Chapter three: Tremors of War
"Hailfires, blast holes in their defenses! Send in more droids!"
A enemy soldier stood up and gestured forward with a bayonet strapped to the end of his Lasgun, "Fight, for the Emperor!"
Battle droids advanced forwards, laser and auto-cannon fire scything through their ranks, the Dwarf Spider Droids fired into the emplacements, shattering one of the auto cannons. A Super Battle Droid ran up to the defensive lines, followed by several other droids, they were receiving direct commands from the Tactical droid next to Fredrick, and they proceeded to assault the defenses.
Several weapons opened fire on them, but the defenses heavier weaponry could not depress enough to get accurate shots, and instead focused on the ranks of droids that were charging into them. An AAT roared past Fredrick, firing its main gun into the fortifications, destroying an auto-cannon mount, and several more tanks, raced forward, as this was merely the start of a far larger battle, Fredrick intended to draw out their most powerful forces, and destroy them in a battle of attrition.
"This is Captain Roidic to Commander Fredrick, we have maneuvered the bulk of our C-9799 to land near your location without causing a dearth of reinforcements in other sectors."
"Excellent, this meat grinder will also draw their forces from other sectors, so relay orders to the commanding droids to push when I give the order. We will surround the enemy with fast moving troops, The use of AATs, STAPS and PACs will be necessary for this to work."
"Yes sir, I will transmit this to the droids." "Thank you." A tank appeared from behind the fortifications, it had a shorter barrel then the normal ones Fredrick had seen through the sights of his tank, and behind this one, and several others appeared. "It seems they sent a greeting party for us."
"That tank is not like the others I would not recommend being near its line of fire."
"You're right, look at the cabling near it main gun."
"I am droid, I am always right."
Fredrick sighed, while very useful, tactical droids were very often annoying to work with. But at least this one cooperated with him. Turning his attention back to the battle at hand, he saw the tank fire its main gun, destroying an AAT that was turning to engage it.
"That is a powerful weapon. All anti-armor units, concentrate fire on that target!" he shouted.
Several battle droids, equipped with rocket lanuchers started running towards it, but were cut down by fire from its hull mounted weapons. The tank began moving forward, its heavy armaments cutting a swath through the droids. Thermal detonators went off, leaving large scorch marks on its hull. Two AATs moved towards it, firing their cannons while maneuvering around it, though from the explosions rippling across its hull, they weren't firing armor piercing. A Hailfire tank moved to intercept the tank, firing off rockets to destroy the tank.
Several impacted it, sending fragments and pieces of armor plate flying in all directions.
"Excellent work, now bring in reinforcements, we'll want an escalating battle here, They've deployed weapons of significant strength here. We'll want the experimentals here."
"Sir I am not sure we should deploy them yet, we haven't found any enemies requiring such weapons, and I see no reason why we should reveal them yet." "Perhaps, but I want them on standby in case we run into elements of the enemy that require them."
"Yes sir." The droids continued to push and he watched as fifteen super battle droids sprinted up the wall, they started firing their arm mounted weapons into the trench's defenders. Bursts of laser fire from the defenders started striking them, their weapons causing several of the Supers to stagger, and the rest of them jumped down into the trench.
"So, we've breached their lines, call in those reinforcements…"
The ground shook under them, and for several seconds, the battle stopped. The planet's defenders and the droids stopped fighting. The shaking continued for several moments and Fredrick stumbled, falling from his observation post. Thankfully for him, his armor took the damage from the fall with barely a scratch.
"What was that?"
he asked to no one in particular. He stood up and readied his arm mounted cannons. Seeing nothing, rose to a standing position.
"Ready all available forces for tremors, and prepare seismographs to give me a reading of when the next one will come."
A bit of static came from the comm link, then the droid spoke saying, "Commander, that will be impossible to carry out, we lack the proper equipment, but I can order a deep scan of the crust."
"Then do it."
"Yes sir."
He climbed onto a tank and watched on as several thousand droids were moving in from the surrounding area, ready to overwhelm the enemy with raw firepower and numbers. A pair of MTTs arrived, flanked by six AATs. They used gave fire support the droid soldiers as they moved forward. The defenders facing the massive tanks started to fall back, and the droids advanced in full force. Several hundred Battle Droids of both types charged forward. Battle droids rushed forward into the trenches and the Supers pursued the retreating soldiers, their arms blazing, wrist rockets leaving trails of smoke in the air. Tanks were retreating alongside of the infantry, firing their cannons at them, turrets turned all the way around to give return fire.
That's when it showed up, a tank with an immensely long cannon. On top of its turret was a large banner with a double headed eagle on it. Behind it, several others appeared.
"Well this is new."
"I do not share your enthusiasm, from my position, I can see dozens of other vehicles moving in on your position, they are being followed by a large group of infantry."
"Call in some gunships, load them for bear with concussion bombs and missiles. It appears they took the bait."
Another tremor shook the earth, and Fredrick looked down, he gripped the tank hard, but this one was less intense and nothing happened. Gazing through his eye piece, he saw the enemy tank moving in, alongside them, were something that looked like an armored personnel carrier. Several dozen of them, and they were firing off laser weapons. Blistering fire started appearing around the tank, and he started banging on the commander's hatch.
"Move towards those trenches," and in a louder voice, "Take defensive positions."
He activated his call beacon and his two magna guards began making their way towards him. The tank drove by the trench and he jumped into the trenches. Raising his blaster cannons, and looking around he saw nothing but droids and resumed a relaxed state. Artillery rounds began raining down on them, and the tank he was just on exploded as one struck it showering them with shrapnel. Shaking it off he leveled his arm at a target he saw ahead of him.
It was a human soldier, rushing his position. At the end of his rifle was a bayonet and behind him were hundreds of his comrades. In front of them rushed tanks and armored personnel carriers. He looked around and saw an approaching tank, and on top of it a pintle mounted double barreled weapon was turned to be pointed at him. He hit the dirt as several shells impacted the rest of the trench around him.
A group of battle droids were pulped by its fire. A pair of rocket launcher armed battle droids rushed forward. They discharged their weapons into the tanks underside as it drove over the trench, destroying it and themselves. He smiled and popped up, and began firing at the encroaching soldiers.
"Where are Super Battle Droids when I need them." Fredrick said, reflecting on the battle droids surrounding him, who were too firing at the charging soldiers. "Hand me a thermal detonator." He said gesturing at a battle droid.
The droid passed the grenade to him and he took it, curling it in his one free hand. Priming the grenade he prepared to throw it into the guardsmen. He clicked the button and hurled the grenade into the group of soldiers and turned away as it exploded. Fredrick started firing his arm mounted cannon into the soldiers. The battle droids around him followed his lead firing into the charging group of soldiers, ignoring the incoming fire. He ducked as a blast from a tank destroyed part of the trench he was taking cover in.
"For the Emperor!"
Then a soldier jumped into the trench beside him, and several others besides the droids. One stuck a battle droid with a bayonet, his blade bouncing off its metal chest. The soldier then discharged his weapon into the droid's upper left chest taking off the arm at the shoulder. Fredrick punched him in the face his metal fist breaking the soldier's jawbone and splattering his body with gore. He placed his cannon under the soldier's chin and fired, blasting the head to pieces.
"Get more droids into these trenches, I want as many as possible into here." He shouted into the comm-link.
The droids and soldiers fought in close combat. The soldiers holding an advantage over the battle droids in close combat and started clearing the trench. One soldier with a wide bore weapon turned to face a super battle droid and fired into its chest. It fell over, the vast majority of its chest molten. He ripped another soldier off a battle droid and slammed him into the ground, the exoskeleton vastly increasing his strength. Using his other arm he shot the soldier in the back, putting a cauterized hole in his chest.
Kicking the corpse aside, Fredrick raised his arm mounted cannon and fired into another of the soldiers, who were now turning their attention to him. The one with the heat cannon was coming at him from the opposite side of the trench. He turned and fired his cannon into the charging soldier, the rapid fire blaster filling the air with energy. Hitting the soldier in the chest, he watched as the man stumbled back, dropping his weapon and fell over.
"That is a powerful weapon of yours heretic."
Looking up Fredrick saw her; a tall, dark skinned woman, her face covered in a shadow by her hat, which marked her out from the rest of the soldiers as important. Jumping down into the trench to avoid the firestorm around them, she leveled her pistol at him. Fredrick raised his blaster cannon and she fired three shots into the upper armor of his suit, explosions rippling across the armor plate. Smoke blocking his sight. He stuck his left arm out catching only air and fired off a burst from his cannon.
He waved away the smoke and examined his armor, it had only suffered superficial damage from the shots. Smiling he scanned the trench for the woman, and found nothing. Suddenly from behind he heard a screech of metal on metal and turned around. She was fighting one of his magna guards, chain sword against electro-staff. Several of the gunships he had called in had arrived, swooping overhead like some type of large flying beetle. They dropped their bombs and shot their rockets into the battleground. Using the opportunity created by the bomb impacts, the magna guard nocked the sword from her hand with a jab from his electro-staff. Backing against the wall she fired several shots from her pistol into the magna guard, putting large holes in its body, but her spread was too wide and several shots missed.
Several soldiers jumped into the trench and Fredrick and the Magna Guard were surrounded. Two pulled out large grenades.
"See these metal boys, these are Krak Grenades, these are for tanks, but I don't think they are that particular. You're going to let our commissar go, and we'll make it short."
Fredrick looked at the Magna Guard, and started sending a signal out from his armor, changing from a converge on my location to a distress signal. Now all he had to do was buy time.
"That isn't going to happen," he said his voice altered by the speakers, coming out deeper and monotone.
He watched several of the guardsmen stiffen, and one of their eyes widened vastly and his gaze was directed upward. Two Super Battle Droids were on either side of the Soldiers, both had large flame throwers attached to their arms. Flanking them was an entire platoon of battle droids, many of whom were occupied with halting any incoming reinforcements.
"Drop those grenades, slowly you are vastly outnumbered here, and out gunned."
The soldier who seemed to be in command of this detachment stared at the eye piece on Fredrick's armor, and he glared at him. "Frag em' and run, frak the commissar."
"I always knew you'd turn traitor sergeant, and the rest of you, I hope these daemons of metal tear you apart!" She shouted after them Fredrick jumped out the trench as the Krak grenades exploded. The soldiers were running now, back to their tanks and APCs which were now in full retreat. They simply were unable to match the sheer numbers of droids that were constantly flowing in.
"Well, commissar it appears that your men abandoned you and they are retreating. I offer you one chance to surrender any information about the planet's defenses."
The commissar looked at him, and Fredrick saw the look of defiance in her eyes. She spat at him, and struggled against the remains of the Magna Guard, who was missing the bottom portion of its body, blown off by the Krak grenade. The other grenade was still at the bottom of the trench, it had been a dud. Two other Magna Guards had arrived responding to his distress call. One had its Bulldog rocket launcher aimed at the commissar, the other had its electro-staff in hand.
"Get your comrade repaired and bring this woman to my base of operations, interrogate her about the strategies and capacities of our foes. Report your findings to me." Without waiting for a response, Fredrick jumped up and out of the trench. Hitching a ride on a passing Persuader, he watched as many of the droids in the occupied trench lines followed his lead, and many more tanks and other types of droid followed. "
It appears my victory is now all but certain."
