FOB Avatia. Avatia, Kingdom of Azuria.
June 17th, 1427.
2:45 AM
The Marine engineers had worked overtime to hastily erect new concertainer walls, filling them with dirt as well as constructing vehicle maintenance areas, pumping fuel bladders, clearing the dirt for landing pads and fortifying defensive positions. Electrical lights lit up the area, providing bright industrial lighting to the previously pitch black fields which laid beyond the flimsy wooden walls that the Azurian defenders relied on. Heavy lift sorties from UH-48s quadrotors throughout the night brought much needed supplies to the brigade, expediting the construction of the FOB as well as delivering additional fuel and supplies.
Technicians of the 5th Marine Attack Helicopter regiment inspect the choppers, checking all the two dozen AH-24s in the regiment, making sure that the helicopters are ready for combat as their twin turbine engines spun to life. Handlers move ammunition and fuel around, loading them into the vehicles in preparation for the counteroffensive.
Colonel Stanford gathered all the commanding officers and Azurians officers around the command vehicle, pointing towards a large map projection on the flat steel hull of the MT-CV. To his surprise, the Azurians showed little interest in the projector, hinting that they are somewhat used to the concept and may even have something similar. Pushing aside that, he refocuses back on the battle map projection.
“Our priority objective is to push back the attackers and force them into capitulation.” He pointed towards the junction on the projection.
“The enemy has fortified themselves inside this settlement here, artillery and airstrikes are off limits within a 2 km radius to the settlement itself to minimize civilian collateral. However,” He switched to the next slide. “There are several outposts around the large town, serving as eyes and ears; they're early warning posts for the main force to respond to any of our incursions into their defense zone. Your first objective is to neutralize these outposts, which we have assigned to different companies, laze them with the designators and let the artillery handle the fortifications as the Navy's F-27Ns has ran dry on munitions.”
Switching to the next slide, he continues. “New information from recon flights by the Navy suggests that the estimated enemy strength has increased by 15% compared to yesterday, going up to around 40 thousand hostiles. The reason why you gentlemen already know how.” He stood in silence, letting the fact sink into the officers beneath him. They looked around, all gave out understanding nods to each other before refocusing back on the Colonel, determination filled their eyes as Stanford continued with the briefing.
“That’s why this counteroffensive must be carried out with maximum force, the Azurians as well as the high command has given us permission to execute any goblins on sight. Human rights do not apply to these animals, despite their humanoid appearance. Understand that they are an invasive species and their eradication is official policy approved by the Federal Parliament and the President himself.”
An officer raised his hand. “Sir, if we pull this off what are we gonna do about the women who are still pregnant with those things?”
“That won't be your issue, Staff Sergeant.” He said. “The Azurians will be tasked with handling and helping the women who’s about to gave birth, for those who are still relatively healthy at least. Those who need urgent medical attention will get priority airlifts by quadrotors and other rotary wing assets to our hospital ships anchoring off the coast. Any goblin infants are to be handed over to our jurisdiction to be sent and studied.”
Stanford switches to the next slide. “As you all know, our secondary objective is to rescue any civilians under detainment by the Yarians, there is an estimate around 25 thousand civilians in the settlement. After the recapture of the settlement, it is open country for half a day to their command center where their leadership is supposedly located. We’ll conduct a joint attack on the settlement, using our superior weaponry along with Azurian shieldmen to cover our forces and clear out entrenched enemies. Armors will be providing cover fire on the outer perimeters, picking off the stranglers should any attempts to flee the settlement. Any surrendered human Yarians are to be captured for information extraction.” He explained with rigidity, making sure that the men understand their objectives.
“This briefing is now concluded. We are to roll out in 10 minutes, return to your vehicles.” He puts away the pointing stick. “Mount up!”
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2:57 AM
Sergeant Boris grabs his R-25 rifle, checking its chamber and his pouches for any missing equipment or ammunition. Putting his helmet on, he taps on it with a spare magazine, just to make sure the ammo will feed properly. Comms, check. P-16 pistol, check. Four FR-57 fragmentation grenades, check. Individual first aid kit, check. Water, check. Flak jacket, tight and secured. Helmet, got it. Monocular night vision tube, powered.
“Alright. Let’s do this.” He mumbles to himself.
Boris moved over to his squad as they finished with their own kit and putting extra munitions as well as supplies into the MT25-B rear storage boxes.
“Aw c’mon, Richie. We ain’t got time for this, op’s starting in 3 mikes.” Private Lewis complained, checking the time on his watch, its numbers visible as luminescence chemicals contained inside provided barely visible light.
“I need this, dude.” Richard said, rushing to put the recently taken picture of him and some half-elven lady in Anzuri into his rucksack and grabbing his R-25GL.
“After the op is over, you can fuck around all you want.” Lewis grabs Richard’s flak jacket, dragging him towards their MT25 as he hastily finishes up with packing his equipment.
Turning over to Rita, Boris saw her finishing up with her own kit, putting her helmet which had a red cross on it. “Corpswoman, let’s move.”
She grabs her R-25 and heads out to the vehicle with the rest of the squad. “Got it, Sergeant.”
The MT25’s engine roars to life as its rear ramp drops down, revealing a pair of figures already inside. “What took you clowns so long to get ready?” Joker asked half heartedly, already knowing the answer. He was sitting there with another feller, trading something with him, not giving a care in the world about the first war in his career.
“Said the biggest clown in the squad.” Lewis took a seat, tucking the rifle in his arm. “What are y’all doing?”
“Trading photo cards,” Joker said, showing off the collection of cards with his left hand. They were photos of all the non-human girls he took ever since they got off from the LCH-60 landing crafts, still newly taken when they were stationed in Anzuri. Some were taken normally, while others were taken in slightly suspicious positions.
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Lewis widened his eyes, his voice disgusted. “It’s not even a week and you alrea-” He snapped to attention as Boris stepped inside the IFV. “Sarge.”
Checking his watch and making sure his squad is all there, Sergeant Boris nods. “We move out in 60 secs. Strap up.”
As Rita took a seat and the rear ramp closed. The vehicle commander sitting on the turret basket looked back in the troop compartment. “Looks all good, fellas.”
He presses the intercom button. “Driver, standby.”
The gunner turned to his commander, running through the buttons on the compact weapon control station. “25mm, check. Coaxial, check. TOLAT missiles, check. Weapons are hot, we’re clear.”
The vehicle commander fiddles with the radio as he switches to the battalion headquarter frequency. “A Company, First Platoon ready.” He said as he waited for the confirmation code.
A voice crackled in his tanker helmet. “All maneuver units, commencing Operation Rolling Earth. Confirmation Code: Mike, Alfa, Romeo, Foxtrot, Tango, Hotel, Oscar, Romeo, Echo.”
“Code confirmed.” The commander switched to his intercom. “Let’s move out. Driver, forward!”
The vehicles shook lightly as the 870 hp diesel engine revs up, propelling the vehicle forward. The Azurian defenders cheered on as their reinforcement troops and the Elysian Marines headed towards their objective.
“So… new guy.” Lewis asked the man next to Joker. “Just got assigned here?”
“Yeah. Name’s Milton.” He offered a handshake.
Shaking Milton’s hand, Lewis asked him several questions and after being coerced into it by Joker, he also joined in the trading of photos to pass the time on the march.
The vehicle kept moving on for another while as Milton, Joker and Lewis wrapped up with their shady business. Silence eventually befell the interior, save for the occasional chatter by the vehicle crew and the rumbling engine, few sounds make it into the hull besides a few loose rocks on the road. The squad checked their equipment one last time to make sure that everything was working properly.
Boris looked out the infantry periscope, the vehicle formations outside are barely visible as the sun has yet to rise, but he knew they’re out there, preparing to unleash hell on the Yarians for their barbarity.
The vehicles came to a halt as radio chatter filled the channels, waiting for the preparatory barrages by the howitzers back in Avatia before advancing. The Azurians on trucks disembark, moving up and laying low on the treeline in front of the IFVs in preparation for the attack.
“We’re here, ladies.” The commander announced over the intercom, dropping the rear ramp of the MT25 with a single push of a button. “Go, go, go!”
“Let’s move!” Boris ordered as the squad sprint out from the back, grabbing the laser designator from the storage rack.
Taking up positions, Boris took out his binoculars and turned on its night vision mode, scanning the area ahead.
“Richard, Joker, Milton, Rita.” He called out for each one of them and pointed towards a bomb crater. “Set up an MG there. Lewis and I will set up the laser designator.”
Giving their thumbs up, four of them ran towards the crater, hauling a crate of ammunition and spare barrels from the IFV. “We got it, Sarge.” Richard answers through the radio.
Lewis finished setting up the laser designator. “We’re clear for lasing.” He reports.
Boris nods in approval, satisfied with the setup. He observed the other squads doing the same with the regiment, making sure that everything was up to speed, he grabs the microphone through Lewis’s backpack radio and adjusts its frequency. “Fire mission, priority target…”
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FOB Avatia.
3:42 AM
Back in the FOB, the 5th Artillery Battalion stood by as thousands of 127mm rounds laid on their ammunition racks, ready to be fired in anger for the first time in the new world. The strange sight of the 32 self-propelled howitzers caught the Azurian’s attention, who observed the artillerymen with curiosity.
“What are those things?” Captain Parva asked, piqued by the strange machines.
One of the artillerymen rushes toward Captain Parva’s and his men’s position, shouting and waving his arms at them. “It’s dangerous, stay back!”
The Azurians complied as some returned to their post while others continued to observe from a longer distance, pondering about the strange action of the Elysians. Most of what they were doing was understandable like constructing a base, transporting supplies and making space for their mechanical steel beasts, but grouping them up together with their giant tusks pointed towards the sky? Unexplainable. The others have already left for battle already, so what were they doing here?
“They said they’re gonna fire on the Yarians.” One of his subordinates said.
“From here? The Yarians are one or two hours of horse riding away! That’s not realistic.”
“Are steel beasts that tear up the road they travel on and iron dragons that use light arrows to destroy their enemies any more realistic to you?”
He was about to object but he stopped, thinking about the statement. “I… suppose you’re right.”
Suddenly, one of the artilleryman's voices caught his cat ear. “Commence fire!”
The muzzle flashes lit up the night sky momentarily as dozens of howitzers fired their explosive contents into the dark-filled plains beyond, each gun only ceasing momentarily as new shells and charges were loaded into its breech.
The Azurians defenders quickly covered their ears from the deafening blasts made by the howitzers. Those with animal ears hit the ground, burying their head into the soil as they covered their far more sensitive ears with their hands and shutting their eyes closed.
After a minute had passed, the guns stopped firing, returning silence to the dark night once again. “Cease fire! Rounds complete!”
“W-What are those things?!” The Azurian lieutenant asked loudly, covering his ears, panic could be felt in his voice.
Still recovering from the deafening display of firepower unknown to him and his comrades, Captain Parva was aided by some of his men, helping him to stand up.
One of the Elysians personnel stationed in the FOB walked up to him. “Are you ok?”
“Yeah… I’m just… it’s a bit loud.” Parva answered, breathing heavily and holding on to his ears.
The man pulled out something from his pocket, it was two tiny pieces of something. “Put these on your ears, they’ll help. They’re ear plugs, should help y’all somewhat with the noise.” He said as he distributed more of them to the Azurians, showing them how to use the squishy objects.
Captain Parva accepted the ear plugs, inspecting them for a bit. “What a peculiar device.” He thought to himself.
His animal ears twitched again, overhearing the artilleryman's shouting. “Change target! Adjust fire, grid Echo-Sierra-259-371!”
Realizing they are about to fire those things again, he quickly puts on the ear plugs as the long tusks on those things move slightly. The night sky lit up once more, but the noise became more tolerable to him thanks to the ear plugs, being able to watch the ‘artillerymen’ and their metallic beasts continue on as they rain retribution on the unseen enemy beyond.