…
…
…
Late in the afternoon, behind the brick walls of the warehouse-turned-armory of Pavolian weapons and armored vehicles, dozens of Elysian tankers and members of the Munafic forces pore over the weapons that have been allocated to them. Ollie Kureiji, Altare Regis, Vesper Noir and Anya Melfissa are among them and inspect the largest, most well-maintained vehicle therein allocated to them.
"Harimau Kucing IV, Model G." Ollie recites the name with the reverence of a museum tour guide, "She has an improved 7.5cm gun from the base model. Better engine and armor too. Normally, we'd need five to crew this but I'll take the radio while commanding."
She pats the side armor of the HaKu IV and sighs fondly, "It's been a while since I've commanded one of these."
"You're an excellent tanker, madam." Vesper insists, praising his old boss, "I'm sure that you'll be able to get right back to speed in this."
"Hah. I sure hope so, Corporal Noir." Ollie remarks. She turns to her three volunteers and smiles, "The paint on this thing might be Elysian olive green now, but the markings and instruments inside are still in Pavolian. That shouldn't be a problem for any of you guys."
Altare shakes his head and smiles back.
"And it's not the tank that makes a difference on the battlefield, ma'am. It's the tanker." Altare insists.
"That's true. Just because you'll be in a medium tank this time around doesn't mean you can get complacent." Ollie nods. She pats the HaKu IV again and grins, "So, c'mon! Let me show you the ins and outs of this thing."
And so, Ollie takes her crew and gives them a crash course on the HaKu IV, inside and out. She shows them their positions in the vehicle and the equipment that they'll be handling. All the while, she regales them with stories of her time fighting in HaKu IV's.
"You were a driver once too, madam?" Vesper hums, watching Ollie going over the controls on the driver's seat.
Ollie nods.
"I've been a HaKu IV driver, gunner, loader and commander at least once in my career with the Pavolian military." Ollie beams, but her expression deflates quickly, "I'm not that good a driver, though. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it quickly, Corporal Noir. You learned how to drive the M3 Stuart rather quickly too."
"That's because I've driven a tractor before." Vesper laughs, "I did guest lectures at North Elysium's capital - Penacony."
Ollie snickers, "So you're perfectly at home then, professor."
She turns to Altare standing behind the breech of the main gun.
"You've been a gunner before, right Sergeant Regis?" Ollie confirms.
"More times than I'd wish!" Altare quips.
"Heh." Ollie pats him on the shoulder, "It's gonna be a bit of a jump going from a 37mm gun to a 7.5cm beast recoil-wise, but it's still a main gun. Get used to the rangefinder. Line up your shots, compensate - then decimate. The machine will do the rest."
Altare nods dutifully to Ollie.
"I'll do my best, ma'am!"
Finally, Ollie turns to Anya.
"You'll be my loader for this trip, Miss Anya. At least until we reach our objective." Ollie reminds her, "Will you be fine lugging around tank shells? 7.5cm AP's and HE's can be tricky to move around in a tank."
Anya raises her eyebrows.
"Because of my size?" Anya tests, "Being small is an advantage for me, as I'm sure you know. I also did my tank training with the Pavolian Youth, and the Keris Abu-Abu."
"Which tank did you qualify on?" Ollie asks with keen interest.
"HaKu IV's, of course." Anya answers proudly.
Ollie beams with pride.
"That makes us HaKu IV sisters, then! Mother Towa almighty!" Ollie pauses. She seems to ponder her words for a moment, but she shakes her head and turns to her three crew members, "I want you guys to get familiar with this machine. It's going to be our home for the next few days."
"Assuming we survive." Anya sneers.
"We're going to survive. We're going to have to fight our way through for you so you can fulfill your mission." Ollie reassures her, "In the meantime, I have to take command of our little tank company - and tell the other Sherman companies to not shoot us! I'll be back with you guys soon."
Ollie salutes her crew. The crew salutes her back and sees her off, helping her out of the commander's cupola.
Once Ollie is out of the tank, Altare turns towards Vesper.
"It's… a little unsettling to see the Lieutenant being that cheerful. I mean… she's cheerful on a normal day, but not like this."
"Agreed." Vesper folds his arms, "I haven't seen her this giddy in the time I drove for her."
Vesper glances at Anya and muses, "Do you have any thoughts about this, Miss Anya? You're HaKu IV sisters, after all."
Anya sits down on the loader's seat and crosses her legs.
"Do you want the long story?" Anya asks.
"We don't know how long we're going to wait for our orders." Altare answers, "We have time."
"Fair enough. Well, let me tell you this. The HaKu IV means an awful lot to her. She was one of the first tankers to drive the IV, back when it was still an experimental vehicle. It was an honor granted to her by the Empress at her coronation seven years ago."
"Imperial assent…" Vesper's jaw drops, "Does that mean that madam Kureiji was part of the Imperial Guard."
"Briefly. It was ceremonial too, but that's not what mattered. What she did that day made waves that reverberate in the Blue Throne even today." Anya explains.
"Reverberations that Zeta Vestia holds onto to this day." Altare deduces.
Anya nods. Then, she leans back into her seat and tells her story.
…
…
…
It was seven years ago. I was a child, then, but I remember it well. I was too young to be in the Pavolian Youth, but my friends Yopi and Risu were new recruits and they told me everything.
You see, the last Empress had kicked the bucket one year into the war she started, and Pavolia was going to crown its new and youngest Empress, Reine Pavolia of House Merak.
Spirits were high, especially among the Pavolian Youth. The new Empress had been in the Pavolian Youth and trained with the older cadets. She went to class with them, marched in the parades through the Imperial District of the Blue Throne and represented them in the Imperial Court. Yopi and Risu even got to chat with her once in the Academy, they told me.
She was 'one of them' so to speak.
But now that she was the Empress, she would never serve with the Pavolian Youth or the Pavolian military in the same way ever again. Seeing the Empress in the cupola of the latest HaKu tank model might be good for propaganda photos and films… but it won't be the same.
Empress Reine was leaving that part of her life behind.
Not only would she be inheriting a war that she did not want. The walls of the Imperial Palace would be her armor - and also her prison.
So, the Pavolian Youth cadets wanted to put on a show for their beloved daughter ascending the Imperial throne. They wanted to parade the newest tanks of the Empire, the experimental HaKu IV's, to Reine - and they wanted her fellow Pavolian Youth to command them in her honor.
There were many commanders chosen from the best cadets of the Pavolian Youth, but the greatest ones were Ollie Kureiji, Kaela Kovalskia and… of course, Zeta Vestia. Their Moona-simpai joined them in the parade as their instructor.
The parade went off without a hitch. Everyone in the Blue Throne was amazed to see the future warriors of Pavolia manning HaKu tanks so well. But driving around in formation wasn't what turned Ollie Kureiji into a legend.
It was the mock battle that Moona organized where Ollie truly shone. A mock battle that practically happened on a whim.
In the forests of the Imperial hunting grounds, Ollie, Kaela and Zeta led platoons of HaKu IV to hunt each other down and capture an objective. They weren't told about this beforehand and were thrown to the fire with nothing but dummy rounds and a map of the grounds.
A vicious game of hide and seek ensued. After many twists and turns, Ollie's platoon emerged victorious. It was an overwhelming victory too. She humiliated Kaela and Zeta and took the objective swiftly. I heard she even raised up the Pavolian banner herself!
When Ollie's batch of Pavolian Youths eventually joined the fray against the Elysians, she continued to win many battles for the Empire. Zeta and Kaela made names for themselves too, of course, but the humiliation lingers in them - especially in Zeta.
So, perhaps, Ollie sees this HaKu IV as something more than a war machine.
Perhaps she sees it as a way to finish what she started.
…
Altare and Vesper turn to each other, then back to Anya.
"We… didn't know you could talk so much." Altare notes.
Anya snorts.
"As a Keris Abu-Abu, I don't have many happy memories." Anya admits, turning away from the two men for a moment, "They're not even my own memories, but stories from Yopi and Risu… but I treasure them anyways."
She glances at Altare and adds, "It's good to have something to fight for, yeah?"
Altare reaches for the tattered white scarf wrapped around his neck. Then, he nods, "It is."
Anya shifts around in her seat.
"And there's one more thing that I want to say, Sergeant Regis." Anya adds.
"I'm all ears." Altare nods.
Anya lifts her head and wears a small smile for Altare.
"Thank you for accepting Ollie Kureiji's offer - and for believing in her as wholeheartedly as you have, even when nobody else did. I understand why she did what she did now - leaving the HaKugrenadiers, and Pavolia behind. I understand why she chose you."
Altare smiles back.
"I'm glad you feel that way, Miss Anya, but I didn't take up her offer for noble reasons or for the grand scheme of things or anything - really." Altare shakes his head, "I just want to be able to go back home and see my sister again."
Anya gives Altare a low, polite bow.
"I pray that you will, Sergeant Regis. I pray that you will."
While the three go back to minding their stations, Ollie Kureiji clambers back onto the top of the tank and peers into the cupola.
"Sgt. Regis! Corporal Noir! Miss Anya!" Ollie calls her crew with enthusiasm, "4th Tank Company - that's us - has its marching orders. We're rolling out Phase Landslide tonight."
Altare, Vesper and Anya stop what they're doing and salute Ollie.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Altare lowers his hand and asks, "Have Kaela Kovalskia's forces started moving again?"
"Thankfully, no. They're not risking another night attack like last time, it seems. As far as we can tell." Ollie shakes her head, "But that just means she's got something nasty planned for us when the sun comes up. We're not gonna let them jump the gun on us again."
…
…
…
Many nautical miles east of the Exclave, over the rough waters of the Atlantean Ocean, a lone, twin-engine Elysian F7F Tigercat heavy fighter flies away from the setting sun above the clouds. Inside the cockpit, Lieutenants Amelia Watson and Gawr Gura pore over their instruments.
"How's our fuel, Watton?" Gura asks. She cranes her neck towards Amelia behind her, "We got enough before we left the Exclave, right?"
"We'll be fine, sharkie. We took all the drop tanks we could on this plane." The one-eyed Amelia reassures her with a thumbs up, "At least they're not telling us to land this big thing on a carrier deck out at sea. Would you have been able to manage that?"
"I could have tried." Gura grumbles. She clutches the airplane's yoke tightly, "But I don't think the wires can stop a Thundercat. Her wings don't fold too, so our ride out of there might slide off the deck and plunge into the Atlantean Ocean."
"Fair enough." Amelia hums, "Lt. Colonel Hakos needs us back at the Exclave as soon as we finish business here."
When Gura says this, the radio of the cockpit crackles.
"This is NSS Tower speaking. Approaching aircraft, identify yourself!" demands a stern voice.
A pair of Elysian fighter planes appear in the horizon and begin shadowing their aircraft.
Ame grabs the handset from her panel and answers the call.
"Acknowledged, NSS Tower. This is 'Sunfish'. We are unarmed. Passengers onboard are HQ3 and HQ4. We're on a mission from HQ1 to liaise with HQ0 for 'Phase Landslide'. Requesting for permission to land. Please advise, over."
The channel goes silent for a while. The Elysian fighters continue tailing the Sunfish.
Gura rolls her eyes.
"Say, 'HQ3', Think that 'HQ0' still doesn't buy the plan?" Gura ponders.
"We wouldn't have to be here if she did." Ame sighs.
Then, NSS Tower finally replies.
"HQ0 gave the OK, Sunfish. Land on Runway 3B."
"Wilco, NSS Tower. We're landing on Runway 3B. Over and out." Ame replies and cuts the transmission. She pats Gura's shoulder and repeats, "Runway 3B, sharkie. Wherever that is."
"Leave it to me." Gura grins.
Gura holds the yoke and gently turns it, banking her aircraft towards the specified runway. The other fighter aircraft break off and continue their patrol and the Sunfish begins its descent.
The Sunfish drops beneath the clouds and a small island chain comes into view. Ame looks down to the island chain.
"Shi'eoh Naval Station. Starfall Island Chain, Province of Poseidon's Point." Ame muses, glancing over the largest island of the chain and the vast military installations that inhabit it, "I've seen this place on the maps. Just about everyone who serves on The Continent goes through here on the boats too… but this is the first time I've seen it from up here."
"And it's the first time you're gonna see the capital ships of a Navy battle group moored there all at once." Gura promptly adds, pointing to the docks of the naval station.
"Three carriers… and two battleships too." Ame counts the moored ships, "The fleet used to be bigger back then, even if you count the cruisers and destroyers."
"The Navy's fighting just as many battles as our boots on the ground, if not more." Gura reminds her, "And the Pavie submarines are tricky fucks. I feel sorry for the Elysian destroyer crews who have to sleep with one eye open all the time."
She glances at the formations of Elysian fighter planes and smaller Navy warships patrolling the area, "So the Navy's gonna protect their battlefleet with everything they've got."
"Convincing Colonel Ravencroft is one thing. But we're gonna have to move a mountain - or rather, an ocean - to get Admiral Rexford to sortie the battlefleet too, Ame." Gura winces. She rolls her eyes, "And to get the Army and the Navy to actually cooperate with any precision."
"Isn't Admiral Rexford from Poseidon's Point, just like you?" Ame notes, rubbing her chin, "Won't that help?"
"Yeah, but I'm an Exclave girl and he's from the Starfall Island Chain itself. Born and raised. He even speaks Sicarian - the native dialect there." Gura argues, shaking her head, "They're much more carefree than us Continent-slickers, but they can be stubborn. I hope you're prepared to play politics, Watton."
Ame leans back into her seat and grumbles.
"I'll… see what I can do."
…
Gawr Gura and Amelia Watson land their plane onto Runway 3B of Shi'eoh Naval Station. Gura follows the instructions of the control tower and parks her plane by one of the base's hangars. The moment Gura opens the glass hatch, a warmer, tropical sea breeze brushes against her and Ame's faces.
"Ahhh, that hits the spot." Gura remarks, savoring the warmer air of the Island Chain, "Can't wait for Spring to finally come to the Continent too."
"Spring's gonna come whether we're prepared for it or not." Ame answers pensively, tugging on the collar of her flight jacket to let in some air and fan herself, "R&R in the Sicarian tropics will have to wait."
Gura turns around to chime in, but she doesn't get the chance to speak. A dozen Military Police troopers approach their aircraft, accompanied by two officers: a lady officer wearing the Elysian Army's olive green coat and a male officer clad in the Elysian Navy's khaki.
"Here comes the 'red carpet'." Amelia mutters beneath her breath, glancing at the insignias on the officers' uniforms, "They outrank us."
"I'll be on my 'best' behavior." Gura snarks.
Gura helps Ame out of the cockpit and retrieves a briefcase from her stowage. When their boots hit the tarmac of the Naval Station, the two officers and their Military Police entourage arrive.
Ame and Gura stand upright and salute the officers.
"We're Lieutenants Amelia Watson and Gawr Gura, ma'am and sir!" Amelia reports.
The Army and Navy officers return the salute.
"Well met, Lieutenants." The lady Army officer replies, "I'm Major Shiori Novella, adjutant of Colonel Ravencroft."
"And I'm Commodore Crimzon Ruze, adjutant of Admiral Rexford - and Captain of his flagship." Commodore Ruze follows, "I'm sure you saw her moored at the docks on your way down here."
"The ECS Metro Elysium, correct?" Ame deduces, "Lead ship of the Province-class battleships."
Ruze nods and hums, "That's right. Not a lot of Army folks can tell one ship from another."
He glances at Major Novella beside him, but she doesn't give him a reaction.
"Lieutenant Gawr and I are OSS. It's our job to know things like this." Ame interjects, "But we're here on urgent business with Colonel Ravencroft and Admiral Rexford."
"Indeed. They are already waiting for you in the Command Center." Major Novella nods, "Please, Lieutenants. Follow us."
Major Novella and Commodore Ruze turn around and urge Ame and Gura to follow them. Flanked by the Military Police, they oblige with their briefcase in tow. As they go through the tarmac, though, Ame glances up to the darkening skies and sees large planes in the skies approaching the Naval Station's many runways.
Ame squints her one good eye and stops to watch the approaching planes, but she cannot see much. She can't tell what models they are or how many of them are queued up to land.
"Lieutenant Watson, don't stray behind." Major Novella urges her.
"Sorry about that." Ame apologizes and catches up with the rest of the group, "I was just trying to see how bad the storm's gonna be."
…
Inside the confines of a small yet stately conference room, Colonel Nerissa Ravencroft paces around. Her polished boots tap rhythmically on the rich, equally polished mahogany floors. She is flanked on one side by the maps of The Continent as a whole, provincial maps of Xenokuni and Poseidon's Point and nautical maps of the Atlantean Ocean spread out on a smart mahogany table. On the other side, the solemn expression of the official portrait of Prime Minister Fauna Ceres gazes upon the pacing Colonel.
Nerissa pauses and turns to the portrait of the Prime Minister. Her purple eyes clash with Fauna's golden gaze, but she says nothing. Her peaked officer's cap, nestled between her asymmetric horns and her head of long, silken black hair, casts a long shadow over her eyes.
Silence permeates the conference room for a moment, until a mahogany chair creaks.
"Still regretting your decision, Colonel Ravencroft?" Asks a voice in a deep yet sing-song timbre, "If you joined yesterday's airlift, you would've been close to Metro Elysium right now."
Nerissa turns towards the voice. She finds a tall, red-haired man in the khaki Navy Admiral's coat, the only other person in the room, seated casually on a mahogany chair with his legs crossed.
Her gaze meets with his. He grins, showing off his sharp, saw-like teeth, and asks, "Am I wrong?"
Nerissa snorts.
"Keep your nose in Navy affairs and out of ours, Admiral Rexford." Nerissa answers coolly, "My rebellious subordinate will be asking more from you and your warships than from me."
"Hmph. Taray mo naman, ate." Admiral Rexford folds his arms and crosses his legs the other way, muttering something in Siciarian before returning to Elysian, "Well, I hope they make a compelling case. You're not the only one under pressure from the War Department. Those bastards are sneakier than the Pavie subs prowling these waters."
He glances at the portrait of the Prime Minister and adds grimly, "The Ceres Administration can only do so much for us - assuming she can cling on to power. Diyosa ko po…"
Nerissa saunters towards the seated Jurard, "You're higher up the chain than I am. Do you know how the votes are gonna go?"
"Only rumors. I'm not in Metro Elysium, after all. I'm just commanding from the battleship that bears her name." Jurard shrugs, "But I spoke with Governess Tsukumo while her plane refueled here at Shi'eoh. According to her, then Poseidon Point's the swing province."
Nerissa sighs.
"I hope the MPs from your home province make the right choice." Nerissa laments.
"So do I." Jurard nods.
Nerissa starts pacing around the room again. But then, firm knocks pound on the conference room's heavy wooden doors. The voice of Commodore Ruze permeates through the gaps.
"Lieutenants Watson and Gawr are here to see you!" Ruze's muffled voice fills the room.
"Send them in!" Jurard answers, his voice ringing with authority.
At his command, the doors are opened. Commodore Ruze and Major Novella salute their superiors and usher in Ame and Gura. The two OSS Lieutenants salute the high ranking officers as well.
Jurard rises from his seat and Nerissa stands beside him. The two of them return the salute and offer the Lieutenants a seat. The Major and the Commodore close the doors behind them.
…
"Welcome to Shi'eoh Naval Station, Lieutenants." Jurard greets the two with a toothy smile, "I hope that you'll finally be able to elaborate how Lt. Colonel Hakos plans to rewrite Operation Bitter Spring."
"Indeed." Nerissa promptly follows, but her stern expression sharply contrasts Jurard's, "You can begin by giving us a detailed report of the situation on the ground in the Exclave."
"We'll do our best, ma'am. Sir." Amelia responds, facing Neriss and then Jurard, "Lt. Gawr and I came prepared to do just that."
Gura lifts up her heavy briefcase and sets it down on the table. She pops it open and brings out tactical maps, message transcripts and aerial photographs.
Amelia takes those things and spreads them out on the mahogany table for Nerissa and Jurard to see. Then, Ame and Gura take turns explaining the situation to the two.
"They're holding out better than expected." Nerissa rubs her chin. She takes the Lieutenants' maps and compares them to her own.
"We're doing everything we can to delay them, Colonel." Gura explains grimly, "Our reserves are already being deployed, but the situation isn't sustainable. We need food, supplies, ammo, guns and soldiers. The rest of the Continental Corps has to intervene."
Nerissa's expression sours. She explains.
"But that's the thing, Lieutenant. Half the Corps is already en route to Metro Elysium before Hakos started defying Operation Bitter Spring. All I have left is a rag-tag unit of infantry and armor that can only form a seriously understrength division."
"Can't you have them called back?" Amelia asks.
"I may be a Colonel replacing that fool of a Brigadier General, Lesie Olivier, and my responsibilities might make a full General shit himself - but those are orders from the War Department. There's no 'turning back' for them. What you see is what you get."
"And how many armored companies do you have left, ma'am?" Gura tests.
"Three. Nowhere near enough." Nerissa argues. She clicks her tongue, "Frankly speaking, the Exclave is already lost."
"Hold on now, Colonel Ravencroft… we also do have a full Elysian Navy battlegroup at your beck and call." Jurard interjects. He produces a sextant and starts charting a path from Shi'eoh Naval Station towards the shores of the Exclave, "Our surface fleet is stretched thin, but I believe my forces - Rexford Battlegroup - can make a difference."
"Admiral…!" Amelia's and Gura's eyes shine.
"However…! My support has caveats." Jurard promptly warns, "Caveats that are non-negotiable."
Gura winces. She mutters beneath her breath, "I knew it…"
Ame shakes her head and quietly urges Gura to sit still. She faces Jurard and apologizes, "Sorry about that, Admiral. What are your constraints, if I may ask?"
Admiral Rexford starts to count his fingers.
"First, my priority is to preserve the few capital ships that Elysium has left. If the safety of our capital ships cannot be assured, or if we stand to lose too many cruisers and destroyers, then I will immediately withdraw my support for this operation. I will spare no expense to fulfill the duty of my position. The battlefleet can make it there in two days at full steam, but the Pavolian subs in the area will send us to meet Mother Kanata early if we rush this operation."
Amelia lowers her head a little, but she mutters, "That's a fair point, Admiral."
"And, second." Jurard furrows his brow, "I need to be sure that the Exclave will still be standing by the time we can move in to support them."
"They'll… manage somehow." Gura stammers.
Jurard takes a deep breath and sinks back down to his seat.
"Lt. Colonel Hakos has done an excellent job of surviving the first day. I'll admit that I'm impressed. But war has a bad habit of taking everyone by surprise."
Nerissa nods.
"Seems we see eye to eye on some things after all, Admiral." Nerissa muses. She turns to Ame and Gura with a steely gaze, "Listen carefully. We may be talking about army units and navy ship formations on maps, but living, breathing people will be executing whatever we decide to do here, Lieutenants."
Gura shrinks under Jurard's and Nerissa's gazes.
Ame, however, faces them head on.
"That's why Lt. Colonel Hakos sent us here in person, Colonel Ravencroft. Admiral Rexford. We're here to make sure that the sacrifices that have been made weren't in vain." She stands upright and lays her hand over her heart, "We are prepared to do everything that needs to be done. We have contingencies in place - and we have plans that are already in motion."
"Such as?" Jurard challenges, towering over the maps splayed out on the table, "What contingencies, Lieutenant?"
Sweat drips down Ame's brow. But then, Gura breaks her silence.
"The MERAK ciphers, sir." Gura insists, "Intel that Lieutenant Watson and I retrieved from the Blue Throne microfilm already has a portion of the ciphers."
"A portion of the enemy ciphers may yield fruit from the codebreakers in months - maybe years." Jurard doesn't back down, "But you're asking for major naval action within a week."
"And for the lives of twenty thousand more soldiers that could have been on their way back home." Nerissa adds.
"We will secure the main MERAK codebook in the coming days." Gura swears firmly, "We're giving the Ravencroft Corps and the Rexford Battlegroup the partial ciphers now so that you can be prepared to receive the rest of it later."
"Lieutenant Gawr is correct." Ame chimes in as well, "With all due respect, Admiral Rexford, Colonel Ravencroft. I understand that the War Department may be applying pressure to the both of you, but the Pavolians apply pressure to us daily - on the land, sea and air. The two of you have the option to retreat. We do not."
Gura nods and concurs.
"Whether or not you support us, Lieutenant Watson and I will return to the Exclave and help the Army Air Corps protect the skies until the very end. All that we and Lt. Colonel Hakos are asking is that the Ravencroft Corps and the Rexford Battlegroup be prepared to do their part."
"IF you can secure the MERAK ciphers." Nerissa lashes back.
"WHEN we secure them, ma'am." Ame interjects. "The teenagers on the mainland waiting for their conscription papers shouldn't have to suffer tomorrow because we got scared shitless today!"
Colonel Ravencroft shudders. Her jaw drops and her brow furrows with disgust.
Admiral Rexford, on the other hand, wears a small smile.
"The two of you truly believe in this plan of yours." Jurard comments, eyeing the Lieutenants with intrigue.
"As firmly as the Sicarians believe in Mother Kanata, Admiral." Gura insists.
Jurard leans back into his seat and adjusts his khaki officer's cap.
"Now there's a bold claim. Diyosa ko po." The admiral smirks and adds, "Your sincerity has reached me, Lieutenant Watson. Lieutenant Gawr. In that case, if you can meet my constraints - and alleviate Colonel Ravencroft's concerns - then the Rexford Battlegroup is prepared to discuss the finer details of your operation."
Ame and Gura heave sighs of relief. They plop down onto the mahogany chairs.
"That's all we ask, Admiral." Ame nods respectfully from her seat.
Jurard sets his hands down on the table.
"What about you, Colonel Ravencroft?" Jurard asks her, "Would you lend these passionate young ladies your ear too?"
Ame, Gura and Jurard all turn towards Nerissa. The Colonel frowns bitterly and grumbles for a moment. Then, she takes a seat at the table.
"I hope we're not making a mistake here." Nerissa growls.
"All of us do." Jurard reassures her. He sits down beside Nerissa and smiles at Ame and Gura, "Now then, Lieutenants. Let's talk about strategy, shall we?"
…
…
…
Back across the Atlantean Ocean, at the village-turned-command post of the Kovalskia Detachment just a dozen or so miles away from the front lines, Kaela Kovalskia meets with her field commanders as night falls. Enthusiastic reports of successful offensives are muddled by frustrated reports of stalled and thwarted ones.
The dozens of commanders tell her a myriad of different things that boil down into one common thread. One that Agent Satwa, the most senior of the commanders, urges Kaela.
"We have the momentum, Lady Kovlaksia. We should press the attack." Agent Satwa insists.
Kaela, wearing a pair of reading glasses, listens to their reports, reads their documents and pores over their maps, but she sits still and gives no order to attack.
"Consolidate our gains and strengthen our positions on the front lines. Treat the wounded, repair the damaged vehicles and rest the troops whenever you can." Kaela answers them unflinchingly, "Our tank battalions will remain in reserve, and our strategy has not changed. There will be no offensive tonight."
Protests erupt in the command post. Kaela closes her eyes and sets down her reading glasses.
"I have already given my decision, commanders." Kaela growls. She stands up from her seat and glares at the commanders with her red eyes, "If you are unsatisfied by my orders, then complain to the Grand Marshall. My plan already has her endorsement."
The moment that Kaela mentions that rank, the protests simmer down to resentful whispers. Kaela, still seated at her desk, dismisses the officers and the well-dressed rabble filter out of the command post.
Agent Satwa, however, stays put.
"Lady Kovalskia." Satwa starts.
"Are you here to talk about the 86th Hakugrenadier company?" Kaela deduces.
Satwa gulps.
"Y-yes." Satwa nods and lowers her head, "I… want to apologize."
Kaela waves her hand, "No need for that. I already heard your report. Have survivors of the 86th join the rest of your companies and put them on standby."
"T-that's it?" Satwa asks, bewildered by her words.
"Yes." Kaela says flatly, "Like I've told you many times before, the battle plan is already in place and in motion. So, why do you linger here, Agent Satwa?"
Satwa clenches her fists and takes a deep breath.
"Forgiving me for the blunders of the Keris Abu-Abu in our sabotage missions is one thing, but forgiving me again tonight is another. The Grand Marshall would have had me beaten or flogged for my incompetence." Agent Satwa insists. She draws her curved keris shortsword and offers it to Kaela, "She would have taken my keris and wounded me with it!"
Kaela frowns.
She turns towards Agent Satwa and asks with a frigid voice, "Am I the Grand Marshall?"
Satwa stops in her tracks. She shakes her head.
Kaela snorts.
"Then, put away your sword. Save its edge for the Elysians."
Satwa's lips twist into a frown, but she sheathes her keris. Her true thoughts then cut through to the surface and she speaks them, absolutely mystified.
"You're so different from the Grand Marshall, Lady Kovalskia. How in the world did you earn her gaze?"
"You still wish to gain Zeta's gaze?" Kaela asks.
"That is the honor that all loyal soldiers of the Empire seek, madam!" Satwa insists, "I would like nothing more!"
Kaela glances at Satwa, eyeing her from her muddy, snow-laden boots to the pair of owl feathers sprouting from her head of fair brown hair.
She closes her eyes. A frown forms on her lips. Then, her mind slips into a memory.
…
Kaela remembered a scene burned into her memory: a scene from seven years ago. There, in a banquet hall at the Imperial Palace, a feast was held in the newly-crowned Empress Reine's honor. However, the Empress, noble courtiers from across the country and the esteemed cadets from the Pavolian Youth gathered there raised glasses and sang praises in Ollie Kureiji's honor.
All of those guests, cheers and fanfare cast long shadows over Zeta Vestia. Even as the banquet hall filled with people, Zeta sat alone. She stewed in her fury, soured by her utter humiliation. Her blue eyes burned with schemes of vengeance, cruelty and bloodlust.
The sharp, chilling gaze from those eyes frightened anyone unfortunate enough to cross paths with it. Kaela, too, was cursed with that misfortune.
However, Kaela didn't turn away from Zeta's gaze. Instead, despite her fear, she gazed back.
'For once I could tell that she needed me.' thought Kaela, remembering the spiteful flames in Zeta's entrancingly beautiful blue eyes, 'I should have turned away, but I couldn't say no. The moment our eyes met, my fate was already sealed. Her abyss had already claimed me - and I was beyond redemption.'
Kaela approached the grieving Zeta that night and took her into her arms.
…
Kaela opens her eyes once more. She sees Agent Satwa waiting eagerly for her response.
Instead, she clears her throat and speaks sternly.
"That's a story that I swore to keep in my heart, Agent. A story from seven years ago. Do not pry into my personal affairs, or I will truly lose my patience." Kaela hisses and turns away.
"... understood, madam." Satwa speaks with a deflated tone.
"But if you're so inclined to help me, then I have some work for you." Kaela changes the subject.
She produces a thick book from a satchel and sets it down on the desk before Agent Satwa.
"The MERAK cipher book…" Satwa recognizes it.
Kaela nods.
"Come with me to the communications tent. Help me with the equipment and the ciphers." Kaela urges her, "The cruisers of the Angkatan Laut are waiting for my orders."
"That means…!" Agent Satwa's eyes shine with excitement.
"Yes." Kaela smiles, "It's time to turn the Atlantean Ocean against the Elysian exclave."
…
…
…
TEMPEST
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