Operation Black Dawn
Intermezzi II - The Reunion Movement
October 1995/December 1096
End of the Reunion Uprising in Lungmen
"A means can be justified only by its end. But the end in turn needs to be justified."
-Leon Trotsky, 1938.
Jetpack Soldier Kevin [Reunion Movement - Airborne Trooper Force] - Lungmen Streets - Dated December, 1096.
"HOLY SHIT! FALL BACK, FALL BACK!" Kevin yelled out in vain as he witnessed a flying vehicle - he didn't have the right words to describe the abomination chewing his friends - tore up another Crossbow squad.
He veered back, his failing jetpack trying to keep him out of arm's way. And with nothing but a sword, what could he do to damage these flying vehicles?
When he came to Lungmen, he was told the operation was supposed to be a simple one. Overwhelm Lungmen's air defenses after the AA guns were knocked out, then use the momentum to launch a Reunion offensive into the city, immobilizing it and subjecting the people in it to the suffering they did. Kevin was briefed on this while in the safe house after being transferred from the Chernobog Forces a day ago. While in the said safehouse, he heard stories from fellow Reunion soldiers about men who 'brought down the wrath of the gods' against them.
It all started when some of the Chernobog Cell forces regrouped at one of the safehouses to prepare to move to Lungmen. And one of them just happened to ask about the explosions some days earlier.
Some of the stories he heard were baffling initially.
One said that "Aegir Mercenaries" were in Chernobog, wreaking havoc on the Chernobog Cell. Two quotes that stuck with him the most were "fire from the sky" and "flying crafts of terror" which struck down Reunion forces in response to their attack on Rhodes Island. Now, when Kevin heard these rumors, he felt obligated to ask. After all, what was the harm in asking? It turns out there really was harm in asking.
Everyone and their mother had a different interpretation of the story back at the safehouse. It all started when some of the Chernobog Cell forces regrouped at one of the safehouses to prepare to move to Lungmen. And one of them just happened to ask about the explosions some days earlier.
"I bet they were mercenaries who just happened to cross with Rhodes Island!" One of them stated, Molotov in hand. "I mean, they were defending them!"
"Dumbass! They were Rhodes Island!" Another one responded, in complete tatters with holes covering their uniform. "There's no way they couldn't have been! If they were independent, they'd be shooting at each other!"
"Who the fuck are they anyway?!" Someone pointed out, with Kevin's eyes widening as he saw that the man had a stump for a right arm. Kevin winced seeing that. "I don't see the fucking Columbian militaries fielding firearms en masse, nor were they Ursus! So who the hell were those assholes?! I've never seen a uniform like that too!"
"I don't know." One of the older members replied, his crossbow hanging beside him. "Even if I was there for the whole thing, I still can't identify them, as much as I want to. Talulah's attempt at a counterattack too. Dumb bitch." He scoffed as soon as he finished the sentence. "Asshole put up a shield between herself and our units but didn't press on after getting close to them. Instead, she told us to advance." He turned to spit at the ground. "That fucking bitch."
"What can you tell us, sir?" Kevin replied, taking a seat and finally contributing to the conversation after merely eavesdropping on it. "I only got to see the explosions from far away." That wasn't technically lying. He was only able to glance at explosions when he was in Chernobog. To this day, a part of Kevin thanked himself for not going to that area of Chernobog.
"They..." He took a moment to pause and continued. "Were completely merciless with their attacks, I'll begin with that," He paused and took an arrow off his crossbow, using it to point at himself. "I was part of a Sniper's Nest located in an apartment when we ambushed Rhodes Island, tasked with providing support fire." He then made sounds that imitated explosions and vocalized that imitation with fake booms. "Then... the fucking hammer of any deity I could think of comes raining from the sky. I barely made it out of the Sniper's Nest before the explosion... killed everyone else in the nest."
"What did the explosion look like?" Kevin asked, eager to learn how it managed to make a massive impression on them.
"It completely atomized everything in its path." He added. The tone in his voice indicated to Kevin that he really was just feet away from being atomized. "There was not even rubble to take cover in. It completely erased the nest as if it was an eraser." He looked at the table in the safehouse, deciding to demonstrate it to everyone there. "See this table here?" He asked. Everyone nodded. He put his hand on the table, blocking one half.
"The explosion erased everything up to my arm."
"What in the hell..." Kevin muttered. The sentiment was shared by literally everyone there.
"Hey, Rioter." The sniper talked to the man with a Molotov in hand.
"Hmm?"
"What about your end? What'd you have to face in Chernobog? I barely made it out of the Sniper's Nest and participated in Talulah's excuse for a counterattack."
"How'd you make it out anyway, old man?"
"Managed to hide in the rubble when everyone wasn't looking. I didn't get to experience first-hand combat with them. But you have. What can you tell us about them?"
"They're..." He stops, the zeal he had in his tongue dying out. While Kevin didn't see it, he knew that the man's expression was of scorn. "They had the entirety of the Columbian Army's budget on their side." He scoffs. "Bastards had automatic weapons stationed everywhere." He put the molotov down on the table to pull his sleeves up, surprising everyone when he revealed a heavily bandaged arm with dried blood covering it. "I was among the soldiers who tried to get a potshot at them. Turns out these bastards have more than auto-crossbows."
"How'd your arm turn up like that?"
"One of them riddled me with bullets. I was trying to hit this motherfucker with a beret and a big rifle that he fired one-handed. But one of his buddies rose from cover and shot me. The rest is history."
The conversation ended there and then. With everyone in the safe house wondering what they were up against if they were capable of fielding a mass amount of firearms.
"What can you all tell us about them?" Kevin, eager to learn, pushed his chair forward to learn more from the conversation. The Rioter bit his lip, but continued anyway. No harm in teaching the Rookie on what to watch out for when fighting the people with guns.
"They're merciless. Stay out of open areas when you encounter them." He stated. "Buddies of mine got destroyed by the 'Hammer of the Gods' as the old man put it. They hammer the hordes when they can from the sky. I don't know how or why they have the capability of doing that..." He stopped. "But I hope that they never use that to inflict a catastrophe."
"What should I look out for when I actually get to fight them up close?" Kevin added.
"Stay out of open areas. Again. They have firearms that can tear you to shreds the moment they get a lock on you." The Rioter advised. "I thought they'd be using auto-crossbows, but they will just straight up gun you down. They don't seem to have Molotovs or Grenades so that's one thing they don't have... but they apparently trade that for..." He breathed in a heavy sigh, and let it all out after a few seconds. "Vehicles. With guns." He takes a moment to unwrap the bandaged arm, revealing several large holes.
"With these bullets." He added. Everyone in the safehouse widened their eyes. "Whatever you do... beware the Aegir mercenaries. Don't get in their sights. Don't fight them..." Another pause as he re-wraps the bandages and covers the sleeves. "And spread the word. If you see the tan-colored uniforms of these Aegir in combat. Assume the worst."
Now, when Kevin heard the finished story, he initially assumed it to be unlikely that he'd ever encounter these men. After all, he was an Airborne Trooper. Even if he did encounter them, they'd be annihilated by the Airborne Troopers. Right? They weren't Snipers, so they'd be unlikely to damage him! Or... maybe, that was his hopes speaking up. The rest of the men at the safehouse though? They nodded.
"I just hope I don't have to encounter their sky-shattering weapons anymore. It was almost as if they brought down the Hammer of all Deities to exterminate us."
"Let's pray that we never meet them."
"Indeed." And the story closed after that, with everyone going back to preparations for the operation. Kevin, still optimistic, assumed that they really would never see these mercenaries.
Oh, how foolish Kevin was to think that. He only realized that when he saw men in gray uniforms carrying automatic rifles. They initially had a manpower advantage. After all, Kevin managed to track his numbers. The soldiers numbered eight people. Eight! And the Airborne Troopers, Soldiers, Rioters, and Crossbowmen numbered a total of twenty people all attacking these soldiers. They managed to pin them down and force them into cover. With the crossbowmen denying any retaliation, molotovs preventing their retreat, and swordsmen rushing in to whittle their ammunition stocks down.
It was a textbook example of pin down, suppress, and overwhelm, right? Kevin thought so! After all, he was the one who helped coordinate the assault with the squad leaders. After all, he read up on his works when he was allowed books back in Ursus. He had the right idea. The right skills. And the right ideas.
Unfortunately, he did not count for the flying vehicles. The same ones giving him hell right now.
And the ones that just tore up an entire squad of Crossbowmen.
"Crap!" Kevin yelled, activating his jetpack as he narrowly avoided a burst from the vehicle. The bullets fired from it were powerful enough to tear through three Airborne Troopers who were foolish enough to attempt to get close to attack it. His eyes widened. The ruthless efficiency of the vehicle baffled him the most. He didn't see a single pause or break. Just the rat-at-at of the automatic weapon mounted on the vehicle. And its efficiency was paid in the blood of Reunion freedom fighters.
Kevin felt like crying.
As he tried to maneuver out of the way, he flew backward hoping to get away from the vehicle as fast away as possible. After all, the vehicle wanted him dead. He had to get out of its line of sight. And so, he veered right, watching as Rioters got torn apart helplessly by rat-at-ats and what appeared to be rockets from the vehicle. He had all the questions in his head. Was it Columbian? Was it Yanese? Ursine? Wherever it came from, it was hellbent on destroying Reunion.
Yet, it seemed fate had it for him. Despite his efforts to veer right to avoid it, the vehicle turned to its left.
Facing him.
Panicked, he veered to the left, hoping to throw its aim off. His alarms rang as it fired. He didn't have enough time to react as the bullets rapidly approached him. This was it. He was going to die.
Yet, in a stroke of luck, he just turned a nanosecond away from getting annihilated as the bullets ripped apart his jetpack thrusters. His eyes widened at this revelation before the sensation of free-falling and zero gravity hit him. Desperately, he positioned himself so that when he fell, he would not get ripped apart by the impact. Everything else didn't matter to him. As long as he didn't die.
His fears were alleviated when he plummeted into a trash can nearby, barely avoiding scraping himself on the dirty contents and opening an avenue of non-Originium infection.
The can fell to its side and with it Kevin. He slowly crawled out of it, looking worse for wear. His eyes could not close nor could he look away as he turned left to see the ruthless slaughter of his companions. A part of him realized that he should have missed the siege. Yet, he repaired his jetpack in the safehouse in time for the siege. Only now would he come to regret this decision.
The rat-at-ats and whooshes from the vehicle reinforced that line of thinking.
He ducked back into the trash can as the vehicle turned on what appeared to be a bright light, and moved in positions. Kevin realized that it was a searchlight and that it was looking for Reunion soldiers to shoot and kill.
"Clever assholes..." He muttered, grabbing the trashcan cover. If staying in this can was going to ensure his survival against all odds then he'd rather take it than die horribly. And he reached for the trash can cover nearby. It had fallen to the side after he crashed into the can with his body. And he covered the trash can with it, hoping to make it out alive.
He stood silently still as the vehicle circled around the area, its whirs dominating the sound of the sky. His ears kept ringing as the aftermath of battle continued to wreck his body in more ways than mere bullets. The sound of an occasional rat-at-at or whoosh drew him back to attention, praying that he doesn't force himself to get out of the sideways trashcan he hid in.
The loop continued until the intermission between the rat-at-ats and whooshes grew wider and wider. The vehicle found less targets. Lucky for Kevin.
But for the rest of Yeti Squadron's Airborne Troopers?
No. Not very lucky.
Eventually, the whirs turned another direction and grew much more silent. Kevin stopped for a few minutes before deciding on what to do. His first instinct was to kick the trash can lid and immediately bolt for it. But he worried that he might attract unneeded attention.
Especially from the men who he sieged earlier.
The safehouse's story about Aegir Mercenaries suddenly rang very true in his mind. Though he wondered why the men he attacked were armed with regular Originium firearms instead of anything more advanced as a superior species. The uniforms were also different, too. Instead of the color described in the safehouse... the men wore grey and black.
He knew that he shouldn't have signed up for Skullshatterer's attack.
With a resounding bang, the trash can opened up and Kevin took a moment to step outside, looking at the area that was absolutely coated in ruin. Bombs planted by Reunion to prepare for their bigger siege had been detonated under the assumption that the LGD had finally found them, and that they needed to act fast. But as Kevin looked around... it didn't seem like even the LGD were prepared for this.
An eerie sensation of dread crept up on him as he discarded his trashy, disposable jetpack and walked over to the battlefield where his companions were slain en masse. He came across the area they laid siege to. The side he attacked from - the south side - was littered in dead bodies from the wrath of the flying vehicle. He looked and saw an Airborne Trooper impaled on a piece of rebar, his jetpack long failed.
He walked over to the body of a Rioter and grabbed the Molotov cocktail. The mass murder of his comrades only made him feel emptiness and pain in his heart as he looked at it. Stained in blood. Yet not alight anymore. Is this what Reunion's legacy will be? A movement with no sparks, its only legacy to be coated in the blood from the wrath of the oppressors?
In anger, he threw the unlit Molotov cocktail and threw it at the building he was supposed to join and assault. His entrance to the second floor of the two-story building was ruined. Ruined by these machines built by oppressors. They managed to escape, with their toll paid in the gallons of blood spilt. The moment the bottle impacted the building and broke... he felt nothing. The gut-wrenching feeling that he was the only one to get out of there engulfed his heart.
For the first time in his life, Kevin had collapsed down to the floor, barely kneeling to keep himself up.
Not out of shame.
Not out of anger.
Not out of relief.
Just the crushing feeling of knowing that he signed up for this, and someday, he too would become like the Molotov he once thrown.
A rebel, the spark of life stolen away from him.
Drowned in his own blood by oppression.
And nobody would ever feel anything for him.
Not at all.
One Day Later
Reunion Leader Talulah [Reunion Movement - Ringleaders] - Provisional Reunion HQ, Chernobog - Dated December, 1096.
After the attack on Lungmen had been set off early, some of the Ringleaders gathered together in its aftermath. With their forces scattered and strange news coming from the survivors, it was safe to say that Talulah had to arrange a meeting with almost all the Ringleaders. A rare feat, given that almost all of them had some vendetta against each other. But some were not able to come. They had not been contacted, apparently.
Patriot was given a report filed by one of the few Reunion Clerks in the organization. Paperwork was scarce, as most wanted to burn their oppressors. Still, when he picked it up, he looked at Talulah in shock.
"Attacked by helicopters? In Lungmen?" Patriot blurted out in surprise. Talulah crossed her arms and nodded. She had been briefed on this. "Yes. Our forces in Lungmen were attacked and destroyed by gray aircraft. They also hit LGD forces, but never damaged the headquarters." She took one arm out and pointed at the LGD HQ. Marked with a circle that had an X cutting through it. "Our attack on the LGD Command sector failed. We were unable to overrun as fast as possible, and were forced to pull our forces back." She stared at the map. "Expect heavier resistance when our second attack comes."
"And Skullshatterer?" W asked, a smug look of questioning on her face.
Talulah grunted. It had been a long time since any Reunion ringleader had been killed in action. Sadly, she remembered that people were mortal. Not that she had a problem. There would always be a fresh-faced ringleader to take his place. Nevertheless, it annoyed her.
"Skullshatterer was killed in action trying to retrieve his sibling," Talulah announced. Everyone at the table had some reaction. Most of it was some form of anger, given that he died in service of Infected Liberation. But some - like W - couldn't give a rat's ass about the whole thing. "W was supposed to back him up," Talulah glared at W, and so did everyone. "But he was cornered and killed in an alleyway."
"Hey, don't look at me," W raised her hands in mock defeat. "I was looking at a lead."
"You will inform us of this 'lead' after the briefing, W." Talulah's glare silenced W, who instead just nodded. Talulah could tell that smugness was just to annoy her specifically. Fucking Sarkaz.
"What of the assailants who killed Skullshatterer?" Mephisto asked. "I have received reports from survivors of the Lungmen assault that they were similar to the assailants who impeded the operation to pursue the doctor."
"Is that so?" Talulah's eyebrows raised. She had never heard of this. A... certain part of 'her' found it interesting. If the men who drove her and her Reunion assault off were present in Lungmen - could they be everywhere?
She felt herself cringe remembering the Chernobog operation. She was supposed to pursue the Doctor after the failure of both Mephisto and Crownslayer in capturing the man. But she was stalled and delayed by a fighting force that all wielded guns. She only managed to destroy one vehicle. And that one vehicle wasn't even important to them, as they kept covering her retreat. She didn't have enough time for them, especially since her objective managed to regroup with Rhodes Island.
To say Talulah was scowling was a liberally-used understatement. A certain part of her was seething with rage. How they could have let him go? She didn't understand.
"How similar were these assailants to the Chernobog cell ones?" Talulah brought up. "Did they have vehicles? Firearms? Anything of similarity to the men?"
"Yes, actually," Mephisto noted. "They spoke of men in grey uniforms who defended against Reunion assaults," He started, voice cracking as Talulah realized that he was about to reach his breaking point. That gave a part of her amusement. "And... sent aircraft to put down both the LGD and Reunion, with our men..." He stopped for a second and continued. "Speaking of rocket fire and gunfire that tore through their comrades with ease."
"What of the infantrymen?"
"Our survivors mentioned that they were cut down by massed gunfire, and that every one of the men in grey... the grey men, so to say - have all carried firearms, enabling them to put down our soldiers with complete ease."
"No casters to put them down?"
"Our casters were often torched to death before they could do anything, or gunned down by the enemy aircraft."
"Drones?"
"Shot down. Some were shot down by aircraft, others were shot down by the LGD. But the grey men didn't shoot them down unless it was with their aircraft."
"Airborne Troopers?"
"Gunned down by aircraft."
"...I see." Talulah's questions were mostly answered. The only reason the uprising managed to make a dent was that it summoned all Reunion cells in Lungmen to attack. All of them. Without preparation. She wondered how word managed to spread so fast, but she chalked it up to the cells developing instantaneous communication by themselves. Still, however, what interested her the most was what actually went on in Lungmen itself.
"Any other notes?"
Mephisto added some more. "The... some survivors spoke of a man they encountered in the streets, clad in... gray and black, fuelled by rage and anger, a... Lateran-esque figure filled with religious fanaticism overwhelming them."
"Hmm? Any more details about this man?"
"He wore gray and black, like the grey men, but he attacked with ferocity and tore through Reunion... with a sword and a submachine gun only." He added.
"Hmm..." Talulah began to think. This... put a wrench in Talulah's plans. The uprising wasn't supposed to trigger for another while now, but with it set off early enough to neuter the whole thing... well, what else was she supposed to say?
"I believe that's all I have to say...-"
"What else do you know, Mephisto?" Talulah pressed on. "Do you have any idea on what they are called? Anything that leads to them is enough."
Mephisto coughed, then spoke. "Well... I heard that the fanatical gray man spoke of a 'Kane' similarly to a revered religious figure, but other than that we have little information."
Talulah nodded, enough had been said.
"Dismissed, Mephisto."
As Mephisto walked out of the Reunion headquarters, he exchanged bitter words and a glare with W. The two had some problems they needed to work out, it seemed. W could only stick her tongue out and give Mephisto the middle finger while Mephisto glared and balled his fist up. Mephisto then slammed the door shut, leaving the ramshackle barely-operable 'headquarters'. Talulah didn't give a shit. He was just part of her plans.
"Talulah... what do we do now?" Patriot asked.
"We continue the operation. Plain and simple, Patriot."
"Uhh... are you sure about that? We've now got another thorn up our ass. And I don't think simply throwing fire at the problem is going to fix it." W announced. "Look, I hate to break it to you, but-"
W was interrupted when Talulah threw a flame at the wall behind her, before positioning her finger to shush W.
"I'm speaking."
W pouted.
"We continue operations in Chernobog and Lungmen. Our attack will continue... even if our sleeper agents were set off too early."
"How were they set off early anyway?" Patriot asked.
"Communication lines set up by the Cell activated, broadcasting a city-wide call to arms."
"...And we lost almost all of our assets there?"
"Yes. But we have survivors. And we can rebuild and attack."
Patriot stopped for a moment, and looked at Talulah. "I hope you know what you're doing, Talulah... our men our counting on you. We're here to fight for Infected Liberation, not for personal desire."
Talulah smirked and replied. "Oh, rest assured. We will bring about Infected Liberation, at all costs."
We just need to purge these... undesirable variables from the equation. Then, we can truly have liberation for the Infected. For all of us.
"Meeting dismissed. We will reevaluate our position and dealing with these unforeseen variables. We cannot expect to be foolproof, but we must stand on guard. Reunion shall be the Vanguard of the infected, and the protector of the people. For liberation."
"For liberation." The ringleaders replied back. Once the meeting had been dismissed, everyone left the room, going back to their commands. Talulah, for her luck, continued to sit at the table and think to herself about this whole operation. It was almost complete, but with Rhodes Island and these newcomers sticking their nose in... she... may have to change Talulah's plans.
For a stronger people...
She smiled as she thought of what to do now. Rhodes Island would fall.
...A stronger Ursus.
Wouldn't you agree, Talulah?
Author's Notes:
It took me so long to actually write another intermission chapter. Now I just have to finish the Rhodes Island briefing. I was planning on a Lungmen Government briefing but I have decided to just compress that to the RI briefing. I really can't afford the effort. Though I may not be happy with changing plans, effort versus burnout is a battle I have to take compromises in.
This is pretty... okay at pacing, but in my opinion it gets a little speedy in the last part. Still, Reunion now has their eyes set on Nod. And while they have a barebones idea of what Nod is... expect them to finally confront Nod and GDI. Some time.
Right, see you all next chapter. And it's almost Summer, so I might have a load of time. Ciao.
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