Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.
-Heraclitus, 500 B.C. Greek Philosopher (The Cynic Epistles)
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Simeon took three deep breaths to calm his nerves before pulling on his gas mask, his small battlegroup of grenadiers all did likewise. They hid in the attic of a building close to the edge of oldtown, where the roads were narrow enough to prevent armoured vehicles from entering.
Milliardo placed the fortifications at the mouths of these cobblestone streets, where the ESUN forces had to continue their sweep on foot. The power grid of New Port was disabled by malware, the ESUN's first step in laying siege to the city.
Glass and wood shattered downstairs, bringing Simeon back to reality, a few of his men swallowed audibly. Armoured police in ESUN uniforms searched house to house, kicking down doors and breaking windows methodically. By the time they got to this house, the police team began to feel a sense of routine, and entered the unlit building before their eyes adjusted to the darkness.
"Room clear!" The first Blue Helmet hollered, the others lowered their weapons and the point man at the door also entered the house.
Simeon gave the signal and his team unleashed their whole load, bright flashes of light followed by thick smoke filled the room. The victims below shouted in surprise and fired two rounds blindly into the wall plaster.
As the smoke dissipated, all five "Peacekeepers" lay sprawled on the ground, Simeon came down and checked each for a pulse. He nodded to his team and they began relieving the unmoving bodies of their rifles, magazines, flashbombs, radios, goggles, even their boots and socks.
The team quickly sorted the loot and after zip-tying the thumbs of the Blue Helmets behind their backs, leaned the bodies against each other, between which Simeon planted a white flag. He scoffed under his mask, Alliance tactics for urban warfare haven't advanced in decades. Looked like the same idiots were at the helm in the ESUN.
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Quatre pressurized the airlock and unzipped his normal-suit at the neck, a thick film of black mineral dust clung to his visor with static electricity.
Asteroid mining was a meticulous enterprise, dangerous not only to the crew, but also the surrounding colonies and even the earth. To insure safe transit paths around the mining site and avoid alterations to the course of the asteroid's orbit, waste materials must be plugged back into the mine shafts, and any product removed must be replaced exactly by weight.
The pain in his injured arm subsided to a dull throb that came in sync with his pulse. Quatre gingerly pealed the suit off, the flesh there responded well to the hormone rub his sister administered, but still felt raw after hours of being wrapped in the non-breathable miners suit.
As he walked back to his living quarters, every muscle ached pleasantly from exertion. Quatre marveled at the positive effects of an honest day's labour on one's mood, which would have continued had he not found an intruder upon exiting the shower.
"Mariemaia!" Quatre hurriedly closed his bathrobe, "How'd you get in here?"
The offending girl sat in Quatre's favourite chair, flashed a keycard at him. The previous day's attack seemed to not have phased her.
Quatre tied the robe secure, "Did Trowa teach you to pickpocket?" He needed to have a talk with his quiet friend.
"Duo taught me, actually." She tucked away the card, "I swiped it from Dorothy."
At the mention of Mariemaia's cousin, Quatre unconsciously touched his cheek, the memory of her sound slap still stung. He plopped down on the ottoman and visibly deflated.
"So you two did fight then," Mariemaia surmised, "Is that why you hid for hours out there on the rig?"
"We're short a man since Hamza..." Quatre broke off and tried again, "They could use my help."
"Liar, we're ahead of production schedule by weeks, shipments are unaffected." Mariemaia crossed her arms in a painfully teenage manner, but her expression was brittle as one marred by grief, "You're hardly the only one to have lost a father in the war, you know."
Quatre looked at her with his forehead creased, feeling their age difference immensely, "Yours didn't throw his life away, now did he?"
"Wufei would argue otherwise, but no, he died honourably for his ideals," Mariemaia said with a hint of bitterness, "Though sometimes I do still wish he chose me over the battle and stayed alive."
That cut close, Quatre winced, "My own father was weak, he ran away from the fight even to his death." He ran away from even the chance of living on.
"I think you're wrong, he was a fighter in the end," Mariemaia said, "What would've happened if the resource satellite fell into the hands of OZ? He sacrificed himself because he had faith that you will succeed where he failed."
Quatre hunched lower, "That's a heavy burden to inherit, I'd rather he lived..."
Mariemaia sighed and stood poised to leave, "We don't get to pick our responsibilities in life, we only get the choice to fulfill or neglect the faith of our families. Are you your father's son?"
With that, she was gone, shaking her head at his despondency. If he wanted to wallow, this was the worst timing.
Left alone with his thoughts, her biting words rang in Quatre's ears. The hairs pricked up on his neck as he sensed another presence in the room.
"She's a tough girl..." A voice from the shadows said, "Lady Une did well raising her."
Quatre sat up and scowled, "Does no one respect a man's privacy anymore?"
Chuckling, Duo stepped into the light, "Come on Quatre, you know better than to be disappointed that your dad was a mortal man, made of blood and bone. Don't blame yourself for his short-comings."
"If I needed absolving it wouldn't be from your God," Quatre said.
"Wow, congratulations on pissing off all your friends today," Duo stared down at him unimpressed.
"What do you want, Duo?" Quatre returned the stare with not a small amount of annoyance.
"Relax buddy, I'm here to make a business proposal. I hear your satellite investment just went bust."
Quatre rubbed his face with both palms in frustration, bust was the mildest euphemism for totally obliterated.
"What do you say we use the colonies as carriers for the space antennas?" Duo leaned in conspiratorially, "That way any damage to the communications reflectors would mount to an attack on the colonies themselves. They wouldn't dare."
Quatre's expression grew increasingly amazed, he burst forth and clasped Duo by the shoulders, "Duo you're a genius! A brilliant, evil genius!"
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Noin's index finger was stiff, she held it straight on the frame of her pistol beside the trigger, the way she taught all her students. She holstered the weapon and extended a scope over the concrete barricade, roughly two hundred meters of cobblestone road separated the defence force and the ESUN Blue Helmets, the two sides were at a stalemate.
The early morning raids by helicopter had ceased when the ESUN realized that the Sanc Kingdom had the means of shooting them down.
It was dead quiet now at midday, the sea fog had thoroughly evaporated. Noin crouched back down and took stock of her unit. Half her platoon were seasoned soldiers from the Specials, Sanc men who followed Milliardo into OZ. The other half was made of inexperienced volunteers, she had barely a week to train them in the simple firing sequence of breath, relax, aim, sight, squeeze.
They weren't at a disadvantage, Milliardo arranged the fortifications around the highest ground in old town, where the rooftops cascaded down in height with the hills, and concrete barriers in narrow streets funnelled the enemy into an easily defendable key position. That was where Noin was stationed.
The sounds of scuffing boots drew her attention, a few of her men noticed as well and peeked over the barricade. Two shots ripped across the top of their heads and they ducked in a hurry with muttered curses.
"It's just one guy makin' a run for it, Sir," One of the men who took a look reported, "All by his own self there."
Noin checked her scope again, a lone Blue Helmet was booking it across the street, he almost reached the halfway point when a shot from beside her fired with a deafening crack. The Blue Helmet dropped to the ground.
"I got him, Lieutenant Noin!" The man trembled as he looked at her with wild eyes, he was one of the freshly trained volunteers.
Noin put a steady hand on his shaky arm, "Well done, now breath." She needed to send a medical team to retrieve the downed enemy combatant, hopefully the wound wasn't fatal.
"More are coming!"
Beside her Noin heard the semiautomatic let loose another round. She whipped around to see four ESUN officers emerge from their rally point across the divide, but on their heads wore the white helmets of field medics.
"Hold your fire," Noin hissed, "They're medics."
"And those guys behind them?"
Three Blue Helmets followed closely with the medics, accompanied by a fourth man with an outdated video camera on his shoulder, cumbersome and hard to miss. Human shields, Noin sucked in a breath, Milliardo didn't account for such shameless treachery. Shooting down a drone is no cause for war, shooting a journalist or a medic however...
Noin debated on the next course of action as the mass of enemy soldiers moved closer, erecting ballistic shields around the downed man in a phalanx formation. Behind them, more ESUN Blue Helmets filed out to join the advance guards.
"We can't shoot at the combatants without seemingly aiming at the journalist and the medics," Noin chewed on her lip, "And with the communication blackout they have the monopoly on narrative."
The medics transferred the body onto a stretcher, and to Noin's shock, carried him toward the Sanc line of defence, cameraman in tow. Noin realized their intentions and a thrill shot through her like lightning at the prospect of close-range combat.
"Prepare for melee!" Noin unsheathed her sword and drew her pistol. If the ESUN thugs wanted to make a theatre of war, she'd oblige.
No sooner had her men scrambled into position, the ESUN soldiers were upon them. The White Helmets hoisted up their stretcher, and the man who was just a moment ago feigning injuries leapt into the air and jumped over the barricade. Noin let her men behind take care of that one, as she focused on the enemy soldiers in front of her. Both the blue and white helmeted soldiers began attacking the first line of defence, it seemed they were no medics at all.
Noin thrust her sword into the first invading soldier and while her blade was still buried in flesh, fired two rounds into the next man. She pushed the bodies off the top of the barricade in time to engage two more soldiers.
With the Sanc Kingdom's first line of defence thus occupied, ESUN soldiers marched up hill en mass. One of Noin's men went down with a scream, she was about to turn to his aid when the enemy soldiers dog piled on her. The magazine empty, she punched a soldier in the throat with the butt of her pistol, brought her sword down through another man's shoulder joint, between the pads of armour.
A burning in her left side was all the warning she got, Noin hit the ground as her knee gave out. No big deal, she's been shot before. The White Helmet stood above her with his rifle trained at her chest, but he paused at the sound of distant bugles. Noin pushed the muzzle to one side and slashed up with her blade.
A hand gripped her ankle and dragged her bodily away from the enemy swarm, Noin lifted her head off the ground to avoid head trauma, and saw Milliardo throwing a gas canister into the enemy ranks. He pulled her behind a second line of barricades, and assessed her injuries.
"We lost the Eastern blocks," Milliardo shouted over the din of battle. Noin gasped but bit her lips when he pressed on her side to stop the bleeding. "This looks superficial," He gestured to the wound, "I'm relieving your platoon. Take command of Base."
Noin felt panic rise in her chest, she clutched at his lapels, "Let me stay by you."
Milliardo crouched as a barrage of bullets shot over their heads, he pushed her away, "Go, for my sake, and for the soldiers of tomorrow."
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Relena dragged the last of the medical supplies into place and leaned against the stacked crates to catch her breath, their retreat under Noin's order was hasty but organized. She took in the expansive underground portion of the Sanc Kingdom Institute. The ceiling was high and dark, the light of the emergency lanterns along the floor couldn't reach it. This must be the mobile suit hangar where the Taurus's were stored during the war, along with Heero's Wing Gundam.
Relena marveled at how wilfully ignorant she always had been about the people she trusted most. Since the very beginning, while she preached the dream of total pacifism, everyone around her were risking their lives to protect her. What hypocrisy, Relena berated herself bitterly, she had no right to decry the possession of arms when her own survival depended on its continued use. She knew Heero rebuilt the Gundam, could feel it in her gut. What did he think of her puritanical notions about disarmament? How did the man who was a lethal weapon feel about his own abolition?
Pushing aside her jumbled thoughts, Relena busied herself with setting up cots for the infirmary. Down here the sounds of the fighting didn't penetrate at all, moans of the injured and quiet murmurs of the medics could be heard clearly in the cavernous facility. With the cots set up, Relena was restless again. She headed up the freight elevator with a handful of Noin's men for another supply run.
"You don't have to come with us, Princess," The wizened soldier beside her said gently, "It's not safe up there."
Relena smiled uneasily at his concern, "My brother is on the front line, Noin is with the rear guards," And Heero is missing, she added silently, "Please, I'll just be an extra set of hands."
The man nodded, "You stick close to me then," He turned to the others, "Grab any ammo, food, fuel and water, don't stray far, rendezvous in fifteen."
They stopped at the ground level and the heavy doors slid open, gunfire erupted on the other side. Relena was pushed against the wall behind the old soldier, she heard Noin's voice shouting commands. The elevator shook and sank lower as it filled up with soldiers, packed tightly man to man.
"Doors!" Noin finally got on while still providing cover fire.
The man next to the controls wrenched down the lever, the doors closed with a swoosh, and the elevator carriage descended deep underground. The hushed, trembling breaths of the men filled the confined space with nervous uncertainty, each trying desperately to control their adrenaline shakes, the smell of sweat made Relena almost choke.
"Listen up," Noin commanded in a calm and controlled tone, "Seal off the exits, make yourself useful, we're activating the Samson."
A couple of men nodded weakly, rattled from the firefight, Noin banged her fist on the wall panel above her head and shouted, "Do you hear me?!"
"Yessir!" Came the answer in unison as the soldiers jolted from their despondency. They dispersed with a renewed sense of purpose when the elevator opened underground.
Noin stayed behind to compose herself, it wouldn't do to appear weak in front of her troops. She was startled to find Relena in the opposite corner of the empty elevator, staring at her with confusion and that ever-present compassion. As Noin straightened, the girl approached and asked, "We've lost, haven't we?"
"They have the city, they won't take this base," Noin said, "We're dropping the building."
"But my brother's still out there."
"Zechs..." Noin swallowed, the words bitter on her tongue, "Milliardo was captured in the West Quarter."
Relena staggered back, "Captured?"
Noin stood stiffly, "I've assumed command of the Loyalist Militia," She saluted, "Unless you object, Your Highness."
Relena shook her head, numb to the words. Should she open negotiations with the ESUN for Milliardo's release? Was it even an option now that the ESUN has the upper hand?
Noin pushed a helmet into her hands, Relena looked up and saw the older woman strapping one on as well, "You'll need this." Noin told her as she held a small detonator and pressed the switch.
A siren wailed faintly overhead, the mournful sound came down the elevator shaft and through the open doors, Noin pushed the control panel and closed the thick steel plates, and there was silence in the hangar. "One minute to detonation, put on your helmet and take cover."
Relena fastened the straps around her chin and followed Noin, in the dim light of the LED lanterns, soldiers huddled around them, some clutching rosaries, some clenching empty fists, all waiting in silence.
The first muted blast took some of them by surprise, but subsequent detonations only sent slight tremors through the underground structure, trails of dust fell from the high ceiling. The explosions through layers of rocks and soil sounded a world away, Relena could only imagine the devastation above ground, walls and towers imploding by controlled demolition, sealing off the entrance to this haven of stone deep in the mountain.
When the quakes ceased, the men split up into shifts, a roster for guard duty was set up and the rest of them went to get what little sleep they could. Noin wordlessly slipped into the electrical room of the hangar, a lantern and a trauma kit in hand. Worried, Relena knocked on the door, "It's me."
"Come in," Noin sat on the floor, her coat and shirt unbuttoned, twisting her torso to wash out her wound. Relena closed the door and knelt beside the older woman, taking the squirt bottle and gauze pad from her hands, cleaned, disinfected, and dressed the bloody gash. Noin sighed when Relena finished patching her up, buttoned her shirt and said, "We'll get him back, I'll put a rescue team together on the morrow."
Noin was putting on a brave face, Relena knew, the woman's worry for her brother was magnitudes keener, yet she wore her soldier's mask doggedly.
The building shook with the sound of a distant boom, alarmed, Noin went to investigate. Relena stayed close behind Noin and whispered, "Are we under attack?"
Noin shook her head, "It wasn't a missile, no explosions after the impact." She looked around, squinting in the dim light. Far off towards one of the hidden exits, she heard uneven footfalls and a struggle. Noin pulled out her pistol and aimed in the direction of the sound.
"Don't shoot!" Simeon's strained voice echoed out in the dark, he shuffled closer to the lamps, carrying a limp body with an arm slung across his shoulders, "He needs help."
Noin hesitated, Simeon was on the first watch, but where did the wounded man come from? Just as Noin lowered her weapon, Relena dashed past her in a desperate sprint.
"Heero!"
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Tbc...