General of the Army Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower - Head of the Coalesced Forces from Earth
"The War Room" - Senate Building, Senate District, Galactic City, Coruscant, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
06:24:16 ATC/ Tuesday, June 24th, 1969 - 08:45/8:45 AM
'I never imagined being back in this position ever again.' The former Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, 16th Chief of Staff of the Army, 13th President of Columbia University, the 1st Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and 34th President of the United States thought as he, Krueger, and even Konev of all people discussed strategy with their Republic counterparts.
But regardless after the Second World War none of the old warhorses, especially Krueger in particular as he was the eldest of the trio, should be here in the first place as they earned a well-deserved retirement yet desperate times called for desperate measures and they were only just among three of the most experienced leadership available.
"Gentlemen. We cannot simply afford to launch an all-out assault on Dromund Kaas. It's suicide." Supreme Commander Malcom declared. "As much as I like to, the planet is heavily defended-perhaps even more than Coruscant itself- and the planet also has many hazards."
"And yet you outnumber them!" The Russian pointed out. "You are a damn coward!"
"You have not experienced wars like ours." Jace defended.
Despite the fact he should be meditating just like how back in the day Patton and Montgomery once bickered with each other, Ike the mediator ignored the brewing argument for the time being and noted that the former enlisted man of the Spanish-American War and subsequent Philippine-American War was silent, deep in thought as he looked at the tactical holoprojector before him, showing the territories of the Republic and Empire. The eyes of the former commander of the Sixth United States Army during World War Two narrowed at a planet deep within Imperial-controlled territory, in the center of Sith Space.
"Perhaps there is another location we could strike at." The German-born American with a martial Prussian keenness for war spoke up with the argument coming to an abrupt halt.
"And that is?" Colonel Rian Darok of Republic Special Forces questioned.
"See this red planet here?"
"Korriban?" Jace Malcom exclaimed with surprise, not quite expecting it to be looked at already by the newcomers.
This time Ike got involved. "Is that what the name of the planet is?" Eisenhower grinned as he walked up to the screen. The former President of the United States whose administration was literally just prior to Kennedy's stepped up next to the genius whose forte was the operational level of war and stared down at the surrounding area.
"Krueger!" He laughed after becoming optimistic and liking what he saw. "If we capture this planet, the Empire would be cut in two!"
But the old warhorse from the War of 1898 clarified with realism.
"Believe me, Ike, I wish that was what I was proposing." He deadpanned. "But actually what I'm suggesting is to not take the world as this planet at present would be difficult to defend and would be nothing less than a drain on frugal resources."
"An armed raid, then? Bloody them and test our forces against theirs?"
"Precisely."
"You just don't get it." Malcom sighed. "The Imperials are going to defend their territory stubbornly and the Sith especially will not have their sacred planet taken. It'll be a bloodbath."
"Sacred? That's even better and it'll show this religious cosmo-fascist suka how much we value Earth!" he emphasized the last insult with utter spite.
Eisenhower then remembered Dieppe and was now hesitant to commit something akin to it all over again and Ike wasn't the only one with doubts.
"Still, regardless of how experienced you and your troops are..." Malcom was going to continue when Darok interrupted him.
"If I may sir, I believe the Earthlings are on the right path."
"Explain Colonel. This better be worth it or I'll make sure you are busted down all the way to Private for interrupting."
"Of course sir. Three weeks ago, I was forming a plan with the SIS to conduct an operation to gather intel from the planet's computer. Unfortunately, the operation requires at least a battalion to pull it off since a small team will have an eighty-five percent chance of being captured."
The founder and former leader of Havoc Squad stared at the Colonel before nodding in approval. "Very well Darok. I'll give you all the resources you require and you are in command of the operation with the Earth Coalition assisting." Malcom said before adding. "But if this raid fails, I'll make sure that you are spending the rest of the war in a comfortable brig...Is that understood, Colonel?"
Darok gulped. "Crystal, sir."
"Very well. We'll strike Korriban and show the Empire what Earth is made of." Krueger smirked in a warrior's fashion.
"Agreed." Malcom reluctantly conceded. "May the Force be with you."
Private First Class Jake Gregory Meyer - Fireteam Alpha, Second Squad, First Platoon, C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
Korriban - Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 17:32/5:32 PM
Two days shy of his twenty-second birthday, the United States Marine from Acton, Indiana was still perplexed by the terrain after dispatching some sentries.
'So this is what Uncle Steve and Jack went through.' Jake thought as he wiped away the blood on his Ka-Bar gained from the Imperial sentries he and one of the original Marine Raiders, Corporal Calvin Miller, dispatched rods back. Jake was proud to be serving under these brave men, some of whom like his Uncle Steve and his Stepuncle Jack served under the late Merritt Austin Edson, Senior and to think coincidentally Grandpa Stefan was on the United States Marine Corps Rifle Team alongside then First Lieutenant Edson at the 1921 National Matches but now, it was going to be a cakewalk when one was among this band of legendary Devil Dogs. After the three hours-long trip to the planet in an S.I.S. cloaked spaceship straight out of 'The Jetsons', Jake was glad that he was back on the ground, even if it was enemy soil.
The Mission?: Recon the area for a suitable landing zone for the invasion force with the other priority of causing some chaos for the Space Brits and the Second Raider Battalion was about to launch a major assault on a nearby Imperial barracks to gather intelligence for Ike before the Jarheads attired in their distinctive M1942 'frogskin' camouflage uniforms compared to the prevalent usage of OG-107 olive drab sateen utilities and Mitchell pattern camouflage helmet covers in use throughout the rest of the Corps disappear into the night and by morning, Wild Weasels would hopefully demolish Anti-Aircraft batteries followed by paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division launching a massive attack on a power generator with the goal of knocking out the majority of the planetary defenses.
"Harris? Signal the strike team."
Jake watched as Gunnery Sergeant Mark Harris shot a red flare up into the air, and immediately in response, rockets from M72 LAWs began to explode around the base, destroying the communication array to prevent them from calling for help along with a few machine gun emplacements.
"We are go!"
The Gyrenes trained specifically to serve in a special operations capacity yet still able to be employed as conventional infantry due to every United States Marine being a Rifleman first and foremost irrespective of Military Occupational Speciality began to charge forward with the Imperial garrison stunned to see foreign troops on the planet and were holding their fire for a few moments. A few moments were all the Leathernecks required as O'Neill set the C4 charge on the panel and the Leathernecks took cover before it detonated, watching as the red polarized wall dissipated.
"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! Harris! Right flank! You two! Take the left!"
"Don't leave so much as one of those bastards standing!"
"Watch our flank and don't let 'em surround us!" A third Senior Non-Com added.
Jake witnessed Brian taking point and the Kansan moved up to the next hut to lob a grenade into the structure in case the flamethrowers missed any occupants but before he could pull the pin, a flaming Imperial burst out of the barrack and attacked him.
"Aaaaaargh!"
"Help Brian!"
"GET HIM OFF ME!"
"Save him!" Harris added.
"More of them! Hold your positions!"
Before he was able to get a bead on the human torch, Jake saw that Calvin calmly took care of the Space Brit with a burst from his M1928A1 Thompson, and in the Hoosier's mind he couldn't deny that the veterans, these old salts, were experienced in the area of raiding behind enemy lines but there was still a task for him as well. Meyer and the other Raiders firmly held their ground as some of the surviving Imperials that didn't flee proceeded to launch a counter-attack, yet their fates were sealed by the M60s, M79 Grenade Launchers, M9A1-7 Flamethrowers, M14s, M1921 as well as M1928A1 Thompson Submachine Guns with drum magazines, and various shotguns ripping into the night.
"Arraghhhh!" One of the few unarmored Imps tried to strike Jake with the butt of his rifle. Meyer, on the other hand, had other ideas and he grabbed the barrel with his left hand before granting the Space Brit an uppercut. The Imperial dropped his rifle and lunged forward, but the Hoosier tripped him before unholstering his handgun and quickly fired three shots of .45 ACP into the soldier's head. While bloody and messy, Jake knew from experience dealing with Sappers back in 'Nam that it was effective.
"That shows the bastards not to mess with the Corps." First Sergeant Thomas O'Malley complimented. "Now let's finish securing the area!"
The door to the next barrack bursts open and an Imperial officer falls out. Lombardi came out and shot the officer several times in the head with his M1911A1 and the officer fell over the railing.
"You like that, you piece of tea-drinking shit!?"
Meyer snorted his head in amusement at the crude reference of the Boston Tea Party and he continued firing into the disorganized ranks. The Imperials were confused at the strange camouflaged men with slugthrowers and were wondering what to do, but most of the leadership were killed by snipers armed with either Winchester Model 70s, M40s, or XM21s picking them off from a ridge three hundred yards away.
"Take out that MG!" O'Malley cried out.
"I can't get a clear shot!"
"Then estimate where he is at and shoot through the damn steel!"
The Private immediately began peppering the structure at random, his selective-fire M14 Rifle being on semi and with the Marine Corps emphasis on riflery he decided to start with only three rounds firing only one shot at a time per spot until he could overhear a thud despite the chaos occurring behind him and for good measure he fired one additional shot where he believed the soon to be corpse lied then approached the front of the MG nest with his rifle now on automatic and spraying the inside.
Meanwhile nearby, Jake was shooting from the kneeling position and just downed three of the retreating enemy when a cry in the night caught his attention. "Get your damn hands off me!" Meyer heard one of the rookies called out. The Hoosier proceeded to aim his M14 at the black armored individual and gave him a five-shot burst of 7.62x51mm NATO, the bullets ripping into the plastic-like material, shredding it.
'I wonder why they even bother putting it on.' The farmboy wondered as he and his fellow Americans proceeded to leave the area to link up with their brothers in arms.
"Good work Marines! Keep it up! Support squad will be just up ahead... Let's move!"
One hour later...
"This place creeps me out." A random Leatherneck Jake doesn't know mentioned, trepid as the eerie lack of vegetation in this desert as well as the red sands gave them the creeps.
"The Imps are at home in this twisted shit. Eyes peeled." O'Malley added.
"Shhhh!"Harris shushed, declaring everyone to be quiet as the Marines came upon a shrine of some sort.
To Jake, the architecture was of a hideous design with some sort of alien with tentacles protruding down its chin and the rock of the statue was like a reddish limestone. Meyer noticed a flame in a lamp at the feet and for some reason, Jake felt as if he stumbled upon some sort of site for cult worshippers.
"It looked like it was moved recently. What the hell is this?"
"Check it out." Harris ordered.
The Marine who asked the question approached the statue warily, unsure if there was more to it than meets the eye.
"Looks like a temple or some shit..."
As he slowly and cautiously scoured around the statue, the Devil Dog's foot was caught in a trap of some sort and was killed by the resulting explosion. Imperial Troopers emerged from behind rocks and charged at Jake and his fellow Marines.
"For the Empire!"
"SHIT! Damn it! So much for being sacramental as they rigged it as a booby trap!"
"Hold your ground! HOLD YOUR GROUND!"
"Here they come!"
Jake proceeded to level his M14 yet again and unleashed a dose of American lead.
As the Imps came closer, Meyer decided to reload his rifle and pulled out an M26 'Lemon' grenade, throwing it at the feet of six charging Space Nazis. The results satisfied the Hoosier as the Imperials had their pathetic armor pierced by the shrapnel.
It was a slaughter and the Imps did not stand a chance and the Space Brits knew it. The United States Marines began to pick off those who began to retreat and the wounded were executed. As much as Jake hated to admit it, it was necessary since the Raiders had neither the time nor resources to guard any prisoners and they couldn't allow any of them to escape to warn about the imminent attack by a joint Republic/Earth force as well.
"Good job, Marines. Now let's link up with the rest of the battalion."
It was a bloody night conducted by all four Raider Battalions and by 0600 the next day, bombs and parachutes were going to be landing on this worthless rock.
General of the Army Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower - Head of the Coalesced Forces from Earth
Aboard the RNSPerseverance- Valor-class Cruiser: In orbit over Korriban - Korriban, Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 05:00/5:00 AM
Eisenhower was still cautious as he read the after-action report from Samuel Blair Griffith II and how his particular outfit of Marines managed to cause just enough confusion for the enemy so the landing would not be impeded. There were also only ten wounded so far and after all the chaos and destruction the Jarheads had caused, the Marines had regrouped and they were now acting as pathfinders for stage two of Operation: Mars.
Getting up from the chair, the seventy-seven year old warrior felt his age catching up to him. However, despite being his last war, it was essential that as long as he was able he would keep the glue of the multinational coalition together to work in tandem with the Galactic Republic and their allies as well as make sure that the threat from the Sith Empire was no longer extant and although Ike was given carte blanche authority as his judgment was without question, the Secretary-General of the United Nations did privately requested him to negotiate the possibility of status quo antebellum at a proper time with the Empire, a fact the Republic were not enlightened about but first and foremost a preemptive strike and demonstration of resolve must be shown.
"Is the intercom ready?"
"Yes sir!" The orderly responded.
Nodding, Eisenhower walked to the highly advanced communications device and conducted a fleet-wide transmission.
"Good morning."
Both Earthlings and Republic troops alike stopped what they were doing and listened to Ike.
"I am honored to lead you all in a pivotal moment in our history. For three months, we've been training amongst our Republic allies for a war we Earthlings have never wanted…Earthlings. That word should have a new meaning here today."
N.A.T.O. forces, Warsaw Pact contingents, the allies of the two organizations, and even 'Neutral' troops of the so-called Non-Aligned Movement on the planet of Earth took a quick glance at one another before facing the virtual image of the legend displayed on holotables throughout the Republic fleet.
"Beginning today, for the duration of our conflict against the Sith Empire we are not Americans, Communists, nor former Soldats of the Third Reich but Earthlings. We are presently united for one purpose: to embark on a common crusade against a common enemy yet again…Twenty-seven years ago I oversaw men - some of them your fathers and some of whom are standing here today - against the Axis Powers. Now, fascism has come at us once again in the form of this 'Sith Empire'.
Cries of 'Boos!' and 'Screw the Sith!' was shouted, but it quickly died down as Ike continued.
"If either by fate or coincidence, I do not know, but I am sure of one thing…We will send a clear message to this Dark Council and show them why we will be resolved to preserve our way of life, to persevere in the face of annexation. Furthermore, we will demonstrate to the Imperial citizenry that their forces are unable to stem the tide as we are willing and able to endure it once again. During the darkest hour Winston Churchill was at the forefront of rallying Britain in the face of invasion, and so was Franklin Roosevelt, even Josef Stalin, telling their respective people that no matter what we could still persevere and triumph over the calamity of the time. Roosevelt and Stalin are gone but as a subordinate of mine, Patton himself declared: 'It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived' and while Churchill was only recently reelected by Parliament as Prime Minister, he is ninety-four but gentlemen, let's be honest here, I'm not getting any younger myself and there inevitably may be the point where I must pass the torch to someone else, someone that you should rally behind once I'm no longer capable to lead like it or not as it is reality but you have my sincere word that I'll be here for as long as I can, as far as I'm able, and do whatever it takes to wrap this war up and go home as we can ill afford a long conflict. Good luck and God bless you all. Eisenhower out."
Brigadier General Robin Olds - 366th Fighter Wing, United States Air Force
Skies above Korriban - Korriban, Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 06:00/6:00 AM
"This is Viper 1-1 to all squadrons. Report in."
Brigadier General Robin Olds. Triple Ace Pilot and highly dangerous with his flying abilities and now Eisenhower himself upon the recommendation of Curtis LeMay personally selected Olds to carry out this important assignment:
Seek out and destroy the Anti-Aircraft emplacements along with engaging and destroying any fighters that present themselves.
"Dogwood 2-3 all present and accounted for, sir."
"Whiskey Bravo 7-9 is locked and loaded."
"Archangel standing by."
"All pilots are cleared for takeoff."
"Understood control." Olds responded. "Keep your attention on the enemy craft men. They are not to be underestimated but our primary focus is to knock out those guns...I do not want any glory hounds today. You got that?"
Everyone understood what was at stake. Failure to take down the AA sights would lead to the paratroopers being greeted with laser fire and this task was suicidal for any aircraft-But they had been training for this moment and seventy-five percent of the pilots under Olds are experienced Wild Weasels who took down Surface to Air missile sites during Vietnam and this time their experienced nature would help them succeed in this crucial task.
Failure was not an option.
The F-110 Spectres exited the Republic cruisers at a speed faster than any starfighter ever made up to that point, astonishing the Republic work crews as they took off.
And it would be even more surprising for the Imperial defenders to witness extraterrestrial craft on their territory-The sacred planet of Korriban no less.
"Archangel 3-2, I have a battery in my sights." The pilot declared before dropping an AGM-65 Maverick. "Target one destroyed."
"Copy that Archangel. Engaging."
Imperial gun crews rushed to their turbolasers to shoot down the unrecognizable craft. They are going too fast for the guns to lock on.
"Kriffing hell! Are they a new type of Republic starfighter?" One Imp asked in awe as they swept in at breakneck speed just before his position was bombed.
It was pure chaos as the Wild Weasels returned to the hangar bay with only a few losses here and there. But overall, the mission was a complete success.
But now came the first wave of starfighters responding to avenge the destruction and attempt to defend the holy world against all hazards.
"Get ready boys! The Empire has sent us a welcoming committee!"
Second Lieutenant Paul Baltasar Meyer - Third Platoon, D/ Delta Company, Second Battalion, 324th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, United States Army
Skies above Korriban - Korriban, Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 08:00/8:00 AM
"Here we go again." The World War II and Korean War veteran muttered from his seat inside the C-119 Boxcar which was transporting them to the dropzone.
"Something wrong, sir?" Sam asked Jake's father.
"It's nothing, Sergeant." The man responded as the red light lit up
"Red light! Get Ready! Stand up!" The jumpmaster barked, causing Paul and the other paratroopers to stand up. "Hook up! Check static line!" The GIs
hooked the static lines to the overhead anchor cable, checked their static lines for certainty, and were prepared for the inevitable command with one final check. "Check equipment!"
Every paratrooper, besides his main parachute and a reserve of the T-10, carried a pack and/or a drop bag, a water canteen, rations, ammunition, a .45 caliber M1911 pistol, and an M14 Rifle either inside the Case, Parachutist Individual Weapons M-1950 Adjustable or by keeping it close to the left side of the individual trooper's body through shifting the sling and fitting it tightly around the stock and barrel as well as using adhesive tape then passing the pack tray waistband over the rifle and with the aid of the tapes secured the stock firmly to the leg as well as the sling to the harness strap. They checked their equipment to ensure it was properly secured, and the equipment for the man in front of them was also secure.
"Sound off for equipment check!"
"Trooper one ready!"
"Trooper two ready!"
And it continued down the line until the last jumper was inspected and cleared.
"All troopers are ready, sir!"
'This is it.' Paul thought grimly. 'The Wild Weasels and Jake, Stephen, and Jack better have done their jobs.'
The light turned green and as soon as the Jumpmaster shouted "Green light! Stand in the door! Go, GO, GO!", the response shouted with pride was "Airborne!" as the paratroopers hopped out of their transport, pulled the cord to unveil the canopies, and rained down to meet the foe head-on.
The Imperials were stunned to watch as primitive craft and parachutes were seen blocking the sky and as the gunners rushed to the batteries that weren't knocked out and to send laser bolts to welcome the unknown attackers, the defenders found that the supposed functional ones had been sabotaged. Unbeknownst to the troopers, the Anti-Aircraft guns not damaged by the Wild Weasels had thermite placed on them by the Raiders and the Marines threw red smoke as soon as they saw the parachutes.
Other Imperials attempt to take potshots at their foe and they manage to score a few hits, but there were just too many.
General Arkos Rakton - Commander of the Korriban Garrison
Korriban - Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy" "
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 08:00/8:00 AM
"Sir!"
"What is it, Corporal?!" Rakton demanded. "Can you see that I'm busy trying to defend Korriban from the Pubs!?"
"But sir, there is an unknown force that is attacking the planet. General Zelton just reported sir!"
Rakton didn't show it, but he was taken aback at the news.
"Zelton? But he is on the other side of the planet!"
Private First Class Jake Gregory Meyer - Fireteam Alpha, Second Squad, First Platoon, C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
Korriban - Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 08:00/8:00 AM
Jake and the other Marines were taking advantage of the terrain to ambush any unfriendly forces that reached the drop zone. After digging his foxhole, Meyer had swapped his M14 temporarily for an MC-1952 Sniper Rifle - a modified Garand that was arguably a superior sniper variant of the M1 Rifle compared to the Army's M1C and M1D platforms; and it had a match-grade barrel and sights hand-fitted by 2112 Rifle Team Equipment Repairmen at Quantico along with a 4x scope produced by Kollmorgen, a leather cheek piece, not to mention an M1907 sling, making it a useful and effective tool to be paired with the high quality 173 grain M72 Match rounds.
The Hoosier watched as Imperials off in the distance ran around in confusion trying to figure out what to do as F-110 Spectres and F-100 Super Sabres began to strafe their positions. Imperial fighters attempted to bring down the planes, but the American jets were simply too fast and were made for atmospheric dogfighting, unlike the unaerodynamic starfighters. It also didn't help that the planes were being led by a veteran ace.
'Go get 'em flyboys.'
Brigadier General Robin Olds - 366th Fighter Wing, United States Air Force
Skies above Korriban - Korriban, Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 08:00/8:00 AM
The veteran of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam grinned as yet again another fighter got into his sights and Olds unleashed another burst from his 20mm M61 Vulcan rotary cannon.
"Ha! You like that!" Rob laughed as he did a weave maneuver on a particular starfighter. However, this is where things got interesting.
The ace instantly recognized the approaching aircraft from intelligence briefings as a 'Fury-class Interceptor' which was for some reason reserved exclusively for those of the Sith Order, causing him to instinctively fire an AIM-9 Sidewinder at the enemy craft.
"Come on. Come on." The General prayed as he hoped that the air to air missile will hit the target but unfortunately the Fury sped out of the way and constantly weaved in shockingly impossible maneuvers.
"This is Viper 1-1. After seeing that maneuver, we need to take that fighter down. The capabilities may have been underestimated."
"Copy 1-1. We will bring him down."
Thus, an entire squadron began their pursuit of a single fighter, but the Imperial did something unexpected.
"What the Fuck!?" 1-3 shouted as the Fury managed to hit him. "Arrghhh!"
"We just lost 1-3!"
"Cut the chatter!" Olds snapped. "1-2, 1-4, flank him! 1-5, 1-6! Get on top, I'm going directly at the bastard!"
The squadron obeyed and Robin watched as 1-2 and 1-4 got out of formation and began to use their guns against the target.
But the enemy had other ideas and turned to fire on the F-110s. One of the pilots managed to eject from his burning craft, but 1-4 was shot down in flames.
"Son of a Bitch!" Robin cursed. "1-5! 1-6! Break off the pursuit! He's mine!"
"But sir! That's suicide!"
"I gave you an order 1-5!"
"Yes, sir."
'Let's see what you are made of.'
Private First Class Jake Gregory Meyer - Fireteam Alpha, Second Squad, First Platoon, C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
Korriban - Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 08:30/8:30 AM
"Listen up!" Harris shouted. "Our Army brethren are beginning their phase and we have orders that we are assisting them. Lock and load!"
Jake made sure that his MC-1952 Sniper Rifle was ready for the ambush and the loop sling on his arm was properly taut since the briefings about the tactics of the Imperial military suggested that they would use overwhelming force to drive invaders off their soil. And since this planet was sacred to them, it was almost a guarantee that they would follow through with their doctrine.
Meyer watched as some repulsor tanks sped through the valley alongside infantry marching in a Napoleonic manner en route to engage their opposition, making this the perfect trap.
"Light them up!" O'Malley shouted as they reached the landmine and claymore cocktail of death: M14s, M60s, M79s, and some mortars were fired at the enemy who was completely unaware that the valley was boobytrapped.
Jake looked through the 4x power telescopic sight and saw the distinctive uniform of an Imperial officer. Dialing in the range and windage before lining up the crosshairs on the target's chest, the Leatherneck took a deep breath before exhaling and slowly squeezed the trigger rearward, unleashing a .30 Caliber round and taking the officer's head clean off.
'Guess my wind call was slightly off but no matter, they are going to lose morale fast especially with me knowing the correct drift. Just wait and see what you are up against when you face Chesty Puller himself you worthless scum.'
"Good work Marines! Now fix bayonets and wait for them to come! They will not be greeting us with pie and lemonade, that's for certain."
'Bayonets?'
Every soldier and Marine dreaded those two simple words, the order to 'FIX BAYONETS!' as it meant that the enemy was within hand-to-hand melee distance and the fighting became a free-for-all. There was something particularly revolting about stabbing people with a bayonet as even with bayonets fixed most combatants since the dawn of gunpowder with the plug bayonet up to the present-day all for whatever reason instinctively preferred using their rifles as clubs to shatter skulls over utilizing the bayonet and during the American Civil War for instance the bayonet as a weapon was found to be responsible for less than one percent of all battlefield casualties, a hallmark of modern warfare, but even so, Meyer, without hesitation, uncuffed the M1907 sling from his bicep, returned the buckle to the rear swivel, and reached for the slightly obsolescent yet still useful sixteen-inch M1905 Bayonet and attached it to the lug of his rifle, thinking that the extra length might prove useful in engaging the so-called Sith instead of relying on the much shorter M5 blade for his Garand or even switching back to his M14 and affixing the M6 onto the rifle.
"Here they come!" Corporal Kowalski shouted as at one hundred yards away from the makeshift defense line the Imperials and Sith charged recklessly head-on at the Gyrene's position, hollering their war cry.
"Hold the line! And be sure to grant them an inch of American steel!"
At closer inspection by the experienced Devil Dogs who fought in the Pacific Theater during World War II, in Korea, in Vietnam, or even in all three conflicts, the Imperials were even more idiotic than the American Marines initially thought.
"Ah, shit." Harris cursed as he shouldered his rifle. "They might as well be screaming Banzai while they're at it."
"Remindin' you of anyone, Sergeant?" Junior shot a smirk at him.
"Yeah." He whispered quietly. "Okinawa."
He had lost a good man that day. A reliable Corporal. He wasn't going to let that happen again! Especially for Kowaski's sake!
The claymores managed to take down a good percentage of the first wave but they just kept coming. The Imperials were determined to recapture the position the Leathernecks were holding.
"Well shit, they want this hill badly."
"Shut it, Kowalski!"
Meyer continued to pick the Space Brits off one by one with his MC-1952 but something in the scope caught his eyes, almost like two red glowing las-
Jake immediately thought back to the United Nations incident and remembered the debriefing on the rival space monk organization. "First Sergeant! We got two Sith fast approaching!"
"The pathetic Space Magicians?" O'Malley questioned to which Jake nodded. "Take them out."
Meyer proceeded to take careful aim at the two crazed swordsmen and open fire, but there was a problem. Some of the Imperial troopers were sacrificing themselves by shielding them from the gunfire. It was as if they recognized that the Sith are valuable assets and unlike his fellow Marines who were stupefied by the willingness to trade their lives for Sith, Jake was the only one to have previously encountered a Sith in action, inside the United Nations building of all places much to the former Birchite's disgust.
"Rraaghh!" One of the Sith fanatics screeched: It was an ugly alien creature with red skin and tentacles below its chin. In fact, the alien reminded Jake of the stature the Leathernecks had encountered last night.
"SHIT!" A Marine yelled as he used his rifle to block the glowing sword, but it was cut in two and he was about to be cut down by the hideous...thing.
"FIRE AT WILL!"
Meyer unleashed all eight rounds from his MC-1952 and watched as two Jarheads with a flamethrower ran up to finish off the attacker.
The other Sith in the meantime tried to attack Jake of all things and it was a feminine humanoid with horns on her head - a Zabrak if Meyer remembered correctly. The Hoosier tripped the charging banshee and proceeded to tackle her to the ground. Her laser sword flew out of her hands as she tripped and Jake watched as she attempted to drag it out of thin air. Quickly, the Devil Dog pulled out his Ka-Bar and stabbed the alien in the forehead, killing her instantly.
'It was either her or me.' Jake lamented. Taking a moment to catch his breath, the Indiana farmboy grasped his rifle and lunged the bayonet directly at the vital organs of an Imperial who confronted him, piercing the gray fatigues with ease, he then kicked the mortally wounded foe to forcibly remove the blade and use gravity to inflict more damage as well.
One of the Sith noticed this action by the Earthling who had also killed his fellow Sith and snarled, spanning around to make the Forceless freak of nature know his place in the galaxy. "It's time to learn your place, pest."
Jake did not respond except for crunching down into the on-guard position and leaped forward to impale the threat, taking the Space Magician on. Meyer swung his bayonet against the lower abdomen but the lasersword sliced the M1905 in two, causing the Marine to have some second thoughts about his earlier idea and the Sith to laugh maliciously.
"Seems like you just lost your weapon."
'You forgot about the ammunition.' The Hoosier wittily thought after firing from the hip, the shot of .30-06 striking the shortsighted fool's dead center in the chest, and Meyer watched as his life faded away, gasping his last breath. 'And you should've kept your trap shut, talking to your enemy can get you killed.' The Jarhead immediately scanned the surrounding vicinity only to notice that the enemy had withdrawn: For now.
Second Lieutenant Paul Baltasar Meyer - Third Platoon, D/ Delta Company, Second Battalion, 324th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, United States Army
Korriban - Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 09:00/9:00 AM
"Attention all units! Be advised that the Raiders are suffering from a heavy counterattack. Command is ordering all units to reinforce the Marines before proceeding on to the power generator."
'Marines...No wonder my son enlisted in the Corps instead of the Army.' Paul snorted before barking his orders. "Listen up! You just heard Command. We are reinforcing the Leathernecks and I want everyone to keep their eyes peeled. We are in uncharted territory."
The platoon nodded in the affirmative and rechecked their weapons to see if they were loaded. A lot of the men were anxious with some praying. It was truly a 'hurry up and wait' situation as the Jarheads on the ridge were distracting the Imperials and it was a distraction at that: The Space Brits were literally launching waves like the Reds did in Korea and the Devil Dogs responded in kind.
In fact, Paul watched as a squadron of F-105 Thunderchiefs unleashed napalm and then began to strafe the fools with their 20mm cannons followed by unexpectedly an AD4 Skyhawk from the recently revived United States Army Air Corps which released a payload of cluster munitions, the resurrection of the Army Air Corps, of course, infuriated the United States Air Force but it was done after congressional hearings regarding the deployment and usage of close air support by the Air Force or lack thereof in Vietnam and the USAF nonetheless with relief relinquished the Close Air Support role to the U.S. Army but the leaders of the young independent service branch prayed that they wouldn't be annexed after a hard-fought separation from the Army including during the infamous court martial of Billy Mitchell, the very independence which was only finally achieved after World War II on September 18th, 1947.
Then following an A-37 Dragonfly squadron finally came a more magnificent sight zooming low at high speed, a flight of TSR-2s emblazoned with U.S. ARMY on the wings and tail and in addition to the British Royal Air Force, only the United States Army and not the Air Force, not the Navy, certainly not even the Marines either but rather the United States Army exclusively had these specialized vicious birds in their arsenal and attacked relentlessly they did.
"Holy shit!"
"Thank God for the United States Army, am I right? Ah, who I'm kidding, I'm just glad we can count on our own flyboys once again."
"Quiet in the ranks!" Westbrook scolded.
"It's okay, Sergeant. Let the boys enjoy the show." The Lieutenant smirked just as Colonel Adams pulled up in his jeep.
"Meyer! We're about to begin the assault! Stay behind the Sheridans men!"
The M551 Sheridan was a Light Tank capable of being airdropped and it packed a 152 mm Main Gun, nine MGM-51 Shillelagh missiles, a fifty cal Ma Deuce, and a M73 Machine Gun, while light on armor it still was a machine of war meant to support the paratroops.
'And to think that in my day only the Jeep could be pushed out of an airplane.' Meyer thought as his platoon and other units double-quicked to stand behind the armored vehicles. His men had their M6 Bayonets affixed to their M14s and waited for the order.
"Wait for it...Steady men...Steady." Captain Evans glanced down at his watch and waited for the opportunity to present itself. The Imperials were still being distracted by the Marines and they would not expect a hammer on their flanks.
"Charge!"
The tanks begin their engines and slowly creep up as they begin the first offensive of United Nations Command forces with the Airborne Infantry following the mechanical monsters.
Second Lieutenant Paul Baltasar Meyer - Third Platoon, D/ Delta Company, Second Battalion, 324th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, United States Army
Korriban - Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 09:45/9:45 AM
"Keep moving!" Paul waved on as his platoon continued to take careful aim with their M14s every few steps. The Paratroopers were determined to crush the enemy and grant the Space Brits an All-American black eye.
"This is too easy." Sam commented.
"I have a bad feeling about this, son." Meyer muttered as he fired another shot from his M14. All of a sudden, the Lieutenant watched as off in the distance, some robots began to appear.
"What the F-" One of his inquired just as the robots opened up and killed the man instantly. The machines were firing at a rapid rate and Paul didn't want to become a fish in a barrel.
"Take cover!" Meyer barked as a tank turned around and destroyed one of the robots before ramming into the other. "Dammit! Those robots are a priority. You hear!"
"Yes sir!" They responded and one of the men slung up his M14 before withdrawing an M72 LAAW.
The soldier knelt down as another one of the robots with spider-like legs approached the platoon...Corporal Besenti waited as the machine crept towards the platoon.
Whoosh!
The 66mm rocket impacted the robot on its side and the mechanical nightmare was no more.
"Excellent work Besenti!" Meyer smiled. "You are the platoon's designated robot killer."
"But sir, that was a lucky shot!"
Everyone chuckled at the soldier's expense.
Private First Class Jake Gregory Meyer - Fireteam Alpha, Second Squad, First Platoon, C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
Korriban - Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 09:45/9:45 AM
"Will they just stop fucking banzaiing for just once!?" Harris complained as another assault commenced with an additional wave of Imperials rushing up the hill just like the Japanese, North Koreans, and PAVN had done.
"This doesn't make any logical sense at all! They should have outflanked us by now!" O'Malley added as Lance Corporal Raymond 'Ray' Clark approached him.
"Top!? We got a situation!"
"What sort of situation, Ray?"
"These Sith are trying to wreak havoc on our right flank!"
"SHIT!" O'Malley muttered. "The bastards are getting smart and they are sacrificing their men so that the religious nutcases can shred our line. They're animals!"
Jake, on the other hand, continued to pick off Imperials one by one with his MC-1952. Willis 'Willy' Norman was the other trained and experienced Marine Corps ex-sniper in the platoon, not to mention being one of the Old Salts who participated in the Raid on Makin Island, and Meyer admired the South Carolinian for his skill in shooting.
In fact, there was currently an unofficial contest between the two farmboys, Northerner and Southerner, who only by circumstance earned the Military Occupational Specialty of 8541 over other Expert-qualified Riflemen throughout the Corps.
"Ha! Got a Captain, you whippersnapper!"Norman shouted.
"Oh please, I nailed a Sith earlier, you rebel-flag waving redneck." Meyer countered. "Is it any wonder Indiana ranked second among the States in the percentage of men of military age who served in the Union Army during the Civil War?"
The South Carolinian scowled at the reminder of who lost the War Between the States but decided to resolve the matter later. "But that was next to a grunt and the bullet pierced the plastic before killing the Sith behind the Imp."
"That's right, Norm. One shot, two kills."
The Hoosier chuckled at the look on Norman's face before regaining his natural point of aim behind the 4x power scope. But what Meyer saw surprised him. 'Did that Sith convert to Buddhism or something?'
Unbeknownst to Jake, the Sith was conducting a ritual known as 'battle meditation' and this Sith was hoping that the Force would be able to help turn the tide in the Empire's favor.
Unfortunately for him, the interlopers before him were Earthlings, not Pubs or any of the Galactic Republic's allies native to this universe, and the Earthlings also have a different biology compared to humans of 'The Galaxy': As in they didn't have midichlorians at all!
The Empire - and the Sith Order in particular- would learn the hard way just like the body count on the crest that was already stacked to the utmost limit courtesy of the United States Marine Corps.
Meyer waited patiently as he lined up the crosshairs, and slowly exhaled, before squeezing the trigger. The loud 'crack' of the .30-06 round left the barrel at over two thousand feet per second and it hit the Sith in the forehead, splattering brain matter across the surrounding terrain.
'Gotcha.'
The Imperials immediately begin to lose morale as they notice the heap of corpses of their comrades before them, causing them to slowly step backward before turning around and running in a disorganized rout.
"That's right you Space Nazis! You just met the United States Marine Corps!" Kowalski cheered while other Marines in their foxholes continued taking potshots at the retreating foe and Meyer himself watched Lieutenant Francis 'Frank' Macaluso pull two flags out of a pouch, specifically the Marine Corps banner and 'Old Glory' with fifty stars and thirteen stripes herself.
The battle might be over for now, but the war itself, the arrival of the nations from Earth to the ongoing conflict as a co-belligerent of the Republic's, has only just begun.
Second Lieutenant Paul Balthasar Meyer - Third Platoon, D/ Delta Company, Second Battalion, 324th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, United States Army
Korriban - Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 10:00/10:00 AM
"Aww, bullshit. The Jarheads beat us to the punch!" O'Brien complained as he saw the two flags being raised in defiance at the Imperials. He could have sworn there are also a few camera flashes too and it would become another recruiting tool for the rival service branch.
"That's enough Private!" Westbrook snapped. "They did their jobs. Now, let's do ours."
"Attention all units! The Marines will be joining us in the assault against the power generator...Ike himself is wishing you all luck."
The paratroopers continued to press forward against the Imperials and the lunatics that waved red swords, but so far for the 82nd, there were no problems.
Casualties were under seven percent so far and the soldiers wanted to keep it that way. Three of the Raider Battalions were sent ahead to support the assault on the power generator with the Fourth Battalion remaining behind temporarily to collect prisoners and burn the bodies.
There was no time for digging graves and the Earthlings want to send another message to the Empire as well: Fuck with Earth and you'll regret it.
"This is General John L. Throckmorton to all units, engage and destroy that generator...The flyboys and Jarheads will be providing support."
The Soldiers and Marines continued to cautiously approach the generator with them occasionally being ambushed by Mark IIs War Droids and Sith, but unlike the Imperials, the Earthlings studied their enemy and practiced simulations provided to them by the Republic. These fascists are going to face the reality of modern tactics against Napoleonic-style warfare.
That doesn't mean the Imperials weren't learning either as a group of Sith warriors charged at Paul's platoon head-on.
"Here they come! Grenadiers! Fire at will!"
Per the Lieutenant's orders, the grenadiers opened up with their M79s and the M60s backed them up. It was a tactic designed to repulse the stubborn magicians and if the grenades didn't get through, a burst of 7.62 NATO would since the Sith can only choose to deflect one object or another. The problem was that they were slugs and they didn't deflect. Instead, they melted, and the molten lead splashed on their faces and/or clothing, which was painful, to say the least.
But unfortunately, Sith used pain to their advantage and fed off the Dark Side yet then again it didn't mean the Sith weren't immortal as they were cut down before they could wield their magic.
"They are stubborn bastards, aren't they sir?"
"They sure are, Samuel. They sure are."
Brigadier General Robin Olds - 366th Fighter Wing, United States Air Force
Skies above Korriban - Korriban, Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 10:00 /10:00 AM
"Come on you son of a bitch! I know you are there somewhere!" The American cursed as his quarry got away from him again.
For two hours already, the Fury-class Interceptor and the McDonnell Douglas F-110A Spectre had been going back and forth with their flight skills, more like the dexterity of the pilots given the technological disparities as both craft had their advantages and disadvantages as well as the fact that Robin Olds was oblivious to the innate power exerted by Sith or any Force practicer in general for that matter. All he knew was that before him was what he considered to be the significant adversary in the skies currently and no matter the individual flying it, the enemy plane was unique in design compared to the contemporaries he had already encountered and endured.
But now, Robin just fired his last air-to-air missile moments ago and was forced under the circumstances to rely on his 20 mm × 102 mm M61 Vulcan rotary cannon - a literal .79 caliber autocannon. The veteran ace knew that he was running low on fuel, but this was a threat that needed to be taken down at all hazards, and Olds glanced over to his dash and stared at the picture of his spouse, who was none other than the Hollywood actress Ella Raines.
'Ella? If I don't shoot him down in ten seconds, I want to let you know I love you.'
The pilot was determined to get that damn aircraft down even if he had to ram into the enemy bird and take it with him to Hell but thankfully Olds noticed that his opponent made a mistake:
He was staring directly at the sun.
'Got you now.' Olds smiled as he pushed the button on the stick.
Brrrrpp!
The seventy-nine caliber hydraulically, electrically driven, six-barrel, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon opened up and shredded the enemy plane apart like it was Swiss cheese and even though the Brigadier General would admit that his target was a skilled pilot, the starfighter was made for space combat and had some disadvantages for atmospheric flight, not to mention having speeds similar to the few jets of World War II and of course Korean War vintage F-86 Sabres.
Robin took off his face mask and smiled at his latest 'kill', not to mention wiping the sweat off his forehead with his hand. "This is Viper 1-1. I'm on bingo fuel and returning to base, over?"
"Copy 1-1. We'll be sure to throw the red carpet out for you, sir."
Second Lieutenant Paul Balthasar Meyer - Third Platoon, D/ Delta Company, Second Battalion, 324th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, United States Army
"Objective Alpha" - Korriban, Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 11:30/11:30 AM
"Holy mother of God." Samual declared as he and the other subordinates of Meyer saw the size of the complex, the very compound, which according to Republic intelligence, held the key to bringing down the majority of the energy shields in this sector and in order for phase two to be a success, the Paratroopers and Marines needed to capture it.
"Well, O'Malley, what do you think?" Paul asked the Gyrene.
"It sure is a wonder, but if we captured Okinawa and Shuri Castle, and you managed to cause havoc during D-Day, then we'll take it, sir."
"That's what I'm afraid of..." The trooper sighed as memories of Operation: Market Garden, a disaster came back to haunt him, but Paul was determined to take this structure and the Earthlings were experienced in conducting such a task.
"Attention all units...You may begin the attack. I say again, you may begin the assault."
Paul watched as his son Jake, his brother-in-law Jack, and his sibling Stephen prepared their equipment along with their fellow Leathernecks. His platoon did the same with their weapons for the first attempt at taking the fortress. The veteran paused and stared at the whistle his father gave to him, an old German trench whistle from the First World War, and Meyer glanced at each individual in the eyes. He knew that at least some of them - fathers, sons, brothers, cousins, uncles, and nephews - would be heading home to America in a pine box from the resulting bayonet charge.
Yet Paul knew what needed to be done and blew it anyway: Phheewwwt!
The attack was supported by an artillery barrage from 8-inch M110 Howitzers which constantly pounded the fortress as the structure was made to withstand a heavy assault from turbolasers, not solid shells, and some of the defenders were being crushed by falling rubble as a result.
But it did not mean that only the Imperials were suffering as for every inch of ground the Americans took, they lost five men.
"Push forward! Push forward!" A random Colonel ordered and the men obeyed despite the carnage and intensity of the blaster fire.
"I'll take it back, sir." O'Malley admitted as he took cover next to Paul. "This is worse than Okinawa."
"What did you expect? They're more advanced than us. All we can do is fight smarter and harder."
Jake, meanwhile, watched as a sniper crept around the ramparts. The armor was instantly recognizable as commando armor and from what the Hoosier could tell at a glance, the figure was unmistakably feminine.
The sniper attempted to aim, but Jake was slung up in a loop sling in the kneeling position, his handset against a boulder with the rifle leaning against his palm, and the Marine took aim, peering through the rear aperture with the front post aligned with the target before firing at her with the 7.62x51mm NATO round but he missed and unintentionally struck a keystone. The fact that his shot ended up high caused him to glance at the rear sights and he noticed that the dial was set on '2', representing two hundred meters.
'I forgot to lower the elevation.'
Still, the farmboy did witness the Imperial Commando collapsing and the farmboy watched as she fell from the inertia of getting nailed.
"Great shooting son."
"Thanks, Dad. I learned from the best after all: You, Grandpa, and the Corps."
"Don't push it." Paul reminded him. Normally the soldier didn't give a damn at interservice rivalries between the Army and Marine Corps as the real jeering was rightfully reserved for the Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard, but sometimes even he had a limit. "O'Malley! Harris! Westbrook! Carter! We are going to hit the right flank! Does anyone have C-4?"
"I got some, sir." Miller grinned. "What do you have in mind?"
"We're going to blow that place apart."
Sergeant Sara Kelrein - Commando Unit 421 "Reaper Squad", Imperial Army
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 -
Sara was shocked: Earthlings had arrived on Korriban itself and that was two hours after the Republic began an offensive against the planet.
Earthlings.
The Commando instantly recognized them as they assaulted the fortification she and her comrades were defending.
'So these were the unknowns that are assisting the Pubs. Kriff! This is bad.'
Kelrein knew that the officers would ignore her advice on the current threat, not to mention how valuable the site was for the Empire, and if this complex fell, then the shield would go down with the result of the attackers gaining an easier chance in conquering Korriban.
It further didn't help the Empire that the commander of the station and this sector, General Zelton, was already punished by a Lord of the Sith and that the Sith was not tolerating any more failure, dropping morale rapidly instead of encouraging a stiff defense.
"Where are the snipers!? I wanted them outside minutes ago!" Lord Harkun shouted. "And those acolytes better be ready to die for the Empire."
"Yes, my lord!" The Captain trembled in fear. "The snipers...Are getting prepped, my Lord."
"Pathetic." Harkun mocked. As he was about to lift the man by using the Force, Sara stepped forward.
"My Lord, I don't know where the others are, but-"
Harkun turned his attention to the redhead and decided to choke her instead. Sara wrapped her hands around her throat, wheezing, as the overseer corrected her.
"You are a disgrace to the Empire for not being out there fighting." Harkun proclaimed as he lashed out at her and in his mind he was going to make her quite literally feel regretful of not being outside to fight the enemy. "Go out there and die but if you return alive I shall deal with you myself." Only then did he release her from his telekinetic grip and Harkun walked off afterward.
'Kriffing lowlife nerfherder.' Sara thought as she placed her helmet on her head. The long strands of her dark copper hair got in the way, but the Sergeant didn't care and made do as usual. She grabbed her X-15 off the rack and headed out to find a good perch to snipe from.
The Commando walked out the door and walked around the ramparts, before spotting a good hide. Sara also glanced at the overwhelming numbers before her as she lay down at her chosen spot, peering through the scope but who she exactly saw through her optic surprised her.
'Jake?'
But before she could process the information, the Commando noticed him aiming his rifle right at her from the sitting position and with a snug loop sling to enhance stability as he lined up his sights as if this was either rifle qualification day or even the National Matches at Camp Perry.
Then he fired, she saw the muzzle flash from her scope, and in milliseconds, she was on the ground.
Present...
"Ahh, kriff!" The Commando was feeling a mix of emotions after avoiding being crushed by unstable duracrete and this miniature avalanche was courtesy of Jake of all things. The native of Dromund Kaas knew that it wasn't his fault-But damn she would still be angry at him for kriffing shooting her!
Helplessly, Kelrein watched as Imperials left and right were being gunned down faster than they were able to shoot back as the numbers overwhelmed them, and then off to the side, as if it was on cue, the redhead heard an explosion.
"Harris! Westbrook! Clear the left!"
Sara witnessed the 'Thompsons' and 'M14s' and 'Shotguns' tearing up her comrades into bloody shreds. The Imp couldn't do anything but watch as the Earthlings captured the fortification from the Empire.
"Unhand me you primitive scum!" Harkun shouted as he was being marched off by bayonet point.
"Americans. We're Americans and we have kicked British ass twice already so a bunch of Pseudo-Brits is nothing." A familiar voice, a twang of the Lower North Midland dialect, corrected him.
The Sergeant teared up when she recognized it and managed to have the courage to speak up. "J-J-Jake?"
The Marine spanned around and gazed into her olive-green eyes. "Sara?"
"You know this scum?"
"Shut it!?" Sam added as he struck Harkun with the butt of his rifle.
"I'm a Lord of the Sith!"
"The Hague and Geneva Conventions technically don't apply in the wider galaxy, so unless you want it to be at the drop of a hat, watch it, buddy."
"You're lower than dirt! You hear you Forceless freaks of nature!?"
Jake ignored him and knelt down next to her, looking conflicted.
"Sara?" He repeated again, even though he knew it was her, Imperial accent or not.
"You shot at me by the way."
Meyer had to think back for a second and put two and two together. "Oh..."
"'Oh'? Oh!? You could have karking killed me, Jake!"
"How was I supposed to know!?" Jake defended, raising a point. "It's war, Sara. And that helmet of yours didn't help."
The duo stared at each other in a battle of wills, but the Imp finally conceded, weeping.
"Do you still love me?"
Jake shook his head before he pulled out a black box and handed it to her. "I-I just don't know anymore... That was for you by the way."
Sara opened the box and saw a ring, causing her to glance up at Jake in shock before glimpsing at the diamond and back at him again.
"I was going to propose to you the very day after escorting the President to the United Nations. Guess you missed home."
"Jake?"
"Keep it... I rather know that it was worth it."
"Jake!?"
The Leatherneck glanced over his shoulder.
"Jake?" She continued to sob as her one and only began to leave.
'Dammit!' Meyer was unsure what to do. On the one hand, he still had feelings for her, but on the other hand, she didn't exactly tell him the complete truth.
"What is it...babe?" Jake asked her awkwardly.
Sara told him something that stirred a fury inside him: "That Sith earlier...He...He choked me."
"He did what!"
Jake saw the marks that he missed earlier, as if a hand grabbed her by the throat and the Jarhead noticed some of her skin was still blue.
"Son of a bitch!" The Hoosier withdrew his M1911A1 and pulled out the magazine to check if it was loaded. It was and the Devil Dog wanted to hunt the worthless animal down. But Sara noticed what he was about to do. She always could tell if he was up to something by his body language since he came to know her - at least what he knew about her before the revelation - and perhaps that should have been his first indicator. Even with the conflicting thoughts, he still felt that this should not go unpunished.
"Jake? Please don't leave me."
"I'll be right back, Sara." He muttered. "I got some business to take care of." The American declared as he cocked the slide back.
Thirty minutes later...
"Come here you worthless piece of shit!" Jake shouted as he gave this 'Sith Overseer' an uppercut.
After talking with Lieutenant Meyer, this animal was going to be interrogated by the Americans for any information that would be useful for the next phase of Operation: Mars and then be disposed of with the former 'Lord of the Sith' being presently attached to a pole inside a tent with a pair of MPs standing outside and even though normally this would blatantly violate U.S. military regulations on the treatment of prisoners of war, nevermind the Geneva Conventions, this was a special case and Jake's father was going to attempt to keep the heat off his back.
"You are so uncivilized you pathetic worm." Harkun sneered.
But Jake backhanded the POW. "Did I say you can talk!? You don't have permission to speak unless I say so. I. Make. The. Rules here, Harkun. I know what you do to children of all things. Children!?"
"You don't even know what you are dealing with."
'Mistake number three.' The Leatherneck thought as he stabbed him in the thigh with his Ka-Bar and shoved it down deep.
Harkun, however, despite feeling the pain, used the Dark Side to control it. "You are making an error. I suggest you stop right now and in return, I'll make sure that your death will be painless."
Jake shook his head as he slowly approached him. "Nahhh...I got a better idea, a counteroffer in the form of John Moses Browning." The Leatherneck countered before shooting Harkun in the jugular with his .45.
"Die knowing that a 'primitive race of humans' showed the Empire what it made of, especially Americans from the United States of America."
Although he could not sense the presence of the man, the dying Sith knew that the war somehow became even bloodier.
General of the Army Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower - Head of the Coalesced Forces from Earth
Aboard the RNSPerseverance- Valor-class Cruiser: In orbit over Korriban - Korriban, Horuset System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
06:30:16 ATC/ Monday, June 30th, 1969 - 14:00/2:00 PM
'We lost an eighth of the 82nd Airborne.' Ike thought as he read the latest reports from the front. The paratroopers, with assistance from the Raiders, managed to take out the power generator controlling the majority of the energy shields protecting this sector of Korriban. But after reading that one out of every eight troopers was either KIA or severely wounded and that they had to be medically evacuated and would have to recover at a convalescent hospital after treatment Eisenhower began to wonder if the price was too high for taking down the key for success but it could have admittedly been worse and regardless, it was time for Phase Three of Operation: Mars.
"Jefferson!? Get me a line to Chesty and Heinricil!"
"On it sir!" His orderly saluted before turning on the holocommunicator.
"Chesty. Heinrici. Phase Three is a go."
If the Imperials believe that the Raiders and Paratroopers were bad enough, then they have not seen two of the greatest tacticians from Earth in action. Korriban would not become merely Hell, but the Apocalypse itself when Phase Four by Konev was unleashed on the survivors, sending a loud and clear message that the Dark Council itself cannot ignore.
"My Marines and the Air Assault division will be on the desolate rock within the hour." The fearless Leatherneck who faced the Chinese hordes at Chosin smirked.
"The task force under Bäke is currently making preparations for the pincer maneuver, sir."
"Excellent...And Heinrici? Make sure that Bäke does not permit Rakton from breaking through." Ike warned the German. "Recent Intelligence reports suggest that the Empire is sending their best strategist. Coincidentally, he pulled off victories similar to Rommel's in North Africa. Expect him to not play by the rules and be a space version of the Desert Fox."
"Understood Eagle Three. Badger and Bulldog out."