Journal of the 106th #5

>When the Oppressionists' invasion of Menagerie caught Atlas flatfooted, a detachment of the 106th was sent in to stop the bleeding until reinforcements could arrive.
>It was a textbook suicide mission and we knew it.
>As we fought our way into Menagerie's air space, most of us believed that the only way we'd be getting off this island was in a body bag.
>We loaded up in our Cardinal-Class Cruiser.
>Three were being sent, with a dozen Finch-Class Frigates.
>Enough firepower to take out an entire Kingdom.
>All to break through the Color Nazi blockade and rescue the Faunus.
>When we arrived at their blockade just off the coast, I quickly boarded my Atlesian Falcon-170.
>The wing of fighters took off, soaring out of the cruiser's hanger and taking off towards the enemy ships.
>From below, it was easy to see which side was which.
>The Oppressionist's dull, matching ships took off from their own hangers to intercept the Atlas ships, whose colors varied as much as the personalities of their pilots.
>A visual that captured the exact reason for why we fight this war.
>The fighters quickly began their dogfights, ships exploding and falling into the waters below.
>Mercy on any that survived, as the Grimm in that water were thicker than the blood they spilled.
>I maneuvered my fighter best I could, trailing after an Opp pilot.
>We danced in the sky, my shots never able to find their mark.
>Finally, he made a bad turn, and I anticipated it enough to land just enough shots that his fighter was sent out of control.
>I followed it as best I could to confirm the kill, but I didn't need to.
>The fighter spun as it flew directly into the bridge of the enemy cruiser.
>Explosions filled the sky as the cruiser itself began it's plunge towards the depths of the water below.
>As the 106th finally broke through the Opp blockade over Menagerie, I took a long look back at the battle that continued to rage over the water, and wondered why so many had to die for a bunch of walking animals.
>Then I followed my orders, and turned ground ward.
>When we arrived on Menagerie, things were just as bad as we'd feared.
>The Nazis had us out gunned, out maneuvered, and out manned by a five-to-one margin.
>What none of us had counted on was the Faunus.
>We'd all heard the stories, of course, but we'd never fought next to them.
>Never seen them rip apart a Nazi with their bear hands.
>They were magnificent.
>Even so it was still a suicide mission.
>At least until Master Yelo arrived.
>Then it became a battle; a winnable battle.
>We quickly hooked up with the Faunus militia.
>They had a small encampment made on the beach around one of their villages on the northern peninsula.
>Across the ocean, on the other peninsula, we could easily see the massing forces of the Oppressionists.
>We dug ourselves in behind the makeshift barricades.
>Their forces soon mobilized.
>Amphibious tanks and troop carriers began ferrying soldiers towards our position.
>We opened fire, trying to thin out their ranks before they arrived.
>Faunus began popping up in the river, planting explosives on the enemy armor, others yanking soldiers off the carriers and drowning them.
>It helped, but their numbers where still too great, and when they reached the beach, they quickly stormed our positions.
>We fought back, but soon had to retreat further up the beach.
>The Faunus in the village covered us as we back tracked towards the last group of walls between us and the Opps.
>We knew this was the line in the sand.
>If they got past us, they'd destroy this village and all the Faunus in it.
>We fought our best, but we were nearly overran before Master Yelo arrived in the village.
>The older Hunter quickly reached our front line just as it was about to collapse.
>He quickly drew his sword and rallied both soldier and Faunus by charging the Color Nazis.
>Each swing of his sword send an arc of Aura out that cut through entire platoons.
>With his efforts, we were able to push them back and reclaim our original position.
>With the Nazis in full retreat, we regrouped and prepared a counterattack that never happened.
>They left before night fall.
>With the timely arrival of Master Yelo, the 106th was able to hold the line against the Opps on Menagerie.
>We left as heroes.
>Years later, we'd return as conquerors.

A dramatic reading:
http://vocaroo.com/i/s09KUvPuz16b