10-03-2020, 01:23 AM
October 2
Zapotlán
When the attack on Zapotlán had begun, General Quihualqui had been reasonably confident that he could hold out until reinforcements from the rest of Xiomera arrived. Now, twenty days later, he was no longer so confident.
The allied attack had focused on eliminating the ability of Zapotlán's defenders to counter-attack through the air and by sea. It had done its work quite well. The main invasion force, and the bulk of its naval escorts, had focused on establishing a beachhead along the shoreline of western Zapotlán. But as the General's armies tried to counter that threat, a smaller force of loyalists, Kerlians and Milinticans had attacked to the east of Zapotlán, just east of the city's Shoreside Park. Their target had been Huaxtihe Air Base, the main airfield defending the city. While enemy planes had attacked Huaxtihe from the air, the allied ground force had managed to push past the thinly manned defenses in the area and seize the air base. General Quihualqui had been forced to re-deploy his remaining aircraft to Zapotlán International Airport. While all Xiomeran airports were designed to be able to serve as backup airbases for the Air Force in moments of extreme emergency, a civilian airport was just not suited well for that purpose, no matter what the designers had thought. This was causing General Quihualqui a major headache as he tried to defend Zapotlán from the air with his dwindling number of aircraft.
After seizing the airbase, the allied forces had swept west and south, reaching the iconic Tlapochca Bridge that linked western and eastern Zapotlán via Imperial Highway 74. General Quihualqui hadn't hesitated; he had ordered the bridge to be blown up, to prevent the allied force from crossing over it into western Zapotlán. The two sides of the city were now separated by the Intra-Xiomera Canal, the artificial canal that connected the Tenebric Ocean to the South Xiomeran Sea. The only land connection remaining was another bridge that was ten miles south, and flanked by two parks which were filled with hundreds of General Quihualqui's troops, entrenched and waiting. General Quihualqui had desperately hoped that Texōccoatl and his allied generals would take the bait and try to push south into Zapotlán East Regional Park, and the buzzsaw he had left for them there.
Texōccoatl, sadly, had not been that dense. Instead, he had ordered Xiomeran loyalist combat engineers to set up portable bridges under fire, and the allied forces in eastern Zapotlán had managed to cross. The allied forces had cut off the causeway connecting Zapotlán Naval Station from the rest of the city; that was little loss to General Quihualqui at this point, as the naval detachment there had been obliterated in the opening day of the invasion. What was more concerning to him was that the allied forces crossing from eastern Zapotlán were now getting very close to Shoreline Defense Command, the linchpin to the Zapotlán coastal defense network. General Quihualqui had arrayed his forces along Imperial Highway 74 and its surrounding neighborhoods, as well as within Mecoate Park, the city park on the other side of the highway. His forces were holding back the allied troops for now, but their advance had also brought them dangerously close to Fort Coatepetl. Fort Coatepetl, and the neighboring airport, were the center of the remaining Zapotlán defenses. If they fell, so did the city.
The rest of the invading forces, meanwhile, had landed to the west of Fort Ucahuac, and in heavy building-to-building fighting had managed to push their way to just outside Fort Ucahuac and the city center of Zapotlán. Two other city parks to the west of the fort and the city center had also been the scenes of tremendously bloody fighting, before General Quihualqui's forces had to fall back. The enemy was taking heavy casualties, but the problem for General Quihualqui was that his own forces were also. And he didn't have as many troops to fling back into the meat grinder as the invaders did. For days now, Army Command had been promising him that reinforcements were arriving. Some had, but nowhere near as many as General Quihualqui needed to stem the tide of the invasion. The insurrection that had begun in western Xiomera was siphoning off troops, he had been told. More troops are being raised and will reach you soon, but you have to hold out, Army Command said.
In his more cynical moments, General Quihualqui wondered if Army Command was using him and the troops at Zapotlán as a sacrifice to buy time for the rest of the Empire, and if Army Command was going to try to save the city at all. In the end, though, it didn't matter. He had his orders, and his duty.
If Zapotlán fell, he would at least give the invading bastards a fight they wouldn't forget.
---
"Get the hell out of the way!" Sergeant Tzinaca shouted, angrily waving at a group of people trying to get a car moving.
His unit was redeploying north to try to get to the city center and reinforce the defenses there. At least, they were trying to.
The streets of Zapotlán were crammed full of vehicles, as civilians frantically were trying to escape the fighting and soldiers were trying to get to it. Normally, in the event of an attack or invasion, Zapotlán would have been evacuated prior to fighting beginning as part of the Empire's emergency management plans. But since the Emperor had not expected an invasion at Zapotlán, no pre-invasion evacuation order had been given. So, as the fighting had begun, thousands of Zapotlános began trying to get somewhere where no bullets were flying, precisely at the worst possible time for the city's defenders.
As the fighting had stretched on, most of the civilians had fled. But there were still some of them, who had waited too long, trying to flee. Zapotlán's defenders also had to contend with abandoned vehicles, rubble, and the increasingly battered state of Zapotlán's transportation structure itself. Movement within the city was proving harder every day.
As the civilians finally managed to shove their car off the road, one of them gave Sergeant Tzinaca a very rude hand gesture as his caravan passed them by. Seriously? Aren't we on the same side? the sergeant thought bitterly. This is what we're getting shot at for.
Zapotlán
When the attack on Zapotlán had begun, General Quihualqui had been reasonably confident that he could hold out until reinforcements from the rest of Xiomera arrived. Now, twenty days later, he was no longer so confident.
The allied attack had focused on eliminating the ability of Zapotlán's defenders to counter-attack through the air and by sea. It had done its work quite well. The main invasion force, and the bulk of its naval escorts, had focused on establishing a beachhead along the shoreline of western Zapotlán. But as the General's armies tried to counter that threat, a smaller force of loyalists, Kerlians and Milinticans had attacked to the east of Zapotlán, just east of the city's Shoreside Park. Their target had been Huaxtihe Air Base, the main airfield defending the city. While enemy planes had attacked Huaxtihe from the air, the allied ground force had managed to push past the thinly manned defenses in the area and seize the air base. General Quihualqui had been forced to re-deploy his remaining aircraft to Zapotlán International Airport. While all Xiomeran airports were designed to be able to serve as backup airbases for the Air Force in moments of extreme emergency, a civilian airport was just not suited well for that purpose, no matter what the designers had thought. This was causing General Quihualqui a major headache as he tried to defend Zapotlán from the air with his dwindling number of aircraft.
After seizing the airbase, the allied forces had swept west and south, reaching the iconic Tlapochca Bridge that linked western and eastern Zapotlán via Imperial Highway 74. General Quihualqui hadn't hesitated; he had ordered the bridge to be blown up, to prevent the allied force from crossing over it into western Zapotlán. The two sides of the city were now separated by the Intra-Xiomera Canal, the artificial canal that connected the Tenebric Ocean to the South Xiomeran Sea. The only land connection remaining was another bridge that was ten miles south, and flanked by two parks which were filled with hundreds of General Quihualqui's troops, entrenched and waiting. General Quihualqui had desperately hoped that Texōccoatl and his allied generals would take the bait and try to push south into Zapotlán East Regional Park, and the buzzsaw he had left for them there.
Texōccoatl, sadly, had not been that dense. Instead, he had ordered Xiomeran loyalist combat engineers to set up portable bridges under fire, and the allied forces in eastern Zapotlán had managed to cross. The allied forces had cut off the causeway connecting Zapotlán Naval Station from the rest of the city; that was little loss to General Quihualqui at this point, as the naval detachment there had been obliterated in the opening day of the invasion. What was more concerning to him was that the allied forces crossing from eastern Zapotlán were now getting very close to Shoreline Defense Command, the linchpin to the Zapotlán coastal defense network. General Quihualqui had arrayed his forces along Imperial Highway 74 and its surrounding neighborhoods, as well as within Mecoate Park, the city park on the other side of the highway. His forces were holding back the allied troops for now, but their advance had also brought them dangerously close to Fort Coatepetl. Fort Coatepetl, and the neighboring airport, were the center of the remaining Zapotlán defenses. If they fell, so did the city.
The rest of the invading forces, meanwhile, had landed to the west of Fort Ucahuac, and in heavy building-to-building fighting had managed to push their way to just outside Fort Ucahuac and the city center of Zapotlán. Two other city parks to the west of the fort and the city center had also been the scenes of tremendously bloody fighting, before General Quihualqui's forces had to fall back. The enemy was taking heavy casualties, but the problem for General Quihualqui was that his own forces were also. And he didn't have as many troops to fling back into the meat grinder as the invaders did. For days now, Army Command had been promising him that reinforcements were arriving. Some had, but nowhere near as many as General Quihualqui needed to stem the tide of the invasion. The insurrection that had begun in western Xiomera was siphoning off troops, he had been told. More troops are being raised and will reach you soon, but you have to hold out, Army Command said.
In his more cynical moments, General Quihualqui wondered if Army Command was using him and the troops at Zapotlán as a sacrifice to buy time for the rest of the Empire, and if Army Command was going to try to save the city at all. In the end, though, it didn't matter. He had his orders, and his duty.
If Zapotlán fell, he would at least give the invading bastards a fight they wouldn't forget.
---
"Get the hell out of the way!" Sergeant Tzinaca shouted, angrily waving at a group of people trying to get a car moving.
His unit was redeploying north to try to get to the city center and reinforce the defenses there. At least, they were trying to.
The streets of Zapotlán were crammed full of vehicles, as civilians frantically were trying to escape the fighting and soldiers were trying to get to it. Normally, in the event of an attack or invasion, Zapotlán would have been evacuated prior to fighting beginning as part of the Empire's emergency management plans. But since the Emperor had not expected an invasion at Zapotlán, no pre-invasion evacuation order had been given. So, as the fighting had begun, thousands of Zapotlános began trying to get somewhere where no bullets were flying, precisely at the worst possible time for the city's defenders.
As the fighting had stretched on, most of the civilians had fled. But there were still some of them, who had waited too long, trying to flee. Zapotlán's defenders also had to contend with abandoned vehicles, rubble, and the increasingly battered state of Zapotlán's transportation structure itself. Movement within the city was proving harder every day.
As the civilians finally managed to shove their car off the road, one of them gave Sergeant Tzinaca a very rude hand gesture as his caravan passed them by. Seriously? Aren't we on the same side? the sergeant thought bitterly. This is what we're getting shot at for.
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