The Osprey carrying medical evacuees skipped the headquarters and landed directly aboard Makin Island. They'd called ahead and hospital staff were already waiting on the flight deck with stretchers.
Captain Lombard looked down from the bridge, her mouth tight. The conflict had happened far from her ship, but that didn't mean it would stay there.
She ordered security teams to set up around the flight deck, and for the CIWS mounts to be made ready. She also put out the call to other ships under her control: be ready.
She then called CTF headquarters. As soon as Candless was available, she had something important to tell him.
"This got really real," muttered Specialist Lee. For the moment, he wasn't needed for translation and sat on the Humvee's tailgate with Henry.
It wasn't Henry's first combat, or even his first experience seeing countrymen killed. But he agreed with Lee.
"What's going to happen next?" Lee asked.
"Hopefully nothing," Henry replied. "In the meantime, we should probably work on getting these minotaurs back over the mountains and home."
"They told me they'd left Diony in fear of aftershocks and to find help, maybe in Diaemos. The dragons had apparently discovered the old mine across the border and seized the opportunity to increase gem production."
"I didn't see any of them wearing jewelry."
"They eat them," said Captain Sentry, joining the conversation. "Gems are a delicacy to dragons."
The Equestrian soldier still looked shaken, but had taken charge of the group of troops left to secure the area until reinforcements arrived.
Speaking of, the sound of rotors announced the arrival of two more Ospreys.
"They just went along with that?" said Henry, "being forced to work?"
"Herd creatures, said Captain Sentry. "We do have a tendency to let things get bad because no individual is willing to step up and lead a change."
"Sometimes, I think that applies to us all," said Henry.
"Three dead and six wounded, sir."
Candless frowned deeply, though not at the young doctor who had delivered the news. This was not an active war, but bloodshed could not be undone. Things were different now. He would be required to meet with some very important people who would want to know exactly what was going on in Tauros and what he was doing about it to ensure no more American lives were lost.
To that end, he turned to his operations officer. "Unload the armor and get it set up around base." The tanks and APCs aboard the ships would certainly help with defense.
He considered ordering the engineer detachment to build defensive berms, but discounted it against adversaries who could fly.
The journalists around the headquarters were going to notice, but there was no helping that, particularly since the casualties. Candless ordered public affairs to begin preparing a statement.
Corporal Hitoshi ate lunch with his squad, as well as some Marines. The group of them had traded a few rations in the combined mess tent.
"It's just like GATE," another Japanese solider was saying in passable English. "I heard they were dogfighting with dragons."
"Is that why this mystery meat seems kind of scaly?" said a Marine. His friends laughed. One of the Japanese troops translated for the others.
"My grandmother would want some dragon scales for her homemade medicine," said Hitoshi.
"Let's hope those Chinese fishing boats off the coast don't get wind of this," said one of the Americans.
That was something the Americans and Japanese could agree on.
That was about it, though. A couple of Marines had offered to swap hard drives with Hitoshi, but he wasn't a fan of any of their TV.
Spitfire knew about the engagement as soon as it had happened. While the humans lamented the lack of satellite relays on this side of the rift, the ability to have a drone over the battlefield and beam video back to headquarters seemed pretty advanced compared to her spear.
Still, the concepts of mission, image, and politics were universal and she knew as soon as she saw the battle begin that things had just changed fundamentally. Even while the fighting was still ongoing, she'd ordered her executive assistant to contact Canterlot immediately.
Aside from her own country's reaction, she was concerned about what the Americans would do. Colonel Candless seemed levelheaded, but wars were not ordered by field grade officers. And if there was one thing Americans seemed to be known for, it was militarily pummeling weaker countries.
Spitfire had studied a lot of American history. Partly because she believed Equestria was heading in that direction, but also because their two governments seemed especially eager to engage. There were lessons, both positive and negative, to learn.
Speaking of history, she glanced at the large map where all forces were marked and saw a Marine adding a new unit: USNS Wally Schirra. John Glenn was already present, and she idly wondered what a second ship named after an astronaut was doing.