Occupied Egypt
March 2017 A.T.B.
1st Corps of Knights of the Purple Rose, was in the middle of transport. The entire formation had been in motion for several hours when, on Prince Lucius' orders, they all left Ricardo Citadel and headed north, towards what would turn out to be only the first stop on the way to the two most important ports in this part of the world.
The Corps itself numbered exactly six thousand men, as assumed. Divided into shelves, battalions and companies. Although it was confusing to some extent, at least for a layman. The company was not equal to the other companies. In the case of the standard infantry, the staff numbered one hundred soldiers, and in the case of the company of Knightmare Frames, the panzer infantry, it was composed of ten pilots. Regardless of the disproportion in numbers, both types of companies were equipped with the most modern weapons available. In the case of KMF, these were KPR-01 / S, KPR-01 / SC and the latest KPR-01 / SCT. When it comes to standard infantry, they were equipped with standard Britannian soldiers' armor, but enriched with improved masks and assault rifles with lasers, intended to improve accuracy on the battlefield. Lucius spared no money on personal strength that would become his pride and face. And although even the standard equipment of an ordinary soldier of the empire was at a high level, as a preventive measure, Purple Prince and Colonel Garma decided to invest in improved equipment for infantrymen.
As for Lucius, he was currently in the G-1 mobile command center, in one of the rooms he ordered to be converted into briefing rooms with a large screen on one of the walls. As for the mentioned G-1 Base, it differed significantly from the rest of the standard imperial models. Instead of a mixture of purple and blue, the predominant color was dark purple, with few elements of white or yellow. However, what was the hallmark of the mobile command center was a purple rose, printed directly on the bridge.
Meanwhile, and in terms of the briefing room, it was a room dominated by a simple and utilitarian style, completely focused on functionality, not comfort. Several rows of chairs placed in front of the monitors were the best proof of this, because they were simple and devoid of any amenities.
At this point, however, more important than the style inside the mobile command center were the people who took their seats in those rows. They were senior 1st Corps officers who had been promoted to these positions. The Colonels, who were responsible for the management and command of the battlefield under their regiments, and the Majoras, who were responsible for entire battalions. The Commander of the Corps, meanwhile, was the Sword Master, and in this case Sir Schnee Hexenhaus was elected to the position in recognition of his leadership and intellectual abilities. He was not the only man to be promoted to knighthood among the Knights of the Purple Rose officers. It was also worth mentioning Major Sir Char Anzable, who became the commander of the entire Battalion. Among the rest, it was also impossible not to mention Major Sir Lothar Zedlitz, who was promoted primarily for his merits in recent battles.
Regardless, however, they all gathered in one place for a simple reason, listening to the entirety of their Grand Master's plan, which was currently not only beginning to achieve a series of military successes, but at the same time managed to slowly and successively lead to the growth of the entire order into one of the most powerful military forces in the empire. Although there was only one Corps at this point, the Knights of the Purple Rose experienced a steady stream of many seasoned veterans who were often involved in both the war against United Europia and previously involved in the invasion of Japan or the capture of certain peripheral territories Chinese Federation.
However, this was not the most important thing, but the briefing that took place in this room at the present time and which was conducted personally by Lucius. The Purple Prince stood unhampered in front of the huge monitor that displayed the entire map of Northern Egypt. As only the last troop movements and the locations of the EU and empire formations were mapped onto the map, it was clear that the briefing had only just begun. In fact, Lucius had already greeted the officers gathered here and the Corps commander, who, along with the Colonel Garma, stood near the 12th Prince.
"As you can see, our situation is nearing a stalemate, before the destruction of the central supply point, the destruction of which paralyzed and put chaos in the United Europia formations." Lucius said it all calmly, pointing to the map. "The Corps of Glaston, along with the rest of the vanguard divisions, were able to make great strides at the front and push EU troops down. Despite this, the enemy commander managed to carry out an effective reorganization, which may in the near future result in bloody and heavy fights for Beni Suef, which is currently the last most important fortress on the way to Cairo. This, however, could waste valuable time that the enemy could devote to bringing support to Egypt, and we cannot allow that to happen. "
"I understand that our new goal will be to prevent this from happening with another daring feat that will once again attract public attention?" Asked rhetorically Sir Char, who at the same time quite maliciously interrupted the statement of the Purple Prince, which resulted in wry looks in his direction from all the people here. However, Full Frontal only smiled at their reactions.
"Indeed, Major Anzable." Lucius deliberately did not use his knightly title as a form of subtle bite back for his unmistakable insolence. "Two military factions, Vasa and Luxembourg, will break through enemy flanks, destroying enemy forces in nearby towns, and thus we will have the main roads secured, which will be necessary to start our second special operation."
Such a statement caused quite a consternation among the audience, most of whom did not know what to actually think about it. At the same time, the image on the map began to align with the words of Purple Prince. At the same time, however, the details of the operation were not presented, which opened the way to a lot of rather loose interpretations and speculations about what the purpose was.
"I understand." Said Major Sir Lothar Zedlitz, a man with blonde hair and green eyes, thus became convinced that he was able to guess the plan of Prince. "So the goal of the Corps is to encircle the troops at Beni Suef and then proceed with a swift assault, which may be followed by a swift march towards Cairo?"
Many of the officers present appeared to be of a similar opinion to Sir Lothar, and it was hardly surprising. This would then be one of the most logical plans that could make it possible to end the campaign in Egypt as soon as possible, while at the same time gaining a key city, after losing the EU's position in this part of the world, it would be further reduced and become almost insignificant compared to with the all-powerful position of an empire at the moment. Regardless, it still wasn't the crux of the plan, so Lucius merely smiled knowingly.
"You are wrong, Sir Lothar." Lucius replied, his smile still present, and to quite a great deal of amazement the rest of the officers present, who were definitely not expecting such an answer. "In fact, our goal is something much more daring that the enemy Commander-in-Chief and his subordinates will never predict."
When he finished speaking, the electronic map and the markings and troop movements on it had changed quite a bit. While the main Britannian Forces were to take positions, the rest of the changes indicated that the two most powerful forces would have to quickly capture the two main ports in North Egypt, far behind enemy lines. As if all this was not enough, the infantry was to be dropped off near these cities, and then join the offensive and then the occupation of both port cities, Alexandria and Port Said.
"Is It Prudent, Your Highness?" One of the shocked officers, now with the rank of Major and thus acting commander of one of the battalions, asked. "This could make us an extremely easy target, cut off from the rest of the army, which would be extremely tempting for the rest of the EU's troops."
"Exactly!" Another officer raised his voice, this time with the rank of Colonel. "This is one of those plans where the line between courage and bravado has clearly been crossed! Not to mention that our air domination is still questionable at best. "
His statement made a smile not only on Lucius's face, but also on Garm, Sir Schnee and Sir Char. While these two were privy to the Purple Prince plan, the others might not. Meanwhile, Char, simply guessed his sovereign's intentions, with not much intellectual effort and looking far ahead.
"It may seem so, but it's an extremely cautious and limited perspective." Lucius responded to the criticism in this way, much to the shock of all those present, but before they had a chance to respond, the Purple Prince continued. "However, the truth is different. In fact, the reserve divisions and other EU formations in this region of the world are so stretched and so urgently needed on the front line that only the second and third line formations will be present at the rear. No serious forces, and before I consider such assumptions unreasonable, I would like to say that my words come directly from the spy reports and my personal intelligence. "
"Your Highness, with all due respect…" Major Zedlitz spoke this time, completely unconvinced about the truthfulness and credibility of this information. It was evident that this man was more than just another military man who blindly accepts orders and intelligence reports. "... but what is the likelihood that this information is reliable and can be considered reliable?"
Much of the other officers definitely shared his well-founded fears. Quite a few of them were aware that intelligence reports were quite often extremely inaccurate and could very well be a mistake, at worst fabricated by the enemy.
"My spies have never let me down before, gentlemen. If there was a risk that the information might be inaccurate, I would have been notified immediately and would have taken this into account. " Despite everything, Lucius remained in his position. "I have complete confidence in my sources and before you ask the Chief General also expressed his doubts on this point. Nevertheless, she trusts in my abilities and resources. I expect you to do the same, as long as I am a trustworthy person in your opinion. "
It was a clever action on the part of the Purple Prince, as he practically always tried to appear in public as an honest person who says what he thinks, unless the thoughts are too vulgar. Nevertheless, Lucius presented them with a dilemma, because apart from the fact of trusting himself, Princess Cornelia was also included in this, and thus a person widely respected in the military. There could only be one result, and after a while came their acceptance and approval. That said, Lucius decided to proceed to explain the rest of the plan to them.
"Before the infantry landing takes place, however, we must destroy enemy anti-aircraft guns and the largest radars, both of which are here in Faiyum. For the Knights of the Order of Michael, the goal is different. " The 12th Prince pointed to the right targets so that one of them would accidentally mistake it for something else. "Once this is dealt with, our planes with commando companies on board will depart. We will have to move as fast as possible towards Alexandria. A port named after the great conqueror will be our grand prize. " He spoke as inspiring as possible, but seeing their expressions and lack of enthusiasm, he decided to use a different tactic. "Gentlemen, I'm not saying that my surgery plan will be the easiest. I'm not even saying it will be easy. Nevertheless, mankind would never achieve anything if it only did what is easy, proven. Our ancestors would never have gotten us to this point if they had not taken on great challenges. That is why I, the 12th Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, Lucius vi Britannia, guarantee you that I will take up this challenge with you and fight by your side for progress and a better future. For I have no doubt that if we have managed to implement such a bold and bold plan as the destruction of the main EU warehouse and supply point in Egypt, we are able to do even that! For the empire, for the Emperor, All Hail Britannia! "
"All Hail Britannia!" She repulsed a large part of the people gathered here and raised her clenched fists up. Apparently their morale has been raised.
However, there was an exception to those who chose to express their approval, and it was Majo Sir Char who clearly waited and decided to take his chance after a general salute.
"When are we leaving?" He asked, but showed no impatience or other such feelings. Lucius' reply, however, surprised him completely.
"Most of us have a few hours after the factions assigned to this task have done their part." He announced, but his next words definitely surprised the recently promoted Major. "However, your battalion, you, and your machine will set off in a different direction today."
"Where exactly should we go?" Char asked, a bit discouraged but definitely no less curious than a moment ago.
"Towards the factory." Lucius replied somewhat mysteriously, but after a short while, he decided to explain the situation exactly. "In the face of the unlikely but still possible attack on our Knightmare Frames development center, I have decided to strengthen a fairly modest defense and send you there along with your entire battalion. Such protection should be more than sufficient to prevent the possible destruction of this extremely important object for us. "
Although the vast majority accepted this explanation, Sir Char was still unconvinced about the idea and did not deny himself the pleasure of expressing his doubts about his unexpected transfer.
"You say there is a serious risk of an attack on the factory?" He asked in response. "Is it certain information? I would not like the 1st Corps combat value to be lowered due to uncertain information. "
"Me neither, Major." Lucius replied calmly, not taking his watchful gaze from one of his most trusted subordinates even for a moment. "Nevertheless, I have no intention of risking the safety of an extremely important project, which could provide us with a technological advantage and save many of our pilots' lives who, if we were to fight the enemy on equal terms, could die."
The vast majority of those present seemed to be quite deeply moved by the concern of the Prince for the health and lives of the pilots. In fact, only Garma, Char, and Ciaran were fully aware that this was just a calculated game on his part, calculated to keep the sympathy of their subordinates, for they knew the gist of this man all too well.
"If there are no further questions, let me now turn to the fact that our Corps will not be running straight along the road, and instead the attack formation will be spindles." For the next few minutes, Lucius explained to the audience why such a formation would be the best. The main goal was to ensure maximum combat capabilities on the front and flanks, easily send reserves from the rear, and protect supply trucks in the form of ammunition, food and Energy Filers.
In fact, the 12th Prince did not have to convince anyone, because the logic of his arguments appealed to all gathered and he did not meet even the slightest resistance from them. The meeting ended about a few minutes later, and he made his way to his private quarters as quickly as possible, where his personal laptop was waiting on a simple metal desk. Without wasting a second more, Lucius hurried to take his seat behind an equally simple and utilitarian seat, then turned on the device.
As Chairman of Flash Robotics and one of the two coalition leaders of Vi and El Britannia, he had quite a few responsibilities on a daily basis. View reports on the condition of factories, the performance of individual managers, respond to royal commitments and pursue policy. Although it might seem like a lot, he was able to successfully rewrite all minor issues in his opinion into loyal and competent people. In addition, Lucius himself worked extremely fast, and his great intellect once again made itself felt, because it allowed him to quickly and efficiently process huge amounts of information. Were it not for this genius intellect, everything would be much more difficult, and with all these intrigues, he probably might not have survived it all. But no matter what the alternate future might be, Lucius finished his work in less than twenty minutes, so he had some time to himself.
At this point, Purple Prince actually had a couple of choices. He was able to make a video conversation with the Prime Minister and exchange with him some observations and comments on the current situation. After a brief moment of thought, he decided to do exactly that. However, his next part of this rest period was primarily to involve something simpler and much more pleasing to his heart. Without wasting time and using a special government application, he began trying to establish a connection with the 2nd Prince, Schneizel el Britannia, his most powerful ally, mentor, and the man known as Cold Blooded Strategist.
"Lucius!" The connection came, and moments later a smiling face of a blonde man and one of the best strategists in the history of mankind appeared on the screen. "I was not expecting a conversation with you. Even though I have a very tight schedule, I am more than happy to find time for you. What did you want to talk about, brother? "
"About the aftermath of a plan that I recently discussed with you." Lucius replied, getting straight to the point without giving any details. "I wanted to ask you what exactly do you think about it and how you intend to use it in big politics."
"Why do you think I'm going to take advantage of this?" The Prime Minister was amused, but he did not give his stepbrother even a moment to answer. "Besides, this plan is extremely risky but based on logic and rationalism. The EU commander in the region, while undoubtedly capable, beyond doubt, will not foresee something so bold and will most likely believe that it is simply part of a plan whose ultimate goal is to encircle and destroy the defenses of the last stronghold facing our armies and ours. beautiful sister, outside to Cairo. "
"A little more and I'll start to think you have some incestuous drive for our stepsister." Lucius replied, completely open, direct and dry. These words caused an extremely rare emotional reaction on the prime minister's face, in the form of a sudden but momentary widening of his eyes. However, before the 2nd Prince could say anything in reaction to this, Lucius decided to continue. "Just kidding, I have to do occasionally what I used to do in our early youth, ruin your perfect mask and give you the opportunity to improve it by practicing self-control."
"Are you going to do this until the end of my days, Luc?" The Prime Minister asked him, a bit irritated by such childishness on the part of his younger half-siblings. It was the best proof that the Purple Prince's provocations had worked once again.
"Perhaps, the White Prince." Lucius replied, using the well-known nickname of the Prime Minister, which made him quite well known to the people of the world. "Regardless, however, I would prefer you to use your next victory to end the war with the EU, at least for the time being."
This evidently interested the White Prince, who seemed to be more than pleased with another political plot he could pursue with his younger brother. This time, however, it would be something international.
"Why exactly do you have such a preference, Luc?" Schneizel asked, looking at his brother with a sneaky and calculating gleam in both eyes. "If I am not mistaken, our campaign is running smoothly on all fronts and, recently, we have managed to break through in the Central Sahara. We have no reason at this point to end military action against a state that is swayed by its own internal corruption. "
"Perhaps." Lucius replied, then decided to present the most important points of his decision, which at this point could not be questioned. "Regardless, however, we have quite serious problems with the morale of soldiers. Although logistics is as high as ever, morale is slowly starting to weaken. "
All this time, Schneizel listened to his arguments with the utmost attention possible, despite the fact that he himself was to some extent aware of it. "Continue."
"In some formations, the mood among soldiers is almost rebellious. Currently, they are still fighting with the same effectiveness and dedication as before, only thanks to enormous patriotism and reluctance to waste all the efforts of recent years." Lucius replied with all honesty required of the nature of the conversation. "Even among the officers of the recently formed 1st Corps of Knights of the Purple Rose, they no longer have a hint of old enthusiasm to continue this war. I have no doubts that continuing the fight could lead to low morale and rebellion."
"I know that." Schneizel replied almost dispassionately, much to the surprise of Lucius, which, however, was well disguised behind a face that any poker player could envy. "In fact, I have quite a few informants in the army who keep me informed of what is actually happening there. In this way, I have been able for many years to remove incompetent commanders who would normally blame someone else. The same sources also informed me of the very low morale of our troops, despite the achievements of so many. "
"Indeed, and although they have achieved a lot, the subsequent losses, the loss of often long-standing friends and the lack of hope for a peaceful future, have a demotivating effect on everyone, which is completely natural and should not be surprising." Lucius answered him. "However, I am wondering about your passivity in the face of this turn of events. As prime minister, shouldn't you sometimes ask directly or indirectly for a peace treaty? "
As the last words of the Purple Prince left his mouth, the 2nd Prince's face became almost blank and his eyes were completely devoid of any expression. It didn't take long to hear the reason for this behavior.
"We both know the Emperor is not interested at this point in making peace with United Europia." The Prime Minister replied, then returned to his old, calm expression despite some frustration. "In fact, sometimes I get the feeling that his plan is to wage this war to the complete destruction of the EU, physically and mentally."
Lucius thought for a moment. It was an open secret that both the Emperor and a large part of the pure-blood nobility, centered around the Empress La Britannia, had a great desire and motivation to attack and conquer Europe. The continent from which all these illustrious families came was basically the ultimate goal of the empire, all for prestigious reasons and a great desire to pay back for what had happened in the past, for the Great Revolution and the fall of the old order. However, the Emperor himself did not seem to care about all the aspirations of the pure-blooded nobility, which eluded both the court and the public opinion. In fact, the lack of interest in the course of the campaign and his lack of interference in any details was very mysterious and incomprehensible to Lucius himself. Most would say that either the Emperor was too busy ruling, or he no longer has any interest in matters he considers trivial. Personally, however, the Purple Prince doubted that such trivial answers could be true. In fact, Lucius was convinced that his father had some hidden agenda that, however, was elusive at this point by the 12th Prince. Regardless, however, he had an idea that could end fights for a while and give tired soldiers time to rest for a long time.
"So why not apply for a temporary ceasefire after the capture of two major ports in North Egypt?" Purple Prince asked, and seeing a clear flash of interest in the Prime Minister's eyes, decided to continue it as soon as possible. "Given the dire situation at United Europia, both in terms of society's morale and the constantly declining economy, the Chancellor will be more than eager to conclude a ceasefire, I believe. Something like this is not acting against the Emperor's will and should bear fruit. In that case, we could not only give our soldiers time to rest, but also bring new types of weapons to the front. "
The prime minister seemed to approve of all these arguments and benefits. Nevertheless, and despite all this, there was still one more issue that remained completely unresolved.
"All of this with the assumption that you can take over these ports and force the enemy army to retreat." Schneizel replied, expressing rather unexpected doubts.
Lucius frowned at his words, and after a short while his right eyebrow lifted. "If I remember correctly, you found my plan good. So why are you expressing doubts at this point, Prime Minister? "
"I have no doubt that you can take over these forts, Luc." Schneizel replied, with the calmness typical and characteristic of himself. "But what then?"
"Later?" Lucius asked, confused, and suddenly the implications of the word fell on his mind like a bolt from the blue. "Are you suggesting that instead of retreating to El Alamein, they might try to land a port, most likely Alexandria?"
"Exactly." The Prime Minister replied, then smiled warmly. "Even though you are a genius, sometimes you let fantasy and romance take over your mind, thereby missing the big picture."
"Obviously." Lucius, humiliated, replied, though he tried not to show it to his most important ally. "Regardless, however, defense in Alexandria will be modest as the entire EU reserve in this part of the world had to be deployed to cover the front lines. We will be able to fortify the city quickly, and the airdrops after destroying the air defenses and radars will provide us with the necessary supplies. In the event of trying to retake the city, I intend to hold on until reinforcements arrive sooner or later. "
"I can see that despite a slight oversight, you got it all really well thought out, Luc." Schneizel stated in response to his clearly improvised response, which, however, was satisfactory. "Very well, do your best as a military man and I will do my best as a politician."
"I'm glad to hear." Lucius said him, and now even allowed himself a small smile to penetrate his young face. "Besides, is everything going well at home?"
The White Prince sighed heavily at the question, for it was a subject that was neither simple nor even more enjoyable.
"Although our coalition is the greatest power at court, we still have serious problems in the form of our political opponents." Schneizel replied. "It all comes down to long and boring meetings where I am forced to make some promises or keep old ones. Additionally, I have to make moves against our opponents so that our strength does not diminish. By the way, I cannot afford too much hegemony at court, because that would expose us to hostility from all other court parties. "
"Hearing all of this, I'm more than happy to have decided to pursue a career in the military." Lucius replied playfully, but it wasn't over yet. "Compared to what you are dealing with there, my fight against external enemies seems to be child's play."
"You're diminishing yourself unnecessarily." Schneizel stated in response. "After all, fighting the EU and ensuring that our war machine does not suffer too much damage is just as important, and maybe even more important. For if the empire collapses, we will have nothing left. If this is all you wanted to talk to me about, then let me end this connection. "
Not even a moment passed and the video conversation was over. Lucius was more than happy with such a turn of events, because the goal was achieved and soon the battles between the empire and United Europia will be suspended for a while. However, this was not the conversation Lucius had been waiting for the most. It wasn't long before the Purple Prince decided to start another conversation, this time with someone much more important, at least from a personal point of view. Especially since the 12th Prince wanted to ask this person something extremely relevant to their future, which was also quite an awkward topic.
"Lucius." There was a soft and feminine voice a few moments later. At the same time, the screen showed a young girl with golden blonde hair. Knight of Twelve, Monica Krushevsky, looked straight into the eyes of her lover and friend. "It's good to see you again, Luc."
"You too." Purple Prince replied. "The sight of your gorgeous face and the ability to listen to that soft voice make the weight on my shoulders seem to be nonexistent."
"I'm glad to hear." Although Monica blushed beautifully, she remained calm. The two often flirted together and enjoyed it immensely. A side effect of this was that the two developed a mental resistance to embarrassment. "I trust that things are getting better in Egypt."
"Indeed, Monica." Purple Prince nodded affirmatively and did his best not to betray the inner uneasiness associated with this conversation. "The operation we are about to undertake could ensure that the United Europia army is completely pushed out of the region. In addition, fatalities on both sides should be minimal."
"It's good to hear that a slightly smaller number of creatures will lose their lives in the coming days." Monica lifted the corners of her mouth a bit. Although she was familiar with taking life and seeing blood, she still preferred to avoid taking life unnecessarily. "But these things aside. Why exactly do you want to talk to me, Luc?"
Lucius sighed at her question, but had no intention of blinking at the answer. "Because I wanted to see you again and talk to you."
The young Knight of Twelve smiled now completely open, and her smile turned out to be contagious. "I'm glad you can find the time to talk to me. I'm also glad that these conversations bring you such relief in your tense life. Nevertheless, I wish you'd come to the point. Your expression makes me clear, that's not all you have to tell me. "
"If you wish it, I will do it with great pleasure." Lucius replied, but from moment to moment he became more and more nervous and restless. "Monica, we have known each other for many years and we have had many unforgettable adventures together, most of which will remain in our minds until the day we die. We are almost two halves that together form a wonderful whole ...
"Lucius." Knight of Twelve cut him off firmly and looked straight into his eyes. Her gaze could literally melt the ice with its power alone. "Get over this lame attempt at being poetic and just tell me what you want."
Lucius was silent for a moment, and his breathing quickened considerably. His pressure rose a little, he was nervous and hesitated for a long time to start. After a few deep breaths, however, he finally decided to speak.
"Monica ... are you ..?" His first words were evidently timid and awkward, and the groan was practically a constant part of the young man's speech. Even so, Lucius summoned the courage to continue. "When will I return triumphantly and in glory to my homeland ..." Although his speech was no longer as awkward as before, he was still unable to utter the highest words, until later, when his tone of voice was basically on the verge of a scream. "Will you become my wife as Monica vi Britannia !?"
Moments later, there was a silence of several minutes between the two, which ended in a startled groan from Knight of Twelve, accentuated by her furiously flushed face.
East Sahara.
Noones Land
March 2017 A.T.B.
Across the vast and practically lifeless sands of the desert, glided a massive and submarine-like land cruiser, or at least that was how it could be described in the simplest terms. In fact, such a simple description was more than truthful, or so you might think, at the sight of a few hundred tons of land behemoth gliding across the desert sands without the slightest obstruction. All this happened thanks to carefully thought-out and large tracks, undercarriages, which ensured relatively fast, for this size, transport. What was characteristic and what was marked on the armor was the white and blue inscription 'Undersand Lady', at the same time it was also the informal name of the land cruiser. In the bowels of the ship, its middle section, a fairly extensive hangar was built, which allowed to accommodate a maximum of just over a hundred Knightmare Frames, in this case the overwhelming majority of Alexander Masses, and to a lesser extent Alexander Commanders, but the latter type was not as rare as just a few weeks ago. If there was any good thing that the final battle had brought, it would undoubtedly be a number of surviving pilots who had acquired considerable experience in the heat of battle. In this particular group, a natural talent for piloting Knightmare Frames was observed, which, combined with promising results in simulators, practically guaranteed them to pilot the Alexander Commander W0X-Type01 / C. Leila was personally overseeing the process to personally assess their skills, assisted by Akito Hyuga, along with Peter Kowalsky. The results were at least satisfactory and as many as twenty-six pilots could get the Alexander Commander as their machine. At present, Leila was on the command bridge, where there were over three hundred technicians and crew members, not counting Knightmare Frames maintenance and maintenance, machine pilots, commandos or reservists who were to replace regular pilots who would reasons would become unable to fight. Also present on the command bridge was a large group of Staff Sergeants and the acting land cruiser commander Captain Lev Titov. A room with a large screen built into a large table, and markers marked with the Delta Squad's location and the formation's distance from the factory. Leila at one point walked over to the table and studied this map for a moment, with the obvious intention of tweaking something in her plan that would minimize formation losses and allow more pilots to survive. It was caused not so much by the desire to keep as many experienced soldiers alive as possible, but rather by her rather soft heart and quite a bit of compassion for her people. Not to mention the fact that the prospect of writing letters to the families of deceased soldiers was not a duty that Leila had zealously fulfilled throughout her service to United Europia. Glancing at the map, the young Colonel could not help but re-examine her own and the unit's situation. Basically, it took about an hour or so to reach the goal of this escapade, the estimates displayed and compiled by the algorithms were constantly changing, and new circumstances were taken into account. Sometimes the estimated time of arrival was about an hour, sometimes a little more, and some other times a little less. Regardless, the fact was that they already had more than less to go. After all, what to do after arriving? The plan was to speed as quickly as possible and get to the vicinity of the location and attack it as soon as possible. From the information obtained from the mysterious Wizard, it was clear that the defense of this place is only symbolic and devoid of large defensive formations. There was a rational reason for this, and it was to avoid the undue attention that this place would undoubtedly receive in an accident. Only one company of Knightmare Frames and an unspecified number of Knights of the Purple Rose commandos, probably two companies, though it was not even the least certain.
"Anything bothering you, Colonel?" A tall dark-haired man with a broad chest asked her, dressed in a dark blue EU officer uniform, but in his case without the round peaked cap characteristic of officers.
Until now, Captain Lev Titov has been almost entirely occupied with the command and order of his men, who were largely concerned with operating computers, monitoring system efficiency, machine health, and receiving reports from other sections of the land cruiser. Managing such a large ship, despite having an appropriate number of lower-ranking officers and non-commissioned officers, was still quite a challenge, especially in the face of participation in this type of operation, where such a large machine had to move relatively regularly and under quite a large layer of sand to minimize the risk of detection, which due to the large size of the machine was huge anyway.
"To a certain degree." Leila replied, and at the same time her eyes fell on a point on the electronic map where the underground factory was supposed to be located. The information made it clear that it would be a largely underground complex with an entrance through a large hangar hidden under an artificial mound. "However, I have quite a few fairly significant concerns about the assault on this complex."
"It's understandable, ma'am." The Captain replied, looking at the exact same point on the electronic map, his eyes sparkling with curiosity, definitely driven by a desire to see what was to come in the near future, which was uncharacteristic for most soldiers or officers. "We soldiers are forced to traverse the unknown, at the behest of our superiors and with a fraction of the knowledge they deem appropriate to share with us, which are sometimes false, more often simply imprecise."
Leila frowned at his unquestioning criticism of the circumstances in which soldiers had to work very often, which often led to considerable, unnecessary losses. However, it was not the main reason why the blonde Colonel frowned and began to think and ponder it quite intensely after a while. What stimulated her mind the most was the Captain's rather philosophical and ambiguous manner of expression, which definitely did not suit a person occupying any place or position in the military. On the other hand, it was not like Captain Titov spoke the same way about orders to his subordinates, for they were simple and precise. After all, it was undoubtedly a nice change, among people trying to say as much as possible in the simplest words.
"It's perfectly natural, ma'am, because knowing the need to send people to death under our command is not a pleasant thing for any empathetic individual." He added after a moment and undoubted reflection, when his eyesight and awareness clearly drifted away from what is happening here and now. "Regardless, however, we still have to take the trouble and get the job done by stopping production of these new Knightmare Frames."
"Absolutely Captain." Leila replied, then resolved to recall the names and all the models in the KPR series so far. "Until now, a sufficiently large amount of modern equipment has been produced to tip the tide of victory to some extent in favor of the empire in this region of the world, at least to some extent. The mere introduction of these extremely advanced Stormtroopers changed the balance of power on the battlefield. "
"I've read the reports, ma'am." Lev said in reply, which was not so much of a surprise, given his remarkable care to read reports on the status of the theater, which he is currently visiting. This attitude was a bit more appropriate for a staff officer who tries to calculate all potential variables that may turn the whole plan upside down and force the necessity to completely change the original assumptions. "In fact, it may be far too late to eliminate Chief Engineer Tallgeese."
Colonel Malcal turned to him, eyebrows raised, and found only an indifferent expression on his face that at first glance would not change under any circumstances, even in the face of some supernatural and utterly inhuman creatures that would frighten even the bravest from representatives of the human species. In fact, from the very first meeting, this man had been a complete mystery to her, the solution of which seemed as distant as it had been at the beginning. After a while, however, the blonde officer managed to get her emotions under control quite quickly and focus on what was essentially the most important at the moment; on planning an emergency method of operation in the event of unforeseen circumstances. To this end, two people who were about to come here were invited here.
Speaking of these particular two, the movable door leading to the main corridor slid open and the expected two entered with a quick and decisive step. The first was the evidently optimistic, as on almost every occasion, Peter Kowalsky; who has recently been promoted to major, and this is against Colonel Malcal's initial plans. The second was Akito Hyuga, who kept his original Captain rank at his own request, and instead offered a promotion to someone who seemed to be much more competent for the position. Leila was initially surprised by this and asked for a detailed explanation, but then she received an explanation from Captain Hyuga that Peter had once been a Major, and also revealed the backstage of the circumstances why an officer from Poland had lost that rank. Although the initially blonde Colonel was unable to believe such a thing, reading the official report and picking up many obscure gaps or even abbreviations in it, only then did she believe the truth of the story.
"Colonel." Both newcomers tapped the heels of their boots on the metal floor, then both saluted, but Major Kowalsky was the one who spoke. "We report to your call and await your orders."
"Great, get closer and have a look at this map." With a gesture of the hand, Leila pointed them to a place to her left where no one was standing and they could stand freely there, while having a good view of the electronic map, which they did almost immediately.
It didn't take long for the two officers to figure out their current situation. It only took a few glances to understand that they would soon be on their way to their starting positions to attack the factory. At the same time, Captain Lev Titov decided to move away from
"So you are asking us for our opinion on the attack on these locations?" Peter asked, wanting to be sure of their upcoming match entirely. While both were notified of many details of the mission and ultimate goal, Major Kowalsky had his own and quite expressive opinion on the matter.
"Indeed, Major." The blonde-haired Colonel nodded in agreement. "Although we are aware of where the hostile complex is most likely hidden, the plan to infiltrate and destroy this place is naively simple, which is impossible not to notice."
"Not enough information." Peter summed it up aptly, then decided to express his position, despite the awareness that his opinion would most likely be rejected. "After all, an operation like this should never take place due to the high risk of failure and the loss of dozens of pilots. Not to mention the fact that any effort to stop the Knights of the Purple Rose project from developing is well overdue. "
"We have no choice after all." Leila cut him off as soon as the recently promoted Major had finished his plea. "We have received this order, and we must carry it out as soldiers who have taken the oath of unconditional loyalty and obedience. Regardless, however, I intend to carry out this order with as few casualties as possible on our part. Is that clear, Major? "
"Like a crystal, ma'am." He replied with a sardonic smile, then decided to end this farce and focus on what was really important. He already had an idea of how this infiltration should be played out. "I am proposing to attack the factory from three different directions. Approximately from the south, west and north, however, the greatest forces, in my opinion, should be concentrated in the west direction. "
"According to the principle that the center is crucial to the battle?" Akito asked and at the same time raised his right eyebrow slightly.
"Not exactly." Peter replied negatively, then began to explain his reasoning while making his gestures quite expressive. "While the center is indeed crucial, at least in most cases, in this particular case, it will have two functions."
"What exactly are the functions you mean, Major?" Leila asked him, though she already had some idea of the matter at this point.
"The center will primarily be a decoy in case we are detected a little earlier than intended." Peter replied with the most rational reason he could think of for those few seconds. Although it seemed to be a completely soulless and cold explanation, he was nevertheless able to devise a quick way of operating the center, in case of detection. "In such a scenario, the center will draw the units of enemy into a ranged combat, which focuses the entire attention of the enemy security commander. The remaining two units will be able to either encircle and destroy, or get directly into the complex. , it belongs only to you, Colonel. "
Leila tapped two fingers several times on the electronic map as she considered both options. It was clear that the first option was unrealistic, as it could mean a loss of extremely valuable time, which could result in the Defense Commander getting support and, in the long run, losing a chance to win, and at worst annihilation of the Delta Squad. In such a case, time will work to the disadvantage of the EU unit. So there was no other option but to make a decision as quickly as possible, which at best would ensure the simultaneous execution of the order and with as few casualties as possible. In the worst case scenario, you risk destroying the entire Delta and being captured by the Britannian or killed.
"The center will keep the enemy at bay, thus preventing any possibility of retreat as a whole." She declared with the authority in her voice worthy of a true commander. Then her gaze went to the slightly surprised Major. "I will personally take over the center and command the units that will be included in this group. On this occasion I have to test a new addition to the Alexander series, Sniper Rifle Arc, which will allow me to destroy the enemy from a distance, without too much difficulty, I think. "
"What about us?" This time Akito asked the question, with whom Leila exchanged a glance after a while.
It was difficult to find a greater contrast between the two. Captain Hyuga was seemingly a bit empty inside and without deeper feelings, while Colonel Malcal was passionate despite her undoubted calmness and self-mastery of her emotions. Regardless, however, it has become imperative to finalize these plans.
For the next few minutes, the trio discussed what they could potentially encounter inside the factory, the interior of which would be a complete mystery to them. They determined that they would simply be continually moving deeper into the complex with commando support at such high speed as not to allow or impede the Britannians from organizing any defense that might stop their advance. It was also important to determine how quickly the factory defense commander would be able to call for backup. And how quickly the factory garrison will be able to receive such support. Peter made a fairly realistic analysis that an object so distant from Ricardo Citadel, the existence of which was also strictly classified, could only receive support after more than an hour, and even longer, if Prince Lucius decided to keep all this completely secret from officers from the Britannian army group. In the opinion of Leila, this was more than likely due to the nature of the empire's extremely class society. Objectively and truthfully, struggles for power and influence continued at the summits of the Holy Britannian Empire. It happened, alarmingly, often that members of the same families would throw themselves at each other's throats in the struggle for virginity and power. In addition, there are many different and sometimes quite treacherous alliances that the elite of the empire made with each other. The same big game where alliances could change rapidly overnight made virtually no one trust anyone. It was not necessary to further clarify this issue. Eventually, and after about half an hour of quite an intense exchange of views, which resulted in the last version of the plan: attacking the enemy position of the enemy factory from three different directions, which in such circumstances was the most optimal operation that part of Wyvern Zero here could only handle. to let.
When the planning was complete, Captain Titov had informed the discussing trio so far that they would be arriving at their starting positions much sooner than originally anticipated. When Leila began to inquire about the exact reasons, he replied enigmatically that the machine and its components responsible for the movement on and under the sand proved to be much better than initially assumed. All in all, it was good news that made Leil and Peter smile, but Akito remained stoic and almost disturbingly calm as ever.
After the three officers broke up, each went their own way. Captain and Hyuga hurried to the pilots' quarters to inform them of the details of the upcoming operation. Meanwhile, the young Colonel hurried to the hangar, where her Alexander Commander, slightly modified and adapted to the new weapon, was stored. Basically, it was part of the great Alexander Frames development program of Knightmare Frames, which would ultimately allow the empire to gain a decisive technological advantage as quickly as possible. Personally, Leila had very serious doubts about the extremely rapid development of Knightmare Frames and the introduction to the front of machines that, like all W0X-Type01, will be simply underdeveloped and with numerous manufacturing defects, which could once again result in numerous deaths and the loss of valuable, often highly experienced pilots. It was important because in the face of technological and resource advantage, Holy Britannian Empire dominated the EU in practically every respect, so protecting experienced soldiers by providing them with the best quality equipment should be a priority at this point. In contrast, there were the early days of Wyvern Zero and the severe loss of the first operation, which, without the continual influx of new pilots and machines, would normally have meant breaking the entire formation. Not to mention the fact that the officer overseeing the operations ordered the use of the self-destruct systems despite Leil's objections and using his decision of a facto superior position as a supervising officer.
After a few minutes of walking, accompanied by seemingly endless salutes from the lower-ranking crew members and the strike force, the young Colonel finally reached the main hangar, and her gaze was once again captivated by the size of the room. The overall extent and size were of such dimensions that it was in vain to find any exact sizes or to inquire about them.
Going straight, the young Colonel Malcal passed dozens of machines on the way, most of which were W0X-Type01 / M, also known colloquially as Alexander Mass, and which were often piloted by pilots sent as supplement or who did not show great skill. or destroying many enemy machines in battle. Basically, over the past few weeks, W-0 pilots have had many opportunities to prove themselves in combat, all due to the extremely frequent use of Wyven Zero for what could best be described as frontline firefighting where defense collapsed. . This work gave W-0 a well-received colloquial name of 'Egyptian Firefighters', which well reflected the essence of most of the activities of this elite formation in this part of the world.
Dozens of Alexander Commanders were also present, piloting those pilots whose skills and numbers of enemy planes destroyed were above average. What is worth mentioning is the fact that there was a clear accumulation of such people in Delta Squad, so clearly more W0X-Type01 / C were intended for use than in the case of the other few squads. This was also the main reason Delta Squad was selected to carry out this order.
In addition, there were several dozen armored personnel carriers in the hangar, which were more than ready for the task of transporting commandos.
As she walked towards the machine Leila was supposed to fly, the young blonde couldn't help but reflect deeply on the nature of this new war, the de facto world war in which she and hundreds of thousands of others like her were forced to take part. Basically, if you think about it, it is really hard to pinpoint a beginning other than the start date of hostilities. Basically, the first event that could be considered an introduction to the beginning was the mysterious and so far unexplained murder of the former Chancellor, Minz Bosquet'or, who was shot dead by an unknown perpetrator in Lyon while visiting a military preparatory school there. His place, the man who reformed the EU and sought to break up the resulting oligarchy - sometimes quite brutally and bloodily - was the then Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Industry, Lawrence Verrat. The new Chancellor, with virtually no hesitation or proof, simply stated that the Holy Britannian Empire was behind it all, and launched a major propaganda campaign aimed at convincing the public, all to launch a retaliatory war with the approval of the general public. Most surprisingly, in the next few months after the assassination of Minz Bosquet'or, the EU was shaken by a series of successive killings of prominent political figures who were extremely closely tied to the previous Chancellor. This incident left the new EU leader paranoid, became almost obsessed with an attempt on his own life, and intensified the propaganda campaign to the point that it became even more aggressive and brutal than ever before.
Leila shook her head after a moment's thought, then turned her gaze to the machine that had been designed and adjusted just for her. Like the rest of the Knightmare Frames here, her Alexander Commander had instinct-like shapes, and to tell the truth the young Colonel hadn't even the slightest understanding of the reason behind the design. Regardless of this, the only difference between the Leil machines and the others was the darker shade of blue, the systems were perfectly adapted to ranged combat, and equipped with a large sniper rifle.
A young blonde girl walked over to the machine, and her keen eyes fell on the Knightmare Frame visor. It would seem that the pilot and the machine, in some way incomprehensible to the people around them, look at each other and evaluate each other. Knightmare Frame seemed to be trying to figure out if the woman in front of him was worthy to be piloted, and his judgments seemed to be more than harsh. Meanwhile, Leila seemed to be judging whether this machine would be able to provide her with the required advantage on the battlefield? Her gaze, though stoically calm, was nevertheless gracious and understanding, just like the Colonel herself.
It didn't take long, however, until footsteps were heard in the hangar which were very easy to hear. Leila turned to face someone new clearly approaching her. To her surprise, the young Colonel saw that he was one of the technicians, and she recognized him as the one responsible for her Knightmare Frame.
"Mister Helmuth, what brings you here?" She asked him politely, and despite the fact that she had guessed the reason.
"Because someone has to do the necessary calibrations and make some adjustments to the system." The technician replied, quite handsome and tall brunette with blue eyes. He was rather an extroverted person who approached life and the surrounding reality with a great distance. "I would like to note that this machine was not designed for desert conditions at all, so I had to replace a few parts and make the necessary corrections to the software. Many of my colleagues working on the remaining and recently delivered Knightmares."
Leila frowned, but she had no reason to disbelieve his words. Especially with the simple fact that he was one of the best Knightmare Frames repair and maintenance specialists that only a young Colonel had encountered in his entire short life.
"Are you suggesting that our machines delivered to us are largely desert-adapted and may pose a threat to pilots?" She asked him, despite the fact that his words clearly indicated this scenario.
"Unfortunately, it is so, but I am not and no one should be surprised by this fact." Seeing the interest of the Wyvern Zero commander, the technician decided to continue this argument and inform her about certain details directly related to the production of new machines and the process of delivering to specific formations. "Basically, while at the very beginning of the conflict, we had Panzer Hummels that worked well against the Glasgows, which were in the vast majority of cases properly calibrated, tested and free of manufacturing defects, but now the situation is completely different. Our logistics is in shreds, and the industry suffers from a severe shortage of raw materials. In addition, there is the technological advantage on the part of the Holy Britannian Empire, the empire has numerous colonies and the fact that our latest machines are sent to the front in a huge hurry without repairing defects and manufacturing defects. "
Leila shifted her head and understood perfectly well the points the technician had just made.
"You are giving me a less optimistic picture that our industry and manufacturing centers are simply desperate to make up for a hostile technological advantage while all to produce increasingly inferior machines, at least in terms of reliability and usability in the modern battlefield."
"Unfortunately, it is so, Colonel." Helmuth nodded affirmatively, but he did not take pleasure in being right in this particular case. Nevertheless, he also resolved not to succumb to his dismal mood and smiled. "However, the big plus of this is that we technicians don't have time to get bored."
Leila also smiled in response, then her gaze fell on the special Alexander Commander, hoping bordering on the belief that the machine would live up to the demands placed on it. Before the young Colonel could say or add anything, however, a message rang out in the hangar.
"Attention, this is Captain Titov, the commandos and the pilots are to head to the hangar as soon as possible! The technicians are to complete the last maintenance and preparations as soon as possible! Again, we are getting closer to the starting positions!
It was more than a clear sign that the operation was about to begin.
Occupied Egypt
Factory
March 2017 A.T.B.
It was still quite a surprising and absolutely unexpected experience to be sent to the rear to oversee the security of a fairly vital production facility. It was hardly surprising because Major Sir Char Anzable was definitely made mentally and fully adapted to assault, direct attacks or possibly ambushes. Nevertheless, they would still be purely offensive actions, in the short or long term. After all, defense and defense were not something that the recently promoted knight of Major had become familiar with. He would feel much better if he could stay on the front lines and fight in direct combat. Regardless of his personal preferences, however, the word of Prince Lucius, his longtime friend, was an order, and no one - except Lucius himself - could change it. Simply put, Char is stuck here tasked with commanding the defense of this place. Currently, Major Anzable was inside, he was assigned offices and a desk, simple in general construction and layout, and his time was quite busy. Although at first he did not think that he would have much work here, it was very quickly discovered how wrong he was. First of all, very low discipline and the lack of clear action plans in the event of a hostile attack on this facility. In fact, it was hardly surprising, for even Chief General Cornelia li Britannia was unaware of the site's existence, not to mention the other high-ranking officers who now reside at Ricardo Citadel. Simply put, recently promoted to the rank of Major and made a full knight, he had a lot of work. The first thing Char did, upon arriving at this location, was the almost immediate reorganization of service among the local garrison, tightening discipline, introducing much more frequent and intense physical exercise, or in Knightmare Frames simulators. Additionally, it was also necessary to carry out reshuffles among officers and non-commissioned officers. On this occasion, intensified field reconnaissance and reconnaissance, both physically and with the use of radars or other sensors. Although the latter point still leaves much to be desired. At the moment, Char was extremely busy, because the paperwork - directly related to demotion, transfer or promotion - was tedious, but thankfully it was not as bloated and time-consuming as you might imagine. Basically, Major Anzable had only been doing this for ten minutes, so all this work was extremely fast and without any delay. Besides, Char was in a really good mood all the time, which at that moment he thought nothing could spoil it, even an enemy attack, which, in his opinion and the other officers, was extremely unlikely. Apart from the need to obtain extremely well-guarded information, also due to the great emphasis on discipline among the Knights of the Purple Rose officer cadre, there was also an extraordinary difficulty in adding an opponent so deeply behind the front lines, who definitely took the initiative in this region of the world.
However, aside from these issues, Char was in a very good mood, and the main reason for this was the last weeks on the front lines, which were marked by many successes and broken EU divisions, with little losses of his own. The only shadow on these numerous victories was the fact that some of them were not as great as they could be, all because of the constant appearance on the battlefield of Unit Wyvern Zero, which had long been known to have arisen, and Char himself had an opportunity to confront the pilots of this formation during the decisive battle on this section of the front. Despite the almost complete annihilation of the battle group he commanded, then Major Anzable and Sir Ashley Ashra still managed to survive that clash to fight in the following days. Char managed to befriend the rude knight, who swore with all his heart to take revenge on the entire enemy formation and commander, while the long-haired Major gained great respect and admiration for the skill of the enemy pilots. The following weeks of fighting made it clear that Wyvern Zero truly deserves to be called an elite formation, and the best example of this was the successful attempt to close and destroy in the XX Battle Cauldron. Corps. Although it was undoubtedly a successful operation, destroying one of the best corps of United Europia and capturing many veterans from North Africa, little is known about the fact that seven more divisions could have been closed in the battle cauldron. What stood in the way of this was the arrival of the three Squads of Wyvern Zero, which successfully held their defensive positions for hours, under heavy artillery fire and suffering heavy casualties. However, despite such great losses and a very long fighting time, Wyvern Zero's persistence saved many thousands of soldiers who could fight the next day against the invader. However, aside from the issues of respect for the opponent, the past weeks have been extremely satisfying at the same time, not only because of the successes on the front line. Also - or perhaps even most of all - Char had achieved exactly what he had desired and desired over the years, knighthood. While something like this might have been a trivial and inheritable title for many, Major Anzable had a completely different view of it. For him, and for many people gifted with the ability to see life in the long term, it was the gateway that opened the way to becoming a full noble, or perhaps even one of the Knights of the Round. After a while, however, Major Anzable shook his head and cleared his mind of such thoughts, then returned to working with documents, practically with redoubled strength and energy, and intending to finish it as soon as possible. In addition to signing and reviewing documents, Char wanted to make another inspection of the security room on the same day, where the personnel responsible for supervising the sensors and security systems of the factory were housed. Suddenly, however, Major's communicator started beeping, which clearly meant that someone was trying to connect to him. Wasting no time, Char pulled out his communicator and immediately answered the incoming call. "This is Major Anzable." He began by introducing himself and informing his interlocutor who he was actually dealing with. Before he could say any more, however, a voice from the other side cut him off.
"We Lord have been attacked!" A voice from the other side spoke, which Char identified almost immediately as Lieutenant von Zalewsky. He was one of the officers responsible for the defense of the factory who was not to be demoted.
Major Anzable frowned at his statement, but at the same time remained calm while taking the statement seriously.
"Please give me the details immediately." Demanded from him, while setting aside still unfinished documents. In fact, the news of the hostile attack was for almost like all the festivals held annually on one day. Although Char didn't smile, he was genuinely happy to receive such a message. "Just please get these messages to me slowly and clearly, whenever possible."
"Yes, my lord." Lieutenant von Zalewsky replied, while trying to express himself in a manner devoid of unnecessary emotional markings. "From the west, the Sixty-One Knightmare Frames is approaching us. According to the models and recognized signatures, it is undoubtedly part of unit Wyvern Zero."
There was a brief silence between them, broken only by the lieutenant's question.
"Should I call for backup from Ricardo Citadel or any other allied outpost, Major?"
Char pondered the point internally for a moment. While there was apparently nothing to ponder over, it was indeed a matter for consideration. On the one hand, the request for support was perfectly rational, so Char in any other situation would not hesitate to do so. However, this was not a normal situation, all because of the security classification it had. Full Frontal was well aware that his patron and friend, Prince Lucius vi Britannia, had really put a lot of effort into concealing this place, so that very few people outside of Knights of the Purple Rose were aware of the factory, and even fewer knew the exact location. The fact that Lucius carefully hid the place actually outweighed and influenced the Major's decision.
"There is no need to call for backup and betray our enemy Price, the location of this place." Char replied, after a short pause and deciding to take the most rational action. "The crews of the machines are to go to their posts immediately and prepare for the fight. The commandos are to place strategic places immediately and hand over their anti-tank weapons. Chief Engineer Tallgeese and the other engineers are to go to the safe zone inside the complex as soon as possible."
"At once, my lord." The Lieutenant replied, and communication between them was terminated.
Char wasted no time as the situation was extremely dire. He immediately jumped up from his chair, put on his signature goggles, and hurried to leave the office. Although the formation of the sixty machines was not very large, he did not even have the slightest doubt that there were any additional enemy forces somewhere nearby. After all, at this point, the most important thing was to focus on the visible opponent, and only then, with possible enemy support or other formations that may have gone undetected. Regardless, however, the hour of battle has come and a clash with the respected enemy has come.
AN: In this chapter, that will be all, my beloved readers. War aside, I have tried to present to you some scraps of how the EU's war with the Holy Britannian Empire actually started. In the series and manga - if memory serves me correctly - no formal reason for the fight was ever given, despite the fact that the question of who is the aggressor and who is not is crucial, if only for the sake of morale. Here I have allowed myself to outline only the general, while I leave the details to your imagination.
I would also like to inform you - although I may have done so in one of the previous chapters - that I try to avoid writing clearly evil and caricatured characters, and I try harder to motivate them, which is to justify their methods and actions taken at the same time. I do it mainly because I try to make it feel realistic in that respect and to make it feel like something - despite the fantastic and Sci Fi elements - could happen in real life.
Also, I'm curious about Lucius' romance with Monica. I know that this is quite a radically developed element, without much depth, or at least that's what I feel as an author. On the other hand, any good story must have at least one bad element in order for the positive elements to be much easier to spot.
As for the waiting time, it is due to my short focus on side projects and often not even planned at first, written under the influence of a surge of inspiration. To be honest, and I reluctantly say it, I am one of those people who have thousands of ideas a day, and each one is better than the last. Nevertheless, I am often hindered by limited time and mental strength. Unfortunately.
That's all for today and I invite you to leave a review with constructive criticism that will allow me to become better. To be honest, nowadays sometimes I get the feeling that I am writing so well that you have nothing to criticize. :)
I wish you all a good day and a lot of health.