Fighting them one on one was suicide. You’d only met one of their stronger sorts- and he’d toyed with you. Let you shoot him to show that he would not die- then rendered you helpless with his bizarre arts, let you be to show how little of a threat you were after taking the bauble you had wrested from a ruin. You had none of the few mystic countermeasures you had gathered- though you had heavier equipment now than you had then, by far. The only true weakness you knew they had, was that they kept themselves mysterious, utterly secret. They were afraid of being found out- so they operated in ways that they could avoid the eye of anybody save for tolerable exceptions, such as the odd stranger who none would believe the tales of. As long as you kept your end of the treaty of secrecy, they’d leave you alone, after all.

Yet this was different. They were moving into a military facility…the only way they’d keep this under the wraps they wanted was to eliminate everybody who would report it. A mass disappearance.

You refused to vanish for their convenience, of course. There were too many wonderful lands to explore, delicious foods and cultures to experience, and lonely women to make beautiful and glad, like the boss lady, with that tall figure, and those oh so oddly familiar green eyes. A lovely world that would come around in the future, after the fighting was done with, in time. One you intended to be around to see and live in.

The living part might have been more troublesome now than you liked, but giving up wasn’t in your character, for better or worse. You were no normal man, after all, in several ways- though in this case, the most relevant matter was that you felt them, could see the unseen, knew of them at all. They were an unknown, but not completely so.

File: black_site12.jpg (3.04 MB, 2800x1852)

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First of all. Why were they here? What were they after? Garden had been a secret even to most outside of this very site. How would a band of secretive mystics know of it? They had also, from what you could feel, not gone straight to the most relevant place- the Culture Lab, where the microbe itself dwelled. Perhaps they didn’t know it was here, and were drawn here for…some other reason.

No more Netillians were coming for you- the fighting had ended, for now, and all you saw about were various noncombatant staff members scattered here and there, fleeing, and the troops that were under your command. Since the short guy was…gone, whatever had happened, you were the top dog. Even though the objective had been to take every bit of this base and burn it, that didn’t seem very likely to happen with the new arrivals. A thought to wander into the Culture Dome and nab the thing and leave…not for it to be used, but so it couldn’t be used against your people. It was gone, though. Not the least because something in you insisted that you stay, but also, you’d perish to the poison you’d been stuck with, on top of having no chance of railing the bossy tall lady.

Not much to do but stay and salvage what you could, then. Though, your chances of a sweeter reward would surely rise if you did triumph over an unknown and savage foe…

Down, boy. Irrepressible even in the face of danger. Sometimes it had better sense than you, though- and it felt supremely confident.

You admittedly had a decent force, still. Two tanks- commanded by yourself, and the other by a huge set of tits, and three squads of infantry. Maybe one of those monsters could be shot with a pistol and laugh at it, but could they be ripped apart by three machine guns and keep laughing? Maybe it was worth finding out. Or perhaps…they could be spoken with? Negotiated towards? That had never worked in the past, but that was another continent. An ocean away. A land full of strife, and a Federation doing its best to quell the ceaseless wars and violence and oppression, and being hated for it. Perhaps here, they’d be different.

>Secure the Culture Dome. Get the primary objective, destroy it, and leave. Anything else would be foolhardy.
>Press forth. You are soldiers, and fighting men. The field of battle is yours, not the domain of freaks like these. Take the objectives, and rout the rest.
>Perhaps you can reason- though they are not inclined towards great gatherings. Go alone, on foot- and see who you can find.
>Other?

Pastebin for past threads- https://pastebin.com/UagT0hnh
Twitter for announcements and shitposts is @scheissfunker
Things I said I'd have last thread will come soon.

>>5146875
>Secure the Culture Dome. Get the primary objective, destroy it, and leave. Anything else would be foolhardy.

Gerovic should have heard from the Relay Team about the reinforcements right?

>>5146875
>>Press forth. You are soldiers, and fighting men. The field of battle is yours, not the domain of freaks like these. Take the objectives, and rout the rest.

>>5146875
>Secure the Culture Dome. Get the primary objective, destroy it, and leave. Anything else would be foolhardy.
WE know that machine fire can at least top a soulbinder for some time, but it's best we all stay focused, do what we need to do and fuck off.

>>5146875
>Secure the Culture Dome. Get the primary objective, destroy it, and leave. Anything else would be foolhardy.

Keep together, maintain those clear lines of sight. We should investigate the Archive after the Dome, or at the least burn it down thoroughly in case there are record on how to produce Garden.

>>5146875
>Secure the Culture Dome. Get the primary objective, destroy it, and leave. Anything else would be foolhardy.

inb4 we accidentally create The Zone and we get 1930s STALKER

>>5146875
>>Secure the Culture Dome. Get the primary objective, destroy it, and leave. Anything else would be foolhardy.

>>5146875
>Secure the Culture Dome. Get the primary objective, destroy it, and leave. Anything else would be foolhardy.

Alright, my weekend begins.

>>5146890
>>5146919
>>5146928
>>5146938
>>5146985
>>5147232
Get that Garden trimmed.

>>5146903
Take the fight to the wizards.

Alright then, writing.

>>5146890
>Gerovic should have heard from the Relay Team about the reinforcements right?
He will...considering that, with time flowing the way it is, the ambush hasn't actually happened yet.

So long as you destroyed the pestilence in that dome, nothing else would matter, at least in the short term. You knew nothing about how such things were made, but you presumed it took some time- the Vessel Lab could be working on means to deploy other biological weapons, and the Archives presumably held the secrets to creating it all over again, but the most important objective was the one that you could get to quickly, and whatever interlopers were here, were not at yet, or aware of the significance of.

You’d already gotten the word out on what to do if any sorry fool sticking his nose where it didn’t belong showed up where they could be seen, but now, it was time to get a move on for actually getting out of here.

“Move to cover the Primary Objective’s entrances and clear it out, I’ll head in with B team.” Your tank would be outside- as would the other. You forgot the commander’s real name, and her operational designation both, so you referred to her by what you could remember, that wouldn’t confuse her for anybody else. “Tits, you keep watch outside for anything unexpected.”

The only response was a muted grumbled protest that you took as acknowledgment.

“Good,” you said, “Let’s get this done quick.”

Even without the mystic strangers here, you didn’t have an abundance of time. Word of the quick reaction force coming hadn’t reached you yet, but as soon as the ambush kicked off, you’d be told…and it might not be certain whether the reinforcements would be successfully held off. The person put in charge of it was somebody with talent, true enough, but you hadn’t seen him work enough to get a good picture of his chances. There wouldn’t be any outstandingly brilliant fighters here from your enemy anyways, far from the front.

With nobody shooting at you, it was a quick matter to secure the only entrance into the Culture Dome, though running for several hundred meters, after a fight, with a full combat load, did leave the soldiers catching their breath. They ought to be thankful they had that luxury.

You, of course, were fresh and ready to go. A good leader didn’t stand outside while the dirty work was done- and you, in spite of good sense saying you had plenty else to be concerned about, couldn’t help but be curious enough to want to see everything in person. A tank could handle itself without you.

Your hand went to an old acquaintance- or rather, a cousin of it. The old equipment that had been in this T-16 was still inside, despite the journey it had been through to get here, and that included what you knew as a Tsavar 30. The Tsavar was a clone of a gun used against the Federation, and the Twaryian model was a clone of that. The Twaryians were a people stuck fast in their brackish mud bogs, rooted in place for better or worse, and even their primary rifle was a weapon that was well over twenty years obsolete, yet even they could not help but be attracted to the Tsavar’s rate of fire and heft- though its original inspiration had actually fired faster, that wasn’t an attractive feature to most. Except you, but in this unjust world, not everybody could be Andrej Gerovic.

“Vars,” you said to the Arson platoon lead, here with a squad of troops well trained in close quarters combat, “Take your squad with me into this facility. We get this done quick, we get it done proper. You’ve got enough conscience left in you to motivate you, yes?”

Vars Von Kalderhaus clenched his jaw, but nodded. A pretty man, with long hair and a thin scar from his jaw up across his face towards his eye. You’d bothered to learn his name- as he was another person shackled to the Archduchy’s Intelligence Office. Though you weren’t keen on sharing your prize, despite the camaraderie.

“Then we go,” you said, digging a square piece of polished metal and glass from your pocket. You’d have liked it on a stick, but this was what you could get in the short term. “Grab one of the boom tubes from the ratshit men. Hold at the sides.” You pressed yourself against the side of the doorframe, motioned to one of the double-doors- it was opened for you, and you peeked about best you could with your mirror. Nobody in sight. If only you had gas masks to flood the place with tear gas…the buckshot shells would have to do for the theater aspect. “Breach!”

Everybody surged in, spread out- the only people you found were cowering staff, plain workers- not researchers.

A map on the wall- good, because you had no clue what the inside of this building was like. Helpfully, everything was labeled. The Dome was two stories, with an upper floor accessible from the foyer you were inside right now. The interior was arranged into three rings. An outer ring where more mundane facilities and work were arranged- offices, lounges, rest areas, security and such…then a gap. Nothing was in this second ring. All of it was sterilization and contamination containment, and equipment for such. The very center of the Dome was where all the loot was. The cultures, the test chambers, the animals…though there were two floors worth of these, and the map didn’t say what was where. The details were cut out, physically removed. You did noticed from the map depiction that the second layer of the Dome’s center wasn’t accessible from the bottom- you would have to enter through a separate containment entrance on the second floor. How inconvenient.

Tick-tock, you reminded yourself, It doesn’t have to be perfect, but if you don’t hurry, there’s going to be interruptions…

>Time is of the essence here. The longer you take, the less time you might have to get away- as it will already take some time to destroy what you find. Plan your action accordingly.

>Barrel in, spread out, rifle through whatever you can, find what you’re looking for. You’re not here to be well mannered or to sightsee. (Short, Risky. A d3 dice roll for how much time it takes because you don’t know exactly where it is.)
>You can’t be too careful at this stage. Act methodically- don protective gear and be thorough. (3 Time Unit cost)
>A brute’s way will be the most effective. Seek out staff and researchers- take them hostage and force them to cooperate. (They will require sufficient motivation)
>Other? (Time amount will be decided based off of rough estimate)

>>5147790
>A brute’s way will be the most effective. Seek out staff and researchers- take them hostage and force them to cooperate. (They will require sufficient motivation)
Whoever helps us doesn't get his eyes removed with a bayonet.

>>5147790
>A brute’s way will be the most effective. Seek out staff and researchers- take them hostage and force them to cooperate. (They will require sufficient motivation)

Threatening to expose them to the horror they've created seems like poetic justice.

>>5147790
>A brute’s way will be the most effective. Seek out staff and researchers- take them hostage and force them to cooperate. (They will require sufficient motivation)
Separate out the staff by seniority, then make each group an offer. Inform them that Netilland has recently deployed biological weapons as a last ditch attempt to turn the tides of the war. We are here to make sure they don't deploy what has been developed here, and we are authorized to offer clemency in any coming tribunals to whoever assists us in destroying what they developed. Safe extraction out of this facility will also be given to those who do not want to risk the mercy of the Military Government.
I don't think it would be much of a gamble to bluff like this. Who would be willing to risk their life that they worked in the only secret bioweapons facility or that some mid-level field commander went made a desperation play?


Of course if they refuse, >>5147799 the stick is also a powerful motivator. I hesitate to say start killing them if they turn out to have a loyalty complex, but I think it should be something to think about.

>>5147817
>went made
won't have made

>>5147790
>A brute’s way will be the most effective. Seek out staff and researchers- take them hostage and force them to cooperate. (They will require sufficient motivation)
Make a show of having a few of the men take a worker out of sight and knock them unconscious, then let off a shot to give them impression they were executed. Assure whoever cooperates that they will be set free when we have what we came for.
I'd hope that's enough motivation because while we are out of character, I don't think Gerovic is quite so cold blooded as to go ordering public mutilations on a whim.
If only we'd been left with Von Strongarm-Robbery instead of Von Rape.

>>5147790
>>A brute’s way will be the most effective. Seek out staff and researchers- take them hostage and force them to cooperate. (They will require sufficient motivation)
I'd love to take our time and do this neatly and civilly but unfortunately there are supernatural possibly invincible demon creatures outside coming to kill us so some compromises will need to be made.

>>5147930
Go direct and brutish- no time for anything else. As for how to do so, though...

>>5147799
Give them the Maddalyn Procedure.

>>5147814
Threaten to give them Ligma.

>>5147817
Offer an out, for what it is, considering the way the winds are blowing.

>>5147824
Freedom, or death. But not really, because it's a bluff.

These seem a bit awkward to mix but I guess the end goal in intent is what matters most. Writing.

>>5147824
>I don't think Gerovic is quite so cold blooded as to go ordering public mutilations on a whim.
He is not, though I doubt that's something that's a revelation. On top of his general demeanor, there's the matter of his faith, of the Old Cathedra. Or Eastern Orthodox Church :^) One might wonder what a Judgment-fearing man could have terribly different from his brethren over the eastern sea, but one of the defining principles of the Eastern Church is the concept of Ancestral Sin. To put it simply, if your ancestor was evil, then the balance must still be redressed by their bloodline, or in some radical sects, by their friends and acquaintances as well. Acting in a wicked manner is thus dooming one's descendants to repaying that debt to Justice.
Of course, to a wicked person, the matter of their sins being collective is probably a weight off of their shoulders, or so the West Cathedra claims in annulling such things, but to a generally well intentioned (as least as far as he believes) man, wanton torture would not be sensible or moral unless it was of absolute necessity.

Not that Heretics know that, or that threats that are not carried out are particular trespasses.

>>5148209
Good thing von Neubaum isn't here, I shudder to think of what he'd be willing to do.

While none of you in this raid had any specific idea where your target might have been, you were certain of who did- the researchers, the workers here. They wouldn’t willingly cooperate. They’d have to be convinced- but you didn’t have the time to be civil when there were not only going to be Netillian reinforcements sooner or later, but the imagination’s limits of unknown devils coming for you, both at once. A compromise would have to be made somewhere.
“Spread out,” you ordered the men with a whirl of your finger, “Find anybody important, anybody who looks like they’re involved with research here, and drag them all here. We aren’t going to go look for what we can be told about instead. Don’t talk to them- just get them here”

As they went out and did kidnapper’s work, you thought about how you’d approach this. Firstly, they’d be wondering who you were, and the cultivation of a proper intimidating enemy was important in what you had planned. The practice needed to speak Imperial Nauk with little if any accent had been arduous, but now, you were going to discard it all, if only for a little bit. You methodically let your tongue return to the notes of Veterlesa, let it corrupt your speech. There were rather significant differences between Twaryian and Caelussian dialects, but you doubted anybody outside of Twaryi on this continent would know that.
Being scary wasn’t something that occurred naturally to you, but in your time here, you learned that the people of Twaryi didn’t like the other ones, and the reciprocatively feeling was mutual. You didn’t have to be scary, it would just be assumed of you. With the twisting, harsh vowels of the old continent, you could make your threats sound genuine. Like digging their eyes out with a bayonet, or unleashing their own creations on them. Or both at once.

That was rather too much for you to actually do, though. You weren’t a theologian, you had no idea how heavy the sin of creating a weapon was, knowing what it could be used for. For all you knew, these people were forced to, or felt compelled to by the world. It wouldn’t matter anyways, since you were here to destroy that weapon. No judgment could be made on a sin not committed.

It didn’t take long, though the sound of a few shots in the building made you question whether there was resistance or if these troops from the Intelligence Office might be too trigger happy…

Three of them appeared to be researchers, from their dress, but also from name tags denoting them as such, while four more were secretarial sorts, paper pushers. Rounding up the whole complex would take time- and you had a feeling at least one person would be able to help you out here.

“Hello,” you said in the thick sneer of New Nauk corrupted with the east, “We looking for something. You help us, or else.”

“Who the hell are you?” A researcher with greying hair demanded, “Do you have any idea what you’re toying with, blasting everything about like barbarians? You could kill us all!”

“I think about that,” you waved your submachinegun at him one handed, dangerously. He recoiled from it. “We look for Garden.”

“How do you know about that?” A different researcher, a short, squat one, demanded. “How does a Twaryian know about that?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the greying hair one corrected, “There’s nothing called that here. As if we would help you seize-“

Bang.

You squeezed off a single shot into the ceiling. “Stop talking,” you said, trying not to smirk at your overacting. “We know it here. Help us get it, we destroy it.”

“As if you wouldn’t steal it instead!” The chubby one said accusatorily, and you fired another shot, causing them all to recoil and slap their hands around their ears.

“Help us, and we rescue you, so you not punished. Do not help…example.” You turned your gun around and jammed its butt into a quieter, meeker researcher’s stomach. He doubled over immediately, practically built of twigs, and you gestured for your men to drag him towards a room to the side.

It wasn’t any difficulty to knock the man cold- he was already wheezing from the one blow. This time, you let off a short, frightening burst of shots, that indoors you were thankful to have ear protection for.

Back out. “So,” you said with a slouch to one side, “Who want to help?”

“You won’t kill us,” the grey one maintained his defiance, “Not if you want our help. I’d rather die than hand over whatever mad thing you’re looking for anyways!”

You looked about, and saw a few flashes of expressions that might disagree with that. “Does not matter. Take our time with you, then find anyways. You bet your life? Okay. I bet all the others.”

Then, the weak point for anybody with a pinch of virtue. One of the secretaries was a plain looking woman, with spectacles- terrified. You wrenched her forth by the arm. “This one, we have fun with before kill.”

She made a pitiful wail, begged, and as you dragged her off, what you wanted to hear finally came.

“Stop!” the fat one protested, “Stop, I’ll help you. What is with you Doctor? Even if they use it against us, we know how to combat it! If we die, then that’s gone. Just give up.”

The grey hair grit his teeth and looked down, embarrassed and defeated. Good thing, too- you hadn’t planned on simulating that threat if he called your bluff.
“Hurry then,” you stuck the gun in the senior researcher’s chest as a helpful prod, “As fast as you can.” You didn’t have to fake that one- you wanted to leave.

-----

The impromptu guided tour of the facility’s inner workings would be fascinating, if you didn’t have a mission and weren’t on a hurry. The other people would have plenty of time to tour if you didn’t get this done. Everything was bathed in sterile, white light- everything was fastidiously, sparkling clean, and rows of projectors and strange tools were given plenty of space for themselves. An amphitheater of science, though the actual goods were locked away in a refrigerated compartment, in stacks and rows of little covered dishes, sealed in tape, and labeled.

Strangely, you noticed that, while “Garden” was labeled correctly, there were many different cultures, with slightly different labels. Too many for it to just be attempts at making the same thing…right?

“Which is it,” you asked, in character for your thug nature. He might not have even been able to read Nauk lettering, though you had two other IO operatives with you anyways, so your portly guide didn’t get any ideas.

“Garden isn’t just one thing,” he said with a huff, “It’s a mix of several different symbiotic pathogens, that work with one another and off of one another. To put it in language your sort can understand, it’s like being poisoned with three different things.”

You recognized what he was doing. He was painting a picture for you- to assume these different labels were all unified. Yet you took a chance, and looked closer at one name. Then looked among the other compartments and dishes, and saw that same name again. You didn’t have to be a biologist to know that two things with the same name were probably the same thing.

When everything was being carried out, ever so carefully, in special crates themselves, you passed by the senior researcher again. He murmured something- ”May the Judge treat us mercifully, for what might happen.”

Well. You’d loathe to assume the place of the Judge for a Heretic, but he would be merciful this day. You had no intention of letting any bit of this “Garden” roam free.

The IO Disposal team came soon after, as the all clear had been given for them- to enter through the side breach, not the main way. Their smaller truck was loaded down with barrels and munitions crates- a pit had been hastily dug for all that you’d captured.

“What about the rest of the base?” The leader of that detachment demanded, “What of the scientists? They’ll just make it again if they’re left to be. Go take care of it.”

“I think not,” you said back, “Not unless you want to lose this too.” The other side of the base was quiet- but you knew better than to poke around unclaimed territory.

“Hey!” one of your crew called from the T-16, “Captain. We’re getting radio contact. Reinforcements on the way- they’ll be here soon. A platoon of tankettes and a platoon of motorized infantry.”

“Shit! ” The disposal team leader cursed, “What the hell is that Netillian braid-boy doing, sitting around and fucking his hand? He’s not supposed to let them through!”

“Relax,” you said, keeping an uneasy eye west, “Only tankettes and an infantry platoon. They’re outgunned.” Netillian tankettes were lightly armed at best, with only 2.5 centimeter or 2 centimeter guns. No real match for the tanks you had here. The capture of the equipment yard had yielded some heavy gear- infantry guns and mortars, heavy machine gun mounts. You lacked for transports for it all, having only the same one truck you came with, but you were much better armed than you were…even though the X-20 and a whole squad, along with the original commander, had all vanished.

Your cool response earned you a glare, “We’ll need time to work. Take care of that.”

A casual shrug was your retort. “Do your job, so you can crawl back under some kid’s bed or whatever boogeymen do. The men here will take care of the fighting.” Well, and the singular woman, who had enough chest heft to count for three.

A quick update over the radio- the ambush proper was under way, and the reinforcements would near certainly be coming by road. Once they got near Site 12, any sensible commander would spread them out and prepare to face you in a field battle- to try and intercept you any other way would cut down their response time.

Your mobile troops were limited. With only one truck, you could take a squad, and one piece of heavy towed equipment, maybe multiple mortars and machine guns, at best, but that would mean not having an infantry squad, particularly. So moving up the road to intercept yourself would mean leaving people behind. On the other hand, you wondered if the interlopers west would make a move, if they saw you splitting away your strongest people and heading out…would that make it more sensible to stay?

Maybe the smartest thing to do would be to dispense with trying to dispose everything on the spot, and running away into the woods. Then, the enemy wouldn’t be certain where you were, for a time; and you’d be away from the other enemy…

The forces available to you were two squads of Intelligence Office operatives- decent infantry. A squad of Netillian cavalry infantry, armed with their curious munitions caster along with standard infantry equipment. The cow and her Emrean tank, you and your T-16, as well as the fruits of your breach movement- a singular 7.5 centimeter short-barreled infantry support gun and its ammunition, a trio of medium mortars, and another triad of machine guns, standard air-cooled Netillian infantry sorts, but given heavier barrels and tripod mounts to be used in sustained support positions.

The infantry gun and its ammunition and equipment would take up most of the space in a truck, of course, as would the full complement of any other thing, with only enough room to squeeze in minimal crews for the equipment, that they might not even necessarily be trained on...

>Stay at Site 12 and defend your position. With the loot from the equipment stores, you could blunt an attack far worse than a mere four tankettes with infantry support.
>Take a force west down the road to intercept the enemy before they get here. (State who and what you want to take)
>Flee with what you can, westwards. You had what you came for, and staying here any longer did no good. (Take what along, if anything?”
>Other?

>>5149354
>Stay at Site 12 and defend your position. With the loot from the equipment stores, you could blunt an attack far worse than a mere four tankettes with infantry support.
But try to pretend we've already fled to take at least some of the enemy by surprise.

>>5149354
>Stay at Site 12 and defend your position. With the loot from the equipment stores, you could blunt an attack far worse than a mere four tankettes with infantry support.

Before that though any estimates for the gap between the Nets and Edelschwert's arrival?

>>5149354
>>Stay at Site 12 and defend your position. With the loot from the equipment stores, you could blunt an attack far worse than a mere four tankettes with infantry support.
I'm too concerned with the other enemy to get distracted by these tankettes. We just need to fend them off long enough to finish destroying the specimens, then we can get out of here and leave the remaining QRF to fight with the hell demons over what's left in the archive.

>>5149414
>Before that though any estimates for the gap between the Nets
About ten to fifteen minutes
>and Edelschwert's arrival?
You don't know.

>>5149449
Also for the X-20, is the hull and the remaining crew just out of contact as fair as Gerovic knows, or are they actually physically gone?

>>5149451
There's been some time to have an eye out, though everybody's kept on the east side of the Site.
Gerovic knows where the X-20 was, but it's not there anymore. It's not in sight, unless it's hidden in relatively specific places. As far as he considers reasonable, it's simply disappeared.

>>5149354
>Stay at Site 12 and defend your position. With the loot from the equipment stores, you could blunt an attack far worse than a mere four tankettes with infantry support.
Following >>5149442 's idea: Hold until we've destroyed the last evidence of Garden then snatch whatever's not bolted down and run.

>>5149354
>>Stay at Site 12 and defend your position. With the loot from the equipment stores, you could blunt an attack far worse than a mere four tankettes with infantry support.
First off, I don't want to be splitting up our group with so many different factors. Any remaining Netillians in the garrison, the wizards, and the QRF all have too many variables to reliably plan around. One squad at the equipment yard was able to hold off two squads and a tank and they didn't even know we would be coming through the walls. I am pretty sure we can mortar the hell out of the archive if we have to, so two out of three objectives isn't bad.

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>>5149391
>>5149414
>>5149442
>>5149606
>>5149624
Staying on site- fighting until you can flee.
Alright then. Updating.

Also, a Netillian infantry wearing the infantry protection harness, Netillian make- a difference I missed initially was that it lacks the lower plate section of the Ellowian one. The best reference for that is already on Anya really. I also included a few weapons, though the one in hand is the Grunsen Model 1905, a clone of what was once the standard Grossreich infantry rifle. Though, like the Reich's bolt action, it's being steadily phased out.
The other guns are the W.dB 30 SMG, a gun as unpleasant to shoot as it is to look at, and below it, the Munitions Caster. Don't put your hand in front of the pressure vent valve if you like not having burns and lacerations on it.
Also the Netillian flag, in case it was forgotten. It was in fact not changed between the Republic and the Military Council's rule.

All of the unit leaders were gathered up to the south of the Culture Dome- a place with decent all-round cover. A good place to box yourself in- but you had time to reposition. Barely.

“Listen up, you all!” you declared, “We have to stick around here until our band of garbage men can render the objective harmless, and nonexistent. Reinforcements will be coming soon, so we have to hold out just a little longer. We’re going to remain in this base,” you pointed on the map, “And once we have the all-clear, we’re going to be getting the hell out as quick as we can, and splitting for the rendezvous point. I’m not going to wait for the other guys to come down the road. Who knows how well they’re gonna do. I don’t plan on needing their help anyways, if I can help it.”

“Hey, salty!” Your tank man called again, “Radio for you!”

A deep sigh. “Hold on, I have to see what Mommy wants, presumably.” Nobody laughed. You crawled over into the tank and put on the headset. “What is it?” you asked, “I’m busy enough as is.”

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“It’s about to get busier,” the voice you noted as being from the operations headquarters said, with no sympathy for the amount already on your plate, “Our allies are having some trouble securing our out, and there’s two aerial contacts headed your way, from the south. Autogyros, bigger than the normal ones.”

Autogyros weren’t that intimidating. They were light scout craft; with the heavy machine guns, you could drive them away, you thought. If short stuff’s tank was still around they wouldn’t have dared come close. Though given that when you were reported here, the enemy might not have been able to convey information about the thing they should fear…

“How much bigger,” you felt was pertinent to ask.

“Much. Huge,” a statement that was not reassuring, “I’ve never heard nor seen the like of them. They’re as big as…a two engine bomber, maybe. They’ve got two of the engines.”

“Are they bombers?”

“No, I don’t think so…didn’t see much in the way of weapons on them.”

“Hm,” you scratched your head. Not scouts, not bombers…transports? Sending normal paratroopers just for you wouldn’t have been particularly wise, but with an autogyro’s capabilities of short take off and landing… “How long do we have until they arrive?”

“Fifteen minutes, probably. Depends on if they land right on top of you or a bit away.”

You checked your watch. “Popular hour. Tell them I’ve already got a date at that time.”

“…”

“Yeah,” you said as a response to the silence given, “Thanks. I’ll handle everything.” With that, you got off the radio- and went back to sending around the troops. Even a transport that could land on the spot may as well be a glider, for all practical purposes- and only a fool would try and land a glider on top of an enemy…unless they planned on arriving shortly after the group already coming, and exploiting the distraction…

>Arrange your troops and assets. Remember that only the right side of the compound is under your control- moving to the left carries a risk of…encounters.
>Other?

>>5149740
Very nice. Still on the subject of gear and uniform, it occurred to me recently that we've hardly seen any uniforms that incorporate berets so far, unless there's something I'm missing.
I had a run through the archive to confirm my suspicions and I could only find two notable examples of berets worn, the first being Loch in Delsan uniform when we first encountered him, and the second a lot more recently, worn by Hiedler as part of his latest swag.
The last and least novel appearance being a mercenary in the woods in Ellowie who survived to speak all of 2 lines before Richter emptied a box of grenades at her.
Is there some event in the lore that accounts for it's lack of prevalence in military uniform or is it just a few decades slower on the uptake to dominating the headgear role than in our own timeline?
Alternatively, just tell me to shut up and use my imagination, not everything needs an in-depth explanation
>>5149826
I would imagine the infantry and their poor performance trucks will be approaching via the road. Munitions casters shouldn't give them the firepower necessary to open a hole in the walls so their most obvious route is to dismount and attempt a breach from (what remains of) the gate, as well as a flanking attack from own breach to the southeast. Have A squad take a more defensible position in and around the large building by the gate, give them a heavy machine gun and the 7.5cm gun.
Similarly, take D squad out of the open and into the southern gap between the outer ring of the culture dome, they can have the second HMG and a mortar (I'm assuming individual squads do not have the manpower to use more than one mortar at a time).
Place the Lapin in the northeastern gap between the outer ring of the culture dome so that it is facing the northern breaches in the wall and it's flanks are protected.
The tankettes won't be hindered by crossing open ground so we can expect their attack from the north. Like to the infantry, the tankettes and their 2/2.5cm guns won't be best suited to forcing entry through the walls, so I suspect they will search the perimiter for entryways until the find our breach, then upon using it will be funnelled into a kill zone for the Lapin.
C squad are to take the last HMG and accompany Gerovic towards the armoury to find our missing X-20 and Von Walen too I guess if it's not too much trouble. Hopefully the gunner is still in there, or one of these footmen feels confident enough to operate the gun because we are going to need that thing back in the fight.
Have the disposal team hide the 2 tonner within the ring of the culture dome then get to work.

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>>5149826
Ok, my plan is like >>5149879, but with a couple changes. Squad A still takes the gate with an HMG, but one of the arson squads sets up an HMG and the AT gun in the equipment yards area. It has a relatively covered retreat to the culture dome and I am worried about being outflanked on that side if we all hole up in the southeast corner. Cow can move up into that gap to cover the equipment yards, or hop out through the hole in the wall to the south to catch anyone going through the gate in the flank. I think it is necessary to make a play for the armory, so Salty and an arson squad need to take it. It anchors the entrance to the culture dome and anyone in it has a perfect position to tear into us. If no one is in it, then we take it and hold a great position. If someone is in it, we need to clear them out now or risk them pressuring us in a critical moment. I say keep the extra HMG and mortars in the truck, we can distribute them after the push on the armory is resolved. I say squad D should get it all if the push goes well, and if not, leave an HMG and a mortar at the entrance of the dome for Squad A to retreat to and man, and take the other two to squad C up north.
>Other?
When Gerovic is driving up to support the armory push, can he spot if there are track marks for the X-20 leaving? It may have genuinely vanished in the thin air knowing what is going on, but I would rather know more about where it could be than less.
If only we had an extra squad to share all this equipment with.

>>5149879
I'm not sure if it's worth risking a confrontation with the demon dudes to recover our X-20. If the reason they haven't attacked us is because they're afraid of our tanks and heavy weapons, going in there with just a squad will give them the perfect chance to slaughter us. If the helicopters are just transports then the X-20's guns won't be as vital as if they were gunships. On a personal level of course I'd like to save von Walen but I don't think Gerovic would take the gamble.

>>5149826
Damn the Netillians really have a lot of funky futuristic toys for the time period and not even a first rate military power. Grenade launchers, transport helicopter-lites, what next?
Does this mean Ellowie is the Netillian Vietnam?

>>5149927
Don't forget their rocket artillery. Combine the three and you've got the potential ingredients for some real 'nam shenanigans
>On patrol in forest
>Suddenly the kalamarz start speaking old Ellowian

>>5149826
>Lapin, 1 HMG and 1 squad in the eqipment yard
>T-16, 2 HMGs and 1 squad in the forest directly south of the SE corner of the base, giving us clear lanes of fire west, north and south
>1 squad and the mortars next to the dome. Give them a radio and a dedicated forward observer placed with the T-16

>Do NOT set a foot inside the western half of the compound.

>>5150030
Ah, and give the light gun to the forest team as well.

>>5149826
>>5149918
This seems like idea.
Support.

>>5149879
>Is there some event in the lore that accounts for it's lack of prevalence in military uniform or is it just a few decades slower on the uptake to dominating the headgear role than in our own timeline?
Berets are unpopular in Sosalia; they're more a western (and west-influenced) aesthetic. They're around, but they haven't happened to be in the zone of, well, where you've been.
Though, the Netillian field cap could be called a beret if you were crosseyed and squinted at it, as the enlisted cap lacks a brim or bill.
>Alternatively, just tell me to shut up and use my imagination, not everything needs an in-depth explanation
I like telling more about the world, at least, where it's something that isn't meant to be particularly secret or too specific concerning a character or characters that one ought to investigate in-character. Though, I am only one man, and one project I have to set aside time for and sink time into is assembling my notes and details in a proper format. There's years of quest and I've forgotten plenty that's buried in those mountains of text.

>>5149927
They're all quite recent, of course, and no doubt aided by a military-first establishment along with a history of having all sorts of enemies to test their tools upon, even though great victories have eluded them.
Conceptually though, I try not to outpace what I think could be plausible. The year in-setting isn't directly analogous to our own, and I have it that way so there's a vagueness on what is and isn't present or possible- and toy with things going in different directions. I'm no engineer or armorer, I'm not even an expert in any historical field, so I'm not going to make definitive claims on what works in what way, especially given things that probably didn't end up a real thing for good mechanical reason, but in a fictional setting I have wiggle room. For example, the Munitions Caster doesn't work on the principle that the IRL m79 uses, but is more based off of a chimera of the Federal Riot Gun (which is solely designed for less lethal munitions) and the Type 89 Grenade Discharger, or Granatnik wz. 36. Now, firing a knee mortar from your shoulder is what's known as "a preposterously stupid idea", so it's not a one-to-one deal, but more of a different approach to the end solution.
Meanwhile autogyros are also ground well-tread upon, but the concept of huge ones is...well, frankly, they're a case of could work, but there's no reason to try, as the only multiple engine autogyro I've been able to find is a cold war Russian design whose development was canceled, though it was something that showed promise in spite of mechanical defects. Again, I'm not an aeronautic engineer.

>>5149936
>On patrol in forest
>Suddenly the kalamarz start speaking old Ellowian
That's what happened to Cranick once. You remember him, don't you?

Anyways, I'm going to make something to eat then get to calling the vote and writing.

Little longer than I'd have liked.

>>5149879
Prepare for an enemy at the gates. Put a tank facing the hole north. Check for the lost tank. Have the disposal team take the heavy cover.

>>5149918
>>5150180
A variation on the above- A squad sets up north.
Look for tracks, where they might end- and if it really did just up and poof into thin air.

>>5150030
Put people in the woods- a nicer surrounding than the closed in base, no?
Also, stay out of the Armory, it's spooky.
>>5149919
I don't think this is a vote but I'll count a sentiment to keep out of spooky dark places.

Writing.

“Get to all your positions,” you finished making your pointing gestures, “Take your crap. You’ve got ten minutes, be done before that. You’ve already wasted enough time listening to me. Go! Except you people,” you pointed to the long haired guy, “Take your other squad and come with me. We need to take that armory.” That was something that was easier to say than for you to agree with yourself on. Von Kalderhaus would think nothing of it, but he didn’t have your sense. To him, there was an enemy there that needed to be eliminated, potentially. To you, there might be demons.

So, he nodded, without a word, and you went back to your tank. On top of making sure nothing slipped out without you noticing, you had to see if the X-20 had really disappeared, or if it had moved- or was still moving. You couldn’t imagine what they might want with a tank, after all. You doubted they had any knowledge of them, let alone a need for them, but then, they never revealed anything about themselves if they could help it.

They had been in, or near, the armory. You could smell it, but also not smell it- in that odd way. Could it be…they were preparing for war?

Ridiculous theorizing aside, you had to secure the location. Even if you risked a fight that you weren’t confident in winning, if they were there, it’d be even worse for them to remain there to screw with you while the Netillians were here too. Though it’d be worse if you lost more people before the Netillians came here…when they arrived, whenever that’d be. You hoped, after you were done with this.

The IO Squad entered the armory- you heard no shots as you directed the T-16 around the armory, gun trained northwards, ready to test its cannon against whatever was pressing against the air, like a breeze only you could feel.

…The tread marks from the X-20 went and…stopped. You had to blink, and stare, and get out of the tank, to look closer. A tank was a heavy vehicle, no matter its relative size. Maybe snow had been swept up behind to hide the marks? There would still be kicked up dirt, tears in the ground, dead grass ripped up and reburied…no. Nothing.

What in the world? Impossible. You felt around in the air, like the problem was merely that you’d been rendered blind, and the tank was right where it should be. No. Your arms fell back to your sides, and your mouth fell open in stupor. How..? Why..?

Rolled 3 (1d3)

“It’s clear,” an operative trudged up to you, “No resistance. Just bodies. A real damn mess in there, only found one guy.”

“A survivor?” you turned, “Enemy?”

“No,” he shook his head, “The Operations Commander. Found him hiding behind some crates. Scared as hell.”

Oh. Well, good for him that he lived, you supposed. “Bring him out here.”

“One more thing,” the operative gestured to the armory, “Weird as hell, some rooms of the place were cleared out. Empty boxes. Stuff stripped out. Like a bunch of looters came through and picked the walls clean.”

“…” You put a hand on your chin. “It doesn’t matter. That’s the Netillians’ problem now. Take up positions in the fortifications around the armory, it won’t be long until a fight.”

The short Strossvalder was brought to you- he was pale as a sheet, disheveled and wide eyed.

“We’ve got to get the hell out of here,” he stammered to you, “Is the mission done?”

“Almost,” you said, “Go over there,” you pointed, “That’s where the disposal team is. Get your shit together, and don’t talk to anybody about whatever you saw, if you want them to stay gone. I’m in command now. Got it?”

“But-“

“Shut up,” you shoved the guy, though you were only taller by a small margin, “Move.” He must have been a junior officer- he obeyed the natural authority one cultivated through command experience, like you had. He shuffled away, then broke into a more natural step. He wasn’t as scared as you thought he might be, though. He seemed somewhat…familiar with what it might be. Odd.

Grilling him on that if you could took fourth place priority after surviving this, nailing one tall brunette, and then another. Mind on the present so you could consider the future later.

>Rolling for timeliness of airborne assets- 2 is on time, 1 is early, 3 is late
It is funny to me that you were relatively close to leaving Von Walen behind The aftereffects would have been fun, to be honest.

>>5150618
I genuinely forgot about him. Poor Teo, even his own quest left him behind.

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Atop the armory, you squatted down and peered over the short wall that formed the perimeter of Site 12- keeping an eye out for mysterious interlopers and Netillians alike. A small hope was that the strangers, with their evasive disposition, had taken what they wanted and fled, for better or worse. A more realistic hope was that they were merely finished with that particular part of the base.

It still bothered you. They couldn’t have come to this place merely seeking weapons. This deep in Netillian territory? In such a facility as this? If anything, they’d have realized the import of this as a research location…right? Maybe a nasty surprise would have been in store for you if you had decided to go and capture the rest of the base instead of letting them have it…

Sounds. Here they came. From the north…the woods, the road. Your hunch had been right. They’d come the quickest way, and disperse for an actual entry assault. A light platoon and tankettes probably wouldn’t have the materiel to break down the walls like you had, after all, especially not one geared for reactions against raiders and insurgents.

You watched them come out, keeping low, before you would leave your vantage point, certain of their approach ahead of time. One tankette, two…three trucks, probably each carrying a squad. Where were the other two tankettes? Wherever they were, they weren’t in this group. The tankettes were dispersing; they probably expected a fight soon. Perhaps for the gate. After all, with no response from friendlies on the radio and the base quiet as it was, what was there to assume but that you held the ground?

There was no sign of aircraft. No propellors in the distance, no silhouettes in the sky bearing down. A little luck, that.

Good enough for now. You clambered down, back to your tank. You had one radio set with the northern infantry contingent, heavily armed with equipment from the yards you’d captured- nobody else had that luxury save for the tanks, but they were not as isolated, or as vital, as the teams covering the north.

The men at the gates might be in trouble, though, if there was armored support bringing up the southern front. Maybe you ought to move…or perhaps, have them move?

>Keep things as they are. After an initiating fusillade, the men could retreat inside the compound as planned. Best not to show your hand with the tanks too early.
>Move out to support them. You could deal with two tankettes yourself, probably, and the men had a good entrenched position there that you’d rather keep as long as possible.
>Have the south squad retreat back inside the base. No point in exposing themselves to armor.
>Other?

>>5150625
>Keep things as they are. After an initiating fusillade, the men could retreat inside the compound as planned. Best not to show your hand with the tanks too early.

>>5150625
>Keep things as they are. After an initiating fusillade, the men could retreat inside the compound as planned. Best not to show your hand with the tanks too early.
Maybe it will make the tankettes overconfident. I would say have Fram turn and face the front though. Get her tank with its back to the Culture Dome wall so no surprise attack from breaches.

>>5150625
>Keep things as they are. After an initiating fusillade, the men could retreat inside the compound as planned. Best not to show your hand with the tanks too early.

Make sure the mortars are ready to drop rounds on the gate once the first enemy comes in, turn the zone into a meatgrinder for them

>>5150672
Also get one or two guys to climb up the northeastern guard tower to spot, at least we'll have warning if the tankettes are trying to assault through the breach

>>5150625
>Keep things as they are. After an initiating fusillade, the men could retreat inside the compound as planned. Best not to show your hand with the tanks too early.
Supporting >>5150667 >>5150672 >>5150681 these additions

>>5150672
>>5150681
The mortars were not assigned; they're in the truck.
If you want to retroactively put them on, say, Squad D, I'll allow it, but keep in mind that a support weapon requires crew from the squad.
Same with having people away from their squads in the watchtowers, since moving them now would be...well, not practical, given the distance they have to go.

>>5150692
Blegh, well that's on me for not writing in last vote. Let Squad D man the mortars for now, they can drop them if the enemy gets too close

>>5150625
>>Move out to support them. You could deal with two tankettes yourself, probably, and the men had a good entrenched position there that you’d rather keep as long as possible.
Get Squad D those mortars, as mentioned by >>5150672, the best place for them is probably to bombard is the gate if we cannot direct their fire with radio. Someone higher up on the armory might be able to spot for fire if they are pushed to take positions on the hill though, so lets see if we can encourage that.

>>5150625
>Other?
I believe there is still one HMG left to distribute as well, have squad D take that too. I also think it might help for them to let up on the mortar support so they can all shoot at the autogyros when they get close. They don't have to take them down as long as they can rattle the pilots enough to get them to set down outside of the walls.

>>5150625
>>Keep things as they are. After an initiating fusillade, the men could retreat inside the compound as planned. Best not to show your hand with the tanks too early.

>>5150618
You were the one who threatened us with wizards if we go there

>>5150625
>Have the south squad retreat back inside the base. No point in exposing themselves to armor.

>>5150657
>>5150667
>>5150672
>>5150688
Stick to the plan.

>>5150819 >>5150825
Move the tank forward. What can they do against you, anyways?

>>5150994
Pull the people back inside.

Writing.

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”We’re on our way. Just make sure we have a place to-“

“Damn it all, flyboy, can’t you make this thing fly any smoother? I’m about to take my chances jumping.”

“…Copilot, Check rotor synchronization.”

“Deviation is within acceptable range.”

“Thank you. No, Sergeant, not unless you want me to land and make us later than we already are. Jump out if you want, you’re paratroopers.”

“Smartass. Could at least try and cram a tank in here like they did over west, if you’re gonna fly like you brought your anvil collection.”

“I was interrupted. As I was saying, make sure we aren’t shot up as soon as we land. It’ll ruin my record if I lose this on a combat trial…”

-----

No, no help needed. You had a plan- and it wasn’t time to doubt it quite yet. The Netillian Squad at the gates hardly needed to fight to the death- they just needed to delay, to give you time. Give the garbage boys a few more minutes to burn away the taint that you’d come here to destroy, a few more minutes for you to get away. The squad at the armory with you had set up one of the mortars that had been captured- and they had been directed to prepare to saturate the south gate with plunging bombs once the enemy tried to break through there. Though, they could certainly fire elsewhere, if the opportunity presented itself.

Unlike anybody else with you now at Site 12, the squad, made up of Netillian armored cavalry infantrymen had the queer and oddly effective Munitions Casters- weapons that made you envious of something that wasn’t made in Caelus, which didn’t happen often. That would give them an advantage- the weapon could spout smoke grenades, but also tear gas, which was quite effective on unsuspecting armored vehicles. The Netillians did carry gas masks, as they were wont to wander into their own clouds, but even still.

More importantly, no tanker would willingly immerse themselves into a cloud a smoke. Much less these tankettes, whose armor was thin enough that bundled grenade charges were well enough to disable them. Perhaps one of the explosive grenades from a munitions caster might be enough- you wouldn’t want to risk it, if you were them.

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The opening shots echoed over the walls to you- the squad was opening up with their heavy machine gun, at quite a range. It wouldn’t be the most accurate fire, but against targets as large as trucks, it didn’t have to be. You thought about what you’d do as the reaction force, as you weren’t having anything demanded of you yet- you’d probably try and suppress the squad whilst your friendly infantry disembarked and prepared to attack on foot, a position from which they could utilize their own weapons.

Your squad, presumably guessing this by merit of being fellow mounted infantry once, would want to blind this supporting fire, to try and draw them closer, or at least keep themselves from coming under fire.

Indeed, you saw plumes of smoke puff up like cloud mushrooms. The tankettes would still be maneuvering. They wouldn’t be so confident if you had anti-tank rifles, surely; but not opening up with them had revealed your own lack of them. So long as they did not come into knife fighting range, they could rely on their armor to protect them to a degree.

So they’d circle around…and, unwilling to endure fire from multiple vehicles, the squad would probably cover themselves more. This would keep them from firing upon the approaching enemy, yes, but again- they did not need to hold that position to the last. Not when, upon being channeled into the base, the enemy would face far more withering fire,

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A crack that you recognized as the report of the light 2.5 centimeter cannon; another puff of smoke. You wondered if the squad leader managed to recognize the light tank that would have been far deadlier to them- or if both of them were not the 2 centimeter automatic cannon variant. It was hard to tell even close up. With this much smoke, though…it’d be soon a good time for them to retreat.

Though, it made you think- all the noise was coming from the south. Nothing from the north. Only half of the reported tanks were here- where were the others? For that matter, where was their supposed air support? You tried to listen for propellers- but if it was there, you couldn’t tell if it was quiet, or if you were simply hearing your imagination’s conjurations.

“Do you see anything, north boys?” you asked over the radio. They responded in the negative. “Not in the woods, the snow, or the air?” Still no. “Garbage men, what’s your progress?”

“Almost ready to start.”

Slow, as expected. Slow like the air support, the strange heavy autogyros, which had been reported some time ago now.

Were they…late?

In that case, should you act on that hunch?

>No need to act rashly. Let the gate squad retreat and draw everything in as planned. It wouldn’t matter who came when.
>Go to reinforce the gate squad yourself- you could take two tankettes yourself, and inflict a terrible amount of damage, given their proportion of the enemy’s firepower.
>There were holes in the wall. You could slip out that way, and try something clever… (With who?)
>Other?

>>5151452
>No need to act rashly. Let the gate squad retreat and draw everything in as planned. It wouldn’t matter who came when.

>>5151452
>No need to act rashly. Let the gate squad retreat and draw everything in as planned. It wouldn’t matter who came when.
We don't know where the other two tankettes are. Best not to overextend.

>>5151452
>No need to act rashly. Let the gate squad retreat and draw everything in as planned. It wouldn’t matter who came when.

>>5151452
>No need to act rashly. Let the gate squad retreat and draw everything in as planned. It wouldn’t matter who came when.

We've got a good line of fire set up that they have to breach. Once we take care on the tankettes maybe Frame can sneak out a side and plink at the infantry. Would be nice to get their trucks this time.

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>>5151452
>>Other?
Move up to make a shot through the gate as the tankettes are forced to flank around. Should be a relatively easy shot that doesn't tip our hand too much, and it keeps the gate squad relatively focused on threats from only one direction.

>>5151452
To clarify, can the guys to the north see over the wall of the compound or are they limited to what they can see out the gaps in the wall?

>>5151460
>>5151488
>>5151498
>>5151501
>5151501
Stay in the walls. Keep it down.

>>5151504
Edge out a little to peek to the front.

Updating. Going for getting another one, maybe two, before I have to go to the wage cage.

>>5151523
>To clarify, can the guys to the north see over the wall of the compound or are they limited to what they can see out the gaps in the wall?
The gaps in the wall. Unless they were to move to the roof- but there is no cover up there, and it wouldn't be easy getting up there in a hurry at the moment.

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Again, you held yourself back. It wasn’t in your nature to hide behind defenses, certainly, but you did have something to protect back here, for the time being. Without your opponent giving you the signs as to what he held in his hand you couldn’t act rashly- even as plots evolved in your head telling of what fortune might grant you if only you were to act boldly.

Though, if the tankettes you did know the location of were acting aggressively, then you could try and trap them. “Forward!” You ordered your tank, “Move us to get an angle out the other side of the gate!”

Just in time, and you licked your lips when you spied the friendly infantry retreating to the safety beyond the wall- and the tankettes trying to angle themselves outside.

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“Just like you lot,” you whispered as you settled yourself back down into your seat and aimed down the gunsights, “See a pinch of pepper, and you’ll eat a fistful of rat shit.”

>Tankettes us ability- Rapid Retreat

At the last moment, though, the tankettes noticed you- and sped backwards, your shell passing between them with a crack and a whirl of snow. Tricky, quick little buggers, you thought as you pulled your head away and followed them with the periscope, those tankettes could only be expected to have some perception, with how threatened a species they were on this battlefield. When you tried to line up another shot, an explosion of smoke in the gates. They were safe- for now.

“If that’s the way they want to play,” you muttered, and stood up through the hatch again. A hand was held skyward, and you gestured to the squad at the armory. The mortar shells began to rain- nobody would be hurrying to or through the gates now.

-----

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When the smoke had cleared, nobody was breaking through, nobody was coming. You heard naught, as the Netillian squad dug themselves in best they could in a hurry- they weren’t heading for any holes in the walls, either. Let them delay, then. The mortars continued to rain on the gates, of course. You had the ammunition close by to sustain such a rate, even if it wouldn’t be practical to carry that much away with you when it was time to go.

Good news had arrived during the lull, as well. Edelschwert had successfully ambushed the quick reaction force that wasn’t with you now- four tanks and near a company of infantry, and had succeeded in destroying their armor as well as a good portion of their transports, with minimal casualties. They were coming down the way- though, as another alert went out, they probably wouldn’t be taking the path down towards you, rather than an alternate route. Not with enemy here.

That alert was one that told you to finish and leave- immediately. No sooner, of course, the garbage men got their act together.

“What’s your progress?” you had demanded on the radio, “Command says we’re out of time.”

“We’re done!” one of them said, exasperated, “Just finished. We just have to break out of here.”

“Good,” you said, “Stand by on that-“ you heard a sound. Then it grew louder, a droning, and beating. “Ah. Here they are.” You called out to the approaching shapes mockingly, “You’re late, you know that!?”

They were impressive machines, to be sure. Large as bombers, with long rotors beating above either wing- they made for the east side at a decent pace- and were slowing. They were sure to land soon, and though you’d be able to shoot at them with machine guns well enough soon, you couldn’t be sure that would stop them, though maybe good enough fire would deter them from landing in a place you thought inconvenient…

All the while, you had to get everybody started on breaking out. A plan you’d discussed contingencies for, but that you now had to declare which.

>Plan your escape from Site 12. The direction of escape can be either to the south or east- though keep in mind that most of your men lack transport, and you won’t be able to mount them all on your tanks.

>>5151628
What direction is the fallback point again, relative to us?

>>5151635
Southeast, though forcing you to head to a corner wouldn't be reasonable.

>>5151628
>>5151638
East then, into the trees along the road

>>5151628
East sounds good

>>5151649
>>5151653
Are you sure "East" is the limit of how much you want to give as a directive?
Because I will interpret this as an every man for himself disorganized retreat.

>>5151628
let's take the Lapin, make a breach through the west wall and smash those tankettes from the rear together. I want the enemy infantry's trucks for our escape.
Our infantry can stay where they are for the time being. They look to be in a decent set up to weather an attack from the east by paratroopers dropped onto open ground.

>>5151658
Withdraw using the breaches we made in the wall rather than the gate.Those on foot that the tanks can't carry should try to stick to the woods as much as possible, while the tanks follow the road. Right now everyone with a machine gun focus fire on the autogyros to ensure they don't land eastward at the very least; who knows maybe we'll get lucky and down one.

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>>5151628
>Plan your escape from Site 12. The direction of escape can be either to the south or east- though keep in mind that most of your men lack transport, and you won’t be able to mount them all on your tanks.
I say we break out of the gate in force. We have already shown we have it sighted in with mortars, I cant imagine they have their whole group ready to push in through it. It is more likely they spread out to find a better entrance, so they definitely also have to be watching the east wall breaches. use the truck to pull back C squad and see if they can bring the AT gun to replace Squad A. Have squad A hop back in the gate fortifications and hit anything on the hill while smoking the flank while both our tanks move out of the gate an hit any targets they see. Squad D has the job of dropping everything and pushing into the forest. After we clear out the forest, or at least damage whatever is in there the cow can go back and cover what is now C squad as they start to move out toward the forest. Squad A moves last because they have smoke.

File: Retreat plan - Full Front(...).png (7.55 MB, 2806x1866)

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>>5151696
Cleaned up a tank to avoid some confusion about where the lapin is supposed to go.

>>5151628
>>5151653
>>5151658
I'm a very uncreative tactician, but sure I'll rub my two brain cells together to come up with a better idea.
Ok, so we know Rondo and the boys should be coming along the road from the north, so we ought to go follow that road as far as we can to make it easier for them to catch up to us.
Destroy any equipment we can't carry with the trucks we got and get everyone else loaded as much as we can. If worth comes to work we can bank on the other squad to sandwich the fuckers following us I think.

>>5151703
>They were coming down the way- though, as another alert went out, they probably wouldn’t be taking the path down towards you, rather than an alternate route. Not with enemy here.
I think the idea is that there is a larger alert that has gone out and the door is closing on our extraction. Magnus and the band could come to help us but I think they are on another route that we will have to break out of here to intercept with, or else we risk losing time having them head to cover us. We have got to give the Nets a black eye here to keep them from pursuing our slower force with those slippery tankettes or else not much of the slower infantry is probably going to make it.

>>5151666
Also worth asking, what ability/trait does Gerovic have?

>>5151716
Makes sense to me.

>>5151628
>>5151703
Switching to >>5151696

go left

>>5151696
I'll support this, it's better we give them a sucker punch to recover from rather than harass us. They have a massive mobility advantage not even including the gyros. Although I'd suggest we have the mortars fire a quick barrage up the road West timed to keep the Nets heads down when for when our tanks rush through the smoke before they abandon the mortars.

>Other?
That said, ask the garbage pickers how dangerous it would be to set the base on fire. Is there a risk of other contagions spreading?

If not we may want to cause one to force the Nets to save the base over hunting us down.

I have to sleep more before calling and writing but-
>>5151770
>Also worth asking, what ability/trait does Gerovic have?
It hasn't really come up yet, meant it to be more a surprise, but enough time has passed to not keep it a secret. What's he's got is called The Blessing of the Wanderer's Whimsy. A grandiose title for-
>May reroll any dice once per day, and pick which result to use
This includes enemy ones, but not overall event ones, unless they affect him specifically.

>>5152199
Nice, that's pretty useful.
Let's hope we don't need to use it any time soon.
Let's hope we never see it used at all period.

>>5151664
Crash through the west wall.

>>5151666
Go out the holes on the right. Blast at the flying machines.
So sayeth Satan.

>>5151696
>>5151774
>>5151965
Break out the gate- then get to the south.

>>5151784
go left

Guess you're going left then. Updating.

>>5152210
>Let's hope we never see it used at all period.
He has poor priorities when it comes to using his luck.
Or, Gerovic would say, he has excellent priorities.

>>5152457
>Any Dice once per day
>Any Dice
OoooooooooooooooooooooooooohoHOHOHOHO!

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The direction of the autogyros was headed off to the east…so then. Contingency B. You called it out over the radio- though anybody who didn’t get the memo would get the idea soon after the general movement began.

“Breaking through the south,” the radio operator that Tits had speaking for her asked, “Is it wise to strike them where they are strongest?”

“Of course it is,” you retorted, “It’s the only option if we want to escape. They need to lose enough to be scared of us and not chase us, or else we’ll have to leave them bait to gobble up. Personally, I’d rather march away with my tail held high. Now, I’m going to slide out the gate sideways. Be right behind me.”

You’d be eating the first hits coming out, but being on the move, it’d be hard for a truly damaging shot to be struck at either of you from the enemy. To be quite honest, of more concern was the potential for the enemy to launch munitions casters at you and flush you out of your tanks- but accurate fire with those against a moving target, you were sure, was even more difficult.
All the elements positioned themselves- after you charged out and engaged the enemy, the infantry would follow you up. Once you’d struck your blows, you’d run south to the forest with all you could take along. Unfortunately, in order to carry any significant amount of your infantry out, you’d have to leave behind the mortars, but the infantry gun was a more potent weapon, able to be dragged behind a truck, so it won out over those.

The view out the gate didn’t tell anything; the only new factors now were the autogyros heading to your east, and that the last mortar shell had fallen a minute ago.

Time to hit them.

File: black_site22e.jpg (3.13 MB, 2800x1852)

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Rolled 3, 66 = 69 (2d100)

The signal to engage was the Netillian squad firing a salvo of munitions caster fire over the wall- not with the intent to hit anything but the ground, and for no reason other than to block off visibility to the east. You’d already be under fire from every angle possible, breaking through like this. This would ensure, worst come to worse, your flanks would not be easy targets.

“Forward!” you ordered the driver, “As close to the right edge of the gate as you can, and pivot three-quarter right after!” You didn’t see any enemies directly out the front- which meant they had to be hiding to the sides. Hoping to catch your flanks. You wouldn’t allow that, not the least because the T-16’s side armor impressed nobody and would protect nothing at this close range.

The hunch paid off. Immediately in your face were the two squat little Netillian armored vehicles- and immediately after, was a hellstorm of machine gun and rifle fire, doing its best to dissuade your advance as the tankettes lined up the shots that might actually hurt…

>Enemy rolls of DC roll under 20

>>5152746
Nice roll, off to a great start already /s

File: black_site23e.jpg (3.13 MB, 2800x1852)

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A loud clunk came with the report of the tankettes’ weaponry; though most of what you could hear was the loud rattle of two centimeter fire splattering off the hull and sending fragments of shell all over the outside, like loud and explosive hailstones had started hammering the front of the tank.

“The big planes are landing,” Arson Squad B reported, though you had no time to give that particular mind. It wouldn’t matter- you weren’t staying around to fight whatever they’d be disgorging, even if the rush to do so had meant you couldn’t direct multiple machine guns to perform proper anti-air defense. An aircraft that had to land to be a threat to you was no threat at all right now.

This was the most important part of the breakout, now- infantrymen would be rushing out from behind to get in position, begin laying down their own fire- and moving out south to get away from all this. You’d be fighting until everybody else had fled into the woods- and you’d start with that tankette right there…

…The clunk again, as the turret refused to move. A spot of confusion, and you tried again…

>Use Blessing of the Wanderer’s Whim to reroll enemy hit?
>Continue on- without effective use of your main weapon. (Extreme penalty to cannon’s to-hit)
Also-
>Roll three sets of 1d100 for your allies. First two, higher better, for your infantry, latter one would get a bonus with their HMG of +10, but only after a turn so it can be set up. Last one, for Framboise, roll under 65.

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>5152783
>Use Blessing of the Wanderer’s Whim to reroll enemy hit?
Yes

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>5152783
Satan guide my dice!

>Use Blessing
Yes. While it would be fun to keep it saved for Major funsies, I think Gerovic wants to live to get there.

>>5152895
Oh no! The Lord of Lies strikes again!

Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>5152783
>Use Blessing of the Wanderer’s Whim to reroll enemy hit?
Lets try that one again.

Rolled 82 (1d100)

>>5152787
>>5152895
>>5153045
Alright then. First off, the reroll. Still roll under 20.

Rolled 25, 1, 26, 27 = 79 (4d100)

>>5153057
Luck of a sort saves you, it seems. Now, the enemy rolls against you.
Two DC 20, and two competing infantry rolls.
After this give me two things-
One d100, roll under 80 for your now regained shot, then, all at once just roll 4d100 to get your initiatives, from order of T16-Lapin-D Squad-A Squad

I'll see if I can't squeeze out an update after all that. Probably not, but we'll see.

Rolled 9, 93, 11, 64 = 177 (4d100)

>>5153071
Now, that 1 might look scary, but have no fear, just roll higher than their initiative and you'll strike first anyways.
Same order here.

Rolled 41 (1d100)

>>5153071

>>5153082
I forgot to say again that higher is better for initiative, but given this particular fortune that can't be surprising.

Rolled 66, 41, 23, 61 = 191 (4d100)

>>5153071
Come on Judge.

Von Walem gets rescued, and immediately we get hit by Von Walen luck. Coincidence? I think not!

Hopefully the whimsy adventurer survives this and gets injured and knocked out at most. Would be pretty funny if command got hot-potatoed back to Von Walen this fast.

>>5153109
If it is any consolation, that tankette is the 2 centimeter cannon one. It can't hurt catastrophically badly. It doesn't really have the energy to at this angle.

>>5153124
Mhmm. Hopefully the tank is only immobilized, there is a third Tankette out there after all and it'd be awful to leave the poor Noblewoman turned adventurer alone to face two of them.

>>5153155
We have gotten lucky on the infantry rolls at least, but if depending on how it goes from here we might have to consider drastic measures.

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With one more shove, the turret moved again. Just a little hitch- that tankette would be thinking twice about coming here now-

A stitching sound across the side of the hull; the breaking of metal. You had already pulled the trigger, but near jumped out of your seat in alarm, glancing down and hearing the cannon impacts pull backwards- until the engine suddenly sputtered and died.

“Are we alright?” you demanded, as you tried to peek about through the periscope at what was taking place. The reason for the cannon fire stopping showed itself- Tits had shot out the other tankette, while your own shot had struck out the other armor. You’d have to thank her properly later- man, your schedule would be full, concerning women.

“Tank’s not responding,” the driver complained, jerking around his controls, “The tank’s dead.”
>The T-16 can no longer move- and its turret turning capacity is greatly reduced

“Lucky shot,” you muttered, and tested the power turn. Nothing. The hand crank would be an awful substitute- of all the cheap and simple things in a T-16, its armament and gun laying were not among them. The manual turn was not at all built for anything but fine adjustments. “Damn.” You switched to the company chatter channel. “My tank’s disabled, boys. How are we all doing?”

“The enemy seems to be put to flight,” Tits’ tank reported, “They do not want to keep fighting, it seems, with what they have been through.”

“Good,” you said, but were cut off by the squad taking up the rear with the trucks and captured materiel.

“Hear something moving. Something mechanized,” they reported, “Beyond the wall. We ought to get out of here.”

You agreed, though you noticed, to the west- trucks, that the infantry you had defeated were fleeing towards. You’d have liked to have them- but then, there were reinforcements very close; and Netillian trucks, you recalled, did not have the sturdier off-road capability of the trucks that the Intelligence Office had acquired for this…

>Chase down the infantry and capture the trucks. Maybe, with their speed, you could go for an alternate escape route- and outrun any remaining mechanized forces.
>You wouldn’t be pursued now, not with what you’d done. Keep going south- and abandon the T-16
>The rest of the enemy had to be mopped up. Stay in place with the tanks, and cover the other elements’ retreats.
>Other?

>>5153240
>You wouldn’t be pursued now, not with what you’d done. Keep going south- and abandon the T-16

Don't think we can run down the infantry before the rest of the tankettes come around.

Better be careful von Walen or Gerovic's going to steal a march on you after this. Though I wonder if the Major is actually going to fufill her promise to our Twaryian..

>>5153240
>>You wouldn’t be pursued now, not with what you’d done. Keep going south- and abandon the T-16
Have Fram swing south a bit and face any threats from the East. These tankettes seem skittish so just pointing a gun their way will probably deter them a bit. With Squad A keeping the enemy running with HMG fire, If squad C can get to the forest with their equipment I think we will be home free.

>>5153240
>You wouldn’t be pursued now, not with what you’d done. Keep going south- and abandon the T-16

Stick to the plan. Shame about the tank but we have 6 more total, tits tank will have to do when it comes to fending off the Tankettes if they are persistent.

We are not out of it yet, but the picture being painted here is really something. A knocked out Tywarian tank in Netillian colors and a bunch of dead soldiers mostly in Netillian uniforms as the only evidence left behind after an attack on a secret base. This is the kind of thing international incidents are made of.

>>5153240
>The rest of the enemy had to be mopped up. Stay in place with the tanks, and cover the other elements’ retreats.

>>5153240
>The rest of the enemy had to be mopped up. Stay in place with the tanks, and cover the other elements’ retreats.

>>5153240
>You wouldn’t be pursued now, not with what you’d done. Keep going south- and abandon the T-16

As it is we may not even escape on time.

>>5153240
>You wouldn’t be pursued now, not with what you’d done. Keep going south- and abandon the T-16
Rather not try our luck with the rolls the Nets have been getting

>>5153240
Hey tanq, is there any road that leads close to our final extraction if we head north along the road here, or would it pretty much all be off-road travel if we went that way? I have a feeling if we took the trucks we would struggle getting them up that hill in the snow and taking the road through the woods is not really an option.

>>5153240
>>You wouldn’t be pursued now, not with what you’d done. Keep going south- and abandon the T-16

>>5153240
>>You wouldn’t be pursued now, not with what you’d done. Keep going south- and abandon the T-16

>>5153240
>Chase down the infantry and capture the trucks. Maybe, with their speed, you could go for an alternate escape route- and outrun any remaining mechanized forces.

>>5153255
>>5153281
>>5153283
>>5153377
>>5153680
>>5153821
>>5153861
Run south- get out of here.

>>5153311
>>5153360
Clean up what's left for a smooth retreat.

>>5154116
Go get some truck.

Updating.

>>5153684
There'd be a bit of wandering to do- but you could find a path, probably the same one Magnus would be using. Though, you shouldn't be too concerned about the south hill retreat, the hill's gentler than it might seem, since I didn't mark the actual height. Going into the woods and up the hill would be troublesome- but the direct south route isn't too bad.

>>5153301
>This is the kind of thing international incidents are made of.
Strossvald has never (officially) caused any international incidents, of course. Especially not ones that result in military action and territory acquisition.

“All units,” you called out, as a last announcement on the radio, “I’m abandoning my tank. Continue the retreat south- and watch behind you! Tits, bring up the rear with A Squad. Big Sausage out.” That absolutely wasn’t whatever you’d been assigned with as a code name, but you’d been saving it in lieu of actually remembering what the operational name was, and it’d confuse the hell out of the Netillians. “Radioman, pull out the gear’s guts and grab the books,” you said, “You’ve got thirty seconds before I drop the scuttling charge in the ammunition bin.” It was timed for three minutes, but there was no need to reduce the need for haste.

The surroundings as you left the tank and joined the infantry again were much more quiet than a battlefield should be, but the lull was extremely temporary, and hard fought for. After all, the autogyros to the east still had their engines running- and you knew the tankettes were on their way too. The best you could hope for was that there would continue to be a distinct lack of gunfire from either side.

As the trucks the Io had provided drove near, you waved down the former disposal truck, now emptied of its tools to make room for men, and hopped on to the back with your crew. It’d be an extremely tight fit, but you didn’t mind standing instead of sitting. Among the men was the shorter man, the former commander of the operation. He’d calmed down some, though he was still quite concerned looking. Understandable.

“So,” you said to him, “We get to be partners in having lost our tanks, eh?”

Shrimp looked up at you, scoffed, and looked back outside. “Tch. At this point I ought to be used to it. Do you know how many times I’ve had my tank taken out from under me, be it by battle or by somebody else claiming it?”

“It’s pretty lucky to be able to say something like that, don’t you think?” you shook your head, “Hey, we’re out of the part we had to not screw up. From here on out, we don’t have to worry about what happens if we fail.”

“I’d rather live, thank you very much,” he muttered sorely, “I haven’t heard a thing about how it’s going out there. Are you blowing smoke up my ass?”

“We’re not doomed yet,” you shrugged, “We’re on our way back to the rendezvous point so we can meet up with the Netillian Republic Resistance and be sent on our way somewhere we can stop being chased to. We lost a couple tanks and a squad, but we shouldn’t have to fight. Not if everything’s gone as it should.”

-----

In the eleventh hour, everything had gone to hell.

It had been heartening for the Major to hear that the cultures of Garden had been obliterated. Not a perfect outcome- the knowledge of how to make it was still there, and the means to deploy other potential contagions hadn’t been interfered with, but at the very least the most dangerous future had been averted.

Though that did mean that she felt all the more obligated to get everybody out, rather than scraping up what she could and preparing for the consequences of failure.
The plan hadn’t been for her to stay here, to wait. The Netillian resistance had been meant to dislodge the meager local garrison for this town turned barely-used supply base, and provide an easy way out for the raiding forces to retreat southeast, towards firmly Republic controlled territory. However, the Republicans had understandably not sent their best. A disorganized force of substandard troops, made up mostly of poorly militia and reservists, had made a haphazard series of attacks that had only barely managed to convince the garrison to retreat whilst taking many casualties in return.

So here she was, with her team, amongst the smell of gunsmoke. Here to keep what was here from fleeing- reminding them of their own obligation, why they were here. Even if they did not know a thing about this huge woman now standing with them. It reminded her of old times- when she had been younger. Not even a woman grown, but tall and strong enough to fight nevertheless…a strange nostalgia, given the difference between that time and now.

There wasn’t much to hold here with. A battered, subpar force, with whatever they’d managed to scrape up and bring here that wasn’t valuable enough for Republic commanders to have moved somewhere else. What was on the way wasn’t certain- only that the response had quickly become disproportionate, that forces from further off than local garrisons and patrols had become involved. The hornet’s nest had been kicked straight into another, and both swarms were on their way.

The town only had to be held for long enough for both groups to arrive, though.

>Firstly, roll a set of 3d4. The first d4 is for Magnus’s group’s time taken to get there. The latter two are, because the Assault Group is being harried on its way back, for its time, as it must roll two delay dice and pick the greater one.
>Then, roll 5 sets of 1d10 for the Resistance forces. 1-6 is a Resistance militia squad, poorly armed and barely trained. 7 is a proper Republic Squad, made up of well-armed defectors. 8-9 is a heavy weapon, an anti-tank or infantry support gun, and 10 is a tankette or armored car team.

Rolled 1, 4, 1 = 6 (3d4)

>>5155031
Oh shit oh shit oh shit

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>5155031

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>5155031
Gonna go ahead and roll for this second part too.
I apologize in advance if I roll up something shit.

>>5155043
Wow.

Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>5155031

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>5155031
aaaaa

Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>5155031

This is going to be fun.

Ok, could've been worse technically, and the biggest, meanest group is coming soon with 5 tanks and almost 3 squads of infantry so it's workable. Gotta get good use of the light AFVs at our disposal though.

>>5155036
Ironically, the party that was further away will be arriving sooner.

>>5155038
>>5155043
>>5155053
>>5155063
Four militia squads

>>5155062
And a couple of vehicles that are better than nothing.

I'll be updating tomorrow. There's a bit to get ready here.

>>5155487
Tbh I was considering whether sending Magnus's group to help shake off the Assault Team's pursuers and have everyone come together would be faster, but it sounds like the Major's force won't be able to hold out that long by themselves

“They’re using an older code,” the Radio Specialist said to the Major, “But I’ve got it.”

“About time,” the Major said, leaning closer, “What’s coming.”

“Another sector's armored response group. Same standard as the ones Sparrow dealt with, but they know we’ve got armor of our own, and they’re combining their forces. It’ll be double the number at least. Also, a paratrooper section, the same ones that the assault team encountered. They’ve figured out that this place is our exit, so they’ll be on their way. There’s also an armored cavalry section coming, armored cars, light armor, dismounts. Light autogyros as well. That’s not counting the garrison forces that might be nearby, but they left their comms equipment, so they won’t be on the waves. At least the ambush group’s close.”

“It will still take time,” the Major said, glancing to a map on the wall of the armored truck that was the field headquarters- from the outside, a plain looking mail delivery vehicle. “Waldin, what do you know of these paratroopers?”

The information specialist flipped through a few prepared folders, though he was only going to remind himself of minutiae. “Elite troops. The same strict requirements as the Guards units, though they haven’t had the same generous funding and support on a large scale. We’re dealing with an experimental unit, so their equipment isn’t tested, but the men certainly are. If their equipment is the same as airborne standard, they’ll have light protection harnesses and self-loading rifles, though given that they aren’t dropping from planes, and instead stepping out of aircraft, we should expect heavier equipment.”

“They will easily be the greatest threat, then,” the Major concluded, “Once our tank group returns, they will be able to hold for a time, and they should return before the assault group. They know this is where we’re extracting from, and any further along, and they risk provoking heavy Republican response. They cut us off here, or nowhere.” Without this town’s junction of local roads, the chances of getting everybody out was slim to none, and it would be a hard fight all the while, without a link to allies. “What is the delay on the assault group?”

File: black_escape_1.jpg (1.57 MB, 2800x1852)

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“They’re having to fend off harassment from token forces left behind,” the tactical consultant answered, a former infantry sergeant with a prosthetic hand, “They’ll be being pursued when they arrive, and a portion of them being on foot does not help their speed.”

“Considering what might arrive before them,” the Major traced a finger along the road map, “Whatever is harrying them isn’t even worth giving a thought towards. If they turn out to be a threat, we’ll be in much worse trouble than we could hope for.” She began to wrap her hair into a tight bun at the back of her head, “Be ready to flee south if this defense does not hold.”
“What about you, Major?” the information specialist asked, “Are you expecting to stay and be captured?”

“No such thing will happen.” The Major declared, “But the militia have been compelled to stay by my words, my relation to their leaders. Should I flee, they will soon follow. No fool would hold their ground and die for a leader who is unwilling to do the same,” she loaded a magazine into her Von Musemachine pistol, “If the defenses fail, I will fire a signal into the air. If you are uncertain, then leave anyways. That is an order. Understood?”

A series of ayes.

“Good. Here’s to hoping that I won’t have to save my last bullets for the Netillian Resistance commander they sent.”

-----

>Arrange your defense. Enemy forces are expected to come from the northern angles, and friendly ones from the western angles. Aerial troops might come from anywhere.
Had to rush things so sorry if stuff is missing

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>>5156283
A spread out formation like this might not help our chances of being defeated piece by piece, but it should buy some time as the enemy has to at least put effort into going after each group. I am not fond of the idea of grouping up anyway, the enemy is superior in about every way and I don't want to risk them taking everything out at once. The tankettes are on the East to begin with to help out that flank because it has the most exposed retreat, but they should not take risks initially because I think they would be better served making hell if any enemy tank comes into the densely packed center area.
I don't know what that big compound is but it looks like as fine a place for a final holdout as any, should it come to it.

>>5156283
Tanq, how big are the buildings in the town? Any basements or cellars to speak of? Was wondering if we could we could conceal the militia and let the Net force waste time having to search through everything and maybe lull them to think that we've fled,then spring the ambush when they turn to face our reinforcements.

File: Battle Plan Cock Itch (Be(...).png (3.89 MB, 2796x1856)

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>>5156283
>Arrange your defense.
Is this town inhabited? I didn't think it would be but it'd be good to know.

Our allies are Militia. I won't trust them to even hold, just irritate and fall back. The ultimate goal to delay and draw the Nets into the town where our reinforcements can hit them from an unexpected side.

Color squares are by no means meant to illustrate actual amount of allied numbers. I want to divide each squad up into a few people per house in those general areas. If the enemy thinks every house in town has Republicans, all the better. Militia aren't going to resist heavily armed and armored Infantry in close quarters. So we'll make it appear like we have many, many times our numbers.

Their job is to hold their position until the moment the enemy smokes them and is about to storm a house, they pull back. Ideally before that happens and then they move to the next one while their friendly neighbors take potshots and be annoying.

The tankettes will only really survive if they keep moving and running behind houses after shooting once. Think back to our fight raiding the hidden motor pool, the Twaryians kept their armor secret behind buildings/garages until the the opportune moment.

Tankettes should not act as support for the infantry beyond plinking at enemy armor from flank shots and scurrying away deeper into the town. Maybe WE can use their Special Ability: Rapid Retreat for a change.

The more confusing we make for the enemy Nets, the more smoke they have to use and houses they have to storm, the longer they delay: the better.

At one point we're going to get surprised by Gyros landing behind us, but I hope by then we have more friendly units to use, and the town is such a clusterfuck that, even airborne, the enemy won't know what's safe or not.

>>5156554
Supporting this if we can't just hide until the tank group comes.

Also after thinking about it more for a bit, some extra questions:

-If the unpalatable order was given to the assault group to abandon those on foot and get here ASAP would it noticeably speed up their arrival time?

-Do the militia have Molotovs or other improvised weapons that can at least give them a slight chance of hurting vehicles?

>>5156283
>>5156554
Sounds like a good plan to me!

>>5156283
Supporting >>5156554

Man, I'm tired and I barely got anything done today. Won't be awake for much longer.

>>5156435
>I don't know what that big compound is but it looks like as fine a place for a final holdout as any, should it come to it.
It is a storage warehouse- though there's not much in it anymore, let alone anything of destructive use. It's unique in the town for having three stories, with the highest point in that lighter colored corner.

>>5156505
Tanq, how big are the buildings in the town? Any basements or cellars to speak of?
The smaller ones are one story, the larger ones are two story. Yes, there are, in the larger buildings, though they tend to have exactly one entrance.

>>5156554
>Is this town inhabited? I didn't think it would be but it'd be good to know.
It is not, as it's a place that was cleared out like the others to facilitate isolation for nearby bases. Nobody's lived in these places for at least a year.

>>5156588
>If the unpalatable order was given to the assault group to abandon those on foot and get here ASAP would it noticeably speed up their arrival time?
It would speed things up- as the people on foot would not only be not slowing down the quicker elements, but also, they'd be fighting the harassing elements.
However, you are not the Major, and she has decreed that she is getting the people out.
>Do the militia have Molotovs or other improvised weapons that can at least give them a slight chance of hurting vehicles?
Though the Republic's militias are poorly armed, the ubiquitous firebottle, friend of the Revolutionary Rebel in many countries in many forms, is something that they do have. For better or worse.

As a final note, in case it wasn't clear from before, the darker zone is a depression in the ground, and lighter zones are elevation.
If any modification or specification on plans results from this information, I'll be getting to it in the morning.

Alright then, for planning-
>>5156435
Operation Dirty Joke- Spread out and delay destruction. Of yourself.

>>5156554
>>5156588
>>5156591
>>5156718
Operation Cock Itch- See, this is why the Netillian army curated Prostitute Platoons, so that this problem is mitigated, but here you are cropping it right back up again.
Scattering and retreating and delaying as much as possible; with all you have. Similar to the above, but even more spread out.

Alright then, update coming, after raids so in a few hours.

In the meantime, I've scheduled a couple days off of PTO next week so I can take a few quick sketch requests on top of the other things I've said I'd do finally getting done. Though by then, this battle should be done. Probably. Hopefully.

>>5157446
>I can take a few quick sketch requests on top of the other things I've said I'd do finally getting done.
Angel Viska hanging out with Kelwin.
RIP to the boy.

>>5157828
Coin flip I think depending on which squad he was with

>>5157446
I've scheduled a couple days off of PTO next week so I can take a few quick sketch requests on top of the other things I've said I'd do finally getting done.
I may be drunk and forgetting certain
priorities, however, may I request a sketch of the Major at present, prepared to wade into fire to see out the completion of the mission?

The ”soldiers” weren’t much to speak of- most of them were city folk, following a light at the end of a tunnel, of a cause greater than themselves, or so they believed. A few of them, enough to lead and direct them, were reservists, or former military sorts freed from UGZs or prisons. They had old rifles, a lucky few might have an old machine pistol, but few had training with their weapons besides a few hours’ worth of practice. The tankettes were a reserve pair, with reservist crew, who defected with their equipment when the schism in Netilland occurred. All had wanted a fight, though- and they were going to get it.

The reservists were hesitant, when they were told what was coming. The other militia, sensing excitement, heroism, were oddly optimistic. However, the Major knew a thing or two about tactics- and about fighting a superior force. In Strossvald’s newer territories, the Altoss regions, there had been a struggle to claim the “anarchic lands,” that had continued for decades. Insurgents would often use “rat tactics,” to delay and surprise Archduchy soldiers and patrols, hiding a few fighters here and there and forcing any attack or investigation to steadily, slowly, advance, for fear of ambushes. Only a few men could delay even a company of soldiers this way, as it couldn’t be known how many might be lying in wait.
So it would be here. There would be no pitched battle, not yet. Only potshots, lures, and false retreats. Any loss would be painful, when three men had to pretend to be ten, but this was no fight to win. This was a fight to survive.

The commander of this militia force was skeptical of being advised on how to fight by a woman- but she was a monstrous woman, who towered over him and his men, and had a forcefulness to her tone that was foreign to what he thought a woman was like. She had a Strossvalder accent that she made no effort to hide, and it was known that the nobility of Strossvald bore infamously haughty women, the sort of self-assuredness that came from assumptions of higher birth. It was also rumored that such women were able to find themselves in military positions, unlike most nations- it was possible that she had more experience in combat than…well, any of them.

So they deferred. For the more that objection was considered, the more it was realized how little they were prepared.

Meanwhile, the tankettes were covered with sheets, and junk, mimicking the numerous forgotten piles in this dreary town. It was once called Karlsgrube, and a small dig site that had yielded little, in spite of striking a vein of decent ore, was a relic of its past before the territory had been peacefully cleared out with compensation by the Military Council. Its only purpose as of late was a seldom-used resupply and maintenance camp, now cleared out of enemies. With all the Republican Militia hidden, it was as quiet as it would be without its minor garrison.

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Rolled 2 (1d4)

An autogyro drifted close, humming from above, but the curious were scolded when they tried to peek at it. It was searching from above, ready to relay information about the enemy it would know was there- or on its way.

Those it would be telling were close.

>1-2 is the armored cavalry force, 3 is the paratroopers. 4 is both.

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The first to arrive were was the armored cavalry section- more an armored cavalry platoon, an assortment of what could be assembled at some time and called a task force of mismatched equipment. A pair of Handelwagen-25 armored cars, a triad of the same model of car, but with no turret or heavy weapons, to serve as open-topped transport vehicles. An NfK-5, and an Nfk-7. Only the last was something resistant to the weapons of the militia’s owned armored assets, but the operators of the enemy equipment would be more experienced- in addition, the militia’s foot troops could not procure anti-tank rifles, or similar equipment. Their best and only effective weapon against vehicles were firebottles, improvised but effective weaponry that utilized matches, a burning rag, or for the luckier insurgent, reactive flash paper, but all of them produced the same end result. A conflagration upon impact that would burn man and cook machine, if a square hit was struck. Though, firebottles had not been unknown to Ellowian insurgents, either- and they had learned that splattering the bottle against the wrong angle would produce nothing more than a puff and a drip of bright fire, with naught to show for it but an alerted foe.

The autogyro had seen nothing- and the armored cavalry force paused in front of the silent town. They knew, after all, that something lay in wait. They’d been told that their enemy’s path of retreat took them this way. They would be occupying this ground- and being reinforced. Yet they were apprehensive of what enemy might be waiting, it seemed.

The militia commander was apprehensive, too. His tankettes could cause quite a bit of damage- even rout the enemy, if they were allowed to strike from a proper location. Yet they were hidden, as of now.

Was it worth it to deploy them forward? To try and strike at the enemy at the same time as the first militiamen would be opening fire? Or, given the enemy’s lack of exposure, they’d have to stop and dismount at some time…maybe that was when to strike? Or was it right to follow the plan, and stay low as long as possible?

>Advance the tankettes to attack- it’d reveal them, but this was an enemy they could fight.
>Move the tankettes up, and have them make ready to fire when the militia were forced to fight- however the fighting was initiated, it’d be best to strike a strong blow.
>Keep the tankettes hidden. Stick with the plan. A vulnerable seeming enemy, was perfect bait for an overconfident defender.
>Other?

>>5158126
>Keep the tankettes hidden. Stick with the plan. A vulnerable seeming enemy, was perfect bait for an overconfident defender.
Need them to be close for the firebottles to do any significant amount of damage

>>5158126
>Keep the tankettes hidden. Stick with the plan. A vulnerable seeming enemy, was perfect bait for an overconfident defender.

>>5158129
Also just to add if/when the shooting begins driving away or downing the recon gyro should be top priority as well, since our hit and run stuff isn't going to work if their eye in the sky can track all our movements

>>5158126
>Keep the tankettes hidden. Stick with the plan. A vulnerable seeming enemy, was perfect bait for an overconfident defender.
Make them paranoid and fuck with their minds before chattering it.

>>5158126
>Keep the tankettes hidden. Stick with the plan. A vulnerable seeming enemy, was perfect bait for an overconfident defender.

>>5158126
>>Move the tankettes up, and have them make ready to fire when the militia were forced to fight- however the fighting was initiated, it’d be best to strike a strong blow.
Just as long as we can get a good first blow in. We won't have another opportunity as good as this.

Alright, raids were cancelled for tonight so I may have more dedicated time. Depending. No promises.

>>5158129
>>5158135
>>5158194
>>5158199
Keep your cards back. Shouldn't hit even if a 15 looks bad.

>>5158979
Move everything up. Make this a pitched battle right at the door.

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Held breaths. Quiet murmuring and shushes. The militia’s confidence was hurt somewhat, when they saw the quantity of steel moving towards them, but they had faith in the plan- that their cleverness and will would win the day. The enemy was cautious- uncertain. They spread out as they advanced, though their confidence in splitting their strength was more justified than their opponents’.

Though the Major, alone and looking upwards, noted the aerial scout more than anything else. So long as it was up there, the gambit that was being counted on to buy time might not work…though there was little that could be done about it. Rifles alone were insufficient to attack targets as distant and fast moving as aircraft, even with trained soldiers, let alone these militia. The best they could hope for was to drive it off, and even that was doubtful with this lot. They hardly needed to be distracted from the enemy in front of them as is.

So, she walked over to one of the tankettes- an NfK-5, with a two centimeter rapid fire cannon, the same caliber as was placed on many newer aircraft to combat one another. It hadn’t been designed to use this weapon against aerial targets, but the mount swiveled quite high nevertheless. With how low the autogyro circled…it’d be the best hope of damaging it.

The NfK-5 was an unimpressive vehicle. A cheap but swift little angular box that resisted normal rifle fire but little more, and the Major would have been taller than it if she wore her heels instead of her present combat boots. It looked no more threatening than a city automobile.

“You in there,” she commanded, knocking on the hatch until it opened and an uncertain, unshaved face popped out, the mixture of doubt and fear she inspired reflected in his eyes. The Major pointed to the sky. “If that flying machine crosses your arc of fire,” she closed a fist, “Shoot it down. Do not fire unless you believe you can hit it. Is that understood?” A nod. “Good. As you were.”

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Shots began to ring out, and the Major clicked her tongue as she strode back behind the warehouse coolly. Too early. The militia were predictably excitable, and they engaged presumably as soon as the enemy had dismounted. The report was impressive, to be true, with rifles cracking out across such a wide front, but their weight of fire was little more than annoyances. With their lack of training, they couldn’t put down accurate fire in amounts to intimidate the coming troops. They were spread out too far to cause damage…but they didn’t need to. Not yet.
>Militia units broken up into the smallest subdivision cannot harm enemies anywhere but point blank range- unless there are multiple units attacking the same target.

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They’d be running after the first volley- but if the Netillians were wise, they’d be attacking just as quickly. With no anti-tank guns firing, their vehicles could operate with impunity. The Major ducked into the warehouse, and strolled up the stairs, unsheathing a small pair of binoculars to glance out the small windows. She didn’t expect much- and didn’t get it. She saw the tiny teams of plain-clothed militia running out, near being chased down by armored cars, especially on the hill. The enemy commander was taking his time, at least. More time for the Netillian cavalry commander under her to return. She didn’t have access to the radio, but the reports had indicated he was close- with many tanks. Enough to potentially frighten the enemy away, if not to attack and destroy them outright. Then, it would be that man’s fight-not her own. Then, she could coordinate the exit…if only enough time could be bought.

More shooting now, from both directions of the fight. The retreat had stalled, the enemy force had come up faster than the militia anticipated; men would be dying, now. Hopefully, they wouldn’t break at the first sight of blood, though given the mismatch of skill and materiel taking place, the militiamen would be lucky if they had the chance to flee at all…

>Roll 2 sets of 1d100 for each Militia Combined Attack, though given their lack of firepower and firing into hard cover, they’ll have to roll above 80 to inflict damage in the first place. In addition, two more sets of 1d100 for, respectively, hitting the armored car on the hill with a Firebottle (DC roll under 20) and, for the next turn, shooting at the Autogyro with the 2 cm tankete (DC roll under 20)

Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>5159252
Here goes nothing

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>5159252
Judge, please guide these dice.

Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>5159252

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>5159252

>>5159257
>>5159265
>>5159282
>>5159297
Considering the DC, passing half of it is pretty damn good

>>5159299
Atleast we hit the Autogyro. Hopefully Magnus can come in undetected with the pilot preoccupied.

>>5159307
Ah right, it's shooting at, not shooting down.
Shit.

>>5159257
>>5159265
>>5159282
>>5159297
I can't say this is what I expected, but luck's on your side, it seems.

>>5159310
I'd consider "shooting at" being done with the intent to hit it, really. Whether it's "down" or not is something different, but hitting it is a thing.

>>5159337
Plenty of time left for the luck to turn, Von Walen hasn't even arrived yet.

>>5159347
If the "speed" at which each of our groups is going is supposed to be represented in turns, then Magnus and the gang should be here either next turn or the turn after that and we'll have to survive another 3 to 4 turns for the Assault Group, followed by however long it takes for everyone to actually get extracted...however, the fuck that's happening.
At least, that's the pace I hope we're going at. Otherwise, we might be in for a loooong and stressful thread. And that's before we even get back to Richter's POV and deal with whatever bullshit he has to get up to.

File: black_escape_8.jpg (1.79 MB, 2800x1852)

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”Agh! This is Cliff One, come in, ground. They’ve got something with a cannon down there. It’s taken out some of my controls. I think there’s a fuel leak, and there’s smoke. I have to make an emergency landing. Sorry.”

“Pull back, Cliff One. We’ll handle it. What’s the status on the other gyros?”

“They’re close. Really close. My observer sees them, I think…Damn, I’m going to lose control if I don’t touch down soon. Cliff One out.”

An unexpected turn of events as the Autogyro carelessly glided forth and away; nobody expected the shot to be made, least of all the pilot and observer of the aircraft, but a burst of two-centimeter fire from the ground struck it twice, and it lurched sideways, a stream of thick, black smoke growing behind it. An unimpressive result at first glance, but it was soon clear that the damage was causing the pilot to struggle. Rather than circling as it was, the autogyro began to limp away…

A small victory. The illusion of a great force would be maintained, a steady retreat possible, and busily being executed. Yet, the reality of the situation did not take long to rear its ugly head. A Firebottle flew over an advance armored car- its commander ducking down, and directing the turret to swivel. The militia, unluckily caught in the open between its target and a squad of infantry coming from behind that had failed to be suppressed, was cut down in the blink of an eye. The rest of the Netillian armor surged up with the infantry line- to devastating effect, as they laid down fire to pin down the militia in buildings that would soon suffer under the scrutiny of not only shells and machine guns, but munitions casters and grenades. Yet, these sacrifices had been planned. It was on the militia to properly shoot and run, and if they could not manage it…they paid the price.

The sound of heavy propellors south, and the Major ran to the other side of the building to check what was happening. Indeed…there they were. The heavy autogyros, two of them, the same that had been encountered reinforcing Site 12. They must have immediately loaded back up and left. No easy feat for large planes as those, especially considering where they had landed. Yet now, the situation was even more dire. The militia wouldn’t hold against the northern force as it stood now, let alone elite troops from the south…

-----

“We’re here,” you said, brushing your braid of hair back over your shoulder. “It seems like they’re in trouble. Let’s hurry over and turn the tide. High Cloud, this is Sparrow. We’re approaching and ready to reinforce you. Provide the locations of your forces, please.”

>Magnus’s tank force comes from the north- behind the enemy, but potentially, with others close behind too…
>Sparrow Group comes from the east. Away from most of the fighting, but able to deploy south or north quickly.
>The Ambush Group arrives from the northeast, ready to hit the flank of the attack.

>>5159416
Honestly, you shouldn't have much left to do now, depending on how the enemy is dealt with. So long as you survive what's coming after, of course.

>>5159429
>>Sparrow Group comes from the east. Away from most of the fighting, but able to deploy south or north quickly.
Spoil that LZ and force them to fly over the tankette with the autocannon

>>5159429
>Sparrow Group comes from the east. Away from most of the fighting, but able to deploy south or north quickly.
Flexible is the name of the game after alll.

>>5159429
>>Magnus’s tank force comes from the north- behind the enemy, but potentially, with others close behind too…

>>5159429
>>Sparrow Group comes from the east. Away from most of the fighting, but able to deploy south or north quickly.

>>5159435
>>5159436
>>5159442
I did the thing where I mixed up my right and left again, I meant west, northwest, and the like. Though I'd hope this is clear considering...there's no way that they'd be coming from the east, since that would mean they overshot the objective, and then came back.
Just making sure this is clear before I decide anything.

>>5159447
Yeah that's fine.

>>5159447
No biggie

>>5159429
>Sparrow Group comes from the east. Away from most of the fighting, but able to deploy south or north quickly.

>>5159521
We'll need to split the group. Half to put pressure on the north, half to spoil the LZ.

>>5159429
>Sparrow Group comes from the east. Away from most of the fighting, but able to deploy south or north quickly.

>>5159416
Maybe Richter should have come up here instead, while things are pretty dicey for now at least the m/32 can take on everything pretty well

>>5159525
>Maybe Richter should have come up here instead, while things are pretty dicey for now at least the m/32 can take on everything pretty well
Yea, I wish I didnt miss that vote, would have swung it from the coin flip...

>>5159429
>Sparrow Group comes from the east. Away from most of the fighting, but able to deploy south or north quickly.
Weast, then split around the town, heaviest elements go north to pin the enemy's armoured support, lightest rush south to spoil those para's landing zone

>>5159435
>>5159436
>>5159442
>>5159521
>>5159525
>>5159563
The west,

>>5159438
The north.

Updating.

>>5159525
>>5159535
Would it have been worth making Anya angry and sad, though?

>>5159912
Anya must be protected at all costs.

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“There’s no radios to go around,” High Cloud’s radio operator told you, “But I can tell you where our people are supposed to be, and what we can directly see. Our forces are ununiformed militia. We’ve told them you’re coming, but they don’t necessarily know what you look like.”

“We’ll have to do our best to be distinct,” you replied, “I see large autogyros coming.” They were like nothing you’d ever seen before. The USz-2 Stratus was well known to you, but the one that had been hanging over your battle and this one was now on the retreat. “What are those?”

“Transport craft. They carry infantry, likely elites.”

Paratroopers. You’d never met any, since their numbers were not particularly high, but their requirements for physical fitness, skill, and intellect were high. They wouldn’t be easy opponents to face, but at the same time, they’d likely be unwilling to face armor in open combat, and their large aircraft would be vulnerable when they were landed, and especially so when they were in the process of landing. That consideration towards the survival of valuable men and materiel could be exploited.

On some level, you also would loathe to rob Netilland of its best warriors. They would be needed in the times after this brief disagreement on rulership was resolved.

“There’s armor to the north, as well. Unknown numbers. Armored cars and a couple of tanks. A tankette and a self-propelled gun model.”

You could see them, already. Two of them, at least. An HW-25 and an NfK-7, at about the edge of ideal shooting range. They’d have spotted you by now, too. The latter one was the greatest threat, at least, to your comrades. The 2.5 centimeter cannon was no threat to you from this far.

“Report any news to me as soon as possible,” you said, “I’m moving our people out, now.” Poorly coordinated militia couldn’t be expected to maintain position against trained troops- you predicted that you wouldn’t know where all of them were until well after the fighting was done. Your role was going to have to be to destroy the enemy’s strongest points, and hope to drive them away…before more of them turned up. More of them would be turning up, and they’d be stronger than this lot.

>Plan your maneuvers. Your forces may be split up as you wish, but keep in mind that mounted infantry are vulnerable- and unless you declare them to be riding the whole way, they will be assumed to have dismounted and be on foot within three hundred meters of expected enemy encounters.
>Other Actions?
Of course, you out of context know where your allies will be- but you can't expect such knowledge to last.

>>5159946
X51,X52, and Squad A, go north to aid that line.
Everyone else go try to intercept the two autogyros to harry their landing as much as possible and confront them as soon as they take the battlefield.

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>>5159946
The X-51 and X-52 take A squad for a bit but kick them off to shoot at tanks. A squad gets to go hoof it to the nearest cover, they don't have to go where I indicated if the bad guys push up, just somewhere they can get in and hold from without being shot up. Magnus takes who he can from C and heads to the middle of the fight, preferably with plenty of waving from the men so they don't get shot up by scared militia. The rest of C can do what they can to catch up and find a fighting position, hopefully also without getting shot by militamen. The NKE-3, M28 madlad duo get to drive on an actual road for once to get to the flank and convince the flyboys to go and stay go.
I want the newly christened C squad heading into the thick of it because they should have the only gasmasks right? that should come in handy if it comes to urban fighting against those dismounts.

File: Escape Plan.png (4.42 MB, 2800x1852)

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>>5159946
Magnus and the Strossvalders to engage the pair of vehicles (just in case the dice gods cause us to miss a shot again like in the first ambush)
For the NKE-3 and m/28 I'd rather they just dump their infantry with the rest and just rush towards the LZ ASAP, time is of the essence and we need to aggressively force away their drop or even catch them during those precious seconds they're unloading

>>5160110
Also tanq I forgot but do the X tanks have the plastic shot that we had in Ellowie?

>>5159946
I'm seeing enough synthesis between these two >>5160020 >>5160110 that I'll just throw my hat in for them both
With one addendum blow the horns again

>>5160110
This is about what I intended to propose anyway.

>>5160013
The Strossvald Crew and the Expat Emreans go north. Everybody else goes east.

>>5160020
Similar to above- but the leader goes north too.

>>5160110
>>5160479
Three north, Two south. Drop the men and rush the LZ.

>>5160413
The two above melded- with the addition of horn blowing.

Updating.


>>5160120
They do not- only the 8 centimeter gun X tank had access to that, and Gerovic wrecked it.
Well, not him, but forces commanded by him.
The ammunition was being field tested as part of a secret program anyways, and would have been taken back as soon as the X Tanks were leased to the Ellowians. The X Tanks themselves were captured Valsten materiel, and no longer had any secrets that the Archduchy would rather keep for itself.

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“Sparrow Four and Five,” you said, “With me, pivot north. The target is the NfK-7 on the hill and any other armor we encounter. Infantry is to dismount when we halt. Sparrow Two and Three, have your men dismount immediately, and run to the east, directly. Do whatever possible to keep those autogyros from landing to the east or south. If we are outflanked by them, we’ll lose all advantages we might have had.”

“Do you hear that, Four?” Krause spoke, “Hold back a little. We can handle this.”

“No.” A more confident voice from Von Metzeler than before, “I have taken the drug. It was now or never. I will be fine.”

“Ah…I see.” Krause sounded uncertain. You had no idea what to expect, either, but confidence in this hour would be necessary indeed.
>Von Metzeler and his X-51 have improved initiative, and are immune to fear from the effects of Glory Draught

“High Cloud,” you switched to your allies’ higher command, “Those autogyros making to land to your east cannot be allowed to land there. Dissuade them however possible.”

You expected a word of protest at being told what to do, but instead you merely heard, “Acknowledged.”

With a sharp word to your own crew, you were all off in a stuttered advance, your lighter tanks pushing their passengers off and heading off as quick as they could. With how open the terrain was here, they’d be able to take full advantage of their speed…though those autogyros in the distance were already slowing down, descending…

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“Almost at five hundred…no, six hundred meters,” you told your crew, “Driver, halt. Gunner, the target on the hill. We’ll have three guns on it, but make it quick.”

“Aye, sir,” your gunner said, wheeling the turret’s smaller adjustments, “They’re already looking towards us. Suppose they’re confident to take three on one.”

Either that, or they counted on having the first shot. They probably would shoot first, given that they would surely have noted your approach. Its five centimeter gun would be as effective on the Strossvalders’ tanks as theirs would be on it, but the distance was such that a hit was not certain for anybody…they might get the first shot, but three would return in kind.

To the east, a new battle kicked off to compliment the one already taking place over the town. You saw neither, but hoped that, a glance showing the autogyros hadn’t landed yet, it meant you could discourage a landing. Even your men would have to be very lucky to land any hits, but if the paratroopers managed to disembark there, you weren’t sure if even tanks could deal with them should they manage to reach urban ground.

>First, roll initiative. First is for Magnus, Second for Metzeler, Third for Krause, and Fourth is for that tankette that’s rolled out to fight in the town. Von Metzeler will have a +20 bonus, and when the enemy rolls, they’ll have a +10. Then, roll to-hit for each. All your tanks have a DC 50 roll under to hit, save for the tankette, which has a roll under 40. Enemy initiative and to-hit will be rolled after yours.

Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>5161087
Let's get it!

>>5161087
Managed to leave out that the dice for each one is d100s but you probably understand that after what five years

>>5161092
Wanna make it roll 2d100 to get both Initiative and the hit outta the way?
Help move things along?

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>5161087

>>5161097
Sure, go for it.

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>5161087
>>5161090
>>5161101
Righto.
Judge guide my dice!

Rolled 19, 7 = 26 (2d100)

>>5161087
Lets go tier one tankette.

Rolled 19, 14, 75, 62 = 170 (4d100)

>>5161090
>>5161101
Counting this as first initiative,

>>5161099
And this as Metz's Init roll,

>>5161127
And here as the tankette.

Just give me three more for Von Metzeler's hit, and Krause's initiative and to-hit.

If the tankette manages to just be less slow than its opponent it'll be golden. First two are the NfK-7's Init and Hit respectively, and the other two are the Armored Car, who has a -10 Initiative, but a roll under 60 to hit. NfK-7 has a roll under 50 and a +10 to initiative.

Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>5161153

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>5161153

Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>5161153

You guys really are just cutting it close here with those rolls huh.
Updating.

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“Fire when ready,” you ordered, and your shot soon went out- preceded by Von Metzeler’s. Yet, both were off the mark, close, but one skipped off the ground in front of the enemy, and the other glanced off the top of the front with a spray of sparks. “No effect,” you announced, glaring through binoculars at the enemy. They could have rushed their shot- but they didn’t. They were waiting- still making adjustments, taking their time. With its five centimeter gun, a solid hit could strike down either of your allies’ tanks…

Yet just when you thought you’d have to grit your teeth and hope against the worst, a blast from the side- Sparrow Five had loosed a shot, the glowing trace of the shell searing through the misty air and sinking into the front armor of the NfK-7, which fired off its own shell, but the hit had sundered any aim, and it skipped off the ground a good hundred meters before your group, its shooter catching fire on the hill and beginning to burn like a beacon.

You allowed yourself to exhale, and took in the surroundings again. “Forward.” Further battle was ensuing- a look east told you that the autogyros had been driven off from their initial landing point, but they could still land north. A radio report from the town told that one of the tankettes aligned with your forces had won a duel with an armored car. However, there was no little news of what was occurring between the foot soldiers, and you both noted visually and heard of plumes of munitions-caster smoke flowering up here and there.

Your infantry had made it to the town, at least, or was close. Not that you’d be able to coordinate them, but you could trust these men. Better than untrained and untested militia spread thin over the town, at least. Though, if two of the enemy’s four pieces of armor had been knocked out, you now held a huge advantage on the field. The only other reported armor was armed with 2.5 centimeter cannons at best, and the elite paratroopers had yet to deploy. You could advance and hope to force a retreat, or perhaps consolidate your position. After all, Gerovic’s force had yet to return…and weren’t expected to for some time. Enough time that somebody else would surely be arriving before you could escape to friendly territory yourself.

It had to be tempting to the Strossvalder commanders. Only a few kilometers away, there were friendly Republic troops holding the ground, but you appreciated that they saw fit to wait for you. Respected that the militia, for all their questionable combat capability, had come this far to risk sacrificing themselves for a chance at your escape, after your mission had been accomplished. Honorable men whom you hoped the Judge would treat kindly.

>Plan your maneuvers. Note that not all enemies and friendlies are necessarily visible on the map.
>Other actions?

>>5161320
West Armored group should move to secure the 5 road crossroad and the 4 way to its south, provide fire for the militia along the roadway. Their gonna need whatever fire support they can get until our infantry can move up. Any form of suppressive fire to keep the Nets from crossing the main roads should be fine.

Remaining tanks should move to collapse on the two vehicles remaining before assisting the militia there. The autocannon should stay on the autogyro's for as long as possible.

Ideally with most of the armor in the town we could use the roads to quickly redeploy against whatever comes up. Hoping the Paratroopers arnt insane enough to use the snow to cushion their jumps.

>>5161320
I think the western tanks should continue to hook around the town to the northeast and fire into the rear of the Netillian troops to pin them between us and the militia in the town. Doing that will also block the paratroopers from landing any further to the northwest as they'll run into us. But avoid going into the town and keep an eye out to the north in case of additional reinforcements.

File: Strossvalders do it from (...).png (4 MB, 2800x1852)

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>>5161320
Have the X-51 and X-52 move to attack the infantry on the hill, that should bait out their smoke. They can then move around the hill and hit the enemy from behind. They are relatively quiet from what I remember, and the only people that will really see them before it is too late are the group on the hill if they even stay there at all. Edelschwert goes down to the middle of the town where it looks like they are making their big push and does what he can.
I am least confidant about the southern group. I am leaning towards telling them to not take risks and play for time. The enemy has to advance on them so see if they can hold angles and not pop out into fire. I don't want to risk them evening out our large advantage with a few lucky shots when we have the firepower moving in on them already.
The risk here is the situation will rapidly become quite dynamic if those reinforcements show up in 2 turns, but such is life.

>>5161375
Supporting this with the addition that B squad and the militia around it advance to retake the hill in conjuction with the Strossvalders.

>>5161320
Supporting >>5161375

Alright, here again.

>>5161343
The west supports the infantry- prevent further southward incursion. Other armor hunts tanks. Hope that no fly doesn't mean jump good.

>>5161367
Move up and around north- and keep an eye that way.

>>5161375
>>5161512
>>5161642
Have the west guys force the enemy off the hill. Move Sashy to the center. Hold in ambush positions to the south. Have help for getting that hill back.

Writing.

File: black_escape_13.jpg (1.84 MB, 2800x1852)

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Rolled 1 (1d2)

“Sparrow Four and Five,” you said, now that the hill was clear of threats, and the rest of the armor was evidently elsewhere, “Move north. We’re going to take that hill back. Go around behind, and I’ll support the town. Two and Three, try to hold position. Don’t act aggressively.” Your crew, next. “Driver, forward. Get us on that road. Gunner, do not engage targets until I identify them.”

Urban fighting was ugly, for tanks, but you at least had no shortage of support. The support of an armored vehicle could turn a fight- but it was a great risk to the tank itself, with it losing the advantages of its speed and long ranged weaponry in close quarters, and its armor not nearly as protective when a man could come close enough to see the weak points. You’d fought in towns two times before, when you were not a captain yet and were new to warfare, and both times, you had lost comrades in armor- an experience you were not willing to readily repeat.

“We’re set, Sparrow Actual,” Arminius said, “But I think our buddy over there’s overconfident. Tried telling him to stop, but these guys might not have working radio sets, or they’re on the wrong channels.”

Now, you were rolling in the streets between abandoned houses, noting the advance of infantry and militia alike, better piecing together the situation in your head, as further updates on positions came from around the field. The cavalry force seemed to have a firm hold on the northeast part of town- and were advancing readily still, even though the paratroopers had been diverted from their original landing. They’d probably go behind the woods to the northeast- where nobody would be able to interdict them, and cover was close. They’d at least have been delayed.

>Rolling a d2; on a 2, enemy reinforcements will appear on the turn after the next.

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“They’re not coming for us,” Arminius said, “We’re at an impasse here to the east. Nothing’s moving yet. Except…rifle fire, to the north of us. Seems like they’re trying their luck on foot.”

“All clear to the north,” Krause reported, “Maybe too much…nobody’s here. Not even north.”

“They’re on their way,” you reaffirmed, when something caught your eye. “Driver, halt! Gunner, turn the turret half-left, targets in that two story house with the two chimneys!”

Your own infantry came up beside just as the shooting began, the enemy intent on clearing away the militia it would have known about- though not the reinforcements they were receiving. The return fire to your own began soon enough, though; including a daring shot made towards you.

“Ready gas masks,” you said, as the first high-explosive shot burst out towards the comrades turned foe…

>Roll 4 sets of 1d100; First for your support of your infantry, then C Squad’s performance, then for the initiative and shot of the tankette to the east. There won’t be initiative rolls for the infantry here- combat is too close-in.

Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>5162590

Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>5162590

Rolled 20 (1d100)

>>5162590

Rolled 88 (1d100)

>>5162590
Satan guide my dice!

>>5162629
The Lord of Lies strikes again!

>>5162636
It does seem to be a theme now doesn't it.
I'll keep it in mind if we have to roll for enemies at any point.

Rolled 63, 87, 12 = 162 (3d100)

And here's the enemy infantry, and the enemy tankette's init and hit.
I didn't put in DCs but they're not changed from before anyways. Enemy tankette's got a to-hit of sixty.
Let's see if I can rush this out before I have to get ready for work. I know this has lasted a long time, but you're close.

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It was quick, explosive fighting, both in speed and the actual dirty work of it. Munitions caster fire was exchanged along with the shells, and before you knew it, it was all over- because the fire and the dust from the numerous explosive shells was finally settling from the mist it had created, and the enemy had, evidently, decided that they had bitten off more than they could chew.

It was good enough for now, though if they were retreating…

“Sparrow Platoon, status report,” you demanded.

“The hilltop’s ours,” Krause reported, “I saw an enemy tankette and a few armored cars retreating, not all of them armed like the turreted ones, from the looks of it. No angles on them.”

“That means our own must have bit it in that last exchange,” Arminius scowled, “Blast.”

So you were down a friendly piece of armor, and the paratroopers seemed to have landed, but they were far, and the enemy was retreating to the northeast of the town, presumably to wait for reinforcement. Was it time to strike, and press them out of this town altogether, force them to start their assault over? Or was it more important than ever now to dig in?

You’d have to request another look north, for any indication on when the rest of the enemy forces would be coming…as well as if Gerovic had hurried any faster.

>First, roll 2d4. The first is whether enemy forces arrive next phase- 2-4 indicates that they do. The other is if the other group of friendlies arrives before them- on a 4, they do, otherwise, they do not.
After this roll, you may decide:
>Clear out the town. You’d need the enemy on the back foot as long as possible, and this opportunity would not linger. (How do you attack?)
>The militia had taken a beating as is, and you’d been lucky enough not to sustain casualties yourself. Best not press that luck- dig in your current positions.
>Pull back to more defensible positions. You didn’t have to hold the whole town to keep the way out open- focus on a firm defense above all else. (Arrange your defense- You’ll have some time to move things where you want.)
>Other?
Obviously, if everything’s gone luckier for you than you can hope, then just securing your final out and booking it is an option, however you do it. They’ll be coming from the west, or northwest road, depending on enemy presence.

Rolled 1, 2 = 3 (2d4)

>>5162742

>>5162742
>>Clear out the town. You’d need the enemy on the back foot as long as possible, and this opportunity would not linger. (How do you attack?)
Looks like the enemy isn't showing up just yet. Get the southern group to try and round up the militia and bring them up for an attack north. When they have that done they should move north as well to see if they can engage the rest of the enemy armor. Magnus likewise should get Squad A and C to move to attack the enemy and then try to get over to the remaining tankette and see if he can support the push at all. If the smoke is too much for that though reposition onto the hill. The Archduchy crew should coordinate with the southern group to go after the armor at the same time. The tankette might be slippery enough to get away but that last armored car should be toast.

File: Phase2.png (4.37 MB, 2800x1852)

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>>5162742
Clear out the town. You’d need the enemy on the back foot as long as possible, and this opportunity would not linger. (How do you attack?)

Strossvalders and the m28 to flank around and eliminate the fleeing armour, Magnus and the NKE-3 to support the fight in town. C squad and the militia to provide suppressive fire while the IO and Revoluntary dudes manouevre to assault those two Net squads.

>>5162742
>Clear out the town. You’d need the enemy on the back foot as long as possible, and this opportunity would not linger.
By the look of it we already got them in a pincer of sorts, we just need or elements to close in on them and we should take them out on way or another. Hopefully then we'd have handled them long enough to reposition back to how we had it when we started, just with more guns to support this time around.

>>5162742
Supporting >>5163328

>>5162778
The enemy is late. Unfortunately, the other group is not early.

>>5162854
>>5163328
>>5163607
>>5163713
Drive them from the ground, with two angles of attack.
Updating.

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“The north remains clear,” Von Metzeler said, “I cannot see a single sign of any enemy, let alone an armored force.”

“Then our course is obvious,” you declared in response, “Attack! Sparrow Two and Three, press the enemy’s south, Four and Five, attack from above. We drive them from this town as far as we can.”

Some more shouting and gesturing got nearby infantry to get the idea- though the enemy sensed the tide turning well before you did, and had laid down smoke for themselves as cover. It mattered little whether you destroyed them at this point, though. A secure position was worth more than any amount of blood on your hands, and if the enemy gave it up without fighting, they would not have any of yours on theirs, either. Though their mechanized capabilities were not so readily dismissed.

“Armored Car sighted,” Von Metzeler reported, “Sparrow Five.”

“Sparrow Two here,” Arminius said, “I’ve got an angle too. Let’s go for it.”

It was three shots on one- the car scarcely stood a chance, and you were unsurprised when you heard report of its destruction. The infantry were also harassed with whatever fire could be brought down upon them, but they as well, escaped into the sloping, worn depression of the old quarry site, where the tankette had slipped off as well. The attackers had been well reduced by your intervention- and you set to arranging what resources you had into the defensive positions recently lost.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

As you were telling your infantry where to establish themselves, though, the enigmatic tall woman who was only known by a rank, approached your vehicle. She looked unperturbed, though her grooming had suffered a little from some unknown event, and she was far more prepared for battle than when you’d last seen her, a harness of leathers carrying an assortment of ammunition and equipment, with a machine pistol you’d never seen the likes of held loosely in a hand.

“Captain Edelschwert,” she said up to you, “You’ve done well. What is the status of your task force?”

“Unchanged from my last report,” you said, “We’ve driven the enemy from the town without further casualties to my force, though the militia here have been battered.”

“As they were expected to,” the Major looked north, “The anticipated armored force, according to my radio specialist, was delayed. They decided to join with another smaller section, and that delay might cost them their chance to catch us. If Von Walen and Gerovic do not arrive soon, however, you’ll have to fight this stronger force anyways. Are you prepared?”

“To fight? Of course.”

“No,” the Major said curtly, “To retreat. I do plan to remain here, but if you are overwhelmed, or suffer losses that will break your defense before the others arrive, I will not sacrifice everyone in lieu of escaping with what I can get out. You have operatives of mine amongst your command. If I command them to retreat, they will not stay with you in a hopeless defense. Is that understood?”

“I don’t think that will be necessary.”

The Major crossed her arms. “Hm. Then be ready for what may come.”

>Rolling for what’s coming next. 1 is allies, 2 is enemies.