Chapter 21: Additional help and old friends
7th November
Special Realm
The United Nations Armed Forces were now conducting war games in the Special Realm, not because they were bored but because they were wanted to be able to gauge their ability to work with their returning ally, the Blue Neuroi. The blue neuroi which had just arrived during the day, New Jersey's battle with dragons were now being reintegrated into the chain of command and the fighting force. Smith suggested having a wargame so that everyone gets reacquainted to having the blue neuroi around again.
Piña and her Knights were at first frightened of the Blue Neuroi, especially Piña and Bozes as they have seen what Amirah can do but after some time, they became friendly with the new Allied forces soldiers.
Meanwhile the neuroi ship crews were dumbfounded at first when they reached Pearl's Gate to see ship girls and mermaids. Their biggest amazement came when they saw the New Jersey decked in dragon scales while Missouri and Yamato had kraken shell decorating their superstructure. They also noticed that every time both New Jerseys go on patrol with one of the blue neuroi carrier groups, they always find a small object on their radar, tailing the ship girl and battleship.
"It is great to be flying with you girls again" A Blue Neuroi F-22 radioed as it flew with the 501st Joint Fighter Wing.
"Yeah, I missed being with you guys" A Blue Neuroi F-18 radioed as well.
"Well, Garadinava, Xaliana, it is good to have you girls back with us" Minna said.
"How are you doing, Amirah?" Xaliana asked.
"I am doing fine" Amirah said, "Just happy to meet an old friend"
"Who has come to join you once more unto the breach" A new voice was heard when a Blue Neuroi witch appeared, "It's good to see you again buddy"
"It's good to see you again, too Vera" Amirah smiled. Just then Francesca tried to close in on Vera but Vera pulled out her combat knife and turned to look at Francesca.
"Touch my breasts squirt, and you won't be able to sign your discharge papers" Vera said as she had a toothy grin but it radiated an evil aura.
"KYAH!" Francesca screamed as she flew for Shirley, "She's scary"
"Hey, Amirah, how did you know about Vera?" Garadinava asked.
"She saved my ass in Karlsland back in 1944" Amirah said as she recalled the mission that got her ass saved.
Flashback
10th December 1944
Karlsland
Amirah was a strong girl but even strong girls can have a limit and Amirah getting close to hers. She was being tortured for ten days straight, she was given no time to recover from the first beating. The red neuroi were making everything for her hell, even going to the toilet meant torture for her.
"I am impressed, no bitch has survived this long, but then again, this should be expected from the Lady" A Red neuroi soldier grinned as he punched Amirah in the stomach. Amirah lurched slightly as she vomited whatever left was in her stomach. Amirah would say something but they had a strangling collar on her that would tightened if she made a noise, even now, Amirah was struggling to even vomit as she made a noise. Even then she had a gag that was keeping her mouth open. Suddenly the room shook as the dull noise of explosion was heard. The lights soon went off.
"What the fuck?" The Red Neuroi said as the restraints holding Amirah released her and she felt into a heap. The collar came off and all of Amirah's vomit that was trapped by the collar came gushing out, Amirah heard a bang and saw the soldier move aside while a shadow approaching but she was too tired, she passed out.
Three days before
London
MI6 Headquarters
"General MacMillan, we have a problem" An officer said.
"What is the problem?" The general asked.
"Operation Snow Coat was a failure, our forces were mostly killed or captured only one managed to escape" The officer said.
"Bloody hell, what happened?" MacMillan asked.
"Sir, from what we learned from the survivor, the operation went FUBAR fast, after discovering the site, they were ambushed and most were of the boys were killed there, Amirah called in a retreat and they were about to make it but they were intercepted by the red neuroi chasing them. He said the only reason he made it is that he first took wrong turn and arrived at the RV point much later than the rest of the survivors" The officer said.
"Christ, Amirah was right to have misgivings for this operation… Wait Amirah! What happened to her?" MacMillan asked.
"She was captured sir, the survivor watched her get shoved into a transport before he slid back into cover" The officer said.
"Damn, Amirah is our best fighter, she is the one of the reasons we are working with the Blue Neuroi now" MacMillan said.
"What are we going to do sir?" The officer asked.
"Get the General Malinshenkov on the line; we are going to get our boys back" MacMillan said.
The day before
The quiet of the Karlslander forest was disturbed slightly as Blue Neuroi Space Commandos (BNSCs) and SAS commandos sneak around. Leading them is a veteran BNSC, Major Vera Neckiton and she was among the best of the best and can be said to be on par with the SAS veteran, Amirah.
"Alright, here is the plan, we go in tonight and our objectives are to steal some red neuroi uniforms, disable the alarms and locate the captured SAS boys and commander if they are still alive" Vera said. Her cute voice betrays her job as a special operations operative but she is very deadly, especially at medium to close range and though not as proficient as the Lady of Knives, she is very good with knives. Soon the commandos were in action. They split into three parties, one to steal uniforms, another to disable the alarms and the last to locate the SAS operatives. Vera led the third one and after some navigation they found the captured SAS operatives in holding cells in the main building but there was a problem.
"Where is Amirah?" An accompanying SAS operative said, "She is not here"
"That means they have her in a separate room" An BNSC said.
"That won't be surprising, she is a commander and very infamous commander amongst the red neuroi at that" Vera said. The team were back on the move as they looked for Amirah and they found her and it took every single ounce of willpower for the operatives to not bust in and get Amirah to safety. They found her in the middle of a torture session. She was hung in the air with restraints holding her arms and legs. She had no clothes on and all across her body were cuts and bruises.
"So the lady wants to take a piss? Well us help you" A Red Neuroi soldier said as he stabbed wires into Amirah and then flicked a switch.
"AAAAHHHH" Amirah screamed as electricity ran through her body. The group saw her try to pull at her restraints but to no avail other than cause more pain.
"I knew she was a tough girl but I didn't think she was this tough" Vera thought as she saw Amirah haven't lost it.
"Alright, let's go before we blow the mission" Vera said as she turned away with the rest of the team with her. She was impressed by her accompanying SAS operatives who stuck to the mission and not try to break her out already. The three groups regrouped back in the forest, all their objectives complete with a bonus, one of the SAS operative managed to get a copy of plans from one the labs. Now the group rested as tomorrow, they will be going back in but it won't so quiet.
That day
Vera and her team of commandos snuck into the base again but this time, their objectives were more aggressive. Ten commandoes, 5 BNSCs and 5 SAS stayed at the entrance of the main building as Vera and the other fifteen began their work. They set mines around the barracks, attached demo charges on vehicles, communications towers, ammo dump, fuel depot and generators and now, as they stood just outside the main building, they were ready to make some noise.
"Alright, let's give them a wakeup call" Vera said as she gestured to a SAS operative who pulled out a bugle and played the Britannian Reveille, "Hezekiva, hit it"
"Yes, ma'am" A BNSC smiled as she pressed the detonator. Explosions rocked the base as all the charges went off. This was then joined by the screams of pain and agony of the red neuroi troops who were caught by the mines.
"Alright, let's get our POWs" Vera said as she and her group rushed into the building after they had lobbed grenades into the hallways. Meanwhile the ten commandos were holding off any red neuroi that attempted to approach the main building. Meanwhile inside, the commandos made their way throughout the facility towards the POWs they were destroying vital equipment, killing guards and capturing vital intelligence and documents. Soon they were at the holding cells and the guards attempted to hold them back but the commandos were not highly trained for nothing and made short work of the guards. They then broke out the POWs and scientists who had just been put back into their cells but one of them had bad news.
"Thanks for rescuing us but you all have to hurry! Colonel Beilmer, the commander who caught us has taken Amirah" A scientist said.
"Understood, we will do what we can" Vera said, "Alright, Arthur, John, Garuvina, Takiva, stay with the POWs and get them out of here, the rest with me, we got a lady to save"
"Roger" The commandos said as they went on conduct their tasks. Vera and her band of commandos ran to where Amirah was held only to find a puddle of vomit but it was disturbed as it led onto a trail. Vera and her commandos followed the trail just then; they heard engines beginning to warm up.
"They are trying to escape, Vera!" A BNSC shouted.
"I know, now let's double time it!" Vera and the commandos raced to see the commander's guards aiming their guns at them with the commander holding Amirah. He then laughed a very hearty laugh (Imagine Morden's laugh from Metal Slug).
"Well, well, looks like the cavalry came a little too late, sorry you dumb fucks but the lady here is going to be my new toy" Beilmer grinned as he tightened his grip on Amirah's neck.
"Let her go, you bastard!" Vera barked but Beilmer just laughed even harder.
"Is the Blue Neuroi so desperate that they recruit kids now? Don't make me laugh" Beilmer grinned as he pulled out his pistol and shot Amirah in the side.
"Ugh" Amirah simply grunts as she fell down
"Kill them!" Beilmer said.
"Take them out!" Vera barked as she fired her HK-416 at the Red Neuroi. The other commandos took the attention of the guards while Vera charged Beilmer but Beilmer aimed his pistol right at Vera's face. Vera couldn't dodge as she was in the middle of a jump.
"Shit" Vera uttered.
"Die" Beilmer smirked but just as he pulled the trigger, Amirah with whatever energy left in her lunges at Beilmer, throwing off his aim, "You bitch!"
"Didn't expect that, did you" Amirah grinned but she staggered before she fell to her knees as she was still badly wounded.
"Thanks" Vera said as she jumped onto of Beilmer and two got into a vicious fist fight; however Vera, after stunning him with glint from the sun, tears his throat out. She looked around and saw the other Red neuroi were dead, dying or have surrendered. She then turned to Amirah and saw that the lady was slipping away. Vera immediately grabbed her first aid kit and started patching the wounded "Mistress" as best she could.
A week later
Netherlands
A field hospital
The war was still raging on but here there was some peace and quiet.
"Well Amirah, I must say, I am terribly sorry for not trusting your instincts" MacMillan said as he sat next to Amirah.
"It's alright, sir, you were just doing your job" Amirah smiled, "Besides, I was in charge of the operation so I should be the one asking for forgiveness sir"
"Humble as always, Mistress of the SAS" MacMillan said, "Or should it be the Lady of the SAS"
"Please sir, it is bad enough that everyone beside the 501st calls me Mistress, even Churchill and the king does it" Amirah said.
"Well, that shows that they respect you and more so now that you were given the title of Dames Commander of the Order of the Bath and a bar to your VC, you are a hero" MacMillan said.
"No, I am not a hero sir, the operation failed to achieve anything but get me and my soldiers killed or captured. I was tortured yes but I lived and I am not a hero, I was too afraid to die, those who died in the botched operation, they are the true heroes, they deserves the medals and recognition not I, I did nothing significant to the war effort but diverted much needed resources" Amirah said.
"Well you are hero to my eyes" Amirah and MacMillan turned to see Vera in her Liberion Army Rangers uniform, "Hello, ma'am, sir, I am Major Vera Neckiton, I was the one who led the operation to save you and your boys"
"Well, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you Major Neckiton for saving my boys and my sorry ass" Amirah said.
"It was nothing you wouldn't have done if the roles were reversed" Vera said.
"But the roles were not reversed so I thank you Major" Amirah said.
"Well, if you want to know, Vera here has a deep respect for you, Amirah" MacMillan smiled.
"How so and why me?" Amirah asked.
"Ma'am, you are a very strong woman and I find your style of fighting very interesting" Vera said.
"Well Neckiton, for one just call me Amirah" Amirah said as she slipped a cigarette in her mouth, "And I will call you Vera, is that fine?"
"Yes, ma- Amirah" Vera said.
"Good" Amirah said as she lit her cigarette.
"Ma'am, please no smoking" A nurse said.
"Well, you shouldn't drink then" Amirah said.
"How... did you?" The nurse asked.
"Nurse, she is SAS, they know where to look" MacMillan smiled as he stood up, "Well I best be off, I have business to attend to, see you two ladies another time"
"So Vera, would you like a cup of tea?" Amirah smiled. Vera and Amirah soon became fast friends and then good friends as they got to know each other better.
End of Flashback
"Damn, now I feel bad for getting angry at you for disappearing from radar for so long" Gertrude said.
"It's alright, you didn't know" Amirah said.
"But damn still ten days of torture, that would leave a mark" Shirley said.
"You've seen them already" Amirah simply said. The wargame went on without much problem thought the natives were scared off at first by the sight of the Blue Neuroi but they soon got used them. However one question remains, how long before the Empire gets used to the Blue Neuroi?