Part 32: Mission 33: Turning Point

It was time to make the last preparations for the assault. First, all priority was given to our research division. We hadn't done any serious study yet into the new enemy weapons we'd encountered in this theater, and getting the parts for repairs wouldn't be an issue.




While we waited for new personnel and vehicles to come in to replace our losses, I ordered some refits on our obsolete hardware. All of the factory-standard Abrams had Nordia turrets and Tanarit armor installed...



...while our paranormal squads were outfitted with Shockcandle electronic augmentations and UNT armor.



Engineering also developed a new engine that would give vehicles a top speed comparable to the BW's, but with improved acceleration and braking to allow for better maneuverability.



Our first research priority was the ghosts. They'd proven incredibly difficult to destroy, and quite dangerous to even our most heavily armored vehicles.

Ghosts, as it turned out, were a variant of the undead that had given us so much trouble in earlier battles. Undead were the result of an ethereal entity bound to a human corpse, whose bond could only be broken by flames or the destruction of a large portion of the body. Ghosts were a more advanced form of the same concept - an ethereal entity that needed no physical object to adhere to, existing instead as a gaseous being. Sustained high temperatures were the only effective weapon against it - they caused the gas to expand until the entity essentially broke apart, killing it. Flames were the most reliable means to achieve this, but concentrated explosives could achieve the same effect, along with pyrokinetic attacks. Their forms could slip through anything that wasn't airtight to hit our soldiers and vehicles where they were most vulnerable, necrotizing flesh and corroding metal.



Balloons were an experimental weapon, likely developed in response to our own air forces. They were armed with a lighter variant of the cannons used in mechanical towers. They maneuvered like slugs and they were easy prey for anything that could get in range, but they opened up the worrying possibility that the Forces of Darkness would develop more advanced aircraft.



More importantly, the gas in the balloons was heated using a previously unknown alchemical combustible.



We still didn't know much about the Hell Riders. They'd appeared across the front seemingly overnight, and we had yet to capture any alive. Multiple orc and elf prisoners referred to the commander of the Hell Riders as someone called "The Master of the Gate." Most likely, this was a high-ranked Forces of Darkness leader - possibly even the Supreme Commander if their Earth invasion forces.



There wasn't much new to learn about wizards. It's only recently, with the integration of magic into our own weapons, that it's become possible to kill them without taking multiple casualties in the process.



Nekromants, despite our suspicions, were not the source of the undead. They were themselves undead imbued with magical abilities, able to raise and control about one hundred undead soldiers simultaneously themselves. A single company of undead soldiers represented no significant threat by now, and the magical attacks of the nekromants themselves were ineffective against tanks and well-armored infantry.



With the research finished, there was nothing to delay for. It was time to send the Forces of Darkness on the run.

Mission 33: Turning Point

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)
Aethereon Darkfyre (The Mary Sues, UDES)
Stephen Smith (The Counts of Monty Python, UDES)
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)
Billy Mays (Infomercial Men, Humvees)
Langdon Alger (Red Sprites, Humvees)



The soldiers had a long road ahead of them this time.



Billy Mays: HI MAEL, WE'LL SCOUT OUT THE RIGHT FOR YOU.
Aethereon Darkfyre: I shall make the sacrifice and take whatever harm may come his way.



Stephen Smith: Guess that means we've got the left, Langdon.



Stephen and Langdon reached the edge of the plateau before long. They turned left and began to follow the edge of it.




Billy and Aethereon reached the right edge not far from where the division had deployed, and they weren't alone.

Billy Mays: THERE ARE GHOSTS HERE, BUT LUCKILY, THE DRUNKEN SLAVS HAVE BROUGHT ALONG OUR SPECIALTY NAPALM CANISTER LAUNCHERS WITH ATTACHED IGNITING UNITS! ORDER YOURS TODAY!




Knowing that there were at least two ghost platoons among the enemy forces at the foot of the hills, we didn't take any chances. While Langdon and Stephen continued to sweep the west end of the peninsula, the others converged on the east.




Michael de Boulogne: Alright. Let's see how much we can soften 'em up for our flamers.



Solaus: New intel says you can kill a few if you drop enough explosives on them. We can deliver!



Gregor: Gregor done great thing today! Not even ghosts can escape his wrath!



Basil: Wizard!



Svetlana Aliyev: Here they come! More ghosts on the way, too!
Lazarus: Can't reach 'em from here! You're on your own 'til they reach the top of the plateau.




Griff: First things first, wizard and tower are down.
Isara Gunther: We can ignore the skellies. Hit the ghosts!




Anil E. Hilated: A ghost kill for us!
Habitually Red: Damnit. Are us flamer squads getting redundant? We need another firepower upgrade.



Hardtack: Just about got this bunch taken care of.



Billy Mays: BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! WE HAVE GOLEMS, TOO!



Solaus: Wow, you weren't kidding. Everyone pick a target!




Solaus: Huh. Guess golems ain't shit anymore.



Billy Mays: WE'RE DELIVERING THE GOLEMS IN BULK! CALL TODAY!



Erik Spanner: The day there's too many golems for us is the day they run us out of ammo.

Meanwhile...




Langdon Alger: This must be the enemy base! Let's see what we can find.
Stephen Smith: Alright. Stand by, I'll punch a hole for you. Be ready to haul ass if we get spotted.




Langdon Alger: Looks pretty quiet. All I see so far is a mag. Let's peek further east.



Langdon Alger: There's a flag! Flags usually mean enemies!



Stephen Smith: Oh Jesus, Langdon, you stumbled right into the hornet's nest!



Langdon Alger: I know, I know! Back to the others! Guys, get ready, we've got ghosts and skellies after us!



Langdon Alger: Christ, I think they're gaining on us!
Stephen Smith: Run ahead, Alger! I'll draw their fire. I've got my turret retracted, they shouldn't be able to scratch me.




Langdon Alger: Mael, guys, where the hell are you? Stephen's got armies of undead trying to rip him apart!



Mael Radec: On our way! Just sit tight!



Patrick Gallagher: Shit, they found us!



Jorji Costava: Is like sauna in here!



Anil E. Hilated: One rider isn't enough to threaten us! Keep moving!



Stephen Smith: Thank God, we're here! A couple of my UDES are banged up, but I'm okay!



Langdon Alger: I'm gonna get to safety and get patched up, thank you very much. I'm fragile enough when half my 'vees aren't busted up.



Joe Moore: Not a problem! Leave 'em to us!



Jorji Costava: Not even death can save from guns of Cobrastan!



Stephen Smith: Getting really tired of these bastards trying to chew up my tanks!
Solrick Skaft: Hey, on the bright side, you brought them right to us! We can hit them with our flamers from here!



Habitually Red: 'bout time we took our jobs back from the tanks!
Lazarus: Yeah, down with automation!
Habitually Red: Hey, I'd be fine with automation if we automated everything. Just sit back, crack a beer and let killbots do our dirty work!





Solrick Skaft: Okay, let 'em have it!
T. Hinman: Have what? They're our enemies. Why would we let them have anything?
Solrick Skaft: God damnit, T. It's a figure of speech.
Lazarus: I think he's foreign.
Habitually Red: We've got, like, a dozen different countries in this division!
Lazarus: I mean like, foreign foreign. Like Mael.



T. Hinman: Unimportant! We must defeat the enemy!





Habitually Red: There we go. What's next?



Griff: That is! Kill the wizard!



Mael Radec: They might be able to sling lightning, but you can't win a battle without proper support. Langdon, you said the enemy base is to the north?
Langdon Alger: That I did!
Mael Radec: Then that's our next destination. Let's move!




Langdon Alger: Looks awful quiet. The ones that chased us couldn't be all of them, could they?



Basil: Nope.



Jorji Costava: Cobrastan engineering is supreme!




Stephen Smith: Hello, what do we have here?



Basil: Now? Buncha corpses.
Erik Spanner: Some of which were already corpses when we got here.
Basil: Let's make them... uh... double-corpses, then!



Griff: There's a goddamn wizard we need to kill first!



Griff: And a golem!



Billy Mays: BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!



Griff: Not for long!




Mael Radec: Major threats are gone. Mop up the rest!



Langdon Alger: Guys, can you deal with these throwers first? I heard they do nasty things to 'vees, and I'm a bit too close.



Basil: No problem, Alger. Man, these things pop like balloons!



Griff: Always with the goddamn golems! Where do they all come from?
Solrick Skaft: Maybe they just carve the rock right out of the earth and animate it? Who knows with the magical bullshit they've got.
Griff: Maybe we can get command to approve a project to destroy all the rock so the enemy can't make golems.
Solrick Skaft: All of it, in the entire world? I don't think that's exactly advisable. Or doable.
Griff: At least I wouldn't be GETTING SHOT BY THESE THINGS ALL THE FUCKING TIME.



Billy Mays: HOLD THAT THOUGHT, GRIFF, BECAUSE OUR THOUSANDS OF EASY PAYMENTS OF 5.56 HAVE JUST GOTTEN US A BRAND NEW CASTLE!



Billy Mays: AMONG OTHER THINGS.



Erik Spanner: Let's clean out the place, then.



Isara Gunther: Nekromant's running and shooting! I'm going after it.



Svetlana Aliyev: No need, Isara.



Stephen Smith: Billy, I've got you covered. Let's make sure there's nothing hiding out over here.



Langdon Alger: Oh shit, there's m-



Joe Moore: God damnit! That wasn't supposed to happen anymore!
Aethereon Darkfyre: I... I failed... I was supposed to protect him and he died because of me... H-how can I go on?!



Solaus: Aethereon, try killing enemies! It'll make you feel better.



Anil E. Hilated: Can confirm!



Aethereon Darkfyre: And now, the shells that killed the one I was sworn to protect bombard me. It's no less than I deserve.



Billy Mays: THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM AETHEREON, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT A UDES TANK WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART TANARIT ALLOY ARMOR! TOWER CANNONS WON'T EVEN SCRATCH THE PAINT! OH BY THE WAY, I FOUND THE PORTAL!




Patrick Gallagher: We'll torch it as soon as we finish these guys off.



Aethereon Darkfyre: Langdon, I will avenge you!!



Mael Radec: That's it! Focus fire, take out one at a time. This is nothing we can't handle.



Griff: Another fucking wizard!



Erik Spanner: Someone needs to tell those guys they aren't hot shit anymore.



Jorji Costava: I rather show them! Ha ha!



Isara Gunther: Hey, I think that mag came from the portal!
Lazarus: Good thing they aren't sending anything that actualy matters.



Isara Gunther: We got another spellslinger here!



Svetlana Aliyev: Someone do something about this goddamn wizard, it's still hitting us!



Jorji Costava: Is arrows, too!



T. Hinman: East is secure.



Svetlana Aliyev: Found the wizard! Fill 'im with holes!




Isara Gunther: Nothin' left! Let's take out that portal.




Svetlana Aliyev: It doesn't matter where you bastards came from, or what bullshit powers you have, or how vast your reserves are. Just like the rest, you'll never take Russia!




Our campaign in Russia was an unprecedented victory. The Alliance forces had been driven to the brink of catastrophe, its reserves of soldiers and weapons scraping bottom, but when everything hung in the balance, we were able to drive forward in a lightning attack and smash through the brunt of their forces. Their wizards, once thought invincible, had fallen one after another. Their ghosts and hell riders, which had brought terror to the battlefield and wreaked havoc on unprepared Alliance battalions, had been scattered and destroyed.

Even as the Forces of Darkness fled to their new defense line, their retreat was hindered by mutiny in the ranks. The orcs had been led into battle on promises of easy glory, plunder, and slaughter. They instead had found themselves on the receiving end of a deadly mechanized arsenal, machine gunned and bombed by the hundreds of thousands, suitable only as cannon fodder to shield the more important enemy forces. While the foe had taken no pains to preserve their footsoldiers before, the orcs were now actively being drafted for suicide missions, success in their tasks a secondary concern to culling their numbers to manageable levels.

The Alliance still had a long, hard road ahead, though. The enemy would surely throw more of their unknowably vast resources into the war and develop even more devastating weapons as their position on Earth grew increasingly tenuous - not to mention that we still had yet to locate any of the gates through which their forces arrived. The Drunken Slavs' next assignment would be to finish what we started in Russia and push into Mongolia.


KILLED IN ACTION:

Langdon Alger