The time was here. The moment which was going to define our future was here. We don't know what will happen and what may happen. But one thing was clear. It's either death or life.
I was the army commander. They believed in me. They have put their hopes on me. Now, it was my job, it was my duty to either see the victory with them or see the angel of death with them.
I went to the roof of the central building. In front of me stood the Arkanian Army. I pulled out my binoculars and began to look at the city walls. At the gatehouse, I could see a person. He was the assistant of my enemy. He was Rokhnir. One of the people I hated the most. I took a deep breath. I relaxed my mind.
In front of the army stood Colonel Felmer.
"Colonel, begin the march."
"Yes, sir," He responded.
The army began to move slowly. Ahead of them were three Irgis-12s. Last night, the enemy destroyed the northern gate. And barricaded it with rocks. The rocks used in the walls were very thick and strong. To take them down without any missiles was almost impossible. The only solution was to use three HE-OR shells on the same spot. And all three of them were required to be hit under three seconds for maximum impact. So we had to create a window for the remaining three Irgis-12s. And I am sure Rokhnir knows this. It was going to be the battle of strategies.
As the forces marched, I gave the order to Lieutenant Gorgis. And the Arkin-165 opened fire. 24 kilometres away from our position, the artillery pounded the city.
"Alfred, ready?" I asked him.
"Yes,"
"Do it!"
Alfred was on the eastern coast. The Irgis-9 tanks opened fire, and they took down the eastern gatehouse. Now the enemy only had two ways. Either get killed by us from the north gate or escape from the south gate.
I looked through my binoculars and saw Rokhnir giving orders here and there. He had begun to panic. But it was nothing for him. He wouldn't lose his cool so fast.
As our ground forces came closer, they took out the wall cannons. It was time for the next phase of the plan.
"All units break into three columns and ATTACK!!"
They divided into three columns under Major General Rolfin, Lieutenant General Tisker, and Colonel Felmer. In that moment, the wall cannons opened fire on our forces as well.
As they got closer to the walls. I ordered Lieutenant Gorgis to stop the Arkin-165 bombardment.
"Gorgis ceasefire."
"Roger,"
Our army broke into three groups, so the wall cannons failed to inflict heavy damage. Though plenty were killed. Our forces were still 4 kilometres from the walls when the gate opened. The Hectagon Army decided to fight us head-on. What emerged from the gates were double cannon TTC. The same ones which I took down three years ago in Egnisk. Upon seeing them, our three Irgis-12 tanks fired, and so did the TTC. Both hit each other, but neither was destroyed. They were equal in armour and firepower.
Our 197,000 and their 350,000 were led by heavy armoured vehicles. The tanks didn't stop; they went for head-on collisions. But Felker had a trick up his sleeve. Just as he got near, he fired and turned. The TTC fired as well, but missed and was destroyed by Felker's fire. At a distance of 600 metres, both forces opened fire at each other. The Siege of Targalia was now the Battle of Targalia.
There was a distance of 6 kilometres between the HQ and the city. And it was filled with blood and fire. The sun was setting, and both armies switched to tracer bullets. The battle which I saw from 70 kilometres two days ago was now happening in front of me. One could only see tracer bullets and fire in this dark.
We had to create an opening, but the sheer number of the enemy and the wall cannons were stopping us. I understood that Rokhnir knows my plan. And what was worse was that he was using his own soldiers as human shields for the wall.
"Colonel, move west and take the southern flank."
"Roger," He responded.
"Tank units, target the wall cannons."
They executed the orders. The cannons became confused. We got a small opening, but the TTC moved fast and covered it quickly. Now, I'm sure they know my plan.
In this vast plain, there were only explosions and light from the tracer bullets. Our Irgis-8 and 9s were taking down their forces. Their TTCs and M8 tanks were inflicting damage on us. I was assured the death toll had exceeded 30,000 for both of us.
Lieutenant General went east and opened fire on the gatehouse. But the wall cannons reacted fast, and their move was countered.
The area and the numbers were too big to make any sudden plans. So every move was to be calculated before executing.
The battle continued for the night. And it resulted in only more deaths and no progress on both sides. None of us could do anything. Our defences were strong, and attacks were failing. The battle continued for 12 hours. We were minutes away from the next sunrise. And I am assured that both sides had lost nearly half of their forces. When the sun came out from the east, the bloody battlefield came into view. The soldiers, the vehicles and the trucks were moving on dead bodies and pools of blood.
I had tried everything. Different routes. New attacks. Change in attack directions. But Rokhnir wasn't defeated. He and I. Our forces and their forces were both tired.
I could think of nothing. I contacted General Yarna.
"What is the status of the Arkinson-550?"
"They have found the 550 mm bullets. But the cogs and the rails are too rusty. So it will take a lot of time."
I slammed my hand on the wall. I began to look here and there. And then a thing caught my eye. There was a long and high pile of burning trucks, and it was high enough to hide a tank. And in that moment, an idea struck my mind.
"Felker, you see that big pile of burning vehicles on the west?" I asked him.
"Yes, sir. I do."
"Get behind it. Adjust your two barrels and aim them at the position of the wall cannons guarding the gatehouse. Just as you get past the pile fire and take down the cannons. You must not miss."
"Sir, I will. But this TTC isn't leaving me. It's a stubborn one. My tank may run out of fuel or ammunition soon. The tracks are loosening up as well."
"Don't lose, think of something."
"I will try, sir."
I had to do something. Something to make us win. I suddenly remembered my weapon. I remembered the ARK. I ordered the nearby lieutenant to grab the ARK in my room. He nodded, ran down the stairs, and went down. After five minutes, he came back with the ARK-TS03, the latest model. He adjusted the gun and took a firing position.
He followed the TTC. The distance was 1500 metres. There was no wind, but the TTC was moving too fast. It was hard to aim.
"Felker, stop it from moving."
Felker spotted the lieutenant with his binoculars and understood.
"Got it!"
His tank drove, and after a full throttle, stopped and reversed. The TTC was following him, and they collided. The collision was big. But both of them stopped for a few seconds. The lieutenant got his chance, took a deep breath, and fired. The TMAP bullet shrieked through the air and fire and struck the TTC.
Felker's tank had turned off due to the collision. After a while, the tank became mobile, though a lot damaged and slow. But he was able to move to the pile.
"Soldiers, are the HE-OR shells ready?" I asked.
"Yes, sir. The shells are loaded, and we are ready to fire." A captain responded.
"Remember, you will only have three to five seconds. The explosions must be consecutive."
"Yes, sir!"
Felker's tank aimed its barrels, and just as it left the pile. The tank fired. The shells were on target. Both the wall cannons guarding the gatehouse were destroyed. The soldiers in the field got confused. The dust and smoke covered the gatehouse. They begin to think their leader is dead. We had gotten the opening.
"FIRE!!"
"Yes, sir!!!"
The three hidden Irgis-12 fired. The three HE-OR shells had a gap of one and a half seconds between them. The first shell hit and destroyed the first layer of the wall. The second made it crumble, and in the third, the wall blew.
The north gate and the gatehouse collapsed. The wall was down. And our forces rushed inside the city. What followed next was the extermination of the Hectagon forces.
After the sacrifice of 85,000 soldiers, we had won.
After a 12-hour-long bloody battle, I had defeated Rokhnir.