Assault on Fort Kalderoga

[Alexia Sturkov]

"Communications chatter puts the rebel outpost right here, approximately. The so called Fort Kalderoga and whatnot."

The intelligence office stabbed at the holographic topographic map, his finger was almost disappearing completely inside the thick forest and mountainous terrain. Around the room murmurs began as half-baked ideas and criticism began to bubble up from the assembled crowd. The details of Operation: Fell Swoop began to take form. Further victory conditions were heaped upon the already daunting task until the room finally fell silent, and not a single branch officer volunteered their forces. The intelligence officer turned bloodshot eyes on the one figure in the room that stood apart from the rest in her black armor and blue robes.

"Naturally, we will be looking to Knight Sturkov to head this operation. Stormtroopers are hardly equipped for such rough terrain, and army recruits will get cut down like vermin. Air support will spook the VIP. We need a quieter approach that won't be decimated by an entrenched enemy. What say you Sturkov? You have a certain... unique skillset."

Leaning forward, the redheaded, scar-faced Imperial Knight let the light of the hologram illuminate her face. The terrain was daunting indeed, but it conjured up a memory from a report she read of a successful operation on the planet Wayland by Captain Wygraant. Napping her fingers on the edge of the projector table, she let a cocky grin pull at the corners of her mouth. "I have a plan. I need Sergeant Tarkov and the Wayland Irregulars unit transferred here immediately. Oh, and send for Knight Vale. We might have use of her."

[Aleksander Tarkov]

*** 0630hrs - Wayland Standard Time***

Much had changed for Aleksander's homeworld since what had now been christened 'The Battle of Wayland'. The Marauders had been so soundly beaten that it would be a very long time indeed before they considered raiding again and the people of Wayland and the Empire had decided to take immediate advantage of that fact. In a few short months, the settlement in the mountains had nearly tripled in size. Imperials had been flooding to the sector, eager to escape overcrowded worlds or to unite with distant relations they had previously been unaware of.

The wind whipped harshly against Aleksander's weather-beaten face as he looked over the Parade Ground that had been created near the new Imperial Outpost, his eyes inspecting the new recruits from both Wayland and Offworld that would rebuild and expand the Irregulars. Unlike the surviving forty-three original Irregulars, who stood off to his left, they were all identically armed and armoured in standard Snowtrooper uniforms.

"Parade, atten-shun!" he roared above the wind.

One hundred and sixty men, double the original size of the unit, snapped to attention as their new CO and XO, Imperial Veterans named Colonel William Norton and Lieutenant Colonel James Howe, made their way to Aleksander's side. Tarkov had a great respect for these two men and they appeared to have admiration for the Irregulars, as would become evident when Norton began his speech.

"Welcome, my fellow Imperials, to the Wayland Irregulars. Under the leadership of the late Captain Jakob Ivarsson and Sergeant Aleksander Tarkov here, the men of Wayland, while being cut off from the Empire they served, raised a force with which to defend their home from any and all threats. They fought bravely and with great tenacity against seemingly overwhelming odds, alongside Imperial Forces they had no idea were coming to assist them. That they would so willingly face such odds without fear and with unquestionable loyalty, is a credit to themselves and the Empire. As such, the Wayland Irregulars have been granted the designation, the 1st Battalion, Wayland Regiment, one hundred and sixty-fifth Legion."

Cheers went up from the assembled soldiers, none louder than the Irregulars themselves. When their proud celebrations had subsided, Norton continued.

"With such recognition comes responsibility. A responsibility to the thirty-two Irregulars who gave their lives and a responsibility to your Empress; to wear the name with pride and live up to their fine example. Together with Lieutenant Colonel Howe and Sergeant Tarkov, we will train you to survive Wayland's harsh environments while operating as effectively as your predecessors, in the Empire's name!"

Cheers erupted again.

"All original Irregulars are to report to myself and Sergeant Tarkov at 0700. All new recruits, report to Lieutenant Howe at the same time. Dismissed!"

*** 0700hrs - Wayland Standard Time ***

"Sergeant, allocate twelve of your men to remain on Wayland and assist myself and the XO in training the new recruits. Yourself and the remaining thirty of your men are to embark a transport in exactly one hour. Your services have been requested by the Imperial Knights on Corellia. Knight Sturkov will brief you upon your arrival."

Aleksander was stunned but, as any soldier would, kept such emotion from his face.

"Sir," he said, with a simple nod of confirmation before snapping to attention and saluting his new CO.

"Dismissed, Sergeant," Norton replied, returning the salute.

*** 0300hrs - Corellian Standard Time ***

The Irregulars were in high spirits as their transport descended through the atmosphere toward the surface of Corellia. Some, despite the smiles on their faces, were still in the grips of Space Sickness, as it had been the first time any of the thirty one men on board had traveled offworld.

"Sixty seconds!" The pilot shouted over the intercom, causing the Irregulars, clad in their mismatched assortment of Stormtrooper and Clonetrooper armors accented with furs and hides, to snap into action. Helmets were slammed back onto their heads, weapons checked and all stood to grasp the guideropes hung from the ceiling of the shuttle.

"When that ramp drops, form up on me. We'll be going at double time to the Command Post. Check the gear of the man in front of you."

"Thirty seconds!"

"Time to go and prove ourselves again lads!"

"Ten seconds, brace for landing!"

The transport lurched violently as they hit the ground, the ramp dropping almost instantly and allowing the Irregulars to spill out. Forming up in a three by ten column behind Aleksander, they thundered from the shuttle, quickly crossing the bases Starport. Making their way to the assembly area outside the command post, the Irregulars lined up for inspection by the waiting Knight.

[Alexia Sturkov]

Stepping out on to the landing pad only moments after the arrival of the Irregulars had arrived revealed the troop already deployed and standing at the ready. Even among the duty driven Imperials regularly under her command, this was a surprise. Turning her head she gave Sergeant Wrendal an amused smirk that said what she was thinking without words, and the stiffening of his stance was all the indication she needed that he picked up on what she was thinking, that maybe the Raven Guard could learn a thing or two from these Irregulars. She could already feel the heat coming off the distinguished soldier. How dare she even suggest that a bunch of backwater barbarians could ever dream of surpassing a storied and accomplished Stormtrooper chapter like the Raven Guard.

Regaining her composure, she stepped out into the dimming sunlight with her Sergeant at her side. Stalking to the assembled troops she passed by them several times, moving up and down the line, looking each and every soldier in the face. Their armor was strange, looking scavenged and home made. Here and there familiar bits of plastoid could be seen, but it was worked in with leather and metal, fur and cloth. Finally she came to a stop in front of the leader of the Irregulars, Aleksander Tarkov. In contrast the Sergeant looked out of place next to Alexia and her plastoid armored companion. She was clothed in the usual uniform of the Imperial Knights; a dark blue robe and black armor, her lightsabre hanging from it's clip on her belt.

"Sergeant Tarkov, I am Imperial Knight Alexia Sturkov. I've heard a lot about your successful battle on Wayland. I hope that the report was not exaggerated, because I have need of seasoned mountaineers. Are you aware of the situation here on Corellia?"

[Aleksander Tarkov]

This was the first time that Aleksander had come face to face with a Force User. By much of the population of Wayland, they were still viewed with the same distrust instilled by the early days of the Empire, passed down from one generation to the next. The fact that these Imperial Knights, however, were an extension of the Empress' Will, gave the men of the Irregulars great comfort. They would have no issues in serving under their command. Aleksander regarded the Knight from behind the T-shaped visor of his Phase II Clone Trooper helmet. Like most of the Irregulars, he was clad in a mixture of Phase I, II, Stormtrooper and Snowtrooper armor pieces, accented with their own customisations that the Imperial Knight had already taken note of. A stark contrast, indeed, to the Stormtrooper Sergeant that stood alongside the Knight.

"M'lady, I am honored that you have heard of our service. Every man you see before you has spent his entire military career training in mountain and arctic warfare. We stand ready to serve you in whatever capacity you and our Empress require," Aleksander said with the greatest of discipline, keeping all emotion from his accented voice, "I was briefed en-route regarding the current rebellion here on Corellia, though not as thoroughly as I would prefer. I would, if I may, infer that our summons indicates that there are rebels somewhere in one of the mountain ranges and their removal is required."

Aleksander paused, not through nervous hesitation, but waiting to gauge the Knight's reaction. In truth, he wasn't sure whether he had overstepped his boundaries in providing his own assessment, or whether Sturkov would appreciate his initiative and forward thinking. The silence that followed, however brief, did little to ease his mind when it came to the answer to that question.

[Alexia Sturkov]

Well spoken. She would be lying if she said she had not half expected grunts and broken basic. So far removed from civilization on the distant Wayland, it was a miracle the colonies had survived at all without aid from the Republic that founded them and the Empire that inherited it. He had a thick accent, but there was no mistaking his words. Good. Clear communication was the backbone of any successful operation. The lack of a language barrier would help the coordination between the two units.

"We are in a civil war, Sergeant Tarkov. It is everything those two words imply. Our once loyal citizens have turned to terrorism and rebellion, and have destroyed their own city and continue to burn their planet. They cannot be reasoned with and they only understand violence; absolute and all consuming violence. They have dared to challenge the full might of the Empire, and we will not hesitate to remove their cancer from this world. Know that there is no use negotiating with them. They will not see reason, and they will not hesitate to kill you. Come with me, Sergeant. I will fill you in on the details."

Turning on her head she headed back inside with Wrendal hot on her heel, but not before he gave the Irregular Sergeant a hard stare; the visors of their helmets reflecting the other for a moment before he followed after Alexia. She lead the way into the facility and into a turbolift. Nothing was said. This was an unsecured location. The lift headed down. How far they could not tell. The turbolift floor indicator went to zero and then stopped counting. When the doors opened they were greeted with durasteel corridors and artificial lighting. They were clearly underground. Alexia lead the once more and through a door reveal a war room of sorts with chairs in a circle surrounding a holo projector table.

On the table was a topographic map of a mountain. At it's very peak there was snow, but the hologram was focused halfway down, on the edge of a massive cliff face that stretched out in their direction and was a sheer, craggy drop for hundreds of feet down. The plateau was thick with evergreen trees and sloped downward from the cliff edge. The terrain was rocky and uneven, but free of the snow from the peak. A red dot appeared near the edge of the cliff, just in the tree line.

"We have intercepted encoded rebel communications that indicate that there is a rebel base here. Most likely a communication relay for transmitting between different camps across the planet. Normally we would commence a raid or destroy it from orbit, but in the communications they speak of a VIP that is visiting the installation, and we want to get our hands on that person. The plan is to infiltrate and capture anyone inside before they can escape. If I march the Raven Guard in there no doubt they will escape through emergency tunnels. The base itself is likely underground as well, with a communication array set up on the surface. We do not have any actual images of the site. We don't want to scare them off before we can act.

Your part is simple, but difficult. I need your unit to brave the landscape and get to the relay, bust in and hold as many as you can. Once the alarm is tripped the Raven Guard and I will come rushing in to back you up. Do you think you can get that close without detection?"

[Aleksander Tarkov]

After giving his men the at-ease command, Aleksander followed the Knight down to the war room, ignoring the scathing glance from the other sergeant. Norton had warned him that the Irregulars may be treated poorly by more established units, so he let it slide, this time. Coming to a stop at the edge of the planning table, he unslung his DC-15A rifle from his shoulder, resting it against a chair. He studied the map carefully, listening to the Knights words.

"I believe so m'lady. Ascending the cliff-face would seem like the most logical option, but they are likely to know that too. I'd be surprised if they didn't have some form of perimeter sensors embedded in the rock and, even if they don't, one rebel taking a look over the edge would blow our cover and not give us time to react before the VIP escaped."

The Irregular removed his helmet and held it under one arm.

"The Marauders who we fought on Wayland made similar use of escape tunnels in their territory. In almost every case, the tunnels were behind their positions, which in this case... would put them here" He explained, tapping on the control and bringing up a string of orange dots at the back of the plateau, below the peak, before turning his attention back to Sturkov and the Sergeant.

"When you have the high ground, the last thing you think to do is look up. The Irregulars will land a few kilometers out shortly after dusk to avoid detection, on the far side of the mountain. We will then traverse the forest and start our ascent."

To illustrate his point, he mapped out their route on the holomap with a single green line, that kept the relay on the opposite side of the mountain to them.

"We should reach the peak just before dawn. If my analysis is correct, we will be able to drop down and place ourselves between the relay and their escape tunnels. Unable to escape, with us at their front and the cliff edge at their backs, they will fight hard, but we will hold them until you arrive."

Aleksander stopped, waiting for the Knight's assessment. The Irregulars were no strangers to climbs that most would consider impossible but it remained to be seen whether Sturkov would approve of this plan or not.

[Alexia Sturkov]

Alexia mused over the Sergeant's strategy for several moments, her gaze falling on the map while her hand spun the control ball, making the image spin in place to allow for a different view of the situation.

"A sound strategy, Sergeant, but I have a feeling they will already be underground save for a few controllers on the array. How about your team locates the exits of the escape tunnels, or as many as you possibly can. I'm sure with your extensive knowledge and wilderness training you will be able to find them within a few days. Lock or block them then send communication to us and we will bring the hammer. The Raven Guard will take the array and push into the tunnels, trapping them inside. If it gets dicey in the tunnels your team can open the exits back up and hit them from behind. How does that sound?"

There was no way for them to ensure that they would catch everyone. There could be thousands of tunnels for all they knew. The rebels were desperate enough to try anything, and had enough dirty peasants in their ranks to effectively dig out the whole mountain if they so chose. Still, they could levy the odds as best they could and catch as many as possible. The VIP, as they chose to refer to the individual in their encoded messages, was the primary target, but catching as many rebels as possible and shutting down the array was a victory in itself.

[Aleksander Tarkov]

Aleksander made a mental note of his mistake, having assumed the rebels here would have acted in a similar way to the foes he had grown used to. It was a lapse that, while seemingly minor, could have resulted in unnecessary losses had the Knight not proposed an alternative strategy.

"That will work, Knight Sturkov. We can set charges to collapse most of the tunnel entrances at the moment of your attack. If we deliberately place one charge incorrectly so that it fails to cause a collapse, the rebels will be funnelled straight into us."

Unthinking, his hand was resting on the haft of his axe as he considered the plan. It would be a rough fight, he knew that. A trapped enemy fights harder than most.

"I will need copies of topographical maps, satellite and orbital imagery relayed to my dataslate. In the meantime, we are ready eager to depart. Time is a valuable commodity."

[Alexia Sturkov]

"Then we will attack at once. The Raven Guard is always ready."

Alexia smirked a bit at Wrendal's enthusiasm. The man was a rock, and as such he could not wait to be thrown at something. The Raven Guard were the very elite. Better than most stormtroopers but not willing to commit themselves to the lifestyle of the Storm Commandos. They valued their place in the battlefield and did not wish to become nothing but assassins and insurgents. Their places were in the heat of the battle and they knew it. Corellia had been a test for them. A very different kind of battle, one fought in this urban environment, and against an enemy that did not wear uniforms or armor. It had pushed them to their very limits, and like Wrendal the Raven Guard had grown harder and kept marching.

"Then it is decided." She tapped a few buttons on the tactical display and then pulled a slotted datachit out of the interface. It was immediately handed to the Sergeant. "That should be everything you need. I would suggest flying out and around the target so that you are not detected. The Raven Guard, and myself, will be prepared and waiting for your signal. May the Empress watch over you, Sergeant Tarkov."