Durgama Takeover

Apologies for the lack of Battle Photography. The Short and violent nature of the engagement prevented local Warcors from getting any additional photos

…Perhaps we should have taken the name of the Operation itself as an Omen.

I am putting this report to writing, probably simply for posterity, it is likely that I will meet my end before it is read, and if I do not then I – we – have been redeemed and it is of little consequence.

As per our orders from Command we had been assigned to continue operations at Cameliard, specifically to breach the Reliquary. I had expressed concern to both Operational Command and Logistics. The battalion has – had – no TAGs assigned to it. I had repeatedly asked for Blue Wolf units to be sent to us but was denied every time, ‘Operations demand them elsewhere’, ‘there are none available to send’. The Battle for the Reliquary would be fierce and we would be in need of them, not just to accomplish our objectives but we were also certain to face enemy TAGs in the coming engagement. In any case orders had been given and TAGs or not we were to strike at the Reliquary.

The battle was short and everything went wrong from the start. There is more than one place to begin but the greatest failing was on our left Flank pushing towards that Panoply. There was a Varunan Helot in the path of our Harris team, two Shang Ji escorting a Ye Mao engineer. The Shang Ji should have made short work of the Helot and swiftly continued their advance. However, for reasons I may never know or understand they became bogged down here. Nearly half our time (5 orders) and a disproportionate amount of ammunition (25 dice) were expended to remove the obstacle, it then took them far more time than it should have to access the panoply which was right in their grasp (3 orders).

On the right flank we fared little better, a pair of rockets from a concealed helot caused heavy casualties to our Zhanshi advancing towards their panoply.
With the loss of time and lives we dug in as best we could and waited for exactly what I had been concerned about all along. A Varunan Cutter made its appearance at this point. The Harris team opened fire but were outmatched. Both in firepower and based on their performance until that point, clearly in skill as well. At least they died in the exchange, perhaps some penance for their total failure to that point.

With Casualties mounting our forces were forced into retreat. However, I did not give the order to return to Imperial lines. This was not defeat, it was utter disgrace. There is no retreating from this. I have ordered the surviving troops into the Durgama jungle. We have strength enough left to strike once, perhaps twice more.

If we succeed then perhaps we can redeem this failure: if not then we shall die with honour.
‘Til Death or Glory,

–Lady Sash, Imperial Judge, Commander of ‘Frost Wind’ Battalion – White Banner Army.