Squad E - 32nd Armored Ranger Battalion
Fool's Memory
Flames roaring like thunder that could very well be called a sea of fire, waved at the Federation soldier that came rushing inside the Centurion battleship. There was fear evident in his eyes for aside from red there were only red flames in front of him and the anxiety crawling on his skin became worse at each passing moment.
He looked left and right, searching for something, or maybe someone that so dear to him than his life. If not for the deafening crackling of the flames, somebody close may hear him whisper, "I am no scaredy-Claude no more."
The Federation soldier was no one else but Captain Claude Wallace. There is none of his gentle look as he kept on yelling names, "Where are you?…Riley, where are you? Answer me."
He made a beeline toward the Forbidden Area where the A2 bomb is located and braved the flames that licked his arms and singed his hair. Inside, he found the blood-soaked body of an unconscious soldier in a grenadier uniform and in her arms was a little girl.
"Riley! Angie! I'm here."
He announced in hope that they will open their eyes but both remained unresponsive. He gathered his strength and rescued both from harms way. Claude may not be the strongest man but still a qualified ranger that experience hellish training and almost inhuman perseverance.
For the woman he loves and the valkyria that protected them, he endured the licks of fire. His persistence bore fruit and suddenly a familiar voice called to him.
"Claude! Give me Angie, let's go!"
"Um, thanks Miles, get in the Hafen quick. We need to get out of here." He asserted as the battleship swayed.
Creaking noise of metallic objects falling and crashing on the ground can be heard from inside which caused Miles to look in fear. He hastily poised Angie on his back without minding the words of Claude and run off as fast as he could.
Claude did not mind much and gently hoisted Riley again on his back. That soft butt of a beautiful maiden on his hands would've made his blood rushing to his head, not to mention her plentiful bosom pressed on his back, but all his focus was on escaping. He grunted and took step one after another with the hangar on sight.
Huff, huff, ugh!
Shuffle, shamble, shuffle
Loud steps of two shadows chased one another, Claude and Miles didn't stop until Hafen, their dependable tank, was before them. They stopped and took a large breather, furtively glanced at each other and hopped on the Hafen.
Huff, huff, ugh!
"I will see this through." Claude declared. He stepped into the Hafen and rested Riley inside. Miles brought Angie in and nodded at Captain Claude in an effort to rouse his determination too. But the darkness in the hangar was soon engulfed with white light as Hafen rolled outside.
Miles strained his neck to check his surroundings and aside from the tall ice mountain on the left side overlooking the once-majestic but now ruined capital Schwartzgrad, there was nothing else but frozen sea. Anxiety dug deeper in his skin and no longer hidden from his eyes as he wailed, "No - this can't be. Claude, we are going to die here."
Claude worried over Riley didn't notice it earlier but caught by Miles cries, he opened the hatch and saw how far off they were from solid ground that even Hafen will fail to jump over. From afar, he saw his friends, comrades and the rest of the Squad E on their knees as if begging for their lives.
"Miles, don't give up. There is always a chance for us." He shouted.
He felt the need to ignite their fighting spirit. "How many times have we managed to pull through? We can do this, we can't…give up."
Bump! Bump!
Miles banged his hand on Hafen, tear-stricken eyes gushing with hopelessness, his voice echoed inside the Hafen that anyone inside Centurion will hear him regardless.
"No! You don't understand Claude, yes - we did before but that is with the whole Squad E! Now, we are alone here - can you hear me? We are alone!"
Like lightning splitting tree asunder, it struck Claude that all his victories was fought with the combined strength of Squad E. Never was he alone, never did he gain all these achievements by his own effort, and realized the root of anxiety growing within him.
"You are right…I-no, we as Squad E completed our mission as a team…but now…!" He was suddenly at the brink of despair as his eyes fall on Riley. Inside the Hafen, Miles kept mumbling about their doom that only confused him more.
Hundred meters away from the sinking Centurion, the rest of Squad E stared in disbelief, horror and helplessness as they witnessed the scene unfolding before their eyes. Hafen have no way to escape and though most can swim, but not in a freezing cold water, not to mention Riley and Angie were unconscious already.
A red haired beauty in a commanding scout uniform expressed her disbelief at the sudden event.
"No! Damn it, Claude. You can't fall here. Think of something…Ronald get the Glory and try to shoot at the bridge maybe it will loosen and fall."
"Aye! Captain." Ronald Albee saluted and ran to his tank.
"Jester, Teresa, Vancey! I want the three of you to double-back to Lieutenant Brian Haddock and inform him of the situation."
"Yes, Ma'am" three salute came quick and departed.
"Curse that Claude! This isn't over…" another short-haired scout beside Minerva Victor blasted.
"Shut it, Christel. I want the rest of shocktrooper to secure the perimeter, we don't want rogue soldier taking advantage while we are pre-occupied." Many heard Christel Ward but everyone can't help but either grit their teeth or clenched their fist due to frustration. And with the command from Minerva, everyone decided to do what they can.
In accordance to their military book, Minerva doesn't have the authority to issue command but the chain was broken. Claude and Riley were both aboard the sinking Centurion, Raz was MIA, and Kai - when eyes fell on her, it was stricken with sympathy and sorrow.
A shadow took a few steps only to fell on her knees. "Please not them too…Raz, brother…help them!"
Kai, not, but Leena Schulen let go of her almost inseparable sniper rifle as her tears rolled down her pale face. Frozen tears fell on the snowy field but it didn't show sign of stopping.
She and the rest of their crew have fallen into hopelessness. They already lost a lot of people in this war and despite the ceasefire announced awhile ago ending the war, four more members of Squad E, three and one Valkyrian from Centurion, were in danger.
Suddenly, Aulard Abington raised his head, then looked behind him but only found the tall mountain ice overreaching the sky. His action did not go unnoticed and an unkempt old looking soldier asked, "What's wrong, kid?"
"Mr. Bentley, I- I can hear a tank…weird."
Surprised, Dan Bentley perched his ear then shook his head in disagreement, "All I hear is the Centurion trying to bury dear Captain with her and if no help come soon I fear… eh~ that's the sound of a tank."
VROOM! VRUUUM!
In a while, it became apparent that everyone with much better hearing heard an engine rumbling from someplace…high.
"I told you… I can recognize the sound of tank from a mile…oh, this is a heavy tank and its coming in hot - from up there!"
Aulard claimed, he was ecstatic regardless of the dampen mood, a true tank maniac.
"Hey, that is quite remarkable feat. As expected of my soulmates, but this sounds like an Imperial Heavy Tank." Klauz Walz nonchalantly provided like it didn't really matter at this point if he sounded friendly with Squad E. There were some glare from here and there, Crymaria Levin quickly identified one heavy stare from Minerva Victor and she piercingly glared at her too.
"Hey beauty loosen up, we're no longer at war." Then two beauty glared at him, "uh~eh heheh… a man shouldn't fight a losing battle"
Minerva and Crymaria continued to glare at him until they can almost only hear his quiet whispers.
Of course, Klauz knew the reason Minerva have this attitude, it wasn't just her actually, but all this happened because of war and they were fighting for their own reason. It also doesn't mean, he didn't lose any good men during the war. In fact, he lost a lot of great subordinates and most of them to Squad E but he didn't nurture a grudge as it was the fate of a soldier to die in a battlefield.
At this time, the rumbling of the engine tank was near that everyone knew it came from above, but only the tall ice mountain wall was there so it was unlikely from help. Minerva felt more insecure and ordered the men to became vigilant of their surroundings in case of ambush, hoping that the help from the Atlantic Federation they were waiting for is near.
On the runway of Centurion, the Hafen and its on-board members were at their wits end, and Miles Arbeck contiued to incessantly complain of their impending doom.
Claude shook his head and ignore his friend, focused on the woman in his arms. He lowered his head and placed a gentle lips on her forehead, "Riley…I promise you, you are not dying here."
"Miles! Hey, Miles!" Claude increased his volume to get his attention.
"C-Claude - this, this is the end, I know it!"
Claude finally snapped his patience, and his the epitome of calmness, "Shut up, listen - I am going back to the bridge and will try to lower the, eh ~ the wind…"
"Wind? You are going about your wind talk again…"
Looking up at the empty clear sky, Claude felt something coming, "shh~ that is…Miles, move back quickly!"
MIles did not deliberate at all, the urgency from Claude's voice was undeniable and his hands and feet moved before a big shadow swallowed the area before them.
Arg~ I'm still Invicible!BOOM!
There was a loud familiar voice but before anyone could recognize it, a crashing explosion resounded and rang to everyone's ears. It was as though a huge comet fell down, the Centurion shook, wobbled and sank further…then they felt it crash close to the shore or at least solidified part of the sea.
On the side, members of Squad E saw the large object free fall from above the wall of ice to the top of Centurion almost stomping the Hafen flat. But there was no denying the voice that came before it, most would've dismissed it but not Leena Schulen.
"That voice, its~RAAaaazzZ!" Leena sounded incoherent at first but reached the conclusion quickly, she wanted it to happen - this miracle.
Hafen quickly opened its hatch, the crew was rattled but Claude's mind cleared when he heard the voice of Leena. "Raz, is it really you?"
He quickly opened the hatch and saw the badly damaged heavy tank, thankfully it didn't flip over, but just staring at it was painful as it was hard to even think of what happened to the crew.
From the cockpit of the unknown tank that fell from the sky, a voice came out before the hatch opened slowly - "Yo! Told you I was invincible!"
A perfect greeting welcomed Claude and there atop the tank he saw, his shadow outlined by the brilliant sun, the big hero of the Federation and the reason Centurion was able to carry on its mission. It has only been a few hours since Raz was declared KIA but Leena adamantly refused to believe it, and now here was Raz, not in perfect shape, but most importantly alive.
"Raz, thank you for coming back," was all Claude could say at this point. He ignored the hot tears flowing from his eyes and ran to his friend after putting Riley safely down.
He prepared to give a bear hug but he was pushed back, "Woa! Stop Claude, I love you, man but not like that, I'd rather get this hug from Kai - uh, Leena."
Raz looked at the figures from afar and found what he needed, "Besides, it is time. Centurion can only endure so much. I can walk on my own, can you get Zaiga?"
In a while, Hafen drove out and jumped the tens of meters out of Centurion, landing with major damage on threads but Squad E celebrated nonetheless for not only Claude, Miles, Riley and Angie were safe, one of the biggest pillar of Squad E returned.
"I am back!"
"Yes, you idiot!"
Raz made a beeline to Leena and held her hand. He stumbled but his woman was already there to support him. So many words to say but she gave him a hug and tiptoed to seal their reunion with a kiss. That was enough for this big hero of the Federation and its worth more than any medals.
"We're invincible, right?"