The First Known Offensive Operation

Military action

While people asked questions, and questioned the legitimacy of the Archangels Mechanized Infantry Corps, commander Mason Lewis saw fit to make the thought of offensive operations known. First, a little experiment must be performed to see if such a concept would spread panic like the leaders of the safe zones said.

After the retaliation attempt, the people of the safe zones began to see the Archangels less as saviors and more as a necessary evil, due to their secrecy regarding the event. Eventually, commander Mason Lewis saw fit to make known the offensive operations that have been recently taking place. He would have two lances of normal Archangels launch an offensive operation against the aliens.   He selected two relatively well known lances to partake in this endeavor. Lance Sierra consisted of Archangel Titanmasters Michael Ward, being the leader of the lance, Charles Jefferson as the heavy titans operator, and closest ally and advisor to Sgt. Ward. Johnathan Moore was Sierra lance's close quarters specialist, and Scott Tyker served as their sniper. Lance Theta consisted of Anthony Khanna as the lance's CO. Under him was his daughter Bethany Khanna, sniper to Theta. Next was her closest friend, and heavy titans operator, Christopher Moore, (brother to Johnathan Moore) and Evan Garece, who served as Theta's scout.   The two lances had just returned from a shared leave, and were well rested. Sgt. Ward was surprised to hear the Archangels are going on the offensive. Not just that, but he was proud to know that he would be among the first. Lances Sierra and Theta would be deployed to a Mechrion supply depot. Mason deliberately chose a larger one, a site that would deal an actual blow to the Mechrion's operations, and would hopefully help to restore the people's faith in the corps.   They were deployed to the remains of a small town in what used to be north-west Montana. Less than an hour's flight from Safe Zone 1 in case things went awry. This is simply an experiment after all.   Right as the Archangels made landfall, they got to work. They were facing north. A golden-age gas station was to the east, a small park to the west. Beyond that gas station was a steep hill with a road running up its side. The hill was tall enough to provide a good vantage point for the two snipers. Scott would serve as the primary shooter, Bethany second. No sooner than when they both turned on the sniper's stabilizers on their sniper cannons, the rest of their lances were ambushed. Half a dozen Mechrion Battlesuits charged from behind the rest of the lances. The shots from the snipers served as an early warning system for the rest of the Archangels. Both lance leaders had issued radio silence to prevent such occurrences later on. After the first volley of sniper rounds, Bethany, and Scott were able to disable one Battlesuit, and damage another.   The rest of the Archangels spotted the mechrion and moved behind a building about eighty yards to the north before they were under fire. The mechrion turned their attention to the snipers, and opened fire on them instead. Scott's sniper cannon was damaged. Bethany's titan took a direct hit, and lost her long-range scanners, making her all but useless as a sniper for the rest of the mission. She broke radio silence to inform both lances of the battlesuits' positioning. Two on the right, approaching the small open park, three on the right approaching the gas station, one of which is damaged. Michael was the first to turn out of cover. He opened fire on the damaged battlesuit with his medium repeating cannon. Using one of his titan's hands to hold the weapon, and the other to stabilize, he fired six shots. After five, he broke the shields, and the sixth blew clean through the machine's cockpit. Now it was two and two for each group of battlesuits.   The remaining four suits would return fire on the Archangel before he could return to cover. The impacts were inconsistent, and only damaged the hull of his titan. He turned to Jefferson, and Moore, and ordered them both to go around the building that served as their cover, and flank the suits. Anthony ordered Christopher Moore to do the same. He waited for the three to get into position before he and Michael both would step out of cover, and open fire. Michael discharged his two medium laser cannons, and Anthony unleashed his three medium repeating cannons. Meanwhile, Johnathan charged into close-quarters on the one that Michael had tagged with his lasers. Its shields were nearly done. Only when the shields were down could Johnathan use his titan's sword. A quick shot from his flack cannon removed the shields, enabling him to thrust his sword into the machine's side, and through all its major systems, including the alien pilot. It took the combined fire from Jefferson, Christopher, and Anthony to down the remaining battlesuit in a single volley.   The other pair of battlesuits were marching up the hill to meet the snipers. Bethany was able to damage one in a single volley, though Scott was unable to fire at all. His sniper cannon was jammed as a result of the damage his titan had taken. Sniper's titans had little armor to save weight and allow for the largest of cannons. The lesser armor makes them more prone to taking system damage, as opposed to just armor. As Scott turned to fall back, a plasma blast from one of the battlesuits disabled his left leg, making him unable to move at any real speed. He was forced to abandon his titan. While it was extremely dangerous to be without a titan in a nengagement against battlesuits, it was safer than waiting to diw inside his titan. Another blast struck his titan square in the back, igniting the fusion cells, causing the back of the titan to explode.   Scott dashed over to Bethany's titan, and covered his ears as the massive sniper cannon screamed an anti-matter propelled slug at the battlesuits, piercing their shields, and ripping chunks of alien metals off the machines. He climbed onto the titan's back, and would ride it.   The two lances were used to fighting in defense, and had no clue of how to act offensively, this led to a disconnect regarding their tactics. There was no protocol as for what should be done in these circumstances. Christopher and Anthony both rushed up the hill as fast as his heavy Titan would carry him, which wasn't that fast. Still, he was a quick aim, and even quicker to the trigger. Anthony reached the top of the hill well before Christopher, and was able to divert the battlesuit's attention from his daughter. Christopher's heavy titan was armed with exclusively beam weapons.   He got to the top of the hill just in time to fire his three medium repeating cannons. Because his aim was rushed, the volley was largely ineffective, though it succeeded in diverting the battlesuit's attention. Christopher arrived a moment later. He was a quick aim, and even quicker to the trigger. His titan was armed with exclusively beam weapons which were more effective against mechrion energy shields. Eight medium beam cannons tore down the shields, and severely damaged the battlesuit's hull. The heat generated from the volley forced his titan to temporarily shut down to cool off. Anthony was able to finish off the battlesuit with his three medium repeating cannons. The ambush had ended.   The mechrion would send reinforcements imminently. Michael pulled up the map of the area, supplied to him during briefing. His objective was to the north of his position, just beyond the summit of another hill nearby. Sierra, and what was left of Theta lances regrouped at the gas station at the bottom of the eastward hill. Anthony instructed Theta lance's scout, Evan to move up north in advance, and report what he saw. He would wait for both lances to rejoin him at the top. Meanwhile, Scott would have to share a cockpit with Jefferson. There wasn't much space, but there was sufficient room behind the seat to hold one person, though it was a very uncomfortable seat.   Evan did as he was ordered. His titan was the fastest in production. Paired with his base survival skills makes him the perfect scout. However, his speed is only made possible by his light weaponry and armor, making him vulnerable whilst moving at any speed slower than full throttle. He dashed his titan up the northward hill at full speed. Once he reached the summit, he saw in the distance his objective. He hid behind the remains of a golden age semi-truck which provided some semblance of cover, allowing him to zoom in on the depot with his titan's camera, and send footage to the rest of the lances.   The rest of the Archangels met him at the summit of the hill, and gathered behind a building. It seemed as if they had the element of surprise. Michael made a quick analysis of the surrounding area, revealing another hill very close to the west, with a near-vertical incline. This would provide a sort of high ground for him, Bethany, and Evan. Christopher, Jefferson, and Anthony would form a slow-moving phalanx, unleashing a wall of fire until they reach close range. Once in close range, Johnathan would use his jump jets to engage in melee combat. The mechrion were vulnerable in melee combat, and a titan's flack cannon could disable mechrion shields in one blow.   Evan would take cover behind Michael, Anthony, and Bethany's titans. While Bethany's sniper titan was lightly armored, it still outclassed a scout titan. The heavy titan operators began their advance, with Johnathan following closely behind. The aliens spotted the Archangels quickly. Though, they weren't intent on being stealthy. Michael, Bethany, and Evan set up flanking positions along the hill.   As the Archangels came closer to the alien structure, their sensors were hit with some sort of interference, they were forced to aim their weapons manually, which was not easy outside of short range. Johnathan's titan was hit harder than most with this interference. His titan would shut down momentarily, then reactivate. His console was displaying an array of strange symbols, and feedback from his neural link caused a migraine unlike anything he had ever had before. He no longer controlled his titan, the mechrion did. His jump jets lifted his titan into the air, and down upon Michael, Anthony, Bethany, and Evan. Michael yelled into the comms, demanding to know why Johnathan was braking formation. Johnathan informed his CO that the aliens controlled his titan now.   Michael, Anthony, and Bethany stepped out of the way, but Evan's interference had caused his controls to be unresponsive. He could not step out in time. The sword wielded by Johnathan's titan glided through Evan's cockpit, killing him instantly, and disabling his titan. Johnathan was thrown into an utter panic, while Michale charged toward the hacked titan. A shot from the CQ titan's flack cannon tore off the arm that held the repeating cannon, leaving only his titan's left arm to non-lethally disable Johnathan's titan. The feedback from loosing his titan's right arm caused Michael's actual arm to feel as if it had been ripped off. Still, he had to neutralize the threat. He caught the sword swing at the titan's actual arm, and ripped it off. Johnathan was no longer linked to the titan, and did not suffer the same feedback. Michael then grabbed the flack cannon, and pulled it off the titan's torso. He then stomped both of the titan's legs to scrap. That particular threat had been neutralized, but there was still the mechrion supply depot. Christopher Moore asked over the comms if his younger brother was alright. Michael assured him that outside of whatever that headache did to him, he is unharmed. Anthony resumed laying fire down on the aliens.   The heavy titans piloted by Christopher, and Jefferson were still advancing, and painting the supply depot with weapons fire. Michael's overall firepower was diminished, but he could still operate effectively with his beam weapons. Bethany was a skilled marksman, and was able to effectively pick off targets from her position. As they were about to finish picking off the mechrion foot soldiers, three battlesuits stepped out from the depot's side hangar. The Archangels quickly turned their attention to these battlesuits, and exchanged fire with them. The heavy titans took the brunt of the first volley, and sustained substantial damage to their internal structure, disabling some of their weapons. Michael's laser fire was able to disable one of the battlesuit's shields, as Anthony's three medium repeating cannons ripped the machine apart.   A shot from Bethany's sniper cannon broke the another's shields, and the combined firepower of both heavy titans was sufficient to disable it. The last standing one attempted to rush the heavy titans. Christopher charged forth to meet it. He evaded the battlesuit's weapons fire, and sent forth his own. Combined with the supporting fire supplied by Michael, the machine's shields were disabled. Christopher balled up his titan's fist, and pushed it into the machine's cockpit, pulled out the alien within, and crushed it.   With the last of the mechrion battlesuits finally dealt with, the Archangels picked off what little was left of the foot soldiers. The supply depot was theirs. Michael radioed Safe Zone 1, informing them that the mission was complete, though not without cost. As the salvage crews arrived, so too did the Archangels' evac dropship.   The now seven Archangels returned to the Safe Zones to a hero's welcome. The people's faith in the Archangels was restored.