Unmei Force: Retaliation
Prologue: Moblisation
In the GFS Ryujin...
Richard was sitting on the captain's chair, as he was trying to light a cigarette between his lips, as he made sure to create a small wind tunnel that would blow the smoke through the air vents, where the smoke will be purified back into breathable air through the path. When the cigarette lit itself with a spark of flame from his magic, he immediately took a deep breath, before sighing deeply, as he threw the spent cigarette butt through one of his sukimas, disposing of it very quickly.
At that moment, Reisen came in with Gus, as Gus seemed to be extremely concerned about something. Richard sighed deeply, before he wheeled himself around with the chair to face the two of them.
"What is it...?" Richard asked with a very dull and unhappy tone. "What do you two want right now...?'
"I came with Gus to listen to his conversation with you." Reisen responded immediately. "He seems to have something to talk to you about."
"Richard, I want to ask you something..." Gus said, before he then became silent, then shaking his head. "I don't know if it's the right thing to say right now."
"Go on, Gus. You have my ear." Richard replied, as he gestured with a wave of his hand. "Feel free to tell me anything."
"Richard... Mind if you tone down on the sorties a little...?" Gus asked. "You're driving everyone into the ground with how you're sending people downside to each world for extended periods of time."
Gus then braced himself for whatever annoyance or irritation was going to be expressed by Richard, only to see that Richard merely closed his eyes for a moment, before then placing a hand on his head.
"'I suppose I should concede that point to you..." Richard responded back. "Although the rest of the members should be rested up after each mission down to the worlds... It wouldn't be bad for you guys to take a break for a moment. We still haven't found anything yet about the 'X-Stones', and grasping in the darkness of the unknown is only a waste of resources."
"I'm glad to hear that." Gus said, as he bowed with gratitude. "Thanks for taking my opinion to heart."
"Oh, Gus... Since when did I never consider your options? I just simply had to make the hard choices." Richard smirked a little. "Don't worry, I'll keep that in mind. Are you fine, Reisen?"
"I am perfectly ready for any kind of mission that may come." Reisen reported back. "I do not any more rest."
"Well, only some of the people need the extended rest." Richard responded back. "Now, go back and talk with the others. I need to take a break while sightseeing the cosmic fabric before us."
"But you're not an astronomer." Gus noted.
"And that's where the pun lies-" Richard was about to say, before there was a siren running through the systems, as his expression turned into one of irritation. "Oh, what now?"
"Commander! We have received unknown contact signals, approaching our base!" A male human bridge officer declared. "Their signatures do not register in our databases!"
"Do the signals have determinable forms?" Richard questioned them.
"Yes. Their forms are akin to light space-fighters." Another bridge officer, of the kappa species, answered the question. "They seem to be carrying plasma ordinance in their weapons."
"Good... It's not the fucking light beams. Once is enough." Richard stated back. "Have scout drones been deployed?"
"Affirmative on the deployment." A female crew officer answered back, as she inputted several commands. "Patching camera feeds to bridge."
The bridge then showed a series of screens, showing the feeds of each scout drone, as they observed a series of familiar looking space fighters approaching them.
"TIE... fighters?" Richard muttered. "Can you zoom in further on their cockpits?"
"Attempting long-range zooming..." A crow tengu female bridge officer answered back, as she made the feeds zoom further in, as they caught sight of a close-up on the cockpit, showing the Imperial troopers commandeering each one of them.
"Yep... Those are Empire mooks." Richard sighed. "Well... Let's observe for now. They might be trying to scout out threats. If they attack us though, retaliate with full force. They won't listen to negotiations, so violence is the only language that will discourage any attempts on our space-fort. And record all signatures as Empire TIE Fighters. Designate all units of the same communication channels as Empire Forces, unless otherwise stated."
"Roger that. Relaying orders..." The male human crew member answered back, as he keyed in the new orders for the stationed crew members.
"I wonder what's their game." Richard hummed, as Reisen and Gus watched the feeds closely. "They seem to be armed, so they are prepared to counter any threats... Or they're looking for a fight."
"But wouldn't that be suicide against a fort of this size?" Gus asked.
"Exactly. And these morons won't realise it until the tertiary weapons come out to pepper them to pieces." Richard responded back. "I want to see what their first contact with us is."
Soon, there is a communications request message box on the bridge screen. "Commander, there are outgoing communications that are aimed towards us. Shall we hail them?"
"Hail them, at full clarity. Leave communications lines completely open, but guarded. I have a bad feeling about these 'visitors' of ours." Richard answered back, before he dropped the mask to his side through a sukima, as he gestured to Gus and Reisen to step out of the view of the window which he would be communicating through, both of them doing so quickly. "Alright, when you're ready."
"Patching right now..." The crew member answered back, as the image of a Imperial Trooper donning white armour, with a orange stripe on its helmet, as well as a orange cape on its back. "This is Commander Pangu of the Unmei Force, hailing you. What is your allegiance, and what is your purpose sending communications to us?"
"We are the Empire." The commander of the Empire Troops responded back in a modulated voice. "So, you are a commander of a force. What is your affiliation to this war?"
'War...? With who?' Richard thought, before he nodded his head gently. "War? We have not been informed of such a thing, nor have we felt its effects. Would you like to tell me about it?"
"You are not affected by the war between the Rebellion and our Empire?" The commander responded back, before becoming silent. "That is very suspicious statements there. The war has been ravaging more than a few cluster of galaxies. There must be a discrepancy in your account of matters."
'I see... So the Empire-Rebellion War is still in effect at this reality...' Richard noted mentally, before he then leaned forward a little, as his voice took a slightly dangerous tone. "There is no such thing. Either your war has never reached our borders, or your kingdom has designated this sector to be a war-free zone. As such, we are unaware of this war. Thus, I can only declare that I am of neutral standing to this war. I support neither side, which I have no information of, other than what you have told me."
"Hm. I see." The Empire Commander answered back.
"Before I continue this question any further... Who is your leader?" Richard asked in return.
"He is the Sith Lord who seeks to unite all of the universe under his regime, Emperor Darth Sidious." The Empire Commander answered back without any hesitation. "However, he has recently been considered deceased, so the former Grand Moff Tarkin has been elected the new Emperor."
Gus gasped almost loud enough for the Empire Commander to hear it, while Richard clenched the sides of his seat tightly.
'Huh… How strange. I expected Sidious or Kylo Ren to be at the helm. But the former Grand Moff…? Guess that's something different.' Richard thought.
"I do not know of Sith Lords, but if he seeks to unite the universe, his situation is not of our concern, as long as he does not plunder in our sector." Richard answered back, trying his best not to express animosity or distrust from his voice. "Now that we have made proper introductions, I would like to ask, what is the purpose of your visit?'"
"We wish to make a offer with you. We would like to claim this sector for the Empire." The Empire Commander bluntly stated his conditions. "In return, we will ensure that your people will be secured when the Empire achieves it ambition through eventual conquest."
"I'm afraid that's a offer I cannot take." Richard responded back with a wave of his hand. "We do not need protection, nor do we need assistance. The only deals on offer is an non-aggression treaty and trade of resources. We are a nation neutral to your war, and we have no intentions of being forcefully drafted into the war by your Emperor."
"I'm afraid that this is the only offer that you will be given." The Empire Commander responded back. "If you refuse, then your faction will be branded as potential threats to the Empire's conquest, and will be dealt accordingly."
"Are you threatening that you will invade our sector, and plunder and ruin all in your path?" Richard growled with a hint of a threat in his tone. "Are you stating that you will ravage this sector if it does not bend to the Empire's whims?"
"Do not mock the ways of the Empire. This is your last warning." The Empire Commander threatened back. "Surrender and be a part of the Empire, or face destruction."
Richard slowly adjusted his mask, taking a deep breath.
"I'm afraid that you are mistaken. Mistaken that we will be threatened into your service." Richard spoke in a very cold tone. "Record this message to your Emperor. This is a declaration of war, sent from the Unmei Force. We will not be threatened by power-hungry tyrants, and our pacifism is in no way a sign of weakness. You will learn that making us your enemy will cost you the war. You have made a permanent error, one that you wished that you have rectified in the past."
Richard then shut the comms, as he then faced the bridge crew.
"Activate the tertiary turrets. Do not allow any survivors." Richard commanded the bridge crew.
"Understood. Activating turrets." The crew member inputted the new commands, as the bridge screens showed video feeds of the turrets arising from different parts of the massive fortress, as they were twin-barrelled, and linked to a large power source with glowing energy tubes. "Turrets are primed, and ready to fire. Marking all enemies as hostile threats."
The TIE fighters soon come into view of the fortress from the bridge's window, as they fired off barrages of lasers that are blocked off by the barrier that is protecting the fort.
"Minimal damage to the barrier." A crew member reported to Richard. "Retaliation from defence systems is imminent."
Richard watched with a smirk, as the turrets fire off a deadly salvo of lasers that pepper the entire space in front of them, as the TIE Fighters tried to dodge the barrage fired at them, only to be annihilated in merely a few minutes, including the one with the Empire Commander in it.
"Well, looks like we have something to do." Richard said with a casual tone, as he got out of his seat. "Reisen, ready your special forces. I'll get the army ready."
He then made a ship-wide announcement with the press of a button. "Attention all commanding officers and personnel. This is your Commander, Richard Liu, speaking. A assembly has been declared at the Main Hall. Please belay all tasks, except those who have essential duties that must be maintained at all times. Thank you."
Richard then turned to Gus. "So... Nothing to say? Or is that you have no reason to complain?"
"...No. So it's war?" Gus responded back after a brief silence.
"It's war. And they picked the wrong faction to go to war with." Richard replied back. "We fought super-soldiers and a ultra-futuristic world army that could put the Empire to shame in terms of combined individual planet power. Then again, we have to deal with the space frontier this time, and we made the necessary preparations. Now if you excuse me, I have a army to mobilise, my friend. Tell Elma and Ieyasu that they will have to sit out this war, since they are incapable of fighting this kind of war."
"I will make sure they are informed." Gus accepted with a nod, before the two of them entered the elevator that connected to the bridge to the main sectors of the space fortress.
"Make it so, the Empire isn't some sort of joke. They can and will destroy us with full prejudice if they must." Richard answered back. "So we'll make sure the same goes for them."
In the Main Hall...
The Main Hall was filled with high-rank officers, as they were standing as a large organised crowd, in front of a elevated platform, which overlooked the entire massive hall. They were chatting amongst each other, as they were wondering what has caught the army's attention to have all eligible officers gathered to meet.
Soon enough, Richard comes out from the door linked to the platform, as he takes his place in front of the podium, and pulls out a small microphone with a stand to put on it, as he makes a few testing taps to ensure that the system is working as it should, before he then grabs it.
"I'm sure that you're wondering why I have called for a urgent assembly at this time." Richard started off. "Things are going peacefully as they should, and nothing is going wrong for us. Well, that's true, up until now. I'm sure that you might have noticed that there has been some sort of... 'unwelcome intrusion' that had happened just a few hours ago. Most of you are unaware of it, but some might have noticed it."
Richard then placed his hands together in a clasp. "That's right. For a long period of time, we have been finally communicated by a outside force, as a military entity. This may be either a moment of celebration, or a moment of tension, depending on the circumstances. And I have recently made communications with them, and this is the result."
Richard then presses a button, as the record of the exchange between the Empire Commander and Richard blared through the halls, as the officers were shocked to hear that the Empire has declared hostile intentions towards them.
"That's right. A force known as the Empire has hailed us upon discovering our stronghold in this reality." Richard continued, as the recordings died down. "They are to be marked as hostile, due to their intent to seize our resources and claim dominion over our assets, even by violent force. After communications, they were cleanly dispatched by automated defences, when they tried to assault the fortress in a attempt to weaken it. Hence, why some of you engineers, or those who were able to see or hear the discharge of the turrets, and the destruction of the 'diplomatic' party."
Richard then slammed his hands down on the podium. "And this means that a declaration of war has been pointed towards us. By destroying their forces, we have solidified our stance as enemies of the Empire, and they are likely to retaliate with a stronger force. Maybe the party was merely a tiny part of a fleet that is stationed within the sector. If so, then we must prepare for war."
He then gripped the handles of the podium tightly, as his expression became determined. "Remember that we are an army who fights for the safety of their own land. We have not shown aggression back to the Empire, before they have made such insolent threats to us, and ensured their hostility back to us. It is only fair that we are to partake in this war, despite our stance. Because the Empire will not hesitate to fight us, and we shall not either. The Empire will learn that we are a force that is never to be threatened, lest our full force descend upon them, and scatter their remains to the four winds."
He then stepped forward, as he swiped the microphone stand and pulled it up to his mouth, as his voice became more and more bold. "So I beseech that the gods and goddesses of our land will grant us the strength to fight against such tyranny, and that even the great Ryujin himself will guide us into battle with glorious victory and liberation. We are a force of both magic and science, so our power, despite being a mere fraction of our full army back in our lands, is far more mighty than the numbers seem! We will destroy them for their arrogance, and teach them that one does not poke the proverbial sleeping bear!"
He then threw his arm out. "And now, by the privilege granted upon me by the Supreme General of the United Gensokyo Force, Yukari Yakumo, I, Lieutenant Colonel Richard, as the highest rank of all personnel here, declare the full mobilisation of the United Gensokyo Force, to combat the threat that is the Empire!"
The officers in the hall then erupt into a uproar of bravery, as they cry for glory and victory.
"As of now, GFS Izanagi and GFS Amaterasu are to prepare for war, while all other carrier-class units are to be stationed at GFS Ryujin to aid its defence against any Empire Fleet that attempts to destroy our fortress!" Richard ordered all of the officers. "All personnel and soldiers are expected to be fully prepared for war, for we find ourselves on the footsteps of such a battle! All of you, dismissed!"
Richard then turned the microphone off, as he walks out of the hall, as the officers left the hall in rows, as they prepared for war.
After a few moments...
Richard was dressed in his military gear, as it consisted of a black light-weight camo suit with armour plating on the front and back of his torso, as well as on his shoulders, as well as black army jeans that are reinforced with bullet-resistant padding. He also had durable army leather boots on his feet. On his shoulders were the emblem of his rank, a silver maple leaf, and a round path that has a howling humanoid woman with horns roaring to a yellow crescent moon, with the letters 'GHDF' around the bottom of it.
Soon, he is met by a group of soldiers who came before him. One was a young Japanese man, with short scruffy brown-hair and light brown eyes to match., wearing a grey Japanese army soldier uniform, with his shoulders each bearing the insignia of a Japanese sergeant, as well as having the symbol of the GSDF on the right breast of his uniform, and wearing black steel-toed boots like his fellow cohorts and black camo jeans.
The second one was a slender and slim lady,as she looked like that she was of the same species of youkai as Reisen, as she had short purple hair that flowed beside her head, red eyes, and flexible bunny ears on top of her head. She was dressed in a battle medic suit, as she had a armoured vest around her body, with pouches that were filled with medical supplies for immediate first-aid, a portable med-kit on her waist, and red-cross pouches on the shoulder, as her boots were of brown leather without any reinforcement.
The third member of the group was a large and burly humanoid youkai, who had yellow-orange eyes, and a slightly darker hue of tan for his skin. He had stubble on his chin and cheeks, and his brown hair was wild and short. He was decked in full armour, as his military suit consisted of heavy-duty metal armour plating on every part of his body, as there were various demolition gadgets, including a pack of grenades on the side of his suit, protected in a heavily-armoured box where they were placed.
The fourth and final member was a slightly shorter youkai who had short light-blue hair that stuck out from under the green military beret, and sky-blue eyes. He was suited up as a engineer, as his gear consisted of a light-weight padded jacket that covered the entirety of his upper body, with some armour plating to protect his vital spots, and thin jeans that had loops on the side, which had several kinds of utility tools attached to it. And by his side was a small aerial drone that hovered gently in the air.
Richard stopped before them, as he crossed his arms. "Unison Squad, report yourselves to your squad leader."
"Major Tatsuki Yusho, ready for duty, Commander!" The first member responded with a crisp salute. "We are prepared to fight for the sake of Gensokyo once again! You can always count on us. As long as you remain, we will devote ourselves to your command, Lieutenant Colonel."
"Major Rina Shinden, of the Eientei Medic Forces, reporting as well!" The rabbit-eared female youkai answered back next, as she did a salute quickly, before then smiling. "I'm happy that we're ready for battle. I'll make sure that everyone makes it. I promise."
"Major Yu Senju, Demolitions Expert, coming at your orders, boss." The large burly man saluted back with a wild grin. "So, whose heads are we busting this time? I wonder what kind of battle we're going to get? The last one we had with those RAIDERS seemed to be a real blast of a moment. And I can't wait to experience some thrills like the ones they brought before."
"Major Keikyo Wenzu, Engineer and Tech Specialist. Arrived when you have ordered us." The shorter blue-haired male sounded off last, as he did a slow salute, pressing his fingers on the side of his beret. "I always wondered how long peace would last before we would be mobilised for battle. I only hope that it's a short war. We don't need lives lost already, as Rina has made clear."
"At ease, all of you." Richard relieved his members. "I am very delighted to see that you are ready for action. Here are my initial orders: Be prepared to depart from GFS Ryujin, onboard the GFS Izanagi, by 1200 on D-Day. Warm ourselves up, make final preparations, do whatever you wish, but remember that we have little intel on the current situation. The severity of the war is indeterminable at the moment, so caution is to be advised, and all measures are authorised in case of all possible scenarios."
"Got it." Tatsuki responded back. "Will there be anything else?"
"Our mission will be likely to be a strike against the head command. A single-squad infiltration of an enemy stronghold." Richard continued his report. "You may find it quite easy, compared to our last mission, where we were given tighter restrictions. The enemy has similar tech level as the previous opponents we had fought, so this kind of mission would be a piece of cake compared to the long-war survivors we are."
"But we don't have the Gensokyo's Daughters with us for the mission." Rina reminded back. "Two of the members are back at our reality, and the other three will be assisting other forces, is that correct?"
"That is most correct." Richard responded with a nod. "Their efforts are best used to assist certain forces, as there is not enough of their group to form a proper strikeforce like us. Thus, we are the only special-ops strikeforce that can be reliably used. Others will be given low-rank classifieds. We're the heavy-lifters for this war, so don't screw up, or the results will dampen our army's efficiency against the enemy."
"So, we're going to cut the head of the snake, eh?" Yu asked, before his grin grew wider. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy making hell rain down upon anyone who is unfortunate enough to cross our path."
"Hey hey, we need some time to consider the mission objectives first, Yu." Keikyo scolded Yu with a stern expression. "It wouldn't do us good if we just charged in and roared bloody murder while destroying everything in our way. That won't do much to help us achieve the desired effect."
Yu merely crossed his arms, as he scoffed loudly at Keikyo's words. "It works well for us onis. Leave that technical and tactical stuff to humans like our Commander and Tatsuki, and kappa like you, Kei."
Keikyo only sighed deeply at the response, as Richard smiled a little.
"Good to see that team cohesion is working quite fine. The glue between all of you is going fine. I'm proud that even in temporary retirement, you guys haven't changed for the worse." Richard said, before he then brushed past them. "Now then, I will making my own preparations. I hope that you all will be ready for the battles to come. Unison Squad, you are all dismissed until further notice."
Richard then took a sukima back to his room, as he slowly let himself fall back-first onto his bed, before whipping out an picture of a man in sunglasses.
"Ah, LT... It looks like war has found me again. Seems like this opponent is futuristic like your own super army." Richard muttered to himself. "I'm sure that you would be laughing at how our enemy are the aimless Stormtroopers, and the slightly logic-flawed Empire. But then again, AU laws apply, so maybe they might be a extremely competent bunch. We'll have to see... And we'll see if they can surpass the expectations that you have set for my army."
He then slowly set the photo of his acquaintance down, as he slowly let himself drift to sleep.