Aboard the UNSC Serene
"Major!? Major!? MAJOR! VOLKOV, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING!?" The Captain demanded. He slammed his hand onto the holotable, then ordered, "Get me that link back ASAP! To all of our units! Prep a second flight of Pelicans and ready Warthogs to be deployed with them. We're not losing sixty ODSTs in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere on some godforsaken planet! Charon, what the hell is going on with coms between us and the ground!?"
"Full spectrum Jamming across all com systems planetside. We cannot make contact with Phantom Flight, nor with the Major or his company. The entire section is being blanketed by some kind of specialized ECM system..." The AI replied as its processes were working overtime to establish any sort of link. It sighed, then said "Single-Beam systems are being jammed, too. Even if we could pinpoint the Major and his team, or any of Phoenix group, we can't get through."
"Try, try and try the hell again, dammit!" Ambroz bellowed, watching as the rest of the crew scrambled.
"Captain," The Admiral's voice was harsh. She looked to the others and barked, "Belay those orders. Bring us into low orbit and give me a full spectrum scan of the planet. Charon, see if you can't identify the source of the jamming and give us a breakthrough or counter it. I know you're a fleet tender and a fleet tender alone, but I'm asking you to try and see what you can do."
"I am working on it, ma'am..." The AI replied, distraught.
"You're going to get them killed!" He glared at the woman.
"Remember your place, captain Ambroz," She shot back venomously, "I want those men and women back aboard as much as you do, but we cannot risk an entire second group. If anything, the enemy that must've engaged them will kill our second wave of reinforcements, too, no matter what we deploy. Get a hold of yourself... I know you're more tactically sound than this."
The man growled, then leaned against the table, closing his eyes. The migraine returned, as did the nausea. He spoke, more softly, "You're right..."
"I'd suggest going to sickbay, Michel. You did receive a head wound during the botched jump..." She offered, her expression softening, "I can handle command and control duties alongside Charon while you go get checked."
"I'll be fine..." He sighed, "I'll be fine..."
"Want me to make it an order, Captain?" She raised a brow. The old man looked to his highcom counterpart with a bit of ire, but saw nothing beyond kindness and worry in the woman's eyes. Breathing a long, deep sigh of resignation, he turned, gave the woman a quick salute, which she reciprocated, then he departed the bridge. Nakano shook her head before taking to Charon's left.
"My thanks, Admiral," The AI spoke, "If you hadn't said it, I may have mistakenly scheduled him an appointment with the ship physician."
"Could tell he took a nasty bump?" The Admiral inquired.
"I am obligated by a system command installed in my CPU just as I was being quote-unquote 'born' to be permanently linked via the Neural Interface of this ship's commander to them. To that end, I can pull up BIO statistics, including wounds or lacerations, with little effort. He has received blunt damage to the back of his skull when we jumped. Nothing dangerous, may I add, but it was still concerning to read while stuck in my own 'core' down in Engineering," The AI explained nonchalantly, running through data on the rest of the fleet as they continued their own repairs.
"You linked to me as well, Charon?" She inquired, crossing her arms to her chest.
"I can be, at your request, ma'am," It replied monotonely, eyes still looking at what the woman assumed was the streams of ones and zeroes it always saw.
Hesitantly, she said, "Maybe later... See if you can't re-establish contact with our away teams ASAP... And get me a damn planet-wide scan. As thorough as you and the ONI fuckers we have aboard can make it," then she looked at the planet ahead as it grew larger. She approached the observation windows, watching the system's sun hide behind the planet, revealing the darkness. Four specks of light, four points on an entire continent was all she could see. All of them painfully small against the vast sea of nothingness that surrounded them.
She sighed deeply, then stated, "Let me know when that scan is complete... I'll go grab a coffee from the mess."
"Planning on staying awake, ma'am?" The AI inquired.
"As long as it takes to find our men, yes..." She replied grimly, then stated, "Charon, you and Commander Petros have the bridge until I come back. Take care of the fleet..." and she departed as soon as the two gave their affirmative answer, not bothering to listen. Marching past squads of uneasy Marines and even groups of ODSTs in full kit and raring to go after their comrades, the woman felt cold. She and the captain had unknowingly sent dozens of their own men to die in a simple scouting mission.
The corridors of the vessel felt a little claustrophobic, all the crew milling about, finding their stations or taking their breaks during the shift change adding to the feeling. She moved as fast as she could, past some of the corridors currently undergoing the last of the repairs and through into the crew area. A short trip down another hall and to the right and the woman entered the two-hundred seat mess hall, finding it relatively empty, save for some of their pilots and Marines interacting.
Going to the coffee machine, she brewed herself a black coffee. Not her usual pick, but it would assist in keeping her awake for the next few hours. Taking a sip from it, the woman felt a chill shoot up her spine as the buzz hit. She blinked, looking at the swirling dark-brown liquid in the paper cup, then sighed and turned to leave, return to the bridge. However, a short figure with messy blonde hair and a white-and-blue lab coat caught her eye. More-so stopped her dead in her tracks.
Staring up at the Admiral, a grin on her face and her sparkling eyes the color of the sea, doctor(and major) Mary Rochefort greeted the elderly woman with a warm smile. She arranged her badge on her lab coat's left breast pocket, then saluted and said, "Good to see you're awake, admiral," bearing a thick Posh accent, "Was just about to come looking for you on the bridge."
"It for a particular reason, doctor Rochefort?" The woman raised a brow.
"A desire to learn more about the planet below, if nothing else. I understand our scout teams have yet to return?" She asked, a hint of worry behind the maliciously bright smile on her face. The Admiral simply nodded as she began to walk, with the shortstack doctor following her out of the mess hall. She spoke, "I hope you'll relay some of the information they bring when they return."
"We'll make sure to compile a thorough report," Nakano offered, "But right now, we need to locate them past the interference on the planet."
"Ah, that," She hummed, "Curious. You'd think our systems would be able to penetrate it."
"Charon believes it's some specialized jamming equipment," The woman explained calmly, "We don't know what's causing it, but it's on a full spectrum. It's jamming even their IFF tags, for god's sakes. I put Charon on the job of finding some way to break through it while I went to nab some coffee. How are you, doctor? Are you feeling well? Because I didn't think ONI would have thought necessary the assignment of an RnD specialist and her team of scientists and engineers to my fleet."
"You also didn't think they'd want an ONI quote-unquote 'office' on your fleet, but we've got a dozen agents and a sixth of Gamma Company at your command," The Doctor smiled.
Nakano scoffed. Of course. Under 'her' command until one ONI spook or another didn't agree with the way she did things and would take over. She'd watch her damn back if that was the case, maybe co-opt some of the Spartans to help her keep the peace. Alas, the situation itself was a delicate one. Sixty Shock Troopers had gone missing on the planet below, alongside six Pelicans. They could've been dead, but may she be damned, neither she, nor the rest of this fleet would leave them to die. She spoke, "If they can do anything to help find my men and women, by all means... If not and we do not get a single sign from Major Volkov's forces, tell the Spartans to come at Zero Hour for briefing."
"Understood, ma'am," She nodded, then offered, "I'm sure we'll find them. Volkov's a tough old man."
"He's somewhere around my age, Mary," The woman smirked, causing the good doctor to shrink because of her own comment. She waved off the jab, then said, "Get back to work and help Charon as much as you can. I want us to have every single piece of available intel, every single avenue travelled before we go down there and risk more of our men and women on retrieving at least the corpses of our people."
"Will do," She nodded, "You better tell the old thing that I'm gonna be helping. You know how cranky-"
"Yeah," She cut her off, "I understand and will let Charon know, considering I'm returning to the bridge now." And with that, she stepped off, well aware she was gonna get another rant from the good doctor if she stayed to listen. The good doctor just was like that. She had her on way, her own style of going about the research she was assigned, unlike the good doctor Halsey, who was by the books, or the now-missing Anders.
Returning to the bridge, the woman sidestepped the holo-table in the middle, walked past a few more ensigns and bridge crew that were moving around between stations and stopped next to Charon again. The AI looked up to her, then shook her head, answering the question she was about to ask, that clearly being 'Any news'. She sighed, then took a long, dragged-out sip of her lukewarm coffee and stared at the planet below.
"Ma'am," The AI started, garnering her attention. It spoke, calmly, to the woman, "Perhaps you should rest. The Commander and I are more than capable of handling operations while both you and the captain get some rest."
"While I appreciate the thought, Charon," The woman started, then lifted her cup of joe, "There's enough caffeine in this thing to keep me up and alert for twelve hours... I hope we'll be done with the first phase of S&R by then... If not, well, I guess I'll just have my caffeine crash on the bridge..." And she turned back to face the planet once more. The AI hummed...
Then spoke, "... Interference over the former LZs has dissipated."
The woman once again turned to the AI and waited a few breath-taking minutes to hear its next report.
"... Receiving communication. Ident code is of Major Kolya Volkov's..." The AI stated, a hint of joy in its otherwise monotone, ethereal voice, before immediately patching it through the PA. It then added, "... It's not near the LZ, ma'am. It's near one of the cities..."
Wide-eyed, the Admiral gave a nod to the AI, then listened in.
"Serene... This is Volkov... We're alive... Very few of us, but we are..." The Major's voice boomed across the ship, followed by an eruption of cheers of the entire Navy, Army and Marine personnel aboard. The Admiral herself now wore a smile as she let the words repeat in her mind. Then, the celebration stopped abruptly as the Major continued, "We've got a situation on the planet. One you'd best come to see for yourselves."
Combat Sector 1, Combat District 1, Eastern Front
Republic of San Magnolia "unofficial" 86th District
Forward Operations Base of 'Spearhead Squadron'
Some time after the rescue.
A head-thumping migraine awoke major Volkov. Below him, he felt the almost soft embrace of a military cot of some kind. Waking up with a start, the man almost jumped to a seated position. He felt a hand on his shoulder and a firm female voice spoke, "Calm down, major... You and your soldiers are safe..." causing him to turn to the right. A beautiful young woman with silver hair and azure eyes stared at him, smiling. She had a mole at the corner of her left eye and was clearly much younger than him, yet he could do nothing but wonder if he'd somehow arrived in heaven.
Instead of voicing such a stupid question, however, the major took to his role as officer upon noticing the woman was wearing a military uniform and asked, "What happened out there...? One moment, we were fighting those machines that took my men and women and the next thing I know... I'm wounded and I wake up here after the shock passes..." Then he looked at himself. Draped over a fresh wound in his gut sat a bloody bandage, wrapped twice around his waist and over a dozen other battle scars. To his right sat his gear, bloody, dirty, but still whole, including his helmet.
"Spearhead Squadron arrived and saved you and your other two comrades, sir," She replied, then stood up from the stool she had brought beside his bed. She offered, "I'd suggest resting for a bit longer. The 7,62 round from that Ameise's MGs may have tumbled, but it still did some damage when it passed your armor plate. Any sudden movement now may break the stitches."
"I'll take that into consideration... Who are you?" He asked, looking to the youngster.
"Anju Emma, sir. Ensign belonging to Spearhead," She replied calmly.
"You have my thanks, ensign Emma..." He stated, then slowly struggled to his feet and started checking his gear. He added, "I will get dressed... How are corporal Nowak and Sergeant Horvat?"
"They're both healthy as can be, sir, sans the damage the Sergeant took to his leg. It's a good thing the Ameise didn't have a good bead on him," The girl replied. She turned around out of common courtesy while the Major put on his uniform and armor. The undershirt had been cleaned and sown, clearly, but the armor plate that went over his belly had a hole the size of his pinkie through the center, aligning perfectly with the location of his wound.
"I want to see them, if that's no trouble, Ensign," The man requested, his voice more that of a worried father than a commander.
She turned and smiled, then said, "Right this way, sir. They're with the rest of my Squadron and the other survivors."
"You found others?" He quirked a brow up at that, obviously surprised by the revelation. She nodded, then wordlessly led the ODST through the dilapidated hallways of this Forward Operations Base, passing by multiple rooms and many spots where the wallpaper was tearing, revealing the inner wood and brick construction of the house, as well as the few 'new' concrete pillars.
Taking the stairs down and walking past a wall with several drawings, each having in common the single word 'Handler' written at the bottom, the girl entered first into what seemed to be a Rec Room of some kind. Inside it were a group of ODSTs, each bearing different wounds and markings on their armor to differentiate themselves from their comrades and each with their helmets off. A song in Polish echoed into the halls as soon as the door was open, led by the good corporal and chorused by two other lads of the group.
Around sixteen ODSTs, among which Agnisezka and Georgy, sat around a coffe table on couches and long chairs, with the Sergeant's thigh armor removed and a heavy, tight bandage in its place. Still, even with that, the man bounced on his good leg with the song, tilting his head left to right to the rhythm. It was the same song that Agnes had sung on their way over to the drop zone.
To the left, sat at what looked to be a bar counter, were more kids, probably belonging to Emma's unit, considering the fact that they were wearing the same uniform types. A few seemed to be having fun, listening to the singers, among them a redhead kid with scarlet eyes who was eyeing another female of the ODSTs that was sat off to the left, grinning ear-to-ear, and a girl with nutmeg hair and catlike amber eyes who was bobbing her head to the rhythm, though her face screamed that she wasn't aware what the song was about.
As soon as the Major entered, however, the song quietened down and the entire ODST group present stared with disbelief. Georgy and Agnes's faces went through a dozen expressions ranging from absolute fear at first, to utter joy. Agnieszka was first to stand to her feet and stomp her heels together, crying out "TROOPERS! OFFICER ON DECK!" which caused all the other ODSTs to rapidly stand up and form rows. All of them brought their hands up in salute to their CO. Even Georgy had struggled to his feet, standing proudly next to Agnes and smiling as he gave his officer the respect he seemed to think the man deserved.
Thankful to see that he, the Sergeant and Corporal weren't the only ones to have survived and working to contain any emotion he might have felt, any desire to show said emotion and even hints of it, he brought his own hand up in salute, then barked, "At ease! Return to what you were doing..." before lowering his hand and staring at the troopers again. Another corporal belonging to Phoenix-3, Ross, had his right arm in a sling, broken, but had still struggled to salute with it, considering he was rubbing his shoulder. Next to him, his sister had a rather hefty head wound that had been disinfected and dressed.
While the others had sat themselves back down ,some simply staring at the man with distant gazes, Agnieszka approached. She smiled at the Major and said, "Thank God you're okay, sir. Would've been hell to fall under Herrera's command."
"Hey," The woman leaning against the wall in the far back snapped, even though she was grinning. There was a bandage on her left cheek and one over her broken nose, but there she was. Two brown eyes stared at the man while black hair in the form of a mohawk absorbed a lot of the light in the room. She had the tattoo of a wolf's head on her right cheek and a string of other Maori tattoos around her eye.
"Captain," The man offered one of his officers a nod.
"Been a hell of a drop, sir. Glad to see you're still rolling with us," She offered, her Zealander accent omnipresent, thick, warm. She looked over to the kids and gave a thumbs up to Anju. She smiled at the captain before sitting herself down next to her comrades. Captain Herrera turned to face the Major again and said, "Two of these kids busted my ass out of the fire, alongside another couple of my boys... Was too fuckin' close for comfort with the Legion pricks."
"Sir," A private and a Lieutenant nodded to him from the seats, the former with a thousand yard stare and a young face, while the latter seemed almost eerily calm, his auburn eyes locked onto the Major's own gut wound. He nodded to them, before turning to the group of children that had saved them from the hellfire of the enemy force's assaults.
"First," He spoke, fully turning to face them and arranging his helmet under his arm after he got their attention. Calmly, the man offered, "To all of you, members of what ensign Emma has told me you call Spearhead Squadron, you have my thanks for the prompt rescue of..." His gaze once more swept over his sixteen fellow surviving ODSTs, before he continued, "Myself and however many of my Troopers you've managed to pull out of the fire."
"No problem," The nutmeg-haired girl(Though in this light it seemed a little more reddish) replied, smiling, "We didn't expect to see people walking around the place, though."
"That's true," A boy with dirty, messy blonde hair and dark-green eyes said, leaning his cheek against his hand, elbow on the counter and with a more snarky tone, "You folks trying to get yourselves killed out there? That was Legion territory you landed in."
"If we'd have known what we were getting into, we would not have landed without the support of an armored company," The Major stated, "But we were ordered to undertake a reconnaissance mission while our fleet's systems were being reactivated. We wanted to learn what we could about this planet, provided we needed to return here at some point with a bigger force..."
"... Hold up," The other blonde boy, one with blue eyes and shorter hair, started, "... Fleet? Planet? What the heck are you talking about, sir?"
"We're crew members of the United Nations Space Command Battle Group Serene, which, thanks to a malfunction in our FTL system, is currently orbiting your world at full strength," The Major seemed uneasy, taking a more defensive stance as he asked, "Do you people not know of the UNSC?" upon noticing their looks of utter confusion. The blue-eyed blonde of the team grinned.
"Hey, Shin," He looked to the black-haired, red-eyed silent boy in the middle of the group, a glimmer in his eyes, "Think this is like one of those Sci-Fi books you've been reading? I mean..."
"Hmm," The boy shrugged, "I don't know..." and he looked to the Major. He spoke calmly, "Sir, with all due respect to you and your officer cadre, I'm not sure any of us follow what you're trying to say. Are you telling us you belong to what amounts to an alien task force currently sitting in orbit of our world?" his voice never once raising or lowering even a bit. The only faint echo of any sort of emotion from the boy's voice was the change of tone that signified he was asking something.
The Major nodded slowly, "Yes..." before moving for his back pocket. He watched all of the kid tense, raised his left hand and said, "Calm. My weapon is stowed farther away from where I'm reaching..." before sliding his hand into his pocket and pulling out a strange emitter of some kind. He lifted it up, then asked, "Is the signal jamming swarm gone?"
"Yes," The boy, 'Shin', replied.
The man thumbed a button on the strange, circular object, revealing their planet, tinted in a blue light. To its left, sat at about thirty-six thousand kilometers, several golden dots of varying sizes sat in geosynchronous orbit to the planet's surface. He spoke, "This is Battle Group Serene... We are part of its complement of troops, designed for fast deployment into battle. We are Orbital Drop Shock Troopers..."
Gasps filled the room, each of the children slowly beginning to register what this meant. Shin stood to his feet, then approached the Major and looked up at him. The Major was a bear of a man, musclebound and tall, compared to the boy before him, Still, he felt an aura of danger hanging about the one before him as they stood face-to-face, staring at one-another. He then spoke, "I shall be polite... I am Major Kolya Volkov, of the seventh battalion, three-twenty-second Orbital Drop division of the UNSC. What is your name?"
The young man seemed hesitant for a moment, even if his face didn't betray it. He replied coolly, "Shin Nouzen, Captain in command of Spearhead Squadron and lead Processor for the unit."
"You seem none too bothered by what I assume are literal aliens sitting in your recreation room, Captain Nouzen," The Major offered, "And that stare you have. It is the stare of someone who has seen too much for such a young age... Am I to suspect you and your people have been fighting this 'Legion' you keep mentioning and which I assume to be those war machines that slaughtered my soldiers for long?"
"Yes," He nodded, "I want to know one more thing, Major..."
"Go ahead, Captain," He nodded, while his Troopers grinned.
"... Are you telling us the truth?" He seemed to finally show the faintest hint of emotion. A single picosecond of a glint in his eye, that of hope.
"Everything I've said to you so far, Captain Nouzen, is true, yes," He replied calmly, stowing the holo-device back into his rear pocket.
He saw the kids behind Shin smiling, some of them already starting to whisper things to one-another while looking at the ODSTs. He then asked the wary boy, "Did my officers not brief you of this already?"
"We figured it best to let them talk, celebrate they escaped, seeing as few people on foot survive the Legion long enough to get helped..." Shin explained, his stare telling a thousand tales of his own experience. The Major offered a nod to the boy, then looked to his team, all of whom were smirking at the group of kids. Shin then turned and rejoined his squadron of almost a dozen kids. He then asked the Major one more thing. "Can you make contact with your fleet now, major? The interference from the Eintagsfliege should have fully dissipated."
Considering the fact that the holo-beacon worked, he figured he may as well try. Setting his helmet onto his head and sealing it, the man watched as his Heads-up display materialized in front of him. He looked to his team, all of whom gave nods of approval, before he turned on his transmitter and started the radio signal, boosting it through an antenna nearby. He first sent his IFF to confirm with the Navy that all was okay.
Waiting a moment, he received a handshake from the Serene. The entire group, both this 'Spearhead' squadron, watched with bated breath. He told Shin, "Captain. I told you who we are... You are going to have to tell us who you and your Spearhead unit are once our CO comes planetside. Trust me, she and the Captain will be far more inquisitive than either I or my team."
"I understand," Shin nodded.
The man replied, "Good..." Before breathing in, then slowly exhaling. He touched the helmet transmit button and spoke, "Serene, this is Volkov. We're alive..." And he paused, scanning the gazes of the remaining sixteen officers and Troopers of the scout team. He continued, "Very few of us, but we are. We've got a situation on this planet. One you'd best come see for yourselves. Over."
The group waited for a moment with bated breaths, before the channel was flooded with static at first, then with cheering. The Admiral broke through all the overjoyed cries, stating, "It's good to hear your voice, Major. What's your status? How many of you are left?"
Grimly, the major replied, "Seventeen of us, ma'am. A few officers, NCOs and regulars..."
"... Damn... My condolences..."
"It wasn't your fault, ma'am. Neither was it the captain's or anyone's. We went in almost blind because of this new enemy."
"I appreciate the recomforting words, Kolya, but this was a tactical error on my side as much as it was a mistake. Now, what situation are you referring to on the planet? Is this about the bastards who gunned down your troops?" The woman inquired, her voice slowly growing resentful as the cheers of the ship faded and turned to a grim, tomblike silence. He watched the kids of Spearhead squadron already talking, laughing, then wondered who would put children into the roles of soldiers.
"Yes... I do believe the military force that rescued me and my group would be better at explaining the situation. How long until you and a task force of Marines and officers can come down here?" He inquired, then turned to Shin and waved him forward. The young man approached the officer, crossing his arms to his chest as both he and the Major awaited the response.
"Two hours. We'll also have our Slipspace drive back in working order by then..." She replied, "This better be important, major. We can return here once we've either won or had to evacuate Earth..."
"I feel like it's pretty important, ma'am... We'll wait for your arrival. Tell the captain and crew I and Captain Shin Nouzen of the Spearhead Squadron greet you all from the planet below. Volkov, over and out," He spoke, then shut off the channel. Turning to Shin and removing his helmet, he said "You are going to have to brief me and my officers about the 'Legion' and your situation. What country we are in, what operational threats we should expect..."
"We'll do our best to brief all of you," The blonde boy with green eyes said, smirking, "But I feel like we should all get introductions done first. You already met Shin and Anju. I'm Theoto Rikka, though most of my friends call me Theo. Callsign, Laughing Fox."
"I'm Callsign Snow Witch," Anju smiled.
"Undertaker," Shin added coldly, causing a slight shift in the major's perception and a chill to shoot up his spine.
"Daiya Irma," The boy who had found them first smiled, waving, "Callsign Black Dog. Happy to see you're on your feet, sir. And may I say, it's cool to meet extra-terrestrials... Though kind of spooky that you folks are humans..."
"Haruto Keats. Whaddup!" The redhead boy with red eyes smirked, "Callsign's Falke... And I'm with Daiya here."
"Same here," The nutmeg-haired girl smirked, then said "I'm Kurena Kukumila, by the way. Callsign Gunslinger. And I told everyone in this room your equipment seems far too advanced, so I can safely say 'Called it!'" garnering a few chuckles out of her squadron mates.
"Where's the ammo for our guns?" Nowak inquired, smirking as she spun a magless M6G Magnum between her fingers.
"In our armory, safe and sound," Replied the next fellow, a tall, buff dude with combed-back green hair, a strong jawline and a scar on his left cheek. He nodded to all of them, then said "Name's Raiden Shuga. Callsign Wehrwolf. Color me impressed that we're meeting actual aliens, but let me tell you, if you were planning to visit, you should've either done it before the war or when it started... Might've saved a lot of us Eighty-Sixes from trouble."
"Eighty-Sixes?" Georgy inquired, crossing his arms to his chest, "I heard you folks mention that term while the Major was out."
"It's what we're called," Raiden shrugged, "We live in the 'nonexistent' eighty-sixth district of the Republic of San Magnolia, hence, we're Eighty-Sixes."
"Why 'nonexistent'?" Agnieszka inquired, leaning back into the couch, her comrades listening intently to the talk, "I mean, you folks clearly inhabit this area. And have to fight the Legion at the borders."
Theo let out a dry laugh, then said "That's not what the White Pigs in San Magnolia think. They think we don't exist out here and that their little war with the Legion is being fought by the quote-unquote 'Autonomous' Juggernaut combat drones," and looked to the Major. He spoke, "To the people behind the Gran Mur, the wall separating the Eighty-Sixth sector from the other main Eighty-Five? We're nothing. Just tools."
"... That can't be right," The Major replied, "How many of you are there?"
"We don't know," Raiden replied, his expression sour, "But on last estimates? Maybe a little over a hundred thousand left? All of us kids."
"What!?" The entire ODST group balked, several of them standing to their feet.
"... What happened...?" The Major inquired, feeling anger boiling up inside him.
"The adults all went to serve under some bogus promise that we'd all get our citizenships back if they fought for six years," Kurena said, her expression having switched from what seemed to be that of a sweet young girl to one of genuine anger, "Then went the older siblings... And then we came around. We're some of the youngest and one of the last generations of Eighty-Sixes remaining."
"That can't be true..." Captain Herrera spoke, looking to them.
"Better believe it, captain," Theo replied, shaking his head, "And there's some twenty million of our overlords past the wall several kilometers behind this FOB..." he then chuckled dryly, a hind of anger as he spoke. The Troopers all gazed at one-another, before each of them looked to Shin. The young man simply gave a nod to the ODSTs, to confirm the sayings of his squadron.
"... This is so many layers of fucked, I don't even know how to peel it..." Georgy voiced, garnering a few chuckles out of his team and somehow lifting the heavy mood that had settled in the room. Even the kids let out short bursts of laughter, except for Shin. The Major and the young man looked to one-another and Volkov calmly motioned to Shin to continue.
He only asked, "What of this Legion? And your war? How did it even start?"
"An empire, the Empire of Giad, created the Legion as an ultimate weapon, so the word goes," Shin explained, "They deployed it and invaded all their neighboring countries, but then just collapsed, leaving the Legion masterless and with only one objective:The total surrender of the neighboring nations. We don't know much more about them, nor do we know if any other country beyond San Magnolia has survived, but we do know their numbers are seemingly limitless."
"I am Legion, for We are many..." Quoted Nowak, crossing her arms to her chest.
"Mark 5:9," Shin remarked, causing the woman to quirk a brow at him. He looked to her, then said "I read the book that's from."
"... The Bible?" Agnes chuckled, "Color me impressed."
"Guess we've got our work cut out for us, then. All we can do now, I presume, is await the arrival of Admiral Nakano and her little support force," The Major stated.
"You folks can join us for dinner if you want," Daiya offered, "We just got some fresh eggs from the chickens! And a couple of our other folks are out on patrol tonight, so they're eating MREs for dinner," and he stood up. Anju followed behind him as they went to the kitchen, with some of the others joining up. Shin, Kurena and Raiden stopped and looked at the ODSTs. Agnieszka, Georgy and the others in the group spoke in whisper to one-another and only they knew about what.
Well, they and the Major. The burly bear of a man walked up to Shin and his team and said, "They're considering ways they can talk the Admiral into providing aid for you and your force."
"Huh," Kurena paused, "Just like that?"
"Just like that. The UNSC fights for the good of all mankind, not just one group or another," The Major replied calmly, "Plus, once Nowak and Horvat get their minds on something, they accomplish it one way or another... How did you even find the other members of our force. I had honestly thought that they would be as dead as the squad I, the Corporal and Sergeant left with."
"We divided our forces. Most of the ones we found here were ones who were a kilometer or two away from you when the situation grew dire," Shin replied, "Several of them were also wounded badly, but Anju and Kurena patched them up."
"Thank you, miss Kukumila," The Major said to the girl. She smiled.
"Hey, no biggie. It's the right thing to do, after all," She shrugged. The man had her pegged as a bit childish, which was fine.
He then replied, "We'll join you for dinner as soon we can. It may take a while with sergeant Georgy's wounded leg," before bidding them a quick goodbye and letting them step off. As he rejoined the ranks of his men and women, he could only wonder what their next course of action would be. Command could easily send a single ship out and tell the UNSC there's a situation unfolding on another planet but that they'll be there ASAP...
He sighed. The Admiral knew best, for now...
Aboard the Serene
The Admiral arranged her uniform as she sat in her office. The place was a large room, ten foot by ten foot and lined with pictures, welcoming furniture and even a goddamn fluffy carpet at the head of her queen-sized bed. If the UNSC did anything weird, it was giving the highest-ranking officers the best rooms with the most expensive shit one could fit in them. She preferred a more spartan approach to decorating, but still, she couldn't refuse having a place to put photos of her kids and grandkids in. She lifted one such picture, depicting her twenty-year-old twins, son and daughter, with their own children.
She sighed, setting the picture down just as a knock came on the door. She stood to her feet, then walked up to and opened it, revealing the Captain. She smiled at him, then inquired, "Are you feeling better, Michel?"
"Much..." The man breathed a sigh of relief, "Docs scanned my noggin and gave me painkillers. Say I should be fine within a couple of days..."
"Good," She nodded, "Would hate to lose a good captain to some brain damage. Were you briefed on the situation?"
"Volkov called you down for a discussion with some of the locals," He nodded as they began their trek to the Bridge. He spoke, "Said something about the locals being able to better explain what gunned down sixty of our most experienced troops in the three-twenty-second. Charon told me everything before I came to talk to you... We going to the planet?"
"I am. I will need you to stay on the bridge of the Serene and be ready to coordinate for a Slipspace jump out of this system," She replied, "As soon as I'm back aboard, anyway..."
"Ma'am," The Captain nodded, "I understand. Protocol."
"Mhm. Good to see you back to your senses, Captain..." She smiled, then grew serious again as both of them finally entered the bridge. The bridge crews brought their hands up in salute, while Charon turned and greeted them with a single wave of its skeletal hand, before turning back to working on a multitude of calculations and data. The woman said to the AI, "Status, Charon?"
"We are in the green. All systems are nominal, ma'am. I've made and remade the calculations and... I think I may have discovered an anomaly in our drive," It looked to her. She raised a brow. The AI nodded, then said "It isn't connected to the drive itself, but something from outside... Whatever it is, it has switched the system codes just as we were entering Slipstream."
"What could even affect our entry and pull us all the way here, Charon?" Captain Ambroz asked, disbelieving.
"I do not know... May I suggest we have a test before we attempt to enter Slipspace ourselves?" The AI offered, bringing up the schematics of one of their Frigates, the No Inch Spared, as well as her Slipspace Drive's status. It was green, much like the rest of the ship. The AI stated, "Worry not... If the Inch can depart safely through Slipspace, she'll have made it to the Earth before us. If not, by my calculations, she should either be unable to jump, or would just get sent back here."
"Are you sure, Charon?" Ambroz seemed skeptical, but the AI gave a nod.
"I've run and rerun the calculations a thousand and one times at this point, sir. I am certain that she will be just fine. The only thing we'd have to worry about is the same that occurred on our transfer here:Loss of power. And she has a dozen ships around to ensure she remains in orbit if it happens..." The AI explained, pulling up the data, then asking, "Should I get captain Shinomya on the com?"
"Please..." The Admiral nodded.
"Admiral, ma'am. Captain Aiden Shinomya, reporting," The male officer of the naval vessel spoke, "Charon already briefed us on what we're supposed to do. We're just waiting for your order."
"I see," The woman looked over to the AI, then said calmly, "Initiate Slipspace transfer, Captain. We have your back if things go south."
"Appreciate it. We have failsafes ready, too. Just in case... We'll see you on the flipside, command," The man replied. The group watched as the vessel initiated a full burn away from the planet, then began tracking her in three-dimensional space via the holotable once she got out of the line of sight of their observation windows. The group watched as the energy readings from the ship's FTL drive came pouring in with the rest of the telemetry... Then, she winked out of existence.
And reappeared in front of the Serene, lightning arcing off its body as it floated aimlessly now. The AI hummed, then sighed and said, "Jump unsuccessful, but I have received shipboard telemetry. The same thing that has happened to us has happened to the No Inch Spared, except in her case, it seems the disruptions are far less major. She should be back up and running within the hour..."
"Damn..." Captain Ambroz murmured.
"So... What is it, then, Charon?" She asked, looking to the AI.
"I believe it's an interdiction field," The AI replied. The two officers looked to it, awaiting for it to continue. Taking the silence as a cue to do so, Charon then offered the explanation:"A single beam communication of a highly-advanced type beyond even our own struck the FTL Core of the No Inch Spared, altering the travel coordinates by a sixteenth of a percentile, just enough to cause a minor malfunction before being able to completely overwrite the signal. The ship was hence returned to the spot where she appeared with the rest of the fleet some hours ago. I cannot track where the pulse came from, but... I can confirm, however, that an energy surge was detected across the planet's surface."
"Across, not on it?" The woman inquired, well aware of an AI's wording.
It nodded, "It appears whatever is blanketing the planet with disruptive ECM fields is also hiding, or at least multiplying the locations of the energy signature so it cannot be tracked. Curious..."
"Hmm... I guess we'll only get our answers from this Spearhead Squadron," She spoke, "Rally up Dagger and Talon squads in the hangar and load two Pelicans. We'll be going in on the Major's coordinates. Captain, you have the bridge. I will be back as soon as I get the info we need out of this lot before we decide on our next course of action, seeing as we're fucking stuck here."
"Aye, ma'am," Replied the two, saluting. She saluted back, then departed.
Arriving in the hangar some twenty minutes later, the woman found twenty tough sons of bitches of the UNSC Marine Corps waiting for her, clad in their full armor BDUs and carrying both BR55 Battle Rifles and MA5B Assault Rifles, not to mention 50cal GPMGs and rocket launchers for their more heavily-armed troops. Leading the platoon was a First Lieutenant, a thirty-something year-old olive-skinned man who'd also seen his fair share of shit. He and his platoon saluted, their equipment rattling against the armor and their rigs.
She saluted, then said, "At ease. Lieutenant Martinez. Good to see you."
"Happy to be here, ma'am. We going to recover our ODSTs, I presume?" The man, who wielded an M45 shotgun, inquired, a grin on his face.
"That'd be the plan, Lieutenant," The woman smiled, "Get your men loaded up and let's move. As God is my witness, I'm going downstairs with the Marines to be our negotiator for this operation. We will need to be tactful about this... Or as tactful as we're allowed to be, considering what we just witnessed happen on that planet," Before she mounted up in the lead bird, callsign Diplomat-1.
As the aircraft took off, the Marines locked and loaded, just in case things downstairs turned hairy. The woman watched the Marines slamming in fresh clips of FMJ AP ammo, just in case machines popped on by to say hello. She leaned back into her seat and let the rattle caused by atmospheric reentry ease her to sleep for at least five minutes. The last few hours had been hectic as all hell, considering the situation.
Within moments, the Admiral woke up, startled, as she felt the aircraft begin to decelerate. She straightened up, waiting for the bird to level out, before she undid her harness in synch with the Marines. As the aircraft decelerated to landing speed, it spun about. Gently, it touched down with the familiar clanging of the gear legs touching concrete. As the Marines stood up, they let the woman take the front, with the two rows of five each flanking her side.
The door opened, revealing the ODSTs, including the good major Volkov, and what the Captain assumed to be the members of the Spearhead Squadron. A Marine to her right whispered, "Christ... It's just kids...!" which drove home the feeling the Admiral was trying to ignore. Either the situation on the ground for the country they landed near was that desperate, or something else was afoot.
All of the kids were staring with wide eyes at the Pelicans after they'd landed, save for one of them. Red eyes, black hair, whitish-blue scarf around his neck and sitting next to the Major. Must've been him. She approached the men, saluted and smiled at Volkov and his men, all of whom gave stiff salutes back, all of them seemingly concerned. Volkov mouthed a 'we'll explain in a bit' to the woman. She nodded, then turned to the boy, Shin Nouzen, saluted and said, "You must be Captain Nouzen. Greetings. I'm Admiral Nakano, of the UNSC Navy."
"Greetings, ma'am," He saluted back, "Welcome to Spearhead FOB."
"I presume we have a lot to talk about," She offered.
"We do... Especially after everything your ODSTs told us about the UNSC," The boy nodded. He motioned to the FOB, a broken-down mess of a place, made of concrete and god knew what cheap materials could be found. It also had a hangar and an airstrip situated close by, with the hangar seemingly housing war machines that were probably used to save the Major and his men.
... This was gonna be interesting. Entering the main building of the FOB itself, the UNSC Marines were welcomed by the children with drinks, food and chatter while the Admiral went off to the side to talk to Shin. They were going to an office near the little recreation room and mess hall, with the woman under the guard of Major Volkov. While they were talking, the Marines in the FOB had engaged in small-talk with the kids.
"It true you folks come from space?" Another of their numbers, Lecca, inquired, smirking, "Shin and the others told us about it when we returned from patrol."
A couple more kids beside the brown-haired girl that just talked to them had come back from their short patrol. The lieutenant nodded, "Yeah. Our battle group's currently in orbit, tryin'a figure its shit out."
"Sounds like you folks are having trouble," Theo observed before biting into an apple.
"Yeah, our FTL Drives ain't doin' too hot," Another Marine, a girl this time, replied as she nursed a hot coffee with considerable amounts of cream and sugar added despite it being night. She winced, then said, "An' I think that's all I'm allowed to reveal for now..." before taking a real long sip of the coffee, somehow managing not to burn herself. Raiden and the other kids chuckled.
"Well, least we know we aren't the only ones stuck on this world for now," Daiya quipped, grinning.
"No, no you're not," Replied another young man from the corps. He turned to his fellow Marine and said, "Angie, for the love of fuck, down that thing in sips, not by chugging the entire thing..." as he saw she hadn't removed the drink from her lips. He shook his head as she continued, then said, "I swear, this girl's more used to swallowing than most of us."
Several of the Marines burst into laughter at the comment while 'Angie' raised a single digit at the man with her free hand as she chugged down the coffee just to spite him. He giggled, then looked to the Spearhead members and said, "Sisters. Can't live with'em, nor can you without'em," before standing up and walking toward the window of the mess hall.
Slamming her tin cup down onto the table, the woman exhaled loudly, then whined, "My fucking tongue..." as she felt it start to swell.
"Warned you," Her brother noted, crossing his arms to his chest.
"Shut the fuck up, Mike," She smirked, "Watcha doin' over there, anyway?"
"Just checking the place out. An airstrip, a hangar and a main building... It's almost like we're staring at carbon copies of UNSC FOBs when they ain't underground," The Marine offered, then turned to the kids. Some of the ODSTs in the room shook their heads at the antics, almost all of them laughing. Agnieszka, however, was busy loading fresh ammunition into her mags.
"Yeah, fair enough," His sister shrugged, then she turned to the girls of Spearhead and asked, "You gals've been staring at me since I got that Coffee... You wanna talk about something?"
"We were actually just surprised to see... No offense, miss Angie, but how old are you?" Anju inquired.
"... I'm nineteen. And I'm a private..." She stated calmly, "Why? What's up?"
"Just wondering," Kurena offered, "How long have you been in the service...?"
"One year... As is standard issue, considering we can only join the service at eighteen. Seventeen with a parent's or guardian's signature..." She explained slowly, looking at the two girls before inquiring, "What about you two... And everyone else here...?" And she scanned the room full of kids. She narrowed her lips, then looked to Kurena and Anju, each of them looking back at her.
"... I've been in for... I don't recall exactly, four years now? I'm around fifteen." Anju offered.
"I know Shin's been around that long," Kurena replied, somewhat horrifying the woman before them. And the rest of the Marines. Everyone turned to the ODSTs and Corporal Nowak sighed. Oh, this was gonna be a long-winded explanation, she thought as she began to tell them what the kids had told them while they listened in and corrected any mistake or added their own.
A bead of sweat ran down Anju's cheek as she saw the Marines immediately pick up their firearms, killer intent in their eyes. She raised her hands and said, "Settle down, please!" to which Angie stared at her with disbelief. Nowak and the ODSTs had also begun trying to settle the gang down. Anju spoke to Angie, stating, "Listen, I understand how this seems to you and you're not wrong to be upset, but we frankly don't think marching up to the front gates of the Republic, armed to the teeth, is gonna do any good to anyone..."
Just as Angie was about to reply to that, they heard a thundering, angry "WHAT!?" echoing from the hall. The Admiral. That was the Admiral. And she was pissed. Storming into the room, the woman spoke, her voice harsh, "I swear, I'm going to have our fleet shove several MAC rounds right up those bastards' pompous asses! What the FUCK is wrong with them!?"
"Admiral, settle down," The Major spoke as he entered the room, "I understand you're angry, but nuking a nation... Even one as debased and moronic as Captain Nouzen has made the Republic sound... Is not a good first impression for a First Contact scenario."
"Ugh... Fucking..." The woman growled, then breathed in and out and sighed, "... Alright... Major... Take your ODSTs and debrief the Marines on the situation as a whole, please... I've got a call to make to the Fleet... And Captain Nouzen. Stick close. You and your Squadron may want to hear this..." She then offered as she lifted up a communication device of some kind.
Raiden approached Shin while the woman made her call, then asked "Say... Isn't it about the hour...?"
"It is..." Shin replied. And as if on cue, their Para-RAID Neural Link system activated, the tips of their ears shining a greenish tint as they listened in.
"Forgive my tardiness, everyone... I've been getting reports day and night about something or other happening," A young woman's voice called to them, "Everything going alright in the base?"
"Good evening, major Milizé," Shin replied over the system, somewhat surprising the Admiral as she still spoke to her crew. The man continued, "Yes, everything's well... Our last patrol just returned about half an hour ago and we were almost done with the debrief..." watching as the Admiral stared at him, surprised. He pointed at his ear, to a small metallic object that looked like an earring. It had a green light passing down the middle. He then looked to Raiden and motioned to the Admiral.
Raiden ran a hand over his own strange device as Shin spoke to the Major. Raiden then approached the Admiral and said, "We're talking through our Para-RAID System to our Handler, Handler One. She's a major in the San Magnolia Military, full name Vladilena Milizé. She's a Pig but she's not like the rest of them. Or she likes to pretend she isn't, anyway. She does this thing where she calls us every evening, makes sure we're okay, sometimes even sends us gifts! Y'know, that kind of thing."
"... Well, there's bound to be one good thing in a stack full of shit," The Admiral sighed, garnering a chuckle out of Raiden. She then spoke through her own com, "Deploy the tenth company off the Liberator as soon as they and their armor are ready to join us down here and keep me appraised of changes up above, captain Talbot. Admiral Nakano, over and out..." And she flicked the device off. She watched as Shin spoke into what was basically thin air to her, before asking, "The fuck is a Para-RAID?"
"Neural link system that lets us share our senses with our Handler. We don't know the full story behind it, just that it works well enough for it to have fully replaced standard-issue Wireless radio as the mainstay communication system. It can't be hacked, can't be jammed by the Eintagsfliege swarms and can transmit as long as one is in active range of their Handler..." Raiden explained to the woman, who seemed awed. That technology could probably solve the communication issues they've been having.
Shin gave Raiden a hand signal and he stepped off, telling the Admiral, "Gotta reconnect before she gets worried."
"Don't tell her a damn thing about us, you two. You hear?" She warned them in a whisper, "I don't care if she's the 'nice' kid in the gang of morons leading the Republic or the most saintly of the citizens of San Magnolia's capital... Not a fucking word until we decide to reveal ourselves personally to the world. And we'll do that in our own time... Not on their request."
Shin and Raiden both nodded, with Raiden reconnecting to the Para-RAID transmit just in time to hear Lena say, "Some of the reports have been worrying... Radar stations picked up multiple airborne bogeys several hours ago near one of the city ruins farther east from your position... And then another pickup just recently. Two bogeys, appeared a few thousand feet above, then disappeared right over your FOB."
Shin hummed, thinking for a moment, then lied as naturally as he breathed, "We haven't seen anything. Perhaps you should tell them to recalibrate the system," Somewhat surprising the rest of the squadron. Kurena and Anju looked to one-another, then giggled. Theo shook his head, grinning at his friend's carelessness over the situation. Lena seemed to take a moment to think about what the man had said.
"... Hmm... Alright, I'll see what I can do. Radar on the fritz isn't good news when we're facing more frequent Legion incursions. Are you sure everything's alright, though?" She seemed suspicious.
"Positive," Shin replied.
"Right, well... I caught you all in the night, pretty much... And it's late. You should probably begin Lights Out. We'll talk more tomorrow, on the next patrol," Lena offered cordially.
""Mhm. Good night, major," Shin spoke. The Para-RAID system then switched off with a whirr and the Captain offered a nod to the Admiral, "We're in the clear. She can't 'hear' what we're talking about anymore."
"That's a very useful tool there. Ability to communicate as long as you're in range via neural link? Heh," The Admiral grinned, "Could do us some good, considering we're running on wireless and other forms of communication right now that are apparently easily jammed by those little bastards flying in the sky as swarms," And she turned to the group as the drone of jet engines began to shake the base, cups vibrating. Her grin grew wide, "And they're here, just in time... If you'll all follow me outside, Spearhead..."
As the group exited onto the tarmac of the base, jet-wash caused their clothing to flutter and flail, the high winds caused by dozens of landing aircraft surprising the Eighty-Sixer Processors. All of Spearhead's members watched with wide eyes as several hundred Marines and a multitude of tanks disembarked from specialized drop-ships, lining up on the tarmac of the airstrip.
Twenty armored fighting vehicles, more specifically, the UNSC's Scorpion tanks, had been brought forth as well. Heavily armored, with an automated, unmanned turret that had a 90mm Smoothbore gun mounted alongside a coaxial 12,7mm MG and on four sets of tracks, the heavy tank resembled its namesake creature in everything up to and including form. It also had fairly good ground clearance, good enough that mines would hardly do anything to the single crewman inside.
The Admiral looked over to a surprised Shin, then said, "Considering what you told me in there, Captain Nouzen... Consider this a sing of friendship between the United Nations Space Command and the Eighty-Sixth District of the Republic of San Magnolia. Our forces will henceforth be actively fighting alongside yours to secure the future of the inhabitants of this District."
"... That's..." Shin paused
"A bit crazy to send a full company to reinforce us, ma'am... With all due respect..." Raiden voiced what Shin couldn't. Him and the rest of Spearhead stared with wide eyes.
"Consider it a gift and protection... Just in case some Alba folks decide to do anything dumb," The woman offered. Several more vehicles, lightly armored and armed with a single weapon each in a traversing turret on the back, rolled in alongside the tanks. Warthog FAVs, armed with Gatlings, Gauss Cannons and even MLRSes. The might of the UNSC Armed Forces in one single company stood before the almost a dozen kids gathered on the Tarmac.
They watched as the gunships, both Pelicans and what looked to be heavier duty transports, departed at high speed, flying at Nap-of-The-Earth after they were probably pinged by the Radar of the San Magnolia FOBs. The hundreds of Marines on the deck snapped crisp salutes to the Admiral, rifles leaned against their left shoulders. They were joined by Dagger and Talon.
"Lieutenant Martinez, Lieutenant Sokolova, Lieutenant Smith, Lieutenant Hitchock and Lieutenant Michaels," The Admiral called to the men, each of them standing at attention. She stood in front of them, hands laced behind her back, then stated, "I am leaving you in the care of Captain Nouzen and Spearhead squadron for the time being. You are to act as their assistant infantry force at your best capacity. I also expect all of you to behave while you're down here... We're this planet's first contact with another civilization in space. Let's make a better first impression than the Covvies, shall we?"
"Hoo'rah!" The Marines chorused, some of them chuckling.
"Damn straight!" She grinned, "Consider yourselves our spearhead on this world... Against both the Legion and any who may threaten the people known to the Republic of San Magnolia as the Eighty-Six. As soon as I'm done talking to the rest of the Fleet's high-ranking officers and the general of our little task force... We're gonna be doing a little more than guarding FOBs and assisting in patrols..." She looked to Shin, to Spearhead and to Volkov and his men behind them all, "We're gonna get payback on those robotic sons-of-bitches that took too many good men and women! We owe our boys and girls that much, seeing as we're stuck in this system. WE GONNA KICK ASS, MARINES!?"
"Hoo'rah!" The Marines roared again, this time joined by the ODSTs.
"WE GONNA MAKE THOSE TIN CANS FEAR FOR THEIR PROCESSING UNITS?!" She roared
"HOO"RAH!" The Marines cried aloud yet again, riled up.
"Damn straight! God's smiled upon the Corps in times of need, ladies and gentlemen! Let's see'em try and stop an entire division of Marines, tanks and 'Hogs, not to mention the air support!" She smirked, "At ease! Captain Nouzen," She looked to the surprised young man, then stated, "I trust you will treat my Marines and equipment fairly and will allow them to kick some ass and take some names if I leave them in your care?"
"... I'm..." He looked over the faces of the Marines lined up in front of him. They'd need Para-RAID equipment and he was damn sure that the next inspection and supply drop that Major Milizé would be sending them would reveal the Marines to San Magnolia's higher-ups anyhow. Having a reinforcing Task Force would be good, but there was also the matter of the Legion's penchant for stealing human minds.
The Marines stared at the kid, waiting for an answer, each of them still wearing their trademark, seemingly bloodthirsty grins. They seemed eager, they had vehicles and were probably more aware of how the enemy units worked. He hummed, then looked to the Admiral and said, "... I suggest you consider revealing yourself to Major Milizé as soon as possible. I believe she may be able to assist you in regards to acquiring an example of the Para-RAID equipment you would need to coordinate with us... Otherwise, your Marines and tanks are welcome to stay with us, but they will be stuck in the base for the duration of the wait."
"You think Milizé would willingly help foreigners?" The Admiral raised a brow, "She that good?"
"She's been nothing but friendly to us," Kurena remarked, crossing her arms to her chest and seemingly less than pleased about it.
"Said she cares about the Eighty-Six..." Theo chuckled, "And frankly, I'm starting to believe the White Pig a bit, considering all the care packages she's been sending our way..."
"Hmm... We'll see..." The Admiral made a mental note to contact their ONI office about sending a possible infiltration unit, "Then, keep them safe here, at the very least. See if you can't figure out ways to communicate with the tanks, at least, so you have some extra firepower to engage the enemy while we figure out this 'Para-RAID' and how to best acquire it. They're all yours now, Captain."
"I understand," He nodded, then looked to the Marines. All of them now crisply saluted him, taking him a back slightly. Sure, not all of them seemed comfortable with saluting what amounted to a child soldier that was higher rank than them, but they still did. He looked back to Raiden and the others, seemingly confused about what to do next, but they urged him on.
The Admiral then gave him a salute and a smile to the boy. Narrowing his lips and now feeling slightly more pressure than before, he saluted the troops back and said to them a calm, "At ease," then turned to the Admiral. He spoke, "I'm still not sure this is a good idea, ma'am... What if they get discovered by San Magnolia military crews flying our supplies in?"
"Then the San Magnolians better hope their fuckboys know not to mess with foreigners that are armed to the fucking teeth," She smirked, crossing her arms to her chest.
"I'm also concerned as to why you think it's a good idea to leave a company in the care of children...?" Shin added, casting another sideways glance to the hundreds of soldiers and the dozens of tanks he'd now have under his care, "You seem ready enough to trust what we have to say about the San Magnolians and about our own service... What if you find out it's different from their perspective?"
"You said you served four years, didn't you, Captain? And you wouldn't have earned your rank if you didn't know what you were doing, I'm pretty sure, considering you survived the Legion alongside the rest of your squadron as you have so far. I don't see a reason to distrust someone like you... Considering the scars on your neck and the thousand yard stare you have," The woman remarked, making Shin feel for his neck wound. She smiled, then said, "I saw them when I landed. Tell me the rest of your tales when I come visit again."
The boy hummed, then looked to the Admiral and said, "Maybe some other time..."
"Right," She nodded, "I'll be getting my people on the job to meet this major of yours in the capital. Any information you can pass to us about the Districts and the capital would be mighty handy."
"The next time your troops come about, we'll hand them an old map we managed to scrounge up thanks to the Major. Should give you a hint as to how the Eighty-Five Districts are divided," Raiden offered, joining in on the conversation, "If you have a plan, do you mind sharing with the class, ma'am? Because getting into the First District won't be easy unless you manage to make yourself an Alba."
"We'll talk more once we've figured out our course of action. I'll also need a photo of an Alba. Have a reference ready and whatnot," She smirked. Raiden and Shin both nodded, then covered their eyes as a Pelican came in to land right next to them. The Admiral waved to Major Volkov and his ODSTs to follow her, then looked to Shin and Raiden and yelled so she could be heard past the engines of the bird, "Even if only half of what you said is true, we will help you! Humans do not leave their own behind, no matter their skin, traits or creed! I will be back, Captain! I expect to hear my men have been treated well!"
Shin looked to her and simply nodded, eyes wide as he watched the ODSTs load up into the aircraft while the Marines marched toward the hangar where their Feldreßes were, to unload their gear, much to the surprise of the engineer of Spearhead, Lev. The old man stared, eyes wide behind his sunglasses, as an entire group of soldiers and vehicles were brought into the hangar to shield them from the elements and presumably prepare them for future operations. Volkov and his team saluted Shin, with Nowak mouthing something about 'coming back soon' as they loaded up.
"They're fine soldiers, Shin," The woman spoke, "As yours seem to be! I'm just sorry you had to be soldiers in the first place!"
"Don't worry, Admiral," Raiden spoke, for Shin, grinning ear to ear, "Everyone fights their own fights! It's just that ours are with a genocidal army of machines instead of... I dunno, teenage hormones and other crap like that! Those come into play, too, though more rarely when you're completely tired!" and he got a laugh out of the Admiral. She nodded to them, placed a hand on Raiden's shoulder first, then on Shin's.
"Fight well!" She spoke, then climbed aboard the Pelican. The two stepped away from it as it took off into the night sky, flying toward the horizon before arching up, a reverse shooting star.
"Well," Raiden smiled, "What now?"
"... We fight. As we've done," Shin spoke, "Maybe we'll survive longer with them here..."
"Frankly, I'd love to see the look on the major's face when she finds out about this," Raiden replied, grinning. He then looked to see Kurena, Anju and the others already helping the Marines move in. He elbowed Shin in the shoulder, then said "C'mon. I figure we ought to help our newcomers move in... Though I'm not sure we've got enough bunks."
"We'll think of something..." Shin replied, turning to see Spearhead's processors working with a lot more vigor behind each movement, including picking up random assorted boxes of what seemed to be MREs, ammunition and spare parts dropped off by the gunships. Shin and Raiden walked up and picked up their own boxes, with the latter smiling widely.
They could survive now...
Maybe...