The trooper withdraws and Shah steps closer to you.
"Sir," Shah says, "it's normal for a platoon to assign one trooper as protection for the officer. I have one of my best men picked out."
"Each trooper is responsible for their own safety," you say, "and that includes me. I'm not going to be a burden for anyone."
Shah nods in silence, dropping back for a moment before returning.
"I'm going to shift right to join Squad Four," he says. "Radio if you need me."
He moves off at a lope through the long grass. You assess the troopers on either side of you and continue walking forward.
Suddenly, you hear a whistling in the air. You glance up at the clear sky, then you're hit from behind as one of your troopers tackles you. You smack down into the dirt, his weight pinning you. You barely have time to react before a thunderous explosion rocks the ground. You see a plume of dirt off to your left.
"Mortars!" someone shouts.
The trooper holding you suddenly scrambles clear, raising his assault rifle and firing toward the rocks. Then he looks over at you and grins.
"Trooper Hisato Amori, sir," he says. "Sarge says I'm your bodyguard."
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