The Situation
Story by HAAS_Bio_Fox on SoFurry
A slightly pull back in time, because the planet of Joplin was brought up so why not have look at how things are going on there.
Lets check the gorund forces; oh jeeze... Looks like they're having a rough go at it... (on boths sides)
...
Lets check with the navy... Looks like they're having a rough go at it... Am sure they'll sort things out.
Can't really say much on the Federal navy though; they technically don't have one right now...
I wonder if that'll change.
/Two weeks ago/
Something passed through his head, this half well intentioned desire to shout out something to the boys as they played ball in the middle of the road.
Apart from that though, it was dead; it had been since they landed and started the patrols.
Ops had mumbled about some stupid regulations but the squad were not of the nature to get high strung with kids just playing. He still kept his mouth shut; letting them do this was one thing, encouraging it would be something else entirely and really the kids hated their presence. There was enough incident reports of kids and other youth throwing stones and shouting swears at the troops… Those rabbits had no fear (Or maybe just no senses of self – preservation).
By extension that was to say the whole policy of Hearts & Minds was going nowhere. The locals didn’t want to interact and only at threat of force would anything happen; even at the most basic interaction, but then the feeling was every forced interaction was just pushing them all one step closer to responding… Nothing had happened yet, but the feeling was always there and getting worse as every day.
With that the patrol was anxious; three Yersins, two humans, a Lupine and one Cainanid. They had that awkward patrol walk, the humans looking to the front, the rats watching the rear as they walked backwards, while the dog and wolf tired their best to watch the high ground. The ‘suburban’ area of the mining colony was just a collection of huge concrete tower blocks, imposing things which seemed to give off no feeling but that of doom and gloom.
The faces that popped up irregularly from the windows watching them come past equally didn’t help but play into down feeling; empty and hateful gazes.
The squad’s lupine started to let out a soft whine, he was uncomfortable, they were all uncomfortable. The unwelcoming feeling was not hard to miss.
“Shut the hell up Zeb”, the Doberman finally called trying to get the lupine back in order; if the team’s heavy – support was faltering they’d have a major situation.
Luckily Zeb quieted down, much to the Cainanid’s pleasure, though the rest of the squad was not that reassured by the ‘correction’. They kept going, somewhat well aware sticking around would only lower their spirits more and while the troops were cracking the people were growing emboldened… But for the moment it was still a quiet rebellion, but now the squad couldn’t deny the pressure as Lepus gathered on balconies and at the porches of tower blocks.
You know, I never thought a day like this would come about, it never should have had to come to this and yet here it was, “Dad… I don’t… I…”.
He just stretched out a hand, placing it comfortingly on his shoulder like he had done so many times before… It didn’t really feel the same; really it all felt so total, so cold.
“No, you’ve nothing to say now… Just be sure you’re going to do, don’t let this go”
He nodded his head acceptingly, the winds of change were growing, the troops were mustered in the shadows and the time to act was now.
“Yeah Dad, we’ll get them…”.
The serious moment gave way to one more display of kindness. The two held tight in one final embrace, a final good bye before parting ways as the car sputtered up and drove to its final destination.
Please lord, please just let me get out of here.
He didn’t like to think like this but he couldn’t stop himself, being here was no place of comfort. The atmosphere was heavy and people foreboding even for rabbits. It wasn’t like he could even say anything, he was meant to be the strong arm of the team and if they thought he was failing it would knock the whole teams moral.
The squad leader hadn’t been any comfort either, blowing off the lupines complaints as unfounded (if not some kind of joke) you! Scared of the Lepus? Be serious now.
He didn’t care how stupid it sounded, once you watched those rabbits looking down on you… Shit just hit different, uncaring eyes, filled with a deterministic hatred he never felt before. These people were not happy to have interlopers and it wouldn’t be long before something would give.
He stopped thinking about it all … The patrol was going to be wrapping up soon and then he’d be home safe.
His ears twinged as he caught the sound of a car just outside of ear shot. It got Zeb on edge despite how innocent it was… He pulled himself back; it’s just a car, it’s just a car.
He looked about the squad making out that all of their attention had been taking by the car. Admittedly one hadn’t shown up on the road in a while. It was this little old thing, a grubby kind of hand-me-down car; chipping red paint and the works the kind of thing that likely was picked up for nothing, put back to the bare minimum and used to putter around the local area for who knows how long.
It started to slow down as one of blinkers started and it pulled in towards the patrol. For a minute they seemed to tense but the Sergeant’s hand gesturing to *calm it* and that had them come back down as the car finally pulled up and came to a stop.
Zeb had one last check of the area around them, though as he looked about the balconies and street a cold feeling of dread washed across him; Where did they all go? The place had become empty, quite uncomfortably so.
He looked back as he caught Sargent Weaver go over to the car.
Weaver tapped on the window (politely), this was the matter of ‘hearts and minds’ as it always was and if the rabbit wanted something then he had to comply (like a friendly solider).
“What can I do for you sir?” The Doberman question as he looked to the lepus.
He was an old looking rabbit, quite old, grey and wrinkly, with ears that bent like the structure of them was crumbling with age…
He had this lost look, but it was far more than the traditional old man look. It was something deep, philosophical almost. The kind of look one had in the final moments of their life; that kind of look.
Weaver could tell something was up; something bad, something very bad… And he didn’t even need to see the trigger.
It was only as Squad 2 came to the intersection that they caught sight of the blast; it wasn’t massive, though it was big enough.
It took them by surprise, it took them by surprise with how out of nowhere it all seemed. Only a minute ago they were passed by young some kids throwing profanity their way (to be expected; they weren’t really the good guys)…
But now? Now shit was hitting the fan. Rilol pulled back; he wanted to check S1 but he needed to reorganize himself, check his squad, make sure the situation was secure.
Now the tall building felt dangerous, entrapping; they needed to get out.
“Get on the radio now” the man shouted to his vulpine second Polo who was already in the process of trying to make a connection long before the order was given…
Gun shots then started to ring out; distant and unorganized at first but as time went on the progression of fire built up as the anxiety amongst S2 built and built.
“Come on Polo!” Rilol called as he looked about them, continuously checking for threats.
“Am trying; no one’s picking up” Polo fired back; his ears on edge
It was at this point rounds started to pop off against the wall; stuck in a fucking murder hole.
“Fucking fire, fire back!” Rilol shouted all senses of military composure left as only a desire to survive came to the fore front.
It was a near impossible task to achieve; the fire came in at random, rifle and pistol flashed from one window then another then a completely different set.
It was a trap, flanked from all angles, while the enemy had the high ground. The troops tried their best to fire back but it was no more than a token effort. Rilol just stood there, his gun shaken as he tried to find something anything to try and scrape his way out… Nothing… Nothing at all…
It started with one but soon enough the clatter of rifles started as the men raised their hands to the air, terrified and begging expressions, though they all were quiet… The fire stopped; they might have hated them but the defenders weren’t cold blooded enough to shoot surrendering troops…
“All of it, drop all of it there”
It was an odd sight to behold; the line of CSS troops working to the whims of miners and militiamen, all of them far less imposing than their enemy.
The CSS troops dropped their gear without question; helmets, chest rigs, magazines, radios, etc, etc, etc… The militia troops were already peeling what quality gear they could get; most raiding the pile of firearms and body armor while other toyed with radio to play havoc with C.S.S communications some settling to just playing music at full blast over the coms to keep the enemy ‘entertained’.
It was an amazingly good achievement, a respectable section of them surrendered; about 40% of the troops who patrolled the city, another 20% were killed; determined fighters they had to give them that. The rest made it away; running to the hills much to defenders’ hoorahs.
The occupation had been put up with for long enough though despite this initial success fighting was no long-term method they could rely on…
“Do you think they’ll convince anyone?” The Borzoi asked, this one constant that had followed him threw the war, like a niggling voice of doubt, an angle he was not sure to if it was trying to advise him or sending him to his doom.
“Am not to think about that; we’ll organize the defense and if the reinforcements come, they come”
“If they don’t?”
“Then we’ll still fight them off; just like we’ve done today”
He was confidant, but confidence could only get one so far against the mass of C.S.S conscript, cheap tanks, artillery and at worse a planetary bombardment… They caught them with their pants down and soon enough the troops would be whipped into shape.
He put those thought to the side; if they had been willing to play the game of happy occupier for weeks then he doubted they would go for the nuclear option so soon… Though playing nice was defiantly out of the picture now.
He still liked to hope… Little Johnny made it on the last frigate out as their home fleet collapsed. A final hope; Johnny would warn the people and rally them to fight…
When they hear about this Freddy they’ll be here! Every frigate from the fringe and every cruiser from the center… I’ll not let them get away with this!
Well, that was weeks ago to and the reinforcement were yet to materialize… It mattered not; the people were ready and they would go till the last…
/The Present/
In some manner it felt insulting, so much progress made and all lost in only a matter of days… He couldn’t even deny his embarrassment; tasked with the last conquest of the war and here he was messing it up.
He exhaled, somehow syncing up his breath to the fire mission of artillery… It was not the preferred option. Definitely the safest and for the moment the only thing he could get away with. The collapse of the occupying force had put a massive dent in the troops’ moral. The idea of even daring to send them forth was out of the question least until they recovered and that was been optimistic.
Making the request was needed though highly degrading but they were desperate for fresh troops, something to pep the ones he had (least take the pressure off)… The C.A.B. was all shaking heads, deeps sighs and groans.
A simple operation General; how is it all going so wrong?
He had no good explanation, nothing but seemingly endless, firmly put apologies: Sorry comrades, it would appear the locals were not as compliant as we first suspected…
He was luckily granted good graces, the C.A.B. was willing to spare the reinforcements while allowing him to keep command (something he was sure he was about to lose) but he was clearly on thin ice, the thinnest of ice.
Now he was just having to wait, wait for the fresh troops to make land fall and then he push forward, hopefully against weary defenders. The bombardment would hopefully soften them up, but he was not about to go playing naïve this time.
He lifted up his field glass as he looked over the open ground and at the tall concrete tower blocks. He was quickly coming to the realization why they were designed as they were.
These weren’t just quickly ramshackle accommodation; it was purpose built, homes that could turn to embattlements in the flip of a hat. Shells were blasting off the exterior only putting in the most surface damage.
This is going to be a long battle, Ovex thought as he finally put his glass back into its pouch as he twisted back and walked to his command post.
A few of his officer hung about a map table; plotting out and considering plans and hypotheticals, some of them more optimistic in comparison to others in what they thought they might be able to get away with.
An armored charge with infantry support… There was already smoldering wrecks in the open ground from the first attempt just after they lost the place.
The Lepus had AT guns hidden amongst the buildings and recoilless guns on the roof tops. Getting back into the city now was about to be one hurdle; how they were even going to fight within its confines was going to be something else.
Ovex just shook his head as he wondered past them and made his way to his personal office, placing his cap on the stand as he just threw himself on his chair.
For the minute he just wanted to rest, put away the thought for just a moment and then come back to them slightly refreshed; he checked some letters strewed across his desk; reinforcement arriving soon… He’d likely have to head back to the landing zone.
“Ma’am, we’ve a report from Observer Alpha.”
Always reports, always something
“They picked up radar readings at 13:00 to 15:00; just beyond Retin, no visuals or IR, though they did get readings on the ELINT”…
The officer looked back up from his report; to be expected Adm. Verna was still completely enthralled with the paper about her desk; the incredible amount of pressure was near physically manifested. Her posture was low and even the usually tall standing vulpine ears were swept low and had been like that so long one might have presumed it was their natural state of being.
“Ma’am Observer Alpha - ”
“I know!” she finally called out, irate, slamming her pencil down on the table as she got up and snatched the documents from the officers. He was still blank faced; either well trained military composure or one of an attitude far beyond caring. He just gave her a salute and proceeded to make a speedy exit.
Verna came back to her table slicking back her ears and the fur atop of her head… It’s just one thing after the other, isn’t it? Her aggressive expression faltering as she looked about the mess of papers; Alpha, Bravo, Charlie! They were all coming in with some reports of radar signals… Maybe that was her own fault, she had ordered if anything came up it was to be sent to her and now it seemed everything was coming to her… Was that part of her order?
She was losing track of her own orders… This should have been simple… No… This shouldn’t have even happened, why the hell were they messing about. The war could have been over, but no, here they were playing the knife edge to see if they could get one last participation prize.
How could she have so much bad luck in one go; but the fact of the matter was simple, she wasn’t getting out of this and she needed to get a handle on it. The reports didn’t lie, something was brewing and she’d have to be ready for it.
“We’ve got nothing, we’ve really got nothing”
Oh just shut – up, I don’t need this negativity.
“Maybe we should have suspected it… Who wants to fight now” the grey rabbit just bemoaned as he kicked at grit while leaning by the water fountain.
Everyone was just going about business as usual; as far as most of the folks here were concerned the war was over, what was there to care about.
“Come on man! We can’t just hang about here; there’s people back home fighting and dying, we’ve got to do something”
The grey rabbit just shook his head, “well what would you have us do Johnny? We talked with the local Tarkhan and he’s got no troops; all the militia have hung up their helmets and all the local Captains have taken back their ships”
Really that was the point, there was no one army to call on, just people here and there and trying to rally them all was something of great difficulty.
Even their ship’s captain was going on about taking his ‘baby’ home and going on his way; it’s just one colony, I don’t see the point in throwing my life away for it.
They won him back over… Money did play a part, but that was not something they’d get away with beyond one or at a push two ships… Hell if money was not the issue they would have just paid for mercenaries.
“There’s a monument in the city Centre ain’t there?” Johnny asked as the grey rabbit finally stopped kicking at grits.
“Yeah… Why?”
“I’ve one last plan, am not sure if it’s going to work but it’s the last thing I’ve got” …