Prologue

On the 26th of July the Republic of Pigs was overthrown by a military coup. During the celebration on 1st of August General Iron Tusk, leader of the National Army of Pigs, made the following speech to his nations:

"Why are there populations on this planet… who have more carrots than we do? Why is their land bigger and more productive… than our own? WHO GAVE THEM THE RIGHT?! I ask… Why shouldn't we have carrot fields and corn fields too? If we do not become a productive country NOW, coming generations will find out what HUNGER is! Millions of pigs work their hooves to the bone in our factories to earn their daily bread! How could I sleep at night if I didn't help them in their struggle? The republic of the EXPLOITERS has ended ONCE and for ALL! We are poised… at the gateway… to a brave new world"

On 3rd of August, the N.A.P crosses the eastern border of its neighbor rabbit federation, Carrotland. In less than 2 weeks they burn their way through the country, straight to the capital city, which they're currently holding under blockade. The unprepared rabbit army has been decimated. Weakened and outgunned their forces have no hope to confront the aggressors in a frontal assault. The neighbor countries, still perplexed from the unfolding situation, are taking several diplomatic sanctions against Iron Tusk, but refuse to intervene in the fights. The High Command and the government knowing that they can't expect outside help in the war, and can't beat the pigs in a frontal assault has reached the conclusion that they have to put their focus on subterfuge…

Chapter 1: Desperate times

Judy opened her eyes to the star spotted dark blue sky. As she slowly came to the realization that she indeed is awake, she sat up to have a look around the camp. Three of his men were still asleep around the peacefully smoldering place of the campfire, but she couldn't tell which ones because of the dark. Nearby stood the dark silhouette of two large vehicles… Well, large for a rabbit, the pigs often made fun of them, calling them "toys"… and a third one a little further away that was busily worked on by two rabbits with the help of their flashlights. That left two more who were probably patrolling or standing guard somewhere. She wasn't sure whose turn it was to take care of that duty... But for the first time in the past two weeks she didn't care.

She tenderly caressed the dream that she woke from. She was back at her parent's farm, with all her little brothers and sisters. There it was again, the feel of worry as a few drop of tear began coloring the fur on her cheeks. She grabbed one of her long ears and wiped them away with it. While most of her family, her mother and younger siblings were safe and sound as refugees in Zootopia, she had some of them out there, fighting. 2 of them right under her command. Will she be able to lead them through this war alive? Or will they end up like the squad of the tank that got destroyed yesterday… She couldn't allow herself to worry about that, she had to focus at the task at paw. They had to get back to the rendezvous point.

"Lieutenant." she turned towards the playful voice to see a creme furred rabbit emerge from the dense tree line. "Can't sleep?"
Judy stood up and gave a slight nod to the approaching soldier.
"Can't say I blame you ma'am…" he said looking around the camp.
"Told you to stop with the formalities Boyd"
"Can't do ma'am. It's to remind me that you are no longer just my sweet lil' sister that I can argue with." he replied with a smirk.
It annoyed her, but at the same time, it filled her with pride. His brothers, Boys included, were pretty hot headed bunch. Brave, but unable to think two steps ahead. That's why they always ended up in trouble in town, like the pub fights, that was followed by her picking them up from the sheriff's office. She was different, a problem solver, the one who always did things the smart way. Her brothers looked up to her for that, calling her the brain of "the gang". It wasn't normal that an older sibling would admit its flaws and praise the things the younger one is better at. She felt lucky because of that. She wanted to use her wits to help them.
"It still would be nice to have a brother now instead of a subordinate…" she murmured under her nose.
Boyd nodded and gave a warm smile "It will be alright lil' sis. We will pull through this." she returned the gesture.

"So what's the sitrep?"
"Franklin and Harold will soon finish fixing up JollyRoger. The engine is nearly functional, but the turret took a bad hit, they stripped some of the plating from the shot out 'Pig Bull' tank and plan to cover up the hole."
Judy looked to the side again, seeing the two rabbits busily working on the engine of the light tank, listening to their muffled conversation that echoed off with a metallic tone from the walls of the engine bay.
"Good, let me know when we are ready to roll out."

"NICK!"
"huw-WHAT?!" the fox woke up in the passenger seat and looked around in terror to see if there is any danger he should be aware of. There was nothing outside but darkness and the few meters of the old concrete road that their headlights lit up for them. Oh, and a few meters beyond that in the dark the two red lights that indicated the little rabbit vehicle that they were told to follow. Having assessed that there is nothing that would possibly mean his violent and imminent death, his attention turned to the small fennec fox in the driving seat.
"You're up?" he smirked while looking at the road.
"You really woke me up, to ask me that?" Nick narrowed his eyes.
"Yepp!" Finnick took a quick look at him then turned back to watch the road. "But since you're awake answer me this, where the hell is he leading us?"
"I told you, we were told to follow him to that armored platoon."
"Yeah" A vixen's playful voice came from behind Nick "just follow the white rabbit Alice!"
"What's that, some kind of reference to a song or something?" the small fox grinned back at her.
"Don't tell me, you don't even know this one! Finnick, you are so uncult…" she started to growl, but was halted by Nick.
"Calm down Skye, he is just messing with you" he turned around to take a look at the rest of the team, only to see that beside Skye, their chubby fourth friend was sleeping like a log under a blanket.

"Okay, but we've been following him for 4 hours, do you think he is lost?" he turned again to look at Nick and raised a paw off the wheel to point at the car in front of them. "How does he even know where he has to go?"
Nick looked to the two red lights that they were following in the night. "The rabbits are using hit and run tactics, 'Guerrilla warfare' but with tanks. After a mission they retreat to the nearest 'safezone', where they are covered by their artillery and can retreat further back without the risk of getting surrounded by pigs. We look for a platoon that took out a pig outpost on the west and have orders to return to the capital. " Nick took a deep breath, seemingly considering whenever his logic will be sound. "So, I assume he calculated how far they got since they reported their mission done, and matched it up with the locations he would choose to set up a camp for an armored platoon."

Finnick seemed to be… well not pleased with the answer, but found it satisfactory for the moment. A few silent minutes passed before he said anything again with a softer tone.
"How is 'Chubby' doing back there? Doesn't he have anything to say now?"
"He's sleeping." she replied "I haven't seen him so… peaceful since the war broke out".
Nick nodded "Let him rest then, we still have time till we arrive."

For the next few hours she listened to the radio while leaning over a bunch of maps, laid out on the hood of their small commanding vehicle. She carefully planned their route, and altered it on every bit of information she could get her paws on. They lost a tank with its entire crew already. She had no intention to let anyone else die. The sky slowly brightened, and although the sun still hid its face behind the distant mountains. It already colored the east into a rose-like color. The rest of the platoon also woke up, and everyone, without having to be told, started to prepare their vehicles for the trip.

Her concentration was suddenly broken, when a radio call came in, but through her small personal radio.
"Benny here, I got two vehicles incoming from the north a friendly command car and… a L.A.V of unknown design. Over."
"Is he being chased? Should we prepare a trap? Over."
At the start of the war, rabbits were always paranoid and wasted a lot of time with codes and passwords to indentify each other on the battlefield. That was only till the realization sunk in that pigs were too big to fit into the tanks and military vehicles of the rabbits. That was one of the perks of fighting a larger foe. Another was that their large size made the pig soldiers deluded. As "dumb" some considered rabbits, they were at least not as stupid to feel themselves unstoppable even in a simple armored car with an LMG mounted on top. It became a common tactic to lure glory hungry pigs into traps. Judy was ready to signal his men to position to confront the incoming tank, her muscles tensed up as she waited for the answer from the small radio in her paw.
"Negative, they are both friendlies. The buck is sent by High Command. Over. "
"Got it, let him through. Over." She slammed the radio down in relief, and turned her attention to clearing on the north.

Soon subtle humming of engines could be heard from the distance and a car, similar to hers showed up, with the exception of the color. Judy's as the bulk of the RABARMY vehicles and their tanks was yellow, this one was closer to be lime. Not far behind it an orange vehicle showed up. It looked like a pickup truck that someone armor-plated in their garage, slapped a tank turret on the back and called it a day. And it was large, not designed for rabbits, captured pigs vehicle maybe. But the color was off, they didn't use this color. It was an absurd thing to look at as it pulled up next to the rabbit tank that was roughly the same size.

From the car a male rabbit got out wearing the dark formal uniform that created a weird contrast with his very bright white fur. He swiftly ran up to Judy and saluted as did she.
"Lieutenant Judy Hopps, Spryfeet Armored Platoon!" she exclaimed.
"Agent Jack, I brought a message from Secret Intelligence. You have a new mission." The buck then held out an envelope, with a big red text reading "CONFIDENTIAL".
Judy looked at it in shock for a moment. "I was told you were from High Command, I didn't know we had a Secret Intelligence…"
"We have since yesterday. War calls for desperate measures."
She held the important looking paper with fear. She was only in the army since the war broke out. Sure, she climbed ranks quickly, but that wouldn't be hard when officers drop like flies all around her. All she ever did was trying to save her platoon, and sometimes they came out in top of the fight as a result. Would that qualify someone for something like this? She prepared to open it, only to held up, and have it pushed closer to her.
"Wait till I leave, I can't know what's inside, safety protocol. That said, I'm leaving, get familiar with your new…. soldiers, Lieutenant."

At that moment the front door of the large orange machination opened. That's when she noticed the symbol painted on the door, it was fox head. From inside a small, crème furred fox emerged with a large, taller red fox behind him. From the rear seat another creamy furred fox, a vixen jumped out. They were standing around the car, while her platoon watched the new arrivals with awe. The white rabbit, hurried up to meet the vixen. They held paws. Judy couldn't make out what they were talking about, but the conversation ended with a hug. The buck looked back at Judy with pain in his eyes. She understood that look. 'Please don't let her die' she felt him thinking and answered with a nod.

With that, he turned around and got back into his car. The tall fox leaned to front of their vehicle and looked directly at her, seemingly waiting for HER to come to him. Judy looked down at the cover, reading the red text over and over again, trying to comprehend the situation. Before she knew it the car's engine hummed in the distance giving her no chance to ask any questions from the hurrying white rabbit. She looked up at the foxes again. Which one first? Learn who these foxes are from them? Or should she open the case first? They could consider it impolite of her to just stand there and read… then again they did not bother to show any intention to come up and introduce themselves either. After realizing that staring at the problem won't solve it, she took a deep breath and opened it. She silently read it, as some of her men started to gather around her with a confused look. After finishing she looked up to meet the face of her third Sergeant.
"Is everything alright, Ma'am? Who are these foxes?"
She looked at their direction, where the two males had seemingly started an argument about something.
"Well Harold, I got one good news and two bad news. Good news, we got reinforcements... and bad news, it's only them, a gang of fox mercenaries."
Worry started take over his face, as he slowly turned his head to watch the pair of foxes with the corner of his eye. Their argument became more heated by the second, wildly gesturing with their paws and frowning at each other, but both remained at the level of whispering.
"And the second bad news…"
He turned back in shock. Them being the only help they got and being mercenaries wasn't two bad news already?
"…we are ordered to go behind enemy lines."