Post by Wilhelm Opens-the-Way on Sept 21, 2011 12:46:26 GMT -8
The Deep Umbra
Battleground Realm
"I'm telling you," said Wilhelm, Falcon's Hidden Talon, now nineteen years of age. His breath was steam in the morning air. "The Spartans will be no match for the Führer's Panzers. Those tanks will tear them apart faster than they did the Polish." A broken city lay behind them. Endless battlefields lay before them.
"A regrettable, but required sacrifice," countered Orion Wyldblood with a shrug. "If what you say is true, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday's band will be returning over the hill with Ghenghis Kahn's forces hot on thier tails in minutes, giving the Vikings and the Gauls time to counter Caesar's forces to the north before being pincered. We need the Spartans to tie up the tanks, and they've sued for the honor and won. I won't divest them of the honor." He clapped Wilhelm on the shoulder. One way or another he'd make the young man understand the worth of Glory over death.
"Then I suggest having some modern infantry soften them up with rockets first. The Belgians have been begging for some time on the front lines. Let the Spartans peel the Germans out of their metal shells afterwards and fight man to man."
"Agreed then," Orion said sternly, "Alex, when you go to join the ships, pass the order along."
Alex Trueheart leaned in mock whisper to Wilhelm, "I'm not telling the Spartans that plan."
"Don't worry," whispered Wilhelm back. I'm the Ragabash. Let me not tell them."
"What about the Chinese and Russian airborn infantry?" asked Thalia.
Abraxas shook his head, "We've covered that with the American Airforce and the warriors of Troy. They'll draw away the Airborn so that Achillies and the Seals can strike against Nero and Mussolini directly. The Amazons and Masai will provide spear and arrow cover on the ground and we have English catapults and French Trebuchet at the edge of the city to soften them up. I know from tossing big things at little army guys." Abraxas had a gleeful grin in his eye as he said that last.
Orion nodded to each suggestion in turn, finding them worthwhile. No words were needed from the stoic Get.
"Look," said the young Silver Fang, to Orion, "There are seven hundred years worth of Roman forces coming North to South in standard Century regimental lines. Why not have the American cowboys cross between the Roman lines and send the Mongols into their flank at full speed? They'll have them in enfilade as soon as they pour over the low edge of those hills, and they'll break the collected Ceasars' Eastern ranks like kindling. Napoleon will have to swing wide to avoid them, and the Chinese army will tend to come to the Mongols defense from the Northwest, double flanking them."
"Actually that could work, Rhya," said Thalia Deed Catcher, "Let me take the Valkyries and the Chevaliers still loyal to Joan of Arc and cut you a path up the middle. When the Mongols hit the East Flank, they'll bunch. Wait at the edge of the field and lead the Vikings into the breech when the Romans start to push back and Abraxas can have Patton's infantry start shelling the center lines ahead of you to give you some breathing room. Once they make a hole, you run in." The Black Fury's sense of battlefield tactics were impressive.
"Right, my thoughts exactly, Thalia," Wilhelm nodded. "What that bastard did will feed the Atrocity Realm for a thousand years. It's time someone made a concerted effort to crush him."
"I'm taking the Amazons," said Thalia, "The Masai are borderline. Send the French Foreign Legion in with them. Have the English bowmen cover the Celts at the city edge in case the Persians decide to engage. We can have them play mop up with the Romans near the treeline if they get to close to the city. They'll love that. And I'd drop the SAS in with the Rangers at the North flank."
Orion looked thoughtful.
"We'll need more infantry than the Vikings alone though to make it to the command chariots. They are peerless warriors, but those numbers might be beyond what even they can manage."
Wilhelm grinned. "That's while I'll take the English knights in behind you and cover your flank, then meet you for the final push. It'll be three hundred years of armored steel backing your Vikings up. We'll end up surrounded, but it won't matter if we get to our targets and take them out. Morale on the field will change like a seasonal wind. We'll send in the RAF to counter the Luftwaffe counterstrike and drop in Rangers and SAS to the rear flank as Thalia suggested. They'll have no choice but to retreat to the sea, and Alex's ships can mop up."
"That's fine," said Thalia, "Just keep the vikings between the Chevaliers and the English. I don't want any old feuds to spring up."
"The RAF won't be enough to counter the Luftwaffe on their own kid. They might have spunk but they'll get into trouble and go down hard if the Japanese zeros join in." Abraxas did a few mental calculations. "But it's fine. We've got Blackhawks that will take care of the Krauts, and a whole lot of Desert Storm F-18s that just came in looking for some payback."
"Hold on," Alex Trueblood spoke. "All of this is fine. The combined Allied navies will be available to hold the beach, and we've secured most of the pirate fleets as well. The plan and tactics are sound - a little insane - but sound, but I want to know just one thing."
All eyes turned to Wilhelm, the focus of Alex's pointed question.
"How did you manage to get the entire Mongol horde to follow a handful of American cowboys into a fight with all of the Legions of Rome?
"And a cowgirl," inisted Thalia. "Anne Oakley is riding with them."
Wilhelm blinked and responded to Alex.
"Oh simple," he said. "I made a bet with Billy the Kid he couldn't steal the Khan's hat."
"He loves that hat." Said Abraxas. The subtext was: Ghengis Khan will fucking kill you.
"I know." Said Wilhelm.
"It's time guys," said Thalia, grasping the armored gauntlet of Joan of Ark in a greeting before turning to her assembled forces. "Women born of battle! Follow me into blood and Glory!" The field was filled with the shrieks and shouts of generations of warrior women.
Alex shook his head. "Well, I've got a few navies to command. Stay in link." He nodded at his pack, hopped into a jeep and cruised down the edge of the cheering battle lines toward the sea.
"Hell yeah." said Abraxas. "Death from above, coming right up. AIR SUPPORT AND ARTILLERY MOVE! I want asses in planes and rocks in slings, yesterday, or I'm personally gonna reverse that order!"
"For the Glory of Gaia!" Shouted Orion, whose bellow raised a cheer among a thousand, thousand men.
"For king and country!" Shouted Wilhelm, to the cheers of an ocean of men in gleaming steel. He paused a moment aside to dispatch a messenger to direct the cowboys to ride through the ranks of the Legions of Rome as fast as they could. "Give them one of the Roman flags to carry into the Legions' ranks. It may confuse them long enough to protect from from the Mongols chasing them." The messenger, an American called Revere took the message and climbed onto his horse as if hell were at his heels.
"Let's kill Hitler!"
