| Gara IV - Capitol of Gara IV, Bradly City 13:41 SET 2193 - January 17th Gara IV had a very moist atmosphere to it, at least the area where Colonel James Brungess stepped out of the VTOL. He and a part of the 81st Mechinized Division were deployed on Gara IV to assist in the United Nations Global Government civilians in evacuating the planet as Imperial Marines deployed by ships from the 11th Assault Fleet began to invade. James looked back to his friend and colleague, Colonel Eric Meelon, walking out of the VTOL Shuttle. Eric, drinking hot cocoona coffee, walked over to James, or Jim rather as he preffered.. Both men squinted as they looked back and up over their shoulders and the VTOL seeing another VTOL landing. This one was the heavy lift logistical VTOL that carried maybe two hover tanks, or four armed reconnisance hover buggies. The special heavy lift VTOL, designated the LS-46 Space Buzzard, was a relic from earlier days when the beginning of hostilities with the Imperials, but then again it was twelve years old by that time. Its engines made an ungainly whining noise. Both Jim and Eric squinted and frowned at the noise and then further discovered when covering their ears their ear plugs were already in. Jim looked at Eric with huge eyes about the realization of how loud the engines of the Space Buzzard really were. Jim gestured to Eric to follow him to the make shift command center made by the civilian defense forces on the planet. The command center was little more than a moderately sized tent similar to the tents seen back in the late 20th century used by the militaries of then. As Jim started walking the temperature became apparent as the wind moved across his face. He judged it to be only three degrees centegrade. Once inside the command center, he made the startling discovery to see his wife, Lt. Col. Maki Brungess there, as the directing tactical Intel officer overseeing the Intelligence missions and to check on Imperial progress throughout. Jim stopped, smiled and waved at Maki. Eric was all happy to Maki as well as she was the only other person to drink Cocoona coffee. The coffee did produce a warm feeling in enviroments besides just smelling bad. Eric and Maki both in defense of the drink say that it was an acquired taste. Jim was just happy to see the Misses again. The expression was prevailant across his tired looking face. "Hey there." Jim said to Maki, the salutation being his signature greeting. Maki, whom was looking over some recent reconnisance images of the other side of Gara IV seeing the progress of the Imperial Marines, looked up at Jim gave one of those 'not with me' looks. Jim nodded, "Alright dear, I'm sorry." Maki frowned at the response from her husband. Jim suddenly realized his wife speaking to him as Lt. Col. Brungess and that he was on her turf. Jim looked down nodded his head again, "Alright then, Colonel bring me up to speed. What are they doing?" "They are..." Maki looking back at the images on an LCD pad continued, "...moving their heavy weapons into the plains region. I assume they are using Interlockers with their thermal and accoustic sensors to locate us or the remaining civil defense asists scattered across the planet. I think we have as much or as little as two weeks before the Imperials figure out this location. It was luck they landed exactly on the opposite side of the planet from us." "I'm not a believer in luck, Colonel. Thank you." Jim finished with Maki and then turned to the remaining Gara IV civil defense coordinator. "Whats left and how long and how many are we talking about moving?" The civil defense coordinator was on the com getting updates on how well the management of logistics was going on throughout the entire evacuating regions. He looked up at Jim from his seat while putting the com down. "Anywhere from seven-hundred-million to a billion and a half. We need atleast a month with the current number of ships available. We do have another problem. Some Garaians don't want to leave Gara IV at all." The CDF coordinator said and then continued while handing Jim a paper with a list of all regions not wanting to leave. "Entire cities do not wish to continue being under UNGG doctrines. Maybe the hefty taxes on colonies as of recent. I don't know really. I heard a rumor, while I was in Braxton city a month before all this shit blew up in our faces, about how the UNGG was not going to survive another two months as the governing body. Of course I thought it was all abuncha bullshit. But now... Well I will give this to them. The taxes being levied on us colonial types do suck major. "While I too have afew choice words about our governing body. I would take our government anyday over what the Imps have. Almost a god damn communists the Imps are." Jim said proudly defending the UNGG's name. But he was too preoccupied by the thought of why the colonial types would indeed chose the Imps over the UNGG. The next thought that came into his mind was a word, spies. "Uhh. Whats Gara IV's counter-intelligence network like here?". Jim said almost anticipating a bad report on behalf of the UNSF counter-intelligence unit here on Gara IV. And with two words both the CDF coordinator and Maki both replied, "Not intact." The CDF coordinator continued the troubled history of the UNSF counter-intelligence units on Gara IV. "...and some official city government posts were compromised as well. The Mayor of Vincere City from eighty four to eighty six was an Imperial Armada captain. The UNSF Intel found that out only four years after his term was up. The Lieutenant Governor of Gara IV back in..." "Yeah yeah... we all saw that on the news." Jim said cutting off the CDF coordinator. Jim picked up a map of the Braxton City region of Gara IV. "Some... Not all of them... want to leave Gara IV." "Yes sir. Some. I'm sure the some that want to leave are still there but are affraid to leave fearing the Imperials there might imprison them." "Well... I hope they are the kind that can adapt cause my group isnt staying for longer then a week. And you." Jim pointed to Maki. "are leaving tomorrow without bitching and griping... You can do that in your tent." "Someones sleepin on the couch when they get back." Maki muttered. |
| Prologue |
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| The Imperial Armada's 2nd Fleet Flagship, ISS Ice Lance near Gara IV. 14:45 SET 2193 January 17th The Imperial Admiralty considered Gara IV an expensive ruse at first to lure away the UNSF's more potent fleets like the 4th and 14th Fleets. This was unlike many other times were the UNSF was quick to respond. The Armada would just 2 fleets with legions of upgraded near-obselete vessels to secure the space around Gara IV and then massively invade it, commiting an unheard of two-thirds of its planetary occupation forces to secure the planet from the ground. The Armada's Intelligence was weerily keeping a watchful eye on the UNSF's response, if any at all, to the Armada's latest move. Admist maps and third-dimensional display charts showing fleet positions in relation to their advesary's known position. The fact the UNSF was not respondingly as swiftly as they did was surprising to Admiral Emrich. What was more surprising to him, it looked to him as if the UNSF would not respond at all to the fact the two fleets of near obselete vessels were surrounding Gara IV. Emrich had little to worry about himself, his own vessel was not some obselete ship. It was a feared Long Sword class ship and to be caught in its sights sometimes meant inescapable and immediate death from its arsenal of long range anti-ship missles. |