S.C. (Standard Calendar): 3283 - Mon - 24th - 8:57AM (24h/day)
L.T. (Local Time): 17:25 (36h/day)
Adbumeir State - Riveridge Galaxy - Fishergarden Planet - Main Continent - Battlefront of Mountain Sio
The metallic screech pierced through the clouds, while the shells smashing into the soil as explosives erupted, hurling chunks of earth into the sky. The incendiary cloud of the thermobaric warhead greedily consumed oxygen, pressing and roasting the lifeless soil beneath. Among the beats of occasionally triggered landmines, fragments of metal, rocks, and smoke blurred the boundary between tender green of herb and sorrow blue of sky.
In this black soil, spraying a fountain of death, several kilometers away in the trenches, soldiers, who has been insensitive to the distant artillery sounds, shoveled dry sand onto the breastworks. The shovel tips gleamed faintly under the scorching sunlight as they moved. Mili-exoskeletons whirred with each motion, emitting a faint, loosely grinding friction noise. At the end of the line, military earth splitters connected various trenches along the predetermined route, creating enough parallel pathways. Breaking and deepening were tasks left for the soldiers behind.
Moving forward, the harsh sun illuminated light yellow soil and the surface layer of rocks. Footprints, tire tracks, and shell craters crisscrossed the area. Low bushes swayed between the fire and sea breeze. The second line of defense, formed by connecting hills and depressions, quickly emerged. Behind hastily arranged camouflage nets, temporary observation posts, short-range artillery positions, and laser point defense arrays were stationed at various high points. Beneath natural cover, a dense deployment of small drones and a mobile reserve were positioned on the reverse slope. The trees surrounding the front lines were all removed, not only for clearing firing lines but also to fill the shortage of construction materials. The rough planning and on-site resource utilization spoke of the tight constraints on the defending forces in terms of resources and time.
Beyond the impassable second line of defense, grass grew more abundantly. Sporadic large-caliber shell craters or burn marks from fallen drones stood out against the lush greenery. Construction teams were laying roads forward. On the single-track railway erected alongside the road, a military train loaded with supplies was speeding toward the front. In the rudimentary open-air station, the entire convoy of heavy transport vehicles was entering, waiting for transfer.
Advancing along the road, past bunkers, trenches, and the depth formed by rigid fragments, the carefully leveled land at the foot of the mountain had been designated as a temporary parking area for fighter jets, with the runway fully operational for takeoffs and landings. One could even see a large airborne early warning aircraft and transport plane sharing the same runway. Under the sky-blue and brown-green camouflage, over a dozen dots were lined up on both sides, facing each other. Armored vehicles from several battalions were entering newly dug emplacements, with more hastily concealed on the reverse slope or within the trees. Next to a self-propelled howitzer, an engineer operated a crane, detaching the barrel from its wheeled chassis and loading it into a fixed position within the emplacement.
At the end of the road, the Sio Mountains, part of the vast Charla Mountain system range that stretched beyond sight and reach of the ground, spilled their emerald greenery into the field of view. Fortresses, resembling spots and scars, were densely scattered across the mountains. Electromagnetic anti-ship cannons, towering like high spears, stood on mountain peaks. Amidst the clouds, the titanium-gray barrel was faintly visible, pointing directly into deep space. Occasionally, the sunlight penetrating the emplacement produced a golden-purple sheen on the coating of the laser cannon group. In the thickets, armor, and concrete, the fort cannons with engraved rifling lines remained motionless. Like the rooted mountains, the creations of technology overlooked everything, instilling confidence in the soldiers burying their heads in the soil amidst the thundering artillery.
As the shovel penetrated sandy soil, steel crushed rocks, and resounding artillery and the gentle tremors of the earth reminded silent spectators that the relentless flames of war, which cut human society in two slices, have never been settled...
"It shouldn't be like this."