With Pride and Blood 2 (Patreon)

With Pride and Blood 2 - or ‘Time to make Humanity the Greatest Ever, at the Expense of some scum from outer space!’ (Mass Effect, Senator Armstrong!SI)

The First Contact War was humanity’s test against older civilizations.

It was the proof that, regardless of their much recent effort into spacefaring businesses, its prowess was matching and even outpacing the Turian Hierarchy. When the Battle Station in Shanxi was alerted of the loss of the Explorer Fleet sent through the relay, their first move was vital: maximum alert deployment.

A tactic that had been built upon theory and the modernization of archaic ones. Upon introduction of modern notions within Space Warfare, concepts that had long been seen by the old Navy as essential had also been introduced in different ways. The ‘Pearl Harbor’ Plan was one of such notions implemented in a more modern key- by deploying the ships on high alert and preparing the AAs to handle potential naval invasions, Shanxi was instantly evacuated to prevent losses among civilians.

Evacuation ships were already packed and sent flying to the closest settlement. Distress signals were called, and the First Strike Fleet was being mobilized to reinforce the current garrison.

Despite all the preparation made, chances of survival by Ship-fighting were quite slim. The Fleet that came through was prepared. In a shocking turn of events, the Turian had deployed a formidable force that was able to present a genuine threat to the garrison and forced the high command to gamble: the Navy would have to keep the hostile heavy ships distracted while the Marines will have to pick off the invaders once they had landed on Shanxi.

General Arthur Williams, one of the men that had been following President Armstrong’s line of thought in regard to warfare, was more than happy to show their ‘neighbors’ how humans did war on a ‘close and intimate’ level.

When the Turian Fleet passed through the Relay, their behavior suggested that they didn’t think much of the threat posed by the human garrison. As the battle for Shanxi started, the major colony was already entrenched and ready to pick on the various targets trying to breach its defenses.

The Turians seemed to favor a more ‘obsolete’ methodology in regard to land battles, employing infantry with not much of an effective boost to their capacities beyond shielding and ‘advanced’ tanks.

None of their current equipment was ready for the two units deployed against them. While most of the garrison was geared on a more defensive disposition, the SA’s ground forces had also displaced a few unique pieces of technology that were meant to be used as an attack force.

Without hesitation and with the space battle raging on over his head, General Williams ordered the deployment of two Metal Gear RAY MK. Vd against the approaching Turians and thus repel the attack head on. With the offensive being enough to besiege the main colony intensely, shedding into their numbers was a necessity.

The ‘Metal Gear’ Project in particular was the pinnacle of Ground Warfare. Initially regarded as a ‘big man wanting big toys’ by some that had some disdain for President Armstrong, the end result was the creation of the Apex Military Weapon.

Compared to the first projects, the current version of the RAY at their disposal was a fine piece of weaponry. The armor-plating was now able to render ineffective most of the Anti-tank equipment within the Army’s disposal, with the sole best option being a precise shot from a large-caliber ship cannon. That is, if the cannon can predict the right angle knowing how fast the RAY variants were compared to the REX and the EXCELSUS.

When the Turians met the two RAY, their surprise was evident and their panic was more than expected and welcomed. At first, some of their frontline commanders tried to organize a combined assault to try and find a weak spot within the two well-armored robots, but the end result was a massacre within the flanks and a planned push forward from their central rows into the city. The RAY’s purpose was not to exterminate the entire force, but to shepherd it to a specific entrance of the city.

In there, the Turians were greeted by what the Humans were able to do.

—----------d-d-d-d—-----

“Jack, on your six!”

Biting down a huff, Captain Jack Harper nodded. “Got it.”

Despite how faithfully understanding he was of President Armstrong’s cautious approach to the matter, he never thought he would have lived long enough to face xeno forces.

The Turians were tough bastards, but that’s where the flattery ended- they were tough, but they were also rudimentary on their military approaches. The ‘small-squad’ doctrine was the same, but the distribution was weakened by the lack of primary specialists within the fields. Most were ‘assaulters’, with only a medic officer and two heavy specialists.

Jack’s squad was made by three individuals: the Sniper, the Mauler, and the Cutter. It was ironic that ‘Gunny Jack’ had preferred one of those High Frequency Blades when those were proposed in the military, but the effect of using it while on the rush granted to him by his battlesuit and nanomachines was far greater than handling a gun. The brutality was twice as predictable, with the chances of mutilation elevated but not condemned by the military when necessary.

He hardly had a reason to use his blade in the context of open warfare, but this experience reminded him why this was a good job for him. As the battle persisted, his blade was rattling with Turian’s blood still dripping from it. The terror he was causing was secondary to Ben Hislop’s vicious HF Hammer.

Ben was born in a military family. His older brother was currently fighting somewhere else in the colony in a higher rank. Despite being the youngest, Ben was the biggest and the one that favored hammers compared to his family’s traditional use of heavy guns. It was the rush, that much Jack knew, but Ben was more than a dumb hammerer- the sheer amount of books the guy had on Armstrong’s biography and thesis on the military thought was proof the man was smart but geared for war.

This was Ben Hislop’s home.

The one that didn’t seem to share this tune was also the one that Jack understood the most in a rather ‘dry respectful’ way. Eva Coré was originally not interested to join the army- hell, her first boyfriend had her enlist to some of the short-lived movements trying to ‘cut on the murderers’ budget’ which wanted to curb the military force.

Then she caught him cheating with a fellow hippie, and she decided that being a ‘murderer’ felt like the right way to take revenge on the bastard. Did Eva like this conflict? Not really, but she knew this was not a choice made by humanity, but a choice forced on them to take.

Her voice would come through the radio, proof that she was nowhere near them as she took out her share of troublemakers with her high-precision sniper. The thing packed the same heat of a mini-railgun, which is why many in the garrison had seen fit to nickname her ‘Metal Gear Eva’. She never openly opposed it, but Jack knew she ‘liked’ it.

After two hours of helping the Gunners in keeping the situation under control within these three streets they had been assigned to, the trio realized that the Turians had started to show up less and less, until there was none to deal with.

As silence reigned, a rather frustrated Ben spoke through the radio. “Eva?”

“They are retreating,” The blonde hummed, a bit surprised herself. “We gave them a big spook.”

That’s one way to say ‘butchering their troops and painting the streets bloody’. It was the first time ever Jack was given a chance to fully use his blade, and for this to be the end result… Well, he felt pity for those that will have to scrape the blood and guts off some of the walls.

As the battle settled, an announcement was given by General Williams. This was the first wave, and the second one was expected by at least ten hours from now. At this point, the space battle had drawn some casualties from both sides as some ships were destroyed and some had made a landfall back on the planet.

There was news of some survivors of their own fleet making it to the colony to reinforce it with vehicles they got from their downed ships. But while Jack was expecting a break to drink some beer and get some steak to eat, he was dismayed when Eva announced General Williams had asked for his squad specifically.

Considering their hard work, a medal or two were expected. A special job was not. If there is something that made General Williams a true bastard was the way he was able to convey his orders in a tenacious way. And since their job was a ‘lame one’ by Ben’s own thoughts after the debriefing, it was surprising the guy was still on board with it.

During the Space Skirmish, a Turian Research Ship had made a landfall. Due to their efficiency and recommendation from superiors, Jack’s team was the best option they got to sneak in, take all needed data, and get back to Shanxi without reporting losses or being captured.

The mention of promotion and ‘higher-ups’ handshakes drove Jack to be hopeful to rub elbows with the right fellows to get his time on higher levels. So, they accepted despite what most of the garrison may think about this sort of deadly operation.

To many, this was a suicidal mission, to the trio… this was just them having a lovely stroll behind enemy lines.

—---------d-d-d-d—----------

AN

Well, well, if it isn’t Saucy Jack.