Ask Ankus, Order Restored

[Brynjolf Baan]

4 AM Local Time, Capital Outskirts​

Gorr's platoon was ready, awaiting the cargo hold doors to open so they could make their arial decent upon the Ankus capital. They were to work in tandem with another platoon led by Maximus Dram. The two had served once before, and Gorr took a liking to the man after they took Terminus for the Empire. Now, it was their time to take another planet into the service of the Empire yet again. After giving the planet several chances to join the Empire, they were now going to join by force or die trying to rebel. Did no one see the order the Empire brought? These foolish systems thinking they could sit on the fence- the Empire owned the fence.

"Phantoms, ready for departure." Gorr spoke into his coms so all his comrades could hear him. "We all know our orders; Clear a path for Lieutenant Dram's platoon to make it to the capital building. Once their inside, we make sure no one else gets in or out. We are only forty strong, but they have no idea we're coming... Let's make forty men feel like four thousand." The light in the hold changed to red, they were nearly there now. Adrenaline pulsed through the White Wolf, giving him an anxious desire to bloody his claws again. The rest of the soldiers felt the same way, all of their hearts pacing quickly, but Gorr did not smell fear- only excitement.

"Green means go!" The light flashed to green and the cargo doors opened. Gorr led his men in the front, being the first to leap out of the Tooth N' Claw followed by the rest of his soldiers. Like a black shroud, they plunged through the clouds, descending upon their target. Once they breached the clouds, the capital was in sight and the main road that led directly to the Governor's office building was quiet, lit by street lamps. As the Phantoms drew in closer, they would all be able to make out the guards on post on the rooftops- they needed to go first if Maximus was going to get far.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max and his unit advanced in almost total silence across the rocky plains sloping up toward the capital. They had landed a way off under cover of darkness, intending to close on the city before any onlookers noticed their approach.

It was not a city in the traditional sense. The gentle but huge Cragmoloids built everything to scale and to accommodate their tendency to gather in large nomadic groups. The Ankusian capital had a spaceport and covered central plaza where government was organised, but otherwise lacked many other features of galactic capitals. There were no high-rise blocks, no heavy infrastructure or plant. Everything was large, open and airy. The perimeter walls had no gates, but wide archways for entrances and each building was more of a modern-day barn, providing shelter for the large natives but none of the usual nooks and crannies.

The Cragmoloids themselves were big frackers, but that didn't put Max off. He had studied them years ago, during his time on Adumar and knew they were a peaceful folk, rarely roused to anger and poorly placed to defend themselves and their world. They would pay the price for such weakness.

He leapt over the last ridge and dashed towards the perimeter wall, his forty men alongside him, divided into fire teams. He reached the stone perimeter and pressed himself against it, red visor scanning the sky.

In a few moments, Lieutenant Gorr and his unit would be dropping from above; it was vital they both attack at the same time, separating what organised security forces the native Cragmoloids had and sowing panic and division. The silly elephants were family orientated and their morale would collapse if kin were separated from kin and all put in the line of fire. With any luck, they would surrender the capital to Imperial rule quickly and from here the Empire could extend control over the planet.

"Tell me my favourite wolf is in the air?" he asked quietly, keying his comm.

@Charles

 

[Brynjolf Baan]

"Pick you're targets- no noise, no struggle." Gorr ordered before landing on a rooftop with four other men. The guards were half asleep and too slow to react. The ones the rushed for their weapons were shot and taken care of, but the one that remained through his hands in the air to surrender. "You're smarter than the rest, aren't you? But we can't take prisoners... Not enough time or men... What to do... What to do..." As he began to think, Maximus came over the coms and Gorr smirked.

"My men are taking the rooftops, be quick, LT." But, their was still this guard to take care of. "What's your rank? Don't lie to me, now." The Cragmoloid hesitated and then sighed. "Just a Reconassiance Sergeant- no one special, I swear!" Were these elephants this stupid? Or was it just the fear of death that rotted their brains? "Oh, but you will be special to me- Tell everyone else that there is an attack on the south side of the city."

"B-but that would-"

"Draw all of your friends to the opposite end we're on, I know." Gorr picked up a comlink from one of the fallen guards. "Now," He activated it and offered it to the remaining guard. "Be a good dog." It didn't take long for the Cragmoloid to come to his senses and now with a hefty distraction, progress would only be in the Empire's favor today. "Sir, enemy forces are mobilizing on the South side, we've got quite the open window." A wolfish grin spread across the Lieutenant's. Don't waste such an opportunity, Maximus Dram...

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

True to form, Gorr and his unit were already atop the rooves. That was good. There were so few officers you could truly count on, but Gorr had never yet let Max down. He could never quite see another solider as a complete equal of course, but the wolf was a very close second.

He spared a glance around the arch, seeing the wide street ahead through the red tint of his heads-up-display. The intel said this avenue led directly to the capital plaza, where they could establish control over the city. Max looked up, seeing that a huge durasteel door hung above the arch, recessed in the archway itself. Just as their spies had reported.

The lax elephants had invested in security, but were fool enough to leave it open in the absence of a clear threat. Once the threat was inside, it was time to trap the natives in there too. Max picked out six of his best men; there were at least three gates like this in and out of the city and the three pairs would get them closed and sabotage the mechanisms. They would have the centre under control long before most of the Cragmoloids awoke to learn of their imprisonment and none of them would be able to run for help.

With a signal, Max's platoon filed into the city, the first pair working diligently to close the gate after the last man was through. Sending them on to the others, Max and the rest crept down the street in double file, keeping to the long shadows cast by the large architecture.

A small group of Cragmoloid watchmen gathered around a brazier up ahead. Max was just figuring out how best to take them down when a comm chimed and they busied themselves heading south. A moment later another two passed through that way, all racing too fast to notice the smaller figures statuesque in the dark.

Somehow, Gorr had created a distraction to ease his path. The Lieutenant hoped it held.

"We're coming up on the central plaza" he said softly into the comm "One minute out. There's bound to be a garrison that will stay put whatever's going off on the perimter". Max scanned his surroundings warily, knowing no conquest was a cake walk. "Watch out, these one's will likely be big, strong and highly-trained".

@Charles

 

[Brynjolf Baan]

"Sir, they figured out about your prank call- multiple targets moving in back to main-stay position." It didn't matter, both platoons made far too much progress to let up now. The rooftops were mostly secure, the dark of night ensuring that Gorr's troops remained hidden and out of sight. "Bulls in bound, LT. I've got the flank..." The White Wolf muttered into his coms before leading his men towards an envoy of soldiers regrouping for a counter attack. Red blaster bolts plagued the street as none were left standing.

That was one group, but there were still two more. If Gorr and Max acted fast they could plow through the center street and make it to the city's capital before getting cut off by the rest of the city's guard. The Shistavanen was not in for glory seeking today, however, so making the center barricade of loxodonic guards disappear was the priority.

"Hit the front. I've got you're right and left..." Once Gorr's men were situated he would wait for Dram to start the frenzy. The enemy were regrouping fast- they didn't have time to play nice.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max and his men reached the outer perimeter of the central plaza and peeled around towards the front of the administration building. The Lieutenant was just motioning for sentries to set up when the huge doors burst open and several Cragmoloids sallied forth.

He had reminded himself how big they were several times, but they were still something to behold in the flesh. Lumbering out at speed, the first one was virtually on Max before he could do more than shout a warning.

Soldier's reflexes sprang to life and he dropped his rifle on its sling, drawing The Widowmaker - his long blastsword - and slashing savagely at the best as it lunged toward him.

The huge bull had seemingly not expected such a brazen attack at close range and failed to dodge in time. The sharpened Phrik blade bit into the Cragmoloids hide and it screamed an elephantine cry of pain. Max Dram didn't flinch; he would cry no tears for the weak animals of the galaxy when they fought against Imperial rule. He pulled back and struck again before the creature could withdraw, this time stabbing the end of the blade deep into its belly.

His men shouted and jeered all around him, loosing blaster fire at the other Cragmoloid guards, spurred on by their commander's lack of fear. Max reached for the trigger and pulled, staring into the beasts frightened eyes as the blaster bolt lanced from the end of his weapon, punching through its gut.

"We're taking the front on" Max replied into his comm, needing both hands to pull his weapon free "and winning. Bring your men down here and help us secure the plaza".

He shouldered past the dead Cragmoloid and charged at the others. If they could just get inside, they could start locking this conquest down.

Rolled 10/10 for plaza attack success.

@Charles

 

[Brynjolf Baan]

"On it..." Gorr replied through his coms before taking shots on a pair of scrambling Cragmoloids. Both of them fell, but five more appeared to take their place. Luckily, Gorr's men had his back and were able to subdue the first group. The roofs were now secure in this area, but the plaza was swarming with more guards. The White Wolf would need to act fast and efficient if the Empire was going to win this day.

Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, the platoon following their feral white furred leader made quick progress. Taking down mobilizing enemies as they passed by seemed to disrupt the enemy's progress. The distraction Gorr called for did it's job- everyone is in panic. Gorr saw a promotion for both Maximus and maybe even himself if today went well. Gorr didn't think anyone made a better team than the two LTs. First came Terminus, and now Ankus. Pride swelled in the Shistavanen.

"Snipers in bound-" One Sergeant cried just before a red laser bolt connected with his chest. "Take cover! Grab the Sergeant, now!" Gorr couldn't see where the blaster bolt came from and after asking the rest of his platoon, it would appear that this sniper (or group) would remain hidden. "Lieutenant, I'm held up at the moment- watch your six. Snipers in the air." Gorr then took a deep breath before dodging out of cover, using his jetpack to give him a bit of a speed boost. And, as Gorr suspected, three blaster bolts all coming from different perches on a tall watchtower came hurtling his way.

Now he knew where they were, but getting to them was going to be the hard part...

5/10 for attack.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Every metre they closed on the administration building was hard won. The Cragmoloids were not numerous, relatively few it seemed having enlisted for military service. But each was large and formidable, resistant to blaster fire and able to take down two or tree men with each hit that landed.

Max was unperturbed. The elephants were big in size, but small in heart. They lacked the killer instinct their world deserved, taking too long to brace up to the Lieutenants' men and too slow to land the killing blows. Max had no such qualms. Leaping around them, he plunged his blastsword in and out, killing or wounding wherever he could, pistol firing in his free hand wherever he could give a comrade cover.

Gorr warned about the snipers just in time and Max drew in behind a pillar just as long lances of red blaster fire raked the main plaza. Three or four by Max's count.

He took a breath or two after the shots landed, imagining the time it would take the Cragmoloid snipers to reload. Risking a glance out from cover, he stepped up onto a low wall and spotted the watchtower in the next district of the city. Max chuckled sadistically to himself, wondering how long it had taken the frightened oafs to waddle up all those steps and get into position.

He motioned to the nearest man to signal the two bombardiers in the unit. After a few moments they drew up close and the Lieutenant explained what was needed with barely a word. When they were ready, he nodded to the men he had across the other side. They began firing wildly at the watchtower, drawing the elephants attention.

Max leant out, artillery launcher propped on his shoulder with the rest on his knee. The sight adjusted easily to the clear, evening light, showing several Cragmoloids squatting in the stout watchtower. It took only a few seconds to zero in and pull the trigger.

The warhead leapt from its holster, arcing across the night sky to strike the tower just below the parapet. The impact was ferocious, causing the facade to crumble and sending strangled elephantine cries into the sky.

Max keyed the comm to Gorr "the fat snipers are down" he said satisfactorily "you should be clear to get down here and help us finish this".

Rolled 18/20 for sniper defeat.

@Charles

 

[Brynjolf Baan]

"Beautiful job, Lieutenant." Gorr chuckled, watching the carnage from the rooftops. Maximus and his men were surely going places in the Empire. Ankus was practically there's and all it took were two platoons led by a man and wolf. Promotion, as Gorr stated before, was in bound.

It didn't take long for Gorr and his own men to arrive in the plaza after cleaning up the surrounding rooftops. The flank kept the Cragmoloids from being able to set a solid perimeter around the Imperials. Gorr opted out for his electrohammer and flayed the startled elephants in close combat. The White Wolf cut through the ranks of the larger beings like a fox in a hen house- frightening and pushing the Cragmoloids back.

"The plaza will be secured shortly..."

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Gorr's arrival at the plaza helped mop up the remaining hostiles. With the two platoons combined, they made short work of the stragglers and were able to establish a solid perimeter outside the main administration building.

As if on cue, Max received word over the comm that the subteam had successfully closed and sabotaged all four perimeter gates. The city was locked down, with no hope of reinforcement from outside. The watchmen who had scrambled downtown might return to the centre now, but they would find the best part of seventy men with rifles trained on them.

Motioning to Gorr to follow, Max headed inside the now open administration building, several stout troopers leading the way. It was not a difficult building to navigate or secure; built to accommodate the large Cragmoloids, it had wide hallways and vast open rooms, with no nooks or crannies for hostiles to hide.

Many of the initial chambers were empty, the guards who rested in them now lying dead out in the plaza. They eventually kicked their way into the main quadrangle, where several Cragmoloids sat terrified behind comically large workstations.

"Stay exactly where you are!" Max shouted, barely containing the exhilaration in his voice as he hoisted his own rifle for effect. "I am Lieutenant Maximus Dram, and you are now subjects of the Empire". He cast a glance at each of the bloating creatures, before motioning to his men to secure the room and the workstations.

"I'm going to introduce you to my friend Gorr here" he said to a brightly dressed Cragmoloid sat in the centre of the room. "You're going to tell him everything we need to know about this place and how to work it. Do that, and none of your staff will die".

He didn't feel anything at the look of fear and revulsion in the elephant's large eyes. He was doing his duty and these guys, like so many others, lacked the strength to stop him.

/ END