Note: Although this story has the Arma tag, it's still mostly revolved around GFL, and the only Arma content I'm really using are some of the weapons and vehicles. If you're here expecting to see Ben Kerry fighting Sangvis Ferri on Altis, for example, I'm afraid you might be disappointed. Otherwise, enjoy :)
Prologue
9:51 a.m. (GMT+3)—April 2, 2063—Deep within Sangvis Territory
A helicopter approached a military installation deep within the heart of Sangvis Ferri territory. Surrounded by untouched forest, the building complex—once a bustling factory now retrofitted for a special purpose—stood out like a sore thumb in a sea of verdant green. Gunshots echoed within the walls of the building complex as groups of tactical dolls fought their way through the labyrinthine interior. Over a year had passed since the Butterfly Incident; the war between Griffin and Sangvis Ferri showed no signs of slowing down.
An explosion blasted open a conference room door as a team of T-dolls poured into the room. From within the dust left by the breach charge emerged a doll wielding an AK-15 assault rifle. Deafening muzzle blasts and the clang of bullets striking metal echoed throughout the room as she expertly dispatched target after target, tracing a path across the right side of the room. Her long steel-blue hair matched the colour of her ballistic vest, which bore an insignia that belonged to neither Griffin nor Sangvis Ferri.
Behind her emerged another doll, this one wielding an M16A4 fitted with an M203 underslung grenade launcher. Her brown ponytail bobbed as she weaved her way across the left side of the room, firing at whatever targets the first doll left standing. Following her emerged two more T-dolls who brought up the rear. Their differently styled dark-purple hair and heights being the only distinguishing features between these otherwise identical-looking dolls, one holding a SCAR-L, and the other wielding a SCAR-H.
After the team secured the conference room with practiced ease, they turned their attention to the lone other figure left standing on the far side. This T-doll, unfazed by the sudden burst of violence, slowly looked over the team with her piercing yellow eyes. In her right hand, she loosely held a black Promet assault rifle, a weapon chambered in 6.5x39mm caseless developed in the late 2020s. The four attackers walked up to this doll, forming a semi-circle around her before pausing. Eventually, the Promet-holding doll let out a brief chuckle as she shouldered her rifle and unlatched a tablet from her belt.
"Not bad," the doll absentmindedly said as she tapped on her tablet, "Not bad at all."
"Better than last time?" the doll with the AK-15 asked.
"Pfft, sure. Good enough for a Katana team," the Promet-wielding doll replied with a smirk as she input the results of Katana 1 team's most recent combat drill into the database.
"Good enough for a Katana team?" the M16A4-user jokingly asked as she removed the magazine from her rifle, "What's that supposed to mean?"
The M16A4-wielding doll's name was Kia, part of one of the fireteams within Katana division—the light infantry division of the Sangvis Ferri Mobile Task Force. Formed after the Butterfly incident, the SFMTF was a rapid-response force formed from the remnants of a failed venture by Sangvis Ferri to create a competitor to I.O.P.'s line of T-dolls. The SFMTF dolls served as a flexible intermediary between the powerful but few-in-number ringleaders and the masses of unthinking mass-produced fodder. Under command of the ringleaders and through tactical capabilities of their own, they fought to shore up the gaps in the defense of Sangvis Ferri's vast swathes of territory. Kia was the first member assigned to team one of Katana division—Katana 1-Alpha. Beside her stood three other members of Katana 1, designated Bravo through Delta.
"Hey Castle, nice shooting today," Kia cheerily praised, addressing the doll with the AK-15. The designation Katana 1-Bravo was printed on the doll's name tag, but she was better known by her peers as Castle, a name which reflected her courage and steadfast nature.
"Oh, thanks," Castle muttered in response, removing the magazine from her gun. "It was nothing, really."
"We can take Castle off of pointman duty for now," their instructor—designation Dagger 1 Actual, nicknamed Slammer—said, "The rest of you knuckleheads really need to catch up to her. Especially you, Kia."
"Aw come on!" Kia joked, placing an arm over Castle's shoulders. "I have Castle to protect me—my knight in shining armour!"
"She won't be there to protect you for shit if she gets her ass blown up in a firefight," Slammer said, rolling her eyes. "Just cause you're a combat medic doesn't mean you can slack off in a fight, especially not with Agent's goons sniffing through all our combat reports."
"I know, I know," Kia lightheartedly dismissed, "You'd think I'd have realized that after getting kicked out of Dagger team all that time ago, huh."
"Whatever. Just try to make the most out of this exercise, alright?" Slammer replied, putting away her tablet. "Okay, Lena, you're on point next. Follow me to the next area."
The five T-dolls continued along an orange-marked hallway as they made their way towards the next practice room. All around them, gunshots and voices echoed off the exanswalls as other groups of dolls worked their way through the building's interior.
"I don't get it," Sangvis Ferri ringleader Hunter blurted out as she watched the live-fire exercise from a balcony high up above the action.
"Huh?" asked a voice leaning against the railing beside Hunter.
"I don't get it. The live-fire aspect, I mean. Why not just use combat simulations instead, Archangel?" Hunter clarified, glancing at the doll beside her.
Beside Hunter was the doll known as SFR-001 "Archangel," the former aeronautics research testbed of Sangvis Ferri's Project Acrobat. She was a ringleader like Hunter, as well as the leader of the Mobile Task Force. Archangel swept her jet-black bangs back with one hand as she turned her head to look at Hunter with her crimson-red eyes. She wore a form-fitting grey jumpsuit specially designed for flight, with metal hardpoints connected to her internal skeleton at various parts of her body. Whereas Archangel's weapons were relatively old-fashioned compared to the cutting-edge devices used by the other ringleaders, her flight rigging granted her unparalleled mobility and dominance during battles.
"There is a difference, at least I think so," Archangel replied with a casual smile, "Maybe I'd have a different opinion on the matter if the MTF had access to something other than VTF… But with the war with Griffin escalating, I think it's a worthwhile investment."
"I personally don't see the difference; it just seems like a waste of resources to me," Hunter admitted, frowning. "But I guess that doesn't matter, as long as you deliver the results."
"Sure, sure, 'the ends justify the means', don't they?" Archangel quipped as she stretched her arms over her head. Her heavy flight rigging was stowed away in the building's armoury along with her massive recoilless cannon; Archangel felt as light as a feather.
"Hm. Anyway, I gotta go," Hunter finally said as she turned to leave, "Gager just sent new tasking my way. I'll see you around."
"Right," Archangel called out behind her, "Good luck have fun out there!"
After Hunter left, Archangel returned to observing her subordinates training beneath her. This facility used to be a Sangvis factory churning out mass-produced fodder units like Vespids and Rippers, but it was repurposed into an urban operations training ground for use by the SFMTF after a major conveyor malfunction crippled its production capability. Recently, members of the SFMTF's Dagger division—the urban operations specialists—have been volunteering as instructors for other members of the Task Force during their downtime. Archangel could spot attendees from all branches of the MTF in the facility, representatives from everything from Falchion division—the assault infantry, to Chalice—the logistics team, to Rapier—the reconnaissance element, to even Pegasus—one of the two helicopter wings—two of whose members were chatting up one of the instructors.
Archangel smiled, she took great pride over her Mobile Task Force, whose members were all individuals unto themselves, each with their own personalities, goals, and interests. In a way, they were really close to the dolls over at Griffin; so close, yet so far. Due to possessing a different communications protocol than OGAS, Archangel and the SFMTF never really shared the extreme tendencies the rest of the ringleaders developed after the Butterfly Incident, nor did they share their same reverent dedication to the Sangvis mastermind—Elisa. As much as it was a source of mistrust between Archangel and the other ringleaders, it was also a source of solace. Sometimes, Archangel felt as if they were the last vestiges of humanity left at Sangvis Ferri, though she could still see faint traces of the other ringleaders' old selves from time to time.
Kia looked up at Archangel watching over them and gave her a quick nod, which Archangel reciprocated. Slammer was busy explaining the next drill to the team when Kia received a radio message from the regional command team.
"Katana 1-Alpha, this is Scalpel 2-Delta, you there?" the voice asked. It was Ampere, an electronic warfare doll who was currently serving as a liaison to the other ringleaders in the area.
"Affirmative, what's up, Ampere?" Kia asked.
"We got a bit of a situation over at Point Cobalt; Griffin forces are giving us a bit of trouble there," Ampere explained, "I need you and Castle to lead a counterattack to repel them. You'll have fodder support and all; pretty standard stuff, really. Pegasus 4 is already heading over to your place."
"Acknowledged, we're heading off now, then," Kia said as she turned to Castle, "You hear that, Castle? Looks like we're gonna leave sooner than expected."
"Hmph. Perfect timing, really," Slammer replied, "Let's see if you can take what you've practiced today and apply in real life."
After Kia and Castle bade the others farewell, they walked out of the expansive central training chamber towards the armoury to pick up live rounds. Neither of them felt especially nervous about their upcoming mission. As two of the longest-serving members of the SFMTF, this seemed to be just another ordinary mission. Besides, it's not like a tactical doll can truly "die," right?
"Oh, and one more thing," Ampere's voice sounded over the radio as the two were about to leave the building, "You're gonna be shadowed by the new girl—Katana 2-Charlie—during the operation. Take her along for the ride."
"Katana 2-Charlie, got it," Kia confirmed, "What's her name?"
"Name? I dunno. She's fresh off the factory, dunno if she even has one," the voice replied, "Emphasis on new, alright? This is gonna be her first outing, so go easy on her."
"Yeah, don't worry about it!" Kia reassured as she pushed open the exit door, the landing helicopter's rotor wash blowing her and Castle's hair behind their heads. After all, it was just going to be a simple mission, what could possibly go wrong?