Chapter Fourteen
- Book 5 – Chappy's Howling Siegers[]
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Victory slipping from his grip[]
Fortress Dieron
Mount Shanyo
Dieron, Draconis Combine
May 10th, 3031
0730 Dieron Standard Time
Tai-sho Palmer Conti office
Palmer paced his office back and forth; it had been a month since the Dragoons landed and sided with the FedSuns. How was it possible that he was losing. He walked over to the planning table and pushed everything off it, screaming in the process. Running his hand over his head he saw the computer screen, only two strongholds left with pockets of resistance throughout the planet.
A month ago, he thought he was going to crush the great General Chapman and his upstart Federation. His children were hold up in a broken-down fort, the General and his wife were being squeezed to death just about 200 kilometers away. Then everything changed, he blamed the Dragoons but in truth the Chapman Kids escape without help and the Federation still exist on the planet, the only consolation’s Palmer had was that Chapman’s wife was dead. Which unfortunately made the Federation even more dangerous, their troops fought harder, meaner. The Steiner scum were about 100 kilometers away from his fortress. The Federation and Wolf’s Dragoons were about 50 kilometers away from the Capital. Both were heavily defended, and Palmer dared hoping that by attacking the final two fortress on planet that the enemy will be too broken at the end. The Federated Suns two units were heavily damaged but still operational and looked like they were ordered to deal with any resistance that pop up since they were not marching with the rest of the enemy.
Price of War[]
Valley of Blossoms
Joint HQ of Federation and Wolf's Dragoons
May 10th, 3031
Matthew Chapman looked at his battalion and company commanders. What he saw made him proud but also fearful. They had such hate such anger on their face, yet such a determination that the enemy should run and surrender because these soldiers will never stop. He looked over at Jamie Wolf and his command staff and sighed.
Then said, “Look, I know we lost our 1st Battalion commander, she was wife, a mother, a friend, and a great leader we all loved her. The rest of the time here on the planet cannot be about revenge, we cannot let our emotions get in the way. This hate, this call for revenge needs to be drained from you. We have a mission to do and with the help of the Dragoons, we will finish it. 1st Battalion is broken, y’all can barely field a company so I am going to appropriate you guys into my command company.” He stopped for a second and looked at Jamie.
“Your unit is faster and fully operational, so I want you to be on both flanks and circle around. We will circle the Dragon’s Roost. Now there are only three possible entry points to the base the main door, the secondary door in the back and the Aerospace door on top of mount Tatsuyama Mountain. While my unit hits the main blast doors, I need your unit to move around both sides taking out any missile bays or such and then attack the secondary blast doors in the back. I am going to have our fleet in orbit bombard the top of the mountain, no nukes will be used, but if we can blow open the bay doors there are squadrons can drop, HE bombs inside.” He looked back at what was left of his family, this ‘favor’ for the First Prince was too high of a cost; the lost of his wife, one son has a robotic arm, and his daughter has a robotic foot all from this invasion. He thought at one time he saw war as a necessary evil, one to free people and start a revolution throughout the universe to end this nobility rule and have people in control of the government. Now he just doesn’t know, the price maybe to high, maybe its time to change policy.
Later that night
A knock on the door jam and Matthew looked up, it was Jamie Wolf, “Come in Jamie what can I do you for?” Jamie moved to the chair in front of Matthew and sat down. Which took him by surprise because what looked like a firm chair ended up not being firm, Matthew watched as the commander of the Dragoons sunk into the chair and saw the look on his face. Matthew could not resist a small laugh and looked at Jamie. “Caught you off guard there, Jamie?” Jamie looked at Matthew, “This…is done on purpose isn’t? Jamie said. Matthew tried to calm his laughter. “Yes, puts people out of their element, and I like to see what they do after that.” Jamie just shook his head and then continued even though he felt like a little kid looking up at Matthew from the sunken chair.
“Look I like to be positive but there is a chance that we don’t make it out of here alive, I have to know about your family history.”
Matthew shifted in his seat. “In about two months there will be a museum that will have all that info. Of course until I have the grand opening only select people will be able to see it, but soon my friend you will know, besides we will survive the next few days, we have too.”
Fire from the Sky[]
Fortress Dieron
Mount Shanyo
Dieron, Draconis Combine
May 12th, 3031
0730 Dieron Standard Time
Tai-sho Palmer Conti office
Palmer looked at the view screen. Multiple infantry regiment size both mechanized and this new thing called the PA(L) which he was told was old SLDF tech. He also saw two armor regiments and almost a regiment of mechs. Moving through the valley like nothing bothered them, all had the Federation colors, he looked at the other camera views and saw that the Wolf’s Dragoons were flanking the mountain. He reached for the com and was about to order his fighters to lift off and attack the Wolf’s Dragoons when a loud explosion happened, and the mountain shook. His XO's radio in, “Sir, the enemy is bombing us from their fleet in orbit, non-nuclear bombs for now, sir.” They will just have to hunker down and hope the turrets can take their ground forces out.