Shirogane Archangel 1
Sumika Archangel 2
Kasumi Archangel 3
Sakaki Archangel 4
Meiya Archangel 5
Mikoto Archangel 6
Ayamine Archangel 7
Tamase Archangel 8
—
Nastassja Ivanova
December 20, 2001
Outside Ц-04 Frontline Supply Base
"—Zhar 1 to all Battalion members, cease fire and hold your position." Following their Commander's order, twenty-nine Zhar TSFs moved to the side and off the open field in front of the base.
Nastassja inspected her Su-37 after falling in with the rest of her comrades. The Terminator was operating in optimal condition, both her rifles were full and her motor blades had yet to be used. However, the condition of her TSF didn't please her at all.
Nothing recently had been going well for the short Captain of the Zhar Battalion. First, she and her commander ran into PROMINENCE's Yuuya Bridges along with the Scarlet Twins last month. The trio were escaping from their US and Soviet pursuers. Low on supply, ammunition and fuel with nowhere else to go, the Zhar Battalion found them by accident when they were patrolling the base.
And for a reason that confused everyone including Nastassja herself, their caring commander somehow decided to assist the American kid and his followers. Furthermore, Commander Latrova was providing them with food and shelter while not even reporting the findings.
Nonetheless, her commander was everything to Nastassja and she had no chance in hell of betraying her, especially not after reuniting with her after the Ц-04 Supply Base incident.
"—Komandir, your orders?" Nastassja spoke into her mic, the uneasy sensation in her heart still being a bother.
They didn't attack other forces normally, as in they never open fired first without self-identification. For the proud Zhar Battalion of Russia to sneakily assault an unknown unit was a first even for Nastassja.
Conversely, their act was not reasonless; the unit they engaged was clearly a covert team no doubt sent to silence the American boy and his lady friends, which made it all the more unacceptable in the eyes of her commander.
"—Company A, B and C will advance in and investigate the enemy units. Company D will cover the flanks. Forward Companies, keep your eyes open for the American and the twins, their safety is priority." It was the most logical formation to take. Now that the Battalion declared their hostility through lethal means, they had to eliminate all unfriendlies on sight.
"Da! Komandir!" Altogether, the Zhar pilots responded at once with pride.
Yuuya Bridges, thinking about that man was enough to unsettle Nastassja's mood. It was completely specious for Commander Latrova, her one and only leader to care for that person to such a degree.
Commander Latrova had noticeably changed drastically after their reunion. It was unsurprising that someone betrayed by the very ideology they served would still wish stay away and forget such ethics, yet she did the opposite; Commander Latrova bore no grudge against her country, she still fought for its protection day and night.
That wasn't all, she somehow survived the aftermath of the supply base incident and met up again with the Zhars, so no matter how much she changed over the course of three weeks, Nastassja would not question the difference in someone whose sole existence was already a gift to her.
"Zhar 2, you will stay here with Company D." When Commander Latrova spoke again, her update was highly unwelcomed by the chestnut haired girl.
"Wha— Komandir! I am the leader of Company B! How can I—"
"—Tasha… please stay here… it is dangerous ahead, maybe too much so." With a worrying voice, Commander Latrova repeated her order to Nastassja over a private line.
"…Roger, —Company D, spread out and keep a watch out for hostiles!" Nastassja watched anxiously as Commander Latrova rode her machine first toward the ruins of the supply base, leaving her and trusting her to defend their backs when she confronts the invaders.
Fikatsia Latrova
Ц-04 Frontline Supply Base
The TSF was never meant to be used in stealth situations, Fikatsia understood that perfectly. So she didn't bother to conceal the noises of her two Companies as they make way into the abandoned base.
"—Zhar 15 to Zhar 1. No sign of enemy movements in area D-1, Company C is— curren— ar-ea—" The communication line was suddenly overwhelmed by stagnant noises, leaving the rest of her subordinate's sentence unheard.
"—Zhar 1, negative copy. Repeat your last."
"… —Zhar 15, Company C is moving to area E-3, how copy?"
"Zhar 1 copy that, continue searching." Fikatsia smiled inwardly at her men's slight lack of discipline.
Even if she was demoted to Major, she was still higher ranking than the leader of Company C. However, she didn't find arguing about such issues to be important for the moment, locating Bridges and the twins was much more essential.
Yuuya Bridges, thinking about that man brought great conflict to Fikatsia. She didn't expect to survive during the supply base incident, she didn't imagine she would run into her old unit once again; but her unforeseen encounter with Bridges was the single biggest shock for her after going against the Su-37.
Fikatsia understood exactly how cowardly she was acting, relying on the American surface pilot to fill the void left by her own son. It was almost too natural; Fikatsia pretended to be the mother of Zhar Battalion, she wished to be a caring mother who protects and fights for her children. Yet she clearly found her favourite in Yuuya Bridges, an American who isn't even from her motherland.
"—Zhar 22 to Zhar 1, Su-47 Berkut spotted by area E-8. Awaiting orders." The update from her team pulled Fikatsia out of her daze and back into reality.
"Zhar 1 copy. Hold your position, we're coming to you.—to Company A and B, converge on area E-8, Su-47 spotted. Do not make contact until my orders. Company C will continue searching for hostiles."
Now was not the time to consider her flaws, her Battalion needed a capable leader so she would offer them such a role model. And role models speak with deed, not empty words.
—
"—to the pilot of the Su-47, respond if you hear me. Repeat, to the pilot of the Su-47 Berkut, respond immediately!" Fikatsia along with about fourteen Zhar members surrounded a seemingly empty Su-47, her and Company A hid behind remaining buildings and lasting structures with their weapons at the ready and eyes out for abrupt movements.
The Su-47 was still without any signs of motion, its solid back faced about half a dozen barrels that was pointed towards its cockpit. With two A-97 assault cannons attached to its Mount Pylons, the Zhars were worried over the possibility of the TSF turning hostile and firings its guns.
"Bridges! Yuuya Bridges! Respond if you hear me!" Seeing her first message was ineffective, Fikatsia shouted the name of the supposed pilot of that Berkut. When no reply came for the second time, she started to get anxious at this troubling development.
Fikatsia looked over the screens of her Terminator once more, there were about seven TSF in her immediate vicinity and another seven patrolling the outside of their siege. The remains of the base cut them off from flanking around the Berkut and facing it head-on, so they were forced to only cover about a hundred eighty degrees of the angles this TSF was exposed to.
Following that, they stared at the tail end of the surface fighter for a good minute, Fikatsia gave no order to attack and no order to retreat.
She was uneasy about this entire situation; while her team caught a good look at the now disappeared invaders, they couldn't identify anything other than their models. There were three Type-94s standing on the base when the Zhars opened fire, and now they were detecting nothing in a radius of three kilometres.
Before the timer could tick down to the a hundred seconds since Zhar established visual contact with the Su-47, a little blue bot representing a member of the Zhar Battalion was approaching Fikatsia's location.
A couple of other Zhar members also turned around toward the direction of the incoming Zhar 2. From faraway, the shadow of a Su-37 rapidly moving in between buildings could be observed as it closed the distance between it and the others.
"Zhar 15, Zhar 2 is heading toward your Company. Check her status."
"—" This was the first sign of an unusual occurrence, Fikatsia's call was answered by nothing but static.
She reviewed her map for the combat area, seven dots representing Company C was stationary as Zhar 2 passed them by without stopping. She double-checked with the soldiers around her and reached the same conclusion, Company C was unresponsive during their mission.
"—Zhar 2! Why did you come here!?" Fikatsia shouted at her adjutant when she advanced closer to her than the Zhar members patrolling outside.
How Tasha disobeyed order without as much as a little warning was not making the Major's day any better. That added with the already tense atmosphere of silent subordinates was undoubtedly causing Fikatsia angst.
"—Koman-! —incom —enemy att—"
"Zhar 2! You're cutting off! Speak clearly and…!" It was this time that the shadow over Tasha's machine was finally lifted by the moonlight, and it was not a pretty sight by any standard. Fikatsia was totally speechless when the moment of realization hit, that they were not on the winning side of this battle.
Tasha's Terminator was missing both arms from its shoulders and carrying huge scraps all over its armour. A trail of gasoline and machine oil leaked and painted the path she took to desperately reach Fikatsia's position. The TSF was almost literally running on its last legs, already impressive for such a beat-up machine to have made it this far.
"—KOMANDIR! Enemy attack! They're all—" As abruptly as could be, Tasha's communication line was instantly cut off the next flash.
For one second, Tasha's TSF was still upright before Fikatsia's sensor. The next second following a shrieking scratch of metal, the machine started tilting and tipping forward until it crashed facedown onto the hard earth it used to stand on.
Accompanying the loud thud of Tasha's android was another silhouette that appeared out of thin air at where her frame used to be.
Black. The surface fighter facing Fikatsia was just that one plain colour. Inside the shadow or under the light, it didn't matter; the TSF with a blade extending from its arm sheath stared through the mechanical eyes of Fikatsia's Su-37 and straight into her heart.
This, whatever this robot was; it was a monster, that much was clear from the aura it emitted.
"…All units—" The Zhar leader was going to order her men to shoot the menacing frame, yet her throat ran dry before the next edict could be voiced.
"—OPEN FIRE on the hostile TSF!" In spite of her hesitance, Fikatsia was still responsible for the lives of her soldiers. So even if the table was slammed out of their favour, she was not giving up without a fight.
The rest of Zhar Battalion finally reawakened to the situation, all Su-27s rotated their base and aimed for center mass of the dark TSF. In their long or short years of combat, this day was the first time Zhar Battalion had ever held a number advantage opposing whatever forces they faced.
However, that was also the day when they learned head counts didn't mattered all that much.
"—Fire! Fire! Fire!"
Countless shells soared through the air in a single unbent line as they left the barrel of at least twenty-five rifles. What should have happened was the sight of that lone TSF being tore into shreds by the continuous bullets raining down upon its front, but Fikatsia was somehow not too stunned when that prediction didn't come true.
—
Everything that occurred next was a blur in the eyes of Zhars. That machine, the frame that was one with the dusk performed absolutely impossible maneuverers as it dodged the incoming sheet of metal rounds and vanished from plain sight.
"—All units! Spread out and watch for any movements! IFF is activated! Shoot anything that moves!"
"—Zhar 12! Hostile unit spotted! 3 O'clock! Moving to engag—"
"—Agra, damnit! What was that!? Did that thing jus— uwaa—!" Before a callout could be make, Fikatsia immediately lost connection to a member of Zhar who spotted the enemy fighter. There wasn't even a scream of fear as two blue dots were wiped off her map.
"Zhar 12! Zhar 1 to all units! Retreat from Area D! Pull back, pull back!" Fikatsia heightened her senses as she scanned the scene in front of her, a natural feeling of panic overwhelmed her usual calm emotions.
"—Zhar 9 here! The hostile unit is chasing us!"
A seemingly imperceptible foe pursued half a dozen of TSFs as they were pulling in full reverse, their bullets failed to hamper the advancement of the lone black unit.
"—DAMN it! Why can't we FUCKING HIT it!"
"—how is this fucking possible!? It's not even showing on our radar!"
Using the many ruins in its path as cover, the sole TSF bended itself in middle of Zhar's Company B and rained death for all those it came across.
"—move, move MOVE! He's gaining on us— URga!"
"—it's just not right! Our data link is not showing anythin—"
Fikatsia too realized the fatal tactic applied by their enemy after one of her fallen comrade mentioned it; all of their electric information was nowhere near accurate.
"—NONONO! DON'T COME ANY—"
"—9 O'clock! 9 O'clock! Zhar 10 requesting assistance— ArHHgha!"
It was screech after screech, static after static over the comms of Zhar Battalion. Their members unfortunate enough to be caught by the deadly hands of that frame were either silenced instantaneously or allowed a final scream before their demise.
Being a veteran of war herself, Fikatsia was not unfamiliar to the concept of one-sided engagements and she knew perfectly her team was facing this exact issue. Her soldiers were being slaughtered like lambs while they tried hopelessly to escape, each of the blues dots disappearing off her map meant another victim to their unseen enemy.
It was what Americans would call a total landslide, and even if Fikatsia didn't like the using of that word, she couldn't think of anything else anymore appropriate.
—
"—Komandir! Company B just got wiped! We're down to only seven TSFs!"
"—All units! Full retreat from combat area! Don't engage the hostile—" Despite their already disparaging condition, this enemy seemed to be uninterested in leaving survivors.
That same TSF covered in darkness materialized from nullity right before the seven surviving members. And as if its pilot was simply chopping up diced meat, the machine's extended blade on its arm cleaved through two Su-27s in a flash.
"Incoming! Evasive maneuvers! Hurry!" Fikatsia reacted fast enough to input an order.
One way or another, the distance the Zhar put in between themselves and their adversary was closed once again in the blink of an eye. Still using its Retractable Dagger, the deadly unit stabbed two Su-27s multiple times in secession before disappearing into the night.
"IRINA! You fucking bastard!" One of the surviving Zhar pilots who witnessed the fall of her comrade bolted after their attacker.
"Tonya! Stop! Don't break from the group!"
"Those ASSHOLES! I'll get all of the—" Her line was cut short by a sudden impact all over her frame.
From where no man was paying attention to, the Su-47 they forgot until now make a single move. It lifted the Mount Pylons on its back and fired its two assault cannons without any warning.
"—AGHhga! The Berkut! Why is it shootin—" Before the pilot of the Su-27 to Fikatsia's left could finish her sentence, a hail of bullets shut down her frame forever.
"TONYA!" Another shout echoed a bit in Fikatsia's chamber, the Su-27 of which the yell originated from dashed across the field and headed directly for the Su-47.
"Kayl! Don't rush—" By then, Fikatsia's warning was already too late.
—
As the other remaining TSF of the Zhar Battalion released its Motor Blade in one hand and firing the gun in another. He charged toward the Berkut at top speed, boosting the Jump units as much as possible.
However, the Soviet Third-Gen didn't even bother to turn around or shoot its rifles, alternatively it opted to only dodge the rounds fired by the Su-27 without looking instead. This sign of disrespect was what utterly angered the Zhar pilot to unbearable amount, he threw away the second rifle and ejected his Motor Blade in that arm as well.
As the distance between these two mechanical breasts was shortened to single digits, the Su-27 had both of its arms raised and ready to slay his hated foe. Even by the last second before his Motor Blade would come in contact with the armour of the Berkut, that frame didn't move a joint.
It was the next second, the moment when the chainsaws should have ended that machine; it attacked, it attacked to full effectiveness.
"Huh?" The third generation was gone, it disappeared in the time shorter than a heartbeat.
Obviously, the Zhar pilot didn't even catch the dust left behind by the Su-47 as it leaped into the air with incredible velocity. When its backflip was executed perfectly over the head of the Su-27, the advanced surface fighter decided to pull out its own Motor Blades as well and boost downward in a straight line towards the Second-Gen.
By the time the pilot at long last realized what just took place, the short fight had already concluded. The Berkut sliced off both of his TSF's arms with pinpoint accuracy and brutality before stabbing its legs repeatedly with the Foot-Mounted Blades to ensure its kill.
—
A drop of cold sweat dripped into Fikatsia's eye when another TSF in front of her crashed squarely downwards with its momentum. Even if her sensor told her otherwise, Fikatsia knew she was the last surviving member of the two Companies that chaperoned her.
At this point, Fikatsia was no longer trying to escape her death; she was seeking it. Everything happened so unthinkably fast that she still hadn't full processed the fact that at least two thirds of her Battalion was utterly destroyed under two minutes. It was unimaginable, entirely unimaginable.
For her to fail the age-long duty she entrusted herself in less than five minutes was devastating to the Russian Major. There was a certain hopelessness suffocating her in the cockpit of her worn-out fighter, perhaps it was the despair over her many years of service finally catching up to Fikatsia.
"Is… this over?" Her statement was directed to no one in particular.
Currently, Fikatsia surfaced her Terminator slowly and steadily between the ruins. Even if her defeat was already served in full, there was nothing wrong with bringing one of her enemies down along.
"—you must be the Commander of this unit. Surrender now, for this is the end of the line." A booming translated voice overtook her thoughts as the Zhar leader perceived a machine stepping out of the shadow calmly with a sole sword in its right hand.
The TSF was painted dark purple for reasons Fikatsia didn't know nor did she care, her only thought was fighting and killing the machine must be part of the team which annihilated her Battalion; no matter how impossible her logical part was telling her.
Feeling no words were required from the Major, Zhar 1 dropped her guns and pulled both Motor Blades from their sheath. The android before her was clearly challenging Fikatsia to a duel of blades. At this point, her reason to refuse was long gone anyway.
She activated the booster to maximum power and planned to cut right through that armour before her. Both chainsaws were spinning at an unbelievable rate, casting sparks of metal all over the field. With crazily fast movements, Fikatsia charged forward, determined as can be.
"I see you have no will to yield. Very well, I shall honour that choice and face you as is." The Purple frame took a stance, a swordfight stance that reminded Fikatsia of the nation Japan purely based on its appearance.
So Fikatsia stormed right at the surface fighter, stopping for nothing along the way. The opposing unit was still motionless after it raised its sword in a defensive posture and only waited to meet the Su-37.
Half a minute earlier Fikatsia witnessed the instant defeat of her men, now she was experiencing it herself firsthand.
As she shortened the gap enough for her to strike, Fikatsia jumped off the ground to slash her Motor Blades vertically down. That attack was dodged in a fraction of a second when the violet unit pivoted on its left leg, batted the Terminator's lower chest using the dull edge of its sword with boundless strength and sent her flying all in one smooth motion.
Like those old games with bats and runners the Americans liked so much, her Terminator went sailing from the insane power of the swing.
When Fikatsia's world ultimately stopped trembling following that attack, her unit on the ground was surrounded at gunpoint by three TSFs that she saw sometime in the last five minutes.
"—congratulations, you played yourself. How about you come out now?" It was the voice of a male that she perceived this time around, the mockery was thick in the air when the man spoke down toward the leader of Zhar Battalion.
Fikatsia surveyed around her cockpit for any means left to fight back and found none. The hit she took disabled many of her controls and lucklessly, she was not equipped with a suicide device.
So the only natural choice left for Fikatsia when she was offered a chance at capitulation was simple; she pulled out the pistol by her side swiftly and released its safety without much consideration before pointing the barrel at her temple. If she couldn't go out with her enemies, joining her husband alone was the second best course of action.
"—MAJOR! Maj. LATROVA!" A different voice called out her name when the trigger was half-pulled. It was a distinct voice from whoever defeated her, yet it was a familiar one.
Shirogane Takeru
"—Ahhga! You suck, Sumika!"
"—Mooou! Don't blame me for this! He just ran away when I wasn't watching!" Which was a perfect basis for me to blame her.
I'll admit having Bridges ran out on us was a bit irritating, still, this little diversion of his wouldn't change anything overall in my plan. Either way, I did promise to show him our combat proficiency, and there was nothing like this front row seat.
Sumika caught up a few seconds later and restrained him again when he showed no resistance.
"Ayye! There you go! —HVT 3 secured!"
"I'm not going anywhere." Bridges self-proclaimed after Sumika smiled brightly for locking him down.
"Oh, good for you!" She took a few steps back and focused on piloting since Bridges said nothing afterwards.
"Yuuya! Yuuya, are you okay!?" A third being ran up to where the first two stood and tripped herself once she got close enough to see Bridges' back.
"Ah, be careful, Inia-chan." Sumika kindly caught the little girl before she could knock off her teeth due to her hands being cuffed as well.
Bridges' Russian esper stared at Sumika for a few moments only to say nothing in response. Eventually she just quietly walked besides Bridges who also kept silent.
Our three TSFs; my YF-23, Meiya's Takemikazuchi and… I guess Sumika's hijacked Su-47 stood over the fallen Commander of the Zhar Battalion. To that person's credit, they fought bravely against practically impossible odds and made it entertaining for us to hunt them down.
"—Archangel 1 to Archangel 3. Sitrep, go." However, my team was the only predators this day.
"—Archangel 3. Position, sector gird J-14. Area clear. Zero causalities, zero injuries. Confirmed seven E.K.I.A. Element B awaiting orders." Professional Kasumi was professional, she told me the most important intel without wasted words.
"How was it, Kasumi? Did Tama do well?"
"Yes, she did great."
Yashiro Kasumi
Non-chronological
Outside Ц-04 Frontline Supply Base
"—Element B on site, awaiting orders." Two camouflaged TSFs laid low far, far away from the supply base. The pair cleared couple dozen square metres and took a prone stance.
"—Archangel 1 to Element B. Sector jamming is functioning at full capacity, you are clear to engage. Neutralize all hostiles in your area."
"Element B, understood. —are you ready, Miki-san?" Kasumi saw an energetic nod on her screen.
"—I'm all good, please go ahead, Kasumi-san."
"Scanning threats… done." Kasumi focused on her own task of setting up for shooting.
"Calculating wind speed and velocity… done."
"All preparations complete." That was the signal for Miki to do her own job.
The two sharpshooters were around seven kilometres away from the Squadron of Soviets guarding the outside of ц-04. With her sights locked and rifle loaded, Miki was all prepared to pop some heads from where their enemy wouldn't expect.
"Bipod deployed, weapon is loaded and safety is off. Please paint the first target, Kasumi-san."
Kasumi clicked multiple buttons on her controls as one of the targets was highlighted and located for Miki to see.
"First target is painted, aim for headshot, fire when ready."
There was a bright red outline around a stationary Su-27 on Miki's retina projector. Kasumi's calculation told her she had the perfect condition for sniping; the wind was good, the line of sight was clear and most of all; Miki was calm and steady.
"Do you remember what we talked about the last time we sniped together, Miki-san?" In their final moment before officially beginning an engagement, Kasumi gave one advice to the cat-like sharpshooter.
"Err, yes. This's your favourite quote, Kasumi-san."
"Because I think it's very true."
"It is. —I do not aim with my hand; he who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father—"
Her hand gripped the trigger like the hands of a surgeon, ceased of any unnecessary movements and trembles. The scope on her monitor was deadest on the head of her unfortunate prey.
"I aim with my eyes."
Nonetheless, even more important was her sight. She stared intensely, unblinking, waiting for the right occasion to fire that deadly metal.
"When your gaze has pierced the enemy; so will your bullet."
And then the time was right, Miki shut her eyes for a brief flash before the trigger was pressed with just enough force.
"Shot out." A dim flash of muzzle was seen by nobody on the Russian side as one of their TSFs crashed to the ground with a cracked face after an entire ten seconds of bullet travel time.
"Headshot, confirmed. Target disabled. Painting second target now."
"A-actually, paint all targets, Kasumi-san. I can hit them faster that way." Kasumi glanced a bit at Miki, she knew the sniper was capable, but Kasumi didn't know her limit.
"…Understood, painting all hostiles within line of sight." Even so, Kasumi would never doubt for a second the ability of the loli sharpshooter Miki.
By this time, the Zhar Squadron had perceived their downed team member and searched frantically for the invisible shooter. They spread out and wandered cautiously as they didn't know the angle of the attack. Being noticed meant more difficult shots for Miki, but she was definitely up for a challenge.
"All targets are designated, fire when ready." This time, Miki didn't take so long to aim her gun.
"Shot out."
—
"Abdomen shot, confirmed. Target has fallen down to its side. Headshot is visible. Headshot, aim. Fire when ready."
"Shot out." A specialized EMP 36mm soared through the sky and dented the head of an already injured TSF, finishing it off when all of its electronics were fried.
"Head shot, confirmed. Target disabled, five plus one. Surveying for seventh target." Unfortunately, their last victim was out of sight.
"Negative visual on final target. Do you see it, Miki-san?"
"Ahaaa, no. I can't see the last enemy as well. Urrmm… this is like… kinda bad, right?" Kasumi noticed some hilariously large teardrops slowly forming over Miki's face.
"It's fine, I don't see it anywhere near us. With the jamming from Takeru-san's TSF, it shouldn't know where we are."
"Reallly!? Thank god, Miki is worried about Ayamine-san and Sakaki-san though!"
"Then let's warn everyone."
Ayamine Kei
Ц-04 Frontline Supply Base
"—shhh… let them pass."
"—you don't have to shush me, Ayamine! And I know the mission plan!" Chizuru shouted back at Kei who only shook her head in mock disappointment.
A big group of TSFs surfaced by where Kei and Chizuru hid in total darkness. After a short while, two thirds of that Battalion went further into the settlement and a third stayed behind.
So far, everything went according to Takeru's plan. Kei and Chizuru waited patiently as the Squadron patrolled around their cover, their directive was to standby until Takeru orders them to strike.
"—Archangel 6, check in… Archangel 6, do you hear me?"
"— …Huuuh…? Ah, ahh! This is Archangel 6, I read you! What is it?" Finally, Mikoto's half-asleep face was captured by her camera for the other two to see.
"Yoroi… sleeping much?"
"Aha… ahaha. Sorry, I got tired and fell asleep on accident." Mikoto ran her fingers through her cyan hair as a wakeup call.
"Urrrr, just… don't do that again, okay?"
"Copy."
—
"—Archangel 1 to Flight C, execute in two minutes. Method free, eradicate all hostiles."
"—Flight C copy." Chizuru answered on their secure channel as the representative for their Platoon.
Kei studied her cockpit for the latest update of the battlefield. Chizuru relocated to the opposite side of the base, on the other end of the enemy's patrol pattern.
Mikoto camped up on a tall roof which hadn't collapsed yet, one of the few that remained standing and overlooked where the Zhar Squadron was at.
Finally, herself was within a broken down hanger on the far north side of the base. The position provided her a good killing spot.
"Can you see them from up there, Yoroi?"
"Yep. I just marked all eight units in the area, sending over the data now." And the intel arrived just on time.
"…Damn, with this formation, there's no way we can take all of them on." Kei understood Chizuru's point instantly.
Their enemies were spread too thin for them to catch everyone in a surprise attack, yet they were still close enough to have visual on each other if they opted for stealth takedowns.
"Good method… I can't see one." Chizuru's expression told the same tale, they couldn't see a good way to attack without drawing too much attention.
"…Errrm, I think I got a plan we can use."
"Go ahead, Yoroi. Let's hear it."
"Everyone here should be using infrared sensors, right? Since we're using the same thing. I actually got a signal flare here and it's white too. If we can get them to all look in the middle, I can throw it and blind them for a good twenty seconds!" That plan sounded so ridiculous nobody even said anything in protest.
"Is that… how IR works?" Kei was sceptical to say the least.
"I'm sure!" Mikoto's self-confidence somehow didn't boost the morale of either teammate.
"Leader, what you think?"
"…I mean, we got to take them down anyway, right? Having you ever looked at a flare through infrared personally?" For once, Chizuru actually valued Kei's opinion enough to ask her.
"Nope… I think Yoroi is thinking flashbang."
"Hey! I know what I'm talking about! And I also have been hit by a flashbang too!"
"Wanna just roll with it, Class rep?" Kei and Chizuru shared looks back and forth for a bit until they both agreed to Mikoto's spark of idea.
"Alright, we'll go with that. But how do we get them to all look in one direction?"
"Don't worry, leave that to me." Kei offered her confidence with a plan in mind.
"Ayamine… you sure you got this?"
"I got this." From her looks, Chizuru was deep in thought for a short while.
"Fine, we only got another thirty seconds left so we'll go with that." Letting out a soft smile, Kei was happy for Chizuru's trust in her.
"Ayamine, Yoroi, you two ready?" Asked Chizuru as everyone prepared for their roles.
"Good to go."
"I'm ready too!" The temporary leader nodded after receiving two affirmations. Kei quietly dropped her assault cannon and grabbed her sword.
"We'll execute the plan in five… four… three… two… one! Move, move!"
The next second, Kei took her sword in reverse grip and raised it high over her head. Then like an Olympic javelin player, she hopped two steps forward, used the momentum from a short jump boost and threw the PB-Blade overhead with great strength from her TSF.
The sword sailed above the structures and a couple of Su-27s until it landed in the center of the Zhar Battalion. The metal weapon stuck out of the ground, leaving a heavy dent on its location of touchdown.
The sudden motion and impact was pinned on the radar of all surface fighters surrounding where it landed. As a result, almost every single frame on site focused their outside sensor on the curved object that seemingly came from nowhere.
"Do it now! YOROI!"
Another catapulted object arced across the dark night and beeped as it flew down beside the earlier blade. After a sole high bounce off the ground, this strange round container suddenly exploded in midair, right at the height of most TSFs' sensors.
A blinding flash of white dazed all pilots near the flare, while the rapid change in brightness was already making things difficult to spot, by using infrared visors, all Zhar pilots that saw the makeshift flashbang go off was denied vision for a good twenty seconds.
"Flight C move in!"
Kei leaped out of her cover following Chizuru's order to attack. With two short bursts of her rifle, the first two foes she saw were downed by bullets in their legs and arms without time to react.
Kei dashed forward rapidly and ran into another frame that was affected by their trap, she quickly disposed of it with accurate shots to the dome before boosting forward to find more enemies while they were still blinded.
—
"—huh! Was that it?"
"—that was it. Area cleared"
"— …Fifteen seconds… no fun at all."
It was a doubtlessly anticlimactic ending that greeted Kei after her third disable, because immediately after, she ran into Chizuru who took down two targets on her side with the last one being shot by Mikoto when it rounded the corner.
"That was… way too quick."
"Haha! These guys suck!" After insulting the Zhars, Mikoto hopped down from the rooftop she setup on.
"Huum… well, guess I'll report this then. Wonder how Tak—"
"—urrm… this is Element B to all u-units! All hostiles outside the base has been neutralized expect for a survivor who is heading toward Flight C!" Miki's sudden voice over the comms shocked the three Eishis a little bit.
"—Flight C copy that. Should we engage, Archangel 1?"
"—Negative, let it through. I'll deal with it personally. You three take cover and don't be seen."
"Flight C roger that." Kei, Chizuru and Mikoto only rested while the short skirmish was being finished by Takeru and the others after that.
Shirogane Takeru
Chronological
"—Archangel 1 to Archangel 4, give me a sitrep."
"—Archangel 4. Position is on sector gird D-15. Our area is clear. Zero causalities and zero injuries. We confirmed eight hostiles downed. Flight C is awaiting orders." Class rep gave me a similar rundown of her progress just like Kasumi.
"Archangel 1, all copy. —to all units, those were some excellent plays out there. All hostiles have been neutralized and all their base are belong to us. Element B and Flight C will rendezvous on my location immediately."
My comms was shut off and the microphone on my suit was switched to the loudspeaker after the order was given.
"—hey! Yuuya Bridges! Running out here by yourself, you want me to shoot up this mech right now?!" Turning my attention back to our number one factor, I zoomed my camera in on Bridges who was standing under our feet.
Now we made a straightforward deal; he stays outta my way and in turn, I'll keep the Russians alive. Somehow the kid decided to hop on out and interrupt my victory speech.
"You said you won't hurt her!" Bridges shouted back at me with clear anger displayed over his face. Still, he was sane enough to control his outburst in front of my amazing robot that he wasn't controlling.
"The Zhar leader!? She'll be fine! —if the Commander wants to come out and show herself, we can discuss this like intelligent beings!" I stuck the barrel of my rifle right on top of the TSF's cockpit without stabbing it. My yell also was meant for the ear of the Zhar captain we just took down, whoever the person was.
Following my suggestion, the unit's pilot seat slowly slid out from its chest. Within it laid a female Eishi looking much older than most of my girls, she had a short blond ponytail tied to the back and blue eyes; both classic signs of her Russian origin.
"Who are you people? What unit are you from?" She asked us while calmly raising her hands above her head, apparently the leader wasn't as stupid as her men.
"All classified, lady. Let's hear your name first!" My machine still had its 36 calibre chamber aimed on her body as I demanded information.
"…Major Fikatsia Latrova of 211 Batal'on Zhar."
"Wasn't your unit destroyed in combat?" I inquired the first question that came to mind.
"We… reformed and reactivated." Her answer was enough to satisfy my curiosity so I dropped the topic.
"What is your team doing here?"
"Patrolling the region surrounding Ц-04 Frontline Supply Base." This info came out alarmingly easy.
"You're not lying to me, are you? We used non-lethal rounds so the lives of your men are at stake here!" If the Major was taken aback by either my threat or reveal, she didn't let it show.
"If what you said is true, I have no reason to deceive you, and I am willing to cooperate if you assure my subordinates' safety."
"Fine, there're three bunches of them. The ones you left in the hills, the ones just outside the base and these guys by us. None of them should be dead but they won't be able to leave their cockpits for a while." I generously announced some good news to Major… whatever she said her name was.
"I see… thank you for your compassion."
"Get on your stomach and don't move. —Meiya, take her." Abiding in order, Meiya descended her Type-00 and handcuffed the Zhar Commander. She ran a quick body check and escorted her down to ground level.
I also hopped off from my YF-23 to join the others, Sumika jogged over to greet me which only got her another chop for not watching out the prisoners. I casually walked over to where the crowd gathered, Meiya kept her eyes open for sudden movements with her gun at the ready. The three captives stood quiet as can be without looking distressed by their situation.
"Arrga, this's not the foot I wanted to start off from. Meiya, take off their handcuffs so we can speak normally." Meiya nodded before freeing the three internees we had.
"—Flight C has arrived." The roaring noise of jet engines reached my ears moments before Class rep's announcement.
None of them spoke any words of gratitude towards me for bigheartedly returning their freedom. Of course, I didn't expect any as we still had three newly arrived 36mms pointing down on the ground.
Meiya took an open spot by my right side while Sumika was to my left, I stepped forward with no hostile intent and talked calmly to the group opposite of us.
"You know this man, Major-…?" I pointed at Bridges and asked.
"Latrova, and what is your name?"
"Shirogane Takeru, that's a true name, by the way."
"You're Japanese, yes?" Maj. Latrova was clearly more comfortable commuting with us compared to the two HVTs we caught.
"Yup."
"Then Shirogane, to answer your question; I know 2nd Lt. Bridges from the supply base incident before."
"Maj. Latrova! Why are you…" Bridges spoke up to complaint about something but was waved off by the Major instead.
"—Element B on station." Kasumi's flat voice was heard on my headset, they further increased the circle and guarded the ground troops carefully.
"Then you know his current status?" She nodded slightly at me after I pointed at Bridges again.
"Well, I don't really care about you Russian regulations and stuff so that's fine with me."
"In that case, mind if I ask a question?" I motioned my hands to give her the okay.
"Is your pilot in the Su-47 not going to disembark?" It was quite interesting how that was the first thing in her thoughts.
"Oh, that? That's remote controlled." Her next expression was quite a sight to my eyes.
Maj. Latrova was collected enough to only gasp mildly with an astonished look, yet I could tell exactly how amazed she was by the inaudible words she said to herself. Those outside my line of sight were probably equally awed by the spectacle.
"Yes, an un-manned machine did beat two of your best pilots and yes, it also performed a low angle backflip from standing position."
"How is that possible…!" Maj. Latrova was starting to get somewhat upset by my declaration.
"Sumika, show them."
"Okay!" And immediately after getting consent, the Su-47 activated its boosters and skidded around for a short period. The TSF did a full circle around where we stood before coming to a stop next to Sumika.
"…I can't believe it…" Maj. Latrova proclaimed in shock, her mouth hanged slightly open with a nice expression of disbelieve to boot.
"How's the feels, by the way?"
"Ermm… for some reason, the Berkut is easier to control than other TSFs I can remotely operate. It's kinda like… I'm not the only one piloting it!" I got a remarkable answer from Sumika, she seemed doubtful to the cause behind how this unit moved better than she expected to.
Off to the sides, Bridges appeared visually disturbed by what they observed, however I wasn't too concerned by his behaviour as nothing of interest could arise from his amazement.
"How… is she doing that?" Maj. Latrova finally snapped back, she shot me a dangerous glare which I knew was futile.
"Uhuhu, classified as well. Angry?"
"Hmph, so the United Nations also got some tricks up their sleeves." Her guess of my origin was a hand I had not foreseen, but that didn't even matter in the slightest.
"Heeey, got my sponsors right, nice one!" I clapped for her in mockery.
"The UN is digging their fangs into this mess too, huh. America's property and Soviet's manpower are quite famous, all things considered."
"True, true. We also got works going on in the background, this discussion isn't for here, though." Maj. Latrova snorted at me for revealing basically nothing.
"What do you plan on doing now? Shirogane…"
"I'm a Captain, by the way. Captain of a certain UN Task Force." I offered some more information since Maj. Latrova was acting friendly enough.
"Capt. Shirogane, I don't think you plan on spending your day talking with me alone. What are you going to do?"
"Hhaa…Bridges, I know you don't trust us. But if you wanna live, come with us." Turning my attention to the other male Eishi, everyone else gave us some space to commute in peace.
"Just who exactly are you people…?" I was shot an untrusting glare by the man standing about four metres away.
The little girl behind him clung the back of his flight suit with a Yukon Flight emblem on it. As if to shield the Russian esper from potential danger, Bridges lifted his arms and pushed the girl into his back a bit more.
"Tch, we can't tell you anything unless you agree to cooperate."
"Then we're not going anywhere." I sighed wordlessly at his reluctant to work with me.
"Mou! We're trying to help you two idiots, you know!?" Sumika lashed out at our unhelpful buddies.
"Sumika, don't. Allow Takeru to speak." Meiya cut in and ceased Sumika's unprepared rant.
"—please let me talk with them, Takeru-san." It was Kasumi who suggested a new idea to test out.
"—sure, why not. Archangel 3, disembark and have a go at it."
—
"Inia… I'm sorry for what I said earlier." The first words Kasumi muttered after joining us was an unanticipated apology.
"Then why…?"
"I… really can't remember those days anymore, I'm sorry." Kasumi said with a rare hint of grief, she then lowered her head in a bow towards her twin.
"Trista… it's okay. We both found new memories… to replace the old ones." Taking a brave step out, the Russian girl held Kasumi in a light embrace. It was until half a minute later when the girls finally saw the other's eyes.
"Thank you… Inia."
Even in this age of despair, it was still heart-warming to see two long-lost sisters finally meeting and accepting each other. The tear drop that I noticed on Kasumi's face was the opinion I needed to set my mind in stone about assisting Bridges' team.
"Hurmm… you know what? Guess I should probably tell you who we are, no point holdin—"
"Inia, where is Cryska?"
That one line completely wiped away the sentimental atmosphere we had seconds before. I was a bit disappointed in my lack of brainpower to remember the missing HVT, similar to Meiya and Sumika who also just realized.
"She…"
The aspect of those two Eishis was a different sight altogether. Kasumi's twin hesitantly released her hands and tried her hardest to hold back the tears gathering in her eye socket. Bridges bit his lips with a hidden misery and casted his gaze downwards.
"Is she… I didn't sense her on our way here." Their implied message didn't take an expert to decode.
"Cryska… Cryska is—!"
"The Berkut, Cryska is in the Berkut." Finally, it was Bridges who delivered the answer I sought.
His statement brought Kasumi's sister into a sorrowful weeping. The girl clumsily kneeled down and was only supported by Kasumi's hands.
"Sumika, and you didn't feel anything wrong when piloting it?"
"I remotely controlled it! Also I told you it felt more easier to use than any other TSFs I steered with my ability!" Oblivious Sumika was still oblivious to the end.
"…Shit. Meiya, watch them. I'll go check."
"Understood, be careful."
Temporary leaving the others behind, I roped up into the Su-47's cockpit. This small cabin was actually somewhat larger than a typical Shiranui's, I would say around the same size as my Arondight if not slightly bigger. However, it was until after I saw what laid behind the seat did I understand the reason for all this extra zone.
The cockpit was a two-seater type; well, it should had been one, anyway. What replaced the usual second seat was an unnaturally large container of sorts emitting a faint red light, it fitted almost perfectly in the back exactly with no extra space to shake around.
I climbed on top of the first seat to gain a better look into the pod-like container, it had an air-tight seal lid with four lines of Russian prints on top.
"—Kasumi, sync with my camera. Translate this for me." Since she was the only one I knew who spoke Russian, I asked Kasumi as a matter of course.
"—it says 'Полное Затмение схема. Пятый—"
"In Japanese, genius." She was definitely insulting me using her first language, I just know it.
"It says 'Total Eclipse formula. Fifth objective purpose. Combat control system one. Signature; Martica Barchenowa." The last sentence was a name, almost the right one too.
"…Okay, you did say Japanese this time. But I still got no idea what this is." I scratched my head in confusion as Kasumi went off the mic for a few seconds.
"I'm sorry I can't help you, Inia won't tell me what it means."
"Another Barchenowa, huh? Whatever… be right back."
I one-sidedly concluded my connection with Kasumi because a new feature I didn't notice before caught my attention when I looked further up in the pod. There was a small transparent glass plate above where the words were. Some reflections under the window was bending the light beaming out of the container, an educated guess told me there was water inside.
I searched around and came upon a button on the side panel for draining the water, I knew because this text was coincidentally in English. At first, the pulsating liquid distorted my view of whatever object was kept inside. However, as the fluid slowly trickled down, I finally got a good at the pretty face hidden beneath the cover.
She was a sleeping beauty, a gentle crystal whose time had already passed.
"—to all units… I spotted HVT 1. Checking vitals." While there wasn't much meaning in doing that anymore, it was for the members who weren't sharing my view.
Albeit quite pointless, I placed my two fingers on her wrist, right where the vein was. At this stage, even a monkey would understand how fruitless my actions were. Because the pulseless skin felt by my fingers was the same temperature as the ice-cold snow lying over the ground.
"Update, HVT 1 is compromised. Repeat, Barchenowa is dead."
Takamura Yui
Alaska, Yukon Base, United Nation Army Sector
It was a soundless night for the soldiers of Yukon, the earth was covered by a third white layer of snow as if it was a blanket provided by nature itself. A high moon shined brilliantly above all, its rays glinted and mirrored off the moist ice.
Yui was by her lonesome on the balcony of her room, she couldn't catch any sleep this one night. Her mind drifted between anxiety for her paramount pilot and harmony when remembering back to the promise from an arrogant Captain.
The cold air breathed down her half-naked body as another cloud dropped crystals of glacier from high in the heavens. Even under such harsh conditions, Yui didn't bother to don any clothing thanks to the heater functioning to its full capacity.
She extended her hand and caught a single snowflake that gracefully landed in her warm palm; its elegancy and beauty was only hindered by the freezing sensation it sent through Yui's nerves.
"Yuuya… please take good care of her… for me." Yui smiled, it was a genuine smile she had forgotten for some time. For the first time in two month, Yui's future had a path leading toward a hopeful tomorrow.
Unfortunately, this moment of peace passed on all too quickly. A sudden gust of wind took away the tiny sleet she treasured on her grip, not a sign was left of it after Yui reopened her eyes.
—
Shirogane Archangel 1
Sumika Archangel 2
Kasumi Archangel 3
Sakaki Archangel 4
Meiya Archangel 5
Mikoto Archangel 6
Ayamine Archangel 7
Tamase Archangel 8
—
Author's note
When I promise you guys, I generally don't lie. This chapter is posted early because again, last chapter's ending sucked and this one ends on a relative cliff. Also because I won't be posting for at least two weeks, I want to finish the Yukon Arc first before rolling it out, unfinished work is worse than delayed work, right?
This is probably where the VN readers would want my head for the millions time, to that I say "come and get some." Yeah, canon is now officially, out the window, for the most part.
Because I'm stupid and people might misunderstand this. Everything until Shirogane-kun intervened is all canon! Only minor, like super minor details are changed around! So shoutout to Age for that great depression once again.
Quick explanation of TSF unit organizations, since you guys probably don't spend your lives on the Muv-Luv wiki.
Element is a 2 man, Flight/Platoon is 2 to 4, Squadron/Company is 5 to 12, Group/Battalion is 13 to 36, Wing/Regiment is 37 to 108. You can count, right?
The hundredth review is potterharry94, also known as my fact guy. But all of you people are amazing, this story really took off considering our small fanbase. You boys, and girls be awesome, thanks.
BETA done by chad001, I was going to search up a joke on reddit or something but I remembered, I don't give a fuck.