The Sirens fell silent from their earlier chorus, the occasional sound of small arms fire and roar of Machine Guns flared up on the streets not illuminated by the searchlights, transport crafts flew over the lower city, deploying troops or providing support with their weapon emplacements.
"Tell the Major General I'll arrive within the hour." A slow calculating voice said in the apartment next to Kyle's.
The door opened with a giant of a Woman striding out, a noticeably smaller man rushed after her, holding a great, Great coat in his hands. "Be sure to stay safe hon." He said helping her arms slip into the sleeves.
She herself stopped whatever transmission she was broadcasting and strode past me, "You're coming with me, Miss Ackebrueck." Sabine's said, her hand reached out to seize mine and she began to drag me along.
"Under which jurisdiction are you allowed to drag a civilian along? What is going on!" I protested, I tried to stay firm with my on my feet but got overpowered, one step at a time she got us closer to the Elevator.
"All of the reserve, Militia, and Garrison personnel are to report to their respected gathering grounds in cases of emergencies, which clearly is now." Her man rushed after her with the Iconic Commissarial cap.
"Hey! You have to let go of me, I still need to turn off his TV and stuff."
Sabine looked at her husband. "Timothy, would you please turn off the Sergeant's devices."
"Right, honey, swift travel and safe return!" He said as the elevator began to descend.
"For what do you need me, anyway?" I said, trying to shake free from her grasp.
"The safety and well-being of the Directorate citizens is my duty." She lowered her eyes on me. "All of them, even students who lost their path and slouched around on societal laurels."
"But I'm-" my voice faded, but what? What was I doing?
The elevator came to a stop. "You always get a choice," she said, leading me out as the door slid open. We left the residential commons, where three of her subordinates waited for her.
"Who is she?" The leading man said, opening the passenger door for us.
"An asset. Make sure there's a uniform ready when we arrive a jacket will suffice," Sabine said, shoving me inside. The door closed with a thud as the three of us squeezed in.
"Give me the zip rep," Sabine said looking, at the man expectantly.
"The sergeant and corporal are still on the move navigating the city, intelligence picked up a camera which hurried into the lower city and ambushed all of the insurgents they came across, in all likelihood some demonstration of power from the technocrats. The wall Received your orders and are emptied itself to flood into the lower city. Coming dawn, we will have eradicated any threat the insurgents might have posed." Said the man confidently.
I looked at the tablet he held towards Sabine, multiple different videos were playing next to each other."Were those people?" The phantom taste and smell of copper and Iron filled my nostrils with the impulse to gag. "Those are bloody stains on the wall!" I exclaimed.
"Quite Miss Ackebrueck," Sabine said looking at the grotesque display of power dispassionately.
"Pray tell, what are the geeks up to?"
"The Technocrats?" He asked, stalling while he went through different channels. "As far as we know from Commissar Hoxworth and his aides, they came to an understanding that they'll deploy their assets in front of the wall while the militia and reserves are rallying. Knowing them, they will take the opportunity and deviate to secure more data and favors." He concluded.
"Quite…" Sabine said looking down at the screen scornfully.
"Uhmm… Commissar, for what do you need me?" I asked, unsure of myself.
"Every promising Comisar starts their Career with an Equally promising aide someone able to complement their respective shortcoming."
"I fail to see what that has to do with me… Commissar!" I hastily added.
"Tonight your friend Sergeant Henschels and Corporal Ino made one too many transgressions, already from what my aides told me they're likely to be the perpetrators of the explosion in the lower city and they won't stop on their way to extraction. Both the military and the Technocrats have voiced their protestations. Each of them has made it clear, they'll accept a Commisar in compensation who looks favorably on their faction and acts as liaison."
"Commissar, please! Tell me what this has to do with me!"
"Not yet."
"Commissar?"
"Your friend refused on multiple occasions the opportunity to join the ranks, and the other shadows the worst of his behavior. Both of them will need your aid once Sergeant Henschles joins the Commissariat." Sabine's aide opened the door and slipped out, she gave me one more look. "Think about the immediate future Miss Ackebrueck, don't disappoint me."
My door was opened and a hand reached out to help me out, once the doors closed the car drove off. I looked after it and ranks upon ranks of militias and reservists were assembling into formation, the parted ranks to let the vehicle through and shut close again. "It will be your duty to defend the walls until the sun rises. I've seen corpses part in a more organized manner. Do you want to disgrace the honor of the entire unit!?" Their leader shouted.
I averted my eyes and looked around for Sabine, she wasn't hard to find her towering figure looming over every officer whose own aura of greatness, in size and deeds seemed to pale in comparison."
I walked over to them standing slightly behind Sabine, I tried my best to look dignified next to her other Aides. She looked over her shoulder, nodded, and addressed one of the men in front of her. "Have I not been clear Captain that I need an Uniform?"
"At once Ma'am." He replied immediately
Sabine looked around the other assembled men, "The troopers are assembling faster than expected, the security of the walls will be guaranteed shortly!" A militia officer stated.
"Reports are arriving that the first platoons are engaging the enemy. The transports are landing all across the undercity. It won't be too long until the encirclement is completed."
"The "Commissar" assured that his Men and Women have the other entrances and exits shut, none of them will escape." The different Officers reported.
"Satisfactory," Sabine concluded. "Join your men," She said and strode past them, her aides and I followed in her wake.
"Should I really go inside?" I said looking up at the building, it wasn't tall by any means. But it always sat wrong with me when I entered. I only could look at Sabine who made her way inside. Troopers were hurrying in and out of the building yet parted ways in her wake. They greeted her with a quick salute, I fell into the gap they made and stepped into the long shadow she cast.
Looking to the left and right were rooms, lockers, and improvised stalls. Unmarked uniforms, magazines, med kits, and weapons were handed out like Halloween candies. "Get the magazine, fit your arms through, and make sure it's not too big or too small. After you're out it has to fit! No one has the time to check if your sense of fashion is as poor as yourself!"
"Safeties on! No bullet, clip, or magazine is inside! I hate all of you nitwits from the militia. You're worse than the civilians but you'll do fine looking important so get your wits and do as you're told!" Other conversations could be picked up in its bizarre controlled chaos.
"Good work, Captain," Sabine said her aides made room and she turned around handing me the promised Jacket. One of her aides helped me slip in, it was definitely oversized but it had its weird comfort to it. Despite the perfect smelling scent, no other washed product could ever hope to pick up.
We delved deeper into the building, passing through nostalgic areas until we reached the command room. It was laid out in a claustrophobic design, a large room stretched out before us, with its labyrinth-style workstations above, below, and on our level with stairs connecting them across every level.
"Ah, Commissar. Glad you're here." An old voice boomed from one end of the room over to the other. Standing tall was Commissar Hoxwort, for all I knew was ancient. Rumors had it he was alive and making a name for himself at the eastern fringes before our wave of colonization even happened.
Sabine headed over to him with her entourage. "Pray tell colleague, what have you in such high spirit?"
"Hoh hoh hoh."He laughed. "Your errand boy ran into a dead end, one of the Technocrat's pets managed to bail him out but I doubt he has the necessary silver lines beneath his lips to coax him up. It's been a while since I had any young man under my tutelage.." Hoxworth laughed merely.
Quite, colleague," Sabine said, looking down at the old man. His head was encased in a helmet with a metallic mask, segmented into multiple layers, and a glowing visor where his eyes should be. A few gray strands of hair could be seen reaching out from the lower edge. Despite his age, he stood tall, showing no signs of weakness or aging. "The Technocrats expected you to use this situation to gain further leverage. They've requested that he complete his education at one of their facilities after this operation and discuss further terms with him."
"Hoh, hoh! I still remember when all they cared about was leaving giant footprints in the stars with giant assemblies of Metal. Tell me it's that Minx! Don't tell me we hate her! It's quite the turn to see them, that adept at Politics." He laughed Merely. Sabine didn't avert her eyes from him. "There were days I've appreciated the undivided attention of a Woman from your standing, but where are my manners? The Command Center is yours." He said bowing his head in reverence. This gesture was repeated all across the room to my astonishment.
"On your post!" Hoxworth said and everyone returned to their work.
"You command the will and attention of the men under your care as always."
"Lads and Lasses alike."
"Quite," Sabine said, looking away from him. "Show me how the Sergeant is faring and how the operation is proceeding."
One of Hoxworth's aides manipulated a screen to show troop Movements and switched the panels multiple times to highlight different formations and their positions within the lower city. "It seems like the insurgents don't number in the thousands, the estimates suggest it's slightly larger than a battalion but we can't confirm if this is a military standard of happenstance, the troops report organized resistance and attempts at breakouts. It is unclear where they came from and who's behind them, we had callbacks with Legion-sized intergalactic but those aren't Pmc's as far as the records could suggest." He concluded.
"I take it none of you know how such a sizable military formation could assemble without your notice at the lower city?" Her gaze was fixed on the aide now.
"Now, now." Hoxworth chimed in. "There are too many unknowns regarding that threat, even if I would say that they hid away by unknown means within the lower city and remained fed without straining the Infrastructure, this failure is not part of the military fault when this night we mobilized in earnest for the first time in months."
"..." Sabine didn't comment, she looked out of the window into the lower city, smoke was rising high under the illumination from the various searchlights with multiple Helicopters flying around in the distance.
"Coming dawn the lower City will be secured." Voiced Hoxworth, "My boys and girls are told to capture anyone within reason so the sewer divers can do their dirty work. It won't be too long until we know who they are and who is standing strong behind them."
"I take it, you guarantee me success and the answers that I've been searching for months?"
"Hoh hoh, quite Commissar. Asking this much of an old man? At this rate, I'll grow old enough to retire and die of old age instead of another boarding party!"
Sabine took a while until she said another word. "Hust, make sure Miss Ackebrueck knows the details of a Commissar's aide and give her first-hand experience and room to question and grow."
One of her aides, the one who had helped me out of the car, began to walk off. I looked after him, confused, then glanced at Sabine, who stood motionless at the window, dispassionately overseeing the lower city. Worried, I hurried after the man, exiting the Command room."I'm glad you understand without needing to be told."
He said without looking back, his shoulder pumped multiple times against other troopers and officers running in and out. But he managed to navigate through the crowd of hurrying people. "Was I meant to do anything else?"
"No, but Civies tend to loiter around when Men in Uniforms are running around."
"..."
Further down the hall, he led me to a half-empty room with multiple open workplaces. The room buzzed with the hum of monitors in chorus with clattering boots against the floor, papers scattered across every desk with the excruciating smell of coffee and sweat in the air."So for starters, it's important to check and second guess the information your Commissar is provided with, he won't have the time to fact-check everything himself…-" He went on. It wasn't too long before Sirens erupted for a second time. Many of the soldiers in the other stations looked in shock at their screens, put their Jackets on, or strapped their rifles over their shoulders.
"What's going on? What are they doing?" I asked Hust, who wore a stern look as he pressed his fingers against his headset.
"Nightmares," Sabine stated walking past the doorway. I stood up and hurried after her. People cleared the path in her wake until she stopped a soldier, yanked the rifle from his hands, and thrust it into mine. "You still remember how to handle one of these?"
I checked the rifle with practiced ease, muscle memory guiding my hands in the familiar motion: Ensuring there was no bullet chambered, no magazine inserted, and that the action moved cleanly without resistance.
Outside, more half-tracks had assembled, loading anyone who fit inside before the troopers slammed the hatches shut and drove off. Sabine strode toward a waiting half-track where troopers were climbing in fast. She ducked low to enter. The two soldiers on the right snapped to attention as I followed her inside. Behind us, several large crates were carried in, and I shut the hatch once they were through.
"We'll keep you safe Commissar." One of the younger troopers said with fire in his eyes.
"Do your duty and keep Oldenbourght safe," Sabine said without sparing him a glance."You might want to stock up while you can." She opens a crate revealing ammunition for various weapons and explosives.
Without a vest, I stored the magazine in my jacket. Sabine closed the lid on the crate and sat down beside me again. "It's all of our duty to safeguard our home."
"Huh?"
"..." I looked around at the mix of troopers, attendants, and Sabine's other two aides besides Hust. "What is going on?" I wanted to ask. But no word came out.
The distant thuds of mortars firing echoed through the air. "If the mortars are firing…" one soldier muttered.
"They're close to the gates." The distant, familiar sound of magazines slamming into place, safeties clicking off, and weapons being readied filled the air. We came to a sudden stop, and the hatch light flickered on.
Adrenaline surged, propelling me with the need to get out first. I kicked the door open with a violent shove and stumbled out, swinging the rifle left and right before I realized what I was doing. "Glad you're in good spirits, Miss Ackenbrueck," Sabine said, fighting to make a dignified exit despite her large frame.
Behind her, the troopers moved quickly, hauling crates out. I scanned the area, spotting smoke rising into the night sky from several sources. The searchlights still pierced the lower city, but now several were fixed on the gates. We stood in an elevated position, the mortars positioned high above, looking down on the gate.
The Half-track gunned the engine with an abused howl and reversed leaving us and lost-looking troopers "Look alive people, you're a disgrace in this organized mess. Man stations, positions, and emplacements." Sabine said. her voice carried itself louder than it should.
She waved her hand around and pointed it at different places and moved around until she came to the edge and looked down at the Gate where multiple people were fast at work. Some people stood inside it or next to it Firing away. "Who told you to plant explosives at the gates?
"WE WON'T HOLD THE NIGHTMARES ANY OTHER WAY!" One of them shouted. The troopers next to him made a half circle larger and larger. The people attending their explosives got up and grabbed their weapons. "TO LATE!" A scream echoed around when the first of their forms came into the searchlight's illumination.
The Barely Corporeal Humanoid form, in various size shapes and forms, none like the other with the innate feeling of dread and uncertainty. Gaping jaws, bird-like beaks, or human faces, normal ones or with tusks poured out of the gate.
Around the gates, the soldiers were locked in fierce hand-to-hand combat with nightmares. Some positions continued firing over their heads into the endless stream of nightmares, while others froze, locked in uncertainty, waiting for commands from their officers. Sabine walked forward to the edge. "Mortars shell behind the gates, disturb their formations." She pointed to her hand positions where Soldiers looked up to her for guidance. "You, you, and you. Clamp down on the gate, don't let them join their brethren." She looked lover at the foot of the hill. "Fix Bayonets and engage. You won't do good shooting your comrades in the back!"
The battle raged on with targeted shots from us on our vantage position and the fierce melee the others were engaging in. Further and further they were pushed back with a constant tide of reinforcements arriving from both sides."Commissar!" Hust's voice rang out as he hurried towards us, the standard of Oldenbourght held high.
Sabine accepted it with reverence, raising it high. "Tonight," she bellowed. "We stand and fight for all we hold dear." She drew her Las pistol, and small beams of light shot through the nightmares like a hot blade through butter. Hearing her voice boom across the battlefield sent my heart pounding against my ribcage and one magazine emptied itself faster than the other.
Despite our valiant effort the line began to bulge under the pressure of the nightmares, threatening to spill out and form gaps in the formation. Risking anyone to clog the gap to be buried in the tide.
"They're breaking Commissar!" Hust interjected. Sabine's tongue clicked sharply, and with that, she tossed the standard and her pistol behind her before opening her greatcoat. I rushed to catch the falling standard, pressing it against my shoulder for support.
Sabine leaned forward, sliding down the slope until she reached the front line. A large metal staff extended, its tip crackling with an electrical current, as she began to cleave, cut, and stab through the nightmares. Hust and some others followed after her and for once, it seemed like they were able to drive the nightmares back.
With one hand, I emptied another magazine, my eyes darting around, feeling the weight of multiple gazes fixed on me. Uncomfortable, I reached for Sabine's discarded laser pistol, lifting it toward the fray."For Oldenbourght, for God, and all we hold dear!" I shouted, my voice growing faint.