Author Notes:
Trollolol~!
By this point, you pretty much can see that I have thown away any semblance of common sense kek. A direct consequence of me downing multiple cups of coffee whenever I write something :D
Other than that, however, there's not much else to say other than the usual Monthly Recruitment Drive is still ongoing. Yeah, I can be chill when I am so damn wasted...
https://www.patre-on.com/Heartbreak117
https://ko-fi.com/heartbreak117/goal?g=0
Income goal 790/880 USD (UmU)
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With the cessation of the Belkan advance into the Polanian territories, it's expected that, until the downfall of the Polanian Revolutionary Command Council, there will only be minor skirmishes along the newly established Belkan defense line. This effectively reduced the burden on the Reich's massive logistic machine by half. Thus allowing it to switch focus to the reconstruction of not just the recently acquired Polanian lands, but also those of the Kingdom of Ustio. Subsequently, the need for hyperactive supply lines, staffed by the Reich's famed armored trains, is also diminished. After multiple hectic weeks, battle-hardened trains like Thomas will be getting their well-earned downtime for inspections and servicing.
In one of the packed train stations deep in the Belkan-controlled territories in Western Polanian, Thomas comes to a stop with a much lighter load than usual. Last night, the war train and its crew had already unloaded the necessary supplies for the construction of new perimeter outposts. That was also Thomas' last job, at least for the short future. Being on constant deployment, even Thomas' durable wheelsets are showing signs of getting worn out. Once it's ok to disembark, the first thing the crew does is to give Thomas a lookover, noting anything that needs a deeper review or replacement. When the commanding officers of Thomas step out of the train, they immediately come to see the familiar sight of the crew being busy worker bees.
"But why all the sentries?" Sergeant Lukas asks after stretching his back from the ride throughout the night.
Indeed, all across this largely refurbished station, heavily armed soldiers are either standing guard or moving about in patrol groups. And, oddly enough, they are going at it with the utmost alertness to the point that it won't be a surprise when one comes up and says that they're hunting for an internal threat. Captain Surbella shrugs, lighting a cigarette.
"This far behind the front?" The Captain says while letting out a puff of smoke. "Probably a VIP, a VVIP at that. Even a General doesn't necessitate such an arrangement."
Surbella then gestures his head to the surrounding roofs, where snipers are, and even MANPADs are stationed. "Ain't no trouble gonna get out of this encirclement alive."
Adam nods, looking around to take in the full picture. "And that's a freaking Puma tucking away in the corner... Jeez, who the Hell is in town right now?"
"That would be me!" A lively voice interjects from the side.
Surbella may not be very familiar with it, but Lukas, and most certainly, Adam, are. Turning around and, on instinct, putting out his arms, Adam manages to catch the humanoid-shaped missile that pounces on him. "Aria!?"
"Hehe~! It's me, you big oaf! Miss me?" Aria, Adam's Nekomata fiancée, teases while nuzzling him.
"Of course I am!" Adam laughs, hugging Aria before spinning on a pivot gleefully. An act that causes the Nekomata to be lifted from the ground and giggle.
"Gosh, it's been a while since I've held you, my dear." Adam comments with a contented sigh as he lowers Aria back onto the ground.
"Uhm." Aria nods understandingly before turning to the pair of spectators next to them. "Yahallo~, Lukas! Oh, and you must be Captain Surbella. Thank you, both of you, for watching out for my big boy here." Aria says with a grin as she pats Adam's broad shoulder.
While Surbella accepts the grateful gesture with a respectful tip of his hat, Lukas makes the universal gestures of thumbs up and a grin.
"It's more like the champ over there looking over our shoulders and making sure we all get back in one piece." Lukas adds. "With how much shit we tend to come across on a near-daily basis, having someone like Adam is always a blessing."
While Adam chuckles wryly at the grin, Aria smirks. "You keep buttering up my fiancée like that, and he will send you scubbing the entire train with a mop and bucket."
Lukas raises his hand jokingly. "Hey, I'm just spouting facts here, ma'am. The lady in charge will keep me safe from my boss, right?"
Aria laughs at Adam's expense, and so does Lukas. Only Surbella is there, a bit awkward when meeting The Lady in Adam's life properly for the first time. As weird as it is to see a petite Nekomata lady matching up with a tall and burly human male, it strangely fits because it's Adam and Aria whose auras complement each other. Surbella thinks he needs to come up with something fitting for the pair while stomping out the newly lit cigarette out of politeness. It ain't a good thing for someone like Aria to smell the toxic fume.
After the initial banter, however, Adam takes a moment to ask.
"Aria, not that I am not happy to see you, but how come you are here? While the region is secured, there are still risks for civilian personnel. And I thought that you would still be working on the deal with the Chinese."
"Well, you'll have to take it up to the person I rode here with." Aria grins, jutting a thumb over her shoulder.
The male trio then gaze at where Aria is pointing, only to immediately jump in surprise, their hands stammering for a salute. "H-Hail Marshal!"
The shout from the three officers cut through the buzzing atmosphere of the platform like a hot knife through butter, attracting the attention of the nearby workers and train crew. When they finally register the words, and even the front-row visual of the VVIP in their midst, everyone parrots the two words.
"HAIL MARSHAL!"
It's quite fortunate that no one was surprised out of their mind and dropped something that could very well be heavy enough to break their foot. To this act of sincere loyalty, some more fervent than others, the Reich Marshal giggles before raising a hand in a calming gesture.
"As you were, everyone. I am only here for a little chat with someone."
Although she said the words normally without any force, everyone on the platform could hear them clearly. Being given the clear, the spectators return to what they were doing prior, but not before some of them say words of acknowledgement. It's clear, however, that they work even harder and paradoxically more carefully now that the revered Reich Marshal stands among them. Everyone wants to show their good side to the ultimate boss of bosses. Adam, Lukas, and Surbella, though, find themselves unconsciously defaulting to their at-ease stance.
As for Aria...
"Told you they would be spooked." The Reich Marshal smiles, winking at Aria.
"And I love every single moment of it." Both ladies high-fived, the resounding clap of which put small, but wry smiles on Adam's and Lukas' faces. Only Surbella retains his cool expression.
The Marshal looks at the male trio, explaining. "I have a certain need for Thomas, it and its dutiful crew. You can say that I brought Aria back to Europe because of a need to foster a smooth cooperation between us. After all, what I will be asking you to do will be a bit of a rush order."
Adam steps up and stands at attention. "Marshal, it will be an honor for us to cater to your needs, whatever they may be..." Adam then adds with a less serious tone. "And I offer you my heartfelt thanks for allowing me to see my fiancée in person."
The Marshal smiles softly.
"No need to be so tense, seeing as we can be considered acquaintances. Aria's post in China is now being filled by someone else, at least for the near future. You two will have your time catching up momentarily."
"UmU." Aria nods with her hands on her hips. "I am made an honorary noble of the Long Dynasty now, it even came with a big ol' manor and staffing in Beijing!"
Although Adam feels immense pride in his fiancée's accomplishment, the presence of the VVIP in front of him demands that he only offer a small, yet meaningful smile. For Aria, just that is enough.
The Marshal nods at the pair's interaction. It reminds her of the life she has in private moments. Holding up an open palm, the aide for this Overseer hands over a tablet, which the Marshal then uses to project a holographic reconstruction of Thomas the Train, albeit with some touch-ups here and there.
"Now, may I have your attention for a moment, Lieutenant Kemper." The Marshal says. "ONI and I have a bit of a project going on, and while I can't give you all the details for reasons everybody here is more than clear about, it does need a Thomas that is much stronger, horsepower-wise, than it currently is. Since you can be said to be the father of all of our modern war trains, Lieutenant, I deem it fitting that you're to be the one to take a look at the upgrade package we've planned for Thomas."
The Marshal hands the tablet over to Adam, to which the man takes it respectfully. "May I know why the upgrade is needed, ma'am?"
"A military parade." The Marshal answers succintly while the males are given the go-ahead to peruse and discuss the specifications shown in the tablet.
It's amusing that Aria also peeks her head into the semi-circle to the projection, even if she doesn't have much understanding of the subject. Adam replies with understanding. "Ah, I can see why Thomas is chosen." The reply comes out as factual, not arrogant or boastful.
"Indeed, Lieutenant." The Marshal nods, adding. "As you would have no doubt inferred by this point, while a few can't, some of the specs can be modified to be better or slightly worse than the default via the tablet. No matter how you change them, however, it will still result in a comprehensive upgrade pack for Thomas. Do note that, when you finalize your option, you will only have a maximum of four days to install the upgrade for Thomas and an additional maximum of three days to perform test runs."
Everyone looks up at the Marshal, then at Thomas, before looking back at the Marshal.
"That is... A very specific and tight timeline, ma'am." Adam carefully says with a bead of sweat running down his temple.
The Reich Marshal just calmly raises her eyebrow. "But can you do it? All of the parts are already here, and you will have access to additional workforce and machinery if required."
Rather than giving an immediate and possibly uninformed answer, Adam opts to take a moment to analyze the given data.
The biggest change of all after the upgrade is that Thomas will be losing its aging 88 mm turret in the front compartment and pretty much the entirety of its current power plant. To fill in that void, a newer, larger, and more powerful mana engine and steam boiler system will be installed. To protect the new heart of Thomas, a modular composite armor shell will be placed over it. This will give Thomas' front end a more angular, more aerodynamic, yet still industrial look. While the loss of the 88 mm turret brings about a sharp reduction in frontal firepower, the huge increase in horsepower means Thomas can pull even heavier loads. One of the options that Surbella is quick to point out is the combi-weapon car, a dedicated vehicle that is large and well-armored enough to safely hold two primary weapons at once: a Sunburst MLRS and a 105 mm smoothbore gun, both fitted in a Leopard turret with an autoloader. It's the default front weapon car currently, and Adam doesn't see a reason to change it out for something else. To accommodate any of the upgrades, the undercarriage for all cars, not just the control and engine cars, is revamped as well. But perhaps the most surprising hard requirement of all is the need for the rebuilt Thomas to pull along the three dedicated railway artillery cars, at least for the duration of the military parade.
And the male trio can't be any more familiar with the guns being placed on the cars.
"The good old 220 mm..." Lukas comments with a smack of his lips.
"By the look of it, we can safely say that we will be seeing more of them being churned out from the factories soon enough." Surbella adds, noting the refurbished look of the Ustian-designed 220 mm heavy artillery in the projection.
"Ooh~! Big guns go boom." Aria cheekily says.
Adam looks at the three artillery cars, being reminded of their devastating firepower when used as siege weapons. They have now shed their fieldcrafted visage of just being a gun on a trolley. Instead, each gun is hosted inside a large enclosed turret with all the necessary fire control equipment and its semi-automatic mechanism. This ensures that the venerable weapon is well-protected from the elements and sturdy enough to withstand some battlefield scuffle.
"A shame that it's not a fully-automatic autoloader though..." Adam says wistfully. "But we don't have much real estate on the train in the first place. This is already way more than we could have ever imagined."
And let's not forget Thomas managed to pull a few cruise missile cars before. Now, even more weapons and cargo options have opened up for Thomas. If anything, the upgraded Thomas will be living even truer to its classification as an armored war train.
To top it all up, the need for Thomas to participate as a star in the military parade will see the train being decked out in a formal suit of beautiful obsidian black, with the wheelsets and some of the undercarriage being painted vivid red as an eyecatcher. Along the length of the train, Concert Tina wires will be deployed in key areas, not just as an intimidation factor, but also to prevent hijackers. To the sides of Thomas, there will be a comprehensive list of kill tallies for all the major threats the train has dealt with in passing. Yes, it even includes the ships sunk by Thomas. No one would have thought that a train could be both deadly and impeccably dressed at the same time. Yet, when Adam takes in all of the new specs, he has a bit of a thoughtful look.
Aria is quick to notice it. "Adam, what's wrong?"
"I can't help but think that, if we're to constantly upgrade and replace each and every single part of Thomas, will it still be the same Thomas that went through Hell and high water with us?"
Aria and the others, when they heard Adam's legitimate concern, pondered seriously. After all, Thomas is their lifeblood, their savior, and family through many trials. It's the crew's home away from home, so such consideration is not unwarranted. For the most part, the Marshal can relate to what they're feeling right now.
Ultimately, it's Aria who answers by putting a hand on Adam's heart. "This is where Thomas is..." Before pointing a finger at the proudly embellished nameplate on the side of the engine car. "And so is there."
It's a brief, but meaningful answer, one that unravels the small knot in Adam's heart.
"Well, guess the lady just answered that conundrum..." Adam chuckles before speaking to the patient Marshal. "Ma'am, after consideration, we have found the best upgrade plan for Thomas. One that will satisfy the timetable if we do it now, with some of your workforce listening closely to our instructions, of course."
The Reich Marshal nods sharply. "You will find that they will be very accommodating to your commands, Lieutenant. You are, after all, the most experienced when it comes to handling your train, and they know that. Anything else?"
Adam replies calmly. "Actually, there is, Marshal. If we can replace the Belkan flags being hung from the front and back of the train with actual, large, and gleaming plates that are painted in our national colors... A metallic flag will be much more fitting on a train like Thomas, ma'am."
"Consider it done, Lieutenant. I will have the metal workers talk with you about the specifics." The Reich Marshal nods.
"And then..." Adam poses yet another question, this one more curious than the others. "We noticed that there's a singular, very large car that is left empty, seemingly will be used to transport something appropriately enormous... It's a hard requirement, and there's even a total weight limit. May we know what we will be transporting, Marshal?"
The Reich Marshal makes an understanding "Ah..." sound before turning away, looking at the strangely empty storage closure that is next to their platform. "For that, you will have to wait. Should be any moment now."
At the cryptic answer, they all share a puzzled look, but choose to obediently wait. Moments later, the space inside the closure quivers before a large, borderline humongous two-way purple spatial rift is opened. What's revealed on the other side of the gate can only be described by the words: super, bristling, unassailable, fortress.
"Oh dear..." Aria shakes in surprise and even a tinge of fear as she clings to Adam.
"Holy Mother Goddess..." The male trio doesn't even know who said it among themselves.
Only the Reich Marshal confidently gazes at the steel behemoth on the other side of the rift with her hands clasped behind her back. Then, the colossal titan starts rolling forward, its treads shaking both sides of the rift at the same time while its powerplant lets out a low, aggressive growl as if it's a beast circling its prey. There's no exhaust, so it's still powered by a mana engine. Yet, for it to still be generating such an oppressive auditory overload, the powerplant must be a monster of its own, perhaps even more so than Thomas'.
When the gigantic, mobile bastion in all but name comes through the purple rift, the Reich Marshal presents the behemoth in all of its glory with her two hands.
"Behold, everyone, the final answer to armor warfare!"
"It's a Baneblade!"
Subsequently, after the Marshal's introduction, the entire train station falls into dead silence, with everyone nearly missing her next, very nonchalant words.
"Or that's what's advertised by Nicolae anyway. I actually have no idea how this thing is even applicable in our military doctrine."