The Siege of Montciel
Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2002 10:26 pm
Here's a short story:
The Siege of Montciel
Jack flung into the trench. A grenade hit the ground behind him and oozed a cloud of smoke. Marc rushed up to Jack.
“Are you alright, Jack?� Marc shouted while he grabbed Jack’s sleeve.
Jack got up. Marc pulled Jack with him. “Come on, Jack! We got to get out of here!�
The two men ran towards a sap, bullets whistled around them. While they were running they noticed a platoon of the attacking force did a desperate resistance to slow down the enemy counterattack. Although the resistance was quickly knocked down, the bravery of these 40 men managed to save hundreds from certain deaths in the counterattack. Marc and Jack managed to get to the sap alive and continued running towards the second trench line. Behind them a wave of enemy soldiers and armed farmers, almost a thousand, poured out, having crushed the rearguards already. The siege force responded to the counterattack by open fire with heavy machineguns. Most of the soldiers pulled back, knowing that they stood no chance against heavy weaponry like this, and the few that reached the first trench line got killed within some minutes. Jack was able to find his platoon, or at least what was left of it, and participated in the retaking of the trench line he abandoned twenty minutes earlier.
Colonel A. Banks grimaced while he looked in his binoculars. The first assault had been hit back and forced Banks’ soldiers to leave the first trenches. He noticed sergeant Green’s platoon, which sacrificed itself in order to save friends and countrymen. “If only all my soldiers were like them� Banks thought and sighed. He screamed out an order to a lieutenant about forcing the enemy back to the city, gather his soldiers and await an order about a new assault.
The campaign had gone surprisingly good so far for NCR’s part. With the help of equipment from the Brotherhood of Steel and thanks to the newly formed alliance with the New Aztec Empire NCR’s army had been able to press a long way over the border of United Faith Alliance. UFA had been forced to fight a two front war, in south against NAE and in west against NCR and UFA’s forces had been pressed towards their capital Vail.
But, in wartimes nations often help each other against common enemies, and UFA managed to form an alliance as well. Together with Century City and United Caribbean, two nations that are competing with NAE over controlling the Caribbean, UFA could force NAE to pull its forces back to the Yucatan Peninsula to face the invasion.
This has given NCR a small breathing space and the remaining battalions from the south front has gathered under lieutenant general Stevenson and moved north to protect Vail. Reinforcements were at this point days from the city, though, and should Montciel fall before they arrive UFA will be forced to conclude an expensive peace in order to prevent Vail from being destructed, a peace that would strengthen NCR’s power position in the Midwest considerable.
Colonel Banks knew this and imagined what rewards he would receive if he were able to take the city within a few days. Because of that he gathered as many soldiers as possible in order to stage a large, successful assault. Montciel had been under siege almost a week and nearly half of the defenders already laid dead on the fields around the city.
The counterattack was quickly crushed and after half an hour work-bots were digging an additional trench line.
Jack watched as the robots excavated paths and avoided getting hit by shots from the defenders. His platoon had suffered heavy casualties in the first assault, among others the sergeant had fallen, and it was united with sergeant Stark’s platoon. After an hour the robots were finished and the Colonel gathered his soldiers in the new trench. Jack was nervous and frightened of what would happen when they left the somewhat safe trench. Just before the order about an assault was spoken tanks and artillery issued a massive bombing towards Montciel’s strongest defence-positions. The order that followed resulted in that four battalions of well-equipped infantry poured towards the city. The front platoons were mowed down relatively easy by the defenders, but before they had caused any major casualties in the enemy lines, the assault force were within hundred meters of the city walls. The desperate defenders forced the whole city to take up arms; they would win or be totally extinguished. Jack was one of the first to reach the walls. The explosive experts in the platoon placed explosives along Montciel’s walls. The explosion became the signal for the city’s rebel faction, known as True Christianity. Month’s earlier NCR spies had been in contact with the rebels, and they had promised each other help in order to defeat UFA’s soldiers in Montciel. NCR’s soldiers knew they were not allowed to shot at anyone holding a white handkerchief in his or her hand, but not until now they understood why. While the defenders gathered within the razed wall to put up a last, desperate resistance they noticed a large force of citizens attacking them from behind. This was too much, and most of the remaining defenders threw their weapons. A couple of companies were ordered to collect the weapons thrown to the ground.
The colonel had just seen his soldiers conquer Montciel when a scouter pulled over next to him. The scout jumped out and approached the colonel.
“Colonel Banks, sir, UFA’s army has been seen a days march from here, they’ll arrive at Vail before us if we doesn’t leave immediately.�
“Damn! Then we must defeat the army to, before we can talk about peace. How could they get here so fast?�
“I don’t know, sir.�
The colonel turned around and shouted to his lieutenants.
“Give order about an immediate departure from the city to march towards Vail as fast as possible. Leave a small garrison at about a hundred men, and let the rebels take care of the prisoners.�
Once again the troops were gathered and orders were given about departure. The company Marc and Jack was part of had been stationed to guard the city and they watched while the rest of the soldiers marched east, to defeat UFA once and for all…[/b]
The Siege of Montciel
Jack flung into the trench. A grenade hit the ground behind him and oozed a cloud of smoke. Marc rushed up to Jack.
“Are you alright, Jack?� Marc shouted while he grabbed Jack’s sleeve.
Jack got up. Marc pulled Jack with him. “Come on, Jack! We got to get out of here!�
The two men ran towards a sap, bullets whistled around them. While they were running they noticed a platoon of the attacking force did a desperate resistance to slow down the enemy counterattack. Although the resistance was quickly knocked down, the bravery of these 40 men managed to save hundreds from certain deaths in the counterattack. Marc and Jack managed to get to the sap alive and continued running towards the second trench line. Behind them a wave of enemy soldiers and armed farmers, almost a thousand, poured out, having crushed the rearguards already. The siege force responded to the counterattack by open fire with heavy machineguns. Most of the soldiers pulled back, knowing that they stood no chance against heavy weaponry like this, and the few that reached the first trench line got killed within some minutes. Jack was able to find his platoon, or at least what was left of it, and participated in the retaking of the trench line he abandoned twenty minutes earlier.
Colonel A. Banks grimaced while he looked in his binoculars. The first assault had been hit back and forced Banks’ soldiers to leave the first trenches. He noticed sergeant Green’s platoon, which sacrificed itself in order to save friends and countrymen. “If only all my soldiers were like them� Banks thought and sighed. He screamed out an order to a lieutenant about forcing the enemy back to the city, gather his soldiers and await an order about a new assault.
The campaign had gone surprisingly good so far for NCR’s part. With the help of equipment from the Brotherhood of Steel and thanks to the newly formed alliance with the New Aztec Empire NCR’s army had been able to press a long way over the border of United Faith Alliance. UFA had been forced to fight a two front war, in south against NAE and in west against NCR and UFA’s forces had been pressed towards their capital Vail.
But, in wartimes nations often help each other against common enemies, and UFA managed to form an alliance as well. Together with Century City and United Caribbean, two nations that are competing with NAE over controlling the Caribbean, UFA could force NAE to pull its forces back to the Yucatan Peninsula to face the invasion.
This has given NCR a small breathing space and the remaining battalions from the south front has gathered under lieutenant general Stevenson and moved north to protect Vail. Reinforcements were at this point days from the city, though, and should Montciel fall before they arrive UFA will be forced to conclude an expensive peace in order to prevent Vail from being destructed, a peace that would strengthen NCR’s power position in the Midwest considerable.
Colonel Banks knew this and imagined what rewards he would receive if he were able to take the city within a few days. Because of that he gathered as many soldiers as possible in order to stage a large, successful assault. Montciel had been under siege almost a week and nearly half of the defenders already laid dead on the fields around the city.
The counterattack was quickly crushed and after half an hour work-bots were digging an additional trench line.
Jack watched as the robots excavated paths and avoided getting hit by shots from the defenders. His platoon had suffered heavy casualties in the first assault, among others the sergeant had fallen, and it was united with sergeant Stark’s platoon. After an hour the robots were finished and the Colonel gathered his soldiers in the new trench. Jack was nervous and frightened of what would happen when they left the somewhat safe trench. Just before the order about an assault was spoken tanks and artillery issued a massive bombing towards Montciel’s strongest defence-positions. The order that followed resulted in that four battalions of well-equipped infantry poured towards the city. The front platoons were mowed down relatively easy by the defenders, but before they had caused any major casualties in the enemy lines, the assault force were within hundred meters of the city walls. The desperate defenders forced the whole city to take up arms; they would win or be totally extinguished. Jack was one of the first to reach the walls. The explosive experts in the platoon placed explosives along Montciel’s walls. The explosion became the signal for the city’s rebel faction, known as True Christianity. Month’s earlier NCR spies had been in contact with the rebels, and they had promised each other help in order to defeat UFA’s soldiers in Montciel. NCR’s soldiers knew they were not allowed to shot at anyone holding a white handkerchief in his or her hand, but not until now they understood why. While the defenders gathered within the razed wall to put up a last, desperate resistance they noticed a large force of citizens attacking them from behind. This was too much, and most of the remaining defenders threw their weapons. A couple of companies were ordered to collect the weapons thrown to the ground.
The colonel had just seen his soldiers conquer Montciel when a scouter pulled over next to him. The scout jumped out and approached the colonel.
“Colonel Banks, sir, UFA’s army has been seen a days march from here, they’ll arrive at Vail before us if we doesn’t leave immediately.�
“Damn! Then we must defeat the army to, before we can talk about peace. How could they get here so fast?�
“I don’t know, sir.�
The colonel turned around and shouted to his lieutenants.
“Give order about an immediate departure from the city to march towards Vail as fast as possible. Leave a small garrison at about a hundred men, and let the rebels take care of the prisoners.�
Once again the troops were gathered and orders were given about departure. The company Marc and Jack was part of had been stationed to guard the city and they watched while the rest of the soldiers marched east, to defeat UFA once and for all…[/b]