Part 14: Mission 14: The Liberation of Europe

The campaign in the United Kingdom had proven to be long and grueling, but it was nearly over. We had the Forces of Darkness in this theater backed into a corner.



There were just a few last preparations to make before finishing the job. It had become apparent from our last two encounters with the undead that we didn't have sufficient flame weaponry against them. We'd defeated them, yes, but if we had to fight them when they had ballista and arrow thrower support, anyone that panicked would be easy targets. Solrick's unit volunteered for flamethrower duty, so a new batch was ordered and they were trained.



We'd heard captured enemy soldiers, on numerous occasions, whisper nervously among themselves about something they called "the Veiled." From context, it sounded like they might have been the masterminds of the invasion of Earth, and interrogation of multiple elves and orcs confirmed this.

We learned little about the Veiled, and it was all bad news. All of the Veiled seemed to have a psychic connection with each other, along with Forces of Darkness soldiers within a certain range. It would certainly explain how they were able to carry our large-scale movements so quickly without modern command and control systems. In any case, they seemed to serve a role similar to commanding officers in Earth armies, so taking one alive had been made a priority for every commander in the Alliance.

Capturing one, however, would be a task in itself. Reports were spotty, but if they were in any way accurate, than the strength of the Veiled was frightening. Traumatized survivors described flashes of light over the horizon, and then a moment later watching entire infantry companies decay into dust, or tank platoons erupt into towering infernos. Even a confirmed kill on one of the Veiled would be cause for celebration.



It was lucky in terms of our survival prospects that we had reason to believe there wasn't a single Veiled in the entire UK theater. We were able to learn this thanks to the reports from some of the survivors we'd rescued from the enemy's sacrificial temple. The first round of sacrifices at that particular site had apparently been a matter of some ceremony, even beyond the usual for the enemy. Daertor, the supreme commander of the Forces of Darkness in Western Europe - who was announced by name and rank, and who matched the description of a ka-orc - had apparently been introduced with much fanfare before personally beheading the first sacrificial victim with a ceremonial ax. More than one of the survivors broke into tears and was unable to continue, describing the cheers from the assembled orcs and elves as the man's head dropped onto the temple platform, his blood shining in the torchlight. And, of course, their dread as the orcs grinned madly at them through the bars of their cages while they wondered which of them would be next. Today we would have our revenge. Daertor would die.

Mission 14: The Liberation of Europe

Attending:
Anil E. Hilated, Esq. (Polite Obliteration, Mortar Infantry)
Habitually Red (Sane Max's Own, Flamethrowers)
Lazarus (Forlorn Hope, Flamethrowers)
Solrick Skaft (Scion of Emer, Flamethrowers)
"Doctor" Snark (Mage Killers, Commandos)
Logan "Hardtack" Smith (War Dogs, Commandos)
Mael Radec (Radec's Rhinos, Piranha)
Skull Face (XOF, Piranha)
Patrick Gallagher (Just In Time, Piranha)
Svetlana Aliyev (Rusalka, Piranha)
Erik Spanner (The Toolbox, Piranha)
Ash Kleef (Ashsavers, Humvee)
GyverMac (Gyver's Grinders, AMX 13)
Cholmondely Featherstonehaugh-Smythe (Sphinx Battery, AMX 13)



Hardtack: Alright, people. Usual plan, just with one change. If you see Daertor, light him up first.



Mael Radec: Of course. Everyone, follow the edge of the hill, and remember to keep an eye on the woods. Last thing we need is an ambush.



Patrick Gallagher: Ballista! Take it out!



Skull Face: Nothin' to it. Wonder why this guy was so far from the rest of the group?
Erik Spanner: Don't overthink it, they're trogs. Let's just hope the rest of their heavy hitters are so obliging.



Svetlana Aliyev: The hell're you guys doing?
Habitually Red: You didn't think we were just gonna stand around while you guys stormed the Fortress of Evil, did you? We've spent half this campaign sitting around while the IFVs did all the work!
GyverMac: Fair enough. Just try not to get killed.
Hardtack: You too.



Ash Kleef: Throwers! Good thing the infantry didn't come this way.



Mael Radec: That's the second vehicle platoon we've caught alone. The hell's going on? They had to know we were coming.
Erik Spanner: I stand by my "trogs gonna trog" theory.



Hardtack: Just broke through to the other side of the forest. Mags sighted!



Patrick Gallagher: We just took out a company of 'em on our side. Watch out, they'll probably know we're here now.




Svetlana Aliyev: That's their third heavy unit. Are they using these for recon, bait, what? Surely these things are too expensive for them to waste like that?
Mael Radec: Not to mention slow. Throwers are just about the worst thing in their arsenal for scouting.



"Doctor" Snark: Almost got the mags! Come on, boys and girls, let's finish the job!



"Doctor" Snark: Oh, fuck!



Solrick Skaft: Fuck nothing! We got 'em right where we want 'em! Burn 'em to a crisp!
Hardtack: Speak for yourself. If I had them where I wanted them, I'd have less arrows in me right now!



"Doctor" Snark: Skaft's right! We've got the high ground and we reached them before they could hit the IFVs! Make it count!



Skull Face: You guys okay? How're things going up there?
Anil E. Hilated: We were just making dinner! I hope you like roast elf!



Skull Face: I do! In fact, I think I'll serve seconds.



Habitually Red: Done.
Mael Radec: Well done, people! It would've been nasty if those elves caught us in an ambush.
Lazarus: "Would've"? I've got squadmates pinned to trees!
Mael Radec: Nastier.
Hardtack: Right. Now, let's have a look to the north.



"Doctor" Snark: Sighted a row of palisades. This must be the perimeter of their base.
Anil E. Hilated: Excellent. I'll blast us an entrance.



"Doctor" Snark: Stay sharp, everyone. We're entering the heart of the enemy's resistance. We need to do recon in force. Anil, stay on the top of the hill and provide fire support if needed. Don't stray too far from each other, and be ready to make a hasty exit.



"Doctor" Snark: Ha! Finally got the rest of those fucking mags!



Ash Kleef: We just got sight on the palisades. Looks like we'll be joining you guys soon.



Ash Kleef: ...Or not.
Svetlana Aliyev: C'mon, it's just one ballista. Even if it's dug in on top of a hill, that's not a problem.



Svetlana Aliyev: ...Okay, that might be a problem.
Patrick Gallagher: I'm afraid we've been held up, guys. It'll be a bit longer until we can support you.



Hardtack: Hey, don't worry! We'll try to save some for you.



"Doctor" Snark: Confirmed sighting on two companies of ka-orcs! Need some more guns over here!



Erik Spanner: What th- where did you assholes come from?



Anil E. Hilated: This is easy! All I've gotta do is blast the trogs when they get close.



Anil E. Hilated: Okay, that complicates things a little.



"Doctor" Snark: Flamers, hit the ka-orcs! Everyone else, hit the throwers! If they get close enough to hit us, we're hamburger!



Habitually Red: My only wish is that trogs were more flammable!



"Doctor" Snark: That's a direct hit! God, it's a beautiful sight, watching those crossbow racks snap like toothpicks.



Habitually Red: FUUUUUUUUCK!



"Doctor" Snark: Jesus, Red! Get back to safety while we stem the tide!




Hardtack: Gunning down the last ones now. God, this is brutal. I hope the IFVs are faring better than we are.



Skull Face: Ahh, another easy kill. This is almost like a vacation, isn't it?



Hardtack: Anyway, let's crack open another exit. We aren't in any condition to advance right now.
Solrick Skaft: Good thinking, Hardtack. We can hold position at the top of the hill and open up on anything that gets close enough.



Solrick Skaft: FUCK OFF KEEBS, YOU'RE NOT KILLING RED.



Mael Radec: Alright, people. There's no getting around this. We can't sneak through the woods. We're going to have to deal with those elves and ballistae if we want to finish this.
Erik Spanner: Problem is, I can't think of a single plan that doesn't have unacceptably high odds of us getting pincushioned en route.
Mael Radec: Neither can I, but we've gotta do it anyway. Everyone, approach the hill from the east. That'll reduce their higher ground advantage. Then we'll all charge and open up on them.



Skull Face: I have a creeping suspicion that my name is about to become entirely too appropriate.
Patrick Gallagher: Wait, I have an idea! Anil, can your mortars reach that hill from yours?




Anil E. Hilated: No dice. Sorry, you guys are on your own.



Svetlana Aliyev: Shit, get ready!



Ash Kleef: Oh god, every single one of those arrows is pointing at me!



Ash Kleef: Fuckfuckfuck!
Mael Radec: Ash! You okay?
Ash Kleef: I'm fine! 'vees are gonna need repairs though.
Skull Face: That's better luck than we usually get. Everyone, charge! Hit them before they can shoot another volley!



Patrick Gallagher: Biggest threat's down! Now quick, carpet bomb the hillside!





Erik Spanner: I'M FUCKING TIRED OF LOSING FUCKING PIRANHAS.



Svetlana Aliyev: Dealt with. The hill is ours, ladies and gentlemen. Time to roll into their base and raise hell.



Svetlana Aliyev: Damn, that's a lot of booze. Where are they even getting it all from? Is the trog dimension nothing but barley and grape fields?
Erik Spanner: All the more reason to pillage it at the first opportunity.



Cholmondely: Of course. It would be a dead end, wouldn't it?



Patrick Gallagher: Chol, you need to remember. You're with Piranhas.



Patrick Gallagher: And for Piranhas, there are no dead ends!



Patrick Gallagher: Except those. Fuck.



GyverMac: This place is like a maze, isn't it?
Erik Spanner: A maze where we can smash through walls, which is the best kind!
GyverMac: Still a maze, though. Still annoying.



Anil E. Hilated: I wonder if these dark elves are getting lost? It's the only reason I can think of they'd come at us one at a time like this.



Cholmondely: Well, it does seem to be opening up now. And not a trog in sight! We could have a picnic here.




Patrick Gallagher: NO WE FUCKING COULDN'T!
Mael Radec: Confirmed ballistae! Bring the infantry forward!



Solrick Skaft: Aw, and here I was just getting comfortable.



Hardtack: Jesus. Those guys are dug in tight. And even if we charge in, those harpies'll freeze us in our tracks. How do we take this hill?
Erik Spanner: We aren't. We're here to splatter Daertor, and I don't see any ka-trogs up there.



Ash Kleef: Erik's right! We're taking the scenic route. That hill won't do them a bit of good if we don't get in range of it.



Ash Kleef: SHIIIIIIIIII-



Skull Face: Oh, thank God, Kleef! You're okay!
Ash Kleef: Not for long, half my platoon's dead and my windshield's out!
Mael Radec: Ash, pull back! You've done enough for today! Leave the rest of the scouting to us.



GyverMac: Christ! Another harpy!



Cholmondely: Gyver, you act as though a whole flock of harpies were a match for us.



Patrick Gallagher: God, it's another one of those hills. We're not going forward without taking one or the other.
Mael Radec: Might as well make it this one. We've already taken out the harpy.
Svetlana Aliyev: Guess there's only one thing to do. Everyone, floor it up the hill 'til you've got sights on the ballistae, then hit 'em with everything you've got!



Svetlana Aliyev: Go! Go! If you choke, we're dead!




Skull Face: Okay, quick, the throwers, the throwers!



Erik Spanner: Okay, good! Now someone roll up the hill and make sure nothing else's waiting there for us!



Ash Kleef: Nothing. Looks like the hill's ours.
Mael Radec: And without too many losses on our side.



Ash Kleef: Huh, there's a castle to the west. Erik, you're British. Was there always a castle here?
Erik Spanner: What, you think I know where everything in the UK is just because I live here? I don't fucking know!
Hardtack: If the trogs built it, they built it awful fast. Magical bullshit involved, no doubt.



Skull Face: Look guys, we can leave the details of that to the scientists. This castle is the first structure of its kind we've seen, and it's guarded by two hills packed with heavy firepower. I'm betting this is Daertor's command center. If he's not in it, he's nearby.



Anil E. Hilated: Sounds solid to me. Watch where you look, though. Get too close to that hill and they'll turn you into swiss.



Skull Face: FUCK!



Skull Face: SHIT!



Anil E. Hilated: DAMNIT SKULL WHAT DID I JUST TELL YOU.
Skull Face: Shut up, I know! I'm too close to the hill, I can't get back behind the castle! I'll just have to go around the palisade and-



Skull Face: Oh, fuck me!



Mael Radec: Forward, everyone forward! Skull's still in ballista range! We've got to clear that hill, now!



Patrick Gallagher: Oh my God, Skull!
Mael Radec: There's nothing we can do for him now! Focus on getting out of this mess!
Patrick Gallagher: Wait... wait, hang on a second. I see something else.



Patrick Gallagher: I'm looking over in that direction. There's a lot of fog, I'll need to get closer.



Patrick Gallagher: Yeah, something's moving out there. Alone. Let me zoom in. Is that...?



Patrick Gallagher: It is! We got visual on Daertor, repeat, visual on Daertor!



"Doctor" Snark: Change of plans! Anyone who can get a shot off on Daertor, take it! The enemy'll panic and rout if we can take out their commander!



Patrick Gallagher: On it!



Solrick Skaft: Time to pay the toll for the blood you've spilled, trog!



Svetlana Aliyev: He's got some kind of special armor! He should've dropped by now!



Mael Radec: It's not invincible, though.



Mael Radec: This is our planet.




With their commander killed on the battlefield, the Forces of Darkness in the UK became a disorganized mob. Deprived of their leadership and magical support, and faced with staggering losses in the face of human firepower, it didn't take more than a month before any sign of organized opposition to British forces was gone. With the supernatural fog dissipating, the harpies hiding in the highlands were now exposed to the eyes of reconnaisance aircraft, and though their nests were numerous, one after another was bombed into a burning crater, courtesy of Typhoons soaring higher and faster than the harpies ever could.

Among the orc and elf bases and camps, flags were torn from their standards, priestly robes torn off their hangers, all tossed into a celebratory bonfire. All enemy facilities found suitable for human habitation were to be converted to refugee camps, to ease the terrible strain on the existing ones, and the rest were to be dismantled for study or leveled.

Soon, the effects of the victory were felt on the frontlines. The knife was no longer to Western Europe's throat, and it could commit the full strength of its forces to the main front. Battered M1s and T90s, running on jury-rigged repairs and operated by exhausted crew, were relieved by lines of Challenger 2s and Leclercs, rolling over enemy forces with deadly speed and efficiency. Tiger and Mangusta helicopters swooped in from above, unleashing flurries of missiles, blowing flyers out of the air and carpeting the countryside with fire. The effects of such an overwhelming wave of reinforcements were hard to overstate. The main Alliance force, which had been wondering how much of Beijing they'd be able to save, now had the enemy fleeing toward the steppes of Russia.

But a new problem had arisen. The Forces of Darkness, finding themselves doing badly on one front, began changing tactics. They'd learned that our war machine, and in fact our entire society, needed oil to function. That was how our division found its next assignment, in the Middle East.


KILLED IN ACTION:

Skullface