Part 21: Mission 21: Like Wolves Out Of Hell

We were moving fast, but our support staff had a chance to cap off a few new developments before we hit our next target. First, from our engineers, came the start of a new generation of vehicle engines, with new prototypes on the way.



From our intelligence agents came reports on the Mri from dissection of corpses and interrogations of captured soldiers. Their main method of attack was manipulating sand by means of some form of telekinesis, sending it spiraling through the air with great force. The scope of their powers was limited; the greater the area they moved sand through, the less force they could throw it with. This was what limited the size of their dust storms, allowing infantry to avoid losses if they could disperse quickly enough.



With that done, it was time to continue our assault. Recon teams had found a route through which the Forces of Darkness was attempting to send reinforcements to defend its headquarters. However, as far as we could tell, there was literally no reason to continue to use this path now that we had it surrounded. Whatever direction the enemy soldiers might have been coming from, coming here should be nothing more than a useless detour. We were missing part of the picture, and we were going to find out what.

Mission 21: Wolves Out Of Hell

Attending:
Joe Moore (War Boys, Mortar Infantry)
Lazarus (Forlorn Hope, Flamethrowers)
Habitually Red (Sane Max's Own, Flamethrowers)
Solrick Skaft (Scion of Emer, Flamethrowers)
Bonaventura Ferrer (Confederacion, Heavy Infantry)
"Doctor" Snark (Mage Killers, Commandos)
Logan "Hardtack" Smith (War Dogs, Commandos)
Amina (Les Amazones, Piranha)
Erik Spanner (The Toolbox, Piranha)
Patrick Gallagher (Just In Time, Elmag 1)
Svetlana Aliyev (Rusalka, Elmag 1)
James "Griff" Griffin (Party Crashers, TAM)
Mael Radec (Radec's Rhinos, TAM)
Basil (Paladin, STRV)
Anil E. Hilated, Esq. (Polite Obliteration, M106)
Grand Inquisitor Solaus (Balkanian Inquisition, M106)
Ash Kleef (Ashsavers, Humvee)
Catherine Ulysses (Smart Patrol, Humvee)




Catherine Ulysses: Eyes peeled, everyone. Whatever's here, they really don't want us getting to it. I'm betting on golems and mri out the ass.



Catherine Ulysses: Or a single ballista. I guess that works too.



Griff: Did these things really used to be scary?
Erik Spanner: All the piranhas we had to replace say yes. Or they would, if they weren't scrap heaps.



Amina: You guys think that's disappointing? I got ambushed by an arrow thrower. It might as well be shooting nerf darts.



Mael Radec: Dune's clear. Let's roll on over to the next. We'll clear 'em out one by one.



Ash Kleef: Wait guys, hold up. What if something's waiting on the top of the next dune, to snipe us while we're in the valley?
Patrick Gallagher: Not a lot we can do about that, is there? It's the only way forward.



Ash Kleef: Not the only way. I think if we skirt the edge of that dune to our left, we won't be at as much of a height disadvantage.
Griff: Sounds better than being trog target practice. Lead the way!



Svetlana Aliyev: Ugh. I didn't know there was such a thing as a tank traffic jam.
Basil: Well, I can certainly see the advanages of this plan. If the enemy sees us, they'll be too busy laughing their asses off to shoot at us!
Solaus: I don't think the Forces of Darkness have a sense of humor.
Basil: Explain magotars then.



Ash Kleef: Confirmed, they're camping that hill. Mostly elves and ballistae, from what I can tell. I can only see what's at the edge, though. I have a feeling we aren't getting up there without taking a lot of fire.
Anil E. Hilated: Let's beat 'em at their own game, then. I've got pretty good range, I think I can pick off a few from here.



Amina: Are those regular-ass orcs? What're they doing here?



Anil E. Hilated: Dying.



Basil: Oh fuck, they're not the only ones dying! Under fire from mri! You were right, Ash, we can't get close!



Solaus: Luckily, we don't have to. Anil, help me bomb 'em from here. They'll either have to come down where the tanks can hit 'em or sit there and get blown up.



Anil E. Hilated: Sounds good to me.



Patrick Gallagher: So is this the part of combat where we sit around being bored, because if we tried to actually do anything we'd get pasted?
Bonaventura Ferrer: Gee, I wonder what that's like.
Patrick Gallagher: It's just so much more real now that it's happening to me!



Anil E. Hilated: Oh, stop complaining. Look, we dropped the ballista!
Patrick Gallagher: Leaving how much, not including the mri and dark elves we already know about?
Anil E. Hilated: Well, you can charge up the hill if you want. No guarantees about what'll happen, though.
Erik Spanner: Actually, I think we can make a pretty solid guarantee. Too bad that guarantee is "someone comes home in a box."



Ash Kleef: Maybe not! I just got a better look, and aside from those mri, the only real threats I see to the tanks are a few more dark elves. You guys should have much better armor than you did in the last theater, a charge might be doable.



Ash Kleef: God damnit! Especially now that I've unintentionally distracted the mri.



Griff: Okay guys, go! Tower's firing on me!



Solaus: Now it's firing on me! It wasn't supposed to be able to hit us here!



Basil: There! Hit 'em with everything you've got!



Solaus: Got a clear shot on the mri!



Erik Spanner: Just killed their last knockoff tank. Now all we have to do is roll over the rest!



Amina: Good God, how many elves do they have up here?



Mael Radec: Now? Zero.



Ash Kleef: Ugh, and now we've gotta cross another valley.



Griff: Not yet we don't! We've got more elves to the south!



Catherine Ulysses: The ones on the next dune aren't waiting for us either! They're trying to flank us!



Mael Radec: Then we'll split our forces. Griff, Erik, Amina, help me fend off the ones coming from the valley! You guys in the elmags, clear out the elves to the south!



Mael Radec: Taking fire!
Solaus: It's only towers. We've got bigger things to worry about!



Basil: What the shit? Wolves?



Erik Spanner: Just killed a ballista platoon and spotted another? How much firepower are they packing up here?



Catherine Ulysses: Jesus, I'm glad we didn't try to come at them from the south!



Griff: Got a tower!



Mael Radec: Great, now kill these damn golems!



Patrick Gallagher: They may be a pain in the ass, but they sure do blow up nicely.



Solaus: Just cleared out the south. Scrawny bastards can dish it out, but they sure can't take it.



Ash Kleef: Guess it's time for this again. I really hope we don't have to do too many more of these.



Ash Kleef: Two thrower platoons! Not getting close enough to see what else might be there. God knows that for whatever reason, with all these high-tech systems our engineers develop, I'm still stuck in the same shitty humvee.



Basil: No problem, Ash. Just leave 'em to us!



Erik Spanner: Oh shit!



Erik Spanner: STOP PUTTING HOLES IN MY IFVS YOU KEEB PIECES OF SHIT.



Catherine Ulysses: I don't think you'll have to worry about that anymore, Erik.



Griff: IT'S ALWAYS FUCKING SOMETHING.



Solaus: Just keep shooting! They'll have to run out of somethings eventually!



Ash Kleef: Hey guys, has anyone else had a look at this huge pit here?
Anil E. Hilated: We've had our hands a bit full, Ash. Why?



Ash Kleef: Because I've been watching it for several minutes now, and I saw some wolves crawl out, even though I never saw any come in.
Basil: Sounds like an ambush.



Basil: A shitty ambush, but an ambush nonetheless.



Ash Kleef: I thought that might've been it, too... but then I saw the bottom.



Amina: The fuck's that thing?
Ash Kleef: I think it just might be where the wolves came from.
Erik Spanner: Wolves? That thing looks like it should be spitting out cacodemons.
Catherine Ulysses: The whole depression is unnatural. Square valleys like this just don't happen.
Mael Radec: It would explain why the enemy's reinforcements were sighted here, at any rate. They weren't taking detours through this patch of desert - they were coming from here!
Patrick Gallagher: I guess we'd better bring the labcoats in for this one, huh?



Ash Kleef: Sure, right after we deal with those guys.




Amina: Done.
Solaus: Well, that could've gone a lot worse, considering those were mri and golems.
Erik Spanner: Wasn't the enemy supposed to have an assload of those left? Like, more than we fought off when we saved the Major?
Catherine Ulysses: Probably in the one place we still have yet to liberate, and the one we're going to right after we're done here.
Erik Spanner: ...Alright then, we've got an emergency. Quick, someone who's really good at bullshitting, make up some work that absolutely prevents us from leaving!




Another day, another successful mission. The enemy had rather worrying numbers and a high presence of anti-tank units, but the obsoleteness of most of their equipment prevented them from inflicting significant losses.

With the area secured, we were able to start work on the strange structure we had discovered. Scientists and magicians were moved in to study its properties, as were sentries to watch the structure at all times. The enemy appeared to have learned that the position had been compromised, though, because no further hostiles emerged from it. Once all data and materials of value had been collected, demolition teams destroyed the site. With this victory had come another boon to our magical knowledge. All that was left now was to drive the enemy out of the region.