Well, the 9ers lost. But I'll have chapter 10 sometime this week. Another infiltration mission. More Navarre if you're into that.
For those of you coming from Deliveries, I'll have something done there as well.
[HQ: 08:00 one day later]
"Sir, it's looking like fog all day. While I'm certain Barst and Darros can provide Naval support through this operation, it looks like we won't be able to have air support unless the weather clears up," Jagen explained.
"That's fine, thank you," Marth replied. "The FIREBIRD and the FREYJA aren't operational anyway. Caeda… needs her rest."
"Sir," Jagen began. "My men do have some capable pilots. We could have somebody fly PHOENIX at the least."
"I don't think I need PHOENIX for this operation," Marth said. "Besides, we've been known to call for close air support often, so they're sure to have plenty of counters."
"If I may interject," Hardin started. "It may be wise to include an air-assault insertion."
Marth thought about it for a second. "If the fog clears up, I'll consider it. But we still have another issue. Bantu, please."
Bantu spoke. He held his Firestone in his hand. "Children of mankind... The manakete have… changed."
The room was silent. He continued. "The dragons your ancestors fought are no more. These dragons of the evil one are… a dark experiment by Gharnef, surely. They have advanced magical shielding that makes them even tougher to take down. It would take a boat full of lead to kill one. However… If you disable the shields… you will be able to destroy them." He looked off into the distance. "Only one girl, Tiki, the last of the Divine Dragons, can fight them face to face."
Draug slapped the table. "What about my tanks, surely?"
Bantu glared. "I saw a neo-mage dragon pick up a tank and swat it aside as if it were nothing. These creatures are unworthy of being called dragons. They are monsters."
Marth thought for a moment. "I see… what do you know about the Pyrathi king?"
"He may be a dragon of old, not one of these new breeds. But that still doesn't undermine the danger."
"I see…" Marth thought for a second. "It would be nice to have the FREYJA… but maybe our ships can blast a hole right through this one. Captain Ogma. Are the new weapons ready?"
Ogma grinned. "That they are, sir."
Marth let out a sigh of relief. "Then we'll stand a chance. Bantu, are there any weaknesses?"
"Older weapons may still work. There is a special metal that can penetrate a dragon's armor. There are many scattered around Archanea. Rumor is that one of these swords is hidden on the island."
"Then I'll send an expeditionary squad to find it. Ladies and Gentlemen, you're dismissed."
Marth left pretty quickly from the meeting room following the final pleasantries. He headed straight for the hospital ward.
"Sister Lena, Colonel Wrys- I'm here," he called. "Tell your soldiers to ignore me and treat me like I'm just somebody else."
Lena escorted him to the hospital room he was looking for. "She's doing well, sir. Her fever has gone down significantly, but she's struggling to eat her food."
"Thank you," Marth said. "You've been a blessing."
Marth entered the room quietly. He smiled at the person in the ward.
"Caeda…" He started. "Have they been keeping you well?"
She smiled weakly and nodded. She tried to get up, but Marth wouldn't allow it.
"Easy. Get some rest. Please."
"But-"
Marth shushed her. "I don't want to have to chain you to the hospital bed."
Caeda rolled her eyes.
He placed a hand on her forehead. It's normal, he thought. Why did I check her temperature? Don't I trust my own medical staff?
Even Caeda was looking at him strangely. "What are you looking at?" He mumbled. She blushed and looked away. Ah, I shouldn't be treating her like a child. She showed signs of life at least, but she looked so frail in the hospital gown. And frail wasn't a word that described her the last few weeks.
"You've always been overprotective of me…" she murmured.
"Yeah… something like that." Marth whispered. "I guess you've returned the favor this war…"
She perked up a little bit. "Marth, I-"
He took her hand. "I have to go now. Promise me you'll get some rest."
[Carrier Landing Bay: 12:30]
"Still not looking too good out there, sir," Malledus reported. "Birds probably can't fly in this sort of weather."
"Hmph," Marth grunted. "Back to the original plan then. Not too fond of letting my men do an amphibious operation, especially without clearing the area for artillery."
"Prince Marth," Nyna called. She walked up beside him and tapped him on his shoulder.
"Nyna! What are you doing here?" He asked, startled.
"One of my men is on this island. His name is Jeorge, and he heads a small battery of our finest artillerymen."
"That's great news! But how will we reach him?"
"I… I don't know. I want you to look for him though. I have no doubt that he will be of great service to you."
So I can't just blow this island up indirectly. This complicates things.
"Can he communicate with you? Are there any unique signals Archanea uses?"
"I-"
"If I may interject, there are a few colors that Archanea uses exclusively. One of which is the target designator: dark red smoke. Still…" Hardin trailed off. "We would need a way to get his attention."
Marth thought for a second. "How much ammunition can I assume they're carrying?"
"Perhaps half of what Castor carries alone. But it may be good technology," Jagen explained. "After all, this is the Archanean royal guard."
"I don't like fighting with someone I've never trained with before in my life… still…" Marth reasoned. "We do have other commanders. Hardin, have you ever fought with the Archanean artillery?"
"I have," he answered.
"Then this is our plan of attack. I need to initiate fires somehow before landing on the island," Marth said. "I'm thinking we send out our faster ships to do a hit and run operation. Unlike our normal operations, we need to be loud. We'll fire off smokes after we've caused enough commotion. Hardin, you'll be with that group. Hopefully Jeorge's men will understand then. Then, we can trace the rounds to his location. However… we need to be swift. There's no telling if they can fight an infantry battle versus Mannu's marine corps. Our destroyers will remain ready to fire at the dragon. We have to commit a lot of resources into breaking the dragon's shields. After that, a strong blast of lead should silence it."
He turned to Jagen. "I trust you to handle the infantry. Take full control of that portion of the operation."
[Carrier Landing Bay: 20:30]
The initial strike went as smoothly as it could. While there was a significant delay between the first shots and the Archanean artillery's fire, Jeorge's men began firing, and Hardin went to retrieve them shortly after. Still, there was no sign of the dragon: only scattered infantry platoons across the island.
"GUARD-6," Marth started. "Are you in position now?"
"Affirmative. Our men are at the designated rally point. We've encountered the marines. They seem to be a bit weak, in fact."
"Interesting… if there's any intelligence you can recover, please do so for me," Marth said. "If we have time, we'll search the palace for clues. Perhaps we can know what we're up against…"
"Yes, sir."
There was a crash over the radio.
"ALTEA-6, we've got company! Hold it together men, we have a mission to-"
There was radio static.
Marth cursed. "I'm going out there," he declared.
"Marth-" Nyna started.
He looked back. "A commander belongs with his men in times like this," he said.
[RP Alpha 22:00]
Ogma cursed under his breath. "Don't let that thing-"
The dragon breathed another fireball and spat it at Ogma's men. "Scatter!" He screamed.
Ogma was spared by the blaze, but not all of his men were. He cursed.
"Open fire!"
The dragon seemed to laugh as it advanced on Ogma and his men.
"It's strong, sir!" Bord yelled.
"Dammit I know! But give it all you got!"
"We got explosives on the bridge, if it can just-"
The dragon took flight briefly and spat another volley of fireballs.
"Hit the deck!" He cursed. "CRIMSON-6, any luck?"
"None such. We've been firing at weak points. This shielding…" Navarre made a spitting noise through the radio.
"Ahh! Ahh!"
"Calm down soldier, it's- ah hell."
The dragon grabbed a small support tank and crushed it with its jaw. We'll die fighting, Ogma thought. So be it. The dragon took another by its claws.
"This is RECON-6! Got the mages on site safely. Brace for impact!"
There was a loud strike of lightning from the distance. The dragon dropped the vehicle and reeled back.
"Teacher! Sir-" Ogma exclaimed.
Wendell was breathing heavily. Clearly that strike sapped his energy.
The wind kicked up and snapped onto the dragon. Merric followed his teacher's labored breathing. The dragon was immobilized for a brief moment.
"Now's your chance!" Wendell cried. "Go, Captain!"
"Right! Barst, I'm marking the target! Send it!"
A large cruise missile hit the dragon seconds later. It roared again. It began crawling forward when another cluster of explosives hit it. It struggled with each step, but it was still advancing.
"RAM-6, burn it to the ground!"
More shells hit the dragon and it was stopped dead in its tracks. Ogma and Navarre's men began emptying their magazines into the one dragon.
"It's still coming!" A soldier cried out.
"Keep firing! Have faith!"
A helicopter whirred by the dragon and a rope dropped out of it. A solitary figure slid out of the chopper, and once the man was out, the rope was pulled and the chopper left immediately. There was a blinding flash of light, and the dragon was no more.
The men of the league were stunned after a while. "Who-" They heard coughing over the radio.
"ALCON, this is ALTEA-6. Gather the wounded and the dead. We're RTB. We bested him."
[HQ: 00:00]
Marth threw the sword onto the table. "A dragon-slaying sword," he said. "This is the key to the war. If we can produce more like this..."
"Sir-" Jagen began.
"I know what must be done, and my men follow me because they believe in me… still" Marth pounded the table. "The enemy sold us victory for a heavy price." His voice was shaking.
"Sir, please-" Malledus said.
Marth jerked up. There was fire in his eyes. Once Malledus saw this, he felt relief, inspiration and reassurance that the Prince knew what needed to be done.
A messenger pounded at the door. "Sir, an enemy VTOL has been spotted at our HQ. It's flashing for truce, and its requesting you on an open channel."
Marth nodded. "Patch them through."
"Sir, the risk! Think-"
Marth waved his senior advisors off. He picked up the radio.
"Prince Marth, I am Catria of the Whitewings of Macedon. I- I have come with a request from our mistress, the princess Minerva. She is planning to lead us against Dolhr in rebellion; however, hero hands are tied so long as the enemy holds her younger sister, the princess Maria, captive. Will you rescue Princess Maria from their clutches, that my Whitewing sisters and I might join in your fight?"
The room went silent.
He spoke to the messenger and the room. "I take it that we have artillery aimed at her."
The messenger nodded. "Princess Caeda even crawled out of bed herself to give chase to that plane if-"
Marth cursed loudly. He shook his head.
"What will we do, sir?" Jagen asked.
Marth turned to face him. "Route the ships," he started. "We have a princess to save."