Emergency: On Their Way To A New Battle
At the break of dawn. The early sunlight reflected on nature's surface, presenting a relaxing, darker hue to the eyes. Street lamps were still illuminating. Except those watching the night, soldiers were still sleeping in their barracks. A high-pitch siren disturbed the serenity. Noah, upon hearing the siren, jumped and sit up on his bed for a moment, before realizing what was happening. He ran outside to see soldiers already dressed, running towards the assembly point.
"An emergency assembly?"
The rest of the team got up slower, came out of the barrack. Eunie was stretching her arms and yawning, "It's the crack of dawn, guys..."
"Ugh, why...?" complained Lanz.
Noah: "No idea. We'd better take a look." Together, Noah, Eunie, Lanz, Mwamba, and Riku joined in the running.
Soldiers were already lined up in the assembly square. About the last to arrive, Eunie and the rest stood at the final row, herself still yawning, "Remind me, what're we lining up for here?"
Mwamba probably had got the news somewhere: "Royal decree from the Castle. They say an enemy armored unit's approaching this area."
Lanz: "Come on, man... I just got to sleep and everything..."
Riku: "Friend's fault for staying up late!"
Hearing this, Lanz was getting angry, "And whose fault was it I couldn't sleep? I asked you to do the maintenance on my power frame, but you totally messed up my settings!"
"Oho? Ahh. That probably different frame." Riku wouldn't accept the blame, explaining in his favor: "Riku is popular guypon, crushed by weight of fans asking to do favors. Sometimes mix up orders. Meh. If configs bamboozle, why not fix by self?"
Lanz was closing his eyes, "patiently" suppressing his anger trying to calm down. Yet, that's too much for his patience. He get into an angry stance, shadowing Riku: "That's why I didn't get any sleep, furball!"
He hadn't managed to get into action when the commander's voice attracted their attention. "I'm here to announce today's mission." Probably it's more important to listen to the commander than beating up Riku, he stood back in line, while the commander continued, ignoring him:1 "You have one target. It's currently on course for the suppresion area, here."
The commander tappd twice on his temple, his right iris glowed yellow as information of a map was broadcasted to everyone's irises. To receive the broadcast, the soldiers all tapped twice on their temple to activate their iris. On the center, we see a 3D map with mountains and valleys, and a blue dot appearing, their target.
"Judging from the mass, it's expected to be large in size." As he spoke, the blue dot plotted an expected route, ending at another blue dot. The mapped zoomed out in the process.2 The ending blue dot is probably the intercepting location. "And based on its speed, we estimate it will reach the Alfeto Valley at 0100 hours."
As the commander release his hand from his temple and stop broadcasting, he continued: "Notably, the target's emitting a considerable amount of ether energy. As for your mission, deploy at the canyon by the designated time. Investigate and destroy the source of ether." As he finished his sentence, the others release their hands from their temples, stopped receiving visuals.
"Commander, one question." a faceless soldier asked.
"Go."
"About this target... Can we assume it's from Agnus?"
"We don't know. We haven't been able to confirm, but it seems that they're also gunning for it. This would suggest it should be seen as part of... a different enemy force."
He turned to the others, "Combat with Agnian troops in the area is also expected. Details will be sent to your Iris after deployment. Clear? You are to remain vigilant throughout the operation. Dismissed!"
The soldiers put their feet together, raised their right arm and hold it into a fist, palm facing their shoulder, a sign similar to "aye, aye, captain!"
They gathered at the back entrance of the colony.3 Soldiers and levnises lined up, preparing for departure. Two main types of levnises we can see here, excluding the transporter which carry soldiers that can fly in the air. One already appeared in the battle against Agnus earlier, does not have legs but two wheels installed at an angle at the bottom tip of their torso. Two larger wheels that were used as both a moving mechanism and a rotating saw were equipped to its arms.4 It's head bent forward, aiming at the floor.
Another levnis stand straight up, with 4 legs, each tip of the legs were like that of a compass you used in primary school to draw circles. It's left hand was equipped with a blade, it's right an oval shield.5
Lanz was impressed: "Yeaeeah... Now we're bringing out the big guns!"
Noah was concerned. He feel that something wasn't right, and it had been ages since the whole colony went all out. He went into deep thought "Hm..."
Lanz would like to know what he's thinking, "What's up?"
"Our rank... it is Copper, right?" Noah wanted to confirm.
Eunie took a step forward from their back to line up with them, replying in a giggle tone: "Talking about colony ranks? I mean, we did win big yesterday. It'll only be a matter of time before we make Iron. That'll be it."
"Uh... Yeah, I dunno... about that." Perhaps advancing from Copper to Iron wasn't as easy as it sounds.
===
Riku had been mysterious, far more knowledgable than the rest of the team, "Oho? Looks like they rolling out Silver rank for this operation."
"Silver rank! What would they be doing here...?" Noah and Lanz, shocked, turned and faced Riku, before turning to face each other.
Lanz shrugged: "Orders are orders. Can't complain about the help, though."
A soldier came to the front, interrupting their conversation, "We're moving out. Wedge formation until Point D! Don't fall behind!" As he finished, levnises lead the ways while soldiers followed.
Translator's note on environment: Yellow grass grows all over the place, clearly lacking chlorophyll. Lots of plateau and rocks sticking out from the earth. A river cuts through the land. Red flamingos with white belly were seen gathering by the river bank. Waterfall from a distance falling off unclimbable cliffs, refilling the river. Eagles circling the air, looking for its prey. Deers munched on grass, gathered in groups. Very few trees stood on the Yzana Plains, Aetia Region.
As they traversed, they saw a squad of soldiers being stopped by wolf with silver-gray skin, red manes.
Eunie: "Hey, check it out!"
Lanz: "The spearhead squad."
Mwamba: "Huh, Volffs? They're not much of an emeny if you take 'em on one at a time. Still..." Apparently, the wolf belonged to the "volff" family.
Noah: "The main objective of the op is still ahead. If these guys've hit an impasse, we ought to help them."
Eunie: "I thought you'd say something like that."
They ran in and joined the squad, drawing their weapons and helped the soldiers.
(Some moments later)
As the volffs die, "lives" emanate from their glowing-red corpses, rose into the air, and entered their flame clock. From their irises, pixels representing "lives" were seen entering the flame clock on the left, though it replenishes nil amount. A faceless soldier complained about it: "This all we've getting? Gonna need something a bit more meaty about now."
Another faceless soldier: "Tell me about it. Colony we fought the other day? Dirt rank. Hardly filled up the Flame Clock at all." Eunie and his team watched them leave as they talked.
Noah turned to look at the team: "Lanz, Eunie."
Lanz: "Yeah?"
"No heroics this time. Keep your heads screwed on."
Lanz always wanted to be the hero, rebutted: "Pfft, come on man. No one ever tell you? I'm a hero in the making, I am! Without my heroics, our combat unit would be right up the..."
"Lanz!" Noah glared at him, cut him short, with a serious look on his face.
A second later, Lanz: "...creek!"
Noah walked up to him, nudged to him: "Come on. Stop being so cocky."
"I-it was just a joke, mate... No need to glare..." Lanz body was bending backwards, seldom seeing Noah being so serious, but he agreed to compromise.
Eunie came by his side, concerned, "Is it that bad?"
"Yeah... Something's... not right here. Somethings just feels... off." He can't be sure, but his unconscious gathered information he's not aware from the atmosphere.
Mwamba joined in, "Noah's intuition's never wrong."
Riku agreed: "Friends better listen to Noah."
Lanz: "Got it." They continued on the rocky trail. Down and up, we could see a cloud so near to the ground as if it could be touched. Plateau stretched the side of the trail, like a broken bridge, shadowing it. Somewhere in between to the right, we could see it's a ridge which they could fall off if they weren't careful. Mountains of unmeasurable height stretch far into the clouds in the far background. The walls of the cliffs were rocky.
Translator's note on environment: In the distant, vines curled along tall pillars of rocks that supported a plateau, like a mushroom. A spring with "krabble" 6 gathered around it. Below a tree, apparently dead, laid some patches of red, too far to ascertain what it was. To both sides, cliffs sandwiched the path. Alfeto Valey, in the Aetia Region. As usual, the animals roamed the region.
Stopping before a large rock, Riku pulled out a ball from his pocket. On the top of the ball is a blue core, which projected a screen like a hologram, displaying the map. He confirmed their location, turned to the team and said, "Rendezvous point up ahead!"
Lanz: "Since Nopon can't use Irises, isn't it a pain to have to keep fiddling with a terminal?"
"No fear. Riku take it in stride. Also, if pretend to not look at terminal, can ignore all sort of troublesome and tiresome communications." 7
"Whoa, that's kinda smart."
Suddenly, a monster jumped out of the ground where the rock was before. Apparently, it was buried underground, with its back the shape of a rock, slightly more shiny and reflective than the coarse rocks we see around the valley, but nevertheless of the same color. The protrudes look like stegosaures. As it shook dirt off his head, he turned and face the team.
"Riku! Watch out!" Noah shouted.
Riku took cover behind Noah, while Mwamba exclaimed, "It was camouflaged as a rock...?" 8
Eunie: "We're gonna have to face it!"
Noah: "Here it comes!"
(After the battle) 9
Mwamba was looking at the term symbol on the back of his left hand. The only red being the inner central diamond. He hadn't got much time left. He looked like he was looking forward to Homecoming.
The team saw his action, and Eunie questioned: "So... It's gonna be next month?"
"Yeah... Just a little longer." Mwamba replied.
Lanz: "You're something else, Mwamba. The pride of Colony 9." Lanz's term symbol also had red on the central diamond left, except it also filled the outer diamond, not just the inner.
"Aww, you guys. I've finally made it this far."
Eunie: "What's up?"
Mwamba, covering the symbol with his right palm, "Well... Thing is... I was thinking, after this op, I think I'm gonna go and put in a transfer to the salvage corps. You never know what'll happen on the battlefield, right?"
As he looked up and put his hands down, "You can laugh at me, if you want."
"I ain't laughing, man." Lanz looked seriously at Mwamba, whom raised his eyebrow hearing the comment. "We've only been alive this long because you've always had our backs."
Eunie agreed: "Yep. We owe you a ton. Just make sure you get to your Homecoming, OK?"
Mwamba was grateful, his tone was about to burst into tears: "Lanz, Eunie... You guys..."
"Mwamba," Riku interrupted, "Now not time to relax tear ducts. Let down guard, and you fill Flame Clock of someone else."
Lanz: "Riku, come on!"
Mwamba: "Ha ha! Well, you don't mince words! You are right though."
Noah was lost in his thoughts, when Mwamba interrupted him, "Sorry, Noah."
Noah looked up, confused, "Huh? Oh, no, it's not that. I guess I was just thinking about your Homecoming. It made me feel a little sad..."
In a deeper, teary tone, Mwamba: "Noah..."
Noah encouraged him: "Mwamba, salvage is an important service. Don't feel like you owe us anything."
"Thank you so much, Noah." Changing to a higher tone, like when you're shouting instructions: "Right then! Let's get this operation done! Next month's a-Homecomin'!"
As the group speak, Noah recalled his memories.
Memories
An evening long ago, at the training ground, Noah and Joran sitting side by side. Perhaps it was after the Homecoming.
"I'd love to make it to my Homecoming - maybe if I'm lucky..." said Joran. As he spoke, some bruises on his cheek hurts. He groaned in pain while gently put his fingers on the bruised area.
Noah turned to him and encouraged: "Of course you'll make it, we all will."
"I wonder... I mean, I'm not like you guys... I'm so clumsy."10
"Come on, you're not! What about the last match? You did way better than everyone else!"
"We still lost though, right? It's OK. I've sort of half given up already." He lowered his head in desolation.
"Joran..."
He raised his head, the light in his eyes, we saw something affirmative inside, "Well, at least...11 When I do die, I want to at least be of some use."
Noah can't stand it, stood up and walk in front of him: "Enough of that!"
Joran raised his head to look at him: "Whuh?"
"Don't talk like that! 12 I've always told you we're a team, haven't I? That means now... and always."
"Aww..." Joran was grateful, lowering his eyelids in a more relaxed position.
(another scene)
Flames raged. Lanz ran towards Joran, trying to pull him out of the location. Joran resisted, bent with his shoulders forward, put both his palms on Lanz's chest, and shoved him away. As Lanz flew backwards, his right arm stretched out in his direction reaching out to Joran, eyes wide opened, stones came tumbling down. Joran looked at the live he saved, satisfied. A moment later, he was buried alive before Lanz's eyes.
(End of memory)
"Noah... Noah!" Mwamba brought Noah back to the present, and told the team. "I'm gotta go on ahead. We got a call -- Martha's team has a spot free, apparently."
"Ahh, right." Noah affirmed.
"Do me a favor?" Mwamba requested, "Come along with me, to the office."
"When you apply?"
Mwamba nodded. Noah: "Got it! The commander can be... intense."
Mwamba grinned, "E-xact-ly... Later!" With his last words, he ran off to the distance, the rest of the team watching.
Eunie: "We made it to the rendezvous point faster than I thought we would." A huge tree located near a cliff. A bonfire was burning below the tree. Around the tree in a circle were small rocks, similar to that of the path, with grass growing by the side of the trail leading towards it.
Noah: "Mwamba did help us a lot along the way."
A levnis parked at a distance the opposite direction of the cliff13, Lanz: "Mwamba's team... They're not here yet." Scratching his head, he don't understand how he could be faster but not yet arrived.
Noah explained, "Martha's squad was leading the way. They'll be at a different rendezvous point, I expect." Double tapping his temple, he checked for new information on the iris. "The mission hasn't changed. We'll stand by round here till the scheduled start of the operation."
Eunie acknowledged and suggested: "Roger that! Should we grab a bite to eat?"
Lanz agreed, "Good shout!" Then, Lanz and Eunie walked up to the bonfire. Noah still stuck and deep in his thoughts, as Riku prompted: "Noah... Something up?"
Noah shook his head, "I've just got this uneasy feeling... It won't go away."
Eunie and Lanz turned to face him, Eunie: "The thing we were talking about before?"
Lanz preferred not to think too much: "Mate, you're thinking too hard, as usual. Think it could just be the pressure weighing on you a bit?"
Noah shook his head, as if to shake the feeling off, "Heh, yeah, maybe." Soldiers could be seen behind him, standing at watchpoint, some patrolling.
Lanz: "Oh, for snuff's sake." He and Eunie walked up to Noah, "We've still got a bit of time. How about blowing off a bit of steam with a quick sparring sesh?" Looks like they gave up the eating break.
Eunie wasn't too happy with his decision, "Huh? C'mon, we've got the operation soon. Shouldn't we just rest?"
Lanz disagreed, "Nah, this is exactly the sort of time you want to get your heart rate up. Nothing like going toe-to-toe to get out of your head. Really helps you focus."
Riku: "Never mind empty-headed proposal of Lanz, Noah."
"Shut it, fluff-bag!"
"Riku vote for having mindful moment in quiet place. Checking in on state of self!"
"OK..." Noah turned to Lanz, "Thank you, Lanz. Why don't we train a bit now so we can give it everything in the battle?"
Lanz was excited Noah took his idea to heart: "Nice!" Eunie just shook her head and shrugged, like everyone's out of their mind. Riku flapped his wings.
Footnotes
1: Since he's not disturbing the others nor interrupting him, except Riku, anyways.
2: Translator can't make much out of the map when the contours were all in yellow, and the valley wasn't very clear, sorry...
3: When they returned from Everblight plain earlier, they entered the colony from its front entrance.
4: Imagined it as the extinct bird that have claws on their wings, which they used to fight, but have short legs.
5: It looks like the spider woman whom had their lower torso that of a spider and spider legs, but upper torso of a human.
6: In real life, they were animals that steal other animal's shell to use as their shelter, usually living on seabed.
7: Unsure whether by "troublesome and tiresome" he meant by "as if one was handling an iris," or hearing complain from others.
8: Translator's note: One assumed you lived in this region for so long, yet you never met this monster? Oh dear...
9: Lives emanate from its corpse.
10: He massaged the bruised spot as he speak.
11: Noah: "Hmm..."
12: Putting his arms on his waist.
13: Noah's front is the cliff, his back is the levnis.