Chapter 15, The Red Line

Patrick crawled on scouted the area with a couple of the Poles, Patrick carried a Lever Action Rifle while a few of the Polish Scouts with him were carrying Bolt Action Rifles and one was carrying a Lewis Gun.

They manage to make it near a large Outpost where an entire Battalion of Red Army Soldiers are awaiting for Command.

A few Armored Cars, two Tanks, seven Mechs and the Airship Ksusha itself hovering above the Red Army's post. The Ksusha was indeed the Armored Airship that destroyed the U.S.S Liberator.

Patrick looked through his binoculars and spotted two Russian Important Figures in military Uniforms.

"Who are they?" Patrick asked handing the Binoculars over to another Polish Scout "Dowódca Anton, he's the Dowódca or as you say Commander of the Red Army who lead the Attack on Kraków and the other is...drogi Boże..." He says in shock.

"What?" Patrick asked.

"The Butcher of Port Arthur himself Alexei Smirnov, he's a proclaimed hero to the Russians during the Siege of Port Arthur, he's said to kill more then hundreds of Japanese Soldiers he says he could of achieved victory if he wasn't ordered to fall back" The Scout said.

"After the Brusilov Offensive he became disillusioned with the Tsar and joined the February Revolution but was arrested only to freed during the Bolsheviks revolution, he's a dangerous man..."

"That Airship the Ksusha might be under his command and-Wait" Patrick took the Binoculars as one of the Reds was talking to the two men and pointed to the position of Patrick and the Scouts.

"Shit! they saw us!" Patrick said, the Poles and Patrick ready their arms and begin firing. The Pole using the Lewis Gun begin firing down keeping the Reds supressed.

Anton ran into a Super Tank taking command while Smirov himself fired a Officer's revolver while backing away from being hit as two Armored Soviet Troops cover him with Machine Gun fire.

Patrick fired his Lever Action scoring a Headshot then a Chest Shot, the Polish Scouts keep up a volley of fire with their Lewis Gun.

The Reds ran for cover while firing back then the Super Tank that Anton entered turned it's turret and fired at their position.

Luckily the shot missed but it send dirt at them, this time the Reds kept them surpass forcing Patrick and the Poles to fall back.

They ran while bullets buzz past them, one Pole was shot in the back as he dropped. Patrick turned back to grab him but he was already dead.

Patrick and the Polish Scouts used the trees for cover while the Reds continue their attack. Bullets flew hitting trees and weapons went off.

One Pole drew a Mauser C96 and begin to blindly fire without poking body out. Patrick continue to fire then noticed one of the Red Soldiers was heavy plated with armor carrying a flamethrower.

"Flametrooper! back up! back up!" He shouted.

The Flametrooper let out a laugh before unleashing liquid flames onto the trees, Patrick and the Poles ran back hoping to avoid the flames.

They continue to run til they saw the Fort, they ran inside. "The Reds are coming! They got their Airship up and running!" Patrick shouted.

The Polish Garrison ran grabbing their weapons and moved their artillery into position. Anna was in one of the bunkers patching wounded Soldiers while Karl ran with a couple of the Poles preparing for their defence.

With the sound of a Tank coming in then it fired it's cannon knocking one of the walls. The battle has begun, Anton open the hatch of the Tank while commanding Orders to the Red Army as they begin their assault.

"Do not let them take this Fortress! Poland must be defended! Push the Red Devils back! Death to the Bolsheviks!" A Polish Commander screamed.

The Field Gun was moved to the front of the gate firing it's shells destroying an Armored Truck. Karl hopped onto one of the Machine Guns and begin firing.

Patrick hide behind a wall firing his Lever Action and Anna ran out offering Medical Aid to the wounded. The Red Army charged at the Fort while Machine Guns ran down on them killing groups of them but more came.

Then a loud horn was heard, everyone look to the sky seeing the Airship the Ksusha. The horn went off again, The Airship was approaching meaning they were defending on borrowed time.

Troops of the Red Army begin to rush into the destroyed wall as they begin to try to take areas of the Fort.

Polish Guards battled them in close combat with Bayonets, Knives, Clubs even fists. Patrick ran down the stairs drawing his Colt 1911 Pistol firing a few rounds into a Red.

Patrick put it away then gritted his teeth as he rushed at Red Soldier who was operating a hand held Machine Gun. Patrick let out a battlecry spooking the Soldier then Patrick tackled him down.

Drawing his knife as Patrick stabbed him to death. Outside of the Fort, Anton continue to order the Assault while the Tank drew closer then a shell from Field Gun fired at the Tank causing it to stop.

He begin shouting orders then looked at the Fort as his widen to see Karl aiming the Maxim Gun at him.

Karl begin firing as the bullets ripped into Anton as he fell into the Tank. "Guten Nacht..." Karl said with a hiss.

The Polish Defenders manage to kick the Reds out of the fort but the Assault continued despite Anton's death. Then another horn from the Ksusha came as the guns on it begin fire onto the Fort destroying buildings and other areas.

Anna help a Polish Soldier move to a safer location while another Pole grabbed a Auto Shotgun and begin firing out of the Window.

"Ve need to take out that verdammnt Airship!" Karl shouted while firing the Maxim Gun at the Ksusha. "Does this place any AA?!" Patrick asked.

One Pole lead him to one of the Fort's towers where an AA Gun awaited. Patrick and few of the Poles manned it and begin firing at the Ksusha.

The Ksuhna begin to lose some of it's armor due to the AA Gun fire, the crew manning the weapons begin to fire onto Patrick's position but then another AA gun from the fort begin fire at the Airship.

Armor begin to break away and damage on the Airship begin to show as one of the Ksusha main guns was destroyed then another was destroyed.

The damage became to great for the Airship that it began to turn around and move away from the Fort. As the Poles notice the Red Army begining to pull back, Polish Mech Pilots ran for the Mechs and jumped into them.

The Poles began a counter charge against the Red Army. Patrick smiled and laugh at the Poles victory and their successful at defending the Fort.

Karl halted the Maxim's firing as steam came off the gun as he begin huffing. Anna held her revolver while she held a bleeding Pole soldier whom was lucky to be alive.

"We did we knocked them back and we got that Airship on the run...But it'll keep coming back we need to bring it down permanently" Patrick said turning to a Polish Officer.

"Radio?" He asked which the Officer nodded and lead him, Karl and Anna to a radio operating room.

Patrick sat down tunning it til an American voice came out "This is Allied Command state your name and purpose"

"This is Patrick Bishop, Engineer and Mech Pilot I am a survivor of the U.S.S Liberator, I have message for General Perishing" Patrick says.

After all a voice came out "This is General Perishing, you have a message?"

"Sir I am with Polish Soldiers near the Red Line, we have encountered a Bolshevik Armored Airship formerly Imperial know as the Ksusha we have damaged it and force it to retreat...Sir I am asking for permission to hunt it down, this can break Bolshevik morale and if possible we can make a link up with the White Army in Tsaritsyn splitting the Soviet Union in half" Patrick says.

"An Armored Airship?...Your asking to bring it down and split the Reds in half am I correct?" He asked, "Yes Sir I am asking for permission to do so this could turn the tide of the war in Allied Favor against the Red Army" Patrick said adjusting his glasses.

"Normally I wouldn't allow this but we need every impact on the Bolsheviks if you think this will help I'll allow it, make me proud son" Perishing said.

"Yes Sir" He says hanging up the Radio, "So ve're going after an Airship Ja?" Karl asked.

"Yep, with the Stormwalker we'll be able to make greater ground" Patrick says, "I'm coming with!" Patrick and Karl looked at Anne.

"You'll need me! I can help after all I am a Medic" She says.

"Alright I guess" Patrick shrugged, "Can you even defend yourself?" Karl questioned.

"Yes i can!" She says, "Come on guys let's go" Patrick says walking to the Stormwalker.