Unmei Force Shattered Heroes: Dark Day Tactics
Chapter 11: The Great Owl's Looming Terror
It was sometime after the defeat of the NRA, as the allied forces were recovering from the previous battle, as the Lazurians intended to enter a military alliance with Brenner's Wolves, as they served as the only proper military authority in the entire continent.
At the current moment, the commanding officers were sitting on a large table together, with Brenner and Lin on one side of the table, Forsythe, Gage and Tasha on another, and Reisen and Weiss on the last side, leaving only one edge of the table unoccupied.
"I assume that we'll have to enter an alliance for working together in putting this ruined world together, no?" Forsythe asked the officers.
"That's our intention." Reisen answered back. "Out of all of us, we're the only ones who can hold a proper authority and the power to maintain it. I don't approve of spreading our influence over the scattered survivor populace, but if we are to find a way to turn the world back to normal… we need to work together."
"That cannot be refuted." Brenner agreed with a firm nod. "At this rate, we have become quite acquainted with each other, and most of our grudges have been settled thanks to the common enemy we had. I agree with the Major, an alliance is the best choice here."
"As much as the Lazurian people would protest about this… I sincerely agree." Forsythe responded back. "I have seen that you people are the ideal image of what Rubinelle should have been, and your altruistic actions have proven that point. I will do all I can to convince my country-men that we should put the barrier between us and Rubinelle away, and look towards a better future."
"Still, that does not put aside the issue of the IDS. They are likely unwilling to settle down with the NRA on the decline. We have seen what they are capable of." Gage stated. "It would not be wise to let them act unimpeded."
"And that's another reason why we need that alliance. Our troubles have not ended yet. Who knows if Caulder himself finds a way to finish the job that Greyfield started." Weiss nodded. "I agree with Lieutenant Gage, the IDS are a threat that we cannot ignore, and must fight together."
"To think that such people exist in this world… I am truly appalled." Brenner grumbled.
"Either way, we should immediately make preparations for-" Reisen remarked before a scout burst into the room panting frantically.
"What's wrong?" Brenner asked back.
"There's… There are IDS forces inbound towards our location! They come with a sizable force, and there's also an unidentified plane inbound!" The scout exclaimed with horror. "Our scouting forces that made contact with them have been annihilated! They're inbound within the hour!"
"Looks like our enemy has grown impatient with us , it seems." Reisen remarked, as the officers left their seats. "Get the troops ready, we cannot afford to be caught off-guard."
The officers immediately got into action, as Will came out to face the incoming IDS force, riding onto his war-tank, as he led the vanguard, with all allied forces on standby. Eventually, the IDS force showed themselves, as they seemed to be a large air-force, with a massive plane that looked like it was a flying fortress by the size of it, as there were compartments everywhere.
"It looks like a bomber, but... This is impossible…" Lin remarked, using her binoculars to examine the plane. "...No plane is this big."
"Not if it is someone out of the norm like the products of the IDS." Reisen argued, before the large plane began to deploy troops from mid-air, as the parachutes seemed to work against even the heaviest of the war-tanks, as the troops set themselves on the north-eastern corner of the plains their base was located in.
" The plane is parachuting troops! They've taken up battle positions. They have twice our numbers, sir. And they're still coming!" One of the recon crew exclaimed.
"...Something tells me that other than the infantry, we're fighting automated units…" Weiss remarked. "There is no possible way that an army of this size could be housed by the IDS and transported suddenly."
"Why, what a clever deduction." Caulder chuckled through the public channels. "My new automated troops are on the front line of military technology. With them, a single commander can give orders to every unit at once!"
"You!" Will exclaimed with anger.
"I took the liberty of recording your previous battle. It was a fierce fight, and you sustained a great deal of damage." Caulder continued. "Now I wish to see if your decimated forces can rally."
"You don't scare me!" Will defiantly retorted back. "You may have the numbers and the forces, but we have better men and leaders. We may have lost a few men against Greyfield, but you won't get through us easily!"
"Oh, such passion. But first, I hoped to have a talk with you, Will." Caulder responded back.
"...A talk? Are you serious?" Will growled.
"Oh, yes. I have something important that I need to discuss with you. I will tell you the location now, and you will come to me. Alone. If you do not agree to meet me, I will attack immediately." Caulder stated. "I await your response."
Will remained silent, before he then opened a private channel to Lin, Brenner, Reisen and Weiss.
"...Captain, Lin… Everyone… what do I do?" Will asked with an uncertain tone to his voice.
"Caulder isn't a man you can reason with. Or one that you can trust. This meeting of his is all wrong." Lin argued.
"I know. But I'm going anyway. If I go, it buys us time to prepare our troops. It gives us hope." Will responded back. "Besides, if Caulder tries anything… I know that you all got my back. And even if I do… die… I'm not afraid."
"...Let him go." Reisen stated. "...If Caulder tries anything, I will be shadowing you to ensure he doesn't do anything. Besides, Weiss didn't manage to kill him because Mars interfered. Perhaps, there might be a chance that I can do the job myself. Brenner, do you trust me to ensure that this plan goes off without a hitch?"
"Of course." Brenner responded back. "Just… make it back, both of you."
"Will, Reisen… I…" Lin was about to say, before she then stopped herself.
"Yes, Lin?" Reisen asked back.
"Nevermind. Just don't do anything rash, the both of you." Lin responded back.
"Thanks, Lin. I'm going." Will responded back, as he docked off the war-tank, as he boarded onto a jeep, as Caulder's coordinates were given to Will via a IDS messenger through the comms, as he was driven near the area, while Reisen used her agility to keep close to the vehicle without anyone, not even the driver of the jeep, seeing her, as she set herself on top of one of the mountains overlooking the meeting, as she began to set-up a sniper-rifle.
Will then entered the compound that Caulder was in, as Caulder was inside a large building, with Mars again, as the older man was sitting down in front of a large wooden table, while Mars was standing on the side, with a large rifle in his hand.
"Ah, Will! Please, come. Sit down." Caulder gestured at the chair on the other side of the table, as Will looked at it for a moment with suspicion, before he then took the seat. "You truly are a wonder. I don't know how you managed to defeat Greyfield. Or was it the aid of your allies that managed to get you through?"
"What do you want?" Will demanded with a glare.
"Patience, Will, patience. I just have a favor to ask of you." Caulder answered back.
"Really?" Will snorted derisively, not trusting the mad scientist at all.
" I need to observe your troops, but my current equipment is somewhat lacking." Caulder remarked, before he then picked up a small attachable device from a nearby crate. "Would you mind if I attach these small devices to your men? They allow me to monitor heart rates, perspiration, and fear levels."
"...You can't be serious." Will growled with a scowl.
"They won't affect your fighting capability in any way, I assure you. Doing so would compromise my position as an impartial observer." Caulder answered back. "I will attack you regardless, but this way science can benefit. Do you see?"
"Here's what I think of your 'favor'." Will responded back, as he shot up from the chair, snatching the device from Caulder's hand, before throwing it as hard as he could into the wall behind Caulder, as the device broke into thousands of parts, with Caulder's smile fading from his face, and Mars letting out a wince with a soft 'Dang!'.
"Listen here. If you think just because I'm a green cadet who barely knows how this world works, you can fool me with this 'impartial nonsense…" Will answered back, leaning forward with fire in his eyes. "...You're not as smart as you claim to be, 'Doctor' Caulder. I'll say it again, and I will until you understand clearly what I'm saying: I'm not afraid of you, and neither is Lin, or Tasha, or Gage, or anyone in our army. You're no scientist, you're just a madman who is using whatever excuse he wants to justify ruining other lives. There is no knowledge to gain from causing suffering and death. So you can take your offer to try and sabotage my people by learning how they work, and toss it right into the bin. I'm not letting a single person be party to your twisted experiments. You hear me? Even if I die against you, at least I die trying to put an end to your madness."
"Kid got a point, Father. You might have wanted to think that offer through proper-" Mars commented.
"Be silent, Mars." Caulder growled at Mars, who did so, and then turned back to Will. "I assume that you don't want to cooperate? Very well."
"And I'll never do so, no matter what you offer me." Will spat back, as he rose from his chair. "I'm leaving. And if you try anything… Know that there are people who can get to me before you can escape."
"My my, what bold threats." Caulder stated. "Oh! I almost forgot. I have one more request... The girl you call Isabella. I want you to give her to me."
"What did you say?" Will growled, as his hands curled into fists, as Mars noticed the aggression from the young cadet.
"Will you hand her over to me? Yes or no? It's a simple question. If you give her to me, I will guarantee the survival of your people." Caulder repeated the question.
"Oh? And how are you going to do that?" Will seethe.
"I will call off my forces. I can also provide a cure for the virus you call the Creeper." Caulder offered. "All at the cost of a small girl who can't even lift a rifle. It is a very generous-"
Before Caulder could finish his sentence, Will grabbed the chair and threw it right into Caulder with a roar of rage, as the pale scientist was knocked onto the ground, with bruise marks on his light-toned skin, as he clutched his head, as Mars pointed his gun at Will, as if to prevent Will from trying to throttle Caulder to death here and now.
"Isabella stays. I don't know what you have done to her… but she deserves far better than being in the hands of a monster like you. You can run us down into the ground until we're ashes… you can make us do your damn experiments…" Will spat. "...But Isabella will never be yours, as long as I stand and breathe. If you want her so badly, then you're going to have to get through us all, and we're going to make that as hellish for you as possible. We'll take down as many of your damned swarm as we can, just to ensure that the next person who comes around will be the end of you."
Mars remained silent, although the look he gave Will seemed to show that Mars had some respect for Will upon hearing those words from his mouth, before lowering his gun.
"Such fascinating reactions from a young man like you…" Caulder stated, before he then slowly rose up. "I am intrigued that you are so adamant on this path, despite the logical disadvantages. But I think you will reconsider once I introduce you to the Great Owl."
"We took down your Talon Gun… your fortress will be the next to go down." Will retorted as a parting shot, as Will left the building.
Reisen kept an eye on Will, as she knew that Mars had an eye on her, due to the fact that the latter had been looking her way several times during the heated conversation, ensuring that Caulder would not be a viable target. She watched as Will returned to the jeep, as he returned to the base camp safe and sound, as Reisen herself pulled back.
"What happened back there?" Brenner asked back.
"Don't ask… That bastard wanted to do something to all of us. Of course, I refused, and made it clear to him." Will stated.
"I agree. Will made the smart choice." Reisen agreed. "Caulder intended to have our units shackled with devices that Caulder intended to use as observation devices to record the fear levels through several factors. I doubt that's the only purpose of the device. And Will snapped when Caulder demanded Isabella's return. It seems that Caulder will be thinking twice before making the offer again."
"Then we're set. Our troops are sufficiently prepared for battle." Lin responded back. "We should be careful and minimize casualties. Who knows how many enemy troops can be deployed from that air fortress."
"Not to mention that it's about to attack… I suppose Caulder has decided as well that the battle is to begin." Weiss exclaimed, before the large central compartment on the underbelly of the air fortress opened up, as it dropped a large bomb right into the centre of the battlefield, as it caused a massive explosion with a radius of kilometers, as it kicked up a massive shockwave the shook the entire field. "What the… that bomb literally…"
"Sir! The entire center of the battlefield was devastated!" One of the scouting units reported. "We strongly recommend that engagement within the blast radius is ill-advised."
"I agree, that blast radius means that any air units who are caught in the blast radius will not be spared either." Reisen stated. "Not to mention that the enemy has deployed a large abundance of heavy armour, in the form of bombers and war-tanks, as well as anti-airs and anti-tank units to counter our own heavy forces. We are in for a difficult battle."
"No way around it… Will, let me take the reins for the battle. You have done enough already. I should pull my weight after being out of action for so long." Brenner stated. "All units proceed around the blast-radius. If it is possible, attract the enemy forces into their own bombardments. Perhaps that could even the odds."
"Got it, Captain!" Will exclaimed, as he boarded his war-tank, as Keiji rode on his own medium-tank with Ydine as his passenger, and his squad in behind him. The two officers took their own route through the area, as Keiji followed along the northern side of the battlefield, with bombers and copters supporting him, and Will lead the main ground force along the southern side, with rockets and anti-airs in tow, as well as some war-tanks from both the Rubinelle and Lazurian forces to assist.
The northern ground force had to deal with destroying a meteor fragment that was blocking their way through the rest of the battlefield, employing hit-and-run tactics to avoid being splashed by the periodic bombardment from the Great Owl, the enemy air-fortress that the IDS forces were using, making a slow advance that cost them several bombers, which was critically damaged by the air blast of the bombardments, stalling engines and tearing the hull apart. However, they managed to clear the way through, as the northern division began to assault the enemy forces.
Down south, Will was taking kills after kills, motivated by his anger towards Caulder, as the rockets covered the entire battlefield with explosions, as IDS casualties were on the fast rise, as his forces were slowly pushing the IDS forces back, even with the bombardments sounding off every moment or so nearby them, which knocked off the aim of the soldiers several times already.
"Goodness god, they really have a large air fleet to deal with. When I wanted a target-rich environment, I didn't mean that literally!" One of the AA operators exclaimed, as the vehicles was pumping out flak shots that managed to shoot down a bomber coming towards them, before a rocket fired on their position, knocking the vehicles apart, as some of them were destroyed. "Shit, the enemy's on us! Quick, get moving before another one hits us!"
The AAs began to move further behind the allied lines, as the artillery units located the offending enemy unit, before they returned the favor with artillery shells, which ignited several rockets, as the explosion took out the entire unit. At the same time, an allied anti-tank unit managed to blow away the last of the enemy armor to the south, ensuring that the group were able to attack the exposed rear-guard of the enemy, which consisted of indirect units and anti-tanks, that stood less a chance in direct combat with the tank squads approaching from both sides, with Keiji's force pushing through to them.
"Come on, we just need to clear out the enemies right here, and we can get some reprieve against the enemy!" Will rallied the men fighting alongside him, as Will pushed the war-tank forward, as he fired his cannons right into the opposing medium tank unit, destroying them, as anti-tanks moved beside him, launching AP shells that tore the enemy anti-tanks apart, although some of them were damaged from the returning fire from the enemy.
Keiji charged right into the enemy formation, as he was firing blast after blast at the enemy tanks, weaving through cannon-fire from all directions, as he and his squad were claiming dozens after dozens of kill, before they managed to shoot down the last of the active IDS forces.
"The enemy's down for now. Now then, let's find a way to deal with that-" Keiji remarked.
"Reinforcements have been sighted." Lin stated, watching as the Great Owl's storage compartments opened, to reveal more troops that were ready to be parachuted to the ground for further battle.
"I hate to say this… But we cannot win the battle as it is." Brenner stated. 'All units fall back to the main base. We need more time to gather what we have lost in momentum against this wave of enemies."
"Captain…" Will muttered with concern.
"Yes, you probably do." Caulder responded to Brenner.
"You...!" Will growled.
"We are readying another attack, but I will ask you once more... Will you give me the girl? In exchange for the safety of your troops?" Caulder continued.
Will was about to outright reject Caulder's offer, before he decided to use the opportunity to prod for more information about Caulder. "Why do you want her?" Will answered back.
"I don't want her. I own her. She is one of my products, and I need her back." Caulder declared.
"One of your products?" Will stated.
"Why, yes. Surely you sensed something strange about her? That girl is my daughter, though not in the sense that you imagine. I built her. I created her." Caulder declared.
"No…" Will remarked, recalling the strange happenings regarding Isabella.
"My daughters are clones, and so is my son Mars. I created them in the laboratory." Caulder stated. " They were the final step in building an army of low-cost, cloned soldiers. IDS specializes in products that give generals control during battle. Armies have long been ungainly things with many communication problems. Even modern armies suffer from late or misunderstood communications. But my products-my children-can control entire armies single-handedly. Like a giant with a hundred arms, they can wield innumerable weapons! Although I must admit, they have been abject failures as humans."
"Isabella is a clone…" Will muttered to himself.
"Whyever did you give her that insufferable name? And yes, she is a clone. A mere doll designed and controlled by me." Caulder stated. "But one day she went... haywire and fled my laboratory. This was highly unusual, and I must discover its cause. I need to disassemble her and locate the source of the malfunction."
"You can't and you won't!" Will declared in response.
"I can and will, and you will give her to me, or I will take her by force. It seems you have developed a certain attachment to my daughter. You are being too emotional. She is a product! An experiment! A nothing. And she belongs to me!" Caulder exclaimed.
"Enough! She is not nothing! She is a girl with emotions and feelings like the rest of us. You're not going to have her!" Will roared back.
"We'll see. I await your answer, Will." Caulder declared, before he cut the connection from his side.
Will remained silent during his entire trip back to the base camp, as he, Reisen, Weiss, Brenner, and Lin gathered up with Dr Morris to discuss their latest findings.
"...She's a clone!?" Morris exclaimed.
"According to Caulder, yes. She's one of a group of mass-produced clones. And his daughter." Will stated, before turning away slightly. "I guess that makes her a clone of Caulder…"
"Hmmm... I'm not sure that is completely accurate." Morris hummed.
"What do you mean?" Will asked back.
" Technically, it is possible to create human clones. But even if you duplicate the DNA... The clones are not perfect copies. They're more like a set of twins. We don't know if he used recombinant DNA or an extra chromosomal-" Morris started.
"Please, once again, tone down the scientific terminology for the rest of us." Brenner reminded Morris.
"Well, if I were to make a clone of myself, I would have a baby with my DNA. But we would have different ages, different environmental influences, and so on. It would not be possible to engineer a perfect copy of my adult self." Morris explained again. "That's why I think each Isabella is a unique, individual person."
"But Caulder talked about them like they were interchangeable." Will responded back.
"I have a theory. What if you took those cloned babies you were talking about and isolated them? Completely cut them off from the outside world, like rats in a maze. By eliminating all outside influence, you could theoretically mass-produce identical clones." Reisen commented. "That's how experimenting works. You ensure that the confounding variables are set to a controlled minimum, so that the results are entirely determined by the dependent variables. Raising samples of clones works the same way."
"Well... I suppose... In theory, that might work, yes. But such an existence would likely shatter the mind of anyone who had to undergo it!" Morris exclaimed. "Only an unethical monster would think of… Oh…"
"It doesn't matter what Isabella is. Right now, our main concern is finding a way to negate the advantage that the IDS have with their 'Great Owl'." Weiss stated. "I'll call for the Lazurian command to join us inside the war room to discuss this."
The officers then gathered inside the war room, as the Lazurian command entered the room, as all of them had bleak looks on their faces, as if they received bad news.
"What seems to trouble you?" Weiss asked the Lazurian officers.
"Caulder is threatening to bomb us again." Gage stated. "If we don't hand over the girl by tomorrow, they will launch an all-out assault."
"It might be hard, but we can handle another assault… What concerns all of us is how long Caulder is willing to push us. Either his troops run out, or we are destroyed…" Reisen stated. "We have to press our defense."
"I'm afraid that's not an option. As long as the Great Owl flies, we have no chance of victory." Lin shook her head. "In the previous battle, bombs were dropped on a fixed area only. They weren't trying to win. They just wanted to display their power. If they decide to start bombing our forces directly... Well, like I said. Victory would be impossible."
"I can't stand this! That man is simply toying with us! He can just bide his time until we surrender Isabella to him!" Tasha thumped a fist on the table with anger. "Come on, there has to be a way to take that thing down! We have airports and a lot of fighters, we can-"
"You would be sending your men to their deaths." Reisen firmly stated. "The Great Owl has been scanned to have air defenses that would make any attempt to attack it a sunken-cost fallacy. What we could have used to even damage the Great Owl could have been better used to fight the battle on the ground."
"Damnit…" Tasha cursed.
"Captain… What can we do? We can't just abandon Isabella to that monster…" Will asked Brenner.
"We will not comply with his demands." Brenner stated firmly. "No matter what it takes, Isabella has proven that she is both a dear friend and a great help to us. If Caulder gets his hands on her… who knows what could happen next."
"Perhaps you think it is noble to die for your principles, but I disagree." Gage responded back with a biting tone.
"Gage! What are you saying!? The General would not-" Tasha exclaimed.
"I am not going to lead my people on a suicide mission. The life of one girl against the lives of all of us seems an easy choice." Gage declared.
"Lieutenant Gage, that is an unacceptable outcome that I cannot simply accept." Forsythe frowned. "The young girl is the crux of that villain's goal. To accede to his demands would be paramount to surrender."
"With all due respect, General." Gage responded back. "We are to ensure that what remains of us lives through this entire ordeal to rebuild Lazuria. That is our duty to our nation. Have you grown soft for your former enemy? If that is the case, then your leadership is to be questioned."
"You're a jerk. You know that, Gage?" Tasha seethed. "Did you see what happened to Colonel Grenwild, a fate that the General barely avoided!? Greyfield is a saint compared to that pasty monster Caulder, he's going to run us into the ground until we're dust. I say to hell with his demands and fight him to his last breath, I know that-"
"Wing Commander, that's enough!" Forsythe barked. "...As much as this is balderdash, and unbecoming of me… The consenters have a point. We cannot bow to Caulder. He is not the man who honors a surrender well and true. He would sooner stick a knife in your backs than play nice. I'm afraid battle is the only option, no matter what the cost of resistance is, because…"
"As long as there is life, there is hope." Brenner stated. "What has happened recently is proof of that, after we managed to win our survival against our former allies, the NRA."
Before the meeting could progress, an uninvited guest burst into the room, as it was the portly mayor of Freehaven, as all eyes were turned to him.
"That's enough! The civilians are tired of the fighting and your lies!" The mayor declared, pointing a finger at Brenner and Will.
"...Who let him in here?" Lin remarked dryly.
"Mayor, I do believe that you're in no position to barge into an important strategy meeting to declare that simple statement." Reisen stated. "And even disregarding that, I sincerely did not recall the fact that we brought you along. Lin, Will, explain."
"I'm… I'm not really sure." Will stated. "I don't recall seeing him either, perhaps he's been avoiding us all of this time for some stupid reason, and now he's stirring trouble again.
"Fair mayor, if I could ask if you could vacate this room? We can discuss matters later-" Forsythe tried to placate the mayor.
"Shut up! You're not even supposed to be here!" The mayor growled, causing Forsythe to be appalled, as Tasha growled and Gage gave the mayor a glare. "The civilians are agreed! We should hand over that stupid girl and end this! Then all our problems will be over!"
"One, I don't recall the fact that you are the acting civilian representative here, that's Dr Morris after there has been another majority vote that you were WELL aware of.." Weiss started with an acidic tone. "So no, we'll not be taking your demands as you believe you want us to. Second of all, this news is strictly on military channels. If you imply that you have tapped into military channels to stir this situation up, I'll have you know that the offending party will be punished severely for purposely riling the situation up."
"That doesn't matter, you WILL hand over the girl or I'll-" The mayor threatened.
"...If someone could do us the favor of throwing this sack of trash out." Reisen sighed.
"With pleasure." Tasha stated, cracking her knuckles, before seizing the mayor by the back of his collar, as Gage walked over and held his arms behind his back.
"What?! Hey now, stop... Get your hands off me! Don't you know who I am?!" The mayor growled.
"A leech, that's what. Now do us a favor and scurry elsewhere!" Tasha screamed at the mayor.
As the arguing began to fade away, Forsythe turned to Brenner with a worried expression.
"My word, I never thought that you would have to deal with such ungrateful people." Forsythe told Brenner.
"He was a survivor that I rescued a long time ago… I'm starting to regret the fact that I even trusted him to hold his promise." Brenner shook his head.
Suddenly, there was the distant sound of approaching planes, as it alerted the entire group.
"It seems that Caulder decided to stop being patient. So much for another day." Weiss sighed deeply. "Let's get moving. We have to fight the next wave, no matter what."
The allied forces began to deploy on the front where the enemy was likely to deploy, as there were already IDS forces in the area, as they consisted of ground, navy and air units, as the force was just as large as the one that attacked them a while ago.
"We've only got so long until the Great Owl reaches where we are," Reisen stated. "...Until then, we have to make use of the time before it arrives to deal as much damage as can and develop a fortified position to prepare for what is to come."
"There are missile silos to the north-west and the south-east…" Will remarked. "If we could just get to those silos and use them to fire missiles into the enemy formation…"
"...Then the odds will be far more even." Weiss finished. "Let us split into three forces. Two flanks to protect the landers that will carry the operators who will use the missile silos to strike the enemy main force, and the main force, which will act as diversion to draw enemy attention, as well as the Great Owl's bombardment."
"Got that." Brenner stated. "...Will, at this point, I believe that your leadership is needed here. I trust you to ensure that the IDS forces do not destroy us all. You know how to even the odds, so you should be able to prevent more losses than I could."
"...Alright, Captain. Just don't get yourself in trouble." Will stated.
The main allied force began to move into action, as battleships and cruisers moved towards the enemy front, as the battleships began to fire their barrages in-land, damaging several IDS units, while the carriers were already hard at work producing sea-planes to pester the enemy forces. At the same time, cruisers, subs and gunboats were in motion to cover the landers carrying heavy armored units to destroy the meteor fragments that were blocking access to the missile silos in both corners of the battlefield, as well as the engineers to operate them.
By the time that the reports that the Great Owl has arrived in range to launch its bombardment, the allied main force was in full engagement with the enemy forces, as Will and Brenner led their tanks to strike the enemy forces, prioritizing the anti-tanks and enemy armor in their offensives, and the flanks were making good progress on chipping away on the meteor fragments blocking their silo access.
"The Great Owl will be starting its bombing run… And it's going to target our troops directly." Lin warned the group.
"Keep up the attack, and stay in heavy cover! Don't get too stuck together, since large groups are a target!" Will warned the main force units."However, we need to keep on wreaking havoc to ensure that the Great Owl only focuses on us!"
The ground force began to push forward, as they hoped to ensure that the Great Owl would focus on them, rather than the other flanking forces, as the allied navies on the north and south began to push as well, with the carriers and battleships doing all they can to assist the main force.
The first bombs from the Great Owl hit the ground force, as many casualties resulted from the bombardment, as there was little that the allied force could do to avoid the ruthless bombing, as even tanks were scrapped from a direct hit from the bomb, and Will's war-tank was knocked back by the impact, as he barely managed to keep it from tilting over.
"Captain! Are you alright?" Will shouted to Captain Brenner.
"Don't worry about me… Lin, what's the status of our ground forces." Captain Brenner stated.
"We suffered 30% casualties from that bombardment alone. It's recommended that the force doesn't take any more damage. You cannot hope to handle the IDS forces if they pounce upon you at this very moment." Lin reported back.
"...Major Inaba… What's the status of the missile silos?" Brenner asked Reisen.
"We managed to secure the northern silos. The southern silos are still blocked, and need time to be activated. In the meantime, the operators are inputting coordinates for the ballistic missiles to attack the main enemy force." Reisen responded back. "Just don't end up getting yourself killed, Captain, we have barely pulled you out of the last time."
"I'm well aware." Brenner stated, as he fired his tank cannon right into a line of medium tanks, taking out one of them, as his damaged squad assisted him in suppressing the enemy. "All troops, hold the line, we will have allied bombardment incoming soon!"
The main ground force continued to hold out against the IDS forces, before there was a loud explosion towards the south, as Will noticed the explosion.
"What the!? It didn't hit us, then what-" Will remarked, before a distress call was heard.
"Mayday, mayday, this is EAN Rockfeller, our vessel has sustained critical damage, and several of our escorts have been sunk! All hands are abandoning ship, I repeat, all hands are abandoning ship!" A battleship captain exclaimed.
"...That's one of the main fleet ships heading towards the south… Curses, Caulder realized what we are going for." Weiss stated. "We need to speed up our operations, before things get worse…!"
The allied forces began to continue fighting through the enemy forces, as more bombs were dropped from the Great Owl devestating the allied forces, although the ballistic missiles evened the odds for the allied forces, as the IDS units were being decimated by the precision and mulititude of the missiles, causing their ranks to be broken apart easily when an offensive is made to push the line forward.
"We're managing to keep the situation from deteriorating." Reisen remarked. "Now if only we can hold out long enough for us to take out the enemy forces before they can rebuild their ranks…"
"Major, we have intercepted communications on a private channel that has been considered unused…!" One of the comms officer reported. "You might want to take a listen…"
"Patch it through to me. We need to know what's going on there." Reisen stated.
"I… I am here. Can you hear me?" Isabella's voice could be heard, shocking Reisen.
"...Isabella… But she was supposed to be in the base camp. And the signal is…" Reisen remarked with disbelief.
"Ah! It's you! So you remembered how to make emergency communications! Don't push yourself too hard, dear. You know how fragile you are." Caulder responded back, as Reisen's mouth clamped shut at that instant.
"Promise me." Isabella stated.
"Hmmm? Promise you what, sweetie?" Caulder responded back.
"I don't care what you do to me…" Isabella declared. "I just want you to leave them alone."
"You're a curious specimen aren't you? Your sisters love chaos and death, whereas you embrace mercy. Even Mars revels in the heat of battle, each death an advantage to him, however eccentric his mind-set is. This is a worse design flaw than I anticipated…" Caulder scoffed.
"I'm... I'm not like them." Isabella responded back.
"Listen to me, Isabella. ...Bah! What an absurd name... I want you to join us on the Great Owl." Caulder replied. "I'm sure we can find something for you to do. Some experiment or other…"
"What!?" Isabella exclaimed.
"You seem confused." Caulder answered back.
"You said you wanted to dissect me! To analyze my malfunction! ...Isn't that why you want me?" Isabella shouted frantically.
"Hmmm… I did say that, didn't I? Well, I'm afraid that was a lie." Caulder chuckled darkly. "You are not important to me in the least. I have countless identical copies of you! What's another, more or less?"
"Th-then why...?" Isabella asked, betrayal evident in her voice.
" Dear girl... I was interested in THEM! I contrived a moral dilemma to make those people fight among themselves. I was curious how they would react. That is all." Caulder answered back, as Reisen's fist clenched.
"You're terrible!" Isabella shouted with defiance.
"Don't take that tone with your father, young lady!" Caulder growled. "...You're an odd one, aren't you? What did those people do to you? But we can experiment on such things later! Cyrus! Turn about! Secure the product and fly to the nearest base."
"Father... When will your madness end?" Cyrus remarked.
"Eh? Do you have something to say, Son?" Caulder hummed.
"I know I am not human. I know that you made me in a lab. But I will no longer stand idly by and let you do this! You treat us like puppets! Toys to be used and broken and then discarded." Cyrus ranted.
"My my, Cyrus, you are a perceptive boy. That's exactly what you are to me! A puppet! A plaything!" Caulder cackled.
"No! I am a person! I am real-" Cyrus shouted, before there was the sound of a gun being cocked. "...Mars?"
"I wouldn't finish that line if I were you, little brother." Mars spoke softly. "You wouldn't want Father to discipline you again? If you really are wise… just do as he says."
"Mars, you can't condone this! Father even admitted it, we're-" Cyrus tried to argue.
"Puppets? Playthings? Pawns? Toys?" Mars listed off. "Cyrus, I've heard this fact a thousand times over, and you have said this argument a hundred times over. The answer will always be the same… It doesn't matter. That's exactly what we are, because of what we have. Without him, we won't even have a purpose, because he's the sole creator of us. He controls whether we live and die, and there is nothing we can do to defy him, unless you want to end up like Lutaria, except Father won't remake you… He only made you on a whim, and he only wants me."
"You don't understand, this Lutaria is the closest to the one you remembered. If she is taken by Father, she'll-!" Cyrus remarked, before there was the sound of a gun-shot, and Cyrus crying out loud.
"Do you think that I don't know that…!?" Mars growled with anger in his voice. "Of course I know what terrible things lie for poor Isabella. But you should be fortunate that with his machinations, he didn't outright bomb the girl out of spite. She does have a use as a test subject, and that's the best you'll get, Cyrus, the best I deserve to get… So, Cyrus, if you truly care for what remains of Lutaria… please just do what Father says."
"...Urgh…" Cyrus stated.
"Hmmm… It seems that there is some dissonance between these two models… I suppose Mars is still adequate. Although Cyrus… I may need to get a new model for him." Caulder stated.
Reisen let the channel close upon itself, as she looked outside the camp, to see that the Great Owl was retreating, before she then opened a channel to Keiji.
"Keiji, I need you to do something." Reisen stated. "Find Isabella, while this battle still runs its course. She has been thrown out for some idiotic reason, and now she is at the danger of being captured by Caulder. Will will not take this news lightly, and he'd definitely go on a suicide mission alone to get her. So you must find her… before something bad happens."
"...Alright, I'll get a pursuit force ready from the base, with trackers to find her trail." Keiji responded back, as Reisen then turned her attention back to the main comms channel, where there were chatter about the Great Owl leaving the battlefield.
"I don't understand why, but it seems the Great Owl is retreating." Lin stated.
"I think I have an idea why…" Reisen added. "...But we have to focus on the battle ahead. With the Great Owl gone, we can immediately finish this battle fast by bombarding the enemy. An full offensive should be able to crush them right now."
"Yeah, let's take our chance and finish this!" Will agreed.
The allied forces then began to push forward, as the IDS forces were already down to a pittance of their original manpower, compared to the allied forces having only taken moderate casualties overall, making the resulting battle a fore-gone conclusion, as the combined allied forces left no chance for the IDS forces to even have the chance to make a counter-attack back at them.
"A costly victory…" Brenner frowned. "But I suppose that we should consider ourselves fortunate that the Great Owl broke off when we were about to turn the tide… Any more casualties would have not ended well."
"Major, you said something about knowing the reason why the Great Owl retreated." Lin told Reisen through the comms. "Care to explain?"
"Get everyone here, we cannot say this out in the open." Reisen responded back.
The officers of Brenner's Wolves, Reisen and Weiss met up inside the war room, before Ydine rushed into the room, looking frantic.
"Captain Brenner, Will, everyone, bad news! Isabella is gone!" Ydine shouted. "That nurse, Mary, told me about what just happened, and tried to beg me to help find her!"
"What do you mean, she's gone?" Will asked back with disbelief in his face.
"It's exactly as she says. Isabella left this camp against her volition, and worse yet… she's right in Caulder's hands as he wanted." Reisen stated with a grim expression.
"...That's why you were silent on the comms for so long…" Brenner winced, as everyone else in the room paled. "Did you find anything more out?"
"I can tell you this much, Keiji already reported that the camp was not disturbed in the first place, meaning that there was no struggle or infiltration. Not a single person believes something bad has happened in our absence." Reisen continued. "I can tell you this… she did not leave the camp out of her volition. After she was driven out, she decided that she may as well try and appeal for mercy to Caulder by offering what he wanted. Unfortunately… he has no intention to hold his promise."
"So all this time… Caulder was toying with us…!?" Will exclaimed. "I have to-"
"Keiji is already on the search for Isabella, and any traces of where she had gone." Reisen stated. "Now, getting back to the point. I have a very strong suspect for who might have been responsible for Isabella's eviction. And believe me, the perpetrator will not be spared from a military trial-"
Before Reisen could continue, the doors of the war room were burst open, as the mayor of Freehaven revealed himself again, with a red face, as all eyes turned to him with an appalled look, all except for Reisen, who looked like she was already planning murder.
"You! You are to blame for all of this!" The mayor screamed at Will.
"You again!?" Will exclaimed. "This is none of your business! We're trying to deal with-"
"Look around you! Look at the wounded and dead! Look at the civilians on the brink of starvation! No one had to fight. No one had to die. If you had just surrendered and handed that girl over, this would never have happened!" The mayor remarked.
Will then let the sentence go through his head, as he realized what Reisen meant, before they heard the sound of a gun safety being snapped off.
"No. " Reisen remarked with a frigid tone, as Ydine slowly turned to the mayor with bloodlust in his eyes. "...You just doomed us all with your actions. And you have finally tested my patience long enough. There is only one conclusion for a unrepentant wretch like you-"
Weiss saw Reisen raise her gun, as Weiss quickly snapped her head to Lin. "Stop Ydine, please!" Weiss shouted, before she then rushed towards Reisen, as the muzzle of her gun was pointed right at the head of the mayor.
"To DIE-" Reisen spat, as her finger squeezed the trigger, only for Weiss to shift Reisen's arm aside, as the shot went wide, with the shot grazing the mayor's cheek, causing him to collapse, while Weiss wrestled Reisen for the gun. "Weiss… LET GO."
"You cannot do this!" Weiss shouted. "It's not right! As much as this bastard is filth, we can't kill him and not expect-"
"HE'S THE ONE WHO HANDED ISABELLA OVER TO CAULDER!" Reisen remarked, twisting Weiss over slightly with a jerk of her arm. "I have had enough. I will not consort with a wretch like him who just threw all of us under the bus for his pathetic survival! He deserves to die, Weiss, and his corpse held high as a reminder of his sins. I don't care if the people hate me, they'll come to understand that this is what had to be done."
Lin already got Ydine in her hold, as the latter already went feral, as she was screaming incomprehensible curses, as Lin had to dig her feet in just to ensure that the Sergeant Major would not fly out of her grip and maul the frozen mayor to death.
"Reisen, listen to me, he's not worth it. He's not worth throwing away an entire year and half of trying to convince the civilians of our generosity and our good-will. And we absolutely cannot show any signs of mutiny before the Lazurians either. You saw how Gage thinks of us." Weiss stated. "He's nothing to you. He might have thrown Isabella away, but I'm sure that Keiji will find her soon enough, and everything will be back to normal. There is a better way to punish him, and you know it. So please, don't waste what we have done."
Reisen glared at the mayor for a few seconds, as her breathing was hard and ragged, before she then slowly calmed herself down, before she then clicked the safety of her side-arm back on, before then walking towards the mayor who was on the ground.
"Listen carefully, 'mayor'. From now on, you're no longer welcome in this community. It doesn't matter what you say against us, it doesn't matter what you will try. Your best option is to take your exile as quietly and as trouble-less as possible. You have 24 hours to pack your things and leave." Reisen stated. "I have evidence that you're responsible from a witness that Ydine has been so nice to fetch with me. If you will not leave, I will have my men throw you out into the most barren piece of land I can find. So while you still have what you want, get lost out of our sight, and never let me see you again."
Reisen then turned back to the Rubinelle officers. "...I'm going to join up with Keiji. Better than looking at this sad wretch." She declared, before she then left the room, as Lin let go of Ydine, who did the same, giving the mayor an intense glare, before dragging her finger across her neck as a threat to the mayor, as she disappeared.
"Never in my entire life have I seen a man as petty as you." Weiss cursed the mayor. "To condemn your own community for your own needs, and be so shameless to blame your own saviors for your troubles. Pitiful. I hope that you'll learn some well-needed humility when you wander these lands. If not… your end will be miserable, by your own hands."
Weiss then left, before the mayor finally recovered, as he pointed at the leaving officers. "S-See, we can't trust these people anymore! They'll kill us on a whim!" The mayor stated. "I suggest that you-"
"You are a sad little man with no idea what he is talking about." Lin shook her head. "I agree with their punishment. After what little you have done, and what you have been proven to have plotted… I say that your punishment is well-deserved."
"It seemed that our meeting was a mistake to begin with." Brenner shook his head. "...Take him away."
"Hey, let go! LET GO!" The mayor exclaimed, as some of Brenner's personal guards entered the room, and seized the mayor, taking away. "You won't get away with this, Brenner, you won't-"
"Captain, Lin… May I come with Weiss and Reisen? I have to save Isabella." Will responded back.
"If that's your choice." Brenner sighed. "...Forsythe and the rest of us will hold the line as long as it takes to ensure that there will be a base for you to return to. At least tell me why you are willing to risk your life."
"It's just... I've learned some things about myself. I don't think I"m the kind of person who should be in charge. I want everyone to be safe, but I'm unwilling to sacrifice even a single person." Will responded back. "But look at this battle… so many people have died, and even more would have done so, had Isabella not offered herself to Caulder to change the odds to our favor. I think it was wrong. I should have sided with the group instead of the individual. I just wanted to-"
"Stop, Will. I know what you're going to say. And I told you before… I'm not as perfect as you see me as." Brenner stated. "You've done as well as you could in the situation and that's all I ask of you. In fact, you have saved more lives than I could have saved had I not been bed-ridden back then. Your kindness and spirit managed to keep people alive, and that is why you are just as good as a commander as I am, after all of the experience you have absorbed from the battles."
"...Thank you, Captain. I swear that I'll come back with Isabella." Will stated, before she then decided to follow after Reisen, who was boarding one of the scouting jeeps, with Weiss and Ydine each taking a passenger seat.
"...Will, you're coming with us?" Reisen asked Will, before he nodded. "...Alright, then come on, we'll need some time to catch up with them."
The trio then departed from the camp, where they quickly met up with Keiji and his small force, as they consisted of a variety of units. Ydine quickly jumped out the jeep, as she went towards Keiji.
"...Any news?" Ydine asked. "You didn't end up having to deal with trouble, right?"
"No, we managed to get ourselves right here following the trail. Unfortunately, this is where it ends. There's no footprints, and we can't properly track fully where the Great Owl has went. It could have went any direction." Keiji shook his head. "...I'm afraid that your tracking skills can do little here."
"...That girl doesn't deserve to be in the hands of that monster. We have to save her…!" Ydine exclaimed.
"OK, If I was Isabella, where would I be…?" Will pondered.
"I know where she is." A young male voice could be heard, as Reisen recognised it quickly. The voice caused all of the present soldiers to turn their attention towards the bush shrub where the voice was coming from, as weapons were pointed at it.
"Who's there!?" Keiji ordered, before the person inside the bush revealed himself, being a young boy with the same hair and eye-color as Mars himself, except his hair was far more ruffled and he was wearing a white jacket with green sleeves and white jeans, with a pendant like the one that Isabella had, making Will light up.
"You're…" Will remarked.
"...Cyrus, that's what you're called?" Reisen finished, before turning to the soldiers. "Stand down, he's not a threat."
"You are William, the temporary commander before Captain Brenner was reinstated." Cyrus stated, before turning her attention to Reisen and Weiss. "And you are both Major Reisen Inaba and Lieutenant Colonel Weiss Schnee, of nations that are not within any possible sources of knowledge."
"Why did you come here?" Weiss asked back. "I thought that you are one of Caulder's clones. A son to Caulder, like Mars was."
"Yes, that's true." Cyrus nodded back. "Despite all of this… I wish to help you and I have no intentions for deceit."
"You are too straight-forward in your gestures for that." Reisen stated. "Then how do you wish to help us… and what do you hope to gain from all of this?"
"I can take you to where the Great Owl has landed… and ensure that you all can infiltrate it." Cyrus stated. "In exchange… I may not know the girl you call Isabella… but she is a clone of my sister…. And I believe, if there is anyone who can convince Mars to turn against Caulder… It'll be all of you."
"What…?" Will exclaimed with shock.
Terms of the Chapter: Battleships
Even with the latest induction of the United KANSEN Navy, the UGF's navy has not lost much of its fame for being a navy focused on crushing enemies with firepower. The Gunsou-Class Battleships are known for being able to fit an entire barrage of main cannons, with speed that matches that of normal battleships of its era. On the UUF side of the navy, the Willer-Class Battleships are known for being durable enough to handle multiple hull breaches and still carry normal operations due to anti-flooding measures to ensure that the ship does not sink unless extremely critical damage is dealt to it.