Chapter 13

"Excerpt from INN Holobrief, March 12th, 2039. It was a sad day for many today as the last Mammoth Mark II Walker to enter active combat duty clanked its way out of GDI's San Pedro war factory and into history. With its twin rail guns, battlefield dominance, and unusual boxy profile, the Mk. II became an iconic symbol of freedom during the Second Tiberium War. Its discontinuation has been greeted by many with anger, notably Captain Nick "Havoc" Parker, retired war hero, popular conservative pundit, and noted proponent of the "Kane lives" theory.

"The Mark II was and continues to be one of our most powerful tools in the war against Nod fanaticism. This discontinuation is nothing but another disgusting example of GDI bureaucratic penny pinching and namby pamby 'can't we all just get along' liberalism... once again, GDI is playing right into Kane's hands."

With protests held at containment areas several miles away, the mood at the factory was more resigned than angry. Production of the controversial new four-tread all-terrain Mark III is scheduled to take place in far off Reykjavik, with many in San Pedro fearing for their jobs and the future of their community..." Intel Database: Discontinuation of the Mammoth MK. II Walker.

GDI Military Command

Pentagon, B-2

August 9th, 2047

0900

People walked down sunlit sidewalks, shopping and enjoying the summer day. Cars cluttered the streets, as people commuted to work. It was a nice and normal day in B-2, except for the husks of destroyed skyscrapers, and the streets still cluttered by ruined tanks and piles of debris. Predators and Slingshots were still positioned in key locations, and infantry remained in fortified positions. People tried to go about their normal lives, but the wounds were still very fresh. John sighed sorrowfully as the Pitbull drove him to the Pentagon, taking empty streets which were off limits to civilians. It would seem General Granger was still prepared for another attack.

In contrast to the image of soldiers and tanks still standing guard; the media was broadcasting twenty-four seven, showing images of great GDI victories and cities being rebuilt. Reporters were talking as if the war was already over. Whatever people said about Director Boyle, there was no denying he was great at handling the media and assuaging people's fears. But the reason for why John's recall was still a mystery, and he had a feeling it wasn't to flash his pretty face in front of some cameras.

"Sounds like we got those bastards on the run, eh sir?"

John turned to his driver with a confused look, before he realized she was referring to the radio. William Frank was talking about how Nod forces all across the globe seemed to be converging on Sarajevo.

"I hope so, Lieutenant." he dismissively replied.

John resumed glancing out the window, at the city so many men and women had died protecting. Mark Lancaster had once turned Sarajevo into a crater. John planned to remove it from the face of the Earth entirely.

… … …

John walked into the tactical operations room, expecting to have his meeting with Granger. Instead, he found Telfair, who instructed him to the General's office, with the caveat that the Acting-Director was there as well. It seemed Pompey and Caesar were at it again. John took a deep breath before he was ushered in by a guard, and immediately he walked into the middle of an argument.

"…I took an action which I thought to be correct." Granger finished saying.

"I understand, General. But I cannot- I will not be left out of the loop again." Boyle stated firmly.

In lieu of a response, Granger merely motioned his head in John's direction. Boyle turned around, a broad smile immediately appearing on his face as he greeted John.

"Commander Lancaster! So good to have you back, John. We all owe you a great debt for saving us."

Boyle took John's hand in his and shook it firmly.

"Thank you, sir. But it wasn't just me; many brave men and women sacrificed their lives to stop that missile." John said.

"Of course, and I will see they are lauded as heroes of GDI! But you have become the face of hope, and I will need you to continue inspiring hope in our people."

John couldn't help but smile at Boyle's praise, though he did note the sour expression Granger was giving the Director's back.

"You are probably wondering why we recalled you from the front." Boyle continued.

"Yes, sir." John replied, his hand finally freed from Boyle's.

"I have been giving a great deal of thought to our strategy in Sarajevo, and I believe our next move must be emphatic. Nothing short of the complete destruction of Temple Prime."

"That is out of the question." Granger interrupted. "We've already wasted too many assets trying to take down that goddamned temple."

"Fair enough, but I believe we have learned valuable tactical lessons from those losses."

"Our troops are spread thin. We can not afford more expensive lessons."

"But we can't afford to wait either. Kane must be stopped, and the people need a victory. Something the media can get behind and run with. Besides, I have the utmost confidence in our commander. I hope I have made myself clear."

"Yes, sir."

Boyle smiled and clasped John on the shoulder, before leaving the office. Granger let out a long sigh as he sat down at his desk. John remained standing, sensing the tension slowly ebbing from the room.

"This mission is ill-advised at best. But Boyle is insistent on it, and he has the people's support. But we need to do this smart, because Nod will be ready for us." Granger said.

"Sir, I must agree with the Director. We-"

"Acting-Director." Granger emphasized.

"Yes, sir. But we already have Kane on the ropes. He knows the Brotherhood can not fight a prolonged war. If we strike Sarajevo now, this war could be over, and after fifty years we can finally bring that man to justice." John said.

Granger sighed again as he picked up a model of a GDI Abrams tank. He stared at the model for awhile, clearly in thought as John simply stood there. John was about to argue further when the General finally spoke.

"I fear McNeil's influence has rubbed off on you. The man was a maverick, as I'm sure you remember, but he got the job done. Well…half done, since we're still dealing with that madman. Like I said, we need to play this smart. Go back to Egypt and gather your forces. I'll have Telfair work up a plan for you."

"Understood, sir."

"Dismissed, Commander."

John saluted sharply then left the office. He had barely gotten two steps before a woman in an elegant suit approached him.

"Commander Lancaster, I'm Natasha Yar, chief of security for the Director-General. Director Boyle had asked you to join him for a press conference."

"The man works quickly, doesn't he?"

"This way, sir."

Yar walked down the hall, brokering no argument. John shrugged and followed the woman, expecting a long day of conferences and press interviews ahead. At least in a media war, no one would try to shoot him. He hoped.

… … …

Croatia, Y-1

August 23rd, 2047

1450

AA guns spat out rounds at frightening speeds, creating an almost hellish roar. It was punctuated by the thwomping of over a dozen mortars, followed moments later by distant explosions. It had been going on for close to two hours, but to Burke, this was actually comforting. Before the AA guns and mortars had opened up, the GDI forces had been subjected to bombardment from Nod guns and bombing runs all morning. Burke and her squad had taken cover behind a downed Titan, and that was where they were now, even after the third Nod assault of the day had ended.

Things had seemed so simple when they left Egypt. Everyone was thrilled that the war could be over soon, and that they would be the ones to storm Sarajevo, much like their legendary namesakes. But first they had to do a milk run: establish a forward operating base in Croatia, and prepare for the main push. But then things went to shit real fast: their base had been ambushed from three separate directions, and which immediately cut them off from friendly forces. The Huron was then forced to land in the base itself – something they had never planned for – because Nod had quickly gained air superiority. And now, two days later, they were still being subjected to constant attacks by Nod forces, and they were barely holding out.

"Anyone have any ketchup?"

Burke shook her head as she was pulled from her day dreaming. She noticed West handing over a packet of ketchup to Haley, who applied it to his soy burger. The squad had taken the respite to try and relax and eat lunch. Burke doubted the GDI mortars were keeping Nod back, so she assumed they had sat down for lunch as well. She had already eaten her ration of mac and cheese, or what passed for it anyways. Yusseif was resting with his back to the Titan's cannon, enjoying an electric cigarette. Ramirez was standing against the shattered cabin of the Titan, watching through her weapon's scope. But she wasn't watching for any enemy; instead, she was watching the nearby cliff where occasionally some stupid Nod bastard would poke his head out and promptly get it blown off by snipers who lined the Huron's top deck.

"Fuck, that was clean. Noddie just had his head blown clear off." Ramirez chuckled.

"Snipers are earning their paychecks today." Burke mused.

"Say, Sergeant, you ever have real meat?" Haley asked.

"Hell no. You think I earn enough for that?" Burke shot back.

"Fuck, I wonder what it tastes like. Think the Commander has some onboard? Anyone up for a raid?"

"You want to raid the Huron and steal food from Commander Lancaster?" West asked incredulously.

"Well…yeah?"

"Haley, you are one stupid son of a bitch. But that is a new level of stupid." Burke said with a hint of amusement.

"Fuck, Sar'nt, I'm hungry." Haley grumbled.

The squad laughed, if only for a moment. It was important they didn't give in to their shitty situation, that they kept their morale up. But morale could only last for so long. They had already been under siege for two days, and still there was no word on reinforcements. And everyone knew Nod would be doing their final push soon.

Burke looked back towards the battered GDI base as she noticed Lieutenant Hamilton running towards them. He ducked down to join the squad behind the Titan, taking a moment to catch his breath.

"Everything alright, LT?" Burke asked.

"Just checking on everyone. How are you guys for ammo?"

"We could use more magazines, some grenades. Is Captain Ri going to give us that heavy weapons squad?"

"Sorry, Sergeant. No can do on the heavy weapons team; you guys are on your own. But I'll get someone over here with extra ammo."

Hamilton ran off to the next dug in GDI squad, leaving Burke to let off a string of curses. Yusseif sighed as he placed his E-cigarette in his pocket and moved over to stand by Burke. Together, they looked towards the ruined city GDI had passed through days ago. When they had arrived, it had been empty, but Nod had showed up right behind them and occupied the city, completing the Nod encirclement.

"How do you think the Commander will get us out of this one?" Yusseif asked.

"Lancaster is just a man; I try not to believe in the hype people give him. But I hope he has some amazing plan to pull out of his ass."

… … …

Colonel Athena Miles stood behind the Huron's chief engineer as he swore at the instrument panel in front of him. The Huron had taken damage during the hectic air battle yesterday, when Nod Shade fighters had deployed from a hidden airbase in the nearby cliffs. The Huron's anti air weapons and squadrons of Firehawks had been unable to fend them off, so the Huron had been forced to land. Since then, Commander Lancaster had the ship's crew working day and night to get it fixed.

"You fucking piece of shit! Work for fuck's sakes! Maybe you'd like it if I took a fucking sledgehammer and slammed it against your fucking face!"

"Chief Engineer Stromboli, its just a machine, it doesn't have a face." Athena chided him.

"Sorry, Colonel. But the damn engine pod took a direct hit. We've done everything we can inside, but there's something on the exterior bleeding power. I need to go outside."

"That's out of the question. Its too dangerous because of the enemy snipers."

"Then the left engine pod is dead and won't work. If the Commander wants the Huron to fly, we need to get outside. Don't know what good it would do anyways, with those fucking Shades still flying around." Stromboli muttered.

"Perhaps you should get some rest. Come back at it with fresh eyes." Athena suggested.

"Fine by me. But if Lancaster tries to bite my head off, then I'm blaming you, ma'am."

Before Athena could say anything else, Stromboli walked away, calling his team to go for break. Athena just sighed as she made her way back to the bridge. Engineering wasn't the only ones with hefty complaints. Everyone was stressed and tired from the harrowing battle. They had been so confident, high off their victory in Egypt, that it came as a crushing shock when Nod nearly defeated them so easily. It was only thanks to Commander Lancaster that they had survived, but now everyone felt that he had let them down, that he wouldn't be able to secure another victory like he had in Cairo or D.C.

To Athena, the smart thing would have been to order a retreat, push back through the city and reach friendly lines. But Lancaster had insisted they hold out, and now they were stuck without reinforcement. She worried that the pressure to end the war had gotten to him. Or was it the desire to prove he was better than his father and be a hero? No, she knew the Commander: he wasn't a glory seeker. So why was he risking the entire Division?

Athena pushed the doubts from her mind as she reached the bridge. Lancaster was hunched over the holo table, looking like he hadn't slept last night. And probably he hadn't. She walked over to him and discovered a truly surprising and disturbing sight.

"Synth coffee, sir?"

John looked over at the cup and just grumbled before asking, "How's engineering."

"Chief Stromboli says he needs to go outside. But its too risky. Told him to get some rest and come back with fresh eyes."

"No. Stromboli should be able to figure it out. Get him back to work so he can get my bird working."

"Sir… Commander, he needs rest. A lot of people do, we've been working-"

"We can rest, Colonel, when we don't have Nod forces bearing down on us!"

Athena stepped back at Lancaster's outburst. She recognized he was tired and stressed and so was she. But ever since the Commander came back from B-2 he seemed… different. She worried at what sort of influence Director Boyle was having on him.

"Sir, I understand the gravity of our situation, but our crew need rest and so do you. You did the impossible back in Cairo, but you can't expect to do the same again."

"I'm a Lancaster, it is required of us to do the impossible." Lancaster whispered, probably not realizing he said it out loud.

"Sir, with all due respect, that's bullshit."

Lancaster reeled back, probably because he noticed his mistake. He took on a hard edge but seemed to stop himself as he sighed.

"Perhaps you are right. Alright, let the Chief take a nap. But I can't rest, not with Nod bound to attack us at any moment." Lancaster conceded.

"Then at least stay off the synth coffee, sir." Athena stated firmly.

"Last I checked, I was in charge?" Lancaster asked with a smile.

"I'm just concerned for my commanding officer, sir." Athena replied with a hint of amusement.

"Commander! Incoming transmission from Lieutenant Telfair!" The Huron's comms officer abruptly shouted.

Both Lancaster and Athena marched over to the command chair, where Lancasternodded for the call to connect.

"Lieutenant, good to see you. I hope you have good news." Lancaster greeted.

"I do, Commander. I have a battalion from the 183rd Regiment currently on route to your position with AAPCs via the river. They also have several M300s with them." Telfair reported.

Athena felt some of the stress and anxiety fall away at the news. Not only were they getting additional ground troops to help relieve their own tired forces, but also MLRS support? It could be enough to push Nod back, or at least secure their position.

"What about the rest of the 183rd?"

"They will push up through the rear. But Nod has a firm grip on the surrounding territory. It may take them another full day to reach you. But that battalion will be there within two hours. They will be arriving here at this fjord where they will-"

The video call exploded into static, cutting Telfair off. Lancaster was barking at the comms officer when the video abruptly cleared up. Only it wasn't Telfair who greeted them.

"Commander Lancaster, you must be lost."

Athena stared at the smug face of Kane, anger burning through her as the bastard hacked their system just to gloat.

"This isn't your precious Blue Zone, this is Nod territory. Tell you what, I'll have my forces send you home. In a body bag."

The call ended just as quickly as it started. Athena glanced over to the Commander as he leapt into action.

"High alert! Everyone to their stations! Inform all units of imminent attack!" Lancaster ordered.

"Sir! What's going on?" Athena asked.

"Nod will be launching an attack now! We need to hold out until those reinforcements get here."

Athena didn't bother questioning his orders. She immediately began relaying instructions to the field commanders. The Huron's haggard crew surged to life, and outside, their forces readied themselves for the coming assault.

She hurried over to Lancaster at the holo table, watching as he frantically manipulated the settings to highlight the four major access points to the base: two to the south, where Nod infantry and light vehicles had attacked via the bridge to the city, and two to the north, where Nod heavy armour had hit from the hills. There was also the air base located atop the cliff, but they had no way of accessing it, and the Nod air attacks had ceased once the base's AA guns had came online. Four avenues to defend, and Lancaster only had tired and beaten forces to cover them. If those reinforcements didn't show up, this could very well be their last fight.

No! Athena would not give up, because she knew Lancaster wouldn't. She shook her head and focused on the map, trying to see if she could offer some advice.

"Sir. What if we move our Wolverines to the southern phase lines? We know Nod only can hit us with infantry and light vehicles. They would be better suited there." Athena offered.

"Good thinking, Colonel. We could also move that single Titan near the refinery. They would be able to provide our Predators better cover. Pull back a handful of rocket teams to deal with light vehicles." Lancaster thought aloud.

Athena wished they could simply deploy their heavier Mammoths and Juggernauts. But sadly, their more serious firepower was tied up in Zagreb, meaning they only had infantry and MBTs to rely on. Given their limited resources, Athena directed the snipers atop the Huron to focus to the south, where they would be better suited. Being atop the large OCV gave them an advantage, but it also made for a very large and very tempting target. Something she knew Lancaster was painfully aware of.

"Here they come." Lancaster muttered.

Athena looked at the holographic display, and noted the red images of Nod infantry and Scorpion tanks closing in. It was the largest force she had seen yet, indicating this was Nod's final gambit to destroy the 7th.

This was going to be on hell of a battle.

… … …

The Nod confessor collapsed to the ground, driving the squad he was leading into cover. Burke shifted to find another target, but cursed as the squad darted out again, only to move to safety behind an advancing Scorpion. She lingered long enough to see a shell fired by a Predator glance off the sloped armour, and for the Scorpion to retaliate with its own shell. Burke searched for more enemies to kill, and settled her cross hair on a Nod soldier unaware the rock he was using for cover didn't protect him from all angles.

"West! The fuck are you doing!?"

Burke slunk down into cover and looked over to Haley and West. Haley was red in the face as he was shouting at the kid, while West was desperately working to clear his rifle.

"Its jammed!" West cried.

"For fuck's sake!"

Burke just growled in annoyance as she returned to try and make up for the shortfall in firepower. She aimed down her sight just in time to see a Scorpion go up in smoke, but two more took its place. GDI might have the better tanks and crew, but Nod had the numbers. That was doubly apparent with their infantry: for every well trained confessor or general riflemen, there were also a dozen or more half-brained yellow zone hicks hopped up on combat stims there to support them.

"West, get your ass back on the line!" Burke roared.

"Fucking dumbass!" Haley unnecessarily added.

West frustratedly shoved the bolt, a second later Burke's squad was once again holding off the enemy from behind the downed Titan. But the Nod forces came in like a flood, and the infantry were pushing up from behind the tanks, getting closer and closer. Burke also noted more explosions going off behind her, indicating the GDI tanks were taking casualties, but she tried not to worry about it.

"All Baker callsigns! Romeo 66 has eyes on two Nod Kornet teams! We need them taken out!" Hamilton abruptly called out.

Burke scanned the battlefield and spotted one of the enemy Kornet anti-tank launchers in question. Two men were operating the weapon while a full squad defended them. She couldn't see the second team, but her squad had a clear line of sight to take out the first.

"Baker 6, this is 4-4. We have eyes on one team. Engaging now!"

"Baker 6, this is 2-6. We have eyes on the other team. We'll take them out." Burke reported.

"Baker 6 copies all. Take out those launchers!"

"You heard the man! Ramirez, target the actual Kornet team. Everyone else, take down their support!"

Burke and the others opened up with a full salvo, instantly killing two Nod soldiers. The other enemies immediately returned fire, and the Kornet team didn't even flinch. They managed to fire off a missile just as Ramirez drilled the loader in the head. Burke didn't see if the missile hit any friendly armour, instead she focused on firing a burst at another confessor, hitting him dead center but failing to kill him. The last Kornet operator tried to load the launcher, but he too went down after Ramirez killed him. Burke and Yusseif together fired on the confessor as he tried to get a bead on Burke, and their combined bursts killed him and sent the rest of the squad running for cover.

"That's one Kornet team down!" Burke called out.

"So is ours." 4-4 added.

"Good work. We see no other heavy weapons units at this time." Hamilton said.

Burke reloaded her rifleand continued shooting down Nod troops. Enemy tanks were still advancing, despite the growing number of burnt husks. And there seemed to be no end to the enemy infantry pouring in behind them. While Burke and her comrades were dealing heavy casualties to the enemy, it was wearing down on them. She finished off another magazine and was about to reload, when she noticed a friendly foxhole be obliterated by a tank shell.

"Noddies are starting to get close." Ramirez said.

"Keep shooting! We don't run 'till the LT says so." Burke growled.

"We might have to, Sar'nt. I see a lot of bad guys coming our way." Haley added.

Burke wanted to argue the point, but her squad was right. More Nod troops were beginning to converge on their location. She stole a glance behind her, noting Hamilton's position in a trench line dotted with machine guns. That would be the best place to fall back to.

"Fuck! Get down!" Yusseif shouted as he pulled Burke to the ground.

Burke had barely hit the dirt before the downed Titan they were using for cover took a direct hit from a tank shell. Dirt and flaming metal rained down on them, and the twisted wreck was blown apart, exposing them.

"Forget what I said. Run! Go! Go!" Burke roared as she got back to her feet.

She and Yusseif fired on the approaching Nod soldiers as the others ran. The Scorpion that had wiped out their cover fired again. Thankfully the shot went wide and exploded behind them, but Burke didn't want to give it another chance to fire.

"Move!"

Together, Burke and Yusseif ran to catch up with the others. They had made it to the trench and Hamilton was waving them on. Burke felt her legs burn as she stormed across the churned earth, bullets impacting all around her. Her mind perceived the trench as gettingfurther away rather than closer, but a heartbeat later and she could hear Ramirez and Haley shouting.

"Come on!"

"Almost there!"

"Gah! Fuck!"

Burke slid to a stop and whirled around, only to see Yusseif on the ground. He tried to get back to his feet, but several bullets hit him in the back, sending him face first back into the dirt.

"Amir!"

Burke ran back to Yusseif, bullets whizzing past her head. She fired a quick burst before slinging her rifle over her shoulder, and picking up Yusseif, carrying him fireman style. The others were trying to cover her as she slowly ran to the trench, Yusseif's weight slowing her down. She felt a round bounce off her armour, causing her to nearly collapse, but she kept her footing and persisted. She collapsed into the trench, causing Yusseif to tumble in. Instantly a medic was looking him over, and Hamilton was helping her to her feet.

"How is he?" Burke asked breathlessly.

"Can't tell. Give me room." The medic replied, deadpanned.

"Don't worry about the Corporal! Back on the line!" Hamilton roared.

Burke shouldered her rifle and resumed fighting. Nod was getting even closer, close enough that several tanks began taking pot shots at the Huron. In response, the loud boom of a Titan behind Burke nearly made her deaf, as the walker destroyed a enemy tank.

"Where are those reinforcements!?" West asked nervously.

"I don't know! But they better get here soon!" Hamilton answered.

As if on cue, Commander Lancaster's voice boomed over the radio. But sadly, it did not carry good news.

… … …

The northern line was failing. His forces had already fallen back to the wall, and he was steadily loosing tanks. The only counter to the enemy tanks was a battered platoon of Zone Troopers. The eastern line wasn't holding any better, and in fact several Scorpions had managed to get within range and were now taking potshots at the Huron. Her armour would hold, but not for long. Yet despite all this, Lancaster seemed to be keeping his calm. Athena was keeping up her own façade, but internally, she knew they would have to consider their final option. Should the enemy actually breach the OCV, Lancaster would have no other choice than to order a self destruct.

"Sir, perhaps we should consider collapsing our northern lines. Form a defensive perimeter around the Huron itself?" Athena suggested.

"If we allow Nod into the base, it will be impossible to push them back out." Lancaster countered.

The two stood in silence as they contemplated their options. But after a moment, the silence was broken by a sudden report from the comms officer, and unfortunately, it was not the good news Athena had hoped for.

"Commander! Those reinforcements have arrived, but they have been pinned down!"

"What!?" Lancaster blurted out.

He changed the controls on the display, switching from a close up view of the base to show the entire AO. Sure enough, the 183rd Regiment had arrived, but on the wrong side of the river! Instead of taking the fjord and moving into the base from the north, they had instead traveled into the city and had been promptly ambushed by Nod forces attacking through the southern bridge.

"Fucking idiots!" Lancaster roared.

Athena noticed the crew glance at him with concern, but the Commander quickly regained his composure.

"Get me their CO." John ordered more calmly.

The comms officer nodded, and a second later a very frantic voice reverberated through the Huron's bridge.

"…say again: we have been hit by Nod infantry near the bridge! I have several APCs down and we are taking heavy fire!"

"This is Commander Lancaster, I read you loud and clear. Who am I speaking to?"

"Captain Lachance, callsign Victor 6."

"Listen to me, Captain. You have exited on the wrong side of the river. I need you to get your forces over the bridge."

"Negative, Commander! Enemy forces have us pinned. We can not move!"

Lancaster visibly held back another outburst as he tried to communicate with the captain. Athena looked over the predicament again, taking note of the six Amphibious APCs currently arrayed in a semi circle to provide cover for the reinforcements as they engaged Nod infantry. More AAPCs and M300 Hover MLRS' were still in the river, waiting to get on land. Nod forces had the whole reinforcement convoy trapped, as infantry and light vehicles turned to engage them. But this didn't alleviate any pressure off the base, as enemy troops still stormed over the bridges to hit the southern lines.

"Colonel," Lancaster turned to face Athena, breaking her from her thoughts. "We need to deploy some forces to help rescue the reinforcements."

"We don't have anyone to spare, sir. All of our forces are stretched thin." Athena reminded.

"Damn it, I know." Lancaster muttered under his breath. "But we have no other choice. We need to move a unit to push out and grab them. What about Gaul Company?"

Athena highlighted the units belonging to Gaul on the holo table. They were scattered along the southern line, and reporting heavy casualties. But they were the closest to the bridge and could potentially push through the lightened Nod attackers.

"I think Gaul is our best option. I'll get on the horn with them." Athena said.

"Good. Get it done, Colonel. Captain? We have infantry support moving to get you out. In the mean time, I'm having my EVA feed you coordinates. I want you to use those M300s to bombard that position."

"Copy that, Commander!"

A barrage of rockets flew up from the river, arcing over the ruined city before raining down on the small Nod base. Hands of Nod, powerplants and the operations center disappeared in a massive cloud of dirt and fire. The M300s continued to bombard the small base, even causing several skeletal high-rise buildings to collapse from the shockwaves. But the enemy infantry held firm and continued to keep the reinforcements pinned down. Athena relayed the orders to Gaul Company, and within minutes, the battered company emerged from their trenches and fox holes and bounded across the body strewn field.

Athena always hated ordering men and women to their deaths. It was part of the territory of command, but it still weighed heavily on her mind. Regardless, she ordered Gaul to cross the bridge, despite the fact it was still controlled by Nod troops. Athena also noted that an enemy Attack Buggy had taken position in the middle of the bridge, no doubt to try and stop GDI from crossing. In response, a missile leapt into the air, before arcing back down and landing on top of the Buggy. The light vehicle exploded into a shower of jagged debris that rained into the river below. The few remaining enemy foot troops were cut down, and Gaul charged across the bridge, though Athena noted several GDI bodies left in their wake.

As Gaul crossed the river and moved to the beleaguered 183rd , Athena ordered two Wolverines to secure their side of the bridge. As much as she had desperately hoped she could just walk the reinforcements out, the situation was far worse than anticipated. Nod was hitting them from two sides, keeping the GDI force's backs against the river. In theory, they could move deeper into the city, but that would only put them deeper behind enemy lines. Athena's only option was to have Gaul break through one of the attacking forces and try to cover the 183rd as they made it across the bridge.

"Colonel, we see the friendly AAPCs are taking RPG fire. Those guys don't have much longer to hold out." Gaul's field commander reported.

"Understood, Captain. Open a hole for them, get those men out of there." Athena ordered.

"Copy that! Break. 1st Platoon, deploy heavy weapons here and cover our six! 2nd and 3rd Platoons, let's send these Noddies to hell! Forward, advance!"

Gaul Company charged the Nod lines, and bullets began flying in both directions. The sudden arrival of Gaul appeared to send a renewed energy through both GDI and Nod troops as the fighting intensified. The 183rd attempted to push through the enemy directly to their front, catching the Nod attackers in a crossfire. But at the same moment, the Nod troops from the other side attempted to break through the ring of AAPCs and eliminate the 183rd . Voices shouted over each other to be heard, creating a nearly unintelligible mess. Athena tried to pick through it, to focus on priority calls.

"…Enemy RPG! Third floor!"

"…I got tangos in the open!"

"…Eight o'clock! MG squad!"

"…Man down! Medic! Medic!"

"…Victor 6, we need to move!"

"Fuck, I know!"

"…Watch your fire! You almost hit friendlies!"

"…Oh God! Oh Jesus!"

Athena felt herself panic at the amount of desperate voices. But she steeled herself, and tried to find a way to get those men out safely. She took note of the platoon left behind to cover the rear, seemingly doing nothing. She noted they had some AT-4s on hand, and an idea formed. She quickly searched her memory for Gaul Company's 1st Platoon leader, then called him.

"Lieutenant Anatoly, this is Colonel Miles. I'm highlighting a priority target. I want you to bring it down with everything you have." Athena commanded confidently.

"Copy that, ma'am. I…wait. Uh…Colonel? If we hit the building, it could come down on our guys. Should we still fire?" Anatoly asked.

"Yes, Lieutenant. Bring it down!" Athena asserted.

"Wilco, Command!"

Athena relayed the plan to the captains of Gaul Company and the 183rd unit. She turned to the holographic display, where four soldiers armed with rocket launchers took a moment to take aim. Then four rockets streaked across the street into the already ruined building. The explosions went off on the second floor, sending debris and glass raining down. A second later, the upper floors began to pancake into each other as the building promptly collapsed! Dust immediately obscured the entire street, and more panicked voices boomed over the radio.

"Woah! The hell was that!?"

"Fuck! So much dust! I can barely fucking see!"

"Neither can the enemy. The Colonel just gave us an opening. Move!"

Through the dust and confusion, the entrapped forces of the 183rd began to push up the road, quickly passing Gaul Company as they began to fall in with the special forces. Bullets cut through the thick smoke, as Nod tried desperately to hit their fleeing enemy. But it was clear they were blind, and Athena hoped they would stay that way long enough for everyone to make it back across the bridge.

Slowly the AAPCs and Hover MLRS crossed the river, and began making their way for the besieged base. Last to cross was the mix of 183rd and 7th Army riflemen. But Nod was right on their heels, and it seemed even more enemy soldiers than before had appeared. However, Athena had prepared for this possibility.

"Whiskey 6, open fire! Eliminate all hostiles." Athena barked.

"Roger that, Command."

As Gaul Company and the reinforcements finished crossing the river, the Wolverines Athena had left behind opened fire with their Vulcan cannons. Nod infantry were cut down like grass to a scythe, and Athena couldn't help but feel satisfied. A few of the enemy attempted to hold their ground and fight, but most turned to run while a few even took their chances and jumped over the bridge. The Nod attacks from the south had been promptly halted, and the desperately needed reinforcements had finally arrived.

"Commander! Units from the 183rd have arrived. Handing control over to you." Athena happily reported.

The Commander wasted no time and began to direct the reinforcement troops to where they were needed. Soldiers from the 183rd moved to help reinforce GDI lines, while the M300s began to rain destruction down on the Nod armour. Athena looked to her Commander, and noted the rekindled fire in his voice. It was clear Lancaster had been on the verge of breaking, but now he was determined once again. She couldn't help but marvel at him. She knew he would take them all the way to Sarajevo. He would lead them to victory.

… … …

Burke opened her eyes and noted the grey sky above. The roar of battle quickly and painfully made itself heard as the ringing in her ears subsided. After another moment of laying in the dirt, Burke bounded to her feet, grabbing her dropped rifle. Dirt and mud cascaded off her armor as she stood up, and she noted with slight panic that she had almost been buried alive by that near tank blast.

Burke glanced around to see if the rest of her squad was okay, and thankfully noted that the others were still on the line, firing at the enemy. But she also noticed more people now filling the trench, wearing the unit patch of the 183rd Regiment. Burke got into a firing position, and already she could see the Nod attack begin to falter. The Brotherhood's imminent victory was now slipping away.

"All forces, push back! For GDI!"

Commander Lancaster's order sent a surge through the GDI soldiers, as a great rallying cry went up. Men and women stormed out from the trenches and charged to retake lost ground. Enemy tanks were unable to support their troops, as rockets rained down like a hellish hail storm. Predators now rolled forward to cover the GDI troops, and take vengeance on the enemy. In one fell swoop, GDI regained the ground they had lost. But that would not be enough to win the battle.

Nod forces began to retreat to their bases in the hills, leaving behind ruined hulks and broken corpses. But the GDI forces pursued their enemy, intent on crushing those who had sought to destroy them. Burke no longer felt the exhaustion of several days of battle, or the dread of failure. Now Burke, and the other GDI soldiers, all saw the road to Sarajevo laid out before them.

Now the only thing standing between them and home was Kane.

… … …

Author's note: The Shade fighter is a unit from the mobile game C&C Rivals. I never even thought to use units from that game, but after looking through the roster, I really liked the design of the Shade. As such, the Shade will now replace the Nod MiG as their standard air fighter.

Story update: I'm sure many of you have noticed that I haven't uploaded in almost three months. Or that that the story has been marked as on hiatus. Unfortunately, that is due to some changes in real life that have left me with little time to work on the story.

Is the story dead? No, definitely not. But it is just going to take much longer to finish.

I apologize for this delay, and I want to thank everyone for reading and enjoying my stories.

Until next time.