Author Notes:
Sorry for the late chapter, everyone, it's past midnight already for me... As promised, I have returned after some rest... Which ironic as I written this at 1 am in the morning... Yeah...
Gonna keep this brief then.
Let's all salute Captain Lukas Hultebring! The man is retiring from active duty for now, hopefully we will be seeing him among our ranks later!
Other than that, I hope you all enjoy the new chapter and pictures. Gonna try and get as much sleep as possible lol
Just don't forget to show your support for this story and our growing family! Peace!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/waZgkRa3UQhqKQBi9
https://www.p-atreon.com/Heartbreak117
https://ko-fi.com/heartbreak117/goal?g=0
P.S: Edited by Yovis
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AWACS Long Caster is one of, if not the most decorated AWACS in the Naval Aviation branch of Reichsmarine. Ever since the conception of the Osprey VTOL and its related AWACS version, Long Caster has been the trusted overwatch for even the most demanding and endurance-taxing missions. Airwings and ground units alike sing praises to the crew of Long Caster in their after-action reports. Even ONI and the Ravens under its command tend to call on this specific AWACS crew due to their ability to endure the long haul while still giving precise battlefield information. Most of the commendations can be attributed to the face, or in this case the spokesperson who is the crew chief of the AWACS crew. More often than not, the crew chief is referred to as Long Caster on the radio net. It's this crew chief who has to supervise and parse through the data stream that the rest of his crew manages to gather. It's him who gets to communicate and feed precious crucial intel to the troops on the field.
It's also up to him to nearly choke on his pork, tomato, and mayonnaise tortilla for identifying some nasty information that went under the radar.
"Cough Cough Motherfucker!" Long Caster hit his chest a few times while smashing his index finger on a monitor, signaling one of his subordinates to zoom in on it for details. "... Shit! How the fuck did we miss that?! Get me a lock on that mass of signatures, now!"
Long Caster shouted at the crew while dropping his tortilla in a container. The monitor Long caster pointed at was responsible for monitoring the hotspots of mana in the battle zone. It has thus spiked heavily since Long Caster first arrived in the AO, missed only because they have been tunnel-visioned by sorting through CAS missions and coordinating ground efforts. Long Caster immediately radios Adam.
"Alpha 1, this is Long Caster, priority alert! Inbound demonic entities from the South side! They have infiltrated the slum area and are en route to the bank! We're detecting a few zombies up here and they can wreak havoc on your lightly armed backside!"
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"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Adam screamed incredulously on the command line. "The last thing we need is a demonic incursion up our rear!"
"I know! We lost it underneath all the battlefield data! You need to reinforce the South side. A few guards just won't cut it!" Long Caster advised.
"We're getting chewed up at the front, can't you task Knight to bomb them to Hell!?" Adam asked but not before rushing to the GMV Humvee.
"I would if I could! By the time Knight Squadron can get a bead on them, the zombies would be on top of the vault chock-full of civvies!" Long Caster replied, clearly frustrated at himself for not noticing what his crew missed.
"Copy that, I'm on it." Said Adam with finality as he slung his MP9.
Adam then moves to remove the MG-35 on the side mount of the GMV Humvee. The gun has seen little use due to its limited firing angle in this defensive scenario, as such, its belt is still nearly full of 8mm Mauser bullets. Nevertheless, he also grabs a full box of 100-round belts for the MG. Before going to the minimally protected rear line, Adam calls out to Rokossovsky and Surbella.
"You two! We got zombies coming up the South! I need to go and back the rearguards up!"
Rokossovsky hides himself behind a barricade after firing at the enemy, shouting. "Go! We'll hold down the fort!"
Surbella also chimes in. "Don't die on us now, Adam!"
Adam replies while rushing behind the bank. "A few zombies won't be enough to kill me!"
Running with full gear, Adam is still surprisingly agile due to his fit body. Working on a ranch sure paid dividends, Adam has lost count of how many times his tenacious strength has saved him today. While running, the Belkan Lieutenant can hear gunshots, but not from the hotly engaged front of the bank. These gunshots are sporadic and coming from the South where he is heading too. It would seem that the rear line is already engaged by the Zombies. Knowing just how deadly one of them can be, Adam hopes he make it in time.
He is fortunate when the first thing he sees when rounding a corner is actual living humans. They are the rearguards, consisting of two fireteams with only two of them carrying enough weapons to be called soldiers. Not really expecting trouble they don't even have enough manpower as the security on the rear is just a minimally reinforced chokepoint with a single Belkan and Rusviet leading six Slavs. Already, Adam can see them engaging the zombies, managing to kill two of them as the rest charges up at the resisting humans.
Adam runs forward, shouting at the defenders. "Get down! Get down!"
His warnings gets the attention of the Belkan Corporal in the line, and the woman then promptly signals for the entire unit to keep their heads low on the makeshift barricades. Now with a clear field of fire, Adam starts hip-firing the MG-35, using nothing but sheer muscle and tracer rounds to aim and keep the muzzle steady. First, he shoots at the zombies with sharp claws that are wall-running to get to his allies. The bullets smash into them and the walls of the building, taking out chunks of their bodies and debris. Then, Adam points the barrel level to the ground sweeping the area ahead of the defenders with a hail of 8mm Mauser. The firepower, the intensity, and the man who hoses down the enemy of all living beings. All of that created a sight that emboldened the defenders, with them cheering for the slaughter of the zombies that sought to gut them.
Due to the limited cover available, these zombies are shredded apart, their weapons do little to protect their bodies against numerous supersonic projectiles. By the time Adam reaches the line of barricades, he has already used up the ammo belt of the MG-35. Crouching next to the defenders, Adam swiftly reloads the machine gun with the box of ammo he carries. "Come on, people, get the wounded back to the bank! I will hold here with those who can still fight. Go!"
Having said that, Adam aims down the sight of the MG-35, already seeing another group of zombies, accompanied by a Chariot this time. "Shit, Long Caster said it's just a few zombies. Must have been attracted by the negative emotions that literally fill the air of the slum..."
As the wounded are being carried back, Adam and the rest of the rearguards welcome the onslaught of this new demonic attack. It's here that the MG-35 shines, its firepower, rate of fire, and ample munition supply allow Adam to mow down the large Chariot demon with ease. Alongside him, the others are pinning or taking down the zombies, making sure that none can get close to their line. Fortunately for all of them, while deadly at first glance, the assault isn't that intense when the number of Demons and Zombies is kept to a minimum. This is nowhere near as ridiculous as what the Belkans faced in Sardegna.
Nevertheless, by the time Adam and the rest are done with this demonic incursion, the MG-35 is already empty, its barrel smoking after a period of non-stop firing. Patting the machine gun on its chamber for its good service, Adam is just about to give an order when the radio line lights up with activity.
"Attention all elements, this is Bravo. Be advised, we have identified an escape route for Alpha, Charlie, and the rest of the civilians. Using an old railroad leading inside the slum area, we will bring Thomas the Train to Ursus station. It's an abandoned station, but with the help of the yardmaster over here, we have managed to open the line to the slum. All units, be prepared to extract in fifteen mikes! We'll be coming in hot!"
Adam stilled for a moment, before breathing out. "About damn time, Bravo. About damn time..."