Chapter 7 Gotterdammerung

Ranavolana

Old Alpha
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Posts
887
Location
Homeless as Spinas took my peds
Society
Team Varyag
Avatar Name
Louise Ranavolana Brooks
Orders have just come down – we are to move out in force, to take up positions that will deny the Oratan forces a strategic area, then to go on the offensive and finally remove them from their heartland – the beginning of the end for Oratans in Arkadia.

And, Glory Be, this is where my Slack and his “friend Anny” have fled to – they are cut off and no word has been received – but I will be able to come to them and save them.

For myself – I have such plans for them Mwahahahahahahah....... anyway moving on
I cast my mind back back to the recent past, when this all started, when the orders were handed out.

I was summoned to General Mega’s office; to find there the great man keeping his brain active by reading from his favourite book “The Selected Wit & Quotes from the 45th Prez of the US of A

“Ah Louise, or as of now StratoObersturmbannführer Louise, your new rank is to go with the gravity of your mission – you are to take all available troops and intercept & then crush the Oratan forces at this location. (hands me map with arrows & important writing on it, all in red). Of course there is no possibility (or opportunity even) of retreat – you know how the saying goes “Yours is not to reason why etc etc”.

“To assist you in this I have emptied all the gaols, special schools & old people’s homes & conscripted the inmates into your forces – you should have more than enough troops to carry out your mission successfully. This will be a special force, composed of “special people” and who better to lead such than yourself”. Such high praise from the great man himself, I felt special.

“And, with absolutely no thought or worry or even awareness about history or even precedent, I have given the operation code name of “Operation Michael” !!
“Now off you go, time is wasting........” I saluted (sort of) and left.

Yay !!! like all ‘Operation Michales’ the opening was a complete success. Delivered by dropships we fell on the Orotan forces & their auxillaries, quickly and totally defeating them, captured the target area and dug in.

This area included an abandoned outpost , now my headquarters – we had access to weapons & supplies and there was a revival booth, though no teleport facilities. And we were out of range of other revival facilities. Well, if we lost control of this one it will be curtains for anyone of us killed.

It was a strategically very important site as a basis for attacking, but useless, of no strategic value at all, for defense.
Even I could see that, my IFN training had overlooked such things a saluting, marching, taking orders (but not giving them) etc. Lucky for me I was well versed in the art of self preservation.

Not that I would let my loyal troops know that of course, that we were to be chaff, thrown beneath the wheels of the advancing Oratans, maybe slowing them down a tad, to enable the defences of Celeste to be better prepared. Lucky for me that there just happened to be a Sleipner hidden away and close by (just in case) – even more important it had space capabilities & enough fuel to get to Calypso

Direct observation revealed that the approaching Oratan forces were immense – it was a planetwide uprising against humans.

Ever more disheartening, they possessed weapons armour & vehicles – Smugglers & Pirates had become very rich supplying these to our enemy.

And maybe more disheartening, General Mega had taken all the vehicles – there was no way I would be leaving other than by foot (he thought). Looks like I would have to take the defense of our outpost seriously.

I knew very little about commanding troops and of military tactics and procedures etc. Nor had I any experience in military stuff.

But, I was experienced in terrorising and killing Oratans & others. I could use this natural gift to organise the troops at my disposal. This gift, together with my ability for bribing and lying my head off about the chances of their survival, should suffice.

I still had my whip, so my originally unhappy but now more compliant troops – they all love me now, they realised how it was so much in their interests to just do what I demanded of them. (See Slack there is hope for you yet)

The Oratans knew where we were (or should be) so with no experience or knowledge of military tactics, I set my positions with all our cannons & heavy weapons along one flank with only a small force guarding the revival booth. I expected that when we were killed & revived we would then be able to defend the booth directly. (and personally be able to get to my ship if necessary)

By using my heavy weapons to take out their vehicles – they march on Celeste, then they would need to carry everything on their backs & use their legs.

So... here they come, right into range, moving past us heading for the outpost.

“Pick your marks, relax everyone, FIRE!!”

Time seemed to slow right down, the sound of the cannons making a low thump thump thumping, felt in ones bones rather than heard, the sounds of other weapons made a steady stuttering beat, they were being aimed carefully not fired off in panic. (see, even old fogies could benefit from the intense last minute training I put them through. That, plus the fact that everyone on Arkadia had military training to some degree).

We achieved total surprise, “WTF” the Oratan generals were heard to say “Why would anybody place their defences over there? It makes no sense so we did not expect such brilliant stupidity :

With our opening salvos the lines Oratan vehicles went up in a chorus of explosions & flames – looks like they suffered 80% casualties straight off, just as soon though, our advantage disappeared - Arkadian mobs, the speed of their responses is amazing.

There is a flame throwing tank, quickly take it out before it gets into range – destroy that and it will light up so many of their forces. Hurry you stupid old farts, stop, aim for it now, over open sights, don’t fluff around, its getting too close. Hold your effing positions or I will shoot you myself. Aim for that effing tank NOW and.......


........Even now there are still enemy units trickling past our position.

Celeste is on fire but General Mega is directing its defense from one of our space ships.

Looks like Slack & his floozie have escaped both the Oratans & my love - they hitched a ride on a war criminal Pirate Ship, maybe they will make a new life for themselves on Calypso.
There Anny has been offered a senior position in the Ministry of Public Enlightenment Truth & Propaganda and nasty gossip has suggested that Slack has become a pimp and quite an effective one it seems.

Some scattered elements of my cowardly troops are disappearing over the horizon – gosh even with walking frames those grandpas can move.

My outpost lies in ruins

All this should concern me, but it doesn’t
Because I am

Dead
 
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