Chapter 37
Thunder Run with Street-fighter
The first helicopters though were a pair of Russian gunships; Mi-24 Hinds. They were old gunships, heavily armed and armoured, with heavy machineguns and more rockets than could possibly be healthy. They roared in low, strafing the Jötunns with a barrage of fire, sending their new attack reeling back before it had even begun. Next came a quartet of Apaches, which hovered protectively above the battlefield, firing off missiles, rockets and cannon shells, like a flight of avenging angels. And then came the Chinook transport, sporting RAF colours.
"To ground force commander, this is Bravo November" the pilot called out over the radio. "Where do you want me to set her down?"
"Over on the left" Jago called out. "By the transport plane".
"Roger that". The big helicopter roared in low, its twin rotors kicking up clouds of dust and whipping the skirts and robes of anyone nearby as the door mounted mini-guns blazed fire into nearby buildings, clearing them of Jötunn soldiers.
"Is that big "BN" on the front of the thing something to do with the name?" Lind asked, shouting above the roar of Chinook's engines.
"Yep… Bravo November got its name from its designation. But mostly they call her "Survivor"… she was the RAF Chinook to survive the Falklands and she was safely piloted home from a rescue mission in Afghanistan after her pilot was shot in the head". And at that moment, the helicopter touched down and the soldiers began to disembark. And Jago grinned. "Ah Hell yes! We've got Ghurkhas!"
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Ghurkhas. Pound for pound, the toughest warriors in all of the world. Tiny but fearless and deadly in combat. And they had fifty of them.
"Who's in charge?" the Lieutenant in charge demanded. Lind and Jago glanced at each other.
"We are" Jago said.
"What?" the Lieutenant asked, confused. "I thought this was a military operation?"
"I am military" Lind said. "Just not one you're familiar with. And as it is, I outrank you; I'm a Captain". The Lieutenant looked sceptical but nodded.
"Very well" he said. "Where do you want us?" It was then that Jago stepped up, holding down his Stetson as Bravo November roared back into the air, winging its way back towards the portal, clearing a space for the next aircraft to land, its
belly full of refugees.
"Ok boys, we want you on either side of THAT street" he said, pointing towards the road that was still under Jötunn control. "Set up machinegun teams on the top floors of the buildings, with supporting rifle squads alongside… and you'd better attach your anti-armour teams to them as well. The enemy have armour so be ready with your LAWs". The Lieutenant nodded and gestured for his soldiers to advance. With a shout, the Ghurkhas unslung their rifles and filed away towards the indicated buildings as Jago nodded at the commander.
"Are you in charge of the soldiers here boy?" the Ghurkha asked.
"Technically no but I have been holding this place's defences together as well as I can".
"You have any combat experience?" Jago shrugged.
"Killed a few guys today and I've done some street fighting. Oh and I set fire to a T-55 with a Molotov".
"Yet you carry a khukuri?"
"Aye that I do". He raised his arm and rolled back his sleeve, revealing his draw-scars. "I may not be a Ghurkha but it doesn't mean I'm a coward". The Lieutenant nodded respectfully.
"I see… but why should I trust my men to your command? You said so yourself; you have little experience".
"Like I said, I've held this plaza for hours with an army of militia, with NO guns. Give me some credit". Then he paused and his eyes rolled back as he sent a mental message. "Plus there's her".
"Her who?" The soldier felt a tap on his shoulder and suddenly spun, drawing his own khukuri and slicing with it, only for it ring against Lamb's sword with a clash of steel.
"Her her" Jago said as Lamb took a step back, still holding her sword, as the Ghurkha stared wide eyed at her… and particularly at her wings.
"What kind of devilry is this?" he demanded.
"I think I had better fill you in" Lind said. "Jago, you can keep organising the reinforcements right?" She nodded skywards as a pair of French Puma helicopters rolled and started to make their decent.
"I'll do what I can. I'll send the commanders to see you as soon as their forces are deployed". Lind nodded and led the still stunned Ghurkha away. It was then that the helicopters touched down and a French Colonel emerged, calling to his troops as they disembarked.
"SOLDIERS! ASSUME COMBAT FORMATION UNE!"
"WE SURRENDER!" the soldiers called out, throwing down their guns and throwing their hands in the air, much to the dismay of their Colonel.
"Not that one, you idiots!"
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Lieutenant Vayrag growled to herself as she glanced from behind the pile of rubble that she and her fighters, ten Valkyries, twelve Auxiliaries and seven Specials, all taking cover behind a mound of rubble. Less than fifty feet away, a Jötunn unit had taken cover inside a burnt-out building, preventing them from advancing with a constant stream of inaccurate but massed rifle fire and rocket launches.
"Dammit!" she hissed. "How are we supposed to be clear them out of there if we can't get close?"
"What's the situation?" She turned to see who had asked her this and was surprised to tiny human in green and brown combat gear, crouching beside her.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
"Sergeant Tam-Song, Royal Ghurkha Rifles" he said. "These are my men". Vayrag glanced behind him and was surprised to see a dozen hard faced Ghurkhas crouching nearby, each clasping a rifle in his hands. "We're here to reinforce you and when I asked, they said you were in charge of this unit. So, what is the situation?" Vayrag was silent for a moment but then she came to her senses.
"We need to clear these buildings before we can set up a defence line to receive the next wave but we can't get close enough to do anything about it... we're basically just waiting for them to run out of ammunition before we charge them".
"I thought you and your friends were supposed to be some kind of goddesses, with mystical powers and stuff?" Vayrag nodded, frowning.
"Our magic is limited at the moment; the system we rely on is damaged to the point that we're unable to recharge. We basically running on fumes until we can get it repaired. For now though, we need to concentrate on taking this building". The Sergeant nodded and glanced over the top of the rubble pile, spotting a pair of Jötunns who were stood outside blazing away with rifle fire.
"How many inside?" he asked.
"At least ten we think, plus the two out here. They're also in the other building just across the street but we can't tell in what numbers". Sergeant Tam-Song nodded and called out to his unit. He spoke in rapid Nepalese, to which his soldiers replied with rapid nods and affirmative grunts. Four of them took up position beside him; three riflemen and one with a squadron automatic in his arms. The men took up position as the Sergeant slung his rifle across his back and unsheathed his khukuri, copied by most of the eight remaining soldiers. Only two retained their rifles, opting instead to slot bayonets directly below the barrels of their guns. And then the four who had moved forward opened fire, pouring suppressive fire into the building.
"AYO GORKHALI!" Tam-Song shouted and he leapt to his feet, charging towards the building, bellowing as he went. Close behind him, his men followed, all screaming their Ghurkha's battle-cry, their khukuris flashing in the sun. Tam-Song charged the nearest Jötunn, roundhouse kicking him in the head and then beheading the giant with his heavy knife while beside him, one of the rifle armed soldiers attacked the second Jötunn. The giant swung for him but the Ghurkha side-stepped and thrust his bayonet into the monster's chest, rapidly pumping the trigger, emptying rounds into the beast's chest. While this was going on, one of the soldiers pulled the pin from a grenade and rolled it through the open door, to explode just inside. The Ghurkhas then surged inside and the sound of fighting echoed from inside as they set to work clearing the building. There were several minutes of shouting, which ended abruptly as a Jötunn came crashing down from an upstairs window, to land in a broken heap outside. A radio of one of the fire team crackled and he answered, nodding his head.
"Boss say the building's clear" he said to Vayrag. "We going in now. You wait here".
"Wait, what about the other one?" she demanded. "You can't just leave it!"
"Not enough men to clear that one AND hold this one. Don't worry, armour on the way!" And he pointed back behind them to where the first of the monstrous tank transporters began to arrive, escorted by a multi-national fleet of fighter jets. "We clear in a minute. For now, we set up base. Make tea! Wait for tanks!"
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The transports were V-660 Whirlwinds; C-17 Globemasters which had been modified in a similar way as the Tanngrisnir, with engines located on each corner. However, unlike the normal C-17, the engines weren't jets but turboprops, each with four massive blades, giving it an overall view very similar to Jago's V-120 Valkyrie. The main difference between the two was size; the Whirlwinds were nearly twice the size and three times the weight of the Tanngrisnir, allowing them to carry considerably more cargo. This was dramatically demonstrated when the first plane landed and the nose rose skywards, allowing the seventy-five ton tank inside to roll on out. The tank itself was a British Challenger 2, the toughest tank in the world, with the most powerful gun and accurate gun ever fitted to a tank. And it was made extra tough by the addition of a Street-fighter TUSK kit (*1), rendering it virtually indestructible. The tanks rumbled down the ramp of the aircraft, clearing the path for the evacuees who could now be loaded on-board. Jago waved to the tank and the top hatches popped open, as both the Commander and Operator emerged.
"You in charge laddie?" the commander demanded in a thick Scottish accent.
"Aye" Jago said. "It's good to have you boys here; we've been needing some serious firepower". He turned and gestured towards the street that the Ghurkhas were helping to secure. "They need fire support down there" he said. "Think you boys can manage that".
"We're on it" the Commander said as his Operator closed down his hatch once more.
"Good. What's your call-sign?"
"They call us Street-fighter" the Commander replied, buttoning down his own hatch.
"Figures" Jago said as the tank's engine roared and thick smoke filled the plaza. At least now though, they finally had some of their much needed support. It was time to kick arse!
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Vayrag looked up in surprise as Street-fighter rolled to a halt just behind her, the top hatching popping open.
"Hey there" the Commander said. "I hear you have something for us to shoot". Vayrag nodded and pointed down the street.
"That building is overrun with enemies; we need someone to clear it for us".
"On it" the Commander said, closing down the hatch once more. With that, the tank rumbled forward, tracks grinding in the dust. Bullets started to dance across the thickly armoured hull of the vehicle as every Jötunn soldier turned his weapon upon the advancing vehicle. The tank returned fire, spraying the building with its remote-controlled .50 calibre machinegun, the heavy rounds punching clean through the marble façade. It stopped just short of the building and the big gun slewed sideways, training on the upper floors… but then the trap was sprung as from the building opposite, a pair of Jötunns appeared with RPGs and they launched the weapons, striking the tank and causing it to disappear in a cloud of smoke and flame.
"Well that was a waste of time" Vayrag said.
"They're fine" one of the Ghurkhas who was still beside her said. "You can't kill a Challenger with an RPG, you just piss it off!" And true to his word, as the smoke cleared, the tank emerged unscathed, aside for some cosmetic damage to the side and top of the turret. And if was possible for an inanimate object to express emotions, it would have looked ANGRY.
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"Gunner! HESH round! RPG, second floor, three story house on the right!" The Commander barked his orders with ruthless efficacy as the Operator started to load the fifty pound High Explosive Squash Head round into the breach of the gun.
"Roger!" the Gunner called out, slewing the turret around, fixing the two astonished Jötunns in his sights.
"HESH round up!" the Operator shouted.
"FIRE!" the Commander shouted and the Gunner grinned.
"On the way!" he depressed the fire button, waited a second for the fire control computer to finish its calculation and then the whole tank shook as the big gun thumped back, blowing the top floor clean off of the building.
"Put another round on target!" the Commander barked and then waited for the Operator to finish ramming the next shell home.
"HESH round up!"
"FIRE!"
"On the way!" The big gun boomed once more and this time, the entire building collapsed as the squash-head warhead shattered the building's foundations, sending the entire edifice crumbling to the floor. "Target down!" the Gunner shouted triumphantly.
"Confirmed" the Commander said. "Gunner! HESH round! Infantry, ground floor, three story house on the left.
"Roger, engaging with co-ax" the Gunner said as the turret slewed round again, raking the building with the coaxial chain-gun as the Operator rammed a third shell home.
"HESH round up!"
"FIRE!"
"On the way!"
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Hero's Plaza echoed with the deep boom of Street-fighter's gun as it worked to clear the Jötunn held buildings and for the survivors of the allied force, there could have been no greater morale booster than this heavily armoured vehicle with a big gun on top. Overhead, fighters and bombers from a dozen nations continued their relentless onslaught. French Rafales flew alongside Chinese J-10s and German Tornadoes roared into battle alongside Russian Flanker jets. And the same was true for helicopters; Havoc gunships, Pave Low search and rescue birds, Little Bird special forces choppers and Chinook transports, all working in concert to bring in reinforcements and evacuate the remaining gods and demons. They didn't have it all their own way; they were losing aircraft at a phenomenal rate. During one mission, a flight of eight F/A-18 Super Hornets rolled in low over the city, preparing for a fast strike on a concentration of Jötunn anti-aircraft guns, when they were ambushed from behind. The first they knew of it, Tail-End Charley, the unofficial name they gave the last plane in the flight, was suddenly hit from behind. The pilot gave a shout and glanced behind himself to see a Praetorian who was in the process of tearing the vertical stabilisers from the rear of his plane, with a second one close behind. The poor man didn't have time to react, just shout a strangled warning before his plane spun onto its back and dropped, colliding with a building bellow. The two the screamed in, one hurling a series of fireballs that struck a second Hornet, burning through the wings and fuselage and tearing the jet apart. Meanwhile, her companion attacked a jet further up the flight and stuck the plane with her sabre, severing one wing and sending the plane spinning down. Worse, chunks of debris from the damaged aircraft came roaring back and struck the plane directly behind, being sucked deep into the twin engine intakes and shredding the delicate fans within, causing an instant flame-out, exploding the entire rear of the plane. But by now, the remaining Hornets had jettisoned their payload and had switched to an air-to-air configuration. So as the lead Praetorian dived on her next target, she flew right into the sights of its wingman.
"Two's got a lock!" the pilot shouted as the high pitched shriek of a full AMRAAM lock blared in her head-set.
"Pop that guy!" her wingman shouted and she squeezed the trigger. The missile shot from the rack and while it actually missed, the weapon's proximity fuse deployed, detonating the missile like a giant shotgun blast and tearing the Praetorian apart. Her comrade screamed in rage and dived on the offending plane, swiping at it. The plane side-slipped and she shot past, directly into the path of the two other planes in the flight, who unceremoniously hosed her down with cannon fire. Then the four remaining jets turned back around, heading back to base to rearm. They still had a strike to perform and they needed ordinance in order to pull it off.
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"QUICK! INSIDE HERE!" Saga shouted above the sound of the rifle fire. She held the door open as Chrono and Eir raced inside, waving them in with her bloodied cutlass. Then she turned to see Bob still involved in a running battle with the Jötunns who were following them.
"COME ON! COME AND GET ME!" he shouted, unloading a barrage of shotgun shells down the corridor towards the giants, dropping a few of them. He ducked for cover and rolled as they returned in kind, bullets filling the corridor with a maelstrom of shot as he quietly started jamming shells into the breach of his gun. He cocked the gun and stood, preparing to fire once more but was suddenly face with an eight-foot Jötunn who roared down at him and then struck down with its knife. Bob dodged the attack, clubbing the giant in the face with the butt of his gun, knocking teeth flying. He then stabbed it in the chest and pulled the trigger once, killing it instantly.
"BOB! GET OUT OF THERE YOU LUNATIC!" Saga shouted and he turned, racing towards her and then dived into the room as she pulled the door closed behind them.
"What a rush!" he said as she glared down at him. "We've gotta do this again sometime!"
"Thanks but no thanks!" Eir said, clasping a hand to her bleeding thigh. "Chrono, could you give me a hand?" The young Valkyrie nodded and knelt beside her, giving Bob a pointed look so that he would turn away. She then used her knife to slit the thigh of the other goddess's tights, exposing the wound.
"So where are we?" Bob asked Saga as Eir began to whimper, with Chrono forcing a pair of pliers deep into the wound.
"We appear to be in one of the council chambers" Saga said. "Or more specifically, in one of the boxes above the chamber. I couldn't tell you which one though".
"Oh sweet Jesus this hurts!" Eir said, thumping her fist against the ground.
"Man up" Chrono told her. "I've almost got it but I've gotta be careful not to nick an artery here. Just give me… one… more… second… got it!" With a final tug she pulled the bullet from her friend's leg, which gave a little jet of blood as she gave a quiet sob. "You're lucky" Chrono said. "A few more millimetres and it would have severed the femoral artery and you'd have been dead within minutes. As it is, I've got most of the bullet but-"
"What do you mean MOST?" Eir demanded, tearing a strip of fabric from her uniform and using it to bandage the wound.
"I couldn't get all of it" Chrono admitted. "There were a few shards that were too deep. I'd so more damage removing them than by just leaving there. For now, we're just gonna stitch you up and get you back into action. If you want, you can have them removed once we get back to the plaza".
"Err… guys?" Saga said. They all looked up and saw that she had cross the balcony to lean against the banister. And she was looking down. "You might wanna see this". Slowly, the other three joined her and what they saw below them was astonishing. The floor of the chamber was packed with Jötunns; thousands of them. But more important was what was located in the middle of the horde.
"Does anyone have a radio?" Bob asked in a quiet voice. "I think my brother needs to know about this". Silently and without looking up, Chrono fished inside her uniform and pulled out a loadstone radio, gently handing it to him. Their hands brushed together for a second and at any other time, Bob would have relished the contact but right now, he was too terrified. Quietly, he selected the right channel and then clicked it on. "Jago, it's Bob. We have a problem here…"
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"Alright, we need to redeploy" Jago said, kneeling beside the map, tapping several points with his finger. "I just received word that the Jötunns are trying to some over the barricades so I need you guys to help hold the line there". The officers around him nodded, each confident in their own abilities. "Right, we have the Challenger and the pair of T-90s the Russians sent. What other vehicles do we have?"
"Approximately thirty armoured Humvees from various nations, all with .50 machineguns" said the commander of the American Marine Corp unit. "Our boys have also brought four LAV-25s for light armour support".
"We have some M-60 Patton tanks on the way" the Bosnian commander said. "All with ERA protection".
"We have some Marder APCs" said the German. "That and a Leopard 2A6".
"Right" said Jago. "That gives me something to work with". He paused and tapped the map. "Right, we're gonna set up some defence lines on the far side of the barricades. We put armour on the far side, with the infantry on top of the walls and in the buildings on either side. If we set up overlapping lines of fire from there, we can hold the Jötunns, stop them from breaking through and redirect them to the open street where we can pound them from the air". He glanced towards the Air Force liaison officer. "How long until the BUFFS arrive?"
"B-52s will be on station within the hour". He glanced at Lind who was knelt beside Jago. "As overall commander Captain, it is also my duty to inform you that we have a strike aircraft waiting on your strike order for Stage Three of the operation and as requested by Lady Valmeyar, we have hot-loaded a twenty megaton nuclear weapon in preparation for Hammer Down".
"I understand" Lind said. "But I want it noted that I WILL NOT allow a nuke to be detonated in Heaven. Tell the strike aircraft to stand down at once; if we are to flatten the city, we will use conventional weapons".
"But Captain, judging from what our aircraft are telling us, a nuclear strike may be the only option with the numbers we're facing, especially if they try follow us back through the portal". He gestured to the distant form of the Gate as the latest unit arrived; South African Gripen fighters that immediately started salvoing off their radar guided missiles. "Our fighters are already running low on ordinance and-"
"I'm not shifting on this point" Lind said. "No matter what my mother has ordered, there will be NO nuke in my city!" Her eyes flashed gold to emphasise her point and the officer gulped, nodding.
"Well in the meantime, let's see about setting up these defence lines while we continue the evacuation" Jago said. "Now, I want the T-90s here…" he pointed at one of the barricades on the map, "to block the street. Tell them to load as many HE and flechette rounds as they can carry. In the meantime, I want the-". He suddenly stopped as his radio crackled.
"Jago, it's Bob. We have a problem here". Jago paused and nodded to the human commanders.
"Sorry mates, I gotta take this". He clicked the radio and turned away, putting some distance between himself and them.
"He seems competent" one of them said. "But can we really trust the judgement of a twenty year old boy with almost no combat experience?"
"I trust him" Lind said. "He's steered us right so far".
"To be fair, you look like you're a twenty-two girl. Now I know you say that you're technically God but you don't look like any God I know and-"Lind's eyes flashed and then, on a whim, she sent the man a mental image of her true form, making him cry out in pain and shock, wishing for some brain bleach.
"What you just saw was what I really am" she said, calmly but firmly. "We're ten dimensional being of, as far as you are concerned, near unlimited power. Personally, I'm a soldier by trade; a Valkyrie. The most senior of my unit. In age, I'm one-hundred and three million, seven-hundred and fourty-five thousand, three-hundred and seventeen years and two-hundred and six days old, of which, I've been Heaven's top warrior for most of that time, with the power to shatter the surface of the Earth with a snap of my fingers. I can project the physical manifestation of my soul…" At this moment, the Mint Sisters arrived, their swords bloody from battle, looking extremely tired, "and I'm… I'm not sure, about five months pregnant, with that man's daughter. Now, if I say we trust him, I suggest that you listen. Understand?" The collected officers nodded. "Good". It was at that moment that Jago returned, his face grim. "So? What did Bob have to say?" Jago shook his head.
"He and the girls have found the way that the enemy reinforcements are getting in".
"Well that's great" one man said. "In that case, why don't we-"
"They're using the Bifrost Gate as a portal from Jötunnheim to here… and it's right in the heart of the central palace". There was silence.
"Is that supposed to mean something?" a Dutchmen asked.
"it means that we have to go in there and rescue her" Lind said. "Where is she?"
"She? This Gate is a she?"
"All mystical Gates are sentient beings" Lind said. "And they're all female in appearance. But Jago hasn't answered my question; where is she being held?"
"The council chambers. The one where I went for the inauguration". Lind swore. It was deep inside the Praetorian barracks, in the heart of the palace. To save her would have to be a major operation.
"Well… that's put a bilgesnipe up the back passage".
"What?" This one was unanimous; even Jago looked confused.
"A bilgesnipe" Lind said again. "You know; huge, scaly, big antlers". She put a hand on her head, mimicking an antler. "Don't you have those on Earth?"
"Not last time I checked" Jago said. "But I appreciate the sentiment. Getting to Bifrost is gonna be a total clusterfuck". Lind nodded a t which point Jago started pacing back and forth. "In that case, I think we're gonna need to pull of some audacious…"
"That you do Jago". They all turned to see someone emerging from the field hospital in a worn surgical gown. She looked deathly pale but she also looked like she was in the mood to tear someone apart with her bare hands. Kayrune.
"It's good to see you up and about Captain" Lind said.
"It's good to see you too Lind" said Kayrune with a nod. "But it looks like I caught you all just in time".
"Why's that?" Kayrune shook her head and turned to face Jago.
"Paladin, that angel of your about?"
"Present" Lamb said, landing close beside them. She had just been on a recon mission for an airstrike and so, had only just got back.
"Lamb, do you remember why Deaderuss tried to kill you?" Lamb looked confused.
"It was to stop myself and my Mistress from warning the Almighty One about him and the coup… and trying to bring back Kronos". Kayrune nodded but she didn't seem satisfied.
"That's only about half of it. Do you remember anything else?" Lamb shook her head at which point Kayrune sighed. "Think about it… as soon as they became aware that you, Jago and Damascus were a threat to themselves still, they tried to have you assassinated once more, while simultaneously kidnapping Bifrost. Bifrost is the reason that you were attacked Lamb; by taking her, they isolated us from the Earth and limited the amount of energy we could bring into Heaven. The only reason that they have been able to keep Yggdrasil working is that they have been using the information that you and your Mistress gathered to hack other Gates and keep the supply of wishes running. And when the coup came, they reckoned that you would be the only one who could stop them from bringing in their own reinforcements".
"Wait a minute, you're saying that the reason that Lamb's Mistress was attacked in the first place was that she could hack Gates?"
"The only one who could hack ANY Gate and use it for ANY purpose, yes. I learned this from a Jötunn during my last mission". She turned back to Lamb. "You're the lynchpin Lamb. Only you had the power to bring reinforcements here. And only you have the power to stop the tide that is bearing down on us. It is why you nearly died. And it is why you must now fight. You're the only one who can stop them".
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Lamb gave a tiny gasp that was the only sign of the massive internal conflict that was going on inside. You see, what Kayrune had just told her had unlocked her memories. ALL of her memories. She could remember every moment, from her hatching to her naming and everything between and beyond. She could remember… every person she had ever killed. The minute expressions on their faces that revealed their true natures to her, in a way that not even their closest friends or most intimate lovers could possibly understand. She could remember…
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Lamb shook herself and then slapped her cheek, hard.
"Pull yourself together!" she hissed and then turned to Jago. "She's telling the truth Master".
"I know" he said simply. "You got your memory back". Lamb nodded.
"All it took was that little bit extra and I managed to overcome the mind-block. And you'll have to excuse me if later on I go and have a nervous breakdown. I may remember now but there are some things I didn't WANT to remember". Those faces…
"I understand Lamb".
"Good. But now, I think we need to think about other things… we need to organise a rescue party for Bifrost".
"Agreed".
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"What is that weird angel chick sating to that guy?" one of the soldiers asked, leaning close to the man beside him.
"She's had her memories sealed ever since Jago ended up with her" Lind said. "And being reminded of the reason for her original Mistress's assassination has restored them to her. Now though, it looks like they're ready to go to work".
"Right, here's the plan" Jago said, turning away from Lamb to face the rest of them. "We need to rescue the Bifrost Gate and bring her back here. With her out of the equation, the enemy will be unable to bring in any more reinforcements and we can either choose to hold here or evacuate, depending on the situation. For now though, we need to organise a Thunder Run on the central palace". Stooped and gestured at each of the barricades in turn. "I want the T-90s here, the Pattons here and the Marders here. We keep the Leopard twelve Humvees. I also want four Humvees supporting each of the barricades with HMG fire. I leave the infantry to deploy themselves as they see fit. As for the rest of us… I want the LAVs and the six remaining Humvees fully loaded with fuel and ammo. We're going to fight our way to the central palace and rescue that Gate, even if it kills us". Someone cleared his throat.
"Excuse me but didn't someone say that there are possibly still tanks out there? LAVs aren't going to be much good against something like that".
"Well that's why we use the heaviest piece of armour we have to clear us a path". And Jago turned, pointing towards the barricaded street. "We're taking Street-fighter with us. That tank is going to clear the way and get us there in one piece. Now, how long till we can get this convoy organised?" The Marine Corp commander shrugged.
"Give us an hour".
"You've got five minutes".
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The Jötunn's roared as they scrambled up the barricade, clambering hand over hand to get to the top of the wall. They were coming in from all sides, ready to pour over the top and down into the vulnerable flanks and rear of the allies and the new human arrivals. The human aircraft roared in low and did what they could to hold back the attack but the Jötunns were too fast and too many. They would overwhelm the line here and now! But as they stuck their heads over the top of the barricade, they were met by a challenging roar and then the Jötunn started screaming as the Russian T-90M tanks came roaring over the top of the wall. Both tanks gunned their engines and they performed their most famous trick; leaping into the air and firing their main guns simultaneously before crashing down, crushing their enemies beneath their fourty ton tracks. As they rolled down the far side of the slopes and the Commanders raked the slopes around them with their heavy machineguns, clearing them of enemy soldiers. The tanks then grinded to a halt and started pouring shot into the Jötunns in front of them as the four Humvees that were accompanying them rolled to a stop on top of the mound, unloading the soldiers who were on-board who moved to set up their own defence lines across the top of the barricade.
"Ok, we hold here!" the Canadian Sergeant said, cocking his rifle. "Controlled bursts of fire; conserve you ammo. But keep those things away from the tanks!" He cocked his rifle and fired, dropping a Jötunn soldier. The clatter of small arms quickly filled the street, backed up by the deep thump of the .50 calibre machineguns on the trucks and then occasionally drowned out by roar of the tanks below them as they unloaded another heavy gun shell into the enemy forces. The line had been drawn. And now it was time to hold it.
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"I need ten volunteers!" Jago called out. "Valkyries and Niflguard only". One of the Valkyries in the little group he was addressing stood and bowed her head to him.
"What do you need sir?"
"I'm setting up a Thunder Run to rescue the Bifrost Gate. We have enough armour to break through; I just need some melee fighters to back us up. Now I must warn you, we're all probably gonna get our arses served up on a silver platter but…" The Valkyrie nodded, gripping her poleaxe.
"Alright, I'm with you". A handful of her companions joined her, bringing the total to six Valkyries and four Niflguard.
"Good on you" Jago said and then pointed back over his shoulder to where the convoy was arming up. "One of you in each vehicle. I just got to make a few arrangements and then we'll be on our way". The little group nodded and filed away as Jago went in search of Jeiko who was busy reorganising the remaining Earth spirits so that they could be deployed to support the defence lines. "Jeiko, I need you with me". The Earth spirit General paused, nodding to his soldiers to send them away.
"What's going on?" he asked. "I heard you were setting up for some kind of raid into enemy territory using some of the human vehicles?"
"We're located Bifrost" Jago said. "We're going to get her back". Jeiko looked shocked.
"Bifrost? She's here?"
"She's been hacked and they're using her to bring their reinforcements into the city. I thought that as Heimdall made you her Guardian-"
"Where do you want me?" he demanded. "I'm coming whether you want me or not".
"I was going to say, I want you with us. I think we're gonna need your skills when we get there; that place is probably swarming with all kinds of nasties and if anyone is going to get her out of there, it should probably be you, once Lamb's deactivated her. As to where we want you, I want you to ride in the second vehicle in the convoy; one of the LAVs". Jeiko nodded.
"Alright, I'm on it". Then he paused. "Where are you riding?" Jago shrugged.
"Once I track down Damascus, I'm mounting up on the front vehicle".
"The tank? There are only four seats in that thing aren't there?" Jago nodded.
"Yep… I'm riding on the damn roof. Some bugger's got to keep the bastards off them… we're gonna have problems with corners, especially with that big gun…"
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Damascus rolled her shoulders slightly, twitching her wings to relieve some of the pain in her tired muscles. She had been working in the field hospital ever since she had helped to turn back the Praetorian attack, doing what she could for the injured. It was difficult, being almost completely out of magic by this point but she still had the power to redirect the magic of others and use it to heal them. She sighed a little as a medic brought in a weeping child, followed by a worried looking mother.
"I thought all of the children had been evacuated" she said as the medic placed the child on the table.
"Most were…" the medic said, "but she and her mother were trapped behind enemy lines. They were just rescued from a Jötunn unit by a Valkyrie team who were knocking out anti-aircraft guns. I would have put them straight onto a transport but the girl has been injured during the escape. Can you see to her?" Damascus sighed and nodded as the medic turned away.
"Can you help her?" the girl's mother asked, glancing at Damascus's fangs. The devil caught the look but decided to ignore it.
"Well that depends what's wrong with her" Damascus said. "So what's up?" The goddess gently raised her daughter's arm, showing the nail which was buried in the girl's arm.
"Can you remove it?" she asked. Damascus leaned forward and inspected the wound critically.
"No worries" she said. Gently, she grasped the girl's arm in her hand, holding her steady as she gently clasped the nail. The girl however gave a shriek and pulled her arm away, wailing.
"NO!" she cried. Damascus growled and reached out again but the girl pulled her arm back again. "NO!" she screamed.
"Can't you see you're hurting her?" her mother demanded to which Damascus snarled.
"Of course I'm hurting her! Pulling a nail out is painful! But it has to be done or she'll risk an infection". The mother paled as Damascus's eyes flashed from their usual orange to deep purple.
"But-but can't you just use magic to remove it? Or possibly a painkilling spell?" Damascus shrugged.
"I could but I'm completely out of magic. I barely have enough juice to power a ten watt bulb. Now, I could use hers but I'm guessing that she's too young to use it yet…" The mother nodded. "And I'm also guessing that you don't have much either, so I suggest that you just let me get on with my job!" With that, she turned back to face the girl. "YOU! STOP! OR I SNAP YOUR NOSE OFF!" The girl instantly stopped crying and sat quietly, looking terrified as Damascus reached down, grasped her unresisting hand and yanked the nail out. The girl yelped but Damascus slapped her hands to her arm and poured what little magic she had left directly into the wound, healing it instantly. Within thirty seconds, she was done. "She's fine now" the exhausted devil said. "Now you two get on the next flight out. Tell them that I sent you if you must". The mother nodded, stooping to cradle her still wide-eyed daughter in her arms.
"Thank you" she whispered and then disappeared, hurrying off towards the landing zone.
"I have to say, that was quite impressive". Damascus didn't bother to turn to face Lamb, she just shrugged.
"I used to deal with them all the time. The only way to get someone whose panicking to do something you want them to do is to make them think that you are REALLY going to hurt them. Not my favourite tactic but I thought, under the circumstances…" She paused and finally turned to face Lamb. "You got your memory back, didn't you?" Lamb nodded.
"Yes. Some parts I wish I hadn't but then again, you can't pick and choose what you want and don't want to remember".
"How did it happen?"
"Kayrune came round. She said some things that helped to unlock my memory… such as why my Mistress was killed". Damascus raised an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest.
"And?"
"She was assassinated because she is the only one who in a crisis, could reliably, quickly and accurately hack Gates. I mean, Hild and the Almighty One- Lord Tyr, can do it but they were the first targets anyway. And then there's Heimdall. He COULD do it but it took him time to do it. I can do it faster than anyone else and this was a threat to Deaderuss's plans. He needed a Gate to bring his forces here. And that's why Master sent me to find you. Bob and his group have found Bifrost in the central palace. Master is gearing up for a rescue mission". Damascus nodded slowly.
"I see. So that's why my Mistress was killed… an unfortunate accident in the grand scheme of things". She shook her head and then straightened. "Well Lamb, you had better get going. Master is going to need you".
"He needs you too Damascus". The devil snorted.
"Me? I have no magic left! What use will I be to him? I can't even shoot straight!" She gestured to the rifle she had been using, now tossed in the corner. "What us is a powerless Nightmare in the middle of a war?"
"Don't be down on yourself. Master needs you just as much as he needs me. Plus, he gave me this". Lamb snapped her fingers and a pair of cans dropped into her hand. She tossed on to Damascus who caught it and then checked the label.
"Chernobyly Energy Drink" she read aloud. "Caution: may cause vomiting, hallucinations, hair loss, temporary blindness, PERMANENT blindness, rectal bleeding…" The list went on for quite a while as Lamb pulled the tab on hers and took a deep swig. "… and the reduction of male sexual organs". She glanced up at Lamb who was taking another deep swig. "You're seriously drinking this stuff?" lamb shrugged.
"I may have A LOT more stamina than you but in truth, I'm nearly running on empty too. And each of these things contains enough calories to fully reenergise us for the rest of the day". Damascus chewed her lip for a second and then paused.
"What flavour is it?"
"Flavour?" Lamb asked and they both snorted. This was an energy drink after all.
"Radioactive horse piss?"
"Got it in one". Damascus sighed and cracked the can, taking a sip.
"This is nasty… why would humans invent something like this?"
"Don't ask me" Lamb said, crushing the can and tossing it away. "All I know is that we're going to be pissing green for the next three days".
"Nice…"
8888
"If you're going, then so am I!" Lind said, glaring at her man as he stood beside Street-fighter.
"Look Lind, there is a good chance I'll be killed during this thing. Getting us BOTH killed would just be silly".
"That may be so but I already told you; we haven't been married long enough for me to become a widow. I know we said "till death do us part" but I have no intention of that being in the next twenty-four hours! At the very least, if you die, I want to go with you!"
"What about the baby?" Jago asked, gently laying a hand on her slightly bulging belly.
"The baby is only as safe as I am and if you think about it LOGICALLY" she said with a sly smile, "I'm safest when I'm closest to you. You have to look after me! I mean, I am such a weak and pretty female…" She struck a pose that made Jago snort.
"There's nothing weak about you!" he said. "Although pretty…"
"Oi! Eyes front soldier!" Lind snapped and Jago shook himself.
"There's really nothing I can say that will stop you from coming?" Lind shook her head.
"Not even Gandamak could stop me!" Jago shrugged.
"Alright. Your funeral". With that, he grasped the side of the Challenger and used it to heave himself up and onto the roof of the tank where he took a seat beside the Commander's cupola. Lind then leapt onto the rear of the tank and prepared to take a seat herself but Jago shook his head. "Not there; that's the exhaust. It's hot and smoky there. You're gonna have to ride the roof with me". Lind sighed and clambered aboard the tank just as the Commander popped his hatch.
"Are we ready to go yet?" he asked irritably.
"Not quite" Jago said. "We're still waiting on a couple more".
"Present Master!" Lamb and Damascus landed neatly on the roof of the tank, bowing their heads. They disappeared back inside him with a flash.
"Alright! Let's get this convoy rolling!" The Commander nodded and the hatch snapped shut as the tank surged forward, followed by the mixed bag Humvees and LAVs, each with either a Valkyrie or Niflguard on-board. The rescue convoy was on its way. Heaven's Thunder Run had begun.
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They came under fire almost as soon as they left the plaza. Bullets clanged against the hull of the tank as it pushed a path through the streets and rockets whizzed by, either striking the road or buildings on either side or simply bouncing off the thick frontal armour. In return, the tank opened up with its machine guns, tearing into the enemy on either side. The main gun and coaxial weapon were useless; they couldn't manoeuvre the turret fast enough in these enclosed streets to make them viable weapons. However, while the Commander raked one side of the street with his remote controlled .50 calibre, the Operator popped his hatch and used the GPMG (*3) to fire on the other. And the vehicles behind were also able to lend their support; Humvees with their machine guns and LAVs with their 25mm Bushmaster cannons, ripping apart buildings with a frightening ease. Meanwhile, Lind and Jago worked tirelessly to protect the convoy from their vantage point on top of Street-fighter. Lind used Mjolnir to rockets out of the air while Jago sniped the gunners from the roofs with his elephant gun. And so on they thundered, grinding their enemies beneath their tracks. But they were taking casualties. It was the fourth Humvee that lost the first one. The gunner had reversed his armoured turret to fire at the enemy who were targeting the rearmost vehicles, using the heavy machinegun to shred the Jötunns into bloody ruin. However, his exposed back was a tempting target and it wasn't long before a Jötunn popped out of an alleyway, rifle blazing. The man was struck in the back of the neck, making him collapse, screaming, into the cramped interior of the Humvee.
"FUCK! FUCK!" he shrieked as the medic started working on him even as the truck kept moving.
"SOMEONE GET ON THE FIFTY!" the Corporal said, gesturing to the machinegun. The Valkyrie nodded and clambered up through the hatch, steadying herself against the turret-ring.
"How do I use this thing?" she asked, hefting the heavy weapon.
"Double cock the slide to chamber the round! Then depress the double trigger!" The Valkyrie nodded, cocking the gun and then pressed both triggers, feeling the gun kick. She fired a quick burst, her aim shaky as the vehicle rumbled and jolted along. But she quickly got the hang of it, swiftly turning the big gun, firing a short burst and then moving on to the next target, not caring whether or not she had killed them, so long as they kept their heads down. Meanwhile, at the head of the column, Jago had a problem. No more bullets. He grunted as he stowed his rifle and then spotted a Jötunn in a nearby alley, aiming an RPG at the second vehicle in the convoy; Jeiko's Humvee. He had to act fast. He thumped his fist on the top hatch of the tank and called out to the crew.
"GUNNER, GIVE ME NINETY DEGREES RIGHT!" The Gunner obliged, spinning the turret to the side as Jago dropped, dangling above the ground by one hand and spinning his truncheon in the other. As the tank rumbled past, he swung his heavy weapon, striking the giant on the side of his head, breaking his neck and killing him instantly. Jago grinned and went to haul himself back up but at that moment, the tank went over a bump, bouncing on its tracks… and throwing him clear from the side of the vehicle. He had a sudden, horrible image of himself falling, to be crushed beneath the tracks of the armoured behemoth. But then a hand reached down and grasped his, hauling him up.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?" Lind shouted above the roar of the engine, hauling on the roof of the tank once more. "OR DO YOU JUST HAVE A DEATH WISH?"
"A BT OF BOTH!" And so it went for mile after mile. But soon they reached a problem. A roadblock. "Hmm, that's vexing" Jago said, dropping from the tank's roof and landing beside the barricade. It wasn't a full roadblock, with a large gap in the middle, but it was sturdy and it was in the way. "Do you think you can clear this thing?" he called out to Street-fighter.
"Not a chance" the Commander said. "It's too sturdy to break through with the gear with have here. We'd need a Trojan to knock this down". Jago shook his head. Trojans were armoured engineer vehicles, built on the same chassis as a Challenger 2 but with the edition of a mine-plough and an excavator, rather than a gun. They were useful but unfortunately, they hadn't thought to bring one with them. There was one thing for it; they were going to have to split the convoy.
"Ok, here's the plan. Street-fighter and the LAVs will backtrack and see if they can find a safe way around. Meanwhile, the Humvees will keep pushing on the target from here. We'll rendezvous at the central palace as soon as the armour makes it through". The Commanders nodded and the tank and its light support started to reverse back down the way it had come.
"Are you sure this is wise?" Lind asked. "I may not know much about armoured warfare but I do know that Humvees aren't supposed to engage enemies with anti-tank weapons".
"You're right; this is probably NOT a smart idea. But at this point, we don't really have a great deal of choice. We need to get to the central palace and this is the quickest and most direct route". Lind shrugged.
"You have a point… but if I might make a suggestion? We split ourselves up. If I take the lead vehicle, I can guide us to the palace and hopefully spot ambushes before we get to them. Jeiko's in the second car so if you take the third… plus it means that if one of us is killed, they'll still be two more of us who are capable of fighting". Jago nodded and head towards the third vehicle as Lind climbed aboard the fist. "Alright" she said the stunned Lieutenant inside. "Let's get moving".
8888
Something was wrong. Ever since the barricade, the city had been surprisingly quiet. There had been the occasional attack by rifle armed Jötunns but for the most part, the enemy seemed to have disappeared. It made Lind feel uneasy, especially since the radio was constantly squawking warnings of massed Jötunn formations. So where were they? The convoy pulled up to a "T" junction, pausing just out of sight.
"Which way the driver asked, glancing out of each side of the vehicle.
"Take the left" Lind said. "But go slow. There's something not quite right going on here". The man nodded and the truck rumbled forward, its machinegun trained on the street. The passed a series of burned out buildings, rumbling slowly along, until they came to another problem; another road-block. But this one was different. Lind jumped down from the Humvee as it stopped just in front of the burnt out hull of the CRARRV that was blocking the street, its burning wreck belching black smoke from its blazing fuel tanks.
"Looks like we're going to have to go back" someone said. "There's no way we can get around this thing".
"What happened?" Jeiko asked, poking his head out of his vehicle. Lind licked her lips, inspecting the tank.
"Looks like- looks like they were detracked and had to abandon it. Hopefully they were alright when they left". There was a shout from the rear of the convoy.
"What's that?" Everyone turned, seeing a shadow moving in the smoke, growing larger.
"Hold! Don't fire until we have a positive ID". Guns were cocked and they heard the deep crunch of the HMGs being loaded. And then the shape revealed itself. A horse.
"It's a horse" one of the soldiers said as the animal slowly picked its way through the ruins and Lind smiled as it approached.
"Sleipnir? What are you doing here?" she asked, grasping the eight-legged horse by his bridle. The horse snickered, gently nuzzling her as she rubbed his muzzle. But then the trap was sprung. With a shout, the Jötunns exploded from the roof-tops, firing down on them.
"AMBUSH!" Lind was knocked aside as Sleipnir bolted and she fell to the floor as the Humvees open up with their heavy guns, shredding the tops of the walls.
"GET UP!" someone shouted and she was grasped by the shoulder before being bundled into the back of the lead Humvee as the convoy started to reverse back down the street, guns blazing. She shook herself to try and clear her head as the gunner was shot down, only to be replaced by the Niflguard who was in the back seat. But then, as the convoy continued to speed backwards down the street, missing the turned they were meant to take and entered a large, open courtyard. And Lind's car exploded as the shell struck it. She never even saw the tank that got them.
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"LIND!" Jago shouted as he saw his wife's car explode, stuck in the side by the tank's shell. He didn't stop to think as the convoy continued to reverse, just pulled the door open and rolled, diving from the moving vehicle and into the street. He then curled into a tight ball as the second Humvee rolled over the top of him before getting to his feet and charging toward the wreckage of Lind's vehicle. He ducked behind it, desperately searching for her but there nothing. The occupants of the car had been shredded by the shrapnel. There was no a way that Lind could have survived that. She was dead. And Jago was angry. Eyes burning red, he turned to face the tanks. Oh but they would suffer!
"JUPITER SMASH!"
8888
The tanks were T-62s, much tougher than the T-55s that they had face before. Thicker armour, a more powerful engine and with a unique 115mm gun, it was a Soviet monster for the mid Sixties and Seventies, replacing the T-55 in active service with frontline units. But then, they were never designed to stop an enraged Opal-essence. Even four of them wouldn't stand a chance. And so, it was Papa Jupiter who roared into battle. He charged in, shoulder barging the machine from the front and rocking it back on its tracks. He then reached under the tank's left track and flipped it, over onto one side, before grasping it by the barrel and starting to spin, heaving the tank from the ground and sending it spinning away, crashing through a nearby building. He roared and leapt onto the front of the second tank, grasping the sides of the turret in his hands. With a below, he tore the turret clean off the chassis and shook it violently, killing the men inside. Then he glanced over at the other two as they turned hard to engage him, both firing their main guns as he dropped the turret a little to cover himself. One shell struck the side of the wrecked tank's chassis while the other stuck the underside of the turret that Jupiter was holding, knocking both him and it flying.
"FUCK!" he swore, clapping a hand to the wound in his chest and pouring healing magic into it. Now he was pissed off. He jumped up and took advantage of a fatal flaw with the T-62; it is unable to rotate its turret while it was reloading. And so he charged in from an angel as the driver tried to aim the big gun by turning the whole vehicle but this was far too slow. He grasped the side of the tank, hauling himself aboard and scrambled up the side of the turret, punching through the Commander's hatch with his hands and then prying it open. He reached inside and hauled the stunned Jötunn Commander from his seat and hurled him before dropping into the crew compartment. "Alright gents?" he asked, pulling out his revolver. The Gunner and the Operator were too slow to react; two shots rang out and they dropped, leaving Jupiter in command. He was going to ENJOY this!
8888
The other tank Commander was unsure what to do. He knew that the human was inside the tank but he couldn't attack without killing the crew inside. Normally this wouldn't be too much of a problem for a Jötunn but there were only a handful who were short enough to man the tanks since Soviet vehicles were notorious for being small on the inside, meaning that they couldn't afford to lose any. He winced as he saw the tank reverse over the top of its former Commander, grinding him into a bloody pulp. And then to his surprise, the tank's main gun discharged, firing off the high explosive shell in the chamber. The turret locked as a new shell was loaded and then it began to move freely once more, with a new shell loaded. It was training on them. Panicking, the Commander called out to his crew.
"Gunner! Fire on that tank!"
"But Sir! Our men!"
"Who cares! Destroy that tank!" The Gunner obliged, squeezing the trigger of the gun. Unlike the Challenger, there was no split second delay as the firing computer worked out the best firing solution. In a T-62, there is no firing computer. Instead, there was an immediate roar as the cannon thumped back, rocking the whole tank as the shell shot forth, impacting the left side of the other tank… to no effect. In their haste, neither the Gunner or the Loader had though to replace the high explosive round with an anti-tank shell, meaning that beside some minor damage to the Driver's and Commander's sights, the tank was unharmed. And the Gunner's sights were working just fine.
888
Jupiter squeezed the trigger on the main gun, not caring where the high explosive shell landed and then ducked to one side as the breech opened and ejected the brass shell casing that had contained the propellant for the shot. He then grunted as he hefted the heavy HEAT round into place, thrusting it home with his fist. He then pulled the dead Gunner from his seat, dumping his body on the floor and took his place, turning the turret to align with the other vehicle, just in time to see the tank fire. The HE shell struck the side of his tank's turret with a dull boom, shaking the vehicle. Shards of glass rained down on him from above as the Commander's sight shattered and he heard the Driver scream as his periscope imploded, filling his eyes with shards. But Jago's sight was fine. It cracked but it was still usable, so he took careful aim, laying the gun on the right side of the other tank's turret and squeezing the trigger. The tank boomed again and the crew compartment filled with smoke as the shell was launched. He didn't see the other T-62 explode but he heard and felt it and he could imagine the carnage it caused as the jet of molten copper burned through the thick steel armour and then cooked off the stowed ammunition, blowing the tank apart from the inside.
"That was for Lind" he said and then glanced down at the floor of the tank where he could still hear the Driver screaming. "Oh, shut up!" he said, kicking over a few shells and filling the inside of the tank with cordite before clambering out and lighting a flare. "And this is for her too!" With that he dropped the flare and jumped, as the burning brand dropped into the explosive mixture, blowing the tank apart and sending him flying. He landed in a heap and groaned before raising himself up on his elbows. And then a hand came down to help him up. He looked up and saw the grim face of the Lind, soot stained and bloody but very obviously alive.
"A bit dramatic wasn't it Jupiter?" she asked, pulling him to his feet. Jupiter shrugged.
"Perhaps". He licked two fingers and pinched out the tinny flame that was glowing at the tip of Lind's long bang. "And now, we've got even more fun". They both turned to see a second tank squad, again four tanks; all T-62s. "Ready?" he asked. Lind shrugged and pulled out Mjolnir.
"As I'll ever be". And they prepared to attack. They didn't know where the convoy was and they knew they had a mission to complete but for now, they had a new objective. But before they could move, a building to the left of the Jötunn column suddenly crumbled and a fifth tank punched through, ramming one of the Soviet made vehicles hard and flipping it over. It then fired its main gun and put a shell into the upturned vehicle's unarmoured underside, tearing it apart.
"IT'S A FRIENDLY! IT'S A FRIENDLY! THANK YOU JESUS!" Jago shouted as Jupiter vanished. Lind stood beside him, grinned and nodded as Street-fighter tore into the Jötunn armour. They were back in action.
8888
"DID YOU SEE THAT?! DID YOU SEE IT?!" the Diver demanded as the T-62 shells bounced off the front of the Challenger's armour.
"Cheeky sods!" the Operator said in agreement.
"Cut the chatter!" the Commander barked. "Gunner, CHARM shell! Engage at will!"
"Roger!" The Gunner slewed the turret to the left, angling on the nearest tank.
"CHARM up!" the Operator barked, ramming the depleted uranium sabot into the breach of the gun.
"FIRE!"
"On the way!" The gun thumped back, rocking the vehicle almost playfully, a far cry from the rough treatment dealt by the T-62s on their crew. The breach snapped open once more and the Operator slid the next fifty pound shell into place.
"CHARM up!"
"FIRE!"
"On the way!" The second tank exploded, torn apart by the super dense dart that was CHARM 3 and at that moment, the LAVs came rumbling through, their chain-guns pulsing. Against a T-62 at long range and in proper hands, an LAV was a sitting duck, being much less heavily armoured and heavily out-gunned. But up close, the 25mm armour piercing, high explosives easily cut through the tank's side armour, blowing it apart from the inside. And behind them came the five remaining Humvees, dented and bullet scared as they were. Jeiko leapt from the lead vehicle, landing as it rolled to halt, its machinegun blazing.
"Lind! Jago! Thank god! I thought we had lost you!" The two glanced at each other and winked, both knowing exactly what to say.
"Us? Nah! We had our fingers crossed!"
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"Just hold still a little longer" Damascus said, running her hands across Lind's wrist and letting her magic do its job. With a final sigh, she released her hand and Lind popped her wrist back into place after removing her knife-splint. "How's that?" Lind rolled her hand a few times, getting some feeling back into her hand. And then she summoned her halberd, catching it in her hand and spinning it around herself a few times, then tossing it in the air and catching it.
"It's good" she said. "Thanks". Damascus nodded and then the pair turned to face Jago as he approached. "So what's the plan?"
"We're moving out again" Jago said. "It's only about a mile to the palace so we're leaving the vehicles here and advancing on foot. Not all of us; about half. The vehicles and rest of the infantry will stay here and evacuate the wounded, waiting for us to get back. So, you in?" Lind nodded.
"Of course". And with that, they set off. The Almighty One, the Paladin, the head of the Earth Spirit army, half a dozen Valkyries and Niflguard and twenty soldiers of the multi-national task force. Into battle against the final threat.
8888
On-board the UNS Africa, the Captain of the mobile sea base ground is teeth.
"What do you mean she won't use nukes? Doesn't the stupid woman understand what she's up against?"
"Sorry Sir" the communications officer said. "This… Almighty One… Captain Lind I believe she's called, is in charge overall. If she says that we're not to use nukes under any circumstances". The Captain shook his head in dismay and glanced out the window at the strike aircraft that was waiting on the runway for the take-off order as the heavy bombers rolled down the runway and into the air.
"Doesn't she understand how many men we're losing?" the Captain asked. "At least a dozen fighters and helicopters, to say nothing of the infantry!"
"She's apparently lost thousands of her people. There's no way we're going to be able to convince her that we're going to be able to change her mind on this". The Captain paused and thought hard for a second.
"Who are you talking to?" he demanded. "I thought this… Lind, was away on some mission?"
"It's Lady Valmeyar" the communications officer said. "Lind's mother". The Captain nodded and then held out his hand, silently asking for the radio. The officer took it and the Captain took it, clicking on.
"Valmeyar, this is Captain Wilder of the UNS Africa. I understand that you're in charge".
"That's correct Captain Wilder. At least until my daughter returns that is".
"Well is it true that a nuclear strike is out of the question?"
"Absolutely. No thermonuclear weapons are to be deployed!"
"I understand" the Captain said. "But you must understand that our losses are becoming too heavy to keep up this fight for much longer. So, I propose an alternative; the W79".
"What's that?" the Praetorian asked cautiously. And so the Captain told her. "WHAT!?" she demanded. "No way! If Lind says no nukes, then no nukes are to be deployed!"
"But it's not a nuke" the Captain said quietly. "It's not even an atomic bomb". The argument raged back and forth. Points were made. So were threats. But finally, Valmeyar agreed.
"Alright. We'll finish the evacuation and then you drop the bomb".
"You have one hour…"
*1 The Street-fighter upgrade basically adds ten tons of weight to the vehicle by strapping extra armour onto every surface, as well as a device that jams the detonation signals for IEDs and adds a remote-controlled weapon of choice to the commander's hatch.
*2 The idea behind the HESH round is that it hits a tank and then sends a shockwave through the hull, knocking a scab of metal off of the inside of the vehicle and turning the tank's own armour into shrapnel, killing the men inside. It also has a decent High Explosive charge and the shockwaves make it great at killing infantry in buildings.
*3 General Purpose Machine Gun
Authors Note: I have nothing that I particularly want to say. I say it often.