The M1's hull rumbled as it moved across the vast, snowy plains, flanked by IFVs and Blackhawks armed with a wide array of missiles and weapons. Their objective was straightforward: reclaim their village from the ogres at any cost. This would lay the groundwork for a new kind of settlement, one that was modernized and provided essentials like water from a tap, rather than forcing them to brave the frozen river and ogre attacks.
"This is Alpha 1-7 actual, how's the lead vehicle, over?" Shruss inquired.
"This is Alpha 4-7, all clear, ma'am. No sign of ogres on our thermals or radar," came the response.
According to the tactical terminal attached to the computer, the C-17 aircraft had already circled around the 1st and 3rd villages while Shruss's battalion was just five minutes away. The plan involved the SRD dropping into the village, engaging enemy infantry, and holding the line until the heavily armored battalion arrived to mop up the remaining ogres. This included dealing with surrendering ogres, clearing houses, and more. Although a part of her hoped the ogres would fight to the death, the goblins weren't particularly inclined to take prisoners at the moment. Her helmet visor provided her with full situational awareness, from thermal imaging to vehicle speed, almost as if the tank's hull were transparent.
However, her role was to command and observe, not directly participate in the battle. She also served as the drone operator for the battalion, alongside commanders from Bravo and Charlie companies. The tank parked near the entrance to the dirt road, allowing the other tanks to enter the dirt road leading to the 1st village one by one.
"Operation Viridans is a go. Begin phase 1," Shruss coordinated with Morreau.
"Copy that, commencing the operation," Morreau replied.
Observing the first village from her vantage point, Shruss had a complete view of the settlement. An A-29 Super Tucano initiated the offensive by dropping half of its bomb load onto the village, delivering a devastating blow to several unfortunate ogres in a single strike. Shruss watched the attack unfold from above, witnessing the bombs eliminate the ogres and hurl their bodies into the air like ragdolls.
She observed the explosion in awe, knowing that the A-29 was carrying the lightest bombs in their arsenal, yet they managed to obliterate multiple wooden huts, kill numerous ogres, and even send a tree flying off the ground. It was a truly formidable weapon.
"This is Jaguar 1, bombs dropped, standing by for close air support."
"Copy that, Jaguar 1, we're dropping now," Morreau added.
From a C-17 aircraft, two Puma IFVs descended from the rear ramp of the plane. The sight of these nearly 40-ton IFVs dropping from the aircraft was astonishing and unexpected. The Globemaster then returned to base to retrieve another team of IFVs for deployment.
The IFVs landed safely on the ground, and their parachutes automatically repacked themselves just moments before landing. They immediately launched their offensive toward the village, accompanied by twelve demon infantry soldiers armed with a variety of other weapons.
The 30mm high-velocity cannon on the IFVs unleashed an unrelenting barrage on the goblin village. The high-explosive smart rounds from the cannon detonated in the air, causing maximum damage to the ogres. The ogres were caught off-guard, evident from their chaotic running and shouting without any semblance of order. The disciplined demons charged at the goblin village relentlessly, leaving no one and no building untouched in their merciless assault.
The 12 M1 Abrams tanks from Charlie company arrived at the scene from the south. The M230LF cannons effortlessly carved their way through the village, encountering little to no resistance from the ogres, who couldn't even get close to the effective melee range of their weapons. The goblins inside the tanks could be heard cheering and shouting as the powerful weapon systems tore through the ogres' bodies like paper.
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To the tanks, the village was merely an obstacle, something to clear on their path to the second, larger village. This one was notable for housing the formidable ogre chief and his warband. With no ogres remaining to oppose them, the area was ripe for recapturing.
"Jaguar 1, this is Alpha 1-7. You're cleared for another bombing run on target Bravo," Shruss ordered with authority.
"Roger, Alpha 1-7. Commencing bombing run," came the swift reply.
The A-29 swooped in, thundering above the terrain, and released its final payload: five 100-kilogram bombs that rained down on the ogre village. Almost immediately, another Tucano streaked across the sky, unloading its entire arsenal. The successive explosions were visible from a great distance, and it wasn't long before the village was engulfed in flames.
"Jaguar 2 here. Looks like we've ignited a blaze. We might need a fire retardant drop in this sector."
"We're on it, Jaguar 2, stand by," Shruss responded promptly. "Baseplate, we've got a potential forest fire situation. Request immediate fire containment measures within the hour. Over."
"Copy that, Alpha 1-7. Coordinating with aerial support for firefighting efforts," came the response from Baseplate.
The battlefield was a chaotic whirlwind of activity. The Puma IFVs, now firmly on the ground, joined the advancing forces. Their 30mm cannons continued to pound the village, each round exploding with deadly accuracy. The disciplined demon infantry, marching alongside the heavy armor, pushed forward relentlessly, leaving a path of devastation in their wake. The demon unit systematically cleared each house, searching for ogres to capture. If they found any, they would demand surrender and take them into custody.
Meanwhile, the M1A5 Abrams tanks skipped the first village and followed the dirt road leading to the second one. Alpha company was the last to enter the first village, and by that time, every house had been cleared of hostiles, with the ogres gathered near the IFVs under the watchful eyes of the demons.
As the leading column of M1 Abrams tanks from Charlie company plowed through the village, their M230LF chain guns tore through structures and any unfortunate ogre warriors caught in their path. The cheers of the goblin tank crews echoed in the frigid air, a resounding expression of their long-awaited revenge against the ogres, achieved with the help of their heavily armored vehicles.
Suddenly, the largest ogre emerged from the ruins of the goblin chief's house. His body bore wounds from bomb shrapnel, but his imposing figure still exuded a menacing presence, standing as tall as the Abrams tanks at 2.5 meters in height. However, this did not intimidate the goblins in the least.
A goblin from the lead tank opened the hatch and shouted, "Surrender now! You have nowhere to run!"
The ogre responded by hurling his massive spear at the tank. The goblin inside immediately ducked back into the tank and closed the hatch. The 140mm cannon of the tank swiveled to point directly at the ogre's body and fired. The 140mm AMP round obliterated the ogre, reducing his imposing form to nothing but a fine mist.
Charlie company proceeded with their assault, aligning the tanks in a row and unleashing a relentless barrage of AMP rounds at the village. Their objective was clear: either eliminate the ogres or level everything to the ground, leaving it as flat as the soil for future reconstruction efforts. The AMP rounds effortlessly tore through the wooden houses, reducing them to splinters and debris. Ogres ran in a state of panic, torn between fighting the massive armored vehicles and fleeing as fast as their legs could carry them, tails tucked in fear.
The village quickly turned into a gruesome scene as the tanks pushed forward, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Dead bodies and scattered organs littered the ground, with the tanks crushing anything in their path into a gruesome pulp. Once they were certain the entire village was clear of hostiles, the goblins disembarked from their tanks, armed with assault rifles and clad in ballistic protection and helmets that encased their entire heads.
The tanks remained parked in the village, operating autonomously while their sensor suites scanned for any potential approaching threats. The goblins went door-to-door in the burning village, diligently searching for ogres to eliminate. The battle was a relentless meat grinder for the ogres, who had no chance to mount a defense against the well-armed goblins.
As Alpha company entered the village, the Federation flag had already been raised amidst the burning ruins, marking the successful conclusion of the operation.
"And I didn't even get a chance to fire the tank's cannon," Shruss remarked as she finally arrived at her village.
The sight of dead ogres brought joy to her, while the goblins were cheering on top of the ruins of their former villages.