(Jackson POV)

I had the Gaelic radio set up and I was waiting with some time... I hope those little plants won't found out... to be honest I was half paying attention and was about to fell sleep just as the receiver started beeping. In a mad dash I grab the paper and pen and start writing the mores code...

After several minutes it stopped, waiting a little longer I got nothing new. Pulling the Gaelic code book to me and open it to the mores page then started translating...

Gaelic Marines are starting operations within your zone. 1600 today.

Shit. Checking a watch I'd gotten from a store and saw it was nearly five pm... so I'd have just barely more then a hour.

Looking down at the code book I replied with a simple: Roger. In return.

Getting up from the seat leaving the room and entering another where we still had that little intel officer locked in, with some annoyance her small plate of food and drink looked to have barely to been touched, she's been here long enough without saying a word and dur to the constantly changing situation she was of no need, I drew my pistol.

...

..

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(POV Change)

Within a Gaelic forward operations base, in a particular tent filled with roughly twenty Gaelic Marines, with eight belonging from the armored service. All of them talking as anyone there willing to partake on a volunteer only mission, with most being from the same company.

"Alright everyone settle down." Ordered the Major as he entered the tent. The uniform being not to dissimilar to even the enlisted man with the only difference being his crush cap. "Is this everyone?" He asked and not getting anything to denied what was asked, he passed out several stakes of paper which the men handed to each other.

Clearing his throat he spoke again, "This is your last chance to leave. Past this point you are partaking." Waiting a few moments not seeing anyone moving, "Good as you all know roughly -pulls out a small remote- one sixth of Athtrim is not controlled by either the Erian police or military elements, these are controlled by irregulars that are both working for or against Erian's own interest. Command has given the order to clear them out, if able peacefully as locals would be most useful." Pressing a button on the remote it showed Athtrim with four main colors, "Red is Erian's forces, which includes police and military, blue is us and green are the irregulars that have mixed loyalties."

One of the tankers raised his hand, with a nod from the Major he spoke, "Sir. What about the orange?" He asked and sat back down.

"The orange is where you guys are being sent to, within this area is where command believes the 'Maid' and his or her master operates, well at least according to the two who had survived meeting them. We have no idea of their composition, unknown anti-armor abilities but what is known is that they are more then a match for the Paras..." The word almost leaving his mouth with disgust, "and despite our misgivings with them just the fact alone that they've managed hold land to such a large degree means that they are fighting every attempt the Paras make into their land."

Pressing another button the map expanded with small "X" marks with a small legend that stated the each "X" was a lost contacted unit in a rough area, where they had died with a zero percent survival rate with those three outliers... though calling what one of them as alive was pushing is as she was all but brain dead and the other two only stuck to together.

Several low whistles rang out as they realized how many had been killed or missing and in the corner sat two simple number "KIA 58" "MIA 100".

"Sir!" A tank commander stood up, with a nod he spoke. "Was there any para vehicles lost?"

"No. But incendiary bombs were thrown at them, so protect your engine desks." The Major replied the man sat down a low mumbling filled the tent as several started wonder what they were going to face. "Anything else?" 

"No sir!" The men replied.

"Good. Your operation starts in a hour, tank commanders and squad leaders stay back for a moment. Everyone else is dismissed." All but four left at the dismissal. "Tanker commanders fly the marine colors and squad leaders drape yourselves as well." 

"Pardon?" Ask one of them.

"Command want's to test something, we have reason to believe that the paras are being targeted for extermination by them simply for being paras. So they want the first Marines to show that they are in-fact Marines and not paratroopers, and if you want to complain take it up with thee commander back on the ship." Without a word the four saluted and left.

.

The time those men spent were mixed, some wrote letters to loved ones and passed them on incase they don't return others took all of their allowed alcohol at once not enough to mess with their ability to fight but enough to numb whatever pain they could receive, and the two MBT's crews counted rounds checked the MGs ammo and did final checks of their electronics.

.

The two tank commanders checked their watches, with a nod they gave the order. ""Mount up, mission is a go!"" Both tanks started rolling forward one in the front and the other in the back with the infantry in the middle.

On both tanks the normally empty flag holder was filled by the colors and the two squad leaders despite the fact they didn't want to do it had them draped over their shoulders like capes.

After walking fifteen minutes the lead tank stopped and the squad radio opened, "Alright we are entering the orange, loose order. Tank two watch rear, infantry watch flanks. Keep an eye on the roofs." At the order half of the infantry moved to either side of the road, with tank 2 rotating the 145MM cannon so that it watched over it's engine deck.

Another order given the Marines moved again, at a leisurely walking pace though there was something wrong the air felt too tense.

"Sarge somethings off."

"I know, but we've seen worse." He said reassuringly the man with a warm smile.

.

Not even five minutes passed before they started seeing people following them from the alleyways, the men kept their eyes on them though made no open showing that they've seen them. But small whispers of Erian Police uniforms and maid's dress slightly filled the air.

The tank commanders buttoned up feeling that hell was about to start, and they weren't wrong. As a dozen rifles light up though the opening volley was ineffective as the Marines dove into the buildings near them or under the tanks. And like that the Marines engaged Jackson's Resistance.

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(Jackson POV)

Peeking just briefly at the tank, inspired by the Leclerc though she could see the US Abrams and some Challenger 2 or 3 inspirations. Though the most annoying thing about it was the 15mm cannon siting on the roof being controlled by someone inside.

"Need a smoke screen." She muttered to herself as she gathered her mana into her hand, briefly showing herself and throwing it as it impacted short the tank fired, the shell flew wide but the pressure wave dispersed the smoke instantly and the Co-axial MG opened up cutting down one of the people that peeked with her.

"Move back! Another way!" She ordered pushing the few with her, as the corner that they'd been hiding behind exploded as the 145MM HE removed the chunk of wall. What surprised her was the almost super heated nature of the debris. As some of the chunks almost turned into molten projectiles. 

Said projectiles tore through the building to her left and killing another of her people, though she felt nothing at their deaths other then the annoyance at the lose in manpower. "Keep going! GO GO!" She ordered again, as she crawled back to the corner peeking the main gun was not facing her, but the top MG was.

Grabbing a new magazine and taking the top five rounds out, "Well then... time for more of those acid rounds." Once all five gave the same vomit green-ish glow and reloaded them into her mag. Removing her currant and loading the acidic one, taking aim a the optics she fired the first round being normal since it was from the last mag but it shattered the protective lens exposing the camera as the next five began to eat the electrical equipment.

Getting to her feet to ran to the front of the tank well below the main gun's depression and the driver couldn't move as he had no idea where his friendly infantry were around him. All the better for Jackson as she felt a firm grip on her shoulder and saw Nora and two other, all wounded minorly.

Without saying a word the peeked from each side of the tank killing the few infantry using it as cover and another laying down to shoot peoples legs that where behind the tank.

The tank's gunner started rotating the turret hard and fast catching a EPTT member in the head cracking his helmet and knocking him out. Jackson looked up and gave a spray at the driver's optics blinding him. Seeing that the MG is on the left side of the main gun as it swung back around to grabbed onto it's right, and was carried to the rear of the tank.

"Motherfucker!" She cursed as she let go tackling a soldier with a flag draped around him. Just before the other tank could aim and fire a blue streak akin to lightning flew from one side of the tank's turret out the other crashing into a building.

Then the tank began to cook. Everyone person near it ran from the tank, as the commander and driver's hatches blow open with a gout of flame like a roman candle and even the end of the barrel lifted into the air with a steam of flame.

Not to seconds later the turret ring gave up sending the turret ten feet into the air and crash down onto the body it had just left.

It was all quiet, then a second steak passed through a man as he taken aim at Jackson. With just a moment later Jackson's main resistance showed themselves with Tanya sporting the Railgun.

The last tank commander popped his head up from his hatch, hands in the air and shouting that they surrender. The men tossed their weapons down and took off their helmets.

Though once the last tank crewmen was out of their vehicle the sound of thermite charges going off hissed out of the tank.

Checking, the breach was melted solid and deformed and the driver's controls were melted to nonexistence, she had to hand it to them even in capture they disallowed her to use any of it. Though the ammo rack was still good, could make some IEDs with the shells.

The men were lined up hands on their head.

"Paras?" Jackson asked, she didn't thing they were but was making sure.

"No, Marines." Replied the tank commander and pulled on his shoulder showing his patch which in bold read "Marine Armored Corps - 1st Armored Brigade - Brest" in French.

"Good, strip them of their vest and weapons." She ordered and once it was carried out, leaving the men naked by military standards.

Three pistols in hand and a spare magazine she walked up to the two squad leaders and tank commander. "Take these, you'll need them since I don't have much control."

Surprised one asked, "Your not going to kill us?"

"Why? You aren't those Paratroopers and my maid hasn't seen you do anything that would make me hate you. Now take you men and leave." She commanded of them and under the guns nearly two dozen people they followed it dutifully.

"What's the count." She asked Nora.

"Three dead, two critical and everyone is wounded to some degree." He reported. "Them they left six dead and two that were too wounded to move, so they left them behind."

"I see, well Kerrigan and I can help with the wounded. But I don't know what to do with the dead, we can't leave them behind." With a shake of her head, "Move the dead to the sidewalks and ours to the opposite side, it's the best we can do to ensure they don't get ran over."

They carried out her order as she went to start helping with healing. But as she healed her thoughts began to wonder.

...

"Sargent the PLA armor are moving down the main road!" Reported one of her Squadmates.

"I know! Get those Javelins up here! These wonky eyed shits want the airport then they have to get through us!" Jackson shouted as she stood up getting onto the barricade exposing herself to enemy fire. But everyone was able to see and hear her.

"REMEMBER EVERYONE! COMMONWEALTH CIVILIANS ARE EVACUATING THROUGH THIS AIRPORT, THE ROYAL NAVY NEEDS US TO HOLD THE LAND! GOD SAVE THE KING! GOD SAVE THE COMMONWEALTH!" She shouted as several tank shells flew past her and tracers from enemy machine guns.

In response the soldiers around her rallied and fought harder, men and women from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India, and the dozens of members of the Commonwealth of Nations that had already been reabsorbed into the British Empire that was returning to Great Power status.

And just off shore the Royal Navy fired.

...

"Commander?" Jackson awake from her memory, "Are you okay? Your sweating like crazy."

"Yeah... just remembering some stuff." She muttered, and returned to healing. But Tanya felt something was off and she wasn't the only one.