Author Notes:
Kept you waiting, huh?
My apologies for the wait. In case you don't know, I had to get my Mom to a hospital for a medical check up, and I was told to take a break, which I did. That said, I didn't really follow through on the idea of a long break, because I am pretty much a workaholic, haha.
But yeah, new RM chapter. A different POV. Some new developments. Honestly, RM is a fic that is so detailed that I can barely write the words down fast enough.
Without further ado, please enjoy the new RM chapter, and don't forget to comment and review, if you want to show your love for the story~! Oh, and that Monthly Discount is still ongoing!
https://www.patreon.com/Heartbreak117
https://discord.gg/cVZxJ29ruh
https://www.webnovel.com/book/reich-marshal-of-the-belkan-reich_23809095505377305
https://www.webnovel.com/book/in-the-grimdark-sector-with-a-system_31596105108346205
https://www.webnovel.com/book/my-soul.-occupied-body---please-the-other-me...!_35377211308783905
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/2271569/reich-marshal-of-the-belkan-reich/
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A T-35 rolls over a hastily constructed trench line of the Polanian Army, collapsing the shoddy fortification work on both the living and the dead alike. Its multiple turrets rotate constantly: the anti-armor 45 mm gun turret tracks a couple of Polanian trucks evacuating the collapsing front, whereas the more diminutive machine gun turret constantly spits out licks of flame and lead to cut down retreating Polanian conscripts. This T-35 tank, having broken through and driven out the Polanian unit, chose not to pursue the enemy but instead fired from afar some parting shots with its cannons to harass and damage the Polanian's already dwindling morale and reserve.
The crew of this T-35, like many of their peers in similar tanks across this segment of the battlefront, stops their vehicle and converts it into a stationary firing position to secure the gained ground. This is done according to General Rokossovsky's order; one may never know if a zealous pursuit deeper in enemy territories won't risk an ambush in return. The T-35 multi-turreted heavy tanks, for all of their firepower and protection, still suffer from the chronic issue of weight and mobility. Being flanked from the sides, as other Divisions in the Rusviet Army have found out, can prove to be a death sentence for the T-35 and its crews.
There's also the risk of the Polanian Army initiating a counterattack. It will, of course, be costly for the Polanians, but there have been at least three separate scenarios where the infantry-focused Polanian Army managed to beat back the mechanized and armored units of the Rusviets, owing to the latter over-extended, thus creating gaps for the Polanians to exploit and hit them hard in the rear and sides. General Rokossovsky learns from the reports that a few officers and at least one other general were sacked by Stalin because of these failures.
These defeats, while not truly capable of breaking the Rusviet backbones, still cost the Union a great deal of time, manpower, and war material. More than that, it's a great humiliation for Stalin when the proud jewels of the Red Army, the T-28 and T-35 tanks, were captured by the Polanians and used against the Rusviets in a scant few engagements as a result of these defeats. These tanks had, at one point, been a cause for no small amount of headache for Rokossovsky when he was tasked with either recapturing or destroying them all outright. Although the order came with an explanation that the Union feared the tanks would be reverse-engineered or be used for propaganda and so on, it was Rokossovsky's thought that Stalin was just being petty. Those tanks had been the face of the Rusviet military for some time already, so hunting them down was an absolute necessity in Stalin's eyes.
Upon arrival on the Southern Front, Rokossovsky and the 3rd Guard Army wasted a few days just to track down these captured tanks and destroyed them either by overwhelming artillery fire or ordering in bombing missions. It's a waste of time, but at least without those heavy tanks in their mix, the troops of the 3rd Guard Army can proceed at a rate nearly unimpeded later on as the Polanians have little to no armored fighting vehicles left in their arsenal. The only threat to Rokossovsky's growing repertoire of combined arms tactics is in the form of Polanian heavy artillery that they procured from who-knows-where and suicidal charges. Again, the cumbersome nature of the T-28 and T-35 tanks means that they can not defend themselves well against either of these two types of attacks. To counteract the Polanian tactics, Rokossovsky almost always had these heavy tanks escorted by a generous amount of infantry or the T-50 light tanks.
The T-50 light tanks, in particular, shine brightly in Rokossovsky's eyes, perhaps even more so than the T-28 and T-35 tanks. Ever since the 3rd Guard Army's arrival in the Southern Polanian Front, General Rokossovsky has noted that the Polanians have used their inexperienced conscripts well by employing them in stationary defensive positions, thus freeing the smaller, but more experienced remnants of the regular Polanian Army to wage effective raids and hit-and-run engagements. These raiders, mobile via usage of bicycles, horses, and some manner of motorization thanks to captured Rusviet vehicles, are a menace worthy of Rokossovsky dedicating an entire formation of high-speed interceptors in the form of T-50 tanks and gun trucks. Without them, Rokossovsky can only imagine the pain that a compromised logistic backline would bring to his heavy-consumption combined arms warfare. The T-50 also comes through wonderfully in recon or even frontal assault duty, owing to its speed, firepower, and surprisingly well-protected profile thanks to its angled armor.
In fact, against the mostly soft-skinned Polanian Army, the T-50 alone would have been enough as an armored platform for all offensive engagements. Using the T-50s alone would be much faster and simpler than the T-28 and T-35. Unfortunately, Rokossovsky doesn't have enough T-50 light tanks to go around. That said, if there's one thing the T-28 and T-35 are quite capable of, then it's the fact that they can be used as makeshift self-propelled guns.
Upon beating the enemy into a hasty retreat, some T-28 and T-35 tanks, equipped with short-barreled 76 mm field guns in their main turrets, are directed by radio to angle their main weapons upward. With firing data transmitted by Po-2 scout planes, the 76 mm light field guns of the heavy tanks initiate indirect fire missions against known Polanian holdouts, using High Explosive Fragmentation shells. More than just causing damage, these fire missions are called in to pave the way for future Rusviet assaults. If anything, the T-28 and T-35 chassis are quite capable of being used unconventionally. Rokossovsky recognizes that the ability to be swiftly converted into indirect artillery pieces or heavy stationary bunkers is the T-28's and T-35's selling point, provided they're properly equipped for multirole requirements.
Nevertheless, with another successful advance with minimal losses, General Rokossovsky is sure to get another accolade from Stalin himself. The 3rd Guard Army's string of victories on a front where others have faltered will no doubt prompt the Russian military to conduct a thorough investigation to replicate Rokossovsky's tactics and incorporate them into the rest of the Red Army. Such a move will no doubt bolster Stalin's already iron grip over the military, as Rokossovsky is still someone Stalin invested heavily in. Still, Rokossovsky doesn't see much of an issue with it. If the Rusviet Union wants to compete with its Belkan Reich neighbor, then its armed forces must be modern in both thinking and armaments.
When Rokossovsky reports his recent win up the chain of command, it takes next to no time for Stalin to indeed offer his congratulations and urge the General to make ready for a final push to crush the Southern Polanian stronghold region, which is only a day's drive away from his recently seized territory. Again, the Secretary General promises the full cooperation of logistics and the Air Force to ensure the 3rd Guard Army's fighting strength remains at the very peak.
Stalin even throws in the promise that Rokossovsky and his unit will be called in for a future parade in Warsaw, where he will no doubt meet those peers from the Belkan military. In Stalin's eyes, it's an absolute honor, and he won't be wrong on that part. Having been out of touch with the matters concerning the Belkan Reich for some time, Rokossovsky thinks to himself that Stalin's offer will be a good chance to see if he can catch up with his friends in the Reich, and to see if Belka has achieved anything shocking in his time leading the war effort on this front. To do that, however, he must deliver Stalin a most crushing victory against the Polanian foes.
Looking up from the war map, Rokossovsky commands his subordinates. "Have the men set up camps and patrols. Rest, eat, and nurse their wounds, if they have them. We will take this time to relax for a bit before initiating a night attack to eliminate the rest of the outposts that stand in our way to the enemy HQ. The ultimate victory will be ours!"
"OORAH!"
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In a clandestine bar near the Belka-Polanian frontline, a meeting is being held between an ONI agent and a party of interest.
"This seat is occupied?" Comes the accented question of someone who looks like your standard gruff and world-wise middle-aged American man.
The ONI agent looks up from his hearty meal of a soup before wiping his mouth with a towel, maintaining decorum where it matters. He then says.
"Depend on who's asking?"
This causes the American man to scoff before offering a handshake.
"Captain Jack Barlett of Garm Company, though you can just call me Jack. No need for pleasantries where I'm not deserved."
"You can call me Red, then. It's a pleasure to meet you, Jack."
"Right. Mind if I take a seat?"
"By all means, Jack. That seat is reserved for you?" Red gestures to the chair across the table, to which Jack nods before sitting down. "Want anything here, Jack? Consider it my treat to commemorate our first meeting in person."
"Depend on how long this conversation will last..." Jack shrugs before pulling out and lighting a cigarette. "I'm here because I am told that you still offer contracts, whereas all other middlemen are either dry or they are all booked."
"That I do, Jack." Red says, calmly, resume his enjoyment of his soup. "But only because I offer high-risk, high-reward contracts, stuff that most middling mercenary parties get cold feet on and larger military contractors deem too volatile to accept. While I most certainly can pull out a contract that may fit your desire for a hefty paycheck in a period where business is as dry as the Saharan desert, now that the Months of Demon is over and Belka basically seized half of Europe, you need to know that these contracts' natures may very well cost you your everything if you mistep just once."
Jack raises an eyebrow before turning over his shoulder to look at the trusted men he has brought with him, seeing the will to follow him through thick and thin burning in their eyes. Turning back to look at Red, Jack replies.
"Look, my boys and I already heard those warnings from the ones who introduced us to you. We wouldn't be here if we didn't have the skills, guts, and ambition to match the contract's difficulty. Quite frankly, we need such a gambit if we aren't to lose our sharpness after all those Ustian security contracts."
"Bold of you to say," Red laughs, but still nods and says, "but I should have expected such from a group naming itself after Garmr, the hound from Helheim. Alright, I have some contracts in mind for a group your size. That said, try to give me a ceiling to work with, who knows if I already have something that fits you perfectly?"
Jack ponders for a bit before suggesting.
"Something big, bold, pays well but doesn't necessarily require a huge amount of manpower. At most, I only need to invest less than a Company-sized element to complete the contract. Preferably short terms."
"Strict terms, but I think I can work something out. In fact, I got something that is a bit of a special offering right here. Excuse me for a moment..." Red says before reaching down for a briefcase that is actually cuffed to the table leg, which itself is bolted directly to the floor.
Pulling the briefcase onto his legs, Red opens it before perusing the contents and pulling out a folder.
"Here, take a look at this contract."
Jack accepts the folder before going to work with it. What follows next is a brief period of silence and the sounds of turning pages. Ultimately, Jack whistles, blowing the smoke of his cigarette out.
"Damn, talk about being bold, you're the one who is the boldest, Red. Who the fuck would even offer this contract to bail out the Polanian Revolutionary Council? And who on Gaia would be stupid enough to even accept that?"
"I don't know?" Red shrugs with a smirk. "You and I, maybe?"
"Hah! I like you already, pal! Alright, I'll bite the bullet and ask. Other than the obvious threat of going against the Red Army, what else is special about this? All I see is that we are to be the protection details for the Polanian top brass, or what's left of them, and to evacuate them when shit goes South, literally."
Red smiles suspiciously before pulling out yet another folder. Before handing it over to Jack, though, he warns.
"Think carefully before reading what's inside, Jack. Consider this a friendly warning that the moment you open it, it is the moment Garm Company is dead set on achieving what the contract entails. Failure is synonymous with your demise... All of you."
Jack bites his cigarette, frowning. "... That bad, huh?"
"Trust me, Jack, this is gonna be the highest stake contract in your life, but if you pull through, Garm Company will be set for life. Perhaps reaching the height of the renowned Shadow Company won't be a far-fetched dream."
"Heh, if you edge me on like that, how can I refuse even with all the risks. Shadow Company, huh? One day. One day, we will..." Jack stops his daydream before looking sternly at the folder in Red's hand. "Give it to me, Red."
"Suit yourself, Jack. Garm Company..."
"Welcome to ONI."