Unmei Force Shattered Heroes: Dark Day Tactics
Prologue: Down Came The Ashes
Yukari waited inside one of the meeting rooms, as she was leaning in one of the chairs, as she gently patted the fan against the open palm on her hand, humming gently to herself with a stoic expression on her face.
When she heard the sound of the door into the room being opened, she raised her head, and saw that it was Reisen and Weiss, as the two of them were side by side to each other.
"You called for both of us, Yukari?" Reisen asked firmly, her expression calm and dignified.
"Earlier than what was agreed upon… Just as expected from you, Reisen." Yukari nodded back. "I've got a mission for you to undertake, while the others are preparing to head off to their next missions."
"It is not the same mission as the others, isn't it?" Reisen asked back. "I noticed how Gus rushed past me on the way, as if he was on an urgent mission. That is not to say the same with Richard's own sister. I know you told me the truth, but still… Is it truly right to have us split like this?"
"I ask that you trust in my judgement." Yukari answered back, snapping her fan closed, as the gesture caught the duo's attention. "There is not much time to discuss this kind of issue right now. You of all people know the urgency of the current situation."
"We do… But still, why not ask Siege and the others for aid? Surely, they'll get Richard back together-" Weiss asked back.
"I'm afraid that's not an option." Yukari denied with a firm tone. Weiss was about to argue, before Yukari raised a hand. "Before you make your argument, I will tell you that the Soldiers of Fortune are being occupied in their own matters. Lady Arceus has discussed it with me… the encroaching threat that Raditz and Koyomi warned us again… there have been signs showing one place to another. Whole continents being left in ruins, worlds being tortured by profane powers. When Siege noticed the signs, he acted immediately, and even then, he was only barely managing the situation as is, with the help of his crew."
"...And what does that mean with Richard then?" Weiss asked, as Yukari sighed.
"...I know Siege's mentality. He will scramble to save Richard, regardless of the cost. Worse could be said of Richard, who would very easily descend to villany if it would save his sworn brethren." Yukari answered back. "I do not approve of what I have done, but Siege cannot come to know about all of this, especially when Richard is in such a fragile state. He will be there to help bring Richard back to the light when he is brought together… But he doesn't have the luxury of affording time and effort to help Richard as is, and both Lady Arceus and I are most aware of that. Hate me for this if you wish, but this is the best for both sides. I cannot let sentiment doom more lives than necessary, after I have risked my own promise to the Color Gods to ensure Richard's survival to begin with."
"I see… My apologies for doubting you… It's merely that… These times are trying on us all." Weiss apologised. "...Where does our mission lead us?"
"Down to a world torn by war. An environment that you both are very familiar with." Yukari answered back. "I have managed to find that the fragment of Richard has already taken form. Whether it is as ally, enemy or third party, you will meet him, in whatever form this world has shaped him. Either way, as I have told the others… Do not expect your task to be easy. Your technology is only slightly more powerful than the standard of that world."
"Your warning is noted. Still, we won't let that stop us." Reisen answered back.
"I know you two won't.: Yukari sighed. "...To ensure that you have sufficient forces to face down the armies of the world, several battalions from the reserves of both the UGF and the UUF. Troop reinforcements will be made possible with the use of teleportation, although it must be done discreetly… Activity considered suspicious down in those worlds will heavily cost you your trust with potential allied factions down there… Although I doubt that any of us are foolish enough to be caught in such an action. That's also the same reason you will stick to humanoid soldiers for the time being, to avoid that issue."
"Understandable. When do we depart?" Weiss nodded back.
"The carrier that your troops will be deployed from is awaiting your arrival. Your initial troops are within it." Yukari explained. "I wish you well on your mission, not only Richard's fate depends on it, but also the fate of countless others. Do what you will down there, but remember that the first priority is securing Richard's fragment. All else is secondary."
Reisen and Weiss acknowledged the statement with a gentle salute, before they then left the room.
As soon as the group moved down to the fortress docking bay, they noticed that the space carrier was awaiting them, as it towered over them, as several squad leaders were gathered at the front of the ship, as Reisen noticed a certain pair of soldiers that was among the group of squad leaders.
As Reisen approached them, he quickly noticed them to be Keiji Shimada and Ydine, a human from the GHDF faction of the UGF, and a wolf laguz, who were notable members of the army that contributed significantly to several victories in the world of Yggdra Union.
Finally back in his original attire, covered in black camo uniform, with ammo bags stashed around his waist and chest, Keiji stood tall, as Ydine was beside him, with her uniform being mostly black with red stripes along her sleeves and her waist, and light-padding to her limbs, and her shoulder indicating the symbol of the UUF, a spiral-galaxy symbol with the motto 'Ad vitam et existentiam' curved along the bottom of the symbol in white letters.
Ydine quickly noticed the two superior officers approaching, as she jostled Keiji, who sharply turned his attention towards them.
"Ah! Commanding officers!" Keiji remarked with shock, as he quickly straightened himself up. "Apologies for the slip-up, it's just been a while since I have been assigned on another major mission like this."
"Loosen yourself a little, you are being too rigid as you are." Reisen responded back, as Keiji sighed in relief and loosened himself slightly. "...I recall reading about you, Sergeant Keiji Shimada. Squad leader in the 7th Ground Shock-Troopers unit in the GHDF. Your reputation in a previous mission has been a major factor in your choice in this mission."
"I am honoured, although I must make a minor correction." Keiji responded back with a salute. "It's Sergeant Major now. Promoted shortly after that mission, on the recommendations of several officers who joined in the fight, and even the Commander himself. It's a daunting task, but I can live up to my designated rank, and I'll prove it on the field.'
"I see." Reisen nodded back, before then turning to Ydine. "And then there's you. I have read about you, as you had close relations with Shimada, as shown through several reports. A growing relationship is growing between you two, I have also heard rumours that you have enlisted yourself as a soldier in the United Universal Force, rising through the ranks quite quickly, partaking in countless missions off-base to attain a similar rank in a much shorter period. Do you confirm or deny them?"
"...I admit that they are true." Ydine remarked, without any hestiance and meekness in her firm voice, crossing her arms. "I may be born as a laguz, but that doesn't mean that the laguz are unable to pick upon the military doctrines of other races. I have strived to gain my place within the army, so that I can fight alongside Keiji. But that is only one of my reasons… It is by the wish of the Queen herself, that I have joined this army, believing my talents would be of greater use with the larger army under the lead of Siege."
"Wait, you really went through all that for me!?" Keiji exclaimed with surprise, before regaining his composure. "I never thought that you would have gone that far for me… I guess I'm just lucky to have someone like you to look after my back."
"...A helping hand deserves another. This is only right for me." Ydine smirked back at Keiji. "I'm sure that we'll come to enjoy each other's company, no matter where we go."
"Such companionship… with hints of budding affection." Weiss remarked with a smile, before she recalled her own death, as she felt slightly hollow inside, before Reisen placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't think about it like that. You're still here with me, and I won't let you go through any more misery if I can help it." Reisen assured Weiss.
"Reisen… No, you're right, I shouldn't let these emotions rattle me." Weiss remarked, rebuilding her own belief in herself.
"This is the captain of the UGF Koyru speaking. Final preparations for departure are now proceeding." The ship comms blared out with a dignified female voice. "All units who are assigned to my ship, start boarding immediately, as we will be setting forth as soon as we are able."
"That reminds me… I have something to ask of you two." Weiss remarked, facing Keiji and Ydine. "If it is possible, I would like to ask if you will act as our ACOs?"
"ACOs? Do you think that we can be up to the task?" Keiji asked with some doubt in his tone.
"Richard's opinion of you two proves otherwise." Reisen answered back. "You will not have to do much duties, but having a back-up command chain is essential, and you two are both vital for it."
"...As you wish then, lapine officer." Ydine answered back, as the soldiers began to file into the carrier one by one.
In the 12th Battalion Base Camp…
Down in the ruined land of the world, there laid a large base camp, created by the 12th Battalion of the now defunct Rubinelle Army, also known as 'Brenner's Wolves' after their own commander, Brenner.
The dark skies filled with the ashes of whatever disaster ravaged the world, hung above the heads of the soldiers working within, creating a dreary atmosphere. However, in these times, there were still glimmers of hope that were being created by new developments and fortunate events.
"You've got permission to leave camp, Will." Brenner told Will, as the former was a military soldier, with short shaved light grey hair, dressed in brown camo with circular shoulder patches with a red ring, and a wolf's head inside of it, and the words '12th Battalion' on the lower edge of it. The latter was a young kid around the late teenage years, with brown eyes and short brown hair that is styled into bangs, with one of them sticking out of the top of his head, dressed with a blue scarf around the neck, a leather army jacket left open, revealing the white shirt underneath, and brown army pants, with a belt that has a pistol holster, with gun sheathed inside of it.
"Sure thing, Captain Brenner." Will answered back enthusiastically.
"I'm glad you recovered enough to be up and about." Brenner stated.
"I've got you to thank for it, sir." Will thanked Brenner with a nod.
"Well, don't push yourself too hard." Brenner added, before his tone turned serious. "And be careful, this area's not safe."
"Yeah, I… I know." Will responded back, before his expression fell into one of concern.
"What's wrong?" Brenner asked gently.
"The world really has changed, hasn't it?" Will asked back. "The ash is everywhere. The sky is dark. It's like a never-ending twilight has fallen. Even the ground is coated in it. I've never seen so much gray."
"Ashes to ashes…" Brenner solemnly stated.
"When the meteors struck, huge clouds of dust and ash filled the sky and blocked out the sun." A female voice told Will, as he turned to face Lin, Brenner's second-in-command, as she had long black hair and brown eyes, dressed in a short army vest that only covered the top half of her body, as her abdomen and arms were bare, with her left arm having a bandanna with the battalion insignia on it, and brown leather army pants with black boots. "We haven't seen a single ray since."
"When will the sky return to normal?" Will asked back.
"Years? Decades? Who can say?" Lin responded back with a hint of worry in her still calm tone.
"Decades!?" Will exclaimed, not taking the news well.
"Don't make that face, Will. We'll be OK. As long as there's life, there's hope." Brenner assured Will.
"As long as there's life…" Will repeated to himself, with a distant look in his eyes.
"Right. The world we knew is gone, but we can't give in to despair." Brenner answered back. "Someday things will be set to right. We'll have peace, and the life we had will return. That's what I believe. That's why we must help everyone we can."
"Um…" Will muttered, with a confused expression.
"Keep it simple- Never give up." Brenner declared to Will, raising a finger. "If you can do that, anything is possible. Got it?"
"Got it!" Will nodded strongly.
"That's the spirit!" Brenner smirked back briefly. "Now let's get to work. Lin, I want recon units canvassing the area."
"Yes sir." Lin saluted back, before she then departed to make preparations to do so.
"Captain! I want to help too!" Will declared his intentions with passion in his voice.
"No, I don't think so, Will." Brenner declined, shaking his head. "It's too dangerous."
"Oh, c'mon! Look, I know I'm still just a cadet, but that doesn't matter!" Will strongly argued. "I can drive or search or wash dishes or whatever. I just want to help."
Brenner looked at Will for a moment, before sighing gently. "Ok, you're in. But if anything happens, get your tail back here. You're too weak to fight yet." He told Will seriously.
"Yes, sir!" Will shouted out, before joining the next recon group to leave the camp, boarding one of the recon trucks, as they made their way to a ruined city
Will and the troops searched the entire city, only to find dead bodies, as Will approached a young male civilian, who collapsed against a wall.
"Hey! Are you alright? Can you hear me?" Will shouted to the man, shaking him, before a soldier pulled him off.
"Hang it up, kid. We're too late. He's dead. They're all dead." The soldier shook his head with a gruff voice.
"No…" Will muttered with horror, looking at the ruins of the city and the corpses strewn inside of it.
"All these towns are the same. No survivors anywhere." The soldier answered back.
"That can't be true! There have to be people out there who need our help!" Will responded back. "What if Captain Brenner had given up on me? We have to keep looking!"
Will then began to search further into the city, as he called out to the air.
"Hello? Is anyone there!?" Will shouted, before the response was the sound of distant gunfire and explosions, as the soldier quickly rushed over to Will, tugging him back.
"Move it, kid! Mission's over! We got raiders incoming!" The soldier barked at Will. "Let Captain Brenner step in and take care of the hostiles. We stay out here any longer, and they'll be sizing us for body bags."
"Just a little more time! I've got a feeling about this." Will tried to convince the soldier. "Captain Brenner always says to never give up!"
Meanwhile, from the base camp itself, as soon as Brenner received the reports of raiders moving into the area, he clicked his tongue and turned on communications with all scout groups.
"All nonmilitary personnel, fall back! This is now a combat zone!" Brenner declared. "Get those tanks up at the designated point, and block the road! Keep that artillery and the rest of the scout groups safe!"
"Easy to say, commander, but our tank rounds are bone dry!" The tank squad captain answered back. "And I doubt that these machine-guns will do much against their recons and whatever tanks they brought to this fight!"
"...I understand, but you have to hold the line!" Brenner exclaimed.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the tanks saw the enemy forces advance upon them, as enemy infantry ran towards them, with the sound of whirring tires to indicate incoming recon trucks.
"Ah, hell, here they come! Gunners, hit them hard and don't let them get their chance to shoot!" The tank squad captain roared to his men, as their machine-guns roared to life, as they cut down a great number of the enemy infantry, and even managed to knock some of the incoming recon vehicles out of commission. However, they received returning fire, as the gunfire managed to damage the armour of the tanks, although none of the units received severe damage from the attack. "...Man, I wished we had our rounds here to blast these bastards to oblivion! The artillery better give us some help here!"
The artillery in the distance immediately set up their firing positions, as the spotter checked for the enemy locations, before relaying them to the operators of the artillery guns, as they fired a barrage down on the enemy, annihilating the infantry platoon of raiders, and cutting down the number of present enemy recons severely.
Back with Will, he continued to cry out for survivors, before he then heard a distant cry for help, as it reached his ears.
"Hey! There's someone over there! Hold on, I'm coming!" Will exclaimed, as he pushed off the soldier, and rushed towards the sound of the cry for help, as the soldiers with him followed closely behind.
As soon as he reached the source of the distress call, he noticed that there was a young girl who has collapsed on the ground, covered in dirt and soot, as her long blue hair was strewn across the ground, and she was dressed in a white dress, with a yellow collar, and a green tube-like pendant around her neck.
"Can you hear me? Hold on!" Will exclaimed, as he rushed over to her, checking her for signs of life.
"Is she alive?" The soldier asked Will.
"I… I think so. Her breathing is really faint." Will answered back, before turning to the soldier. "Come on! We've got to get her back to camp!"
"It ain't worth the trouble, kid. I doubt she's long for this world." The soldier growled back.
"I'm not giving up! If you won't help, I'll carry her myself!" Will declared.
"Are you serious?" The soldier asked with disbelief in his voice.
"Hey! Can you hear me? Give me a sign, will you?" Will shouted back, shaking the girl gently.
"That's it! I ain't sticking around to rescue a corpse!" The soldier declared, before retreating back, leaving the girl and Will alone to each other.
"Open your eyes… I know there's not much to see, but you can't give up. You're alive, you know? And where there's life, there's hope." Will remarked.
As if by some miracle, the girl began to stir awake, before her eyes opened, revealing her yellow irises, as she blinked several times while gazing at Will with silence.
"Who… Who are you?" She asked back.
"Yes! You heard me! You're alive!" Will exclaimed with relief.
"P-Please tell me… who are you?" The girl repeated the request, with a shaky tone.
"I'm Will. I'm with Brenner's Wolves. What's your name?" Will asked back.
"...I… I don't know." The girl responded back with a melancholic look in her eyes.
"What do you mean?" Will said back.
"I don't remember. I don't remember anything." The girl explained back with an eerily calm tone.
"OK,OK. Don't worry, you've been through a lot." Will responded back, before pulling the girl up, and leaning her against his shoulder. "Everything's going to be fine. Just come with me."
"...All right." The girl answered back after a pause, as the two began to slowly make their way out of the ruined city.
Meanwhile, the tank unit was starting to wear out, as their tanks were becoming filled with dents from the fire-power they were taking, as the artillery barely managed to stop them from being overwhelmed. However, their luck seemed to run out, as they saw a fresh-new tank unit roll across the road.
"Damnit, they got us in their sights! Brace yourselves!" The tank squad captain shouted, before the enemy tanks fired as one, as the tanks were battered by the cannon fire, as the repeated barrages began to turn the allied tanks into wrecks one by one, as their machine-guns had no effect on the enemy armour, as the artillery wasn't firing fast enough to prevent more casualties.
The squad captain's own tank was rattled by a direct hit, as his tank began to smoke, as a trio of enemy tanks surrounded him. He slowly closed his eyes, hoping that his death would be a quick one, before he then heard the sound of explosions, expecting them to be the last sound he would hear.
However, after a few moments, he was still alive, as he looked out of the periscope, as he saw that the enemy tanks were being engaged by mechanised infantry, who were in colours that he didn't recognise, as they were using anti-tank rockets to destroy the enemy tanks and remaining recon vehicles in the vicinity.
"Damn… Who are these guys? Our cavalry?" The squad leader remarked, before turning his comms on. "Commander, you might want to hear about this, some sort of unit came out of the mountains, and assaulted the enemy in a pincer attack. Thing is, they're not in our colours. Hell, they're not even in any colours we recognise!"
"Is your unit still in one piece?" Brenner asked back.
"Sort of, but we took severe damage from that attack. We're going to need to pull back. Good thing whoever our mysterious saviours were, they saved our backs there, and they're pulling back as well. We're returning to base. Those who are still alive in the wrecks, will have to hitch a ride on the ones still functioning. Over and out."
Brenner was left silent, as he was left curious about the matter, before a comms officer rushed over to him.
"Sir, we're receiving signals from an unknown source. It's not the raiders who are taunting us again." The officer declared to Brenner. "Permission to patch it through?"
"It is granted." Brenner accepted, before he then waited for the connection to be made, before speaking. "This is Captain Brenner of the 12th Rubinelle Army Battalion. By war regulations, you must state your own unit, faction and ranking. If you do not comply, you will be considered neutral at best, and hostile at worst."
"Do not take hostility onto us, we have a common enemy in the raiders." Reisen declared. "This is Major Reisen Inaba of the 7th Battalion of the Opalide Army. We have come on peaceful terms. There will be a recon escort heading for the nearest camp under your control. I ask that you allow it to pass, as I shall be on it with the commander of the 9th Battalion of the Emerian Army"
Brenner was left silent for a moment, as he felt that he recognised none of the factions being stated. However, he weighed in the fact that the unknown force had fought against the raiders, and only hailed him peacefully. After some deliberation, he turned his attention back to the comms.
"...Your request will be granted." Brenner answered back. "Be aware that we will have you under close watch. We apologise, but we cannot easily trust you, after the show of power your soldiers have demonstrated against the raiders."
"I understand." Reisen stated, before closing the comms.
Brenner waited for an hour or two, as Will managed to arrive back, with the girl in tow on a scouting bike, before the hour passed. After the time had passed, he heard the sound of grinding tires in the distance, as it was quickly approaching, as he headed towards the camp entrance, as he saw the large amount of vehicles that were rolling in.
With a gesture, Brenner ordered the guards on the watch-towers to stand down, as the vehicles halted themselves a few metres away from the camp entrance, as several escort soldiers left their vehicles, followed by Reisen and Weiss, who were also followed by Keiji and Ydine, close behind them.
"I take it that you have considered our call for a peaceful meeting." Reisen remarked back.
"Again, my apologies, but this is the best that I can do right now." Brenner answered back. "...So you are the one who helped us defeat the raiders. Tell me, what is your purpose here?"
"...That is something that I cannot tell you right now." Reisen answered back. "However, it runs along the goals of building a foundation upon these lands. We have managed to track and analyse your communications, and designated you as a potential allied force for us. A force dedicated to the rescue and welfare of the displaced and the unfortunate is someone we require the assistance of."
"So you tell me." Brenner answered back. "Now that we have come face-to-face, what do you propose to do with us then?"
"Simple, we wish to come under an alliance with you." Weiss chimed in, as Brenner turned to her. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lieutenant Colonel Weiss Schnee, leader of the 9th Battalion of the Emerian Army. From what we had glanced upon, this land is in dire straits, much like our own, and you are lacking in certain specialists and supplies. We are willing to more than just simply fill in those deficiencies, even strengthen your own production capabilities, in exchange for sharing support and supplies with us. We have wandered this land for a few days, only facing raiders under the allegiance of the raider known as 'The Beast'. We need some means of producing supplies in this land, or we will not last long here. Please, as one leader to another, cooperation will benefit us the most here."
Brenner studied Weiss's words for a moment, before coming to his own conclusion. "Very well, I see no deception in your words. You're free to send a portion of your troops and specialists over, and we'll transfer the necessary supplies to your base camp."
"Your assistance is most appreciated, Captain Brenner. It is rare to find a person of such moral fibre in these dark times." Reisen thanked Brenner. "Rest assured, your kindness will be repaid greatly."
Reisen and Weiss immediately left the base camp, as they returned to their own, in order to prepare for the next battles to come, as well as build up a relationship with Brenner's Wolves.
Term of the Chapter: United Universal Force (UUF)
Considered to be what the UGF is to the Unmei Force, the UUF is the army for the Soldiers of Fortune. All factions within the army have met Siege Sukui and his fellow heroes at some point of time, and hail for a variety of universes. Their main specialty lies in the diversity of races incorporated within the ranks, and also the use of several forms of energy and materials for their weaponry, with Dust from Remnant being one of their most notable sources.