A.N. Hey update that's been a long time coming, sorry for the wait but this is just a hobby of mine so I don't know when I'll be writing. Throw in the fact that I'm at a very busy point in my life it only makes things more complicated. Anyway enjoy.
Chapter 22
Berlin, EU-January 5, 2022 a.t.b.
Fire and smoke, gunfire and explosions, screams of the wounded and dying, such was the noise that culminated in cacophony of Berlin. Allied armies rushed through the streets as concealed defensive positions sprouted deadly fire. Heavy machine guns sent tracer fire into Allied infantry that dared to show themselves while the same soldiers poured fusillades of return fire back at them. Rockets and anti-armor weapons took shots at Britannian knightmares and armored vehicles. Artillery and mortar fire combined with aerial bombing tore buildings and bunkers apart leaving only piles of smoking dusty rumble. Britannian airships cast great shadows over the battle as they lent their own guns to the chaos.
Slowly the EU army troops were pushed back farther into the city, those that were cut off tended to surrender only when their ammunition ran out; or when one of the soldiers succeeded in working up the courage to kill his commissar. But throughout the fighting few Republican Guardsmen were found, small pockets were located most of which ewer at the entrances of bunkers leading below the streets. Here they fought fanatically, some going so far as to detonate explosives laid in the streets destroying whole sections of the city streets.
From inside the command room of one of the floating battleships, Krachenko, Guilford, and Durand stood around a table. A holographic image of Berlins underground was project upwards, but instead of showing a system of tunnels and sewers what stood out were massive bunkers.
"No matter what we do we cannot see what's inside those things," said Durand.
Krachenko nodded in agreement, "all attempts to scan the damn things comes back negative. These things were made so no one outside could see in. Hell we can't even intercept any transmission between them, their're using hard lines deep underground."
"We really can't see anything?" Guilford looked up at the two generals. The three of them were the only Allied leaders present in the city, outside of the Winged hussar complement of course. But the commanders of them were busy in the field and could not attend, without sniper fire snapping at their heals.
The two generals shook their heads but Durand looked up saying, "well we have been able to detect slight radiation coming from the bunker below the Reichstag building. We haven't been able to determine what it is. Some of my staff say its just of vent for their power generators."
"Do you believe that?" asked Krachenko looking unconvinced.
Durand shook his head, "no, the radiation doesn't match any power generator that the EU could have." Sighing he continued, "so this begs the question, just what the hell are we really looking at."
"Could it be one of the new weapons the UFN have developed?" added Guilford. "Our reports put it that radiation is a hallmark of those weapons. Could it be that Machavel has been given one?"
His colleagues looked at each concerned, a WMD in the middle of the city, the last city of worth to the EU. This did not bode well for the Allies, and they all knew it. Krachenko leaned forward, "if it is one of these new weapons, then maybe the rapid retreat of the enemy wasn't as disordered as we thought."
"But was instead a ploy to luwere us into a trap where we could be easly defeated once our forces were commited," added Durand.
Then Guilford continued, "and Machavel uses his last loyal troops outside of the Guard to make the fight for Berlin hard enough we through our full might into the city."
Once again, the three commanders shared a look before Krachenko spoke, "we must begin to pull out. If we continue the way we're going this will turn into a disaster which we cannot afford."
Guilford shook his head, "it's too late for that, even if we start to pull back, it will only insight that paranoid bastard to use his new toy early. No matter what we do we're going to lose a lot of people."
"So what are we going to do?"
At this Guilford smiled, "I've got at few ideas, get the logistics division on the line."
Sea of Japan, January 7, 2022 a.t.b
While battle raged in the city of Berlin on the other side of the planet ships filled the sea. Freighters, troop transports, FLOAT enables Da Longdan mobile fortresses glided across the sea. While above them Chinese airships and gunships flew, the grand armada sailed with grim purpose across the sea to their destination, Japan. They were supposed to be augmented by the other fleet from Horai Island, but with the speck of land's destruction. The fleet sailed alone, and the army it carried would need to be enough to open a bridgehead for the next wave of soldiers to come. For the army itself was to large to be transported in a single mass, far too many troops and equipement. Even now transport holds were filled with men, vehicles, knightmares, and munitions.
The plan was to use overwhelming force to bash a hole in the Britannian/Black Knight defenses and use that same force to hold while the fleet brought the next wave over. From there they would advance through the islands, take Tokyo and hopefully the emperor. This in turn would force the enemy to the negotiating table. And if it didn't then the army would pilliage the islands and then move on to the Americas.
Admiral Shà ng sat in his command chair looking out at the sea, the fortress Da Longdan the first of her class, flagship of the operation gently floated amidst the formation. The admiral was one of the few experienced Chinese navy officers left from the previous regimes. He had been the commander of the escort force that brought Sawasaki's first invasion over. Which was probably the reason why he was still alive and in command.
The one good thing that should work in his favor was that he knew how to fight with ships. But with the new regulations on following orders from the high command, as well as the new threats from the enemy he had been shoved into a box. The possibility of a Fleija attack had forced him to upgrade his airships to include more intercepting rocket batteries to stop a Fleija before it got to close. The Radiant Wave warheads on the rockets being the key to stopping the WMD. But with the inclusion of these weapons on the superstructure of the vessel it had made the hole thing more vulnerable. One good hit on one of the batteries would likely blast a massive chunk out of the hull.
But with Fleija's not being the only threat, the enemy surface and air fleets and their orbital bombardment capabilities made the passage just as dangerous. He had the nations long range scanners searching constantly for any launch of ballistic projectiles. There was no way his "upgraded" airship could stop a falling object like that very well.
But most of these worries was on the back burner at the moment, for not more than ten to twenty miles ahead of the fleet was Honshu the largest of the Japanese islands. Shang narrowed his eyes, enemy interference of his fleet had been minimal on the crossing. They had small contacts with submarines, and airship squadrons they had suffered some casualties and small losses. But nothing large, and this got Shang worried, Emperor Lelouch would never be this careless, despite the assurances of the high command that he was.
"Air reconnaissance?" called Shang.
A deck officer replied, "probes have been intercepted by the enemy. Makeup of enemy forces is still cloudy, camouflaged positions have been seen but what their covering is unclear."
Shang nodded, "the fleet will come to full alert. Launch all air units and begin forming protective screens, move the ships into bombardment positions and prepare to engage."
"Aye, aye sir," replied the officer. Seconds later warning klaxons and sirens sounded and men and women began running to their battle stations. In every ship with guns, shells and bullets were raised from the magazines and towards the hungry maws of the guns. As the crews ran to and frow Shang stayed still staring at the coast line. He absolutely hated moving in blind like this, and deep in his stomach he felt the pang of an unfolding disaster.
On the shore Black Knights look through binoculars, and electronic sights, they flooded bunkers and hard point defenses. Laser finders targeted the approaching enemy, and far behind the lines large holes opened in the ground, and rising from the darkness long barrels rose. Large Gustav class cannons were loaded and targeted and in an instant a large blast of plasmated air and explosion of sound massive explosive shells flew into the air faster than they could be seen.
Over the engines and activity of the fleet none heard the incoming sound of the massive objects of death. The laser finders and targeting computers proved their worth as ships bloomed into fire and holes appeared in smoke and flame upon the sides of the pyramidal battle fortresses. Smaller black puffs of smoke blasted in the air taking gunships and areal knightmares. Shang felt that his intuition was beginning to unfold in the worst way, as the second volley of large shells fell on his fleet. To these were added large missiles trailing smoke that connected with his airships.
Remembering his orders Shang sucked in and ordered, "all ship flank speed ahead. Protect the transports and have the men prepare to disembark, airships are to move ahead and try and destroy the enemy artillery."
His men and ships moved to obey his orders even as they were fired upon and many destroyed. More orders were given and several smoking cripple airships began to steadily descend using their last bouts of control to angle themselves to the coastline of Japan. With loud crashes and tearing metal, the great ships slammed down onto the beaches. As they came to a stop their gun turrets opened fire on anything they could see. And as they did so they too began to be shelled by lower caliber weapons and artillery. Hatches opened and the crew and security compliments of the ships armed with what weapons they had charged out. Smaller weapons in the bunkers opened fire scything down the charging enemy.
As this went on the fleet got closure and closure but with each gain another enemy weapon appeared. Beams of red death shot up from the coast and his airships began exploding what shields and armor they had vanishing in the overwhelming power of the shore weapons. The fleet itself returned fire, those ships crashed on the beaches providing spotters. Smaller transports rushed forward and areal kngihtmares before them trying to land on the coast. Fire and steam and smoke created a haze like fog along the afflicted coast line.
Black Knight Command Center
Tamaki sat back in his own chair his cat open and his hat on the table before him, his eyes focused on the screens, and room before him. Real time images showed him the onslaught of the enemy. Every ship that went down in flames was marked red, every other was marked blue. Smaller markers identified men and knigtmares of both sides. He watched as small landing craft packed with men and knightmares began making their mad dash for the shore.
For the longest time the only worry for men in landing craft had been the enemy focus fire on the hatch. Thus when it opened the fusillade of lead would tear the occupants apart before they could so much as take a step. On this day it was worse, red beams from smaller versions of Radiant Wave Hadron Cannons raced across the water. Steam mixed with smoke as the beams passed through the landing craft. Men were vaporized and explosions followed the detonation of munitions. Any man unfortunate enough to "escape" onto land was cut down by rifle and machine gun fire, or torn to bloody shreds by artillery.
"Heavy artillery to concentrate on the battle fortresses," ordered the Imperial Grand Marshal. "Radiant Wave Hadron Cannons to fire on the enemy air fleet. Bring our airships to full alert and begin sub surface counter strike."
Beneath the enemy fleet
Smoothly passing beneath the surface wolf packs of Britannian submarines closed in on the enemy. They had been hugging the coasts and floor of the sea for days waiting for the order to attack, and now it had come. So with great grace they slipped together and like true predators they stalked their prey. AS they drew in a message came through, "Fang filled bite. Repeat, fang filled bite."
With the code phrase uttered the submersible warships went to weapons free and torpedoes filled the water like piranha. The UFN ships sonar went mad as blips appeared rapidly on their screen. As the warning were sent to the bridges and commanders of the ships pale faces became the norm. Orders for evasive maneuvers were shouted but for many it was to late. Plumes of water shot into the air alongside many ships, others had the water around their hulls turn white with foam as the warheads detonated under the keel breaking the backs of the ships. But just as the first salvo was fired a second followed that careened under the protective wring of UFN steal and firepower. The salvo then wrought similar havoc on the vulnerable transports.
Black Knight Command Center
As the metal wolves brought their teeth to bare and biting out chunks of the enemy Tamaki continued to watch. His eyes remained cold as his enemies continued to bash themselves onto the coast. More and more of the UFN troops and knightmares came ashore, crashed airships and crew of sunken vessels that made it ashore used whatever weapons they could and fought trying to push inland. But deadly fire from gun emplacements, constant artillery fire, and the sweeping beams of red death that were the RWH cannons kept them at bay.
This however is not say that casualties were none existent and small flow of wounded and dead trickled back from the front lines. The Black Knights pulling and replacing their wounded through roads and tunnels made and designed for that very purpose. In fact, the entire purpose of this was for the enemy to waist his strength upon a fixed position allowing himself to be weakened for a counterstrike.
Despite the constant reinforcement the sheer size and weight of the enemy attack began to show in some of the thinner areas. Hear was Tamaki's attention, he mentally measured the various aspects of the situation. A feat that a year or two earlier he would've likely been incapable of having.
Raising his hand to point into a map he ordered, "center force begin to pull back. Reserves prepare to advance."
Upon the odder being given the center of the afflicted Britannian line began to give way as the enemy pushed forward. Seeing the enemy in retreat the UFN troops were filled with a renewed vigor and redoubled their push paying little mind to their flanks. Said flanks steadily gained strength as they were reinforced. Tamaki smiled the enemy was doing exactly what he wanted, the very thing he would likely have done early in career. Turning his gaze again he spied another pleasant site; he Da Longdan smoking and sinking.
The submerged warships of the Black Knights had not been carrying torpedoes solely, and the enemy flagship was evidence to the deadliness of the underwater killers. A projectile fired as a torpedo had surfaced underneath the massive Chinese vessel and molted its underwater drives in favor of rocket engines. These then drove the missile into the FLOAT systems of the mighty pyramid. The result was a battle fortress that could be assaulted by sub surface torpedoes. Thus, the once mighty and iconic war machine was smoking from fires and secondary explosions and slowly sinking beneath the waves.
Da Longdan
Shang knew this was the end, the glass of the command bridge was shattered and littered the floor along with the equipment that had once been terminals. He himself bleed from where shards of the glass had made their homes within him. Surprisingly he had managed to reclaim his seat in the chair and sat their bleeding and watching as his ship slowly sank beneath him. And as the army and fleet he commanded was being torn apart.
Guizers from the impacts of the enemy fire bathed the open bridge in a thin mist of water and drove the smoke away for brief periods. Turning his head, he saw that what bridge crew survived were trying desperately to coordinate the damage control parties on board and the battle outside. Shang knew what was happening, he saw the pieces that formed on the maps before they were destroyed. The battle was lost, and so was the army and fleet if something was not done.
Turning back, he looked outwards and saw the enemy airships begin to move towards his battered fleet. They fired and sent airships plummeting from the sky, some seemed armed with new RWH weapons as red beams and blasts tore his ships apart. The heavier ships seemed to get VARIS shots shoved down their throats while his surface ships were pummeled with high explosive shells. It wouldn't matter if the army got a foot hold on land, if there was now fleet there would be no reinforcements or supplies. Today was already a disaster as a symbol of Chinses might sank beneath him. There was no need to compound it further, gathering his remaining strength he called out the order all dreaded.
"All remaining ships are to come about and make full steam back to the home land," he ordered as tears welled in his eyes. Not for the loss of the battle but for the loss of honor of his country. Maybe it was the loss of blood and on coming death, but he saw what he had failed to see. His country the UFN had failed. "Every ship for itself, split up and return to port, this is a general retreat order."
"But what of the soldiers already landed?" cried out a battered looking aid. "What about us, and the Longdan?"
Shang shook his head, "they are lost its too late, if the ships go in to pick them up they will be picked off like ducks in a shooting gallery. As for us the Longdan" Shang sighed heavily, "the ship is lost, all hands abandon ship, every man for himself."
Warning klaxons and sirens cried through the halls while a voice over the intercoms repeated, "abandon ship, abandon ship, every man for himself."
The crew clamored into any and all vehicles they could find that were leaving the ship, knightmares, gunships, VTOL transports, the few escape pods on board, or even the puny inflatable life rafts. Others jumped into the tumultuous sea and swam or clung to floating debris. They screamed for aide from the other ships, though few answered the call as the order for retreat passed form ship to ships.
Shang did not move he merely sat in his chair refusing to leave, his wounds continued to leak his life essence. He knew he did not have long to live and even if did live and manage to escape the high command would kill him for one thing or another. If he died here at his post, maybe he would spare his family any reprisal or punishment. Closing his eyes, the admiral felt the water start to lap at his feet, warmed by the fires and heat that still radiated from the battle fortress. This was his end.
Ashore
It did not take long for the forces on the ground to here of the order for the fleet to retreat. The order painfully clear that the ships that had brought them would not be returning. Despite the calls from the shore for the ships to come in and pick them up the fleet continued to disappear over the horizon. Some troops tried to swim out to the ships using anything that would float or fly. But such attempts were futile even if they were not killed by enemy fire.
The enemy, the Black Knights, about the same time that the order was heard the army finally figured out that they had walked into a trap. A thee forces had pushed forward they had run right into a new type of Black Knight trooper. Dressed in imposing black armor and a faceless helm save for the glowing blue and crimson eyes the trooper's appearance gave off a sense of foreboding. This was father backed by the reality of their new deadly weapons.
The troopers carried small versions of the Radiant Wave Hadron Blaster, the entire device was slightly larger than the standard imperial battle rifle and had small power cables running into the armor. As the first UFN units emerged in front of the Black Knights the troopers and unleashed a single volley of red blasts. The result was whole sections of the target's body vanished in small explosions of vaporized Kevlar, plastic and flesh and blood. Blood from un cauterized vessels ad arteries sent small trickles of blood onto the ground as the corpses fell flat. The first volley was followed by another and another as the defenders fired at will. The targeting systems in their helmets pierced the obstacles before them, while returning fire from the UFN soldiers bounced off the pitch colored battle plate.
Green VARIS shots accompanied the red radiated Hadron blasts, the vehicles and knightmares that arrived to reinforce the attackers blossomed in brilliant bursts of flame. Black Knight vehicles joined the infantry shells to bounced off these massive war machines. Exploding shells and armor piercing rounds fired from the UFN lines bounced off the armored defenders when none should have. Inside the Black Knight vehicles, the pilots and crews smiled as the new kinetic barrier shields held. Slowly the Black Knights began to advance, the wave of counterattacking defenders began to push away the tide of UFN soldiers. Red, Green and Black become the colors that dominated the battlefield just as screams, explosions, ricochets, and roars of motors were the sounds of the battlefield.
The intended battle ended as the UFN ships disappeared over the horizon chased by Black Knight submarines and airships. Now the fight descended into a one-way slaughter. Surrendering UFN troops began to appear, their uniforms scorched and dirty, though many chose to fight under the delusion that reinforcements were coming. Many their psyches broken by the unbelievability that they had been defeated, many others simply sat down a and stared off into the distance not saying a word.
Command Center
Tamaki smiled a grim smile as he continued to watch the carnage before him, turning his head to the side he spoke simply, "notify Tokyo the enemy is in retreat."
Turning back, he looked at another screen, this one showed a picture of the globe as lines began to arch across it. The paths of the orbital bombardment rockets shown like glowing streamers as they flew towards their targets. The emperor was intent on destroying as much of the enemies WMDs on the ground before they could be used by anyone. As well the destruction of vital military infrastructure was also paramount. The lines descended into UFN territory before disappearing as they detonated. He watched as a choice few of the lines that were shown were actually FLEIJA warheads launched by cloaked air vehicles that had climbed into the upper atmosphere.
"Humph, so this is war today," Tamaki shook his head. "Doesn't matter if you slice the other guys throat with a bayonet or sword, blow his head off or blow him up from the other side of the world, huh war never changes."
Tokyo
Lelouch sat on his throne his long hair cascading over his shoulder epaulet, his arms rested on his throne. A holographic screen showed the specs of the Gawain with notes typed next to it, while on a split showed the mech itself as men scrambled across it while sparks form welding torches jumped across its armor. With care pieces of material salvaged from various thought elevators was shaped and inserted into the knightmare. While behind the frame its energy wings were removed and refitted into an Energy Float system. The field tests done by Guilford had shown the promise of the system. The perks of energy conservation provided by the FLOAT system and the maneuverability of the Energy Wings combined with the extra thrusters in a FLOAT pack gave the Gawain an uncanny advantage in speed that it had lacked before.
He smiled as he watched his frame get upgraded, as he watched a pair of pale arms wrapped around his neck. Gently looking up he was met by the lips of his green haired empress. The two smiled at each other as C.C. made herself comfy in his lap, "you seem happy."
Lelouch shrugged back, "things are going as I predicted, the people are happy, and I've got you by my side."
C.C. grinned at the cheesiness of his line, instead of teasing him back she nuzzled her head in the crook of his neck. "Tamaki reports good news from the coast and is preparing to cross the sea. Ashara has begun moving south, the only bad news is the UFN force trying to break north to Vladivostok. And that Machavell set of a UFN Fission bomb in his own capital."
Lelouch nodded the UFN army of nearly a million men were throwing themselves on the border trying to force north to the city. Lelouch had also gotten the report from Guilford that he had ordered a retreat out of Berlin and while his army was pulling back a Fission Bomb had gone off in the center of the city. This was promptly followed by Republican Guard forces pouring out of underground bunkers clad in radioactive proof suits. Guilford had succeeded in forming a perimeter around the city and halting the counterattack and forming a siege line. Hazmat suits and other such medical and protective equipment were being rushed to the area with all haste. Units were being rotated on the fighting line regularly to avoid extensive exposure and were required to take decontamination baths regularly.
Lelouch pulled her closer as he responded, "it's likely to be an attempt to gain some PR victory and boost morale among the people. The likely excuse he's using it to cut us off from the natural resources and infrastructure we have in Russia."
"Seems stupid to me," C.C. purred as the warmth engulfed her.
Lelouch nodded, "it is but the threat is their and the residents are not likely to fare very well under the UFN forces. So, we're going to have to deal with it, with Berlin now on indefinite siege for the time being the Winged Hussars are sending a group to this front. They are being followed by Leila and the W-0 unit, they are going to be put in line immediately."
"This should stabilize the line nicely then."
"Yes quite," responded Lelouch as the pair fell into a silence in each other's embrace.
Kamane Island, EU January 10, 2022 a.t.b
Rakshata burst through the doors of the command center, her eyes wide open, as the noise of the room it her like a wall. Screens were flickering, and others were covered in static, technicians ran about yelling and chattering in a panic. Striding forward se cired out, "what the hell happened?"
The response was immediate, "we don't know, the anomaly started spiking and then everything went down! We can't get anything!"
"Reports from all areas?" asked Rakshata.
"We're not sure on the majority," one technician looked at her, his collar loose from long hours analyzing the anomaly in the system. "But what we're getting it looks like the whole island is paralyzed nothing's getting in or out."
Rakshata looked up at the main screen, a large thing that took up a large portion of the front of the room. Static crisscrossed the screen while for a few seconds it looked as if it cleared before reverting to static. The technician got her attention again, "what're your orders mam?"
Rakshata's face tightened in determination, "we must get the system back up and get a message to the Emperor that Kaname Island is compromised, then we-. "
The Indian woman was cut off as every speaker exploded in a burst of noise that resolved into a scream. Every person covered their ears in pain and fell to their knees while those that had been wearing head sets tore them from their ears as they to screamed in pain. Every screen turned to static before freezing as the unknown cry bellowed. The scream from the speakers got louder and almost as soon as it started it stopped and the screens returned to their normal images.
Gently picking themselves off the ground Rakshata and the other occupants of the room looked around wordlessly searching for answers. Their answer came when a voice spoke through the speakers, "where's mommy and daddy?"
Every pair of eyes turned to the main screen, staring back were a pair of digital violet/yellow eyes that stared out with curious innocence of a newborn. Cascading pink hair with green/black highlights that fell off screen. Eyes widened at the site as of a person that looked far too familiar for many people's liking. The picture repeated in a now familiar sweet, gentle, and soothing voice, "where's mommy and daddy?"
Rakshata muttered the only words she could think off, "oh you've got to be f****** kidding me."
A.N. Before anyone jumps to conclusions let me be clear I'm not really bringing any character back to life this is something different. If you reread some of the story in previous chapters you may get what I'm going for. Anyway I thought this would be good for some things I 've got planned for the future. I'm also going through the list of characters that were on the Damocles and deciding who lives and whose gonna buy it. I've already got plenty of definites but some I'm on the fence about, if you've got ideas let me know.
And one last thing I keep forgetting to mention, the Gustav class gun I keep referencing is just the name I gave to the really big railway guns we see the Britannians using in Akito the Exiled. Also for the Fourth Faction I'm working on the next chapter but its a hard one to write cause I'm working on a few twists and plot points that need to go into it don't know when I'll post it but I am working on it. Anyway till next time.