T42 Pt. 20 | "Assault on the Alenvin Line"

Tales of the 42nd: Assault on the Alenvin Line

+++ALBIAN II, ALBIAN SYSTEM+++

+++GATE CHARLIE, ALENVIN LINE+++

+++634.000.M41 / 1737, 18 AUG 41000+++

+++ LANDING +1 DAY +++

Cecilia drops down into the main compartment of her Chimera, grabbing her lascarbine out of its holster and locking in a fresh power pack while her command team is doing the same. The Basilisks have only just stopped firing when the assault forces were almost at the gate, allowing a couple of the traitor forces to open sporadic fire at the approaching vehicles. However, the lack of a coordinated response due to the attack from both sides prevents the formation of a dedicated response. The speed and determination of the assault allow it to break through the few groups that tried to stop them.

Captain Aloy breaks off with her company and an armour company, to set up position behind Cecilia's company to cover them while they capture the gatehouse and open the gate. While the left flank is doing that, the right flank is doing similar with the Xailivian company setting up blocking positions behind the Caledonians while they enter the wall to secure the interior of it before moving up to the top to clear the guns up there.

The moment the Chimeras ramp drops, Cecilia is leaping out of it with her command team, all of them scanning for any hostiles before moving towards the gatehouse entrance. 1st platoon would already be entering the gatehouse while 2nd and 3rd were moving in via the other door to secure the secondary objectives and block routes for enemy reinforcements. Kiera nods to Cecilia before she follows 2nd platoon with her command team to coordinate that force. At the same time, Cecilia takes up position behind some rubble that got thrown up from an artillery round with the rest of the company setting up security. Cecilia nods to her vox-op to send their status while Cecilia keeps scanning the area, looking for any traitor forces.

"22 Actual, this is Falcon Romeo. Falcon at the target site, Falcon-1 moving to secure Falcon Alpha, Falcon-2 and 3 moving to secure Bravo and Charlie. Over."

"Falcon Romeo, this is 22 Romeo, solid copy. Continue with objectives, send an update once alpha is secure. Over."

"22 Romeo, solid copy. Falcon Romeo, out."

The vox-op nods to Cecilia once they finish transmitting, the momentary silence on their side of the wall is broken by the sound of lasguns firing inside the wall. The sound drags Cecilia's eyes towards the door and the sounds of the battle raging on the other side.

Inside the wall, Kiera ducks back into cover as las rounds fly over her head, before she peeks around the corner of the crates she is behind firing her own rounds back causing a momentary stop in the rounds coming towards them. The momentary pause allows a pair of the troopers from the squad that is holding this corridor with her team to rush forward to the next bit of cover. While running to the structural support beams on either side of the hall, one of them takes a las round to the leg. The las round impacts with the flak armour leg piece that all Caledonian pattern flak armour comes with. The explosion as the moisture on the armour is flash boiled, sending the trooper crashing into the wall. Shaken and hurt, but alive, they pull themself into cover wincing in pain when they move their leg. The armour might have protected it, but the impact and the explosion still hurt no matter how much flak armour there is, as it is only suitable for a couple hits before the armour is compromised. The other trooper that rushed forward had made it to the next bit of cover, at which she pulled out one of her frag grenades and pulled the pin. Cooking it in her hand for a second before she steps out from behind the beam and lobs the grenade down the corridor. It soars through the air before it touches the ground a bit short, but due to the force of the throw, it bounces and rolls behind the cover the traitors were behind. The explosion stops the traitors from firing with a flurry of shrapnel that fills the air around them, killing most of them outright. However, the trooper that threw the grenade had been shot while she was throwing it, and was now lying on her back a good few metres from where she started due to the explosion of the impacts. One Fireteam pushes past to secure the position that the traitors were at, while Kiera moves over to the down trooper, taking her hand while the combat lifesaver looks at their injuries.

Kiera looks down at the troopers face, recognising one of the younger girls that had joined the company after Xailiv, Kiera looks at the CLS.

"How she looking?"

The CLS looks up, not saying anything but the look in her eyes says it all, it's not good. They go back to removing the flak vest and cutting away the material of the uniform around the wound in the young troopers chest. There is not a lot of blood due to it being cauterised, but the skin around the wound was a mess of burnt and boiled skin and with blisters forming already. The CLS looks down at the trooper while she pulls out a field dressing.

"Don't worry kid, you are going to be fine. Giving you a type 2 field dressing for the wound. It's going to be ok."

Kiera closes her eyes for a moment before she lightly squeezes the young trooper's hand as she knows that if you have to get type 2 field dressing, it means you are dead. She opens her eyes and looks into the troopers.

"You did good, Private. Caledonia would be proud of what you did today."

The trooper smiles at Kiera, while the CLS gives her something to take the edge off the pain to ease her through it.

"You...You think so...Lt...they would be proud..."

Kiera nods as she keeps holding the trooper's hand and looking into her eyes, to make sure that she is not alone at the end.

"They would, so is the Emperor, and he is ready to welcome you to his side."

Kiera takes a deep breath as the light in the trooper's eyes goes out, and her hand goes limp. With a small sigh, she closes the trooper's eyes, while the CLS takes her dog tag.

"Now your duty is done, go with the Emperor's blessing for you have served him well."

With a nod to the CLS, Kiera stands and looks down the corridor where there are a few blasts of lasgun fire with the other troopers double-tapping the traitors as is their due. Once the final combat rights had been given, Kiera's vox-op moves over to her.

"Lt. Update from the rest of the company."

"What's the update?"

Kiera pulls her eyes away from the dead soldier to look at the vox-op.

"Falcon-1 has secured the gate room, and the gates are opening. Plus with our attack from the rear and taking the wall, 30 Corps has been able to punch through and are making their way through the gate now."

Kiera nods, while she motions for her command team to rally up.

"Copy that, send word to Falcon-2 and 3 that we are heading outside and they are to keep up security."

With that, Kiera starts to lead her team outside of the wall to meet up with Cecilia as the first elements of 30 Corps start to pass through. Kiera nods to Cecilia while they look at the battlefield, both of them with a thoughtful look on their face before Cecilia turns to Kiera.

"I don't like this...it was too easy."

"I know what you mean, the inside of the wall should have been a nightmare with traps and defences around every corner. We encounter like a squad at best and outside as well. 30 Corps should still be fighting..."

"Yeah. Something is going on, and I don't know what."

While they are stood there talking, the guard forces passing past nod lightly to the troops nearest the gate, all of them knowing the attack from both sides saved hundreds of lives. Cecilia turns to look to the south towards their final objective on the peninsula, they can't see it from where they are, but the weight of it can still be felt even this far away.

"And now, the march on Klirsey begins."

Kiera nods while watching the troops moving through the gate.

Suddenly the sounds of explosions and lasgun fire can be heard from the other side of the wall, with people turning to look at the commotion, the buildings on their side of the wall come alive with weapons fire. Kiera and Cecilia both dive into a crater that was next to them, seeking cover while they try to figure out what is going on. Cecilia quickly pops her head up over the lip of the crater before she ducks back down as quickly when a las round hits the edge of the crater with a small explosion. Kiera glances at Cecilia, making sure she is ok before checking the powerpack on her lascarbine and popping up to fire a few rounds. Cecilia taps her combead while trying to assess the situation.

"This is Falcon Sunray, I want those bunkers cleared. Get flamers up and burn the traitors out."

"Falcon Sunray, this is Falcon 4-Actual. Solid copy, flamers up, time now."

With the order given, 4th platoon starts moving towards the bunkers that the traitors are coming out from. Bounding across the ground towards them, with the heavy bolters providing covering fire for them. There are only two bunkers between them and the Xailivian company who was dealing with the outer bunkers on their flank, so the platoon had an easy enough time keep them suppressed.

The fire team with the flamer moves up to the side of the bunker to cover the special weapon trooper. Those close by would hear a small rumble as the trooper opens the valves on her promethium tanks, followed by the spark of the ignition. Before she squeezes the trigger and a column of promethium shoots out and ignites while it flies through the firing slot on the bunker, after which the sound of the flamer is joined by wailing screams coming from out the bunker. Cecilia looks over the lip of the crater as she hears the flamer firing, watching the plume of fire moving across the trench line to the side of the bunker, filling it with burning promethium. Looking out across the battlefield, Cecilia can see the rising pillars of smoke and flame from where flamers are burning out the traitor forces, along with the vehicles roving about the flanks providing support.

Soon the screams and gunfire come to a stop, and the advance resumes, more cautious now as they look for any more ambushes. Before the day is at an end, the entirety of 30 Corps is on the other side of the wall and making its way south in three columns. The 153rd Caledonian Brigade, and the 85th Xailiv Brigade on one flank, the 152nd Caledonian Brigade and the 86th Xailiv Brigade on the other, with the 67th Division in the centre with the Corps command and support elements.