Chapitre 9: Naggiar Skirmish
October 29, 1940:
I finally had a good night's rest after spending a few days sleeping in a prison bed.
I didn't realize how exhausted I actually was. I slept like a log until around 10am the next morning.
The entire morning was pretty dull. I simply walked around the entire camp.
Actually, I noticed that the soldiers were fortifying their positions.
Mortars, landmines, you name it.
Considering that we were at the very edge of Naggiar Plains as well as being one of the few functional airfields in Gallia, I guess, logically, this would be the next target.
October 30, 1940
Fort Amatriain, Randgriz
General's Quarters
Desmond Crocker meets up with Supreme General Barredo of the Gallian Army.
"Crocker" the general said "What do you want now?"
"I think you can see, General" Desmond replied "That the Gallian Army will have a difficult time defending the country against the Empire"
The general does not respond.
"Don't give me that look. I think I've demonstrated the sincerity of my action, no?" Desmond continued, putting a piece of paper on the table "I just came to give you some paperwork"
"Paperwork?" the general said grabbing the paper "Are you joking? Please tell me you're joking."
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"You can't seriously expect me to approve this. The Archduchess may have given you and your gang pardon but I still don't trust you"
"My, My general. Still don't trust me? That's hurts my feelings, you know"
"You think I'm dense? You have other motives for this war. I don't believe that someone like you is driven by mere patriotism alone"
"Hahaha! I guess not every person in this country is as gullible as I thought"
"So either you tell me everything or I won't approve of your proposal"
"… Fine. But you must not tell a single soul as of what I will tell you"
The general doesn't respond.
"Or else" Desmond continued as Rain and Aria appear from the shadows behind him "One of these lovely ladies will escort you to the afterlife. And trust me, I have ways of knowing"
"Alright… You have my word"
November 1, 1940:
Around lunchtime, I met up with Aster and Sonia, who seem to be chatting with 2 other individuals.
"Denzel" Aster called "Over here!"
"Hey Aster, Sonia" I said as I sit down "Who're these two?"
"These are the two pilots who saved our lives yesterday"
"Really? Thank you for saving our lives. My name is Denzel"
"Pleasure's all mine!" the brown-haired woman replied with an energetic tone "The name's Sora. Sora Andersen! Nice to meet ya!"
"I'm Wilson Ulrik" the male pilot added "A pleasure"
"So" I continued "What brings Federation pilots to Gallia?"
"You don't know?" Sora replied "Gallia declared war on the Empire yesterday"
"What? How? By who?"
"Why, your very own Archduchess of course"
"The Archduchess?! Impossible. She was killed by Desmond Crocker"
"Not exactly" Aster interrupted
"What do you mean?"
"What you found out from the radio and newspapers aren't exactly the full story"
"What?"
Before we could continue our conversation, we heard the distinct sound of planes.
"More Federation planes?" I wondered
"Can't be" Sora responded "Me and Wil are the only ones sent… Unless…"
Without another word, Sora bolted out of the mess hall.
"Sora?" Wilson uttered as we followed
Outside, we saw Sora looking up.
"Guys…" she uttered
Looking up, I saw several dots in the sky.
"The hell are those…?" I uttered as the sirens begin to echo throughout the base
"Son of a bitch…" Sora uttered "Those are Imperial planes!"
Sensing the danger, we quickly scrambled to our battle stations but we were too late.
The enemy was right on our doorstep.
It didn't make sense, actually.
The enemy managed to reach the vicinity of the base too fast.
Given that the enemy had motorbikes and jeeps, but tanks?
They were too fast.
"Shit!" Aster said, grabbing a Federation Lee Enfield rifle from a dead soldier "Looks like the Imperials learned some new tricks!"
"We have to hurry!" Sora said as she brings out her Enfield No. 2 revolvers "They're focusing on the airfield!"
The base was almost overrun as Imperial soldiers were just a few meters away.
The sound of bullets whistling past me… 3 wars and I still haven't completely gotten used to that.
Dunno if we were lucky or unlucky but by the time the enemy attacks began, we were, literally, right in the middle of the base.
The hangars were close but so were the Imperials as moving proved to be very difficult.
"Me and Wil need to be airborne before the Imperials destroy those hangars!" Sora said "Or else we'll be completely overwhelmed!"
We were caught by surprise… The Gallian soldiers struggled to mount a proper defense and counterattack as more and more Imperial troops arrive.
"How are we gonna get outta this…?" I thought, as I grabbed the OG-43 of a dead Gallian soldier
"Alright" Aster said "Let's get going! Those Imperials aren't gonna wait for us!"
We were only 5 people.
Aster & Sonia had ZH-29s and the two pilots only had Enfield No.2 revolvers.
The army was in disarray as every ranking officer struggled to maintain control of the soldiers, some of which were panicking.
Nevertheless, they put up quite the resistance against the attacking Imperials.
It took about 5 minutes before we could reach the general vicinity of the airstrip.
The runway was heavily damaged and some of the hangars were on fire.
"Our hurricanes are still alive!" Sora shouted as several I-16s unleash a small barrage on us.
"We're not gonna go anywhere with these planes on top of us!" I yelled as Imperial soldiers began to rain bullets on our position.
Obviously, we returned fire, taking down a few Imperial soldiers, as we made our way through the battlefield.
"Guys" Sora said "There's an anti-aircraft gun near our hangar. Can any of you operate them?"
"No" Aster replied pointing at 2 pinned down soldiers near the hangar "But I bet they can"
I volunteered to provide cover while Aster and the others ran towards the 2 soldiers.
I fought alongside a few straggling Gallian soldiers. It's funny that I called the shots. Maybe they weren't exactly the leader type or the fact that the situation was so chaotic that they would follow just about anyone who can issue an order.
Nevertheless, we kept the Imperial's attention straight at us. But doing so made it more and more difficult to return fire as they were really concentrating on us.
Luckily, me and my ragtag group managed to keep the Imperials at bay, giving Aster and the others enough time to reach the hangar and anti-aircraft gun.
"Almost there!" Sora said "Guys! I need you to man that AA gun and-"
Before she could finish, several I-16s bomb the hangar, destroying the Hawker Hurricanes inside.
"Shit!" Aster shouted as he and the other recover from the explosions "We can't stay here!"
They quickly recover and run to the side of the burning hangar as a few I-16s unleash a barrage on them, luckily no one was hit.
"At this rate" Wilson said as bombs begin to fall on the runway "We'll be overwhelmed!"
"Sir" one of the Gallian soldiers said, pointing at the hangar at the back of the base "There's another hangar over there!"
"What's in there?" Aster asked
"We received a fresh shipment of new planes from the Federation yesterday. There should be at least 2 inside that hangar if we are lucky!"
"Nice! Let's get going before the Imperials destroy that too!"
Meanwhile, my position was at a disadvantage.
The Imperials were overpowering us as more Gallian soldiers with each passing minute.
"Oh perfect…" I sarcastically said as an explosion erupts nearby, killing a few soldiers "…tanks"
The Imperial tanks were upon us and it was a massacre.
Unfortunately, we had very few lances and anti-tank grenades, most of which were littered across the battlefield dropped by dead Gallian soldiers.
Jumping back to Aster, they were frantically making their way to the last hangar.
"Shit!" Sora shouted as she and the others go prone, avoiding another barrage from enemy I-16s
Just as they recover, 2 enemy motorbikes fires another barrage at the group, forcing them to duck again.
"Sora. Wilson" Aster said firing his rifle "Run to the hangars! We'll take care of these bastards!"
"Um" Wilson nervously said "I don't think we'll make it in time on foot"
"Why?" Sora asked
"Look" he replied pointing on the horizon
"Oh shit…" Sora said as she sees 2 dots on the horizon "… I'm guessing they're after our little hangar…"
"Son of a bitch!" Aster shouted "Ok then, we hijack those bikes! Everyone, aim for the drivers!"
At Aster's command, the group opens fire on the enemy motorbikes, killing both drivers.
Wasting no time, Sora and Wilson commandeer the vehicles and raced to the hangar while Aster and the others converge on my position.
The duo reaches the hangar, with the 2 I-16s dangerously closing in.
"Spitfires huh…" Sora remarked "Wil. Can you pilot these?"
"They're the new Federation aircraft, right?" Wilson replied as the two quickly began start-up procedures "I think I can fly it decently enough"
Seconds later, the sound of I-16 engines could be clearly heard inside the hangar.
"Wil!" Sora said in the radio "Off the hangar, NOW!"
The two pilots quickly drove their planes out of the hangar, narrowly escaping the bombs.
As the two aircraft begin to pick up speed, they are assaulted by Imperial planes.
Meanwhile, Aster and others were running towards me as they notice the scene.
"Damn it!" Sonia said "They need help!"
Aster and the others quickly find and commandeer a M45 Quadmount, located near the Communications tower.
"Shoot those bastards out of the sky!" Aster said as the AA gun shreds several enemy aircraft
On my end, the carnage seemed to have been postponed as the enemy tanks began to focus their fire on the 2 planes. This gave us a brief moment to catch our breaths as we began our counterattack.
"Son of a bitch!" Sora shouted "We can't use the runway! Wil! Turn left! To the plains!"
"On your lead!" Wilson replied as they turn to the left towards the open plains of Naggiar.
The two pilots increased their speed as enemy I-16s approach from multiple directions.
"Sora!" Wilson said, noticing the trenches in front "We'll run out of land before we can lift off!"
"Come on, Wil!" Sora replied "We can do this! Increase speed!"
Wilson put his throttle on max, giving the plane more speed as the first wave of enemy planes unleash a barrage on the two, putting holes on the wings of both aircraft.
"Shit!" Sora said "I hope these new planes are durable"
"I hope so too, Sora" Wilson replied
"Wil!" Sora said, pulling the stick "RISE!"
The two planes lift off, narrowly dodging another barrage and just missing the trenches.
"Nice one, Wil!" Sora complimented as machinegun fire rains on the two
"Yeah" Wilson replied "But we're not out of the woods, yet!"
"Alright, let's shake em!"
Back in the airstrip, we were forced to fall back to the Communications tower.
We entrenched ourselves in the surrounding area with 2 light tanks, 1 medium tank, and around a hundred troops to defend our position.
"Captain!" the radioman reported "The 2 friendly planes managed to lift off!"
"Good!" The captain replied "Tell em to provide air cover and attack the Imperials in front of the tower!"
"Yes sir! Attention allied pilots. Under Captain-"
Unfortunately, a rifle bullet penetrates through the radioman's chest, killing him.
An Imperial tank fires a shell, destroying the medium tank.
The Captain and several soldiers were caught in the explosion, incapacitating them.
We were losing.
I was scared but I knew that there was no time to be scared.
So I ran to the dead radioman and quickly got his radio equipment.
Thank goodness that the radio was still operational.
"Sora? Wilson?" I said on the radio "You guys there?"
"Denzel?" Sora replied "What's up?"
"We're being overrun! We need support. Fast! They got us pinned down by the Comms tower!"
"I see it! We're coming in hot! By the way, if you guys can take care of some bogies behind us, we'll really appreciate it!"
"Got it!" I said, running to Aster "Aster! Sora and Wilson are coming, target the enemy planes behind them!"
"Right!" Aster replied
Minutes later, the two Spitfires reach the airstrip, with several I-16s close behind.
"Bombs away!" Sora said as the duo drops bombs on the enemy while the AA gun shoots down several enemy planes.
The bombs decimated most of the Imperial troops. I even saw some of the enemy planes crash on top of em.
I heard Sora cheer on the radio. "Yeah! Thanks for the assist! We'll be gone for a while. Wil and I got some skies to clear up!"
With our newfound momentum, we began our counter attack while the two planes fly straight into the path of several I-16s.
The two open fire, shooting down 3 planes as the dogfight gets underway.
"Here piggy, piggy" Sora muttered as she fires a burst on the I-16 infront of her but the plane continues to fly.
While she continues to fire on the enemy plane, another I-16 comes from behind and fires a barrage on her plane.
According to Sora, she could see the bullets fly past her cockpit.
"Fuck!" she said "These bullets are getting too close for comfort! Wil. I think I need some help!"
"On it, Sora!" Wilson replied as he engages the I-16.
Sora fires another burst, this time setting the plane on fire. "Got ya!" she exclaims
Back on the ground, Aster gathered all the remaining Gallians.
We were down to our last tank and the enemy still had 2 left.
"Aster" Sonia sad "What do we do?"
"I'm not sure…" he replied "Our light tank can't pierce the frontal armor of those tanks! If only Croix was here…"
Just then, a female voice echoes throughout the radio "I have an idea"
"What?" I said picking up the radio
"I have an idea" she said again "Do we have any satchel charges?"
"Hold on" I replied turning to Aster "Aster! Do we have any satchel charges?"
"Just 1" he replied "Why?"
"Just 1" I reported to her
"That should be enough. I need someone to ride on top of my tank and throw those charges into the turret of the front tank while I engage the one in the rear"
"That's kinda risky" Aster responded, picking up the radio "Can you actually pull it off?"
"There's no time. We have to act now"
"Ok. Then-"
"I'll go" I interrupted, putting down the radio equipment
"Denzel?" Aster replied "Are you sure?"
Honestly, I wasn't exactly sure. I was really nervous but I couldn't just sit there and watch either.
I must have some sort of death wish or something… Well that's not actually far from the truth.
I grabbed the satchel charges, climbed at the back of the tank, and tapped the hull.
The driver drove at max speed as I held on tightly at the tank's side.
Aster and the others rained suppressive fire to keep the enemy infantry at bay.
The 2 enemy tanks each fired a shell, both were dodged.
The driver's skills were amazing. She was like some master tank pilot or something… Reminding me of a certain someone…
As we neared the first tank, I quickly jumped off.
I rolled and quickly recovered as the enemy infantry opened fire on my location.
I picked up the satchel charge, threw it into the tank's turret, and ran like hell.
Seconds later, the first tank exploded and I instinctively jumped behind its remains, shielding me from further enemy fire.
I observed the light tank's graceful movements and holy hell was I impressed.
She drove around the enemy tank and you could notice that the Imperials were having trouble hitting her.
She fires a few shells, denting its armor.
She then drives straight to the tank. The enemy fires another shell, still missing.
She overtakes the tank, slams the breaks, and quickly turns left, causing it to skid and tilt to the right a bit.
The light tank quickly gets into position and fires a shell on the now exposed ragnite radiator, destroying the enemy tank.
It was an amazing site to watch, I tell you. It brought back some very suppressed memories, though.
Back in the air, Sora and Wilson were mopping up stragglers.
"And another one bites the dust!" Sora said as she shoots down another I-16
"Sora" Wilson said "The stragglers are withdrawing to the clouds. Should we pursue?"
"3 I-16s… I think we can take em"
"You sure? We'll have limited visibility in there"
Before Sora could respond, the 3 I-16s dive from above and unleash a volley on the two.
"Shit!" Sora said as smoke begins to emerge from her plane.
Sora told me that at least 1 bullet managed to penetrate the cockpit, barely missing her.
With her plane damaged, Sora slowly descended as the 3 planes were on her tail.
"Wil!" Sora said
"I'm coming!" Wilson responded as he positions behind the 3 enemy aircraft
He opens fire and damages the tail wing of one of the I-16s. It was still pursuing Sora.
He fires again, this time severely damaging its right wing.
This causes the plane to go out of control, spinning to the right which then collides with another I-16.
Sora continues to descend as the last I-16 fires another barrage.
Getting a clear shot, Wilson presses the trigger but the plane's cannons don't fire.
"Damn!" he said "I'm out of ammo!"
Almost at ground level, Sora directs her plane back to the base as the enemy plane fires another barrage, hitting her plane.
"This is not looking too good!" she said as an alarm sounds in the cockpit "Damn it! I'm leaking oil!"
Losing oil, Sora decides to take a gamble.
She pulls on the stick as hard as she could. Her plane rises in a 90 degree angle.
The enemy plane follows suit and fires more barrages.
"Come on. Come on!" Sora muttered as alarms are blaring throughout the cockpit
Her plane was nearing critical speed which would force her to level it, giving the enemy pilot a window to shoot her down.
At critical speed, Sora was preparing for the worst as she prepares to level her aircraft but in a stroke of luck, the enemy plane levels first and begins an unexpected dive.
"He stalled first!" Sora muttered turning her plane around "Now you're mine!"
Her spitfire dives and Sora presses the trigger, unleashing barrage after barrage on the enemy plane.
The enemy pilot struggles to dodge her attacks but the Federation pilot eventually lands enough hits to take down the I-16.
Sora cheered as the I-16 crashes near the base.
But her celebration was short-lived as the plane's engines suddenly died, forcing her to make an emergency landing.
She was gliding. And man, was it amazing that she managed to land that aircraft.
Nevertheless, the base was clear and we survived.
But the day wasn't over yet…
"Guys" Wilson reported over the radio "I think that was just an advance unit… I spot more Imperials headed our way"
Worried, I climbed to the top of the Comms tower and scouted the horizon with a pair of binoculars.
Wilson was right… More are coming.
We only had a few dozen able-bodied soldiers left, 1 light tank, and 1 plane with no ammo.
"How are we gonna get outta this?" I thought as despair overtakes me.
Just then, a voice echoes through the radio.
"Fort Gunther. Fort Gunther. Do you copy?"
"What?" Aster said "Who is this?"
"Ah! Glad that the base is still in Gallian hands. This is Major Desmond Crocker of the 506th Joint Infantry Regiment of the Gallian Army"
"Well. Well. So the plan was a success?"
"Aster? Haha! Well. Well. Well… Let's catch up on current events after we mop up these bastards, shall we?"
"After you"
Desmond's timely, and surprisingly, arrival enabled us to successfully defend the base, albeit with a lot of casualties and damage to the base itself.
This day marked the beginning of the 'Misfits Battalion'.
Nevertheless, I was still racked with questions.
Most notably is how and why did Desmond get a high ranking position in the army, let alone his own unit?
I had a lot of questions that have yet to be answered…
The next day, I was still recovering from the events of the previous day when Aster told me that he Desmond recruit me to his new battalion, along with him, Sonia, Wilson, and Sora.
Imagine that being the first thing you hear when you just woke up.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone