Chapter 6: Struggle for Trost
Trost, Wall Rose, 104th Cadet Training Corps
Wall Rose stood at the frontline and as the Last line of Defense against the Titans, after the fall of Wall Maria five years ago. The Gate at the city of Trost became the entrance for humanity's expedition into former lost territories of wall Maria now dubbed as Titan territory by many.
Being the closest town to the breach in Wall Maria and a likely target for further Titan incursion into already diminished Human lands. The town which was a bustling center for inter-wall trade and commerce had now being converted into a fortress. It was some of the first cities to have been installed with the latest developed Wall mounted rail cannons. Nearly eight hundred soldiers are stationed in and out of the city around the year. Expected for the rise in the number of troops to one thousand at the end of this year. Strategies and contingency plans were prepared for a possible Titan attack. The town was stocked with enormous amount of munitions and supplies to hold off any titan invasion for at least five to six days. The Government and the Military assured its people the city would never fall to the Titans.
But all the preparations, promises came to nought when the mighty sixty feet Colossal Titan reappeared in front of the Trost city gates with a struck of lightning like it happened five years ago. It blew the soldiers on the top off the wall with a huge burst of steam from its body and destroyed the cannons and rails on the top of the wall. It then went on to destroy the gate with a with tremendous force. The gate crumbled and debris flew all around leaving a massive hole in the wall.
Eren Yeager, a survivor for the Titan invasion of Wall Maria five years ago and part of the 104th Cadet Corps was on the cannon clean-up duty when the Colossal Titan appeared. He along with his comrades were blown away from off the due to its intense steam. Fueled by the intense hatred he had for the Titans for losing his family to them he climbed back on the wall to drew his blades and ran towards his opponent with his eyes burning in anger at the monster that was before him.
The Colossal Titan drew his hand back and sent it flying towards him. Eren jumped off the wall when its hand impacted it. As Eren hooked on to the titan the cannons on the wall were smashed as the titan dragged its arms across.
"It took out the cannons. It is intelligent after all," he said to himself.
The titan noticing Eren on his hands tried to shake him off. Eren jumped off firing his 3DMG cables and moved in an arc towards the titan's nape. Once in position, he launched himself towards the monster's nape to deliver the killing blow. But the Colossal titan soon noticed the impending danger and sent a gust of steam towards Eren throwing him off his course.
Eren grunted at the pressure and heat of the colossal titan. After a few seconds when the steam of heat let up, he charged once again and slashed his blades at the presumed colossal Titan's nape only to his surprise find out it had vanished in thin air.
Hooking himself on to the wall he looked at the surrounding finding nothing except the massive footprints of the colossal titan and the rubble and debris of the gate.
"Like five years back colossal titan disappeared, just as it had appeared," he said to himself.
Eren returned back on to the top of the wall. Sad and frustrated for unable to kill the colossal titan when he got the chance.
He was greeted by Connie and Thomas. Two of his friends from the training corps.
"I 'm Sorry. I let him go," he said.
"Why are you apologizing for? Thomas said. "You charged head-on while we couldn't even...."
"Guys." Connie cut him off. " This is no time for chatting. The wall is breached! If it is not fixed quickly, the Titans will be getting in again."
At the very moment, a Garrison soldier arrived at the scene. "What are you waiting for ?" he said.
"The strategy for handling the appearance of colossal titan is already in motion. Return back to HQ immediately. Anyone who made contact with it, report it with every detail."
The Cadets stood in attention and saluted.
"Yes, sir." They all replied in unison.
"I pray for your success," Connie added.
The Cadets soon pulled out and the soldiers from the Garrison division arrived at the scene. They soon started setting up defences around the breach and prepared the surviving cannons on the wall.
Trost, Garrison Division, Advance Team
A massive titan horde of titans began approaching the destroyed gate. Sensing the large buffet just on the other side of the breach titans began to bunch up together.
The Garrison began manning their defences for the upcoming attack. On the ground, several cannons and barricades were being set up surrounding the breached gate. On the walls the cannons were loaded with HE shells and their crews aimed them at the targets, waiting for them to come into cannon's range.
As soon as the Titans came close to the wall, the Garrison opened fire unleashing a volley of cannon fire at the Titans.
Very few of the rounds hit dead center blasting the Titans nape killing them off. Some were able to disable others. But most missed their marks. The Cannons were reloaded and the second volley was sent at the monsters way. This time inflicting more damage than their previous volley.
"Charge." the Garrison commander ordered.
The soldiers leapt from the walls on attack to press their advantage of the titan's injuries.
At first, their assault worked. Several crippled titans were cut down by the soldiers with ease before more titans joined the fray. One by one they began to get surrounded and killed by the Titans. Titan's overwhelming size and their numbers were too much for them to handle.
One of the last surviving soldiers tried to escape to the top of the wall. He hooked his cables on to the wall and tried to get away when out of nowhere an abnormal leapt at him. He tried to dodge it but the Titan was too fast. It caught him in the mid-air. It slowly began to swallow him alive down his throat when he desperately tried to fight it by sticking his blade into the face of the monster. In return, the titan raised his jaws and brought it down on him. He screamed in pain and the valuable moments of his life ran before his eyes. As he slowly began to close his eyes, through his fading vision he could see the Titans tearing through the barricade on the breached gate and the sound of cannon fire and screams of men coming from the other side as the Titan horde began to enter through the breach en mass.
Inside the gate, the barricades and cannons were swept aside and the Titans poured into the city. Soldiers were being eaten left and right as they tried to fight back and slow down the Titans from entering further into the city. In the midst of this chaos and slaughter, no one could hear the distant noises of the screeching of the flying F/A-18s coming down to rain hell on the Titans.
Sky Above Trost
Capt. Charles callsign Falcon one leads his squadron soar through the skies of the Alien world towards the human city now named as 'Trost' according to the locals for softening the ground and provide air support for 1st Combat Battalion. Like the reconnaissance mission hours ago he and his squadron volunteered to lead the first air strike against the giants.
"Captain !, the giants are crossing through the breach. I don't detect any human heat signs in the area. The local defenders must have been wiped out." His co-pilot worriedly informed him.
"What is the present location of 1st Battalion right now ?"
"They are still a 4 miles away."
'Damn it !' Charles said to himself.
"HQ this is Falcon one, we are late, Giants have already steamrolled through the local defences and are now entering the city in very large numbers. Please advise over."
..........
"Falcon one proceed as planned. You are to engage the Giants outside the wall. At no circumstances, you are to bomb the city. Leave the ones inside to 1st Battalion over."
"Roger that HQ. Falcon one out."
Charles quickly changes his frequencies.
"This is Falcon one to all. Prepare for the bombing run."
The squadron of sixteen fighters soon divided themselves into pre-designated Finger-Four formations for the attack.
Falcon one along with his formation took a sharp right turn and then dived towards the ground. As soon as they dropped their payload of unguided Mark 81 bombs on the large concentration of giants in the open and they pulled up.
The bombs hit their mark. It blew up a large concentration of giants on the ground sending hot crimson blood and body parts all over the place. The attack was soon followed up by other formations as they dropped their massive payloads on to the unexpecting giants on the ground.
Falcon's formation soon turned around for another attack run, this time with their cannons and missiles raining hell down Giants those were cut to bits.
"Our attacks are not that effective," Albert commented as he saw several Giants those napes weren't were harmed were regenerating from their mind-boggling wounds. One was literally torn to half but it still kept on crawling towards the breach as the rest part to its body began to regenerate.
"It doesn't matter," Charles replied. "We are here just to slow those monsters long enough for our ground units to arrive and take them out."
"Roger."
Trost, Garrison Headquarters
At the Garrison's headquarters, the soldiers and the cadets alike were making preparations for the upcoming battle. Blades were stocked, gas canisters were filled and 3DM Gears were checked for any defects. Soldiers those were fully equipped were gathering at the headquarters courtyard.
After every soldier was equipped and ready. The commander in charge of the Trost District, Captain Kitz Woerman ordered a fall in.
The courtyard was filled with scared, panicked and confused soldiers and Cadets. Many were scared for their lives, knowing full well, they were going to face the entity that pushed humanity into near extinction.
"Attention" Woerman yelled in his loud and terrified voice.
"Just like in the training, split up into your individual squads. You will be under Garrison command. Your duties are to assisting in providing supplies, communication, and sweeping up the Titans. The first line of defence will be the front line unit of the Garrison. The second line will be the cadet squads under our command. The rearguard will be Garrison's elite units."
"We have already received word that the vanguard unit has been annihilated !"
Many cadets and soldiers faces turned white at this information.
"The outer gates have been destroyed and the Titans have encroached upon the city. This means the armoured Titan might show at any moment to breach the inner gate."
"Thats.."
"No way."
"If wall Rose falls..."
"Silence !"
"The frontline units are already engaged in combat. There is but one goal in this operation: Defend Wall Rose until the civilians are evacuated. Also let me remind you, desertion is a capital punishment."
"Men vow your hearts to devote your lives for humanity !"
"Dismissed."
"Yes, Sir." The Soldiers and Cadets alike yelled and saluted in unison.
Soldiers and cadets began to form up in their own squads.
Jean Kirschtein a cadet planning to join the Military Police and live a comfortable life in the interior had all gone to mess. If the attack had just postponed for a day he would be on his way to Capital by tomorrow. He was angry due to his hopeless situation and was sure he will be dead before the end of the day.
Distracted Jean bumped into Eren. "Fuck off !" he yelled at him.
"Hey, Jean! What's with you ?"Eren asked.
Jean grabbed Eren by his collar. "What's with me?!, don't give me that crap, you suicidal asshole!. You wanted to join the Survey Corps!, you were prepared to feed yourself to the Titans already. I was going to the interior tomorrow, goddammit!
"Calm down Jean."
"Just chill out and accept my death?!"
"No!, remember our three years of training. We have been on the verge of death many times during those years. Some actually died, some ran away, and some were sent away. But we survived! Didn't we? We will survive today too. You will survive today and you're going to interior tomorrow! Got it."
Watching this escalation Connie who was around tried to intervene.
"Guys stop fighting. We are......."
*BOOM*
A loud explosion was heard coming from the direction of the wall and the ground shook by the force of it. Everyone's attention was now towards the sound of the explosion along came a roaring sharp noise intertwined with it.
"What's that?" A cadet asked.
"Those can't be the cannons, right? the advance team is wiped out and the noise was way too much louder than a normal cannon." Another added.
Just after a fraction of second, later more explosions could be heard from the direction of the wall. Thick black smoke began to rise which was clearly visible from the Garrison's HQ.
"You send someone and find out what is going on out there," Woermann ordered to one of his subordinates.
On the top of the wall. Captain Hannes a Garrison soldier and another survivor from the fall of Wall Maria could see everything unfold. Though it was hard he could visible see several flying objects with roaring noises flying low and dropping things on the top of the titans which resulted in these big explosions. Though he couldn't see the results of those blasts. He was somewhat glad those objects were helping them in slowing the Titans.
Alien World, UNEC 1st battalion, En route to Wall Rose
"Overload to Yankee actual, be advised Falcon one reports the Giants have already entered the city through the breach. Recommend being prepared for Giant eradication operation over."
"Copy that Overload. What's on the situation on the reinforcements, over."
"2nd battalion is still preparing for the operation. A detachment of Helicopter-borne German Naval Force Protection troops with Cobra gunship support is on the way. ETA 30 minutes over."
"Affirmative HQ, over and out."
Alistair changes his radio frequencies.
"This is Yankee actual to all. The Giants have got through the breach and are attacking the humans on the other side of the wall as we speak. As planned before Alpha, Charlie and Warhammer companies will make a perimeter around the breach and hold it. Bravo will secure the other side of the breach and begin the eradication operation. Are we clear over?"
"This is Alpha Affirmative."
"Bravo. Roger."
"Charlie acknowledged."
"Warhammer actual. Roger that."
"Warhammer actual I want you to attach one of your tanks to the Bravo company in their operation. over."
"Roger that. Yankee actual will do. over and out."
Alistair places back the radio. As the column was getting closer to their target the distant noises of the jets bombing the crap out of those monsters became nearer.
Suddenly his radio crackled to life.
"This is Warhammer actual. We visual on the objective over."
"This is Yankee actual, battalion reform into defensive formation 2."
As ordered the column began to slow down and form up. Three tanks lead the front, two in the middle and other two in the rear. Trucks and Humvees were in between of the column protected by the LAVs on both the flanks.
"Yankee Actual to Falcon one, cease your attack we are moving in to plug the breach over."
"Roger that Yankee actual. Good hunting Falcon one out."
After receiving word that the battalion was ready to move. "So it has begun," he said to himself. Pressing his radio's send button he said.
"1st Battalion MOVE OUT!. obliterate any naked freak that gets inside your weapon's range."
The Column began to move through the forested area leading towards the wall. They soon began encountering Titans attracted towards the mass of humans moving through their land.
The tanks and LAVs on the move opened up on the encroaching titans. Blasting many where they stood. Some titans napes were destroyed outright killing them, others were crippled enough to pose any significant threat for awhile.
The column trekked through the open creator filled area (Thanks to Falcon squadron) between the forest and the wall firing at anything that got into their firing range.
"T3 Giant on the left."
"Turn the turret to our 10 o clock left "
"Target in sight."
"Fire !"
The T-72s 125mm unleashed an HE shell that hit the Giant at its dead center blowing it apart.
"Reload."
Maksakov wiped the sweat from his forehead. His Platoon was the spearhead of the Battalion and the duty to clear the path was on him and his platoon's tank crews.
"How much far are we from the breach ?" His loader asked
"700 metres approx," he replied.
"Fire only at the giants those are in our path or the T3 ones. We have to conserve ammo for our stand at the breach."
"Da Ser" his crew members replied in unison.
In the middle of the column, Alistair could see the fighting unfold on his screen inside his LAV C-2. The live images of the battle were relayed to him and the base command through a Recon aircraft up in the air.
The column was now 300 meters from the breach.
"All forward elements concentrate your fire on the tangos around the breach." He ordered through his radio.
Warhammer Company's 1st tank platoon and Alpha Company LAVs soon eradicated the Giant presence around the breach. The Battalion then moved on to create a defensive perimeter around the breach. A Tank from the 1st Platoon held its position right in front of the breach and killing any giant that tried to cross from inside the city attracted by the sudden presence of a large number of humans just outside the wall waiting for the LAVs to takeover. Shortly later on Bravo company moved in gunning any Giant around the breach and securing the other side. The wooden bridges on the defensive moats created around the gate were predicted not to be tank friendly. Not to take any chances on those and losing the only way into the city, it was decided not to move the tanks in until the situation got really dire.
"Overload this is Yankee actual. We have set up a defensive perimeter around. Bravo company has set up a perimeter inside the city and are preparing to move further in. over."
"Acknowledged Yankee actual. out"
Marines outside started getting out of the LAVs and the trucks to join the defensive line.
"Marines hold your fire until you see their whites in their eyes. Do not waste your ammo, fire only when you have a confirmed kill on your target." Captain Morrison ordered.
"Yes, Sir." His men replied in unison. In the background, the firing of the LAV chain guns and the Tanks main guns echoed as they gunned down any approaching Giant.
Alistair got out of his LAV and joined the Marine company commanders waiting for him just outside.
"Is Bravo Company ready to further into the city Captain Edward ?."
"Yes, sir they are ready for action."
*BOOM*
"Those Russian tankers are surely racking up more kills today," Morrison commented.
"At the end of the day US Marines as always will be on the top," Edward said with a smirk.
"Good, Edward you may now proceed inland. But be careful there I was informed the local defences are withholding our tanks to move in. If Giants concentration is too much fallback and hold the present perimeter."
"Roger That, sir. About the tanks, I am certain my Marines are up to the task even without them. We will just Improvise, adapt and overcome."
"Oorah to that," Alistair commented with a smile.
"Oorah !" Others joined in.
Captain Edward leaves to join his company at the mouth of the breach for the Giant eradication operation.
To be continued.