Chapter 11: Sitting Duck
We all hold our breaths, taking shelter under the trees and the plane as we continue to watch the skies for any changes. It should be at least half an hour until extraction, so we're about halfway there.
God, I really miss live communications now. I'd love it if I could radio into home base and let them know our coordinates for extraction rather than this unreliable method.
"Eyes up." PPK says, everyone snapping to attention. "Springfield, I'm not seeing phantoms, am I?"
"Those aren't phantom dots." Springfield says, nodding. "Commander, I'm picking up some movement. Coming from the direction of Saxe Gotha. Coming in fast and high."
"Alright, look alive!" I shout, everyone having their grips on their weapons. "Enemy air, incoming!"
"If those are dragon knights, they'll come down to investigate. I recommend we wait for an ambush." Agnes says from her position, hidden in the bushes.
"What are we going to do about the dragons? Those things are tanky as hell, aren't they?"
"I can handle them." Hiraga says. "My sword can take them on."
"...I see." I say, nodding. "Copy that. All units, do not engage, wait for them to come in closer. We'll ambush them as they land on the ground."
The sound of swooping wings comes ever closer. As I peer around from just behind the tree, I see how the dragons knights can land somewhat vertically. It's definitely easier to land like a plane, but if need be they can even hover.
Silently, I gesture towards targets and who will target them. Afterwards, I hold my hand out, denoting a five second countdown. Four. Three. Two. One.
Clenching my fist, I then hear the echoes of gunfire. Each of them taking one kill, that's four dragon riders done in just like that. As the dragons roar in surprise, Hiraga charges in to deal with them, sword drawn.
Just what the hell is that speed… even SMG T-Dolls would have killed for that kind of agility.
I shake it off, knowing there's a better time to be considering this. "Reload, reload, they know we're here, spread out!"
Fanning out from our positions, everyone continues to reload while keeping behind cover. In the midst of the confusion, Hiraga continues to dance with the dragons, evading their bites before slashing with a strike right across their unarmored bellies.
"Those things die easy?" I ask as Agnes shoots down another landing rider, the bullet piercing right through his chest.
"Dragons? Hell no, but if you can kill the rider, it's a hell of a lot easier since it lacks the control of a human behind it. Much more like dealing with a wild animal!"
"Any chance to drive it off?"
"They'll still retreat if they get injured, they're smarter than most creatures. Besides, they have a real knack for being as prideful as their pilots; they won't die here. Let Hiraga deal with the dragons, we need to pick off the riders."
I decide not to ask why a wild dragon is any less dangerous, but decide that I'd rather take my chances with a wild dog that I could scare off rather than a dog that is being told and has been trained to kill on command.
The echoes of gunfire continue on as we continuously shoot down the riders, but eventually they get smarter and start doing strafing runs, raining down blasts of wind that send snow into the air, obscuring everyone's vision. Then again, we need a precise shot; with their magic, they only need to hit in the general vicinity.
"Springfield, take aim, fire at your discretion!" I say, denoting the use of her special firing protocols. "PPK, use it!"
"Copy that, sir! Taking aim!"
"Of course, Commander~"
If only Agnes could benefit from it, but at the very least it'll make Springfield's single shot really count. Combining Springfield's special firing protocol with PPK's ability to temporarily form a short-range communication link between all T-Dolls in the vicinity, allowing her to take on some of their computational load, which in turn allows the Dolls she's supporting more computational power to calculate a more devastating shot—it means that Springfield might even be able to nail a dragon kill outright. Not to mention that it means Spectre's shots are going to hit harder as well.
"And… please rest."
Springfield's calm words precede a blast from her issued musket, piercing right through an airborne dragon that was coming in for another blasting run where its scales didn't cover. Whether or not it was killed with that single shot, it was enough that the dragon and its riders suddenly veered off course, crashing into another rider and causing a chain reaction that knocked out a total of four riders, several of whom hit the treeline before sliding to the ground.
Off to the side, Spectre has been supporting Agnes, the pile of fallen riders starting to rise around them. So far, at least twelve downed.
"Sir!" Spectre yells, rolling out of the way from a wind spell heading her way, struggling to recover as she manages to scuffle her way behind a tree for cover. "Sir, look out! Seven o'clock!"
I turn around, expecting to see an enemy, but instead it's a tree that must've been hit by a stray spell collapsing. Oh shi—
My mind shoots into overdrive, attempting to figure out which way it's falling and whether or not I can make it in time. I spot another tree close enough to me and dive for it, hearing the creaking and snapping of wood right before an impact to my left.
"Dolls, check in!"
"Springfield, engaged!"
"PPK, lovingly engaging!"
"Enfield, firing!"
"Spectre, all clear!"
"Copy that, continue firing!" I yell, pushing myself up as I look to the skies, noticing some of them are flying past without strafing. There might… got it. "All units, be advised, we've got incoming from another angle, don't know where the clearing is, but it seems they've found one! Mop up these fliers quickly before we get flanked and watch the trees!"
"Commander, where are you taking cover?!" Springfield yells out, sniping off another rider before he can buzz us.
"I'll protect him." Spectre says, determination evident in her voice. "Commander, please stay behind me."
"...understood. Thank you, Spectre."
We move, just to the edge of the treeline, so we're covered from the aerial attacks but still have enough buffer space to give us enough time to spot enemies moving in the trees. The firing of guns never stops, but the lack of spells being launched towards us is worrying. They're just buying time.
"Springfield, take aim!"
"Understood, sir!"
"Hold fire until it's ready each time, we need to make those shots count! PPK, time it with Springfield!"
"Of course, sir~"
"Oi, Commander, I spot movement in the trees!" Agnes shouts.
"Enfield, Spectre, cover Springfield!"
"Sir, you—"
"—will be fine, I trust you!"
"Lots of incoming, must've had their other fliers carry them around, I see fliers returning!" Agnes yells, looking up at the sky. I confirm that another wave of fliers is inbound. Damn…!
"PPK, Spectre, I'm authorizing use of your other firearms, at your discretion!"
"Sir?!" Spectre asks, turning her head around to face me. "There aren't too many of them!"
"We're protecting VIPs and we are unable to retreat. Don't be wasteful with it, is all I'm saying!"
"Understood, sir!"
The sound of gunfire shifts rapidly, now including a mix of the pistol and submachine gun, the latter of the two firing in incredibly short, controlled bursts as Spectre makes every shot count. Out of the corner of my eye, I keep watch on Saito, who has less to contend, but continues to fend off the dragons with his sword almost like a hero out of fiction.
Springfield's firing rate slows down considerably as she waits for her Designated Shot firing protocol to be ready as to avoid straining her hardware. Overall, we seem to be holding our own.
"I got another batch of fliers!"
Goddammit!
"Direction?!" I yell out as Springfield takes another shot, downing another flier's dragon and by extension, the flier who crashes into the ground, where a shot from Agnes eliminates him for good.
"Coming from the direction of our site!"
"Could be—"
I don't need to finish the rest of my sentence as the formation of enemy fliers that was coming in for another attack run breaks hard, a pair of high speed fliers having charged straight through their element before pulling what must be a high G turn to come back around and start attacking. Only one squad would be here, after all.
"Leave the air to Gautier! GK Squad, focus fire on enemy ground! Spectre, PPK, discontinue weapon usage and switch back to standard weaponry!"
"Copy that, sir!"
Just like that, with the arrival of air power, the tide of the battle shifts immensely. Without having air blasts raining down on us or worrying too much about stray shots downing trees, we can focus on taking out the light infantry sent to flank us.
"Sir, behind you!"
One of them must've snuck up using the woods and crawling on the ground, but thanks to Spectre's warning, I manage to turn around and begin backpedalling, buying me some crucial time to change up my footing to prepare for close range. He swipes high for my neck with his right hand, which I duck under and rise up for an uppercut, staggering him.
With him stunned, I sweep his feet from underneath him and as soon as he hits the ground, stomp on his right hand to force him to drop the knife, followed by a point blank shot to the chest.
"Springfield, status?" I ask, my heart still beating at an accelerated rate as I confirm he's not moving.
"I can see movement, but it's all matching up to the skies. Not seeing any more ground movement."
I sigh, nodding. "Form up, let's regroup."
"Impressive, though." Agnes says, looking around as everyone forms up on me. "Didn't know you had experience in close quarters."
"Even if we were commanders, we still had to go through training. It obviously wouldn't help against the foes we were fighting, but it helped us understand what the people we were commanding went through." I say, looking up at the sky before looking around for Hiraga. He waves, having taken cover underneath the Zero fighter. "Alright, let's get prepped for Gautier's approach when they mop up the skies. Stay on your toes, we don't know if they'll be back."
After a lengthy ride back, or perhaps it was only lengthy due to taking a bit of time properly loading up the plane for extraction, we all report directly to General Wimpffen, who looks relieved we're all back.
"Well Commander, it seems the princess was right to put her hopes onto you." He says, chuckling. He's an older man, I would say perhaps around Gautier's age, his hairs already greyed out. He's a bit bulkier compared to our aerial gentleman though, so I estimate he was also a more accomplished swordsman or fighter rather than a pilot.
"Um, excuse me, General." Vallerie says, her tone rather respectful for once. "But can you explain what you mean by the princess was right?"
Ah, there it is. The very hostile, "I'm a noble so please kindly do what I ask-but-really-demand of you" kind of tone I was expecting to hear.
"Oh, I suppose you two wouldn't be acquainted. You have been working separately, after all." General Wimpffen says, nodding. "Miss Vallerie, Commander Baker. He's in charge of the GK Team, and as I hear from the princess herself, an elite team within the Royal Musketeers. Again, Commander, I have to say you do get results."
"I'll have to forward your thanks to Spectre and Springfield, who could not be present as they are assisting with the offloading of the cargo." I say back. "And I could not have done it without Enfield and PPK here."
He looks over the other two who have joined me, giving yet another nod to acknowledge them. They each salute in response.
"But yes, Miss Vallerie, the princess herself said that whatever we told the commander here to accomplish, he would find a way to get it done. He's already assisted with several internal efforts that I'm not at liberty to speak of, but rest assured that Her Majesty's faith in him is not misplaced."
"I see."
"Speaking of Her Majesty, Commander. A package for you bearing her seal has come in. I thought I'd deliver it to you myself while you debriefed."
"Thank you, sir."
"Get some rest, all of you. Judging by what has occurred in the last twenty four hours, a ground invasion of Saxe Gotha will be inevitable. Commander, if you don't mind, while there are several other high ranking officers who disagree due to your lack of nobility, I would like you on the siege planning meeting at eighteen hundred hours. I'll send a messenger to your room with details."
"Yes, sir." I say, saluting.
After we're dismissed, I'm given the letter and choose to return to my quarters, with Agnes heading off to check in on Springfield and Spectre. However, it seems I am being followed.
"Shall I… discourage them, Commander~?" PPK asks as she leans in, whispering.
"Well, we can always have them improve in their tailing ability. Split left at this coming intersection, I'll make a left at the one after that. Catch them after they pass"
"Don't get into too much trouble while I'm away." She says, pulling back and resuming a normal walking pace. At the intersection, PPK breaks left. I don't look to where she's going, as if to make this as natural as possible. It seems they're both still following me, though.
I round the corner and keep going, keep being followed, and pass where PPK should be hiding. To not tip my stalkers off, I pass by without so much as a glance and pick the pace up by stretching out my strides. I can hear somewhat hurried footsteps, with them liking not wanting to lose me.
A few seconds later, I hear a pair of surprised yelps and turn around, finding PPK hugging both Vallerie and Hiraga from behind, an arm around each of them.
"My, my, Commander. It seems you have some people rather interested in you." She says with a knowing smile. "Whatever shall I do with them?"
"Is there any particular reason you two have been following me?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "I can understand your suspicions of me, but considering how I explained my circumstances on the mountain, I didn't think it would be that alarming."
"T… that doesn't mean you aren't plotting something! And who are you to get so close to the princess like that!" The pink-haired girl shouts.
Ah, so this is what it's all about. I suppose she would be protective about her friend.
"First, PPK, let them go. Second, I don't know what proof I can offer that will assuage your worries, other than Agnes trusts me. And if there is anything I've learned from how she treated me at the start, if at any point I ever do cross the line and become a threat to the princess, Agnes will surely cut me down."
Of course, that's exaggerated, but I suppose it still holds. I don't think Agnes would straight up murder me, but if she sensed that I was doing something that would be detrimental to Henrietta, she'd confront me about it. Considering how easily she can get me alone, it wouldn't be hard for her to confront me one on one and make a snap decision then and there.
"Then… if you have nothing to hide, let me see what the princess sent you!"
I suppress the urge to sigh, turning away. "Very well, come along. However, I reserve the right to hide things if it ends up being sensitive information that you shouldn't know."
"And how do I know you won't just hide what you don't want me to see?!"
"You'll just have to trust me. Or do you not have faith in both Agnes' and the princess' ability to gauge things for themselves?"
That quiets her down as we walk to my temporary quarters in the inn.
Enclosed in the package, which is itself not very large, is both a letter and something else that's wrapped. I decide to read the letter first, since it will likely explain the package.
"Oliver,
"I hope you are doing well. News of your accomplishments has reached even back here and you've become quite the topic among commoners and nobility alike. I wish I could be there to wish you well to every battle myself and I do miss both your and Agnes' company. But, with your hand, I would hope that the war would be over soon.
"Ah, but I should not talk of such gloomy things. I am sure it has already taken its toll on you. Well, I say I should move away from such things, but the package that this letter comes in contains something you may find useful. The leftover musketeers uncovered it when intercepting a nobleman's caravan attempting to smuggle weapons to Albion.
"It was found in a small box that bore a name similar to what you call your elite squadron. It seems we will have to conduct a better audit of the security of our own supply rooms.
"Lastly, if you see Louise and Saito, please wish them well for me. I would love to send a letter to Louise as well, but it is far easier to get a hold of you.
"I pray to the Founder for your safe return, all of you.
"Princess Henrietta of Tristain."
Inside the package is… oh, that is useful indeed. In fact, this might play to what strategies I advise in the meeting later.
When I remove the wrapping on the rather hefty box, I notice that indeed, it bears the engraving of G&K on it. It seems to be unopened, as well, without much damage taken directly to the box.
"Well, it seems it was nothing but recovered special equipment." I say, trying not to smile at Henrietta's sleight of hand, should the letter have been intercepted. "Do I have your trust, Lady Vallerie?"
"Explain what they are." She demands.
Before I can answer, I see Vallerie tense up as PPK lightly places her hands on her shoulders. "Now then, little miss, is it quite right for a woman to be demanding all the secrets of war from a general? Let us say that this box contains the means to win the war. Are you prepared to keep that secret?"
"I-if it's for the princess, yes!"
"Then, if the enemy captures you, like they might have had we not rescued you, and they torture you—" PPK says, slowly increases her grip strength most likely, as Vallerie's face starts to slowly become more stressed. "—are you prepared to keep that secret?"
There's a slight pause, enough where Vallerie could try to squeak out a response, but anything she said was cut dead by PPK releasing one of her shoulders and cupping Vallerie's face from behind, her hand carefully running across the poor girl's face. Almost as if PPK were inspecting a priceless porcelain doll.
"Even if they cut you," She starts as a single finger runs from Vallerie's forehead down past her right eye, PPK's finger taking care to hover just far enough over Vallerie's eye where it wouldn't be in any danger, "torture you," PPK's hand then suddenly grips Vallerie's chin and gives a light squeeze, causing the pinkette to eep, "and bu—"
"PPK." I say, with the Doll in question releasing her grip. "I understand what you are trying to convey, but remember she is still a child."
"Yes, of course, sir. Forgive me, but I simply wanted to convince her." PPK says, curtsying.
"Even if she is a soldier under your command, you should make sure your servants do not so inappropriately talk like so!" Vallerie says, her fire returning to her as PPK returns to my side.
"You misunderstand. PPK is not my servant, that is simply how she chooses to dress and I have no intent of stopping her." I say, PPK nodding with a smile. "Now then, while PPK has voiced her concern, I too, will voice my concern in a hopefully less physical manner. It seems we are separate teams, so it is best that I keep my methods and secrets and you keep yours, as to avoid spreading information more than necessary. Information, after all, is the key to victory."
Vallerie opens her mouth to make a comment and I get the feeling that Hiraga wants to argue as well, but a simple chilling smile from PPK stops both of them in their tracks. Quickly making an excuse to leave, Vallerie huffs and commands Hiraga to do so, with him following.
"Was that necessary?" I ask as the door closes behind them.
"My apologies, sir. But I thought it was the quickest way to get them off of your back." PPK says, giving another curtsy. "Perhaps there is something I can do for you in return?"
I shake my head, only suppressing a sigh. Goodness, it really does seem like all the talk of PPK dolls having a sort of domineering inclination was true.
"I suppose objectively speaking, if you could scare them out of the war entirely, that would be well. I'd rather them not be on the battlefield at all. However, if you can't do that, you'll only rattle their nerves for the upcoming battles and make them more vulnerable."
"I understand, sir. However, it was the fastest way of getting her to stop digging."
"Speaking of digging, Commander. May I ask a question?"
"Go for it."
"For someone who... well, allow to be so frank, unladylike as it is, but you seem so reluctant to engage in war. But today, that soldier who attacked you. No hesitation from you. You moved so swiftly, for a human commander."
I bite my lip, trying to think about to say.
"I just wished to perhaps... find my curiosity satiated, Commander~ Springfield puts so much faith into you and your love of not having to fight. I just want to make sure she'll be fine. After all, she's not here right now and it'd be nice if someone else backed up your statement."
That's a low blow and you know it, PPK.
"There's only one rule in war, a rule my mentor taught me. Survive. At the end of the day, it's going to be us or them. I am... not fond of the taking of life. But before I came to Griffin, I had a military history for a bit. Fighting each other isn't something I'm unused to, nor is the concept foreign to me. So while it's in me to take a life, it's not something I do without understanding the gravity of the situation. And more importantly, I understand the burden that I'm putting on you. The defenders of humanity, and here I am commanding you to kill humans. I think that... perhaps if I am to order such a thing, that I be willing to commit the act myself, or I am simply using you as tools, and not by your side as comrades."
"I see. Well, Springfield should be happy with that response, as will Spectre. Thank you, Commander, for your explanation."
I try not to breathe a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad to hear it. Now then, about opening this box…"
It's more like a small crate, so at the very least, we're able to pry it open using the fact T-Dolls are much stronger than humans, as PPK is able to get through it rather quickly.
Two NVGs, two suppressors, and what appears to be some sort of ghillie suit. Similar to GK Team… a Griffin supply crate? This must've been a package requested for a rifle's nightops kit. Then again, it's not so strange to think it could have turned up here, considering how a Zero fighter from World War Two ended up here.
The great thing is of course, Griffin's equipment. Most of it was specially made to be modular; that is to say, any T-Doll could equip it with a few exceptions. Upon detecting which gun it was to be installed to, it would configure itself for use. This made things such as exoskeletons and sights transferable between T-Dolls, which was incredibly useful for when your base became larger and you were fielding multiple teams. If Team A was in repairs, their equipment could still be transferred to Team B, who could go in there with a better fighting chance.
The only real exception to this were the specialized ammunition, as that was still keyed to the gun in use. But this means that we have a suppressor for Springfield. Even if it weren't like that, this still heavily increases our night operation capability. Even PPK's eyes seem to light up upon seeing them.
"My, my, it seems that things are looking up."
"Now if only we had some explosives." I mumble, earning a smile from PPK. "We could cripple their supply in one swift blow."
"We'd still have a lot of mages to deal with, wouldn't we? Not to mention that they have a supply port."
"Yes, that's true, but on the other hand if we target their commander's camp…"
"We can swiftly eliminate their chain of command or at least shake it up."
"I think targeting the food supplies is a smarter idea. If anything, it'll force resources that would be devoted elsewhere to holding Saxe Gotha. If they don't resupply, then we hold the advantage. If they do, we've bled out some of their resources."
"The timing is tricky."
"We'd need information regarding whether or not the enemy is actively using the port at Saxe Gotha."
"Well Commander, it seems that we've gotten quite the recon mission. Preferably taken at night."
"Heh. I'll just have to convince the others to go ahead with the plan. It's going to take time to march down to Saxe Gotha. I only wish we had a satellite."
"That's incredibly wishful thinking, isn't it?"
"Indeed. Find the others, I'll watch over the equipment here, and we'll talk about the strategy I'll propose at the meeting."
The meeting goes… smoothly, I suppose, though there were plenty of snide remarks from Tristain's generals sent my way. However, I managed to secure our mission.
"Does it fit?" Springfield asks, trying on the ghillie suit.
"Like a glove." I say to the T-Doll who now looks like a walking heap of browned grass and leaves.
"You look like a swamp monster." Agnes mumbles from the side. "Please ensure that you never approach me in that thing. Or for that matter, the princess."
Springfield only giggles as she raises her arms, indeed making her look like a swamp monster of horror. "Oh come now Enfield, just a hug is fine, isn't it?"
"You know, Enfield…" Spectre says, "I didn't think you'd be the type to be scared of that sort of thing."
"It isn't so much fear as it is just unsettling to watch a walking bush with arms and legs stalking towards you."
At this, Springfield starts walking towards Agnes in a clearly staggered and exaggerated motion, prompting snickers from PPK.
"Alright, enough fooling around. Anyways, the mission is fairly simple. We're going to go in as the advance scouts."
"So the cannon fodder." Agnes darkly grumbles.
"That's what I'm sure plenty of Tristain's generals are hoping after we showed them up." I say, chuckling. "Gautier will fly us in ahead of the army about three fourths of the way, but from there, we're on foot. Our first objective is to find a good hole to hide in. After that, we'll be gathering data at night. During the day, we'll use the suit to move around covertly and observe their shipping patterns. Lastly, if we can spot a good opening into the city, our final objective will be to move in and eliminate their command structure and destroy supplies. No civilian crossfire is allowed."
"That goes without saying." Springfield says, nodding.
"It'll also give us a chance to train Enfield with use of the NVGs. Springfield, you'll be in charge of the ghillie suit, you've got the best eyes for recon. PPK, Spectre, the suppressors go to you. We'll switch out NVGs as necessary on the field. Due to this being mostly nightops, Springfield and PPK will be the main team. Spectre, you're communications with them, to keep us informed. Enfield, you're with me, watching our temporary base." I say, spreading the map out on the table. "We've got several rally points to link up with the army as well along with various code words."
After that, I go over the general mission details, such as our schedule of observing the enemy and based on other scout reports, where we might be able to find a hole in their patrols and defenses.
It would be quite useful if we could take out those towers, but I assume that the upper leadership wanted to capture them rather than lay waste to the entire city, which is why their destruction is not part of our objectives.
Unfortunately we don't have Gautier's air support either, which has been invaluable in our previous missions. If they flew in low and hugged the edge of the island, they might be able to avoid any air patrols and come up with a sneak attack on the port when we make a distraction.
Well, ultimately I guess it's always up to us. Regardless, if we can take Saxe Gotha, the war will almost be finished. The enemy's last stronghold will be the capital of Albion and with the supply line for us set and secured, with winter coming up, food is going to be running short on this island. Starving the enemy into submission won't be too difficult, I think, based on what I've heard, anyways.
The next day, even before the sun rises, we're already flying out. Our equipment packs consist of mostly survival gear, with all of us having traded out our usual clothes for more earth-grassy colored ones, along with an extra coat to weather out the frigid nights. As for food, we'd mostly have to hunt that ourselves, but we were given enough that if we spaced out our meals, we should be good to go as long as we met at the first rally point.
Gautier and his squad are carrying us, flying in low to the ground to avoid detection, and we're not following the roads, sticking somewhat close to the mountain.
"Good luck." Gautier says after dropping us off, saluting. "Going to miss having your support."
"Same here. Stay alive, will you? I'll need you during the siege."
"Ha! I can say the same to you!"
With that, he takes off, heading back to where they came from. It's still dark out, so it's incredibly hard to see for now, but my eyes still have adjusted already so I can make out my team.
"GK Team, sound off."
"Enfield, reporting."
"Springfield, present."
"Spectre, ready."
"PPK, at the ready."
"Alright, let's move out towards Saxe Gotha. Springfield, PPK, equip NVGs and keep us posted. Let's go."
It's definitely a… strange sort of sensation as we walk along. I've had my fair share of night operations before, but I've never physically been on the ground for them. It's always been inside the base itself, watching with a keen eye and directing my Dolls as the situation changed. But something about being here with them feels good.
Dawn turns to day, day turns to night, and a few more times the cycle repeats as we continue to advance, keeping to the forests as best as we can. The rule of "no campfires" is in effect to avoid detection, so it's cold as hell during the nights despite our coats and sleeping bags.
When the sun's out, we have to make a few rudimentary shelters under the forest canopy to rest in, as we save movement for after nightfall in order to avoid detection. Fortunately most of these trees are evergreens, or at least look similar, giving us plenty of cover.
"These things are incredible." Agnes mumbles during a midnight march, taking off her NVGs and handing them to PPK, as she was spending some time learning how to use them. "And these came from your world? I can't imagine what warfare must look like."
"I try not to think about it either. Either way, I think we're almost there."
At approximately three hundred hours, Springfield announces she sees a break in the forest. All of us come to a stop and crouch down, taking cover behind the trees.
"Commander, the clearing is about approximately one hundred feet out, twelve o'clock. How approach?" Springfield asks, everyone looking to me.
"PPK, I need the NVGs. Springfield, you're with me, we're going to just go and take a look. Crouch until fifty feet, then we'll go prone and crawl the rest."
"Sir."
It smells like cold dirt, unsurprisingly, as we edge our way closer and closer. Not exactly to the clearing, but close enough to where we can see past it. Bingo, that looks like the city of Saxe Gotha.
I take a look at my compass, checking our direction. The city is due north east of us. From here, I can make out at least three entrances. One to the north, two towards the east. If we're going to infiltrate it, it looks like we'll have to take one of the two eastern entrances to slip in, as the northern entrance looks heavily guarded. That, and there's no easy way to get in, as the main road connects to it.
"Spot anything useful to infiltration, Springfield?"
"No sir, but I've identified the anti-air towers. They're big structures, look almost like skyscrapers. Tally one at two o'clock."
That's definitely not just an anti-air tower, that's more like an anti-air platform with how big it is.
"Confirm sights on at least cannons and ballistas at the top?"
"Affirmative, sir."
And they've got eight of them stationed up. Archers probably are stationed on there as well, to ward off anyone like Gautier from just flying up and messing with them. Not to mention those things are multi-level, they'll make assaulting the streets a nightmare if they can rain down from up top.
"Alright, let's observe the patrols for a bit and note down when they exchange guards at the eastern entrances. After sunrise, let's keep on the down low until we can get in closer. Get all ghillied up."
And that's a good place to end it for now.
Approaching the end of my sort of first planned arc, I'd say, since it links up well with where Season 2 of FoZ ends.
Not too much to say about this chapter. It's been a while though, so I hope you're all having good luck with the event right now. I've been retired from GFL for a while which is why updates are kind of slow, haha. I've written a few more chapters after this one, but I'm lazy when it comes to posting them since I spend a bit more time with my other story.
Battle scenes aren't exactly my forte, so forgive me if this one seems a little short. I've been doing some experimenting/reading up on seeing how I can try to improve the fluidity/dynamics of the fight scene, but it is a bit difficult when it's all in first person and Oliver himself doesn't do the fighting.
I will say there's plans for a rather bigger scene down the line where I'll be trying to go a bit all out, but it'll be a while. I did also struggle for a bit for what equipment to give them, along with Oliver's handwavy-excuse for why I didn't need to specify what T-Doll the equipment was for. Thought it was a good way to integrate how you can swap equipment around between dolls super easily and seemed somewhat believable.
Anyways, without that much to say, I hope you all had a nice 4th last week if you celebrate that, and I'll see you all next time.
