news from Captain Teller, who assembled the company in an empty hangar on the edge of the base. He stood on a platform at the far end, with us crowding forward to hear him. “People, we have an opportunity."

Chen groaned and whispered "BOHICA, man." Bend Over Here It Comes Again was a popular saying in the Army, especially when an officer said we had an 'opportunity'. It usually meant we were getting screwed one way or another, hence the time-honored expression.

Teller waited a moment for the inevitable murmuring to die down. "We have an opportunity to put our new toys into action, and do something useful in this war. UNEF received orders, we move out in two days and a wake-up. First Brigade is going in with one British and one French battalion. UNEF is all in on this one, everybody's going. The whole force is bugging out over the next two weeks.”

A guy in the front spoke up. “What’s the mission, Captain, we gonna kick some rodent ass?” The question was asked with deadly seriousness.

Teller made a face like he’d just bit into a lemon. “No, the Kristang say we’re not ready for that. I’ve seen Kristang battle simulations, and they’re right, we’re not ready. We’d just get in the way. Most combat happens in orbit, or further out, and since we don't have a space navy, we can't help there. The Kristang have retaken a colony world they lost to the Ruhar a while back, they’re kicking the Ruhar off the planet. They’ve reached a truce, the deal allows the Ruhar to evacuate their civilian population over a thirteen month period, it will take thirteen months, because there are almost a million Ruhar there now. Our job is to occupy the planet, and facilitate the evacuation.”

This news did not please the Company.

“Garrison duty?!”

“Shit. We’re gonna be peacekeepers.”

“We have to wear fucking blue helmets?”