Early in the morning, class 38 stood in rank, at attention in front of Rika and David Fika. Behind them stood a bus. They were not the only class in this situation though, as other classes also stood in front of buses.
“Junior officers.” David Fika stated out loud with a stern expression. “As you've seen on your schedule, there has been a sudden change. Today, our class will have the opportunity to train with battle tested veterans from the 1246th infantry company of the 528th infantry division. I hope you all realize the luck you have. Facing veterans in a wargame will be very instructive to you all. Also…” He then paused, pointing towards the bus. “A new student has been added to your class to replace 'former' junior officer Steve Ritter. She's already on the bus, so make sure you all welcome her.”
““Yes, Sir!”” Everybody answered at the same time. David nodded.
“Good, now get into the bus when Instructor Rika calls your name.”
“Null CG-10 Nia!” Not soon had he finished saying this that Rika called out the first person.
“Y-yes!?” Nia was startled. She did not expect to be called first. Still, she approached Rika calmly. When she got next to Rika though, Rika whispered something into her ear.
“Nia, I've reserved the place right next to the new student for you, so do your best.”
“???” Nia did not understand what Rika meant by that and tilted her head. Still, if Rika said so, then there must be something important she had to do. “Understood.” She nodded seriously and entered the bus.
“...AH!” Not soon after, Rika heard an exclamation, and the tips of her lips raised themselves, forming a small smile.
The rest is up to you, Nia.
“Next, Null CG-09 Mia!”
***
The trip did not last long, only two hours. When the students looked outside to see where they were, they were not in Borkian Prime City’s center anymore, but at one of the multiple barracks on the outskirts of the city, with a vast field that had been fitted out with a small forest that seemed out of place in the center of the training field.
As they could expect from such a place, and as was tradition, the garrison was standing at attention in front of their guests, with a small orchestra beginning to play. The students were not thinking it was for them though, but rather for the two influential people they had with them…
And indeed, no sooner had they all gone down from the bus that a group of officers approached Rika and David, who had gathered with the other teachers.
Hm? The woman with pink eyes, blond hair arranged in twintails, and who wore a skirt, at the head of the group, was familiar to Rika, but she couldn't remember exactly who she was…
“In the name of ther 528th infantry division, the 1246th infantry company of the 528th infantry division greets General David Fika and Brigadier-General Rika!” The woman saluted, and the others followed. “I am Major Riley Weima, and I’ll have the honor to be in charge of today’s exercise.”
Ah, now I remember. Rika realized who was in front of her.
Riley Weima, a woman who came from a distanced branch of the renowned Weima family, and was one of Rika’s closest friends from her time as a student. They had lost contact with one another after graduating, and Rika completely forgot about her after a while, like all the acquaintances she had made at the academy.
“At ease, Major.” David said as he saluted back, then smiled. “I can see you’ve put great effort into welcoming us. I’m sure the students appreciate the thought as much as I do.”
“Thank you for your kind words.” Riley blushed. “I only did as instructed.”
“And that is excellent.” David commented. “Now, if I remember correctly, you and Rika are former classmates, right? Why don’t you two catch up with each other while I and the others greet the other officers of your division?”
“But of course!” Riley smiled and saluted again as David and the instructors left, but Rika did not feel the same, she was feeling rather awkward in fact.
That is one encounter I did not expect… She sighed in her mind as both of them stared at each other in awkward silence. If I remember correctly, she’s in the Twill faction, so what could we even talk about?
“Well, well, look who’s here.” Riley broke the silence, smiling as she spoke familiarly and raised a hand for a handshake. “Been a while since we last met, hasn’t it, ‘Brigadier-General’.”
“Indeed, it’s been a while.” Rika answered stiffly as she shook the raised hand.
“Who would have thought you’d get so high in rank when you were an average student.” Riley commented, the smile on her face changing to a teasing one.
“That is part of my embarrassing past. I am not the same person now.” Rika answered back seriously, making sure to draw a line between her past self and the person she was right now.
“Hmmm…” Riley stared at her, thoughtful, before nodding. “I guess seeing is believing, you truly changed. In multiple ways, that is.” She ended up saying with a wry smile, the last point being the scars on Rika’s face. “If our other friends were to see you right now, they wouldn’t even dare come close to you.”
“Right.” Rika agreed. While she was a student, she could not say she took her studies seriously. She just did enough to satisfy her family and instead formed friendships with like minded girls. Same as those girls, Riley had been forced into the military, but unlike Rika’s past self, she studied seriously to get the best place possible in the military, something that didn’t miss, apparently, since she was quite high in the ranks for a young female officer who wore a skirt and graduated as a first lieutenant.
“Well, in my case, it doesn’t bother me. In fact, you look kinda cool.” Riley continued, becoming very friendly. “How about we hang out together after that? Just like old times!” She proposed.
“I’m not sure…” A bit wary, Rika stayed vague, which Riley caught on to.
“Oh come on, I thought you knew me better than that!” Riley sulked a bit. “I don’t care about factions when it comes to friends!”
Ah, right. She’s that kind of person… Rika remembered why she had become close to Riley in the first place, who was not only affiliated to the Weima family, but also the Twill faction. She was the type of person who put politics and job in another basket from her private life.
The fact that she considered Rika to be still a close friend after six years of not seeing one another finally made Rika loosen up and smile wryly.
“Besides… If you could get me General Fika’s number…”
“...” Rika was left speechless at the blushing maiden. Right, she is the type who likes handsome guys…
In the end, she sighed softly.
“I get it. I've been quite busy recently though, so I don’t know if I’ll ever get the time to do that.”
“No worries, I’m not in a hurry since my division’s been stationed here.” Riley replied, giggling a bit before winking at Rika. “Contact me whenever you can!”
Rika nodded, but then Riley’s face became serious.
“Now, let me tell you as your friend…” She began, closing the distance between her and Rikka and whispering softly. “You better be ready, Rika, this isn’t a ‘private’ training session.”
“You don’t mean…” Rika’s eyes grew wide for a second as Riley nodded and distanced herself again. Rika understood what she meant.
Ticia had failed to prove anything to the higher ups on her mission, so they decided to see for themselves how 'efficient' clones were this time… Rika now had no doubt today’s wargame would be displayed throughout the Borkian Confederation, as a show off of her skills and the ones of the clones… No, in fact, she just caught sight of a drone who was filming her and Riley…
“Friendship aside now… Don’t expect my men to go easy on your students, my career depends on it.” Riley said with a dead serious look, and Rika replied in kind with a nod. Right now, they weren’t friends, but members of different factions.
Once David came back with a group of officials, they all went over next to the small forest, and as they neared it, cameramen and journalists began to surround them.
The students were surprised, as they did not expect this, but David Fika and the other officials did not say anything, confirming Rika’s guesses that this was all planned.
So you want a show of force? Very well, you won’t be disappointed by Ticia's kids.
Rika stayed positive, already knowing what the ECGs were capable of, and although she was a bit worried about the Null CGs and the students under her, she guessed they would manage.
Then, the group stopped. Before Rika knew it, David Fika was right next to her, and Riley, with the general of her division which she had already forgotten the name of, faced her. She also noted the presence of a cameraman team right next to them, and from the looks of it, they were already filming, the 'on live' light of the camera telling her everything.
“Pardon me for asking, but I want to suggest some changes.” The division's general suddenly said, talking not to her, but to David.
“What kind of changes?” David frowned a bit. “Everything has already been agreed upon before, right?”
“Well, yes, but…” The general seemed hesitant to say the next words. “We were asked to face students, not clones…”
“Oh, that is indeed a problem.” David agreed immediately, seemingly in thought. “What should we do…”
“I suggest the clones face a separate opponent, from our division's most elite forces.”
“That does seem fair to me.” David immediately agreed, nodding along before looking at Rika with a smile. “What do you think, Rika?”
Those bastards, they’ve planned all this in advance, didn’t they? Rika's eyebrow twitched slightly. Not only was David getting on her nerves by being so familiar and close to her, the both of them clearly wanted to force her hand!
Still, she forced a small smile.
“I do not think there is a problem, but I would suggest only taking the ECGs and letting the Null CGs fight with the rest. They are still students of the academy after all.”
She made this suggestion to keep the little clones out of anything those people could throw at them, shielding them by using the name of the academy.
“...Understood.” The general of the division nodded, though clearly upset. “How many… ECGs… do you have then?”
“Twenty.”
“Hmmm… Then I will position fifty of my best soldiers against them.” He declared, and Rika could not help but notice the slight twitch of Riley's eyebrow as she gave a quick unnoticed look to her superior. Apparently, she was not considered to be part of the elite by her boss…
“Fifty, is it? Then, to make things fair, how about I command them?” David proposed from the side, but no sooner had he said this that voices of disagreement were heard.
““We refuse.””
““Eh?””
They all turned to see that the ECGs had gathered as one separate group, right behind Rika.
“Brigadier-General, your clones haven’t been taught proper military etiquette. How could they refuse a superior's order?” The general of the division, who was facing her, stated, and Rika could see other officials and officers nodding.
Before Rika could say anything though, ECG-031 stepped up, glaring at the man.
“I believe Mother and General have made this point clear before, but WE do not serve in the Borkian military. We serve our General. Why should WE show respect to you all?”
The other ECGs nodded at her words, glaring in unison at the officers. Though the one who opened his mouth next was David.
“Because, in the end, I am Rika’s superior?”
Superior in rank, yes, but I'm a freelancer. When did I become HIS subordinate? Rika felt like punching him right there and now.
“That does not matter to us.” ECG-031 shook her head, and she and her sisters directed looks of disgusts towards David.
Meanwhile, the students and reporters were whispering at this whole ordeal, and Rika, who was happy to see the ECGs standing for themselves, noticed the twinkle in their eyes, reminding her that they were live streaming.
Probably also noticing that, David laughed it all off.
“Well, I don’t think there’s any need to insist anymore, if they want to serve under Rika so much, then let them be.”
“Oh? But I won’t participate?” Rika smirked and declared teasingly, enjoying where this was going.
“Eh?” David looked at her in surprise, not expecting this.
“The girls can do the job themselves. They don’t need me to direct them against a mere fifty soldiers.” Rika declared boldly at the camera, and the ECGs nodded in agreement for some reason, shaming the general of the division they were facing.
“You- Hmph! If you say so. Don’t regret it later!” The man declared, humiliated. “Also, just to let you know, but armored skinsuits are banned in this exercise, okay?”
“Of course, we were not planning on using them in the first place. Also, for things to be fair, how about I receive a small favor at the end of this if my girls win?” Rika said back as an idea popped in her mind, keeping her smile. She also noticed that Riley was holding back a laugh while other officers were enraged. “Also, we’ll take the offensive position.”
“Hmph! Fine, whatever!” The man and his subordinates left just like that, leaving Rika and David alone with the cameraman nearby.
“That was a risky move you’ve just made, Rika.” David expressed worry, closing the distance with Rika, but Rika made sure to keep a reasonable distance.
“You do not have to worry, General Fika. Those girls are more than capable enough of winning. Also, you'll also owe me a favor if the clones win.”
“Haha… If you say so…” David ended up laughing it off with a smile, not forcing it further to avoid damaging his reputation. Rika was also delighted to see he took her bait, and she could tell he was fuming inside at the provocation.
David then faced the students.
“Junior officers, it is as you’ve heard. There will first be a session with the clones, then one with class 38, and finally the other classes. For now, watch and learn.”
““Yes, Sir.”” Albeit a bit bewildered by what just happened, the students saluted. David Fika's words were final.
And so, Rika and the ECGs went to prepare themselves, with a team of cameramen following after them. Fortunately, the girls did not have to change, else, Rika would have allowed the clones to go wild on those peepers…
The problem was with the equipment the girls got…
“What’s the matter, girls?” Rika asked as she saw rare disgruntled looks on the ECGs' faces.
“It’s those guns, General.” ECG-031 said, pointing at the assault rifle in her hands.
Rika was familiar with the design. It was an old Eiko-2000 training assault rifle, and she could see similar training weapons in the arsenal.
Those training weapons had the particularity of shooting lightning bolts instead of lasers, which were set on a tension weak enough to not harm humans, but still strong enough to make the target faint.
“Ah, I get it, it’s not like your usual equipment, right?” Rika said, smiling wryly, but ECG-031 shook her head.
“No, not that. They seem highly inefficient and innacurate.”
“...” Rika and the cameraman team were left speechless by this answer.
Didn't know Ticias were the 'high quality gun only' type… Rika sighed, feeling like she discovered a new face of the clones as a whole.
“... I can’t do anything about it. You will have to do with these for today’s exercise.”
““Understood.”” The clones, a bit disappointed, nodded.
“Ah, yeah, before I forget, 046?” Rika suddenly interpelled one clone girl that stood out because of her headband.
“Yes, General?” ECG-046 tilted her head.
“Don’t target those specific parts of males.” Rika said with a serious look, shocking the cameramen.
“Oh…” The clone girl immediately looked disappointed, which made cameramen shiver.
“That goes for all of you, is that clear?” Rika insisted, feeling it was a necessity to remind all of them.
““Yes, General.”” The ECGs saluted, but even though they were expressionless right now, Rika, who was becoming familiar with their antics, could tell they were disappointed.
Good grief… Why do they have such a strange focus? It’s scary honestly… Rika could not help but sigh, before looking up at the ceiling of the arsenal and beyond. Ticia, what exactly did you do for them to be like that?
***
“Well, this is boring…”
“Yeah…”
Within a makeshift foxhole, two men discussed with one another, seemingly bored.
“Keep your attention, you two.” Their superior chided.
“But Corporal, why do we have to fight against those chicks? It's so obvious we'll beat them up!” One protested.
“Yeah, and I prefer to beat them up in bed. I mean, have you seen how beautiful they are?” The other added with a lustful look, which made the rest of the men in the unit laugh.
“Damn right!”
“...Watch your words, we're being filmed.” The corporal reminded them, sending a glance to the small flying drone right next to them who was recording their every movement.
“Hmph! Whatever, the civilians can think whatever they want of us for all I care. They're not the ones at risk of getting their asses roasted at any moment.” The man who had made the first comment grunted unhappily. “Also, stop giving us the morale when you think the same thing as us.”
“...” The corporal sayed silent.
True, he was thinking the same thing as his men. He understood why they had to do it though, mainly because the higher ups wanted them to teach a lesson to Rika’s new faction, and what could he, a mere corporal, say about it?
To oppose their twenty assaillants, they had deployed in a typical Borkian formation and prepared defenses within the allowed preparation time. They had divided themselves into six groups, with one consisting of the five officers who formed a command center. Four other teams had been divided into two lines of defenses each, occupying a sector facing North. In each, five men dug a foxhole while the other fives were standing further behind, acting as a reaction force. The remaining men stood as reserve just in case, and for the corporal, they were the lucky bastards who wouldn’t have to do anything today.
“...At least man up this machine gun correctly.” He sighed.
“Yes, yes, you're the-” The man could not finish his phrase, something landed at his feet.
““!?!””
Smoke began to spread.
“*cough* Dammit! Smoke grenade!”
“Dave, shoot your damn gun! Rick, get the comms and tell them our position is under attack!” The corporal immediately barked his orders.
“Yes!”
“Gotcha!”
The men sprung to action immediately despite the smoke. The man called Dave began to shoot with his machine gun at the surrounding trees, making suppressive fire.
What he got as an answer were some lightning bolts making impacts near him.
“Whoah!? That was close…” He muttered.
“I've spotted them! Focus your fire!” The corporal yelled once he spotted a silhouette moving through the smoke, pointing in one direction before shooting with his own rifle.
“On it!” Dave immediately focused fire on these points, his colleagues doing the same with their weapons. They saw a stronger flash, and things calmed down for a moment.
“Yeah! I think I hit one of them!” Dave cheered. Only for a renewed round of thunderbolts to reach his position.
“Keep shooting! We'll make the killcount later.” The corporal yelled, and the men did as ordered. The engagement continued like this, and another smoke grenade landed at their feet after a while. The smoke and the continuous fire that came from different points now made the men nervous…
The corporal turned towards Rick. “Rick, how is it?”
“Reinforcements are coming!”
“Good!”
He had not asked for them, but their commanders probably judged they needed help from the reaction group behind them. This meant they had not encountered troubles elsewhere, and the morale of the soldiers was instantly raised, only for Dave to be hit by one of the lightning bolts.
“Aga!?”
“Damn! They got Dave!” The corporal cursed, before pushing the unconscious Dave and taking his place “You tell me where to shoot, Rick!”
“Roger!”
The battle continued, and two of their comrades fell under the constant fire. Now only the corporal and Rick were ‘alive’.
“Goddammit! When will this smoke clear out!?” The corporal cursed as yet another smoke grenade landed at his feet. He did not understand why the enemy hadn't thrown any stun grenades at them yet… “And Rick, get some news about our reinforcements!”
“Roger!” Rick shot another burst, before approaching the comms while making sure to stay under cover.
Meanwhile, the corporal made sure to continue firing his machine gun. When the gun was about to overheat, he switched to dual wielding assault rifles to keep the enemy busy. Of course, enemy fire focused on him, but was not so precise. The exchange continued for a while, with neither side managing to hit the other, no doubt thanks to all that smoke…
“T-Tom!” Rick suddenly called out in a panic.
“It's Corporal Thomas when we're on duty!” Tom replied angrily.
“That's not important! O-our reinforcements got ambushed!”
“What!?” Tom was so surprised he stopped firing for a moment. “Do you think they'll be able to join up with us?!”
“Not sure…”
“Okay then…” Tom closed his eyes and released a sigh, before shooting again. “Tell Command we'll hold this position for as long as possible, ask them to check on us regularly, and if we do not answer, consider the position lost!”
Tom did not have any suicidal thought, and neither had Rick. Both of them followed orders from above so long as they got a fine pay. But since this was not a true battle, and they were being recorded, why not go all the way and leave a good impression on their public?
*Thud*
Another smoke grenade landed at his feet.
“Fuckers! Stop sending smoke grenades!” He yelled. Only for a lightning bolt to nearly hit him.
That’s when he realized his error. By screaming at the enemy, he just told them his position.
The firing intensified, Tom and Rick now had fewer occasions to fire back. they could feel their enemies were getting closer…
“Agagaga!” Rick was shot down.
“Damn!” The corporal cursed again “Now I'm the last on-Agh!” He got shot from behind this time.
The surrounding smoke slowly cleared, revealing a group of seven identical women, two coming from the front, and five from behind. With neutral expressions and guns still in hand, they approached the unconscious men… only to silently shoot them again from close range…
““...”” The women, no, the clone girls, nodded at one another, making hand signs, before moving on.
But just before leaving, the last clone girl turned around and shot down the drone that had been recording what the men were doing.
The last picture coming from the drone was the back of the clone girl as she left the scene…
***
“My drones!” A cry of despair was heard from within the amphitheater where students, soldiers and officials had gathered to watch the wargame through the drones’ cameras.
The man who just let out a cry had a good reason for that. He was one of the reporters who had heavily insisted on having a drone (his drones, for most part) follow each group in the wargame.
“Come on, don’t make that face man.” Someone consoled. “At least you got some cool shots!”
“Yeah, but still, so many pricey drones were shot down… Why do the clones shoot down every drone that they encounter on the enemy side!?”
Rika smiled bitterly when she heard that. The drones might have actually annoyed the ECGs, who just shot them down in return. Rika was just happy she warned the clone not to shoot the ones following them, not until the end of the wargame at least…
Still, I am not paying reparations for that.
Instead, she turned towards the officers to her left, and smirked.
“It would seem like I won, gentlemen.” She declared.
“Haha.” David laughed lightly. “Should I say, ‘as expected from the soldiers under the Unkillable Valkyrie’? Truly a show of force, am I right, gentlemen?.”
“This…” The general of the division's face twisted in half shame, half disbelief. The men he considered as his elite were being overwhelmed, and by a smaller force at that!?
“Well, the game is not finished yet, the opposite team has yet to surrender.” David added.
“O-of course, they wouldn’t give up just after losing some of their companions…” The man tried to bluff.
“Is that truly a good thing though?” Rika added with a smile. “My subordinates distracted one defense line at first to raise attention, then they flanked the defensive positions to take care of the mobile defense forces with stun grenades, to then turn back and eliminate the defensive positions, leaving your commanders flustered and only defended by your reserves. When the situation’s like this, There’s no shame in ordering a retreat, you know?”
“That would be as good as admitting defeat!” The general of the division's yelled back, veins popping on his forehead.
“For this wargame, yes, but what if it was real life?” Rika answered back.
“That-” The man was left speechless. Victory or defeat was not the only thing that was evaluated in a wargame. The ability of each individual to follow orders and calculate if they could make rational decisions on the battlefield also counted. If it was reality, then he had wasted the lives of skilled veterans by ordering them to make a last stand in a useless piece of forest just because he had ordered them to beat the clones no matter what.
“Still, I commend the prowess of your men. They’ve followed the textbooks to a T.” Rika smiled again, giving some praise.
This humiliated the man even more. He clenched his fists and grinded his teeth as whispers began to spread behind him.
“What’s good about following textbooks if they make you lose in the end?”
“Yeah, and you’re telling me that’s the best this division has to offer? No wonder they’re stuck here and not on the frontline.”
“The clones are not only beauties, but also true warriors!”
“I wanna marry one…”
“T-tell them to retreat.” He muttered weakly, but Rika shook her head.
“That would be cheating. You’re not on the frontline right now after all. All you can do is watch.”
“Kuh…” The general and his officers could only watch their remaining men being annihilated by the clones, who did not suffer any casualties throughout the whole ordeal…
His only consolation was the desperate yell of the reporter that reverberated each time the ECGs destroyed a drone…
***
“Well done, girls.” Rika praised the ECGs as the wargame finished and they victoriously entered the amphitheater under the gaze of everyone present.
“General.” ECG-031 saluted, followed by her sisters. “We’ve defeated the enemy and taken possession of the forest with minimal losses!”
“I saw that.” Rika smiled. “Take some well needed rest.”
The ECGs nodded, before going towards the Null CGs, who cheered at them. In the end, only three clones got 'killed' in this wargame.
Meanwhile, Rika made eye contact with Ticinia and Vinia. She told them with a single gesture to come to her. They tilted their heads but still nodded, approaching her.
“Now then, sirs.” Rika blossomed a smile as she put one hand over the heads of both girls. “I believe it is time for you to hold up to the small favor I've just won…"
“As if I’ll-” The division’s general was about to protest, but before he could say anything, David raised his hand.
“What is but a small favor?”
“General?!”
“We made a promise after all, and we are gentlemen who keep their promises. Tell us, Rika.” He said with a smile.
Got you. Rika smirked. Because David wanted to be in her good graces and have a good impression in front of the public at the same time, he immediately agreed despite the fact that he did not even promise anything in the first place and Rika just threw this on him before!
But now I can make sure of one thing. Rika patted both Ticinia and Vinia's heads, before declaring.
“For the next exercise… I want those two girls to be exempted.”
Chauchat
Author's monologue:
Hey there! I'm back with another chapter!
So... wargame huh? Maybe exercise might be a better term, but it was still training. though my mind sometimes scares me... Lightning bolt? Seriously? That's scary... It's like an upgraded tazer...
Anyway! Today we have our ECGs showing off to the entire Borkian confederation!
And in typical ECG style, they don't care much... Teehee
Well at least they did make a great show! And yes, about the 'casualties'. I wondered at first if I should make any, but decided there would be for this exercise. Why? No soldier is perfect, that is why the clones wear armored skinsuits in the first place, but since they did not have them... you get where I'm going.
Rika sure isn't going down without a fight in the politic scene though, but why did she ask for an exemption for Ticinia and Vinia?
Well... the rest shall be told in the next chapter... Who will probably either be posted today or tomorow.
Why? Well... This week is special to me since tomorow is my birthday, so I am in a very good mood right now!
And so, my gift shall be another chapter to you all! Yay!
Anyway, since the image of the iscord is not ready (yet) and after some discussions with the folks over there, I decided to just add the link.
So join the discord! (if you want): https://discord.gg/S8PaS5fC
That's it from me for now! I'll see you all in the next chapter!
Early in the morning, class 38 stood in rank, at attention in front of Rika and David Fika. Behind them stood a bus. They were not the only class in this situation though, as other classes also stood in front of buses.
“Junior officers.” David Fika stated out loud with a stern expression. “As you've seen on your schedule, there has been a sudden change. Today, our class will have the opportunity to train with battle tested veterans from the 1246th infantry company of the 528th infantry division. I hope you all realize the luck you have. Facing veterans in a wargame will be very instructive to you all. Also…” He then paused, pointing towards the bus. “A new student has been added to your class to replace 'former' junior officer Steve Ritter. She's already on the bus, so make sure you all welcome her.”
““Yes, Sir!”” Everybody answered at the same time. David nodded.
“Good, now get into the bus when Instructor Rika calls your name.”
“Null CG-10 Nia!” Not soon had he finished saying this that Rika called out the first person.
“Y-yes!?” Nia was startled. She did not expect to be called first. Still, she approached Rika calmly. When she got next to Rika though, Rika whispered something into her ear.
“Nia, I've reserved the place right next to the new student for you, so do your best.”
“???” Nia did not understand what Rika meant by that and tilted her head. Still, if Rika said so, then there must be something important she had to do. “Understood.” She nodded seriously and entered the bus.
“...AH!” Not soon after, Rika heard an exclamation, and the tips of her lips raised themselves, forming a small smile.
The rest is up to you, Nia.
“Next, Null CG-09 Mia!”
***
The trip did not last long, only two hours. When the students looked outside to see where they were, they were not in Borkian Prime City’s center anymore, but at one of the multiple barracks on the outskirts of the city, with a vast field that had been fitted out with a small forest that seemed out of place in the center of the training field.
As they could expect from such a place, and as was tradition, the garrison was standing at attention in front of their guests, with a small orchestra beginning to play. The students were not thinking it was for them though, but rather for the two influential people they had with them…
And indeed, no sooner had they all gone down from the bus that a group of officers approached Rika and David, who had gathered with the other teachers.
Hm? The woman with pink eyes, blond hair arranged in twintails, and who wore a skirt, at the head of the group, was familiar to Rika, but she couldn't remember exactly who she was…
“In the name of ther 528th infantry division, the 1246th infantry company of the 528th infantry division greets General David Fika and Brigadier-General Rika!” The woman saluted, and the others followed. “I am Major Riley Weima, and I’ll have the honor to be in charge of today’s exercise.”
Ah, now I remember. Rika realized who was in front of her.
Riley Weima, a woman who came from a distanced branch of the renowned Weima family, and was one of Rika’s closest friends from her time as a student. They had lost contact with one another after graduating, and Rika completely forgot about her after a while, like all the acquaintances she had made at the academy.
“At ease, Major.” David said as he saluted back, then smiled. “I can see you’ve put great effort into welcoming us. I’m sure the students appreciate the thought as much as I do.”
“Thank you for your kind words.” Riley blushed. “I only did as instructed.”
“And that is excellent.” David commented. “Now, if I remember correctly, you and Rika are former classmates, right? Why don’t you two catch up with each other while I and the others greet the other officers of your division?”
“But of course!” Riley smiled and saluted again as David and the instructors left, but Rika did not feel the same, she was feeling rather awkward in fact.
That is one encounter I did not expect… She sighed in her mind as both of them stared at each other in awkward silence. If I remember correctly, she’s in the Twill faction, so what could we even talk about?
“Well, well, look who’s here.” Riley broke the silence, smiling as she spoke familiarly and raised a hand for a handshake. “Been a while since we last met, hasn’t it, ‘Brigadier-General’.”
“Indeed, it’s been a while.” Rika answered stiffly as she shook the raised hand.
“Who would have thought you’d get so high in rank when you were an average student.” Riley commented, the smile on her face changing to a teasing one.
“That is part of my embarrassing past. I am not the same person now.” Rika answered back seriously, making sure to draw a line between her past self and the person she was right now.
“Hmmm…” Riley stared at her, thoughtful, before nodding. “I guess seeing is believing, you truly changed. In multiple ways, that is.” She ended up saying with a wry smile, the last point being the scars on Rika’s face. “If our other friends were to see you right now, they wouldn’t even dare come close to you.”
“Right.” Rika agreed. While she was a student, she could not say she took her studies seriously. She just did enough to satisfy her family and instead formed friendships with like minded girls. Same as those girls, Riley had been forced into the military, but unlike Rika’s past self, she studied seriously to get the best place possible in the military, something that didn’t miss, apparently, since she was quite high in the ranks for a young female officer who wore a skirt and graduated as a first lieutenant.
“Well, in my case, it doesn’t bother me. In fact, you look kinda cool.” Riley continued, becoming very friendly. “How about we hang out together after that? Just like old times!” She proposed.
“I’m not sure…” A bit wary, Rika stayed vague, which Riley caught on to.
“Oh come on, I thought you knew me better than that!” Riley sulked a bit. “I don’t care about factions when it comes to friends!”
Ah, right. She’s that kind of person… Rika remembered why she had become close to Riley in the first place, who was not only affiliated to the Weima family, but also the Twill faction. She was the type of person who put politics and job in another basket from her private life.
The fact that she considered Rika to be still a close friend after six years of not seeing one another finally made Rika loosen up and smile wryly.
“Besides… If you could get me General Fika’s number…”
“...” Rika was left speechless at the blushing maiden. Right, she is the type who likes handsome guys…
In the end, she sighed softly.
“I get it. I've been quite busy recently though, so I don’t know if I’ll ever get the time to do that.”
“No worries, I’m not in a hurry since my division’s been stationed here.” Riley replied, giggling a bit before winking at Rika. “Contact me whenever you can!”
Rika nodded, but then Riley’s face became serious.
“Now, let me tell you as your friend…” She began, closing the distance between her and Rikka and whispering softly. “You better be ready, Rika, this isn’t a ‘private’ training session.”
“You don’t mean…” Rika’s eyes grew wide for a second as Riley nodded and distanced herself again. Rika understood what she meant.
Ticia had failed to prove anything to the higher ups on her mission, so they decided to see for themselves how 'efficient' clones were this time… Rika now had no doubt today’s wargame would be displayed throughout the Borkian Confederation, as a show off of her skills and the ones of the clones… No, in fact, she just caught sight of a drone who was filming her and Riley…
“Friendship aside now… Don’t expect my men to go easy on your students, my career depends on it.” Riley said with a dead serious look, and Rika replied in kind with a nod. Right now, they weren’t friends, but members of different factions.
Once David came back with a group of officials, they all went over next to the small forest, and as they neared it, cameramen and journalists began to surround them.
The students were surprised, as they did not expect this, but David Fika and the other officials did not say anything, confirming Rika’s guesses that this was all planned.
So you want a show of force? Very well, you won’t be disappointed by Ticia's kids.
Rika stayed positive, already knowing what the ECGs were capable of, and although she was a bit worried about the Null CGs and the students under her, she guessed they would manage.
Then, the group stopped. Before Rika knew it, David Fika was right next to her, and Riley, with the general of her division which she had already forgotten the name of, faced her. She also noted the presence of a cameraman team right next to them, and from the looks of it, they were already filming, the 'on live' light of the camera telling her everything.
“Pardon me for asking, but I want to suggest some changes.” The division's general suddenly said, talking not to her, but to David.
“What kind of changes?” David frowned a bit. “Everything has already been agreed upon before, right?”
“Well, yes, but…” The general seemed hesitant to say the next words. “We were asked to face students, not clones…”
“Oh, that is indeed a problem.” David agreed immediately, seemingly in thought. “What should we do…”
“I suggest the clones face a separate opponent, from our division's most elite forces.”
“That does seem fair to me.” David immediately agreed, nodding along before looking at Rika with a smile. “What do you think, Rika?”
Those bastards, they’ve planned all this in advance, didn’t they? Rika's eyebrow twitched slightly. Not only was David getting on her nerves by being so familiar and close to her, the both of them clearly wanted to force her hand!
Still, she forced a small smile.
“I do not think there is a problem, but I would suggest only taking the ECGs and letting the Null CGs fight with the rest. They are still students of the academy after all.”
She made this suggestion to keep the little clones out of anything those people could throw at them, shielding them by using the name of the academy.
“...Understood.” The general of the division nodded, though clearly upset. “How many… ECGs… do you have then?”
“Twenty.”
“Hmmm… Then I will position fifty of my best soldiers against them.” He declared, and Rika could not help but notice the slight twitch of Riley's eyebrow as she gave a quick unnoticed look to her superior. Apparently, she was not considered to be part of the elite by her boss…
“Fifty, is it? Then, to make things fair, how about I command them?” David proposed from the side, but no sooner had he said this that voices of disagreement were heard.
““We refuse.””
““Eh?””
They all turned to see that the ECGs had gathered as one separate group, right behind Rika.
“Brigadier-General, your clones haven’t been taught proper military etiquette. How could they refuse a superior's order?” The general of the division, who was facing her, stated, and Rika could see other officials and officers nodding.
Before Rika could say anything though, ECG-031 stepped up, glaring at the man.
“I believe Mother and General have made this point clear before, but WE do not serve in the Borkian military. We serve our General. Why should WE show respect to you all?”
The other ECGs nodded at her words, glaring in unison at the officers. Though the one who opened his mouth next was David.
“Because, in the end, I am Rika’s superior?”
Superior in rank, yes, but I'm a freelancer. When did I become HIS subordinate? Rika felt like punching him right there and now.
“That does not matter to us.” ECG-031 shook her head, and she and her sisters directed looks of disgusts towards David.
Meanwhile, the students and reporters were whispering at this whole ordeal, and Rika, who was happy to see the ECGs standing for themselves, noticed the twinkle in their eyes, reminding her that they were live streaming.
Probably also noticing that, David laughed it all off.
“Well, I don’t think there’s any need to insist anymore, if they want to serve under Rika so much, then let them be.”
“Oh? But I won’t participate?” Rika smirked and declared teasingly, enjoying where this was going.
“Eh?” David looked at her in surprise, not expecting this.
“The girls can do the job themselves. They don’t need me to direct them against a mere fifty soldiers.” Rika declared boldly at the camera, and the ECGs nodded in agreement for some reason, shaming the general of the division they were facing.
“You- Hmph! If you say so. Don’t regret it later!” The man declared, humiliated. “Also, just to let you know, but armored skinsuits are banned in this exercise, okay?”
“Of course, we were not planning on using them in the first place. Also, for things to be fair, how about I receive a small favor at the end of this if my girls win?” Rika said back as an idea popped in her mind, keeping her smile. She also noticed that Riley was holding back a laugh while other officers were enraged. “Also, we’ll take the offensive position.”
“Hmph! Fine, whatever!” The man and his subordinates left just like that, leaving Rika and David alone with the cameraman nearby.
“That was a risky move you’ve just made, Rika.” David expressed worry, closing the distance with Rika, but Rika made sure to keep a reasonable distance.
“You do not have to worry, General Fika. Those girls are more than capable enough of winning. Also, you'll also owe me a favor if the clones win.”
“Haha… If you say so…” David ended up laughing it off with a smile, not forcing it further to avoid damaging his reputation. Rika was also delighted to see he took her bait, and she could tell he was fuming inside at the provocation.
David then faced the students.
“Junior officers, it is as you’ve heard. There will first be a session with the clones, then one with class 38, and finally the other classes. For now, watch and learn.”
““Yes, Sir.”” Albeit a bit bewildered by what just happened, the students saluted. David Fika's words were final.
And so, Rika and the ECGs went to prepare themselves, with a team of cameramen following after them. Fortunately, the girls did not have to change, else, Rika would have allowed the clones to go wild on those peepers…
The problem was with the equipment the girls got…
“What’s the matter, girls?” Rika asked as she saw rare disgruntled looks on the ECGs' faces.
“It’s those guns, General.” ECG-031 said, pointing at the assault rifle in her hands.
Rika was familiar with the design. It was an old Eiko-2000 training assault rifle, and she could see similar training weapons in the arsenal.
Those training weapons had the particularity of shooting lightning bolts instead of lasers, which were set on a tension weak enough to not harm humans, but still strong enough to make the target faint.
“Ah, I get it, it’s not like your usual equipment, right?” Rika said, smiling wryly, but ECG-031 shook her head.
“No, not that. They seem highly inefficient and innacurate.”
“...” Rika and the cameraman team were left speechless by this answer.
Didn't know Ticias were the 'high quality gun only' type… Rika sighed, feeling like she discovered a new face of the clones as a whole.
“... I can’t do anything about it. You will have to do with these for today’s exercise.”
““Understood.”” The clones, a bit disappointed, nodded.
“Ah, yeah, before I forget, 046?” Rika suddenly interpelled one clone girl that stood out because of her headband.
“Yes, General?” ECG-046 tilted her head.
“Don’t target those specific parts of males.” Rika said with a serious look, shocking the cameramen.
“Oh…” The clone girl immediately looked disappointed, which made cameramen shiver.
“That goes for all of you, is that clear?” Rika insisted, feeling it was a necessity to remind all of them.
““Yes, General.”” The ECGs saluted, but even though they were expressionless right now, Rika, who was becoming familiar with their antics, could tell they were disappointed.
Good grief… Why do they have such a strange focus? It’s scary honestly… Rika could not help but sigh, before looking up at the ceiling of the arsenal and beyond. Ticia, what exactly did you do for them to be like that?
***
“Well, this is boring…”
“Yeah…”
Within a makeshift foxhole, two men discussed with one another, seemingly bored.
“Keep your attention, you two.” Their superior chided.
“But Corporal, why do we have to fight against those chicks? It's so obvious we'll beat them up!” One protested.
“Yeah, and I prefer to beat them up in bed. I mean, have you seen how beautiful they are?” The other added with a lustful look, which made the rest of the men in the unit laugh.
“Damn right!”
“...Watch your words, we're being filmed.” The corporal reminded them, sending a glance to the small flying drone right next to them who was recording their every movement.
“Hmph! Whatever, the civilians can think whatever they want of us for all I care. They're not the ones at risk of getting their asses roasted at any moment.” The man who had made the first comment grunted unhappily. “Also, stop giving us the morale when you think the same thing as us.”
“...” The corporal sayed silent.
True, he was thinking the same thing as his men. He understood why they had to do it though, mainly because the higher ups wanted them to teach a lesson to Rika’s new faction, and what could he, a mere corporal, say about it?
To oppose their twenty assaillants, they had deployed in a typical Borkian formation and prepared defenses within the allowed preparation time. They had divided themselves into six groups, with one consisting of the five officers who formed a command center. Four other teams had been divided into two lines of defenses each, occupying a sector facing North. In each, five men dug a foxhole while the other fives were standing further behind, acting as a reaction force. The remaining men stood as reserve just in case, and for the corporal, they were the lucky bastards who wouldn’t have to do anything today.
“...At least man up this machine gun correctly.” He sighed.
“Yes, yes, you're the-” The man could not finish his phrase, something landed at his feet.
““!?!””
Smoke began to spread.
“*cough* Dammit! Smoke grenade!”
“Dave, shoot your damn gun! Rick, get the comms and tell them our position is under attack!” The corporal immediately barked his orders.
“Yes!”
“Gotcha!”
The men sprung to action immediately despite the smoke. The man called Dave began to shoot with his machine gun at the surrounding trees, making suppressive fire.
What he got as an answer were some lightning bolts making impacts near him.
“Whoah!? That was close…” He muttered.
“I've spotted them! Focus your fire!” The corporal yelled once he spotted a silhouette moving through the smoke, pointing in one direction before shooting with his own rifle.
“On it!” Dave immediately focused fire on these points, his colleagues doing the same with their weapons. They saw a stronger flash, and things calmed down for a moment.
“Yeah! I think I hit one of them!” Dave cheered. Only for a renewed round of thunderbolts to reach his position.
“Keep shooting! We'll make the killcount later.” The corporal yelled, and the men did as ordered. The engagement continued like this, and another smoke grenade landed at their feet after a while. The smoke and the continuous fire that came from different points now made the men nervous…
The corporal turned towards Rick. “Rick, how is it?”
“Reinforcements are coming!”
“Good!”
He had not asked for them, but their commanders probably judged they needed help from the reaction group behind them. This meant they had not encountered troubles elsewhere, and the morale of the soldiers was instantly raised, only for Dave to be hit by one of the lightning bolts.
“Aga!?”
“Damn! They got Dave!” The corporal cursed, before pushing the unconscious Dave and taking his place “You tell me where to shoot, Rick!”
“Roger!”
The battle continued, and two of their comrades fell under the constant fire. Now only the corporal and Rick were ‘alive’.
“Goddammit! When will this smoke clear out!?” The corporal cursed as yet another smoke grenade landed at his feet. He did not understand why the enemy hadn't thrown any stun grenades at them yet… “And Rick, get some news about our reinforcements!”
“Roger!” Rick shot another burst, before approaching the comms while making sure to stay under cover.
Meanwhile, the corporal made sure to continue firing his machine gun. When the gun was about to overheat, he switched to dual wielding assault rifles to keep the enemy busy. Of course, enemy fire focused on him, but was not so precise. The exchange continued for a while, with neither side managing to hit the other, no doubt thanks to all that smoke…
“T-Tom!” Rick suddenly called out in a panic.
“It's Corporal Thomas when we're on duty!” Tom replied angrily.
“That's not important! O-our reinforcements got ambushed!”
“What!?” Tom was so surprised he stopped firing for a moment. “Do you think they'll be able to join up with us?!”
“Not sure…”
“Okay then…” Tom closed his eyes and released a sigh, before shooting again. “Tell Command we'll hold this position for as long as possible, ask them to check on us regularly, and if we do not answer, consider the position lost!”
Tom did not have any suicidal thought, and neither had Rick. Both of them followed orders from above so long as they got a fine pay. But since this was not a true battle, and they were being recorded, why not go all the way and leave a good impression on their public?
*Thud*
Another smoke grenade landed at his feet.
“Fuckers! Stop sending smoke grenades!” He yelled. Only for a lightning bolt to nearly hit him.
That’s when he realized his error. By screaming at the enemy, he just told them his position.
The firing intensified, Tom and Rick now had fewer occasions to fire back. they could feel their enemies were getting closer…
“Agagaga!” Rick was shot down.
“Damn!” The corporal cursed again “Now I'm the last on-Agh!” He got shot from behind this time.
The surrounding smoke slowly cleared, revealing a group of seven identical women, two coming from the front, and five from behind. With neutral expressions and guns still in hand, they approached the unconscious men… only to silently shoot them again from close range…
““...”” The women, no, the clone girls, nodded at one another, making hand signs, before moving on.
But just before leaving, the last clone girl turned around and shot down the drone that had been recording what the men were doing.
The last picture coming from the drone was the back of the clone girl as she left the scene…
***
“My drones!” A cry of despair was heard from within the amphitheater where students, soldiers and officials had gathered to watch the wargame through the drones’ cameras.
The man who just let out a cry had a good reason for that. He was one of the reporters who had heavily insisted on having a drone (his drones, for most part) follow each group in the wargame.
“Come on, don’t make that face man.” Someone consoled. “At least you got some cool shots!”
“Yeah, but still, so many pricey drones were shot down… Why do the clones shoot down every drone that they encounter on the enemy side!?”
Rika smiled bitterly when she heard that. The drones might have actually annoyed the ECGs, who just shot them down in return. Rika was just happy she warned the clone not to shoot the ones following them, not until the end of the wargame at least…
Still, I am not paying reparations for that.
Instead, she turned towards the officers to her left, and smirked.
“It would seem like I won, gentlemen.” She declared.
“Haha.” David laughed lightly. “Should I say, ‘as expected from the soldiers under the Unkillable Valkyrie’? Truly a show of force, am I right, gentlemen?.”
“This…” The general of the division's face twisted in half shame, half disbelief. The men he considered as his elite were being overwhelmed, and by a smaller force at that!?
“Well, the game is not finished yet, the opposite team has yet to surrender.” David added.
“O-of course, they wouldn’t give up just after losing some of their companions…” The man tried to bluff.
“Is that truly a good thing though?” Rika added with a smile. “My subordinates distracted one defense line at first to raise attention, then they flanked the defensive positions to take care of the mobile defense forces with stun grenades, to then turn back and eliminate the defensive positions, leaving your commanders flustered and only defended by your reserves. When the situation’s like this, There’s no shame in ordering a retreat, you know?”
“That would be as good as admitting defeat!” The general of the division's yelled back, veins popping on his forehead.
“For this wargame, yes, but what if it was real life?” Rika answered back.
“That-” The man was left speechless. Victory or defeat was not the only thing that was evaluated in a wargame. The ability of each individual to follow orders and calculate if they could make rational decisions on the battlefield also counted. If it was reality, then he had wasted the lives of skilled veterans by ordering them to make a last stand in a useless piece of forest just because he had ordered them to beat the clones no matter what.
“Still, I commend the prowess of your men. They’ve followed the textbooks to a T.” Rika smiled again, giving some praise.
This humiliated the man even more. He clenched his fists and grinded his teeth as whispers began to spread behind him.
“What’s good about following textbooks if they make you lose in the end?”
“Yeah, and you’re telling me that’s the best this division has to offer? No wonder they’re stuck here and not on the frontline.”
“The clones are not only beauties, but also true warriors!”
“I wanna marry one…”
“T-tell them to retreat.” He muttered weakly, but Rika shook her head.
“That would be cheating. You’re not on the frontline right now after all. All you can do is watch.”
“Kuh…” The general and his officers could only watch their remaining men being annihilated by the clones, who did not suffer any casualties throughout the whole ordeal…
His only consolation was the desperate yell of the reporter that reverberated each time the ECGs destroyed a drone…
***
“Well done, girls.” Rika praised the ECGs as the wargame finished and they victoriously entered the amphitheater under the gaze of everyone present.
“General.” ECG-031 saluted, followed by her sisters. “We’ve defeated the enemy and taken possession of the forest with minimal losses!”
“I saw that.” Rika smiled. “Take some well needed rest.”
The ECGs nodded, before going towards the Null CGs, who cheered at them. In the end, only three clones got 'killed' in this wargame.
Meanwhile, Rika made eye contact with Ticinia and Vinia. She told them with a single gesture to come to her. They tilted their heads but still nodded, approaching her.
“Now then, sirs.” Rika blossomed a smile as she put one hand over the heads of both girls. “I believe it is time for you to hold up to the small favor I've just won…"
“As if I’ll-” The division’s general was about to protest, but before he could say anything, David raised his hand.
“What is but a small favor?”
“General?!”
“We made a promise after all, and we are gentlemen who keep their promises. Tell us, Rika.” He said with a smile.
Got you. Rika smirked. Because David wanted to be in her good graces and have a good impression in front of the public at the same time, he immediately agreed despite the fact that he did not even promise anything in the first place and Rika just threw this on him before!
But now I can make sure of one thing. Rika patted both Ticinia and Vinia's heads, before declaring.
“For the next exercise… I want those two girls to be exempted.”
Chauchat
Author's monologue:
Hey there! I'm back with another chapter!
So... wargame huh? Maybe exercise might be a better term, but it was still training. though my mind sometimes scares me... Lightning bolt? Seriously? That's scary... It's like an upgraded tazer...
Anyway! Today we have our ECGs showing off to the entire Borkian confederation!
And in typical ECG style, they don't care much... Teehee
Well at least they did make a great show! And yes, about the 'casualties'. I wondered at first if I should make any, but decided there would be for this exercise. Why? No soldier is perfect, that is why the clones wear armored skinsuits in the first place, but since they did not have them... you get where I'm going.
Rika sure isn't going down without a fight in the politic scene though, but why did she ask for an exemption for Ticinia and Vinia?
Well... the rest shall be told in the next chapter... Who will probably either be posted today or tomorow.
Why? Well... This week is special to me since tomorow is my birthday, so I am in a very good mood right now!
And so, my gift shall be another chapter to you all! Yay!
Anyway, since the image of the iscord is not ready (yet) and after some discussions with the folks over there, I decided to just add the link.
So join the discord! (if you want): https://discord.gg/S8PaS5fC
That's it from me for now! I'll see you all in the next chapter!
