Sorry for the delay guys, but here we are. The end just around the corner. The next one will be the last, so I hope you enjoyed this story and see you all in the final chapter.
Pina walked towards the EDF section of the city, only to be stopped by a couple of the guards.
"What is the meaning of this?" she asked staring at them.
"Sorry princess, but high command believed that it would be best for you not to go in," one of the guards said making her blink.
"And why is that?"
"I can explain," Risa said as she walked up. "You see Princess, the attack is going to begin in less then a week. So, to prepare, most of the soldiers are having a moment to themselves,"
"Prying?" Pina wondered.
"Praying, sex, marriage, other forms of entertainment," Risa listed causing a redness on the Princess's cheeks to grow and glow. "It's standard practice before a big engagement such as this,"
Pina shook her head. "Well, I'm looking for Bozes. Several of the guard said that she went in this direction. Have you seen her?"
Risa pressed something on the frame of her glasses. Light green text scrolled across the lens of her glasses before she nodded and hit the fame again.
"She's getting married," Risa smiled causing Pina's jaw to drop in shock. "To Davies,"
"Mm…MARRIED?" the Princess screamed in an unlady-like manor. "And she didn't tell me?"
"I think she didn't want her family to know that she was… carrying another life," Risa suggested which caused the princess to faint.
Risa caught her before the royal fell onto the floor and pulled her back up with a sigh. She took the royal over to her office and sat the princess down in a seat before she got back to work.
OOOOO 5 days later.
It took one month to plan, another to prepare, now they were only a few days before the genocide gun could activate. Overall, the plan was simple. A mass charge at the gun in order to get close and set down laser targeting modules. That would allow for a kinetic strike by multiple satellites to ensure that the weapon would be destroyed. But all of the Demon bugs had amassed around the area so a simple plan, turned into one gigantic operation involving all three branches. The EDF Army, Navy and Air Force would be used to get the modules to the gun.
There needed to be at least 10 modules at the gun in order for the strike to be accurate. The more the better to get passed the suppression field. Admiral John Geary gazed at the holographic map in front of him, trying to figure out the right bombardment strategy. His fleet was a little ramshackle, thanks to the fast deployment, but he managed to figure a few things out with what he had.
His wife, Tanya, began to shot out orders to the rest of the EDF fleet as they moved into their firing positions. No, a complete straight line, but more staggered to allow the maximum allowed elevation of their guns.
"Raise guns to 12.05 degrees," Geary ordered and the gun control operators responded.
"Railguns, 18-inch and 15-inch guns are ready," one of the gunners reported.
"Aircraft and infantry are ready to deploy," one of the deck operators said.
Geary nodded and looked to the holo map. A green light suddenly appeared and he wated no time in sending out the order. The battleship's main guns opened fired. A moment later, jets flew off the aircraft carriers before another volley fired. The rounds soared though the air and soon hit their target.
The Demon bugs that amassed around the genocide gun fighting each other for the scarps of food from their fellow brethren. Screeching echoed in the air causing them to look up before getting blown to bits thanks to the high explosive rounds. Craters and fox holes were created de to the blast of the weapons that carpeted the area. Jets and bombers soon flew overhead and dropped their payload onto the Demon bugs as well, creating more destruction around the gun.
Within a matter of minutes, the area around the gun was cratered so badly, it looked like the surface of the moon. Dead demon bug was everywhere, burned and blasted to pieces across a 10-mile area. This is what the EDF saw as they began to land. A legion of 100,000 strong assembled at a 12-mile distance from the blast zone as they made final preparations. Itami looked out as well before turning back to his group.
Silently he grabbed his rifle and fixed his bayonet onto the barrel. Others watched before doing the same, and silently the word passed around. By the time the army was ready, everyone had their fixed their bayonets. After half an hour for the final set up the force was ready and moved towards the gun as fast as they could. Tanks and mechs lad the vanguards as they entered the area of the main gun. No speeches, no words of comfort, just action. As soon as they did, more Demon bugs entered the fray by jumping up out of the ground ambushing the EDF forces.
Explosions and screams echoed as Itami and his team moved at their best speed. But one of the larger demon bugs through acid at them, forcing them to take cover in one of the foxholes. Gunfire echoed all around them as EDF soldiers targeted and took down the Demon bugs with ruthless efficiency. But not without cost. The sharp blades and acidic spit of the demon bugs made quick work of EDF troopers giving them no quarter as well. Arms, legs and heads were severed while others screamed from being melted by the acid spit.
The skies weren't that much different as well, as jet troopers got sliced and eaten by the bat like demon bugs that roamed the skies.
"Shit!" Itami muttered he felled a demon bug with his assault rifle.
Looking around at the carnage, memories could only flood back about what happened during the war. Mass death, slaughter. Friends, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, wives, husbands, aunts, uncles and cousins all dying around each other. Something he wanted to avoid, but it was there. Those memories, that hate, that anger came flooding back to him. A pained expression spread across his face and he noticed that the others were the same.
Dark expressions of death, fortitude, anger and pain echoed in their faces. Not one had anything less than sheer willpower to carry on. He turned to look at the geocide gun and took a deep breath. Wondering how to get there.
"ATTENTION EDF FORCES!" a voice then yelled though the radio. "NAVAL BOMBARDMENT INCOMING! DANGER CLOSE, I REPEAT DANGER CLOSE!"
"HEADS DOWN!" other voices followed and a moment later defining explosions sounded.
Demon bugs and some EDF soldiers, who weren't quick enough to get clear, were blasted into oblivion. After the blasts stopped, EDF soldiers pulled what was left of the bugs out of their foxholes as they looked around. Burned bodies and destroyed tanks scattered the battlefield. No one said anything as they broke into a run towards the geocide gun. But while the ground was clear of enemies, the skies weren't as the flying demon bugs fought for every inch of the skies.
They couldn't get in close to the gun. So, it was up to the ground forces.
"PUSH ON!" someone yelled. "TO THE GUNS! EDF!"
"EDF! EDF! EDF!" the chanting roared as every single EDF soldier advanced towards the gun.
But as they got close the ground below them began to rumble forcing them to stop. Cracks soon formed before them forcing the army to back up as several tentacles emerged from the ground followed by a chitinous like body and face. It roared with a massive shockwave sending people to the ground. The tentacles then came down and crushed people who got in its way.
The order didn't need to be sent as people fall back to try and keep a distance from the beast. A barrage from the naval guns didn't do too much as it used its tentacles to crush those who stood in its way. Soldiers fired what they could, but between moving out of the way of tentacles and avoiding more demon bugs, it wasn't easy. Rockets, bullets, railgun disks and mortar shells only angered the beast as more of the ground broke up underneath the EDF forces. Some fell though the cracks, others got crushed thanks to the tentacles. Order had broken down, but not one EDF soldier retreated.
Jets roared in the sound if the ears of EDF soldiers as two Kuratus Titian mechs landed before charging in. One got knocked to the side while the other used its plasma blade to cut one of the tentacles only to follow its brother as it was slapped to one side. Seeing an opening, EDF soldiers made a run for it. As they ran, the two titian-class mechs fought the tentacle monster slicing and dicing its appendages. But the sheer size of the beast prevented it from being killed with ease.
EDF mechs and soldiers took the odd pot shot at the kraken-like creature as they moved as fast as they could towards the gun. More and more demon bugs came out, but the momentum of the EDF couldn't be slowed or stopped this time. After 3 hours, the fist of the EDF soldiers made it to the genocide gun. Itami's group was one of them. All 8 of them activated and set down the laser designators along with their fellow squads. There were a lot of designators set down to the point that the ground looked like it was littered with the devices.
Now was the time to get to the minimum safe distance. There was no fear about the destruction of the laser designators, as they were camouflaged from the Demon bugs so that they wouldn't be able to see or detect it. The energy from the gun also masked them. So, there was no worry. As soon as the last of the EDF soldiers planed the last, it was a mad run towards the safe distance. Many of them dropped their guns and other gear to try and get away. It wasn't a standard practice; it was even frowned upon by the commanders.
But when it came to it, dropping what gear you could and survived meant you'd survive another day.
Weapons could be replaced, lives could not. If you had to, drop what you could and run. And that is what most of the EDF soldiers did as they ran though the blasted field of the Demon bugs main weapon. The HUD's of the solider showed that the kinetic strike could begin soon with no less than five kinetic satellites in orbit ready to unload their payload into the sight. But a problem began to show itself, time. The EDF didn't have time before they could reach the minimum safe distance.
That wasn't going to be an issue, however, as VTOLs, with jet trooper and gunship support came in to land getting whoever they could on board. As a rule, the EDF VTOL was designed to carry more then it's intended weight. It wasn't recommended, but it was part of the design philosophy of mass deployment.
As his team got on Itami and the others helped whoever they could get on. It wasn't long until the aircraft was full of EDF soldiers, minus some equipment. When no more space could be filled, the rest of the EDF were directed towards the other aircraft before they took off.
What felt like an age lasted a good 30 minutes, at that point the last of the aircraft took off clearing the area of friendly soldiers. The two kuratus titans had also left using their jets to fall back from the fight with the beast. With no friendly signatures in the area a total of 7 satellites let their payload fall to the planet. The resulting impact send shockwaves across the entire planet. But the location of the geocide un was no more. And for the first time, the EDF in the special region could relax.