As the days went by, you got to work with a vengeance. Everyone had to put work in getting the new people you found some suitable shelter, which meant digging barracks bunkers and building an Outpost on base property. The new buildings kept everyone warm and dry, thankfully, as reports came in that, apparently, this game had an actual functioning calender. This calender, naturally, controlled seasonal weather; from precipitation to temperature to wind and sea state or sea ice.
Normally this wouldn't cause you to panic.
"So, I think it's time we panic," Asuna said calmly over breakfast one morning, staring at an almanac.
"Why are we panicking?" you asked, drinking your coffee and nibbling on a biscuit.
"Because, according to our calenders, we just passed the fall equinox."
You took another bite of your biscuit. "Okay, I've been running myself ragged keeping the building teams working. Small words, please, Asuna."
"Winter is coming."
"That series isn't finished yet, Asuna."
Rolling her eyes, the brunette grabbed a biscuit off the communal plate. "I am serious. We're half a year in according to the calenders, and we started in the spring campaign season."
"Okay, so the fall campaign season is coming upon us, what's so bad about that?"
"You remember that big dust-up when they jumped the border of Clanshead? Back when I was still with the Eleventh?"
"Yeah."
"That was the last winter snowstorm."
Your face came down with dawning horror. "Knowing our luck, we'll get a screamer of a snowstorm then, the day it can possibly spawn."
As Silica came into the bunker core from the trench connecting to the latest barracks, she looked at you, before shivering. "Uh, Colonel Orr?"
"Yes?"
"It's snowing, and I'm getting cold. Through my uniform."
"Get the winter uniform out, then," you advised, before frowning. "This is gonna make everything more complicated, ain't it."
"Yep."
///
Sure enough, it made everything more complicated. Apparently, Hooker was in fact chomping at the bit, raring to go, Bastard's Block had Fallen- and then, the entire damn Navy got frozen into Quietus by a series of ice flows coming out of the west, clogging up the sea. An Ironship could punch holes through it, slowly, but the Navy's prize gunships were locked in hard. Without the naval landing element, Hooker wasn't willing to risk kicking everything off.
That suited you just fine, as you accepted piles on piles of Components from everyone, threw it in your cement mixer, and trucked the Concrete out to the GWRR people. Those lunatics were making amazing time, with the current 'end of the line' down about even with The Pike's town hall in terms of latitude. According to the GWRR foreman, the job was about half done. The King's switching yard had been handled without any issue, but down in Weathered Advance they'd need to build a switching yard and bunker base. This was a bit of a complicated ask, since road crossings were a bit finicky, so they weren't quite sure how to lay the railhead out at the border fort. While you weren't on the hoc with keeping it all supplied, the GWRR was basing out of your vehicle parking lots because of the amount of gas and trucks they needed to keep this project going. Currently they were going through something like four hundred liters of diesel an hour, between CV time, flatbeds, cranes, and campfires.
As expensive as this all was, though, it was already reaping benefits. The 74e Infantry had started building a base on the central spur, a massive bunker complex that was planned to hold four Storm Cannons, an armored vehicle park, and enough defensive works to lock down the center of the southern half of the hex. Unfortuantely, they couldn't really kick in comps for the rest of the railroad, but that was life. They were letting the GWRR base out of some of their facilities, though, so it was all good.
///
Once the extra work shifts finally got everyone sorted out, you decided it was time to abscond more people into the regimental leadership. Considering how your core membership had been thinned, it would be best to pull from the new recruits: someone competent, and hopefully with a good head on her shoulders.
The 'her' was deliberate, there. A lot of your good reputation came from your Amazonian leadership- even if you didn't see it yourself- and having the 9e Sustainment in your pocket from it meant it would be a useful image to cultivate. Just having a designated ammunition supplier had been important for keeping your fat out of the fire, and if you could use the reputation to draw more soldiers to your banner- well.
As much as you were Colonel Orr, there was pressure now to be General Orr too. Hooker's rank incompetence and foolhardy urge to blitz through everything was going to get people killed, and you had a successful track record now. Sure, it was one race long, but that was just as long as Hooker's own record- and the game had rewarded you for it with the new rank. It was a terrifying thought, that you'd done better than him somehow, and you tried not to think it as hard as you could every day.
Because fundamentally? Hooker was good at getting shit moving. The way he seemed to pull supplies out of his ass was nothing short of magical, and his ability to weld together nearly a dozen disparate regiments across at least one- possibly two- language barriers had to be given the respect it was due. What did you have, next to that? A mad dog of a Ukranian who you may or may not be infatuated with, a bunch of girls who you stole guns from and got called your bitches as a result because they stuck to you- and oh, wasn't that a horrible thought, that they'd traded one abuser for another in being under you- and a surly QRF force led by the woman you'd forced out and into semi-retirement.
Still, you couldn't just depression spiral like that. Slapping your cheeks a few times, you shook your head and grabbed the ushanka sitting on your bunk. You had to go swear in that new officer, which meant crossing the freezing cold of the bunker base. The wind hissed, batting at your hair and raking down your chest through a missed button- fixing it didn't stop the chills that pulsed through your bones from it all.
In the mess, a group of the new recruits was standing there, looking nervous as all hell as they tried to pretty one of their number up.
"Calico Sionnach," you said formally at the young woman, "please step forward."
Stepping out of the group, Calico looked at you carefully. You'd taken notice of her for her work keeping everyone from grouping up and mucking up the blueprints on the job site, but under her helmet was a face closer to your sixteen than anything you'd call 'officer'. Hopefully, she'd grow into the role without a hideous amount of work. As it was, though, Asuna handling most of the administration and Mihey handling most of the combat leadership meant that she had some time to get into it.
"Calico, I'm here for your promotion to lieutenant in the Fifteenème- Fifteenth," you forcibly self-corrected "Flying Artillery Regiment. Your duties would include leadership, bravery under fire, and management to ensure the goals of the regiment are completed in a timely manner. Do you think you can do this?"
"Aye, ma'am."
Nodding, you pinned on the rank tabs, their nature fuzing to her overcoat with a light, pixelated flash. "Very good then. Talk with Lieutenant Asuna so she can get you up to speed with admin-side, and make sure you have your sergeant picked out so we can get them up to speed too."
"Landry, I, can you help?" Calico asked another of the girls, who gave a nod back.
"Of course."
You nodded, before palming a set of sergeant's stripes and tossing them at Landry as she walked forward. "Welcome to being a sergeant, then. Get used to helping ride herd on Calico, because she's probably going to get swamped fairly quickly. Lord knows I did," you blasphemed lightly. "Come on. We've got much to discuss, and not much time to do it in."
It was a few minutes later that you were holed up in the Communications Bunker with Asuna, Silica, Mihey, and your two newest staff members. As Asuna tossed Calico and Landry piles of papers, you just wrapped your hands around another cup of coffee. "So, what's our preparedness status?" you asked Asuna, who's hand started inching towards her own cup of coffee.
"I didn't bother to ask before putting the calls out to the 62 Infantry, and the Balfour girls," Asuna said, taking a deep drink of her coffee, "and they're both in. Other than that, we've got an offer out from the 74th infantry that I'm interested in taking, and another offer from the 184th Motor Rifles. Plus there's the usual recruiting calls we can put around Moors and Callahan's Passage; nobody's really tapped them for loose regiments yet."
"Also, you've got a telegram from Takamachi with the Techmaids, and Asuna's got maaaail~" Silica lilted, grinning. "It's from that person in the Comm-"
Slapping her hand across Silica's mouth, Asuna looked panicked for a half-second, before composing herself. "Ah, I see Kirito finally remembered I changed regiments."
"Oh?" you asked, smirking. "We'll worry about telegrams later. Right now, though, let's focus on our present concerns, like housing."
"We've got the barracks bunker done, but I was wondering if we could add in an Outpost near the motor pool," Calico said, tapping her foot lightly. "It'd be useful as a warming station, and it's a cheap way to get beds."
"If it wasn't for the B-sups supply issue, I'd agree with you," Asuna replied, putting her chin in her hands. "If we don't expect to use the kitchen, though, it should be fine."
"Alright. Landry, can you get that in the schedule?" Calico asked her subordinate, who nodded.
"Yeah, we can get that done."
"Good," you said. "I'll trust you two to finish up the building, but expect to end up working more on personnel projects: training and general direction, not full-up construction."
"Right!" Calico said, grinning. Yawning, Asuna started slinking towards the door, before you shot her a look. She was holding her cup of coffee, and more importantly a pair of telegram envelopes.
"So now that it's later, those telegrams?" you asked, smirking. Flinging one of them to you, Asuna deliberately kept ahold of the other one, before drinking more of her coffee. As you slid it out of its envelope, you started reading it, before blanching.
That was- that was lewd! Propositional, even! How the hell did Takamachi manage to tell you there was a new function about the Engineering Center while making it sound like she wanted to pin you to a bed? However she'd done it, the admission was right there, in writing! 'Come alone', yeah, you knew what would happen if you did that!
"Asuna, please tell me you answered this and not Silica-" you said, before realizing Asuna was gone, with Silica looking at you oddly.
"Orr, I answer all the telegrams," she said, blinking. "Was something weird with that one?"
"If you don't know I'm not going to tell you."
"It was a sex thing, wasn't it?"
You sputtered, drawing Calico's attention. "What- well- maybe- listen, you're too young, I'm not going to explain it-"
"I'm twelve, I know how the birds and the bees work!" Silica objected, rather loudly. Noticing Calico looking over, though, she scooched closer to you. "Don't worry, though. If you're worried about going to the engineering center, I'll come with you. Nobody messed with me back in Moors."
"You lived in Moors? How the heck did Asuna recruit you, then?"
"Well, uh, over at the Moors base we had to go to the seaport ourselves, but the traffic there is screwy, so we had to go around our elbow to get to our ankle, and there was a whole thing, and anyway I live here now and I don't have to talk about Mister Kirito that way!"
Your eyebrows were so high on your head they were trying to share room with your hair under the ushanka. "Right. Second time I've heard of this fellow today."
"He's, uh, a nice guy! With the 26th Commandos! Nothing important!"
You stared at her carefully, before nodding. "Right. And if I tap the 26e Commandos for the operation, can they haul their weight?"
"They're scouts and sappers, so they don't have any real footprint. Barely a dozen people," Silica said, before seeing Landry come through the door. "Oh look hi Landry I gotta show you where we keep the spare gun oil and compressor shovels bye Orr!"
Stroking your chin, you muttered to yourself ominously. "Well. It seems I'll have to start getting in touch with people soon."
///
GWRR Request: Mine components to build a rail link between The King and the Weathered Expanse/Clanshead Valley Boarder: 27/40 completed.
BUNKER
(Choose One)
[] Expand your bunker base with additional infrastructure to sustain larger troop numbers.
[] Expand your bunker base with Defensive Patterns (Requires techniques, vote to begin development)
-[] With small patterns
-[] With medium patterns
-[] With heavy patterns
-[] With artillery firing positions
-[] With infantry fighting positions.
-[] With Modernist patterns
-[] With Utility Patterns
[] Begin developing Concrete (Write-in base to begin concrete development on)
[] Develop a new bunker base in a better location
-[] Write in hex and town/Relic, as well as distance to front line or intended purpose.
[] Get your builders to stop expanding the base for now.
[] Gift, Assign, or Abandon a bunker base.
-[] Write-in base by location.
PERSONNEL
(Choose One Two)
[] Go and recruit more personnel
-[] Mass recruitment: whatever you can get, get more of it! (Recruits 4d10+4 White personnel)
-[] Selective recruitment: Look for people who aren't clueless. The Logistics Union has a lot of folks. (Recruits 3d10+3 Green personnel)
-[] Picky recruitment: Get people who are at least as skilled as you are! (Recruits 2d10+2 Yellow personnel)
-[] Frontline recruitment: Go to the front and snag some blueberries! (Recruits 1d10+1 Orange personnel)
-[] Elite recruitment: Go find a group of lunatics, and shanghai them. (Recruits 1d10 Red personnel)
(You cannot recruit units of higher rating than yourself.)
[] Commit training!
-[] Vehicle training: Teach everyone drive good. Car goes on right hand side of road, revolutionary concept. Might as well also learn to drive a flatbed, or your Drummond if you're feeling nice.
-[] Rifle training: Everyone will spend time practicing the fine art of "bullet go plink"
-[] Administration Training: Basic delegation has been mastered, but the more officers you have the more the parts move. Therefore, figuring out how to grease the gears is important.
-[] Infantry Training: You've spent some time on the front, it sucks. Get better so it sucks less.
-[] Mobile Warfare Training: You know how to fight out of a truck bed. Now it's time to get good at that.
-[] Artillery Training: It is time to actually learn what the limitations of these guns are. It'll be expensive, but you need to know to keep mistakes from happening. (NCO count is back up, so this doesn't need to be drilled)
[] Extra work shifts
-[] More Scroop: Get everyone to do more rounds of scrooping at the scrap fields. You do your part, and more importantly, can use the B-mats to get useful stuff like more trucks or dedicated equipment.
-[] More Mines: Get everyone to do more rounds on the component mines and oil wells. Components mean R-mats, R-mats mean flatbeds, and more importantly: trains (Begins work on GWR Request)
-[] More Building: Put everyone to work on getting your bunker upgrades planned. If you don't have some planned, the bunker will get what the troops think it needs.
-[] More Logistics: Put everyone to work on hauling more truckloads of stuff from point A to point B. Whoever's manning the bunker base at the border to Weathered Expanse will be very happy to get more gear for the inevitable offensive.
-[] Frontline Support: Put your people in the trenches on secondary duties: terminal logistics, machine guns, fortification, and other 'mostly safe' jobs to stiffen them up.
[] Begin operational planning for Something Big
-[] Write-in Something Big. May generate Billets.
[] Begin Operation Planning (+1 to all rolls when the next operation starts)
UPGRADES
(Choose One Two!)
[] Go out and get yourself a lieutenant! (You may have one per twenty Regiment members, minimum one)
-[] Teach them the way of the builder, as much as you know how that works. (Adds one action to Bunker)
-[] Teach them the way of the talker, so you don't have to do that crap! (Adds one action to Personnel)
-[] Teach them the way of the organizer, so you have more time to put out more fires (Adds one action to Upgrades)
[] Find a, uh, techmaid, and get some prototype kits by hook or by crook.
-[] Cremani Mortar: a 60mm field mortar, man portable and heavy enough to throw out your back with. Theoretically there's a uniform to make this less ass...
-[] Aalto Storm Rifle: a 7.92mm semiautomatic and fully automatic assault rifle persecuer. It's accurate, shoots easily, but has the mild devil of a time to keep it ballanced.
-[] O'Brien V.112 Highlander: A tracked variant of armored cars, with the same double-7.92mm light machine guns. Slightly more armor, actual off-road mobility, but definitely not a tank.
-[] 74b-1 Ronan Gunship: A naval fire support platform, with a short-barrel 120mm howitzer and a pair of twin heavy machine guns in a turret.
[] Requisition Material
-[] Logistics Support: Flatbeds, Fuel, and other nicities.
-[] Artillery Systems: 40mm guns, and 'soft' upgrades.
-[] Base Support: More concrete, more faster.
[] Get in touch with another regiment that does something you need (Discovers and improves relations with one random regiment inside the search group)
-[] Logistics
-[] Production
-[] Frontline Combat
-[] QRF
-[] Water Logistics
-[] Techmaids
-[] Partisans
-[] War Bureau
-[] Great Warden Railroad (GWR)
[] Find a way to get your guys some quality of life upgrades so things suck less out here.
[] Go talk to someone specific/Meet a Specific Regiment
-[] Check in with the Balfour Girls- you're not calling them the Bitches, even if it does alliterate
-[] Call in Zairman, and get him ready for this next dance- and maybe see how he'd feel about working with you on a permanent basis.
-[] Whoever the hell Kirito is, with 26e Commandos
-[] See Takamachi about the "new functionality" of the Engineering Centers.
--[] Go alone- you know she'll be forward, but it can't be that bad.
--[] Take Silica- You'll want a driver to get to Great Warden Dam without falling asleep, and you don't trust Takamachi's lewdness.
-[] Write in named character or regiment number
