The forest was a lost cause now. The Imperial flame troops and their armor would have enough trouble getting through anyhow. The YPG fell back to the valleys beyond the forest, taking up defensive positions both up top, and down in the narrow valleys themselves. Specialist Shurhat Aleksandr had been waiting patiently with his squad for hours now, listening to the sound of fighting drawing ever nearer. He and his men sat in the shade of a rock overhang about halfway up the narrow canyon, and about half way up the slope. It was a good position that had a solid line of sight down the valley, and good natural fortification from incoming fire. He watched as his comrades poured through below, half of them taking cover in the rocks, the other half making their way to the staging point in Sagdiyev, a small town about 3 clicks east. He leaned into his MG as his feeder prepared to keep him firing, staring down the sight through the narrow slot on the visor of his helmet, he could see the first Legionaries starting to emerge from the burning forest.
He glanced over at his feeder, a young corporal named Belik, the young man was noticeably nervous. "Corporal, make no mistake, we are a true defensive force to be reckoned with. If enemies do not believe us, they will believe.....this MG." Shurhat said confidently, patting the top of the machine gun. Belik took a deep breath and nodded. He couldn't see Shurhat's face through the visor, but he could tell he was smiling under there.
Shurhat returned to the sight of the MG, watching the soldiers draw nearer, he had already given the rest of his men the order to hold their fire until he began shooting. He could see the colors on the first Legionary as his fingers tightened around the grip. They didn't see him yet, but they would soon know of his presence. "MG, locked and loaded, sir." Belik whispered as he quietly reached up and pulled back the charging handle. Shurhat nodded quietly, exchanging one last glance with Belik.
"ABRA CADABRA!" Shurhat screamed as he opened fire on the approaching enemies. The men below followed suit, with the men up top throwing grenades down towards the enemy. Belik did his job, feeding and linking the belts as they passed through the MG, a lead breathing dragon nestled among the rocks. "WE WILL HAVE TO MOVE TO NEXT POSITION SOON, BELIK! BE READY!" Shurhat shouted over the war drum pounding of the MG.
Belik gathered the belts he had ready as Shurhat chewed through what remained of the one he had. The two men turned and ran to their next position as soon as the last shot was fired. The men below were doing a good job of holding back the Legion, but they would break through eventually. Shurhat paused as he heard Epiphani jets scream overhead, and that dreaded silence before all hell broke loose.
The airstrike was perfectly placed, if they had not moved, they would have been buried under the rock pile. "Keep moving!" Belik screamed, urging him on. The men reached their next position, a far more open spot near the back of the pass. Shurhat set up the MG again, Belik loading it up. Their mission now was just to cover the fall back. YPG poured past them, ducking their heads under the stream of MG fire coming from their position. Another MG crew had taken up a spot on the ridge to their left. Their loader looked down at Shurhat and Belik, giving them a kindred thumbs up. Shurhat stopped for a moment to return the gesture. The Legion was getting far too close for comfort now, and the plan would have to be executed whether they still had men below or not. "Astja 3-5! Proceed with tomb!" Shurhat shouted into his radio. "Belik, we gotta go! We're linking up with Tzar company outside Sagdiyev!" Shurhat shouted, scrambling up the hill, pausing just long enough to watch the handiwork of Astja company.
The demolition charges on the canyon walls went off, bringing the sides of the canyon tumbling down. Anyone who wasn't crushed would be trapped for quite some time. Hopefully enough time to get back to Sagdiyev.
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The artillery was losing effectiveness as the Epiphani got closer. The tanks made easy targets, but the jets overhead were becoming a problem. They had already taken out three emplacements, and they didn't know how much longer they could hold out.
Barkora looked over at the waiting Ephyrans as they strapped on the heavy plate armor that was common among their people. He would never understand how they could be so calm in this situation, but he understood at the same time. They had been resisting the Epiphani for hundreds of years, back before they were the hideous green freaks they were now.
Once the Ephyrans were armored up, one of them, presumably their commander, made his way down the line, touching his head to theirs before they put their helmets on. Barkora admired the way they were with one another, even in the face of certain death. He could see the other Ephyrans doing the same near the other emplacements.
"Keep us covered, Colonel, and we will see you through this." one of the Ephyrans stated as he strode up next to Barkora. "I will do my best, Tai." he replied. The Ephyran known as Tai nodded solemnly and returned to his men. "All remaining units, free fire until you're out of brass. The Ephyrans are moving, danger close." Barkora ordered. He turned around as he heard a series of heavy grunts. The Ephyrans began advancing past him, going over the top of the berm, carrying what appeared to be shields. For the first time in his life, he was speechless, and his mouth hung open. Each Ephyran carried one of these tower shields, which in reality was an inch and half thick slab of steel strapped to their arm, with a cut out on the right side to poke a shotgun through.
They walked across the field, shoulder to shoulder, letting lose with the shotguns, trying to absorb most of the incoming fire with the shields. The tanks made short work of shattering some lines, while others could not, and would not be broken.
"KEEP THEM COVERED!" Barkora shouted. The MG and artillery emplacements doubling down. The Epiphani armor was giving them hell, but the Ephyrans and their satchel charges would hopefully make short work of the armor that had become stuck in the swamps. Everything seemed to be going to plan, until Barkora spotted the Legion bringing more men over the hill. They would be outnumbered forty to one in just a few moments. "Adjust fire! Fire pattern Mira!" Barkora ordered.
"No, colonel! We will hold them! Tell your men to retreat to Sagdiyev!" Tai thundered over the radio, almost drowned out by the shouting, and the shooting.
"Tai!"
"Go! Now! We knew we would meet Ma'akai today, but you will not." Tai replied.
Barkora paused for a moment, before bitterly giving the order to destroy the artillery and retreat.
Tai looked back as he heard the charges on the artillery detonate, and watched the YPG fall back. He smiled under his helmet as he pushed forward once more. "Send these bastards back to the Blood God!" Tai screamed. "SHIELDMEN! ONWARD!!"
Tai and his men advanced, pushing into the Epiphani lines. There was no point to the shields now. The shield men drew their axes, still firing wildly with their shotguns as they charged the line. They may not hold them long, but they would hold them long enough.
Tai felt every strike as he cleaved through Epiphani, all the while, he could feel their bullets tear through his armor. He could taste the blood gurgle up in his throat, but he fought on. He would die when he was ready.
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Shield Wall - Amon Amarth