Chapter 15

The Âu Cơ Fortress was, at least nominally, impregnable. Bastions of Trinium-Reinforced Stone atop a large mountain, with tunnels honeycombed throughout the mountain and redoubts on a number of nearby peaks that could support each other or the main fortress if attacked. A shield generator was housed in a control room inside the main fortress, shielding the entire complex from orbital strikes, and more importantly, ring transport.

Against any other Goa'uld Force, such a citadel would cause any campaign to stall out for a long time assaulting. Enough to close whatever campaign window the attacking Goa'uld was using to attempt to pick up new worlds without their rivals stabbing them in the back and invading their primary territory. The Piranha Principle would come into play to force a premature end to the campaign. The Âu Cơ Fortress was seemingly designed to take advantage of such a thing by giving the attacking Goa'uld's rivals that opening.

However, that was how this would play out were I any other Goa'uld, with forces equipped and trained in the same manner that they had been for uncounted eons. I was not any other Goa'uld, however, and my forces were equipped and trained to a far higher standard. Most importantly, my forces had little need to fear being punished for taking initiative, in fact, I solicited suggestions from my force commanders instead of forcing them to adhere to strict timetables and plans.

That was why when Chen suggested sending a small, but elite, strike team to use Commando Tactics to infiltrate the Fortress and blow the Shield Generators, I could only grin. To see my Jaffa showing such initiative and proposing such a plan was extremely heartening, as it meant that my hopes for reform were not completely out of the question.

You see, over the prior six months, while we had been preparing things, I had been training certain exceptional or talented Jaffa in a method of warfare that I termed Xiaozhan, or Small War. Xiaozhan effectively merged Modern Commando Tactics with Guerilla Tactics, all while giving it all an Old School, Fabian-Meets-Sun-Tzu-style, twist. Of course, most Jaffa still looked askance at the training, considering Xiaozhen dishonorable. Some had taken to calling it Zangzhen or Dirty War. Those who underwent the training had to have a flexible mentality and a willingness to seize initiative wherever possible.

The Jaffa who would be leading the Commando Team, Guo, was just one such Jaffa. He was creative and talented at improvisation, something that served him in great stead during the training for Xiaozhan. He had come up with a plan in three hours that would have a reasonable chance of working, one that I approved of wholeheartedly. This would be helped along by the fact that Bà Đen had helpfully provided a number of codewords to the strike team to help slip past Ba Chua Xu's security while disguised in Captured Armor using Ma'tok Staff Weapons. Of course, the Zat'nic'tels they would be carrying were Diàn Jiàn Model Zat'nic'tels, as the appearance was the same, at least outwardly, unlike with the Tianjia Armor or Tianyue Rifles.

As soon as the shield came down, we would hit the Âu Cơ Fortress from two directions at once. I would personally be leading the force that was transporting in via the transport rings, while Chen would be leading the ground assault from below. If all went according to plan, we would meet in the middle of the primary fortress and complete the capture from there.

For now, though, it was time to wait for that chance. I leaned back in the command throne of my Pel'tac, waiting for the shields to drop, already armored up, glaring at my command screen from behind the visor of my fully enclosed armor. I hated waiting like this, a holdover from my prior, human, life, however, there was nothing I could do about it.

I would simply have to have faith in Guo and my Jaffa and hope they would complete their mission successfully. . .

XXXX

Guo was no stranger to camouflage and tracking. Zhaoze, his homeworld, was a swampy marsh for the majority of its surface, and Guo's home village had been inside the boundaries of one of the largest patches of marshlands on Zhaoze. The Jaffa of his home village often learned tracking and stalking through difficult terrain as children, alongside the principles of stealth, camouflage, and so on. After all, one could not defend oneself against ambushing Marsh Dragons unless one knew how to spot such an ambush, and that naturally led into learning how to set such an ambush as well.

These characteristics had relegated Guo to less prestigious postings under Lady Yaoji, who had favored Jaffa who excelled at traditional shows of force. Lord Erlang Shen, however, was different from his mother. He had seen a use for such techniques that had been used on Zhaoze to slay Marsh Dragons and hunt in the swamps, merging them with warfare to create his new method of combat, where such techniques could be applied to slay enemy Jaffa. Guo had risen high because of such a program and when the opportunity came to repay his Lord for his confidence in him, Guo immediately volunteered.

Now, he led a force of seven other Jaffa wearing looted armor from the defeated and slain Xích Lân. Some of her forces would have still been trickling back into the Âu Cơ Fortress as stragglers, though that would be drying up as Lord Erlang Shen's Forces consolidated their position. It still wouldn't be unheard of, however, and that exact thing would provide their entrance. There was the matter of their Lord's Mark upon their brows, but their Lord had done something with a Kara'kesh and the Mark had been changed temporarily. Guo was assured it would return to normal within two days, so he and his team should endeavor to complete their mission before then.

Thus far, the disguises had worked. Guo and his forces had been waved through the initial outlying redoubt, along with the secondary gate, and were now finally at the gates of the main fortress. As the Jaffa Guards scrutinized them, Guo realized that this was the place where it could all go wrong. The Guards at the gate of the main fortress would be among the best that Ba Chua Xu still had available, especially with Lord Erlang Shen tightening the noose around the Âu Cơ Fortress in preparation for an assault. Guo certainly didn't fancy his chances against the twin Staff Cannons on their wheeled carriages in this poor armor, at least.

"Your accent is strange. What part of Nhiều Sông did you say you were from?" Questioned the Jaffa Prime at the Gate, a lowly Ninth Prime, likely only recently promoted to an officer's position.

"The Dế Lớn Marsh Province." Answered Guo.

If there was one good thing about wearing the armor and mark of the deceased Xích Lân's forces, it was that Xích Lân likewise ruled a wet world, albeit one with rather more ocean than marsh. Still, Guo would hardly have to fake mannerisms this way.

"Of course, provincial Jaffa. That explains a great deal. Did you not wonder if things might have changed since the invasion started?" Queried the Prime with a sneer.

"How so?" Asked Guo.

"We have changed the code phrases for one." Scoffed the Prime.

"That makes a great deal of sense, but I am afraid we have been out of contact since being cut off by the enemy." Informed Guo.

"Report to Prime Phong at the Green Banner Barracks on level five. You'll receive your updated codewords, new orders, and fresh equipment there." Commanded the Prime at the Gates.

"Of course." Saluted Guo.

And just like that, they had passed the last checkpoint thanks to a combination of the Gate Prime's own prejudices and the new tactics that their Lord had hammered out of hunting techniques like a smith shapes a blade from raw metal. Of course, they would not be headed to the Green Banner Barracks, as the information they had been given suggested that the Control Room for the Shield Generators was on Level Six, not Level Five.

Thankfully, now that they were inside the main fortress, the goal was to look and act like they belonged and that nothing was amiss. Marsh Dragons did this back home on Zhaoze by pretending to be logs until an unsuspecting child or beast wandered too close and they could snap them up in their powerful jaws. This was a similar principle, as had been explained to them by their Lord. Simply looking and acting the part of a loyal Jaffa of Xích Lân would see them to their destination.

Indeed, they made it all the way to the Shield Generator Control Room. The Prime of the Squad of Jaffa on duty there looked over at Guo and demanded to know why they were there. Guo had prepared for this, exploiting the wide uniformity of Jaffa Tactics and procedures to the benefit of the team by timing their arrival to coincide with the standard noontime shift change. There was a chance the shifts had been changed up due to wartime measures, however, so this was another section where things could go wrong.

"We're your relief." Offered Guo.

"Our relief was supposed to be Ninth Prime Bao's Squad. You aren't Bao." Frowned the Prime.

"No, Bao fell ill due to improperly stored rations. His Prim'ta is healing him, however, he will be in a state of Kel'noreem for some time." Bluffed Guo.

"Is that so? Give me a moment to check with Third Prime Cuong to see if Bao is fit for duty. I cannot simply take your word for it with the War on." Insisted the Prime.

As the Prime turned to head toward the Communications Console to call the Command Center, however, Guo nodded to his men and in a single, fluid, movement, drew his Diàn Jiàn Model Zat'nic'tel and fired a stun bolt into the Prime's Back. His men drew their own Zat'nic'tels and fired at the others of the Squad of Jaffa on Duty in the Shield Generator Control Room. All but one of them hit their targets with a stunning blast, the last one missed as his target bent down to grab something he had dropped, before immediately rolling into cover behind a console once it became clear that something had gone wrong.

"Shol'va!" Accused the last enemy Jaffa, peeking out from behind the console to fire his own Zat'nic'tel at Guo, who leaned aside as the blueish bolt streaked past his head. Guo fired his own weapon back, but the enemy had already leaned back behind the console.

"Move up, Surround him, and flush him out!" Ordered Guo. His Jaffa moved up to flank the enemy Jaffa around the console as they did so. One went down to a stunning bolt from the Enemy Jaffa's Zat'nic'tel as he rounded the console the Enemy Jaffa was using as cover, but a second of Guo's Squad stunned the Enemy Jaffa in response. With the firefight over, Guo turned his attention to the situation at hand.

"Zhao, get those blast doors closed! It won't be long until the enemy comes looking into the noise! Fu cut the supplemental power to the Shield Generators from that Console there! Gang, keep watch on the Security Terminal for Enemy Jaffa! And please, somebody pick Bu up off the floor!" Barked out Guo in rapid succession.

As his men hurried to obey his commands, Guo moved over to the Primary Shield Generator Control Console. He immediately began powering down primary power to the Shield Generators. He had to time this right, otherwise, supplemental power would just kick in before Fu could shut it off and they would have failed their Lord. As that wasn't an option, Guo would simply have to be successful.

"Sir, I think I can shunt supplemental power to Udajeet Hangar Door Control in such a way that the resulting power surge fuses the door circuits shut!" Reported Fu.

"They have an Udajeet Hangar?" Questioned Guo.

"According to this, there's only one that still has its compliment, but yes." Confirmed Fu.

"Do it." Commanded Guo.

"It will take a few moments, if that's all right, Sir?" Queried Fu.

"We may not have a few moments! It seems like a patrol is coming this way from a guardroom down a nearby corridor!" Called out Gang from the Security Terminal.

"Zhao, how close are you to getting the door lockdown working?" Asked Guo.

"Just a bit longer!" Promised Zhao.

"Shol'va!" Came a Voice from down the Corridor.

That was followed immediately by a battle cry as a patrol of Jaffa charged up the corridor toward the Shield Control Room. One of Guo's Jaffa leaned out from the doorway to fire off his Diàn Jiàn Model Zat'nic'tel at the charging Jaffa. His bolt hit the lead Jaffa, stunning him, but he took a Ma'tok Staff Weapon Blast to the shoulder in response that destroyed the less-potent, looted armor of his Pauldron, scorching his shoulder black and wounding him. Another of Guo's Men pulled his wounded Comrade back into the doorway, firing his Diàn Jiàn Model Zat'nic'tel and downing another enemy Jaffa.

"We don't have a bit longer!" Exclaimed Guo.

"Got it!" Grunted Zhao, as he slotted the last of the crystals he was rearranging into place and the Trinium-Alloy Blast Door slid down in place just as another Ma'tok Staff Bolt went flying toward the doorway. The Bolt hit the blast door, scoring a black mark on the metal but doing little else. The Blast Door locked into place, allowing Guo and his team the time to do what they had to.

"Fu work your technique on the system. In the meantime, I will cut primary power to the Shield Generators." Ordered Guo.

"At once." Nodded Fu.

Two minutes later, the door to the concealed Udajeet Hangar, which would have opened to disgorged three squadrons of Udajeet Atmospheric Fighters to assault any Al'kesh that may be preparing to ring troops into the Fortress, locked closed and had its servos burned out by a power surge. Thirty seconds after that, Guo cut Primary Power to the Shield Generators. Twenty seconds after that, the Shields that protected the Âu Cơ Fortress from transport rings sending troops into the top levels, as well as from orbital and aerial bombardment winked out. Guo's team had successfully completed their mission.

Now the primary assault of the Âu Cơ Fortress could begin. . .

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As soon as the Rings transported me down into the top level of the Âu Cơ Fortress alongside the initial platoon of Jaffa, we came under attack. Ma'tok Staff Weapons fired from Ba Chua Xu's Jaffa lanced out from behind a barricade. Two impacted my personal shield, while others struck my Jaffa. Their Tianjia Armor protected them, however, and only a lucky few who were hit by three or more Ma'tok blasts fell.

"Jaffa, suppress that barricade!" I commanded.

Then, because I wasn't willing to sit back and let my Jaffa do the fighting for me, I fired the first shot from my Tianyue Staff Rifle at the Barricade. My plasma bolt slammed into the breastplate of a Jaffa whose insignia marked him out as a Seventh Prime, in charge of a Platoon of Jaffa. The Breastplate proved no defense against the increased power of a Tianyue Staff Rifle and that Jaffa went down, his torso a mess of burned meat. My Jaffa opened fire as well, forcing the enemy Jaffa to duck behind their barricade even as a second Platoon transported in using ring transports.

"Move up! Flank the enemy around the sides of their barricades and put them to flight!" I called out, all while charging forward toward the Barricade.

As my Jaffa fanned out, advancing behind me like a wave, a few brave Enemy Jaffa popped up to take potshots at me. Around half missed, hitting the floor where I'd been standing or sailing past me harmlessly as I charged forward, weaving around Ma'tok Staff Bolts. Some hit my shield, and at least one managed to make it past that to splash across the energy-dampening metal of my armor, doing little more than cosmetic damage.

In response, I took two of them down with a pair of rapid Tianyue Bolts, one of which hit dead on in that Jaffa's Face. The lack of a full helmet by Ba Chua Xu's Jaffa gave me a front-row seat to seeing his face literally melted off. A phantom sensation of queasiness welled up inside me, but I ruthlessly quashed it down. I could freak out about how gruesome that was afterward. Right now, however, we were still in combat.

I vaulted over the Barricade, swinging the spike of my Tianyue into the torso of a Jaffa who attempted to fire a Zat'nic'tel at me. The spike punched through the mail of the Jaffa's armpit and hit something vital enough that even the Prim'ta couldn't compensate for it, killing that Jaffa. I was immediately forced to parry a strike from a Ma'tok Staff with my rifle, ducking a stabbing knife aiming for the joints of my armor near the neck. I came back up with an uppercut that literally sent the Backstabber flying, courtesy of my Enhanced Strength from goosing my Host's Adrenaline amplified by the powered servos in my armor. The other Jaffa tried a point-blank staff blast at me only for my Shield to tank it, having regenerated from earlier.

To my left and right, my Jaffa were also engaged, firing their Tianyue Staff Weapons and Diàn Jiàn Model Zat'nic'tels, or engaging in various forms of Hand-To-Hand Combat. Some fell, but not many, certainly not enough to keep the Enemy Platoon, bereft of their Prime and assaulted from the flanks, from breaking. A cheer went up from my Jaffa at the sight of that, which I let go on for a few moments before quashing the mood.

"Enough! We have gained our foothold, now we must consolidate it and prepare to push up. There is much work ahead of us before the day is done, but in the end, I have no doubt that we will be victorious." I reminded.

My Jaffa ceased their celebration and as more platoons transported in, we went back to work consolidating our foothold and preparing to move up to take the next corridor. It would be hard work, but I knew my forces were up to the task and had complete faith in them.

I'd devised their training and equipment personally, after all. . .

XXXX

What would follow would be a slog of advance and consolidation. We would take a corridor, and pause to bring up fresh platoons from the foothold area, before advancing again to the next corridor. It was slow, crawling ever closer corridor by corridor until we had captured an entire level, then we would rinse and repeat for the next level.

By the time we were four levels in, Chen and his forces had taken the outlying bastion and were assaulting the second gate on their way up the mountainside. By the time we were one more level in, Chen had taken the Second Gate and was advancing on the Main Fortress Gate.

That was when the unexpected happened. Ba Chua Xu's First Prime, a Jaffa in Armor with a full Helm, stepped forward from the group of Jaffa who were preparing to defend a corridor junction. He retracted his helmet into his armor to reveal a face lined with age and scarred from hard fighting. Then, he tossed his Ma'tok Staff to the floor.

"Ba Chua Xu has taken her own life rather than face captivity. Her last instructions to me were to surrender the Fortress to you." Nodded Ba Chua Xu's First Prime.

"I accept your surrender. It was well fought, there is no shame in losing in such a way." I nodded.

"No, not in that, at least. In outliving My Lady, however? There is much shame in that." Intoned Ba Chua Xu's First Prime.

Then he pulled a dagger from his belt and slit his own throat, joining Ba Chua Xu in death. He would be the last casualty of the Samshan Campaign. The rest of Ba Chua Xu's Forces had seemingly had the surrender order transmitted to them because they too threw down their weapons.

The fighting for Samshan was over. To take Ba Chua Xu's Capital, we had lost around eleven percent of the Jaffa Forces committed to the fighting but would be gaining far more in converts now that the War was effectively over, since all of the enemy Rulers except for Bà Đen had been killed or committed suicide, while Bà Đen had defected to our side. We would spend thirty-six hours mopping up on Thanh Vân, Xích Lân, and Lieu Hanh's worlds, but by the time the week was out, I would have these five worlds firmly under my control, or at least under the control of an ally like Bà Đen.

My ships made what repairs they could in the time we had, though given there was a shipyard nearby, plus my Ensi-class Deployable Shipyard, the number of repairs I managed was remarkable. Once the week was over, however, I had no more time for repairs. It was now time to move on against Khun Theu Kham while I still had the window for expansion. After all, the longer this campaign dragged out, the more the odds were that the Minor Goa'uld would form a Coalition against me.

I had to grab as much territory as I could before then if I wanted my realm to be one that could withstand attack from a System Lord, after all. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here's the next chapter. Erlang Shen has beaten Ba Chua Xu and her Four Immortals and is about to move on to Khun Theu Kham to take his worlds as well. Of course, you can likely imagine what the response will be once the other System Lords learn what Lord Yu's Chancellor is doing out in the Borderlands, but for now, that's all in the future.

The next chapter, however, will be an interlude showing goings-on elsewhere in the Galaxy. We'll check in on Ra as he continues his Grand Progress and we'll take a look at Lord Yu as well.

Stay tuned. . .