Chapter 63

The second line of fortifications had resisted all attempts to batter them into submission for a full week by this point. We would drive the enemy out of a bastion or series of bunkers only for a counterattack to hit us or for us to run into a minefield or artillery bombardment and either reverse our gains or stymie our advance any further. It was a veritable slog through pillboxes, weapons emplacements, minefields, and hidden bunkers. Of course, there were also the enemy forces to consider. A reinforced regiment of the Von Strang Guards, most of which seemed to be using Rim Worlds Army Gear, backed by Militia from the nearby suburbs.

Those suburbs, by the way, were the reason we had to fight this out instead of doing what we had on the outer ring and using orbital bombardment. The outer ring had been in the sticks, roughly halfway between the settlements deep in the Plains of the Rim Worlds Republic and the Capital of Amaris City. There wasn't anyone around to hurt if we used orbital bombardment there, but here? The odds were good that we'd flatten some or all of the nearby suburbs just trying it.

It took a full Cluster of Clan Jade Falcon to seize this world in that other history, though, and that was without the extra regiment that the Von Strang Guards had or much in the way of refurbished Rim World's Army Equipment. I didn't feel too badly thanks to that, as even if I hadn't done this, Von Strang would have clearly been better prepared for the Clans. So far, it looked like it would take us five regiments to conquer this Planet. Who knew what it would have taken the Clans with the reinforced capability that had been on display?

Unfortunately, those extra two regiments' worth of Reinforcements would not arrive for a long time. They'd had to jump multiple times, from Oberon to Zertarum, from Zertarum to Last Chance, and From Last Chance to Cryfder, before finally jumping to Von Strang's World. Fortunately, recharge times would be easy thanks to some of those jumps being a lot shorter than a full charge would take along with the recharge stations that I had invested in to better move forces around my territory. That, unfortunately, would only cut down on the travel time so much. Thirty-five days was what it would take them, and right now, we were on day nine of that time.

Fortunately, that had given Colonel Kadlec time to rest, repair, and resupply in order to join us fighting at the Second Line of Fortifications. They arrived as the tenth day of the Ground Campaign to seize Von Strang's World dawned. As they did so, however, I was already leading the men of Second Guards in yet another attack on the fortifications from behind the cockpit of my Highlander.

"My Lord, Colonel Kadlec has just arrived. He's ready to add Third Guards to the assault." Informed General Jorgensen over comms.

"Good, send him to Captured Bunker Complex J. Major Krupa's Varulv Troopers think they may have found something that can help us advance. A locked-down passageway that the Fortification Blueprints Intel Pulled for the Fortresses say leads into the maintenance tunnels for the fortifications. We may be able to sneak our way into a few more Bunker Complexes using those and drive the point home further. It'll take them time to get the door open, though so they need to be defended against counterattacks." I commanded.

"Understood My Lord. I'll send them that way." Confirmed General Jorgensen.

With that, I turned back to the battlefield. As the artillery bombardment that we'd been subjecting the bunker complex up ahead to collapsed the roof of the last of the weapons emplacements, a casemated bunker holding a battery of four sniper artillery pieces, I watched as suddenly a burst of movement occurred from a nearby set of Hangar Doors that I'd had my sights on. True to form, the armored blast doors ground open, and a number of Mechs and Combat Vehicles came out shooting. I sighted down on the lead Battlemech, a black and red painted SLDF Vintage Royal Hussar that the Von Strangs had pulled out of a cache somewhere only for my scopes to start to fuzz up and my gauss slug to miss thanks to the targeting and tracking system getting futzed with, instead, my slug punched into and through the turret of an Enemy Bulldog Medium Tank, sending the Combat Vehicle Brewing up.

"ECM! That was a lucky find!" I growled, even as the Royal Hussar spotted me and fired its ER Large Laser. I janked to the side, trying to dodge into cover behind a crumbled piece of bunker from the artillery bombardment, but was only partly successful as the ER Laser blast boiled a line of armor off the side of my Highlander. I fired again, but the Hussar was too fast, even as the features on my Upgraded Targeting and Tracking Suite were beginning to clear the snow on my scopes. My gauss slug missed, punching into a piece of bunker wall. I didn't have time to try again, as I was already moving for my next bit of cover.

"Damnit!" I swore as I watched the Hussar take out a Refit Griffin that tried to engage with its SRM Launchers only for the missiles to veer wildly off-target and explode harmlessly around the Hussar. The Griffin's Mechwarrior ejected, thankfully, as a blast from the Hussar's ER Large Laser burned through a weak point in the armor from earlier in the battle that hadn't been replaced yet and caused the reactor to blow. It was still a mech we couldn't replace at the moment.

Other mechs went down as well, the Hussar getting two more, a Rifleman Two, and another Refit Griffin as we fought, while a couple of enemy Dragoons scored kills, though thankfully, they were only mission kills as the one Rampage had to pull back to avoid further damage and the Rifleman Two had it's leg blown off, crippling it. Those could be repaired with time and effort. The Combat Vehicles also fought a bloody battle, with one of our Scorpion Two Plus Tanks and one of our Hipparch Two Tanks dying in fierce tank battles with enemy LTV-Four Hovertanks, Bulldog Medium Tanks, and Von Strang Militia Gun Trucks.

We gave as good as we got, though. I managed to take out two enemy Mechs myself, a Dragoon that I scored a lucky Cockpit hit with my Gauss Rifle on, and a Rampage that I sprayed and prayed to death with Armor Piercing Shells from my Ultra-Autocannon. Likewise, the Mechwarriors of Second Guards also took down a pair of Enemy Hunchbacks, a Marauder, an SLDF Royal Stinger and an SLDF Royal Locust. Likewise, our tank crews were able to destroy four Enemy Hipparchs, Two Enemy Bulldogs, a Pair of SLDF Royal Chevalier Light Tanks, and Seven Enemy Militia Gun Trucks.

By the time that happened, the snow on my Scope was finally clear and I was able to finally pinpoint the Hussar that had been giving us so much trouble. That was when I noticed the coronet painted in gold atop the Barony of Strang Rondel. Otto Von Strang was piloting that Mech. It made sense, if he'd found a Project: Redoubt Cache, why wouldn't he grab the shiniest SLDF Royal Battlemech that was in there for himself? Even if it was a glorified Recon Mech, its speed and ECM capabilities would let it avoid the hits and its ER Large Laser would give it a punch well beyond its weight. It was also a sign of prestige.

Unfortunately, killing him here wouldn't end this. Not with his son and heir, Stepan Von Strang was still behind the current front lines. Still, killing Otto Von Strang would make me feel better about the slog that this campaign was fast becoming. With a snarl, I sighted down on the Baron with my Gauss Rifle, firing off a ferro-nickel slug. Just as predicted, he was fast enough to duck behind cover, my slug punching into a chunk of wrecked bunker wall. However, that hadn't been my goal. My goal was to close distance enough that when he emerged from cover to fire back, I could strafe with my Ultra-Autocannon well enough that at least one or two of the Armor Piercing Shells would hit him.

Sure enough, that's what happened as Otto Von Strang popped out of cover to fire his ER Large Laser, only to see me much closer than he'd thought I would be. I sprayed the area ahead of me with Ultra Autocannon rounds as he tried to duck back into cover, and fortunately, a couple of the Armor Piercing Rounds managed to punch into the Hussar's left leg, slowing it down as the servos were damaged. I fired off a beam from my medium laser as I rounded the corner, finishing the job that my Armor Piercing Rounds started and sawing Otto Von Strang's fancy, SLDF Vintage, Royal Hussar's left leg in two, causing the mech to topple to the ground, crippled.

It was a good thing too, because Otto had let off a snap shot with his ER Large Laser that just barely missed me thanks to his Hussar toppling over. If I hadn't crippled the leg, that would have taken me right in the torso at point-blank range. I had no time to dwell on the fact that dumb luck had just saved my life, though. Instead, I pointed my Gauss Rifle at Otto Von Strang's Cockpit and sent over a demand via an open channel.

"Surrender!" I demanded.

"I would rather die than surrender to a mere whelp like you!" Sneered Otto Von Strang's Voice over the open channel.

"I'm gonna give you one more chance then I fire." I warned.

"Do your worst. Should you kill me it will only drive my Son to fight all the harder to avenge me. I have nothing more to say to you, Boy!" Spat Otto Von Strang.

"I could capture you and force your Son to surrender." I mused.

"You would try and you would fail." Intoned Otto Von Strang.

"I wouldn't be so certain of that. It seems like I've got you at my mercy." I remarked.

"That is because you have not the vision to see more than two steps in front of your face. Even if you could, a mere boy like you does not have the will to do anything about it. Allow me to show you what true will is!" Spat Otto Von Strang.

I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach before the sound of a gun cocking was heard, followed by a gunshot, then silence as the channel went dead. Had Otto Von Strang just killed himself rather than be taken prisoner? Would that make him a martyr? I honestly wasn't certain I wanted to know the answers, because the enemy forces withdrew back into their fortifications even as Otto shot himself.

"My Lord, Major Krupa is reporting he's gotten the doors open and has started to send forces through the maintenance tunnels." Informed Colonel Kadlec over comms.

"Any trouble, Colonel?" I questioned.

"Just some counterattacking militia backed by a few Inner Sphere Models of Battlemechs. Nothing we couldn't handle, though we've got around eight percent losses again." Answered Colonel Kadlec.

"They must have saved the main counterattack force for here then." I mused.

"My Lord? Did something happen in your sector?" Queried Colonel Kadlec.

"You could say that Colonel. With today's casualty figures, Second Guards is now down to Seventy-Nine percent combat effectiveness over the twelve days of fighting since the start of the Ground Campaign." I admitted.

"Von Strang's Guards do seem awfully well equipped." Mused Colonel Kadlec.

"You don't know the half of it." I muttered.

"My Lord?" Asked Colonel Kadlec.

"Colonel, intelligence has failed a few times during this campaign already. They failed to dig up news about the Second Von Strang Guard Regiment, they failed to figure out that there were nuclear weapons present, and now they failed to tell us that there are more than just Refurbished Rim Worlds Army Equipped Forces and Inner Sphere Equipped Forces, but a Company of SLDF Royal Recon Mechs as well. Minister Simowitz and I will be having words when this is over, on that you can rest assured." I groused.

It turned out that Colonel Frankowski and First Guards had also been hit by counterattack forces by the Von Strang Guards, though in their case, they had faced something very similar to what Colonel Kadlec had. First Guards was down to Ninety Percent strength, while Third Guards was now down to Eighty-Four Percent Strength and Second Guards was down to Seventy-Nine percent strength, as previously stated. Fortunately, we'd get some of those losses back as equipment was repaired and replenished and troops were healed. It wasn't much, but with the reinforcements still a way out, every bit of recouped losses helped.

Fortunately, there was good news to go with the bad. About an hour after the General counterattack had ended, Major Krupa's Varulv Troopers had managed to storm several more bunker complexes using the maintenance tunnels they had entered. They had largely taken those bunkers by surprise, but it only took another hour for the Enemy to get wise and seal off access to the maintenance tunnels in their own bunker complexes.

Still, out of the twenty-six bunker complexes that formed the second line of fortifications, we now had control of complexes A through Q. That left bunkers R through Z in enemy hands. Fortunately, after a few more days of skirmishing, Stepan Von Strang ordered his remaining forces to withdraw to the Third Line of Fortifications from his Command Bunker in Amaris City. After sixteen days of campaigning, we finally had control of the first two lines of fortifications around Amaris City, along with the Plains of the Rim Worlds Republic and the various small towns that formed the Amaris City Suburbs.

Now the question was if we could press on through the Third Line of Fortifications or if we would need to wait for the reinforcements. I was in favor of sitting back and keeping the enemy penned in as was General Jorgensen, but Colonels Frankowski, Kadlec, and Lindqvist wanted a more active war than simply waiting for the reinforcements to arrive. In the end, I wound up acquiescing to my Colonels' wishes. We would try a single assault to see how things went before doing things my way.

If it failed, then we would adopt a defensive posture until our reinforcements arrived. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, here's the next chapter. As you may have guessed, Von Strang has been buffed a bit in this timeline. This largely is due to him cracking open a large Project: Redoubt Cache, complete with equipment. It had been around the same size as the Iron Land Cache was, but was strictly an equipment depot. They had enough Royal SLDF and Rim Worlds Army Gear to equip three regiments but had to cannibalize one for spare parts. That's also where those nukes came from.

Effectively, this makes the Von Strang Guard Division three regiments, two of which are equipped with a mix of Rim Worlds Army and SLDF Royal Gear, while one is the regiment that got the various looted Inner Sphere stuff fobbed off on. Combined with the fortifications which had already been a thing and were impressive enough to be complimented by the Clans in the original timeline, and you're gonna have a bad time.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the assault on the Third Line of Fortifications. If it fails, then Jozef is going to wait for Fourth and Fifth Guards to show up before attacking again.

Stay tuned. . .