Reich Marshal of the Belkan Reich - RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 11: Case Yellow (Day 3

RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 11: Case Yellow (Day 3 – Impromptu Alliance)-

"Eh..." Long Caster dryly says while turning to look at one of the operators aboard the AWACS. "Did we do that?"

The man gestures to the live footage of the scorching Chéhéry and Connage. At this point, Omicourt is basically burned to the ground. " I'm pretty sure we didn't douse them in oil and torch them, right?" The question is laced with sarcasm, making some of the crew chuckle while shaking their heads.

Aside from some Willy Pete rockets, none of the incendiary bombs were dropped directly on the three towns. What happened was bad winds carrying the fiery embers willy-nilly and making life harder for the Ustian Loyalists. They expected the bombs and such to do a lot of damage, sure, but they never thought they would light a fire beneath the Loyalists' ass like that. Currently, the Loyalists are forced to put out the fires in the two towns first, otherwise, they will be consumed by the flame. When the 1st Panzer Division is finally spotted approaching Chéhéry, the Loyalists are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Fight the Belkans and they'll be burned to death or fight the flame and show their defenseless back toward the enemy.

Sure, Chéhéry does have numerous tanks of the 3e BCC waiting in ambush, but they're hopelessly out of position. When Chéhéry was set aflame, the tank crews hastily removed their R35 tanks from the town. No one wants to sit under a burning building in the slowest tank out there. Save for a few tanks in hull-down positions in Chéhéry's perimeter, the remaining H35 are sitting in the open fields around the town, some are even empty. The crews of these tanks run to aid in firefighting alongside the common foot soldiers. They aren't tasked to do that, yes, but if they can't even save a town, then how can they protect their country? The fire seems big enough that there won't be much left of Chéhéry come dawn if no one stops it.

The total abandonment of any defensive plan would usually have these good-natured soldiers court-martialed by their superiors. Fortunately for them, even the officers see it as a must to save Chéhéry and Connage from a combination of Belkan bombing and freak accidents. Some officers command the firefighting efforts while others rush to commandeer fire engines or water trucks. No one even cares about the approaching Belkan force, they only care whether or not the civilians will still have a roof and a place to call home.

It's unfortunate but some civilians stubbornly cling to their properties and lands even in wartime. They either find sentimental value in their homes or are just incapable of relocating elsewhere. Now, the remaining civilians of Chéhéry and Connage are forced to fight for the very lands they're living on with tears on their faces. Nobody expected a monstrous gust to set their abodes ablaze. They believed the combat would have left them be as long as they showed the white flag on the veranda. They thought wrong.

Regardless, with the Loyalists paying full attention to putting out the fire in the two towns, it has created a weird situation where the Belkan shows up at arms only to find no enemy to fight. What they come to see is men of all ages and even some ladies are forced to pass along buckets of water, ultimately dumping them into burning houses and barns. Their attires are worse for wear, their faces and arms covered in burns and soot, and their guns and equipment lay abandoned away from the flames... Overall, the Belkans do not see a proper fighting force, all they see are desperation in Chéhéry and Connage. It's a heart-wrenching sight for the Belkans since they were the unintended firestarters in the first place. The supposed battles for Chéhéry and Connage can be considered won just because the Loyalist garrisons find no will to resist Belkan occupations. The Loyalists truly have better things to worry about.

Yet, in the eyes of the 1st Panzer Division, this is not a sweet victory at all. It tastes bitter like ashes in the air. They were looking forward to a series of pivotal battles, not mindlessly lighting fire to civilian infrastructure to flush both combatants and non-combatants out. Sure, if the building is garrisoned by the enemy then lethal force is authorized, regardless of civilian presence or not. Still, this is on a building-by-building basis, what happened were towns with families of non-combatants all over being set on fire. No matter how one tries to spin this, the Belkans are responsible, at least in part, for setting off the chain of unfortunate burning.

... Though the Elf wished that she would be able to do that without fire and casualties, really.

By the time the Elf has regained her strength, she wryly realizes that the last of the flames are under control. Now, understandably, the Loyalists and Belkans start seeing each other with unsure gazes. What are they to do now that the immediate threat is taken care of?

Surprisingly, not much.

When the Loyalist officers look around to see that Chéhéry and Connage are safely surrounded by Belkans and that none of the Loyalists are fitted to fight, they can only sigh. As if coming to a unanimous decision telepathically, the officers remove their caps and weapons before throwing them into neat piles. Their actions prompt the rest of the Loyalist troops to either discard their weapons also or sit down and gaze at the sky tiredly, glad that things finally end in peace. Surprisingly, not a single R35 tank from 3e BCC is lost, yet they too surrender without any resistance. Ultimately, Chéhéry and Connage give up without any opposition at all, the fire already sapped the towns of their fighting will. The forest beyond the river Bar is still burning now with smoke coming from there even blocking the first ray of sunlight. Fortunately, the windy condition has ceased, so that's one less trouble to worry about.

Long Caster, still above the AO, comments. "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we just witnessed a moment that will go down in history."

The AWACS Chief Operator is not wrong. It will be hard to find examples like today's event in the annals of history.

Thirty minutes after Chéhéry's and Connage's surrenders, Chemery is seized by the 1st Panzer Division's advance party. If the Loyalists don't surrender, they're welcome to see the full might of Belkan's armored fist. Chéhéry and Connage have been outliers, and General Raymond does not pull his punch against a willing enemy. The Loyalist 12th Reconnaissance Regiment, the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the 213rd Infantry Regiment, and three FCM 36 Tank Companies of the 4e BCC, all met their end at the last town in the Connage axis.