Crossing the River

As Reagan had said, it was not until early July—one week after the offensive order for the Pride of Boke campaign headquarters was issued—that the 4th Brigade of the 33rd Ground Assault Division, where Augustus served, officially set out.

Augustus was merely a corporal; he was not qualified to know the finer details of this campaign. Even his platoon leader, Reagan, had been told he could only learn the portions of the "June 23, 2488 Offensive Order" that pertained to his own unit.

Specifically: Arcturus Mengsk's 33rd Ground Assault Division, 2nd and 4th Brigades, were to depart from the lower city of Pride of Boke in seven days (1:00 AM, July 1st).

They were to cross the Paddick River at the Yesha Town ferry, twenty miles downstream from Pride of Boke, then detour to the Vellino region—a town in the eastern sector of Pride of Boke controlled by the Kel-Morian—and launch an assault at 1:00 AM the following day (July 2nd). Alpha Squadron's 7th and 8th Avenger wings, along with the 1st Bomber Wing, would provide fire support for the attacking force.

At dawn on July 1st, Augustus and his squad had already donned their power armor, ready for deployment. Due to a shortage of transport vehicles, the 4th Brigade and its sister brigade were forced to conduct a forced march on foot to the Yesha Town ferry.

Augustus's squad, clad in CMC Power Armor, marched in four columns behind their 3rd Platoon leader, Reagan, jogging along a dusty dirt road. Ahead of them was the 4th Squad of the 2nd Platoon, and behind them was the 2nd Squad of the 3rd Platoon, with roughly 40 yards of distance between each squad. The sound of power boots striking the ground was like a dull drumbeat, resembling the gait of metallic giants sprinting across the earth.

Whether Augustus looked forward or backward, the bobbing helmets and shoulders bearing the wolf-head emblem seemed to stretch on without end. A silver-gray torrent was advancing tirelessly across the deep green landscape of Turaxis at an average speed of five miles per hour.

Augustus couldn't help but think that if a ground assault division of 20,000 to 30,000 troops were all equipped with power armor, the military expenditure paid by the Terran Confederacy would be beyond his imagination.

This also indirectly explained why, even with the sheer scale of the Terran Confederacy, the people felt deeply overwhelmed when dozens of billions of citizens across so many planets were forced to shoulder the burden of the same war.

As Augustus and the others jogged along, large trailers carrying Arclite Siege Tanks and Goliath Combat Robots, along with self-propelled artillery, rumbled past them from time to time. Whenever a trailer loaded with tanks and walkers passed the soldiers, the tank crews and mech pilots would wave in greeting.

Meanwhile, an Avenger wing of about forty-five fighters constantly patrolled the skies, providing cover for the marching army.

While following the unit, Augustus continued to ponder what the rest of the offensive order might contain. Judging by the deployment of the 2nd and 4th Brigades, the High Command clearly wasn't fixated on a frontal assault across the Paddick River, but had instead chosen to strike at the flank of the Kel-Morian-controlled Pride of Boke.

However, there were clearly more than just these two brigades involved in the flanking maneuver. Such a deployment was massive in scale; it was impossible for the Kel-Morian not to notice such a large-scale movement of Confederate forces. If the High Command's goal was to launch a surprise attack with these troops, it likely wouldn't amount to much.

Unless, of course, these Kel-Morians were blind and deaf.

Just as he was thinking this, a thunderous roar suddenly erupted above Augustus and the others. Some soldiers stopped to look at the sky, drawing angry shouts from the officers.

The squad's communication channel was filled with profanity-laced exclamations. Above them, a spindle-shaped space station was falling.

The massive station emitted an incredibly bright light while still in the atmosphere; from where Augustus and his men stood, it looked like a giant fireball plummeting rapidly from the sky. With a deafening boom, the massive fireball crashed into the jungle far away from the army.

It seemed the battle in the synchronous orbit of Turaxis had been decided.

By the time the 4th Brigade's vanguard and the 2nd Battalion in the center had reached Yesha Town and crossed the Paddick River to the far bank, the Kel-Morian reconnaissance planes were only just arriving. By the time Augustus's squad stepped onto the north bank of the Paddick River aboard an open-top ferry converted from a civilian vessel, that scout plane had long since been driven off by Confederate Avenger fighters.

This stretch of the river at the Yesha Town ferry was narrower than the section flowing through the center of Pride of Boke. The far bank was undeveloped land, with tall grass that rose even higher than the knees of Augustus in his power armor.

The waterlogged grass on the riverbank was slippery, and Augustus had to activate the hook-shaped retractable spikes on his power boots to anchor himself into the mud, preventing him from slipping and rolling into the river.

Before the 5th Battalion arrived, a poor soul from the 3rd Battalion had tripped on the riverbank and tumbled into the Paddick River; now, a dozen local fishermen were using their boats to fish him out.

Not only that, but the guy had been pinned to a pillar of shame. Every time a unit passed the ferry, the sergeant major guarding the crossing would use this as an example to remind those following to be cautious.

After crossing the Paddick River, the battalions of the 4th Brigade continued to advance north. The green vegetation on the north bank was denser and more abundant than on the south, and the marines sometimes had to push through jungle growth that stood a man's height. Fortunately, wearing power armor made them all giants standing well above the average height, so they didn't lose track of the men in front of them.

By this time, the sun had just climbed into the sky, and sporadic gunfire could be heard in the distance. Augustus guessed the vanguard had run into Kel-Morian scouts.

Augustus's side, however, hadn't seen a single Kel-Morian yet. He kept a constant watch on the sky and the ground, wary of landmines and sudden bomber strikes. But so far, everything had gone smoothly.

It wasn't until 2:00 PM that day that the 5th Battalion, where Augustus was stationed, finally emerged from the jungle. Outside the jungle lay an undulating open field, and the vague silhouettes of buildings could be seen in the distance.

To the northeast of the jungle—at two o'clock from Augustus's position—were several highlands connected by trenches. Near the highlands was a small village, where a dozen wooden houses were burning fiercely.

Just as Augustus stepped out of the jungle, the vanguard ahead engaged a Kel-Morian force. At ten o'clock, there was a Kel-Morian artillery position, and shells whistled over the heads of Augustus and his men.

One of them landed not far to Augustus's right. A pillar of mud, grass roots, and shrapnel erupted like a fountain, and large chunks of earth rained down within a hundred-yard radius, eventually leaving a crater about 20 to 26 feet in diameter and 10 feet deep.

The shockwave nearly knocked Augustus, clad in his power armor, to the ground. Some ricocheting shrapnel swept across his abdominal and shoulder plating, leaving finger-deep dents.

The squads near the impact point immediately scattered and dove to the ground, while Augustus jumped directly into the crater that had just been formed.

"What is our objective?" Augustus asked over the squad-platoon communication channel.

"Our target is Highland Z-103 at two o'clock," Platoon Leader Reagan shouted over the comms.

"Move out, fire!"

Thanks to A Dream of a Thousand Years, Yigerenjimo, Shuhuang01, XMD01, Feichaiyitiao, and Buzuoqian-de-yong for the monthly tickets. Thanks to commandllche for the tip, and thanks for the recommendation votes, investments, and support.