Ad Astra - The Alagore War

AA V1 Alagore, Chapter 9

"Mr. President, I have gotten word from the Colonel Hackett that our forces have secured a foothold on the other side of the portal. The operation was a complete success; however, my staff has raised concerns with me.

While the attack was successful, our forces nearly broke at least twice. It was only because we had overwhelming firepower and numbers that we overran the understrength garrison left behind. We also sustained casualties above expectations, as the enemy proved to be formidable.

While first glances might imply, they are fantasy in nature, relating to our folklore, any similarities end there. Their technology has proven to be far more effective than first expected, for example, the Amplifier Tower and energy barriers. It was only thanks to the Elf Girl, Fraeya Holiadon, who provided the necessary insight needed to counter this... Magitech.

I have already ordered Major General Harris to deploy support staff as we secure our foothold, and I have given the order to begin Phase Two. Also, with your permission, I would like to inform Major General Taylor Webster about the situation and have the 4th Infantry Division prepare to respond if needed, at least creating a Quick Reaction Force if needed." – Secretary of War Charles Robinson

March, 5th, 2069 (military calendar)

Salva, the former Confederacy of Daru'uie

Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore

*****

Staring up at the sky, Captain Mathew Ryder saw the giant, striped, purple-and-blue gas world called Tekali, the Alagore Goddess. He also noticed two other moons among the gas giants hovering toward the left. There were many children of this planetary system, and he continued to be surprised by how exotic everything was.

The sight only reinforced that they were not in Kansas anymore, as Dorothy would say, from the types of enemies used by the different shades of night.

He figured out this world's night system. The dark night meant Alagore was facing away from Tekali and the sun, with only starlight for illumination. The light night was still nighttime, as the moon was still facing away from the sun; however, the light from the gas giant above added a new layer of brightness.

The captain heard Sergeant Benjamin Ford say he had finally connected the laptop to DEFNET after working his magic on the boulder. The signal was weak, thanks to the highlands between all these mountain ranges.

Hiding in a ditch on a ridge overlooking the city of Salva, Ryder went to the Sergeant to see what was on the laptop.

When they first arrived, he was worried that they would need to set up a tent to hide the light from their laptop, but once they came, the morning light from the sun solved that concern.

Sitting on the ground, Ryder saw the feed from Staff Sergeant Kurt Forest and Sergeant Charles Higgins, who were on top of the ditch that oversaw the city below.

The connection was strong based on the short distance from Staff Sergeant Kurt Forest's spotting scope, right next to the laptop. Basecamp, however, was proving to be a more significant issue. They were about nine or ten kilometers away in this terrain, so he could understand the problem. On Earth, they had grown accustomed to their communication infrastructure and could speak with anyone, anywhere, at any time. Here, there was no such infrastructure. In contrast, while they could reach HQ in this environment, the mountains and the number of jagged hills that made up this rough terrain only made matters worst. He knew regional communication would improve when they built terrestrial stations to boost the signal; it would take time.