Chronicles Of Two Powers

Chapter 51 - Wolves Among The Sheeps

Dry lips and a parched face bore the brunt of the salty sea air, pressing down on him as he stood aboard the landing craft. He never imagined in his wildest dreams that he'd be here—a soldier from the army branch—sent on such a mission. "Simple drill," they assured him. Yet here he was, caught in a joint exercise by the superpowers on a blazing summer day. The oppressive heat seemed to sear through his very being, a feeling shared by his comrades-in-arms crammed within the confines of the landing craft.

In the distance, the sound of gunfire echoed ominously, signalling the approach of impending action. Amidst the chaos, his mind was a blank slate, devoid of inner thoughts, as he struggled to regulate his breathing. Waves crashed against the vessel with relentless force, each impact akin to a blow from a heavy stone. Gripping their rifles tightly, the platoon braced themselves for what lay ahead as the landing craft officer bellowed the command they had been anticipating.

"READY! READY!-"

The commanding officer shouted.

In a flash, the landing craft ramps dropped with rapid tension, bolting out from the craft. Gunfire and muzzle flashes appeared in the distance, whispering death across them. Chaos ensued as many of his comrades panicked at the sight around him, and sand popping up from bullets and artillery explosions. As he glanced around, his senses were overwhelmed by the deafening roar of constant artillery bombardments from battleships stationed along the coast. The situation grew increasingly tense as high-calibre rounds whizzed past him, their deadly whispers a grim reminder of the peril surrounding them.

From a distance, the battlecruisers added to the chaos by unleashing their secondaries, inadvertently contributing to the pandemonium. What kind of exercise was this? The thought raced through his mind as he fervently hoped to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Getting shot was the last thing he wanted.

Finally, as the platoon regrouped in a small, dug-out position, he gripped his Metford Mk. 3 tightly, breathing heavily in a constant rhythm. His squad leader quickly assessed the situation, drawing a map in the sand after peeking cautiously above the beach line.

"Alervon and Japanese forces have the situation completely to their advantage... as if Central Command walked right into a trap. Fucking genius," he muttered, taking a stick and quickly sketching out a position using stones as references for the rest of the platoon.

"Company A reported that B Company managed to breach the eastern position. Our task is to head to this side of the beach and take out those heavy bunker fortifications. Henry and Garfield, you guys will be with Sgt. Dover. Alice, you stick with me."

He and the others in the squadron skittered over the hedges, their helmets barely brushing against the foliage. What had seemed difficult at first became incredibly daunting when they encountered a fortified hilltop defence flying the Alervon kingdom's banner. His fellow soldiers were struck by a barrage of gunfire, which left them completely terrified as they realised how little support they had and how dire their circumstances were.

The absence of armoured vehicles and close support weapons only added to their dismay, demoralising many as they grappled with the daunting prospect of what appeared to be a death trap. They dashed towards the closest obstacles to take cover, peeking over a damaged armoured vehicle and watching as a trail of machine gun fire ricocheted away from their position. It was a small sigh of relief as they glanced back at the fortress.

Nothing seemed to change, and they prepared to charge head-on towards the Alervon fortress. Suddenly, a column of medium tanks appeared on the scene, prompting cheers from their platoon leader and Sgt. Dover. Alice praised the sight, feeling a surge of hope.

"Finally, some goddamn armour support!" he exclaimed.

As the squadron prepared to descend and provide support to the beleaguered forces below, a disquieting sound pierced the air from the eastern horizon. At first faint, it steadily grew louder, commanding the attention of every soldier on the battlefield. With a collective sense of foreboding, they turned their gaze skyward, their eyes widening in horror at the sight unfolding before them.