Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three: Blitzkrieg
Rigil Kentarus jump point, November 18th, 3030
"4th Royal Guards, this is where we prove that us being rebuilt was not a mistake, this is where we redeem ourselves after our shameful showing in the Capellan Confederation. We are jumping straight to Dieron in order to take that world along with the 10th Skye Rangers. From there we will push further into the Combine until either God or the enemy sees fit to finally make us stop advancing. We are the Pride of the Commonwealth, and we're going to prove that in the process of this campaign." General Frederick Steiner said to the troops on the various dropships and jumpships that belonged to the 4th Royal Guards.
After his speech, Frederick looked at his aide-de-camp and nodded, giving him the signal to go ahead and start the transition. With an alarm sounding to signal that the jumpship fleet was about to change systems.
A ripple and shift in reality was all that showed that the 4th Royal Guards had appeared into the system, and the Dropships detached and began a 1g burn for the planet.
Ko, Draconis Combine, November 25th, 3030
"Somone shut that fucking artillery down!" Stone ordered as he moved away from the LZ that had been zoned by the militia Artillery that was attached to the 22nd Dieron Regulars. "Vance, where is our air support?"
"Our Stings are currently engaged with a couple of clones of some kind, they're not quite as well armed and armored but it'll still take time to get them over to you." Vance reported. "We do have a company of ODST waiting on the Vengeance in orbit though."
"Have two platoons drop on that artillery, if we don't take it out then we'll be easy pickings for the 22nd Dieron Regulars." Stone said as he exchanged fire with a Draconis Combine Jenner, melting off nearly two tons of armor with his ERPPC's.
"You good Lieutenant?" Stone asked the fireteam leader that was with him. "I thought you liked that Von Rohrs."
"I do sir, just not quite used to the new electronics package yet." The Lieutenant replied. "My targeting systems are faster than I'm used to."
"Well, just stick with me and we'll be alright." Stone replied, "We'll get you up to ace yet." Stone moved his Marauder back to the LZ that they were securing and then turned to the sky as it lit up with what looked like debris falling from orbit at first glance. "Godspeed Helljumpers, Godspeed."
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"How do we go Helljumpers?" Godfrey asked his company of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers.
"We go feet first, Captain!" The company responded to Godfrey's call.
"Damn straight," Godfrey said as his chest filled with pride. "Our esteemed commanding officer, Colonel Stone, needs us to pull him and his men out of the fire, it seems that they can't handle some artillery." Godfrey scoffed. "But we, we're going to go down in style and make sure that these bastards know who they're messing with."
"Aye Sir!" They responded.
"Now get into your designated pods, we've got some arty to kill." Godfrey said with a grin.
Kessel, Draconis Combine, November 25th, 3030
"Trigger those explosives." Colonel Zoe Carter commanded from her Mobile HQ. "I want the 3rd Dieron Regulars to back off from that ridge until we can move our infantry up there."
"Yes ma'am, triggering a rockslide." Her comms officer relayed the command. "Major Davis needs some input though ma'am."
"Have his unit power down, we need to sucker the 12th Sun Zhang Academy Cadre in, those light machines are almost purpose built for guerilla warfare." Carter said. "We'll draw them in and then hit them from behind with Major Davis' unit in order to thin them out."
"Our Stings done with that arial battle yet?" Carter asked.
"Yes Ma'am, they're landing for a quick rearmor and rearm now." Came a response. "Well, get them back out there, we need the CAS."
"ETA thirty mikes on the reskin ma'am." The same officer reported. "They took a beating earlier."
"Have our Artillery section standby for TAG then, we need to make sure that we've got our people covered while we rearm and repair the Sting gunships."
"Yes Ma'am, having Artillery stand by."
"Why haven't they detonated that ridge yet?" Carter asked.
"Ma'am, they seem to be having an issue with the remote detonators."
"Tell them they have five minutes before I come and blow up the ridge myself."
"Yes ma'am, lighting a fire underneath them."
Luthien, Draconis Combine, 3030
"So the Lyrans have made their move." Takashi stated. "Have the Wolf's Dragoons and two regiments of the Ryuken move to reinforce Dieron, and have my son Theodore and the Legions of Vega move to Kessel." He paused in thought for a moment while sitting on his throne. "We must move some of our units away from the Davion border, but we also cannot afford to show weakness to them or we may be assailed on two sides."
"My lord, we could retask some of the Galedon Regulars," Subhash Indrahar observed. "Many of them are stationed along the periphery border."
"What is this?" Takashi interrupted as he looked at the battlerom from one of his officers from the battle of Kessel."
"My Lord, all of our intelligence points to it as being a more modern refit of the Hebi." Subhash offered.
"They have spat in our faces twice now." Takashi growled out. "This Duke Hull is even more of a priority target than he was before, first he revives the Gladiator to our shame, and then he brings out this!" Takashi visibly calmed himself. "While he shows honor in combat, he has shown that he cares more for victory than honor and as such he shall be treated as he desires."
"You wish us to assassinate him?" Subhash Indrahar asked inquisitively. "My Lord, that could very well trigger the second war that we are trying to avoid."
"It will wait," Takashi stated coldly. "First we shall deal with the threat that the Lyrans offer, and then we will deal with the Davions."
Skye, Lyran Commonwealth, December 28th, 3030
"Nondi," Katrina greeted her over the live HPG transmission. "Is Operation Blitzkrieg going well?"
"Dieron is still holding out, it seems that they maintain at least three regiments at all times since the Davions managed to take it in 3020." Nondi replied, "The other area that is holding out is Kessel, they managed to reinforce them with the 18th Dieron Regulars and the 1st Marksman are outnumbered but still doing well."
"Ko is ours, as is Kimball II, Komephoros, Alrakis, Dromini VI, and Atria, we're moving onto phase two and allowing the Skye Rangers off of their leash." Nondi said with a smirk. "The 17th Skye Rangers are being told to go raiding as far into the Combine as they can logistically support and to move over to the Davion border if they can successfully accomplish it."
"Hopefully they'll be enough of a distraction while we secure the border in order to move further into the Combine." Katrina replied. "I'm sending the Kell Hounds to you, make sure you put them to good use."
"We'll need them for garrison duty if nothing else." Nondi responded with a yawn. "It is late Katrina, and I need some rest."
"I understand Nondi, doing paperwork can be exhausting on the best day, casualty reports are even more so." Katrina said with a sad smile. "Get some rest Nondi, I'll see you again at the regular check in."
With the final words exchanged, Nondi walked out of the private booth that the local Comstar Precentor had provided. "Once again, we thank you for your patronage, we're wiping down the booth now, and ensured that the privacy policy was followed to the letter."
"Good to hear." Nondi said. "Hopefully we won't need to do too many more of these, I hear it strains the HPG components."
'It does, but in limited time frames such as this one it is an acceptable level of stress, and we now manufacture replacement parts at a rate much higher than we did before."The Precentor Smiled, "Why, the more components that we wear out, the higher my budget for research goes."
"Oh God save me from scientists trying to get more funding." Nondi said after she had managed to leave the Comstar HPG compound. "They're like rats trying to get the biggest piece of cheese they can find."