Author Notes:
Shocking! A certain Slime-san is caught jumping around like mad! This is all thanks to the great contribution from Honorary General Joshua Rogers and Captain CovertMaple4CA! In a shocking manner, they donated a total of more than 200 USDs to aid SLime-san's family in beating back the nefarious houseowner! Salutation and best of wishes to them brave, majestic souls!
And now, with the immediate goal blazing past, enjoy this wonderfully, totally well-written chapter by Slime-san
P.S: Any confusion generates by reading this chapter is not qualified for insurance.
https://www.patr-eon.com/Heartbreak117
https://ko-fi.com/heartbreak117/goal?g=0
Income goal 795/880 USD (Right now, we can really use some help to cover rent and medical fees. Any and all forms of morale and monetary support are welcome.)
Emergency Surplus (House rental fee): 210/110 USD (Holy Macaroni! You guys and gals are bloody mad! And we love you for it!)
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"Phoenix 1-2, I need that Hellfury, in that hole! Now!" Comes the Vox-amplified shouting from whoever that is. The Vulture bearing the monik
"Phoenix 1-2, I need that Hellfury, in that hole! Now!" Comes the Vox-amplified shouting from whoever that is.
The Vulture bearing the moniker of Phoenix 1-2 ducks and glides dangerously low to the ground, with dust and detritus being kicked up everywhere it goes. Above them, dozens upon dozens of 27 mm shells are tearing apart the altitude they once occupied.
"I am trying over here, but those Chimeraxes need to go!" The pilot of Phoenix 1-2 complains with a grunt, having been forced to abandon his attack vector once more due to heavy anti-air fire.
Having rushed out from the hole that Roughneck and Phoenix elements were tasked with reconnoitering, a section of four Chimeraxes anti-air tanks then proceeded to lock down the airspace. Although they're nowhere near as effective as the Hydra with its quad-linked 57 mm autocannons, the Chimerax's quad-linked 27 mm autocannons remain a fearsome lead dispenser, especially when there are four of them presented in one local area. If not for the swift reaction from these experienced Aeronautica Imperialis pilots, ducking down at the first sight of trouble, then the sky would have filled with burning wreckage.
"You need to get out of their range and lob the missile at them!" I interject in the Flight's Vox channel. "Chimeraxes don't have Auspex targeting! They can't intercept an inbound munition!"
"I'll take your word for it, Frogger!" Phoenix 1-2 replies, diverting his Vulture low, fast, and most importantly, away from the furious Chimeraxes trying to swat him down.
"All aircraft, cover Phoenix 1-2 and keep your distance." Blake orders as the Valkyrie carrying me and Weiss swiftly makes itself scarce from the hole-in-the-ground's immediate vicinity.
Weiss, who's been standing near me by the door gunner's position, tries to take a good look at the far-off hole with her magnoculars. I, as well, am also looking in the general area, pulling the trigger of my Lasrifle every so often to take out the heretic squads disgorged from the back of the Chimeraxes. I prioritize targeting the ammunition supply for whatever heady weapons these cultists are holding aloft. The results from which can be quite messy and bloody on their own. Just a few well-placed shots are more than enough to make these dismounted infantry a non-factor. As for why I am not trying to disable the gun barrels on the Chimeraxes, like I did to the Salamander Astartes, I don't have enough time. Those 27 mm autocannons are made much more robust than something like a Bolt Rifle. Even when I use my Lasrifle on max setting, I expect more than just a couple of shots to melt down the barrel. I can, however, try to aim down the length of the barrel and detonate the shell in its chamber, but even I must admit it's a hard shot to make when multiple things are going against me right now. The movements of Blake's Valkyrie, the shaking of the firing autocannons, and the now-moving Chimeraxes... All of these contribute to limiting the time window I have to make such a miraculous shot. Taking that a shot like that isn't impossible, but the same effort can be more useful elsewhere, especially when the Chimeraxes aren't something I need to deal with personally.
"Be advised, I got more movements from the hole." Weiss calls out as she frowns, cursing. "Goodness gracious, they have even more tanks... It's a whole Mechanized or Armored Company down there!"
"Yeah, I think all of us can see that just fine, Rookie..." I let out a smirk, ignoring the cold sweat dripping down my right cheek.
I tap my Comm-link, connecting myself to Sergeant Johnson's Vox channel. "Hey, Sarge, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think we've got an entire armored column heading your way."
"Won't be the first time that happens to us, Ein. We can hunker down and bog them down with the Sentinels backing us up." Comes Johnson's confident reply, and he would be correct to think so, as we have weathered some bad odds in the past.
But this is a tad different. I smile wryly, reporting. "Sarge, old man... They are rolling out with a pair of Regalia Dorns and all sorts of AFVs and technicals..."
I legit heard a choke and two coughs on the other end before Johnson shouts into the mic. "I'm sorry, did you just say two Regalia Dorns!? Do you know how expensive that thing is to field!? How in Holy Terra did these cultists manage to get two of them on this flank alone!?"
"I don't know, Sarge, but I'll have the Rookie hook you up for some top cover. We'll try to intercept them first, but if any of those armors get past us, it will be on you to hold the fort till CAS can arrive."
"Affirm, you stay alive over there. That's an order, Frogger 3. Johnson, out!"
I then turn to Weiss, who immediately puts down the magnoculars and works the Vox Caster accurately and efficiently even without my input. It feels good and smooth to have someone who understands your unspoken needs on the field. Soon enough, reports come spewing into the Flight's Vox channel that nearly all LZs are now besieged by similar armored units, if not Regalia Dorns then Freya Russes, and they all appear from large building complexes or underground. The entire battlenet then falls under an organized chaos of orders being asked and relayed, with multiple CAS requests being handled at any given moment. Weiss manages to divert a pair of Avengers to support Johnson's location, but we'll be on our own for quite some time.
"The Chimeraxes aren't following the tanks ahead of them." I report the armored column's movement.
As I take a closer look at the once-proud Regalia Dorn Battle Tanks, now marred in sickening blue and spikes, I hear Yang's sarcastic reply. "Then it's open season for us flyers as long as those triple-As stay put. Damn smart of them traitors, huh?"
"Regardless, we have to deal as much damage as possible." Blake interjects. "The Regalia Dorns are slow; we will have ample time picking them off one by one. Once Phoenix 1-2 releases his ordinance, start focusing on their more mobile escorts first so that they won't overwhelm Sergeant Johnson when they get to his line."
"Affirmative." Yang replies in an eager tone.
"Wilco." Phoenix 1-1 acknowledges the command as well, leaving just Phoenix 1-2 unresponsive as he's focusing on targeting the cultists' spawning pit.
In a feat of expert controlling, the Phoenix 1-2's Vulture, who has been flying directly away from the Chimeraxes' AA fire, swiftly flicks around 180 degrees, with its nose being angled upward. Despite the inertia from its earlier rush still carrying backward and away from danger, the Vulture still manages to acquire a solid ballistically calculated trajectory for its Hellfury missile. Once the Vulture reaches the zenith of its Angle of Attack, Phoenix 1-2 pulls the trigger, and a dumb-fired Hellfury missile is launched from the rack. Following the trajectory calculated by the Vulture's cogitator, the Hellfury swiftly blazes through a ballistic arc before disappearing into the targeted hole under the stunned gazes of some heretics. Then, the incendiary submunitions are dispersed before detonating inside the underground bowels. No one knows exactly what's down there, but it must be something no less explosive than what was inside the firebase the hole was hiding underneath. A localized earthquake occurs, and the floor of Installation 08 buckles and groans as the spider web cracks run through the ground with the now-combusting hole at the center. The four Chimeraxes that are stationed around the spawning pit are promptly swallowed up by a curtain of fire and ashes.
Yang whistles, impressed. "Damn good pull of the trigger there, Phoenix 1-2. You've been practicing, didn't ya?"
Phoenix 1-2 cackles as he rejoins the VTOl formation from his stint down low. "I have been shoring up on my bomb tossing skill. There are times when Auspex can go down, you know?"
"Right? That's why I pack a Lascannon for my baby girl right here." Yang smirks and repartees with the like-minded individual she finds in Phoenix 1-2.
Weiss and I share a look before shrugging, with Weiss now moving to man the right side door gunner's Heavy Bolter as Blake is clearly banking for a low circle around the traitors' still existing armored column. Blake interjects herself between the other pilots' momentarily high-spirited banter.
"Quit screwing around, pilots! The enemies are all over still, and they will eat our allies alive if we delay for a minute longer!"
That stern warning then pulls the overly excited pilots back into the game. Blake then follows with an instruction. "The Froggers and I will circle the convoy and attract the escorts. The rest of you will utilize the distraction and hit them as hard as possible."
"I don't see any SPAAG, but that doesn't mean they don't have a means to attack you with. Can you survive being the bait, Roughneck 1-1?" Phoenix 1-1 asks, slightly concerned as a Valkyrie is understandably lacking in firepower when compared to a Vulture.
"I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't have one heck of a sniper on the back, and that I am a good pilot myself. Now, are you all with me?"
"Heh," I chuckle, impressed by the display Blake is giving me through the Vox link. "I like your style, Blake. Frogger 3 will have your back, as long as you'll have ours."
"Roughneck 1-2, ditto that."
"This is Phoenix element, you won't be seeing us skipping out on this one after everything."
"Roughneck 1-1, copy all." Blake replies with a hint of a smile creeping into her tone. "All aircraft on this net, fire at will and engage at will. We're going in."
Blake maneuvers the aircraft to do a constant horizontal loop around the heavily armed convoy, being mindful of the surprisingly dangerous gun elevation of the two Regalia Dorn Battle Tanks. Those things are massive, caked in thick armor, and their high-velocity Battle Cannons can slap any unsuspecting low-flying aircraft out of the air. They're, understandably, the spearhead of the armor column. As long as Blake is careful of the Regalia Dorns' main turrets, we will only have to worry about the numerous small arms the convoy is packing. Rolling about in Testudos, Tauroxes, and other assortments of vehicles, the cultists start pointing their fingers and weapons at us when we start circling above their heads like a proverbial vulture.
Banking right slightly, Blake has her co-pilot unleash a constant hail of laser beams from the Multi-Laser down on any target that appears on the scope. Weiss is also doing much of the same, albeit using the Heavy Bolter to either suppress enemy embarked infantry or to puncture holes in trucks and technicals that are riding in the perimeter of the convoy. Weiss' tactic, while capable of causing damage, is quite inefficient.
I shout at her through the gunfires from ours and theirs alike. "Weiss, focus on the Testudos! Let me handle the techies!"
"Got it!" Weiss acknowledges and immediately starts firing control bursts against the multiple APCs that are trying to turn their turrets on us.
Appropriately, the Testudos stand no chance against a Heavy Bolter shredding them from above. Each Testudo APC may be capable of getting an Infantry Squad swiftly from one place to another, but none of them are capable of tanking as much punishment as a Chimera IFV. The powerful bolt rounds can easily tear through the thinner turret roof armor of the Testudos and are more than capable of destroying the wheels driving the APCs forward. Soon enough, Weiss has disrupted the convoy just by racking up some mobility or armament kills.
I, on the other hand, focus on sniping out the two cultists manning the Regalia Dorns' pintle-mounted anti-aircraft Heavy Stubbers mounted on the back of their turrets first. They're the easiest to eliminate, so they have to go headless for the foreseeable future. Ignoring the painstakingly slow Battle Tank turrets, which are still trying to chase the afterimage of our Valkyrie, I then direct my scope to rest on the back of the technicals. Some of which have weapons like Multiple Rocket Pods or even a quad-linked Heavy Stubbers turret. To these, I pull the trigger on either the gunner of the weapon system or the fragile and perfectly combustible munition itself. Some not very small explosions are generated, with burning armored cars veering out of control and crashing into each other or even the ass of one of the Regalia Dorn itself.
"Beautiful work, Roughneck 1-1 and the Froggers. Allow us to assist."
Following after Yang's voice is the last of the rockets from the three other VTOLs in this Flight formation. The rockets are launched one after another and land in a perfect line behind the now battered heretic armored column. A few of the rockets even come smacking against the front platings of the Regalia Dorns, but did little more than cosmetic damage and perhaps some cracked vision ports. Those things are armored so well that they keep on rolling while the rest of their column lies scattered or destroyed outright. As Phoenix 1-2 joins us in mopping up the perimeter with an additional Heavy Bolter, Phoenix 1-1 and Roughneck 1-2 perform more attack runs on the two lumbering Regalia Dorns. One unfortunate cultist that manages to clamber onto a Dorn's pintle Heavy Stubber got eviscerated by a blast of Yang's Lascannon. The beam then goes on to make a noticeable dent in the tank's rear turret armor, and the composite armor melts and bubbles under the extreme, concentrated heat.
Knowing it's futile to retaliate, the two Regalia Dorns each take a separate path, crashing into buildings and alleyways and crushing hapless cultists beneath their treads as they try to hide away from the hawking gunships. One of them manages to hide under a crumbling building before deploying a thick smoke cloud and chaff to obscure the flyers' targeting. The other Regalia Dorn, however, is not so lucky. Before it can hide itself properly, Phoenix 1-1 strikes true on its engine block with two searing Lascannon beams, causing its mighty power plant to erupt in mechanical sparks and flame before the whole thing comes crackling to a skidding halt. Nonetheless, the disabled Regalia Dorn doesn't give up and deploys a cloud of covering smoke, just like its brethren earlier. They're not going anywhere soon and will be struck on yet another attack run by the circling gunships. It's the other, still mobile Regalia Dorn, that remains an issue.
That particular Battle Tank's getting dangerously close to Johnson's position, and ain't nothing they have can overmatch a Dorn's front plating. Worse, the scattered remnant of the armored column remains true to their fixed attack vector, eager to crash straight into the Sergeant's defensive position. These traitors ain't the smartest despite being Smurfs, but they're annoyingly persistent and have too many tricks up their sleeves. Even with the Avengers coming down to indiscriminately strafe the moving cloud of smoke and chaff that is the Regalia Dorn Battle Tank, the effectiveness seems to be minimal at best. From my vantage point aboard Blake's Valkyrie, even I can't see the mechanical beast, so I focus on getting rid of whatever technicals I can to spare Johnson further trouble.
It's moments away from one very active Regalia Dorn to come face to face with good old boots on the ground. I can only pray that the Sergeant has fortified his position well enough to survive a close encounter with a Heavy Main Battle Tank.