But For A Stone (A Matou Shinji Series AU)

[Haunter]

[X] Send Twilight Squadron out immediately, along with Second Convoy

[X] Keep them here, you need all the hands you can get

[X] Logistics (3rd Convoy) [take shuttle carpets down there]
[X] 1st Wall Company (4th Wall)

[alfheimwanderer]

[X] Send Twilight Squadron out immediately, along with Second Convoy

[X] Keep them here, you need all the hands you can get

[X] Logistics (3rd Convoy) [take shuttle carpets down there]
[X] 1st Wall Company (4th Wall)

---

Matou Shinji issued his orders, and the bay began to clear, as First and Second Convoys - or rather, Twilight Squadron and Second Convoy, took their places, completing their quick familiarization routines and pre-flight checks. And on his signal, the great hangar doors began to retract into the mountain, with the chill arctic winds howling as they found their way inside.

"Launch!" he cried out, and two by two, the brooms launched, with them and their riders taking to the air as if that was what they were made for.

The carpets, by comparision, lurched skyward unsteadily, some of them under their own power, and some...towed.

What does he do next?

[ ] Order the doors closed
[ ] Leave the Hangar doors open, to better receive wounded / other personnel

[shanagan]

[X] Order the doors closed

[alfheimwanderer]

Is this just a bad time of year for people, I wonder? This have been slow lately.

[Cassius]

[x] Leave the Hangar doors open, to better receive wounded / other personnel

[Bird of Hermes]

[ ] Leave it open

[Skull Leader]

Is this just a bad time of year for people, I wonder? This have been slow lately.

I admit that it is a busy period for me and is the reason I have not been around for the last week.

[X] Leave the Hangar doors open, to better receive wounded / other personnel

Considering that we do need a place from injured broom riders to land and we have a few carpets moving people and goods around the base (such as collecting personal for convoys) we need to leave the doors open. I would hate to shut the doors at this point and find out that they fail to open again.

[Haunter]

[X] Leave the Hangar doors open, to better receive wounded / other personnel

Yep, it's been a real busy few months.

[alfheimwanderer]

[x] Leave the Hangar doors open, to better receive wounded / other personnel

---

Time passed, with convoys being assembled and sent off, with personnel being pulled from one section then another, as the broom squads took casualties from both facing the Dark Lord, and fending off the swarms of creatures sent in towards the base. Spell-beams flew furiously through the storm, with all seeming to go well until the Dark Lord swooped down...and the fiendfyre was extinguished with a wave of his wand, allowing the dementors they had once trapped to surge forward like wave of liquid darkness towards Enigma Base.

Specifically, towards the open hangar door, through which they could sense hundreds of beings with very strong emotions.

Too late, Wraith Squadron turned to interdict them, pulling back from the giants and trolls they were dealing with and casting their patronuses, but it was too little too late. The forward battlements turned to add their patronuses to the mix, but--

FWHOOM!

--were unable to, when the forward battlements were shattered by two Blasting Curses that streaked down from above.

(-68 1st Wall troops)
(-13 2nd Wall troops)
(-6 Havoc Squadron)

"Report! Wing Commander, report!" the voice of Selina came over all Command channels, but the only reply was the howling of the arctic wind. "Wing Commander!"

Outside, bits of broken brooms and white hot ash were swept from the battlefield by the tempest, as the desperate counterattack of Rogue Squadron served only to bring the troublesome broom-riders within reach of the Dark Lord's spells.

(-4 Rogue Squadron flyers)
(-2 Wraith Squadron)
(Wing Commander Lost)


What does Shinji do?

[ ] Proceed as planned, let Selina take care of this
[ ] Try for a mass evacuation
[ ] Take a broom and run for it, leaving Malcolm in charge
[ ] Evacuate the hangar - enemies are coming for it


Current available assets: 2 carpets deployed for personnel transport/decoy, 18 magic carpets capable of autonomous flight, 3 carpets needing 3 brooms to tow them, 3x being tested, 2x magic carpets damaged (unusuable), 4x carpets to be pulled out of storage, 6 free brooms

Base Personnel Remaining: 317 (Rogue Squadron - 16, Wraith Squadron - 22, Havoc Squadron - 16, Twilight Squadron - 24), 1st Wall Company - 34, 2nd Wall Company - 77, 3rd Convoy - 30, 4th Convoy - 30, Battery Command - 18, Logistics Command - 76, Commanders - 4)

People saved: 2nd Convoy - 24 (6 died due to wind/failed carpets)

[Skull Leader]

[X] Proceed as planned, let Selina take care of this

If Shinji panics, his entire team will also panic. So keep calm and carry on.

We knew that dark lord was going to cause big issues, so I am not really surprise at this moment. But Logistics needs hold tight, finish the little reminding work and then move to a more safe area. But right now we need to keep doing our job. If I could do a write in at this moment I would split Logistics into two groups and have one group evac and set a 2nd site. The other half would stay and finish up.

Well my hopes for saving 200+ people seem to be quickly fading away. We are at 24...oh boy.

[shanagan]

[X] Proceed as planned, let Selina take care of this

[alfheimwanderer]

[X] Proceed as planned, let Selina take care of this

---

As much as Shinji wanted to take action - either to try his hand at being the hero of the hour and taking the Wing Commander's place, or to fall into a panic and order everyone to evacuate now, he knew he couldn't afford to do those things. No. He had to trust that Selina could do her job and Ernie would do his in the face of the new situation.

'If I panic, or if I try to do everything myself, then its the end.'

Yes, they'd lose the base, but that wasn't anything new. All of them had known how bad things would get by the end, had known that everything the broom squadrons and the wall troops were doing was buying time for him to get as many people as possible to safety.

'And whatever happens, I've gotten some to safety.'

Only 24, but it was better than nothing.

"Steady. Let's keep those flights moving. We can't let those deaths be in vain," Shinji ordered, as Malcolm - and a number of others - saluted. "Selina, is the airspace clear of enemies?"

"For now," came the terse reply.

"Then 3rd Convoy, away!" the Logistics Coordinator commanded, as once more, a flight headed off. "4th Convoy, make ready."

"Roger that."

"Convoys 5 and 6, you are to report from..."

[ ] Logistics
[ ] 2nd Wall Company

Outside, the battle raged on, with the tide of dementors now in and among the troops of 1st Wall Company.

"2nd Company, Patronuses away!" Lt. Lagrange ordered, trying to save as many of the veteran troops as they could, but in the chaos in the wake of the wall's collapse, there was little they could do, no way to retrieve their fellows as they fell victim to the dementor's kiss.

(-34 1st Wall Troops)

"All hands, fall back to the primary wall," Ernie's voice rumbled. "Fighting retreat. Battery, we need fire support - fiendfyre shells."

"...as you wish," came the quiet reply, as the dementors were once more surrounded by flames, along with a few riders who hadn't managed to get out in time.

(-4 Havoc Squadron)

High above, the battle against the Dark Lord raged, with lives being spent like water to delay the increasingly unamused leader of the enemy forces.

(-4 Rogue Squadron flyers)
(-2 Twilight Squadron flyers)

And as for Wraith Squadron, they turned back to the giants and trolls, only this time, without fire support, they took casualties, as a couple were ripped from the air, though even in passing, they turned themselves into weapons with point-blank Blasting Curses, ripping large holes in the enemy formation.

(-2 Wraith Squadron)

Current available assets: 2 carpets deployed for personnel transport/decoy, 18 magic carpets capable of autonomous flight, 4 carpets needing 3 brooms to tow them, 4x being tested, 4x magic carpets damaged (unusuable), 3 free brooms

Base Personnel Remaining: 263 (Rogue Squadron - 12, Wraith Squadron - 21, Havoc Squadron - 12, Twilight Squadron - 22), 2nd Wall Company - 77, 4th Convoy - 30, Battery Command - 18, Logistics Command - 76, Commanders - 5)

People saved: 52 (2nd Convoy - 24 (6 died due to wind/failed carpets), 3rd Convoy - 28 (2 deaths due to stray spells))

[Skull Leader]

Can't tell how good we are really doing. I suspect we are doing better than most runs but feel like we are not pace with being in the top 5 runs.

[X] Logistics

2nd wall company is busy not trying to lose everything. Let Ernie do his job and hopefully he will come up with a plan for a retreat operation. It is time for Logistics to pull out.

[shanagan]

[X] Logistics

[Bird of Hermes]

Logistics too

[alfheimwanderer]

[x] Logistics

---

Slowly, 2nd Company, all that remained of the Wall forces, conducted a fighting retreat to the fall-back position on the primary wall, with some going on foot, and the rest by carpet, with what was left of Havoc Squadron escorting them. But they did not do so unharmed, as the dementors who had not been caught in the bombardment came after the easier targets - those on foot - who managed to pull their patronuses back to defend them, though they knew it was only a matter of time before their magic failed, and the dark creatures were upon them.

"Commander, we'll draw their attention so the rest of 2nd Company can escape," the voice of Lt. Lagrange, who had been part of the foot detachment, said grimly over the Command Link. "Go well."

(-21 2nd Company troops; cut off from retreat)

"Havoc Squadron will join you, adding our wands to yours," the voice of Havoc Leader intoned. "At least this way, you'll hold out for longer. Draw more of the enemy's attention too."

(-12 Havoc Squadron flyers; making a last stand)

Their courage and bravery allowed the rest of 2nd Company to retreat to the walls, where they looked upon the scene of carnage and destruction on what had once been a great defensive line.

"Selina, Matou, we're back at the wall. How are things going with the evacuation?"

"They're going," Shinji grunted, as the ground rocked under him from the impact of some incredibly powerful spells against the mountain base. "78 people got free, and we're queuing up more."

"The enemy is bringing reinforcements. More dementors - and a cadre of Dark Wizards," Selina noted. "They don't have brooms, but..."

(-3 Wraith Squadron Flyers)

"They can cast spells," Ernie reasoned, his voice grim. "Logistics, what say you? Is it time to try and get everyone out, or do some of us need to make a last stand?"

[ ] Get everyone out NOW, sacrificing only Rogue Squadron to fend off the Dark Lord
[ ] Sacrifice the Broom Squadrons to fend off the Dark Lord and draw the attention of the reinforcement, evacuate everyone else
[ ] Sacrifice Broom Squadrons, have Battery Command and some of Second Wall Company remain behind as a distraction, evacuate part of Second Company, Logistics, Commanders
[ ] Just evacuate the Commanders - order the rest to do a last stand

If the Evacuate NOW, option is not taken, does he...

[ ] Urge Ernie to Evacuate first
[ ] Urge Ernie to remain till the end, to stiffen his troops' morale
[ ] Say nothing, let Ernie make his own decisions

Also, does he...

[ ] Offer to take command of the overall strategic situation, prioritizing Selina's evacuation and survival
[ ] Insist that they need someone monitoring the situation, so their forces fight most effectively - Selina will be last to evacuate
[ ] Allow Selina to make her own decisions

And what of himself?

[ ] Leave now - Let Selina handle things
[ ] Wait till the end
[ ] Be neither first nor last to leave

Current available assets: 2 carpets deployed for personnel transport/decoy, 14 magic carpets capable of autonomous flight, 1 carpets needing 3 brooms to tow them, 3 free brooms

Base Personnel Remaining: 172 (Rogue Squadron - 8, Wraith Squadron - 18, Twilight Squadron - 22), 2nd Wall Company - 56, 6th Convoy - 30, Battery Command - 18, Logistics Command - 16, Commanders - 5)

People saved: 78 (2nd Convoy - 24 (6 died due to wind/failed carpets), 3rd Convoy - 28 (2 deaths due to stray spells)), 4th Convoy - 10 (20 deaths when two broom drawn carpets - and riders - slammed into a great bird of fiendfyre), 5th Convoy - 16 (10 lost when a broom towing carpets was hit by a jinx and pulled the carpet's riders into a gaggle of dementors; 4 from stray spellfire)

[Skull Leader]

[X] Sacrifice the Broom Squadrons to fend off the Dark Lord and draw the attention of the reinforcement, evacuate everyone else

I hate to pick this as I wanted to at least reach the 200 mark and picking this option even if no lives are lost in the convoy (impossible feat) we barely make that mark by a margin of two.

But the Rogue 8 has no real chance of distracting the enemy and stop the retreat from happening. And the other two options don't really save anyone.

Now if I am reading the next choice right, only the first option in the first choice waves the second decision.

[X] Say nothing, let Ernie make his own decisions
[X] Offer to take command of the overall strategic situation, prioritizing Selina's evacuation and survival
[X] Wait till the end (but first grab a broom for his retreat)

Considering that in this scenario, the enemy wants the base commander alive as they are the most likely to have the most intel do to their position, its important to airvac them asap. And given that a full retreat is really in the scope of Logistics, it makes sense for Shinji to take over everything at the end. Plus Shinji has access to one of the few remaining brooms to ensure that he can at last make some attempt to escape if he is going to be the last man out.

Thought to be fair, I am not really confident in Shinji's ability to be one of the last to leave and not get sniped in the end by the Dark Lord. So if someone has a better reasoning on another plan I would love to hear it.

[shanagan]

[X] Sacrifice the Broom Squadrons to fend off the Dark Lord and draw the attention of the reinforcement, evacuate everyone else
[X] Say nothing, let Ernie make his own decisions
[X] Allow Selina to make her own decisions
[X] Wait till the end (but first grab a broom for his retreat)

[Haunter]

[X] Sacrifice the Broom Squadrons to fend off the Dark Lord and draw the attention of the reinforcement, evacuate everyone else
[X] Say nothing, let Ernie make his own decisions
[X] Allow Selina to make her own decisions
[X] Wait till the end (but first grab a broom for his retreat)

[alfheimwanderer]

[X] Sacrifice the Broom Squadrons to fend off the Dark Lord and draw the attention of the reinforcement, evacuate everyone else
[X] Say nothing, let Ernie make his own decisions
[X] Allow Selina to make her own decisions
[X] Wait till the end (but first grab a broom for his retreat)

---

Chapter 16. Logistically Infeasible

From the control center overlooking the grand hangar, a certain petite blonde monitored the strategic situation, her fingers deftly playing across the war-table's haptic controls as she regarded the movements of the enemy formations and listened to the chatter streaming in over her connection to the other Commanders.

"Battery ready, Fiendrfyre shells loaded," came the report from the Battery Commander. "Awaiting visual confirmation of enemy contacts."

"Wing Commander reporting in," added the youth who she kept thinking of as Phelan, even though he was apparently named Light Cloudstrider or some nonsense, with his three direct subordinates – the captains of Rogue, Wraith, and Havoc Squadrons being named Wedge, Biggs, and Jessie, respectively. "Scouts report enemy forces have ceased bombardment. How are the shields holding up?"

"Shields down to 10 percent," Selina noted grimly, checking the quite intuitive readout – and noting something quite concerning. "All forces be advised: the enemy is pulling back.”

“Pulling back?” Ernie’s voice asked, sounding quite confused – and more than a little concerned. “But why?”

“Because the Dark Lord is about to act,” the Wing Commander responded, his voice grim. “And he wants to spare his minions from the effects of whatever he’s about to do.”

“…I see.”

“Wall Commander, what's your status?" Selina pressed, wanting to get things back on track.

"Uh...First Company has finished transfiguring the ground, and is stationing themselves at the forward line," Ernie reported, taking care not to mumble. "Second Company is falling back to the main wall, with Havoc Squadron transporting them."

"Logistics, tell me you have a plan?" Selina queried. Of the other posts, logistics was the one she was least confident about, mostly due to how it had changed hands – and how it was probably the most complicated of the subordinate command positions.

"Yes – yes, we do," the voice of Matou Shinji replied. "The plan is to send out regular flights, as they're prepped. Wing Commander, I'll be needing a couple of escorts."

"You'll have ‘em, Logistics," the Wing Commander answered. "Won't be able to spare more than a few riders though. Not once the shields fall."

"I won't need more than that - not at a time anyway," Shinji answered decisively. "I'll be counting on you and the Wall Commander to keep the enemy busy so they don't notice our carpets."

"How long till the first flight is ready?" Selina questioned.

"...10 minutes," Shinji replied, after checking with his subordinates. "Best I can do."

"Right. We'll buy you the time you need," Selina commented, noting with one eye how the base's instruments were registering one particularly bright point of power rising into the sky a distance from the shields. "All hand, brace—!"

FWHOOM!

Selina staggered as the ground shuddered, grabbing onto the table to keep herself from falling as the base around her rocked and shook so much she thought the walls were going to collapse.

On the three-dimensional model, a stupendously radiant bolt of lightning could be seen crashing into the shields and tearing straight through them, slamming into the ground near the hangar door as ice flashed to superheated steam, and the icy bulwark outside sagged.

That one strike shattered the base's defensive spells, burning out the sigils which had kept them anchored.

But then, that was what one expected from the wielder of the Elder Wand.

"...shields are down," Selina whispered, feeling a shiver go down her spine at the raw power the enemy had exhibited. “No way to bring them up again. The base’s structural integrity is holding – for now." And then, on the great model, figures of red light began to swarm towards the walls of Enigma Base. "Dementors inbound. Wing Commander, you're up."

"Your heard her. Wraith Leader, engage those dementors – light em up for the Battery Commander," the voice of Light Cloudstrider ordered, as Selina saw the blue icons representing broom squadrons responding at once. "Havoc Leader, support the wall. Rogue Leader, keep the Dark Lord busy. We can’t afford to let him get another shot at the base."

"Roger that, Commander"

"Roger."

"One distracted Dark Lord coming right up. Just one question, sir.”

“Yes, Rogue Leader?”

“You don’t mind if we kill him, do you?”

A startled chuckle.

“If you can, every one of us will drink a glass in your honor. But…stay alive, Wedge,” the Wing Commander’s voice said, more softly than Selina would have expected. “That’s an order.”

"First Company, Patronuses out – form a wall of light!" Ernie's voice came over the sigil. "Second company, stand by."

In the sky and on the ground outside Enigma Base, in the midst of a great storm, a battle for the fate of the Rebellion was joined.

---

In the comfort of hangar, a battle raged as well, only this one was not being fought against anything as concrete as Dark Wizards and their minions. No, their battle was against time itself – the eternal predator which stole away strength, dreams, hopes, and lives. Each of those in Logistics knew that their colleagues – their friends – were out there fighting to give them the time they needed to evacuate the base – and that the longer they took, the more of their comrades would likely die.

‘There are 501 of us in this base. 24 in each of the Broom Squadrons, 150 in 1^st Wall Company, about 120 in 2nd Wall Company, 48 manning or protecting the Batteries, 106 in Logistics and of course, the five of us Commanders. That’s a lot of people.’

Could he save them all? Probably not, but he’d do his damnedest to save who he could.

“Since Second Company is currently unengaged, I want a quarter of them sent here. We could use the extra hands, and well, they’d be easier to pull out than the others,” the boy said over the Command network.

“You want to pull troops off the wall?” Ernie griped. “But if we lose the wall…”

“The point of everything else we’re doing is to buy me time to get our people out of here,” Shinji countered. “And if I’m going to get people loaded on those carpets and sent out, I need them now, while they’re not engaged.”

“…fine. You’ll have them.”

“Anyone else, Logistics?” Selina’s voice cut in, before either of the others could comment.

“Will advise, Commander,” the boy said, before cutting the link and walking over to his subordinates, who had been working on pulling carpets out of storage. “Report, gentlemen.”

“Currently, we have 10 magic carpets verified in good working order. 6 are being tested as we speak. 5 are quite damaged and in need of repair. And 13 have yet to be pulled out of storage,” the tall, aristocratic voice of Malcolm Drake answered, as Mudbutton was running around directing things. “Ah yes, and we assembled 8 brooms prior to your order to focus on carpets, with 32 still disassembled.”

“I see,” Shinji noted, closing his eyes momentarily, thinking about how he could save time in the process. “We’re spending too much time on testing. As long as they can stay in the air, we can use them. Cease extensive testing, move the people assigned to it to assembling brooms.”

“Brooms?” Malcolm echoed. “But sir, you told us to focus on car—”

“I know what I told you, but we need broom escorts, and after thinking about it a bit, I’m not sure that the Wing Commander can actually spare anyone.”

“…if you insist, sir.” The blond was visibly scowling, as if he’d bitten into a particularly sour lemon. “Though I feel this is unwise. At least the cessation of testing.”

“Why? We're not taking the carpets around the world," Shinji replied. "We just need to get them to the evac point, so our people can portkey out. We'll have the broom escort take the carpets back to base for another flight."

“Sir, all the carpets that are damaged can fly, it’s just…”

“Just what?”

“The propulsion charms on a couple have been compromised. One won't hold stability charms at all. One is ripped almost in half, though we could try to use spellotape on it, and one's control charms were somehow scrambled. They'll lift off - and I guess we can have a broom tow each one, but..."

“Then we’ll have them towed. What’s the problem?”

"Sir, that will slow down the brooms, which might be fine if we were using Silver Arrows, but the only ones with those are the Broom Squadrons. The reserve has a few Moontrimmers, sure, but mostly, they're Oakshafts we managed to get our hands on. A solid model, good for endurance and handling in the wind, but not the most...speedy."

"Ah." Shinji had never heard of any of these models before, and so was willing to take his subordinate's word for their capabilities. "Even so, we'll need at least a few spare brooms before this is all over. Have the men testing the carpets work on putting the brooms back together instead. If a carpet can get in the air, we'll use it, even if we have to tow it to the jump point."

Malcolm took a moment before answering, choosing his words with care.

"For the record sir, I have...rather profound reservations to doing this, but...you're the Commander, and time is tight. Is there anything else you wish?"

“Yes, actually. Have a set of carpets – let’s say 4 of them – be assigned to moving troops and supplies around the fortress itself. Let’s grab some of Second Company, shall we?”

“We can certainly assign a set of carpets to shuttle people back and forth - I'm sure the Wall Commander would appreciate it, though just so you know, each carpet has a maximum theoretical load of 12 people.”

“That’s not—”

“I don’t advise actually loading them down with 12 in this weather, however. I'd recommend 10 at most, and 8 if you want to be safe, and even then, we'll barely have room for supplies. With the damaged carpets, even if we got some of them working, I don't know if they'll be good for more than 4. 6 maybe."

“I see.”

“…as you say then,” Drake responded, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, before opening them again. "Our last Commander told us to turn the carpets themselves into Portkeys, set to activate as soon as escaped the area of effect of the Dark Lord's spells, since making Portkeys is a somewhat...magically intensive process. You want the carpets to not be Portkeys, then?"

"That's correct, yes," the boy from the east instructed.

"If you say so, Commander," Drake answered after a moment.

The aristocratic blond moved off to relay the orders, as the part-goblin came up to Shinji.

"What is it, Mudbutton?" the boy from the East asked.

"The men want to know sir, do we have plans for a flight yet?"

"Yes. We're going to pull out some of the Second Wall Company, since they're not currently engaged. Also, the squad protecting the Batteries, I think – we already have brooms in the air, I doubt they’ll be adding much."

"As you say. And for this first flight, do you want to gather people in the hangar and launch the flights from here?" the part-goblin asked. "Or will you be sending carpets and brooms out to the battery troops and the Second Wall Company, instructing them to launch when they see an opening?"

“Bring them here. I’ll coordinate with Selina and give the order to launch,” the boy said decisively. “Is there anything else?”

“I heard something about brooms…?” There was a glint in the part-goblin’s eye when he said this.

“The Convoys will have to supply their own escorts, hence we need more brooms.”

"Very well, Commander,” the part-goblin replied, looking much more animated now. “Is that all, or do you have any other instructions?"

“That’s all for now.”

---

Outside, amidst howling wind and columns of fire a hundred meters tall, upon which snowflakes crackled and hissed away into superheated steam, a battle raged. On the ground, a thin line of light held back an unrelenting tide of darkness as hundreds of Patronuses sought to corral and maneuver the darkest of the enemy's minions so that—

Whump!

—they would be caught in the area of effect of the deadly alchemical mixtures the batteries were lobbing. Across the battlefield, a nearly solid wall of columns of black flames bore witness to the effectiveness of their stratagem so far, but it wouldn't last, as First Company was rapidly tiring.

In the air, a broom squadron of 20 Rogues traded spells with the Dark Lord, with red and green bolts, and now and then, arcs of lightning chaining from one rider to another as their enemy saw an opportunity. They were brave souls, each and every one of them, and they fought like lions, for all that they knew that despite their prowess, despite their skill and training and noted magical might, they could not defeat him alone.

When they'd first launched, they'd tried to out maneuver him, to surround him and strike him down as they would any other enemy.

That first pass had cost them four of their comrades, their lightning charred bodies plummeting into one of the alchemical infernos below. So now, they fought to stall, to draw his attention, presenting enough of a threat that he had to respond, but not committing to any one attack, so that he couldn't pit the fullness of his might against a fraction of theirs.

They fought for their friends. For their comrades. For those living and those that had fallen. For the cause – the Rebellion – and the hope of freedom from the Dark Lord's tyranny. For the hope of a better tomorrow for an untold many, they would lay down their lives today.

Wraith Squadron, emboldened by the sacrifice their brothers in arms were making, tore into their much less invulnerable foes with a fervor that bordered in fanaticism. The gleaming patronuses of the Wraiths slammed into the dementor horde from one side as the First Company kept them back from the fortress, as fiery death rained down from above, immolating one group of amortal creatures, then another.

Well, not immolating so much as imprisoning them within a cage of flames which ate away at the magic which sustained them, but it was same in the end. Dementors, after all, were created from emotions, from what happened as humans or other beings fell into despair. And like anything else, when cut off from the source of their sustenance and drained of what gave them form, they could be destroyed.

They could not touch patronuses, for patronuses were wrought entirely of hope and joy.

Some wondered why, given that Dementors were said to devour positive feelings, but that wasn’t what they did at all.

They caused people to relive their most negative moments, weakened them, caused the darkness to bloom in the souls of wizards and muggles, on which they could then feast.

But a Patronus had no darkness within it. No seed of doubt or fear which could be amplified to blot out the light, as they were magical guardians born out of a desire to protect their far frailer conjurers.

And so, a patronus could not be corrupted.

The people behind them however – those were somewhat frailer, for all their faith in the righteousness of their cause and the competence of their Commanders

Along the wall, there were deaths.

Here and there, the defensive line faltered, and where it did, a wave of darkness rushed through – though those unfortunate enough to be swarmed by dementors turned themselves into human pyres first, trapping those which sought to feed on him at the cost of their lives.

And as for Havoc Squadron, they faced the Dark Lord's subordinates – the small Cadre of dark wizards who were coordinating the assault, and in a short, brutal, conflict, utterly wiped out their foes, showing no mercy, giving no quarter, as none would be given to them. They took losses yes, but nothing unbearable, not for the toll they'd exacted.

They would fight with everything they had, so that their comrades might live – that logistics might have time to do what was necessary.

---

Back in the hangar, Matou Shinji found himself appreciating the way his personnel bustled about, carrying out their orders to the best of their ability. It was quite…efficient, really, when they weren’t squabbling over details.

Carpets were pulled out of storage, checked to see if they could least hover in the air, and put to use if they could. Carpets with holes or tears were patched with spellotape. Carpets with stability issues had towlines and brooms attached to them.

They needed the lifting capacity.

While he watched though, a group of about 30 personnel had begun to file onto the Hangar – troops from the Second Wall Company, who seemed torn between relief and anger.

Seeing them enter, Shinji made his way over to then, whereupon the troops fell silent.

“Coordinator!” One of them exclaimed on catching sight of him, saluting.

“We should be out there, helping our comrades,” another muttered, even as they looked around. "First Company is good, but they're facing dementors, and I'm not sure how much longer they can hold out. If their position gets attacked…"

"Sir! What would you like us to do?" a third asked. "Do you want us to help with getting carpets up and running? Assembling Brooms for our flight? Or did you have something else in mind?"

“You will be helping me to assemble brooms,” the boy instructed, with the others nodding. “After that, we’ll see. You have your orders.”

After dismissing them to their tasks, he contacted Selina, who he knew was looking on from above.

"Commander, how are things going?"

What he heard was not…promising.

"It's chaos out there, Matou. For now, things aren’t too bad, with Rogue Squadron only losing 4 members keeping the Dark Lord busy, but that’s not going to last. Still, between First Company, Wraith Squadron, and the Batteries, we've managed to set up a wall of fiendfyre that will keep the giants, dementors, and trolls at bay. Havoc Squadron wiped out the cadre of dark wizards that were laying siege to the barrier before, so they can’t call for backup or support the dark creatures they brought with them. You have a flight about ready?"

"Just about."

"Shall we open the Hangar doors then?"

Great, reinforced things of stone, they blended in perfectly with the rest of the mountain, though once they were opened, the stealth field hiding their location, would no doubt fail – and the numbing winds would rush in.

“Not yet. I need more time – the moment we expose the Hangar to the elements, our rate of broom assembly and everything else slows down.”

“Fine. Keep me updated. Enigma Actual, out.”

---

Time passed, and as the battle outside raged, and casualties began to mount, the people of Logistics Command began to work faster and faster. Oddly enough though, it seemed that those working with the most zeal were the troops detached from Second Wall Company, to whom he’d assigned the job of putting together brooms.

‘That’s a little weird.’

It wouldn’t have been, if he’d thought about it.

After all, one of the peculiarities about the Rebellion was that every member – including everyone at Enigma Base, down to the cooks and janitors, had been cross-trained in how to fly and maintain a broom. This was for several reasons: 1) to free up the elite broom squadrons from having to be the ones to go out to do maintenance duties in places where one would need a broom or carpet, and 2) because one could never be sure when one might need more bodies in the air, with many hoping for a chance to prove themselves worthy of the second.

Given the nature of the struggle against the Dark Lord, and the sheer disparity of force on both sides, pitched battles were rare. Daring raids, sabotage after infiltrating enemy ranks, and occasionally an evacuation or two were the order of the day, with the broom squadrons being crucial to the success of most of these.

So, Second Wall Company wondered if perhaps, given that they were being assigned to put together so many brooms, if they would be known as a Squadron, with one of them picked as Squadron Leader, like the legendary Commander Cloudstrider, who had pinpointed a fatal weakness in the Dark Lord’s great super weapon and destroyed it.

True, they were using older brooms - 12 Moontrimmers and 12 Oakshafts, but it wasn't the broom that mattered. At least, not that mattered most. It was the rider. And they - all of them - were riders.

Shinji spoke with a couple of them about this, and on reflection, saw no reason this couldn’t become a reality.

He just had to make a call…

"Patching you through to the Wing Commander," Selina noted as she made the connection, at Shinji's request.

"What's this about?" Cloudstrider asked brusquely, with the sound of wind rushing by quite apparent in the connection. "Do you need escorts for a flight?"

"How would you like a new squadron of brooms?" Shinji asked instead.

There was a grunt of surprise.

"You have enough brooms for one?"

"Almost enough for two, though I’ll need what I'm not giving you to escort the carpets."

"I'll take 'em. If you have Moontrimmers, make sure those go into the squadron instead of Oakshafts."

"Already thought of that,” Shinji replied, happy he’d anticipated something – though really, it was his subordinates that had done that.

"Well then, who's to be the new Squadron Leader?" Cloudstrider asked tersely, with Shinji hearing crackles, pops, and whistles that could only be the sounds of spells passing nearby.

"...you want me to make the decision?" Shinji asked incredulously. “Wouldn’t you be better suited—”

“Look, you know best, and you currently have control of the brooms. I’m a little busy right now coordinating things up here, so just pick someone. Preferably someone the members of this new squadron know and trust." There was a pause at that. "…I hope you don’t plan to lead Twilight Squadron yourself?”

"Me, lead a squadron?" Shinji asked, scoffing at the thought. "I'd gladly command a Wall Company, or something else that needs a steady hand, but flying isn't for me." The boy grew quiet for a moment. "As for who I'd pick to command the new Squadron..."

There were only two options he could see – to have Lt. Mithran, defacto leader of the seconded Wall troops be appointed, or to appoint the person who had been so enthusiastic about assembling brooms to begin with: the part-goblin, Mudbutton.

In the end, it wasn't that difficult a decision, since he only really knew one of them.

"Mudbutton, one of my lieutenants," Shinji announced.

"Splendid. Can I expect reinforcements immediately then, or will we be delaying for you to get a third launch up?"

“You’ll have them as soon as I launch.”

"Excellent news. Knowing we have reinforcements inbound will be helpful. Wing Commander, out."

The part-goblin, Mudbutton, noticing a brand appearing on the back of his hand, marked with the insignia of the Broom Squadrons, handed off what he was doing to one of his subordinates and made his way over to the Logistics Coordinator.

"Sir, what's going on?"

"Mudbutton. Well, Lieutenant Mudbutton, I should say. Effective immediately, I am reassigning you to take command of Twilight Squadron, made of the Second Wall Company troops. Once you launch from the hangar, you will take orders from the Wing Commander."

"Sir, are you...” the part-goblin asked, his eyes wide. “I...I was in charge of sanitation and maintenance at Enigma Base! Wouldn't one of the others be more—"

Shinji held up a hand to forestall any further protest.

"I've made my decision, Mudbutton. It's too late for me to go back on my word. Go rally your command and await my signal to launch."

"Sir, yes, sir!" the part-goblin said, with a stiff salute. “It’s been an honor.”

And with that, the diminutive ex-logistics member went off to give the newly formed Twilight Squadron the good news – with Shinji noting the exact moment when it was delivered, given the cheers that arose from the troops.

‘At least someone is happy,’ the Japanese boy thought with thin smile.

"I suppose that makes me the defacto second in command," the voice of Malcolm Drake commented, as he walked over, noting Mudbutton's excitement and the Twilight Squadron's...uncertainty about their new commander out of the corner of his eye.

“I suppose it does,” Shinji agreed. “So, I have a question.”

“Ask.”

"What were you, before all this? Mudbutton was sanitation, and you…?"

"I was Enigma Base's Chief Healer."

"...Chief Healer?" Shinji echoed dumbly, his expression one of utter astonishment. “Why…how did you end up under logistics?"

"I'm not a front-line combatant, and under emergency evacuation protocols, all non-combatants are assigned to Logistics, so we can pull our forces out faster,” the man explained. “It's not as if I can do anything about people being hit by Killing Curses or torn apart by Blasting Curses anyway."

“…you’re right, I guess you can do more good here.”

“I’d like to think so, anyway.”

---

A handful of minutes later, the great hangar doors opened, retracting into the mountainside, with the chill arctic winds howling as they found their way inside.

“Launch!”

Two by two and side to side, the brooms flung themselves into the air, with their riders wringing out every bit of performance they could as they turned into the heart of the storm.

After them came a flight of three carpets, though they did not follow in the brooms’ wake, angling off for the pre-determined point at which the anti-portkey jinx was no longer in effect.

These…well, lurched skyward unsteadily, shuddering in the wind, with their riders – and their one broom escort – hoping that they would be fine.

---

Whatever their fate though, everything was about to change for those on the ground.

Before the enemy had focused mostly on the broom squadrons, and the forward position, having little else to target, but with the hangar open, there was a new point of vulnerability, one that would allow the enemy to swarm the base and take out everyone inside.

The Commanders, busy with their own domains and with the needs of the moment, didn’t think about this, with Logistics trying to pull together more convoys from some of their personnel and some of the exhausted 1^st Wall Company, which they were beginning to pull back, the broom squads doing their duty to hold off the Dark Lord and his forces, the Wall troops holding the line, and the batteries firing incessantly to keep the area around the fortress too dangerous to approach.

At least, they didn’t, until the Dark Lord managed to escape from Rogue Squadron long enough to swoop down and wave his wand a certain way...upon which the fiendfyre that had trapped the dementors was extinguished, allowing the dark creatures to surge towards the base like wave upon wave of liquid darkness.

Specifically, they began to head towards the open hangar door, through which they could sense hundreds of beings with very strong emotions.
Too late, Wraith Squadron turned try to interdict them, pulling back from the giants and trolls they were dealing with and casting their patronuses, but it was too little too late. Those on the forward battlements turned to add their patronuses to the mix, but—

FWHOOM!

—were unable to, as First Company’s redoubt was shattered by an overly strong Blasting Curse from above, crushing the earth around them and killing all of them in a single explosion. Those who died instantly were the lucky ones. Many did not, with their injuries from the blast wave or from flying icy shards, severe enough to be fatal, yet not quick enough to be painless.

And from the sky…bits of broken brooms and white-hot ash rained down, as broom riders were turned to ash, and their brooms to mere cinders, a desperate counterattack led by Rogue Squadron serving only to bring the troublesome broom-riders within reach of the Dark Lord's spells.

Though…there were others affected as well.

"Report! Wing Commander, report!" the voice of Selina came over all Command channels. "Wing Commander!"

There was no reply, not even the howling of the arctic wind.

Light Cloudstrider, Hero of the Rebellion, was dead.

---

Hearing that a Commander had been lost, Shinji nearly gave into the desire to do something reckless: to either try his hand at being the hero of the hour and taking the Wing Commander's place, or to fall into a panic and order everyone to evacuate now.

(He also – very briefly – considered saving his own hide by handing over Logistics to Malcolm, while he took the next convoy out, but…he’d volunteered for this. Everyone was counting on him. Selina and Ernie were counting on him.)

'If I panic, or if I try to do everything myself, then it’s the end.'

Yes, they'd lose the base, but that wasn't anything new.

From the beginning, all of them had known how bad things would get by the end, had known that everything the broom squadrons and the wall troops were doing was buying time for him to get as many people as possible to safety.

That had not changed.

‘The only thing that has changed was that I’ve gotten some people to safety.’

True, 24 out of a total of 501 was not anything to write home about, but it was a fair bit better than none.

"Steady. Let's keep those flights moving. We can't let those deaths be in vain," Shinji ordered, trying to push past his troops’ shock and despair. “Everyone at Enigma base is counting on us. If we falter now, we will be betraying our oath.”

Malcolm – and a number of others – saluted.

"Selina, is the airspace clear of enemies?"

"For now," came the terse reply.

"Then 3rd Convoy, away!" the Logistics Coordinator commanded, as once more, a flight headed off. "4th Convoy, make ready."

"Roger that."

"We’re clearing this hangar. The rest of you, get ready to get into convoys.”

“Yes, sir!”

---

Outside, the battle raged on, with the tide of dementors now in and among what remained of the troops of 1st Wall Company.

"2nd Company, Patronuses away!" Lt. Lagrange ordered, trying to save as many of the veteran troops as they could, but in the chaos in the wake of the forward position’s collapse, there was little they could do, no way to retrieve their fellows as they fell victim to the dementor's kiss.

“We’re not going to make it," Ernie's voice rumbled. "We need to withdraw from the wall – assuming Logistics agrees. With so many enemies out there, we can’t really hold them off. Not with as few troops as we have left. Battery, we need fire support – rain fiendfyre shells on our patronuses’ location."

"...as you wish," came the quiet reply, as the dementors were once more surrounded by flames, along with a few riders who hadn't managed to get out in time.

Things were no better in the sky, where lives were being spent like water to delay the increasingly unamused – and increasingly vicious leader of the enemy forces, whose magic savaged the members of Rogue and especially Twilight Squadrons.

Wraith Squadron fared little better, given that without fire support, it was nearly impossible to fight an army of dementors in the air, especially when the amortal beings were focused on moving past them, with the giants and trolls the squadrons were no longer harassing hurling rocks and icy shards at their position.

Part of Havoc Squadron, seeing the plight of the Wraiths, turned and charged as one into the advancing cluster of giants, heedless of their own safety and survival, using Blasting Curses with impunity.

If they were going to die, they would die gloriously.

They would die defending the honor of the Rebellion.

---

"Selina, Matou, can we pull back from the wall?” Ernie hissed desperately into the sigil linking him to the Command network. “Dementors are swarming our fallback position. If we don’t leave soon, we don’t be able to leave at all!”

“You can pull back – just make sure Dementors don’t make it inside!” the very harried voice of Matou Shinji growled.

"Go, go now!" Selina shouted. "Enemy reinforcements are arriving. More dementors – and a cadre of Dark Wizards!”

As if to emphasize how hopeless things were, the base began to shake as Blasting Curses flew towards them, some stopped by dementors, some blocked by particularly large pieces of hail, and some by broom riders, though most struck the mountain itself, as bits and pieces were blown away, with some of the wall collapsing, and a score of Second Company’s troops plummeting to their deaths.

It was clear that the troops needed to pull back, to get to the hangar – or wherever else there were carpets – or everything would be lost.

But who…who would he order to die? Who could Ernie Macmillan order to their deaths to save his own miserable hide?

“I…”

"Commander, I and a few volunteers will draw the attention of the Dementors, so the rest of 2nd Company can escape," Lt. Lagrange offered, with Ernie only able to nod. "Go well, and may the Light be with you."

"What’s left of Havoc Squadron will join you, adding our wands to yours," the voice of Jessie, Havoc Leader. "At least this way, you'll hold out for longer. Draw more of the enemy's attention too."

And so it proved, with their courage and bravery allowing their fellows to retreat into the mountain, while they gave everything they had.

---

“I won’t force you, but it’s time to go, Selina,” Shinji said, as he stood at the doorway to the Command Center. “Your job is done. All we can do now is to honor the sacrifice of everyone who died to buy us time.”

“I…”

“Its time. Have Battery Command evacuate from their high position – they’ll probably make it. Second Company will join as soon as they can, as will the rest of logistics. But first, you.”

“I…alright. We’ll do it your way,” she agreed, though not before one final announcement. “To the broom squadrons – to Rogue, Wraith, Havoc, and Twilight. We will remember – and we salute you.”

Then, and only then, she let Shinji take her hand and lead her down to the hangar, only to be surprised when he handed her off to Malcolm, who guided her to a waiting carpet.

“What about you? Aren’t you…”

“Someone has to see this through to the end,” the boy said grimly. “And the evacuation – this is Logistics’ domain. Someone has to tell people when it’s safe to launch.”

“But…”

“I have a broom. It will be fine. Go.”

Off she went.

Ernie, when he and what remained of Second Company arrived at the Hangar, was sent off as well, though only about half of them made it, as the broom squadrons had been whittled down too far to cover for them completely, and the enemy spellfire was intense.

One by one the carpets left, until he was the only one left in the entire base.

And by then, it was too late, as dementors were spilling into the hangar.

‘Even so…I won’t give up!’

If he moved through the base, climbed to the highest point, then maybe – maybe…

But it proved not to be, for when the boy reached one of the batteries, there was a figure already there, with Shinji having no time to react before the world vanished in a burst of red light.

---

Defense of Hos Complete.

Score:

Selina: 136
Ernie: 150
Shinji: 0 (Captured by Dark Lord)

---

In the end, despite everything, Matou Shinji walked away from the scenario with a score of Zero, as he himself failed to escape. Does he talk to anyone about this? (choose two)

[ ] Miyuki-senpai, asking what she thinks about it
[ ] Sokaris, asking what she would have done
[ ] Phelan, as seeing Cloudstrider die reminded him uncomfortably of what happened with the Chamber
[ ] Quirrell, asking him what was the point of all that
[ ] (write-in)