Tiegenhoff offensive III: Hell Rains Down
40 Years after the Great War
Londinium
The seventh of May is considered a turning point in the Battle of Tiegenhoff, if not the fate of the entire eastern front! With many scholars proposing compelling arguments on how the war could have been far less bloody if events had unfolded differently. However, those unfortunate enough to serve in the city, on both sides describe the situation as Hell on earth.
On the Federation side, the Imperial defences seemed nigh impregnable, and devastating losses had crushed the morale of the valiant conscript soldiers. At the time, one political officer's report is quoted as saying: "The battle has proven more challenging than we initially hoped." However, notes from a diary of a Federation private, who later defected to the Unified States, describes it far less diplomatically: "They're sending us in one at a time hoping they run out of bullets before we run out of men." Followed by some rather unsavoury remarks about his superiors and a vow to escape the country.
Meanwhile, the Imperial forces did not fare much better. They too were suffering casualties but had no way to replenish them or indeed get them to the rear lines for treatment. Supplies were also dwindling with many units reporting they had no ammunition left at all! Although, this seems to be somewhat of an exaggeration. However, it is perhaps the words of Sergeant Immanuel Krause that adequately sums up the feelings of most of the soldiers within the city:
"We've barely slept, we've barely eaten and if the enemy stood in a row, I still wouldn't have enough ammo to take 'em down. What little we have left has been given to the mages, the General's hoping they can save the day. All the rest of us can do is look to the sky; and pray." – Andrew WTN Special correspondent.
May 7th Unified Year 1925 18:16
Skies above Tiegenhoff, North Eastern Sector
"All units fire at will!"
Tanya ordered, her voice feeling hoarse from trying to make herself heard over the ever-present sound of battle as she watched as yet another seemingly endless wave of communists erupt in a tide of flames.
She frowned with irritation as she felt the encroaching fatigue in her muscles begin to take its toll on her body. She'd had hardly any time to rest in the last 24 hours; the Federation had been relentless in their assault and hadn't given any of the defenders time to properly recover. Between the enemy assaults and the never-ending requests for reinforcements, Tanya felt as though she were being pulled apart at the seams.
Why couldn't I be reborn in a world with decent labour laws? She grumbled inwardly, dodging another hail of fire from the communists below. I've more than earned some vacation time!
There hadn't even been much respite for them during the night, save for a quick coffee when she and first company had returned to one of the supply hubs to collect ammunition. The lack of supplies for the anti-air units, and the reluctance of the air fleet to engage at night, had meant that the enemy bombers had been able to strike the city almost completely unchallenged; leaving much of the city in ruins and its defenders running for cover instead of getting any rest.
Worse still, the Federation had decided it no longer cared if its aircraft bombed its own people, and had sent wave after wave of attacks in the wake of every air raid leaving their forces even more drained. Imperial forces had managed to repel them each time of course, but another wave of bombers always seemed to follow hot on the heels of their brethren on the ground, forcing them to hunker down once again. It was only her battalion's speed and mobility that had prevented them from being caught up in the ensuing firestorms. Many of the ground troops hadn't been so lucky, and casualties had been severe.
It might not have been so bad if it were possible to use the time in the shelters to recuperate. But with so much ordinance dropping from the sky, even a concrete bunker might not save her. It hadn't done anything to help her former subordinates on the Rhine after all.
She had considered taking her mages to try and deal with the night raids, if for no other reason but to alleviate the fear that a bomb might find its way into her shelter and put an end to her, however, she'd soon thought better of it. Intercepting bombers at night was difficult enough for aircraft with specialised equipment and pilots experienced in such operations, mages were not exactly the ideal tool for such a job. Even if they were often used as a universal fix.
Although the battalion had plenty of experience fighting in the dark, they had little when it came to dealing with aerial targets at night, a weakness that she swore she would eliminate if they got out of this mess. She'd had some ideas about a possible night vision formula that might help out, but between the spell being untested and her worry about the sheer amount of munitions in the air they'd need to be wary of, she'd judged it too risky. However, now that her fatigue was starting to catch up with her, she wondered if she'd made the right call.
She let out a sigh as her ears filled with calls for reinforcements from all over the city. Two more divisions advancing from the north, enemy armour from the south, the east under heavy artillery fire and street-to-street fighting in the west. The Federation obviously felt that they had reached the end game of this battle and was throwing everything at them, and from every direction. It was like they were being squeezed from all sides and she could almost feel the pressure slowly choking them.
General von Sholtz would have to order a breakout soon or they'd be overwhelmed. Or at least the ground troops would be. If worst came to worst Tanya was willing to take her battalion out of the city and towards friendly lines to avoid capture by communists. Even if it was dangerous to fly over so much Federation-infested territory, it was better than leaving herself in the hands of a country that had no legal responsibility to care for its prisoners of war. In that at least, Wilhelm had been right to be afraid of them.
Unfortunately, she couldn't do that until the city was as good as captured unless she wanted to be accused of cowardice. For now, she had to continue to act as the model officer.
"Lieutenant Serabryakov, What's the status of the other companies?" She asked as she considered where best to deploy everyone to deal with the latest wave of threats. Watching the fleeing Federation soldiers below and loosing a few shots into their backs for good measure as she waited for her adjutant to answer. At least there is one position we don't have to worry about. She thought as the soldiers dropped to the ground. At least not for now.
"All companies report being close to exhaustion ma'am." Visha replied after checking for a few moments with a nearby radio operative. Tanya could tell from the look in her eyes that she included herself in this assessment, but had chosen not to add the detail in her report. She would need to remind her adjutant of the importance of keeping one's flight partner informed about these things; both their lives might depend on it. "Most are also running low on both ammunition and mana."
Damn, this isn't good, Tanya grumbled to herself internally. Her troops were becoming less and less combat-effective by the hour, which wasn't ideal for either the city defence, a possible breakout or an escape attempt. Worse still, there had been no opportunity to rotate anyone out for rest and resupply, she'd have to deploy already tired troops as reinforcements whenever they became available.
"What about the close combat company?" She asked, knowing that although now technically part of the 203rd, Wilhelm's specialist company of Letzenbourgers were often seen as a separate entity both inside and outside of the battalion, not least by its diminutive captain.
"Prince Wilhelm reports their supplies are a little low, but they are otherwise holding strong." Her adjutant replied quickly as she checked with the radio operator once again. "He says the attacks have been lighter in his sector and he thinks he could spare a platoon if you need it."
Tanya frowned a little, taking out her binoculars to check on the little captain's position before biting her bottom lip thoughtfully. Even a platoon of mages was a sizable amount of firepower if used correctly. It might not be able to turn the tide of a battle but it could easily tip the balance of a tactical level skirmish. It was definitely an offer worth thinking about.
To think I'd be in a position where I'm actually considering that idiot doing me a favour, she groaned as she weighed up the pros and cons of taking the extra company. I can just imagine how smug he'll be.
Wilhelm's aggressive tactics had served him well as he defended the salient at the southwestern side of the city. His position was difficult to assault from anywhere but the Western approach and his proactive approach to defence meant that he'd been able to cause a decent amount of attrition to the enemy as they tried to move in to attack. In truth, she was impressed. It was precisely the tactic she would have used had she not been constantly pulled from pillar to post to provide reinforcements for the rest of the city. And it was due to these tactics that the enemy hadn't been able to concentrate as much as they had elsewhere. Perhaps we can afford to take a platoon from there.
She shook her head, dismissing the thought immediately. That salient was the closest point to friendly lines and the logical place for any breakout attempt; from either the General's forces or herself if she were to try to escape the city. The position was too important to leave under-defended. Besides, by now she knew Wilhelm well enough that she suspected that this was an excuse to redeploy himself; although she was uncertain what his reasons for doing so would be.
Regardless it was better he stayed put. If things really did go south, his company was best suited to conducting a breakthrough. Besides, she'd much prefer to know exactly where he was. She would have to make sure he got out of the city too after all; he was still technically a VIP and his well-being was her responsibility. The last thing she wanted was to explain to the Imperial Royal family that they'd lost another scion to the Reds.
"Tell him his orders stand." She sighed, steeling herself for yet more hard work as she came to the conclusion that the rest of them would have to deal with the myriad of threats assaulting the city. "We'll have Weiss's company ta−"
"Tiegenhoff command to all units this is a general alert!" The voice of one of General von Sholtz's communication officer called urgently over the radio, interrupting Tanya as she was about to redeploy her forces. "Enemy air wing incoming! Force composed of fighters and bombers, request anyone with anti-air capability to intercept immediately!"
Tanya bit back a curse as she listened to the latest bout of bad news. The ground forces had little in the way of anti-aircraft defence left, not anymore at least. She'd ordered the last of the ammunition for the bigger AA batteries be used to take out some Russy tanks and they were the only guns big enough to reach the high-altitude bombers. That just left some smaller, less effective guns attached to the infantry; barely even suitable for anti-mage fire. Realistically, she and her battalion the only ones capable of mounting an effective defence against the Federation's aerial assault.
Damnit! So many! Can we defend against an entire air wing? She thought, desperately wishing she could palm off the difficult task of dealing with such a large force onto someone else. But between the history documentaries she'd watched in her past life, and an unfortunate amount of experience in her new one, Tanya knew all too well the threat of aerial superiority on the battlefield, and especially the importance of denying it to your enemies. It was a lesson the Federation had obviously learned too and if she were to have a hope of getting through this mess it was something she couldn't ignore.
If we do nothing, the ground forces will be sitting ducks! And if they find out I ordered the AA guns to use the rest of their ammo I might get the blame for it! She growled internally, anxiously biting the nail of her thumb as she realised her mistake.
I guess I have no choice.
"Second, third and fourth company form up on me, we cannot allow these aircraft to get through!" She called, using a sliver of mana to message her troops. She wasn't exactly happy about having to face so many aircraft without support, but she had no other options. At least it'll be a target-rich environment.
"What about the support for the ground troops?" The voice of Lieutenant Grantz crackled through the mana field in reply, causing Tanya's frown to deepen. It was a valid question, of course, but one that she'd hoped the young lieutenant could figure out for himself at this point. Although he had grown as an officer and a soldier, questions like this proved his relative inexperience when compared to the veterans in the battalion.
"Do your best to keep the pressure up on the units on the ground when you can but the aircraft are our primary targets." She explained, doing her best to hide the mounting frustration in her voice. They couldn't be everywhere at once, as far as she was concerned it wouldn't hurt the ground troops to pull their weight a little more. "Our allies won't need ground support if they're blown apart by aerial attacks, they'll have to make do by themselves for now."
There was no argument from her soldiers, only a simple acknowledgement of what needed to be done as they disengaged from their current skirmishes and began to regroup with her own company. She had to admit that she was impressed by their professional attitude towards being so cruelly overworked. If her own inner frustration was anything to go by, they must have been livid about how much their superiors expected of them. Tanya herself felt as though she were barely keeping the anger from her face, so seeing that even the least experienced members like Grantz were remaining stoic under the pressure was a reassuring sign that their morale remained high.
Things might not be so bad while I still have so many enthusiastic meat shields to protect me. She thought to herself, immediately regretting her optimism as the radio crackled to life once again.
"03 to 01, commander come in!" The voice of Lieutenant Neumann interrupted over the airwaves, an unusual urgency filling the voice of her usually easy-going subordinate. "We're detecting mana signals heading towards the centre of the city. They must have slipped through the interception net; I think it's the group we ran into in Moscau."
Mages? Now? Tanya's eyes widened in shock as she felt the blood drain from her face. The General had already intimated to her that he expected that she and her veterans would deal with the commonwealth mages should they appear, and she hadn't been able to do anything to dissuade him of the idea. He would doubtless assume she would be moving to intercept them already.
Why had they waited so long to show themselves? She wondered, grinding her teeth with frustration. They couldn't have possibly known the dire state of their air defences or how stretched their forces were so why commit them now? Were they using the Federation air attack to screen their magical troops? It was surprising enough that the communists could pull off that sort of cooperation within their own forces, let alone with a foreign, mixed-nationality unit. That sort of collaboration was difficult for even a precise machine of war like the Empire, it should have been all but impossible for the Federation and their Commonwealth cronies.
Are they unusually competent for communists or did they get help from that devil Being X? She wondered, her tiny fists curling into a ball. Her gut telling her that the false deity had somehow intervened to arrange for this despite the lack of clear evidence. Still, the coincidence was yet another piece of terrible news that she didn't want to hear. There was only one reason why they would be charging into the city at such speed, one that Tanya and the 203rd now knew intimately.
A decapitation strike.
Somehow they must have learned the location of General von Sholtz's command centre. Destroying it now while the battle was reaching its zenith could be catastrophic for the Imperial defenders. Not to mention destroy any chance of a breakout attempt for the troops on the ground. But leaving the aircraft to wreak havoc unchallenged would be equally disastrous for the Imperials.
"Damnit damnit damnit!" She whispered to herself, shaking slightly as panic and anger fought for control within her. She was partly responsible for the current lack of anti-aircraft ammunition in the city and it had likely already been reported to Eastern command. If she didn't put on a decent show of defending against all these aerial threats, she might face an investigation when she escaped back to friendly lines, or worse! Another court martial! Despite the obvious danger, she had to be seen to do something.
"Captain Weiss! Take second, third and fourth companies and intercept the aircraft. Don't let anything get through!" She ordered, doing her best to force calm into her voice she didn't feel. She didn't expect her men would be able to halt all of the enemy aircraft of course, but given the dire straits they were in, she wasn't about to give them the option to underperform.
"First company with me." Tanya frowned, squeezing her weapon tightly. "We're taking on those mages."
May 7th Unified Year 1925 18:20
Skies on outskirts of Tiegenhoff, South Eastern approach
"Ok everyone, you might still be green but if you remember your training you can make it through this." Mary heard Commander Drake call as they sped towards the besieged city, his voice amplified by magic so he could be heard over the awful sounds of battle around them. She tightened her grip on her rifle reflexively as she stared out towards the battlefield, barely registering the lieutenant colonel's words as she felt a flutter of nervousness rise in her stomach.
This is it, we're finally going to face the enemy.
This was different from the last time she'd fought. Back in Moscau, she'd acted completely on instinct, her body almost moving by itself as she leapt onto the nearby mage gear in an attempt to stop those Imperial monsters from hurting any more of her friends. Stop them from hurting more of those poor innocent people in the Federation capital. She'd fired on their leader without a second thought, her desire to put an end to the attack overwriting any fear or anxiety she might have otherwise felt and it had driven her onward despite the danger.
This time it was different though, and she barely felt as though she was able to keep it together. Not only was she going into battle with her friends and comrades, but she'd had much more time to think about what was happening. She'd seen first-hand how much damage the Imperials had been doing as she'd watched the casualties come in. She'd heard the endless reports and stories about how terrible it was to face the mages defending the city. And worst of all, this time she knew that she would be there, the one that had stolen father's gun.
The one that had taken her Papa from her.
A storm of mixed emotions welled up inside her again and it was all she could do to swallow it back down. It had been this way since the moment the devil had struck her with her father's weapon. It was like all the pain and sorrow of losing her father had been focused in that one blow and even thinking about that moment reopened the already agonising wound. The girl might have physically struck her in the stomach, however, it had been her heart that bore the most pain from the blow.
She had not joined this war to find vengeance, she hadn't even thought about it. Her only desire had been to try to prevent others from feeling the terrible ache of losing a loved one. She might have been a little naïve, but even she knew the chances of finding her father's killer was practically impossible. It might have been true that part of her secretly hoped it would happen but she hadn't even thought it possible to identify the individual responsible for her papa's death until she'd seen the familiar initials carved into the wooden forestock on his gun.
That was why her situation was so painful. She hadn't looked for vengeance, it had found her.
Papa, what should I do?
"Remember to stick close to your flight partner at all times, you're there to support each other." Colonel Drake continued, the mention of her partner causing her to glance towards her smaller friend flying at her side. She was certain that the pious boy would be against the idea of getting retribution for her father. In truth, he didn't seem especially happy about fighting the Imperials in the first place, despite all they'd done to him and his country. But he had always said that they were being tested by God and had been quietly supportive of her desire to save others from the misery she had experienced.
Her gaze lingered on him for a few moments more, studying her usually calm friend. He wore an unusually hard and focused expression, quite unlike his usual calm and serene demeanour, and he seemed extremely tense, more so than he had been when they were attacked in Moscau. She'd never seen him like this before, was even he feeling nervous about the battle?
As if sensing her gaze, he turned to her and offered her a comforting smile. She hastily turned away, feeling slightly embarrassed to be caught staring but the feeling soon faded as her thoughts returned to her father's killer once more.
Would she be there? Lingering amongst the distant silhouettes soaring through the air? And what would she do if she ran into her?
"It's only natural to want revenge on someone who' harmed you. Even your little friend would agree with this, Da?" The words of her friend Lilya, the Federation lieutenant attached to the volunteers entered her mind. She had told the older girl all about the incident while she was recovering from her wounds and she had listened diligently to her while trying to make sense of everything. "His book says an eye for an eye but in this case, perhaps it is better to think that they will have reaped what they have sown."
She'd wanted to agree with her, maybe if she accepted it, she'd be able to soothe the never-ending ache in her chest when she thought of her Papa. But something still held her back, told her it was wrong. Perhaps it was because the woman freely admitted to not believing in the Holy Book and its teachings. It felt wrong using the interpretations of the scripture from someone who did not accept its tenets.
Mary had been brought up believing in these teachings and although she could not say she was as devout as Damian, she still held them close to her heart. They were supposed to be the words of God. She'd always been taught that the scriptures said was wrong to seek revenge, as did dozens of other stories and parables, were they all wrong?
Then again, that book also says I should forgive. There's no way I could do that. She thought as the foul grin of that devil entered her mind.
She quickly shook the thought away, feeling another spike of anger in her breast, before glancing back towards Vivi, wondering what she might have thought about the whole thing. Of all of her friends, she had been the one she'd wanted to ask about all this the most. Both Damian and Lilya were too intense, almost inhuman when it came to talking about something like this. Vivi was different, more like an older sister, and she knew she would see things in a less black-and-white way than the others.
But she'd never found the right moment. Vivi had always wanted to talk about happier things like their friends, the treats they'd received from home or her crush on Lieutenant Colonel Drake. Perhaps it was better that way, at least one of them wouldn't be burdened with these uncertain feelings.
She did her best to shake the confusion from her thoughts. They were approaching the city now and would soon be in range of enemy fire. She'd already missed Colonel Drake's instructions on their targets, she'd been too lost in her own thoughts about everything. She hoped it wouldn't matter; she'd been told her group was supposed to be giving support to the others as they attacked the enemy installations. She would be protecting her friends and comrades. She would finally be useful.
"Remember newbies, stick close to your officers and the other veterans. If anything goes wrong, they'll be the ones to get you out of it." She heard the Colonel say as he wrapped up his speech, before adding almost inaudibly. "God be with us."
With that, the commander's amplified voice dropped out of the air allowing the sound of gunshots and artillery fire to fill the void where it had once been. They were on the outskirts of the city now, officially in the combat area, and although she knew it was dangerous she risked a glance below.
Soon they began passing over what had once been the Imperial defence lines and what she saw made her feel sick to her stomach. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of bodies remained strewn across the trenches and earthworks. Both Imperial and Federation uniforms lay amongst them, however, there were far more allied than enemy and the sense of uselessness she'd felt back in the field hospital rose up in her once more.
She could have helped prevent this, she was certain of it.
She wondered why no one had come to collect them yet, they didn't deserve to be left out here like this. However, no sooner had she asked did an artillery shell explode on the ground nearby, answering her question and a lifeless body was thrown into the air. She felt rage swell up in her as she realised that the Imperials were still firing at this area. No one could collect the fallen, because to do so would just make more of them.
Aren't there supposed to be ceasefires to collect people's remains? She thought, her knuckles whitening as she gripped her rifle even tighter. Do the Imperials not even respect the dead?
She did her best to swallow down her indignation at the Empire's crimes as she returned her gaze forward once more. However, as they closed on their targets, she found herself struggling more and more to hold in her anger. Ahead, in the distance was a company of Imperial mages firing spells into their Federation allies on the ground below. She knew that every shot was hurting one of the friendly soldiers, perhaps even killing them. Separating mothers from their sons; daughters from their fathers.
She found herself choking back tears and desperately wanting to charge, to stop them before anyone else got hurt. It took all her self-control to stop herself as she felt the aching sense of loss in her chest once more. She had to wait for her orders, the others were counting on her: If she attacked now, she couldn't protect her comrades. Or could she? Surely if she attacked first, she could take them out before they could even pose a threat to the rest of the volunteer battalion. She could save everyone and still follow orders.
She squeezed her eyes shut and mouthed a silent prayer as she prepared herself, drawing as much mana as she could into herself for the coming battle.
"First group! Get in one hit then run! You can do this!" Commander Drake yelled finally ordering them forward. "Show the Empire our resolve."
Mary's body moved in an instant, as though she were an arrow loosed from a bow as she accelerated towards the enemy company in front of her. It was as though Colonel Drake's words had propelled her forward, his earlier attempts to hold the volunteers back and her frustration at not being able to help acting like the drawstring pulling her back. Now he had given her permission though, she'd been set free, she could finally help people! She could finally be useful! And she swore she would do everything to protect both her teammates and the men on the ground. No one else would have to experience the pain she'd been through.
She heard an angry cry of protest from Commander Drake as she forged onwards, as well as a worried call from Vivi. She mentally apologised to them, feeling a little guilty for worrying them both. However, a quick glance behind her eased any doubts that she might be making a mistake and her resolve was bolstered as she saw Damian racing forward to keep up with her. Still wearing a determined look on his face.
She returned her gaze forward as she sped towards the enemy mages, readying her weapon as she flew onwards. By now though, the Imperials had seen her approach and had positioned themselves in a line to fire on her, adopting the same formation she and the other cadets had been taught to use when you had numerical superiority over your foe.
As one, they fired and Mary saw a flurry of shots heading towards her. She tensed, time seeming to slow as she poured mana into both her barrier and her flight gear. She felt the shots strike, and was surprised with the ease in which her shield was able to absorb the blast, however, the air around her now filled with smoke and gunpowder, obscuring the enemy from her. But it also hid her from them.
She'd been prepared for their strikes however, and had readied herself for it, remembering a trick taught to her by some of the other Legadonian exiles before they began to avoid her, one that used the superior agility of the ski-like mage gear. As the shots struck her shield, she quickly tucked in her legs, spun in the air and launched herself upwards, using the kinetic force from the enemy strike to propel her up and out of the smog. She readied her weapon as she twisted back around and readied herself to fire when the enemy returned to her sights, her rifle glowing as she poured mana into the barrel. She squeezed the trigger letting off a volley into shocked Imperials below, bracing herself for the recoil as she fired.
Time returned to normal as three explosions ripped through the enemy formation and Mary let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding as she watched the Imperials fall from the sky. She'd done it! She'd finally been useful! She'd stopped them from hurting anyone else and protected her comrades!
She felt a surge of pride and relief and quickly turned to find her little flight partner so he could share in her success. However, as she turned to where she expected him to be, he was nowhere to be found.
"Damian?" She called, a hint of worry reaching her voice as she searched the sky for him. Where could he be? Had he been hit when they charged? No that wasn't possible, she would have known before now if something had happened to him, wouldn't she?
Mercifully, she soon found him, unharmed and unperturbed by the skirmish that had unfolded around them, however, she was confused to find him speeding hastily away towards the southwest of the city. What was he doing? It was unthinkable that he would abandon her. She glanced around again, searching for some explanation for his actions but found nothing, only increasing her confusion and worry.
She began to call for him, bringing a hand to her mouth to summon a communication formula. However, the moment her lips parted she was interrupted by the sounds of a hail of gunfire and explosions coming from behind.
She whipped her head around and froze in horror as she saw three of her comrades fall from the sky as another group of enemy mages assailed them from behind. The earlier feeling of triumph evaporated, replaced by a gut-wrenching feeling of guilt as she realised their families too would feel the loss she had so desperately tried to spare them. She'd failed, she should have been there to protect them.
I can't let them hurt anyone else! She thought as she turned and began to charge back to the battalion desperate to help in any way she could but as she closed she saw something she had been dreading since she had found out that they were coming to this place.
It's her.
She was still distant but the silhouette was unmistakable.
Rage filled her once more as she watched as more of her squad mates were attacked and she relived the moment the girl had struck her with her father's gun once again. She felt the ache in her chest grow ever more as the smiling face of her father was replaced in her mind by that grinning devil and she found herself unable to contain it anymore.
"The book says you should forgive. The book is the word of God." Damian's voice echoed in her mind, while the devil grinned at her holding her father's gun.
"I can never forgive you."
May 7th Unified Year 1925, The Same Time
Roof of HöffenBräu beer hall, South Western Salient, Tiegenhoff
"Tiegenhoff command to all units this is a general alert! Enemy air wing incoming! Force composed of fighters and bombers, request anyone with anti-air capability to intercept immediately!"
"It looks as though things are getting desperate." Will observed with a wry smile as he listened in on the increasingly dire reports over the radio, sparing a glance over his shoulder at the chaos unfolding around the city.
The Federation was squeezing them from all directions, throwing everything they had into a final assault that would doubtless crush the defenders. Lines were at the point of collapse everywhere, with only his position seemingly having much success at holding on. Now there were reports of enemy aircraft approaching and the ground would soon be replaced by a tide of bombs and other munitions; as well as fighters in the air deployed for the sole purpose of blowing the Empire's mages from the sky. Only a fool would think the Imperial forces could survive this final assault.
Tiegenhoff would fall.
Finally, we'll be able to get out of this god-forsaken city. He thought, feeling a strange mix of emotions as he turned back to his own position and the men he would soon be abandoning. On the one hand, he felt relief, despite the terrible situation the Imperial forces had found themselves in. This was precisely the excuse he needed to get Tanya and Sophia safely out of the city. With things looking so bad, even his stubborn commanding officer would have to finally agree that evacuation was the best course of action.
With the boat waiting for them at the docks, he could finally be sure that the monster wouldn't be able to take her or Sophia away from him as it had Christina and Hausmann. He would save them and beat the creature that took such joy in trying to punish him. For him at least, it would be a victory.
However, he couldn't help but feel a stabbing guilt in his stomach as he thought about those who he would have to leave behind. Especially as he watched Sergeant Litz and his men fighting desperately to keep the main accessway to the southwest of the city clear. And as Captain Weiss and Lieutenant Grantz reported their own trials over the radio. All of them, both in his company and amongst the members of the 203rd, had been loyal companions to him throughout this war. And, although at first he had only tried to gain their trust as a means to an end, he'd grown close to all of them during their time together. Leaving them to the whims of communists felt like a betrayal, he was trading their lives to the monster to save Tanya, Sophia and Visha.
Still, he had no other choice.
"I'm sorry, even a prince can't save everyone." He murmured to himself, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword as the mocking snickers of Ludwig reached the far reaches of his hearing. The pervitin might have helped keep him energised but it seemed the more he relied on it, the easier it was for the spectre to penetrate his thoughts. That he could manifest himself at all while he was in battle was concerning. In the past, the spirit had only been able to appear when he was alone, for the most part at least, so his snickering in the corner of Will's mind worried him.
In truth, he desperately wished he could stop using the stimulant just as Tanya had ordered him to; anything to chase away the taunts of the spectre. However, allowing the fatigue to overtake him before he'd gotten Sophia and Tanya away was out of the question. The monster would try to take them from him the moment he dropped his guard, he was sure of it! He would need to continue using the pervitin to prevent that, at least for now; even if it caused his tormentor to appear more frequently.
"I suppose sacrifices must be made." He muttered, doing his best to ignore the spirit as he returned his thoughts to his soon-to-be abandoned troops. He desperately wished he could save them too, but he had nothing more to give in return and the monster did not practice equivalent exchange. At least their families will be provided for. He added inwardly, making a mental note to have Sophia see Patryk again once they got back to Berlun.
"My prince?"
The sound of Sophia's concerned voice next to him snapped him from his thoughts. He'd been so lost in his own mind that he'd almost forgotten that she was standing next to him amongst the shattered rooftops; keeping a watchful eye out for any dangers as he was distracted by his musings.
They'd detached themselves from the rest of the company under the guise of assessing the situation, but in truth, there was little need to do so in this sector. A combination of the topography of the area and the enemy's lack of mages had meant that the Federation could only really make a concentrated assault from one direction. Additionally, both his company and the city's artillery were able to harass any enemy units that tried to move into the avenue of attack. They were still heavily outnumbered of course, and they were clearly massing for another assault, but overall, Will was confident that they would have been able to hold this position almost indefinitely if they had the supplies. Or rather, until the rest of the city fell behind them.
"It's nothing." He lied, hoping she hadn't heard his muffled words. "We'll be leaving things here to Sergeant Litz and his men soon."
"I see." She replied quietly as Will tried to ignore her silent stare. Sophia had been aware of the escape plan from its inception and although she hadn't said anything, somehow he couldn't help but feel as though he'd disappointed her. Then again he probably had. In the past he'd always managed to get them out of rough situations, usually turning them to his advantage. Even when things had gone desperately wrong like in Letzenbourg or with Canaris he'd always managed to bounce back and find a way to profit from the situation. He'd never simply run away, despite his deep routed cowardice. He'd shattered the illusion and shown what he truly was; a frightened child.
"You don't need to worry my prince, I'll give them their instructions before we leave. Hopefully, that should leave them in good stead if anything happens."
Will simply nodded as he did his best to control the stabbing guilt in his stomach. Part of him was glad that Sophia would handle that part, his troops at least deserved some direction should they be captured by the communists. Even if the only instruction was to save a bullet for themselves. But a larger part of him felt ashamed. He should be the one briefing them, the one lying to their faces as he told them he'd be fighting with them until the end. Didn't they at least deserve to look into the eyes of the one who would feed them to the void?
"You're too much of a coward to do it. Aren't you?" Will shivered as he heard Ludwig's voice whisper to him once again, frowning as he did his best to ignore him. "You always were the sort of kid that left others to clean up your messes."
"Perhaps…perhaps I should−" He began before the radio crackled to life in his ear once again, cutting him off. He'd been careful to quietly monitor the battalion communication channels so that he was sure of where Tanya would be. He didn't much care what happened across the broader battlefield, he'd already written the city off as a loss, however, he'd still spared a modicum of attention on the transmissions from the other company commanders and knew that Tanya would doubtlessly be doing the same.
"03 to 01, commander come in! We're detecting mana signals heading towards the centre of the city. They must have slipped through the interception net; I think it's the group we ran into in Moscau." Lieutenant Neumann reported urgently and Will felt a flutter of anxiety enter his chest.
The mages from Moscau? Will instinctually span around back towards the city in a panic. There were already enough threats within the city to justify his escape, with a little public spin at least, anything more only compounded the danger. What if the city was overrun before they got to the ship? Or what if the mages attempted to pursue them as they escaped out to sea? The four of them wouldn't be enough to defend the ship until they were safely away. However, one fear quickly overruled all his other concerns as he remembered the unearthly power they felt in Moscau. Is that girl here too?
"Captain Weiss! Take second, third and fourth companies and intercept the aircraft. Don't let anything get through! First company with me. We're taking on those mages."
Damnit! The monster sent them! I'm sure of it! Will screeched inwardly, absently rubbing his wrist as he heard Tanya's determined voice crackle through the radio signal. No! No! No! Tanya, you can't! He'll take you from me!
Will squeezed his eyes shut as a terrifying feeling of helplessness threatened to overwhelm him. It was like the void the monster had threatened him with before only this time it was not only going to unmake him; it was going to take everything!
It wasn't fair! This couldn't happen, not now! He was so close to getting them out of here. He'd been willing to sacrifice comrades, colleagues and even a measure of his reputation to get them all to safety. Was this not enough for the monster? Was He that desperate to take someone else away from him?
A vision of Hausmann filled his mind, his former captain's body broken and bloody on the cobbles of Letzenbourg. The first person the monster had stolen from him in retaliation for not paying his debt quickly enough. Someone who had left behind a wife and child in exchange for Will's life.
He felt himself reaching out for his former captain but before he could even move a second memory attacked his consciousness and gripped his chest tightly with fear and sorrow. It was Christina, the moment before she'd been shot. Her comforting smile lingering for a moment before being lost in an instant that would haunt him forever. The life draining from her eyes as a trickle of blood escaped her mouth as she too was ripped away from him.
It was my fault! I couldn't save them! I couldn't
"My Prince, are you all right?" Sophia asked as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder saving him from his darkening thoughts once more. He let out a breath that he didn't know he'd been holding and felt himself begin to calm around the woman's reassuring presence. He took a deep breath before opening his eyes once again, only to see her worried eyes looking down on him.
He'd never had any problems telling the difference between the twins in the past. But in that moment, he could have sworn it was Christina not Sophia staring down at him. The woman whose life had been destroyed by simply being in proximity of him. The one who had lost her ability to walk and all hopes of a bright future. The one who now doubtlessly hated him. The woman who he had lost that day in Tripoli.
Then, for a moment, she caught a glimpse of Tanya in her features as his mind began replaying the events of the ambush once again, only this time with her in Christina's place. It would all happen again.
I won't lose anyone else. I refuse!
"I'm ok." He replied shakily, removing his hand from his wrist and back to his sheathed weapon as he began to recompose himself, the lie as much for his own benefit as for Sophia's.
Calm down, Will! You need to think rationally. He chastised himself inwardly, he couldn't allow himself to be panicked by this. There was far too much at stake!
He'd always been good at wrestling events to his advantage, this would be no different. It might be the monster's plan to use them to attack her directly but the troops themselves would have a different target, likely something their intelligence had deemed important. That gave him a chance to get her out; it may even provide an opportunity. Rather than be a threat to their escape, they might inadvertently act as a cover for it. And as for the girl with the otherworldly power? She'd been injured in Moscau, Tanya had shot her out of the sky! The chances that she'd be alive were slim, that she would have recovered enough to fight now was…
A sudden, familiar, crackle of static electricity filled the air, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. It was the same power he'd felt in Letzenbourg, the one that had brutally murdered poor Hausmann. The same power that had resisted Tanya in Moscau.
Instinctively, he spun around searching for the source and his eyes were drawn to a group of figures in the distance, or rather a pair of figures speeding ahead of them and towards a group of Major Hofen's mages. He didn't need a detection spell to identify the errant mage leading the charge; he could practically taste the unnatural mana signal emanating from the distant magic user. It was her! It shouldn't be possible but he was certain of it! Despite the injuries that she had suffered, the monster had sent her!
Hofen's mages opened fire, filling the air with fire and smoke, but Will could sense the distant figure charging onwards. He bit his lip nervously as he watched the girl open fire on Hofen's company, even at a distance he could tell the girl's shots were filled with far more power than the average mage but Hofen and his men stood firm as she fired on them.
He watched in horror as three massive explosions ripped through the air where Hofen and his men had been. The mana signals of an entire company fizzled away into nothing in an instant, each man either dead or incapacitated by the girl's ferocious assault. He didn't want to believe it, such a feat should be nigh impossible. The girl had earned the rank of a named mage almost three times over in her first volley and now Tanya was charging towards her.
Their time was up, they needed to leave now.
"Captain, the enemy are assaulting the southwestern boulevard again." Sergeant Litz's voice reported urgently over the radio. "By God, there's a lot of them! How did they get the drop on us? I'm not sure if we can hold out, what do we do?"
Will froze, pinned in place by the events unfolding around him. He needed to go, he needed to grab Sophia and Tanya and head for the ship before the girl from Moscau reached them and unleashed the monster's wrath upon them. Yet part of him felt as though he were being pulled back by his men. He couldn't bring himself to abandon them, not yet. He wanted to leave them with at least some hope of survival or at least let them know their families would be safe if the worst happened. But there was no time.
What do I do?
"Go!" Sophia commanded, her face becoming uncharacteristically serious as she sensed his hesitation. "I'll handle things here then meet you at the Tannenfels."
Will glanced between her and the distant mages for a moment, unsure whether to follow her instructions. He didn't want to leave her either, not even temporarily while he collected Tanya and Visha for their escape. There was too much at stake; what if separating them was part of the monster's plan? What if it was a trick to take Sophia from him too? But then, wouldn't leading her towards that girl be even more dangerous? He wasn't sure and he couldn't afford to make a mistake. If he made the wrong decision here the monster would certainly capitalise on it.
"Go! Now!" Sophia yelled as she accelerated quickly to rejoin Sergeant Litz and the rest of the close combat company; her commanding tone spurring his body to move without the intervention of his mind. He wasn't used to the younger twin taking charge like this, but then he wasn't usually so indecisive. She didn't usually need to.
I don't have time to argue with her, we need to get out of here. He reminded himself, worry still filling his chest as he sped towards the aerial battle on the other side of the city. It wasn't long before he could make out another group of signals approaching the attacking foreign mages, Tanya's included, and he quickly adjusted his course as he saw her engage with the battalion of international volunteers.
I need to hurry! He thought urgently as he directed more mana into his flight equipment, desperately trying to eke a little more speed out of his boots. I'll drag her out kicking and screaming if I have to! Then we just need to get to the docks and–
Will didn't have time to register that his barrier had broken, neither did he have time to react to the sudden impact in his side throwing him off course and tumbling towards the ground. The only thing that saved him from injury as he smashed into the ruins of a building was the instinct to pour mana into his body to protect himself from the worst of the fall, along with a hefty portion of luck that he was able to react at all.
He grunted in pain as he smashed through the remains of a wall and onto the cratered cobblestone of one of the city side streets. Smoke and brick dust filled both the air and his lungs as he struggled for breath and his vision blurred slightly as he tried to focus on his sudden change of surroundings. He cursed as a sharp spasm in his side told him one of his ribs had been broken again, it seemed one way or another that injury would never fully heal but he could at least spare enough mana for a medical formula to dull the pain. He could find a proper doctor later; he needed to find out what hit him and get out of here as soon as possible.
He rolled over and began to pick himself up, his eyes searching for the source of the danger as he shakily brought himself back to his feet. He drew his sword warily as the smoke began to clear, reaching out with a sliver of mana in an attempt to detect any nearby threats. However, what he sensed left him with a cold sense of dread.
"I…Impossible." He stuttered to himself quietly, backing away as a small silhouette hovered through the smog. "You're dead!"
"It is better you not interfere with them." A voice, eerily similar to Will's own echoed amongst the dust as his attacker made himself known. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to harm you. Truthfully, I only came to save you."
Will Froze as his doppelganger appeared from the smoke wearing a soft but somehow terrifying smile.
"And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time."
May 7th Unified Year 1925 18:25
Above Tiegenhoff Castle, Central Tiegenhoff
"Three Kills confirmed!" Reported Visha as the first company of the 203rd smashed into the foe, their hail of fire cutting neatly into the enemy formation as they charged.
Had the odds been more in their favour, Tanya might have smiled at how unprepared the enemy was. If anyone in her battalion had been caught unaware so easily, she'd have written the officers off as lacking in the both skill and intelligence necessary to be an aerial mage. At the very least she'd be questioning why someone so woefully undertrained had made it into her battalion. However as she and the rest of the company charged into the gap, Tanya noted that not everyone in the enemy formation was nearly as incompetent. Indeed, many moved like veterans she'd fought across the different warzones of this war and sported an array of different flight equipment from across the belligerent nations.
It was as they'd surmised, this was the international unit they'd run into before. And although it was made up of volunteers, it seemed that at its heart was a cadre of veterans, added in the hopes of whipping the rest of the unit into shape as quickly as possible. This explained how they were able to coordinate the timing of their attack with the Communists, some experienced hands could make up for a lot of weaknesses if they were willing and able to put in the work.
A smart move from the John Bulls, I'd always heard they took war and sport too seriously. She thought as she squeezed a trigger once again, targeting one of the veterans attempting to regain control of his squad. Now that they'd fallen under attack, the veterans had moved quickly to get their panicked and less experienced soldiers back in order but they weren't moving quickly enough and Tanya planned on exploiting it.
"Cut them off company by company. By the platoon if you have to. We'll take them piecemeal!" Tanya declared doing her best to inject confidence into her tone. She was not usually given to bouts of arrogance or misplaced confidence. But she also wasn't so modest that she could believe she hadn't trained her troops well enough if they faced the enemy in equal numbers that they'd come out on top. Pealing elements away from the main group was the best way to do this, as long as they were careful. "Don't let their numbers scare you; it's time for some duck hunting!"
She led her troops on a tight turn before charging them into the enemy formation once again, firing as they sped through them. By now, however, even the raw recruits amongst the Commonwealth volunteers had realised the danger they were in and had strengthened their barriers and begun evasive manoeuvres in an attempt to put some distance between them. It would not be enough, however, as Tanya urged her company to split, with half responsible for maintaining the confusion within the main group while Tanya and the rest of the company descended on the smaller flock they'd singled out with ruthless abandon.
It was bullying really, but it was also war and although Tanya wasn't all that experienced with what was fair in love, she felt she'd had a decent enough education in war to know what was fair in this fight.
Several more mages fell as Tanya and her troops ploughed through them and Tanya resisted the urge to smile as the chaos continued within the enemy ranks. They were still outnumbered after all, and the rest of the battalion was still dealing with the Federation aircraft, it was far too early to pat herself on the back just yet.
Still, she couldn't help but feel a little pleased with their progress so far as she led her troops out of the confused mess of enemies once again and prepared for another strike. There had been few opportunities for her and her troops to excel so far in this campaign, it was good to attack some targets that could earn them a commendation. However, it seemed her good fortune in finding enemy mages willing to pose for target practice would soon come to an end as her adjutant quickly barked out a warning.
"Enemy coming in fast!" She reported hastily pointing at a glowing speck fast approaching their position before adding in a confused tone. "They're on their own."
Tanya glanced upwards, clicking her tongue with annoyance as the distant figure raced towards them. She would prefer to keep harassing the panicked battalion, but she couldn't allow one of them to pester her or her troops while they were at it. Even a single mage could cause problems if they got behind you, so she had little choice but to swat this annoyance out of the way before she could continue her.
You can act as an example for your comrades. I'd like to show them that we can deal with them in the traditional way as well as with superior skill and tactics. She thought to herself with a cruel grin. It had been a demanding few days and these mages had done nothing except make her life more difficult. It was time to get even. If they were going to present themselves as easy pickings, that was their fault, she wasn't about to argue with them.
"Platoon! Precision fire, three rounds! Blow that mage out of the sky!"
It wasn't often that Tanya's battalion did things by the textbook anymore, at least not strictly. The harsh lessons of this war had taught everybody that it was well overdue for an update and that a certain amount of flexibility was necessary to ensure both survival and victory. However, there were still a few things left in the manual that held up, and Tanya was pleased to see that her loyal war nuts were still able to utilise them when the situation demanded it.
Explosions filled the air around the approaching mage, just as the tactic demanded. Some of her men had fired to trap her and limit the mage's movement while the rest had focussed fire to bring them down. A simple and effective use of superior numbers, one that should have been employed on her and her company if the enemy commander hadn't been foolish enough to be taken by surprise and it felt good to show the enemy how a job should be done.
Perhaps I should consider a career in education when the war is over she smiled to herself as she began to return her attention to the rest of the enemy mages. However, it would not last long as the prickle of mana in the air from the direction of her previous target told her that something was not right.
The mage emerged from the smog, seemingly unperturbed by the fire unleashed upon them. Tanya couldn't help but be impressed, it took a great deal of mana to maintain a barrier under such firepower. However, continuing with the ill-advised charge was just foolish. She began to order her men to fire once again but hesitated for a moment as a huge concentrated mass of magical energy quickly formed at the end of the charging mage's weapon.
Her mind froze for a moment as she stared in fascinated horror as the mage fired. The air stilled for a fraction of a second and all sound was swallowed by the build-up of mana and for a dreadful instant, she felt as though Being X had stopped time again. However, that fear was quickly dispelled, only to be replaced with another as the enemy's attack continued to build before a sudden boom filled the air once more and a colossal beam of energy hurtled towards her and her men.
She didn't need a detection spell to tell her that this was far more powerful than the average projectile formula. The sheer size alone spoke of immense strength and it could easily engulf an entire platoon, if not a company. It would most certainly be lethal. She'd never seen a mage wield such power, no one had! Aside from perhaps…
Damn you Being X
"Move!" She ordered, her mouth and body fortunately moving without the intervention of her brain as she darted away from the mana beam, her men following hastily after her. They scattered quickly in an attempt to avoid the mass of power bearing down on her. It was a poor shot, but it didn't matter, its size meant it didn't need to be accurate.
She let out a breath, thankful for the self-preservation instincts this war had supplied her with but even with her instincts and warning, they barely had enough time to avoid the destructive shaft of light. Tanya could feel the warmth from the mana radiation burn on her face as it whooshed past her and she saw two of her troopers' shields disintegrate in an instant simply from being in close proximity to the beam.
It was not over yet, however, as soon the beam struck the ground and tore through the streets of the city below, ripping them apart with no resistance and leaving a deep trench in its wake. Finally, the formula came to an end but not before erupting in a huge explosion that sent smoke, debris and shockwaves throughout the city and left a crater where a group of houses had once been.
Tanya almost found herself staring in awe at the destruction she'd just witnessed. However, fortunately, once again, her instincts reminded her she didn't have the time to stare as a glance upward told her the mage was still coming. Somehow this monster was not only able to unleash that sort of power but fly through its wake too.
"Go!" She urged her troops to accelerate, wanting to gain as much distance from this beast as possible. What she'd seen shouldn't be possible, at least not without the cursed artefact the would-be deity had given her. Was this his work too? It wouldn't be the first time he had interfered in such a way.
She risked a glance back, just in time to catch the mage firing another blast in her direction. The rest of the platoon hasn't formed up on me yet. Is this psycho targeting me directly? She wondered, panic and adrenaline forcing her to roll as she dodged out of the way leaving the beam to fire off into the distance. She could only be thankful that her enemy had such poor aim, had she been a better shot Tanya was sure she'd have been evaporated by now
"You're orders, ma'am." Visha called falling back into position as Tanya desperately assessed their situation. This mage was clearly a major threat, even if their accuracy was lacking. A stray shot of that magnitude might knock out an entire platoon in one hit, possibly even more! However, it seemed this enemy was intent on targeting her; that was something she could use.
Ideally, she'd like to use this foolish mage's inaccuracy against them, possibly make them fire on their own allies since they were so numerous. However, they were dangerously close to the enemy's true target, General von Sholtz's command centre. If this brute managed to get a shot off there, it was game over for the city defenders. But then, then it would also be equally as disastrous if any of the other commonwealth volunteers got through.
It looked as though she had few options.
"Damnit!" She cursed under her breath before raising her voice to give her command. "Serabryakov with me, we'll lure this beast away and put it down!"
She hated the idea of assaulting anything with so few numbers, but in this case, it was the best course of action. A smaller party was far more agile and would be able to dodge these unearthly attacks far more easily than a larger group. Besides, there was still the rest of the enemy to worry about.
Still, she wasn't about to go alone, there was a good reason aerial mages were assigned flight partners and Visha had proven herself to be very capable over the years. She knew she could trust her to watch her back.
"The rest of you back to the hunt!"
She could only hope her words were suitably inspiring for the dire situation they were in. After all, right now Tanya didn't know if she was the predator or the prey.
Authors Notes
Hello everyone and as always thank you for reading.
We're finally here! It feels like I've been building to this way longer than I should have but we are finally at the point where our protagonist (and deuteragonist) are squaring up against their nemesis'. Or in Tanya's case, she's squaring up against some insane rando whom she has no idea who she is haha.
I enjoyed writing this one and although I didn't get it out quite as early as I'd hoped, I still just about managed to get it out a month after the last one so I'm pleased with that. (Does anyone remember when I updated weekly? XD ).
There are a couple of things I should add to the notes this time:
First, apparently the phrase "pulled from pillar to post" is not well known outside the UK (I thought it was a common English phrase regardless of country but apparently not). For those who don't know, it means to be constantly forced to move from one place to another. I'm fairly sure most people would get it from the context but I thought it best to add it here to be safe.
Second, the artillery fired into no man's land in Mary's section, making her think the Imperials are not allowing people to collect the dead and wounded, is just a stray shell. She obviously wouldn't know that though and being as naive as she is she wouldn't think that way. My beta reader Vickers suggested I clarify it was a stray in the chapter and have Mary go into a rage about them being careless instead but I wasn't sure about that. I thought it might give too much awareness to Mary. You can decide which of us was right here.
Finally, as you know, for the most part, I've been following the Anime timeline up until this point as it's more condensed (and I want to finish this story before I die of old age). As such I've often thrown in lines from the anime and film where appropriate. There was one line in the movie that Drake said as he ordered the volunteers to attack which sounded weird to me, obviously, this would be a translation thing as not all phrases in Japanese sound right to an English-speaking ear. As such, I changed the line: "Show the Empire the power of our will!" to "Show the Empire ourresolve" instead. Thanks again to Vickers for the suggestion.
Other than that, thanks for all the likes favs and follows and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Xanen