Movement Fifteen: Kessel Run
Location: Frontier Command
"Feed them full with lead!" Commandos are busy to fend off JSDF reinforcements swarmed to here. A grenade is launched and impacts behind them, Specter leans on Cylon to shield him from shrapnel and shockwave, then resumes to her medical procedure on him. Adama fires Panzerfaust 3 at a LAV-25, discards empty launcher, then gets another one from Matrix, fire at next target, other commandos are participating their roles with high efficiency, knocking down enemies. Situation seems to be a stalemate, but it won't stay long. JSDF had determined to claim this place, and is tightening up their attack to do so. Two Chinooks escort by two Cobras appear in sight, also multiple IFVs are rolling near. Chinooks begin to descend behind structures afar, where firepower from frontier command cannot reach, to deliver fresh JSDF meats while two gunships is hovering above as protection, once meats are delivered, Cobras will turn upon commandos for initial strike. Suddenly Cobras lose altitude rapidly and prang near Chinooks' landing zone, come on top of them, two transports are hit by missiles of some sort and crashes. A series of violent explosion occurred from far to near, mixed by JSDF soldiers' desperate screams, enemies who siege on frontier command are plunged into confusion, then start to abandon their positions and run like hell. Adama: "Our comrades are coming! They're pulverizing Japs!"
Most JSDF have escaped, but still a lone LAV-25 is continuing its combat. Price establishes an audio link with tank: "Plasma Snake, report your position." Plasma Snake: "1800 meters to turning, then another 700 meter." Price: "Gimme straight distance." "400 meters." "Good, fire at following coordinates." Price loads a High-Definition map to his PDA attached on arm, his fingers quickly jumps on touch screen, finishes calculation of all necessary data in eight seconds: "From your current position to true southeast, turn south for twelve degrees, fire!" A 120mm heavy-duty armor-piecing shell is launched, it quickly roll off carapace, exposes the needle-like core, passes through four warehouses, namely eight walls, leave a series of holes behind, directly flies into ocean. Price: "Missed, reload and wait for correction." Knowing what just happed, LAV-25 starts engine, ready to escape as it keeps firing at commandos. "Four degrees east from previous coordinates, fire!" The second round, tears down all structures on its path, punches into LAV-25 from one and slices through it, opens a hole on the other side, ends up in ocean as well, like firing a bullet to an egg. Sparks spray out from holes, as if someone is playing with fireworks inside, ammunitions in the vehicle is triggered, turret, which occupies one fourth of its total volume, is blasted sky-high, rolling like a dive athlete then hits on ground like a meteorite. Price: "Good kill! Now JSDF is pulling back. All units meet at frontier command prepare for evacuation!" He turns to Matrix: "We're rolling, tell Sylphid and Kirk to resurface."
Deuterium fires his as well as all commandos' last shot in this operation via AS50 outside frontier command's gate, knock a distant, escaping AH-1, also the last JSDF chopper presents in this region out of sky by nailing the pilot from back. Suffer from severe casualties and get demoralized even severer, there's nothing more JSDF can do but retreat for regroup. After concentrates an even larger force, they strikes back, but meet no counterstrikes. Worrying about some sort of intrigue or trap or both, JSDF advances with extra caution, sweeps every structure and corner. What they don't know is this time commandos have no intension to fight, all of them-also Kotonoha Katsura, had aboard on the submarine and already submerged out of Tokyo Harbor with stealth and auto-navigation activated. Inside the compartment, Specter clamps Duke's damaged artery by a couple of hemostatic pincettes, then sew the vessel up by apposite medical machine. Besides them, Longbow fixes broken bones of Ocelot's arm by steel plates and nails, repairs bone and flesh fragments of this arm little by little. "Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please?" Everyone looks at Price, who is holding a specialized radio detonator-and stands aside of a large Full-High-Definition screen. What's on screen is live footage collected by a hidden camera installed in frontier command: JSDF had taken there, but nobody's home, unwilling to admit their defeat, JSDF personnel search that place centimeter by centimeter-still nothing worthy but wreckage of electrical devices. Frustrated, some soldiers kick on wreckage and are promptly stopped by officer: "No body touch nothing! There might be booby traps." As he speaks, Prices pushes detonation button, entire frontier command along with M1A1 and two M2 Bradley are engulfed in "big bang" respectively, vaporizing themselves and anything around, deleting all the traces of commandos' activities. As picture disappears on screen by a flash, Price starts summarization: "Although this operation didn't strictly follow plan, but all objectives achieved, and casualties are contained under acceptable level, so I hereby declare mission accomplished, we're now en route China!" Applause, cheers and whistles fill the atmosphere, Duke and Ocelot, who can't applause, thumbs up by their good arms.
"E…excuse me everyone, I…I have something to say to all of you…" Kotonoha walks to center of compartment, facing all commandos, with her pretty dark-purple eyes full of modesty and emotion: "I…was used to live in solitude all the time, confine myself by being excessively reserved, but also passively and desperately waiting someone to lead me into a bigger world. When someone really walked into my little world, I became over-dependent on them, considered they were all I have, after they betrayed me and left me, I once thought all is lost…" Reaches this point, the girl slightly lowers her head, seems to be a sentiment about her harsh time or repenting her past, at a blink she raises her had, with full steadfastness in her eyes: "Now I understand, in this world everyone is connect and influent each other, nobody can be secluded, it's wrong to place all burdens and mistakes on my own shoulders, because so many people are worrying about me, if I continue to seal myself, torture myself, both of me and them will be hurt." Kotonoha looks directly into commandos's eyes: "I will live on with courage, for those who care me, for those who help me, for those who protect me. So…sorry to everyone, and thank you very much!" She finishes with a deep bow. Atmosphere in compartment once again filled with even more tremendous applause, cheers, whistles and…thumbs up: "Bravo!" "You said it!" "That's our princess!" "Our best wishes to you, your highness!" "The Force is always with you!" etc. Simcity walks to Kotonoha, gently pats her shoulder: "Milady, you had opened the gateway to a brand new world, it's all up to you to take the first step, and to continue move forward." Kotonoha's smile has come back to her: "I know, thank you commander."