All trademarks, properties and copyrights associated with the manufacturers, models, trade names, entertainment and brands depicted in this fanfic are the property of their respective owners.
XXXXXXX
In a wide field near the city, a young child with red eyes and blonde hair was traversing playfully while touching the grass. As she continued, birds chirped while they were flying above her.
"Hah...!" She uttered. "Tehehe!"
She raised her right hand as if she could touch them even though she cannot. She then gave chase for a short distance before the call of her mother filled the air.
"Mira! Don't go too far or you might get lost!"
"I will, Mama!" She decided to return to her parents as they were preparing the picnic. Because her father left to do an unexpected errand, the only one present outside of the child was her mother who was a beautiful lady sporting long, blonde hair and green eyes. To complement them, a matching white dress with some decorative floral and lunar ornaments was worn.
"You look just like me when I was growing up." The mother compared her childhood to Mira's as she brought out a container full of spaghetti.
"You think so, Mama?"
"Yes. I wondered what it was like to go out of my familiar home to explore what everything around me works and how they look like." She then kneeled before giving a gentle pat on the daughter's head. "The birds, the sky, the green, beautiful fields...everything."
"Tehehe!" She then walked a few steps back to tell her the birds. "Mama, I saw the birds flying close to me!"
"What do they look like?"
"Well...they have some green feathers and some...ummm..." She struggled to remember. "Oh...they have orange ones on the wings."
"Hehe." The mother chuckled. "This reminds me of your father."
"Why?" Mira became curious. "Why does the birds remind you of Papa?"
"Because..." She began to hold the daughter's left hand. "He had that same colors when he went to a place far away."
"What place, Mama?"
"I'll tell you a story." The mother wrapped Mira in her arms warmly. "It happened a long time ago..."
XXXXXXX
"This is the MCS Topeka, we are approaching the drop point. Request Hornet support on our coordinates, over."
"Affirmative Topeka, this is Hailstorm 1, we are approaching your position. Preparing for attack run."
"This is Captain Hall of the 10th Militia Grenadiers, we are approaching the IMC research base. I'm seeing multiple Titans and IMC foot units guarding the west entrance. Requesting fire support, over."
(Onboard the MCS Topeka, 2000 ft. above New Bethlehem - Start of Operation Bigfoot)
The Titan Pilots of the Special Recon Squadron's Marauder Corps began to prepare their Vanguard-class Titans for Titanfall on the planet of New Bethlehem, a semi-arid planet that was housing a suspected Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation research station.
Onboard the orange Titan chassis KG-4912, a young Pilot of Japanese descent was interacting with a Mk. III Mobile Robotic Versatile Entity Automated Assistant unit or "Marvin". After the checks were complete, he gave a thumbs up to the Marvin which, in turn, displayed a yellow smiling face as a sign of satisfaction. It saluted before the elevator it was standing on was lowered.
"Alright Pilots, this won't be an easy task." The captain began to brief his subordinates. "We may have kicked some IMC asses back at Typhon but ARES won't give up very easily. Our target is an IMC research station on New Bethlehem. We need to both steal and sabotage any of their work so that we can gain an edge against them. Everyone clear?
"Clear!" The Pilots responded.
"All units, weapons hot!" The Pilots began to arm their weapons to allow them to attack rapidly. "Standby for Titanfall!" The doors below them opened in preparation for the fall. "3...2...1...release!"
The Titans got out of the Topeka from below as they begin their descent towards the ground. Inside KG-4912, the Pilot watched as the devastation continued; Hornets of the Militia and Phantoms of the IMC continued with their dogfight under AA fire while explosions on the ground erupted due to the missiles and firefights. Then, the Titans hit the ground and a moment after, they aimed their weapons. KG's was a Plasma Railgun under the Northstar loadout.
"This is Lieutenant Kaizuka, I'm moving in." He then spotted two IMC Northstars in front of him. "Be advised, we have two enemy Northstars flying above 56 meters at 12 o'clock."
"Copy that, Kaizuka." Jack Cooper, a fellow Pilot using Titan chassis GR-2103, responded before spotting a Legion Titan. "Wait! We also have a Legion here, 10 o'clock at 50 meters."
"Understood." Kaizuka then aimed his weapon at one of the Northstars before the latter spotted him. It fired a shot but Kaizuka avoided it by combining the environment with his turbojet dash. Then, he began to return fire. "Firing!
The projectile damaged the flight systems of the IMC Titan, forcing it to stay grounded.
"One grounded, I'll take the other."
"Roger. I'll take the Legion." Cooper responded.
"KG, any updates on the others?"
"They are still taking fire at the west drop point." KG replied. "I recommend we quickly push through."
"Affirmative." He began to fire a second shot at the remaining Northstar. After taking a hit to the data core, it began to crash-land. "Enemy down!"
Cooper began to use his Vortex Shield as he approached the Legion Titan that is trying to stop him using its Predator Cannon. He took many of the bullets and dashed to the left to release it at the sender. Though the Legion activated its Gun Shield to stop any projectiles, a few managed to hit it before the flight path was even blocked.
"Kaizuka, he's exposed!"
"Engaging VTOL!" KG began to fly up and he fired a single Cluster Missile at the exposed body while dodging enemy fire. The damage caused the Legion to catch fire. "He's hit!"
Cooper began to dash forward and he fired his X0-16 Chaingun at the damaged enemy. The latter tried to fight back but the Militia Titan ripped apart the gun from its hand and fired four Multi-Target Missiles to finish it off.
"Legion down! Let's move up."
The other Militia Titans, some using older designs such as the Atlas and Stryder-classes continued fighting the IMC units.
"I need two on the right providing support fire!" A Pilot in an Atlas requested.
"Copy, moving in." Another in an Ion-class responded before moving in.
"There! 2 o'clock!" An IMC Tone-class began to fire its rounds in order to fire Tracking Rockets. "Damn...I'm hit!"
"Enemy damaged." The IMC Pilot reported. "Commencing attack."
"Fall back, Keith!" A fellow Pilot in a Tone ordered as he began to activate his Particle Wall to shield him. "Go! Go! The damaged Stryder began to head away from the fight as his colleague continued firing. "Requesting fire on that Tone!"
Kaizuka and Cooper continued their advance towards the facility when they found Reapers among them.
"Pilot, multiple Reapers and IMC foot units approaching." KG warned. "Maintain your distance." This prompted Kaizuka to contact the captain.
"Captain, we need support here." Kaizuka requested before aiming his weapon. "Multiple Reapers and foot units detected, likely with anti-Titan ordinance."
"This is Captain Omar, roger. Moving to support." The leader agreed. "Any available units, follow me and provide support to Mustang 1 and 2."
Cooper began to provide cover fire as he used his Vortex Shield to catch many of the incoming projectiles before sending them back. As well, Kaizuka hovered above to see the landscape in front of them.
"Sir, there's too many defenses to handle." He made an assessment.
"Stay calm Kaizuka, just try to hold on for a while longer." Cooper suggested as he continued firing the chaingun.
"Based on experience?" KG fired another Cluster Missile at a single IMC position.
"Yeah...back at Typhon." He reminisced about his most notable operation. "Me and my previous Titan BT-7274 fought in a battle like this one; we tried to take an item from them called the Ark but after the Apex Predators gave it to ARES, we decided to destroy it...and it cost Typhon due to its energy."
"How powerful?" Kaizuka then took cover with KG.
"Enough to destroy a planet. BT sacrificed himself to destroy it."
"Holy crap!"
The Reapers then came closer to the Titans and they opened fire while dashing. This caused the latter to suffer some damage.
"Warning: hull damage confirmed." Cooper's Titan reported and its Pilot dashed sideways to try avoiding their fire. He then fired the Multi-Tracking Missiles at the Reapers which caused considerable damage to them. Five bursts from the chaingun finished them off.
"That takes care of them." He sighed. "Lastimosa, I'm still getting better."
"Still remembering your old mentor, I see." GR commented at Cooper regarding his old teacher.
"Yeah...and BT as well."
As the firefight continued, Captain Omar arrived with three allied Titans to provide support.
"We'll take it from here. Get moving, we'll cover you." He relieved them.
"Thanks for the assist, sir." Cooper responded. "Mustang 1 is oscar-mike."
"Mustang 2, moving out as well." Kaizuka followed.
The group began to advance until the reached the entrance to the main building. IMC resistance remained high as eight Titans were at the ready. This prompted them to open fire.
"The Militia has breached our defenses!" The lead IMC Pilot reported. "Don't let them get through!"
The IMC returned fire as they moved in for the counterattack. One of them in a Scortch-class fired its T-203 Thermite Launcher at them to discourage any further Militia movement. Then, a Militia Atlas fired its chaingun at the Titan to return fire.
"Watch out for thermite pools!" He shouted the warning before a IMC Northstar took off to attack from above.
"Deploying Flight Core!" He uttered as he fired many missiles at them. Though the Militia kept moving to evade, one of the missiles hit a Ronin-class Titan.
"I'm hit...AACCKKK!" These were the last words of the Pilot as his Titan exploded.
"Wasp 3's down, crap!" A fellow Pilot uttered in horror.
Kaizuka and KG took off as well to engage the Titan in a dogfight. "I'll deal with him. Go!"
The two Titans performed manuvers to evade their fire. As Kaizuka waited for a good aim, the IMC Northstar fired a railgun shot at him, grazing KG's left shoulder.
"Warning: we are taking damage." He uttered before AA fire lit up the sky. "Pilot, we have to finish this now if we want to avoid their AA fire."
"I see it." Kaizuka assured before pushing forward towards the enemy Titan. It tried to shoot Kaizuka and KG down but they evaded every shot until they punched the hull to severly damage the Northstar. "Got him."
The two began their controlled descent to the ground as their prey dropped rapidly to crash and explode. Below, the group began to get the upper hand against the IMC with survivors either meleeing their enemies to defeat or shot dead by ranged attack.
"That's all of them." Cooper uttered before sighing.
"Cooper, I had to say: Lastimosa made a good move training you for this, albeit unofficially." Omar commended his actions. "You can join us when you have the chance. We always look for talented Pilots like you."
"Thank you, sir." Cooper responded. "Though, I have some other things to deal with."
"That's okay. It's still on the table." Then, Kaizuka and KG landed.
"Enemy Northstar down, sir." Kaizuka reported.
"Good." He then began to relay the order. "Listen, you and Cooper should go on ahead through the facility while me and the rest will relieve the west drop point. The 6-4 will meet you there."
"Roger." Cooper agreed. "Kaizuka, let's go."
"Copy that."
XXXXXXX
Inside the facility, the IMC soldiers were taking losses as the 6-4 moved forward.
"Got multiple snipers on that platform over there!" Droz reported before firing his R-101X Carbine.
"I see them." The leader, Gates, responded before firing three shots using the Longbow-DMR. "Got 'em!"
Nearby, Bear and Davis took cover as the latter began to reload before arming a fragmentation grenade.
"Throwing frag!" He shouted as he threw it timely. Upon landing, the detonation killed two enemy soldiers in an air-burst.
As the firefight continued, Gates began to receive a transmission from Cooper. "6-4, this is Mustang 1, we have entered the facility and are encountering some heavy resistance." He reported while gunfire can be heard in the background. "We'll meet you shortly."
"Roger, thank you for joining." Gates responded. "We are still moving from the north entrance at a slow pace as we speak due to IMC resistance. In the meantime, just keep kicking their asses. We'll see you as well. Gates out." She turned her attention to her comrades. "We have allied forces coming in from the south! Let's push on!"
"Affirmative!" Droz responded before firing a shot at another IMC grunt.
At the south, the grunts and Spectres were being pushed back as the two Militia Titans continued with their offensive. As the fight continued, their cockpits were opened to reveal the Pilots, each wearing the signature SRS helmet with some personal decals. Kaizuka opted for one featuring some patches of digital green-and-orange while Cooper retained the design of its previous owner, Captain Tai Lastimosa, that sports dual orange stripes slowly converging at the front and a blue decal on the left side of the cranial section.
Both men were armed with R-201 Carbines as their primary weapons. They flattened their bodies towards the crates as they took cover while waiting for the right moment to fire back. Kaizuka then armed a frag grenade and threw it towards the IMC forces. An explosion later, he opened fire at two grunts before taking cover again. Cooper then did the same without throwing any explosive ordinance to kill one grunt.
"There are still three Stalkers ahead. I suggest that we use cover extensively." Cooper suggested. "Ever encountered one?"
"A few times before, Cooper." Kaizuka responded. "Eden and Angel City."
"Good, because there is one model we would be most interested in...if we can find one." This made Kaizuka confused.
"What kind?"
"That model has an LSTAR as primary." The veteran answered based on experience. "We take one and we can save our bullets for less hardened targets. The energy will disable the circuits in a few shots."
"Thank you for the tip, Cooper." The other Pilot then fired a few more shots to kill a Spectre before reloading. "Reloading!"
"Roger!" The veteran then took a peek at the path ahead to see that it is clear. "Let's go but keep eyes peeled on all sides. GR, KG, time to get a move on."
"Roger that, Pilot." His Titan complied.
The group began to move forward cautiously with their weapons reloaded. The Titans then took control of the weapons dropped by fallen IMC units as well with their available ammunition boxes taken away.
As they moved along the corridors, they encountered more resistance as a single Ronin-class Titan was among those.
"Take cover!" The two Pilots hurriedly went to the walls as their Titans began to fight the IMC unit.
"Two Vanguard-class Titans spotted, moving to engage." The IMC Pilot confirmed. "A'ight, time to taste plasma."
"We are engaging enemy Titan. Danger close." KG informed before firing the acquired Leadwall Shotgun. GR settled with a 40mm Tracker Cannon.
The IMC Ronin then performed a Phase Dash to quickly get behind the Militia Titans before unsheathing a handle. The handle was slightly bigger than that of a regular Titan broadsword and a moment later, much to the surprise of the Militia Pilots, a plasma blade was emitted.
"The hell?!" Cooper reacted. "Is that plasma?!"
"Analysis: confirmed. It is indeed a stabilized plasma blade." GR confirmed. 'KG, we must avoid the plasma blade. It will cause severe damage and melting upon contact."
"Copy that, GR." KG responded before making careful dashed within the somewhat narrow confines of the facility. The Ronin began swinging its blade to try making successful hits. KG fired the shotgun before the IMC Titan deflected most of the bullets. It then did another Phase Dash to get behind KG but the latter dashed again to evade.
Kaizuka, not wanting to see their Titans be destroyed, armed an Arc Grenade and timely threw it towards the Ronin. Upon detonation, the electric arc disrupted some key systems.
"Gah! So you want to play dirty, eh?" The Pilot uttered before turning to see the two Pilots. He armed his Leadwall and fired a failed shot before attending to the Militia Titans. He then sliced of GR's cannon but in retaliation, KG fired a shotgun round onto the Ronin before making a punch through the body. "GAAAHHH!" The Pilot uttered as his Titan was destroyed. It then fell towards the floor.
"Nice thinking, Kaizuka." KG commented before acquiring the intact blade. "Pilots, based on my analysis, the technology employed by this blade is foreign."
"Just like the Fold Weapon on Typhon, eh?" Cooper made a comparison to the weapon on the now-destroyed planet. "The IMC wouldn't be able to replicate it on their own."
"Correct, Cooper. We must be careful from now on." The group then began to move ahead.
A radio transmission was then received. It came from the 6-4.
"Mustangs, this is Gates, we managed to push through the East Loading Bay and are standing by at the server room. You might wanna see this." Gates repoted with some news.
"What do you mean, ma'am?" Kaizuka asked.
"Sending location to your HUD. There's more to this facility that meets the eye."
"Understood, we're oscar-mike." Cooper responded.
"Copy. Gates out."
XXXXXXX
Following the coordinates set by the 6-4, the two Pilots arrived at the server room of the facility's second basement. Upon arrival, the two Pilots saluted to Gates.
"What do you have, Gates?" Cooper asked before the 6-4 leader began to show the Pilots some schematics.
"ARES has been doing reverse-engineering on some technology based on Aldnoah, if this is correct."
Kaizuka took a closer look and expressed his surprise. "Wow... They wanted it that bad, huh?"
"Not only that, much of the tech the IMC tried to replicate failed in its function." Bear followed. "Based on that, the "Aldnoah" technology might require something to function properly. Make it like a proverbial key to the door."
"Got it. So what now?"
"I suggest we expand the search to the entire facility. Make sure they don't slip anything groundbreaking out of our noses." Gate suggested before a friendly radio transmission was received. "I need a sitrep."
"This is Hailstorm 1, we've spotted a convoy of IMC vehicles escaping the facility and are heading north." The Hornet pilot reported. "Three Northstars guarding the target; can't get through at this time. Requesting assistance."
KG and GR then detected energy readings.
"Pilots, we've detected unusual enegry readings from the convoy." KG informed. "Whatever they are transporting, it could be related to the research we have encountered."
"Affirmative." Kaizuka then began to head inside KG. "Cooper, can you stay here? Me and KG can get to them quickly."
"Roger." The veteran agreed. "Me and the others will hold on here to investigate. Fair-winds."
"Fair-winds, Coop." The duo began to find an open exit to allow them flight. On the way there, Kaizuka began switching channels to contact the Hornets. "Hailstorm 1, this is Mustang 2, engage only the Titans and defensive ordinance. I repeat, engage only the Titans and defensive ordinance. I'll be there to help, how copy?"
"Copy, Mustang 2." Hailstorm 1 responded. "We'll engage their defenses. Hailstorm 1, out."
XXXXXXX
Outside, the Hornets began to attack the Titans and the armed vehicles as requested. The Milita air squadron then began to realize the skills of the Pilots in the Northstars.
"Hailstorm 3, enemy Titan at your 7 o'clock!" A pilot warned. "Jink left!"
Hailstorm 3 began a tight left-hand turn to try shaking off the flying Northstar.
"He's still on me!" He shouted for help.
"Got a tone!" Hailstorm 1 achieved a lock. "Fox 2!"
The missile was launched at the Titan but it missed due to the latter's flying ability. It managed to head up quickly before acquiring a lock on its own.
"Target lock. Fox fire 10." The Pilot uttered before firing a single missile at Hailstorm 1. The latter tried maneuvering but the Northstar fired a round at the airframe, disabling some critical systems.
"Ahhhh...I'm hit!" Hailstorm 1 shouted before the missile finished him off. His fighter became a flaming wreck.
"Hailstorm 1's down!" Hailstorm 2 radioed the survivors. "Need help here! Gaaahhh!"
A round then shot the second-in-command down. Then, Kaizuka and KG arrived.
"This is Mustang 2, ready for tasking." The former said. "KG, how's the thrusters?"
"Operating at 75% capacity." KG informed.
"Copy." The duo began to fire a salvo of the remaining missiles onto the enemy Titans. They began evadind but Kaizuka began studying their flight patterns before leading one for a railgun shot. A trigger pull successfully disabled the flight systems of the first IMC unit. "One down."
"Thanks, Mustang 2!" Hailstorm 3 replied thankfully. "We owe you one."
"Stay focused, Hailstorm 3. We ain't done yet."
"Affirmative, sir."
The remaining Hornet began to fight alongside the Vanguard Titan in order to stop the remaining two Northstars. They began to give chase.
"Dragoon 3, target the Hornet. The Vanguard's mine!" Dragoon 1 ordered.
As Dragoon 1 trailed on KG and Kaizuka, the latter two began flying high in a erratic fashion which made the IMC Pilot lose lock-on very quickly.
"That bugger!" He uttered before reacquiring lock-on. "Fox 8!"
The missiles began flying towards KG but the latter, with the help of Kaizuka's imput, evaded them.
"Now!" The thrusters were cut off that allowed them to get behind Dragoon 1. "Firing!"
A railgun round was fired on the leader. It penetrated the Northstar's thrusters, causing a fire before an explosion ruptured it completely.
"I'm hit! Mayday, mayday!" Dragoon 1 shouted as his Titan began plummeting to the ground. "Dragoon 1's going down!"
"Hailstorm 3, moving in to support." Kaizuka reported.
"Copy...need some help! The damn Northstar's ain't giving up!" Hailstorm 3 requested.
Hailstorm 3 continued attempting to shake Dragoon 3 off his six. The Titan's construction, however, allowed itself to stay on the Hornet.
"Fox fire 8!" Dragoon 3 uttered while launching two missiles on the aircraft.
"Whoa!" Hailstorm 3 uttered as he made hard maneuvers to try shaking off the missiles. "It's gettin' hot here!"
Suddenly, his computer systems detected failure within the aircraft's control surfaces. His right wing's flap began to malfunction and the aircraft began to bank right dangerously
"Crap...mayday, mayday, I have a failed control surface!" He tried to regain control under fire before making his judgment. "Can't maintain course! Ejecting!" He pulled the ejection lever that pushed his seat upwards away from his aircraft.
"Too easy..." Dragoon 3 uttered before flying past Hailstorm 3 as he helplessly floats to the bottom.
"Huh?!" The pilot shrieked in fear when he saw the Titan beginning his approach towards Hailstorm 3. Bracing for his fate, he crossed his arms directly in front of his face.
Suddenly, a shot instantly destroyed Dragoon 3.
"Hailstorm 3, are you okay?" Kaizuka asked as he picked up the pilot.
"I'm fine...thank you for saving my ass up here." The pilot felt grateful.
The group returned to the ground at a gentle pace and Hailstorm 3 jumped to the ground.
"Hailstorm 3, recommend that you seek cover." KG said. "We will handle the convoy from here."
"I want to help you guys." Hailstorm 3 uttered as he unsheathed his Hammond P2016 sidearm. "Besides, I still have a gun to shoot."
"If you want, just remember to take cover." Kaizuka echoed KG. "This is gonna get dangerous."
"Roger, sir."
The group approached the convoy as the latter detected them a few moments earlier.
"Here they come!" An IMC soldier warned. "Don't let them get through!"
Heavy ordinance was used with the loss of their Titan escorts as they began their last-ditch defense. Hailstorm 3 and Kaizuka took cover as they opened fire with their weapons. The armed trucks began firing their anti-Titan missiles at KG but one by one, they were destroyed.
"...requesting back-up!" One grunt shouted in despair.
It became clear that they were no match for the outnumbered-but-well-prepared foes. The IMC foot soldiers tried but they were gradually shot dead and their armored trucks were blown up.
"Enemy forces eliminated." KG confirmed. "Pilot, Hailstorm 3, one life sign detected on the third cargo truck. We should investigate."
"Copy." Kaizuka nodded. "Hailstorm 3..."
"Just "Jake", by the way." He requested that the Pilot use Hailstorm 3's nickname.
"Affirmative, Jake."
The group approached the third truck with their weapons armed and reloaded. Upon arrival, Kaizuka used a cutter to open the rear doors. Once done, they turned on their flashligts to inspect the cargo hold.
"See anything?" Jake asked.
"There." Kaizuka pointed to a capsule that was standing. On it were panels to monitor the heartbeat of the occupant. "Holy hell... Jake, bring this outside! KG, report to Cooper and Gates; we have someone here."
"Copy that, Pilot." KG complied. "This is KG-4912 to Gates, we have a test subject under our custody. Requesting transport for exfiltration."
"Copy that, KG. Sending dropship transport...out." Gates responded.
The two men carefully put the capsule outside and layed it on the path. Kaizuka then found the slot to insert his Data Knife onto it. As the connection was made, a hologram was projected from the handle that indicates the hack's progress.
A few moments after, the hack was successful and the capsule opened to reveal the occupant. In it was a beautiful, young girl wearing a white jumpsuit that was registered with the numbers 0015. As well, she was wearing a necklace with lunar ornaments.
"Why would the IMC bastards take a girl away?" Jake wondered. "That's insane."
"Me too." Kaizuka wondered. "Whatever it is, she might have some information. Let's get her out of here."
"Right."
Kaizuka began to carry the unconscious girl away from the convoy towards KG.
"KG, we have a test subject." Kaizuka informed. "She's unconscious."
"Let me check." KG requested and the girl was laid for a field scan. "Interesting. She has some energy signatures not registered within my databases or those of the Militia's. Her condition is normal; no anomalies detected."
"Oh, thank goodness." Jake sighed.
Kaizuka nodded with a slight smile before performing a radio contact with his allies. "6-4, this is Mustang 2, we have stopped the convoy and...they are carrying a girl with some energy signatures."
"What do you mean, Mustang 2?" Gates asked.
"Unknown at this time. We will be bringing the girl for exfil, how copy?"
"Solid copy, Mustang 2. We just received word that Captain Omar and his men have arrived at the west entrance to relieve our forces there. Our guys will be annexing the facility shortly. Return to the AO immediately. Gates out."
The transmission ended before KG detected an unknown on his scanners.
"Warning: unknown hostile detected at bearing 338." KG reported.
"Great! An IMC Titan?!" Jake uttered in shock.
"Negative. This one's unique."
Then, the mysterious object landed near the group. Unlike KG, it has a larger chassis, slender appendages, and more elegant looks. To further differentiate, it even has a more metallic finish and red "eyes".
"What the hell is that thing?! Kaizuka uttered in disbelief.
"Analysis: unknown. There are no known Titan designs of this type." KG reported.
"What should we do with the girl, then?" Jake asked.
"Go...I'll take care of it. You go ask for help." The Pilot requested before entering KG.
"Yes sir!" Jake responded before bringing the girl to safety.
"KG, let's go!" The hatch closed before critical systems were transferred to Kaizuka. "What do we have on that "thing"?"
"I haven't been able to properly scan the properties of the unit." The Titan replied. "We need to be careful."
"Copy that."
The unknown unit began sprinting towards the duo in an aggressive manner but the latter took off to evade. Suddenly, five pods were detached from the unit and began firing laser beams at the Titan.
"Fuel capacity's at 34%." KG informed.
"I see it." Kaizuka then armed the last ammunition box for the Plasma Railgun. Firing powerful shots, he attacked the unit directly instead of the laser pods while staying mobile. By the time the railgun was depleted of reserve ammunition, the unknown unit took some considerable damage.
"KG, let's use the plasma sword."
"Copy that, Pilot." KG then grabbed hold of the handle and activated the blade. The duo began diving towards the enemy as the latter tried to shoot them down. The remaining missiles were then fired at the enemy but were intercepted mid-way. Unexpected, the plasma sword was thrown onto the body.
Away from the fighting, Jake lowered the girl before opening contact with Miltia forces.
"This is Hailstorm 3, we are engaged with an unidentified Titan! Requesting support on our position, over!"
"Copy that, sending available Hornet assets to your position." The captain of the Topeka agreed. "ETA 2 minutes."
The enemy remained firm even under unbalanced circumstances. It began to attempt a few melee attacks once Kaizuka and KG went directly close to it. The duo used some of their remaining fuel to dash clear.
"Man, that thing looks like it was built to take some heavy punches." Kaizuka commented.
"I detected a complement." The Titan commented.
"Riiiight."
As soon as the remaining fuel reached 10%, the duo began to watch the enemy's movements more closely upon landing.
XXXXXXX
Above, a five-ship Hornet squadron began their approach towards the group's position.
"This is Artemis 1, we are apporaching your position. Preparing for attack run, danger close." The leader informed the group.
"Solid copy, Artemis 1. Kaizuka out." The Pilot responded.
"All units, attack formation."
"Copy that, sir." Artemis 2 complied.
The aircraft began to turn left in attack formation. As they approached the area, the enemy's appearance surprised them.
"Damn, what is that thing?" Artemis 1 asked.
"I don't know, sir." Artemis 5 responded with the same expression. "Could be the IMC's new Titan design."
"A'ight then." He began to contact Kaizuka. "Kaizuka, this is Artemis 1, we are commencing attack. Danger close!"
"Copy that." Kaizuka responded before dashing away from the enemy unit.
"All units, weapons free!"
The Hornets began to fire their payload of numerous air-to-ground missiles at the target. The damage caused by them further weakened the machine's strength. To Kaizuka and KG, an opportunity was found.
"Now!" The duo sprinted towards the machine as it was standing back due to the airstrikes. A boost-assisted jump brought the Titan up as KG pointed the plasma blade for a final blow.
It struck the machine through its chest. The arms and legs stood motionless as the intense heat melted or cut off critical systems. Upon removal, the enemy kneeled before falling down in an explosion.
"Enemy hostile down." KG confirmed. "That was a difficult battle, Pilot. Good work."
"Yeah...whew!" Kaizuka sighed. "I better need some rest."
"Yeah! Get some!" Jake shouted in victory as he raised his arms up high.
"Artemis, good effect on target." Kaizuka thanked the Artemis Squadron.
"Roger that, Kaizuka. We are Winchester at this time. Returning to base, out." Artemis 1 responded as his squadron followed him for the flight back to their carrier.
Kaizuka and KG followed Jake and the girl to one of the trucks as the latter was being shielded by the shade from the sun. The Pilot got out of his Titan to see them.
"How is she?" He asked as the girl was sleeping on a bench.
"She's resting pretty well, sir." Jake quietly responded. "Don't want to wake her up."
"Affirmative. I understand your intentions."
Ironically, the girl began to wake up. She placed her right hand on her head before noticing the two men.
"Excuse me." This caught the duo off-guard and they began attending to her. "Where...am I?"
"You are currently awake from possible long-term hibernation, ma'am." Kaizuka answered. "IMC forces might have kept you away for quite a while."
"I...see. One question: what are your names?"
"I'm Second Lieutenant Inaho Kaizuka." The Pilot introduced himself. "We are from the Frontier Militia."
"Second Lieutenant Jackson van der Berg, Frontier Militia." The Hornet airman followed. "What about you, ma'am?"
She began to adjust herself in sitting down before revealing her identity.
"I am Asseylum Vers Allusia, Princess of Vers."
The name surprised the men.
"Oh...sorry, your Highness! We didn't know that you are royalty." Kaizuka apologized.
"No need to worry. What matters is that you two rescued me from the IMC. Our home has been invaded by them and our forces tried their best to defend but they were beaten in numerous battles. They recently captured me but I can't remember what happened after."
Kaizuka gave her a gentle pat.
"Huh?"
"It's alright. Right now, you are under the protection of the Militia. If you need help, we could provide assistance."
"Thank you, Kaizuka." The princess sighed in relief after hearing the words.
A radio transmission was picked up.
"This is Gates, we are approaching your position." Gates informed. "What is your status, over?"
Kaizuka began responding. "This is Mustang 2, well...it appears that we have an actual princess here, ma'am."
"Are you sure about this?" A surprised tone came from the leader of the 6-4.
"Positive."
A few minutes after, the 6-4, Cooper, GR, and other allied forces arrived using five captured trucks. The foot men disembarked to secure the area and Gates and Cooper walked towards the trio.
"Where's the princess?" Cooper asked.
"Right here, sir." Jake pointed to Asseylum and the latter stood up to see the Militia.
"On behalf of all of Vers, I thank you for rescuing me." Asseylum thanked while doing a bow.
"It is our pleasure, your Highness." Gates responded. "We fight together, mainly as a family."
Asseylum let out a chuckle "And I would say that this is your philosophy?"
"Correct, no loose cannons on the 6-4." The captain then began to introduce herself and the team. "By the way, I'm Commander Gates and this is my unit. Pleasure to meet you."
"I'm Asseylum Vers Allusia, Princess of Vers." The princess followed.
"Jack Cooper, Frontier Militia's Marauder Corps." The Pilot introduced himself. "It's an honor being in your presence."
"Thank you so much, Cooper."
Then, Kaizuka came forward to see the veteran.
"Excuse me, mind if I have a word with you?" Kaizuka asked. "Princess, I would like to have some time with him."
"Go ahead, Kaizuka. I'm listening."
"You may, Kaizuka." Asseylum agreed and the Pilot nodded in reply before leaving with Cooper.
The young pilot guided his superior towards the wreck of the mysterious enemy.
"What do you want to talk about, Kaizuka?" Cooper asked.
"Sir, there is something I would like to show you." The Pilot responded. "This is unlike anything we have ever seen."
When they arrived, Cooper was shocked at the appearance despite its current state.
"What is that thing? Is that even a Titan?"
"No idea, KG confirmed that it is not from a known Titan design. As for allegiance, more so."
"That reminds me." He took out a tablet to show Kaizuka the intel. "We have encountered some observation reports regarding that same kind of machine. Whatever it was, the IMC might be on their way to gaining an edge."
"Just like what happened today." The Pilot let out a sigh.
"How does it feel like to fight it?" Cooper asked.
"It feels much more different than the Titan battles we ever faced." Kaizuka explained his experience. "Almost like we were fighting a different enemy."
"Guess so. It's not surprising." He then decided to leave. "Time to get going, Kaizuka. We should be on our way getting the princess out of here."
"Right." Kaizuka agreed and the two began their return trip to Asseylum and the rest of the Militia forces.
Asseylum watched as the Militia forces did their duties in preparation for her extraction. What caught her eye were KG and GR as they stood by protecting her and her new allies.
"Are those kataphrakts? They look different than the ones I know."
As she watched, she also noticed the arrival of Cooper and Kaizuka upon turning her head to the left. Once the two gave out a wave, she smiled back.
(Undisclosed location)
In a medical facility, a young man with white hair woke up from a long sleep.
"What...happened?"
An unusual sound was emitted beside him. When he looked at his left arm, he noticed that it was replaced by a prosthetic one. Then, the door in front of him was opened to reveal two guards, each wearing a blue-tinted grey uniform and a pair of red shoulder guards, and a man with a neatly-trimmed blonde hair.
"Ah, you're awake Slaine." He greeted. "Welcome back."
"Yeah...ugggh." He began to sit upright. "How long was I asleep?"
"A month. We put you on coma before surgery after bravely defending her Highness Asseylum. It's sad that we are still unable to locate her, but we do have some updates."
"What update, Crutheo?" Slaine asked.
"There has been another force appearing on Vers recently. A few hours after, they left the planet."
"That's it?"
"So far, yes." Crutheo began to turn around as he began to leave. "By the way, you should change up and meet me again in an hour. Get your strength back."
"I will." The man left.
For Slaine, an important mission is at hand.
A/N: Here is the first chapter of this fanfic. Combining and Titanfall lore took a while but it's worh it. Leave a review and follow if you can.
For players reading, the update, "A Glitch in the Frontier," for Titanfall 2 will be released shortly on April 25. Get ready for combat.
Paomayo, out.