章 13: Battle of Perm
December 7, 1940:
The reinforcements finally arrived. They were late for the party though…
Because of last night's raid, I barely had any sleep…
Good thing the coffee kept me conscious throughout the day…
But I had bigger concern to worry about.
I had never seen Marian act so emotional before. So that Type 38 tank she piloted for the past few months was the same tank Elena piloted 3 years ago.
I was really worried for her…
I can only guess what she felt when that tank was destroyed right in front of her. It must've felt like seeing her sister die a second time.
It wasn't really difficult to find her. She was sitting next to the destroyed Type 38.
She had her back against the tank… or what's left of it least while writing something on that notebook of hers.
To be honest, part of me didn't want to approach her… She might open up last night's topic again…
Nonetheless, I was more worried about her well-being.
"Marian" I called
"Denzel?" she replied putting her notebook down "I'm alright if you're wondering… This was sis' tank but we have a war to fight"
"Right… So what'll happen now?"
"I don't know… General Barredo said there are no reserves so I'll have to wait"
"Oh… So you're gonna be in the frontlines then?"
"Where else would I be?"
"Well… uh… are you ok with that?"
"What? Of course I'm ok. I may prefer to be in a tank but I can hold my own!"
"R-Right… Sorry"
"Look. I'm alright. Losing sis' tank hurt a lot but there's nothing we can do about it"
"Yeah…"
"Anyway, can I be alone for a while…"
"O-Oh. O-Of course. Sorry"
You can just imagine how awkward that conversation was.
Losing Elena's Type 38 hit Marian harder than what she let on…
But I think I made the right decision not to press the issue… Hopefully she'll be able to share her pains to someone in time…
December 8, 1940:
Right now, we're inside a town called Zarasai.
A lot of water. That's the only thing I can say about this place.
Basically an Imperial Vasel except one road is blocking our advance instead of a bridge.
The Imperials are using every trick in the book and every object in the area to keep us from marching deeper into their territory.
Good thing this place isn't our problem.
We'll be heading south in a few hours.
If things go as planned, Perm should be an easy victory tomorrow.
December 9, 1940:
At around the early morning, Sora and her squad fly to Perm.
I was shocked to hear that they were flying Spitfires and Mustangs again.
Turns out the P-38s were just prototypes and weren't ready for mass production.
"I got eyes on the bombers" Sora said peering down her cockpit
Below her squad are a group of Bristol Beaufighters, flying in formation.
"Keep an eye out for Imperials!"
Sora and her squad left way earlier than ours.
Their mission was to escort a bunch of Bristol Beaufighters to bomb the supply base.
That way, the Imperial defenses in the area will be too damaged to stave off our assault. Looking at the map, I can see why we need to take this base out.
Not just because of the invasion force inside southern Gallia but because the Imperials can flank us from this position.
According to the general, if things go well, Perm should be an easy win.
But things aren't that simple…
We may plan for a lot of factors but we can't plan for them all…
Sora and her squad of Spitfires and Mustangs will learn that firsthand 15,000 feet above Perm.
"10 minutes out" Wilson said
"No Imperials in half an hour" a Spitfire pilot added "Looks like this base is as good as ours"
"Don't peg this as a success just yet" Sora replied "Until we bomb that base and get back home, I don't want anyone letting their guard down"
"Roger" he responds as he notices a group of planes flying almost side by side just below their position "Wait. Are those guys ours?"
It didn't look like any normal aerial formation but rather something akin to an infantry formation.
"They don't look like I-16s or 109s" Wilson remarked peeking down "But they don't look like anything from the Federation either"
Sora contemplates as the planes neared the bombers.
"They're getting too close for comfort" Sora said "Let's get closer"
Unfortunately, those planes weren't friendly as they immediately open fire upon the bombers.
Turns out they were Yaholev Yak-1s.
The Imperials were conducting test flights for these new aircraft.
I guess they spotted the Bristols and decided to test them under fire.
"They're engaging the bombers!" a mustang pilot exclaimed as the Bristols' rear gunners return fire.
The Yaks stay in formation as they close the distance with the bombers.
"Look alive people!" Sora said as she dives "These guys aren't friendly! Shoot em out of the sky!"
She flies straight to the front of the formation.
She unloads a couple of rounds and pulls up as the Yaks disperse and engage the Federation planes.
"Don't give em any room!" Sora said as she chases after a Yak as it attacks another Bristol.
The Bristol's rear gunner fires but the Yak continues to buzz behind the plane.
These new planes were something. They can withstand a lot of punishment.
From what I was told, they gave Sora's spitfires and mustangs a run for their money.
"Tough bastard!" Sora remarked firing another barrage
She misses as the enemy Yak fires on the Bristol.
The Bristol's right engine catches fire.
The bomber loses altitude as the Yak flies off.
"Damn it!" Sora shouts as she continues pursuing the Yak into the clouds below.
Bursting through the clouds, Sora spots her target.
He was flying a few feet off the ground.
She fire another barrage.
The Yak evades and flies upward.
Sora pulls back up.
As she emerges from the clouds, Sora spots her target flying towards her.
"What the hell?!" she utters, frantically evading the barrage "How'd he turn around that fast?!"
The enemy plane disappears into the clouds.
"Ah… Damn it" Sora utters as she sees several parachutes and debris falling from the sky
Sora quickly turns around and resumes her pursuit.
Emerging from the clouds, Sora spots her target dangerously close.
"Not this time!" she utters as she returns fire "How do you like that!"
Her shots hit the Yak's right wing.
The Yak flies straight into the clouds with a trail of black smoke behind it.
This time, Sora does not pursue him.
But it didn't take long for the Yak to emerge from the clouds again.
"Too fast!" she utters as the shots puncture her left wing "Wait. It didn't even hurt it?!"
Despite hitting the plane earlier, the Yak was unscathed.
Sora quickly dives with the Yak in close pursuit.
The enemy plane fires another barrage.
Sora narrowly evades them all.
"You got skill" Sora muttered "But I'm better"
As the enemy plane fire another barrage, Sora quickly pulls up.
The enemy plane overshoots her.
Sora quickly levels her plane.
"You're mine now" she utters as she dives
She was right behind the Yak but as she was about to fire, Sora felt uneasy.
She said that she had this feeling of dread looming over her.
She had a clear shot but Sora described that she felt firing at that moment would mean her death…
It was a gut feeling, basically.
So Sora decided to look behind her.
She immediately spots another Yak on her tail.
This one had a trail of black smoke behind it.
"So that's why…" Sora remarked with a chuckle "Not really fair to gang up on someone like that… Nice trick but not gonna be enough to get me!"
Sora evades the Yak's barrage while maintaining her sights on the Yak in front of her.
After a while, she fires on the Yak.
She sets its right wing on fire but the plane continues to fly.
She smirks as the Yak behind her opens fire.
The shots hit her plane, a couple even managed to break through her canopy.
Alarms blare in the cockpit.
"Huh?! Oh damn it! Leaking fuel…"
The plane in front of her turns to the right, flying deeper into Imperial territory.
Unwilling to pursue her target, Sora turns to the opposite direction with the other Yak still in pursuit.
The Yak fires another barrage.
She barely dodges them as another bullet pierces through her canopy.
"Too damn close!" she utters, increasing speed "These guys are rookies!"
The enemy plane picks up speed as well while unleashing another barrage.
As the Yak fires another barrage, Sora quickly does a barrel roll.
The enemy plane overshoots her.
"Heh. You're mine now"
With a triumphant smile, Sora aligns her sights and opens fire.
The Yak skillfully evades the shots but a few manage to hit the Yak's left wing.
She prepares for another barrage when another alarm blares in her cockpit.
"Almost out huh…" she mutters "To shoot or not to shoot…"
According to Sora, she had two options:
1. Try to shoot down this Yak but risk crash landing behind enemy lines; or
2. Return to base
"Hurt my pride there…" Sora muttered as she weighs her options "… Haven't gotten the chance to return the favor…"
Unsurprisingly, Sora decides to attack one more time before retreating.
She carefully aims before firing her last barrage.
The bullets hit their mark, setting the plane on fire.
"Ha! Payback!"
As she flies off, Sora sees the Imperial Pilot eject from the plane.
But it wasn't a pleasant sight…
Sora's spitfire and the Yak were dangerously close to the ground…
He didn't have time to deploy his parachute…
Sora said she saw his body hit the ground and fly a few feet upwards before landing near the plane's wreckage…
Her smile quickly disappears. "Ah… That's not nice…"
She said this sight reminded her that inside these metallic flying machines were human beings. Living, breathing people with friends and families to go back to…
It's quite easy to forget that you're fighting another living person when you're in the frontlines…
Every soldier has an entire life outside of these killings.
Friends, family, children…
All of us has our own reason for joining this carnage…
It kind of pains me that many will never see their homes and loved ones again.
Doomed to spend their last moments in a hole in the ground, an old road, or even the remains of a house they never lived in…
And I'm contributing to the ever increasing body count…
With her target destroyed, Sora begins her flight back to base.
"Red 2" she said on the radio "What's the status of the bombers?"
"We lost a couple of em" Wilson replied "But we're keeping the enemy planes at bay! The Bristols are about to begin their bombing run!"
"Roger that. I'm leaking fuel so I'll be flying back to base. You take over Red 2"
"Copy that. Stay safe, Red 1"
A few minutes later, the Bristols drop their bombs but most miss their target.
Instead of the Imperial supply base, we bombed the Town of Perm to oblivion.
From what I heard, 30 Bristol Beufighters flew on this mission.
Only 17 will make it home…
Not to mention the 4 mustangs and 2 spitfires that were shot down too…
Later that morning:
We arrived on the outskirts of town at around 8am.
I can clearly see the town from where we were…
Or what's left of it at least…
I don't even know if I should call it a town anymore.
Most of the buildings were nothing more than piles of charred rubble and the streets were filled with craters.
We'll be moving to secure these ruins in more or less an hour.
But before all that, General Barredo will be briefing us.
Inside the command tent, we huddled around a map of the area.
"Here's the situation" the general said pointing to the Northwestern part of the map "The bombers missed the supply base but at least they managed to level the Imperial garrisons in the town"
"There weren't any civilians in town, were there?" Aster asked
"The town was evacuated when the Imperials rolled in 4 years ago. Don't worry"
It was relieving to hear that… But I do remember Franko giving a sour look at the General.
I hope that's not what I think it means.
"So do we just roll in?" Desmond asked
"Something like that" the general responded "Our scouts report a small number of Imperial squads in town but they're not elites. We'll move in from the east and secure the square in the middle of town"
"There's barely any cover in that area" Sonia remarked
"How do you know that?" Roswell asked
"I saw through my binoculars. You can even ask Rain for confirmation. She was with me"
"It's true" Rain added "Unless you count the fountain and the craters as cover"
"Don't worry" the general continued "That's what the engineers are for. Your job is to secure the square and keep those Imperials away from the engineers while they put up sandbags"
"You expect us to fight with barely any cover?" Aria asked
"You have a better idea?" the general responded "I'm open for suggestions, people"
No one spoke.
"No one?" the general said "Ok then. We stick to my plan. I'll be in the frontlines of course so this old man's gonna show all you kids how this shit is done. If no one has any more to say, then gear up. We'll move in 5 minutes"
Our attack began at around 8:30am.
To tell you the truth, we were expecting heavier resistance…
There were Imperial soldiers still in the town but we easily pushed them back…
The scouts' intel was spot on. The Imperial soldiers were just regular foot soldiers.
But it makes me wonder why they didn't try reinforcing their positions.
They had at least enough time to fortify some of it but no.
We even pushed them way beyond the square and in only an hour too.
It was almost too easy quite honestly and it kind of unnerved us a bit, especially General Barredo.
This feeling of ease is something the general usually makes his enemies feel.
Nonetheless, we formed a line of defense.
Our squad dug into a destroyed factory.
The Imperials continued to send wave upon wave of attacks but everyone managed to maintain the line.
The fighting died down at around 10pm but given our experience at Fort Belgen, we weren't taking any chances.
So me, Isaac, Drifa, Sonia, and Aria were on guard duty from 11pm to 2am while the others slept.
I almost forgot it was winter but the falling snow and the cold night made sure I wouldn't forget.
The 5 of us gathered near one of the factory windows.
We lit a small campfire just behind a wall.
I prayed that the light isn't too obvious outside.
Most of the place was dark so lighting a fire was a risk but so was freezing to death inside the cold dark remains of a factory… I wonder how the others are keeping themselves warm…
Luckily, the Imperials were also busy keeping themselves warm. I could spy a couple of distinct campfire lights in some of the buildings across the street.
In the meantime and to my surprise, the 5 of us were actually having a normal conversation.
Drifa and Sonia were friendly enough but I didn't expect Aria to be enthusiastic in talking too.
Isaac was quiet and only responded when we talked to him but he seemed to be ok with talking to us.
"So what've you been up to before this whole thing. 'Drifa'?" Aria asked with a mischievous smile
"Why you ask?" Drifa replied "You know I worked for the police since '38"
"No. Not that. Before joining the police! You disappeared on us back in '37. What happened to you? And don't say you were a 'nursing student'. We both know that's bullshit"
"What does that mean?" I asked
"Hehe… You see little Drifa over here isn't exactly squeaky clean. She used to be a hired gun working with me and Rain back in the day until she disappeared on us. 'Drifa' isn't even her real name"
"Wait. I thought she was a nursing student back in '35?"
"Ha! That was just a cover! If you're in the underworld long enough, you'll learn how to essentially be different people at once"
"Give me a break" Drifa responded "I just wanted to retire from being a hired gun"
"So you wanted out of that life?" I asked
"Yeah… I don't regret choosing the path of an assassin but I don't regret retiring either"
"You don't? Then why'd you leave?"
"Well… It's a bit complicated but let's just say someone convinced me to leave…"
"Someone?!" Aria said leaping up "Was it that Edna person?!"
"Edna? No. I only met her last year"
"Then who convinced you?" I asked
"Ahehehe… I'll keep that to myself"
"What? 3 years and you're still as secretive as ever!"
"Well we all have our secrets. Am I right, 'Riri'?"
"Riri?" I wondered as I notice Aria's right eye twitch
"Aaanyway" Aria said turning to Isaac "How bout you, Mr. Frown?"
"Mr. Frown?" Isaac responded with a sigh "I have a name you know"
"Yeah. Yeah. So… What's your story?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know. What was your career before all this mess?"
"I used to be a baseball player in the Federation"
"And?"
"Nothing much really. I wasn't exactly famous or anything. When the war broke out, I was immediately drafted so didn't really have enough time to build up my career or anything"
So that explains his incredible grenade throws…
"That's it?"
"Yeah… I don't really have an interesting story. I'm just a regular baseball player drafted into the army. Besides, aren't we supposed to be on guard duty?"
Aria sighs. "That's just boring… With this freezing weather, I don't think any Imperials are gonna attack us"
"Yeah…" Isaac responded "We thought the same back in Fort Belgen"
"No one likes a smartass, Mr. Frown"
"My name is Isaac!"
"Really? How about resting bitch face?"
Isaac squints his eyes. "Is she always like this?"
"When she's bored" Drifa answered "Yes. You have my condolences, Isaac. She's gonna bother you until she gets bored of doing that"
Despite being a ruthless assassin, Aria seemed pretty carefree once the shooting dies down. I never really imagined her to be like this.
As they continued their conversation, I noticed Marian walking up the stairs behind us.
"Marian?" I wondered as I stood up "Hey. I'll check the 2nd floor"
"Ooooh" Aria responded "Gonna have a secret rendezvous with Marian?"
"What?!"
"Don't play dumb. I saw her walk up those stairs"
Yeesh… I thought she was busy talking to the others.
I shouldn't forget she's an assassin.
I followed Marian to the 2nd floor and I saw her sitting at the edge of the 2nd floor looking into the sky.
She was only wearing her tank crew uniform.
I took off my jacket and put it on her.
"You'll get cold, you know" I told her
"Denzel?" she replied
"Can't sleep?"
"Yeah…"
"Still sad about losing your sister's tank?"
"I am but… It's just that her birthday's coming soon…"
"Oh yeah… It's on January, right?"
"Yeah…"
Marian never stops thinking about her older sister. Well I understand the sentiment.
I was really torn whether to continue our conversation from Fort Belgen or not.
She didn't ask it yet. Part of me was hoping she forgot about it actually… But
"Hey, Denzel" Marian said "Can you tell me about sis' last mission?"
She remembered that conversation. Clear as day…
I have no means to escape this conversation.
I walked right into it actually…
"Are you sure you want to know?" I asked
"Yeah"
"Alright…"
1937
"We got a couple of rebel lancers in the apartment building!" Elena said over the radio "I can't advance!"
"We're on it!" I responded as I lead my squad into the designated building
The 2nd battle of Randgriz… Thanks to the efforts of the Lanseal cadets, we managed to regain the initiative against the rebels. We were doing well in the opening moments but soon, the rebels manage to fortify their remaining positions.
It was a hard battle. Our tanks could hardly provide support so it was up to the infantry to break the stalemate.
Building to building, room to room.
It was close quarters combat most of the time.
"Elena" I said over the radio "We've entered the target building. Hold your fire!"
"Roger that!" she replied "Make it quick. My trigger finger's itching!"
My squad broke through the emergency exit of the apartment building.
We quickly made our way through the building, dispatching any rebel we see.
Within a few minutes, the threats were neutralized.
"You're clear to move up, Elena!" I said as Elena and her squad push forward.
The battle was almost won. The rebels were on their last legs.
Only one final defensive line remained. If that falls, Randgriz was as good as ours.
We were positioned near the shopping district, surrounded by a couple of tall buildings.
After a few hours of fighting, we were about to break the line until…
"Firing!" Elena said as she fires her tank, destroying the enemy field guns.
She fires again, this time destroying a machinegun nest.
"Field guns and machinegun nests silent" Elena reported
"Copy!" An army officer responded "All forces move in! Secure the castle!"
We were about to advance too but a couple of rebels managed to infiltrate behind our lines.
They positioned themselves in the buildings around us.
Weren't there supposed to be soldiers inside those buildings?
Yeah… Supposedly but the rebels were as good in combat as our own men.
Most of the soldiers in those buildings didn't survive… They never saw the rebels coming from behind…
Oh…
"Grenade!" one of our men shouted as grenades literally rained around us.
We all frantically jumped for cover as explosions occur around us.
Elena's tank was fine.
Of course. Grenades aren't enough to destroy a Type 38
Yeah… But it was enough to put us into disarray.
Many of us were severely injured from the blasts.
Almost everyone was shouting for a medic as the rebels opened fire on our position.
Me and a few others were fine. So we provided cover fire for the medics to evacuate the wounded.
Elena responded by blasting the apartments.
Debris comes crashing down as Elena continues to blast the rebels.
The rebels just kept coming…
So Elena decided to move her tank into the plaza, an open area.
Most of the rebels followed her.
Of course, we did too.
I eventually noticed a rebel lancer getting ready to fire.
"Elena!" I shouted, opening fire on the lancer.
I managed to kill him but he manages to launch his rocket.
It hits the tank's treads.
"Damn it!" Elena said "Tank's disabled! I can't move!"
Her tank was stuck in the middle of the plaza as small arms fire came from every direction.
The rebels were starting to swarm her.
So I ordered my squad to push through and reach the tank.
We managed to do it amazingly.
"Elena!" I said banging on the tank "Get out of the tank! We gotta get out of here!"
"Working on it!" she replied "Too much enemy fire to evacuate my crew!"
"Squad!" I commanded "Provide covering fire! James. You help me get the crew out!"
"Yes sir!"
One by one, we evacuated each crew member as the rebels slowly advanced to our position.
Elena was the last to get out.
We then began to move back to our lines as the rebels kept pushing forward.
I think they saw us retreating because right after that, the rebels just charged towards us, guns blazing.
We ran for our lives in that open field.
The rebels were firing from both sides, front and back.
We took refuge inside one of the buildings.
To make matters worse, we were running low on ammo.
So basically, 4 men armed with Mags submachineguns and 4 tank crew members armed only with Tokarev pistols. All low on ammo.
We immediately requested assistance but the nearest squad that could get to us was still far away and the rebels were still putting up a fight.
Desperate, we decided to fortify the 2nd floor.
Any rebels we kill, we quickly go down and grab any weapons and ammo we see.
Good thing those rebels were using the same weapons as ours.
We managed to hold on for about 30 minutes.
The rebels just kept pouring into the building and we couldn't get their guns and ammo anymore.
They caught on to our dilemma.
After another 20 minutes, we were down to only a few magazines left…
We could clearly see the guns and ammo on the floor below the stairs.
But trying to get them was like trying to get that cheese off of a mouse trap…
One mouse has to die for the others to get it.
That was when your sister decided…
"Elena?!" I said as she suddenly leaps over our makeshift barricade "Elena!"
I frantically followed her as she engages the incoming rebels with her pistol.
"Denzel!" she said throwing me some ammo "Get them upstairs!"
I quickly handed the items to another squad member, who brings them upstairs.
I covered her as best I could but it wasn't good enough…
A rebel rifleman emerges from the window in front of us.
He shoots Elena in the chest.
She returns fire, hitting him in the face.
"Elena!" I shouted running to her side "I need cover fire!"
The other squad members provided cover fire while I carried Elena to the 2nd floor.
We laid her to a table nearby.
She was shot in the stomach.
Normally, a couple of bandages would fix the problem but none of us had any left…
We used up all of our medical equipment on the wounded earlier…
"Shit. Shit. Shit!" I shouted "Elena! Hold on!"
I quickly grabbed the radio. "Where are goddamn reinforcements?!"
"We're almost there!" the other squad replied "Just a few blocks out!"
"Get here faster!" I shouted "We need a medic! We don't have anything to cover the wound!"
"Calm down! We're coming!"
I quickly turn to Elena, who still managed to smile despite the pain.
"They're almost here" I said "Why'd you have to be a goddamn hero, Elena!"
"Hehe" she said in a pained tone "Well… I'm just that whimsical…"
She coughs up some blood.
"Don't talk" I said trying tearing some parts of my uniform "You're gonna make it. Do you hear me!? You're gonna make it out of this!"
I frantically used the torn parts of my uniform as a makeshift bandage.
"There" I said "Put pressure on that, alright?"
The fighting as getting more and more intense as the rebels were starting to climb the stairs.
"Go" Elena said
"What?"
"Go. Defend the barricade… I'll be ok"
I didn't have much of a choice… The rebels were about to overrun our position.
"Don't you dare close those eyes!" I told her
She smiles at me. "Don't worry. I won't close them. I promise. Besides…"
Elena slowly raised her head and kissed me… "I still have a lot of things I want to do with you"
"Th-That's a promise then"
I didn't really have time to be flustered. At the time, I thought how whimsical Elena was.
She was always the type to say and do whatever she wanted. Even to the point of playing around with the others. I think you know what I mean, right?
Yeah…
We managed to defend our position and finally enough, the reinforcements came and we were finally safe.
I breathed a sigh of relief as I quickly got back to Elena.
But she wasn't moving…
My eyes widen. "No… No…"
I ran to her side.
Her eyes were still open and she was still smiling but she was cold…
During the fighting, she must've died from the blood loss…
I immediately collapsed to the floor as I began to cry.
"That's not what I meant when I said don't close those eyes!" I shouted "That's not what I meant!"
Elena also had a habit of taking some of the things I say literally as a joke to annoy me sometimes. Until the very end, she still pulled that same prank to me but this time, this prank was far too cruel…
"I couldn't protect your sister…" I said sorrowfully "I let her bleed out… I thought she could last longer… If only I knew… If only I knew…"
I was starting to cry as Marian hugged me.
Didn't really stop me from crying though…
"It's ok" Marian said "You tried your best"
"But… But…"
"I don't blame you or anyone from your squad… Sis died fighting and, like you said, with a smile. She didn't regret what she did"
"But…"
"Shhh. It's ok. We're not like the valkyrur. We don't have some kind of superpower to save everyone. We're only humans after all…"
"Marian…"
Before I could utter a word, I spotted several shadowy figures moving in the dark snowy night and the unmistakable sound of a tank engine.
Adrenaline quickly courses through my body as me and Marian stand up.
We look at one another and nod as we ran downstairs.
"I've spotted movement!" I said to the others as Aria looks out through the window.
A bullet flies past her.
"Ok" Aria said picking up her rifle "We got company!"
Immediately after, bullets begin to fly again.
Everyone quickly gathered by the factory's wall.
"What do we got?" Franko asked as the others returned fire
"A couple of Imperial squads" Aria answered "'and light tanks"
Suddenly, a tank shell destroys the eastern part of the factory wall. Good thing none of us was there.
They were throwing everything they had at us!
Rockets, grenades, tank shells
They were throwing everything but the kitchen sink.
Before we knew it, we were facing off against an entire battalion.
"They're really desperate!" General Barredo said as he throws a grenade "Rain! Move to the second floor! Provide sniper support! Isaac, Jane, Drifa! Go with her!"
As the others move to their positions, I could hear the unmistakable sound of tank engines.
I slowly peeked through the window and I was greeted by the sight of several Imperial tanks in the front.
They didn't look like the standard Imperial Light Tank. And they were too small to be medium tanks.
I didn't really have enough time to think about that as the tanks open fire on our position.
Some shells missed while others destroyed parts of the factory.
Roswell quickly takes aim and destroys two tanks in quick succession.
But before he could fire his 3rd rocket, the tanks suddenly started speeding towards our position while raining machinegun fire on us.
"SHIT!" General Barredo said "Everyone! Get out of the factory!"
We quickly turned around and started running as the Imperial tanks break through the factory walls.
Rain and the others barely managed to escape the crumbling factory.
The Imperial tanks break through the wreckage.
Rain and the others quickly take cover as the enemy tanks open fire on us.
Me, Marian, Sonia, Aster, and Edna managed to take cover inside a train station while the others took refuge inside a house.
Some of the tanks turned around and began attacking the other parts of the defensive line.
While 2 tanks continued chasing us, raining heavy fire on our positions and the buildings we took refuge in weren't exactly in top condition either…
"Denzel" Marian said tapping my shoulder "I have a plan"
"What is it?" I asked
"Those are 7TPs. They were originally a prototype for a new tank for the Federation. But when Drzewica fell back in '37, these tanks fell into Imperial hands"
"How'd you know that?"
"I've read up on tank history when I signed up at Lanseal"
"So you know how to drive one?"
"Their controls should be pretty similar to Gallia's medium tanks but I can adapt…"
"So what's your plan?"
Marian smiles as she gathers everyone around her.
After about 5 minutes, I picked up my radio.
"General Barredo" I called
"What is it, Denzel?" he replied
"Sir. We have a plan but we need you to keep those 2 tanks busy"
"I gotcha! Make it quick. This house isn't gonna last long!"
With that, General Barredo and his squad returned fire as best they could while we crawled through the train tracks.
The Imperials bought it and completely engaged the general's position.
The two tanks weren't parallel, one was behind the other.
This would have been easy but the Imperial infantry had already caught up.
We hid behind some bushes as the enemy infantry engages our allies.
Once we made sure that no more infantry units were coming, we slowly crawled towards the unsuspecting Imperials.
About 3 soldiers were hiding behind the tank we were targeting.
They haven't spotted us yet but I wasn't ready to take any chances.
"Aster. Sonia" I said handing Aster my rifle "Take out those soldiers but make sure no one notices. One shot to the head"
The two nod as they aim their rifles at the Imperials.
The two fire, hitting their marks.
They quickly pull back their bolts as the 3rd soldiers notices them.
Before he could alert his allies, Sonia shoots his mouth then Aster finishes him off with a headshot.
"Nice shot, Sonia" Aster said returning my rifle
Sonia chuckles as we continued sneaking towards the tank.
After a while, we reached the back of the tank.
"So" I said "How do we open this thing?"
But before Marian could tell me, an Imperial soldier opens the hatch and mounts the machinegun.
Must have been our lucky day…
Edna quickly draws her Browning pistol and shoots the enemy gunner in the head as Marian enters the tank.
After a couple of shots from her revolver, she gains control of the tank.
The Imperials were so preoccupied with the others that they didn't notice what just happened.
"How are you doing, Marian?" I asked as Marian familiarizes herself with the controls
"Ok… That's the pedal… We turn using this…" she muttered as the tank clumsily moves a bit
"Marian. The Imperials are gonna notice this tank stopped shooting"
"I got this"
Marian then moves the turret towards the other enemy tank.
She fires a shot, destroying it.
We quickly emerged from behind the tank neutralized the remaining soldiers.
"Nice strategy" General Barredo said as the others moved to our position "But we still got a line to defend. Let's move!"
"Yes sir!"
The Imperials managed to break through our defensive line.
We were forced to retreat to the square but by then, the fortifications were complete so we managed to halt their advance…
The fighting died down again at around 2am…
That was a surprise… But on the bright side, Marian has a new tank now…
We thought this was going to be an easy victory but I guess a cornered enemy is a force to be reckoned with. But still… No sign of those 'walking tanks' we heard… Why do I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of another week's long battle…?
2:30am:
Aster and others took over guard duty for us. Finally time to get some sleep… Or at least salvage what sleep I can…
Everyone was understandably on high alert.
Amazingly, in the darkness, Aster spots a figure walking through some buildings south of our position.
Without a single word to anyone, he investigates.
He sneaks through the rubble, using the various campfires and light sources in the area to approximate the position of the person he's stalking.
The unknown figure stops at the 2nd floor of a house.
Aster notices the figure bring out a pair of binoculars.
"A scout…" he mutters as he slowly walks towards the figure.
The floor creeks and the figure turns around.
Aster aims his gun at the figure. "Don't move. Hands up"
"Aster?"
Aster's eyes widen.
He brings out a lighter while still pointing his gun.
"Emilia…"
The two sorrowfully stared at one another.
Aster then puts his gun down and embraces the Imperial soldier.
Emilia's eyes widen. She tries to reach for her knife.
Her commanding officer's orders echo in her head. "When you see your boyfriend, make him feel pain"
Her hands were shaking, her breathing heavy, and she was ready to cry.
"Emilia. I'm glad you're still alright…" Aster said hugging her tightly
Emilia gasps as tears began streaming from her eyes.
She then returns Aster's hug.
"Why are you here? Why?" she asked with a sorrowful tone.
Aster did not respond as the two simply continued to hug one another.
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