The beating on Talisman's door was so loud that it jolted her violently from her sleep, sending her crashing to the floor next to her bed with a loud thump. It took a couple seconds for her to figure out that she wasn't working as an Imagineer at Tokyo Disney like she had been dreaming, and instead was in the small but private room she had been allocated as an officer not long after she had been given orders of being stationed at the JSDF's Alnus Base. Talismon blinked and rubbed her eyes, casting a look at the digital clock that was on her bedside. Its red letters displayed 0233, much too early for anyone to be disturbing the helicopter pilot's rest, unless they had a compelling death wish. Another round of pounding knocks came from her door, and Talisman pushed herself back up to her feet and practically threw the door open.
"What?" Her voice came out as little more than a hissing growl.
On the other side of the entryway, dressed in his full flight suit, was Razor. His eyes widened in the primal fear of seeing murder written across his Captain's face, until that fear gave way to the desperate effort to hold back laughter once he got a good look at her. Talisman had been sleeping in an old CalTech shirt that had seen better days, gray shorts, and her hair was enough of a mess that it covered one of her eyes with unkempt black locks. It was a throwback to her days as a poor engineering student who would slink her way into class after substituting a good night's sleep with caffeine and bitterness.
"Someone had better be DYING." Talisman's words seemed to snap her co-pilot back to the moment.
"Well, Lieutenant Itami might be." He answered, making a halfway decent impression of someone who wasn't about to burst into giggles.
"And what, you woke me up to come watch?"
"Apparently, he and his team managed to stumble their way into another 'entanglement', and the Fourth Combat Team has been ordered to mobilize and lend assistance."
"The entire aviation element? How big an ant's hill did he kick?"
"We're about to find out. The Colonel wants us to report for a pre-flight briefing ASAP." Razor explained. "So, make yourself…presentable."
She gave him a light shove before closing the door in his face. Three minutes of throwing on her own flight suit and fixing everything else that had been knocked astray by her slumber, then she and Razor were out and jogging to the ready room. Fortunately, the aviator's barracks had been set up decently close to the heliport for this exact kind of situation where rapid response was needed. Nor were they the only ones moving with urgency after having been woken up in the dead of night, with ground crews scrambling to make sure the choppers and their weapons were ready for action while the air assault troops were loading the Huey transports with ammo and other small arms. The view sent a spike of excited adrenaline through Talisman, only ever having seen anything like this in the few large-scale exercises that the JSDF had conducted before the battle of Ginza.
She and Razor were amongst the last to arrive in the pop up trailer that was being used as the ready room just off of the concrete Heliport, the room already filled to the brim with every officer of the Fourth Combat Team: pilots, infantry, support elements, all had been jammed inside to the point that Talisman could only find standing room for them near the back. Most of the others had gathered together with those they normally worked closely with, with the Cobra Pilots gathering on one corner apart from the Huey drivers, talking in low but excited voices.
Those sounds of discussion died off quickly when Lieutenant Colonel Shunya Kengun entered not long after, already in full battle attire minus the helmet that was hanging from his belt.
"Listen up, we have a lot to go through and not a lot of time. Lights." He ordered, the room dimming as a projector attached to the roof came to life.
A computer-made image of a square shaped town surrounded by walls with roads running in and out from gates at each cardinal direction.
"This is the Imperial City of Italica. It's a major trading hub and the largest settlement close to us here at Alnus Hill." Kengun continued. "Though we had not ranged so far as to make contact with it until now, Third Recon was dispatched on a diplomatic and observation mission to the city, accompanying three of the refugees that were staying in the camp with the goal of learning how the local population conducts commerce with the secondary objective of trying to meet with any leadership within the walls."
Third Recon's mission had been one of the worst kept secrets of the base, with no little going on to distract people from the fact that the elf girl, the mage, and the weird gothic prophet or whatever had been gathering the scales of the dead wyverns from the remains of the battlefield while Lieutenant Itami and his team had been gathering supplies for another excursion. While no one knew exactly what they were up to, most had been taking bets to see how long it would be before it caused one problem or another. Talisman was gonna be cashing in on a lot of Yen once this was over.
"The team managed to reach the city but had reported that it's currently in the midst of a siege by a hostile force of what is believed to be an independent army made up of scattered remnants from the counter attacks to retake the Gate. They had no leadership, no logistics, and likely no easy way to get home. So instead, it's believed they have turned to pillaging, and see Italica as an easy target since most of its own soldiers were reportedly made casualties during the assault on Ginza. The town militia has managed to hold out so far, but they are holding on by a razor's edge. The Commander of the city's defenses, an Imperial Princess by the sound of it, has officially requested our assistance in driving back the attackers."
That made Talisman sit forward. An Imperial Princess? An actual member of the Royal Family for an empire that they've only had hostile encounters with up to this point? Shit, that was more than just a little better than meeting with some mayor.
"General Hazima has opted to accept the request and has ordered the aviation element to be the unit dispatched for this task." The Colonel brought up a laser pointer with one of his hands, using it to indicate specific points on the image. "Fifth Recon was on another operation in the area and was diverted to scout for the enemy's position and capabilities. From what they've relayed, we're looking at a force that's roughly two brigades in strength. They're well-armed in terms of individual foot soldiers but have very limited siege equipment that will likely force them to try to scale the walls the hard way if they want to get inside the city. If they do, it'll be a bloodbath. These are the same types of thugs who have been terrorizing the countryside since our arrival in the Special Region, and we're not about to let them do the same in Italica."
The air in the room got darker and more serious with those words. Everyone had been briefed about the slave trade operation that the Americans had discovered in Bellhost village, and the mere thought of something like that happening at the scale of a major metropolitan area was enough to make any sensible person sick to their stomach.
"Sir, where is Third Recon located now?" The Major in front asked.
"Lieutenant Itami reports that the Princess has asked them to man the southern gate, where she believes that the enemy army will strike." The laser dot circled that section of the map. "However, the renegades' set up their encampment to the east, and it seems most likely that's the direction they'll focus their efforts on. With that being the case, we'll be approaching the city from the southwest to meet their forces head on with the intent of blunting their offensive and breaking morale. Attack helos will be split up by flights for individual parts of the mission. Hunter Flight, you'll focus your attention on the walls, dealing with bad guys who have already or are in the process of scaling over them. Striker Flight, you'll focus on cutting off any attempts to reinforce their position. Predator flight, you'll be clearing a landing zone so we can begin a flanking maneuver to cut off their escape."
Kengun continued rattling off the various assignments, Talisman half listening as she dedicated the various elements the map presented to her mind and pictured how it could look from an aerial view. If it was accurate, then the open ground that surrounded the eastern gate made for an ideal killing field where the gunships could make full use of their awesome firepower. But that firepower would be rendered almost useless if the enemy managed to break through the outer defenses and make their way towards the heart of Italica. That would require the grunts to engage in a grueling street to street fight with innocent civilians all around them. They'd have to hope the militia could hold out until the JSDF arrived.
"You all have your assignments." The Colonel concluded once all questions had been answered. "Flight crews, get to your birds and prepare to go once fully loaded. Everyone else, brief your men and get ready for a fight. It's time to make it clear that lawlessness won't be tolerated wherever we go. Dismissed!"
Everyone who had been seated stood as the room began to quickly empty, a quiet but steely determination hanging heavy in the air. Talisman felt like her heart was about to burst forth from the excitement she was feeling. The mission was important, and a lot of innocent lives depended on them, but this was also a moment that they had all been waiting for since they arrived in the Special Region. For the first time in history, the JSDF was conducting a genuine air assault operation, and they were going to make it one for the books.
...
"Well, it wasn't a fire dragon, but I still think this story will get us free drinks for life." Reaper said, poking at the campfire before lounging on his pack again. "I mean, killing an orc king. Who the hell can say they've done that."
"He was a warlord, not a king." Joker corrected.
"Same thing."
"No the hell it isn't."
"Well, who's going to correct us? Ain't like anyone else was there."
The sniper team and their Forest Ranger guide had decided to make camp in a comfortable patch of ground for once now that they were both away from the Lonham Forest and almost certainly too far from the fleeing orcs to risk running into them, wanting to take a moment to catch their breath after everything that had happened. Since they were capable of moving at a much faster rate than Lord Duron and the rest of the army, the trio didn't exactly feel the need to rush on ahead, not wanting to arrive at the nobleman's keep before their host. That had offered them a time for much needed relaxation, this whole long range reconnaissance mission having been crazy almost since the moment they had touched down. They threw some camouflage nets over the ATV's, built a campfire, and settled in for what should have been a quiet night. Though they still had the precaution that they all didn't sleep at once, not being stupid enough to totally let their guard down here no matter how much they were being celebrated as heroes.
"So, what's the plan from here?" Reaper asked after a couple minutes of quiet. "So far things haven't totally gone to shit, but how do we capitalize on that?"
"First, we're going to enjoy the shindig that our good friend and 'employer' is throwing." Joker rested his hands behind his head. "Get everyone in a good mood, maybe a little tipsy, then we capitalize on the atmosphere of good feelings and gratitude and say that all we want in return for our efforts is a moment alone to speak with Lord Duron."
"And that's when we spring the big reveal on him?"
"Right-o. We tell him we were happy to help save his lands and all his people, while also making it clear that our bosses will want to talk to him about a diplomatic effort. Then we call it into base that we've done a master class job of endearing ourselves to the locals that are ready to open friendly relations."
"Uh huh, and what part of this fantasy do we get our medals?"
"We don't need medals. We're humble heroes like that."
"What happens if Lord Duron is still pissed about, you know, the fact that basically his whole family was through or around the Gate? He may not be as friendly as we're hoping."
"That's why we take the time during the party to plan a few escape routes if it becomes necessary." Joker tapped his forehead with a finger. "Then if he does get pissy, then we can incapacitate him ourselves. Meeting with him alone means that no one will be any the wiser as we get the hell out of dodge."
"You know, your plans always sound so great until it actually comes time to do them, and everything goes to shit." Reaper snorted.
"Come on, how many times has that actually happened?"
"Thirty-three times."
"Thirty TWO times." Joker corrected. "That little snowball fight in Norway doesn't count."
"So there is snow in your world as well?" Kat's voice joined the conversation, walking from the bed roll she had been resting on to place her hands closer to the fire. She was already looking much better than she had been earlier, with all the blood washed from her skin and wounds being treated and bound. Joker had even dipped a bit into their own first aid supplies to treat the brave ranger as both a sign of thanks and partially from the guilt that came from Kat having to do what she did during the battle to begin with. She was probably still in pain but seemed to have gotten most of her functions back.
"You were only out for four hours." Joker said, checking his watch. "Should probably rest a bit longer. We don't have to be anywhere else in a hurry."
"Half Elves don't need as much sleep as humans do." Kat shook her head. "I've already got more than what I'm used to. You can take a turn now."
"Well in that case," Reaper didn't need to be told twice, standing up and walking over to his sleeping bag. "I'm gonna catch some z's. Wake me if you need anything or if a man-eating iguana shows up."
"So let you sleep through a man-eating gecko, copy that." Joker retorted, letting the other settle in before glancing at Kat before an awkward silence could set in. "So…. half elf, huh? I thought your features weren't as pronounced as Tuka's, but she's the only other elf I've ever seen."
"It's not just you. People like me aren't too common within the Empire, so most just assume that I'm either full blooded human whenever they can't see my ears, and full elf when they can." She answered, brushing a strand of hair across the side of her head.
Kat had become much easier to understand since their first encounter, with Joker now able to more or less pick up on everything she said instead of just the important bits and pieces. He wasn't sure why that was only the case with her instead of others like Lord Duron, though maybe could be explained by whatever magic she was using to understand them in turn or just the simple fact that she was the one who he spoke to most often. He wasn't complaining either way, language barriers being the kind of problem to make one tear their hair out in frustration when operating in a foreign country.
"But Tuka is a full elf?" He asked.
"She is. A High Elf if you want to get technical." Kat nodded. "Kowan village was one of the few places where they could be found. It's where my mother was from…and where I was born."
"But your father is human?" Joker asked, not wanting to turn the conversation towards the depressing thought of what the Flame Dragon had done.
"He was a Ranger, a member of Camp Master Joakim's group. But he wanted to see the world outside Lonham Forest, and our people always had good relations with the elves, so someone recommended that he try visiting there first." She smiled to herself. "He…. didn't travel much after that trip."
"If that's the case, how come you became a ranger like your dad instead of staying with your mom and the elves?"
"They lived in two different worlds. My parents loved each other, but it was more an adventurous romance than anything that would lead them to settle down together. As I grew a bit older, it turned out that I fit in more with humans than I did elves, and Uncle Hodor thought it might be best for me to live with my father in Lonham Forest for my own happiness."
"Was he right?"
"I think so, at least it offered more excitement and outlets for a girl like me who found the peaceful life in Kowan dreadfully boring, especially once I started learning more magic and picking up where my dad had left off in seeing more of the world." She smiled at the memories. "It didn't stop me and Tuka from practically crying our eyes out the day I left. We had been practically inseparable, even though I had probably gotten her into more trouble than she deserved. The elves always made it clear that I was always welcome to return to Kowan whenever I wanted, and I did make the trip a few times over the years. But after my mom and aunt passed away when the plague swept through…it seemed like a place that would just bring painful memories."
'So much for avoiding the topics, nice going Joker.' He thought to himself. But Kat didn't seem to dwell on it for too long, just staring into the fire before casting her eyes in his direction.
"I assume from your questions that you don't have elves in your home? Beyond the Gate I mean."
"No elves, no orcs, nothing but us humans." Joker answered. "Other sentient beings like the ones here are regulated to myth and fiction, not actually living and breathing people."
"So you know about other species, but just believed them to exist only in stories?" Kat frowned. "Interesting… I wonder how that would come to be. Perhaps the Gate had been opened in your world long ago, before the Empire was established in Sadera."
"That's a question for someone way smarter than me to answer." He shrugged. "Someone somewhere who went to a fancy school is no doubt researching that question as we speak."
"If you don't mind me asking, what is your home like? Is it similar to what you've seen of our lands?"
"My home is actually not too different from your forest, well somewhat. I grew up in a small town that was surrounded by lush wilderness that I was able to explore and hunt around when I was growing up." Joker explained. "Of course, I didn't use magic while doing it, or had to worry about raving hordes of barbarians coming to take everything."
"That's not something that usually happens here, either." Kat smiled slightly. "The Duron Armies typically ensure that the lands are safe and stable. Whenever they're not trying to invade the forest, of course."
"Yeah, fighting an ongoing guerilla war also wasn't a concern. Even if some people pretend otherwise." He laughed. "But I haven't been back home in a while, been busy seeing other parts of my world like you did. Vast deserts, massive mountains, snowy planes, the whole nine yards."
"But I went on my journey as a personal choice, something to get my mind off of everything after my father died. You're a soldier who probably went to those places because you were told to."
"True, but I chose this life path. And I haven't regretted that choice enough to leave and find another…"
A stillness seemed to set in after he said that, interrupted only by the crackling of the fire.
"...I overheard what you and Reaper were saying." Kat said gently. "Do you really think that Lord Duron will accept your attempt at peace?"
"You've known him longer than me, what do you think?"
"Our interactions have mostly been thanks to this shaky alliance we've formed with his house." She considered the question. "But he's so far been a fairly reasonable man, better than I would have expected before all this happened. The Durons are an old and proud Imperial Bloodline, one who gained both fame and power through war and conquest while not fearful of showing it off. I thought he would be much the same, but Hexen seems to be far more humble than those who came before. A realist, perhaps."
"Then it sounds like this may not be a fool's errand after all." Joker shrugged. "We'll find out one way or another tomorrow night."
"It seems curious, though. If what I've heard is correct, your people have already delivered a number of devastating defeats upon the Empire. Do you not seek to just conquer it as they did you?"
"I think conquest has lost a lot of luster in our eyes." He said quietly. "Not that I pretend to know or even understand the mindsets of the people who make all the real decisions like that, but I think a lot of us had our bloodlust sated at Alnus."
"A soldier who strives for peace. Interesting." Kat mused.
"I'm not some philosopher or poet who can say something profound about how the best warriors know when to sheath their swords." Joker looked up at the night sky, at the stars and constellations that weren't his own. "I'm just a guy who's seen enough of the damage war can do to a place. To a people. How it can drive even the good guys to do fucked up things in the hopes of stopping something even more fucked up from happening."
"You speak from experience." Kat's voice was soft, with a tone of understanding rather than a question.
"Like I said…. I've been to a lot of places in my world. And it never was just to see the sights."
...
The helicopter formation was a sight to see, even from Talisman's view while being part of it. All the Huey's with embarked ground troops had formed up around the center, with the Cobras of Striker and Hunter Flights at the front and right flank respectively, while the Apaches of her Predator Flight were on the left. It was loose enough to allow for room to maneuver, but tight enough that it could have been used during a parade. A shame there was no chance of anyone on the ground filming it for posterity.
The sun was coming up now too, casting all the choppers in the orange glow of sunrise as if they were creatures that had just emerged from the maw of a volcano. A movie director couldn't have framed the scene any better. There wasn't supposed to be anything beautiful about traveling to a battlefield, but goddamn if they didn't look cool while they did it.
"Four-Zero Actual, this Three- Romeo Actual. How copy, over?" The now familiar voice of Lieutenant Itami came over the radio.
"Four-Zero reads you loud and clear. Send traffic, Romeo."
"Be advised, hostels have begun to break through the east gate and have reached the secondary defensive line. Friendly forces are closely engaged and cannot break off at this time. We'll mark our position with white smoke, everything east of that is considered."
"Four-Zero copies all, ETA five mikes. Out." The Major answered, then came back again over the Combat Team Frequency. "All callsign, hostile foot mobiles have breached through the east wall and are engaging friendly forces. Do not engage anything west of white smoke marker."
"Predator Flight copies." Talisman answered as other groups did the same. "Here we go, all systems still green, Razor?"
"Loaded and ready." Her copilot confirmed.
"All choppers, maneuver to put the sun at your six." The instruction came for the adjustment. "We are now weapons free."
Talisman checked that the safety devices for both her 30mm chain gun and rockets were switched off, her targeting systems now active for fight. She was so engrossed with triple checking everything; she almost missed the sound that was just audible from beyond her canopy.
"Is that music I'm hearing?" She asked aloud.
"Huh, yeah it is." Razor answered in the affirmative. "Looks like the Colonel's bird has some pretty big speakers attached to it. I think that's a Wagner song, Flight of the Valkyries."
"Are you kidding me?" Talisman groaned. "This isn't Vietnam, can't the old man pick something better to play?"
"Sorry that we all don't listen to Mötley Crüe on repeat." Razor said dryly. "You're in no place to talk when your own taste in music is also outdated as hell."
"Respect the classics, man."
"I think that's what the Colonel is doing."
The formation began to swing to the right as it shifted into one ready for combat. The plan of coming direct over the eastern gate was busted once the renegades had broken through, now it was best to hit them right in the flank. Talisman could see the city now, like something out of an old textbook about the Empire or a Greek Polis. The southern wall was blackened with damage, but the eastern wall was actively smoldering with signs of battle and crawling with soldiers that looked tiny from her point of view. But there were a lot more that were still a distance from the gate, thousands of them absolutely streaming towards the city like a pack of sharks that smelled. They had to be stopped before they also managed to make it inside.
"Striker One, you have the lead. Light this candle." The Colonel's voice ordered.
"With pleasure, Four-Zero."
The Cobra at the head of the formation pushed ahead of the others, letting fly two rockets from their racks. They exploded just outside the now open entrance, throwing over a dozen broken bodies into the air while still others were lost in the flash of flame and shrapnel. Others around the impact zone weren't even given a chance to realize what had happened before a barrage from hell itself came down from above.
More rockets were fired, Gatling Cannons spitting out their own deadly payload as clouds of dust kicked up from wherever the attack helicopters chewed up man and soil alike beneath them. Talisman brought her own gun to focus on the ladders these depraved bandits had been using to scale up and over, squeezing the trigger on her gun to fire in short bursts that would land the rounds less than a meter away, shredding both the wooden climbing tools and anyone who was trying to climb onto them. Several times, this quite literally cut the legs out from those who were already nearing the top, sending them and all others toppling to the ground below.
The enemy army, now completely aware of their presence thanks to the explosions, gunfire, and terrible music choice seemed largely stunned. Some archers were trying to fire arrows at the helicopters while others just looked around as if wondering whether or not this could just be a hallucination. The Hueys took advantage of this temporary paralyzation of their formations by flying directly above them, spitting fire from both of their sides via mounted machine guns and the small arms of the soldiers embarked. Hitting a target from a rifle while aboard a moving helicopter was a daunting task, but the target environment was so rich that aiming was almost a triviality. Even failing that, some were just dropping grenades like makeshift dummy bombs.
"Four-Zero, be advised." One of the spotting choppers reported. "We're seeing triple-A emplacements on the wall. Not loaded yet but they're trying to fix that."
Anti-Aircraft Artillery? Here? There was no way that was right. Talisman increased her altitude and swung her Apache around, looking for what the other pilot was talking about as she made another attack run. The only thing she could see was what looked like ballista that was frantically being loaded with a spear by two terrified looking men.
"Hunter One, take that target out." Colonel Kengun ordered.
"Hunter One, copy that."
A Cobra broke off from its pattern and turned itself towards the wall, pitching itself forward until it was directly in front of the ballista. The men who were trying to use it realized what was about to happen and tried to run, but a rocket fired from the chopper swallowed them and the weapon whole.
"Hunter One, target suppressed."
"There is no way in hell we are counting that as a Triple-A kill." Talisman countered over the radio.
"I'm not keeping score here, are you?"
"It sounds like Predator One just offered to buy you both a round of beers for that amazing show of skill." The Colonel added, sounding amused.
"Couldn't let it go, could you?" Razor asked.
"Shut up, Lieutenant."
Their flight path took them over the top of the wall, giving Talisman a clear if temporary view of what was happening just behind the Gate. Several hostels had indeed made it inside, but it looked like a few dozen rather than the hundreds or thousands it could have been if they had arrived just a few minutes too late. As it stood, most of the town militia seemed to be behind some sort of makeshift spike entrenchment, with some members of Third Recon on the flanks providing covering fire from behind the plume of white smoke that had been promised. Most of the fighting seemed to be happening in a small clearing just beyond the now opened gate, being carried out by a JSDF Soldier that Talisman didn't recognize wielding a rifle in one hand and a pistol in the other… and Rory Mercury. The smaller woman was bouncing around like a pinball between her victims, swinging her halberd to send anyone she hit flying if they weren't just outright cleaved in half.
"The enemy army has been completely disrupted. Predator Flight, clear us a landing zone."
"Predator One, wilco."
"Predator Two, wilco."
The spot they had selected was five hundred meters from the southeast corner of the city, a location that had been more or less clear when they had first arrived, but now was being flooded with panicked enemies who were seeking any sort of escape from the death being rained down upon them. Well, Talisman knew how to fix that particular problem.
She rotated her flight pattern so that she would be right in front of them, flicking over weapons controls to Razor while she focused on keeping a steady platform. He fired both rockets and chain gun in equal measure, blasting a wide arc in front of the Apache that left none standing. Predator Two busied themselves with the stragglers, those who had somehow managed to escape said arc of fire and were probably hoping that they were safe, a hope that was being rapidly dashed. Quick and efficient.
"Four-Zero Actual, Predator Flight. Your LZ is clear." Talisman reported.
"Outstanding. Hunter Flight, we're about to start deploying on the ground. See if you can't deal with any targets that remain inside the gate."
"We'll make a clean sweep of it, Four-Zero."
Talisman and the rest of Predator flight didn't partake in the rest of the battle, if it could be called that. The Cobras finished mopping up those that Third Recon and Rory hadn't in what was probably a display that the locals would be seeing in their nightmares for some time, with the rest of the army quickly cutting and running in every direction as the infantry went about the task of physically securing the wall.
Just like that, as soon as it had started, the fighting was over. Japanese Air Assault units: one, Bad guys: Zero. Talisman knew that it would probably be this way, remembering what she had seen during the assault on Tokyo and what she'd heard about the battles on Alnus. But this was different, this was them defending someone else's territory that wasn't technically their own. They had moved one of their Combat Units deeper into the Special Region and now had JSDF soldiers taking up positions in a city that wasn't their own. For a group that had been largely sitting around and wondering what the hell it was supposed to be doing, it felt good. But it also came with a host of implications that they would have to answer to one way or another.
She didn't know how she felt about that, but it did give her the gut feeling that this sort of overt action in the Special Region was somehow going to make life a lot more complicated than anyone realized right now. The only question was how, and from which direction of the Gate they would be coming from.
