Chapter 126 - Stall

<---Chapter 125 - Homeland| Table of Contents |Chapter 127 - Fort Raid--->

Arctech spotlights swept the treelines furiously; the sound of hurried footsteps marked the Yual soldier's hunt through the drenched foliage, the drizzle starting to turn into a heavy downpour. Behind them was a smoldering pillar of fire and smoke, their supply stockpile having gone up in flames while others desperately tried to put it out and salvage what was left.

"Find those damn Versians who attacked us! Find them!" A Yual sergeant shouted, waving his arms frantically and calling the search squads forward to hunt under the repeated dull thuds of artillery and mortar fire, still trying to take down the outer forts of Ocra to no avail. The first assault had faltered entirely due to their supplies being flanked by the enemy, their attention now entirely on securing their position to ensure it didn't happen again.

The heavy soles of metal boots crunched against the soggy leaves and cracked branches that littered the forest floor, burnt-out stumps, and smoldering bark remnants of the previous barrage. Both sides had lobbed everything they could at the other, laying waste to the forest that was starting to turn grey and black from the intense fire, once ancient trees falling down with a loud crash. Despite the barren nature of the landscape, the near total darkness of the night still made it hard to see, each Yual search squad holding an arctech spotlight fuelled by a mobile fuel pack to spot out any irregularities.

"Over here!" A Yual soldier motioned towards his squad leader. "Footsteps, but the boots are strange... they look like Aspis MK1 sabatons!"

"What?! Have we sent any squad this far out yet?" The squad leader exclaimed, confirming that the footsteps were exactly like their own.

"No, sir, not to my knowledge."

The implications weighed heavily on the search squads, though they kept mum among themselves, not wanting to spark the topic. As they searched along the forest, sweeping stump by stump, the multitude of tracks and footsteps, as well as dropped canisters, all pointed towards a dangerous fact they did not want to acknowledge. Someone from Yual betrayed us! While it was too early to point fingers just yet, suspicion and doubt were already spreading through them, and when they eventually found nothing, their return and rumors from loose lips ran rampant throughout the camp.

"It has to be those idiots from Kregol!" One Yual soldier complained in the mess hall, chewing away at a gnarly bowl of mashed grains and a single leafy vegetable. "I never liked them since the military exercise started, and now that everyone is in a mad rush to claim Versia, they must be holding us back!"

"Don't be ridiculous, those idiots wouldn't have the brains to do such a thing. It must be Perlis instead! One of those sly cunts stole my spade during training, and he even reported to the sergeant that I lost it! It has to be them, they are the only ones sneaky enough to do such a thing!"

"It could be neither of them - maybe the Versians had a hold of our technology from the beginning! The Ilysian Punks had been siphoning our guns and armor, remember? Maybe they had someone do the same thing as before!"

The discussion between the soldiers was virulent and engaging, though it was made clear through the entire camp that the assault was not able to go forward until a resupply or the rest of Count Leon's main force caught up. With Harrison failing the first strike, Count Leon had sent a first detachment to poke at Ocra's defense first, just to see what they were up against.

Despite the loss of their supplies, morale among the soldiers was still higher than when they started. Many were winners in the previous battle against Harrison, still laughing and joking about the Versian Army. "Bah, who needs supplies when our enemies are such pansies! Did you see their faces when our mage came out onto the battlefield? I suspect Ocra would surrender in less than a week once he arrives."

While the assault force reinforced their camp position and prepared for the arrival of the main force, deep along the perimeter of the outer forts of Ocra, laid Culo, still hiding in a ditch in the ground, watching the search spotlights finally turn around. He stuck his fingers in his mouth and sent out a low-pitched whistle, revealing more than fifteen Ghosts who rose up from their various hiding spots, scattered around the barren forest while camouflaged in mud and leaves from head to toe. "Mission complete. Return to base."

The Ghosts moved as one, slinking through the night and avoiding the spotlights from both sides while moving towards an outer fort silently, hiding their presence as they skirted around the first trench line. Culo held his hand up with a tight fist, the Ghosts stopping in place while he lifted an arctech lantern aimed at the mounted repeater emplacement straight ahead, flashing it in a pattern.

"Hey, you guys see that? What's that?" A sleepy repeater gunner rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was just seeing flashing lights.

Culo quickly ducked along with the rest of the Ghosts, his body covering the arctech lantern. Looks like the squad we agreed to work with has been rotated out. He crawled along the forest floor as quietly as he could, only the rustling of leaves tied to his body heard. Circling around the fort, they finally found a rear entrance, one meant for resupply workers from Ocra to enter the fort, the entrance now guarded by two Versian conscripts. Culo raised his lantern once more, flashing the pattern again.

This time, one of the conscripts flashed a lantern back at them, prompting Culo to finally move forward to meet the guard. He stretched out his hand for a handshake, but the conscript took one look at the coarse, grimey fingers of Culo and instantly rejected it. "Yeah, I'm not shaking that, not like I know what you've crawled through."

"Come on, Wez. Just a few bits of meat and blood, nothing much." Culo grinned.

"Shut up and get in. Sergeant is supposed to come around soon, I won't be able to stand for you guys much longer. Move, move!" Wez urged, adjusting his Versian uniform while the rest of the Ghosts entered the rear entrance, disappearing into the base of the fort. None of the other stationed Versian soldiers were any wiser, all of them half asleep at their posts or catching some rest before the inevitable second attack tomorrow morning.

The Ghosts descended deeper under the fort, before reaching an underground shelter that had been dug out by Culo over the last few months, serving as a temporary holding ground. Crates of stolen Versian uniforms and disguises stored here allowed them to move freely between the city, the refugee camp, and the outer forts, all already laid out the moment Culo and Sasha came to Ocra. Culo didn't bother wiping the mud and grime off his face, instead moving toward the center of the shelter. Apart from his fifteen Ghosts, three other squads were waiting patiently, checking their repeaters and armor, preparing for the battle.

Culo was about to address all of them when he noticed Lisa emerging from a tunnel in the wall. "Lisa? The tunnel to Ocra is open?"

Lisa nodded as she turned over her shoulder, checking a scrap she had gotten on her shoulder from the tight narrow spaces. "We got some new equipment stolen from the factory, it helped us to excavate much faster. This is the only tunnel we have to Ocra however - if we lose this fort, it would be much harder for us to come out to the front now."

The fort they were under now was only one out of eight that protected Ocra in its entirety, forming a wide buffer zone before the main city walls. Culo sighed as he slumped down to the ground, some of the mud sticking to the cavernous-like underground wall, the sharp rocks providing no comfort to his back. "We really drew the short end of the stick, huh?" He murmured, closing his eyes to take a rest.

"Good work on blowing up the supplies. That should stall the Yual forces considerably, at least for three more days." Lisa rummaged through a supply crate, handing him a flask of water.

"And then what, we get swarmed by the main force?" Culo grabbed the flask, drinking greedily. "The Versian Army is hopelessly outgunned. I'm not sure how we're supposed to comply with Kyle's order of holding Ocra, when Count Leon could easily just encircle us and starve us out."

"Maybe, but we have enough supplies to last out any siege, and Kyle will send us reinforcements as well as additional equipment and rations from Desham. We just need to ensure we can secure the route." Lisa pointed out. "Under no circumstances can we let Ocra fall to anyone but us."

It was clear to the Ghosts that letting Count Leon capture the city of Ocra would be a large setback. Their established routes and bribes with the higher-ups in the military will be compromised by a change in leadership, and Count Leon will represent everything the Ghosts did not want in Versia. Letting a noble take control of Versia was tantamount to betrayal. Lisa did not feel right helping Harrison stall the war, but it was a necessary measure until the Ghosts could mount a proper challenge to the current Versian Government.

Every day they stalled meant that the Ghosts would grow stronger, especially with their capture of Desham, a piece of news that invigorated the Ghosts even further. Culo and Lisa now had at least a hundred Ghosts under them ready to fight, while another few hundred served as informants, logistics and etchers to support the fight. However, Culo was being pessimistic about their chances of winning.

"Even if we hold out this fort with the Ghosts, any fort failure will cause a breach and expose inner Ocra to the enemy directly. Count Leon would most definitely try the fastest method to capture Ocra with the least casualties before moving onto Tenar directly." Culo complained. "Furthermore, we can't outwardly help the Versian Army, but only through hidden actions. I was almost exposed when I fired that railgun from the fort."

"Then we should infiltrate the Versian Army and fight in disguise," Lisa concluded. "That would be the best way of making sure Ocra doesn't fall."

"Without our armor and repeaters? That's not possible!" Culo shook his head. "The fort commander will find us, and then we will have to evacuate the shelter."

"Not if we have an insider helping us. Someone the fort commander trusts."

"Who, Wez? He's only registered as a conscript, nothing special - the fort commander wouldn't trust him!"

"I know someone better. Someone who wouldn't say no to what we're about to offer him."

Masir opened his eyes groggily as he was violently shaken awake by a mortar round hitting the fort directly. His wounds had already healed, thanks to the health potions, but his mind was still scarred from the assault from the day before, his ears still slightly ringing from the shell shock. He struggled to get off the thin mattress he laid on, clambering up to a standing posture from all fours.

"Sergeant Masir! You're awake!" A nearby medic spotted him standing, his words confusing Masir.

"Sergeant...? Who?"

"You've been promoted to Sergeant. The fort commander has heard of your heroic actions and has rewarded you accordingly!" The medic checked Masir's body for any lingering wounds. "It seems like you're good enough to move - a room has been allocated for you on the second floor."

"Wait, where's my squad? What happened to them? What's the state of the war?"

"Nothing, it's barely been a day since you came here. We've been getting hit by artillery, but nothing too serious that our engineers can't fix." The medic shrugged. "They are in the mess hall if you want to see them, but I suggest you meet the fort commander first for an official promotion ceremony!"

"Uhh... yes. Of course, of course." Masir didn't feel happy about the promotion, though he supposed that there was nowhere else to go really in the city of Ocra, not while everything was under siege. As he stepped out of the medical ward into the covered square, supplies, and ammunition were being hauled up on manual elevators, conscripts pulling and tugging on ropes to hoist crates of cannonballs up to the artillery crew on the roof. Bandaged soldiers limped about, recovering slowly from regular doses of health potions. While the medic's face had been supportive, Masir could sense a lingering worry from the steadily dwindling supply of health potions, dozens used by the hour.

Another explosion rocked the fort, this time a point defense turret striking a mortar shell and blowing it up in midair, the shrapnel fragments pelting the rock fortifications like a thunderous rain. Masir adjusted his uniform and put on his military cap, heading up to the third floor by the staircase towards the fort commander's room. As he turned the corner on the first flight of stairs, he was suddenly blocked by a familiar face, Masir's expression immediately darkening. "You!"

"Masir, what a pleasant surprise. I heard Nest and the Versian Army have been treating you well. Congratulations on your Sergeant promotion." Culo grinned, disguised in a conscript uniform.

"You punk, you're just a village hack. If it weren't for you I would be holed away in the city with my boys, waiting out this stupid war that's being fought over nothing!" Masir raised a threatening fist to punch Culo, but the confident smile on Culo's face made Masir think twice. "You... you've been waiting for this. You knew I was here all along. What do you want?"

"Hmm? Weren't you going to punch me? Go ahead, report me to all of the Versian conscripts and soldiers in this fort. Tell them that there are Ghosts of Versia here. Did you not wonder who saved your life yesterday, and who blew up the armored wagon?"

"Don't try to lie to me, I know that was the artillery crew..." Masir snarled with a nervous undertone, his mind trying to consider whether it was really the Ghosts who saved him.

"You really think the artillery crew will be able to cut a knight in half with pinpoint accuracy from 500 meters away? Didn't know you were sucking up the propaganda Harrison has been churning out."

"FUCK YOU!" Masir gritted his teeth, his face coming closer to Culo's. "None of us Ocra boys want to be here, not a single soul! Now, if you're not offering me a way to get the fuck out of this hellhole, how about we both go our separate ways, and no one needs to get hurt."

"I don't have a way to get you out of Ocra, but I do have a way to make sure you survive this war and become the most decorated hero of the front, alive and well. How's that sound?"

"Why would I believe you when your group was the one who put me in this mess in the first place?!"

"Because if I really wanted to kill you, I would have had the projectile blast your head instead, and your squad members would have blamed the artillery crew," Culo stated in an emotionless voice, as though he couldn't care less if Masir was turned into brain paste in the depths of the trenches.

Masir was about to retort that it was a stupid idea, but he stopped himself. "What's the plan?"

"You and I both know the Ghosts are way stronger than the Versian Army. We have enough supplies to last out the war, you don't. Work with us, and you will be able to rise to the ranks and eventually become a commander. Once you're a commander, you will never need to go out to the frontlines and risk your life any longer. All you need to do is get us a way into the Versian forces without raising the alarm."

"You mean disguise you all as Ghosts? How am I going to explain to the fort commander about all your fancy weapons and armor?" Masir had seen Kyle and Sasha's gear before, knowing they were leagues above what was available to the regular conscripts.

"Say we've captured them, and we know how to use them. Explain to the fort commander and ask him to give our squad one chance to prove ourselves on the frontline."

Masir pondered his side of the deal a little more. Sure, the allure of becoming a commander sitting comfortably at the rear was enticing, and something he definitely wanted. He had always wanted to run from the war, but traitors were arrested or shot on sight if found deserting. This was the best way for Masir to legally find a safe haven throughout this chaotic war.

On the other hand, if he was found to be collaborating with the Ghosts of Versia, who had already been labeled as a terrorist organization, it would be the end of him. Do I throw in my hat with the Ghosts, who already fucked me over once? Fuck, why is it even a choice? I don't want to die like a pig on the front lines. It was apparent that Masir would have died if it were not for the Ghosts intervention - he certainly didn't feel lucky enough to gamble his life away again on the second day. "I'm in. Let me try it on the fort commander."

Culo grabbed Masir's sleeve firmly before he walked past, whispering into his ear. "Remember, if you report our existence to the fort commander, your head will be the first to roll, and the Ghosts will never be found again. You can say goodbye to Ocra."

Masir nodded vehemently, Culo letting him go. Adjusting his sleeve back normally, Masir marched right up to the fort commander's office alone, rasping on the door with force. "Commander, Conscript Masir, reporting for duty."

"Conscript Masir?" The commander's voice wafted from beyond the wooden door. "You mean Sergeant Masir, our hero! Come in, come in."

Masir gently opened the door, revealing a prim and proper office, a single desk with countless stacks of paper and an arctech radio blurting out regular military reports in the corner of the room. Only a single vertical slit in the wall allowed any light through. The commander beamed widely, his expression genial as he strode forward to shake Masir's hands.

"Well done, Sergeant Masir, glad to see you back in action. Your actions the day before were critical to us holding the line, preventing us from suffering even more casualties. Today, the Yual forces have yet to make a move, but our point defense arcite fuel packs are running low. It may be only a matter of time before they attempt another breakthrough, and at that point, I expect you and your squads to bolster the ranks with your valor!" The commander patted Masir heartily on the back.

"Thank you, commander, for the promotion and the kind words."

"Of course! You're the hero of this fort, and if you keep on pulling off miracles, they might just name this fort after you instead of me! If you need anything, ask me - supplies, manpower, equipment. You're my sword on the ground, and I'll do anything to make sure you win."

"That would be great, commander." Masir nodded, his eyes distracted by a weird map on the table, multiple large red arrows being drawn from Ocra to Tenar. "Commander, I wanted to ask you what the plan is moving forward? Are we to counterattack, or are we to hold out indefinitely?"

"Good question, shows you have a mind on your head." The commander noticed Masir's gaze, nonchalantly moving back to behind his table where he hid the weird map out of view. "The future is ever-changing, and we do not know if the weather or scenario will change. For now, General Verian's order is to hold Ocra, utilizing the defensive fortifications we have built over the last few months to good use. It would take the Yual forces great effort to break our ring of outer forts, and even then, any advancing force that makes it towards Ocra will be riddled and bogged down within the inner circle. As for what that means for us, it means we are to hold strong and steadfast, with the city supplying us with rations and ammunition regularly."

Masir nodded, memorizing the weird map in his head. "I understand. I have a few ideas on how we can improve our chances of holding down the fort?"

"Oh? That would be perfect. It is always good to have suggestions from the lower ranks, especially those who are committed to the success of the Versian Army." The commander gave a patronizing smile, though his brows showed a little irritation at Masir's continuous questioning.

"I lost quite a number of men in my previous squad. I would prefer it if I chose my men for the next defense shift, as we are quite adept at using the enemy guns to our own benefit. Many of them have learnt quickly through the battle yesterday, and as I understand it, the Versian Army do not have enough resources to supply all of us with repeaters."

"But of course! Adaptable men are what the Army and this fort sorely need! Here, let me write a quick letter." The commander sat down, quickly scribbling on a piece of paper before stamping it with his personal seal. "Bring this to the quartermaster, you can take any men of a lower rank than you. Four squads will be under your command should you need it. Anything else?"

Masir could sense the commander seemingly rushing him to get out of the office, feeling something off. "No, sir. Thank you for your help." He gave a firm salute.

"Not at all, thank you for fighting for Versia!" The commander returned the salute, ushering Masir out of the office before the wooden door slammed shut behind the leaving Masir.

Strange behavior. Masir did not care too much, but he quickly got moving, knowing that the assault was coming soon. Whether or not he was falling into a trap laid by the Ghosts, he would rather it be a trap that kept him alive compared to him dying like a worthless dog in the trenches.

The quartermaster accepted the letter with ease, Masir liaising with Culo and bringing upwards of two full squads worth of Ghosts, all of them masquerading as Versian conscripts albeit with Aspis MK1 armor hidden underneath, while the Aspis MK2 repeaters and Culo's railgun were written off as captured weaponry. "Damn right, use those bastards' weapon right back at them." Even the quartermaster couldn't give two shits about the Ghosts using the repeaters - to him, it was one less weapon he had to worry about fixing or maintaining.

A sudden bell ringing alerted the soldiers in the fort, a panicked scout shouting through the crevices of the fort. "INCOMING! INCOMING! YUAL FORCES INCOMING!" The fort kicked into high gear, and many soldiers were confused by the sudden attack.

"Didn't they just get their supplies blown up by our own forces? Why the hell are they trying to attack now before their main force arrives?" A surprised soldier remarked to his squad mate as he loaded up his backpack.

"Doesn't matter; we'll send those Yual dogs packing!"

"Squads 1 to 4, form up!" Masir roared, acting like the new sergeant. His old Ocra squad joined up, grinning widely at him though they did not recognize those from the Ghosts. Some of them recognized a few of the Ghosts but didn't say anything - there was a battle about to break out, and there was no time to worry about who was who when war was on the horizon.

They sortied out into the trenches, navigating the maze of tunnels and routes to make it to the frontlines. "I hope you know what you're doing," Masir whispered to Culo, who grinned.

"Just keep your head down, or maybe act a little brave while we hold them back." Culo slapped him on the back hard, Masir wincing from the stinging pain.

The Versian squads all took up position behind the trenches, crouching and making sure their heads were not peeking above the wall, preventing any Yual soldier from sniping them out. Just like the night before, the mortar barrage rained hellfire all around them, the dull thuds and explosions in mid-air already a part of the environment, none of the conscripts fussed at all by the continuous rumbling.

"Squad 1, make sure we got that point defense running!" Masir began to give out orders. "Squad 2, work that mounted repeater, give any damn Yual who sticks his head out hell! Squad 3 and Squad 4, uhm... hold back the enemy and kill any Yual soldier who gets into the trench!"

"Yes, sir!" The squads echoed back, Culo also playing the part as he loaded his railgun, some of the other conscripts looking at the long barrel with awe.

"HERE THEY COME!" A spotter shouted, prompting all the conscripts to stiffen up, their hearts pounding rapidly with blood thumping in their ears. One of them peeked above the trench wall, seeing the same large metallic defensive barrier approaching them, pushed along by the modified arctech wagon.

Masir didn't need to give an order, the mounted repeaters firing instantly at the barrier, but failing to penetrate through. The strength of the barrier only caused the conscripts to despair, knowing that a brutal bloody battle was about to happen in the trenches again, the hand-to-hand combat still fresh in many of their minds as their hands began to shake.

However, a sudden explosion burst the barrier right through the center, a railgun projectile shearing through a weak point and lodging itself into the wagon behind, igniting the arcia engine. The resulting ball of flame engulfed its occupants and escorted Yual soldiers and knights, screams and shrieks filling the air as they tried to put out the flames, licking at their uniform and armor.

With the barrier crashing down, the entire platoon of Yual soldiers hiding behind was exposed for everyone to see. "FIREEE!" Masir roared, himself propping a repeater up on the wall and pulling the trigger hard. Most of the pellets deflected off the front row of Yual knights, their armor sturdy. However, the moment the disguised Ghosts fired their Aspis MK2 repeaters that were empowered by the arcia crystals, each pellet was a killing shot, the knights dying like flies being swatted easily.

The harrowing massacre sent the Yual platoon into disarray, many diving for cover under the bodies of their brethren or seeking safety in the ditches from previous mortar fire. The zone in front of the trench became a hell on earth, as pellets whizzed and drilled through flesh, soldiers on both sides being killed and losing limbs from nearby explosions.

"Get our cannons to hit that ditch right near the tree line!" Masir bellowed into his arctech radio. It took a minute for a cannon to finally aim at the ditch where five Yual soldiers were hiding out and taking potshots at Masir's men, the cannonball exploding forward with a blinding speed and smashing the soldiers into a bloody pulp. It only took ten minutes for the assault to falter at Masir's side of the trench, while the other Yual platoons pushing forward were able to make it to the trenches again, none of the other Versian conscripts having the firepower to do what Culo did.

"Move left, move left, hold the trenches!" Masir called out, the disguised Ghosts moving forward with killing intent as they dashed through the trenches, cutting down the Yual soldiers and knights who were taken by surprise. None of the Ghosts were equipped any worse than the knights, their armor of the same quality, though their repeaters were much stronger, allowing the Ghosts to tear through the opposition with ease.

Still, just two squads of Ghosts were hardly enough to repel the attackers quickly. The battle dragged out across the day, waxing and waning as reinforcements from both sides began to trickle in. Masir clutched his arctech radio, continuously calling for artillery support. "We need cannon fire on the wagon, that defensive wagon is preventing us from stemming the incoming Yual soldiers!"

However, at some point, the artillery stopped responding entirely, as if the entire crew had gone dead. Masir squinted towards the fort five hundred meters behind, though he did not see anything wrong with it. Its point defense turrets were still functioning, while the cannons were still pushed out beyond their gaps in the wall, aimed at the Yual enemy. "Artillery crew? Artillery crew!" Masir shouted over the radio to no avail.

With no time to spare, Masir and Culo fought tooth and nail with minimum support, though the fighting prowess of the Ghosts and their sturdy repeater ensured none of them died in the harrowing engagement. As day began to turn into night, only then did the Yual forces finally relent, retreating back to their forward camp beyond artillery range.

"We... we survived!" Masir exclaimed, surprised at his body being somewhat intact and not receiving a single scratch. However, Culo was far from ecstatic, hurriedly rushing back to the fort, much to their confusion of Masir. They pushed through injured, wailing soldiers and piles of dead bodies yet to be burnt and buried, all while Culo was sprinting up the steps to the fort commander's office.

Before Culo could reach the door, Masir managed to grab him by the sleeve, pulling him back and turning him around. "What the hell are you doing? You can't walk in there and just expose yourself like this!"

"At this rate, we're not going to be able to hold Ocra or any of the outer forts. If the fort commander had any brain, he would listen to me. This is no time to be hiding our capabilities." Culo shrugged Masir's grip off, storming into the fort commander's office only for no one to be found. The office table and belongings had been completely wiped clean, as though there had been no one occupying the room just a few hours ago, save for the same military arctech radio blurting on at the corner of the room.

"The fort commander... the fort commander fled?!" Both Culo and Masir couldn't believe their eyes, their turmoil worsening when the military arctech radio blurted out another terrible piece of news.

[Fort 4 has fallen! I repeat, Fort 4 has fallen to the enemy!]

<---Chapter 125 - Homeland| Table of Contents |Chapter 127 - Fort Raid--->