Chapter 6: First Contact
After the laughter died down, Triamal looked at the battalion with a somber expression. "If everything is ready, I will send you all down."
The Battalion commander stood off to the side and looked at the men and women lined up. He knew that once they were down on the ground, there was no going back. He looked over to the command sergeant major, and then nodded to the Goddess. "Yes. We are ready."
"Fucking Christ, get off me!" A voice yells out as grunting is heard. A large "Plop." Followed as if something large and heavy was thrown. "Goddamnit Jelen! You didn’t have to throw me!" another voice yells. "Oiy! Watch it!" A separate voice yells.
"You already died once, don’t let a goddamn hill be the end of you!"
"Eh?" Eric said, waking up in an open field. He looked to the left, realizing that his platoon was scattered in a circle around him. They were on top of a hill. "Stop fucking around and spread out" Eric yelled.
"Wake everyone that isn’t already awake up! We don’t know what’s going to happen, so Maintain 360 degrees security while we get a read on the situation!"
War gave no time for thought, only action, which is why Eric barked orders immediately upon waking up. Ducking down over the ridge line of the hill, Eric looked out. He could see a large Army about 10 clicks out. He sighed as he looked at his Squad leaders.
"This is gonna be a long night, fellas."
Movement for battle began shortly after the soldiers all came to. The batallion commander had an immediate priority: "Find the Vehicles if they came with us!" He shouted to his staff officers. "I want my tanks on top of that hill and overlooking the enemy as fast as we can get them there!" He then turned to any soldier that he could see. "If there are any snipers that can hear me, post up on that hill and the other one! We could have magic and whatever else on top of us in seconds, so hop to it!"
The Hill instantly became a beehive of activity. "Ah fuck, I can’t fin- oh! There they are!" A voice yelled. He then pointed at a long line of tanks, lined up perfectly as if they were arranged in a motorpool. "GET! DOWN!" A man yells as he tackles the first voice. "I swear to everything on the Goddesses name, you damn cherry LT’s are going to be the reason I die an early death."
Voices clamored as more soldiers woke up, and more orders were issued. Soon, the entire batallion was searching for their vehicles. As vehicles were found, security became "Get the fuck in the vehicles!." Bounding movements were utilized in order for soldiers to man their vehicles. Engines roared and gasoline burned in the air. In a world of Knights and Magic, tanks were alive. Seconds turned into minutes as vehicles mobilized.
"I want the tanks from Armor companies on each ridge between us and the enemy. Do not engage yet. I want Mech companies to set up Observation points along the perimeter. Maintain security." The commander paused as he observed the enemy. At first count, he estimated there was an entire brigade. Lines of neatly packed soldiers paraded to the front, banners flew, armor gleamed brightly against the sun, and their slow march brought them ever closer to targeting range from the battalions kill box.
As the batallion had eyes on the enemy brigade, the enemy brigade also noticed them.
Line upon line of soldiers marched onwards. Cadence was kept as each man stepped in tune with each other. Armor gleamed under the sun, pristine as if blessed by a God. The commander of the Army looked onward, his head held high as the journey brought them towards their latest mission. The soldiers’ gaits were calm, steady. The commander knew he had nothing to worry about. His scouts had already cleared the area before the Army marched through here.
When the Empire called, Hezel served. The Army was about a day’s march away from their mission location when suddenly, massive roars could be heard from a hilltop just outside Hezels range of vision. He took shelter immediately behind his advisors. "What in God’s name is that?" Hezel roared. The dragons should not be broaching our positions! We gave them everything they demanded to stay out of this! Report Goddamnit! Someone tell me what the hell is going on here!"
More roars came to life as if to answer his question. Sweat trickled down his body as he pondered his potential courses of action. With each roar, successive roar, the Army began losing it’s precise form. Hezel could tell he was losing control of his formation. Officers began shouting orders as metal shapes began appearing one after the other where nothing had been moments before. Hezel’s eyes went wide as panic overtook him. No war he had ever been in had contraptions like the ones he was seeing now.
The commander breathed a sigh of relief as he noticed the enemy forces in disarray. Enemy rank and file had broken down when the battalion’s vehicles had sprung to life, which had given enough time for the Bradleys, Tanks, and all IFV’s to arrange themselves so the support units and S-shop vehicles were enclosed in the formation. Before the battalion could set up a forward operating base, they had to survive the day. With the enemy five clicks out, the commander gave the order:
"Engage."