The large reinforced palm of Scarlet's Vijaik-Heavy pressed against the torso of a battered magenta-purple and burgundy-red machine – With a small push her massive Calabar greatsword slowly slid out from where it had pierced the machine's core.
A moment later her mech spun around, sword outstreched – Coming at her was another of the strange Remembrance high-mobility type Vijaiks, this one with Arc-staff held over head, hoping to strike her down from behind.
Aiming lower and with more reach, the Calabar ripped the attacker in half, its leg separating from its waist.
Next sidestepping slightly, Scarlet allowed the bisected foe to pass her by before swinging her blade one last time, down hard on its passing back – Slicing in until the cockpit was pierced and another machine fell dead.
Breathing heavily, Scarlet withdrew her blade once more and began to look around – She was surrounded on all sides by the debris of over a hundred mecha. Most of them were Remembrances, with their wing like arms and rectangular heads – But every so often was the green and blue parts of a Nemo, atleast ten of them in all.
Scarlet had hoped not taking the enhancer drug would allow her to be a better leader and yet around her it seemed she had once again lost all her subordinates.
They had no question died valiantly, each taking out atleast 3 to 4 enemies before falling – Scarlet's hunch had been right, the remote mines had left the Remembrance mechs stalled for a few seconds each, allowing a massacre to be carried out – But one by one the Nemo's too had been overwhelmed by the sheer number of foes – Until only scarlet remained.
Though she hadn't counted, it would be a fair guess to say she had taken out atleast 50 machines, if not closer to 70 all by herself – But that didn't make her proud or happy, perhaps she could take a little comfort in knowing she and her subordinates had stopped the entire Remembrance advanced force, a staggering feat even by her standards.
Satisfied that there were no more stragglers hiding near-by, Scarlet placed the greatsword on her back and begin to drift in the Weapon's direction – Its massive shape still accenting the sky for miles around.
Pretty quickly she caught site of the Valliere and the Charon, the two ships that had supported the battle against the Remembrance advanced forces – Both ship's were still in one piece which was something of a relief – Though clearly both had taken alot of damaged.
Before long she came into range of communications and called out;
“Anyone home?”
After a few moments the static riddled line cleared and was replaced by Captain Louise's voice;
“This dial here Tabitha? Ah I see it now yes.... Hello Lady Scarlet can you hear me?”
“Yo”
“Oh this is wonderful! For a moment we thought you might not have made it.” Louise said back.
“Ha! Who d'you think you're dealing with here Captain?”
Scarlet sniggered, “Anyway how are you lot?”
“Well good and bad – Our causalities have been fairly small, a blessing no doubt – But both the Charon and Valliere have been severely damaged, neither can move anymore – I've given the order for lifeboats to launch and take the crews away before any more serious damages rear their heads – Mr.Ahern is going to escort them.”
“That so? Shame to hear the ship's are staying her-- Did you just say Ahern?!”
“Hmmm? Well yes, he made it back just before you.”
Scarlet's face broke into a massive smile – 'So one person did make it back, one entire pilot, one of my pilots, still alive and kicking after 100 enemies eh? Hell ya!!'
“Alright great, when you get chance patch me through to him – We'll tow whatever is left in the supply-caravans too and the both of us can escort the lifeboats – Time to head home to the Fluchtig.”
Scarlet nodded mostly to herself, genuinely cheered up by the news of a surviving subordinate.
“Indeed the Commander is quite right, we should get going too Captain.” Added in a third voice, that of the Valliere's second in command, Lt.Tabitha.
“Well I guess you're right...” Louise said back reluctantly.
Scarlet rose an eyebrow - “Something up ladies?”
Tabitha was quick to reply, “The Captain has some strange notion to stay with her ship, despite there being no purpose in doing so.”
“Tabitha please!” Louise cut in.
Scarlet laughed, if the two could bicker like this than it was probably true that both the Charon and Valliere had taken little causalities – Even if the ships were having to be abandoned, it meant they had accomplished their duty with minimal loses – Perhaps Scarlet hadn't failed at leading them quite so badly after all.
“! Captain look at this, quickly!”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Tabitha suddenly shouted.
“I don't understand, what does it mean?” Louise added.
“Oh, my apologies – This is our long range scanner, ma'am this shows 5 more machines approaching us!”
Scarlet's heart fell, it was too soon for the main Remembrance fleet to get here – Just 5 machines implied something else entirely, something she didn't even want to imagine - “Lieutenant, co-ordinates to me now!”
Tabitha was quick to reply, listing a very specific set of numbers – Scarlet turned her machine's camera and pushed the focus lens to the max.
It was distant, the image very grainy – But she could make out 5 shapes and their colours;
“Four Lilac coloured and one pure white....” She muttered.
“Different to the ones we were just fighting then?”
Louise asked.
“That bitch, that fucking bitch!!”
“Ah what? Lady Scarlet?”
“I can't believe she would actually do this, that absolute bitch!!!”
“Commander you're not making sense?”
Tabitha added.
Scarlet's heart raced as she looked at the tiny blimps of the approaching squadron;
“It's her, the leader of Remembrance, the one who made them so corrupt and shitty – The one I didn't stop years ago, Omaes Agagite!”
“What?! But why would Remembrance's grand commander be out here now?”
Said back a bewildered Louise.
“Oh she always used to do this, observing from the front – Or more like sending in a massive advanced force and then watching from the side-lines--” Scarlet Sneered, “--Atleast she did in the simulations and war games, but to do it now in real combat!!
I'm sending you the picture from my Vijaik – You see the four lilac coloured dudes? Those are the Type D, only a limited number have been produced and they're given exclusively to Ace pilots, each of those mechs matches the specs of our Vijaik-Heavies and then some – But the white one in the middle is key, you see it with all the curves and stuff?
Its a bona-fide Remembrance Casnel and its one of a kind – Piloted by the higher-tier, natural born Magi, Omaes Agagite – A veritable demi-god of combat.
Damn-it, five more minutes and we'd of had the lifeboats clear! But as it is that sadistic bitch will shoot you guys out of the sky if she spots you.”
Tabitha, her voice shaken, was the one to ask the obvious question; “W-what do we do against such an elite unit?”
“Nothing. We do nothing.” Scarlet replied flatly, “All five of those machines are Ace level, no doubt – I'm the only one who can face them – Even if the rest of the Fluchtig's squad were here I'd tell them to fall back.”
“Alight then we must act with haste, Tabitha have the evacuation of the ships sped up and get down to one yourself.”
“Captain what are you suggesting?”
“Ya sorry Cap' but this is mine – You both get on a boat yourself, have Ahern set the supply caravan to automatic – After that tell him to guard those lifeboats with his life a'ight? I'll buy you the time you need and then catch up later.”
“No Commander, I'm staying here – It may have been only a short time but you are my head of pilots right now and I refuse to leave you to your fate alone – I'll keep the Valliere's guns firing, perhaps the distraction will help in your endeavour... It's what Father would have done.”
'Oh' Scarlet thought – She'd seen red when she spotted Omaes'es unit, she had forgotten for a moment that other people have their own motives, their own regrets and ambitions – She couldn't help but wonder if that narrow-ness of her vision was what had lost her Una.
She did her best to smile.
“Heh, you are right – Admiral Louise would of probably done that, I mean he didn't have much choice in the matter but even if he had? Ya he was the sort to go down with the ship.
I won't tell you that's wrong to do girly – Sometimes it buys others time, saves lives – But in this case? If those aces are half as skilled as me, then there isn't a chance in hell the Valliere's cannons being fired off by a total novice like you will be any more than the most minor of nuances – You'd be dieing for the sake of vanity.”
“Th-Then what of you? You just told me this squad is so good that they came here to simply watch the chaos – Aren't you just throwing your life away too?”
Louise shot back.
“Ha! You really don't get it – I'm not just 'an Ace', I'm thee Scarlet Scourge! I had a comrade once who used to say that Ace's like us, 'Make the impossible, possible'.”
“And what of that comrade now?”
“Oh well, he died but he protected his mothership doing so ya know?”
“Lady Scarlet....”
“Captain Francoise Louise, I ain't the type to go out there and die for the sake of others – I mean it when I say I'll be right behind you – But this isn't about me is it. Captain you're young but you've proven today how skilled ya are, standing proud alongside the Fluchtig, the Rinie, heck alongside your father – Today you are the Valliere's captain but tomorrow you'll be another ship's Captain, even IAFS aren't stupid enough not to keep promoting you.
You have potential girl, to be so much greater, maybe an even bigger hero than your father someday – Dying here with your ship, for the sake of it? Thanks to you, your people are even now evacuating, do you really think they want you to die pointlessly for the sake of upholding a tradition?
Cap'ain, we aren't other people, you aren't your father and me? People have called me a knock off Golden-Meteorite for years! Said I was just the second rate copy of the Bane of Konpei, but the fact is I'm simply Scarlet, once ace of Abhaile, once ace of Remembrance and now proud ace of IAFS – And you Captain, are Francoise, not the admiral – Don't waste your life, its not what your Da' would want.”
----
“Tabitha, radio one of the boats, tell them we're on our way. Commander Scarlet, good luck to you and... Thank you, truly.”
'Heh' Scarlet thought to herself, 'I really am going to develope a reputation for being nice to younger women.'
****