Part 35: Day 32, The Pavonian Heartlant, Victory Bay

We target the Gue'la next, then.














Fifth Company, this is the moment of truth. You will not fear. You will not falter. You will not give a single step to the enemy.




But sir--




(Ha, nice aim!)


(Boo! Squibs! Boo those squibs!)


If you will not serve in combat, then you will serve on the firing line!


Enemies of the Imperium, hear me:


You have come here to die. The Immortal Emperor is with us and we are invincible.


His soldiers will strike you down.


His war machines will crush you under their treads.


His mighty guns will bring the very sky crashing down upon you.


You cannot win.


The Emperor has given us his greatest weapon to wield.


So make yourselves ready.


We are the 1st Kronus Regiment and today is our Victory Day!


Well, I'll give him points for an invigorating speech. It was a--aw, what?! Spotted already? Come on, lay off with the radar tech!
Hello, alien. You've finally come.
Look, it would serve the Greater Good if you would lay down arm, human. This planet shall be returned to the Tau Empire as is proper.
You have no claim to this world, alien.
I beg to--
END COMMUNICATION!
Uh...


Their base is across the river, O'Kais. There are three routes to it: two throw the shallows and one across a bridge. Be warned, our scouts reported forward defenses protecting all of these possible routes.


Right, let's take some points and rush their forward defenses. The Imperial Guard can quickly mass troops, and considering they're already entrenched, they'll be able to quickly mobilize armour as well.


Crud, that was fast--Stealthsuit Veterans, fall back and help with the defenses! EMP Grenades at the ready!
Of course.




(I suppose no one told them it's impolite to point lasers at people.) To our benefit, the Hard AI doesn't seem to know how to garrison Guard troopers, inside building or vehicles. That means all of these soldiers are ridiculously vulnerable to Tau guns.


With their tanks disabled, their infantry fall quickly--have to be careful using Stealthsuits, though, as their radar is quick to reveal their location.


A second wave, Shas'o!
A-already?!


Still standing. Bring up the Earth Caste Drones, we're in need of serious repairs here.


Oh, come on! More of them?!
The Immortal Emperor's soldiers are legion.


Handle them, I'm taking my Honour Guard and am going to disable one of their forward bases.
Heads up, Shas'o! Fire team in that burnt out building.


Let's take them down quickly. Those Heavy Weapons teams can cause massive damage quickly.


Firing solution plotted.
O'Kais, we're picking up chatter on the radio. Sounds like you have incoming fire!


Now you'll see what it means to face the Imperial Guard! Artillery, open fire!
Uh--


*


Send a platoon to secure that location!
O'Kais, are you alright?!
We're hurt, but we're still mobile--mostly. Lost a team of Fire Warrior Bodyguards. What do you have for me?
Bad news: those cannons are too far away to strike at for now. Good news is we have their location. They're set up along some islands in the river. You can reach them through the shallows.
Then we'll do that! HQ, how are you faring?


We're just barely holding up. We don't have enough requisition to start building. The Earth Caste Drones can barely keep our existing structures intact.


Hold tight. We've found one of their forward bases. If we can dismantle it, we'll have a far easier time.
Here they come!
Second Mechanized Company, the enemy is at your doorstep! Push them back, damn it!


This is the mechanized compound, O'Kais. Take it down and fewer tanks will be produced.


Heh, we only need one.
Oh, come on! Really!?


Remember that burnt out building where the Heavy Weapons Team ambushed us?
Yeah?
Fall back to that position, for now!


O'Kais, do something! The Gue'la are endless!


Okay. Defensive tactics. If I can take out the base turrets, the Stealthsuits should be able to jetpack in and drop an EMP Grenade on that Baneblade!




Great! Whittle down its health. Pull back when they reboot its systems.


Ugh. Enough with the radar! Stealthsuits are turning out to be mostly useless!




Baneblade is online again! Fall back for now!


That should do it--firing cannons! We're back in action! Don't let those filthy alien scum come any closer.


EMP out!
Oh crap, they're coming closer!


Uh, we need to bug out for a bit. My Crisis Suit has taken critical amounts of damage. Let's take cover. I need to let it self-repair.


Second platoon, attack!
Yo, O'Kais, does that mean you're going to come help with base defenses? We've managed to put up a turret, but they keep knocking it down before we can get it to the second tier!
No! Figure it out!


Got'em. It's like stepping on ants, though, there's always more. (And I swear, their numbers are getting larger).




Good news, O'Kais: the Baneblade is out of commission!
You won't take Victory Bay that easily!


Take out their base before they can build another one. Ignore the Mars Pattern Control for now, hit the HQ!




Move out, men!
Meanwhile, back at the base: uh, hello, this is Fire Warrior La'rua One, requesting once again that Shas'o Kais return to base to help defend his HQ. Uh, roger that, Fire Warrior La'rua One, this is Shas'o. I'm a bit busy now doing a whole lot of nothing. I couldn't be any more ineffective if I tried, but, uh, tell you what, I'm gonna muck around in the south a bit more. I swear if you throw enough mud at a wall, some of it will stick.
Ha. Ha. I get it. Very funny.


Look, we got this! The HQ is down, the Mars Pattern is down--we wipe out those machine shops and this compound is useless!
The enemy has knocked out Second Company's fire control system. Our air support is gone.


Whoa, where's that fire coming fro--




Oh, come on! Can't anything go right?
We must disrupt this attack. Tell the Vindicare temple to eliminate their commander.
One shot is all I need.


Got it. One more to go, and we've clear the base out. You happy, HQ?


Thrilled.
Oh, no! An off-screen death!
Ha, got him!
R-really? O'Kais?

O-O'Kais?!

Attacking forces, this is Governor-Militant Lukas Alexander. Your commander is dead. You cannot win. Lay down your arms or be destroyed!
Crud.
Air Caste is evacuating Shas'o. He's not dead, he'll be fine, but his Crisis Suit has lost all power. We're going to get the Earth Caste to fix it.
We'll have Shas'o back on the battlefield as soon as we can. Hold on!


--krzzzt-- Hello-- c--an you hear us? We-- --krzzt-- --all that remains of O'Kais' Honour Guard. --click--


If you --krzzt-- hear this, the Gue'la are hunting us down. --click--


Hold on! We can't get to you. Kasrkin are pinning us down in the base!
----krzzzt--t-tell my wife I--I love her-- --click--
Just hold out a little longer!


Hello? Hello?!?


Your friend are dead. You're next, alien!

Shas'O's Crisis Suit is fully operational.
Air Caste is delivering him now.


O'Kais, you can cut down on infantry if you wipe out their forward base here.
Right. Let me take care of this. Let's focus on building up our base. Without the armour from their Second Mechanized division, we'll have some breathing room to work.




Something in the ruins, sir! It's killing our men...
Then I suppose you ought to go in there and flush them out.


Their still sending armour, O'Kais. Not as much as before, but the southern base is still operational.
Great. Change of tactics: get a Kauyon Command post up and running. We need bigger guns and armour. Also, a Vehicle Beacon. I want Drone Swarms. Let's see how the Gue'la like that.


We're still under fire, sir!
Send more men! Keep sending them until the problem is solved.


Kroot Hounds active. Their jaws open Gue'la tanks like tin cans!


Have to play it safe. If I get too close, they start using their radar tech. As long as I hang back, by stealth stays on and they can't track my movements.
First Company! Hold the enemy back, no matter the cost.
Executing your orders, sir!


Something keeps knocking down our Listening Post. Rebuild it!
Sir, shouldn't we solve the problem first?
Your skulls will pave the new post's foundation if you don't follow my order, soldier.
Sir, yes, sir!


Hurry, O'Kais, they're fielding Lemann Russ tanks now!


Again, EMP Grenades. Don't sweat it.


Drone Swarms are active.
Aun'el, you've joined the battle?
Sounds like you've been having trouble. I'm dispatching my Bodyguards to your location.


I appreciate the company. I've taken the forward base. I'll need help securing the position.


The Drone Swarm is dismantling the last of the southern forward base.


We've finally made some real progress, O'Kais. Be careful, though, the Gue'la are only going to fight harder.


Right, let's take stock of our forces.
A Drone Swarm awaits your orders in the south. They are poised to either move up the bridge towards the Gue'la's main base, or to cross the shallows and eliminate the artillery.


Just myself and Aun'el's Bodyguards at the northern forward base. We have access to the river shallows that will take us to the most direct route to the main Imperial base. We'll need back up. We have provided some minor fortifications to this location that could be built upon.


Many Fire Warriors, Stealthsuits, and Kroot Hound are still at our HQ. With the enemy forward bases gone we can redeploy them where we wish.
What does the War Council wish to do?
To quickly recap: there are three ways across the river. The northernmost route is the fastest way to the enemy base. Be warned, they have a massive defensive cannon from some old Gue'la tech. It could impede our advance if left alone. The central route leads across a bridge. It's the most obvious route and will be guarded. It will take us past the power supplies for the Titan cannon--if taken out, the cannon will be useless. The southernmost route takes us through minefields and is the most roundabout way to reach the Gue'la HQ. However, it will also take us past the artillery. If we want, that'd be our chance to eliminate them from play.
Right, so choose a route and any other tactics. I don't want to lose, War Council!