Here's the first "bit" of the first chapter of The Gallian Push fanfic. Some watchers out there definitely deserve a "preview" (or something) of (whatever) I'm doing, especially a certain someone who demanded I submit something. A poorly updated journal isn't good enough, apparently.

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The Gallian Push

Chapter 1 – A Gathering of Force

Tank shells whistled past as a young man, clutching a rifle yet dressed in civilian clothes ran down a side street, evading the pursuing enemy. Alongside him, also armed, was a young woman, dressed in the uniform of the Town Watch.
The two reached a corner of a building, and the man was about to continue onward when he felt a gloved hand on his shoulder, holding him back.
“Welkin, what are you doing?” said a strained, quiet voice. “Check first.”
Welkin turned to face his companion, whose face showed a mixture of fear and wonder at the danger he had almost landed them in.
“Sorry Alicia. But, you do know I’ve never done anything like this before, except at school, but that's not real life...”. Welkin’s voice trailed off.

Alicia merely nodded in agreement, and pulled Welkin back from the entrance to the alley. “Just think clearly and think smart. You should of learned that in university.”
“It’s, uhh, ‘should have’”, Welkin replied, anxiously rubbing his face.
“What?” Alicia was sufficiently distracted by such an odd response that she lowered her rifle. “What are you talking about?”
Welkin blushed, realising what he just said had absolutely no relevance whatsoever. Nevertheless, he continued, “Umm, you said ‘should of learned’. It’s ‘should have’”. Welkin bit his lip. Alicia looked confused.
“Why are you telling me this now you fool? Do you want to get back home or not?”, Alicia said, looking round the corner. “There’s no one there. Do you know your way back from here?”
Welkin was looking up at the sky, his eyes following a flock of speckled birds overhead. He wasn’t listening.
“Welkin!”
“What? Oh, right. Yeah. Sorry.”

Alicia stared at him for a moment, wondering how on Earth anybody could be so easily unfocused. “Think of Isara... she’s needs your help, doesn’t she?”
That did it. The thought of his younger sister, alone in the house when the enemy was bearing down on them sharpened his mind and cleared out unnecessary thoughts. “Yes. Thank you for getting me this far, Alicia.”
She blushed, but nodded. “Just doing my duty as part of the Bruhl Town Watch. We need to get everyone out of here, and that includes you, Welkin.”
They smiled at each other, when suddenly gruff, Eastern accents radiated from around the corner. Out of instinct, Alicia dropped on one knee and peered again around the corner. Three soldiers, clad in armour that would instantly remind one of the knights of medieval times, were advancing up the road.
“Damn it. It’s an Imperial patrol.”
“I need to get across the road to get back to Isara...”, said Welkin. “What shall we do? I can’t run across the open. Isn’t that risky?”

Alicia was looking down the sights of her rifle, her mind analysing their predicament. She knew Welkin would be doing the same, having dropped to one knee like she. Probably any Gallian when faced with this situation would drop to one knee and think how to tactically solve the problem; how to get across the road when you’ve got three enemy soldiers down one end? That was the result of military training being a compulsory subject, along with Maths and Science, when one received a Gallian education.
Alicia quickly formed a solution. “Welkin, this is what we’ll do. I’ll fire and try to hit one of them. They don’t know we’re here, so when I shoot, they should take cover, not firing back. That’ll give you a chance to dash across the road.”
Welkin looked slightly fearful, but nodded. “I reached the same conclusion... but...”

“He’s scared. He’s worried about that probability that he might be hit”, thought Alicia. “I’m scared too. I’m terrified... but I mustn’t show it otherwise everything will go wrong”. She bit her lip, now beginning to doubt herself. “Is this the right thing to do? Neither of us has lived for that long... I wasn’t expecting this much actual combat...”
Her mind was a whirlwind, now imaging every possible result to what they were about to attempt, when she abruptly remembered what Mr. Laaken, the blacksmith who was also the Chief of the Town Watch, had said to her, his gentle, hoarse, voice cutting through her runaway mind.

“Alicia, we are the Town Watch of Bruhl. When Gallia is at war, it’s up to us to be Bruhl’s first line of defence. This means we will all be on the front line straight away. And I cannot think of anything more difficult for a human being than to jump from a peaceful civilian life into a war instantaneously. Having known tranquillity and then have danger all around, the fear is going to get you. But the simple trick to accept that fear. Not to push it down, which will cloud your judgement, or to ignore it, which will get you killed, but to accept it. That will help you, your friends, and Bruhl.

That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”

Alicia smiled, the realisation that she and Welkin must be scared and carry on anyway, gave her strength. “It’s okay to be scared”.
“Hey, Welkin?”
Welkin turned to face her, frowning slightly.
“It’s fine. I’ll be here. I’ll keep their heads down. I’ll stop them from even seeing you.” She touched his shoulder. “They won’t hit you. All you need to do is run. Run to Isara and keep her safe.”
Welkin looked relieved. “Right then”, he stood up, flicking the safety off his rifle. “Let’s do it. I’ll run as fast as my legs let me. I’m only crossing the road, after all”, he smiled.
Alicia smiled too, and then said, “Welkin, has your rifle been on safe all this time?”
He blushed again, scratching the back of his head, and said, “Well, I didn’t think I’d actually have to use it...”

Alicia shook her head and laughed. “Your priorities are really mixed up, you know...” She moved to the corner, her rifle at the ready.
“I’ve often been told that. I can’t see it myself though”, replied Welkin, slinging his rifle on his back and taking a stance like that of a seasoned athlete readying for a race. “But I know my priorities right now... Isara.”

The three Imperials that were walking cautiously toward them were rather close now. It was time to reward that cautiousness. Alicia saw that they were spread out in line across the street, and guessed what cover they would take. She would have to make each shot count, but she was confident. She was the one of the best shots in the Town Watch, after all.

“Okay... GO!”

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