Et tu, Augustus?

Szubrov pushed the stack of papers in front of him aside as he cleared his throat. The camera crew that had invaded his office waited patiently for the Premier to tell them he was ready to begin the broadcast. Szubrov shifted a little before lighting a cigarette, letting the rage inside settle a bit before he spoke. He took a deep breath as he gave the cameraman a subtle thumbs up, and the producer silently counted down.

"This is a message to Imperator Augustus of Imperium Epiphani. You...mmm." Szubrov seethed, inadvertently crushing the cigarette in his hand, the shower of sparks dancing across his desk as he reached for another. "You, Augustus, are a coward. A coward, and a vulture. What you have done, what you are doing in Duchrijeka is unacceptable." he stated, pulling another cigarette from the silver case before him, the light glinting off the ornate art deco patterns engraved into the lid. "You have no right to slaughter the people of Duchrijeka, and even less of a right to be involved in the conflict at all. Your men are but feral dogs, ripping at the flesh of the weak and vulnerable. Andrenne can handle its own problems without you, and your savagery. You butcher them, just as you butchered the Ephyranics of old, just as you butchered countless others in the past. Your actions now, against those already under attack, already being brutalized, brands you as a coward, with no honor." Szubrov stated coldly, pausing to take a long drag from his cigarette as he sat back.

"Prove you are a man. Withdraw from Duchrijeka, take your dogs and put them back in their kennels. Prove you have honor, and leave Andrenne to fight its own battle of brutal vengeance. Prove to all of Eras that you are not the backwards savages you present yourself as, but know this, my predecessor may have feared you, but I do not. I do not fear you, nor the wrath of Epiphani, and with that, I say, make the right choice, sir."

Augustus watched the Television and stood there a moment. The General staff and the admiralty waited in silence, Augustus took a deep breath and then spoke.

“Gentlemen, in the days of old such a slight would mean the utter destruction of those who would dare to insult our dear Imperium. Today though we must respond, we must show these communists that we will not be told what to do. I ask you, what are our options?”

The staff looked perplexed, they had not been prepared to deal with anything from Yamantau. There were no plans or anything ready so a blank look was on the face of all involved. Finally General Scipio Ephyrum Cincinnatum said:

“Perhaps a video in response and a submarine surfacing at the edge of their waters would show them that we can strike them anytime we like.”

With no better plan being decided, Augustus called an emergency meeting of the senate. The massive marble building was then flooded with news outlets trying to hear even a small morsel of the Imperators speech. The senate chamber was exploding with voices, Augustus waited in the executive room off to the side for a moment. Beatrix was there comforting him, she held him as he began to make his way to the door. She knew that he felt nervous, war had not been his strong point, that would have been his father Constantine. Augustus was a law maker. However he would not run from a challenge.

As he entered the senate chambers, the consuls demanded silence. A hush instantly descended upon the assembly, all eyes and cameras locked on to the young Imperator.

“My fellow citizens, today we have seen what has long been thought. The Barbary of the old world at last being cast unto our new lands. While our poor legionaries help right a wrong, a foreign power demands that our legionaries leave to come home. They use the context of a few criminals who will be brought to justice when they return to insult our legionaries. We are not a nation that will roll over and take a slight. We did not when the Umbrial people lost their empire. We did not when we were discovered again and attacked, we did not when the beasts on our eastern boarder attacked us! We are a nation built by fire, we are a nation that has been built by a GOD OF BLOOD! Now some peasant nation of farmers tries to demand from us I SAY NO! Hear this Suzbrov, if you think you will ever be able to demand a thing from me I will unleash fire upon you that your barbarian mind can not imagine!”

The cheers of the senators erupted as the Imperator walked back into the executive rooms there was waiting Admiral Julius with a phone.Augustus answered said only “Do it.” And walked on with Beatrix.
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At 4.am outside the waters of Yamantau an imperial sub surfaced. The captain of the vessel was an old man, he had joined the navy when he was 18 and served for 32 years. He moved to the hatch and looked out onto the dim morning at sea. He had orders, he kept thinking to himself as he executed them.

If only I could have been an admiral I wouldn’t have to move this much anymore.
He raised his hand to the sky and pulled the trigger on the gun he was holding. Only rather than a shot firing into the morning air it was a flair. It was bright enough to get the attention of the Yamantau ships nearby. Once they had gotten the message that the sub was there, an uncoded message was sent out reading:

“This time we did not enter your waters, however should such a situation happen again. His Imperial majesty can not promise a similar situation.”

4:15 comes awful fast when your favorite pastime is drink and cocaine, and for Szubrov, the message from the Imperial sub was just the thing he needed to kill his high.

He wagged his finger frantically at Irena as she sat across from him, a rolled up 100 tarkoe note in one hand, the other keeping the small mirror on the table steady. "These motherfuckers, man. We gotta show 'em that we won't back down from this. They wanna send a sub at us and act like we won't do shit? I got an idea." he babbled, stopping every few words to sniffle as the post nasal drip left a sour taste in his mouth. Irena snorted the thick line of white powder before her, letting out an energized gasp as she sat back.

"What? You gonna fire a missile at them or something?" she asked, wiping the residue from her nose. Szubrov smiled and laughed. "No, something better, girly."

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A few days later

The Oso glided across the water south of Epiphani through the fog, the Goliath destroyer loaded for bear. "Six miles, Captain." Deck Officer Korman informed the skipper. "Good. That puts us less than a mile off the coast." Captain Miran replied, pensively stroking his neatly trimmed beard. "Is the ordinance ready to go, Korman?" the captain asked, referring to the special gift that Szubrov had personally instructed them to deliver. "Aye, Captain. The main gun is already sighted in, and ready to fire. The shell should detonate about 300 feet above the ground." Korman reported. "Make it 100." Miran replied.

The Captain called a full stop to all engines shortly after 7am, drifting just off the coast. Through his binoculars, he could see the village. "Fire when ready." he instructed.

He waited patiently for the earth shattering bang, the only one who did not brace as the gun fired. He could see the projectile sail through the air, unsure if they truly were close enough.

Until the round detonated, lighting up the morning sky with a flurry of smoke and flares, directly over the village. "Another." Miran ordered. Like clockwork, the men on the batteries fired another, sailing along the same course as the first had, this one exploding at 300 feet above the ground.

He pulled the radio that hung near the lapel of his coat close to his lips. "Captain to bridge. Reverse course, full speed." he commanded. "Aye, sir." came the simple response. "Captain to comms, send our reply." he continued.

Another uncoded message, this time back to the Imperium.

"We spared the lives of your people today, but in the future, we will not be as kind. Reconsider your next move."

Augustus sat as his desk, he was clearly struggling with something when a General burst into his office.

"My Lord, a Yamantau destroyer has entered our waters and fired upon the town of Atruis. We are in need of a repose, if you could come with me."

Augustus who was shocked to see someone enter his office gained an understanding of the situation at hand. He readjusted himself in his chair and said:

"Legate I will meet with you in a moment, right now I need a moment to finish some pressing matters. Please if you could wait for me in the war chambers that would be most appreciated."

The General complied and exited the room. Augustus sat there for a few more minutes before adjusting and standing up, he walked to the door and looked back at the desk he didn't want to go but the duties thrust upon him as Imperator demanded it.

"I love you darling never change, I wouldn't be able to deal with these uptight military boys without your help."

As he was backing out of the door Beatrix stood up from under the desk, she managed to get a "I love you" off before Augustus had left the room. As he walked down the hallway he prepared himself for the hours of boring conversation. He knew that he needed to protect his nation, and Yamantau would burn for shooting at the Imperium however this is not what he wanted. Augustus had spent years in school buried in law books and other such things. Where as the other boys around him went to the military academy and loved it, Augustus hated it he knew he had to be prepared but he hated it none the less.

The war room was full of men who had spent their lives devoted to the protection of the Imperium they ran about until they realized that their Imperator was in the room. There they all stood at attention and waited for Augustus to do something. Augustus choose to sit down and asked for a briefing, the Generals sat down and showed the Imperator images of the situation and images of the aftermath. This is where Augustus became enraged, the Imperium had not harmed or even put harm on the Yamanta people but they risked it towards the Epiphani people. Augustus looked with determination, he wanted a message to be sent to put all Imperial forces on high alert and there was to be a special mission set out for Admiral Continus.
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The Admiral was sent out to Yamanta waters with a carrier group there orders were to bomb major railways and to then leave Yamanta airspace. Continus wanted to hold that order due to a storm coming through there was a fear that the planes could get lost. However the High command demanded that the order was to be upheld, the squadron that was to do the mission was having a briefing. Their officer was going over the mission, one member of the squad had heard that there was a thunderstorm heading through the flight area and became nervous he had passed the storm flying however he was nervous because he did not feel as comfortable as his fellow squad mates.

They were sent to their positions and the planes were sent into the skies. They were in formation until about twenty miles away from the target, the storms hit and the GPS system went down for the squadron. They knew that their guided missiles would have a hard time getting a lock on the rail and roads. The Pilots flew around for a few moments before they came to their conclusion, they came to the conclusion that they would use targeting by sight, the target was supposed to be fifteen miles away close they waited another few seconds and then fired in the direction that the targets were supposed to be in and they made the maneuver to turn back to their carriers, they panned around and to their horror they saw what they had done. Their missiles had hit a Yamanta town, they figured that they had flown off course by a few degrees and shot at the first lights they could see in the storms. Continus radioed to the squadron leader:

"Sir, I think we pushed the situation over the edge."

"I know, I will radio back to fleet and fighter command time to get the Imperium ready for war." The Squad leader replied.

Carnage.

The Epiphani attack had struck as a hammer upon an anvil in the midst of the storm, the fiery vengeance of an angry god sent from the clouds down upon the small town of Tjar. The clouds had finally begun to break, but even the rain that fell on these unfortunate souls like tears could not extinguish the flames. The body count rose ever higher with the passing hours, rising alongside the anger of a wounded nation, burning like acid in the back of the collective throat of Yamantau.

Mothers wept over what remained of their children, children screamed for their slaughtered parents. How could the Epiphani target civilians? How could they come as wraiths in the night, butchering those who had done nothing to them? These were the questions that demanded answers as Tjar burned. Answers that Szubrov would have from the rabid dogs of the Imperium soon enough.

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Szubrov clasped his hands together in front of him as he composed himself, giving a subtle nod to the camera crew, signalling to start the broadcast.

"Imperator.....Augustus." Szubrov began, taking a moment as he glared directly into the camera. "You have taken this too far. We did not use violemce against you for a reason, and yet you will not show the same restraint. You, and your disgusting sanguine cult, are nothing but vicious killers, and rabid dogs. You have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are a coward, and a man without honor. Instead of answering to me, as a man, in front of the world, you attack us. You use your claws to rend my people without discrimination. Old, young, poor, sick, it didn't make a difference to you. We simply asked that you withdraw from Duchrijeka, and yet you answer that you thirst only for war. We have seen war, and we do not want war, but if you want war.....I promise you, someone else will raise your sons and daughters. Someone else will sit on your throne under the Yamanta flag. This is not what we wanted, but this is the path you have chosen for all of us." he continued, removing his jacket, and gently hanging it on the back of his chair as he rose, making his way around the desk.

"So to you, Augustus....I say this....come. Come to us and we will send you to any God you choose, in multiple pieces to multiple gods if that is preferred. I told you once before, my predecessor feared you, but I do not. To me, you are but a boy trying to fill his father's shoes, a father that was just as cowardly, and just as cruel." Szubrov stated, slipping his arms out from under his suspenders, letting them hang from his hips as he unbuttoned his white dress shirt, revealing the tattoos that covered his chest. "You will answer for every life you've taken today, each one will be considered a debt, one that will be repayed a hundred fold, with interest. So come, Augustus, so that we may teach you what an honorable fight looks like, so that we may show you how men behave. Come show us your scars!" Szubrov ranted, gradually increasing in volume as he pulled off his shirt, tossing it to the floor.

"COME SHOW US YOUR SCARS, AND WE WILL SHOW YOU OURS!" Szubrov screamed, pointing to the collection of knife scars that adorned his chest and stomach.

"Consider this a declaration of war, Augustus! We will be waiting for you this time!"
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Let's Go To War - Nothing More

Augustus sat on the throne, his armor shining red robes and cape showing and his golden laurel crown on his head. He was staring at the camera and just sat for a moment before speaking:

"Szubrov, what you have started is the end of Yamantau as nation." Augustus stood up and began to reach for the straps of his armor, first came the chest piece it made a loud crash as it hit the ground in front of Augustus. "I will be coming for you, however I can not take your insult to my honor or my manhood. You use my religion as the reason for my actions, and yes the blood god is brutal, however his teachings do bring us information. I have killed those close to me, I have had people hack at me with swords, I have had things done to me to prove my right to rule." Augustus now stands in front of the camera shirtless his scars bear for the world to see, the wounds from duels the wounds from rituals all out all shown."I now say to you Szubrov, we are coming. We bring down the force of the universe upon you, this is the time I would like to announce that we now have nuclear capabilities, the Imperium is coming for you. You may not fear it yet, but just as we brought low the Ephyranics so too shall your hobbles be brought to the fire, your armies brought to the sword. We are coming for you Szubrov, I suggest that you begin talking to the gods you forsake in your feeble quest of socialism for they may be the only salvation you see. I would like to address the Yamanta people now, your leaders live a life of excess while you are left to live in squalor I promise Imperial a better life to any of you who aid us. You will be free of the ruin that your leaders have brought you to. Long live the Imperium! BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD, SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!"

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The preparations were underway, the Imperial navy had sent out two carrier groups to secure the path to Yamantau, now all that remained was to get the legions and their equipment on the move the initial wave would be two legions each then supported by an additional two. These legions were to make gains then report, high command would then try to determine the best course of action to take. These were the initial plans.

The loading process was tedious, the legionaries had to aid in loading all of the heavy equipment that couldn't be loaded onto the ships. Rommulus was one of those legionaries who was forced to help, boxes of ammo, MRE's and other necessities for life on the front. Though he couldn't help but think of the town of Atruis, they attacked the town despite the Imperium never once looking to harm Yamanta civilians, sure maybe Dudcrijekans had been killed by Imperial arms. There was no plan against them, simply to retrieve what the Imperium had stolen from it in the nineteenth century, who was Yamantau to tell the Imperium what to do. Going to war seemed to be a bit extreme though what good would it bring? These thought were going thorough the head of the Legionary, that was until pictures of homes and damage done to the town of Atruis were projected on screens around the dock, and over loudspeakers the Imperators voice came out.

"Remember they attacked us, you are fighting to keep the hordes of barbarism from breaching our glorious Imperium, should you fail remember what happened to the homeland. We must protect the Umbrial way of life for all time. Wether that be your family, your Imperator or your country remember that you are what stands between this great empire and the hordes across the world. You are fighting to defend not only yourselves but your families and all of civilization from such treatment as what happened to our town of Atruis. Now go forth, you all are doing something great all of you who pay the ultimate sacrifice will be given honors, your families will be taken care of. But I do not see that future, I see great victories ahead of you the Yamanta military is nothing compared to you. Now assemble and go, I shall see you all when you return victors!"

The people of Yamantau couldn't help but laugh at Augustus as they braced themselves for the coming storm. The Legions were infamous for their cruelty, but it seemed Augustus had forgotten that they had lived under the whip of oppression for thirty long years, and they would not let an effete, soft phallused, foreign emperor take away the freedom that Szubrov had given them. The men and women of Yamantau dug into their closets, attics, and basements, donning their uniforms once more, even though for some, it had been many years since they had completed their compulsory service.

The YPG had already begun mobilizing towards the coast line, focusing primarily on the Krezhesk River Delta to the north, the citizens militia vowing to join them on the southern coast, even the reclusive Balkhas had showed up to the recruiting stations in great numbers, riding into the cities on motorcycles, steel horses for a modern age. Yamantau hadn't seen such patriotism since the fall of the Tzar in 1915, and it showed no signs of slowing down. The scenes of carnage from Tjar had played on the news on repeat for days, the faces of the victims plastered on walls for all to see.

"They will come for us! They will come for our homes! They will come for our children! Just as they came for countless others! We will give them nothing but death, and destruction!" Szubrov boomed over the loudspeakers in Hremansk Square, the heavily armed and armoured guardsmen that flanked him stood rigid and stoic behind the black ballistic masks. "They do not know us! They underestimate us! They see as savages wallowing in the mud of our former masters! Teach them the meaning of terror, comrades! Show them what the Yamanta people are made of! We are a people of blood and iron! We are a people of determination and endurance!" he continued, slamming his fists on the podium as the gathered crowd of soldiers and militiamen shouted their approval.

Szubrov had given them back their lives, and their future, and they would give anything to preserve their new way of life.

The Admiral stood on his bridge binoculars already to his eyes. It had been a long journey to make it to the shores of Yamantau, and his guns were going to be the first to fire on the Yamanta coast. In his moment of thought he remembered his piano and wanted to play a song. He gave to order out to all the ships to try and keep up with his piano, he started off by pressing a few keys the first salvos fired from the frigates. Then he started playing the song Equitare de Valkyries. The thought came to mind as the song was written when a Umbrial heard the old Gotic legend of the female riders who would act as the the weapons of the gods. The Admiral sat for a moment to allow for the guns to reload, then the fire started.

Fighters were sent out, and the guns began to blaze. Every key hit represented a gun a firing, thirty ships fired on command each key was a different gun. To the Admiral there was nothing going on, but the sighting crew saw carnage on the shores. The guns were hitting their marks and the coastal forts were hit hard, planes made run after run to attack behind the lines and the enemy forts. One spotter stopped looking for a while in order to think about what was happening. But the Admiral knew none of this, all he did was play his piano fingers flying over the keys the music was intoxicating to him. The crews of the ships moved to work with the pace, they did not know what key was meant for which gun none the less they fired as close to the keys as they could. The barrage continuing on and and on, men sweating men trying to find the slightest moment to take a break. Guns adjusted and fired, ears were ringing and the sailors loved it. They were the ones bring the fire down, this is what the crew of the Portside main gun on EIN (Eius Imperator Navis) Militum the battery commander yelled to his men:

"Boys, the rats are running out of a burning nest!" This shout meant that a Yamanta bunker had been hit and the survivors were running around to try escape the inferno. There were outlines of soldiers running on the shore, people could see them against the burning bunkers, and yet the piano kept playing. The battery commander kept hearing the keys played as he received orders, "Move battery three degrees north, or four degrees south." The man had never been in a combat situation like this, despite this battery commander had served for thirteen years and always waited for the opportunity to finally go out and destroy the enemies of the Imperium. These people would have to be the first to experience the flames of wrath. When groups of Yamanta soldiers would try to put out fires then planes would gun them down. The battery commander looked upon this orgy of violence and smiled a wicked smile. He had made it easier for the dogs to land.

As the marines got onto their landing vessels the piano being played over the loudspeakers was still clearly heard, the marines were ready they heard the crescendos happening as they took off. The guns were still firing as the landing ships approached the shore. A marine Alexander was worried about what would happen when the doors open, he knew that the amphibious vehicle would take out as many enemies as he could before they exited the vessel. That is when the gunfire started, explosions and gunfire were heard from the outside and from the turret, planes flying overhead were also heard. It sounded like the gates of hell had been opened above, this overwhelming display of noise continued for a few more minutes before the loudest noise heard was the whirring of machines and the doors opened. A few marines poured out and tried to run out to the side of the vehicle, they were gunned down. The glory that was supposed to be war was seen, six men had been hit and six had died, the sand was painted red with their blood. There was no glory, just screams and thuds. Alexander shook off the shock and continued with the mission, the marines were to follow their vehicles and take out strong points so that the heavy armor and infantry could land and establish a frontline. Alex saw Yamanta solider peek out and shot at them, he fired a few rounds then saw one fall. He sat back, he had never taken a life before he felt his knees feel weak and almost fell. His commander saw this and grabbed him, and said:

"Alex, don't you give out on me now! We have to keep moving, remember this is what you were trained to do!"

Alex shook himself off and continued the advance kept moving, men kept dying but they did not stop. Finally they reached the strong points, the Yamanta soldiers had trenches and bunkers. This would be the final obstacle that the legionary marines would have to overcome. Alex and a few men were sent to attack a bunker that was suppressing another group of marines, they moved along a trench line whenever they ran into YPG they would take them out as quietly as possible, then the bunker. They threw several grenades into the bunker and a few seconds later the thing exploded, however they did not get all of the Yamanta soldiers. The ones who were in the bunker rushed at the legionaries and a brawl began. Alex saw one Yamanta man stab his squad mate in the chest and then rush him. He had to react quickly or the enemy solider would kill him just as he did his squadmate, as the Yamanta lunged, Alex dodged he took the knife and stabbed the man in the back. Another Yamanta soldier shot at him and missed the Epiphani squadmate fired back and hit the man in the chest. Alex then saw one more YPG running at them with a rifle and the two remaining Epiphani fired with their handguns as fast as possible and the man went down. They stood there breathing heavy and then the command came in.

"Convient" The squads were to come together, they were to rally and establish a line until the legions could land. The scene was brutal, Imperial and Yamanta men and women screaming in pain as medics tried to help them. Yamanta prisoners were being taken in. Was it worth it? Well as Alex thought, it probably was for the tankers landing right now.
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Begin video after first paragraph

The waiting defenses hadn't been as ready as they had hoped. The forward lines were already beginning to take heavy casualties as the coastal batteries sent salvo after salvo at the Imperium ships.

Box 4 was one of six battery bunkers that had survived the initial bombardment, the gun crews working double time to try and send as much ordinance down range as they could. "Give 'em one across the nose! Elevate ten degrees, rotate three right!" the spotter screamed over the war drum percussion of the guns. The gun slowly adjusted, the team sighting in on the superstructure of the nearest vessel. "Fire!" the spotter shouted. The breach of the gun came back, the loader ripping the now empty shell out, hastily ramming in another.

"Good hit! Good hit! Give 'em another one!"

The gun lurched back again, sending another round at the vessel. Another good hit. The crew had barely loaded the next round as they were struck by incoming fire, bringing the roof down on them, burying them in a tomb of concrete and rebar.

On the ground, it was pandemonium. The smoke and fire choked out the sun as the YPG and their militia counterparts met the Imperium's charge. The machine gun nests on the top of the beach berm kept steady streams of fire on the landing craft, the machine gun crews already ankle deep in spent brass.

"Heavy casualties! Heavy casualties! Kodiak three five! Fire on sector one three Echo! Danger close! I repeat, danger close!" one of the radiomen barked, calling down a rain of artillery fire, pummeling the beach head. "Multiple hostile casualties! Fire on sector one four echo! Danger close!" the radioman called again, knowing he may be hit by the salvo. It would be worth it if even one less Imperium soldier was moving in. The distant thunder of the artillery sounded moments later, hammering the berm, sending Yamanta and Imperium alike to the grave.

Overhead, the battle for the air raged on. The Yamanta fighters chased down the Imperium aircraft, desperately trying to give the men on the ground some breathing room until the order was given, and order that couldn't come soon enough. Markus banked sharply as he attempted to run down a fleeing Imperial fighter, he waited patiently as the target lock finalized before letting the missiles loose, watching them wind towards the jet before finally making impact, sending the craft spiraling down. Markus didn't have time to celebrate before the cockpit of his jet was riddled with machine gun fire, killing him almost immediately. His radio crackled to life as the order he had waited for finally came through.

"Abandon the forward lines! Pull back to the forests! Northern command has pulled the hostiles into the delta already! Move!" Command barked through the radio.

The Yamanta on the beach began a full retreat, a handful of men staying behind to sabotage the coastal guns as the rest made for the swampland and thick forest that seperated the front line from the open steppe. Here, they would truly make their stand against the foreign invaders, in a place where armor could not pass, and the trees seemed to choke out the sunlight. Here, they would begin the true battle for Yamantau.

Constantine laughed as the Yamanta fled into the woods, the Legions have had many years of combat experience in woods. The Yamanta would find no peace in their wooded sanctuary, however the swamps scared him. His armor would be useless against the enemy in the swamp so to advance there would need to be a large contingent of aircraft and helicopters diverted to the sector. Legate Constantine radioed into the naval command that there would be an airfield built and to start allowing for craft to come ashore, next artillery emplacements were dug and reinforced.

Constantine smoked his cigar and began to think of the best course of action. The assault on the swamps would begin with a bombardment and air support punishing Yamanta lines, then marines would push with support from PT boats wherever they could support the marines. They would try and capture key locations in order to allow for engineers to be able to build roads and bridges for armor to move up and support. Constantine thought he was genius, he thought his plan to invade the swamps was foolproof. He gave little thought in the advance through the woods as there would be no problem that the legionaries could not overcome, thus there was little need to worry about planning for the invasion.

The fire that came upon the swamp was monstrous. Planes and helios put thousands of rounds of munitions and missiles fired. The Yamanta position was laid to waste, the fire could be seen from the Legates position. While this advance in the swamps was ordered, then the advance into the woods was launched. These had less intensity though.

As the Yamanta forces made their way through the dense forest, they could already hear the Imperial forces behind them, just as planned, all they had to do now was get clear. They could hear their armor coming towards them, crashing through the brush and smaller trees, carving a path towards the enemy. The retreating soldiers continued on, pouring around the tanks like ants.

"Charges are live!" the Major leading Kamaz Squad shouted. The soldiers had to double time it, this whole forest would become a firestorm soon enough. Specialist Giranin turned as he heard the first charges detonate as the Imperials passed by, the men caught in the chain of explosions decimated by splinters of wood and steel. The demolition teams had worked nonstop for days in preparation of this moment, hollowing out the trees 8 feet up, packing them with alternating packets of explosive and whatever metal they could think of. Ball bearings, shredded metal, nuts and bolts. The tops of the trees falling to make the path even harder to pass. The tanks that advanced on the enemy using the mounted flamethrowers to ignite the dry undergrowth.

Soon enough, the sky grew to be a sickening red, the black smoke rising high above the tree tops. The armor that advanced on the enemy became willing sacrifices against the invading dogs, fighting to the last man. They had served their country well, entire swathes of the forest now impassable due to fire, or obstruction. It wouldn't hold them back long, but long enough for the reinforcements to arrive.


Ten miles north, Colonel Barkora waited patiently for the Imperium to make their move across the Matrosha swamps, well known as a dumping ground for bodies by Yamanta criminal organizations, few who entered came out. The artillery to the north was already sighted in to their left flank, and his artillery to the east was dialed in to bombard the enemy near their rear echelons, and on their right flank. If they could box them in, and force them into the swamps, they would be sitting ducks. Barkora looked over his shoulder, looking at the eager Ephyrans that stood ready. It was remarkable that these giants had volunteered as soon as the declarations of war had been made, and they came in great numbers. The locals didn't trust them, but as long as they came to kill Imperials, Barkora didn't care.

"Begin fire pattern Yakob, 10 seconds." Barkora ordered. The radioman behind him relayed the message to the northern battery, and counted down. The silence and anticipation always made Barkora's heart beat as a hammer against an anvil. His release came as the artillery cracked the sky, the rhythmic thumping of the guns like a marching army, beating upon their war drums.

It was working, as long as the air force could keep the Imperial fighter away from the batteries for a few more minutes, the Imperium would be right where they wanted them.

The Imperial armor in the woods exploded. This is when the legionaries broke their formations and began to fan out to find the YPG. The legions had spent much of their time fighting Ephyrans in the woods. An Onis (flamethrower) squadron moved through the woods. All legionaries in the squad were forced to learn how to use the flamethrower, each man hated it though. The flamethrowers were considered walking bomb packs. Today it was Ciceros turn to carry the pack this was all he and his squad had prepared for through their entire training process, however he didn't know if he was ready to kill someone. There was something in the back of his head that told him that he would not be able to do such a thing as burn a man alive.

Cicero walked with his squad through the fires in the forest there was gunfire and explosions all around them, artillery could be heard in the distance. Cicero just thought that he was happy to not be there, he had been involved in hunting Ephyrans in the eastern parts of the Imperium for years, they felt at home in the woods. Cicero wished he was carrying a rifle though, it was less of a target and didn't explode if it was shot. The point man motioned for the flame thrower to come forward, a squad of YPG had been found waiting to launch an ambush. Cicero knew what he had to do and fired, the men YPG began to run, this is when the remaining men in the squad began to fire. This small position had been cleared, and the Legionaries were able to move out. The armor had been pulled back so that the specialized forest troops could move through the area. The war went from beaches and lead, to the darkness of the woods, legionaries cried out, sporadic fighting was heard all over the Imperial Air Force was working to maintain a constant rain of fire on the Yamanta as they pulled back.
---------------------------------------------------------
The swamps, dear god the swamps. The smell, the water and the enemy fire were a sight to behold. Armor units were sent to secure the flanks but life in the swamps was hell. I remember the initial push, their artillery was raining hell. Men being blown to bits. When I first saw this I was shocked that my first reaction was not fear or disgust, but rather I felt nothing. This was a shock, was there something wrong with me? Maybe the training was as effective as they told us it would be. My god remember the Air Force coming in and blowing away the old Yamanta jets, they began to attack the enemy artillery. It was beautiful, it seemed just like a miracle. Then we saw them, not the enemy we had been shooting and engaging with them the entire time, no it was the bastards from Ephyra. These creatures have been haunting the Imperium since they arrived on Auroria. This fight would be enjoyable.

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.
__________________________________________________

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.
_________________________________________________
Shield Wall - Amon Amarth

As the Ephyrans came closer to him, Legate Crasus stood there unafraid. He walked over to his vehicle and turned on the loudspeaker, in Ephyran he said a message that would stop this attack.

"Your chieftain has signed a peace with the Imperator, we are allies now! Join us friends, these are people who seek to attack Auroria, our home!"

The officer looked out onto the crowd, the fighting had taken a weird turn. Certain groups continued, and Imperial united advanced around the Ephyrans whenever they could. This fight was not with them, it was with the Yamanta. The people of Auroria should be united in their mission.

Ephyrans still attacked in areas, these men did not care about what had happened now. They just wanted revenge, this is where fighting got brutal. There were no prisoners, there was no surrendering. Heavy weapon units of legionaries began to fire on the Ephyrans and took great joy in it, thousands of years of anger were coming together on both sides. The two sides wanted to kill each other and that is where they succeeded, those who would not stop fighting met in an orgy of violence. An Ephyran cut a Legionary in half, a Legionary shot out the knees of an Ephyran and then blew his brains out. The few units that did stop fighting tried in vain to stop the main bodies from slaughtering each other, but it did not work.
------------------------------

Centurion Claudius was moving up with his men he knew that the charge of the Ephyrans meant that the YPG would be trying to evacuate. He could not allow this to happen, he pushed his cohorts to the limit, they would either get around and cut off the Yamanta, or they would kill as many as they could before they could get too far. The Suavidici jets flew overhead to harass the retreating YPG. The Legions were moving at their quickest pace. Eventually, Claudius did manage to engage with rearguard elements of the YPG.

The cohort broke into its maniples, the legionaries used fire and move tactics to pin down elements of the YPG and destroy them. Claudius eventually was thrown into combat when elements of the YPG.

These bastards don't quit, I'll give these commies that. They don't quit. Claudius was thinking when there was an explosion near him, then YPG soldiers rushed in. Claudius grabbed his blade and pistol and entered the fighting. what he saw was carnage, legionaries and YPG were not only shooting each other at close range. There were men fighting with blades, clubs, shovels, the butts of rifles, and of course hands. A YPG man was seen strangling a legionary to death, in response Claudius shot him with his pistol. The Yamanta boy fell off the legionary, and eventually the YPG was pushed out. The boy who Claudius shot called out though. None of the men who were at the forward command point spoke his language, the young man started to gargle his blood. The Centurion walked over to him, said sorry as he pulled out his pistol, and then shot.

"Marcus, I... what did I just do?"

"Sir, you did that boy a favor. It's better to die fast rather than how it was going to happen."

"I know, I just haven't killed anyone in years. I was hoping it was going to be someone in battle, not a boy who was a mercy kill if anything" The Centurion took a moment to look at the body, then went back to take control of the advance.

The legionaries were advancing, in the distance there it could be heard the sounds of Legionaries and YPG meeting in close contact. Claudius kept thinking back to why the YPG was willing to go to close contact, he had an idea. They wanted to scare the legionaries, the YPG was a fanatical force the legionaries did not want to get into these melees. The fighting was staring to take on a whole new form, Claudius heard reports of a canyon being destroyed in order to prevent the legionaries from advancing.

Imagine that, the YPG crushing all those men under tons of earth. It made Claudius angry, then he heard the name of the cohort that was crushed. It was the 17th Grenadiers, Claudius fell to his knees and sat there for a moment. This Cohort was where a friends of was, or now rather had been serving. The blood in Yamantau was starting to get hot, and the legionaries were getting sick of the YPG's hit and run tactics.
-----------------------------------------------------
The Rocks came tumbling down good men died, tanks were crushed. All this while those YPG bastards were running away, this was something that could not be allowed. Scippio heard a Centurion give an order:

"We have sustained heavy casualties, and our way forward has been blocked. requesting assistance to slow down enemy. They were last seen in the canyons, requesting airstrikes."

"Rodger, Alpha wing is moving in to check it out."

Scippio began his fly over to see where the YPG were moving, as he flew over the canyons he caught for a brief moment the destruction caused. Tanks were crushed, and he could only imagine the damage done to the people. He climbed in altitude to see if he could spot the Yamanta leaving the scene, and eventually he found them. They looked like they were scurrying back to safety, like rats that were caught out in the sun. He was not going to let the rats go back and hide. Coming down on the YPG Scippio fired his cannons, they tore through the crowds of men. He felt joy in it, seeing what had happened to his comrades made him feel as if he was doing Rex Dominus himself a favor. For good measure he targeted a missile into a large group of Yamanta trying to scurry back to Sagdiyev. Though he could not hear the screams he wished he could, these weren't people in his eyes. They were little more than murderers that had killed good people. With that he radioed into his comrades:

"Sending coordinates, mass of hostiles, requesting backup in order to thin them out before they reach their city."

"Rodger Purple five, we have about eight more planes en route. continue attacks while you can. We're going to try to slow them down until armor elements and mobile infantry can come crush them."

Scippio continued his runs, after a few moments he saw more jets adding to his carnage. They needed to try and equalize the rough terrain of Yamantau, the legionaries were getting the worst of it due to the hells cape of the country. Minutes went by and Scippio eventually looked up at his gages, everything was fine except he saw the picture of his young daughter. What would she think if she could see her dad like this, what would she think if she knew that even for a moment her father enjoyed killing people. These thoughts continued until a SAM site took out a jet, instantly Scippio was back in the moment. The jets in his squadron peeled off and began to try and locate the SAM. They couldn't let such a large group of YPG get away. Another jet was hit, and Scippio began to freak out he wanted to see his daughter again but he began to say his goodbyes. Then over the radio he heard:

"This is 10th, 2nd, and 15th Cohort engaging sam sight and YPG."

Armor and mobile infantry had made it through, these light elements were able to start to engage the YPG that didn't make it back to Sagdiyev. A tank round hit the SAM sight, or at least Scippio thought due to the massive fire that started in the distance.

"Alpha wing, time to return to base." The radio crackled through, and Scippio was more than happy to oblige. His thoughts couldn't escape the actions he had done earlier, he thought.

This war will effect all of us, no matter who wins or loses. I just hope we have humanity left at the end.

A statement from the Vittorian Foreign Ministry, acting on behalf of His Majesty, Alphonse I Di Mavoia-Vittoria.


The Royal Government is dismayed at the rather high casualties and human cost of the conflict which is taking place across the border from the national territory of Vittoria. The Royal Government is aware of a number of atrocities committed by both sides in the conflict, and as there is no proper justification for such a conflict, it has been declared a useless war. Vittoria has officially offered the two sides in the conflict to come together to discuss peace talks, and for Nuova Vittoria to mediate the peace talks. The concern of a spillover in the conflict is of course, extremely high, and while Vittoria has the capability of defending itself, would rather leave the possibility of a conflict out of the reaches of reality.

"So I can no longer be Premier then?" Ygor asked grimly.


"No, not if you are to enter the warzone yourself, sir." Irena replied, pointing to the clause in the constitution that would bar him from entering combat. "The only way you would be able to do so, would be as Tzar, but…" she continued, before Ygor cut her off.


"I will then."


"What?"


"I will proclaim myself Tzar." he said blankly, slowly turning to face her as he rubbed his thumb and index finger together, feeling the grain of the leather gloves. "What do I have to lose? If I succeed, I abdicate and retire quietly to the countryside, I return to run for Premier. If I fail, I am dead, and nobody cares, so what is the difference?" he explained, making his way across the dimly lit room, leaning over the table, scanning the copy of the constitution. "Ah, see here.." he said, running his finger along a line of text. "It says right here that I do what I want." he said jokingly. Irena cracked a smile and pushed him a little bit.


"Fuck off, Ygor, it's not funny." she said, trying to stifle a laugh. "But you can't seriously expect these people to willingly accept the return of the monarchy, even if it is temporary."


"What if the monarchy is meaningless? It holds no real power?" Ygor replied, raising an eyebrow.


"Well, yeah, maybe, but still." Irena sighed


"Ok, well is there anything in this constitution that stops me from declaring myself Tzar?" Ygor asked.


"Well, probably, let me see….uh….uhm..oh. When was this written?" Irena inquired with a shocked tone.


"I dunno, it was rewritten and butchered in the 90's when Svrtan took full control. Why?" Ygor asked, somewhat amused.


"There's nothing in here stopping anyone from proclaiming themselves as Tzar or Tzarina at all." she explained.


"Not surprising. Svrtan tried to remove any inkling of Yamantau's political past that didn't involve the socialist party or the communist revolts in 1910 or 1911, whichever it was. Taking any mention of the monarchy out would make sense. Like, yeah, they teach you about the Tzars in school, but not really anything past 1700." Ygor said. "The last Tzar was actually still alive to see Svrtan take power. Tzar Tihomir was 6 years old when the monarchy was brought down, and he was only 8 months into his reign I believe."


"So really, you could just proclaim yourself king, name a successor as Premier, and nobody can do anything about it." Irena continued, ignoring Ygor's historical ramblings.


"Great. In that case, you're the new Premier, I am Tzar, I am going to war. Goodbye." Ygor said cheerfully, turning to leave the room.


"Hey wait! What the fuck man! I don't want to be Premier!" Irena shouted.


Szubrov leaned back into view behind the doorframe before shooting finger guns at her and saying "sucks to suck, there's only 4 years left in the term, deal with it." before leaving again.


Irena stormed out of the room after him, her heels clicking aggressively against the marble floor.


"HEY!" she bellowed.


He turned around, an amused look on his face as he shrugged as if to ask "What?"


"Be careful, your majesty." she said with a smirk. He smiled back and gave her a small nod before continuing on his way.


------------------------------------------------------------


It had been 3 weeks since the Imperium had first landed on Yamanta soil, which had already put him several steps behind Leon, and would make his mission far more difficult. To make matters even more interesting, rumors were beginning to circulate that Augustus himself was in Yamantau, overseeing operations somewhere near Sagdiyev, but no matter how high the voltage, or how hot the torch, the Suavidici prisoners wouldn't give up anything. They were tough, he would give them that.


"You guys ready!?" Szubrov shouted over over headset, slamming the magazine into his rifle. Slasa, Taz, Shurhat, Kia, Ragla, and the kid that came with Shurhat all nodded, and readied their weapons.


"Touchdown in 30 seconds, strike team!" Ygor shouted as the helicopter veered sharply, heading down. "We're landing just outside Sagdiyev! O-Z is too hot for direct insert! Master Sar'nt Krzywy will meet us at the LZ, and take us in to rendezvous with Barkora! They're all bivouaced up just north of the city! It's a real shitshow folks!" Szubrov announced. Standing up and moving to the rear door. "Comms on, always!" he shouted as one last reminder. His team stacked up behind him, ready to rush out.


The chopper touched down shortly after 11pm, and the team disembarked into the cold night air. "Cat vision on, boys and girls, watch the trees." Szubrov ordered, pulling down the attached night vision goggles from his helmet. It was quiet here, just quiet enough to hear the fighting in Sagdiyev, a little over 3 miles away. The ground was already frosty, and they could see their breath as they moved.


"Hold." Taz said quietly, directing the team's attention to an approaching patrol. The team scrambled into cover, training their weapons on the patrol.


"Crown!" one of the men in the patrol shouted. After a few seconds of silence, he once again called out. "Crown!"


"Scepter!" Szubrov shouted back, lowering his weapon.


Master Sergeant Krzywy walked forward and called out to the darkness "What time is it in Saintes?"


"Drop the two with him." Szubrov ordered, knowing that the phrase meant Krzywy had been compromised.


Slasa and Ragla took aim. Two suppressed gunshots broke the silence as the two soldiers behind Krzywy dropped.


"Time to open the wine!" Szubrov called.


Krzywy breathed a sigh of relief and dropped to his knees. Ragla rushed forward to catch and hastily asked if the two men were the only Suavidici in the area. Krzywy confirmed, before shakily rising to his feet.


"Imperials intercepted the radio transmission from Eagle 3-1 about the landing site, ambushed my squad about 600 meters back the way I came." Krzywy explained.


"Is Barkora compromised too?" Ygor asked.


"No sir, Barkora and the Ephyrans are held up in the cathedral on the north side of the city. They've been giving the Suavidici hell for the last few days, sir." Krzywy answered.


"Mm, that's not optimal. I'm guessing most of our other intel is outdated as well then." Slasa chimed in.


"Yeah, probably." Ygor said with a deep sigh.


The group could hear a jet scream overhead, going towards the city, flying low, likely trying to avoid the SAMs.


"We better move then. If we're good, we can get there by 0300." Ragla interjected. The team agreed, and set off towards Sagdiyev.


------------------------------------------------------------


"Get some fucking fire on them!" Barkora screamed, pointing towards the wide main road before the cathedral, as the MG nest in the belltower and the one to his right sent a hailstorm of bullets towards the approaching Suavidici. He had held this position as long as he could, and now, he was surrounded, with only the two MGs and a band of Ephyrans to hold off the Imperials from fully capturing the city.


A bullet grazed his neck, knocking him to the ground. He looked up at the rain of brass falling from the belltower in somewhat of a daze before he snapped to. One of the Ephyrans pulled him up by his collar and gave him a solid nod. The Ephyran should have kept his head down. Barkora watched as a bullet exited the side of his head, and the hulking corpse flopped to the ground. "God save us." he whispered, turning his attention back to the street. It was too dark, and he couldn't tell exactly where the enemy was, so he simply fired at any sign of movement.


A sound like fiery exhaust split the night as a rocket flew past him, hitting the bell tower dead on, destroying the MG nest, and bringing the tower crumbling down. He ran inside to get clear of the falling debris, but realized now that he had trapped himself inside. He could hear another rocket hit the other MG nest outside. There was nothing stopping them from advancing now. He looked around at the already wounded Ephyrans that were gathering around.


"We're done boys. We did our best here." Barkora admitted to them. One of the larger ones, a man named Syd, placed his hand on Barkora's shoulder.


"Mate, as long as we have breath and ammunition, we'll stand and fight with you. We gave our word." Syd said comfortingly. "But if you fight with us like you have, you die as one of us, brother." he continued, pulling out a small can of grease paint from his pocket. Using his finger, he painted a traditional Ephyran design onto Barkora's face. A tribal looking design that covered his chin and cheeks.


"It has been an honor." Barkora said calmly, chambering the first round in his magazine as he heard the east doors open. The 6 stood in the center of the cathedral in a circle, firing at the Sauvidici that entered. Eventually, they were over run, and truly, Sagdiyev's last protectors fell. Barkora couldn't tell which was more heartbreaking, his failure, or the fact that his own countrymen were helping the Imperials.


With blood on his lips, and a chest full of lead, he sent out his last radio call.


"Sagdiyev has fallen, all forces evacuate."

--------------------------------------------------------


"Now we're sorta fucked." Ygor said angrily as the radio call came through.


"Not necessarily." Taz said eagerly. "We can link up with the 203rd just east of here." he continued.


"Well...I guess we don't have a choice." Szubrov sighed. "An Ephyran unit is honestly probably the safest anyways."

November 1st 2021
10 miles outside of Sagdiyev
Centurion Gaius Julius Crassus prepared himself as the Yamanta tanks poured in for a counter attack. Crassus' tank had been involved in offensive operations for nearly one week, they hadn't seen any hostile armor, the air support was taking care of most of the armor that the Yamanta were throwing at them. Today was different, the air force was sent to other sectors for offensives that were in more key locations. Gaius didn't expect to see five Yamanta tanks rolling in from the east. He quickly ordered his E2-A4 tank into some cover and waited for the column to move ahead. The heat of the tank caused Gaius to sweat more than he would have in this situation.

Gaius took a deep breath in right before he could give the order to fire, all he could smell was the gas from the idol engine. After a split second the order to fire on the leader of the column and on the rear. The first shot rang out. The lead tank went up in flames, by the way that the turret went up the ammo must have been hit. The auto loader quickly loaded the next round in, and the gunner fired at the tank in the rear. It was a hit on the treads, the right side of the tank lost its treads. The turret could still move, and it was turning to fire. It was able to get a shot off, which clipped the E2-A4 the tank shook for a moment before firing a third round. This one hit home and penetrated the front of the tank. Smoke rose out of the hatch, but no one left the vehicle. The middle three tanks in the column began to move to separate and attack. Gaius saw this and gave the order for the tank to relocate in the woods that it was hiding in.

As Gaius' tank rolled through the wood it continued to look out for the enemy tanks that were around. Gaius saw one that was taking a wide left in order to do a flanking action on the previous location that Gaius' tank was at. The crew in the tank were working overtime in an amazingly well coordinated manner despite being outnumbered, Gaius gave out the place of the Yamanta tank that he saw. With this information the gunner was able to get the gun into a perfect position to fire. The shot that ragout hit the Yamanta tank square on the side, it went up in flames and as the Yamanta soldiers jumped out. Gaius stuck his head out of the hatch to look around and was immediately knocked back in the tank. A Yamanta K-104 had hit the front of the Suavidici tank and the shell bounced, rocking the vehicle. Gaius tried to stand up, but for a moment he was too shocked to move.

The crew was yelling, but the ringing was too loud to hear them, Gaius was staring at the gunner, Gaius' kept seeing three of him. That was until the gunner slapped him and Gaius was sent back into the present. The driver radioed in and was awaiting another order. He had moved to get away from the enemy tanks fire. Gaius rushed up to his normal position and looked for the enemy tank, he stuck his head out and looked left. There they were, the two remaining Yamantau tanks were sitting and regrouping. They must have thought that the Suavidici tank had limped back, Gaius moved to take advantage of his current situation.

The gunner lined up the next shot perfectly, it hit the side armor of the tank and sent the turret in the air flying. The tank that it was next to stood still for a moment before moving behind the burning rubble and firing back. The shot managed to de-track the Suavidici tank. Gaius looked out of his hatch and saw the rear of the Yamanta tank, the perfect target. The order was relayed to the gunner who moved the cannon and shot. The final Yamanta tank went up in flames.

The crew of the Suavidici tank sat back for a moment. They had just managed to kill five Yamanta tanks, and needed a rest. That was when they heard over the radio, reinforcements are reaching your area be advised. APC's entered the area and began to spread out and create a solid front. Engineers came to assist with the treads of the tank, Gaius left the tank and looked at the side that took the hit. There was smoke and melted metal all over.

"Congrats Centurion, you have five confirmed Yamanta tank kills. You're an Ace now." One of the engineers said to Gaius.

"What makes you think that I am happy about this? I just killed a large number of people today. These young men had families, mothers, kids, wives and now they can not go home to see them ever again. I did what I had to do to save my men, this award while I'll take it isn't exactly what I'm thrilled to do." Gaius lit a cigarette while looking into the distance.

Gaius and his crew were then sent to the rear, where it was made official that Gaius was indeed a tank Ace and was given a promotion. The crew was sent back to the Imperium to teach new tankers.