*Static*
*Bzzt*
>Loading: Carnage, Phase 1_
The shimmering sun of the Special Region/Aurelia rose as men from two different sides and ideologies grasped their weapons, staring each other down like lions spotting their prey. Honorable soldiers of the Empire stand proudly in massive formations as Federation troops, both rookies and hardened veterans alike, prepare for the battle. Anticipation runs thick in the air as the Imperial forces charge in, prompting Jensen to scream those faithful words...
"OPEN FIRE!"
...
There is no turning back now.
>Location: Alnus Hill_
>Time: ??:??_
>Point of View: 3rd Person_
Carnage. That's the word someone would use if they had to describe the chaos that is the Battle of Alnus Hill. Gunfire and cannon barrages roar louder than thunder while dying Imperials scream in suffering. Rockets and cluster missiles scream overhead and land in the middle of a large group of Imperials as deafening booms and explosions wipe them away as if they are nothing.
Jensen grits his teeth and peeks out of his cover, witnessing a new cohort replacing their annihilated brethren. Cursing under his breath, Jensen aims at the Imperials below the hill as his comrades hold the line.
"KEEP FIRING!" Jensen yelled as he fired multiple accurate bursts from his rifle.
A nearby ATF soldier fires several pop shots before ducking under cover to reload, "Damn it! How many Imperials are there!?" He questions aloud as a nearby officer lowers his head.
"I don't know, BUT DON'T FALTER!" the officer barks as a nearby machine gun crew lays down heavy suppressing fire, "HOLD THE LINE AND SHOW 'EM WHAT WE'VE GOT!"
"Are our guns even enough!?" another soldier question as nearby Paladins lay down heavy gunfire with their rifle-like cannons.
Jensen swaps out his gun's empty magazine. "YES THEY ARE! JUST KEEP FIRING!" He blurts over the deafening roar of gunfire before adding his own into the mix.
And just like that, the battle has already begun. Imperial forces charge head-on against the ATF as multiple lines of soldiers unleash a wall of bullets at them. Bullets, cannon shells, and missiles fly towards their targets, killing those unfortunate enough to get hit. The monstrous roar of cannon fire from the tanks and paladins struck fear into the hearts of many Imperials as they inch closer to the hill, suffering more from each step taken.
Jensen continues firing his rifle when he notices multiple wyverns overhead, prompting him to duck under cover and contact the paladins.
"PALADINS! SHOOT THOSE WYVERNS DOWN!" Jensen screams through the comms as he looks overhead, glaring at the wyverns before hearing a faint 'catchunk' through the comms.
"Roger that!" one of the Paladin pilots responds as the mechs load their cannons with flak rounds, "Peppering the skies!"
The Paladins proceed to unleash a barrage of anti-air rounds into the sky as orange flames and black smoke explodes overhead. The wyverns and their riders attempted to dodge the overwhelming amount of flak, but it was too much. They all got blown into tiny bits and pieces.
In the grand scheme of things, every single gun fired mercilessly, contributing to the carnage. But one gun has yet to fire a shot.
Sandyx stares at the chaos as she shivers intensely, barely able to comprehend the chaos in front of her. She could feel her mind breaking down as she began stuttering.
"I... I can't," Sandyx whispers as she drops her SMG, losing what's left of her already little will to fight while nearby tanks unleash a barrage of cluster missiles from their built-in missile pods.
A chain of explosions eradicates a massive swath of Imperials as Jensen points towards the charging cavalry at the flanks, "TAKE THE CAVALRY DOWN!"
"Understood," one of the pilots of the Pillager walkers replied through the comms, "Opening fire."
Suddenly, the noise of war fades away as Sandyx collapses to both of her knees, putting her hands over her face. Then, as quickly as it left, the noise returns as Sandyx yells at the top of her lungs.
"I JUST CAN'T!"
...
>Timeskip_
>Location: Kingdom of Elbe_
Somewhere in the special region lies the Kingdom of Elbe, one of the many vassals of the Empire. Everyone under the Imperial thumb is obligated to contribute and give whatever the Empire needs, and Elbe is no different. But this time, the Empire has called a request with a sense of urgency, as if the Imperial realm itself is in massive danger...
...
Sitting on his throne was King Duran, known to many as the Lion of Elbe. Accompanied by his most loyal guards, you'd think that the king would be comfortable without any worries. However, that was not the case, because the King was thinking. Thinking about the news he received a day prior. And, despite his stoic appearance, was baffled and distressed.
How. How did the Empire lose so badly? They're the unchallenged superpower of the continent. Let alone, it's foolish to face the Imperial army in all of its might, so how did the Empire lose so badly at Alnus hill?
Massaging his forehead, Duran lets out a deep sigh, he's having a slight headache. His guards, however, still stood unwavering when heavy footsteps were heard.
"Your Majesty!" A voice echoes as a young man rushes towards the throne before kneeling in front of the King.
Duran looks at the man as he lowers his arm, "What is it?"
"Y-your Majesty, the Emperor himself has made an urgent request!"
"A request?" The King questions as the messenger raise his head.
"Yes, Your Highness. Emperor Molt Sol Augustus has made a plea to its vassal states to contribute in the formation of an army to drive back the foreign invaders from another world, who are now establishing a base on Alnus hill!"
Duran immediately realizes what the messenger was conveying. These 'foreign invaders'... They must be the ones who managed to defeat the Imperial army. With a hint of weariness under his stoic voice, "How much do I need to contribute to this so-called army?"
"According to the Emperor himself..." The messenger pauses before looking at the King directly, "As much as you could muster to repel the barbarians."
The King froze for a moment, contemplating what his next action should be.
Should he participate or wait it out? No... He can't just wait it out, the Empire demands it, he and many others should contribute. If he doesn't oblige, then the Empire would surely punish him and his kingdom. But these foreign invaders... They've managed to defeat the Imperial army at its full might. What if they'll also defeat this army the Emperor is attempting to assemble?
No... That's impossible. Duran finds comfort in the thought that perhaps this allied army will be strong enough to repel these foreign invaders, these 'Barbarians' that threaten the whole realm. The King knew that if he and the others don't act now, who knows what's the worst that could happen.
Rising from his throne, King Duran makes up his mind as his guards look directly at him...
"Prepare my armor and the army. We accept the Empire's call to arms."
...
>Location: Alnus Hill, Codenamed: Talionis_
>Time: 6:00AM_
>Point of View: 3rd Person_
It's been a few days since the battle of Alnus hill. Well, at least for the Empire it's called as such. Because the ATF and Federation forces have dubbed Alnus Hill a different name. Talionis, Latin for retaliation. Thus, the battle of Alnus hill is also known as the battle of Talionis. A clear reminder of what the Empire is about to face for provoking the Federation.
...
It's a sunny morning at Talionis. Bones and ash from the first battle lie scattered across the grassy fields as construction drones and androids work on building a base on the hill. Technicians oversaw the whole process as ATF soldiers and walkers patrol and guard the area to make sure that everything goes smoothly. A few days ago, the ATF oversaw the creation of a massive steel-concrete plane in front of the Gate. No one knows its true purpose yet, but many assume it's created to serve as one of the base's foundations. Still, such a large platform must have another use aside from being a simple foundation. So it has to be important.
Inside the pristine white walls of Sandyx's quarters, an alarm from a nearby holo-phone chimes repeatedly as sunlight shines through one of the windows. The alarm continues ringing until Sanyx rolls over her bed, fluttering her eyes before grabbing the phone.
Barely keeping her eyes open, Sandyx stops the alarm before looking at the time, "Ugh... It's six already?" She said with a groggy tone before letting out a small yawn, "I guess I'm awake now..."
She gets off of her bed and stretches for a bit before slowly walking into the bathroom. Sandyx washes her face and rinses the soap off before staring at herself in the mirror, remembering what happened during the Battle of Talionis.
All of the chaos and carnage that she has witnessed, she couldn't get it out of her head. It was as if she was reliving the whole thing again and she is not happy about it. Putting her hands over her face, Sandyx grimaces as those unwanted memories emerge.
Groaning in frustration, Sandyx leans forward as she grasps the edges of the sink, glaring at herself in the mirror, "Come one Sandyx! Put yourself together..!"
With water droplets trickling down her face, she grabs a nearby towel before drying her face off and leaving the bathroom. She then puts on her uniform and glasses before looking out of her quarter's window, taking a glance at the ongoing construction outside before checking a notification on her phone.
Private Sandyx Corvid, please report to the briefing room for your task assignment.
-- Command
Letting out a small sigh, Sandyx whispers to herself, "I guess this is my home now..."
Placing her holo-phone in one of her pockets, Sandyx leaves her room as the doors slide shut and the lights go out. She needs to report to the people in charge after all.
...
Standing in the middle of the massive concrete plane, Jensen stares at the landscape in the distance as his helmet hangs off the grasp of his hand. He is enamored by the sight in front of him, invoking the feeling of slight tranquility in him.
Werner reveals himself on the captain's shoulder as the AI gives a remark about the landscape, "Quite a beautiful sight, isn't it sir?"
"Indeed it is," Jensen replies as Werner brings up a small piece of info.
"If I remember correctly, this is exactly what Earth used to look like several millennia ago."
"How'd you know that?" Jensen asks with a slightly snarky tone.
"Oh, you can thank the web-- Th-that PPPPPP-place is a buuuu-burning pile of sh-shit..." Werner replies.
Unamused, Jensen turns around as he takes a look at the massive structure that is the Gate itself. 700 meters wide and 500 meters tall, the Gate was an absolute behemoth of a structure, enough to fit entire cruisers in it. Perhaps that's the reason why there is a massive concrete plane.
Curious, Jensen asks Werner a question, "Werner, what are they planning to do with the Gate?"
Werner takes a quick search for any info to answer Jensen's question, "Although the only available sources are... Questionable in reliability, some are saying that there is a plan on bringing in ships like The Minos and The Cuchulain into Aurelia. The date of arrival is still unknown though."
"The Minos and Cuchulain..." Jensen mutters to himself, "Aren't those Immolator class Cruisers?"
"Well, the Minos is..." Werner verifies, "However, the Cuchulain is an Ictus class destroyer, not an Immolator I'm afraid."
"I see..." Jensen whispers to himself as a hint of nostalgia fills him.
"Are you feeling nostalgic again?" Werner asks as Jensen nods slightly. "Of course... We were stationed in The Minos after all."
Letting out a deep breath, Jensen looks away from the Gate when Werner chimes from a notification.
"Oh! It appears that we received a notification."
"Bring it up, Werner," Jensen orders as a holographic message appears in front of him.
Captain, your presence is required in the briefing room. We have information that demands your attention.
-- Intelligence Corp.
"It appears the Intel Corp has something interesting," Werner remarks as the message blinks away.
"Seems like it..." Jensen replies as he readjusts his grip on his helmet, "Come on now, let's head over there."
"Affirmative sir."
Werner fades away as Jensen takes one more glance at the Gate, marveling at its size one more time before walking away, ignoring the faint sound of the construction nearby.
>Timeskip_
>Location: Talionis, West wing_
>Point of View: Jensen's_
After a long walk from the concrete plane to the west wing, I find myself navigating the corridors of the base. The east wing is still under construction but the west is mostly complete. Still, it doesn't help that the entire layout of the west wing is a literal labyrinth. Anyway, after navigating the maze-like corridors, I finally find myself in the hall where the briefing room is located.
But there, I found a certain reddish-black haired girl with glasses timidly standing by the door. It was Sandyx.
'Huh... Why is she standing there?'
Curious, I decided to grab her attention, "Hey Sandyx."
Sandyx flinches before facing me stiffly, shaking a little from my presence.
"At ease," I calmly said before standing in front of her, "What are you doing here?"
Sandyx stutters a little before giving a response, "I-I was supposed to g-get my assignment..." she pauses before fixing her glasses, "b-but there are three people in the b-briefing room, I didn't want to enter b-because I didn't want to disturb them..."
"Hmm... Three people?" I mumbled as I walked by her before peering into the door's window to check. Just as Sandyx said, three people, but immediately, I saw the Intelligence Corps insignia on one of their arms, giving me confirmation that they were waiting for me.
'Just as I thought, the Intel Corp.'
I look at Sandyx once again, "Mind staying here for a second? I'd like to have a word with you later."
She nods anxiously as I twist the doorknob open and enter the briefing room. Immediately, the three from the Intel Corp notices me as the one in the middle turns around and cracks a smile.
"Ah! If it isn't the Captain himself!"
"And... You must be part of the Intel Corp, I presume?" I asked before closing the door gently
"Indeed!" he said enthusiastically before offering a handshake, "I'm sergeant Guerro of the Intelligence Corps. The others with me are Moltke and Katerina, both corporals."
I shake his hand while looking over his shoulder, spotting the two Corporals waving at me. I assume the one with the helmet on is Moltke while the girl is Katerina (Of course).
Guerro lets go of my hand before pointing his thumb at the briefing table behind him, "Now then, we got something that requires your attention, sir. It's something about those Imperials."
Guerro walks around the briefing table and takes his spot between the two corporals as I walk over to the Sergeant's old spot, standing in front of Guerro as he boots up the table's holographic console.
"What's up with the Imperials this time?" I asked as a holographic projection of an encampment appears.
Moltke responds as the projection becomes clearer, creating emblems representing the Imperials, "Based on the info we have collected, the blokes are planning some sort of attack."
"You hit the nail on the head, Moltke," Guerro announces, "These Imperials seem to be assembling an army to attack Talionis. But there's a catch."
I raise my eyebrow as I look at Guerro in the eyes, "A catch?"
"Katerina?" Guerro points as the corporal take over.
"It appears that the Imperials aren't the only ones involved" Katerina states with her heavy Russian accent as other emblems appear, "Based on the information that we have collected, the Imperials have also called in their vassal states and allies to assemble a coalition army."
"Indeed," Moltke continues, "with this in mind, the coalition could assemble an army 300,000 souls strong, 100,000 of which are fit for combat with the rest serving auxiliary roles."
Taking a moment to take all of this info in, I ask one more question, "When do you think this army will be ready?"
"From the looks of things and based on our estimates," Guerro replies before shutting down the holograms, "as soon as two days."
Letting out a small sigh, I nod at Guerro, "Thank you for bringing this up, Sergeant Guerro. I'll put this info into good use."
"No problem sir!" I turned around but before I could take a step, the Sergeant brought up one last thing, "By the way, a higher-up told me to uhh... Tell you that another PRISM Operative has arrived on Talionis."
Intrigued, I face Guerro once again, "Another operative?"
"Yes!" Guerro exclaims, "Though an officer did mention that he's a... 'metal bitch', not sure why though. Anyways! He's at the cafeteria. Pretty sure he's expecting you."
'I have a feeling that I already know who this operative is.'
I nod at him before giving my farewells, "Once again Guerro, thank you for telling me. Now I think I should start making preparations for the defense of Talionis after I pick up this operative."
"No problem sir!" Guerro and his corporals salute, "Stay safe out there!"
I salute back before walking away, opening the door before walking out.
'Seriously, why did they put in this kind of door instead of those sliding ones?'
Shaking my head a little, I make eye contact with Sandyx as I close the door shut, giving her an order in a calm tone, "Follow me, we're going to pick someone up."
After that, we both walk down the corridor, moving past other personnel through the hallways en route to the cafeteria. At first, neither of us bothered to say a word, minding our business as our footsteps ring around the hall. But after a few seconds of silence, I broke the ice and brought up a topic I'm particularly concerned with about Sandyx.
"Please tell me honestly, Sandyx," I said calmly as she flinches slightly, "What happened during the battle four days ago?"
Sandyx doesn't respond as she looks away from me in slight discomfort.
"It's okay, I'll keep this between the both of us," I added when Sandyx lets out a small sigh before stuttering.
"I-I don't r-really remember... But I think I-I had a nervous b-breakdown..."
"Of course..." I replied, "...I've seen a few rookies just like you suffer from those in the heat of battle. But to that extent..?"
Sandyx looks away again in discomfort as I pause for a moment, realizing her discomfort before apologizing, "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'm just concerned about you."
She slowly looks at me as we turn around a corner, "D-Do you..?"
"Yes," I responded sincerely before looking at her as well, "Unlike other officers, I often take a softer approach in dealing with the troops. Even sparking up conversations about any problems they might be having to assist them. And our current conversation is no different."
I pause for another moment before continuing, "In short, I care about you and the others serving under my command."
Sandyx stammers as she looks directly into my eyes, "Tha-Thank you, sir... You are the first officer I have encountered to s-say such a thing..."
Silence reemerges in the air as I took a moment to take in what Sandyx just said.
'I'm the first officer to say such a thing..? What does she mean?'
Shaking my head a little, I took a mental note of what she said as we continued walking, eventually reaching the cafeteria itself.
"We're here," I said softly as we both entered the cafeteria before standing in front of the entrance.
"W-Why are we here..?" Sandyx asked with slight confusion in her voice.
"To look for someone," I replied.
We both looked around the mostly empty cafeteria when I heard a robotic, yet distinct voice, a familiar one too, "Anyways, I was in this party once where they had a dancing competition, and one of the genres was 'The Robot Dance'. To this day I have no idea how I lost that one! Since, y'know, I'm a robot."
Chuckles soon followed as I barely held a grin. If anyone has stories like that, then it has to be him. I looked towards the source of the voice where I saw a stone-black android with a custom-built chassis leaning on a table as a familiar-looking blondie laughed.
'Yup, that's him.'
I proceed to walk towards the android as Sandyx follows suit, moving past a few tables and chairs before stopping in front of the droid.
Sandyx looks at the robot in confusion before asking me in a quiet, confused tone, "W-who is that?"
"A friend of mine," I replied when the android notices our presence.
He straightens up and opens his arms before speaking in a confident, friendly tone, his voice also having that modulated sound to it. "Well, well, well! If it ain't my boy Jensen! The Marauder himself!"
Sandyx looks at him in confusion as I crack a small smile, shaking my head a little, "Hello Davie."
The android, Davie, and I stepped forward as we shook hands, my palms meeting with the cold dark steel of his.
"It's good to see you again, comrade!" Davie gleefully said as we both let go of each other's hands.
"Likewise," I replied while barely suppressing a grin. "So, what are you doing here, Davie?"
Davie proceeds to scratch his head as if he's feeling an itch (funny since he's a robot and can't feel things like that), "About that, your dad decided that you alone wasn't enough and wanted to send in another operative. Obviously, Calvin was the most likely choice but he was out on a high-profile mission so uh... Yeah, he sent me in instead."
"Uh-huh..."
The android proceeds to motion towards the blondie standing by him, "By the way, this fellow who I just befriended is Kelzad De Vries. A Sergeant... I think..."
'No wonder why he looked so familiar'
Realizing who he was, I look towards Kelzad, remembering my encounter with him at Ginza, "Weren't you one of the troops Calvin and I encountered back at Ginza?"
"Yes sir!" Kelzad replied with the same jolly tone he used back then, "I immediately volunteered when news about this task force came out. I wanted to participate in this new venture after all!"
"I see..." I respond before giving a small nod.
"Also, who's she?" Davie questions, looking towards Sandyx.
Sandyx looks down nervously as I answer the droid's question, "Her name is Sandyx. She's a rookie who I allowed to tag along."
Davie froze for a second, staring at Sandyx before looking at me.
"Uh... Yeah! um... I just scanned and checked her records and..." Davie states with uncertainty in his voice, "Are you sure she won't..."
"Won't what?" I asked in confusion.
"Like y'know... Won't..." Davie paused when we noticed Sandyx looking away in discomfort.
Noticing this, he stops and apologizes, "Sorry, I guess I shouldn't talk about that right now. Especially with her being here. Otherwise, I might sound rude."
"Okay..?" I utter in curiosity before going back on track, "By the way, I need you to come with me, Davie. It's something we need to take a look at."
"Something important, you say?" Davie asks with intrigue in his voice.
"Yes," I replied, "But I'm afraid that it is something that only the both of us should talk about."
Sandyx and Kelzad look at us as Davie crosses his arms, "Alright then, if that's the case, then it has to be important. Also..."
Davie turns and faces Kelzad, "What were you gonna do again?"
"Ah, I was going to perform a routine inspection on the supplies!" Kelzad answered, "But the thing is that no one else is currently available to do it aside from me..."
"Take Sandyx with you," I blurted out, surprising Sandyx in the process, "I remember stumbling upon her by the briefing room waiting for an assignment, but the Intel Corps being there stopped her from doing just that. So maybe you can let her tag along and count that as her assignment for today."
"Hmm..." Kelzad takes a moment, probably thinking if he should or not before giving a thumbs up, "I see no problem with that, sir!"
"Excellent."
Kelzad lowers his arm as Sandyx looks at me with slight concern in her eyes, "A-are you sure this is a g-good idea, sir?"
"Trust me, Sandyx," I replied with a reassuring tone, "I'm sure Kelzad won't do you any harm."
Although still a little hesitant, Sandyx walks over to Kelzad as the latter says his goodbyes to Davie, "Welp, it's been fun talking to you, metal-man!"
"Likewise, blondie! Good luck in whatever you and the gir--"
"Sandyx," I interrupt.
"Yeah..!" Davie awkwardly mumbles before rebounding, "Good luck in whatever you and Sandyx are going to do!"
Kelzad salutes at Davie before walking away with Sandyx, leaving both of us on our own.
"No offense Jensen, but are you sure that girl isn't going to cause any trouble?" Davie asks as he firms up.
"I wouldn't say it like that, Davie..." I answer with a slightly stern tone, "She's a rookie, after all."
"I know, but it's just that..." Davie pauses before continuing with a slightly concerned tone, "her records don't go off as 'favorable'."
Letting out a small sigh, I respond, "We'll talk about this later. For now, we have more important matters to discuss."
"Roger that."
Then out of nowhere, Werner pops up in his usual unannounced fashion with something to say, "I apologize for the intrusion sir, but I'd like to inform you that the briefing room is now vacant."
"Vacant, you say?" Davie replies, "also hey there, Werner."
"So the Intel Corps have already left the briefing room?" I questioned.
"Yes sir," Werner answers, "those lovely fellows did take their time-- Those Slow ass motherfuuuuuuu--"
Davie proceeds to chuckle as I ignore Werner's remark, "Still glitchy as ever, huh Werner?"
"Unfortunately so..." Werner responds.
"Well, thank you for notifying us Werner, we'll be heading there right now," I spoke before getting a response from him.
"Glad I could help, sir."
Werner proceeds to fade away as Davie and I look at each other.
"Let's go?"
"Let's go!"
...
>Carnage, Phase 1: Complete_
>Loading: Carnage, Phase 2 (Side: A)_
To Be Continued...