388 Elementalists (1/2)
United Nations, City of Falledge
Lieutenant Collins. military attache to the Governer of Falledge, watched the rows and rows of Marines carefully packing their gear and parachute silks inside the simple wooden shed while sergeants strolled up and down keeping an eagle eye on their actions. One sergeant paused before an Orc Marine who was busy stuffing the parachute silks into his pack.
”Private!” The sergeant growled loudly. ”What the fark do you think you are doing?”
”Packing my bag! Sarge!” The Orc shot up to his feet at attention and answered.
”Packing?” The sergeant shook his head. ”Is this how you pack your parachute?”
”Erm...” The Orc gave a sheepish look at his pack. ”Yes... Sarge!”
The sergeant gave a consolidating pat on the Orc's shoulder. ”If you keep packing it that way, I better bring along XXL body bag for you...”
The Orc's expression changed and he looked down at his pack again and gulped. ”Sorry... Sarge!”
”You don't have to be sorry,” The sergeant squatted down next to his pack and started shaking the contents out. ”Do it again. After all its, not my life...”
”Yes, Sarge!” The Orc quickly took the parachute silks out and refolded them while the rest of the platoon laughed. His buddies on the side quickly helped him with the packing.
Collins returned his attention to the two Marine Battalion COs who were busy with a pile of paperwork as they amassed over the month. ”Captains, the city does not have enough stock of 6.5 mm smokeless ammunition for your requested needs.”
”But we have plenty of BP ammunitions still remaining,” Collins said to the unhappy Marine Captains. ”Logistics has yet to transfer your supplies over since First and Second Battalion were transferred here instead...”
”Black powder?” The Captains frowned. ”It will play hell with the new rifles! We need smokeless ammo!”
”I only have limited stocks of smokeless...” Collins replied. ”You have to wait till Logisitcs move the supplies over...”
Both Captains looked at each other and sighed, ”How long? The new orders came from the top telling us to shift our asses over here in preparation for a major op... But we don't have the ammunition for it and we got a dateline to keep!”
”Look, I can spare you as much of the available ammo my people have,” Collins gave his assurance. ”But other than that, there is nothing I can do till Logistics move your stuff over...”
”Damn...” The Captains grumbled. ”If it wasn't for this sudden order, we would have resupplied at the depot instead of here...”
Collins gave a shrug, ”Well, this op looks big... three Battalions on standby here and all the big planes being diverted over here too...”
The Captain of the Second Battalion nodded. ”We are supposed to hit the city of Silverton. Intel has it that the Emperor is there now. If we can take down the Emperor, this war will be over!”
”I know...” Collins replied with a helpless look. ”But I can't move supplies with a snap of my finger!”
”Besides, Intel has yet to determine if the Emperor is really there nor has all the aircraft arrived yet...” Collins said. ”And even the troops haven't even finished packing the parachutes. We got time still.”
”I guess you are right...” The Captain sighed as he looked at the list of task on his hand. ”The deadline HQ gave was is pretty tight still...”
”Without adequate supplies, it will be a disaster waiting to happen,” Collins pointed out. ”Raise it up with HQ, they are not the ones on the ground, so they don't know...”
Collins tapped the stack of forms on the table and said, ”Logistics should need a day to transport some of your supplies over. I heard they are running out of wheels and the goblins are out in force in the forest. So expect delays.”
”Alright, I guess that is what we can do for now,” The Captains gave in. ”Get us as much ammo for the boys ASAP. We don't know when the order will come in for us to begin the operation!”
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Third Imperial Army, Imperial Left Flank
Outriders from the Third Army had managed to link up with the remnants of the Grand Fleet and with messages coming from Silverton that reinforcements were coming, boasted Alberto Rothschild's confidence.
”Attack the Twin Fork Fort together with the sailors!” Alberto ordered his commanders. The past week of defeats and deadlocks had his temper high as he failed to break through the rebel lines.
”But my Lord,” The commanders showed their displeasure at his orders. ”We had been attacking non stop for the whole week! The soldiers are tired and they need proper rest before we can attempt another attack!”
”They are just lowly soldiers!” Alberto hissed. ”Their purpose is to die for us on the battlefield! Why waste our supplies on them? Send them in together with the Grand Admiral's troops!”
”That bitch is in Orwell's Point!” Alberto growled at the unhappy commanders. ”I must get my hands on her!”
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Imperial Reinforcements Enroute to the Third Imperial Army
A silver haired young man dressed in grey robes rode on the back of a massive land dragon. His body swaying in rhythm to the swagger of his mount as he kept paced with the hundreds of other Knights and soldiers. The heavy thumping of iron clad boots of the Bronze Men was like a lullaby as they marched in the night.
The road was lit up using hooded lanterns and the troops no long travel in a long snaking line. Instead, they were broken up into many smaller groups of a thousand and they set off in half hour intervals to prevent the flying crosses from attacking them all at once.
Riding together with the silver haired young man was two of his companions, an older bearded male and a female of similar age as the youngster. And surrounding the trio were a squad of Imperial Lifeguards who rode in silence throughout the whole journey.
”Justze?” The girl called out in worry as she saw the silver haired youngster was almost toppling off the saddle. ”Don't fall asleep on the saddle!”
”Hmm?” Justze rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned loudly while stretching out his arms. He had dozed off in the saddle and even had a dream. A dream of better times and of his only family, his elder sister, who had disappeared somewhere out there. They said she died while in service of the Empire when they were trying to deal with the rebels.