Interlude: The Plains Towns Campaign

Colonel Tomas Kadlec frowned as Third Guards arrived outside the Town of Toch's Harvest, one of three, along with Garcil's Planting and Graham's Field. Like many of the landmarks of Von Strang's World, these three plains towns were named after historical figures from the Rim Worlds Republic, in this case, Urgur Toch, Yrorran Garcil, and Angus Graham. Likewise, they were ruled by Wardens who claimed descent from said historical figures. Colonel Kadlec privately doubted that any such thing was truly the case. While it was technically possible for Urgur Toch and Yrorran Garcil to have had descendants, as their deaths weren't recorded in any surviving historical records, Angus Graham had clearly been killed in action during the Coup that had toppled Gregory Amaris in Twenty-Five-Ninety-Nine. If he'd had any descendants, you'd think they would have come forward during the Amaris Civil War to support Stefan Amaris against the SLDF and Kerensky.

Whether it was true or not was immaterial, however. What mattered was that the three Wardens who controlled these towns, Roman Toch, Genevieve Garcil, and Alan Graham, had inherited these positions from their parents, who had done so from their parents, in a supposedly unbroken line back to the days of Stefan Amaris. That was enough legitimacy that the locals would put up a fight instead of seeking to defect. It didn't help that service in the Wardens' forces was probably one of the few ways to not only advance in station on this godforsaken rock, but also likely the only way to get decent treatment. Almost everyone not a Warden, directly serving one, or a member of the Von Strang Family, was a peasant here.

If he'd had the time, Colonel Kadlec could have probably figured out a way to induce defections from that last fact, but time was not a luxury he possessed. He needed to capture these three towns and move to reinforce First and Second Guards for the attacks on the main fortifications around Amaris City. As Toch's Harvest came into sight, however, Colonel Kadlec realized that was going to be a task that was easier said than done. Like everywhere else of note on this godforsaken rock, Toch's Harvest was protected by fortifications.

Oh, certainly, it wasn't the massive, Virtual Castle Brian that defended Amaris City, but the bunkers and weapons emplacements that surrounded Toch's Harvest were still fairly formidable. As he pulled his Rampage Four-GX up just short of where the Enemy LRM Launcher and Autocannon Emplacements could reach, he frowned at the sight. He called Major Molly Mcguire of Alpha Battalion over to his position to get her read on the situation. She was, after all, effectively his second-in-command of Third Guards, being the Officer in Command of the Mech Battalion.

"What do you think, Mac?" He questioned over the comms.

"Of what? The fortifications?" Queried Major Mcguire.

"Yes. How much time and blood do you think it'll take to deal with that?" Asked Colonel Kadlec.

"I think we can take it. We have artillery and the range they lack to bombard the bloody things. Still probably need to send in the poor bloody infantry to clear the wreckage, though. It'll take time, but won't be as bloody for us." Opined Major Mcguire.

"How much time?" Pressed Colonel Kadlec.

"That's a question for Connor and Delta." Shrugged Major Mcguire.

"Right. I'll ask them, then." Nodded Colonel Kadlec.

As he said that, however, there was a booming noise from the left, and one of the Scorpion Two Tanks from Beta Battalion was hit by some kind of high-explosive shell, brewing up in a fireball. Colonel Kadlec turned his Rampage to spot something that he'd failed to see before. In a wheat field, amidst a number of giant bales of hay, a hidden Sniper Artillery position had been camouflaged under sensor-baffling netting. As he sighted down on the position with his Gauss Rifle, the frantically working Militia had reloaded the gun and fired off another round, this time punching through a Hipparch Two that exploded in a massive fireball, damaging a nearby Scorpion Two Tank.

"No more!" Growled out Colonel Kadlec.

He squeezed off a round from his Gauss Rifle as he said that, a ferro-nickel slug streaking toward the camouflaged gun position. The Militia Forces that had been working the gun tried to abandon their position, but it was far too late. In the span of a heartbeat, the Gauss slug slammed into the gun position, splattering Militiamen in a bout of ferro-nickel kinetic death and sending the twisted wreckage of the Sniper Artillery Cannon flying up into the air from the force of the impact, even as high explosive ammunition cooked off within the gun position. This, it turned out, started a massive conflagration of burning hay bales and wheat that smoked out a concealed machine-gun nest further up the approach to Toch's Harvest. The Militiamen abandoning their post and being gunned down by Power Armored Troopers from Alpha Company, Delta Battalion as revenge for the two Combat Vehicle Crews that'd been killed from the hidden Sniper Artillery attack.

Shortly after that, Colonel Kadlec made up his mind, opting to bombard the defensive positions of Toch's Harvest with his own artillery. It would take most of the rest of the day before he felt he could continue his assault, but in his mind, it was worth it. If these people wanted to be fanatics, he would oblige their death wish in a way that didn't get his men killed in droves. When the Infantry of Delta Battalion had finally cleared the reduced bunkers, they found that Warden Roman Toch had escaped with a number of his best militia via an escape tunnel. Interrogation of prisoners revealed that he had headed to Garcil's Planting. Apparently, the three towns were linked by tunnels for defensive purposes, some of which were large enough to transport Battlemechs through on the rails that had been laid down for trains to use. Colonel Kadlec sighed as he heard that.

This was apparently going to take a lot longer than he'd thought. . .

XXXX

Captain Josiah Screed had managed to work his way up to command of a Company of Infantry in the Militia of Graham's Field. He considered it an honor and a privilege to serve Warden Graham in such a way. After all, his parents had been fieldhands, working the Warden's Rye Fields. The Rye Fields were one of the least prestigious postings for a worker in Graham's Field, and being a Militia Captain was a substantial upgrade. Enough so that Josiah had marriage prospects that weren't the usual Milkmaids and Farmhands. He might even be able to arrange a match with one of Lady Graham's Handmaidens if he continued to climb the ranks!

At least, that had been the plan before the Enemy had come. Warden Graham had warned his people all about the Scum of New Ålborg. How they would raze entire settlements in the pursuit of victory, how the women of the Town wouldn't be safe from predation if they attacked, how their lust for loot had led to sacks. Josiah was determined not to let them pass if he could help it. Unfortunately, it seemed like the Scum had been going from strength to strength over the past couple of days. Two days ago, they had landed and hit Toch's Harvest, bombarding the town with artillery from far enough away that the Militia couldn't fire back. Yesterday, they'd done the same at Garcil's Planting. If the pattern held true, they would come here today as well.

That wasn't to say they hadn't inflicted casualties on the scum. Some of the retreating Militia from Toch's Harvest and Garcil's Planting had spread tales of daring ambushes that knocked out tanks or hard fighting in bunkers that had slain enemy infantry. One story had even spoken of a landmine that had taken the right leg off one of their Battlemechs. That story had been Josiah's favorite. The Towns of the Plains of the Rim Worlds Republic had only three Battlemechs of their own, after all, the Trio of Venerable Rampages belonging to the Wardens. Those hadn't taken the field yet, though.

Of course, that hesitance to take the field was a sensible precaution, to Josiah's Mind. After all, a single battlemech wouldn't be of much use. Three together, though? Backed by the fortifications of Graham's Field and the concentration of Militia here? That was another story altogether. Truly, the Wardens were wise to avoid wasting such machines piecemeal. Josiah could only agree with their strategic sensibility. That was why they were in charge, after all. As he thought on that, however, Major Kreisser entered the Bunker that Josiah was sitting in. The Mustachioed Militia Major was Josiah's direct superior officer, and Josiah snapped to attention as the Major arrived, saluting.

"At ease. It seems like the enemy is coming, Josiah." Warned the Major.

"From Garcil's Planting?" Questioned Josiah.

"Yes. It seems that Warden Garcil's Boys haven't given them enough of a pasting because there are far too many of them left." Intoned Major Kreisser.

"How many is too many?" Queried Josiah.

"Any invaders on our world are too many, Josiah. To answer your question, though, it seems we've only managed to take out eleven percent of their combat vehicles and only a pair of their Battlemechs. Infantry numbers are a lot harder to quantify, unfortunately." Admitted Major Kreisser.

"What are my orders?" Asked Josiah.

"You and your boys will be manning the flank guns. The Wardens have prepared a battery of Six Sniper Artillery set up on Haydon Ridge to the west of Town." Informed Major Kreisser.

"My men aren't gunners, Major." Frowned Josiah.

"I know, but we have a shortage of gunners, so we have to make do. You're to rendezvous with Captain Horvath and his men on Haydon Ridge. They'll help your boys work the Guns." Commanded Major Kreisser.

"Understood. I'll gather the men and head out now." Nodded Josiah as he made to leave.

"Good. And Josiah, if we pull out a victory here, you'll make Major afterward." Smirked Major Kreisser.

That was a huge leap. Major was a proper flag rank. True, it was the lowest such rank, but that would be good enough to be considered for a match with one of Lady Graham's Handmaidens. There was even one that Josiah had had his eye on for some time, a Honey-Blonde named Alicia. If they won here, he could finally propose that match!

If they lost, then Josiah supposed it wouldn't matter anyway. . .

XXXX

Colonel Kadlec and Third Guards began their final approach to Graham's Field. It had taken them three days to get to this point, and in that time, their Lord had already cracked open the first ring of fortifications around Amaris City and begun to reduce the second ring. He needed to end this swiftly so that they could reinforce First and Second Guards, who by all accounts were having a rough go of things against the Second Ring of Fortifications around Amaris City, as unlike the First Ring, there were civilians in nearby suburbs that precluded the use of orbital bombardment.

Unfortunately, the enemy seemed to have learned from the fall of Garcil's Planting. Colonel Kadlec had sent a number of his Power Armored Troops up the escape tunnels linking Garcil's Planting and Toch's Harvest, which had helped speed up the taking of Garcil's Planting and had allowed him to rest and resupply his men and repair battle damage to some of his combat vehicles and battlemechs. He couldn't do that this time, as the retreating Militia had collapsed the tunnels leading to Graham's Field behind them. That meant doing more of what he had done to seize control of Toch's Harvest.

However, as the artillery began their usual bombardment of the defensive positions around Graham's Field, they were answered by counter-battery fire from a large, grassy ridge to the west of town. The ridge was really more like an oblong hill, something that the people of Graham's Field would use to graze sheep or cattle in less fraught times. Local maps called it Haydon Ridge, after yet another historical figure from the Rim Worlds Republic, Timothy Haydon, a Mechwarrior who had led the charge against the Royal Black Watch on Terra during the Amaris Civil War. Von Strang certainly had his theming down, at least.

Regardless, while the counter-battery fire coming from Haydon Ridge was weak and scattered, every now and again, an accurate strike would hit Third Guards' Artillery Park and knock out a gun, along with a number of gunners. Without those guns, this fight was going to be a lot bloodier than Colonel Kadlec wanted. They would have to take that ridge if they wanted to win this. Accordingly, Colonel Kadlec ordered the Varulv Troopers of Delta Batallion, supported by Combat Vehicles from Beta Battalion, to seize Haydon Ridge and stop that counter-battery fire.

However, as soon as those forces detached themselves, another problem arose. The Enemy chose that moment to sortie out from the town, led by a trio of Vintage Rampage Assault Mechs and supported by a number of makeshift Militia Gun Trucks, Technicals, and Truck-Mounted Infantry. Colonel Kadlec growled as he realized that he'd fallen into the trap of thinking that just because all their victories previously had been major successes, everything would be easy. That the enemy couldn't possibly outfox them. Victory disease, it had been called before.

One of the Rampages fired off a Gauss Slug that slammed into Major Mcguire's Rampage Four-GX, cracking armor even as a second slug punched through on the heels of the first. The second enemy Gauss slug scrammed her reactor before she had a chance to eject. That broke Colonel Kadlec out of his thoughts as he sighted down on the offending Rampage with a Growl. Firing both his Gauss Rifle and his Ultra Autocannon at the offender. His Ferro-Nickel Slug cracked off a section of the Enemy Rampage's armor, allowing the Armor Piercing Rounds of his Ultra-Autocannon to punch through the reduced Armor and into the cockpit, getting revenge for Mac, but a Second Enemy Rampage fired a ferro-nickel slug at him in response.

Fortunately, Colonel Kadlec was already moving away, his Rampage Four-GX taking a glancing blow rather than one of the major hits that Mac had taken. He fired back, only to miss as one of the Militia Gun Trucks swerved into the path of the Gauss Slug, brewing up but saving the Enemy Rampage. Colonel Kadlec snarled as he watched a Rifleman Two-A be shredded by SRM Fire from a quartet of Militia Gun Trucks with mounted SRM Launchers, even as a pair of Hover APCs full of Infantrymen were blown up by Enemy Technicals mounting PPCs on their flatbeds. The Enemy Rampages put a pair of Gauss Slugs into a Refit Griffin, scramming the reactor while also spattering the Mechwarrior in the Cockpit.

However, the tide of battle began to shift as Ultra-Autocannon Fire from a Rampage Four-GX of Alpha Battalion combined with ER PPC Fire from a Refit Griffin to destroy another enemy Rampage. Colonel Kadlec fired his Gauss Rifle and Ultra-Autocannon into the last enemy Rampage, forcing the Mechwarrior to eject as it brewed up from reactor damage. The Mechwarrior would be picked up by an Enemy Technical mounting a Medium Laser on its flatbed, which would retreat back toward the Town, even as the remaining enemy Gun Trucks and Technicals tried to stall any pursuit.

In the end, the Enemy Counterattack had taken out fifty infantry from Delta Battalion, killed or wounded, and three Mechs from Alpha Battalion destroyed, including Mac's. That was roughly eight-point-eight percent casualties in both Alpha and Delta Battalions. And the fight wasn't over yet. Colonel Kadlec could only hope the fighting on Haydon Ridge was going well because if not, then there would be a lot more casualties before the day was won. With a sigh, Colonel Kadlec realized that he would also have to figure out a replacement for Mac as Second-in-Command.

"At least the counter-battery fire stopped." Grumbled Colonel Kadlec.

Then, he refocused on the task at hand, helping get the wounded to a field hospital. . .

XXXX

Captain Hans Krieger of Alpha Company, Delta Battalion, Third Guards Regiment was under fire from a Machine Gun Position on Haydon Ridge. Sure, the bullets from such a weapon would largely fail to punch through his Varulv Powered Armor, but as Private Koch had so recently proven, that wasn't foolproof, and there was always the chance of being hit in a weak point of your armor.

"Son of a motherless whore! I'll kill them!" Spat Private Emil Koch, clutching at his leg where a bullet from one of the machine guns in the nest up ahead had punched through one such weakpoint.

"Calm down, Emil. It's not that bad. Some time in a field hospital and you'll be back on the lines in no time." Soothed the Company Medic, Lyydia Salmela.

"Look at it this way, Emil. You get to sit the rest of this out in a cushy hospital bed." Smirked Corporal Anatol Kasprzyk.

"Fuck you, Anatol! I want revenge!" Spat Emil.

"Too bad, Private. Now, where is Marta with the Missile Launcher? We need that to proceed." Ground out Hans.

Sergeant Marta Rezek had been sent to grab one of the bulky weapons that only Varulv Troopers could wield by themselves, but she hadn't returned yet. While she was doing that, Alpha Platoon would be pinned down here by the machine guns in the nest up on the ridge ahead. Hans looked over at Lieutenant Adrian Kilroy for answers.

"She should be back soon, Sir." Shrugged Lieutenant Kilroy.

"Somebody call my name?" Came a teasing female voice.

Hans turned to see Marta coming up the ridge from down below with a backpack full of missiles and the bulky missile launcher held on her shoulder. Now, maybe they could progress. It was unfortunate, but the Varulv Troops were having to do this largely by themselves thanks to various tank traps and mines that had forced the Combat Vehicles that were supposed to be supporting them back. Those combat vehicles were suppressing the Artillery at the top of the ridge, but that was about all they were able to do, and that helped the Artillery Park more than it helped Alpha Company.

"Right, Sergeant. Blow that machine gun nest back to Hell!" Ordered Hans.

"Right away, Sir. One machine gun flambe, coming right up." Nodded Marta.

She loaded the missile launcher, popped up out of the divot in the hillside that they were hiding behind, and fired off a single missile. The Infantry-Scale SRM streaked into the fortified machine gun nest in a massive explosion, as Alpha Platoon surged up and over the divot, resuming their charge up the hill. Weapons fire streaked at them from various enemies who had dug into the crest of the hill, but the fire was scattered and off-target most of the time. Hans caught a laser rifle beam to the pauldron, which failed to punch through the ablative outer layer of armor. In response, he fired a burst of the machine gun he was using as his weapon, the strength-assist of the Varulv allowing him to wield the normally crew-served weapon by himself. His fire practically cut the hapless Enemy Militia Trooper in half.

Grenades came out at him, but a touch of the Varulv's inbuilt jump pack had him bounding over the explosions to rain death from above with his machine gun. Alongside him, the rest of Alpha Platoon did the same, scything down Enemy troopers with fire from heavy weapons and using the inbuilt jump packs to dodge the majority of enemy weapons fire in return. Hans took out a pair of enemies with rocket launchers that were trying to aim for him and Lieutenant Kilroy with their stripped down, lighter versions of the crew-served SRM Launcher that Marta had used to blow up the machine gun nest. To his right, another explosion showed Marta clearing the way for Beta Platoon, destroying another Machine Gun Nest.

For twenty minutes, the enemy forces on Haydon Ridge fought bravely against Alpha Company, Delta Battalion, Third Guards Regiment. It was futile, however. They were militia against some of the finest infantry that New Ålborg had. They were equipped with basic armor and infantry equipment while Alpha Company had Powered Armor and Heavy Weapons. Bereft of their fortified positions, they really hadn't stood much of a chance. Still, they fought on until the last man was wounded while setting a number of semolition charges on the six, sniper, artillery to explode. Quick action managed to defuse those charges, and an hour into the Battle of Graham's Field, Haydon Ridge had been taken by Third Guards.

It was only a matter of time now before the town itself was taken. . .

XXXX

Three days. They had fought for three days to take the trio of towns on the Plains of the Rim Worlds Republic. It would take them at least another four hours to return back to the Landing Zone outside the First Ring of Fortifications around Amaris City. Colonel Kadlec judged that Third Guards wouldn't be ready to go into action against the Second Ring of Fortifications around Amaris City until halfway into the fourth day of the Invasion of Von Strang's World at the earliest. It would just take that much time.

To boot, Third Guards had suffered an average of Ten Percent Casualties in the three-day Campaign to take the plains town, and would need time to rest, repair, and replenish their force to be maximally effective. When that was factored in, it was possible that they wouldn't be able to go into action until the end of the First Week of Von Strang's World. Colonel Kadlec couldn't believe how difficult things were here.

It was just a single-planet barony, but it was armed to the teeth, and most of the people they were fighting were insane. Not the civilians, mind you. They had mostly lived lives of feudal peasant drudgery under the various Wardens that the Von Strangs had put into place, but the Militia were fanatics. Von Strang and his warden had effectively fed them lies and propaganda disguised as news about New Ålborg and had been doing so for at least a few years. A brief talk, more like an interrogation, with captured wounded Militiamen had revealed that much.

When you factored it all in, there was only one conclusion. This was not going to be the easy campaign that the Grand Duke believed it would be. It would, in fact, turn into the bloodiest fight since the Oberon War. Fortunately, Grand Duke Poniatowski seemed to realize this, which was one of the reasons that they were all glad to serve under him. Say what you may about Jozef Poniatowski, but their Grand Duke could admit a mistake in planning when he needed to. To rectify the situation, the Grand Duke had called Fourth and Fifth Guards to join the campaign as reinforcements.

By the time they arrived, Third Guards would be ready for action once again. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here's how the fighting to take the trio of towns in the middle of the Plains of the Rim Worlds Republic went down. The Barony of Strang's thing is fortifying everything and feeding their forces a steady diet of propaganda to ensure they fight. In canon, even the Clans remarked that the fortifications on Von Strang's World were impressive, after all. Here, the fact that these fortifications are so impressive and the Militia is actively fighting thanks to said propaganda, has caused a re-evaluation of Jozef's strategy. He's called for two more regiments to join the campaign. The Entire Jade Falcon Turkina Keshik had to be deployed to take Von Strang's World in Canon, after all, and that was a force capable of conquering eleven worlds on its own. Better to err on the side of caution and get reinforcements.

At any rate, in the next chapter, we'll be back with Jozef.

Stay tuned. . .