[GZG] [GZG Fiction] Orduna Revisited

New Guardian Times, Strait of Matakanka, December 18th, 2196

> From our vantage point atop Glorioso montón de tierra part of the
broad back and down their cabled legs. The sight was nightmarish. The ploy was
ultimately effective however. As the bots were marched out across the plain,
ahead of the human tanks, the mine field went up and the way was clear. A mist
of gore and small chunks of metal rained back down across the lead human
units. An experience every single one of the tank crew I have interviewed say
will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

I have been trying to pick out any features of Orduna from our viewing
station. The whole area is shrouded in smoke and dust, the city locatable
because it is under an even denser cloud. Human and Kra'Vak airforces have had
their own fierce contest, but enough bombers have made it through to drop
tonnes of ordinance on the parts of the city rebuilt by the Kra'Vak. The
mission footage from the lead bombers was somewhat unsettling as they hit a
riding beast farm that had been created in the north of the city. The great
beasts were shredded by the bombs, their entrails exploded over the debris of
their containment pens. The scene no less disturbing for the alien colours and
physiology involved.

Now it was the turn of the land forces to make an assault on the city. A
direct frontal assault had originally been dismissed as impractical, but
ultimately no other choice has arisen. This attack would only be a small part
of the greater objective of eradicating the Kra'Vak on Mars. It was obvious to
all involved that the larger mission would involve an operation on a scale not
yet attempted off Earth. As of September 2196, over 1 million troops, 1200
tanks, 1000 heavy artillery pieces, 1500 aircraft and 150000 bots of various
forms for the assault. Assessments said that there were enough reserves to
commit to a full on attack on Orduna. Based on previous experience, against
this foe caution proves more costly in the long run than bloodier more
immediate assaults.

Operation Two-Step, the opening phase of the invasion of Tokalau had
begun in early September 2196, beginning with a feint in the south
followed within days by a full scale, multi-headed landing in the north
of the sector. The first order of business for the invading forces had been to
take Ariza, San Juan and Rosado. This western side of the Isthmus was closer
to large human bases across the water and was less heavily redeveloped than
the eastern side overlooking Xonak Daryâ. The idea was to take the western
side and then catch the Kra'Vak between it and the human troops in the south,
slowly squeezing the Kra'Vak until they succumbed.

The forces that had landed in Rosado and San Juan had encountered stiffer
resistance than anticipated, but the attack on Ariza had gone well. So now
that force had moved on to attack the main body of the Tokalau coast, with the
object of retaking Orduna and potentially reinstating its industrial base. If
that was successful then they could push for Severns and see what remained of
its extensive pastures. With that in their possession they could lock off and
clear out the northern tip of the peninsular, linking up and returning to
human hands the northern 200km of the sector. This would provide a magnificent
base for further operations.

It was a desperately needed base, as pilot fatigue and maintenance needs meant
that the human air services would rapidly be incapable of being
the major means of re-supplying and supporting the advancing troops.
There was already a trail of downed aircraft strewn across the steppe that
dominated the bulk of the Tokalau Isthmus. And in the growing cold neither man
nor machine was going to receive any respite from the grind of eliminating the
Kra'Vak. The mechanics were finding that when the older vehicles were shut
down for servicing they could not easily get them restarted. Refuelling was
becoming a drawn out, tedious and often torturous process as any fuel drums
left sitting out overnight began to freeze. It speaks absolute volumes of the
bravery and outstanding skills of the ground and maintenance crews that they
continued to be effective in such exigent surroundings.

Much as the struggle for Stalingrad is seen as a turning point in the European
theatre of the Second World War back in the twentieth century. It was hoped
that this invasion and the retaking of cities like Orduna would prove to
humanity that the Kra'Vak war machine was not invincible. Hopefully it would
also provide the armed forces of the united human alliance the confidence and
skills required to ultimately defeat the alien juggernaut.

Thinking about all this and the enormity of the task, someday when peace has
returned I want to come back to this place on a clear night and look down on
the peaceful silver lights sparkling up from Orduna, the golden lights that
line its bridges. And I want to take in hand someone, who hasn't stood as I do
now looking down on this scene of apocalyptic destruction, and tell them how
it looked during the dying days of 2196.

Even as my heart bleeds at the scene of devastation stretching out below me,
even though I feel I must bite my tongue in shame for saying this, it is
strangely one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. I keep having to
wipe tears from my eyes as I watch our troops push the Kra'Vak back and back,
the steppe stabbed with fire.

You can feel the shake of the ground caused by the reports of the biggest
guns. The boom or crump of explosions presses on your ears as the tanks and
bombers tear at the alien buildings down in the ravine. It is an awful sight
in the original sense of the word. Each of us observing is filled with an
excitement that has silenced us, we are truly awe full.

Some of you, particularly those who have grown up in rural districts or near
forests, will have seen big fires that spanned a horizon. The panorama is much
more striking when the horizon is the skyline of an enemy held city and it is
one great fire formed by hundreds of smaller ones. Tomorrow maybe they will
let us down amongst it. Let us see into the details of the retaking of Orduna.