Part 16: Mission 16: Saving Major Davidson

Between increasing popular and financial support, research breakthroughs, the glut of captured enemy equipment, and the development of Evadit armor, magical research was beginning to leave its infancy. Where we'd once found ourselves wishing for just one proposal that showed any promise, we now had several appealing projects to choose from. Consensus was that the first thing to pursue should be an experimental tank-mounted coilgun. The main challenges R&D faced were scaling down the technology, suitable energy storage, and heat dissipation. Magic, as we understood it, could provide solutions for all three.



In the meantime came the usual repairing and recrewing of damaged and destroyed vehicles. While the artillery was being patched up, we began to strip down the TAMs and STRVs to install the new Evadit armor on them.



There was just enough political capital left over to rearm Anoa's unit with flamethrowers, at his request.




The first breakthrough on the coilgun tank came shortly afterward. Our engineers were able to develop a railgun turret not much larger than a conventional tank turret. After repeated test firings, where the turret launched 1cm steel balls at speed in excess of mach 4, the barrel had sustained no fractures or melting thanks to judicious use of protection runes. The remaining issue was the power consumption needed to keep the electromagnets charged; the largest battery we'd be able to fit on any of our existing vehicle frames would only allow for five seconds of sustained fire. It was our hope that magic would give us a way to store enough power to make the weapon viable for extended combat.



We weren't in a position to wait for the project to finish, though. Major Davidson, who'd carried out many dangerous recon missions and given us much of our intelligence in the United Kingdom, had crashed in the desert while en route to the Alliance's forward base in Saudi Arabia. Naturally, this hadn't gone unnoticed by the Forces of Darkness, and they were sweeping the area for him. The noose was tightening around his neck. We needed to act quickly to save him.

Mission 16: Saving Major Davidson

Attending:
Joe Moore (War Boys, Mortar Infantry)
Lazarus (Forlorn Hope, Flamethrowers)
Sersan (Anoa, Flamethrowers)
Habitually Red (Sane Max's Own, Flamethrowers)
Solrick Skaft (Scion of Emer, Flamethrowers)
Bonaventura Ferrer (Confederacion, Heavy Infantry)
Logan "Hardtack" Smith (War Dogs, Commandos)
Amina (Les Amazones, Piranha)
Patrick Gallagher (Just In Time, Piranha)
Svetlana Aliyev (Rusalka, Piranha)
Erik Spanner (The Toolbox, Piranha)
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)
Catherine Ulysses (Ashsavers, Humvee)
Ash Kleef (Smart Patrol, Humvee)



Hardtack: So...
Habitually Red: So?



Hardtack: This place is huge. Where the hell do we start?



Sersan: We can worry about that after we've dealt with these mags. We're behind enemy lines right now, and if we don't knock out their scouts, there's going to be an army on our asses.
Patrick Gallagher: Let's get on that hill, too. We'll have a better vantage point there.



Basil: Anyone see a crashed plane yet?



Svetlana Aliyev: No, but I see more mags to the north.



Amina: Oh, shit. Guys? They're here.



Anil E. Hilated: Who cares? It's only trogs.



Sersan: No it's not!



Solaus: Oh god, we're surrounded!



Bonaventura Ferrer: Well, shit. Now what?



Svetlana Aliyev: God damnit, guys, do something! We're getting torn up!



Lazarus: You guys like the desert heat, huh? THIS HOT ENOUGH FOR YOU FUCKERS?



Joe Moore: I think we're clear down here, Laz, let's go help the others!



Erik Spanner: MOTHERFUCKING GOLEMS.



Erik Spanner: "Not everyone needs Evadit armor," those assholes said! "We're replacing the Piranhas soon anyway!"



Basil: That's it! Everyone who can take a shot, take it! We've gotta thin 'em out or we're dead!



Mael Radec: I've got a clear shot at the golems! Leave them to me!



Anil E. Hilated: We've shot up their line pretty good! They won't have half as much for their next volley.



Griff: Still too much, though! Guys, I think there's more golems, and they're hitting us from where we can't see them!




Patrick Gallagher: Falling back, falling back!



Griff: What the hell do we do? Our frontline's shot to pieces!



Habitually Red: These things aren't good against footsoldiers, right? Let us take the front! We'll draw their fire until you guys can get back in the fight!



Lazarus: Goddamn, they're pouring fire on us out here! Get those repairs done quick, or we're hamburger!
Erik Spanner: I'll help you as soon as my engine stops being on fire!



Sersan: We need support here! They're concentrating fire on us!



Sersan: It's like fucking Armageddon up here, we can't stay! Anoa is falling back, repeat, Anoa is-



Habitually Red: Sersan? Sersan, for god's sake, get up!



Habitually Red: They've killed Sersan! Those lousy stinking brown lizards! Those horrible atrocity-filled vermin! Those despicable animal warmongers! Take that! Take this!



Basil: Damn, three golem platoons? They're stepping up their game, aren't they?



Mael Radec: Two platoons now, soon to be zero.



Amina: God, I can't even get a shot off on them before they spray their green shit at me!



Griff: They can't hit all of us anymore, though!




Hardtack: That's the last of them.
Solaus: God, that was brutal. I hope we can find the Major before more show up.



Patrick Gallagher: Let's hold position for a bit, just in case more are on the way. In the meantime...



Patrick Gallagher: ...I'm gonna shoot some skeet!



Amina: ...Well, that's a bit of an anticlimax.



Solaus: Well, it was a nice palate cleanser after get got shot at a lot and Sersan died, at any rate.



Ash Kleef: ...The hell? There's more of them!



Griff: Correction, were.
Joe Moore: That was weird. After throwing all those golems and lizards at us, why'd they follow up with the Short Bus Brigade?
Erik Spanner: Trogs must've gotten lost on the way here.



Ash Kleef: In any case, I'm gonna start having a look around for that crashed plane. I can see a canyon to the south.



Ash Kleef: It's a nice view, but I really hope the plane didn't crash down there.
Mael Radec: Major Davidson didn't say anything about a canyon. He did mention trees, though. Try looking for those.
Ash Kleef: Alright. I'll just head east and-



Ash Kleef: Under fire, under fire! Golems!



Ash Kleef: I got away... they're not chasing me. Looks like they're all dug in on that hill.
Bonaventura Ferrer: Shit. How do we deal with them, then?
Svetlana Aliyev: We don't. Let 'em camp the hill, we'll go around them. We're just here for the Major.



Ash Kleef: Alright. Just found a land bridge to the southwest. It's pretty narrow... and pretty thin. God, I hope this thing doesn't collapse while I'm driving across it.



Ash Kleef: Nope! On the other side, making my way across a sand dune.



Ash Kleef: ...Okay, that might be a problem. Dark Elves, southeast. I need to get past them to keep searching the area.
Patrick Gallagher: Dark Elves are easy pickings by now! Just sit tight, Ash, we'll clear the way for you soon.



Lazarus: I can't believe people actually, willingly use this bridge.
Bonaventura Ferrer: Hey, I wish this was the most dangerous thing we'd done today.



Lazarus: Alright. Level ground, an obvious enemy unit to focus fire on and draw forward. No problem.



Catherine Ulysses: Actually, we've got a problem.
Griff: What the f- Ash, how did you miss that?
Ash Kleef: I just stopped when I saw the elves!
Catherine Ulysses: *sigh* Guess I have to cover for your mistake. Everyone in position? Good.



Catherine Ulysses: I've got their attention! Everyone get ready to fire!



Catherine Ulysses: FUUUUUUUUUUCK!



Griff: Easy part's done! Now all that's left are the Mri.



Basil: I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.




Erik Spanner: Now that that little detour's done with, we gonna kill the keebs?



Catherine Ulysses: SOMETHING MORE URGENT JUST CAME UP.



Patrick Gallagher: Hey, he just made our job easier! If we have to fight a golem, might as well be when it's alone and without support!



Solaus: There we go! Who's left?



Mael Radec: Lizards! Everyone rush 'em!



Solrick Skaft: Gotta roast the keebs, too!



Svetlana Aliyev: They've been fielding almost nothing but anti-armor units out here. Did they catch on to our tactics?



Basil: Maybe. We'll just have to kill all the lizards and golems 'til nothing's left. Speaking of, area's clear.



Ash Kleef: Right, I'm gonna search some more, then. I found another land bridge to the southwest, and...



Ash Kleef: Hang on a second. I see what looks like an aircraft tailfin.



Ash Kleef: Crash site confirmed! The Major's gotta be close. ...Yeah, there he is! I can see him waving! I'll pull up to him now.



Major Davidson: You are not gonna believe the shit I've been through.
Ash Kleef: Likewise. Hop in my command vehicle, we're getting you outta here.



Major Davidson: ...trogs got into the emergency rations. And they weren't even fucking eating what they took! Half of it was spilled all over the flight cabin! So before we could even eat, we had to take our sidearms and...



Ash Kleef: ...and then Sersan fucking exploded. Like, literally exploded. Forget a closed casket, there's maybe enough left of him to fill a shoebox, and it's spread over about a square klick of...



Ash Kleef: Alright, that's the main road. All we've got to do is wait for the rest of the team to get here, then we're home free.
Major Davidson: Well, I do appreciate the pickup. Sounds like you boys and girls went through hell to get me. I'll be sure to put in a good word for you with Command, and next time I drink, I'll pour one out for your friend.
Ash Kleef: So will I, Major. So will I.




Major Davidson's intelligence proved quite helpful, pointing out several major concentrations of enemy forces to us. We now had a good idea of where the enemy was strongest and where they were weakest, something we'd been sorely lacking in the Middle Eastern theater. With this knowledge in our hands, it was a simple matter to sweep this area, finishing off the enemies that hadn't died in our initial assault within days.

Our worst fears, however, had been realized. The enemy had proven able to deploy Golems and Mri in frightening numbers, and even when we had the advantage of engaging them from atop a hill, we suffered casualties the likes of which we'd only seen before in the final battles in Eastern and Western Europe. It seemed we were learning what the Forces of Darkness were really capable of.

KILLED IN ACTION:

Sersan