A day has passed since the Ninth Regiment of the First Army secured the Imperial trench line. The failure of the other attacks along the front forced the First Army on the defensive. The Imperials have only launched probing attacks. The Ninth Regiment has dug in and is using what heavy weapons the Imperials left behind. Their armor is holding back ready to rush in with reinforcements.

"Get that MG into position."

"Yes sir!"

"Mortar is set up and ready to fire."

"We have captured AT guns in position."

"Good. If the Imperials want this line back, it will cost them."

Located in the center of the line is the main Gallian camp. It has been hastily assembled so the communications equipment is out in the open with only a camo netting covering the equipment and the operators. Two MG positions have been set up to protect the camp.

A half-track moved up to the line and Colonel Adams, along with his two bodyguards, dismounted. The sentries snapped to attention as he approached. "Colonel Adams sir!"

"At ease. Take me to the main camp."

"Follow me sir." Adams followed the scout through the trenches with his bodyguards following behind. The soldiers they passed saluted Adams as he passed and he saluted them back. He reached the main camp where the Lieutenants of the Ninth Regiment have gathered. "Colonel Adams sir!"

"At ease. High Command has laid out a plan to beat the Imperials once and for all and drive them out of our lands. Unfortunately, we won't have much of a roll."

"Why sir?"

"General Damon has managed to convince the other Generals that a full-frontal attack against the Imperial center is the best way to defeat them. General Everheart disagreed but the Field Marshal made the call. However, while the First Army will, unfortunately, be on defense Everheart managed to convince the Marshal to include one of our regiments in the battle and our regiment has received that honor. A militia Regiment will take over our duties here. Ready your squads, we move out within the hour. Dismissed."

It didn't take long until all of the Ninth Regiment was mounted up and ready to roll out. Once the Militia regiment arrived, they moved to the back lines and headed for the center.

"Colonel Adams, this is Captain Varrot we need immediate assistance. Over."

"What's the situation Captain?"

"The Imperials have launched a full-scale counterattack lead by that woman we engaged in the Barious. Over."

"Woman? Shit. My regiment is still a few minutes out. Hold until we arrive. Out." He pulled out his map and looked it over. "Ninth Regiment we need to pick up the pace. Imperials are driving on our center with an enemy general leading them. It's the one we encountered in the Barious. Use extreme caution when engaging her. First Mechanized Company, I need you to move to Hill 200. As far as I know, it's still under our control but I have been unable to contact the defenders. If the Imperials control the hill we'll have no choice but to retreat. We cannot lose the hill."

"Hill 200 will remain in Gallian hands Colonel. First Mechanized fall out!" Their company broke away from the rest of the Regiment and headed for Hill 200.

"Gallian forces on Hill 200, this is Lieutenant Jackson, what is your situation? Over."

"Lieutenant Jackson! This is sergeant Hardins of Squad four! We're being engaged by Imperial special forces and they're driving us off the hill! We need immediate assistance! Over!"

"Understood sergeant. Where is your Lieutenant? Over."

"Dead. Over."

"Copy. Hold your ground sergeant. We'll be there soon. Out."

"Keep your heads down!"

"We need to destroy that tank!"

"Since when do the Imperials use autocannons on their tanks!?"

"Stop talking and destroy it!"

Autocannon rounds zipped over their trench. "You have to draw its fire!"

"Alright! You two come with me!"

"Copy that!"

"We're right behind you Hardins!" The three of them moved down the trench passing squad members who are engaging the Imperials. Squad four is, primary, an anti-tank squad making them ill-equipped to fight infantry. Some of the lancers have switched their lances for rifles while most have retained their lances and are using their sidearms.

"Hit that bastard!" A lance slammed into the side of the tank, destroying it. "Good shot!"

"Hardins! Our left flank is being overrun! We have to fall back!"

"We can't! If we fall back we'll give them Hill 200! If we can hold out a little longer we'll have support!"

"Fine! But we have to bolster our left flank!"

"I'll take a fireteam over and assist! You all are with me!"

"Yes sir!"

"Right behind you sir!"

"Let's move!" They sprinted out of the trench and across open ground. Bullets landed around them as the Imperials quickly sighted them. One of the lancers is hit and falls. Another goes to help him and is killed as well. "Don't stop for anything!" They reach the trench and dive in just as an HE shell explodes behind them. Hardins turns to the two members of his fire team. "You good!?"

"Good to go sir!"

"Ready to fight!"

He nodded and they quickly made their way through the trench. "Hardins! We have support! Finally!"

"Is it Lieutenant Jackson's squad?"

"I don't think so! I've never seen a Gallian unit like these guys!"

"We're almost there corporal! Hang in there!"

"Will do sir!"

They reached the position and Hardins got his first look at the squad that had come to assist them. The most striking feature is their black and red uniforms. "I've never seen a Gallina uniform like that."

"Look at that tank! I know Squad Seven's tank is distinct but that's something else!"

"Let's find out who they are shall we? Who's the leader of this squad!?"

"I am." A shock trooper stepped forward wearing the same red and black uniform as the rest of his squad. It reminded him of the uniforms worn by highly trained Imperial squads. The uniform had a yellow number on the right side and on the left was an insignia of a dog with its muzzle wrapped shut. "I am number Seven. Leader of Squad 422."

"Number Seven? That is not a name."

"I have no name sergeant. Nor does anyone in the 422nd. What is the situation?" A shell slammed into the earth behind them prompting them to take cover. Putting the oddity of an entire squad only being called by designated numbers, Hardins explained the situation. "Imperial special forces hit us hard at the beginning of the battle. They broke through our defenses and drove us back here. We've suffered heavy casualties and I don't know the status of the other squads. My squad is centered around anti-armor. We're poorly equipped to fight infantry. You deal with the infantry; we'll deal with the armor!"

Seven nodded and started shouting orders to his squad. "Seven. Did you see another squad on your way here?"

"No. Why?"

"I received a radio call from a Lieutenant Jackson saying his squad was inbound for support. I haven't heard from him since." He nodded, "422nd we have more reinforcements on the way. Contact me as soon as you spot them. Move out!"

The First Mechanized Company has split into two different groups to assist in the defense of Hill 200. "Contacts front!"

"Looks like our forces still hold that defensive line! Let's help them out!" Squad Fifteen and Twelve dismounted from their half-tracks and rushed into the line. "Imperial armor! One heavy and two medium tanks!"

"Target the heavy tank and fire!"

"On the way!" The Firefly's 76mm cannon thundered its response sending an armor-piercing shell towards the tank. The shell punched through its frontal armor killing the driver and machine gunner. Jackson's Firefly put a shell into the turret killing the crew and completely disabling the tank. One of the medium tanks was destroyed causing the second to smoke up and retreat.

"Thank god! Reinforcements!"

"Sergeant Brooks Squad Fifteen! Heard you needed support!"

"You heard right sergeant! These special forces have been kicking our asses!"

"Well, it's time to drive them back!"

"The Imperials are falling back!"

"Keep the pressure on!" The Fireflies rolled forward firing upon the retreating infantry. They dropped smoke grenades to cover their retreat blinding the Gallians. The tanks charged through the smoke and continued to engage. The infantry climbed out of their trenches and charged after them. They broke through the smoke and Brooks quickly took stock of the situation.

The Imperials have fallen back to the trenches they have captured but don't have any heavy weapons with them nor have they recrewed the heavy weapons the defenders abandoned when they retreated. The only armored support they have is a single medium tank. "Charge the trenches! GO! GO!"

Their armor quickly destroyed the medium tank and turned their guns on the infantry. "Gunner, watch your fire. Our men are charging the trenches."

"Copy that Lieutenant." He fired into one of the trenches killing some of the occupants before their squad members jumped into the trench. To avoid friendly fire, he only fired the MG at the trench. "Sergeant Hardins, this is Lieutenant Jackson, we have arrived and are engaging the Imperials. We've split our company to help the defense. Over."

"That's good to hear Lieutenant. Your company's support is much appreciated. Be advised we have more support in the form of Squad 422. You can't miss their black and red uniforms, over."

"Copy that sergeant. We'll keep our eyes open. Out."

An explosion next to the tank rocked the crew. "Was that an AT gun!?"

"No. That was an HE shell. I think we're taking mortar fire." Another explosion rocked the crew. "I think that's a bit heavier than a mortar."

"Agreed. All tanks keep moving. We're taking artillery fire."

BOOM!

"FUCK!"

"That hit our engine deck! The engine is destroyed!"

"Dismount!" They climbed out of the tank and sprinted to one of the trenches.

"Newman! Jackson's tank was hit! They've dismounted!"

"That artillery got them! Sam, keep us moving!"

"No problem sir!" Both Fireflies moved to dodge artillery fire. Multiple rounds landed around their previous positions. Two shells landed on Jackson's tank, destroying it. "Imperial armor coming up!"

"Three medium tanks. Pick a target and fire." Suddenly, their radio cackled, "This is Vellers! We took a big hit! Abandoning the tank!"

"What!?" Newman turned out and spotted Vellers's Firefly. He saw the crew quickly climbing out of the tank with black smoke rising from the hatches. He saw flames from one of the hatches and the tank detonated a second later. He ducked to avoid the deadly shrapnel. "Where the hell did that come from!?"

"It wasn't from the mediums! We can outrange them!"

"Driver! Back us up!" The tank slowed to a halt and started reversing. Newman turned out again and searched for where the kill shot came from. A shell slammed into the ground right next to his tank. He swore he heard it scrape against the side armor. "Too close." Finally, he found his target. It looked like a heavy tank chassis but was significantly lower to the ground, lacked a turret, and had the gun mounted in the hull. "Target! Eleven o'clock! Range eight hundred meters!"

"Sighted! Firing!" The muzzle flash temporally blinded Newman. He saw the shell land just short. "Short! Range for 820 meters!"

"Ranging!" He saw the flash from the Imperial tank and everything went dark. The entire tank shuttered and a god-awful sound filled the tank as the AP shell ripped through the armor. The driver looked over his shoulder and nearly though up. The gunner and loader were dead their bodies mangled from shrapnel. Newman didn't look any better. His entire right side is a deep shade of red. He scrambled up to the turret and checked his pulse. Miraculously, he found a very weak pulse. He quickly grabbed some Ragnaid and used it. The wound is so severe, it did little to help. "Hang on sir!"

He pushed the hatch open, climbed out of the tank, grabbed Newman, and tried to pull him out of the turret. With bullets pinging off the tank's armor and explosions going off around him he pulled with all his might, but it was no use. He just wasn't strong enough to pull Newman out of the turret. "HELP! I NEED HELP OVER HERE!" He looked around but with all the chaos, nobody has seen or heard him. He cussed when he saw five Imperials closing on him. They raised their weapons and he ducked behind the turret.

Ratta ratta ratta ratta ratta ratta ratta!'

Bang bang bang bang bang! Ratta ratta ratta ratta ratta ratta!

Bang! Bang bang bang bang!

He looked over the turret stunned to find all the Imperials dead. He looked behind him and saw a Gallian fireteam advancing toward him. Their uniforms are black with red highlights and yellow numbers are on their uniforms. Interesting as they are, that didn't matter. "I NEED HELP HERE!"

"What happened!?"

"Tank knocked us out! Lieutenant Newman is still alive but if we don't get him to a medical center soon he'll die!" She nodded and it was then he noticed her two-tone hair color. Halfway down her back her red hair turns white. He ignored this and focused on getting Newman out of the tank. It was a struggle, but they pulled him out of the turret and onto the engine deck. He jumped down and another of her squad mates helped him get Newman down behind the tank. He jumped when a burst of MG fire hit the rear of the tank. He pulled a rifle off the tank and some ammo. "What squad are you guys from!?"

"422nd."

"You have my thanks!" He checked on Newman again. "How is he?"

"Bad. He'll die if he doesn't receive immediate medical attention. By the way, names Downs."

"Thirteen." He blinked, "That's not-" Multiple explosions stopped what he was going to say. "Those tanks are moving up!"

"Stand aside! I've got this!"

"Don't get yourself killed number three!"

"You worry too much!" Downs watched as a grandma hefted a lance with no issue and destroyed one of the mediums. The other two mediums halted and lit their position up with MG and cannon fire. "We can't stay here!"

"What do you suppose we do!? We try to retreat and we're dead!"

"Wait a minute, smoke rounds!"

"Smoke rounds?"

"I forgot about them! They were a last-minute addition before the battle! Cover me!" He climbed up the tank staying as low as possible. Bullets pinged off the tank as he moved up to the turret; he quickly jumped in. Ignoring the gore, he searched for the smoke rounds. He found one and loaded it into the breach. He moved to the gunner position and started rotating the turret. Once he had it in position, he depressed the gun and fired. The shell slammed into the ground and exploded creating a smoke cloud. He quickly climbed out and jumped down. He went to the back of the tank and grabbed Newman with Thirteen helping him. They moved as quickly as they could to the nearest trench.

They got into the trench and laid Newman down. "Is there a medic in this trench!?" A Gallian came running up to him and immediately started working on Newman. "I'll do what I can but we need to get him to the back lime ASAP!"

"I know!"

"Imperials are charging through the smoke!" Downs got on the line and started firing. Two light tanks charged forward and opened up with autocannons. Downs ducked as the Gallina next to him had his head taken off. Down the line, a lancer fired hitting one of the lights and destroying it. A medium moved up and fired its hull-mounted mortar.

"MORTAR!"

It slams into the trench and the results are devesting. Tightly packed in the trench it kills and mains the Gallians. The screams of the wounded are drowned over the sounds of battle. "NUMBER THREE!"

"ON IT!" A lance flies from the trench and slams into the medium. It isn't destroyed but its mortar is obliterated, and it backs off. "Eat that!"

"The smoke is clearing!"

"The Imperials are backing off!"

"Move up and secure the defenses! We have no armor support so AT weapons are top priory!"

"Hey! Downs right!?"

"Yeah!"

"Help me get the Lieutenant back!" Downs nodded and helped pull him up. They moved back to another trench before stepping out into open ground. The medic stopped one of the passing Gallians. "Help us out here!"

"Fuck! Is that Newman!?" He grabbed his legs and they moved much quicker. They took him to one of the half-tracks which have moved up to assist in the defense. They loaded him into the half-track and Downs climbed in after the medic. "Driver! Get us to the rear lines! We have an officer in critical condition!"

"Got it!" He turned the wheel and hit the gas trying to get them to the rear as quickly as possible.

"Sergeant Hardins, this is Lieutenant Lane of Squad Eighteen. We have arrived to assist."

"Much appreciated Lieutenant. What forces are you bringing?"

"My squad along, Squad Twenty, and two light tanks with accompanying infantry."

"Fantastic! We're already driving them back! This will turn it into a route!"

Lane smiled at his enthusiasm. "We're almost there sergeant. Save some for us. Out." She turned out and through her binoculars, she can see the battle between Squad four, Squad 422, and the Imperials. The lone tank they have supporting them is from the 422nd; its black and red paint makes it stand out. The light tanks and infantry they found were part of Hill 200s defenders but were driven back by the Imps. When they found her squad, they were more than willing to assist.

"Gunner, target light tank. It's got a damn auto-cannon."

"Firing!" The tank rocked as the gun fired. "Target destroyed. We've got their attention now."

"Lieutenant! They're on the run! We need to push our advantage!"

"Agreed. All vehicles keep moving don't stop!" With armor leading the way the M1PCs stayed back a little with both the MG and the mounted infantry firing at the Imperials. The infantry riding on the light tanks jumps off and starts firing. With their armored support largely destroyed, the Imperials pop smoke and fall back. "Charge through the smoke!"

The tanks charge through the smoke screen and fire on the retreating Imperials. "Continue to chase!"

"Negative. Hold your positions. We need to regroup before we continue the attack." Lane turned out of her tank and jumped down to the ground. Walking towards her are two Gallians. One has the rank of sergeant and is wearing the standard Gallian Army uniform. The other has a black and red uniform with the number 07 painted in bright yellow on his right shoulder. "Lieutenant Lane, thank you for the assist."

"My pleasure sergeant." She nodded to the other. "And you are?" He stood at attention, "Number Seven. Leader of Squad 422." Lane nodded not bothering to point out he gave her a number, not a name. "422nd. Never heard of them."

"No one has, Lieutenant." She only nodded. "Now, since we're engaging special forces, what can you tell me about them?" Number Seven stepped forward. "They are called Calamity Raven a special Imperial unit comprised almost entirely of Darcsens."

"Darcsens? Why are they serving the Empire?"

"It doesn't matter. They're serving the Empire making them our enemies. Gather your forces, we move out in ten."

"Lane! We have a situation!"

"Jackson? What is it?"

"We have a massive Imp tank bearing down on us! Makes the one we fought in the Barrious look like a toy! We need immediate assistance!"

"Son of a bitch!"

"Lieutenant. My squad has the most experience with Calamity Raven and I have squad members in that area. My squad can help destroy the tank."

"Alright Lieutenant. We'll pick up the offensive here and see if we can make the attack easier. Good luck."

"Holy hell. Look at that thing."

"It's a mobile fucking fortress!"

"We don't have anything that can hurt that thing!"

"Keep it together! My company fought a tank like this in the Barrious! Look for radiators when it fires!"

"We'll have to get closer to accurately hit it!"

"That going to be a problem! It has infantry support!"

"Cover to cover! Move now!" The massive tank sits imposingly in front of the Gallians. Jackson raised his binoculars to get a better view of the Imperial forces. The infantry supporting the tank has already set up in defensive positions. HMGs have been set up with overlapping fields of fire and what looks to be lancers with mortars are further back. Three light tanks have also arrived; two have autocannons while the third is a slandered type. Getting close enough to attack is going to be difficult but not impossible.

"Lieutenant Jackson. This is Number Seven of Squad 422. Please respond over."

"This is Jackson. Send."

"The rest of my squad is inbound with tank support. Hold your position until we arrive. Over."

"Understood. We're going to need as much firepower as we can get. Out."

"Sir! Imperials are launching a counterattack!"

"All units this is Lieutenant Jackson! We have reinforcements inbound! Hold your positions! Not one step back!" He turned to the soldiers with him. "With me!" He rushed out of the trench with his squad mates right behind. "ARTILLERY!" Jackson saw the artillery attack come from the massive Imperial tank. "Into the trench!" They dived in just as the rounds landed shaking the ground like an earthquake. The explosions made his ears ring to the point that was all he heard. Once the ground stopped shaking, he yelled. "SOUND OFF!" He barely heard himself. He saw his squamates sound off rather than hearing them.

It took about a minute before he could hear again. "Can everyone hear me!?"

"Barely sir!"

"Better than nothing! Move out!" They sprinted to the front trench and jumped in. "Nice of you to join us sir!"

"Counterattack! The Imps are counterattacking!"

"Dig in! We hold until our reinforcements arrive! What heavy weapons do we have!?"

"A few heavy machine guns and two light AT guns! We can destroy their light armor but anything heavier and we're in trouble!"

"They only have light tanks!" Four medium tanks and two heavy tanks rolled forward and lead the counterattack. "YOU HAD TO SAY SOMETHING!"

"Aim for their cannon barrels or tracks! We might not destroy them, but we can certainly give them a bloody nose!"

"Lieutenant Lane! What's the ETA on our support!?"

"Ten minutes!"

"Copy that! Alright everyone! We have to defend for ten minutes!"

"I've got good news! I managed to contact our artillery! They'll provide fire support when they can!"

The light AT guns fired first. Their rapid-fire 45mm cannons can do nothing against the imperial armor so they aim for weak spots. Their targets are at their maximum effective range making it difficult to score accurate hits. One of the tanks fired hitting an AT gun directly destroying it and killing the crew. The second AT gun managed to track one of the tanks immobilizing it. It shifts its fire but was quickly destroyed.

"FUCK! So much for our AT guns!"

"If that get close hit them with a lance!"

"Mortars!"

"Heads down!" Brooks ducked as mortars started landing. The explosion effect identified them as mortar-lance rounds. "Imperials are attacking!"

"Hold the line!" Their trench erupted in fire. The Imperials caught out in the open, were quickly killed. They found cover in shell holes and returned fire. Behind them, their tanks continued to roll forward providing effective cover fire. "Can you hit them with the lance!?"

"No! Too far!"

"Simple solution! Let them get closer!"

"We'll risk being overrun!"

"Use your rifle grenades! Blow those bastards out of cover!" Rifle grenades are launched out of their trench. Brooks watched two Imperials get blown out of their cover. She put one round into each making sure they're dead. A mortar slammed into the far-left trench killing those unfortunate enough to be caught in its radius. The Imperials charged with shock troopers leading the way. They tossed grenades at their trench as they charged. Behind them, their scouts provided accurate rifle fire.

Brooks hissed when a bullet tore through her shoulder. She went to reload and stood back up. With five shots she killed three charging shock troopers. A bullet grazed her cheek while a third hit her directly below her collarbone. She ignored the pain, reloaded, and stood back up. She got one shot off before the Imperials leaped into the trench. "Fall back-AH!"

Brooks quickly backed away as Imps jumped in or over the trench. She fired her rifle as she backed up through the small trench network. "DIE!" An Imp jumped directly in front of her and kicked her in the stomach staggering her. He followed with a left and then a right hook. When he swung again Brooks ducked and brought the butt of her rifle up slamming into his chin. Staggered Brooks followed up using her rifle like a club. She struck him with her rifle rapidly knocking off his helmet and revealing a Darcsen. He charged her grabbing her rifle and slamming the action into her face. He ripped it out of her hands, and she ducked under the swing. It hit the trench wall so hard the stock snapped off. She punched him in the ribs, dodged the next swing, and punched him in the ribs again. She kicked the side of his knee staggering him and followed with an uppercut. Knocked off balance she pulled her sidearm and shoot him three times killing him.

"Fall back!" Brooks turned and spirited out of the trench leaving her destroyed rifle behind. She dived into a shell hole finding two of her squad mates. "Chole!? Damn it's good to see you!"

"Sara! Hawkins! Good to see you as well!"

"Where's your rifle!?"

"Damn Imp broke the stock on it!"

"Fucking bastards ruin everything don't they!?"

"We need to cover our retreating allies!" Brooks fired her sidearm with Sara and Hawkins firing their SMG and rifle respectively. The tanks started moving forward. "Shit! Their armor is moving up!"

"Fall back to the next trench!" They scrambled out of the shell hole and jumped into the second trench. "We have to destroy those tanks!"

"Leave it to me." Standing next to Brooks is a Darcsen woman with one hell of a weapon. It's a two-handed heavy weapon with a massive blade that runs over half the length of it. There is a box magazine on its side the stock looks more like the handle of a sword. "Yeah. Number one can deal with those tanks easily."

"Hmm. Keep me covered eleven."

"Of course."

She stood up and aimed her weapon. Brooks swore the barrel glowed red before she pulled the trigger. With a thundering CRACK, the weapon fired kicking like a bull, but she held firm. The round slammed into a medium tank blowing it apart. "Holy shit!"

"That's not standard issue!"

"No shit it's not standard issue!" The sudden destruction of one of their tanks didn't stop the others. They shifted fire to their trench keeping them pinned down. "That got their attention!" Brooks looked back finding Number One and Number Eleven repositioning.

"Damn! Where the hell did she get a weapon like that!?"

"No idea! If you get a chance you can ask her!" A tank shell flew over the trench slamming into the earth behind them. Lines of tracers zipped over their trench. "Sergeant Brooks." She turned around. "Lieutenant Jackson." She stood up and fired three rounds before taking cover. "What happened to your rifle?"

"Destroyed sir."

"Hm. Here. Take mine."

"Don't you need it sir?"

"Don't worry Brooks," Thomson said. "Cole and I have his back." She nodded and took his rifle.

"Artillery battery Echo Seven. This is Lieutenant Jackson. Requesting fire support at the following coordinates. Over."

"Solid copy Lieutenant. Fire mission commencing. First rounds inbound; ETA: Twenty seconds."

"Keep your heads down! Artillery inbound!"

A distinct whistling sound filled the air. Every soldier on the battlefield quickly recognized the sound. The first artillery shells slammed into the earth quickly followed up by more. Huge amounts of dirt are blown upwards, smoke quickly limits visibility and deadly shrapnel flies through the air wounding and killing friend and foe alike. During the barrage, squad 422nd tank arrived along with a light tank and infantry support. The light tank moved to flank the Imperial tanks while the 422nd tank moved forward. The infantry with them jumped off the tanks and moved into the trenches.

Once the artillery ceased, the tank fired destroying one of the medium tanks. It quickly followed up with a second shot destroying a second medium. The Imp tanks returned fire but the shells bounced off the slopped and heavy armor of their tank. The light tank fired into the side of the tank heavily damaging a medium. The tanks started backing up as the light tank got behind them and fired into the radiator of a heavy tank destroying its engine. It fired on the second heavy tank destroying its engine as well. Damage done, the tank quickly sped away. Smoke exploded in front of the tanks covering their retreat. The Imp infantry quickly followed.

With the Imperial counterattack defeated the Gallians can launch their attack.