Yuri lay motionless, crouched in the crater. The mud on his body blended him with the surrounding environment.
In this former artillery base far from the battlefield, he was the only living being around. There wasn't even a mouse.
In fact, there were no mice on Milock planet to begin with.
This small hill was covered with thick jungle. The federal artillery company, which had been hidden in the jungle, had been reduced to ashes by the shelling a few days ago.
All kinds of debris were scattered around Yuri - metal, flesh, and blood. The sympathetic detonation of ammunition had destroyed the surrounding jungle for hundreds of meters. The fire burned for two days before it went out.
Yuri was a bit sleepy. His eyelids kept drooping against his will. He gently patted his face and forced himself to keep his eyes on the battlefield.
This was Yuri's twenty - first battle. He was a corporal in the Federal Aerospace Marine Corps.
From the Galileo galaxy to the Newton galaxy, the retreating Federal Army had lost twenty - two resource planets and five human - immigrant planets along the way.
Milock was one of the two human - immigrant planets in the Newton galaxy. The other one, Milock II, had been fully occupied by the Imperial Army two months ago.
If this planet were occupied by the Imperial Army again, the Federal Army would have to give up the Newton galaxy, which had more than thirty resource planets.
But Yuri didn't care about any of that. All he cared about was how to survive the war.
The philosophy of self - preservation was his guiding principle.
So, after twenty - one battles, Yuri, a mechanical maintenance soldier and a corporal in the first squad of the logistics squadron of the third armored battalion of the fifth armored division of the Aerospace Marine Corps, was still a corporal.
Most of his comrades who had also fought in the first eighteen battles had been promoted.
However, among those who had fought on three planets from the Galileo galaxy to the Newton galaxy and managed to reach here alive, only this unpromoted mechanic remained.
The fifth armored division of the Federal Aerospace Marine Corps had its unit number erased. Ninety - five percent of the division had been killed, and the remaining five percent had been left on Milock II planet, their fates unknown.
Yuri narrowly escaped death and was extremely lucky to board the retreating warship. He was then incorporated into the remnants of the ninth armored division and retreated to Milock planet.
Yuri secretly moved behind a large tree that had been knocked down by a cannonball and urinated while lying on his side. This was a tricky task, but he had become quite good at it. As long as he lay at a higher place, the urine wouldn't flow back and wet him. After a long - time battle, Yuri had at least learned not to be so frightened as to wet his pants on the battlefield.
After shivering, Yuri felt a bit more awake. He spat sideways and cursed his bad luck in his heart. Originally, due to a forty - percent reduction in personnel, the ninth armored division had received an order to retreat to the Darwin galaxy for rest.
However, because the Imperial Army had landed on Milock planet within a week, the command had no choice but to order all troops near Milock planet to concentrate and resist, to hold off the Imperial Army and to enable the concentration of reinforcement troops in the rear.
Although this hiding place was carefully chosen by him and far from the center of the battlefield, it still wasn't reliable enough for Yuri, who was only concerned about saving his own life.
From where he was, the battle in the distance was still raging. In the 9 - o'clock, 12 - o'clock, and 3 - o'clock directions of the battlefield were nearly a hundred two - meter - high anti - joint individual mechanical combat armors "Holy Armor 22" of the Imperial Army.
This standard Imperial Army armor hopped around as nimbly as an ostrich. The missile launchers on both sides, which were like wings, would emit shrill whistles from time to time and launch laser - guided missiles one after another.
Compressed in the 6 - o'clock direction of the battlefield were more than ten three - meter - high multi - legged five - man combat armors "Honor 15" of the Galactic Federation.
This bulky armor had an astonishing defensive power. Under the control of the central computer, its dozens of short legs could also effectively perform all kinds of difficult evasive maneuvers.
Although, due to the quantity, its firepower was suppressed by the Imperial Army, in a short time, the jumping - around Imperial individual armor groups had no way to deal with these federal armors that had formed a defensive formation.
The two sides fought fiercely. The tail smoke of the missiles crisscrossed, filling the entire battlefield. The sound of energy - based machine guns rang out continuously.
This place, which was completely contested by a small number of mechas, was the salient part of the northwest defense area of New Rome, the largest industrialized city on Milock planet. It was garrisoned by a federal army consisting of an enhanced medium - sized armored squadron and an artillery company. Their mission was to protect the rear - area logistical passage.
There were no fortifications or trenches to stop the infantry here. This was just an advanced position, and the real first line of defense of the Federation was still in the jungle more than ten kilometers away.
Behind the first line of defense was a steel bridge - the Sujiang Bridge - spanning the Supengman River, the largest river on Milock planet.
On the other side of the bridge was the second line of defense hastily constructed by the Federal Army, which was also the last line of defense of New Rome. If this line of defense was breached, the Federal Army would be forced to engage in street fighting.
On this battlefield, the only soldier without a mecha was Yuri, the mechanical repairman. He was the only soldier sent to this advanced position a few days ago to perform mecha repair tasks.
Since the start of this battle, he had been watching alone for two days.
There were no trenches, no fortifications, and no infantry with whom he could share hardships. Thinking of this, Yuri, the unlucky guy, felt very melancholy: "Pah, this is no way to live!" At this time, an order for a full - scale retreat came through his earphones.
The central defense line, thirty - seven kilometers away, had been partially breached by the Imperial Army. A large number of Imperial armored forces were continuously pouring in from the breach.
Among them, an Imperial armored squad consisting of two heavy - duty land - combat armors and eight medium - sized armors was outflanking from the rear. If they could not break away from the battle when this Imperial armored squad arrived at the battlefield, then everyone should be ready to go to meet God together.
In the small hilly area, land - combat mechas could reach a traveling speed of 150 kilometers per hour.
If there was a road, this speed could double. Even if the dense jungle and several small gullies along the way could slightly slow down the enemy's advancing speed, they could still reach the battlefield within twenty minutes.
Finally, when he received the order to leave the combat area, Yuri was so happy that he almost jumped up.
However, at the thought that there might be an Imperial armored squad, including two heavy - duty land - combat mechas, lying in ambush on the retreat route, he felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
He opened the combat recorder on his left arm to confirm the order, and then Yuri began his twenty - first escape.
After checking his equipment and making sure that nothing was missing, Yuri sprang out like a cheetah at an astonishing speed. He successively climbed over two fallen large trees and five craters, and had already reached the edge of the small hill.
He used his hands and feet like a frightened lizard, crawled across a downhill more than twenty meters wide while sticking to the grass, and plunged into the depths of the jungle.
The federal mecha squadron that also received the retreat order began to shrink its formation backward. Perhaps the Imperial Army had also received the same news, and the battle became even more intense.
The sky was filled with endless smoke. Violent explosionssent dirt and dust into the air.
The "Honor 15" of the Federal Army alternately covered each other's retreat, while a squadron of Imperial individual armors had begun to outflank the rear of the Federal Army positions.
It seemed that they were about to wipe out the last twelve medium - sized mechas of the Federal Army in one go.
The detour route of the Imperial Army was the small hill where Yuri had hidden before. The Federal Army also discovered the Imperial Army's intention.
Although this hill was not high, it was in a commanding position. If it was occupied by the Imperial Army, it would be like driving a nail into the retreat route of the federal armored squad. Soon, two "Honor 15" mechas, forced to break away from the battle under the cover of their comrades, rushed towards the hill.
They had to occupy this hill before the thirty "Holy Armor 22" of the Imperial individual soldiers and hold the passage for their retreating comrades.
Yuri was now running in the jungle like a frightened dog.
"Well, he's a strange coward. He looks simple - minded and honest, but he's definitely a despicable scoundrel." This was what all those who knew Yuri thought of him.
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