RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 31: Case Yellow (Day 10 – Red on Red?)

RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 31: Case Yellow (Day 10 – Red on Red?)



It takes a mere day for everything to go wrong for the Allied forces.

When Prince Leopold III signed the Brussels Agreement, what followed right after was a surprise radio broadcast. The Belkans allowed it as the broadcast regaled the changing tides of the war and that all Darscen military units were to stand down. This effectively thrusted a sudden, albeit still expected knife into the EEF's planning. Prior to Leopold III's announcement, Lord Gort already made preparations for a potential fallout with the Darscens' capitulation.

When the Darscens are surely confused, Lord Gort steps in and has his Erusean officers try to influence as many Darscen units to merge with the EEF as possible. The EEF desperately needs more bodies to throw at the Belkans, and Lord Gort thinks that a promise of a historic battle to free Brussels, a chance to settle a blood debt, should be more than enough to earn the temporary loyalty of the Darscen Army. However, Lord Gort and his officers make a crucial mistake in their thought process, owing to their tunnel vision that only centered around the existence of the Erusean Expeditionary Force.

They overestimate the Darscens' supposed hatred for the Belkans. They also underestimate the loyalty the Land Component has for Prince Leopold III. Unlike what one would expect, Leopold III is quite a well-known and respected figure in the Darscen military. Much like his late father who voluntarily served in the military during his reign, Leopold III also picked up the armed craft, later uncovering his talents in managing logistics and fortifications. The crowning achievement for Leopold III was the construction of the Antwerp-Namur defense line as part of the greater Maginot Line. In the eyes of the Darscen people, it's this defense line that bought them a full week of resisting the mighty Belkan Divisions. As for the other parts of the Maginot Line, they were broken through in only two days. So, when Leopold III called for surrender, most of the Darscen military and populace accepted the notion pragmatically, with some relief even.

The military sees no point in continuing to fight a hopeless war. In a short period of time, they have been dealt with a blow so devastating in terms of human lives. Thousands of casualties a day is enough to break even the most hardened of Armies. If they fight anymore, there won't be a generation left to walk the soils of the Principality of Darscen... No, it should be the Darscen province now.

Intelligence gathered by the UAVs suggests that, somewhere during the discussion, there was a fallout. Combat started between the two sides with the Erusean detachment, which was in fact a Mechanized Battalion, attacking the Darscen Infantry Regiment first. Not expecting the dishonorable act of this hot-headed Erusean Lieutenant Colonel, the Darscens were caught off guard with many becoming casualties to the Erusean Valentine Is' machine gun fire.

Currently, the Darscen Regiment is being pinned and whittled down by the Erusean Mechanized force. They're putting up a good defensive fight, however, they're encircled. They have little to no AT weapons left after expending them hopelessly against their former Belkan enemies. Prince Leopold III is enraged, seeing his soldiers being put on the chopping board by the Darscens' former ally no less. It's such a dastardly act by the Eruseans that it even infuriated all of Leopold's ministers who are still transitioning their power to the Belkan Reich.

The content of the Agreement made clear that the Darscens wouldn't engage in hostility against the Allied forces. Yet, the Eruseans' attack has voided that. Unfortunately, there's no other nearby Land Component unit that could aid the stranded Infantry Regiment in time. Prince Leopold thinks fast before formally requesting the Reich's intervention, a notion that is quickly supported by his old ministers. Fighting the Belkans is a nightmare, but having them as a friend is the best thing you can ask for, as evidenced by the Reformists' close connection to the Reich. This sudden turn of event may be the first step to get the two nations closer and look beyond past grievances. The Reich Marshal seems to see things that way also.

Without further preamble, she immediately passes down the world to have Belkan ground and air units move to support the Darscen Regiment, going as far as boldly declaring her intention to command the upcoming battle in front of Leopold III and his cohorts. Leopold III admires her confidence and is further convinced that their decision to surrender was a good call. Then there's also those strange, high-tech equipment being set up for the Marshal and her aides to use. Up next, he must pay attention to the people who employ these machines, wishing to learn a thing or two from them. His position as the new Governor of Darscen province may require the skills soon to be shown.