Tactical Annihilation: Commanding The Apocalypse

Contact with humanity had not been a high priority on Jakes list, not at least until he was certain they were strong enough to protect what was there's, and more importantly could repel anyone who'd try to capture the one responsible in this case himself.

Since this presently was not the case Jake had holed himself up in the construction yard for the most part, occasionally touring the base and checking in on the various project they had on the go, the engineers were hard at work constructing new buildings to serve as warehouses, houses, hospitals, eventually even shops.

This wasn't just paranoia either recently the hunting teams had reported back seeing dust trails in the distance, and not just one even it had been reported to him multiple times.

Dust trails would mean whatever it was, was moving at speed so that most likely meant it was either a horde of beasts, or more likely it was humans in some sort of vehicle.

He'd made certain their hunting would not disturb the ecosystem and left more then enough beasts to allow for continued hunting by the outposts to support themselves, but perhaps the numbers they hunted was still to high....

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jean was a an awakened and better than that he was a special type of awakened, he was blessed by the goddess with an ability, even among transcendent this made him rare, rarer still when you found out his ability was to become invisible.

So when a mission came up to investigate the beast domains and search for some brat he didn't think twice and signed up.

Now he and a team of nearly 30 driving a convoy of vehicles were speeding across the land towards the ruins of a city lost to humanity almost all the way back to the starting of the apocalypse.

The intel gathered by the client in the Fortress City of Trent indicated the target in question was last seen around the vicinity of this ruined city.

This was unknown to them but the destination of Jake was simply a guess by Sarah to get even more rewards for her selling out the unknown man.

As they got near the city they halted their vehicles and dismounted, it was sheer suicide to approach any ruined city with an engine running, beasts and zombies alike would hear you coming and by the time you stopped you'd have a horde on you.

As the investigation team set forth into the ruins of this city they kept their vigilance, checking all over for signs of beast, undead, or even the living.

But for all their efforts there was nothing, all they found was a dead abandoned city.

nothing remaining within worth salvaging.

However as they were about to move on they spotted something, tracks of another wheel based vehicle free tracks at that leading north away from the city.

Now this could just be signs of another team getting here before them, but something was telling Jean that this was just the thing they were looking for.

So after taking a quick vote from the highest tiered individuals they saddled up and set forth to follow the tracks north.

after a number of minutes passed the lead vehicle came to a halt, and with that all others followed suit.

Once more they dismounted but seeing the lead getting down on the ground the others likewise crouched till they could find out why.

In the distance there was something odd.

The map showed this should've been the road to an old ore mine, and yet they could now see a single flat wall stretch from one end of the mountains all the way to the other.

The only thing missing from the view was high rise building peering out from behind the wall and one would mistake this for being a forgotten or possibly fallen Fortress City or military cache.

The walled were lined with Cannons at regular intervals while on the ground just in front of the wall were some towers like nothing Jean had ever seen before.

After discussing everyone concluded they must be watchtowers of some sort but why... you'd get a much better vantage point and defense by manning the walls.

of the 30, 3 set off towards the sighted wall.

These three specifically because like Jean the other two had similar abilities being able to transform oneself to look like an animal or beast, while the other could disguise to look like a bush.

Jean himself turned invisible and walked forward with impunity save for the highest tiers in Trent none had ever been able to see through his ability before.

But the closer he got the greater the feeling of dread he had in his heart.

When he was close enough he could make out the figures of something people he guess scurrying along the wall.

So, this base was already claimed but that didn't mean it's ownership couldn't change hands.

If he could gather information on how powerful the occupier was, Jean could live his life like a king, especially if this military base contained a cache.

Anyone who was lucky enough to locate a lost cache from the time before the fall was guaranteed a top seat in the local government and well you could simply take a little something for yourself from within to guarantee your position.

However his footstep eventually halted, it was quiet... almost too quiet.

Sure he was invisible but even then it's not like their cars off in the distance couldn't have been seen.

If they could see the wall those on the wall should be able to see them.

And yet, they continued to just walk along the wall on a regular patrol.

It was then that Jean heard a blood curdling scream, turning back in haste to look he found not just one but both of his cohorts with hiding abilities had been taken down by a pair of beasts.

Once had a secure bite on his leg, while the other had fallen to the ground the beast standing atop pinning him to other ground the maw dripping in fresh blood.

Jesus can't those military bastards have properly cleared out the area of beasts.

As he looked round to find a path around the two beasts who killed his teammate his blood ran cold.

there laying in the grass unseen by him before was a third wolf as his eyes locked with it's he could only thank his lucky stars he was invisible right now.

However as he remained just standing there staring, the beast got up and began to bear its teeth while snarling in his direction.

No no its okay it cannot see me it's fine, just don't look at it.

I must've activated a beast instinct like when you just know someone is looking at you.

Locking his eyes forward.

trying his utmost to keep his breathing calm and his ability active.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Commander, reporting in, we've captured 30 humans, along with 7 vehicles."

"Thank you, Beta please make sure the dogs get an extra helping as thanks for their work today."

"It will be done Commander."

Jake was aware of everything that was going on, thanks to a building he unlocked when he reached the 2nd commander level, the Radar Dome.

This was the precursor to Radar, and Spy Satellite from RA2 which allowed him access to a map, while his personal display was localized to a 5km2 area centered around himself, within the construction yard terminal he could see everything that had been revealed or learned.

While the surrounding displayed the general terrain and landmarks thanks to the map he'd found in Kyree's mansion the fog of war element still existed he could only actively see anything that was within the line of sight of himself, an area around the buildings he deployed, or the soldiers that left the base on missions or patrol.

Thanks to this newest building Jake could actually see the approach of the scout as his Dog corp was scattered all throughout the area as an early warning system to light up his Radar.

Meanwhile the Riflemen, Rocketmen, and Grenadiers within the pillbox's and atop the wall were informed to act as if they had seen nothing at all approaching.

The dogs weren't the only ones out in the field.

Little did these scout know that a number of their own had actually been captured by his soldiers in ambushes back within the ruins and were replaced by his most costly unit to date.

Spy's a unit capable of making themself look just like their target even if that target is killed, after the OG was captured and knocked unconscious the spy's rejoined the others and provided Jake an overview of what was happening.

Unlike in the game, spy's just like medics and engineers were also armed.

Their weapon upon deployment was based off the strength valuations, Engineers being the weakest had revolvers, while Spy's had suppressed pistols, while medics had the same pistol as their allied soldier counter parts.

Before they even knew what was going on the scout team had been captured entirely, while the three ability users were arrested by the Guard dogs who'd been ordered not to killed.

The captured 30 humans were disarmed and escorted into the base, those wounded in their capture were tended to by the Medics before they were led into another section of the base that acted as the POW camp.

A single barracks was located here allowing each prisoner to have a bed, access to food and water.

But in return they would need to work for it.

The 30 humans were turned into slaves effectively, by day they would join an assortment of RA soldiers as they mined ores, the men turned to slave were shocked not only to find themselves as slaves, but at the treatment they received, for some their life as a slave was better than their life when free.

The thought of revolt never crossed their minds, since day after day even as their performed hard labour mining ores for an overlord they'd never met, they didn't hate the man, for right alongside them the soldiers themselves were present also mining the ore.

This was jakes short term plan honestly.

In the end he could just end the lives of everyone who came after him and his base, but that would make him an enemy of the world, instead he could keep some hostages and when the time came use them as bargaining chips as needed to show he wasn't a monster and earn from trust from whoever came to reclaim them.

Eventually his reach would extend beyond this base, and from that he'd come to rule a territory or better yet a nation of his own, and while the RA soldiers were great no fantastic even they had one weakness.

They were all men.

Maybe the game dev's were sexist or something but in all of the RA series there was only ever 4 female units while he might be able to deploy those four eventually the system informed him that while relations could develop between RA units procreation was not possible.

It was however possible if a RA soldier was to lay with a native human, this went for either set of pairing.

So if his colony was to grow beyond his system he'd need to find some willing colonists that or cross a line he'd really rather not cross.

And if any man was brave enough they could make a pass at probably the four strongest units in all of RA that is the quadret of Femme Fatals.

Hmmm guess I never did ask the system if I counted as a native human, god Tanya and Natasha's actress's from the cutscene were honestly bombshell babes while Yuriko and Izumi were a souped up form of Yuri and while being Japanese girls easily capable of becoming Idols their sheer psionic power negated and feeling he might have of trying to court one of the two.

With dreams of what life could be like with a girlfriend like Tanya, from Either RA, RA2 , or RAYR or Natasha from the third game gave this newly ordained commander probably some of the best dreams of his life.