InaG Chpt 10

==It's not a Gundam - Chapter 10 - Trojan==
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===Marian Campaign===
Outside capital city of Nova Roma
Alphard, Marian Hegemony
May 3025
Many would dismiss invasions once the capital or the spaceport of a world was captured or what was considered valuable was torched. But planets were planets. Minor nations controlled systems when in my old world an island in the middle of the ocean counted as one. There would always be resistance fighters as long as their was an unwatched patch of dirt.
 
To fully take a planet. To fully conquer it; required blood. A lot of blood. The consolation I had was that the men I led chose to fight for me and the men I was killing wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else. It helped that the pirates we fought before weren't particularly patriots
 
Alphard was different.
 
Our 'Shrike Lances' were wreaking havoc on the enemy lines. With orbit in our control, we had eyes on the entire surface and I watched Shadow Hawks battle Phoenix Hawks, Blackjacks duel Griffins, and tanks and other armor fought at their feet as VTOLs buzzed overhead.
 
My forces SHOULD have been in better health. I leveraged the Haros, the Junkers, and whatever the AGE Builder allowed to be printed in bulk to pay the mercenaries as well as turning hollowed-out understrength companies into full-on regiments with every former wreck that we had 'revived'.
 
Except the Marians were still holding. If it wasn't mechs they pulled out of their ass it was tanks seemingly fresh right out of the factory, and if it wasn't that it was Marian soldiers in advanced body armor (albeit Roman-shaped) and carrying uniform weapons and plenty of support weapons as well.
 
The Ptolemaios was just outside the range of whatever long-range AA that was sitting in downtown Nova Roma. Time to time we and the Marians would send probes that amounted to nothing but scuffed armor plating. Marius sat in his city, buried in sandbags and improvised barricades. I sat in my ship, surrounded by other droppers in the BT equivalent of a circled wagon train.
 
I glared at the screen. It was a stalemate. I watched the BattleROM of a Catapult being cut off from its protective escort. The missile boat was being chased by O'Reilly's Praetorian Centurions. Of which he had plenty. They were faster, tougher, stronger as well. I watched its last moments as it ran face-first into an LB-X ... and then a sword through the cockpit. How they knew where the artillery lance was, how they could get the forces to intercept them... I knew the answer.
 
Comstar was playing favorites and Comstar had stockpiles and factories for rainy days. I just couldn't prove a damn thing.
 
My war council, if it could be called that, stood with me around yet another holographic map. We were on a timer. The Imperator was already calling what remaining loyalists he could to Alphard among others. Mercenaries I sure as hell knew wasn't paid by the Hegemony's bleeding coffers, and what other pirates and warlord scum who realized who was next who somehow got transportation on short notice.
 
"Ozzy." I spoke to the dispossessed MechWarrior, "I'm glad you're still in one piece."
 
The former Catapult-pilot blinked from his one good eye. His whole left side was covered in bandages.
 
"But, sir-" he spoke.
 
"Lives matter more than machines." I answer the Junker native, "Now get some rest. That's an order."
 
Hesitantly, Oswald gave me a sloppy salute. It would not pass the muster of modern armies but I wasn't running a professional fighting force either.
 
"You'll be surprised to know how many people would disagree with you," Dote said coy.
 
"Plenty." I replied, "But I doubt it's anyone here."
 
"Kill the meat." Gluck spoke, "save the metal. My men have NEVER accepted that ethos. But other mercenaries have."
 
"Are the companies having second thoughts?"
 
"Mine aren't." Dote snorted, "The old geezer told them to burn out some Roman wannabes and they are getting bonuses."
 
"There have been comments." Gluck admitted, "They expected to roll over what remained of the Hegemony garrison given our recent success. Except we have been stalled. A protracted campaign will be costly and are questioning why the coalition is moving around and instead of through the civilian quarter.."
 
"Then they aren't doing what they're paid to do." She snapped, "I'm a secretary and I don't want collateral on record. Zero."
 
"I told them." Gluck sighed, "Leading the complaints is Cavanaugh's Cavalry."
 
"...Jared Cavanaugh?"
 
Gluck blinked, "You know their commander's nephew?"
 
I know that in the canonical future he would sell out his client to the Marians. Would his Uncle do the same?
 
"I know OF him." I correct myself, "We have a week to cut the head off the snake. If we have to..."
 
Gluck and Dote grimaced.
 
"How many shots left?" The Secretary asked, speaking for herself just as much as she did the Captain-General.
 
"Three." I spoke.
 
"Outside of Arrow IV atomics." The General spoke up, "I have never heard of a mech capable of fielding WMDs."
 
The Ares Convention banned the use of WMDs and only allowed Orbital bombardment against purely military targets far away from civilians. The Dainsleif was an edge-case among edge-cases.
 
"Can you make more?" She questioned.
 
I didn't answer her, "If it wasn't for the civilians I would have used it to crack the glorified bunker Marius called his palace. The Inner Sphere sometimes has a lapse in memory when they talk about Ares. I won't. General Gluck?"
 
"Sir?"
 
"You have my permission to kill me if I cross the line."
 
"S-sir!?"
 
Beneath my mask I stared into his soul, "You heard me."
 
To him it would be like a devout man killing his prophet. But it was a duty that I placed at his feet.
 
Before he could answer we heard the bell ring and I turned toward the door, "Enter."
 
The door slid open as one of the few men I trusted with my identity stepped in.
 
"Wedge?" I asked.
 
"We have civilians in front of the FOB." He reported, "waving the white flag."
 
"It seems that that problem solved itself." Secelia commented.
 
"Not necessarily."
 
We tabled the discussion for later.
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===Assisting the Civilians while facing another....===
We stepped out of the Ptolemaios as I saw an entire menagerie of people standing outside our staging grounds and behind THAT a convoy of cars and trucks.
They were a mix of faces: Patricians in nice clothes, regular Commoners, but also many, many slaves. Despite being patterned after Rome this was still the 31st century. White, Asian, African, men and women, young and old if it wasn't for the enforced mix of feudalism and slavery this sea of faces wouldn't look out of place back home.
 
It was just too many to count.
 
"They've been trickling in." One of the border guards spoke, "They aren't suicidal to stay in that eyesore of a city."
 
"The Imperator-" one of the civilians started, "Marius." He corrected, "had been building his miniature cult of his. He really DOES think he is the Father of a Reborn Rome."
 
"You can't be serious..." Secelia scoffed.
 
"He is." A women spoke, "Since the war started, he's been making more and more speeches about Caesar and Mark Anthony and whoever Brutus is."
 
"I heard he's been screaming at the HPG station for help." A third added.
 
"Well fuck him." A fourth voice added, "I just live here."
 
They talked over each other and it painted an image of an ambitious man who wanted to build his empire ... and was going mad as he watched it burn down around him. It reminded me of a certain German tyrant. He even had a damn bunker he was hiding in.
 
"Exarch." Mashmyre approached us, concerned and firmly looking at the gathered refugees, "I want to help them. But we do not have the resources to care for so many."
 
My team and the other Junkers among our force looked at me. We didn't have the resources. Yet; if the AGE Builder agreed to it.
 
"We'll need to process them." I spoke, "I don't want any spies mixed in. Treat the sick and wounded first ... I'll see about supplies."
 
After my orders I returned back to the ship and the magical make-anything machine within.
 
It could make most things from the Inner Sphere but not all of it. The Gundam side was more limited. Raw basics like food and medicine I had yet to ask.
 
I gave the order and surprisingly it agreed. The egg split open and I saw stacked pallets of MREs and medical supplies in brand-less blank packaging between boxes of rolled up tents.
 
Also a tank. Well, an IFV may be more apt. The closest thing that BT would have would be the QuadVee and those things were disasters made decades in the future.
 
The Loto worked. SRM launchers on the arms, the particle equivalent of a blowtorch that made for a VERY lethal shiv in the right circumstances, and a shoulder-mounted machine gun. Alone it didn't mean much, but it could mount either a massive rotary cannon or a pair of assault guns on it's shoulders. Either one made it lethal at range. It's low profile and high speed worked even more to it's favor.
"Your expecting me to use this aren't you?"
 
The AGE Builder didn't answer. The Loto did. The rear hatch bursted open as a dozen electronic voices shouted as they spilled out of the Guntank.
 
"Ow! Zako!'
 
"Get off me, Zako!"
 
...Zakos. And I had thought I was stuck to the more serious end of Gundam.
 
The Zaku II-shaped robot mooks managed to entangle themselves, with my help. For beings made of mech-grade armor they weren't as heavy as I thought.
Lined up, I counted a squad of ten. Their axes were real so were their machine guns. And as one they saluted me.
 
""1st Zako Squad!"" they shouted as one, ""ready for duty ... ZAKO!""
 
"At ease." I finally ordered, "Now can you give me a rundown of what you can do?"
 
Like schoolchildren their hands shot up wanting to be picked.
 
"Shoot things! Zako."
 
"Hit things! Zako."
 
"Shoot AND Hit things! Zako!"
 
Grin and bare it Exarch. Grin and bare it. They weren't that good fighters if their show said anything. But they were strong enough to dump an entire ammo drum from their machine gun. I had Haros but they didn't have much personality. Barring maybe the one that Mashmyre seems to treat like a pet.
 
I set them to work moving the supplies and unburying the Loto. At the end of the day an extra set of hands was an extra set of hands. Hours would pass as they did. Between the few potshots and occasional probes it had been eerily silent outside. I expected something but every report by Biggs and Wedge told me that they didn't find any hidden weapons or surveillance equipment from the civilians.
 
At this point I would have to show more of my hand. The Ptolemaios had an energy shield in the form of the GN Field but I hadn't used it. Since my arrival I was subtle using GN drive to reinforce the E-Carbon armor plating. It would be enough to get through the flak and SAMs. Enough that I could park the ship right above the palace and take Marius head. The problem was staying there. We'd be surrounded and I could only bring so many mechs and troops.
 
I was brought out of thoughts by a Zako rushing up to me with a salute.
 
"Yes?" I asked
"Whose the pretty lady, Zako?"
 
The 'Pretty Lady' was Secelia. Walking down with a noteputer in her hand.
 
"How goes the men?" I asked.
 
"The same." she shrugged, "...is that one another new Mobile Suit?"
 
"It is. D-50C Loto, a fire support mech that can act as an IFV."
 
"And it came with a crew." she observed, "They are from separate worlds..."
 
"Thoughts, Ms. Dote?"
 
"My own." she huffed, "The Free Worlds League isn't like Anti-cassia. Everything is bigger. Advanced in some ways, other ways not so much."
 
"That is an understatement." I grumbled, "After the Hegemony, what are your plans?"
 
"Getting the paid idiots and their paperwork done." she brushed her hair, "But I'm free after."
 
If not for the mask she would see my unamused face, "I wasn't asking you out on a date."
 
"Neither am I." she smirked, "The League wants me to be their eyes and ears until Atreus figures out what to do with what's left of the Hegemony."
 
"Once the Marians are gone the planets they owned will have to make their own choices. The only thing I did was making sure they are able to in the first place."
 
"Really?" she doubted, "I thought you'd want to go around conquering planets. It's what everyone does."
 
"Then I'm not like everyone else. Are you a FWL patriot?"
 
"I was reborn an orphan. My mother was the League. My father was House Marik." she stated, "Of course I'm a patriot. Being a patriot can mean anything."
She pointed to the emblem of the Junkers, an emblem that they found in my records and thought it fitting. A industrial yellow recycle symbol made from three wrenches and hex-nuts.
"You have the Junkers now. Those goody-goody knights also. And I've seen the looks the Plebians and Ex-slaves give you. You've won them over either way. They'll listen to you. They WANT to listen to you. Your responsible. Someone has to be."
 
My eyes wandered across the cargo hold. We had plenty of equipment being serviced for the Junkers, the Knights, and whatever Mercenaries and volunteer Militia that came along. Dozens of different forces, dozens of different emblems, dozens of different men and women from dozens of different worlds.
 
I grimaced. Damn it. She was right.
 
"A throne is only a bench covered with velvet." I mumbled.
 
"Whose that from? Sartre?"
 
"Napoleon." I corrected, "And I know what I have to do. Can you get everyone? It's time we end this here and now."
 
I would continue hadn't Biggs walked in. He spared a glance at the Zakos lifting the pallets with their monstrous strength before turning to us two.
 
"Sorry to bother you two flirting." Biggs started, ignoring my attempt to protest, "But we got another wave of refugees coming in."
 
"More?" I asked, "How many?"
 
A third of the city had already fled before we made landfall. Another quarter we let pass when we arrived in front of Nova Roma. I didn't check the headcount of the people who arrived earlier but it was still many.
 
"The cities is going to empty at this point." Secelia surmised, "And our 'glorious emperor' let them go? Just like that?"
 
"The first group took the chance to run." Biggs commented, "But from what I heard someone from Comstar helped negotiate the this and the first group."
 
...Comstar?
 
Suddenly I could hear explosions rock outside the ship. Followed by screams ... and the crack of guns.
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Chapter 10