The Constitutional Kingdom of Kamchatska
There was no time for diplomatic overtures. There was no time to even contact the government of the nation they were protecting. If any Kamchatska forces got in their way then they would either be detained or pushed out of the way.
The order had come from the Lord Protector herself. She had seen this as the only chance of preventing a full-blown war. Hell like she would back down when she saw this as a threat to the Home Islands. Parts of the Civilian Government were also under agreement even if the message had yet to reach the Prime Minister's Office. Not like it mattered that he could have stopped it. The pendulum had swung to the Joint Councill now they were nearing a period of war.
Santokian airborne divisions aimed for resupplying and assisting in the defense against Russia at the border were suddenly thrown south toward the Chong Qing advance. They had meant to be a support force that would establish the area for future operations, not a force designed to stop the direct advance of the Russians. But they were the only ones close enough with the speed and maybe even the firepower to stop their advance.
AFH-02B Hellhound gunships, darting between the landscape features and hills, escorted Chinooks and Huey transports over the plains. The Hellhounds were equipped with 40mm rotary cannons and a heavy assortment of up to twelve AGM with four anti-air short-range missiles. If conflict came to it, they would be the Santoakian's main source of firepower. But there were only twenty of them overall.
The 101st Airborne Brigade was just that. A brigade. They were never meant to act alone against such an overwhelming with only just 5,000 soldiers overall in the Brigade. And what were they facing? Seven? Ten?
"Shit," Mitsuhara muttered as he checked the safety off on his rifle, "This'll be close."
Already below a hundred transport helicopters and other VTOL craft were landing rapidly in the zone. The Chinooks dumped Komatsu attack cars armed with ATGMs. With a low profile and with the blistering speed they would make an ideal skirmish tool. Howitzers and mortars were quickly deployed as well. Flying low and slow over the plains, Kawasaki C-2 transport planes made the risky play of shoving Type 90 MBTs from their holds just barely meters off the ground. Parachutes and rocket boosters fired to slow their descent but still a few threw tracks or battered their crew still inside of them. One hit the ground in such a manner on its side that it began to tip over. In a panic, the commander tried to bail out but was bisected above the waist as it fell on its turret. Despite his steaming corpse still on the ground the SSDF still raced to arrange their position.
Airdropped tractors plowed makeshift trenches in the ground and made earthen barricades over the main roads leading further north. The Type 90 tanks found a reverse slope where only their turrets could appear over the ridgeline. Further behind this ridgeline howitzers and mortars were dug in. But their ammunition stockpile was low. If intense combat did happen, they would have only had an hours-worth of munitions. The attack jeeps spread out over the area, intent on skirmishing the enemy down if they came to become a threat and to guard their flanks.
Mitsuhara leaped into a foxhole where Kuzuha and Batou were struggling with mounting a Type 01 LMAT. All over the ridgeline there were dozens of trench lines and concealed foxholes just like this one filled with a MANPAD or similar ATGM. The airborne forces might be light but they tended to carry a hefty punch from the infantry.
"Doing fine?" Mitsuhara wiped the sweat off his brow as he checked the sights of his rifle.
"As fine as you can when you're outnumbered... what? Ten to one?" Kuzuha muttered as he struggled to deploy the tripod of the ATGM.
"Just need to hold out for an afternoon. Then we have the light ground forces coming from the north. They'll have proper tanks. At least we'll have air support in the meantime." Batou bashed the tripod of the ATGM once with the stock of his rifle. That seemed to manage to open it up as he mounted it on the lip of the foxhole.
"It'll be a close damn thing. When was the last time the 101st even saw combat?"
"Uh," Batou scratched his head, "I think it was during the M.A.G.E attack on Christchurch. You weren't there with us then, Mitsuhara."
"Jesus, I remember Christchurch. I was just barely out of Class that day I saw it on the news. School all over the country was canceled for the rest of the week. You were there?"
"I was there after. Our company was on either side of the mountain range when the Eva-Units came in. I only heard it. It was like two great blocks of steel crashing into one another. I never saw the Eva-Units themselves. Only one of their footprints. The damn thing was big enough to fit my father's house in."
"Imagine if they allowed Evangelions to be deployed here," Kuzhua chuckled.
"The war would be over in an hour. But you know the policy. Unless the Home Islands themselves are burning and maybe not even then, Evangelions will never be used against other Humans. The last thing we need is to set a precedent. Imagine the South Africans using their Memetic Division in a war..."
"Not a nice thing to imagine," Mitsuhara swore he shivered at the thought. "You know my fath-
"Shhh!" Kuzuha gestured at his radio. Mitsuhara and Batou tuned in as well. It was Colonel Maya on all radio bands.
"This is Colonel Maya of the SSDF. All Chong Qing forces, I know you can hear me. If you continue any further north of the border this will be considered an invasion and no longer what you claim to be a peacekeeping operation. I have my orders to destroy and repulse any advances against Kamchatska. Turning back at once, I don't want a state of war to exist between our two countries. But like I said. I have my orders. Withdraw from your occupied zones at once or the Principality of Santoak will respond will overwhelming and definite force."
"So it's kicked off then?"
"Yup."
