Hopefully, you're all happier with this chapter than I am (
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Admiral Kipling stood on dry land for the first time during this operation. The 5th battalion was assembled around his honour guard. Nine hundred soldiers to take on an unknown amount of enemy forces. The first contact was only ten miles inland and could be reached by truck in a short time. The multitude of vehicles rolled past bombed out houses and around scattered corpses.
The Admiral knew that he'd have to send out a unit to identify the dead once this was all over.
"How do you know they were kids?", asked Lieutenant Colonel Reese.
"I know what I saw and they were kids in school uniforms.", Admiral Kipling replied. The Lieutenant Colonel was the Officer Commanding of the 5th battalion. A worthy man with a mean streak to the stars. But he could do his job better than nearly anyone.
As the caravan drove around some debris that had fallen into the road the Admiral refrained from looking at the dead bodies within.
"Why are you so interested in a bunch of kids?", Reese asked.
"Why aren't you?", retorted the Admiral.
"We've wasted enough time, Admiral. Why didn't you just stay on your boat"
"And leave all the fun to you? Never.", The Admiral cynically pointed out.
They had a tense relationship ever since Reese attained the rank of Colonel and thought he was something special.
"Bogey in sight.", came the crackle from the open truck's radio.
Upon cresting a tall hill, the mail portion of the caravan came to a stop. Before them was a sight few have seen and few will ever see. A full frontal attack on an alien spaceship by a contingent of high school aged kids.
The craft had seen better days due to the plethora of black craters that adorned it's surface like unwanted hickeys. Smoke poured from the holes and was beginning to turn the sky a dismal gray.
More intrigueing than the craft was the battle taking place outside. A small force of red armoured alien soldiers was unleashing a hail of booming fire upon the hapless school kids. Dispite the fact that the high schoolers had an obvious advantage in numbers, none seemed to be adept at weapon use.
Fire could be seen being exchanged by both forces but the bodies littering the ground were definately those of the children.
"Dismount! Units 4 and 6 prepare a counterattack to repel the foward forces! DO not enter the craft! Units 5 and 10 secure an escape route for the friendlies! All others dismount and await further orders!", Lieutenant Colonel Reese barked into the truck's intercom.
The soldiers of 5th battalion vaulted over the sides of their respective trucks and took up assigned positions. Units 4 and 6 advanced with caution towards the raging battle ahead while 5 and 10 took a roundabout route to catch the runaway school kids as they retreated.
The remaining units stood at the ready. Prepared for any order they might be given.
Unit 4 crouched themselves behind a pile of rubble that sat in the center of the roadway. This provided ample cover as they unloaded their first round of fire from their L85A2 assault rifles. Some shots ricoched off the craft's hull, but most were accurate and two enemy soldiers dropped to the ground.
"Nice shooting!", barked Reese.
The fire threw the remaining twelve alien soldiers to abandon their persuit of the kids and instead turned on the military forces.
Bolts of pure ochre energy scorched the air and forced many soldiers to take cover behind the nearest object. Reese and Admiral Kipling ducked down into the body of their armoured truck for safety.
Suddenly, the ground shook with a massive explosion as the first enemy rocket collided with a front-line truck, sending shrapnel into the surrounding troops. As the dust cleared it could be seen that at least fifteen soldiers had been injured by the blast.
"All front line troops awaiting orders pull back with the wounded fifty metres!", Reese barked into the intercom.
Admiral Kipling risked his neck to push his head out of the truck to assess the situation.
The waiting soldiers were pouring back to the rear of the caravan with the scores of wounded. Units 4 and 6 still laid down a wave of suppressive fire at the opposing forces. The school kids and units 5 and 10 could not be seen.
Just as he pulled his head back into the cab of the truck another missile streaked overhead, missing the caravan by mere metres.
"Sir, we have the kids. Many wounded. Some casualties. Returning back.", cracked the intercom over the din of combat.
Reese smirked but the Admiral smiled wider.
'Finally, some success.", he thought.
The radio spoke again.
"Sergeant Jones. Unit 4. Enemy has retreated into the craft. At best count, ten remaining. No serious injuries to report. Over"
"Ok. Form up at the front. I need Special Forces armed and ready to board the craft! Make it quick while they're still hurtin'!", Reese informed the battalion via radio.
"Hope we're not too late.", Admiral Kipling intoned darkly.
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"Why isn't the auxiliary power up yet!?". screamed Captain Remlin.
"My men are working on it! Some parts were damaged.", answered Chief Engineer Marco.
'Damn it all', thought the Captain. Suddenly pinpoints of lights shone through the darkness. The emergency lights. The Captain trudged through the slightly illuminated hold to the main embarking bay. The main lift had been dropped. The marines had already gone to eliminate the children, as per the Captain's orders.
"Sergeant, are the prisoners still in their cells?", the Captain asked a maroon suited man nearby.
"Yes, Sir. So far so good.", saluted the soldier.
"Excellent.", said the captain as he sped his way back to the command deck to observe the battle outside.
The marines, armed with high powered laser rifles and a few men with rocket launchers, were taking a toll on the high school forces. A few members of the thirty man squad had fallen, but many more children had fallen dead or injured. The 'Children's Crusade' had been beaten into a full retreat.
"Sir! Advancing forces spotted to the west!", one of his adjundants shouted.
"How many?", asked the captain.
"Looks to be at least a thousand military forces, Sir.", the man answered.
The Captain paused for a moment in thought.
"Get the marines inside. I want that power back online in five minutes and everyone prepare for an ambush. We'll catch 'em as they approach."
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Kimura led the charge with a yelp. The myriad of others followed quickly behind him, weapons raised. Upon bursting through a copse of trees they were met with lancing fire from a squad of maroon soldiers stationed just outside the alien craft. This caused many in the front row to drop, dead or wounded. The remainder took up hiding behind the sparse growth of trees in order to return fire upon the troopers.
Kimura had been hit, but not badly. He still had the energy to limp back behind cover. Other students were not so lucky. Namely, Kagura whose skull was shattered by a close range laser blast. Her body lay unmoving next to a few of her classmates.
"Dammit!", one boy gritted his teeth as he emptied his double barreled shotgun into the squad of troopers, downing three of them. Their bodies torn by the hail of shrapnel. Kaorin hid behind and tree and weeped. She couldn't bring herself to fire her weapons. She cried over the carnage. Everywhere she looked she saw someone she knew, wounded or dead.
Her eyes stuck to Sakaki, who gallantly strode between trees. Recovering the injured and laying down a hail of fire when she could from her semi-automatic, Russian-made handgun. Kaorin smiled. She knew all along that Sakaki would keep her promise and lead them to victory.
Then she was hit. Sakaki's right shoulder was struck by a laser bolt with such force that her arm nearly blew out of it's socket. A second blast tore a hole through her skirt and left a bloody crater in her left leg. Slumping to the ground, she fell unceremoniously behind a tree.
Just then that screw that was holding Kaorin's sanity together through this entire experience finally sheared off.
With the poise of a battle-hardened goddess she drew her pistols and unleashed a deadly display of lead at the enemy.
One, two, three fell to her rage. A fourth lost his left eye and fell screaming. A fifth had two fingers torn from him before his chest was pummeled with more bullets.
Kaorin was so drunk on rage that when the first bolt hit her leg, she still stood and continued her fire. Then came a second which nearly broke her right ulna in two. This she felt but a little. The third blast, which struck her square in the sternum knocked her flat. Her valourous stand had ended and so had the resolve of the remaining teens.
They quickly beat a retreat just as the assembled NATO forces arrived on the scene.
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"So, they actually pulled the military together, eh?", asked Lord General Kimril of his aide.
"Yes, Sir. Forces from around the planet are converging on the islands"
"How are our forces doing? I assume well.", Kimril swirled his finger over his ebony carved desk.
"Um...In terms of the main city...we're in danger of losing it"
"...And why is that, pray tell?", asked the General in his soft tones. The yellow iris of his bionic eye clicked insidiously.
"Currently the majority of the army is meeting resistance in the north. A small force was left in charge of the major city due to the population being nearly non-existant at this point, Sir"
"Who gave this order to keep the troops in the north, may I ask?", the General implored.
"Y..your brother, Sir"
The General stood up adn straightened his graying hair.
"He is of now relieved of his position as commander of this campaign. I shall personally take his place. Prepare my shuttle for planetfall"
"B..but, Sir"
"I want five thousand troopers under my command. And I want them ready in as little time as possible", the General commanded as he marched towards the sliding door of his personal office.
"Sir...if you'll excuse me..but..your brother will not be so easily dissuaded"
"He will be when I relieve him of his position permenantly.", the General smirked as the door slid open with a creak.
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Almost to the final epic conclusion!
(Don't miss my next installment of Azumanga fics. "Azumanga Epica" coming soon!)