A Swift War
December 7 6AE (military calendar)
December 7 2028 AC (global calendar)
Twilight
Major general Tanya rex
I’m riding on sentinel Sherman’s tank as we are rounding the last corner to engage the Kremlin’s defenses. Someone is pumping out music, specifically for whom the bell tolls. I know my men are professional enough to not let it be a problem so I let it slide… plus I like it.
The second the enemy has eyes on us they are shooting. Several large shells bounce off the tank's armor and Sherman replies with his own shells though his actually has an effect. After the two shells land the rotary machine guns open fire raking the defensive emplacements.
I begin dropping squad objectives along the defensive line and before long the battle is in full swing. The engineers are working on creating cover for everyone dropping deployable walls so they aren’t hiding inside a building or behind a vehicle. Momentum seems to be building and that’s when it’s reversed.
New tanks, what we would later discover as the T96, burst out from a nearby warehouse and opened fire. To my surprise, the shells penetrate one of our tanks. It didn’t hit anything of value but the danger is there.
I tag them as a priority target for everyone and watch several turrets traverse immediately to engage. Another minor surprise comes from the Kremlin itself as robots pour out some fielding plasma weapons like Archangel reported.
I order the riflemen to engage soft targets, heavy’s to engage light targets, and medium targets. The anti-tank squad members are to engage turrets and tanks. Mortars are deployed and we break their breakout attempt in minutes.
Major griffin
Archangel company
I feel the ground shake and guess the general has engaged on the surface. We have the immediate area secured but we are moving on. Specifically into the Kremlin. I’m leaving some men to watch our backs once we get in but we’ll have to move fast.
Jed confirmed my suspicions on the surface but couldn’t get to the general directly. No surprise. One of the reasons I’d follow her into hell is because she’d lead the way not just tell us to jump in.
The heavy door screeches and opens. I ready my carbine and bear next to me spins up his gun. I lead the way through the door keeping low as to let friendlys shoot over me. A solid wall of projectiles hit the few guards.
Luckily they didn’t seem to think we would reach here. the walls shake from an impact. “Snorble you secure the building I’m going to the command center before they run off, rabbit, bear, Jed you're with me” They all nod and we split up.
According to deep-penetrating radar scans what should be the command center should be on the third floor. The scans weren’t clear but the room almost seemed like it was a metal box on rails able to drop deep into the ground should it need to.
We push to the stairs up to the ground floor dropping a few guards and having to get through a security door but once on the main floor, we have to slow. There are more robots and soldiers instead of guards. Bear seems to just clamp down on his trigger. I wonder how much more ammunition he has.
Rabbit bounces over to some cover with good sight lines and Jed stays next to me. Despite the firefight, I’m pretty calm. I lean out from my cover and squeeze off a few shots dropping a few soldiers carrying an HMG “Hey Jed ask bear how he is on ammo” he nods.
After a few moments, Jed relays the answer “ninety percent” after several hours of firing which is impressive. I’m not going to complain that gun is doing a lot of the heavy lifting to keep us moving.
Tanya
Outside the Kremlin
“Smo you have the laser start marking, heavy grenadiers push up” I watch a tagged location pop up from Smo, and shortly after a missile streaks down and erases it.
Down the line, the heavy grenadiers push to the front. They have bulked-up armor similar to heavy weapons specialists except they have a carbine and a heavy shield combined with two back-mounted mortars. Technically they can fire them while moving but an 80mm mortar has some recoil.
Instead, their armor can lock down hence the shield, and can fire with impunity. I watch a few fire off rounds while they get into positions then settle into a steady firing cycle.
The plasma weapons are proving to be a problem. I watch as a crew bails from a tank right before it cooks off. The best I can tell right now, it looked like a round burned through and ignited a shell. That makes three tanks knocked out so far, compared to dozens of Russian tanks.
missiles streak down and erase several positions opening up the defensive wall. “Good hits Smo” I switch to my mechanized Cavalry channel “I’m marking breaches get in there and exploit them” Several APCs and our new pumas break and push into the breach.
The weight of fire increases from both sides and the last T96 is knocked out. For now at least. Then I see something strange inside the kremlin. It’s archangel IFFs when did they get inside?
Before I can ponder it further a trio of migs broke through our fighters and screamed overhead dropping ordnance. It exploded in the air covering everything in napalm. Through the flames licking at my visor, I watch several of my men panic.
Any intelligent creature understands fire and thus all rational thought flees when it’s on fire but I trust in my armor and my training so I steel my nerves. “Trust in your armor it can’t burn through regroup and push the wall while they are pinned down”
I ready my pistol and raise my sword which caught a good amount of napalm so it is on fire as well. I lead a charge at the wall and scale the sheer surface once again in the enemy mists though this time they are trapped in toumbs of their own making.
I kick in the first door still wreathed in fire. I bet I looked like a daemon straight out of hell to them. I shoot each man in the chest and head then move on.
Griffin
Inside the Kremlin
A series of explosions rock the building and I glance outside as I run by a window. The fortifications looked formidable but now holes are in them... and everything is on fire.
A round whizzes by my head and pulls me back into the now. I lift my carbine and fire off a few rounds from the hip still running. Most hit dropping the soldiers.
Bear is running and firing somehow, that can’t be all armor he has to be physically strong beyond belief. “Jed how much further” I fire a few more shots before the reply “End of this hallway on the right”
I turn on my thrusters and bound past the few still-living enemies which are swiftly dropped and we group up at the door.
“Room should be full of HVTs so check your fire. If they draw a weapon shoot them in the hand or somewhere easily treated…everyone ready” Everyone nods “Push in hard the room will probably drop, Bear on you kick it in”
Bear kicks in the door sending it across the command center crushing a soldier and we follow him in as he bellows out commands in Russian. One general slaps a button dropping the room. His hand gets shot off.
Only one other guy tries to get a weapon and gets his head canoed. The rest all raise their hands. A few seconds later I feel a lurch and the room settles deep underground.
“Secure them in pairs and a grenade if they break restraints” The generals and politicians are sat down back to back hands secured with a grenade tied to one and the pin to the other. They seem to realize the purpose. If one tries to escape they both die so they will keep each other in line.
“Check documents and see if we can raise the room, Jed can you get word to the main force” A few moments later he nods in the negative. I turn to the now fully secured HVTs “Which one of you would like to be tied up by themselves” After a moment of silence I realize they don’t speak Elysian even though it’s now the third most common language.
“Bear can you translate” he trundles over and repeats what I said this time I get some reactions and a few seem to ask how. “Order your men to surrender and I’ll separate you from your buddy if you can order the surrender of all your forces even to the south I’ll let you be released from your restraints”
Once Bear translates only one man lifts his head and speaks which Bear translates “If it will spare the lives of my countrymen I will order the surrender” I release him and move his buddy over to another group creating a trio.
Under guard, he moves to the center table “Bear he tries anything then paste him” The man opens a radio channel and Bear continues to translate “General Ivonich to all federation troops lay down your arms now in all theaters. Though it brings me great pain we can not withstand our foes. They have already taken the capital and the Kremlin and have massive gains in our south. Do not die in vain lay down your arms this is my last order as your general”
Hmm, I like this guy “Sit him comfortably… bear can you contact anyone outside or will we have to use unsecured lines through this console” he puts his hand to his helmet for a few seconds then looks at me “I just informed Sherman he’ll pass it on he sent a picture of the surface it really looks like we missed the part.
He makes a tossing motion and Jed seems to get it “holy shit” he removes his helmet and hands it to me. What I see is a still of Tanya completely covered in napalm sword and pistol in hand charging fortifications.
Just another day in the office. so why do I feel like this was too easy?
Tanya
Back on the surface
The napalm must be a new recipe because it’s lasted way longer than standard nato stuff. I’m covered in sweat inside my armor as the cooling systems can only do so much when the surface of my armor is close to 1,500 degrees. The inside is 115 degrees I'll need to vent soon or be cooked alive.
I’m about to kick in another pillbox door when the battlefield seems to still and hold its breath. Then I get a message from Sherman that Griffin captured the underground facilities and high command forcing them to call a surrender… but they are stuck in the now underground command center.
You never cease to impress though there is always room for improvement. next time don't get stuck. “All units ceasefire give the Rooskies a chance to surrender anyone still on fire seek help to douse it and treat any burns”
I jump down from the parapet and roll wishing there was any snow left. Several medics grab men and point at nearby buildings likely telling them to get water. I meander over to Sherman’s tank.
I’m about to dish out some orders when
-priority message-
Flashes on my hud. I frown slightly then let the message through. It’s from central command as a whole not even just a captain general. “General Rex a situation has arisen and currently you have the only soldiers that can diffuse it. A transport is inbound once it arrives Major Griffin, Sergeant Wraith, and Sergeant Barbosa will need to board it for a strike mission.” I furrow my brows “A few questions if I may why those three and what’s this mission that it’s deemed necessary to pull troops from my theater”
The response makes me jealous “They are some of the only soldiers to pass low-g combat training and have the highest scores. Hmmm your clearance is high enough, their mission is to capture the ISS and de-orbit it”
I take a second to button down my giddiness “Slight problem Griffin is currently held up with the Russian leaders waiting for us to get him out” I leave out the other problems he has, I’m not taking this from him plus even with his armors problems the strike team needs him. “Understood the transport will arrive in three hours”
Should be plenty of time. I switch to the all comm “collect the weapons of the surrendered. engineers get into the Kremlin and get Griffin dug out from his hole. Make sure triage tents are marked for all wounded”
Griffin
Under the kremlin
Right now we are just waiting for the combat engineers to get us out of this box because they didn’t build in a redundant way out just the button that got shot.
I decided to ask the general some questions to pass the time. I motion to Bear and he moves over to the side as I sit in a chair across from the surprisingly young-looking man. “Please state your full name age and station of service,” I ask. Once it gets translated back and forth I hear “Ivan Ivonich 26 I am the general in charge of the defense of Moscow”
I nod “You're quite young for a general” Again bear translates it through “Most of the elder generals retired once war has been declared others were killed in the previous war the rest fled once you landed in our city” So this guy probably has very little actual leadership experience. “Well that’s lucky then you saved many of your soldiers ’ lives by knowing when to surrender I bet those that retired wouldn’t have and they would have to live with a mountain of corpses of their own men at their feet”
Ivan pales as do the others that we captured. “I’d like to know one thing where did you get the plasma weapons those robots you fielded didn’t seem designed for them” a pause “The Americans gave them to us and assured our victory”
I hear a loud thunk on the ceiling. Seems help has arrived. “Why didn’t the Americans help you garrison… why were you so well prepared” Bear gives me a look before translating “I don’t know why they didn’t stay but we’ve had Moscow fortified for months anticipating the Westerners before all this”
A hole is cut in the ceiling and an engineer pops his head down “Need a hand, we’ll have this winched up in a few”. After a few minutes the entire room is pulled up back to its original position and the doors are opened. “Where is the T.Rex” I ask one of the engineers by the door “Main courtyard by Sherman’s tank” he points out the window.
“Jed grab Ivan and come on the rest of you watch these guys” The three of us jog out of the building and I nearly break into a sprint. “Tanya this all is a fucking trap” She whips around to look at me.
“Explain” I point to Ivan “After some interrogation it sounds like they were left to draw fire and test weapons I imagine the nato forces are massing to attack us” She seems to ponder this. “That’s unfortunate you have a new mission straight from the capital so you're out anyway. When did you get low grav certified”
It takes me a second to process “We were drunk one time on leave and thought it would be fun to do why” She takes off her helmet and motions for me to do the same and stares into my eyes giving me a good long look of her deep steel eyes that seem to have traces of red in them.
After an uncomfortable amount of time she sighs “Well you three scored top of the class… drunk apparently. I don’t even want to know how you got past screening like that. Anyway, a transport is on its way I know part of the mission your taking out the ISS”
Holy shit “One problem mam you said three I need at least four” Tanya glances at Sherman who’s leaning out of the driver hatch of his tank listening and seems to give a slight nod “Fine who do you need keep in mind I need rabbit here” I grab Jed and pull him over “I need my long rang radio plus his extra gun”
“It’ll be here in an hour and a half get ready you’ll be the first to ride fire into the sky for the noble practice of war”
A Swift War
December 7 6AE (military calendar)
December 7 2028 AC (global calendar)
Twilight
Major general Tanya rex
I’m riding on sentinel Sherman’s tank as we are rounding the last corner to engage the Kremlin’s defenses. Someone is pumping out music, specifically for whom the bell tolls. I know my men are professional enough to not let it be a problem so I let it slide… plus I like it.
The second the enemy has eyes on us they are shooting. Several large shells bounce off the tank's armor and Sherman replies with his own shells though his actually has an effect. After the two shells land the rotary machine guns open fire raking the defensive emplacements.
I begin dropping squad objectives along the defensive line and before long the battle is in full swing. The engineers are working on creating cover for everyone dropping deployable walls so they aren’t hiding inside a building or behind a vehicle. Momentum seems to be building and that’s when it’s reversed.
New tanks, what we would later discover as the T96, burst out from a nearby warehouse and opened fire. To my surprise, the shells penetrate one of our tanks. It didn’t hit anything of value but the danger is there.
I tag them as a priority target for everyone and watch several turrets traverse immediately to engage. Another minor surprise comes from the Kremlin itself as robots pour out some fielding plasma weapons like Archangel reported.
I order the riflemen to engage soft targets, heavy’s to engage light targets, and medium targets. The anti-tank squad members are to engage turrets and tanks. Mortars are deployed and we break their breakout attempt in minutes.
Major griffin
Archangel company
I feel the ground shake and guess the general has engaged on the surface. We have the immediate area secured but we are moving on. Specifically into the Kremlin. I’m leaving some men to watch our backs once we get in but we’ll have to move fast.
Jed confirmed my suspicions on the surface but couldn’t get to the general directly. No surprise. One of the reasons I’d follow her into hell is because she’d lead the way not just tell us to jump in.
The heavy door screeches and opens. I ready my carbine and bear next to me spins up his gun. I lead the way through the door keeping low as to let friendlys shoot over me. A solid wall of projectiles hit the few guards.
Luckily they didn’t seem to think we would reach here. the walls shake from an impact. “Snorble you secure the building I’m going to the command center before they run off, rabbit, bear, Jed you're with me” They all nod and we split up.
According to deep-penetrating radar scans what should be the command center should be on the third floor. The scans weren’t clear but the room almost seemed like it was a metal box on rails able to drop deep into the ground should it need to.
We push to the stairs up to the ground floor dropping a few guards and having to get through a security door but once on the main floor, we have to slow. There are more robots and soldiers instead of guards. Bear seems to just clamp down on his trigger. I wonder how much more ammunition he has.
Rabbit bounces over to some cover with good sight lines and Jed stays next to me. Despite the firefight, I’m pretty calm. I lean out from my cover and squeeze off a few shots dropping a few soldiers carrying an HMG “Hey Jed ask bear how he is on ammo” he nods.
After a few moments, Jed relays the answer “ninety percent” after several hours of firing which is impressive. I’m not going to complain that gun is doing a lot of the heavy lifting to keep us moving.
Tanya
Outside the Kremlin
“Smo you have the laser start marking, heavy grenadiers push up” I watch a tagged location pop up from Smo, and shortly after a missile streaks down and erases it.
Down the line, the heavy grenadiers push to the front. They have bulked-up armor similar to heavy weapons specialists except they have a carbine and a heavy shield combined with two back-mounted mortars. Technically they can fire them while moving but an 80mm mortar has some recoil.
Instead, their armor can lock down hence the shield, and can fire with impunity. I watch a few fire off rounds while they get into positions then settle into a steady firing cycle.
The plasma weapons are proving to be a problem. I watch as a crew bails from a tank right before it cooks off. The best I can tell right now, it looked like a round burned through and ignited a shell. That makes three tanks knocked out so far, compared to dozens of Russian tanks.
missiles streak down and erase several positions opening up the defensive wall. “Good hits Smo” I switch to my mechanized Cavalry channel “I’m marking breaches get in there and exploit them” Several APCs and our new pumas break and push into the breach.
The weight of fire increases from both sides and the last T96 is knocked out. For now at least. Then I see something strange inside the kremlin. It’s archangel IFFs when did they get inside?
Before I can ponder it further a trio of migs broke through our fighters and screamed overhead dropping ordnance. It exploded in the air covering everything in napalm. Through the flames licking at my visor, I watch several of my men panic.
Any intelligent creature understands fire and thus all rational thought flees when it’s on fire but I trust in my armor and my training so I steel my nerves. “Trust in your armor it can’t burn through regroup and push the wall while they are pinned down”
I ready my pistol and raise my sword which caught a good amount of napalm so it is on fire as well. I lead a charge at the wall and scale the sheer surface once again in the enemy mists though this time they are trapped in toumbs of their own making.
I kick in the first door still wreathed in fire. I bet I looked like a daemon straight out of hell to them. I shoot each man in the chest and head then move on.
Griffin
Inside the Kremlin
A series of explosions rock the building and I glance outside as I run by a window. The fortifications looked formidable but now holes are in them... and everything is on fire.
A round whizzes by my head and pulls me back into the now. I lift my carbine and fire off a few rounds from the hip still running. Most hit dropping the soldiers.
Bear is running and firing somehow, that can’t be all armor he has to be physically strong beyond belief. “Jed how much further” I fire a few more shots before the reply “End of this hallway on the right”
I turn on my thrusters and bound past the few still-living enemies which are swiftly dropped and we group up at the door.
“Room should be full of HVTs so check your fire. If they draw a weapon shoot them in the hand or somewhere easily treated…everyone ready” Everyone nods “Push in hard the room will probably drop, Bear on you kick it in”
Bear kicks in the door sending it across the command center crushing a soldier and we follow him in as he bellows out commands in Russian. One general slaps a button dropping the room. His hand gets shot off.
Only one other guy tries to get a weapon and gets his head canoed. The rest all raise their hands. A few seconds later I feel a lurch and the room settles deep underground.
“Secure them in pairs and a grenade if they break restraints” The generals and politicians are sat down back to back hands secured with a grenade tied to one and the pin to the other. They seem to realize the purpose. If one tries to escape they both die so they will keep each other in line.
“Check documents and see if we can raise the room, Jed can you get word to the main force” A few moments later he nods in the negative. I turn to the now fully secured HVTs “Which one of you would like to be tied up by themselves” After a moment of silence I realize they don’t speak Elysian even though it’s now the third most common language.
“Bear can you translate” he trundles over and repeats what I said this time I get some reactions and a few seem to ask how. “Order your men to surrender and I’ll separate you from your buddy if you can order the surrender of all your forces even to the south I’ll let you be released from your restraints”
Once Bear translates only one man lifts his head and speaks which Bear translates “If it will spare the lives of my countrymen I will order the surrender” I release him and move his buddy over to another group creating a trio.
Under guard, he moves to the center table “Bear he tries anything then paste him” The man opens a radio channel and Bear continues to translate “General Ivonich to all federation troops lay down your arms now in all theaters. Though it brings me great pain we can not withstand our foes. They have already taken the capital and the Kremlin and have massive gains in our south. Do not die in vain lay down your arms this is my last order as your general”
Hmm, I like this guy “Sit him comfortably… bear can you contact anyone outside or will we have to use unsecured lines through this console” he puts his hand to his helmet for a few seconds then looks at me “I just informed Sherman he’ll pass it on he sent a picture of the surface it really looks like we missed the part.
He makes a tossing motion and Jed seems to get it “holy shit” he removes his helmet and hands it to me. What I see is a still of Tanya completely covered in napalm sword and pistol in hand charging fortifications.
Just another day in the office. so why do I feel like this was too easy?
Tanya
Back on the surface
The napalm must be a new recipe because it’s lasted way longer than standard nato stuff. I’m covered in sweat inside my armor as the cooling systems can only do so much when the surface of my armor is close to 1,500 degrees. The inside is 115 degrees I'll need to vent soon or be cooked alive.
I’m about to kick in another pillbox door when the battlefield seems to still and hold its breath. Then I get a message from Sherman that Griffin captured the underground facilities and high command forcing them to call a surrender… but they are stuck in the now underground command center.
You never cease to impress though there is always room for improvement. next time don't get stuck. “All units ceasefire give the Rooskies a chance to surrender anyone still on fire seek help to douse it and treat any burns”
I jump down from the parapet and roll wishing there was any snow left. Several medics grab men and point at nearby buildings likely telling them to get water. I meander over to Sherman’s tank.
I’m about to dish out some orders when
-priority message-
Flashes on my hud. I frown slightly then let the message through. It’s from central command as a whole not even just a captain general. “General Rex a situation has arisen and currently you have the only soldiers that can diffuse it. A transport is inbound once it arrives Major Griffin, Sergeant Wraith, and Sergeant Barbosa will need to board it for a strike mission.” I furrow my brows “A few questions if I may why those three and what’s this mission that it’s deemed necessary to pull troops from my theater”
The response makes me jealous “They are some of the only soldiers to pass low-g combat training and have the highest scores. Hmmm your clearance is high enough, their mission is to capture the ISS and de-orbit it”
I take a second to button down my giddiness “Slight problem Griffin is currently held up with the Russian leaders waiting for us to get him out” I leave out the other problems he has, I’m not taking this from him plus even with his armors problems the strike team needs him. “Understood the transport will arrive in three hours”
Should be plenty of time. I switch to the all comm “collect the weapons of the surrendered. engineers get into the Kremlin and get Griffin dug out from his hole. Make sure triage tents are marked for all wounded”
Griffin
Under the kremlin
Right now we are just waiting for the combat engineers to get us out of this box because they didn’t build in a redundant way out just the button that got shot.
I decided to ask the general some questions to pass the time. I motion to Bear and he moves over to the side as I sit in a chair across from the surprisingly young-looking man. “Please state your full name age and station of service,” I ask. Once it gets translated back and forth I hear “Ivan Ivonich 26 I am the general in charge of the defense of Moscow”
I nod “You're quite young for a general” Again bear translates it through “Most of the elder generals retired once war has been declared others were killed in the previous war the rest fled once you landed in our city” So this guy probably has very little actual leadership experience. “Well that’s lucky then you saved many of your soldiers ’ lives by knowing when to surrender I bet those that retired wouldn’t have and they would have to live with a mountain of corpses of their own men at their feet”
Ivan pales as do the others that we captured. “I’d like to know one thing where did you get the plasma weapons those robots you fielded didn’t seem designed for them” a pause “The Americans gave them to us and assured our victory”
I hear a loud thunk on the ceiling. Seems help has arrived. “Why didn’t the Americans help you garrison… why were you so well prepared” Bear gives me a look before translating “I don’t know why they didn’t stay but we’ve had Moscow fortified for months anticipating the Westerners before all this”
A hole is cut in the ceiling and an engineer pops his head down “Need a hand, we’ll have this winched up in a few”. After a few minutes the entire room is pulled up back to its original position and the doors are opened. “Where is the T.Rex” I ask one of the engineers by the door “Main courtyard by Sherman’s tank” he points out the window.
“Jed grab Ivan and come on the rest of you watch these guys” The three of us jog out of the building and I nearly break into a sprint. “Tanya this all is a fucking trap” She whips around to look at me.
“Explain” I point to Ivan “After some interrogation it sounds like they were left to draw fire and test weapons I imagine the nato forces are massing to attack us” She seems to ponder this. “That’s unfortunate you have a new mission straight from the capital so you're out anyway. When did you get low grav certified”
It takes me a second to process “We were drunk one time on leave and thought it would be fun to do why” She takes off her helmet and motions for me to do the same and stares into my eyes giving me a good long look of her deep steel eyes that seem to have traces of red in them.
After an uncomfortable amount of time she sighs “Well you three scored top of the class… drunk apparently. I don’t even want to know how you got past screening like that. Anyway, a transport is on its way I know part of the mission your taking out the ISS”
Holy shit “One problem mam you said three I need at least four” Tanya glances at Sherman who’s leaning out of the driver hatch of his tank listening and seems to give a slight nod “Fine who do you need keep in mind I need rabbit here” I grab Jed and pull him over “I need my long rang radio plus his extra gun”
“It’ll be here in an hour and a half get ready you’ll be the first to ride fire into the sky for the noble practice of war”
