Gate: And So the United Republic Fought
Special Region
Falmart, Republic Held Territory
Alnus Joint AFB, Alnus Territory
General Harris' office
"Impressive." said General Harris as he read Mobius Squadron's after action report Yeager handed him. "All targets taken down with no damage outside a few scorch marks. Mobius Squadron is deserving of their reputation."
"Indeed General." said Yeager "It explains why Fort Murphy's commanding officer keeps sending in requests to get them back."
"Hmm. Be sure to ignore such requests in the future. Mobius Squadron's talents would be wasted performing sorties on barbarians back on Earth."
"After all they can do that here." quipped Yeager.
General Harris gave Yeager a half hearted glare before he descended into a bout of hearty chuckling. "And here I was thinking you intelligence types had your sense of humor removed." said Harris as he regained his composure.
"That's only if we want a promotion. So do we dispatch the body retrieval team?"
"Make it so, Yeager. I want Chinooks to bring back the bodies with Vertibirds providing escort."
"Who do we send out to retrieve the body?"
"Send in Recon Team 3, a squad of Rangers, one IFV, along with a platoon of infantry. Don't want any unnecessary surprises. I also want Colonel Benjamin Moore to go along and negotiate with the dark elves. He was always a friendly sort."
"Itami isn't going to like this."
"The Wanderer's orders were quite clear. 'Give Itami plenty to do while giving him the occasional few days rest or during events he is particularly excited about'. I have to say it's starting to work. Itami is complaining a bit less now."
"A welcome change I'm sure. General have you considered my proposal?"
"About setting up an outpost in the Imperial Capital? Yes I have. I have to say I admire your audacity. You not only want a platoon there in full uniform with humvee support to guard it but you want Captain Steele to lead it."
"I don't do things by half."
"I can see that. I'm willing to greenlight it but only if Steele is replaced with a more level headed commander. He isn't crazy but well let's just say the man's approach to warfare is a bit extreme. He hasn't committed any 'official' war crimes but he's still straddling a fine line."
"That's why I want him to command it. The Imperials can't understand our way of making war. To them we appear to be soft hearted weaklings because they haven't seen how bad war can get. To them it's still something honorable. Steele's method of warfare is different but still familiar and it will frighten them. Steele will ensure the Imperials truly understand what it means to fight us."
General Harris sighed. "Alright Yeager. You've convinced me but tell Steele he will turn it down."
"Yes Sir.
Special Region
Schwartz Forest
Pain. That's what Giselle felt. She had fallen from the sky after the attack by those strange metal beasts. She must have been unconscious for quite so time for it was now dark with the moon being the only thing illuminating the clearing she found herself in. She managed to drag herself up against a tree in the time she'd been awake but that was it. The wounds she sustained refused to heal and burned with the intensity of the hottest fire.
Through this pain Giselle was filled with an emotion she hadn't felt for centuries. Fear. It became harder to breathe with each passing moment and her demigod strength had faded causing her to drop the scythe that was now much too heavy. It went against everything that she no the world believed but she, a demigod, was dying. Frantic thoughts ran through her head. Would she still ascend to godhood or would it be denied? Would Hardy be disappointed in her? Would she be forever damned for this failure and embarrassment? She didn't know and that's what scared her the most. As her eyes closed she now understood why mortals feared death so much…
Special Region
Falmart
Sadera (Imperial Capital)
Akusho District
Captain Franklin Steele sipped his coffee as he looked out the window of the URGF's outpost here in Sadera. He had to thank Lieutenant Yeager for this opportunity even if he was a spook. After his last command his superiors didn't want to touch him. So what if he hanged a few barbarian kids that fought along with the adults. That particular barbarian tribe had been fighting the Republic for decades. Everytime we sacked their encampment and remove their capability to make war the non-combatants would just train up the kids to try again in a few years.
He was going to put a stop to it if it was the last thing he'd do. Everyone was herded into the village square after a short pointless battle. They were told their resistance ended today and it was then he started stringing them up. Everyone that so much as touched a weapon was hanged including wounded and children. The only reason he wasn't court martialed was because of a loophole and the fact that barbarians aren't recognized as nations meaning he was under no obligation to treat them humanely.
Won't be able to pull that here. Unlike the barbarians this Empire is a legitimate nation and protected by the Hanoi Conventions despite not being a signatory. Not only that but General Harris gave him a stern lecture that if he did anything even remotely out of line he'll have both handcuffs on his wrists and a foot in his ass. He was content to play by the rules for now. After all his family was understanding of his decision but a bit miffed at the negative attention he brought to them so he was reluctant to bring more.
The Steele's were already a bit famous due to how they emigrated to the country. They were among those that were unhappy with the rise of communism in Russia so they came to the United Republic. Unfortunately they were too poor to afford a ticket on a ship so his great grandfather built a boat and sailed his family there himself. It was a miracle they weren't blown out to sea since he didn't know a thing about sailing. When they docked near Liberty City they became instant celebrities. The man that filed their immigration papers said they had to be 'made of steel' to attempt such a thing. His great grandfather liked it so much he changed the family name to Steele. It was this fame many believed propelled his grandfather Joseph to the Liberty State governor's office.
This base Yeager set up here wasn't too impressive. A series of houses spread around the district with the biggest serving as both a clinic and headquarters. He had at least a squad at each location guarding it round the clock. They had on more than one occasion a small gang attempting to take whatever they had. After the third attempt which ended in all participants shot in the streets they stopped trying. It was then some of the larger crime families started approaching them. They were fairly useful allowing them to easily smuggle their troops and equipment in and out of the city but one of them was getting greedy. Yeager was currently checking his contacts among the district's many prostitutes for info on who it was. It seemed that rumor that many of the Republic's prostitutes were on the DRI payroll had some basis in truth.
Special Region
Alnus Joint AFB
Shino couldn't help but be nervous as Itami barked orders to the squad. If she didn't know any better she thought that their geeky Captain was replaced by a hard ass veteran Ranger. She'd obviously seen a Ranger before since there were more than a few stationed on base but that paled in comparison to having one up close and giving you orders. Unlike in the past where Itami gave orders in an almost bored tone now his voice was brimming with authority which when combined with his armor had the squad working twice as hard as before. Rangers held almost mythical status among Republicans and Hanoian so she still found it hard to wrap her head around Itami being apart of this elite group.
Rory naturally was turned on by Itami's new demeanor saying he's 'letting out the warrior' she sensed in him. If Itami always had that bottled up inside then maybe she should have been more respectful in the past.
After collecting all of the medical supplies and rations which they were giving the dark elves everyone climbed into the vertibirds. She always wanted to ride in one of these. The many Vertibird variants was supposed to completely replace all the Republic's helicopters over the next few years because of all the various combat and technical improvements which the pilots will be happy to tell you. Even if you don't ask…
Once the Vertibirds were loaded up and in the air were they able to relax. Itami spent his time the way he usually did when he had nothing to do. He took out his phone and did things only known to him and Kevin who talked with him sometimes. It was always cramped so full of references to things she didn't know they might as well been a different language.
As he typed away on his phone Shino cleared her throat to get his attention. Itami looked up from his phone and raised his eyebrow which she took as a sign to ask her question.
"So… uh. Itami I heard that Ranger training is pretty brutal and I've always dreamed of becoming a Ranger but...well."
Itami smiled and put his phone away. "But you want to know what you're getting into."
"Uh...well. Yeah."
"No need to be so nervous, Shino. First thing you need to know is that you shouldn't believe everything you see in Vinewood movies. They get things wrong all the time."
Shino felt a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "So it's not as bad as they make it out to be?"
Itami smiled. "No. It's much worse."
And just like that her hopes and dreams were shattered.
"If you thought URGF or even the drill instructor back in Hanoi were bad then Ranger DIs have to be demons. You have to sign something before enlisting which basically says your ass now belongs to the Rangers and they can do anything they want to you."
"That can't be legal…" said a horrified Shino
"Training can last from 8 months to a year. During that time I've had everything done to me to make sure I was worthy of the title of Ranger including being shot at."
"They shot you!?" she said which gained the attention of everyone in the vertibird including the pilot who glanced back before looking back at the controls.
"Not with a real gun mind you though I heard recruits that really annoy the DIs might get assigned to learn the 'advanced' interrogation resistance techniques. By shot I meant bombarded with heavy artillery while our instructors fired weapons loaded with blanks in our direction. To add insult to injury this happened while we were two days into a wilderness survival camping trip."
"Wow." said Pops "Bet that was one hell of a surprise."
"The one thing they love doing is catching you by surprise. Whether it's tossing tear gas grenades in the middle of mess or kidnapping you in the middle of the night, leaving you somewhere remote, and collecting you weeks later if your still alive."
"If your still alive?" said Kevin
Itami sighed "People die becoming Rangers. Becoming the best of the best has a price and sometimes that price is your life. While I was there 8 cadets out of our class of 20 died. 4 during exercises where live munitions were used. 1 died in the San Andreas Desert from dehydration. 3 died during interrogation resistance."
"Don't the Viet Cong do interrogation resistance too?" asked Akira
"Yes and that's the main reason that part of the training was cakewalk." said Itami
"You call getting pretty much tortured a cakewalk?" said Kevin
"Let's just say that in the Viet Cong they are 'open-minded' on what classifies as torture and leave it at that."
"Did you ever go on any cool missions?" asked Kevin
"Sorry guys but Ranger ops are permanently classified and I don't think the few stories I could tell are worth being on the DRI's shitlist."
"So do you think I have what it takes?" Shino asked "Be honest."
Itami was silent for a moment before saying "Shino you definitely have what it takes. While the training will be hellish at times I'm confident you'll get through it."
A massive weight that Shino didn't even know she was carrying had been lifted from her shoulders. She had always dreamed of being among the elite group known as Rangers. To get an endorsement from an actual Ranger was comforting.
"Thank you, Captain" she said.
"Don't mention it." replied Itami before returning his attention back on his phone.
Earth
United Republic of States
Delta State
Aperture Science
Miles away from the beachside metropolis that is Delta City there lies one of the world's greatest centers of science technology. The Aperture Science Enrichment Center is a massive underground complex housing labs dedicated to almost every science known to man. Artificial Intelligence Robotics was born here along with many other revolutionary technologies that are still in their infancy. Unlike its main rival Black Mesa which typically dealt with the military Aperture dabbled in both military civilian markets. While the Republic government had to approve anything they wanted to put in the civilian market they still were able to maintain a comfortable level of financial stability.
In the main offices near the surface level of Aperture's expansive subterranean complex the Wanderer was having a meeting with two of the most influential scientific figures in the world. Chell Johnson, current head of Aperture Science and Dr. Isaac Kleiner, Director of Black Mesa. While the rivalry between Aperture and Black Mesa was well-known the depths to which that rivalry went were not. None knew it better than the Wanderer who was pinching the bridge of his nose while Chell and Kleiner argued… again.
"The study of the Gate should fall to Aperture" said Chell "After all our experience in portals makes us well suited to the study of…"
"Experience!?" said Kleiner "You call working on a dead end and unstable technology experience? Need I remind you of the Borealis?"
Chell replied in a practiced and almost robotic manner. "While the teleportation of the ARS Borealis wasn't done completely according to plan it was still a success nonetheless."
"It ended up in the North Pole! Half of it was lodged in an iceberg! It's a miracle no one was killed! It's like no one at Aperture has even heard of the scientific method."
"Oh you're one to talk. Did you forget about the world-ending Resonance Cascade you almost caused?"
"I haven't forgotten after all it's how I got my job. The fault for that lies entirely with former Director Breen. He and an individual the DRI still hasn't been able to locate conspired to perform the experiment. It was only thanks to Doctors Vance, Magnusson, and myself voicing our concerns to the Wanderer that catastrophe was averted."
Hearing a lapse in the arguing the Wanderer took that as an opportunity to regain control of the conversation.
"It was a miracle I was able to stop the experiment in time." said the Wanderer surprising both scientists who forgotten he was there. "Now let us get this conversation back to where we were before I was rudely interrupted."
As both Kleiner and Chell began to well up in embarrassment the Wanderer continued. "You will both work together to study the Gate and there will be no more arguing. Am I clear?"
At both of their 'Yes Sirs' the Wanderer sighed. "I can't stress how important this is. All of our reports collected in the Special Region all lead to one conclusion. The Gate is a temporary phenomena and will eventually close. After all we have sacrificed leaving empty-handed is out of the question. So I want you to build me a Gate."
"Well sir." said Chell "My best people have looked it over and have noted some similarities between the Gate and our portals. Still they are completely stumped as to how they work without any power source whatsoever. It defies all laws of science."
"That's because Ms. Johnson both your scientists and mine have been going about this all wrong" said Kleiner "We been trying to explain the Gate in terms of science but it, and I can't believe I'm saying this, runs on magic. We're trying to find a scientific solution to a magical problem."
"So It's impossible?" said the Wanderer
"I didn't say that." said Kleiner "One of my more gifted staff, a Doctor Freeman, said that Occam's Razor is sometimes the best solution to a problem. So even though it pains me to say it I believe we should just use Aperture's portals and save ourselves the headache of replicating something that literally runs on magic."
"I remember you calling it a dead end and unstable technology not even 10 minutes ago." said Chell "Even I'm willing to admit that you are right in that regard. The power requirements make our portals completely impractical as anything but a scientific curiosity."
"Compared to trying wrap our heads around actual magic creating more powerful efficient sources of energy will be easy." said Kleiner "As fortune would have it I assigned Doctor Freeman such a task several months ago. While what he came up is still in the theoretical stages if we pool our resources we could have a working prototype soon."
The Wanderer nodded. "Good. I'm authorizing 'blank check' funding for you. Any resources you need we'll provide. If you manage to pull this off I'll allow you to conduct limited research in the Special Region."
That did it. The Wanderer could see the spark lit in both Chell and Kleiner's eyes. Information on the Special Region has been released publically to both show the world the good the URGF had been doing and to encourage citizens to settle there. The scientific community had been salivating at a chance to study on the other side of the Gate but since the Special Region was still hostile territory all requests had been denied.
There was no shortage of things that they could poke and prod over there. Dragons, demi-humans, strange elements, and even legit magic. Being the first to study these wonders was too enticing a prize for these scientific giants.
"We'll get to work immediately and have our first report really in a week" said Kleiner to which Chell nodded in agreement "Believe me when I say our full undivided attention will be on this matter."
AN: Cleaned this up so there's less cringe. The Fanfiction App is great for reading but not for writing I'm afraid. Expect a chapter in a week or two.