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Writer's pictureFalconecoose

T42 Pt. 7 | "Siege of Bastion"

Tales of the 42nd: Siege of Bastion


+++CROSSROAD TOWN OF BASTION, ARDENNES+++

+++014.000.M42 / 1000 HRS 05 JAN 41000+++


+++CROSSROAD TOWN OF BASTION, ARDENNES+++

+++019.000.M42 / 0700 HRS 07 JAN 41000+++


Cecilia slowly steps out of the building that has been given to her and her team for a barracks, while she throws her great cloak around her shoulders to ward off the cold and the lightly falling snow.


"Major Skye! I'm glad I caught you."


Cecilia glances over at the voice addressing her with a slight nod when she recognises Lieutenant Feist running over to her.


"Ah, Lt. What is it?"


"You are needed in the Brigade HQ, the General has called an emergency meeting with all the senior officers."


While they have been talking Commissar Kern exits the building while she sorts her cap and is closely followed by Lt. Aloy.


"Major, what is going on?"


"Commissar looks like an emergency briefing was called, and they didn't see the need to tell us."


"That is right Major, I knew you should be present at this meeting and at the very least someone from the 12th/22nd should be there while the commander is checking on the 1st Company."


"Good shout Lt. Right then people, let's get a move on."


With that Cecilia sets off a good pace towards the HQ building, before she slows to a stop at the sound of Chimera engines roaring up the main road to the centre of town. She comes to a halt with everyone else behind her when the first of the Chimeras come around the corner and break off to park around the courtyard bar one of them which stops at the bottom of the stairs up to the HQ. Cecilia moves over to the back of it with a hand on offer to those jumping out the end of it.


"Colonel, can I assume you are the first lot of the reinforcements from the Airlanding Brigade?"


"Aye, you can Major, Colonel Marcus McCullock of the 506th. What is the situation?"


"We are just about to find that out, the General does not really like our presence and has been trying to keep us in the dark in regards to what is going on. Lieutenant Feist here is the only reason we even know something is going on."


McCullock nods slightly while he falls ins alongside Cecilia while they walk up the steps and into the HQ building, the party get a few scared or nervous looks from the PDF staff in the main hallway due them all being fully armed, the commissar and the presence of an even higher ranking Caledonian. Cecilia leads the four others in a straight line for the Generals office, and not stopping to knock before they storm into the room to catch the tail end of the message on the Vox.


"...north edge of town in a few hours. We will accept your surrender there."


Cecilia looks between the assembled officer while the message takes a second to click before her hand, Rayna's and McCullock's hand all go to their sidearm as they come to the same conclusion.


"You are planning to surrender to the traitors...What did they offer you? How much does it cost to buy a noble in this world."


The general stares at them all and through the still open doorway before he responds with a look of panic in his eyes and in his voice.


"We are lost anyway! There is nothing we can do against their numbers and the warp storm! Our only ho...."


The General is suddenly cut off by the sound of a bolt pistol firing before the General slowly falls back into his chair limp, the officers stood behind him in shock at the sudden sound of the bolt pistol and the misting of blood they have been covered in. Cecilia looks over her shoulder, past the still smoking gun barrel and the still slightly shaking Rayna.


"By the power invested in me by the Departmento Munitorum and the Commissariat, I declare you all to be traitors to the Imperium and the Emperor."


Following the gunshot several Caledonian Guardsmen from the 506th charge into the room while the PDF is still in shock and following Rayna's announcement move to take all of the PDF officers under guard and escort them out of the building for their commissar to deal with.


"General, are you still there? We need you to confirm the meeting."


Cecilia glances at the Vox and the sudden voice from it before she moves over to it and picks up the handset.


"I'm terribly sorry, but the General is no longer to answer you. I'm more than willing to answer you, but I do need a name."


"Ahh...well then it's Brigadier General Julius Kyner of Battle Group Kyner of the 47th Armour Corps."


"Ahh, you have gotten a bit a promotion since the last time we met. It's Major Cecilia Skye of the 42nd Black Watch."


The Vox goes silent for a moment at the mention of the Black Watch, most likely due to them only expecting to be facing weak PDF forces.


"Well, then Major, I do believe it is time for us to fight once again."


"It does seem that way, time to send you packing once more."


With that, Cecilia hangs up the Vox handset before she heads out of the office.


"Colonel, we have a problem."


"What is it, Major?"


"It seems like the late General was in contact with a traitor armour corps, who is probably only a few hours away. Do you have an eta on the rest of the Division for arriving?"


"Right...they should be arriving at the staging area by mid-afternoon which is too late if we an entire armour corps on its way. How are we looking for troop composition at the moment?"


"Combat Command B of the 20th Division just arrived late last night, the 71st Brigade are not looking great at the moment though, they are at about 50 to 60% effective strength after merging units. And they are now missing basically their entire senior command."


Cecilia and McCullock both entire the war room that was quickly being set up to the Caledonian standard by McCullock's staff, with a big map of the area on the centre table, vox sets and team to operate it all.


"Right...Corporal, send word to Combat Command B, I want them heading North to the town of...where is it, there, the town of Noville and along that line to set up a fallback line for the 110th and to delay."


The Corporal that McCullock was addressing nods quickly before they turn to the Vox to start broadcasting the orders, just as one of the other Vox operators turns to look at McCullock.


"Colonel, a report from the 110th, they have been engaged right across their front, and the enemy armour is punching holes through their thin line, already taken heavy losses."


"Damn it...give them the order to fall back, and tell CCB of the situation and get them moving. Once the 506 has fulled arrived in town I am going to take them north as well to reinforce Noville. I get the feeling they are going to need it. While we are doing this Major, I want you to organise the 85th Brigade, work with the remain senior officers get the Brigade to start digging in on the west of Bastion here. Oh, and Major, since the commander of the 22nd is MIA presumed dead I am putting you in charge of the battalion."


Cecilia nods while the Colonel gives the orders out before she takes a moment to process that she has been put in charge of the battalion.


"Colonel...are you sure?"


"I am Major, I know your service record and family, there is no one better. Get going Major your battalion needs you."


With that Cecilia turns and exits the war room at a jog while she dodges through the commotion outside of the HQ with the arriving 506th, the PDF troops milling about or assembled to watch the execution of the General Staff. Cecilia watches the execution for a moment before she notices LT Aloy waving her over to a command Salamander with Commissar Kern standing nearby as well.


"Major! Over here, secured transport for you."


"Nice work Lt. Jump in and get us moving we are heading back to your battalion, I will brief you two once we are moving."


Aloy nods and jumps into the back of the Salamander ahead of Cecilia and Kern moments before it's engine roars to life and starts driving down the streets of the town and out towards the 22nd and the 85th. They gather in the back of the Salamander to listen to Cecilia while she gives the situation update.


"Right then, we have an entire armour corps driving on our position with the 110th being forced back right in front of them, CCB has been deployed to the town of Noville to intercept the traitor forces there and to buy us time. The 506 is going to be heading to reinforce them as soon as they have all arrived. My orders are to help organise the 85th and get them to start digging and then to take command of the 22nd."


Aloy looks up at Cecilia with a bit of surprise in her face.


"You are taking command of the 22nd?"


"Aye, with your actual commander MIA, I have been assigned as the commander due to being the most senior with the most experience."


With that, they fall into a moment of silence before Cecilia and Kern starting talking shop about plans for the defence with Aloy adding in points about the Battalion and brigade. They then soon arrive at the brigade HQ post were Cecilia jumps out the back of the Salamander and let Aloy and Kern continue on to the 22nd to start getting them ready while Cecilia speaks to the brigade HQ.

While this has been going on the sounds of battle, have been rising up on three sides of the town of Bastion with artillery pieces firing, the sounds of cannon fire and the rumble of the weight of the armoured units across the frozen ground.



Combat Command B, reached the town of Noville and sent a detachment to the village of Bourcy to the east, it was along this line that CCB had started to dig in along when the first elements of the retreating 110th reached them with the Traitors 2nd Armour Division right on their heels. With the initial blocking force of CCB in position and the arrival of the 506th less than an hour later, they were able to stave off the initial attacks of the 2nd Armour and Battle Group Kyner which attacked the rightmost flank of CCB around Bourcy.

Despite this initial success, the 342nd Battalion of the 110th was caught by elements of the 26th Infantry Division and wiped out as a fighting force while fighting a rearguard action for the remnants of the 122nd Artillery Regiment to retreat. The rest of the 110th took heavy losses as well during the initial attack and then the retreat due to how spread out the brigade was, the traitor armoured forces were able to punch holes through the thin line and encircle entire commands and wipe them out. Despite this, the 110th fought a desperate and valiant rearguard action against the traitor forces, even when surrounded they kept fighting to delay and buy time for the troops in Bastion.

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