Traps and mobile ambush teams were scattered all around Vanderbalt, each with a variety of escape paths expecting to fall back. Tanks were scattered along narrow streets to be used as one time ambush locations before falling back to their next location. These were watched by high explosive troops which were positioned in the structures around the tanks. And all artillery were on stand by to fire on the structures of Vanderbalt rather than the enemy.
And the number one standing order for all units, never push forward, no matter the circumstances.
To start the battle, out of the 550,000 troops he was now commanding, only about a fifth of this were actually deployed in Vanderbalt at the time of the Magi attack, for he had split his force into five different rotation units which were to be cycled at random times, and were expected to constantly pressure the Magi as they slowly pushed forward, wearing them down as much as possible without giving them large numbers of targets to attack.
In short, Johnson grinded the Magi inch by inch, who suffered several deadly surprises as they had entered the trap zone that was Vanderbalt, and Johnson's troops continued their slow fallback, drawing the Magi into forced encounters, which had become overconfident over time and were expecting a swift victory, had instead fell for trap after trap, the major gamble that Johnson was hoping for. It allowed the final trap to be sprung.
Mobility is one of the greatest assets of the Magi rather than the Alliance, as stated in the Johnson Doctrine, and as soon as the Magi army had fully entered Vanderbalt, Johnson called for multiple airdrops behind the Magi, and follow them inside Vanderbalt and help surround them completely. That was when the true grinding began.
At first, the Magi had come close to breaking out several times, and Johnson's forces had nearly collapsed, but held true in their determination, bitterly fighting the Magi at every turn, every step, drawing the Magi into multiple small traps and careful not to engage the Magi directly. This, more than anything else, is what allowed Johnson's plan to succeed, and had nearly grinded the entire Magi force to death, though a number have escaped over time and several did when the Magi force broke down completely and began routing for their lives, no longer a standing fighting force.
The siege of Vanderbalt became the turning point in the war, the first true Allied victory against the Magi, and other commanders began adopting the Johnson Doctrine, despite the radical nature of the doctrine, and began finding success of their own.
Johnson, however, would tell you that it was not the doctrine that had saved him despite how it looked. No, Johnson's theory was that the Magi had already been greatly worn down at this point, and the victory at Vanderbalt was the first sign that the Magi were ready to capitulate altogether. And so they did, and the chain reaction led to the Alliance now taking the offensive away from the Magi, whose casualties had finally begun to truly reflect in their combat performance.
At the same time, it didn't stop them from bleeding out the advancing Allied force as best as they could, even taking tips from Johnson and learning how to grind the Allied force in return as they pushed forward. Ultimately, however, it wasn't enough, and after three years of hard fighting, the Magi retreated in full to the desert, which had been around six to seven months ago.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it. To Johnson's fear and concern, the call from both the people of the Alliance as well as the politicians was to completely annex the Magi, to contain this unnatural and very real threat to all civilized people of Magicka.
General Benjamin Johnson, however, saw a very different vision. He felt that a full invasion of the Magi may be the greatest folly they could ever commit. For example, Johnson was not sure how the World Gates and shields will affect the war effort, nor did he feel that they had come across the true elite of the Magi, which may be less than even ten, but could unleash an unseen form of chaos that could turn the war back into their favor.
This was when Johnson began wondering, why haven't the Magi ever conquered the Great Nations in the past? They must have had some form of power similar to what was being shown, and surely an ancient army could not overcome such a fierce foe.
So why?
Culturally speaking, the Magi more or less did not want to integrate 'weak-bloods' into their society. Even so, Johnson wasn't sure he believed that answer completely. For the most part, the recurring historical theme regarding this is that the Great Nations played the aggressor, invading Magi lands and getting beaten out. Yet the Magi somehow they faced disaster whenever they attempted their own invasion, whether by some natural disaster, a traitor, any number of things.
Reading more on the subject, Johnson discovered that a limited number also questioned the same thing, but found no consistent factor, and thus it was ultimately a dead end. It is just simply the way it is, and a dead end of Johnson, which gave him no new information on how to fight the Magi. And he had a far more impending job laying right before him as SCAN, and that was Operation Landfall.
Operation Landfall, in short it is the planned invasion of the Magi homeland, the western half of the great Pangea. Since it was best to invade by sea, following the northern and southern coastlines rather than try to go through the Lost Desert or to risk trying going through the Sea of Chaos, it was decided that the effort would be split into two major areas of operations. Allied Force South, or AFS for short, would be landing just south of Nekropolis, perhaps the second most important city in the Magi world behind the capitol Skytown, while Allied Force North, AFN, would land north of Pirus with General Johnson commanding the first major wave of the invasion.
For General Johnson and Division One in particular, the plan called for him to land five groups along the northern coast, a total of around 250,000 combat troops in five major areas of operations, EARTH, WIND, FIRE, WATER, and LIGHTNING.
Group LIGHTNING, the group that Johnson himself will be with and directly commanding as they land, was to land and take NorthRend, cutting off the central hub of the fishing network along the coastline, and that was what the General was currently looking at.
NorthRend is the main target of the initial landings, and currently the best location to attempt to set up as a forward command post which Johnson himself and his senior commanders would be able to function in, assuming they even land in the first place. NorthRend was also the best springboard to launch further incursions into Magi territory, with the ultimate goal being Pirus, and at the very least, cutting the Magi's ability to reinforce in the north by either taking or destroying the World Gate which was seated in Pirus.
But right now, Johnson's main focus was on NorthRend, which he was currently seeing through infrared cameras from his scout planes which were currently flying over NorthRend. And the obvious and most noticeable object on the screen was the giant barrier which surrounded NorthRend, which Johnson had read up on.
"To be honest, I'd rather not try to directly punch through it if I don't have to. We have no idea how powerful that barrier is, nor do we know whether we have the equipment or munitions to punch through it in a practical manner. No, it's best if we surround and starve them, considering that NorthRend doesn't have a World Gate to be reinforced with from the inside."
"Sir, isn't it possible that they have built a World Gate just for this purpose?" One of Johnson's senior commanders, Colonel Alexsyv asked.
Johnson shook his head. "No. World Gates aren't just simply built, not that easily. It is a very long and tiring process that can take anywhere from six months to a year, and requires high maintenance that would see too little use in a town like NorthRend, which is already relatively close to a city that does have a World Gate, Pirus. Practically speaking, it would be pointless. Regardless, the Magi probably wouldn't throw themselves just to defend NorthRend even if NorthRend had a Gate. No, if it were me, I was send a strong force to meet the initial landing forces, disrupt it as much as I could before falling back to the usual hit and run tactics all the way until we reach Pirus, if things go that far."
"Overall, the plan remains the same regardless of the barrier. Group Lightning will land directly north of NorthRend and push to NorthRend to begin the initial attack. Groups Fire and Earth are to land at both of Lightning's flanks and are to surround NorthRend, while groups Wind and Water land at our wings, take the small coastal towns of Oceana and Greenford, and will proceed to cover Fire and Earth as they take NorthRend if it hasn't fallen, and act as our new frontline as we push forward once NorthRend has fallen, assuming all goes according to plan."
Johnson took a look at the clock. It was 9:53 pm local time. Five hours and seven minutes until Operation Landfall began. At least, officially so. For Johnson, the operation began days to weeks ago in his mind, and for two separate reasons. One was his professional responsibilities as SCAN, and the other wad being the father of a twenty year old officer in the Montanian army, currently with AFS in the south, on standby to attack Nekropolis. And Nekropolis was expected to be the most difficult fight, possibly to date.
Benjamin's father didn't have to worry as much as he was, however. Benjamin wasn't quite sure what his father was planning in the north, but Nekropolis, and the surrounding regions, is considered the most important region in the Magi world, and is vastly more populated than the north. This was expected to be by far the fiercest fight, but Benjamin, however, won't be landing with the first or the second wave, but the third.
And unlike General Johnson, who was going for a more direct and aggressive approach, the regions surrounding Nekropolis, far more densely populated and far more valuable to the Magi, was not expected to fall in the face of a frontal assault.
In fact, it would be near suicide.
Instead, AFS was being split into two separate groups which were landing along the far sides of the region, set up two defensive lines, and were expected to bait the Magi to them by striking the most valuable resource of Nekropolis, the massive farm fields which surrounded Nekropolis for hundreds of square miles, even outside the two rivers which protected Nekropolis on the eastern and western side which provided the fertile soil for the farm fields.
Since Nekropolis is widely regarded as the largest food source for the Magi, they would not simply stand by and allow air strikes on their fields, and would force them to fight on the Alliance's terms.
First Lieutenant David Johnson, however, wasn't scheduled to even touch land until at least day 3, which can of course be subject to change, but David didn't think that it would change by that much.
David himself had joined the war last year, and had consistently been deployed in the front lines during the push against the Magi completely out of Xerxes, and David saw months of harsh combat, and earning a posthumous promotion for fast thinking and commanding under pressure. (David didn't really believe he deserved it. To him it was just something simple that he did that anyone else could have done. But hey, increased rank and pay, David could accept that.)
Because of that, David was getting a small break, and wouldn't see any real action until a number of days into Operation Landfall, and he along with those who were landing late with him would be seeing the heaviest combat when the Magi were expected to attempt to push at both defensive lines as hard as they could, and that was when his commanders wanted David and the other experienced soldiers to be utilized.
So, for the time being, David was just simply wasting away his time with one of the only things to do while on board ship. Poker.
David hated his two starting cards, a three of clubs and a jack of hearts, and almost wanted to fold. But, instead held on to a little hope, since he was winning, and had thrown down a pack of gum to start with. David wasn't really big on gum to begin with anyway, and was just using it to see the next three cards.
"Seriously Baker, how the fuck did you get in a threesome?"
"Yeah, I don't buy that shit for one fucking minute." David answered. Baker had been telling a story about a threesome that he had with two girls, a story that no one was currently believing.
"I told you. Both of them were drunk as hell, and they told me they play around a lot. Honestly, if it had been one at a time, I would have said fuck no. But both of them at the same time? Hell yeah."
"So has your dick shriveled up and fallen off yet?" One asked to the laughter of all who were listening as the dealer began dealing the first three cards, a two of hearts, a seven of clubs, and a four of clubs.
David grimaced when he saw the cards, and folded his hand.
"No, it's all good. I was careful around those nasty hoes, but there was no way I could pass up a threesome."
"I still think you're full of shit, Baker."
David just shook his head and smiled. David didn't believe Baker's story for one minute.
Angelus groaned in frustration once again as he looked at the clock. Nothing. No fucking sleep at all. Especially with all of that rumbling in the sky outside, clearly blaring through the walls.
Angelus rose out of bed. Might as well, he was starting to get hungry from trying to sleep for the past three hours after it was decided that the flyers in the sky were not attackers, and allowed the day barrier crews to go get rest while the night crews came on in full swing.
Angelus also needed to pee, badly.
To annoy Angelus even further, he saw that his roommate, fucking Barka of all fucking people, was up and reading with a single candle providing light for him. How the fuck he got Barka as a roommate, Angelus had no idea.
"Hey Angelus, I'm not keeping you up am I?" Barka asked,
Angelus grunted in Barka's direction as he went into the bathroom. The arrangement, on the whole, wasn't that bad. Barka was clean, simple, didn't cause much of a fuss but was annoying as hell to talk to. All he ever talked about was books he read, and most of it happy go lucky shit. Other than that, nothing, the guy was just boring as hell. He didn't drink, do drugs, go out, nothing. Angelus never got alone time since this arrangement because Barka would always be here whenever they had time off.
That was probably the most annoying element to Angelus.
Angelus emerged from the bathroom once his business was done.
"Did I wake you?" Barka asked again.
That was another thing about Barka. He was always worried about something and was always asking if he was in the way or being annoying or something. Ironically, unbeknownst to Barka for some reason, this made him even more annoying.
"Relax, and no. I just can't fucking sleep." Angelus grumbled as he went to the kitchen, a mere three steps away. These fucking apartment rooms were so fucking small.
"I can't sleep either, not with all of that going on." Barka said with a gesture to the ceiling, and the dark sky above it.
"It's fucking bullshit. Fucking nonstop since fucking eight or nine or something, and now it's two in the fucking morning. Don't those guys need sleep too? Geez. If they're gonna do something, fucking do it already."
"Aren't you-aren't you scared at all?" Barka asked, a bit hesitant at even asking Angelus that question in the first place.
Angelus' head and eyes shot to Barka, determined to declare his fearlessness, but instead found that his voice stopped somewhere in his neck. He couldn't do it for some reason, and now his fear, like before, was creeping in and taking over. A fear he could not deny, and found himself unable to meet Barka's eyes as he made his two ham and cheese sandwiches and joined Barka at the table Barka was sitting at.
"What're you reading?" Angelus asked, wanting to dodge the question of his fear, as well as the undeniable feeling in him which would not go away. Even he understood that once it all began, that would be it. There would be no going back. He would either live, or die. And the scariest thing of all, is the thought that his death wouldn't matter too much.
Aegis and Azreal could both live on without him easy. They would mourn for him for a little while, like Sabrina, then, whenever it was convenient, they would remember Hothead Angelus and his Hothead stories. But they, unlike Angelus, they would have real people who would truly mourn for them.
Aegis had Sabrina and Benjamin, the beginning of a family, a real family that Aegis would most certainly fight for, a driving force. Azreal had many friends, many people who he looked after and who looked after him in turn.
Angelus, however, ever since he had come back from Dragoon Candidate School, Angelus found that he didn't have anything like that. His roommate was Barka, and the number of visitors between the two of them was zero. Aegis was busy, Azreal was busy, the world was moving on, yet Angelus hasn't been able to jump on board the train of life, and it felt as though it were mockingly blaring it's horn at him as it drove by, with all of the passengers hanging out the window and openly laughing at Angelus, the one left behind.
Here he was, in some far away place, ready to throw himself into a situation which will most likely cost him his life, and what did he really have to show? Nothing. Just...nothing. An empty void.
Angelus hadn't listen to a word Barka had been saying for the past few minutes, desperately trying to keep his depressed mood from overwhelming him completely, and wasn't realizing that he was only feeding it more by thinking so hard about it.
This is how it's been ever since Angelus had come back from Candidate School. Angelus was constantly sulking, and everyone had started to avoid Angelus even more. All he did was be where he had to be on time, hardly spoke, and when all was done, Angelus would simply return to his room and lay in bed, completely lacking any sort of motivation. Aegis and Azreal have tried to speak to him, but thanks to everything that's going on, especially over the past several hours, there has been almost no time for that. No real time, anyway.
Besides, it wouldn't do any good, for Angelus was not up for bullshit pep talks and such. 'Oh, you've got us, and we care about you.' They just don't get it. It just isn't that simple. Beasley is married, Fortuna and Azreal are hooking up, Aegis has Sabrina, even shitty ass Zaeco has a girlfriend back home.
But Angelus, he doesn't have anyone. Nor has he ever had anyone. It was just...it was something that was gnawing the life out of him.
"Angelus!" Barka called out, finally getting through to Angelus.
"What!?" Angelus snapped, causing Barka to jump back slightly.
"Um, can I say something that might make you feel better?"
"What?" Angelus partially growled in a low voice. That's all he needed, a pick me up from fucking Barka.
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