…
…
…
Night falls upon the besieged province of Poseidon's Point. The rising moon illuminates Elysian armored columns rumbling down the province's central highway. Ina'nis Ninomae rides at the rear of the formation in a troop truck. The shackles around her wrists, the M1 Garand rifles of her Elysian Military Police escorts and the disconnected personal MERAK machine of Kaela Kovalskia all rattle with every bump of the road.
Ina raises her head, adjusts her glasses and looks out the side of the truck. She sees the myriad of Elysian vehicles in the formation and observes them - identifying each and every one.
"M3 Half-tracks, two-and-a-half ton trucks, M4 Sherman medium tanks. All in significant numbers… all brand new." Ina mutters like a birdwatcher going through her journal, "Elysian industrial might clung on for eight years, just like the Empress feared…"
Her eyes then fall upon the sleek frames of the brand new vehicles in Elysium's arsenal. She adjusts her glasses again and hums with intrigue.
"These new tanks that are leading the pack. The so-called 'M24 Chaffee' light tank." Ina rubs her chin, "These are Elysium's answers to our HaKu V Panthers? Light tanks? Zeta Vestia swore they would have tried to develop heavier models, just like Pavolia wished to do."
One of those new light tanks drives alongside Ina's truck. Its hatch opens and Altare Regis pops out of the cupola.
"Major Ninomae, our scouts have spotted the enemy positions close by. They haven't noticed our approach yet… We're not gonna give them the chance." Altare reports, "I'm starting the attack immediately. Lieutenant Kureiji's Shermans are in position and our naval support from Admiral Rexford are waiting on us too. Get ready for anything."
Ina wears a complex expression. She feels the shackles around her wrists and then nods to Altare.
"Mother Towa guide you, Sergeant Regis." Ina answers her firmly, "I'll have my speech ready once we take the headquarters. It shall reach the Empress' ears. Letnan Kovalskia's MERAK will make it so."
Altare nods back. He brings out a radio and declares his command, "8th Tank Company, we're beginning the assault! All units, roll out!"
One by one, the platoons of Altare's company split up from the main force and fan out under the darkness of night. Altare's own Chaffee platoon, however, continues escorting Ina's truck.
At a road junction, Ina chances upon a large, familiar sign - but this time from the inverse: a cartoon caricature of Governess Sana Tsukumo with a speech bubble.
'Welcome home to the Exclave Peninsula! The shining emerald of The Continent.'
A small smile forms on Ina's lips. She clenches her fist and lays it over her heart as her truck passes the sign by.
"My job here's not done yet."
…
…
…
Earlier that day, at the command tent of CONCOM at the North Beach, Sergeant Altare Regis and Major Shiori Novella barged into Colonel Ravencroft's tea party unannounced, accompanied by their prisoner Ina'nis Ninomae.
"S-Shiori…!?" a bewildered Colonel Ravencroft gasped, nearly spilling her imported black tea, "And that subordinate of Corporal Regis! What are you doing here?"
Both of her 'guests', Lieutenant Ollie Kureiji and Corporal Vesper Noir - who had been acting as Altare - heaved sighs of relief. Vesper even nearly weeps.
"Mother Kanata is real." He muttered.
Nerissa rose from her seat and tried to protest, but Shiori simply started putting away the pots and cups of tea and plates of scones from the table. Altare, meanwhile, brought out a provincial map of Poseidon's Point and spread it out before the Colonel.
"We were having tea!" Nerissa snapped at Altare, "Your commanders were too, uh… whatever your name is!"
"I'm Altare Regis, Sergeant with the Correctional Armor." Altare finally introduced himself to Nerissa, "The person you were having tea with is my adjutant, Corporal Vesper Noir."
Vesper adjusted his glasses and smiled at Nerissa.
"It is just as Leader says, Colonel." Vesper confirmed.
Nerissa is aghast. Her jaw dropped and she turned to Ollie.
"Is this how Lt. Col. Hakos' BRIGCOM has been operating, Lieutenant Kureiji!? With ruses and the… lower ranks doing as they please!? And you bring in prisoners too!?"
Altare folded his arms and hums, "This wouldn't be the first time."
Vesper nodded and concurred.
"A prisoner we held in the Exclave's prison contributed greatly to the revised Operation Bitter Spring that brought us to this point, madam Colonel." Vesper explained.
Ollie nodded as well and turned to Nerissa.
"Lt. Col. Hakos and I trust our soldiers, so they trust in us, madam Colonel." Ollie spoke firmly, "It's how we've survived this war through thick and thin."
"I agree, Risa." Shiori added, speaking casually, "At the very least, lend them your ear. I wouldn't have interrupted you for nonsense."
Nerissa looked around the tent. Her eyes turned from Shiori to Ollie and then to Altare. She covered her face with her hand, grabbed her teacup and plops back down to her seat.
"This had better be worth it." Nerissa grumbled, sipping her tea, "And quick. My tea's going to get cold."
"Of course." Shiori smiled wryly.
…
Altare shepherded everyone to gather around the provincial map of Poseidon's Point. All of them turned to the Pavolian Major Ina'nis Ninomae.
Ina adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat.
She told her gathered foes about the situation on the ground for the Pavolian forces and the state of the Pemaloe Detachment in stark detail, differentiating her rearguard forces from Agent Satwa's still formidable frontline. She revealed the death of the decorated Letnan Kaela Kovalskia and the power struggle between the Pavolian Regular Army and the Imperial Guard.
Ina then produced a pencil and started to write on the provincial map.
"My mission before Colonel Ravencroft's forces overwhelmed my position was to hold the North Beach and await for reinforcements from the Grand Marshall herself." Ina revealed, drawing unit symbols, "I expect the Grand Marshall to send armored forces to retake the North Beach - at least a brigade, but not a full division - and you have to be prepared to resist her."
"We have enough Shermans and anti-tank guns to hold the line against a relief force. The Navy's guns and aircraft will bolster our forces too." Shiori folded her arms, "We can handle a brigade or two."
"Yes, but Agent Satwa's own forces won't stay idle for long." Ina warned, drawing the battle lines as she recalled from her meetings, "Her reserves are stretched thin, but she can still pincer you if you give her enough time to prepare."
Nerissa frowned.
"I don't think this beachhead can stop a prolonged attack on two fronts." She assessed.
"Exactly." Ina nodded. Then, she drew a line from the North Beach to the front lines of Agent Satwa, "That's why the Elysian forces have to neutralize Agent Satwa's forces before they can coordinate with the Grand Marshall's."
"A lightning strike." Ollie hummed, rubbing her chin, "Zeta Vestia's favorite move."
"I've seen the light tanks of Colonel Ravencroft in action firsthand." Ina insisted, "Muster enough of them and give them enough support and you can crush Agent Satwa's frontline. Then, I will give my surrender speech and order the entire division to stand down."
Ollie nodded eagerly, "We can link up with Lt. Col. Hakos' troops and encircle them too. That'll go a long way to helping bring us to the negotiating table with the Empress."
"Indeed. But the Empress must learn about this massive defeat." Ina promptly added, "Zeta and the Regular Army will not let news of any such shameful defeats reach the Empress' ears. Zeta has surrounded the Empress with yes men and war hawks who spin tales about us being an invincible war machine."
Ollie frowned.
"That's why Zeta got the green light to send so many of Pavolia's sons and daughters to die for this pointless conflict." She growled and clenched her fists, "Sensible doves like Moona Hoshinova are silenced while hawks like Kaela and Zeta poison the minds of the country with lies."
Ina nodded somberly and didn't argue.
Colonel Ravencroft then turned to Ina.
"Are you planning to contact the Empress directly?" She asked her, "As far as I know, even Prime Minister Ceres doesn't have a direct line to Empress Reine Pavolia. Any diplomatic messages are passed through the INU Embassies in our capitals… and the INU isn't exactly a reliable partner."
"But the Empress will hear of it if I give my surrender speech through official Pavolian Army channels." Ina assured them, "The headquarters that Kaela Kovalskia set up still has a functioning communications node. A broadcast from there would bypass Zeta's loyalist censors and reach the entire Empire - and of course, the Empress."
Shiori turned to Nerissa and asked, "What do you think, Colonel?"
"What do I think? I think this is a hell of a risk." Nerissa answered honestly, shaking her head. She turned away from the map and heaved a sigh, "But after seeing how all of you survived the Exclave's hellish conditions - and how Hakos is holding on even now… I may be willing to give you a chance."
She glanced over her shoulder at Ollie and asked, "Two tank companies and three mechanized infantry, Kureiji. That's all I can spare for you. Will you make it work?"
Ollie stood upright and saluted Nerissa.
"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" She declared, "We'll fly in the rest of my tankers. Then, we strike at sundown."
Her eyes then fell upon Altare.
"Sergeant Regis."
"Yes, ma'am." Altare stood in attention.
"You and your crew will lead the charge for this operation."
…
…
…
Back in the present, an M24 Chaffee light tank blazes forward through the night ahead of the formation. Under the moonlight peeking through the clouds, the stenciled name of the tank is illuminated on the hull. Though the paint is still fresh, the name is written clearly.
'Tempest II'
Altare Regis stands within the cupola of the new Tempest tank and holds on to the M2 Browning heavy machine gun. Far in the distance, across the rolling hills and sweeping plains of the Poseidon's Point peninsula, dueling muzzle flashes of machine guns, tank cannons and artillery light up the darkness.
"So it begins." Altare remarks.
He ducks down into the cupola and brings out the tank's radio handset.
"Attention BATCOM. This is 8th Company Leader. Do you read me, over?"
The voice of Kiara Takanashi replies.
"Loud and clear, 8th Tank Company Leader. We're prepared to execute the operation."
"Roger that, BATCOM. The 8th and 9th Companies are moving in position. Execute the operation immediately. Light up the battlefield, Ms. Fenix!"
Kiara chuckles on the other end of the line. Then, she answers him.
"Understood, Sergeant Regis. Illumination rounds on the way! Happy hunting. Over and out."
When Kiara says this, mortars from the entire length of Colonel Hakos' battle lines go off one after another. Bright, phosphorus illumination rounds sail placidly through the air, casting bright, flickering light upon the Pavolian positions.
Altare brings out his binoculars and he can make out horrified Pavolian soldiers looking up to the artificial suns burning above them throughout the battlefield.
"This is only just the beginning." Altare declares. He presses on the radio again and calls, "BATCOM, Commodore Ruze, the Pavolian positions are laid bare. I'm requesting fire support at the following coordinates."
With his binoculars and the radio in hand, he begins to mark targets for Kiara and Ruze, speaking swiftly but concisely.
"Acknowledged, 8th Company leader." Kiara and Ruze answer in tandem.
Shortly thereafter, a large formation of Elysian Navy warplanes, mostly SB2C Helldiver dive bombers loitering over the Emerald Sea, all begin turning en masse towards the Pavolian positions. Mortars and field guns of Kiara's BATCOM also fall silent, readjusting towards their new targets.
Then, the Elysian guns and mortars came alive again! They showered the enemy positions with shells.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BRA-BA-GOOM!
Before the flames and blasts of the artillery barrage could even dissipate, the Elysian Navy Helldivers swoop in. They fly high and dive down upon the battered Pavolian positions, dropping bombs upon Pavolian HaKu tanks, bunkers and trenches.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BRA-BA-GOOM!
Even then, as this blistering assault ravaged the positions, the darkness of the Emerald Sea shone with muzzle flashes from the Elysian Navy's two battleships: the ECS Metro Elysium and the ECS Poseidon's Point.
Their superheavy shells rained upon the center of the Pavolian lines, shattering the earth and setting even the mud ablaze.
BRA-GOOOOOOM! BRA-GOOOOOOM! BRA-GOOOOOOM!
This was Altare's signal to strike.
"8th Tank Company! 9th Tank Company! The doors have been kicked wide open in the central salient - ATTACK!"
At Altare's command, the tanks of the two companies roll towards the most devastated segments of the Pavolian lines. Altare's M24 Chaffees go first and Ollie's M4 Shermans follow closely behind. The trucks and halftracks of the mechanized infantry, on the other hand, fan out and watch the flanks of the armored spearhead.
Only sparse, disoriented gunfire from scattered machine gun nests greet the assault.
Altare grabs his radio and gives his orders.
"8th Company, target - machine gun nests, nine through two o'clock. High Explosive and HMG!"
Below the cupola, Magni Dezmond lugs and slides a 75mm HE shell into the gun breech and reports,
"High Explosive up!"
Axel Syrios peers down the rangefinder and spots a machine gun nest, reporting, "IDENTIFY!"
Altare presses on his radio again, shouting, "All units - FIRE!"
"ON THE WAY!" Axel answers.
BANG!
The Tempest II fires its main gun, even as the light tank blazes forward and shrugs off the machine gun fire. Even then, the shot flies through and pulverizes the sandbags of the Pavolian machine gun nest.
'The gun stabilizer on this thing's amazing…' Altare remarks.
However, bullets continue whizzing towards him and the Tempest II.
"Keep firing!" Altare commands. Then, he cocks the M2 Browning heavy machine gun and answers the machine gun nest with bursts of his own.
RATATAT! RATATAT! RATATATAT!
The Tempest II then follows through with another High Explosive shell.
BANG!
This shot finds the ammunition dump of the machine gun nest and sets off a chain of explosions, incinerating the position and the Pavolian soldiers that had been manning it.
All throughout the central salient, the M24 Stuarts of the 8th Company neutralized machine gun nests in short order. They advanced on through that thin line of defense and pressed towards the Pemaloe Detachment HQ with the Tempest II leading the way.
Before long, they encountered Pavolian armor as well.
Altare radios the company again.
"8th Company! Target - enemy tanks. HaKu IV's and V's. Armor Piercing! Stop, aim and take your shots! They're not turned towards us right now - don't give them the chance!"
When Altare says this, the M24s of 8th Company halt their advance and train their guns at the rears of the unprepared HaKu's. Vesper, likewise, slams the brakes and the Tempest II comes to a halt.
"Halted!" Vesper announces.
"AP up!" Magni promptly reports.
Axel peers through the rangefinder again, "HaKu V! IDENTIFY!"
"Give em' hell!" Altare commands.
BANG!
Axel's shot flies true and strikes the rear of the HaKu V's hull. A small fire breaks out, igniting gasoline fumes from the ruptured engine block. However, the tank and its turret still turn stubbornly towards the Tempest II like a wounded beast.
"It's trying to turn! Hit it again!" Altare barks.
Magni loads another round and Axel follows through with another shot.
BANG!
The shot pierces through the side armor of the HaKu this time and finds the ammunition rack.
BOOOOOM!
In a flash, the turret of the HaKu V pops off like a champagne cork set ablaze.
"Target neutralized. Break on through!" Altare declares.
The engines of 8th Company's Chaffees thrum again and they continue their unchecked advance.
By the time that Ollie's M4 Sherman medium tanks could join the fight, the bulk of the Pavolian tanks had been turned into smoldering wrecks or abandoned by their crews.
Their forces cut through the central salient like four dozen hot knives through butter. In short order, the path to the rear of the undefended field headquarters of the Pemaloe Detachment laid open to them.
…
The Elysian 8th Tank Company and the Mechanized Infantry units storm through the lightly guarded headquarters of the Pemaloe Detachment. Troopers supported by their M3 Half Tracks and the M24 Chaffee light tanks sweep through the camp and search through every tent and building. All the while, the blue Imperial flag of Pavolia is taken down. The green Starfall Banner of Elysium rises to take its place.
Ina'nis Ninomae has her shackles removed by the Military Police and she cradles the MERAK machine of Kaela Kovalskia in her arms.
Sergeant Altare Regis emerges from the cupola of the Tempest II and joins Ina.
"Lieutenant Kureiji will be forming our defensive perimeter with her Sherman tanks. We should start the broadcast without her." Altare determines.
"Understood." Ina nods.
She leads Altare into the barnhouse at the heart of the camp. They pass by the tarpaulin covered HaKu V inside.
Altare glances at the HaKu V and its pristine condition.
'In a different world, if Lieutenant Kureiji had not defected, she would be manning one of these beasts against Elysium.' Altare quietly thinks, 'I'm glad she's on our side and not theirs.'
His eyes turn to Ina and he mutters, 'And I hope that her words can finally bring this war to an end.'
"Sergeant Regis?" Ina calls him.
"Sorry. Let's keep moving." Altare replies.
He follows her into the Kaela's personal quarters. The two of them, with Ina's keen instructions, set up the MERAK machine. Elysian communications officers also scrounged together the radio broadcasting equipment in the camp and set it up in Kaela's quarters as well.
In just a few minutes, they are able to complete the setup. Daylight breaks in the east and pours in through the open window of Kaela's quarters.
So, Ina turns on all of the equipment and then delivers her address.
…
…
…
Attention, all elements of the Pemaloe Detachment - and to the nation of Pavolia at large. I am Ina'nis Ninomae, Major of the Imperial Guard, daughter of the House Mun'eo and Imperial Comptroller in the employ of Her Majesty, Empress Reine Pavolia I.
Subject: The state of the war and the Pemaloe Detachment.
I am speaking with you today in my capacity as the acting commander of the Pemaloe Detachment, and as a loyal citizen of the Pavolian Empire. My words are true, with the Holy Mother Towa as my witness.
Thus, I urge all of you to listen and to heed my call.
The siege of the Elysian Exclave on Poseidon's Point, despite all of the assurances and insistences of the Grand Marshall Zeta Vestia has failed.
I repeat. The siege of the Elysian Exclave has failed.
Tens of thousands of Pavolian soldiers have already fallen in battle and countless more have been captured or wounded or claimed by the harsh winter.
Letnan Kaela Kovalskia, right hand of the Grand Marshall has also fallen to the hand of an assassin - which is the reason why I have taken up the mantle of command of the Pemaloe Detachment.
Furthermore, Elysian forces have decisively broken the blockade of the Emerald Sea and have landed an entirely new Army to join the fray at the North Beach area of operations. During this landing, forces that I led personally were soundly defeated and I…
I have been captured by Elysian forces, led by Colonel Nerissa Ravencroft.
I am speaking with you today to offer terms of surrender of the Pemaloe Detachment. For the sake of humanity.
As things stand, the Pemaloe Detachment has been cut off from its supply lines and is being encircled as we speak. Any reinforcements en route to the Exclave front will be met by the combined arms of Elysian land, sea and air forces that are well-entrenched and prepared to retake their province.
Therefore, effective immediately, I declare that all forces of the Pemaloe Detachment WILL - and I repeat, WILL - surrender troops and units under your command, both Imperial Guard AND Regular Army, to the proper Elysian authorities in your sectors.
This decision, on my part, you will realize, was forced upon me by forces beyond my control.
So, further to this, I implore Her Majesty, Empress Reine Pavolia I, to preserve what's left of Pavolia's honor and to request for a ceasefire with the Elysian Commonwealth posthaste.
…
…
…
Beads of sweat form on Ina's brow as she reads her prepared statement over the radio. The typing of the Elysian communications officer on the MERAK machine comes to a halt and he waits for Ina to continue.
"Major Ninomae." Altare, sitting across from Ina, whispers to her, "Please continue."
Ina nods and wipes her sweat. She clears her throat, sits upright before the microphone and speaks firmly.
"Finally, dear Pavolia - allow me to share with you details that outline the treacheries of the late Letnan Kaela Kovalskia and the Grand Marshall Zeta Vestia."
She adjusts her glasses and continues with great conviction.
"Letnan Kovaslkia and Grand Marshall Vestia are traitors to Pavolia whose actions have stoked the fires of war and perpetuate the madness that will burn everything - including our Pavolia - with no end in sight. Allow me to present you now with evidence that I have compiled…"
While Ina speaks, sunlight reflects in the distance in a brief flash. It catches Ina's attention and she sees a familiar silhouette in the treeline: a pair of brown owl feathers sticking out from her head and a Kar98 rifle with a scope pointed right at her.
"Agent Satw-"
Before she could finish, a sharp rifle crack cut through the silence.
"HURK…!" Ina gasped and fell off her chair and clutches her chest. Her blood splatters on Altare's face and he goes pale.
"... Sniper! Enemy sniper!" Altare yells, "Fire back! Fire back!"
Shots continue whizzing into the barnhouse, even as Elysian soldiers fire back upon the sniper. Altare springs off his chair and covers Ina with his own body, protecting her.
The assassin's rifle falls quiet. Altare peels himself off of Major Ninomae. The bloodstains on her white uniform spread on her chest, but not as swiftly or deeply as he had expected.
"Are you okay, Major Ninomae?" Altare asks.
"I… I think so." Ina croaks.
She sits upright on the ground and a blunted bullet slides off of her chest, leaving only a shallow wound. She grunts with pain but reaches under her uniform and pulls out a now-cracked metal pendant with pictures of her parents.
"Papanis… Mamanis…" Ina starts to weep.
Still, her shallow wound bleeds. Ina winces in pain.
Altare props Ina's back gently against the wall and he cries out, "Someone get a medic!"
…
…
…
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, Ina's radio broadcast echoes in the bomb-blasted cloisters of the Trinitarian Cathedral in Xenokuni City. Icons of the Trinitarian Holy Triangle and statues of the three Holy Mothers are draped over by Pavolian flags fluttering in the cold wind. Grand Marshall Zeta Vestia, seated on the cathedra throne of the Trinitarian arsobispo listens to the broadcast from a radio set placed on the altar.
Deep shadows hang over her eyes and her lips are twisted in a bitter frown.
"Kaela…" Zeta leans forward on the cathedra and hangs her head low, "You showed the enemy compassion, insisting that they can be defeated honorably. I tried to warn you - to convince you - to crush them without mercy, but you insisted. I wanted to believe you."
She raises her head and looks up to the draped statues of Irys, Towa and Kanata before the cathedral's altar.
"But the battlefield is godless. The Holy Mothers have no power here, and yet they have taken you away from me."
Zeta stands up. She pulls the Pavolian flag off of the statues, revealing the decapitated figures of the Holy Mothers.
"Damn you. Damn ALL of you!" Zeta roars.
She grabs the statues of the Holy Mothers one by one and throws them onto the altar floor, smashing them into a million pieces and stomping on them with her boots.
"There are no goddesses in the battlefield." Zeta hisses, spitting on the shattered remains of the statues, "Only me. Only ME!"
Zeta starts to laugh. Her shrill voice echoes in the ruined cathedral's walls.
"I am the one who decides who lives and who dies…" Zeta's eyes shimmer with devilish flame, "And many will die. Hah. So many. They didn't value your life, so why should I value theirs!?"
On the cracked marble floors of the cathedral altar, the distorted reflection of a maniacal woman with tears in her eyes looks back at Zeta. The sight made her grin menacingly.
"I will burn Xenokuni City to the ground. There will be no survivors. I will accept no surrenders. Only death. Only tears. Only blood! This city will become your funeral pyre, Kaela!"
The radio broadcast from Ina then starts to break up and garble until it becomes an unintelligible static. Zeta's grin grows even wider.
"And if the foolish Empress dares to stand in my way… if she dares to take my power away from me, then the Blue Throne will run red with Merakyat blood."
…
…
…
Half a world away, in the Elysian Capital of Metro Elysium, Prime Minister Fauna Ceres sits at her desk at the ministerial palace. There, she diligently pores through binders and folders of documents from the Elysian War Department. The dark rings forming around her eyes grow deeper as nighttime falls upon the city.
Her exhaustion threatens to catch up with her. Her vision goes unfocused for a moment and her eyelids grow heavy.
She slouches forward and plops her head on her desk. The lull of sleep hangs over her, but so too does the gaze of the portrait of the first Prime Minister, Tokino Sora, fixed upon her.
Before her fatigue could tighten its grip around her, though, someone knocks on her door. Fauna gasps, reflexively pushing a myriad of folders off of her desk. She promptly gussies up and sits upright on her desk.
"Come in." Fauna says, hiding the fallen paperwork underneath her desk for now.
The door opens and her dearest confidant, Governess Sana Tsukumo of Poseidon's Point marches in.
"Faufau, come with me quick!" Sana urges.
"Come with you? To where?" Fauna asks.
"To the INU embassy downtown." Sana replies, "The INU ambassador is calling for you immediately."
"The INU? What would they want with me?" Fauna folds her arms, "We won the election by a hair, but we still have a war to fight."
"Perhaps not for much longer, Faufau." Sana smiles at her, "The INU ambassador received a phone call just now. It's from their Pavolian embassy. They say the Empress of Pavolia wishes to speak with you."
Fauna blinks. Then, she rises up from her seat.
"Give me a minute, Sanana. I'll get my coat."
…
…
…
TEMPEST
…