Prologue "Last Defense"
Disclaimer: I don't own the lore, and the characters of Girls' Frontline. They all belong MICA team.
Cover Image is taken from Relic Entertaiment's "Company of Heroes 2". Rights to this image belong to them.
The Air was filled with numerous gunshots and explosions. It was also filled with dying screams of numerous people. One of the injured was wearing a pilotka garrison cap along with green uniform with woodland pattern camoflage. His face was hidden behind PMK-2 gas mask. He was also equipped with a simple black tactical vest on top of heavy bulletproof vest with armguards. The tactical vest had AKM mags in it. His jacket was covered in two bandages, one on the left arm and the other one on the lower thigh.
"It's better to die to the enemy fire than to be executed!" I shouted and aimed into the battlefield and pulled the trigger of his AKMS. The rifle shot it's cartriges, which could potentially harm or end one's live. After that he hid behind a simple barricade and turned his face to his underling, who were dressed almost like I was. The major diffrence was the lack of armguards,and overall lighter bulletproof vest.
"Let's make them regret ever setting foot in our territory!" I shouted the words of encouragement to his men. They simply answered by yelling "URRRA!" and stood up still behind the baricades and fired in Volleys.
This man was an ex-Major under the family name of Kutshniev. Preciously a renowned military officer, it is said that he managed to hold off a massive Sangvis Ferri attack for over 3 hours having only 3 Assault Battalions under his command until the reinforcements arrived. Then why this man is here, mud and dirt under his feet, dodging the bullets flying past his head?
It's simple really.
The answer is that he refused to lead the suicide charge which would end up only in his men getting slaughtered and wasting resources. And because War rages on, all acts of disobidence are punished with a simple order.
An Order to move the man to Penal Squad. Major was stripped of his rank, his honours and transferred to the Penal Battalion. Penal Squads are compromised of criminals, deserters, degenerates, small-time murderers along with many others under command of 'cowardly' officers. Troops serving in those battalions can only reedem themselves with blood... Theirs or Enemies'.
The man looked around the battleground, which was filled with bodies. He noticed that the enemy is getting more relentless in their attacks. Sangvis Ferri drones flew above the battlefield, but as soon as one group was destroyed another one would show up in it's place. 'They must've mobilised their reserves.' Field Officer thought as he shot down one of the drones, and moved on to destroy the rest of the group.
"There's too many of them!"I shouted while reloding my assault rifle."Is the minefield ready?" I asked the closest soldier, who was in progress of throwing an Frag Grenade.
"Do I look like an Assault Engineer to you?" He replied sarcasticly after throwing it. "Just radio the command and ask them." The sound of explosion and fragments whizzling in the air almost muffled his reply.
"I can't do that." Major answered."There's always chance of them intercepting our radio chatter. We will lose the element of suprice."
He sighed, and turned towards the other Penal Trooper, who was in progress of repacking ammo into his spare magazine.
"Oi, Is vegetable field ready?" He shouted towards him, who was wearing a large backpack with an entrenching tool attached to it's back. His uniform differs from the rest because he has a white emblem consisting of a bayonet crossed with an entrenching tool on his sole left armguard.
"Yes it is!" He replied, shouting while firing from his loaded AK-74M to keep the enemy down."They're going to eat so much today!"
"There you go." The soldier said to the Major."It's our small codename for the mine field. There's almost no way that the enemy will guess what we're talking about."
"I see." Kutshniev replied. As I did, I grabbed what it seemed military sulprus RDG-2B from one of the pockets on his tactical vest. I then pressed a button on my presonal radio and opened my mouth
"Squad Leaders, retreat!" I shouted into it."This one time! Deploy smokescreen as you prepare." I then threw the readied grenade and waited for the smoke to fully depoly. In the meantime, the shouted order to the Penials that were close to him.
"You heard me right!" I comfired the order."When it's fully out, I want you to ran back to our second line of defense and prepare our assigned HMGs. When you do that, I want to see the ground littered with so much cartriges you could slip! Is that clear?!" Major shouted that last sentence.
"Oh you can trust us with that!" One of the troopes with a bandolier across his tactical vest replied."There will be catriges up to the knee level, I can assure you that!"
"Good!' I replied, and looked over the horizon."It looks like the Smokescren is finally up! You know what to do!" He said loudly and shouted "Penal Battalion, to the rear!"
The Penal Battalion under his command complied and evacuated from first line of trenches. Overall they lost forty-five men during defense up to this point. As one of the most strict Field Officers he had met would say when one of the Penal Troops was cut down by drones: "It's just a Shtrafnik, no great loss."
But not to him. Even now, when the Humanity was brought on it's knees the New Soviet Union would still use political prisoners and other 'unneeded' personnel as a screeing troops or as a last chance charge on the enemy. To him, everyone deserved a chance of redemption. If not now, then surely later.
With that said, ex-Major pulled out from the first line of trenches taking all of the surviving members with him. We withdrew behind a minefield that was quickly prepared at the beginning of the assault.
"Oi, you there!" I shouted to the Bandolier-wearing Penal "Congrats, you're promoted! Now crew that NSV!" He smirked, saluted mockingly and carried out that order. He shouted something to five his comrades, probably telling them to assist him with loading and give covering fire when reloading. Taking the advantage of this break, I changed the gasmask filters in my mask, and urged everyone else to also do it.
The NSV is a Heavy Machine Gun, firing powerful anti-material 12.7x108mm cartriges, and have seen usage in many wars but it's being replaced in the New USSR Armed Forces by the much newer Kord HMG, firing the same rounds. The sulprus pieces were given out to Penal Battalions as a team support weapon. The much older model, one remembering even WWII, the DShK 12.7mm HMG was given out to Militia.
After giving out this order, he turned to the rest of his companions and said.
"I am not going to sugar-coat you."I started."Our Deceased redeemed themselves in blood. The State forgave them. But not us, not yet. But no matter what remember this... If we die, they die with us!" I then steeled my voice and shouted "And we die for the Good of the New Soviet Union!" As I was saying I raised my left hand, now clenched in fist.
Penal Troopers looked among themselves and one of them finally said after a moment of silence "I did some horrible things but now I have a chance to make it right..." He went silent and shouted after a second "I don't care who else wants this land, it belongs to us now! We slept on it, we lived on it... And now we bleed for it!" He yelled the last part rising his left fist as well.
"And now, we will all fight to the death!" Entire force of Penal Troopers yelled in unison "Death to the Invader! Death to the Traitors!" They literally screamed their lungs out on that last part.
"We've spotted the enemy!" One of the Guards shouted, and waved his hand at the west."About 1 kilometer away from us! Combat is imminent!"
I wasted no time, and brought my binoculars up to my eyes and looked over the horizon... 'N-no way...'I thought, my forehead now covered in cold sweat.'This cannot be!'
"Shit, shit, shit!" I muttered those curses under my breath and immidedly turned to face my brothers-in-arms."Everyone, get behind cover! That is an order!" I shouted to them and lunged behind barricade myself. My pilotka cap fell off me while I did so.
Penals looked suprised, but at the mention of an order, they immidedly complied, and got to the cover themselves. After that, everyone looked at me, awaiting further orders. I sighed and faced them.
"Those are not some simple drones we will be fighting now..."I stopped and peaked above the trench, quickly hiding my head after I comfired my fears."Those are Generation 1 Military Dolls. What they are is too difficult to explain now, but know this... They are not to be taken lightly." I ended the warning and issued actual commands now
"Stay in cover, no matter what. I don't care is there's a frag grenade flying towards you, or you need to take a piss."I heard a coulpe of chuckles after that."Their aim is deadly, but I know one strategy that works most time "Blind 'em, and Kill 'em". By the rule of thumb, aim for the eyes at any cost. After thay are destroyed, shoot them in the throax, but better yet if you shot them in the head. This will result in an instant termination of the Doll." I cleared my sore throat, and asked them once again
"Is everything clystar clear?" To what they replied in unison "Yes sir!". I nodded in regonison, and turned to study our tactical situantion, mainly what we're up against.
The first wave consisted of highly resistant Aegis doll type. Clothed (can you even say that?) in heavy armored tan exoskeleton with black parts, which only HMGs can succesfully pierce in my opnion. Thay are often used as "meatshields" to cover other part of forces. And this time, it was no diffrent. Behind them, there was a force of Jaeger Type behind them. A rather dangerous doll, cabable of killing it's enemies from such insane range, the humans have no defense against them aside from throwing riot-suppresion Flash-bang grenades at them. They are equipped with high-performace optics and sensors, alongside purple-colored cloaks that could camouflage the user from electronic devices.
"HMG Crew, aim for the heavy armored tan heads. Your cartriges can, and will, penetrate their armor!" I shouted to the penals that were assigned to NSV by me."After you're done with killing them all, fire at will!"
"Haraszo!" He replied, to what I just nodded and turned to the rest."And you, may New Soviet Union forgive our sins!" I shouted to them and stood up "NOW! Fire!" I commanded my squad, and they complied.
I could see sparks flying off Aegis' heavy armors, coming from deflected bullets. After all, we were just a distraction. I just just feel Jaegers' eyes on me, knowing that it's bullet will kill me no matter what. I made a sudden movement, leaning my head to the left, miliseconds later a bullet whizzled past my ear. I hear a disgusting noise coming from my right, something akin to bone being broken.
"Another Strafnik is dead!" One of the Penals shouted to everyone. I looked at him, and noticed a dead man, half of his head gone, lifeless eye staring off into the sky. Gasmask that he had on was broken into two halves, and half of his brain was literaly gone. I fought off the urge to take off my mask and puke.
"There is glory in death!" I yelled, jerking my head back to the battlefield."In cover, now!" I commanded while I prepared a Zarya-3 grenade. Russian-made flashbang, often used to apprehend criminals and terrorists. But here, it was valued for other purpose: it's mental suppressing capability was high enough to affect a T-Doll... How do we know that? Let's say we tested it... Thoroughly.
"Cover your eyes!" I shouted "When you hear grenade go off, attack!" I heard voices of agreement and threw the grenade. It flew for about 6 meters and went off. I heard a couple of 'Ahh!' from the Dolls (Do they even talk?) and immedly raised from behind the trench and opened fire. NSV roared death and destruction, and his cartriges destroyed Aegis-Type Dolls. 'Now we can destroy the rest!' I thought taking aim with my AKMS and pulling the trigger.'The recoil of that thing, I swear...' I thought while controlling the powerful kick.
The remains of the massacred Sangvis Ferri dolls withdrew from the battlefield, but I nocticed another person coming straight at our line of defences. The only thing I could see from behind my dirtied visor of my gasmask was her(?) brown hair of the new opponent and a giant blade in one hand with handgun in the other.
"Shit!" I shouted."We're going to have a great death comrades! This is SF's ringleader! The best of the best they have! Our deaths will be gloriuos!" I continued and added my command "Focus fire on that blade-wielding doll! That is an Order!"
The remaining Penals complied and focused their combined fire on her. I used this chance and ran to the radio station and shouted into the microphone "This is Commanding Officer of 1st Penal Battalion, requesting reinforcements to arrive and the first line of defence ASAP! We cannot hold them off much longer, I repeat: We cannot hold them off much longer!" But before I could hear the answer from the HQ, the radio was shot by the stray bullet, probaby coming from Jaeger Doll.
"We die here! For the Motherland!" I shouted my warcry and joined my comrades in their fighting.
"General Carter." A white-haired man wearing green military uniform with black pants said to his superior."We have reports coming from the frontline."
"Please continue." General wearing military longcoat on top of the same uniform replied while shifting his look from the papers to his right-hand man.
"The SF's attack on our positions has been defeated, but 1st Penal Battalion was massacred and completly destroyed in the process of delaying the enemy's advance."
"Those cowards and deserters have redeemed themselves." General commented, speaking the truth."The New Soviet Union has no place for the likes of them."
"The leader was capable though." Yegor stated."We could have used the man like him well."
"Yes, Major Kutshniev was a talented man." He agreed. "But he refused to carry out orders because of his morals, and that cannot be tolerated."
Yegor sighed. It's a major blow to their manpower to sent a promising officer to die.
"Don't think over it." General noticed his distress."The war is not over yet. Focus on the tasks at hand."
Yegor saluted and replied with "Yes, Comrade General." and he left the General's office.