Chapter 19: Last Dying Breath*
Personnel: Sheila
Military Contractor. Age 17. Born in Yugs in 1918, Sheila's parents were small artisans, deeply involved with the Civil Rights Movement. As a child, she was considered a tomboy, never shy of being rowdy when it was about helping her friends or defending her ideals. She became friends with Kiril and Ramal in middle school, eventually falling in love and starting a durable relationship with the former.
She quickly picked up an interest in the world of radios and electricity, which prompted her to enroll to the Technical School of Yugs and eventually obtain the qualification as a radio operator during the compulsory Militia training. Sheila rejects the idea that 'Darcsens don't fight back' when it comes to fight for the rights of her people, and that was the main reason why she enlisted the moment the Imperial invasion began.
While she proudly shows her identity as a Darcsen, Sheila is far from being narrow-minded, always eager to find friends outside of her ethnic group. She will ferociously fight whoever pushes the prejudices about her people, but she will also be the first to befriend them should said people open their eyes and see the Darcsens as equals, as demonstrated by her relationship with Rosie.
September 27, 1935.
The atmosphere at the research town was grim.
How ghastly it was, that among the cheers and emotion for a huge achievement, the fearful scream of a single girl could tear down everything and remind everyone of the true nature of this undertaking.
It didn't matter that this project could lead to the discovery of a new form of nearly endless energy.
It didn't matter that the whole project had helped forwarding the understanding of Valkyrur biology and that there might be breakthroughs in medicine, in the future.
Hilde's scream had pierced everyone's soul, carving in their hearts that the real reason of all that, the singular result to which all the scientific effort had been directed...was a weapon of mass destruction.
A single weapon. A single push of a button...and just like that, millions of lives would vanish. Without a single word, Hilde had delivered that message flawlessly.
And for the Valkyrias, the burden they now shouldered was by far the heaviest.
Everybody understood that the A2 bomb could simply not cause any damage without them. They were the catalyst. Hilde had already been the one that allowed the test to take place. She had been the first to understand and vividly imagine what a detonation inside a city like Schwartzgrad meant.
And yet, what else could it be done? The Empire had enormous strength left, despite this year being quite embarrassing for them. Nobody was sure whether the Union would be able to deliver the final blow in time for their enemy to regain its footing and starting to pounce back. Especially now that winter was approaching, a season that they were unparalleled at fight in.
Unless something major changed, Operation Cygnus was still the best chance at taking down the imperialist menace once and for all. Morals be damned.
The Edinburgh Navy officers had also gone quiet, at least in the presence of others. They had first been impressed with the power of the A2, but just like everybody else, they had been reminded to consider the real effects of that device. While duty was still the major driving force for them, their hearts had become heavy.
"Is she not coming out yet?" Vurne asked sadly as she, Thereia, Bethany, Andy and Forseti sat at the same table in the mess hall.
"I don't know what the kid saw, but I can't blame her. The Flame has long been a taboo. Now we know why." the old Valkyria commented.
Right now, Hilde was barricaded in her room. She had never left, and seemingly she had never eaten the food the two Valkyrias left out of her door when they tried to talk to her.
"Yes, but either she comes out of her own volition, or the soldiers will have to drag her out of there." Andy said alarmed.
"At that point what use she would be?" Bethany asked. "In order for the reactor of the ships to work properly, the Valkyria has to willingly share her energy."
Forseti...no, Kai, was quiet, his head lowered as he stared pointlessly at the glass of water he was holding with a hand on the table.
His mind was numb, yet occupied entirely by thoughts about Hilde. Mostly guilty thoughts.
When she had ran away from the manifestation of her power, he just stood there, frozen and uncertain. He simply did not know what to do even if he caught up with her. What was he supposed to say? How could he fathom what Hilde was going through, knowing that she herself had been turned into the most terrifying weapon in human history?
He felt angry, he felt sorry, he felt powerless...and most of all he felt frustrated.
Frustrated that he could not put a smile on her face again. That smile that warmed his heart like nothing else. Frustrated that he was unable to make her feel safe.
"How long are you going to keep that sheepish look?" Thereia's voice suddenly said to him with a stern voice.
As if shaken violently, he came back to life enough to raise his head and look at her with a slightly confused gaze, like the others around had.
"You still haven't gone to talk to her, right?" the old woman continued. "Can't you realize that the only person who can help her right now is you, Captain?"
"Thereia, leave it be." Vurne reprimanded, but the old woman didn't stop.
"Aren't you a man?! What are you waiting for?!"
Those words were like a dagger, but a dagger that finally gave him a boost of life back.
She was right: what kind of man would leave the woman he cared the most in trouble?
He left the glass and stood up. Gathering his courage for a moment, he then left the mess hall under the surprised gazes of the others and headed straight toward Hilde's room.
While determined, he knocked gently.
"Hilde? May we talk?" he asked appropriately.
At first, it seemed like no answer came, but then he heard the faint but clear sound of footsteps approaching. Then the deadbolt slid and the door opened, revealing Hilde.
She was wearing her nightgown, revealing her arms and bare feet. Her hair were loose and quite messy. Her crimson irises were seemingly devoid of life, and yet they looked at him with a ray of hope.
"Sure...come in." she murmured.
With an elegant step he walked inside. The room was half in the dark, since Hilde had closed the curtains. He closed his hand to the light's switch and asked permission to lit it with his gaze. Hilde nodded and so he proceeded.
With better visibility while maintaining privacy, they sat on the edge of the bed. In silence, at first, as the girl clearly wasn't in the mood to speak up. Kai took a silent breather to gather his courage and finally started the conversation.
"Hilde. I'm not going to pretend that I understand you. It's impossible for any normal human to even think what you're going through. That is why...I beg you...at least say whatever you want. Let it all out and allow me to listen to you. Allow me to try and grasp, no matter how remotely, what is tearing you apart."
Hilde made a painful huff. After finding the strength to form her words, he proceeded with a strained voice.
"I want to go back home."
Feeling a dagger to his heart, Kai closed his eyes in a painfully angry expression. "You know that's not…"
"No! I didn't mean it like running away!" Hilde interrupted abruptly.
Surprised, Kai looked at her.
"It's not that. I mean...yes, I can't live with the idea that my power will take away millions of lives in a second...but...that's fine: if stopping this war and spare the whole world of more atrocities means that I have to become a monster...then so be it...the sins of our ancestors cannot be washed away in a clean way, it seems."
All of a sudden, Kai felt extremely diminished. He realized that Hilde was not worried about her responsibility, but about what said responsibility would mean for the future of her people.
"What I can't stand...is that I've shown the world that me and my kin...are nothing more than weapons...tools to unleash death and destruction…" she continued, and the more she went on, the more her voice became choked. Tears started to flow nonstop on her face. "I have...transformed each and every one of us...into demons...how can I…" she broke down and hid her face into her hands.
Kai watched, unable to think what he should do.
What was he even supposed to say? To him, the introduction of the new bomb had been frightening, sure, but to her? To her, it had completely transformed the lives of her and the whole Valkyrur people into something completely different from that of human beings with some abilities.
Kai quickly realized that this was just one possible scenario, however his mind couldn't elaborate further as he saw that scene with his heart being wrung all over.
"How can I look...the kids at the village...and tell them...that they are now...monsters?"
Kai just couldn't bear it anymore. He grunted softly, mostly to chase away his indecisiveness.
With a quick movement, he leaned forward, made Hilde raise her upper body and then hugged her gently while keeping his hands firmly around her head and waist.
Hilde was stunned and caught off-guard. But among the various emotions storming inside her, at first it was self-shaming that took over.
"Leave me! Please!" she cried, not as if she feared for her health, but as if she was tainted, or that she was somehow putting his life in danger.
Kai, however, shushed. "Just...stay like this, for a second." he said tenderly.
With her eyes still a watery mess, Hilde gasped.
"You're not a monster. Don't you ever say that again." the young man started saying. "And if the world will see you that way...then it won't matter: I will fight them until they shut up."
Hilde just stood there, unable to force a single sound come from her open mouth.
"I know the real you: you are kind, cheerful and always thinking about others. I won't allow anyone to say otherwise. And if pulling this trigger is too much for you...then I will do everything I can to find another way."
She gasped in surprise.
"I know it sounds stupid, considering your powers, but...I want to protect you, Hilde. I want to see your smile again. I have never...felt this kind of need before." Kai eventually said with a more timid but resolute voice. "If...if you need help...you can count on me, okay? Because I love you."
Though clumsily, he had laid his feelings bare. Hilde felt a surge in her heart, a turmoil that she had never experienced. Yet, one thing was clear as Kai's words were absorbed by her brain: she was extremely happy.
The fear and the dark perspectives started to melt, giving way to a ray of hope. The oppression she was feeling on her heart started to lift, leaving it lighter and making her feel as if she was breathing once again.
With tears turning from despair to relief, she finally wrapped her arms around Kai and held him.
"I love you, too…" she said sobbing. "Please...stay with me!"
"Until the end of the world." he reassured, himself experiencing a brand new strength after hearing those words.
September 30, 1935.
With Ghirlandaio retaken, the borders of Gallia were now relatively safe. Therefore, Erwin had ordered the various Army units to stand down and head to the inner regions to reorganize the defenses and rest a little. Damon's Division was the one left to guard the fortress.
The Militia units were still mobilized and now used to patrol other smaller border accesses, but in general, the mood in Gallia was optimistic for most people.
Among the marching column, the only one who didn't share that emotion were Erwin and the Valkyrias. Not after seeing two of their kin ready to commit suicide in order to annihilate the entire Gallian strength.
For the Marshall, the weight was even double, because he had received an encrypted telegram from Forseti, telling him that the A2 bomb had been tested successfully, but that Hilde had suffered a breakdown as a result. While she had started to recover, as a father, he just couldn't find peace, knowing that he had put her up with all that suffering.
The column was resting halfway toward Vasel. The Militiamen in particular were discussing what would they do once they were finally allowed to return home, and sure enough, there were talks in the capital about demobilizing the Militia, to give the economy some desperately needed respite.
As he sat in his makeshift command tent, Erwin observed the map of Europa updated by the Intelligence staff. So far, Operation Eastern Wind had been a huge success, successfully creating five new countries at the periphery of the Empire, and Rurikia in particular was extremely important as they hosted a total population of 80 million people, which had been quick to welcome the Federation and join the Union. Still, the Empire had the resources and manpower to mount a significant counterattack, especially now that winter was coming, and they were masters of fighting in that period.
"Sir, emergency transmission from General Damon!" one of the operators suddenly alerted.
Thinking that Damon was generally too proud to send out an emergency alert, Erwin immediately stood up and told the operator to patch him through.
"Erwin, here."
"Erwin! The Imperials are attacking. They have another land dreadnought!"
"What?! Can you hold out?!"
"No! It's just huge! It's...passing through the walls and...what the…? Everyone out!...Gaaaahhh!"
A rumble, and then only statics. "Damon? Damon, do you copy?!"
A chill running through his spine, he said to the operator: "Get me General Magadin!" then turned toward the officers and ordered to raise a red alert.
Any attempt to reach the 19th Division was fruitless. The Air Force sent a few planes to investigate and they found something ominous: the Empire had built a new, bigger version of the Batomys. Through intercepted transmissions, the Intelligence identified it as Marmota. And it was moving without rest toward Randgriz.
It was so massive, that it had simply rolled through Ghirlandaio. The towers, the walls...everything had been flattened, and with it the trapped Damon and his men. Only those that were waiting outside of the valley had managed to escape that nightmarish situation.
The tanks had fired on it, but didn't even slow it down, and they were only obliterated by its arsenal or directly crushed when they happened to be in front of it.
"Alert the capital! I bet it's heading toward the Royal Palace! Evacuate the Archduchess immediately!" Erwin ordered as the terrifying report came in in the following hour.
"Marshall!" Rowe rushed into the tent. "The rearguard has spotted the enemy dreadnought. Sir...I don't think anything other than the Valkyrias can possibly face that thing!"
"Get everyone out of the road immediately! I will take the Valkyrias."
The camp went into a frenzy, but the officers did their job and managed to coordinate an ordered splitting of the main force. As the troopers rushed either left or right, everyone could start feeling the rumble shake. Softly, at first, but the vibrations increased by the second.
And just an hour and a half after the destruction of Ghirlandaio, the Marmota had reached the 1st CAD.
Erwin could hardly believe his own eyes. How did the Empire manage to make such a massive machine move on land was inconceivable. Or at least, Erwin could only think of the implosion reactors, but the Empire shouldn't have access to that technology. Did they come up with something similar anyway?
Nevertheless, the priority was to stop that thing at all costs. On that plain, the regular units would be massacred without cover, so it was up to the Valkyrur to take that thing on.
Erwin wondered whether he would meet Aduin aboard that monster of steel, but that seemed improbable.
"Prepare to fire!" he ordered. Quickly enough, him and the other Valkyrias started charging up their lances, waiting for the land dreadnought to approach.
Only to notice a blue glimpse coming from its bow.
"Watch out!" Berthe yelled, expressing their collective sense of danger.
They all interrupted the gathering of energy and jumped away, just in time to avoid a huge blast that came from a blue beam...the same type of attack produced by their lances, but fired at a much larger distance.
The Valkyrur then tried to rush toward it, in order to close the gap...and they found out that, alongside the normal machine-guns and cannons, there were a few turrets firing energy bolts.
Nobody knew when, nobody knew how, but the Imperials had managed to replicate the ranged attacks of the Valkyrur weapons and mounted them on manned turrets. The Gallian Valkyrur barely managed to get mortally wounded as they fruitlessly tried to get closer.
"Fall back!" Erwin was eventually frustratingly forced to order.
The Valkyrias spread out, rushing out of range of the enemy weapons.
However, one stood in place: Alicia.
"Alicia, what are you waiting for?!" the voice of Ginevre echoed through the plain.
"Everyone...I'm sorry." Alicia calmly said in the earpiece.
The Valkyrur all felt a tingle on their necks. A moment later, Alicia started emanating a huge blue flame. A flame that kept rising and rising.
"What?! No!" Erwin grunted. "Alicia! Stop immediately!" he then ordered, but the girl wasn't listening.
Still, she managed to do one thing: seeing her flame, Maximillian caught the gist of it and ordered the Marmota to drive away at full speed, even diverting the power from the energy weapons to the engines. Still, if Alicia decided to use the final flame, she could still deal significant damage.
Erwin didn't want to accept it, but his military mind told him that he couldn't pass this opportunity to stop that thing right in its tracks.
That was, until Welkin ran with all his energies toward Alicia and started talking to her.
The capital went into a panic as the evacuation order was issued. Nobody had a real answer to give the public, but what was clear was that the capital was about to become a warzone. Nearby units had been already called in to defend the city and assist the exodus of civilians.
"Your Majesty, I insist that we bring you out immediately." Wilbur kept saying to Cordelia.
"Not until my people is safe, first." the Archduchess kept sternly refusing.
The Royal Guard had placed batteries on the walls facing the highway, where the Marmota was expected to arrive at any moment. A GSS squad was called in to reinforce the security detail of the Archduchess, but there weren't many other soldiers to call up aside from the ones recovering at Amatrian. The Air Force was sending out constant sorties that flew over the capital, but while they all returned, the reports indicated that their bombs were not inflicting any significant damage to the mechanical beast.
Seeing that time was running out, Wilbur decided to at least make sure that one person was safe.
He rushed to his home, where he found Lorna almost done preparing her luggage. Accompanying her were their two sons: Albert and Klaus. 18 and 16, and both enlisted in the Randgriz Militia Battalion.
"Father." Albert said.
"The enemy is already at Vasel, Lorna, there is no more time." Wilbur started.
Lorna was visibly terrified and talked through a ragged breathing. "Gods...I can't believe this is happening…"
Wilbur went and took her firmly on her arms. "Hey, look at me! Things will get better, you'll see. We will surpass even this. But I need you stay calm and finish that bag. You need to reach Anthold."
Holding back the need to cry, Lorna took a breather and nodded.
"Mother. It's useless to stuff the bag so much." Klaus intervened firmly. "Come on. You have to go."
They brought her down the stairs, with Wilbur never letting go of her hand. On the street, there was another security detail of the Intelligence that was ready to spirit Lorna out of the chaos, so that the Prime Minister and the two brothers could do their part without additional worries.
Just before she entered the armored car, she turned around and had all her men gather into a hug.
"You all have to get back. You get me?" she said with an imperative voice slightly broken by the fear of losing them.
"Don't worry about us. Just go!" Wilbur said tenderly. "We will see each other again!" he added as she was accompanied inside the vehicle.
As the single convoy marched away, Wilbur turned toward his sons. "Guys, return to your units. I have to stay with the Archduchess."
"Yes, father." they replied in chorus before sprinting away, with a fire clearly burning in their eyes despite the inevitable fear that accompanies all those about to put their lives on the line.
Wilbur himself felt his hands shaking. Not just because they were about to fight a battle against an overwhelming force, but because his sons and other people he cared about would come under fire, and there was no way to tell how this fight would end.
He rushed back to the courtyard of the palace, where now even DeWytt and the small group of officers left in the city had gathered to discuss possible solutions, but the debate was far from being collected and methodical.
"We can't possibly sustain a direct fight against that dreadnought!"
"And what do you intend to do, then?! Urban warfare will give our men a chance to get close to it and damage it for real!"
"That thing leveled Ghirlandaio! Do you want Randgriz to be grounded to dust, as well?!"
Cordelia was hesitating in silence, unsure what to do. Wilbur took another look around and saw only two people who seemed to have any sort of idea brewing, but they couldn't express it given their low rank.
"Gentlemen, please!" Wilbur intervened loudly, and quickly managed to get the attention of the Generals. "There is no amount of strategy that will allow us to take down that monstrosity. Maybe we should heed the advice of somebody more...hands-on." then he rose his chin slightly. "Lieutenant Landzaat, Lieutenant Windsong. Would you like to speak your mind?"
All eyes shifted on the two of them, who were certainly caught by surprise. Yet, after consulting each other's gazes for a couple seconds, they stepped forward.
"If we may, sirs." Faldio began. "Even if we do take down that dreadnought inside the city, we risk canceling Randgriz anyway."
"What do you mean?" one of the other officers asked in panic.
"According to the reports, that vehicle possesses energy weapons comparable to those of the Valkyrias." Olivia explained calmly. "There is a chance that, should we destroy all its turrets and put Maximillian to the ropes, he might order the self-destruction of the ship. And in that case, if the amount of ammo, fuel and explosives loaded aboard won't wipe out the city, whatever ragnite power source they are using will guarantee such a result."
"However, it is true that it will be most vulnerable as long as it will stay in the city." Faldio took over. "We probably have two days until the Marshall and his forces will catch up and gather for a final confrontation outside the capital. At the very least, we should not pass up the opportunity to weaken it."
"What is that you're planning?" Cordelia herself asked, though slightly suspicious.
"It's easy." Olivia said with no hesitation. "Me and Lieutenant Landzaat's units will stay behind while you all retreat to the forests in the south. We will launch an all-out attack to see if we can destroy the weapons on at least one side, so that the main army will have a real chance to fight back."
Everyone was left speechless.
Their gazes left no doubt: those two young Lieutenants were ready to sacrifice their lives, and that of their men, just to give their comrades out there the chance to deliver the final blow onto a wounded behemoth.
"If we get the chance, we will disengage and retreat through the southern gate to rejoin you. However, the priority for now should be the total evacuation of the city. Especially Your Majesty." Faldio concluded.
"Lieutenant…" Cordelia said severely, but hesitant. "We appreciate your courage, but I cannot ask you to...to die for my sake."
"You're the soul of the nation, my Lady." Olivia calmly replied. "And we are soldiers. Is what we do."
"All other units should head outside and then proceed to stall the enemy until the Marshall returns." Faldio stated.
Silence fell. Given the situation, the plan was extremely reasonable, but neither Wilbur nor Cordelia felt like they had any right to order people to take on a suicide mission. Luckily for them, DeWytt was there, and as a soldier, he took the brunt.
"Are you sure about this, Lieutenants? I cannot order you to do so."
"We are aware, sir. But we've already made up our mind. We have also already spoken this possibility with our men." Olivia firmly replied, and Faldio made a nod of agreement.
"Report!" the Captain of the GSS escort suddenly flared. "The Marmota has reached Vasel. Apparently, it's unloading troops there."
"That has to be Jaeger." DeWytt concluded. "He will try to delay Erwin as much as he could."
"Whatever happens, we must not let the Archduchess and the Prime Minister fall into Maximillian's hands." Faldio said. "You should really evacuate, sir."
DeWytt made a resigned sigh, then stood at attention and saluted the two officers. So did everyone else. While Faldio and Olivia left the meeting to go organize their troops, the rest of them reached the southern gate, where there was still quite a crowd streaming out of the city. As they were about to leave, DeWytt ordered his personal secretary to erase Squad 1 and the Yugs Battalion from the records.
"Hey, did you hear? The Imps have another damn land-ship and it's heading straight to Randgriz." one of the workers at the AN factory just outside the capital shouted inside the workshop.
The news caused a certain unrest among the personnel, and that was why Adrien stepped inside and spoke loudly and vigorously.
"Indeed, the situation is bad, but that's no reason to give up."
Everyone calmed down and listened.
"I received news that the Archduchess and what military units we have nearby are evacuating to the forests. And they're gonna need lots of guns. So what do you say? Do you want to quiver here, or you want to fight in any way you can?!"
A series of raging, proud shouts rose.
"I want every single gun, ammo and explosives ready for use loaded on the trucks and shipped immediately. Even the vehicles: we're towing them all to the air base. All right, gentlemen, let's show what Gallians are made of!"
"Raaaaahhh!"
He then hurried to search for the girls, and he found them in the hangar, working on Isara's project. The two looked at him with the same determination in their eyes.
"Is it ready?" he asked.
"I would've liked to make a few more adjustments, but it's ready for launch." Isara replied firmly.
"Then start the engines and reach the main army. Make sure to avoid Vasel, just to be sure." Adrien instructed.
"But will this be enough?" Sheila asked, not sure if a single vehicle could turn the tide of the battle.
"If I know Erwin, this toy will be the key to stop that damn dreadnought. Now go, and good luck."
"Aye, aye." the girls replied.
Cue the Title Song from Sabaton
Two hours and a half later, at first afternoon, the Marmota reached the gates of Randgriz and simply smashed through them like they were a pebble on the walk. Following the direction of the highway, it passed over the Great Boulevard and then rammed directly into the Royal Palace. It was hard to imagine why Maximillian was okay with destroying the residence of the person he wanted to capture and force to marry, but at that point it mattered little for the Gallians.
Right now, Faldio and Olivia were waiting inside their tanks, with their units stationed outside or waiting in nearby buildings that were outside the range of the Marmota. As soon as the tremors halted, they knew it was time to move in, for the huge steel monstrosity of Maximillian was now vulnerable.
Since they were occupying the southern side of the city, they found themselves in front of the right side of the land-ship.
Opting on a surprise attack, Olivia had ordered single squads with two Lancers each to approach cautiously, using the now empty buildings to find a good position, and to target the energy weapons first, which weren't difficult to recognize.
The tension was palpable. From the Marmota, a large group of Imperial Guards started to dismount and create defensive positions. If the Gallians wanted to exploit the surprise, they had to act quickly.
"All teams...fire!" Olivia eventually ordered.
The hissing of the lances resounded all around. From five different windows the rockets flared up and flew toward the unsuspecting Imperials. All of them found their targets, however one of the beam cannons withstood the blow. And while the infantry started firing on the imperial patrols that were fanning out in the streets, the battle began for good. Faldio and Olivia moved their tanks in, exploiting the buildings for cover as targeted the weapons of the Marmota, barely dodging the high-caliber cannons of the dreadnought.
The Guards immediately counterattacked, while a unit remained close to the Marmota and laid out heavy cover fire. The Gallians fired with the few mortars they had and, after a brief and brutal fight, they repelled the enemy charge. They were also managing to progress quite well in knocking out the machine-guns and cannons of the Marmota, but that was when the energy one managed to take aim and fired at one of the residential buildings occupied by an anti-tank team.
The Gallians were flabbergasted, seeing that buildings turned to literal dust with a single blow, including the people inside of it.
However, seeing that the number of weapons on starboard were now only a handful, the two officers ordered their troops to regroup and pondered on what to do.
"They're calling in more infantry!" Olivia said from the top of her turret, which was quite close to Faldio. "I say we did enough. The energy cannon can't possibly fire anymore in that condition."
Indeed, after that single shot, the turret was surrounded by a tenuous but persistent blue flame, a sign that it was most likely malfunctioning thanks to the previous hit it had suffered.
"No. If we give them the time to repair it, the next battle will be a bloodbath all the same." Faldio replied.
A brief silence followed. Though she hated to admit it, Olivia agreed with him: they were so close to complete leave a side of the Marmota undefended, but it was doubtful whether another attack would succeed.
That was the moment when Faldio, after exchanging a quick glance with his men, made his decision.
"Give us the 'Tank-Fists'. We will charge straight at them."
That was the one sentence she didn't want to hear, yet she knew it was coming. However, the phrasing had something off.
"What are you talking about? We are going in together."
"No. Your unit is larger, Lieutenant. We can do this while you retreat."
Among the Yugs Battalion descended a dark atmosphere.
"We are in this together, Faldio!" Olivia insisted. "You can't just…"
"There is no use for all of us to die here. Besides, I am nowhere near your level, Olivia. The Marshall scouted you for a reason, and I second it: the forces out there need your leadership to survive."
Being told all that, Olivia hesitated. On one hand, there was no denying that she was more suited to be an officer, and that her set of skills would be useful to keep up the delaying tactic outside the capital. Yet, the idea of abandoning a comrade was twisting all of her organs.
"We know you can deliver the final blow to that thing, ma'am." one of the Sergeants of Squad 1 added with a cheery tone. "Get out of here and make sure you stick it to 'em."
That was clearly the sentiment on the faces of all the men and women of Squad 1.
While the troops of Yugs couldn't hold back tears of anger and powerlessness, Olivia just managed to fight back her own frustration, for a burning willpower quickly took over her heart.
"We will. This I promise on my honor!" she declared.
Faldio made a wide smile, the one of a person that was going to his death without remorse.
"Yugs Battalion! Prepare for retreat!" Olivia ordered.
As his comrades started gathering, Faldio, still on the top of his turret, turned toward his men. He made a breather and delivered his last words.
"Soldiers. On my mark, the enemy is to be crushed by your relentless spirit. Destroyed by your rockets and bayonets alike. Here, as we stand on the ruins of our beloved capital, we shall be the ones to defend its honor. Let it never be told that Randgriz and the Gallian people ever gave up, no matter the power that wish to rob us of our freedom and our land! Soldiers, heroes! The Supreme Command has erased our unit from its records. Our Squad has already been sacrificed for the honor of Randgriz and the homeland.
"Do not worry about your lives, for they no longer exist. Offer your hearts so that our country shall keep living! For the Queen and the Fatherland, we shall march!"
Squad 1 yelled in unison.
"Take position! Prepare the smoke grenades."
The Squad of 30 people gathered in front of two small alleys that would lead them directly to the plaza of the Palace. Using the launchers on their rifles, a few Scouts prepared a battery of smoke.
"Fire!"
As the grenades were sent and created a curtain of smoke right in front of the Imperials, Faldio had his tank aimed at on small store building. He intended to smash it open and make sure that his men could ran from more than two small, easily targeted alleys.
As soon as the smoke rose, the Imperials started firing just to be sure, and thus came the moment.
"Forward! To glory!" Faldio screamed from the top of his lungs.
Squad 1 roared and surged right after the tank opened another path.
All the while, Olivia and her troops had turned around and started to retreat. Only the commanding officer told her driver to wait as she observed her comrades disappear into the smoke. What followed was a confused entropy of screams, gunshots, explosions and cries.
She couldn't tell what was happening, but one thing showed that they had done it: all of a sudden, the energy cannons blew up in a blue fireball. Finally, the Marmota had been blinded on a whole side.
Olivia hoped to see somebody return, but as another explosion on the ground signaled that the Gallian tank was turned into a charred wreckage, she clenched her fist and looked away with anger. Swearing on the memory of her comrades, she signaled her crew to roll away.
Just outside the capital, Wilbur and the rest of the rest of the State apparatus was taking a breather. The Royal Guard had created some fortified positions in the woods, awaiting to see what would come next. Even from there, the Prime Minister, the Archduchess and the Chief of Staff could see the blue fireballs signaling that Landzaat and Windsong's plan had worked.
"General. Whatever the result, I expect those brave souls to be properly remembered." Cordelia said, managing to downplay her pain in favor of the complete admiration she was feeling.
"Of course, Your Majesty." DeWytt replied firmly.
Wilbur however was more preoccupied by something else.
"Why it isn't moving anymore, though?" he asked.
"What?" DeWytt asked.
"The Marmota. It could have easily removed itself from the Palace, but it looks like…"
A grim realization came to his mind and his eyes showed it. Cordelia and DeWytt were quick to come to the same conclusion.
"You can't be serious…" the General gasped.
"How could they possibly know?" Cordelia asked agitated.
"I guess we know the meaning of their trip to Barios." Wilbur grimly remembered.
The attack might have severely crippled the Marmota, but if what they feared was true, it would amount to very little.
"We need to disperse the troops." he said. "General…"
"I'm on it." he replied before heading back to the other officers.
"Erwin...please come fast." the Prime Minister muttered.
"Father!"
Albert and Klaus emerged from the forest and Wilbur greeted them, but barely averted his gaze from the Palace.
"What's going on?" the elder son asked. "Did they manage to stop that thing?"
"They damaged it, but I don't think that's what keeping it in place. For now...we have to wait...and pray."
With the skies around covered by gray clouds, an eerie silence fell on the Gallian camp.
Hi, there.
I wanted to give a little explanation for the changes brought by this chapter, though I think they will likely be self-explanatory.
First of all, I decided to have the Marmota steam through the north so it would allow me to rectify Damon still being alive and Ghirlandaio still standing, but also because I believe that the land-ship coming from Kloden made little sense in the continuity of the games: that side of Gallia would be completely under the control of Federation as a result of Operation Northern Cross, so it made little sense to me. It makes also more sense tactically, because from the north, one has to pass through Vasel and, therefore, it made more sense that Jaeger would already be there before the Gallians returning from Ghirlandaio.
And of course, Faldio's death. If I have to be completely honest, in the game is just dumb: he had already rendered Maximillian harmless by deactivating the Valkyrur device. He had no real reason to throw himself with him down that shaft, which also just happened to put the lives of Welkin and Alicia in danger when he was supposedly doing all that to save them.
In my opinion, while hastened, Faldio's death in the anime made much more sense, but since he didn't commit the crime of shooting Alicia in this story, I decided to make him the protagonist of an episode inspired by one of my favorite songs.
That will be all. See you on the next chapter.
Ganel750.