A/N: Hey y'all. Just one more chapter after this, then we focus on the rewrite.
I know it's super fast paced, but this is a rough draft for a lack of a better term. Things will be added or removed, and you can bet there'll be more exposition and worldbuilding in the rewrite.
For those of you that have stuck with this story this long, y'all are awesome.
Sincerely,
SirStonewall
"All districts are falling back to the next defense line. With three districts down, we have fifteen districts at risk of being surrounded and destroyed." Jesse reported to Katya as she took a break, drinking from the Processor's canteen while he took over coordinating with the help of several others, connecting and disconnecting from all the districts until they had all been given the orders to fall back. "Katya, I need a Juggernaut."
"We have none to spare, unless you want to rebuild a damaged one."
He turned toward her, utterly gobsmacked and slightly irritated. "You mean in the entirety of District One we have no spare Juggernauts? Does the Republic just build them as they need them?"
"District One is a city, the few that are actually here are being used or were stripped for parts. Brenda, have one transferred from the warehouse nearest us."
"Ma'am, that will take several hours-"
"We don't have several hours." Jesse interrupted as he started tapping his finger on the table. She sighed loudly before he slammed an open hand on the table, snapping his fingers and pointing at her. "The hotel. There's three!" He turned and bolted for the door, slamming it open so hard the glass pane shattered as he sprinted down the street, his satchel and rifle forgotten.
"Someone run that to [hotel name] for him." She stood back up and looked at the small golden attachment for her paraRAID in her hand. It was overwhelming to use for long, she hadn't used her RAID device as much as Lena had over the last two years. If she had to estimate it was about half as much. But that didn't matter right now, she clipped it back into place before taking one last breath with only her own mind. "Synchronization target, all active processors."
Unsurprisingly just as it had before the command took a moment to process and execute, but the moment she connected she heard the district commanders ask for orders, all while the massively tuned down audio sharing picked up the bark of 57mm guns.
"Bishop, what are your orders?" Cyclops asked above the din.
"Set up at phase line Epsilon and continue evacuating civilians further south. Funnel the Legion to the RPs for our artillery."
"About that…" Sparrow sighed. "The mortars to the East are all destroyed. Every last one."
"Is the position lost, or did they get destroyed by counter battery fire?"
"Destroyed. There's… an absurd amount of artillery."
"Get me a target solution for a suppression barrage."
"I would if I could sit still for longer than a couple seconds!"
"The situation in the south is just as bad! There's so many of them, they've just weathered the minefields and kept coming!"
"Bastille, move to point 4322 and reinforce Javelin. Even a rough location will work, Sparrow, range and direction from you."
"Bearing 2-7-0, range… I don't know, ten miles!? I can't-" Sparrow abruptly screamed as an explosion could be heard over the RAID connection.
"Sparrow?" The lack of response told her everything she needed to know. A few seconds of plotting and she had a solution. "Counter battery fire, point 58820, twenty rounds. Wide spread!"
Her subordinates frantically relayed her orders to the battery while the battle could be heard getting closer outside, one of the other Alba looking back. "Ma'am, we have no guns able to fire on that sector."
"Halberd Squadron, withdraw to point 3450 and break contact."
"Halberd squadron… give 'em hell." Sparrow's strained voice filtered through the RAID connection, a brief moment passing before everyone heard the first report of a gunshot, followed by a disconnection. Katya placed her hand to her chest.
"Captain Markova, I'm heading out." Bloodhound's voice reported as Halberd squadron started their full retreat.
"Hound, I need you to take command of Halberd. Make best speed there."
"Already heading that way. Pull everyone back beyond the river and use it as a mote. Regina is already on her way to assist you."
"That's where they are going, Hound." She glanced over the battle maps for the other combat zones, nowhere was looking good, the northeast was their weakest point and was in danger of encircling the other forces.
"Solid copy. I'm going to slow the Legion down."
"Have our western artillery begin relocation in sections. Morning Star status?"
"Morning Star here, still standing strong, but we're currently being outflanked from the North. We're falling back at the moment. Would you like us to stand and buy the artillery time?" A processor that was not Morning Star's commander replied.
"Yes." She eventually replied. "Find a position of opportunity first though."
"Understood. Pike squadron to our North has grouped up with us. They suffered heavy casualties."
"Understood, Pike is now combined with Morning Star." She scratched the squadron off her clipboard. Brísingamen, status?"
"Still alive Princess. Buying time for the others." Cyclops clipped back briskly.
"Mjolnir reporting. We are going to need a mass resupply at the rally point. All of us are nearly out of ammo."
"Copy that Mjolnir, Barretts are standing by at rally point November."
"Morning star under attack! They've cut us off!"
"Can you disengage to the east?"
"They're already to our East!"
"I'm sorry…"
"Move!" Jesse shouted as he kept moving through the streets, passing thousands of Alba fleeing for their lives as the Legion pressed their offensive. Eventually he grimaced as he narrowly avoided trampling a kid, firing his grappling lines to a rooftop as a swath of Alba were mowed down by machinegun fire, the mech leaping and swinging up onto the roof. His eyes glanced to his ammo counter before he winced. It had only been ten minutes of delaying the Legion and already he was running low. A quiet huff left his nose while he leaped to another rooftop and extended his back legs, slamming a Sabot round into the weakly armored roof of a Lowe. "Three."
"All processors in all districts, this is Bloody Regina, taking command! Eastern units, prepare a defensive line at point 3450 and hold your fire!"
"Halberd copies. Squadron, status?"
"In position and digging in."
"Copy, coming to you." Jesse flicked the thumb stick to the right as he leaped to another rooftop, overlooking one of the main roads. The moment the green light appeared next to the HEAT icon he slammed a round into one of the weakened buildings, causing the front façade to collapse into the street, inadvertently cutting off a handful of Alba from their escape. He turned and leaped, running from rooftop to rooftop towards the Pont de Liberte as he flicked his thumb Left, waiting for the green light to show up as he made best speed, eventually getting low enough to jump a story down to the street. His eye glanced up to the breech status light, the processor wincing when he saw the seldom used flashing Orange. He powered across the bridge, running past the first line of buildings before cutting into the small park behind them, dropping the magazine as he slid to a stop.
He hit the canopy release and unbuckled himself swiftly, grabbing a large rectangular crank from behind his seat before piling out. Nearby he saw the others frantically reloading their juggernauts with the help of a Barrett as he ran around to the left side of his breech. He slid the crank into a similarly shaped slot before pushing up, straining as he tried to crank the breech open. When it didn't move, he started throwing his weight against it, groaning in frustration before it finally broke free, the crank turning -if with some difficulty- until the jammed Sabot round fell to the ground. Yelling in victory, he yanked the breech handle out and jumped back into the cockpit, throwing the handle into the floor well before backing up to the Barrett. Ten impatient seconds later he grinned when he heard the clunk of the magazine being loaded, turning and running to the street, where he took cover behind some rubble.
"Bloodhound standing by." Switching to the sensor on his gun, the processor watched as Legion of all manner came parading down the main road, Civilians running for their lives as Ameise cut them down in swaths. Jesse took a deep breath as he remembered this was the same bridge he had been drawing earlier, his hands gripping the controls tightly, much like the other processors, as they all waited for Bloody Regina's command to fire, watching as they funneled onto the bridge, he and the others all whispered their targets to each other like their volume would matter, Jesse taking one of the lead Ameise as he flicked his thumb to the right and a HEAT round was locked into the breech.
"All processors, FIRE!" Bloody Regina's orders came as the first Ameise reached the middle of the bridge, a roar of simultaneous 57mm fire breaking the tense silence. All at once the front ranks of the Legion were decimated by focused fire, Jesse letting out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding while they all waited for the smoke to clear. Slowly, a gentle breeze blew away the dust, revealing more legion trying to get past the destroyed Lowe's at the bridge. Jesse lined up on another Ameise as he heard the Captain's voice inside his head, and outside the cockpit. "Destroy them all!"
Jesse grinned and sat up in his chair, tracking the Ameise as his finger tightened on the trigger.
"Yes ma'am."
"Captains." Jesse sighed as he approached, the notepad in his breast pocket feeling like it was made of lead as he pulled it out. "I have a casualty report, as you requested. Shiden wanted to do it, but she's still leading the counterattack."
"Go ahead." Katerina's voice sounded devastated and shaky.
Jesse flipped open the notepad to the front page and swallowed hard. "Sixty-nine wounded, five critically and…" He glanced up at them for a very brief moment before looking down. "One hundred and seventy-one killed."
Lena clenched her fist as she leaned on the table, her voice barely audible over the roar of the guns less than a mile away. "Thank you, Jesse." The other handler's reaction was similar as she rested her head in her hands.
"So many lost…"
"If I may…" Jesse offered as he started to turn away, but paused. "It would have been a lot more, without you two. You can't save us all, but thank you for trying." Neither replied to him as he turned the rest of the way and started walking away, climbing into his waiting Juggernaut and moving off to resupply.
"Too many…" Lena muttered as her nails dug into her palms. "Way too many…" Katya slowly stood up, her whole body still felt numb from the earlier sensory overload and she had to grab onto the table to steady herself.
"They wouldn't want us to give in, no matter how many lives it cost. We need to keep moving forward." Katerina reached up to her neck and tapped her paraRAID, getting ready before a hand grabbed her wrist, Annette looking at her and shaking her head.
"You need to rest. Today was too much for you."
"I can't just sit back and watch." She snapped.
"Then don't. But don't connect to everyone."
"Katya." Lena said after a moment. "Take a team and counterattack to the Southeast. We have to break this tight grip they have on us. Keep probing until you find a weakness."
"Who can you spare?" She eventually asked Lena before unclipping the upgrade device.
"Hofund Squadron took the least casualties, but I'll warn you, their combat commander is…" She trailed off, not sure how to finish her sentence in an easy way.
"I'll make it work. ParaRAID, synchronization target, Hofund Squadron."
Surprisingly this time the RAID device connected almost immediately, Katerina hearing the tail end of a conversation.
"-over by mine, I'll take care of it as soon as I'm finished oiling this."
"Sure thing."
"Bishop to Hofund, how long till you can be ready for tasking."
"Well look at that. The 'Princess' graces us with her presence." The first voice answered with a severe note of sarcasm. "Ten minutes. Why, you here to kill me too?"
"I'm not, I'm here to help you get revenge for the friends you lost."
"Friends." The Processor scoffed. "Fine, if you want me to join my sister so quickly, I guess we're at your beck and call. What's the job?"
"I need you to perform a counterattack on the Legion, starting with a heavy flanking maneuver to the southeast."
A moment paused before Katerina heard the bolt on a machine gun get racked, "Fine. Luxiel Moreno at your service. Personal name 'Shrike'."
"I wish we could've met under better circumstances, Shrike. I'm Katerina Markova."
"Tell that to my sister. You never even bothered to learn her name. We're two blocks South from your little safe haven. How about you come down here and look us in the eyes before you send us to the gallows?"
"Shrike-" Another processor tried to interrupt before Katya cut him off.
"No, she's fine, I'll be there in five minutes." She pushed off the table, steadied herself with Annette's help, and began walking towards them. As she walked, she saw dozens of Processors in the process of taking a break, some of them fixing damaged components while others sat on the doorsteps to residences. Many sat there and stared blankly ahead while others curled up and cried, only a handful being consoled by their fellow Eighty-Six. Wounded Alba were everywhere, some of them not moving from where they lay while others were being tended to by police officers or military HQ staff.
"Ma'am." A male Processor nodded respectfully as she passed by, eventually approaching a small park on the right, where Juggernauts were packed in like sardines. Over a dozen Processors stood scattered around, some performing maintenance while others talked or smoked. She smiled the best she could at the Processor before walking into the park, asking another where Shrike was, only to be pointed at the teenager by her machine.
"Her name was Leia."
"And she died because you distracted her." Shrike stood up as she accused the Alba, turning and glaring at her with those sharp green eyes that Sparrow had had.
"Yes, she did- I did." The handler's expression was one of exhaustion and sadness. Her voice was much the same, barely going above a whisper.
"When we're short handed all you White Pigs do is sit behind us with your hands over your heads and use the excuse of taking command. You want to make a difference, why don't you join the front, you fucking coward." She snapped before turning and climbing into her Juggernaut, shutting the canopy.
She had done that, but Shrike didn't know that. She probably assumed her injuries were from something else. Fine, I'll prove her wrong too. Katerina grabbed the velcro strap of the sling and ripped it off, letting it fall to the ground. The Alba climbed up the Juggernaut before her and hit the canopy release. "Get up."
"What the fuck are you doing? Get out of my way!"
"If you're so against fighting with me, then get out and cower with them. I'll do this myself." She pointed at the makeshift shelter.
"You're not taking my Juggernaut. Get your own."
"Mine is sitting in a forest fifteen miles north of here with a Sabot sized hole in it!"
"Then go find another one!"
"What other one? You're a squadron leader, you know our supply status! All we have are wrecks and spare parts!"
"There's one unpilfered one at the hotel. Maybe if you quit wasting time you can get it."
"There is?"
"Yes. Bloodhound has a claim to it, but he's already using one, so I guess he's keeping it for parts."
Katerina took a breath. "That idiot." She stepped down from the leg of Shrike's machine.
"Hofund! We're heading out!" Shrike shouted over the courtyard before she shut her canopy, the other Processors heading for their Juggernauts.
"Don't let her get to you Bishop. She's grieving." One of them told her on their way past.
One by one the Juggernauts all set out, most of them sporting some sort of battle damage as they trudged on to the South. The Alba turned and walked away, the words ringing in her head. As she walked, a unit fresh from the front made their way in, blood leaking out of a few as others limped along on three legs, the eight turning into the park that Hofund squadron had just vacated.
"Bishop!" A female voice called out, the Alba looking over to find one of the Processors from the mission walking over. "In a hurry?"
"Sophie? Yes, I am."
"I'll walk with you then. What are you doing without your sling? Jesse said you got messed up."
"Proving Shrike wrong, I'm going out there."
"Are you nuts?! He's gonna have a cow!" She didn't say anything, she looked down and kept walking. "Where are you going to get a Juggernaut anyway?"
"Apparently he saved me one."
"The one at the hotel?"
"That's what I've heard."
"You don't want that one." She said with conviction.
"Why?"
"Have you ever used the sonic blades before?"
"No."
"Take mine. If you try to use that one, Bloodhound's going to have a coronary, especially with the blades mounted."
"Are you sure?"
"I…" She chewed on the corner of her upper lip for a second. "The back right leg is having issues, but otherwise it's functional…"
"Don't worry then, get your machine fixed."
"I-... Understood. Good luck."
Katya turned and continued moving along, eventually reaching the courtyard and finding the Juggernaut sitting under a tree, covered in a light dusting of leaves. She brushed the leaves off and opened the canopy.
A groan of pain echoed through the courtyard as she stretched her shoulder, several Eighty-Six looking over before going about their business. Inside, she found a small bag full of rifle ammunition, anti-tank grenades, a cratering charge, and some Pemmican ration bars. A disposable rocket launcher was in the floor well next to it, collapsed to save space, and the seat had Jesse's panzer jacket folded up in it. She picked up the jacket, looking it over for a minute before finally processing that this wasn't left for her. It was his spare.
"Sorry Jesse, I'm changing your plans again." The Captain decided to put the jacket on before settling into the Juggernaut and powering it up. The well-maintained Juggernaut fired up easily as she buckled herself in, the canopy closing while she fitted the eyepiece before slamming the stick forward, racing through the streets while a fire engine fell in line behind her. The Alba turned Processor raced through the streets until finally passing an apartment building that was on fire, catching up with the rear guard of Hofund. Behind her, her radar displayed a Juggernaut named 'Gheist' following from a distance, but it soon turned off, leaving her as the rearmost Juggernaut.
"Bishop to Hofund, I'm on your six."
"Well… Looks like I may have been a bit wrong about you after all, Bishop." Shrike replied with a hint of amusement in her voice. "You're not a complete coward."
"You better be ready to repeat that sentiment." She challenged her, pain obvious in her voice.
"Bold words! Let's see if you can walk the walk. All units, prepare for battle! Thirty seconds to contact!" Shrike challenged back as the Processors all spread out as much as they could, speeding up as they rounded a corner. Almost immediately a Sabot round zipped overhead, smashing into the wall behind the first few Juggernauts as they launched a lightning-quick assault towards the bridge across the river, where one Lowe was in the process of pushing two more that had been killed on the bridge out of the way. Before the Lowe could fire again it was pounded by no less than six Sabot rounds, knocking it out as they all jumped over the corpses, landing on the other side as several Ameise came out of hiding, only to be simultaneously knocked out by the Juggernauts holding the crossing.
As the twenty Processors assaulted forward, it eventually came to be her turn to leap the barricade, the woman yanking her axial controls back and hitting a thumb switch, clearing the Legion wrecks with no issue before she saw Gheist appear behind her again, the other Juggernaut passing the barricade and firing a pair of wires to the top of a building, swinging past her and scaling the wall with little difficulty. She thought about doing the same, but decided against it for the time being, the Juggernaut scaled the building and fired the moment it crested the roof, leaping out of sight.
"Contact! Grauwolfs!" Another processor yelled as Bishop rounded the corner, finding a trio of the Dragoon-type getting ready to fire. She fired the instant she had her sight lined up, the shot impacting the open launcher and causing a massive explosion that enveloped the other two, just as more Ameise started firing from within the buildings, catching most of the unit by surprise.
"Damn it! Ambush!" Shrike shouted before multiple rounds glanced off her canopy, her Juggernaut darting into an alleyway as three others behind her weren't so fortunate, the high-caliber rounds punching through their canopies with ease. Bishop's second round slammed into one of the buildings as she was reeling herself up to the same floor. The moment she was inside she found herself nearly face to face with another Ameise, its sensor turning towards her before it started to turn from its firing position.
"Take this you bastard." She swung the blade as she passed the robot, slicing the thing nearly in two. Ahead, two more Ameise turned towards her, the far one being obliterated by a HEAT shell from the opposite rooftop while the other began to fire at her, she lunged sideways and then straight at the Ameise, several rounds pinged off the canopy and left gouges that let natural light in. The high frequency blade sang before it cleaved through the Ameise, leaving the floor she was on completely clear of Legion while the others killed those above her.
Very abruptly her paraRAID chimed as someone joined the communications net, Lena's voice coming over as rounds plinked off the ceiling above Bishop's head. "Katya, where'd you go?"
"The front." She poked her sensors around the window to look for more targets, finding a pair of Ameise that were actively firing at her from the corner of a building, down the street.
"I need you back here soon-"
"Bishop is leading from the front, Regina." Shrike interrupted. "We're establishing a bridgehead right now."
"Can I call you back later?" She asked as her round tore through one of the two Ameise.
"Be safe." Lena's voice was laced with worry as she disconnected. Moments later, a blinking orange light lit up on the corner of Katerina's display, offering no further hints as to what it meant. What did that mean again? However her confusion was cleared up the instant the gun failed to fire.
"My gun jammed!" She called out as she pulled back further inside the building. Scrambling to find the breech wrench. The rectangular handled crank pulled out from under the seat the instant she found it. The hatch was quickly opened as she struggled to climb and then work the wrench with one arm. Click by slow click she pulled the breech back long enough to see the bent round in the breech, reaching up to grab it and pull it out before a shifting of rubble behind her caught her attention.
The moment she turned around her heart threatened to pound out of her chest as an Ameise prowled out of a staircase she had missed, its sensor focused directly on her and guns locked in her direction. "I… I don't want to die…" She muttered in abject fear. The Ameise stalked towards her as the roar in her ears seemed to drown out everything else, the robot towering over her as it finally raised one of its front legs. Just before it was about to plunge the spike into her, she heard the squeal of hydraulics. A Juggernaut body slammed the scout a heartbeat later, knocking it across the room before dispatching it with a follow-up shot, kicking up dust inside the building.
The Juggernaut turned swiftly before it laid on its belly, the scraped-up specter on the side of it seemingly laughing at her before the cockpit opened, revealing a livid looking Jesse as he rapidly undid his harness. "What the fuck were you thinking?!"
"Jesse." Was all she could say, he could hear the fear in her shaky voice as her fight, flight, freeze instincts slowly wore off.
He piled out of his Juggernaut as he reached up to his earpiece. "I'm bringing her back, don't worry." With that, he tapped the earpiece before stalking over to her, grabbing her by her good arm. "Katya, what were you thinking, going into combat with only one good arm?"
"I..I had to prove her wrong." She eventually admitted.
"So what, you came out here and nearly got yourself killed, just to prove a point?" Try as she might she couldn't find a response, instead just hanging her head. After a second she felt him abruptly grab her chin and make her look him in the eyes, their lips only inches apart. "Take Gheist's Juggernaut back to the HQ and stay. There. I'll be there as soon as I'm done here. Am I understood?"
"Yes." Her voice was just a whisper, nor did she react in any other way.
"Good. Take it and go. I better hear from you when you get there, okay?" He slowly pulled his hand away as he stepped back. It took everything she had left in her not to break down on the spot, but she did as he instructed and climbed in the machine he had arrived in. As she tied herself in, she could see him take the destroyed HEAT shell out of the breech and throw it into the street before climbing in. She pushed the joystick and leapt out the hole she made earlier, making best speed back within their line.
As Katerina finally pulled up to the HQ, she found Lena in the middle of coordinating her counterattack, the woman looking more and more haggard as the siege went on. She climbed out and made her presence known to Annette silently to not bother Lena while she was focused. Nearly falling into her arms when she received a very relieved hug from the tech specialist.
"Are you okay?"
"No." Her voice cracked saying that one simple word.
"Go rest. For real this time." She slowly nodded and stepped away.
"Katya!" Jesse called as he entered the hotel room, taking a moment to place his holster on the table before going further in, swiftly finding her sitting on the couch, eyes red from crying. "Hey."
The moment he was in arms reach and half pulled herself up. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I was being stupid and reckless."
"Ssshhhh." He gently shushed her as he sat next to her, leaning back against the arm rest and pulling her head to his chest. "Just listen. Okay?"
"Okay." He could feel her shaking subside as time went on.
"I want to start with saying I wasn't mad just to be mad." He hummed to her as he gently ran his fingers through her hair, trying to soothe her. "I was mad because I was scared. You took a big risk going out there today, especially with HF blades and in an urban setting. You have to think fast when dealing with just one of those, doubly so if you have both." She nodded against his chest as more tears welled up.
"I was so scared…"
"I know." He smiled. "You're a little inexperienced for urban offensive action yet. How about you stick to emergency defense for the time being?" He playfully teased before leaning down, gently kissing her forehead. She froze before looking up at him in disbelief as he pulled her forehead against his chest. "And don't think you're not in trouble for taking off your sling."
"Sorry. I think I'm going to stick to being a Handler. For now."
"I guess I understand that." He huffed and gently ran his fingers through her hair. "We all have that wakeup call that makes us realize we're not invincible. I guess today was yours, huh?"
"Mhm." She hummed against him. "Is it weird I don't want this moment to end?"
"Heh." He chuckled lightly. "Not at all." He settled in to just let her wind down, petting her hair for several minutes before he flinched.
"You okay?"
"That gun fired again. East."
"Again? I wish we could go check that out."
"Maybe we can." Jesse hummed. "If they're so much of a problem that the gun's firing at them instead of us, maybe they can help."
"They have us on the back foot, if I were in their shoes I'd use this opportunity to cripple any other adversaries so they couldn't assist."
"And if I was in their shoes, I'd use the full weight of what I had available to end the fight as quickly as possible, then move on to the others.
"The Legion's numbers are so great they are probably already doing that, plus they don't have to worry about lives lost or feeding their populace. So losses like they are accruing here are acceptable."
"But why not use the gun on us? We're all packed in here like sardines. Even one or two rounds would wipe out half our fighting capability."
"Because they don't see us as a threat anymore. Or they're trying to lull us into another false sense of security. But those are just guesses."
"Tomorrow I want to talk to Regina. Maybe we can organize something after taking some ground back."
"Maybe. The issue will be if we have enough supplies to attempt it." She sighed and leaned away. "I'm going to clean up and change." Jesse's hands held onto her a little longer before reluctantly letting her go.
"I should take a look at your shoulder." She didn't reply as she ducked into the bathroom, several minutes later he heard her call. He stood up, grabbing his stitch kit from his bag on his way to the bathroom. He politely knocked, then entered, looking at her with a gentle smile. "How does it feel?"
"Painful, tight, and hot."
He nodded gently and approached her back, setting the small pouch on the counter before pulling a flashlight from his pocket, shining it at the wound. "Have you taken any medication in the last few hours?"
"I took the medicine you gave me this morning, I believe I'm up for the next dose."
"You're most definitely up for the next dose. It looks like you didn't pull any stitches, but you need to be more careful." He hummed distractedly before leaning in and smelling the wound. "Little bit of pus, but it doesn't smell infected. We'll keep an eye on it." Her heart began to pound under his hand.
"O-okay."
"First chance you get, go have your friend give you a check up. You getting overwhelmed is concerning." He gently rubbed her back with his thumb before pulling away.
"That was bound to happen."
"Maybe so, but talk to her. See if she can adjust your settings or something. I don't know how yours works. All I know is I can turn the sensitivity up and down on mine."
"Ours are modified." She opened her hand and showed him the golden modification that looked like it had two wings poke out and up. "Otherwise we couldn't talk to everyone simultaneously. The paraRAID isn't supposed to handle that much information."
"One of my earliest handlers was a pain in the ass. My combat commander used to have really sensitive hearing, so when the handler got to be an asshole she'd just turn the sensitivity up and overwhelm them. It was kinda funny to listen to." He hummed, looking down at the modification for a second. "Interesting. I'm guessing it acts like an antenna of sorts."
"She said it overrides the software limiters. I'm just not used to it yet."
"Be careful with it. Can't have you burning that brilliant brain of yours out." He hummed before moving in front of her, gently tilting her head up so he could see the scar on her cheek. It looked like it was healing well, only a little bit of redness sat around the edges of the forming scab. A shade that was mirrored a few inches higher on her face.
"I-I don't know if brilliant is the right word-"
She found her head being tilted up a little further so she could look him in the eyes as he straightened up. Those sharp blue eyes of his silently challenged her to say another poor word about herself, while his formidable size only added to the slight attempt at intimidation. "I do."
He watched as her face became progressively more and more red. How could this formidable woman, whom he only could assume had spent her whole life having to prove she was more than just some noble's daughter, be so cute and fluster so easily. He smirked and patted her head before turning to walk away, grabbing the pouch off the counter.
Abruptly there was a knock that only Katya's sensitive ears picked up, Jesse returning to his bag and putting the pouch away. She quickly went over and opened the door, finding one of her family's servants standing there. "Janus? What are you doing here?"
"I've been sent with a summons for you. Missus Markova is worried and wants to see you." He stated elegantly as he politely offered a wax sealed letter which was quickly accepted.
"She always is." She sighed. "Please let my mother know that I will come home when time allows."
"Of course, Miss." He gently bowed before stepping out of view, his footsteps audible as he made his way down the hall. Eventually she broke the wax seal and sat down to read the letter.
'Dear Katerina,
I've sent multiple messages to the military headquarters and have yet to hear from you for several days now. With the Colorata on the streets your father and I can't help but worry for your safety. Please come home soon, and we can all sit down for a lovely meal.
Sincerely,
Natalia Markova'
The Alba groaned and tossed the letter onto the table in frustration, Jesse coming into the main room and pausing. "What's wrong?"
"My mother, she's worried about me because of the Eighty-Six here."
"Oh sure." He rolled his eyes. "The Legion are a bridge away, but let's worry about the Eighty-Six."
"Still though, I should pay her a visit."
"Pull up in a Jug, watch her have a coronary." He chuckled to try to lighten the mood before sighing. "I take it I won't be welcome."
"I guarantee she would call the cops to have you arrested for trespassing, they all would."
"Lovely people." He quipped sarcastically. "I doubt there are any police willing to put on a uniform anymore."
"There's a few, plus the MPs are still around." She sighed and got up. "I should assuage her worries though."
"Best of luck Princess. Let me know if you require rescue from the castle." He teased with a playful smirk.
"My knight in not so shiny armor." She quipped back before ducking back into the bathroom and changing once again.
"As dad used to say, a knight in shining armor is a knight that has not been tested in battle!" He called after her before sighing, pulling out his pistol and starting to disassemble it for cleaning. Before long, she appeared in her uniform, setting the buttons on her coat.
"But a knight who does not take care of his equipment is a fool." The retort was brief and sharp as she collected her few things.
"Unless the knight does not have time to maintain his equipment between battles." He chuckled a little bit, sliding her pistol and holster on the table towards her.
"Thanks." She fashioned the weapon to her belt. "Sleep well."
"Ha. Not likely." He huffed. "They're building up for another push, probably in the morning. It's starting to give me a damn headache."
"Well then I'll see you then. You're welcome to call if you can't sleep." With that she slipped out the door with her bag in tow.
As Katerina made her way up the driveway for her family's estate, the scores upon scores of Juggernauts had long since disappeared, the closest of which tucked away out of sight as police patrolled the streets. The perfectly manicured grass and flowers contrasted in a gut-churning way against the blood-stained streets littered with exhausted Processors and their battle-scarred machines. The vain attempt at silence was undermined by the occasional exchange of fire between the Eighty-Six and their Legion aggressors. The heartbroken sobs of those mourning the lost gave way to birds and music the further she got, eventually coming to pause at the base of the marble steps.
Eventually one of the carefully carved oak doors slowly opened, Janus standing there in his tuxedo as he waited for her to approach. "Welcome home, Miss."
"Thank you, Janus." She stepped past him after he moved aside to let her through, the oak doors closed with a solid thunk that reverberated through the main hall. "Where is Mother currently?"
"She's in the study with your father. Shall I escort you there?"
"Please, I missed your company. I hope nobody has been hurt."
"Everyone from your family is safe, however Chelsea hasn't arrived for work today…" He sighed and turned, politely motioning for her to follow him. His carefully polished shoes clicked on the marble floor as he walked alongside her, his nearly pearlescent white gloves contrasting against her filthy uniform. "I see you have had some close calls lately. Have you been eating?"
"As best as I can. The Legion hasn't exactly made it easy to take a lunch break."
"Should you ever find the time, you know I would be delighted to make a meal for you whenever you shall need it." The much older Alba walked alongside her as they scaled the disgustingly clean stairs, the silver handrails shined and polished to a mirror finish. "Shall I make some tea while you catch up with the Mistress?"
"Please. And Janus." Her voice darkened as she looked at the floor, her fist clenched in frustration.
"Yes, Miss?"
"Don't get your hopes up for Chelsea…" She hated saying those words, her maid was a dear friend. She had always been there for her.
". . . I understand. I'm sorry, I know you two were close." Janus showed emotion for the first time in awhile as they neared the study door, the servant gently opening the door for her. "I'll make some tea." She stepped through after taking a breath to relax herself, her mother's gasp from by the fireplace making her eyes snap to the aging woman as she got up and rushed over, lifting the hem of her dress ever so slightly off the floor before she stopped, just as she was ready to hug her daughter.
"Katerina! What happened?"
"The Legion."
"The Colorata didn't do this?" She started to reach out towards the stitches on her face, her hand pausing an inch or so away.
"If you're just going to insult my soldiers, I should leave."
"I didn't mean to-" She paused, eyes widening. "You've been working with them."
"What would you rather, I get my hands dirty or we all die. I know which I chose." The Captain showed no signs of backing down, instead glaring at her own mother with a sickeningly blank look.
"I guess the Republic is truly getting desperate if they're giving the Eighty-Six weapons." The woman scoffed. "Please, come sit."
"I'm glad you're okay." She eventually said, following her mother to one of the chairs that were set up around the crackling fireplace, her father closing his book and smiling up at her.
"Welcome home Katerina."
"Good evening, Father." She pulled her coattail under her as she sat down in the gut wrenchingly opulent high-backed chair, her body sinking into the stuffing as she fully settled her weight.
"I see the military has been keeping you… busy." His eyes looked over her stained overcoat and uniform. "How long until your wounds are healed?"
"Several weeks. The injuries only happened three days ago."
"I see. We were never notified that you had been wounded."
"That's surprising, the Colonel was probably slacking off again."
"We'll have to notify your next suitor." He hummed and reached over, picking up a tumbler of a golden liquid and taking an elegant sip.
"Are you seriously worried about that right now?" She exclaimed and leaned forward. "The Legion are on the other side of Pont de Liberte!"
"And once the automated units push them back, you'll still have to find a husband." Katya stood up, letting the chair screech as it slid over the wood floor.
"Millions are dead and you're talking about me getting married! You're still just as ignorant as you've always been!"
"Katerina!" Her mother gasped, appalled as the chair caught on an uneven board and toppled over with a loud bang that echoed through the building.
"Not to mention I know you haven't even looked out a window otherwise you would know that the Juggernauts aren't drones! They're piloted by people!"
"Piloted from afar. That's the entire point of the automated combat units-" Her father tried to interject, setting his glass down.
"All lies! I talk with the individual pilots every day and have to send them to their deaths! Today alone one-hundred and seventy one pilots died! With another sixty-nine wounded!"
"Katerina! You will lower your voice in my house young lady!" Her father's voice boomed in the enclosed study, his silver eyes staring her down impatiently.
"Or what? You'll ground me? You'll go call General Karlstahl?"
Before she could register what he was doing as he got up, Katya felt her father's knuckles on her cheek, her head snapping to one side as she saw stars, his ring cutting a line in the meat of her cheek and breaking one of her stitches as he backhanded her. Before she could fully recover, she heard his cold voice over the ringing in her ears.
"I don't know who you are, but you are not my daughter."
She stood there for a few moments, slowly looking back up at him and seemingly unphased as she felt blood run over her jaw line and down her neck. "You were never a good father anyway."
"Get. out." He glared at her, clenching his fist. Katya was spoiling for a fight, she wanted to wipe that look off his face. To make him see the nauseating realities of their Republic. But she didn't, she couldn't afford the injuries she likely would sustain. Her fingers tensed an inch away from her sidearm, and briefly, she considered using it.
Instead, she turned and walked to the door, pausing to look back one last time. "Too bad for you I wasn't your pretty little racist angel." With that, she left.
Around seven the following morning, the roar of guns woke Katya from her slumber, Annette's couch leaving a crick in her neck from how she'd slept. She'd barely swung her legs off the couch before her paraRAID chimed as somebody connected with her.
"They've started. Pushing from the East and South. They're trying to push us back across the bridge with a pincer movement, but… there's no sign of their artillery today."
"I'll be down shortly."
"I'll see you soon then. I don't know if I can fight today. The sheer amount of legion started giving me a splitting migraine last night, and it's only gotten worse since then."
"Rest up if you need to. We will manage without you." She tried to reassure him, but it was much easier said than done.
"I'm sure you will, but it still feels like I'm letting you down." She made no effort to disconnect as she set about straightening the uniform she still wore. "So… dare I ask how last night went? I noticed you didn't come back."
"They're still the same as always. I couldn't stay."
"My condolences." He grunted as he presumably got up, the Alba finishing brushing off her uniform before getting ready to head out the door. "There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?"
"I don't want to talk about it." She closed the door behind her and walked out into the crumbled streets.
"Alright." Jesse grunted as she heard the ruffling of fabric. "I never got the chance to ask by the way, but how old are you?"
"Worried you're interested in someone underage?" She halfheartedly teased. "I'm nineteen."
"Hah. Maybe a little." He chuckled before she heard the shower start. "I just turned twenty a couple weeks ago."
"I would've put you at twenty four."
"Nah. My progress towards being a doctor only let me stay in the camps an extra couple years."
"Oh."
"Mmhm." She heard the sound of the water change as he got in, letting out a low groan. "Should I meet you at the HQ?"
"Yes, I'll see you there."
"Stay safe, Katya." Jesse's voice was barely a whisper before he disconnected, leaving Katya to walk to the temporary headquarters on her own. She paused to look at a tattered five-colored banner hanging from a broken streetlight. It only took her a few minutes after that to reach the broken building, but much to her surprise she found it empty, the broken glass from Jesse's mishap with the door still scattered across the floor.
"Hello?" She called out, but when she didn't receive an answer she activated her paraRAID. "Synchronization target, Bloody Regina. Lena, where are you set up? The HQ is empty."
"Brenda got shot at while crossing the street, so we moved to the park up the street."
"Is she okay?" The Alba turned and headed to Egalite park.
"She's fine, just a bit shaken up."
"I'm almost there." She waited for the acknowledgement before disconnecting and entering the new "base" that was really just a multitude of displays and tables set up in a muddy field. All around the base, Processors and their Juggernauts sat idle, many of the Eighty-Six asleep in their cockpits while others cannibalized some Juggernauts off in a far corner of the park for spare parts. Katya's sharp eyes were easily able to see the bullet or shrapnel holes in their cockpits as they were stripped down with the help of a Barrett.
"Morning." Annette greeted exhaustedly, a cup of tea in her hand.
"Morning. Have they started yet or am I early?"
"They started a while ago. Lena's finally figured out who to put on the line and who to keep in reserve."
"How can I help?" She asked after nodding, the data on the displays was worrisome.
"I don't know. I just make sure all this works…" She rubbed her eyes with one hand while motioning to the equipment with her mug. "You'll have to ask Lena."
"Thank you for last night, how does it look?" Annette looked up at her and sipped her tea for a moment, observing her for a second.
"Noticeable."
"Wonderful…" She sighed and turned to their friend. "What do you need, Lena?" Her best friend held up a finger for her to wait.
"Thank you Brísingamen, good work. Pull back behind the line and rest, I'll send in another squadron to hold what you've taken." Her paraRAID blinked before she slumped slightly, leaning on the table. "What were you saying?"
"How can I help?" She asked as she placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her.
"I need you to handle our pocket that we've pushed out. Send in Mjolnir and Hofund to hold the extra ground we've gained." There was a nod in return and she let go to attach her upgrade module. Lena paused as she went to turn away, looking at her cheek. "What happened?"
"I got into another fight with Father."
Lena looked like she wanted to say something but eventually sighed. "We'll talk about it later."
"ParaRAID, activate. Synchronization target, Mjolnir and Hofund squadrons."
As Katya connected to the two squadrons, her mind was filled with pleasantly quiet music, a moment passing before she heard the rustling of fabric. "Mjolnir here. What have you got for us?" The processor seemed to be half awake as they grumbled.
"Brisingamen managed to secure a foothold, I need you and Hofund to advance and hold."
"We copy. Moving out." Mjolnir's commander grunted before the music got muted as their Juggernaut started up.
"Hofund moving out." Shrike's exhausted voice was a stark contrast to her behavior the previous day. "We merged with a section of Bastille last night, and are back up to full strength."
More dead. "Understood. Let me know when you both are in position."
As the two squadrons moved out, Katya was allowed a moment's peace before a firm finger gently poked her in the good shoulder, a plate of food being slid in front of her. "Make sure you eat, Captain."
"Thanks." She picked up the silverware, cutting the sausage.
"So what's the situation?" Jesse asked as he stepped up to the table.
"Securing a foothold made last night." She pointed up at the display ahead of her.
"Understood." He paused and glanced to the East again, frowning softly. The Alba focused on eating, several minutes later rubbing her right cheek. "Don't scratch. You pop a stitch and you'll be right back where you started."
"My bad."
"Hofund set."
"Mjolnir set."
"Shrike, please inform Cyclops they can come back and rest."
"They pulled back the moment they saw us. We're digging in." Shrike replied after a moment. "They took some heavy hits. Send the Barretts for recovery."
"I expected as much, Barrets will be on their way." She used her hand to wave Jesse off to inform the mechanic crews, the Processor quickly got the hint.
"Hey Princess, about yesterday…" Shrike started.
"What about it?"
There was a deep breath before Shrike spoke again, sounding a bit sheepish. "I'm sorry for what I said. About you being a coward."
"There's no need, you were grieving and we challenged each other. Let's take that as a learning experience and move forward, okay?"
"Understood. Radar's picking up contacts to our front, coming right into the killzone."
"Burn them down."
Fifteen grueling days of siege.
Katya's body stubbornly refused to move when she woke up, her eyelids feeling like they were made of lead as she got ready for yet another day of commanding.
Fifteen days of nonstop combat had taken their toll on everyone, especially the Eighty-Six. Their numbers had started above two thousand, but now less than a thousand remained. The cream of the crop, best of the best.
And they were holding. Not only were they holding, but they were advancing.
Once again the handler was dragged out of bed by the nose with the smell of a hearty breakfast, the sound of meat sizzling on a cast iron pan sounding like a siren's song, her exhausted mind unable to resist its call. She groaned as she forced herself upright and out of bed, stumbling forth to investigate the smell. She found Jesse hunched over the table while the pan sizzled, his eyes closed while he drew on a copy of a map. Lines, dots, arrows. Eventually he straightened up and set the pencil down, opening his eyes with a sigh before he heard her bare feet on the tile, turning towards her in surprise. "Good morning."
"Morning-" She was cut off by a yawn, the woman's eyes still refused to stay opened even as she slid the chair out and sat down.
"Are you ready for the best news you've heard all week?" Jesse smirked, bringing over a cup of tea.
"Please."
Jesse handed her the mug before pulling the map over, slapping it down in front of her and pointing to their Eastern flank, where his pencil marks were few and far between as opposed to the solid encirclement that was present everywhere else. His grin widened after a moment. "They pulled back. Nothing but defensive positions left."
The gears slowly turned in her head, finally registering the ramifications of that. "Did you tell Lena?"
"Not yet. I've been sitting and double checking every position with what I feel, making sure this isn't some sort of ruse."
"What exactly do you feel?" She sipped at the teacup left for her.
"It's like a… pressure, so to speak. A tingle. I don't really know how to describe it, but we can try to see if you can feel it through a RAID connection if you want."
"You certainly have my intrigue."
"ParaRAID, activate. Synchronization target Katerina Markova." Jesse said before she felt him connect, the Processor pulling his eyepiece out of his pocket and putting it on. After a moment of adjusting his settings, she started to feel a static closing in on the corners of her mind, completely encircling them on three sides, but feeling… weak, to the east. After a moment, he tapped his earpiece and disconnected, putting the eyepiece back in his pocket.
"That is so strange. It makes it hard to think."
"With this many Legion, yeah. But like when we were going after the Scorpions, it's like having a compass."
"I definitely understand why you've had so many migraines the last few weeks. We need to tell Lena about this and seize the opportunity."
"That's why I started breakfast early." He hummed as he grabbed the spatula and quickly stirred the scramble before getting out a pair of plates, dishing them up. He eventually placed the plate in front of her, sitting across the table from her. "Eat up. I have a feeling we're going to need the energy today."
"It's hard to turn away your cooking." She chuckled after taking a bite.
"You think that's good, just wait and see what I can do when I actually have supplies."
Less than thirty minutes later, Jesse was standing in front of Vladilena Milize and all of her command staff, his map strung up on an art easel.
"Do I really have to explain this? It's self explanatory." Jesse sighed, looking at Katya.
"He's similar to.. to Undertaker, Lena. I was able to sense it too through the paraRAID."
"I knew that. Just… The Legion pulled back?"
"It would certainly seem so. You're ultimately in charge, but they've moved to the edge of Republic territory and have left minimal forces behind. If you want to try to connect with the country to our East, now is your opportunity."
"There's always the possibility they are trying to trick us, but the likelihood they know of Jesse's ability are slim. I think we should take the initiative, if anything it'll boost morale and get us breathing room again."
"We'll do it. But some of us are going to need to stay here and defend. Katya, can I count on you to stay behind?"
"Absolutely, I'll simultaneously push north and west and set up new defensive lines." She nodded and indicated to the Processor. "You should take him with you."
"No. I need him hunting down the Legion on the East flank with some others to prevent the Legion from coming up behind us."
"Rear security it is. I assume you will take Brisingamen and at least two squadrons?"
"Brisingamen is only four processors now. I'll take Shiden and leave the others with Jesse, then take a full strength squadron and Annette." She received a nod in agreement.
"I'll have Mjolnir and Hofund spearhead the north and western flanks with other units supporting. I'm comfortable with our southern defense at the moment."
"I'll cherry pick some of the better processors from fully rested units, but I'll make sure to leave you plenty." Lena straightened up with a smile. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Jesse."
"Just doing my part, ma'am."
"Alright people, let's get to work!" Katya rallied the group. "Good luck you two. Try to come back in one piece."
"We will. I promise." Lena replied before turning and walking away. Jesse in the meantime turned towards Katya and smiled, pulling out a pair of forceps and a set of surgical scissors.
"Before I go, you know what time it is."
"And here I was finally used to the things."
Jesse chuckled as he approached, carefully cutting every stitch before he pulled her by the chin to look up at him, then started cautiously pulling them out, one by one, and dropping them on the ground.
"So, how does it look?"
He hummed and stepped back, looking at it with a smirk for a second and chuckling. "You're going to be telling that story a lot. It shows quite well, but not in an unpleasant way."
"And?" She tried to lead him on as she put in a little head tilt.
"You look quite cute." He chuckled before standing at attention, saluting, and turning on his heel to walk away. Back into the fray they went.
"ParaRAID, synchronization target, all active Processors."
"Tony, keep moving North. One more group of three Ameise and you'll be in the clear."
"Copy Bloodhound. What do we have after this?"
"That's it. After that it's up to the main force and the expedition force."
The words brought Jesse no small amount of relief as they left his lips, sighing in relief before he attempted to synchronize with Katya. "Go for Bishop."
"Bishop. Bloodhound. Mission complete, no casualties. We're coming back to base. Put the kettle on, would you?" Jesse reported as he heard one of Brisingamen's best annihilate the trio of Ameise, completely clearing the nearby buzz from his head.
"Good work, I need you to move directly north and support the forces there. Kanobo could use some help."
"Gotcha. I'm sending the others. I need to return and rearm, I broke a blade off."
"Sending you a rally point for a Barrett now. Just try not to break another."
"Be careful with the directed beam transmissions please." Jesse grunted as he turned the Juggernaut towards the rally point.
"Good luck, Bishop out."
Jesse huffed and shook his head after she disconnected, motoring towards the rally point. The front facade of a building collapsed into the street behind him as he continued, eventually pulling into a courtyard where the Barrett waited with its trailers of ammunition and spare parts. Its orange crane arms were painted with a checkered pattern, the side adorned with a red '21' in a red diamond.
"Hey buddy. Just like old times, right?" He chuckled as he climbed out. The Barrett only beeped before opening the trailers, Jesse pulling a high-frequency blade out of one and stumbling towards his Juggernaut. "Restock the ammo."
The Barrett beeped again before moving around to the rear of the mech. With the gentle manipulation of the mechanism the old magazine dropped out, only to be swiftly replaced with a fresh one while Jesse struggled to attach the blade by himself. Finally the mechanism clicked into place with a satisfying clunk, the Processor syncing with the others while a cold breeze blew through.
"Welcome back Bloodhound. You get your blade fixed?"
"I did. Getting moving again. You guys reach Kanobo yet?"
"Affirmative. We're peeling the Legion back like a pop can."
"Keep up the good work. I'm moving up for some independent work."