Durgama Takeover

Lieutenant Sun, 1st Battalion, 55th Independent Brigade, did not like the situation. The blizzard outside was getting worse and the talks were breaking down. She fully understood the attempt to get White Company mercenaries to either defect or at least stand apart from the Pan-Oceanian cowards. The Durgama Defense Coalition was ascendant after the religious fanatics and their bootlickers lost part of the Raveneye station and their defensive position at Cameliard. With the onset of seemingly endless snowstorms, military operations seemed to be slowing slightly in tempo. The immaculate Yu Jing diplomats couldn't be faulted for their efforts. It had to be WhiteCo who were too infatuated with their master's cash.

Her remotes pinged her with movement. Enemy troops were moving up to the buildings where the meetings were happening. That was not a positive development. Getting the two diplomats out of here before the shooting started would be a real problem. The two diplomats had been split up, meeting counterparts in separate locations within the same township. Su made up her mind to deploy her own force.

"All units, prepare for extraction. I don't care if the Esteemed Ladies believe that it can be salvaged. WhiteCo forces are moving forward. Engage if they threaten the Esteemed Ladies. I doubt the Emperor will be pleased if members of his Court are harmed. Sergeant, move take the team and move to secure Lady Kong. I will go for Lady Wu."

I lost LT roll so my opponent chose to go first. My opponent's HVTs were on the left side and middle of the table as seen from the picture above. The left side HVT was on the side of the tall building and mine went down on the opposite, next to the ladders. My second HVT was on the far right flank.

LazyBones deployed his WhiteCo forces on the two flanks, leaving on a flash bot in the center. His heavies were on the left and his light infantry on the right.

I deployed my 5-man core on the right, in cover and unseen. Flash bots watching lanes and my LT on the right flank to cover the second HVT. I held my Yan Huo in reserve. LB deployed his Guilang atop the tall building on the left, threatening my HVT on Turn 1. Since the only counter I had was the Yan Huo, I had to place him close to protect the HVT.

LB's Varangians start the game by moving and popping smoke. Then he uses something with HMG and MSV2 to start shooting at the Yan Huo. It takes 3 orders, but the Yan Huo goes dead. Next, he targets my turret with one of his bots and fires a Guided missile at it. The turret goes down. Next a flash bot on the right flank goes down to something with a Feuerbach. From there, my opponent moves up his infantry on the right flank.

From there, he has a LoF on my HVT on the right flank. In 4 orders, he fires and hits multiple times. Every hit is dodged. The lady and her pig-dog are dancing in the snowstorm while Feuerbach rounds are just landing all around them. Both of us are incredulous at the result.

On my turn, I have my Shang Ji AP HMG kill the Varangian. Doesn't go far to avenging my Yan Huo but it's a start.

Next, I bring in my Liu Xing atop the Feuerbach-wielding LI. Lots of AROs that bounce off him. Then, I start spending orders on the Liu Xing. He blasts the Feuerbach guy, a Beasthunter FTO, a doctor, and a Varangian. Feuerbach goes down unconscious, BH and doc dodge, Varangian goes down. I spend 3 more orders trying to take out the Doc and BH but they dodge or tank their saves. Eventually, the LX gets flashed and is stunned. So, both of us had some ridiculous moments with saves and dodges.

From there, I move my Shang Ji/Zuyong FT up and try to engage the Guilang who is standing. She is Discovered but she dodges the shots. My last couple orders are insignificant, just moving pieces if there was a Turn 2.

There was no Turn 2 and it was close to store closing. Tallying up points removed, LazyBones killed 55 points worth while I killed 59 points worth. Really close. Had we gone Turn 2, the Liu Xing would have died and likely one of the HVTs. A second game where I was saved by the bell.

The loss of my Yan Huo was a complete error on my part. The only saving grace was that it ate up orders which could have been used to kill the HVTs instead. Both of us had a lot of complications with shooting due to the saturation areas, hence the title "White Out."

"Targets secured, all forces disengage! We'll get them back another day!" Su fired two rounds from her shotgun, more to keep the enemy from peeking out than to hit anything. The timely arrival of Liu Xing Phan had given them the much-needed moments to get to the Esteemed Ladies. Yan Huo Xia was dead, but she had died defending Lady Kong. So, her death had not been in vain. And with Cube technology, she might hopefully return one day.

She shoved Lady Wu unceremoniously into the air transport craft and looked to see Sergeant Ashwani and Shang Ji Han emptying their weapons into the building which the WhiteCo forces were hiding behind.

"Taking off in 10. Get on now," the pilot announced. Ashwani and Han turned and sprinted while Su jumped aboard. Just as the craft began lifting, the two soldiers leapt for the troop bay. Su managed to catch both of them but just as she began to fall out herself, the rest of the team began pulling her and the two troopers inside. A moment later, the team was on the floor panting from the exertion and the adrenaline rush.

"We ... We're clear! Seal the doors!" Su said needlessly as the craft's crew chief hit the button, trying to hide a look of amusement at the pile of gasping Invincibles on his deck.