Ters-Ly War (7), Long Stride
The several thousand soldiers marched to Terka's old capital. They would take some hours, but would arrive at around late noon. Their mobilization within the stalemate, soon to be disrupted, was clear and not hidden, but it hardly mattered.
While the brigade was on their way to the old capital, the battlefield was prepared to see a change. Lýmoca and Terka had exchanged a number of casualties and destroyed vehicles, including aircraft for both parties, during the last day. With the early morning giving rise to the sun just as the sun hit one side of their faces, Lýmoca acted.
During the previous day, Lýmoca lost a combat helicopter in a rather painful manner. Just after destroying another tank, and one-handedly at that, it was targeted by another tank of the few remaining in Terka’s hands. The powerful beam-like firepower from the cannon destroyed the cabin, swiftly exploding the entire helicopter a second later.
Only 2 blades from its rotor remained, falling to the field without any remainings for the Lýmocans inside it. That was only shortly before the stalemate was decided, and both sides holed in their positions.
Now, as the brigade was on its way to the old capital, a fraction of the Lýmocan army in the battlefield suddenly advanced. A full platoon of 60 people lead the advancement with bravery. Just their DLMs, adhesive, semi-elliptical grenades, and some rocket launchers beside the hand grenades was all the equipment they used to step forward.
The enemy responded in kind, with their platoon taking position on a small hill to take them down, but as soon as the enemy moved, another Lýmocan platoon of 40 advanced. The enemy strategists glanced at each other, but they responded in kind.
Just before both platoons of 40 met, still running across the field, Lýmoca sent a full platoon to rush just beside their ‘column’. The enemy platoon was flustered, so the enemy sent 2 full platoons to make up for it and raze the 2 Lýmocan platoons.
The 2nd full platoon separated, 40 continued, while 20 moved further to the side and spread their reach. The enemy was forced to separate, but they sent 1 of their platoons’ half numbers to meet them. Just then, the 1st Lýmocan platoon retreated, separating after a stalemate, sending 40 of their soldiers to aid the others. The enemy didn’t repeat this time, choosing to try advancing towards the 1st platoon’s 20 soldiers.
But they were met with improvised, quick traps and unsafe rockets, left as such by the Lýmocans, the only ones knowing the mechanism to lock or unlock its safety. While this enemy platoon suffered horrendous casualties and attracted attention, the 2nd platoon of 40 halved, sending 20 to aid the other platoon beside them.
The enemy was forced to separate this time, meeting the Lýmocans who spread even farther, flanking the enemy a little, downing them before the Terkan strategists had visual feedback. Terka initiated larger mobilizations, sending 3 platoons and a few squads of 6 soldiers to relief their now cornered soldiers at the front.
After the Lýmocan soldiers resisted on all fronts for a minute and a bit more, suffering some casualties while killing more, for their blood commanded it. The Lýmocan army sent a fraction of their numbers in a full offensive, with more than 7 combat helicopters and 10 light support helicopters. 2 tankettes and about 10 armored vehicles with the turrets already all-out, driving around a hill, surprising the Terkans.
They advanced in a wedge formation, further leaving the enemy too little time to respond before their comrades, just a little farther, shared accurate information. The enemy spread a bit, retreating and suffering some rapid casualties before taking positions and responding.
Lýmoca was fearless, however, and even with their armored vehicles exploding and their tankettes bouncing off rockets, they continued advancing, with the combat helicopters remaining a little behind, protected by the sides from the light support choppers.
The Lýmocans pushed forward even more, slowly advancing their armored vehicles while taking out the enemy. The time came when a smaller fraction of Terkan soldiers moved to neutralize these, which was just what Lýmoca needed.
With the somewhat closeness the Lýmocan offensive charged to the other platoons, they left the space in between with even less Terkan soldiers. While Lýmoca had sent a definite, calculated number of vehicles and arsenal, the enemy just moved left and right depending on their reaction.
Now, there was a large gap between the offensive and the frontline of platoons and some squads facing each other, with Lýmoca rapidly falling in a predicament. But just as the Terkans made movements to fix everything despite the 6 to 1 casualty rate they suffered compared to the fearless and daredevil Lýmocans, the army launched its full operation.
From every perimeter covered by the Lýmoca army, with the civilians in every settlement clearly warned by both countries once hostilities were practically fully unleashed; from northern east to west of the Lýmocan perimeter, every Silverplated Eagle soldier advanced.
Terka was taken by utter surprise, every movement realized behind the lines that Terka should have access to failed them. Conversely, every delicate information pertaining to their military was like a magnet to the Lýmocan army.
For starters, from the overly weakened space the Terkan army left in between the offensive and platoon, the combat helicopters, flying high and fast to the sides, aimed at that spot and launched a rocket hurl.
Whatever Terkan traps, improvised fortifications, and soldiers waiting for orders remained were destroyed or chased away. Immediately after, with dozens of armored vehicles advancing, Lýmocan fighters overflew the battlefield, having just taken off nearby.
They dropped bombs, leaving the enemy helpless to such a situation, with drones flying out immediately, flying above the remaining Terkans and dropping small explosives, terminating their lives and scaring the living hell of most.
This wasn’t everything, as the rest of the Lýmocan army advanced, deeply taking the Terkans by surprise. Soldiers, armored vehicles, and some aircraft advanced rapidly, consuming any Terkan force that didn’t surrender upon seeing the swarm of silver eagles.
The civilians who remained in their homes watched from afar, as the Terkans didn’t try hiding in settlements. With but all of the world watching them with unabated eyes, no one would dare play dirty and call the other side a thief if they wanted to.
Large explosions from combat helicopters happened on fewer occasions, but they all startled the civilians and cooled their blood. It was their people who the Lýmocan forces were killing, but at the same time, it was their fellow Terkans who massacred and bombarded the now abandoned cities. Even if there wasn’t ‘much’ of a massacre compared to the size of a city.
Despite how surprising and fast the fighters were, some were reached by the few enemy anti-air systems installed around the battlefield, still protecting the center more, and the capital more than anything.
But while their fighters fell, or exploded before touching the ground, the enemy Terkans were fleeing with abandon. They retreated southwards, regardless where that would bring them. The Lýmocan vehicles were like furious horses of death going after peasants.
There was no Terkan who wanted to remain there in the front line and just be razed by the swarm of eagles. Turning around and firing was only asking to be executed, with most only realizing they could surrender after running from 20 minutes to several hours.
The Terkans had been conflict-free most of the time, with their police and specialized police forces taking care of virtually all the crime and organized crime in the country before. The only thing the military forces were responsible for was the defense of the land after their boats sighted incoming illegal contraband. With the war initiating, they felt the will of duty. During the battlefield, they showed they weren’t made of paper, but through constant combat, they worsened.
Lýmoca had spent more time garnering experience, and from the looks of it, underestimated by all in a heavy manner. Terka was already a slightly less developed country, with their technology only improving to advanced artillery and all their soldiers wielding DLMs. They had many armored vehicles, but not to the level of Lýmoca, who had more abundance of, mastery, and modifications for personnel combat engaging. Lesser aircraft number, too, except warplanes.
Lýmoca wasn’t a warrior-worshiping country, not since the Green Transformation, from when the Lýlaco Empire’s culture was still deeply etched into the Lys’ hearts. Regardless, the call for bravery and breaking their asses off even for something as scary as war was still there.
In any war, any conflict, and any dispute; moral and momentum mattered inconceivably. Maybe momentum wasn’t as significant in raw, but the moral of the troops was the heart of a nation, the foundation of an army.
Terka’s first use of their military was unexpected yet decent, but their soldiers could only go so far, with the news of their self-bombardment striking their own hearts.
On the other hand, Lýmoca was here with the mission of neutralizing the Terkan army, be it by crippling it or… facing them directly, as it was the case now. With the declarations the President Luis Heartez gave about the war, before the IWS allowed them to ‘cage’ the internet in battlezones and military occupancy, the Terkan government seemed frigid in ordering them to attack.
After all, all the Terkan forces had to do was hunt the Lýmocan army after it settled in their territory, taking a perimeter and spreading their forces, ensuring routes and stability. Giving the Lýmocan forces a false sense of progression while they were being downed bit by bit, but no.
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First, the countless mines, which would have been who knows how many millions of credits worth. Then, the incessant, senseless destruction of their own cities. Even if they won, the costs of that… Lastly, the actual battle with the Lýmocan forces showed them the Lys weren’t made of flaming-warrior-blood and unstoppable. But even then, they fell short, and not necessarily because of ‘experience’.
Moreover, Terkans didn’t have a purpose. To defend their home? Valid. But not as valid as to protect the interests of its head of state, when these clearly differed from the nation’s interests, with half a dozen cities, of which 2 were influential, already turned into ruins.
Morale; the Terkan side was low already, and with the recent battle, while their hearts burned for more, their bodies and mind yielded to the existing conflict surrounding them.
Once again, they had no purpose…
Terka wasn’t a big country, so several hundred kilometers was the most one could move from one extreme point to another. The Lýmocan army advanced tens of kilometers, taking so much territory, with the enemy unable to protect their seemingly obvious, exposed, and with ‘hit me please’ letters stuck around them.
There was no secret to this. Piya Sanctum District agents were all over Lýmoca, moving with the wind across grass and bushes, and fluttering with the branches of trees and the fleeing small animals. But when the Terkan hoog secret organization realized how deep the District special agents were, it was too late.
Any preemptive motion was useless, and when they wanted to make a move to respond equally, they were flatly downed by the District in ambushes. Electric flashes, sudden explosions, extended tools, like whips or even blades, and empowered limbs struck in the dark.
The Lýmocan army continued advancing, the Terkan hoog secret organization began falling to Piya Sanctum District, and the flying Lýmocan fighters became a more concurrent scenery in the north of Terka.
At dark, the advancement stopped, with sweaty, some hyperventilating, and exhausted Lýmocan soldiers relieving in their well-deserved break. Even the fighter pilots were wasted, with more than half unable to keep fighting. They headed to the defenses prepared for taking refuge, with the anti-air systems installed everywhere for their protection.
Shortly after the advancement began, however, the brigade sent to the old capital arrived, bringing machinery, including Courusel types.
Fox habitually welcomed them and gave them a tour around the bunker. After knowing and seeing glimpses of what happened on the internet, the major general, a middle-aged man looked at Fox with newfound respect, something alien to Fox.
After the tour, the major general immediately contacted the General, clearly seeing what Fox did. It didn’t take much longer than 2 minutes for the major general to nod, with orders to prepare and clean the streets sounding from the device.
Fox could tell the major general’s attitude changing, from nervous and cautious, to camaraderie and praise before and after the tour. Seeing that things were all working, and that the auxiliary units in the brigade were getting the children into some trucks, he brought his 2 SA echelons away.
Before evening, Fox exited the city, which a section of the main road was already being cleaned by the machinery. He met with the 4 tankettes before taking off towards the center to meet with the main Lýmocan force in the war.
General Edgar Plomo would come to the old capital later. For now, Fox was to reunite with his division for those certain matters before focusing on Piya Sanctum District’s mission.
. . .
Days passed since the Lýmocan advancement, which took the world by surprise. 8 days later.
It was no exaggeration to say the world went silent again when Lýmoca showed their detailed global briefing in Luis’s morning press conference. That rush into Terkan territory made even Zyckevele sharply breathe. There was also tension, though. Whatever was coming from the preparing parties, Luis could feel it from seas away.
Fox would also be able to tell about it, but he wouldn’t have bothered, of course…
The losses from the war amounted to a couple of tens of thousands, with the Lýmocan forces advancing even more during the last week. Their soldiers in the east fully took all of Terka’s east. It was a major win for Lýmoca, which brought further despair to Terka.
But while Lýmoca was slightly less than one third those casualty numbers, but not ¼, these many losses weren’t seen since the Great Haul; it wasn’t easy for them. Back then, even tens of thousands dying whenever there was conflict in half a week were ‘understandable’.
Terka relied heavily on their surprise bombardments near the cities where the Lýmoca forces marched, including the old capital’s improvised airport, where some fighters were destroyed before enough anti-aircraft and anti-projectiles for missiles and rockets were installed.
However, at the front lines, starting from the main force slowly moving to the center to the east and west, the Lýmocan soldiers became… quirky.
Nobody knew since when, nor why. But the Lýmocan army started moving on foot in strange lines around settlements, with multiple drones flying low, and combat helicopters flying unusually high. There would also be fighters flying a bit away, hiding from enemy immediate-reactive detectors and far from their radars.
The latter was learnt by the enemy the bad, hard, tragic way. Yet, there were still a few warplanes sent to harass the Lýmocan divided columns, in which the casualties were minimal, but not nonexistent, irking and enraging the Lýmocans.
Yet, when there were skirmishes trying to harass the Lýmocan columns on the ground, these were all chased for a bit, with a casualty rate of about 94%, depending on the enemy’s numbers. Even then, the Terkans kept using these methods, independently if they lost soldiers or warplanes time and again.
The Lýmocan soldiers also engaged, more and more, in fake berserk incursions. It spread among the Lýmocan side like a plague, one day happening in the central front, while the next day, every front would employ this irregularly. It consisted of terrestrial vehicles aided by aircraft to rush into an enemy position, stopping at uncomfortable corners and sides for both parties, using them as coverage to advance into the enemy defenses and where they holed.
It wasn’t without faults, but casualties could be avoided, as much as they could in an ultramodern war. With the armored vehicles moving, and the combat vehicles massacring the enemy in high positions and those most likely to wield anti-vehicle equipment, the Lýmocan soldiers ‘went in’ every time, lowering the enemy morale with their unending resolution.
During the latter end of the second week, more and more Terka soldiers surrendered with as fewer casualties as possible, becoming the first large batches of war prisoners on Lýmoca’s side.
Additionally, the individual soldiers took more… less approachable means to advance and sneak into the enemy territories, also learning new ways to gather information without stupidly drawing too close for any scout to see them.
This, among other little changes, such as equipment for open fields and the necessary survival skills for the special forces’ risky operations, helped the Lýmocan army neutralize more and more defensive points set around the center.
Terka still had a monstrously defended capital state, with not only anti-air systems, but high caliber machine guns installed everywhere, and most of their remaining combat helicopters and warplanes reserved to defend it. Meanwhile, any other Terkan outside the capital state was ignored, practically left to die.
Lýmoca started using messengers to petition some small and medium enemy forces to give up. It was a decent surprise to see a ratio of not surrendering higher in the small forces than the medium-sized ones. Meanwhile, large-sized Terkan forces were fighting for the first place in the surrendering ratio.
This was a measure that Luis intently wanted to see, but it wasn’t necessary, with Edgar Plomo as the second-highest commander in the country, he would have wanted this by himself. As for Valentino Peralta, still at sea, he stationed the now 30 fighters in his command in the old capital, opting to respond to any emergency at the Terkan shores or further inland.
On a side note, there were ‘suicidal’ Lýmocan armored vehicle races. Using the transport vehicles, massive ones or not, they distracted the enemy by racing rather near their defensive point, a stronghold, or a refuge house filled with only Terkan soldiers.
If they were ignored, as it happened almost occasionally, the racing armored vehicles would just stop and rush at the enemy, ready or not. Otherwise, those armored vehicles would be riddled with high-caliber gunshots or explosions, sometimes causing a severe rescue operation with a stranded vehicle here or there across the advancing fronts.
Nevertheless, this tactic gained them some time and lives, be it fellow Lys or Terkan soldiers. Furthermore, with the always ‘100%’ intel from these points, the Lýmocans were prepared to see another victory, day after day, as physically possible as it could get for their breathless bodies.
With this experience, they still did not lower their guards, remembering every fellow soldier that fell before them, beside them, covering their backs; all of them. Furthermore, if the Lýmocans weren’t already a resilient bunch, then the news of new technology incoming from their homeland brought them a sense of support and extra resilience.
There were still about ⅗ of territory under the Terkan government, of which Lýmoca now occupied 1 and a half, with the other half a portion belonging to some overextended terrain too far from the actual conflict to matter.
However, that new technology would be top-notch to prepare for the offensive into the capital state of Terka, a few more weeks closer to ending the war and overturning the anti-Ly government. It wasn’t a political view, but a crude truth shown in the first days of the war…
At these moments, in the year 1,026, 4th month, 3rd week, and 2nd day. The Lýmocan army was preparing its mobilization around the Terkan capital state. Their numbers still strong, their image ever-growing, and their hearts beating lye every night and to every fallen comrade.
Technology was one thing, it mattered to the war effort, but for the morale, something more than lifeless objects and killing tools were needed. That was when, early this 2nd day, news of a certain ‘renown’ pizza being sent to everyone fighting for Lýmoca in Terka spread throughout the Lýmocan ranks.
A slice for each soldier. But the fight wouldn’t stop so everyone could get quality food. Although the General ordered a stalemate to take a break, and more than anything to let everyone have a chance to feel vulnerable again, the Terkans wouldn’t politely stop.
They still sent forces, warplanes, of what they still had, with excellent pilots to get out alive and as intact as possible from the Lýmocan air forces, and reckless assaults. Some Lys would be gone today, too.
Thus, across the army, one act of simple, pure solidarity spread. For every brother and sister gone, half a slice will go out with them. Silly and inconclusive; incredibly unnecessary. But when the pizzas arrived, maybe everyone would eat only half their slices, with the other left for their dead. No officials excluded.
***
Onwards to Terka’s extreme west, in its northern regions far from the conflict. 4 tankettes with Green, White, Red, and sapphire paint advanced towards the conflict-less terrain in the war.
Fox sat in his tankette, with his helmet off. No SAs have been lost in his company, but with recent reports, who knew if that’d remain that way. He wore an expressionless face, albeit more natural than emotionless.
Fox put his helmet on, to which Nala looked at him with a blink and smooth turn of her head. Then, he spoke to the Red echelon and the others with their helmets’ channel.
“Hear me out…” Fox’s natural, perfunctory voice rang out.
…