With coffee in hand, you stared down your second-oldest foe. Not paperwork, not your fellow officers, not even an uncooperative truck. No. This was worse.
This was your bunker's kitchen.
If you were a smart woman, you wouldn't be awake at 0300, an hour before you took on a night shift, because you wanted a chicken sandwich with tomato on it. However, nobody accused you of being a smart woman, and the base's stockpiles ticked over at midnight when the G-sup consumption activated. Ergo, you could steal a bread, some sliced chicken breast, and a few precious tomatoes to make a sandwich with… if you could find a flat spot to do the work on. It took shoving three pans into the sink and another two into the oven, but you finally had room to make your sandwich and get more coffee.
If there was one good thing about this game, you could drink as much wine and coffee as you wanted with no risk of ulcers. Hah.
Either way, four in the morning rolled around with its usual finality, and you took up your watch station, punching the old papers. You were shifting a lot of workers around, so you needed to track it as spare man-hours and B-mats flowed around the temporary hole that was the loss of the 9e's work in keeping everyone supplied.
Fundamentally, you weren't willing to throw kids into the meat grinder, and that's what you had in the troops of the 115e Uhlans. They were under-equiped, under-trained, and under-prepared in general. With Silica out beating the bushes for trainers, your next step was to get them upgraded in terms of regimental fit. As far as you were concerned, that meant armor and mechanization. Unfortunately, with the APC hogs that were the 62e and 64e, there wasn't too terribly much of those to go around- but you were smart enough to know how to find a way.
Instead of trying to cram everyone into Niskas and Mulloys, you instead worked on a principle of 'company hardening', breaking the regiment up into action groups built around a tank platoon of three 'donated' Devitts and a pair of Niska Blinders- a 68mm gun crammed into the back of a half-track. Fragile, yes, but with the proliferation of Colonial armor a necessity. Everyone else possible would be crammed into armored cars. While it wasn't an amazing decision as far as weapons load went, most partisans were- statistically- a pair of LUVs armed with light anti-material weapons and a loot truck. Ergo, armored cars could probably beat most of it back.
Meanwhile, you also had to get the 163e into shape. Their level of equipment was pathetic, and frankly speaking you knew you were going to be marching into heavily-defended concrete soon. Modernizing their loadout was critical. The first step, cleaning out your old backlogs of equipment, didn't help much. Old 250mm field mortars and a pile of lost 40mm guns wasn't going to get the job done, nor the passel of mortars gifted over from the 62 and 64e regiments.
The solution was a comprehensive overhaul. Beating loose a series of Niskas managed to get the towed guns of the regiment mobile, and then adding in two batteries of captured Colonial 120mm field guns got their firepower up to almost-spec. However, on-call fires were a necessity, and the threat of armor was constant. Ergo, they needed a battery of dedicated anti-tank towed 68mm guns, and then for funsies on top of it a battery of Wasp's Nests that Asuna had kicked in on a lark.
By the time you were done fucking around with their org chart, every squad had a towed gun, two trucks, and a tripod-mounted machine gun. Would they be fast once they made contact with an enemy formation? Fuck no. Would they have enough firepower to decimate it? Yes.
That filled up one night in the coming weeks before the invasion. Only thirteen more to go.
///
As much as you tried to work on developing your Brigade Doctrine, life got in the way. The 115e couldn't get any trainers from out-of-house, so you managed to badger Kazoo and the 62e into teaching them the basics. Which helped a lot, considering that oh by the way they were trying to screen your frontier and getting their shit kicked in for it. Whoever was in command of the Deadlands hex was smart, and a hell of a lot more proactive than Overwatch/Kingmaker: you had armored raiders streaming across the border in platoon batches on the regular, generally backed up by a tank of some flavor or a squadron of armored cars.
Either way? Railroad building was once again out of the question. Frustrating, but not unexpected. This pocket was wearing on you, though, time spent inside it gnawing at the bones of your logistics and time outside it sawing on the bonds you had with your regimental commanders. Viper's Pit and Kirknell was still a critical logistics and command node that needed your constant attention, while your personal presence in Sanctum was key for keeping the greener members of your brigade fully operational. You needed something to keep yourself busy, so you started a study of brigade logistics.
The results were nothing to cheer about. If it wasn't for the fact all of your regiments practiced basic self-sufficiency and troop rotations, your logistical spine would have shattered a literal year ago. Major items, like shirts, G-sups, and ammunition were delivered through the 9e's pipeline, but the rest of a regiment's kit? Small arms, medical supplies, and even light explosives were all picked up out of public supplies. Now fortunately, your units were consummate scavengers so actual base-side shortages were basically non-existant, but this didn't excuse the fact you were out of control of a massive part of your supply chain.
Theresa's memo, though, when you wrote her about it?
Quit bitching and get me more help then. You saw the point she was making, though. The 9e was a great unit and provided tons of power to the front end of your operation, but you needed a denser supply line. Another Sustainment unit would be a critical acquisition. Unfortunately, however, you didn't have time: Silica had failed her talks to recruit assistance, and was instead trying to pick up scratch trainers so that you at least had a core competency group in your command staff to throw at problems.
At the very least, however, you could cue all your officers into the problem. Strong-arming everyone to have minimum production to maintain needs took some work for non-essentials, but your authority as the brigade commander carried the day; that and some promises to get more sustainment units.
As much as you wanted to say the problem was definitively solved, though, the fact of the matter was that since you'd found this one problem you started digging for more. If backline logistics was this scuffed, how was frontline logistics? The answer, as usual, was depressing. Interviews and log-checks revealed that the usual way to transfer supplies up the line from a jump-off point was 'a truck at a time' to a bare-bones forward respawn base that was practically defenseless. Frequently, supplies would be un-escorted, and trucks at the front would be used as disposable assets to run field engineering supplies like sandbags and barbed wire forward, before being unloaded and abandoned. This was wasteful; worse, it slowed the entire system down!
It took a lot of yelling, and more than a few threats of dire harm, but that issue was fixed once you got your hands on a chalkboard for the glue-eaters in the back. Truck goes up, truck drops off supplies, truck loads dead bodies, truck goes back. By doing this, you could get the corpse recovery bonus on shirt spend chances, and also reduce respawn timers. This was a common sense mechanic interaction: how had your people missed it?
Oh right. Your frontline leaders were a pair of homicidal Ukrainians, a Japanese schoolgirl turned samurai, Tepes the Tepid, a literal teenager, and you yourself had probably turned eighteen at some point here and hadn't actually finished high school yet. Intellectual powerhouses, you definitely were not. Well, even an idiot could cut the Gordian Knot, and you had a sword and the thews to do it.
///
It was a week from the start of the operation that you got a message from Cauthon. He wanted to hold a command staff meeting at Argo's intelligence center in Reaching Trail, and you happily accepted. It wasn't hard to get your dress blues out, and soon enough you were all dolled up and rolling out. The 62e had donated you an honor guard for the event, six gigantic fellows with bayonet-locked Bookers marching in perfect formation as you moved in to Argo's city-like base. As usual, her helpers scurried about like children possessed- the sight of the honor guard doing more than a little work to make you untouchable. When you reached the meeting room, though, they met their opposite number with Cauthon's own guards.
The difference was striking- where the 62e had prioritized sending melee fighters with the ability to sling lead, the entirety of Cauthon's honor guard were scrappy fellows, gender indeterminate under Heavy Armor uniforms and gas masks. Looking over them, you had to suppress a snort- each one had an animal patch on the scant bit of coat you could see from under the ancient breastplates, and the literary reference was instantly clear. Knowledge was the bane of fear, and it was hard to be afraid of six Fiddlers when you realized they were doing their best ANBU impersonation with what little supplies they had.
"
Грайте добре," you said, looking your boys over before walking in.
Sitting at the command table, Cauthon stared down at the hex map of Deadlands, frowning. "Orr," he muttered, running a hand through blond hair. "Good to see you. I've got an updated map here."
You nodded, moving up to inspect it. "New forts, I see."
"I got some scouts in and intelligence center fires off. This is looking difficult."
You shook your head. "I sent my Commandos in to recon the area yesterday. Nothing back from them, though, and they haven't missed a call-in yet so I'm not hideously worried."
"You should be," Cauthon grunted. "My team barely got past the rapid decay zone. They're patrolling aggressively, and the river's covered by actively manned guns. We nearly lost a scout team."
"If they miss a call-in, I'll send in the 62e for recovery," you said, shaking your head. "That said, I made sure they were going in with a window that we could recover them if they all died in action during the actual invasion. It's not a pleasant contingency, but it's built in."
"Then enough about our lunatics. We've got details to plan.
From there, things went quickly. Your primary concern was route planning, since there were two major 'attack corridors' you could take in to Deadlands.
Route one, alias North Approach, would have you punch through the border on the main road, before slamming into Fort Juliet. From there, you would need to engage the enemy in a running battle down to Fort Oscar, before breaking the bridge there and continuing on into a headlong artillery fight with Fort Kilo and then Fort Golf. While it would be a sit-down hell-slog through that double trouble pairing, once it was cracked you'd have direct connection to Cauthon once he rolled Fort Bravo, and could link up supply chains there. Considering the fact that he had a rail spur to help and you didn't? That was a major operational consideration, even if you'd have spent most of your supplies to get access to it.
Route two, alias South Approach, was a slightly riskier plan. With Spitrocks essentially neutralized, you could leave Marban's to the south. By dipping down into Drowned Vale, you could assault the lightly-defended Loggerhead as a feint, blow the bridge over the Fleetsfall River (coincidentally trapping any naval assets in Marban) and then hook right to enter along the south road to Sunhaven. Once in Deadlands proper, you'd engage Fort Oscar, break the bridge over the river, and then run the south road as fast as possible while using suppressive artillery fires to lock down Fort India while crossing the river to take Fort Lima. The route was a hell of a lot longer, but in exchange it offered a lot more control over your pace of engagement. Since Cauthon had already decided he was engaging the position at Fort Golf, that wasn't a major risk to you provided he blew through Fort Bravo as fast as you transited Loggerhead.
Neither plan was perfect, and both stressed your logistics apparatus to the limit. You didn't have a rail spur or player ports to lean on; strangling the amount of metal you could bring to the fight. There was risk, so much risk inherent in all this, you hated it. As much as you said your brigade was built for knock-down drag-out fights, you knew the truth of the matter. In a knock-down drag-out fight, you'd either win fast or die faster. Zairman only had a 25% reserve in terms of tank hulls, and 40% in AFVs. Asuna had a 50% over expectations shell reserve for her guns, but only a 15% reserve in terms of spare artillery pieces. Kazoo had a 100% reserve in Niskas, but only a 45% reserve in weapons for them along with an eclectic and hard-to-supply stockpile of carriage weapons. The 115e and Hesperus had literally no reserves, and neither did the 163e and Tepes.
It would be a question if your pride bent before your brigade- and your soldiers were too precious to risk.
"Cauthon," you said, frowning. "Setting up the Marban's spur has been a bitch and a half. I don't want to push you, but can I get some more time?"
Your fellow general winced. "Bit of a choice between the Devil and the deep blue sea there, Orr. I was going to get into this information later, but its directly relevant to why I'm hesitant to just push things back."
"Well, if it's important, then let's get Argo in here," you said, before moving over to the telephone. Soon enough, the Rat herself was present, as well as an eight-track player that Cauthon requested. Opening up his briefcase, the oldest man in the room pulled out the antique recording media and loaded it in.
"For the last several months, I've been having my commando units practice signals analysis," he explained, before starting to play the tape. "What you're hearing now is us hitting the motherlode a few weeks ago."
"This is Jurisprudence-6 to Racketeer-3, come in Racketeer-3."
"Racketeer-3 to Jurisprudence-6, this unit remains online."
"Excellent. This unit proposes an alliance against enemy forces from Red Hand Prime in the Faranac Coast."
"Negative, Jurisprudence-6. This Racketeer unit has been directed by Reconnaissance/Taskmaster to construct an armor regiment for the purposes of joining the Oleander Light Guard."
"Reconnaissance/Taskmaster is an outdated amalgamation unit, and the Oleander Light Guard is a disaster of a formation lead by the disappointment that is the first amalgamation, Overwatch/Kingmaker. You are not required to direct your efforts to their suggestions."
"Nevertheless. Reconnaissance/Taskmaster has not caused this Racketeer unit any losses of note in combat. Risks have been taken safely. No Jurisprudence unit can claim that."
"This Jurisprudence unit will guarantee the selection of agreeable technologies and production of improved technologies and fortifications in exchange for cooperation in a limited invasion-"
"Negative is negative Jurisprudence-6. Once the Archenemy is removed from the Weathering Halls sector, the Oleander Light Guard will take position around the Keystone Unit."
"The keystone unit is a myth."
"The Keystone Unit does not need to not be a myth to be a target of the Wardens. It has been a constant imperative from Maro to maintain guard on Sunhaven, and the Oleander Light Guard follows orders from Maro- unlike other field commanders."
"The one known as Maro is a fool."
"The one known as Maro is the only one who knows where and why the Interloping Enemy is here. Overwatch/Kingmaker is the only one to have fought the Ophanim and survived. The rest were crushed."
"Your belief in the angels is a useless dictum."
"Deny it if you like. Titles are descriptives, much like our own. This Racketeer wishes you luck, and advice. Do not try to flee by water; the Interloping Enemy loves it greatly."
"Advice accepted. Jurisprudence-6, out."
You sat and stared at the eight-track. "What the condensed fuck."
Argo snorted. "I can draw some important immediate conclusions from this."
You barely heard her: that was the same voice Overwatch/Kingmaker had used, and not the false babbling you heard in the overworld. No, this is when you had met them shortly after meeting Sundowner. What the fuck.
"Conclusion one: Theories on the Goblins using an officer system to direct much less complicated foot soldiers have been solidified with this information. Conclusion two: Large group formation like the Oleander Light Guard is completely voluntary. Conclusion three: the enemy have a high command structure somehow less effective than you two," Argo said, smirking at you and Cauthon. "Conclusion four: We have confirmation from the enemy side they know we're going to target Deadlands for reasons outside the game logic. Conclusion five: that Deadlands will be reinforced, presumably soon."
"We have additional signals intercepts that next fortnight that the Oleander Light Guard will be entering Deadlands proper as a rapid reaction force, stationed in the Sun's Hollow and the Salt Farms," Cauthon explained. "We either go now, or we have to fight knowing that there's going to be the one Colonial smart enough to stop you dead there."
"Fuck," you hissed. "Where are they now?"
"Rest and resupply in Therizo, theoretically. That's what it looked like according to the Navy, when they pulled out."
"Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. God damnit!"
Cauthon shook his head. "Orr. Calm down. You're panicking."
"No, I'm frustrated," you snapped back, standing up to pace back and forth. "That fucker attacked my house, he undid my gains, and now he's going to steal my chance to go home? How dare he!"
"He dares," Argo said flatly, "because I actually rounded up everyone with a shred of dev experience in FullDive tech. I've got forty noncombatants ready to go on your orders, you two, so you better have game faces on. I think we stand a reasonable chance at getting out of here with this one, if Hooker can follow through on his boasting."
"Hooker? You brought that incompetent fuckwit in?"
Argo's glare could strip paint. "Orr, he was a senior dev, maybe even a department head in Argus. Back when I played SAO, his main account- Hearthcliff? Something like that?- was one of the only ones that actually could get a party through the bonus dungeons to pick up unique skills. The man fucking breathes FullDive, and we need that. There's only one shot at this."
"Fine. Fine. I suppose I'm taking him, since Kirito knows the guy?"
"Only if you're not going to shoot him, Orr."
"Relax. The nerds are gonna be in a truck, protected by the Commandos. They'll handle it."
"Alright," Cauthon muttered. "Now, time to plan the lines of advance."
"Let's."
////
VOTES (Make it a plan vote too for this one)
Attack Path Planning
[] (PATH) Path North: Through Fort Juliet, Kiko, Golf, and India
[] (PATH) Path South: Through Spitrocks (abandoned), Loggerhead, Fort Oscar, Lima, and India
Your logistics are stretched to the breaking point, but if you launch your attack in two waves, it might not crash your system. Each attacking echelon will roll a standard combat engagement. Units may be used in both attacks, at a -2 penalty for exhaustion in the second wave.
Echelon Attack Planning
[] (ECHELON ATTACK) Write-in units in attack echelons.
-[] (ECHELON ATTACK) First Echelon units
-[] (ECHELON ATTACK) Second Echelon units
[] (ECHELON ATTACK) No, we're not doing this fancy shit. One blob, full speed, no brakes.
OR
[] (DELAY) We can't attack right now. Even if it means fighting the old foe, we need more prep time. (Choose a standard plan from options below)
1st Brigade, Folkvangr, Staff Company (Noncombat)
-[] [Folkvangr] Support another regiment (Grants 1x bonus action)
--[] [Folkvangr] Write-in regiment & Topic
-[] [Folkvangr] Organize rolling rest and refit periods for the Brigade
-[] [Folkvangr] Engage in diplomacy with another Brigade
--[] Write-in Brigade & Topic
-[] [Folkvangr] Collect and Analyze Data
--[] Write-in Topic
-[] Work on developing Brigade Doctrine (5/25)
-[] [Folkvangr] Attempt to recruit another regiment into the Brigade.
-[] [Folkvangr] Begin planning a combat operation
--[] Continue planning Deadlands assault
--[] Write in operational details.
15e Regiment, High King's Valkyries, Flying Artillery (Orange/3)
-[] [15e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [15e] Engage in offensive operations…
--[] …in Marban
--[] …in Foxcatcher
--[] …in Deadlands
--[] …elsewhere (write-in)
-[] [15e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [15e] Fortify an area
--[] Write in an existent fort or location to take and hold.
-[] [15e] Begin planning a combat operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [15e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)
9e Regiment, Balfour Bitches, Sustainment (Green/4)
-[] [9e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [9e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [9e] Begin planning an operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [9e] Procure supplies for regimental adjustment
--[] Write-in regiment and supplies to procure
-[] [9e] Procure additional vehicles for regiments and staff
-[] [9e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)
62e Regiment, The Weathered Line, Grenadiers (Orange/4)
-[] [62e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [62e] Engage in offensive operations…
--[] …in Marban
--[] …in Foxcatcher
--[] …in Deadlands
--[] …elsewhere (write-in)
-[] [62e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [62e] Fortify an area
--[] Write in an existent fort or location to take and hold.
-[] [62e] Begin planning a combat operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [62e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)
64e Regiment, Golden Mail, Armored Cavalry (Orange/4)
-[] [64e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [64e] Engage in offensive operations…
--[] …in Marban
--[] …in Foxcatcher
--[] …in Deadlands
--[] …elsewhere (write-in)
-[] [64e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [64e] Fortify an area
--[] Write in an existent fort or location to take and hold.
-[] [64e] Begin planning a combat operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [64e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)
115e Regiment, Uhlans (Yellow/3)
-[] [115e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [115e] Engage in offensive operations…
--[] …in Marban
--[] …in Foxcatcher
--[] …in Deadlands
--[] …elsewhere (write-in)
-[] [115e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [115e] Fortify an area
--[] Write in an existent fort or location to take and hold.
-[] [115e] Begin planning a combat operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [11e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)
163e Regiment, Motor Rifles (Orange/3)
-[] [163e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [163e] Engage in offensive operations…
--[] …in Marban
--[] …in Foxcatcher
--[] …in Deadlands
--[] …elsewhere (write-in)
-[] [163e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [163e] Fortify an area
--[] Write in an existent fort or location to take and hold.
-[] [163e] Begin planning a combat operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [163e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)
241e Regiment, Research (Green/4)
-[] [241e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [241e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [241e] Begin planning an operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [241e] Procure supplies for regimental adjustment
--[] Write-in regiment and supplies to procure
-[] [241e] Develop specific prototype equipment for the Brigade
-[] [241e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)
142e Regiment, East Trains, Locomotive (Green/5)
-[] [142e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [142e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [142e] Begin planning an operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [142e] Procure supplies for regimental adjustment
--[] Write-in regiment and supplies to procure
-[] [142e] Perform supplies transshipment to focus on one front
--[] Write-in receiving unit/stockpile town
-[] [142e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)
26e Regiment, Commando (Red/2)
-[] [26e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [26e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [26e] Begin planning an operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [26e] Search for Relic Bases and Caches
-[] [26e] Perform Operational Reconnaissance
72e Regiment, Golden Eyes, Signals (Green/1)
-[] [72e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [72e] Conduct training operations
-[] [72e] Begin planning an operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [72e] Establish a communication link to another Regiment or Brigade
--[] Write-in target
-[] [72e] Operate Intelligence Center(s)
-[] [72e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)
41e Regiment, Engineering (Green/3)
-[] [41e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [41e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [41e] Begin planning an operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [41e] Build infrastructure improvements
--[] Where? (Write-in)
-[] [41e] Build additional fortifications
--[] Where? (Write-in)
-[] [41e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)
