Author's Notes
Hi to everyone!^^
As I promised, today it's the day when I start releasing the sequel of "Gate - Warfare", "Gate - Last Escape".
The story, which is in truth nothing but the second part of Warfare, will be far shorter than the first episode (13 chapters and the Epilogue), and more choral if compared with the previous one, with many actors involved all with the same importance, even if the Falcon-1 will have still the upper hand in the most significant situations.
Well, I suppose it's all.
Enjoy the reading!^^
Cj Spencer
1
The first traces of spring were finally starting to appear all around Castria, wiping away the winter and blessing the region after months of an apparently endless winter.
On the streets, as well as in the fields, woods and hills beyond the wall, snow and ice were slowly disappearing, leaving behind a nature ready to return to life. Deer, wild boars and rabbits were leaving their refuges, ready to become dinner for the colonists that, per local tradition, prepared a big party to celebrate the end of the winter and the new beginning.
But General Pedersoli didn't want to celebrate: on the contrary, he was quite worried, and in the recent days he spent most of the time in his office, as if waiting for something.
«What's wrong, General?» Florenzi asked one morning while bringing him breakfast as usual. «You seem nervous, if I might.»
«Something's off. The thaw has begun almost two weeks ago, yet we received no news from the Falcon-1.»
«Maybe this temperature is still too much for the avions. Even the ones here in Castria are still having problems.»
«But the radio signal now is almost ready, and by now their radio should be able to communicate. I can't believe Flavio isn't even trying to call us. It's not like him. I have a bad feeling about this.»
«Is there something we can do, General?»
Pedersoli reflected for a moment, then turned back to look at Florenzi.
«Let's send someone to check.»
«I think that's not an option, sir. The streets are still blocked, and the bridge close to Queen Pentesia's territories has still to be fixed.»
«But we have helicopters. The heliport is ready, so I say, let's use it.»
A stunned Florenzi remained speechless.
«But sir, orders are to wait to deploy helicopters. Not to mention that we're strictly forbidden from using our technology on territories with which we don't have a secrecy agreement.»
«To hell with orders. I just need to know that Flavio and the others are ok. I'll take full responsibility. Send the order.»
«Aye sir.» Florenzi replied, not without a certain connivance in his tone.
The members of the Falcon-4, the sole Falcon Unit left in the Special Region in those days of leaves and special passes, were immediately kicked out of bed and ordered to reach the heliport as soon as possible. The leader of the squad, Captain Filippo Verri, was a veteran of the Army, as were his men, and as a member of the Col Moschin paratroopers division he had served in some of the worse war zones in the world. He and his squad were actively employed during Reich's assault against Castria, and since their arrival in the Special Region, they had earned three medals already, which made the Falcon-4 the most decorated among the Falcon units.
This time, however, the mission was quite simple: they had to reach the Haqaba Plains by helicopter and establish a radio contact with Captain Lunardi's Falcon-1, meeting them if necessary outside Calibria to provide other supplies.
Knowing this, Verri chose to take just a couple of soldiers with him, unwilling to deprive his whole unit of their well-deserved licenses now that they had just returned from the last mission. Therefore, when the jeep went to pick them up and drive them to the heliport, joining him were also Lieutenant Angelo Bortolan and Soldiers Manuela Spolli and Ferruccio Panomita, the other three paratroopers of the unit and Verri's most entrusted companions.
Due to the lack of space and uneven terrain around Castria, the Italian Army had no choice but to build the heliport elsewhere, in a flat area a couple of miles south of the gate, surrounded by a fortified fence and connected with the main base by a dirt road.
Even before Verri and the others crossed the doors of the base, a couple of Chinooks was already waiting for them; the first one was for the squad, the second instead was being completely filled with provisions and other equipment for the Falcon-1.
«Welcome aboard, guys!» said Captain Mario Pegni from his seat at the stich when Verri and his men finally appeared from the hatch. «Need a ride?»
«You think?» Verri replied. «Come on, make this piece of junk move.»
«Ehi, watch for your mouth. This is a respectable…»
«Piece of junk. Come on, you know it.» Panomita said. «How many missions did this bird take part in?»
«Many more than you, kid. Have respect for the old-timers.»
«I'm not asking too much, I think. They could give us newer vehicles to sort out all this mess at least.»
«Ok, that's enough.» the Captain «Are we ready?»
«Whenever you want.»
«Then let's go. I'm sure Flavio will not mind our visit.»
A couple of minutes later the tower communicated that the loading of the other helicopter was complete, so it was time for takeoff.
«Control tower, this is Hawk-2.» Mario said at the radio «All systems clear. Ready for take-off.»
«This is control tower, you are cleared for take-off. Have a good trip.»
«Thanks, tower.»
Then, one by one the two helicopters got up, immediately heading south while everything around them, from the base of Castria to the surrounding mountains, became smaller and smaller.
«Control tower, this is recon unit. Take-off performed. Estimated time to the target, four hours.»
When Tassoni woke up after a while, the first thing he felt was cold and stony ground under his butt and a widespread pain throughout the body, as if he had been trampled by a herd of horses.
He took a while to remember what had happened, but the moment he tried to get up he found out almost immediately that he was tied to the support pole of something like a tent.
«Shit. This is not a good thing.»
While he was still trying to remember what had happened before he had fainted, the edges of the curtain moved, and a moment later Octavia and Ludwika were both in front of him followed by a couple of guards.
«Is this the guy?» Ludwika asked.
«Yes my Lady. We found him in the royal prisons. He certainly belongs to the Singing People.» then Octavia turned on him. «Who are you? What's your name?»
But Tassoni didn't answer, looking at her almost defiantly.
«Are you a soldier, right? Why were you in prison? What was your people doing in Calibria? No one told us you were allied with them.»
«You're wasting your time. I won't say a word.»
At that point, Ludwika threateningly pointed her newly rebuilt and massive sword towards him, and all of a sudden, Simone's boldness faded away.
«Maybe he'll talk if I take off one of his arms.» she said smiling.
«Wait, your Grace. We can't do it.»
«Why?» she innocently asked
«This is the first time we have the occasion to speak with one of the Singing People. His information may be very valuable to better understand their technology and why they're here.»
«But he doesn't want to talk.»
«Don't worry. The mages and magistrates in Oder know how to make someone talk. Don't worry, soon he'll say everything we want.»
«Ok.» Ludwika finally said disapprovingly while leaving. «But it won't be funny like this.»
Before leaving herself, Octavia turned to the guards.
«In a couple of days I'll put this man in the next convoy for Reich. Meanwhile, guard him at the cost of your life.»
«Yes my lady.»
«Wait!» Tassoni shouted. «Where are my companions?»
«They left.» the General coldly answered. «Without you.»
«What!?» the young soldier said, shocked.
«Precisely. They left you here without a thought. They have chosen to sacrifice you to save their lives, without even trying to save you.»
«This… this is expected.» he tried to answer. «It's normal for a Falcon Unit to leave behind one of its members if the life of the wholesquad is in danger.»
«It's wrong.» Octavia said looking right into his eyes. «And you know it. The truth is that the weak man will always put his life before those of others.»
«The Captain is not a weak man!»
«The facts tell another story. Knowing this, I wonder if there's really something good we can learn from your people.»
Then, Octavia and the guards finally left, leaving Tassoni alone with his fear and doubts.
«Captain.»
When the Falcon-1 had reached Calibria five months before, they were a full-strength squad made by fifteen ofthe best soldiers of the Italian Armored Forces: now, eight were left, nine if counting Tymlin, all aboard the sole truck left, lost somewhere in those grassy plains behind enemy lines, completely alone and probably with an entire army looking for them.
Cassetti kept on squeezing the full speed out of the VM-90 for hours, trying to put as much distance as possible between them and that hell called Calibria from which they had just miraculously escaped. Then, finally, around noon, Lunardi ordered to stop, so everyone were finally able to catch a breather after almost an entire day spent with their hearts in their throat.
But the truth was that none of them had enough force or spirit to simply wipe away the shock for what they had just seen: in barely a couple of seconds they had seen their best friends die, and a giant like Niang torn apart by that monster called Ludwika. Even Rocco, the only one among them with a long experience of dangerous warzone scenarios around the globe, was clearly devastated by the horrors of that night, but differently from the others, there was something more in his eyes, something… dark.
«It seems…» Cassetti said, almost to cut the ice. «We're safe… somehow.»
«My God…» said Valenti in tears. «All those people…»
«Someone has betrayed the city.» said a seemingly unperturbed Lunardi. «This is the only explanation I can find for such a sudden fall.»
«Niang…» said Amato, his head buried in his hands. «And Boldi, and Bizzarri… they're all dead.»
«Shit!» Wang shouted throwing his helmet away. «What the fuck is happening here? This was supposed to be an easy mission!»
«For now, the important thing is to stay alive.» Lunardi said again. «The enemy will follow us for sure.»
«Could you not wait a moment for this?» Rocco said «In case you haven't noticed it, these guys are still trying to recover from this night.»
«No, we can't. As I said, the enemy is surely following us, and they will not wait for us to get over this. Moreover, the traces of the truck are easy to follow. We must put as much distance as possible from them while we stillcan.»
But probably the Gods had other plans in mind, because right then a thunder echoed in the distance. Lunardi then pointed his binoculars along their path, crashing andmenacing stormclouds heading right against them.
«Shit. A blitzstorm.»
«A what?» Rocco asked
«A particular storm typical of this part of the continent. They're sudden, violent and unpredictable. And this one is clearly heading here. We must find cover.»
«There's a cave not far from here.» Tymlin said. «I found refuge right there some time ago. It's big enough to hide even the truck.»
«Perfect. Let's move out. All aboard.»
Tassoni tried to free himself for hours, but he was still too weak and in pain, so after several attempts he finally gave up, sitting there to think about Octavia's words.
As a soldier, if he could still call himself a soldier, he knew that the life of a single man is nothing against the fate of an entire squad, and in that sort of situation, Captain Lunardi had rightfully chosen to put the safety of the rest of the Falcon-1 above anything else.
But as a man, a guy forced to wear unwanted clothes, he refused to accept that his companions had simply abandoned him in the hands of the enemy, probably knowing what destiny lied in front of him.
Why? Why was all that happening to him?
Since the day his father's will had forced him to wear the uniform, he had always tried to keep a low profile, to go unnoticed: but this was not enough for him. He had to become like his ancestors, a proud and loyal servant of the motherland.
And now he was destined to pay for his father's obstinacy to see his sons faithfully following the family's tradition.
But probably all this was not enough for destiny to fell satisfied, because suddenly something far worse than being a prisoner in the hands of a brutal enemy seemed about to happen.
Suddenly, the two guards left to watchhim returned inside, and the face of one of them was all but creepy.
«Please, tell me you're not thinking seriously about it.» said his partner
«Of course I'm doing.» he replied while drooling like a pig
«But General Octavia told us to keep him safe. If she were to discover it…»
«Oh, please, we just don't have to tell her.»
Simone at that point had a very bad feeling.
«Did you forget the holy rules?» the most sane of two tried again to say. «Sodomy is severely forbidden by the Law of Fuhrer. You could be burned as an heretic.»
«Fuck the laws! The officers took all the women for themselves, even whores and bitches! There's not a single hole left to pierce in this goddamn city! And I waited too long!»
Then, without further words, the soldier took off his pants, revealing his already hard thing and menacingly approached Tassoni.
«You have a pretty face, young boy.» he said taking him by the hair. «Probably it's not even the first time for you doing this. Come on, let me taste your sweet mouth.»
That sort of maniac was right about to put his toy in Simone's forced open mouth, when suddenly a shadow appeared behind him, and in the blink of an eye the soldier found himself with two different daggers piercing his body, one in the throat and the other right in the crotch. The moment the soldier fell dead to the ground, Tassoni was able to see the peculiar and deadly figure of a familiar warrior bunny in front of him, and before the other soldier could even try something, the newcomer immediately killed him as well launching one of her daggers right in his forehead.
«Parna!?»
«It seems I was right after all, about your sexual preferences.»
«Eh!?» Tassoni replied in embarrassment. «No, of course not! What are you…»
«Relax, I was joking.» Parna replied while releasing him from the ropes.
Finally Simone was able to get up, even if he was still so weak that he needed a bit of time to be able to stand on his legs.
«But… why are you here? I thought you had escaped.»
«I was going to, but I remembered I owed a favor to a certain nuisance.» she said pretending to be annoyed. «Come on, let's get out of here.»
Once they crossed the mountains and valleys of Arlea, the two Chinooks and the Falcon-4 found themselves flying across the stony plains and grassy fields of Haqaba.
It was almost incredible how the scenario had changed in just five hundred kilometers: first there were rivers, forests and an alpine climate, now instead it was almost like floating above the endless steppes of Central Europe, or the bare mountains of northern Turkey.
That was the first time the Falcon-4 had visited Haqaba Plains, so for a while Verri and his men watched in silence the endless expanses of meadows and hills below them, so quiet at first glance and already free from the grip of winter.
However, the closer they got to Calibria, the harder it became to understand why the Falcon-1 wasn't responding to the radio.
«Any good news?» Verri asked to the Commander
«Nothing, Captain.» Mario answered before making yet another attempt. «Falcon-1, this is five-three-six recon unit, do you read me? Falcon-1, if you hear me, please come in.»
But once again, nothing happened.
«I don't understand. We should be in their range already.»
«How far are we from Calibria?»
«Right now, seventy-two kilometers. We're about to reach the redline.»
Verri reflected for a moment, then he turned again to Mario.
«Call the General.»
Moments later, Florenzi reached Pedersoli's office, warning him that Captain Verri wanted to speak with him, so the General immediately reached the meeting room.
«This is the situation, General.» Verri explained by radio. «I request permission to advance beyond the redline to try and contact the Falcon-1.»
«Permission granted, Captain.» Pedersoli replied without hesitation. «You can go as far as the city if you have to.»
«Received.»
«But, sir…» said a stunned Florenzi. «This is far beyond any engagement rule for this operation. If the people of the city should see the helicopters…»
«They'll mistake them for dragons or some sort of unknown creatures. Something's happening out there. And if Rigamonti has problems with me, he can replace me if wants to.» then the General turned to the operator. «Can you give me the visual from the cameras?»
«The signal will be quite weak probably but yes, I should.»
In fact, after a couple of seconds, the live feed from the cameras placed on the Chinooks appeared on two different monitors; as predicted, they were low resolution, but at least now they were able to see as well what was happening out there in the Haqaba Plains.
«Please God, let me be wrong.» Pedersoli whispered, feeling anguish grow.
Unfortunately, both Pedersoli and Verri were talented and well-trained soldiers, so it wasn't very often that their impressions and feelings to be wrong.
Something had truly happened, but nothing in the world could prepare them for what they found in front of them once the helicopters finally reached Calibria.
What they found was not a city: no more.
The once mighty and powerful Calibria, the jewel of the Plains, was now in ruin, turned into a mound of stones blackened by the flames of dozens of fires.
There were no holes in the walls or something like that, but just a simple glance was more than enough to understand that Calibria had faced a tremendous siege, and that it had been ultimately defeated.
The besiegers' main camp was just a couple of miles far from the northern door, hugging a rocky hill and surrounded by a wooden fence.
Even Pederoli, Florenzi and the others in the control room saw that, and when the camera ultimately caught a familiar flag waving on the roof of the royal palace, everything became clear.
«Oh, my God.» murmured a shocked General
«What the bloody fuck is happening here?» exclaimed the pilot of the second helicopter.
«Luigi, look out!» Mario shouted from the radio. «Above you!»
But it was already too late.
Suddenly, a shadow literally fell from the sky, and a wyvern was launched by its rider directly towards the helicopter before the pilot could try to avoid it.
Both the beast and the rider ended up mangled by the rotors, but the crash was more than the Chinhook could take, and it immediately dove to the ground, in an uncontrolled spiral.
«Shit, I cannot make it!» Verri, Mario and the ones in the control room heard to the radio, and a moment later the copter crashed to the ground, exploding immediately.
«Luigi! Luigi! Shit!»
But there was no time to cry, because in a few moments other wyverns took off both from the camp and the inside of the city, heading menacingly against the newcomers.
«Tell them to retreat! Now!» Pedersoli shouted.
«Recon unit, mission aborted, mission aborted!» said the radio operator. «Return immediately!»
«Did you hear them?» Verri said to the pilot. «Let's get out of here!»
«But Luigi and the others…» Mario tried to protest
«They're dead! And we will be dead too if we don't leave now!»
At that point, Mario had no choice but obey, and while he was turning the helicopter Verri and his soldiers ran to the machineguns placed at the doors and on the back access ramp.
«Fire! Fire!»
Hundreds of bullets immediately zipped towards the wyverns, whostarted falling like flies, while the helicopter flew away at its best speed. However, many of them had to die, before the remaining ones understood that it was better for their prey to be left alone.