CHAPTER 22
TRAGIC DEFEAT
The day dragged on as usual for first squad. Ersha had taken over training Coco for the day so Cal could see to his own training while Hilda was supervising Miranda. The young rookie was showing a lot of growth recently, even nearly taking down two corvettes on a level 4 battle mission. Zola meanwhile, wanting to see Ange's progress, watched her from the observation console and noticed the girl looked fiercer than ever. No doubt a result of their little confrontation in the shower yesterday and her refusal to accept the reality of her situation. 'I am going home to my Empire.' She had stated before slamming the simulator hatch in Zola's face.
'Good luck with that Princess.' Zola smirked to herself. 'You'll never leave this place and the quicker you realise that the better off you'll be.' Across the hanger, Salia was supervising Cal and Vivian who were doing a joint level 9 battle scenario. Over the course of the week since the encounter with the Scarlett Demon, Cal had put himself through as many different combat scenarios as he could, trying to get a better feel for Siegfried and what it was capable of. After darting in and out of the remaining horde that originally numbered 50 Schooners, Cal herded them into position with his assault rifle before charging up his Ice Bullet launcher and firing a shot that exploded into a cloud of ice and freezing mist that knocked them all out of the sky.
"All enemies defeated," Salia announced. "Let's call it a day." The hatches opened and Vivian came bounding up to Cal as he towelled off the sweat that poured down his face.
"Awesome Big Bro!" Vivian squealed as she high fived him.
"Same to you," he agreed with a smirk. "That UMP-47 sub-machine rifle works a lot better compared to your past upgrades. Guess that money I gave you was spent well for a change."
"You're never going to let me live that down are you." Vivian pouted.
"Nope." Cal grinned ruffling her hair.
"You did very well," Salia praised. "Minimal damage and your accuracy were above 80%. However, you sometimes lag when switching to long range."
"Force of habit," he shrugged. "I sometimes forget I don't have my artillery cannons anymore."
"Have you written your weekly account of Siegfried's progress for the Commander?" She reminded him.
"Yep. I noted everything down just like you said." Ever since being assigned to Siegfried, Commander Jill had ordered him to document Siegfried's progression and system diagnostics during training and combat. Salia had proofread his report a few times, adding a few of her touches since Cal was still new to this weekly task. "The power coursing through that machine is unbelievable, I'm getting pumped up just thinking of what else it can do."
"Hey Salia, that reminds me," Vivian interrupted. "What did you get with your part of the reward?"
"Nothing." Salia gulped suddenly. "I'm just saving up for something."
"Oh, is it a plushie of Cal? I said you can borrow mine if you want."
"Be quiet!" Salia hissed.
As the afternoon turned to dusk, Cal made his way to the command centre and handed in his report to Jill. "Nice to see you're taking this seriously." Jill commented as she scanned though his notes.
"Commander are these reports necessary?" Emma asked as she adjusted her glasses.
"Every new Para-mail model needs weekly reports and check-ups from the pilot and armourers in case of any mishaps or complications." Jill explained. "We wouldn't want anything unfortunate to happen now, would we?"
"I guess not." Emma accepted in defeat. Jill smirked slyly by how easily naïve the Inspector was and beckoned for the 4b pencil he had gotten from the mall on his way here along with the new sketchbook.
"I see a few of Salia's tweaks in here but since this is your first report, I'll cut you some slack." Jill said as she underlined certain points. "Still drawing I see."
"Yeah, I used up my last one and I'm thinking of doing a different sort of art." Cal admitted.
"Oh?" she asked, noticing the slight blush in his face. "And what would that be?"
"Well," he said. "Irma asked me to pose nude for one of her drawings and I thought I might do the same. I just need to find some models first." Not surprisingly, Olivier and Hikaru both spun around with stars in their eyes though a quick glance from Jill sent them back to their stations.
"I should have known!" the Inspector scolded. "It's bad enough you're sleeping with half this base but now you're trying to create your own pornography." An evil grin began to show on Cal's face and Jill rolled her eyes as she knew what was coming.
"Gee Inspector," he asked in the most faux-innocent voice imaginable, "I'm sorry."
"You should be," Emma huffed as she drank her coffee.
"If I knew you were interested in modelling for me, I would have asked you first." A spray of coffee erupted from the Inspector's mouth as she spewed it across her workstation.
"Wha…wha...what!" she shrieked between fits of coughing.
"Would you like to do it in my room or yours?" Emma squealed in terror as she covered herself while the command staff turned brick red from holding in their laughter.
"Enough Cal!" Jill snapped as she chopped him on top of the head with her prosthetic. "One more word out of you and I'll have you scrubbing toilets for a month with a toothbrush." At that moment, who should enter but Ange.
"Excuse me." she curtly said as she bumped her way past Cal. Cal shot her a dirty look but she ignored him as she held out the envelopes in her hand.
"And these are?" Jill asked with an annoyed grunt.
"This is a petition for recognition of my royal privileges as well as my immediate release." Ange announced. Down on the lower deck the command staff gawked in bewilderment over how she had the audacity to ask the Commander of such things. "Please deliver these to the appropriate authorities with all due haste."
"You can't be serious," Cal groaned.
"You still don't get it do you?" Emma said as she shook her head.
"She's more of a handful than we thought." A sultry voice mused. Everyone turned and who should appear in the doorway but Zola, a whiskey flask in one hand and wearing only her short burgundy robe. "That skull of hers is pretty dense." Ange gave her Captain a cold look as if Zola was a disgusting creature that she didn't want touching her ever again. Not so long ago, Zola would have gladly taken the little fool aside and given her some of her own "special" training. She certainly was pretty enough. But the time she had spent with Cal and her renewed relationship with Scarlett had soothed her more impulsive tendencies.
"Captain Zola!" Emma scolded. "Your clothing is unacceptable. Could you not put on something half decent for a change?"
"Well, if it bothers you that much Inspector, I'll gladly take it off." Zola teased, making Emma scowl.
"She lacks discipline. You haven't trained her well enough Zola." Jill lectured. "And that's another thing. Your officer training role needs some work especially with the new recruits."
"It's not my fault that she's a headache to work with," Cal whined. "You don't even want to know what it's like being her roommate."
"Be silent!" Ange snapped back. "It's bad enough I have to sleep in a room with a pervert like you!"
"At least you CAN sleep," Cal fired back. "Between your constant bitching and snoring like an asthmatic rhino I haven't gotten a decent night's sleep since you arrived."
"Zola get those two to behave before I send them both to the brig." Jill warned.
"Apologies Commander." Zola saluted, then smirked as she saw Cal's eyes wander to her cleavage. "You know," she whispered, "If you're looking for a volunteer, I can spare a few moments." Cal's cheeks went a shade of pink as Zola nibbled on his ear lope as Hikaru fumed in her chair. "Come on." Zola said grabbing Cal's hand. "I have a lot of pent-up energy to work off. May we be excused?" Jill simply nodded as Zola dragged Cal away out of the room.
"That woman." Emma groaned as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I swear, she's the cause of that male Norma being more of a pervert than he already is."
"Afraid he'll set his eyes on something 'fresh?'" Jill teased.
"Don't mock me!" Emma shrieked. "It's bad enough I have to carry a taser in case that heathen tries anything. The sooner my father finds a suitable bodyguard the better."
"Excuse me!" Ange interrupted. "Will you send my letters or not?" Jill looked at her and snubbed out her cigarette.
"Fine." She accepted. "I'll grant your request. I'm fairly certain they'll reply immediately."
"Thank you." Ange said before leaving.
"Commander you're not really…"
"Don't worry Inspector." Jill said as she tossed the letters onto her desk. "We both know what the answer will be. This will be her last chance. If she won't accept the humans' answer, then nothing will get through to her."
Night fell and the light of the full moon filled Zola's luxurious quarters. Lifting himself off the bed, Cal turned on the lights and grabbed a soda from Zola's mini fridge. As he sat back down on the bed to drink, Zola stretched out and gave a contented moan as she leaned over her bed to pick up Cal's sketchbook. As promised, she had let him draw her before they got down to business. It actually seemed to heighten the eroticism even further.
"What do you think?" he asked. Zola hummed as she lay back. The drawing was erotic yet beautiful at the same time, like something out of a magazine. 'Is this really how he sees me?' she wondered.
"Amazing," she purred. "You make me wonder if I could have made it as a professional. Am I really your first?"
"At least in person." Cal admitted sadly. Placing the sketchbook down, Zola rested her head on her hand as she looked at the young man beside her. Despite the muscle he had put on in the time he had arrived, Cal somehow looked even smaller and more vulnerable than when he first arrived. Zola guessed he must still be grieving the loss of Naomi. Rising up, she rested her chin on his shoulder and hugged him from behind.
"It's been a while since it's just been the two of us." Zola hummed. "You sure know how to show a girl a good time."
"Six times." Cal mumbled. "You're an animal. I don't think I can't feel my dick anymore."
"Now don't complain." Zola giggled. "After all you deserved a little extra."
"For what?"
"Just for being here." Zola sighed as she stroked his chest. "Ever since you arrived, it's been the happiest I've been for a very long time. And I'm sure more than a few others feel the same way. It's been a long time since I was happy to be alive." Cal smiled at her over his shoulder and patted her hand.
"You know," he told her, "When I woke up after the Category 5 and saw all your faces, I felt happy to be alive too." He thought back to that moment before the tragic news broke that Naomi didn't make it. Even after finding out the truth about his existence and his Gramps' past, he knew in that moment he had something to live for.
"You sure love to exaggerate." Zola chuckled.
"I mean it." He continued. "I don't want to fight just for survival. You and the others in first squad…you're like my family. I'd give my life for any of you."
"Even the Princess?" she teased.
"Well," Cal hesitated, "maybe if she dropped the attitude. But she's a member of first squad too so…yeah. I guess I do understand why she's the way she is. Unlike me she never knew she was a Norma. And this life probably is a lot different from a castle." 'Still a big softie,' she thought. 'Honestly it would be annoying if you weren't so cute.'
"She'll get it through her thick head eventually," Zola assured him. "Sooner or later they all do." With a sudden tug, Zola yanked him back down to the bed as she crawled on top of him. "So just forget about the Royal Pain for now. What do you say we go for round 7?" Zola licked her lips and Cal gulped as she bent down towards him when a sudden blare made them both jump. "Damn it! Just when it was getting good." Zola groaned. "We'll pick up where we left off later. Now let's get going!" Cal yanked on his black slacks as Zola threw on her robe and they both made a beeline for the locker room.
The sudden scream of the alarm made Ange almost leap out of her skin. The sound was horrid and the pulsing red lights all down the hall made the hairs stand on the back of her neck stand up. From further down the hall, two small figures came sprinting towards her. Ange stepped aside as Miranda raced past her when Coco suddenly grabbed her hand.
"Come on lady Angelise!" Coco yelled as she yanked Ange after her. "We have to get going!"
"Go where?" Ange demanded as she was dragged to the locker room. "What exactly is happening?" By the time she arrived, the rest of the first squad had already arrived and were in the midst of squeezing into their plug suits.
"Ange, hurry and change!" Salia barked. "This is not a drill."
"I will not change with him in here!" Ange argued as she pointed to Cal.
"Now's not the time Ange. Get changed now!" Zola ordered. "This is the real thing Princess. So get it in gear." Still unsure of what was happening, Ange went to her locker, grabbed her azure blue suit, and changed inside the showers away from the prying eyes of that perverted male Norma.
With the opening of the singular getting closer, the Armourers rushed to get the First Squad Para-mails ready for launch. Despite the damage inflicted, the Category Five had in the long run been good for Arzenal. No one was willing to risk being caught unprepared again after something like that. "Get those new Glaives into position!" Mei ordered. "Then load up the Hauser cannons!" Once they all changed, the first squad arrived just as their Para-mails were lifted up from the lower hangers and taxied into place. Coco's heart began to thump against her ribs like a drum and she fidgeted with hands. This was it. Her first sortie.
"You can do this Coco." Miranda said as she held Coco's hand to calm her down. "We'll look out for each other. So we'll be okay." Coco looked up to Miranda and gave her a little smile.
"Rookies listen up." Salia announced as she pointed at two standard grey and light blue Glaives at the back of the Para-mail que. "Coco you'll be taking the one in the centre. Ange yours is on the far left." Adjusting the bracelet on his wrist, Cal watched as Siegfried was finally set into position. This would be their first sortie since he killed the Scarlett Demon, and he was itching to see what his unit could do. As he did, a sudden glint off the walnut sized red gem caught Ange's attention. The gem looked to be a lower quality, but it was undoubtedly the same as her mother's ring. 'Why is he wearing that?' Ange wondered. 'I've never seen him wear that during training.'
"Alright let's move out!" Zola barked as the Para-mails finally moved into position. Everyone mounted up onto their Para-mails, plugging their chamber chargers into place.
"First squad we are unable to detect the size of the singular." Hikaru announced over the intercom. "Keep your distance until we get an accurate reading. Then engage the enemy once they emerge!"
"Copy that!" Zola called back. "The First squad is a go! Newbies, you'll be providing back up fire from the rear along with Unit Miranda. Leave the big ones to us. Stay in formation and don't make any stupid decisions." Coco gulped while Ange didn't seem to care. "Remember your training and you'll get through in one piece."
"Yes Captain." Coco replied, her stomach tying itself in knots. She looked to her right as Cal gave her a reassuring smile with a thumbs up which helped ease her nerves. Ange meanwhile, finally realized her situation. 'Are we really going to fly out of here?' She questioned. 'But what for? Never mind. This is the chance I've been waiting for.'
"Launch is clear for all units. Armorers, please evacuate the flight desk." Pamela ordered; the safety barriers rising into place as the Para-mail engines began to warm up. "First squad you are now clear for take-off." Zola looked up to see a tall and dusky older girl standing amongst the shorter girls in orange overalls and she winked at Scarlett who waved back.
"All right everyone let's move out!" Zola ordered. Her purple arquebus was the first to shoot out of the hanger across the tarmac and out into the night skies, quickly followed by Vivian and Hilda; then Salia along with Rosalie, Chris and Ersha; and finally, Miranda and the new recruits Coco and Ange. Once the others had all gotten a safe enough lead, Cal readied himself to follow.
"Alright Siegfried. Let's rock!" Releasing the throttle, the four booster wings roared as Cal accelerated forward, blazing red afterburn sending Siegfried shooting out and into the sky. "Wahoo!" he howled as he quickly caught up with the others. Ange meanwhile was less than enjoying herself. The cold night air and the flimsy flight suit was like 100 ice cubes striking her all over. And it only got worse the higher they went.
"How do you like the real thing." Zola asked through her radio. "You better not fall off. It's a long way down."
"Yes Ma'am." Coco replied, her Para-mail swerving slightly, as she struggled to maintain position. The controls had a lot more weight than in the simulators.
"Steady yourself unit Coco." Cal told her. "Remember what I taught you."
"Yes Cal-Senpai!"
"All units are at 12,000 altitude!" Salia informed, Ange looked down to see the clouds disappear to nothing but an endless expanse of black sea. Seeing how high she was made her stomach churn, but the wide-open sky gave her a great sense of hope. 'I'm actually out of there.'
"We're approaching the singular," Zola announced. "All units assume formation!"
Leaning back in her chair, Jill watched as the first squad left Arzenal. The lights of their engines shinning like stars in the sky, ten blue and one red, before disappearing above the clouds.
"Weather condition is clear with winds at 15 MPH" Pamela read. Emma Bronson however was even more on edge than usual.
"Commander are you sure she won't go AWOL?" she asked.
"If she does it won't be a problem," Jill assured her. "She'll either crash into the sea or be forced to land at one of the surrounding islands. Either way, she won't get far."
"8 klicks to the singular." Pamela announced. Jill looked down at Ange's ring, the ring of the royal Misurugi family. 'God, I hope I'm right about her.' She prayed when one of the blue dots on the overhead monitor began to shift away to the left.
"Commander," Hikaru suddenly cried, "Unit Ange is has broken away from the main formation."
"She what!" Emma shouted. "I knew it!" 'Damn stupid girl,' Jill cursed to herself as she picked up her transceiver.
"Unit Salia and Cal," she ordered. "Break off and get her back into formation. The rest of you, continue on towards the singular." It was unusual to send TWO para-mail after a deserter, especially with in the face of impending attack. But Jill couldn't afford to let Ange get away. 'Cal I'm counting on you to keep her alive.'
Seeing one of the blue dots on his indicator suddenly break away, Cal turned his head to see the far-left grey Glaive flying off. 'What the hell is she doing?' He wondered. Upon hearing Jill's command, he and Salia both gave chase after her.
"We're approaching the singular!" Salia yelled. "Get back into formation Ange!" Salia ordered as Ange put on a burst of speed. "COME BACK!"
"I am Princess Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi and I'm going home where I belong!" Ange argued, a sense of freedom and relief she hadn't felt all week surging through her. She was like a bird that had finally escaped her cage and was ready to fly back home to her nest. As the two of them finally caught up with Ange, Salia drew her pistol from its holster and aimed it at her.
"This is your only warning. Turn back around now or…" But before Salia could finish she was cut off by another Glaive flying behind them.
"Lady Angelise!" Cal's eyes widened in shock as he recognized Coco's voice. From his 12 o'clock, he saw Coco's machine fly up behind them. "Lady Angelise let me come with you!"
"Coco are you insane?" Miranda asked feeling her heart break. "Why are you doing this?"
"Coco get back to the others!" Cal ordered.
"I'm sorry Senpai, but I have to try. I don't care if Ange said those harsh words. I have to see that magical land for myself."
"Coco please listen to me!" Cal begged. "I don't know what it's really like in those lands, but the Humans will never accept you there."
"I know but not all humans can be bad." Coco argued. "Your Grandfather was a human and he loved you. Maybe I can find someone who will do the same for me."
"That will never happen Coco." Cal explained. "Because humans don't see us as anything more than abominations to get rid of. Just like they tried to do to me!"
"Huh?" Coco gasped. "What do you mean Cal-Senpai?"
"When I was born the humans tried to kill me," he told her. "All because a Male Norma is not meant to exist in their eyes!" In the distance, a rush of shock and confusion spread through the entire squad.
"Cal what did you just say?" Zola gasped
"Wait a minute…WHAT!" Hilda gaped.
"Oh my god, Cal." Ersha whispered.
"What are you talking about?" Rosalie demanded.
"What the hell?" Chris murmured.
"Is…is that true Cal?" Miranda asked. Salia felt as if her heart was about to explode out of her chest. 'Dammit Cal don't.' she grimaced. Ange meanwhile felt herself go numb. 'What did he just say? No, it can't…no human would do that.' Ange thought, though she couldn't stop the flashbacks to her baptism from playing across her mind and how her own subjects had reacted.
"Cal Senpai…" Coco quivered. "That's horrible. Is this true?" Cutting his speed, Cal drifted up to beside her.
"Coco please just go back," he told her. "It doesn't matter what's out there because there's nothing for us. And you don't need to find a family out there because you already have one. Right here." Coco stared right back at Cal and tears fell down her cheeks as the realization of what he was saying finally sunk in.
"Okay, Cal-Senpai," she admitted. Cal breathed a sigh of relief, only for it to shatter as Pamela suddenly called over the radio.
"All units get ready. The Singular is opening!" Salia felt the hairs on the back of her neck prick up as she looked overhead to see a ring of red lightning crackle above them.
"It's right on top of us!" she yelled. "Cal, Coco, Ange move!" The sky swelled and popped open before a flash of blue and a deafening bang tore through the air before Cal. Time seemed to pause as Cal could only stare in shock as a fountain of blood erupted from Coco's mouth, her body sliced in half while her Glaive exploded in a ball of flames and black smoke.
"Coco…" Miranda cried as she saw what had happened. "COCO NOOOOO!" From the hole in the sky the DRAGONS began to pour out right on top of the first squad
"What…just happened." Ange murmured, too horror stricken to comprehend what was appearing before her. It's wings stretching the width of the sky, the huge reptilian beast dwarfed their machines while around it, smaller versions flew alongside screeching in fury. "Oh my god…no…".
"We've lost unit Coco." Pamela confirmed.
"Enemy signature confirmed." Hikaru announced to the first squad. "Category 2. 1 Brig, 1 Corvette and 29 schooners."
"Commander should we not order to have additional pilots to assist them." Emma suggested, biting her thumb in apprehension. She still had nightmares of how that one Schooner had nearly gotten her during the Category 5.
"That smarm won't get near here Inspector." Jill assured her. "Besides if Cal's new Para-mail can take on a First Of then it can handle a few small fries."
"If you say so." Emma gulped wiping the cold sweat of her forehead. But there was more bothering her than merely the threat of a DRAGON reaching Arzenal. 'What he just said, about humans trying to kill him when he was born. What is he talking about?'
"Cal…Cal…CAL!" Salia's voice snapped Cal back to reality. And with it the realization that he had just seen Coco torn in half by the Brig's attack. "Cal snap out of it the enemy is about to engage!" Fighting back tears and the lump in his throat, Cal gave himself a light slap to get his head back in the game. Once the last of the swarm had cleared the portal, Cal checked his radar and saw that they were swinging back around towards the main group.
"What about Ange?" he asked.
"Leave her to me," Salia told him. "Go help the others." Gritting his teeth, Cal veered off away from his pursuit and back to the others. 'Get it together!' he yelled at himself. Coco was dead and there was nothing he could do for her. All he could do now was make sure no one else got killed.
"29 schooners, a Brig, AND a Corvette!?" Rosalie gasped. "Can't we catch a break just once?"
"Damn that's a big swarm for a Category 2." Hilda noted.
"Everyone listen up!" Zola barked. "Change of plan. Recruit training is on hold. Cal, Vivian Ersha, take care of the Corvette. The rest of you, with me on the Brig. Don't forget to watch out for the small fry. Now convert to destroyer mode and take these bastards out!"
"Yes Ma'am!" they all said. Breaking off into their designated groups, the remaining Para-mail shifted out of flight mode and drew their weapons, the night sky lighting up with machine gun and cannon fire as the swarm closed in. Salia meanwhile was still in pursuit of Ange.
"And Ange?" Salia asked. "What's her punishment?"
"Forget about her. We'll deal with her later if I have anything to say about it." Salia sighed in frustration but holstered her gun. Zola was right. Right now, the DRAGONs were a higher priority.
"Copy that." Salia replied as she banked her Arquebus around to regroup with her squad mates.
"What should I do Captain?" Miranda asked in a panic.
"Just keep your distance while we clean them out. And don't let the Princess out of your sight." With her orders given, Miranda shifted her flight path and followed after Ange as she continued to flee. Pulling his rifle, Cal charged at the incoming Corvette and the Schooners flying shotgun along its flank. To his starboard, Vivian provided cover from any Schooners that tried to swoop in on him from the sides while Ersha provided long range support with her cannons.
"You Bastards!" He snarled, bullets riddling the Grey scaled DRAGON. "You're gonna pay!"
"Ange wait stop!" Miranda cried as she continued to chase after her. "Where are you going?"
"I am going back to the Misarugi Empire. My home." The roar of gunfire echoed behind her, occasionally punctuated by a dying shriek from one of those monsters. Ange had no idea if she was even going in the right direction, but anything was better than back the way she came.
"You can't be serious!" Miranda told her. "There's only enough fuel in these Para-mail for a battle. I don't know how far your Empire is, but you'll never make it!"
"I still must try. Anything to get away from that awful place." Gunning her engines, Ange boosted her speed and flew off even faster.
"Great what am I supposed to do now!" Miranda said. Captain Zola had ordered her to keep an eye on Ange but what else could she do? Miranda's eyes shifted down towards the sea, a thin column of black smoke rising from where the wreckage of Coco's Para-mail had crashed. Tears began to well up in her eyes as it sunk in that her best friend, who was practically like a sister since they were babies, was gone.
'Coco you idiot,' she thought as hot tears streamed down her face. 'There is no magical land or ever will be. Get your head out of the clouds. We're Norma. This life is all we'll ever know, nothing else.'
"MIRANDA LOOK OUT!" Cal suddenly screamed. The sudden outburst yanked her out of her grief as she looked up just in time to the Schooner diving towards her.
Emptying his first clip, Cal reloaded his spare when one Schooner tried to take advantage. Thinking quickly, Cal spun out of the way as he drew one of his blades from its hardpoint on Siegfried's outer wing before slashing its throat open. Across the sky, Zola, Hilda, and Salia were peppering the Brig with their assault rifles while Chris and Rosalie provided cover fire from the Schooners. The larger purple DRAGON had raised its shields, but they were slowly being whittled down under the continuous fire.
"Cal," Ersha called. "All of our Schooners are taken care of."
"Then go help the others." Cal confirmed. "I'll deal with the Corvette."
"Okay but be careful," Ersha urged.
"Go get 'em Big Bro!" Vivian cheered. As the orange Hauser and the Pink Glaive shot off, Cal sprayed the wing of the Corvette.
"Hey. Come and get it!" he taunted. Enraged by the challenge, the Corvette shrieked in fury as it charged straight at him. It opened his mouth to charge up its attack and Cal readied to pull his Ice Bullet Launcher when a sudden blip on his radar caught his attention. While the rest of the squad had been busy with the Lion's share of the swarm. Three Schooners had broken off from the attack and were closing in on two blue dots that were flying away from the battle. 'Ange! Miranda!' he realized. The others were too far away and too preoccupied with the Brig to get there in time. Shifting tactics, Cal fired the RPG from his rifle's underside right into the Corvette's face, knocking it off course and taking off a good chunk of its face. With his enemy disabled, Cal shifted to flight mode and shoot off towards Ange and Miranda. Two of the Schooners were closing in on their tail and Cal took aim once he was close enough only to realize something. 'Where's the third one?' a quick check of his radar and Cal inhaled sharply as he saw it take position right on top of Miranda.
"MIRANDA LOOK OUT!" Cal yelled, just as the schooner pounced right on the back of the Glaive, the impact bucking Miranda right out of the cockpit while her helmet was sent flying off.
"Miranda no!" He cried out.
"HELP ME!" She screamed as she began to fall. Cal gunned Siegfried's throttle as hard as he could but the Schooners had a head start on him and were rapidly closing in on the girl.
'Come on Siegfried, come on!' Cal pleaded, gritting his teeth against the G forces. The Schooners were now less than 50 yards away from Miranda and opening their jaws to rip her apart. 'Go, go, GO!' Cal urged Siegfried. They were now on top of her, and all Cal could do was watch as Miranda was inches away from being snatched up. "MIRANDA NO!"
And then it happened. Something that made the entire world feel empty and grey as Cal felt an odd ringing in his ears. 'What…what's happening?' Everything seemed to move at slow motion, except for Siegfried which still shot forward at top speed. A thousand thoughts raced through Cal's mind in that split second as he slowed down just enough to grab Miranda without ripping her arm out as he passed between the Schooners and yanked her into his lap. Once they were clear, the ruby gem set in the bracelet on his outstretched arm flashed a bright crimson that lit up his entire cockpit before a flash of red lightning exploded around them, the shockwave knocking the Schooners away as the world returned to normal and Miranda looked up, her eyes wide with shock at seeing she was safe in Cal's arms.
"Cal…" she gasped. "How…?"
"Hold on!" he yelled. The Schooners had recovered from their shock and were diving back towards them. "Get on my back!" Miranda did as she was told and hurriedly climbed around to the back of the cockpit. Her arms tightly gripped around Cal's torso as he kicked into high gear and shot back towards the Schooners. Two of them flew aside but one wasn't fast enough to avoid Siegfried's bow from slamming into its face with enough force to crush its skull.
"Hold on!" He yelled when another blip on his console caught his attention. He looked down and gaped in disbelief to see that his fuel had dropped to 37%. 'How the hell did it drop that quick?' he wondered. He had only been in the flying for less than 10 minutes. Even with combat his fuel levels should have been double that. But now wasn't the time. The two remaining Schooners had resumed their pursuit of Ange.
"Behind us!" Miranda cried. Cal looked to his left and cursed as he saw that the Corvette had caught up to him, a sigil ring forming before its mouth as it launched a fireball right towards them and forcing Cal to jink to the right.
Ange heard the sudden thud and looked over her shoulder just in time to see Miranda had been thrown from her Para-mail. The monsters chasing after them saw it as well and were now flying straight towards her. Ange turned her head to avoid the sight of her being torn to pieces like Coco when a sudden flash of red lightning knocked the creatures aside. When it faded, Ange saw to her relief that the Male Norma had reached Miranda in time and had taken her aboard his machine.
'How did he get there so fast?' Ange wondered. 'He was more than double the distance from those monsters.' An awful screech grabbed her attention and Ange looked up to see a maw of razor-sharp teeth bearing down on her. With a squeal of fright, Ange yanked her controls left to avoid the beast's attack only to find herself in the path of its comrade. Fear and desperation took over and Ange blindly shifted to Destroyer mode as she randomly darted back and forth to avoid the constant lunging of her attackers as they chased her back towards the battle she had previously tried to escape from.
As Zola shifted position within her cockpit, a sudden flash of red lightning caught her attention. At first, she had feared another singular had opened but nothing appeared. She checked her radar and saw Cal had led the Corvette a considerable distance away.
"Unit Cal what's your status?" Zola checked.
"Miranda's Para-mail has been lost but I managed to catch her." He answered.
"Good work. Do you have eyes on unit Ange?"
"Negative…Shit!" She heard him curse, followed by a shriek from Miranda. "I've got this ugly grey freak up my ass. And with Miranda riding on my back, I can't easily shift to Destroyer mode."
"Understood. Vivian. Go help him."
"Just leave it to me," the younger pilot chirped as she shifted to Destroyer mode and shot off. As Artillery finished off the last of the Schooners, the Brig's shields finally buckled under the hail of bullets from their assault rifles.
"You're the only one left." Zola mocked. "Alright girls load up the freeze bullets! Charge with all you got!" With the end of the battle now in sight, glowing spikes extended from the right elbow of each Para mail as they moved in for the kill. Forced to go on the offensive, the Brig's body glowed as a red sigil ring travelled the length of its body, shedding its scales and sending them at its attackers in a hail of razor-sharp projectiles. Weaving in and out of the glowing missiles, Hilda emptied her remaining clip to clear the way before letting out a war cry and shooting her freeze bullet right into its flank. Shards of ice erupted from the point of contact and the Brig screamed in pain. Salia was next to strike, taking advantage of the Brig's distraction to shoot her bullet into its other side. The Brig gave a full body shudder and the shards of ice fell off like flurries of snow, but the damage was already done. Frostbite had spread across its scales and its movements had become clumsy and sluggish.
"Now I've got you." Zola grinned as she dashed in to finish it off when a sudden scream caught her attention. Before she could get out of the way, who should barrel into her but Ange who grabbed onto Zola's Arquebus like a frightened child. Behind her, the two Schooners who had chased her back towards the fight suddenly found themselves under assault from the others as they turned tail and tried to flee before being shot down.
"WAAHH! Help me!" Ange begged.
"What the hell are you doing? Let me go!" Zola yelled as she found herself spinning out of control from Ange's struggling.
"ZOLA!" Hilda screamed. A dark shadow fell over her and Zola only had enough time to look behind her as the Brig loomed overhead and brought its wing straight down on them both.
"Cal hurry!" Miranda screamed as another fireball shot past them. Cal made a hairpin swerve and dived, trying to get keep distance from the Corvette until some help could arrive. He checked the fuel and tched as he saw it was now down to 15%.
"Here I come!" a familiar voice sang. Cal looked up just in time to see a pink blur shoot past before Vivian tossed her boomerang and forced the Corvette to veer off. Catching it, Vivian strafed the enemy and succeeded in drawing its attention.
"Vivian," Cal called. "Can you keep it occupied for a minute?"
"No problem!" Vivian answered as she shot an RPG into the Corvette's flank and knocked it off balance. "Oh yeah bring it on!" Still wobbling from the RPG, the grey DRAGON began launching fireball after fireball after the pink Razer as it darted across the sky like a mosquito on caffeine.
"Miranda, hold your breath," Cal said. Guessing what was about to happen, Miranda inched in as close as she could as Siegfried folded around them. With two people, the already cramped cockpit in Destroyer mode was now smothering as Cal drew his Ice Bullet Launcher and began to charge up the Staves. "Vivian now!" With her cue given, Vivian loaded her freeze bullet as she flipped over the charging Corvette and fired point blank into its spine. The sudden eruption of ice shards along its back suspended the target in mid-air as it spasmed, giving Cal a clear shot as he fired. The supercharged freeze bullet landed right beneath its throat, the force of impact tearing off the head as the DRAGON fell into the sea below.
"You okay?" Vivian called as Cal shifted back to flight mode.
"Yeah," he gasped when Hilda's sudden scream turned his attention back to where the others were fighting. Cal looked up in time to see the Brig suddenly bring down its wing and two blue dots on his radar disappeared from sight. "No!" he whispered as he and Vivian shot back to the others. Ersha, Rosalie, and Chris tried to move in and finish it off with their freeze bullets, but another barrage from the Brig forced them to disperse as the large purple DRAGON turned tail and fled.
"After it!" Salia ordered. "We can't let it escape!"
"We can't!" Ersha pointed out. "Our weapons are all dry. We have nothing to fight with!"
"What happened?" Cal demanded as he and Vivian finally rejoined the others.
"The Captain!" Chris gasped. "It…it got her!" It couldn't be? How could Zola of all people be killed so easily? It was then he noticed someone else was missing.
"What about Ange?" he asked.
"That stupid fucking coward!" Hilda cursed. "She grabbed onto her and got them both hit!"
"Captain where are you!" Rosalie called out.
"Zola answer me!" Hilda cried. Cal swooped low but he could not see a trace of Zola or Ange anywhere.
"Attention all units," Commander Jill suddenly broadcast. "Return to base immediately."
"Commander," Salia argued, "what about Captain Zola and Ange?"
"We'll be sending a search party after you return. Now return to base. That is an order." Salia grit her teeth, but she knew Jill was right. Their fuel was down to 40% and Cal was running on fumes. 'That flash of red lightning,' she realized. 'That was Siegfried's Geirönul form.' She knew Cal had been dedicating himself to his training, but had he already started to unlock the unit's alternate forms.
"All unit's return to base," she ordered.
"No! We have to search for Captain Zola!" Hilda argued.
"We can't leave her!" Chris pleaded.
"There's nothing we can do." Salia told them. "We have no ammo and we're running low on fuel."
"She's right girls," Ersha agreed. "I'm sorry."
"Damn it!" Rosalie cursed. "I hope that skank drowns in her cockpit!" The thought of leaving their captain stranded with an escaped DRAGON still lurking about was something none of them liked but it was out of their hands now. Cal was angry enough to punch the cockpit screens, but he held his frustrations in check. How could a simple Category 2 attack go so wrong so fast? Zola and Ange were MIA and Coco was…Cal held back the tears for Miranda's sake who he could hear sniffing into his back.
"Cal let's go," Salia ordered. With nothing else to do, the squad regrouped and took flight back to base. A chill was in the air which meant another rainstorm was blowing in.
The Command staff could only watch in horror and as the situation unfolded before them. First Ange had deserted her squad, then Coco was killed in the blink of an eye, and now Zola and Ange were both missing.
"You think the Captain and the Princess are alive?" Oliver wondered.
"I don't know, but it doesn't look good," Pamela sighed. "What a mess."
"Poor little Coco she was so young." Hikaru whispered. Behind them, Jill could only clasp her hands before her to hide how furiously she was gritting her teeth.
"I should alert the committee about this." Emma said. "Commander I hope you understand the severity of this situation. If that DRAGON should reach the mainland there's no telling the damage it could cause to human life and property."
"I'm well aware Inspector," Jill assured her. "As soon as we can track it down, I'll send the squad out again to finish it off." Emma frowned at how laid back the Commander was about the situation but something else was playing on her mind. "Commander, what the male Norma said. What was he talking about?"
"Who knows?" Jill lied. "But I wouldn't put much thought into it. He probably was just making something up to make Coco come back."
"I…suppose that's possible." Emma admitted, but Jill saw the hint of confliction in her eyes. "If you'll excuse me, I have to contact the committee and alert them to the situation." Emma and Jill saluted as the Inspector left, leaving Jill to deal with the command staff.
"Is it true what Cal said?" She heard them gossip.
"Why would he have reason to lie?"
"If so it's horrible. How could the humans do such a thing to a baby?"
"Girls listen up," Jill spoke up, making them snap to attention. "What you just heard, that is strictly private. I don't want anyone to know a single word what you heard. If they do, then you'll be the first ones I'll be looking at. Understand." The icy glare and her tone made all three of them gulp.
"Yes Commander." They saluted. Now that that was settled, Jill left the Command Centre to go meet with the First Squad. 'That idiot!' she seethed. 'He'd better have a good excuse for running his mouth like that. This is not something that the Inspector will simply forget.'
After returning to her private quarters and giving her report, Emma stripped out of her uniform and took a long hot bubble bath. 'That poor girl,' she thought. While Emma was strict that didn't mean she was heartless. And while sacrificing the Norma was necessary for the good of the world, seeing a young girl barely into her teens having to die like that was still horrible. And then there was what Cal had told her. 'Did humans really try to kill him when he was a baby? No, I won't believe it. The Commander was right. He just made up that lie to get Coco to come back.' So why couldn't she shake the feeling that something was off.
She remembered the day she received his background report. A male Norma raised by a mother and father for 18 years in a secluded cabin along the northern border of Rosenblum before he was captured. Then the Mana transport carrying him had been struck down by lightning en route to Arzenal leaving only him alive. Afterwards, she had checked military records for information on the transport, but her father told her that everything was kept under wraps due to Cal being a special case. 'Coco mentioned his Gramps.' She remembered. 'There was no mention of a grandparent in the report. I guess I'll just have to ask the little heathen myself.' That could wait until later though and Emma leaned further back into the bath as her thoughts turned to the impending arrival of her personal bodyguard which made her feel excited and giddy.
'What no be professional.' Emma told herself. 'It's for my own protection just in case another DRAGON almost gets me. And also, to keep that pervert at a safe distance.' Though being in the company of a human again, especially a man, certainly had appeal to it. She raised her leg from the water and imagined a pair of large strong hands massaging her foot after a long day.
"I'll do anything to satisfy your needs Chief Inspector."
"Oh, stop it!" She squealed as she covered her blush with her hands.
Finally, the first squad made it back to base and the armourers rushed to repair any damages. Once Cal landed, he saw a few of Arzenal's security and medical personnel lining up to board one of the large arial transports, the same kind that had picked him up after he escaped the humans' assault on his home. Off to the side, Rosalie had her arms around Chis who was sobbing in worry
"I'm sure the captain will be okay Chris," Rosalie assured her. "She's survived worst."
"Yeah, but she's never gotten lost in battle before." Chris whimpered.
"Pull yourselves together will you." Hilda snapped. "Zola will be just fine. They'll find her and hopefully that stupid spoiled little skank is out of our misery." Though she tried to sound confident, the waver in her voice betrayed her own fear. A sudden ruckus caught their attention and Cal looked over to see Scarlett dressed in her scarlet red pilot suit and demanding the armourers to get her Para-mail up and running.
"It's ok Miranda, we're back." He assured her. Prying her arms from around his waist, Cal disembarked first then helped her down before she flung herself crying against his chest.
"She's gone…Coco..." Miranda sobbed. Cal was at a loss for words as to what to say as he was still partially in denial himself.
"Come on Miranda." Ersha soothed, gentle placing her hands the crying girl's shoulders. "Let's get you to bed. You need some rest." Cal let Ersha take her away when another argument broke out in the hanger behind them.
"Scarlett step down." Said the voice of Commander Jill.
"Commander let me go scout. I'll be able to find Captain Zola and the Princess far quicker than they could."
"Captain that's on order. Don't let your emotions get in the way."
"Commander I'm not going to just sit back and leave her out there!"
"That is an order, Scarlett!" Jill roared. "Disobey and I'll have you busted down to rank and file!" Cal watched Scarlett grit her teeth and tense her fists and for a moment, actually feared she would take a swing at Jill. But thankfully, Scarlett managed to keep it together and stormed off, but not before punching a toolbox in passing hard enough to dent it. Jill then turned her attention towards Cal.
"Cal, Salia, with me." The two of them followed Jill inside the elevator and once the door closed, Jill grabbed the collar of Cal's tunic and slammed him against the wall.
"Do you have any idea what you could have done?" She yelled. "I thought we had an agreement that you'd keep it to yourself!"
"I didn't…I wasn't…I was trying…" Cal tried to find an answer.
"I don't care why you stupid boy. Next time you decide you run your mouth off…" But before she could finish; the anger, grief and frustration from losing Coco came bursting out of Cal like a bomb.
"IT'S NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!" He raged at Jill. "You don't have the right to…" and Cal was cut off as Jill's prosthetic planted itself in his gut.
"Cal!" Salia cried as he slumped to the floor.
"Unfortunately for you I do have that right. Remember your place here. And the next time you decide to reveal something that could jeopardise Libertus, I won't hesitate to take Siegfried away from you. If you wanna use Siegfried to save all Norma here and to give us 'freedom' like you claim, then act like it!"
"Commander!" Salia yelled. Jill shot a cold glance and she flinched slightly. "You've proven your point. We've all had a rough night so let's focus on what our next move is. We still have to find both Ange and Zola AND the DRAGON." Jill tched in annoyance as she lit a cigarette.
"I'll deal with you later." Jill said back to Cal. "Be sure to come up with a good excuse for the Inspector. Now get out of my sight." Her tone was so menacing and angry that it made the hairs on the back of Cal's neck stand up. With as much dignity as he could, he opened the elevator and stumbled out, his stomach still doing flips from Jill's fist. "Something you want to add?" she asked.
"Commander, while we were out there…Cal was able to activate the Valkyrie system. He was even able to use Geirönul."
"So I saw," Jill said. "It's the only reason I let him off so lightly."
As soon as he got back to the locker room, Cal yanked his pilot suit off and took a long cold shower. A fist shaped bruise had formed on his stomach, he winced as the water drummed against it. Back in his quarters, he couldn't help noticing how empty it felt without Ange. As much of a pain as she could be, he had gotten used to her.
"Why? Why did this happen again?" He asked himself. "Coco is dead. Zola and Ange are missing or worse…" Cal pushed that thought away. Zola was alive she had to be. The image of Coco's sad but accepting face as she realized the truth seconds before she died flashed across his mind as Cal yanked the bracelet off his wrist and threw it across the room, hitting the wall with a soft clink. He fell back on his bed, his face buried in his pillow to smother his anguished cry when someone knocked on his door.
"Come in," he whispered as he sat back up. The door opened and Salia stepped in.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"Do I look okay?" he snapped. "I'm sorry…it's just…everything that just happened was so messed up. I tried so hard, and I still couldn't keep my promise."
"What are you talking about?" Salia said as she perched beside him. "What happened wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known Ange would run."
"But I should have. The Commander was right. I should have tried harder with Ange. If I had maybe she wouldn't have run off and Coco would still be alive and maybe she and Zola..."
"Don't say that!" Salia said. "There's a lot of reefs in that area. So long as they wash up on one of them there's a good chance they could survive. And because of you Miranda is alive. What happened was a disaster, but you did what you could. Nothing else could have been asked of you." Cal swallowed the lump in his throat as he pulled Salia closer and buried his face in her shoulder.
"How's she holding up?" he asked.
"She's upset but I asked Vivian if she would stay with Miranda tonight so she's not alone." Salia assured him. She continued to hold them until finally, both gave in to their exhaustion and fell asleep holding onto each other.
It wasn't until the they were awoken by a frantic bang on the door that they woke up. Cal saw it was almost 5 AM as he opened the door to see a dishevelled looking Vivian still dressed in her perolina pajamas. "What's going on?" he asked.
"They found the Captain and Ange. They're at the infirmary." Cal and Salia both changed as quick as they could and bolted for the infirmary. But the moment they arrived; Cal could feel that something was very wrong. The Commander was standing outside the door, as was the second squad who looked very anxious. Cal and Salia could both hear sniffing and crying even before they went in. Over by her desk, Maggie was looking down in a state of remorse and sorrow and the look she gave told Cal it wasn't good news.
It was then that he saw her, a battered and bruised Ange lying unconscious, naked the day she was born. Her whole body was wrapped up in gauze and she had been strapped and manacled to her cot. From behind a closed bed curtain, Ersha stepped out and her eyes were swimming in tears. Cal shuffled past her and found Rosalie and Chris embracing each other, sobbing uncontrollably. Hilda stood at the foot of the bed, her teeth clenched and her fists gripping the rail of the frame so tightly she nearly bent it. By bedside, Scarlett knelt and buried her face in the sheets, sobbing just as much as Rosalie and Chris were. And on top the bed was a large dark green body bag, the contents of which presented an outline of which could only barely be called human.
"No…" He whispered as it sunk in. "Zola." His eyes turned from sorrow to rage as he set his gaze on the unconscious Ange. He couldn't remember much in those seconds as Scarlett pulled him into a hug, followed by Rosalie and Chris, then Salia, Ersha Miranda and Vivian and finally Hilda.
Captain Zola, their leader, teacher, and for most of them a lover, was dead.
TO BE CONTINUED…
