Disclaimer: I don't own Strike Witches, but sure wish I did.
This story is in the same story line as "Unexpected Alliances," taking place sometime afterward. I ultimately intend to merge the two stories into a greater story arc, which I am developing.
The present story started as one story, then grew into two separate stories, or actually two parts of one story. I decided I'd try an intertwining story line for this one. There will a naming convention in case anyone wants to read in more linear fashion.
I hope you enjoy, and comments most welcome.
A biomechanical whale call split the night air. The Neuroi glided across demilitarized NeueKarlsland, making inexorable progress toward the Belgica border.
Rain lashed the dark sky; lightning flitted throughout the clouds, striking land in unpredictable, devastating fashion. Deepest black against thunderstorm grey, under a midnight sky, the Neuroi was only visible by its glowing red weapons points and the red beams that lanced from them.
"Can you raise the ground forces? Central Command? Base?" Flight Lieutenant Juutilainen shouted above the cacophony of sounds - Neuroi groan, thunder, hissing rain, anti-aircraft artillery.
Flight Lieutenant Litvyak, her partner in the air and on the ground, shook her head negative. Her magical antennae glowing red around her, she tried frantically to access radio frequencies - any frequency - to report their position to the defenders on the ground. Instead, static greeted her.
Sanya and Eila were on regular night patrol, flying above the clouds to avoid the heavy weather, when Sanya's antenna changed from spring green to blood red. The two had been tensely alert; normally Sanya tuned-in to radio frequencies at night, searching for hints of her father, or just to pass the long patrol hours. This night, Sanya only picked up a soft hiss.
Suspecting Neuroi of blocking radio transmissions, they descended below the clouds to reconnoiter. The heavy autumn storm soaked them immediately as they investigated. Sanya was able to triangulate a region of greater interference, and the two made their way cautiously in that direction. They radioed their actions back to the 501st Squadron base; with the radio down, they had no way of knowing whether their report was heard.
It wasn't long before they saw the battle in the distance; joint Karlsland and Belgica ground forces were hammering the Neuroi with mobile anti-aircraft artillery. The 88 mm Flak-37 shells exploded around the Neuroi like malicious fireworks. The Alien shimmered silver where direct hits and shrapnel scored its surface. It returned fire, but the flash suppressors on the guns frustrated its retaliation; in response it wildly strafed the ground hoping to swat its tormentors.
"The AA-guns aren't doing any good," concluded Eila. "We're going to have to engage it ourselves."
"But I haven't been able to reach anyone, it's too dangerous to fly into the barrage," protested the Orussian witch.
"There's nothing we can do about that," replied Eila. "We'll have to hope the ground forces realize there're witches engaging it in the air and call off their fire."
Sanya nodded. It would be similar, but different from their engagement of the Hive over Venezia. Then, the combined Allied fleet provided anti-aircraft fire during the heat of battle, but had known witches were in the air. Now, the Allied forces knew nothing of their presence, and so could not adjust their targeting. Both were equally dangerous, but in the former engagement their comrades desperately wished to avoid shooting them. Now, they wanted to hit anything in the sky that moved, assuming it to be an enemy. "We'll draw its attention over here, try to draw the Neuroi out of the range of the AA guns," the smaller witch said. "No reason to rush headlong into friendly fire."
Eila gave Sanya a fleeting, ironic smile. Both knew that Eila saw several seconds in the future and so had nothing to worry about on that count, but there was no reason to tempt fate, especially since Sanya did not share her ability.
Sanya fired a salvo from her Fliegerhammer. The rockets arced through the air, detonating on the Alien's dorsal side. The Neuroi made what could only be called an irritated noise. The Neuroi changed course slightly, but did not leave the firing range of the FLAK-37s.
"Damn," said Eila. "It had to notice us! Why isn't it chasing us?"
The Nueroi continued to fire randomly at the artillery emplacements. Among the trees the witches could see an explosion as one of the AA guns fell to the Alien's barrage.
"Hit it again with your Fliegerhammer," the Soumi witch suggested. Soaked to the bone, Sanya pushed limp strands of wet hair out of her eyes. Taking aim she let loose another salvo at the alien, which resembled a swallow-tailed squid beset by lamprey eels and barnacles. Three rockets slammed into the side of the enemy.
The Neuroi emitted an angry screech. Instead of turning, several red-tipped black barnacles dropped off the Alien and raced towards the night witches.
"Oh, crap!" exclaimed Eila. Raising her MG42, she rushed at the drones, shooting them down before they could reach Sanya's position. The mothership released another swarm of drones, which scattered, avoiding the Soumi witch. Eila shot two down, and had to give chase to others. More barnacles dropped off the alien, converging on her as she chased down the second wave.
Eila dodged red beams of destruction as the aliens tried to shoot her down. The beams missed the long haired witch, ripping into the forrest below. The ground forces noticed the additional drone assault and began targeting the smaller attackers. Eila dove, turned, and jack-knived more frantically as she dodged both alien energy beams and allied anti-aircraft shells. She was drenched, and couldn't tell where her sweat ended and rain water began.
"We have to retreat, Eila!" shouted Sanya, not sure the older witch could hear her.
The drones pressed their way towards Sanya's position. "Nrryyyaaaah!" Eila roared, performing a barrel-roll at break neck-speed, shooting down drones, trying to beat them to where Sanya hovered.
Suddenly, a barrage of anti-aircraft fire errupted below her, sending exploding shells into the sky, destroying two of the drones. "Crap crap crap crap crap crap crap!" Eila muttered under her breath. A battery of Flak guns had remained hidden in the forrest, opening fire once the enemy entered their firing range.
We have to get out of here! thought the Soumi witch. We're too uncoordinated here, we need to...
Dread plunged through Eila, bringing with it waves of dizzying nausea. Through the chaos and confusion of battle raging through her brain, her Foresight showed an 88 mm shell exploding next to Sanya - then nothing. A whirling miasma of midnight grey chaos blocked her vision; she couldn't see past five seconds in the future... four...three...
"SANYA!" Panicking, Eila disengaged from the drones and raced to the younger witch. She heard the whine of an incoming shell.
For the first time without being ordered, Eila raised her shield.
The 88 mm shell detonated against the sky blue barrier, shattering it. The force of impact and compression from the explosion threw her back against Sanya. Searing, white-hot pain enveloped her left leg, her right arm, her head as shrapnel from the AA shell shredded her striker, zipping past and through her.
Startled, Sanya dropped her Fliegerhammer, catching the limp Eila under her arms.
"Eila? Eila?!"
Blood started staining the long haired witch's uniform, running down her face, arm, leg, mixing with the heavy rain.
"Nyet... NYET! Pomogitie!" wailed Sanya. "Lyudi! Pomogite pozhaluysta! Eila ranen! EILA RANEN!"