Year 13, Month 09, Day 25

15th Army Group HQ

Naples, Roma, Kingdome of Noria

General Alexander read over the recent reports that were coming from the front. He had placed his headquarters as close to the fighting as possible, without worrying his staff and subordinates. At this time, he was moving to try and retake the city of Rome and provide a victory for not only the Allies, but for Noria as well. Their government was in desperate need of a victory, and they had been demanding that an offensive to retake the city be done as soon as possible.

Alexander pinched the bridge of his nose as he placed the datapad down, trying to relax his mind from the stresses of command. So far, he had managed to move up ad secure close to forty percent of the planet under Allied control, but his main objective, Rome, was behind a series of fortifications that both Norian fascists and Getov soldiers were calling the Gustav Line. It was proving to be just as difficult to overcome as the one back on Earth, but more so. His latest intelligence reports said that several Teutonic Knights have been taking part in attacks against Allied positions, and that just made the members of the Royal Norian Military even more determined to reclaim their capital.

There was a knock at Alexander's door. "Come on," he said.

Walking in was his adjutant. "General, Admiral Cunningham is on the line to speak with you."

"Thank you." He dismissed the officer and switched on his holoprojector. In the space above it was the Admiral.

"General Alexander, it is good to see you again. How goes the fighting on the ground?" he said, his face all serious.

"Not good, I'm afraid"

"I take it that our friends in the Norian government are being demanding in the liberation of Rome?"

Alexander nodded. "I am afraid so. Prime Minister Churchill has also been pushing for this as well. 'To help in the securing of an important ally,' is how he has been phrasing it. I know we need the support of the Norian government, and their people need to know that they can provide for them, but I'm afraid that they are asking for too much too soon. They want Rome to be liberated by the end of the year."

Cunningham's face furrowed in thought. "What do your commanders say about that timetable? Do they think it is possible?"

"Both General's Clark and Rommel agree that it could be attained, but with a heavy loss of life. General Montgomery, on the other hand, is stating that his forces could force a breakthrough that would allow us to take Rome by Christmas."

"What is your assessment of that claim, General?" the admiral asked.

"From the reconnaissance that we have been able to conduct, the Gustav Line seems to be the only line of defense between us and the capital. There are a few fortifications beyond it, but none of them appear to be as entrenched as the one in front of us. This line is made up of fortifications that blend in with the terrain. Each mountain appears to have its own base, and no doubt many of them are interconnected by tunnels. Turbolaser batteries, underground artillery, and shield generators are all across the Line."

"How are the people defending the line?"

"We've conducted a series of raids over the past few weeks. The defenders, both Norian and Getov, are in high spirits and they claim that they are ready for any attack that we would through against them. I believe one Jerry said, 'We will be the wall that the Allied waves crash upon'. Norian soldiers feel the same way so we can expect them to be highly motivated, especially since they see us as invaders."

"What about the Teutonic Knights?"

Alexander hid a grimace. He had received reports that they were active in the area, but he had underestimated their capabilities. It wasn't until he had seen the recordings of a battle where they ambushed a company of soldiers that he realized just how deadly they could be. "They are a game changer. A single Knight could easily wipe out a platoon. From what MI6 has been able to provide, they appears to be around ten or so in this theater."

"That explains why I have lost several flights of fighters and bombers the past few weeks then," Cunningham said, rubbing his chin. "I thought it was just inexperienced pilots or luck, but this clarifies much."

"Yes, it does, and the General Staff back home and Norian King want Rome taken before the year ends." Alexander shakes his head in frustration. "Coming here, I wanted to avoid the mistakes from Earth, Monte Casino was a controversial action on my part, and I wasn't able to take Rome until after the invasions."

Cunningham's face showed sympathy. "I understand how you feel about this, General, but we have our orders. Besides, you have two of the greatest generals under your command: Rommel and Montgomery."

"Do you know what the surprising part of that is, Admiral? Rommel is actually calling for restraint on that matter." Alexander saw surprise on the admiral's face. "I know, I was shocked at that as well, but he explained that with the Teutonic Knights and the strength of the Gustav line, we needed to build up until we are able to breach the line and move toward Rome."

"When does Rommel say we should attack?"

"He wants the fighting to start late next month. He explained that waiting until we were ready would allow us to take Rome early next year, but I'm unsure if the Norian government will agree to that, and Prime Minister Churchill may be inclined to agree with them on this. This theater has started to become more political than what I remember."

"Is there anything I can do to help, General?"

Alexander smiled. "I thank you for the offer. What I would like for your forces to do is conduct a series of attacks all along the Gustav Line. Bombard them from space along key points and the supply lines. I'll send you what coordinates we have. I want to save lives, and maybe your bombardments will keep Jerry's head down and allow us to strike when the time comes. I know that some of my commanders won't like receiving assistance from the Navy, but frankly, I don't give a damn whether they like it or not."

"Do you really believe that Churchill will make you fight through the Gustav Line anyway, despite what you and others say?"

Alexander was quiet for a moment, trying to pick his words carefully. "Admiral, the Prime Minister is a good leader, and it was because of him that we were able to hold off Jerry during the Blitz. That refusal to back down is as much a gift as a curse in my opinion. I think we need to be ready in the event that we have to proceed with the liberation of Rome. I know that some of my commanders will not like it, but they will perform their duty when asked."

Year 13, Month 09, Day 31

USS Enterprise

Rabaul, New Guinea System

Fighters flew passed the fleet, protecting the vessels from Katanian fighters that managed to get passed the blockade. Admiral Halsey watched as they glided through space, and sight that still amazed him. Turning away from the fighters, he looked toward one of the moons. The invasions of the two moons orbiting the planet of Rabaul had been difficult, but after a couple of days of fighting, most of the bases had been secured.

"Admiral, Colonel Malcom from the first moon is reporting that most of the bases have been secured, however, there are still a few holdouts at some of the more isolated areas. They are going to focus on protecting the hypervelocity gun until reinforcements arrive. Colonel Riley is reporting the same thing, sir."

"Thank you Lieutenant," Halsey replied. The SeeBees had been able to bring the hypervelocity guns into the system and had them placed on the moons, pointing them toward the docking facilities that were in orbit over Rabaul, trapping them in orbit over the planet. Two of the cruisers had attempted to escape the planet, but a few shots from the hypervelocity gun had stopped the others from trying.

The rest of the operation had gone more or less according to plan. As the invasion force had arrived in the system, several raiders had been placed near the docks. When several of the ships attempted to move out, they were destroyed by several spreads of proton torpedoes. So far, the tally had been three enemy cruisers and five enemy destroyers wrecked. The others had varying degrees of damage from the raiders.

"What's the status of the rest of the Katanian garrison on the planet and those in the docks?" Halsey asked.

An intelligence officer spoke up. "Sir, from information we have gathered from observing them on the surface, and what comms we have been able to intercept and decrypt, it seems that the garrison on the surface is preparing itself for an invasion and setting up defenses. They are trying to prepare their surface-to-orbit weaponry, but our strikes on those locations have rendered most of them inoperable. Also, our pickets in orbit have managed to reduce the number of fighters that attempt to harry us."

Halsey nodded at the news. The operation had gone better than he had expected. He had lost several fighters and bombers, especially the strikes on Rabaul's anti-orbital systems, but it had been light considering how things will no doubt go on New Guinea. "What about the Katanian ships that are deeper within the system?"

"Right now they seems to be unsure on what to do," the intel officer responded. "They are stuck between our forces and those that fall under the command of General MacArthur, but I don't think that will last very long."

"Have our fighters move in to provide support for the ground forces on New Guinea. I want to have as little loss of life for our troops and allies on the surface."

Lieutenant Richard Pierce and the rest of his squadron were getting ready for another combat mission. He didn't know how many he had been on, but it had been a lot. His squadron was assigned to escort a squadron of strike craft to the surface of New Guinea and provide support to the Allied attack on Katanian forces.

After doing their pre-flight checks, the fighters, one after another, launched from the hangar and took positions around the carrier to formed up to protect the strike craft from Katanian fighters from the planet or the base that they had isolated. While the number of attempts had dropped dramatically since the invasion began, the Katanians still sent fights out to strike against the American fleet.

"All craft report in," Lieutenant Pierce called in.

"Cowboy Three: Standing by."

"Cowboy Six: Standing by."

"Cowboy Five: Standing by."

"Cowboy Two: Standing by."

"Cowboy Seven: Standing by."

One by one, the rest of his squadron called in, giving their current status. "This is Cowboy Leader, all craft have reported in and are ready for combat," Lieutenant Pierce reported.

"Copy that," Fighter Control replied. "Stand by for strike craft to be launched."

"Roger, Control. We are standing by." After fifteen minutes, the strike craft were launched from the carrier and both squadrons were joined by others from the three accompanying carriers and began their flight toward the planet New Guinea.

The journey was uneventful, but that didn't prevent Lieutenant Pierce from being alert to events that were happening on the planet. He could hear some of the comms from the fighting for air superiority over the planet. As they came closer, he could get a clearer picture of what was happening, but he soon switched the frequency to the squadron and focused on the task at hand. It was his job to ensure that the strike craft made it through to their objective. He had seen the hulks of destroyed vessels drift in throughout the system, some of them were still showing the plasma fires from breached power cores. In the distance, the flashes of laser bolts and explosions could be seen as the fleet of the Allies pushed against the Katanian defense fleet.

When the formations entered the atmosphere, Pierce kept an eye on the sensors, keeping the inertial dampeners at 80% to keep a good feel on his craft. He knew the Katanian military was still very strong on the surface of the planet, and he didn't want to be caught unawares. He knew that he had entered enemy territory when the air was filled with explosions and bolts from the Katanian forces below. Missiles flew toward them, and Pierce pulled the stick to avoid them.

"Cowboy Leader, We have fighters coming in from twelve o'clock high," his wingman reported.

Shit. They must have used debris as a way to cover their approach. He looked at his sensors and then out through his canopy. "I see them," he replied. He switched to the squadron's frequency. "We've got incoming bandits. Engage at will, but remember we are here to protect the strike craft. Not to gain glory. We have to ensure that they make it to their targets." Lieutenant Pierce recognized the fighters as the infamous "Zero" that was so dreaded by the Allies. Their status of a good dogfighter was well known, heavily armed and maneuverable, but had the reputation of being lightly armored.

Pierce and his wingman pulled up to face the Zeroes, increasing speed, and firing their laser cannons from their fighters as they came into range. He could see several of the Katanian fighters break off to engage other fighters from his squadron, but the two he was facing continued to press forward, firing their own cannons. He felt his fighter shake from the blasts as they hit his shields, and risked a quick glance at his instruments. The shields were down slightly but they continued forward. Holding down the trigger on the stick, he fired another series of bolts at the Zero. After it received several hits, its shields collapsed and the fighter exploded, followed shortly by its wingman.

Pierce leveled his fighter and glanced at his sensors, looking for another target. There were plenty to choose from. He flips his fighter and dives for the deck, coming on the six o'clock of another Zero. He could tell the pilot was experienced, and tried to turn away to pull him into a turning fight, but Pierce was experienced as well, and pulled his fighter up, flipping his P-40 onto its back as he kept an eye on the Zero. As the enemy fighter leveled off, he dived again, placing himself on its six o'clock again and firing several bolts. The Zero disappeared in a brilliant explosion.

Pierce looked around to search for more targets, but the air was clear and called for his squadron to form up and return to the strike craft. As they were reforming, he saw that he had lost four fighters to the Katanian craft. The strike craft had lost several as well as some pilots had been too aggressive and gone to chase after the enemy craft. He and his squadron encountered two more attempts by the Katanian military to stop them, but each time, they were driven back, but with a fewer craft than before. The strike craft and their escorts reached their target: a series of supply depots that were providing arms and equipment to that sector of the planet. As Pierce provided over watch for them, he took a closer look at the terrain of the planet. It was a thick jungle with hilly and sometimes mountainous terrain, with weather that accompanied tropical conditions.

A large explosion erupted in the distance and was soon followed by more closer to his location. He knew that General MacArthur was conducting an offensive in this area of the planet, but the good general had assumed that Katanian resistance would be light. From everything that Pierce had seen in the air, he could tell that it was the exact opposite. He had a feeling that the liberation of New Guinea would be far more difficult than originally believed, and he felt sorry for those who were having to fight on the ground against an entrenched and motivated enemy.