…
…
…
BWOOOONG! BWOOOONG!
Foghorns of Elysian transport ships blare at the south-eastern most port of the Exclave as the noontime sun hangs high. There, at the small two-quay dock to the south of the city's beleaguered airfield, Elysian Army logistics personnel and Navy crews rush to unload hundreds upon hundreds of crates of food, fuel and ammunition.
This is the second wave of supplies from beyond the sea that have arrived, but the foghorns still draw cheers from the gaunt-faced, dark-eyed and fatigued soldiers of Baelz Hakos' BRIGCOM forces. They wave emerald green Elysian flags and break out into song as trucks bound for the front line take those crates. Their fanfare only lets up when their own crates marked for their units arrive, but the songs continue.
"Elysium! Elysium! I do see! A beacon shining through to thee!"
"Emerald green fields, as far as the eye can see!"
"Thine sons and daughters raise thy verdant flag."
"Elysium! Elysium! From sea to shining sea."
On top of a small hill overlooking the third and only operating dock of the Exclave, Altare, Axel, Magni and Vesper set up camp. From there, the four men hold court and give commands to logistics crews gathered before them.
Sergeant Regis sees his audience glancing at the cheering, anthem-singing crowds and wears a defeated smile."
"Don't worry, boys and girls. We'll send you on your merry way soon." Altare consoles them. He clears his throat and continues gamely, "But it's up to us to make sure that this party keeps going - until all of BRIGCOM is at full strength."
The logistics crews grumble a little, but they lend Altare their ears. Altare calls Magni, Axel and Vesper to join him and they roll out their marching orders.
With their help, the meeting goes smoothly. Altare dismisses the logistics crews, joining them as they disperse.
"I'll leave the camp to you guys for now." Altare says, bidding farewell to his own crew, "The dynamic duo want to finalize details of the operation. She's calling all HQ callsigns for a working lunch - the first one in a long while."
"See ya, Leader." Axel sees him off with a grin, speaking with his thick North Elysian accent, "Go help Hakos and the Lieutenant turn the tables on those Pavies."
"Will do." Altare nods.
"Make sure the Lt. Colonel gets her coffee. I heard she gets nasty without it." Magni comments.
"I've got an entire crate for the officers ready to go!" Altare laughs.
Vesper, on the other hand, joins his hands together and says, "I'll have the pot of chili ready for you when you return, Leader."
"Looking forward to it, pops!" Altare replies.
He boards an Army jeep with a chauffeur and joins the convoy of supplies heading towards the frontlines.
The three men huddle together and help Vesper start up a campfire.
"I'm so glad we have things to cook again." Vesper remarks, setting up a pot over the flame, "Hardtack was getting old real fast… the maggots were eating better than us for a while."
"No kidding." Axel agrees. He brings out his bayonet and starts prying open their tin cans of rations, "Armies march on their bellies, right professor? But it seemed like we were marching to our fuckin' graves."
Magni snorts and sits beside Axel.
"Stop it with the doom and gloom already! We've got the supplies, so let's dig in!" Magni proposes. He shows a small knapsack to his companions and grins, "Plus I got a surprise for you all. Pulled a few strings with some… reputable individuals who aren't at all smugglers or profiteers."
Vesper and Axel shoot Magni suspicious glares. Magni shrugs and opens the knapsack anyways. He brings out imported brand tin cans of spaghetti and meat sauce.
Axel's blue eyes shimmer and he gasps. His jaw drops and he cries out.
"CHEF BOTAN-DEE! THE MASTER!"
"Botan-dee. A product of the 'SSRB' conglomerate." Vesper notes in a calmer voice, "That's an INU brand famous for using ground sheep meat. Quite a fancy ration there, Dez."
"It's officially officer food for the Regular Army!" Magni says proudly, "Canned two months ago. Can't get any fresher than that!"
"What are you waiting for then?" Axel asks, "Giv'er here!"
Axel tries to snatch the canned spaghetti from Magni, but Magni keeps it away from him.
"You and the Munafiks took those Pavie supplies, right?" Magni barters with a grin, "This is Navy officer food, chief. I need a bit of compensation!"
Axel wrinkles his nose. He reaches under his winter coat and brings out three packs of Pavolian Fowlboro cigarettes.
"Will this do?" Axel grumbles.
Magni takes the cigarettes and inspects them.
"They look good…" Magni winks at Axel, "But ya got any Playbird Magazines? You know. For morale."
Axel's face sours.
"Do I LOOK like someone who hides Playbird magazines?" Axel challenges.
Magni snorts and jabs him on the shoulder, "Hah! As a matter of fact, you do, soldier boy!"
"Hey!" Axel protests.
"But here. The cigs will do." Magni gives a thumbs up, "Take one for gramps too."
Vesper adjusts his glasses and smirks.
"Were you afraid I was gonna snitch?" Vesper tests.
Magni shrugs, "It's only a fair trade."
Vesper smiles.
"Very well, I'll keep this secret of ours."
"Alright!" Magni cheers.
He hands Axel two cans of Chef Botan-dee canned spaghetti and takes the cigarettes. Then, he brings out another can of spaghetti for himself. They pry those open and set them over the fire along with the chili pot.
Vesper pours in the canned ingredients for his chili into the pot and stirs it meticulously. Magni and Axel, while waiting for their spaghetti cans to heat up, watch their senior fellow.
"Say gramps. There's this rumor going around that the INU sold info about the Elysian Navy to the Pavies." Axel comments. He pokes his heating can of spaghetti with a stick, "I overheard those gal-pal Lieutenants at the OSS talking about it too. What gives?"
Vesper chuckles.
"I didn't think you would be interested in geopolitics." Vesper notes.
"Yeah, well - we're eating INU stuff, so I got curious." Axel clarifies, poking his canned spaghetti over the flame again, "Plus, weren't you teaching that stuff as a professor?"
"I was before Olivier and Ravencroft stepped in and abused their powers…" Vesper muttered beneath his breath.
Neither Magni nor Axel appear to hear it, so Vesper sighs.
"I don't have the details on it, since I'm working on hearsay, official broadcasts and old, outdated books, but I wouldn't be surprised if the INU did that."
Magni snickers.
"Holy cow, they're shadier than me!" He remarks.
"That's no easy feat." Axel teases. He turns to Vesper again and asks, "But what makes you say that, gramps? They've been supplying us shit from the start of the war, haven't they?"
"They've been trading with the Pavolians too." Vesper interjects quickly.
"They… what!?" Axel and Magni gasp.
Vesper smiles, just like he did when he blew his students' minds at the university lecture halls with facts.
"The INU is a loose alliance of independent, mercantile nations. They don't have a strong military force, but they do have a strong economy and resources. They'll trade with anyone and they're free to do so."
Axel grits his teeth and snaps, "So they're making a killing while we're killing each other here on the fuckin' Continent!"
Vesper adjusts his glasses and adds.
"Indeed, that is the case. But there are… let's say… conspiracy theorists who say that the INU instigated the Xenokuni Border Incident that sparked off this eight-year war so they could profit!"
Axel's face goes pale.
Magni, on the other hand, leans towards Vesper with a smirk.
"Would one of these 'conspiracy theorists' be a certain Professor Vesper Noir?" He asks.
Vesper's smile becomes wry.
"No comment." He replies. Then, he points to the steaming cans of spaghetti over the fire, "Now put those off the flame before you burn your lunch, boys.
Axel and Magni gasp again. The two of them slip on their winter gloves and scramble to take the spaghetti cans off the flame. Vesper, meanwhile, laughs heartily.
As he does, a flight of twelve Elysian Navy fighter planes fly overhead in formation, casting their shadows over the boys' camp. Their fly-bys draw even more cheers from the spirited Elysian soldiers below. And then, further behind them, transport planes and B-17 heavy bombers fly as well, bound for the Exclave's airport.
Vesper looks up and confidently deduces.
"The birds are coming back to roost. The counterattack is about to begin. I pray that Leader and the Lieutenant choose wisely."
…
…
…
Far away from the rising fanfare behind the walls of the Elysian Exclave, and across the battered, shell-shocked hills and plains of the Dog White Zone, a more somber air hangs over the Pavolian camps. Major Ina'nis Ninomae of the Pavolian Imperial Guard, and the provisional commander of the decimated Pemaloe Detachment, has a front row seat to it all.
She stands at the edge of her hilltop headquarters with a pair of binoculars and surveys the frontlines.
Pavolian artillery firebases continue to shell their Elysian foes, just as they have over the past week. However, the Elysian responses have been blistering. Elysian firebases that had gone silent days ago into the siege have begun firing back once more.
"They have ammunition again…" Ina remarks, her breath fogging up her sour expression, "Their convoys broke through the blockade…"
And then, something akin to violent thunder rumbles from the East. It reverberates from the waters of Emerald Bay, just beyond her view.
Ina hurries back into her command tent and barks at the communications officers - all from the Imperial Guard.
"Another round of Elysian naval bombardment! Have all frontline units brace for impact!"
"Y-yes, ma'am!" The officers declare.
At Ina's command, the communications officers relay the orders. Moments later, Elysian super-heavy shells whistle ominously and streak through the air.
BRA-GOOM-BOOOOOM! BRA-GOOM-BOOOOOM!
BRA-GOOM-BOOOOOM! BRA-GOOM-BOOOOOM!
BRA-GOOM-BOOOOOM! BRA-GOOM-BOOOOOM!
Powerful blasts rock the frontlines, shaking the earth as far away as Ina's camp. She counted eighteen distinct tremors.
"The Elysian battleships are in place too…" Ina laments, clicking her tongue. She adjusts her round glasses, "Kovalskia's gambit has failed spectacularly."
"Ma'am…!" One of the Imperial Guard officers whispers, trying to shush her.
"That is my assessment of the situation, officer." Ina answers firmly, "Do you have any protests?"
"Not me, ma'am…" The officer shakes her head, "But Agent Satwa…"
Ina turns around. She finds a haggard Agent Satwa standing there, wearing a scowl on her face. Despite this, the two brown owl feathers on Satwa's head stand in attention and her golden eyes burn with flame.
All of the Imperial Guard officers fall silent. They watch the looming confrontation from their seats, frozen in place.
"I protest, Major Ninomae. On behalf of the Pemaloe Detachment." Satwa lashes out at her. She points at the officers seated in the tent, "I blame you and your incompetent Imperial Guard cadre for these failures. Our loyalties lie with the Grand Marshall, not you."
Ina is unfazed.
"I only followed Letnan Kovalskia's standing orders to the letter, despite my reservations. I did so to appease Zeta Vestia. It was a plan that she approved, after all." Ina folds her arms and puffs her chest, "Kovalskia and the Grand Marshall assumed that if she could frighten the Elysians with massive, sweeping attacks, they would surrender. See, now. Elysian armor has blunted those attacks."
"That's only because Keris Abu-Abu traitors sabotaged our plans before the attacks." Satwa argues. She puts her hands on her hips, "We would have taken many of their tanks out of commission if we had the chance."
"Maybe so, Agent Satwa. But your masters' backup plan was to have the Angkatan Laut, led by the battlecruiser Darussalam, blockade the Emerald Bay long enough to starve the Exclave." Ina continues, only pausing to catch her breath, "They assumed that the Elysian Navy would be too paralyzed by fear to move. But look: the Exclave is being resupplied by sea as we speak!"
"The MERAK codes and the gears themselves were stolen from this very tent. That emboldened the Elysian Navy." Satwa explains again. She shakes her head, "At the same time, Lady Kovalskia…"
"And have you managed to catch Letnan Kovalskia's killer?" Ina asks her, "Or whoever it was who stole the MERAK codes and gears?"
Satwa lowers her head. Her owl feathers droop down to her brown hair.
"No. We have not." Satwa admits, "I wouldn't be able to face Lady Vestia before I do."
Ina snorts.
"Then, stop antagonizing me and the Imperial Guard. We're here to stabilize this frontline, so let us do our job or get out of our way. Please. In the name of the Empress."
Satwa bites her lip.
"In the name of the Empress…" Satwa whispers beneath her breath, "What a joke."
"What was that?" Ina demands.
Before either of them could say anything, one of the communications officers breaks the frozen silence.
"Madams! We have a report from our air patrols. They identified Elysian heavy bomber planes bound for the Exclave airfield."
Both Ina and Satwa fall silent.
Ina covers her face with her hand.
"If we can't destroy that airport, our control over the entire province could be in jeopardy." Ina declares. She lowers her hand and points to Satwa, "I need you to lead an HaKu spearhead. Force your way through their defensive lines - it doesn't matter where - and have artillery destroy the Elysian airfield before they can operate bombers from it."
"With pleasure." Satwa accepts, but her sour expression remains, "We'll talk about the chain of command again when I get back. We're not eager to keep taking orders from an Imp accountant for much longer."
'It's an IMPERIAL COMPTROLLER.' Ina thinks of lashing back, but she holds her tongue for now. Instead, she clears her throat and says, "You have your orders, Agent Satwa. Dismissed."
Agent Satwa gives Ina a half-hearted salute and storms out of the tent in a hurry.
Once Agent Satwa is out of earshot, Ina and her fellow Imperial Guard officers breathe easy again.
Ina turns to her officers and speaks in a much softer-spoken, kinder tone.
"May I entrust you all to hold the fort? I must attend to my other duties as the Empress' Comptroller. My… our duty to the Empress."
The officers finally stand up from their seats and answer Ina with sharp salutes. Ina returns the gesture and graciously steps out of the command tent.
…
Ina takes a gas lamp and saunters to the now abandoned barn house that Kaela Kovalskia had claimed as her personal headquarters. She steps inside quietly, making sure that no one other than Imperial Guard sentries notice her.
She goes through the late commander's things, from her uniforms to her trunks and closets and rifles through them, searching every nook and cranny for evidence of subterfuge and skullduggery. Without the loyalist Agent Satwa hanging over her shoulder, she is able to do so at a more leisurely - and more meticulous - pace.
She inspects Kaela's personal MERAK device, but she doesn't find anything out of the ordinary. Any ticker tapes that it may have printed are no longer anywhere to be seen. Even her landline telephone is disconnected.
"She's careful, I'll give her that." Ina remarks. She plugs the telephone back in and checks for a dial tone, "I shouldn't be surprised. Kovalskia and her Keris Abu-Abu are the ones who wiretap. Not the other way around."
Ina's search continues until the sunset, but she winds up with nothing to show for it. Exhausted, she goes into the barn and plops down on a chair.
She reaches into her Imperial Guard uniform and brings out a cellophane-wrapped chocolate chip cookie.
'Product of the INU' it reads.
A gift from the Imperial Guard headquarters.
Ina heaves a sigh, unwraps the cookie and eats it.
The taste rouses her memories. It brings her back in time - to the day that Empress Reine Pavolia appointed her as Imperial Comptroller.
…
…
…
Three weeks ago, in the luxurious halls of the grand palace in the Pavolian capital, the newly promoted Major Ina'nis Ninomae knelt before the Empress.
"Lady Ninomae, scion of House Mun-eo." The Empress declared. Her voice reverberated in the halls, "The nation of Pavolia wishes for you to investigate the death of one of her greatest daughters. Kolonel Moona Hoshinova."
Ina gulped, but she stayed silent and kept her head low.
An attendant approached the two, holding a royal blue cushion bearing an ornate Pavolian klewang longsword. Reine picked up the klewang and held it over Ina's head.
"This commission is perilous." Reine warned, whispering to her, "It may very well put you on a collision course with the Grand Marshall Zeta Vestia, her cadre and her loyalists. Kaela Kovalskia, especially. Knowing this, will you still accept the nation's call?"
Ina took a deep breath and answered honestly.
"I have questions, your excellency." Ina posited.
"I'm sure you do. Pray, do tell." Reine urged.
"I'm only a Major, your excellency. There are many more talented officers with higher ranks than me who could fill the role." Ina explained. She lifted her head to meet Reine's gaze, "Why did it have to be me?"
Reine frowned. She bent down and whispered with an even softer voice.
"Because the Imperial Guard has slowly been taken over by the Grand Marshal herself. By virtue of Imperial assent." Reine explained with a scowl, "I no longer trust the Imperial Guard's generals or the Colonels who answer to them."
Ina's jaw dropped. She blinked and shied away from Reine's gaze.
"Moreover." Reine added, "House Mun-eo has stood with House Merakyat for hundreds of years, and it carries as much prestige and influence as House Vestia and House Pemaloe."
The attendant and the other people gathered in the Imperial Court looked on, wondering what conversation the Empress and her appointee were having.
Reine clears her throat and repeats her question.
"Ahem. What say you to this commission, Ina'nis Ninomae?" Reine asked, raising her voice again.
Ina raised her voice as well and replied.
"There is no higher honor than serving the rightful ruler of Pavolia, your excellency. I, on behalf of my House and my ancestors, will serve the Empire at your pleasure."
Reine nodded. She set the flat of the klewang longsword on Ina's shoulder.
"From this day forth, you shall hold the office of Imperial Comptroller." Reine announced firmly, "Bear my name, carry the sword of justice and allow that beloved daughter of Pavolia to rest in peace."
"With Mother Towa as my witness, I shall see it through." Ina answered.
…
…
…
Back in the abandoned barnhouse, Ina finishes the last of her cookies and returns to the present. Her lack of progress bears down on her. Her shoulders droop down too.
"Am I going to come back to the Blue Throne empty-handed?"
Ina crumples up the cellophane and takes out a pendant with a pair of pictures inside. She looks at them fondly and asks.
"Did I make a mistake, Papanis? Mamanis?"
When Ina says this, a strong gust of wind blows into the barn house. It rustles the tarpaulin cover of something large parked inside.
Ina puts her pendant back under her uniform and puts away the cellophane wrapper. She undoes the knots of the tarpaulin cover and reveals its contents: something that Ina had yet to investigate.
The HaKu V Panther tank that once belonged to Kaela Kovalskia.
It's still in pristine condition.
Spurred by her discovery, Ina climbs up the hull of the Panther and carefully opens up the cupola. Then, she sneaks inside with her gas lamp in hand.
There, Ina finds a myriad of things stowed away in the compartments. Many tool boxes and spare parts are scattered about, along with tin cups of coffee that have already dried up over time. She even finds a blanket inside.
"She clearly spent a lot of time here." Ina remarks, observing the interior, "More so than the rest of the house."
She brushes aside the parts, tools and coffee cups and pulls away the blanket. Underneath that mountain of mess, Ina finally finds what she's looking for.
The ledger of Kaela Kovalskia and the Pemaloe Detachment.
A personal book, one separate from the accounting of the Pavolian Army.
Ina adjusts her glasses and sets the gas lamp high for light. Then, she goes through the line items one by one. As an accounting auditor, her purple eyes read through the items quickly.
"That's a large purchase of Xenokunian currency. Pesetas. Black market rates too… Did the INU sell her that cash?" Ina comments as she reads. She starts to paint the bigger picture in her mind, "She had to make a big transaction quickly. Off the main Pavolian Army books. But what…?"
Ina flips the pages frantically, piecing together the modus operandi. Then, she gasps.
"Special operation. Third party payment - in Xenokunian peseta. She spent it all." Ina gulps, "That's the day Kolonel Hoshinova died. Zeta Vestia reimbursed her in Pavolian rupiah immediately after too. By INU wire transfer."
Ina's heart races. It pounds hard against her chest. Her hands tremble along with the ledger.
"What other twisted secrets were you hiding, Kaela Kovalskia? And what is your 'master' planning!?" Ina demands, speaking to the ledger.
Her thoughts are interrupted by the muffled sound of blasts coming from outside the camp. The tremors of the blasts barely shake the HaKu V through all its armor, but Ina still feels it.
"Another naval bombardment…?" Ina furrows her brow, "Why now of all times!?"
Ina clambers out of Kaela's Panther tank, bringing her gas lamp and the ledger with her. By the time she does, the sun has already set over Poseidon's Point, but distant explosions continue to illuminate the darkness.
Just as she comes out of the tank, Imperial Guard officers rush towards her.
"Lady Ninomae, news from Agent Satwa at the front. The Elysian forces are… they are…"
"What are they doing, officer. Spit it out." Ina demands.
"The Elysians are attacking! They're pushing through with everything that they have." Says the officer.
"They're attacking… us?" Ina seems puzzled, "Our forces are well-entrenched. The Elysian attack should fizzle out."
"We agree, ma'am. Agent Satwa has already drawn out our reserves to bolster the frontlines, but there is another report."
"Out with it." Ina orders.
"We've detected movement in the Emerald Bay. Elysian Navy vessels are approaching the beaches of the Upper Shores, north of our position here in the headquarters." The officer continues, "We can't confirm definitively, but scouts and air patrols are reporting eighteen ships. We don't know which ones."
Ina's heart nearly stops.
"T-the enemy battlegroup had fifteen transport ships, didn't they?" Ina asks. She wipes sweat from her brow, "Did the INU informants we paid tell us what they were carrying?"
"No, ma'am." The officer shakes her head, "It could be anything."
"It could be a landing force!" Ina deduces. She turns to her officers and barks, "Assemble the Imperial Guard and any Regular Army troops we can muster. What do we have left?"
"Three rifle companies, ma'am." The officer reports.
"Not… ideal…" Ina's face sours, "Gather them anyways. Take any vehicle and machine gun we have to spare. We have to stop whatever the Elysians are planning… or else, this could be our last night here."
…
…
…
TEMPEST
…