Part 25: Mission 26: Mind Games

The next few days, during which we prepared our counterattack, were quite busy. First, we got news that the flame tank prototype was completed.



Unfortunately, due to a shortage of other available vehicle frames, it needed to be mounted on an M113 chassis. While better protected than our infantry, it would fare no better against our foes' weapons than the Piranhas had. In scaling up the flamethrower design, they also lost the range advantage given by the human-portable version, giving it a range on par with our lower-end tanks and IFVs. The M132 wouldn't be without its uses, but it would be a niche weapon.



Engineering had high hopes for their retractable turret design, though.



Those radio and television news outlets that survived the initial invasion had only recently resumed something resembling regular broadcasting. Even these were frequently interrupted by Alliance emergency broadcasts to warn of impending attacks on population centers. Whenever stations were able to run their own content, they were mostly concerned with updating people on the situations in local refugee camps, current and predicted future availability of staple goods, and the performance of their own nation's armed forces against the enemy.

There was, however, one story that was being told all over the world. The Drunken Slavs were gaining fame not just among our fellow soldiers, but in the civilian world as well. Where others had been routed by terrifying magic or barely held their ground against the hordes in a devastating war of attrition, we were turning aside the Forces of Darkness' every thrust, left none the worse for wear. Everyone knew how important the Russian front was. The whole world was counting on us.




The importance of this wasn't lost on Command. They sent reinforcements, but sadly, they were a bit of a joke. They consisted almost solely of the scattered survivors of nearby battles that the Alliance had lost, hastily thrown against the horde bearing down on us. If it came to a point where we actually needed them, we'd be in trouble.



We had to turn away a lot of reporters, and physically throw out a handful. They probably didn't mean any harm, but even the slightest risk that word of the counterattack would reach our enemy was unacceptable. Our window to act was small and shrinking, and if we didn't catch them off-balance now, we might never get another chance.

Mission 26: Mind Games

Attending:
Lazarus (Forlorn Hope, Flamethrowers)
Habitually Red (Sane Max's Own, Flamethrowers)
Solrick Skaft (Scion of Emer, Flamethrowers)
T. Hinman (Ethereal Corps, Flamethrowers)
Logan "Hardtack" Smith (War Dogs, Paranormal Infantry)
Joe Moore (War Boys, Paranormal Infantry)
Patrick Gallagher (Just In Time, Elmag 1)
Svetlana Aliyev (Rusalka, Elmag 1)
Mael Radec (Radec's Rhinos, M1 Abrams)
Erik Spanner (The Toolbox, M1 Abrams)
James "Griff" Griffin (Party Crashers, M1 Abrams)
Basil (Paladin, M1 Abrams)
Jorji Costava (Cobrastan's Best, M1 Abrams)
Isara Gunther (Edelweiss, M1 Abrams)
Anil E. Hilated, Esq. (Polite Obliteration, AMX-30)
Grand Inquisitor Solaus (Balkanian Inquisition, AMX-30)
Gregor (The Swell Swords, AMX-30)
Michael de Boulogne (Chivalric Order of Saint George, AMX-30)
GyverMac (Gyver's Grinders, AMX-13)
Cholmondely Featherstonehaugh-Smythe (Sphinx Battery, Gepard)
Billy John (The Truther Squad, Gepard)
Catherine Ulysses (Smart Patrol, Humvee)




Hardtack: Alright, people. We've got a lot of ground to cover and not much time to do it. We're pushing north and we're not stopping until we reach the foothills. Let's move.



Hardtack: You guys in vehicles cross the bridge. We'll sweep the woods to the north.



Catherine Ulysses: Ambush! Elves!




Solaus: Child's play.



GyverMac: Looks like we'll be meeting up with you guys again soon. Path hooked back west, just above the woods.
Joe Moore: Aww, I was hoping I'd get a chance to try out my new powers.
Michael de Boulogne: Just so long as you don't try them on us.
Joe Moore: Come on, would I use psychic abilities against my fellow soldiers?
Svetlana Aliyev: There's a reason we don't play Poker with you guys anymore.



Catherine Ulysses: Everyone here? Okay, good.



Catherine Ulysses: Elves and towers ahead! Might be more! I'd rather not get close enough to find out.
T. Hinman: But you're a scout hu-man.
Catherine Ulysses: I'm also down a vic and perfectly aware of how fragile I am.



Catherine Ulysses: And I'm already too close! Help!




Jorji Costava: Hey, you not say anything about golems! Is okay, I soften them up for you.



Erik Spanner: It's a nice sight, seeing a golem smashed into gravel.



Griff: Towers down!
Hardtack: Damnit, you guys in the tanks need to save some for us. I didn't spend the last few weeks learning to set things on fire with my mind for nothing.



Habitually Red: Here, try it on these elves that got away!
Joe Moore: I've got dibs! Watch me kill them from 200 yards away. With MIND BULLETS!
Hardtack: That's telekinesis, Joe.



Erik Spanner: Holy fuck, that's freaky.
Lazarus: I thought you were going to, like, shut off their brains or something. That was some straight-up Scanners shit!
Joe Moore: You're welcome. Soon as you guys are all done gaping, we're ready to move.



Catherine Ulysses: Just found another river, to the southeast. Be careful, if it's like the last one, there'll probably be an ambush on the other side.
Billy John: If it's like the last one, the "ambush" will be a joke.



Anil E. Hilated: Looks like it was.



Solrick Skaft: Wait, those weren't part of the last ambush!



Svetlana Aliyev: No, but it took a half-dozen of them to seriously threaten us when we had a much smaller, less equipped force.



Catherine Ulysses: They really weren't expecting us, were they? It doesn't look like they have much more than a light patrol here.



Solrick Skaft: Shit, hit the dirt!



Catherine Ulysses: More elves! Tanks, artillery, hurry and get up here!



Habitually Red: Don't worry, we've got things under control! Good thing these Shockcandle suits have anti-arrow plates.



T. Hinman: More elves! Flame-mans, burn them!



Habitually Red: Way ahead of you, T. Hardtack, you okay? Sounds like some of your guys got hit.



Hardtack: Mostly. Turns out you can throw arrows off-course if you think hard enough at them. One poor bastard got one right through the heart, though.
Basil: Think that'd work with bullets? If we run into traitors again...
Hardtack: I hope I never have to find out.




Catherine Ulysses: Just found the foothills, just around the bend in the road. Looks like the bastards are camping one.



Gregor: Gregor knows how to deal with things on hills!



Isara Gunther: It's a good thing we've got artillery. With all those trees, we'd have to funnel into that narrow pass and give them a perfect shooting lane.



Catherine Ulysses: Shit! AA gunners get over here, we've got harpies!



Solaus: That's not all! Elf ambush, they're trying to poke holes in our guns!




Patrick Gallagher: Harpies down!
Cholmondely: For how much I've been waiting to use my new Gepard, I've had distressingly little chance this mission.
Patrick Gallagher: Sorry, not gonna wait for you. Not with harpies.



Mael Radec: Just picked off the last elves. Pound that hill flat!





Solaus: That's the last one! At least I think it was. Mind taking a look, Cathy?
Catherine Ulysses: I'm down to seven 'vees. I really hope there aren't any towers up there.



Catherine Ulysses: Whew. Looks like we cleaned it out.
Mael Radec: Just one more, on the other side of the river. We take that, then we'll have the area under our control.
Erik Spanner: Hey Cathy, guess that means you get to scope out anoth-
Catherine Ulysses: Uh-uh. No. Fuck that. I've tempted fate enough times today. You guys in the Abrams are fast and have actual armor. You can see what's on the hill.



Patrick Gallagher: Well, I suppose it wouldn't do to lose our last bit of recon. You artillery guys, can you roll up to the river and get in position to shell the hill?



Anil E. Hilated: Sure thing. Just give the word when you see something.



Jorji Costava: Whoa hey! These guys maybe pissed.



Jorji Costava: Okay, that one less of problem.



Erik Spanner: First things first, blast the blocky bastards!



Griff: Done!



Gregor: Gregor's gun can't shoot farther than that! You guys on your own now.
Mael Radec: Only one thing to do then. Everyone, up the hill!



Isara Gunther: Oh, shit. Mael?



Mael Radec: What're you all sitting there for? There's plenty of targets for everyone!



Griff: Tower's down! Wish I could've taken out a bigger threat, though.



Basil: I'm trying to get into position but this hill's too fucking steep!



Mael Radec: Okay, now that everyone's up, rush them! They don't stand a chance against all of us!



Griff: There's the last one. Hill's ours. We done?



Svetlana Aliyev: Not quite. Looks like some of 'em ran away during the killing.



Svetlana Aliyev: They can't outrun our treads, though.



The first stage of the assault was a success. For the first time since the Chinese coup, the Alliance had pushed back the enemy's lines. Only time would tell whether this was a fleeting gain or a shift in the balance of power.