Hello there, welcome back to another chapter. Seeing as how this story may as well fall under the crossover section I think I shall go ahead and change it up. But enough about that, here is more war between the Kingdoms of Remnant and oh how exciting this will be to flesh it out even further when Vale is fighting such a big opponent. Prepare to see some other familiar faces in the coming chapters, that's all PEACE!
P.S Hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas and I hope you have a great new years!
VNA Leviathan
Other aliases: Tide Mother
Length - 1,745m
Crew - 6,495
'The Leviathan belongs to the Damascus line of ships and is the biggest warship produced by Titan Defence Systems for the Vale Navy Air fleet and is the only ship of its kind. Boasting a plethora of dual system railguns, dozens of VLS bays and close-range rapid firing turrets packaged together with a hangar bay allows it to stand toe to toe with the best ships of the Atlesian Navy. While its existence was kept secret for a long time, it ultimately made its debut when Atlas initiated a series of proxy wars across Vacuo and Mistral that prompted Vale to interfere lest chaos was to destroy its close neighbours.'
Leviathan's motto is 'Honour, Loyalty, Unity'
-F.O.B Tanoa-
Dove Bronzewing was not the bravest of souls on this planet. In fact, he would admit running away from a fight the moment he saw something remotely scary.
But that was in the past now, that was two years ago and now he was a changed man. Ever since he left Beacon to join the Army, he had been taught to overcome his fears of running away from intimidating things. While running away was considered a tactic, it wasn't the best kind as it usually ended up with you dead on the floor the next minute. The key to winning a fight is to fight smartly.
Thrown into tank school and snaking his way up the ladder, he now found himself in commanding one of Vale's only two highly advanced battle tanks.
But it seems fate wasn't finished with the young man when his former team mates from Beacon ended up becoming a part of his new crew.
"Lieutenant, we're here…" Corporal Sky Lark announced with a heavy voice.
The sound of Private First-Class Russel Thrush moving around the tank could be heard as his boots echoed on the cold metal floor.
"Take a break you two, I'll get a clean-up crew to sort out the mess." Dove sighed as he pushed the hatch open.
Exiting out into the world, the familiar breeze side of Vale's ocean came in and smacked the Lieutenant on the face. Suffice to say, the innards of the tank needed the fresh air as well due to the 'horrendous' stench it had been carrying for the past ten hours.
"Lieutenant Bronzewing Sir, glad you made it back!" A sharp looking officer greeted the battered commander who looked no younger than eighteen.
"Likewise, Sergeant, listen I'm going to need a clean-up crew on my tank. We lost one…." His face solemn while instructing the officer.
He pursed his lips into a disappointed manner, "Understood sir, Peace to the Fallen." He looked down in disappointment before composing himself, "Major Anderson is waiting for you inside."
"Thanks, Griffs." He patted the man's back before leaving him to his devices.
Walking to a nearby set of large fuel tanks, the man ducked behind the large cylinders before double checking no one saw him. Seeing that no one took notice, the serious looking Dove Bronzewing collapsed to his knees in a distressed manner.
Breathing heavily, sweat ran down the side of his head as he ran his fingers through his greasy hair. The trauma of losing a crew member especially one you've bonded with for a long time can be heart wrenching. To be take accountability for their loss was the hardest part of being a leader in the military, but letting it affect your actions and decisions instantly renders you unfit for that title.
That was why the commander kept his emotions hidden, his anger and pain. He knew he had to press on no matter the cost, this was war, and he signed up for it. To stop now would've been for nothing, especially those who looked up to him.
Collecting himself, the stout Lieutenant put on his serious look again and left his quiet spot. Entering the makeshift headquarters of the base, he walked up a flight of stairs before stopping outside a decorated door.
Knocking sharply, he waited a few seconds before a deep voice ushered him in. Complying with the order, he entered the deep scented room before closing the door shut.
It felt awkward to be standing within the room in the first place, not when he stunk like a dead pig which had been taken from a slaughter house. But the Major couldn't care less as he simply gestured him to take a seat.
"Lieutenant Bronzewing, glad you made it back in one piece. I'm sorry for the loss of your crew member." The tanned man began in a slow voice.
"Yeah, still alive and kicking sir." Dove tried to put on a brave voice but utterly failed.
The Major leaned forward, his grey eyes stared deep into the Lieutenant's, studying him carefully, "What happened Dove?"
Dove blinked for a second before breaking his gaze. His mind trying to begin the clusterfuck that was Operation Goodwill, "We were set up sir, the enemy hit us from all sides. Baited the civilians like they didn't care for them at all. Before we knew it, we lost two Ravagers to enemy fire. We returned fire of our own but that wasn't before those bastards decided to shell the village with artillery fire together with us and the civilians."
"And what happened to Lieutenant Riah?" The man narrowed his eyes even further.
"He was KIA along with the other Ravager of his platoon. We initiated a pincer movement on the enemy position, but it was too late. By the time Fenrir burnt through the lines, Riah and Gator were wiped out." He tightened his fists in regret, taking the blame for their deaths, "We wiped them all out, every last one of them sir." Dove seethed his teeth in anger.
Seeing the visible hate on the man's face, the Major understood where he was coming from as he too committed the same types of action before. Resting his arms on the table, he let out a defeated sigh.
"You did well Lieutenant, just know that. You did what you had to do to survive. It was a shame we couldn't save the village. Damn Atlesians and their collateral damage bullshit." He sneered at the last part.
"Sir, how long will we keep fighting Atlas on a silent front? Every time they set foot on foreign soil, it's always a proxy war backed by them, heck even lead by them. We've lost so much in the past two years sir. The Behemoth tanks can only be in so many places to deter their forces."
"I share the same concerns with you Lieutenant, but alas my influence can only spread so far up the board. So far Command has been keeping quiet, too quiet. Something's wrong."
"Isn't it fleet week sir? The navy is out parading all our warships to the public while the we're out here defending the borders. Our walls are going to fall any minute, all Atlas has to do is just blow and it'll all come crashing down."
The Major let out a small chuckle, "I feel you soldier. But there's nothing much we can do about it now. Our forces are all being merged into one unified army. Soon we'll all be a part of the Navy. This whole parade shenanigans is to distract the public. Instil hope and patriotism, a big middle finger to Atlas might I add."
"How long can we keep this up sir, I bet Atlas is just itching for a war. I bet they've given up trying to get Mistral on their side, they could take on all three Kingdoms if they wished."
"As much as you're right Lieutenant, Atlas can't simply jump into a full-fledged war. They need support from their people, and right now the man in charge of their country is just the perfect person to brainwash them into thinking their country is superior. If Atlas doesn't get support from its people, they can forget about starting a war. A civil war is what they'll most likely have to worry about."
A sigh came from Dove's mouth, "If a war does happen then we're screwed as we know it. Vale has less than 200,000 active personnel combined from all three services. We're just behind Mistral and yet Atlas can shove their whopping one million active personnel casually down our throats."
"We'd prefer to avoid direct conflict Bronzewing, we know we don't stand a chance, but if we're going to let Atlas simply walk over us then those bastards are wrong. Vale will not go down without a fight and we'll drag every damned Atlesian soldier with us."
A short beep buzzed the Major's desk signalling him that an important call was on the line.
"Thank you for the briefing Lieutenant, get some rest with your men, you've earned it." The man dismissed him briefly.
Replying with a salute, the Lieutenant hastily made his exit. Letting out a tired groan, he made his way down the steps and back towards his tank.
Boots sinking into the soft ground, the colossal shadow that was cast by the M98A3 Behemoth enveloped the tiny man. Gazing at the super weapon, to call it a tank was a understatement. A fast-moving battle station would be more appropriate as the thing stood 9 metres tall, spanned 38 metres in length and 16 metres in width.
Calling it overkill and impractical would've made you look like an idiot as it was the only thing that could go toe to toe against anything Atlas could throw at it. While the M46A3 Ravager made up the back bone of the Vale's MBT fleet, it was slowly being outclassed by Atlas's more advanced tanks.
"There he is, told ya he hadn't run away!" Sky smacked the shoulder of Russel in a friendly manner.
"What?! I didn't say that!" Russel glared daggers at the Sergeant before standing to attention.
"At ease soldiers, cut the formalities we're on break for now. Has Griffs cleared out the tank?" Dove asked in his ever-serious tone.
"He just finished a short while ago. Poor Pete's body is in the morgue. It's a shame he had to go, he didn't deserve it." Sky shook his head in disappointment.
"Yeah…..I'll prepare whatever belongings he has and visit his parents and partner. I'll….deliver the news." Dove said with a heavy voice, his serious tone gone for a short moment.
"What the hell was Atlas packing anyway? It's the first time I've seen them scratch, let alone penetrate regenerative Kronstdat armour." Russel asked in a dumbfounded manner.
"I don't know Russel, whatever Atlas has, we need to play it safe now. We cannot run headlong into enemy fire and take hits. From now on it'll be long range engagements and on the move. We have the speed and firepower to throw the enemy off balance, let's use it to our advantage."
Just then, an approaching figure caught Sky's eyes prompting him to signal the others of the new comer.
"Hey, guys, seems we've got company." He pointed.
As they turned around to greet their visitor, a tall young fellow roughly the same height as Russel and an average build silently greeted them.
"A-Are you Lieutenant B-Bronzewing sir?" He stuttered at first, his voice full of nervousness
"Depends who's asking. Your name soldier?" Dove eyed him sceptically.
"Private First-Class Daniel Ryans. I've been assigned to your crew sir." He croaked.
"On who's orders? How old are you?" Dove raised an eyebrow.
"Major Anderson, I'm 19 sir."
"Godammit!" Dove threw his hands up in the air in frustration.
The poor lad was so confused to the point he thought he had pissed off the Lieutenant. Suffice to say, his inexperienced self-told him to keep quiet.
"Hold up, he's the replacement for Pete?" Russel wore a shocked look.
"Fucking hell Anderson." Dove mumbled underneath his breath while eyeing the new crew member. With a loud sigh he dropped his arms and rested them on his hips, "See the thing behind me? That's your new home. This is Sergeant Lark and PFC Russel, I shouldn't remind you of your role since you've already been informed. Now go." He ordered sharply.
As Russel guided the newbie over, the trio decided to leave Dove to calm down as the man was practically about to burst any second now. For now, it seemed that Russel and Sky were the more accepting crew members.
"Don't worry about him, he gets worked up over the new ones that's all. He'll come around eventually." Sky assured him once they were out of earshot.
"Come on up and take a check out your new home." Russel gestured.
As Ryans scaled the giant technological marvel, he was carefully guided by Russel towards the access hatch before climbing down into the belly of the beast.
The interior of the tank surprised the Private as he didn't expect so much room to move about. There was enough ceiling clearance to stand up and move about freely and the individual stations weren't densely packed together and instead were laid out in order.
"This is the main compartment or deck if you want to call it. Whatever rolls off the tongue better." Russel waved his arm around the place.
"This is where all of us operate, 90% of the time you'll realize we never even leave our seats let alone the damn room." Sky commented.
"I-I see…" Ryans replied in a low voice as he looked around in awe still.
"This cozy spot right here is your station. You're our new fire control specialist and I take it you're already familiar with the systems?" Sky pointed with a raised brow.
"Yes sir," Ryans nodded firmly before pointing slowly at the black markings and giant hole that covered half the consoles, "May I ask what happened there?"
As Russel and Sky both looked at damaged module, it only brought back bad memories as the incident was barely 12 hours old. But still, they couldn't keep secrets from the new crew member.
"That's the blast that took out PFC Pete…." Russel wore a heavy look, "A good lad he was, always fired up and optimistic of things."
"Peace to the Fallen." Sky mumbled softly.
"Peace to the Fallen." They replied in unison.
"Alright, enough of the bad stuff, engineering and repair crews will sort this out soon. For now, all weapons on the right side of the tank are down while the left is still operational." Sky informed them.
"Come on, let's show you the crew quarters." Russel waved a hand before opening bulky metal door.
Snaking their way through the narrow corridors, the trio soon found themselves in a medium sized room enough to hold ten people or so. In the middle sat a large table with holographic projections detailing information. The nature of this room basically yelled 'debriefing' as it was written everywhere.
"I don't think we need to explain this one right Sergeant?" Russel asked the senior officer.
"No need too, only thing this room is used for is when shit really hits the fan. You'll be passing by this area often enough that'll you even forget it exists." Sky remarked.
"Onto the crew quarters it is then…" Russel began before opening the door.
Revealing a livelier area, the entire space had been broken up into three visible parts.
"To your right is the sleeping area and to your left is the kitchen. The room down the far right is our armoury, for when things really get desperate." Russel excitedly explained.
"What's beyond there?" Ryans pointed at the door that had a 'danger' sign on it.
"Engine room, contains the reactor powering this beast of a machine. Russel's our mechanic together with Commander Bronzewing. I'm the cook and in charge of the weapons." Sky pointed to himself with a proud grin.
"Speaking of the reactor, I'll have to do my daily maintenance check now. I'll see y'all topside." He gave a short salute before opening the door and disappearing.
"Make yourself comfortable kid, like the Commander said, this is your new home now. I'll be outside waiting, in the meantime go ahead and put your stuff in the locker and familiarize with the place." Sky instructed him before giving a sharp wink.
Outside the tank, Lieutenant Bronzewing sat atop the giant turret with a pair of binoculars. Watching the fleet parade in the distance, he envied the joyous moments being experienced by everyone over there. To think they were so blind of the events happening behind the curtains.
"Lieutenant." Sergeant Lark greeted him.
"Sergeant." He put down the tool to nod at his fellow crew member.
"Enjoying the show sir?"
"Depends, if by sitting here and watching these giant ships fly about and boast their mighty guns is enjoyable, I'd rather watch the grass grow to be honest."
"Propaganda for the entire Kingdom to eat."
"It's all about instilling that hope into our people."
"Whatever works for the public I guess."
-BOOM!-
The sound of a large calibre gun discharging followed by an explosion echoed in the distance. Catching the two men off guard, the idea of firing such weapons in a city space was absurd.
"Hey? I didn't know they were doing a gun salute?" Sky commented in a confused manner.
"Somethings not right." Dove responded with dread in his voice as he peered through the binoculars.
Scanning the horizon, the ASG turrets had come to life and were apparently discharging live rounds. Quickly panning towards their target, Dove felt a chill run down his back as the rounds flew towards a friendly warship in the air.
As if things couldn't get more horrific, the warship that had come under fire exploded in a fiery blaze as its burning hulk descended into the ocean.
"Fucking hell!" Dove yelled out in shock as the blast was visible all the way from the base. The blazing wreck of the ship illuminated the sky with its orange hues as the once proud warship crashed into the ocean with an ear wrenching noise.
To make matters worse, loud shrieks filled the air as objects suddenly dotted the sky of Vale. Atlesian warships jumping directly into Vale airspace at increasing numbers, taking everyone by surprise and raining down their own fire of hell on anything that posed a threat to them. But the one thing that shook everyone to their core was the appearance of a gigantic warship that dwarfed every other ship in the vicinity.
"What the fuck is that…" Sky stared in awe as he titled his head back to gleam at the giant fortress.
"Hell Sergeant…...that is the embodiment of Hell itself…." Dove mumbled in awe.
-20 minutes prior-
"Come on Arc, we're going to be late to the ceremony." Velvet urged him as she walked ahead of him.
"We still have to wait for the Admiral anyway. He'll be delivering his speech as usual." Jaune said while passing through a scanner.
"You mean his flowered and carefully peppered talk that fires up the population for about five minutes?" She chuckled lightly while descending the stairs.
"You're lucky he didn't catch you saying that." He smirked.
With a deafening wail, the sounds of powerful jet engines coursing through the air was made apparent as a Raven dropship fired up its thrusters in preparation for its passengers.
"I take it that's our ride?" She pointed.
"Sure is-" Jaune was cut off as the loud hum of engines soared overhead as another warship descended into the parade below.
"Isn't that the Trident?" She asked over the screeching noise.
"Looks like it, and in proud form too." He remarked.
"They're going all out this year, aren't they?" She commented with an observant look.
"It's all about that Propaganda Velvet, anything to please the crowd these days." He shrugged before approaching the door to the drop ship.
With a powerful push, the red lever dropped downwards, and the door slid open to reveal an empty ship save for the pilot. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, the slim figure of Velvet filled his vision briefly as she jumped aboard.
"Thank you " Velvet sang before giving him a smug look.
"Sure," He rolled his eyes before climbing aboard.
Turning around to anticipate the Admiral's arrival, he didn't have to wait long as the man of the hour was fast approaching the aircraft. Extending a helping hand, his offer was kindly declined by the Admiral saying.
"Don't worry Arc, this old goat can still climb."
A short laugh escaped Velvet's mouth towards the Admiral's kind declination towards Jaune's offer.
"Take us away Pilot." The man ordered.
'Aye sir." The man complied sharply.
As the aircraft jerked lightly, its wheels left the ground and the sturdy bird banked away from the rooftops of the VNA headquarters. Cruising over the bay and above the giant crowds the below, it was a sight to behold from up above as almost the entire capital of Vale bore witness to this great event.
"That's a lot of people." Velvet commented in awe.
"You try giving a speech in front of that many people plus national television Lieutenant Scarlatina. I can guarantee it's not enjoyable." The Admiral chuckled.
"With all due respect sir, I think I'll pass." She held a hand up.
"There's an ASG turret." Jaune pointed at the massive gun emplacement. A bulwark against Atlas.
"I wonder how long it'll be before Atlas bites the bullet and invades us. Let's hope our guns make them reconsider otherwise." Admiral Glauca said in a heavy tone.
As the drop ship cruised over the gun, the passengers within paid little attention to the ASG turret as it began turning in their direction. By now the Faunus aboard the craft noticed the odd behaviour and stared in confusion.
"Umm…sir? That ASG gun, it's pointing at us." Velvet said in an alarmed tone while pointing at the behemoth.
"What? What the hell is the ASG tower doing?" The Admiral frowned before whipping out his scroll.
As a chilling feeling shot up Velvet's spine, she feared the worst of what was about to happen next.
"Sir! The gun's about to fire!"
"What?!" Jaune said in disbelief before looking at the turret.
The events that came next was beyond heart pumping as the ASG turret opened up with its powerful single shot meant to tear through a ships hull. Even though the Raven dropship was smaller than a ship, it still posed as a sizable target.
"Evasive manoeuvres!" Jaune barked at the pilot.
Reacting to the alarming order, the Pilot banked the aircraft into a hard turn but was too late. As the deadly shot from the ASG turret whizzed by like a lightning bolt, the shockwave left behind by the round tore through the cockpit and killed the pilot instantly.
Waves of deafening sounds hit the passengers as they were thrown side ways from the brute strength of the shockwave alone.
"Shit!" Jaune muttered as he scrambled back up amidst the chaos.
"I've got the controls!" Velvet yelled before jumping into the pilot's chair and yanking on the joystick.
"The ASG is opening up on our fleet!" Jaune said in horror as explosions erupted all around them.
"All stations shots fired at the ASG control tower! I say again SHOTS FIRED at the ASG control tower!" The radio operator screamed into the channel.
"Atlas warships!" Velvet yelled while pointing at the large objects outside the cockpit.
"All stations this is not a drill, We are under attack! Divert and Deploy all assets immediately!" Admiral Glauca yelled into his scroll.
Outside amongst the ensuing chaos, the first kill had been claimed followed by a gut-wrenching noise as the warship Tigris tore through a building like it was nothing and crashed into the water in a fiery heap.
Alarms ringing wildly and alert lights flashing like there's no tomorrow, the Faunus girl wrestled with the out of control aircraft as it rapidly descended towards the ground.
"Pull up!" Jaune yelled determinedly as he joined her and yanked on the joystick.
"No joy! I can't control her!"
Defying the will of gravity, the duo managed to bring the aircraft out of its deadly descent but not before another danger presented itself. This time, there was no avoiding it.
"We're coming down, BRACE!" Velvet screamed before the aircraft crashed through a glass roof with a loud bang.
…
Ears deafened into oblivion, the inside of Jaune's head felt like mush as the man struggled to regain his senses. Struggling to catch his breath, he opened his eyes slowly but was greeted with a low blur. Senses coming back together, the high deafening noise in his ears were slowly being drowned out by another horrifying sound.
The high-pitched wails of civilians screaming in fear rocked him to his inner core, it was the most dreaded sound an individual could listen too. Straightening his vision, he felt his stomach tighten as an Atlesian dropship came down into what seemed to be a shopping centre, or what's left of it.
Seeing soldiers disembark in a rapid fashion, his anger and fear grew as they aimed their guns at civilians and gunned them down without mercy. Women, children, men, no matter the age they were all slaughtered without a second thought.
Attempting to stop the massacre happening before him, he was too late as the soldiers noticed him and made it their priority to kill him. Watching them approach with killing intent, he knew he didn't have much time.
"Arc!" A familiar voice called at him.
Looking to his left, Velvet threw him a pistol and he instinctively caught the sidearm. Time slowed down for him as he didn't bother to aim the weapon and pointed it in the general direction of the enemy soldiers.
Finger already on the trigger, he pulled on it to his heart's content and the weapon jerked violently as it discharged round after round.
-BANG!-
-BANG!-
-BANG!-
Firing in conjunction with Velvet, the two made short work of the approaching soldiers and watched as their bodies fell to the floor riddled in small arms fire.
"Let's get out of here!" He nodded at her.
Crawling out from the wrecked aircraft, the duo quickly scrambled towards the fallen soldiers and picked up their rifles. Doing a quick sweep of the surroundings, the screams of civilians up ahead dictated there were many more enemies.
"Arc, what's the situation?!" The authoritative voice of the admiral barked.
"Admiral Glauca, sir! Situation is critical, we have Atlesian troops dropping in and murdering civilians left and right. I don't know what else is happening, we need to move out of this building and contact command." Jaune informed him.
"Understood, I'll contact command and break a path through for us. Just watch my six you two." He nodded at them.
"Yes sir!" They replied in unison.
"Good, then let's greet these icy bastards!" He growled before a liquidate type of metal began forming around him.
The final product of the mysterious substance shrouded the Admiral in a mobile exosuit that allowed him to tank several hits. Brandishing a menacing broadsword, the Admiral made haste with his new abilities and charged forward with his suit.
Using the built-in rocket boosters, the bulky figure moved like a bullet around the battlefield as he dropped right into a squad of armed Atlesian soldiers.
"Take the ones on the balcony, the Admiral will deal with ones on the ground!" Jaune barked before aiming the rifle.
Firing the energy-based weapon, the laser bolts screamed unintelligible noises as it soared through the air. Hitting their targets dead on, the bolts melted through the enemy armour and burnt their flesh resulting in instant death.
As Velvet already gunned down two soldiers, Jaune was well onto his second kill when the enemies up on the balcony had already been taken out before he knew it. Glancing at the Admiral, he finished running a sword through the last man before pulling out the bloodied blade.
"Let's move!" His atlered voice ordered.
Leaping up onto the second floor and charging headlong into the fray, Jaune and Velvet exchanged displeased looks as they had didn't have their suits on with them. Scaling the stairs as fast as they could, the duo appeared outside and bore witness to more chaos.
Enemy aircraft screamed by as they buzzed the area for close air support while dropships came in from all angles, it was made clear that this was a full-scale invasion. The skies were littered with smoke and flames burned excessively as any airborne warships slugged it out with the each other while dealing with the ASG turrets below.
"Atlas is breaking for the tower!" Velvet shouted out.
"They're landing troops everywhere!" Jaune said as he scanned the horizon.
"We need to secure that tower and bring the ASG turret back under our control! That's all that matters now!"
"Gun's aren't going cut it." Velvet said.
"We going to need anti-personnel weapons for this." Jaune remarked.
"I've just gotten word there's a VNA station sitting near the ASG tower, they're dug in an giving the enemy hell. We need to make our way there before the enemy runs them over!" The Admiral instructed the duo.
"Understood sir!" They responded sharply.
"Let's go!" The Admiral cried out before kicking the gate open.
Stepping out into a ravaged street, a dropship just took off from the pier below and more troops began making their way up onto the street. Not wasting another moment, the duo quickly aimed their rifles down onto the soldiers below and unloaded every bit of their magazine.
As the soldiers ducked for cover, those who reacted too late were cut down without mercy by their own weapons. Before the enemy had a chance to return fire, the Admiral dropped down below and cut down the stragglers.
As more enemy fire came from the direction of the ram shackled street, the Admiral made haste and leapt into the air before continuing his onslaught. Vaulting over the stairway, the two Lieutenants dropped their weapons only to pick up new ones again.
Chasing after their Admiral, the duo went up onto the main street and ducked for cover as enemies fired wildly in their direction. Returning fire of their own, their ears rang like there's no tomorrow as the energy bolts sung their hymns through the air.
Deciding to flank the enemies, Jaune stayed low behind the car and made his way towards the other end. Peeking out, he spotted the Admiral drawing the attention of the soldiers and capitalised the moment.
Knowing Velvet would follow his lead anyway, he jumped out of cover and aimed at the nearest enemy. Squeezing the trigger, he gunned down the soldier before jumping to a new target. Repeating the same process, another target fell.
Before they knew it, the street had been cleared and they could press on again. Trailing after the Admiral, they travelled through a different street before trouble came again.
"Dropship!" Velvet yelled before diving to cover.
Doing the same, Jaune dived for the nearest form of cover as the enemy gunship opened fire while offloading troops. Energy bolts whizzing by and pinning them down, there was nothing the duo could do in the meantime but wait it out.
"I'll handle the son of a bitch, clean up the stragglers!" The Admiral growled before jumping towards the dropship like a mad beast.
Tanking all the heavy fire, the energy bolts did little damage other than leave burn marks on the advanced suit. Crashing into the ship, the engines croaked in response as the sudden impact forced the ship downwards.
Ripping the aircraft apart with his bare hands, the Admiral tore through the right wing of the drop ship before coming down with a fiery blast. Engulfing the streets in flames, anybody who stood below the craft were well and truly dead.
Moving up from towards the wreckage, the two Lieutenants watched in awe as the Admiral emerged unscathed from the burning hulk and picked up his sword like it was a normal Tuesday. Their minor victory was short lived as gunfire started up again and more civilians screamed in fear.
Rushing towards cover, the three-man team found themselves in a small courtyard littered with enemies closing in on them.
"I'll draw their fire, take out the ones camping within the buildings." Glauca instructed them over the gunfire before charging into the fray.
"You heard him, let's move!" Jaune said before vaulting over the barrier.
Sprinting like a mad man, the blonde executed a power slide and cowered behind a wall. Seeing the Admiral deal with the enemies on the ground, Jaune aimed high and spotted his first target. Squeezing the trigger, the energy rifle roared as the bolts tore through their target.
Breaking out from cover, he quickly vaulted over a low wall as energy bolts flew in his direction. Ducking inside the building, he made a beeline towards the stairs and swept the interior of the building. Heart racing at an all time high, he kept his cool and focused on the task at hand.
Coming up onto the second floor, an Atlesian soldier hung his gun out the window and blazed away at whatever moved below. Raising his rifle, Jaune pulled the trigger and watched as the man fell out the window with an ear-piercing scream.
Holstering the sturdy rifle, he picked up an abandoned ballistic rifle of Vale origin. Aiming it out the window, he spotted the last remaining target in the building across him. Firing the weapon with deadly precision, the sound alone deafened his ears while the bullets hit their mark.
"On me!" The Admiral barked.
Vaulting through the window, he landed on the ground with a smooth roll and jogged up to his squad. Making their way down the steps, they found themselves near the bay again but another problem steamed headlong towards them.
"That's the Sampson!" Jaune shouted in fear as the ship came hurdling down towards the water.
Watching the behemoth of a ship crash into the ocean, the impact generated enough wave force to push nearby smaller vessels towards them. As the makeshift tsunami hurdled towards them at great speeds, the trio had limited time to react.
"Go right! Go right!" Velvet barked indistinctively as she made a run for the street ahead of them.
Pushing himself to the limits, Jaune ran for all his worth as the tidal wave was about to hit and carried a large yacht as its bearing gift. Running onto the new street, it started in an uphill ascension and proved to defeat the oncoming wave as it came over the walls.
Seeing the sea water run past his boots, his speed was severely reduced as the water level rose to his knees before receding. Making his way up the road, the trio found themselves at an intersection that was dearly abandoned.
Gunfire still audible nearby; the enemy presence was still at large as the screams of civilians were painstakingly audible. Just then a high-pitched wail came from the building in front of them signalling trouble.
"Arc, Scarlatina, get ready to breach!" The Admiral ordered them.
Complying with a silent nod, Jaune pressed against the door as his hand reached for the handle. Slowly opening the door, he was first presented with a light scuffle as an Atlesian soldier knocked a woman to the floor.
Gritting his teeth in anger, he shoved the door open all the way before firing at the soldier in a fit or rage.
"Enemies!"
"I see them!"
"Watch for civilians!" Glauca reminded them.
Pressing forward valiantly, two civilians came around the corner in a screaming fit. Knowing that the enemy was just a little way beyond, Jaune and Velvet crouched low as they spotted three targets in the room below.
Aiming for the one behind the bar, the blonde squeezed the trigger and watched as the bullets made short work of the man. Taking fire in return, he ducked back down and re-joined Velvet. Offering an optimistic smile, the enemy had stopped firing and it was their cue to shoot back.
Peeking out from their cover, they both wore a look of killing intent as they picked their targets and mercilessly gunned them down. Seeing that his target had ducked behind cover and took only a hit, he vaulted over the railing and rushed his opponent.
Rounding the corner, he aimed his rifle at the injured soldier and fired without hesitation. Turning away with a cold look, he wondered if the soldier offered the same loos when he gunned down innocent civilians.
Exiting the café, the trio found themselves amongst another courtyard with dead ends everywhere. Beyond the walls lay the ASG control tower that was no more than a few minutes' walk away. With no obvious path, the team had to improvise.
"This way, I'll help you over the walls." Glauca gestured with his head before boosting himself atop the concrete barrier.
Extending a hand, Velvet kept watch while Jaune was haled up over the barrier. Landing onto a different part of the city, civilians flooded the streets as they tried to escape from a danger invisible to them. More aircraft buzzed over head at dangerously low altitudes.
The danger was made clear however as another Vale warship came crashing down into a part of the city.
"That's the Innova!" Jaune pointed in disbelief, almost defeated to be exact, as he witnessed the ship glide overhead before crashing loudly in another district.
The impact alone generated so much dust clouds that it flooded their entire position and blocked the morning sunlight from passing through. Ears ringing from the deafening crash, Jaune's vision was obscured and his breathing congested from the myriad of foreign substance in the air.
Coughing erratically, the blonde looked around for Velvet who suffered from the same problems. Amongst them, the Admiral stood unscathed as he
"I'll take point." The Admiral said before activating his helmet searchlights.
Following their guide, Jaune and Velvet eyed their surroundings in shock as civilians stumbled through the ashy darkness in a lost state. Some collapsed onto the road and just gave up while others stared blankly as they walked past.
"This way, up the stairs." He pointed.
As the sounds of heavy objects descended rapidly into parts of the area up ahead, it spelled more resistance for the trio.
"Hear that? Sounds like trouble." Velvet informed them.
"I hear it too, eyes up." Jaune replied cautiously.
Hustling through a series of alleyways, the group stumbled onto another courtyard thrown into chaos as fresh enemy troops landed in the form of drop pods.
"Contact! Knights!" Velvet yelled before rushing for cover.
"Flank them!" Glauca said before leaping into fray and unleashing a volatile electric discharge.
Executing a power slide, Jaune braced himself against the walls that over looked the courtyard. Moving atop the area, he spotted two soldiers moving up the stairs in order to flank the Admiral with heavy weaponry.
Denying them the chance, Jaune laid down suppressive fire on them and cut down the two soldiers. Denying any more reinforcements from climbing up the stairs, his gun went dry quickly prompting him to duck back into cover.
Realizing he had no more magazines for the ballistic rifle, he tossed the weapon aside and drew the energy rifle of Atlesian origin. Peeking from his post, he ducked back in as energy bolts chipped away at the barrier shielding him.
Spotting another set of cover, the enemy continued to lay down suppressive fire in his general direction until they ran out of ammunition. Executing a risky roll, he shifted cover and missed the energy bolts by a hair's length.
Acquiring a better look on his enemies, a soldier and two Knights pushed up from the stairs and gunned straight for him. Knowing they were clustered together, he quickly drew a grenade from his pouch and pulled the pin.
Tossing the tiny cylinder of death, the enemy soldier screamed "Grenade!" before audibly diving for cover. As the grenade exploded, Jaune's ears rang an ear deafening sound. Ignoring the effects, he came out from cover and fired at the Knights.
Turning the damaged robots into scrap heap, they fell apart faster than your knockoff brands from the Mistrali market. Vaulting over a stack of boxes, he jumped over another crate and landed a flying kick on the soldiers helmet.
Knocking him to the floor, Jaune drew his pistol and fired three shots into the man's head. Letting his rage get the better of him, he allowed it to happen as a means of payback against the enemy.
Re-joining his squad, Velvet and the Admiral made quick work of the enemies in the courtyard judging from the many piles of scrapped Knights lying about. Pressing on without a word, the ASG tower stood dead ahead and was ripe for the taking.
"Atlantis this is Top Gun, I need you to provide fire support when we launch our counterattack on the ASG tower. How copy?" The Admiral spoke into his comms.
"Solid Copy Admiral, Atlantis is standing by. I must warn you Admiral we are being torn up here especially by that capital ship!" The officer replied on the public channel.
"Top Gun this is Gold team, we are currently entrenched outside the ASG tower and keeping the enemy at bay. Awaiting your orders sir."
"Gold team await my arrival and ready your men for an assault. We need to reclaim that tower if our fleet even so wishes to have a fighting chance."
"Understood sir!"
Stopping before a giant rubble, a stack of burning cars and a ruined building blocked their access route towards the tower.
"Through here!" Velvet gestured as she found an opening.
"I'll get rid of the rubble." The Admiral said before lifting the large piece of wood blocking their access.
"VNA forces! Blue, Blue!" Velvet raised her hands in the air as a friendly soldier approached them.
"Friendlies coming through!" The soldier informed his friends.
"Lieutenant Arc, I want your Ravens in the air ready to provide CAS support for our assault." Glauca waved a finger at him.
"Understood sir!" Jaune nodded before jumping down into the basement turned emergency medical bay for the wounded, "Leviathan this is 1-1."
"Go for Leviathan 1-1." The Officer replied.
"Diaz, I need SCARs 3 airborne for interdiction, call for fire to follow." Jaune requested.
"Copy that Lieutenant, time to target 1 mike."
"Top Gun to Gold, air support is inbound for suppression, once they come in we're taking this hill!"
"Roger Top Gun! Golds are in place!"
Making their way out of the basement and into an explosion made crater, Jaune witnessed the sheer power of the Atlesian navy firsthand as they jotted the air with their sheer number alone. Coupled together with the fact that their mothership lurking not far away posed a menacing threat to all.
Throwing the enemy rifle he scavenged earlier, both Jaune and Velvet helped themselves to a nearby weapons cache and armed themselves with Vale's finest tools of death. Securing a few grenades, he holstered a few magazines to his vest and was ready to assault the ASG tower alongside his fellow warriors.
Joining the Admiral, the armoured man gave a sharp nod before opening his comms channel.
"Atlantis, weapons free!"
"Let's get to the tower – GO, GO, GO!" Jaune signalled.
As the entrenched soldiers burst forth from their positions, the flagship of Admiral Glauca soared overhead in a damaged, but still fighting, state. As the warship revealed her entire starboard side, the myriad of heavy weaponry present on the ship responded in fury as all hell broke loose.
Hammering the grounds of the ASG towers, the enemy soldiers that had dug themselves in comfortably were incinerated in a fiery blaze as the Atlantis unleashed a devastating broadside of her heavy weaponry.
As the flagship did her job, the warship quickly pulled away from the site and returned to the battle above in the heavens as she valiantly bared her fangs to those that threatened her homeland.
Those that survived the deadly barrage showed major resistance as they dug in and opened fire on the assaulting troops. It seems the enemy was determined to hold their ground to the bitter end even if it meant dying bitterly
Heart beating profoundly fast, Jaune felt the adrenaline rush clearer than ever. By normal standards he would've been exhausted, but it was different right now. He needed to press on, he needed to keep fighting. For the sake of his country, for the sake of his people and more importantly, for the sake of those he cared around him.
Charging under a hail of continuous machine gun fire, Jaune executed a power slide and bunched up against a wrecked APC as the Admiral jumped forward into the chaos. Taking the flanking route, Jaune watched every now and then as the Admiral carved path towards the tower with brute force while the marines that followed him handled the stragglers.
Moving around the right side, the bullets kept flying madly in his direction as the enemy gunners sprayed their shots blindly. Stomping across the hot land, the once lush green pastures was now overturned and only dirt and small craters remained.
"Enemy drop pods!" Velvet shouted out loud.
Thanks to Velvet's warning, the friendly troops in the area scattered as the transports crashed down into the ground and deployed additional reinforcements and more Knights.
"Good eye Velvet!" Jaune complimented here while opening fire on a moving grunt.
Making his way up a small incline, he kept low and returned fire whenever he could. Pushing slowly with the friendly soldiers, grenades were tossed wildly at them and exploded nonstop. Ears ringing from the deafening noise, Jaune was determined to press forward.
Rifle jerking in his hand, he scored another kill as the enemy soldier stumbled towards the ground. Spotting a grenade being thrown in his direction, he quickly used his reflexes and caught the explosive. Throwing the bundle of death back, the thing exploded violently in the distance.
"This is 3-1 waiting for your mark!" The pilot buzzed on Jaune's radio.
"On you Arc!" Velvet said over the firing of her gun.
Diving for the nearest cover, Jaune activated his wrist mounted module and brought up a tracking HUD. Displaying the myriad of troops dug in on the hill, he was taken aback at first but resumed focus. Designating all the targets picked up by his scanner, he finalised the input before giving the go signal.
"Targets designated, request for fire!"
"Roger, target acquired, inbound hot!"
Glancing at the enemy troops dug in around their crashed drop ship, the familiar sounds of a Ravens engines filled Jaune's ears as the aircraft hovered close by.
"Shots out, Shots out!" The pilot yelled before unleashing his payload.
Heavy machinegun fire followed by multiple missile salvos, the enemy soldiers that once held the downed dropship were no more a they were mercilessly cleared out by the sheer firepower of the Raven strike craft.
"Good hits 3-1!"
"Copy – shaking bandits out!"
"Keep pushing forward!" The Admiral urged his troops.
"We're moving up Arc!" Velvet said as she ran past him.
"All stations this is battle station Fenrir ready to lend fire support, give us targets over."
"Lieutenant Arc, use that battle station to your advantage!" Glauca uttered to him as he relentlessly tore apart another Atlesian Knight.
"Battle station Fenrir this is Lieutenant Arc, sync to my feed and await my orders for fire support!" He yelled over the constant gunfire.
"Acknowledged Lieutenant, we await further instructions."
Spotting an enemy soldier going for his fallen weapon, Jaune didn't have to think twice as his gun roared to life and cut down the soldier like an animal. Seeing more flee towards the safety of the fortified stairwell leading to the tower, he picked off whatever stragglers he could see with careful precision.
"Enemy transport in the AO!" A marine informed them.
Glancing at the menacing drop ship, it housed multiple Atlesian Knights that, if deployed, would severely hamper their assault and burn precious time. Noticing that the Admiral was occupied with more ground troops, now was the time to put their new support friend to use. To top it off, the continuous fire coming from the aircraft pinned them down.
"Fenrir this is 1-1, requesting fire for support!" Jaune said while designating the target, "Target marked, requesting fire for effect."
"Target marked, shots out, shots out!"
With a deafening shriek buzzing through the air, the sound would forever leave a lasting impression on Jaune as the rounds from the battle station ripped through the drop ship like it was nothing. Exploding into a fiery blaze, the aircraft drifted away before crashing mindlessly into the ground.
"Good hits Fenrir!"
"Copy that."
"This is 3-1 on standby awaiting for your marks sir."
"Roger 3-1!" Jaune acknowledged the pilot before bringing up his targeting HUD. Designating several more troops, he punched in the coordinates and waited for the fireworks, "3-1, targets marked!"
'Solid copy, inbound for gun run."
As another grenade exploded a few metres ahead of him, he poked out of cover and fired at another enemy soldier who had been dazed by the grenade blast. Pushing forward, he made it past more wreckage and towards the outdoor rundown cafeteria.
"Guns, Guns, Guns!" The Raven pilot shouted before firing his weapons.
As the aircraft gunned down the second wave of defensive positions and makeshift structures, the enemy soldiers ditched their positions and made a full retreat towards the last bastion that was the stairwell which accessed the ASG tower.
"Good affect on targets 3-1!" Jaune shouted through the intercom as more explosions erupted around him and bodies were tossed into the air like nothing.
"Form up! The tower is dead ahead, we will break the enemy here and now!" The Admiral roared through the radio.
Meeting up with Velvet at the base of the stairs, she gave a firm nod as to signal him to take point. Complying with the silent order, the blonde carefully scaled the stairs with his rifle raised.
Bearing witness to another kill, an Atlesian Knight kicked a downed allied soldier into the wall and instantly killed the poor fellow.
Seeing another Knight vault over the railings to intercept him, he quickly aimed his rifle at the approaching threat and fired in a flurry of anger. Tearing the robot apart with his remaining bullets, the gun made the distinct -click - sound.
Ripping the empty magazine out, he fished out a fresh one and hastily loaded it into the rifle. Chambering the round in, he noticed the remaining Knight aiming its rifle at him. Deciding to dive for the nearest cover, he stopped mid-way as the robot was gunned down by friendly fire.
"Thanks." He said mid breath towards Velvet.
"You owe me on that one." She winked before dashing forward.
Rolling his eyes, he raced after her and swept the area before stumbling across the enemies last bastion of defence. Immediately diving for cover, the soldiers atop the stairs opened fire from the safety of their mounted guns.
Glass shattering and bullets screaming by, making a whip crack every tenth of a second. Moving down the steps, the blonde crouched low and brought up his targeting HUD. Marking the enemies through the scanner, he imputed the coordinates before radioing the jet.
"3-1 targets marked, request for fire support!"
"Roger that, 3-1 is inbound."
With the roar of its powerful engines, the VTOL jet made another appearance with all weapons drawn. Unleashing a deadly barrage from its twin 30mm cannons followed by rapid thunderous missile strikes, what was left of the stairwell reflected the death dealing arsenal of the Raven fighter jets.
"Good hits 3-1!"
"Copy that, bugging out!"
"Form up and push through the doors, the enemies are on their last legs now!" Admiral Glauca shouted ferociously as he cleared a path through the wreckage.
"This is it Arc, we're almost through!" She told him under her tired breath.
"Don't have to tell me twice!" He said while dashing towards the wall for cover.
As heavy energy fire barrelled through the door, the marines taking point sporadically dived for cover to avoid certain death. Unfortunately, not all were lucky as some were brutally cut down by the intense energy bolts. Their anguish and pained noises only further fuelled the fires around them as their battle brothers were determined to exact their vengeance.
With a pause in the enemy's suppressive fire, the marines broke out of their cover and showed their brutal fury as they leapt and dashed forward with the assistance of their exo suits. Sweeping the battlefield like mad hyenas, they relentlessly cut down whatever enemy was present.
Following the spearheaded assault, a target fell into the blonde's vision and his sights immediately went up. The next second, a burst of bullets escaped the barrel as his gun jerked from the recoil after sending its deathly regards.
The air was heavy with the stench of gunpowder and smoke, its scent etched deep into the heart of every warrior on the battlefield. A constant reminder of their daily lives and the dangers it possessed. But such was the reality of war, and this war was just beginning.
Gunning down another soldier, his senses were off the charts as more soldiers filled his vision. Snapping his sights to the nearest on, he fired again and scored a direct hit. Adjusting his aim, his heart skipped a beat as the soldier he was aiming at already has his rifle aimed.
Seeing his head shatter into pieces, he glanced towards the shooter and found Velvet giving him a friendly nod. Returning the gesture, the duo pressed on behind the rampaging marines before securing the entire courtyard before the main control room.
"Gold team, secure this area and make sure none of those Atlesian bastards make it through! Arc, Scarlatina, on me!" Admiral Glauca ordered sharply.
"Understood Admiral, marines, set up defensive positions!" The squad leader ranted.
Jogging after the Admiral, the duo kept a sharp lookout for any surprise attacks as they breached the building. Seeing that the control room was dead ahead, the group rushed towards the door and prepared for breach.
"On your go Admiral." Jaune nodded at him.
"Time for payback." He growled.
Guns at the ready, the heavily armoured titan gave a mighty kick towards the door that produced an ear-shattering noise for days to come. Surprising the combatants inside, the Admiral charged head first into ones nearest the console to warrant them of any more damage.
Sweeping the sides, Jaune and Velvet fired with deadly accuracy as the swiftly cut down the combatants hanging away from the console. Not five seconds had passed, and the room had been cleared and the ASG tower was now under their control again.
"Arc, get on that console and bring the guns back under our control! I'll handle this slick son of a bitch." The Admiral promptly instructed him.
Hastily diving for the primary console, Jaune's fingers moved as quick as they could as he ordered the system to do a full purge of the virus that had currently over taken. Within minutes the ASG turrets were back under VNA control.
"All stations, this is SCARs 1, ASG turrets are back under our control! I say again, ASG turrets are back under our control!"
"Let's see who you are you nifty piece of shit." Velvet sneered at him while ripping the survivor's id off.
Swiping the card on a nearby reader, the console displayed a variety of personal details on the man.
"Joseph Kahn, engineering department for two years." She read out.
"Atlesian sleeper cell, they've been preparing for this for a long time now." Jaune chipped in.
The shady man let out a small laugh, "That is Commander Kahn to you uncultured swines." He jeered at them, "You are only delaying the inevitable. Your capital city lies in ruins, your air fleet in shambles and your armies are nothing but more than a visible mess! This isn't a war, it's a one-sided massacre and you all will die sooner or later. Our great leader and Admiral will lay waste to each and every one of your cities, big or small. You all will submit! Atlas praveleo!"
"I've had enough of your ramblings, silence!" Admiral Glauca growled before giving a light-hearted punch that knocked the visible teeth out of him.
"Kill me now, I have lived my duties. Death is no disgrace!" He wheezed while uttering a struggled chuckle.
"Very well then." Glauca cocked his head in a ready manner.
Brandishing his broadsword, the Admiral raised the weapon high into the air and prepared to deliver the final blow. For commander Kahn, he merely closed his eyes and wore a satisfied smile, his duties accomplished for the great empire.
With a sharp noise being emitted, the broadsword cleaved through the man's neck and severed it from his body. Blood gushing forth like a mountain, the body rolled over to the floor while the head lay on the ground in a peaceful state.
"Lieutenants, I want you in the air with your Ravens. We need to clear the skies of these infestations and deter them from harming our civilians any longer. Our ground forces are evacuating civilians to the Centurion as we speak. We need to keep the enemy off their backs and push them out of our air space."
"Understood sir!" They replied in unison.
"Nomad to Main, Lieutenant Scarlatina and I need birds." Jaune spoke into his comms.
"Aye sir, 3-1 will escort them to your positions now."
Walking out the front doors, the duo waited patiently as they watched their Ravens swoop in and land comfortably on the roads. Overhead, their mother ship, VNA Leviathan, cruised slowly with visible damage to her port and starboard sides.
"That's our ride." Velvet commented.
Running towards their respective crafts, the specialist pilots boarded their vehicles and strapped themselves in for a wild ride. Flipping the main terminal switch, the onboard computer systems sprung to life as the rest of the aircraft roared to life.
Putting his helmet on, the systems displayed all green across the board and the sequence to take off was initiated. Easing the throttle forward, the plane rocked lightly as it rose in the air and gave Jaune a better view of the damage Atlas had done.
"Look what they did to us Arc." Velvet said, a tinge of great sorrow in her voice.
Buildings were still on fire and chaos ran rampant across every sector of the city. The wreckage of once proud warships now lay in the water or cities as their hulls slowly fell apart. The seeds of destruction had been sowed and it was only just the beginning.
"Let's pay them back then." He determinedly said.
"All stations, this is the Leviathan, we are currently in pursuit of retreating enemy fleet but are losing ground. We need to move to higher altitudes in order to reach them."
"One-two copy, let's go get them."
Without another word being uttered, Jaune disengaged the VTOL mode of the aircraft and plunged the throttle forward. Engaging the afterburners, the aircraft barrelled forward as it broke the sound barrier. Linking up with other fighter squadrons from other warships, the entire VNA pursued the retreating enemy forces.
Climbing rapidly, the altimeter displayed that they were now 30km above sea level which was beyond anything a normal aircraft could achieve.
"All units level out and spread out. Keep the fighters off our ships so they can handle the enemy warships. Once the fighters are done for, go and pick the enemy apart." Jaune spoke into the intercom.
"Incoming fire!" Velvet yelled into the radio.
Jerking the joystick to a hard right, the aircraft banked a hard turn and avoided the deadly auto-cannon fire. As his alarms started blaring, his HUD screamed at him telling him of approaching missiles. Deploying his flares, he pulled away as the projectiles of death exploded for the bait.
"Incoming Raptors, engaging!" A pilot informed them.
"Nomad go for the ones on the left, I'll assist."
"Copy that Widow."
Adjusting his throttle, he banked the aircraft towards the approaching fighters and gunned the engines. Sky rocketing towards the enemy planes, he was met with sporadic laser fire as the combatants attempted to shoot him down.
Replying kindly with his own arsenal, a series of bay doors opened up to reveal a wide range of missiles. Zooming past the fighters, he reduced the throttle and pulled hard on the joystick to execute a tight turn.
Having the rear end of the enemy planes, his targeting module automatically locked onto as many targets as it could. Pressing the release button, a stream of missiles left the launch bay and barrelled towards their designated targets.
Flares littered the skies as enemy pilots engaged their countermeasures desperately. While some managed to ward off the projectiles, others weren't so lucky as their aircraft burst into a fiery blaze.
Trailing a surviving plane, the ace pilot kept a steady hand as his sights lined up with the enemy plane. As the enemy pilot attempted to throw him off course, the two men executed a series of acrobatic manoeuvres through the sky while chaos ensued around them.
As his targeting module gave the green light, his thumb mashed the fire button and a stream of bullets burst forth from his main cannons. Ripping through the fragile body of plane, the entire aircraft burst into flames as it spiralled out of control.
As the slug fest carried out in the skies, the Leviathan charged up her trump card of a weapon in an attempt to lessen the number of enemy war ships in the sky while clearing path towards the mother ship.
Fusion beam charged and ready, a loud ear-piercing shriek filled the skies as the constant energy stream of bright light coming from the warship's bow disintegrated the enemy ship. Rendering the enemy warship null, its remnants plummeted below the clouds, never to be seen again.
Fighting with the ferocity of a thousand bloodthirsty warriors, the more highly advanced, and armoured, warships of the VNA carved a clean path towards the mother ship that stood as an eyesore for the defending party.
Guns firing non-stop and missiles soaring about and battering their targets, the four ships that valiantly remained in service pushed forward with murderous intent.
"All stations focus fire on the mother ship! I want to wipe that stain off the face of this planet!" The Admiral decreed.
"This is Dagwood White to all aircraft, we're on approach together with Dagger squadron to handle to enemy fighters. We'll take it from here boys."
"Copy that Dagwood White. You heard the man, rally up and support our fleet!" Jaune ordered through the radio.
Banking the aircraft into a full turn, the remaining jets that survived the last ditched defence formed up into small pockets as they burned their thrusters towards the giant mother ship.
"More ships on the radar!" A pilot pointed out.
"Seems like we stirred the hornet's nest, what's our approach sir?"
"Move up into defensive formations and get ready to intercept. Go for the weak points on the ships, target the bridge and engines. The faster we clear their defensive screen, the less of a beating our fleet can take." Jaune said.
"All call signs I'm picking up heavy activity from the mother ship. Her main weapons are coming online, advise caution!"
As Jaune tensely gripped the joystick, he could see visibly just how many weapons lined the starboard side of the behemoth. With that much visible firepower there was no hope that any of their ships would survive the barrage let alone get close enough to do any damage.
"Incoming!" Velvet yelled.
"Evasive manoeuvres!" Jaune quickly muttered before banking his aircraft into a hard turn.
As the horizon lit up with a bright light, the sheer firepower of the mother ship alone blanketed the ram shackled fleet. Fires broke out across all ships as the external hulls burned brightly, smoke poured out from various sections as the fleet took a punishing blow.
Battered but not defeated, the navy pressed on, determined to take down the enemy before them. With their hulks set ablaze, their engines only roared louder as the proud ships weathered the incoming fire while returning barrages of their own.
Doing his level best to avoid stray rounds flying in his direction, Jaune kept a steady beat on the gun horizon while moving erratically to increase his odds of survival. Seeing the other planes do the same, it wasn't long now before they were within striking distance.
"Leviathan use your fusion beam to take out those guns and make it quick!" The Admiral squabbled over the sporadic gunfire.
"Weapons hot!" The gunner informed over the channel.
Emitting a bright flash, the high energy laser shot out from the bow and impacted the mother ship visibly. Swinging the deadly beam in an arc, the shot carved out the entire deck it aimed for. Dealing a significant blow to the enemy, it boosted the morale of everyone.
"Critical hit on the enemy!" The gunner cheered over the channel.
"It's not over yet, let's drive the knife deeper!" Captain Fletcher said.
"All stations, dangerous activity detected. Major fluctuations appearing on the scanners, its coming from the mother ship!"
"God damn how many trick cards do these bastards possess!?" The Admiral asked in a frustrated manner.
"I'm detecting a large sum of energy building up on the starboard, could be a super weapon of sorts?" The operator said in an unsure tone.
"Eyes up, get ready for another round." Velvet instructed the squad.
"All stations emergency evasion, I say again all units emergency evasions. The enemy is about to unleash an EMP attack!" The Operator yelled into the channels
"What?! With their fleet still in the AO?" The Admiral said in a dumbstruck manner
"I don't think they care about the fleet; blast wave is enough to hit the capital city and knock down all electronics for the next few hours." Captain Ferran butted in.
"Damn it! All stations you heard the man, get the hell out of the AO!"
"There's not enough time, they're firing!" Captain Fletcher pointed out.
"Everyone start climbing!" Jaune barked before yanking his joystick upwards.
Pushing the throttle to the limit, he flipped the afterburner switch and felt his entire body sink into his chair. Climbing rapidly, the aircraft rattled and groaned as it was pushed to its limits.
"Brace!" An officer audibly yelled over the open channel.
With a loud deafening bang, a bright blue wave of cackling light in the form of a halo ploughed towards the fleet in a large diameter. Nearing the edge of the blast zone, the pilots who began their rapid ascension prayed that they would be spared from the blast.
But it was too late, the diameter of the halo was large enough to encompass the fleet ten times over and the rapid ascension only added the extra distance when everyone began descending into the water. It was over, the entire fleet had been taken out in one single stroke.
As the electromagnetic pulse washed over the aircraft, the entire electronics shorted out and mildly shocked Jaune. With little control over their aircrafts, the tiny birds began descending rapidly together with their ships.
"Can anyone read me?!" Jaune spoke into the radio but to no avail.
Hearing his aircraft creak and groan, the eerie silence didn't help his situation as he wrestled for control over the aircraft without power controls. Feeling the weight of the plane shift, he was glad that he could at least make it out alive if he was careful.
-BOOM!-
A giant fireball erupted a couple hundred metre away from him as the Raven aircraft plummeted onto the deck of the Atlantis. The Pilot was nowhere to be seen so it was safe to assume not everyone was lucky during the fallout.
"Shit!" Jaune muttered to himself.
Panning around, he felt at ease for awhile as majority of the flight group stuck to their training and flew idle without power. But the calm didn't last long as the sounds of multiple guns firing pierced the ever-silent air.
Falling with grace, the capital ships in the fleet were battered once more but this time without any shields to protect them or the ability to return fire.
"Mccallum, status?!" Captain Fletcher asked in an anxious state as his ship kept rapidly descending.
"Hang on, emergency reactors are coming on….now!" She triumphantly said before flipping the large lever.
With a defiant roar, the engines of the Tide Mother came to life once again and the ship began straightening herself out. The rest of the fleet began doing the same as their emergency engines came online.
"Damage report?" The Captain asked.
'Multiple hull and fire breaches on the bow, and upper decks. Shields are completely offline and the weapons are not responding. EMP has knocked out everything." Lieutenant Diaz reported
"Get up short range communications with our fleet, we need a new plan and fast." Captain Fletcher snapped.
"Sir, I'm detecting unstable readings from the backup reactors. The EMP has probably fried the regulators and its charging the reactors up!" Lieutenant Commander Mccallum reported with a hint of dread in her voice, "We're being forced to jump sir, I can't shut down the reactors in time." Her face filled with fear as the entire bridge fell silent.
"You have to be joking…" The Captain stared at her only for the chief engineer to give him a reassuring nod that she wasn't
"Sir, re-established communications with the fleet." An officer informed him.
"Incoming fire!" Another crew member pointed out the window as he began racing towards cover.
"Clear the bridge!" The Captain yelled before the projectile impacted the area.
Outside amongst the chaos, Jaune watched in horror as a direct round from the mother ship impacted the bridge of the Leviathan and tore right through structure before exploding.
"Noooo!" Jaune punched his carapace in a fit of anger as he felt completely helpless.
With a mechanical whirr coursing throughout his aircraft, the emergency systems kicked in and the basic functions were restored. Not a moment too soon, his fingers flipped the ignitions switch and his engines came to life once more.
Gaining full control over his craft, he pushed the throttle and banked hard to avoid the incoming fire. Opening his comm channels at the same time, majority of the fleet were on their last legs as they barked orders through the emergency channels.
"All units, retreat I say again all units retreat!" The Admiral barked over the radio.
"This is the Lieutenant Diaz reporting from the -cough- Leviathan," The officer struggled to get his message across, "Bad news Admiral, the Tide Mother is being forced out of the fight. Our reactors are charging up for an uncoordinated jump and there's no stopping it. I'm sorry Admiral."
With that, it was the last report coming from the Leviathan as her jump drives emitted a piercing wail as a bright blue portal opened in front of her. Within the next second the ship was yanked through with a loud unintelligible noise and was gone from the fight.
"Shit!" Velvet cursed over the channel.
"All aircraft pull out of the AO. That is an immediate order! Relay to all units to fall back to Point Bravo, I say again, fall back to Point Bravo!" The Admiral strictly said.
"But Admiral, we can't simply leave you!" Jaune protested.
"Go Arc! The fleet is not going to make it out of her alive I can tell you that. We're abandoning ship lest if we all wish to fight another day, now go ARC!"
Knowing how stubborn he himself was, Jaune wasn't simply going to leave behind the fleet. But orders were orders, and if he wished to fight another day, he had to go otherwise the entire Atlesian fleet would tear them up.
"All call signs you heard the man, form up and prepare to jump to Point Bravo. We may have lost the fight, but we haven't lost the war yet. No while we're still breathing." He rallied the remaining pilots.
Saving his message as a recording, he detached a small transponder beacon and launched into the fringes of low orbit to transmit the repeated message on an encrypted channel to all available fighting forces until the beacon was destroyed.
As the group formed up into a tight formation, there was a total of twenty aircraft available, a shadow of what they once were when they first rallied up to fight the enemy fleet.
"All units green light to jump, I say again, go to jump!" He ordered while punching in the coordinates.
As a small portal of blue cackling light formed in front of him, his aircraft deployed its special jump drive rails to better coordinate the jump. Seeing the rest of the squadron leave the hostile airspace, he punched the obvious red button and was hurled across the great continent.
"Sir, Ravens have left the AO. What's our next course of action?" The officer asked him as the ship was continuously torn apart from the outside.
"Begin emergency evacuation procedures, I want every sailor and marine off this ship and at the rendezvous point. We are Vale's last hope so let's not disappoint." He nodded towards the man.
"Aye sir." He saluted sharply.
As he issued the abandon ship protocols, alarms began flashing wildly as crews left their stations and hastily made for the hangar bays. The Captain would be last to go and so was the Admiral. Outside, the remaining two ships, Gladiator and Trident, took a sever beating but kept pressing on as their drop ships evacuated the large vessels.
"Admiral, this is Captain Ferran. Most of my crew have been evacuated and are safely on their way. I can't say the same for myself though, there's no more ships left, and the hangar bay just collapsed. Navigation is gone and majority of the bridge isn't responding," There was a light pause in here transmission, as if she was hesitant to say the next part, "I'm stuck on a collision course and there's no stopping. I'm going to ram the enemy sir."
"You will do no such thing Captain! Get out of there now!"
"With all due respect sir, I can't leave. The hallways and decks are ablaze, and I would die the moment I leave the bridge. It seems fate is cruel to us all, so I ask you Admiral, please let me do this."
"Maureen…" The Admiral clenched his fist tightly, a pained sound escaped his mouth.
"It was an honour sir," She proudly said, "Fair winds Admiral, give those Atlesian bastards hell." She remarked before closing the line.
"Ferran!" He called out before rushing towards the window.
All the man could do was watch as the engines of the ship burned brightly as it barrelled forward towards the enemy. Taking the brunt of the enemy fire, the hull of the Trident was torn apart faster than you could imagine but she held strong to the end.
"This is the Gladiator, we're going down! All systems critical, we have no control over the ship! I say again we are going-ARGHH!" The sounds of agonising screams haunted the channels as it was the final words of the crew aboard the proud vessel.
With a deafening explosion and a horrific scene to witness, the Gladiator exploded from within as her reactors overloaded. Releasing a powerful shock wave, powerful force rocked the Atlantis and the crew aboard. The ship buckled and groaned as it was torn apart from the inside out, crying out in pain in its final moments as flames enveloped every last bit of it.
"FUCK!" Glauca punched the metal railing in anger at the loss of another ship.
With that, the man could only turn to watch as the Trident's burning hulk ploughed through the defensive screen of smaller Atlesian warships like a mad bull. After taking such a severe beating the tough gal still held on to the very end.
The bravery of Captain Ferran paid off as the Trident plunged herself deep into the bowels of the mother ship like a knife running deep into its target. In it's final moments the ships reactors went critical and let out a devastating explosion and visibly rocked the mother ship all around.
The damage was severe as it tore a large hole into the midsection of the capital ship but it wasn't enough to bring it down. It seems even a suicide attack wasn't enough to bring down the pride and joy of the Atlesian navy.
"Sir, emergency evacuations are done, we're ready to go sir." The officer informed him as he stared out the bridge nervously as the ship rocked and buckled under the constant hail of fire.
"Admiral we need to leave now! The ship is tearing itself apart and there's nothing more we can do." Another officer butted in.
Turning around to face them, the man wore a solemn look as he silently nodded at them to proceed. Being escorted out of the room, he gave one final glance at the bridge of his flagship before the doors were closed for good.
Leaving on the last drop ship, the bulky aircraft made it out just in time as the hangar bay was engulfed in a fiery explosion since no one contained the rampant blaze spreading throughout the ship like a plague.
Staring at his once proud warship, the Atlantis was nothing but a burning hulk now. Her guns, forever silenced and her engines reserved. Everything began to fall into place, and it was only inevitable until the reactors themselves went critical from the extensive damages.
With a bellowing ear-piercing explosion, the ship buckled and shrieked as it exploded from the inside out. The explosion let out a blinding flash of light that the man had to cover his eyes initially. Presented with a mangled ship, the proud vessel now sat in two as it began aimlessly descending into the jaws of the abyss.
A small tear escaped his left eye as it was truly a painful scene to witness. To consider the place you once called home, where more lasting memories were made and cumulative bonds were formed. The place where everything originally happened, now nothing but a wreck to soon lie at the bottom of the ocean.
"We're sorry Admiral, there wasn't much we could do." The officer said in a heavy tone.
He turned around to face the crew aboard, "Do not blame yourselves people, I blame myself for issuing such a reckless command. We have no fleet left and we're turning tail like a bunch of cowards, the people of Vale see us as their defenders, what good are we to them now?"
The officer simply offered a warm smile, "We'll figure something out Admiral, I'm sure of it. Besides, we may have lost the fight, but not the war. So long as we're still here, we'll keep fighting the enemy, right sir?"
"I like your optimism Lieutenant, keep at it," He nodded at the man, "Let us regroup first, I need to know how many we have lost and how many are left." He grimaced.
If you enjoyed this chapter do leave a review behind containing your thoughts. I will say that there will be errors and I will fix them right away once I go through this again so expect minor fixes here and there. See y'all soon!