Chapter 20: Burning the Nest
March 23rd 07:00, Brytus, Dragon Orphan Occupation Zone, Safe-Zone Gamma:
"Your supply request has been fulfilled, Sir." The quartermaster said handing Hidaki a datapad.
He looks it over, seeing that everything was in order. He signed it and handed it back to the man. "Thank you, these supplies will be of great aid to us." He said, saluting the man.
"Just doing my job, Sir." He said, saluting back.
Hidaki walked away, looking around the safe-zone. It had taken another day and a half for the squad to get here. Thankfully there had been few incidents on the way, and they had managed to keep the civilians safe. For the last few days, the squad had been resupplying and getting much-needed rest. The safe-zone, like the others, was hidden in an old tunnel system that ran through the city.
From the reports, he read the tunnels were meant for military use, allowing for quick deployment of soldiers and the running of supplies should the city come under siege. Other such structures had been built under other turian cities across the Hierarchy.
It was a handy bit of information to have, but unfortunately, his squad couldn't make much use of it as much of it had fallen to disrepair after decades of disuse. The safe zone was placed in an intersection and was not an overtly robust thing. Compact would be a good descriptor for it, in one small area, tents acting as makeshift barracks were clustered close together, with communication terminals close by and supply crates where neatly stack. The small base was heavily guarded around the clock by two dozen soldiers. The General had seen fit to deploy two Brimir heavy combat mechs to each safe zone. As an added security measure, several of the tunnels leading to the safe-zone had been collapsed using hidden explosives in the walls, leaving only two entry points. One leads into the city from where the deep strike teams deployed. The other going out, used as a supply line, and if need be an escape route should the safe-zone come under attack. The safe-zone also acted as a safe harbor for any rescued civilians the deep strike teams came across. From here, they could be safely extracted whenever the supplies came in.
An officer came up to him. "Lieutenant Kenaki of the 312th MAF?" He asked with a salute.
Hidaki returned the gesture. "That would me. Anything to report?" He asked, both men lowering their arms.
"Yes, sir. Commander Davids wants to talk to you. Something about a special assignment." The officer explained. "Report to communications, terminal three and await orders."
"Understood." Hidaki said, and both men saluted. "Best not to keep him waiting." He muttered to himself and made his way to where the communication terminals were. He looked for the terminal mark with the number three. When he found it, he saw a few other squad leaders and their XO's, including Saren, surrounding it. He stood next to the younger turian. "I assume you got the same message I did?"
Saren nodded. "Yes, an officer came up to me saying that the commander had an assignment for us and to report here." He looked around at the other assembled around the terminal. "I would hazard a guess that we're not the only ones to be involved in this."
Hidaki nodded his agreement. "Whatever it is, it must be something big." Hidaki had to wonder how many others were going to part in the special assignment, whatever it was. He could already count about six other squads gathered here. Where there others waiting at the other safe-zones? If so, how many? He would only know when the debriefing began. For now, it was best to wait. "I manage to secure the rest of our supplies. All we need to do now is collect them."
"Good to hear. Something tells me we'll be needing them." Saren said. "We may even need some more depending on what this assignment is."
"My thoughts exactly." Hidaki agreed. "depending on our orders, I'll see about requesting more supplies. How's the squad? How are they holding up?"
"They are doing well." Saren explained. "Asalin, Macmius, and Walkins were playing some kind of card game. Paker, I think Walkins called it."
"Poker." Hidaki corrected, getting an idea of how that game went. Walkins always seemed to have the right cards at the right time.
"From what I gathered, Asalin seemed to be unusually irritable about it. I didn't press much with it."
"More so than usual?" Hidaki said with a bemused smile, getting a nod from the turian. "Walkins is up to his old tricks again." He saw Saren's mandibles twitch slightly, the turian equivalent to a raised eyebrow. "Let's just say that Walkins has a rather high number of wins in that game and leave it at that."
Saren looks at him for a second or two longer before he moved on. "Tibena was his usual sulking self and kept to himself. Canus was close by though keeping an eye on him." That wasn't all that surprising the two weren't the sociable types, though with Canus, he was polite about it. "The last I saw of them, Cartmen and Kelson disappeared into a tent and haven't come out. I think that was yesterday."
Again Hidaki shook his head when on duty the two were professional about their relationship. If no one knew them, they would think they were just squamates. Even in a firefight, they didn't show signs of being worried for each other, at least not any more than what squadmates would show for each other. But when off duty and far from the fighting, they clung to each other. "We'll leave those two be for the being. Those two hardly have enough time for each while we're out on the field, and when they do, they don't take it." Hidaki said with a smile, thinking of his beloved and their son back on Earth. If he was doing his math right, his wife should be in the beginning of the third trimester of her pregnancy. She may even know the baby's gender now.
"It is rather hard to tell that those two are in a relationship, at times." Saren said, keeping an eye on the terminal. "Sometimes, it's hard to believe that they're together. Even without the professionalism, I find it hard to believe, their so different."
Hidaki smiled. "There is an old saying from my world. Opposites attract."
He saw Saren nod. "I guess that principle applies to those two. If you ask me, I don't see the point in courtships. They seem more like a waste of time."
Hidaki raised an eyebrow, he didn't realize his friend had little interest in relationships. "Well, it does help with the continuation of one's species." He saw several others around the Com-Terminal nodded and vocalize their agreement.
Saren look at Hidaki. "Point taken. But still, I don't see the point in them. A lot of the stuff seems meaningless to me."
"Surely someone must have caught your interest or vise versa." He noticed another squad leader and their XO walk to the terminal. He had a suspicion that the debriefing would start soon.
"Not that I can recall." Saren said. "I've never been interested when it comes to the topics of romance or even lust."
"Maybe one day you will." Hidaki said, turning his attention back to the terminal. "Anyways, depending on how quickly we have to leave, we'll leave those two alone." Before they could talk more, the terminal lit up.
Everyone stood at attention as the Commander appeared. Around him, small representations of other squads materialized. "All squads report in." He said quickly, followed by each squad leader announcing themselves. By the time they were finished, Hidaki had counted thirty squads. That numbered at a total of three hundred marines. Whatever command wanted them to do it required a fair amount of manpower to get the job done.
"Now that everyone is here, we'll cut to the chase." The Commander said, wasting no time getting into the debriefing. "All of you have been given a special assignment and will be working together on it. You will be required to take part in this operation. You will not be given a choice to opt-out." Hidaki was already disliking where this was going. Unless said otherwise, it was an unspoken assumption that assignments from up the chain of command could not be opt-out of. To say so now was unusual. "Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir." Everyone chorused.
"Good, then let us move on. This assignment is a high-risk one, but if successful, even to a small degree could help the war effort on this planet." An image appeared that was quickly recognized by all around the terminal. Hidaki moved his eyes around, scanning the faces of the others. Most didn't show signs of what they thought, but he did see a few widen eyes, and one of the turian's mandibles was twitching. "Your objective is plain and simple, attack the Dragon's den."
The silence that followed the Commander's announcement was thick enough that Hidaki was confident that it could be used as dreadnought armor. "You expect us to destroy a Dragon's Den?" One of the squad leaders spoke up. "By ourselves no less. Do you have any idea how many people it takes to destroy one of those things? Those things have hundreds of thousands of D-Orphans defending them. Not to mention the presence of a Dragon General. It would take an entire army to accomplish what you're expecting us to do." She went through all of the concerns that Hidaki and the other squad leaders had.
The Commander sighed. "I can understand your concerns, I even voiced my objections to Generals Xi and Desolas, but I was overruled. The higher-ups seem to be under the impression that this is a good idea." By the tone of his voice, the Commander had his doubts about what his superiors thought.
A sentiment that was shared by Hidaki and the other squad leaders. "Commander, if I may be permitted to ask?" One of the smaller holograms said.
"Permission granted." The Commander said.
The speaker's image was enlarged, becoming the focus of the group surrounding the terminal. "Why do the high-ups believe that this a good idea. What makes them think we can destroy the Dragon's Den?"
The image shrank again, allowing the Commander to be the center of attention. "To be clear, your objective is not to destroy the Dragon's Den. Your object is to inflict as much damage to the structure before the enemy can respond. This a raiding operation, not a search and destroy. As for why the Higher-ups believe that this can be done. Our observation teams spying on the den have found something interesting." Hidaki raised an eyebrow, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Saren was giving him a curious look. They both had the same question on their minds, what could have the scouting teams have reported that made their superiors think a raid could be successful? "The Dragon's Den is under defend."
There was no hiding the surprise on everyone's face. Did the Commander just say that the Dragon's Den was under defended? "Commander," Hidaki said, getting a hold of his surprise. "What do you mean by under defended?"
"It is exactly as I said. "The Commander said, pulling up an image of a being that everyone around the terminal knew, the Dragon General. "Ever since the Dragon's den mad planetfall, we have kept an eye on it. In all that time, the Dragon General has never left the area around the Dragon's Den. That is until two months ago. One of our observation teams made a report that they saw the Dragon General has left the den. Since then, we have had no reports of the Dragon General returning. We believe that it is roaming somewhere around the city."
Hidaki could almost feel the color drain from his face. A Dragon General had been roaming around the city, and no one bothered to tell the other squads? What if his team had run into it? What if others had? Looking around, he knew the others were having similar thoughts. "Sir, why weren't we informed of this development?" One of the squad leaders asked. "The Dragon General roaming around the city for the past two months seems like something we should have been made aware of."
The Commander gave the speaker a sympathetic look. "I can understand your concern Luitenant, if it had been up to me, I would have warned all of you. Unfortunately, that decision was not mine to make. I was ordered to keep this information under wraps while the higher-ups decided on a course of action." The image of the Dragon General disappeared. "As I said, I made my objections to the Generals, this mission is going through. If anyone has any more objections, you will have to make them known at the end of the debriefing or file them in your report before you leave. Am I understood?"
For a moment, everyone remained silent, objections being formed in their minds but being held back. "Sir, yes, sir." Everyone said, standing at attention.
"Good. Now getting back to the report. Our observation teams also noted that there are fewer Dragon Orphans protecting the D-Den. Estimations indicate that the number of Dragon Orphans around the area has decreased by a fifth. We believe that they were a part of a large force that assaulted our front lines a month ago. That attack was repulsed, with ninety percent of the enemy force wiped out and the rest scattered. Furthermore, it is believed that the majority of the remaining defenders are held up in the den itself. If this operation goes as planned, they will not have enough time to respond to our attack. By the time they do, you will be long gone and have inflicted significant damage to the enemy's base of operations." The Commander looked over everyone gauging their reactions. "I know this still sounds like a risky operation. As I said earlier, this mission is classified as a High-Risk operation, but I did get a good look at the plan. While I still do not agree with it, I believe the mission has a good chance of success. The higher-ups, it seems, did put some thought into this."
"Thank god for small miracles." Hidaki thought to himself, wondering how he was going to explain this to the squad. He knew they were not going to be happy. This plan that the higher-ups had come up with, no matter how well thought out it was, sounded way too risky for his liking. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't, he would be seriously considering rejecting the assignment right now. He held back a sigh, there were days when he hated signing up for the armed forces.
"Tomorrow, all of you will be receiving special equipment that will aid you in getting to the Dragon's Den. In addition, you will be receiving high-yield explosives to be planted near and around the Dragon's Den." The image of the Dragon's Den was enlarged, and various points were high lighted. "The plan is as followed. Three days from today at Fifteen hundred hours local time, two teams consisting of explosive experts will plant explosives at designated points across the Dragon's Den. Ten minutes later, these explosives will be set off one after another. When all of the explosives have gone off, stage two of the operation will commence." The imagine zoomed in on one of the destroyed sections of the Dragon's Den. Several blue dots appeared in front of the section, held together in what seemed to be a defensive line. "At the second stage, the majority of the raiding group will launch a major assault at the damaged section of the Dragon's Den. Once they have gained the Dragon Dragons' attention, the raiding group will pull back and form a defensive position. Their job will be to occupy the enemy."
"Occupy the enemy for what?" Hidaki asked. So far, the mission sounded simple enough.
"I was getting to that." The image pulled out from the damaged section and turned around, highlighting another area. While the Dragon Orphan forces are distracted, the explosive teams under the protection of a second smaller raiding group will make their way here. They will plant and detonate explosives, creating a hole for the smaller raiding group to enter. From there, the third stage of the operation will begin." The image zone into the Dragon's Den showing its interior, a complex maze of tunnels and chambers. "In the third stage of the operation, the larger raiding group will continue to occupy the Dragons Orphans while the second group does its job. My suggestion would be to continuously fall back, drawing the enemy further and further away from the structure. The secondary team's primary objective will be to make their to the den's Hatchery and destroy it." A blue line was shown going from the entry point to where the Hatchery was. If this image was an accurate depiction of the Dragon's Den, it would be a short distance. Hidaki figures that was why that area was chosen as an entry point.
"However they will have a secondary objective that they may choose to take part in." Another path was highlighted going to another chamber a short distance from the Hatchery. "Based on reconnaissance probes sent into the D-Den, we believe that a number of civilians are being held here."
"I didn't know the Dragon Orphans kept prisoners." A Turian squad leader said.
"Typically, they don't." The Commander responded. "However it is not unheard of for them to do this, always under the directive of a Dragon General. The purpose for this should be clear, a ready supply of food for the swarm. There have even been reports of Dragon Generals making sport of the prisoners." Hidaki had been around the Turians long enough to know that the way the man was twitching his mandibles was a sign of his revolution and fury at the idea. "If possible, the secondary team may attempt to rescue them. If not, they will withdraw after they destroyed the Hatchery. Though I believe that may not be necessary."
"Why so, Commander? Shouldn't we at least attempt to rescue those people?" This time it was an XO of another squad that spoke.
"Like it or not, we need to prioritize certain objectives in this war. In this case, the Hatchery's destruction and inflicting damage on the Dragon's Den must take precedence. However, the analysts believe that civilians will try to make a break for it during the chaos, and I'm inclined to agree. In that scenario, the secondary team will have orders to protect as many of them as they escape. I know it's not what any of you want to hear, ideally, I would want to get all of them to safety. But once the Dragon Orphans realize what is happening, they will come down on us like an angry swarm of locust. At that point, we can't afford to go after every civilian that escapes. All we can do is get as many of them out of there as reasonably we can, and pray that the rest can get to safety on their own."
Hidaki was not comfortable with the thought of leaving so many people behind. The odds were that most of the escaping civilians would be captured again or killed. He wanted to voice his objection to the Commander, saying that one of the highest priorities of the armed forces was to safeguard civilians. If they abandoned those people, they would be betraying their principles. He knew better though, there was only so much the military could do at any given time, and sometimes they had to make some hard choices to gain a victory. Looking over the plan so far, risky as it was, the Dragon Orphans would have been dealt a significant setback if it succeeded. They may even pull back their forces from the frontlines. That would give allied forces more breathing room and may even present them with an opportunity to take offensive actions.
"Once the third stage has finished, all forces will withdraw and return to the safe-zone, escorting any civilians that have been rescued. For this, you are authorized to use the tunnels to facilitate your escape. Now than any questions?" The following two hours would be spent going over the finer details of the operation and addressing any concerns the squad leaders and their XOs had. Once the debriefing was over and the Commander's image winked out of existence, everyone left to give their squads the news. Some were quiet, others grumbled their displeasure at the operation. It seemed that no one was happy about this.
Hidaki could sympathize, he wasn't particularly happy about the mission. He knew that the higher-ups could come up with some hair-brained ideas that seemed to be born from a combination of incompetence, arrogance, and disconnect from the people below them. But in the years he had served, Hidaki knew that there was usually a method to their madness. While at first he been uncomfortable about the plan, and its chances at success, after going through it step by step with the Commander and the other squad leaders, his concerns had been lessened. Now, he had to explain that to his squadmates.
"Saren, get the squad together, all of them. Have them meet up at the barracks, tent seven, in an hour. Understood?"
Saren nodded. "It will be done, sir."
"Good. " Hidaki said, then he paused. "Saren, are there any concerns about this operation that you would like to voice?" The young Turain paused for a moment like he was uncertain about how to respond. Hidaki had to remind himself that the Turian soldiers had been taught to follow orders and never question them. While the Federation's armed forces did press on the importance of following orders, they did allow their soldiers to question orders if they felt they were not being told enough or if the order was unlawful. He could see why Saren would be uncomfortable about voicing any concerns he had. "Don't worry, I won't hold anything against you. I just want to hear your opinion on this."
Saren slowly nodded. "I feel like it is risky. I can see where the higher-ups are coming from. Damaging that Dragon's Den would be a major boon for us, but I feel like that it is still too big of a risk to take. If something goes wrong, we'll lose three people in this. Thirty squads that could have continued with their operations and have much better chances of surviving with better payouts."
Hidaki nodded. He understood where Saren was coming from and agreed with him. "It is risky; there is a lot that could go wrong. But if it does succeed, the payout would be worth the risk. I just hope we don't end up paying too high of a price for it."
Saren nodded. "I just feel like that too many things can go wrong in this operation. What if the Dragon Orphans respond faster than we anticipate? What if the Dragon General as returned, or never truly left? What if…" Saren sighed, his mandibles twitching uncomfortably. "I'm not used to questioning orders like this. In the Hierarchy, we're taught to respect the chain of command and to never question our orders."
"That I can understand that." Hidaki said, looking over the other Turians in the area. They were a very disciplined people, and they fought with a tenacity that reminded him of his people. He respected them for that. "Our military operates similarly, though we do allow room for our soldiers to question the orders of their superiors. Mainly if they were unlawful or made little sense and needed clarification."
Saren looked at him, a small amount of surprise displayed by the movement of his mandibles. "Unlawful orders?" He questioned.
"Orders that go against the conducts of war." Hidaki explained. "Like shooting a group of unarmed civilians or in your people's case orbital bombardment of a garden world. In which case they can choose to disobey the order."
"Can't they be court-martialed for that?" This time there was no hiding the surprise in his tone.
Hidaki had to restrain himself from shaking his head. "No, they can't. If there is sufficient evidence that the order was unlawful or puts the unit in unnecessary danger. In the case of the former, they can be put on trial and sentenced for following an illegal order."
"But it was their superior that gave the order. They were just following orders." Saren tried to justify.
Hidaki went through numerous different ways to explain this to Saren. He knew this concept was alien to him, so he had to be careful of how he said to the Turian. "A long time ago, soon after one of the most devastating wars in Earth's history, my people decide the excuse that "That I was just following orders." was not a sufficient defense. That excuse had been used to justify some of the most heinous and inhumane crimes in our history. Since then, it has been our belief that such actions needed to be punished from the bottom up."
Saren remained quiet for a moment as he thought it through. "I guess I can see where you're coming from." He said, though, Hidaki had a hard time believing him. He knew this was something for the younger man to think over for himself. "Still, I have to wonder how your military forces can operate by allowing such things to happen."
The half-ghoul man chuckled to himself. He did make out his people's armed forces to be an unruly bunch, didn't he? "Don't worry, my friend. Despite what it sounds like, the United Terran Federation's Armed Forces still values discipline and obedience above all else. Such incidents are rare and can only be done if there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that any regular person could reasonably come to that conclusion." He was pretty sure he just quoted the regulation almost word for word. "Also, we know there is a time and place for questioning orders. In the middle of a battlefield where bullets and explosives are whizzing past your head, is no place to ask "How high?" when ordered to jump. You jump. But when away from all that and during debriefings is when you want to ask the questions. Do you understand?"
Saren shook his head. "Not completely, it is still strange to me. If that had been a debriefing by a Turian officer, most of everyone there would be facing a court-martial or at very least earned his erie."
Hidaki nodded. "Work with his for a few years and maybe one you'll understand. The thing about our forces is that we like to keep the lines of communication open and flowing smoothly from the bottom to the top of the chain of command and vice versa. The guys on the bottom like to know what's going on and why they are being given the orders they are given. The people on top don't mind telling them and even getting any alternatives; after all, their biggest concern is getting the job done. Granted, we of the lower ranks know that there times when information has to be kept on a need-to-know basis. That's a simple fact of life." He remembers times when he and his unit receive such orders and the general irritation he felt at not being told what was happening or the reasoning behind his orders. The feeling would be fleeting, maybe lasting a few minutes, as he always understood why the information was withheld. "Though we do like have an explanation after the fact." Thankful missions like that were on the rare side, and they got explanations and clarifications when asked. "We can talk more about this after the mission is over if you like."
"I'll think about it." Saren said after a moment of thinking. "It seems for all of our similarities, we still have our differences. I hope they won't be enough to drive us apart after this war is over."
Hidaki smiled, he had the same concern a few times, but he always discarded it as unlikely. "Saren, I would like to believe that we have more in common than we have differences. Those differences don't have to drive us apart, instead, they should complement us." He believed that Terrans had a natural desire to seek out that was different from them and to learn about the world around them. Otherwise, they have never left the Sol system. Hell, his ancestors may have never left their caves if they had not been curious about the world outside. "Now, then go get the rest of the squad, and I'll meet you in one hour."
Saren stood at attention, and Hidaki returned the gesture. A moment later, he turned and left the Turian to let him do what he was told.
Hidaki moved to the tents avoiding the people as best as he could in the small space
He saw Vania close by with Seno. He walked up to them. "How are you two doing?" He said, getting their attention.
Vania turned to face and tilted her head to greet him. "Just fine, Mr. Hidaki." She said. "We were about to come looking for you. We had some news that you might like to hear."
"Oh, really?" Hidaki said, curious about what they had to say. "What would that be?"
Vania looked down at Seno. "Why don't you tell him, Seno?"
The Quarian girl looked at Vania, the Turian woman nodded to affirm what she said. The girl looks to Hidaki. "We're leaving tomorrow." Her soft voice said.
Hidaki turned his eyes to Vania, giving her a questioning look. "Leaving? Tomorrow?"
The woman's mandibles twitched happily. "A supply convoy will be coming in tomorrow. After they dropped off the supplies, they will be escorting us and the rest of the refugees out of the city."
"That's right," Hidaki said, with his mind wandering back to the mission debriefing. That supply convoy likely had the special equipment the Commander mentioned. "I did hear about supplies coming in soon. I guess we'll be saying goodbye soon, then." He was a little sad to know that they were leaving, and in all likelihood, he would not see them again. At the same time, he was happy to know that they would be out of the city and safe deep in allied territory.
"I hope that we get to say goodbye before we leave tomorrow. But just in case." Vania bowed slightly, followed by Seno. "Think you for everything. If it weren't for you, we would still be hiding out in the city trying to survive."
"Thank you, mister." Seno said.
"No need to thank me." Hidaki said, getting the two to raise. "I was just doing my job."
The Turian woman nodded. "Perhaps, but all the same, thank you. We owe you our lives. If there is anything you ever need, don't hesitate to call me."
"I will keep that in mind." Hidaki doubted he ever taker her up on that offer. Experience had taught him never to reject people in his debt, you never know when you would need a friend.
"There's something else you should know." Vania said. Curious, Hidaki gestures for her to continue. "Once we're safe in allied territory, I plan to call in some favors from old friends of mine. I want to get Seno and me off of this world and somewhere safer."
That would be difficult, while the Me'lanum system was firmly under the control of allied forces, they did suffer frequent attacks. That made travel in and out of the system difficult, as such traffic from civilian ships was limited. "Where do you plan to go?" Hidaki asked, wondering what kind of favors she could call in to get off the planet.
"I'm thinking to one of the worlds your Federation has opened up for refugees. We'll stay there for a bit before securing passage to New Rannoch." Vaina look down at Seno. "I think it's time the little Seno here got to meet her people."
That Hidaki could agree with. Behind her mask, Hidaki could make out a nervous expression. "Do you think they will like me?"
Hidaki gave her a warm smile. "Of course they will." He said, placing his hand on top of her head. "They'll love you." He turned his attention to Vania. "You think she might have family there?"
"I don't know. I hope so. After all, she's been through, she deserves to have something good in this life." Vania said in a sad tone.
"Even if she doesn't, I'm sure her people will take care of her." Hidaki reassured her.
The Turian woman gave him an appreciative tilt of her head. "Well, I think we've held you up long enough. Something tells me you have some business to take care of."
Hidaki smiled. "That I do. But I did appreciate the small distraction. I hope you ladies have a good day, and I pray for your safety."
"It was good seeing you again. If we ever meet again, I'll treat you to something nice. Deal?"
Hidaki laughed a bit. "I'll have to clear with my wife first." He said jokingly.
Under her mandibles, he could see the Turian woman smile. "You had best, don't want her to get the wrong idea. Goodbye, Hidaki Kaneki, and thank you again for everything."
Seno ran up to Hidaki and hugged him. "Goodbye, mister Kaneki." She said, after a moment, she let go of him. "Keelah Se'lai." The girl ran back up to Vania taking her hand.
Both figures turned and walked away. Vania stopped a few steps away, Seno looking up at her curiously. "There is one more thing." She said. "When this war ends, I plan on opening up an orphanage. It'll be for the children who have lost their parents in this war." They walked away, disappearing into the tents.
"I imagine there will be a lot of those." Hidaki said to no one in particular. He shook his head, he needed to get his mind on more pressing matters. Like how he was going to explain their upcoming assignment in an hour.
March 26th 15:00, Brytus, Dragon Orphan Occupation Zone, Outside the Dragon's Den:
"Remind me again, why are we doing this?" Walkins asked. He was crouching next to Hidaki.
"Because the Higher-ups thought this was a good idea." Asalin said with an edge in his voice.
"So does drinking beer every minute of every day. But you don't see me doing it." Walkins countered.
"Oh no. You just do it every other day." Cartmen verbally jabbed.
"Exactly."
Hidaki resisted the urge to roll his eyes. As he predicted, his squad did not like the assignment they had been given, even after going over it in detail. Like him, they felt like it was too high of a risk with the resources they were given. He noted their objections but made it clear this mission could not be refused. As much as they disliked it, they followed orders and came here without further complaint. Hidaki chalked their current bickering as last-minute jitters before the operation began. "Cut the chatter." He said, using his helmet's visor's tactical hub to zoom in on the Dragon's Den. He saw the explosive teams move along the structure's edge, planting charges as they went.
"Charges on site eleven have been set." The Explosive Team Leader reported. "Moving to the final site."
"Copy that." Hidaki said. "We'll continue to keep vigil, we'll warn you if the enemy gets too close."
"Rodger."
"You think we can pull this off?" Macmius asked, adjusting her grip on her rifle.
"We will." Hidaki said he had faith in his people to do the job. "By this time tomorrow, we'll be celebrating back at the Safe-Zone, and this place will be burning." There was a quiet round of here heres coming from the others.
"We better come out of this alive." Asalin piped in. "Walkins still owes for cheating in our last game."
"I didn't cheat." Walkins defend himself. "I'm just a better player than you are."
"Than explain to me that oh so convenient queen of hearts, you pulled out in the last game." Asalin quipped.
"I have better luck?" Walkins asked innocently.
Hidaki heard a couple of others scoff. "Walkins, we all know, that luck wasn't what won that game. Hold on." Hidaki said, using a hand signal to silence the conversation. "Explosive team, there is an enemy group getting close to you. Take cover and don't move until I tell you to."
"Yes, sir." On the hub, Hidaki saw the explosive team stop as their leader gave out new orders. The group of ten took cover in a group of abandoned vehicles, their armor shifting color to match their surroundings, rendering them near invisible. Soon after, a group of Dragon Orphans, mostly powlers, stalk their way past the vehicles. Some of them stopped to sniff the area.
The armor the explosive team was wearing that everyone on this mission was wearing conceal their scent. It was designed to evade detection from Dragon Orphans, it used a combination of active camouflage, scent concealment, and sound dampening to hid their wear's presence. They were an expensive piece of equipment to make, so they were only made and distributed as needed. It was what allowed them to get this close to the Dragon's Den, though the journey was no less nerve-racking.
Hidaki briefly wondered how the Generals managed to get this many. Even knowing this, the Lieutenant still felt a well of worry swell up inside him. It was a good piece of equipment, but even the best made and maintained piece of equipment could suffer a breakdown at the worst time.
Hidaki was relieved when the group moved on, having found nothing of interest. He waited a good minute before he contacts the explosive team again. "Explosive team, the area is clear. I repeat, the area is clear. You may proceed on the mission."
"Copy, that moving out." The team cleared out from the vehicles and continued to move along the perimeter of the Dragon's Den.
"You think they'll be able to get out of there once the chaos begins?" Cartmen asked in a monotone voice.
Hidaki knew where this question was coming from, Kelson was a part of the explosive team. If something went wrong, there was a high chance he would be among the first to die. "Don't worry," Hidaki said to reassure her. "They will be fine, they've trained for situations like this. They also have the other raiding team to protect them, so they should be fine." He knew that was little comfort, but it was what Cartmen needed to hear. He saw her nod and adjust her weapon.
"If you're so worried about them, you could have volunteered for the secondary raiding team." Saren said, looking into the scope of his rifle.
"I know." Cartmen said softly.
Hidaki shook his head at Saren. The young Turian got the message and dropped the subject.
"This is the explosive team, we're in position. Beginning to plant the final charges, we should be finished in five minutes."
"Understood." Hidaki said into the com. "Get those explosives in place, and get out of there." Hidaki didn't wait for a reply, he opened coms with the rest of the group raiding group. "Alright, everyone, the second stage of the operation is about to begin. I know none of you wanted to be on this assignment, and feel that this to high of a risk. But we have a mission to do, and high command expects us to carry it out with the same dedication and perseverance we have always shown. If we succeed here, it will pave the way for victory against the Dragon Orphans on this planet. Our actions here today will save the lives of thousands fighting on the front lines, and when the Dragon Orphans are wiped out from this world, millions will be saved. Primary raiding team, the moment the explosives go off, I want us ready to give these bastards hell. Do not fire until I give the order. Understood?"
"Sir, yes, sir." A chorus of voices answered him.
"Secondary team, are you in position?" Hidaki asked.
"Affirmative, sir." The leader of the secondary team answered him. "We'll keep an eye on the explosive team while you handle the Dragon Orphans. We will be ready for stage three of the operation."
"Good, let's give them hell." Hidaki adjusted his rifle, making sure the clip was full.
"This is the explosives team, we've planted the final charges, moving out of the blast radius."
"Understood, once you are safely out of the way, detonate the charges on my command." Hidaki ordered.
"Understood. Moving out now." The next few minutes would be tense for Hidaki and the rest of the raiding force. He kept taking deep breaths to calm his nerves, tuning out the noise of the soldiers around them as they made final adjustments to their weapons and the mechanical whirl of the nearby mechs. If there had been a point to turn back, it had passed long ago.
"We're out. Ready to detonate."
Hidaki took a final breath. Once he gave the order, he knew the next few minutes would determine if this mission would be a success if any of them would return home to see family and friends. "Detonate."
The area surrounding the Dragon's Den
There was never any warning for the Dragon Orphans. One moment they were enjoying the peace of their nest, the next, the world was filled with fire and thunder. Numerous high-yield explosives went off one after another, across the perimeter of the structure. Confusion swept across the ranks of the Dragon Orphans as they felt something feign to them, fear. Some ran away from the blast zone, others stood frozen and were subsequently blown to pieces. Ninty seconds after the first charge had gone off, the last one detonated.
It took about a minute or two to pass before the smoke cleared. If the Dragon Orphans had the chance, they would have seen the state of their nest was in. A visible black scar had been left on the Dragon`s den, and on closer inspection, gaps into the structure had been opened. Thousands of the Dragon Orphans had been killed and many more maimed.
Has it were, the creatures were not given a chance to take in all that had happened. A hail of bullets and Rc shards rained down on the dazed D-Orphans killing hundreds than thousands. Some had recovered fast enough to react to the sudden attack. Those few let out primal roars and charged at the source of the attack. This action stirred the others out of their stupor, and they joined in on the charge.
Hidaki cursed under his breath. The first stage of operation had gone off as planned, the charges had done their job well. A large black scar had been left on the Dragon's Den, and smoke was still dispersing into the air as the fires continue to burn the Organic structure. He didn't want to imagine what the smell was like. He had to admit a small part, ok a large part of him enjoyed seeing those explosives tear across the Dragon's Den. Knowing thousands of those monsters had been blown to burnt pieces filled him with a particular joy.
Though, a part of him did feel a little guilty for taking joy in other living beings' death and suffering. Even if they were Dragon Orphans. Still, he let himself enjoy the moment, these creatures had plagued the Terran people for almost four centuries, and a little payback was due. Unfortunately, there was one thing that dampened his mood, the operation was going as planned. That meant they had a very large and very angry swarm of Dragon Orphans charging at their position.
"Fall back to the second position!" He shouted over the sounds of gunfire. He fired a burst in the general direction of the swarm. There was not much need to aim, given how enormous and packed together the swarm was. He didn't know how many he killed with that burst or in the ones that followed. Assuming he somehow lived through this, he figures his kill count would be in the thousands.
They got to the second position and hunkered down as best as they could. "Spirits! I don't think I've ever seen this many of those bastards at once." Asalin said. "It's like an ocean is trying to murder us."
"Neither have I." Hidaki said, throwing a grenade to Saren, who then used his Biotics to propelled the small explosive into the swarm. "At least not in person. I've seen plenty on recordings." None of the historical documents or the training he had prepared him for this, not entirely. He knew facing a massive swarm like this would frightening, but knowing and seeing it for himself were two different things. If his heart raced any faster, he feared it would burst. He focused on shooting the Dragon Orphans.
"Well, I have." Walkins said. "Let me tell you it was not a pleasant experience for me, and I was a part of a massive army with full mechanized, air and, orbital support. So you can imagine how I feel right now."
"I think I rather be fighting Krogan in a blood rage right now." Asalin shouted as he ducks below a hail of shards.
"Shut up, and shoot." Cartmen shouted, gunning down a horde.
"Luitenant Hidaki Kenaki," One of the Thor units said. "My analyses indicate that we will not be able to hold this position for more than five minutes thirty-seven seconds." Roars caught their attention. Several of the soldiers looked in the air to see dozens upon dozens of fliers taking flight. "Correction four minutes and twenty-one seconds. I would advise that we fall back to the fifth position."
Hidaki nodded. "Your suggestion is noted, Galio. Everyone fall back to the fifth position, but don't let the D-Orphans think we're retreating. We have to draw them away from the D-Den." He turned his attention back to the Thor unite. "Galio, have half a dozen of your units stay here and cover us. Once you're about to be over ranned have them self-destruct, maximum yield."
The Thor unit nodded. "Affirmative, sir."
The rest of the force began to fall back, shooting at the oncoming swarm. "Remind me, if we manage to get out of this alive, to shoot our superiors." Walkins said, running beside Hidaki.
"If you do." Hidaki said, letting slip some irritation. "I'll have you shot for treason."
"Might be worth it." They went past where the third position would have been. "But I will say this for sure, we've definitely got their attention. I just hope that the second raiding team will make good use of it."
"They will." Hidaki said. "Otherwise, all of this will be for nothing." They continued pasted the fourth position.
Inside the Dragon's Den, a few minutes earlier
Auter wondered when he was going to be next. When those creatures, the 427s, or Dragon Orphans as some called them, would drag him off to be their next meal. He had seen plenty be drag off, never to be seen again. Some had been his friends, some were people he met once or twice a week, others were just strangers.
At first, he would have raged against these monsters for taking his people and wept for his inability to stop them. Now he felt numb about the whole thing, it didn't matter if was a friend or a stranger that was dragged off. At best, he might say a silent prayer for them, that their spirit would find rest in the next world. Normally he would stand there or sit and watch another Turian be taken to their death. One look around, he knew that the feeling was shared by everyone in the chamber.
A sense of hopelessness pervaded over everyone. Even the children seemed dead on the inside. One of the creatures walked up to him. Its foul stench almost causing the man to gag.
Before he had time to register the creature's presence, it grabbed him by his neck. Lifted up into the air Auter struggled to breathe. Instinct took over, and he kicks at the monster. He tried to use his hands to remove its grip around his neck. Its grip proved to be too powerful, and in response, it tightens its hold. Auter felt the bones in his neck begin to crack. A feeling of lightheadedness took over from the lack of air. His body went limp as the more rational part of his brain took over for what that was worth.
Auter felt his mandibles twitch thoughtfully. "Well, at least I can say I tried to fight when I get to the next world." It was funny in a way, he never thought of himself as the spiritual type. Sure like any good Turian, he gave thanks to the spirits and asked for their guidance. But he had never put much thought into it. To him, it was just another motion to go through.
With his life slipping away, he wondered if spirits were real and if his spirit would join them. If somehow his people could be delivered out the hands of death. "Spirits, if you are out there now, would be a good time for a miracle." He never expected his prayer to be answered. Much less, the whole chamber be shaken as the sound of thunder resonated. The creature lost its footing under the shaking ground, and for a few seconds, its grip loosened. It was enough for Auter to pry himself out of its claws.
Auter fell to the soft organic ground, he gripped his neck as he coughed and wheezed in several breaths of air. He still felt lightheaded, but he was coming to his senses. He didn't know if the structure had been struck by a seismic quake or something else, whatever it was, it shook the entire chamber. Enough that no one, not even the 427s, could stand up without falling. If it weren't for the fact he was gasping for air or the promise of a swift and brutal death, Auter would be laughing as the creature clumsily tried and failed to stand on its two feet.
The shaking stopped, and for a moment, no one dared to move. Time had frozen as the inhabitants tried to process what had happened. "What was that." Auter heard someone say, he didn't recognize the voice, it was a man's voice.
That was a good question, what had happened? From what little he knew, the organic structure they were in was large and sturdy. There were few things that could have shaken it like this. He had gotten his breath and could now think more clearly, not by much, but better than a minute ago. Auter looks up to see the creature looming over him, hissing its displeasure.
For a moment, he thought it would finish the job, that he only received a brief stay of execution. The spirits, it would seem, were smiling on him today. Roars echoed from outside the chamber catching the creature's attention, it turned its head to the entrance roaring back. It looks back to Auter clearly thinking about killing him right there. After a moment, it snorts and walked away leaving the chamber. The message was clear. "I'll deal with you later."
Auter shakily pushes himself up to his feet. He felt someone next to him use their hands to steady him. "You alright." Auter looks to a man around his age.
Caelter, an old friend of his. One of the few he had left. "I'm alright," Auter said, rubbing his neck. "Just a little shaken up."
"Speaking of shaking. What in the spirits was that?" Caelter asked, looking over the chamber wearily.
"I'm not sure," Auter answered. Several possibilities ran through his head, one kept coming up. He shook his head, believing it was ridiculous. "No, it couldn't be." He muttered aloud.
His friend looked at him. "What did you say?"
"It nothing." Auter said, shaking his head. His friend gave him a look that said he didn't believe him, and he wanted more of an answer. "I can think of one possibility, but it's too far-fetched to be right."
"I'm all ears, Auter." Caelter said. The people were murmuring behind them.
"The only thing that could have shaken this structure like that was if someone planted several high-yield explosives along its perimeter and detonated them."
"Which would mean they somehow managed to get past all of those monsters." Caelter summed up. "You were right it does sound ridiculous. Unless they were accompanied by an attack force."
Auter snorted at the notion. "In case you forgot, the Hierarchy hasn't been doing well against those monsters. Odds are they've abandoned this planet."
"I wouldn't be so sure." Caelter disagreed. "Remember those aliens that showed up to help us? Uhh, Terrans, I think. They were able to stop the 427s when they attack the planet. I think they were trying to form an alliance with the council."
Auter remembered the Terrans had been the first ray of hope his people had in a long time. "Yea, and look what good that did. All they did was delay the inevitable." The roars echoed through the corridors outside, reaching into the chamber.
"Well, whatever it is, it's got these creatures riled up." Caelter commented as the roars continued.
"It won't be long before they'll be back." Auter responded. If he got lucky, the 4277 from earlier would forget about him, and he would live for another day. A part of him honestly wanted to believe that an attack was happening, that they could be rescued, and this war could be won. It would be a nice thought to hold on to. Against his better judgment, he did hold onto. It would help him sleep tonight.
Right up to when another quake struck. This time it was louder and more violent than the first, as though they were closer to the source. "Another one?" Auter questioned. His train of thought abruptly ended when a new sound entered the air. It was a distinct and familiar sound, one that confused Auter. "No. It couldn't be. I must be imagining things." He reasoned that the sounds would die out at any moment, and when he asked someone else, they would tell him they heard nothing. They would say to him they did not hear the sounds of weapons fire echoing in the air, that it was all in his head.
The sounds continued and even got louder. He heard several others begin to murmur. He looked back, not bothering to conceal his surprise. They heard it too?
"Do you hear that?"
"Is that what I think it is?"
"Praise the spirits! We're being rescued!"
The crowd was becoming excited. For the first time in a long time, hope was shining. Auter looked back to the entrance seeing that the remaining creatures were barreling out of the chamber. Only to be gunned, shocked screams rippled through the crowd. Several of the creatures fell as bullets ripped them apart. A few still stood, a couple raised their spike arms and fired shards back at the source of the attack.
Auter stood there. His body was frozen at seeing the monsters that had been tormenting them for what seemed like forever, fighting for their lives. He snapped out of his daze when he saw a small object land at the feet of the monsters. Instinct took over, and Auter threw himself to the floor and covered his ears. It didn't do much to stifle out the noise of the exploding grenade, but at least he would still have his ability to hear by the end of the day.
Looking back where the creatures had been, he saw all that remained were bloody chunks. His mind couldn't process it, one moment, these creatures were invincible monsters, and the next, they were being killed as easily as one would quash a bug.
A figure emerged from the entrance, holding a rifle the armored Turian quickly gunned down the nearest 427. Then he raised his rifle into the air and fired. Auter heard the sound of a body falling and hitting the ground.
Auter lifted himself up to his feet. Next to him he felt Caelter steady him. For a moment, the crowd stared at the turian soldier, with the him staring back. The soldier broke the silence, "Everyone move!" He shouted as more soldiers filed into the chamber, not all of them Turian. "Your getting out of here."
It didn't take much more than that for the crowd to react. A river of bodies rushed past Auter and past the soldiers. Auter's foot refused to move as his mind tried and failed to process the sequence of events. He felt someone pull at him. He looked at his friend to see he had grabbed him and now was dragging him. They stopped by the soldier.
"Think you." Caelter said. "We owe you our lives." Auter nodded numbly.
The soldier nodded. "Just doing my duty. Now get out of here." He said, raising his rifle. The two look back and saw several 427s rushing out of the other entrances. The soldier fired, killing some of the monsters.
Auter and Caelter did not stay around long enough to see the fight through. Adrenaline had begun to pump into Auter's body as he rushed out of the chamber. Entering the corridors, he stepped over the remains of the 427's and ran past several more soldiers. Some of them look like the Terrans. He didn't dwell on this fact as he and his friend wived through the escaping crowd. The soldiers guided them down the tunnels towards what they hoped was an exit. Screams echoed all around them, along with weapons, fire, and the roars of the 427's. Those roars were getting louder and closer. More explosives echoed through the tunnels.
"We need to get out of here fast." Caelter said next to him. "It sounds like the whole swarm is about to come down on us."
Rounding the corner, they saw that one of the sides had a plume of smoke coming from it. Curiosity took over, they stopped in front of it. Auter felt his jaw drop at what he saw, eggs. Endless waves of eggs were scattered throughout the massive chamber, and they were all on fire. Several soldiers armed with flamethrowers were standing in front of them, spraying the eggs. Others were firing their rifles, and others threw grenades.
"It's a hatchery." Auter heard his friend mutter. "They were breeding more of themselves here."
Auter felt sicken this place served as a bastion for the monsters and as a place where they could increase their numbers. Thinking about it now, it made a disturbing amount of sense. There had to be a reason why they took so many prisoners other than just to make sport of them. They need a ready food source for their young.
A nearby soldier noticed them standing there. "What you doing standing there? You have to get out of hetaahh." The soldier slumped over dead as more shards impact his armor. On the far side of the chamber, several of the 427s rushed into the fire heedless of the harm it was doing to them. All they were concerned with was harming their attackers.
One of the burning monsters raised its spiked arm and aimed at Caelter. With no time to think, Auter picked up the fallen soldier's weapon. He aimed and fired a short burst. The creature fell down, where its remains continued to burn.
"Thinks." Caelter said.
Auter just nodded. He had just killed one of the monsters that, just a few moments ago, would have torn him to pieces if he tried to fight them. They were liable to do that anyways. He left good about that. "Come, let's go." Caelter nodded and picked up a rifle from another fallen soldier.
Together they resumed their dash down the corridors, joining the stream of escaping prisoners. The escape was a frenzied mess, the monsters were swarming in on them. Several of the escapees and soldiers were getting torn to shreds as more and more of the beasts charged in. It quickly became apparent that if they didn't get to the exit soon, they all would die.
"Being able to kill these things is a nice change of pace." Caelter shouted above the noise. "Wish we could enjoy this more."
"We won't be able to enjoy anything if we don't get out of here soon." Auter shouted back, barely dodging a swipe from one of the 427s. He blew its head off.
"I think your about to get that wish." Caelter pointed up ahead.
Looking ahead, Auter saw that a large opening was coming up. Past it, they could see the outside world. Auter was never more happy to see sunlight in his life.
The moment he got past the opening and into the remains of the city, Auter felt a sudden rush of relief. For the first time in several months, he felt the outside air press itself up against his skin, and he breathed it in. Never mind the smell of burning flesh to him it was the best thing he had.
He wanted to stop running and bask in the natural sunlight of Brytus and revel in his newfound freedom. He didn't do that. He knew if he did, he would be dead. While dying as a free man had its appeal, he would rather live as a free man. So he continued to run, he didn't know where he was going, nor did he care. Just as long he was far away from their former prison. He was somewhat aware of his friends next to him and that at some point, they entered some tunnels.
It would be several hours before they stopped to catch their breath.
Area around the Dragon's den, eighth fall back position:
"This is the secondary raiding team. Primary objective achieved. I repeat the primary objective as been completed. The Hatchery has been destroyed. We're pulling out."
There was no time to celebrate as the primary raiding team continued to hold off the massive swarm. They had fallen back to the eighth position and were about to retreat to the ninth when the message came in.
"Our objective has been achieved." Hidaki said, using his kagune to block several shards from penetrating his armor. "Lets get out of here. Break into your squads and make for the tunnels."
There was a chorus of Yes, sirs.
"My remaining units will stay behind cover you." A Thor unit said. "I will initiate their self-destruct when I become overwhelmed. That should buy you extra time."
Hidaki nodded at the Synth. "We owe you one, Galio." He said. He then turned his attention to his squad. "Alright, people, let's move out."
Several hours later, they and two other squads emerged from the tunnels into a street clearing. Once they made sure the area was cleared, they could catch their breath and let the adrenaline die down.
"I can't believe we managed to pull that off." Cartmen said, laying on the ground and breathing hard. "We actually managed to attack the Dragon's den and lived to tell." She was pulled up by a marine from one of the other squads. "When we get back to the safe zone, I'm going to do unspeakable things to Kelson."
"Yea, baby!" Welkins shouted at the top of his lungs. "Showed those bastards that they're not safe in their homes. The next time we visit a bar, drinks are on me."
"I'll hold you to that." Asalin said, looking ready to double over.
"Could you be quiet?" Altus said irritably. "We're still in enemy territory."
"Oh, can you cranky bird." Another marine said.
Hidaki smiled behind his helmet as the others celebrated. He saw Saren walking up beside him. "Shouldn't we check in with the other squads?" He asked, getting down to business. But Hidaki could detect the barely restraint excitement in his voice.
"Saren," Hidaki began. "You can celebrate too. We just gained a significant victory here today. This may cause the Dragon Orphans to fall back, giving our forces more breathing room. We may even be able to go on the offensive." Saren still looked uncertain about celebrating with the others. Hidaki just smiled, in the past seven months, he had learned a lot about the young Turian. Most would have seen Saren being self-righteous and too high-strung to associate himself with others. Hidaki, however, saw that he was a good man, just one that was more reserved than others. "Don't worry, you don't have to scream and jump like they're doing. When we get back to the Safe-Zone, we'll share drinks. How does that sound?"
Saren looks like he was thinking it over. Then he nodded. "I think I can do that."
Hidaki nodded back. "Than in that case, I'll get in contact with the others."
Hidaki activated his commlink and was about to report in with the others. When the sound of something hitting the ground reached his ears. Followed by the sickening of flesh and bone being separated.
Hidaki turned his head to its source. Just in time to see the headless corpse of Cartmen fall over. Behind her was a furious Dragon General.
"Oh, fuck you, Murphy."
Uhh, do Turians have life insurance? Because I'm pretty sure Saren is going to need it in a minutes. Well his and others impending death aside, I hope you guys liked this chapter, and look forward to the next.
