Sunia. Occupied by the Totalists. Sergeant Anastas Karthum, cringed slightly as Senior Engineer Silayev floored the prisoner with a punch to the gut. The punishment did not stop there as Silayev continued to kick their collaborator with his heavy mechanic leg, all the while looking supremely uninterested in the whole situation. The bad lightning almost made the Ascended look human while accentuating the prosthetics of Engineer Silayev. It almost made the Sergeant pity the Ascended.
The Engineer left the beaten cyborg just and returned to the large concentration of consoles, wires and personnel gathered around the large towering servers in that level of the Tower. Private Isidora emerged from the shadowed alcoves of the server room to help the Ascended. In a rather brusque way, half shoving him back towards the cluster of engineers working on decrypting whatever information the degenerate machines had stored in the towering bulks of the server room. Karthum knew very little about the subject of softwares, encryption and whatnot. But cracking this seal was of vital importance to the designs of the Party and the State. And that was enough for him. Besides, guarding the Tower was a rather cushy job, far from the frontlines and close to the supply depots. What else could he ask for?
And so the Sergeant continued to watch the boring work of the engineers from his position, leaning on one of the many pillars shadowed by the low ambient light. Which frankly was a problem with Collective architecture in general, or at least a constant flaw of the buildings he had visited. Khartum had never seen nor visited the massive walled cities that housed the Ascended. Now reduced to ghost cities, from what he had heard. The pathetic cyborg currently under their watch was one of the few that they had managed to find on the planet. From what he had heard from the official sources, there had been some kind of mass flight by the machines before their arrival. Which would explain why Sunia had fallen so quickly and easily. Specially when compared to the grindhouse that was the Fringe Worlds. Who had also fallen quickly after the Totalist offensive in the region.
The Sergeant absently started toying with his pocket watch. There was little else to do. An old family heirloom, it looked the part. The watch wasn't even digital. But despite its battered appearance it still worked. And on dull times like these, Karthum often found himself running his thumb over the inscriptions etched on the inner side of the cover. To be honest, he had no idea what it said, it certainly wasn't in Newspeak so nobody actually could translate it. A nifty curiosity, Commissar Strobel has called it, before telling him to keep watch for any light handed soldier. It would be a pity to lose such fine thing to a bastard wanting to make a few more ration cards in the black market.
The sudden noise of another generator coming to life caught the Lieutenant's attention and he turned just in time to get momentarily blinded by the array of searchlights being turned on all over the server room.
“About time someone fixed that.” Isidora grumbled as the Sergeant tried to blink away the bright spots in his sight. “Why did it took so long anyway?”
Before Karthum could reply his attention was caught by the sudden cheering coming from the cluster of engineers. One of them congratulated the Ascended with a few pats on the back, with much more force than necessary, while others scurried away with hands filled with tools, pads and other devices. The Sergeant had no idea of what had just happened but it looked like progress.
-Totalists are cracking the Collective data banks in Sunia
(Double post) OK! Finally caught up. Now I'm in the planning stages of my next post. Pretty much Totalist, Dominion, Agonis, Horde, and all humans (save the Kasius humans) in general, prepare your anus.
COME AT ME BRAH! WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU ALL WILL BE SINGING PRAISES TO THE PARTY!
Domain of Magnus Foundry World of Sunia Sunia, once a vital trade hub in the Agonis Sector, and a world of pristine beauty, has now become one out of thousands upon thousands of foundry worlds, destroyed and then reforged for the sole purpose of fueling the Collective's warmachine, forever churning out soldiers, weapons and starships for the Collective's neverending mission to remake the galaxy in the image of its Queen. Now that the Collective is under threat, the Foundry Worlds have now sped up production tenfold, spitting out more and more machines and monsters to stave off the advancing and vengeful enemies of the Queen. but to little avail.
Strange events have taken place within the Domain of Magnus, one of the Seven. Foundry Worlds within his domain have slowed down production, building at a slower pace, whole star systems, those mostly located along the fringes or midrims, have now been left defenseless as their fleets had been pulled out. The Foundry Systems, despite the slow down, are the few regions in the domain to be heavily fortified. The others assume Magnus is preparing for a more hands on approach to the totalist's intrusion upon his domain. Suspensions rise among the lower tiered AI and the Seven, but think nothing of it, them being too busy to fend off two invasions at once.
They however, are unaware of a great betrayal, and it is far to late to react, the countdown to the Fall of the Collective has begun.
Unknowing of the inner workings and machinations of Agonian politics, the vanguard of the Totalist forces tasked with seizing Sunia emerged from the FTL at the edges of the system. Fresh from dispatching what little Collective forces had been left in their path. The situation had repeated all over the front, with the overwhelming Totalist armada charging through their planned advance routes and meeting surprisingly low resistance.
When it became clear that the strength of the Collective fleets and armies opposing the offensive had been considerably overestimated, Generalissimo Dollabella-Rybalsky had sent orders for a general slowdown of the offensive. After all, as far as the Totalist intelligence was concerned, their enemies were supposed to still be able to put much more of a fight despite the scale of the forces sent by the Party.
It didn't take long, however, for the Totalists to realize that there was no apparent trap or counter-attack in their way. Naval patrols and scout groups reported more and more empty or lightly guarded planets all over the sector as far as they could reach. The only exceptions being several Foundry Worlds, the actual targets of the offensive. And even then, the actual number of Collective ships detected was still below even the most optmistic expectations.
And so the advance resumed. More careful and slow than what local resistance demanded, as the Totalists were still suspicious of the whole situation. Nevertheless they still managed to reach their targets within the planned timetables. The time lost by the general slowdown of the offensive quickly regained by the lack of substantial resistance.
In Sunia, just one of the Foundry Worlds now under attack, the Totalist vanguard remained prowling on the edges of the system. Content on cleaning up whatever enemy ships hadn't fled to the relative safety of the Foundry World and waiting for the arrival of the rest of the Totalist assault force.
Hanging in high orbit of Sunia was a fleet of five hundred vessels of various classes, half the strength of your typical Collective strike fleet. At the dead center of the scattered cluster of ships was the flagship of the fleet, a divine-class. This particular vessel, this whole fleet, was under the command of a small, hand-picked group of Agaathi-class Homunculi, a rather odd choice of leadership, especially with no AI Supervision, in fact very little AI were present in the fleet, only in the most basic forms. This occurrence had added on to strangeness of the situation.
The five Agaathi Commanders looked upon a holo-display of the star system, all gluing their eyes to the large red flashing mass on the very edge. "This is most troubling.." One of them spoke up.
"Indeed, brother." A female said.
"What shall be our course of action?" Another male asked. "The probability of our defeat and fall of the system is quite high."
"We do as tasked." Another female spoke. "Lord Magnus wishes us to hold these worlds as long as possible, and by his undying will, we will not fail."
"Agreed." they all said in unison in their mundane, drone-like tones. And with that, the fleet remained in position, not daring to make a move, lest they defy their God's orders, all that was and could even be done was wait for their inevitable destruction at the hands of their ruthless foes.
Meanwhile, the Totalist vanguard finally took action. Adopting a scattered formation, the ships started their slow advance towards Sunia and the under strength Collective strike fleet. Strike Craft was launched but remained around their mother ships. Half hour later, the rest of the Totalist armada arrived. A large assault force created with the intent of fighting against much stiffer resistance. Inside one of the Flying Fortresses, Admiral Tapadopoulos thanked his lucky stars for the imminent victory.
"Initiate assault." He ordered through the fleet communications net. "1st, 2nd and 5th squadrons deploy strike craft and move to engage the enemy head on. 3rd, 4th and 6th maintain your distance from the fight and escort the transport ships for the ground assault. 10th and 11th are to flank the enemy and escort 3rd and 4th assault groups to seize or destroy their orbital facilities. 8th and 9th are to remain uncommitted and watching our rear. Let's finish this, brothers and sisters."
And so the battle had begun, as first wave of totalists ships were nearing the planet itself, they were met with swarms of drone strike craft numbering in the thousands, followed quickly behind by the rest of the fleet. "All ships, engage." The lead Agaathi ordered. "For Lord Magnus!" The main fleet soon unleashed their salvos upon the advancing totalist warships, and were replied in kind as the numbers of the Devanagari had thinned, rear collective ships pushing through scrap as they continued their suicidal push against the enemy.
The Totalist vanguard scattered around the Collective's push and reformed, moving to hit the Collective ships from behind as they met the main Totalist force head on. Thousands of fighters and bombers clashed in the void as the noose tightened around the outnumbered Collective fleet.
Meanwhile, the remaining Totalist forces avoided the battle. Heading straight to Sunia, the four squadrons tasked with escorting the transport ships made short work of the orbital defenses. And as they battled with the ground to space weaponry of the Foundry World, thousands of dropships launched from the larger transports. Descending into sections of the planet obliterated by concentrated orbital fire and landing on the remaining orbital platforms.
The main fleet pressed onward, eventually ceasing all attacks, ready to enact one last action before their deaths. Before long, all remaining capital ships of the fleet sped towards the totalist ships, with the full intend on ramming them and taking as many of them as possible.
The ground battle did no fare too welk either, although their numbers were last, the ground armies on Sunia had very little in coordination, offering what little resistance possible, but were in complete chaos.
The sheer speed of the Collectivist suicide run took the Totalists by surprise. Several heavier ships were rammed and damaged before Admiral Tapadopoulos could organize the counter-move. The reserve squadrons were called into the battle as the rest of the fleet scattered. Hundreds of fighters and bombers were sacrificed in mad dashes against the heavier enemy ships while lighter ships focused their fire on taking down their enemies' propulsion systems.
Another squadron was called back from the planetary bombardment to support the rest of the fleet as the Totalist landings continued unimpeded. With the enemy in disarray and full orbital and aerial superiority, the biggest obstacles to the Totalists were simply their lack of knowledge of the local geography and the usual logistical difficulties associated with planetary assaults.
From beneth the planet's surface, hordes of mangled cyborgs had crawled out from every forgotten trash pit they were tossed into, sent out by their handlers to hold off the enemy's advance. From every "street" to every corner, legions of nightmarish amalgamations of metal, wires, and flesh surged through, like hungry beasts, all moaning cries of pain and anguish.
The sudden counter-attack caught the Totalist forces flat-footed. Several divisions were mauled or destroyed by the waves of enemies appearing beneath their feet. But the surprise wore off and with ample orbital support alongside with the constant stream of dropships bringing in reinforcements the Totalist Army was able to stabilize the situation on the ground and start slowly pushing back against the Horde.
The situation in orbit was far better for the Totalists. Whatever Collectivist forces remained aboard the platforms proved to be no match for the Black Banner forces assaulting the installations. And despite the total loss of several assault groups brought by the self-destruction of their targets, the operation could still be considered a overall success.
Meanwhile, the fleet battle raged on. Though it was clear to any observer that it was reaching its final stages. The suicide rush certainly earned the Collective much more kills than they would get in an otherwise conventional firefight. But in the end the sheer disparity in firepower and numbers assured that the balance of power remained firmly on the Totalist side.
The entirety of the collective defense fleet had been wiped out alongside any orbital platforms. All that was left was surface. The Refused were slowly pushed back, Totalist soldiers countering against their maddening melee charges.
All that stood in the way of total domination of the planet was the Central Control Tower, a massive structure that served as the nerve center of all factory sectors across the planet, once that was taken, victory would be assured.
While in previous situations the Totalists simply obliterated Collectivist command centers with overwhelming displays of firepower, the chance of capturing the Control Tower of a Foundry World, and the secrets within was certainly worth the blood it would cost.
Nevertheless, there was no point in simply rushing in. And as the rest of the planet was easily pacified, the Totalists prepared for their assault into the Tower. Gathering a strike force at a safe distance, waves of Penal troops were used to sweep the area around the Tower as every manner of scanner, sensor and radar was employed to detect any kind of trap or hidden weapon in the surroundings.
For all the traps and hidden defenses that were thwarted, within the tower was a small army of homunculi and machines, ready to make their final stand against the Totalists as the penal troops were the first to enter, met with a hail of plasma fire as collective troops on the first level had entrenched themselves in makeshift barricades and gun emplacements.
The Penal troops continued to surge into the Tower. Thousands upon thousands of them streamed from the landing zones closer to the Tower as squadrons of aircraft and gunships flew over the tower, bombing holes into the superstructure and deploying squads of Black Banner troops in the upper levels of the massive structure.
The innards of the tower has devoled into pure chaos as Totalsit troops poured through all the levels, catching the defenders off guard as they strike from all directions. Many hours pass as the battle waged, eventually, the last of the homunculi had fallen, the Tower was now in the hands of the State.
For all intents and purpose Sunia had fallen. Whatever Collectivist troops remained were scattered all through the planet, leaderless and undersupplied. The Tower was soon put into quarantine as a veritable army of engineers combed the construction looking for traps, bugs or any kind of possible surprise left by the Collectivists. Only after that the first scientists were brought into the Tower to start harvesting and cataloging the databanks.
-Magnus screws the Collective by taking his forces away from the fight
-Totalists are able to break the stalemate and seize considerable territory with only light losses.
Seated at the head of the table, inside one of the many conference rooms of the Flying Fortress, Generalissimo Alexander Dollabella-Rybalsky watched as the transmitter activated, filling the empty seats with the holograms of the Board of Directors. The first meeting with all members in attendance since the start of offensive operations against the Agonis Collective.
“Now that we are all here, brothers and sisters.” The Generalissimo started. “The meeting can start.” He pressed some controls in the console. “First order of business is the proposal we have received from the Musashi government about a cooperation pact against the Xeno Horde. The relevant documents have already been forwarded to you. So I assume we all had time to weigh the pros and cons of this proposal.”
“I say we should accept the deal.” Director of Truth Fianecci spoke up, looking around to the other holograms in the table. “Another treaty with Musashi will further secure our border with them. We need this assurance to make our efforts in integrating the Lawless Zone easier.”
“And what can Musashi offer to us?” Director of Safety Tanzin asked, frowning. “Those honor-obsessed degenerates are too busy with their imperialist desires in the Core to offer any meaningful help against our enemies. Be they machine or organic.” He snorted. “We've given up half of the Zone for empty promises and words.” A few other Directors expressed their support at that.
“Your position on the deal with Musashi is already known, Director Tanzin.” Fianecci replied, venon dripping from her words. “You were outvoted in this matter. Accept it and move on.” For once, the Generalissimo agreed with her. The thought left him deeply unsettled.
“Very well.” Director Tanzin gritted out. “But my point remains, we stand to gain nothing with this cooperation pact. When the time comes to fight the Horde we shall do it on our terms. Not at the beck and call of an imperialist tyrant like some submissive animal!”
“Why not take the deal and break it later if its convenient?” Director of Production Aprayat suggested rather meekly. “We have no obligation to be honest with these backward leftovers of the Imperium. Let's say what they want to hear and act only if it suits our needs.”
“If we are to be taken seriously in the Galactic stage we must stay true to our commitments!” Director Shukar shot back, glaring at his fellow Director. “We cannot let zeal blind us completely to the realities of the situation.”
“Watch your words, Director.” Tanzin warned. “They may be prone to misinterpretation.”
Aprayat flinched slightly, the hologram shooting a few glances around as if a battalion of the DirSaf goons would burst into his room to drag him away.
“Director Aprayat is right.” The Generalissimo spoke up, looking straight at Tanzin's hologram. “We cannot afford to burn our bridges with our neighbors. Not now while we busy with Agonis and certainly not while the threat of the Horde remains.”
“I couldn't have said better.” Fianecci added with fake sweetness in her voice. “I support the motion of accepting the pact.” And just like that the feeling of wrongness took hold of the Generalissimo, he realized that Fianecci probably had her own reasons for supporting the move. But given their shared history such blatant show of support was unexpected. And from the reactions of the rest of the Board, the Generalissimo wasn't the only one surprised by that.
“Anyone else has anything to add before we call a vote?” The Generalissimo asked, taking control of the situation before the argument could restart. “New points please, we have already heard enough of the same prattling.” He finished, looking at Tanzin. When no one else spoke up he continued. “Then I call for a vote on whether or not we accept the pact of cooperation with Musashi.”
The apparent union between him and Fianecci was enough to sway the non-entities that would usually follow Tanzin's line out of fear and the pact was approved with a relatively comfortable margin of votes.
With that done, the relevant parties were warned and soon after the message was sent to Musashi informing them of this new development while the Board meeting continued to address the other topics of the agenda.
Heion. Contested Collective Fringe World
During the last weeks Collective forces in the system had suddenly increased their activity in the planet. A suicide space action had bought time for several convoys of ships to bring reinforcements and supplies to the Collective forces on the ground. And now they were rushing to press their advantage before the Totalists could bolster their presence on the Fringe World.
That was why Dvarza and several other officers were clustered around the nervous communications officer manning the console mounted in the basement of the ruined apartment building turned strong point in one of the thousands of ruined cities of Heion. The Collective push in the sector had been specially brutal and the forces operating out in the flat wastes around the city had been either destroyed or pushed back into the sprawling mess of ruined urban landscape.
“U-understood, command.” The communications officer took off his headphones and raised his head to look at the group assembled around him. He stared, sweat dripping from his forehead as he finally spoke up: “Unfortunately there are other sectors with a higher priority on the list. We shouldn't count on getting any kind of substantial reinforcements or support any time soon.”
Major Orestes cursed loudly, making the officer flinch in his chair: “From what I was told, the enemy has broke through some native units and is threatening our supply dumps.” He added hesitantly.
“Alright...alright...”The Major muttered as he tried to regain his composure. “The Machines will be hitting us anytime now. We will just have to make do with what we have…” He turned to the others and barked loudly: “Out of my sight now! Get to your positions!”
Dvarza didn't need any further prompting and rushed out of the basement and the building into the large cleared plaza where her battalion was deployed. Rubble had been cleared, gathered and moved to block access points and build barricades. Barbed wire, not really useful against the Collective, had been laid out all across the area and the entire approach had been mines and boob trapped. Further in the front, buildings had been blown out and cleared to create an open field of fire for the heavy guns. They had weeks to prepare the whole area and yet the Lieutenant couldn't help but feel like their chances were poor. Specially since half of the company's vehicles had been permanently put out of actions and had yet to be replaced. The less said about those who still worked the better.
The Lieutenant strapped her gas mask before entering her command post, a hole dug into the ground covered by a thick black tarp. It was cramped and only had the barest minimum of equipment, plus it would offer little protection against any kind of half-serious artillery bombardment. But still, better than nothing.
And just as she had managed to settle between three others inside the cramped hole, the telltale and faint sounds of combat started. Dvarza turned on the comms on her helmet and soon she was flooded by confirmations of contact coming from the companies deployed further into the sector. And by the sounds of it the Collective wasn't pulling any punches.
Some meters behind the command post the company's artillery, also dug in, opened fire. For whatever good that would do. They needed at least divisional artillery to deal with a push this strong. But a quick log in into the divisional net showed that, once again, there were other sectors with higher priority getting their teeth kicked in by the Machines.
Still, there was nothing for them besides waiting. Dvarza's company was pretty much the company's last line of defense and her battalion was the last line of defense of the company. Until the machines had managed to push through their outer lines further into the ruins there was little for them to do besides wait in anxiety and fear and hope that the Collective wouldn't just carpet bomb them into oblivion.
Four hours later and the battalion hadn't exactly been carpet bombed into oblivion. They had however, gotten pretty closed to it when the Collective decided to silence their own guns. Half of Dvarza's carefully prepared defenses had been reduced to dust. And her battalion had been reduced to half of its original strength. The rest dead or wounded, and of the wounded only half would be worth treating.
On the bright side, her command post was somehow still standing. But half of the building housing the company's HQ was gone and Commissar Nigri had been hurriedly shipped back to the rearguard with an arm missing and the other holding his guts inside. Already Dvarza had to deal with cowards and dissidents herself, and the bodies of those who tried to skirt their duty had joined those killed by the bombing. There was no time to make an example of them so she contented herself with merely recording their names, the Commissar would decide if further action was necessary once he recuperated.
It was also during these four hours that the Collective had methodically destroyed their outer lines and maimed the regiment. Four companies almost completely wiped out while their remnants ran, crawled or wandered into Dvarza's position. Those who still could fight were sent to the trenches, foxholes and barricades while those who couldn't were thrown into the basement turned makeshift hospital. A squad was still deployed there with orders to detonate what was left of their incendiary bombs if the Collective pushed them back. “Better to burn to death than be turned into a shambling abomination” Major Orestes had said and Dvarza agreed with him.
And so, after four grueling hours of bloodshed the Collective finally started the push against last remnants of their regiment. There was no hope for reinforcements as the rest of the division was being mauled just as bad. And only now the penetration into their rearguard had been stopped. What strength the army had in the city would be focused on pushing the Collective away from the supply dumps. The units on the front, like Dvarza's would have to hold with what they had. They probably were already counted as acceptable losses by the General. Left to bleed the enemy before they reached the second line deeper into the city. Intellectually she understood the reasoning, but that didn't made the situation any better
And to add the last bit of salt to the injury, she was forced to share her command post with Bitchface. “Lieutenant Naura needs somewhere to command her battalion. Lieutenant Naura's forces will help you defend your sector.” The Major had said before sauntering out of her hole back towards his own post in the basement. Problem wad Lieutenant Naura's battalion was pretty much reduced to her and 30 odd shell shocked survivors with no heavy or support equipment. There was no reason for her to not be out there in the barricades with what was left of her unit. But no! She had to be inside Dvarza's post, Dvarza's very small command post. At least she had stayed quiet the whole time, probably still shaken up by the battle.
“Not such a big mouth anymore, eh?” Dvarza thought as she smiled behind her mask.
Another artillery barrage signaled the start of the Collective attack. The ground shook and the air was filled with explosions. Dvarza crouched by the hole's wall, covering her head. One of her sergeants finally lost her nerve and ran out. It would do her no good, the open ground offered even less protection than the Lieutenant's measly dug in post and even if the coward survived the battle, Dvarza would make sure to register her cowardice and let Commissar Nigri deal with her once this all was dealt with.
The communications net was once again filled with noise as the Collective armor rolled in towards their lines. Major Orestes barked the order to fire at will and the entire line erupted with fire. Dvarze really could use another dose of stimulant right now, but she did not dare to take off her gas mask.
“I need to get out!” Naura blurted out. Dvarza turned quickly, hand on her sidearm ready to shot the other Lieutenant the moment she finished speaking cowardice. “I've got nothing to do here. My troops need me.” She finished, turning fully towards Dvarza, as if expecting something.
Dvarza nodded slowly, Naura grabbed her rifle and jumped out of the hole. Running towards the fight. She was brave, stupid but brave, that much Dvarza was willing to admit. At least now she had her command post back.
“Sergeant Petrenko.” Dvarza called out on the battalion net. “Report!”
“Holding out so far, ma'am.” Came the strained reply over the sound of intense gunfire. “The Muncs aren't focusing their push on us. But we might get outf-GAHAHH! MY ARM MY FU-” The transmission was cut by a loud explosion that made Dvarza physically recoil. In the distance she could see that there was now a big flaming hole in their lines. And with sudden panic she realized that the enemy had already passed through their carefully prepared killzone.
Dvarza decided that things were really starting to resemble JHS-294 now as she watched Collective soldiers rush to the breach in their lines. Dozens fell to their fire but even more came surging through the breach and fanning into their lines.
“BURN THEM! BURN THEM ALL!” Dvarza screamed into the comms. “DON'T LET THEM SPREAD TOO FAR BURN THEM NOW!”
On cue, several squads rushed into the developing melee, escorting soldiers armed with incendiary weapons. Engulfing whole groups of combatants in fire. Soon, the outer barricades turned into a wall of flames as both Collective and Totalist burned. The flamethrower squads rushed back towards the second line as burning figures ran out of the flames screaming in pain. Followed by the Collective drones, laying down precise fire and cutting down several of the retreating troopers before being put down by response fire.
“We've got several large contacts incoming, ma'am!” The soldier manning the sensor equipment informed. “Walkers most likely, should be on us in a question of minutes.”
“Do we have a visual?” Dvarza asked, turning back to him.
“No, but I can guide the anti-tank guns with the radar coordinates.” The soldier replied.
“Then do it.” Dvarza ordered as she turned to watch the flames. Waiting to see how long the Collective would take to overcome this new barrier.
The air was filled with the noise of the hidden guns opening fire. Smart ammunition and guided rockets took flight, disappearing over the smoke. Dvarza turned towards the soldier, awaiting for the results.
“Three contacts down, maybe out of action.” He informed. “Oh, I can't get anymore readings.” He cursed as he punched the device. “They must be jamming our sensors.”
Dvarza was about to give more orders when the entire ground shook. A deafening noise and a heavy blow to the back sent the Lieutenant to the ground. Dazed from the explosion, she felt herself being shaken before a heavy weight dropped over her.
Regaining her bearings, Dvarza noticed with dawning horror that the weight was a body and that there was fire coming from their rearguard. The Collective had flanked their position.
Pushing the body off her, the Lieutenant quickly scrambled to grab her rifle. Dvarza cringed as her hearing returned, the comm net was filled with chaotic noise, desperate calls for help and orders, Dvarza turned it off. She rushed out of the half collapsed hole to see that the company's HQ had been reduced to complete rubble. Not wasting any time she dived into the nearest trench.
“What now Lieutenant?” The soldier that helped her to her feet asked, not managing to mask the panic in his voice.
“What about the Major?” She asked dumbly, of course the Major was out of contact. An explosion like that probably vaporize the basement.
“We don't know!” Another one added, sounding on the verge of panic.
“Then we fight!” She shouted with false bravado, taking position in the lip of the trench and firing at the Varusch troopers rushing over the rubble at their rear.
“This is Lieutenant Dvarza!” She spoke on the company's net. “And as ranking officer I'm taking control of the unit!” Technically speaking that wasn't completely true, but she doubted anyone would be willing to point that out with them being essentially fucked.
“The enemy is now on our rear! Are the flanks clear?” She asked as she fired another burst at the approaching Varusch.
“They're hitting us heavy on the right!” A voice Dvarza couldn't recognize at the moment, specially with the net distortion, cried out. “Bringing in the heavy hitters! Five walkers at least!”
“Two coming over the fire wall!” Another one called out. Dvarza didn't dare to turn and look with the horde of enemy infantry rushing her trench.
“The left flank looks clear.” Now Dvarza recognized the voice, Naura. “Light enemy presence and they're not attacking. We could try forcing our way out here and into the 23rd 's sector. Very little exposed ground. Just a lot of ruins and rubble. ”
It could be a trap, leave an obvious way out to catch them in the open. Dvarza was torn until a trio of large walker crested over the rubble of their HQ. Immediately pulverizing one of their dug in APCs and two anti-tank guns.
“All remaining units! Fighting retreat towards the left bastion!” She barked into her comm. “Whatever heavy guns remain, focus your fire on the walkers!” A chorus of affirmations followed
Dvarza emptied her clip on a brute before crouching to reload. Another set of explosions rocked the ground and she rose up again to see a walker fall over smoking. Right before another took out the heavy weapons position responsible for the kill.
“Out of the trench!” She ordered, rushing to jump out of the trench. Behind her the remaining troops followed closely. Sometimes firing short bursts at the Collective troops rushing their rear.
The run through the open courtyard was grueling. Barely slowing down to fire blindly at their rear while being fired at from nearly every direction. What few soldiers remained behind to provide covering fire were easily cut down by the lumbering walkers.
The “left bastion” was just a husk of buildings hastily reinforced by the army engineers. The only reason it was still standing wash because it was never the focus point of the bombardments. But with the number of Totalist troops rushing inside that was bound to change. A couple dozen were already taking firing positions with whatever heavy weaponry was left to cover the retreat of the remnants of the regiment.
Dvarza ran through an open wall. The ground floor was packed with troops and the Lieutenant ran through cramped corridors. Lost in the mob of rushing soldiers all heading in the same direction. Towards the opposite side of the bastion, and hopefully escape.
“Alright! Pay attention!” Dvarza shouted, both to the troops around her and into the company's net. “Are the assault squads ready for the push?”
“Just waiting for the go signal.” Naura replied through the comms as the building shook from a direct hit from the walkers.
“Then go! We have no time to lose!” Dvarza shouted again. What she wouldn't give for a dose of stimulant right now.
The stream of troops running through the corridors and rooms of the bastion eventually took the Lieutenant outside. Through the torn barricades and into rubble filled narrow streets. Already several Totalist bodies were strewn on the street while further down the first assault squads fought to clear the way to the mass of tightly packed ruins that would take them to the sector occupied by the 23rd division, hopefully they were still holding out.
And so Dvarza ran. Firing blindly and without stopping she followed the flow of troops as scattered Collective fire downed soldiers around her. She was just about to dive into the cover of the clustered ruins when a shot took half of her leg.
The Lieutenant fell to the ground shoulder first. She didn't scream at first, it took a while for her to see the half ruined leg dangling below her knee. Held only by a fleshy strip as the blood flowed into the ground. Someone dragged her inside the lobby of the building as she screamed in pain and panic.
She was so focused on her ruined leg and the incredible mind numbing pain that she missed the syringe being jabbed in her arm. The chemical worked fast and before she could realize what was going on Dvarza lost consciousness.
-The pact with Musashi against the Barbs is accepted -Stalemate on the front
The Imperial Palace, Bushu, Musashi System, The Musashi Empire
"What can the Empire of Musashi do for you?" Minister of foreign affairs Xiao Xiang asked her guests roughly an hour after Saeko's speeched. The group where in a decent sized room hidden away in the confines of the Imperial palace. Plush chairs sat around a large table, which dominated the room. "I must admit that the timing of your visit is... interesting to say the least."
The Totalist representative, a man in his early 50s with a head of balding grey hair, replied: "The Party wishes to solve once and for all the situation of the Lawless Zone. And with our recent campaign into the region, we think that now is the right moment to contact your government." He paused for a moment as the looming form of the Directorate of Safety officer behind him coughed. "And reach an agreement before the situation can escalate into a crisis."
Xiang raised an eyebrow as the Totalist spoke. "That would probably be best for all parties involved" She agreed. "I suppose this means you have gained the upper hand against the Agonis Collective." It was a statement, not a question. She paused for a moment before continuing "But what is the Totalist plans for the region?"
"We have always had the upper hand against the Degenerate Machines." The Directorate man declared as the diplomat cringed slightly.
"Currently we merely plan to use the region as a way to widen the front against the Collective." The representative replied. "But as soon as this conflict is over we intend to assimilate the region fully within our sphere." He smiled at that as the Directorate man nodded behind him.
"And you would have no further aspirations for the region?" Xiang pressed. "No desire to push further south or west?" She eyed the Directorate man for a moment. "You must forgive me if I am a little dubious."
"We will have no desire to push further into the region if we get an acceptable agreement." The representative smiled at her. "We could, of course, merely ignore your government and absorb the multitude of primitives and petty states. But the Party and the Supreme Director believe that our desire for total control of the Lawless Zone can be sacrificed in exchange of normalizing relations with your government,"
"Very well" Xiang returned the representative's smile with a humorless one of her own. "Show me where you wish to define as our respective sphere's." With a simple gesture a holographic map of the region appear over the table.
The diplomat nodded and traced a single line inside the Zone. "This is our proposal."
Xiang studied the map for a moment before giving a slight nod. "That should be acceptable. Of course I will have to have any potential agreements be validated by the Emperor." She paused for adding "Of course this brings up another matter. With these new borders you will find yourself sharing a border with the horde. And Musashi, should this war go well, will very likely share a border with them as well. Would your country be open to a form of cooperative treaty geared towards ending this menace?"
"The Supreme Director is aware of the threat posed by the Horde and the Party already has plans to deal with this situation. We will be bordering them once we eliminate the Collective regardless of the negotiations here." The diplomat replied, flinching slightly as the Directorate man placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's all I'm allowed to say right now. As for a second treaty, I would need to contact the Centre before taking any official position."
"I see." Xiang stated simply as she stared at the Directorate man. "Then it is a matter we will have to discuss on another day. I will pass your proposal on to the Emperor who will very likely find it as agreeable as I. Is there anything else you would like to discuss at this time?"
"No. There's nothing else." The representative smiled. "I will get in contact with the Centre as soon as possible to pass on your proposal."
"Excellent. I shall look forward to recieving a favorable response. Now if you'll excuse me" She rose to her feet, "I have a multitude of tasks to see to now that Musashi is at war. If you have need of anything else while here do not hesitate to ask a servant or guard."
Pthafh, 2nd moon of Lybaras. Unaffiliated Space General Harold Lindsey smiled warmly as the throng of local representatives, officials, reporters, and other types of wealthy and influential grandees entered the reception hall of the Totalist base. Though the military complex was still very much in its early stages of construction, there were enough prefab installations to hold this little event.
Lindsey himself wasn't a fan of these kinds of displays. But the General recognized their importance of good press. True, the local governments, or at least those that mattered, had already been co-opted into accepting their terms. But the whole process would be smoother if the local population also realized that fighting the State would not be in their interests. It really wasn't going to be that hard of a mission. Tiring, surely, but when all Lybaras' sources of information about the outside Galaxy came from the State, it would be easy to show them just what they needed to see.
Lybarans, Lindsey noted, were actually an offshoot of humanity. Result of one of the many failed colonization attempts of old. The harsh alien environment had done wonders to keep their population low until scientific progress managed to recover a fraction of their lost knowledge. And so they had continued for centuries upon centuries, unknowing of the wider Galaxy. Their true origin relegated to an almost myth. Or that was what the documents had said, Lybaras and many other planets of the Lawless Zone had been being watched by one or other Sub-Directorate for centuries.
The Zone, as a matter of fact, had never left the minds of the State. When the Collective first attacked, a major campaign to conquer the area was in its planning phase. The only reason they hadn't moved in before was because there was always something bigger on their list. Now, the Generalissimo had decided to finally do something about it before the Collective got the same idea. If this operation worked, the State would have another path to strike against the Collective, Lindsey doubted that the degenerate machines had enough forces to place a strong garrison in the border with the Zone while also fighting a multi-front war. And when the war ended, the State would have a solid foothold from which subjugate the rest of the zone. But those goals were still far from being relevant. For now, General Harold Lindsey was supposed to turn his charm and seduce the locals into the strong arms of the State.
“Good morning!” Lindsey called out, putting up a well crafted front of friendliness and cordiality. By his side, a translator communicated his words to the two dozen or so Lybarans clustered in the middle of the hall.
“I am General Harold Lindsey and I am to be your host today!” He continued brightly, pointing to himself theatrically, supposedly the locals liked this kind of thing. “So please come along, we've got a busy day ahead of us.”
And with that Lindsey turned around and started walking through the corridors of the base. Taking care to keep his expression and demeanor constantly welcoming and cheery. The Lybaran delegation followed closely behind.
Eventually Lindsey reached his destination, a large-ish briefing room. When the door opened and the General strode inside the battalion of junior officers and aides had already finished setting up the stage for the presentation.
As the Lybarans settled in the rows of chairs arranged for them, Lindsey took his place in the podium right besides the large screen mounted directly on the wall.
“Alright my friends.” Lindsey called out to his audience. “Settle down cause this is gonna take a while.” He cleared his throat loudly and pressed a few commands on the console. The screen lit up, showing a map of the Eastern Fringe of the Galaxy, with the Lawless Zone at the center.
“This highlighted area is were your lovely planet stands. If we look around we will see that in fact your homeworld stands awfully close to the Agonis Sector.” He placed a few more commands on the console, bringing forth a video. Actual combat footage recorded in JHS-294.
“You see those little figures in the distance, emerging from the fog?” Lindsey asked as the video played behind him. “These abhorrent creatures were the inhabitants of the ruined city you see in the background. Captured and twisted into these abominations by the Agonis Collective.” The General paused, watching the crowd showing the expected reactions.
“Unfortunately for you, Lybaras is just a short jump away from one of their major staging grounds.” He took a sip of water, letting the crowd stew in their fear for a while. “Fortunately for you.” He continued, smiling. “Your governments have already signed the necessaries treaties and compromises to put your planet under our protection. In the interests of fostering a good relationship between us, I will be giving you all first hand information of what truly lays in the stars. And I hope that by the end of our meeting you all will see that cooperation with the Totalist State is the best outcome possible for a first contact.”
Three hours later. It was only when he heard the shuttle's door closing that General Lindsey finally dropped the smile and friendly demeanor. The whole endeavor had left him with a particular distaste for the Lybarans and their ways. But alas, it had to be done. And there was no one else better at this game than him, or at least no one among those trusted by the Generalissimo. Truth be told, this constant stream of meeting after meeting was starting to exhaust him. But Lybaras was just one of the many planets of the Zone that had fallen under Totalist influence. And Lindsey needed to go to every single one of them and pretend to care and cherish these primitive subhumans, then by the Supreme Director he would do it! It wasn't like he had any other choice if the order came anyways.
The General took the cup offered by his aide wordlessly. Starting with a short sip, letting the mix of gin and stimulant powder rest in his mouth for a moment. He wouldn't call the mix exactly pleasant, although it was popular among the higher ranking officers, but it was the only thing that kept him, and many others, soldiering on through their duties. He swallowed, the drink leaving his throat burning and his eyes watering.
The aide handed him a datapad detailing his compromises for the next weeks. More goodwill visits interspersed with the occasional visit to oversee the construction efforts and the transport of his own troops. Too few and too short to be able to actually take things in his hands like he usually preferred. Lindsey would have to trust his subordinates to do the job well. They were competent enough to do this task, he could admit. But trust the pit of snakes that was the officers' corp? Where everyone could be an informant of the DirSaf or pining for your position? That was an entirely different matter.
Udena. Collective Fringe World under Totalist control General Bocanegra sent the latest batch of orders before opening another series of reports in her personal console for the night. The demands of the front required her constant attention. Udena may be under control but the offensive has stalled elsewhere. And that, Generalissimo Dollabella-Rybalsky will not tolerate. Orders had already arrived and in the next few days, she and the bulk of the Totalist presence in the system would be transferred elsewhere. Looking at the clock, the General realized that if she went to bed right now and took half a bottle of sleeping pills, she might be able to catch some four hours of sleep, not enough to compensate the last four days of constant work, but still something. However, if she snorted another vial of stimulant powder Bocanegra was sure she could keep working until around lunch time tomorrow- or rather later today.
There really wasn't much of a choice, any sleep she caught now would be just delaying work for later. People in her position weren't supposed to get rest. Specially not in times of war, that was why the Directorate always made sure to keep everyone supplied with all manner of stimulants. “Rest comes with death, whether yours or the enemy” that was what she always had heard in the Academy.
Bocanegra ran a hand through her greasy brown hair and sighed. Maybe she should just have taken that job in the Directorate of Health instead of going to the military academy. No point in anguishing over the past, specially now. She had made her choice and would suffer the consequences, as any self-respecting adult.
The General withdrew the small glass vial from a drawer in her desk and uncorked it. Quickly snorting its contents with practiced experience.
The rush took a few moments to be felt. Result of a small resistance built after 40 years of use. But when it hit, it hit hard. That little vial was much more potent to the stuff handed out to the rank and file. Reserved for officers and the Black Banner, and much more addictive. But as long as they kept in line there was no risk of running out.
Snapping her fingers, the newly energized General returned to her work. She still had to finish up her orders for dealing with the last Collective holdouts and review once again the logistical situation to ensure that her troops would be getting enough supplies for their new assignments. And that the garrison would have built up at least the minimal infrastructure to solidify their hold on the planet. Her successor in this command would have a good base to work on with. She would make sure of that.
A beeping alarm on the corner of the screen made her groan internally. In six hours she had a meeting with the local human leadership. Bocanegra had done her best to delay and push this issue to her successor. But the locals were insistent. Whatever good will they held had apparently shrunk once they had realized just how much their lives would change under Totalist dominion. Not enough to foment rebellion, though Bocanegra sometimes hoped it did happen, if only to exterminate these annoying pests once and for all. But orders from higher up were clear: “Keep good relations with the locals.” She thought the whole idea superfluous. She had fought these robotic bastards for two years with barely any help from the Centre and held the line until the counter-attack could be arranged. If these “rebels” couldn't defend their independence then they simply didn't deserve it.
The orders were clear however, and she could see the benefits in cooperating with the locals, for the moment of course. They would soon have to be disabused of any notions of true independence from the Totalist doctrine. Agonis was the Party's now, and if they couldn't learn to accept that, then they would be eliminated. Reeducation wasn't worth the cost.
Heion. Contested Collective Fringe World
Lieutenat Illica Dvarza wiped the cool wet cloth on her sweaty forehead. She breathed out slowly to control her nerves before putting the cloth away and returning her hands to the controls of the BT-10 APC. The walls did wonders to shore up her confidence, though the confines of the vehicle were cramped and hot, specially one stuffed to its full capacity. But comfort was never a priority for the Directorate of Peace, a fact that every conscript, volunteer and officer learned to accept early on in their careers. Though at least she didn't need to use the gas mask inside.
The 294th division had hit Heion on the second wave of the invasion, once the Machine's fleet had been pushed further into the outer system several months ago. Since then the ground battle in the planet had turned into a brutal meatgrinder. The Collective defenses had proved to be stronger than anticipated, and the rebels weaker. And from what she had heard whispered around, the situation in the rest of the Fringe was similar.
Now her entire company, along with two other Mechanized and two armored ones had been tasked with driving through the Collective lines and link up with a native force that had been cut off during the last Collective counter-attack. Last she had heard, the locals were taking quite a pounding from the machines, and had apparently managed to gather some kind of important Intel to make their lives worth sending three mechanized and two armored companies to the rescue.
The five companies waited patiently, covered by the ruins of an old and bombed out industrial park. Their advance would take them through several kilometers of flat open plain until a dry riverbed surrounding a plateau, where supposedly the rebels were trying to withstand the Collective attack.
The signal from regimental command appeared on the console and Dvarza heard the transmission from Major Orestes:
“Operation 0294-ZC is a go. I repeat, operation 0294-ZC is a go!”
Dvarza drove onwards without further prompting. It surely felt good to be in command of a beast like the BT-10 instead of having to walk all the way like she had to back in JHS-294. Thanks the Supreme Director for the Directorate of Production and the massed mechanization program.
Dvarza's battalion had been placed in the vanguard. On her left flank was Lieutenant Pozharsky's unit and on her right was Bitchface's (Or Lieutenant Naura, as Dvarza had learned after a couple more floggings and three written reports about cooperation and friendship Commissar Nigri had forced her to write). The other two battalions of the company drove behind them while the other two mechanized companies covered their flanks and rear alongside the armored units.
In the distance, Dvarza could see the faint flashes and explosions of the battle through the opticals of the APC thanks to the flat terrain. Though most of her attention was focused on the command console of the vehicle. Several screens flashed with information and map readings updated live as their sensors approached the area.
The order to engage came as they were still some kilometers away from the objective as the sensors detected Collective troops disengaging and moving, nothing more than two battalion's worth. It didn't took long for the firing to start as the A-84 tanks opened fire on the distant and still half unseen enemy with their usual accuracy. The return fire came soon after, but in a somewhat less intense and coordinated manner.
The Totalists didn't stop, and soon the APCs added their own guns to the barrage. Missiles flew from the mass of black vehicles as several of them were destroyed by the Collective's own fire.
Dvarza held herself in place by gripping one of the hatch handles as the APC shook and rattled, a glancing shot almost torched them and took out half of the command screen. The Lieutenant punched the offending screen several times until it came alive again. Nearby one of her battalion's APC blew up from a direct hit.
“Spread out! Attack pattern 02/1!” Major Orestes ordered through the comms as Dvarza's APC swerved to avoid a direct missile hit. The Lieutenant almost got knocked out by hitting her head on the bulkhead. She cursed as she struggled to remain in place inside the vehicle. By her left, the sound of the gunner firing the auto-cannon was deafening, even with the ear protection offered by her helmet.
Dvarza cursed as the BT-10 danced around the plain wildly. The 02/1 called for a spread out maneuver followed by encirclement of the enemy. She barely had time to notice Pozharky's APC through the optical before it took a direct hit. The vehicle didn't blow up, but there was no mistaking the smoke coming out of it. She cursed loudly this time, anger flaring up. The fuckers had gotten Pozharsky.
That was no time to mourn however. They had an engagement to win. By now Dvarza's mechanized battalion was driving straight into the Collective unit, there couldn't me more than 600 meters between them. Risky as fuck, but someone had to give the others the chance to flank the enemy.
Her gunner managed to destroy the largest remaining walker as yet another of her APCs was hit. This time however the shot only managed to damage it and the vehicle went careening without control to the right before the driver managed to stop it.
By now the small Collective unit had been reduced to a few pitiful vehicles and whatever troops had managed to disembark. These last remnants didn't last long against the combined firepower of the Totalist push. Dvarza's APC didn't even had to slow down as it passed the burning wrecks.
“Pink 13!” Dvarza called to the damaged vehicle through the battalion's channel. “Status report. Over”
“Looks like the suspension is busted. We've also threw a thread. Three wounded, no deaths. Over” Came the reply
“Fix that shit, Pink 13, and stay where you are until further orders! Over.” Dvarza shouted back in the radio.
“Understood, Pink 11. Over.”
“Pink 11.” The Major's voice came through the company's channel. “Casualty report. Over”
“One APC destroyed with all crew and squad, Pink 1, another damaged and immobile. No fatal casualties. Over”
“Understood Pink 11. Switch to company's channel. Over” The Major replied and Dvarza obeyed.
“Pink company, we will soon be arriving at your drop off point. We will maneuver around them and come in from their rear. Get your squads ready to disembark at my command. Once there proceed along the edges of the river bed and engage the enemy. Do not let them escape. Over.”
A chorus of acknowledgments followed and the company drifted from the formation, following the course indicated in their screens by a pink line. Taking them around the Collective force. Around two and half companies' worth. And putting the enemy between them and the main push of the armored companies and one mechanized company. The remaining mechanized company would come in from the other side and complete the encirclement.
It took Pink Company a while to get in position. But with the Collective troops now having to deal with the main push coming, they had little to spare against either of the companies maneuvering around them.
The riverbed wasn't very deep and so one battalion was deployed there. The other four disembarked the troops on the margins, two at a side. Dvarza's now stood on the inner margin, on the same side as the plateau held by the natives.
And so their advance begun. Infantry squads deployed with BT-10 support marching at a quickened pace towards the Collective forces, closing the remaining distance between them and the enemy quickly. Dvarza herself stayed inside her APC, though she did put on her gas mask, to better coordinate the action. But even inside she could clearly hear the sounds of battle from this close by. Along with the loud cheer coming from the natives atop the plateau as their saviors clashed with the Collective forces.
Pink company easily overcame the couple of scattered Khraal squads deployed to protect the Collective rearguard before pressing onwards into the bulk of the enemy concentrated around the plateau. Now trying unsuccessfully to disengage from the superior Totalist force hitting them from the front.
With two other companies now hitting them from behind the engagement reached its final part. With the Collective cyborgs and drones able to do little else than take a few more Totalist squads down with them as the heavier firepower of the invaders cut them down.
A small victory, but nothing truly worth noting in the bigger picture.
Captain Suburov, of the 900th Black Banner Assault regiment, watched as his men finished unloading the small cargo ship they had managed to slip into Collective space. They had but a small shipment of weapons and supplies with them. Only enough to "give the locals a taste" as General Bocanegra had put it.
The Totalists had landed their craft in an out of the way part of the planet. Amid some ruined township too small and worthless to garner any kind of meaningful attention by the Collective forces. The coordinates had been sent by the local rebels, one of the many cells contacted by the Ministry of Peace in preparation for Operation 093-B/10.
"Sir!" One of his soldiers called through the comm. "We are detecting movement in our sensors. Must be our contacts."
Suburov smiled beneath his mask. As soon as this was done with he could get away from this hellhole of a planet. He would probably return very soon anyway, but then he would be merely another soldier among the billions in the ranks of the army. Much safer in his opinion, he accessed the sensor data on his helmet HUD and moved towards the path of the oncoming contacts.
"Form up troops, let's get this over with already." He ordered, and soon the black armored troops assumed a parade formation behind him.
From the distance a rusted, barely held together heap of an armored truck was on approach to the rendezvous point as it kicked up a trail of sand in its wake, passing through the ruined town's gates, slowly coming to a stop near the center, where the Captain and his men were waiting.
The armored truck soon came to a halt in front of the cargo ship, several armed aliens stepping out from the truck's hold, and two humans stepping out from the driver and passenger seats. One of the humans was a man in his fifties, and was dressed in fine military attire, and certainly was more finely dressed then his rather ragged and rough compatriots.
The more finely dressed man approached the Captain, hands behind his back. He then extended his left hand towards the captain with a wide smile, despite the rather intimidating armor. "General Walt Tarson of the Epsilon Division."
Captain Suburov lifted the face mask of his helmet, revealing a generic faced man with several vibrant red scars coming from his neck into his cheeks anc chin and a pair of cybernetic eyes, rather tame by Black Banner standards.
"Captain Astanas Suburov, Totalist Army." He smiled back in a passable English, shaking the General's hand. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I belie you must be eager to get this business over with."
The General nodded with a slight chuckle. "Correct, my friend, won't be too soon before they know." he paused as he loosened his grip. "I'm rather surprised you managed to bypass the Collective's Sensor Network, very impressed."
"The Directorate of Sciences has been working on ways to fight the Collective ever since they first hit us." Suburov replied as he turned towards the ship, motioning for the rebels to follow him. "From what I've heard they've got a couple more surprises in store for the big push."
The Captain led them to one of the metal crates, shouting for a nearby soldier to open in in Newspeak.
"Unfortunately the ship couldn't carry a lot of cargo. "So you will have to make this count." He turned to the General, handing him a pistol from the crate. "We got several more of these ships equipped to evade their sensors, but you shouldn't expect enough supplies to take on the Collective yourself. Though we will try to bring the things your personnel asked for during our talks."
The General observed the pistol, and couldn't help be grin like an idiot, enjoying every detail. "Haven't seen such a fine weapon in years, we often had to loot or craft our own crudely made weaponry." General Tarson continued to observe every detail. After he was done enjoying himself, he handed the weapon to one of his subordinates, he turned his attention back to Captain Suburov. "You're right, the Collective has some nasty surprises in store for you." he paused for a moment and then continued. "The Collective have all sorts of expriements going on on Agnois, we once kept tabs on such projects, but...they set loose their abominations on us, nothing like what we previously fought."
Tarson sighed deeply, and looked to the captain once more. "All I can say is this, the Collective have been holding out on us, the deeper you go in their domain, the more experimental the Machines will get."
"We aren't exactly holding back either, General." Suburov smiled at him. "And we got a trick or two in our sleeve. Besides, from what I've heard, the vultures around the Collective have finally smelled the stink and are moving in to get their share of these planets while the robots are distracted. Every day that passes is a day that the Collective gains a new enemy." He chuckled. "We will win this, with your help. Even though some within the State would prefer to fight the Collective alone."
General Tarson smiled once more, and once again extended his hand. "Some of my people aren't exactly trusting of you folk, but whatever happens, I'm glad to have you to fight by our side, we'll finally be free of those infernal machines once and for all. So we'll take whatever help we'll get."
You don't have any other choice went unsaid as Suburov ordered his men to help the rebels load up the truck.
"We will enter in contact with you soon General." He said. "As soon as we secure another safe channel we will be able to maintain regular contact." Suburov then handed the General a small book. "This has been specially developed for this campaign. It's a book filled with codes and cryptography information. Our people will start using these codes from now on and I suggest you do the same."
"Much appreciated, Captain." The General said as he took the book. "We'll have our forces adapt to the book's instructions, by the time you arrive, we'll be ready."
--------------------------------
Udena High Orbit One Month Later
The Day has finally arrived, after weeks of preparations, the Udenan Rebels were bracing themselves for the arirval of the Totalist Invasion Fleet, thw fleet jumping in the system had caught the attenion of the Collective as they had amassed their own fleet to repeal the totalists. Over a thousand Collective Ships sat in orbit of Udena, ready to begin the first battle of the campaign.
The massive Totalist Armada, outnumbering the Collective defenders by a margin of 1.5, assumed battle formations quickly. Concentrating their forces around the two Floating Fortresses that acted as command centers of the fleet. In several other of the Fringe Systems, Totalist fleets of varied sizes were also launching their own attack. The plan called for the Collective forces to be overwhelmed by multiple attacks all through the front, not all of them would succeed. But as far as Totalist doctrine was concerned, one or two breakthroughs would be enough to seize the initiative in the sector.
The Collective Ships in orbit moved into defense formations, the numerous corvette and frigate class ships forming into square formations, protection the templeships, carriers and the lone Command Ship. All the while, said ships unleash swarms of thousands upon thousands of fighter drones, all of whom formed a hollow sphere around the entirety of the defense fleet.
The Totalist fleet unleashed its own strike craft as the ships moved closer to the Collective fleet. While they closed in, a smaller section of the fleet moved out of the larger formation, heading along the edges of the system to outmaneuver the Collective forces while the bulk of the Totalist ships drove on to catch their attention.
Reacting to the closely approaching Totalist ships, the Collective fighter drones scattered, all converging on the large gathering of Totalist vessels, soon the rest of the fleet soon followed.
The Totalist strike craft did not take the bait, instead remaining around their fleet and the cover of their guns and point defense weapons. Meanwhile, the second force continued to move around the edges of the system. Changing their course slightly to take the Collective from the rear.
The Collective Fleet, within visual range of the Totalist ships, begun their attack, the drone strike craft making their advanced towards the enemy fleet, pressing on despite thousands of them were destroyed in droves by PD turrets and enemy fighters, the first screen wave soon followed afterward, the smaller capital ships scattering and had attempted to to encircle the enemy fleet, all the while, the main group provided fire ship via missiles and long range plasma beams.
The Totalist formation shifted and grew more scattered as the ships engaged the first enemy wave to stop their encirclement. Fighters shifted their focus solely to the enemy drone fighters while bombers targeted the enemy ships closest to them. The two Floating Fortresses focused their fire on taking down enemy capital ships with their long range guns while the rest of the main fleet engaged the first wave. Then the rest of the Totalist fleet struck from the rear.
Hundreds of ship were lost in the encirclement, those few that had survived, had begun to fire everything they had against the Totalist fleet, missiles, directed energy weapons, all of it. The drone fighters, bombers and interceptors proceeded to fight their organic counterparts within the totalist fleet itself, a dangerous game of survival for the pilots of the Totalist strike craft, as they both had to contend with relentless collective drone craft, and avoid any deadly collisions with friendly capital ships.
However, the battle was turning in their favor as the Totalists sprung their trap upon the Collective. As their second battle group assault the main command group from the rear, the Command Ship and its escort now under heavy fire on both sides.
The battle had taken its toll on the Totalist fleet, though not as bad as the Collective's. And as the most damaged ships withdrew from the battle to the relative safety of the edge of the system, the Totalist fleet unleashed its full might against the Collective command ship. From the smallest fighter cannon to the largest caliber railgun of the Floating Fortresses.
Before long, the Command ship's shields gave in from the unrelenting assault, the ship breaking apart from the continued barrage. The AI aboard retreating back to Udena to prepare for the ground war. Soon the Collective fleet was in chaos, some in retreat, while others power down.
With the battle in space won the Totalists pressed forward. Making emergency repairs and clearing up the bodies from their battle stations, the Totalist ships moved on into Udena's orbit as smaller squadrons were detached to hunt down the remaining Collective ships and destroy the powerless husks just in case.
It was then that the Totalist transport ships warped into the system and as they did so, the Totalists sent the signal for the rebels to act. Striking against Collective positions all across the planet just as the fleet in orbit did the same, obliterating targets wherever the rebels couldn't strike or simply weren't worth capturing. Several more ships were damaged or destroyed by planet-bound weapons, but without the support of their own fleet these installations were quickly dealt with by the combined Totalist firepower and rebel forces.
With the Floating Fortresses in position, the first wave of the Totalist vanguard was unleashed as thousands of dropships carrying the Black Banner divisions streamed into the planet. Landing in pre-planned positions either under rebel control or cleared by orbital bombardment.
The AI who had been given command over the Ude System had fled back to his fortress situated in the Northern Polar regions on the planet, a structure similar in design of the Divine Citadel on Agonis, if a bit smaller in size. Deep in the core, the AI manifested in his physical form, a generic-looking humanoid shell emerging from a wall, hooked to a large devise, the body soon sparked with life as it leapt down to the ground. The once dark circular room was lit ablaze as a large holo-map of the planet formed in the center. "Lord Magnus will not be pleased..." the Machine spoke. "No matter, I will deal with these pests before word spreads."
Meanwhile, the Totalist forces on the ground continued to expand their areas of control with support from the fleet as the Floating Fortresses shifted some of their fire to the assumed location of the enemy headquarters. Based on intel from the rebels and sensor and transmission readings coming from the northern pole. Meanwhile, the troop transports carrying the bulk of the Totalist forces designated to the operation in Ude had now finally received clearance to land on the planet. Mostly inside whatever strip of land was suitable for landing and wasn't under Collective control.
The Udena Citadel came under heavy fire as the orbiting Totalist fleet bombarded the Northern Polar Regions, the shields protecting the large structure giving in as the salvos penetrated the structure itself, walls and cellings came crashing down all around the AI Commander.
As the bombardment of the Citadel intensified, the first Totalist units disembarked in the area, just outside of the Citadel's range. These troops would start to prepare the groundwork for the planned assault, establishing the necessary logistical and support infrastructure.
Meanwhile all across the planet, Totalist and rebel forces with generous orbital support overcame the Collective defenders. And as the weeks passed and more and more of Udena was liberated, the Totalist build-up in the North Pole was going at full steam.
Finally, after almost a month of constant bombardment and preparation the Totalists launched their assault on the Citadel. Conventional doctrine would suggest simply destroying the facility. But General Bocanegra was under direct orders from the Generalissimo himself to make sure to salvage whatever technology and intel she could from the Collectivists. The fact that she had opted to precede her assault on the enemy hq, which intelligence assumed would be a treasure trove for the Totalists, with a month long orbital bombardment would not earn her points with High Command. But she was willing to bet that her performance in the rest of the battle would make up for it.
Even after all the preparation, the Collectivists still managed to put up an admirable fight considering their circumstances. Shredding the penal battalions and rebel troops used as the first wave. Nevertheless, the correlation of forces was simply too lopsided for the battle to end in any other way. And after a week and half fighting amid half-ruined buildings, Captain Suburov raised the battle flag of the 900th regiment alongside the Totalist White Arrows in Black at the top of the last remaining tower.
Mop up operations would last a few more weeks, but for all intents and purposes the system was in Totalist hands..
-Totalist offensive starts. Ude falls but the rest of the front stalemates
Totalist Union. Sector 0021. System 092-B. Planet JHS-294
It was a day of celebration for the Totalist Army in JHS-294. The last pockets of Collective troops had been wiped out and preparations were already underway for the next phase of the campaign against the Collective. The one big push that would see the accursed robots wiped out from the Universe once and for all. Or so the propaganda boasted.
Dvarza's division, the 294th, had spent the last weeks in a rather comfortable situation. By the time the relief fleet arrived they had been reduced to less than a company's worth of troops, just one of the many units decimated in the last desperate Collectivist attack. And so while the cleanup was carried out by fresher units, the 294th stayed in the rearguard for rest and refit. They even had received a few medals from the Generalissimo himself during the larger ceremonies earlier this week.
The only downside, in Dvarza's opinion, was the nature of the reinforcements they had received. As a rule, most of the original effective of the 294th was from the planet itself. But now it looked like the Directorate had decided to flood their division with a bunch of snotty arrogant kids fresh out of the academies of the Core. Even the new crop of privates walked around like they were worth anything. Tensions were already building up beneath the surface between the veterans and the newbies, but so far nothing substantial had happened. Thanks in no small part to Commissar's Nigri efforts to ensure the “smooth integration” of the new elements within the divisional structure.
The Commissar in question had just entered the officer's mess hall, calling everyone's attention as he started going around the tables talking and chatting with the officers. Who by this point had spent the last couple of hours consuming the divisional stocks of Victory Gin.
Lieutenant Dvarza watched the Commissar with hungry eyes. Or more specifically, the bowl he was carrying, almost overfilling with the familiar black and red wrapping of the chocolate bars. The Lieutenant could feel her mouth watering already. When Commissar Nigri finally reached her table, the Lieutenant felt her body tense in anticipation. Chocolate rations had almost completely ran out during the two years of battle against the Collective, with little priority put into producing more. Dvarza could actually count the number of times she had eaten chocolate in one hand. And that was because as an officer she had access to vastly more resources and privileges than a mere conscript.
Now, now she was looking at more chocolate than she had seen in the last two years combined. Someone more philosophically inclined could make some statement about how this represented the change of fortunes and the inevitable triumph of the State. But the Lieutenant herself was too busy keeping a respectable behavior. It would do no good to jump at the Commissar, chocolates or not, Dvarza hadn't gotten this far just to get executed for that.
“...And here's yours.” Commissar Nigri smiled as he handed the Lieutenant a chocolate bar. “Might want to wipe your chin though.” He quipped before moving on to the next table filled with equally eager officers.
Dvarza paid him no heed, hurriedly tearing through the wrapping. She stopped to appreciate the moment, the scent of the chocolate, the delicious looking texture. She was going to make this one last. When the Lieutenant finally gave the first bite she couldn't contain herself. So sweet, and it melted in her mouth too. By the Supreme Director, if only she could have more chocolate she would gladly charge an entire platoon of heavy walkers.
“Do you want a room, Lieutenant?” One of the new Captains asked, a big nosed young man, Dvarza hadn't bothered learning his name yet, there were simply too many newbies to keep track of. He had already finished his chocolate and was filling a glass with Victory Gin.
“I like chocolate, nothing wrong with that.” Dvarza replied, staring at the Captain. “Trust me, Captain. Had you fought the last two years in my shoes, you would be doing the same.”
“I was never that fond of chocolate, to be honest.” The Captain replied with a dismissive wave. “Give me gin any day of the week over that.” He emptied his glass, wincing slightly he continued. “But to each his own.”
Dvarza shrugged and returned to her chocolate. Victory Gin was good, but it could never beat a bar of quality Victory Chocolate.
“Celebration may be good and all.” Another of the new officers spoke up, or rather slurred, the newbie had more than her fair share of gin by this point. Dvarza also hadn't learned her name too. “But I don't see why we have to waste so much time.”
“You do realize the Commissar can't hear you from here, right?” Lieutenant Pozharsky teased, this one was probably the oldest living member of the division
“It may be surprising to the likes of you.” The young Lieutenant replied, glaring at Pozharsky. “But not everyone has to put up a front for the Commissars.” She took a sip of gin. “Though I'm sure you've mastered it after two years hiding in the trenches like vermin.”
Dvarza tensed in her seat and Pozharsky went red with rage. Big Nose cringed and looked at the veterans apologetically while the two other men on the table were looking way too eager to see how this was going to end.
“I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you.” Pozharky gritted his teeth before taking another shot of gin.
“Please! We are doing your lot a favor.” The Lieutenant snapped back. “Your little band of provincials is now finally able to see real soldiers in action.” Lieutenant Bitchface, as Dvarza had decided to call her from now on, grinned at Pozharsky, an arrogant and obnoxious thing that made Dvarza's blood boil. “You might even learn a thing or two. We all know that you need it.”
That was enough to make Pozharsky jump on the table to strangle Bitchface, followed by Dvarza herself, who had broken a bottle on the head of another officer who tried to intervene. Soon the whole officer's mess had descended into chaos as dozens of drunken men and women got into the fight, most without even bothering with the reason.
Dvarza dodged a punch thrown by Big Nose and kicked him in the gut, sending the Captain straight into the ground. She turned to look for Pozharsky only to see him pinning Bitchface on the ground with his large hands wrapped around her throat, cursing and spitting wildly at her.
With that taken care of Dvarza rushed to help another veteran officer, Major Orestes, against a trio of assailants. Two Captains and a Lieutenant by their uniforms. Capitalizing on the surprise element, Dvarza jumped in from behind, knocking out the Lieutenant with a chair to the head before throwing it against one of the Captains, who got hit in the back. The last foe remaining realized her predicament and started backing away, but neither Dvarza nor Orestes were willing to let her get away so easily.
Unfortunately for everyone that was the time the Commissar chose to appear. Storming into the room in full body armor, gas mask and followed by three squads of infantry. That sight was enough to make Dvarza's drunken brain realize the sheer scale of the shit she had gotten into.
She had crapped her pants even before the paralyzing gas started flooding the hall.
“I can't even go to the bathroom without returning to a warzone.” Commissar Nigri's voice was distorted by the gas mask's speakers as he walked around the fallen officers. Or so Dvarza assumed, her head was stuck looking towards the roof.
“This kind of behavior is unbecoming of officers of the Totalist Army. You shame your uniform, the Party and the Supreme Director.” Nigri continued, now directly above Dvarza, and if not for the gas she would probably be shaking in fear. She was going to die, executed like some sort of coward traitor after surviving two years in the meat grinder. All because some bitch couldn't keep her mouth shut.
“But I am a merciful man, and I believe that we can still overcome our differences, for the good of the war effort. So, I will not have you killed for this shameful display.” He turned his head down to look directly at the paralyzed Lieutenant. “Grab and lock them up boys! A night stewing in their own shit and 15 lashes ought to make our good officers reflect on their mistakes. And then we all will have a long talk.”
Dvarza felt two pair of arms lifting her up, though all she saw was the ground as her head swayed listlessly as they carried her away. But not even the paralysis nor the liquid waste running down her legs could damper her overwhelming relief. Just 15 lashes and a night locked up? That was as good as it got.
Totalist Union. Sector 0021. System 092-B. Aboard Floating Fortress AA-#04. In orbit of Planet JHS-294
Director Dollabella-Rybalsky kissed his silver baton and took a deep breath before striding confidently into the balcony. Dressed into the finery worth of his office, the black uniform of the Generalissimo of the Totalist State. As he stepped closer to the pulpit, the hundreds of men and women gathered in the speech hall of the AA-#04 cheered wildly, chanting his name and saluting repeatedly. The Generalissimo allowed himself to bask in the feeling of well earned adoration. The Armed Forces loved their leader almost as much as they loved the Supreme Director. As it should be.
“My brothers and sisters!” He started, adopting his well practiced speech voice, letting the microphones carry his words to the crowd. “Two years ago our glorious State was violated by the mechanic plague of Agonis! Now, I can finally say that our worlds are safe once again!”
The Generalissimo paused, letting the crowd cheer for some moments.
“But our struggle is not yet over!” He shouted into the microphone, raising his fist. “We have won the battle but the war rages on. Some within our government have suggested that we make peace with the Collective.” He sneered, internally reveling as he saw similar reactions from the crowd. “They say we have done enough. That we should conserve our strength and negotiate from a position of force, just as we did so many times with the hated Oligarchs of Albion and the Premier of Cymele.” He shook his head theatrically. “They do not understand that this enemy is unlike any other we have faced before. These are not the Red Guard of the People or the Federal Marines. The Collective is not a nation of men and xeno. It's not a state defending a misguided ideology. The Collective is a single being with many bodies. A plague with a trillion swords! A hungry monster that seeks to rape and burn our lands! Peace with the Collective will only come when we have torn down their hateful Queen piece by piece!”
Dollabella-Rybalsky paused to catch his breath for a moment as the crowd continued cheering.
“Make no mistake, brothers and sisters, the path ahead is not easy. Our enemy, though wounded is still a formidable foe. But that means nothing in the end! Let the trillions dead be from Agonis, let their lands be burned, raped and reduced to ash. Let their twisted Queen despair and cry as she sees her domain crumple around her! THE PARTY WAS, THE PARTY IS AND THE PARTY WILL ALWAYS BE TRIUMPHANT!
The Director waited until the cheering died down before continuing:
“We must push forward, on every world, on every moon, on EVERY INCH OF GROUND WE MUST FIGHT AND KILL THEM! ON EVERY WORLD WE MUST TOPPLE THEIR HOLD! ON EVERY BATTLEFRONT WE MUST ANNIHILATE THEIR TWISTED MONSTROSITIES! ON EVERY CONTINENT THEIR CITIES WILL BE REDUCED TO RADIOACTIVE ASH BENEATH THE GUNS OF OUR ARMIES! NO STOPPING! NO STEPPING BACK! WE GO ONLY FORWARD UNTIL THE VERY LAST ROBOT AND ABOMINATION IS REDUCED TO SCRAP METAL! THE SUPREME DIRECTOR IS WATCHING! DO NOT LET HIM DOWN!”
Summary:
-Shameless padding. Nothing of worth added to the big picture
NRP, Star Wars, Dragon Age and Warhammer (Fantasy and 40k) enthusiast. Feel free to PM me about any related RPs
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">NRP, Star Wars, Dragon Age and Warhammer (Fantasy and 40k) enthusiast. Feel free to PM me about any related RPs</div>
