Unmei Force Shattered Heroes: Dark Day Tactics
Chapter 3: A New Home
"So we've hit a snag in our supply-procurement plan." Brenner remarked, as the officers, Dr Morris, Will and Isabella were gathered within the room, the latter two due to their potential value to the matter. "Got any suggestions what we do now, Doc?"
"Oh ho! Yes...um...no. No, I don't. We're in trouble, no doubt about it." Morris answered back, deflating at the end of his sentence.
"Are there any other factories with the systems we need?" Lin asked Morris.
"Not to my knowledge, unfortunately." Morris shook his head.
"Then we'll have to start scouting around the nearby areas then." Reisen remarked. "As much as it would run the risk of having the face the raiders once again, or even the same force that was responsible for our distress… We cannot simply sit here and twiddle our thumbs waiting for something to happen.
"You seem to know more about this land than any of us in this room, Isabella." Weiss said, turning to Isabella. "Do you think that you know of any other automated crop factories within reach of where we are?"
"Yes… Yes, I do." Isabella answered back, which made the officers in the room perk up.
"You're absolutely certain about this?" Brenner asked with a stern look to his eyes.
"This is no joking matter, young lady! I… I can't believe I just said that." Morris strictly stated, before his tone melted away at the end of his statement. "You're saying you know the location of another factory, is that correct?"
"Yes. It is located at latitude 25.345 degrees north and longitude 131.035 degrees west." Isabella answered back.
"Oh...um... Well, as long as you're sure!" Morris remarked, surprised that Isabella was confident in her answer.
"That's in the Seratta mountain range." Lin stated. "It would be difficult to traverse across the terrain there."
"There is an underground nuclear shelter at the coordinates I have given you. It contains a subterranean farm and small-scale factory capable of feeding 1,000 people." Isabella explained further.
"Do you really expect us to believe that? I've never heard of such a place!" Morris exclaimed with disbelief.
"Nor have I." Lin agreed with a thin frown on her lips.
"But it's still a hope worth chasing. Isabella's statements have never led us wrong before. And as much as we are all curious to know how she is privy to this kind of knowledge… she is an informant with an extremely high value." Reisen argued for Isabella, as the other officers grudgingly accepted the idea.
"It was constructed for Rubinelle's senior cabinet ministers and captains of industry." Isabella stated. ": In the event of an all-out nuclear war, they would be able to live in the shelter for decades. Its existence is not known to the general public. Access requires a grade 4 security clearance."
"Oh ho! Now we know! You must be the president's secret daughter! Oh ho! Oh ho ho ho!" Morris laughed, returning back to his jovial attitude.
"The construction contract for the shelter was awarded to a private military firm...IDS…" Isabella stated.
At the moment she finished her sentence, she began to clutch her head, as her expression stiffened, as she repeated the acronym over and over, much to Will's worry.
"What is it, Isabella? What's wrong?" Will asked with concern.
"I'm sorry... It's my head. It's pounding so hard... I can't think." Isabella told Will.
"Captain Brenner! I'll take care of Isabella." Will told Brenner, holding Isabella over him by the shoulder.
"You do that, Will." Brenner nodded slightly, as Will turned to leave the room.
"That girl may be a complete mystery, but I feel strangely confident she's not lying. Perhaps those coordinates will lead us to the answer to our dilemma, hmmm?" Morris stated.
"That is a certainty, if the enemy force doesn't realize we have the same intentions." Weiss stated. "We need to be certain that there are no moles within the army who can leak the intentions of our army, before we can properly form a force that can reach the underground bunker and secure it."
"Speaking of which, after hearing the limit of people that the bunker can support, means that our forces will have to be left out of the bunker." Reisen added. "As much, I nominate that those of the Opalide and Emerian armies will remain outside the bunker. Your men will be sufficient enough to reside within the bunker, with all of the potential survivors we will bring to this place."
"What!? But how will you be able to keep yourselves maintained?" Brenner remarked, with outrage and disbelief.
"We'll struggle our way to scavenge the wastelands. Remember that despicable mayor's words? We're soldiers, we can use our power to help ensure that the raiders don't get any bright ideas of trying to stop us." Weiss answered back. "We have enough rations to keep us sustained for a few months at least. Once we get the factory working, you can help us by giving us a small portion of whatever excess crops have been produced, in exchange for other services."
"You must have been experienced with living in this kind of environment, if that's how little you worry about the situation…" Lin remarked, with a hint of respect in her voice. "Captain, I believe that we should let them go along with the idea. They've provided us significant aid up to now, and are even willing to hand over potential resource hard-points to us."
"I know. Your generosity will not be forgotten and will be repaid as soon as possible." Brenner thanked both Reisen and Weiss.
"Captain, sir! One of our recon units just pulled in. It's reporting a firefight in progress! There's a lone unit running for its life. It's a Rubinelle unit, sir!" One of the comms officers burst into the room.
"Rubinelle? Then it seems that we should take to the field." Reisen remarked. "We should help your ally as soon as possible."
The officers then had their armies take to the field, as they found that there was an airborne fighter squadron that was heading towards allied lines.
"Would somebody tell me why these Lazurians are up in my business?" A male voice with a southern accent was heard through the comms, intercepted by the comms. "Did they not see the meteors? The fires, the floods, the dead people? They act like there's still a damn war goin' on, and... Hey! Who is this?"
"This is Captain Brenner of the 12th Battalion." Brenner responded back through the comms.
"Aw, yeah! Now, we're talkin'! The cavalry arrives!" The voice responded back with glee.
"Name and rank, soldier. Where's the rest of your company?" Brenner asked firmly.
"Name and rank? Listen up, brother man. That's all ancient history! I ain't heard a peep from the big brass since the sky fell in. How 'bout you? Nothin', right?" The man responded back with an indignant tone. "Yeah, I thought so."
"You're right. We've been operating on our own. It seems Rubinelle's government is gone for good." Brenner agreed with a slight nod.
"Cheer up, Brenner! Ain't nothing wrong with that. The name's Waylon. Oh, right... Captain Waylon of the 13th Airborne! Ha ha ha! Lighten up, will ya? We're survivors!" Waylon introduced himself. "We're like lottery winners! Ain't much left of the old world. Least we can do is enjoy the new one."
"Captain! The scouting division has reported that the enemy has spotted us and is moving to engage." Lin reported.
"Understood. Get 'em ready, Lin." Brenner nodded.
"Attention, all units. The fighter squadron heading towards our base is a friendly." Lin announced to all active units. "Do not, repeat, DO NOT use it for target practice."
"Right kindly of you, baby. I owe you one!" Waylon responded back, before the comms were closed.
"I can tell that he's going to be in trouble." Weiss scoffed. "That kind of attitude just screams insubordination and a maverick attitude that isn't the kind that can be understood."
"It doesn't matter. We have our objectives, and even if we were to deny these new arrivals, a new force has arrived at our doorstep, intent on destroying us." Reisen answered back, before turning to Lin and Brenner. "This man said that the Lazurians are the ones attacking us. Care to explain this matter to us? It seems that your nation and this nation are at hostile relations with each other, brimming at war."
"You are correct, although we are already at war." Lin responded back. "We have been at war long before the meteors fell, and neither side was making significant progress in the entire conflict. I suppose even after the apocalypse has descended, the war still hasn't ended."
"How terrible." Weiss answered back. "But let's not dwell on that, and focus on the situation at hand. I assume that the enemy has decided to bring some aerial warfare into the mix. It's a good thing that we have called the anti-air vehicles into action, and also brought some ground-to-air missiles to help assure air denial around our forces."
"And we have brought squads of battle-copters that can handle the ground forces that the enemy has sent after us." Lin added. "Still, in terms of aerial warfare, the enemy has the superior advantage. They have deployed bombers, fighters, and dusters against us. They even have rockets moving into range ahead. We will need to destroy the enemy air forc, before we can proceed to take care of the enemy ground force."
"While we have our factories in action, we should produce some anti-airs and missiles to help supplement our anti-air forces." Reisen remarked. "We only have the single battle-copter, and I doubt it has the ability to fight aerial units."
The allied forces began to move forward, as the missile vehicles began to fire upon the nearby bombers, the homing ordinance landing direct hit after direct hit on the large flying plane, causing it to lose altitude, and crash right into the lake beneath it. The anti-airs made short work of the enemy dusters, which seemed to be large antique air-planes that were armed with machine-guns that made them a dangerous mobile unit.
"Huh, for the first encounter with the enemy air force here, they seem to be fairly underwhelming." One of the GHDF anti-air squad captains remarked, peering out to the skies above. "I remember back in the old days, where we had to deal with slews of enemy aircraft that blotted the sky out. This is basically a Sunday walk compared to the battles we're used to fighting."
"Ain't the time to let our guard down, though. These enemies here can still fight as well as the rest of us… Not to mention that they have those damn tanks. I hope that one day we'll be able to even the playing field with them." A missile squad captain from the GHDF responded back.
"Commander, we've managed to notice that the enemy rockets are in movement to the north of the area." A GHDF sniper squad captain remarked, peering through his customized binoculars. "Their location is approximately 20 kilometers from the bulk of the allied forces."
"Acknowledged." Reisen answered back, before getting in contact with the nearby tank squad captain. "7th Kotetsu Squad, your orders are to destroy the enemy rockets ahead. They will be escorted by enemy infantry. We are also moving allied artillery to lay down supporting fire against the enemy."
"Copy that. Moving out!" The tank squad captain remarked, as the squad of tanks traversed down the road ahead, before they engaged the enemy rockets, first using their machine guns to get rid of the escorting infantry, before they used their main cannons to blast the rockets away into oblivion. "Enemy rocket squad is down, time to press the offense!"
The allied battle-copters began to hover over the enemy ground force, as they began to destroy key enemy targets using their unguided missiles, as the remaining enemy forces were routed, with significant casualties for them.
"We drove them away… For now…" Brenner remarked, as reports of the enemy disengagement reached the officers.
"We should greet Waylon and his band of fighter pilots." Weiss remarked. "As much as it turns me to have to deal with an unruly man like him."
They soon left the command post, as Brenner met up with Will.
"The enemy's been routed. Will, I want you to make sure the wounded are taken care of." Brenner told Will.
"Yes, sir!" Will energetically responded back, as he grabbed a nearby medical pack, and rushed over to walk alongside the officers, who found Waylon and his squad of pilots, as the former was a man with brown hair that was slicked, a pair of sunglasses over his eyes, and wearing a white tank-top with a red eagle that had the body of a skull, with crossbones underneath that had a ribbon between them, brown army pants with a belt around his waist, black boots, and a jacket around one shoulder.
"Thanks for the assist, brother! Who's the runt? You got yourself some sort of cabin boy?" Waylon stated, before turning to Reisen and Weiss. "And you even got yourself some eye-candy."
"Cabin boy?" Will twitched at the term.
"Eye-candy…!?" Weiss remarked, before she scowled. "Listen here you-"
"They're with us.. We've been patrolling the region looking for survivors who might need our help." Brenner explained, before gesturing to Reisen and Weiss. "We also managed to find help in the form of two army battalions which seem to be connected with each other as close allies. This is Major Reisen Inaba from the Opalide Army, and this is Lieutenant Colonel Schnee from the Emerian Army."
"'Helping' survivors? Helping yourselves with their money, I hope! Ha ha ha… whew…" Waylon laughed, before he then stopped, when he saw the dirty looks that the officers were giving him. "Wait, you serious?"
"...Funny you say that, a certain town has been having issues with soldiers." Reisen remarked, as her eyes narrowed. "I suppose that you don't have any hand in that distrust, hm?"
"Whoa, hey hey, sweetheart, ain't my fault that the people are ungrateful-" Waylon argued back.
"First of all, I'm not your 'honey', much less a 'sister' to someone as disgraceful as you." Reisen spat back. "Second of all, you should put that head of yours to use before you go spouting idiocy like that."
"Disregarding that, we'd be more effective with air support, though. Why don't we join forces and-" Brenner suggested.
"Time out, Captain Courageous! You want Waylon to join forces with YOU? Listen to me now. I think you're a good man. I'll even give you a standing ovation." Waylon remarked, as he did a sarcastic slow clap. "But if you think I'm going to do charity work, you need to think again! I didn't survive the meteors just to risk myself for a bunch of chumps!"
"What in the hell are you babbling about?" Brenner narrowed his own eyes this time.
"Are you truly so blind, Brenner? There is no more central command!" Waylon remarked, before he then spun around with his arms out. "There is no more central command! No orders, no missions… I do what I want! Got it?"
"Predictable." Reisen hissed through his teeth. "The moment you slip off the leash, you decide to run free like a stray mutt. I think that you have little difference between the raiders we have to deal with day by day. If you value freedom so much, how about you take those fighters of yours and get out of my sight."
"Hey, that's just cold!" Waylon growled back. "Who died and gave you command here? I recall that I'm talking to the real man here, not some pretty doll dressed up to play officer!"
Weiss was about to deck Waylon herself, before Will rushed over and tugged her back, managing to do so with great effort.
"The world's been broken. The ties that bind people together can be reestablished. We have to do that." Brenner stated back.
"And why would I want to do that? You want to clip my wings, brother? That it? I won't live in a cage! You can do what you want, but just leave me be." Waylon sneered. "By the way, you know a fat cat named Greyfield?"
"Admiral Greyfield? Yes, I served under him for a while. What about him?" Brenner nodded back.
"He's set up shop in the capital. Word is, he wants all surviving Rubinelle soldiers to come join him. Wants to start what he's calling the 'New Rubinelle Army.' Creative genius, he ain't. Now I ain't hip on takin' orders, but I could make a pretty penny as a mercenary. I'd have all the food I could eat, and the ladies love a man in uniform. Know what I'm saying?" Waylon stated.
"Wow, I guess Reisen was wrong entirely about you." Weiss spoke with a sarcastic tone and a cold smirk. "You aren't a stray mutt at all. In fact, I think the more suitable term for you would be a poodle who would shake his tail for any man who would feed him even scraps, and then go around biting the hand that feeds him. In fact, you're a man of pathetic taste. Mercenary at these times? Have fun trying to play that off, you charlatan."
"Well, princess, that's quite the mouth from you. Care to flap it a little more?' Waylon threatened, rolling up his sleeve.
"Want to try? I didn't earn my rank by being a pretty-face. I wonder how much you'll be able to pass off as, when I'm done grinding your entire body into the earth." Weiss retorted back, as she cracked her knuckles, intent on using some of the hand-to-hand expertise she learned from Reisen.
Before the two of them could engage in hostility, Brenner got between both of them, physically pushing them aside.
'That's enough!" Brenner exclaimed. "Waylon, it seems that you have no intentions of remaining here. But what about your wounded?"
"What's done is done. Wounded ain't dead, is it?" Waylon scoffed. "I got places to go, things to do. You feel like playing nursemaid, go right ahead."
"You'd abandon your men?" Brenner growled.
"You think you can guilt-trip me? You got another thing coming, brother man. My only responsibility is survivin' to eat, drink, and be merry another day." Waylon stated with no remorse.
"Is that so?" Brenner answered back with finality, crossing his arms.
"Uh-huh. Know what responsibility's gonna get YOU, Brenner? A broken heart and an early grave. Especially with those harlots with you." Waylon shot as a parting jab.
"And you know what your attitude is going to get you, you mutt? A bullet to the back of the head, as deserved." Weiss retorted back. "Next time you come back, I'll have you thrown into the pound."
Waylon just merely raised his arm as a mocking gesture, before he left the area.
"Are we letting him go, sir?" Lin asked Brenner, as she walked over from the medical tent.
"We can't force him to stay, and we can't force him to care." Brenner shook his head.
"Is that guy really a soldier? He's nothing like you, Captain. He's nothing like any of us." Will asked Brenner.
"Soldiers are people, Will. You have to take the good with the bad. Each of us has to choose how to make it in this world, and Waylon's made his choice. Try not to let it bother you." Brenner answered back with a solemn tone.
"Just the fact that you're willing to acknowledge that he's wrong, means that you're a far better person than he is." Reisen assured Will. "Rest assured, he'll learn a critical lesson one way or another, whether he gets it before he crashes into the ground like Icarus to the sun, or makes a proper turn."
After the wounded pilots were retrieved, Reisen and Will joined in the treatment of the pilots, with Will acting as a nurse to Reisen, who was performing first-aid and minor surgery on them.
"Pass me the forceps." Reisen remarked, as Will did so, turning away as Reisen managed to extract several large glass shards from a pilot's leg, causing the man to wince, even under the effects of the pain-killers he was under.
"Wow, I never thought that you would be this good at performing medical duties, Major." Will told Reisen, who silenced him with a raised finger, just as she sutured some of the larger lacerations together on her patient.
"Before I was even in the army, I was an understudy to a doctor who could be considering the pinnacle of medical talent." Reisen explained. "Even after I have rose the ranks, I have not forgotten my roots as a medic, which is why many of my men consider me to be their savior, both because of my leadership, and because of my own medical talent, which has been passed down to the medics of my army, that have saved countless lives, civilian or soldier."
"Well, I'm glad that we have an actual angel here." One of the wounded pilots smiled back, as he was treated for a head wound that Reisen managed to patch up, covering it with a bandage that crossed his fore-head. "Sure beats having to work alongside that damned devil Waylon."
"You have such a low opinion of Waylon?" Will asked the pilot.
"Damn right we do." The pilot growled, as his expression creased with anger. "The fucker thinks just because he can pull rank, he's the one calling the shots here. Well, if it wasn't for the fact that his little posse is covering his flashy behind, many of us would have stuck a missile up his precious fighter's thrusters and watch him crash and burn like the piece of shit he is. Gets us all into a kill-zone, and says it's just for fun. So he can go screw off as far as he wants. We rather stick with an officer that actually can make use of us. You have room in your band, kiddo?"
"They do." Reisen answered back, as she began to bandage her patient up. "We also have news that we also managed to find reliable shelter with the means to produce crops and resources for all of us, and future survivors. It is basically a proper starting place to create a safe haven."
"Well, if you're going for that, count us in. We're tired of living on the edge of death with little to our names." The pilot nodded back.
Reisen then relayed the intentions of the wounded pilots towards Brenner, who nodded back.
"We also seemed to have been making use of the airports nearby to construct some new fighters and dusters for the pilots." Brenner explained. "So, it's true then. Waylon has mistreated his men this badly?"
"That is a strong understatement." Reisen darkly responded back. "We should head towards the nuclear shelter, before we find some more danger. I believe that there might be the chance that the same enemy force that almost destroyed us, might make their move soon."
"You might be right about that." Brenner grimaced. "It'll give the people a reason to hope for the better."
The officers then spent some time recuperating from the wear-and-tear that the previous battle caused among the armies' men, as the new squad of pilots were integrated very smoothly into Brenner's Wolves, which helped to bolster the air force of the battalion significantly.
At the same time, the commanding officers were inside the war room, as they were planning their route towards the nuclear shelter.
"This is the quickest route to the Seratta mountain range." Lin remarked, tracing the path with red markings.
"So we'll be passing by Freehaven again, will we? I doubt they'll be happy to see us, but we should check to see if the people are safe." Brenner nodded back.
"Permission to speak out of turn, sir, but I believe you're too forgiving." Lin remarked with a scowl. "How can you be concerned for their welfare after the way their mayor behaved?"
"I concur with that matter." Weiss remarked. "I doubt that wretch of a mayor would have learned his lesson when Reisen decked him hard enough to leave the reminder. We also made our points very clear for them. They will not get our help unless they learn to change their arrogant and privileged attitudes."
"That doesn't mean we can abandon them." Brenner retorted back.
"And as much as it pains me, the Captain is right." Reisen nodded in agreement, surprising Lin and Weiss.
"...Why would you say that? You were the most offended party during that time." Lin responded back.
"Although I will not forgive the mayor and his clique for their bigotry, I will not simply condemn the rest of the village by association." Reisen answered back with a strong tone. "They are afraid and powerless at the time. Of course they are afraid of those who have power, or crave that power for themselves, for whatever reasons it may be. But as Weiss said, we've already proven our points. They cling onto the mayor's poisonous ideals because it's the only thing keeping them together. It may be difficult, but that toxic mindset can be subverted, given proper effort and time. Could you say that if you were a part of that village, Lin, would you want to be abandoned by the only possible hope here?"
Lin was silent for a moment, as she genuinely thought the idea through, before understanding Reisen's logic, and admitting her defeat. "No… I wouldn't." Lin shook her head. "But still, we should keep a close leash on that mayor and his men. We cannot let them cause discord among the other survivors."
"Captain Brenner!" Will exclaimed, as he entered the war room. "Major Inaba and Lt. Colonel Schnee too!"
"What is it, Will? Are we under attack again?" Brenner asked Will.
"Huh? No, it's those villagers. Remember the ones we met before? They say they want to speak with you, sir." Will answered back.
"Is that so?" Brenner responded back, before turning to Reisen. "...I have a feeling that you might want to talk to them too. Let me hear your opinion on the matter, before I make my choice."
"I already know how thin the ice runs between us on this matter, Captain." Reisen answered back. "However, it is imperative that I stand before them, to lay down the iron-clad rules. They need to be reminded by the one they fear, that they are not the ones in control of this matter, we all are. I can promise you that I will not intentionally provoke the mayor or his band, or perform any acts of extreme violence, either verbal or physical. Do you have my trust on that matter? Or would you prefer Weiss to go instead? I believe that her more level-headed mind-set can handle this."
"You might be right. It's best to let your friend come with me." Brenner sighed. "But still, Major, I acknowledge the justification of your actions. I just simply cannot come to terms with how the results are achieved."
"Some things cannot be simply talked out with." Reisen shook her head, as Brenner, Lin and Weiss left the war room to greet the Freehaven survivors, led by the mayor, who began to explain the situation to them.
"So this last quake destroyed the remaining buildings, leaving us without food or shelter." The mayor explained. "We can't survive without assistance."
"And what has this got to do with me?" Brenner asked back stoically.
"Please, Brenner... Captain. We need your help. You have my apologies for any past-" The mayor tried to beg.
"Understood. Pack your things. You're coming with us. If we can locate that factory, there should be enough food for everyone." Brenner interrupted, as the mayor lightened up.
"Factory?" The mayor asked.
"That's right. If you need details, find Dr Morris. I deal in weapons, not test tubes." Brenner explained. "All I can tell you is, it's key to getting the food we need to survive. Clear?"
"Yes, of course. You have my gratitude. Speaking of food, my people haven't eaten in days. May I ask-" The mayor asked again, as Weiss's eyes narrowed at the demanding attitude of the mayor.
"If we'll feed you? Ask away... All right. We're running short ourselves, but I'll see to it." Brenner nodded back.
"For someone who hasn't eaten for days, you look pretty well-fed to me." Lin answered back, as Weiss's eyes widened, noticing that Lin did spot that detail out, causing her to be silently still for a moment.
"I-I beg your pardon?" The mayor stuttered back.
"I'm rather curious as to what your villagers are carrying in all those trucks. It wouldn't happen to be provisions, would it?" Lin continued to press the mayor.
"N-no, it's merely…" The mayor bumbled, before flaring up with anger. "How dare you? Are you implying that I'm lying?"
"I said no such thing. I merely inferred from your robust condition that you've been eating-" Lin answered back calmly, although Weiss could tell that Lin was withholding the urge to smirk in response to the mayor's poor attempts to lie.
"Enough! You...you uppity-" The mayor exclaimed with a accusing finger, before Weiss rushed in.
"I wouldn't try insulting the people who are trying to save you, mayor, if I were you." Weiss stated with a sarcastic tone, which turned cold the next moment. "Now listen, before you get any ideas, we're not doing this for you or your band of yes-men. We're doing this for ALL of the people in your town. No-one gets special treatment unless there is a justification for it. You try to over-step your bounds as a civilian representative, and you'll be in the brig faster than the word 'incompetent' can be said."
The mayor could only glower in silence in response, cowed by Weiss's intimidating tone, before a soldier rushed into the area.
"Attack! We're under attack!" The soldier shouted, as the survivors began to panic.
"Gather your people and take cover in the rear. We'll continue this later if we survive." Brenner said.
The army forces immediately moved into formation, as the scouting reports indicated that the invading force was the same raiders being led by the Beast, who seemed to have more firepower than last time, with the dust-storm obscuring vision from both sides.
"It's that same group of raiders. How is it they're still operating…?" Lin remarked. "And they're using this poor visibility to cover their attack. Someone must be helping them... All units, advance! Keep your eyes peeled!"
"You might be right on that…" Reisen added. "We'll have to cover all areas of the battlefield, if we're going to make it through with minimal casualties."
"At least we can tell that the fires in the distance are actually assisting with reconnaissance." Weiss sighed. "That way, we can have some idea of where our enemies are moving their troops."
The troops immediately began to make their slow advance towards the general location of the enemy, capturing nearby cities and towns to bolster their resources, and also nearby factories in order to increase the production of reinforcements, both infantry and vehicle, as one of the transport helicopters were flying around the area, looking for possible locations to drop the infantry squad loaded inside of it.
"This is Kurohane 23." The transport pilot reported, as the transport copter flew over the nearby rivers and mountains, relaying information about the nearby areas to the commanders. "We have witnessed that the enemy are making an assault towards the southern bridge. We are also currently moving Fukai Squad to capture nearby areas to the north, although we're worried about enemy resistance."
"Continue your movement, we'll move some units to support your advance." Reisen answered back.
At the same time, several squads of snipers moved into the mountain region in the middle of the battlefield, as they took note of the enemy units around them, sniping out the enemy soldiers that were trying to form a choke-point in the northern passage, as the raider infantry suffered severe casualties, and some of the enemy anti-air units were cripped by the long-range attack.
Eventually, the flare units built by the armies moved into the front-lines, as they managed to fire their flares deep into enemy lines, as the soldiers could see that the raiders were fairly limited in firepower, after the bulk of their forces were destroyed by the advancing troops.
"The enemy got to have nothing up their sleeves, now that we've driven them into a corner!" One of the battle-copter squad leaders remarked through the comms. "Let's get them dealt with, and make our way to a better place!"
"I'd be careful if I were you." One of the artillery squad leaders responded back. "Let us weaken the enemy first, and then we can finish the job."
The artillery and rockets from the allied armies, moved into position, while the tank squads acted as a blockade to prevent the enemy from advancing, before the enemy forces were almost wiped out by a hail of artillery shells and rockets, leaving only the stragglers, which the bikes and recon vehicles mopped up without trouble.
"All enemy units have been accounted for. This battle's over." Lin announced.
"Somebody tell me where those raiders got all that firepower?" Brenner questioned, with a hand to his fore-head.
"I can't understand it, sir. We destroyed everything they had…" Lin answered back. "At least that's what was inferred after we fought them near New Wolfington…"
"I would have to agree. This is far beyond the level of military firepower the raiders demonstrated before." Weiss nodded. "Someone is certainly behind this, and I doubt that the leader of these raiders would be competent enough to deal such a blow."
"There is news that the enemy leader managed to sneak off the battlefield and escape." Reisen stated, after receiving reports from the pursuing forces. "My men tried to pursue him, but he managed to evade it long enough to get out of our sight."
"That doesn't bode well... I'm sure we'll see his ugly face again. But we've got our own goal to reach. Let's move out." Brenner muttered with a grim expression.
Reisen immediately left Weiss to take care of the debriefing, while she looked for Isabella, who would likely be able to help her slightly, and also take her mind off her own worries, which were amplified by Mars's ominous interest in her and her army. She managed to find Isabella with Will, as the two of them were sitting on a nearby plain.
"Will. Isabella." Reisen told the two young survivors. "May I ask if I could sit with you?"
"Major. We won't mind." Isabella answered back, as Reisen sat beside Isabella, opposite of Will.
"Are you two both alright?" Reisen asked back. "I know that my men and Brenner's Wolves have been treating you as well as we can during these hard times… but I feel like it isn't enough."
"No, we couldn't be ungrateful, Major Inaba." Will answered back. "It's because you're trying your best that we're still able to have some peaceful times like this. I'm merely glad that we managed to find a way to solve our lack of supplies."
"Indeed, as long as that mayor doesn't cause problems about it." Reisen grumbled. "I can feel that he is going to be nothing but trouble at this rate, but I can't do anything about it, not unless we want to lose the trust of the Freehaven survivors."
"Sometimes, it's better to just let go." Isabella answered back. "I know what he has done is not a good thing, but there are better things to do than to agonize over his actions. After all, you've been a great help to all of us."
"Hm…" Reisen hummed. "Isabella, do you truly recall nothing about your own past? I'm sure that there must be something that is lodged within your memories, that can help explain how you ended up here."
"I can't truly remember. All I can remember is…" Isabella stated, before she then began to feel weak and nauseous. "...Oh… I… What's…"
"Isabella? Is something wrong? Are you feeling alright?" Will asked Isabella, as Reisen began to feel uneasy.
"I d-don't know.." Isabella stated.
"Isabella, hold on." Reisen remarked, as she began to lie Isabella down on the floor, checking her over, as the young girl seemed to feel quite rigid. "I need to tell me, what's wrong with you? Do you feel any symptoms? Anything that is out of the norm?"
"So...dizzy...my head…" Isabella answered back, as her focus was scattered, and her voice was slightly woozy.. "9693872914… 9693872914… I feel... funny…"
Will began to realize what was going on, just as Reisen tugged down on Isabella's collar, seeing that there were dark green markings on Isabella's skin, which Reisen recognised immediately as a symptom.
"Will, get Doctor Morris, now." Reisen remarked, snapping her head towards the terrified boy.
"Wait here, Isabella! We're going to get help for you!" Will shouted to Isabella before taking off on a mad sprint.
Reisen bit her lip, before she then began to give Isabella her flask, and gave her some water to hydrate Isabella, keeping her conscious.
"Drink. You need some water." Reisen told Isabella, as she slowly drank through the flask. "You're going to be fine. It's a good thing that I noticed what is wrong with you."
"Please… Don't leave me… Will…" Isabella wheezed, her voice weak. "What's wrong… with me, Major?"
Reisen hesitated to speak, as she knew that what Isabella was going through, was the early stages of the Creeping Derangea virus, although she debated whether it was the right choice to tell her, with Isabella so weak without support.
"We're not too sure. I want to say it's merely a bad fever, but it doesn't sound right." Reisen answered back. "Just hold on, we'll get you to the medical room to treat it."
Will then returned with Dr Morris, as well as some soldiers who were carrying a stretcher, as they put Isabella onto the stretcher, while Dr Morris and Reisen followed after them, while Will headed to Brenner, Lin and Weiss to break the bad news.
"What!? You believe that Isabella has been infected?" Weiss remarked with a worried tone.
"I'm not sure, but Isabella… and the last I heard about the Creeper… she's just the right age, like me… and…" Will tried to explain, although he couldn't muster the courage to admit it.
Before he could, Dr Morris and Reisen rushed into the room with solemn expressions.
"Captain Brenner… Judging from the symptoms, there's a good chance Isabella's infected with Creeping Derangea." Morris stated the bad news.
"The plant virus?" Brenner asked back.
"Yes. Exactly. She manifested the symptoms at most a few days ago, from the symptoms as well." Reisen answered back. "Perhaps she contracted it without our knowledge, during one of our missions. We've placed her in a quarantine in a temporary laboratory, which is under quarantine orders. No-one but specialized medical personnel are allowed to enter it, especially not those in risk of infection like Will."
"What are you doing for her? How long until she's cured?" Brenner continued to ask.
"Will's right about you, Captain. You truly are a caring man. But to have any hope of curing her, I would require highly specialized equipment and facilities." Morris answered back.
"But we can at least stall the progression of the virus." Reisen answered back. "I managed to create a medicinal solution that can halt the progress of the virus for the time being. But other than that, it has no other beneficial effect. It is only a stop-gap measure until we find better medical supplies."
"If I may, Captain? I have a thought." Lin added. "The shelter the girl told us about. If it truly does exist... Perhaps it contains the medical equipment Dr. Morris requires."
"You may be onto something there. A shelter like that would be completely airtight…" Morris agreed. "Which means an infectious disease would spread like wildfire in there…. Yes, they must have considered it. It's very possible they would have a contingency plan for a situation such as this."
"I see. Good work, you two. As long as there's a chance, we keep moving." Brenner stated.
"And now we have a more pressing reason to get to the shelter… but that's not the worst of it." Weiss stated. "What if the survivors hear about this…? Especially that accursed mayor?"
"We'll pass that bridge when we get there. Either way, she cannot afford to die, because she knows things that we have to rely upon for our survival." Reisen answered back.
After a while, Brenner decided to look for Will, as Weiss joined him, finding the boy in a small forest, sulking alone.
"Will? What are you doing out here all alone?" Brenner asked.
"Nothing. I'm just…" Will tried to say.
"I know you're worried about Isabella. That's a normal reaction. But listen, I don't want you to lose hope. As long as there's life-" Brenner tried to cheer Will up.
"I ran away. I... I ran away from her." Will admitted. "I used Reisen's words as an excuse for it, even if it was right."
"Will… That's not how it is-" Weiss tried to say.
"When I knew...when I knew Isabella was sick. I didn't go to her." Will continued to say. "I didn't want to get sick too. I was only thinking about myself. She was really scared, you know? I could see it in her eyes. She wanted me to help her, but... ...I ran away."
Weiss was silent, before she then walked forwards towards Will, and then slapped Will across the cheek hard, surprising both Brenner and Will.
"A boy like you shouldn't be saying such self-loathing words." Weiss remarked with a stern glare. "If you ended up getting infected because of her, she would have suffered even more. I've been with her several times during the trip, and she looks up to you as her savior. If you threw your own health away for her, she'll regret it for the rest of her life. She may have felt scared without you, but she knows that you never truly abandoned her. And she still has all of us to ensure she won't be alone."
"But even so, I should have done the same, Lt Colonel Schnee!" Will shouted back. "You both help people. That's what you do. You're committed. You're not like me…"
"I've spent more time running than you'll ever know, kid. Hell, I'm still running." Brenner admitted with a slow grim shake of his head.
"What do you mean?" Will asked back.
"All the people I couldn't help, all the soldiers who died because I wasn't good enough… I've spent many a sleepless night telling myself it couldn't be helped, that I did all I could. That's just the sound of me running, Will. Running from a past I'll never escape…" Brenner explained.
"Oh…" Will responded back.
"That is the burden of being a commanding officer. You are expected to take the responsibility of every terrible action that your forces will end up making and receiving the result of." Weiss added. "Compared to what you have done, our actions are basically sinful. You may have left her alone when she needed you, but it was only to ensure that nothing more terrible happened. She still lives, Will. And there is a great hope that she will be cured. As long as you are safe, her will to live on won't burn out so easily. So the best thing you can do: Fight on, and ensure that her own quarantine isn't for vain. Be a better man."
"...Lt Colonel… Captain…" Will remarked, touched by the words. "Sir and Madam… Yessir and yes, madam!"
"Just remember, Will. Where there's life…" Brenner stated with the ghost of a smile.
'...There's hope!" Will exclaimed, his spirit re-ignited.
"Attaboy." Weiss grinned back. "Let's head back, and prepare for our path to the shelter tomorrow. We'll definitely make it there by dawn."
The survivor and the officers then made their way towards their camp, prepared for what lies tomorrow.
Term of the Chapter: Infantry
Both UUF and UGF have infantry squads that have their own unique designations. The Daizo Squad are considered to be veterans of search-and-rescue operations, containing a good amount of medics and specialists to handle any situation they end up in, while the Griffin Squad are known for being light-machine specialists that can tear down any enemy foot-soldiers that face them in battle.