[In an outpost deep within broken Ruskan borders]
Hierd gets a frightening report from one of his officers.
"Lord! Urgent report delievered by the Atago."
"The Atago?" Hierd stood up from his seat, "why, what's happened?" Hierd looked deeply worried, was the ship beyond repair? Did captain Jack die?
"Lord! A detached force of Ruskan soldiers are currently within Port Geo and are making their way towards the city from the Mountain Range; the citizens have been evacuated into the bunkers, however because of the small German-Hesian force presence within the city, holding the forces back is hard (as Captain Jack states).
"The Atago is requesting reinforcements from Jane and other groups."
Hierd ran to the map, in a perplexed daze, "How are the Ruskans there!? They are still quite far away from reaching Port Geo because of the North-Hesian effort. Then… How!?"
The map was too plain, revealing only the locations of known and active fronts and army statues. "Bring me a report of the recent battles," Hierd pried.
"Yes, lord!" Quickly the man leapt to the pile of boxes, returning with a couple drawn maps and a small stack of reports.
They laid it, organized and swift, onto the war-room table. Hierd analyzed the path of the Ruskans (as observed by his soldiers).
"The first report happened the day after the Gresh invasion; massive casualties for the Hesians and broke the line... No… Nothing… Ah!" Hierd saw the movement as it truly was. He stuck the map and relevant information on the wooden board.
"Look!" Hierd itched his chin, "do you see it?"
The soldier looked.
The Ruskans defeated the Hesians during the first day, attacking the outposts and cities within the mountain range. Making their way south while sticking to the mountain range.
The second day of the war, the Ruskans met furious resistance against the detached German battalion. However, their use of artillery and trench digging discouraged the Germans from attacking. Because of the high angles, the Ruskans were able to advance, albeit slowly.
Then the third day, the day before the the Atago called. They were able to seize a mountain-side city, and the Ruskans began defending that city rather than continuing.
But why?
"Why this city?" Hierd jovially added chuckling as he figured it out, "see, this city has a mine," -he put his finger on the mine icon on the map- "they went inside the mine, there should be a strand that would be able to bypass the German-Hesian presence and were able to avoid detection."
"But what now, lord?"
"Radio the detached German battalion; tell them to attack the mine, to bombard it. Do anything to demoralize them. If they've established a logistic line from Ruska to the Mine, destroy it. Siege it."
"Yes lord!" But before the soldier left, "lord, what of the city?"
"Tell him that he's got it. There will be no reinforcements. However, tell him to lead his crew to the bar."
( * )
Rifles in-hand. Lugers unbuckled.
Captain Jack led two hundred of the Atago's seven hundred complement dashing through the desolated streets of a once active Port Geo.
The evacuation centres were located at the city's middle (easily reachable however impossible to penetrate). "How far till we reach the bar!" Captain Jack yelled, ducking to avoid getting shot.
"Not that far, captain! Just around the corner!"
"Just around ta' corner's death!" Captain Jack squealed as a bullet grazed his face, "and by hell had I tinkled me' pants and seen it!"
He retreated within the alleyways of Geo.
He was with a small group of twenty at the time. The others were scattered around the city and hiding inside buildings, using the buildings as fortifications and firing positions.
The Navy was trained to use the M1 Garand (with bayonet) and Luger as their primary weapons. Even if they experienced being a Ridge-Brown soldiers, they've forgotten everything because of sea's whims.
"Did you see, captain?" Pointed out one of his sailors behind him.
"See what?" Captain Jack reloaded his Luger, "saw God if that's what you're referin,' a-and also: my piss stained pants!" Jack cried, streams of tears flowing down his cheers. "My pride has been ruined, in front of yall.'"
The sailor chuckled nervously, "their bolt-action rifles (as I saw) don't cause that big a flash. And the only other weapon they have's a sabre-like sword."
"What're ye getting' at?"
"I've only heard it as rumor, but sir I think it're magic-rounds."
"Magic rounds?" Captain showed interest but he couldn't care less. "This ties in with everything how?"
"Magic ores (especially the fire ones), when broken; can create a mild blast. I say mild, captain; But it can kill it's user and do alat' of damage to the surrounding."
His platoon of sailors took count and reloaded, replenishing their energy. "So," Captain Jack ingested the information, "shoot the guns you say? What an idiotic idea child, that's a smaller area of target than a head or a torso."
"Captain!" The sailor reinforced; "they're still idiots, captain. I saw when they shoot, they shoot in a line column, and when reloading they thrust the weapon to their less dominant hand-"
"Thus creating a bigger target area," Jack interjected, "I agree' dat' shooting at something that deals more damage really helps wen' our supply of ammunition is something we need to be very frugal with."
Then Jack stood up and continued, "everyone! As this intellectual man had said upon us; aim for the guns!"
---
Quickly, they rushed up to then down to then up to. An exhausting run where, at every corner, death could be awaiting, silently.
The hour was ticking and the Ruskans had already taken apart a rather large part of the mountain-side city. A small fraction (of fifty) Ridge-Brown troops stationed there were fending off the enemies at the middle bunker.
Captain Jack had seen them standing en defence, with a heavy machine gun, and automatic weapons.
They were hunkered down, and moving a Vickers without a truck was damned hard work, so Jack concluded they'd help diddly in their mission; "to this so-called bar."
Racing around the corner, the sailors met eyes with Ruskan troops (around five).
The Ruskans ran for cover.
As did Jack's sailors.
As the alleyway was small, maneuvering was hard enough as is; and there were many tangent pathways that may also have enemies walking on them.
Seeing the alleyway extend left another way and another way down into the right; he sent five (each) of his men to reinforce their position there.
The Ruskans were afraid to shoot, "why in hell's aren't they shootin?" Captain Jack complained.
"Am' not getting a body, sir."
Captain Jack picked up a large rock settling on the side of the small alleyway, rubbed it, then a smooch. "Get outta the way," he shoo-ed.
He threw the rock at the end of the alleyway.
The Ruskans, fearing it might be a German Grenade ran out of their hiding positions,
"Fire!" Jack yelled.
A sailor, just below the Captain, was able to get a shot on one of the Ruskan guns.
A chance hit on the Ruskan bolt-action's magazine well; made a round (then cascading and affecting the other rounds) in one fantastic explosion.
"Gorey." Captain Jack took ahead, "run, men! We need hurry!" He shouted, quickly running to the end of the alleyway.
Out of the street, he swiftly looked right.
"That's ten guys!" Jack saw, and scrambled to the ground.
A missed shot!
He danced and wiggled, avoiding the barage of shots as he rushed and retreated his way back to the alleyway.
"Cap," a sailor sounded disappointed, shaking his head. "How did your ass survive that?"
Captain Jack looked back at the blatant disrespect. But he smiled instead, loving the comment. "I prayed the day before! That's why!"
Taking the initative, knowing they had wasted all their rounds upon (trying to) shoot their captain; the sailors peaked from the corner, struggling to aim; shot at the soldier's guns.
The combined blast from two successful gun hits blew the ten soldiers away, their bodies decimated as their gore splayed the cobbled road.
"Get those guys," Jack recalled the sub-teams he called some moments ago, "get em' back and follow--we're near our target."
"Aye, sir!" Two sailors left.
( * )
With the fall of the Southern-side of the Great Ruskan Wall; the Betelions were able to (under the German's help) rush into and advance inside the Ruskan territory.
Adelheid walked into the hall of the newly constructed Handerbour Territorial Government Building located in the northern city of Foole, just another city's wide block away from the Betelion Empire.
Foole is a port-city without many Handerbour supporters (which was the sole reason why the military had picked this place for their headquarters). It was undergoing German modernification, and it's citizens were embracing it with open arms.
He clutched the newspaper in his hands, reading it tentatively.
The column he was most intrested in read;
The SMS Scharnhorst sinks the great fleet of the Lottidenty Navy off the coast of the Northern-most Gale island chain suffering minor damages. The engagement happened in the course of thirty minutes led by the German Admiral: Felmann Bygorskee.
The great Lottidenty fleet was a four-battleship arrangement, each (but one) fitted with five turrets. Sources on the names of the four battleships are scarce as the Kerfeliz has fully shut down it's borders. However, it is a fact that the Lottidentians possess the technology and manufactoring power to make these four battleships.
Two hours after the engagement, the newly-built SMS Yamato assumed the waters to fill-in the spot of the Scharnhorst while it repairs it's damages and refills in the Handerbour port city of Wunnskin.
"Truly a decisive turn of events." Adelheid put it down and tucked it inbetween his right shoulder as he opened the door leading to his office area. "Ah. A visitor," -he closed the door behind him- "what do you need, Jeane? And get out of that table before you break it." She chuckled a little.
"I had just come back from my short time on the southern-Gale island," Jeane sat on the accomodating chair; "cap Felmenn told me a tidbit for you, sir."
"Regarding… What…?" He laid the newspaper on a stand and put his coat to on the coat rack.
"It's a Naval Academy in Betelionic," said Jeane. "It's where the BSS Baden is, the battleship we gave to them."
"And what of it?" Adelheid sat on his chair. "The BSS Baden is under academic research, I fear it won't be re-activated during the war time. It'd take atleast three months for the refit."
"Yes, but the academy is willing to give away some gunboats and these experimental ironclads."
Adelheid frowned in confusion, "the current momento from the HQ is to continue the naval blockade and the shore deterrent bombarding."
"But see, Captain Felmenn thought out a plan!" Jeane showed a map of the Gale Sea and the protruding Betelionic expanse, "see the capital here south?"
"Yes," Adelheid observed.
"Just fourty or-so leagues North is the academy, and provide a potentially powerful outlet for an invasion of Kerfeliz during it's drought of warships, from the sea. These ironclads (Captain Felmenn told me) are not meant for battle, and instead for transport.
"The Betelions thought up a ship meant to transport primarily humans, housing a hundred per ship, and they have five of them. It's fairly armored, and if the Yamato and the two Deustchlands help in a shore bombardment mission, we can ensure safe landing for a whole battalion. Of which me and Heduc currently have."
Adelheid thought deeply, massaging his chin, "It's a decisive plan. But we haven't throughly surveyed the Kerfeliez borders and coastal cities. However one thing's certain. Is that they have coastal encampments to fire at incoming ships.
"We've seen them before the war started, but they've done a great deal of enforcing and security that our MP operatives haven't been able to understand it's internals and such.
"And you need my permission." Adelheid smirked, looking up at Jeane, "captain Felmenn is a cunning man. That even the HQ were not able to foresee this."
"W-well…" Jeane, flustered, scratched her cheeks. "It was a joint effort between the two of us when we had detoured to the academy on our way back to Handerbour after the battle Off Gale."
"You were there?"
"Y-yes…" Jeane affirmed, "I was there for reassurance and surveying Gresh. The sighting was a mere coincidence, an occurrence from the mission."
Adelheid laid back on his wooden seat, the warm sun hitting his back and heating him up in the cool inside of the room. His eyes stared at the map. "I have the power to; so I will do as that. Please go, Jeane. I'll make sure this will be taken to the headquarters."
"Thank you. Sir." She saluted him before walking off.
Adelheid stood up, from his seat and quietly made his way to the window behind him.
"The lord has been experimenting with a newer craft. A vehicle only known to a few. Even the four; Vedal, Gelmund, Heduc, and Jeane don't know. Only I and the Generals know. And it's hiding within this city.
"Handerbour's flat lands is perfect, weather is mild, and the population is sprinkled throughout the lands; spread far apart each city and each village. Perfect for security and for secrecy.
"Up here North;" Adelheid looked up at the sky, "we're building the first runway, and the first flying mechanism."