Heyo! Miss me?
Bringing back another deserved chapter on Operation Geronimo, adding some new info, new plot, new... erm... everything? I dunno, i'm tired...
Of course, my excuse for being tardy with this update: school, life... yadda yadda. It's unfortunate, but true. Seems it won't get easier for now as my college applications are underway and I handle my classes. But I will at least get to writing this stuff. Especially through the inspiration from the many stories that are being added and updated, I wanted to join back in for the fun!
Now let's get to some reviews before we get started, alright?
LenCrossTop20: Thank you *blushes*. I'm flattered, really. Although my writing is not the best compared to thers, I try my best to give a good tale. I hope this chapter satisfies you!
HistoryAnonymous: True about the sibling matter in the military. I did hear about the incident with the Sullivan Brothers, but not the one in WWI. That surprised me. However, I did think that, in the Eastern Front in WWII, Russia wouldn't care about that policy considering the stakes for them. So maybe it was ignored. And many other things happened with Russia, but the list is too long, so... I won't bother.
Danger Close: Thanks! You'll see a little bit into the 52nd this chapter, so let's hope they impress you.
Gamerman22: I always thought it had a pink-ish, blond tint in the anime. And I just followed what I've seen from what Dilnos wrote a while back to describe Hanna, which made me confirm my suspicions on her hair color. Whatever. Pink. Blond. Pink-Blond. Blond-pink. Pinky-ish-Blondy-ish. It's gotta be one of those colors, right?
Okay! Prepare for Story-mode!
3!
2!
1!
And-
Chapter 7: Operation Garuda (Part 2)
"45th, you have ten minutes till we're over the jump zone. Prepare to jump!" The pilot called out to the back of the plane.
Captain Spiers gave a thumbs up. Already, the 45th was hooking up to the lines and readying themselves to jump as the jump lights illuminated the cabin with a light red. The night sky was different from their previous mission. A full moon enveloped the clear night sky with a soothing light. Audrey was even surprised to see the stars outside as well. Peering out, Audrey glanced at the other Karlsland Ju-90 that carried the 52nd. Flying with them were three witches of the 501st: Pilot Officers Eila Juutilainen and Sanya Litvyak and Major Heidemarie Schnaufer. Those three guarded their transport planes as they got closer and close to their target: Bremerhaven.
'Hmm... I wonder how everyone back home is doing. I hope everyone's doing okay...'
"Cosens."
"H-Huh?" Audrey snapped out of her train of thought to see most of the 45th staring at her.
"Cosens, static-line check. Everything good?" Captain Spiers called out.
"O-Oh! Yes sir! Everything is secure!"
"Hey, don't space out like that. We're almost at the jump zone. Stay alert."
"Yes sir! Understood!"
"Captain!" The pilot called back. "We're going to open the cargo doors! Five minutes till you jump!"
"Alright!" Spiers hollered back.
The back cargo doors of the Ju-90 slowly opened. Immediately, a rush of air flew into the cabin accompanied with the howl of the wind. The chill of the air nipped at Audrey's face, but it didn't faze her. She briefly activated her familiar features and had her magical antennae out. What she discovered confirmed her suspicions.
"Do you sense something, Cosens?" Hathcock asked.
"I'm picking up quite a lot of neuroi within the town. Although, it seems there are few within the airfield or docks themselves. But I sense some of those neurified anti-air guns."
"You should patch that information to both the 52nd and to our escorts." Spiers said. Audrey nodded. Using her radio, she broadcasted the information.
"This is Sergeant Audrey Cosens of the 45th. I detect multiple neuroi hiding deep within the town along with some neurified anti-air guns. Just a heads up before we begin." The crackle of radios replied back.
"*This is Captain Leonov. Thanks for the information. We'll be preparing for any surprises below.*"
"*This is Major Schnaufer. Thanks for the alert. Both Officer Litvyak and I sensed some of those neuroi and will be prepared to defend the transports. We'll alert you if any neuroi come into the airspace.*"
"Understood." Audrey replied. Now just one more thing that concerned her...
"Um, Fran?"
"Hmm?" Fran looked back at her.
"Well... are you still, eh... y'know, nervous about the jump?"
"To be honest, I'm a little afraid. But this is for Karlsland, my home. So... I guess I'm not as afraid as before."
"Well, If worst comes to worst..." Jackie, behind the two, said with a mischievous smile.
"Jackie, I swear. Another one of those..." Fran growled.
"One minute to jump! Everyone, get ready!" The pilot called out.
Immediately, the high-pitched boom of neuroi flak echoed outside. With each boom, the outside world glowed a deadly red as puffs of red haze accompanied the moon-light night. Audrey felt the plane rattle from the explosions, with each one getting closer and close to the plane.
"*This is Major Schnaufer. We'll protect the transports from getting hit and find a way to distract the flak guns. Out.*"
As soon as Major Schnaufer finished her sentence, the cabin was illuminated green. Audrey heard the all-too familiar words come from Captain Spiers's mouth. Words that a special infantry witch would never forget:
"Let's go!"
In pairs, the 45th hopped out of the plane. Next to her, Audrey could see Fran's face just before the two leapt out of the plane. Her face was filled with determination. Courage. She wasn't afraid to jump.
Then immediately, Audrey's chute deployed. Suspended into the air, she cast a glance back as the Ju-90's and their witch escorts grew smaller. It seemed the neuroi flak was more focused on them rather than the parachuting infantry witches descending from above. Further out, she took a glance at the chutes of the 52nd and sighed in relief as every chute was accounted for. Then she looked below her to see the town of Bremerhaven.
She saw a desolate, empty town that was battle-torn and ravaged by the neuroi. Rows of buildings and former buildings lined the rubble-filled streets. In the distance, she could make out Bremerhaven Airfield. It rested on a man-made island near the river-mouth that led to the ocean. What once held Karlsland Luftwaffe planes was now occupied by the neuroi.
The entire town was occupied by the neuroi. It was their job to liberate it for humanity.
"Transport one and two, you are in the clear. Head back to base." Heide spoke.
"*Affirmative. We're banking right and heading home. Wish you luck on the mission. Out.*" The two planes turned right, circling back to head off to the closest airfield.
"Looks like part of our mission is complete." Eila said. The neuroi flak exploded around them, but far away to the point that it was impossible to get hit. She wondered why the neuroi neurified anti-air if they even can't hit anything.
"Now we just need to watch over the witches down below." Heide noted in a quiet voice.
"I hope they'll be safe down there. I already detect multiple neuroi inside the town." Sanya added.
"And our strikers aren't designed for ground attacking either." Heide said.
"Don't worry," Eila intervened. "They're special forces. They can handle it. Besides, one of the squads down there was responsible for rescuing Hartmann."
"That's right..." Sanya said. "I'm glad they brought Hartmann back safely. If we meet them again, we should get a gift for them."
"Maybe salmiakki?"
"Eh... maybe not that..."
'Let's hope they stay safe.' Heide thought as the parachutes slowly descended into the town of Bremerhaven.
Jackie glided down into the town, watching every pile of rubble for any neuroi. Her descend glided her way too close to a rickety roof, having to lift up her feet to avoid landing atop of it and possibly crash through. Instead, her parachute got tangled upon a street lamp. Now, she was suspended five feet in the air, hanging in the straps of her parachute. In the middle of a desolate, rubble-filled street.
"Damn thing..." Jackie muttered. She carefully unbuckled her harness. At the last one, she landed on her feet, now onto the paved street below.
'Right, now to get my stuff...'
Tugging upon the harness to get her pack closer to her, she carefully unhooked her pack from the parachute. Grasping her pack, she slung it onto her back while she proceeded to account for everything.
'Sten? Check. Sword? Check. Everything else? Pretty sure it's here, so... check.'
Finished with her quick mental checklist, she held onto her Sten while she decided on how to find the rest of the 45th. That was when the building next to her, an abandoned store, began to glow red.
"Huh?... Oh crap!"
Jackie put out her shield as the building exploded in a flurry of debris. Her shield deflected a beam of miasma. Jackie stood there too see a bug-looking neuroi slowly crawl out from where the building used to be, now a burning heap of rubble. It gave a low shriek, almost like a growl.
"Great. The welcoming party..." Jackie muttered.
The neuroi charged the Brittainian witch. Jackie predicted this and rolled to the side. The neuroi passed its target and forced itself to come to a stop. Like a mad bull, the neuroi let off another shriek, only to be greeted with a hail of lead from Jackie's Sten and exploding into a white cloud of crystals.
Two more neuroi "ants" decided to make an appearance, coming out of an alleyway to face the lone witch. Undeterred, Jackie readied her Sten to fight. Both neuroi charged at her, which was unwise. A quick burst of bullets sent one of the neuroi into a quick end. As the second "ant" came closer, she readied her aim and began to fire.
Click
"Huh?" The familiar sound of running out of ammo. Perfect timing.
The neuroi was up close to Jackie. The neuroi lifted its front appendages high into the air. With fury, the neuroi "ant" proceeded to pummel Jackie into the ground.
Or, at least, it tried to.
Jackie, reacting on acute reflexes, jumped over the neuroi to dodge it's attack. The neuroi didn't realize its target was above it, still focused on the cloud of dust it made. Jackie brandished her Scottish Broadsword in a quick, fluid motion and grasped the handle with two hands.
"Oi neuroi!" Jackie roared out. The neuroi looked up to realize its mistake.
Jackie pointed her sword down and proceeded to land atop of the neuroi. With all the weight of her body, she drove her Broadsword through the neuroi with ease and skewered it through. In a flash, the neuroi was reduced to crystal shards and her broadsword (and herself) landed onto the paved ground.
"Whew... and that's why you don't mess with a Brittainian and her Broadsword!" Jackie happily cheered as she wiped the sweat from her brow.
Sheathing back her sword, Jackie loaded a fresh new magazine into her Sten. As much as slicing and dicing neuroi was fun and all, having a fresh, fully loaded Sten submachine gun did wonders. Suddenly, shots began to rang out through the town.
'Seems like the others have encountered neuroi as well.' Jackie thought as more gunfire echoed through the town, accompanied with neuroi shrieks.
Jackie began to run to the nearest sound of gunfire, which she believed to be a few blocks down the road. Better go join the fight.
The situation Audrey was in wasn't the best.
Audrey currently took cover in the second story of a battered shop. Alongside her were Jane and Lieutenant Hathcock, both taking marksman positions. Outside the store were around fifteen to thirty of those bug-type neuroi, dubbed Neuroi Ants.
Their situation, as the Liberions would call it, looked like the Alamo.
"Audrey, did you get in contact with the 52nd or Captain Spiers?" Jane asked between gunshots. One Ant exploded in a white flash.
"I'm not picking him up from the backup handheld radio. Same with the 52nd. I can't get a reach to them."
"I just love how we managed to land into a damn nest full of 'em!" Hathcock swore at he fired more rounds.
"Sir, we better displace!" Jane yelled as five more neuroi ants were joining the fight.
"W-Wait!" Audrey yelled out.
"Huh? W-Wait, what the-?!"
Ten neuroi ant immediately were hailed with lead from an unknown source, most of them disintegrating before they could even see their demise. However, Jane's sharp senses could tell who was attacking. Faint embers wafted in the air.
"Who's attacking?" Audrey said in confusion.
"Jackie."
On the ground, Jackie reloaded her Sten with a fresh magazine while the aura around her was glowing a light orange. Her barrel was even glowing an unusual orange as if it would melt at any second. The neuroi she didn't finish off were facing the consequences of a burning side-effect to her magical ability, now disintegrating under her incendiary bullets. If one could see her eyes, they held a spark of life and energy. Jackie smirked. She loved this part of her job.
She knew how to act. Shoot. Dodge. Shoot. Dodge. Reload if necessary. She played these steps as she enacted them out. With quick reflexes, she dodged an attempted attack by a neuroi before pumping it's underside with lead. Two more neuroi tried to attack, but she propped her shield in time, stunning her opponents. A quick burst left pieces of neuroi everywhere. Five more decided to fight the Brittainian tomboy with numbers, surrounding her. But she was prepared. In a quick motion, all three soldiers watched Jackie decimate the five neuroi with one strike, shattering them into pieces. Audrey looked with awe at Jackie's sword, glowing bright orange and emanating flames.
Jackie sheathed back her sword with pride and wiped the sweat off her brow. All the neuroi were done for.
"Oi! I cleaned up!" Jackie waved up, plastered with a grin.
"She just put us to shame..." Hathcock sweatdropped.
"Yeah... she did..." Jane said. The thirty-or-so neuroi that attacked them were now reduced to dust in a matter of a few minutes.
"Oi! You coming down or not?"
"R-Right! We'll be right there!"
"Where are they? Did they miss the drop zone?" Fran asked.
The rest of the members of the 45th, which were Captain Spiers, Fran, Danny, and Wilma, were hiding at the designated regroup zone. The second story building they remained in gave a tactical viewpoint of the Bremerhaven Airfield. Captain Spiers, focused with a pair of binoculars, studied the airfield for any openings in the neuroi defense, which was strong. He saw many neuroi roam around the grounds, including neuroi turtles and neuroi ants. The only way onto the airfield was through a concrete bridge that spanned across the river.
"Should we send someone to find them, sir?" Wilma asked.
"Let's not. The neuroi are beginning to stir up again. We can't have the chance to alert them this close after we went into hiding."
"How's the 52nd?" Danny said. She hid her massive M2 Browning in the shadows, careful to not let the moonlight shine onto her gun.
Across the street from them, the 52nd hid behind rubble onto the street, their guns trained onto the airfield. Spiers made a hand-motion, signaling to Captain Leonov. Captain Leonov replied back with a set of hand gestures that Spiers understood before focusing on the neuroi in front of them.
"Alright, Captain Leonov gestured us to begin attacks soon. All we could do is hope that the others get here first."
A knock on the doorframe grabbed their attention before Lieutenant Hathcock poked his head through the doorway and followed in, accompanied with Jackie, Jane, and Audrey.
"Finally, you guys arrive..." Danny sighed.
"Sorry about the wait." Hathcock replied. " My, Jane, Audrey's drop zone got the attention of all the damn neuroi in the town. Jackie managed to bail us on that one. Any encounters on your end?"
"Some close calls, but they were quickly dealt with." Spiers said. "Neuroi stopped trying to find us. I'm guessing they're expecting an attack by now. I just saw some turtles appearing. The heavier variants too."
"Damn... that might be a bit troublesome for me. Dunno if I can pin them with my rifle. How about the 52nd? They in position?"
"Yup. They are ready to go on the word." Spiers then turned to everyone.
"Alright, Danny and Hathcock, I want you two to remain here to provide supporting fire. Audrey, you stay here as well. You'll be our eyes from here, so alert us through the 52nd. The rest of us will meet up with the 52nd down below. Got it?"
"Got it." Everyone replied.
Quietly, one by one, the members of the 45th exited the room, leaving Hathcock, Danny, and Audrey in the room alone. Hathcock chambered his anti-neuroi rifle while Danny did the same with her Browning. Audrey placed her radio-pack onto the ground as she re-connected to the channel for their air escorts.
"Escorts, Wardog and Grizzly will commence Bremerhaven operations now. Keep us posted on any unusual neuroi activity. Out." It took a few seconds before a reply came, coming from a quiet, soft voice.
"*This is Officer Litvyak. Thank you for the notice. We'll keep you informed. Best of wishes and stay safe. Out.*"
For the 52nd, they watched more neuroi wander around the airfield. While their entrance wasn't stealthy, the neuroi had no whereabouts on their position. However, this made the situation more deadly, as more neuroi began to guard their target. To make it more difficult, the only entrance to Bremerhaven Airfield was through a concrete bridge. As second-in-command, Nina needed to know how to approach their target and help Captain Leonov. Their options were limited, so there can't be any mistakes.
"дерьмо́... There's more neuroi than I expected..." Captain Leonov cursed as he peered through his binoculars. He scratched his patchy beard with thought.
"The devils have the advantage. This bridge is a choke point. It would be almost impossible to charge in unscathed. Yet, this is the only path."
"Agreed," Nona suggested. "Saya and Sasha, could you be able to break their defenses?"
"I only have ten shots per magazine in my rifle. It will take me a while to reload each magazine. But I think I can do it." Saya meekly said.
"I can help clear a path." Sasha spoke with determination. Members of the 45th took positions besides their sister squad, ready for the assault.
"Captain Leonov, we're ready. We've got a sniper and browning up on the second story to provide cover. You're having these two provide cover as well?" Spiers gestured to Sasha and Saya.
"Da. We're going to need one big punch to break through this defense..."
"Alright... Sergeant Hill, assist Corporal Olinova and Sergeant Häyhä. Everyone else will proceed with the assault."
For the three marksmen, they all displaced to find a better location on the street. For Jane, she was surprised to see the small Suomous sniper carry her heavy L-39 around, especially with only the standard bipod. As for the others, the tensions was rising for the initial assault. Everyone was ready, but there was still nervousness and excitement in the air as each and every infantry witch and soldier gazed at the enemy. They had a few hours to fully take control of this airfield.
Spiers gave a thumbs up towards Hathcock's group, then to Häyhä's. It was only a few seconds before Saya and Hathcock fired in synchronization, followed by Sasha and Jane. A heavy neuroi received the attack, staggering before a bullet took out it's core. The other neuroi faced where the shots came from with angry shrieks, but received the bad end of Danny's M2 Browning, then the entire force of the 45ht and 52nd.
The red and green tracers raced towards their target in an impressive light show, with destroyed neuroi showering onto the ground. Miasma beams were fired back in retaliation, but a wall of magical shields deflected such attacks.
"Alex, Jackie, Jessie, and Francia, follow me!" Nona yelled.
"Everyone else, covering fire!" Captain Leonov roared.
The five infantry witches charged the neuroi across the bridge. Neuroi ants began to charge at them while neuroi turtles began to suppress their efforts to cross the bridge. The sister team of Nona and Alex provided their shields as they charged, deflecting miasma beams. Neuroi ants charged at them with rage. Francia used her StG44 to quickly deal with them, firing quick bursts into each one that got close. While she placed and chambered a fresh new magazine in, Nona, Jackie, and Jessie charged the remaining neuroi that stood between them and the airfield.
The offensive push plowed a gap through the remaining neuroi. Nona and Jackie fired off bursts to unfortunate ants that tried to charge them, leaving them in pieces. For Jessie, her Winchester M12 shotgun took out neuroi with ease, with one shot for one neuroi. Anything else that stood was left to the snipers and other infantry, which decimated the heavy neuroi with combined fire. Nona gave a vertical sweep with her leg and sent a neuroi ant stumbling before it received a face full of lead. Turning around, she gave a wave: the okay to push forward.
"Alright, let's go!" Spiers said. He was the one who led the charge, followed by everyone else.
A row of witches and infantrymen stormed the bridge. Shields were propped up to create an almost impenetrable defense as they rushed the few neuroi that stood in their way. One by one, the neuroi that held the bridge were no more as their crystallized remains were crushed by the rush of boots that stormed the airfield.
The airfield itself held small resistance of neuroi, which the big landing strip had small pockets of land neuroi amongst the ruins of former Luftwaffe planes and ground crew vehicles. Lasers cut through the ground to strike the witches, but all were deflected. For Jackie, Nona, Alex, and Jessie, their group went for the neurified anti-air emplacements, which were still concentrated on the night witches in the air. Jackie took lead, brandishing her broadsword once more to cut the barrel of one neuroi gun followed by Jessie giving it a warm welcome of 12-gauge shotgun. Nona and Alex attacked two more emplacements, throwing anti-armor grenades at one while finishing off another with their combined firepower. Alex took quick care of the fourth, and final, emplacement, firing the remained of her clip at the neuroi, who couldn't traverse its barrel of the gun in time.
"Emplacements are down. We've got flak-free skies now!" Nona exclaimed to her CO's.
Captain Leonov flashed a grin while he fired his Mosin-Nagant. These neuroi were easy pickings compared to the fighting in Volvograd and Kursk.
"Good work, Starshina! Let's bring these neuroi bastards to hell!"
"You heard the man," Spiers followed. "Easy pickings here. Let's wrap this up."
In the clouds above, the three witches have been flying around Bremerhaven for the past two hours. While the flak was relentlessly (and hopelessly) firing at them, there was no other neuroi activity in the air. It was the fighting below that caught their eyes as they watched the progress of the infantry witches on the ground as they flew. It was both an intense and amazing sight to see the effectiveness of these Joint Recon Squadrons who they have never heard of before.
"*This is Wardog. Neuoi flak guns have been neutralized. We're beginning to clean up the remaining neuroi on the airfield.*"
"Understood." Heide replied. She watched the heated firefight below, with flashes of miasma and gunfire striking the ground, only accompanied with the occasional white flash of a destroyed neuroi.
"They almost have the airfield." Sanya replied.
"Seems like it." Eila said. She stretched her arms a bit. "We've almost reached our limit for the mission, ma'am. We should radio for that Brittainian landing force and head back."
Heide gave a nod back. In the distance, the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon as day was nearing. Heide was ready to return and inform the Brittainian engineers that they can proceed to land. Another squad of witches would take their place in the skies to watch over the ground forces.
"I guess we must." Heide said. She began to transmit her message to the radio operator on the ground.
"This is Major Schnaufer. We are running low on magical reserves and will have to return-"
Heidemarie and Sanya detected something below. It was large. The size of the supposed neuroi made her stop while Sanya was busy trying to detect the hidden neuroi.
"Major, do you sense it too?" Sanya asked.
"I do. It's close." Heide's face was giving off some worry.
"Sense what?" Eila asked.
"A neuroi. Very big one too."
"Is it up here with us?"
"No... it's not airborne. I'm detecting it below us."
"Below us? But I don't see anything but the neuroi down there."
"Could they be interrupting our signals?" Sanya asked. The neuroi had that possibility. After all, one did mimic her wave patterns before. Making false signals can be another one of the neuroi's tricks.
"Possibly... But..." Heide hesitated to answer, unsure what this all meant and or whether to warn the infantry witches on the ground.
It was then when an eerie red glow came from the waters below.
On the ground, Audrey was confused with the sudden cutoff from Major Heidemarie Schnaufer. At first, she though the radio antennae was tangled, but once she deduced that her equipment was properly working she tried to reconnect once more.
"Major Schnaufer, this is Wardog. Can you repeat you transmission, over?" All she got back was silence.
"Major Schnaufer this is Wardog. Can you-"
Suddenly, the ground began to shake as the river began to glow red. Even on the second story, the foundation was wavering from whatever the source was.
"What's going on?" Danny exclaimed.
"I got no clue..." Hathcock said. "...but I sure in hell don't like it..."
A rush of water began to disperse as Audrey witnessed something massive crawl from the river and onto the bridge. It's appearance was that of a massive crab, looming at around forty meters tall and having a thick build. The solid concrete bridge below it seemed to buckle under it's weight. Where the pincers of a crab would be, it had pincer-like appendages that glowed red. While most of it was covered in muck and algae, the notable haxagonal design and glowing red pattern indicated one thing for sure. It was a neuroi.
"Is that a neuroi?!" Danny exclaimed.
"Shit! Where the hell did it come from?!" Hathcock joined in. He immediately began to aim and fire are the massive heavy-class neuroi. His bullets were only ricocheting off of its thick hull.
The three other marksmen on the ground began to fire at it. Yet, even with Saya's 20mm rounds, it only chipped the surface of the neuroi. Unfazed, the neuroi gave off a low-pitched shriek, almost resembling a growl that echoed through the empty town. It's pincers began to glow red.
And they were aimed right at the building that Audrey was in.
"Oh crap..." Danny said with wide eyes. Audrey didn't move, frozen with disbelief.
"Jump out!" Hathcock yelled.
For Audrey, everything went in slow motion as she raced towards Hathcock and Danny, who were already leaping from the second story to the ground. Without a second thought, she leapt from the second story as the building behind her exploded from a hot beam of miasma. She tried to shield herself, but the explosion propelled her into the ground. She hit the ground hard, feeling immediate pain overwhelming her head as she tumbled upon the ground in a dizzying toss. Laying on the ground, she weakly casted a glance at the heavy neuroi while the voices of people calling her name began to grow dull.
Everything began to fade away in a blur. Before losing consciousness, the last thing she saw was the building reduced to a burning heap. After that, she was enveloped with darkness.
For Fran, it was all a quick blur. She watched the massive neuroi crawl from the river and onto the bridge. She witnessed the bullets from the others ricochet off into the water before a massive beam of miasma was fired in retaliation. Then she saw Audrey propelled into the air to then be slammed into the ground in a limp, lifeless state. Not moving. Not getting up and indicating that she was fine. Just limp on the ground. It was horrible to watch.
"What the hell is that thing?!"
"Dammit, how did it flank us?!"
"We're cut off!"
Everyone fired at the massive neuroi from both sides of the river. Nothing seemed to be working as the heavy neuroi turned to face the witches on the airfield. With a loud screech, it fired a big beam, exploding near the squad. The violent explosion shook her, but Fran was frozen in shock.
"Nothing's working!" Jackie exclaimed. "It's armor is too thick!"
"It's getting ready for another attack! Displace!" Leonov ordered.
Everyone scrambled out of cover as the heavy neuroi fired another shot towards them. However, Fran was still entranced by her lifeless friend. She watched as Lieutenant Hathcock was shaking her to wake up, which was proving futile. She was unaware that she, herself, was in danger.
"Christen!"
Fran woke back into reality in a cold sweat as she came face to face with a massive beam of miasma. Hastily, she propped up her shield to deflect the full brunt of the beam. The force of the neuroi beam was unimaginable as she struggled to deflect the entirety of it. In exhaustion, she was pushed back, violently skidding across the ground. Fran quickly got up, bruised up but fine.
"Fran!" Wilma ran to the Karlsland witch and quickly got her to cover before another beam ripped through the tarmac.
"Are you alright?" Wilma began to take an assessment of Fran for any injuries, but Fran dissuaded her.
"I'm... fine... just a bit bruised, nothing too bad..." Fran wheezed while she wiped the sweat from her brow. However, something else awoke in the back of Fran's head.
"Audrey! She's hurt! We-"
"Fran, we can't do anything." Wilma spoke, yet Fran didn't want to hear it.
"We can't leave her there! She's badly injured!"
"I know we can't leave her, but the bridge is blocked! There's no way to get to her!"
"I'm not going to let her die!"
Wilma was silent as Fran stared at her with a face full of frustration and guilt. For Fran, she had lost so much. Her homeland was taken by the neuroi in a swift and brutal attack. Her mother was lost in the evacuation, assumed dead. Fran will never know her mother's fate. And now, upon her home soil, she was going to lose her friend to the neuroi.
"We got to try... we've come this far now..." Fran solemnly said. "I'm not going to give up on her."
"Who said we were?"
"Huh?"
"Who said we're going to give up? While this neuroi may be tougher than anything we've fought, I know we can beat it. However, rushing in blindly will only get more people injured... or worse." Wilma watched Fran carefully as she continued to speak.
"We're infantry witches. We are the best of the best. We have to be. For all of those who are counting on us, we have to perform the best."
Fran was surprised to hear Wilma boldly talk to her, usually used to Wilma's meek and soft-spoken personality. But her words were true to her. It made her think about the big picture amidst the chaos for a moment. For Audrey's sake, she can't fail her.
"Yeah... you're right... thanks Wilma."
Another miasma beam cut through the ground near them, making a big explosion in the river and causing the two witches to wince.
"Christen and Crecy, you two okay?" Spiers called out behind a weathered-out Panzer IV.
"We're fine! It just was a bit too close for comfort!"
"Good. Get your heads in the game. We got to take out this S.O.B!"
"Yes sir!"
"This whole thing is armored from head to toe! I have no idea where it's weak spot is!" Nona yelled. Her bursts from her LMG proved to only chip away the neuroi's armor, which were quickly being regenerated in seconds.
"The neuroi is regenerating too quickly! We'll run out of ammo before we could make a sizable dent in the thing!"
From across the bridge, the marksmen group kept pounding at the neuroi. The heavy chatter of Danny's M2 and Saya's L-39 caught the neuroi off guard and made it loose it's footing briefly. In retaliation, another beam was directed towards them, causing a block of houses behind them to explode in a cloud of debris.
"If we don't take this thing out, the others won't stand a chance!" Jackie yelled. "Any suggestions, sir?"
"Captain Leonov, one of your corporals has a magical eye ability?"
"Da."
"Try to contact her to locate the core. We just gotta hold on till we could find a weak spot!"
"Your radio-witch is down, though. We'll have to make haste. Crossing that bridge seems like the only option."
"Right. I'm not letting that bastard neuroi get one of my witches. Contact Lieutenant Hathcock."
To their surprise, a massive explosion shook the ground as two rockets made their mark on the heavy neuroi. A cry echoed out from the neuroi as one of its legs was blown off. As it began regenerating, in scrambled into the river to hide from another round of rockets and machine gun fire from the sky. The night witches zoomed overhead before circling the area once more.
"*This is Officer Litvyak. We'll assist you in attacking the neuroi, but were running low on magical reserves. We'll try to buy you some time for you to find the core.*"
"Understood." Leonov replied. "Nona, take Sergeant Crecy, Gratwick, and Gordon across the river while the neuroi's distracted."
"Understood!"
The four witches sprinted across the bridge as a series of rockets and gunfire rained into the river. Beams would jet out of the river and into the sky as the neuroi traversed the riverbank with surprising speed. Nona and Penelope were the first to make it across. As Jessie and Wilma ran across, the entire bridge began to shake as the water around sloshed in a panicked frenzy. It was to the awe of everyone that the massive neuroi leapt into the air with a newly restored leg and landed almost atop of Jessie and Wilma. Both witches stumbled out of the way as the heavy neuroi crashed onto the bridge with a thunderous boom, buckling the solid concrete below.
"Well... erm... shit..." Jessie cursed nervously as the neuroi tried to squash the two witches with its appendages.
Both witches rolled to the side as the neuroi made a large crater from where they stood. Both ran under the neuroi as fast as they can and straight towards the end of the bridge. The neuroi was not content with its attempt to finish the two witches as it fired a hot beam of miasma towards the two. Jessie dodged the beam. However, Wilma felt the force of the beam bear down upon her as it tore through the concrete beside her, exploding a cloud of debris as she hastily propped up her shield and was sent flying.
"Crecy!" Jessie shouted in horror.
Wilma grudgingly tried to get up and onto her feet as she did her best to ignore her painful landing onto solid concrete. Bruised, she looked in horror as the neuroi was reading another beam of miasma straight for her.
"Not on my watch, you bastard!"
Captain Spiers charged from the opposite side. As a commanding officer of his squad, he wasn't going to let any of his witches die. With bravery, he charged straight for the neuroi with an anti-armor grenade in hand. He chucked it with all his might towards the neuroi's leg. In a flash, the grenade exploded, taking out one of its legs as the neuroi fired off a beam. Unbalanced, the aim of the neuroi was thrown off, causing a section of a neighborhood to be torn apart and bypassing Wilma. While the neuroi was once again regaining its balance, Jessie took the opportunity to get Wilma onto her feet and get her to the other side safely. Spiers ran to the other side as well, to the amazement of everyone.
"Your commanding officer is one brave man..." Captain Leonov said.
"Or crazy..." Alex said.
"We like to say he's both..." Jackie said. "That's why we like him so much..."
On the other side, Wilma ran to Audrey. Hathcock and Danny were the ones tending to her. Wilma scrambled to the side of Audrey to see the extent of her injuries. It wasn't looking to good.
Unconscious, Audrey's forehead was bruised and bleeding. A trickle of blood was dripping down the side of her mouth and nose. Lacerations to her arm tore bits of her uniform and gave gashes and scrapes that were slowly soaking through the improvised bandages that Hathcock was applying to keep Audrey from bleeding out. But Wilma knew there were more pressing injuries. Audrey was also suffering internal bleeding from the hard impact to the ground along with a possible concussion. She was the only one that can treat them on-site. Otherwise, there was no telling if Audrey could survive under her present conditions.
Wilma's face grew serious as she began the healing process. Her body began to glow blue as she poured her magical strength to heal Audrey's body. It was tiring, but Wilma persisted through. In the corner of her eye, she saw the heavy neuroi begin to stand up, but felt the explosions of rockets go off as the night witches began another barrage against the neuroi to keep it at bay for a little while longer. Everyone was beginning to resume fire in another desperate attempt to stall it.
"Corporal Olinova!" Spiers yelled amidst the gunfire. He beckoned her to come towards him. Sasha ran with urgency and stopped by his side.
"Sir?"
"Do you have a location on the core of that neuroi?"
"Yessir. The core is located towards the bottom of the main body. I observed that the armor underneath is the weakest, but it's going to require a lot of force to hit the core. And it's going to difficult to get it to expose it's weak spot."
Another barrage of rocket fire hit the heavily-armored neuroi, followed by a return of lasers directed at the night witches. One laser hit the ATC of the airfield, causing it to crumble down into debris.
"Sir, you have a plan?"
"Yes. Get me the radio. This might be our only shot."
In the Brittainian Channel, four transport ships were sailing towards Karlsland accompanied by the Brittainian Battleship HMS Royal Sovereign and Karlsland Battleship Gneisenau. Aboard, four companies of Royal Engineers waited as the boats set sail for the port town of Bremerhaven. The news of two squads elite soldiers who were to clear the town baffled normal procedures. Often, it would take heavy bombardment from sea and air and a bigger landing force of eight to fifteen transport ships to ensure a successful capture from the coast, if not also a few squadrons of witches to ensure victory. The idea of just two squads of soldiers able to take out a neuroi stronghold was a joke at best, insane at worst. That was what the Brittainian Admiral who commanded this operation thought. But the insurance of the top brass kept him to have faith in this operation, no matter how ridiculous it seemed. He watched from the bridge of his ship, waiting for news as the sun began to rise from the horizon.
"Captain?" He called out with a firm voice.
"Yes sir?" A rather young, non-seasoned captain answered.
"Any news of the operation with the elite squad?"
"Few sir. Radio transmission reports that the mission is still underway. No other news besides that."
"Interesting... we'll maintain course. We should arrive on shore by the hour. Keep me posted from command. And tell the landing party to prepare."
"Yes sir."
The ocean was eerily calm. He associated this with the "calm before the storm". All he hoped was for a successful mission with few casualties. Landings like this always resulted with insurmountable losses due to the neuroi.
He hoped that this elite squad of soldiers was what they were worth according to what the brass have led him to believe. Otherwise, many lives were going to be lost today.
"Captain Spiers, are you sure this will work?" Captain Leonov questioned on his small portable radio. The neuroi was once again being suppressed in the waters of the river by the combined efforts of the night witches and infantry witches.
"This is the best option we have. We don't have the firepower to take in out head on."
"But coordinating an attack with the night witches on the spot? This has to be a first..."
"Everything has to start somewhere."
"You're a crazy man, Captain. Maybe it's a Liberion thing... Alright, let's get this over with." Captain Leonov began to radio the night witches above.
"This is Grizzly. We have located the core, but will need precise air support in order to immobilize the neuroi."
"*Um... understood, Grizzly. But be aware, we are on the last leg of our magical reserves. We only have one shot to perform this, so we'll do our best.*
"We'll sync our attack with yours. Just wait on my command. Out." Leonov turned to the witches with him.
"Sergeant Christen, you have that panzerfaust?"
"Uh, yes sir. Why?"
"Captain Spiers entrusts you that you can take out the neuroi."
"Sir?! But-"
"Spiers said that you have the ability to strengthen your weapon's capabilities. Furthermore, Sasha has located the core to be towards the bottom of its body, where the armor should be the weakest."
"Sir, you sure that would work?" Nona asked. "We still don't know if that's enough."
"Yeah, even the night witch's rockets were barely able to take that thing out. This will be a big risk." Alex said.
"It's our best shot, Starshina. Otherwise..." To their surprise, Francia spoke out.
"I understand... I'll do it. This can be the only way we an take it out. I'll do my best."
"Don't think you're doing this alone, misha. Sergeant Okatsu, accompany Sergeant Christen when the attack begins. Everyone else, let's make sure this bastard stays down, da?"
A chorus of agreement came from the 52nd. With a satisfied grin, Captain Leonov grabbed the radio to signal the attack.
"Attention, this is Grizzly. We're beginning the attack. Night witches, immobilize that neuroi so we can get close to it."
"*Understood. We're going for one more attack run.*"
In the air, the night witches streaked across the sky. The sky illuminated with the launch of rockets as they pelted the neuroi with an array of explosions, the neuroi screeched with fury and pain as two of it's legs were decimated from the brutal attack, causing it to fall on the ground with its underside exposed. Thrashing around, the neuroi was helpless as it tried to gain it's footing while all the witches and infantry let loose with their weapons to inflict more damage.
"*This is Major Schnaufer. We are returning back to base. You are on your own now. We wish you luck! Out.*"
"Understood. Grizzly out." Leonov looked towards Fran and Yuki.
"Now!"
Immediately, the two witches rushed the heavy neuroi. The neuroi sensed the two witches coming closer and tried to fire a beam of miasma, but the two dodged the beams as it flew past them. However, the neuroi's efforts to regenerate were quickly returning the form of its legs. Yuki acted fast, knowing what to do. She ran ahead of Fran to intercept the neuroi. Her aura glowed blue while her breath became cold and condensed. Quickly, she drew her katana and jabbed it into the neuroi while she yelled out a chant.
"Hisame!" In a split second, ice jetted out of the ground and trapped the bottom half of the neuroi. The regeneration of the neuroi was halted as the neuroi flailed helplessly, attached to the ground with no means of escape.
"Sergeant Christen, now!" Yuki called out.
Yuki backed off while Fran pulled out her panzerfaust and aimed it directly at the center of the exposed underside. Concentrating all her magic, the panzerfaust in her hand glowed blue. For her, this was the moment of truth. Everyone counted on her. Her teammates. Her country. Audrey.
"Für Karlsland!" Fran yelled.
Hitting the trigger, the panzerfaust propelled out of the tube with amazing force and struck into the neuroi. With a bigger, magical-induced explosion, the firepower of the rocket penetrated the neuroi and reached the core. To the awe of everyone, the neuroi began to glow a dazzling white, brighter than any other destroyed neuroi. Fran and Yuki quickly propped up their shields before the neuroi exploded into a dazzling display of white and silver shards that settled onto the ground like rain before vanishing.
'I... did it...' Fran was stunned by her work while she tried to breathe normally. 'I can't believe it...'
She was scared the entire time. Scared not only for herself, but for the others as well. Fear was in her from the moment she charged her enemy to the final action of pulling the trigger. But, in the end, she did it. She managed to take out the massive, heavy neuroi with a single shot. The same one...
...that attacked Audrey...
...Audrey...
'AUDREY!'
Fran realized about her injured friend across the bridge. In panic, she ran across the bridge to where Audrey was being taken care of by Wilma, Hathcock, and Spiers while most of the witches ac. Her mind was in a frightful jumble as she came to the side of Wilma to see about Audrey's condition. On the ground, Wilma did her best to heal while everyone could only watch from the sidelines. Her bloodied forehead and scraped arms were wrapped with bandages while Wilma was healing Audrey's midsection.
"Wilma, is Audrey alright?" Fran spoke with frantic fear. Wiping sweat from her forehead, Wilma did her best reassuring face for the Karlsland witch.
"Y-Yes. Her internal and head injuries are healed, so she's no longer in danger anymore."
"But... how come she's not awake?" Wilma's mood changed. Fran could tell that there was more to Audrey's condition.
"Wilma?"
No response.
"Sergeant Crecy," Hathcock demanded. "Is there anything else that's affecting Sergeant Cosens?"
Wilma uneasily knelt there, trying to avoid Fran's gaze. But she couldn't hold back the news much longer as everyone watched her. She struggled to speak, but decided that she couldn't hold it in. This was something more serious.
"Audrey is in a coma due to her head trauma." Fran didn't know what to say. She was almost speechless until she gave a desperate sense of hope.
"B-But... she'll be fine? She'll wake up soon? I-I mean... She will wake up... right, Wilma?"
"I-I... I'm not sure... We can only wait until she shows signs of recovery... I'm sorry... I wish I could've done more..." Wilma held her head low.
Fran didn't know what to do. It felt as if her efforts to destroy the neuroi were all in vain. The destroyed neuroi wouldn't change the injuries that Audrey sustained, just like Wilma said. There was no one, or thing, to be angry in response. Nothing could be done at this point. She felt helpless. Fran could only watch Audrey's unconscious state with no ability to help.
"The best we could do now is to wait for the landing party..." Spiers said with a sigh. Even he hated the cards he was dealt.
"Everyone, let's set up a perimeter. We're on our own till the landing party reaches here." Leonov ordered. Everyone nodded, but a heavy atmosphere was still present as everyone went off to perform their assigned tasks.
Fran could only hope that Audrey would wake up. She clung to that hope tightly as she stood in this battlefield. The only good she saw from this outcome came from the sunrise, casting over them all.
An end to this chapter! What shall happen to our beloved Farawaylander? And how will the campaign into Karlsland go, with the momentum ever-so continuing? More things to come!
Also, as I gave the backgrounds of the Olinova siblings of the 52nd Saboteur Corps in the previous chapter, I shall continue with the rest of the squad's background information.
Sergeant Saya Häyhä
Country of Origin: Sumous
Age: 16
Branch of Military: Sumous Infantry Regiment 34 (White Guard)
Rank: Kersantti Sergeant (Sergeant)
Role in Squad: Sniper
Weapons: L-39 Anti-neuroi rifle, Torakev Pistol
Magical Ability: Time-Space Manipulation (allows her to slow time, allowing her to both gain situational understanding and have a combat advantage. Because this is a heavily magic-consuming ability, she only uses it in special circumstances in short bursts, preventing total exhaustion on her body)
Familiar: Tundra Vole
Background:
Saya grew up in a small town in the outskirts of Sumous, surrounded by the arctic forests and snowy plains. Her house overlooked the town. Being a small child, she stood out too much for being different. Because of these factors, she didn't spend much time with the children of her town and was often secluded from them. This gave her a shy personality. Nonetheless, her shy personality didn't hinder her love for the outdoors and her exploration of the forest around her. It helped even more that her father was a hunter. Through her father, she learned how to hunt with the simple Mosin-Nagant that he owned. She grew up to know how to survive the harsh winters that she loved, and appreciated the beauty of Sumous nature. It was her playground.
Her magical ability awoke when she went hunting with her father at age twelve. As the two stalked prey in the forest, the love of the hunt got the best of her and she ran off to chase her prey despite her father's warnings. Getting lost in the dizzying maze of the forest, she came face-to-face with a bear. At that moment, she became the prey. In panic, Saya fell with her gun out of reach and a charging brown bear after her. Her magical ability manifested, in which she slowed time. At first scared, she took advantage of her new gift to escape the bear and run to safety to eventually find her father. Her father was angry for her leaving his side, relieved for getting back safely, and surprised as he saw his daughter manifesting familiar ears and a tail. Saya was now a witch. From the use of her magical ability, she grew faint and passed out for two days. After her incident, Saya was forbidden to use her magical ability from her father and was forbidden to mention to anyone that she was a witch. But her curiosity would the getter of her and she would practice her abilities in secret.
As the Second Neuroi War progressed with more countries falling to the neuroi, many people from the region where Saya lived began to evacuate in fear of the neuroi reaching them. But to the surprise of her father, Saya wanted to stay and fight the neuroi. While her father grew angry, he began to reluctantly let Saya go after Saya repeated these words: "I have a gift. This gift can save people. Save Sumous. Even our town. Please, let me fight."
Saya tried to enlist to both the Sumous Air Force and Army in their striker programs, but she didn't get through with training for either. Strikers weren't her forte as she lacked the control to maintain one. While her marksman skills were exceptional, nothing else made her stand out to allow her to complete training. Pleading that she could help, the Sumous military began to look at Project Second chance as her viable option. She was then redirected to standard infantry training, where she trained with multiple marksmen rifles and anti-armor rifles. It surprised everyone how she used the L-39, a newly-produced 20mm anti-neuroi rifle, with ease, especially concerning her small stature compared to the heavy load of the gun. From there, she was redirected to the 52nd Saboteur Corps. She gained a fierce reputation amongst standard infantry as the "Arctic Shadow of the North" for her white uniform and her skilled marksmanship (and possibly her small stature, which annoys her). She participated in the Battle of Volvograd and Kursk in Orussia, two major battles in the Eastern Front that led to the neuroi slowly seceding from Orussia.
In her unit, she is still the shy and quiet person she was before. Initially, she was mistaken for a very young witch despite her age being sixteen, all due to her short stature. But she is warmly welcome in the squad and is seen as the "cute, innocent Sumoi teddybear of the squad" by most of her teammates, to which she responds with embarrassment. Corporal Sasha has a good relationship with her due to being spotter and sniper on many occasions. Sergeant Yuki Okatsu has grown fond of the Sumous witch, both sharing quiet personalities. Furthermore, Yuki's "hidden love" for cute things has led for Saya being embraced and adored by Yuki (leading to a lot of blushing and embarrassment on Saya's part).
(Based of of Simo Häyhä, the world's top-scoring sniper with a record of over 500 confirmed kills)
Sergeant Yuki Okatsu
Country of Origin: Fuso
Age: 17
Branch of Military: Imperial Fuso Army
Rank: Gunso (Sergeant)
Role in Squad: Assault
Weapons: Type 4 Rifle (Semi-automatic rifle made under Fuso-Liberion cooperation), Type 94 Nambu Pistol, Type 91 Grenade, Katana
Magical Ability: Hisame (Fuso for "Frozen Rain". Can create ice through touching surfaces along with freezing enemies in a block of ice. In turn, this cools down her temperature. Says a chant just like Perrine's Tonnerre.)
Familiar: Akita
Background:
Yuki grew up in Kyoto, the former ancient capital of Fuso. She came from a prestigious military family and was brought up with heightened military knowledge. She practiced Kendo at an early age and was raised upon the teachings of honor and duty from her father, who was a Fuso Army Colonel. Her magical potential was discovered when practicing Kendo, which only further went into her training as a newly-found witch. Combined with the many films about the Fuso Sea incident that had many Fuso girls wanting to be witches, Yuki adored to join the military. It was soon that her father enlisted her into a military academy to become a future military witch.
Her time in the academy led her to gain praise as a top student, where she mastered military discipline and tactics. She performed well in physical training, strategy and tactics, sword fighting, and marksmanship. But it was when she began her training in a striker unit where things went south.
Despite her best efforts, Yuki wasn't able to fully grasp the use of a striker unit, not able to become one with it. After her first class graduated without her, she was repeated again into the striker unit course, only to result in failure. She was distraught by her inability to use a striker unit. It was worse for her father, who took her training seriously. Because of her failure, her father became furious. In haste, anger, and disappointment, she was branded dishonorable by her fther and shunned for it. This was what broke Yuki. Because of this, she became quiet and reserved, unable to gain the courage and desire she once had.
However, the brass saw her potential. With Project Second Chance, the Fuso Army decided to send Yuki as their test candidate for the program, hoping that her talent would be of better use. She performed outstanding in the program, and gained the reputation she deserved. She was sent to the 52nd Saboteur Corps, where she fought in Volvograd and Kursk, which proved to be perfect for her magical ability and demonstrated her prowess. However, she still kept her quiet personality due to her branded dishonor from her family, feeling that she still needed to gain back the honor that she lost.
In the squad, she says little and mostly keeps to herself, making her mysterious figure. However, everyone knows her care and support for her teammates through her selfless actions and her few words on the battlefield. The only close relationship she has in the squad is with Saya, whom the two share light conversations with. Also, she has a secret fondness for cute things, which is why she is attracted towards Saya. Saya is often the target for her affection (hugs and petting), which embarrasses Saya fully. She guards this secret closely, feeling that the serious reputation she has would shatter and she would die of embarrassment. Despite this, everyone knows about her attraction to cute things, which Yuki hasn't picked up on yet.
Lance Corporal Jessie Gordon
Country of Origin: Australis
Age: 15
Branch of Military: Australis Expeditionary Force (Under Britainian Command)
Rank: Lance Corporal
Role in Squad: Assault
Weapons: Winchester M12 shotgun, Sten Submachine Gun, No.73 Anti-Armor Hand Grenade
Magical Ability: Shield Strengthening (Stronger shield, which can be used as a "battering ram" in offensive charges)
Familiar: Koala
Background:
Jessie grew up in the city of Sydney, but spent a good portion of her childhood in the Outback regions of Australis at her Grand-Aunt's during visits. The outdoor became a playground for her as she loved to roam around and play. She watched the starry nights and the rising sunsets at her Aunt's abode. She grew accustomed to the rougher way of life in the outback than the city life within Sydney, making her more of a tomboy. Even more interesting to her was her Aunt's history. She listened to stories about her Grand-Aunt being a witch during the First Neuroi War, which she was part of the first combat witches, using broom-like contraptions in the European Theatre to fight off the neuroi. She grew a strong admiration for her Grand-Aunt, wanting to follow her footsteps someday if she were to ever be a witch.
The day that Jessie got her magical abilities was a rather odd one. For her, most of it was a hazy mystery with mixed-up details, but she remembers rummaging around the storage shed of her Grand-Aunt's, when a bright flash of light came, revealing her shield propped in front of her along with a pair of Koala ears and tail on her body. And a rather, damaged shed. She never knew what caused the situation, but it was a surprise to her Grand-Aunt to find her with magical abilities. Jessie likes to tell her story with more action and danger to make it exciting, but everyone knows it isn't as she says.
The news of the Second Neuroi War reached her along her fifteenth birthday, to which she got the courage to enlist as a witch. However, Jessie never felt the interest of the Striker units accompanied by her lack of magical control onto the machines. But due to the demand for witches on Australis's part, Australis enrolled into Project Second Chance and Jessie became one of three members in the program (one of the other three being Penelope Gratwick). With the memories of her Grand-Aunt in mind, she worked hard in her training under the Australis Expeditionary Force and was sent to the 52nd Saboteur Corps. She participated in the Battle of Volvograd and Kursk, where she used her shield as a battering ram to allow a frontal assault upon a group of land neuroi despite being under heavy fire.
Her personality is rather rough around the edges, sometimes cursing and being (too) relaxed. She is the youngest in the squad and she has a love for the outdoors and enjoys playing games and chatting around with the other witches in her squad, which can lead to attributes to being a bit o a child (with a dirty mouth). She is friends with Penelope and Nona, which she looks at both of them as older sisters/role models. She also likes to tell stories about her (mis)adventures in the Australis outback, which can get out of hand at times.
(Based off of James Gordon, recipient of the Victoria Cross in WWII)
Corporal Penelope Gratwick
Country of Origin: Australis
Age: 17
Branch of Military: Australis Expeditionary Force (Under Britainian Command)
Rank: Corporal
Role in Squad: Assault
Weapons: Lee Enfield, Sten Submachine Gun, No.73 Anti-Armor Hand Grenade
Magical Ability: Shield Strengthening (Stronger shield, which can be used as a "battering ram" in offensive charges)
Familiar: Kangaroo
Background:
Penelope grew up in Canberra, living a normal life. She went to school, had friends, and did many normal things that girls would do. Except hang out at the local military base.
Penelope grew fascinated about the Australis Military. She constantly visited to hang out with the many soldiers and officers there during her summer breaks, becoming one with the thriving military community. She helped out with the infantrymen, chatted with the mechanics, and got to see some of the witches try out their Striker units. She became a famed local figure at the base, which brought joy to many stationed there. And, in secret, Penelope developed her magical ability there too under one witch stationed there.
As the neuroi war in Europe was heightening, many people from base were shipped off to fight, including the witch that mentored her. The base grew lonelier each visit, while Penelope heard the horrible news of the neuroi decimating one country after another. That was when she decided to enlist.
At the time, Australis was beginning their enlistment into Project Second Chance, and decided to pick a random witch candidate to participate into the batch. Penelope happened to be that choice. With infantry training under the Australis Army along with the teachings of her mentor, she became a recognized, skilled infantry witch. Shipped off to Orussia, she fought with the 52nd on numerous missions. Her skills on the battlefield rivaled Nona's, and she became a "third-in-command" for the squad. Her skills were especially shown in the Battle of Volvograd, where she saved a company of Orussian infantry while leading Jessie and Alexandra to halt the impending neuroi force of neuroi turtles from reaching the capital building and cutting off the 22nd Orussian Red Guard from other units in the city.
In the squad, she is nice and kind. She loves to help others in the squad, from cooking to equipment checks, being the second "mother" alongside Nona. She also disciplines Jessie for her crude language, which Jessie reacts with fear from the sudden serious (and scary) tone Penelope can give off. Nonetheless, she is great friends with the other Australis witch, viewing her as a little sister.
(Based off of Gordon Gratwick, recipient of the Victoria Cross in WWII).
Captain Alexander Leonov
Country of Origin: Orussia
Age: 20-to-30-ish(?)
Branch of Military: Orusian Red Guard
Rank: Captain
Role in Squad: Commanding Officer
Weapons: Mosin-Nagant Rifle, PPsH Submachine gun, Tokarev Pistol, Anti-Armor Grenades, Combat Knife
Background:
Little is known about the Orussian Captain of the 52nd Saboteur Corps. It is known that he grew up in a small town in the borders of Orussia and Ostmark, but the details of his past are vague. He enlisted into the Orussian Red Guard as the neuroi war brewed and became a skilled soldier. However, little is known about his combat experience. It is rumored that he once singlehandedly took out a neuroi turtle with his combat knife and a pair of anti-armor grenades. Other rumors point out that he led a charge against the neuroi despite being outnumbered, and was successful enough to hold off the neuroi until reinforcements from other units came to assist them, which led to his promotion. However, one thing is for certain: he is a skilled commando. He participated in the first special forces groups in Orussia for training before being re-directed to command the 52nd Saboteur Corps. His command of his squad is strong, leading to an effective assault group.
His personality is rather easygoing despite his intimidating past and body-shape. He shares a lot of Orussian humor and likes to tell old folk songs he remembers as a kid. He is also someone who will do anything to protect those under his command, which has led to the overall respect and gratitude bestowed upon him from the witches.
That is all I have for backgrounds on the remaining characters of the 52nd Saboteur Corps! Furthermore, some more info. The "Neuroi Ants" here are what the neuroi appeared to be in the 3rd OVA of Strike Witches (the ones Perrine fought in the Gallian town). If you haven't watched it, I suggest you do to get some insight on what those neuroi look like. Also, I like to try to update this story as much as I can, but life often gets in the way. So I'm going off a loose schedule for this story in terms of updating. I like to give lengthy chapters so that my prolonged absence will be made up for. This chapter has been in the works for a while, so I hope this action-packed chapter makes up for it!
Also, anyone getting a Reznov-vibe from Captain Leonov? That's how I feel about him. He's not going to yell about revenge and numbers, though.
As for the chapters to come, they will be on the low end of the action spectrum due to how hectic the 45th has been working to fight in this war. After all, even special forces need breaks from time to time. So I'll be going along a relaxed route to get into the day-to-day lives of the witches as the war progresses on, similar to some episodes go in the Strike Witches series.
Anyways, I'll see you soon! Adios!
"Hey, I heard the 45th were conducting operations in Northern Karlsland." A Karlsland Infantry Witch stated. She rested upon a crate of ammo as she relaxed in the hangars of the base they recently captured. Off time was a welcomed luxury in their line of work. And the base was already occupied by Allied forces, so there was no worry of the neuroi threat for the time being. Hopefully.
"Ah, so the little pups are fighting up north then?" Another Karlsland Infantry Witch replied. She was busy cleaning her steel Wermacht helmet, the camo netting removed for the moment.
"Hey, don't tease them like that. They are a good squad too."
"I know..."
"Besides, the 52nd is also with them up north."
"Really? A joint-operation between the two? Huh, that's a first... Brass must be getting anxious to not let our push into Karlsland go to waste."
"Hey," A Gallian Infantry Witch witch joined. "How do you know this is taking place?"
The Karlsland witch brushed her hair to the side as she manifested her familiar and magical antennae with a smirk.
"Touche..." The Gallian witch replied.
"Well," The other Karlslander spoke. "Let's hope we can end this war."
"Für Karlsland."
"Für Karlsland."
"For Karlsland. And an end to this war too."
Okay, now this is goodbye :)
See you soon!
