April , 2142.
Krasnogorsk Line, Moscow (Formerly), SF-Occupied Region
"What's the situation over there?"
"*static*-any! *static*"
"What?! Blyat, Kosgyn! Speak up!"
"TOO MANY!" the voice on the other end of the line screamed as an explosion cut him off, causing some static to interrupt the radio transmission.
"THERE'S TOO DAMN MANY! WE CAN'T HOLD THE DAMN LI-!" he shouted right before another explosion silenced him for good.
"Kosgyn! KOSGYN! CHYORT!" the officer yelled in frustration as he kicked the folding chair beside him. The holographic screen in front of him flickered as the building shook, thanks to shelling caused by the dreaded SF Jaguar Mk. VI mobile howitzers. The Krasnogorsk Line marked the furthest part of the Moscow front in the European Armed Forces' battle against the Sangvis - Ferri, and was also the closest part of the frontline to the Moscow city center, where the main hive mind control center for all enemy occupation forces was presumably located.
It was considered too precious to lose, yet too costly to hold.
The gun and cannon fire, mixed with the sound of CAS aircraft making strafing runs, was all that could be heard as more field officers started reporting in to the field commander about the deteriorating situation.
"SF forces are too much! We can't hold the line!"
"My C-Doll echelons are fucked! I'm getting out of here!"
"Nemeums! Pull up! Pull-! *static*"
A soldier barged into the room, catching the attention of the field commander who glared at him in irritation.
"WHAT!?"
"Komandir! They're breaking through! We need to evacuate now!"
"NYET! NYET!" he shouted in frustration as he slammed a hand on the communications console. "Tell everyone to hold. FUCKING. PUT! We cannot lose this foothold!"
"We're running out of munitions, komandir! There's no point anymore!"
"Are you questioning my orde-!?"
The sound of an explosion cut him off as well.
"...block...bullets...!"
It was so dark.
"Is... alive...?"
It was so painful.
"...ey...ee him!"
But he couldn't.
His hometown needed him, and he would see to it that the steel beasts would leave it for good.
He would not want this to be his time to go.
"...elp me...this out!"
Light blinded the field commander as a slab of concrete was pulled off him, thankfully not crushing him as other pieces of rubble kept from doing so. His disoriented vision could make out four figures huddled around him as the streaks of yellow tracers flew around.
"Oh...oh shit."
"Oh my...that's a nasty one."
The field commander struggled to breathe as he tried to handle the immense pain he was feeling everywhere.
"Errr...okay, uhhh...how do we do this?"
"We need to pull him off."
"What? Are you sure?"
"He's losing blood quickly. And if that stays any longer in him who knows what kind of infections'll happen."
"A-Alright, 12..."
"As you say…"
"16, 94. Lower body. Me and 15'll handle the upper torso."
"Hey hurry up! My repulsor can only take so much!"
He felt several people take hold of him on several parts of his torso.
"Bear with us, Saiga. Okay everyone, on three. One...two...three!"
"NNNNAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" the field commander screamed, feeling a long rod of warm steel scrape out of his chest.
"Oof! Alright, to the chopper now!"
The field commander dipped in and out of consciousness, with the only thing he could feel was the numbing pain that spread throughout his torso.
"Have I told you about my father? Rather, your grandfather?"
"No, papa. What about him?"
"He was a great man. He would walk among these beasts of steel, together with other great men. Risking their lives to protect our country from the heathens coming from the south and east."
"Wh-What? Really?"
"Yes. I was supposed to do so too, but I landed in the offices instead."
The old man laughed before taking a sip from a flask before muttering: "…probably for the best, haha."
"But where is he now?"
"I…do not know. All I know is that he called your babushka and me one day. Told us he was going on a mission for a while."
The old man's face suddenly turned solemn as he looked down.
"I never heard from him again."
He took another short sip from the flask and cleared his throat.
"Ah, but such is the fate of men that brave. When we were informed, your babushka took it well. At least, at first."
He sighed.
"She cried so hard for several nights. Never tried to show the message and that state of hers to me as best she could."
"H-How did you know?"
"I could hear her. In the room next door. She thought I was sleeping, I presume."
Some tears streamed down his face, before he rubbed them off with his hand.
"I hope, wherever he is, that he is at peace. Now, I'm not discouraging you from joining the Army, my boy. But please promise one thing."
"What?"
"Don't go before I do, eh?"
The old man chuckled as he patted you on the head. You sat there, confused at what he meant.
Somewhere…
"Oy blyat…" a voice muttered.
The field commander was starting to regain consciousness again. His vision, dark and blurry, let him make out the vague humanoid shapes looming over him.
"Will he be fine?"
"For now, at least. We have to pull him from the frontlines to recover fully, however."
"He's lucky the beam didn't punch through any organs, or else we'd have to cyborgize him or pull his brain out and put it in a Doll Frame."
"Damn it, Alexei. You stubborn bastard."
He could only see one humanoid now.
"You're a lucky svoloch! If that Rauser squad didn't come across you, you'd be a goner for sure."