Bang!
A vespid's metallic body crashed to the ground, joining the twisted wreckage of countless other Sangvis T-Dolls. The air hung thick with the acrid scent of spent gunpowder and ash, as burning tanks lay wasted across the battlefield.
"They just won't stop coming!" Dom yelled, her Zaku machine gun spitting fire. Her face was grimy with sweat and dust, but her eyes held a fierce defiance.
"Keep firing!" Magella's voice, calm despite the chaos, cut through the din.
Boom!
A Sangvis tank swiveled its turret, its main gun locking onto their position.
"Crap!" Dom instinctively ducked.
Then, a shot from Vertin's anti-ship rifle tore through the air, punching a hole clean through the tank's engine block and shredding its side. The tank exploded in a shower of sparks and shrapnel.
"Heh, sniping is a good job, mate," Vertin grunted, coolly ejecting the spent casing and sliding a fresh magazine into her rifle.
They kept firing, the relentless tide of Sangvis forces slowly, agonizingly, receding until the assault finally ceased. The sudden silence was almost deafening.
"Man, I need some rest. We've been fighting for two days straight. When are we going to get support?" Dom groaned, slumping onto a nearby crate. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest.
"Still no luck contacting HQ?" Magella asked Vertin, her gaze sweeping the horizon for any sign of movement.
"No, they're jamming the radios. I can't get through," Vertin replied, frustration lacing her voice.
Just then, Dopp landed, a heavy box clutched in her arms. "Commander! I've spotted another wave inbound, and they're bringing more tanks, troops, and even artillery!" Dopp reported, her voice urgent.
"Good. Head to the HQ and rest up. You'll need it when they arrive," Vertin said, her mind already racing, calculating their next move.
"Will do!" Dopp saluted briskly, already moving towards their makeshift base. She grabbed a crate of ammo, reloading her missile pods with practiced ease.
As Dopp disappeared, Vertin and Dom turned to their dwindling supplies. The sight was grim.
"Sigh. Most of the landmines are gone. We only have two more days of fuel and three days of ammo. At this rate, we'll run out of ammo for Dopp's missiles and Magella's cannon first. Aggghhh, that's not even the worst part and we're surrounded," Vertin said, her voice heavy with the weight of their predicament.
"Yeah, we need Magella to kill those tanks, though I've checked the tank ammo we have, and it's not looking good," Dom added grimly.
"Mhm. How many shells does Magella have currently, and how many extras?" Vertin asked, trying to mentally inventory their remaining firepower.
"Well, currently Magella has 10 AP rounds, 10 HE rounds, 5 ATGM rounds, 5 HEAT rounds. For extras, we have 20 AP rounds, 30 HE rounds, 10 ATGM rounds, 10 canister rounds, 5 HESH rounds, and 10 HEAT rounds," Dom rattled off the numbers.
"Okay, that should be enough for the next assault, but after that, we'll be in deep trouble," Vertin conceded, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Yes, but I have an idea," Dom said, a flicker of hope in her eyes.
"An idea? Care to tell?" Vertin leaned forward, intrigued.
"We can gather the shells from the destroyed tanks for Magella and recycle their vehicles for fuel and ammo as well," Dom proposed.
"That's a good idea, Dom! You're a genius! Let's get to work then. Call the two," Vertin commanded, a renewed sense of purpose in her voice.
"Yes, ma'am!" Dom saluted smartly and quickly left to relay the plan.
After informing Magella and Dopp, they set out, scavenging ammo from the tanks that were still salvageable—those not burning or completely obliterated. They managed to secure more ammunition for Magella and a decent amount of fuel. Dopp, however, had no luck finding additional missiles or bombs for her pods. Vertin decided to conserve Dopp's limited ordnance for the direst of needs.
"Alright, Dom, you're on night watch," Vertin announced as darkness began to fall.
"Alright, sleep well, guys," Dom replied, hefting her heavy bazooka, a head saber, and a Sturmfaust. She made her way to her designated post, a vigilant sentinel against the encroaching night.
With Dom on watch and both Dopp and Magella asleep, Vertin ventured away from the makeshift base. She found a quiet spot, opened her mounted computer, and pulled out a small, circular object.
[Coin]
"I still don't know what this is," Vertin muttered, turning the coin over in her hand. It was cold to the touch, intricately detailed, and somehow felt both ancient and alien.
"Looks good, though. But I never took you or put you in my inventory," Vertin mused, a strange sense of familiarity washing over her.
"Well then, I guess I'll find out sooner or later where you came from, or..." She tossed the coin into the air, catching it with a soft ding. "Well, this is certainly interesting." With a sigh, she returned to the makeshift base and finally allowed herself to sleep.
Meanwhile, at Griffin Base, the tide had turned. They had successfully halted the Sangvis advance and were beginning to push them back, deploying elite T-Doll teams to disrupt enemy lines. With their forces regrouped, they were now planning a full-scale counter-attack to reclaim lost bases.
"Is everything ready? We can't afford a setback. This needs to be ready now," the Commander stressed to Persica, his voice firm with determination.
"Yes, we are ready. Our systems are all good, and no Sangvis hack has penetrated our defenses. I've upgraded our systems as well, and gotten more weapons and upgraded tdoll parts" Persica reported, her usual calm demeanor unwavering.
"Are the commanders ready? This operation must be successful," Kryuger interjected, his gaze piercing.
"Yes, everyone is ready, and we are just waiting for the signal, sir," the Commander assured Kryuger.
"Alright, let's begin," Kryuger said, lighting a cigarette, the glow briefly illuminating his grim face.
"and i have found out that zeon team was left behind surrounded by sangvis forces what are we going to do about that" persica said to kryuger
"I've just discovered that Zeon Team was left behind, surrounded by Sangvis forces. What's our plan for them?" Persica demanded, her gaze fixed on Kryuger.
"For now, we push that aside, Persica. Our priority is the main assault," Kryuger insisted.
"Very well," she sighed, turning on her heel and leaving his office. She headed straight to her own quarters, where she pulled up a secure line to a familiar commander.
"Gentiane, I've got a job for you," she said, a steaming mug cradled in her hand.