The morning comes without any fanfare, and I fall into my usual routine. However, when I make my way over to the training room, I see that the lights are on for once. Walking in, I see that our usual machines are in use by another squad. Carefully, I make my way over to the machines and peer over at the screen on the back of the lead machine.
As I do, I am treated to a distant view of a battle I have become fairly familiar with. While it is much farther away than I am used to, I see the familiar towers and compound of the base assault mission that we have been practicing. Captured on the screen, two janissaries fly over a destroyed tower, firing on the other towers along the way as they do so. With their entry into the base secured, the team unleashes a salvo of missile fire while the pilot of the machine that I am viewing offers supporting fire using the Arquebus sniper rifle used by Ashigaru Snipers.
After a few moments, the simulation comes to an end, displaying a list of statistics for the team. As their information flashes up, my suspicions are confirmed.
I start to take a couple of steps back, but before I can get anywhere, the capsules start to open up, and I see Minerva Reese-Cato step out of the lead machine.
“Ah, those things are always so cramped,” she sighs, stretching out before casting a lazy glance my way. “Oh, hey. I knew you were early, but I didn’t think you were this early.”
“I’m sorry for interrupting your training.”
“Ah, don’t be. After all, I’m the one who stole the early morning slot from you all,” she laughs. “I can already imagine the look on Walter’s face. He’s gonna be piiisssed.”
“You’re right. I am,” Auclair-Stolz says as he walks into the room, followed by Di’Lotta. “And I don’t recall us being close enough for you to address me by name.”
I take a step back as Auclair-Stolz walks over to Reese-Cato, using the few inches he has on her to look down at her with an extra stern expression.
“Lighten up, Wally,” Reese-Cato replies, causing a twitch to run through his body. “I mean, haven’t the two of us been through a lot? Our time at the academy? Being right there together, neck and neck, in the rankings? Why, we’re practically family. “
“What are you doing here Reese-Cato?”
“Oh, me? Just training.”
“At our appointed time?”
“Your appointed time or the time that you just happen to head out to train at? Cause I didn’t see any list with your name on it or your name on these machines. So, given that, I figured we might as well take some time and train for our match. Oh, since you are here now, we might as well have it now.”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, the first thing I did this morning was check in with the captain. I’m sure you just came from doing that yourself as well. And when I met with him, he said that it would be best to have our match time in the morning. So, this block of time was carved out for us. Though if that is unacceptable for you….”
“Fine.” Auclair-Stolz replies.
“Excellent,” Reese-Cato replies, smirking. “Well, I’ll give you time to get in. Would you all need time to train, or are you ready to go?”
“We’re ready,” Auclair-Stolz replies instantly. “Unlike your squad, mine doesn’t need to warm up for a match like this. After all, our performance has been tested in true battle.”
“You're right. We did miss that opportunity. So, thank you for allowing us to attempt to catch up to you with training. Would you allow us another mercy?”
“What?”
“Well, for our match. We have faced each other before. So, my suggestion is that we change things up a little bit. We make it more of a competition than a direct fight. After all, it doesn’t serve much purpose to fight each other directly. Soooo, I was thinking we could combine a bit of our training with a competition. Instead of fighting directly, we compete to see who can deal with a base the fastest.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“...Go on.”
“It’s simple. We target a base together, and we see who can get the kill first. We can also give points for targets destroyed and extraction.”
“So you wish to make a competition out of training?”
“Yeah, that’s the general gist of things. So you in? Or are we just going to have to beat you in a normal match?”
“Who said you were going to win?”
“Me. Well, me and my previous win records. Which, come to think of it, were usually in regular spars. Maybe I’m a genius at them or something.”
“Fine. You’ll get your wish. Cause I promise I will destroy you in this match. So you will have nothing to brag about.”
“Sounds wonderful. I got the match all setup and ready. All you do is hop in and get beat.”
“We’ll see about that!” Auclair-Stolz scowls before motioning us to follow him to the pods. While not the familiar seats we are used to, we quickly log in to the machines, and after a few seconds, we find ourselves behind the menus for the simulator.
“Full assault loadouts,” Auclair-Stolz orders over the coms. “We will need as much firepower as possible if we are to deal with this swiftly. Carry as much as you can and make every missile count!”
I follow the orders, equipping a pair of M1-MPs to my arms. As soon as I am finish selecting my missile pods, a com notice comes through
“I’m sending the data over your way,” Reese-Cato announces. “How this is going to work is simple. We will appear on opposite sides of the base from each other. As soon as we spawn, the challenge begins. The base will be worth 10 points since it is the point of the mission proper. However, enemy guns and vehicles will be worth 1 point each to give you something to use to catch up with. You will lose 5 points for each of you that goes down and, of course, no points for taking the other team out.”
“Fine.”
As soon as Auclair-Stolz replies, the menu pops up with an alert that quickly fades away as you are pulled into the mission.
“As soon as we are in, you are all to charge forward,” Auclair-Stolz states as the simulator takes its time to load our mission. “The initial target is the center tower of the wall. Take out the defense systems in place, and then from there, we will target the command center. Kizashi, you are going to be in charge of hunting the enemy. First, you are to deal with the towers that could attack us as we target the bases. Once they are handled, you are to keep any fighters and tanks away from us so that we have enough time to eliminate the base. Once that is done, we will decimate any remaining enemy forces to deny points to Reese-Cato.
“Am I understood?”
“Yes, sir,” I say, my voice joining Di’Lotta’s.
“Good,” As Auclair-Stolz gives his reply, the view within the faux cockpit transforms, displaying a lifeless rocky moon before us.
“MOVE!”
Before the roar even leaves Auclair-Stolz’s mouth, my hands are in motion. I light up my thrusters and tear across the void toward the fortress ahead of us. With my target set on the initial tower, I draw my Foudre and open fire. The two rockets punch through the tower, and as it crumbles, I jet over the wall and set my sights on another tower. Once more, the Foudre fire, destroying another tower and clearing a path for Auclair-Stolz and Di’Lotta to charge over the base.
My first task accomplished, my focus changes to the remaining tower in our path. I unleash my last two Foudre on the nearest tower and swap to my Tempête as my shots hit their mark. Scanning the battlefield, I spy the elevator raising up a group of enemy aircraft. I spend a second to aim the Tempête at the lead aircraft before firing a shot down. As I load the next rocket, my sensors pull me away from the elevator for a second, showing two groups of tanks moving from either side of the base toward our position.
Filing that information away for a moment, I focus back on the elevator, watching as the two remaining fighters take to the sky. Not wanting to waste any more Tempête shots, I raise my left arm and unleash a swarm of missiles from the equipped M1-MP.
The swarm finds its mark, tearing apart one of the fighters before it can do much more than lift off the ground. However, the other manages to take to the void, rising up toward Auclair-Stolz and Di’Lotta. Seeing its course, my hands fly over the controls, pushing my thrusters as hard as I can and activating my boosters in the hope of intercepting the fighter. As I charge in, I ignore the flashing warnings informing me of lock-ons from one of the nearby defenses, focused on the jet.
My effort pays off, and the fighter breaks its course to dodge out of the way as I charge into the scene. As the jet wheels around, I quickly drop and reactivate my thrusters for a second to whip myself around to face it. Face to face with the jet as well as a swarm of missiles, I activate my boosters once more, flying forward at the last second before the missiles make contact.
Evading the missiles, I unleash the remaining missiles from my left arm before ejecting the spent pod. Enough of my hurried salvo hits the target, causing it to go down, spiraling through the void before crashing into the wall of the fortress.
A sigh leaves my mouth, and I quickly drop to the ground to get ready to deal with the approaching tank groups. As I do, I take a second to glance over at Auclair-Stolz and Di’Lotta. The two of them have done a number on the central building. Holes and cracks mark its surface, and large chunks of the interior sit exposed to the elements. From the state of the building, I feel confident that we are only a salvo or two away from victory. However, before they can fire again, the building shakes and crumbles, their latest salvo slamming into the already crumbling building.