Every crew member in the air was anxious. The battle they were going to join, from what they heard, was a brutal one. Even with the superior firepower that the recon team possessed, the numbers they were facing were just too much. The sun was on their back as the helicopters flew in low over the countryside. Above them, keeping pace, was their most powerful Element. Talisman and his A-10. More than just a pilot, he was almost a symbol of hope for the Emmerian forces during the Estovakian War, and now he was about to deliver that hope again.

"Nomad, Shooter, I have the city in sight. I'll go in and make the initial strike on the east wall. That seems to be where they're more numerous." Talisman reported.

"Copy that, Garuda 1. We'll catch up with you. Engage." That was all Talisman needed to hear. He increased the throttle and shot ahead of the helicopters. Upon making one pass around the city, he set up his attack run heading in from the east and out to the west.

He rolled in, looking through the HUD and picking a spot on the bottom of the entry gate where soldiers were cramming into. He selected the gun. Weapons hot. Rolling level, he put the pipper on the right were he wanted. At 1500 feet, he squeezed the trigger. The aircraft vibrated for a solid two seconds until he let go and pulled back hard on the stick. Winging over and turning right, he saw the extent of his first run below. Soon he heard it as well.

"A little warning would've been nice, Garuda! Great hits on target!" The voice was that of one of the reconnaissance soldiers below. "This is Recon 1 to all aircraft! For the time being limit you fire to the outside of the city, as friendlies and civilians are within the walls. Anything outside is fair game!"

"Shooter copies. I also heard you're in need of reinforcements. We'll see that Nomad brings them in ready to fight." D-Ray stated. Once they were within half a mile of the city, the Apaches began strafing the grounds outside of the wall. Bandits were trying to break into the city by any and every means necessary. Door mounted guns on the transport helicopters made quick work of any troops on the ground. That was until a giant wooden rod flew past one of the helicopters.

"AA weapon on the wall! Shooter, we can't get any closer until they're taken out!"

"Hang on Jack!" With extreme swiftness, D-Ray maneuvered his helicopter around to face the offenders. Too close to utilize his hellfire missiles, he selected the rocket pods. On the ground, the soldiers and civilians watching saw the green machine scream past before popping up, going nose down and firing a short salvo of rockets. Needless to say, anyone and everyone operating the ballista was gone. Along with the ballista. "That ones for the boys back home!" He exclaimed as he set up for another attack. The transport helicopter swung around behind the lines of the defenders and started offloading their troops. Once they had done so, half the troops went to support the defense on the south entry, while the rest went to support the east.

Those who went to the east had to push their way through the crowds of people who were either cowering in terror or trying to catch a glimpse of the action. The units soon came upon the blockade of vehicles and men who were holding the line. The carnage that greeted them was unreal. Half the reinforcement wasted no time, joining the fight. It was chaos. Especially with Rory tearing up anyone who dared to challenge her. She seemed to take pleasure in the heat of battle, and fighting alongside her was none other than the Major himself. For the first time since the war, he was in close quarters with an enemy force. He had dismounted the Bradley as soon as the first horde of bandits had been cut down. It was an absolute massacre. He ordered a few more soldiers to join in the fighting, leaving the radio to Montey. Rico was one of the few who joined in the melee, beating the ever-loving crap out of a poor bandit who had decided to attack him. It was chaotic. Gunshots and shouting men with helicopters, explosions and the roar of jets filling the air. It was war. Bringing his rifle to bear on some more bandits charging at him, they were swiftly cut down by the 25mm cannon from the Bradley.

"RICO BEHIND YOU!" The private spun around just in time to see a bandit getting ready for the killing blow. In a split second the private drew his sidearm, making quick work of the bandit.

"You gotta keep your head on a swivel!" one of the soldiers shouted. The two looked over to see Rory and Tavaris still stacking bodies. Rory was attacking the remaining bandits head on, while Tavaris stayed behind, covering her blind spots.

In the sky, Talisman was just finishing another gun run. By now the sun had risen well I to the sky, and the true carnage of the battle, at least from the air, was clear to see.

"This is Talisman, I don't believe I can be of much use from here other than a massive show of force. From up here, seems as of everyone is gone."

"Roger Talisman, your job here is done. We can take things from here. Nomads have dropped in their reinforcements and are awaiting further orders." Montey stated. For the first time in the battle, there was a lull in the action. The remaining bandits were backed up against the wall. Most of them had injuries due to the wounds they sustained. The Apaches were in a much better position, with D-Ray slowly circling the east courtyard. By now, Tavaris was standing between Rory and the remaining bandits, and although she could easily have gotten him to move, she allowed him to hold her back, having long satisfied her bloodlust. Tavaris then addressed the remaining bandits.

"You came in and tried to destroy this town. Now you stand amongst your brethren. Surrender now and you will be spared. Otherwise, we will wipe you out!" One of the bandits started making a last-ditch charge at the line of soldiers. He didn't even make it halfway, being cut down by a single shot of the Bradley's cannon. The others wised up and threw down their weapons. Tavaris motioned for the soldiers to take them in while the medics went to tend to the defenders that had been harmed. The men and women of the recon force were finally allowed to catch their breath.

"You did great out there, Miss Mercury." Tavaris said, watching the POWs getting escorted away.

"Rory will do just fine, mortal warrior."

"Fair enough." He made his way back to the blockade. The M113 was surrounded by spent .50 Caliber casings, as well as 25mm.

"You are one crazy Son of a bitch, you know that?" He heard the Sergeant say to him. Both him and Montey had seen combat together multiple times, and each time they were almost always in close proximity to each other. "You faced down an entire army."

"We did that, don't forget it." He then went over to the open rear of the Bradley, where he needed to clear his mind. Sitting there, his mind went straight back to the siege on Silvat, and how they just barely escaped with their lives. The only thing bringing him back to earth was the feeling of something being pressed onto his shoulder. He looked back to see who had just given him a drink. It was his gunner.

"Christ man, I didn't think I'd get to see you in combat like that again." He stated. All the Major could do was nod. He looked down at his hands, now that the adrenaline had worn off, he was shaking. "Could've been worse, you know."

"Don't we know it." He replied back. He thought about the opening stages of the Estovakian War. How they had been just as decimated and nearly powerless to stop it. "But at the end of the day, we saved countless lives." He looked beyond the blockade, seeing families reuniting. Soldiers from both sides, the defenders, and his own unit, mingling and thanking one another. It was similar to what happened after the war. Stories were told and recorded after the destruction of Chandelier about a few Estovakian higher ups praising the pilots of the Emmerian Air Force.

"I still need to make a detailed report about this once we get back to base." Tavaris said. "Tell those on the southern wall to help clean up this mess. Remember we came here for a reason."

"Yes sir." Montey said and promptly left to help direct the efforts.

Above them, Talisman or orbited the city. Upon seeing the remaining attacker surrender, he leveled his wings and began to head home.

"Another job well done." He said.

"Say again, Garuda?"

"Nothing, Henhouse. Enemy combatants have ceased hostilities and I have no sign of that dragon. Looks like they decided to let us have this one." There was silence. As far as he could tell, there was no sign of the dragon. Then again, he didn't have an air-to-air radar.

"Roger that Garuda 1, return to base." Talisman breathed a sigh of relief. He looked off towards the horizon. The sun was now fully over the horizon, bringing the sky to a beautiful blue color.

On the ground, the helicopters touched down just outside the city walls, and their pilots were given the chance to get some fresh air and help with the cleanup along with the soldiers they had brought. D-Ray and Jackie were just climbing out of their Apache when they were called over to help move some rubble. After doing so, they met up with the initial force that had arrived, standing face to face with Tavaris and his crew.

"So you're the one who called in the cavalry, hm? Captain Doug Robinson." He extended his hand to the Major.

"Major Tavaris Mulligan." He shook it. "We appreciated the speedy response to this battle. I don't think they stood a chance, honestly."

"So, what happens now?" He asked. "Cant just simply leave this place and have them fend for themselves while they recover."

"I think that may just be what we have to do. We're meeting with the princess later today to discuss those terms." Tavaris stated. Looking over at the number of bodies that were still strewn everywhere, it was a sight that neither had seen in a long time. "As long as the higher ups don't see any strategic importance here, that's gonna be that."

"Best of luck to ya, then." D-Ray pointed to the group behind them. Tavaris turned to see Montey and the girls waving for him to come.

"I think I'm gonna need it." He said. He had never been a good negotiator, at least in the long run. Whatever he did somehow always seemed to bite him in the end. It happened a few times during the war. He linked up with the group as they headed back up to the city center.

The settlement of the terms was a rather toned-down event, comparatively, to the days events. The adrenaline rush was definitely gone by now, and the two were starting to feel it. Once those terms had been settled, which was to allow trade between the locals at Alnus Hill and Italica to be tax exempt, they then moved on to the prisoners. As stated, the prisoners were allowed to help with the recovery efforts on the terms they were fairly treated. They also stated that the Emmerian forces in the area were going to pull out, as they had no strategic value for this city.

"It's settled then."

"One more thing before we leave, princess. Why would an army like that target a relatively peaceful town?" She looked confused, as if she hadn't thought about it enough herself. "It doesn't make sense, just outright targeting a heavily civilian population."

"Not to mention you were barely holding your own." Montey added on.

"Well, this town may not look like it, but it serves as an important crossroads for the kingdom." She explained. "And those bandits, well, they were the remains of the armies that went after Alnus Hill."

Both soldiers looked at one another as they realized what she meant.

"This must be that chaos she was talking about." Montey stated.

"You don't say…"

Once given the all clear, the helicopters would soon be making their way back to base. Having been loaded up with some of the prisoners, as well as the soldiers, they were heavy and vulnerable. But with the Apaches guarding them on the way back, they had little to worry about.

The local population watched and cheered as the helicopters lifted off one by one. Everyone except soldiers of the reconnaissance unit. They still had a job to do, and that job was to wait for the girls to finish their trade business. In the meantime, Tavaris filled everyone in on the situation, for a couple, it wasn't surprising that the force was made up of a large portion of the surviving military. For others it was a complete shock.

"Blatantly attacking a civilian population like that is unacceptable." Delilah stated.

"Well, I'd they were willing to do that to us, who's to say they hadn't done it before?" Tavaris nodded in agreement, only thinking back to the stories he had heard about the Stovies occupation of some of Emmeria's cities. And how brutal the occupiers got.

"Well, we fought it off, and that's the important part." As far as he was concerned, the crisis was over. And he could finally get some rest. Everyone in the unit was either dozing off or close to it as the girls were still bartering their scales. Soon though, they would return, and the convoy would move out.

Upon leaving Italica, everyone was settling in for the long drive back to base. Steven had given in, as did most others who weren't either driving or spotting. Tavaris was sitting on the outside of the IFV so that the wind would keep him alert. It proved to pay off as in the distance he spotted a rather large cloud of dust growing in size.

"1-1 to all vehicles, we got company out front. Get everyone up." Tavaris climbed back into the tank, nudging Steven.

"Wha...?"

"Steven, switch to the thermals and give me a range. We got some company approaching from thee front." He shot and quickly did as he was ordered. In the scope, he could make out make shapes of what looked to be horseback cavalry.

"I'm counting at least eight on horseback, I'm switching back to visual." Upon making the switch he let out an audible gasp. "They're about 100 meters out and they don't look to happy. Should I fire warning shots?"

"Negative. Let them approach and see what they want." Tavaris ordered. "All vehicles, halt. Montey, Rico, you two dismount. I need both .50's manned and ready to go. Do NOT fire unless I say so."

"1-2, copies."

"1-3 copies."

Tavaris turned to Steven. "If shit hits the fan, fire a warning shot into the air. That should scare their horses" Steven nodded, and Tavaris then hoisted himself up and out the tank. Standing tall on top of the hull, he watched the riders come down the road and eventually come to a stop. Montey and Rico walked up to the Bradley, rifles in hand. Tavaris stepped down from the tank, greeted by the sight of some rather aggressive women in knights' armor.

"Where are you from?" One of them blatantly asked.

"We're just traveling from Italica, off to home." Tavaris answered.

"And where would that be?" The tall blonde of the group asked, dismounting her horse.

"Well, if you really want to know... Alnus Hill." That was met with the knights raising their weapons at them. "Now that's a really bad idea for multiple reasons."

"Quiet you!" Rico began to raise his own rifle, only to have a sword jut out inches from his throat.

"Don't you even think about moving." She hissed at him. The crews of the vehicles all looked on in anticipation. They couldn't do anything until the word was given. The blonde grabbed ahold of Tavaris by the collar.

"You're one of those wretched people!"

"I'd take my hands off of him, if I were you." Montey stated. He still had his rifle in his hand and was now aiming it at the woman. His finger was on the trigger.

"You wanna call us wretched?! Why don't you go to Italica and ask who the hell defended their damn city!" Rico exclaimed. "Without us there, they'd have been annihilated!"

"Lady, you don't know what you're get-…" He was then swiftly delt a hand across the face. Tavaris just grabbed the side of his cheek where was slapped and let out a long sigh. "Fine then… We do this our way." He gave a hand signal, and the Bradley let out a short burst, causing everyone, including the horses, to become startled. Most of the Knights were thrown off their horse, and Tavaris took the moment to subdue woman, swiftly putting her into a chokehold.

"Hold your fire! Hold your Fire!" Montey shouted. Everyone with a gun was out of their vehicle and had them trained on the now dismounted knights.

"I told you this wouldn't go you way, but here we are." The knight struggled, but the hold was well enough that she became weaker and weaker by the second.

"Major, you should probably let her go." Montey stated.

"Disarm her first, then I will." Montey quickly found the sword and took it. As he had said, Tavaris let the woman go. The blonde gasped for air as one of the other rushed to her side.

"Bozes! You brutes! You dare attack a Knight of the Rose Order?!" The knight then stood up and began to charge at Tavaris, sword in hand and ready to strike. Rico, however, was quicker on the draw, letting loose a small burst from his rifle, striking the knight in her arm.

"Rico! Damnit, I said hold your fire!" Montey shouted. The knight gripped her now bleeding arm, having dropped her sword.

"God damnit… Ok, new plan everyone." Tavaris kneeled down next to the injured knight. The medic of the group rushed over, to the dismay of the rest of the knights. But one wave from the one called Bozes staved them off. The knight was trying her best to not cry out in pain.

"She's very lucky. All the bullets passed right through her arm, but she's gonna need some more careful attention. Plus, we used a good chunk of the supplies on the people in Italica." She explained. She wrapped what was left of the bandages around the wounds.

"Well, we're still a couple hours away from base. We cant get a helicopter out here. We may just have to go back to Italica." Montey stated. "Even then, they might have the supplies to help…"

"Then we talk to the Princess. If anyone would have access to supplies like that, it would be her." Tavaris stated. "Ok, here's the plan. Montey, you take 1-1, and 1-2 back to base. Get the girls back there as well. Sarah, Rico, and I will rush the knight here back to Italica. We find the princess and we get her treated." Tavaris stated.

"I've done all I can out here. We need to go now." Sarah stated, helping the knight to her feet. The bandages had small streaks of blood seeping through them, but it was enough for the time being.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this. But we can get you to Italica fast." Tavaris said to the knight. She stayed quiet, but was compliant, almost as if she had been taken prisoner. After some personnel reshuffling, the two groups loaded up into their vehicles. Leilei and Tuca elected to stay with Montey's group, while Rory decided to stick with Tavaris's team.

"Good luck, Major. We'll be back as soon as we can." Montey said. "I must say, I see why you like the Bradley."

"Don't trash her. And thanks, we're gonna need it." Tavaris said, now behind the wheel of the Humvee. "1-3 is moving out!" He pulled a U-turn on the floored it, heading back down the highway at the best speed he could make. The

"1-2, on us, lets get going." The two IFV's began to make their way back to the base. The knights, having just seen their comrade getting treated and seeing gunfire for the first time, were stunned. It wasn't until their leader rallied them back together and went in pursuit of the vehicle with their comrade inside.

Another Chapter done. Again, I just wanna say thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read this story. I'm just shocked at how well this has done and I will be forever Grateful. Hope you're excited about the next installment.