…
…
…
Soldiers of the Hakos Company - now the Hakos Brigade, so I've been told. You know who you are. I have been watching you, the best and the brightest of Elysium, for a long, long time now. Ever since you thwarted my plans at the Manor House, you have caught my attention.
I knew you were special. I knew you were worth watching.
Shall I sing you your praises? For one, I did not expect you to hold onto the Manor House, my house, but you did against all odds. The way you dismantled the defenses of Xenokuni City and Moona's Pavolian Garrison? Quite the masterstroke, if I do say so myself.
And then, the attack on the Pavolia Raya just now! On Pavolian soil, no less! You were acting on the intel that those sneaky Lieutenants got from the stolen microfilm, huh?
The audacity of your actions… your reactions… your tenacity against even impossible odds… all of it! They amuse me. I have not been this amused in such a long time.
Not since I was a child!
Hehe. You should be honored, Hakos Company, for you have made an incredibly powerful enemy.
Me.
Zeta Vestia.
I know your ringleaders by name. I know the people who have joined your ranks. I know your allies in this little 'coalition' of yours. I learned from many sources, you see.
A certain bald-headed tank gun loader who ran headlong into captivity, for example. That sorry bastard told me everything he knew - he screamed like a girl and squealed like a pig before he bled out.
One of my finest agents, a Keris abu-abu, transmitted high-level Elysian military plans from that show-off Brigadier Olivier. Surely, you've met her. Her actions would have left a great, heh - deep impression. She was trained by me, after all.
Or, she would have died trying. The wills of the Keris abu-abu do not break, after all.
And Friar Hakka Banzoin… not to mention his amusingly cooperative clergy. Where do I begin with them? El Fraile is dead, but will you Elysians be able to find all his accomplices and bring them to justice before it's too late for you?
I doubt it. You won't live to find out, one way or another.
Rest assured, oh doomed Elysians, that I know your names.
Especially you, Altare Regis - and your master, Ollie Kureiji. The two of you have used those Elysian tin cans - your 'M3 Stuarts' in ways that intrigue me.
But I have grown tired of just playing.
Banda Puncak Biru will be your grave.
For I am Zeta Vestia.
I will bury you.
I will show you no mercy.
…
At the banks of a small river brook in the forests of the Sierra Pavoliana, Zeta's muffled musings echo with the murmurs and gurgles of the water. A blond-haired officer, wearing the stylish leather-clad uniform of a Pavolian tanker, hears that voice and follows it to the source.
The blond enters a clearing and finds Kapetan Zeta Vestia, now the Grand Marshall of the Pavolian Armed Forces, looking at her distorted reflection in the flowing waters.
'She's talking to herself again.' The blonde thinks.
She takes a deep breath and approaches the Grand Marshall.
"Ah, Kaela." Zeta muses. She turns away from the river and smiles at the officer, "Is something the matter?"
Kaela pauses. The chilling words of Zeta's speech sting her heart, so she chooses her own words carefully.
"Grand Marshall, did you have a guest here just now?" Kaela asks.
A small, sly smile forms on Zeta's lips, "I do now. My favorite guest, as a matter of fact."
Kaela's cheeks flush red a little, but her glee is dulled by the winds on her face and the doubts in her heart.
"Are you alright, Jeta?" Kaela asks, speaking more softly.
Zeta chuckles. She kicks rocks and pebbles into the river, distorting her reflection in the water a thousandfold.
"I have never been better, Kaela. Never been better."
Kaela looks Zeta in the eyes. She can see flames burning in the Grand Marshall's eyes.
So, Kaela straightens up her posture and gives Zeta a sharp salute.
"The tanks of the 101st are prepared to strike, Grand Marshall. Our decoys by the Atlantean Ocean have held the main Elysian force in place, just as planned. Our support elements here have finished their preparations too." Kaela reports. She produces a royal blue peaked cap and offers it to Zeta, "We are awaiting your command."
"The time has come, then." Zeta takes the peaked cap and places it over her head of gray hair, "Tell the Division that we're executing the plans immediately - both of them. Prepare my tank as well."
"Consider them done, Grand Marshall." Kaela stiffens her stance even more.
With that, Kaela turns around and starts to march back towards the rest of the Division. However, Zeta calls out to her.
"Kaela."
Kaela stops in her tracks and turns around.
"Yes, Jeta?"
"Will you ride alongside me again for this battle?" Zeta asks.
"I would follow you into hell, Jeta." Kaela swears proudly, "We will crush the Elysians today, you have my word."
…
VRRRRROOOOOMM! VRRRRROOOOOMM! VRRRRROOOOOMM!
Seventy formidable Pavolian HaKu IV medium tanks, spread out into four Companies throughout the Sierra Pavoliana forests, start their engines all at once. Their symphony of soot and smoke startles the birds, spurring many to take flight and flee.
Zeta Vestia regards the HaKu IV's gathered before her and smiles from ear to ear. She then turns around and sees a smaller group of tanks, a dozen sleek and advanced HaKu V "Panthers" that shimmer in the dying sunlight.
Kaela Kovalskia helps Zeta up onto one of the Panther tanks. Then, Kaela herself boards her own Panther.
These tanks, too, start their engines, completing the steel symphony.
VRRRRROOOOOMM!
Zeta's grin widens.
"What a lovely purr." Zeta pats the turret of her Panther tank.
Zeta's Panther tank leads the way and Kaela rides alongside her as she promised. The rest of the tanks of the Division's detachment follow them. Their engines roar like feral beasts and their treads wound the earth through the snow.
All of them drive around the hill - and towards the camouflaged Bridgehead Base and the measly eight Stuart tanks defending it.
"Kaela!" Zeta calls out to her right hand woman from her cupola.
"Yes, Grand Marshall." Kaela answers obediently.
"Activate the MERAK's outward channel. Unencrypted." Zeta commands her, "Direct it towards the captured Bridgehead Base. I have a call to make."
"Right away!" Kaela salutes. She disappears into the turret of her Panther tank for a short while before she pops out again, declaring, "The MERAK is ready for you, ma'am. Encryption zero."
Zeta nods to Kaela. Then, she picks up her radio handset. She turns her eyes towards the distant Bridgehead Base.
She engages her handset and speaks in fluent Elysian.
"Attention, Elysian dogs. This is Zeta Vestia, the Grand Marshall of the Pavolian Armed Forces - and Kapetan of the 101st Tank Division. I demand to speak with your commanding officer this instant! I will not extend the courtesy of civil conversation a second time!"
Moments pass in silence as the Pavolian tanks continue their advance behind the hills.
Then, Ollie's voice reaches Zeta's ears through the radio.
"This is Ollie Kureiji speaking. Lieutenant of the Elysian Army PCAPs." Ollie declares, emphasizing 'Elysian', "You have the nerve to speak with me after everything that you did. Cat."
"I'm not a cat." Zeta hisses into the radio, "I"m not a cat, but I have a fleet of them - Panthers - coming towards you. Each one of them has a 75mm gun tailor made to destroy Elysian tanks like yours."
"We're not afraid of you, Zeta." Ollie snaps back at her.
"Well, you should be!" Zeta laughs, "I'm calling because you are an old friend and I wish to hear your voice, perhaps, one last time."
"Don't call me your 'friend', murderer." Ollie growls.
Zeta snorts, but changes the subject.
"You were one of the most promising talents in our batch of the Pavolian Youth, Ollie. You had all of the trappings of becoming a fine HaKugrenadier - and even a tank commander!"
Zeta glances briefly at Kaela and continues.
"There are those who still revere you as one of the greatest HaKu IV commanders to have graced the service. Even I get jealous of you when I hear those praises… but I agree with them. So, I often wonder: why, Ollie? Why did you give up that promising future to become a mere Garrison guardswoman in Xenokuni City?"
"I am still a tank commander. That hasn't changed."
"Hah! Be real, Ollie. You and I both know that those tin cans you're driving now, the bottom rung of the Elysian Army, can hardly be called tanks! A powerful breeze can blow through their armor. Their puny guns cannot pierce most Pavolian armor!"
"But they climbed the Blue Mountain." Ollie argues, "They thwarted you time and again."
Zeta's confident smile twists and sours ever so slightly.
"Listen, Ollie. We could have been something great: you, me, Kaela and Moona. We may have gone our separate ways, but it's not yet too late to go back to those times."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm offering you a chance to surrender, Ollie. Return to the Empress' embrace. Become the prodigal daughter that you are, and I will spare the life of your prodigy - Altare Regis."
"You know about Sergeant Regis…?"
"But of course! I heard he has an adopted Pavolian sister that he is fond of, after all. Having someone as notable as him in Pavolian captivity will be useful in breaking the already fractured Parliament of Metro Elysium. Heh. As for the other souls trapped there in that camp with you? It'll depend on how I feel after dinner tonight."
"Zeta…"
"Play nice with me and I'll even have a Panther tank prepared for you. We have reserves in the Blue Throne, after all. Tell me… how much reserves do the Elysians have? Hehe - and I'm not talking about all of the children that their silly Parliament is about to draft to war and…"
"ZETA!" Ollie snaps.
She quickly and furiously.
"Take that offer of yours and shove it up your ass!"
"... wha…!?" Zeta gasps.
"I don't trust you - and neither did Moona-simpai! Only death is waiting for us if we surrender. Moona got in your way so you murdered her. You're going to do the same to me - and you're gonna make a fucking show out of it, you goddamned monster!"
Zeta gnashes her teeth.
"That's rich coming from you. Didn't you and your posse just try to assassinate the Empress of Pavolia in Pavolian soil!? Don't you remember how close Moona-simpai and Reine-simpai were? I watched the Empress CRY, you traitor!"
"She'll cry again, much more bitterly, when she finds out who truly killed Moona-simpai! It's only a matter of time…"
The handset trembles in Zeta's tightening grasp.
"And here I was thinking that you'd be willing to listen to reason. But I should have known. You've made your decision, Ollie Kureiji, so I will give you a warrior's death. I will give you a battle that you cannot possibly hope to win!"
"Show yourself, then, you coward!"
"Oh, I will, Ollie. Believe me, I will!"
Zeta ends the transmission and slams the radio handset back into its slot. Her fiery eyes glare at Kaela and she commands her.
"Do it, Kaela."
Kaela nods solemnly. The blonde adjutant picks up her own radio handset and relays their orders in Pavolian.
"Attention all tank companies and support units of the 101st, this is Pemaloe Company Leader. Commence Operation Broken Crown. I repeat. Commence Operation Broken Crown!"
One by one the commanders of the support elements and the tank companies acknowledge Kaela. As they do, the blonde's eyes wander back to Zeta and her tank.
Kaela only sees the profile of Zeta's face as her gray hair and her peaked cap flutter in the wintry winds. This is an expression that she has seen in Zeta many times before.
An expression that precedes a slaughter.
…
…
…
Meanwhile, at the concealed Bridgehead Base, Ollie Kureiji's heart beats hard against her chest. She sees the flocks of startled birds flying out of the forests of the Sierra Pavoliana opposite the Blue Mountain.
Zeta's declaration of war lingers in her mind and in her heart. She then looks around the base and sees Altare and the tank commanders peering out of their cupolas towards her with anxiety. Shinri, Kiara and the Xenokunian riders and sappers, likewise, stand silent and wait for Ollie's orders.
Ollie grips her chest and crumples her Elysian uniform.
'Get a hold of yourself, Ollie…!' she urges herself, 'Get a hold of yourself and skin that fucking cat alive!'
She takes a deep breath and starts giving her commands.
"Mr. Josuiji, Miss Fenix, we need eyes on the enemy positions. Do not engage them! We just have to know how many of her tanks from her Division she brought."
Kiara hesitates, but Shinri promptly answers Ollie.
"I expect a decisive victory today, Miss Kureiji." Shinri reminds her, "Our dead will not settle for anything less today."
"I know." Ollie answers grimly, "I won't bow down to Zeta. I can't give her the satisfaction… after everything she's done. That bitch… that bitch has to pay!"
"But Miss Kureiji…!" Kiara tries to argue.
"We have our mission, Kiara." Shinri urges her. He turns to his riders and cries out, "¡Primero batallón, conmigo!"
Xenokunian cavalry form up and follow Shinri towards the Sierra Pavoliana opposite the Blue Mountain. Kiara clicks her tongue and follows suit.
"Segundo batallón, conmigo." Kiara shouts, but her tone is less robust than Shinri's.
The rest of the Xenokunians depart the base, leaving the PCAPs tankers and the Correctional Infantry manning the trenches.
Ollie searches for her radio handset, only for her to realize that she has been holding onto it the whole time. She gulps, wipes sweat from her brow and calls Calli.
"Charon Company Leader, do you read me? Over."
"Loud and clear, BatCom. Over."
"We have enemy movement in the forests of the Sierra Pavoliana. I have no specific coordinates. Spread out your fire and bombard the general area. Over."
A pause follows Ollie's order. Then, Calli's prickly voice sharply objects.
"Just bombard the forest? JUST bombard the forest? Do you see where those frightened birds are coming from? We don't have enough guns to cover that much ground! Hell - we're an independent Battalion. We don't have the ammo to take on a whole fucking DIVISION! We even spent some of it on a target that wasn't actually there! Damn… Over!"
"What do you want us to do, Captain Mori? Just roll over and die!?" Ollie snaps at her, "Just fire everything you've got. We'll make it work somehow. We always have! Over!"
Calli sighs audibly over the radio.
"Fire mission received, BatCom. We'll execute it when the guns are ready. We're bombarding the target area as requested - but I sure hope you know what you're doing. Over."
"Just do it! Over and out!" Ollie ends the call.
Ollie's breaths grow short and shallow.
"Lieutenant…?" Altare calls out to her with concern.
"I'm fine, Sergeant Regis." Ollie clicks her tongue dismissively, "Just get ready to fight the enemies."
Altare furrows his brow.
"Fight the enemies? Are you sure about this? Listen to yourself, ma'am. I was there when the Lt. Colonel gave the report from BORDERFOR. We could be up against the bulk of the 101st Tank Division." Altare lays out his case.
"But this could be another one of her bluffs!" Ollie hisses back.
"And what if you're wrong?" Altare demands, "If you are, then Captain Mori would be right. We don't have the ammo to hold this position - or to engage the enemy. This isn't Xenokuni City, ma'am. These are open plains. We have nowhere to hide!"
"I know that, Sergeant." Ollie frowns and snarls at Altare, "What do you suggest we do, then?"
"We have to get the hell out of here." Altare answers firmly, "Maybe we can link up and regroup with BORDERFOR somehow."
Ollie suddenly fumes.
"Retreat? Regroup? How!? Through the Blue Mountain, Sergeant? Or are you saying we're going to force our way through every single Imperial Guard outpost in Banda Puncak Biru between here and the Atlantean Ocean? Think our ammo's gonna hold up for that trek? What about our fuel?"
"Is standing our ground here really the only option, then!?" Altare doesn't back down, "Is that what your Moona-simpai would have wanted!? What if this is what Zeta Vestia wants!? Paralyzing you like this!"
"You're out of line, Sergeant!" Ollie growls.
"If that's the case, then why don't we contact the Lieutenant Commander?" Altare challenges her, "You know what she'll say, but you don't want to hear it, do you, ma'am?"
Finally, Ollie falls silent. She cannot find the words to say. The ceremonial saber she wears at her hip feels heavy. Ollie shrinks under Altare's gaze.
Suddenly, the radio of Ollie's tank comes to life once more.
…
"MOUNTAINFOR Battalion Commander, this is Green Flight Leader. Elysian Army Air Corps. We have recon planes en route to your position. Give us coordinates. Over."
"Finally, some good news!" Ollie sighs with relief. She picks up her radio handset once more, "Green Flight Leader, this is MOUNTAINFOR BatCom. We are requesting aerial recon of the Sierra Pavoliana due North and North-West of our position. Over."
"Acknowledged, BatCom. We are entering your operation zone in five… hold on…"
The flight leader's voice trails off.
"Green Flight Leader?" Ollie calls him.
"BatCom… my recon planes and I have encountered Angkatan Udara warplanes - Pavolian warplanes - in pursuit of us. We see… six… eight? No, nine planes! And there's even more coming! We are being intercepted… we cannot commence the aerial reco-"
His transmission suddenly cuts off with a crackle of static.
"Green Flight Leader!" Ollie urges again.
"Where the hell did they come from!? It's like they knew we were coming and…! And…! Fuck! Mayday! Mayday! I'm…! FUCK! GAHH!"
The transmission ends abruptly once more, but it does not start up again.
Ollie whips out her binoculars and frantically searches the skies. She finds a flight of three Elysian planes hunted down by a pack of nine Pavolian fighters.
It is a woefully one-sided dogfight. The Elysian planes erupt into flames and come crashing down from the skies.
Furthermore, she spots another large formation of Pavolian warplanes rumbling towards the Bridgehead Base.
"Stukas…" Ollie croaks, "And they're coming right for us…"
The binoculars slip from Ollie's hands and tumble off the turret of her tank. As Ollie struggles to pick up her binoculars, the Xenokunian cavalry gallop hard to the base in a hurry.
Kiara rides ahead of the others and shouts out in a loud voice,
"EIGHTY TANKS! WE SAW EIGHTY TANKS!"
"Four tank companies…" Ollie shudders, "Zeta's not bluffing…"
Most of the Stuart tank commanders start to grumble and whisper.
Altare, however, furrows his brow.
"If the Pavolians have four tank companies, ma'am, they'd have support units attached. Anti-tank. Anti-aircraft. Artillery." Altare makes his case, "They know where we are. This was their base, for crying out loud. So why, then, haven't they fired a shot yet?"
Ollie's heart nearly stops.
"Because they're waiting for our mountain guns to shoot first." She gulps, "FUCK! I have to stop the fire mission! They're gonna counterbattery!"
Ollie grabs her radio handset and shouts, "CHARON COMPANY! DO NOT FIRE-"
Unfortunately, Captain Mori beats her to the punch and speaks first.
"BatCom. This is Charon Company Leader. Executing the fire mission now. We are firing for effect - over!"
All at once, the dozen mountain guns of Charon Company fire upon the Sierra Pavoliana forests and hills. Their shots illuminate the Blue Mountains with muzzle flashes that contrast the snowy peaks.
The blasts are so bright that Ollie can see from the cupola of her tank. Like targets painted on a canvas of white.
Charon Company's shells pound the Sierra Pavoliana impotently like a drizzle.
And then, they are answered by a blistering Pavolian downpour.
Throughout a whole stretch of the Sierra Pavoliana, Pavolian field artillery guns open fire upon Charon Company's positions in the Blue Mountain.
BAM! BAM! BAM!BAM! BRA-BA-BAM!
Their shots ring louder than the full broadside of a battleship. They bathe the Blue Mountain in fire.
Kiara looks up to the burning mountain and shrieks, "CALLI!"
None of Charon Company's guns are able to answer the Pavolians. The Pavolian Stuka dive bombers approach the Bridgehead Base in the distance.
And then, the formidable HaKu IV's and the advanced HaKu V's of the 101st Tank Division finally emerge from the Sierra Pavoliana and show their full might to Ollie.
She's outnumbered, outgunned and unmanned. Sweat drips down her brow. Chills run up her spine.
Then, she hears Altare's voice.
"LIEUTENANT!" Altare shouts at her, drawing her out of her rut.
Ollie breathes shallowly.
"This position is completely untenable. We've lost our artillery support too. Give us the order to retreat!" Altare insists.
Ollie bites her thumb. Then, she gives the order.
"You're right, Sergeant Regis. We're abandoning this position! We… We cannot fight the 101st Division. Not here. Not now. They're prepared for us. We're not prepared for them." She looks up to the Blue Mountain behind them, though, and her resolve wavers, "But going all the way back…"
Shinri growls, "So we're going to turn tail and run after all! Is that it!?"
"Mr. Josuiji…" Altare tries to interject, but Shinri ignores him.
"I would rather be a martyr than live knowing I ran away from Hakka's murderer when she is RIGHT THERE in front of us!" Shinri roars.
Shinri's eyes burn with animalistic fury. His wounds from the death of Hakka Banzoin have not yet healed.
Kiara clenches her fists and cuts in with tears in her eyes.
"But our people need leaders, señor! Not martyrs! We have enough martyrs already! El Fraile did not die for this!"
"Kiara!" Shinri tries to speak over her, but Kiara does not let him.
"We have to live to fight another day!" Kiara urges them. She turns towards Altare and asks him, "You think so too, right Mr. Regis?"
"I do." Altare confirms, "We have to get out of here right now."
"What about your vaunted tanks…?" Shinri asks.
"We're leaving them!" Altare answers without hesitation, "Tanks can be replaced. We cannot. If we get out of here on horseback, we might still have a chance!" He looks Shinri in the eyes and begs, "We need your help, Mr. Josuiji."
While Altare is speaking, the Sierra Pavoliana erupts with explosions again. The Pavolian field guns have fired.
Shinri grits his teeth. Then, he cries out in a loud voice.
"Elysianos! Get out of your vehicles and ride with us. HURRY!"
…
BRA-BOOM! BRA-BOOM! BAM!BAM!BAM!
BRA-BOOM! BRA-BOOM! BAM!BAM!BAM!
BRA-BOOM! BRA-BOOM! BAM!BAM!BAM!
Pandemonium falls upon the Bridgehead Base as Pavolian artillery shells rain down from the skies. Blasts scorch Altare's skin and threaten to deafen his ears. Still, Altare scrambles out of the cupola of the Tempest.
"C'mon everyone, let's get out of here!" Altare shouts over the explosions.
He extends his hand and helps his crew out of the vehicle. At the same time, he calls for Xenokunian riders to ferry them out of the battlefield.
"Remember! Hold on tight and don't let go!" Altare advises his crew.
Axel and Magni catch rides on riders from Kiara's contingent while Vesper gets on a pack horse from Shinri's group.
"What about you, leader?" Vesper asks him with concern.
"I'll find a way out of here. Just go! Before Zeta's tanks get here!" Altare commands them.
The Xenokunian riders whip their reins, taking Altare's crew back to the forested foot of the Blue Mountain. Altare, on the other hand, watches as the Elysian tankers and troops scramble to get on horses.
He watches scuffles break out between the tankers, the troops and the Xenokunian riders. Only the Pavolian artillery shells silence them.
BRA-BOOM! BRA-BOOM! BAM!BAM!BAM!
BRA-BOOM! BRA-BOOM! BAM!BAM!BAM!
BRA-BOOM! BRA-BOOM! BAM!BAM!BAM!
The enemy shots grow more accurate, worsening the chaos in the already frantic camp.
Pavolian bombs start to strike the Stuart tanks in the trenches from above, blowing them open like tin cans set ablaze, incinerating anyone left inside.
Horses, frightened by the blasts, throw their riders off their saddles left and right. But then, the bombs strike them too - indiscriminately reducing horses and humans, Elysian and Xenokunian, into sprays of red mist.
Thick smoke fills the camp and shrouds Altare's vision. The ringing in his ears worsens as he stumbles through the wrecks and the corpses of people and animals strewn about him.
He finds Kiara on her horse.
"Señor Regis!" She cries to Altare, her voice muffled by the ringing. She urges him to come to her.
But then, a third, merciless Pavolian volley drops upon the camp.
BRA-BOOM! BRA-BOOM! BAM!BAM!BAM!
BRA-BOOM! BRA-BOOM! BAM!BAM!BAM!
BRA-BOOM! BRA-BOOM! BAM!BAM!BAM!
Altare sees a blast thrusting Ollie off of a horse and into the snow. Another bomb explodes close by.
BOOM!
"Shit…!" Altare curses.
He rushes towards Ollie and covers the Lieutenant with his body, shielding her from the soot and the falling debris. When the dust settles, he raises his head and cries out to Kiara,
"TAKE HER, MISS FENIX."
Altare can hardly hear his own voice.
Kiara comes by as Altare asks. Altare helps the dazed Ollie onto Kiara's horse, but the Xenokunian asks him a question.
A question that he cannot fully hear.
More bombs fall, so Altare urges Kiara, "Go! Just go…!"
Kiara's face grows sour, but she gives Altare a nod. She rides with Ollie away from the shellshocked camp as Altare looks on.
Maimed bodies litter the ground around Altare, strewn between the burning wrecks of Stuart tanks, troop trucks and masticated Xenokunian horses.
But then… Shinri Josuiji comes by on his white stallion.
The Xenokunian leader extends his hand towards him and he urges, "Get on!"
Altare hobbles over to Shinri's horse and they follow the other riders towards the Blue Mountain.
Bombs continue to pound the camp behind them. Altare looks back to the trenches and he watches the abandoned Tempest tank disappear behind artillery blasts as the Pavolians flatten their former base.
An array of Pavolian tanks, swathes of HaKu IV's led by a glistening line of HaKu V's chase after them. Shinri's horse gallops away faster than the steel beasts, but the machine guns of the tanks fire upon them.
RATATATATATATATATATATATAT!
"Hold on, señor!" Shinri urges. He cracks the reins of his stallion as hard as he can, "This is going to be a rough ride!"
Altare does as he is told. He holds onto Shinri and holds on for dear life.
Shinri's stallion whinnies and gallops even faster as bullets whiz past them. Some of the riders ahead of them are struck by the hail of lead, killing horses and riders alike.
Fear starts to grip at Altare's heart. Behind and before him, Altare sees carnage.
Without the armor of a tank, he feels naked on the battlefield. The full brunt of winter frost strikes him and his entire body without mercy.
And then, he suddenly feels warm.
Altare takes his free hand and then feels the intensifying warmth in his side with a free hand. He brings his hand up to the level of his eyes.
He sees blood.
"When did I…?" He croaks.
"Señor?" Shinri looks over his shoulder, "Is something wrong?"
Shinri's voice is muffled for Altare, even though he is right next to him. It's almost as if Shinri is speaking from another world.
Altare's vision blurs.
The shadow of a Pavolian Stuka dive bomber looms over him and Shinri. He sees the Stukas drop their bombs, but he cannot hear their fearsome wailing horns.
A pair of explosions burst around Altare. Their light reflects on his green eyes glistening with tears.
A single thought crosses his mind at that very moment.
He does not want to die.
Then, his vision fades to black.
…
…
…
When Altare comes to, he is no longer in the snowy valley plains of Banda Puncak Biru. As a matter of fact, it is no longer winter - and he is no longer in his bloody, grimy tanker's uniform.
Instead, he is clad in civilian clothes. He is standing in a suburban area where Elysian flags fly from the poles. He recognizes this place.
'This is my neighborhood…'
Altare wanders through the familiar streets and finds his way to his house. Waiting for him there is a familiar face.
'... Kobo?'
He sees his adopted sister, Kobo Kanaeru, sitting at the front porch of the house. She smiles at him and waves to him.
"Welcome back, Ragus!" Kobo greets.
"Kobo…!" Altare gasps.
He rushes through the green grass of the front yard and embraces Kobo.
"I've missed you so much, Kobo!" Altare sniffles, hugging his sister tightly.
"H-hey… what's gotten into you?" Kobo laughs, "You've already been back a while and you're still like this?"
"... still like this?" Altare asks, "What do you mean?"
Just as Altare asks this, however, he hears a van pull up at the front of the house. Altare turns around and reads the markings on the van.
It's from the Elysian Army recruiting service.
"... wait." Altare gulps.
He looks down upon Kobo and finally sees what she's wearing. It's an Elysian Army uniform.
Faceless Elysian soldiers emerge from the recruitment van and march solemnly towards Kobo.
"Kobo Kanaeru?" One of the soldiers calls out to Kobo.
Kobo lets go of Altare and salutes the soldier.
"At your service." Kobo declares wholeheartedly.
Altare grits his teeth.
"Hold on just a fucking minute!" Altare growls, "Where are you taking her?"
"To her Basic Training in Metro Elysium." The soldier answers Altare, "Miss Kanaeru has been drafted to serve Elysium."
The soldier then glances at Altare. His eyes turn to a peculiar purple medal pinned to his chest, "Oh, and thank you for your service."
"Drafted…!? Kobo is sixteen!" Altare hisses, "Don't lay a fucking hand on her!"
"You haven't heard the news, Ragus?" Kobo asks, "I'm already fit to serve! I already signed the papers."
"But Kobo…!" Altare tries to argue, but he freezes where he stands.
Once again, he feels the strange warmth on his side. He feels the piercing pangs of a fresh bullet wound grip him.
All around him, the springtime scene shifts rapidly: first to summer, then to the fall. With each season, purple medals like Altare's appear on her chest. Kobo's hearty face becomes sullen and her body becomes more gaunt.
Before he knows it, in just a heartbeat, winter has fallen once more. And then, the Army Recruitment van becomes a hearse.
Altare falls down to his knees, screaming and begging the soldiers as he bleeds out onto the snow, "NO! Don't take her! Goddamn it, don't take her!"
The gaunt, miserable Kobo forces herself to smile.
"Bye bye, Ragus. I'll make you proud."
Altare's bloodshot eyes tremble as he cries, "KOBO!"
…
And then, Altare awakens.
…
…
…
The sterile smell of alcohol and ammonia assaults Altare's nose as he awakens in an unfamiliar place. He looks around and sees off-white walls and a plain wooden ceiling above him. Beyond the walls, he can hear the lapping of waves on the shore.
'Is this… the Exclave?' Altare wonders.
When he stirs, the springs of a hospital bed creak below him and his bedsheets slide off his shoulders.
Altare looks down to his side and sees bandages wrapped around his torso. He tries to get out of bed, but a spell of lightheadedness keeps him in place.
Then, he hears footsteps from behind him.
Altare cranes his head slowly to the other side of the room. He sees Lieutenant Ollie Kureiji with lines of stitches on her face and bandages wrapped around her head.
Altare's eyes meet with Ollie's.
"You're not dead yet, Sergeant Regis." Ollie speaks. The beginnings of a smile appear on her lips, but she winces in pain and laughs bitterly, "Hah… and neither am I. Thanks to you."
Altare manages a small smile.
"I can't die yet, ma'am. Not until I'm sure I can protect Kobo from this damn war."
When Altare says this, Ollie's smile fades quickly.
"With the way things are going, you may not be able to keep that promise." Ollie warns, "Not to mention… not all MOUNTAINFOR was as fortunate as us."
Altare falls silent.
"What do you mean, ma'am?" Altare asks.
Ollie's expression grows grim.
"You just woke up, Sergeant. A lot has happened while you were recuperating, but you're not in a position to take a mission briefing. Rest up for now. You're going to need all the strength you can get." She looks out of the window and sighs, "Zeta's forces will be knocking at the gates of the Exclave before long. And this time, we have our backs to the sea."
…
…
…
TEMPEST
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