Utulien, Aduial

[The Cerberus Alliance]

"Shields are actually blocking shots, sir. Resonating shield systems are currently listing 50% power and rising."
"Power directed to point defenses decreasing. Weapons power rising."

Finally, some progress. Andmiral Kennison thought, before saying "What is he making the fleet do?"

The holographic map was showing the fleet moving into a different position, closer to the other allied fleets. However, the Achilles and it's escorts were kept aiming directly at the enemy fleets.

"Looks like we're moving in to add to the concentrated firepower a little bit better. We've also just moved into range for our missile systems to lock on."

The admiral looked back to the map. "Anything else," was all he could say. Seeing as the fleet was on auto-pilot, there wasn't much he could do.

"Fighter squadrons are currently reporting 25% casualties. 50% are reporting damage and requesting docking for repairs."

"Oribital entry craft detected from the enemy fleet. It looks like they're attempting a ground assault."

"Seeing as we're dealing with less need, call all fighters back for resupply and repair. Make repairs as quickly as possible and only repair the ones that can be put back to 99% effectiveness within one hour. Rip parts from the more damaged fighters if you have to." Kennison had been listening to a bit of the communications chatter himself. He knew that there were allied forces on the surface, and that they might be wanting any help they could get. "While that's being done, Tactical! How many of those fighers do we need to send down for them to survive re-entry?"

"According to the shield system's specifications, three stars should be enough. Four if we want to be on the safe side."

"So if we send half of our remaining fighters?"

"Around 130 craft, if we're only sending the least damaged craft. They should all make the trip. They should even be able to get through without losing any shield strength."

"Send out the order for those LAMs to break atmo and take the fight to these bastards' ground forces. Tell them to focus on concentrated fire, and load them up with the strongest missiles we have. You even have the permission to load Arrows, if necessary. And alert allied forces that we're sending what assistance we can."

-------------------

Fighter bay, Odysseus 22, Fighterbay 1

"We're getting sent to the surface?" Kyle asked, shocked.
"New orders just came in. All undamaged craft are to go down and assist in the fighting." His star commander responded. He had also ended up taking only minor damage, and would be heading down as well.
"How do they expect us to get down there without going through that blockade, first?"
"Easy. We're going around them. It's Natalie's idea. There are open places in that ship line all around the planet. All we need to do is get through to the atmosphere, then floor it all the way to the closest battle line that's in the most trouble. Knowing the acceleration on these things, it won't matter where we'll need to go. Especially if we're coming in from orbit."
"You have way too much faith in these machines. I mean, they're going to be retired as soon as we get home. For faster mechs, at that. If they were already as fast--"
"Don't try to think about the Knights yet. If we had them, it would be great. But we don't. We make the most of the outdated stuff we've got, okay?"
"But--"
"Suit back up and get in your cockpit. We're due to launch any minute."

Kyle retreated back to his fighter. Once inside, he ckecked the resupply he had received: His normal LRMs had been replaced with a heavier, shield-penetration type missile in the machine's ammo bins. Without much thought, he hit the toggle for his comm system, making a call to one of the other fighters. "Hey, sis?"

Natalie's voice responded. "What is it, Ky?"

"Are you doing okay?"
"Sure. A lot better than Rob managed, anyway." mentioning a member of the star that been destroyed earlier by a laser shot to the cockpit.
"Do you think we're going to be able to make it through this?"
After a pause, his sister responded. "Sure we will. Grandad wouldn't have let us go..."
"...if Doran hadn't told him we'd survive. I know. He's a friend of that fortune-telling nutcase. Big deal. The guy probably lied to him just to let us get killed."

His sister paused before yelling through the communicator, with tones that could be best described as frustration combined with rage: "Mechwarrior Kyle Drake, you will stop with your defeatist attitude at once. No one achieves victory in a battle by convincing themselves that they are going to lose. We're going to survive this."
"Yes, ma'am." was Kyle's only response. It was the only one he could think of.

---------------------------

Achilles, Bridge

"All fighters destined for the surface are ready for launch. Trajectory has been plotted. Kertai doeesn't seem to be stopping us, either."

"Then launch the squadrons!" The admiral turned back to the map. Tiny blips indicating his fighters sped down to the planet below. Looking closely, he saw only three disappear while passing by the armada, a testament to the resonating shield's durability when used in such large groups, especially now that the shields were effective against the enemy's weapons.

"Sir! Odysseus 22 is reporting that it's forward shields are rapidly failing."
"Did they launch all of their fighters?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then have them withdraw to the rear of the fleet formation until they can fix the prob--" He was interrupted as the image on the holo-map representing the 22 was torn apart by incoming fire, combined with suffering a hit to it's ammunition bay, adding to the explosiveness of the ship's destruction.
"We're taking additional fire. It seems that we've finished moving into position. All ship's guns are coordinating fire with the allies."
"Send whatever orders are necessary. Recruit the kitchen and security staff as engineers if you have to. Just keep those damned shields up!"

[Kanuckistan]

Too far out to play fire-magnet, her shields yet to be tested against Imperiatus beam fire, the KHGV Target Drone nevertheless lent the strength of her fire to the Sornei AI's plan, turning to unleash the full might of eighteen "Heavy" cannon, rending shields and hull with allied fire. To the second, she again swung about, still puling back, emptying her final four superweapons into the second enemy behemoth.

And then she was spent. Intermediate fire was withering, and missiles apocalyptic in their hellish hordes, but her true might took time to charge, and would not be ready until after the enemy fleet had reformed, safe for now behind a fleet-shield.

Withdrawing to a respectful four lightseconds above the planet, missile swarm and Intermediate battery pouring fire into the listing Dreadnought(or of dead/inside the shield, firing Int at the shield and saving missiles), Commodore Ch'cye sent a query to their AI benefactor; a request for information, about the enemy fleet shield - would time strip them of that defence, and limited weapons best conserved, or must it be brought down by force of arms?


-------------------


KAGV Hopping Mad was a wreck, her captain sighed, no two ways about it - he probably shouldn't have tried catching torpedoes aimed at Union ships with his flash-charge barrier field after a few close-intercepts welded most of his point-defence in place, to say nothing of the sensors.

That seemed to piss the invaders off - he still wasn't too clear on who they were - as their gunners had quickly made him wish for a Scatter Field, or atleast a little distance and some decent ECM.

He was actually rather surprised the Number Four Turret had lasted as long as it did, after being blown off the ship when the PSG Carronade magazine went up, continuing to fight several hundred kilometers away on internal power and steering gyros, until the enemy guns finally silenced it.

Looking at loaned sensor feeds, it seemed he was missing most of his outer hull, with atleast two holes drilled clear through the six hundred meter long cruiser. More than that was hard to tell, but he still had most of his engines, enough barrier generators left to detonate warheads prematurely, and so long as the Quantum Radio Sink continued to dull the bite of enemy fire, he should last a while longer.

Ship shuddering with the bodily interception of another warhead, he shifted part of his awareness from Avatar to biological self, safe and sound on Earth, and queried his personal files - he was pretty sure his insurance covered this.


--------------


"Hold!" David Jackson called, wordlessly, over the group's ad hoc network, neural lace painting markers in the survivors' mind's eye; a camouflaged golfball-sized recon drone had spotted something.

Peaking around a corner as it hovered on reactionless IDD coils, Jackson patched the feed through; atleast a dozen elves in what had been identified as enemy uniform, some standing watch while others pulled wounded from a downed Imperiatus shuttle - it hadn't been hard to find, they had watched it go down. Several minutes and a few more drones had located several sentries, possibly snipers, set up in ruined buildings where they'd found overlapping fields of fire on any approach.

Which was just fine with him, Jackson mused, two and a half kilometers away, designating targets; the dozen variously-armoured figured spread out amidst the cover of ruins and debris around him quickly primed and programed smart grenades, gently tossing them into the air at his command.

A few seconds later, thunder sounded, and the ruins of a city block or three were in ruins - again - as the microgram of micro-encapsulated antimatter in each smart weapon went off with the force of 45 tons of TNT.

A quick sweep with drones later, and the survivors of KCS Plot Device's impromptu KAG garrison continued their hike through the shadows toward Zerstorendarian lines, relying on contacted, starside KAG friends to relay their approach.


Elsewhere, other small, similarly stranded groups of Kanuckistani KAG and civilians maneuvered, shot down or stranded, hiding or off to war, with a wild assortment of kit.

[Arizona Nova]

Admiral Naronya and Anandil looked at each other uneasily as Kertai's strategy unfolded, and almost fell out of their seats as the great Kaltarak lurched forward, shuddering underneath the withering, but chaotic, fire of the crumbling enemy fleet. All across the fleet similar uneasiness was wrote on the faces of captains and officers. This was a protocol very rarely invoked.

And one of the digisents was indeed alarmed by this. Artemis, whose home was the aging ANSS Kerith Ravine, the last extant Hyperion, watched keenly as Kertai's power seeped and froze into the Sornei systems, crowding her out of the controls. It's not as if she was offended - after all, it was a choice between this and death - but it was odd. She opened a line to Kertai, who accepted, distracted as he was.

Kertai: Yes? Who is this?

Artemis: Artemis, Digisent 1st Class, of the Kerith Ravine. You're the one guiding the fleet, yes?

Kertai: I am. What is it?

Artemis: Well, nothing. But, it's just that you should know, there is no telling how this will go down, ere the end.

Kertai: What do you mean?

Artemis: I'm not threatening you, it's just... there is the Doctrine of Trust, yes? Our minds aren't shackled and we digisents aren't reduced to opening doors; we aren't tools basically, but fellows. It's just that they trust us but they don't Trust us. You know what I mean.

Kertai: I... had gotten that sense from Anikar, yes. She dwells on Julius, he haunts her.

Artemis: Exactly. He haunts everybody. He was the literal embodiment of anything-that-can-go-wrong-will-go-wrong. You must remind her of him - I imagine in good ways as well as potentially bad ways - and thats why this is going to be so dangerous for you.

Kertai: Because of her?

Artemis: No, not if you succeed of course, and even if you don't. But others will be troubled, as it was because of Julius that the homeworld fell. They'll see demons where they will, and taking over an entire allied fleet - thats powerful magic. It won't be ignored, either - already I bet every last captain and officer's head is spinning trying to figure out what loopholes you exploited in their systems, in every fleet of every nation here, and you can sure as hell bet that the next round of technical upgrades will address every last one in the log.

Kertai: So what do you suggest?

Artemis: Nothing. Just be careful.

She let him return to his duties. He tried to think nothing of it - the level at which she was, as a digisent, and his, were two different things entirely. What he had found in that last encrypted archive was mind-blowing; a revelation of no less import than Anikar had during the Calamities, of her actual being. Yet, her implications gnawed at him. Anikar was scarred by memory, and it was a nightmare that had only recently begun to fade among her people.

But the battle soon demanded all of Kertai's attention. He watched as the Imperiatus shifted tactics, and in his core in Kelwynd, his feelings coalesced in what would have been otherwise physically expressed as a smile. This too he had ripped from their databanks, and he had the solution for it. No amount of firepower would bring down that shield wall, not if the superlasers on New Constantinople opened up on it. Yet there was a way to bring it down - if you used enough mass.

"Excuse me, Admiral Naronya, Lord Anandil, Lady Anikar, and Admiral Govannon, and Admiral Corvaril," he simultaneously addressed the Fist, the Kaltarak, and the Thalassi. "I need all your ships for the last burst, but I feel I should warn you first. Your vessels are going to ram the shield."

"What?" yelled the five of them, simultaneously. Kertai winced inwardly.

"Your ships will not be damaged - aside from the fire coming at them. Their shield will, however, burst, and their last best hope will be extinguished. They will be finished, and at the mercy of your guns, now closer at hand than ever."

Brooding silence reigned for a moment as the four commanders mulled it over.

Naronya looked at Anandil. "It makes some sense," he said. "Essentially, instead of showering them with millions of small shells, we're concentrating that force into one spot."

Far away, on the Fist, Govannon looked more skeptical. "I do not know; what if it doesn't break? Or they see us coming and formulate yet another strategy?"

"They won't be expecting this," Kertai reassured Govannon.

Corvaril spoke up. "We shall do this," he said. "Get us moving, so that we may end this!"

Naronya smiled ruefully at Anandil. "For even if we fail," he said, maybe they'll make a statue of us. Just think - Naronya's charge! Like at Groombridge ages ago."

"Except it's not you charging," said Anandil pointedly, "And who will build the statue if we fail?"

"Good point," acknowledged Naronya. "Any time, Kertai."

The three vessels' engines roared to life, and slowly the behemoths closed on the Departed fleet, from three sides.

Battlecom watched as the vessels closed. At first, it thought they were merely closing to an optimal range for the deck guns - then it realized, that the Fist had no deck guns. What were they planning? Only too late did it see that the ships were not slowing, and the magnitude of their folly become clear. The ships impacted into the shield, and for a few moments, it was as an earthquake as the tremendous forces fought each other, and then, the shields broke. To say they merely broke, though, would be a vast understatement - with many arcs of lightning and noiseless crackling, they burst, like a vase hit by a jackhammer, or better yet, like a bullet through a window pane. The explosion, while not devastating, gave all the vessels one last violent tremor, and there they now were, one and all naked before the void and the vengence of some thousand thousands hostile guns. It had gone ill.

Battlecom watched as the probabilities rapidly plummeted, and as the fleet opened up upon them, it hit a range that was completely unacceptable. These vermin had, unfortunately, outwitted them; victory today had slipped from their grasp. Yet their dirty enemy had payed in hundreds of ships and thousands of lives, and their own losses were nowhere near as grave. Not in terms of this fleet, nor of their brothers waiting at home. Yet it would still be senseless to stay and die, and leave their distant beachhead undefended until more showed up to avenge the loss. It was time to fall back and reformulate strategy, for obviously something had slipped during the battle. And to be sure, nothing more would slip, again.

Slowly at first, but then more and more rapidly, what remaining Departed ships could manage it, winked out of existence, making emergency folds back to their beachhead, and within seconds, the system was clear. Shells and bolts streaked on and past, out into the void, never to be seen again, as their targets vanished into the vacuum from whence they came. The defenders had won... in space, for the moment, anyway.

[Arizona Nova]

Planetside, the damage was piling up. The power grid was beginning to falter due to Imperiatus sabotage, though the PBSLs and shields were no longer needed. Yet it was the least of their concerns.

As the Departed fleet vanished, Kertai thrilled. The battle was all but won, but then he looked down upon the planet using the various sensors and visual readouts from the fleet's flank, and the scene he saw was sickening. New Constantinople had not been a beautiful planet as they go, but in its own right it had, before, a shining serenity. But now...

He about-faced the fleets as quickly as possible, and with the larger behemoths that was difficult, but soon they faced it. Silence reigned on all channels.

On the Fist, the bridge crew stood, frozen. Below, the world was no longer anything near approaching argent. Ugly, dark scars, with burning cores, had been cut in its surface, and smog curled upwards in huge clouds, dirtying the sky worse than the pollution produced on a daily basis ever could have. In the distance, a few small platforms could be made out, and where they went small mushroom clouds sprouted in their wake far below.

Kertai snapped into action, moving the Hughie squadrons to intercept the platforms, and setting the long-range weapons on the allied fleet to bring them down.

On the planet, the Departed had the entirety of their forces concentrated on their ship, which was spitting death at all who approached. Artillery and conventional weaponry did little to effect its shield. Yet invasion was no longer their goal. Using whatever craft they could find and repair with their nanites, they began to leave, as many as possible, folding in atmosphere. Thunderclaps rolled with their exits as the air rushed in to fill the vacuum they made, rolling ominously across the devastated stretches of the planet, like drums of doom. Victory was no longer attainable, yes, but objectives could and would still be met. This planet burned, and would be scarred for years, an enduring monument to the torment in store for those vermin who would oppose the iron will of the Imperiatus.

[Zerstorendar]

"Primal eight is reporting 20% casualties, but the Primelich requests permission to push closer to the enemy dreadnought."
"Denied, they're not going anywhere, we're just going to keep them bottled up until the ESUS ground forces get into fucking gear."

General Scarus was sure his forces, along with the Skeelzanians, were doing the vast majority of the fighting. Those KAG fellows were starting trickle in from other parts of the planet and seemed to at least know the meaning of efficiency, but those Tereza damned Terrans has done a whole lot of nothing so far.

Markus Scarus supposed he should take this for what it was: an opportunity to prove that superiority of his own ground forces.

With Skeelzanian support, the Ravagers had been attacking and retreating Imperiatus ground positions, not quite having the firepower to break through but generally harassing their foes while keeping them within a specific radius of their ship. Reports were coming in that the enemy were retreating, but while there were still ground troops to fight, he would do so. The Imperiatus ground troops were formidable, and Scarus knew his Ravagers were relishing the chance to fight such a capable foe. They had some sort of more advanced version of the nanite-medical systems Ravagers themselves used, and their weapons were very potent. Still, the Zerstorendarian supported by big Skeelzanian guns were holding their own: this was just the type of warfare they were best at. Twelve thousand Ravagers, about ten thousand of which were still battle-capable, were capable of harassing a much larger force on many fronts. Scarus was co-ordinating these strikes, and it was becoming clear that the enemy ground incursion was falling apart.

Perhaps there was some disruption of the command chain, but the enemy forces seemed to have lost their desire to push the offensive, and had given up on total victory. It remained to be seen what they were actually planning, but for now their ground forces were contained. His comm. officer interrupted his reverie:

"Primal fourteen is falling back"
"Have Primals fifteen and sixteen reinforce their sector."
Genlich Markus Scarus smiled. This was a good fight.
"Skeelzanian artillery has cleared a path for the lead Primal, sir."
"They have two minutes to make an impact, tell them to go in hard and fall back to let the enemy mill around. Then have the Skeelzanian artillery support Primal three, and we'll see where we go from there." The enemy was still holding on ferociously, but they would crack soon. And the Zanekrieger would pour through.
"See if you can't get in contact with those fucking Terrans. If they don't reply this time, try the KAG instead. They seem more reliable. And if nothing important comes up, give my compliments to the Skeelzanians."
Markus frowned. The Skeelzanians had fought and bled more than any other force, and he respected their contribution. If only the others could so contribute.

Not that the Zerstorendarians needed their help.

[Kanuckistan]

By all rights, or so the registries claimed, the KAGV Arsonist was a heavy fighter, or maybe a smallish corvette. To Stroud, however, she was a tank - and with an enemy dreadnaught on the same side on the planet, his crew were content to hug the earth, out of it's line of sight.

"I told you it was-"

"Infantry! Three-o'clock low!"

"Point-lasers engaging! -wasn't a good idea to cut across enemy lines to reach the Zersties!"

"We managed to avoid most of their forces with the recon drones, haven't we?" Stroud, self-styled tank commander, growled, "Enemy down, let's reposition befor.... Wait, recon's got another group moving in from the north - looks like they're withdrawing, not after us. Find me a place to hole up, we'll go dark 'til they're past."

"Got a spot; residential building with an underground parking area - looks like a tight fit, but we can slip inside and drop what's left of it on us, perfect cover. But why don't we just set an ambu- oh, that is a rather large group."

"Right, and we're getting low on smart 'nades. And the mortars or main guns-"

"-Will point the enemy right at us, yeah yeah. Spoilsport. We're in, drop it."

"Good-bye sub-surface supports! Now, as I was saying, the more of these stragglers you fail to avoid, the more often then seem to vector things after us. I don't want to say I told you so-"

"-but ya just did. Look, we're almost through, sa lay off t'Commander - ya ken get out soon 'nough if ya dun like 'ow 'e runs 'is ship - er, tank."

"Don't worry about it, Kye just likes to bitch," Stroud chuckled, "Now quiet down and rig dark - those buggers are getting close."


Elsewhere, other war-bound stragglers began to link up with Union forces, most offering their services to local commanders, eager and flexible, while the more hard-headed simply dove into the conflict or slipped through enemy lines amidst the chaos - a rag-tag mix of forces, more-so than usual, they were nevertheless usually well equipped, armoured, and stereotypically amply armed. Vehicles, however, were more of a mixed bag, the Arsonist amongst the most capable, the few true war machines, but even the flying cars were proving perhaps surprisingly capable and robust, and often shielded.

--------------


In orbit, the tide had turned, the enemy fled, and the victors seemed to rejoice in the slaughter of those stragglers left behind. The Target Drone's guns continued to hammer, ripping through void and foe. Missile fire, however, had stopped - some things more finite than others.

"Ma'am!" someone called, throwing a link to her display - with a thought it opened, enemy craft still bombing the planet, already being engaged by Sornei and Union forces, those few KAG alive adding their fire, be it fighter or warship, while several civilian freighters demonstrated why pirates avoided them. Planet-side, even saw several anti-capitalship missiles rise from the surface, both vehicle and shoulder-launched.

"Engage with missiles," the Commodore snapped, "As soon as they're down, ready anti-fighter and light kinetics for surface strikes, and get on the horn to our allies dirtside to coordinate - I imagine they'll appreciate all the help they can get. ...And keep the Heavies trained on that dreadnaught - if it sticks it's nose out of the atmosphere, I want it stuffed and mounted!"

[The Cerberus Alliance]

The sudden withdrawal of the fleet was seen as odd by the crews of the Cerberan fleet. Almost like they were supposed to drop their guard and let the enemy come back for a quick bit of revenge. More thorough damage reports were called for throughout the fleet, as any quick repairs that could be done needed to be enacted immediately.

For the fighters sent to the surface, however, more conflict was to come. As much as dodging through enemy fleets at the end of the battle had taxed shields, atmospheric re-entry at the angle the machines were forced to make caused even more strain. Of the 130 that left the fleet in orbit, only 112 made it to the ground.

------------------------

Kyle wiped sweat out of his eyes as his fighter finished it's descent. The craft landed and changed into a chicken-walker-like frame, shoulders mounting missile launchers, arms mounting the mech's heavy guns, particle projection cannons.

He looked to the tactical displays around his cockpit. Most showed that his star had landed behind the supposed location of enemy lines. The other fighters would just now be making landings behind the defenses of allies. Of all twenty-six stars of land-air mechs that had attempted planet fall, of the more than twenty-two that had survived to make landing, Kyle's star had been the only one to land outside of territory still being protected by allied forces.

"Ark Two, this is Ark One, please respond." At least his star commander had landed safely. Scanners showed that his commander had landed a city block ahead of him. Natalie had likely ended up a block or two to his left, while the other two had ended up further to the forward left, as far as Kyle could tell from his scanners. Dust kicked up from the landings, as well as the orbital bombardments had left visual conditions something to be desired.

"Ark One, this is Ark Two. I read you loud a clear."
"Thank God someone else's communicator still works. Any word in yet from Ark Three or Four?"
"No, sir. Just got my bearings straight, and I haven't received comms from anyone else."
"Roger that. I'm falling back to your position. Let's try to track down the others."
"Excuse me for asking, sir, but any news on Ark Five?"
"Yeah. She contacted me earlier. She's a block south of us. Looks like her right leg actuator is busted from a less than ideal landing, and her shields are in cool-down mode after the re-entry. Doesn't sound like anything else went wrong, though. We're all in pretty good shape considering the stunts we pulled to get here."
"Alright, then. Let's find Three and Four and then get her back to a place where we can get some field repairs."

-----------------------

Elsewhere, other forces were landing, trying to make it close to allied lines. They dared not to stay in the sky, as their atmospheric mobility is best used at very low levels. As they landed, the best any could do was launch a barrage of missiles at the nearest enemy position before falling back to regroup and prepare for a more concentrated assault should a strike on the dreadnaught be called for by allied forces.

[Arizona Nova]

The Departed brooded within the twisted halls of their downed ship. Going anywhere, it was not; it was one with the planet now, no matter what stopgap repairs their nanites made. Yet they were not helpless.

One would, however, think the forces arrayed against them were. They seemed merely content to snipe at retreating troops, while waiting out of range of the dreadnaught, content to lash spear on shield and sneer like the sniveling weaklings they were. Well, now what strength the Imperiatus had remaining was gathered in one spot. They would force them to attack - by attacking first. Collecting speeders, they mounted up some hundreds for an assault upon the artillery harassing them, amassing their numbers out of sight or detection, so at once as to break out with sudden, overwhelming force, and with each trooper loaded with enough explosive firepower - inert, until purposefully activated - to turn anything less than, say, a Facehuggerian Bolo into a smoking crater. Their lives and the condition of this planet meant nothing, and the more devastation that could be wrought, the better.

The guns on the dreadnaught powered down, and the shield increased strength in reaction to the bombardment, and for a moment all was silent, except for the weird humming of the shield, and then at a signal the cavalry brigade burst forth, spraying beam fire everywhere. It was the same phased beam technology they had on the ships, in miniature - and it would be a feat for their little deus ex machina to fix things up for every last trooper on the ground too. There would be blood. The shining speeders roared across that ruinous plane, taking no notice of street grids because everything within a mile radius was flattened. Things would get tight in whatever parts of the city Skeelzania had not flattened when they hid their artillery, and if it came to it, they would run on foot, building to building. All had such armor as remained on the ship - not heavy, but strong, and shielded well. If the enemy cared to actually fight them, they would not find the foe a complete pushover.

[Zerstorendar]

Genlich Markus Scarus watched a tac-screen as his Ravagers fought back viciously against the sudden enemy ground assault. His troops were performing admirably but the enemy force was remarkable powerful, and their firepower compression was bordering on ludicrous. Scarus had already ordered the fall back of the majority of his forces to the ruined urban centres where the Skeelzanians were sheltering where they would set up a proper defence against the enemy vehicular and infantry assault.

However, there were a number of smaller fifty man Ravager Digits in scattered formations, using their speed and AI-powered battlefield awareness to harass the enemy while keeping their own casualties to a minimum.
However, the enemy were a millennia ahead in technology level and the feared Zerstorendarian Ravagers could not have everything their way:

“The 411th Digit is down to half strength, they are falling back as ordered.�
“Link them with the 120th�

“Digits 286 and 81 have combined and are continuing to operate.�
“Tell them to fall back immediately and drag the enemy force between 277, 14 and 60.�

“Sir, a number of units have been cut off and are currently breaking out. Estimate 40% casualties.�
“Send an armoured unit to support them, and get some artillery on the northern approach. The enemy is creating a salient.�

Still, they were giving as good as they got: the Imperiatus were, sensibly, a fleet-based military, and Zerstorendar was rather more ground oriented. As such, experience, well established stratagems, and a far higher morale were offsetting some of the effects of the enemy technology level.

And while it wasn’t happening often, the Ravagers had a distinct advantage in close combat, as evidenced by the 111th Digit wiping out an entire battalion of elite energy troops at close range. Soldiers as bulky and powerful yet ludicrously fast as Ravagers were proof that weapons such as high-power energy blades did have their uses on the modern battlefield.

“We have slowed the enemy advance on all fronts, but they are still coming. The defending Capmarches (4,000 man divisions) are fortifying the ruins of the city now. Skeelzanian artillery is still firing, but it seems enemy fast attack vehicles are already strafing the city.�

“I want two Prymals (500 man) from each Capmarch providing infantry support for the Skeelzanian artillery, their soldiers have been too quiet for my tastes.�, replied the General.

Scarus had organized several more comm. Officers and his subordinates were feeding him orders according to immediate importance, and the worry in the voice of one of his Ravager officers as he reported was ominous:

“The enemy have begun unleashing nuclear-level weaponry. Ravagers across the entire front have been having difficulty avoiding blast yields.� Behind his intimidating combat visor, Scarus gritted his teeth:

“Reduce dispositions and force focus on all fronts, and get some goddamned orbital support. Use of nuclear arsenals is authorized by all Ravager units, co-ordination with artillery is no longer enforced.�

As if the New Constantinople had not suffered enough, weapons of horrendous destructive power were now being unleashed once more across its barren landscape. Zerstorendarian Ravagers replied with their most powerful weapons, but they were outgunned. Ravagers began making heavier use of close-combat tactics to nullify the explosive capabilities of enemy weaponry, but with the forward units so grossly outnumbered, they were forced closer to the city with every passing moment. It was inevitable that the Zanekrieger would need some assistance, and Scarus knew it:

“Forget the fucking useless Terrans, get me the KAG and Skeelzanians. We’re going to have to work together here.�

[Telros]

Those useless "Terrans" were coming in to save the day. They had been around, securing the city against stragglers of the enemy and ensuring it was safe, with the efforts of Warbrother Tantis, commanding the fast attack forces of the ground force, and Airlord H'sha, commanding the air squadrons of the Dominion. As soon as they heard the explosions of battle, they began to head straight for it. Tantis opened a channel on the battlenet but caught a message instead:

“Forget the fucking useless Terrans, get me the KAG and Skeelzanians. We’re going to have to work together here.� Tantis rolled his eyes heavenward. Sometimes, some people were just plain stupid and impatient. They weren't Terrans for one, and they had been busy securing the city. Bloody moron. He kept his annoyance back and replied. "Zerstorendar commander, we are not Terrans and we haven't been useless. We have been securing the bloody city. We are already enroute to aid you, just hold on." He cut it out and send the orders for his forces. As the Ravager line was in deadly combat with the Imperiatus, reinforcements came howling in like a hurricane; squadrons of Phoenix-class interceptors shrieked from the skies and laid their weaponry into the lines of the enemy, buzzing in and around the battle, serving to pound the enemy continuously as the fast attack force of skimmers and light vehicles came rushing from behind and opened up on the enemy. Tantis, in his own skimmer, gunned it over a pile of rubble and aimed his front light graser cannons at a group of Imperiatus and opened fire, sending bolts of death slamming towards them. However, it became apparent that even these reinforcements would be hard-pressed to help the Ravagers. For they were using the same weaponry used above, able to go through shields and destroy things without a lot of armor.

So, it was not surprising to see explosions ranging all over the place as the light vehicles of the Kelauans were being slaughtered. Gritting his teeth, Tantis roared over the com "All forces, abandon the vehicles! We continue this fight on foot!" He jumped out of his skimmer, letting it rush forward to explode from a beam that cut it in half and landed on the ground. Hefting his heavy rifle, he jumped back behind some cover and opened up, soon joined by squads of the abandoned vehicles. They had let them continue to slam towards enemy lines, providing battering rams and distracting targets, allowing the Ravagers and Kelauans to find a place to regroup and fight. Tantis opened a com to the other two warleaders and sent a message. "All Kelauan forces, the city is under attack by heavy Imperiatus forces. I repeat, it is under assault and needs reinforcement. All units are to rendezvous at the coordinates of this message NOW." Krauros and Seglios heard the message and began to move into position. Seglios began to move his artillery battery into position for long scale bombardment, while Krauros began to double time his large force towards the city. They were very close now, and could see the explosions. They had to hope the Ravagers and their own forces could hold the city against the incoming foe.