Yuren sat at his desk, staring blankly at the terminal.
He was lost in thought, contemplating his situation. It had been a few days since he took command of the 701st, and it was already proving to be a difficult job.
The androids were all so lively and vibrant, and they already got the better of him a few times. They were all beautiful, and some were very forward. He had no idea how he was supposed to deal with them.
He didn't understand why the Ministry didn't give him a briefing on his role, and their attitude towards androids was very strange. They didn't seem to care how they behaved and only looked at battlefield results.
There was a noticeable split in their behaviours; some were professional while others were like teenagers. And the difference in how they acted around him was astounding.
Lina and Jia were very professional, but Kuno and the others were very flirty. And the entire barracks was full of gossip and teasing. "Ugh, why am I still thinking about this...?" He groaned.
The 701st's behavior was definitely unusual. There was no way he would be able to focus on his work like this. He was already having trouble sleeping, and his dreams were filled with thoughts of the androids. Yuren shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He needed to focus.
His terminal beeped, signalling a new message. He opened the message, and his eyes widened.
'Mission Received'
He looked over the details, and his jaw dropped.
'Operation: Black Iron Fortress - Location: North of the Great Dividing Mountain Range. Enemy: Charstire Republic. Target: Destroy strategic position. Option: Eliminate all enemy units. Occupational forces approximation: 750'
He looked at the map and noticed the operation area was near a dense forest. It was a straight path between two mountain ranges.
"Jia, it's time for deployment. I'm sending you the details." The young commander announced.
This was it; his first operation as commander. One everyone would have their eyes on.
Yuren stood from his desk and took the coat bearing the emblem of a dragon, the battalion's insignia. This was his from now on; it was rather heavy, and the insignia wasn't embroidery but rather steel plates. It was another moment where he felt the weight of responsibility; the 701st wasn't just any battalion. He was told multiple times that they were the best in the country and the 108th Division's ace in the hole.
He stepped out of the office and made his way down the hall. Once outside, he was greeted by the sight of the 701st boarding the Battalion's airship, the C15 'Eisendrache'. It was a massive vehicle capable of transporting the entire battalion, and the Eisendrache was the first of its kind.
A ship for transporting the battalion and armed for battle if necessary. It had enough power to carry all the androids and their equipment. And its anti-air weaponry was enough to fend off any attackers.
Jia led Yuren to the bridge where the pilot and the navigator were waiting.
"Ready when you are, Sir," the pilot said.
"Good. Let's go," Yuren replied.
The engines roared to life, and the ship took off.
The journey was fairly smooth, though it took several hours to reach their destination.
The skies were clear, and the sun was shining brightly, making it a perfect day for flying.
As they approached their destination, the mood became tense. Everyone was ready for action.
Yuren stood in the center of the bridge, looking down at the map table.
"The initial plan is to deploy the units from here and they proceed up to the fortress from the south... but I noticed a problem." He pointed to the area just south of the fortress, "Here, the forest ends abruptly, and the open terrain would make us too exposed."
"True, we'd have to engage just outside of the forest, It's doable... but it leaves the fortress outside of artillery units range." Lina said.
"The Eisendrache's cannon can hit it from here though... hmm... actually..." Yuren pointed to the east side of the fortress, "There's a ravine through the mountains here. It's a bit of a hike from here but it's a clear view of the fortress. I'd much rather the battalion goes there."
"Huh? There's a path there?" Lina asked.
"Yeah, see it?" He zoomed in and traced the route with his finger, "They'd have to go around but it'd gives us an elevated position to open with shelling."
"Hmm..." Lina cupped her chin. "That's quite a gamble..."
"It'll be more effective. Our primary objective is to destroy the fortress." Yuren stated, "Rather than a head on attack, I'd chose to bite their neck from behind... or more accurately, the side."
"That's a bit unorthodox... but I don't have any objections." Lina agreed, "I'll update the mission details."
"Alright, then." He switched on the ship's intercom. "701st, there's been a change of plans. I hope you girls are ready for a hike."
"A hike? Oh boy, it's been awhile." Jia chuckled, "The old man was never too keen on us taking long detours."
"You're still dropping at the designated coordinates however, you'll immediately head east and circle around using the provided path. Once you're in position, artillery units will fire at my signal; you'll know when you see it. You've all been out of action for quite a while so I'm allowing you to cut loose after the initial attack. Consider this my first gift to you all." Yuren adjusted his cap, "Time to get to work!"
"Yes, sir!" The girls shouted.
"Jia, Lina, show me why this Battalion is so famous." Yuren smiled, "I want to see what you can really do."
The two androids grinned, "We won't disappoint, Commander."
As they left, he turned to the navigator. "Lower our altitude, and prime the mains. Let's make the 701st's return as loud as possible. Well, hit the fortress as soon as they're in position."
"Roger, Sir." The navigator nodded.
The flight was short and smooth; they were over the forest in a few minutes.
The drop was also quick and quiet; the girls were quickly on the move as soon as their feet touched the ground.
It'd take them two days to get to their objective.
***
"Why are we not following the Ministry's plan?" Bei asked.
"Commander's orders." Jia answered.
"It'll be tough if we can't pull this off, the odds aren't great either. Does he really think attacking from the east will give us an advantage?" Kuno complained.
"It's not bad idea... even I forgot there was ravine around there." Garra admitted.
"Oooh? Our perfect sniper is admitting something's beyond her?" A girl with a 'HID13' imprinted on her shoulder teased.
"Eri, coordinates 215, 515. The android with a smug face, fire for effect." Garra spoke into her radio.
"Eri! Don't fire! Don't fire! That's my position!" The girl panicked.
"Alright, don't cause an incident. It isn't just our commander that watching how this plays out." Lina chided.
"So... I have permission to use the big guns?" Bei asked.
"Not until after artillery fires the first volley, then you can take the ARM4 down there." Lina instructed, "Commander said he'll give a signal for artillery."
"Aw, man... I wanted to use the ARM4 as soon as possible." Bei grumbled. "I'll meet you at the rendezvous."
"Roger," Jia replied.
The battalion quickly reached its destination, and it was a sight to behold.
"Whoa..." Eri gasped.
"This is a good view," Bei grinned, "I can see the fortress from here. Not a bad spot for an attack actually, they can't see us from here. I'm kinda impressed."
"The fortress is well defended though. I don't think an artillery volley is going to much without something significant. Unless they got some really powerful stuff." HID13 noted.
Just then, the southern side of the fortress exploded, and a shockwave ripped through the air.
"What the hell?!" Eri exclaimed.
"It's the Eisendrache! It just fired the main gun!" Bei yelled.
"wha-" Garra didn't have a chance to finish her sentence.
Another blast struck the fortress, and nearly half of the structure was reduced to rubble.
"I guess that's the signal for artillery!" Jia laughed, "Fire for effect!"
A deafening roar erupted from the east.
Dozens of shells tore through the sky, impacting the fortress in rapid succession. The ground shook violently, and the sky was lit up with flashes of light.
"WOOOH! GO GET THEM GIRLS!" Kuno shouted excitedly.
"ARM4! Let's go!" Bei's excitement was clear in her voice. The mecha leapt from its hidden position and accelerated towards the fortress.
"Alright, let's go!" Jia called.
"We'll clean up any leftovers!" Eri shouted, "Go have fun, girls!"
The 701st rushed towards the fortress, firing on enemy soldiers as they went.
Yuren watched as smoke rose from the fortress. The Eisendrache's cannon wasn't meant for this kind of usage; it was a last-ditch weapon for the ship. The Eisendrache was a vessel for moving and supporting the battalion, and it wasn't expected to participate in combat directly.
The only other time it'd normally be used was against another airship, though that was a very rare event. He didn't mind using the Eisendrache like a battleship; it was certainly armed like one.
"You were right, sir, the cannon can reach it from here." The navigator commented.
"Now that we've taken them from by complete surprise, the 701st won't have any trouble finishing the job. It'll be a simple matter of clean up." Yuren smiled then sighed. "I'm going to turn off my NUWA for a few seconds, I'm still getting used to it."
"I'm not surprised. I can imagine it's not easy controlling an entire battalion and calculating a shot like that." The navigator nodded.
"Thanks." He put a hand on his neck where the implant's link was located, the NUWA. He switched it off and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ahhh..." The pressure on his mind faded; his thoughts were a lot clearer now. It felt quiet, like his mind was finally free.
Yuren smiled, enjoying the brief respite from the constant information being fed to his mind.
"Oh? Commander, what are you doing?" Lina asked over the radio. "Why the sudden disconnect?"
"Sorry, accident." Yuren apologized, "I'm rebooting my NUWA now."
"Wait, did you just-"
"Nope." He answered, cutting her off. "It's back online. Finish up, I'm bringing the ship in."
The Eisendrache descended from the sky and landed just outside the fortress.
"701st, status report." He called over the radio.
"Enemy forces destroyed, 100% eliminated. All enemy forces have been dealt with, and the area is secure.
They were fast. Even though he did use the cannon, they eliminated the remaining force before the smoke had cleared. It was much faster than he had anticipated; the 701st had completed their first mission in a little over 30 minutes.
He was fully expecting to meet them down there and participate in the fight, but he was surprised that they'd finished so quickly.
Many android unit commanders die on their first deployment, yet his androids didn't have a single scratch. They were efficient and ruthless, destroying everything in their path. He didn't get a single chance to step onto the battlefield.
He couldn't help but smile; the 701st truly lived up to its reputation.
After a few minutes, Lina and Jia appeared through the door and into the command center.
"Did we live up to your expectations?" Jia asked.
"Yes, I'm very impressed." He nodded.
"We can't take all the credit though, it was very bold of you to use Eisendrache's main cannon." Lina smiled, "But it certainly did the trick."
"Thanks." Yuren chuckled, "I'm glad it worked."
"It's intended for use against other airship's with armored hulls and shields..." Jia remarked, "Blasting a fort is a little extreme. But honestly it allowed us to go full throttle and get it done in a blink."
"That's was the plan, now let's go home. I'll have some superiors to answer to for that kind of move." Yuren replied.
"Understood," Jia nodded.
The ship took off and headed towards the capital city.
***
"Looks like I win the bet, Adelah." A woman's voice sounded.
"Tch... not another brazen one." An annoyed woman replied.
"Ha! I like his style, it was quite entertaining." A man laughed.
"It was bold, reckless and dangerous."
"He intentionally sent the battalion to attack from the east so he could use the Eisendrache's main gun. Shouldn't have been possible from the distance he attacked from." The second woman stated.
"Doesn't he have an absurdly high resonance factor? The cannon scales with resonance so that makes it an exception. He beat your record, Adelah; at five times the distance." The first woman said.
"Shut up, Masie. He was a reckless little shit. It's a miracle it worked." The annoyed woman sighed.
"The battle only lasted for about thirty minutes. You call it reckless, but it was incredibly quick and efficient after he made his move. He adjusted his strategy after taking considerations and didn't just follow the plan that was outlined for his operation." The third voice argued, "He took a risk but he wasn't that reckless, I specifically suggested that mission to the Vice Minister for the 701st as a stress test but it seems he thinks outside of standard strategic guidelines. That's a very promising sign for the Ministry."
"Don't you dare encourage him for that, Rolf, his recklessness could have killed the entire 701st. He has a lot to learn about being a commander." Adelah snapped, "Even if he does have the skills, he's still an amateur."
"Velryn was an amateur too, and he was the one who made the 701st what it is today." Rolf stated, "It's that unorthodox style of command that made him so successful, and Yuren is clearly cut from the same cloth."
"Ugh, whatever..." Adelah growled.
"Let's get back on topic, the 701st did extremely well and Commander Yuren adapted very quickly to the situation." Masie clapped her hands together. "But it's a shame, I wanted to see what kind of true monster he is on the battlefield. I've read the report on the siege of East Toador so many times now! I want see the boy who nearly repelled an attack! I want to see that desperation! That pain! Ah! What kind face will he have after seeing his units fall at his side."
"What an awful woman you truly are." Rolf sighed.
"Sadistic bitch..." Adelah muttered.
"Says the one that was expecting to see the 701st annihilated," Masie laughed.
"I didn't want to see them destroyed!" Adelah exclaimed, "They all die, all of the android unit commanders. My expectations were in the right place, but the 701st always get the luck of draw when it comes to commanders."
"Adelah... you've never had faith in android unit commanders," Masie remarked.
"I have reasons not to," Adelah stated flatly. "They deploy, complete a mission, and they die within the next few. The 701st is the only battalion-sized android unit precisely because the smaller units never last long. The 701st survived under three commanders, and it took almost two decades for them to do that. And each commander was different, one was a tactical genius, the other was an average strategist and the third was a lecherous bastard I had to execute myself."
"So you're upset he didn't have the decency to die on his first mission." Masie smirked. "It's alright, there's still a few more ahead of him. We'll see if he dies like the commanders of smaller units. Rolf just has to suggest a difficult mission that can't be easily solved with unorthodox thinking."
"I'm not going suggest something that's obviously too difficult for a single battalion." Rolf sighed, "The Vice Minister's trust and respect in me is on the line. I can't risk the 701st and the Vice Minister's faith trying to weed out a commander who will be useful."
"What a noble sentiment." Adelah shook her head, "Well, let's see if her little protege will live up to his potential."
"Protege?" Masie was confused.
"The Vice Minister appointed Yuren to the 701st herself." Adelah stated bluntly. "And for the record, Masie, I was mocking him."
"I'm going to go meet him, you won't stop me right, Rolf?" Masie asked.
The man only looked away, avoiding the question.
"I'll take that as a yes," Masie grinned, "I'm gonna go play."
"Masie, I'm warning you..." he spoke up, "You'll keep your hands to yourself." The man's glare was cold and stern.
"Of course, of course," she nodded, "I'm just going to give him a warm welcome. That's all."
"That better be all." Rolf said, "I don't want any reports of violence."
"Relax," Masie smiled, "I'll behave."
Rolf and Adelah sighed simultaneously as the woman left the room.
"I really hate that woman..." Adelah muttered.
"As much as she infuriates me, we need her." Rolf stated.
"We need her talent, not her. We'd be better off without her." Adelah growled.
"Agreed. But she's useful. Even if it's just in the field, she's our trump card." Rolf frowned, "Unfortunately, she's a necessary evil."
"We both know that's a bullshit excuse. Don't repeat it to me ever again..." Adelah sighed, "At least do me that one favor, Rolf."
"As you wish." He replied.
The two continued to watch the screen, monitoring the 701st's return.
"However, Adelah, don't you think you're a bit harsh towards him?" Rolf asked.
"No." Adelah stated. "Though I'll admit, surviving that disaster that happened in East Toador is something to be praised for. He did have the right idea."
"You're too hard on people, you know that?" Rolf chuckled.
"Not at all. I just hate how expendable these damn androids and their commanders are. The Academy teaches them how to command androids, then pumps their heads with heroism propaganda. They all have the wrong expectations and die. The Ministry prints a check, and the factories pump out more androids for this vicious cycle. It's all a damn game to them." She scowled.
"You have a lot of anger towards the Ministry." The man sighed.
"Not necessarily, only the new leadership. But I'll stop complaining, the Vice Minister's plans often go well, and I can't complain about her." Adelah shrugged.
"You can complain, I've been doing it since the day we met." Rolf laughed.
"That's because you're an old man who likes to ramble." Adelah retorted, "And you're also the one who told the Vice Minister about Yuren academy results."
"I didn't tell her anything," Rolf argued.
"You told her about his resonance test." She frowned, "That was very careless."
"I was just answering her questions. I didn't expect her to put him in the 701st, If anything, I'm surprised she didn't send him somewhere else. It's almost like she wants him to fail."
"Unless... she's trying to give him the best possible chance." Adelah thought.
"I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not." Rolf said.
"It's not good, not with her." Adelah shook her head. "When it the subject is resonance, the Vice Minister is always ruthless. Especially when the subject has a very high value. She's probably going to break that boy. He's got an abnormal factor; she'll make him push it past his limit. And once he reaches his limit, he'll have no choice but to go even further."
"If he's that strong, wouldn't he be perfect?" Rolf asked.
"For a weapon, no. He'll burn out eventually. The stronger the resonance, the shorter the time. Androids put a strain on their commander's body, and those androids in the 701st have dangerous resonance requirements." She answered, "The Vice Minister knows that, and that's why other battalions have so few androids. Normal soldiers with cybernetic enhancements are much more sustainable. But she went ahead and made a battalion of elite androids, knowing extactly what it costs."
"She's putting the country's resources into a gamble," Rolf concluded.
"Precisely. That's why the 701st has had so much trouble finding a commander. Because suitable candidates are hard to come by. And now, she has found one. An anomaly with an absurdly high resonance factor." Adelah sighed.
"That's rather concerning, the Vice Minister's plans always go well. But I suppose that success is due to her ruthlessness and her willingness to do whatever it takes. Her results are undeniable." Rolf stroked his chin, "But you're right, she's going to push him beyond his limits. The question is, will the boy break or bend."
"He'll either break and die, or he'll survive. If he survives, she will make a weapon out of him." Adelah shook her head, "I'd bet a fortune he'll die, and that'll be a waste of an excellent officer. He was able to survive an onslaught, he could have made a good commander for the 108th Infantry regiment... A real leader. And now he's just another disposable part this monstrous machine."
"That's quite a pessimistic view." Rolf frowned.
"I'm a pessimist. I'm a cynical asshole, and I know when a good person is going to be treated as a means to an end. And he's an easy target." Adelah growled, "His family has a history of service, he's been taught that it's an honor to die in the name of queen and country. And the Vice Minister is going to abuse that ideal..."
"You're right, that's a tragedy." Rolf sighed, "Truly unfortunate."