"And it's about time for the next interview of our beloved Victor!" the Capitol news broadcaster chirps way too happily.
Seph growls as he punches the side of the plane. "Computer, shut that damn thing off!" he barks.
The rather primitive AI for the plane complies, shutting it down. "Broadcast terminated." flashes on the screen repeatedly. Seph sighs as he looks out the window, watching as the ocean gives way to land. The land being the former country of China and its many states and historic cities. His eye narrows as he ponders the coming fight.
He snorts as he remembers the reports on Panem's recent deployments to the region, including those horrid muttations they call weapons. His optic flickers as he looks down to see a convoy of ships pulling into an old port, the name of which escapes him at the moment. But disembarking the ships are not biological weapons like Panem. His forces are using something different. A smirk crosses his face as he watches the lead war machine exit onto the docks. One of the former warlords here has graciously given his support to the operation, mostly due to the fact that Taiwan has had contact with him for months.
The aircraft banks to give Seph a full view of the base camp being established. Massive amounts of ordnance, weapons, parts, and even fuel are being stockpiled for dispersal to the designated storage sites, and vehicles are moving to the motor pools as men and women of all four nations mill around, getting things set up. His eye lands on the makeshift airfield for the cargo plane, and he notes that one of the cranes has been turned into a makeshift control tower.
The plane begins to descend and he takes his seat. "Time for the battle to begin..." he mutters.
(The scene shows a small flame before darkness snuffs it out. But a small ember burns...)
Hikari ga tsudzuku... ! (The ember is blown away, becoming one of many as the sun begins to rise beyond a war-torn town.)
Hikari ga tsudzuku... ! (The light from the sun overcomes the camera and it fills the screen before fading to show the skyline of Sydney and the name of the series.)
Yami ga sono tochi o shuchō suru kamo shirenai (The image flares before it shows two people trapped in a ruined structure in what was once Shanghai. They are both shaking and are wounded from shrapnel.)
Shikashi, kibō wa enjo no te o kasu (A pair of explosions rocks the area and they huddle and whimper before someone lifts the debris off the two of them. It is a group of Australian soldiers.)
Sekai ga kawaru to (The soldiers help the two children to their feet before one of them grabs a grenade and throws it at some bandits coming to pillage. The grenade explodes before the debris falls away, exposing the ruins of Europe, Marshal Sergei Kudryavtsev's image over the continent, King Lawrence III opposing him over Europe as well.)
Furui risō wa moe tsudzukeru (The scene is engulfed in a bright flash as it shows Korean soldiers storming through city ruins in what was once Seoul, South Korea, carrying Panemian weaponry as rebels fight back desperately. Above them is Ahn Sun Pok, her face twisted into a sneer as she holds her hands upwards, as if mocking the world's helplessness. Behind her is the Panemian Vice President while President Kane is off to the side, gazing at the sky.)
Kieru hikarinonakade (With a wave of her hand, she commands the forces to open fire on rebel positions. Missiles rain down, the black smoke engulfing the area before it is blown aside by a hoverplane.)
Kurayami ga hirogaru ni tsurete (The hoverplane is painted in Arabian colors, and on top of the imposing palace is Muthasim V, the sultan. He looks back as it fades to a map, showing the Egyptian Union breaking away from them. But then it shows the country turning a bluish green as it fades to show a new figure in the shadows.)
Watashitachi no kibō wa tsudzukudeshou (The figure holds up its right arm before it lunges out, coming into the light to reveal Seph Matthews as he swings his beam saber mounted onto his right arm, cutting through a bandit before spinning and cleaving another's gun in two, following up with a left hook leaving him dazed. He turns, his left optics lens flaring red as it engulfs the screen.)
Watashitachi ga mada ikite iru kagiri (The light fades to show three other members, all of them gathered around in front of the Meldney Complex. To the left is Japanese Empress Yuki Minaguma. To the right is Filipino President Gueo Largina. And in the middle is Taiwanese President Chae Yang Un. Behind them the flag of the Australian Confederation flutters before the camera zooms in on it, only for it to fall away.)
Un, hikari ga tsudzuku! (The image of Sydney is revealed, above it Seph and his fellow leaders side by side with the sun behind them, the Australian Confederation flag above them all as the series name appears below them.)
Chapter 9: Reasons to Live
Location: Ningbo, China
Time: 1400 hours
Date: Monday, 5 June, 0139 AF (2158 AD)
The port is busy as ships continue to offload people and machinery.
Seph stands off to the side, his arms folded as he watches the scene with a grim expression on his face. His people are working double time to finish preparing for the operation, and his teeth bare themselves as he remembers the Panemian ships pulling in and offloading their hideous muttations and the people required for caretaking.
A tap on his shoulder catches his attention and he turns to face one of his soldiers as she approaches. Sergeant Noemi Strand is serious as she runs a hand through her grey-green hair and her deep purple eyes hold an expression of disgust in them as she salutes. "Sir!"
Seph returns the salute. "At ease, soldier."
Strand drops her salute and shifts before she pulls out a small data tablet. "We got the full armaments for our 'allies' listed, sir. And I have to admit, seeing those horrid abominations makes me sick to my stomach," she says.
The President nods. "I know just how you feel, mate," he replies. "But right now we got a mission to do, and as much as I hate to admit it, this is the only way to gain that much territory." He snorts. "They think we're neoliberal pigs, but they're wrong about us. We did what we had to do in order to keep those resources safe from their gluttony."
"Those idiots getting on your nerves?" the soldier asks.
Seph is silent, but the way his optic flares indicates his anger. "More than you know..." he mutters to himself.
A loud thundering footstep catches their attention and both the President and sergeant whirl to face the source of the footstep, and a smirk crosses Seph's grizzled features. "But those blokes have got nothing on this," he remarks.
"Especially as we're going one step forward into the future," Seph continues as he watches the machine head into the middle of a group of them standing in a row.
"You sure though, sir? I mean... we're saving these for something important, right?" Sergeant Strand asks nervously.
"Mate, I can get where you're coming from, but truthfully we'll be needing them sooner than we thought," Seph murmurs. "Especially given the kind of artillery Wei possesses."
His teeth grit as he shifts his weight. "As well as show Panem what we can do with real science... Not this... unethical... stuff they call science."
Strand shudders at the memories of the muttations she has seen. "Right..."
Seph finally turns and walks back to the main command center, which is really just a bombed out shell of a former building. He doesn't even care what function the building served initially before the Apocalypse War, but as long as it still stands, it's a place for a command center. He spots the desk in what was once the main entrance hall piled up with images and photographs of the surrounding area. His eye picks out the topmost image. He grabs it and sits down on the metal chair behind the makeshift desk, setting his commset down beside it.
His optic whirs a bit as he sees that it shows the Panemian sector, mostly with their nice, clean and supposedly modern vehicles, along with the muttation storage units in back of them. He can see several of the muttations in question being led into the units, and he grimaces. One of them is clearly an African elephant that's been genetically tampered with to spit venom at its adversaries and to possess a hide that is close to impenetrable. He's seen that one in action before during one of the Hunger Games post-Revolution. He also sees what appears to be a Bengal tiger laced with porcupine spikes across its back and its eyes are like those of a snake. He's heard of this one, but never seen it in action. His gaze shifts back towards a humanoid mutt that has large legs and arms like a gorilla, but has the teeth of a shark and the tail of a scorpion. He remembers seeing that one during the last two Games prior to the 95th Games. That one was the worst, he remembers, as it also has the ability to mimic human voices perfectly.
He tosses it aside into another pile and grabs the next one, starting to take stock of the enemy's munitions.
Seph scans through the images, his gaze taking in the old artillery trucks and tanks. They may have been outdated, but the fact that they still are capable of dealing damage to the Panemians and Koreans alike is testament to the engineering of Before the Fall. He scowls as he sets it aside and picks up a report.
"Hm. So Wei's got some old fighter jets as well..." he muses.
He sets the report down and narrows his eye as he ponders his next move. He knows he could send his forces out ahead of time, but then that would put their plans in jeopardy. They can't afford that at this stage of the game. Not when everything is on the line, and precariously close to a fourth world war.
His commset beeps a few minutes later, and he grasps it. "What is it?" he asks.
"Sir, it's Ping Zhang," the speaker says. Seph's eye widens as he recognizes the name of the 1st Armored Division's commanding officer. From what he recalls, the division is stationed close to the Panemian sector of the front, with Korean forces off to the left. "The blokes are getting those horrid mutts ready for deployment."
Seph nods. "Thanks for the report. What about the Koreans? Any report on their assets?" he asks.
The screen on the commset flickers before coming online, revealing a battle-scarred sixty-five year old man of Chinese descent with shocking yellow eyes and a thatch of greying blonde hair. His right side is scarred with a series of burn marks from a fight several decades back during an incursion with Chinese warlords, and he has a thick mustache on his upper lip. His uniform is a bit of a mess, but some effort has been taken to clean it up a bit.
"Aside from their tanks and artillery trucks, nothing real special, although their firearms and ammo are Panemian in origin," Zhang notes. "But that's just standard for them. No mutts or mecha."
Seph nods and purses his lips. "Anything else?"
"Nothing else that bars reporting, sir," Zhang says as he salutes. "We're awaiting the deployment of the 2nd Mobile Armored Division now."
"They'll be deployed soon. Right now we need to get an idea of the land as well as the layout of the enemy's positions," Seph says seriously. "And as much as I hate to say it, we'll need to get in contact with our so-called 'allies' to confirm the reports from our scout units."
The old general nods. "Affirmative. We'll be waiting." He cuts the line and Seph leans back in the seat, gazing out at the old harbor and the ships of the Australian Navy.
"Wei Feng... Hmm..." He pauses and tents his fingers. "We'll just see how much of a bloody bastard you are... if at all..." Seph mutters.
The hours pass and Seph finally gets a call from one of his officers. "Sir, it's time. We're preparing to move out," he says. "We just need the word."
The President nods, grasping the commset in his hand. "Right. You have permission to roll out. Expect the 2nd Mobile Armored Division to be arriving in a few hours."
"Understood, sir!" The line goes dead and Seph turns back towards the base, where the new mobile suits are standing by. The machines, dubbed GMs for short by the soldiers and pilots alike, are getting ready to move out. His eye narrows as he watches the first of the new machines start to move, its huge frame moving with somewhat of a graceful motion through the destroyed buildings and surrounding debris.
The other units follow along behind the leading GM.
And as Seph watches, a smirk crosses his face.
Panem is in for a shocker, big time.
Location: Shanghai Ruins
Time: 1600 hours
Date: Monday, 5 June, 2158 AD (0139 AF)
The old building is a mess.
Vines and brush are starting to creep over the remains of what was once a glorious culture, some of the other old structures sinking beneath their own weight. He has to admit, it's not as bad as some other countries, but it still is bad.
His eye is fixed on the monitors showing his forces milling around, trying to prepare for the coming invasion forces. The most troublesome are going to be the Panemians, he muses, given their muttations. The Koreans are nothing too special, but the most unexpected newcomers are of the Australian Confederation, one of those so-called democracies that are trying to supposedly heal the divisions of the world. He snorts at the rhetoric.
Fifty-two years of age and well built, Wei Feng is a former Korean soldier gone rogue. His hair is greying and his eyes are a keen brown color. His uniform is now older and tattered, but he still wears his commendations on his chest, a mark of his skill in the military before being dishonorably discharged for his so-called lack of enthusiasm for killing rebels. He is not that kind of a man, and he only seeks to bring back the old Korean monarchy. But one thing that he does despise, surprisingly, is the Hunger Games, although the idea of having criminals kill one another for sport is far different than having children do it. That part makes him sick.
He snorts a bit as he spies the Australian forces on the edge of his territory. His one good eye, the one not covered by an eye patch, gleams as he looks over their impressive array of tanks and vehicles. Some of them are based on the old tanks from before the Apocalypse; if he didn't know any better, he'd say they were those exact tanks. But the armaments are far different, and some of them even look to be a bit bulkier than the older models. A column of rocket trucks is moving into position for deployment, and a group of Marines is lingering close by to keep an eye on things.
"So, you're preparing now, hm?" he muses. "Well, let's see just how clever and determined you really are..." he mutters to himself.
Wei sneers as he turns away and stands, preparing to address and makes his way down to his own troops as they work on getting things ready for the coming battle.
He makes his way through the old hallways, wandering past men as they scurry to and fro like ants in an anthill. His presence may not be much in terms of height and muscle, but his sheer ruthlessness and brutality more than make up for it. He is known to all as the Ripper, because he tends to rip out his enemies' entrails and leave them to die. But all agree he is a menace to be taken care of.
As he walks past the prison block, he peers inside at the men and women held captive in subhuman conditions. Or at least in comparison to the Old Days. In this new age, it is all about just having shelter over one's head. Luxuries are for the weak. Strong people survive in subhuman conditions and learn to endure and live. Not indulge.
His gaze locks onto one of the women before he purrs lustfully. She recoils in horror and he chuckles as he continues on. He passes by an aide who scurries up to him. "Sir, we have information regarding the invaders," he says. "It's from our scouts."
"What is it, Peng?" he asks the smaller man.
Peng Zhou shifts before handing him a report. "They're getting ready to mobilize, sir. They have their tanks and muttations on station, although one of the scouts reports that the Australians are hiding something big behind their front lines. They cannot deduce what it is, though; just that it's huge and seems to be capable of walking."
Wei frowns. "So, they have some kind of new weapon, hm? Well, no matter. Whatever they possess will be hard pressed to breach our defenses. Even those muttations cannot break them down."
Zhou nods nervously. "As you say, sir."
The ex-Korean general is silent for a moment. "Tell me, Zhou. What is it you think those fools have?" he asks suddenly.
"Why do you wish to know, sir?" the aide inquires.
"Because if I know, then I can prepare accordingly," Wei explains. "So, let me ask you again. What is it you think those fools have?"
Zhou fidgets before he clears his throat. "Well, sir, based on the limited reports, I can only guess as to what it is. But I am guessing that it is some kind of humanoid weapon that has been built for laying siege to their enemies. I cannot say anything more based on the information we have," he says.
Wei is silent before he stops walking. "I see. Well then... they'll be in for a big surprise..." he mutters, a sadistic grin crossing his scarred face.
The men make their way down to the front, which takes a full hour and fifteen minutes. By the time they get there, the fighting is already in full swing. He can see the fighting forces of his men leading the charge, using suicide bombers and heavy artillery trucks. The rockets are shrieking as they fly overhead, slamming into what forces Panem and the Koreans have put ashore. The real trouble though is coming from the Confederation, whose units are fighting with absolute ferocity, taking every building in brutal hand-to-hand combat, using old slugthrowers and modern beam weapons in conjunction with one another. Tanks are following behind the foot soldiers, and further east the large muttations of Panem continue to lead the charge.
He sneers as he watches the elephant muttations struggle to breach the defenses, some of which can stop a tank cold in its tracks. "Fools don't even get it," he mutters. "Those defenses can stop a tank."
Zhou chuckles as the first of the muttations falls to a chemical gas weapon his troops salvaged from an old Chinese bunker. "Your decision to use the weapon from before the Apocalypse has proven sound, sir," he says.
Wei nods with a content smile. "Yes. But..."
His voice trails off as he frowns at hearing what sounds like distant thunder, but not. "It seems the Australians are making their move," he muses.
The first thing he thinks of is one of those old clunkers of a mech that the 'Japanese' first developed during the recovery years following the Apocalypse. While old and loud, the machines have proven to be an asset in battles near the borders. He expects to see a mecha that is old and rusted, barely able to function without massive power cables or diesel stacks on its back, and a standard robot head from one of those old 1950s era comic books, carrying a large war axe on its left servo and a large manipulator claw on the right, large blocky legs and feet.
What he does not expect is to see a barrage of rifle shells blasting past one of his artillery trucks, an ancient Type-83 variant of the old Chinese Type-81 self propelled multi rocket launcher. The shells slam into the ground and explosions rock the battlefield, some of them even flipping over one of his salvaged and refurbished Type-88s. He is shocked as he looks back, only to hear what sounds like turbines. His gaze shoots back to the front, and he gapes in shock as what appears to be a mechanical man emerges from behind a building. Only as it gets closer he can see it is not a mechanical man, but a mecha unlike anything he has seen.
The source is a large machine, humanoid in build and standing at a full 18 meters in height, with grey and dark grey colored armor to better blend in with the surroundings. The head has a tinted glass covering to conceal and protect the main cameras which serve as the optics for the unit. The manipulators at the end of the arms have been built and based off of a human hand, allowing for greater dexterity than with just three large manipulator claws. In these hands rest proper mecha-sized rifles and shields, with a few even carrying rocket launchers salvaged from old warships in the port docks. The machines in question also have twin 60mm Vulcan cannons on the sides of the helm, and possess a jetpack to grant them limited flight capabilities.
This is the new General MEChanized Heavy Artillery Unit, or G-Mecha, dubbed GM for short.
"Oh... shit...!" he rasps. "What in the name of Mao Zedong is that?!"
Within the cockpit of the lead GM, Major Heng Bai grins widely.
"Oh, hell yeah!" he cheers as he brings the rifle to bear on the closest artillery truck. "Now this is the future of warfare!"
He clenches a hand on one of the throttles, pressing in the keys for the firing command. "Eat this, you bastard!" Bai cries as he feels the recoil rattle the cockpit. The twenty-seven year old is grinning like a loon as he presses down on the pedals, gunning it at the same time with the throttles. The roar of his machine's turbines fills his hearing briefly as his machine leaps up, avoiding the rockets and slamming both feet into the truck, crushing it as easily as a bug. He looks up through the monitors, and he notes the shell holes left by his rifle in the buildings; one of them is aflame, so he must've hit a storage facility or something of that nature.
Beside him his main monitor depicts a unit of Panemian muttations and their handlers; it's the Bengal tiger mutts, he notices. His youthful face is marred by a frown as he watches them chow down on a bunch of soldiers of Wei's.
He grimaces as one of the mutts tears out a soldier's intestines, then starts to eat and tear into his stomach. He turns his gaze away from the sight and back to the fighting around him. One of the older tanks is bringing its cannon to bear on his GM, and he snorts. "Think that's the best you blokes got?!" he shouts, squeezing the trigger for the head Vulcans. The bullets rattle as they streak out, striking the ground and tank. The tank's armor stands up to the barrage, and Bai grits his teeth. "Dammit...!" he mutters. He tries again, but the tank guns its engine and speeds out of the way, forcing him to pivot his machine around to keep the tank in his sights.
Bai's red eyes narrow beneath his pilot helmet as he watches the tank before he pulls the trigger for the rifle again. The shell exits the barrel and strikes the tank's left tread. He smirks and is about to fire again, but then a loud explosion rocks him and his monitors are flooded with smoke and red flames from the explosive shell. He screams as his machine slams back against the ground, the cockpit rattling and shaking from the impact. He grits his teeth and looks up to see the cloudy, soot-ridden sky on his monitors.
The soldier grunts as he manages to get his GM back onto its feet, though not without some effort. He snarls as he looks up, his eyes taking on a crimson glow in the light of his screens. "Think that was a good attack?! That was just a cheap shot!" he growls. Bai stands his machine up straight and hefts his rifle before he looks around for the one who attacked him. His gaze searches left and right before his radar beeps and he looks to the screen on his console. The radar is beeping, and he can see that the attacker turns out to be a tank. One that looks like it's been cobbled together from remnants of older models.
He hisses through his teeth before he aims the rifle and squeezes the fire switch not even a second later. The shells fly, and he feels the cockpit rattling with the recoil. He braces against it, also bracing his machine's legs against the recoil of the rifle. The tank he's firing at takes the shells with no trouble, making Bai wonder if it has thick armor. (At the slow rate it's moving though, that's an obvious yes.) Luckily his GM is much faster.
The Chinese-Australian man grips the controls and presses down, slowly making walking motions with his feet on the pedals and the computer translates that into the movement of the legs. The GM breaks into a slow walk, then a jog, and then a run as he watches the tank fire at him. A quick jerk of his controls and the GM darts to the right as the gun expels its shell. The explosion as it hits the ground nearly knocks his machine off balance, but he recovers swiftly and regains control. The tank pivots its gun, but Bai is not about to sit still and get hit. He weaves to the left, then crouches and with a feather touch on the thrusters, leaps up and brings his machine's leg up for a drop kick. He delivers the blow to the tank's turret, crumpling it and crushing it with the sheer mass of his machine's leg. He springs off the devastated tank and lands further away as the tank explodes from the force of the impact.
He hears chattering and cheers over the comms and he stands his GM up straight. He turns to look at the Confederation forces and smirks a bit as they cheer.
Off to the side though, he can see Korean and Panemian soldiers staring in shock.
He can't help it. He feels a bit smug as he triggers the external speakers. "So, you blokes got anything to say?" he asks.
They don't answer. He shrugs and turns back to the fighting at hand. Around him he can pick up the IFF codes of the other GMs of his unit, and he grins. "All right then... time to end this!"
Location: Shanghai Ruins - Panemian Expeditionary Force Sector
Time: 1730 hours
Date: Monday, 5 June, 0095 ADD (2158 AD)
To say that they are shocked is an understatement.
For Expeditionary Force Commander Atilius Langstrum, this is akin to a hydrogen bomb exploding in his mind.
"Those fools...!" he snarls, his grey eyes hardening into shards of stone. "They've been holding back on us!"
The fifty-year-old Peacekeeper is a hardened veteran of many conflicts, his greatest achievement being in the pacification of District Seven when he launched napalm raids on their forests during the Rebellion. He has earned his rank and his title with merit and cold rational tactics and strategies. But to see this is totally unexpected for him, as he has seen much during his time in service with the Peacekeeper garrisons.
He takes in the sight of the mecha attacking the tanks and artillery units of Wei's men, taking only minor damage, except for when they gang up on these things, he notes with a strict gaze. The machines can take a pounding and just get right back up, resuming the offensive and allowing for their smaller compatriots to swarm inside to take the buildings by sheer determination and force. He knows of how hard the 'Confederation's' forces can fight, but to see it is a whole other story.
The mutt divisions, on the other hand, are not doing so well.
The Thorny-Elephants are failing to breach the tank defenses and the Bengal Scorpios are unable to get past the first line of soldiers. The only ones that are even having any signs of success are the Gorillazos, and even then it's limited.
The Koreans are doing better, relying on their experience and better artillery to breach the defenses of the lines in their sector. The Panemian weapons and ammunition are proving to be superior to the enemy, and even the 'Confederation' is having trouble at times.
And to him, this is an insult. The Confederation is getting past their lines, using their new 'mecha' to their advantage to overwhelm Wei's men and artillery. The very fact though that even the state-of-the-art muttations developed by the military are unable to do much damage is a serious blow. Panem's military is always supposed to be one step ahead of everyone! This is an insult in every sense of the word! No one is better than Panem! Certainly not a bunch of neoliberal fools who cling to old archaic ideals like 'democracy'!
And yet here they are, doing the impossible whereas his units are failing.
He snarls and grips his machine gun, aiming at a nearby soldier for Wei and firing a second-long burst that kills the man.
"Damn them!" he mutters. "No one one-ups Panem like that!"
He will have to report this to his superiors for sure once this mission is done and over with.
The commander turns and barks out an order over the communications line. "All units, prepare to try and rush the left flank! Do not let any of Wei's forces get close to our camp!"
"Yes, sir!" his forces cry enthusiastically. He gets into his command vehicle and the driver guns the engine, pushing the vehicle to its limits as the tanks of Panem start to swarm across the destroyed city's remains. Peacekeepers lead the charge, weaving and dodging as Wei's troops on this sector open fire. Behind him he can hear the ships firing their own shells right for the enemy positions, and above a hovercraft speeds past, dropping a bomb into the middle of a cluster of old vehicles from before the Apocalypse.
Atilius grins beneath his helmet as he holds his rifle high in the air. "PANEM TODAY!"
"PANEM TOMORROW!" his soldiers cry.
"PANEM FOREVER!" they all scream as one.
Their nation's motto boosts their morale, and the soldiers go back on the offensive, their firepower starting to tell against the enemy.
Or it would've, if not for their 'ally's' new weapon.
He thinks about his decision, then snorts. He may as well report it now, while it's on his mind.
The commander tunes the radio to a different frequency, and he hears a familiar voice over the radio. "What is it? And who is this?" the voice of General L. N. Parangosky asks. Her voice is clipped and sharp, carrying with it that distinct Capitolite inflection of the words.
"Madame General. This is Expeditionary Force Commander Atilius Langstrum," he says.
"Ah! Commander. How goes the mission?" the general asks.
"The mission goes well, madame. But... we have hit a bit of a snag," Atilius admits.
"What kind of snag? A snag is not what we of Panem desire for our military," the woman barks. "That goes against everything we have done and trained for."
"Believe me, I do not wish to admit it, but there is a snag. Well... more like two snags," he says. He glances back at the mecha now laying down suppressing fire for their organic comrades. "The first snag concerns our own military weapons."
"How can our weapons be a snag?" Parangosky asks rather calmly. The calmness sends a shudder down Atilius's spine.
"Our mutts are not performing to expected parameters," he admits. "The Thorny-Elephants are unable to breach the tank defenses. And they have been proven to be susceptible to poison gas, mostly from before the Apocalypse. The Bengal Scorpios are making work of the first line, but if they try to go beyond, they get mowed down by machine gunners. The Gorillazos are proving to be a more formidable force, but even they are being taken out, mostly by headshots from snipers positioned in the building ruins." He pauses. "The military is going to have a field day with the development teams."
Parangosky hums and he hears her fingernails drumming on her oaken desk. "I see. I will contact the President about this matter. This does not bode well for our reputation and power abroad."
"No, madame. It does not," the commander remarks.
"And what of the second snag?" the general inquires.
"The second snag concerns the Confederation," Atilius states as he watches the nearest mecha punch a hole in a building to clear out a machine gun nest.
Now Parangosky is intrigued. "Oh?"
"Yes. It appears they have a weapon that is vastly superior to ours. A machine that is far deadlier than our mutts. It is humanoid in shape, and stands at roughly seventeen, maybe eighteen, meters in height. There are no stacks on it like with prior models of their robot units, and it is capable of limited flight capabilities with a booster pack on the back. It is also capable of being armed with rifles and rocket launchers, and I suspect it has defensive equipment as well. For close combat capabilities, it may have beam swords, and it has 60mm cannons mounted on its helm." Atilius pauses before continuing. "I suspect it is also powered by a new kind of fuel supply. But what really is concerning is that these things can take damage and still keep fighting, although if there is a group of tanks or whatnot ganging up on them, then they can be taken out."
"..." The general is silent. "...I see... Well, it appears that we will have to consult with the President and the Confederation on this matter."
"What do you wish for me to do, madame?" the commander asks.
"Get video of these things and beam it back to us ASAP. I want our esteemed leader and Vice-President to be aware of this new development." The order is clear and concise. The fifty-year-old Peacekeeper salutes.
"As you command!"
The radio fizzles and goes dead as he turns back and grabs a small camera. He activates it and starts recording.
Location: Shanghai Ruins - Unified People's Democratic Republic of Korea Army Sector
Time: 1745 hours
Date: Monday, 5 June, 2158 AD (0139 AF)
To General Sang Jeong, this is the ultimate surprise.
Sure he's heard of and seen the mecha developed by the Confederation during the recovery years of the Apocalypse, but to see one that does not rely upon diesel fuel is something unheard of.
That, and these things are clearly more durable than the original models he has heard stories of.
The sixty-five-year-old general narrows his eyes as he watches them storm past the defenses of their front, taking out the tanks and artillery trucks before laying down suppressing fire for their smaller allies. He only wonders what else the Confederation has been hiding this whole time.
He ignores it though and continues to direct his troops like the chess master he is. His forces spread out, and some of the units break up to start sniffing out possible hiding places for Wei's men. The first scout unit radios back that they have a large cluster of men in hiding, and that they wish to surrender. He snorts and gives the order to kill.
Gunfire rages not even a moment later.
He only smirks. To think is to get distracted. To do gets results done. That is what the Regime has been teaching the people for nearly a century now, and he is grateful as it means his people have nothing to distract them with. He turns back to the map, taking note of how far the Australians and their forces have gotten. In comparison, he is second behind, and Panem is being held back. A snort of derision escapes him. "So much for their muttations..." he mutters under his breath.
The general perks up as he hears the radio chirp and he grabs it, bringing it online. "Yes, Supreme Leader?" he asks.
"Is the mission proceeding as planned?" Pok asks in her sweet voice, but the general knows she is far from sweet.
"Yes, Supreme Leader," he says with a bow towards the radio. "But out of all our 'allies' assembled for this mission, the Australians have taken the biggest lead. We are just second behind, and Panem has been held back. It appears that the Australians have deployed a new model of mecha for the occasion, and it is much more effective at clearing enemy lines than Panem's muttations," he explains.
"I see. Panem swore they were more advanced than those neoliberal pigs, and look at what has happened." Pok snorts. "I will be asking them how they could let this sort of thing happen."
"A wise decision, Supreme Leader," Jeong replies with the proper devotion. "Your timeless wisdom continues to guide us through the ages."
Pok's voice hums before she continues. "I expect you to keep me informed of new developments. And make sure those Australians do not go beyond the marked lines on the map."
"As you wish, Supreme Leader." Jeong salutes before he turns off the radio.
Now that he has that taken care of, he turns back to the map. His eyes narrow as he notes how close the Australians are getting to the point of boundaries. He has his orders.
He stands up and marches out to greet his soldiers.
Location: Shanghai Ruins - Australian Defense Force Sector
Time: 1835 hours
Date: Monday, 5 June, 0139 AF (2158 AD)
General Ping Zhang is serious as he watches the fighting raging from his command center in an old apartment complex lobby.
His eyes flick over to the monitor showing the mecha of the 2nd Mobile Armored Division making their way towards Wei's main base. He has to admit, the units have shown their potential in comparison to the older mecha models in use.
Mostly in how durable and sturdy they are.
He is interrupted when an aide bursts in. "Sir, we just got word! Wei's preparing to come out and fight!"
Zhang's lips curl upward. "So, the bloke's making his appearance, huh?" He looks the aide in the eyes. "Prepare to get my command tank ready! I'm going out there!"
"I'd advise against it, sir," the aide cautions. "Wei's going to no doubt have snipers around. Remember the last time someone tried it?"
The general pauses and grimaces. "Oh... Right." He ponders his next move. "Hmm... I got an idea..."
The aide hesitates. "Sir?" she asks. "What are you thinking?"
Zhang looks at the map displaying the fighting units. "If that bloke wants to fight... then we'll fight him. But on our terms." A smirk crosses his face as he looks at the aide. "Get the boys from our 3rd Infantry Battalion to head on over to his location and take up positions for battle. And also send a tank or two over. We'll be catching him off guard this time!"
The aide salutes and runs off to relay the orders.
Now that he's alone, Zhang sits back and folds his arms across his chest. He scowls as he sees the map switch to the Panemian sector of the front, showing their forces taking down a cluster of Wei's men. They're proving to be stubborn, he notes. The mutts however are proving to be ineffective, which makes him hum a little. He pities the ones who developed such monstrosities; no doubt they'll either be executed or Avoxed, he muses grimly. And he feels a slight pang of anger. No one deserves to have their tongues cut out...
A loud explosion catches his attention and he looks up at the monitors. The GMs of the 2nd Mobile Armored Division have been able to breach the last line of defenses, but one of them is missing an arm and its glass optical covering is shattered, exposing the sensitive optic cameras. The next GM to breach the defenses has vaulted over them, landing next to the other and takes up position behind one of the taller buildings. The machine crouches, and Zhang can't help but admire how flexible these things are compared to the older models of mecha. The GM holds its rifle at the ready before it leans out and fires at a cluster of men setting up a rocket launcher.
The rifle's rounds strike the ground close to the soldiers setting it up, but they don't stop. One soldier is killed in a brutal fashion; the others speed up loading the launcher and then they fire it. The rockets shriek as they leave the launcher, arcing towards the lines of the Confederation's sector. His teeth grit as he watches them incoming...
Only to be stopped cold by the anti-rocket batteries around the camp. The explosions fill the air, and Zhang's features are contorted into a sneer. "Nice try, mate!" he chuckles. "But we got a mission, and we're gonna complete it, whether you like it or not!"
And here's the next chapter, peeps! It appears that the Comfederation has sent out a new weapon to assist their forces in taking back territory from a rogue general, and Panem's mutts aren't doing so well. Plus, the've taken an interest in this new weapon... What will Seph do?
Find out next chapter~! ;D
Ja ne~!