Chapter 4
Fires across the sky
11 April. RA 0066, Flagship 'Radiance', war room
It's all going so fast…Jericho was deeply sunk into his grand chair around the round metal table. A holographic image of earth is visible on top of it, displaying the locations of TDF bases. The little computer in front of him infused into the table gives extra information and orders. Still pondering Jericho looks around the room; Julius is busy outlining the battleplans and uses the little controller of the holoprojector to change between maps. To his left sits Gannon, confident as well anxious for the oncoming fight. He kept his word from before, he sits at the table wearing a kilt, which he made the legional emblem of his troops. Other captains also made some changes; for example Adonaï now wears an black trenchcoat over his uniform, Nina wears a brown pilotjacket instead of her vest and Magnus has a secondary embellished vest hanging over his right shoulder strapped around his neck with a little belt.
Why are we going to fight? We have to fight those who we need to protect…
Should I… No! I mustn't doubt, I have to follow orders. Orders are orders…
Jerichos chain of thoughts is disturbed by Julius "Captain, you still with us?"
"Sir. I was just wondering why we're going to attack those whom we were made for to protect."
Julius held in for a brief second "First of all you are a soldier and you follow orders without questions. Secondly we are not attacking but defending the people of earth."
Most of the captains are confused by this answer and demand an explanation. Julius has no other choice than to elucidate.
"We were created to defend the people from everything even themselves, now finished they want to destroy us. The leaders of the Commonwealth are corrupted to the bone, they rather see us dead than to loose their power. That's why we will overthrow this dictatorship and replace it with our Ultran kind. As well you notice we will only attack military installations, without a military mankind cannot fight one another. And we, as only army, will police the people into co-existion. Now then is that enough of an explanation?" Julius ended slightly irritated.
"Now then, to your posts! The operation commences in 2 hours!"
The captains whoms legions are going to be dropped in the first wave return to their own commandships. Nina, captain of the air fleet and Adonaï, captain of the naval fleet remain on the Radiance. Accompagnied by Celes, leader of the Fieldpolice and Rayne, commandress of Intelligence and Assasination. These four will be dropped in the second wave, once a foothold is established. Air- and sea-superiority will tip the scale in their favor, victory will be imminent.
Command dropship Retributor, 12th MS.Inf.Div.
The smell is most persistant, oil and grease mixed with the exhaust fumes of the Legio-MS. Large droppods have been constructed that can carry 4 MS, most of them finished and sealed with the pilots inside waiting for zero hour. The pods also carry a variety of weapons and food, if the need arises it can be used as a fortification and can hold out for as long as it takes. Mecanics run up and down the place for last minute corrections and repairs. As zero hour approaches everyone gets more tense, only 47 minutes remaining. Under the watchful guidance of Sgt.Mjr. 12089 everything is done before schedule.
"Sir, weapons strip and ordinance load are complete." One of the mecanics informed the sergeant major "Droppod prep details will take some more time"
"Good the captain will be pleased" He's happy things are going smoothly like a well oiled machine. "And what about our other dropships?"
"They're just awaiting the command"
12089 nods with approval while he skims over the MS-deck in a firm, hands behind the back, position. Finally he is joined by his commander, Jericho.
"Is my mobile suit ready?" the captain asks.
"Sir, HQ has issued you a new model, improved for your superior abilities" the Sgt.Mjr. answers, pointing towards one of the still open droppods.
"Really?" Jericho was amazed, to be saddled up with an new unfamiliar suit on the eve of operation Heathen.
"There it is, the MS-251/2b Centurio."
The new MS looked almost the same as the standard Legio, apart from embellishments purposely added to express it as a commander type. Its right shoulder has a little heraldic shield, which carries the sign of the 12th Legion. While the left shoulder received three metal spikes and a gold trim. The main difference was under the armourplating, a souped up engine with 40 more output and enhanced performance.
"A couple of the men have taken the liberty of designing the divisional crest and flag." 12089 adds and points out the paintjob on the little shield of the Centurio.
A hooded angel wielding a fiery sword and holds a shield with the number twelve on it. One of the soldiers even became the flagbearer of the 12th Legion, he carries a standard with a scarlet triangular flag with two white wings and roman numeral twelve on it, completed with the motto of the division Honoris Per Victoria, Honor through victory. When the Legionaires got wind of this they all decorated almost every MS and vehicle with stilistic figures and numbers. Going from a halo to a winged sword.
Jericho had to smile about this kind of brotherhood "If it strengthens our soldiers morale, then who am I to dispute this?"
Zero Hour. RA 0066, The invasion has begun
Finally the Legion crossed the outer perimeter of the Terran Commonwealth Space Territories, just a matter of time before they're picked up on sensors. An armada of dropships flanked by spacecruisers and led by the gargantuan mothership Radiance is advancing on one of the outposts.
"Sir Julius, we're receiving the first communications of battle" one of the bridgecrew yelled aboard the Radiance.
"Good, on speakers" commands Rethel, captain of the Space Occupation Force, also known as the 4th Legion.
""" This is Legion, surrender your base and no one has to get hurt"""
""" Ha! Foul savage! Already, valiant imperial warships have left our docks and are on an intercept course-er… """
""" You mean those slagheaps we just shot up? Har har har…"""
"Sir, it appears one of the dropships already released its pods, MS from the 8th Legion are attacking the 25th Planetary Defense Station" a bridgemember responds to the excerpt of the communications.
Julius is surprised as well impressed by the sheer boldness of Magnus, while Rethel's offended by his arrogance.
"Aren't that supposed to be your troops attacking the spacestation, brother-captain Rethel?" Julius asked cool to Rethel, sitting in his command chair of the bridge.
"He can jeopardise the entire invasion!" yells Rethel, jumping out of his chair and knocking his fist on the armrest. Angry is he but also ashamed for his troops are nowhere to be found on the forefront of battle. "Get a cruiser there on the double and send out our MS damn it!" spitting the orders to his men on the bridge.
Outside Magnus' troops are obliterating the resistance, using lightning tactics to outmanoeuvre the enemy. Heavily outnumberd and outmatched the Antrax MS try to fight off the invaders knowing it's all in vain. One by one they drop like flies, never landing a hit. The explosions and jet enginetrails make the entire fight look like fireworks from a distance.
Through the chaos of battle Magnus pilots his Centurio like it was nothing. He zigzags between rubble, takes out an Antrax with a volley of shots and continues towards his next victim at dazling speed, beamsabre readied. Inside he sits thrilled by the hunt, at the edge of a bloodlust, when he feels Julius' presence in his head.
(Beautiful, rash but beautiful work, dear Magnus)
(Thank you sir) Magnus responds with his thoughts.
One of the cockpit systems is reacting, the space station is signaling its surrender. Outside the few remaining Antrax let loose of their weapons and power down, while the cruiser Liberator is approaching the area. Commander Rethel speaks over the intercom: "The enemy has surrendered, return to your ships to continue the operation, we will clean up here"
Disgust is what Magnus feels when he sees the attitude of the TDF. Cowards, you should never have become soldiers if you're afraid to die, he thinks almost insane and rushes towards the remainder of troops. Rallying his men to continue the fight. He yells over an open comm-channel:
"War is not a game! Don't dishonor us any further, Commonwealth filth!"
An Antrax tries to escape upon hearing this message, but is quickly intercepted by Magnus who slashes it in two with his beamsabre. The fiery blade cuts slowly through the MS while a dying scream is heared.
On the bridge of the Radiance silence reigned as everyone there is staring at the viewscreen. The image of the space station slowly crumbling and falling towards the earth, still trying the send a distress signal on all channels.
"Damn you, Magnus! How dare you kill POW's, I'll…"
Rethel's rant is soon hushed away by Julius "It's too late now, get your ships in position and drop the pods quickly. Move fast, we mustn't give the enemy time to ready themselves."
"But I need time for that or most of the pods will go off course, even burn up before they reach the ground" Rethel tries to negotiate.
"Time is luxuary we just lost, captain. Now move it." answers Julius on his cold tone as usual.
The first ships that are able to drop their pods are hanging over the Amerigo Province. The 9th Legion, commanded by Gannon, is dropped on the northern side. The 10th Legion under Captain Aislinn lands on the southern part. Soon other vessels jettison their pods too over other Commonwealth provinces. Like steel raindrops the pods are weighed down to earth by gravity and slowly heat up on the bottom before crashing into the ground. From the ground only great plumes of fire across the skies are visible.
Point Echo. Northern Provinces, 100 kilometres from Trondheim base
Even though it's the beginning of spring there's a small layer of snow on the outstretched fields, the morning sun slowly rises across the horizon in a rain of falling pods. One of them hits the surface, breaking few trees and creates a mud filled hole in the ground. The crater still smolders of the impact when the pod opens it four doors. Slowly the MS inside start to move, their pilots shaken up by the drop. But almost immediately they regain their senses and form a defensive line around the site.
"It seems safe Captain"
Inside his cockpit Jericho sighed of relief and opens his hatch. "Good, this will be our main base for the first assault"
He pulls out the plugs in his neck and steps out onto the hatch with a pair of binoculars. For a moment he skims across the horizon, That's strange, then he grabs his vest from behind his chair and slides down via a retractable rope to the ground. No other droppods? Already troops are busy unloading materials from the pod and are building a base camp. Walking towards an almost finished tent while carefully putting on his vest over his wings. Outside the tent stands a table with men gathered around, 12089 being one of them. Suddenly one of the soldiers notices his commander is near and yells "Attention on deck!"
Everyone around the table and all others within hearing distance dropped whatever they're doing to salute their Captain. The Sgt.Mjr. approaches Jericho to shake hands. He was still without his vest, wearing a sleeveless shirt and black suspenders along with a cap with Legion markings on it.
"Good to see you made it safely down Sir"
Jericho wondered about that "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You don't know, Captain? The operation is already behind on schedule, as far as we can make out the communications it seems Magnus went on ahead without any orders. To make up for lost time we were dropped to fast, but that has had its risks. Your pod is the first to land at the correct coordinates, all others are scattered over a large radius. Some, I'm afraid, didn't even make it down"
He looks disappointed at his watch and shows the time to Jericho.
"You see, completely wrong. I'm afraid we lost the element of surprise."
Damn the 8th Legion, thought Jericho bitterly.
"It's too late now, set up a beacon so all the surviving pods can come to our position. Those who can't reach us must remain, we'll march towards them and regroup. Where are the maps? We have to revise our entire strategy."
Spread across the wooden table are ordnance maps of the local area. Soldiers operating the radios are moving miniature troops across the paper battleground, giving the locations of their droppods and possible enemy troop movement. Until the radio traffic is interrupted by an official announcement, spoken by Julius.
"""Attention Terran Defense Forces"""
TDF High Command. Luxemburg Base, Command room
"Sir, this transmission is cutting into all communications"
"How can that be? On screen!"
"""We are Legion
These times of peace are a lie
It's made up by fascists calling themselves the Terran Commonwealth"""
Imperial palace, Capital Luxemburg
"Oh my, Carstairs. What's happening?"
"I don't know, my lord, I… I don't know…"
"""We haven't lost the slightest bit of our purpose
That will be proven soon
We do not forget all those young men who died,
Died for their faith in a free unified world
And now for those who embark for the same dream"""
"It still looks good, Captain. We can win this."
"""The Commonwealth uses its overwhelming military forces
To oppress the desires of humanity
Can anyone deny the evil intentions that the Commonwealth harbors?
Let us look back why that cataclysmic war broke out so long ago
And why we now fight with the spirit of justice"""
"Excellent. Rally the men, Sgt.Mjr. We're taking Trondheim Base."
"""With truth and righteousness by our side
I declare war once more at the leaders of the Terran Commonwealth
We will not be fooled by this facade of peace"""
Trondheim Base, Officers mess
"Please Jericho… Don't have a part in this. I beg you…"
"""We hear it in our hearts
To Legion! HAIL!"""