« I stand by my words, my lord. The Ambassador assaulted me with the help of his guards while they were escorting the fugitives inside the Embassy. »
This was the statement that none wanted to hear inside the office of the Crown Prince. Zorzal, sitting at his desk and deep in his thoughts, remained silent with his head resting on his joined hands.
« Which means that the French leaders have decided to break their vow of neutrality regarding our internal affairs. »
The statement by the Prince's Warrior Bunny advisor might have been obvious for some, but it set the heavy tone for all in attendance. Whatever decision was about to be made would have consequences beyond any decision they had taken in their lives.
The high ranking members of the Wolf Guard shared looks of concern before the Praetor continued.
« They are clearly acting outside of the boundaries set by the treaty they have signed. We are in a rightful position to go back on the offensive. »
« He is right, Your Highness. If they were willing to assault an officer of the Wolf Guard, then we can revoke their diplomatic immunity. »
Compared to Rufus' anger, Tyuule's voice was soothing. But that was not preventing the Wolf from continuing to bark.
« With those treacherous knights, there are only a few hundred that carry weapons inside a small estate. The vast majority are veterans too old for a real battlefield and girls with no experience. The Guard is fully capable of launching an assault while they are cut off from any outside help. »
« They have captured your Father, Your Highness. An ambassador would be a valuable bargaining chip. »
Zorzal rose his eyes up from his desk and towards the Wolves, still standing at attention.
« Take as many members of the Guard as you need and ride to the Jade Palace. Use all the force you deem necessary. But be cautious and numerous. I have seen what only a handful of them can do. »
« Yes, my lord. The Ambassador shall be kneeling before you before sunrise. »
It was with high expectations for the upcoming battle that the officers left the room, already planning out their strategies. This left Zorzal with his advisors to create their new set of actions.
« My lord, once the French will learn about all of this, they will return to the offensive. We have to be prepared for that as well. »
« Are the mountain passes between here and Italica secure ? »
Another advisor came forward with a map and unrolled it on the flat surface of the desk.
« The situation has not evolved yet, he started as he pointed towards elements in the southern parts of their current holdings. All the garrisons located in the mountains are hosting as many soldiers as they can, the fires are ready to react at any time and our lines along the river have used the time since the ceasefire to reinforce and modify their defensive positions as best they could. »
« But what about their capabilities to send troops with their flying machines ? »
« Even if they do, they will have to break through our strongholds to send supplies from Italica to the north of the mountains. It will give us the upper hand on the defensive aspect of a campaign. As for trying to attack… »
« What about that ? »
« We have yet to find a way to properly engage them in open combat and to lay siege to their holdings. »
Zorzal took his time to look at the map, paying close attention to disposition of all the banners representing the known location of troops. With his legions in purple, he was more focused on the small tricolored banners following the front line. They would move north the moment they will be aware of the Embassy incident. And he wanted them to move south.
« Is there not anything we have learned from the events at Italica ? »
The advisors were uneasy at the mention of that battle. Imperial troops defecting after a heavy loss to pillage one of the most important commercial nodes in the known world had a heavy impact on their prestige.
« Well… We know that when vastly outnumbered, it is possible to overwhelm them. However, the speed at which they can deploy reinforcements is far from what we can imagine. »
« Is there any way we can exploit this opportunity ? »
« With all due respect towards our legions, my lord, I do not believe that our current troops are suited for drastic change in tactics. »
« And why so ? »
The Prince launched a terrible look to the man that was already sweating despite the cold air of the night.
« Huh… Everything, my lord. Our doctrine, our tactics, the equipment of the troops, their training… Asking them to do something completely different might not yield the improvement we are looking for. »
Zorzal sighed, scratching his eyes while the pressure was slowly rising within.
« He is right, added Tyuule with the same soothing tone. Irregular combat needs irregular forces. »
« We will see later ! I am tired, I am hungry, and I need to take a breath. Leave me alone, all of you. »
With his finger, he pointed to all his advisors except Tyuule, making them walk away from the office for a break that they needed as well. With only the two of them in the closed room, Tyuule could only ask what was next.
« Do you need anything from me, Your Highness ? »
« Not yet from you. For now, go and ask the cook to prepare something for me. All of these issues have made me hungry. »
« Very well. »
She bowed before turning around and leaving the office herself. In the corridor, she paid no attention to the officers still discussing between themselves and headed towards the kitchens. Only some dim torches were there to light up her path. From time to time, a guard or a servant would walk past, lowering their head with respect. It was both something she appreciated and something she hated. She was not respected because she was of royal status or her worth in battle, but just for being the Prince's dear pet. She had learned over time to ignore her own pride to achieve her goals, but there would be a moment when everything would boil over.
She sighed and continued on down to the kitchens. Despite the tense context, those parts of the palace were calm as all the servants were still completely oblivious as to what was going to happen. When she finally reached the door of the kitchen, Tyuule could see the light coming from the small cracks in the wood, but there were none of the usual sounds nor smells. Just enough noise to be made by one person. So, softly, she knocked.
« Come in, Miss Tyuule. »
She pushed the panel open and stepped inside the mostly empty kitchen. There was just Doray, sitting at the central table with a simple plate in front of him.
« How did you recognize that it was me ? »
« Simple. You are the only one that cares to announce your presence before entering. »
This made her chuckle as she stepped closer to him.
« Why are you alone at this time ? Should not there be your assistants along with you ? »
« We have finished all of our duties for the day and they helped me clean the kitchen. So after that I made them something and I dismissed them so that they can get some rest. »
« You cooked for the cooks ? »
« They still need to eat. And there is no reason they should not be able to enjoy the great recipes they create all day. »
« Then why are you eating alone ? »
In front of him was a simple collection of mashed vegetables and cold slices of meat in a place, and by looking at what was missing, it looked like he had tried out several possible combinations.
« Experimentation, mainly. I also spend almost the entire day along my assistants, so it is refreshing to spend some time without them. Care to join me ? »
There was something genuine in his voice. He was not sounding like a spy trying to get someone to spill out information with tricks, but about someone that just wanted to have a discussion.
« I would have loved to accept, but sadly I have come to tell you that the Prince is in need of something to eat. »
« Eat ? This late ? I do not recall a party of any kind being planned tonight. »
Tyuule shook her head.
« It is no party. He has a very complex situation to deal with. »
Imperial Capital, Jade Palace, May 15th 2017, 2106 AT
EMBASSY EVACUATION IN PROGRESS
As much as they had tried, the front gate that marked the entry into the estate had not been closed. After remaining open for decades, rust had completely taken over the joints and prevented the fancy iron work from moving. In most situations, this would not have been a problem for the inhabitants. But this was far from a regular situation. The two squads and the knights knew they had little time to prepare their defenses. And without the closed front gate, sandbags and Hesco barriers would have to do.
Overhead, the sky would periodically be filled with the roar of spinning blades of the evacuation helicopter. At this time, there was only a Caracal on station and available at Camp Thunderhead, going back and forth between there and the Embassy. In the first few trips, it had carried away most of the civilian personnel along with the most sensitive documents.
The Ambassador himself, however, remained behind. His reason ? He was the one that threw the first punch, and leaving first without guaranteeing his crew a safe trip home would have made him feel like a coward. As for the old Senator and the girl that was with him, they were still too weak to move and needed some more rest.
Not that it changed anything for those posted at the front gate. With or without the VIPs, they still had to remain at their post, ready for anything. There were almost twenty people guarding the tiny chokepoint now, most of them knights with shields and lances while four gunmen watched from behind.
And while things had been calm for a few hours, the sound of galloping horses was enough to bring everyone into a state of alert. And when the faint outlines of a large group of riders appeared in the green filter of the night vision, everyone assumed combat position.
« Actual, Three Five. We have hostiles incoming from the south. ETA sixty seconds. »
« Copy that. Current rules of engagement are still in effect. Engage only for defense. »
« Understood. »
On their makeshift high grounds, they could clearly see the shiny dots of the torches grow closer and hear the sound of the horseshoes becoming louder. The knights were uneasy as well as they formed a wall from their shields, only letting the sharp heads of their spears poking through, behind the first layer of sandbags.
« Come on ! We do not have the time to play around. Get in position and show those dog-headed bastards what we can do ! »
Beefeater's yelled as her subordinates finished their formation, trying to get the adrenaline pumping into their veins the earliest. In the light of the torches, a simple look at their faces and at the slight shaking of their hands was enough to see that the battle ahead was not going to be easy.
Only Johann was standing clearly out of cover, holding up a megaphone and pointing it towards the incoming horsemen.
« Do not come closer ! Back off or you will be considered hostiles and fired upon. »
But as expected, the warning did not yield any result. In fact, it even felt as if the opposite was happening.
« Twenty seconds ! »
The rhythm of the hooves was getting faster with each passing second, the riders lowering their heads to reduce the drag of their bodies.
« Fifteen ! »
In a single movement, they all raised up their arms. The steel blades shined with the light of the lamps strapped to their horses. And when they all let go of a ferocious war cry, it made one thing extremely clear.
There was no turning back.
« Open fire ! Open fire ! »
All those lights and sounds were suddenly overpowered by gunfire. Some of the knights tried to protect their ears from the sound with their hands, but it was of no real use. They could only watch as the riders on the first row of the charge fell on the ground, either hit themselves or their steed crumbling down underneath them.
But when one fell, there was another behind to take his place in the dash towards the somewhat opened gate.
« Actual, we are engaging targets at the front gate ! »
« Understood ! Keep your position, reinforcements are on standby if you need them. »
The numbers of horsemen was quickly going down, but not fast enough. Time had definitively run out when the first rider reached the gate and jumped onto the Hesco barrier. With the others coming behind him, he only had one way forward into a semi-circle of shield and lances.
The instant the horse landed within reach, several blades dashed into the skin of the large animal. The pain was too much for it to sustain and despite all of the attempts from the rider, it quickly fell into panic. It was desperately trying to flee as more blades pierced its skin and its blood drenched the dusty ground underneath.
Things became even worse as the rest of the charge survivors jumped into the space as well, creating uncontrollable chaos. Some of the wolves at least managed to get on their feet to even the fight. But through the dust, the gunfire, the cries, the neighing and the blood, the only thing that remained was confusion.
And with superior numbers and superior firepower, it only took a few minutes for the bloody brawl to end. Those minutes, however, felt like an eternity. With the dust finally settling, all the wolves that had not fled were lying on the ground. And while some were crying and whining as they bled out, most were already dead. The same scene was also happening outside of the fence, the bullets having ripped through armor and flesh of both riders and steeds.
« Clear ? »
« Clear ! »
The members of Recon Three might not have moved much, but they were still out of breath. The perception of what was around them was slowly losing its blurriness. But it quickly became clear enough to hear a distinct screaming. The scream of a woman.
A group of knights had broken out of formation to gather around one of their comrades, lying on the ground.
« I'll handle this, ordered Johann to the other Recon Three soldiers as he rushed to the scene. Keep watching for stragglers. »
He barely registered the nods of confirmation that he turned his head to what he guessed was an injury. His eyes quickly proved him right. The woman on the ground did not have her helmet anymore, but she was covering the upper part of her face with hands covered in blood and dirt. The only thing that he could really see was her distorted mouth as she breathed heavily through the pain.
With as much care as he could gather, he lifted the hands away from her face to see if he could make eye contact and try to get a better idea of what was wrong exactly. However, it was a hard thing to do when there were no eyes anymore.
Instead, there was just a large bloody slash that had darkened everything. All who watched and who had no experience backed out at the sight of such a horrible injury, leaving only the veterans to help her.
« Ah scheisse ! Actual, we have casualties over here ! We need a doctor ! »
« Understood. Travis is on her way with support. Just keep watch for anything else. »
There was not much else they could do. He only knew the basic of first aid on the modern battlefield, and this was the complete opposite of a bullet wound. It was both overwhelming and making him feel powerless as the knight kept losing blood on the ground.
« Do any of you know what happened ? »
The only one that could answer Johann's question was the large man in armor next to him.
« I was the one bearing the shield that was protecting her, but a horse pushed me away. All I could see was one of those pigs swing his sword twice. The first one took off her helmet, the other… »
Her screams did the rest of the talking.
But even with all of that, it was hard to not notice that all around, other knights had suffered injuries. They might have been far from as severe as what this girl had suffered, but they were still enough to get groans and cries out of the trained knights.
It was a small relief when the medics of the two Recon Teams finally arrived, followed by a group of knights and soldiers carrying makeshift stretchers. While some cuts and bruises could wait, others did not have that luxury. The British medic was running around, giving instructions on what to do in each case.
« Nothing with you guys ? » she asked when she finally came around to her squad mates.
« I am good. »
« Same. »
« Hooah. »
« I think I can live with a few punches. »
Daniella nodded in response.
« I hope so. We are going to take care of them and then send another group to take your place. »
« Are we going to get some rest ? »
« Not much. Night is just starting. »
« It seems like you underestimated those knights, Praetor. »
At this time, the bunny's smug remark was another spike into the Wolf's injured body.
« Now is not the time for those unnecessary comments. »
Not only was he angry from the fact that his planned attack had failed, the wound in his left shoulder was still hurting. This lightning had completely ignored the thick sheet of metal of his armor and had pierced through his body. It had entered and left in an instant, but the blood was still flowing even after what felt like hours.
« I would have imagined that a respected officer like you would have known better than blindly charging into the positions of an entrenched enemy. »
« How could we have known that they were able to build such fortifications in such a short amount of time… »
« That is not up to me to give an answer to that question. »
The survivors of the attempted attack were all licking their wounds, and there were not enough bandages available for all of them.
« We will need more men. The Guard itself will not be enough to overwhelm them. We need to lay siege on this Palace. »
« You know that doing this will only result in every one of them getting away. Their flying vehicle has not stopped coming and going. »
« And there is nothing we can do ! They are too well defended ! »
Tyuule's corner smile reappeared as she leaned towards the wolf.
« Remember your promise, Praetor. The Ambassador must be kneeling before the Crown Prince before sunrise. »
This simple statement widened Rufus' eyes. He had indeed given his word, but the manner in which they were told back to him sent shivers down his spine. A sadistic giggle was Tyuule's only reaction.
« F… F… Fine, he faltered. But we cannot fight in this state. We need more men ! The Legions must come and reinforce us ! »
« Just tell me how many you need, and I will make sure that you obtain it. But be wise and be fast. Time is running out. »
« I… I… Everything ! Men, cavalry… Even the ogres if it becomes needed ! »
She nodded with her eyes closed.
« Very well then. It shall be done. And you will be able to witness that unlike you, I accomplish the tasks given to me. »
With saying another word, she turned around and walked away to her chariot, leaving behind speechless members of the Guard. They might not have been scared of death in battle, they were scared of punishment by the hand of the one they had sworn to serve.
« Praetor ? What… What do we do now ? »
The young officer that was next to him had a bandage covering up his leg. Just like all the others, his pride had vanished into thin air and all that remained was constant fear.
« We plan. By the gods, if we do not succeed tonight, then all of our heads will be rolling down the stairs of the Imperial Palace. »
With rough movements of his sword, the Praetor drew simple shapes on the dirt. The rectangles did not need any explanations to become representations of the Embassy and all the notable points within the estate.
Everyone gathered around him, sharing their ideas and opinion.
« Is there anywhere we can actually attack ? »
« They do not guard the entire land of the estate. Our spy noticed there are only patrols alongside their light fence and their metallic thorns around the Embassy itself. It is not hard for a man to slide between the bars of the old bronze fence. Or maybe an ogre could bend it, if we can get one. »
« But they would probably also be protecting their own back. They are probably just as entrenched there. »
« The likeliness of running into another chokepoint is lower this way still. With higher numbers, we could maybe get a better grip on the situation and completely surround the Palace. »
« But even if we surround them, what do we do about their flying machine ? The Prince's advisor is right about this. It will allow them to defeat any siege. »
« But not if we capture its landing area. »
The officers turned their head to the Praetor as he erased the circle that represented the only location the metallic beast touched the ground. All could imagine what this kind of success could bring them. No supplies and no way out for the besieged would be a first victory and, they hoped, something that would save themselves.
Imperial Capital, Jade Palace, May 16th 2017, 0015 AT
90% of Embassy personnel evacuated, 75% of equipment evacuated, 5 MEDEVACs
« I repeat. We have confirmed thermal feed of hostiles in the woods. Maintain your positions and keep your eyes open. »
At this particular point in time, this was not the thing anyone wanted to hear. After the failed first raid on the main gate, everybody was on edge. Positions were reinforced all over the Embassy in expectation of a big fight. But instead, there had been a strange calm. Calm enough to allow some to get some rest. But that rest was short lived.
All were scrambling to get back where they were supposed to be and in the stance they were supposed to hold. They had to be ready for anything, from anywhere.
« Any idea as to where they are going ? »
Marc had a relatively calm voice for the situation as he spoke into his radio microphone. It was not the first time he had ended up in a situation like this. The same could not be said for a lot of the knights running around. For those, the only experience they had was seeing some of their friends bleeding out on stretchers.
« Still heading north. They might come around your way. You better be careful. I'm sending marksman support for overwatch. »
« Understood. »
From his firing position, he had a good view of the empty helicopter pad. What used to be the area dedicated for horse riding training had been replaced by long markings sprayed directly on the dusty ground and a section of the long chain link fence that surrounded the Embassy. Between that and the Palace itself were the main parts of the gardens with its elaborate pattern of pools, bushes, trees and statues. As pretty as it was, it was mainly a useless buffer that only made the loading and unloading of the helicopters even more of a chore. At least the base of one of those statues gave him a good enough place to rest the bipod of his rifle on.
Beyond the metal fence and the barbed wire, there was a relatively small run of open ground before the first line of trees that acted as the border of the forest. Even with the night vision or the simple torches, the vegetation was dense enough to hide details in the darkness.
« Is there something bothering you ? »
Despite the tense situation and her relative lack of experience, Bozes seemed calm. She had been overseeing her own troops and was too focused on that to be scared.
« They might be coming our way… I don't know if it's luck or actual planning, but they know where to attack us from. »
« Do you think they will manage to take the advantage over us from this way ? »
« Either it's a really stupid move or they have planned something we don't know. And I don't like the looks of things. »
Marc sighed as he rubbed his eyes. The fact that they would attack again after such a failure earlier in the night was too strange to ignore.
« You are tired, Marc. Maybe you should ask for someone to take your post. You have been awake since the earliest hours of the day. »
« I know… I know… But I can't. We are already short on manpower and I don't want to force someone to pick up the slack. »
« Do not overwork yourself. If you are not willing to do it for yourself, maybe you could do it for me. »
The two looked at each other in the eyes. And while she smiled to cheer him back up, he just shook his head with a sorry expression on his head.
« And then Anthony is going to kick my ass because it's not on my downtime. »
This time, it was her that sighed before giving a light punch on the top of Marc's ballistic helmet.
« Well then I hope that when this promised downtime finally arrives, you will be able to make apologies worthy of my rank. »
« Oh, do not worry. You will be repaid what you are owed, my lady. »
Even through his tiredness, he had enough energy to bow down with exaggerated extravagance. It might have attracted a few curious looks, but he did not really care about them.
« Very well then. I shall be waiting. »
Despite the armor, she turned around and walked away with the grace that was to be expected from the high aristocracy. And while the shift was still long with danger incoming, it made him chuckle. He just watched as she returned to boss around those under her orders. With shouts full of authority, she indicated positions to be held by her ranks of swordsmen and archers. And he could not really tell himself how he ended up with someone like that.
Lost in his own thoughts, he was brought back to the real world by the buzzing of the reconnaissance drone flying past him at low altitude, slowly coming down towards the Palace.
« Everyone be advised, overwatch drone has run out of battery. We do not have thermal coverage anymore. »
This was not the news anyone wanted to hear through their radios, but at this point this issue was just a small addition compared to the large pile of problems they already had to deal with. As he was about to send back his acknowledgement, Marc stopped when he noticed something wrong with the knights.
The officers were trying to give instructions to stop everything. No one was moving, no one was talking, there was just the silence of the wind blowing through the trees. Or at least that was what he thought until some faint metallic clicking. It was the sound of armor, even despite all those wearing it not moving. Which only left one conclusion possible.
« Incoming ! »
Marc's yell was more than enough to convince the few that had not understood the situation yet. They all knew it was going to happen, but having it actually happen was always disturbing, especially when none could see beyond the dark tree line.
« Do you see them ? Do you see them ? »
« We cannot see anything ! »
« Stand ready for an immediate assault ! »
The noises slowly grew stronger, but nothing could be seen deep inside the tree line. The burning torches were far from enough to be able to pierce the darkness.
« Actual, we have movement in the forest to the north. No visual contact. Requesting illumination. »
« Understood. Standby. »
At this point, the slight shaking of the bushes was clearly noticeable. There was something in the trees, but none could say what exactly and how many. The only thing that was certain was that it wanted to do them harm.
This incertitude remained up to the point when a loud detonation rang from the roof of the Palace. Most where too focused on what was ahead of them that they did not notice. But when the bright light of day appeared in the dark, things could not have been clearer.
The light of the illumination round was more than enough to reveal the first rows of enemy combatants. And even with the few shadows that remained, the shapes of their bodies and their expression of surprise were clearly visible. They did not expect a new sun to suddenly appear in the middle of the night, but they did not have any other choice left either. A war cry was all needed to force them out of the vegetation, rushing into the open and towards the chain link fence.
« Putain ! Engage ! Engage ! Engage ! »
The order barking from his radio was all the Marc needed to take aim, flip off his safety and let go his first shots. Carefully, he took aim and pressed the trigger, making a charging soldier fall down on the ground. And after quickly changing his angle, he did it again. After the first couple of shots, the feeling of recoil hitting his shoulder drowned in the sound of the detonations and the rounds from the marksmen flying overhead. The same could be said of the other soldiers placed around the helipad. Each bullet had to count.
« Archers ! »
Despite all the noise, Bozes' yell was distinct enough as she raised her sword up towards the illuminated night sky. The knights standing in front quickly pulled on the cords of their bows, pointing their weapons at a high angle. And with a sudden swing down and another yell, the order was given.
The impulse of elastic energy snet the sharp arrows well over the barbed wire and onto the charging crowd like a swarm of lethal insects. More fell down on the ground in pain, but it was far from enough to stop what looked more and more like an unending tide with each soldier running out of the trees.
And as the gap between the front of that wave and the fence closed down, another group stepped out of the woods, unseen thanks to the ongoing charge. It was only when they raised bows of their own that Marc finally noticed them.
« Incoming ! »
By the time he yelled and took cover behind his pillar, another group of arrows was already flying in the opposite direction. Thankfully, the knights had seen them as well and there was enough time for most to raise their shields or duck behind those that had one. But it was not enough.
When this deadly rain finally fell down, some of the projectiles managed to slip through the hardened wooden panels and the thick armor plates. Those were not enough to be deadly at the instant but more than enough to bring someone to the ground screaming.
When all those that could rose up from cover, the front of the wave had already broken over the metal wires of the perimeter fence. Using the pattern of the chain link as grappling points, some started to climb up.
« What's going on ? Marc, talk to me. »
« They've reached the fence ! We have some injured here ! We can't hold the helipad any longer ! »
At this point, it was no longer about precise shots and conservation of ammunition. Bursts were faster, less precise. But it was still not good enough. The weight of the attackers, both those climbing and the dead stuck in the wires, started to weigh on the foundation of the fence itself. Things were not going to hold up much longer.
« Stand ready ! »
Bozes issued her own orders to her line knights, her sword at the ready while the attackers struggled between gunfire and barbed wire. But before she could yell her final words, another sound filled the air. It was like a cry of a giant beast, changing its level with a precise regularity. For the defenders, it was an important signal coming out from loudspeakers normally used for the Ambassador's speeches. It was a signal of retreat, indicating that all should come back to other defensive positions. For the attackers, however, it was a terrifying omen as to what was expecting them beyond the fence and near the palace.
Following what they were instructed to do, each knight started to step back as fast as they could while not breaking their formation. But with each step, the artificial light faded more and more. Marc could only see the enemy archers raise their bows a second time before everything turned dark again.
« Arrows incoming ! »
Without any visual information, he could only duck back behind the pedestal. The metallic ringing of the armors moving suddenly stopped and the next second it was replaced by the sound of sharp impacts. The screams directly followed, but in the black night it was impossible to tell who and where. It was just a confusing experience without any reference.
Despite the blaring alarm, another loud detonation rang. For those that noticed, the wait that followed felt like an eternity. An eternity of either blindly stepping back or standing their ground, at the mercy of another volley.
When the second illumination round finally started to shine, it revealed to all how disorganized things had become in just a few seconds. Gaps were too large, some were facing the wrong way or were lying on the ground, holding the part of their body in which they were hit. It took a second for all to find their bearings, but once they all found where the Palace was, they did not need any new orders to start running. The able bodied and the lightly injured were helping those that could not move well, all the while the soldiers in dark green continued to provide covering fire.
The clicking of the empty chamber begging for a new magazine pulled Marc out of the tunnel he was figuratively looking through. While he fiddled with the front pouches of his jacket, the knights ran past him. He could clearly see their faces, stressed, painful, crying. There were some he had never known, there were some he had seen before. He could even recognize a few he had already exchanged a few words with. And it took him a few seconds before he realized something was missing.
Or rather someone.
He quickly snapped his look to the large field of arrows planted into the ground. In the middle was just a single silhouette in armor, barely moving under the bright artificial light. The helmet might have concealed most of her head, but the bits of blond hair that he could see erased any doubt he could have had.
When others finally noticed, Marc had already dashed out of cover and into the open. Some yelled for him to come back, but he did not listen. In fact, he could not even hear as he continued through exposed ground. Each step he was making was making him go closer, but with the enemy on the fringes of breaking in, everything felt like it took much longer.
When he saw her slightly raise her head, the relief it brought pushed him even faster. When he finally reached her, his actions could not line up with his thinking. Instead of carefully kneeling, his leg gave up midway through, making him do what was in the middle between a slide and a fall.
« Bozes ! Bozes ! Can you hear me ? »
« Ma… Mar… »
A weak voice was her only answer, but it was an answer nonetheless. At a glance, nothing seemed wrong with the upper parts of her body. But as he quickly looked down, the same could not be said about her left leg. While the front was protected, the back was open to reveal the long underwear. And while those were excellent to make the armor more comfortable and warmer in winter, it had not been enough to protect against the arrows.
Two projectiles were embedded in her flesh. And whatever they had hit, they had succeeded in making her unable to move. However, there was no time to make precise medical diagnostics. He could just reach for her and pull the weight of her body and her armor over his shoulder. With the sounds of her painful breathing, the yells from his partners, the fence about to be torn down and the bullets flying overhead, the adrenalin was more than needed to help him carry her towards the Palace.
He could not even feel the blood slowly dripping onto his own clothes and onto his skin. The only thing he cared about was reaching safety. As he continued through the statues and bushes, a heavy noise came from behind accompanied by victorious roars. He could not turn around, but he had perfectly understood what it meant even before the radio came to life.
« North fence has been breached ! I repeat, the north fence has been breached ! Perimeter is compromised ! Engage on sight ! »
Did Marc listen ? Not really. He was busy trying to reassure Bozes.
« Come on, Bozes ! Stay with me ! Don't pass out ! »
« Ah… Ah… It hurts… »
« You're fine, you're with me. I'm carrying you to safety. »
« I… I wonder… how my brother is doing these days… »
Her tone was slowly becoming more tired which each word leaving her mouth. All the blood she had lost had already started to act on her brain, only adding to the urgency.
« Hey ! Stay focused ! It's almost over ! »
« I… hope he will return… safely… »
« Ah putain de merde ! »
As he passed in front of statues, part of him felt like those deities and heroes of old were watching him and judging his actions. As to whether they were praising his bravery or laughing at his foolishness was something he could not say. The only thing that mattered was to reach that god damn Palace.
When he finally came close to the doors that marked their safety, several soldiers in dark green rushed onto the steps to help them on the final stretch and keep their back covered. They let go of several shots towards the enemy before backing off one after the other when Marc finally stepped on the tiled floor of the interior of the Palace, Daniella waiting for them there with a stretcher held several squires.
« Careful, careful. »
Her words seemed to have missed their target at first as he tried put her down on the plank of hardwood covered in cloth. She had to step in, lifting parts of Bozes' body to prevent any more injuries. Her assistants remained calm and relatively emotionless, their long stares a witness of what they had seen earlier this night.
« You're going to be fine, Bozes. You're going to be fine. »
At this point, she could not reply to Marc anymore. The only thing that left her mouth were weak whispers that none could understand. Her eyes were half closed, looking straight up at the shiny ceiling.
« Alright we're good. Go. »
On Daniella's orders, the squires moved away from the door and down a corridor. Marc tried to keep up, holding Bozes hand as tightly as he could to keep them both reassured, while the medic led the way, getting people out of the way of the medical emergency. The knights that watched this pass in front them had different reactions to see one of their leaders in such a state. And from the windows, gunfire continued on.
This morbid spectacle continued up to the door of the main reception hall. With its large floor space, it had quickly been transformed into a temporary area to host the injured. While the stretcher continued into the room, Daniella turned around and stopped in front of Marc.
« I'm sorry, but you have to stay outside. Medical personnel only. »
« What ? No, no, no… I have to stay with her, she's… she's… »
« She's going to be fine if you leave it to me. You're tired, you're not well and you need some rest. »
« But… But… »
As he watched her disappear behind curtains, he could just stay in place. He looked completely lost, without any idea on what to do next, while still being covered in blood.
« She's right Marc. You really need to take a breather. »
Anthony's voice made the Corporal turn around. It gave his officer a good look at his expression, the red marks across making it more unnatural.
« How are things outside ? » asked Daniella while still keeping an eye on Marc.
« They stopped just after they took the helipad. Looks like they are going to set up their siege line there. »
« So no more medical evacuations ? »
« Nope. »
« Oh cock. »
Hard is the life of a farmer. Throughout the year, heavy work must be done from sunrise to sunset to take care of crops and cattle. And in times of war like these, the pressure only gets harder on producers as more resources must be handed to the legions. Such is the price to pay for the safety of the life north of the mountains that marked the border with foreign countries and those that could be hostile. But in the day to day survival, this did not matter. What mattered was working during the day and resting during the night.
However, as the dog barked into the empty night, sleeping was impossible. The farmer and his wife were tired, but it was with confusion that they left their bed and stepped outside, heavy coats over their nightwear and torch in hand. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but the dog was not stopping.
Quietly, they closed in on the barn. Maybe some thieves had come to take their cattle. But as they entered the wooden structure, all the animals were where they should have been, just as confused as the farmer as to what all this noise was about.
« Why are you yelling that much ? There is nothing ! »
The man was clearly not happy at the action of what was usually his work partner, but the dog continued to bark at the empty air. A bit lost, the farmer could only look at the sky full of stars that was laying over the mountains to the south.
Even there, nothing was out of the ordinary. Each of the luminous dots were hanging off the celestial ceiling at the place they were supposed to be. All of it in a complex and beautiful pattern only the gods could make sense of. There was no conclusion he could reach. This was the same sky he had seen every night since the start of his life. Or at least it was until he finally noticed something off.
Some of the stars were blinking and moving.
From the mountains, each of those dots were quickly moving down, towards the long and flat plains on which the farmer's land was on. And when he finally started to notice the sound, he understood. They were coming towards him.
With justified terror, he ran back to the small stone structure of his house, using all the objects he could find as ways to barricade himself with his wife. Outside, the noises were only becoming louder as the lights drew closer and closer. And when everything became deafening, they could only watch from their windows, terrified.
In the dark, large silhouettes landed in the middle of his pastures, their thunder raising large clouds of dust all around. Others kept turning overhead like vultures looking for their next meals as smaller shadows, human in their size, started to swarm on the ground. With fear in their hearts and their hands on their pitchforks, the Farmer and his wife were unaware that history was happening before them.
Opération Requin – Status report
16052017 – 0100 AT
Targets Whiskey One to Five destroyed ; Enemy early warning infrastructure neutralized.
Objective Chicago cleared by Air Cavalry ; No hostile activity ; Green light for FOB construction.
Task Force Kolwezi on standby at Alnus AFB ; Awaiting all clear signal before launching drop operation.
Hello and thanks for reading the thirty-fifth chapter chapter of Gate : Opération Marteau de Justice.
I've been dying to write this part for a long time now, and here I am. Of course, when you have entire squads worth of guns, it changes what happens compared to the source material. I have other things planned for the rest of the rescue operation, but you will all have to wait while I get everything ready.
Anyway, thank you all for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter.