Today felt as if, once again, the world was moving too fast, dragging me along with it. I knew my future was going to be bad when Mei Ling walked into my chemistry class halfway through, looking extremely nervous as she searched for me. Most of the class thought I was in trouble again, but it was when I went straight to the car and we left the school before classes were over that I realized how serious things were—and that I would probably end up shooting someone again.
On the way, we didn’t go to the Akasaka Press Center but instead to Yokota Air Base. It was extremely busy, with personnel traffic everywhere and planes taking off one after another as best they could from the runway. It looked like they were on alert because of some news—what the hell had happened? I was rushed at full speed to the intelligence center, everyone stepping aside as if my arrival at the office were the number one priority at that moment. As I walked through the door, I saw my mother gathered with several generals and commanders, all staring at a map. Momo and the android twins were also in the meeting, giving their opinions on what was happening. Nearby, a television was on with the news; reporters were talking about a terrorist attack in some Russian city—enough to know it was going to be a complicated week. Adelis turned to look at me and told Kazumi to keep monitoring the situation.
“I don’t like walking into a room and seeing a war map at the center of everything. What is this about?”
“What exactly is the problem, and why is it my problem?” I asked my mother about what was going on.
She looked at me sadly, having no other choice but to ask me.
“Elise… we have serious problems.”
“And right now, you’re the only one I can think of who might be capable of completing this with so little time.”
“......”
My mother looked at me with anguish. I could tell she truly didn’t want to do this, but the situation was overwhelming her, and she had no choice but to ask for my help in something as serious as this. I probably should have realized that they really needed me when everyone was stepping aside and staring at me in surprise instead of mocking me like they usually did around here. My mother must have made them understand that they needed my abilities enough to take me seriously for once. Speaking of her—when she saw me remain silent, she took a small breath and continued speaking.
“Seventy-four hours ago, the government of Russia became the victim of a new coup d’état. Unlike previous attempts, this is not just a simple warlord with a couple of armored vehicles heading toward Moscow.”
“This time, the threat of a nation’s collapse is very real.”
“Three days ago, a group called the ‘Krasnye Kazaki’, the Red Cossacks, launched attacks on several military bases across the country, mainly west of Moscow and in the Siberian region.”
“Despite the Russian government’s major efforts to stop any transmission of the coup outside the country, satellites don’t lie. As we speak, they are in a state of total war.”
“The loyalist faction calls itself the White Army—not exactly the best omen, to be honest.”
“So far, they have managed to halt the initial advance of the Krasnye Kazaki, but this is not a situation that will be resolved in the short term.”
“Especially considering the weaponry the Red Cossacks seem to have prepared for their uprising.”
“We’re talking about an insurgency made up of veteran soldiers from the Continental War, dissatisfied with the current Russian government—dangerous people who gave the Empire serious trouble even with their technological shortcomings.”
“Okay, that’s a pretty bad situation, but I still don’t see why I should care.”
“At the moment, all of this is a foreign fight, far away from anything that matters to me.”
“Unfortunately, things are never that simple.”
“Damien Raven, president of the I.S.C., the Alliance’s main weapons supplier—his arms provide a very important part of almost everything we use.”
“Despite being American, he moved to Saint Petersburg to live with his wife. Even though she died decades ago, it’s a city he refuses to abandon.”
“In his own words, he will defend his late wife’s home at any cost, until his last breath.”
“Unfortunately, the Red Cossacks have marked him as a priority target for elimination, claiming he is the main supplier of enemy weaponry.”
“Right now, an entire battalion—the Iron Star Battalion, their elite force—is moving toward the Saint Petersburg residence to take the city, but it’s clear their true objective is Damien Raven.”
“......”
“What we are organizing is an emergency evacuation for Damien Raven. As president of the I.S.C., he is someone we cannot allow to die in battle. In addition, the same residence houses Rose’s laboratory, containing highly advanced technology that never saw the light of day.”
“It’s not something we can afford to lose to an uprising.”
“He is far too valuable to the Alliance to allow him to die in combat.”
“The major problem is that, since this is a civil war between Russians, the Alliance as such cannot intervene to assist either faction; we can’t even be near Russia’s borders.”
“Damien Raven refuses to cooperate or leave the city, leaving us with very few options.”
“........”
“This is where you come in.”
“OPERATION VALKYRIE’S GAMBIT.”
“Objective: extract Damien Raven from hell to anywhere outside Russian borders.”
“Basically, this is a black operation. We want you to enter the city and get Damien Raven to a safe location by any means necessary.”
“We don’t care the how—we want the results.”
“No law, no morality, no limits.”
“But this entire operation never existed. You are completely alone in this.”
“Shit, the situation is difficult, but it’s still within the scope of what an elite team like the Navy SEALs or the SAS could handle.”
“What exactly requires me to be there?”
“Damien and I could easily be called enemies—why do I have to be the one to save that idiot’s ass?”
“......”
“The Krasnye Kazaki have access to next-generation Walkers.”
“What people usually call Mechas or Gundams—military units equivalent to tanks: heavy armor, massive firepower. Their bipedal design makes them excel in difficult or snowy terrain, with human-like mobility, mechanical arms with fingers, eight meters tall, and electronic defense systems against drones.”
“This is the first time Walkers have been deployed in a real large military conflict.”
“And the Iron Star Battalion has the most highly trained active unit in Walker combat—the Hammer Unit. Deserters from the Russian army who were being trained with these new units.”
“They were in the middle of military exercises when the revolution broke out. They shut down their identifiers and opened fire on their comrades, then fled into the forest.”
“They have been marked as deserters and priority targets for elimination.”
“The usual weakness of Walkers is aerial and high-mobility units, but right now, with the harsh Russian winter and the apocalyptic snowstorms approaching, that’s impossible.”
“At this moment, the only other person with more experience fighting Walkers is standing right in front of me—and as if that weren’t enough, you’ve already proven yourself capable of facing one with conventional weapons and on foot.”
“Right now, you are the best candidate for this covert operation,” she told me directly, with absolute seriousness—not as my mother, but as a worried general.
“And what the hell do you expect me to do? Throw myself into a helicopter and pray?”
“The Alliance wants him alive. The Russian loyalists don’t want him helping their enemies. The rebels want him dead. The Empire will probably get involved too—just to kill him and steal his technology.”
“And if that wasn’t enough, the ISC leadership will most likely send their own agents and hire even more mercenaries to rescue him themselves. I’m sure other millionaires will also pay someone to eliminate their business rival.”
“We’re talking about a damn rescue operation in an active war zone, with a priority target for four armies and at least a dozen mercenary groups.”
“Pure insanity.”
“We know. That’s why we can’t think of anyone else for the job.”
“FOXHOUND no longer exists. The guy with the bandana retired a long time ago.”
“However, we’re not sending you in empty-handed. As of now, you have permission to use everything in this base.”
“And there’s Momo—you already know her. She’s the best engineer the Alliance has on the planet.”
“She’s more than happy to see a blank check ready to be used,” my mother said, pointing at the nun wearing a metal mask beside her.
“It took me quite a while, but I managed to get the Crimson Empress operational again.”
“It was extremely difficult with the current level of human technology. I had to recreate many of the parts from scratch—absolute madness, the AEDN-1 "Ruler", it means business.”
“Also, the Low-Observable Power Management is now online, so her low-emission electric engine is perfect for avoiding detection, yet powerful enough for intense combat if necessary. A true masterpiece of engineering left behind by Rose.”
“Also, since we have authorization, I managed to requisition an Arksuit as support. Cyclone Squadron is currently en route from the USS Essex to deliver several ARK cores so we can use it.”
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“The Walker uses a pair of them as its power source. The suit will have another.”
“The rest is up to you. Just ask for any weapon you want, and I’ll make sure it’s ready for action as soon as possible.”
Damien Raven’s face appeared on the monitor. I couldn’t believe that the life of a single person was worth so many others. In every sense, I had always been worth nothing—and even now, when I was supposedly the most important being in every possible way, they were telling me he mattered more… absolute bullshit.
But it wasn’t his face or his life that truly mattered to me in the slightest. Instead, I saw Rose, his wife. All the times she saved me. Saved Nanami. It was because of her that I was still alive. She sacrificed her entire empire and legacy so that this world could continue to exist, and even now, her own grave remained a problem for the world.
For a second, I thought I saw her ghost outside the window, begging me to save her husband, lost in his own pain. And the truth was, I still owed Rose a great debt. Out of obligation to her, I would have to pull her husband out of the mud.
But this would be the first and last time.
After this, I won’t feel the slightest guilt when I kill Damien the next time I get the chance.
Disgusted with my debts to the dead, I grabbed the map and began reviewing it in detail.
“It’s obvious they’ll openly attack government buildings—it’s a revolution, after all. There are certain minimum standards they’ll follow.”
“The Russian army is highly dependent on its railway supply lines. Their main tracks and hubs will be priority targets if the Red Cossacks are even halfway competent—which surely they are.”
“The White Army checkpoints won’t be an issue for them. At best, they’ll delay them for a couple of hours.”
“The main road leading to Damien’s residence will be the true main battlefield—and it must be avoided.”
“That leaves us with the urban center and the suburbs.”
“The suburbs sound like a good route, but in reality they’re a death trap—no cover, easy identification by allies or enemies. Krasnye Kazaki is a rebellion, guerrilla warfare. These guys thrive by hiding among civilians. They usually stash ammo depots inside ordinary houses.”
“The sea would be an easy escape—if it weren’t the middle of the Russian winter. That would be suicide.”
“The road to Finland has clearly been closed for years after what happened with Ukraine and the rebellion.”
“So that leaves us with the commercial district, and seeing if we can secure a train heading east.”
“The metro between Saint Petersburg and Moscow still exists, right?”
“I think that’s our best option. Multiple entry points but limited access. Combat would be strictly CQC. We could exit at another station later and switch to a faster transport.”
“…..”
“Estimated time before Iron Hammer locates Damien?”
“We believe approximately 27 hours before they seize the residence,” said Kazumi, the android.
“Shit. Two hours of planning. Nine of travel. Three to five of preparation. At least another three just to find him.”
“Who knows how long escaping will take.”
“When I find him, there’ll most likely already be direct combat.”
“…..”
“How tight is the metro toward Moscow?”
“The tunnels were recently expanded specifically for Walker transport.”
“They’re about ten meters wide. Walkers can enter without difficulty—but they’re still tunnels, so still a closed maze,” said Charlotte beside her sister.
“Okay, at least it doesn’t just sound like a straight-up suicide mission.”
“Please tell me what you’re planning at the moment?”
“We’ve planned an aerial infiltration into the area of operations.”
“Right now we’re working against the clock to refuel the infiltration C-17 Globemaster III, Midnight Express.”
“It’s good to see that some engineers during the Continental War took on the challenge of creating a worthy successor to the SR-71 Blackbird, but with cargo capacity.”
“What wasn’t good were the billions—plural—that its development cost.”
“It’s something like a large transport aircraft with low radar detectability, developed to deploy a high-capacity surprise combat force behind enemy lines.”
“Low-orbit flight capability, rocket-based ejection system, maneuvering and GPS systems for the POD during freefall, explosives to eliminate remains after use.”
“Basically, a HALO jump that will cost us several million dollars.”
“We have a landing site about 20 kilometers from the city. They have defense systems, but they’ll be very busy with their civil war.”
“Twenty kilometers, two full armies, an extreme winter storm, and a miracle to get out of there.”
“High-speed heavy armored engagements.”
“Practically nothing.”
“……”
“So… what weapons do I get?”
“There’s the catalog. Just choose. I’ll make sure everything works as soon as possible,” Momo said confidently, trusting her skills as a mechanical engineer.
I took the tablet from the desk and quickly reviewed all the information on it. I could immediately tell that my experience during the war against the dragons spoke for itself in this situation.
“Alright, let me see. Since this mission will be without support, ammunition will be a serious issue at all times.”
“High ammo-consumption weapons are out. No missile launchers or anything prone to mechanical failure, especially in extreme cold.”
“However, the AN/PEQ-77 "Stellaris" Variable Energy Rifle is a precision weapon and uses only energy for its main projectile, and if I remember correctly, Rose once mentioned it could be converted into a rail cannon by inserting a conventional tank SABOT round. So even if it’s complex, being able to use two types of ammunition is more important.”
“Also, it generates enough heat during use to give the walker some relief when everything is frozen.”
“The secondary weapon, on the other hand, must be reliable as a fallback—something to get me out of trouble when everything else fails, and a tool to steal enemy weapons if necessary.”
“The HV-LS-9 "Photon" laser blade could easily tear apart a walker in CQC and be used to seize enemy weapons. I’ll need it to survive.”
“We also can’t assume the level of energy shields on Russian walkers. If their army has access to Arksuits, they also have access to the same level of shields.”
“On the shoulder hardpoints, I want the MPMS 'Will-o'-Wisp' Plasma Cluster Munition launchers. They’re good at creating suppressive fire and trying to saturate the enemy’s energy defense systems.”
“They have autonomous tracking capability, so it’s fire-and-forget. The enemy pilot will be forced into emergency maneuvers while I can focus on aiming and firing, which helps compensate a bit for numerical inferiority.”
“I also want the emergency system that Crimson Empress originally had: the Electric Assault Armor, the Pulsed Active Defense System (PADS) "Aegis"”
“I know it consumes a lot of energy, but its electric shockwave can destroy enemy electronic equipment, and if we lower its frequency, we could use it as an anti-drone swarm wave.”
“Additionally, with the inverted joint leg system, Crimson Empress is capable of jumping quite high immediately and withstanding the landing using mechanical components.”
“If we manage to complement that with a high-power lateral propulsion system such as HALTA Thrusters, I’ll have better maneuverability than what first-generation walkers expect, since they’re focusing more on armor.”
“The internal support system of Crimson Empress is mainly focused on weight reduction. I can’t add more armor if you’re looking for greater mobility.”
“Forget the armor. Focus mainly on mobility—nothing can hurt you if it can’t catch you first.”
“Besides, it’s not like I’ll be going in with nothing. The walker’s active armor and energy shield system can tank one or two direct hits, enough for me to eliminate the threat, or regret it and run away.”
“Let’s see…”
“With the main weapon I can focus on long- and medium-range engagements, the laser blade for close and personal combat or breaching fortifications, the ability to engage multiple enemies, and everything is based on the Ark Core energy system, which reduces dependence on other systems.”
“I think with that I can cover my back a little.”
“With so many energy systems, you’re betting too much on not overloading your walker’s power generator.”
“If there’s a power outage or systems need to be rebooted due to overload, you’ll be in a compromised position.”
“And that’s what the Arksuit is for.”
“Walker pilots are very confident in their iron coffins and active defense systems.”
“They won’t expect a madman to jump out of his with an armor designed for parkour and high-speed maneuvers, either to escape or to fight in enclosed spaces where a walker can’t enter.”
“Even so, with all this you’re sacrificing Crimson Empress’s main advantage—its focus on low energy and heat detection.”
“I’m not removing it, I’m giving it a dual purpose.”
“If I don’t use the weapons, it will remain low-consumption, and if everything goes wrong and there’s a confrontation, it has the necessary capacity and efficiency to handle the energy usage this strategy requires.”
“The mission is a piece of shit anyway—conventional or standard methods aren’t going to work.”
“Okay, it’s your decision in the end. Here, you’re the expert.”
“With all of this, I’ll need several hours to prepare it. I have the modules built, but I still need to assemble them to finish creating the weapons.”
“I’ll need a lot of help from the other mechanics, but I think I can have it ready in six hours.”
Momo said this before leaving through the door, her mind already focused on the puzzle before her. She knew that behind her metal mask there must be a wide smile on the crystal angel’s face, because it was in moments like these that she shone the brightest—when her work and passion were more than enough to change people’s fate. I chose to trust her completely because I knew she wouldn’t rest until everything was at its maximum level of performance, and truth be told, I would need that if I wanted to survive this mission. Back in the room, all eyes returned to the map on the table—or rather, everyone was focused on a single person: Damien Raven, the titan of his own tragedy.
