The Southern Battle Pt II: En Passant
40 Years after the Great War
Londinium
The First Battle of Boulaaba, or as much of the public refers to it: the Southern Battle, was a surprisingly short-lived engagement considering the sizes of the forces involved at the time. Similar sized actions on the Rhine and in the east often consisted of several days if not months of fighting before the combat came to a close.
Unusually, the main confrontation at Boulbaaba lasted only a day, although skirmishes continued for some time afterwards. However, as mentioned in the previous program, it is important to remember that this action was only one of many that made up the true Southern Battle. However, considering this was the largest clash between Imperial and Free Republican forces on the continent until the Allies launched Operation Lantern, it is understandable why it has caught the interest of the public.
On the morning of the 2nd of March, General De Lugo believed he had successfully lured von Romel into a trap. According to the information obtained by Albish intelligence and the local tribesmen, the Imperial fox had positioned his troops just as De Lugo had hoped. Indeed, even the Fennec himself claimed in his memoirs that he had believed the false intelligence he had received before the battle and it was a coincidence at the time that he had deployed a unit further afield than the Republicans had expected.
It was this unit that managed to turn the tide later in the battle, however, in the early stages of the confrontation, the victory easily could have gone to the Free Republic. At dawn, both sides made their move, and for hours both commanders showed great skill in the placement and employment of their troops, which we aim to show you later in the program.
Before this, however, we wish to shed some light on a few questions that some of our audience may have. One thing our viewers might wonder is where were the Albish in this engagement? Why, considering the substantial presence that the Allied Kingdom and it's Commonwealth had on the continent, did they limit themselves to providing intelligence and disinformation?
Again, the answer lies in the recently declassified files obtained by this program from the ministry of defence. It appears that originally both military and material aid were being sent to the south just before this battle and were set to join the newly reorganised Commonwealth forces in Iskandria. However, the expedition to help De Lugo was called off at the last minute. Instead, the planned aid for the south had a very different destination. And for the Imperials, the war was about to get much more complicated. – Andrew WTN Special Correspondent.
March 2nd Unified Year 1926
St Mary's Naval Base, Scappa Flow, Caledonia, Allied Kingdom 04:30
"God I need a drink." Lieutenant Colonel William Douglas Drake murmured to himself as he watched the volunteer battalion haul their kit across the dimly lit docks and onto the RMS Queen of Anjou. Invoking the unofficial rule that soldiers under pressure were allowed to take the Lord's name in vain.
He would like to tell himself that the desire for alcohol was a result of the bitterly cold breeze being swept in from the North Sea. The freezing wind swept up an icy spray from the ocean soaking anyone near it and cutting them to the bone. Any man could be forgiven a tot of rum to warm himself on a morning like this; doubtless, many of the sailors would be indulging in a drink as soon as they were off duty. Personally, he would prefer a glass of single malt whiskey to warm himself right now. That and calm the growing sense of unease he felt deep in his gut.
There was something very wrong with this deployment and it made Drake suspicious. It was all too sudden and secretive, at least for a bunch of rookies like the volunteers. He hadn't even been told their destination, not in any official sense anyway. If he'd still been in command of his old unit of marine mages he might have understood, but this group was too high profile for clandestine operations.
"A little early for that, isn't it?" A familiar voice replied, along with a whiff of cigarette smoke that was quickly swallowed by the salty air.
"Uncle." Drake didn't bother to turn around as he greeted his older relative, he should have known he'd show up at some point. He was likely the reason he'd been told so little about their mission.
Sir Isaac Dustin Drake was essentially the de facto head of all the Commonwealth's mage forces. Although each branch of the armed forces recruited, trained and maintained mages independently, everyone deferred to the expertise of the man nicknamed the Archmage when it came to matters of magic, including the Prime Minister himself.
The younger Drake however had a less reverential view of his uncle. He'd known the man since his youth and although he had once worshipped him like everyone else, as he grew older and more experienced, he began to realise there was more to the man than the myth told. William now thought of him as a reckless risk-taker, perhaps even a liability.
No one would argue that he was skilled, his ability to accurately neutralise a mage's computation orb was legendary, and rightly taught to any wannabe mage in the Commonwealth, even if most could never hope to replicate it. There were even reports of him taking out several mages at once this way, easily cementing him as one of the most adept mages in the world.
However, he was arrogant and far too used to being on the top of the totem pole. He knew he was the best and was more than happy to let everyone else know that; making him appear, at least to William, a braggart. This trait had only gotten worse as he had grown older. Worst of all, he was the sort of person that believed his skill made allowed him to ignore the rules and made him beyond rebuke, as evidenced by his cigarette.
"I didn't realise that they'd changed the regulations about mages smoking." William observed dryly, making sure his uncle knew of his displeasure. "You should have told me sooner, I could have bought some fags for the trip, maybe even try a cigar. Any idea what Churbull's favourite brand is?"
It was expressly forbidden for aerial mages to smoke. Operating at high altitudes meant they needed to be fit and healthy; their lungs especially needed to be in tip-top condition. The younger Drake had always believed in leading by example, he preferred to share in the hardships of his men and earn their respect through hard work and shared sacrifice. He would never even consider breaking a rule that he would need to punish others for, it wasn't fair on the troops that he commanded.
But Isaac was Isaac, he didn't care what people thought of him and so happily did whatever he pleased. For some infuriating reason, this cavalier attitude only served to endear people to him; as though his disrespect was somehow a virtue to be lauded rather than the character flaw that the younger Drake viewed it as. Sometimes it seemed like Sir Isaac Drake was immune to criticism simply because of who he was, and it annoyed the younger Drake no end. Not least because the shared namesake often left him suffering fools who thought he was irresponsible as his uncle.
"Come on now, allow an old man the occasional vice eh?" Isaac replied dismissively, blowing another whiff of tobacco in William's direction as he took a place beside him. "Besides, I'm mostly behind a desk these days, it's a very rare thing for me to be in the air."
Yes, the last time you were in the air was when we were dragged into this damned war and we lost good men for nothing the younger Drake complained inwardly. He loved his country and now that they were at war he would fight for it to the bitter end no matter what, even if it sometimes seemed like those who were running the country had only waged it to score political points.
However, he had always thought the Allied Kingdom's handling of this whole mess had been a mistake. If they'd truly wanted to keep the balance of power; if they'd wanted to project the message that they were taking the moral high ground and protecting the freedoms of their neighbours like the papers said; they should have enforced the Londinium treaty when the Entente first attacked. Either that or kept their noses out of Europan affairs altogether; if they didn't enforce their own treaties, how could they claim a place at the table?
Unfortunately, the government at the time had been made up of people who thought like his uncle, people who thought they could get the better of their continental neighbours and hop in at the last minute to save the day. Privately, he suspected his uncle's actions during the intervention had only served to make things worse for everyone involved, although he had no proof that was the case. Isaac may have been a powerful mage but it had always seemed to William that the older man was more interested in self-aggrandisement than the welfare of his men. As far as the younger Drake was concerned, it was better that he stayed away from the front, or at least no longer lead troops there. He kept that to himself though, he knew he was in the minority with that opinion.
"Can I assume that something from that desk is relevant to me being here?" William asked, failing to keep his annoyance in check. "Or have we been put in this cruise liner for another PR stunt?"
The older man let out a hearty chuckle before taking another drag from his cigarette, he didn't seem to be in any rush to explain his presence, despite William's attitude.
"I assume from your tone that you still haven't forgiven me for putting you in charge of the international volunteer force?" Isaac commented with a mocking grin, "It can't be that bad, can it? How are they getting along?"
"They're ill-disciplined and undertrained, they shouldn't be anywhere close to a battlefield yet." William answered irritably. His uncle would know this already, every one of the younger Drake's reports would have crossed his desk at some point.
"You always did show a healthy amount of concern for the welfare of your troops." The older man said with a smile before taking another drag from his cigarette. "That was why I suggested you lead the volunteer battalion. They need someone like you."
William stayed silent, not rising to his uncle's twisted compliment. Although he could feel a twitch of annoyance cross his face as the man brought up the most recent bone of contention that had crossed between them. The younger Drake had not been pleased about his new assignment, babysitting a bunch of rookies that would likely only ever be used for propaganda was not his idea of soldiering. Particularly when so many of his comrades in the marine mages had already given their lives fighting against the Imperial Navy.
"What about those two?" Isaac asked eventually, causing the younger drake to wince slightly. He'd hoped that he wouldn't bring up two of the bigger headaches his uncle had gifted him with. "There's a lot of potential there."
"The boy has some skill and experience, and he's obviously pretty tough." William began carefully, knowing that when Damien had been found he had been critically wounded. That he had both recovered and joined the volunteer corps was nothing short of a miracle; however, he was not without his problems. "But to put it bluntly, he's… weird. He unnerves everyone around him; to a point where he's dangerously distracting. Worse still, he looks eerily like the pictures of —"
"And Mary?" The older Drake interrupted, fixing his nephew with a strange look.
"She's the strongest mage I've ever seen." William admitted, noticing the frown that crossed the older Drake as he spoke. "Although she's possibly the worst shot in the country, not to mention overly headstrong but I suppose her heart is the right place."
The older Drake's frown shifted into something distant and unreadable for a moment and he showed a rare flicker of concern. He had spoken highly of Sioux's father, perhaps he had high hopes for the girl and was disappointed with his answer.
William sighed feeling a twinge of sympathy for his uncle's uncharacteristic show of interest in someone other than himself. Just this once I'll throw you a bone.
"I've ended up putting them both in my company, at least that way I can keep an eye on them." He continued studying the older man's reaction. "With enough time I should be able to make something out of them."
Isaac remained silent and thoughtful for a few moments and William began to wonder if he'd misread the situation before the older man eventually straightened up.
"Good, we can't afford to waste anyone in this war, make sure you look after her." He flicked his now spent cigarette into the ocean below. "Now to business."
Finally! Thought William, he'd had about enough of being kept in the dark. It was about time someone explained what they were doing here.
"As you might have guessed you're being deployed." He began explaining, quickly interjecting when William opened his mouth to question him further. "Don't worry, you're in charge, I'm just here to tag along and smooth over any diplomatic problems that might come our way."
"And where exactly are we being deployed? Last I checked all the fighting was in the south yet we haven't received any desert gear." The younger Drake asked sardonically, relieved he could finally voice his objections. "On top of that this unit is way too green for combat and we're headed out on a civilian tub! Either the logistics people have screwed up or this is the most ill-advised assault force in history! What's really going on here? What is it you and the brass really have in mind?"
The older Drake frowned, and his expression became uncharacteristically serious.
"Trust me it isn't my idea, I'm not especially happy about our destination either." The older man replied with a heavy sigh. "It goes without saying that this is top secret; strictly need to know. The rest of your unit can find out when we're en route but until then this is between us."
He nodded in confirmation as he felt his unease grow. Although he was finally getting the answers he wanted; judging by his uncle's sudden change in demeanour he wasn't going to like it. Neither was he particularly happy that his unit was to be left out of the loop either. The international volunteers weren't just regular soldiers, they weren't fighting for their country, they were fighting because they believed it was the right thing to do. They had come from all over the world to help the struggle against the Empire, they deserved to be told where and why they might die for the cause.
"We're making a deal with the Devil."
William stared wearily at his uncle, making sure to convey he was unimpressed by his dramatic turn of phrase. He wasn't in the mood for games.
"We've had some intelligence that the Russy Federation is planning to attack the Empire." The older Drake explained, "Although I doubt the people that gave it to us are still around. We're going to pay them a little visit and offer some moral support."
"The Federation? I thought they had a non-aggression pact with the Empire?" William asked incredulously. He now understood the meaning of his uncle's devil comment; to say that the Allied Kingdom and the Russy Federation had an uneasy relationship was an understatement. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to say they were diametrically opposed. Then again, they'd thought the same between the Empire and the Federation before they signed the treaty.
"No one knows why but Dzhugashvili seems keen to break it. The good news is we have a new ally, or at least an enemy of our enemy."
"But why send us? The volunteers aren't ready for a fight yet!" William protested, feeling a twist in his gut as he mentally envisioned his new unit entering a battle in its current state. "Some of the veterans that joined are ok but most of them are little more than kids!"
"I understand your concern, and I agree with you." Isaac sighed heavily, reaching into his pocket for another cigarette. "Worse still, the Russy seem to have something against mages, you'll have to be very careful while we're there."
"So why send us at all?" William growled reiterating his question, "It sounds like they don't want us there."
The older Drake was quiet for a moment as he shielded his cigarette from the wind and carefully lit it. He took a long drag before his frown deepened as he turned back towards his nephew.
"It's politics, the volunteers were specifically requested." He explained, his voice barely audible over the wind. "One of the senior commissars, a man named Loria heard about you and decided you'd be the best unit to send over there as a gesture of goodwill."
"I thought you said they hated mages." William replied, sensing there was still more behind this deployment.
"They do." Isaac replied sucking on his cigarette once more, "But they love the idea of a united world against the Empire. They'll no doubt show us the very best that communism has to offer while we're there so we can share stories of their ideal Motherland when we get home."
William began to understand the motivations. He'd always feared this unit would be used for political and propaganda reasons but he had always assumed they would at least be for the allies. There was a real risk their presence could now be used to promote Dzhugashvili's so-called 'socialist utopia' or worse still, the younger and more impressionable members might be swayed by their radical ideas. He would have to be careful.
"You'll be allowed to continue training in Moscau." Isaac continued, "For the most part our direct involvement will be limited to some PR stunts for the moment. The Russian bear wants to show off its strength."
"And the government is ok with all this?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
"The PM is willing to let Ivan do what he wants for now. You no doubt heard his worst of times speech, he thinks we need all the help we can get." The older Drake sighed, "For the moment we just have to put up with it."
The conversation fell quiet between them, the silence only broken by the ever-present wind and spray from the sea. It seemed for once both Drakes were united in their dislike of the situation they were in. But if there was one thing that the Drake family was known for, it was making the best of a bad situation.
"So that's what you meant by smoothing over diplomatic problems, and here I thought I was getting the tough assignment." William said adopting a rare conciliatory tone with his uncle for once, if they were going into that den of wolves, they would need to put their differences aside. "I hope you've been practising your Russian."
"Don't you worry about that." Isaac replied turning to leave and gesturing for his nephew to follow. "Let's see about getting you that drink, I'd say it's about time we bid queen and country Do svidaniya."
March 2nd Unified Year 1926
40 miles south of General von Romel's camp, Southern Turus Desert, 07:00
"What a thrilling adventure this has been." Wilhelm complained, his voice dripping with sarcasm as the sun began to rise over the dunes, the warming rays doing nothing to improve his dour mood. "I'm so thankful you brought me along."
Visha chuckled at the boy's comment, perhaps mistaking it as a joke rather than the complaint it truly was. Meanwhile, Tanya did her best to ignore the boy, suppressing the urge to snap back at him as they continued their search pattern, flying low over the desert sands.
The boy's attitude had become increasingly unbearable during the night as he took every opportunity to complain and make snide comments about his presence on this mission. The only upside was that while he was thinking up cutting remarks he was slightly more personable than when he was moping, at least to the other members of the company.
For her however, his continued complaints were a constant source of frustration. Worse still they echoed a similar concern of her own that was filling her with an increasing sense of anxiety. Where exactly was the enemy?
They'd moved south from Romel's camp near Boulaaba, hoping to skirt around the Republicans approaching from the west and possibly pick up some intel on how close possible enemy reinforcements might have been. However, so far their search had been fruitless.
Although she was not as keen as Wilhelm and her battalion of war maniacs to engage their foe, she had at least expected that they would find some sign of the Free Republican forces. However, so far they'd found nothing. No radio signals, no patrols, not even tracks or the tell-tale signs all soldiers left as they broke camp. She realised that detecting these in the dark was a difficult task, especially since they had to cover so much ground, but it wasn't as if there were many places to hide out here. A few thousand men had to leave some trace of their presence, didn't they?
"Look on the bright side, at least we now know where the enemy isn't." Visha replied cheerfully, seemingly unaware of Tanya's growing disquiet on the matter. "And at least there's no sign of any sandstorms."
That was something at least, despite the dry climate, bad weather in the desert could ground a mage just as efficiently as it could back on the Rhine. The last thing Tanya wanted was to be stranded in a desert storm as the bullets started flying.
Still, it did nothing to ease her worries about the location of the enemy. They'd gone much further than she'd originally planned. Theoretically, they should have been seeing signs of at least one of the other groups in the Republican advance by now, but there was still nothing.
"All companies report in, anyone found anything?" She called testily, unable to fully hold in the frustration as she raised a hand to her neck to summon a communication spell. To her continued dismay, her subordinates returned a chorus of negatives, and her worry began to grow.
How exactly did we manage to lose an army?
The whole thing made her feel nervous. There was nothing more dangerous than not knowing where your enemy was; in that situation, any soldier's mind immediately began screaming ambush. Her own head was filled with the grizzly stories the salaryman had heard of American troops being ambushed in Vietnam and the Gulf war. Although the situation was perhaps a little different from these examples due to her ability to fly, she held no illusions that a society that had embraced magical warfare like the Francois would not have thought of numerous hideous and unfair ways to disable mages in a surprise attack.
"Unless the enemy turned to sand, I think it's fair to assume we've wasted our time." Wilhelm added unhelpfully, obviously less concerned than she was and still unwilling to grow up and get on with his task in a professional manner.
She turned and silenced him with a look. She wasn't in the mood for his whining.
Still, the boy's words might have had a little more truth to them than he realised; the enemy may not have literally turned to sand, but that didn't mean they couldn't be hiding in it. Many of the Republican soldiers had spent significantly longer serving out here in the desert than any of Romel's expeditionary force. From what intelligence they'd received from captured Republicans, the enemy had folded the Francois foreign legion under its command and started recruiting locals as irregulars. It stood to reason that these troops would be local experts and would find it much easier to conceal themselves in the barren landscape than their continental colleagues.
Could they have a desert version of the Viet Cong? She thought feeling a sudden surge of panic.
Tanya glanced around at the rest of her company, keeping an uneasy eye on the sands below for signs of movement as she tried to keep the worry from her face. She was pleased to see her troops were keeping their composure despite the unpleasant possibility their enemy may be hiding amongst the dunes. Watching them all conducting their search with professional thoroughness, she found her worries about Francois soldiers popping up unexpectedly from behind sand dunes were somewhat allayed.
The exception to this professional attitude was of course Wilhelm, who was busy alternating between staring at his blade and complaining rather than joining the search.
"I doubt you'll see many Francois soldiers on the end of your sword Captain Hozollern." She chided him loudly, hoping that embarrassing him in front of the rest of the battalion might force him to pay more attention to his surroundings. After your recent experiences, I'd have thought you'd be more careful about a potential ambush.
"Funny, in my experience I've never had too much trouble finding them there." The boy replied with a humourless grin and a look that told her that he wasn't planning on being cooperative any time soon. Still, in a way the comment was comforting. It was something the old cocksure Wilhelm would have said, and although the humour didn't reach his eyes, she still felt better knowing that something of the irritating brat was breaking through his depression.
"Besides, it's clear they aren't here; there's barely even any wildlife. We should head back, even if it does mean returning to the general empty-handed."
Tanya almost froze in mid-air as the implications of the boy's words hit her. Although she hadn't expected to actually engage the enemy, she had at least expected to gain some additional intelligence to justify this operation. What would the general think if she returned telling him that the whole thing had been a waste of time?
She could be branded incompetent, or worse still, her desire to avoid combat might be revealed and she'd be branded a coward. Either way, it would be bad news for both her career prospects and her chances of survival. Those deemed as cowards or unqualified were of no use to an organisation like the military except as cannon fodder.
Crap! I can't return without anything to report! Where the hell are these guys?
She took a moment to force down her rising panic. Maybe she was looking at this from the wrong angle; she had to think about this rationally.
It was as Wilhelm had stated, the enemy wasn't here but why? Their intelligence had shown that the Republican forces were conducting a gradual decentralised advance so that they could block the expeditionary force in as they moved out of Turus. By now the battalion should have not only run into the group that was the target of Romel's next assault, but also one of the next closest groups too. However, there was no evidence of the Republican's scattered march on the port city in the south.
It was almost as if their entire decentralised advance was a mirage. If they were missing from one position, she could have comfortably written off their absence as poor intel or a slow advance on their enemy's part. But it seemed all the positions where the enemy should be were empty, at least in the south.
What if they'd actually concentrated their forces in the east? Thought Tanya with a sudden realisation; that was why they couldn't find them. They had brought their forces together to assault the expeditionary force head-on and with enough numbers that they could surround and trap them. Damn, they must be advancing on General von Romel in full force as we speak! We've been had!
"Serebryakov! Get me through to headquarters immediately!" Tanya ordered urgently, trusting her adjutant to find the radio operator and get her in contact with their superior as she called her company to a halt. At this distance, a communication spell might be too weak to be received by headquarters. Plus, if her fears were realised and the enemy was bearing down on the expeditionary force, then mana signals may have already been jammed.
Visha quickly reappeared with the radio operator in tow and handed her the receiver, having navigated the various functionaries required to reach the general's staff. As a man's voice hissed through the static, she could make out the sound of engines roaring in the background of the transmission. Evidentially the task force was already on the move.
"CP this is Pixie one! I have to report that I believe there is a significant possibility that your forces are running into a trap. We haven't encountered any troops to the south, I can only conclude that they are near your position." Tanya reported as quickly and succinctly as she could, doing her best to hide the alarm in her voice.
She felt a bubble of anxiety as the radio returned only static. What if it were too late for the expeditionary force to fall back? If the Republicans really had managed to concentrate their forces, it would be over. She could only hope that Romel had a trick up his sleeve.
"Acknowledged Pixie one, your orders are…..support….." The transmission began cutting off as the static overwhelmed the communication officer's voice before being replaced by the familiar warbling caused by radio jamming.
Damn, we're on our own! Tanya cursed inwardly. Being out of contact with the chain of command meant the decision of how to proceed was hers, as well as the consequences of her choices. But what exactly should I do?
"Quite the sticky situation you've put us in." Wilhelm commented unhelpfully, fixing her with a cruel grin. "Don't worry, we all have complete fai… I mean confidence in your ability to get us through this."
Tanya felt her eye twitch and she instinctively balled her hand into a fist in frustration at the boy's words, resisting the urge to give him a black eye. She had more important things to worry about.
Logically, the best course of action would be to withdraw. They were likely outnumbered and outgunned, it was unlikely that Romel's plan of bleeding the enemy in a mobile defence would succeed now and there were few strategic or tactical gains to be made by staying. The wisest course of action for them was to cut their losses and regroup. However, a withdrawal was out of the question. At least for her.
Although the Imperial Military was, by and large, a logical and rational organisation, there were still traditions and behaviours expected of its members. Honour and bravery were two such qualities that had been drilled into every cadet at the academy. Personally, she had no need for such outdated concepts, aside from as a way to curry favour, but she understood them well enough to know that retreating when you haven't confirmed the strength of the enemy was not what was expected of a potential staff officer.
Such an action would doubtlessly be considered fleeing before the enemy or at the least failing to do her utmost to disrupt the enemy. Both were offences that were eligible for court-martial; they would be perceived as not only cowardly but perhaps even treasonous. Especially since her superior was already in the fighting.
Damn! I'd be put in front of a firing squad! She exclaimed internally, doing her best to keep outwardly calm as panic began to overwhelm her from within. Even senior officers can't escape punishment for fleeing before the enemy! Wasn't there a British Admiral in the old world that was shot for something like that in the 7 years war? And that was in the days you could get away with murder if you were a "gentleman". I won't have a chance! They won't even think twice!
Retreat was not an option. She hadn't survived the shell filled air and acrid stench of the Rhine just to be shot by her own side; any chance of another court-martial had to be avoided at all costs.
That meant they had no choice but to close in an attempt to support Romel's forces, at least when they got closer it might counter some of the enemy's jamming and allow them to communicate with the general. It would also allow her to accurately assess the enemy strength so that they could withdraw. However, this approach wasn't without its drawbacks.
Assuming her predictions about the enemy's disposition were correct, Romel would likely have to switch to a fighting retreat back to Boulaaba. Assuming he could break out before the Republicans encircled him that is. Due to the inherent mobility and firepower of her battalion, she and the 203rd would probably be forced to perform a rearguard action to cover his retreat. This was not a role that she particularly relished.
Gah! It'd be like fog and sun all over again but worse! She cursed, likening the action to the bloody fight on the Rhine they'd been forced to go through to cover the feigned retreat before revolving door. She'd only put up with such an absurd mission because she could see the sense in investing resources to destroy the Republican field army on the Rhine.
This time, however, they wouldn't have the comfort of knowing they were luring their enemy into a trap, it would be a true retreat. And the mobile nature of the combat out here meant it was only a matter of time before the Republicans overran them as they defended the general's withdrawal.
Damn you being X, you set this up, didn't you? You must find it hilarious to only give me the options of dying in the desert or dying to a firing squad. Tanya cursed inwardly, rubbing her temples as the stress and sense of hopelessness began to mount.
She couldn't even consider the option of surrendering to the Francois. Given the nickname they'd given her, and the fact that since they had technically signed no treaty, the so-called "Free Republic" had no obligation to follow the rules of war agreed by the former Francois Republic, she could safely assume that she would not be treated well. She doubted she would make it to a POW camp alive.
There has to be some other way! I refuse to die out here for Being X's amusement!
She found herself glancing around, as though somehow the answer might suddenly appear before her. Part of her knew this was foolish, and she suspected that the mix of panic and Being X's malign influence was having an adverse effect on her, just as it had Wilhelm. However, a sudden flicker of light drew her attention.
Wilhelm was hovering not too far away and had returned to staring at his wretched sword again. The light from the rising sun must have caught the blade and reflected it towards her eyes; unless the boy was trying to be more of a nuisance than usual. She was about to dismiss this as a distraction she could not afford, but something about the weapon gave her pause and an idea began to form in her head.
There was one option she hadn't considered. An all-out attack.
She had not contemplated this idea for the same reason that she dismissed the idea of volunteering to act as the rear guard for Romel's fighting retreat. The enemy was simply too numerous and too mobile, they would be overrun in a protracted fight. However, their mobile and shallow lines allowed for a unique opportunity.
Maybe they could punch a hole and break through.
She had no delusions that this might somehow change the tide completely, but it did offer her a chance. An attack designed to push through the lines might even be disruptive enough to allow the general to break out of the trap, or at least fall back to a better position. Meanwhile, she and her battalion would push through and keep on going, like the cavalry charges of old.
No one could accuse me of fleeing before the enemy if I withdraw by going through their lines. She thought as she felt her lips pull into a wide grin.
She almost found herself laughing at how ludicrous her situation was, charging at the enemy was somehow her best chance of survival, what a cruel twist. In normal circumstances Tanya would think you, they were insane to try such a thing but, in her opinion, so was the idea of making war in the first place. Unless it was an economic one where losses intelligent people knew when to back down to save the markets, of course.
If war, and being X, are going to throw such unreasonable issues my way, perhaps an unreasonable solution was the only way to remedy it.
It would mean getting up close and personal with the enemy once again, something she knew her troops were more than capable of. However, she couldn't help but kick herself for leaving the close combat company behind, they would have been ideal for the task of leading the breakthrough, it was their speciality after all.
Well, there is still one member of the close company here. She thought turning to look back at the still distracted Wilhelm.
"I think I owe you an apology Captain Hozollern." She said causing the boy to stare at her with a mix of annoyance and confusion as she felt her grin widen into a toothy smile.
"You were right, I think you soon will find the enemy at the end of your sword."
March 2nd Unified Year 1926
General De Lugo's Temporary Command Centre, 30 miles east of Boulaaba, Southern Turus Desert, 13:00
"10th Army corps is in position General, we have the enemy surrounded!" A triumphant junior officer declared, grinning from ear to ear as he relayed the report from his headset.
De Lugo resisted the urge to allow himself a small smile beneath his moustache. As the leader of these men, it was important that he conducted himself with a certain amount of decorum and he couldn't allow the emotions of the moment to overwhelm him. This was the first step towards retaking the homeland, an act of revenge for the collapse of the Rhine front and a long-awaited victory for a people so starved of good news. Finally, the humiliations they had suffered could be put to rest.
He glanced over at the map table as the other officers moved quickly to move the small wooden blocks representing the various forces into the correct positions as the radio operators relayed the information from the field. He saw no way out for the Fennec; whether he realised it or not, Romel was beaten. It was only a matter of time.
"It appears we have won..." He observed cautiously as he drew his eyes across the map. Strangely, rather than elation, he felt a disturbing feeling of disquiet as he studied the positions of both friendly and enemy troops.
Victory was almost certain, every officer in the room could feel it and the tension that had filled the tent had dropped noticeably since the reports of his troops reaching their positions. But it was risky to declare victory so early, there were countless cautionary tales that could tell him that. And this was the Fennec, the man couldn't be underestimated, both De Lugo and the Commonwealth forces had learned that. Until they recaptured Parissii and driven the imperials from their lands, they could never truly declare victory.
Still, there was still a sliver of excitement beating in his chest. Still a feeling of triumph over his foe that fought its own battle against his cautious nature.
De Lugo was not usually given to overt displays of emotion, he had not even cried at his daughter's wedding a few years before. He was not heartless, he had felt a mixture of happiness and sadness as he gave her away in the ceremony, but he rarely allowed himself to show his feelings. He'd always thought it important to show strength regardless of the situation. However, after all the sacrifice, hard work and planning that had led to this moment, even he felt like falling to his knees and tearfully thanking the Lord for the coming victory, despite the nagging worry that Romel still had something up his sleeve.
"Have our forces begin probing attacks, once Romel realises what he's wandered into, we'll send him the offer to surrender his forces. We won't stoop to the same barbarity that they offered us on the Rhine." He continued as the grin continued to pull at his lips.
"Yes sir! Relaying your orders now." The junior officer replied enthusiastically as he turned back to his radio operator and began passing on the orders to the field units.
He knew there were many amongst his men that would be unhappy about his offer of mercy to the Imperial forces; particularly many of the survivors from the mainland. There were plenty of soldiers, officer and enlisted man alike, that desperately craved to punish the Imperials for what they had done to them and their homeland. De Lugo could understand their desires all too well, in truth, part of him felt the same way.
However, he would not allow the name of the Republic to be soiled by criminal acts of vengeance. The Imperial soldiers on the mainland may have committed acts of barbarity such as Arene, and the terrible tragedy as the lines fell on the Rhine, but Romel and his task force had conducted their campaign honourably. They had reports that the Imperial expeditionary forces had even gone as far as to treat injured and dehydrated Free Republicans that had been separated in the long march from Casablanca, even though the units had not technically surrendered. De Lugo would not disrespect such a worthy opponent by mistreating him and his men; they would be treated well if they surrendered. Besides, their capture would be valuable for morale, intelligence and help rebuild their shattered national pride. It would prove to the world that the Free Republic was not a spent force.
"Everything is going to plan, you've outwitted the Imperials. I'm glad I was wrong." The familiar voice of Severin Vianto said softly at De Lugo's side, although he still eyed the map table warily. "I apologise, I should have trusted your judgment, sir."
De Lugo remained silent but accepted the apology with a simple nod. He understood why Severin had been worried about the mission and he could hardly be upset for the man caring about his safety. He would not embarrass the man further with words, he had done what he felt was right. He could not criticise any of his countrymen for that. Besides, it would be hypocritical to chastise the man when he too still felt such unease in his heart.
"Sir, we're receiving new mana signals." One of the officers reported with a mix of confusion and alarm. "They're outside the encirclement, moving fast!"
Looks like you spoke too soon Severin. Then again, no plan survives contact with the enemy. De Lugo silently reminded himself, pushing down the sudden sense of alarm that the report had bred. This was not necessarily anything to worry about just yet, they still had the bulk of the enemy force contained. While that remained true, they would win the day.
"Unit strength?" Vianto barked apprehensively at his side as De Lugo stared at the freshly placed block on the map denoting the new unit sitting dangerously close to his right flank.
"Aerial mages, approximately regimental strength!" The officer replied, his voice trembling slightly with anxiety.
This time the news elicited a more tangible feeling of concern. Their intelligence had shown that the majority of the Imperial magical strength should have been with Romel's forces. De Lugo had purposely positioned his stronger units in the centre to counter this threat. That a regiment size unit of mages had made it out of the encirclement was worrying, to say the least. It meant that almost none of the enemy mages had been trapped and were now running loose behind him.
"Signals include the Saint and…It's the Devil of the Rhine!"
"Damn! Anything but her!" He heard Vianto swear under his breath. De Lugo shared the sentiment but refused to allow it to distract him from the situation at hand. It was true that such a dangerous foe could cause problems for them behind the lines but Romel and his forces were still his main focus. Had Romel had likely hidden them out here in the event of a trap like this? Did he seek to force him to break the encirclement so that he could escape? De Lugo would not allow himself to be outplayed so easily, he still had pieces he could move to counter this. The Devil was dangerous but once they captured Romel it was checkmate.
"Send the 12th mage battalion to intercept, keep those mages contained until we're finished with von Romel."
"Sir emergency alert from Division 7 command, the Devil has already engaged them and tearing through the line!" The officer continued now in a panic, "The 288th mage company supporting the right flank has already been taken out!"
Damn! They're trying to collapse the flank so that Romel can escape!
"Disengage the 5th Battalion from the centre to reinforce the right immediately!" De Lugo ordered, annoyed that he had to give up some of the strength assaulting Romel's position but realising the danger of losing the flank.
"Sir 12th battalion has been breached! The enemy is breaking through." The officer continued as De Lugo listened incredulously to what he was hearing. What was that devil trying to do? Although they were breaking through, they weren't destroying or routing units. Instead, they were leaving them behind them as they continued to charge forwards. It wouldn't take long for his units to be reorganised and then they'd be smothered by sheer numbers. It was as though they were trying to get themselves overwhelmed.
He stared at the block representing the enemy and desperately tried to understand the reason behind such a move. It didn't make any sense. Romel didn't make mistakes had he directed them to do this? If so, then for what purpose.
"Where are those mages headed?" He heard Vianto question urgently as De Lugo continued to puzzle over the meaning behind the enemy's tactics. He felt almost paralyzed and lost as events spiralled out of his control.
"Here towards the centre." The officer reported, seeming almost as dazed as he was. "Are they targeting the rear batteries?"
"No! They're striking here! Somehow they found out where our headquarters are!" Exclaimed Vianto in horror. "How long till the 5th get here."
"Sir the 5th report that the mages are heading our way and von Romel has renewed his assault on the centre forces." The officer replied, his voice echoing the disbelief that De Lugo felt in his soul.
"Get counter-mage defences up! HQ personnel take cover, a direct strike is coming!" Vianto warned taking control of the situation while De Lugo's mind struggled to catch up with the situation.
"General De Lugo, Please fall back!" Severin pleaded with him, grabbing him by the shoulders in an attempt to snap him out of his stunned state. "The enemy are coming here! Damn it! They mean to recreate what they did on the Rhine.
Of course! How could I have been so blind? De Lugo asked himself. Severin was right, they'd walked into exactly the same trap as they had on the Rhine. A tempting target that promised complete victory to draw them in, a surgical strike by mages to disrupt the chain of command before a swift breakthrough and counter encirclement to take advantage of the disorganised front lines. It almost made him want to laugh out loud at how foolish he was.
"Order all units to fall back to Dguache. Have the field commanders work to support each other as they withdraw." De Lugo murmured seeing the officers working feverishly through the corner of his eye as he stared at the map on the table once again.
It will take more time than I hoped to drive the imperials off the continent. Longer still before we can finally reclaim our homeland. But I will not give up! I swear to God that I will walk on the streets of Parisii again, I will
"Sorry Sir" Vianto interrupted, breaking De Lugo's thoughts as he threw him bodily from the tent and into a sandy trench behind. Words of indignation were ready on his lips as he spat sand from his mouth but they were soon forgotten as a blinding flash and deafening explosion filled the air.
The battle was over.
March 2nd Unified Year 1926
30 miles east of Boulaaba, Southern Turus Desert, 14:00
"The Enemy are withdrawing, the battle is over!" Lieutenant Grantz yelled cheerfully as the 203rd flew through the smoke they had created from the destruction of one of Republicans' rear supply dumps. Much of the battalion followed his example, whooping and cheering their success despite the smog and intermittent bouts of returning fire they were still receiving from the retreating Republicans below.
Rather than the usual admonishment she would give the young officer for such a premature outburst, Tanya found herself looking around warily to confirm his assessment. The enemy's movements made no longer made any sense to her, particularly after the resistance they'd run into as they'd attempted their breakthrough. The enemy still seemed to have numerical superiority and since they had so many mages to draw away from their primary offensive against von Romel to intercept the 203rd, they didn't seem to be wanting for operational strength. So why fall back now?
She felt like there was something she wasn't seeing but as she looked down at the Republicans below, all she could only see was them making a fairly organised withdrawal. It was just as Grantz had said, for all intents and purposes, this phase of the battle was over.
"Don't get too overconfident! We still have work to do, right major?" Her deputy, Captain Weiss, called; proving once again that she had made a fine investment choosing him to be her second in command. He would make a worthy successor once the brass finally moved her to the rear. "Permission to begin harassing the enemy retreat, Ma'am!"
Tanya found herself feeling uncertain whether to allow Weiss' request. She still couldn't see any good reason why the enemy should withdraw at this juncture so she suspected their unusual movements could be a ruse. However, without any evidence to support this, she was concerned that if she denied the request it might make her appear overcautious to the higher-ups. Refusing to follow up on an attack would mark her career almost as much as refusing the attack in the first place.
"Very well, take 2nd 3rd and 4th companies on a limited sortie. I'll take 1st company and try to contact the General." She ordered, deciding a measured approach might be the wisest course. She trusted her second not to allow the battalion to get too carried away. "Wilhelm, you're with me."
If it did turn out to be a trap, it would be easier if the boy wasn't in the thick of things as he usually was; it was better to keep him close for now. She didn't fancy adding a rescue mission to the list of extra work she hadn't expected today. Particularly since their combat rotation was scheduled to come to an end soon. The last thing she wanted was to present an injured Wilhelm to his royal relatives, particularly if his injuries could be traced to a mistake caused by her orders.
She expected some argument from the boy, or at very least a barrage of complaints. At times, it could be difficult to get the boy to leave any combat while the enemy was still around, he was usually too fixated on his "debt" to Being X to think about the wider picture of the battle or his even own safety.
That was one of the reasons why she'd been happy to let him lead the first company charge through the Free Republican lines, although she had needed to stay close enough to ensure he wouldn't get himself killed or wounded. When leading from the front he made for an effective spear tip and her loyal band of war maniacs were all too eager to follow him.
In a way, he was like an attack dog. She just needed to point him in the direction she wanted him to go and let him off the leash. With the rest of the battalion following in close formation and supporting him and the first company's assault, it was relatively easy to smash through the enemy lines, particularly once they were close enough to avoid the Republican's vaunted disciplined fire. The main worry had been all the enemy reinforcements they'd thrown at them, as well as the danger of those they'd gone through reforming behind them and swarming them. Fortunately, they'd worked quickly enough that it hadn't happened.
She did have to steer him away from an assault on some of the Republican artillery batteries, however. She knew all too well that the Republicans had learned brutally efficient ways of protecting such valuable targets from aerial attacks and she'd expected them to be heavily defended. Instead, she'd had the battalion attack what appeared to be a supply depot of some sort near the rear. She'd reasoned it must have been reasonably high value as they'd drawn off some of their mages from further afield to defend it. Perhaps their water supplies or something, it was almost impossible to fight in the desert without water, after all.
She braced herself for the expected barrage of complaints from Wilhelm, but to her surprise, he offered no resistance to her order. Instead, he simply stared at her for a few moments with an unreadable look on his face. He still held his sword in his hand but unusually he almost seemed to have forgotten that he was holding it.
"Yes, Major." He murmured thoughtfully as he dragged his gaze away from her, but she couldn't help but notice the furtive sideways glances he kept shooting her way.
Tanya tried not to let the surprise show at Wilhelm's unforeseen show of obedience. Considering how he'd been acting lately, it was a welcome, if slightly confusing, turn and she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. In truth, to her, this sudden change in behaviour made less sense to her than the Republican retreat, but she was quietly pleased that the boy's mood had improved.
His attitude had been irritatingly poor and uncooperative the entire mission, or at least more so than usual. Even when he was in combat he always seemed to have some snide comment to add or argue with her over. It was still preferable to his silent sulking but still incredibly annoying. Well, in truth the old overconfident, scheming and bratty Wilhelm was annoying too but she'd at least grown used to that and knew how best to control him. She fancied that she'd almost had him trained before the incident. Hopefully, this sudden submission was a sign her Wilhelm was coming back to her.
She ordered the company to fall back out of range of the remaining Republican guns. She knew they were likely too busy with the withdrawal and defence against Weiss and the rest of the battalion's harassment attacks to bother her and her company too much but there was no such thing as being too careful. Once at a safe distance, she had her radio operator attempt to contact the General's headquarters once again. With the enemy falling back, the signal should be beginning to clear by now and the command post may have new orders to pass along. Preferably returning to base for a well-deserved rest.
"Ma'am, General von Romel wants to speak with you." The operator said eventually, passing the receiver to her as she blinked with surprise. She had only expected new orders relayed from the command post, not to be contacted by the general directly. Surely he was busy with the assault. Even when she'd attempted to warn him of the trap earlier she'd only been put through to one of the communications officers.
"Well done Major! You carried out orders better than I could ever have hoped. I was worried the transmission hadn't gone through!" The General called cheerfully down the radio, his voice barely audible over the roar of engines in the background. It appeared that once again the maverick general had chosen to lead from the front.
Tanya however felt floored by the general's words and wondered if she had perhaps misheard him. She hadn't received a transmission, at least not one that could be interpreted as clear orders. She had merely acted in the way that she had thought best at the time. She would have to clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible.
"Sir I−" Tanya began but was quickly cut off as the general continued.
"And our intelligence analysts say you targeted their HQ. I'm amazed you managed to find it! I knew I could count on your instincts." Tanya found herself lost for words, what was he talking about? The only real infrastructure they'd attacked was the supply depot had it really been the enemy headquarters?
She felt her blood run cold, the misunderstanding was much worse than she had thought. The general obviously believed her choices had been purposeful, she despised taking credit for work that was not hers, it undermined her legitimate accomplishments. Additionally, if word got out that her actions had been coincidental rather than deliberate, she could be accused of padding out her achievements. Something that would leave a black stain on her future career advancement.
She needed to get this straightened out.
"Thank you general but−" again she was cut off by the general before she could explain.
"I don't have much time, I want you and your battalion to strike back towards my position. We won't be able to get the prize we originally hoped for but we can give them a bloody nose at least." With that the transmission ended, only to be replaced with the regular battlefield radio traffic.
Tanya let out a frustrated sigh, it seemed she would have to settle this problem later. She just hoped that it wouldn't have gotten too out of hand by then.
"Serebryakov, contact Weiss and the others and tell them to get back here, we have new orders." She said rubbing her temples, she had a headache brewing so thought it best to leave the time-consuming task of corralling her subordinates to her adjutant.
It was then she realised that Wilhelm was still staring at her.
"What are you looking at?" She asked testily. The boy's continued strange behaviour was beginning to become irksome, even if it weren't as irritating as the mopey demeanour he'd displayed lately.
Wilhelm continued to stare at her strangely for a few moments more before the traces of a smile began to form on the edges of his lips. His eyes, which had seemed grey and almost lifeless these past few months began showing hints of brightness once again and Tanya fancied she could almost see his devious mind working once more.
She could only think of one reason for the sudden change, he'd overheard her conversation with the general and now he was up to something.
"Let's just say I've found something that's rekindled my… let's call it confidence."
Authors Notes
Hi all and as always thank you all for reading, reviewing and favouriting.
I have to admit, I'm not especially happy with this chapter. I've had a hard time writing the southern battle as with Wilhelm being mopey and the maids gone it just feels like I'm rewriting the canon. However, I want to get out of the south and onto the war with the Federation, so this is what we have until I decide to rewrite the entire story. The main thing was that Tanya indirectly start to get Wilhelm out of his slump.
Aside from a little bit to wrap up next chapter, we should be done with the south for good! (And not a moment too soon right?)
Most of you may have noticed I changed the Drake characters a bit compared to the Anime and Manga. This is because I wanted to separate them from each other a bit as I always saw them as a little too similar. I am aware some of you might not like it but personally I think a little tension between them makes them both more interesting.
You may have also noticed that Tanya seems less aware of the overall picture of the battle in this than the LN (not sure about the manga and the movie was like 2 minutes). This is on purpose for story reasons and it should make sense after the next chapter.
Finally, I apologise for not replying to your reviews as quickly as I would like. I have not been receiving email notifications from recently so I did not see them. I will do my best to check manually from now on.
Again, thank you for, and continuing to, read my story.
Xanen