The water oscillated violently on the surface of the Kuchurhan River as the stormy wind and rain sought to disturb its peace. Not far from the shore, the village of Pervomaisc could be seen through the curtain of raindrops. Yet, despite the horrid weather conditions, a small fishing boat resisted the waves in the middle of the river with five men aboard. Though the storm above would've forced most people to back down, these men fished in the rain, unbothered by the sweat and water that coated their faces.
Inside the boat, Oltevin poured a few cups of kvass, a traditional fermented alcoholic drink famous in rural Transnistria. With two other men around the table playing poker, they were each handed a cup. While the first man drank without hesitation, the second had to take a closer look at the liquid in his cup before drinking.
[Michalis] - "Taste quite strange, comrade. Feels like I'm drinking something between beer and juice. "
Said Michalis as he swirled his cup in a circular motion.
[Oltevin] - "It's not too strong on purpose. Getting drunk on river in the middle of a storm is a terrible idea. "
Said Oltevin as he set his cup by the edge of the table.
[Christos] - "I'd say it's more of an acquired taste. Either way, I think I'll stick to my Ouzo. You cupcakes can play it safe, but I'm getting my fill of fun here. "
Said Christos as he pulled out a concealed flask and poured it into his cup.
[Michalis] - "You're the medic here, so if you fall off and drown, don't expect help to come. "
After picking up his cards, Michalis inspected the expression on the faces of his opponents before looking at his own. On his side, Oltevin showed a prideful expression as he looked at his cards before taking a swig from his cup. On the other hand, Christos simply glanced at his hand before immediately resorting to emptying his cup in one swift gulp.
[Michalis] - "Oh, looks like someone got dealt a bad hand. "
Said Michalis mockingly as he glanced at Christos.
[Christos] - "Fuck you! I'm sure you're cheating when you're mixing the cards. It's been three fucking games already! "
Yelled Christos as he showed Michalis the middle finger.
With a smirk, Michalis reached forward with his cards before looking at both sides with arrogance on his face.
[Michalis] - "Call! "
Upon seeing the confidence on Michalis' face and his own cards, Oltevin banged on the table before throwing his card away.
[Oltevin] - "Fold! "
Upon seeing how speechless and frustrated Christos is, Michalis smirked and leaned toward him.
[Michalis] - "The Goddess lives on and she protects! All the glory is... Of course, to her favourite Marines from the 1st division. "
Said Michalis as he proudly flashed his divisional tattoo to Christos.
[Christos] - "You act so proud when saying the Goddess protects. Remind you, our Goddess Athena is Greek, you're fucking Turkish. Your blood is not pure, bastard! "
Said Christos with a wicked smile.
Immediately, Michalis erupted in anger as he stormed out of his seat and grabbed Christos by the collar.
[Michalis] - "Shut the fuck up! I'm more Greek than your entire family tree. Check your fucking face, you're clearly Bulgarian! "
Yelled Michalis in a flurry of anger.
[Christos] - "Bullshit! I'm from Athens, you're from fucking Cyprus! You're clearly Turkish and pretending to be Greek. When you eat Gyros, you probably convince yourself it's Kebab and not to mention, even your dog looks Turkish! "
[Michalis] - "You're full of shit! I'm from 10 generations of pure-blooded Greeks, while you are clearly born to Bulgarian farmers who moved to Athens because of the war. Even your voice sounds Bulgarian, you fake mother fucker! "
While the two men argued, Oltevin could watch in silent awkwardness, as he knew that intervening would only direct the cultural animosity to himself instead. However, the tension was suddenly interrupted by a few knocks on the window from the outside, signalling that it's time to change shifts.
[Michalis] - "You're just jealous the Goddess loves the 1st division more than you people from the dead last 6th division. You're just mad you're from the fucking 984th company, which no one ever heard about! "
Said Michalis as he pushed on Christos' face.
[Christos] - "The Goddess loves me more than you, which is why I've met her personally while you never fucking breathed the same air as her! Also, you're from the fucking 42nd company, a fucking number in the first division with no memorable actions! "
Muttered Christos as he tried to pry Michalis' hands away.
Meanwhile, Oltevin just let the two go about their business as he filled another pair of cups for the two other men outside. As Oltevin stepped outside, Voss immediately stood up at the sound of the door opening as if it were a call to duty. After a few seconds for his nerves to adjust, Voss gradually dropped his tense attitude before heading toward Oltevin.
[Oltevin] - "You're relieved of duty, comrade. Here, have some Kvass. "
Without a word, Voss took the cup and stepped inside the cabin with water still dripping from his raincoat. However, upon seeing how Christos and Michalis were fighting like children, Voss' face immediately went dark as he abruptly slammed his cup against the table with such force, it sent most of the cards into the air.
The room immediately went silent aside from the storm outside as the two Marines looked at Voss with shock on their faces. Without another word, Michalis quickly let go of Christos and went back to his chair like an obedient child. Even Oltevin, who was uninvolved with the situation, felt compelled to close the door gently so as not to make too much noise.
Outside, Oltevin slowly pushed through the rain while protecting the contents of his two cups. Finally, as he made to the front, he took a seat beside Nilsson before handing him a cup of Kvass. Before them, a row of fishing rods was fixed against the ship's railing alongside a wooden barrel in the middle filled halfway with captured fish. As Nilsson took a sip of the drink in his hand, he was surprised by the strange aroma left in his mouth.
[Nilsson] - "What is this? It tastes like I'm drinking liquid bread. Hmm, it's not bad, but not exceptional either. "
Said Nilsson as he focused on the taste on his tongue.
[Oltevin] - "Kvass, old friend. Traditional Transnistrian drink. "
Said Oltevin as he raised his cup at Nilsson.
Leaning down, Nilsson grabbed an earpiece-like device and handed it to Oltevin for him to wear. After putting it on, Oltevin was surprised to see the sound of the storm being reduced drastically by the noise-cancelling feature of his device.
[Nilsson] - "You hear me well? Like this, we won't have to scream at each other to hear ourselves in the storm. "
[Oltevin] - "Wow! Where did you get this? "
Exclaimed Oltevin as he felt the earpiece under his hood.
[Nilsson] - "The 6th fleet prioritizes the well-being of our men. For this, our Forgemaster invented this device to be used by our tankers. Let's just say I stole a few when I left the fleet. "
[Oltevin] - "Haha! Very nice, my friend! "
Said Oltevin before he set aside his now-empty cup.
[Oltevin] - "Say, Nilsson, do you ever feel like Voss is quite... Intimidating for some reason? He made Michalis and Christos quit their quarrel without saying a word, just by sheer presence alone. "
Said Oltevin as he leaned forward to check on the fishing rods.
[Nilsson] - "Voss, hein? Unsurprising, if I'm being honest. He's the Captain of the 19th company from the World Forgers fleet, that very fleet serving under the Grand Knight himself during the war. "
Said Nilsson, casually.
[Oltevin] - "Aren't you Captain yourself, Nilsson? You don't scare me. "
[Nilsson] - "Oh, no, no, no! Him and I are two different calibres of beasts. I drop down in the cover of smoke, massacre the enemy and leave. He, on the other hand... "
Said Nilsson before stopping and leaning toward Oltevin.
[Nilsson] - "...Fought things I could not fathom. There were rumours that the World Forgers fought aliens during the Cleansing Crusade, thus why they weren't seen often or even known to many. "
Whispered Nilsson to add intrigue.
[Oltevin] - "Hahaha! Aliens! Yes, comrade, and next you're going to tell me they also fought demons from Hell. "
Said Oltevin while laughing out loud.
[Nilsson] - "It's a myth after all. I'm not sure. However, one thing I'm certain of. He IS more hardcore than I am because he actually fought during the Siege of the Imperial Palace during the Luciferian Sundering. "
Though to most Imperials, these words carried weight, to Oltevin, who has no experience with the events of the Cleansing Crusade, they sounded like nothing more than gibberish.
[Oltevin] - "I don't know what you're saying, but I'll take your word for it. "
Said Oltevin as he sat back down after checking the fishing wires.
[Nilsson] - "It's a story for another day, old friend. The Crusade was a long and messy affair after all. "
Said Nilsson as he leaned back into his chair.
Gradually, the storm's intensity lowered and allowed the horizon to be more easily seen. As Oltevin stared forward, he saw his village of Pervomaisc in its entirety. Slowly, thoughts gathered in his mind from the past year and made Oltevin smile with pride.
[Oltevin] - "It's nice to see how my hometown has grown. A year ago, it was just another slum among many, but now, it has become so majestic compared to the other towns. Not to mention, new faces, new people and a new purpose. "
Said Oltevin as he stared proudly at houses in the distance.
A year ago, when Oltevin arrived at his town following his recovery from his battle injuries, the town was just another unremarkable place on the map, afflicted with the same rot as the ones in its surroundings. However, the town served a special purpose unknown to most. Since the Schism of the Empire, many deserting soldiers and Marines hid in remote places, including the small, unremarkable town of Pervomaisc.
Meanwhile, CR-455's National Empire shrank and somewhat collapsed entirely following Athena's death and the disbandment of her powerful 9th fleet. While most ships and men from the 9th fleet joined the World Forgers in exile on the moon, the few that chose to stay on Earth went underground. A few Spartan Marines, including Michalis and Christos, found their way to Pervomaisc. With the massive influx of population, the town grew while the specialists in hiding used their expertise to improve the town's condition.
By the end of the year, the town of Pervomaisc became a small lighthouse in the wilderness of rural Transnistria. Since it was trapped between the borders of the National Empire and the New Nation Empire, the two entities also didn't bother spending their resources patrolling or enforcing their rule upon the town, thus leaving it somewhat in the hands of its population. From this, a community of deserters formed in Pervomaisc, which also offered sanctuary for other deserters.
[Nilsson] - "I'm grateful for what this town has done for me. And I'm grateful to you for accepting me, my friend. "
Said Nilsson as he patted Oltevin on the shoulder.
As the sun slowly set on the horizon, the fishing boat also headed back to the shore. After sharing a drink together at a local bar, each of the men headed back home. As Nilsson arrived home, he breathed in the fresh air left by the rain and basked in the calm of his empty house. Yet, when his eyes came across the fireplace where he hid his Marine gear, a feeling of unease suddenly gripped his heart.
Sitting down, Nilsson felt a tightness in his chest that he couldn't explain despite the abundance of oxygen in the air. It wasn't discomfort, but a yearning, a desire to taste air in a way that burned his lungs. Nilsson turned to the fireplace again, his hands feeling the ghostly sensation of his Chimera carbine. At that moment, he understood what this yearning meant; Nilsson's soul wanted the thrill of combat.
As much as Nilsson, or any other Imperial Marines in the town, wanted to pretend, they are not men bred to live normal lives in peace, but crafted for war and action. All this docile lifestyle made Nilsson itch for the adrenaline he was trained to associate with comfort. As he inched forward toward the fireplace, his palm yearned for the weight and feeling of his carbine. However, just before he reached to unearth his weapon from the bricks, he abruptly felt a small burn from the firewood.
In shock, Nilsson recoiled, thinking the fire was still on. However, when he looked again, the wood and fireplace had clearly not seen any flame since last night. Confused, Nilsson then looked at his hand and wondered where that strange pain came from. At that moment, he suddenly remembered his injuries from when Captain Sven sacrificed himself to save him. That feeling of being burned was the same as the one he felt just now.
Nilsson recoiled away from the fireplace, his heart pounding as he understood what all of it meant. It wasn't his time to take up arms just yet. Nilsson is a soldier, not a crazed gunman. That phantom pain was a sign, a sign from his Captain that he did not approve of his action. With a heavy sigh, Nilsson moved away from the fireplace and buried his urges away, deep inside his mind.
Meanwhile, after landing at Chisinau Airport, Moldova, McCree and Senju stepped into a taxi for a long hour and a half drive to their final destination in Pervomaisc. Unlike in Japan, there were practically no security checks or armed personnel, only the bare-bones presence of local police forces.
As the taxi drove through Chisinau, McCree noticed the half-torn flags of the National Empire and the abandoned tanks from a forgotten era used by the Moldovian resistance at the start of the Crusade. It was clear from the type of damage that knocked these tanks out that these old machines never stood a chance in their doomed last ride. As the taxi moved out of the city, the paved roads soon turned to dirt roads, which made the vehicle shake and vibrate like a carnival ride.
[McCree] - "Son of a bitch! "
Screamed McCree before a sudden impact with a pot hole sent his head crashing into the car roof.
[Senju] - "You need to learn to control your body through inner peace. "
Said Senju as he somehow was able to react and adjust to the intense shaking.
Looking at Senju, McCree immediately saw through his bullshit.
[McCree] - "What a Kadyn fanboy, you are. I thought your sensei forbade you from installing any modifications. "
Said McCree, while holding his bruised head.
[Senju] - "It's just a minor cyberwear. "
Said Senju dismissively.
[McCree] - "Minor my ass! A reactive stabilizer requires your damn skull and spine to be operated on! I've got my Conagher MK.5 right here on my spine, and let me tell ya, this ain't minor at all. "
[Senju] - "Right, right, it's not a big deal, man. "
As Pervomaisc came into view, McCree thought back on what he had done in the past and looked down at his feet in shame.
[McCree] - "Maybe ya should go talk to him instead of me. "
[Senju] - "Why? This was your idea to begin with, and it concerns all of us. "
Said Senju, his face puzzled.
[McCree] - "I just... He foresaw the whole thing, alright? He warned me I was on the wrong path back then, and I didn't listen to him. "
Said McCree with frustration in his voice.
[Senju] - "There's no backing down at this point, dude. You came to me and faced me without fear. Now you just have to do it again. You're the messenger, remember? You need to do this yourself to make it right. If you don't wash your own reputation clean, who will do it for you? "
Said Senju with a hand on McCree's back.
With a heavy sigh, McCree's gaze rose to meet the blue sky.
[McCree] - "Perhaps you're right, partner. One last stretch and we will be on our way. "
Said McCree, with hope in his voice.
As the taxi arrived in the middle of Pervomaisc, Senju and McCree stepped out of the vehicle and paid the driver accordingly. The small town was nothing impressive, but it carried a cozy vibe and a homy feel to it. Even though the duo had never been here before, a feeling of nostalgia still invaded their hearts. The final piece of the puzzle lies barely a few meters ahead, in a large house indistinguishable from others. With brave steps, McCree advanced while carrying Audrey's recording in his palm like a beacon of hope.
To be continued...