Preview:

Planet: Dieudonne

Year: 3059

Junior Lieutenant Addison Stewart was surveying the rolling dunes of the desert with binoculars from his vehicle's command cupula as a voice came through his crewman helmet.

"I'll admit that I say it a lot Sir but driving for royalty can really have its perks. I never would have dreamt that I'd be operating a vehicle like this." His driver Corporal Hill remarked, breaking the boredom that came with the assignment.

Their vehicle was indeed an oddity. The LCCC put this new prototype combat vehicle under Lieutenant Stewart's command for desert trials. This decision came not only due to the Lieutenant's prior academic performance, but also by taking into account his current station. Its body was a standard Hetzer, which was common within their unit, however this new experimental version had its AC/20 replaced with the newly introduced Light Gauss Rifle and had a machine gun mounted using the freed tonnage. The greatest change came with its wheels being replaced with a new adjustable track system, allowing for more accurate targeting and reducing the crew to only a driver/gunner and commander.

"Hill, you know my family branched off from the royal line generations ago, really I'm just lucky to still be a Stewart." Addison responded, not even taking his eyes away from his optics.

"Yeah, I know, but it still amazes me that you are actually related to the Gudanos of Stewart. What does that make Ana to you again?"

"Let's see." Addison took a few seconds to mentally recall his family tree. "My grandfather was Ana's cousin, so really I have no idea what you'd call it, if anything."

"If there's a word for it or not that still means that you became family with Janos Marik when they got married!" Hill exclaimed.

"I really doubt that I have any kind of relationship with the prior Captain-General. Do you really think I'd be on this planet with you if I did?"

Hill chuckled "Yeah I guess you're right."

Addison gave in, "Just get some rest alright?"

Throughout the Free Worlds League the deserts of Dieudonne are most often thought of as a deathtrap. It's close proximity to the free for all within the Chaos March causes many to fear that it's turmoil may soon spill over into the League. Others fear vengeance from Operation Guerrero, when FWLM forces used the planet to launch an invasion of the nearby Federated Commonwealth held worlds in the newly formed Lyran Alliance after allying itself with the latter.

Almost an hour passed before anyone spoke again.

Now it was Addison's turn to break the silence "Rise and shine Hill, I've got the convoy in sight, keep your eyes open."

Hill woke with a grunt and Addison could hear the rustling of his crewman getting into position "Roger that Sir, I've got it in sight."

The road that the duo was tasked with watching was nearly out of sight, as the light gauss rifle has the greatest range of any currently available direct fire weapon. The Hector Road Train's rumbling could be heard even from this distance as it crawled over the barren landscape at the speed of only 25 Kilometers per hour. It was capable of nearly double that, however the compacted sands of Dieudonne limited it to this agonizingly slow rate. It was quite clear that the soldiers in the Ibex RV escorts were getting restless as they regularly sped off in quick bursts only to slow down again in order to allow the train to catch up.

"Hey you see that? What do they think they're doing? We're already at a fuel shortage, I'll need to find out who's in charge of this op when we get back." Addison said aloud noticing these actions. Activating the intercom to his crewman's helmet Addison spoke into his microphone. "This is 1-4 Actual, I've got eyes on the convoy, nothing out of the ordinary except some troops showing off."

A voice responded through his headset, "Roger that 1-4, we've got it marked that the convoy passed Way Point 7, hold there for another hour and you can head on back."

"Roger that." Addison said giving a curt response.

Other than the odd behavior of the escorts nothing else raised any suspicion. That is until after the train passed and Addison noticed vehicles that shouldn't have been travelling with the unit. He noticed a Mobile Field Base, a few J-27 Ordnance Transports, and a lone Skulker.

Addison again called activated his comms. "Sir, somethings strange...what the Hell?!" The only sound now coming from his headset was a deafening static. "Hill, how're your comms doing?"

"I'm hearing you just fine sir, you see those stragglers too, right?" Hill responded.

"Yeah I see 'em, I'm having trouble contacting base, something's definitely going on. Keep your eyes op-" Addison was cut off as a tremendous force crashed onto the left side of his vehicle.

...

Author's Notes- This isn't meant to be taken as a first chapter, more as a preview, the quick scene you see bofore the credits you may say. After a few months of planning this story out I finally decided to get to it as one of my friends recently finished his own