Chương 37: Chapter 37
After speaking with Bomen, Ajax went to tinker with his mech and see if anything was wrong with it. He had been fighting continuously for the day and these types of continuous battles can cause significant damage to a mech leading to some timely repairs.
During his battles, Ajax was able to discover some adjustments that could be made and different fighting styles that could be used depending on the Level and Type of mech. Today was quite a fruitful day as they were able to also provide Ajajx with some really valuable battle experience.
Bomen nodded in satisfaction as he observed Ajax's busy figure as he tinkered with his mech. He took a final puff of his cigar before planting the barely used cigar next to the dead rescue team mech pilot in a show of respect.
For the next few hours, everyone was busy cleaning up the battlefield and repairing all the damage done to the camp. Even those who were not operators joined the effort, acting as backup members whenever the camp had a manpower shortage.
Despite the victory against all odds, the mood was very somber due to the heavy casualties endured by the camp, the darkening sky was glowing orange signifying that it would rain soon.
Monkey returned with the wounded and the mechs that had been put out of commission by Ajax. Additionally, Ajax, accompanied by Bomen, recovered the destroyed mechs near the camp, capturing his spoils of war and turning his residence into a graveyard of mechs.
Bomen couldn't wrap his head around why Ajax would possibly want these now useless mechs, but he didn't hesitate to help Ajax when he asked for it, actually hoping that Ajax would make some additional demands more deserving of his achievements.
When Ajax was about to attend to his matters at his residence, a horn suddenly rang out and echoed in the distance. Camp security personnel, armed and ready, stood on high points prepared to defend against a possible enemy attack. This caused Ajax to furrow his brows and ponder 'Could more men from Hell's League have decided to attack? Did they not suffer enough casualties?'
However, it just turned out to be that the operators responsible for the business district had returned and not an enemy attack.
"Boss! Something's horribly wrong!" An operator shouted as he jumped out of the vehicle, stumbling as he ran to Bomen without hesitation. From the blood on his body and his disheveled appearance, it was evident he had gone through hell.
"What's wrong? Take a deep breath and tell me what's wrong," Bomen assisted the member and motioned for him to calm down.
"The business....the business district has been attacked! A coalition of over a thousand people and over 20 mechs from the Hell's League attacked is besieging the business district. We need reinforcements desperate....ly...." The operator trailed off as he noticed the broken gate and all of the corpses near the camp, leaving him bewildered.
"Slow down, slow down. What is the current situation in the business district?" Ajax, having heard the entire account, also joined the conversation.
The operator didn't know who Ajax, who was standing behind Bomen was, but seeing Bomen's resolute expression and silence awaiting his response, he continued, "Our forces of over 500 men detected the threat and promptly organized defenses. We fought for over five hours, but we're starting to lose. Their numbers just keep on increasing. At this rate, we won't make it through the night. They've also jammed our comms, so it's impossible to get in contact with anyone and call for backup. I was sent here through a secret passage to call for reinforcements."
"Fuck! These Motherfuckers attacked both two sections of our camp at the same time!" The nearby operators exclaimed with anger. The business district was crucial for the Lazoole Society's income. It goes without saying that if they lost the business district, then there would be some severe consequences for them.
The Hell's League did not only try to kill the normal residents living inside, but they also sought to cripple their economic measures.
"These motherfuckers," Ajax sighed helplessly. The upper echelons of the Hell's League were undoubtedly skilled, creating a very well-orchestrated plan. In the morning they attacked the transport convoy attack, drew the forces from the Lazoole Society there, then targeted the entrance of the base as a distraction from their real goal: The business district.
If it weren't for the predictable variable by the name of Ajax, the rescue team would have been wiped out and the camp would have been invaded and wiped out by now.
Everyone around looked at Bomen, awaiting his orders.
Bomen remained silent and slightly lowered his head allowing his cowboy hat to conceal his eyes as he took deep drags from his cigar. Even as his cigar burned down to the bottom, he continued to smoke. His clenched fist displayed his anger, betraying the indifferent pose he was currently maintaining.
"Boss..." An operator close to Bomen called out softly.
Ten seconds later, Bomen discarded the cigar and sighed, "I-I don't think that we'll....be able to send any....reinforcements...."
After repelling the attack, Bomen had attempted to contact the business district, hoping he could get some reinforcements in case of another assault. However, all attempts failed. He sensed that something was amiss and was going to send someone to report on the situation, but before he could do so, the operator bearing more bad news appeared. It seemed as if fate was hellbent on crippling the Lazoole Society.
"But, boss, the business district is our lifeline. If we abandon it..." An operator stepped forward and started to voice his opinion before Bomen raised his hand, causing the operator to shut his mouth.
As the leader of the Lazoole Society, he understood the significance of the business district better than anyone here. However, the camp had just suffered severe damage, with hundreds dead, most survivors injured, and a scarce number of operational mechs. Even defending the camp was a challenging task with their current forces, let alone being able to send off some of his men to provide support.
If they sent all their combat-ready individuals as reinforcements for the business district, the camp would be left to fend for themselves. If another attack occurred, it would be a futile endeavor to defend it. Life or money—Bomen had to make a choice.
"What if we send out an emergency broadcast recalling all of the operators that are out on missions? We still have hundreds of forces out there, if they come back we can certainly rival the forces from the Hell's League!" Another operator suggested. These mission-ready operators were their elite forces and they possessed ample combat capability and experience.
"We can also contact the Four Tribes and ask for reinforcements from them, they are our allies after all. If we fall, the Hell's League will not spare them either." Another operator added, remembering their allies.
"I've already taken all of your suggestions into consideration," Bomen said as he signaled for the operators to calm down. "But it will take at least eight hours for them to return. By then, the business district will have been destroyed. I also attempted to contact the people of the Four Tribes, but it was in vain. If my hunch is correct, they too were attacked and are unable to assist us."
After speaking, Bomen sighed deeply. Losing the business district would likely strip them of their status as one of Lazoole Society's three major organizations.
"But, we can't abandon our men in the business district. Hundreds of lives will be lost..." The operator who sought help had a tear rolling down his left eye, on the verge of crying.
"When I founded the Lazoole Society, I vowed that I would never leave a man behind. Go back and instruct them to retreat, I'll meet them halfway there." Bomen ordered. The operators stopped talking, it seemed to be the only viable option at the moment.
"I'll go," Ajax raised his hand, drawing everyone's attention.
"I know you're our best pilot, but we must look at the bigger picture." Bomen patted Ajax on the shoulder.
"I'm not doing this for you. Like you said, I need to go somewhere anyway." Ajax shook his head.
"You need to go somewhere? Where are you planning to go?" Bomen and the surrounding operators were puzzled by Ajax's unexpected declaration.
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