NationStates Jolt Archive

Reynolds was acting as commander of the Kyaki Detachment's attached fleet and his primary responsibility was to ensure that the nine Legions and the XFC under Krystal's command made it to the surface. In space, he wasn't bothered. On the ground was a different matter. It would be 9 Inexperienced Legions versus 13 of the best. And an army the size of the Kyaki Detachment could only be hidden for so long.

Reynolds turned to one of the ex-Imperial Officers who now stood as his 1st Officer. He would have preferred to pick one of his own crew but had to accept that an ex-Imperial Officer would be able to interact with the fleet of Dreadnoughts in tow much more easily,

"Give the order, Commander"

"Aye, Sir!" The man gave a salute and turned to one of the Ensigns manning his station.

Within moments, each of the Dreadnoughts was twisted to 30 degrees so that they could angle a broadside into the enemy planet. They were aiming for HQ's and troop concentrations. They should distract the enemy long enough for the Rebel Army to land and organise itself. Once they were down, however it would be up to them to win the victory.

"Three...two...one...mark!"
The fleet jumped, towards their destination which would take only minutes to get to. Hurdling though space Krystal brooded, the troop carriers and the other Dreadnoughts following in their wake. The tactics called for a complete surprise attack. While the Dreadnoughts wiped out the HQs, orbiting Dreadnoughts, and anything else they could target, General Maximus would lead an army, labeled the Konodo Detachment, and assault the eastern pincer. Krystal would lead the XFC and a small part of APA Rebels, called the Kyaki Detachment, to storm the wastern pincer. If all went well, even the experienced soldiers on the planet would be disoriented and confused, cut off from their Generals, the XFC and APA pushing both sides back into each other until they were surrounded by Resistance forces. Then they would either surrender or be massacured. However, there was a great many flaws in the plan. If the Rebel ground forces were too slow in getting to the ground and deploying, then the Imperials would have time to prepare a wall upon which the Resistance would hopelessly dash itself to peices. If the HQs were not destroyed the Generals there would be able to take control of the situation and perhaps beat back the attack, likely leaving them with the majority of their forces intact. Even if the Resistance did win the battle promised to be bloody, and the enemy would probably fight to the death.

Both Detachments hit the ground hard and fast. Instantly, they began to form into their Battalions and Legions in preparation for the march against the enemy lines. This would be an old fashioned battle which they had to win.
Sanderson, the ex-Imperial Officer who had been added onto Krystal's General Staff returned from a quick scouting mission he had undertaken on a speeder bike,
"The Enemy advance Ma'am! I counted at least ten Imperial Eagles!"

The other Officers swore. While they had a total of 11 Legions in the Detachment, only five were formed up and ready for battle, if the Imperial Legions continued unchecked, it would be a slaughter.

"Ma'am!" It was Sanderson again, "We need to halt their advance! Shall I give the order for the Legions to advance?"

The XFC were forming up quickly and efficently into their own deadly divisions. Krystal pondered for a moment. Her own forces were not ready for combat, and already ten Leigons advanced upon them. It was impossible, the Imperials had reacted incredibly fast. "Commander, get our Leigons as far forward as you can without exposing them to enemy fire, and then have them fire from the saftly of the trees. Do not, repeat, DO NOT engage them hand-to-hand. Show them why we trained marksmen."

The Imperials began to form into their ranks and prepare for the attack that was to come. Already they could hear the drumbeats and a mass of black troops appeared on the top of a hill nearby. The path between the Imperials and the APA was completely clear. There wasn't even a rabbit hole in the way.

"Legions! Advance!!" Commanders called up and down the line,
The troops began to move forward in their formations. When they were within range of each others blasters, they would spread out and the killing would begin. Already, the forward ranks of troops could see Imperial field guns being deployed, They prepared for a battering as they advanced.

OOC: What is the local geography?
IC:
The XFC line advanced with the APA Leigons, headed by Gaff. The moment the Imperials were in range of their blaster and explosive weapons the fighting would begin. Aiming up the barrels and though the scopes, they watched the Imperials march towards them. As always, there was so many of them you could be guarenteed to shoot and hit one of them. Now it would come down to forcing them back, not merely holding the line. Krystal stared as the Leigons advanced. Any second now...

OOC: Just a big flat, empty plain with a small, wide hill.

The People's Legions formed up the way they were trained to. However, the sheer number of Imperial Legions meant that the People's Legions had to be spread half as thickly as they usually would be to counter the advance. The plains echoed as the first Imperial Field guns opened up on the thinner line of People's Troops. The bolts and shells tore through the files of Imperial troops, scattering bone, blood and limbs in all directions. Within seconds, Corporals were at the gap, pushing and tugging men to fill the gaps in the line. A shrapnel shell exploded directly in front of their positions and instantly, a dozen men twisted and fell as the torn metal ripped through their armour. The troops behind them nervously moved forward to fill in the gaps. All along the line, men were being thrown back or tipped slowly forward as the Imperial artillery tore at the front line.

The People's Artillery was also shredding at the Imperial line but their masses of troops didn't even seem to be dented by their bombardment, while the People's Legions were getting thinner and thinner. Officers sweated under their armour. It wouldn't be long before the real slaughter would begin.

Just like Rio Casa, Tenfour, the battle for the fuel, all over again. Massive Imperial forces are holding despite continual bombardments. Weaker allied lines were being massacured by Imperial fire and shells. There wasn't an inch of cover anywhere. To strengthen the lines would simply cause the deaths of more soldiers. To break and try to form differently would open a gap for the Imperial Leigons to shove though. To hold the line would result in the inevitable destruction and retreat of the APA Legions.
So Krystal pulled out all the stops and countermanded her previous order.
The Star Snake swooped down out of the sky and strafed and bombed the artillery, leaving dozens of yards of scortched earth around them. Simultaniously it shot large missiles at the Imperial front lines, causing massive explosions and resulting in the virtual disintigration of the first line of Imperial soldiers, throwing up dirt and shoving soldiers further back to the ground. Now, while they were disoriented, the APA and XFC commenced a seemingly suicidal charge directly at the Imperial Legions. But with the artillery being rapidly destoryed by the Star Snake and the forward Imperial troops stunned or dead, hopefully they would meet little opposition and be able to slice though the enemy army.

The Imperial troop's frontline may have been devastated but the APA's charge was a gift from heaven. They broke formations charged. When they did, the Imperial troops simply knelt, took aim and fired.

It was the slaughter they had dreaded. APA troops twisted and fell all around as they were hit by the rapid fire of the Imperial laser weapons. A few tried desperately to reform the line and return fire but now Officers had lost contact with their troops in the heat of the charge and whole Battalions were strung out so far that the commanders weren't even in contact. Now their nerves broke and they turned and fled. As they did so, they left behind a carpet of dead and dying infantry. The Imperials whooped with joy and chased the fugitives across the field, enjoying the slaughter,
Sanderson burst into HQ, he had been out in the field, trying to salvage the debacle but now he appeared and he was furious.
"Who ordered the charge!!" He screamed in a blind fury.

OOC:
Okay, hold up. How does that work? The Imperial front lines have just been blown to hell. That means there's dirt and smoke and body parts flying around, and anyone who's not dead is lying on the ground, stunned, or shell shocked. The next line wouldn't be able to fire for their comrades in the way, and the charging soldiers would have been screened by the explosions and dirt up until the instant they met with the Imperial lines. There's no way the Imperials would have been able to recover so quickly, even if they are so well trained and disciplined.

OOC:
Okay, hold up. How does that work? The Imperial front lines have just been blown to hell. That means there's dirt and smoke and body parts flying around, and anyone who's not dead is lying on the ground, stunned, or shell shocked. The next line wouldn't be able to fire for their comrades in the way, and the charging soldiers would have been screened by the explosions and dirt up until the instant they met with the Imperial lines. There's no way the Imperials would have been able to recover so quickly, even if they are so well trained and disciplined.

OOC:
The whole ARMY is advanced, ten Legions, 100,000 men. If the frontline has been cut down (By which I took as the first rank,) the second are TRAINED to step in front and return fire, that's how the formation system works. The frontline is cannon-fodder and the second steps forward and takes the attack. The two attacking armies are at least a couple of hundred yards apart and there are so many that the Imperials could fire blind into the smoke and destroy them easily with automatic fire.
This is also proving a point that if the Rebel troops had staying in formation, they would be inflicting the same damage on the Imperials. But they were ordered to charge and so lost the advantage.
Besides, there is NO WAY one ship could destroy the ENTIRE front of 10 Legions when each front consists of two Battalions.

OOC: There are incredibly destructive, wide radias bombs avaliable today which could do exactly such as you said, but point taken. I apologize, I'm just sick of losing horribly everytime I engage the enemy. But I guess it all comes down to battlefield tactics.
IC:
Krystal turned to him, looking grim, her eyes dead. "I did." she whispered in horror.
Battlefield...
The XFC took terrible losses, soldiers struck down before they could even reach enemy positions, let alone fire a shot. The rest ran for it along with the survivors of the APA, a few taking wild potshots over their shoulders, most just running in terror.
Star Snake...
Witnessing the destruction of the Resistance Army, Kartosh cursed, loudly and long winded. The Star Snake jerked upward, away from the masses of trumphent Imperials and the piles of dead XFC and APA soldiers, fallen in vain.

Sanderson swore at her, allowing all his anger to flow out at her, "You stupid woman!! An Admiral, eh? Try and leave the soldiering to us next time!!" He turned and stormed out of the tent that had been set up, kicking a load of metal over as he did so. There was a deadly silence as the Officers watched Krystal for a reaction.

Battlefield

The Commanders of the five Legions yet to be committed to battle watched in horror as their friends fled. They had yet to be committed and were standing nearby watching the slaughter. Now Sanderson caught up with their Corps Leader,
"Sound the advance!"

"Sir!?!"

"Damn it, I'm not here for a discussion! Sound the advance or I'll throw you in front of those Legions!!" He roared at the man. The man just shivered and nodded to his drummer boys who started to beat out an advance. Despite the horror, the training of the APA came through and the Five surviving Legions advanced on the enemy. This time, Sanderson was amongst them as Officers tore away to drag the fleeing troops back into battle.

There was no reaction from Krystal. She wanted to scream and cry and huddle into a corner for a while all at once. She had failed. She failed her people, she failed her soldiers, she had failed herself. The words echoed in her mind. Failed...failed...failed...
In a daze the Xiscapian slowly walked out of the tent.
Battlefield...
The XFC, what was left of it after the disasterious charge, formed up again, shaky and afraid. Their Commander had sent them to destruction. Could this ex-Imperial, an Alversian, do any better? These thoughts were clearly printed on their faces, though none of them spoke. They had gone from some six thousand soldiers down to four and a half, below Battalion strength.

The Staff Officers watched as Krystal left. Still none said a word. What had they expected? She was an Admiral. She had been trained to fight in space, not lead ground forces, why had Maximus promoted her to commander the Detachment? To prove that the Xiscapians were a key part of this. It had to have been a political reason of course! That reason had gutted five Legions and now another five were heading into the heart of the enemy weaponry.

Battlefield

The drumming grew louder as the screams of shells started to sound and great piles of dirt were thrown into the air. Still the Legions advanced. THIS was that they had been trained to do, endure the enemy fire then gut them at close range. That was what the Imperials had done and now it was what the Rebels would do.

Shells started to find their marks on the formations. Shrapnel spat at the troops, felling up to a dozen at a time, even more were thrown backwards as shells exploded in front of them or alternately thrown forward if they exploded behind. The advance was shown to have left dozens of troops behind, dead or dying, some were wounded and crawling back to try and get help. None of the advancing troops would stop.

"Legions!! Halt!!!" Sanderson screamed, then waited as his orders were echoed along the line. There had been one advantage to the barrage they had endured and it was the same advantage they would have enjoyed if they had remained in formation previously. The Imperial troops waited in formation, listening to the drums that signaled the Rebel Legions were still advancing. But the drums were playing only on Sanderson's orders to fool the Imperials, there was just over a hundred meters between them although the Imperials thought it was much further and so held their fire.

The Rebel Legions brought their weapons to their shoulders, awaiting the order to fire,
"Five second burst" Sanderson whispered, "Then charge"

The order was whispered up and down the line and troops waited the order.

"Infantry..." Sanderson whispered, "OPEN FIRE!!" He roared.

Every man who had a shot now squeezed the trigger on his weapon and held it for five seconds. The strings of laser fire disappeared into the smoke. No one could see the damage they had done but now screams and cried could be heard over the blaster fire. Then, without the need to repeat the order, the Rebel Infantry charged.

Behind the smoke was chaos, every blast seemed to have found a target and no less than a dozen ranks seemed to have fallen. The remaining Imperials stared in disbelief. The enemy had been so far away, they thought, how could they have inflicted so much damage.

Now, seeing the masses of screaming infantry advancing with bayonets, the infamous Alversian Imperial infantry performed an act rarely seen before.

They broke ranks and fled.

Their commander, staring from the hilltop in shock, watched as five Rebel Legions tore into the heart of his ten. The centre was retreating and the flanks weren't going to hold the line on their own. They too withdrew although in good order. The People's Army had won.

Elsewhere...
Krystal wandered away, shocked, unthinking, her feet carrying her to a unknown destination. She stumbled into a unoccupied tent, used for storage. With trembling hands she scrabbled despretly at her belt. Withdrawing her pistol, she flicked off the safty, closed her eyes, and raised the gun barrel to her mouth.
Battlefield...
The XFC soldiers watched as the Imperials ran for their lives. Strange. A few modifications to the prior plan, and they'd won so easily. But at a terrible cost. Their own dead comrades lay at their feet. The XFC were surprised at the brutality of the APA tactics. Not on the enemy, but at their own soldiers. Their tactics left no room for the wounded, marching over their own bloodied comrades, leaving them behind to fend for themselves. Nevertheless, their tactics were amazingly effective. They had won once again. But did the General and his army on the other side succeed as well?

Krystal was interrupted by one of her Staff Officers who burst into the tent excitedly,
"Ma'am! Ma'am! The Imperial Army is in retreat we've..."
He stopped dead once he saw the pistol, in her mouth and he went ashen faced,
"By that the gods hold dear!" He swore and ducked out of the tent. He tore across the camp to reach a communicator, he had to reach a certain someone...

Battlefield

Now that the battle was over and the Imperial Army in retreat, the APA turned and started to attend to their wounded and their dead. They grimaced as they piled the bodies of the dead, both Imperial and APA onto massive piles. The wounded were dragged to stations in the camp where, although they had been taken from the field, they would probably still die as there wasn't enough Medical staff to deal with the sheer quantities of wounded.

Sanderson grimaced as he heard the casualty figures, the Imperials had lost about 12,500 killed on the field with god only knew how many wounded. The APA, had lost around 10,000 dead and another 13,000 wounded, most of them in the initial charge. A tenth of their strength.

Still, Maximus had been successful on his flank and had already secured the surrender of one planet. He was moving on to the next already and hoped that Krystal would be joining him soon.

Calypso

Since the landings, there had been little for the fleet to do except keep the enemy warships on the ground, Reynolds was relaxing in his Captain's chair when a message came through.
He tapped his ear piece and his eyes widened in horror.

Upon the enterence of the Officer Krystal dropped the pistol in surprise, the weapon clattering to the ground across the tent. She vaugly heard him say something, then pound away across the camp. Shaking violently, she reached out and kneeled by the pistol, hands cradeling the gun to her breast. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and rolled down her face as she rose the gun once more to her head...
And stopped.
Something clicked.
As though coming from the end of a long tunnel, a faint echo resonated though her brain.
The Imperial Army is in retreat...
Battlefield...
The XFC was shocked at the numbers dead and wounded. The APA had lost more than twice the XFC's total force, not to mention wounded! They grimly gathered their own dead and injured and and carefully transported them away. The dead would be burned, and what could be done for the injured would be.

Within moments, Reynolds and Nigripes were on the scene at the tent. They both looked terrified and pale although Nigripes less so than Reynolds.
"Krystal!" Reynolds burst into the tent, "Thank god! We thought you'd..."
He cut himself off,
"Why?" Nigripes asked from just outside the tent, "Why?"

Krystal sat with her back to them, the pistol hung limply from her hands in between her legs. When she spoke it wasn't with the hot fury of lost battles before, nor the cold hate. This was a metallic, emotionless, dead voice.
"Why? Does it really need explination, Captain? It's simple. I am no longer fit for command. Therefore I have no worth to the Resistance. I would merely take up space, and if I was let go or captured I could be forced into revealing critical information. There's no place for me here, not now. I've sent soldiers to their deaths before, but not like this. Never like this."

Reynolds simply shook his head in frustration and left the tent, allowing Nigripes to enter instead. She sat behind Krystal, also facing away,
"You made a tactical error," She stated in her calm voice, "It was not an uncommon mistake. Many have done it before you and many will do it again before the end of the universe."

"But my tactical error cost thousands of soldiers their lives. If Sanderson had not been so quick to take command, it's very possible that we would have lost. The bottom would drop out of the attack and a good part of the APA and XFC would have been destroyed. My tactical error," she spat the words now, "nearly caused the slaughter of half of the Resistance's standing army. I said so before, I am no longer fit for command. The Resistance cannot afford another mistake like that."

"But my tactical error cost thousands of soldiers their lives. If Sanderson had not been so quick to take command, it's very possible that we would have lost. The bottom would drop out of the attack and a good part of the APA and XFC would have been destroyed. My tactical error," she spat the words now, "nearly caused the slaughter of half of the Resistance's standing army. I said so before, I am no longer fit for command. The Resistance cannot afford another mistake like that."

"Risks must be taken in war" Nigripes replied, still calm, "You lacked experience in ground combat. You are an Admiral, not a General and you did what you thought was right by your troops."
She was looking up at the roof of the tent,
"They do not blame you for your mistake. But they will blame you if you desert them" She said firmly, "Like it or not, this Movement needs you. Now more than ever"

Krystal hung her head, still refusing to turn around. "Then may Qonn forgive me." She stood and holstered her pistol, turning. Her face was set and hard, free of tears and sorrow. "Commander, this has been a physically, spiritually and emotionally harrowing time for me," Her voice was quiet yet carrying. "You are right. If I had did what I set out to do, I would be leaving and surrendering as much in death as I ever could in life. You convinced me to see reason, to come to my senses, and for that I am eternally grateful." She still did not smile, but there was a bit of warmth in her eyes. "It seems that I must study and train extensivly if I wish to be an asset on the battlefield."

"Battles are won by Generals, Admiral" Nigripes stated, although she did not turn around but continued to star at the roof of the tent, "Hearts and minds are won by leaders, not generals. You are a Leader, Krystal. The people will follow you. They will need your strength in the months to come" She now turned, revealing her one eye was filled with tenderness,
"It seems that we find our uses in the strangest places"

Krystal smiled. "So it would seem, Commander. So it would seem. So, what comes next, now that the Imperial Army is trapped?"

"Our next strategy will be to march on the Planet's fortress capital and lay seige to it. If they do not surrender, we will storm the fortress and force their surrender. On the other hand, General Sanderson is hopeful that their morale will have been dented enough for them to not to resist" Nigripes reported dutifully. "If they do surrender, it will be us who negotiate with the garrison"

Krystal frowned at this. "Why do we not merely ask for surrender? If they take it, good. If they do not, we can wipe them out from orbit. Forcing them to surrender and destroying them is the same thing. These are not frightened conscripts, these are loyal Imperials. I beleive I am correct in my assessment that we would not be able to get them to join the Resistance. Or do you have an alternative usage for their surrender?"

Nigripes sighed in that Alumina way,
"The fortress cannot be bombarded from space. There are countless woman and children who live within it's walls and none of the People's Army will fight if they are attacked from orbit. Missiles do not distinguish between combatant and none combatant, Admiral. We will of course offer them surrender but they will reject it. Once that happens, we have to force our way inside."
She shrugged,
"On a more positive note, another Legion has deserted from the garrison. With the reformed Legions after the last battle, that brings our numbers to 10 full strength Legions or 200,000 troops not including the XFC. We suspect the garrison is around 4 Legions or 80,000 men. They should not pose a difficulty."

Krystal raised her eyebrows. "Women and children? I did not know. Where is this stronghold, and do we know the basic layout? Normally I would suggest starving them out, laying seige, but we do not have the time for it. Another Legion to us, hmm." She looked out thoughtfully, staring past the camp into the fields beyond.

Nigripes nodded,
"We know the exact layout thanks to a group of deserters from the Fortress itself. We know what exactly we are aiming for. The plan is to offer terms of surrender and when they accept, we shall pound their strongpoints along the walls for a few hours. If they still will not strike their colours, we shall have to make a breach and storm it"
Nigripes grimaced at the thought, breaches were nasty places to be and guaranteed to be bloody.

Krystal nodded. "Then I suggest we get a move on. The main force should be within the visual range of the fortress, but out of weapons range, if possible. We may be able to scare them into surrendering that way. If not, well..." she grimaced. "We'll have to enter and secure."

The Alumina nodded and headed outside the tent, nearby was a speeder to take them to the frontline. They would offer the towering fortress terms of surrender. If they refused, they would be bombarded. Still no answer, then it was to be done the old fashioned way. With men and bayonets.

Soon they were outside the Fortress, the People's Legions had lined up and were dwarfed by walls of the massive structure. It seemed to jut out at random angles and at intervals along the wall lay what seemed like pillboxes sticking out of the wall.

"Good Fortress," Nigripes stated grimly, "Ready to do this?" she indicated the white flag she was carrying.

Krystal nodded. "Let's go." The ranks of the XFC were formed behind her. Before the Legions had begun joining the XFC had the largest part of the Resistance. With nearly a quarter of a million ex-Imperial soldiers, that title now belonged to the APA. Nonetheless, the XFC soldiers were a respectable fighting unit on their own. They were the heros of their people, the freedom fighters coming to liberation.

The Alumina and Xiscapian approached under the white flag. From the walls it would be hard to miss the masses of Rebel Troops who stood outside their haven, now an Officer called down from the gate,
"What is it you want?" He asked. Two of the massive turrets perched on the wall now turned slowly to face the two Rebels.

Krystal called out. "The APA and XFC wish to negotiate surrender terms with the fortress Commander. The soldiers and civilians inside will not be harmed."

The man on the wall called out,
"What about weapons?" He asked,
"The Fortress Garrison will be permitted to leave with all weapons intact and will be granted amnesty for thirty miles before it becomes an active combat force again!" Nigripes called back up, as soon as she had done, she coughed violently and grabbed a canteen of water, "Should not have done that" She said to herself lightly as she took a deep drink.

The Officer on the wall hesitated then called back down again,
"You two may enter the fortress to negotiate surrender. You will not be harmed"

"How about this? Your commander comes down and we discuss this in the open?" Nigripes suggested, then coughed again.

The Officer on the wall hesitated, then disappeared.

There was silence.

The XFC soldiers shifted uncomfortably, keeping ranks. None of them liked the idea of their Admiral just walking right into enemy territory, at the mercy of Imperials. Krystal studied the fortress as she waited, proping for good attack spots. Of course, if they tried anything funny in there the chances she and Nigripes would get out alive would be near zero, but if it did come to it then at least she'd be ready.

The wrought titanium gates of the Fortress were flung open and an old man walked out with two of other Officers,
"What do you want?" He sneered.

Krystal barely concealed a sigh that would have made an Alumina proud. "Commander," she said, repeating what she and Nigripes had already said, "The APA and XFC wish to negotiate surrender terms with you. The Fortress Garrison will be permitted to leave with all weapons intact and will be granted amnesty for thirty miles before it becomes an active combat force again. What say you?"

"And if we refuse?" The Commander asked, sneering still.
"We pound your fortress into submission" Nigripes replied coldly. The Commander looked at her and shuddered. He had never seen something as frightening looking as a one-eyed Alumina with scars littering her face. They were intimidating enough in perfect health.

"Fine" He growled, "I want my troops guaranteed for thirty miles. After that, we will meet on the field"

"So we shall" She growled in response.

Then both parties turned and headed for their respective camps,
"That was surprisingly easy" Nigripes stated lightly, then coughed again.

"You believe they will uphold their part of the bargain?" asked Krystal as they proceeded back. The XFC were relieved to have their Admiral back unmolstered and unharmed. They stared at the fortress as the Admiral and her second-in-command walked away. Soon it would be empty of Imperial soldiers and the stronghold would be theirs. Then they would destroy the Imperials on the battlefield.

Nigripes watched with the patience of an Alumina as the great door were opened and the first columns of black troops approached. Her eyes turned skyward to the Fortress' highest point. She was just in time to see the black flag of the Imperial Army being dragged down,
"They appear to be doing so" She stated lightly, aloofly

The XFC and APA stood aside to allow the Imperial Legions room to pass. The kitsune bristled at the sight of their enemies but did nothing behind the baring of teeth, flattening of ears and rapid swishing of tails. Krystal stood impassively as the fortress emptied. "What will they leave in there?" she muttered to Nigripes.
OOC: TG

"I shudder to think, Admiral" She stated in reply as the last columns left the Fortress and headed for the open plains of the northern continent. The People's Legions began to move into the city, changing little except the colour of the armour and the type of flag.
"I think the dungeons are in order" Nigripes stated calmly.

Krystal grimaced. "Let's go have a look, shall we?" XFC troops did not move in aside from a few commanders and guards. The stronghold was imposing above them, high walls and spiky turrets glaring down. "Once they get thirty miles away," said Krystal was they proceeded, "what is stopping us from striking them from orbit? Or have they taken civilians with them too?"

"They will have women and children" Nigripes replied calmly as they walked through the streets, "but I do not expect their morale to be high. We can dispatch one of the Generals with seven Legions to defeat them, then return with Prisoners"
They stopped outside a tall building,
"I believe this is it" She observed, "After you"

Krystal bit her lip and entered. The first thing that hit her was the smell. Dung, blood, sweat and the smell of unwashed bodies all combined with the raw scent of fear. Krystal's eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom inside and she saw rows upon rows of cells, floors of them extending high into the distance. The worst thing was the silence. There was no crying, no groaning, no speaking. Nothing. Just dead silence. Krystal's footfalls echoed loudly on the floor as she stepped forward. "C'mon." she said to Nigripes, and they walked inward.
OOC: Your prison, your call.

Nigripes knew from experience what to expect and, in every cell, she wasn't proven wrong. Unfortunately for her.

The reason there was a deadly silence was obvious. Every single inhabitant within the Prison had been slaughtered in cold blood. Each had had their throat slit neatly open by a single bayonet cut and now lay in small piles, blood flowing like a river into the drains.

Men, women, children, young, old, Alversian, Xiscapian, other species. None had been spared.

Krystal strode forward and knelt by a cell. Two Xiscapians laid at the door, arms tangled with each others. Their hair and fur was matted with blood and grime, and they were so locked in a lovers death embrace that it was difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. Krystal had turned cold and hard, she had seen much gore and bloodshed, she had seen helpless prisoners slaughtered. But these, many of these, they weren't even soldiers. Civilians, children even! Murdered, massacured as they could only watch death approach in helpless terror. Executed, slain, butchered. Krystal stood, her left knee soaked in gore. "Why?"

For once, Nigripes was lost for words. There were no Alumina in the cells but they would have been executed long ago. She just gulped and looked around, trying to make sense of the terrible slaughter. She was already counting in her mind how many there would be. She guessed it at about 112 individuals who had been killed in such cold blood.
"I...I believe they were killed to avoid us finding any information of their mistreatment, lest we took our revenge on the populace" She shook her head, "If they had had the time, my estimate is that they would have incinerated the bodies to hide all the evidence"

Rio Casa

The 12th Legion or to give it it's full title, the 12th Imperial Legion of the Emperor's Household Guards, was one of the units that Nigripes had warned would be fanatical and one of those that had so dirtied the name of the Imperial Army. These troops were the elite of the Army, the most experienced and loyal soldiers from the Empire were concentrated into 12 Legions. One of these was posted in Rio Casa.

Praetor Alhansa was not a happy man. Far from it. The remnant of the XFC attack still hide in the forests and launched guerrilla attacks on his more isolated Garrisons and patrols. Although he had caught a substantial part of the force and destroyed it. A minority remained a thorn in his side.

He already knew what he was going to do.

It was a busy market day in Rio Casa and the citizens, although fearful, could not avoid the tasks of purchasing and selling to keep themselves alive. So they tried to ignore the Imperial Troops who formed long lines at either end of the open square and get on with their lives. Except that today there were twice as many troops as normal and they were not standing in line but in two ranks at both ends of the square.

Troops at both aims prepared themselves
"Fire at will!" And they opened fire on the crowds.

Krystal looked around with a heavy heart. Captured, forced to live in filth, and the brutally executed, such was the fate of those here. She had come to expect such meaningless cruelty from them, but the slaughter of over a hundred species was far too much.
"I'll kill them all."
Rio Casa, Marketplace...
Razen had been casting nervous glances at the soldiers the whole time. The Imperials were bullies, shoving to get to the head of lines, stealing, upseting carts and merchant stalls for the fun of it. There was usually some here, but with growing unease he noticed that the numbers had swelled to beyond normal. So by the time he heard "Fire at will!", he had already dove under a cart.
Others were not so lucky.
Caught by surprise, marketgoers, merchants and beggers alike twisted and fell, guns burning smoking holes though their clothing. Men, women, young, old, all were kitsune. The downtroden populance decreased now by several dozen as carts errupted into flames and Xiscapians took fire. Panicked, some ran to the other end of the square, only to be met and killed by soldiers there too. Screams of terror, cries of pain and hurried begging filled the air, mixing with the roar of Imperial guns and the woosh of wood and clothing combusting, the thud of bodies falling to the ground. There were no handy side alleys to escape down, only clear space from one end to the other, seperated by a small, low fountain. A few dove in to be protected by the stone walls, and others, like Razen, threw themselves under carts, or played dead in the street as bolt flashed above them. A few of the side stores still in operation and not boarded up held mobs of frightened civilians, pressed in together with no escape.

"We must show compassion" Nigripes reminded her sternly, "If we are to win this war, we need to let the Deserters know that they will find a haven in our ranks" She stated then turned to a Lieutenant who had entered pale-faced.
"What is it?" She asked curtly,
"Ma'am, we have a Company from the garrison who remained behind. They wish to join our ranks" He reported, fighting back the urge to throw up.

Rio Casa

The Alversian troops now broke formation and tore into the masses bodies strewn across the market place. Some were just bayoneting random dead bodies, others were looting wildly picking the bodies apart expertly.

Then there were those hiding in the shop, the Soldiers took great pleasure in throwing in grenades and waiting for the screams.

Rio Casa, Streets

Four Imperial Soldiers, off-duty, were walking through the streets of Rio Casa. Everywhere they went, they were treated with a mixture of fear and respect. Although the later was inspired by the former. They were standing outside a bar when they spotted a Xiscapian Female, teenager, scuttling across the street to avoid them. Grinning, they crossed the road and cut her off.

"What is your name, gorgeous?" one slurred.

"Nevertheless, I will have the heads of the one's who did this." Krystal turned and her face brightened at the news. "More defectors? This is good, very good for the cause." She glanced at Nigripes. "Shall we speak to their commander?"
Rio Casa, Marketplace...
As the event which would later be known as the "Massacure of the Blue Square", dozens of innocent kitsune civilians died. Grenades blew out shops and threw terrified civilians high into the air, smashing glass and splattering blood and body parts everywhere. Shopkeepers flenched and scuttled away as Imperial looters entered their shops, stealing everything they could get their hands on.
Rio Casa...
The frightened girl continued to back away, eyes wide. Her name was Shan, and she had heard horror stories about Imperial soldiers and Xiscapian females. Her purple locks swung wildly as she shook her fifteen-year-old head. "Please, don't hurt me..." she whispered, backing right into one of the soldiers.

The Company Commander was young, as were his 500 Troops,
"We wish to pledge allegiance to you" Was all he stated, nervously.

Rio Casa Streets

The Imperial Soldiers had cut off all of Shan's escape routes and now one advanced on her, grinning,
"May I see your pass, Ma'am?" He asked her, his own eyes widening and his men sniggering.

"Three weeks basic training, one week advanced training, Ma'am" Was the answer from the young Captain, "We have never been in action"

Rio Casa

"Calm down, Bitch, Jay-sus! Let me see your pass. Now" He uttered the last word menacingly as the other troops with him began to draw their service pistols.

Krystal looked the man up and down. "Tell me, soldier. What training did you go though?" She asked pleasantly, but there was a deadly gleam in her eyes. She wouldn't dream of turning them away, but many of the former-Imperials they received were greenhorns and raw recruits, just out of basic training, or worse, with no training.
Rio Casa...
"What do you mean?" she sputtered, moving into the middle, her hackles beginning to raise. Her teeth were bared and her ears began to flatten to her skull. "What do you want? Stop it!" She was scared, very scared.

"Three weeks basic training, one week advanced training, Ma'am" Was the answer from the young Captain, "We have never been in action"

Rio Casa

"Calm down, Bitch, Jay-sus! Let me see your pass. Now" He uttered the last word menacingly as the other troops with him began to draw their service pistols.
Krystal nodded. "Very well. Commander Nigripes," she turned to the Alumina, "can we get a APA Commander over here to fold these troops into his Legion?"
Rio Casa...
Wide-eyed at the sight of the pistols, Shan fumbled in her pants pocket and withdrew a tiny purple laminated card, mutely handing it over, staring at the pistols.

"Of course, Admiral" Nigripes turned and left the room, knowing that she had drawn quite a few stares. When the rest of her people arrived, she knew she would get more than a few stares.

Rio Casa

The Soldier took the pass and examined it carefully, holding it up to the fading light of day. After a few moments he looked at the girl, tutted and shook his head slowly,
"You're missing a stamp from the back" He showed her, smiling, "I'm afraid you're gonna have to come with us" The others began to advance on her.

Shan visibly shrank as the Imperials advanced upon her. There was no one to help her. No one would dare go against the Imperials, there was no future in it. Just capture, torture, and death. Her parents were too far away, at home...or at the marketplace, where they worked as merchants. Either way, they were too far away to help.

As Nigripes left, a rather stressed looking Lieutenant entered and saluted Krystal,
"Sorry Ma'am but there is a 'Supreme Lioness' in orbit over the planet with a rather large fleet. She will talk to you only" he stated.

Rio Casa

The Soldiers grinned as they slapped the girl in plasmacuffs and forced her down the street. The right stamp had been there all along, concealed by his thumb. Now he and the lads were gonna have some fun tonight. Then she could go home to her mommy and daddy.

Krystal nodded. "Let me speak to her." She called up a holo image to her, featuring the Supreme Lioness. "Supreme Lioness," She bowed to the little image.
Rio Casa...
Shan began to struggle, she knew she had the right number of stamps, having caught a glimpse of the card. However, the Imperials had the right to do whatever they pleased with the citizens of conquered planets: Murder, stealing, rape, anything they pleased. From the doorway across the street and down the block a male watched them. Using a hidden comlink fashioned by the XFC, he murmured without moving his lips.
"Target is on the move, down West Ave."
"Copy that. Spring has been set."
Now they waited for the Imperials to go where they knew they would.

The Supreme Lioness looked even colder and unfriendly than even Nigripes had been when they first met,
"You wanted us to join your rebellion" She snarled, "Why? Speak quickly!"

Rio Casa

The barracks was only two blocks away now and it was full of drunken, rowdy soldiers waiting for a poor, innocent girl to be shoved in front of them. The lights in the streets, newly added after the conquest came on one by one and the Soldiers whispered into Shan's ear abut what terror she could expect with their fellow soldiers.

"You ask why? Supreme Lioness, I have no time for foolishness. We are all here for a very simple reason, and that is freedom to the conquered people. Now you are here. The question is: Are you in," she stared hard, "or out?"
Rio Casa...
The streets were deserted, citizens have fled to their homes after the killings. The four soldiers were grouped around a increasingly panicked Shan, who could not seem to speak but only breath in short gasps. The plan called for silence and stealth until the right moment. Something the Xiscapians were generally good at.

"Foolishness, Commander?" The Lioness sneered, "You talk to me of foolishness when you plan to lead a quarter of a million Conscripts against a hundred and thirty million of the finest troops this galaxy has ever seen. You dare to question my judgement when you are like a spotlight in the dark, drawing every army within a hundred lightyears to your position. You are really stupid enough to think that the Emperor will let this go unchecked? Even now, he assembles the Household Guards for battle. Your forces are splintered, divided by distance and all you have in your advantage is one 'super ship' and a Captain who can't be trusted. Foolishness, Commander?" The Lioness gave a mocking laugh,
"As for joining this suicide attempt, what would be in it for us if we were to sacrifice ourselves to liberate your homeworld?"

Rio Casa

The four Alversians and the young girl were just a block from the barracks and here the road split. One could either take the main street around the corner and reach the barracks that way, or one could take a narrow side street and cut the corner completely. The Soldiers chose the second option and one even managed to find a collar and leash in a nearby shop window. He didn't pay for it obviously but just smashed the glass and grabbed the collar and leash.

"Now then," he laughed once he had attached the collar around her young neck and started pulling on the chain, "You are a proper bitch, so let's move shall we?" He yanked hard on the collar to pull her forwards.

"I want her first," One if the men growled from the back, "When, she's still fresh"

"I am well aware of what the Emperor has done and will do. I do not know why you beleive John Reynolds cannot be trusted, but that is your own opinion. Supreme Lioness, I am not going to speak of sacrifices with you. But I assure you, what is known as the domino effect is present here. If Xiscapia falls, then so will the other conquered worlds. Even as we liberate them we will gain more and more soldiers, from the oppressed people and parts of the Imperial Army itself, to swell our ranks. We are in the middle of training our soldiers from raw recruits to seasoned fighters. You have everything to lose by joining us, but you also have everything to gain."
Krystal was attempting diplomacy and calm, much like the Alumina themselves, rather than the hot rage she often felt.
Rio Casa...
Shan said nothing and unresistantly allowed herself to be pulled along.
"Now?"
"No! Wait until they get into the barracks!"
"But now presents an oppertune time to strike! They'd never know-"
"We have our orders. We wait."

"You truly believe that?" The Lioness sneered again, "You think that an Imperial Garrison 200 light years away is going to be overthrown because of this? That is, without a doubt Admiral, one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. The Imperial Army is dug into every planet, Xiscapian. They may have only been on your planet for three years but they have been others for decades. Alumina now has more Alversians than it does Natives. Do tell, prey, how we are to rid a galaxy of Imperial troops?" She asked, looking down her nose at the Admiral.

OOC: Uh, you know the Barracks has a garrison of like 500 men?

Krystal sighed. "And how many of those Imperial soldiers actually want to be there? The Empire has a huge conscript service, most of it's soldiers are ordinary citizens who would rather not be fighting. As soon as they hear word of the Resistance victory, it will plant seeds of doubt. Fight the Resistance, and be killed. Or, allie with the Resistance, and fight for freedom. We will rid the galaxy of Alversian soldiers not by killing, but by converting. Soon enough only the most loyal Leigons will be left, and as the Imperials themselves demonstrated countless times, overwhelming firepower and numbers can overcome even the best of ships and soldiers."
OOC: I know what I'm doing. Continue.

"You may like to think that, Admiral and I am sure you have convinced those fools flying your flag that it will happen but I know that you will not succeed. Now you have one of my Officers as a captive and I want her returned. Now" The last word was made to sound like a threatening growl.

Rio Casa

Soon, they were at the barracks. They were saluted through the gates by the four troops on guard and another dozen on the wall above the gateway. Shan was soon thrown in front of a rowdy group of Soldiers, most of them drunk and the rest on their way there.
"Dance! Dance!" They started calling as the young girl was uncuffed but left leashed to a nearby pillar, "Strip! Strip!" They started to make wolf-whistles and cat-calls.

"Commander Nigripes may decide for herself."
Krystal pushed an intercomm button. "Yes. Tell Commander Nigripes I need her in the transmission room, ASAP."
Barracks...
"Oh? You want me to dance?" She grinned wolfishly. "I'll dance for you...in hell!"
She lifted her shirt up to her chest, exposing her white stomach, and a little blinking device on a carefully concealed belt.
"The signal! Punch it!"
KA-BOOM!
The entire building exploded in a gigantic fireball. The soldiers closest to Shan were the luckiest, being incinerated before they knew what hit them. Those further away felt the heat hit them, stripping their screaming bodies of armor and flesh before vaporizing what was left. The wall of fire slammed into the edges of the complex, blowing out walls, sending guards in towers and on battlements high into the air before coming down with sickening cracks. Windows smashed outward, showing the streets and surronding buildings with red-hot glass. Stone parts of the building crumbled, metal bent from the force and melted slightly, and all that was left was a pile of buring rubble in a crater, the building surronded by dead soldiers, bits of soldiers and debries. In the act of the slaughter of Massacure of the Blue Square, the XFC exacted it's revenge. Killing civilians would only promote them to help the underground XFC Resistance movement. Like the suicidal bomber Shan.

The Lieutenant returned moments later with Nigripes in tow, she took one look at the view-screen then quickly glanced away towards Krystal,
"You requested my presence, Admiral?" She asked stiffly, it seemed that being around an Alumina inspired arrogance in the rest of them.

Xiscapia

It had probably seemed like a good idea at the time. When the XFC blew the Rio Casa barracks, killing 120 men and wounding 300, they had set the ball in motion. The 12th Legion wasn't going to take an attack like this laying down.

A village outside Rio Casa was chosen as the perfect target. Population of 2,500 people, all innocent, all about to be on the receiving end of some Imperial justice.

Alhansa watched as two full Battalions of his own Legion assembled in the fields surrounding the village and UAT's assembled in a long line on a hill overlooking the sleepy place.

"UATS!!" Alhansa roared, "OPEN FIRE!!"

They started to pound the Village, one by one.

"Yes," Krystal nodded, "the Supreme Lioness wishs you to return to your fleet."
Just outside Rio Casa...
Stone and brick houses exploded into fireballs and kitsune were tossed into the air, thrown high and far to land in bloody heaps. The survivors ran for it in all directions, but no matter which way they ran it was always straight to Imperial lasers or bayonets. Like the square, it didn't matter who you were. Men, women, children, young, old, strong and limber, sick and weak, Resistance-affiliated and totally innocent, all were struck down in some manner.
Rio Casa...
The low throb of the male choir made deep, haunting voices in the cavernous gray and black stoned chapel, kitsune in orange hodded robes praying and going about churchly business. Inside the High Priest's office the door slowly opened and a Priest scuttled in, bowing low before the white garbed High Priest. "Father," he said, and something about the young mans voice man the High Priest look up. "What is it, my child?"
"Father, I fear for our people."
"I know. I have heard of Imperial reprisals against those in the Resistance."
"This cannot go on. Surly we will break like a poorly forged sword!"
"We may not. The will of the people must remain unified and strong, even in the face of adversity."
"But Father, what shall we do?"
"We? We can do nothing but offer hope and faith."
"Surly..."
"No. It is too risky. I cannot afford to throw this entire Church on the line for them."
"Even our people?"
"We do what we can for them. To invit the Rebels in would be folly, my son."
"As you say, Father, strength must be lended to those who are weak."
"Do not use my own tounge against me! Even as it is, the invaders may one day decide to destroy an entire church. You know as well as I that we are the largest in Rio Casa. We could be targeted at any time. Best we do not draw attention to ourselves."
Angered, but determined not to show it, the Priest bowed again. "As you wish, Father."

"She does?" a look of surprise flashed across the Alumina's face. Then she turned to the viewscreen. All would be able to see the look of repulsion that the Supreme Lioness would give Nigripes as she turned to address her.

"Pantheria-Captain" The Lioness stated stiffly,

"Supreme Lioness" Was the reply.

"You have been..."There was a pause as the Lioness struggled to find the right word to describe her disgust, "...injured"

"I was wounded by a traitor to the Rebel Movements. He is dead"

"Yet a Traitor there was?"

"Yes"

"Then they are not trustworthy. Return to my vessel immediately and we will see what we can do for your...disfigurement"

Nigripes started to look annoyed at the Lioness, her one eye narrowing, "I want to stay here"

"What did you say?"

"I want to remain with the XFC and APA, they have our best chance of freedom"

"I will not tolerate this, Pantheria Captain. Return or face exile"

"Then this is goodbye, Lioness"

"So be it" She vanished, the link cut.

Nigripes sighed sadly and turned to face Krystal again,
"So it is done" She stated.

Krystal could only nod silently. Her own people, when faced with crimes too large for imprisonment but not bad enough for death, sent criminals into exile, never to return to Xiscapia. She did not know what the Alumina sentence was, but she was aware that exile was a very serious punishment. Nigripes would be cut off from her people, perhaps permanently. But she had other things to worry about.
"So the Alumina are going to withdraw?"
Tenfour...
Six trucks rumbled down the street, heavy tires crushing street debries. Two armed speeders flew with the third truck in the column, escorts. Large repeating guns poked out of the back, manned by a Imperial soldier, and duel forward chainguns rested on axis. These trucks were carrying more soldiers, back from a strike in the forest to eliminate a XFC resistance cell. They had been largly successful, slaughtering the unsuspecting platoon of XFC soldiers camped there. But as they entered the streets of Tenfour vengeful XFC waited for them there too, ready to fire at the right moment.

The Alumina nodded sadly,
"The Supreme Lioness sees no reason to trust you and now sees no reason to trust me. We will have to do this without their help, Admiral" This news seemed to sadden her most of all. The Alumina's hardline attitude had been brought back to her, she had gone soft.

Tenfour

The convoy continued through the streets of Tenfour, unsuspecting and unaware. They were looking forward to a good night's drinking after the thrill of the slaughter.

Krystal looked at the ground. So much to go so wrong in such a short time. "Nigripes, what was it like, when the Imperials attacked your home world? What happened there?"
Tenfour...
They're coming up to it...
Now, sir?
Wait for it, wait for it...
The first two trucks rolled past a street sign, and only as the third reached the crosswalk did anything happen. The first and second trucks were thrown into the air, tires shredded and engines torn apart from stolen Imperial explosive devices situated on the street, ripping apart the soldiers inside with shrapnel. The third truck screetched to a halt, but not before the driver felt a peice of shrapnel burrow though his chest and out his back, exploding though in a shower of gore to coat the cabin. The speeder on the right was struck by a missile from one of the upper windows along the street, which penetrated the armor and hit the gas tank, blowing the escort apart in a huge explosion. Tripod blasters and grenade lauchers opened up on the remaining speeder and three trucks from the windows as the XFC soldier with the rocket laucher prepared another missile.

Nigripes looked at her then sighed,
"You saw how stubborn the Lioness was with you and me. That was what our homeworld was like too. The Alumina do not submit and they do not yield. We were haunted like animals across our own cities, our own plains and in our own deserts. Those who survived were put in chains and forced into zoos or the sex slave trade. 95% of my people are gone, Admiral, only those too stubborn to yield have remained." She looked at the ground and a lone tear ran down her face, "My Clan is gone"

Tenfour

The Soldiers knew a hopeless battle when they saw one and the surviving trucks and Speeders back-pedalled furiously to get out of the street and the killing zone. Men from the 3rd Truck tried to leap out but each was cut down as soon as he showed himself. The smell of burning skin was apparent throughout the area and those soldiers who had managed to find cover now fired up at the buildings.

Krystal frowned. "But if this is so, then where did that fleet come from? When you said your fleet withdrew to wait for an oppertunity to strike, did it withdraw completly without a fight for the planet, conserving your forces for later use?"
The Xiscapians had considered doing what the Alumina had, but it was ultimitly futile. No matter where you went, the Imperials would find you. The woods, moutains, oceans, skies, grasslands, deserts and tundra, no matter how good the Xiscapians were at hiding, they could not do it forever. Better to submit and resist then to openly defy and be destroyed. However, krystal did not understand. If the Alumina were so stubborn, it would have taken the Imperials some time to completly dominate the planet.
Tenfour...
A few stray grenades and rockets followed the retreating vehicles, but the ktisune were packing up and moving out. The soldiers firing on them from cover were unable to get a fix on any one troopers position as the half dozen or so who had destroyed half the convoy escaped, going deep into the vast city before doubling back out to the countryside once more.

Nigripes gave a small smile as Krystal's thought flashed into her head,
"Indeed, it was not a slow process to take my homeworld. But after two decades, the planet was a wasteland and we could no longer go on. Our stubbornness was what killed us, Admiral. More than the Imperials it was our arrogance" She looked away quickly.

Tenfour

12 Soldiers had been killed in the ambush with another 21 wounded. This time, there Imperials showed no mercy at all.
Storming into Tenfour's suburbs, they pulled out as many women as they could find and lined them up.
"To any XFC who are watching, if any more Imperial Troops are attacked, this is what will happen"
Wheeling the women around, they were forced to their knees and a bolt put into the back of each head. When the bodies had slumped forward, the Imperials torched the houses and watched as an entire area of the suburbs went up in flames.

Krystal feared the same was happening back home, on Xiscapia. Any place a country was occupied by hostile foreign nationals there was internal Resistance movement of some kind. There was no doubt that the Imperials were being raided and ambushed by XFC and civilian assistants. Imperial reprisals would be harsh, for every Imperial soldier who met death at least one kitsune would also die.
Tenfour...
Unhalted, the Resistance continued on. The next day, as evening fell, a large motor pool well inside the city was being watched. With the sudden lack of fuel for their vehicles, the Imperials were often forced to patrol on foot, and in numbers, as single troopers had a disturbing tendency to go missing without a trace. Still, the various tanks, speeders, trucks and battlecars still had enough fuel to cause plenty of trouble for a time if it was needed. They needed to be stripped of this advantage. More pressing, however, was a number of prisoners being held at the motor pool for transport. All waited execution. People from every walk of life for every crime: XFC soldiers, Priests, shopkeepers, farmers, bakers, butchers, writers, pilots, in for attacking and killing Imperial soldiers, stealing, suspected of passing on information to the Rebel movement. Some were there for no reason other then the that the happened to be passing at the time. Men and women and children, mostly young, some old. Two hundred kitsune, many completly innocent of any wrong doing. Tonight the XFC would make a bid to free them, with the added benifit of destroying Imperial mobility.

Nigripes sensed this thought as well, the lack of an eye did not prevent her seeing into the minds of others,
"Then we shall have to hurry, shall we not?" She asked, "We are too late to prevent my own people's destruction. Maybe we can prevent yours"

Tenfour

Because of the amount of Prisoners, no less than three Companies had been set to escort them. 1,500 Imperial troops stuck close to their prisoners to make a bombing costly, at the same time, Imperial Aircraft, when they could fly, pounded the forests of Xiscapia relentlessly, using a combination of acid and shrapnel bombs.

Krystal nodded. "The next step. After we defeat the remaining Leigons, where do we go? What is the next domino that falls?"
Countryside...
This was Padga. Hundreds upon hundreds of square miles of forest, with moutains to the far north. You could bomb for decades and never even hit close to where the Resistance was hiding. The moutains were filled with tunnels, mines and catacombs, dotted with lakes which one could hide a small base under and fields in which soldiers could drill. In the forest shrapnel and indeed any kind of explosive device was deadly, sending tree limbs to spear anyone unlucky enough to be caught near the blast. From the dense screen of trees rockets would rise up to meet the fighters and bombers, either blowing them into fragments on contact or sending them spirialing down to a firey death.
Tenfour...
Over a thousand Imperial soldiers. This would take careful planning and a coordinated attack, not to mention actually escaping the city. But there was two things in the attackers favor: The element of surprise, and a massive fuel tank. As the sun dipped downward and the two moons came out the XFC utilized an asset they had never had before: A few APA soldiers. Nearly all the Alversians on-planet were Imperial soldiers, but these were defectors from other Legions, secretly smuggled onto Xiscapia for their knowledge of Imperial tactics and troop stratigies. In a building a block away, deserted with no lights burning a Xiscapian in street clothes stood over a rickity wooded table with a crude map of the motor pool before him. "Where are the Commanders?" he muttered to his aide.

"We should proceed to the next planet" Nigripes stated calmly, wiping away the tears, "There should be minimal defenses"

Tenfour

The Prisoners were held together in a tight group, their escort just in the surrounding area. Any attempt to blow the tank would result in the deaths of every one in that courtyard. Not to mention the risks that this give to the civilian population. Imperials were running out of patience and they would soon launch their full fury on the populace. They didn't care if they had to glass the planet itself. They would stop these marauding animals.

A little further away, one of the APA men sighed,
"We don't know. The high turnover of personnel means that now Officer's locations are kept secret until needed.

"Alright, but now we need to engage this last pocket of resistance before moving on. Do we have a fix on their location?"
Tenfour...
It was difficult to see victory in the situation. If they did attack there was a very good chance the gas tank would blow, killing everyone around it. A few questioned the attack. The liberation of the prisoners and destruction of the motor pool would only result in more reprisals against civilians. Even now the kitsune in charge wondered how he was going to pull this off. Millions had already died or been enslaved, of his own people, untold billions of others out there under Imperial rule dead or in chains as well. The moment they attacked, the prisoners would be killed. But if they covertly sabotauged the vehicles, there would be no risk of exposing forces. The prisoners were already dead, one way or another. And the Imperials had been killing civilians long before the Resistance started. But the moral implications of such an action were terrifying. "Can you see any way to win this?" he asked aloud.

"The garrison's morale has hit rock bottom. They should not be difficult to be defeat" Nigripes stated firmly, "The rest of the Army can then proceed to this planet and prepare to finish the pincer move with Field Marshall Maximus"

Tenfour

"Honestly? No. There is only one way to stop the slaughter" The Rebel sighed, he knew what conclusion he was going to reach, "Total submission to the Empire. Only then will they be merciful to your people"

Krystal nodded. "My forces will not be needed. The APA can have the honor of destroying this last Leigon. Meanwhile we must mobilize once we get our forces together."
Tenfour...
The Xiscapian stared at him. "Are you brain dead? Do you know what you're suggesting? We tried that, before. The people returned to their cities, most of them. There was no active Resistance. And you know what? People still starved to death, women were still raped, men and women and children were still tortured and killed, kitsune vanished in the night, never to be heard from again. You want us to go back, to the way it was before? It makes no difference, wether there is a Resistance or not! My people are still murdered in cold blood every day. For every Xiscapian who dies at the hands of merciless Leigons or drunken soldiers, I've made it my mission to make sure the Imperials lose two."

Nigripes nodded, "The bulk of the APA can move on to the next planet. This battle has been won. The Imperials have taken note" She said, making the point that the next battle may not be so easy.

Tenfour

"And for every two you kill, they will slaughter twenty" The APA man sighed, "There is no way to stop the killing until one side is completely destroyed. And I think it will be your faction before the Imperial Army" he looked up, "It always is"

Krystal nodded. This battle had come very, very close to being a disasterious defeat. She had become overconfident with her last victory, and the fact that commanding infantry was not like commanding battleships was thrown in her face. Much of the battle counted of terrain, and it was more difficult to defeat a larger army on flat plains or slight hills then heavy forests or high mountains. The XFC were mobilizing, packing up and moving out once again. A rocky start, the the next battle would probably be little different.
Tenfour...
The Xiscapian looked thoughtfull. "Submit and die, or fight and die. If that is how it always is, then what has the APA been doing this whole time? Alversia's been under occupation for the longest time, what have you been doing to resist?"
If the XFC followed the APA's example, then maybe there was hope. After all, Xiscapia had only been under occupation for three years, Alversia had been occupied by it's own forces for decades, or so he thought. The kitsune did not know how long the Empire and it's forces had been in place, but it was far longer then Xiscapia's, the longest of any of the currently occupied nations. If the APA had managed to survive this long under Imperial rule, then maybe the XFC could last until Xiscapia was free.

"Then we shall proceed with all haste" Nigripes started then was interrupted by a transmission that ran though her little Alversian communications device. She had purchased one from the Federal Crew and, despite their protests that it was a gift, she had been determined to pay for it.

"A group is approaching the tent," She reported, "They claim to be turncoats from the garrison"

Xiscapia

"We survived by running and hiding. By not striking until the moment was ripe. Alversian is the centre of the Empire, Comrade, they do not see it as under occupation like Xiscapia. When we kill Imperials, it is our families and friends that die. My Wife is in a cell in Illesia at the moment for being linked to me. She is threatened with death in a very painful manner. More painful than I could bear to put her though" he sighed sadly, tears running down his face.

"More defectors," muttered Krystal. "I wish I had thought of this a long time ago. Send whoever claims to be their leader in, please."
Tenfour...
"It is the same here, you know. Maybe not purposefully, but when an Imperial dies, so do kitsune, usually civilians. I lost my brother, years ago, at the start of the occupation," he looked sadly at the Alversian, yanking out a grubby cloth and handing it to him to wipe his face with. "It's hard, man. It's hard. We'll call off the attack. No sense. No sense..." he repeated. If the man was right, the only way to ensure the survival of the Xiscapian people was to stop fighting the Imperials and accept the inevitable.

The flap to the tent was flung open and there stood a rather strange individual, despite the black armour and strange insignia on his shoulder, he seemed to be reeking of positiveness and optimism,
"How you doing?" he exclaimed loudly, causing one of his Escorts to jump , and offered his hand to Krystal,
"Name's Drop Major Nathaniel T. Barnes. 406th Droptroop Brigade. Heard you lot were heading for a scrap, thought you could use some experience" he laughed.
Nigripes just looked at Krystal in disbelief.

Tenfour

"I hate doing it" the man took the cloth and blew his nose, "But what is the point in inflicting more pain on your people? In time, they will be freed. We have to accept that now is not the time. They will come. Until then..." he shrugged helplessly.

"Erm..." Krystal attempted to compose herself, shaking the mans hand. "I am Admiral Krystal. We could certainly use the help, but, well, where did you come from?" she inquired. This man had appeared practically out of nowhere.
Tenfour...
The kitsune nodded mutely, then lifted a communicatior to his mouth, murmumering orders. All around Xiscapians silently withdrew from their positions, stowing weapons and drifting away into the night.

"Meant to march out with old man Smuts and the rest of the garrison. Fat chance eh!?!" He exclaimed loudly again, "Fat Shite didn't even notice we were missing. Thought you people offered a little more excitement than marching for a few miles then being destroyed eh?" He clapped Krystal hard on the shoulder, "Let's see what they do when they have a Drop Brigade screaming down their throats, eh?"

Krystal almost staggered from the clap on the shoulder, surprised yet impressed by the man's enuthsiasm. Most in the APA, XFC or Federation were grim and cold, or angry, or depressed. His warmth and general charisma lifted her spirits a little. "And there's how many of you, now?"

"Oh I have a full Brigade at my command," He puffed his chest up in a mocking pride, "3,500 of the finest Droptroops in this fort...well the only Droptroops in this fort," he muttered sideways to a Lieutenant before turning back to Krystal, "Still, doesn't mean we can't have the title, eh? Who needs to know all the facts, the title's good enough for me!"
Then he turned to Nigripes and gave a low bow,
"Madame." He said in a flowery, fake French accent, "I trust you have been in le guerre?" He asked.
"Yes," Was the rather cold reply from the Alumina, "Imperials" She said to explain her injuries.
"Oh now Madame," He pouted, "We can't have such beauty spoilt and not make the Bastards pay eh?" Of all the species to complement, the Alumina where probably the worst. Nigripes expression did not change,
"Excuse me Admiral, I will see to the deployment of our troops" With that, she was gone.
"WHHOOO-HOO!" Nathan started to yank at his colour, "Anyone else suffering from frostbite in here or is it just me!?"

Krystal couldn't help it. She just grinned. Hanging around Nigripes was getting to her, she supposed, and here comes this man, Nathan. "Major, I am glad to have you and your men in the APA. Drop troopers, hmm? They say you have to be a tad insane to be a drop trooper. Is this so?" She looked at him, wondering if they could use him and his men well on the next planet.

"You don't have to be insane," Nathan's eyes widened in horror, "You have to be completely off the rocker to be a Droptroop. I left my marbles back on Alversia, haven't needed them since. I reckons you plan to attack a planet? Then the Droptroops are the men for this" he looked back out the flap and laughed, "Only we've been on garrison duty for a few months, my men are used to fast beer and loose women instead of fast Dropships and loose bullets. Still," He clapped his hands togather, "Soon change that, eh?"

"Just one question, Major. Did you or did you not partake in the slaughter of the prisoners held inside your fortress? Did any of your men? If they did, I'm sorry to say you will have to turn them over to us as POWs. There's no room in the Resistance for mindless cruelty." Krystal nodded. This was the only issue that had come up, before they destroyed the last of the Imperials on this planet and moved on to the next."

At the mention of the slaughter, Nathan's happy and joyful face dropped into a dark and broading scowl. He actually looked quite menacing and intimidating in this form,
"That massacre was a disgrace to the people of Alversia and to Army that protects it. No, Admiral, we did not take part in it, nor did we discover it until too late. Rest assured, I would have stood to the entrance of that prison myself and slain my own kin before I let them in. Do not associate me with that scum," He spat on the ground in disgust, then in an instant, he was joyful again,
"So! Where to next?" he rubbed his hands together in glee, "Bayonet needs a good old sharpening and I think Imperial Armour's the best for it. What do you think?"

"I think that is a good idea, Major," said Krystal carefully. "Commander Nigripes knows of the next planet. This operation was designed to be a pincher movement, squeezing Imperial forces together to force them into a gap, surrounded and outgunned. We have done our part on this side, and General Maxis will need to have kept up his side if the plan is to work."

"Ah, le Captaine" He said in a flowery voice as one of his men sniggered, "The beauty of the Alumina is meant to be legendary, pity the first one I meet is a military commander with one eye. Still," He clapped his hands together, "Better than nothing, eh?"

"Certainly," Krystal replied, "I would hardly classify the good Commander in such a way, though. One-eyed or not, I think she was quite pretty. I can't judge, really, I'm female, I'm not an Alumina, and Nigripes was the first Alumina I've ever met, but I beleive my assessment is correct. You'd do best to stay on her good side, Major. She can be a great help if she is your friend, and a terrible enemy if not."

"Really?" his eyebrows rose almost comically over his eyes, "Then I must stay on the good side of our Commander then. How do you propose I do that? They seem to be a collectively, although this may be a generalistion, a group of complete and utter Killjoys. Do I have to act depressed to fit in? God! If I have to, I'm running off and joining the Monastery up the mountains!" He laughed again, "Come on, she likes you. Why? What's the key to the heard of the Alumina?"

Krystal cynically thought that getting shot repeatedly must be it, but she didn't say such aloud. "You're probably right about the killjoy part. No emotions, that's their thing. Antisocial Personality Disorder, the whole race infected with it. As for getting on the good side, I honestly don't know why Commander Nigripes warmed to me so suddenly. I can't explain it." she shrugged.

"So...random chance, eh?" Nathan did not seem saddened by the news, in fact, he looked as though the news had made his day,
"No chance better than random chance! All the rest are so easy to predict and calculate. It's tedious. You want excitement! Go for the Random chance! There's a chance you may be killed but it is a random chance!" He laughed again, "I will see the Commander then, extract the information I need from that cold, calculating brain of hers" he gave a mock shiver, "All the best, be speaking to you again"
With that, he was gone, off down the camp whistling away,
"Ma'am?" The Lieutenant asked in wonder, "What was that?"

"Lieutenant," murmured the Admiral, "I am not sure. Methinks I have unleashed a morale onto our camp. But if he is like that all of the time, and his soldiers are as well trained as I think they are, well," she shrugged, "things will get interesting."

"I think they will, Ma'am, I think they will" The Lieutenant gave a salute and exited the tent. It would only be 52 hours before they were moving on and liberating another planet from the clutches of villainy.

The XFC were freshly armed and equipped, and they were beamed back onto their respective transports. Behind the Calypso the Dreadnoughts were forming up once again, more Imperial soldiers joined to the APA. The base camp was left in the hands of the APA as they moved to destroy the last remaining forces of the Imperials.

Nathan stood on the bridge of the Calypso, he whistled loudly, "This is one swanky pad! How much would it cost to steal a ship like this?...I mean borrow, BORROW a ship like this? Yes" He looked about,

Reynolds just looked over at Krystal, "Uh..." He said.

"Another universe?" He asked Reynolds, who nodded in reply, "There's one thing I want to know..."

"...No, in my Universe, Alversia is not part of an all conquering Empire, it is a peace loving, democratic Republic..."

"What? That doesn't concern me at all. What I wanted to know is does it always rain in Illesia during the summer months? The only time I ever get any leave, I always get washed out," He tutted and shook his head.

Reynolds turned back to Krystal in disbelief.

Krystal sighed. "Drop Major Nathan, meet Admiral John Reynolds. Though a series of events too complicated and long to describe fully, the Calypso and most of her current crew are here from a alternate dimension." She paused to see how Nathan would take this. Most would pass it off as "stuff that only happens in science fiction novels" but here was proof. And the first step down the road of helping the Resistance lay in accepting the fact that this ship, and many of the people, did not actually originate from your home dimension.

Krystal shrugged helplessly. "You have to admire him, really. Always looking at the big picture." Around the Bridge a few Federation kitsune were quietly chuckling to themselves.

"Yeah," Reynolds was still shaking his head, "Massive"

"Actually, looking at the small picture is easier," Nathan was still wandering around the bridge, peering into scopes and consoles, "You don't waste as much time then trying to understand everything. I find my job much more enjoyable that way"

Krystal gave a slight roll of her shoulders which may have been interpreted as a shrug. "In your case, all you have to focus on is landing and shooting everything around you. That seems like a small enough picture to me."

Nathan laughed,
"That's what Droptroops do, Ma'am. Hit the ground hard and fast then shoot everything that twitches. I wouldn't have it any other way"

Reynolds came up behind him,
"We're approaching the planet now, it doesn't look like it has a large garrison. Two Legions, 40,000 men"

"In that case, I'd better get started" Nathan rubbed his hands together and left the bridge. Reynolds watched him go,
"Where on earth did you find him?" he asked in amazement.

"One of the last groups of men, a Brigade, in the fortress on the last planet. Droptroopers, bored and unsatisified with their command, and rather reluctent to march out to be shot by the APA, defected to us, with Major Nathan as their leader." Krystal told him, then turned to the task at hand. "This planet. Two Leigons, you say. Where are they and their command posts located, and what is the terrain like?" she inquired.

"Let's see" He turned to a monitor, then frowned, "All mountainous. No flatland at all. Heavy rainfall for the past month or so, so many of the valleys are flooded . We can't even see their command post, it's deep underground in a cavern. We can't hit unless we bring the whole range down." he sighed,

"This is going to be a pure infantry battle, I think" He stated

Krystal nodded. Mountains. That was good, much of Padga was mountains and forests. Her troops would have no problems here, unlike the flat plains. "We have about five thousand XFC soldiers here now, how many APA are combat-ready, including Major Nathan's men?"

"APA? Let me see..." Reynolds brought up a list of units and numbers,
"10 Legions, 400,000 men with about 1,000 guns. That's without Nathan's 5,000 Droptroops" He reported back. Then he frowned,
"It seems that the Imperial troops have dug in, their holding the mountains, that's for sure" He sighed.

"Four hundred thousand men, and a thousand guns. Artillery peices. Hmm," Krystal looked thoughtful. "Call Major Nathan in. I beleive I have a plan, but I need to speak with him, and it may require some modification."

Nathan was led grinning onto the bridge by two of the Federal Crewmen. He looked about him in mock confusion,
"So what's this I 'er about a plan then?" he clapped his hands together, "Sounds like it could be right up me alley!"

"Right," Krystal nodded, "but first I need to know a few things." She began to pace. "Firstly, what is the maximum effective range of the artillery guns, and how high can they shoot? Secondly, do your Drop men have any training in guerilla warfare? Thirdly," she turned to Reynolds now, "do we know the locations of the Leigons on planet? Are they at their command posts, or are they out on drills?"

Reynolds thought for a while as he scanned the sensor reports,
"Seems that the artillery is just field guns and howitzers. Battlefield stuff, although there are concentrations of AA guns around these three peaks," He pointed on a map, "Which might be where their HQ's are located. As for the troops, it seems they are expecting a fight. All troops are dug in tight"

At the questions posed to him, Nathan didn't even hesitate,
"Not really, we were more meant for shock attacks, although I don't see why we couldn't be tailored for a guerilla war, why?" He asked, "You gonna kick 'em in the balls while they're looking at the sky?"

Krystal smiled at Nathan's question. "Something like that. I propose we threaten to orbital strike them, bringing down the moutains on top of the HQs and killing them all. If they don't want this, surrender. However, while we are speaking, we covertly land Major Nathan's Drop troopers. If the Imperials do surrender, they will be there to remove weapons and such. If they do not, they strike and do as much damage to the Imperials as possible, particularly the AA and artillery guns. This may require multiple attacks, thus the question about guerilla warfare. While this happens we land the majority of our main force in the moutains, and march on the Imperial positions. If Major Nathan's attacks are successful, then the Imperials will not be able to strike with their guns at our approaching forces. With five times the men they have, we will win. But, as you said, they are well dug in. I am open to suggestions about how to root them out into a battle."

Reynolds and Nathan were silent as they thought about the problem, there seemed to be real pickle. Even 40,000 well dug in troops, outnumbered 10:1 could still pose significant problems to the People's Army.

Reynolds was the first to shake his head,
"An Orbital strike on the AA positions is possible," He admitted, "But the chances of them surrendering are zero even if we do manage to penetrate down to their HQ's. At the moment it looks like it's going to be slogging match" He sighed at the scans, "In the winter too"

Nathan smiled,
"I can live with that, We specialise in quick attacks, give us five minutes and we can make you a landing zone, guaranteed" he laughed.

Krystal sighed at Reynold's words. "Admiral, if they're not going to surrender, then why are we even bothering to engage them on the ground? The whole point of this campaign is to gain defectors from the Imperial Army to the APA and to kill the Imperials who don't surrender. There's no sense in risking men and supplies to go down to the planet when we can simply level the moutain range from space and move on. In this situation, ground combat is entirely unnecessary."

Reynolds shook his head,
"I won't kill 40,000 men because you don't want to get your hands dirty" He said firmly, "If you won't land, then we won't bombard the planet. Besides, Imperial Propaganda will have a field day if you blow up a whole planet"

"He's right," Nathan was thinking, "I say that sort of story could turn millions of sympathetic soldiers against you. 'Krystal the Butcher', has a ring to it, eh?" He stated, making a point.

Krystal stared. "Get my hands dirty, Admiral? I think I did plenty of that on our last planet. We're talking about lives here, lives of our own soldiers. You know as well as I do that you don't need to blow up an entire planet to wipe out what's on the surface. A pinpoint strike could easily destroy the mountains and troops inside and not kill any civilians. I'm not going to deploy soldiers to die uselessly when we could do it far safer and easier from orbit. There's no sense in a ground attack when a orbital strike will serve just as well."

"Are...you...listening?" Reynolds said through gritted teeth, "If I blow even a pebble off that planet, the whole bloody range'll come down. That might not bother you but it does me. You see 40,000 entrenched soldiers. I see 125,000 civilians waiting to be crushed" He shrugged, "Your choice Admiral but I'm not firing on that planet"

Krystal bared her teeth. "A victim of misinformation once again, Admiral. 125,000 thousand civilians in the range? Why don't people tell me these things?" She huffed and shook her head. Breathing deeply for a moment, releiving the tension, she stared at the map. "You said a stike on the AA positions was possible. Then we should do it, without asking for a surrender, but also with extreme care as to not destroy the whole range. In the meantime, concerning Major Nathan's forces and the main APA deployment, I ask again if either of you have modifications to the plan, or ideas concerning the rooting out of Imperial soldiers."
OOC: Gotta go.

"Yes," Reynolds nodded, "With a little creative targeting, we should be able to hit the AA positions without hassle. That'll allow the APA to get down. After that," He shrugged, "You'll have to root them out one by one"

"Like digging rabbits out of a warren" Nathan smiled, "There's nothing too it. We just have to be patient and hope that the war's going well elsewhere"

OOC: Me too

Krystal nodded. "I'm sure we have the most able Generals in place to handle the task. Major, please brief your men. Admiral, what's our ETA?"

"ETA?" Reynolds glanced back to his monitor, "About two hours, Admiral"

"That long?" Nathan looked crestfallen, "I was hoping this ship would be quicker than that"

"Hey," said Krystal, shrugging, "your average Imperial starship would take days to come from the planet to the one were going to. You're riding in the most advanced peice of technology in this universe."

Nathan looked around,
"Really? This is the most advanced ship in the universe?"
He was looking at Reynolds' uniform and the other Federal Troops,
"I can't help but notice you are not Imperial Troops, what is this ship?"

"Federation," Krystal spoke up again. "I don't actually know all that much of it myself, but in this alternate dimension the Alversians, Xiscapians and Alumina all live together in one big, harmounious Federation." The door to the bridge hissed open and, once again, Kartosh came striding in, Skyler oddly absent. Usually she was right beside him. He looked Nathan up and down for a moment upon entering, looking him right in the eye. "Nathan...?" he asked in an odd voice.

"Really? Peace and love?" He laughed, "I could live with that" Then he looked around at Kartosh and frowned,
"Do I know know you?" He asked.

"I should say so," Kartosh nodded, digging into a pocket and producing a cigeratte, which he lite and spoke around. "You and I, although you might just know me as "the smuggler." Helped me on a few runs behind Imperial lines, I think. Vital information. I did a background check on ya, but it didn't provide a picture, all I got was a name and Imperial Army rank and serial number. Noticed your name and rank, and I thought 'damn, this must be the guy.' Nice to meet my contact after so long."

"Aaaah!" Nathan's face lit up, "Now I remember! That was you? Flippin' heck! I thought you were a Crimelord!"

"Ba hah!" Kartosh grinned. "Hardly, though I might wish I was. Yeah, you sure helped me along there, some tight spots there were. So I see you've cast your lot in with the Resistance, like me. That's good, you won't find any lack of excitement here." He nodded to Reynolds and Krystal.

"I have," He laughed, "And I'm lovin' what I see already. I have to say I'm not gonna be bored out of my nut anyways" He clapped his hands together.

"So, drop trooper I see. By the transmissions I received, I thought you were a little crazy, but now that I see you in that uniform, well, that's an understatement!" Kartosh laughed again. "My co-pilot Skyler will be up 'ere any second now, she'll be delighted to meet ya."

"Crazy? Me? Never!" He laughed loudly, "Well, maybe a little, you have to be if you want to hit the ground at three times the speed of sound. Someone's gotta do it so they might as well like it" He looked around again, "You know much about this Federation? I keep hearing everyone gets on. Not like us eh?" He smiled.

"Aye, no," said Kartosh somewhat sadly. "I know I'm a fucking Admiral in the fucking Navy, and, get this, Skyler is on the path to becoming-"
"President," said Skyler as she walked though the door, looking curiously at Nathan. "Of a really, really big union. Not me, of course, my, ah, other world counterpart." She half bowed to Nathan, looking at his expectently.

Nathan just looked at her then gave an awkward bow,
"President? You? An Admiral? How does that happen?" He asked laughing, "I wonder what I am in this Federation?"

"Actually, you're a Mercenary" Reynolds chipped in

"Me? I think I'd suit that nicely" He looked around

"You're already half one," said Kartosh dryly. "Seems like everyone is or was a mercenary. Hell, apparently the Alversian Republic, as it's known there, was founded on the back of a mercenary." He shrugged. "Goes to show. Mercs make the galaxy go 'round."

"Really?" Nathan turned to look at Reynolds, "The Republic was founded by a Mercenary?"

"Yeah, Trezan Baxtor as a Mercenary." Reynolds confirmed.

"What about Xiscapia?" Nathan asked Krystal, "Who founded your Empire?"

Krystal shrugged. "There's never really been a single attributed founder. So far as I know, the story come from the Ancient Texts, and goes something like this:
Several thousand years ago, we're not entirely sure of the exact date, we did not live on Xiscapia. We lived on a different, now forgotten world. We were not the kitsune you see today, but rather human, like you. Our world was ruled by a Council of Elders, representatives from the various villages and townships spread out across the world. Apparently they met using some sort of psychic technique, which saved them the trouble of having to travel all the way across the world. One day a ship, described as a moon, lands out in the rice paddies near a village. Villagers go out to investigate, and are promptly slaughtered by an unknown force. Those remaining flee to the woods, and watch in terror as some kind of demons come from the moon, spreading over the area. The Council meets and organizes an army, which goes to engage the creatures. The battle is short, and most of the Xiscapian army is killed by the things in some horrible manner. The Council meets once again and one Elder is visited upon by some kind of beast in his dreams. The beast tells him what to do, how to organize a counterattack. He wakes and that same night, a second army gains access to the moon and kills all the occupents while the slept. From there the details are sketchy, but it is beleived that we went from swords and arrow technology to starship technology in a matter of years. We built our own ships and weapons and armor based on the designs of the things we killed, and finally attempted our first foray into space. However, the results were disasterious. Something about our bone structure and internal organs clashed with the upper atmosphere, and upon breaching it all crew would promptly die. The beast, which has been given a name, Qonn, visits again, and over time, the Texts do not specify how long, we change to what you see now. Tails, fur, eyes, everything. Somehow these are side-affects of the change in our structure. We attempted another space flight, and managed to break free of our atmosphere. However, the monsters attacked again, and the entire population of the world fled on these ships, out among the stars. Again, the Texts do not say how long, but they indicate it was well over a millenium we roamed the stars, searching for a new home. Along our way we met many peoples and species, but many kitsune died or vanished forever, entire ships gone. Finally the ships make it to what is now Xiscapia, and settled on the advise of Qonn, who had advised them the whole time. They named the world Xiscapia, which in their language, which is now the Old Tounge, translated roughly as "To escape to." The credit is generally given to the Council of Elders, the Captains on the ships and the long line of Emperors and Empresses that sprouted once Xiscapia was settled." Krystal licked her lips after the long speech. "A priest could probably tell you more, but that's what I know."

"Wow," Nathan seemed impressed, "You do know you're history" He complimented her then looked around again, "So what am I doing in this grand plan of yours?" He asked Krystal

"It's technically religon, but religon and history share many of the same events," Krystal said. She looked out the window. "Before we were distracted and interrupted, I was saying that I would advise landing drop troops, headed by you, Major, as a strike at the AA, artillery, and dug in Imperial positions. While you are fighting them with guerilla tactics, the APA and XFC will land inside the moutain range and march on Imperial positions. The drop troops will fall back to the main body, and we will wait. I am not against starving them out, if I have to, and if they are so well dug in a full charge may have terrible casualties, despite our numbers."

"Yeah," Nathan nodded, "It could work. But I think this is going to be a brutal rooting out session. We will probably have to go in and drag the Bastards out"

Reynolds grimaced at the colorful language but nodded as well,
"I don't think we can really do this any other way. Time is on their side remember and they do still outnumber us by a considerable margin"

"If we can capture any kind of light artillery peices we can shell them apart without risking bringing down the moutains. But that would require our being able to obtain the artillery from them, which won't be easy. If only we could somehow transport our troops inside their positions...then all bets would be off. The problem with driving them out lies in the fact that they are well entrenched." Krystal sighed. The attack required careful planning. They would win, inevitably, but they needed to win with minimal losses and maximum enemy casualties.

"Our own Legions do have light field artillery" Reynolds reminded her, "It should be enough to dig them out if we are lucky. But there is chance that the Army is going to be involved in some serious fighting over the next few weeks"

"Even if it does not dig them out, it will still do damage. We do not have weeks to waste here, not if we are to meet the General and his forces on the other side on the pincher. Even worse if the forces of the Empire are able to locate us and counterattack." said Krystal.
OOC: Thought you had a party to go to?

OOC: Been and back
OOC2: TG

"You have any better ideas?" Nathan asked,

"What if you were to detach two Legions to fight on the planet then let the rest advance on? That way you could clear it out and the advance would not be slowed" Reynolds suggested

"Hmmm," Krystal mused. "Perhaps we can stay for the first part of the attack, then move on once we have seen the results. But those we leave behind must be successful in defeating the Imperials, or they will surely provide trouble for us in the future."

"That would suit us nicely and if you'll excuse me, I have to go and see to my men" Nathan gave a little salute then left the bridge,

Reynolds turned to Krystal, "We're here, the seems to be no fleet above the planet and little indication of life. Although that could be due to the fact that most of it is underground," He conceded, "Shall we prepare to land?"

Kartosh and Skyler left soon after Nathan, and Krystal did not look at Reynolds. "Begin the agreed first stage of the attack as soon as the Major and his troops are ready. In the meantime, the APA must be prepared for the assault. I will see to the XFC. Godspeed, Admiral." She bowed and left abruptly, down to see the Commanders of the Xiscapian Freedom Corps.

It only took about 20 minutes for Nathan to kick his Company into shape and load them into the ships that would send them screaming through to the ground at speeds no gun could hit them at. Once they were on the ground, it would be a brutal, bloody, short fight to secure a landing zone and allow the rest of the two Legions to advance.

Sanderson, commander of the APA walked between the ranks of Dropships, taken from the last planet. He was looking for the man he had heard so much about and soon found him getting into the first dropship,
"You planning to go first?" Sanderson asked, amused.

Nathan grinned and nodded,
"Wouldn't be much of a soldier if I just watched from the sidelines would I?" He replied, "I'll phone when I hit the surface"

Sanderson felt himself smiling, "Good Luck"

"Luck!" Nathan laughed, "The Droptroops don't need mere luck! God endorsed, fully boiling and seething luck, now that's what we need!"

Sanderson heard himself laugh, the man's enthusiasm was infectious. He was anxious about the upcoming campaign. He knew it would be a slow and brutal affair with few prisoners on either side and where the firepower of their super ship would be useless.

Sanderson gave Nathan a salute, turned and left the hangar. A klaxon went off as the hangar doors opened, all that separated the men from space now was a thin red shield. The hangar had darkened, hatches closed and the Engineer crews had departed swiftly. The lights had dimmed so that all that could be seen was the blue glow of engines and the red light that sat above the hangar door, like a traffic light. The Droptroop pilots waited nervously, sweat running down the hand that was on the lever beside them. Once the light turned green, the levers would be thrown forward and the dropships flung out on full power. They would stay what way until they hit the ground. With them were 25 Droptroops per ship waiting for the thud that would indicate they had hit the ground.

Then light changed to green, 20 levers were thrown forward and 20 ships were flung from the hangar into space. They seemed to glide until they were in the atmosphere of the planet. Once they were satisfied with their position, the pilots eased their ships down until they were at a right angle to the planet and screaming down. Soon the front was red and the sound barrier was being broken four times, by the nose, tail and each wing.

The Pilots timed if perfectly and eased their ships up in time to prevent them burying themselves down into the ground like a drill. Instead, they skidded for about a hundred meters and were still. The roofs flew off each ship and the 25 men clambered over the edge. They had landed at the AA positions and the stunned Imperial Gunners had neither the time nor the courage to fight off the screaming troops with bayonets. Within five minutes of coming down, the AA weapons were secured.

A message was sent from one of the dropships, acting as a communications pod to the Calypso.

Come on, hurry up! We've got a party to start here!

Now the APA troopships started their descend. It would take them a quarter of an hour to land on the planet where it had taken the Dropships a mere three minutes. That was their job. Rapid landings and quick takeovers.

Following the APA drop ships were the XFC drop ships. The XFC has ceased to be a truely useful organization, dwarfed by the ever-swelling ranks of the APA, only a small part of a large, mostly human, mostly former Imperial army. Nevertheless, the kitsune were determined to make their mark on the Imps. Sluggish but well armored drop ships powered though the atmosphere, shuddering with heat burn and gently rocking the nervous kitsune inside. Landing next to the APA drop ships near the artillery, they began to unload.
Calypso, bridge...
Krystal watched the planet below, the helmets of her soldiers and cameras on the drop ships her eyes and ears. The Droptrooper attack had been successful. That was the easy part. The hard part would be now, trying to blow the Imperials from the safety of their trenchs, if that could be done.

As the troops of the two Legions committed to the attack disembarked from their ships and wheeled their artillery behind them, Nathan had his company set up piquets along the perimeter. This thin line was not to repel an enemy but to delay it until a more organized defence could be mustered. The troops shivered in the bitter, biting rain and the harsh, screaming wind that seemed to blow the rain sideways. All of the APA troops could feel the water running down their backs behind their armour and they were throughly miserable. Apart from one man of course.

"Come on lads! Like taking a shower with your clothes on!"

Nathan clapped a soldier on the back as he moved through the ranks. He was looking to hand over command to the man in charge of the two Legions and he soon found him in discussion with the XFC Commander. The Droptroops were being pulled out by Sanderson for use when the rest of the APA moved on. Droptroops were too valuable for use in a mere slaughter match like this and he needed to haul his Dropships out of the mud and get them ready for flight into the atmosphere.

"There you are!" He announced his presence, shouting over the wind and rain, "Great day for it, ah?" He shouted again, his mouth filling with rainwater as he did so.

The Xiscapian Officer in charge looked just as unhappy as the APA soldiers. She was shivering violently, and the distinctive smell of wet fox fur radiated off her. Her green hair was soaked even though she wore a helmet, as were most of the others of the XFC company of eighty kitsune. The wind and roar of the drop ships lifting off drowned out her words, and she had to shout to make herself heard over the din:
"I'll say! When can we start the move on?"

"When the artillery's taken off the ships!" Praetor Berg, commander of one of the Legions and now commander of the entire operation replayed. His clothes were so wet they couldn't physically hold any more water and the rain was running off his nose,
"When we have the guns, we can move out!" He looked up at the black swirling storm clouds and sighed, his breath forming a light mist in the air, "Hope this doesn't keep up for the next few weeks! This is going to be very uncomfortable!" He was shouting for a new blast of wind swept through the landing zone and he felt an involuntary shiver reach up his spine as the rain was directed into his face.

"I have a feeling it might!" she shouted back. "Captain Viff, at your service!" She gave a quick half bow, nearly blown off her feet due to her light frame. The kitsune had been soaked to the bone, hair and fur matted and clumped, water running into her boots and into every crevice of her uniform. The rest of the company was huddling together for warmth and protection from the wind and rain, shuffling those on the outer edge in every so often, rifles colliding together and bodies bumping into each other.

Berg nodded, his soaking hair made his head feel twice as heavy, his clothes weighed a ton and they stuck painfully to his skin. His own men were grumbling as they manhandled the artillery off the ships. They were equally as soaking and their weapons hung limp or where stacked into triangles. The ground was getting more and more muddy with each passing moment and Berg could feel his feet sinking into the thick, sticky mud.
"Where do you think we should start!?!" He shouted again, a spray of water flew from his mouth as he did so, taking a breath filling his mouth with water.

Captain Viff shrugged helplessly, rainwater splashing off her figure. "I don't know this terrain! We need to-" The wind snatched her words away. She tried again. "We need to get coordinates of the positions of the Imperials from the Calypso! Then we can begin shelling!" She thought jealously of the rest of the XFC and APA, up there in their climate-controlled berths on the Federation ship. She stamped her feet to get warm, flinging mud about as she did so.

Just then, a column of mud was thrown high into the air, carrying two APA troops with it. There were screams of pain as well as a warning. Berg threw himself to the ground and into the mud.
"Great!" He shouted as he spat a mouthful of mud out and another column rose high into the air, "I think they're over there!" He shouted over the rain, "Why the hell would they be out in this?!" He was still swimming in mud as were most of the APA as they had hit the floor to try and avoid the shells of the surprise bombardment.

The XFC had either hit the ground or were backing away, slipping on the mud. More shells screamed overhead, adding to the chaos. Viff sputtered as she spat out a mouthful of mud and water. "We need to get to cover!" she screamed. "We won't last long against the bombardment!"

Then, as soon as it started, the bombardment stopped and silence returned to the peak of summit. Berg stood up, hearing the sucking noise as he separated from the mud. The entire front of his black armour was coated light brown with the streaking mud.
He looked around to see the damage caused by the bombardment. He groaned as he saw a series of craters directly in front of one of the troopships. The light shells themselves would do no damage to the heavy ship armour but one of the craters was over 8 feet deep. They could no longer bring the artillery from one of the troopships.
"We may be here a while!" Berg's teeth were running with mud, although the rain was now washing the mud from his armour. His hair was filled with mud as well.

Viff stared at the craters and downed drop ship. The rest of the XFC were slowly climbing to their feet, looking in shock at the listing drop ships. Viff shook her head wildly, more mud flying. One of the shells had knocked Viff onto her butt, covering her entire uniform with mud and water, making her look like some kind of mud monster. "How much artillery can we roll out, and what will it take to get that," she pointed to the drop ship, "flying again?"

"You mean the Troopship?" Berg shouted in reply looking at the crater. Already men were filling in the hole so that they could get the artillery off again. One of the People's Guns had started to fire back into the mountains and small columns of dust could be seen rising from the mountain side opposite.
"It'll take more than an hour to fill that hole in" He groaned at the news and looked up at the black sky,
"Please stop" He pleaded at the sky, "God, please stop"

Viff rubbed her sensitive top ears, looking at the distant mountainside. "The sooner we can get the artillery in place and firing, the better." The XFC did their part, dragging the artillery peices out with the APA. Others stood twice as miserable as before, looking at their feet or the sky.

"Well," Berg was still looking up at the sky, "Hopefully, we won't be here too long" He sighed, with the torrential downpours that looked an unlikely assumption. They would have to grin and bear it like soldiers.

Another peice of artillery had been half dug out, but they were having a hard time pulling it up onto solid (or at least not as muddy) ground. By this point everyone was covered in mud and water. The temperature had dropped alarmingly, and Viff knew that they couldn't stay exposed to the elements much longer and hope to continue to function as an effective fighting unit. She sent three kitsune higher into the moutain they were on to see if they could find some suitable caves.

A loud whirring sounded overhead, Berg didn't even look up but instead threw himself into the mud with a cry,
"Incoming!"
The noise pitched then stopped. At the same time, a small explosion erupted on the side of a nearby mountain. Berg sighed and heaved himself up again,
"That was the worst shooting I've seen all day" He said over the elements, the rain again washing his armour clean.

Viff chuckled to herself. "Let's hope their aim continues to be that bad." Those of her kitsune who weren't helping had taken cover where ever they could: Behind boulders, under overhangs, inside small crevices. If a shell hit any of these directly they would be dead, but otherwise they were relatively safe. There the soldiers would stay until it was time to march. If the Imperials started shelling again, they didn't want to be stuck out in the open.

Two more shells landed some distance away before an APA gun could reply to the shots. This was what it would be like, endless artillery duels across vast distances while the infantry slogged down one slope, struggled up another and all the while under enemy fire.
Berg shivered and stamped his feet to try and keep at least a little warm.

Morale was rapidly failing on the XFC part. A more tiring, difficult mission they could not have imagined. The one thing they feared most, apart from capture, was a mass artillery attack that would wipe them out and leave maybe a few survivors, to be cut off from allies forever, wandering the frozen, muddy slopes until a shell or Imperials killed them or they starved or simply collapsed from exhastion. Viff looked grimly at Berg. "How far along are we?"

"All artillery pieces are off" Berg clapped his hands together, spraying water everywhere as he did so, "Let's get cracking!"

Two Weeks later

Berg stared out at the never ending rain and sighed. He was safe and dry inside a cave yes, but that was no guarantee of success. Progress had been painfully slow and casualties heavy as the APA launched assault after assault up sheer mountain sides to clear out bunkers, machine gun nests or whatever else was in their way. Artillery never stopped firing as both sets of guns dueled each other across the mountains. Although this day had been quieter, there had been numbers of skirmishes up and down the mountain range.

It seemed to rain day and night on this bloody moon and even in the cave, he was up to his ankles in mud. It made medical care a nightmare and sanitation wasn't a strong point either. He sighed and looked back at the map, wishing he could just click his fingers and the imperial positions would be revealed.

Things had not gone well for the XFC. Of the eighty kitsune who landed, only fourty now remained, a full half of their forces, gone. Artillery shells, infections from wounds and Imperial soldiers had taken their toll, leaving the remainder weary and grim. There never seemed to be a dry, private or quiet moment, what with the mud and rain, the other soldiers always around you, blasters firing, artillery roaring, men screaming and shouting, and most of all the never ending rain, always bouncing off your helmet. It's as though the rain has become a part of you, like you are more water then you are flesh. Viff sat on a rock near Berg in the cave, staring out at the howling wind and lashing rain. There were groans from behind a curtain as more wounded were tended to. Most wouldn't make it. Viff had fired her blaster, shouted orders, run up more moutains and killed more Imperials then she could count. It never seemed to end. MG nests, bunkers, trenches, pits: All full of Imperials and their weapons. She didn't know how far along they were on their road. They could be exactly in the middle, or victory could lay over the next moutain. Or they could even have barely started out, hundreds of more miles to cross before the end. She tried not to think about how isolated they were, out here. The ships were in orbit, of course, but they had long since lost track of where, and the constant storm made communication difficult, if not impossible. Kitsune, wet and dirty and dead in the eyes, went about their business: Cleaning and loading weapons, eating what could be found, drinking only water, sleeping or staring numbly out into the rain, like Viff.

Berg came to the entrance of the cave and offered Viff a mug of steaming liquid,
"Coffee?" He asked smiling, even with all their supply problems, his staff were still able to find a way to boil water and find grains of coffee.
"I would suggest coming out of the rain a bit first though," He advised, "Unless you want a washed out mug instead." He sat down near her,
"We've talked to a few of the Prisoners"
Despite the fierceness of the fighting, there had been prisoners taken on both sides and doubtless his prisoners would be questioned in the same way he was questioning theirs. The Prisoners were cold, wet and as miserable as their Rebel Opponents but they were also unharmed.

"And what did they say?" Inquired Viff, accepting the near boiling cup of coffee with a forlorn smile. Coffee did absolutly nothing to help kitsune alertness or keep them awake, but Viff did like the taste, strangly enough. She sipped it as she looked at him over the rim of the mug. It had been difficult for the XFC to take prisoners instead of killing the Imperials outright. True, they had been conditioned to take prisoners instead of slaughtering those who surrendered, but after weeks of fighting and being cold, miserable and wet they were in no mood. Fortunatly Viff had managed to keep them in line, although no XFC soldier save Viff herself was allowed to interrogate a Imperial prisoner, least they be too harsh, or indeed, lethal.

"Well, they're no happier than us" Berg stated, "They're cold, hungry, wet and most have no chance of reinforcements. They just have to sit in their bunkers and wait to be destroyed. Casualties are heavy, especially amongst the Gunners and Skirmishers. In short, they're just like us"
Those words hit Berg hard, he realised there was probably an Imperial soldier sitting in some bunker with a mug of coffee, cursing the rain as he was doing. It touched him.

"If they'd come with us," said Viff bitterly, "they'd at least be moving and doing something useful, instead of eating up our resources and rotting away in a bunker." Many times the Imperials who surrendered had been those at the back of their bunker, seeing their comrades get killed and throwing down their weapons, not wishing to tangle with the enemy. Viff didn't know for sure, but she didn't think they'd gained anyone in their campaign. All the live Imperials were prisoners, not defectors, to her knowledge.

Berg shrugged,
"Such is the way of war, you get used to it. What are we doing today?"
This last statement was to one of the Lieutenants at the back of the cave, He saluted and replied,
"Storming one of the peaks, Sir. It will take two Companies of a 1,000 men two days to secure it with artillery support"
"Ah well. Best get on with it" He smiled.

OOC: What about the Unexpected Company thread?

Viff sighed wearly and nodded in answer, draining her mug and setting it upon the rock. Signaling her soldiers, she strapped on the little battle armor her position as Captain afforded her: A breastplate, worn underneath her uniform, shinguards and gaunlets. All stolen Imperial armor, taken from captured bunkers or looted off dead soldiers. The rest of her soldiers were simularly equipped with peices and segments of Imperial armor, purely for protection. Many Xiscapians had scratched out or covered up the Imperial Eagle on their armor, leaving the area blank. A few had even etched or painted a tiny silver katana in it's place. Hefting their weapons, the ragged XFC got to their feet and awaited orders.
OOC: What of it?

Berg walked through the rain until he was facing a long column of troops, ready to climb the narrow pathway to the peak. It was due to be heavily defended and it was made worse by the fact that no more than three men could fire forward at once.
Berg turned to the Commander of the first Company,
"How's the enemy?"

"Artillery's been shelling it for an hour, Sir" Was the reply

"That's not what I asked you" Berg said back. The man shrugged. The Artillery would have no effect until the enemy showed themselves, then it could gut them. Until then, they were just firing pointlessly at the peak.

Berg looked around for the XFC, accompanying two Light Platoons that were acting as Skirmishers up the mountain and would take the long way to clear out the paths the main column couldn't reach. He waited for Viff's signal.

The XFC started forward, stalking ahead, hunched over against the wind and rain. Viff signaled Berg as her soldiers started up the one of the seeming infinite amount of moutains on this lonely, forgotten moon.

When he saw the XFC and the Light Platoons moving, Berg raised his sword into the air and let it drop again,
"Companies! Forward!" He called and listened as it was repeated all the way down the line, a column of soldiers, of 3 files, 333 ranks and over a 1,000 men total, began the long slog up the slippery path towards what they knew would be a storm of fire.

On each flank, the Light Platoons moved quickly and easily from rock to rock. They were both lighter in build than the regular troops as well as more lightly armoured. Their job was to screen the main force on the battlefield, or, in this case, protect it's flanks. There would be two battles on this slope. The one with the main column and the one between the Skirmishers.

The Xiscapians were supporting the Skermishers, their reflexes and lighter frames far better suited to such then the hot and heavy combat between the main forces. The kitsune kept a wary eye out for the enemy, knowing that the attack could come at any time. Viff was towards the back, watching the backs of the soldiers in front of her. While somewhat shielded by the moutain side, the wind changed direction and buffeted them, splashing down rain on the Xiscapians.

The drums of the column could be heard even from the slopes across which the Skirmishers, who like to think of themselves as the elite edge of the Battalion, although that honour really lay with the Grenadiers. The Lieutenant commanding the 324/1 Light Platoon darted across to greet Viff,
"How do!" He called over the rain and the drum beat, "It's nice to meet you! Lieutenant Carson" He held his hand out.

Viff somehow managed to half bow, shake his hand, and continue moving, all at the same time. "Captain Viff!" she said over the noise. "Great day for a fight, eh?"

Carson sniffed and looked up,
"Not bad" He didn't look like the rest of his men, young and inexperienced. He looked an old hand at fighting. His grey hair was obvious even from under his helmet and his face bore an endless succession of scars,
"Well not be in the main fight" he answered, pointing at the marching column, "Those poor bastards'll take the brunt of it. We just have to cover their flanks" He grinned.

"Nevertheless," she said loudly, "we'll definitly be seeing some action." Her soldiers had fanned out behind her and ahead of her, seeking the enemy now. The base of the moutain was as far as the summet, now, the incline growing steeper and the main force struggled up the mountain face. If you fell here, chances were you could roll for a good time before coming to a stop.

The beating drums of the column were now further off to the right as the thin line of Skirmishers came forward. They were still climbing through the rocks like monkeys when, suddenly, one of his own men gasped, twisted and fell away from the rocks.
Peering up, the thin outline of Imperial Troops could be seen against the outline of the mountain, a thin line of them. Imperial Skirmishers.
"Place your shots!" Carson growled as one of his excited men let off a burst of automatic fire, "Place your shot! Kill the bastards!"
He himself put the rifle to his shoulder and, taking careful aim, squeezed the trigger. He watched with grim satisfaction as one of the Imperial Troops fell away.
"Advance by pairs!" He called to the line of Skirmishers through the rain. At once, the line split into pairs. One man would aim up and shoot while the other clambered a few meters up the rocks, then he would shoot while his comrade behind clambered ahead of him. This was the advance was not slowed.

The XFC followed their allies example, pairing up and firing on the enemy. Imperials twisted and dropped, away from the mountain into space, as the fire hit them. Viff scrambled up a small boulder while her partner fired upward, covering her back. She leaned against the boulder and let loose a spray of shots, watching them send a Imperial soldier to cover as her comrade came up to her position. In this fashion they continued up the mountain face, leapfrogging, shooting at the enemy and avoiding return fire.

As they advanced, the drums could still be heard through the rain and the blaster shots, then a loud piercing whistle could be heard over the rain then the drumbeat was temporarily interrupted before starting up again.
"Artillery's hitting the column!" Carson called to his Skirmishers, "Speed the advance! We need to clear these flanking positions!"
As it happened, one of his Skirmishers was hit and fell down the rocks, screaming. His Partner fired up and noted with grim pleasure that one of the Imperial Skirmishers had fallen back.
Now the Skirmisher line was falling back as well, being chased by the People's Skirmishers.

The XFC doubled their advance speed, virtually running up the slope, but still careful not to slip on the slick rocks and packed mud. More blaster fire shot up the mountainside, impacting Imperial Skirmishers in the back and making them fall backwards down the slope. Viff passed weapons lodged in the rocks, fallen from dead Imperials or dropped to lighten their load as they retreated.

As they advanced, they passed an area that allowed them to see the column's advanced. There was a small field gun up in the rocks that was firing through this gap and every shot was sweeping away dozens of Alversian Infantry from the column. However, the crew how saw the Skirmisher's advancing and turned their gun to fire at them instead.

A blast knocked away five XFC soldiers, blowing them apart and sending bits of flesh and bone spiraling away. There was no cover on the slope, nowhere to hid, the only thing you could do was run. So they did, the XFC running up the mountain, sending a hail of blaster rifle fire and the occasional grenade at the light gun piece. Viff was actually almost glad the gun had turned to target them, because it could have wrecked havoc on the main column if it had continued firing.

The gun was loaded again and fired. This time, it shot shrapnel down the slope. As soon as the bolt left the barrel, it exploded into dozens of fragments that bounced off the stones and snatched four Skirmishers off their feet.

The Skirmishers were still firing and now one or two of the gunners twisted away from their weapon. Then a line of Imperial Skirmishers appeared in front of the weapon, firing down. Carson's men responded by crouching low with the rocks and firing back up at the Imperials.

Again, the XFC did what their allies did. Crouching low or lying flat with the rocks, they fired upward at the line of soldiers, picking off targets as percisely as they could. The air was alive with blaster bolts, and the sound of howling wind prevaled even over the noise of the blaster bolts and screams of the wounded and dying.

Carson twisted to fire up and noticed the Imperial Skirmishers were gone. He frowned and gave the signal to advance. He wondered where the Enemy had gone. Then he caught another glimpse of the column and he understood,
"They're withdrawing with the column!" He called to his Light Company, "Wait here until they start to fire on it, then attack. Fix bayonets!"

The Alversians fixed their bayonets to the end of their rifles and waited for the order to run screaming over the lip of the mountain and into their enemy.

Viff muttered orders over her comm to her soldiers and they drew their swords, some florishing in anticipation. She frowned as she readied herself, blade out among the cold, wet, dirty Alversian steel afixed to the end of guns. Looking at the lip of the moutain, Viff felt uneasy. They could have anything over there...if they have machine gun emplacements, or vehicles, or more light artillery guns, we're all dead...

After another few agonizing seconds, Carson drew his own sabre and waited again for the sign that would send his troops over the edge. He waited and waited. Then he heard the crack of a rifle and he gave the signal with a single downward swipe of his blade.
His Light Company charged over the lip, screaming blood and revenge, they barely noticed that there were twice as many Imperial Skirmishers on the ridge as there were Rebels. A few twisted and fired, sending a few attackers over the edge again while the rest pressed into the bulk of enemy.

The XFC charged with their APA comrades, blades out and screaming for blood. They clashed directly with the Imperial Skirmishers, now knowing the tactics of bayonet use from Imperials turned Rebel. The Imperials would love to impale a charging kitsune on their bayonet, so the trick was to avoid the bayonet and get inside. Once too close for the bayonet to be effective, the kitsune would slice or stab the Skirmisher and move on to the next. A few, five, dropped to one knee and fired their rifles into the enemy Skirmishers.

The Imperial Skirmishers, neither trained nor prepared for the assault, turned and fled further up the slope. A few of the Skirmishers were now turning the light Field Gun against it's former owners. A small glimpse at the column would reveal a path strewn with bodies and blood.

"Forward! Reform the line!" Carson snapped at his Skirmishers, "Prepare to advance!"

"It's working," muttered Viff as her soldiers got back in their organized paired system, working up the slope as the field gun shot shells up the mountain at it's former owners. I beleive this is yours. The Xiscapians sheathed their blades, stopping only to wipe it on a dead Imperial, and resumed their blaster tactics. One would run while the other provided covering fire, then they would leapfrog, and so on.

Carson watched as his own men formed into their pairs and advanced up the mountain. This was going to take so much time it actually was not funny. The rest of the fleet had moved on while he fought like a demon for mountain peaks that were so inconspicuous they may have been anywhere.

But for now, they moved forward, Skirmishing all the way against god knew who many Imperial Light Companies.

Six soldiers had perished on the mountain so far, bringing the total number down to thirty four brave kitsune, members of what had once been a company was now reduced to a platoon. Blaster bolts hissed on the rock Viff was hiding behind, and she leapt up, sprayed blindly forward, and ducked the return fire, dropping prone as bolts flew over. She was rewarded by a scream seconds later as at least one of her shots connected with a Imperial soldier. Grinning feraly, she whipped away from the rock as her partner took her place, nearly stumbling over the wet stones as fire sparked around her, throwing herself behind a boulder.

Carson looked up shock to see a line of Imperial Infantry preparing to fire down at him. He looked down and expected the last thing he would see was a rain-soaked rock. Instead, he flinched as he heard a loud whirring, the sound of armour being shredded, then silence. He glanced up to see the Field gun had fired shrapnel at the group and all that was left was a red mist.

Then the Rebel Skirmishers were advancing rapidly up the hill, doing as they were ordered, sweeping the flanks of the main column clear of enemy troops. Now they were doing that and doing it well.

The Xiscapians scaled up and over the machine gun emplacement where several Imperials had been hiding, blaster burns in their chest and heads. Looking up over the sandbags, they scanned the area for more enemies, and saw the Skirmishers continuing to retreat up the slope. Viff idely hoped they would retreat off the summit and fall down the other side. That would save them a lot of ammunition, lives and time.

Suddenly, Carson realised that is was getting dark and, incredibly, they would have to stop for the night. The Xiscapians may have been able to climb over the slippery rocks in pitch black rain, but the Alversians couldn't and so they would have to set up a perimeter and wait until morning before resuming the attack. The column would have to do the same and this would be their chance to recoup their losses and prepare for another push.

Setting up camp among the black rocks, Viff was only comforted by the fact that unless the Imperials managed to procure night vision technology, they couldn't counterattack. Tents sprang up as they had, unfortunatly, not been able to locate another cave. Viff tied a bandana across her face from her pack, only her eyes showing. It was not so much to conceal her face as to protect her from the smell. Unwashed bodies mixed with the sour smell of carbon scouring from blasters, the hot stench of heated weaponry, and the metallic, light smell of blood. Setting her rifle against a rock sheltered by a tarp along with the rest of her soldiers, she sat cross legged on top of a boulder and stared out into the darkness, which to her looked like late afternoon, the rain splashing against her soaked, blood stained, dirty uniform.

Carson set up piquets along the edge of the rocks to stave off any mischievous Imperials trying to take potshots. Other than that there was nothing to do except sit down and try to get some rest in preparation for the big push. Carson knew the Skirmishers work was only half done when they reached the top of the mountain. When it was done, they would have to deploy in front of the main battle lines to clear off the enemy Skirmishers.

"18" He said to Viff as he approached with two mugs of coffee his troops had managed to brew in the rain, "18 Dead from this day's action. Not bad, I thought" he offered the mug, "I know you don't like the taste but it will keep you warm"

Viff nodded mutely in thanks and took the mug, peeling back her bandana to lift the hot liquid to her mouth. Which mountain was this? She had lost count of how many they have scaled, how many they had taken. Surely they were in the double digits, by now. How many dead? She didn't know about the Imperials, but there were fourty-six dead kitsune on this barren, forgotten rock, bodies broken in chasms, lying among rain battered rocks or ashes on the wind. Many, many APA dead, ex Imperials fighting their former allies with all their strength.
"How much further," she sighed to him as the cup came away, "how many more mountains? How many more dead?"
The question was almost retorical, but Viff really did want to know if the Commander knew how far they still had to cross.

"Well," Carson looked up into the rain, "Another day should take this place. Then we'll have to see what's left to take. We had no idea how many troops there were in the first place, don't forget."

He sighed, sadly, "I know what you mean though. This is gonna drive me mad this place."

Viff sighed deeply. The endless mountains, blistering winds and constant, driving rain was getting to her as well. She had not washed for some time, though she had also not been properly dry since landing on this planet. At times it all seemed surrealistic, like they and the Imperials here were the only ones left in the galaxy. A scary feeling. That the Imperials were here, of all places, proved that they had infested every nook and cranny of the space they possessed.
"I had better get a promotion for this."

"Yeah," He looked up, "I know what you mean. This has to be one of the most depressing places I have ever been" He heard the deep blast of two explosions near the edge of the camp and sighed,
"Even at night they can't leave us along. I can only hope they are as miserable as us"

Viff chuckled humorlessly. "Even with all their advanced technology, I'm sure that they are. If I get though this alive, I'm taking a nice long vacation...somewhere..." she was beginning to fall asleep. "Excuse me, but this coffee's doing nothing. I'm going to retire and get a jump on tommorow's events." She yawned widely and bid Carson goodnight.

Carson nodded,
"I'll stay up a little longer, see how the Sentries are getting on"
He could hear the guns roaring even from here, but it was of no concern to him, the artillery would fire all night.

Two Hours later

An explosion tore Light Company tents high into the air and threw skirmishers in all directions. There were screams and calls from the members as they ducked amongst the rocks. It seemed they were being targeted for bombardment by the Imperial Forces and Carson had an idea why.

Waking at the sound of explosions and screams, the XFC platoon scrambled out of their tents and abandoned their bedding, taking only their weapons, having slept in their uniforms. Viff scooted up behind a rock with Carson, yellow or orange eyes blinking behind her as her XFC soldiers scanned for Imperial soldiers among the rocks and cliffs. "What do we do?" she cried over the din.

"Get ready!" He replied over the screaming artillery and the sounds of explosions. He waited for what seemed like an eternity. Then it was over and a strange silence filled the camp. The troops waited nervously. Then they heard the scuttling of people slipping over the rocks in front of them. They were cursing and muttering about the rain in front of them.

"FIRE AT WILL!!" Carson roared and suddenly, the black night was filled with red laser fire as the rocks were pounded and laser fire bounced off the Skirmishers positions.

Ah, said Viff as she sprang from cover, targeted an Imperial, and fired all in one smooth motion, soften us up with a strike before sending it the infantry. The Imperial fell, his head blown off from the power of Viff's rifle. Around her the other XFC were diving or leaping from cover, blowing away Imperial Skirmishers and unleashing grenades into the rocks. All over the camp Viff could hear the same happening, screams and the roar of blaster firing. Skirmishers who were exposed, or not quick enough, were quickly cut down, while those in cover hunkered down and shot from there at the concealed Rebels.

While the fire-fight continued, Carson became away of figures coming from behind the camp. He was puzzled for a moment, then he swore loudly and cried out, "We've been flanked! I want a dozen men to about face, about face!"

A few troops turned in time to fire down the slope, a few surprised Imperial Skirmishers were exposed by the blasts and now the Skirmishers were pinned into position both from the front and the rear.

When fighting the Xiscapians, the Imperials were at a severe disadvantage, here. The simple fact that the kitsune could see in the night gave them a huge edge, able to target and shoot what the Imperials thought were concealed by the darkness and driving rain. So none of the flanking Skirmishers knew that there was a member of the XFC among them until the screams started. Viff smiled to herself as kitsune soldiers also took up positions at the flank, ensuring the Imperials would not be able to strike at their backs.

Confident the Imperials would not attack again from the flanks, Carson focused on the front. His troops were firing randomly into the dark, using their own laser fire to light up the battlefield and so pick their targets. After a few moments, the Imperial troops could be seen to be withdrawing the battle had ended.

Carson looked at Viff and gave a loud sigh,
"Well, well, well, didn't think they'd have the guts to launch a night attack" He shouted over the rain.

Viff just shook her head as her soldiers regrouped, reporting one casualty from the fighting, a wounded kitsune winged in the side by a blaster bolt. He was being tended to even now. "It almost worked, too. They caught us off-guard. If they hadn't launched the artillery, we might never have heard them coming."
The XFC were setting up sentries, stripping dead Imperials of their armor and weapons, and setting their tents back up.

The Skirmishers remained on high alert until morning, when the true cost of the battle was plain for all to see. The ground in front of the camp was littered with dead Imperial troops while his own camp also held a large number of dead troops. He sighed and gave them burial as best he could. Then he listened as a scattered radio report came through, scrambled by the storm.

Carson frowned as he strained to hear the message, then turned to Viff,
"They hit the main column as well. Gutted one of it's platoons I hear. We have to go ahead today and try and clear as much flak as possible so the troops can get to the peak without trouble.

The Light Troops were sighing and heaving their equipment on, preparing for a tough day's work ahead.

Viff informed her own soldiers.
"We'll be taking out the forward Imperial positions to be giving the main column a clear advance. So get in gear, we move out in five."
One of the XFC soldiers sighed heavily. "Great Qonn, not again."
Viff's head whipped around towards him. "What was that, trooper?"
The soldier stared at her. "Ah, what I meant was-"
"I'm sure," said Viff, stepped closer to the kitsune, staring at him menacingly, her voice sweet as honey, "that you meant 'Yes Ma'am, anything for you, I'll kiss your ass, Captain. Am I correct?"
The kitsune seemed to visibly shrink under his superior's intense gaze. "Yes Ma'am."
"Good," Viff stepped back again and looked along the line of thirty-four XFC soldiers. Thirty four tails swished and sixty eight ears perked, the Xiscapian equivilent of standing at attention. "This is important. Just because the entire Resistance isn't here dosen't mean that this operation isn't essential to the continued existance and eventual victory of the APA and XFC. You've put your bodies, your guns and your swords into this. Now it's time to throw in your hearts and souls. Do I make myself clear?"
Thirty-four throats echoed back to her. "Yes Captain!"
In no time they were back to scrambling over the rocks, paired up, scouting for more Imperial Skirmishers.

Carson watched as an Imperial Skirmisher was hit in the chest and toppled back from his cover. His Light Company was moving fast through the rocks, clearing out the Imperial Gun positions and forcing their Imperial counterparts further and further up the slope. The Skirmishers were enjoying themselves and, apart from a few minor incidents, they were heading up the mountains at a rapid pace.

The Xiscapians were taking it easily, taking their sweet time in targeting and killing all the Imperials that they came across. The rest of the XFC were heartily enjoying themselves, taking revenge for their battered people and dead comrades, but Viff was not. She was as miserable as ever, and she did not like the ruthless killing and constant attacks and advances. It would be so much easier if they surrendered, like normal soldiers. But no, they thought they were hardcore, so now ever last one of them needed to be wiped out.
A Skirmisher's head snapped back and he dropped into space, rolling down the slope to rest against a pile of rocks. Viff ducked down as his partner sprayed her cover with blaster bolts, then came out again as one of the APA soldiers shot the second Skirmisher, slamming him into the side of the rock behind him.

The APA Skirmishers continued to advance up the slope, darting from position to position, then suddenly, the rocky outcrops melted away and there was nothing but a flat surface along which was a thin line of Imperial Troops. They had reached the summit.

The Column was already deploying into a battleline to engage the Imperials and Carson now called to his exhausted Skirmishers,
"Form Skirmish line, form Skirmish line! Quickly!"

The XFC quickly got into the thin, single line that was a Skirmishing line. Finally, the last engagement...of this mountain, anyway. Viff was with them, flanked by a XFC on one side and an APA on the other. She stared at the Imperial soldiers which, by her estimation, looked just as worn-out and energyless as the Resistance. Pointing her rifle forward, she waited for the signal.

"Only hit the Officers," Carson whispered, "Open fire"

The soldiers fired on their single shot setting aiming for the officers of the demoralized ranks that had been the Imperial Army. Then Carson saw the thin line of Imperial Skirmishers coming forward to engage them,
"Hit the Skirmishers" he called, "drive them back!" His troops, instead of firing at the lined up ranks of heavy infantry, instead fired on the Light Infantry moving into position in front of them.

Viff hesitated for a split second at the strange order, then mentally shrugged and fired, hitting a man in an Officer's uniform and throwing him to the ground. Around her the Xiscapians were also opening fire, and Officers fell left and right, surprised Imperial Skirmishers recoiling as their superiors died around them.

The Imperial Troop's moral was low enough from the surroundings without the Light Company wiping out their Officers. One of the surviving Officers called to his troops then approached Viff,
"I want to negotiate the surrender of my Companies" The man said sadly, indicating to his troops behind him.

Viff and the rest of the Xiscapians leveled their blasters at him, and two kitsune flanked Viff as she moved forward, rifle in the air. "Lay down your weapons and put your hands on your heads." she commanded, glancing at Carson.

Carson nodded at her, indicating that it was Viff's negotiations and he wasn't going to butt in,
The Imperial Officer sighed and threw his weapons to the ground, including his Officer's sabre,
"All I want is medical care for my troops and guarantee that they will not be harmed." he sighed again, as though it was the hardest thing he had said all day.

"You have my word, and the word of the Resistance," Viff replied, and one of the Xiscapians collected the officer's pistol and sabre. The others in the XFC indicated with their weapons that the rest of the Imperials should follow their Officer's example of giving up their weapons. Medics were standing by, ready to assist their former enemies, now prisoners. There was only three Xiscapian medics, but the APA had it's share of former Imperial medics.

Carson watched as the Imperial Troops dropped their weapons and marched from their battle formation towards captivity. He couldn't believe it, Intelligence had said there were three Companies on this mountain, that was 1,500 troops. However, there were less that 700 Prisoners. The fighting hadn't been that fierce. What had happened to the rest of the troops.

Meanwhile the Officer indicated to a cave,
"My wounded are in there," He said sadly, "We have not had medical care for many weeks now."

Viff also considered the number of prisoners here as her medics ran to the cave to do what they could. Viff didn't like this: Surely the fighting couldn't have killed off nine hundred Imperial soldiers? She doubted that they had been merged with the main Imperial force, a few hundred soldiers wouldn't make much difference, here. She felt distinctly aware of how exposed they were on the flat rock, with no cover.

The medics ran into the cave, and the first thing that hit them was the smell. It was the stench of blood and unwashed bodies, the smell of fear and pain.
The smell of Death.
Moving inward, they plunged into the long lines of Imperial casualties.

The Commander saw the look on Viff's face and smiled,
"You have been here for a few months? We have been here for a year and in this weather, frostbite and hunger has thinned our ranks rather a lot. In fact, it's been happening all over the Planet"

Viff looked at the Commander hard. "Civilians are our first priority. Where are they?" They needed to get the civilains to medical help. Any lost non-combatant lives would look bad. Most Xiscapians didn't care a flying fuck what happened to Alversians, but they had been conditioned to care, however reluctently.

"Civilians?" The Commander looked blank, "No Idea, they fled into the mountains the same time you arrived. They were afraid you were going to pound them shreds to they ran. Where are they? You're guess is as good as mine"

"Then," Viff reached out and seized the man by his collar, the shorter Xiscapian somehow still being able to lift him off his feet. "Find them." she hissed. Disgusted, she dropped the Commander to his feet. The very first objective of any soldier in any situation should be to protect civilians and other unarmed non-combatants. She knew the civilians wouldn't last long out in the wilderness and, despite her snarling, the XFC and APA would probably have to find them.

"Find them?" The Commander almost laughed, "They know these mountains like the back of their hands. We sent a full Battalion to try and track them down and found nothing. No trace of them whatsoever. If you can flush them out them out them good luck! Protecting them? They seemed to do a great job by themselves!"

"Fine," growled Viff, "we'll scour the whole planet if we have to." Viff was tired, she knew her kitsune were demoralized from the endless mountain climbing and fighting, and the last thing anyone wanted to do was track down any goddamn civilians. But it would still be a bad mark on the operation if the civilian population were found, frozen to death or riddled by disease, because the Resistance didn't want to go looking for them. The Imperials would be no help, except in providing captured armor and weaponry. Viff turned to Carson. "Do we have any kind of vehicles at all?" she asked hopefully.

Carson had listened to the whole Conversation and now turned to watch the column of Imperial Infantry being led down the bloody and body littered pathway. He gave a sarcastic shrug indicating to the massive peaks and rains
"You tell me" He said sarcastically.

Somewhat put off by her allies manner, Viff turned with out a word to the edge of the cliff, looking out over the foggy, rain-drenched rock. The planet was not large, it was actually small enough to be considered a planetoid, but there were a trillion places to hide, in crevices and caves. She had no idea even where to start, but then had a revelation. Turning to the Commander, she asked "Do you know where the civilian town was originally?"