Chapter 12: Victory at last.
Interior of Antarctica
Though despite being a set-piece battle, the attempt to contain and bury Godzilla in an artificial avalanche transformed it partially into a running firefight with vehicles swarming all around the kaiju while avoiding death from all quarters. Tanks and APCs traversed the terrain while their gunners kept Godzilla in their sights. Maser tanks and artillery hung back while blasting the landscape around Godzilla. The monster in turn, continued to fire random shots of his atomic breath while smashing the landscape in front of his foes with his feet and tail.
Airplanes roared in from all directions while attempting to use cover to engage Godzilla before he retaliated. It proved exceedingly difficult for the constant explosions in the area generated an enormous smokescreen and the air fleet encountered difficulties in engaging the target while trying to stay alive. Flying in the thick smoke provided many ways for pilots to die ugly deaths for they flew in virtually blind at high speed.
Godzilla roared as another wave of explosions slammed all over his body. Though his eyes could penetrate the smoke screens, he could only ascertain a general location and therefore the military forces managed to reduce somewhat the casualties caused by Godzilla's atomic breath. However the casualties still continued to mount with nearly all units at thirty percent of their former strength when they first arrived on the continent.
As the commanders listened in to the reports over the command net, they had long ugly looks on their faces. The constant fighting had transformed the ring of steel into a flimsy "metal" fence with cracks already appearing in many sections. Already, they had transferred units with different nationalities all around the barrier to keep the steel ring intact.
Off in the distance near the coast, the ships of the international fleet continued to fire their guns in support of the ground troops although it proved extremely hazardous. The ships steamed in as close as possible, with many nearly running aground, as they attempted to gain clear shots at their target.
After Kitagawa observed Godzilla using his atomic breath to incinerate another wave of tanks and ground vehicles, he winced before getting on the radio and said, "All units are to take any necessary measures to maintain their safety and keep him pinned in". He paused before stating "Artillery units are to redirect all fire on the ridges", "Signal the remaining reserves to head up now".
Godzilla growled in anger as he spotted the numerous explosions along the ridges and the resulting avalanche crashing down on him. The weight of the ice shards slammed into Godzilla, knocking him down on the ground and pelting him repeatedly. As he turned around, Godzilla's maw dropped open and blue flame burned the following ice shards and clearing the rubble already on top of him. After rising from the rubble, Godzilla fired again at the landscape around the forward units, killing some and burying the others in the rubble of the landscape. The king of the monsters roared in anger before returning to attacking his assailants again.
Bridge of Gotengo
Everyone on the bridge of the huge warship listened in silent concentration as the sounds of the battle filtered through the command net. When they heard the sounds of Godzilla or his atomic breath, nearly everyone jumped out of their seats. Seeing this, Nakano yelled out, "Everyone keep calm alright". He then contacted the engine room and asked, "Is there any chance for more speed".
In the overheated engine room, the crews struggled under immense pressure and heat generated by the enormous engines. Add to that, they hadn't finished completely with the repairs. As the chief engineer observed for a moment, he got on the phone and replied "We're already at 105 percent; to go any more would endanger the whole ship".
Nakano cursed out loud, "Dam it, we have to get there as soon as possible". He paused before stating, "Do what you need to do but get us there on the double". He then reinserted the phone back before he asked out loud, "Can we get a visual on the battle yet?"
Ueda shook his head in the negative and replied, "All we can really display is the general battle zone". He immediately put up the display on the main screen and soon Nakano understood why". The captain cursed before whispering as if his voice would accelerate the ship's speed, "We have got to move faster".
Interior of Antarctica:
Unfortunately it seemed that the forces on the ground would not hold in the face of the relentless monster. Despite the shifting of units back and forth along the steel ring and the arrival of reserves to bolster the firepower, the forces of humanity still were no closer to defeating the monster once and for all.
Instead, they were now fighting for their own lives. Ironically in the face of the despair and horror, the situation lead to many acts of heroism with units from many nations defending other units in which they would have rather shoot at during a war between humans. When American APCs and Russian BMPs rolled by vehicles still partially intact, the crew ran out to check for any survivors before heading back into the battle.
Other such cases of heroism included Western tank units trying to cover Russian tank units as Godzilla closed in on them.
However, such heroism, in any number would only delay the inevitable destruction for now even though the ground forces could maneuver; it still was a grinding battle of attrition in which Godzilla always won. For anything less than the atomic bomb, the amount of firepower brought on hand still did not make any difference against the kaiju's thick hide and G-cells.
As Kitagawa, Reynolds, and their colleagues poked their heads up from their command vehicles, the slaughter in front of them really drove home the senselessness of it all. The sight of the number of dead mounting very rapidly finally broke their sanity as they realized the futileness of challenging a god-like creature born from the darkness of humanity itself. As Godzilla incinerated another group of tanks, Kitagawa cursed quietly a promise, "If we lose, then we'll make sure that this bastard pays for every inch". He got on the radio and yelled out, "All units regroup at fallback coordinates".
Reynolds looked at his Japanese counterpart and worried for a moment as he realized that the Japanese general was contemplating a suicidal fight to the finish. The thought of being in the same shoes as that of Japanese soldiers during the war in the Pacific really unnerved him but he threw that aside as several large explosions brought his attention back to the battle.
In Brezarin's case, he raged at the fact that despite all of the sacrifices his men endured, the battle still continued to turn against his forces. He let out a stream of curses at the capitalists for leading them all into this hell and for not having the courage to do the unthinkable and use WMDs.
For the aerial squadrons, this was the worst phase of the battle since they were virtually fighting alone. The tactics they practiced back in Japan were now useless and besides, the losses prevented them from operating in large formations necessary to survive an attack on Godzilla. Resorting to smaller squadrons allowed for more effective cover but it exposed the air squadrons to further dangers. Already many had suffered losses up to seventy percent of nominal strength. When the remains of each air unit returned to its respective base, the air commanders knew that the air support had finally had it and admitted as much to the forces on the ground.
As the fighting continued to rage and more men continued to die, it became evident that Operation Final Strike was a disaster of the first order. Unfortunately, there was no where the survivors could go so there was no choice to retreat, only to stand and die. Once Godzilla killed them all, the world would once again fall under threat.
It took some time for the scattered forces to reach the rendezvous point and they still had to deal with the rampaging radioactive kaiju blasting away at them. Once the scattered units formed up into a large ground armada, they plunged back into the inferno with reckless abandon. They also provided a single target for Godzilla and he soon retaliated by firing a long blast of his atomic breath at them, inflicting heavy casualties on the tightly bunched units.
In the resulting reorganization, confusion reigned with the result being masers and artillery now fighting alongside the tanks with the gunners firing over open sights. This proved dangerous as the Type 66 masers proved exceptionally vulnerable to energy-based weapons and instantly blew up when a beam weapon struck it or the surrounding area.
Despite the gradually increase and concentration of firepower, Godzilla continued his advance and soon the lead units were blasting away at him at point blank range in a vain attempt to force him back. Godzilla growled before he waded into the midst of the lead elements, his tail and feet smashing his opponents aside with many of them ignited in an orgy of explosions.
A swarm of energy fire attracted his attention to the maser tanks blazing away at them. With his back glowing blue, he fired another blast at the maser group, the heat of the beam instantly igniting them and destroying other vehicles within the vicinity.
When the Japanese supreme commander saw Godzilla massacring the maser tanks, he gritted his teeth at the sight of all the dead and his mind shut down as the full weight of the catastrophe weighed in on him. The other commanders in their own vehicles watched with similar reactions at the horror. Yet they did not alter from the present tactic since no one had any ideas left for defeating the king of the monsters.
With no orders, from above, subunit commanders decided that they had enough of the useless fighting and many started to retreat towards the beaches even though they all knew the chances of escaping the icy hell was virtually zero. Godzilla roared in victory as the tank forces scattered before him and he soon started to rain instantaneous blue-white death from his maw.
Bridge of Gotengo
As the remaining Gotengo continued to edge ever closer to the battle zone, its crew could see the instant flashes of explosions. Nakano continued to whisper the words, "Get us there faster" but he knew it was completely useless. When the large warship passed by a retreating air squadron, they immediately exchanged messages with the air units information the huge warship of the disaster playing right up before them. With that, Nakano yelled out, "All personnel to battle stations". The alarm started to sound and the crew rushed to their stations. When the ship was ready for combat, Nakano ordered, "Get us within visual range and of the monster and start the forward drill".
The crew turned to the captain in alarm for they feared that he would unleash another suicide strike but Nakano assuage their fears, "I plan to surprise the monster before engaging him". That barely provided and reassurance to the crew as they felt the ship's engines roar at their maximum crescendo.
When they finally got close enough, the crew of the Gotengo got a first hand view of the carnage. Numerous vehicles lay strewn across the landscape with some still on fire. Above it all and with a storm blowing all around him and giving him a ghostly form, Godzilla roared in victory at the devastation. Shells continued to land all around him but the explosions proved more of an annoyance than a threat as Godzilla resumed his present course to the sea.
Realizing the small amount of time left, Captain Nakano immediately got on the line and spoke out his orders, "Set course to take us through the glaciers at full speed", "Once we're though, focus all weapons fire on the monster". He sat down and said for all to hear, "Let the numerous sacrifices on the ground not be in vain".
With the eventual decrease in the level of firepower, Godzilla's ears soon picked up the sound of the icy Antarctic winds. He roared in victory and started to turn around and head back to the Pacific Ocean when he suddenly sensed something shadowing him. His eyes scanned the horizon but all he saw were wrecked vehicles, the remains of dead soldiers and the endless white show. Suddenly his eyes blinked as he spotted a formation of glaciers shatter and a long blue rocket-shaped like object emerge bearing down on him, its forward end spinning. Growling in anger, Godzilla switched course and headed straight towards the intruder, his red eyes focusing completely on the new target.
The next few minutes would make history as the crew on the bridge watched with grim looks on their faces. As the ranges closed, one of the weapons officers started yelling out the ranges for their forward guns. After waiting for a few seconds, Nakano yelled out, "Commence firing".
The forward guns of the ship opened up with a vicious roar. Shells slammed on Godzilla and he instantly retaliated by firing his atomic breath at the starboard side of the ship. The blue energy beam sliced through the two forward turrets, damaged the conning tower and once again disabled the starboard engines.
Everyone on the bridge grabbed a hold of their seats as they felt the ship shudder from the blast before losing altitude. Busy with attempting to repair the damage and too focused on Godzilla, they all didn't felt the ship crashing on the Antarctic landscape. Once the ship slammed into the landscape, it shook the entire ship, throwing several people around the room and causing more damage. Ignoring the shower of sparks, Nakano yelled out grimly, "Keep fighting".
After hearing the damage about the forward weapons, Ueda also yelled out, "Arm all missiles now". The crew attempted to comply with the orders as on the main screen Godzilla watched them as if curious by the lack of action from his prey. After a few moments, he started to advance for the kill on the heavily damaged warship.
Both Nakano and Ueda watched the view screen as if awaiting their own execution when the ground started to shake beneath them. They, along with the rest of the bridge crew turned to see the Antarctic landscape splitting open in huge jagged cracks. Ueda immediately sounded the alarm, "All hands brace for earthquake and landslides".
Then, as if someone actually started to smile down on humanity from on high, the earthquake opened up a large hole in the ground around the king of the monsters. The combination of days of relentless fighting had taken their toll on a landscape created millions of years ago and now it felt to the living creatures on the continent as if the continent was going to give way under the devastation. Godzilla attempted to keep his balance but once the cracks started to emerge in the ground between his feet, he slipped and started to fall. Seeing the opening, Nakano yelled out, "Shoot that mountain".
At his station, Douglas Gordon, was busy attempting to help reactivate with the weapons systems when he saw the unfolding situation. Swiftly jumping into the seat, Gordon pulled the firing mechanism with his left land with his mouth wide open in a scream.
Behind the damaged conning tower, the blast doors of the missile silos opened up and a wave of missiles poured out towards the mountainside. Everyone waited for the impact which was not long in coming.
Struggling to escape from the newly formed gorge, Godzilla did not notice the missiles striking a large glacier formation above him until his ears picked up the avalanche. His face turned around and his red eyes widened in shock but it was already too late to use the atomic ray as the avalanche started to bury him completely. Roaring in defiant anger at the unexpected turnaround, the king of the monsters landed on the bottom with an enormous thud that, along with the weight of the icy avalanche falling down on him, knocked him unconscious. The avalanche continued for a few more seconds until an enormous pile of icy rubble marked Godzilla's location.
As the impact of the last few minutes started to seep into their minds, they stood up and started to congratulation each other as they realized what they had just done. In his seat, Gordon took a deep breath as the adrenaline started to fade off and he paid no attention as his colleagues at the weapons station came to congratulate him. Both Nakano and Ueda turned to each other and smiled grimly at the sudden good fortune before Nakano turned back to the screen to ensure that they really did score a victory against the hated monster. Ueda then phoned the engineering room and asked, "Now can you get us airborne again". The voice on the other end of the line replied with giddy confidence, "With no interruptions, we should be able to repair the engines in no time". Ueda smiled before turning for Nakano who nodded and then to the communications officers before telling them, "Send a signal to all remaining forces, have defeated Godzilla". The officers rushed to fulfill their new orders while the congratulations continued.
Landing beaches/warships of the international task force:
Back on the beaches, doom and gloom hung in the air as the transport ships began to load the numerous wounded onboard. Units streamed in from the interior until enormous traffic jams made reloading almost impossible. The wounded had scars and burns over their bodies while ice started to form around the faces of a good portion of the wounded.
On the bridge of the Amatsukaze, Sakai conferred with the ground commanders, who had looks of frozen horror on their faces as cooks provided them hot drinks. He continued to look back at the continent and saw no more explosions, which he felt, meant that they commanders would soon have company in the insane asylum when they returned to Japan. However, fate had a different path in mind when the admiral started to hear his communications officers talking wildly as if at a sumo wrestling match. He immediately walked to them to see that they had smiling faces. Angry that they could be smiling at such a time like this, Sakai roared, "What is going on here"?
The news they had in their hands allowed them to withstand the admiral's anger and one of the officials replied impetuously, "Sir we have just received word from the Gotengo and it says that the ship has defeated Godzilla, sir".
When the admiral heard that, his mouth dropped open and several cups landed on the deck before smashing. As if fearing this would be a dream, Sakai asked for everyone in the room, "Are you sure"? The communications officer nodded before handing him the note and Sakai read it for a few minutes to ensure fate was not playing tricks on him. He handed it to the ground commanders who immediately looked over the message themselves for a few minutes before Kitagawa turned to Sakai and attempted to say in confident tone, "Halt all evacuation and send engineering teams to the Gotengo's location". Sakai and his subordinates nodded and moved off the conduct their duties, unable to believe their good fortune.
When they transmitted the message on the beach, the troops reacted the same way for a moment before they headed back in, hoping that the sound they would only hear were the eternal Antarctic winds. Eventually they arrived at the Gotengo's location and then when the Geiger counters started to crackle, they turned to see a mountain of ice and in it, the enormous form of their enemy. Slowly, it began to sink in that they really did defeat the monster and they soon pass the word up the chain of command to ensure confirmation of their success. Once the news began the filter through, the relief began to be felt by all for it really was true that they would be returning home. And that was worth celebrating once they departed from the South Pole, hopefully permanently.
Author's Notes: Well now I can say I'm finally finished with the story. If I do decide to do an epilogue, it will be one more chapter but it will be a lead in to the movie Godzilla: Final Wars.
Right now, I feel exhausted after writing all of this and despite being proud of pulling off something like this, like a military offensive, I'm running out of steam.
I hope I did a good leadup to the first few minutes of Godzilla: Final Wars.
And as always, please read and review, it would be appreciated.