Greetings, all! GetterDragonRagnarokSamurai here, writing what's probably my least creative and at the same time most spontaneous fanfic in years. This is a minor crossover between Five Star Stories and VC-mainly using the name of the series' mechs and concepts taken from that series concerning the construction of said mechs.
I know there are plenty out there that think VC and mechs don't mix, but I hope you'll enjoy this anyway.
Valkyria Chronicles: Mortar Headd Chronicles
By GetterDragonRagnarokSamurai
It is EC 1935, in a Europa that is different, and yet very much the same.
Toward the West still lies the Atlantic Federation. To the East still lies the East Europan Imperial Alliance. And between their feet, but far from beneath their notice, still stands the Principality of Gallia, with its rich Ragnite reserves.
In this tale, the three nations make use of large humanoid combat machines called Mortar Headds. First created at the advent of the 20th century EC, these revolutionized the face of warfare throughout Europa, and technology soon evolved to accommodate their place on the battlefield. Infantry gave way to Headdliners, pilots of the Mortar Headds. Ground troops now had protection from the ever-present aerial bombardment that all sides employed until the advent of the Empire's first Mortar Headds.
With armored ground support becoming more common with each passing year, especially once the First Europan War got into full swing, several important men and engineers took to mass-producing them. Thus began the divide in Mortar Headd hierarchy. Ordinary footsoldiers were given standardized machines. Divided by class—Scout, Shocktrooper, Artillery, Sniper, and Supply. And standing head-and-shoulders above them all—sometimes literally—combining features from all the basic classes, with higher performance capabilities, armor, are Commander-Class Headds. These are the true works of art, the pride of every Europan power fielding them.
Every Commander-Class Headd is unique. They are engineered personally by the design of the commander promoted into their pilot seat, and created to represent the absolute most capable weapons in their nation's arsenal.
Alternately, assuming the Headd outlives its controller, it can be passed on in their will to ensure the creators' legacy lives on, and they will be suitably updated as time goes by if allowed. In all cases, a Commander's Headd is considered to be something truly amazing and unique, meticulously cared for by all who own it and all appointed by its owner to maintain it. Those Headdliners who rise to higher ranks get progressively more advanced weapons, and it is considered a severe breach of honor for the military to reappropriate a Commander-Class Mortar Headd. Not to say it doesn't happen, but such incidents tend to be highly publicized if done haphazardly.
The Empire, being the pioneers of Mortar Headd technology, prove to have the most superior armor, and Commander-class Headds which far outclass their contemporaries, being that they are on the cutting edge of all Mortar Headd development. Gallia, on the other hand, is struggling to find new innovations for their Commander-Class Headds to stand up to everything around them while at the same time training all their citizens in combat vehicle operation, including Mortar Headds, as part of their doctrine of "armed neutrality." There is a considerable gap within Gallia itself in the quality of the combat vehicles—especially the Headds—afforded to their militia, and that afforded to their regular army. All Militia Headds issued are last-generation models from the tail end of First Europan War.
And on the lowest end of Headd technology sits the Atlantic Federation, which compensates with much more useful support vehicles and aerial bombers that absolutely devastate Imperial Mortar Headd forces. As such, the Empire devised anti-air-equipped MHs(as giving the humanoid form of the Mortar Headd a flight capability is something considered patently impossible at this time) to shoot down their formidable and deadly bombers. Additionally, though they lack in ground firepower, the Federation more than makes up for that with underhanded political prowess, able to subvert target nations behind the bullets, rather than the Empire's historic reliance on said bullets to ensure cooperation.
At present, the First Europan War has ended, but a second one followed hot on its heels, as no formal peace agreement was reached. Border conflicts between the Federation and Empire once again grew into all-out war, and this time the Empire set its sights on Gallia outright rather than the conflict between it and its opposite number merely spilling over as it previously had. Attempting to claim Gallia's rich Ragnite reserves to power its large and powerful Mortar Headd force, the Empire moves in from the Northeast, and the destiny of one Welkin Gunther and Alicia Melchiott will be set in motion as it always has.
March 1935
Outside the Gallian border town of Bruhl
The approaching invasion had put the citizens on high alert. All were evacuating, moving inland toward the Capital to avoid the devastation the Empire would bring. Whether by foot, car, or even carriage, the way to go was out. Except for one man who was going in instead.
Welkin Gunther looked at everything going by with mild curiosity, and at the Mortar Headds stationed on the side of the road, however few of them there were, and far between. Security was tight, all things considered. Not especially so—at least in comparison to something closer to the Capital—but still notable. It certainly wasn't like this when he was last here. Boy was that a long time ago… But other than the Headds lining either side of the road(were they looking at him?), it hadn't changed a bit.
Ignoring the Headds' stares for the moment, Welkin stopped by a river, noticing some fish. "Whoa… Already?" This was definitely unexpected, and a sight to see. "Hey there guys! You're beautiful…" The trio of fish's red-and-green scales shone brilliantly through the clear fresh water. "Starting early this year," Welkin noted. "You're heading upstream, huh? How's the water?"
Once he was done… Conversing, Welkin put down the shoulder bag he was carrying and took out his sketchbook to record these fish, seemingly without a care in the world. The evacuees of Bruhl gave him odd looks as he worked with his pen. He had to stop for a moment, though, as the earth began to shake, steps slowly growing closer to him, until finally a female voice boomed behind him.
"Put your hands in the air," it said. "Slowly."
Welkin now stopped completely, turning around to look behind him… And his eyes went wide, as he spotted a Mortar Headd in Gallian blue with a Town Watch insignia on its shoulder. It was an older model, befitting its position, but being a tiny man made of mere flesh and blood—and doing nothing but enjoying nature!—he was rather surprised and intimidated.
Putting down his book and doing as instructed, Welkin looked to see that on each side of the Headd were two identical models, and all were holding a standard combat rifle with close-combat weapons stored on the back. They were pretty beefy-looking, to be sure. Either way, Welkin didn't like THREE of them staring him down like this—one man!
The lead Headd's chest cockpit opened up, and rappelling down in an blue-and-white pilot outfit with a rifle of her own was its operator, the one who called Welkin out. Welkin didn't dare make a move, not that he planned to, with her two companions staring him down. "I haven't seen you around before," the pilot said, as she walked up to Welkin properly, training her own gun on him. "You are?" At the very least, she looked cute in her pigtaisl, farmgirl headscarf, and blue-and-white minidress.
"Um, uh…" Welkin slowly stood up, but kept his hands in the air. "My name is Welkin. You are?"
She didn't seem too amused by that, that much was written all over her face. "The one with the gun and two Headds backing her up. We're with the Bruhl Town Watch. I'm Alicia. Alicia Melchiott. So… I'm wondering what you're writing in that little book you've got. Imperial spies are in the area, and spies don't need Headds to do their work," she said, her expression all too clearly suspicious. Welkin looked at the sketchbook, and shook his head quickly.
"Ah, this? I was just sketching the fish, really… You know…"
'Oh, I know," Alicia replied with a knowing smirk now. "And YOU know there's a war going on, don't you? Alright, then, Mr. Artist. We'll talk about fish sketching down at the station. Come with us… IF you don't mind…" Alicia backed off into her Headd and pulled on the line, ascending back into her cockpit and closing the hatch. Once that was done, her Town Watch-issue Headd crouched down, left palm open and face-up on the ground. "Hop in," she said on the loudspeaker, making Welkin jump slightly. In the end, though, he let out a defeated sigh.
"Thanks, fish…"
The walk to the station seemed to take forever, and Welkin didn't like that combined with the fact he was being held eight meters off the ground by this Alicia girl's Headd. She at least seemed to know what she was doing in it, but that hardly eased his worry as he held on tight in case anything went wrong. There were periodic stops as well, which was odd to him—and here came another one.
"Flowers, bugs, and fish. You're not bad with a pen, are you?" Alicia asked, making him look back at her Headd's cockpit from his position. "I have to say, they're really very good." Welkin was pretty sure she was smiling underneath all that metal.
So that's why we were stopping… She was looking at all my sketches. Welkin felt rather flattered, and so smiled at her. "Thank you. So you see, I really WAS just sketching…" He said, only for there to be a delay of silence, and suddenly the Town Watch Headds began moving again, making him tighten his grip on the metal palm's handholds. She could at least be more careful, though!
"Maybe," Alicia began, as they walked," or maybe it's some kind of secret code. And I intend to take my time finding out!"
Once Welkin had gotten his bearings again, being shaken out of his happy state at having his sketches being appreciated, he sighed. "Great…"
But salvation would soon come, in the form of a very soothing voice.
"Welks? Is that you?"
It sounded like a girl… But to Welkin, it sounded like THAT girl. He looked up to see a young Darcsen girl looking at him from a bridge they were about to cross, hands clasped together and her expression laced with extreme worry. "Isara! Is that you? Your timing is perfect!" She ran up to the Town Watch Headds since they'd stopped moving, and looked up at the hand of Alicia's, where Welkin was.
"What have you gotten yourself into now, Welkin…?"
There seemed to be a pause, when suddenly Alicia's Headd cockpit opened again, and she rappelled down to meet Isara face-to-face. "Wait… Don't you live down at the old general's house?" She asked. Isara gave a nod.
"That's right, I'm General Gunther's daughter, Isara."
But Alicia seemed to get straight to the point here. "You do know everyone's supposed to evacuate, right?"
"Yes, I'm aware of that." Isara nodded again. "My brother's here to help me move to the Capital." She giggled slightly, though, as she looked up at where Welkin(who was growing increasingly nervous at being almost literally left hanging like that) was. "But that may be difficult. I mean, unless you're willing to let him go, that is."
"Huh?" Alicia followed her gaze, and seemed to have an almost… Pouty expression as she made her way back to the Headd and reentered the cockpit, pulling Welkin to its level almost too quickly and handing him his sketchbook.
"Whoa!" Once again Welkin held on tight, and he was hoping he'd be back on solid ground soon enough. Being almost literally in the palm of Alicia's hand was not fun, not when he could have a nasty fall any second.
"I apologize, but I was just doing my job you know," she said, sounding a lot more calm than she looked after Isara made her request. "I saw your notebook and thought you were a spy. Again, I'm really sorry about that."
"Thanks, don't worry about it. I can understand how I might have looked suspicious," Welkin replied. But he did frown a little. "But was it really necessary to take me in with THREE Headds!?"
"Well, you gotta make do with what you've got, you know, and I had the courtesy to come down and show you my own rifle," Alicia argued back, crossing her arms and meeting Welkin's frown with her own… All while Isara giggled down at the bottom. Both turned to look at her, and she just gave an innocent look. One Welkin knew all too well. What he didn't know, though, was what thoughts lay behind it.
"I bet you got a little distracted again, Welks," she said with a sweet tone that was just slightly laced with taunting.
"Y-yeah, I did…" Welkin responded, laughing a little nervously. "Sometimes I forget where I am… Or that somebody might be watching me," he added while looking at Alicia, who, while still not looking amused at his previous comment, did laugh herself, and that eased her mood a little…
Until there was sudden cannon fire not far over the hills of Bruhl's outskirts.
"Cannons! Welkin, get in!" Alicia said, before pulling him in without waiting for a response so that he was sitting next to her in the Headd's pilot seat. The cockpit closed, and all the familiar sights of the monochrome red-orange monitors, displays, levers, and pedals from his training sessions took over the nature. Inwardly, he sighed—if there was one thing he disliked about Mortar Headds beyond the fact they wrecked things, it was that so much as sitting in an old one like this gave you such a dim view of the world…
He looked to see that Isara as well entered one of the Town Watchmans' Headds for immediate safety, and he looked at Alicia with even more worry. "Sh-she'll be safe, right?" He asked. At that question, she got on the radio and made a request to the one taking his sister in.
"Smith, retreat and put her down somewhere safe, then come back to help us out!" She said, before turning in the direction of all that violent noise. The war had finally come to Bruhl, it seemed, and her scowl was all too apparent at the fact.
"Over there!" Welkin said to her, pointing out a pair of Scout-class Imperial Mortar Headds, their beige armor glinting off the sunlight, and their insignia clearly visible on their shoulders. How ironic that even the lowliest footsoldiers of the Empire would have such a sleek, knightly design. Everything about them seemed rather… Thin, even taking Scouts into account. Their legs and arms were almost dainty, and their shoulders broad and pointy, while the torso section was only a bit thicker than that to accommodate all the necessary equipment. And there was the ever-present single-eye design of generic Imperial Headds, giving a malevolent stare toward all the Empire's foes.
And they wasted no time in affirming that malice by firing on everyone and everything in their sights. Their combat rifles tore apart anyone that didn't get out of the way. Grouped-together civilians and their vehicles met the ever-destructive MH Ragnite Grenade. Alicia let out a gasp as her peaceful day, as much as she was here to help maintain it, fell all around her, and Welkin was no different, staring at all the death and destruction that had come so suddenly. The flames of war had finally reached them, and it was becoming almost literal as the grass became charred by the Scouts' weapons, and the retaliation of the remaining Town Watchman's Headd, which was firing its own rifle back at the Imperial machines. Unfortunately, he took a bullet straight to the cockpit, and his Headd fell over lifeless.
That was the point where Alicia realized she had to take action. "Hold on tight, Welkin!" She ordered, rushing off to the right flank of the troops, while readying her own rifle. Welkin could see that they were shifting their focus toward them and not the civilians, even while he shook in his seat when Alicia's Headd bounded over the stone wall on the road. The crimson monitor already pointed out the most effective target to her, and her bulky blue Headd took aim at the Scout, going directly for a cockpit shot.
Alicia pulled the trigger five times, and three of the shots hit, denting and destroying the targeted section. There wasn't even a smear left of the Imperial pilot inside all the smoke that resulted. However, a warning alarm sounded—his companion was taking aim at them as well, and three rifle shots hit them in the back soon after the siren.
"Aah!" Alicia panicked slightly, but she was still in the game, turning her MH around to spot the second foe, and returned fire. But only one pull of the trigger registered, and it was a miss as the enemy Headd dodged—she needed to reload. Now was when she panicked more as she fumbled with the controls.
We're not getting a second chance! Welkin thought, as he, on the spur of the moment, jumped into Alicia's lap and wrested the controls from her. He ran off and crouched carefully, reloading the combat rifle with a hip-stored clip, and, ignoring how comfortable he felt for a second, raised the large black gun once more, pulling the trigger five times. The full clip of shots hit his target, and the sheer force of all the impacts caused the Scout Headd to fall onto its back.
Welkin and Alicia both let out a sigh of relief, though when Welkin looked back at her, he noticed her face was tinted red. His became such as well once he remembered his position, but their moment was interrupted by another rifle shot whizzing past their Watchman Headd's rounded shoulders. He reloaded immediately, seeing a third Scout, but was gently tapped on the shoulder by Alicia.
"I got this one!" She insisted, and Welkin quickly moved out of the seat. Concentrating once more, Alicia grabbed the controls, breathed, and aimed her shot right at the last Imperial Headd's cockpit, firing off a five-round burst. Just like Welkin's previous volley, this one made full contact, and as far as her Headd's sensors were concerned, the immediate area was now all green.
But as Welkin examined her expression, even taking that into account, she was far from happy.
"No other sign of the enemy, Miss Melchiott," said a town watchman over the radio.
"Good," was all she could say, in a devastated low tone. "Now, go keep watch and stay alert.." Alicia herself, meanwhile, began to take a small patrol of her own, observing the devastation.
Welkin was positively sickened, and he was sure Alicia right now was no different. No one was left in one piece by that. All the craters, bullet holes… And barely-identifiable corpses were littered about the road. The Empire was a truly indiscriminate enemy, bringing Headds' weapons to bear on mere civilians who were evacuating a town. Even if they were all trained for combat, anyone who was going to fight was doing so already.
"So, it's begun…" Alicia said with a sigh. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect the people of this town." Her Headd stopped on a hillside as she got on the radio once more. "What about Isara? Is she safe?" She asked.
"Absolutely, Ma'am. She even gave me a few pointers on my Headd's performance," replied the Watchman, earning a small chuckle from Welkin—and boy did he need that to keep his mood light, even if it was still associated with the destruction that had just been caused by such a vehicle.
He was surprised, though, when Alicia opened the cockpit of her Headd and stood up, reaching into her pocket and coming out with a clenched fist that opened up, releasing several seeds into the air. Welkin smiled more at this.
"The Lion's Paw, hmm? Small, simple, and strong."
"Even if it means going to war," Alicia began as she watched the seeds scatter to the winds, "I'll protect this town. And I want to remember that it wasn't all just people killing people. Even with these Mortar Headds… There can be new life in War. No matter all the destruction they cause, we can rebuild.
After it was made sure that no more Imperial soldiers or their Headds were on the outskirts of Bruhl, the impromptu trio of Alicia, Welkin, and Isara made their way to the border town proper, taking a Mortar Headd road in. Isara walked carefully on the outside of the road next to Alicia's machine, and Welkin was right next to her, thoroughly enjoying the fresh town air, and that feeling of being home again.
Isara had also done a very decent patch job on Alicia's MH before they made their way, after the rifle hits had put serious dents in the back. Its radiator had nearly gone uncovered, and for a standard-issue Headd, that was an absolute death sentence. They were fragile enough as it was, at least in comparison to the Commander models, so they needed all the advantages they could get.
They stopped when they got to the center of the town, where its large windmill spun tall and proud, Welkin looking on with a gleam in his eyes. Its twin blades revolved at a relaxed pace in the wind, and it only made him even happier, especially after what he'd just seen . "Seeing that old mill spinning again.. Really makes me feel like home," he said with a contented sigh.
"I hear that," Alicia said, opening her Headd's cockpit and going down to join them now that all seemed well so far. While she was still inside of it, she rather enjoyed the weird looks some passersby were giving Welkin due to his… Overt happiness at being in Bruhl again. Still, it was infectious, not to mention she was feeling some of it of her own accord as it was. "It really is one of the most beautiful things in this town." She smiled more as she found a spot beside Welkin, clearly enjoying the enormous, even iconic building of the town even more now she was seeing it in color and not Mortar Headd red.
Suddenly, though, she turned toward Welkin and Alicia, giving a sharp salute. "Well, citizens, the enemy can't be far behind. Thank you for your help. Goodbye, and take care." She then got back inside her Headd with a smile at the two of them, and a short laugh, before closing the cockpit and giving a wave once she'd gotten her hands on the controls again. The Mortar Headd then walked off, making its way toward the Town Watch Station.
With nods at each other, Isara and Welkin proceeded to go on toward their house, though he couldn't resist making a remark as they got moving. "Guess you still love tinkering, eh, Is? Giving pointers on that watchman's Headd…"
She nodded with a small measure of pride, but also genuine passion for her hobby. "Of course I have, Welks. I've gotten even better since you last saw me," she replied, smiling at him. "I still remember the amount of times I had to tell you not to overstress the limbs back in training." The tone of that little reminder was teasing enough to set Welkin off.
"W-well, hey! That stuff's complicated for first-timers, you know," he countered, reeling from the low blow slightly. Now, though, Isara's tone got even more taunting.
"I figured it out just fine."
"Y-yeah, well, you're…" Welkin began, but couldn't find anything else to follow up with. Isara's smile became triumphant.
"A genius, maybe?"
"Well, when it comes to Headds, at least."
Isara gave a small pout at this. "Also at time management," she shot back. Welkin's sigh of defeat(boy, he was having a lot of those lately) gave her the victory she wanted.
They soon arrived at his house after that session of back-and-forth teasing was done, preparing to get everything together.
"How's the packing coming along, Is?" Welkin asked as they arrived at the door of the two-floor house.
"Almost done," she responded. "I only need to take the everyday basics."
Welkin nodded, definitely glad for the fact that Isara was dependable as always—though the reminder of that fact after Alicia had left still stung. "Alright. Well, the Empire's got to be close by, so let's try to leave by sundown at the latest," he said.
Isara looked in a different direction after affirming that, and called out to someone. "Martha, look! Welks is here!"
Welkin followed her address to find a brown-haired woman, clearly expecting, wearing yellow with an apron over her simple clothing. His dear old nanny Martha… And she was definitely happy to see him. "Ohh, welcome back, Welkies!" She greeted him, making Welkin sweat quite nervously. He rubbed the back of his head on top of it all.
"You're still calling me that? Martha, I'm 22 years old!" He protested, but moved the issue to something far more pressing. "And more importantly, you shouldn't be running around. You're due any day now!" But she only smiled in response.
"Aww, a light jog won't hurt the little spud! I should know, I've had four of them by now!" She responded, waving off Welkin's concern with sheer experience. She, Isara, and Welkin, however, were all thrown off by the unmistakeable quake of an approaching Mortar Headd, but the steps stopped somewhat far off.
They turned to see Alicia rappelling down from her Watchman-issue Headd, and so gathered at the gate to greet her. She seemed to have some kind of bag, that, when she drew closer, Welkin saw was full of loaves of bread. What's that about? Welkin asked. Didn't she have work to do as it was anyway? Why was she here?
"Oh, Welkin, there you are!" She said, walking up to him.
"Hey Alicia. What brings you here?" He asked, his expression pleased, but no less clearly curious.
"I just wanted to apologize for before. …Again." That'd make the third time, Welkin realized, but before he could say anything, Alicia held out the bag to him. "Here, this is for you," she affirmed. As he took it, he could only look on with mild confusion.
"Really? These are for me?" He asked. He was quite surprised, and Alicia affirmed with a nod and a very bright smile. Welkin was really starting to like that smile.
"Mm-hmm! I work at the bakery. Or I did until this war started. It's also where I live," she explained. "That's preserved bread, so it's pretty hard. So make sure to heat it up before you eat it. I baked it myself, so the flavor's guaranteed. Best you ever had!" Alicia added proudly, her smile only growing.
"Thanks!" Welkin nodded, before looking over at the door. "So, uh, do you want to come in?"
"Oh, um, sure! Thank you!" She replied.
"Well, come on then! I need to find out how Welkies knows you, after all!" Martha stated, earning an exasperated sigh from Welkin and a laugh from Alicia.
"W-Welkies?" She asked, incredulous at such a name. "Heeheehee…"
"M-Martha!" Welkin protested, but his nanny could only laugh while Isara had a much quieter laugh in the background. One he knew all too well, but that was nonetheless too subtle for anyone inexperienced to catch.
With that, they made their way in, and at Martha's insistence, told the story once they were in the dining room.
"Haha! Arrested, shot at, and jacking a Town Watch Mortar Headd. What a busy day YOU'VE had, Welkies. And what a lovely lady of adventure you brought home too! Great job, Welkies!" She said, her amusement from before not subsiding, while Welkin stared for a moment, trying to take in what she said(amidst the giggles of the other girls, of course).
"What? Wait, no, it's not like that! Alicia just saved my skin is all!" He protested. Alicia backed him up on this one quickly, but far more calmly.
"And he returned the favor. But hey, I'm his hero anyway, so I suppose I'm a good influence on him." Welkin stared at her, and she only laughed more, but stopped quickly and smiled. "I'm not his girlfriend, but I am hoping to be his friend," she said far more warmly.
Martha nodded. "Well, I'm sure you will. You be good to my Welkies here, won't you?"
"Okay, Martha, that's enough 'Welkies' for one day…" How many times was Welkin going to sigh today? Sure, it was fun being back home and all, but it seemed like everyone here was out to get him. At least even Isara was wise enough to stop giggling by now. He then caught Alicia's eyes wandering toward a wall in the kitchen.
"That's a lovely portrait. Is that General Gunther?" She asked.
Welkin nodded, looking at the sight as well. There was his father, Belgen, with his grizzled beard, and his best friend Theimer right next to him. "Yep. It was taken before I was born, but that's Dad," he affirmed for Alicia.
"That's Dad…" Alicia repeated, amazed. "You're a very lucky guy." But her expression became curious when she spotted Theimer beside Belgen in the photo, or rather, examined him properly. "And who's that with him there?"
"My father, Theimer," Isara explained. "He was an engineer. The General's Commander-Class Headd, the Edelweiss, was his creation."
Alicia was confused at this point, looking between the two of them. "Wait a minute. I thought the General was your dad."
Isara at this point looked rather saddened, but explained serenely with closed eyes. "My birth parents died when I was a baby." But she opened them once more, as her tone became fond, a smile on her lips as she continued. "The General was kind enough to take me in as his own after that."
"Yeah," Welkin agreed. "We're not related by blood, but she's definitely my sister." Even if she could be a little(deliberately, at that) annoying at times. But Welkin couldn't wish for a better one when it really counted.
"I'm sorry, was that question too personal?" Alicia asked with a frown, despite the clear happiness in the Gunthers' eyes.
"Not at all." Isara shook her head quite reassuringly. "I was blessed with two wonderful fathers."
"Yeah… I guess you were, huh…" Alicia responded, almost…. Longingly. But then she noticed the clock in the room, and stood up from her seat quickly. "Oh! Is that really the time? I need to get going!" She said, very urgently.
"Why don't you see her off, Welks?" Isara suggested, as she resumed packing. "I can take care of this on my own."
"Alright, I will," Welkin affirmed. "I'll be right back."
The two of them headed for the door, but Alicia turned around to give a wave to Isara. "See you later, Isara! Safe travels!" she said as she left.
It would be back on the Mortar Headd road with Alicia and Welkin, going through the town once more. It was definitely far more empty than before, and Welkin could only be saddened by such a fact. "Wow, look at this," he said to Alicia, even though she was so far above in her Headd. "Bruhl's really becoming a ghost town…" The only life that was remaining as a car passed by were some pigeons eating what little food they could find on the nearby pavement.
"People've been leaving for a while," Alicia replied. "Tensions are rising with the Empire, so I really can't blame them." Her tone was definitely sad. Even if he couldn't see her face, Welkin could tell this fact in itself was hurting her deeply just by her voice alone. But it became reassured almost unexpectedly for him. "We'll survive, though. The town watch will protect the homefront. We have Mortar Headds of our own, and they'll make sure everyone comes back someday. They'll come back when it's safe again, right?"
In the face of such clear optimism, Welkin couldn't say no. He definitely agreed with that. Yeah… That kind of devastation's not gonna happen again with a Headdliner like you, he thought to himself, but gave a mere "Mm-hmm" and a smile as his response. But they stopped walking, and Alicia voiced a different question now.
"So Welkin, I'm curious—are you gonna join the army like your father?"
Welkin shook his head. "I don't think that's for me," he said. "What I'd really like to do is be a teacher." Yes… Even if he knew how to fight, it didn't mean he wanted to, and he definitely wasn't going to make a career out of it. What he really wanted to do was pass on his knowledge… "Animals and insects, flowers and plants… They've always been my passion." He watched the doves fly off, into the blue sky, and took in the view around him once more now they'd stopped. "I've learned a lot from nature… My dad protected this country as a general, but that's not the way I want to give back. What I want to do is give what I know about nature to the next generation, so they can appreciate what he protected. It wasn't just them… It was all this life. This life that keeps returning, even after things like the Mortar Headds stomp all over."
"Hmm… That's pretty deep," Alicia replied, but she was definitely in agreement. She opened the cockpit of her Headd, and smiled personally at Welkin, clearly proud of his wisdom there. "Yeah, you're right. Even in a world with clunkers like this… There's plenty of life to—"
She suddenly shook from the force of an explosion, even moreso than Welkin since she was precariously perched on the platform that the unfolded torso of her Watchman Headd provided. "What was that!?" She asked, after closing the cockpit once more and regaining her balance. She quickly offered her Mortar Headd's hand to Welkin, and he climbed on. But after that was over, he listened closely. Was that… Something on the wind? Squinting at the sky in the distance, he saw what appeared to look like birds at first… But it was something so much worse.
"That's… Bombers!" He shouted. As soon as he said the word, Alicia opened the cockpit and he hopped in just before the first barrage began striking the buildings of the border town, the large flying wings of the Empire starting with Bruhl's iconic double windmill. The explosives dropped from high above, devastating everything—trees, buildings, and what few people remained, who were running around in an utter panic.
The Town Watch Mortar Headds jumped into action, as after the bombers had passed by, a terrifying rhythmic sound followed while flames began to claim Bruhl. Looking out onto the road ahead, Alicia and Welkin saw it.
A march of Imperial Mortar Headds. And they weren't just Scouts this time. There were Shocktroopers, Artillery, and even Supply-class Headds, all the latter three of which had heavier and far more intimidating armor than the Scouts. They could already hear the engagements breaking out in other parts of town as the first troops to enter the city limits began to open fire on both Headd and civilian. Alicia quickly backed her Headd off to find better cover before the death march formation in front of her began to shoot as well and overwhelm her. As they moved, Welkin stared at Bruhl's central structure, now lying in ruins.
"I don't believe it… The windmill is…" But his shock was interrupted by a call on the MH's radio.
"Miss Melchiott, the Imperials are attacking!" Said a Watchman. "There are squads inside the town right now!"
"I know!" Alicia replied, searching for allied forces, and finding a trio of Watchman Headds getting into positions. "Get all the town watch together, we'll fight them off! And bring a spare Headd for my passenger!" She added.
"Good, I wanted to help for sure. They must be at Mill Plaza," he said, his expression determined and serious.
"Thanks, Welkin! I'll get you there quickly!"
But first, of course, was getting there. The squad arrived at the path to the Mill Plaza, but there was a preliminary force of Scout-Class Headds and one Scout Captain, denoted by his thicker armor and pure red coat of paint, waiting to stand in their way. The Town Watch Headds themselves had only Scout-level weaponry, so it was at least pretty even, even if they couldn't be entirely sure of their numbers. They were making good enough use of the buildings' cover to hide. Since standard-issue Headds were barely 15 meters tall, it was simply a matter of improvisation to hide among the taller buildings of Bruhl. The Valkyrur only knew what would happen if this war led to conflict in a true city.
As well, the Captain had a shield, so that would make things just a bit trickier. Welkin was sure Alicia was prepared for close-combat, but he had an advantage as long as they were stuck at rifle range. Well, whatever came would come. Soon he wouldn't be relegated to just sitting next to a Headdliner in defense of his hometown. Even for a guy who had no plans for a military career, not being able to shoot at the invaders himself was making him impatient. If only because his nanny and sister were still here.
Scanning with her sensors as the first order of business, Alicia spotted two Scouts. "Go on first!" She said to two of the Watchmen. "I've got two Scouts on sensors!" They were indicated with a crosshair on each inside the red display of the bubble-shaped screen. She observed the two Watchman Headds charge on and get on one knee each, firing at the Scouts. One was taken down, while the other ducked behind building cover and avoided their five-shot volleys, retaliating with two shots of his own. One of the Watchmen took too in the shoulder, at which point Alicia ran past and blasted the Imperial MH right in its single red eye, before finishing off with a cockpit shot.
"Not bad, Alicia!" Welkin praised, earning a small smile from her. "You're really in the zone now!"
"I'm just prepared this time is all," she said, waving it off, but made her Headd jump back(shaking Welkin in his seat) as another Scout charged with his sword draw—Alicia glared as she realized he was hiding behind a building intending to support his comrade. Her Headd performed a swift, graceful sidestep, and in her left hand, Alicia drew her own sword, the hilt pushing out from the sheath in the back to be grabbed more easily. "Go take out what's ahead!" She said to all three of the Watchmen, and they affirmed her command by doing exactly what was instructed, while she blocked an overhead hit from the Scout's blade.
Welkin was feeling more and more antsy while this little duel went on. There was just… Nothing he could do but watch! They had to move fast, or he was going to go stir-crazy in here. Still, he couldn't say Alicia didn't know what she was doing. For a mere town watchgirl, she was fighting like a real pro Headdliner. More than enough to keep up with this little Scout. And what she did next amazed him even more.
While it was caught in that clash, she brought her Headd's leg up to deliver a powerful kick, temporarily stunning the Imperial Scout, and that was followed by a friendly rifle shot hitting it in the ankle, bringing it face-down on the ground. She finished off by stabbing the Headd straight through the torso. "Thanks, Smith!" She said. "You were always a good shot!"
"No problem, Miss Melchiott, now let's move forward!" The Watchman replied—he'd stayed behind, waiting for exactly that sort of opportunity to assist Alicia and ensure they all got home safe.
-POV Shift: Alicia Melchiott-
Was Welkin shaking next to her? Well, she could make sense of why, at least—sitting in this cramped cockpit with your own life entirely out of your hands had to be stressful. But she had to press on. Now that the Scout was taken out—and she tried to ignore the blood on her Mortar Headd's blade as she brought it back to a neutral position—she went on, with Smith close behind, to find that the two Watchmen were pinned down by a covered formation of Scout Mortar Headds, led by the clearly-designated squad captain, who was firing at them from behind his shield as well.
"I've got this one!" Alicia said to the two of them. "You three keep the others distracted!" She sheathed her sword once more, and its handle retracted to show it was properly locked into her Headd once it was slid into its back. She then reached for her Headd's lower back and pulled out a stick grenade from the ones that were hanging there, right next to the rifle clips. Pushing the detonator with a single finger, she tossed it at the Scout Captain, who promptly began to scramble for a better position while one of the Watchmen rushed toward his subordinates' position, shoulder-charging him down into the ground.
The grenade exploded, kicking up a dust cloud that somewhat covered her approach—all the better.
Seizing the opportunity now the path was clear, Alicia charged on with her Headd, and aimed for the Captain's open back. That shield was slowing him down only a little, the large pentagonal piece of metal being clearly light enough for a Headd of his class to hold easily, but it was enough for even a heavier model like Alicia's to keep up reliably.
"You're really great at this, Alicia," Welkin said, and the tone was half gloomy. Yeah, he was definitely not feeling too great about his position.
"Thanks, Welkin," she said, smiling at him, the act of which looked to cheer him up more even as she pressed on.
But this Headd was definitely one for improvisation. Once she was within striking range, even preparing for her sword to be drawn, the Imperial retaliated by attempting to bump and stun her with his shield. Alicia only barely brought up the arms of her own Headd to block and keep her steady, but now she had no counterattack. Just like before, she had to backstep and analyze. Weak spot, weak spot… The bad about having a Watchman Headd was definitely that it was lacking in weaponry even compared to the stuff issued the Militia, such as small autocannons. She needed something better for sure…
There it is! Alicia saw the red Captain raising his rifle, but as it was being used one-handed, its aim was inherently shakier, even with the onboard computer attempting to compensate. That was when she drew her sword and brought down a mighty swing that chopped the barrel right off. It was almost… Instinctively. Like she just knew how to do it, and do it exactly right. With even more stunning grace, she reversed the grip of the sword and stabbed right through the wrist of its shield arm, making it drop its protection. Finally, with her rifle, she came up and pressed it against the Captain's cockpit, tuning out the engagement around her, and pulled the trigger twice.
The crimson Headd went lifeless, and she removed her sword from its arm accordingly… But she didn't leave it alone before taking up its shield. She was sure it'd come in handy.
"Wow, Miss Melchiott, you really ARE feeling it today!" Said one of the Watchmen. "I think even the Army'd be jealous of what you've got!" He laughed quite heartily, while Alicia only smiled.
"I'll do anything I can to protect this town, you can count on it!"
Welkin looked at her and nodded affirmatively with determination as well, but there was a much larger and louder explosion nearby—one that was most definitely not accompanied by the whooshing of bombers.
"What was that?" Welkin asked, searching around wildly—and Alicia was joining him. It wasn't a bomber, and it wasn't just an MH-grade grenade. She let out a low gasp.
"What? Really?" She asked, disbelieving of the notion.
Her question was answered in the worst way as a building's walls fell over, giving way to a Mortar Headd easily over twice the size of anything the Town Watch was fielding.
It was large and intimidating, and even though Alicia's Headd was giving her monochrome vision as it was, she could definitely tell it was a different color from the rest. Her various sensors zoomed in, confirming every bit of information they could while she stared at it.
This was no standard Imperial MH. It towered above them all, as it began its march through the ruins of Bruhl. Its head alone was almost six meters in height, the rest of the body being about 30 a thin tower sitting on top of a four-eyed, otherwise featureless face save for some writing on its "mouthplate" that Alicia couldn't make out even with her scanners. Its body was heavily-armored, thickly and imposingly, with almost impractically large shoulders swishing and sweeping like ocean waves out to the sides, proud paintings of the Imperial flag on each of them. In its left hand was a medium-sized curved blade, and in its left, a double-barreled machine rifle. And over its right shoulder was an anti-structure cannon, which it promptly used on a different squad of Town Watch Headds, annihilating three of them as well as the building they were using as cover.
"A… A commander-class Headd! We're not equipped to take that on!" Welkin said to Alicia, noting that several Scout Headds were assisting it. His mood only worsened when the Imperial Headdliner leading the charge saw fit to taunt them all.
"Really, Gallians? You train yourselves to fight against potential invaders, and zis is vhat you have to show for it?" He asked, with a clear accent. "My Panzer-Hummel's far too glorious for scum like you! Show me your real army, not a bunch of emergency scrapheaps!"
Alicia growled, but she got a further report from one of the Watchmen nearby her. "We've found an escape route, but we'll need to run by some Scouts to get there!" He said.
"That's alright!" She replied. "Stay behind me! I've got a shield! We can't engage that Commander, though! Please be careful as you move, that cannon will take you out in no time!" She grimaced as she heard further screams of terror and death on the comms. The smug Imperial was gunning down other nearby Watchmen with his rifle. I can't let that be in vain..! She thought to herself, rushing quickly toward the designated position that had been passed to her Headd's computer.
Alicia saw the "Panzer-Hummel", as its Imperial Headdliner had called it, turned around to keep slaughtering, even while she moved on with the Watchmen close behind and firing rifle shots to keep the enemy Scouts on their toes. Its Ragnite radiator was clearly visible, but protected by some minor shielding. It wasn't enough to totally cover it, but definitely enough to discourage an attack by anything less than a Shocktrooper-grade MH. And they didn't have the luxury of one right now. A Commander-Class' increased performance came with increased heat, and an internal radiator just wouldn't do in that regard… Thus they had a big glowing weak spot in most cases, but the sheer divide in combat ability more than made up for that…
Which was why, as much as she utterly hated it right now, Alicia was running. They'd come back to take him out later. Panzer-Hummel… She'd remember that name.
"Alicia, look out!" Welkin shouted, and she was snapped out of her thoughts by a warning alarm. With a short cry, she dashed to the side just in time to avoid a powerful cannon blast that shredded a quarter of the road they were on just now.
"I got it!" Just like before, Welkin jumped into her lap and swiftly turned the Headd around to block a sword with the shield Alicia had stolen.
-POV Shift: Welkin Gunther-
That was definitely a close one. Welkin couldn't waste time fighting off this Scout Captain, though, or that Commander Headd would take pot shots at them. Luckily, Smith had made it past the danger zone, and hit his opponent in the back. He followed up by knocking it to the ground with a mighty swing of his large shield, and running off. "Sorry, maybe next time," Welkin taunted the Imperial, before he made his way to the escape point.
"Phew… Th-thanks…" Alicia said, sounding quite nervous. They could've died back there… Welkin couldn't say he wasn't nervous either—especially since just as he got out of sight, some of the Panzer-Hummel's shots whizzed past the Headd. Even those seemed on a whole other level than the meager rifle he was using…
Now, though, he had to move fast. If they were already in this far, it wouldn't be long before they got…
"…Home," he finished the thought aloud, and so ran in a different direction from the Town Watch.
"H-hey! Welkin!" Alicia said, shocked at his sudden change of destination. "Where are you going!?"
"Martha and Is! They're in danger!" Welkin replied, making the Headd run as fast as he could, even dropping the shield to go even faster. The only other action he took as he ran was reloading Alicia's rifle, while she sat back and just let him keep going. Welkin could tell she definitely understood why he was doing what he did.
The Empire would NOT take that away from him…
-POV Shift: Isara Gunther-
Isara thanked her biological father for the prowess he passed onto her, as she stood just in front of her house, protecting it—and a very pained Martha—with a military-grade Supply-class Mortar Headd. Her own father's, in fact, built specifically to provide support to Belgen's Edelweiss. Painted in Gallian blue, but sporting a Darcsen double-helix pattern on each of its round shoulders, the machine stared down two Imperial Scout Headds that seemed to—no, Isara knew that they DID—have every intention to kill everyone and wreck everything in the house.
But she was in a Supply Headd. Even if she did sacrifice armor for storage, she had more than enough spare weaponry to throw around than they did. That pack on her machine's back was far from just for show. Her father didn't spare any expense in making this the best Supply machine in Gallia.
"Tch, what a joke. A Mortar head protecting a single pregnant woman," said one, with a very sinister-sounding voice.
"Or maybe she's just fat," said his companion, who sounded less sinister, but no less abrasive. "Either way, why don't we tip it over, see if we can't wreck the whole thing?" He asked.
Isara glared inside of her crimson-tinted cockpit, raising her Headd's rifle. "I'll ask you just once: Leave," she said.
"Oh, we got a tough one here! Let's see if you've got that same attitude once I chop your Headd up!" the second Imperial retorted. But then the sinister-sounding one pointed out something rather standout to him.
"Look at the shoulders. That's a Darcsen Headd. Now I see why this is such a farce," he said. He drew his sword first. Isara panicked slightly at this—she couldn't dodge a sword strike in this position, or Martha'd die. And they were too close for a good rifle shot. Still, she wasn't about to back down.
"Hah, I see. This IS a joke. Well, then, let's quit messing around and fini—" The second Imperial stopped when he saw a blade driven right through his fellow Scout's back. When he turned to aim his rifle at the attacker, Isara immediately raised her own, firing first at his arm, blowing it clean off, then at the head, before taking a shot at the now-unguarded cockpit. As she aimed that last one, the Imperial still saw fit to go down defiantly. "Darcsen PIIII—"
He didn't get to finish before the shot impacted. Both Imperial Headds fell to the ground at the same time, and Isara let out a sigh of relief when she was sure that they had gone silent.
"Isara, are you alright!?"
…Was that Welkin's voice? When she turned to look at her savior, she saw it as a Town Watch-issue Mortar Headd, and the cockpit opened up to reveal Welkin, sitting in Alicia's lap. Aww, that's cute… She thought, but shook her head quickly—the situation was far more dire than that. "Thanks to you, I am," she responded, opening her own Headd's cockpit as well, all three of them rappelling down at the same time to assist Martha, who still hadn't gotten up from being on her knees just behind Theimer's old Headd. "But Martha's… she's gone into labor! Moving her would be dangerous…"
"Oh, no… What are we gonna do? There's lots of Imperials out there, Is… It's only a matter of time before they take over the Mill Plaza."
Just as she'd feared… But there was a way, at least. She looked at Welkin. "Welks, listen, the barn out back…"
"The barn? …Yeah, Is, where'd you find that Mortar Headd? And with Darcsen patterns too?" He raised an eyebrow suspiciously, but Isara saw that coming anyway.
"Our fathers have left us something… Something that might get us out of this mess."
-POV Shift: Welkin Gunther-
Welkin stared at the large garage which was disguised as a barn. To think he'd never decided to go in here before. And it was already opened, no doubt due to Isara taking that Supply Headd out for a spin.
Inside it was… THE Edelweiss. The very same Edelweiss Theimer made for his father.
It was a truly knightly Mortar Headd. It was painted in almost pure white with ever-present Gallian blue trim. Its armor was sleek and stylish, shining in the sunlight. It stood almost up to the height, of the Panzer-Hummel that he'd engaged barely half an hour previous, but it was far more streamlined than that. The crossed swords on its back, the shortswords at its hips… A shield with twin cannons on its left arm, and on its right arm was held a machine rifle. On its back was a mortar launcher clearly meant to fold over the shoulder on the right side for active use, and an anti-structure cannon on the left.
And there were yet more weapons littered about in the garage for use by Theimer's—now Isara's—supply mech, not to mention spare parts, equipment, and ammo. As well as a truck to store it all in.
"This… This is Dad's Headd…" He finally said aloud. "I can't believe it's still here…"
Isara, Welkin, and Alicia all walked in together while the former reiterated what she'd said before. "The very best equipment available for the general at the time is on this Edelweiss… And I've made sure it stood the test of time," she said proudly. "in case of emergencies." She looked at Welkin, who stopped in front of one of the Headd's feet. He'd need a ladder to get up to the cockpit and open it manually from the outside…
"No wonder you know so much about Headds… Even more than the average person, I mean," Welkin responded.
"I enrolled in a maintenance class given by the military," Isara added, smiling even more. "I wanted to do what my father did."
"Well, that's great, but that's only a class, Isara," Welkin said, looking for a decent maintenance ladder to climb up on in the meantime.
"It really didn't need much—Commander-Class Headds are hardy, after all. I just needed to make sure nothing got messed up over the years," Isara assured him. "Even though its engine was still miles better than most standard Army models, I built a new one from Father's notes and some parts I found. I upgraded the radiator to match, as well," she added on the end with a slight giggle.
Welkin by now, while taking all this in, was able to get the ladder up and unfold it so that he could begin climbing—carefully.
"Wow… So it's… Fieldworthy?" Alicia asked, staring. "This… We have one of our own now, don't we? For real…" Welkin stopped for a moment, taking in Alicia's amazement. Yeah… The Edelweiss was truly a beautiful Headd. And it was way easier to admire the meticulous craftwork of such an MH when it wasn't trying to kill him. It'd just need some art added on…
He stopped once he got at the cockpit, looking up at the head itself. It was smooth up top, but flatand triangular, with two yellow eyes and a sort of radiator grill for a "mouth"(which was exactly what it was). And inscribed on the "forehead" of the Edelweiss was a simple note from his father to Theimer:
"The Headdliner's name is Belgen Gunther.
But the engineer's name is Theimer, and all his dreams were poured into this Edelweiss.
Belgen Gunther carries on Theimer's dreams."
They really were best friends… Pulling on the cockpit hatch, it opened, and Welkin stepped in. "Isara, can Alicia borrow the Supply Headd?" He asked. "It's best if you use the truck to drive Martha out of here," he said.
Isara shook her head. "We'd be defenseless," she replied. "We'll take the truck, but we'll have to follow you."
Welkin nodded, but Alicia stared up at him. "Wha… Me?" She asked. "A Supply Headd?"
"Don't worry too much," Isara assured her, smiling. "My father's Headd's been equally cared for. Size isn't everything—just take any weapon here you need and help us pack every other one in the truck, okay?"
Alicia gulped and gave a slight nod. Much as she was happy the odds were getting even, this party was starting to get a little crazy…
And all the while, Welkin had to admit he was getting lost trying to acquaint himself with the Edelweiss' controls. There were the usual levers, triggers, and pedals, but it seemed so… Sleek, and easily-accessible. Nothing like what he was trained to use in school. It was made with ease in mind, but when he used standardized equipment all this time up till now, it was hard to get used to. Immensely so. Still, though, a Commander-Class Headd was nothing without a decent Headdliner behind it, so he had to adapt quickly.
"Alright, Is—let's pack all the supplies in quickly," he said. "Then go around with the truck and grab Martha. We're getting out of here." He then looked down at Alicia. "Alicia, climb into the Supply Headd, and help me out."
"Gotcha!" Alicia nodded with determined affirmation, but stopped, looking up at Welkin. "But wait… What about the Town Watch? You dragged me off here, and they need our help!"
Welkin just smiled at her. "That's why we have to move fast. Alright, girls—let's move out!" With that passionate declaration, Welkin pressed the switch that closed the cockpit around him, and followed by activating the Edelweiss. The cockpit lit up, and he was glad to see it was in color. Was this an old feature, or just another of his sister's touches? Either way, he definitely liked it.
Right, he thought. Let's get to work! The Edelweiss flexed its right arm, while Welkin watched Alicia run back to Theime—No… Isara's Headd, looking on fondly, while he began weapons and system checks. The control transmission to the limbs were good. All weapons and trigger mechanisms were online. No ammo, but that'd be fixed soon enough… And heat levels were normal. And everything before him displayed nature's true colors, not that dull crimson of Alicia's head(no offense meant by Welkin to her, of course). He had to admit, being in the Edelweiss felt pretty good. If nothing else, it'd provide him a good vantage point for observing the animals whenever he could find the opportunity.
Next up is, of course, the defense of the gate! Welkin and the Edelweiss will show us what they've got!