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Post by Mr. Durandal on Mar 26, 2008 21:35:55 GMT -5
That miracle started small as the SRCs finally saw the last of the logistics vehicles clear the area. Using hand signals, they darted back and forth among the trees, a force of over 3,000. The wolverines were very stealthy, but the titans needed to keep back a distance so that they could avoid being heard. The 5 Mammoths that were there, were among the quietest vehicles, even though they were very large.
Sneaking behind the enemy, until at last, the Black Gate could be seen, they noticed the enemy stopping. This was it. The 1,000 or so Selected Infantry, i.e. the special forces, snuck up on the enemy. They quickly and quietly started snuffing out rear units, all the while keeping themselves hidden. Known as the army "you don't see till you're dead", the SI literally killed off 3 platoons before anyone seemed to notice. Whole squads were killed and the corpses hidden within 15 seconds.
Officers began to notice their men weren't responding when being called. They just vanished into thin air. Word was spread between the rear echelons and men began to panic, some even turning tail and running, never to be heard from again.
Finally, after almost 3 full companies had "disappeared", the enemy marched out of the forest. Relieved at being out of the horror show and finally having made it to the capital, they soon regained their moral. Just as they approached the capital city, SRC "Suicides" (as they were nicknamed), dressed as PSC troops and wearing large helmets, opened fire on the PSC troopers. Shocked that their own were killing them, many were gunned down. They finally ripped about their "brothers" with gunfire and unrest immediately set in. Suspicous eyes watched each other, even as it was deemed that these attackers were not human. The stage was set for the final strike.
The Mammoths, traveling at 50 km/h, burst out of the woods, the SRCs following behind. The tanks' 150 mm cannons opened fire with high-explosive and armour-piercing rounds. The titans had been loaded with air burst shells that rained metal down on the enemy. The wolverines ran forward, the SRCs using their powered suits to first, gun the PSC down, and then, tear them apart when they got close.
The SRCs weren't without their own losses, of course. 100 had already been killed instantly when a missile barrage struck one of their firing positions. Many were already succumbing to the sniper war that had broken out between the Synthetics and the PSC.
The fight had finally come on two fronts for the PSC, which was never a good thing in war. One of the SRCs laughed after downing a man with a perfect shot between the eyes and told his comrade that they should call this battle the closing of Pandora's Box...
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Post by Porcu on Mar 28, 2008 0:08:01 GMT -5
"Hey, Chris...Give me a hand over here! This stuff isn't going to unload itself, you know?" a HTO regular said with a sarcastic tone, waving his hands up and down.
His comrade, a fine soldier from Greater Mactopia, simply chuckled and slowly got up from a crate he had been sitting on, resting. A mere 30 meters separated the two regulars but that wouldn't matter as suddenly a coincidently well placed mortar round crashed right next to the man, the death being quick and painless unlike the shock to follow.
The initial explosion had stunned the soldier's friend who still was unloading material when his friend had been obliterated and forced the man to the ground. Looking to the sky the soldier could have sworn he saw the other mortar rounds dropping from the sky, although they came in at breathtaking speeds. Death wouldn't be as kind to this soldier as it was to his friend and during the ensuing carnage he would be torn apart by flying pieces of shrapnel, the immense yet slow loss of blood finally taking him into the afterlife.
General Falkirk had been walking with some of his deputies when the first mortar hit and without delay the instincts of warfare immediately took control; yet no amount of leadership could prevent the seemingly instant extermination that was about to take place. Almost all HTO regulars were taking a break, some smoking, some playing cards, while most simply sat on the crates they had lifted out of the transporters and chatted, all completely caught off guard by the PSC barrage.
Hell rained from above, no square inch being safe from the "effective range" of a missile or mortar, and as some soldiers nervously ran around trying to find cover, some thinking there was no way out of this, many more wished they had been as fortunate as the ones who had died instantly. General Falkirk had donned his elite military equipment and would therefore be relatively safe from indirect fire but instead of running out onto the unloading site he cowered away here the jungle bordering the site. It would be several months before Falkirk could shove the screams out of his head and in his dreams.
Out of nearly 8000 HTO peacekeepers and medical personnel only 400 or so were to "survive" the initial bombardment by the PSC, only to be individually gunned down later when the APC's and PSC regulars came to see their own destructive efficiency. Knowing that if he fled he would see another day, General Falkirk immediately ran into the thick forest with the two deputies he had been talking to when the initial strike occurred. Although all three men were armed, the deputies carrying regular battle rifles and Falkirk carrying his elite shield and strap-on rifle/spear, they knew they were going to have one hell of a time finding the other units who had veered off originally, or any allied unit for that matter...
OCC: Do you think we can draw a rudimentary map so that I know where everything and everyone is relatively?
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Post by Mr. Durandal on Mar 28, 2008 0:35:05 GMT -5
When the SRC recon units saw the men approaching on their scanners, they immediately raised their A-2 Alliance Assault Rifles, and the LT walked out to greet the newcomers. The platoon leader stood in front of the battered men, her red eyes glistening. "This is a restricted area. Only allies of the SRC UoS are allowed through here alive." The men, who were obviously HTO troops, breathed hard and fast. They had been running for a long, by the looks of it, and were very tired. The LT felt some kind of sympathy for the men, and would possibly even give them shelter...
It hit. With a bang and a flash, it was gone. All that was left of Riefort was a crater...
OOC: I intentionally made that short, btw.
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Post by Canton Rouge on Mar 28, 2008 9:01:52 GMT -5
OOC: I'll make a map this afternoon. IC: Despite being pinned down by both the SRC UoS and the joint ops force of both Canton Rouge and Nakarak, the Pacific States Coalition was able to hold their own, but now, more units had to be sent to the rear to counter this new synthetic enemy. Although the synths were more than able to halt the PSC progress, eventually, the PSC decided to just bombard these synths with rockets coming from their mechanized units to allow the infantry to go back to their original position near the Great Temple. Meanwhile, the rest of the infantry at the front were preparing for their final assault on the Great Temple. Although all three allied armies had caused casualties and destruction on the PSC, they knew that unless more reinforcements came or a weapon that could turn the tide of war came, victory would come to the PSC, something nobody wanted... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Breaking News! "Hello again. I am Johnathan Windsor for the World News Network. We have just received word that....that....that the capital of Clamparapa, Riefort, has just been obliterated by a nuclear device. Estimates are showing that most, if not all of the inhabitants are dead from vaporization or nuclear radiation poisoning. We don't know who would do such a thing, but we think it may be the Pacific States Coalition. We will update you as we get more information."
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Post by nakarak on Mar 28, 2008 15:45:45 GMT -5
Nakar Kor stood atop the steps leading into the Great Temple, surrounded by his Slayers and the combined warriors of Nakarak and Canton Rouge. Before him stood the uncounted hordes of the PSC forces. For the first time, he realized the possibility that they might not win the day. For the first time in over a hundred years, Nakar Kor was afraid. Then he felt a cool breeze blow from the west, and his courage was restored. He knew what he had to do.
He shouted, and his voice was fell and terrible. His foes cowered in fear, and his own troops were bolstered with hope. He shouted, "This is where we make our stand. Here me now, soldiers of the Pacific States Coalition. The Great Temple is sacred ground. You shall not enter therein. Bring on your rabble hordes. Bring on your bombs and vile machines. It does not matter." He drew his sword, and settled into a fighting stance, and a split second later so did the rest of his troops. "You will fail." Then he charged forward, leaping through the air into the midst of the enemy. The other soldiers, emboldened by his courage, charge forward as well.
They fought with furious, unrelenting rage. The Nakaran soldiers drove deep into the heart of the enemy, and the Canton Rouge soldiers fought valiantly as well. Nakar Kor, however, was invincible. He shrugged off blows that would have slain lesser men, and even those that would have crippled a Nakaran warrior. He cut a bloody swath through the PSC troops, and soon the dead were piled high, marking his path. It seemed the day would yet be won. Then a PSC trooper fired a single, unremarkable missile. It sailed through the clashing armies, and hit Nakar Kor full on in the chest.
He was thrown back, his armor shattered, his breathing labored. The throngs of foes, emboldened now, charged forward to claim their prize. Still he fought on, staggering to his feet to slay those who would destroy everything he had achieved in his lifetime. He took shot after shot, and finally, he could take no more. He collapsed to the ground, and passed into the void.
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Post by Canton Rouge on Mar 28, 2008 17:24:35 GMT -5
Timothy Matthews saw Nakar Kor fall to the ground, and almost immediately, an untold battle rage entered his system. If Nakar Kor went down fighting, so would he. He turned to the Pacifican warriors and shouted, "You want me? Then you'll take me dead as my friend there!" He then decided to discard the swords in favor of a fallen PSC soldier's battle rifle. He yelled, "This is where it ends, one way or another!" And he took off, firing at the soldiers, dropping them one by one.
The Pacifican soldiers were shocked by the fierce tenacity of the soldiers fighting on despite the loss of their leader. It was as if they were going to avenge their leaders death, even if they would end up losing the battle. But despite the infantry's best efforts, it felt like the end was near.
But then, a loud deafening roar was heard, followed by a blast coming from the air, which landed right on top of the advancing PSC hordes, decimating them. The Canton Rouge soldiers turned to the sky, and to their delight, they saw the greatest thing ever. The Titans had finally made their way over, and now, the tide had turned drastically in favor of the joint alliance. As the Titans slowly made their way over, more cannon fire erupted from them, landing on the PSC forces, who were shocked at this arrival of reinforcements. They knew now that for them, it was over one way or another.
As the Titans got closer, gunships and transport helicopters started spewing out of the vessels like bees coming from a hive. Immediately, the forces notifed the gunships of targets of interest along the streets, to which the gunships eradicated the invaders with swarms of missiles and machine gun fire. Once again, panic erupted amongst the PSC troops, who had no effective counter to these, and could not call upon their own gunships, which were refueling, thus easy targets for other CR gunships.
Seeing that the capital was now lost, the PSC did the only sensible thing possible, retreat. Unfortunately, the gunships continued their harrassment, and landing out in the countryside now, were the reinforcements from Canton Rouge. They were easily able to eradicate the fleeing PSC soldiers who had abandoned most of their gear in the hopes of fleeing the gunships and Titans.
Now, the stage was set. The PSC was now running very low on supplies, they had taken substantial casualties, and now, they were facing a three front war. They would only be able to survive at best, for another 45-60 minutes before losing all of their men. And even that guess was high as more and more PSC soldiers and vehicles fell victim to gunship fire, titan cannon bombardment, firejelly splash damage, and rifle fire. The end had come for the PSC, though they didn't want to admit it. Failure was just about ready to approach them. But would it be from them all dying, or surrendering and being executed?
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Post by Mr. Durandal on Mar 28, 2008 18:33:10 GMT -5
As the Ion Cannon moved into position over the center of the closing box, the power was turned down to prevent allied casualties. The PSC would not survive in the center. If they moved closer to the front lines they would be safe from the Cannon, but would most certainly be killed by gunfire. The 8 lights, a much smaller circumfrence then normal, ionized the gases around the center of the PSC formation. With incredible speed, a light brighter than the sun forced its way to earth. Before the PSC, could even look up, they were gone vaporized into the dust...
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Post by Canton Rouge on Mar 28, 2008 22:17:55 GMT -5
It was done. The majority of what remained of the PSC forces in the city were annihalated. Now, the once mighty war marchine of the Pacific States Coalition was utterly destroyed svae for a few infantry and a couple of commanders. They knew very well now that victory was impossible, but hopefully, if they surrendered, they could be spared, unless they all were sent to Nakaran officials for slaughter.
On the streets of the ruined city, the beaten PSC troops had just laid down their arms to a contigent of Canton Rouge soldiers. Surprisingly, amongst the CR soldiers was Matthews, bloodied and enraged, but otherwise normal. He turned and identified the highest ranking official amongst the surrendered soldiers, and with a snarl, growled, "You lost. You thought that your grandeur army could take the country, but you didn't. What Nakar Kor said was true. No one who ever stepped onto these lands for purposes of invasion ever lasted long enough to do it again."
"Slag off," the commander replied. "You only beat us thanks to your superweapons. Without them, you'd be dead by now, and the banners of the PSC would be flying over the capital." To this, Matthews growled once more and said, "What matters is you failed." He then turned to a nearby CR soldier and ordered him to deliver most of the prisoners to Nakaran warriors, but to keep a few PSC forces to stand trial in front of the HTO. He knew that no matter what, the PSC would be found guilty, but at the very least, it would show that Canton Rouge had at least gotten prisoners, and not corpses.
He knew very well that now, with Nakar Kor dead, the Nakarans, the Canton Rougians, and the Synthetics had lost a leader. But perhaps, Matthews could capitalize on this and raise the morale of the allied forces, ensuring that his death was not in vain. There was one way to do this.
He proceeded over to a square where a mass of allied forces were celebrating their bittersweet victory, and after a moment to think the right words over, he proceeded up to the highest point, and started:
"Fellow soldiers of my beloved Canton Rouge, and esteemed Nakarak. In perhaps the most trying of hours, we prevailed over the nation that was the Pacific States Coalition. Without the combined effort of both of our armies, we would not have achieved this victory."
"The Pacific States Coalition believed that with all of their infantry, their mechanized forces, and their air force, they could take over this country. They threatened us with warnings of bombardment, but we stood our ground. They pillaged villages, slaughtered innocents, but we did not falter. Rather, we dared the Pacific States to come after us, which they did. And they paid the ultimate price with their army being obliterated."
"But, this victory has come at a severe price. Many brave soldiers from both of our countries fell to the Pacifican Army who pledged their life to ensure freedom for all of us. Countless more civilians fell in the Outlands, victims of the Pacifican who did no wrong, but were instead massacred for the enjoyment of the Pacificans. And, as we have just learned, Nakar Kor also fell on the battlefield to the Pacifican Army."
"His death was not in vain! He went down fighting and with honor, just like all of our fallen soldiers! No one can live forever, but we all hoped that Nakar Kor would not have to fall victim to such a grisly death, but at the same time, death in the battlefield is an honour most seek to claim to prove that they fought for a cause. I ask of all of you to always remember Nakar Kor. He taught us honor on the battlefield, and that even the greatest of soldiers do not need the best of gear to be an effective killing force. I also ask of you to remember the fallen, for they gave their lives to a worthy cause."
"I know the next few days will be rough. The dead must be given their proper funeral rites, and we must prepare for the final battle when the PSC wil be driven from the Outlands. The PSC is on its last legs, now we must capitalize on this and wipe them out as an effective country before they can regroup."
"You've all fought hard, which everyone is proud of you for doing. Remember Nakar Kor. Remember the fallen. Remember all the sacrifices we have made to ensure that Nakarak remained free! The Pacific States Coalition will regret everything they've done, once we rout them from the Outlands!"
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Post by Porcu on Mar 28, 2008 23:02:19 GMT -5
General Falkirk looked up at the LT and simply shook his head at his luck. Taking off his helmet slowly as not to invoke a negative response from the SRC units and slowly setting his strap-on gun/extendable spear on the ground he got up.
"My name is Falkirk and I'm with the HTO Expeditionary Force here in the region...My men were ambushed by the PSC and we are the only survivors of the attack..." Falkirk said in between large breaths of air. "But...but some of our transporters had not landed at the site and had instead turned south but we're not exactly sure where...The HTO is now officially in this war against the PSC and I would simply like to rest a few hours and rejoin my men who were lucky enough to land elsewhere...Please, help..."
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Post by Mr. Durandal on Mar 29, 2008 12:31:05 GMT -5
The LT looked around, and, after making sure there was no one else around, she beckoned the humans to follow her. When they arrived at the small, yet comfortable camp, the comm officer handed the officer two messages.
After reading the first one, she said, "General, you will be happy to know that the PSC have been wiped away from Nakarak. However, High Command is still pushing for a quick victory here, the Outlands, in order to fully secure all of Nakarak. Their units are recovering right now, so, if you will have it, we will escort you to your men. We know their location and will also be happy to aid you in vanquishing the enemy. Right now, we are the only force that can kick the PSC out once and for all. But rest up General. No use in going to batlle all worn out." She could see the man itching for some revenge.
The second message was very disturbing. A nuclear missile had struck Riefort. There was an unknown amount of dead, and she whispered curses against the "Amanatad", which in Yolthol, meant "Godless Creatures". However, she did not share this with the General; he already had enough on his plate...
Nakarak
The new SRC Commander, Aleee Sebos, walked towards Timothy Mathews. Of the 3,500 Synthetic soldiers, only 500 had survived, 2 Mammoths had escaped undestroyed, and 1 wolverine was still functioning. A heavy price to pay, but, fortunately, not in vain.
He waited patiently for Mathews to wrap up a conversation with one of his troops, and, finally, Mathews turned to him.
Sebos bowed his head for 2 seconds exactly, in respect, and raised it to speak. "A very sad war, but, thankfully, we have prevailed. I saw you fighting. Your skill would put even an SI to shame. However, I am saddened by the death of Biotic Kor. We have lost a great leader and ally. Although this has not even be spoken about yet, I believe that, when we establish formal ties between our two countries, you would make a worthy envoy. However, I am not a politician, so it may not be feasible. I will certainly suggest it to Biotic Maff. What do you say?"
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Post by Porcu on Mar 29, 2008 12:52:06 GMT -5
Falkirk thanked the LT and was able to rest for a few hours with his two deputies, who had also been fortunate enough to survive the PSC ambush. Yet while the rest was needed and certainly appreciated the fact remained that Falkirk was anxious and despite being used to sleeping 4-5 hours a day he couldn't even managed an hour, his thoughts flying around in his head keeping him up and about. His deputies found a way to rest though... =================================== Secondary Landing Site, HTO Expeditionary Force
"What the hell's keeping them?" Colonel Maxentius bellowed as his fellow elites sat around waiting for Falkirk's orders to join the main expeditionary force. There were exactly 1400 HTO elites from five nations and they were quite a sight to witness in the thick jungle atmosphere of Nakarak.
"Dunno, sir...." responded another. "We can't find them on the holographs but Falkirk's beacon is still on..."
"Do we know where he is?" Maxentius asked getting his shield and gun ready.
"Yes, sir...His beacon is showing up on the holographic map...Just north-west of us..."
The relatively small yet battle-hardened and proven elite force began their march to their leader, maintaining a dense formation with shields at their side and their guns/extendable spears at the ready. It wouldn't take long however for them to encounter the Synthetic soldiers, distrustful at first but when told that the group comprised HTO troops looking for General Falkirk the mood lightened...
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Post by Canton Rouge on Mar 29, 2008 17:19:10 GMT -5
Nakarak
"I would be honored to assume a role as an envoy between your nations," Matthews replied, smiling faintly. "Granted, it will take some time for Nakarak to choose a new leader, but when the day comes, Canton Rouge will stand by the decision the Nakarans have made."
"Meanwhile, I've been in contact with our military commander in the area, General Leuster. Amazingly, he also survived the carnage here. He's reported that within 2-3 days, we should have reorganized enough to start the final battle in the Outlands. I know that's asking a lot for these men, but keep in mind, we now have our mechanized forces, Titan airships, and another army to do the job. I'm not sure how long it will take for your forces to reorganize, but we can't afford to wait too long."
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Outlands
The 18,000 man garrison that constituted the defense force of the Outlands looked more like an army on its last legs, but still capable of fighting. Because many expected a quick victory against Nakarak, the garrison was consisted mainly of conscripts, with a few regular units scattered about here and there.
What also made their situation horrendous was the lack of vehicles and crew to commandeer them. The few that remained were models in need of serious repair. But still, they would make good defensive positions, until they were blown up of course by the allied armies.
They knew they were going to fight to the death, and for good reason. Nakarak would easily slaughter those in revenge for pillaging the Outlands and killing their leader. Clamparapa would want revenge for the nuclear missile striking Riefort. The HTO would want payback for the unjust massacre of 5,000 peacekeepers who could not fight back. And Canton Rouge would just turn over whoever they captured to whoever wanted these soldiers, for they had no need for prisoners, after all they had those who would stand trial. Therefore, the PSC resolved themselves to kill as many coalition forces before they themselves were killed...
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Post by nakarak on Mar 29, 2008 17:45:38 GMT -5
Matthews was approached by a tall and exceptionally thin Nakaran male. He wore long, flowing robes of black silk that never seemed to interfere with his movement, simply flowing like water. When he spoke, it was in a voice that simultaneously sounded well edjucated, but unfamiliar in the tongue of the outside world. He said, "I am Danakar Kric, spiritual leader of Nakarak. It falls to me to supervise the appointment of a new Nakar, and the situation is...complicated. As you probably know, the Danaka sort children at a young age into the various classes, and also watch for signs that mark a potential candidate for Nakar."
"As Nakar Kor grew older, the candidates were watched more closely. The most likely choices were two warriors and a Tanaka, and there were several less prominent candidates as well. However, at the time of Nakar Kor's death, the two warriors, as well as all of the other warrior candidates, had been slain in this war, and the Tanaka and Danaka candidates had been killed in the invasion of the Outlands. There is only one candidate still alive, and so he must be made Nakar. He is a Duna, a worker, who escaped from his village near the PSC landing point and fled into the jungle. Normally this would not be a problem; there have been several Duna Nakars before. But he is only nine years old."
"The law and the signs are clear; he must rule. But I fear he will be made a puppet by one faction or another. There are many who are loyal to themselves than to the gods. And so I come to you, Nakar Kor's trusted friend, returned from the dead to aid us in this crisis. Will you help the boy?"
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Post by Canton Rouge on Mar 29, 2008 18:02:56 GMT -5
Matthews needed only a second to reply, to which he said, "Yes, yes I will help the boy. I owe it to Nakar Kor to do such a thing. After all, he helped out my country in a time of crisis, and now, I am repaying the favor. I hope the boy will not think of me as a hostile being, for that would put my job at risk."
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Post by Mr. Durandal on Mar 29, 2008 20:38:28 GMT -5
Commander Sabos suddenly spoke up. "A scout squad of SRCs encountered a hostile force before the initial landing. They rescued a couple of civilians, one of which was a boy. A long shot, but nonetheless possible." The artificial being turned to Biotic Kric. "I know your people have a hatred of my kind. However, if you will have it, we will be happy to keep a defense force here, in case anyone else decides to invade. We will not mix in with the populace, just protect it."
Outlands
As the men entered the camp, the LT exited her quarters. "So you are the HTO elite force?" She smirked, thinking, "Not much of a force." The small amount of men must have been good, if only a few of them were needed, though. Outloud, she said, "Falkirk's inside getting ready. I wanted to ask, can we assist you in kicking these idiots out of the Outlands. As you may not know, your boys that landed at the PSC zone were slaughtered. You need all the help you can get..."
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