C-10.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Fezzan Corridor Brunhilda xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The ship had constantly shaken day and night under intense bombardment as Reinhard has insisted the Brunhilda be the fleet's spearhead in his desperate attempt to break trough the Alliance's efforts to keep his fleet here instead of rushing to save his sister and Kircheis on Odin.
But despite Reinhardt's best efforts they where unable to withdraw, Bewcock was competent Admiral as was many under him as they managed to keep Reinhardt's fleet pinned down for now. It was only a matter of time till Reinhard won, but would he win in time to save them from Yang Wen Li who was marching on Odin?
Reinhard looked over the monitor as he looked at Yen Wen Li.
"What is the next step of you plan? What tricks up your sleeves have you magician?"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Hyperion xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I can't believe that Mecklinger left Odin with so many ships and with such speed. Yare, yare this is quite a pickle." Yang lamented as he talked out loud. The plan had been to faint to Odin and then turn to attack Bayerland and now….now they where forced to march on Odin itself which had zero strategic value.
"Don't despair! Fleet morale is excellent! We're marching on the Imperial capitol itself with 60.000 ships!" Dusty replied.
"And there's 20.000 in front of us that guard Odin. Another 40.000 chasing us. We estimate that about 100.000 ships can be refitted for battle from the Imperial force that we faced at Iserlohn and it's only a matter of time till Lohengram breaks away from Admiral Bewcock. Looks like we've failed. We gambled and lost. We can't raid Bayerland, we can't capture Odin as we are now. Should we make a run for Iserlohn now or wait a bit more?" Yang wondered as Frederica came up to him with a message from Intel.
"The enemy has deployed minefields on its flanks and rear but not it's front? So they are fighting with their backs towards the river…There may be an opportunity here, who commands this fleet?" Yang asked.
"A Rear Admiral Turneissnen. Apparently, he was a classmate of Lohengram at the Academy. Looks like Lohengram has ordered him to fortify, he even sent deployment schematics." Bagdash replied.
"Strange….even if we took Odin Lohengram could just take it back…wait, there must be someone there that he is desperate to keep safe…and with the defensive fleet being deployed like this….We might have one shot left. But I am loathe to ask this of the other Admirals…" Yang said and put the call in to the other fleet leaders.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Fezzan corridor, Brunhilda xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Looks like he's going straight for a melee fight. How desperate….WHAT!?"Reinhard said in disbelief as he saw Yang Wen Li smash…SMASH…..most of his fleet into Turneissnen's fleet.
"Fall back! Why don't you fall back you fool! WITHDRAW….into the minefield that I ordered you to place…" Reinhard said as he realized he ordered this defensive plan…a sound defensive plan…..no one in their right mind would ram an enemy fleet in such a position. No one except someone who could afford to shift personal on other ships and send empty ships on fire bomb runs.
"Telemetry being sent….Turneissnen fleet reports 90% casualties, enemy has lost 40.000 ships and we are registering that about 30.000 have remained operable…..Signal lost…We've lost contact with Odin…." The Comm officer said as Reinhard fell into his chair in despair.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Odin. Neue Sansouchi xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Reporting in. We've managed to rush and capture the space docks and are securing the city, but we are having trouble capturing the palace itself. It seems an enemy Admiral has rallied the defense and has pushed us back." Casper reported to Schenkopp.
"An Admiral you say. Which one is it? The red-haired brat? Old Merkatz? Or that Muller guy who saved the Iserlohn Imperial force from annihilation?" Schenkopp asked as he drove to face this new enemy himself.
"Well I'll be….look who they dragged out of the old folks home."
"Hold your tongue alliance dog, you'll lose it soon enough." High Admiral Ovlessler said as he stood firm in leading the defenses.
"Ain't this just a picture, the guy who hated the."RAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Ovlessler interrupted Schenkopp and charged him, forcing the Colonel and Casper to block a mighty blow.
"What is this a tea party? This is a war! Fight or die!" Ovlessler said as Rosen Ritter faced Ovlessler's veteran Grenadiers. The last of the Old Guard and perhaps the only decent military force now fought for the New Guard which had defeated them. Such is war.
Unpredictable.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Fezzan corridor, Brunhilda xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"SIGNAL RESTORED! THE BLACK LANCERS AND FAHRENHEID HAVE REACHED ODIN!" The officer said immediately after and Reinhard's spirits immediately went up.
"Go get them! Bring me their Admiral's berets on your spears!"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Winged Hussar's Flagship xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I'm sorry but we need you to stall for time for this last gamble. I'm giving you all the ships I can spare. You have to buys us at least two hours. You have to hold them off till midnight." Yang Wen Li said towards Geary.
"We're the Winged Hussars Admiral, fighting Lancers and keeping them at bay is what we do best." Geary said and ended the transmission as she looked at the enemy. Under normal circumstance they would have been at least 45 to 50.000 ships, but they arrived here a week early than anticipated so they must have burned their engines and left a lot of ships that could not keep up behind. As they where now it was about 22.000 Lancer and Fahrenheit fleet vs 21.000 Winged Hussars and allied vessels.
"Come on boys. Last call. LET'S MAKE IT COUNT!" Geary said trough the fleet's comms as her forces cheered. Time to dance.
The marched towards the two fleets and like before when the enemy dashed Geary divided her forces into two and danced around them. Only for the enemy fleet to do a sharp turn to the left, to her fleet and shoot at her half.
"You think we didn't train for something like this?" Geary asked as predictively the enemy fleet was starting to drop mines….and then shot missiles at their own mines!
"Huge cloud of electrical interference detected!"
"The Black Lancers have reversed course!"
"They are attacking the other half of the fleet!"
"NO! THEY'BE BYPASSED IT!"
"They are heading straight for Admiral Yang!"
"Why you….so he knows that is where the real fight will be…..Keep firing!"
"Volley shot…negative impact! They've deployed another mine-missile combo that scrambles navigation! We we can't hurt them."
"Yes we can…..all units….Ram the Black Lancers." Geary said as braced for impact as her Winged Hussars accelerated as full speed and latched themselves one ship to each enemy ship.
"They are not stoping! THE BLACK LANCERS AREN'T STOPING!" The tactical officer said as alarm bells rang off.
Geary immediately rushed to put on battle armor and when there was only the helmet left the door to the deck was smashed open. And the Grenadiers rushed inside.
The fight didn't start immediately as the one that seemed to be the leader held a hand to stop them.
"You….you're the leader of this fleet."
"Yes. I am Admiral Geary of the Winged Hussars."
The leader raised his visor revealing it to be her one-eyed nemesis Bittenfeld.
"I owe you pain." Bittenfeld said and tapped above his missing eye with his axe handle as he gestured to Geary to finish suiting up as after that the two clashed as both crews watched this duel as the Black Lancers, now commanded by Fahrenheit continued to rush towards Yang's Fleet.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Hyperion xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"All units reform. Tell Admiral Fischer to initiate Operation Insanity." Yang said as his plan to create an artificial fortress using nearby ice and asteroids could not be implemented with the Black Lancers breathing down their necks.
"Yang if we die, I'm going to kill you!" Dusty said over the comms from the force he was commanding as they prepared for Yang Wen Li's very last trick.
"Are we really doing this?" Admiral Fischer asked.
"Yes we are, we are doing the one thing that the Alliance ships where never designed to do. We are landing planet side!" Yang said as they began the most insane plan he ever had as Yang hold tight and prayed.
"Admiral, if we survive this…will you marry me?" Lieutenant Greenhill asked.
"I slept with Jessica before we left."
"I know…..that doesn't count since we where not together."
"What about dating and romance and all that stuff?"
"We can do it after we get married."
"Fine. Admiral Fischer marry us." Yang said as the Hyperion shook as fire from friction engulfed the fleet.
"Sure, this isn't even the craziest thing you've asked of me. Dearly beloved we are gathered here today….To move A black to B block…..You do the rest." Fischer said as he continued to keep their half a fleet in formation.
"Fredericka, do you take me as your husband?"
"Yes, do you take me as your wife?"
"Yes."
"Then by the power invested in me…..move C-12 to B-11…..I now pronounce you…Formation E now!...You….T-22 to vector 9!" Fischer said as he continued to hold the fleet together and performed the ceremony.
Frederica and Yang kissed as the deck crew cheered.
"We've broken through!"
"Odin. We really are here."
"I knew that we'd do great things serving under Admiral Yang." The deck officer's trio said as they where there when Yang took Iserlohn without losing a single man and now he lead them to Odin Itself.
"Maneuver around the planet. All ships use what's left of your flight worthiness to land in key areas. Pilot, take us to the Imperial Palace." Yang said as all around the planet the damaged Alliance ships landed to create defensive bunkers guarded by modified ship shields and diminished fire power.
They where unable to go to space again, but since they still had functioning reactors if one of them was destroyed then there would be a great explosion which could produce a chain reaction that could destroy the capitol.
The Empire had prepared for Yang to conquer or storm Odin, but not to take it hostage.
With this Yang Wen Li had just taken Odin hostage.
As the Hyperion landed a message was presented to it. That an Imperial delegation was on it's way towards them.
"Is that?"
"Yeah. Annerose. The sister of Lohengram."
The whispers came as Annerose with Helen at her side and Meerkat's daughter made their way across a sea of alliance infantry soldiers and sailors as they marched towards the Hyperion.
"I have come to offer the surrender of the city. Admiral Yang, the city has no value to you, only the palace has any worth. You may have the city but please do not burn it, spare the innocent civilians." Annerose said and curtsied as she presented an old 19th century sword towards Yang.
"Can you ask the palace to surrender as well?" Yang asked.
"Admiral Ovlessler and his followers are determined to fight to the last.
"Send a message on all channels. That we shall open civilian traffic to those who wish to leave and…. prepare a ship for the lady Annerose." Yang ordered.
"Admiral with you permission I'd like to stay, my brother will be here soon and I'd like to help with the peace talks." Annerose said and looked towards the sky where the Imperial fleet had been smashed and even now there where still the light from burning ships.
"Yare yare…..you stay here with your brother coming…When it rains it pours." Yang lamented as nothing seemed to be going his way,
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Winged Hussar's Flagship xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Odin…..Odin has fallen." Bittenfeld said in disbelief as he looked to the downed Geary who he had under his foot and his axe raised a moment away from killing her as she grinned a triumphant smile. Even if it wasn't as much time as she promised she managed to stop Bittenfeld and Fahrenheit long enough for Yang to capture Odin,
Bittenfeld trembled with rage as he lowered his axe.
"Take her to the brig and broadcast that we have their commander." Bittenfeld said as he captured the Winged Hussars and then ordered that the civilian evacuation commence.
Fahrenheit left the fleet in the hands of both no 2 and decided to stay constantly with Bittenfeld, he would not have him have a moment of doubt to commit suicide over this.
"The war isn't over. We can still win." The white-haired admiral said to Bittenfeld.
"Can this be called a victory?" Bittenfeld said and gestured to the lost Odin.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Brunhilda xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Odin has fallen and my sister has decided to stay on the planet?!" Reinhard said in disbelief.
"Yes, Ovlessler still holds the Palace and the lady Annerose and her entourage have become nurses and are healing both alliance and imperial soldiers. As we stand now, we currently are spent. But we estimate that in 6 months' time we can march trough the Alliance onto Heinessen, with Iserlohn gone there is nothing stopping us. We can postpone capturing back Odin till after that." Oberstein advice.
"You are correct, but then why did he release my sister and the civilian population? To save having to feed them? To burden us? To soften me up for a negotiation?"
"Perhaps all of them above."
"Yang Wen Li…Oberstein…..can we conquer the Alliance as things are now?"
"Yes."
"And can we conquer it with enough strength to take on Fezzan who is now guarded by 5 Artemis necklaces?" Reinhard replied.
"No. Data analyses suggests that we would face insurgency and sabotage in newly conquered Alliance territory while taking on Fezzan. Excellency….this might have been his plan all along….to make it so that there is no true victory here for us." Oberstein said.
"He has outmaneuvered me on every military stage….but I am still the better politician! And now I have him! Send word to the Alliance that we shall have peace if we remake the old Galactic Federation." Reinhard said.
"The Federation?"
"Yes, by merging Fezzan, the Empire and the Alliance into one we shall be able to conquer both without military action. We have more money then the two of them combined." Reinhard replied.
"Will they agree to such a deal?"
"They cannot refuse. The situation they are now is either defeat in 6 months or defeat in several years from now." Reinhard smiled as he once more outmaneuvered his opponents.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Odin xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Clever…Alliance citizens will eat it up as a return to humanities Golden Age. Imperial Citizens will consider it Reinhard conquering the Alliance even after we took Odin itself. Fezzan will be happy for the trade and an end to the war…We lost…we gambled and lost." Yang said as he looked Reinhard who was on the other side of the table.
"I wouldn't say that. A victory would be with your fleets smashed, our fleet on Heinessen and your government dead. It will be a long time before that happens, especially with your efforts." Reinhard replied.
"Excellency, If there is one thing I've learned in this life is that the unexpected is the one thing to expect." Yang said as both their comms signaled urgent transmissions.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Brunhilda meeting room xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Aliens…aliens who look like…. ogres?" Reinhard said in disbelief.
"Y….yes your excellency…I can scarcely believe it myself. They come from beyond know space and according to estimates their fleet is much more advanced than ours and unknow in size." Oberstein said as he could barely believe what was happening.
"What do they want?" Yang said as this was now a meeting of both Alliance, Imperial and Fezzan authorities…..well technically they where all members of the Galactic Federation now.
With this outside force such a union of humanity was guaranteed to go off without a hitch.
"They apparently have come to conquer…trough a tag race. If their champion wins we are supposed to submit, if ours wins, which they chose with a computer, the invasion is off." Bagdash said not believing what he was reporting as he showed an image of the aliens.
"Bikini clad aliens…..tiger stripe bikini aliens who conquer planets using tag. Who is our champion?" Reinhard said in disbelief.
"Apparently the computer chose…..Lt Olivier Poplin."
"We're screwed more than Admiral Yang's domestic situation." Schenkopp said as he drank from a bottle of whisky as Admiral Ovlessler laughed.
"We used protection…..Ugh….let's ignore the fact that Chairwoman Edwards is pregnant with my child….and I'm married to Lieutenant Greenhill…that's for another time.
Yang said as they returned to the meeting at hand.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 6 months latter xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"A minute more and this week's session shall be finished your excellency." Emille's father who was not Reinhardt's doctor said as they used the technology that he had developed along with Alliance doctor on Reinhard.
A new form of Zephyr particles design to fight metastatic cancers and apparently Reinhard was the first test subject on a newly discovered disease which would have killed him in a year or two if not for this. It did in another universe where the Alliance invaded and where smashed at Amritsar, where Emile's father died there, where the war ended differently.
But not here.
"I feel like I've just run a marathon after this." Reinhard said as the door to his treatment room was slammed open and….Poplin, the hero who saved the Federation from an Oni Empire invasion rushed to Reinhard's side.
"Hey…Big L! Old buddy Old pall…..you have to hide me she's after me!"
"Darling! Bad enough that you flirt with every skirt in first incarnation but now you even do it while I chase you!"
"Wait Lum! It's a guy! A very, very beautiful guy!"
"You prefer a guy over me! Darling….prepare yourself."
Lum said as she chased Olivier Poplin, who remembered his past life as Ataru Moroboshi and ran away from the treatment room.
"So this is the price I pay for now dying from the war…..lady luck has given me many things and now….the price for them…..ar so very weird." Reinhard said as he closed his eyes for rest.
As he did so he had visions of that world, of that different universe where Yang Wen Li did not unleash his wrath in that moment.
Which one was the real world?
Which one was fake?
Reinhard decided that it did not matter.
The story was over for the good and the bad.
The story, the legend, this legend ends now.
And history begins.
