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"How pathetic."

Following these words, Ishtar took a closer look at the human she was holding. A few details immediately caught her attention. Firstly, her captive showed the typical physical characteristics of a human female. Secondly, the small woman was wearing a uniform befitting of someone part of a tank crew, and it came complete with an odd cap accompanied by a set of goggles concealing her head.

Lastly, she wouldn't stop screaming.

The woman wasn't alone, though. Hegemony troops captured what remained of the human military forces by merely picking them up, but they usually didn't respond well to that. Others fled into an adjacent forest or did something odd by throwing down their weapons and raising their hands in the air. It all made Ishtar internally question herself about what they should do with their new prisoners of war… and seeing a young zenari soldier with glistening green scales caught her direct attention.

"Specialist Andraste!"

The zenari in question stopped sifting through what remained of several destroyed vehicles and faced Ishtar. Consequently, a golden pair of eyes came into contact with amber ones. "Ah… greetings, battlemaster! How may I be of service?"

"I cannot currently recall proper containment procedures for captured human hostiles. What might a specialist such as yourself suggest?"

Andraste cocked her head to the side. "There are no standard procedures. Not yet, at least. Besides, would it not be easier to simply kill yours to stop its irritating screaming?

"That would be dishonorable!" declared Ishtar with a venomous hiss. "Not to mention foolish. Killing helpless or surrendering enemy combatants just causes the others to fight to the death." She looked down and spotted two containers clipped to Andraste's waist. "Perhaps there is another way... speaking of which, give me your spare water canteen."

The specialist nodded. "As you wish." From there, Andraste procured the container and held it with one hand as she approached her superior.

"Is it empty?" asked Ishtar.

"Mostly."

"That shall suffice. Open it."

With a simple twist of a cap, the specialist popped open the canteen. She swayed it a little, and a slight swooshing sound let them both know that little water remained. From there, Andraste extended the container towards Ishtar, who proceeded to place her screaming captive inside of the only opening before letting go, then the human unceremoniously landed at the bottom moments later with a small splash as her screaming momentarily echoed throughout it.

Afterward, Ishtar clipped the canteen to her hip. "Bah. There really needs to be a proper way to deal with captured humans in the future." She paused to pocket the canteen cap. "Improvised solutions will do for now."

In response, the specialist looked at the battlemaster with an eye raised. "Is there a reason you refrained from putting the cap back on?"

"Is it not obvious? I am trying to imprison the poor creature, not suffocate her! I doubt the human will be able to escape from my clutches anyway."

"I see." said Andraste with a flick of her tongue.

"Regardless, I no longer need your assistance. Your help is much appreciated."

"You are welcome!" replied the specialist, who bowed towards her superior. "I shall resume my previous duties. However, there are some dead and wounded among us that will need to be treated."

A glance at the battle's aftermath made what Andraste said clear enough. A few titanic corpses were scattered around the area after either succumbing to a death of a thousand cuts or having a tank shell strike a vital area. Smoke continued to fill the air thanks to a forest burning to the ground. Snowfall resumed softly falling over the vicinity and gradually coated destroyed husks that used to be individual tanks, infantry transports, and attack helicopters.

Ishtar cocked her head following a moment of silence, where she simply stared at the surrounding carnage. "Hmph. I understand. If that is the case, then immediately return to your duties and crush any and all resistance that remains."

"As she wishes." said the young woman with her tail wagging a little. With that, Andraste went back to searching through vehicle remains and other debris with a certain degree of glee.

Meanwhile, Ishtar looked down at her armor. It was adorned with fresh dents, scratches, and other tiny signs of damage. Otherwise, she appeared completely unharmed. The woman held her compact plasma rifle with both hands as she walked among the ashes and remains. She spotted members of her warpack still rounding up human survivors while others were tending to a few wounded soldiers she failed to recognize. The latter had inferior arms and armor compared to the rest of her warpack alongside odd markings on their gear…

"What are useless auxiliaries doing out here?!" growled Ishtar, catching the attention of those present.

One of the few umok auxiliaries that weren't dead or wounded saluted her. "Thank the gods that your warpack arrived, battlemaster!"

Ishtar narrowed her eyes. "That does not answer my question."

"Oh." muttered the umok. "Well, our detachment was ordered to defend the city outskirts once human military forces were spotted. Unfortunately, we faced the brunt of their sudden assault."

"Which is why you are normally limited to garrison duties." said Ishtar as she looked among their ranks. Compared to the auxiliary detachment, her own unit was nearly untouched. The only exception for her warpack was a zenari woman hissing as others began treating a severe leg injury. After taking a deep breath, Ishtar activated a communication device within her helmet by flicking her tongue. "Is the area clear?"

"Clear!" chirped back one of her underlings in the distance.

Content with this answer, Ishtar faced the city itself. She could see some various Hegemony soldiers gradually approaching their positions. "Then I believe our business is concluded. Against my better judgment, I will entrust you auxiliaries with dealing with the dead, wounded, and prisoners of war."

"If that is her will, then so be it." squawked another umok auxiliary.

From there, Ishtar waltzed towards several members of her warpack as her voice filled the air. "The area is secure! Return to the infantry transport, and leave any humans with the auxiliary forces. Alternatively, store prisoners in your canteens and turn them in once we return to the deployment zone. They will all ultimately go to the same place anyway."

At her words, a few soldiers proceeded to empty the contents of their canteens. The sheer amount of water ruptured the ground, cleaving through fragile grass and snow alike. Despite this, it allowed them to deal with what little humans they were able to capture by placing them within the containers.

Ishtar practically facepalmed. "Also, try not to harm the local environment if possible."

Most of the soldiers remained silent after realizing what they had done.

With a shake of her head, the battlemaster waltzed towards the infantry transport. Most of the soldiers instinctively followed her. Meanwhile, some began carrying the wounded woman towards it, while others were already awaiting them next to the transport. This included Andraste, who was wagging her tail rapidly with a crooked smile on her muzzle as she proudly presented her water canteen.

"I caught one!"

Ishtar ignored this as she became the first to enter the vehicle. Soon, she was met by the sight of the infantry vehicle's interior. Her adrenaline died down, the pupils of her reptilian eyes grew a little wider, and she suddenly showed signs of exhaustion as her shoulders drooped downwards. Only one thing was on her mind, however…

She had to make sure her baby was okay.

It was only a matter of time until Ishtar returned to the deployment zone. Once more, she left her warpack behind and approached a lone latrine. A familiar face awaited her there. More specifically, a lone soldier was still guarding the stall, saluting Ishtar as she moved towards him.

"Welcome back, battlemaster."

"Greetings, scion. Consider yourself dismissed."

Without a word, the soldier simply nodded and departed the scene. Ishtar immediately opened the door to the restroom, and her face contorted upon hearing a familiar whining sound that was previously inaudible. The woman made short work of entering and locking a door before focusing all attention on the human child, who was still sitting on a washcloth within the sink. More alarmingly, tears streamed down his face as he cried and sobbed to himself within a fetal position.

Ishtar's eyes went wide at the scene. "Little Suko!" She paused to remove her helmet and set it aside. "Everything is alright! Mommy is here!" With her cold-blooded heart throbbing, she clung onto the sink and lowered her head. "Did something happen while I was gone?" Her serpentine tongue flicked out of her muzzle, but she couldn't smell or taste any signs of blood or something more severe.

Consequently, the crying of the child died down, but he kept whimpering to himself.

Witnessing this made Ishtar's tail droop. "What is wrong? Were you just sad about being alone, or is it something more severe?"

Once more, the child didn't respond.

"I should have known better. Leaving a hatchling unattended in a sink of all places is a recipe for disaster! I hope you are not hurt..."

After saying this, Ishtar started inspecting Suko. A glance at his limbs revealed nothing was visibly wrong. She puffed air from her nose before her face suddenly beamed up. "Ah, but I CAN do those funny faces you love so much!"

The woman followed up on this promise by lowering her head. Her eyes went in two different directions as she stuck out her tongue with her tail wagging, which repeatedly thumped against the floor and a door. She also made a distinct blep noise. Whether it be from her efforts or for no reason at all, the child stopped crying, and he buried his head in the washcloth before hugging the synthetic fabric. Ishtar's artificial happiness vanished upon realizing that what she was doing might not be working, but Suko appeared calm rather than upset at the very least.

"It is... not easy to identify your emotions compared to a zenari hatchling..."

Out of nowhere, Ishtar heard faint wailing emanating from her water canteen. Her head perked up. Then she bared her fangs upon remembering that a human was still stored inside of it. Ishtar quickly put her helmet back on, where augmented reality greeted her with a heads up display that occupied her vision. She opened a menu before manipulating it with simple movements of her eyes and flicks of her tongue until a translation device finally kicked into action.

Afterward, she tapped the water canteen a few times as a human-sounding voice emitted from her helmet. [Ah, I almost forgot about you. Be quiet. You won't come to any harm if you follow my instructions.]

"Wait… what?!" exclaimed the woman within. "I must be losing my mind! You can talk...?"

The battlemaster responded with a low growl, sending the human into silence. [Are you unable to follow simple instructions? Don't bother with responding unless you receive my permission.]

Ishtar allowed silence to reign supreme for a few moments before she resumed speaking.

[Good girl. And yes, our people have deciphered the various tongues of your species. I took a wild guess and assumed that you spoke a language known as… rushing? Is that how it's pronounced?]

As before, the zenari didn't receive an answer from the human.

[Ah, right. We can have a proper conversation later. Regardless, these godforsaken human languages are so odd! From what I know, they're structured in such a way that you needlessly shorten your words and generally dumb things down like the other primitives. I'm getting off-topic, though. Consider yourself a prisoner of war, and don't make too much noise if you value your life.] She paused to look at Suko, who still showed signs of distress, then back at her water canteen. [You're also something of a rarity for your species since I seldom encounter female human warriors. Naturally, your knowledge may prove useful to me, so sit tight and allow me to contemplate your fate.]

With that, Ishtar disabled her translation software. An insidious scheme hatched in her mind as she delicately retrieved Suko and rested him against her chest, safely wrapping him with the washcloth. She then exited the restroom stall. Gazing upon her new surroundings revealed more fortifications being constructed alongside some other structures, whether they be complex buildings or simple tents. Additional infantry, vehicles, and ships spanned in every direction as they traveled around the deployment zone and the nearby human city.

A familiar and masculine voice ultimately disrupted Ishtar's sightseeing...

"If your battlemaster is having some sort of bladder issues, then consider yourselves dismissed." said Deimo a short distance away. "Maybe it is her armor getting in the way. Regardless... get some rest, rations, and recreation during the downtime. You have earned it!"

Specialist Andraste nodded at his words, then others mimicked her. They dispersed into several different groups, some of which gave Ishtar and Suko weird looks, before walking towards the various structures. This included a few assisting the wounded zenari as they relocated her to a makeshift medical facility. During this commotion, Ishtar couldn't help but notice that Andraste was walking to some tents serving as their personal quarters with her tail swaying, but she ignored the young woman once she saw Deimo approaching her with a sly smile on his face.

"Salutations, Ishtar! I almost forgot to thank you for efficiently dealing with the sudden human attack. The auxiliaries might not have been able to handle it."

Ishtar placed her hands behind her back, concealing Suko as she pivoted towards him. "Yet... one of the warriors under my command was wounded. She might not be able to fight for the foreseeable future. Additionally, those nearly worthless auxiliaries that dare to call themselves soldiers somehow took a plethora of casualties before my warpack arrived!"

The young man flicked his tongue. "It was a bad situation, and you handled it perfectly. We need more of that! My sources claim that whatever is left of the local human forces are retreating, so this city should be relatively secure with those dregs disposed of."

Ishtar glanced at the ground. "If you say so."

In return, he cocked his head to the side. "There is also no need for formalities. Sure, I might be a junior officer, but a battlemaster of all people should not conceal their claws and fangs in my presence."

"I insist on upholding our traditions." hissed the woman as she stared at him with unblinking eyes. "Consider it a matter of respect."

"Fair enough. However, the way you are also holding your hands behind your back is… odd."

At his words, Ishtar broke eye contact. "Well, you see… I have some... concerns."

"And what would those be?"

The battlemaster spent a moment in silence as she stuck out her serpentine tongue. "It is simple, really. My warpack had difficulties with human prisoners of war due to no proper means of containing them. So, I would like to know how to handle them in the future since there are apparently no formal methods at the moment."

"Truth be told, there is no official method." replied the man as his smile transitioned to a grimace. "This operation was supposed to be over by now, but most human nations have refused to surrender."

Ishtar exposed her fangs. "How foolish. There should have been contingency plans! Why... I had to resort to using my foot as a weapon when my plasma rifle proved to be inappropriate for dealing with such small foes! Not to mention the cold weather chilling my scales…"

"Then what course of action would a battlemaster suggest?" asked Deimo with another flick of his tongue.

"If I was in your position, Deimo, I would requisition plasma casters and proper attire for this weather. Then perhaps I would ask my superiors about proper human containment measures to avoid unnecessary death, destruction, and other factors detrimental to this entire military campaign."

He nodded at her answer. "Very well. This is anything but a textbook situation." He paused to watch the woman sway her tail side to side. "You are a battlemaster, after all, so your experience makes your advice extremely valuable within these sorts of situations."

Ishtar created a cute little blep in response. "So... you are a wise ensign! I never knew such a thing existed!"

"Do not think much of it. Besides, it is important to respect your elders."

"Here we go with the old woman jokes again..." she replied with a sneer, "Keep in mind, I was your age merely a century ago, so it is not like I am far past my prime."

Deimo waved with a clawed hand and chortled. "I am only joking! You are a valuable asset to our unit either way."

She smiled as he resumed speaking.

"Otherwise, that is all, battlemaster… unless you require something else of me."

"Not for now, at least." answered Ishtar with a crooked smirk on her muzzle. "I plan on getting plenty of rest now that things are finally settling down..."

"Good! However, you should know that the auxiliaries actually did something useful by setting up our tents. Do not let me keep you here with that information in mind."

"Bah. Understood, ensign!"

Following these words, Deimo did something unorthodox by holding a clenched fist in front of his torso. Ishtar returned the favor with one hand while holding Suko with the other. Afterward, the ensign walked away with a swagger in his step, and the two went their separate ways. As for Ishtar, her first priority was reaching her own personal quarters. She soon walked by a series of tents, where she spotted a few of her soldiers getting ready to sleep for the night, then found a specially marked one reserved for herself.

It was one of the many perks of being a zenari battlemaster.

When Ishtar entered the tent, she saw that the auxiliaries outdid themselves. Everything was unpacked! Although the tent's interior was cramped, it had enough room for a minimalistic bed in the corner alongside a desk that came with a personal computer. Last but not least, a heater kept the tent warm and toasty. Otherwise, the entire area was relatively secure, and the only way to enter or exit the tent came in the form of a flap, which Ishtar promptly zipped up after setting her plasma rifle in the corner.

Afterward, Suko poked his tiny head from the concealment of the washcloth, making the woman smile.

"Welcome to our new home, Suko!"

She used her free hand to gesture at the tent interior. From there, she gently set the human on the ground, where his little feet came into contact with the canvas-covered ground. He looked around in confusion while Ishtar pulled a chair aside and sat on it. She let out a hiss of relief with her serpentine tongue temporarily lolling from her muzzle. "I do not have a proper room for you yet, but I am certain we will figure something out. For now, we can finally relax!"

With a firm grasp on one of her boots, Ishtar removed them both one by one. She wiggled all eight her clawed toes afterward. However, after taking a look at her footwear, she noticed some mud alongside a small amount of blood smearing one of them.

"Oh."

She made use of the discarded washcloth to clean her footwear to the best of her ability. Meanwhile, Suko explored the tent. Ishtar couldn't help but smile as he went about this task, and she started removing some of her other armor, including her helmet, before putting the gear underneath her bed. It was a long and tedious process, but soon she was free from her armor's confinements. All she wore from that point included a skin-tight, black uniform that covered her legs and torso. From there, the woman deliberately set her water canteen on a desk so that it was directly facing her.

It took a bit of effort as Ishtar sifted through a desk drawer, but she found a slim earpiece and a microphone. She promptly activated her personal computer... but froze upon seeing her desktop background.

The holographic display showcased Ishtar embracing a young zenari with bronze-colored scales. Just like her. It inspired the woman to open the options menu with a few simple clicks, and she hovered a clawed finger over the change background option… but instead, she simply spent several seconds staring at it with her tail drooping down. In the end, Ishtar selected the cancel option. She swiftly opened some translation software, which synced to her earpiece, granting her abilities similar to her helmet.

At long last, Ishtar was nearly ready to interrogate her prisoner. She secured the earpiece, clipping it onto one of the small spikes near the back of her head, and activated the device by simply pressing a finger against it. A click marked the moment it activated and glowed orange. With that accomplished, Ishtar turned on the microphone and placed it in the center of the desk. She took a deep breath, picked up the water canteen, and spoke with her translator turning her vocalizations into something her prisoner could comprehend as a human voice blasted from some nearby computer speakers.

[I have so many questions about your hatchlings, human.]

Before Ishtar received a response, she slowly tilted the canteen and waited for a human to fall onto her awaiting open palm.

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First Chapter

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