May 15th, 3028
The Furious Angels have been on planet for seven weeks. Several of the Delacour Agrocombines have pooled their resources and bought equipment, expanding the local militia at a rapid pace. This has led to several headaches and complaints, mostly from farmers wanting to play soldier and not taking it seriously. There are several bright spots in the militia, but they are few and far between.
On the plains west of Tennerheim, one of the larger cities on planet, an experience is taking place. Several companies of Militia are maneuvering against a B Troop of the Angels. On a small hillock the Command group of the Furious Angels and a few of the senior militia officers are watching the progress. There are joined by several of the combine bosses and owners.
Gregor Roberts, CEO of Roberts Agro: "Well, what do you think?"
Andrew Davout, CO of the Furious Angels. "It's been about six weeks since we started drilling the militia, they are getting better."
Roberts: "Well, considering where we started, there wasn't anything we could do except improve."
As they talk a lance of Drillsons streak across the grass, trying to outflank the approaching mech troop
Aaron Huger, CEO of Huger Enterpise. "Given the money were spending, it had better be worth it."
Roberts: "It's worth it, it will be worth it."
Huger: "How can we be sure?"
Davout: "The only way to find out Mr. Huger, is to put them to the test. And lets be honest, the previous training cycles and militia officers left a lot to be desired."
There are several nods among the assembled men. Most of the militia senior officers were relieved of duty not to long ago. As long as Davout and the Furious Angles had the influence, they were going to use it as best as they could.
Davout, looking through binoculars. "Oh, that was nice. Whoever is in those Drillsons knows his stuff."
Oudinot: "That would be Lieutenant Roberts, Sir.
Davout: "Your son?"
Roberts: "Nephew, on my sisters side. Wants to be a soldier, but he's also one of the best managers I have as well. Serving in the militia lets him do both."
Davout: "Mr. Roberts, can you join me for dinner?"
Roberts: "Of course."
The group spends an hour on the hill, watching the militia slowly give ground. At the proscribed time, Oudinot gets on the radio, call the exercise to an end, and the militia and Angles begin the march back to the laager.
Davout: "What can you tell me about Taleisten."
Roberts: "Taleisten? It's a dead city. Why do you ask?"
Davout: "What's it history?"
Roberts: "Um, let me see if I can remember. It wasn't one of the first planetary settlements, it came later. But the SLDF had a post there, not to big, but when the Amaris Coup took place the base was abandoned. The City itself was wiped out what, hundred or so years ago?"
Davout: "Dirty bomb?"
Roberts: "Nobody is sure. Start of the Succession wars you were looking at 15,000 people living there. The SLDF left and everyone else picked the base clean. Population dwindled after that, till about 2915, there were about 5,000 people left. Then one day the city just...stopped."
Davout: "Just like that?."
Roberts: "No idea. There was a raid going on at the time, but as far as we can tell there wasn't any, activity going on there. Anyways, Survey teams went in. No radiation, no biologicals found, but the land was poisoned for the better part of hundred years. You couldn't walk from one end of the city to the other in anything less than a full container suit and live more than a day. Rumor had it there was an research base that was developing some sort of biological weapon, but it was never found. Conventional Wisdom says someone found something and pushed a button they shouldn't have..."
Davout: "People went in and looked for it?"
Roberts: "About 10 years later, the area cleaned up. Natural degradation probably. Most of the city was salvaged in one form or another, there's just not a lot left. Wouldn't trust anything grown there, and the local custom says there's something else going on as well. And noone wants to settle in a mass graveyard.
Davout: "So we could use it for a militia exercise?"
Roberts: "Sure. Actually, that would probably be a good idea, most of the incursions have been happening in that area, and familiarity with it certainly wouldn't hurt."
May 25th
Outside of Taliesten
Oudinot: "OK, this is eerie."
Davout: "Ill portents..."
Taliesten is a dead city. Not a lot of it remains. Very few trees, very little green. On the flyover you could see the city blocks laid out, foundations and low walls the only remains of houses and businesses, the small spaceport of the former SLDF is distinguishable only from the air. In the center of the city a couple of steel skeletons rise into the sky, the remains of the few tall buildings in the city. Only a few buildings remain, but they have been found to be unstable at best. There is a westerly wind blowing through, and the sound it creates as it blows through and around the remains of the buildings is disconcerting.
Tang Enbo: "This is...disturbing."
Davout: "Yeah, this could be a mistake. But look at it this way, if we're spooked by it, imagine what the militia is thinking."
Paul Chasseur, CO of 2nd Squadron. "It's not going to be to useful for city fighting. At best we can do a walkthrough or two, get the basics down, but we'd have to go to someplace with more...
Oudinot: "Walls?"
Chasseur: "You were never one for tact SarMajor..."
Colonel Timothy Gaines, CO of the Delacour Militia, joins the assembly. "Well, this is certainly..."
Davout: "Yes, we were just commenting on that."
Gaines: "It's odd, everyone on planet knows about this place, but this is the first time I've ever been here."
Davout: "What about the last incursions?"
Gaines: "Well, that's the new wrinkle. The Hand was the last Pirate Unit to come through that went after something more...substantial I guess. There's nothing here worth going after, unless you want to hunt for some copper wire or old steel, and frankly why would you want to travel across the universe for stuff like that. Foodstuffs and equipment, that's been their usual haul. Last few times though, the Pirates land around this area, spend six to eight weeks on planet, then leave. I suspect last time they would have stayed longer, but the militia came out in force, and they left before we could bring them to task."
Chasseur: "What are they doing?"
Gaines: "No idea. There's noone alive within 50 clicks of here. The Pirates land, set up a perimeter, and then mill around for a bit. Then they leave. We've never been able to positively ID them, but they've been here on and off for the better part of twenty years. This seems to be a popular place for some of them. But it's a catch 22 for them really. We don't defend it because there's nothing here left to defend, and they base here because they know its safe. Lately though..."
The wind picks up again, the sound as it makes it way through the city reaches the assembled troops.
Chasseur: "What do you say we get this show on the road?"
A couple of hours later, the militia officers and officer of the Furious Angels are underneath one of the many tents that have been set up. Lieutenant Massena is beginning the briefing.
Massena: "For the rest of this OPEX there are two additional requirements. One, always check your water and food. I don't care if it comes off of the trailer, or out of the bottle, box, bag or messcan,in this locale we can't be too careful. Use the strips, that's what they're for. DO YOU UNDERSATND ME? Good. Secondly, the past few exercises several folks on both sides have attempted to disable the smoke projectors that go off when they are hit and dead. Rest assured that myself and the other referee's are going to be keeping a close eye this cycle so that things like that do not happen. Any questions. Lieutenant Huger?"
Lieutenant Huger, Delacour Militia: "Yes Sir. Do we have an approximate number on the OPFOR size and composistion?"
Davout: "Two Union class Dropships, contents unknown, one Seeker jumpship, contents unknown, one Invader Class Jumpship at a Pirate Point. Both dropships coming in at a 1.6g burn, DZ unknown at this time."
Massena: "Sir?"
Davout: "Sorry James. Boots and Saddles, Ladies and Gentlemen, this is no drill. We have about eighteen hours to get ready. That means swapping out the ammo for live rounds, powering up the lenses on the lasers, those are the priorities. As soon as we can get a handle on their LZ, we'll start getting down to brass tacks. I want all senior officers and lance commanders to stay here, the rest of you get to the equipment and get moving!"
Two thirds of the tent leaves, including the Senior Sergeants of the Furious Angels; with the Officers hashing out the details its up to them to ride herd on everyone else, including the militia.
Captain Chasseur: "Any idea's on whose coming?"
Davout: "They aren't Lyran, or Marik, and they aren't friendly..."
Chasseur: "Good."
Five Days Later
"Grim Six, this is Sabre Six Actual, report." Captain Chasseur, CO of 2nd Squadron to Lieutenant Friant, Grim Troop CO.
"Sabre Six, we're on the left, three clicks Southwest from Point ROSE, no contacts...hold Sabre Six, have something on the scope..." Background noise and firing.
"Six Actual, have encountered Jump Infantry and J Edgar Hoover Hovertanks three clicks from Point ROSE, requesting assistance to move and clear."
"Grim Six, copy. Demon is one the way."
"CONTACT! Heavy Contact! Sabre Six, this is Fox Six, two clicks west of Point ROSE, estimate two lances of Mechs with vehicle and Infantry in Support! Am holding position and engaging." Lieutenat James Massena, CO of Fox Troop to Captain Chasseur.
"Roger that Fox Six, Sabre Lance is on the way to your position, ETA one zero minutes!"
"Demon Six ETA to Point ROSE is 5 minutes."
"On your left Eugene, MAD-3R coming through the woodline with Infantry in support. Takeda, rake that woodline with LRMS's and support Eugene against that Marauder." Friant.
"Grim Six, Fox Six, be advised you have four more mechs headed your way from my position, ETA 5 minutes. Looks like two Wolverines and two Hermes."
"Grim Six copies. taking a looksee." Friant is piloting a TBT-J Trebuchet.
"Coming through the woodline, ETA a minute, Infantry and tanks coming on the right-HOLY SH-" Cut transmission
"Where'd he go!?"
"Johnny!"
Confusion reigns for a moment.
"Sabre Six, Grim Two, Grim Six has disappeared!"
"What do you mean disappeared?"
"I mean when he landed he literally fell through the earth! This is no BS Paul, I'm two hundred meters away looking at a hole in the side of the hill he was going to land on!"
"Marauder is down! Engaging enemy Wolverines on the Left."
"Sabre Six, Fox Six, enemy is attempting to break off towards Grim's location, am following at best speed."
"Roger that Fox Six. Demon Six, move to Grims location, best possible speed, string em out if you have to! Eagle Six, whats your location." Davout
"Fifteen minutes from Point ROSE on one zero zero" Lieutenant Nicholai Orlov, CO of Eagle Troop
"Get there quicker, Nick"
"Copy that."
Minutes tick by slowly, it's the arrival of the militia that turns the tide at first, then several long range blasts from Desaix's Warhammer ignite the treeline, forcing the pirates to pull back. They are hit on the flank by Orlov's Eagle Troop, and retreat another twenty kilometers before Chassuer calls them back. They leave several hover tanks and two mechs on the field of battle.
Chasseur: "So, anyone know what this is?"
Lieutenant Huger: "Storage Bunker of some sort. No SLDF markings, or other indicators."
The assembled troops are inside a bunker. When Friant's Trebuchet landed, it fell through a weak spot in the roof and a further 20 meters to the ferrocrete floor. The room his mech is in is empty.
"Found a map sir!" A militia member comes running up with a panel in hand. Chassuer looks over it with his flashlight. "Well, there's four identical bays, same as this one. Looking at the access doors, I'd say were in this one here. Lets split up, half go this way, half go that way. Be alert."
A few minutes later.
"Gerhardt Technologies...Sir, I have a manual here, says property of Gerhardt Technologies on it...for a generator..."
"Anyone?" asks Chasseur
"They were an industrial concern, primary employer in Taliesten. Electronics manufacturing, sensor arrays, when they city went dead their buildings were some of the first raided and razed." Lieutenant Huger responded. "They've been out of business for the better part of a century,"
"SIR, come to Bay Two!"
"On the Way."
Someone has found a power supply, and turned on the emergency lights. Bay Two is identical in size and shape to the place where Friant fell, but in this case it is occupied, vehicles in protective plastic wrap. Vehicles of War.
Chasseur: "Curiouser and Curiouser."
Oscar Grouchy, Sergeant, Sabre Squadron. "I don't recognize any of these vehicles."
Chasseur: "Sergeant Raus might know, he's the vehicle buff."
Lieutenant Huger: "I know these vehicles..." He walks towards one, a ground hovertank with a turrent full of weapons and a hull mounted gun. "This is a Bucephalus Hover Tank. Manufactured by Brooks Incorporated on Kendall...These things are over a hundred years old, they haven't built any of these for a long time...
Huger begins walking around the other shapes
"A Pelham Self Propelled Artillery Unit, a Manstein Main Battle Tank...early Third Succession War..."
"Lieutenant Huger, enlighten us if you would?"
"At the start of the 3rd Succession War Brooks Incorporated tried expanding. They do the Galleon now, but the tried to add a few more vehicles to the mix, diversify if you will. I bet if we look in these things they have Gerhardt Technologies Sights and Sensors on them...this is one heck of a find...I don't think there are any of these active anymore...
Davout: "So, whats the breakdown?"
Chasseur: "Whoever stored them knew their stuff. Replace the fluids, prime the engines, they started right up. Some of the software is a little kludgy, but those will work out. Most of the weapons systems are good to go as well."
Massena: " Any Lostech?"
Chasseur: "Doesn't look like it. The mainframes are wiped clean, nothing else to be found...The manufacturing dates are three months before the city was..."
Davout: "Right, so what are we looking at?"
Chasseur: "Eight Pelham SPA's, company each of the Buchephalus and Mansteins. Little bit of love and TLC they'll be in working condition within 10 days...
Davout: "Now, if we only had crews for them...
Chasseur smiles. "Lieutenant Huger has a proposition for you sir."