Chapter 113: Java at Sea
Part 1: Drift
TIME: 19:44 NCT
DATE: War Day 903/28 Noneus, 1004 C.S. (Local)
LOCATION: Hr.Ms. Java, 57nmi southeast of Tanjungpinang
Cornelis: "We are in trouble, I'm afraid." He said, coming back up to the bridge, absolutely filthy.
K: "How bad is it?" I shrugged.
Cornelis: "The boilers are badly damaged. I think we can refire one of them, maybe two. And one shaft can be brought to operation." He shrugged. "Our speed may only be 8 knots at best, more likely five."
K: "That's not good, yeah." I shrugged. "Casualties?"
Cornelis: "That's the worst part - when that enemy shell exploded, it killed our chief engineer, her assistant, and her petty officers. We have one junior coaler and three apprentices down there." He shurgged widely, up on his hind legs.
K: "Oohh.." I lowered my head. "..and I'm betting they're not sure how to refire the boiler and get the steam to the gear?"
Cornelis: "They are trying to figure that out now." He nodded. "But, no, they don't."
K: "What was your Division coming up through the service?" I asked.
Cornelis: "Navigation. Roell was a helmspony." He paced over, and grabbed some coffee. "I do not know engines. Put coal in them, they move."
K: "Lovely." *Sigh* "So, we're becalmed and adrift."
Cornelis: "Indeed. Radio was knocked out in the shell hit as well, but we can get it working again. Will probably have to completely take it apart, but, can be done. Time, is the factor." He sipped the coffee, and sat down at the chart table. "Arctic Light retired to the north at full speed. She should be at Tanjungpinang now. With luck, they have not written us off for dead, and may send a ship for us."
K: "Could be another few hours." I shrugged. "And they'll have to search - we're drifting, and we've already moved about five nautical miles from the current alone."
Cornelis: "Indeed. Unless you know engines?" He chuckled.
K: "No.. no, that's something even the great General K isn't knowledgeable on, other than the very basics. And we can't really use the motor cutter - it doesn't have the range to get there." I poured some coffee myself.
Cornelis: "So.. we fix what we can and try to get to Tanjungpinang." He nodded firmly.
K: "Put a call to all hands - anyone that has any wild ideas about the engines." I shrugged.
Lightning and Sunset got to the bridge about then. Sunset was walking tall and proud - she may be a junior alicorn, but she was starting to feel out her powers.
Lightning Dust: "Ah, K? I might be able to do something." She nodded.
K: "What do you know about naval engines?" I asked, casually.
Lightning Dust: "Wel-l.. it's steam power, right? Steam is just a fancy way to move water through pipes. My dad was a plumber." She nodded firmly.
K: "I think you may have just earned that promotion, LD. Go see what you can do." I nodded to Roell. "Go with her - she-"
Lightning Dust: "Can speak Dutch well enough to get my point across. I did get a job here, sir." She smirked a tiny bit, then nodded. "I'll see what I can do!" And trotted off.
Sunset watched her depart, and paced over.
Sunset: "She seems like she means well.." She shrugged a bit. "..maybe all she needed was a chance to prove herself."
K: "She's got an ego, I can tell, but it might actually be well deserved." I nodded.
Sunset: "Well, then, I think all we can really do is wait." She shrugged her wings, flexed them, realized what she's done, and smiled a bit.
TIME: 22:04 NCT
LOCATION: Hr.Ms. Java, 60nmi southeast of Tanjungpinang
Roell: "Captain! General!" He slid down from the conning tower. "Radio Room reports they can receive signals again. Sending is still broken for now. They can hear fleet radio traffic! Someone is out there, but they can't figure out who. They are still trying to clear up signals."
K: "Let's hope it's our side." I shrugged, as Teeka brought us sandwiches.
Teeka: "Ah! Here some sandwich! Teeka make." She set the plate down by us, on the plotting table.
K: "Thank you, Teeka." I pet her head.
Cornelis: "Yes, thank you very much." He smiled.
Teeka: "Hmm-hmm!" She smiled, and lilted back and forth on her heels. "Teeka be good Aide." She smiled up at me. "Even if Great General K does not want all of Aide's service." She smiled broadly.
Suddenly, an arcing shell came screaming overhead and crashed on the far side of us by about 500 meters. I pushed Teeka to the floor and covered her with my body.
Cornelis: "ROELL! WHAT WAS THAT!?" He called out.
Roell: "ENEMY WARSHIP! SHE BEARS DOWN ON US!" He sounded, rightly, panicked. "I THINK WE ARE IN TROUBLE!"
K: "Action Stations." I stated, standing up, and looking down to Teeka. "Get a life vest and a helmet on. Hide under the table. Once we start sinking, swim as far from the ship as you can." I looked at Cornelis. "Let's try to damage it as much as we can. Guns load with HE, aim for the superstructure, especially the bridge." I instructed.
Cornelis: "Yes, Generaal!" He smartened up. "If we are to go down, we go down with a fight!"
I heard the sound-powered phone go off, and picked it up.
Lightning Dust: SPP> "GET SUNSET DOWN HERE! I need her! I can get the boilers going again, but I need her! TRUST ME!"
K: "Sunset? Engine Room." I looked at her.
Sunset: "Roger." She nodded.
Roell: "Enemy Warship is a cruiser! Looks to be a Heavy. Two large turrets forward, and some smaller guns along the sides. Were I to guess? Eight and five inch guns! At least 6 forward guns. They fire ranging shots!" He reported.
Another set of shots landed all around us.. they were starting to creep closer.
K: "How far out of range are they!?" I called up to Roell.
Roell: "Another.. sixty seconds to range!"
K: "They're probably going to get at least one hit in." I nodded.
Cornelis: "Mmm.." He frowned.
The enemy ship held its fire.. it was getting closer. This was looking VERY BAD for us..
..until the ship suddenly lurched forwards. And picked up speed.
Cornelis: SPP> "ENGINE ROOM, REPORT!" He called in.
Lightning Dust: SPP> "FULL SPEED RESTORED! I don't know how long it'll hold together, but we have all thirty knots!"
Cornelis: "ROELL! GET US OUTTA HERE! NORTH-NORTH EAST, MAXIMUM SPEED!"
Roell: "YES, CAPTAIN!" He called back.
K: "Yeah, Tirek's ships are usually pretty slow.. 30 knots? I think we can outrun her." I nodded.
Cornelis: "Then we try! I do not like to run from a fight, but, it is clear we cannot win this one." He shrugged. "I wonder how she did it?"
K: "Best guess? Sunset is using her fire magic to directly power the boilers, as much as they'll hold together, and pumping all that steam into the turbines."
As expected, we gained distance from the enemy vessel in short order. They topped out around 23 knots, and we soon left them in the dust. I grabbed the sound-powered phone.
K: SPP> "Engine room, you can ease us off, now. We've put plenty of distance between us, we can slow to about 25 knots."
Lightning Dust: SPP> "Ahhhhhhhhhhh... no can do, sir! It's literally all or nothing. I can't regulate our speed. And.. I think the engine is slowly shaking itself apart from the strain. I-I'm pretty sure we can make port, but these engines have had it after that."
K: SPP> "..ah! Well, roger that." I nodded to Roell. "Aim us at Tanjungpinang. And I mean aim. We're all-or-nothing on these engines, and they're beat to crap. Once we shut them off, they're not starting again."
Roell: "Yes, Generaal!" He nodded smartly.
Cornelis: "Ahh.." He lowered his head, shaking it. "My poor ship. She has done so much to keep her crew alive." He patted the chart table. "Without refit, I think she has met her end." He looked sadly at the ship's dedication plaque. "It is a sad thing for a mariner, to lose his ship. Is like we have lost a wife or a lover."
K: "Don't be sad." I patted his shoulder. "Java wouldn't want that. She's given her all to keep us alive." I ran my hand over a bulkhead. "You're right. Ships have feelings, too. My dear friend, Admiral Saletine, went down with his ship. HMS Bellerophon. With all hands. He started out as her Captain.. he died with his Mistress of the Seas." I gave a small smirk. "Sank a battleship in the process, though, and saved Fillydelphia Harbor."
Cornelis: "Truly? Hm." He smiled a bit. "While I wish to live to very old age, an act like that, to protect my friends? It is not so bad a way to go."
Well, we were getting to Port, alright, whether we wanted to or not. The engines would be dead after this, and Java herself may have given her last in the act of saving her Crew, but we would - should - be alright.
[End of Part 1]
Part 2: Tanjungpinang
TIME: 00:23 NCT
DATE: War Day 904/29 Noneus, 1004 C.S. (Local)
LOCATION: Tanjungpinang, Dutch East Indies
We had arrived at Tanjungpinang Harbor. We could see Arctic Light and three of her sister ships at anchor. There were also several Dutch warships - four Destroyers, four Light Cruisers, a Heavy Cruiser, and three of Java's sisters. Not a bad little flotilla.
In fact, one of Java's sisters came out to meet us, as we were... kinda entering the harbor without radio communications.
K: SPP> "Lightning.. cut the engines. We're in harbor." I nodded to Roell. "Try and arrest our forward movement." Then back to LD. "Would you and Sunset come up here, please? If Sunset isn't completely exhausted."
Lightning Dust: SPP> "You got it, sir."
Cornelis: "Ah! Is my old friend, Kapitein-luitenant Nils Weide." He stepped out to the deck, and took over the signal lamp himself. "That is Her Majesty's Sumatra, Generaal." He nodded at the approaching vessel.
K: "That's good." I shrugged. "Teeka and I will stay inside the bridge until you establish contact. I don't want some jumpy sailor taking a shot at me by mistake."
Cornelis: "Oh, of course." He nodded.
In short order, I saw the Sumatra come alongside us. As we slowed, they matched, until we stopped. Ropes and chains had been thrown and anchored to the deck and loops in the hull to arrest our movement. Soon, another stallion came aboard. He was a Unicorn, tall and stately.
KLTTZ Nils Wiede: "Greetings, Generaal-Veldmaarschalk K." He nodded smartly to me. "I am Captain Nils Wiede. I hear from my old friend Cornelis that your knowledge and friends have saved him and most his crew from certain death." He stuck his hoof out at me.
We shook.
K: "Pardon my not being in formal uniform. I was transported to these islands by a God." I shrugged. "Who's senior officer of the flotilla, Captain?"
Nils: "Vice-Admiraal Duerpaard." He nodded with a smile. "Cornelis' cousin. I think he will be most appreciative of you saving his life. Come. Let me take you and your friends to meet him aboard Utrecht." He gestured to Sumatra.
Sunset: "I'm Sunset Shimmer, of the NIEGHTO Command Advisory Group. This is Lieutenant Lightning Dust, Equestrian Air Force. Steela Oresdottir, a former Valkyrie, and this is Teeka.. ah.. uhm.."
Teeka: "Teeka is willing prisoner." She bowed to Captain Wiede. "Was captured by Great General K, Human who Fights Lord Over All."
Sunset: "They're literally not allowed to say Tirek's name." She shrugged.
Nils: "Huh!" He nodded to her. "My lady." And offered his hoof.
Teeka: "Ooo!" She took it, and he kissed her hand, making her blush. "T-Thank you, Noble Unicorn Stallion Captain!"
Nils: "What a fascinating entourage! Come. Cornelis, you, too. The Admiraal will want a full report. I will have Java towed to a dock." He said, leading the way. "How bad is she off?"
Cornelis: "Ahh.." He shrugged. "..lieutenant?"
Lightning Dust: "I had to basically weld three pieces of boiler together to make one huge boiler system and hook Sunset up to it, to generate steam. These are high water pressure tube boilers, so, the whole thing looks like spaghetti down there. We got hit with a five-inch AP shell and it basically destroyed the boiler room. She'll need to have her boilers totally replaced. The turbines are fine. I advise that back section of the superstructure be armored somehow. Plated over with hull armor, or just armor plate added." She shrugged as we got to the rope bridge stretched between the ships - being a pegasus, she just flew over, as did Sunset.
K: "The problem we have is that we're kinda low on food. We gave most of what we had to the civilians aboard Arctic Light." I shrugged, stepping across carefully, Nils in front. "Permission to come aboard, Captain?"
Nils: "Oh, indeed, granted!" He nodded rapidly. "Lieutenant van Zeiler, this is Generaal K, of Equestria." He gestured back to me.
Lt. Van Zeiler: "A pleasure. Where we go, Captain?" He nodded.
Nils: "To the flagship. Get the cutter ready." He gestured, as we walked back to the boat deck.
Cornelis: "I can report, however, that the dual five inch guns were a good investment - they made short work of two enemy Destroyers. Without that one lucky hit, had we had full engine power, we could have taken them in a gun duel - provided we got in close." He gestured, as the Cutter was winched into position.
K: "How much authority does the Admiral have, Captain?" I asked, point-blank.
Nils: "He is the senior flag officer of the Indies Fleet. We are under emergency. I think he will entertain any idea." He shrugged.
TIME: 01:44 NCT
LOCATION: Hr.Ms. Utrecht
Vice-Admiral Duerpaard: "..I see." He nodded, having listened to our report. "General.." He nodded to me, his accent a mix of Dutch and Ambleonian. "..I, too, would have your wise counsel."
K: "Thank you, Admiral." I nodded to him.
Duerpaard: "That said. I am at a loss. This is our last base, last free islands in the area. We have two marine regiments, and three regiments of colony troops. All infantry. Tirek has deployed armored vehicles. We have neither organic land artillery nor some kind of infantry weapon that can defeat them. Do we run? Or prepare to fight? If we run, I fear what will happen to the civilains. We haven't enough ship space to evacuate but a fraction of them." He shook his head. "Many fled here on small vessels incapable of an ocean crossing. I do not wish to abandon them, but if Tirek's forces are much larger than mine own, I.." He trailed off, his head down. "..I must choose between innocent lives and the preservation of the Indies Fleet as a fighting force." He looked up at me. "Tell me there is a third option."
K: "There is. What's the longest range we can send a radio signal?" I nodded to him.
Duerpaard: "Back home, if we must. The aerial on this island has over two thousand kilometer range." He shrugged.
K: "We call Neighpon." I nodded firmly.
Schout-bij-nacht (Schout-By-Night/Rear Admiral) Jacob van Gilders: "ADMIRAAL!" He looked at me, incredulously. "FOREIGNERS!? MORE!?" He hissed at me. "Even if Kamerheer Van Vlaktes really WAS a Tirek agent - which I see not proof of - inviting foreingers - especially the Neighponese - to our colony?! What if they really ARE after our lands?! What if they KEEP what they claim they LIBERATE?!"
K: "I give you my word, as the personal friend of Emperor Daishiro no Ken-"
van Gilders: "Your 'word' means nothing to me, alien." He growled.
K: *Sigh* "Admiral, do you permit duelling among gentlecolts, in your nation?" I shrugged.
Duerpaard: "..we usually do not do that any more.." He lowered his head.
K: "This jerk over here isn't going to listen." I jerked my thumb at van Gilders. "The propaganda has gone to his head." I looked at him. "And moreover.." And pointed. "..you impunge my honor as Knight of the Crystal Realm." A nod. "Do you have the courage to back your words and insults with your blood?"
van Gilders: "...." He paused a moment and narrowed his eyes at me. "..no calling the Valkyire as a replacement?"
K: "I stand on business, Schout-bij-nacht." I addressed him as his title. "You're not the first stallion I've had to duel to prove my courage and conviction." I stood. "Sabres? Cutlass? Rapier?" I looked at him.
van Gilders: "Rapier suits me fine." He stood and took off his uniform coat.
Duerpaard: "GENTLECOLTS!" He admonished us.
van Gilders: "Admiraal." He nodded. "If this alien presumes to have your ear, I must." He narrowed his eyes at me. "As I would not accept a single word he utters."
Duerpaard: "Jacob.." He stood up and moved over to him. "..think of what you are saying! A duel!? Must you be so sophomoric!?"
van Gilders: "Either he proves his conviction to me, or I will resign my position as Schout-bij-nacht. Immediately." He raised his head, pinning his ears back, at Admiral Duerpaard. "I would rather sit with civilians or shovel coal than hear his words."
Duerpaard: "I see." He shrugged. "General K.."
K: "He wants this so bad, let him have it." I shrugged. "For the record, I'd rather not do this, but he isn't really leaving me any choice. The Neighponese are the closest, and the Emperor is my personal friend. I know they will help us. I know they will also leave when asked. And they will not request any form of compensation - other than to shed the blood of Tirek's monsters. That is their payment. They desire revenge on Tirek for his many insults, depravities, and more, to their country." I pointed at van Gilders. "If he says the only way he's going to listen to me, is if I stab him a few times, that's fine. I will do my level best not to kill him." And nodded to Duerpaard. "He may be your second-in-command, but if he refuses your orders, he's a liability."
Duerpaard: "You are correct." He nodded. "But, I will not permit a duel between you." He looked at me. "Jacob, your resignation is accepted." And shrugged. "As you are a Dutch citizen with naval training, I impress you at the rank of Matroos and assign you to that very job you mention - you will shovel coal in Utrecht's engine room." He nodded to the Marine Guard. "Escort the Matroos to his new quarters."
van Gilders: "Eh.. KAREL!" He yelled. "YOU accept THIS over ME!?" He waved a hoof at me.
Duerpaard: "..I do not think it appropriate for a Matroos to address a Vice-Admiraal by first name." He refused to look at him. "Marine?"
The Marine mare stepped forwards, and hooked van Gilders by the foreleg, and dragged him out.
van Gilders: "YOU WILL REGRET THIS AT YOUR GRAVE, KAREL!" He shouted, as he was pulled away.
Duerpaard: "..he was one of my best friends, General K." He lowered his head. "Please make sure I made the correct decision."
I went over and put a hand on his shoulder.
K: "Then let's you and I be friends in place of the friendship you just lost." I said, solemnly.
Duerpaard: "Indeed." He smiled a small bit.
Freindship is magic, right?
[End of Part 2]
Part 3: Helping Hoof
TIME: 09:33 NCT/08:33 NRCT
DATE: War Day 904/29 Noneus, 1004 C.S. (Local)
LOCATION: Ward Room, Hr.Ms. Utrecht, Tanjungpinang, Dutch East Indies
We were in conference in the Utrecht's ward room. It was at the base of the tower that formed the main part of the ship's superstructure. The other senior officers were present, here, along with Lightning Dust, Teeka, Steela, and Sunset. The other senior officers were impressed with Sunset - they'd never seen someone that got "promoted" to Alicornhood before, let alone by a mythical figure like Galactica Spark.
Long Range communications had been established with Neighpon. The National Command Center at Mount Fuji, apparently, had been completed, and Emperor no Ken was more than ready to jump fully into this war.
Emperor no Ken: C> "I ahm gratefied to hear your voice, my friend!!" He practically shouted into the mic. "When I herd 'dat my orld friend engaged a GOD!" He laughed. "I suspect onrly YOU might come out intact! Ahhhh.. so.. how may I assist you?"
K: C> "Get here with everything you can." I was adamant. "I know it's too far from home to get the rest of NEIGHTO in a timely fashion, but get Starlight to talk to the Dutch Princess, assure her we'll guard their coastline ourselves, so she can send her own reinforcements. Then bring everyone to the party that can get here. This is Tirek's next big push, and we MUST deny it to him at all costs. We might even be able to do it with just the Neighponese forces, depending on what you've got ready."
Emperor no Ken: C> "Give me time, orld freind." He chuckled a little. "I have surprises. Many.. many surprises. We wirl be there in.. a week, I think, and perhaps a day besides." He chuckled again. "Can you horld?"
K: C> "We can hold." I shrugged. "We'll have to."
Emperor no Ken: C> "Den I see you in about a week!" He chuckled some more. "I wirl be very happy to show you how far we have come."
K: C> "Can't wait. See you then." I nodded to Admiral Duerpaard. "As I said, personal friend." And smirked.
Duerpaard: "A week is certainly better than no idea." He nodded. "What is our next step?"
K: "Dig in. Hard. Get me explosives, and some 5-inch cannon shells. We make traps for his armored vehicles. Get some engineers if you have them, and strip the main guns off of Java. Cut the barrels down to about 35 caliber, and find good fixed positions for them. That's six five-inch guns we can use as heavy artillery. Even H-E shells should be plenty against anything he's got, vehicle-wise. The other three Colony Frigates need to be on constant patrol - put them closer to shore, the destroyers further out. We need warning, as much as we can. Focus to our south-west, but put one Frigate and one Destroyer to the other side, just in case." I nodded. "Any civilians that want to fight, find them a weapon to do so. Assign some Marines to each group of Militia as leaders. Make sure ammo, food, and fuel are not all concentrated in one spot." I went over this with him. "Do we have any aircraft?"
Duerpaard: "A flight of four light Gyros." He nodded.
K: "Autogyros?!" I smirked. "Kinky! I like it. We use Neutral Bouyancy Aircraft. What can they carry?"
Duerpaard: "A couple of small bombs at best. And a machine gun." He nodded.
K: "Load them with those small bombs, wrap them in twine and nails. Use them for anti-personnel only." I tapped the map.
Kolonel Jacob Wolfheze (1st Royal Marine Regiment): "Wise." He nodded, rubbing his muzzle. "If I were leading the invasion, I would attack.. here." He tapped the far side of the island, where there was a wide beach, but mountain cliffs behind it. "It would be most difficult for us to build concealed defenses, there, and we lack mobility."
Wolfheze was a slightly built Unicorn stallion, and one of moderate age. He'd seen some hard work in his life, as indicated by the light vertical scar on his horn. His coat was dark pumpkin, and his mane was blonde with some grey streaking.
K: "Very good." I nodded to him. "You're probably right. I'll survey the area myself, and see if there's any way we could build something. Blockhouses, pillboxes, anything, and then hide them. I still don't know if Tirek does any preparatory bombardment, but let's assume he would."
Majoor Michiel Goossens (12th Marine Regiment): "I think we could get a five-inch gun up the cliff, if we can get enough carriages." He nodded.
Goossens was a larger Pegasus. More youthful than Wolfheze by a measure, he was also more square built, and it was clear he'd seen action before. He had a small scar on his muzzle. A light tan coat, and fierce orange mane, with a beard, complimented his size well.
Commandeur Netelig Roos: "And what of the fleet?" She asked.
Netelig was a spritely mid-blue Pegasus with a two-tone pale blue and purple mane, with that 'supermodel' look to her, but her hooves bore wear marks of a former junior deck officer. Duerpaard mentioned in passing that she used to be a Gunnery Officer. A "Thorny Rose" indeed (her name, directly translated into English), she was known to be harsh in drilling her crews, but fair in praise. Before being promoted some months ago, she commanded the Utrecht.
Vice Admiral Duerpaard, for his part, was a sea green Earth Pony with a darker shaded mane (granted, with grey streaks), muttonchops and a beard attached. Fierce ice-blue eyes and a permanent stern expression betrayed the warmth and intelligence within. He was a pony that cared about those under him. Jacob van Gilders had been a personal friend for many years. Losing that friendship was no different than losing a hoof.
K: "Well, you're taking over for van Gilders, Commandeur Roos. I want you to take command of the light ships - the destroyers and frigates - and be in direct command of the patrols. Admiral Duerpaard would command the heavy forces directly." I ran a finger over the map by the patrol routes I'd outlined. "That way, a Flag Officer is on site at the first sign of trouble, and can coordiante a response."
These were the senior officers that I had. The captain of the Arctic Light, and Maud, had all explained my reputation to them, and the Captain especially staked his name, honor, and fortunes on that. Granted, some of the senior officers had all heard of my exploits, but only in passing or as faint rumors. They were extending a lot of trust.
I would not let them down.
Duerpaard: "And what of you?" He nodded.
K: "Give me a rifle." I smirked. "Ask Sunset - I lead from the front."
Sunset: "Boy DOES he!" She giggled. "He doesn't know when to quit. He's.." She looked down with a blush. "..risked his life and more so many times, I've lost count, and I've only been with him a few months. If his wife was here, I'm sure she'd have a whole list of times he's almost died." She shrugged.
Lightning Dust: "I've heard the stories." She shrugged. "Expect him to get hurt."
Maud: "..I will do my best to prevent his death." She blinked exactly once.
Duerpaard: "Well." He smiled a bit. "I'll make sure you are assigned a communications pony. Under my authority, I grant you the temporary rank of Brevet Kolonel in the Dutch Marines." And shrugged slightly. "We have done nothing but small battles. Skirmishes. Large scale fights? This is new to us." He looked at Wolfheze and Goossens. "I think they agree, yes?"
Maj. Goossens: "Indeed." He nodded.
Kolonel Wolfheze: "I acknowledge my limitations here." He gestured. "This does feel like it's going to be a pitched, set-piece battle. My education in such, relates to crossbow and lance. Not guns."
K: "Well, then. Colonel K it is, then." I smirked.
Somewhere, I had a feeling Kang was getting a little itch. My decadent Western title had expanded oncemore. Now, I was "General-Field Marshal of the Equestrian Armed Forces, Brevet Kolonel van het Neighderlandse Korps Mariniers, Supreme Allied Commander of NEIGHTO, and Knight of the Crystal Realm."
Oh, boy.
Now, we had to prepare for the inevitable.
[End of Part 3]
Part 4: Entrenchment
TIME: 11:13 NCT
DATE: War Day 904/29 Noneus, 1004 C.S. (Local)
LOCATION: Poto Island, 25km from Tanjungpinang
I was out ahead of a group of Marines and Colonial Infantry. For a 'command staff,' I had Sunset Shimmer, Lightning Dust, Steela Oresdottir, Maud Pie, and Teeka. Teeka was too small for anything they had in inventory except a pistol. Maud only carried a pistol, and only because I absolutely insisted. Steela had a Madsen-Bjarnov LMG. Lightning had a Madsen-Rasmussen Carbine. Sunset had her Kreuger DMR. I was also carrying a Madsen-Rasmussen Carbine. We had a Dutch Marine with us, Korporaal Dunne Manen. He was functioning as our radioman.
We had 12 Marines, under the command of 2e Luitenant Bemoste Eik. There were 60 Colonial Infantry, commanded by Majoor Pasir Basah. The goal was to find a spot here, at this rather difficult beach, to dig in and prepare defenses. Once we did, civilian work crews would come in and assist with construction.
We didn't know how long we had until Tirek struck. We had no idea if it would be days, or over a week, or what. For that matter, we had no idea what Tirek knew of our situation.
Teeka: "This exciting!" She beamed a grin, and strolled around me in a very un-tactical fashion.
K: "Be careful, okay?" I smiled at her.
Teeka: "Ohh. Teeka okay." She beamed a grin back at me.
Sunset: "I think he means, Teeka, don't get yourself killed." She smirked a bit. "He's seen enough friends die."
Steela: "Jae." She blinked a bit, and lowered her head. "War takes too many brave ponies."
2Lt. Eik: "Kolonel." He nodded to me. "The beach in questi'n. Is there."
Eik's accent was.. I'd say shaded by the Germane that he also knew. Which meant that we could communicate in two languages - I am (and moreso now) soemwhat fluent in German. Elementary-level, but enough to work with.
Maj. Basah: "Ahh." He pointed. "See 'dat cliff? Nice flat surface. Goooood place to put guns." He nodded. "One twelve centimeter (12.7cm/127mm/5-inch) up dere, maaaybe one down 'dere!" He pointed to a lower cliff with a nice divot in the rocks that looked like a partial cave.
K: "The islands are only separated by a half kilometer (500m/1640 ft) of water at the widest point. The narrow spit of land we edged up to is maybe 100 meters (328ft) from the opposite shore. Wolfheze was right - this would be the perfect spot to start an invasion." I said, looking back at Eik and Basah, as I pointed to the beach as we approached it, coming over a rise.
And I was immediately tossed to the ground by Steela as a few pot-shots zipped overhead.
Steela: "Faen i helvete!!" She cursed.
Over the rise, as I pulled myself out from under the Viking, I could see a small longboat, and a small group of clearly Tirekian thugs.
2Lt. Eik: "DEKKING!" He ordered, and the troops spread out, getting flat on the ground.
Maud: "..Steela, you are bleeding. Hold still." She instructed, pulling her saddle bag off.
Steela: "Is not serious. I have been stabbed worse!" She slid the machine gun into position.
K: "Don't stand on ceremony - kill 'em!"
2Lt. Eik: "SCHIET ZE!"
We all started shooting at once. Sunset pegged a Porcine in the head with her Kreuger, and I saw two Raptorians and a Grundle go down to rifle fire.
Teeka: "AHAHAHAH! ME KILL YOU NOW!" She was firing.. a bit wildly.. at the enemy, but pegged a Gizmonk in the knee, thigh, groin, and stomach (in that order) at 20 meters. She fired all eight times, scoring half her shots.
Gizmonk: "FUCKING BITCH SHOT MY BALLS OFF!" He squeal-whinged as he flopped to the ground, before someone put a bullet through his head, opening it up like a ripe mellon.
I'd almost forgotten how traumatically wounding, and hard-hitting, Shermans were in their original loadings. And the Dutch bullets were semi-jacketed soft points, meaning they expanded VERY READILY on contact with a body, often opening holes 16-19mm diameter (5/8ths to 3/4 inch) and dumping a lot of kinetic energy.
The 7mm NEIGHTO round was more intended to penetrate deeply and defeat light cover. It worked better on Porcine than 9x35mm did.
It was over fast.
K: "Head count." I nodded. "Steela?"
Steela: "I am fine!" She snorted. "Be more careful!"
Maud: "..the bullet grazed her. Had it hit you, it would have struck the upper right bicep." She looked evenly at me.
2Lt. Eik: "Enemy all dead - no casualty." He snorted. "Where did they come from!?"
K: "Let's check, shall we?" I got up and moved.
We moved to the longboat, as the Marines and Colonial Troops policed up the enemy weapons.
I pointed to the Porcine's Pershing.
K: "We call that the Pershing. Make sure you grab that and his spare belts. It'll work great in a fixed position." I nodded.
Sunset: "..the boat has more gear inside. Exposives, tools.. looks like stuff for sabotage." She shrugged.
K: "Seriously?" I took a look - sure enough, sabotage tools. I motioned for Dunne to come over.
Dunne: "Radio, Kolonel." He handed me the handset.
K: C> "Central, this is Bravo Alpha Actual." My temporary callsign. "Have the troops start looking for infiltrators at our key locations - ammo dumps, the radio mast, HQ, the works."
Central Command Radiopony: C> "Central, acknowledge."
2lt. Eik: "What now?" He shrugged.
K: "They're planning something alright." I nodded. "The foot of the cliff looks like it has a nice undercut and some stone rise to it." I said pacing over.
What was there, was a natural fighting position. A rise of stone about 18-inches thick (457mm), that came up to about my thigh (24-inches/~700mm). Behind it was a sizable pit area, backed by the stone cliff face. An overhang protected most of the little rise from above, and there was a pool of water at the back.
Maud tested it and nodded to me. It was fresh water - safe to drink.
K: "Lieutenant, get your troops to work, here. Get the sandbags out, and level this off." I motioned broadly to the rise. "Then cover it in foliage. I'll go get the engineers and get the five-inch guns transported here."
2Lt. Eik: "Jes, Kolonel!" He nodded with a grin. "A good fighting position." He examined it himself. "No escape, though."
K: "Yeah.." I shrugged. "..if they come this way, you'll have to pretty much stand-or-die. I'm sorry. Either we can get reinforcements to you, or if you fail, they'll have the foothold they need to push heavy equipment inland. Then, we're really sunk." I pointed back behind us. "There's a lot of bad terrain between here and the city. There's really no other defensible point until we get to the city itself."
2Lt. Eik: "And you?" He nodded to me.
K: "I'm going to move on to the next possible invasion point, on the other side of the main island and check that. There's four good areas to invade by, and if I was Tirek, I'd hit more than one.. unless he has no idea that I'm here, in which case, they'll only hit one. Thing is, you HAVE to assume the enemy knows what you know, and will actively try to counter it." I looked at the defensive position. "I'll see if I can get you another Company. This feels like the spot they'll pick. Take the explosives and make some traps and things. Hide the long boat." I nodded.
2Lt. Eik: "Certainly. A fine idea." He nodded, with a grin. "We'll hold."
K: "Alright. No matter what, if there's an invasion here, I'll come with my people." I nodded to him.
Teeka: "Uhm.. Master?" She tugged my leg.
K: "Please, Teeka, just K." I shrugged, a bit disconcerted. "I don't like being called Master. Makes me feel like I own you - AND I MOST CERTAINLY DO NOT!" I pointed at her.
Teeka: "Okay, K." She nodded, her cheerfulness unflappable. "But, have look here." She pointed.
She led me to the boat again, and pointed out that someone - Gizmonks - had tread in the water for a while, and come up on the far side of the beach.
Teeka: "Tracks." She nodded.
K: "Mmm. Sunset, Steela, Maud, Dunne, come on." I motioned.
There were at least three of them. And in the soft sand of the beach, they made tracks easy to follow. Once we got inland a bit, it became grasses, but Steela was able to follow them easily.
Sunset: "Want me to pop up for a quick look?" She nodded to the distance.
K: "No. If they see you, they might shoot you, and if you don't see them first, they'll have plenty of time to aim." I nodded. "Remember, it's just us out here."
Sunset: "No kidding. I wish.. Twi and the others were here." She sighed.
K: "You.. ah.." I gestured to her. "..going to glom on to Mrs. Velvet?"
Sunset: "Yeah!" She smiled a bit. "Twilight and I should've been like sisters from the beginning, really." And shook her head. "I should never have listened to those two."
Steela: "Which two?" She lifted her head a bit, then paused, and her ears pinned back.
We all got to ground.
Steela: "..I hear them." She murmured.
I.. decided to move a bit closer to the sounds. It wasn't long, but I could hear some kind of radio wave crackle. So, I started moving in short bursts, like an animal might. Careful, slow movements.. like I'm looking for a snack.
??? #1> "..shooting down by the beach. I think they got the rest of the shore party. We have enough, though." There was a pause. "Yeah, we can get to the water supplies." Another pause. "You sure..?" And another. "Understood."
??? #2> "What did they say?"
??? #1> "They want us to go ahead with poisoning the water supply, but they want all the poison dumped in one specific well."
I didn't like the sound of this. I needed to get closer. I slid along the grass on my belly. The voices were Gizmonks alright.. they had a small lilt to their speech. Sounded like a.. deep Pittsburgh accent.
??? #2> "..really? Which one? Why?"
??? #1> "The one for the city itself. They don't need any more slave labor, really, right now - they need the city secured, though, to use as a base. They say it'll just be easier. Plus, we can feed the corpses to the Porcines."
??? #3> "I mean, I can see killing the ponies.."
Closer.. up behind them.. I can see four Gizmonks and a large radio set. What they were discussing made my heart sink. Poison? How low can you get?
??? #1> "If we stuck to the original plan, the poisons would just make everyone really sick and easy to beat."
??? #2> "So.. they just want the city dead. What about the pony soldiers?"
??? #1> "I guess they're just going to roll the dice with a conventional invasion. The ponies will probably be too demoralized to put up much fight."
Closer. Okay, that made sense.. ponies being emotional creatures, the deaths of so many civilians.. perhaps Tirek didn't value the Deer Mouse Indonesians as much as Ponies..
??? #4> "Well, you three can do this without me. I'm not going to poison a bunch'a kids and stuff."
??? #3> "..goes for me, too, I guess."
Almost there.. hmm.. dissent in the ranks. I slid my Bowie Knife out. Idea time. Hopefully, one that won't get me killed?
??? #1> "Have you two gone APE!?" A snort. "If Tirek finds out you refused orders-"
I was right behind #1.. and I slid an arm over his shoulder, my Bowie Knife under his chin, tip up.
K: "You two. Make your choice." I looked at the two that objected.
They both looked at each other, and dove on the remaining Gizmonk, and started slugging him until he relented.
K: "MY TEAM! OVER HERE! NOW!"
Time for some answers.
[End of Part 4]
Part 5: Elective Sabotage
TIME: 11:47 NCT
DATE: War Day 904/29 Noneus, 1004 C.S. (Local)
LOCATION: Poto Island, 25km from Tanjungpinang
We secured the two prisoners. The other two surrendered willingly and just laid flat down after discarding their handguns. Their long arms - three Shermans and a Zhukov - were off to the side.
K: "Names?"
#1/Tenchi> "Tenchi Hedar, they call me Nitch." He blinked, in his restraints.
#2/Grodon> "Grodon Loftiro. Go by Odo." He just stared at the ground.
#3/Xander> "Xander Highvillage. They call me Andi." He didn't move much, except to look at me.
#4/Wencislaus> "Wencislaus Softsand. Laus or Nick." He shrugged. "You're General K, huh?"
K: "I am." I nodded to them. "Talk and you'll be treated well. Another member of your species has already negotiated your race's survival. And another has proven you deserve fair treatment." I pointed at Xander. "You look like him. You know a Gizmonk named Zorch?"
Xander: "He's.. my cousin." He shrugged a bit. "I heard he got killed."
K: "He's alive. He joined us." I said in softer tones. "He's working as a staff officer at the Royal Palace."
Xander: "..you took him in?" He blinked.
K: "He's a family man, isn't he?" I smiled a bit.
Xander: "Well, yeah.." He got a thoughtful look on his face. "..mind if I speak my mind?"
K: "Say whatever you feel like." I nodded to him.
Xander: "This invasion's been kinda hard on us. Tirek's using us more on the front lines. Snipers, saboteurs, engineers, mechanics, gun crews, things like that. But we don't get rank or privilege." He frowned a bit. "We're lucky if we get rations. Mostly, we forage or have to steal. We get plenty of ammo, though, but that's about it." He shrugged his shoulders.
K: "Sit up, if you like." I sat on a rock near him.
Xander: "Thanks." He did just that, sitting quite like a monkey might, with his heels to his hips. "Tirek doesn't respect us. A bit before the war started, we were all just laborers for him. But, there was an uprising at a strip mine. Lotta Gizmonks were killed. He stopped.. I guess.. trusting us so much after that. So, he put us in more dangerous jobs. Stuff we can do real easy. As we got guns, he made us snipers, since we can shoot better than most of his mooks."
I offered him my canteen, and he accepted, taking a drink. I pat him on the shoulder, and encouraged him to keep it.
K: "Continue."
Xander: "He made it clear, though. Anyone turns traitor and gets caught, their whole village gets torched." He shrugged.
K: "Explains why Zorch was afraid to take the front lines." I gestured a bit.
Xander: "He keeps us separated into small villages, isolated, with other species settlements all around us. On land that used to be ours and ours alone." He shrugged a bit, and shook his head. "It happened before my dad's time, that he took over. We can fight, but not like Porcine or Raptorians. Or Goblins." He looked at Teeka.
Teeka: "Teeka captured by Mighty Human who Fights Lord Over All!" She beamed a grin. "Now Teeka is Human's Aide." And shrugged, nonplussed. "But he no want all of Aide service."
Xander: "Heh." He smirked at me. "You know, a lot of guys would just KILL - and HAVE - to have a female Goblin Aide?" He nodded at her. "I've been in Tirek's army since the war started. We have training, too, you know. Segregated by race."
K: "Are the Porcines, or Duregar, or Raptorians.. cloned?" I asked, up-nodding to him.
Xander: "Oh, you heard about that, huh?" He smirked, wistfully. "Duregar are just Grundles corrupted by evil magic. I don't know how they reproduce, but they do in huge numbers. Raptorians have huge clutches of eggs, and they get to be adults within two years. I think he messed with them, too. I saw a Raptorian Grand Nest once. Bunch of hens in there. Raptorians that do good, get to mate with them. There's a lottery or something. But each Hen can produce like.. twenty eggs or more at once. They're really fat. Porcine? I know for a fact they're not.. not natural." He held himself a bit. "I saw how they're made."
K: "And it disturbed you?" I asked.
Xander: "They.. they take pigs.. and they dump them in these vats.. and they mutate." He looked up at me. "They come out ready to fight, but as dumb as the pig that went in the soup. They need training. They're pretty smart, too, some of them."
K: "Sunset." I nodded.
Sunset: "Well, it's not a Mirror Pool, but that's bad enough." She frowned. "I'm not sure-"
Maud: "Alchemy." She blinked exactly once and paced over to Xander. "What color was it? What did it smell like? What smoke or steam came off of it and what color was that? Was it instant, or did they immerse them for some time?"
Xander: "Uh-" He blinked. "Purple, I think. Like grape juice. I wasn't close enough to smell it, but the whole area smelled like copper. I think the steam was white with a bit of a blonde hue. And it was kinda instant. They dropped them in these pods, the pods filled with the liquid, then there was steam, and the pods opened, and out comes a naked Porcine."
Maud: "That is very troubling. K. You must understand. Alchemy like that is incredibly complex." She blinked twice.
Xander: "The Ympha run it. They're always guarded by Troggles. Troggles are real trouble - you think Duregars are bad? Troggles are worse." He frowned.
K: "Generation One, Sunset." I shrugged. "I thought they'd be extinct."
Xander: "He's held them back, so far. Neighpon was easy enough to take without them - there's two battalions of them here. You don't see them often. They're elite shock troops." He frowned again, scowling.
Wencislaus: "I've seen 'em up close." He looked over at me.
K: "Alright. Care to help?" I asked.
Wencislaus: "Better'n dying." He rolled up and sat up on a log. "Troggles. He held them back from Equestria because he didn't know you were there. We landed over five thousand Raptorians, Duregar, and Porcines. And, yeah, a few of us." He shrugged, and fished a tobacco pouch from his jumpsuit, rolling a cigarette. "Tirek was in command directly - that is, until he heard a Human had arrived long before his invasion. He didn't understand what that meant until that incident in Apple Loosa." He pronounced that as two words. "Once he did, he was obsessed with getting guns. Any way he could. He started a spy network, but word is, you shut them down. He sent Ponies into the Herdiet Union as provokers - told them all kinds of stories about what you were doing. That was their job."
K: "Did he send any to Khyanga?" I asked, brow cocked.
Wencislaus: "No.. but we heard they threw down with you near Paradise Estates. Twice. And you beat them both times. Tirek's fought you a couple times, too.." He smirked a bit. "..he thought you died the first time."
K: "I got better." I brushed my fingernails on my uniform, nonchalanty.
Wencislaus: "He was pissed about the first Rainbow Factory. Real pissed." He shook his head.
Sunset: "FIRST?!" She shouted, before I could.
Xander: "Yeah.. there's more than one." He blinked. "I know there's another one close to Neighpon. I've been there. I was a mechanic.." He hugged himself tightly. "..I did everything I could to get away.." And trailed off. "..that's why I couldn't go through with the poisoning thing. I.. I've.. heard little kids.. screaming.." And started tearing up.
Of all people, Maud was the one to pace over and put her hoof on his shoulder.
Maud: "We all have our limits. You are no different than us. You are not evil." And patted her hoof on him.
Wencislaus: "There's another one in his territory." He frowned. "He controls the Dark Rainbow, you know."
K: "We were trying to find the Rainbow of Light." I nodded.
Wencislaus: "He knows. He's trying to find it, too, to destroy it." He shrugged.
K: "What about you two?" I looked at Tenchi and Grodon.
Tenchi: "I'm not turning traitor." He huffed. "I worked my way up to Squad Leader for a reason." He muttered.
Grodon: "Just take me prisoner. At least if they find me chained up, they won't whip me or kill my village." He looked totally defeated.
Xander: "It's why we fight so hard. What rewards we do get, we send home. It's how our families stay alive. That and the Tribute we pay." He gestured a bit.
K: "Tribute?" I cocked a brow.
Wencislaus: "Yeah. After battles, whatever we can carry off and bring back, gets sorted. Stuff like ammo and food and things, gets used by us. Treasure like gold, coins, gems, whatever, we give part of that as Tribute to Tirek, then we keep the rest. We get cash, we send it back home, usually. There's some that don't. You know anything of our religion?"
K: "I do." I nodded. "The great Treasury, The Big Guy. Ten Percent." I gestured.
Wencislaus: "Mm." He smirked. "We give our Tribute to Tirek, and if we need to, ten percent of what's left to The Big Guy - you know, at a Treasury - and the rest goes to our villages and families, so they can buy what they need. We keep some of it. I mean, I do. I don't have many family at home to send to, so, I keep a chunk. Usually use that to buy food or whatever."
Lightning: "Tirek charges you?" She cocked her head.
Xander: "Whatever we get issued, we get issued. If we want more, we can buy it from a Quartermaster. The stuff we get issued is.. enough.. like.. to do the job. Or just barely enough to eat. Nothing extra. Like, no coffee or tea, no sugar, no salt, stuff like that. If you live off of just what's issued and you get for free, it's okay, I mean.." He shrugged. "..but it's just barely okay. You want to be comfortable, you gotta buy." He looked back towards the beach. "We don't get regular pay. Porcines don't get paid, either. Duregar do, and I swear they're greedier than we are. I know Ympha get paid well."
Teeka: "Goblins that not Aides get paid too. Aide get paid if she.." She made a blowjob motion with her hand and tongue-in-cheek. "..suck a few coins from her Master." And smirked. "Or play naughty with book keeping."
Xander: "Oh, I bet'cha you were good at that." He smirked, midly flirting with her.
Teeka: "YOU never find out." She put her fists to her hips. "YOU no have Status. YOU not Teeka's boss." And she looked up at me in a way that I swear included little popping heart bubbles.
K: "So.. Tirek has a proper war economy. It's not a command economy, it's capitalism." I smirked. "And the crassest form of it - even his soldiers have to buy in if they want good stuff. It makes sense, now, why certain races have such eclectic gear. Porcines aren't the smartest, aren't a proper society, so they get took care of. Duregar are a proper species, so, they have to get paid, but that means they can buy extra stuff. Same with the Goblins. And Ympha probably get issued whatever they ask for - they're undyingly loyal and his smartest peoples. So, whatever pay they get, they can spend on luxury goods. And his economy moves like a well oiled machine." I chuckled. "I bet he isn't even bothering with rationing food to his civilians."
Xander: "Not by a long shot. Just.. it costs." He shrugged. "I know he has HUGE grow operations for everything you can imagine.. every type of meat you can think of, too." He cocked a brow. "We've heard rumors you like meat."
Sunset: "He's threatened to eat monkey brain soup." She fixed him with a very Yandere protective gaze. "Kay's even had pony before." And she flicked her tail. "Multiple ways."
Xander: "Yeah, we heard you got a way with the ladies, too." He chuckled, but then got serious. "As for here? The invasion starts in eight days. All the Troggles in the area will be assembled for it. Plus a thousand Porcine, Heavy Raptorians, and three thousand Duregar."
K: "Two battalions of Troggles.. a battalion each of Porcine and Raps, and three of Duregars." I frowned. "About two Brigades. And we have five Regiments. Almost four-to-one odds. What have they got for a Reserve?"
Wencislaus: "The 1598th Goblin Brigade." He nodded to Teeka. "She was probably from them."
Teeka: "YEP!" She grinned.
K: "..he labels his Brigades into the thousands?!" I was shocked.
Xander: "Yeah." He nodded. "Two thousand to a Brigade, broken down into units of 500's, 50's, 10's and 5's."
Sunset: "Mrrrh.." She frowned.
K: "Alright. Are there any more of you from that boat?" I nodded to the beach.
Xander: "Nope." He shrugged. "What're you going to do with us?"
K: "These two are prisoners of war. You two?" I shrugged. "Up to you."
Wencislaus: "I'd rather die fighting Tirek, thanks." He crossed his arms. "We've suffered enough under him."
Xander: "I'll help somewhere, but.. I don't.. want to fight any more." He looked down.
K: "Alright. Come with us."
And so, I learned a great deal about my enemy this day. A great deal indeed. That, conservatively, he outnumbered us by six to one or better - and that's counting our armies on paper, not actual strength.
I also learned he has a proper nation, a proper economy, and more. I also learned that the Gizmonks, as known, were a hostage race, divided between those that saw War as Profit, and those that just fought because they had to.
Whatever this ended up being.. more immediately.. we were in for a tough fight.
{End of Chapter 113}
