“There’s Monahan. Just up ahead... we’ve got three objectives here. First one’s, uh, down this road I think, at an intersection. Black Swan Saloon, report says it’s... part-bar, part-brothel, and a favorite hangout for the Canten Rangers off-duty. It also doubles as what we think is an ad-hoc assembly point for the Rangers, so we’re going to head over there and fuck ‘em up. From there, we’ll get into Monahan proper. Monahan Courthouse is being used as their command center for the soldiers ‘round this town, so we think, so I’ve been ordered to level the place. Monahan Town Hall’s receiving a different use - they’re using it as some sorta lookout. Canten A-F’s been coming around the place, apparently, so we’re bringing it’s big spire down to the ground. That’s all.”
"Any clue what to expect?" Iris questioned — briefly glancing over to her loader — as if curious to prepare accordingly.
“Lemme just quote off the briefing I was given yesterday... ‘urban jungle of traps, mines, infantry ambush sites and chokepoints you'll wish you never went through’. Not pretty.” Vernon pessimistically replied.
"...I'll be on alert then, Sir!" With a nod, Iris returned to her station, attent to the objective ahead. Downing another pill, her gaze into the glow of her station's monitor was unwavering, an unbroken state of hyperfocus as they continued forward.
“Better be,” Vernon repeated. His line of sight outside the tank was shot, it was now Iris’s responsibility. Pressing on through to within visual range of this Black Swan Saloon, it’d seem that they’d totally catch the drop upon whatever force of Canten Rangers was here. In the gravel space outside its front, the closest thing to a parking lot available here, two IFV-M7 Jacksons had been parked, essentially clones to the ones in their Troop - though these ones inexplicably had no turrets attached, reduced to bonafide troop transports. A few infantry milled about around the vehicles and the building, presumably staging up and preparing to go out to the fight - as intelligence predicted.
“We’ve caught ‘em off guard! Blow up one of those IFV’s of theirs, gun everyone around them down too - we’re gonna blaze through here before they even know what’s up.” Vernon ordered.
"Load APFSDS!" Iris called to her loader, assessing the target ahead as she took aim. Another routine procedure- this time with one of the more precise fin-stabilized penetrators of their arsenal, and Angela was giving her the all clear to fire.
BOOM
For a moment Iris watched with anticipation... and then her heart sank. Narrowly she'd missed the IFV, the shell instead careening violently into the saloon. "F—fuck!" Seemingly overcompensating for her mistake, Iris would practically strafe the saloon with the tank's coaxial machinegun, almost as if in frustration or spite — cutting down those unfortunate to have been outside.
Of the three or so men that’d been cut down, two of them at least could be distinctively marked out by the grenade launchers mounted onto their rifles. A potential threat to the outside equipment mounted on a Balthazar, if they would’ve been bold enough to use them.
While the coaxial was being reloaded, meanwhile, something would come to the attention of Iris - up to one of the windows of the Saloon, a rather old, well-aged man in a typical Canten cowboy’s hat was now peering out at them with a pair of binoculars, shouting out something back inside... presumably to his friends.
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[???? ???? ????] "Federals... hundreds of 'em. Give 'em hell, pardner!"
©478-479 Federal Atomics Computing Division.
All Rights Reserved.
From the cockpit of his F/A-127E Strike Vampire, Major Fredrick Life-is-a-Highway C.W. McIntyre had a birds' eye view of the world below. Pulled away from the typical work of strafing Fed tanks to... do more of that, he'd found himself given a new task: to repulse an armored group advancing upon Monahan's outskirts.
Before him, his pilot, Captain Mike We-Didn't-Start-The-Fire J. Keith handled the controls. To his side, the three aircraft that would accompany him on this journey. Three Comets — he'd spent one downing another Vampire earlier—, two Brushstrokes, four AGM-77 Vipers (the fifth and sixth had brought a swift end to a Schwarzkopf upon Canten's dunes) and a meeting with destiny... it was time.
The lock was gained — gradually they entered range, and with a simple chain of fox codes on comm Gunslinger Flight had let loose hell upon the enemy, McIntyre watching as the missiles faded away into the distance — and in another moment an MBT-M4A4 and an IFV/AA-M7A2 would be reduced to flaming wreckage.
His announcement on comm would be brief as he gave his leather cowboy hat a light tip. "Their AA's gone, Hoss. Warpig column's open for hell... keep that JTAC on the line."
The formation would, with a swift split-S turn, begin on a northbound course once again to resupply — but something would stop them. Two radar blips, swiftly approaching.
"We've got two bandits!" His pilot would announce — the worry in his subordinate's voice was the opposite to McIntyre's own smirk. "We done spent our AGMs... we're the light ones here. Let's get 'em."
Gunslinger-4 would be first to take the initiative, breaking formation as it fired away two of its four Comets, orange-lit contrails weaving through the night sky as they engaged the two enemy Strike Vampires. Two legendary old aircraft, vying once again for the skies. There was a certain poetic meaning to be found in that pre-dawn sky as the missiles trailed away. Only narrowly would they miss, dispersed by the electronic countermeasures of one of the two Strike Vampires.
McIntyre's comm would crackle as he heard Gunslinger-4's voice on the comm. A fellow frontiersman, voice rough like gravel... a smart warrior, revolver in one hand and books on doctrine and strategy in the other. A good man...
"Savin' two. I'll be coming back around..."
Gunslinger-3 would join the attack, afterburners blazing in the dawn as he pushed forward, getting a lock on.
"Fox-3... this is my last Comet, folks. Save the fanfare for the cookout."
A lone blaze would light the darkened dawn sky as Gunslinger-3's final Comet AAM would cross the horizon. Silently McIntyre prayed... not to the good Presidents of centuries past, nor Ouriel above. Nay... he would pray that Canten Senator Bobby A.I.W.D.A.F.L King would look down on him from the heavens above and give Canten a fighting chance.
BOOM
"FUCK!"
"WE BAILED OUT! —We're safe..."
The Federal parasite's fearful crocodile tears made McIntyre laugh. Gunslinger-3 had scored a killshot, and by the way the winds were lookin'... those two parachutes would be landing in Canten turf. Raising his comm, McIntyre was sure to let the boys on the ground know.
"War loot dropping down, be advised... one man, one woman. Tell the Canten Rangers they've got a nice score on their hands."
McIntyre's gaze would return to the radar display — and the scenery ahead. Their path was converging with the enemy's — surely it would cross in 'least half a minute.
"We'll be dinin' like Presidents... save the bacon. Fox-3."
Gunslinger-2 would fire away missiles — effortlessly averted by the sole Federal Air Force Strike Vampire that remained, the electronic countermeasures proving surprisingly efficient.
"Now's my turn..." McIntyre chuckled to himself. One could suppose his fellow pilots had saved the best for the last. Four Comets away —
Away...
Away...
and yet his luck had proven disappointing then, all four missing and disappearing into the cloudy abyss just beyond.
"Thissun's a crazy sunuvabitch. Two missiles on my tail... I'll throw 'em off real quick."
It was Gunslinger-4. The man had fought many a Fed, Stricklandite, Aenaroid... he could handle this. With a graceful maneuver that pierced the clouds, Gunslinger-4 sent the two missiles uselessly dipping away into the clouds, never to be seen again...
Afterburners blazing, Gunslinger-4 kept high above — conserving his two Comets as he did — lying in wait for the perfect time to strike.
"These Feds can take me outta the sky... when Hell freezes over. God bless Canten!"
Another set of missiles, the countermeasures of Gunslinger-3 seemingly in close competition with the Comet missiles trailing close behind. The struggle amid the clouds seemed to only last so long, however... before both missiles trailed off into the dawn, denied their kill.
"You crazy son of a bitch..." McIntyre couldn't help but chuckle. "Let's get this one."
Gunslinger-4 again.
"Sorry Gunslinger-1... I'll be takin' today's glory."
McIntyre chuckled. "I don't mind shootin' one less Fed."
Both remaining Comet air-to-air missiles fired away from Gunslinger-4, one failing to lock...
...and the other reducing the Strike Vampire to a blazing fireball that spiraled recklessly on a southbound course. This one would land in Fed territory, McIntyre was sure... but they'd scored enough a victory for the day.
"Let's head home, boys. Breakfast's waitin'."
While the chaos above had been going down, Federal airplanes unsurprisingly losing to a numerically superior enemy - as much as any red-blooded Federal would’ve hated to see it, the Black Hawk Saloon had been emptied of its occupants through liberal use of the machine gun. They’d had some close calls - one of Case’s subordinates in another tank, a SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt had been forced to deploy his APS against a fair number of Cantenite anti-tank missiles. Luckily, none had hit any tanks in Case’s platoon, but that wasn’t the same situation elsewhere... one platoon of their Troop were now completely erased, another on the verge of experiencing the same fate, and local AA coverage was gone.
Interesting, to say the least.
"..w—well, we should keep on moving forward, Sir. We've cleaned house, yeah?" To witness the Federal defeat had only been slightly demoralizing for Iris as she composed herself, attention returning to her station.
“Yeah. To... the Courthouse!” Vernon declared. “Cowboy wannabes won’t be so tough forever.”
As they would push onward, the comms would crackle to life once more... with Cantenite chatter.
FEDERAL ATOMICS uOS 28 v1.37
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[???? ???? ????] "..all right, let's see here. Tell y'name to the Feds now, they're listenin' in."
[???? ?????? ??] "...captain p—Pauline Light-Up-the-Night K. Fox... I've been... shot down, they're..."
[???? ???? ????] "This is what happens to Fed cogs in the machine, thinkin' you have authority over the people of Canten. Y'all got another thing coming!"
[???? ?????? ??] "..wait wait wait, wait NO!"
©478-479 Federal Atomics Computing Division.
All Rights Reserved.
The comms would quickly devolve into nothing short of an atrocity, the screams of the captured pilot a reminder of what unfortunately tended to happen in these conflicts... an awkward silence would befall the tank's crew as they continued on. This was what Canten did to prisoners — but was it any different from Ricky's own men?
“..Please don’t let that happen to me..” Was all Angela, far too young to have envisioned such a fate, could manage amidst the silence.
"..sir c—c—can you turn it off?!" Iris finally pleaded, unsettled enough by the war crime — at least, it'd be a war crime if there'd even been international law to enforce it in the first place.
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[???? ???? ????] "Say it!"
[???? ?????? ??] "..this... this is what happens... —ah!"
[???? ???? ????] "Don't make me bring this cattle prod down on—"
[???? ?????? ??] "This... is what happens to bad F... bad Fed girls!"
©478-479 Federal Atomics Computing Division.
All Rights Reserved.
With a rather quick, firm twist of the channel knob, the radio would be brought back to their unit’s regular channel. A solemn silence hung over the crew, Iris figuring it best to not raise mention of it ever again. "All clear on my end, Sir."
With that announcement, she'd reminded the rest of the crew of their mission.
“Well, we should get back to work, shouldn’t we?” said Sonia, a look of calm across her face - although someone that looked carefully would see that she was hardly able to keep it up, panicked underneath, perhaps sad or angry also, and was simply trying to do her best to… not be a bad example to the rest of the crew at the moment.
Surely one could only ponder what would befall them in similar circumstances — no! Iris fervently denied the thought.
Continuing onwards again, their journey through Monahan would continue, their new destination being the Courthouse. Command center to the town’s garrison of Rangers, destroying the building would be a suitable way of dealing a morale blow as well as confusion the enemy, essential at a time when Case could feel they were riding high.
The journey there would bring them through the town proper, a fairly dense amalgamation of second-story homes and buildings, much similar in appearance to any small town in the backwaters of Euphemie. At least in Canten they tried to keep the roads somewhat repaired and the grass somewhat cut. Even that couldn’t be said about some other places... the Courthouse itself was of fairly impressive enough size itself, darkened stone tower acting as the centerpiece, rising over the town. There’d be a lot of room in the building to shove any command center’s equipment.
Having their optics partly blinded would prove to be a rather unfortunate circumstance for the tank, the limited visibility provided for the occupants being something which some Canten Rangers would come to exploit. Calling back to an aged tactic, old enough it was being used in the war that’d resolved Red Pine over 80 years ago, they’d equipped themselves with manipulated mortar shells meant to serve effectively as IEDs, which would explode on contact. They hadn’t had the time to plant them, but that didn’t mean the shells were entirely useless...
They came in a volley of three delay-fuse rounds, arcing from an elevation beyond the sights of Iris’ cameras that filled the air with a faint whistling sound as they flew. Each one flying farther than the last, disturbing the quiet of what was otherwise an unassuming, safe road..
BOOM.
An explosion detonated a short ways behind the Balthazar, penetrating torn asphalt and soil before bursting in a potent thump of explosive discharge that sent debris churning upwards into the air. It was only the first signal they were coming under fire - and the other two rounds followed within seconds of the first. Of them, one landed closer to a friendly tank behind them in their platoon column, temporarily occluding the driver and turret crew from witnessing the third - and perhaps most fatal of all - ambushing rounds.
It connected directly with the crumpled, shrapnel-filled Cupola of their Balthazar- a powerful release of air filling Vernon’s ears as the head of the mortar round punctured the fairly vulnerable top armor of the tank, the sight of it capturing his gaze in a moment of mortal peril..
Just like that, a figment of fate proved all too true, the round shearing through the broken Cupola and bursting before him all in an instant that felt like eternity. The innumerable steel balls ripping through the propellant charges, preparing to disperse throughout the turret and incapacitate the vehicle’s mechanisms; such a disasterous strike could not have been so prevented as mitigated, but this was the fate Vernon had been warned about.
Soon the warning wouldn’t matter, and it’d all be for naught. Fire and steel filled his view, and before the next moment passed fate claimed another Federal soul’s hand…
Smoke filled the contents of MBT-M5A1 "Avenger" #0221’s turret bustle after the fatal improvised attack had blown out the internal crew compartment in a devastating hit, and it took the remaining three crewmen seconds to reorient themselves to assess just what had happened. Lieutenant Case, bless his heart, was a lost cause with how precise the IED had been in crippling- no, mutilating their commander’s upper half. Shrapnel had scored downwards from his station and ripped the gun breech apart - something the Loader of the lot was grateful had not been loaded, lest it have sealed their fates as well. Fires had formed in the immediate vicinity of the impact but the tank’s automated fire suppressants were beginning to kick in to render the crew compartment safe once more.. for now.
The shock of what'd just erupted in half a second's time had forced Iris to keel over and vomit — partly from the sheer disorienting effect of the blast, and partly from the blood and viscera that was now strewn about her uniform. "..n—NO, FUCK!" Her second instinctual move upon realizing the breech's fate was to grab her AR-M64A7 off the rack, provided they were ambushed... and sling it over her shoulder as she assessed the coaxial machinegun, a mixture of instinctual reflexes as shock turned into desparation.
Whatever rations, scraps or decent meal Angela had eaten before the operation, they’d now found themselves strewn about the floor as she was left no less disoriented by the blow. Her field jacket, somewhat oversized for her had been torn with long cuts from stray shrapnel and looked partly scorched, though it may have just been debris blown onto her by the blast. Her ears rang and it took her a concentrated moment to recognize Iris arming herself with her personal defence weapon- something that her fight-or-flight instincts reminded her would be critical if they were about to be ambushed. “..F-F.. Fe-... FUCK!” She couldn’t hear her own swear as she scrambled for hers- an import C1/AR Semi-automatic Rifle, sent over from Bravoguc as part of a lend lease effort to support this very conflict.
If only they could see how well it was turning out.
“I-IRIS! SONIA! T-THE TURRET’S SHOT! G-GUN’S BUSTED TOO!” Angela yelled over the noise of a sudden 125mm main cannon firing not far behind them- another Balthazar presumably engaging the cocky Cantenians who’d hit their tank. “L-L.. C-.. VERNON’S GONE!! WHAT NOW?!”
"..survive!" came Iris' reply as she manned the co-axial machinegun, 7.62mm rounds shredding through the windows as she returned the ambush with fierce reply, the courthouse soon coming under the collective fire of the entire tank platoon...
Sonia, meanwhile, was nearly just as panicked as Angela was by the events that has just transpired, but she tried her best to keep her voice a bit more level. “M-Might as well play fuckin’ dead at this point and hope we don’t get hit again!” she said… there were times for bravery, but right now, she didn’t exactly consider this one of them.
Ignoring the driver's words, Iris maintained the steady stream of fire... until it became apparent the face of the courthouse had been reduced to a devastated facade, shattered windows littered by the occasional corpses of Canten army rangers. Their Balthazar had been rendered combat-ineffective... consigned to a role of a mobile bunker as the rest of the platoon pushed forward.
Iris would take it upon herself to drag the flayed corpse of the commander into a bodybag, holding back her urge to vomit as she zipped the bag shut, retching as she turned away and came to unceremoniously rest by her station, head buried in her hands. "Fuck... fuck..."
Angela was quietly sobbing as she tried not to remember too vividly the sight of their commander’s body, the image of what a true casualty of war- and one she’d outright predicted- emblazoned into her youthful memory, something she would be unlikely to forget for a long time coming.
There was an uneasy silence as the three of them simply.. Sat there, stationary in the middle of a warzone, trying to process- let alone even assess- what they would do from here. To remain here would surely attract the attention of what Cantenian forces patrolled the streets... the protection of the tank platoon would certainly be preferable.
“We uh… h-have to get to safety somehow,” Sonia pointed out, her mind moving to the most immediate task. Best not to think too much about what had just happened, unless they wanted to find themselves overwhelmed and unable to act. At least, that was her take on the situation. “He wouldn’t want us to… to have the same fate…”
“B-But, w-.. We can’t go back..” Angela faintly responded, recounting the fate of Jackson Hubris Bridge not long after their crossing. Indeed, Monahan seemed as though it would be a destination with no roads back home- that is, roads not infested with Cantenian infantry waiting to ambush them of course. “..So.. I-I guess we need to finish what we started- yeah? Do our duty.. stuff like that, right?”
"..don't think we've got anywhere to turn back to.. not 'till that bridge is laid down." Iris weakly concurred.
“We push forward, keep going, try not to die, and then later… we can process everything,” Sonia settled, speaking as much to herself as she was to the others.
KNOCK KNOCK
The attention of the surviving crew would be drawn to what remained of the cupola as SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt showed himself, SMG-M64B1 in hand. The sight of blood caked across the crew compartment had been enough to make him go pale as he seemingly processed what'd transpired within. "...right. Figure that means I'm the new actual..."
Unsettled enough by the sight, he'd taken his leave almost immediately thereafter, giving fair implication to the crew what the new chain of command was. With that, he took his leave, the next order of business evident as the rest of the platoon would pass them, which would give them a fair bit of breathing room for the time being... hopefully.
They’d have to get going once again eventually, and Sonia moved back to the controls, putting the damaged tank back on the road and accelerating as she pressed down on the pedals, considerably more tense than she’d been before - it had been hammered into her head the hard way that any moment now, they could move into… something else that was unavoidable, just like the attack that had killed Vernon. On the other hand, staying in place wouldn’t exactly make them safer, either. It was a no win situation.
The convoy of armored vehicles pursued the end of their corresponding street until the time came to turn down an avenue that would put them out onto the route adjacent to the Town Hall- their next destination. The pace was slow and careful, each of the three Balthazars accompanying their platoon ensuring Avenger would be the last one put in danger now. With SFC. Wyatt in the lead, they would be upon the enemy reconnaissance station in minutes-
CRACK.
There was a horrifying scene before Sonia and Iris’ forward optics as the asphalt beneath one of their companions’ tanks physically crumbled with a resounding quake, as an unidentified projectile launched itself upwards from the earth- directly into their underarmor. The IED must have struck its hull-based ammunition magazine, for the vehicle virtually split in two as a variety of munitions on board cooked off from the combined explosive mass detonated within.
No screams on radio. No warning signs before, or after the detonation. Only the swift, silent deaths of an entire tank crew that left nothing but a smoldering ruin to separate Avenger from the remainder of their platoon- a unit now down to just 3 semi-operational combat vehicles.
Iris would practically jump at the blast, a terrified yelp escaping her as, for a moment then, she believed it'd been them... only for it to dawn upon her they still yet lived.
“W-W-What was that?!” Angela’s predictable panic questioned, due to her senses being all but taken from her station.
"..nothing good.." Iris muttered, trembling as she peered into the gunner's optics — ahead, only the flaming wreckage of Stephens' MBT-M5A1 Balthazar, 'Scarface', served as testament to the mine the platoon had come across. The surprise had brought Wyatt and Ordóñez's vehicles to an unceremonious halt, a veneer of dust still dying down over the carnage before the armored platoon.
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[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "...well, shit. Wait one, we'll come around the block to regroup."
[MBT-M5A1 "Avenger" #0221] [SGT. Iris Edge-of-the-Century Styx Mötley Blue-Collar-Man F. Mauz] "G—got it, sir.”
©478-479 Federal Atomics Computing Division.
All Rights Reserved.
With that order, the dust of the two friendly Balthazars proceeding further away down the street became apparent until even they could no longer be seen. It was an uncanny safehaven amidst the ongoing warzone, to be concealed by the blazing tank ruin ahead of them with only their rear a vulnerability- one that hopefully nothing would come past on..
"...we'll be fine.." Iris muttered to herself, sulking back in her station as the vehicle came to rest before the courthouse. She tried then to ignore the viscera and blood marred across the compartment, trembling as she pondered to herself what fate might befall them too... "...we'll be fine..."
Her quivering, fearful voice defied her words of self-assurance as a puddle spread upon the bloodsoaked floor, further adding to the miserable situation the crew had found itself in. Surely they hadn't been outdone by a bunch of Cantenian ranchers... surely? Trembling there, Iris's breakdown became outright weeping as she tried to assure herself all would be fine.
That puddle would end up at the feet of the driver, who quickly turned her attention to Iris. “The fuck…?” she muttered under her breath, looking down and moving her feet.
"..fuck—fuck—FUCK I—I'm sorry!..." Old enough to die, too old to cry... too young to vote. Such was the plight of most of the Federal Remnant's soldiers, hardly high-school graduates already on the frontline.
Angela was among those- but, despite their worst circumstances, she was trying her best to remain at least modestly more composed.
“It’s uhhh… a stressful situation, don’t worry too much about it,” Sonia blurted out in an attempt to comfort Iris, although it was hard to hide the disgust from her voice.
Humiliated, Iris managed only a light sniffle and nod as she searched her kitbag for her pills, downing a few... and bringing her focus back to their current situation as she got up and tried to ignore the mess.
“..H-Hey, Iris? Why don’t you try to get V-.. the Commander’s radio on again? I’m not hearing much from the others..” Angela eventually said, only finding solace amidst the trauma by trying to help them focus on the mission- one could only imagine how much she wanted to breakdown too, but was using all her willpower to stay strong; if not for her own sake, then for theirs.
Iris managed a hesitant gaze up to the station in question, half-devastated by the impact that'd so terribly dismembered Vernon... half-intent to push on for the sake of their survival.
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[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "..Damn, this place is becoming a ghost town-”
[MBT-M5A1 "Starlight" #0217 ] [SSG. Roxxy Halfway-to-Heaven C. Ordóñez] "Contacto!”
[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "That’s a rare sight ain’t it! Put a round into that enemy armor Gunner!”
[MBT-M?A? “-----” #????] [???. Edith Way-of-the-Strong Tank-Destroyer-Woman "Iron Lady" A. Springfield] "...Predictable…”
[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "Ah f-- We’re hit! Agh.. systems’ all shot to bits- must’ve been the battery. Star, keep eyes on that tank! Don’t let them find Avenger!”
©478-479 Federal Atomics Computing Division.
All Rights Reserved.
It seemed that their comrades had run into a degree of trouble on the other side of the city block- an enemy tank was apparently in the area.. But what could Canten have possibly brought up to face them? Their main armored forces were, supposedly, meant to be in Xanadu..
"...no..." Iris muttered, still terrified of their present situation.
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[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "Where is she?!”
[MBT-M5A1 "Starlight" #0217 ] [SSG. Roxxy Halfway-to-Heaven C. Ordóñez] "..There! There, bearing 275! Turn around Hickey!”
[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "Thanks for the spot! Get APFSDS down onto that tank!- Hot damn, that’s a- wait… did we OVERPEN?!”
[MBT-M5A1 "Starlight" #0217 ] [SSG. Roxxy Halfway-to-Heaven C. Ordóñez] "I’ve got you covered!”
[MBT-M?A? “-----” #????] [???. Edith Way-of-the-Strong Tank-Destroyer-Woman "Iron Lady" A. Springfield] "..Too close!-..”
[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "If only Avenger could see this.. Damn Canten must be- what, a hundred-year-older?”
[MBT-M5A1 "Starlight" #0217 ] [SSG. Roxxy Halfway-to-Heaven C. Ordóñez] "She’s firing again-”
[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "Starlight! Report!”
[MBT-M5A1 "Starlight" #0217 ] [SSG. Roxxy Halfway-to-Heaven C. Ordóñez] "Engine’s down Sir! We’re breaking the fire suppressant out now, but… w-we’re stuck too!”
[MBT-M?A? “-----” #????] [???. Edith Way-of-the-Strong Tank-Destroyer-Woman "Iron Lady" A. Springfield] "....Rad-.. Find th-.. Channe-....”
[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "Fuck! Another miss- hang in there Star!”
[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "AAAAAGH! THAT BITCH- I CAN’T SEE A THING!”
[MBT-M5A1 "Starlight" #0217 ] [SSG. Roxxy Halfway-to-Heaven C. Ordóñez] "T-THAT MAKES T-TWO OF US!”
[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "We’ve no choice- break off Driver! We’re sitting ducks!”
[MBT-M5A1 "Starlight" #0217 ] [SSG. Roxxy Halfway-to-Heaven C. Ordóñez] "S-SIR!”
[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "We are NOT leaving Starlight behind!”
[MBT-M?A? “-----” #????] [???. Edith Way-of-the-Strong Tank-Destroyer-Woman "Iron Lady" A. Springfield] "..Ah! This is perfect- Can you hear me, Federals? I will assume so, given we now share the same frequency. I should introduce myself, but this is a duel, so I will let the transcripts tell your companions what you are facing… the MBT-M3A5 ‘Super’ Patriot. Ancient? Why yes, but surely you all know the saying “Whenever God restores something, He restores it to a place greater than it was before.”? You will find I came equipped to safeguard Monahan as best I- and yes, I alone- could muster. These Rangers.. They aren’t fighting for the sake of an independent Canten. No, they simply refuse to accept the likes of your clique’s dynasty- the Mauz Family Tree- to hold any sway over OUR nation’s future. So make yourselves ready; I’m here to thwart this ‘Surge’.. by.. any.. means.. Necessary. Hail to our New Republic.”
[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "Fuck! Another miss- hang in there Star!”
©478-479 Federal Atomics Computing Division.
All Rights Reserved.
The impromptu speech was carried equally into the confines of their vehicle, presenting an unexpected officer to the ranks of the forward Rangers being brutalized before the wave of this Federal offensive- an officer by the name of Edith Way-of-the-Strong Tank-Destroyer-Woman A. Springfield. She must have been the “Iron Lady” that the Rangers spoke of in scattered comms before. Though, how merciful she would be remained to be seen, as she seemed to have gained the upper hand over their peers..
The attack on Iris's own family had been enough to further her own distress as she took note of her own nametag. Mauz... what would the enemy do if they saw such a fated name on her uniform?
FEDERAL ATOMICS uOS 28 v1.37
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[MBT-M5A1 "Starlight" #0217 ] [SSG. Roxxy Halfway-to-Heaven C. Ordóñez] "Hickey..? Hickey! HICKE- SIR!!- AAAAA-”
©478-479 Federal Atomics Computing Division.
All Rights Reserved.
The haunting sound of an exploding ammunition rack went off in their vicinity, but all three women could rest assured it hadn’t been their own. Unfortunately, it hadn’t been the unseen enemy’s either- as was evident by the tumbling MBT-M5A1 Balthazar turret, ablaze and cracking apart, came tumbling down from the sky onto the ground past Scarface’s wreckage...
FEDERAL ATOMICS uOS 28 v1.37
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[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "S-Starlight’s down… fuck… Avenger, if you’re listening- this one’s for you-”
[MBT-M3A5 ‘Super’ Patriot #????] [???. Edith Way-of-the-Strong Tank-Destroyer-Woman "Iron Lady" A. Springfield] "..You were my least favorite opponent, ‘Hickey’.”
[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "HOW-”
©478-479 Federal Atomics Computing Division.
All Rights Reserved.
The explosion was soon joined by another one, though no exploding turret followed this one… could Hickey have survived? The question would be answered within a minute of the cutoff sounds of battle when he came on again.
FEDERAL ATOMICS uOS 28 v1.37
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[MBT-M5A1 "Hickey" #0019] [SFC. Chester Ponyboy Time-For-Change C. Wyatt] "..Shit.. S-s-shit.. I’m fucked up bad.. Leg’s caught in the rack.. But we’re alright- tipped, but alright.. I.. I can’t fuckin’ tell if we’re about to get breached- but we’re poppin’ our PDWs and running for it. I will NOT let my Gunner be MOLESTED by these CANTENEERS tonight. Hail Fern!”
[MBT-M3A5 ‘Super’ Patriot #????] [???. Edith Way-of-the-Strong Tank-Destroyer-Woman "Iron Lady" A. Springfield] "..Tragic, but perhaps it was to be expected. I shall.. Neglect, to inform my superiors of your fate, ‘Hickey.’ I believe you deserve a chance to flee, at the very least. Until we meet again.”
[MBT-M3A5 ‘Super’ Patriot #????] [???. Edith Way-of-the-Strong Tank-Destroyer-Woman "Iron Lady" A. Springfield] "..Now.. where is this “Avenger”..”
©478-479 Federal Atomics Computing Division.
All Rights Reserved.
The line went quiet, presumably due to the Cantenian tank ace departing from their channel comms to discuss with her own friendlies in the vicinity. They were all that remained of their tank platoon now, with the rest of their unit dead or in retreat to avoid becoming so..
"...game over, man!" Iris finally spoke up, the comms doing enough to scar her psyche. After all, she'd been faced with circumstances no different in Engadine... to have it all repeat itself had done more than enough to drain her of her fighting spirit... but not her will to live. "...we have to find somewhere to hide. They'll come looking soon enough. We need to, uh... hold out or something— 'till the—"
“..will you PLEASE STOP with the PESSIMISM!” Angela finally yelled at Iris, slamming the butt of her C1/AR against the side of her ammo rack. “We CAN get out of this alive, ALRIGHT? But.. just CALM down for at least ONE minute. JUST one.. *sigh*..”
“Let’s talk about where to hide then?” Sonia interjected, hoping to get them on a more useful subject. “Can’t go anywhere if you two are yellin’ at each other…”
“..Then let’s at least be reasonable; this tank’s out of commission. Their’s is not-” Angela pointed out.
"Which makes this place a fucking COFFIN! We need to get the FUCK out and find somewhere!" Iris replied in turn, gesturing to the open void that was the cupola. "Of course I've got reason to be fucking PESSIMISTIC! The moment the Canten rangers come knocking and see this nametag, I'd best hope I'm already dead!"
It took a deep breath from Angela for her not to outright slap Iris in that moment. “..I’m going to say this once- just ONCE, and you’re welcome to either listen, or PISS all over us again Iris. Alright? Good- Listen, this is an iron coffin, right? Coffins are cover too! Look out there- Scarface.. Bless their souls, is a living PYRE that no one can see past! Where would you rather be? In a building possibly full of Canten Rangers? No. In this metal death trap? NO! So why don’t we GET. OUT. of here, and hide under the front armor of our COFFIN before someone comes to check out what’s inside. You have any better options? Lay them on me- we are currently SURROUNDED by rapists, murderers, and who knows what else. I don’t like it any more than you, but we don’t have a lot of choice here..”
“And if they happen to look underneath?” sighed Sonia, not entirely sold by the idea. “Sure is putting a lot of trust in our luck… which hasn’t been the best today… but fuck, we don’t have many options here, do we?”
“It’s that or trying to face a full FUCKING tank with nothing more than machineguns, I’m afraid..” Angela huffed with defeat- but even the slightest sliver of hope was enough to keep her grounded in reality. “Iris? Do you think there’s even the slightest chance this’ll spare you that horrendous fate you’re bound to meet? I’m.. trying my best here.. really.” She admitted with a bit softer, heartfelt tone in her voice, having calmed down from her earlier outburst.
"...I'm saving the last bullet for me, if that's what you're asking..." Iris solemnly replied, looking back up to the devastated cupola once more. "...I don't got much more to lose trying. N—not like you'd care if a piss-pants like me died out here." And with that, Iris would be first out of the vehicle, overtaken by emotion in apparent offense... a light bump was audible as she climbed off, finding cover in the tank's frontal armor.
Angela didn’t spare a glance to Sonia before crawling out of it as well, though unlike Iris she was suddenly struck with a feeling of.. Vulnerability, when her upper half was exposed to the toasted air around them. Gunfire crackled in the distance down either end of the sidestreet they were on- in one direction, the remainder of their Troop working to surround Monahan before reinforcements could arrive. In the other, an element of the 11th Airborne “Ghost Riders in the Sky” was working to secure a hilltop vantage point- something she now envisioned would have captured Hickey’s crewmen by now.. A haunting thought she spared not a moment longer to dwell on.
“..Fuck this place..” Angela muttered as she hopped off the busted turret, landing on the upper glacis and quickly stepping down onto the thin asphalt gap between them and Scarface’s ruins, finding Iris in good company there. She could only assume Sonia would follow suit through her own hatch. “..It ain’t comfortable but.. at least it’s something.” She sighed, coming down prone and crawling under the tank to be beside her.
Letting out a long and slow sigh, Sonia pushed her way out of the hatch, determining that she didn’t have a better plan in this case even if she wasn’t crazy about the one that Angela had come up with. And so, even if she was doing it reluctantly, she joined them underneath, finding that the fit was a bit more uncomfortable for her compared to the others.
Iris had used this time to, once again, ease herself with more pills, an awkward silence hanging over the group as she waited there... for what, friendly support? Death? Some kind of salvation? It mattered little at this point. What mattered now was surviving... she'd hope, at least.
The silence persisted.. Was anything coming for them? The paranoia lingered on them all, as there was too little way to know for certain if it was safe- for all they knew, the moment they left the street they’d be gunned down on sight.. or worse.
“..I’m.. I-I’m sorry f-for.. Uhm.. yelling at you earlier.. Iris..” Angela eventually said in quiet to try to alleviate the disturbing silence.
"...it's not easy carrying this stupid name, you know," Iris replied, a weak gaze to the asphalt as she reminisced. "..Ricky Mauz, scariest guy in Euphemie... Iris Mauz, good-for-nothing coward... first Engadine, now here. It's— it's fine... I've gotten used to it."
“..Not like my name- or a-age, probably- would stop them from doin’ anything worse to me..” Angela mumbled, probably more horrified by the earlier account of what had become of a captured Euphemian pilot than even Iris. “..Hey, remember that uh.. that Tsion Card I s-showed you two? How optimistic it was for your futures- and, well.. not optimistic for V-Vernon’s.. Could you do me a favor?”
Sonia didn’t say anything for now - but she did raise an eyebrow, listening to the conversation, and remembering the card from earlier. Honestly, she’d forgotten about it in all the chaos.
Iris simply lacked the energy to snap, instead managing a frustrated sigh. "What?"
“..M.. M-Mine never shows me anything but the same one.. that World Tree.. and I-I don’t know what it means.. I’ve proven yours were right- but.. could you please give mine a meaning? Anything? If.. If you’re willing. I know it’s all superstitious mumbo-jumbo and whatever but.. look I don’t have a lot to work off of- I’m.. I-I’m just a kid in all this.. please?”
Iris raised an eyebrow at this. "What's that supposed to mean?"
“I-.. It means I’m not looking at death the same way you are, probably.. I guess.” Angela sighed. “..I don’t have anything to hope for if I die.. just an unsettling mystery being guided by a dead President my family knew well in the past. It’s.. not like I’m trying to patronize you- but I genuinely can’t be calm knowing everything could go black.. And there’s just nothing after that. That’s.. what this Card does for me. It’s a lens to know what’s to come- because it’s never been wrong, Iris. You’ve seen it yourself- it’s not natural.”
Still she held a little bit of skepticism. "..alright, alright. How do I 'give it meaning' exactly...?"
“Just hold it,” She instructed, as she held the item in question to her, “Speak its name ‘World Tree,’ and just say whatever you like. That’s how all the other Tsion Cards got their meanings- word of mouth from the bearer. I’ll.. I-I’ll appreciate whatever you say, good or bad..”
Hesitantly she complied, lightly raising it in her hand as she studied the item's contour. Something from the unspoken uncivilized bounds of Old Awenyddion, surely. "..world tree... uh... peace of mind, safety?" It was a hesitant try at nothing to her, but she supposed it was all she really had on her mind presently.
It almost made Angela giggle, but she wordlessly took it back with a small smile on her face. “..You know that applies to your future too..” She added. “You held it, after all. Let’s hope for both our peace of mind then.. yeah?”
Wordlessly Iris looked on, taking in the distant gunfire as she managed only a grim sigh in reply... silently the hope remained with her that friendly support would come soon enough. How could the Federal Remnant... fail so early on? It simply wasn't possible. The Cantenians couldn't hold against the armies of the Remnant forever... surely…
Eventually, something had come to find their little street in the damned village. And given the heavy rumbling sound of an aged aluminum engine block, it could only have been the tank ace that had dispatched the remainder of their unit. Whether she was accompanied by infantry or not was left to the imaginations of the shellshocked crewmen, as the engine drowned out most other sounds around them..
A tear would roll down Iris' cheek as it became apparent what awaited them. A silent prayer would precede her bringing her AR-M64 barrel to the base of her jaw as she contemplated the notion. Whatever fate had come was here now, ready to befall them all. The cold of the rifle barrel felt especially cold against her skin then as she pondered the prospect of releasing herself from what anguish might await them mere seconds away. "..sorry.." Still, she hesitated, hands trembling as she held the rifle in her hands. It was almost out of place in those well-manicured hands, just as her colored streaks of hair contrasted strangely with the singed ends further down.
Angela was mortified by the sight, practically staring at Iris as she saw the gun barrel against her jawline. She glanced to her own rifle, but not in the same light- she could only wonder how far it would get her if Iris finally snapped, and drew her own life to avoid a fate worse than death.. the Mauzian Fate. One she could never have influenced no matter how she lived, she was born with a cursed name. Angela had no such case- but being born a nobody was no better than being born somebody, in some ways. All she could do now was pray- silently- that Iris’ had given her a future she could entrust powers beyond her comprehension to grant her. If only just this once..
Sonia had spent most of her time since things had went to shit trying to force herself to stay calm, to focus on the assigned tasks, and to keep the younger members of the group focused - but now, with the sound of an engine approaching, likely belonging to the enemy ace, she found it harder to keep the same relatively calm reactions she’d had before… And her breathing picked up, her nails digging into the ground instinctively as she continued to prevent herself from making any noise. They had lasted this long, last thing she needed was to blow it by saying something or hyperventilating too loudly. There would be time to break down a bit and release the stress when they got out… if they got out.
The ground began to shake as the heavily tearing of metal tracks dragging across broken roadway came up not too far behind them, the tank ace no doubt well within visual sight of their busted Balthazar. Then, the engine died abruptly. A faint sound of several hatches opening up- then, footsteps..
All until a sharp feminine voice cut out into the air around them.
“No.. don’t even think about it. If there’s anyone left alive in there, I will see to it they receive fair custody… and are taken as far away from your forsaken hellhole as possible. Search the interior.”
Angela’s eyes widened when she heard the voice.. Instantly recognizing it as the same from before. But she couldn’t just repeat her comments to Iris and Sonia now- it’d get them spotted! Unless.. they wanted to be found by her?..
Sonia was content to remain silent - words of fair custody and being taken someplace away from here were just that… words. Wasn’t about to make her come out and risk those words not holding up, either due to an intentional trick or due to this ace not really being able to guarantee their safety.
Similarly, Iris kept the barrel pressed against herself, hands violently trembling as she seemingly weighed the worth of her own life — and what fate was preferrable to whatever might befall them.
The footfalls echoed as they clambered atop what could only be the engine deck of the tank, eventually scaling the turret and dropping into the crew compartment with an audible, echoing noise from their descent. There were mutterings - but they weren’t Cantenian dialects. They sounded different.. Almost foreign, in a way. Nothing like those of the East at least.
Angela recognized the mannerisms but couldn’t bring herself to say anything. It was certainly clear on her face though that she knew this fact though, but how good or bad it was could only have been left to her companions’ memories- those of when she’d first introduced herself.
Iris's only reply came in hushed prayers. Surely this enemy that had so effortlessly weaved through their allies wouldn't hesitate to murder them in similar fashion — or leave them to worse. She wasn't about to trust what distant voices of deceit were out there... and as a daughter of General Mauz, she was better off dead than leverage...
Although she did reconsider, Sonia eventually decided that it was still best to keep her mouth shut - sure, it didn’t sound like they were dealing with one of the Cantenites here, but they also had no clue whether or not this person was even able to hold up her promises… it was better safe than sorry.
The footfalls continued, the voices growing in volume until one eventually yelled out, “HEY UH, MA’AM. SOMEONE PISSED IN ‘ERE!” As though that was the only remarkable thing worth mentioning.
This reminder of her humiliation served only to push Iris even closer to the edge as she broke out into hushed sobs, haphazardly silencing herself by bringing the barrel to her mouth instead as she tried to quietly weep.
“What t- Why is THAT all you can report, Corporal?! Is there AMMUNITION, perhaps? Or PEOPLE? ANYTHING that I should take as a sign this wasn’t just..” A pause, likely a sigh. “..piloted by those damnable child-soldiers, probably now that I’m mulling it over.”
“WELL UH.. COUPLE OF THOSE MA’AM! SMOKES.. PHOS’ROAST.. SHRAPNEL.. EVEN A-T-G-MS!”
“..Thank you.” Edith’s voice sounded closer now, leading them to presume she may have disembarked her vehicle- or at least moved slightly closer to the tank from it- to converse with her crewmen. “Dig it out. If there’s any personal objects of the Federal States of Euphemie inform me at once. The Council of St-.. sorry, Goldenplate will be more than happy to save any of these lost souls’ memories I’m sure. That Mauz.. I pity his influence on this place. His children deserve better than this.”
“GUESS THAT’S RIGHT.. GOT THAT MAUZ ‘N MAYER’N TOO! BET HE’S A REAL HASSLE F’EM SEERS.”
“..Yes yes I understand, don’t push the point. They’re not demons, Corporal. Just.. misguided ‘manpower’ in their eyes, it seems. No matter, the tank appears deserted as you claim. Just transfer the ammo, inform me if you see any changes.”
“YES LIEUTENANT-COLONEL!”
The exchange came to a close as Edith walked back to her vehicle- which certainly was still manned given the sounds of it, and those two who were rummaging about Avenger proceeded to strip the magazines inside bare of their munitions one at a time. Easily, the process would take them an agonizing 20-minutes at this rate- if not longer. When they could hear them making the first trip from one tank to another, they would have small windows to converse and plan what they may wish to do from here.. from the sounds of it, things could certainly have been a lot worse.
Sonia’s voice was a low whisper when she spoke up, careful not to raise it too much and attract attention. “Are… we all on the same page on what we’re doing?” she managed, not wanting to take any action without clearing it with the others.
“..A-Are we?! I m-” Angela nearly became startled when the two tankers not far away accidentally dropped one of their rounds, eliciting plentiful swears of the western assortment. “..I.. I uh.. recognize these kinds of people, actually. I don’t think they’re Cantenians.. Might be mercs? Or uh-.. Shoot what’s it called.. Frontiersmen. From my home.”
“I’m from near the border… they definitely don’t sound like the Cantenians I’m used to… but even if we go with them, we’re still… going to be surrounded by the enemy. You think they’d even be able to protect us?” Sonia asked, unsure.
“..T-To be fair Sonia..” Angela added, a bit more out of fear than respect this time. “..T-They destroyed two of the most advanced tanks in the world with.. something from before my grandfather was born.. and isn’t that Springfield lady a Lieutenant-Colonel? I-I don’t know for what but.. t-that’s an important rank, right!?”
“They can win fights, sure… but if push comes to shove… dunno if they’d stand up for us or avoid clashing with their client… if the merc thing is true. Whoever they are, they’re still working with Canten,” Sonia pointed out. “Then again… no telling when friendly support is going to be here…”
“..It doesn’t help we don’t know the deets of the other units- V-.. Case took all that info to the grave.. l-look, what’re we even going to do? We’ve got a fire to one side, and a tank crew- mercenary, from a nation at least one of us is a citizen of- looting our tank for.. who knows how long!! Are we going to sit here forever or.. or..” She didn’t want to have to be the one to say the words out loud..
But surrender was looking to be a very likely option in her mind.
Fourth Alvimian Empire
Angecalian Republic
Republique Hautcele
Acasian Empire
Republic of Floriana
South Atlantic Empire
Republic of Turmenista
Regentoric Waters
