*Pov: Tolstoj*

The following warfare we partook in was messy. We had to go back to the destroyed defence line for weapons, Walkers and other material just to have the firepower to take on this job of ours.

The pursuit after Neuro took a long while, but we caught up. most of the men split up to stall the enemy unit with small groups as to slow the enemy down as much as possible. Whilst the rest would skip ahead, we had to employ some really ugly tactics to slow them down, if we were lucky, we just might be able to slow the enemy enough to allow the reinforcements from Ìrota to reach the Arcology on time.

Of course, we all knew this was a suicidal battle, every unit who split off to slow the horde down knew full well that at best, they could distract the enemy for some dozen minutes at best and even then only if they fought smart, and to the very bitter end.

Every unit who did not yet have to split off to slow the enemy down, vowed in their souls that the enemy would suffer, in the name of all who had died.

Perhaps we could have utilized our numbers better, but we did not know of a way to do so, even our leader was barely keeping himself together with that head wound, we realized this rather quickly when we saw how unsteady he was piloting his Walker. Despite that, he kept a strong front for us, and gave orders with an iron grip.

So, we fought. We fought and harassed the enemy all the way unto the very doorsteps of Aurora, we used anything we could just to slow them down some more, some slowed the enemy down by making a stand in some sturdy old structures, others made the enemy hunt for them by baiting and running as long as they could.

All sorts of weaponry was used to give them pain and suffering, scavenged artillery, rail actions, hell, we dropped a highway on the bastards.

Many were lost and even more were lost by the enemy.

The remaining 6 of us engaged the enemy with the aid of the reinforcements from Ìrota.

The Irotan forces engaged the horde in a semi-open combat, employing the defencive structures around Aurora for cover and fire-aid.

We helped by attacking from behind, using what functioning artillery Walkers we still had (a Shitty T-66 and an Ernzech with a torn open cockpit) as the others used their original Walkers to protect the artillery. Honestly, it was shocking that we made it through that hell. None of us fought with that intention.

Death was the goal. Whether it was served to the enemy or to us, had grown meaningless to us along the way, as long as the enemy died as well. Luckily the enemy horde did not divide many of their units to take us down, since we were a lesser threat.

Hah, I bet that changed when Bernard discarded the formation and ran into the enemy formation guns blazing with a Walker that he had strapped full of Artillery shells.( thermic splinter rounds Bitch. Trust me, that must’ve hurt) The explosion must've took at least 50 Lessers and a pair of Heavies alone.

After that, they paid us a lot more attention, but we did not care. We kept fighting. Bullet by bullet, we kept felling more of the bastards. There was no retreating, no fearing death.

...Somewhere along the line, we all suffered some rather serious wounds, but we did not care.

We would keep fighting until there was nothing left to fight. Boss showed a whole new side during this, as he seemed to be able to go on no matter what hit him. It was honestly awe inspiring.

Eventually though… our efforts were answered. As the last enemy was slain by the Ìrota defence force.

We had won. The task was done.

It was a strange feeling, as if we had already forgotten that there was something beyond this… bloodbath.

As soon as the last enemy was taken out, boss fell unconscious, it seems he had been running off of adrenaline for the last 8 hours. Poor bastard. Seeing his bullet riddled body get dragged out I could tell he had truly given his all. We all had.

None of us thought we would survive to see the end, but 4 of us. 4 survived.

And we came out of it as changed beings.

We had partook and accepted the Idea of sacrificing our own one unit at a time, just to slow the enemy.

...nothing could ever be the same.

*The Official travel log of Elias Camber to the Commission Hub.*

My name is Elias Camber,

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

and the following is both my official, and unofficial account

on the events of the attack on Aurora on XX Day of XXXX 70 A.R.

I was assigned as the head of our relief-unit to be sent to Aurora to aid the defence. My unit consisted of 25 Heavies and 100 Average units, out of whom 20 were armed with artillery capacity.

We also had 25 scouts to ensure a clear route to Aurora and to keep an eye on the situation with the invading force.

All members of the unit were chosen with a high minimum margin of movement rate and high function time, as to minimize the travel time.

Our traverse to Aurora was mostly uneventful and our morale was high.

Whilst the job officially was to help with the incoming attack, we had read between the lines that by the time that we arrived to Aurora, the attack would have already been long-since over. And our job would be to temporarily replace the lost man and firepower in keeping the city safe.

At approximately 7 hours before arrival to Aurora, we had received a warning from our forward scouts that the enemy was not only still alive, but was both severely weakened and greatly behind on Its estimated schedule.

There were reports of stragglers from the Aurora defence force employing guerrilla warfare to distract and slow the enemy force.

Upon receiving this information, I doubled our travel speed, intent on reaching Aurora before the enemy horde.

We reached Aurora approximately 1 hour before the enemy force.

At this time our scouts had Identified the remaining enemy force to contain:

26 Heavies,

119 Mediums

and around 200 Lessers.

We engaged the enemy 40 minutes later in a successful battle. (Details on attachment 1).

Our losses included:

9 mediums, 3 heavies,

and mediocre amount of monetary losses from destroyed local defences.

The remaining 4 units of the Aurora defence force forsake their guerrilla tactics and took part in our defence by ranged fire support.

Out of these 4 units:

1 died and the other 3 were heavily injured.

After further investigation to the fate of the defence force was conducted in the following 3 days further information on the fate of Aurora’s defence force was acquired.

Based on survivor testimonies and material evidence the enemy unit punched through the Aurora defence line on coordinates XXX XXX. By sudden charge Utilizing Artillery support. (Details on attachment 2).

after which they continued to destroy the behind-lines support camp, and proceeded towards the Arcology in a near direct route.

The surviving unit of the defence line, a ‘mobile fire-support’ regrouped a small distance away within the following hours, and combed through the support camp and then the defence line.

They found 2 survivors in the support camp, whom were later recovered by our units. (Details on attachment 3).

They had taken weapons and various near-broken Walkers with artillery and Heavy weapon capabilities as well as various carpet mines and similar tools. from the defence line wreckage.

And had proceeded to pursue, and harass the enemy force in small, 1-3 man groups, firing upon the enemy from afar and stalling to the best of their abilities (Details on attachment 4).

They managed to fell approximately:

190 Lessers,

54 Mediums

7 Heavies

along the way to the Arcology through the use of various types of artillery and Heavy Walkers.

The final group of 3 members, before we had reached the enemy force. Had even rigged an old highway with explosives normally used as artillery shells and blown it up under the enemy force.

Due to the enemy surveillance machines and their lack of a long distance detonator, The group did not escape the blast radius and was buried under the collapsing highway.

They managed to slow down the enemy force by approximately 2 and half hours through their persistence.

It should be noted that none of these small 1-3 man groups successfully retreated.

and were all killed in action.

the surviving members:

Benjamin Tolstoj,

Arnold Kane,

Samuel Blake,  

the squad leader Rasmus Ironwood  

and his co-pilot  Alicia Levelan,

were all injured in various severe ways,

Arnold Kane lost his leg,

Benjamin Tolstoj received a dangerous laceration in his gut.

Samuel Blake was permanently blinded by his Walker’s fuel line breaking, causing severe burns on his face.

Alicia Levelan had received a vicious wound to the left elbow, likely permanently crippling the hand.

The squad leader Rasmus Ironwood sustained several gut wounds and a head wound of uncertain severity. His recovery is being cared for by a private group unlinked to the main Pharmatics Group and thus information is scarce, but he seems to be In coma.

(Full list of ‘mobile fire-support’ unit casualties in attachment 5.)

It is my stance that the names and bravery of each member of the ‘mobile fire-support’ squad, whether alive or dead.

Should be honored to the very best of our abilities. Without them, the arcology of Aurora would not still exist.

End of report.

Date: XX.XX.70 A.R

Signed: Elias Camber