“Putschist forces abandon Halian blockade! After reports of a naval engagement eight hundred kilometers off the coast of Eastern Orland between a Royalist and Putschist fleet, rebel raiders have been seen abandoning their presence around the Royal Capital, retreating north. Just this morning, two Royalist DDGs have been spotted sailing through the Capital’s coastal defense perimeter. They have been reported to fire off their five-inch main gun into the air in a ‘celebratory display’ for the beleaguered defenders. Indeed, it is only a matter of time before the navy relieves the Queen and the Royal Capital, after many months of what amounted to an effective siege.”

- ROCN News

“The Loviedo Conference begins! Twenty-two delegations from the ‘Twenty-Two Vanguard Republics’ joined in a historic conference that would pave the path to the future of male liberation! Already, the delegation from the Confederation of Larissa and the Republic of Poznek made a joint declaration for a ‘martial alliance’, alongside the newly established State of Lombardia. The Republic of Asturia vowed for increased material support to ‘pro-male causes’. The Provisional Government of Orland had also promised to aid ‘brotherly revolutions’ worldwide, with overseas Orlish Megacorporations loyal to the Provisional Government already selling Orlish weapons to ‘anyone who would hold it against the matriarchy’. The Republic of Hebei and the State of Lieplatz had also begun discussions for ‘intelligence and technological’ sharing. Observers from the Mandate of Nations had been driven off yesterday as well from the conference, as the aristocratic women of the world shake in fear with this new reality dawning on them. The ‘Twenty-Two Vanguard Republics’ will not be the end, soon, the revolution will reach all corners of Pollos.”

- The Front Newspaper

“The Eirhow Directorate has now released a ten-point plan for ‘Orlish Democratization’, with Provisional President Sullivan Rimpler giving a speech on the Provisional Assembly regarding the future of an ‘Orlish Democratic Republic’. So far, the Provisional Assembly is voting in a seventy-eight supermajority for the creation of a constitutional ‘Federal Republic of Orland’ with Eirhow being the designated ‘Federal Capital’. Provisional Assembly Member Hermann Fluch also presented the first widely supported proposal map of a future Federal Republic, outlining the creation of Twenty-Six States that would have a wide range of independence in local politics. The insult went on for three days, where these rebel scums discussed in the open what they would do to the Kingdom should they win.”

- The Arcane Updates

+++

November 28, 2024

Grand Duchy of Ludendorf

Halia

Queen’s Bunker

The stream of reports from the Orlish High Command greatly pleased Amelie. It was all starting to look up. Even General Holl’s counter-attack had succeeded, as the Putschists began their general retreat from the Ruwelt Salient. One after another, the good news arrived. Reinforcements from Rebenslof arrived yesterday, with almost two armored divisions joining in the Capital’s defense.

Then, by three in the morning, the Chief Air Marshall phoned her office and notified her that Operation Swift Dagger was already scheduled to commence on the first day of December. Nearly a thousand aircraft had been prepared near the vicinity of the Grand Duchy, all of them prepared for an all-out air offensive that would target air bases, logistical lines, communication lines, and everything in between.

General Holl also began to reorganize the IV Armored Corps to prosecute a rapid “routing maneuver” against the retreating Putschists. There would be no rest for both sides. The Putschists already committed everything for an all-out offensive, and they failed. Now, it would be her turn to chase them back at every front. With their forces tired and depleted, with the Air Force now prepared to take the fight to them and support her counter-offensive, and with the Navy ready to open the supply lines from the seas – nothing would stand in her way.

Somehow, after entire months of her attempting to figure out how to do warfare, it all aligned in her way. Was it her skill, or mere luck, she didn’t know. But none of it mattered now. They just needed to hold on for two more days and do the final preparations. The Putschists will attack and attack, depleting themselves, until her hammer strikes them down once and for all. The deaths would be mounting high above them, but she would ignore it for now.

All that mattered was that she drove them off. Off from her side of the Ludendorf River. Then, out from Heiflitz as well, as the OAF also prepared their forces from the south for an assault straight to Heiflitz. Once and for all, she would end the Grand Duchy Campaign and the Battle for Halia with a resounding Royalist victory. The grand counter-offensive would soon commence.

“Well, as of the moment, we have advanced five kilometers south of the Ruwelt Salient.” General Holl reported over the assembled group of RGO and OAF officers, looking as well to Amelie. “We have, so far, suffered casualties amounting to a few thousand men, alongside a hundred plus armored losses. Much of the IV Armored Corps is still combat-capable, but, the morale is low, as usual, and the men are tired. But, the enemy should have suffered more loss in morale and psychological advantage with our sudden pincer attacks and their ongoing rapid evacuations.”

“So, we should be able to win in the fields?” Amelie asked, and General Holl nodded.

“Indeed, Your Majesty. The IV Armored Corps, tired as they may be, is prepared to win the battle within a few days. We probably won’t be able to encircle their armored and elite units in the salient, as their evacuations are too fast for us to do that, and we don’t have enough units to pin them down on the entire salient. Still, we should be able to force their retreat.” He looked around the assembled officers. “Well, actually, more accurately, we already did.”

“Well, we did force them to run and abandon their assault against Ruwelt.” Amelie subtly smiled in satisfaction. “You have my congratulations, General.”

“It’s the work of my men below that did it, Your Majesty. They and they alone deserve the credit for risking their lives and executing my commands. I merely led them.”

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“You all deserve credit, General. You all did well. Especially them. But you too. Still, the counter-offensive, General. Major Porter?”

“Yes, indeed.” William finally stood from his seat to prepare for his presentation. General Holl respectfully returned to his seat, while Colonel Kleist flashed the screens with their new battleplans for the upcoming grand counter-offensive. The room darkened just as William began to speak.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, today, again, we have a massive agenda on our plates. Our planners in JTF-Ludendorf already submitted the final plans of our operational movements for the next four weeks. We are not ending this year without the enemy being driven off from our side of the Ludendorf River. And again, Your Majesty, you have asked us to deliver a death blow against their forces closing in on the Royal Capital, and that is exactly what we are about to do. I will be clear, this is not a diversionary attack, a delaying assault, or anything of the sort. This is a counter-offensive to fully take back our strategic territory. Nothing less.”

William turned back and began explaining in detail what they would do. Amelie watched with great attention, taking in all of the moves the Armed Forces and the RGO would make, in a full-scale combined arms offensive. William left no stone unturned, going as far as to explain in detail how each and every town they would attack and pass through would be taken. When and where they would attack. And nearly five general contingency plans on how they would execute the operation based on how the enemy responded.

By the time he was finished and the lights turned back on, Amelie was tired and sleepy. But she sure did understand what was truly about to happen. A full-scale counter-attack, just after her fortress almost cracked.

+++

“They…they’re actually here,” Amelie said, keeping her eyes on the binoculars as she and William watched from one of the buildings near the port. On the distant coastline, a lone Navy Tiger-Class Guided Missile Frigate sailed lazily a few miles away on a dark night, its silhouette perfectly visible for the onlooking garrisons that manned their coastal defenses.

William placed down his binoculars.

“Well, I suppose your brother probably did it. Again. It’s to be expected.” William said. “He’s a good commander, is all I can say.”

“What do you mean? He…did what?”

“Well, quite obviously, beat the Matriarch and her fleet of course?”

“Then why hasn’t he reported anything to the Navy or High Command?” Amelie’s face turned red. “Don’t tell me that moron is going radio dark again for some false hunt? It’s these nonsense ideas that get people killed. That…that absolute…”

“Calm down, calm down, Amelie. I’m sure he already did.”

“The Navy didn’t say anything to me. Neither did the OHC. He probably didn’t.”

“Or, he did, they just kept the information on the down low. We can’t just blast our victories and flaunt them as they go. Remember, the two fleets are probably still on a goose chase to screw each other off the fields. People’s gotta shut their mouths.”

Amelie sighed. He did have a point. Still, she really hated how much of a risk-taker his good-for-nothing brother was. When she told him that he didn’t have permission to die, she almost despaired at the fact that he was too distant for her to give him a death glare to make her message much, much clearer. He always seemed way too close to death, Amelie knew. And she was scared of that. Especially since Alice was still way too attached to him. His death would not just devastate Amelie, but Alice as well.

Their family was already almost gone. Outside of their extended family, the core of the Royal Family was now down to three. Well, worse, technically, there were just two of them that were “important”, but Amelie didn’t consider stupid old laws to determine who becomes a part of her family. While Albert had no titles, he was a part of her family, a family down to just her siblings.

Gone was her Father and his occasional guidance during the worst days. Gone was her Mother who led their family through everything. And so was Adam and his protective surveillance over the rest of them. All that was left was her, who didn’t really know how to handle Albert and Alice. Alice, who was way too young. Still in the process of figuring things out. And Albert, who seemed to have long given up on the idea of even living or connecting back to civilian life.

“I just…when will he return? Being in an aircraft carrier means he’s inside of a juicy target. I…I don’t want any more of my family to die.”

“Well, Albert’s a military man,” William said, looking back into him. “Just like me. War’s where we belong. We’ll be going there no matter what kind of hell it would be. Especially when our fellow men, our brothers are in it. You can’t yank him off the Navy. Nor can you yank me off my battalion. We cannot just abandon our fellow men in the service.”

“All you young men grew up so horribly wrong…” Amelie said. “No one should ever find war his home. No one.”

The two of them fell silent, just as the ship in the distance suddenly fired off its main guns, lighting up the sea. Soldiers and RGO volunteers below cheered at seeing a friendly ship make a noise in the darkness. Amelie knew that earlier this morning, two Navy destroyers did a celebratory drive-by on the coastline as well. She supposed that they were trying to lift up the spirit of the people still in the city by show of force.

But still, isn’t that risky and wasteful?

“Hey, is this really a smart thing to do?” She asked.

“What?”

“Where are they firing at?”

“Oh, I already gave our fire support units permission to send target data on friendly naval ships. They’re probably firing it at some Putschist position somewhere on the frontline, unlike the earlier celebratory display.”

“But still, wouldn’t the enemy detect them.”

“Yes. It’s risky.” William smiled. “But, that’s the point. They already drove them off. And our morale is so low. Remember, they are the relief force. They have to show us that they can relieve us. What better way to do that than by taking risky, flashy moves to send the message that you have secured the seas to be at risk?”

“So, they really drove them off?”

“Indeed. No one in the Orlish Navy would risk doing that unless they are sure. Watch them, Amelie. They are sure. The blockade is over.”

Amelie turned back to the distant frigate. Once more, it fired off its main guns, before two plumes from its missile launches rose into the night sky. The cheers below grew louder, just as the missiles flew past above them, straight into the frontlines.

The relief force is soon here. The ship fired off its main gun again. No, it’s already here.

Just in time, Amelie added. They were not late, and she counted that as good luck. They arrived at last, while the bastion she held still stood.