"Die you stupid metal scraps!" Gunslinger yelled while blasting the Grauwolfs gathered by the old Republic's border. When they finally crossed the river they had once rested at it turned out, that the ground was much more stable on the other side. It was a good sign, meaning that even the heavy Column might get through in this weather, but it also meant that the Legion's forces concentrated in this area. Battling in the heavy rain was not an easy task, as close combat was much trickier on unknown surfaces, where under any puddle there might have been a sticky mud, restricting the movement. Luckily for them it severely limited the Löwes' mobility, making the tank-type enemies an easier target.
"Anju, Raiden, block their escape path on the west, we can't risk that they'll come back later. I'll disperse them in the middle." Shin commanded, as he recklessly rushed with his high-frequency blade against the swarm of Löwes, all of whom displaying unusual behavior.
"Is it just me, or do they all seem less predictable?"Raiden said with frustration, trying to fight off constantly incoming Grauwolfs.
"It's like all the Black Sheepsare suddenly more coherent, but I can't hear any commanding Shepherds or Eighty-Six."Theo exclaimed, as with Shin's ability all of them could hear the Legion's voices, with a much higher number of them than usual.
"No, not me, why is this happening!"
"It's all the pigs' fault!"
"DON'T COME NEAR ME, I will give you whatever you want…"
"It can't be real. I want to wake up already."
"Why is nobody coming to save us…"
"I think we all have the same thought. Most of them sound like white pigs' noises." Kurena said grimly, hearing her oppressors finally getting what they deserved was not as sweet as she had hoped. "They were probably snatched during the Republic's fall."
"Their brains were probably not damaged, as I can hear them thinking, but they have no idea what the battlefield has in stock. Most of them were probably civilians." Shin stated, while he fully grasped what the implications were.
"So they are not as smart as Shepherds, but more clever than the usual Black Sheeps? I've never heard an inexperienced Legion, all the brains left on the battlefield were us, the Eighty-Six after all…"Anju concluded while shooting down the retreating units.
"The devil works hard, but the Legion works harder. I can't believe that they managed to replace all the artificial networks in that short amount of time…" Theo scoffed, as all the Processors knew, that this kind of scenario would happen sooner or later. The Republic's prediction of the war ending itself by exceeding the 50000-hour mark was only a fantasy.
"Focus on the attack, some reinforcements are coming from the north, Kurena, do you have a clear shot?" The Undertaker had to refuel after killing so many units with his dynamic style of fighting, but he still tracked all the troops in the area.
"Yes, Shin! Mostly the Grauwolfs and the Self-Propelled Mines, firing right away." She was an expert sniper, so those low-rank targets were perfect for her long-barreled 88mm cannon. When the missiles landed, most of the newly arrived units were heavily damaged.
"Nice one! We are lucky that there are no Skorpions today, so only one side is getting blasted to oblivion before even getting to the battlefield." Laughing Fox said with a smirk.
"Okay, it's almost over, we cleared the planned path as much as we could. There are no clusters anywhere near."Raiden stated while finishing the remaining enemies. It got a lot quieter, and Shin relaxed a little for the first time since they got close to the Republic.
"Those half-Shepherd Sheep are noisy as hell. I can't believe I say this, but some part of me misses the old, classic Legion." Theo knew, that the increase of the voices must have been excruciating for Shin, who even before had a constant company. When they connected for the battle, the overwhelming stream was significantly worse than usual.
"We need to come up with a new catchy name for them, any ideas?" Anju proposed.
"White pigs." Kurena exclaimed enthusiastically.
"It would be stupid, how we will differentiate when we are talking about Legion versus the Republic's bastards." Raiden responded with a matter-of-fact voice.
"Maybe Pig-Sheeps?" Snow Witch threw the idea.
"Without the white part, it sounds like a Republic's way of calling us, but the White Sheeps is already taken…" Theo lamented.
"Sheepdogs." Captain stated with resolve.
"Oooo! How clever, as they are more than a Sheep but less than a Shepherd…" Kurena summarized with admiration how clever her Shin was.
"I could ride with that." The Vice Captain showed his approval.
"Hey, not fair, I still have some ideas…"The blonde boy threw a fit in his cockpit.
"Sorry, you lost. I also will stick with Shin's idea." With Anju's calm voice stating her support, the idea of Sheepdogs won with a crushing majority.
"You guys are no fun…" There was only one sore loser in this situation.
"Now then, we can search for an old village to sleep in, there should be many abandoned cities as we are already on the Old Republic's territory." The leader concluded, after making sure the area was clear.
"I'm getting nostalgic, maybe we can find a way to retake an outside hot bath…" In a dreamy voice, Anju recalled their escape from the Eighty-Six sector. All of them felt like it was ages ago, but the fact was a little over two years had passed.
"Stupid, when we go back there will be as many baths as we want to. There is no need to look for an old boiler in this weather." The other girl scoffed, but in reality, those days were the most happy ones for her. If she could, she would have stayed there forever with her precious friends.
When they finally arrived at a suitable location, after a long walk an old motel was discovered. Inside were many unkempt rooms, with furniture in good, although dusty condition. They removed all the sheets covering the beds not hoping for much, but the mattresses under felt surprisingly comfortable. As the motel had a few floors, the upper ones were spared during the floods, preventing the mold from expanding. A solid roof and windows kept the rooms quiet and warm, despite the rain outside. When they placed the sleeping bags they brought on the beds, the setting proved to be cozy, as much as the ruins could have been.
"I don't feel sleepy at all. Is anyone up for a card game? Bernholdt taught me a new one called "Mau Mau". Compared to Poker or Cheat you don't have to lie so hard, so maybe Kurena might stand a chance…" Theo grinned, waving a deck of cards.
"NOT FAIR, Shin always has the same face! It's cheating!" Kurena was outraged.
"Sure sure, that's why you're losing even when he's not playing…" He grinned even harder.
"Sorry, but I'm out. Unlike you two, I appreciate the calm before the storm and plan to get a good night's sleep. Soon mayhem will fall upon us, so enjoy it while lasts." Raiden stretched his arms and left the room, making Theo and Kurena stare at the remaining two undecided players.
"I'm with Raiden in this one. Besides, I'm close to finishing my new scarf, and I doubt that I'll have time to do it in the Republic…" Anju said with an apologetic smile.
"I have a report to make, don't wait on me." Shin replied with his usual poker face, but in reality, he wasn't sure if troubling Lena at that our was the right thing to do. He knew, however, that getting no news would've worried her more, so he excused himself.
"No way… You guys are no fun!" The redhead exclaimed with frustration.
"Dang, there is no use explaining the new rules solely to you. A friendly game of poker?"
"Hell no! You took all my savings last time, I'm not falling for that twice!" She frowned.
"No luck tonight I guess… I'll work some more on my radio then."
"Why do you bother? Outside the Federacy this thing is useless, and inside you can buy a better one." Kurena inquired.
"Have you ever heard the phrase 'it's not about the destination it's about the journey'? I know Ernst's trash is not worth the effort, but it calms me, just like drawing. I don't know, it's something that I just wanted to try for the fun of it." Theo looked through the window, playing with the screwdriver in his hands.
"I envy you. Trying new stuff is still hard for me. I don't feel like myself unless I'm here."
"Don't get me wrong, I'm still that way too. Just… Ernst has been nagging me constantly to try something, so I gave it a go. I've started thinking that maybe I'll uncover some embarrassing or shady things of his, but it's mostly sentimental junk." Theo looked at Kurena with compassion, fully comprehending how she felt. Not long ago he also had problems trying anything unfamiliar, giving up after the first attempt. But the quiet hours spent in the cozy space, experimenting with new tools and ideas, made him feel at peace.
"Bragger. I'm going to bed too, don't stay up late." With that, she left the boy alone.
"So much for a joint recreation…. It's just you and me, old thing." Theo sighed and went back to tinkering. After three hours of intense scrambling he felt tiredness catching up to him. There was no energy left in him to move to the cushy bed, so as he put his head on the table, the sleep came immediately. Countless hours passed and the bright sky was clear, as if the intense rainfall wasn't hindering everyone for the past few days. The irksome crackling noise woke Theo up in an unpleasant manner.
"iter*********789******hear******ly C. J.******weapon**********afety******duty******tact for a********catast**********Empire******midietly****inst******Marq******" Most of the words were unclear and incomprehensible, but it seemed as the transmission was an old recording. No humans were residing on the area of the border between the nations for many years, so any residual trace of people here must've been placed here a long time ago. The inaudible message repeated in a loop, but the contents were indecipherable no matter how hard he tried. The audio quality was so bad, he couldn't tell the gender of the speaker or what their age was.
"What is this noise?" Raiden emerged from the corridor, grimacing from the racket.
"I don't know myself, it was here when I woke up. My radio must've picked up some old broadcast, as there are no Eintagsfliege anywhere after the rain. I can't make out its contents though." He was proud of how after all this work the device showed a sign of functionality for the first time, but he felt vexed that this mysterious message was still incoherent. He tried changing the configuration or positioning the radio differently but to no avail.
"I am so close to completing it….. why there is still a loud static hum…." Theo scratched his head, wondering what was the faulty element.
"I'm no engineer myself, but maybe it's the source problem? If you're right, this thing has been going on for at least ten years and somehow didn't run out of battery. The call's outreach probably is poor, so if you move closer, maybe the signal will get better." Raiden came up with a solid theory, making the repairmen ashamed that he didn't consider such a simple explanation himself.
"Well, are you in for an adventure then?" Theo asked with the biggest grin yet.
April 17th Republic Year 368 (Stellar Year 2149)
130 days until the Legion's Large-Scale Offensive
"How scary, the Bloody Reina is going for a slaughter again." A senior officer exclaimed with mockery.
"Those whining pigs are getting on skewer themselves, I wonder what she had offered them" Another soldier joined the ridicule.
"I've heard that the prude Princess finally matured under the Pivot's guidance, regrettably the grown-up girl still prefers playing with pigs." The drunken remarks appeared every time Vladilena Milizé entered the headquarters.
"Don't you have enough of this dress-up, o the great majesty the Queen?" Snickering continued and the jokes were unending.
"Tsk, if you want to live up to your nickname, start coming to work in those opulent dresses you wear every party, at least there is something pleasant about you showing up!" The men laughed, sipping on the cheap beers as usual.
Lena ignored them and headed forward, centered on the task at hand. Those scumbags were living off the military pension, but no part of them could be called a soldier. They entered the military long after the war started when all the fighting was already pushed off to the Eighty-Six. They didn't bother to perform their duties as Handlers or administrative workers, choosing instead to drink in the public hall every day. In any self-respecting military force, such behavior would've been inexcusable, but the Republic couldn't care less about it.
"D-don't listen to them Captain, they are s-s-spitting nonsense as usual." Charlotte Lombardy was a timid, freshly-graduated officer, who admired Lena since her lecture. When she officially joined the military it took all of her courage to confess to her idol, and since then she has been one of the few people on her side.
"Don't worry about it, Second Lieutenant Lombardy. They won't quit barking, but it doesn't bother me. The nickname is already stuck, so there is no point in arguing. Moreover, it's fairly accurate, after all, people die because of my decisions." Lena responded.
"T-t-that's not true! Your u-units have the l-lowest m-mortality rates of all. I-it's the nature of the w-w-war, people d-dying…" The girl tried her best to refute the statement, but Lena smiled at her with peace. She knew the Bloody Reina was here to stay, both in the Republic and with Eighty-Six. Deep inside Lena found it befitting, as it reminded her of the weight of her every choice. She had blood on her, more than she could scrub off with trying. Instead of fighting it, she wore it like a badge of honor, for all Processors that have spilled it on the battlefield, while their Bloodstained Queen remained here.
"How are the talks with your unit going?" Colonel decided to move on with the conversation.
"G-g-good. They w-were a bit on edge at first, but n-now they confirmed w-willingness to cooperate. T-turnes out they k-knew that a big Legion attack w-w-would come, but they were s-shocked the Republic was p-preparing. I told t-them the t-truth." Charlotte stuttered excitedly. In the academy, she was bullied a lot for her stutter, but here Lena hadn't said a word to address it. It made her grateful and more inspired to work. After confirming her pure intentions and eagerness Colonel looped her in their plan.
"Excellent, it means we have four Squadrons on our side, counting Belgrade's and Walter's units. Maybe we'll find a way to reach the others, but there is no telling how much time we have left. Let's assume at least half of the remaining Eighty-Six will join us during the defense and prepare accordingly. I've got Walter's report about the storage we set in the few basements of the 1st District, small bribes were enough to not make a fuss about it. Those were the abandoned former Eighty-Six houses after all…." Lena continued the quick briefing in passing until she had reached her uncle's office.
"G-good luck, Colonel!" Lombardy tried to cheer her idol up, but she couldn't go inside.
The office was tidy, all the documents neatly segregated on the shelves, with the man sitting in the center, looking serious as always.
"Hello, Lena. What brings you here?" Jérôme Karlstahl welcomed her with an insecure smile. Their relationship was strained for months, but since her engagement, he had been constantly worried. Why his idealistic niece, always fighting with the cruel reality against all odds, suddenly decided to get together with the most rotten man in the country. He feared the loss of the unit she got attached to had triggered a mental breakdown, but she resumed her work and duties ordinarily. When he tried to dissuade Margareta from agreeing to the betrothal she firmly declined, emphasizing that Lena was an adult and could make reasonable choices herself. Her idea was to wait until the girl called it off herself, but he wasn't sure where this confidence came from.
"Brigadier General Karlstahl, there is still no response to my latest inquiry. It is not a preposterous demand, so I implore for the consideration." Colonel stated coldly.
"Not this again… I've already told you, there is no 'Massive Legion Attack' incoming, therefore risking our citizens' lives to repair and refill our mortars is out of the question. May I remind you, it is your fault that they remain empty." He responded with weariness.
"Then why not agree to dispatching this task to me and my Squadron? It's all I'm asking for, consider it as my repentance." Lena argued.
"Letting those Eighty-Six on the Gran Mur is prohibited and you know it. Sorry Lena, I know you mean well, but this isn't something you can mend now. I'm turning a blind eye to all the excessive packages that you send unauthorized, but it's all that I can do for you."
"I sincerely regret that you are not the man I thought you were. You can now stop meddling in my private life since you don't give a damn about anything I want anyway." The girl said in a chilly tone, turned around and left.
Jérôme knew he should've reprimanded her for insubordination, but the heavy feeling in his chest prevented him from doing so. How things got so bad… he remembered the life ages ago, when he and Vaclav took three-year-old Lena on a trip. There was no war, no Legion, no Gran Mur. They freely left the Republic to see wilderness at its best, camping near the tremendous Silver Lake, long forgotten by the people cooped up inside the Mur. It was the furthest he'd ever gone west, and the memories of these days felt like belonging to a stranger. A part of him regretted surviving, only to find himself in a rotten and corrupt present.
"It was always like that, I just don't want to remember. Humans are vile creatures, they just mask themselves well enough when everything is serene." The man mumbled while drowning in depressing thoughts, full of grief and helplessness that he willingly chose as his way of life.
