Vilnus Grouchy

**General Vilnus Grouchy** was a Brigadier General in the Aeldrum Dragoons's Aetherborne Corps during the First Coalition War.

## History

*Main article: Spires of Aeldrum*
A somewhat politically disgraced figure, General Grouchy was nonetheless one of the most able field commanders in the Duchy. Most (in)famous for his role in the Irish War of Independence, he was the pioneering practitioner of Atmospheric Aetherborne deployments—known affectionately by his subordinates as "Deep Strikes." His role as the Aetherborne commander during the Bakers Quarter Massacre made him one of the most hated Aeldman figures on Ireland, and his cruel streak was excessive enough that even politicians at home questioned his methods for quelling rebellions, or as he put it: "Culling the unworthy so the Dragoons can get on with the real business." Grouchy's brilliant defense of the Dublin Gate allowed much of the Irish Provincial Government to escape the city with minimal losses at the end of the war. His operational motto was "Get in, get out, get it done," which made him a favorite commander for the politically dicey but militarily effective interventions into Shantine space that Aeldrum (sometimes secretly) conducted. With the War of the Coalition, it seemed that his country was once again calling upon him to be at the right place at the right time, on demand.

## Command Signatures

### Air-Land Battle

Grouchy was a master of coordinating Air and Naval action in planetary atmospheres. His rapid response force was equipped with ships designed specifically for this purpose, accompanied by modern jet fightercraft, and supported by Ducal Navy frigates with trained fire-coordinators among his Dragoons for close-in naval support, eschewing fixed artillery and heavy armored vehicles for overwhelming tactical air power.

### Deep Strike

Grouchy's signature move was to rapidly deploy Dragoons in their infamous Boarding Armor (often rudimentarily powered) directly from their ships onto the ground, allowing for lightning fast offensive breakthroughs with the addition of his close air support. Similarly, Grouchy's rapid evacuation techniques using fast gunships allowed him to get in and out quickly and smoothly.

## Command Flaws

### Excessive Cruelty

Grouchy encouraged his men to commit atrocities far beyond the usual carelessness of the Aeldman military. To Grouchy, civilians were a problem to be solved, usually with the liberal application of firepower. After all, if there are no civilians, there can be no spies or saboteurs to disrupt his rapid entry and exit. This meant not only did he waste time and resources on this problem, but more importantly he would almost certainly become the most hated Aeldman commander wherever he went.

### Disdain for the Army/ATC

Grouchy refused to collaborate with those useless idiots in the Aeldrum Trade Company, nor with the ponces of the ducal guard or the conscripted masses that would make up any Republican Constabulary units sent to the front. The ATC lost Ireland, and those opium-addled bluejays were good only for soaking up bullets. If they wished to die distracting the enemy, then so be it, but Grouchy would not come to save them or even speak with their officers unless a theater commander ordered him to directly. If they got in his way, they were no better use to him than civilians ("they may as well be civilians for all the good they do us") and he would not hesitate to be rid of them in the same way.