And here we are! Back again with a fresh chapter. Of course, I do not own GATE or its characters.
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The Janus Campaign
Chapter 27: No Need For Dragons!
The next morning came all too soon as, after a quick breakfast of MREs, the scouting party again met with the Elders and several of the tribe's remaining warriors.
"We trust you rested well?" Elder Bram inquired.
"Yes, thank you," Taylor answered as Lelei translated.
"Now, what do you intend to do?" Elder Drah asked without further preamble.
"As we've said, our mission is to gather information. For instance, we were told that you have someone who knows where this thing lairs?"
"Yes," Kurow replied. "I will be glad to show you."
"How far?" Itami asked.
"About three days walk to Mount Tybe," the elf replied. "I was looking for sulfur to fume our fruit."
"Sulfur?" Taylor questioned as this seemed like a bad idea in so many ways.
"It's a way to preserve fruit," Lelei told him.
"Unfortunately, if it isn't done right, too much gets into the fruit and creates sulfuric acid," Mari Kurokawa noted. "Thankfully we use much safer means today in our world but in the late nineteenth century, it was quite common."
"Right. I better make a note of that. So, uh… yay for chemical preservatives, I guess?" He looked back to Kurow. "Anyway, you went to the volcano…"
"And I entered a cave on the side of the mountain. It exited out onto a ledge. That is where I saw it resting. As soon as I realized, I left as fast as I could."
"Good thinking," Itami noted.
"Our ten best warriors will accompany you there," Elder Bram noted.
Yao nodded. "Some you met yesterday but today allow me to introduce our finest warriors," She gestured to the group assembled and named them from left to right: "These are Met, Kurow, and Ban." These were clearly the most experienced warriors. Following them were "Fen and Nokk,"
"A deep pleasure," Fen said, taking Kurokawa's hand, placing a kiss on it, causing Mari to blush noticeably.
"Komu is our youngest."
"Hey!" the youngster greeted eagerly
"How old?" Itami asked.
"One hundred and fifty-four."
"Seriously?"
"I may be young but I can hold my own!" Komu hated being reminded of how junior he was to everyone else. He'd worked hard and he certainly didn't want to be teased in front of Locke. If the Great Goddess Herself descended to stand among them, Komu knew she would look like Locke.
"And here we have my sister Yan, Seymy, and you know Nayu and myself."
"A pleasure to meet you all," Itami greeted them.
"Alright," Taylor nodded. "I'll radio base and advise them of our plans,"
"One thing," Itami noted. "With the rest of the Panzerfausts gone, we're kinda scant on weapons if we run into that thing."
"We still have the M107 and the TOW launcher on the ECV survived. It's bulky but we can break it down and take it with us. I've got an M320 grenade launcher I can attach to my carbine and 40mm rounds including Pike missiles. You take the M320. I'll have the M107…"
"You will teach me to use that, my lord. I will carry it," Aurelia stated flatly.
As much as he hated it and wanted to object to this 'mutiny', Taylor considered that she might have a point. She could carry and handle it with ease." Alright."
Locke would carry the main radio unit and Komu would carry the spare battery. Yao would carry Itami's rifle. In the meantime, the TOW launcher was broken down for carrying. Finally, with Kurow in the lead, the group set off for Mount Tybe.
The first day's march was quiet and Kurow was able to find a spot near a small stream with plenty of ground cover. They set up the TOW launcher pointed in the general direction of Mount Tybe, the most likely threat vector.
After dinner, Itami quietly pulled Taylor aside.
"You seem pretty anxious for us to find that thing. Gotten tired of living? Rory could take care of that much simpler you know."
"You think I've got some sort of death wish?" Taylor chuckled without humor. "No. I'm terrified of that thing! But what am I supposed to do? Tell Hazama 'No thanks' when he sends us out here? So I put on a face and pretend I don't want to get the hell out of here. This is a job that needs doing and I can't ask anyone to go anywhere I wouldn't, so I pretend I'm a brave soldier when I'm neither." Taylor pointed a finger at Itami. "You put on a face too. You pretend you're a slacker, a salary thief… But you've put in the work. You're the guy who ought to be running this mission, not me."
"Yeah," Itami waved him off. "But I don't want to."
"Why? You put in the training and work… And that's it, isn't it?"
"What?"
"In your own way, you're as scared as I am. You don't want to be responsible…. Worse than that, you don't want anyone depending on you. But you know they will anyway so you train and then you pray you won't get noticed or that they'll see the fool."
Itami looked to where Lelei was talking at length to Yao. "It's a curse to have someone depending on you. You fail, then you have to bear their tragedy. It's not fair. Not to them, nor to yourself. It's better if they don't."
"Besides," He smiled. "I love my hobby. All this soldier stuff pays for it but really gets in the way sometimes."
"I love anime too you know. Just I have better taste!"
"Says you! Mei Company is awesome!"
"Meh… You've got no appreciation of the classics."
"Whatever," Itami dismissed. "So, when we get to Mount Tybe, what did you have in mind?"
"I had in mind asking the lazy ground pounder what to do... If he's up to it."
"I'll think of something," Itami promised.
"Good. You know, after this, I'll never be able to watch a Godzilla movie the same way again. It gives me an appreciation for those poor guys in the little wind-up tanks."
"You sound like Kuwahara," Itami shook his head.
"What can I say, he knows his stuff. Anyway, I'll take the first watch tonight. Get some rest, I'll wake you in four hours," Taylor told him.
"Right then," Itami nodded and went to find a spot to lay down, leaving Taylor to look up into a night sky brighter than his world had known for two hundred years.
Overhead, the bright crescent of Janus's main moon, Eunomia shone down and Taylor could just make out the second moon, Irene just a little above the horizon. The third moon, Dicé, a tiny orb a mere three hundred and eighty miles across, would not be over the horizon for another hour or so. As he watched the sky, Aurelia came over.
"You should be resting," Taylor told her.
"Where My Lord and Love is, That is where I should be," Aurelia said simply and joined him in looking up at the sky. "The three sisters will be in full soon." she smiled. According to her mother, the night of the sisters was seen as especially blessed in the old faith and that Aurelia and her sisters, Rhoda and Argenta had been born on such a night. Her father claimed not to believe the ancient Bunny traditions, saying that 'Twelve petty meddling gods were quite enough' but she had caught him paying respects at her mother's altar a time or two. 'It couldn't hurt', he had said simply. Tonight, she felt there was more than some truth to it.
"Lady Panache is right," she said. "You have no need to prove your courage. You told Lord Itami that you were neither brave nor a soldier. What braver thing can one do than that which he is afraid of?"
"Listening in?"
"My Lord, with these ears, you are fortunate you don't murmur in your sleep." She smirked.
Taylor had to laugh at that. "Point taken."
As everyone else slept, the two sat together watching the ancient sky.
The journey resumed the following morning and over the next two days, the group made its way to within a mile of Mount Tybe. During this time, Aurelia and Yao received instruction in the handling of firearms when the party was camped. This was a contingency in case things went completely sideways and hopefully would not be needed For her part, Nayu asked everything thing she could about the world the 'Green Men' came from. Most of the warriors were similarly curious but for Nayu, it was like a part of her blood calling her.
Now, setting up camp only such a short distance, Taylor and Itami discussed their plans with the group.
"We'll stay here in concealment for now. We need to try and get a feel for when the dragon is home. When we see it, we use the radio to report what direction it's flying, when it comes back and if it returns from the same direction it departed in.."
Itami nodded. "Once we're confident enough to believe it won't just circle back, Kurow and I will investigate the cave he entered when he found the dragon sleeping. While we're there, I will place a homing beacon." He showed everyone a small electronic device.
"What does it do?" Nayu asked.
"It's like a call for a very large bird," Taylor smirked.
"I've never heard of a bird powerful enough to kill a dragon, let alone this dragon," Ban said.
"Princess Pina called them the 'Iron Pegasi'," Lelei told them, as interested as the elves to see the dragon destroyed.
"Get in, get out as quick as you can," Taylor reiterated. We'll have the TOW on standby and of course, Rory to run interference if necessary."
"So?" Itami asked Taylor. "Any idea what General Hazama has in mind?"
"Need to know and apparently we don't need to know."
"Great. We're the guys out here and we don't need to know," Itami sighed.
"I'm sure they'll tell us when it's all over."
Alnus
In the days since Taylor and Itami had left, Aenaire stayed with Tuka. It was good to see Tuka again. It was a happy reminder of simpler days. But at the same time, Aenaire could not help but think of Tuka's father. While none would have dreamt of speaking of it to Tuka, Hodor had a wandering eye, much as Galador's father Faen had. The two men were known for going on months-long journeys to 'trade' and explore the countryside' and this continued for years until shortly after Galador turned twenty and Aenaire's husband simply had not come back. Hodor, at least, never abandoned Tuka. For whatever faults he may have had, Aenaire granted that he was devoted to Tuka.
At any rate, it would do no good to discuss Hodor's rumored indiscretions with Tuka but it did make Aenaire wonder if he had fathered any other children. Or had Faen? And did Faen yet still live? Surely if he still breathed, she would deny him.
At present, she put those thoughts aside. She smiled at Tuka as she listened to Tuka describe the wonders that she had seen in Tokyo.
"Such things! Perhaps Taylor will take us to see this 'Skytree Tower for ourselves! He and Itami will be back in a few days after all." She leaned forward. 'So? When are you going to tell Itami how you feel?"
Tuka blushed. "I'm not sure if he really feels the same way."
"Or is it that you're just a little intimidated by the Apostle? She certainly has her eyes set on him. So does young Lelei for that matter."
Tuka's eyes went wide as she considered this new threat. Aenaire laughed.
"First you must decide whether your positions are necessarily at odds or whether you have a common purpose."
"Like you and Taylor?"
"Precisely. "
"Maybe… But what would father think?"
Aenaire paused, thinking about how to reply. "Don't you think he would tell you to follow your heart? I'm certain your father would understand that."
Tuka brightened. "You're right! I love Itami! Father will understand!"
Near Mount Tybe
Itami sneezed.
"Someone must be talking about you," Kurokawa noted as another day of observation wore on.
"Hmmm?" Rory inquired with a tilt of her head. Lelei also looked up with interest. Even Yao had a curious expression.
"It's an old superstition," Mari noted. "That when you sneeze, it means someone has been talking about you. I can't imagine who that might be though," Kurokawa indulged in the opportunity to tease Itami.
"I think we know," Taylor smirked.
Itami squirmed uncomfortably. "So? Um… Today seems to be going just like yesterday and the day before it. I think Kurow and I can scout the cave in the morning if everything stays constant."
"Right. You just remember not to hang around one second more than absolutely necessary."
"Yeah, yeah. You know, I think I'm older than you are."
"Older but not necessarily wiser," Taylor smirked.
"Ha."
"Anyway, Starbase seems to be especially interested in any behavioral changes observed today."
"They've already initiated .whatever it is they are planning," Itami concluded.
"Safe Bet. They probably want to make sure they can surprise that thing. They only get one first shot after all."
"Yeah. They mess that up, we're in real trouble," Itami replied.
"Well, let's hope not. I kinda have plans."
"So do I," Itami answered. "And they start with not being killed by a dragon."
At this time, a haughty laugh cut through the air behind them. "Then I suggest you run now mortal."
"Giselle!" Rory exclaimed.
"Surprised to see me, sister? You're supposed to become My Queen's wife. Yet, you so casually touch the skin of those dirty humans and also let them touch you. Don't you think that's unbecoming?
"I will never marry Hardy!" Rory answered with all conviction.
"And yet, for some reason, you wait here so close to My Queen's domain. You really are a tease."
"Um…" Itami began. "Who are you?" Taylor groaned. Just as with Rory, Lady Octavia had mentioned the name, Giselle. The blue-skinned Draconian confirmed this promptly.
"I am Giselle! Apostle of Hardy And my Queen has directed me to bring Sister Rory." She advanced menacingly with her weapon at the ready.
"Go back home, Giselle. As you can see, we're busy. Of course," Rory said pointing her own weapon. "If you really want to fight me, I will oblige you and grant you the defeat you deserve."
Giselle laughed. "Normally, I would agree with you. That's why I brought my new pets." She raised her scythe and two large dragons landed behind her."
"Newborn dragons!" Yao exclaimed in alarm, realizing where they must have come from.
"I had to wake the Ancient Flame Dragon to make it bear eggs so I could tame them," Giselle said more impressed with her own exertions and ingenuity than concerned over any wider consequence of her actions. "With them by my side, we're stronger than you sis."
"YOU woke the Flame Dragon?" Yao demanded even as the other warriors of her tribe looked on.
Lelei nodded. "It would seem so." An undercurrent of anger suppressed beneath those words as she thought about the lives taken by the creature."
"Why did you do this to our tribe?" Yao exclaimed. "We, who have been always sincere in our thanks and prayers to Hardy! Why?"
"The Apostles don't hold any particular compassion for mortals," Rory answered. "Including me,"
"Exactly," Giselle agreed. "Elves and humans have no business butting into our affairs."
Taylor threw a quick look at Itami. "Everyone, stand down," he said carefully, slowly stepping back. "An Apostle against an Apostle is a fair fight. Not our place to get in the way."
"That's right, mortal. Leave and spare your lives this day," Giselle smirked
"Aurelia? Big gun on blue. Lelei check red. Itami… get your Toes moving. Everyone else, back up slowly. We wouldn't want to upset the little ones. That would be bad." He looked to Rory, pulling out a cinq. "We're betting on you. But I'd open it up if I were you"
"Very wise," Rory smirked reading their intent, then looked at Giselle. "Shall we begin?" Rory opened with a rather impressive leap over and behind Giselle. "A bit more room is better."
"Towato! Mowto! Get her! Don't go easy on her," Giselle ordered, directing her pets forward at Rory.
As expected, Giselle now completely dismissed the presence of the mortals behind them as being irrelevant. With Aurelia hefting the big Barrett M107 as if it were nothing, Taylor carefully guided her aim. "Careful, aim for where the back of the head meets the neck. Take your time. They don't even care we're here." Aurelia didn't even nod. She simply concentrated on her target. She squeezed the trigger and Towato simply dropped like a puppet with its strings cut.
Before it could even register in Giselle's mind that something was seriously wrong, Lelei slammed a blast of energy into the red dragon with as much power as the mage could muster, stunning Mowto, which roared in rage. A moment later, there was a roar as something sped away from Itami, a white blur on trails of fire streaking towards the drake. Had it been a clean hit, the young dragon certainly would have been killed outright. As it was, the missile impacted against the left wing rather than square in the body or head, staggering it and causing it to bellow in pain, the wing badly shredded. Seeing Mowto so badly hurt, Giselle's eyes went wide
"You! How dare you defy a god!". She lunged at Itami, intent on cutting him in half and reaving his soul, only to have her blow parried by Rory while Lelei continued to blast at the wounded dragon, with Locke and Kurokawa joining in with rifle fire.
Ban was the first of the Dark Elves to react to the unfolding scene. "Arrows!" The ten Elven warriors launched a ragged volley at Mowto as Aurelia shifted targets to the now badly injured Mowto, hitting it repeatedly before another blast from Lelei finished it for good.
In the meantime, Rory quickly drove the stunned Giselle into submission. Hardy's Apostle looked at Taylor with disbelief. "You said Apostle versus Apostle was a fair fight!"
"I did. I didn't say I thought Apostle versus Apostle and two dragons was a fair fight."
"Run home now Giselle," Rory told her. "I'm done playing games today." She pointed her Halberd at the Draconian Apostle. "Tell Hardy I'm NOT interested."
Giselle grimaced, knowing she was out of options. "You win today but I WILL be back!" She ran off.
"Shit!" Taylor swore."
"What?" Itami asked. "We did it!"
"Yeah. We killed TWO baby dragons right next to our observation post within a mile of a Giant MOTHER dragon's nest."
"Crap!" Itami realized. "Assuming it comes back the same time as yesterday and the day before, we've got three hours to do something before it comes home."
"Locke! Get on the radio. We need to let the higher-ups know what just happened. The rest of us need to start breaking down our little camp." Taylor looked over at Kurow. "We need to hurry up and move before the big one comes back. We'll move to that one spot you showed us near that lake. The view isn't quite as good but it's sheltered and since we might be waiting a few extra days, we can fish."
"Wasn't one of the other reasons we decided against that spot was because the dragon liked to circle around there in the morning?" Itami noted.
"Yep. But it's our next best choice. Besides, if it is back to circling the lake in the morning, it could be a sign that it is settling back into a normal posture."
"Agreed." Then Itami remembered an old trick for concealing the scent of their sweat. "Somebody get a large bag. Fill it with as much ash from our campfires as possible. When we get to where we're going, everyone needs to rub ash on their skin to cover our sweat"
With a certain urgency to their movements, the group hurried the five miles to the new observation site and set back up with plenty of time to spare before the Ancient Flame Dragon returned. As a matter of precaution, their new location was out of direct sight from the old one. This brought scant comfort as for hours they heard the huge dragon shriek angrily as it flew, searching for something to kill. Everyone simply kept their heads down and waited. Covered head to toe in ash, no one wanted to be alone or to move an inch more than necessary until well into next morning after the beast was seeing flying off, presumably to feed. And until then any conversation was in very hushed tones.
Once 'Mother' had flown off, some wary movement resumed as everyone returned to keeping a lookout. In this atmosphere, some normal conversation resumed.
"It's been eight days since we left Alnus," Taylor noted idly to Aurelia. "My mom is due to fly in from the States. Assuming no one has to try explaining why I'm not there, it's going to be fun."
"I look forward to meeting your mother, My Lord," Aurelia noted. "And I know that Aenaire and Lady Panache are looking forward to it as well. Lady Octavia has also long anticipated that day."
"Well, with all of you looking forward to that, who am I to let a two-hundred and eighty-foot tall dragon get in the way?"
"My lord is most wise."
Finally, after two more days of waiting, Itami and Kurow were ready to scout the cave and place the beacon. While inside the cave, Itami reported the remains of Giselle's dragon eggs, as well as a veritable armory of weapons and armor, none of which had apparently done its owners any avail. They were then instructed to wait for the next morning when an M577 Command vehicle would reach their position. Upon arrival, the pair were surprised to meet a team of United States Air Force RPA pilots with a Marine escort. Captain Willis filled them in.
Taylor glanced back at Rory amused. "MQ-9 Reaper hmm?" The Reaper was currently the largest UCAV or Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle in the US inventory, capable of carrying almost two tons of ordnance.
"That's right Lieutenant. We've actually had our bird in the air for sixteen hours now, waiting for word if our target was reacting to us. A couple of JASDF F4s have been rotating top cover for us just in case."
"But I thought your Predator drones required GPS navigation? No satellites around here," Itami observed.
"That would make it easier but we also have a line of sight system we can use. We can control it by laptop. Completely mobile. But that's another reason why you folks had to wait so long. They wanted to make sure we actually got here, now that we know this thing will attack ground vehicles like what happened with yours."
"Do you have the loadout to kill that thing, Captain?" Taylor asked.
"Four AGM114P Hellfire IIs and a pair of Five-hundred pound GBU-12 laser-guided bombs for good measure? We'll get it."
"Just make that first shot count. Well, since we're in the presence of the Apostle known as Rory The Reaper, Rory? Care to bless these gentlemen in their work? I'll take any edge we can get here."
Rory smirked.
The dragon returned in the late afternoon, settling down for a rest before presumably, it would head off for more hunting in the coming predawn. A couple of hours later, Itami and the others first heard the distinctive hum of a propeller-driven aircraft, a sound no one born on Janus had ever heard before.
Or not necessarily no one… For over a day now and, indeed, for several hours prior to the scouting team's encounter with Giselle, the UCAV had been airborne and gradually nearing the dragon's nest, but in gradual circles, acclimating the Flame Dragon to the presence of this large but apparently non-threatening presence in its vicinity.
Now the lie to this conclusion would be shown as Captain Willis maneuvered his ship into position. His weapons operator, Lieutenant Jansen studied his screen carefully.
Standing several feet away, the scouting party watched as two Five-hundred pound laser-guided bombs detonated. An agonized roar cut the air, announcing the dragon had been hurt but not necessarily fatally so. Half expecting this, the weapons operator waited as the creature started to rise, making an angry, pained challenge to whatever had dared attack it. As Captain Willis brought his craft in, Lieutenant Jansen waited until enough of the smoke cleared, then four Hellfire missiles rippled out into the nest, striking home.
Again the Reaper circled until the smoke cleared.
"Visual on target. That's a confirmed kill."
A/N: I estimate the hatchlings at roughly thirty feet. A corresponding animal would be a T-Rex which is believed to have weighed about 7 tons. Multiply that by 10 cubed or 1.000 for a Mama that is nearly 300 feet tall gives us a 7,000-ton armor plated animal. I'm not saying the two 500 pound bombs might not kill t outright but I'm expecting more of an agonizing wake up call with it sleeping in a curled and semi-protected posture. Once the wounded dragon tries to get up, it exposes the vitals more easily for the armor penetrating Hellfires to finish the job.