When All Else Fails (ON HIATUS)

Tactics and Invasion

Thank you WildChildMary for lending me, Angel

As planned, Tanny organized herself to work alongside Roope, her own diplomat. It turned out Roope had known Alexi in the world before this. Alexi was also familiar with Angel's spymaster Daniel and her quartermaster Henkka. Therefore, they worked well together.

They were all meeting in the conference room to have some idea of what they were going to be doing.

"If we plan to add people to join our cause and take up arms against the Opal City, we have to offer them places of authority and leadership once it is time to rebuild the world," Roope stated.

"True, but we cannot forget that to make them see us as someone they can fall behind with, we have to be capable of doing some collateral damage to the Jung towers at the least," Tanny replied.

"That is where Noe and I come in," Daniel inquired, " We train enough to ensure that our teams can go in and take some of the combat members to cause some damage.

"We have to be wary, though. Any wrong move and we will suffer heavy losses," Alexi commented as Ville watched from the sidelines.

"Even with a proper scope of the city, we cannot just barge in yet, forming alliances is what should be more important for us, it does not only mean more manpower but more resources, we cannot survive without food and water, but we will have to trade as well," Ada stated.

"I believe disarming the drones and perhaps kidnapping a regulator should allow us access. If we can get one of their access chips, we can undergo this operation more smoothly," Maria added.

"It won't be easy," Noe said, "regulators can be pretty sharp when it comes to knowing who they have as slaves and who was not previously part of the equation," he added.

"Maybe taking the place of one of their slaves can grant us easier entry, pretending to be caught, while the spy teams infiltrate and we do damage," Angel added.

"Before we do any of this, we need more manpower, people. I know it seems impossible, but I think if we try, we can still contact Axele from the mountain zone," Tanny said.

"After the disaster of trying to negotiate with the eastern queen for a rescue, I am quite hesitant to do that," Maria replied.

'What other choice do we have, I know there are more camps out there, but his being the closest we have to try, the more manpower, the more mobility we have," Angel replied.

Maria knew she was right, and though things had not ended well with him last time, it was the best and closest ally they could obtain.

"Fine, but we have to be ready. I do not want a repeat of what happened. I want us to ask for help, but not allow us to be caught in a web again," Maria added.

"We won't take a big team this time, and we will send a letter with a scout beforehand. I will tell you all once it is time to depart, but for now, rest. We have been through a lot these days," Angel said.

Maria had a terrible craving for alcohol. She hoped this would work. She could not take losing anyone again. Yes, it was inevitable. Yes, the world had changed, but deep inside, she was human.

"Noe, you know what to do," Maria said. "Sorry, boss, but Angel said it was her turn to send someone, gonna stay here for now," he added. Maria grumbled. Did she really look that weak?

Days passed after the scout had been sent out to get a "yes or no" from Axele. It began to worry Angel that it was taking this long. "The guy you sent is not usually this late to report back this does not bode well," she said. "if he got captured, I believe a ransom would have been set, unless..." Daniel said his face shadowed.

"Unless things have changed for the worse," Alexi commented. Maria heard the report and knew that something had to be wrong, the route to the area was not that complicated for this camp due to the tunnel system, which was holding them back so much. It might have to come to the point that they had to go themselves.

"I'm thinking we might have to go ourselves if the scout does not report back," Maria said sighing. "Going in without knowing what could happen is dangerous boss," Noe said. "It might be our only way of knowing how bad the situation is," Maria replied.

By the end of the second week, they knew that something was going on, the scout had not yet arrived, and they were going to have to take matters into their own hands. Maria and Angel were just discussing the strategy, when the doors burst open Ville was carrying a very heavily injured man, "IT'S THE SCOUT!" Daniel said rushing to him. 

The man looked like he was on his last legs, and as much as they wanted information, they were not going to sacrifice him, "Take him to the infirmary we will interrogate him there, but we have to save him," Daniel said just like Angel he cared deeply about his men.

Maria knew that unlike her Angel and her company were caring and actually had feelings, but she just hoped that the scout would not die before he could tell them what was happening. "We cannot undermine Daniel's orders, he is a gentleman, and he cares for his men, please wait," Angel said.

The scout woke up sometime later. He looked tired but coherent, though barely. "Tell us what you saw, what happened?" Daniel asked.

" Oh Captain, it was horrible," he said. The whole Mountain camp is surrounded by droids and there were...many bodies at the door of the mountain, there may be no one there anymore," he said shaking.

Maria pounded her fist against the door, He could not be dead, could he? she thought Axele was a warrior of strong character even if he had been compromised, he was not one to go down without taking many with him.

" There is nothing we can do then we should move along," Alexi said. " No...we can't, leaving and assuming he is dead along with the rest is as good as giving up!" Maria exclaimed. Angel knew it she knew why Maria felt this way she was most likely friends with this man and losing someone else would be a hard blow.

Besides she was correct in her statement, they couldn't just go and move on, though Alexel was the leader of a different clan he was on the side of humanity like them, and they were honor bound to help.

It was going to be a long and arduous journey, they were going to have to be extra wary. Drones were not to be messed with. Maria took some members of her combat team including Ville, who refused to leave her side. Angel took Alexi and some members of her team.

Daniel and Noe took the lead and heeding the scout's warning they made sure to come out as silently as possible.

The place was the site of war and it was recent. Yet Noe could clearly see the flag high above the encampment and the fact that the drones were still here meant that there were survivors and that their leader still stood.

Finding two separate routes for the two teams to sneak in was a veritable nightmare. Each footstep and grunt or sigh would mean capture or death if they were heard.

Maria and Angel held a silent prayer to the old gods that they would hear the signal and only then would they tread into the fire.

Maria almost had a heart attack when from her walkie Noe finally sent her instructions to move as Angel also got the signal from Daniel.

"Promise me we come back together no matter what," Alexi said holding Angel's hand. "We are only guaranteed right now, so I can't promise that but I will try," she replied as she kissed him.

Ville walked behind Maria keeping her back safe, " Once more, we walk into danger," he said. " it is the way of the world, but we take care of our own," Maria said her eyes so empty of light they made his heart shiver.