Mars

Pulling up the external display on his helms vid screen Alexi sighed. Looks like Intel was right for once, the States where beginning to deploy their own forces. He didn't care what the UCS planed but if they turned up at the Corporation's base it could turn into a big mess in no time flat. Maybe that's why they where sending the Blackguard, after all the guard bravely defended the the Senatorial palace in Warsaw. He remembered what some of the guardsmen had said that they had beat back a force from the UCS three times their size.

The sound of landing thrusters brought him back into the moment. He releases his harness and the rest of troops do too. To his company he shouted, "Hearts of Iron!" As the boarding ramp lowers they respond, "Fists of Steel!" Withing two minutes Alexi and his men where outside the dropship and the craft was on its way back to the fleet.

Looking around he sees the rest of the 3rd division. He was proud to not the black color scheme for which the guard drew its name spread out into the distance and more dropships where landing. Over his comm Col. Rifkin's voice sounded, "Captian Malkov take your men north and secure the hill in sector four of your battle map. From there you will have direct sight into the LC base. You are to act as spotters for our heavy artillery." Alexi acknowledges his orders and confers them to his men. Without hesitation they turn north setting off for the hill.

Arriving at the top of the hill Alexi felt that something was not quite right. They had not run into any LC patrols and that did not make any since seeing as this was the Corporation's main base. Suddenly he saw the distinctive green flashes of UCS plasma weapons inside the base and the discharge of LC particle weapons. So that's why the LC was practically nonexistent on the way here, he thinks. Looking at the battle brewing inside the LC base he notices a UCS Panther Warmech get taken down by two LC Striker anitgrav tanks.

He hears a faint rumble and over the comm he receives, "Earthshaker cannons in position Captain." "Understood, He replies. He tells his men to take up position on the hilltop and has Sergent Vladamir start calling in targets for the Earthshakers. Taking a position at the summit of the hill watches the black armored forms and vehicles of the guard approaching the base. "Earthshakers target the fuel depot, I want the LC and UCS get a good entrence from the Dynasty," Alexi comms. From behind him comes the thunderous roar as the heavy Gauss weapons fire.

Alexi hears the distinctive screech as the Earthshakers shells fly through the air. He notices with satisfaction that structures in the LC base explode in massive conflagrations. As his men cheer and the forces arranged in-front of the base begin their assault a transmission comes over the comm.

In the battle between Corporation and UCS ships a LC battleship has been heavily damaged and is falling from orbit. It will crash in sector 551. This is a notification to all invasion forces.

Sector 551 that was on the other side of the LC Base from his location. Over the comm he says, "Did you receive the notification Col. Rifkin." "Yes Captain I did, but that does not change our mission continue calling targets." "Yes, Sir," Alexi responds.

Alexi was pleased to note that the Blackguard where pushing the LC forces back into the base. His cheering company is suddenly blown back as the Earthshakers are destroyed by LC Falcon fighterbombers flyby. Getting back to his feet he quickly notes that his heads up display is reading the loss of three of his men and the destruction of the Earthshakers. To his men he calls out,"to the base we need to get into cover." On the command chanel Col. Rifkin asks for a status report and afterwords orders them to join the assault on the base. Then they set off for the base.

Once they reach the bases main gate Alexi walks over to a sergeant at the gate. To the man he says, "Sarge what is the situation in there?" The sergeant replies, "Sir, the LC has been pushed back to the command bunker and the area around the armory. Scouts report that the armory is under control by UCS forces. We also know that the UCS forces have mechs near the armory, but they are very few and far between. As for the LC it seems that they where caught with their pants down. They have few vehicles and most where destroyed during the Earthshaker barrage. Furthermore we have secured the vehicle hanger and the south perimeter defenses." "Thanks Sarge," Alexi says. Over the comm he receives the orders telling him to met Col. Rifkin by the Armory.

Alexi is horrified as the LC fuel detonates. He watches as hundreds of Blackguard troops sail through the air. However he is pleased to note that as the smoke clears the guardsmen have reformed and resumed their advance. That is how the guard operates never back down and never relent, he thinks. His men, now a half dozen fewer, set off for the armory, knowing that their would be time to mourn later.

Once they arrive at the armory they note LC is sending troops in through the main entrance. Hearing gunfire Alexi knows that the UCS troops holed up inside where putting up the hell of a fight. Suddenly a Rhino heavy tank pulls up to their position. The commander climbs out of the vehicle and approaches Alexi. "Captain, Col. Rifkin is dead. Before he died he told me that you are to take command of the 3rd until they can send a replacement from fleet. You are also to negotiate a cease fire with the UCS troops inside that armory, after all we can kill them later if we need to," the man says. Alexi nods his head and says, "I understand. Very well commander I want maximum firepower put on the command bunker. Also power up the disruption beacons." As the tank commander calls in his orders Alexi instructs the men to place a breaching charge on the wall of the armory. I hope this does not cause to much confusion in there, he thinks as he pull a white cloth out of his armor and makes a makeshift flag of truce.

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The explosion rocks the surface of Mars and creates a deep fissure in the ground. The noise and shaking awakened an ancient mind that had been sleeping there since time immemorial. This mind is vast and made not of one creature, but of billions that had slept underground. Now this mind begins to seen forth its scouts to see what had awakened it. (This is the alien arrival I will describe them in my next post)

Alexi is not surprised to see weapons fire come from inside the armory. Notices three of his men go down and the heads up display tells him one of the men is dead and the others badly injured. In the Russo-German language of the Dynasty he calls one of the company medics over to treat the two men. The only distinguishing mark on the medic where the white color of his helmet. He did not blame the UCS troops for shooting he would have done the same in their place. He hears the UCS officer introduce himself as a Lieutenant, of the Ranger corp of the UCS military. As he is about to speak to the UCS trooper he receives a comm ordering him to send a scout team to investigate the LC ship crash sight. "Sergeant Vladimir take 14 men to the LC crash sight and I want you there two hours ago," he tells the Sergeant. Alexi hoped that any survivors of the crash would not panic when they saw the vaguely skull shaped helmets of the Blackguard troopers. Turning back to the Lieutenant and switching to English he introduces himself, " Alexi Malchov, Captain, 2nd company, 3rd Blackguard division, Eurasian Dynasty Armed Forces. I request permission to enter your stronghold Lieutenant."

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From the fissure in the ground crawl small insect like creatures. These creatures then begin to crawl towards the embattled humans. There bio-mechanical bodies moving with the utmost silence.

Alexi chuckles at the UCS trooper's request. "I would send some men with you, but the ones I trust not to shoot you are at the LC crash sight," he replies. Rising to his feet and walking to the hole in the wall he informs his men of the UCS decision. This is followed by cheering and some promises to by drinks afterwords. Alexi even sees a few troopers exchange credits. Turning back to the UCS troopers and returning his helmet to his head he says, "Say do you want to check out the LC crash? There might be something interesting there."