"I assume you know what to do, Commander Gentiane," Persica's voice, calm and even, came through the comms.
"Yes, I understand. I'll handle it," Gentiane replied, her gaze firm, before the screen flickered off. A soft sigh escaped her lips.
"Karina, send a recon team towards the Zeon team's location," she instructed, her voice laced with a hint of weariness.
"Understood," Karina responded, her
fingers already dancing across her tablet.
Meanwhile, at the Zeon team's position, the air was thick with the acrid scent of burnt metal and ozone. They were holding their ground, a small island of resistance against a surging tide, but with each wave of Sangvis attacks, their combat efficiency dwindled. Scavenging was their lifeline, recycling destroyed Sangvis tanks and units for precious fuel and ammo. But the relentless onslaught was consuming their collected reserves at an alarming rate. To make matters worse, Sangvis snipers had now taken up positions, effectively cutting off their ability to resupply from fallen enemies.
"Damn these Sangvis! We can't collect more ammo for Magella with those snipers around!" Dom cursed, her voice tight with frustration.
"She's right. Sooner or later, we'll run out," Magella added, her face grim.
"What if we break out of the encirclement?" Dom suggested, a desperate glint in her eyes.
"No, no, no! If we break out, we'd be running straight into more enemies," Vertin countered, shaking her head. "They've surrounded us and likely captured the base as well. Breaking out would only lead us further into their traps."
Silence descended, a grim reminder of their predicament. Vertin's mind raced, a bold, risky thought forming.
"(I can put the three of them in my inventory and escape on my own, then let them out when I reach a safe place.)" The idea was tempting, a desperate measure for desperate times.
"Alright, I'll take watch while you guys rest," Vertin announced, her decision made.
"Okay, but stay safe. I can still see some Sangvis T-Dolls moving," Dom warned, pointing towards a bullet-riddled Sangvis unit that still twitched with a faint, unsettling energy.
"I will," Vertin assured her with a nod.
"Alright, I'll leave you to it," Dom said, turning to walk away.
Unbeknownst to zeon team , a small drone hovered silently overhead, its lens focused intently on their movements.
"These dolls are something else. They're really good. This will work well with my research," a woman's voice purred from behind a screen, her eyes gleaming with an unsettling curiosity.
"Now then, let's see how these new T-Dolls can handle this," she muttered, her fingers flying across a control panel. A mischievous smirk played on her lips.
"Although Agent said not to kill them, she only told me that. Not the Vespids, or a random artillery shell hitting them. So, it's fine."
She paused, a flicker of genuine wonder crossing her features. "I do wonder why Agent made a deal with them. Then again, that's above my pay grade."
Vertin stood watch, the eerie silence of the night punctuated only by the distant sounds of the battlefield.
"Still nothing," Ash's voice, calm and measured, came through her mono-eye, scanning for any signs of movement.
"(System, scan the area again,)" Vertin mentally commanded.
[UNDERSTOOD. SCANNING...]
[SCAN COMPLETE. THERE ARE 50 SANGVIS ON THE FIELD, BUT WITHOUT CAPACITY TO FIGHT.]
"(Okay, thanks,) "she thought, a plan beginning to solidify in her mind.
"I think that might be our only option," she whispered, glancing back at her sleeping teammates. A sigh escaped her lips. "I'll tell them tomorrow." Her gaze drifted back to the desolate field of destroyed tanks and Sangvis T-Dolls.
As silence once again settled, unseen, unheard, the Sangvis began their next attack, emerging from the shadows
"Ugh, this will take a while," she sighed, then a new idea sparked.
"I know Destroyer would like to help me." A wicked chuckle escaped her. "If anything goes wrong, I'll just blame Destroyer. Hehehe." she said
"then again i wonder why giffin just left them there..." she said thinking about then "agh who cares" she said before dismissing the thought
While the Zeon team remained encircled, a different narrative was unfolding elsewhere. Griffin forces had begun to push back the Sangvis, retaking lost bases with surprising speed.
"Commander, we've taken the town. Do we proceed to the next stage?" a T-Doll's voice crackled over the radio.
"Yes, go! While we still have momentum, smash the Sangvis lines!" the commander ordered, his voice ringing with authority.
"Yes, sir!" she replied.
"Everything's going well. This is good," he mused, a rare smile gracing his lips before he closed the screen and walked out of the room.
"(why did you leave them Kryuger)" he thought
Back with the Zeon team, Sangvis had launched another relentless wave, this time spearheaded by tanks and an overwhelming number of T-Dolls, their advance supported by artillery shells that hammered the Zeon team's position, shaking the very ground beneath their feet.
"Commander, what's the plan?!" Dom yelled to vertin, firing her bazooka. And hitting a direct hit to a charging Sangvis tank and destroying it
"I was waiting until tomorrow," Vertin shouted back, her voice strained but resolute, "but these are dire times."
She took a deep breath, her decision made. "I'm putting you all into my inventory. I'll escape without any problems and when i reach a safe place i will let you guy's out of my inventory " she said to them while don look at her with a grim expression until she said
"Not like we got a choice," Dom grumbled, the resignation heavy in his voice.
Vertin met Dopp's and Magella's gazes, offering a firm nod. Their decision was made, etched in the grim set of their jaws.
"Alright, let's make this quick," she declared, her movements swift and efficient as she swept everything into her inventory.
[Everything has been collected.]
"ok status" she said
[Name: Vertin
Race: MS Girl
Sub-Race: Zudah
HP: 100,000
Armor: 432,200
Sub HP:
Head: 1,400
Legs: 1,500
Thrusters: 9,500
Power: 86%
Fuel: 80%
Ammo: 81%
Coolant: 70%]
"ok I have enough fuel. But luck would be needed," she mused, retrieving a coin from her inventory. With a practiced flick, she tossed it into the air it spun, catching the light, before descending with a resonant ding.
Below, the rustling of leaves grew louder, closer. Sangvis forces had already entered the forest, their presence a palpable pressure moving directly toward her position.
"Tsk, they're here. Time to go!" Vertin exclaimed, a spark of urgency in her eyes. Her thrusters whined to life, and she shot upward, only a blur appeared. Mid-air, a volley of shots ripped through the space where she'd just been, but she was already left, weaving through the projectiles. As she accelerated, multiple missiles locked onto her, streaking through the air.
"Tsk, you really think that would work? Activate Minovsky Particle!" she shouted, a daring challenge in her voice.
[Minovsky Particle activated!]
The moment the field flared to life, the pursuing missiles lost all guidance, tumbling erratically before plummeting to the ground in a series of concussive explosions.
(a/n sorry for the late chapter)