1. 109

Checking their equipment, the battalion seems unsurprised by their lack of mobile mechs. "Those Captains are doing their best but it seems like we barely got anything to protect us with." a veteran of the 109th called out and most of them agreed.

"To be honest I would be surprised if those dudes would even give us a mech in the first place.. Moreover a G6 full armour equipment." A female soldier said while inspecting her G5 Body armour, they were outdated by a whole generation of armoury.

Nonetheless, it's better than being with the other battalions which saw the 109 as a weak battalion when it comes to sheer tech powers. But those in the 109 exceed the other battalions by moral and trust in each soldier's skills, being the most mobile and stealthy in platoons made most of the active times they did participate look like they barely did anything of effort due to their lack of visible active participation.

"Crap! I gained a bit too much weight.." One of the soldiers said when he noticed how his armour is getting harder to wear.

"George, did you not get the extendable size version of the G5?"

"Oh shut up, I messed up alright." he seems embarrassed when his armour doesn't fit him much now which made those around laugh for a few seconds.

...

"Those guys down there, barely 500 actually wasted most of their time in combat." Alois seems concerned for their battalion skills. since almost half seen battle, the rest have to resort to what those veterans have seen.

Zhang li looked at him with a bit of a grin, "Are you afraid of their deaths lieutenant?" She offered him a cup of coffee but was declined.

"If we can go AWOL, then the empire could accept us and give them an opportunity."

"Lieutenant, surrendering to the empire won't change much. I wouldn't be surprised if they also go through the same code like the Alliance does to those who desert active duty." She took a sip from the hot tea, imported from the Zhao tea corporation exactly. "What are your choices lieutenant?"

###

Boarding the cruiser, all 1000 soldiers were then off to the unknown planet. Unofficially controlled by the empire but they started conquering it a few months back against the native species, it was then the whole cruiser convoy arrived from warp.

The green landscape of the planet gave the soldiers a surprised look at the place war is going to destroy, their destination is the stationed base of Operation Blitz. They were forced to jump a few hundred kilometers away from the landing point due to the planets rotation intervening with the arrival, the 109th cruiser as expected became the spear tip of the convoy

Tobio looked through the data of the map, he seems concerned about their position. "These guys really want us dead if there's anti-aircraft here."

Fortunately for them, this part of the land hasn't been scouted by the empire. What will be their problem would be the native species on the ground, but the cruisers are meant to last against small critters like them after all-

*BOOM!!

"The heck was that!?" The Captains were shocked by the loud explosion from a nearby cruiser. Looking outside, their eyes widen when they see the dense forest lighting up with magma like cannonballs shooting the more easier to pick off cruisers behind them.

"Where the hell are the fighters?!" The situation was getting intense, these weren't Empire anti-aircraft. These are either outsider aliens or just the native species that are adapted against invaders, and suddenly...

*BOOM!!

"[Engine 2 Heavily damaged]"

"[Cargo bay damaged]"

"[Cockpit minimal damaged]"

"[Hangar severely damaged]"

Just from that single bombardment, the 109 cruiser was slowly going down into the forest.

[Cruisers: 186/200]

"Everybody hold on!" Alois shouted through the radio as the cruiser started impacting the forest below.

###

Half an hour passes. The pilots were dead at the spot, fortunately for the survivors there were no leaks that could lead to an explosion. But any way of heading to the base seems impossible, the transport trucks were gone the second the cargo bay was exploded with most of the other supplies.

Waking up from the amount of steel on the ground, Ivar checked around the ruins only to realise the lieutenant is severely wounded. The rest of the captains soon regained consciousness but they were wounded, not too much to the point of incapability of movement.

Fortunately the powers were still alive, Tobio checked on the surviving soldiers. "109s.. status report."

...

"At least half or more died even before they could see action, it's a massacre." Tobio concluded after checking on the soldiers.

200 or more died on impact, at least 300 were wounded beyond help. They were better off dead than to suffer even more. Realising they only have half of the 109 still alive, the Captains don't have much ideas for their safety.

Zhang li looked at the crippled lieutenant, seeing how they weren't going to survive long. "it's a survival mission now, it's not like those of the Alliance will care to come back for the survivors.. maybe at least a few hundred thousand survived and they can continue with the operation."

Tobio agrees with Zhang li, "That's the best we could conclude from them." but it's not uncertain that they would try to get a rescue team on the hunt.

"It's probably impossible anyways, those monsters that took us down seem like they can kill any land vehicle that's about is lesser than a company." Ivar called out. He noticed that the aliens seemed large, their body is more like exoskeletons than meat. "However they are, it's more likely that they're a class of species made for an invader."

The thought of exoskeleton aline invader suddenly took Alester's attention from afar, "Are you saying they're more like those warrior bugs from starship troopers?"

"..."

They seemed surprised, "Were more surprised by the fact that you know about a series from the 2000s.." Zhang li said, It's the early 2200s after all.

Lieutenant:

Alois [Severely wounded]

Active Captain's:

Alester

Ivar

Tobio

Zhang li

109 Soldiers:

562