Ottawa
Rommel looked out at the east from the window of the Ottawa Central Military HQ. He couldn't believe it. The war wasn't going as well as he thought. He needed to think of a new strategy. A new defensive strategy. Defending th cities was depleting the resources. He needed to force the Dysaniians to meet the Canadian armies in the open. Abandoning Kingston and Hamilton would be wise. No need to lose good men over a single or two cities. But we needed to change our strategy. Winter is almost over and when it is over, I can launch my counter-attack. Only a few more devolopments and preparations will need to be done before I launch. I need to keep the heavy tanks away from the front. Make the Dysaniian commanders believe they are rumors. Perhaps those new artillery systems, what were they called?... COBRAS. That's it. They will be able to get rid of the Dysaniian artillery that had so harshly been beating us. Rommel picked up the phone. "Field Marshal Worthington, I want to order the retreat of the armies from Kingston and Hamilton...I know what that means...Listen, I want the Dysaniians to pay for every mile...If we don't want them to take Ottawa, then make them bleed their forces until I am able to launch Operation Theriot...Get it done." He hung up. It ends in spring.
Ten Miles Outside of Kingston
Colonel Thomas Mackenzie looked at his computer as his Leopard II tanks awaited the coming Dysaniian assault. He was waiting patiently as the infantry hid around the dug-in tanks. The Colonel knew that this position was only temporary. After a few Dysaniian assaults, he will ahve to retreat back another five or six miles where the next set of emplacements were waiting. Suddenly artillery rained around the tanks and infantry. Damn, I can't do anything. "Call in arties! Tell them we need help!" his radioman called in artillery.
A Few Miles Away
Captain Eric Daniels was looking over his howitzers just as the call came in. A lieutenant ran up. "Sir, it's the First Imperial Mounted. They need artillery support."
"Well, I don't think they would bother to call us if they didn't. Do we know the Dannie artillery location?"
"Yes, sir. The COBRA has picked up the enemy arty."
"Hit them."
The howitzer crews aimed their guns to the coordinates that the COBRAS were telling them and then they opened up on them. A few rocket artillery joined in and fired. The colonel was happy, the Dannies were about to get a rude awaiting.
Ten Miles Outside of Kingston
Colonel Mackenzie watched as the artillery fire slowed and then stopped. The Canadian artillery did what they were supposed to do. Now it was going to be a ground attack. But it never came. A group of attack copters appeared and engaged the tanks. One missile nailed the tank next to Mackenzie. But then, A-10s appeared and attacked the copters. Something that this war taught. Attack copters were useless against fighters. The fighters chased the copters and shot as many as they could down. Now the ground attack happened. The tanks were ready and so were the infantry. A regiment of mechanized infantry and tanks appeared to challenge the Canadian defenders.
"Load a HEAT round and prepare to fire." ordered Mackenzie. His gunner gave him the thumbs up. "Fire." The tank kicked back as the cannon fired. A HEAT round slammed into the lead tank lightening it up. "Call in the arty and continue the attack." Suddenly the artillery opened up on the Dysaniian advance. Tanks and mechanized infantry were caught up in the open as Canadian tanks, infantry, and arty fired. Soon after a good thirty minutes, the Dysaniians retreated back to prepare for another attack. They had stopped one advance. "Losses?"
"Colonel we lost four tanks and maybe twenty or so infantry."
"We will continue to hold until after the next assault and then we retreat to the next emplacements." He looked at the battlefield. Smoldering shells of Dysaniian tanks and APCs burned. All he knew was that he made the Dysaniians bleed badly in the first assault. How much would they bleed in the next one.
Quebec City
Alex got off the plane. She walked with a amount of pride and determination. Her nation was at war, but she couldn't stop thinking about Kerr. The Barakarin ex-mercenary she met while she was on an important mission. When she returned home, things looked different. Had I been gone that long? The Canada-Quebecois flag no longer flew above Quebec City. The old Canadian Empire flag was in it's place. Images of the recently deceased Emperor, his wife Empress-now Regent Selene, and young Empress Alia. Things change fast. A balck government car was waiting for her. A man in a captain's Prussian blue uniform was waiting for her. She walked up and she saluted. "Lieutenant Alex Mackienzie here as ordered and awaiting reassignment."
The captain saluted. "I am Captain Moss of the Canadian Army. Come with me, Lieutenant." He opened the door for her and she stepped in. He closed the door and went through the other door. The driver began to drive away. Captain Moss pulled out a folder. "Lieutenant, this is a report of the war that is currently going on in our eastern border. We ordered you back, because the Regent wanted you to crack team of special agents and officers into occupied territory. We want you to do as much damage as you can. Sabatoge, espinage, spy work, the works."
Alex took the folder and looked through it. "Any resistance movements in the area."
"Not yet, but that is what we also want you to do. We want you to launch a partisan effort in that area."
"My team assembled?"
"They are and they are waiting for you."
"Good." As the car drove through the city to their destination, Alex looked out and thought of Kerr. How she just wanted to be near him again. I will see you again, when this war is over.
