Because Tanya Degurechaff's life could never be simple and peaceful enough, now she has to content with a Sith Lord brought out of retirement by the war... At least he's supposed to be on the Empire's side, right? Then why is he so keen on trying to get her killed, again and again?!
The Devil's Disciple (Youjo Senki/Star Wars)
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TDD Chapter 1
AN: Yet another story, brought by a combination of a writter's block as far as my ongoing stories go and fascination with the Youjo Senki world. I hope you'll enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars movies, TV series, books, comics, or games. I don't own Youjo Senki/Tanya the Evil. They all belong to their respective creators and/or copyright owners. I make no money from this story. It's not for sale or rent.
Lighting thundered through sheets of heavy rain that did its damned best to drown the Rhine. Blasted wastelands, untouched fields, and trenches alike became pools and lakes where a grown man could easily drown in mud that had more in common with quicksand than anything else. For four days black skies unleashed their fury above the battlefield and did more to stop the Republic's advance than the stretched thin Imperial Army did in two weeks.
Whole divisions struggled with the cold and wet, trying not to drown in their trenches instead of fighting the enemy across the thin strip of no-man's land. Fighters, bombers, and even Air Mages alike were grounded by the fury of the unrelenting storm. Only someone insane would have dared to attack under those conditions and even then, radar operators hidden in bunkers behind the front stood silent vigil against any trace of enemy movement. Planes or air-mages, they would detect them and raise the alarm. As far as ground assault went – the hell-scape between the armies was impassible. The Republic did try to push on the first day of the storm, to disastrous results.
"It's not all bad." General Philip Anry said to his staff – all of them were wet and cold despite the best efforts of a hot stove, hotter coffee, and what little dry cigars they had left. "Our logistics will catch up to us and we'll be properly supplied to break the Hun once the ground dries up."
"If it dries up." A morose voice muttered. "It works both ways – the enemy can bring in reinforcements to stabilize the front."
"From where? Norden, Dacia? They're stretched thin and exhausted. It's only a matter of time..." The General trailed off. The sound of the downpour and lighting was just gone. "Well, it's about time to..." He paused again and looked at his staff. The ten people stuck with him in the field bunker were all unnaturally still.
"It's time to die, Monseneur General." Anry's head snapped towards the entrance when he heard someone did his best to butcher his language with their thick and hard Imperial accent.
He saw a flash of naked steel and felt something wickedly sharp and cold kiss his throat. Anry opened his mouth to scream a warning but the only thing that came out was a whisper followed by warm blood. He blinked in confusion only to see a man in the dark green field uniform of the Empire. The stranger had his gloved right hand outstretched and pointing at the General. Anry couldn't help it but wonder how out of place the enemy looked – there was no trace of mud or rain on his uniform. It was as if he had just come out from a parade one a sunny, dry day.
The Imperial's fingers clenched into a fist and something wrenched out of Philip's throat. The General blinked in confusion when he saw a bloody knife fly away sending crimson drops everywhere but at the enemy officer then their eyes met and the last thing Anry ever saw were two malevolent yellow orbs.
The knife ended up slamming into the left eye of the Intelligence officer, pierced his brain, and then as if possessing a mind of its own wrenched itself free in a shower of blood. It flew in an arch that nearly decapitated the General's XO before ending embedded to the hilt in the logistic's officer's throat. The remaining Republic officers could only helplessly watch the slaughter – all they could do was move their terrified eyes while the rest of their muscles refused to move.
The knife didn't care and simply continued its bloody work until only the Imperial officer was left alive in the bunker. Once its last victim expired, it tore itself free again and used the man's uniform to clean itself before eagerly flying in the waiting arm of its owner. Only then did the Imperial calmly walk to the table in the center of the bunker, looked over the maps unfolded on it and gathered them with a wave of his hand.
"One down, three more to go." Shadows rose to engulf him and a moment later the only occupants of the bunker were eleven corpses still frozen standing where they were butchered.
When dawn came and the storm abated, the Republican army awoke to find the HQ sections of four of their divisions butchered to a man. There was no trace of an intruder, besides impossible knife-work and corpses. The nearly drowned soldiers facing the enemy had noticed nothing during the night and the same was true for the magical detection stations meant to prevent precisely this kind of infiltration and butchery.
Early before dawn, the various Imperial Heavy Artillery corps all across the front received firing coordinates with suspected enemy artillery positions. During the next hour, screaming shells tore their way through pouring rain, lightning, and thunder to strike ammo dumps, artillery pieces, and their hunkering crews. When dawn came and the bombardment ceased, twenty percent of the Republican artillery park facing the Imperial Army in the Rhine were simply gone thus making future offensives that much harder.
The weather was positively horrendous, and as far as Tanya Degurechaff was concerned, this was the best thing that could happen given the circumstances. The storm was bad enough that everything which could fly was grounded for good and this happy state of affair lasted for a third day in a row. Save for the odd artillery exchange to remind the enemy that the good times couldn't possibly last for much longer, it was all quiet, and more importantly, safe.
A miracle of miracles, the 205th Aerial Mage Company found itself pulled some distance from the front, camping among a small cluster of hills, which offered comfortable high ground – an important luxury considering downpour's 'charming' side-effects. The brief cessation of hostilities imposed by the weather gave the Imperial Army in the Rhine invaluable time to regroup, recover, and strengthen their defense lines to face against the next onslaught. More importantly, it gave Tanya time to think and plot, so she could find a way to get out of this hell while she was still intact. The goal remained the same – avoid Command's sabotage and attempts to get her killed by gaining a nice, cozy, and most importantly, a safe position far behind the front. Something at the Imperial Army Strategic HQ in Berun or a post as a trainer for Aerial Mages perhaps. Anything really, as long as it didn't get her shot at basically every day.
Tanya stiffened when artillery silenced the storm's thunder, then relaxed a fraction when she noted it was friendly. She stood with a frown marring her face and went to the tent's entrance and looked in the early morning twilight. She could barely see the flashes from close-by batteries and if she was any judge of these things, this wasn't the usual light exchange of the past few days. More and more thunder echoed from both sides of the Company's camp, and there was no hint it would be ceasing anytime soon. Were the Francois crazy enough to attempt an assault, at night no less, in this weather?! Or even worse, did someone in Command have a "brilliant" idea that might get them all killed?
The only answer Tanya got before sunrise came from the artillery, which didn't cease their bombardment for what felt like hours. No orders came from command, no enemy attack materialized anywhere near Tanya's sector of the front, so she decided it was a good morning after all and went back to bed, to continue plotting.
Imperial Strategic HQ
Berun
Brigadier General Kurt von Rudersdorf took a deep pull of his cigar, enjoying the taste of hot smoke filling his lungs. Only then he returned his full attention to the map opened on his desk and his two colleagues.
"The situation isn't as bad as it could be." Lieutenant-Colonel Erich von Rerugen reported after tweaking a few of the figures on the map. "As expected, shifting our offensive units from the North is slower than originally anticipated. With the precaution we've taken, we expect to have them in place within a week, eight to nine days if the storm over the Rhine intervenes with deployment. Train and ship schedules are in place, and all available shipping has been redirected for the task at hand."
That was a charming understatement, really, especially compared to what it could have been. Rudersdorf inhaled some more soothing smoke, before taking his cigar and squashing it within a half-full ashtray. The original plan had been widely optimistic in hindsight, and even attaching certain contingencies just in case was like pulling teeth and took a lot of political capital. It was all worth it in the end, even if successful, in this case, came with both boons, like Kurt's new rank, along with many more responsibilities. Success earned Rudersdorf and all those who backed the contingencies, certain enemies, among those demoted, removed and their political allies – none of those were happy when their plan proved to be less successful than projected.
"Considering the weather, any major offensive operations on our part would be delayed by at least a week, perhaps more anyway." Hans von Zettour pointed out. "On the bright side, this storm ensures that our western industrial zones will remain safe no matter what." He grimaced.
Rudersdorf could guess what Zettour thought about. The General Staff failed in this regard, they couldn't convince the Kaizer and his government that the Republic was doing anything but demobilizing. As a consequence, they should have been staring at a disaster in the making, on that might have threatened the future of the Empire.
"Plan 315 is still feasible, yet it might create an opportunity." Zettour rubbed his chin while observing the map. "His proof of concept worked yesterday. We have unconfirmed reports of massive losses among the Republic artillery all across the front. What is confirmed that he did what he promised he could – four Francois Divisions lost their command staffs in a single night. It's the proof of concept we demanded. What are we going to do now?"
Rudersdorf looked sullenly at the map. "He was out headhunting tonight as well, wasn't he?"
"We received reports from his shadows that he vanished at sunset and came back shortly before sunrise bringing more 'gifts'," Rerugen confirmed. "The originals are on the way here, while local the local HQ has copies to study. His plan is in some regards even more audacious than 315…" The Lieutenant-Colonel grimaced, "or the contingencies he convinced us to support."
"He managed to convince the Kaizer that some prudence was called for, otherwise we would be trying to salvage yet another disaster," Rudersdorf admitted. "And we're watching the man like hawks for any possible excuse to remove him because of it."
"To be fair, we have no idea what he is. He is no Mage, yet he can give our best Military Magicians run for their money." Rerugen added. "Frankly, there are days I'm almost sure we've made deal with the Devil himself."
"Yet by all accounts, he's on our side. Hell, he's a patriot, no one doubts that." Zettour countered.
"You're biased, Hans." Kurt pointed out.
"Granted, his father was an old family friend…" Zettour shrugged. "However, he has never given even a single hint he has anything but the Empire's best interests in mind! Hell, he wanted to join the military and serve the Fatherland for as long as I've known him!"
"And that was one of the reasons why we backed his radical ideas." Kurt nodded. "Not to mention that those ideas tend to work."
"Yet, we're all too eager to offer him an opportunity to get himself killed so he would be safely out of the way." Zettour grimaced. "That's not the way to treat family, neither a decorated veteran!"
"We know for a fact that he influenced the Kaiser, perhaps at least a few members of the government, he might have influenced us as well in order to support his ideas and risk career suicide."
"The same ideas that prevented or at least mitigated 315 turning into a complete disaster." Rerugen reminded them.
"True enough." Rudersdorf agreed. "Nevertheless, we're about to turn the Rhine into hell on Earth, both for our soldiers and the enemy."
"That's fitting. After all, we already have the Devil himself playing out there." Zettour muttered.
"Lieutenant-Colonel Rerugen, Operation Headhunter is a go. Colonel Veiel is hereby brevetted to Brigadier-General and will take operational command over all Aerial Mage units in the Rhine's central region. When the Second Panzer Division arrives, it will also become part of Kampfgrupe Headhunter." Rudersdorf ordered.
205th Aerial Mage Company HQ
Rhine
For the third morning in a row, what sounded like the artillery on the whole front thundered, silencing the slowly breaking storm. Tanya still had no idea what all that racket was about, however on the bright side, there were no insane assaults ordered by either side that she knew of. Depressingly enough, orders that sometimes had a very tenuous link with reality happened much more often in the military in this world than back on his, hers, whatever Earth. Back in the day, most of the crazy stunts came from employees, like that bastard who pushed him in front of a speeding train after getting his just reward. Because really, what did he expect? That he could keep misusing company money, use sick leave when not sick, not to mention all the warning he got about not being productive enough! Anyone reasonable would have taken themselves in hand and gotten back to work with gusto! But no, that bastard had to keep being himself, and then blame everything on an honest salaryman! Then there was that other, much bigger bastard, Being X!
"I shouldn't get my hopes up," Tanya thought. She did her best, as usual, however, it wasn't quite enough, again as usual, though that was often because Being X's interventions to make her life hell!
Yet, she couldn't stop hoping for a better future! All the papers she wrote, all the suggestions she made, all the time she risked her life on the front to distinguish herself as someone who shouldn't be wasted in the trenches! Those things had to matter! She more than earned a cozy, safe job far away from the front!
Tanya marched into the tent where Company HQ made the decisions on how to best get her killed. Visha dutifully followed her, obviously concerned by the latest developments. Her second in command was a valuable human resource just like Tanya was, though naturally not as valuable, one she found incredibly useful since they met, even if the girl was prone to let her emotions get the better of her time and again… It was clear that Visha was concerned Command might throw them back into the meat-grinder for no good reason, though personally, Tanya had her doubts. As of late, the Imperial General Staff had been showing some unexpected sparks of common sense, which was one of the primary reasons the former salaryman found herself in high spirits. It was almost as if they read her papers, saw the light, and now might finally give Tanya her just reward!
On the other hand, some things remained depressingly the same! Even as the military became more conservative towards freely spending the lives of its soldiers as if the Empire's manpower pool was bottomless, the mission and orders remained absolute! Disobeying clearly suicidal orders was out of the question, leaving her to do or die… and if she didn't die, that meant Command might believe something even crazier, and more suicidal, might work if she was involved!
This was immensely frustrating and lately bringing out her worst traits! While in some regards those made her even better soldiers, especially in the eyes of Command, Tanya wasn't a dummy! If some disgruntled employee could murder her just because he got justly sacked, what about one of the soldiers she might vent upon! The last thing she wanted was to get shot in the back, stabbed with a bayonet or worse, by someone on her side!
Tanya saluted the guard detail in front of the command tent and marched in, thinking dark thoughts, with Visha scurrying on her heels. Then she immediately halted, nearly stumbling when she saw that the place was packed with chairs and officers – almost all of them Aerial Mages too. There was too much brass inside to account only for the 205th Company. She recognized some of them by face if not necessary name, after seeing them during briefings or fighting beside their units all over the Empire's borders.
"So much for that cozy safe posting," Tanya thought gloomily.
Despite the place being packed tighter than a ration can, there were distinct cliques gathered together and talking quietly. Those closest to the entrance paused with her appearance and stared at her with expressions of mixed feelings on their faces. Some who had seen her in combat before had their eyes light up and their spirits lifted, something that still made Tanya uncomfortable, even if she was aware such reactions were something she could use. Others had neutral expressions and evaluating gazes, caring not that she was stuck in the body of a prepubescent girl, for however long that was going to last. Yet another sub-group either looked at her with derision, disgust or pity, and honestly, Tanya wasn't sure which was worse, even if she was getting accustomed to such scenes.
At least there wasn't outright fear, which while something that could be sometimes useful, especially among your enemies and subordinates, well you didn't want your superiors to look behind their backs for you. Things like that tended to derail or even destroy careers and in the military? That was a sure way to be "volunteered" for suicide missions until one did their dirty jobs for them. That's why it was much better to play the role of the paragon patriotic soldier, and in her concerned opinion, Tanya did it better than most!
Her thought's ground to a halt when a pair of pale gray eyes pinned her in place, and if she wasn't an atheist, she would have sworn, they peered straight into her soul, evaluating and dissecting it, seeing straight through her mask. Those dead eyes belonged to a tall, lean man wearing a field uniform with Colonel's silver eagles, shaped similarly to the insignia worn by Military Mages. He was in the mid-thirties or so, had a weathered face with tall aristocratic features, frozen into a small amused smile, that never touched his eyes. Short black hair finished the picture of a typical at first glance Imperial Officer.
"So this is our famous prodigy, Second Lieutenant Tanya Degurechaff." The Colonel spoke in a clear baritone, which carried throughout the tent a hint of Eastern European accent. "I've read some of your papers." The man added, immediately rising himself in her eyes, both as a danger and as someone useful to know. "They've been quite insightful, especially for someone so young." He added.
"Thank you, Sir!" Tanya straightened up like a pole and offered a perfect textbook salute. While such stunts sometimes took Imperial Officers aback, especially the older ones and thus more likely to be set up in their way, the Colonel didn't hesitate even for a moment and returned the gesture.
A few more people stumbled into the tent behind Tanya and she was sure they hurried to salute, with the Colonel returning the courtesy.
"It looks like that's all of us, is that right, Captain?" He asked, while still studying Tanya.
"Yes, Sir! The Command Staff of all Aerial Mage units in the central part of the front is present and accounted for!" That was the familiar voice of 205th's CO.
"Then Ladies and Gentlemen, take your seats, we've got business to discuss." The Colonel smoothly turned around and the gathered officers shuffled back to make way as he strode to the far end of the tent. Only when almost everyone sat down, Tanya found herself surrounded by a tall example of Imperial Officers who ensured she couldn't see a thing unless she stood on her chair, damn her petite figure!
"This would not do. Lieutenant Degurechaff, front, and center. Being stuck in the back and unable to see a thing is going to be counter-productive." The Colonel's baritone echoed throughout the suddenly quiet tent and Tanya froze, fighting the spotlight and embarrassed blush. It wasn't her fault she was vertically challenged, damn it! Besides, it was very useful when avoiding enemy fire in the air so there was that!
Tanya fixed a determined smile on her face and marched to the front of the gathered Officers as if she was on a parade, ignoring any and all whispers and digs either at her gender or age. She found herself transfixed in the spotlight, right in front of her Captain, the Colonel, and a mixed back of officers she hadn't seen before. The odd Officer raised an eyebrow at their gathered peers, then followed with a raised hand, while his face remained blank. Utter silence followed, interrupted only by the sound of a chair scraping over the ground then tearing through the air just above the heads of the seated men and women.
Tanya could detect no magic, neither could she see even a hit of a computational orb carried by the Colonel. He nevertheless lowered his hand and her chair dutifully landed in front of the gathered officers.
"Have a seat, Lieutenant." He nodded at the chair and dismissed her, turning to squarely face the crowd. "I am Colonel Dieter Veiel. High Command, in their wisdom, decided to brevet me to Brigadier-General for the coming operation, dubbed Headhunter, which incidentally is the reason we're gathered here today..."
For an endless moment, Tanya stared at the man, her composure cracking, before she gathered her wits and dutifully sat down, projecting the image of the brave little soldier. Being X had something to do with this, she was sure of it!
205th Aerial Mage Company HQ
Rhine
The more she heard, the harder Tanya had to fight not to contain a giggling fit, which would destroy her well earned, not to mention, hard crafted, reputation. It helped that when she went to present sane, common-sense ideas, which should have been obvious to her Commanders, especially those who reached the exalted rank of Generals, they often basically patted her on the head and sent her away… even if she was usually right, damn them! Yet, here she was, sitting straight-backed and behaving both like a proper military officer, and horror of horrors, polite little girl, listening to a rather sensible and reasonable plan, without its source being derided or ridiculed, no matter how politely it often happened!
It was a good plan, it might even work… It was also a plan she struggled to find an excellent reason to derail, without volunteering for something even more suicidal, because when all was said and done, the last thing Tanya wanted in either life was to die heroically! She wasn't going to play bait if she had anything to say about it, no matter if it made perfect military sense! She was going to live a long happy life, which meant she was going to live long enough to get her earned a cushy job as far from the front as possible!
Of course, she couldn't stand up and tell the General, a brevetted one or not, that she wouldn't obey orders because they were too dangerous! In fact, she could already feel intent eyes boring into her. There were expectations that came with being Tanya Degurechaff, and she intentionally created many of them! People would expect her to stand up and gleefully volunteer as a bait to be blown up for Fatherland and Kaiser.
Instead, Tanya kept stubbornly sitting down and fighting the hysterical laughter trying to escape her lips.
"Operation Headhunter is divided into multiple consequent stages…" General Veiel said. "First, a diversion to the south, where a preparatory artillery bombardment and Stormtrooper infiltrators will create the illusions of a localized counter-offensive. Second, at 03:00 tomorrow, we'll conduct our infiltration of enemy lines in the central sector of the front on the heels of Stormtrooper infiltrators sent in to clear the way…"
This used to be a tried and tested tactic, which had limited utility nowadays, and with the said statement of intent, Tanya's estimation of Veiel took a sharp nosedive, then her eyes brightened. She could use this as a string, pull it apart the right way and she could undermine this whole insanity before it could get her blown up! Tanya decisively raised a hand and stared up at the General, all the while everyone else in the room stiffened and looked warily between her and Veiel.
"You have a question, Second Lieutenant?" The man inquired lightly, yet emphasized her junior rank, and by extent, her youth, the bastard!
"Yes, sir!" Tanya snapped at attention faster than most Mages could cast a spell. "Infiltration tactics are tested and true, however, as the war progressed their practical utility diminished. They are something everyone knows to look for and prepare against. I believe that our Aerial Mages are up to the task of piercing the enemy lines while using Magic to enhance themselves, however, that would immediately reveal the location of the real attack, with predictable consequences! While I am of course ready to lead this component of Operation Headhunter, I do have doubts concerning its strategic feasibility, sir!"
Was there a spark of amusement flashing through those dead eyes?
"Running around, stabbing or blowing up people while glowing with Magic so everyone in this part of the continent could find you would be counter-productive, Second Lieutenant. If that was my intent, I wouldn't have used the term 'infiltrate' in the first place, but something more accurate, like 'assault'. As far as feasibility is concerned, over the past three nights, I personally led raids to recon the enemy lines in the central and southern parts of the front, so I can assure you, infiltration is very much possible."
"Ah, that explains the excitement as of late." Tanya kept smiling. "Would it be presumptuous of me to conclude that after the raids, the enemy would be on their guard and would have increased security on the front-line?"
"You would presume correctly, Second Lieutenant. Last night Republican forces had orders of magnitude increased security. They also have eight decapitated divisions facing us, with four more in the area slatted for the diversion."
That bombshell produced a lot of excitement, not to mention disbelieving whispers among the gathered officers.
"This leads us to the third and fourth components of Operation Headhunter, respectively. Once we've infiltrated through the front, we'll raise hell in their rear areas, making it painfully obvious where we have our Aerial Mages concentrated. We will disrupt enemy logistics and wait for the Republic's Mages to respond, then kill as many of them as possible."
"Thus Headhunter…" Tanya muttered, her mind racing for all it was worth. If they could break free within the enemy's rear areas, for as long as their mana lasted the only thing that could properly pin them down would be the enemy's Mages, thus an opportunity to cull them. It was a very nice possibility, in theory. It was also something that Tanya might have conceived herself if it wasn't utterly suicidal. Best case scenario? The plan worked as advertised, they didn't get all killed while making their way through the enemy trenches, run afoul of artillery, trap, or overwhelming numbers… Then they would have to fight the Republic's Mages with little to no support, while the enemy could call in on as many men and material as they had available. So that best-case scenario? A mutual kill with a lot of damage in the Republic's rear areas, something that might be of strategic value if it allowed for a successful counter-offensive.
It was going to be cold comfort for anyone who followed that madman Veiel into his suicidal fantasy!
The excited and outright scared muttering carrying on throughout the tent was proof enough that many of the other officers reached the same conclusion.
The question remained, how to convince either the General or High Command not to get them all killed even if expending them might be prudent from a purely military perspective?! It was all right when Tanya crafted plans that might get other people killed, well kind of, it was war and that was her job! It was never all right when some crazy Officer with delusions of grandeur figured a novel and creative way to make a martyr out of her! And it might get to that because this "plan" it sounded like something that even eager use of the Type 95 might not get her out of intact and the last thing Tanya wanted was to give that bastard Being X the satisfaction on calling on him again for help!
205th Aerial Mage Company HQ
Rhine
In a modern, saner military, there would have been more questions, perhaps even some opposition to your commanders happily declaring you'll all walk to your death tomorrow. In the Imperial military, the Aerial Mages, who were some of the best of the best? Almost everyone received the news with stoicism, which in turn made Tanya wonder why was she letting such trivial things as emotions influence her, again. She shifted that thought to the back of her mind so she could focus on something productive, like finding a way to survive this new brand of insanity.
At that point, Colonel, General, or whatever rank he really had, Veiel, the bastard, looked straight at her as if he was reading her thoughts. Again, something flashed through his dead eyes, and a hint of what might have been a tiny smile appeared on his face.
"Let me demonstrate that I'm not about to ask you all to commit suicide for the Fatherland," Veiel announced loudly, immediately silencing all whispers.
The Colonel's eyes glimmered with a hint of mischief and for a brief moment, Tanya could have sworn that they glowed in malevolent orange color. Then darkness fell, turning the tent pitch black. For a single moment, she could hear dozens of exclamations, and one particularly loud squeak that almost certainly came from Visha, before the sound cut off abruptly, leaving her alone in something similar to sensory deprivation. She clutched the frame of her chair, struggling not to over-react. Nevertheless, a defensive film formed around Tanya while she acted on instinct. She couldn't see but certainly felt magic surging all over the tent while many other officers did the same.
The all-encompassing darkness vanished as abruptly as it came, and the morning's light that replaced it hurt Tanya's eyes. The exchange was abrupt enough it made her gasp and she wasn't the only one.
"Was this proof enough that I know what I'm talking about?" This time there was no mistake, Veiel's eyes glimmered with boyish mischief, while he studied the unsettled Aerial Mages.
"This was no magic!" Tanya was the first to recover. She surged to her feet and pointed an accusing finger at Veiel, heedless of how inappropriate this was. He had to be Being X's agent or something sent to make her life even harder! That was the simplest and most logical explanation!
"According to whom?" The smug bastard interrogatively raised an eyebrow. "I'm reasonably sure we will succeed in the infiltration part of Operation Headhunter. The complicated part comes afterward…"
At that moment, Tanya knew, the odds of getting out of this one just became nonexistent, which was just 'great'. This way, instead of being shot up or plastered by enemy artillery while slogging through the no-man's land, the Republican forces would instead have the opportunity to properly surround them, cut them off and destroy them through overwhelming numbers and firepower. This wasn't the kind of silver lining she cared about!
Early next morning the storm was back with the vengeance, even though this might have been its death throes. It certainly didn't feel that way to Tanya, who along with a few hundred Aerial Mages slogged through the no-man's land. This was pure hell, especially for someone with her small dimensions overloaded with all the equipment of an Aerial Mage. If it wasn't for Visha, Tanya wasn't sure she wouldn't have fallen into one of the countless shell craters, now chock-full with water and mud, primary mud, and drowned.
All around her, Mages from two Battalions and attached support Companies slogged through, or in some cases crawled through the cold, sucking mud. It didn't help that they were all surrounded by Veiel's unnatural darkness, even though this time around they could actually see, if barely.
None of them could hear and it was surreal, especially with the freezing rain constantly hammering them. Yet they kept going forward, for the Empire, Fatherland, or a prosperous, hopefully, safe and warm future.
The torture continued for what felt like an eternity and at one moment Tanya was about to collapse, unable to keep dragging all her hear through the mud when a pair of big strong arms grabbed her under the shoulders and heaved, pulling her forward. She barely recognized the wet form of Sergeant Schones, her senior and most experienced NCO, who dragged her ahead without a word. Tanya nodded in grim gratitude, while mentally cursed Veiel and High Command for creating and approving this exercise in slow suicide.
Eventually, the miserable Mages converged on a small section of the enemy defensive line, something signaled by lines of razor-wire, which had neat strips cut into. Even as exhausted as she already was, Tanya noted that this would funnel them into what could be easily described as a perfect killing ground. Some mines, a few heavy machine-guns and mortars, the enemy wouldn't need artillery to slaughter most of them…
Another army might have paused then and there, re-evaluated the merit of going forward and sensibly scurried back to the safety of their lines. The Imperial Mages on the other hand? They kept pushing with grim, fanatical, and suicidal determination. It was commendable really, or it would have been if they weren't marching towards certain death. Any moment now the enemy would open fire and slaughter them!
Any moment now!
Sergeant Schones kept dragging Tanya forward and to her stupefaction, they reached the first line of Republican trenches unopposed. When no enemy fire came their way, the leading elements continued to crawl forward. They soon vanished over the edge, followed by more and more soldiers. Eventually, the large NCO dragged Tanya into the trench, where they paused for a brief respite.
The Second Lieutenant looked warily around and her eyebrows raised when she saw the defenders trampled into the muddy bottom of the trench. Schones had deposed her practically on top of a young Republican soldier who had his throat sling open, and obviously never saw his death coming – the sheer surprise on his face was proof enough.
Tanya looked around and all she could see were the dark, wet walls of the trench, packed with tired Imperial Mages. It was a good thing really, that she couldn't see the at least company platoon of defenders who were below their feet. She was almost certain that all of them had their throat slit and never saw it coming. What the hell was Veiel and where did Being X drag that Devil from?!
Republic lines
The Rhine
The storm was bad enough, the muddy hell it caused throughout the bombed-out Imperial territory now held by the Francois Army was worse. For maximum frustration, even well designed and built trenches resembled small rivers or lakes at best, mud pools you could get stuck into at worst. The only 'better' places were certain elevated positions stuffed with sandbags, usually holding machine-gun nests. Lieutenant Andre Bisset found himself stuck in one such position, glumly squinting into the night. All he could see, all anyone could see were the sheets of rain hammering the no-man's land. Trying to cross it in force, to even send some of those infamous Imperial Stormtroopers would be insane – they were as likely to get stuck or even drown as to get close enough for the Republican army to shoot them all to pieces. Actually, attempting an assault in this infernal weather? Pure insanity.
Yet, there Andre was, standing on high alert, warily watching for the slightest sign of motion that wasn't the rain. Someone either slipped through their lines over the past few nights, or was already on their side of the front, to begin with, and they went on a rampage murdering division command staff or so rumors and fragmented communication claimed. That's why, the young Lieutenant and his men were on high alert, manning much smaller section of the front than usual. The same was true all across the line and apparently, it wasn't mere paranoid precaution. They could all hear the Hun's artillery hammering in the distance and Andre pitied the poor bastards on the receiving end. He was just glad that so far everything was calm on his part of the front…
Bisset shuddered in his wet uniform, mentally cursing the Hun and their warmongering ways that brought him and his countrymen out here, in this muddy wasteland. It was getting even colder and he was sure that in a few days at best, there would be a lot of sick soldiers, and pneumonia was nothing to joke about! Andre shuddered, wanting nothing more than either a hot drink, warm bed, and a cigar to warm him. Until the weather cleared, there wouldn't be warm beds fro anyone on the front, his cigars were too wet to be of use anytime soon, though he might be getting a cup of coffee, which might even be drinkable, soon. In fact, he could already smell it and smiled.
"Caron, my friend…" The Lieutenant turned to smile at his XO and froze in shock.
There was a man in the machine-gun nest carrying a cup of steaming coffee, in fact, there were two of them, each holding a metal cup. However, neither of them were Republic soldiers! Andre opened his mouth to scream a warning but no sound came out. To his horror, he found he couldn't move anything but his eyes and could only stare at the apparition, that took a sip of his coffee.
The strangers were Imperial Stormtroopers – complete with their metal breastplates, covered by harnesses loaded with equipment. They had no business being here, obviously, and even stranger, one of them didn't appear to be wet at all. That man sipped his coffee again, Andre's coffee, damn him, and looked at the Lieutenant with glowing demonic eyes.
At that point, the field phone rang, and even as horror dawned upon Andre he found himself glad about the timing! He wouldn't be able to answer and Command would know their lines were breached so they could get those bastards!
The glowing eyes bore straight into Andre's soul and he felt indescribable pressure building within his skull. He heard someone screaming as if they were dying torn by artillery and only distantly noted that the agonizing voice sounded like his own, oddly enough.
Lieutenant Bisset stumbled, idly noticing he could move again and felt something warm on his face. His arms spasmodically grasped for the field phone and his face contorted into rictus grin – he was about to raise the alarm! Andre picked up the phone, dutifully listened to the questions coming from the other side, then calmly answered in a bored tone that sounded perfectly normal to his ears.
"Our sector is secure, sir. Only mud and rain, no one could get through the no-man's land over here." Andre couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. He wanted to scream, yet now he couldn't. "We'll remain vigilant until relieved, sir!" His mouth promised earnestly and he put down the phone.
"You can rest now, soldier." A stranger's voice echoed in his mind and the world tilted around. Andre stared at the back of the machine-gun nest, seeing more Imperial Stormtroopers and even Mages filling up the trench, then he knew no more.
Tanya found herself gasping for air and leaning on a trench wall. She could hear again, though the sounds coming from all around her were distant and distorted. Without using magic, just crossing the short blasted hellscape between the front-lines was more than enough to take everything she had and then some. She knew that without Sergeant Schones and Visha, she would have never made it this far. The prospect of continuing without the aid of her magic giving her additional strength and endurance was frankly terrifying! This was one of the few times, Tanya had to outright admit to herself that she couldn't possibly go on – even if the mind was willing, the flesh was weak.
She was too busy gasping for air and wondering how dignified would be to ask the Sergeant to continue carrying her, because there was no turning back now when a tall, dark figure loomed over her. Tanya slowly raised her head and dully stared at the architect of her current woes, who looked back with a hint of concern then shoved something at her. It took Tanya a few moments to figure out that it was a metal can mostly full of hot coffee… How did he get that over here, in that weather no less?!
"Sergeant, the Lieutenant here is an important asset. Make sure she makes it to the point where she could safely use her magic." Veiel told Schones, then walked away, practically melting in the twilight.
Once again, Tanya felt like screaming obscenities at the man, yet she carefully held the offered coffee in a death grip and gingerly brought the cup to her lips. Things were about to get even worse from there on, she just knew it! Damn Being X and this Devil he spawned to torment her so!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars movies, TV series, books, comics, or games. I don't own Youjo Senki/Tanya the Evil. They all belong to their respective creators and/or copyright owners. I make no money from this story. It's not for sale or rent.
Chapter 1: Headhunters
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Part 1
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Part 1
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Lighting thundered through sheets of heavy rain that did its damned best to drown the Rhine. Blasted wastelands, untouched fields, and trenches alike became pools and lakes where a grown man could easily drown in mud that had more in common with quicksand than anything else. For four days black skies unleashed their fury above the battlefield and did more to stop the Republic's advance than the stretched thin Imperial Army did in two weeks.
Whole divisions struggled with the cold and wet, trying not to drown in their trenches instead of fighting the enemy across the thin strip of no-man's land. Fighters, bombers, and even Air Mages alike were grounded by the fury of the unrelenting storm. Only someone insane would have dared to attack under those conditions and even then, radar operators hidden in bunkers behind the front stood silent vigil against any trace of enemy movement. Planes or air-mages, they would detect them and raise the alarm. As far as ground assault went – the hell-scape between the armies was impassible. The Republic did try to push on the first day of the storm, to disastrous results.
"It's not all bad." General Philip Anry said to his staff – all of them were wet and cold despite the best efforts of a hot stove, hotter coffee, and what little dry cigars they had left. "Our logistics will catch up to us and we'll be properly supplied to break the Hun once the ground dries up."
"If it dries up." A morose voice muttered. "It works both ways – the enemy can bring in reinforcements to stabilize the front."
"From where? Norden, Dacia? They're stretched thin and exhausted. It's only a matter of time..." The General trailed off. The sound of the downpour and lighting was just gone. "Well, it's about time to..." He paused again and looked at his staff. The ten people stuck with him in the field bunker were all unnaturally still.
"It's time to die, Monseneur General." Anry's head snapped towards the entrance when he heard someone did his best to butcher his language with their thick and hard Imperial accent.
He saw a flash of naked steel and felt something wickedly sharp and cold kiss his throat. Anry opened his mouth to scream a warning but the only thing that came out was a whisper followed by warm blood. He blinked in confusion only to see a man in the dark green field uniform of the Empire. The stranger had his gloved right hand outstretched and pointing at the General. Anry couldn't help it but wonder how out of place the enemy looked – there was no trace of mud or rain on his uniform. It was as if he had just come out from a parade one a sunny, dry day.
The Imperial's fingers clenched into a fist and something wrenched out of Philip's throat. The General blinked in confusion when he saw a bloody knife fly away sending crimson drops everywhere but at the enemy officer then their eyes met and the last thing Anry ever saw were two malevolent yellow orbs.
The knife ended up slamming into the left eye of the Intelligence officer, pierced his brain, and then as if possessing a mind of its own wrenched itself free in a shower of blood. It flew in an arch that nearly decapitated the General's XO before ending embedded to the hilt in the logistic's officer's throat. The remaining Republic officers could only helplessly watch the slaughter – all they could do was move their terrified eyes while the rest of their muscles refused to move.
The knife didn't care and simply continued its bloody work until only the Imperial officer was left alive in the bunker. Once its last victim expired, it tore itself free again and used the man's uniform to clean itself before eagerly flying in the waiting arm of its owner. Only then did the Imperial calmly walk to the table in the center of the bunker, looked over the maps unfolded on it and gathered them with a wave of his hand.
"One down, three more to go." Shadows rose to engulf him and a moment later the only occupants of the bunker were eleven corpses still frozen standing where they were butchered.
When dawn came and the storm abated, the Republican army awoke to find the HQ sections of four of their divisions butchered to a man. There was no trace of an intruder, besides impossible knife-work and corpses. The nearly drowned soldiers facing the enemy had noticed nothing during the night and the same was true for the magical detection stations meant to prevent precisely this kind of infiltration and butchery.
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Early before dawn, the various Imperial Heavy Artillery corps all across the front received firing coordinates with suspected enemy artillery positions. During the next hour, screaming shells tore their way through pouring rain, lightning, and thunder to strike ammo dumps, artillery pieces, and their hunkering crews. When dawn came and the bombardment ceased, twenty percent of the Republican artillery park facing the Imperial Army in the Rhine were simply gone thus making future offensives that much harder.
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Part 2
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Part 2
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The weather was positively horrendous, and as far as Tanya Degurechaff was concerned, this was the best thing that could happen given the circumstances. The storm was bad enough that everything which could fly was grounded for good and this happy state of affair lasted for a third day in a row. Save for the odd artillery exchange to remind the enemy that the good times couldn't possibly last for much longer, it was all quiet, and more importantly, safe.
A miracle of miracles, the 205th Aerial Mage Company found itself pulled some distance from the front, camping among a small cluster of hills, which offered comfortable high ground – an important luxury considering downpour's 'charming' side-effects. The brief cessation of hostilities imposed by the weather gave the Imperial Army in the Rhine invaluable time to regroup, recover, and strengthen their defense lines to face against the next onslaught. More importantly, it gave Tanya time to think and plot, so she could find a way to get out of this hell while she was still intact. The goal remained the same – avoid Command's sabotage and attempts to get her killed by gaining a nice, cozy, and most importantly, a safe position far behind the front. Something at the Imperial Army Strategic HQ in Berun or a post as a trainer for Aerial Mages perhaps. Anything really, as long as it didn't get her shot at basically every day.
Tanya stiffened when artillery silenced the storm's thunder, then relaxed a fraction when she noted it was friendly. She stood with a frown marring her face and went to the tent's entrance and looked in the early morning twilight. She could barely see the flashes from close-by batteries and if she was any judge of these things, this wasn't the usual light exchange of the past few days. More and more thunder echoed from both sides of the Company's camp, and there was no hint it would be ceasing anytime soon. Were the Francois crazy enough to attempt an assault, at night no less, in this weather?! Or even worse, did someone in Command have a "brilliant" idea that might get them all killed?
The only answer Tanya got before sunrise came from the artillery, which didn't cease their bombardment for what felt like hours. No orders came from command, no enemy attack materialized anywhere near Tanya's sector of the front, so she decided it was a good morning after all and went back to bed, to continue plotting.
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Imperial Strategic HQ
Berun
Brigadier General Kurt von Rudersdorf took a deep pull of his cigar, enjoying the taste of hot smoke filling his lungs. Only then he returned his full attention to the map opened on his desk and his two colleagues.
"The situation isn't as bad as it could be." Lieutenant-Colonel Erich von Rerugen reported after tweaking a few of the figures on the map. "As expected, shifting our offensive units from the North is slower than originally anticipated. With the precaution we've taken, we expect to have them in place within a week, eight to nine days if the storm over the Rhine intervenes with deployment. Train and ship schedules are in place, and all available shipping has been redirected for the task at hand."
That was a charming understatement, really, especially compared to what it could have been. Rudersdorf inhaled some more soothing smoke, before taking his cigar and squashing it within a half-full ashtray. The original plan had been widely optimistic in hindsight, and even attaching certain contingencies just in case was like pulling teeth and took a lot of political capital. It was all worth it in the end, even if successful, in this case, came with both boons, like Kurt's new rank, along with many more responsibilities. Success earned Rudersdorf and all those who backed the contingencies, certain enemies, among those demoted, removed and their political allies – none of those were happy when their plan proved to be less successful than projected.
"Considering the weather, any major offensive operations on our part would be delayed by at least a week, perhaps more anyway." Hans von Zettour pointed out. "On the bright side, this storm ensures that our western industrial zones will remain safe no matter what." He grimaced.
Rudersdorf could guess what Zettour thought about. The General Staff failed in this regard, they couldn't convince the Kaizer and his government that the Republic was doing anything but demobilizing. As a consequence, they should have been staring at a disaster in the making, on that might have threatened the future of the Empire.
"Plan 315 is still feasible, yet it might create an opportunity." Zettour rubbed his chin while observing the map. "His proof of concept worked yesterday. We have unconfirmed reports of massive losses among the Republic artillery all across the front. What is confirmed that he did what he promised he could – four Francois Divisions lost their command staffs in a single night. It's the proof of concept we demanded. What are we going to do now?"
Rudersdorf looked sullenly at the map. "He was out headhunting tonight as well, wasn't he?"
"We received reports from his shadows that he vanished at sunset and came back shortly before sunrise bringing more 'gifts'," Rerugen confirmed. "The originals are on the way here, while local the local HQ has copies to study. His plan is in some regards even more audacious than 315…" The Lieutenant-Colonel grimaced, "or the contingencies he convinced us to support."
"He managed to convince the Kaizer that some prudence was called for, otherwise we would be trying to salvage yet another disaster," Rudersdorf admitted. "And we're watching the man like hawks for any possible excuse to remove him because of it."
"To be fair, we have no idea what he is. He is no Mage, yet he can give our best Military Magicians run for their money." Rerugen added. "Frankly, there are days I'm almost sure we've made deal with the Devil himself."
"Yet by all accounts, he's on our side. Hell, he's a patriot, no one doubts that." Zettour countered.
"You're biased, Hans." Kurt pointed out.
"Granted, his father was an old family friend…" Zettour shrugged. "However, he has never given even a single hint he has anything but the Empire's best interests in mind! Hell, he wanted to join the military and serve the Fatherland for as long as I've known him!"
"And that was one of the reasons why we backed his radical ideas." Kurt nodded. "Not to mention that those ideas tend to work."
"Yet, we're all too eager to offer him an opportunity to get himself killed so he would be safely out of the way." Zettour grimaced. "That's not the way to treat family, neither a decorated veteran!"
"We know for a fact that he influenced the Kaiser, perhaps at least a few members of the government, he might have influenced us as well in order to support his ideas and risk career suicide."
"The same ideas that prevented or at least mitigated 315 turning into a complete disaster." Rerugen reminded them.
"True enough." Rudersdorf agreed. "Nevertheless, we're about to turn the Rhine into hell on Earth, both for our soldiers and the enemy."
"That's fitting. After all, we already have the Devil himself playing out there." Zettour muttered.
"Lieutenant-Colonel Rerugen, Operation Headhunter is a go. Colonel Veiel is hereby brevetted to Brigadier-General and will take operational command over all Aerial Mage units in the Rhine's central region. When the Second Panzer Division arrives, it will also become part of Kampfgrupe Headhunter." Rudersdorf ordered.
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Part 3
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Part 3
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205th Aerial Mage Company HQ
Rhine
For the third morning in a row, what sounded like the artillery on the whole front thundered, silencing the slowly breaking storm. Tanya still had no idea what all that racket was about, however on the bright side, there were no insane assaults ordered by either side that she knew of. Depressingly enough, orders that sometimes had a very tenuous link with reality happened much more often in the military in this world than back on his, hers, whatever Earth. Back in the day, most of the crazy stunts came from employees, like that bastard who pushed him in front of a speeding train after getting his just reward. Because really, what did he expect? That he could keep misusing company money, use sick leave when not sick, not to mention all the warning he got about not being productive enough! Anyone reasonable would have taken themselves in hand and gotten back to work with gusto! But no, that bastard had to keep being himself, and then blame everything on an honest salaryman! Then there was that other, much bigger bastard, Being X!
"I shouldn't get my hopes up," Tanya thought. She did her best, as usual, however, it wasn't quite enough, again as usual, though that was often because Being X's interventions to make her life hell!
Yet, she couldn't stop hoping for a better future! All the papers she wrote, all the suggestions she made, all the time she risked her life on the front to distinguish herself as someone who shouldn't be wasted in the trenches! Those things had to matter! She more than earned a cozy, safe job far away from the front!
Tanya marched into the tent where Company HQ made the decisions on how to best get her killed. Visha dutifully followed her, obviously concerned by the latest developments. Her second in command was a valuable human resource just like Tanya was, though naturally not as valuable, one she found incredibly useful since they met, even if the girl was prone to let her emotions get the better of her time and again… It was clear that Visha was concerned Command might throw them back into the meat-grinder for no good reason, though personally, Tanya had her doubts. As of late, the Imperial General Staff had been showing some unexpected sparks of common sense, which was one of the primary reasons the former salaryman found herself in high spirits. It was almost as if they read her papers, saw the light, and now might finally give Tanya her just reward!
On the other hand, some things remained depressingly the same! Even as the military became more conservative towards freely spending the lives of its soldiers as if the Empire's manpower pool was bottomless, the mission and orders remained absolute! Disobeying clearly suicidal orders was out of the question, leaving her to do or die… and if she didn't die, that meant Command might believe something even crazier, and more suicidal, might work if she was involved!
This was immensely frustrating and lately bringing out her worst traits! While in some regards those made her even better soldiers, especially in the eyes of Command, Tanya wasn't a dummy! If some disgruntled employee could murder her just because he got justly sacked, what about one of the soldiers she might vent upon! The last thing she wanted was to get shot in the back, stabbed with a bayonet or worse, by someone on her side!
Tanya saluted the guard detail in front of the command tent and marched in, thinking dark thoughts, with Visha scurrying on her heels. Then she immediately halted, nearly stumbling when she saw that the place was packed with chairs and officers – almost all of them Aerial Mages too. There was too much brass inside to account only for the 205th Company. She recognized some of them by face if not necessary name, after seeing them during briefings or fighting beside their units all over the Empire's borders.
"So much for that cozy safe posting," Tanya thought gloomily.
Despite the place being packed tighter than a ration can, there were distinct cliques gathered together and talking quietly. Those closest to the entrance paused with her appearance and stared at her with expressions of mixed feelings on their faces. Some who had seen her in combat before had their eyes light up and their spirits lifted, something that still made Tanya uncomfortable, even if she was aware such reactions were something she could use. Others had neutral expressions and evaluating gazes, caring not that she was stuck in the body of a prepubescent girl, for however long that was going to last. Yet another sub-group either looked at her with derision, disgust or pity, and honestly, Tanya wasn't sure which was worse, even if she was getting accustomed to such scenes.
At least there wasn't outright fear, which while something that could be sometimes useful, especially among your enemies and subordinates, well you didn't want your superiors to look behind their backs for you. Things like that tended to derail or even destroy careers and in the military? That was a sure way to be "volunteered" for suicide missions until one did their dirty jobs for them. That's why it was much better to play the role of the paragon patriotic soldier, and in her concerned opinion, Tanya did it better than most!
Her thought's ground to a halt when a pair of pale gray eyes pinned her in place, and if she wasn't an atheist, she would have sworn, they peered straight into her soul, evaluating and dissecting it, seeing straight through her mask. Those dead eyes belonged to a tall, lean man wearing a field uniform with Colonel's silver eagles, shaped similarly to the insignia worn by Military Mages. He was in the mid-thirties or so, had a weathered face with tall aristocratic features, frozen into a small amused smile, that never touched his eyes. Short black hair finished the picture of a typical at first glance Imperial Officer.
"So this is our famous prodigy, Second Lieutenant Tanya Degurechaff." The Colonel spoke in a clear baritone, which carried throughout the tent a hint of Eastern European accent. "I've read some of your papers." The man added, immediately rising himself in her eyes, both as a danger and as someone useful to know. "They've been quite insightful, especially for someone so young." He added.
"Thank you, Sir!" Tanya straightened up like a pole and offered a perfect textbook salute. While such stunts sometimes took Imperial Officers aback, especially the older ones and thus more likely to be set up in their way, the Colonel didn't hesitate even for a moment and returned the gesture.
A few more people stumbled into the tent behind Tanya and she was sure they hurried to salute, with the Colonel returning the courtesy.
"It looks like that's all of us, is that right, Captain?" He asked, while still studying Tanya.
"Yes, Sir! The Command Staff of all Aerial Mage units in the central part of the front is present and accounted for!" That was the familiar voice of 205th's CO.
"Then Ladies and Gentlemen, take your seats, we've got business to discuss." The Colonel smoothly turned around and the gathered officers shuffled back to make way as he strode to the far end of the tent. Only when almost everyone sat down, Tanya found herself surrounded by a tall example of Imperial Officers who ensured she couldn't see a thing unless she stood on her chair, damn her petite figure!
"This would not do. Lieutenant Degurechaff, front, and center. Being stuck in the back and unable to see a thing is going to be counter-productive." The Colonel's baritone echoed throughout the suddenly quiet tent and Tanya froze, fighting the spotlight and embarrassed blush. It wasn't her fault she was vertically challenged, damn it! Besides, it was very useful when avoiding enemy fire in the air so there was that!
Tanya fixed a determined smile on her face and marched to the front of the gathered Officers as if she was on a parade, ignoring any and all whispers and digs either at her gender or age. She found herself transfixed in the spotlight, right in front of her Captain, the Colonel, and a mixed back of officers she hadn't seen before. The odd Officer raised an eyebrow at their gathered peers, then followed with a raised hand, while his face remained blank. Utter silence followed, interrupted only by the sound of a chair scraping over the ground then tearing through the air just above the heads of the seated men and women.
Tanya could detect no magic, neither could she see even a hit of a computational orb carried by the Colonel. He nevertheless lowered his hand and her chair dutifully landed in front of the gathered officers.
"Have a seat, Lieutenant." He nodded at the chair and dismissed her, turning to squarely face the crowd. "I am Colonel Dieter Veiel. High Command, in their wisdom, decided to brevet me to Brigadier-General for the coming operation, dubbed Headhunter, which incidentally is the reason we're gathered here today..."
For an endless moment, Tanya stared at the man, her composure cracking, before she gathered her wits and dutifully sat down, projecting the image of the brave little soldier. Being X had something to do with this, she was sure of it!
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Part 4
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Part 4
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205th Aerial Mage Company HQ
Rhine
The more she heard, the harder Tanya had to fight not to contain a giggling fit, which would destroy her well earned, not to mention, hard crafted, reputation. It helped that when she went to present sane, common-sense ideas, which should have been obvious to her Commanders, especially those who reached the exalted rank of Generals, they often basically patted her on the head and sent her away… even if she was usually right, damn them! Yet, here she was, sitting straight-backed and behaving both like a proper military officer, and horror of horrors, polite little girl, listening to a rather sensible and reasonable plan, without its source being derided or ridiculed, no matter how politely it often happened!
It was a good plan, it might even work… It was also a plan she struggled to find an excellent reason to derail, without volunteering for something even more suicidal, because when all was said and done, the last thing Tanya wanted in either life was to die heroically! She wasn't going to play bait if she had anything to say about it, no matter if it made perfect military sense! She was going to live a long happy life, which meant she was going to live long enough to get her earned a cushy job as far from the front as possible!
Of course, she couldn't stand up and tell the General, a brevetted one or not, that she wouldn't obey orders because they were too dangerous! In fact, she could already feel intent eyes boring into her. There were expectations that came with being Tanya Degurechaff, and she intentionally created many of them! People would expect her to stand up and gleefully volunteer as a bait to be blown up for Fatherland and Kaiser.
Instead, Tanya kept stubbornly sitting down and fighting the hysterical laughter trying to escape her lips.
"Operation Headhunter is divided into multiple consequent stages…" General Veiel said. "First, a diversion to the south, where a preparatory artillery bombardment and Stormtrooper infiltrators will create the illusions of a localized counter-offensive. Second, at 03:00 tomorrow, we'll conduct our infiltration of enemy lines in the central sector of the front on the heels of Stormtrooper infiltrators sent in to clear the way…"
This used to be a tried and tested tactic, which had limited utility nowadays, and with the said statement of intent, Tanya's estimation of Veiel took a sharp nosedive, then her eyes brightened. She could use this as a string, pull it apart the right way and she could undermine this whole insanity before it could get her blown up! Tanya decisively raised a hand and stared up at the General, all the while everyone else in the room stiffened and looked warily between her and Veiel.
"You have a question, Second Lieutenant?" The man inquired lightly, yet emphasized her junior rank, and by extent, her youth, the bastard!
"Yes, sir!" Tanya snapped at attention faster than most Mages could cast a spell. "Infiltration tactics are tested and true, however, as the war progressed their practical utility diminished. They are something everyone knows to look for and prepare against. I believe that our Aerial Mages are up to the task of piercing the enemy lines while using Magic to enhance themselves, however, that would immediately reveal the location of the real attack, with predictable consequences! While I am of course ready to lead this component of Operation Headhunter, I do have doubts concerning its strategic feasibility, sir!"
Was there a spark of amusement flashing through those dead eyes?
"Running around, stabbing or blowing up people while glowing with Magic so everyone in this part of the continent could find you would be counter-productive, Second Lieutenant. If that was my intent, I wouldn't have used the term 'infiltrate' in the first place, but something more accurate, like 'assault'. As far as feasibility is concerned, over the past three nights, I personally led raids to recon the enemy lines in the central and southern parts of the front, so I can assure you, infiltration is very much possible."
"Ah, that explains the excitement as of late." Tanya kept smiling. "Would it be presumptuous of me to conclude that after the raids, the enemy would be on their guard and would have increased security on the front-line?"
"You would presume correctly, Second Lieutenant. Last night Republican forces had orders of magnitude increased security. They also have eight decapitated divisions facing us, with four more in the area slatted for the diversion."
That bombshell produced a lot of excitement, not to mention disbelieving whispers among the gathered officers.
"This leads us to the third and fourth components of Operation Headhunter, respectively. Once we've infiltrated through the front, we'll raise hell in their rear areas, making it painfully obvious where we have our Aerial Mages concentrated. We will disrupt enemy logistics and wait for the Republic's Mages to respond, then kill as many of them as possible."
"Thus Headhunter…" Tanya muttered, her mind racing for all it was worth. If they could break free within the enemy's rear areas, for as long as their mana lasted the only thing that could properly pin them down would be the enemy's Mages, thus an opportunity to cull them. It was a very nice possibility, in theory. It was also something that Tanya might have conceived herself if it wasn't utterly suicidal. Best case scenario? The plan worked as advertised, they didn't get all killed while making their way through the enemy trenches, run afoul of artillery, trap, or overwhelming numbers… Then they would have to fight the Republic's Mages with little to no support, while the enemy could call in on as many men and material as they had available. So that best-case scenario? A mutual kill with a lot of damage in the Republic's rear areas, something that might be of strategic value if it allowed for a successful counter-offensive.
It was going to be cold comfort for anyone who followed that madman Veiel into his suicidal fantasy!
The excited and outright scared muttering carrying on throughout the tent was proof enough that many of the other officers reached the same conclusion.
The question remained, how to convince either the General or High Command not to get them all killed even if expending them might be prudent from a purely military perspective?! It was all right when Tanya crafted plans that might get other people killed, well kind of, it was war and that was her job! It was never all right when some crazy Officer with delusions of grandeur figured a novel and creative way to make a martyr out of her! And it might get to that because this "plan" it sounded like something that even eager use of the Type 95 might not get her out of intact and the last thing Tanya wanted was to give that bastard Being X the satisfaction on calling on him again for help!
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Part 5
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Part 5
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205th Aerial Mage Company HQ
Rhine
In a modern, saner military, there would have been more questions, perhaps even some opposition to your commanders happily declaring you'll all walk to your death tomorrow. In the Imperial military, the Aerial Mages, who were some of the best of the best? Almost everyone received the news with stoicism, which in turn made Tanya wonder why was she letting such trivial things as emotions influence her, again. She shifted that thought to the back of her mind so she could focus on something productive, like finding a way to survive this new brand of insanity.
At that point, Colonel, General, or whatever rank he really had, Veiel, the bastard, looked straight at her as if he was reading her thoughts. Again, something flashed through his dead eyes, and a hint of what might have been a tiny smile appeared on his face.
"Let me demonstrate that I'm not about to ask you all to commit suicide for the Fatherland," Veiel announced loudly, immediately silencing all whispers.
The Colonel's eyes glimmered with a hint of mischief and for a brief moment, Tanya could have sworn that they glowed in malevolent orange color. Then darkness fell, turning the tent pitch black. For a single moment, she could hear dozens of exclamations, and one particularly loud squeak that almost certainly came from Visha, before the sound cut off abruptly, leaving her alone in something similar to sensory deprivation. She clutched the frame of her chair, struggling not to over-react. Nevertheless, a defensive film formed around Tanya while she acted on instinct. She couldn't see but certainly felt magic surging all over the tent while many other officers did the same.
The all-encompassing darkness vanished as abruptly as it came, and the morning's light that replaced it hurt Tanya's eyes. The exchange was abrupt enough it made her gasp and she wasn't the only one.
"Was this proof enough that I know what I'm talking about?" This time there was no mistake, Veiel's eyes glimmered with boyish mischief, while he studied the unsettled Aerial Mages.
"This was no magic!" Tanya was the first to recover. She surged to her feet and pointed an accusing finger at Veiel, heedless of how inappropriate this was. He had to be Being X's agent or something sent to make her life even harder! That was the simplest and most logical explanation!
"According to whom?" The smug bastard interrogatively raised an eyebrow. "I'm reasonably sure we will succeed in the infiltration part of Operation Headhunter. The complicated part comes afterward…"
At that moment, Tanya knew, the odds of getting out of this one just became nonexistent, which was just 'great'. This way, instead of being shot up or plastered by enemy artillery while slogging through the no-man's land, the Republican forces would instead have the opportunity to properly surround them, cut them off and destroy them through overwhelming numbers and firepower. This wasn't the kind of silver lining she cared about!
=TDD=
Early next morning the storm was back with the vengeance, even though this might have been its death throes. It certainly didn't feel that way to Tanya, who along with a few hundred Aerial Mages slogged through the no-man's land. This was pure hell, especially for someone with her small dimensions overloaded with all the equipment of an Aerial Mage. If it wasn't for Visha, Tanya wasn't sure she wouldn't have fallen into one of the countless shell craters, now chock-full with water and mud, primary mud, and drowned.
All around her, Mages from two Battalions and attached support Companies slogged through, or in some cases crawled through the cold, sucking mud. It didn't help that they were all surrounded by Veiel's unnatural darkness, even though this time around they could actually see, if barely.
None of them could hear and it was surreal, especially with the freezing rain constantly hammering them. Yet they kept going forward, for the Empire, Fatherland, or a prosperous, hopefully, safe and warm future.
The torture continued for what felt like an eternity and at one moment Tanya was about to collapse, unable to keep dragging all her hear through the mud when a pair of big strong arms grabbed her under the shoulders and heaved, pulling her forward. She barely recognized the wet form of Sergeant Schones, her senior and most experienced NCO, who dragged her ahead without a word. Tanya nodded in grim gratitude, while mentally cursed Veiel and High Command for creating and approving this exercise in slow suicide.
Eventually, the miserable Mages converged on a small section of the enemy defensive line, something signaled by lines of razor-wire, which had neat strips cut into. Even as exhausted as she already was, Tanya noted that this would funnel them into what could be easily described as a perfect killing ground. Some mines, a few heavy machine-guns and mortars, the enemy wouldn't need artillery to slaughter most of them…
Another army might have paused then and there, re-evaluated the merit of going forward and sensibly scurried back to the safety of their lines. The Imperial Mages on the other hand? They kept pushing with grim, fanatical, and suicidal determination. It was commendable really, or it would have been if they weren't marching towards certain death. Any moment now the enemy would open fire and slaughter them!
Any moment now!
Sergeant Schones kept dragging Tanya forward and to her stupefaction, they reached the first line of Republican trenches unopposed. When no enemy fire came their way, the leading elements continued to crawl forward. They soon vanished over the edge, followed by more and more soldiers. Eventually, the large NCO dragged Tanya into the trench, where they paused for a brief respite.
The Second Lieutenant looked warily around and her eyebrows raised when she saw the defenders trampled into the muddy bottom of the trench. Schones had deposed her practically on top of a young Republican soldier who had his throat sling open, and obviously never saw his death coming – the sheer surprise on his face was proof enough.
Tanya looked around and all she could see were the dark, wet walls of the trench, packed with tired Imperial Mages. It was a good thing really, that she couldn't see the at least company platoon of defenders who were below their feet. She was almost certain that all of them had their throat slit and never saw it coming. What the hell was Veiel and where did Being X drag that Devil from?!
=TDD=
Part 6
=TDD=
Part 6
=TDD=
Republic lines
The Rhine
The storm was bad enough, the muddy hell it caused throughout the bombed-out Imperial territory now held by the Francois Army was worse. For maximum frustration, even well designed and built trenches resembled small rivers or lakes at best, mud pools you could get stuck into at worst. The only 'better' places were certain elevated positions stuffed with sandbags, usually holding machine-gun nests. Lieutenant Andre Bisset found himself stuck in one such position, glumly squinting into the night. All he could see, all anyone could see were the sheets of rain hammering the no-man's land. Trying to cross it in force, to even send some of those infamous Imperial Stormtroopers would be insane – they were as likely to get stuck or even drown as to get close enough for the Republican army to shoot them all to pieces. Actually, attempting an assault in this infernal weather? Pure insanity.
Yet, there Andre was, standing on high alert, warily watching for the slightest sign of motion that wasn't the rain. Someone either slipped through their lines over the past few nights, or was already on their side of the front, to begin with, and they went on a rampage murdering division command staff or so rumors and fragmented communication claimed. That's why, the young Lieutenant and his men were on high alert, manning much smaller section of the front than usual. The same was true all across the line and apparently, it wasn't mere paranoid precaution. They could all hear the Hun's artillery hammering in the distance and Andre pitied the poor bastards on the receiving end. He was just glad that so far everything was calm on his part of the front…
Bisset shuddered in his wet uniform, mentally cursing the Hun and their warmongering ways that brought him and his countrymen out here, in this muddy wasteland. It was getting even colder and he was sure that in a few days at best, there would be a lot of sick soldiers, and pneumonia was nothing to joke about! Andre shuddered, wanting nothing more than either a hot drink, warm bed, and a cigar to warm him. Until the weather cleared, there wouldn't be warm beds fro anyone on the front, his cigars were too wet to be of use anytime soon, though he might be getting a cup of coffee, which might even be drinkable, soon. In fact, he could already smell it and smiled.
"Caron, my friend…" The Lieutenant turned to smile at his XO and froze in shock.
There was a man in the machine-gun nest carrying a cup of steaming coffee, in fact, there were two of them, each holding a metal cup. However, neither of them were Republic soldiers! Andre opened his mouth to scream a warning but no sound came out. To his horror, he found he couldn't move anything but his eyes and could only stare at the apparition, that took a sip of his coffee.
The strangers were Imperial Stormtroopers – complete with their metal breastplates, covered by harnesses loaded with equipment. They had no business being here, obviously, and even stranger, one of them didn't appear to be wet at all. That man sipped his coffee again, Andre's coffee, damn him, and looked at the Lieutenant with glowing demonic eyes.
At that point, the field phone rang, and even as horror dawned upon Andre he found himself glad about the timing! He wouldn't be able to answer and Command would know their lines were breached so they could get those bastards!
The glowing eyes bore straight into Andre's soul and he felt indescribable pressure building within his skull. He heard someone screaming as if they were dying torn by artillery and only distantly noted that the agonizing voice sounded like his own, oddly enough.
Lieutenant Bisset stumbled, idly noticing he could move again and felt something warm on his face. His arms spasmodically grasped for the field phone and his face contorted into rictus grin – he was about to raise the alarm! Andre picked up the phone, dutifully listened to the questions coming from the other side, then calmly answered in a bored tone that sounded perfectly normal to his ears.
"Our sector is secure, sir. Only mud and rain, no one could get through the no-man's land over here." Andre couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. He wanted to scream, yet now he couldn't. "We'll remain vigilant until relieved, sir!" His mouth promised earnestly and he put down the phone.
"You can rest now, soldier." A stranger's voice echoed in his mind and the world tilted around. Andre stared at the back of the machine-gun nest, seeing more Imperial Stormtroopers and even Mages filling up the trench, then he knew no more.
=TDD=
Tanya found herself gasping for air and leaning on a trench wall. She could hear again, though the sounds coming from all around her were distant and distorted. Without using magic, just crossing the short blasted hellscape between the front-lines was more than enough to take everything she had and then some. She knew that without Sergeant Schones and Visha, she would have never made it this far. The prospect of continuing without the aid of her magic giving her additional strength and endurance was frankly terrifying! This was one of the few times, Tanya had to outright admit to herself that she couldn't possibly go on – even if the mind was willing, the flesh was weak.
She was too busy gasping for air and wondering how dignified would be to ask the Sergeant to continue carrying her, because there was no turning back now when a tall, dark figure loomed over her. Tanya slowly raised her head and dully stared at the architect of her current woes, who looked back with a hint of concern then shoved something at her. It took Tanya a few moments to figure out that it was a metal can mostly full of hot coffee… How did he get that over here, in that weather no less?!
"Sergeant, the Lieutenant here is an important asset. Make sure she makes it to the point where she could safely use her magic." Veiel told Schones, then walked away, practically melting in the twilight.
Once again, Tanya felt like screaming obscenities at the man, yet she carefully held the offered coffee in a death grip and gingerly brought the cup to her lips. Things were about to get even worse from there on, she just knew it! Damn Being X and this Devil he spawned to torment her so!
Thank you! I hope I won't disappoint going forward with this idea.
Chapter 2 Part 1
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars movies, TV series, books, comics, or games. I don't own Youjo Senki/Tanya the Evil. They all belong to their respective creators and/or copyright owners. I make no money from this story. It's not for sale or rent.
Republic lines
the Rhine
Tanya hated the rain, loathed the mud and the less said about Veiel, the better. That by itself was an achievement, considering that now she had met the man twice, briefly at that. It didn't help that she knew why they were slithering through the mud like worms – the last thing anyone wanted or needed was for enemy Mages or surviving artillery units to detect them using magic and rain hell upon them, which was one of the few things that could make their situation even worse.
That didn't help Tanya, who now had to suffer the indignity of being dragged like a sack of potatoes by Sergeant Schones and a large, burly soldier from a different unit. For once, she was actually eagerly looking forward to combat, because she had tons of frustration to work through! She looked around resentfully, glaring daggers at everyone who had much less trouble making their way through the ravaged ground. Being unable to see far due to a combination of the pouring rain and that unnatural twilight Veiel used, which was anything but magic, came as a mixed blessing. On one hand, Tanya couldn't see too many people handling the slog much better than she ever could without the aid of her magic, on the other hand, she felt contained, almost claustrophobic, and worst of all, helpless.
She felt like a child being carried and she loathed every damned moment of it!
Eventually, a ripple went through the people in front of her and they froze, some kneeling, others giving hand-signs to those behind them. Tanya strained to see what was the issue while fighting down the instinctive need to call upon her magic and sharpen her senses.
She saw a Stormtrooper appear like a ghost from the twilight, looking like something out of WWII movie, which naturally meant he fit right in this crazy ride. The man silently offered directions using more hand-gestures, then waved them forward. Soon, they moved parallel to a dirt road, which now had more in common with a mud-slide. It was telling that they made better speed trudging in the countryside around it, instead on it. A short time later, Tanya figured out what the brief pause was about. The Mages walked past a group of Stormtroopers busy dragging the bodies of Republican soldiers off the road. Others knelt nearby, scanning for any other obstacles, while a small group of the armored soldiers were busy fiddling with their weapons. Tanya squinted at them and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw them exchanging thick black silencers and examining their submachine guns for any issues.
This wasn't something she had thought about, and even if she did, she might not have seen any meaningful utility to be found, especially with the available technology. Besides, even silenced weapons weren't supposed to be that quiet, right?
The more important question was who had a good idea to introduce them and make them work in the first place. In fact, the more she looked at the Stormtroopers and thought about what she had heard about them, the more they appeared like their namesakes from Earth's World War One. On the contrary, while she was by no means an authority on the subject, she used to be a humble salaryman after all, they gave the impression of Special Forces soldiers. Moderns Special Forces at that.
It was at that moment, it dawned upon Tanya that she might not be the only one from Earth, or at least the future, who had found themselves in this time and place courtesy of Being X. If she wasn't a victim of that bastard, she wouldn't have really entertained the idea and chalked all this to merely an Imperial Officer with foresight, the right ideas, and connections. Given her situation, she had to consider more arcane options. Naturally, this led her mind straight to Colonel Veiel, who had powers that weren't magic as she knew it to exist.
Who or what was that man? Was he merely another victim of Being X like herself, or was he a pawn the bastard used to make her life even more difficult? Of course, those options weren't mutually exclusive…
Tanya grit her teeth. If there was someone else from the future in the military and already causing waves, it would explain why no one paid as much attention to her sensible ideas and papers as she hoped people would! If that was the case, she would have to push herself even harder and shine brighter to be noticed and pulled away from the front! She stared in the darkness, calculating look flashing through her eyes. Could she use Veiel? He did say he had read a few of her papers and if he was from the future, he should appreciate what she was trying to achieve, perhaps an ally. Or he could see her as an obstacle to remove. Was he merely trying to do the same thing and get himself off the front as well, or worse, was he genuinely happy to go throw himself into the fire, like so many of her fellow soldiers appeared to be contrary to all common sense?!
More crawling through the mud followed, all the while, Tanya's mind raced with possibilities, many of them terrible as far as her hopes and dreams went. There was hope in the far end of the tunnel of course, at least as long as she was able to keep her emotions in check and try to see the bright side of the situation. Eventually, the twilight began to slowly disperse. First, Tanya could hear the rain, which showed no hint of abating, then the echo of distant thunder. At first, she was sure it was merely natural one, though soon enough the sound of distant artillery chased it away. It seemed that the diversion Veiel promised was still ongoing. More importantly, there were no enemy shells raining upon them, just the ordinary, cold, sticky, and still very nasty rain.
Needless to say, Tanya was no longer happy about the storm.
Fifteen years old Otto Skorzeny felt pure exhilaration. This was what he wanted, what he lived for! No rotting in a factory for him, even though such jobs were certainly important. Ever since he could remember, he had wanted to be part of the Imperial Military, to protect the Fatherland, no matter what! When rumors of war began surfacing, he moved heaven and earth, begged, lied, did everything he could to enlist. He had been sure that the old NCO handling his case saw right through him, yet the grizzled veteran merely smirked, nodded in understanding, and stamped the necessary papers, declaring him just old enough to be picked up for training. What followed was tough, tougher than the Sergeant warned him about, it was both just like he had imagined it to be, yet so much different and better.
He still wasn't entirely sure how he managed to barely drag himself through the Stormtrooper selection course, which he finished dead on his feet and not entirely aware where he was, yet he somehow passed. All he could remember was Lieutenant-Colonel Veiel staring at him with an odd, satisfied smile, before giving everyone who managed to survive selection an electrifying speech.
What followed was pure hell. Otto had thought that basic training and the selection was hell. Stormtrooper training pushed him to his limits and beyond. Multiple times he was almost ready to quit because he had been convinced he couldn't cut – he had been spent, long before the task at hand was completed, yet every time he found additional reserves and pushed through, even though more than once he ended up all but unconscious from exhaustion.
In the end, Private Otto Skorzeny made it through, if by the skin of his teeth. Afterward? Otto was not only ready for everything, but he found that he excelled at many of the tasks, especially as he bulked up due to the intensive training and great food, not to mention growing like a weed.
Most importantly, the job was damn fun, if perilous!
There was no other way to describe sneaking through no-man's land, infiltrating the enemy defenses, cutting through the razor-wire, and when the artillery barrages moved away from the front, assaulting the Francois' positions close and personal.
He even liked the mud and rain, which while terrible to traverse, ensured that no one noticed them until they were within hand's reach of the enemy trenches. A very distinct crack sounded and over a hundred Stormtroopers threw grenades they had on hand. Before the enemy could fathom what happened, a whole section of their trenches turned into a slaughterhouse.
A number of the grenades were a special blend developed under Colonel Veiel's direction. They caused blinding flashes and deafening roar, however, unless they landed on top of you, they seldom left any permanent damage. However, in the constricted space of trenches, or within a room, the effect was as devastating as a proper grenade – the blasts left anyone caught within their area of effect blind, deaf, and dazzled. In the darkness, even a close-by detonation was enough to blind a machine-gunner, for example, buying precious time to advance and suppress, or properly neutralize a deadly position.
Under the present circumstances? When Otto charged past the last row of razor wire, ran over a buddy, who valiantly threw himself on it, relying on his armor to mitigate any damage, and jumped into the trench, there was no incoming fire. Everyone was either dead, wounded, or disabled for long enough. Skorzeny wasted no time and sprayed the first Republic soldier he saw with short controlled bursts, just like he had been painstakingly trained to use. The Francois fell with a scream, and Otto shot the next one, who blindly waved a bayoneted rifle around. More Stormtroopers jumped into the trench and the Private jerked his weapon up, struggling through racing blood and adrenaline to check his targets before even thinking about pressing the trigger.
He could hear only two machine-guns opening fire, and explosions silenced them both almost immediately. Skorzeny grinned like a maniac. They had their breach and that meant the diversion was working beautifully!
Chapter 2: It is not quiet on the Western Front
=TDD=
Part 1
=TDD=
=TDD=
Part 1
=TDD=
Republic lines
the Rhine
Tanya hated the rain, loathed the mud and the less said about Veiel, the better. That by itself was an achievement, considering that now she had met the man twice, briefly at that. It didn't help that she knew why they were slithering through the mud like worms – the last thing anyone wanted or needed was for enemy Mages or surviving artillery units to detect them using magic and rain hell upon them, which was one of the few things that could make their situation even worse.
That didn't help Tanya, who now had to suffer the indignity of being dragged like a sack of potatoes by Sergeant Schones and a large, burly soldier from a different unit. For once, she was actually eagerly looking forward to combat, because she had tons of frustration to work through! She looked around resentfully, glaring daggers at everyone who had much less trouble making their way through the ravaged ground. Being unable to see far due to a combination of the pouring rain and that unnatural twilight Veiel used, which was anything but magic, came as a mixed blessing. On one hand, Tanya couldn't see too many people handling the slog much better than she ever could without the aid of her magic, on the other hand, she felt contained, almost claustrophobic, and worst of all, helpless.
She felt like a child being carried and she loathed every damned moment of it!
Eventually, a ripple went through the people in front of her and they froze, some kneeling, others giving hand-signs to those behind them. Tanya strained to see what was the issue while fighting down the instinctive need to call upon her magic and sharpen her senses.
She saw a Stormtrooper appear like a ghost from the twilight, looking like something out of WWII movie, which naturally meant he fit right in this crazy ride. The man silently offered directions using more hand-gestures, then waved them forward. Soon, they moved parallel to a dirt road, which now had more in common with a mud-slide. It was telling that they made better speed trudging in the countryside around it, instead on it. A short time later, Tanya figured out what the brief pause was about. The Mages walked past a group of Stormtroopers busy dragging the bodies of Republican soldiers off the road. Others knelt nearby, scanning for any other obstacles, while a small group of the armored soldiers were busy fiddling with their weapons. Tanya squinted at them and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw them exchanging thick black silencers and examining their submachine guns for any issues.
This wasn't something she had thought about, and even if she did, she might not have seen any meaningful utility to be found, especially with the available technology. Besides, even silenced weapons weren't supposed to be that quiet, right?
The more important question was who had a good idea to introduce them and make them work in the first place. In fact, the more she looked at the Stormtroopers and thought about what she had heard about them, the more they appeared like their namesakes from Earth's World War One. On the contrary, while she was by no means an authority on the subject, she used to be a humble salaryman after all, they gave the impression of Special Forces soldiers. Moderns Special Forces at that.
It was at that moment, it dawned upon Tanya that she might not be the only one from Earth, or at least the future, who had found themselves in this time and place courtesy of Being X. If she wasn't a victim of that bastard, she wouldn't have really entertained the idea and chalked all this to merely an Imperial Officer with foresight, the right ideas, and connections. Given her situation, she had to consider more arcane options. Naturally, this led her mind straight to Colonel Veiel, who had powers that weren't magic as she knew it to exist.
Who or what was that man? Was he merely another victim of Being X like herself, or was he a pawn the bastard used to make her life even more difficult? Of course, those options weren't mutually exclusive…
Tanya grit her teeth. If there was someone else from the future in the military and already causing waves, it would explain why no one paid as much attention to her sensible ideas and papers as she hoped people would! If that was the case, she would have to push herself even harder and shine brighter to be noticed and pulled away from the front! She stared in the darkness, calculating look flashing through her eyes. Could she use Veiel? He did say he had read a few of her papers and if he was from the future, he should appreciate what she was trying to achieve, perhaps an ally. Or he could see her as an obstacle to remove. Was he merely trying to do the same thing and get himself off the front as well, or worse, was he genuinely happy to go throw himself into the fire, like so many of her fellow soldiers appeared to be contrary to all common sense?!
More crawling through the mud followed, all the while, Tanya's mind raced with possibilities, many of them terrible as far as her hopes and dreams went. There was hope in the far end of the tunnel of course, at least as long as she was able to keep her emotions in check and try to see the bright side of the situation. Eventually, the twilight began to slowly disperse. First, Tanya could hear the rain, which showed no hint of abating, then the echo of distant thunder. At first, she was sure it was merely natural one, though soon enough the sound of distant artillery chased it away. It seemed that the diversion Veiel promised was still ongoing. More importantly, there were no enemy shells raining upon them, just the ordinary, cold, sticky, and still very nasty rain.
Needless to say, Tanya was no longer happy about the storm.
=TDD=
Fifteen years old Otto Skorzeny felt pure exhilaration. This was what he wanted, what he lived for! No rotting in a factory for him, even though such jobs were certainly important. Ever since he could remember, he had wanted to be part of the Imperial Military, to protect the Fatherland, no matter what! When rumors of war began surfacing, he moved heaven and earth, begged, lied, did everything he could to enlist. He had been sure that the old NCO handling his case saw right through him, yet the grizzled veteran merely smirked, nodded in understanding, and stamped the necessary papers, declaring him just old enough to be picked up for training. What followed was tough, tougher than the Sergeant warned him about, it was both just like he had imagined it to be, yet so much different and better.
He still wasn't entirely sure how he managed to barely drag himself through the Stormtrooper selection course, which he finished dead on his feet and not entirely aware where he was, yet he somehow passed. All he could remember was Lieutenant-Colonel Veiel staring at him with an odd, satisfied smile, before giving everyone who managed to survive selection an electrifying speech.
What followed was pure hell. Otto had thought that basic training and the selection was hell. Stormtrooper training pushed him to his limits and beyond. Multiple times he was almost ready to quit because he had been convinced he couldn't cut – he had been spent, long before the task at hand was completed, yet every time he found additional reserves and pushed through, even though more than once he ended up all but unconscious from exhaustion.
In the end, Private Otto Skorzeny made it through, if by the skin of his teeth. Afterward? Otto was not only ready for everything, but he found that he excelled at many of the tasks, especially as he bulked up due to the intensive training and great food, not to mention growing like a weed.
Most importantly, the job was damn fun, if perilous!
There was no other way to describe sneaking through no-man's land, infiltrating the enemy defenses, cutting through the razor-wire, and when the artillery barrages moved away from the front, assaulting the Francois' positions close and personal.
He even liked the mud and rain, which while terrible to traverse, ensured that no one noticed them until they were within hand's reach of the enemy trenches. A very distinct crack sounded and over a hundred Stormtroopers threw grenades they had on hand. Before the enemy could fathom what happened, a whole section of their trenches turned into a slaughterhouse.
A number of the grenades were a special blend developed under Colonel Veiel's direction. They caused blinding flashes and deafening roar, however, unless they landed on top of you, they seldom left any permanent damage. However, in the constricted space of trenches, or within a room, the effect was as devastating as a proper grenade – the blasts left anyone caught within their area of effect blind, deaf, and dazzled. In the darkness, even a close-by detonation was enough to blind a machine-gunner, for example, buying precious time to advance and suppress, or properly neutralize a deadly position.
Under the present circumstances? When Otto charged past the last row of razor wire, ran over a buddy, who valiantly threw himself on it, relying on his armor to mitigate any damage, and jumped into the trench, there was no incoming fire. Everyone was either dead, wounded, or disabled for long enough. Skorzeny wasted no time and sprayed the first Republic soldier he saw with short controlled bursts, just like he had been painstakingly trained to use. The Francois fell with a scream, and Otto shot the next one, who blindly waved a bayoneted rifle around. More Stormtroopers jumped into the trench and the Private jerked his weapon up, struggling through racing blood and adrenaline to check his targets before even thinking about pressing the trigger.
He could hear only two machine-guns opening fire, and explosions silenced them both almost immediately. Skorzeny grinned like a maniac. They had their breach and that meant the diversion was working beautifully!
- Location
- Depends on how much of a troll Zelretch is today!
I have to say that this is an interesting take on changing the plot. Although I have to wonder if Col. Veiel is similar to Tanya and is a spiritually transmigrated immigrant courtesy of X, or something else. Also anyone else getting "The Darkness" vibes from Veiel?
Oh, he's 'immigrant' too, just not courtesy of Being X.
Chapter 2 Part 2
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars movies, TV series, books, comics, or games. I don't own Youjo Senki/Tanya the Evil. They all belong to their respective creators and/or copyright owners. I make no money from this story. It's not for sale or rent.
Republic lines
the Rhine
It didn't take long for the Republic's artillery to respond. Every cannon within range focused on the perceived assault and went into a rapid-fire mode. Steel and fire rained upon the ravaged land between the trenches. Shells slammed into mud and water, often exploding to diminished, yet still devastating effect. Even in this terrain, the curtain of artillery fire was more than enough to stop any assault cold.
Yet, there were no regiments caught in the open, no massive charge through hell, just units of eager Stormtroopers, who infiltrated and vigorously assaulted the Republic's forward positions, striking at decapitated divisions, which were slow to properly respond. At the same time, far to the north, no one raised an alarm, no calls for artillery or even reports of a probing attack. By the time the Francois' crippled divisions noticed that their lines had been infiltrated and whole companies silently butchered, they had a salient to deal with, not held by Imperial infantry.
When the sun finally rose and the storm began to break, the Imperial artillery spoke in anger. To the south, it covered the retreat of the surviving Stormtroopers, who had achieved their goal. In the north, the shelling punished any probing counter-attack aimed at the salient taken in the wake of General Veiel's infiltration. In the resulting chaos, no one noticed the infiltrators for hours, until a platoon of Francois Aerial Mages flew above them, racing for the front…
Tanya Degurechaff knew nothing of this. All she was aware of was the fact that against all odds, they were still alive and obviously unnoticed. She aimed at the Mages flying above them, her custom-made weapon feeling heavy and awkward without magic flowing through her. One moment, the enemy was barely noticeable against the overcast sky, in the next, the world grew darker and oppressive. Thick purple lighting struck, connecting heaven and earth, swatting Mage after Mage from the air, like birds caught by a raging hurricane. Or perhaps, moths coming too close to open fire was a better analogy, because one after another, the French "horses" blew up, raining sizzling debris all over the muddy Imperials.
It was a localized lightning storm, Tanya realized, and it was in no way natural. As if that wasn't bad enough, she couldn't sense any magic in the air, even if it cracked with so much energy she was sure she could touch it if she tried, something she wisely chose not to attempt. What the hell was Veiel and where did Being X dug him from?!
One of the Republic Mages appeared to be either good or lucky enough to survive the onslaught, something he did through wild maneuvering and a steep dive. It all ended with the Mage yanked out of the air and dragged down screaming, just like Veiel did with that chair. Tanya could see the Francois land right in front of the General, who dragged him up so he could place a hand on the man's forehead. Above them, the lighting storm ended and it quickly became warmer, as if a cold wind no one notices, suddenly ceased.
Tanya could barely hear the Francois speaking rapidly in French in his microphone, no less while struggling with the implications of what she just witnessed.
"Next Phase is a go. First Platoon, 205th Company, launch. Second and Third, launch in ten seconds and pursue." Veiel ordered loud and clear, then grabbed the prisoner's head with both hands and gave it a sharp twist, breaking the man's neck.
Tanya idly counted to ten, then launched, heading after the ragged, fleeing line of First Platoon, wondering if this crazy deception had a prayer of working of if they would end up blown to pieces by enemy artillery. Finally, magic raced through her small frame, giving her the strength to carry all her equipment as if it weighed nothing. She sighed in relief, leveled her flight trajectory and matched speeds so she was barely gaining on the "running" First Platoon.
Magic and adrenaline drained Tanya's weariness away, giving her clarity she hadn't enjoyed ever since the slog in the mud began. She could finally see what Being X was playing at. With something like Veiel around, working like beside her, Tanya had no way to shine brightly enough without using the Type 95 orb and praying to the bastard for salvation! While she was a good Mage, one powerful for her years, she wasn't the kind of powerhouse, who could have the power and mana reserves to accomplish what she just saw Veiel trivially do… without using magic, the bastard, but that was something she wasn't prepared to think about then and there.
Yesterday, she thought she would merely have to push herself even harder to succeed, which was fair enough, even if not pleasant. Doing so would be more dangerous after all.
Today on the other hand? Tanya glowered at the slowly growling dots that were the Mages of First Platoon. She had no choice but to use the Type 95. She had to play her cards just right, do everything she could in order to distinguish herself enough so she could get as far away from Being X's agent as possible! And to do so, Tanya had to pray to that bastard for salvation, otherwise she not only might fail to impress Command enough, she might just die in this blasted wasteland!
Being X was a bastard, she knew that. Now she knew that he was cheating, treacherous bastard too!
Tanya shook her head and grimaced. She was letting her emotions influence her too much, which was a mistake, especially here and now. She drew more mana and extended her senses. Tanya could already sense distant signatures converging upon their positions and the siren song of artillery tracking devices. If there was one good thing about this insane plan, it was the fact that it put the Aerial Mages almost within their own range of the enemy artillery, and this face pursuit, surprisingly enough, allowed them to get into firing position. She grinned, a smile that most certainly didn't belong on the face of someone of her apparent age and took hold of the Type 95.
"Believers, have faith!" Tanya proclaimed on an open channel, so everyone could hear her. Power, pure unlimited power began pouring within her. "Our beloved Lord won't abandon us!" She aimed, seeing not the golden light surrounding her lithe form and shining like a beacon under the dark clouds. "Oh, Lord! Give me the power to smite the enemies of the Fatherland! Lord, give me the strength to strike down the sinners ravaging our fair land!"
At that moment, Tanya didn't really have to think or calculate. She knew what she wanted to happen, so her magic and the Type 95 raced to make it happen. She gently squeezed the trigger and a bulled raced out, surrounded by golden, blazing Artillery Formula. Tanya fired again and again, while First and Second Platoon ended the charade and respectively raced for the flanks to engage the approaching enemy Aerial Mages, while the Third went for the Republic artillery.
Golden light lit up the horizon, consuming everything it touched.
Chapter 2: It is not quiet on the Western Front
=TDD=
Part 2
=TDD=
=TDD=
Part 2
=TDD=
Republic lines
the Rhine
It didn't take long for the Republic's artillery to respond. Every cannon within range focused on the perceived assault and went into a rapid-fire mode. Steel and fire rained upon the ravaged land between the trenches. Shells slammed into mud and water, often exploding to diminished, yet still devastating effect. Even in this terrain, the curtain of artillery fire was more than enough to stop any assault cold.
Yet, there were no regiments caught in the open, no massive charge through hell, just units of eager Stormtroopers, who infiltrated and vigorously assaulted the Republic's forward positions, striking at decapitated divisions, which were slow to properly respond. At the same time, far to the north, no one raised an alarm, no calls for artillery or even reports of a probing attack. By the time the Francois' crippled divisions noticed that their lines had been infiltrated and whole companies silently butchered, they had a salient to deal with, not held by Imperial infantry.
When the sun finally rose and the storm began to break, the Imperial artillery spoke in anger. To the south, it covered the retreat of the surviving Stormtroopers, who had achieved their goal. In the north, the shelling punished any probing counter-attack aimed at the salient taken in the wake of General Veiel's infiltration. In the resulting chaos, no one noticed the infiltrators for hours, until a platoon of Francois Aerial Mages flew above them, racing for the front…
Tanya Degurechaff knew nothing of this. All she was aware of was the fact that against all odds, they were still alive and obviously unnoticed. She aimed at the Mages flying above them, her custom-made weapon feeling heavy and awkward without magic flowing through her. One moment, the enemy was barely noticeable against the overcast sky, in the next, the world grew darker and oppressive. Thick purple lighting struck, connecting heaven and earth, swatting Mage after Mage from the air, like birds caught by a raging hurricane. Or perhaps, moths coming too close to open fire was a better analogy, because one after another, the French "horses" blew up, raining sizzling debris all over the muddy Imperials.
It was a localized lightning storm, Tanya realized, and it was in no way natural. As if that wasn't bad enough, she couldn't sense any magic in the air, even if it cracked with so much energy she was sure she could touch it if she tried, something she wisely chose not to attempt. What the hell was Veiel and where did Being X dug him from?!
One of the Republic Mages appeared to be either good or lucky enough to survive the onslaught, something he did through wild maneuvering and a steep dive. It all ended with the Mage yanked out of the air and dragged down screaming, just like Veiel did with that chair. Tanya could see the Francois land right in front of the General, who dragged him up so he could place a hand on the man's forehead. Above them, the lighting storm ended and it quickly became warmer, as if a cold wind no one notices, suddenly ceased.
Tanya could barely hear the Francois speaking rapidly in French in his microphone, no less while struggling with the implications of what she just witnessed.
"Next Phase is a go. First Platoon, 205th Company, launch. Second and Third, launch in ten seconds and pursue." Veiel ordered loud and clear, then grabbed the prisoner's head with both hands and gave it a sharp twist, breaking the man's neck.
Tanya idly counted to ten, then launched, heading after the ragged, fleeing line of First Platoon, wondering if this crazy deception had a prayer of working of if they would end up blown to pieces by enemy artillery. Finally, magic raced through her small frame, giving her the strength to carry all her equipment as if it weighed nothing. She sighed in relief, leveled her flight trajectory and matched speeds so she was barely gaining on the "running" First Platoon.
Magic and adrenaline drained Tanya's weariness away, giving her clarity she hadn't enjoyed ever since the slog in the mud began. She could finally see what Being X was playing at. With something like Veiel around, working like beside her, Tanya had no way to shine brightly enough without using the Type 95 orb and praying to the bastard for salvation! While she was a good Mage, one powerful for her years, she wasn't the kind of powerhouse, who could have the power and mana reserves to accomplish what she just saw Veiel trivially do… without using magic, the bastard, but that was something she wasn't prepared to think about then and there.
Yesterday, she thought she would merely have to push herself even harder to succeed, which was fair enough, even if not pleasant. Doing so would be more dangerous after all.
Today on the other hand? Tanya glowered at the slowly growling dots that were the Mages of First Platoon. She had no choice but to use the Type 95. She had to play her cards just right, do everything she could in order to distinguish herself enough so she could get as far away from Being X's agent as possible! And to do so, Tanya had to pray to that bastard for salvation, otherwise she not only might fail to impress Command enough, she might just die in this blasted wasteland!
Being X was a bastard, she knew that. Now she knew that he was cheating, treacherous bastard too!
Tanya shook her head and grimaced. She was letting her emotions influence her too much, which was a mistake, especially here and now. She drew more mana and extended her senses. Tanya could already sense distant signatures converging upon their positions and the siren song of artillery tracking devices. If there was one good thing about this insane plan, it was the fact that it put the Aerial Mages almost within their own range of the enemy artillery, and this face pursuit, surprisingly enough, allowed them to get into firing position. She grinned, a smile that most certainly didn't belong on the face of someone of her apparent age and took hold of the Type 95.
"Believers, have faith!" Tanya proclaimed on an open channel, so everyone could hear her. Power, pure unlimited power began pouring within her. "Our beloved Lord won't abandon us!" She aimed, seeing not the golden light surrounding her lithe form and shining like a beacon under the dark clouds. "Oh, Lord! Give me the power to smite the enemies of the Fatherland! Lord, give me the strength to strike down the sinners ravaging our fair land!"
At that moment, Tanya didn't really have to think or calculate. She knew what she wanted to happen, so her magic and the Type 95 raced to make it happen. She gently squeezed the trigger and a bulled raced out, surrounded by golden, blazing Artillery Formula. Tanya fired again and again, while First and Second Platoon ended the charade and respectively raced for the flanks to engage the approaching enemy Aerial Mages, while the Third went for the Republic artillery.
Golden light lit up the horizon, consuming everything it touched.
Chapter 2 Part 3
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars movies, TV series, books, comics, or games. I don't own Youjo Senki/Tanya the Evil. They all belong to their respective creators and/or copyright owners. I make no money from this story. It's not for sale or rent.
Republic lines
The Rhine
Those who survived the Battle of the Gap would tell tales of what they experienced that fateful day until they dying breath. Some tell about an Angel of Vengeance descending from Heaven to smite down the unfaithful. Others speak of a Devil, spreading its wings and raining hell upon Francois and Huns alike. They speak of unnatural darkness, of a freak lightning storm they saw in the distance, where the Republic Army lost a whole Platoon of Aerial Mages to the last man. They speak of the warm, welcoming radiance tearing through heavy storm-clouds and living shadows alike, of an Angel and Devil clashing above the battlefield. Some saw golden spears smiting the Francois artillery, others would swear that fire and brimstone erupted to bury whole batteries.
To no one's particular surprise, the loudest voices proclaiming that God was on their side and that they could not lose the war now, came from the Imperials soldiers, while their Republic counterparts kept whispering about the Devil of the Rhine. About the monster who decapitated whole divisions, made platoons vanish into the night without a trace and rained fire upon their artillery.
Tanya Degurechaff cared not about what would come in time. She flew upon golden wings, knew not that she did a great impression of an avenging angel smiting the Empire's enemies. Her mind was crystal clear and she was at peace. God's light flowed through her, washing away any and all doubt. There was no place for fear, neither distress nor worries about the future.
Then and there, Tanya did God's work, and that was more than enough. She emptied a third magazine into the Francois' artillery park, rendering it extinct within her range, reloaded and took a moment to look around. Below her, two whole companies of Imperial Mages fought with twice their number of their Republic counterparts, while precise bursts of fire from the ground lashed up, crippling iron steeds.
"Oh, Lord in Heaven, bless thy humble servants. Oh, Lord," Tanya spoke with a rapturous smile stretching her lips, while a silver-tinted Observation Formulas formed in front of her eyes. "Protect thy children from the wicked, dull the swords of the sinners, and give strength to the righteous!" More and more screens surrounded Tanya, forming a bright, glowing halo around her head. Her eyes flashed from target to target, marking their positions. She put even more power in the Analgestic Formula running through her, which in turn made her whole lithe frame glow with almost blinding radiance.
Tanya aimed and let go of the Formula keeping her afloat. Even with God's light giving her strength, there was only so much information flow her brain could currently process, she knew that instinctively and acted accordingly. Within moments, the Lieutenant entered free-fall and opened fire, the recoil from her carbine barely registering upon her magic-enhanced flesh. Homing Cluster Shots erupted from her weapon and soon split, seeking targets.
To those below her, it looked like an Angel rendered the sky asunder and descended upon them, raining spears of pure light. Golden lances flew at the Francois Mages. More than a few froze, staring at the impossible, while others managed to shook themselves from the vision of divinity or infernal might, and went into evasive rolls, pushing their Computation Orbs to provide as much speed and defensive magic as they could.
The sky burned in golden flames and in the resulting commotion, no one noticed the angel fly through a particularly impressive detonation of its own making, only to appear below it, slowly falling to the ground.
Among those who stared at Tanya in undisguised awe, a pair of blazing orange eyes bored into her glowing figure alive with speculation.
"You were right my love, she's such an interesting child." General Veiel's words remained unheard among the roar of firing weapons and explosions racking the heavens themselves.
He raised a hand and Tanya's fall gently slowed down, even as the golden radiance surrounding her began to dull and break into moths of lights, which formed around her, reinforcing the impression of a divine halo.
On that day, Tanya Degurechaff became known as the Devil of the Rhine to her enemies, while the Empire's citizenry heralded her as a blessed Saint sent from Heaven to aid them in their hour of need.
Imperial Strategic HQ
Berun
General Rudersdorf sat behind his desk, holding a scalding cup of coffee. Zettour sat nearby, sipping his own pitch-black coffee, reading a summary of that morning's events. There was a single picture attached to that file, taken by the 205th's Captain – it showed a certain Second Lieutenant Degurechaff diving into a massive dogfight between at least a Battalion of mages. From that angle, she did indeed look like an angel, complete with the optical illusion of golden light made of magic. It didn't help that what was noted to be an unusually high number of Observation Formulas gave the impression of both a helmet thankfully hiding her features and a halo of all things. No wonder that many of those who saw her stunts were now whispering that she was either an Angel or a saint… Rudersdorf wasn't looking forward to the circus that would ensure once this became wider knowledge and the church learned of it.
"This is a nice distraction. Are we going to use it?" Zettour eventually asked. He put the folder down and took a careful sip from his mug.
"Of course we will. Anything to keep certain people from figuring out that Veiel was right again so they could try and interfere in what needs to be done." Kurt grunted. He glared at his coffee, which was the first batch from the second pot he had since yesterday began, and took a deep breath, forcing his acting up emotions under control. The lack of sleep, caffeine, and general stress of the job was getting to him, which while understandable, was no excuse to lose his composure, especially when speaking with a friend and ally.
"All preliminary reports, intelligence intercepts, and recon flights agree, the Francois' can react defensively much faster than our infantry formations could offensively. Just like ours could while on the defense against them." Zettour ignored his superior's slip in manners. "This is in line with what we've been noticing on the different fronts we're engaged on, even against Dakia, and their army while large is mostly a joke. We can be pretty sure now that Veiel's ideas in that regard are correct."
"That's one of the reasons why I authorized Operation Headhunter," Rudersdorf admitted. "I have no intention of presiding over another bloodbath."
"Initially 315 did work, more or less as advertised."
"That's one way to look at it," Kurt grumbled.
"That's how some of our esteemed colleagues see it, it's what they tell their friends in the government." Zettour sipped his coffee, grimaced, and put the cup down.
"We have the numbers to win as long as the Republic plays our game, however, I don't want to think about the butcher's bill. We butchered half the Dakian army while standing on tactical defense, and when it comes time to push the Francois back, I'm afraid they might make us bleed for every step of soil we take."
"We're going to back Veiel in his Combined Arms experiment, aren't we?"
"It works, on a small scale and under more or less controlled conditions. He'll have the opportunity to test it against the Francois and if he makes it work well enough, I'll do what I can to ensure we can implement his ideas on an even larger scale. You'll support your protegee as well, won't you, Hans?"
"For better or worse," Zettour confirmed. "We're playing on his tune even now. Are you going to use his suggestions from that public relations paper?" Hans tapped a finger on the closed folder, which showed an edge of Degurechaff's picture.
"There are some good ideas in there, while others aren't simply radical, they sound insane." Rudersdorf's face clearly showed his distaste. "Then again, it's not like we're unfamiliar with propaganda, no matter how far Veiel suggests we push it." Kurt stood up, went to the far wall, and removed part of the wooden paneling, revealing a metal safe. He entered the combination, opened it, and removed two sealed folders, before sealing the safe, hiding it again and returning to his seat. He threw one folder on his desk and opened the other, revealing the name of the file it contained: Combined Arms Warfare by Lieutenant-Colonel Dieter Veiel.
Zettour looked for permission and when Kurt nodded, he took the other folder and opened it. On Warfare and Public Perception by Major Dieter Veiel, it read.
"How much of this are we going to use?" Zettour inquired.
"How much do we dare use?" Rudersdorf countered.
Chapter 2: It is not quiet on the Western Front
=TDD=
Part 3
=TDD=
=TDD=
Part 3
=TDD=
Republic lines
The Rhine
Those who survived the Battle of the Gap would tell tales of what they experienced that fateful day until they dying breath. Some tell about an Angel of Vengeance descending from Heaven to smite down the unfaithful. Others speak of a Devil, spreading its wings and raining hell upon Francois and Huns alike. They speak of unnatural darkness, of a freak lightning storm they saw in the distance, where the Republic Army lost a whole Platoon of Aerial Mages to the last man. They speak of the warm, welcoming radiance tearing through heavy storm-clouds and living shadows alike, of an Angel and Devil clashing above the battlefield. Some saw golden spears smiting the Francois artillery, others would swear that fire and brimstone erupted to bury whole batteries.
To no one's particular surprise, the loudest voices proclaiming that God was on their side and that they could not lose the war now, came from the Imperials soldiers, while their Republic counterparts kept whispering about the Devil of the Rhine. About the monster who decapitated whole divisions, made platoons vanish into the night without a trace and rained fire upon their artillery.
Tanya Degurechaff cared not about what would come in time. She flew upon golden wings, knew not that she did a great impression of an avenging angel smiting the Empire's enemies. Her mind was crystal clear and she was at peace. God's light flowed through her, washing away any and all doubt. There was no place for fear, neither distress nor worries about the future.
Then and there, Tanya did God's work, and that was more than enough. She emptied a third magazine into the Francois' artillery park, rendering it extinct within her range, reloaded and took a moment to look around. Below her, two whole companies of Imperial Mages fought with twice their number of their Republic counterparts, while precise bursts of fire from the ground lashed up, crippling iron steeds.
"Oh, Lord in Heaven, bless thy humble servants. Oh, Lord," Tanya spoke with a rapturous smile stretching her lips, while a silver-tinted Observation Formulas formed in front of her eyes. "Protect thy children from the wicked, dull the swords of the sinners, and give strength to the righteous!" More and more screens surrounded Tanya, forming a bright, glowing halo around her head. Her eyes flashed from target to target, marking their positions. She put even more power in the Analgestic Formula running through her, which in turn made her whole lithe frame glow with almost blinding radiance.
Tanya aimed and let go of the Formula keeping her afloat. Even with God's light giving her strength, there was only so much information flow her brain could currently process, she knew that instinctively and acted accordingly. Within moments, the Lieutenant entered free-fall and opened fire, the recoil from her carbine barely registering upon her magic-enhanced flesh. Homing Cluster Shots erupted from her weapon and soon split, seeking targets.
To those below her, it looked like an Angel rendered the sky asunder and descended upon them, raining spears of pure light. Golden lances flew at the Francois Mages. More than a few froze, staring at the impossible, while others managed to shook themselves from the vision of divinity or infernal might, and went into evasive rolls, pushing their Computation Orbs to provide as much speed and defensive magic as they could.
The sky burned in golden flames and in the resulting commotion, no one noticed the angel fly through a particularly impressive detonation of its own making, only to appear below it, slowly falling to the ground.
Among those who stared at Tanya in undisguised awe, a pair of blazing orange eyes bored into her glowing figure alive with speculation.
"You were right my love, she's such an interesting child." General Veiel's words remained unheard among the roar of firing weapons and explosions racking the heavens themselves.
He raised a hand and Tanya's fall gently slowed down, even as the golden radiance surrounding her began to dull and break into moths of lights, which formed around her, reinforcing the impression of a divine halo.
On that day, Tanya Degurechaff became known as the Devil of the Rhine to her enemies, while the Empire's citizenry heralded her as a blessed Saint sent from Heaven to aid them in their hour of need.
=TDD=
Imperial Strategic HQ
Berun
General Rudersdorf sat behind his desk, holding a scalding cup of coffee. Zettour sat nearby, sipping his own pitch-black coffee, reading a summary of that morning's events. There was a single picture attached to that file, taken by the 205th's Captain – it showed a certain Second Lieutenant Degurechaff diving into a massive dogfight between at least a Battalion of mages. From that angle, she did indeed look like an angel, complete with the optical illusion of golden light made of magic. It didn't help that what was noted to be an unusually high number of Observation Formulas gave the impression of both a helmet thankfully hiding her features and a halo of all things. No wonder that many of those who saw her stunts were now whispering that she was either an Angel or a saint… Rudersdorf wasn't looking forward to the circus that would ensure once this became wider knowledge and the church learned of it.
"This is a nice distraction. Are we going to use it?" Zettour eventually asked. He put the folder down and took a careful sip from his mug.
"Of course we will. Anything to keep certain people from figuring out that Veiel was right again so they could try and interfere in what needs to be done." Kurt grunted. He glared at his coffee, which was the first batch from the second pot he had since yesterday began, and took a deep breath, forcing his acting up emotions under control. The lack of sleep, caffeine, and general stress of the job was getting to him, which while understandable, was no excuse to lose his composure, especially when speaking with a friend and ally.
"All preliminary reports, intelligence intercepts, and recon flights agree, the Francois' can react defensively much faster than our infantry formations could offensively. Just like ours could while on the defense against them." Zettour ignored his superior's slip in manners. "This is in line with what we've been noticing on the different fronts we're engaged on, even against Dakia, and their army while large is mostly a joke. We can be pretty sure now that Veiel's ideas in that regard are correct."
"That's one of the reasons why I authorized Operation Headhunter," Rudersdorf admitted. "I have no intention of presiding over another bloodbath."
"Initially 315 did work, more or less as advertised."
"That's one way to look at it," Kurt grumbled.
"That's how some of our esteemed colleagues see it, it's what they tell their friends in the government." Zettour sipped his coffee, grimaced, and put the cup down.
"We have the numbers to win as long as the Republic plays our game, however, I don't want to think about the butcher's bill. We butchered half the Dakian army while standing on tactical defense, and when it comes time to push the Francois back, I'm afraid they might make us bleed for every step of soil we take."
"We're going to back Veiel in his Combined Arms experiment, aren't we?"
"It works, on a small scale and under more or less controlled conditions. He'll have the opportunity to test it against the Francois and if he makes it work well enough, I'll do what I can to ensure we can implement his ideas on an even larger scale. You'll support your protegee as well, won't you, Hans?"
"For better or worse," Zettour confirmed. "We're playing on his tune even now. Are you going to use his suggestions from that public relations paper?" Hans tapped a finger on the closed folder, which showed an edge of Degurechaff's picture.
"There are some good ideas in there, while others aren't simply radical, they sound insane." Rudersdorf's face clearly showed his distaste. "Then again, it's not like we're unfamiliar with propaganda, no matter how far Veiel suggests we push it." Kurt stood up, went to the far wall, and removed part of the wooden paneling, revealing a metal safe. He entered the combination, opened it, and removed two sealed folders, before sealing the safe, hiding it again and returning to his seat. He threw one folder on his desk and opened the other, revealing the name of the file it contained: Combined Arms Warfare by Lieutenant-Colonel Dieter Veiel.
Zettour looked for permission and when Kurt nodded, he took the other folder and opened it. On Warfare and Public Perception by Major Dieter Veiel, it read.
"How much of this are we going to use?" Zettour inquired.
"How much do we dare use?" Rudersdorf countered.
Last edited:
- Location
- Depends on how much of a troll Zelretch is today!
So Veiel is either a Gray Jedi who is able to draw upon the dark side of the force without overly being effected mentally or a Sith with the same persuasion. The thing I can't figure out is his love is the Force itself or a lover/wife who either saw Tanya first hand or saw her in a force vision.
He's a "light-ish" Sith. As far as his love goes, it will be revealed later in the story.
- Location
- Anchorage, Alaska
i see...so light side playthrough of a sith campaign then. Sure he is a crazy blood-thirsty bastard, but everything he does is with a purpose, and he doesn't drink the dark-side coolaid. if anything he moderates all the Sith stuff...issue is, well...i don't look forward to when you REALLY push a Light-side sith. Because those guys can and WILL fuck you over in so many ways. Like a good man going to war, or a patriot of an empire deciding that its absolutely time to REALLY fuck up the enemies day and make as many of the other side die for their country/nation.
In my mind, it was the "Light Side-Sith" who built and made the Sith Empire of the SWTOR possible in the first place, because even with the Emperor watching them closely, a stereotypical Sith majority would have torn it appart long before it could build up to the point to be a credible threat to the Old Republic. In the same vein, it would depend on which kind of Sith could emerge in charge of the Empire after the losses of the war during the Cold War that followed, to decide if the Empire could have won round two against the Republic or if it would have torn itself appart due to infighting.
Chapter 2 Part 4
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars movies, TV series, books, comics, or games. I don't own Youjo Senki/Tanya the Evil. They all belong to their respective creators and/or copyright owners. I make no money from this story. It's not for sale or rent.
Plan 315, it was the answer of the Empire's military for their strategic predicament. While due to it's sheer size, resources, and population, the Empire was a nearly unrivaled industrial and military power, it was surrounded by several powerful countries, many of them hostile to its interests. While not a single one of them could hope to stand up to the Empire alone, an alliance, or even mere co-belligerence by a number of them, was a nightmare scenario for the Imperial strategic planners. Thus Plan 315 was born. It was simple in concept, if certainly not in execution – have the various armies covering the borders conduct a delaying action, while the great majority of the Imperial army gathered into a single, mobile offensive force, which would, in turn, crush the military and capability to wage an offensive war of each of the Empire's neighbor one after another.
315 was an audacious plan, meant to make great use of the well-developed Imperial infrastructure, especially the comprehensive rail network interconnecting everything of importance within the Empire. There was no question in the minds of the Officers who created the plan, that such a massive commitment of men and resources could crush every single one of the countries surrounding the Empire in relatively short order.
The General Staff decided to mobilize the whole continental army early in March 1923, in response to the Norden Incident and border violations at the Legadonia's border, which was seen as a clear and present danger due to Legadonia being a member of the Entente Alliance...
As originally envisioned, Plan 315 would have left no meaningful reserves to cover any of the fronts where the bulk of the Imperial army wasn't offensively deployed. The primary reasons for that reasoning were twofold. First, the need for a quick and decisive victory, which demanded the deployment of an overwhelming force against a single enemy and thus avoiding a war of attrition on multiple fronts. Second, it was the belief among many members of the General Staff that the Empire would have the luxury of facing a limited number of enemies at a time, allowing the Imperial military to defeat them in detail.
However, several Officers disagreed with important portions of the original Plan 315. They cautioned that trying to push too fast, too hard, considering the technological and logistical limitations at the time, especially when going on the offensive, could lead to both higher casualties than necessary to achieve the objective and the Empire potentially running out of trained manpower before it could knock out all hostile powers surrounding it. Another important consideration was the potential inability of the border armies to hold the line while the bulk of the military was committed all the way across the continent fighting a different enemy, something that the original Plan 315 didn't really account for.
It took nearly a year of negotiations, political clashes, and revisions until an overhauled version of Plan 315 was accepted as the Empire's definitive war plan in case of a potential conflict with the Entente and its other neighbor. This version of the plan called for a more conservative timetable for offensive operations, better stockpiling of ammunition, relying on more firepower than initially allocated for cracking enemy defensive lines before launching assaults, and more importantly, the creation of a Strategic Reserve meant to act in case the border armies were not up to the task of holding the line, a something that was most likely to happen if the Francois Republic joined a war against the Empire early, thus opening a second, or even a third front…
Republic lines
The Rhine
There was a lot to be said about Panzer warfare, it was the future, and Major Erwin Romel was glad to be one of the people writing the book about it. There was nothing like riding as a tank commander, racing through enemy fire, piercing their defense lines, and going to raise havoc in their rear areas.
At least that was what multiple training exercises pointed at, with the only real snag being defenses in-depth and air-power, when you lacked decent counter for it. Artillery too, at least in theory, however, Panzers had the mobility to avoid the worst of it as long as they weren't pinned in place.
Now it was finally time to put all that training and theorizing in practice, and Romel was gleeful that he General Staff chose him as one of the pioneers to do it. Even better, the enemy was distracted and fixed in a particular sector of the central-western front, which with a bit of luck might allow the Second Panzer Division to bag a nice chunk of the Francois' army.
Those were all good things, unfortunately, this being the army, nothing was all good. It was an axiom. Like the fact that Erwin currently wasn't ridding in his command, brand-new Panzer III, not even a fast becoming obsolete Panzer II, which was still the workhorse of the Imperial armored units. Instead, Romel, along with the rest of his Battalion, had to suffer the indignity of being driven around in the back of a six-wheeled truck, while just shy of three hundred Sd. Kfz. 5 heavy half-tracks carried their combat vehicles to a staging area just shy of the front.
It didn't help that with the SDKs leading, everyone had to choke on thick diesel fumes, making it for a particularly unpleasant trip from the closest major railway junction to this sector of the front. It was just twenty kilometers to the staging area, but still! The sheer indignity was galling! Even worse, crossing that short distance, disembarking, and then reaching jump-off positions for the assault took most of the night, primarily due to the whole area being ravaged by massive artillery exchanges… which led to one of the bright points.
Whatever Veiel and his maniacs did over the past few weeks, it significantly weakened the enemy artillery park or so all the intelligence estimates Romel had seen claimed. Even better, over the past few days, the crazy bastard had been headhunting enemy Aerial Mages, thus removing one of the major threats to the Second Panzer Division.
At 03:00 in the morning, all across the western front, the Imperial guns thundered, beginning what would be one of the most intense barrages in the war up to that point. Until dawn-break, 10 and 15 cm guns constantly hammered the Republic lines, while dedicated batteries did their best to plaster known and suspected Francois artillery positions. Far behind the front, a huge, brand-new railway gun meant to crack fortresses opened fire, aiming at railway junctions, which the Republic could use to reinforce any breakthrough in their lines.
At the same time, Heinkel bomber squadrons took flight, escorted by a small number of precious night fighters, and headed for railway hubs deeper behind the front.
The objective of the exercise was simple – disrupt the enemy, achieve a breakthrough, and encircle several Francois divisions, which were currently exposed after redeploying to contain and destroy Veiel's Stormtroopers, and Aerial Mages.
At dawn, every single combat-capable Stormtrooper in the west was in position, either already busy infiltrating the Republican lines, while artillery kept the enemy's heads down, or were gathered in squad strength behind Romel's tanks, ready to provide infantry support for the breakthrough.
A few minutes after dawn, green flares lit up the sky above the first line of Francois trenches.
"Forward!" Romel gleefully ordered and ducked down into his Panzer's cupola, closing the commander's hatch above his head.
"We're going, Major!" Emil, Erwin's driver warned and then the Panzer III roared to life, purring like an eager big cat.
Three hundred tanks and armored cars raced into the no-man's land followed by thousands of Stormtroopers and veterans from the fighting in the Rhine.
Chapter 2: It is not quiet on the Western Front
=TDD=
Part 4
=TDD=
=TDD=
Part 4
=TDD=
Plan 315, it was the answer of the Empire's military for their strategic predicament. While due to it's sheer size, resources, and population, the Empire was a nearly unrivaled industrial and military power, it was surrounded by several powerful countries, many of them hostile to its interests. While not a single one of them could hope to stand up to the Empire alone, an alliance, or even mere co-belligerence by a number of them, was a nightmare scenario for the Imperial strategic planners. Thus Plan 315 was born. It was simple in concept, if certainly not in execution – have the various armies covering the borders conduct a delaying action, while the great majority of the Imperial army gathered into a single, mobile offensive force, which would, in turn, crush the military and capability to wage an offensive war of each of the Empire's neighbor one after another.
315 was an audacious plan, meant to make great use of the well-developed Imperial infrastructure, especially the comprehensive rail network interconnecting everything of importance within the Empire. There was no question in the minds of the Officers who created the plan, that such a massive commitment of men and resources could crush every single one of the countries surrounding the Empire in relatively short order.
The General Staff decided to mobilize the whole continental army early in March 1923, in response to the Norden Incident and border violations at the Legadonia's border, which was seen as a clear and present danger due to Legadonia being a member of the Entente Alliance...
As originally envisioned, Plan 315 would have left no meaningful reserves to cover any of the fronts where the bulk of the Imperial army wasn't offensively deployed. The primary reasons for that reasoning were twofold. First, the need for a quick and decisive victory, which demanded the deployment of an overwhelming force against a single enemy and thus avoiding a war of attrition on multiple fronts. Second, it was the belief among many members of the General Staff that the Empire would have the luxury of facing a limited number of enemies at a time, allowing the Imperial military to defeat them in detail.
However, several Officers disagreed with important portions of the original Plan 315. They cautioned that trying to push too fast, too hard, considering the technological and logistical limitations at the time, especially when going on the offensive, could lead to both higher casualties than necessary to achieve the objective and the Empire potentially running out of trained manpower before it could knock out all hostile powers surrounding it. Another important consideration was the potential inability of the border armies to hold the line while the bulk of the military was committed all the way across the continent fighting a different enemy, something that the original Plan 315 didn't really account for.
It took nearly a year of negotiations, political clashes, and revisions until an overhauled version of Plan 315 was accepted as the Empire's definitive war plan in case of a potential conflict with the Entente and its other neighbor. This version of the plan called for a more conservative timetable for offensive operations, better stockpiling of ammunition, relying on more firepower than initially allocated for cracking enemy defensive lines before launching assaults, and more importantly, the creation of a Strategic Reserve meant to act in case the border armies were not up to the task of holding the line, a something that was most likely to happen if the Francois Republic joined a war against the Empire early, thus opening a second, or even a third front…
History of the Great War,
by the Imperial War College
by the Imperial War College
=TDD=
Republic lines
The Rhine
There was a lot to be said about Panzer warfare, it was the future, and Major Erwin Romel was glad to be one of the people writing the book about it. There was nothing like riding as a tank commander, racing through enemy fire, piercing their defense lines, and going to raise havoc in their rear areas.
At least that was what multiple training exercises pointed at, with the only real snag being defenses in-depth and air-power, when you lacked decent counter for it. Artillery too, at least in theory, however, Panzers had the mobility to avoid the worst of it as long as they weren't pinned in place.
Now it was finally time to put all that training and theorizing in practice, and Romel was gleeful that he General Staff chose him as one of the pioneers to do it. Even better, the enemy was distracted and fixed in a particular sector of the central-western front, which with a bit of luck might allow the Second Panzer Division to bag a nice chunk of the Francois' army.
Those were all good things, unfortunately, this being the army, nothing was all good. It was an axiom. Like the fact that Erwin currently wasn't ridding in his command, brand-new Panzer III, not even a fast becoming obsolete Panzer II, which was still the workhorse of the Imperial armored units. Instead, Romel, along with the rest of his Battalion, had to suffer the indignity of being driven around in the back of a six-wheeled truck, while just shy of three hundred Sd. Kfz. 5 heavy half-tracks carried their combat vehicles to a staging area just shy of the front.
It didn't help that with the SDKs leading, everyone had to choke on thick diesel fumes, making it for a particularly unpleasant trip from the closest major railway junction to this sector of the front. It was just twenty kilometers to the staging area, but still! The sheer indignity was galling! Even worse, crossing that short distance, disembarking, and then reaching jump-off positions for the assault took most of the night, primarily due to the whole area being ravaged by massive artillery exchanges… which led to one of the bright points.
Whatever Veiel and his maniacs did over the past few weeks, it significantly weakened the enemy artillery park or so all the intelligence estimates Romel had seen claimed. Even better, over the past few days, the crazy bastard had been headhunting enemy Aerial Mages, thus removing one of the major threats to the Second Panzer Division.
=TDD=
At 03:00 in the morning, all across the western front, the Imperial guns thundered, beginning what would be one of the most intense barrages in the war up to that point. Until dawn-break, 10 and 15 cm guns constantly hammered the Republic lines, while dedicated batteries did their best to plaster known and suspected Francois artillery positions. Far behind the front, a huge, brand-new railway gun meant to crack fortresses opened fire, aiming at railway junctions, which the Republic could use to reinforce any breakthrough in their lines.
At the same time, Heinkel bomber squadrons took flight, escorted by a small number of precious night fighters, and headed for railway hubs deeper behind the front.
The objective of the exercise was simple – disrupt the enemy, achieve a breakthrough, and encircle several Francois divisions, which were currently exposed after redeploying to contain and destroy Veiel's Stormtroopers, and Aerial Mages.
At dawn, every single combat-capable Stormtrooper in the west was in position, either already busy infiltrating the Republican lines, while artillery kept the enemy's heads down, or were gathered in squad strength behind Romel's tanks, ready to provide infantry support for the breakthrough.
A few minutes after dawn, green flares lit up the sky above the first line of Francois trenches.
"Forward!" Romel gleefully ordered and ducked down into his Panzer's cupola, closing the commander's hatch above his head.
"We're going, Major!" Emil, Erwin's driver warned and then the Panzer III roared to life, purring like an eager big cat.
Three hundred tanks and armored cars raced into the no-man's land followed by thousands of Stormtroopers and veterans from the fighting in the Rhine.
Last edited:
Battleship_Fusou
(The Itty-Bitty Pretty Battleship Kitty)
- Location
- Surigao Strait
This... this has a lot of interesting promise. I look forward to seeing where you go with it.
Thanks! The way I see it, after this chapter is done, we'll be going to the past to see all kinds of butterflies flapping their wings.
Chapter 2 Part 5
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars movies, TV series, books, comics, or games. I don't own Youjo Senki/Tanya the Evil. They all belong to their respective creators and/or copyright owners. I make no money from this story. It's not for sale or rent.
Republic lines
The Rhine
The plan for the attack didn't survive intact going through the no-man's land. It turned out that while tanks and half-tracks could move through the ravaged ground with relative ease, the same couldn't be said about the infantry supposed to use them as cover and provide support when attacking the next line of Francois trenches. At that point, the radios installed in every vehicle of the Second Panzer Division proved their worth for the first time during actual combat operations. Almost as soon as vehicle crews noticed their infantry support lagging and informed their superiors, the advancing armor dramatically slowed down, hatches opened and their commanders called the infantry to pile up, at least until they faced actual resistance or reached more intact ground, whatever came first.
Otto found that god-sent. Infiltrating through the muddy, bombed-out mess between the opposing trenches had been a pain in the ass even when you had a few hours for it in relative safety in the middle of the night. Trying to cross the same distance fast at the break of dawn, right behind countless tracked vehicles which chugged the muddy ground in even more of a mess was a literal walk through hell, with only enemy artillery missing, yet, which was the reason they were hurrying up in the first place. It was just that, the hurry-up part wasn't working for the infantry, because with almost every step Skorzeny had to struggle to drag his boots from the grasping hold of sticky mud. When the armor slowed down to the crawl and the calls to get on came all across the line, he was one of the first to scramble up the rear of a square Panzer, while being very careful to keep his hands off the hot engine compartment. More Stormtroopers got on the tank, holding for whatever they could, and soon the advance continued, while they had to hold for dear life as the machine roared below them and shook as it tore its way through the mud.
The distinct tearing sound of heavy machine guns carried across the no-man's ground, ominously clear even over the roar of hundreds of engines. So much for passing the first line of defense before the enemy was none the wiser like so many hoped. It wouldn't be long now before artillery opened upon them, Otto just knew it. All he could do was hold, while the tank below him roared and lurched forward at what was most definitely not safe speed for anyone riding on top of it. He looked around, seeing the same picture repeat itself all around him.
The next surprise didn't come in the form of Francois artillery raining on their heads, which was pretty much the one part of the plan which worked without a hitch so far. Instead, it was the drone of numerous engines, which soon became more distinct and the sky almost darkened again, this time because of low flying Stukas passing above almost low enough to touch, with sleek fighters flying right above them. The air-raid passed them by, followed by tiny in comparison figures darting through the sky in its wake.
Otto knew that this was supposed to be a major offensive, the first fully combined arms one if the rumors he heard were true. This, however? This was something new and exciting, almost making it up for all the slog accompanying the fun parts of the past few days.
The Panzer suddenly slowed and Skorzeny figured out that they've reached the first trench line, which his fellow Stormtroopers took earlier. A series of sharp explosions came from directly in front of the tank, marking the demolition of that part of the fortification and much easier access for the vehicles.
They almost made it before the Francois artillery finally concentrated on the breach. Most of the armored division and those riding on top of its vehicles did cross through before Republic artillery began hammering the no-man's ground, catching some supporting infantry who couldn't hitch a ride. While that would have unpleasant repercussions later, the Second Panzer Division managed to cross the first trench line without coming under direct or indirect fire. By the time they spread out again and headed for the second, it was already under sustained air attack, with Stukas screaming as they dove against strong-points, fighters strafed anything that moved and aerial-mages did their murderous thing, blowing up anyone who dared raise their head.
It was there, that the infantry jumped off the Panzers and took cover behind them, while the tanks advanced at a jogging pace and opened fire with cannon and machine-guns. The resulting cacophony was deafening. Otto found he could hear nothing but the thunder of weapons and the scream of planes dancing overhead. However, he could feel cannons firing and explosions going off nearby. While there was no heavy artillery hitting them, light mortars raised their ugly heads and made it that much more important to get close and personal with the Francois.
Even if Francois were shooting at him, Otto had to admit that this was better, by a large margin. The ground was still muddy here, however this area had avoided extensive shelling so following the tanks was much easier. There were the two added benefits of the enemy concentrating their attention on the scary tanks coming at them, with multiple machine-guns sending streams of tracers at the armor, which made the god-awful racket even worse if that was at all possible, only to be singled out with extreme prejudice by the tanks, which lobbed beautiful HE rounds at the machine-gun nests.
An assault, which would have been pure murder for infantry, even with extensive artillery and armor support, turned into an exhilarating experience, which was anything but suicidal. Soon, there wasn't a single Francois machine-gun left in range to scythe through the Imperial infantry. Here and now, it was Skorzeny and the other Stormtrooper's chance to shine. All the infantry stuck safe and sound in the APCs were meant to assault and hold ground deeper in enemy territory. It was the Stormtroopers' job to storm the second defense line and allow for a breakthrough so the armor could exploit it.
"Smoke!" A Sergeant roared, his voice somehow slicing through the deafening sound of weapons. Dozens of soldiers threw gray painted cylinders and within moments, rolling waves of smoke billowed out of its hissing containers. "Advance!" The NCO barked again and the Stormtroopers, augmented by other assorted veteran infantry launched their assault, moving low to the ground, while the tanks slowed down to a crawl and kept the enemy's heads down.
Just ten Panzers went forward, shooting HE rounds at barbed wire stakes or outright trampling it below their tracks, stopping just shy of the trenches themselves, wary of brave Francois with satchel charges of grenade packs. The Stormtroopers didn't slow down. A number of the leading men threw themselves at the razor wire, counting on their armor to minimize the damage, while whole squads, then companies passed over them, heavily bruising them if they were lucky.
The assault continued with barely a slow-down, and as soon as they were in the range of the trenches, the Stormtroopers had all the time in the world to draw grenades, aim and lob them inside, while squad-mates shot controlled burst at anyone daring to show up their heads.
It wasn't all one-sided slaughter, unfortunately. While the Francois didn't dare show their faces to be blown off, many had the right idea and began lobbing off their grenades in the general direction of the advancing Imperials. Explosions rocked this whole section of the front, then the Stormtroopers raced over the trenches edge and jumped inside, emptying SMG magazines at anything which had the temerity to move. The still alive Francois responded viciously, with rifles, bayonets, shotguns, pistols, and trenching tools, making for a short, but vicious brawl.
Otto shot two Francois in the back, while they were busy trying to stab one of his buddies, then a third, who lurched from the ground as a blood-soaked apparition. His SMG clicked empty and he changed the magazine with practice ease born from endless hours of drill. It was then and there when that odd repetitive training saves his life. Another Francois came at him, erupting from a half-collapsed side of the trench, where he had been mostly buried. The man was wild, screaming incoherently, while blood and dirt mixed all over his face. The maniac swung at Otto with a shovel, nearly taking his left hand off, only for the Stormtrooper to empty halve a magazine into the bastard before the man finally collapsed in a shower of blood and gore. Otto looked wildly around, scanning for any other deadly surprises only to see fellow Stormtroopers doing the same. If there were Francois left, they either weren't in this section of the trench line or had the good sense to play dead.
"Police the bodies and set up the charges!" The Sergeant barked again, coming from a cloud of smoke like a specter. He had a smoking SMG in one hand, while he held a rag to his bleeding neck with the other. "And call a medic once we have a free one." He added. "Watch your heads as well!" The NCO shouted just before the roar of engines drowned everything else and tanks raced to cross the kind of freshly secured trench.
Chapter 2: It is not quiet on the Western Front
=TDD=
Part 5
=TDD=
=TDD=
Part 5
=TDD=
Republic lines
The Rhine
The plan for the attack didn't survive intact going through the no-man's land. It turned out that while tanks and half-tracks could move through the ravaged ground with relative ease, the same couldn't be said about the infantry supposed to use them as cover and provide support when attacking the next line of Francois trenches. At that point, the radios installed in every vehicle of the Second Panzer Division proved their worth for the first time during actual combat operations. Almost as soon as vehicle crews noticed their infantry support lagging and informed their superiors, the advancing armor dramatically slowed down, hatches opened and their commanders called the infantry to pile up, at least until they faced actual resistance or reached more intact ground, whatever came first.
Otto found that god-sent. Infiltrating through the muddy, bombed-out mess between the opposing trenches had been a pain in the ass even when you had a few hours for it in relative safety in the middle of the night. Trying to cross the same distance fast at the break of dawn, right behind countless tracked vehicles which chugged the muddy ground in even more of a mess was a literal walk through hell, with only enemy artillery missing, yet, which was the reason they were hurrying up in the first place. It was just that, the hurry-up part wasn't working for the infantry, because with almost every step Skorzeny had to struggle to drag his boots from the grasping hold of sticky mud. When the armor slowed down to the crawl and the calls to get on came all across the line, he was one of the first to scramble up the rear of a square Panzer, while being very careful to keep his hands off the hot engine compartment. More Stormtroopers got on the tank, holding for whatever they could, and soon the advance continued, while they had to hold for dear life as the machine roared below them and shook as it tore its way through the mud.
The distinct tearing sound of heavy machine guns carried across the no-man's ground, ominously clear even over the roar of hundreds of engines. So much for passing the first line of defense before the enemy was none the wiser like so many hoped. It wouldn't be long now before artillery opened upon them, Otto just knew it. All he could do was hold, while the tank below him roared and lurched forward at what was most definitely not safe speed for anyone riding on top of it. He looked around, seeing the same picture repeat itself all around him.
The next surprise didn't come in the form of Francois artillery raining on their heads, which was pretty much the one part of the plan which worked without a hitch so far. Instead, it was the drone of numerous engines, which soon became more distinct and the sky almost darkened again, this time because of low flying Stukas passing above almost low enough to touch, with sleek fighters flying right above them. The air-raid passed them by, followed by tiny in comparison figures darting through the sky in its wake.
Otto knew that this was supposed to be a major offensive, the first fully combined arms one if the rumors he heard were true. This, however? This was something new and exciting, almost making it up for all the slog accompanying the fun parts of the past few days.
The Panzer suddenly slowed and Skorzeny figured out that they've reached the first trench line, which his fellow Stormtroopers took earlier. A series of sharp explosions came from directly in front of the tank, marking the demolition of that part of the fortification and much easier access for the vehicles.
They almost made it before the Francois artillery finally concentrated on the breach. Most of the armored division and those riding on top of its vehicles did cross through before Republic artillery began hammering the no-man's ground, catching some supporting infantry who couldn't hitch a ride. While that would have unpleasant repercussions later, the Second Panzer Division managed to cross the first trench line without coming under direct or indirect fire. By the time they spread out again and headed for the second, it was already under sustained air attack, with Stukas screaming as they dove against strong-points, fighters strafed anything that moved and aerial-mages did their murderous thing, blowing up anyone who dared raise their head.
It was there, that the infantry jumped off the Panzers and took cover behind them, while the tanks advanced at a jogging pace and opened fire with cannon and machine-guns. The resulting cacophony was deafening. Otto found he could hear nothing but the thunder of weapons and the scream of planes dancing overhead. However, he could feel cannons firing and explosions going off nearby. While there was no heavy artillery hitting them, light mortars raised their ugly heads and made it that much more important to get close and personal with the Francois.
Even if Francois were shooting at him, Otto had to admit that this was better, by a large margin. The ground was still muddy here, however this area had avoided extensive shelling so following the tanks was much easier. There were the two added benefits of the enemy concentrating their attention on the scary tanks coming at them, with multiple machine-guns sending streams of tracers at the armor, which made the god-awful racket even worse if that was at all possible, only to be singled out with extreme prejudice by the tanks, which lobbed beautiful HE rounds at the machine-gun nests.
An assault, which would have been pure murder for infantry, even with extensive artillery and armor support, turned into an exhilarating experience, which was anything but suicidal. Soon, there wasn't a single Francois machine-gun left in range to scythe through the Imperial infantry. Here and now, it was Skorzeny and the other Stormtrooper's chance to shine. All the infantry stuck safe and sound in the APCs were meant to assault and hold ground deeper in enemy territory. It was the Stormtroopers' job to storm the second defense line and allow for a breakthrough so the armor could exploit it.
"Smoke!" A Sergeant roared, his voice somehow slicing through the deafening sound of weapons. Dozens of soldiers threw gray painted cylinders and within moments, rolling waves of smoke billowed out of its hissing containers. "Advance!" The NCO barked again and the Stormtroopers, augmented by other assorted veteran infantry launched their assault, moving low to the ground, while the tanks slowed down to a crawl and kept the enemy's heads down.
Just ten Panzers went forward, shooting HE rounds at barbed wire stakes or outright trampling it below their tracks, stopping just shy of the trenches themselves, wary of brave Francois with satchel charges of grenade packs. The Stormtroopers didn't slow down. A number of the leading men threw themselves at the razor wire, counting on their armor to minimize the damage, while whole squads, then companies passed over them, heavily bruising them if they were lucky.
The assault continued with barely a slow-down, and as soon as they were in the range of the trenches, the Stormtroopers had all the time in the world to draw grenades, aim and lob them inside, while squad-mates shot controlled burst at anyone daring to show up their heads.
It wasn't all one-sided slaughter, unfortunately. While the Francois didn't dare show their faces to be blown off, many had the right idea and began lobbing off their grenades in the general direction of the advancing Imperials. Explosions rocked this whole section of the front, then the Stormtroopers raced over the trenches edge and jumped inside, emptying SMG magazines at anything which had the temerity to move. The still alive Francois responded viciously, with rifles, bayonets, shotguns, pistols, and trenching tools, making for a short, but vicious brawl.
Otto shot two Francois in the back, while they were busy trying to stab one of his buddies, then a third, who lurched from the ground as a blood-soaked apparition. His SMG clicked empty and he changed the magazine with practice ease born from endless hours of drill. It was then and there when that odd repetitive training saves his life. Another Francois came at him, erupting from a half-collapsed side of the trench, where he had been mostly buried. The man was wild, screaming incoherently, while blood and dirt mixed all over his face. The maniac swung at Otto with a shovel, nearly taking his left hand off, only for the Stormtrooper to empty halve a magazine into the bastard before the man finally collapsed in a shower of blood and gore. Otto looked wildly around, scanning for any other deadly surprises only to see fellow Stormtroopers doing the same. If there were Francois left, they either weren't in this section of the trench line or had the good sense to play dead.
"Police the bodies and set up the charges!" The Sergeant barked again, coming from a cloud of smoke like a specter. He had a smoking SMG in one hand, while he held a rag to his bleeding neck with the other. "And call a medic once we have a free one." He added. "Watch your heads as well!" The NCO shouted just before the roar of engines drowned everything else and tanks raced to cross the kind of freshly secured trench.
Chapter 2 Part 6
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars movies, TV series, books, comics, or games. I don't own Youjo Senki/Tanya the Evil. They all belong to their respective creators and/or copyright owners. I make no money from this story. It's not for sale or rent.
Second Army Group HQ
Trier outskirts
The Rhine
It took Lieutenant-General Michalis two days after receiving an urgent summons to reach the current headquarters of Second Army Group, the formation responsible for the central section of the front. Even his exalted rank wasn't enough to buy him preferential treatment and express transport to the north – redirected supplies and reserve formations racing to reinforce the salient formed by a successful Kraut counter-attack took priority. Confusion, paranoia, and numerous Imperial air raids happening day and night were a factor too.
By the time Michalis reached the requisitioned hotel serving as HQ, the situation hadn't stabilized like he believed it would. On the contrary, on the road to Trier, he heard all kinds of concerns, often preposterous rumors, only to find out that they were anything but tall tales. Generals were assassinated in the night, in a few notable cases, the command staff of whole Divisions, leaving junior officers to flail helplessly when no orders came and there was no higher authority available to contact for instructions. The Republic lines in the center pierced, Aerial Mages baited into a trap and slaughtered, not to mention the beating the artillery park took all across the front. It was a litany of disaster straight from a nightmare you couldn't wake from and now the Boche were counter-attacking in strength or so fragmented reports claimed – that was what he got from the screaming coming from a nearby door, where the Army Group commander had been enclosed with his staff for the past six hours or so according to the nervous soldiers guarding the corridor.
Finally, a harried young captain leaned out of the door, looked around, and waved Michalis to enter, before vanishing back inside the command center. The General purposely walked inside, doing his best not to show a hint of what he was thinking about the disaster in progress.
Michalis walked into a scene of barely controlled chaos. The command center was set up in a large auditorium with multiple entrances. Two of those were busy by messengers who came and went for as long as it took to give verbal or written reports before all but running out. One whole wall was covered with radios, good reliable telegraph, and the cables of field phones, complete with over a dozen operators who constantly fielded calls from all over the front, merely adding to the chaos.
General Petain, who had been sent from Paris to take charge, make sense of the problems plaguing Second Army Group and ensure that the advance in the Rhine continued as scheduled, glared at a map covering a large oaken table, while members of his staff were busy adjusting symbols on it representing the current state of affairs at the front. Not so distant thunder of artillery and the quiet, yet frantic voices of the radio operators, along with the constant chatter of the telegraph, didn't paint a good picture. Once the latest modifications on the map were ready and Michalis could see the present situation, he had to suppress a wince.
A red, Boche advance line stabbed right through the defense fortifications near the edge of a salient in the front, which should have been a great opportunity to bag some Imperial Divisions. Instead, the way that advance seemed to be going, practically unopposed too, there was a threat that the divisions containing the salient might find themselves encircled instead! As if that wasn't bad enough, Michalis could hear reports about attacks all across the front, probably of no significant effort, just enough for the Imperials to pin down the forces facing them and prevent any large units being pulled off the front. It might just work as well. So much for the easy stab in the Boche's "lightly" defended underbelly and a short victorious war the government proclaimed not so long ago…
"General Michelin." Petain glanced at him, before returning his narrowed eyes to the map, which he continued to glare at. "The Boche aren't stretched as thin as Intelligence assured us." The Major-General stated plainly what by now everyone at the front or near it knew painfully well. "Their ongoing counter-attack threatens multiple divisions. I don't need to tell you what a disaster losing them would be."
Especially while the mobilization was still ongoing, yet there were already shortages of equipment, especially artillery ammunition, Michalis thought.
"No, sir. We can't let the Imperials cut off so many of our people." Michalis stated firmly.
"That's where you come in. Over the past few nights, Boche assassins managed to infiltrate our lines and assassinate multiple high ranked officers, including several Division commanders. I've already dispatched all suitable officers in the area to take command, however," Petain glowered at the map, "due to a combination of factors, not all of them reached their new commands, or were able to effectively take command if they did."
So the rumors were true, unfortunately. How the Imperials managed to pull something like that, Michalis had no idea, and needless to say, that was more than little unsettling. The factors Petain didn't mention were at least obvious – the bastard Boche were doing their best to kill as many of the new officers as they could, a thought that Michalis kept to himself.
"I see, sir. What do you need me to do?" He inquired, while trying not to think about the fact that very soon the enemy might be singling him out for assassination as well.
"Infantry is too slow to react," Petain spoke, with a hint of frustration entering his otherwise frosty tone. "Artillery, bombers, and Aerial Mages are hitting railway junctions in the region, slowing down our attempts to reinforce the breach in our lines. The Imperials have concentrated numerous Stormtroopers, Armored Cars, and Tanks, which they're using to smash through any credible resistance. If we are unable to slow them down, they'll complete the encirclement of at least five divisions by nightfall tonight." Petain looked Michalis square in the eyes. "I've gathered all motorized units I could get on such short notice, and they should be ready to leave within the hour. You're to take command of this mobile reserve and do your utmost to slow down the Imperials so our soldiers could retreat in good order. If you're successful, you'll be taking command of the Divisions you'll help extract."
"I'll do everything in my power to see it done, sir!" Michalis proclaimed.
"See to it, General. Your new aide is waiting for you outside. He'll bring you to your new command. Dismissed." With those words and sharp salute, Petain ceased paying attention to Michalis, who saluted and followed the Captain who ushered him inside the Command Post. The young man led him through the door to the right, where a Lieutenant in his late twenties waited alone.
"That's your new Commander, Lieutenant Gaulle. I'll leave it to you. Good luck, sir!" The Captain saluted and vanished back into the auditorium, closing the door behind him.
"Lieutenant Charles Gaulle, Commander First Platoon, Second Battalion, Thirty Third Mobile Regiment, sir!" Michalis' new aide introduced himself.
"Lieutenant-General Fansoa Michalis, Lieutenant Gaulle. At ease. Lead the way, we have Boche to kick back to Berun."
"Sir, yes, sir!" The Lieutenant appeared very eager and relieved too as he spoke. "Please follow me, General, I have an armored car waiting for you, sir!"
"What do we have at our disposal, Lieutenant?"
"Before I was called here, sir, we had an Armored Car Battalion or something close to it ready, along with most of the Thirty Third Regiment, though at least half of the men are fresh conscripts who arrived recently as replacements. The same is true for the Officers…"
Chapter 2: It is not quiet on the Western Front
=TDD=
Part 6
=TDD=
=TDD=
Part 6
=TDD=
Second Army Group HQ
Trier outskirts
The Rhine
It took Lieutenant-General Michalis two days after receiving an urgent summons to reach the current headquarters of Second Army Group, the formation responsible for the central section of the front. Even his exalted rank wasn't enough to buy him preferential treatment and express transport to the north – redirected supplies and reserve formations racing to reinforce the salient formed by a successful Kraut counter-attack took priority. Confusion, paranoia, and numerous Imperial air raids happening day and night were a factor too.
By the time Michalis reached the requisitioned hotel serving as HQ, the situation hadn't stabilized like he believed it would. On the contrary, on the road to Trier, he heard all kinds of concerns, often preposterous rumors, only to find out that they were anything but tall tales. Generals were assassinated in the night, in a few notable cases, the command staff of whole Divisions, leaving junior officers to flail helplessly when no orders came and there was no higher authority available to contact for instructions. The Republic lines in the center pierced, Aerial Mages baited into a trap and slaughtered, not to mention the beating the artillery park took all across the front. It was a litany of disaster straight from a nightmare you couldn't wake from and now the Boche were counter-attacking in strength or so fragmented reports claimed – that was what he got from the screaming coming from a nearby door, where the Army Group commander had been enclosed with his staff for the past six hours or so according to the nervous soldiers guarding the corridor.
Finally, a harried young captain leaned out of the door, looked around, and waved Michalis to enter, before vanishing back inside the command center. The General purposely walked inside, doing his best not to show a hint of what he was thinking about the disaster in progress.
Michalis walked into a scene of barely controlled chaos. The command center was set up in a large auditorium with multiple entrances. Two of those were busy by messengers who came and went for as long as it took to give verbal or written reports before all but running out. One whole wall was covered with radios, good reliable telegraph, and the cables of field phones, complete with over a dozen operators who constantly fielded calls from all over the front, merely adding to the chaos.
General Petain, who had been sent from Paris to take charge, make sense of the problems plaguing Second Army Group and ensure that the advance in the Rhine continued as scheduled, glared at a map covering a large oaken table, while members of his staff were busy adjusting symbols on it representing the current state of affairs at the front. Not so distant thunder of artillery and the quiet, yet frantic voices of the radio operators, along with the constant chatter of the telegraph, didn't paint a good picture. Once the latest modifications on the map were ready and Michalis could see the present situation, he had to suppress a wince.
A red, Boche advance line stabbed right through the defense fortifications near the edge of a salient in the front, which should have been a great opportunity to bag some Imperial Divisions. Instead, the way that advance seemed to be going, practically unopposed too, there was a threat that the divisions containing the salient might find themselves encircled instead! As if that wasn't bad enough, Michalis could hear reports about attacks all across the front, probably of no significant effort, just enough for the Imperials to pin down the forces facing them and prevent any large units being pulled off the front. It might just work as well. So much for the easy stab in the Boche's "lightly" defended underbelly and a short victorious war the government proclaimed not so long ago…
"General Michelin." Petain glanced at him, before returning his narrowed eyes to the map, which he continued to glare at. "The Boche aren't stretched as thin as Intelligence assured us." The Major-General stated plainly what by now everyone at the front or near it knew painfully well. "Their ongoing counter-attack threatens multiple divisions. I don't need to tell you what a disaster losing them would be."
Especially while the mobilization was still ongoing, yet there were already shortages of equipment, especially artillery ammunition, Michalis thought.
"No, sir. We can't let the Imperials cut off so many of our people." Michalis stated firmly.
"That's where you come in. Over the past few nights, Boche assassins managed to infiltrate our lines and assassinate multiple high ranked officers, including several Division commanders. I've already dispatched all suitable officers in the area to take command, however," Petain glowered at the map, "due to a combination of factors, not all of them reached their new commands, or were able to effectively take command if they did."
So the rumors were true, unfortunately. How the Imperials managed to pull something like that, Michalis had no idea, and needless to say, that was more than little unsettling. The factors Petain didn't mention were at least obvious – the bastard Boche were doing their best to kill as many of the new officers as they could, a thought that Michalis kept to himself.
"I see, sir. What do you need me to do?" He inquired, while trying not to think about the fact that very soon the enemy might be singling him out for assassination as well.
"Infantry is too slow to react," Petain spoke, with a hint of frustration entering his otherwise frosty tone. "Artillery, bombers, and Aerial Mages are hitting railway junctions in the region, slowing down our attempts to reinforce the breach in our lines. The Imperials have concentrated numerous Stormtroopers, Armored Cars, and Tanks, which they're using to smash through any credible resistance. If we are unable to slow them down, they'll complete the encirclement of at least five divisions by nightfall tonight." Petain looked Michalis square in the eyes. "I've gathered all motorized units I could get on such short notice, and they should be ready to leave within the hour. You're to take command of this mobile reserve and do your utmost to slow down the Imperials so our soldiers could retreat in good order. If you're successful, you'll be taking command of the Divisions you'll help extract."
"I'll do everything in my power to see it done, sir!" Michalis proclaimed.
"See to it, General. Your new aide is waiting for you outside. He'll bring you to your new command. Dismissed." With those words and sharp salute, Petain ceased paying attention to Michalis, who saluted and followed the Captain who ushered him inside the Command Post. The young man led him through the door to the right, where a Lieutenant in his late twenties waited alone.
"That's your new Commander, Lieutenant Gaulle. I'll leave it to you. Good luck, sir!" The Captain saluted and vanished back into the auditorium, closing the door behind him.
"Lieutenant Charles Gaulle, Commander First Platoon, Second Battalion, Thirty Third Mobile Regiment, sir!" Michalis' new aide introduced himself.
"Lieutenant-General Fansoa Michalis, Lieutenant Gaulle. At ease. Lead the way, we have Boche to kick back to Berun."
"Sir, yes, sir!" The Lieutenant appeared very eager and relieved too as he spoke. "Please follow me, General, I have an armored car waiting for you, sir!"
"What do we have at our disposal, Lieutenant?"
"Before I was called here, sir, we had an Armored Car Battalion or something close to it ready, along with most of the Thirty Third Regiment, though at least half of the men are fresh conscripts who arrived recently as replacements. The same is true for the Officers…"
