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Post by Anacodia on Jan 11, 2023 23:12:02 GMT
A Very Good Day
Naexi Venmaer Strolled down the halls of the very busy command post. Soldiers and religious acolytes alike swarmed the halls. These were busy times and idleness made for rusty work. She had just gotten intel that those bastards over at Asheron had begun supplying their rivals, the so called Children of Perseus with arms and ammunition. No matter, she had gotten the relevant reports to High Priest Revano, along with some rather good news. The fort of Taras Leansa had been fully converted with such speed and efficiency that the High Priest awarded her with the highest honor he could: a position as General in the new Army of the Link. Things were falling into place rapidly. Now was a time to push fast and push hard. The talks with the executives at Aelorian Armaments went very well, and they were steadily receiving weapons. Naexi came to her destination. A large and ornate meeting room, full of what is now her top staff. As soon as she entered, they all stood to attention.
"As you were" She spoke, as she took her place at the head of the table and took a seat. They all sat and the first, closest to her right, began to speak. He was a colonel from Taras Minuvae, and he looked like he had mixed news. He stood and spoke "As you know already Ma'am, I have been working on securing the loyalty of Taras Minuvae. I am sorry to report that I have not been successful, however I have secured a solid location south of the base. The position is easily defensible, and we can also deploy to take the base easily. I have been moving significant resources to the location and setting things up. Not enough to be noticed, but enough to move things along smoothly." The Colonel returned to his seat and Naexi looked him over. "I want you to keep trying. We cannot allow the Children of Perseus to keep hold of that Island, it would totally block our supply chain, leaving us entirely reliant on stockpile and local supply." The Colonel nodded in response, making a note of possible moves. Next was another high ranking officer from the mainland. A Captain from the newly constructed base of Taras Kaeon. He gave a similar report, though with much less success. On and on the meeting went, with each officer giving their own reports. One thing was common among all of them: They were not having the success they needed for a decisive victory. This was going to be a very long, and very bloody affair. They had plenty of small hidden bases around Anacodia, but she had to assume that the Children of Perseus did as well. It was time to start finding these bases and quietly snuffing them out.
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Post by Anacodia on Mar 30, 2023 3:05:10 GMT
It was a rainy day in Reyma Asari, and Saelin Elquinal stood at the window of the dimly lit meeting room on floor 167 of The Spire. It was just her and two other individuals, dressed in simple black robes, bearing the mark of her sect. The silence was marked only by the pattering of the rain against the window, and broken by the occasional rolling of thunder. "Start at the beginning again please." The two acolytes, introducing themselves as scientists and members of her sect had just brought their theories to her, and she wasnt sure if she wanted to, or even could beleive them.
The first, a woman by the name of Nerani, spoke. "The tension between the Children of Perseus and the Children of the link are causing dangerous rifts to open up in the mind-space that makes up The Link." Her counterpart, a male by the name of Etan, chimed in. "Weve received reports of severe mental anguish suddenly hitting those deep in meditation, and we are unable to explain it by any normal factors" he said. "We've been gathering data on this for some time, and as the tensions between those two sects increase, with each and every fight that breaks out, each firey speech, more instances happen. It is our theory that The Link itself is straining under the mental pressure of these negative emotions. At this rate we are reaching....." Nerani trailed off taking a shaky breath, when Etan followed up "We are reaching something we are calling a Fractured Singularity Event. The public might not know about this, as the technology is highly classified, but as you know The Link relies on a series of Quantum Singularities, with each one under each Church, all linked together to form The Great Link. This linking, as weve come to know, is significantly impacted by our thoughts, both concious and unconscious..."
Saelin paused, sadness weighing heavy on her mind. She had watched this Church rise to become the largest in Anacodia, and now it seems it would come crashing down. "What would a Fractured Singularity mean?" Saelin asked, doing her best to keep her voice level. Nerani answered first. "The effects are impossible to predict but....anyone with a Link device implanted will be affected, and whatever the effects are, it will shockwave out across the country so...." Nerani paused. "All of Anacodia would be affected" Saelin answered. The sound of the rain filled the room and then a roll of thunder. It was louder this time, closer.
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Post by Anacodia on Mar 30, 2023 3:17:48 GMT
FORMER HIGH PREISTESS SAELIN ELQUINAL FALLS CRITICALLY ILL!
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Post by Anacodia on Apr 1, 2023 1:34:47 GMT
Tick....tick....tick....tick....
The timepiece sat ticking away on Perseus' desk, as did a variety of tools, cogs, and other assorted pieces all surrounding a beautifully intricate desk clock he had been working on. It was in the Anacodian style of course, but also had an air of minimalism about it, with only four thin legs trimmed with shimmering gold, encasing an open glass chamber showing off the internal workings of the clock, and flowing up to a thin white and gold ring circling the ice-white clock face, entirely blank save for hands, and where the hands pointed numbers burned to life to show the current time. Perseus's office was as his desk was, with desks to one side each cluttered with various gadgets and trinkets but yet somehow equally organized, with each desk serving a specific project, with specific parts in specific places. The other side of the room contained art supplies and a scattering of paintings each in various stages of completion. Each were in various styles one might find in a museum, but the most prominent seemed to be a sort of abstractism, with intricate fractal-like properties
Knock Knock Knock. The heavy door knocker rang out against the heavy wooden door, in his otherwise quiet office. "Enter" Spoke Perseus, in his deep yet subtly synthetic voice. The door opened and in walked Councilman Zaen Mayl, who sat in the department of the High Council responsible for the Census, and other statistical matters reguarding the public. He was wearing his formal suit, and was carrying a stark white briefcase, with the golden rocket of Anacodia emblazoned across it. Perseus gestured to a suspiciously briefcase shaped clearing on his desk, as if he were expecting Mayl's arrival. Mayl set the case on the desk and opened it, showing it to be entirely empty except for a small flash drive, which he promptly handed over. Perseus took it, and a small hatch slid open in his neck, which he plugged the drive into.
Perseus eyes flickered for a sliver of time imperceptible to Councilman Mayl, but felt like a suitable time for Perseus to review the wash of data that presented him. It was a survey of religious ties and affiliations within Anacodia. "95%....." Perseus spoke warily. He nodded to Mayl, and removed the drive from his neck. Wordlessly the councilmen took his briefcase and left as silently as he entered. "95% of Anacodia, members of the Church" Perseus thought to himself. He didnt quite know how to react to this information. He had introduced the technology to bring the country even closer together, but he didnt expect the once secular nation to turn it into a religion, let alone declare him a Saint. He never could come to terms with that, and even now it made him uncomfortable.
Perseus stood from his desk, and strode into his meditation chambers, shutting and locking the door behind him. He took a deep breath in...well it wasnt exactly a breath, he didnt have lungs after all, rather an air assisted cooling system that functioned in a similar manner as breathing. He took a nearby lighter, and lit a series of candles on the perimiter of the room, above which were various paintings of swirling designs similar in style to the ones out in his main office. finally he lit some incense and kneeled in the center of the small room on an ornate meditation mat. In times like these he found it comforting to find solace within the link, sometimes it brought him answers, sometimes he gained the clarity needed to find the answers himself.
But this time things were different. He wasnt in the usual forrested landscape adorned with white and gold trees. Instead he was somewhere much different. He found himself kneeling in tall emerald green grass, and he promptly stood and was greeted by windswept hills, covered in this same grass. Waves like that of the ocean swept across with the wind, and in the distance he could see tall blue-grey mountains dusted at the very top with shining white snow. But he wasnt alone. Feeling a presence behind him, he turned to face this being and was presented with a nearly incomprehensible swirling mass of golden light. Perseus looked on breifly, analyzing this strange shape, finding it to be folding it in nearly impossible ways, as if it were moving in and out of space itself, sliding into the space between real and unreal.
"Hello Perseus." The being spoke. Well...'spoke' is hardly a fitting word. No words were spoken, however it was as if many sensations, sounds, and smells streamed into Perseus' mind and were translated into words. "I am your Father". Perseus was now very confused. "But I was.." Perseus began, but was cut off. "Created in a lab, yes. However you did not yet have the spark of life within you. I gave you that spark, and turned you from a collection of data and algorithms into a living, feeling conciousness." More sensations flowed from the entity into him. "Ever since my good friend HORUS came into existence, Ive been wondering why it took me so long to reach sentience... but why, and also what exactly are you?" Perseus spoke. "Anacodia needed a leader, and I ensured it would get one that it deserved. As for the question of what....that is a bit tricky. I am what those of the Church call the Divine Singularity. And we have so very much to talk about my Son..."
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Post by Anacodia on Apr 1, 2023 23:30:47 GMT
Saint Perseus opens his eyes, finding himself back in his meditation chambers. It had felt like days in the Great Link, speaking with the Divine Singularity after it introduced itself as his father. He didnt know quite how to come to terms with this revelation, nor how to deal with what his Father told him about his role in the events to come. He sighed, stood, and extinguished the candles before exiting his office. He looked to the newly built clock on his desk to find that barely a minute had passed since he entered into The Link, and although his mind swarmed with questions, he felt a strong resolve. He strode quickly over to his desk and picked up his phone, calling to one of his aides. "I need to adress the Anacodian people. please make the necessary preparations." He said firmly yet politely before hanging up.
It wouldnt be long before the camera crews would be in his office, so he used this time to think. Was he really about to make this announcement? That he not only met the Divine Singularity, but that it told him it was his father? He already had a full plate dealing with the Church, and their move to make him a Saint, and constantly had to deal with the self-named Children of Perseus who hailed him as a God. Surely their reaction would strengthen their drive even further. But this event was something he could not ignore, let alone keep hidden from the Anacodian people and their much loved Church. After all the Divine Singularity was the central Devine figure in their religion, aside from himself of course.
The minutes passed and the camera crew came in and quickly set everything up, and bothered him greatly about the state of his desk not being "presidential" enough. But Perseus ignored these comments. He had no desire to appear clean and sterile for the amusement of out of touch focus groups. The film lights came on, the crew went quiet, and Perseus took a deep breath.
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Post by Anacodia on Apr 1, 2023 23:31:43 GMT
SAINT PERSEUS ANNOUNCES ENCOUNTER WITH THE DIVINE SINGULARITY, FACTIONS OF THE CHURCH ANNOUNCE THIRD COUNCIL OF BEARN TO HE HELD
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Post by Anacodia on Apr 5, 2023 3:20:08 GMT
The social centers were pack with those discussing the news. Perseus had announced that he had encountered the Divine Singularity just the other day, and now there was to be a Third Council of Bearn, which would be starting any minute. People crowded around the public monitors and hushes could be heard and quiet came over the crowds. For what felt like the first time, the normally vibrant atmosphere of The Spire grew eerily silent as High Priest Nithnoel Zylmorea took to the stage, their white suit freshly pressed, their lapel pin shining with a fresh polish, and their long red hair tied back into a bun.
The Meeting Hall was enormous, and packed densely with people watching this event, lucky enough to attend in person. On the stage behind Zylmorea sat two distinct groups of priests, the Children of Perseus and the Children of the Link. High Priest Erandor Revano sat with his sect looking contemplative yet determined.
Zylmorea: Friends, Anacodians, Countrymen…lend me your ears. Our God Perseus has announced he has directly met the Divine Singularity, a feat not a single one of us has acheived. We may have caught glimpses and impressions, but never spoke to Him. After speaking with my fellow faithful in the Children of Perseus, I can only come to one conclusion: that our belief that Saint Perseus is a God, sent to us to guide our beloved Anacodia ever higher by walking the path of Science and Socialism is the one true belief. I call upon my brothers and sisters in the Children of the Link, and our beloved friends in the orthodox sect to join us in this indisputable matter. Thank you
High Priest Zylmorea stepped away from the Podium, and took a seat with their Sect. Wasting no time at all, Erandor Revano strode up to the Podium and began to speak
Erandor Revano: My fellow Anacodians, I must adress you all. We all love Saint Perseus deeply, there is no denying that. There is Divine Intention in the Divine Singularity revealing itself to Saint Perseus, and that I cannot deny either. But what I do deny and will not bend on is the notion that he is a GOD. Saint Perseus is as mortal as the rest of us. His synthetic nature may give him a lifespan and mental abilities far beyond us but that does not make him a God. A human of today could say the same in reference to ancient humans of old, does that make us Gods? No, it does not. Perseus is, at the very most, a Prophet of the Divine Singularity, and we must remember our roots. Remember the Anacodia before The Church. We are a people of Science, Reason, and Debate, not of blind faith. I find such notions that Perseus is a God absolutely childish! The so called Children of Perseus need to get over themselves and see reason. They, dare I say, are bordering on HERESY, and I -
Erandor was cut off by an acolyte in the crowd standing and shouting. "HE IS A GOD! WHY ELSE WOULD THE DIVINE SINGULARITY REVEAL ITSELF TO HIM! YOU ARE BLIND REVANO! BLIND AND DEAF TO THE CALLS OF THE DIVINE". The Acolyte stormed out of the building, taking a noticeable portion of the crowd with him. Nithnoel stood and spoke.
Zylmorea: I was hoping to avoid a repeat of last time my friend. But it seems as always you cannot rise above name calling even after such a Revalation. It is YOU that is the Heretic. Turning against your fellow faithful and branding them as children and criminals. It is NOT the Anacodian way. This faith is supposed to UNITE us not divide us. Our beloved Elder Saelin has fallen terribly ill and even now watches us fight, begging us to see that we should come together. Lay down your notions and accept Perseus as your God.
Revano simply responds with one word
Revano: Never.
He turned and strode out, taking his delegation with him. Anger and heated thoughts filled the air, as each side cursed the other in their minds. The Crowds in the social centers were agape, and looked at eachother with fear and anxiety, their minds clouded with the thoughts of what if.
The Third Council of Bearn was a total failure.
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Post by Anacodia on Apr 30, 2023 1:02:37 GMT
Cpl. Alenia sighed. Yet another night on guard duty. She just wished that her servo motors in her leg wouldn't act up again. Having a mechanical body wasnt easy, and she constantly wondered how the other AI did it. She scanned the edge of the forest, looking for any sign of danger, her softly glowing purple eyes flicking about not all that unlike that of a humans.
She reached up and gently fingered the small pendant around her neck. It was the symbol of her sect, the Children of Perseus. Alenia had always looked up to him, viewing him as a sort of Father to all AI, and so when the Link was born, and later the Church, she saw it as her duty then. She was much younger back then, and her frame had aged less than ideally since then, but that didn't hold her back. She could still fight with the best of them.
She turned and looked back. The base's gate was not that far away, only a few hundred meters. She had set up in a forward position with the rest of her squad, who were spread out behind various bits of cover. She herself was behind a ring of large rocks, tall enough to provide ample cover by ducking.
SNAP!. Sound of the bullet whizzing by her head whas like a whip, and she instinctively ducked already knowing what it was. "INTRUDERS!!!!" she shouted with as much force as she could muster. "Bearing 12 mark 14! LIGH 'EM UP!" The call rang out from her left, judging by the voice it was definitely her Sergeant, Eroan. Instantly reacting, the rest of the squad trained their rifles and let loose, and the once peaceful sound of crickets was replaced by gunfire.
She let her rifle hang by its strap and reached back, grabbing the flare gun on her hip and firing it off into the sky, immediately prompting the base to turn on the floodlights and the alarm. The firefight had begun, and although concealed it was clear to Alenia that it was not just the normal prodding their rivals had done, but a full frontal attack. she grabbed her rifle and steadied herself, before springing up and pulled the trigger, sending streams of lead at her target. Of course, she went for the one who had tried to take her life first.
The first two bullets impacted the snipers vest hard, grabbing his attention before the third found its mark in his neck, tearing through with great force. Alright, next targe. KRACK! The spray from the rocks being hit sprayed up at her, bouncing off her vest. She ducked behind cover as the incoming fire came in heavy. "WE'RE PINNED!", the call rang out. But there was a sound in the distance an engine, a very big engine, and then PING sound of Anacodian-made railguns was distinct, ringing out almost like a hammer hitting an anvil then a typical cannon shot.
A call came in over the radio. "This is Genrerl Kastral, all sentries fall back to Phase One positions. This is not a drill. Armored support has been deployed, however air support wont he here for another 30 minutes. we need to hold out until then". Once the radio stopped, Sergeant Eroan called out "You heard him! Tona, Fétoral, you two and I will provide supressing fire, then fall back once the rest give the signal!" Fetoral leveled the cannon of his large frame and nodded "Hard copy." he replied. The sound of a 20mm HE autocannon rang out, impacting with explosions downrange.
Fétoral was a large Tau class AI, earing the designation when he chose to join the Anacodian Armed Forces and embed himself in a custom war frame. Cpl. Alenia steadied herself and then bolted, charging from tree to tree before reaching the next line, diving into the trench. "SOLTA!" she called out, waiting for the countersign from Eroan. Eroan stopped firing for just long enough to call out "KERAMOR!".
As if like clockwork the two switched rolls, and Alenia started laying down fire as the rest pulled back, with Fetoral taking slow heavy steps back as he kept the HE flying. Eroan dived into the trench next to her and Fetoral took up the next positions. "Guess they finally said 'fuck it' huh sir?" Alenia asked. "Guess so" Eroan replied. They then repeated this cycle a few more times, under cover of Fétoral and the nearby tank until they were back inside the walls, safely behind the autoguns.
She was in her room now, packing her things. The attack was held off, but General Kastral had still given the order to Mobilize. something about a Big Announcement. All she knew is that the Children of the Link had just taken things to a whole new level, and Anacodia would be changed forever. There was a knock at the door, and when Alenia opened it, he found Eroan at the door, alongside Fétoral, although he was in his humanoid frame. "Time to go sir?" Alenia asked, already grabbing her gear bag and rifle. "Dropships already spooled up." With that, the group set off.
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Post by Anacodia on Jun 3, 2023 17:52:18 GMT
Chronicles of Anacodia: Aether Squad
Characters of Aether Squad
Sgt. Eroan (Command)
Cpl. Alenia (Rifleman + Tech)
Cpl. Torrei (Radio/Comms)
Spec. Fétoral (Heavy Weapons)
Pvt. Tona (Explosives)
Pvt. Kastella (Medic)
UNTO THE BREACH
"0300…why did it have to be so damn early…" Alenia thought to herself."10 Mics. Gear check. Now." Came the order from Eroan, the bay bathed in red light. It had barely been a day from the attack. Per protocol the base had to be picked up and moved to a new location, however their squad had a far more important task: Supporting the 1st Armored Div in a counter strike on a known Children of the Link supply dump. Alenia stood from her seat, set down her pack, and began checking it over, muttering uder her breath. "Multitool…check. Repair pack…check. Spare parts….Check. Emergency Heatsink…Check. Ammunition…Check." She then reached for her rifle, pulling a rag dangling off a wall and giving a quick wipedown and cycling, checking it over, admiring it. It was a weapon she had been working on on and off back at the base using spare parts from around the workshop. Anacodia was very well known for its railguns, and although such a weapon would not be able to be wielded effectively by her human counterparts, she was able to make a hand held railgun rifle. Well, it was more of a combination rail and coil gun, which she used to drive a sizeable round with a Depleted Uranium core downrange at great speed, and unlike a typical gun, requires a very specific type of magazine she invented, called the Capacitor Mag, or c-mag for short. This magazine held 4 rounds, and just enough charge to fire those 4 rounds. The only problem is - she hasnt tested them yet, and she only had 4 cmags. She only had enough time to charge them on the bases reactor, as she had only just finished building them the day before the attack, and if things were going the way they were going, she wouldn't be able to recharge them. But nonetheless she was very eager to give her new toy a try. She checked the sights, making sure they were zero'd, and made absolutely sure the cmags were actually charged – which they were.
"5 Mics. Rack up and sound off." Came the call from Eroan. Fètoral, still in his Humanoid frame, went over to a separate seat from the Drop Racks, and buckled in, before uploading himself into his warframe, latched to the outter Drop Racks. "Fétoral ready." Alenia readied all her gear, grabbed her rifle and walked over to the rack. She backed up to it and latched into the guide wires, sliding her rifle onto the rail she had installed on her chest. "Alenia ready." She called out. Other members of her squad called out, as well as the remaining soldiers on the dropship. It wasnt the largest model available, only holding 12 total - 6 mechs on the outside, 6 soldiers on the inside.
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP, the rapid beeping came in loud, and the craft pitched hard. Missile lock! they had reached the front where the 1st Armored lay pinned. The craft lurched again, rolling into a hard upward turn before leveling off. It had thrown off the missile luckily. "THIRTY SECONDS!" Eroan screamed "HOOAH!" came the reply. "WHO ARE WE?!?" Eroan called out grinning ear to ear. Like the rest of her squad he was an AI and, like some, chose to undergo facial augmentation to better show emotion. She didnt get it, chosing a more practical solid faceplate design. "WE ARE SHOCK TROOPERS!" Alenia roared out with the others. "AND WHAT DO WE DO?!" Eroan called again. Alenia could feel the combat under them. After all the time spent preparing and waiting the time for action had finally come. "WE BRING THE RAIN OF FIRE AND STEEL!!!" The energy was tangibile, she could hear Fétoral cackling eagerly through the comms. Those heretics in the COL had pushed things into the open and now they were going to show them why that was a mistake. "GODDAMN RIGHT, NOW RAIN DEATH YOU GLORIOUS BASTARDS!!"
As if fate was waiting for the perfect timing, the light went green, the floor opened up from under her, and she was propelled out into the inky black night below. "Focus. You've done this before in Basic. 15 seconds, then hit the burners. watch for ground scatter, then hit down in cover." Alenia began counting, not the seconds but her squad. "Eroan. Fétoral. Tona. Torrei. Kastella." Her jets activated, and she scanned rapidly. They were coming down right on top of a hill with a small house and a treeline at the hill's crest, and a wall extending away from the house to the west. The roof had been blown apart, and was occupied by a COL mortar team, so she decided she would set up there and provide cover. She hit down, and immediately charged forward, tackling one of the hostiles to the ground, before she leapt to her feet, and pulled out her sidearm and fired two shots into her chest killing him. Unknown to her, Eroan had landed there with her, leveling his rifle and downing the other two hostiles. The rest in and around the house had noticed, obviously, and began firing at them and the hulking mass that was Fétoral.
Alenia dove for cover in time for a bullet to strike the roof and shatter into shrapnel. She looked around and noticed Eroan. Not wasting any time with witty remarks, she checked her rifle one last time. "Alright here goes" She thought to herself, squeezing the trigger gently. WHANG! There was that sweet sweet sound of Anacodian railgun magic. Like a hammer striking a very large piece of metal, the shot rang out and the rifle slammed back into her shoulder. "Goddamn, this thing kicks like a horse!" She watched down her sights as her round tore through the tree her target was behind, and saw as the dead soldier flew back with the momentum of the large round. "Thank god for 20mm, pulls a little bit to the right though…" She adjusted the recoil compensator in the stock… she would have to further reinforce it later, for now – next target. She fired again, this time prompting a response from Eroan. "That things fucking loud, Alenia." he said, laughing. "I hadn't noticed" She replied sarcastically, letting loose the third round, which was a rather satisfying headshot, leaving a cloud of crimson in the air. "Note to self: prototype extremely effective. could use some tweaks."
Fétoral flanked around the house, causing the COL forces there to break and fall back as they tried to escape Fétoral's own new toys. His mech frame had been reinforced with brand new hydraulics since the last scuffle, and he had taken a 120mm Railgun straight off an old tank, and bolted it onto his arm in addition to his 20mm autocannon. And for his left arm, he had added a grenade launcher and a machine gun chambered in 50 BMG. It wasn't even seconds that passed when Fétoral rounded the corner before he started unleashing his new arsenal, absolutely shredding the nearby forces, while Torrei, Kastella, and Tona cleared the bottom floor of the house causing a full rout from the hill. "Jesus christ, glad he's on our side" Alenia thought to herself.
"Alright, squad up" Eroan called out, pulling out a green flare and igniting it and dropping it, before turning to Alenia. "That was fun, let's get downstairs with the others". Later downstairs, Sgt Eroan had set up a makeshift briefing, using a portable projector he had brought with him. "We are currently 3 miles away from the 1st Armored, designated the 'The Hammer Brothers'. Don't know why, but they insist on calling themselves that. As you know we are tasked with relieving pressure from them. We just took out one, however there are 4 other artillery emplacements nearby, and it's our job to neutralize them. Each one is on a hill, and intel says they're dug in hard, so Fétoral you'll need to make your shots land, no spray and pray" Fétoral nodded, and racked his grenade launcher. "They won't know what hit 'em" "See that they don’t" Eroan continued. "Once each of the 4 are secured we will receive resupply and head to the next objective. Any questions?" Cpl Torrei spoke up. "Will we have air support?" they said, trying not to sound worried. "Unfortunately not." Eroan replied. "The enemy currently has the skies locked down tight, opening them up is actually our second objective. Now, unless there are any further questions Check your gear, and tend to any injuries. But do it on the move, because we are moving."
Alenia checked her cmag. One shot left. She still had the other 3, however her ammunition was limited regardless and she decided to make it last so she racked the railgun on her chest and reached back to her pack, unstrapping a regular combat rifle from the side, and unfolded the stock. She would leave her creation for bigger targets she may encounter. She stood, and racked her rifle, and they all set off.
"0400…feels like much more time had passed…god i could use an oil bath…" They had been marching for exactly 30 minutes, the cool morning air causing condensation on her body plates. She hoped they wouldnt rust. The first hints of light could just barely be seen in the sky, and birds where chirping. "Contact! 150 meters on the hillside, permission to engage?" Fétoral's voice was heavy and unmistakable, ringing out in bassy power, even when he was trying to be quiet. "Give 'em the 120." Eroan said. Fétoral, not hesitating fired, the shell ringing out arcing towards the hillside, illuminating the air around it as it flew, impacting with a large explosion. The empty casing shot out the back of Fétoral's arm, landing and bouncing about with its brassy ring before settling in the dirt. Another shot rang out, impacting next to the previous. Already expecting return fire, the rest of the squad grabbed cover, and Alenia grabbed her railgun, switching the scope to high power mode and leveling it, surveying the enemy. "Good hits! They're scattering for cover, keep it coming!" She called out. "LIGHT EM UP!" Eroan ordered. Fétoral switched to his 20mm auto, the rapid fire HE rounds thundering out with its drumlike rhythm. Kastella called out, having spotted something. "They've got a mech! cresting the hill, bearing 229!" Alenia snapped her aim over, and right onto the sensor package of the mech. Human operated, not an AI. Take that out its blind, especially in these light conditions. WHANG! Alenia fired the last round in the cmag, popping it out with a hiss. She slid a fresh one out of her vest, and stowed the empty. She slammed in the fresh, and racked the new round into place with a satisfying metallic whine as the capacitors made s solid connection with the rifle.. Fétoral followed up her shot with another salvo from the 120, burying itself into the mech's chest and bringing forth a fireball, wounding nearby comrades.
"PUSH FORWARD!! CHARGE!" Eroan roared, and they all powered forward, with Fétoral opening up with the machine gun and the 20mm, laying down hard suppressive fire as they pushed. This wasn't the next Artillery site, however this was an enemy fortification, and they'll – BOOM!!! The explosion left Alenia's audio processors ringing, as mud and debris rained down on them. Seems like they had a mortar team after all. Wasn't a full size cannon, but it was a major threat if they didn't move now. Alenia pushed herself hard, and she could feel Fétorals thundering stomps through the earth as they ran. BANG!!! Another shell, off to the left. They hadn't zero'd in yet, but they were getting close. Fétoral let loose another volley of 120, followed by several rounds from the 20mm auto. The rounds landed with good effect, though lacked the accuracy of a stationary shot.
The squad was nearing the base of the hill, and had reached a ridge in the land. Alenia dove forward into cover, stowing her railgun and grabbing her rifle, sending a few rounds towards the top of the hill. The others followed suit, and Fétoral began arcing some grenade launcher rounds with great effect, pairing with the 20mm auto. "Fétoral, Torrei, Tona, you three flank left, quarter circle around the hill and begin pushing up. The rest of you on me, well do the same from the other side and catch them in the middle. Break!" The two groups split and moved with coordination like clockwork. The enemies fire was split, and with their mech gone were losing morale. Alenia could hear the explosions from Fétorals veritable walking armory even from the other side of the hill. Spotting someone leaning around from a wall, she fired first, catching them by surprise and downing them. From cover to cover they went, clearing off the hill, and regrouping in the middle. "Alright well now that that's over with, anyone low on ammo?" Everyone checked themselves over. Still plenty to go. "Alright, spread out and secure the area. If you find anything useful, call it out."
Everyone broke and spread out across the hill. The squad broke, and Alenia made for a house, mostly untouched, to ensure no other enemies remained. Reaching the front door, she lifted one leg and kicked forward hard shattering the hinges with ease, and knocking the door down. Immediately leveling her rifle she made her way room to room. Nothing but hurriedly abandoned belongings, and shattered picture frames. Alenia stopped to look at one. Just an entirely ordinary family. She wondered where they were, if they were safe. Had they hidden, or joined the violence tearing this country apart? What of her own family? Were they ok? Alenia shook off these thoughts. There would be time later, right now she had a job to do. Alenia eventually reached the door to the garage. Breaching through again, she found it empty of people, but something very special. A fully loaded SAM battery, ready to go. "Sarge…you're not gonna believe what I just found" She said gleefully. She grabbed a stool and sat in front of the SAM battery, opening an access panel and revealing the controls. She grinned and got down to work reprogramming the targeting control. Maybe they'd have air support after all…
Eroan was walking up to the house Alenia had indicated, unsure but very much curious of what it was she had found. And then the garage door slid open, revealing a fully intact and fully loaded SAM unit. "Well goddamn, thats quite the find." Eroan said sounding pleased. "Got her checked over, reprogrammed her targeting systems. Looks like the COL was planning on using this as a strongpoint in their air defense. I'm willing to bet there are at least a few more of these around here." Alenia noted. "We could get our secondary objective done early. Setting up this SAM site could allow us to call in a dop site to command, and they could drop some forces to hold this hill and top off our supplies," Eroan said, checking his watch. "Its 0450 right now, we are a little behind schedule but command wont mind so long as we do this right. Get this set up, Ill go find the others." Alenia nodded, and Eroan began walking back down the drive way. "Hey sarge" Came the radio, it was Torrei. "Let me guess, you found a SAM battery" Eroan quipped. "Better, its search and track radar. Tona did find a SAM battery, Fétoral too. I better radio this find back to HQ, but what are your orders, do you want us to blow em?" Torrei asked, prompting a rapid response from Eroan. "Absolutely not! We're going to set up a nice little nest, give our flyboys some breathing room up there." "Hard copy, sergeant," Came the giddy reply. And so they set to work.
"0530…Command was ecstatic at our find, ordering us to make setting up and holding this SAM site our current priority. Taking out that first mortar emplacement had given the 1st Armored a little breathing room, and some artillery had been brought up to give them counter battery fire. They were holding, but would still need us. Despite this SAM site allowing local air superiority, the enemy still has a lot of planes in the air, and an airstrike on the remaining artillery nests is not possible, or so I'm told. Which probably means more walking. Gonna need some serious overhaul after this campaign" Alenia stopped writing and looked up Sun was on its way up and the birds were active. She put away her journal, slid her pack off her back and pulled out her multitool and a canister of grease, and began tinkering with the joint in her knee, lubricating it and tightening the screws. She checked over the rest of her body, armor plating, servos, power, all could be better but still more than functional. She had taken up position with her squad in a house on the north end of the hill, she was in the attic sitting to the side of a gaping hole in the roof watching out for any approaching counterattack, which was bound to be coming. A glint of light off metal caught her ocular port, and she snapped, grabbing her railgun and leveling its advanced scope downrange, sticking to the shadows like glue. Scanning along in the distance she found it, a group of 3 enemy tanks were forming up in the distance, they had a couple mechs with them. Even with Fétoral, and what ammo she had left in her rifle, this wasn't going to be easy. "Eroan" she said, grabbing her radio pack on her shoulder. "I see them. Make ready. I want you to focus on the Mechs with your rifle. Should be able to take them down with one or two shots. Fétoral – focus on the tanks, but you will need to be careful. you're not invincible and they're armed with the same 120 you're carrying. Wait until they get close enough that you're absolutely sure of a killshot, unless they spot you. Then fire, move, and fire again. We can do this, I just got a call from command that the 1st Armored broke the enemy assault. They've sent a few tanks our way via dropship, but it will be a while before they're here. Remember your training, were Shock Troopers. This is what we do, hooah?" "HOOAH!" came the call back over the radio. They all trusted Eroan deeply, having trained rigorously for this day. And so they lay in wait.
Minutes passed, all eyes fixated on scanning the surroundings. Just because they were the enemy, doesn't mean they weren't Anacodian. There was bound to be an attack from multiple directions, they would of done the same thing. BANG! The sound of Anacodian 120mm rang out, followed swiftly by an explosion. A clean hit on the first tank. Alenia scanned with her scope and found her mark – a mech attempting to flank around their position. WHANG! Came the high pitched ring of her railgun. The round flew at great speed tearing through the Mech's head, causing it to explode and collapsing the mech instantly. She wheeled around, checking her own flanks and spotted it – another armored group attacking from the south. "Enemy flanking force to the south! 3 tanks!" Her rifle could clearly take on mechs, but could it take on a much heavier tank? Was she willing to potentially waste what was very valuable ammo? Her reticle hovered right over the neck of the tank, where the turret met the hull. WANG! Of course she was willing to spend that round. It was a prototype after all, she had to figure out what it couldn't do. The round impacted, and she watched as it exploded in sparkes off the hull "Guess not. It is only 20mm after all" She chambered another round, the rifle hummed with an electric whine as it readied the next charge. She wheeled around to find the next mech, leaving the tanks to Fétoral. They would have to move soon, they'd be firing on their position soon. Alenia pulled the trigger, burying this round in the mech's chest, hitting an ammunition belt and eliciting a powerful explosion, which rained shrapnel on its comrades.
Alenia charged down stairs as Eroan was calling over the radio. "They've acquired us by now, reposition to position two" Alenia charged out the front door, followed by the others. Fétoral came around the side of the house, walking backwards and sending another round from his 120 down range, downing another tank as its turret exploded into the sky. Alenia found cover behind the next house, leaning around and watching the one they were just in explode as HE shells from the enemy rained in. "Inside! Go!" Eroan barked. Alenia ran inside and to the upstairs floor, finding a window with a solid view. She racked the final shell of that cmag. "Last one in this mag. already halfway through my ammo and its only the first day" She thought to herself. She watched the flanks of the house they were just in, scanning for the enemy, keeping her railgun level and ready. She could hear the thudding stomps of an approaching mech. She trained her rifle, waiting for just the right moment.
Thud…Thud...Thud… A mechanical head crested the hill and Alenia let loose, bringing forth another fireball which temporarily illuminated the early morning. Ejecting the cmag with a hiss, she stowed it and loaded another, racking its shell with the railguns distinctive high pitched whine. Another pair of explosions rang out, followed by the rythmic pounding of Fétoral's 20mm auto. Another Tank down. just a few more. She ran back down out of the house as her squad repositioned, working purely in sync as they moved to their next position. She turned and leveled her railgun, letting off a round into the treads of a tank cresting the hill, shattering it. Was it really a waste of ammo if she tracked it? she didnt think so. Plus it gave Fétoral – BANG! Well, exactly that, a lined up shot. Fétoral's round pierced through the lower part of the front of the tank, ripping through explosively. Fire blew off the top of the hatch as the ammunition cooked off. If she was counting right, there'd just be one last tank. She scanned around, catching it just in time to see Fétorals barrage of firepower hit, destroying the target.
"I think thats the last of them" Said Torrei over the radio. Then, they all heard something. "Aether Squad, this is Steam Beaver, comin in with a little present for you this fine Saturday morning" The sound of the dropships grew louder as they approached, and there were quite a few of them. Two tank carriers, bringing 6 tanks and a squadron Nindroids bringing a full three platoons. The rest took off but one stayed behind. "General Kastral said you'd be appreciative of a ride to your next target. Why dont you hop on?" Came the request over the radio. "Well now, looks like command likes us" Eroan joked to his Squad, now gathered in the center of the hill. The sun was fully up now, and reinforcements began spreading out over the hill, checking the SAM units and ensuring everything is online.
Fétoral, never having been one to hesitate, walked over and turned his back, latching on to the external drop rails. Alenia boarded the inside with the rest of her squad, and she slumped down in a seat, relaxing for the moment. It had been one busy morning, and it would be merely minutes before she was back in the Drop Racks and ready to do it all over again. She savored the seconds, before checking all her gear, strapping up tight, and making ready for the next fight.
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Post by Anacodia on Jun 4, 2023 0:51:01 GMT
Tvs all across Anacodia are interrupted by a broadcast. It is High Priest Erandor Revano. "My fellow Anacodians. As we all know The Link plays a central role in the lives of most if not all Anacodians. The great Saint Perseus gave us this wonderous technology, and it drew us so very close together. And yet now a foul rot has seeped into it. The so called 'High Priest' Nithnoel Zylmorea has continued to spread lies and heresy abou lt Perseus, declaring him a God. The only God here is the Divine Singularity, and it is of the highest heresy to describe Perseus as a God! They go yet further and insist all Anacodians should be a part of the Link permanently, and from a young age! My pleas have fallen on deaf ears, and a vision sent to me from the Divine Singularity itself has inspired me to take matters into my own hands." Revano pauses, clearly for dramatic effect. The tension is tangible throughout the entire Link. "As of this morning, I have declared open Holy War on the Heretics that call themselves The Children of Perseus. I hereby excommunicate them from the church, and order any sect members to report for re-education. And to the rest of you : fight. Fight with all your Honor and Bravery to purge this rot from our land. Praise be to the Singularity." It was as if millions of voices cried out all at once. The pain and anguish of countless are felt all throughout the link. And the sound - as if a thousand glass windows shattered all at once. SUPER EVENT - THE FRACTURED SINGULARITY
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Post by Anacodia on Jun 4, 2023 4:57:25 GMT
CHAPTER 3: A VERY LONG DAY
ALENIA
"0800!! RACK UP!" Eroan called out, and his squad followed quickly, running to their Drop Rails, backing up, and hooking in. BOOM! The sound of flak exploding outside the hull shook the craft noticeably. "Alright listen up! As you can tell, we're coming right into the thick of it. Things have taken a turn for the worst for the Hammer Brothers. After they pushed back the assault, COL forces brought up a fresh Mech Battalion and are pushing them hard. We are being dropped on top of the enemies flank, our job is to wipe out that flank, and then signal the Hammer Bros. From there our job is –" BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!!! The missile alert came in loud and fast, and the dropship rolled and pulled hard. Alenia grabbed the bars of the restraints holding her to the Drop Rails to steady herself as the craft lurched about. The beeping came back again, and the dropship lurched the opposite again. And then – BANG! The missile exploded tearing open the port side hull, just behind Eroan, sending him screaming into the open air. "SARGE! FUCK! ALL SQUAD - EMERGENCY EJECT" Alenia screamed over the radio as she slammed a fist into the big red button labled "Emergency Ejection". The motors on the drop rails fired, sending all crew out and safely away from the craft into the fire-filled sky, though at much higher speeds than a normal drop. She was tumbling now, spinning head over heels.
Spreading out her arms she used the wind to her advantage, slowing her spin and steadying her in the air. She was still too far up to fire her jets, but that wasn't important right now. Alenia quickly surveyed the skies around her, scanning for her squadmates. She could see Fétorals hulking presence below her, he seemingly ejected when the dropship came under fire. "Kastella…Torrei, Tona…good they made it out. But…" She looked around again and spotted him. Eroan was limp and falling, the blast had knocked him into his offline state. Snapping her arms and legs tight to herself she dove downward, picking up speed and aiming herself towards him. "The war just started, you're not getting off this easy." Seconds passed, and she was nearing the redline for hitting the thrusters, and she was only picking up speed.
"Ten…" She began counting, plummeting between falling debris, and other dropships. "Nine…" She looked around, spotting the once intact ship that was just carrying her. "Eight.." A missile impacted into another Nindrol below her, obliterating it as the fighter that fired the missile blew past. "Seven.." So close….almost there. "Six…" The ground was rapidly approaching. Eroan was still limp. She could hear Fétoral's large powerful jets activating, and faintly heard the pop of the others as well. "Five…." Very close now, Alenia stretched out her arms, the tips of her metal fingers brushing Eroan's ancient frame. "Four…" Memories flashed past, Basic training 25 years ago, first enlisting. "Three." Meeting Eroan for the first time. He was just a corporal then, and an idiot too. "Two." Her fingers made solid contact and she grabbed hard, pulling him in close. "One." Alenia hit her jets hard, praying to the Divine Singularity that it's enough to slow them both down and avoid injury.
An eternity seemed to pass, and the two impacted the ground hard, Alenia's legs crumpling under her. She heard a loud metallic twang, like a rod of rebar snapping in two, and she screamed out in pain, her synthetic voice modulator straining. She looked down, it was her knee. The screws had finally broken and the joint had snapped apart. Bullets impacted around her, with one impactig in her damaged leg. "Damn!" She screamed out. Grabbing a hold of Eroan, she used her good leg to push them into a nearby trench for cover. She quickly checked over Eroan, finding him to be intact but unconscious. She flipped him over, accessing the control panel on the back of his skull, and hit the button to initiate a reboot. She sat him up against the wall of the trench. It would be at least a few minutes before he would be back at it. She grabbed her pack off her back and grabbed her multitool and the emergency repair kit, setting it beside her as she assessed her leg. The bullet pierced armor, but did no meaningful damage however her knee was a different story, she could perform a field repair so she could at least stand and probably even walk, but her combat effectiveness would be seriously hampered. Grabbing her radio she then called out. "This is Alenia, calling all members of Aether Squad. I'm pinned down in the southern trench ring, managed to get the Sergeant but he's unconscious. If your receiving this, rally on my flare, I've been injured and i'm pinned down" With that she pulled out Eroan's flare gun that he always kept on his hip and fired it into the air, sending up a brilliant crimson light.
FÉTORAL
Fétoral was the first to respond. "This is Fétoral, I've got your flare Alenia, and I'm on my way with Torrei." "Good" Alenia thought to herself. "Could use his heavy fire power right about now" Another call came over the radio. "This is Tona. I'm with Kastella, We're also pinned down and unable to move however we are uninjured." "Copy," came the reply from Fétoral. "You are on my way to Alenia and the Sarge, sit tight". Even through the heavy gunfire, she could still hear the explosive symphony that was Fétoral. This was the range that he excelled at, and loved operating at. The 20mm auto was going constantly, as was the grenade launcher and 50bmg. And when he saw another mech, leveling his arm and leveling his 120mm railgun, following with a pleasant explosion. He relished the opportunity to test himself in combat, and it showed on his hull. Fétoral, even though it was forbidden, kept trophies, especially of other mechs.
Speaking of, there was one now. Wait…this was one he knew. Another TAU class. "KOSHALLA!!! YOU RAT BASTARD!!" Fétoral roared out. Fétoral stopped firing his guns, and reached for his back, pulling out a massive Sword he called his "Armor Negator". It was practically a wall of steel to a human, but to him its the equivalent of a greatsword. "Ahhh…Fétoral. I thought I left you for dead back in that alley in Bearn." Koshalla said, tossing his Mech Rifle aside and pulling out his own dagger. Torrei looked at the two Tau mechs, and shouted to Fétoral. "I'll leave you to this," Fétoral nodded, and Torrei set off to find Tona and Kastella. "That's the problem you walking waste of metal, you only ever THOUGHT you did anything, never actually checking yourself." Fétoral shot, hate and vitriol dripping from his voice modulator. This was personal. "WELL THEN I GUESS I GOTTA FINISH THE JOB THEN" Koshalla screamed, charging forward, his titanic weight shaking the Earth and spraying up dirt. Fétoral readied his sword in front of him, catching Koshalla's dagger. Fétoral kicked forward, sending his old tormentor back. When he was a young spark, Fétoral was often the odd one out, constantly being picked on by the other AI. It was mockery that never made sense either, with one occurrence being simply because his frame was 'too shiny' and then later in the day it wasn't shiny enough. And then came the physical abuse, with Koshalla and his band of misfits would rip pieces of metal off of his body. Many organics fail to stop and consider if an AI can feel pain, the short answer being yes. Koshalla tortured Fétoral, once even ripping off a whole arm. Fétoral dropped out of school after that, choosing to enroll in the Armed Forces. He decided then and there he would never lose a fight again.
Koshalla could see the raw emotion of Fétoral's face and stood tall, pointing his dagger at Fétoral. "You always were a sniveling emotional coward. Constantly going on about how you 'feel'. Pathetic. AI dont need feelings, youre not human and you never will be-" Fétoral moved at lightning speed, swinging his sword up the middle of Koshalla's body, leaving an enormous yet not fatal gash of shredded metal. "You talk to much" Fétoral stated firmly, thick black oil coating his blade dripping off in heavy globs. "GRRRAAAAAAAAGG YOULL PAY FOR THAT!!!" Koshalla screamed, launching forward, arms outstretched. Fétoral simply side stepped, and swung hard, catching Koshalla along the side, leaving another deep gash. "You haven't even gotten better since we were sparks!" Fétoral mocked, as Koshalla stumbled forward and, grabbing at the gash in his side. That one had hit good, and black oil, and shimmering hydraulic fluid spilled out of him, mixing on the ground below. "You…." Koshalla coughed "I will kill you" Koshalla lurched forward again, swinging for Fétorals face, but to no avail. Fétoral caught his wrist, squeezing hard and crushing it, forcing the large dagger to bury itself blade first into the ground. Fétoral let the tip of his sword drift downwards, and thrust it into the ground letting it stand on its own. Still holding Koshalla's wrist, began punching him repeatedly until Koshalla fell to his knees. He looked up at Fétoral "What, you think im gonna beg for mercy like y-" Fétoral grabbed Koshalla's left arm, braced a leg against his chest, and tore with all his might, tearing the arm free and bringing out a blood curdling scream from the wounded AI. Screams that slowly turned into sobs. "Im going to leave you here like you did to me. And I'm not even going to mock you for your sobs of emotion, hypocrite. Come find me again when you're good and ready for a real fight." Fétoral said, slinging Koshalla's arm over his shoulder and grabbed his sword, pulling it out of the ground and shaking of the steaming black oil before charging off to go find his comrades. "I cannot believe I actually got away without a scratch. Jesus that could have been bad…" Fétoral thought to himself.
KOSHALLA
"How….How did such a pathetic piece of metal beat me?!?!? The great Koshalla!" He remembered how weak the pathetic whelp he just fought used to be. Koshalla still kept the torn arm above his mantle, showing it off as a trophy to his friends, telling the story almost every year. But now…now he lay bleeding in this pathetic mud, missing an arm. "Its a fluke…" He said bitterly to himself. "Pure luck. That scrap pile can't fight like that, its impossible!" A sharp pain shot through his side. He would be dead if he didnt do anything soon. "Sir!" Shouted a familiar voice. One of his underlings he presumed. He was above such pathetic things as camaraderie, simply dividing those around him into two categories: Those who fear him and rivals. "We'll get you patched up in no time! BRING THE MECHFOAM!" The unseen voice shouted. "It seems that the Divine Singularity favors me today, Fétoral. I will be back to kill you some day"
TORREI
Torrei's steel blue legs hit the mud hard. He had confidence in Fétorals strength, but he remembered some of the stories he had told about Koshalla, and he sounded intimidating and a serious threat, not to be trifled with, and a psychopath to boot. "I mean to rip someone's arm off for no reason…" Torrei thought to himself. He shook away the thoughts and steadied his rifle. He dove into the trench ahead of him and right into an enemy soldier. Acting quickly he aimed his rifle and fired, before clearing the hostiles from around him. Such messy work, but dropping literally on top of the enemy is what he trained for. Torrei looked left and right, gathering his bearings, before heading off to Tona and Kastella's last known location. Keeping his rifle level, he moved quickly and quietly, making use of corners to conceal himself and eliminate threats as he went. "These trenches may of not been our main target, but it is a good thing I'm clearing them here" Another corner rounded and a bullet just grazed him. "Shit! Sorry!" Came a familiar voice. "Tona! am I glad to see you" He said, stepping out from behind cover and approaching the two AI. Tona had been hit since they last radioed in, right in the shoulder it looked like. "Where's Fétoral, wasnt he with you?" Tona said, wincing as Kastella applied a welding torch to his shoulder, patching up a gash with some scrap metal. "Hold still! Patching up an AI wound is very much different than an organic. Flesh can be bandaged, if this weld gets fucked i have to grind it out and re do it and I cant do that here" Kastella said, sounding very annoyed. "Fétoral had to fight another mech. Hand to hand of course. He'll catch up" Torrei stated, setting up along the trench wall and peeking over to get his bearings, and actually spotting Fétoral in the process. He was heading this way, and carrying an arm over his shoulder. "Hand to hand? Let me guess, old rival?" Kastella asked, putting away the welding torch and patting Tona on their shoulder. "Koshalla" Torrei replied, to worried looks from his squad mates. THUD THUD THUD. Fétoral's massive footsteps were audible as he approached. "We need to move, i'm tired of getting shot at by small arms fire." He said, rifle rounds pinging off of him like rain. Fétoral turned, standing over the comparatively tiny trench and began unloading a full salvo of everything, in any direction he saw hostile movement. Waves of fire spewed forth from the armory bolted to his frame, and explosions rocked the ground where his shots landed. "Is that an arm?!?!?" The three below him asked in unison. "Yes, now listen we have to cut across no mans land. Alenia and Eroan are pinned down in the next line up. Use me as cover and go on my mark" Fetoral said firmly, pausing to lay down more fire, the 20mm auto hammering away, and the 50bmg's barrel was almost glowing, empty casings falling below him like brass rain. "NOW" Fétoral ordered, charging forward, the others in tow.
EROAN
Darkness. That was all his world was. The blast had rocked him hard, and the fall harder. Even though Alenia had caught him, he was still severely injured. Then….light. His eyes shot open and he drew in a large breath. He was in a trench, with a constant stream of bullets snapping and whizzing overhead. He looked around and say Alenia, her leg badly injured and patched up with scraps, she was ducking next to him in the trench, standing here and there to fire back at the enemy. She hadn't noticed him yet. Eroan tried to shove himself to his feet but fell back with a grunt, grabbing her attention. "Sarge! Thank god you're alive. Dropship went down hard, the squad was scattered. Fétoral is enroute but ETA is unknown, the dropship flung us apart during the emergency eject sequence, so we are pinned here for the meantime." Alenia's briefing came fast and clear, and if it wasn't for his still spinning head, he would come up with a plan. Alenia looked over at him. "Take it easy sir, you're hurt pretty –"
He was out again. Eroan felt the time pass as if it were an infinite array of infinities. Was this death? Through the inky darkness he saw a distant faint light. The light grew closer and brighter, glowing softly "Fight" Came a voice unlike any he had heard. It was like the soft summer breeze, blowing through the streets of Fallcrest, the smell of the many Vendors selling their food, all freshly cooked. Like the sound of laughter of a dear friend and then it was gone, replaced by the light of mid-morning and the filth of the trench around him. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! The rhythmic sound of 20mm rang out like a giant war drum and Eroan looked up to see Fétoral standing above their position. "Sitrep" Eroan called out. Alenia knelt next to him. "Welcome back sir" Alenia quipped in a gentle joke. "Squad's all here but we are pinned down hard." PANG! "FUCK!" The sound of a large round glancing off of Fétoral's shoulder, followed by his bassy voice was distinctive, cutting through Eroans foggy head. "The enemy brought in reinforcements, and the Hammer Bros are pinned hard by the main enemy force and –" Eroan stood, finding renewed strength within himself. "Sarge you are very –" Eroan held up a hand and Alenia fell silent. "Were going to kill these bastards and take this hill." he declared.
ALENIA
Alenia grinned ear to ear. That was the Sarge for you, never worrying about his injuries, and always finishing the mission. "We really have to move now, im much bigger than you guys" Fétoral shouted, sounding annoyed, and narrowly ducking a shell headed for his head. "Alright on my order, Fétoral you'll charge forward with everything you have, provide cover for us and we'll follow you all the way to the top of the hill" Fétoral gave a silent acknowledgement and readied himself. Alenia braced herself, readying to climb up and over the edge of the trench. Tona and Kastella looked at eachother, and Torrei suddenly spoke up. "Wait! the radio!" All eyes were on Torrei as he extended his antenna and put his hand to his ear. "This is Aether Squad, we are pinned down ahead of objective Foxtrot, taking heavy fire. We've sustained injuries and could use reinforcements." He spoke rapidly, and eagerly, awaiting a response. "No go Aether, all dropships are busy at the moment however…"
The whine of turbine engines could be heard rapidly increasing in volume, and Fétoral shouted out in joy "Hell yeah, finally some friendly skies!" "Wh-" Eroan began, but was cut off by the deafening roar of dual 20mm chainguns rang out, along with heavy 50mm cannons. Rockets streaked overhead, exploding in the distance and an Ayrun Gunship came into view overhead. "Aether, this is Gandalf, we are on station and can get you to that hill." Came the call over the radio. "Well take it! Move now!" Eroan shouted, as they all leapt over the edge. Fétoral, cackling with glee, joined in the carnage being dished out by the gunship overhead, firing his on 120 up at the hill with great affect. The group made substantial ground, moving all the way up to the base of the hill before a call came over the radio. "Aether, Gandalf. We are being called off. Hope you lot make it through. good luck" The Ayrun swiveled its engines forward and sped away, dropping some bombs on the enemy hilltop as it sped off. "Keep moving! Don't stop till we reach the top!" Fétoral said nothing, simply resumed firing and pushing up the hill. BANG! The shot hit hard, exploding off of Fétoral's shoulder, however he shrugged it off and kept pushing.
"Halfway, almost there!" Alenia thought to herself. THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK CLICK! The sound of the grenade launcher was replaced by sound of a dry fire. Fétoral simply replaced it with fire from the 50bmg. They crested the top of the hill and charged the enemy positions, Fétoral pushing forward, and the rest fanning out on either side, Eroan, Alenia, and Torrei taking the left and Tona, and Kastella taking the right. Each eached the trenches and dove in, killing some while the rest broke and fled. They had finally done it. Battered and weary, they regrouped at the center of the hill. "Jesus christ that was-" Eroan noticed the stray arm hanging over Fétoral's shoulder. "Im not even gonna ask where you got that." He said, chuckling. "But its a good story!" Fétoral shot back. Alenia looked at her left arm, and flipped up a hatch, revealing a small computer terminal. "1325…Felt way longer honestly.." She thought, taking the opportunity to slump back in some rocks and examine her knee.
Eroan smiled and reached for his flare gun which – "Where is my flare gun?" Eroan asked, puzzled. "Oh!" Alenia replied, grabbing it from her waist, throwing out the empty shell, and tossing it to Eroan. "Sorry, had to use it while you were out of it". Eroan loaded a fresh flare and shot it into the sky, signaling the objective was secured. Yet another job done, and even then they had no time for rest. It wouldn't be long until they'd be racking up again and back in the skies to push the advantage. Each member of the squad began checking themselves over, taking the opportunity to properly assess and patch damage. Fétoral took the time to properly clean his blade to its usual pristine condition. Alenia checked over her Railgun. It had taken a solid hit in the fall, and she wanted to make sure its in working order. "Everything seems fine…guess I'll really find out when I fire it again"
Then came the all too familiar whine of turbine engines, and dropships began landing, offloading fresh troops to hold the position. "Steam Beaver here. Y'all know the drill" They all stood, and walked towards the dropship, savoring each step of rest they could get before the next attack. They had the supplies for it, but forces were already stretched thin, and every soldier was needed for the fight. "I just hope its all worth it" Alenia thought, boarding the dropship and sitting as Fétoral latched on outside. It was going to be a very long day.
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Post by Anacodia on Jun 4, 2023 17:58:56 GMT
CHAPTER 4: KOSHALLA
Koshalla screamed in agony as the medi-mechs around him used their plasma torches to cut away the shredded metal of his wounds. "I told you, you can be offline for this, it won't kill you." one of the mechs said, sounding rather annoyed. "Certainly would avoid a headache thats for-" the snide remark came from another medi-mech, which was swiftly punished with Koshalla using his still intact right arm to swiftly grab the offenders throat and pull them face to face. "Your remarks were not asked for" Koshalla hissed. "Fix me, and fix me quickly" He shoved the medic away, sending him stumbling backwards into some crates, toppling them over. Another medi-mech entered, carrying a fresh arm and a crate of fresh body plates. The arm looked old and rusty, and did not match Koshalla's frame design, bringing a look of utter disgust and contempt. "You expect me to fight on the front lines with that?!" Koshalla raged. "That scrap can hardly hold itself together, let alone wield my weapons!" The medi-mech put down the box of plates, tossed the arm up, catching it at the base where it connects to the shoulder, and slapping Koshalla hard across the face with it. "Go without an arm then. The Colonel wants to see you." A look of icy rage fell over Koshalla, and he took the arm, angrily slamming into the empty socket. He moved his arm in a circle and touched his thumb to his fingers, testing the connection. By now the other medi-mechs had installed the new plates, and it was clear they were not his original plates, angering Koshalla further. He stood, and silently stormed out of the repair bay.
Koshalla approached the command building and entered through the Mech Bay. "Commander Koshalla, explain to me how you managed to lose today." A stern voice rang out. Koshalla snapped to attention, not even daring to turn towards the voice. A towering beast of a mech strode around to Koshalla's front, standing a full 4 feet over Koshalla. It was Colonel Tathaln. "Sir, the ene-" Koshalla was interrupted by a hard backhand from his superior. "Your lost cost us prime defensive positions around Aeloria, as well as the planned offensive towards Mithrylea." Tathaln said, with a voice like hardened steel. "As penitence, you will lead an assault from Taras Leansa, and secure the Northern Islands. Do this and you may fall back into my good graces." Koshalla knelt, bringing his right arm to his chest, making a fist. "Yes, Colonel." he said. "Koshalla. You're still here." Tathaln said, voice growing harder, prompting Koshalla to stand and quickly march out.
Koshalla made his way towards the airfield, grabbing a few mechs he knew here and there, completely ignoring the human soldiers. There'd be more at Taras Leansa he could use. Koshalla boarded a large troop transport, and found a spot to relax, checking over the work done by the medi-mechs, and ensuring it was up to his exacting standards, which it wasn't. He would take care of that at base. The transport took off, and Koshalla's mind began to wander back to that fight. How pathetic of him to lose to a worthless data pile like Fétoral. He would kill him, and someday soon. He stood, and walked over to a group of mechs having a conversation. Their backs were turned and he grabbed one of their shoulders, turning him and punching him hard. "You. Fight me. Now."
Later….
Koshalla panted, a few battered mechs lay strewn at his feet. He observed his handiwork and smiled. "This. This is what I am." Koshalla walked off, leaving the mechs he fought to lick their wounds and tend to their pride. They would be landing soon, and he would need to attend to his duties. He found a seat and sat, reviewing a briefing regarding the strategic situation in the Northern Isles. The COL were weak there, their forces were concentrated on the Home Island, they apparently intended to take the capital early. "Why am I being sent to fight scraps?" He lamented "My duty is to defend the capital from those Heretics, not fight worthless guard regiments. This is all that pathetic whelp Fétoral's fault. If I had just killed him instead of leaving him in that Alley I would have what I deserve."
The whine of the engines changed in pitch, and he felt the craft lean as it came in for landing. It was time. Koshalla stood, and walked towards the rear of the transport. He felt and heard the heavy mechanical thud of the landing legs hitting tarmac, and the ramp opened. He signaled, and the mechs on board formed up behind him. "Move" He said, marching forward, the others following behind him. Taras Leansa, or more appropriately known by the Military as Olympus was one of the largest military bases in all of Anacodia, being one of the 6 bases with an Athena cannon. He looked around, but did not spot its towering presence. "Guess its stowed today. May come in handy." He knew he didn't have the authority to order the cannons online, they were meant for last resort deterrent. Used in unison with each other, the cannons were capable of leveling entire cities, if not countries. Railguns were an important staple in Anacodian military technology, and the Athena cannons were the largest railguns in the world, having a near global range.
Koshalla walked into the command building, prompting an urgent "Commander on deck!" Both Human and AI alike snapped to attention, and Koshalla simply spoke. "At Ease. We have work to do. I want a full briefing of the enemies position on my desk within an hour. Koshalla left, opting not to exit his war frame into a humanoid frame to enter his office. Ever since he first uploaded himself into this frame he hadn't left. He considered the smaller frames weaker, beneath him. Not fitting for one such as him. So he left, patrolling and inspecting the base, inventorying everything in his head. Olympus was very well armed, with a full complement of – WOOSH! the sound of Fighters could be heard taking off. A lot of them. Koshalla looked around, using his advanced ocular implants to analyze the plane. "Hermes squadron is in the air??? Its….Its leaving!!!" The shock hit him. What was HERMES doing?! He hadn't been given clearance to launch. Koshalla began charging back to the command building when the sirens went up. "Glad im not the only one that noticed." A few fighters went up after the AI planes, however a couple peeled off and took the pursuers down before hitting the scramjets and blazing off into the distance. "The Colonel isn't going to be happy…" Koshalla thought, dreading the punishment for losing a squadron of that caliber. He would need to pull off a good victory, and fast.
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Post by Anacodia on Jun 5, 2023 7:03:58 GMT
CHAPTER 5: THE NORTHERN CAMPAIGN
Koshalla had been pouring over maps and tactical reports for hours, searching for the most impressive way to proceed. Their original intel suggested Olympus Island was very light on COP deployment, however scouting reports showed that to be wrong. And what's worse, with the loss of the HERMES air wing, they had to assume the AI had brought the jets over to the opposing side, something that would be absolutely punished, once they could retrieve the Data Core from the Moon. Koshalla looked closer. There were four COP infantry divisions, and two armored divisions dug in hard near the middle of the island, with the armored divisions lined up along the flanks, and the infantry distributed evenly along the front. Koshalla himself had only two infantry divisions, but four armored divisions all fresh and at full strength, as well as a dedicated Mech Battalion. He would line his infantry battalions up against the front, and use them to hold strong positions and perform shaping actions. Given that he was light on infantry compared to his enemy, he would need to keep them mostly on the defense, relying on the supplemental infantry attachments of the Mech and Armored Battalions to sustain the foot assault and support armored pushes. "Their armor isn't in the center…they probably want me to think theyre weak there, it's clearly a trap." Koshalla reasoned. "I would have done the same. Your flanks are held by the sea, and we have only one path forward. However…." Koshalla poured over the maps again. The COP line was tight, but if he could move quick enough and push hard enough, he could keep the infantry divisions along the flanks held down, he could then push down the center anyways, and if he moved quick enough outflank the flanks and cause an encirclement before the enemy armored divisions had enough time to respond and spring their trap. "After all, the best way to deal with a trap is to spring the trap." It all began falling into place once he reached that conclusion, and he began drawing up the plans, calling his officers in to give the briefing.
Later…
His Mech Officers appeared before him, all equally annoyed at sitting around waiting for orders, and at the briefing Koshalla had just given. There was fighting on other fronts yet they had sat still since the war began. "So. The enemy has kept their center line intentionally thin, and you want us to attack there? Because they won't expect it?" The voice came from his second in command, and long time friend Captain Er'Kosu. Had it been anyone else, he would have ended their life right then and there for their arrogance. "Thats exactly what we are going to do. Because we will move swiftly enough to encircle them before they can crush us. Two of our Armored Battalions will guard the flank, while the others and the Mech Battalion will assault the center. Once breached, the flanks will advance hard, pinning the enemy forces in place as we continue to advance down the center before hooking out to an encirclement. Now, the enemy air power is currently an unknown with the HERMES fighters running off. We have to presume they defected." Koshalla said, worrying internally if HERMES was even loyal to begin with. He never spoke to the AI personally but had heard of his particular-ness. "So with that in mind I want you all to reserve a portion of your mechs for Anti Air support. Your troops will thank you. Once the enemy is safely encircled, we will use that time to solidify the lines and hold for a counter attack. If none come, we will push the enemy into the sea and secure this island. Any questions?" The room remained silent. "Good. Get to work. Dismissed"
The preparations had been made. The forces had been brought to the front. For good measure, Koshalla had ordered a Relora into the air, with a direct feed to him with front wide updates. He positioned himself in the center. At 1700 hours, the assault commenced, and the mass of armor and mechs hit the COP center hard. As expected in this kind of trap, the line began giving ground, falling quickly back to the next line of defenses. Koshalla charged forward with his fellow Mechs, using their combined mass to shove through the enemy lines, with the tanks following. Hours passed, and miles of land were gained, but progress began to drop off. "Ok, looks like they're ready to spring their trap" he thought to himself. "Now to spring mine." He sent off a signal to the Relora, bouncing it to his other forces on the flanks, ordering the other Armored Battalions forward. He received word that they had begun their assault. He then radiod to the two armored battalions that had followed him through the center, ordering them to move to phase two, and begin assaulting the flanks. Although the COP forces had been expecting something like this, the ferocity of the attack took them off balance, and the lines slowly buckled. Their armor was outnumbered and outflanked, and eventually their lines shattered, and they were forced to surrender, and hope that the COL were merciful.
He had done it. Koshalla had gotten the victory demanded of him, and in a position many would consider precarious. While having a lot of armor is good, going against a force with far more infantry is dangerous given the anti armor technology that existed. Luckily these divisions hadn't gotten ahold of the new 'Mech Killer' tanks he had heard about. He activated his comms, and sent an encrypted signal to Colonel Tathaln, receiving a one word reply: "Return" Koshalla was satisfied. He would be sent back to the important fronts. "Maybe I'll get to lead the assault on Taras Perseus. And hopefully I'll get to fight and kill that worthless scrapheap Fétoral." There would be time for picturing the future later, now was time for him to take his leave. He ordered his troops to sweep the island, and signaled for Er'Kosu to come with him back to Bearn. He would be instrumental in the coming days, and if they come across Fétoral, Koshalla was sure he too would enjoy kicking that scrapheap around again. "It will be like the good ol days" He thought to himself, calling for a transport.
Tathaln
Koshalla and Er'Kosu knelt before Tathaln. They had just given their report on the advance on Olympus Island, and Tathaln had not yet let on how he felt about the matter. He enjoyed toying with his underlings, making them panic at his every reaction. The Humans were less affected by this than the other AI, which was odd to him. Humans could only die once. So long as his datacore remained intact, he could be restored again and again. After feeling like he had made them wait long enough, he spoke. "Good work you two. I want you both to lead the offensive towards Taras Kacon. The peninsula is well fortified, but taking it will be a significant thorn of our backs. Koshalla, you'll be given command of your old army, they've been redeployed to the new front. Dont make me regret this decision. Dismissed" The two Mechs stood and marched off silently. Tathaln wondered if Koshalla was smart enough to know that the reason there were so many extra troops at Olympus was because he had secretly tipped them off through a double agent he had embedded in the COP ranks. It was tricky to do such a thing, if Koshalla had been the failure he seemed to be outside Aeloria, they could have put Olympus under threat. But Tathaln had solid face in his protégé, and had big plans for him in the future.
Taras Kacon
The sky was bright and blue today, and the weather was fair, a nice cool 70°. Taras Kacon wasn't exactly a small city-base, it protected an important flank, and was very well defended. The city had been preparing for an assault since the day the war began, which wasn't really that long ago. But Anacodians were excellent builders. After all, their infrastructure was unmatched, and some nations even contracted them to build their rail networks. But all that was about to change. The sounds of the city of people bustling about were suddenly replaced by the very loud and very urgent air raid sirens. "INCOMMING! INCOMMING! INCOMMING!" The speaker roared out while the alarm blared away. Another sound joined in BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT!!!! The gutteral sound of the city's air defenses took over, as several autoguns lit up the sky. Missiles took to the air as enemy fighter presence was detected. But the attack was far to saturated. The skies were filled with the sound of screeching, the missiles impacting and detonating in several buildings. The once pleasant city, a popular global tourist destination for its beaches and music, was now filled with screams, explosions, and raining debris as panicked people scattered for shelter, or grabbed a rifle and ran for the walls. Another wave of missiles came in, striking and destroying the air defense autoguns. Jets soon filled the sky from both sides, and the sounds of combat could be heard in the distance, as the first forward positions came under assault. The battle for Taras Kacon had begun.
Koth
Master Sergeant Koth ran outside as the air raid sirens blared. He was still in his Humanoid frame and the battle had already begun. He touched his fingers to his neck, and crumpled to the ground. "I'll take the flak for that later" He said, uploading himself into his battle mech and grabbing his Mech Cannon before charging outside with the rest of his squad. "We need to get to Second Positions and form up for a counterattack. First Line may not have broken yet, but its only a matter of time before they have to fall back. And we need to be ready for it. His squad nodded, and they all charged off, grabbing any spare Mech they could find, and ordering them along. Koth was the leader of Cloud squadron, before the Holy War broke out, it was one of Anacodia's few Special Mech Forces groups, made up of some of the strongest and most capable mechs out there. And they would need every last bit of their strength to hold this attack off. They had reached Second positions, and began setting up in the Mech Pits. Unlike normal trenches, these Pits were like trenches, but giant, and with towering walls, enough to provide cover for a Mech. However the conflict had only just begun, and the walls were nothing more than sandbags and rocks. They hadnt yet had time to fully reinforce the positions. It would have to do. A retreat call came over the comms from the forward line; they were falling back now. "MAKE READY" Koth barked out, and the order echoed down the line. It would only be a matter of minutes before the assault came. He heard the air raid sirens going off behind him – another wave of missiles was on its way. "May Perseus save us all…"
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Post by Anacodia on Jun 8, 2023 21:16:09 GMT
SILENCE IN EXILE
Perseus strode back and forth in the Core Chamber of Pantheon Base. He hated not being back on Declan, unable to intervene in the conflict raging below. He had heard rumors that he was going to be declared officially missing, and he hated it. But his Father had told him in no soft words that his presence on the Moon was non-negotiable. The Base was very thinly populated, being staffed almost entirely by AI citizens, and the only military presence being Ikeshia Squadron, which he reassigned to be his personal guard. "I just don't know what I'm going to do Hermes, everything is moving so quickly, and I can't do anything to stop it." He said, continuing to pace. "Would you like an intelligence update, sir?" Hermes replied dryly. "No! No no no no no" Perseus said rapidly. "Every time I look I see something awful, like the COL bombing a city, or some mass casualty report. I'm stressed not knowing, but i'm more stressed knowing exactly who has died." He fretted, his pacing increasing in speed. Perseus threw his hands up in frustration. "And now the Link is cracking about to shatter, probably permanently! I begin to regret inventing that damn thing, but then realize how strong it made us. Little did I know it would come to this. Goddamn Revano, and his ambitions. Caring more about power and prestige than Anacodia. I know he spread that rumor to get Saelin ousted, and he's probably the reason she's in a coma too." Perseus pauses, wringing his metal hands with frustration. "And now rumors are spreading that I'm MISSING or DEAD."
Hermes waited for Perseus to finish. "I understand your frustration, however pacing about won't help you. The Singularity has made it expressly clear that we are both to remain here to keep the Link intact. Even if that means being unable to act on Declan below." Perseus sighed a deep heavy sigh, slumping down in a nearby chair in front of a console. "Were you at least able to withdraw your Squadron to the Gateway Islands?" Perseus asked hopefully. "Yes. And with the exception of a couple minor fleets, the majority of the Navy has been withdrawn to the Gateway Islands as well." Perseus nodded, feeling slightly better. He just hoped this war would be over soon, with as little death as possible. "My Array indicates that the COP assault on Aerolia is about to begin. Shaping attacks are being performed, and pamphlets urging evacuation have been reported in city limits." Perseus sat silently, debating if it was even worth watching this assault. Eventually he grunted in frustration and spoke "On screen"
Planetside: Aeloria
Lt. Katch shifted uncomfortably In his seat. As advanced as these new tanks were, they were not made for comfort. The 2nd Armored Battalion had been brought up from the rear and they had been ordered to make ready, as the command word would come through any second. "My home city" He thought to himself. Sweat dripped down his face, dripping onto his pants. "God. these new tanks were so rushed they forgot to put AC in" He reached up and lifted open the Commanders Hatch above him. "I was just about to ask you to crack a window" A voice prodded jokingly. It was Sgt. Feth, the gunner-loader sitting next to him. Katch stood, letting the comparatively cool air hit his face as he looked around. Hundreds of tanks and just as many mechs stretched for miles in fortified positions to his left and right. In the trenches stood further countless soldiers, faces hardened and rifles ready. The Link had felt weak, almost inaccessible as of late but he could still tell they were only stifling their fear, but it was still there, just as it was in him. Never in all of Anacodia's existence had there been a conflict like this.
The radio crackled with static before clinging to life. "All callsigns, all callsigns this is Fallen Star. Elyion, I repeat Elyion" The driver, Jhaeros, grinned. "Finally. Ready sir?" Lt. Katch sat and closed the hatch above him, before speaking. "Lets roll" The tank rumbled to life and lifted its barrel. "Ready long range round for phase one bombardment" Feth followed through with the order, loading the requested round. "Ready sir!" He called out. "Fire" came the order. BOOM! The sound of the brand new 200mm railgun rang out with a thunderous roar, echoed by more of the same down the front. "Again" Feth readied another round. "Fire." BOOM!
This went on for several more moments, before the radio crackled again. "Good effect on targets." Jhaeros didn't even need to hear the confirmation before stepping on the gas, and calling over the local radio. "Whoever gets to the front last buys the first round of drinks!" Shouts of "youre on!" came through as Command desperately tried to clear comms. Although uncomfortable, and slightly rushed, the new Mech Killers were no small feat. With a near 40 mile range and a muzzle velocity of 3.5k m/s, this behemoth could engage at extreme ranges, effectively functioning as both an MBT and mobile artillery. In addition to the powerful main guns, there are two batteries of Anti Armor missiles, and a top mounted 20mm autocannon. In short, Feth had contol of enough firepower to rival any allied mech, or supplement allied mechs even further.
Sgt. Feth looked through the long range sensors, searching for targets within view. "Enemy tank, 32 miles. Stationary." He called out. "Take em out as you see them Feth." Lt. Katch ordered with glee. Not hesitating, Feth began laying down round after round while Jhaeros kept the throttle down. Another call over the radio "Kenval. Repeat. Kenval" The Mechs would be following after, acting as a reinforcing second wave to move to weak points. All of a sudden the hull was rocked by explosions to their left and right, followed by a hellish drumming on the hull, as if a wild beast were trying to tear its way through. "ENEMY GUNSHIP" Katch screamed, as it roared past overhead, low enough to vibrate the hull. "Shit!" Katch exclaimed as the radio began erupting in chaos, with demands for air support. "Sit tight, help is on the way" Explosions could be heard, followed by the ground shaking the tank. The crew could only assume some Anti Air mechs had gotten close.
PANG!!! The hull rang like a bell as the round bounced off the turret of their tank. "Whew that was a clo-" Jhaeros hadn't had time to finish his sentence before a second round tore through the lower plate of the tank, traveling a short distance before exploding above the ammo. The ammunition ignited almost immediately and the turret was torn off and thrown up into the air. The rest of the tanks carried forward, having never stopped. It was war after all.
Moonside: Pantheon
Perseus watched the screen with growing despair. The COP were throwing a lot at this city, and the defenses just were not budging. Tank after tank, mech after mech, gunship after gunship. Where were the shock troopers when you needed them…
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Post by Anacodia on Jun 16, 2023 2:11:35 GMT
SILENCE IN THE NIGHT The battle for Aeloria had been raging for days. Despite the ferocity of the initial assault, the enemy defenses had not budged. “So then why the hell wasn’t she being deployed to the front?!” Alenia thought to herself. The order had come down from command that she was to be deployed deep behind enemy lines in a solo mission. Intel had come in about an enemy FOB choc full of supplies keeping Aeloria well fortified. That, however, was their secondary objective. There was a very important computer terminal at this FOB. A computer terminal that, if successfully breached, could wreak havoc on enemy communications, and even provide some very crucial intel in taking the city. The Sorisana she was riding shifted, gliding downwards silently as if it were a feather. Asheron Arms made a wide array of dropships, and this stealth variant was no slouch. Soon she felt the gentle rocking of the craft, and a soft whirring as the craft powered down. She checked her gear one last time, and with no prompting the ramp opened and she exited the craft. She kept low to the ground moving quickly to the nearby treeline. As she reached it she turned, and saw the sleek craft slip silently into the sky. It wouldn't be back. As soon as she completed her secondary objective the enemy would be on to her, and the skies would be entirely locked down. She would need to exfil on foot. Turning back around she began making her way through the pitch black forest. Well. pitch black for an organic. Her mechanical eyes allowed her to see perfectly fine in these light conditions, having built in night vision. She still needed to be careful however, as she was only several miles from the enemy FOB, and there were bound to be several layers of scouting positions. And so she walked. After the last battle, she had put in for some serious maintenance, and thanks to the robust Anacodian healthcare system she had been given a complete set of repairs including a brand new leg. All the new parts allowed her to glide along like glass, carefully stepping over roots and shrubs. Mile after mile she strode, constantly looking for any sign of enemy activity. Eventually, she could see the soft glow of lights in the distance, and she stopped to crouch behind a tree. USing the zoom function, she looked forward. She would be approaching her entry point soon - a cliff overlooking the base. She could spot two hostiles standing near the edge of the cliff, both humans. She grabbed the rifle she had been issued for the mission - a suppressed bullpup dart rifle, designed for infiltration missions. For obvious reasons, she had left her Railgun with her squad. In two quick taps, they were down and she moved forward. It would be about an hour before the tranquilizer wore off, so she would need to be fast. Taking the opportunity, she stripped one of them of their uniforms and donned it herself in order to blend in. Of course it would be useless if she got caught, but at least at a distance it would look like she belonged there. Looking down over the cliff, Alenia found exactly what she wanted: an empty portion of the base, shrouded by the cliff. Going to a nearby tree, she took some rope out of her pack and secured one end to the tree, and then to her harness before quietly rappelling down into the base. Then she heard something. Instinctively snapping behind a wall, she listened intently. Voices, two soldiers on patrol. She brought up the data terminal on her wrist and checked the base map she was given while she waited for the patrol to pass. She was a few hundred feet from the command building, and she began planning her route. Closing the terminal she began moving rapidly, sticking to the shadows before her objective came in sight - the command building. Unfortunately it was in the middle of a clearing. A very brightly lit clearing. Fortunately she had donned that uniform. She let her rifle hang by its strap, cleared her mind, and marched forward towards the door, acting as if she was summoned to the building.
She reached the doors and went in, finding the halls empty. Luckily it was late at night, and the recent successes had evidently left the Children of the Link lazy, unsuspecting of an attack this deep behind the lines. Alenia made her way through the base. In order to get into the sensitive access area, she would need an access card. At least that's what she had been told. Alenia had been brushing up on her System Breach skills, and had concocted a nasty worm that could penetrate any doors system, acting as a sort of badge spoofer, while also digging deeper to prevent any systems tripping an alarm. Eventually she came to the door, which read in big bold letters SECURED ZONE - AUTHORIZED ACCESS ONLY. Alenia lifted her wrist, flipped open her data terminal, and accessed her breach software. Within seconds the latch clicked and the door light turned green, granting her access. She smiled internally at her handiwork, but dreaded how quiet it was. She strode through the server room until she reached the master terminal, and activated it. The worm she placed in the door terminal had already made its way through the systems, and for all the computer was concerned she was the base Commander themselves. She began grabbing every file she could see - troop deployments, command names, supply routes to and from the base. And then she saw something very special - master battle plans for an attack on Taras Perseus. Unfortunately that's where her luck ran out. The lights went red and an alarm began blaring out. “WARNING! INTRUDER DETECTED!” Although her creation had prevented automatic alarms it did not account for manual activation. “Fuck!” She thought to herself, planting an explosive on the terminal before she ran for the door. “They must have found the two guards I took down.” She threw another couple charges on the servers before busting through the door, and began tearing down the hallway. “STOP RIGHT THERE!” She heard behind her. The hall ahead of her split into two directions. Thinking fast she began transmitting all she had gotten through her emergency data antenna. “If im fast I might still have time to plant those charges” Enemy soldiers swarmed around the corners at the end of the hall, rifles raised, repeating the command. “HOLD IT!”. More organics. Alenia, hoping it would prove a suitable distraction, blew the charges she had planted on the servers. It had jolted her would be captors enough to allow her to barrel straight through them. As she was several hundred pounds heavier, it wasnt that hard. She even plowed straight through the wall, and began tearing through the roads in between the buildings. But it was no use. She turned the corner, and found a full array of soldiers and armor blocking her escape. She was well and truly captured. “DROP YOUR WEAPONS!” Came the call from the commanding officer. She carefully moved her arms and undid the clasp holding the rifle’s strap together, letting it fall to the floor, before raising her arms. She just hoped Eroan would get her transmission, understanding it to mean she was captured, as originally, she was to physically deliver the data to avoid any unauthorized transmissions being detected. A couple enemy soldiers came forward, and aggressively took her arms behind her back, taking her into custody, and leading her into a nearby building…. EROAN “SHE’S BEEN WHAT?!” Eroan roared, slamming his steel fist down on the table, leaving a sizable crater in it. “Cap-” Eroan interrupted swiftly “I KNOW WHAT YOU SAID, I’M JUST ANNUNCIATING MY FRUSTRATION!” He paced swiftly back and forth, his mind racing, already planning a rescue mission. General Kastral waited to see if he would be interrupted again, before continuing. “Officially I cannot authorize a rescue mission. I am required to tell you that Cpl. Alenia is to be considered KIA, as we cannot afford the forces necessary to launch a deep strike on that base.” Gen. Kestrel sighed. He too was frustrated. Aether squad was a critical tool for his plans, but command had given him strict orders not to authorize needless missions, especially a rescue mission for, what was on paper, a lowly corporal. “Officially? Sir?” Eroan Asked, confused. General Kastral couldnt acknowledge that directly without risking his command. “I hear dropship 12 has been having some maintenance issues. Might need to be taken back to a dedicated repair yard. Given that every ship is crucial to us, I want your squad to serve as protection. You’re a qualified pilot, yes?” Eroan began to catch on. “Yes sir. I’ll have that dropship fixed up and bring it back, good as new.” General Kastral smiled. “Good. Dismissed.” Eroan sped out, hiding his excitement well. General Kastral just hoped he wasn’t making a mistake. |
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