0102 January 17th, 2020 CE

0435 (Early Hour) Start 17th, 196 AE

Anicium Castle, Mach Imperium

The commander of the front against the Americans is giving Emperor Industros a report of the situation.

“Your majesty. The garrison forces at Industropolis have reported sightings of the enemy army.”

“This early?! Are those the twenty tanks that defeated the 6th?”

“No, your majesty. It’s a much larger force. It seems to consist of many tanks and other vehicles.”

“How far away are the reinforcements!?”

“Because the railways were bombed by the enemy, they are still many days away.”

“What about the Air Corps! Can’t they do something?! Anything?”

“No, sir. Don’t you remember? Nearly our entire remaining aircraft were shot out of the sky when you ordered an aerial all-out assault of the enemy landing forces.”

“The garrison can hold right?”

“... it’s questionable… I think we will have to retr...”

“Questionable? The garrison has to hold! It’s my city!”

“But your ma…”

“TELL ME THE GARRISON WILL HOLD!”

“But…”

“NO BUTS. THE GARRISON HAS TO HOLD! If it doesn’t, your heads are going off! UNDERSTOOD!? NOW TELL ME! Will the garrison hold?”

“Um… yes, your majesty, the garrison will hold.”

0320 January 17th, 2020 CE

0540 (Early Hour) Start 17th, 196 AE

Outskirts of Industropolis

The garrison soldiers of Industropolis sit in their hastily dug trenches waiting for the enemy. One of the soldiers hears something like a plane in the sky. He looks up and sees a weird looking plane coming towards the ground.

“Hm? What’s that?”

Dirt flies into the air in arcs as bullets hit the ground in a straight line. Soldiers in that line are cut apart. Tanks fare no better as the bullets penetrate their thinly armored top. The crews inside suffer a similar fate to the soldiers outside.

“BRRRRRRRRTTT”

A few miles from the outskirts of Industropolis

An A-10 Warthog flies overhead after unleashing a hail of bullets from its 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon upon the Machian trenches.

“Ah, music to my ears.”

“Seems like the Air Force will soften them up a bit before we go in.”

“Quite nice of the Machians to build their defenses away from the civilians.”

The 2nd Marine Division and 1st Armored Division waits on the far outskirts of the city for the Air Force to finish laying waste to the Machian defenses.

After the initial few days of the aerial campaign, the Air Force had quickly run out of targets on the ground. With the Machian garrison in Industropolis setting up an easily seen trench outside of the city, it is a perfect target for bombings.

Industropolis

Sounds of loud explosions from the defenses can be heard throughout the city. In a small, rundown apartment, a child walks up to her mother.

“Mother? We will be fine. RIght?”

“Everything will be alright dear. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Contrary to her words, there is a tone of uncertainty.

Quite a lot of Industropolitans had fled the city after the palace was destroyed. Those that had stayed were the ones who didn’t have relatives outside of the city, were poor, or believed that their country will be victorious in the end. Just recently, news had broke that the Americans, the enemy, had landed on the eastern beaches. Aurelia Quatrua and her 10-year-old son, Proculus, were too poor to be able to leave the city. Aurelia’s husband, Galerius, had died a few years ago to illness leaving her alone to raise their child.

A week ago, the remaining residents had witnessed the soldiers of the Industropolis garrison going towards the outskirts of the city and setting up defenses. It was clear that the enemy was near. Now the explosions from the defenses signaled the start of the enemy’s attack.

0320 January 17th, 2020 CE

0540 (Early Hour) Start 17th, 196 AE

The explosions outside of the city stop as abruptly as it had begun.

“Did we win, mother? Can I go out now? I want to play with other children.”

“I’m sure we did. But stay in just in case.”

“But ma.”

Aurelia is smiling but there is worry underneath it.

0220 January 17th, 2020 CE

0510 (Early Hour) Start 17th, 196 AE

Anicium Castle, Mach Imperium

Military officers including the commanders of the two fronts look at each grimly in the meeting room of the Anicum castle.

“I don’t think the capital will hold.”

“With the Americans already assaulting the capital and our reinforcements still days away, it's impossible.

“We aren’t going to win, are we?"

“Looking at the speed of the American advance, we will have to pull back our troops all the way here.”

The military officials trace a line with his finger on the map.

“That’s giving up half of the country.”

“Even if we give up half of the country, will we even be able to push them back?”

“Our Air Corps are all but destroyed. Even if we had any spare planes, they would be shot out of the sky within mere minutes.”

“From what our reports indicate, it is highly possible that American aerial weapons greatly outrange ours. Moreover, from observation, their aircraft are much faster than ours. There’s nothing our aircraft can do against theirs.”

“How is that even possible?”

“They could be using magic but there is no known magic that can do that.”

“Besides, hundreds of our tanks can’t even fight back against just ten of theirs. From what survivors of the 6th are saying, hundreds of rounds from the Industro Is and IIs don’t even leave a scratch on the enemy tanks. On the other hand, the enemy tanks can destroy ours in just one shot.”

“We have to surrender.”

“The Emperor will not agree. We may even be executed for trying to tell him to surrender.”

“He has gone insane. There’s nothing we can do.”

A short silence fills the room.

“There’s only one way out of this isn’t there?”

“Regretfully so.”

The commander in charge of the front against the Americans grabs a pistol

Less than 10 minutes later

Emperor Industros enters the meeting room after being called there by a messenger of the commander of the front against the Americans.

“What is it? I hope this is good news. The garrison has repelled the Americans?”

“Your majesty…”

Multiple military officials grab the Emperor.

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!!?! UNHAND ME!”

“Your majesty, please stop resisting.”

“I am the emperor of this country! You DARE attack me?! Guards!”

Two guards enter the room. The commander pulls out his pistol and places it at the Emperor’s head. The Emperor’s eyes widened in fear.

“If you don’t want the Emperor to die, do as we say. Drop your weapons.”

The guards, part of a company of infantry that has sworn absolute loyalty to the Emperor and follow him everywhere, immediately drop their weapons. They have also sworn to protect the Emperor at all costs.

The Emperor starts to be enraged.

“FOOLS!”

“Wise decision. Now get out of the room. If we detect any attempts at rescuing the Emperor, he will die.”

The commander of the front against the Americans turns back to the Emperor after the guards quickly exit and close the door

“Your majesty, we have lost the war. We will be announcing our surrender to the Americans soon.”

“This is treason! Treason! You won’t get away with this! My guards will be back! You will regret this!”

At this point, the Emperor was just spitting out random threats.

“Gag him.”

“Hey! Whamofufofumofu.”

0320 January 17th, 2020 CE

0540 (Early Hour) Start 17th, 196 AE

Outskirts of Industropolis

The 2nd Marines and 1st Armored start moving into the city. The outskirt defenses are dotted with craters and destroyed tanks. The civilians that had come to view the battle quickly went back into their homes.

A few minutes later

Industropolis

A convoy of Abrams enters the city and heads directly towards the bombed palace. The convoy passes many houses that have civilians peeking out. The streets are empty. A few miles into the city, a lone figure walks towards the convoy. The convoy comes to a stop. A Machian soldier holding a white flag in the air advances down the street towards the lead Abrams. The tank commander of the lead Abrams gets on his radio.

>>

“I am a messenger of the garrison commander of Industropolis. We are offering our surrender. Furthermore, our commander has received a report that our country is willing to negotiate.”

Humvees, Bradleys, and Abrams enter the city after the surrender. The streets are empty since civilians are still wary of going outside.

Aurelia and her son, Proculus, look out of the window of their apartment. Down on the streets, sand-colored vehicles appear in a straight line.

“Mother! Look! What are those?”

“Sergeant, you really should get back in the tank.”

“There’s nothing to worry about Brian, I just want to look around. I heard that the Machians are surrendering now. Hm. This kind of seems like Manhattan except with older architecture.”

The commander hatch is open and Nick is taking a gander at the 20th-century style city.

Anicium Castle, Mach Imperium

“Was this the right choice? Surrendering to the Americans?”

“Mmmofufmmmmomomofu!”

“What else? Surrender to the Magus? They aren’t going to let us off. We are hoping that the Americans treat us better than the Magus.”

“MM...mmm!”

“But what if they don’t?”

“nmnmmmfffmm.”

“There’s nothing we can do at this point. We still have to announce our surrender to the Magusians. However, the Americans will hopefully dictate most of the terms seeing that they captured Industropolis. We lost and that’s that.”

The military officials are having a conversation in the meeting room amidst the Emperor screaming through a piece of cloth that was stuffed in his mouth. The Emperor was tied up, gagged, and placed in a chair in the corner of the room.

Western Mach-Magus front

The artillery on the western Mach-Magus front fell silent as an order of ceasefire was given on the Machian side. The Mach had telegraphed a surrender and asked for negotiations.

0742 January 17th, 2020 CE

Washington D.C.

President Hayes had eaten breakfast and was getting to his office. An aide runs up to him.

“Mr.President, great news!”

“What is it?”

“The Machian capital has fallen and they are opening up for negotiations!”

“Mission accomplished then. I need to get on the phone to Thompson.”

>>

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Mach Imperium

News spread throughout the Mach Imperium about the surrender of their country. Many are in despair and fear over the loss of their country to the Americans. However, more fear of what would happen if the Americans decided to allow the Magusians to dictate the terms. They know that the Magusians would be extremely harsh to them.

Near the town of Isca

Pomponia sits on a chair in her house while drinking her afternoon tea. During her trip to town, she had heard of the news of the surrender of her country but she didn’t care one bit. She wondered about how her father was doing.

That old man got what was coming to him. I hope this won’t concern me.

She thinks of this while stirring her tea.