NOVEL NEXT RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 5: Case Yellow (Day 1 – Co-op)
The Ustian Reformists, as a faction, have seen many changes during the years working alongside the Belkan Reich. Since the Marshal considered the Reformists a valuable partner, the Reich invested heavily in Princess Bonaparte's power base. Nowadays, the Reformists can proudly boast that their might is equal to that of a small nation, even if they currently only hold some key cities and towns. This can be attributed to the rapid mobilization of sympathetic elements to the Reformist cause and the modernization of the Reformists' military. The former is achievable by Princess Rosa Bonaparte's display of consistency, competency, trustworthiness, and kindheartness. Due to the limited recruitable population in her budding territory, Rosa converts many Ustian Prisoners of War to join her cause alongside Ustian volunteers. Ultimately, Rosa comes up to the war with an entire Field Army, christened the name Vichya Libre. Yet, quantity is not everything, thus Rosa banks on her relationship with the Reich Marshal to train and outfit her Army with modern tactics and contemporary war gear. Other than that, Rosa's faction is fielding a fleet of their own, consisting of Ustian warships, captured Erusean vessels, and even surplus Belkan surface combatants... All are refitted to an acceptable standard according to the Reich Marshal.
The only thing missing for the Reformists is their own Air Force. Funnily enough, the Reformists can't field their own warplanes because they don't have enough land or the necessary manpower, not when Rosa already invested heavily in her Army and Navy. For now, air support will be provided by the Reich through their liaison officers and JTACs. However, when Ustio is finally whole again, the Reformists will have all the resources they need to build up their Air Force. That day may come sooner than later if the Marshal's plan comes to fruition.
Coincidentally, the faction insignia for the Reformists is a stylized knight sword with a halo around it. However, depending on the angle, the symbol turns into that of a double-sided halberd. When asked, Rosa answered that the insignia is based on the Ironblood symbol of the Marshal's personal Division. This is Rosa giving a respectful nod to the military personnel that serves as the predecessor for her Vichy Libre Field Army.
Today, after many months of preparation, Rosa's Army is finally getting a taste of frontline combat in all of its entirety.
A Panzer III M draped in a flash white color with blue identifications marking bravely charges forward before coming to an angled stop. Lining up its 57mm gun, the Panzer III fires a shot at a Ustian Char B1 bis. The high-velocity shell of the Panzer III proves to be unmatched, penetrating through the driver station of the B1 before detonating inside the tank. Now that the heavily armored obstruction is taken care of, units of Reformist soldiers charge ahead on the back of their 251 half-tracks. Acting as the Reformist version of the Panzergrenadiers, these soldiers hunker down in their troop compartments while using the half-tracks' MG-34s to suppress the Loyalist positions.
As the mechanized spearhead of the Reformists is making a pressured attack on Southern Maginot, rear line units provide fire support to cover its advance. Mortar half-tracks belonging to the Reformists start launching smoke shells one after another. Next to them, Belkan Advanced Mortar Systems, installed on the chassis of Boxer wheeled APCs, start unleashing 120mm mortar rounds in quick succession. A feature made possible by using semi-automatic twin-barreled, breach-loaded mortar turrets. The smoke shells land ahead of the Reformist formation while the heavier 120mm HE shells impact the badly damaged trenches and bunkers of the Loyalists. As a result, the return fire the Reformists received is noticeably reduced, thus allowing the combined armored and mechanized force to approach the trenches of Southern Maginot dangerously close.
Dismounting from their half-tracks, the Reformist soldiers start assaulting the trench area with local fire support coming from Panzer IIIs and half-tracks armed with 75mm infantry support guns. Over the trenches, armored vehicles and bunkers trade fire with one another. Simultaneously down below, soldiers, Reformists, and Loyalists, all of whom are Ustians, jump at one another with bayonet stabs, raised shovels, or a thrust of a knife. In short, it's a pure, chaotic, free-for-all, countrymen against countrymen, brothers against brothers, blood against blood. Yet, all of them have different sets of ideals and things to fight for. However, the situation is quickly made apparent, the tide is shifting. Though Southern and Northern Maginot are better equipped and trained than Central Maginot, the same chronic disadvantages of broken morale and chain of command are there. As such, Allied soldiers in the South can't handle much of a fight even against an opponent that is much weaker than its ally, the Belkan Reich. In just under twenty minutes only, the first set of trench lines are swiftly clear with fewer casualties than expected for the Reformists. The report comes to Rosa as a pleasant surprise in her field headquarters. Much like Yuki, Rosa has come to appreciate the feeling of being in the thick of the actions. It makes Rosa's commanding task much easier and her presence bolsters the spirit of the fighting troops by a lot.
The Reich has her Marshal, the Reformists have her Highness the Princess, can you say the same, Loyalists and Erusean dogs? Such is but one of the many disparaging insults that the Reformists trade with the Allied soldiers in the heat of battle. While Rosa can't really appreciate the crude wording that some of her troops may use, she must admit that they're speaking facts. Nowadays, it's a rare sight for faction leaders to step onto the battlefronts with an active risk. Risks such as being strafed by enemy air units, for once.
When the air raid siren is sounded, Mary pushes Rosa down just in time before an Allied Air Squadron performs a strafe on the Reformist Command Encampment. The squadron has been flying low to avoid aerial detection, before coming up at an altitude to strafe and bomb Rosa's position. Mary pushing down Rosa is a necessary action as their command building is not set up for a bomb blast. Sure, it can protect them against autocannon fire, but the shockwave of a bomb can very much bring the entire thing down on them. When a bomb lands right outside the headquarters, one of its walls nearly buckles and cracks, with dust now clogging up the air due to the shockwave. Rosa is immensely thankful for her lover's quick wit, otherwise, she would have been knocked down and received a concussion at best. Sadly, some of Rosa's command staff will have to wear some casts after this. Fortunately for them all, the bomb fell short, and the enemy attacker aircraft wouldn't be able to make a second pass.
Coming to a screeching halt in front of the Reformist HQ is a Belkan Boxer IFV armed with a Gepard system. Raising its 30mm Gatling, the AA vehicle unleashes a venerable beam of red tracers.
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTT
The tracer sweeps through the air, smashing into the tail sections of two Hawker Hurricanes that are turning around for another strafe. Said aircraft are promptly disintegrated into bits and pieces. Using its sensors, the Boxer AA vehicle then locked onto the last two of the Allied Hurricanes before launching two Land Iris missiles. Chasing the unguarded tails of the Hurricanes, the Land Irises use their proximity fuzes to detect the targets and detonate, sending countless fragments that shred the Hurricanes into scrap metals. Being ripped apart in the air, what's left of the aircraft crashes haphazardly on the ground. Ultimately, none of the enemy pilots survived, though they did manage to cause some deaths and casualties in the Reformists' Command Camp.
"How did they get past our detection?" Mary asks while cleaning up Rosa's face. Medics come in and out of the command bunker, patching up the somewhat frazzled command staff.
"If they're flying too low with the ground, even the Belkans will have a hard time detecting them. At least, that's what I learn from Yuki. As for how they managed to find us, I have a feeling that we just got had by the enemy. Southern Maginot is equipped with the best of the best the Loyalists currently have. I should have expected they would have a competent enough leader to triangulate our command post and send bombers at us. If it weren't for Yuki specifically assigned an anti-air platoon here, we would have been in deeper trouble than earlier." Rosa answers.
Unknown to Rosa herself, she can be seen smirking dangerously despite her less-than-presentable state. Only when on the battlefield will one get exhilarating rushes like the one earlier. Mary, having been Rosa's lover for years, sighs to herself.
"Yuki has been rubbing off on you too much, Rosa." After all, the Marshal thrives in conflict zones, and she is Rosa's mentor on military matters. It's not a surprise if the Princess learns some of the Marshal's kinks and habits under her tutelage.