Chapter 390: Conquering the Planet
After four hours of space fighting, the Pegasus Navy achieved some results.
Although the starport fortress of Faches was still standing and even its shield was not broken, many armed space stations were either blown up or taken over by the Marines.
By this time, Gu Hang also received new information.
On the ground, the Phoenix warriors have achieved new success: they have captured all anti-orbital firepower deployed in the planet's capital and its surrounding areas.
The capture operation itself is not difficult, but the difficulty lies in the short time, the need to act quickly, and the need to punish soldiers.
In fact, Gu Hang gave them eight hours. However, under the command of the century-old veteran, Carduso, the Phoenix completed the task in half the time without any casualties.
When this news reached Gu Hang, he immediately asked the naval staff of the Tianma Fleet to evaluate the feasibility of conducting the next stage of operations.
And these staff officers quickly came up with the results: when the anti-orbital and air defense systems at the landing site were all cleared, the conditions for conducting landing operations were now initially met.
Gu Hang waved his hand and announced the start of the action.
The cruiser that Gu Hang was on, along with three destroyers and seven frigates, began to move forward rapidly.
Their actions immediately attracted the enemy's fierce firepower. Especially the enemy's firepower center, the fortress starport, fired several rounds of the "Wrath of the Loyal Heir" cannon. Due to the close distance, the hit rate increased sharply, directly overloading the energy shield of a frigate, scaring it to retreat and leave the battlefield immediately.
But at the same time, after the distance was close, the starship's firepower was able to exert a more ferocious effect. The light spear array on the Concerto caused the void shield of the Fats Starport to tremble. In the process, hundreds of missiles were fired at the same time. When they arrived in front of the void shield, the missiles slowed down significantly. This certainly gave the enemy a chance to intercept the missiles, but at the same time, more than 30 missiles passed through the void shield, and finally 20 of them exploded in the fortress.
Twenty S-class and M-class missiles were not enough to destroy the heavily armored Starport Fortress. However, a few lucky missiles hit the firepower platform and the crowded areas, causing considerable damage.
This forced Commander Fachs in the fortress to pay full attention to the approaching ships, leaving him with no time to take care of anything else.
In the void, countless huge monsters were bombarding each other fiercely.
However, while the enemy's core firepower was tied down, another cruiser, the Violin, and several destroyers also pressed forward. However, their goal was to launch an air strike on multiple anti-orbital artillery positions on the surface.
At the same time, there are seven or eight fast transport ships hiding inside the array of these warships.
These transport ships would certainly not play any role in a space naval battle. Their only responsibility at the moment was to transport the landing troops.
Landing craft were dropped from these transport ships and from warships headed by the Violin.
A large number of armed space stations were destroyed or taken over, starport fortresses were pinned down, anti-orbital firepower on the surface was suppressed, and anti-orbital firepower in the capital area was simply eliminated.
In this case, orbital landing becomes quite smooth.
The vanguard landing force was an army group within the Dragon Eagle 3rd Legion.
Three hundred landing craft rushed through the planet's orbit, broke through the atmosphere, and headed for the ground. Their goal was the planet's capital.
During the descent, the limited firepower destroyed at most a dozen landing craft, which represented the loss of thousands of people, but did not hinder the success of the entire landing.
On the outskirts of the capital, ten Phoenixes and a capital garrison of several thousand men 'loyal' to the empire have already opened up a temporary landing site.
Landing craft landed one after another, each carrying hundreds of Astra Militarum soldiers, and some even carried heavy equipment such as tanks and cannons.
A total of 140,000 Astra Militarum soldiers assembled at the landing site.
The leader of this force was Major General Cai Minjin of the Star Army. The main force of this attack was the 314th Army of the Dragon Eagle Legion led by him. He personally took the risk and directly participated in this landing operation, and was the first to land.
While the troops were still gathering, Cai Minjin stood on a high ground and looked at the capital city in the distance with hesitation in his eyes.
"General." Someone shouted from below, "General, you'd better come down and be careful..."
"...Alas." With a sigh, Cai Minjin walked down the high ground and asked, "Have you driven out the vehicle I asked you to prepare immediately from the landing ship?"
"It's out." The adjutant said, "But... please think twice! The troops still need your leadership."
Cai Minjin cursed, and then said: "What do you mean by think twice? I am going back to my own city, do I need to think twice?"
"this……"
"Bring the car over here, let's go!"
"yes!"
A moment later, three military vehicles headed towards the capital city.
Along the way, Cai Minjin looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar street scenes and found it difficult to describe his inner feelings.
He had only been in the Dragonhawk Corps for about ten years. Before that, he was a general in the Fatsos Defense Army and the commander of the Capital Guard. That year, he was ordered to lead the entire Capital Guard Army to reform and become part of the Star Army. His status also changed from a general in the Defense Army to a major general in the Star Army.
It was hard to tell whether this was a promotion or a demotion; whether he was entrusted with an important task and sent to the Astra Militarum to help the Faustian regime control this force, or whether he was handed over as an imperial tax and exiled outside the core of power.
He only knew that his mood was very complicated at that time.
Since then, he shed his former politician identity and became a pure soldier. He no longer had to participate in any intrigues, but his life became monotonous.
At that time, what he least wanted was that one day the Dragon Eagle 3rd Legion would be pulled out of its home planet and go to an alien planet to fight.
But this day came more suddenly and unexpectedly than expected.
His first mission to leave his home planet to fight outside was to go to the Angry Owl Star and eliminate the troublesome Blackbird Heavy Industries.
He didn't think at first that this was a long-term mission. After arriving at Angry Owl Star, he even boasted that he wanted to gain command of the native army of Angry Owl Star, launch a full-scale offensive, quickly end the war, and then...
Then he got slapped in the face.
It was there that he first witnessed the capabilities of the Alliance army.
But that was just an episode in his life. No matter what the process was, at least his mission was completed, the troops did not suffer great losses, and it did not take very long.
Just when he thought he could finally return to his hometown, a transfer order came and directly transferred him from the Angry Owl Star to Korojia.
At that time, he still thought that this would be a short-term mission, similar to what happened on the Angry Owl Star, just going to an imperial world to quell the rebellion and eliminate the cult.
But unexpectedly, he stayed there for eight years, and the governor of Koroja changed three times.
However, the eight years he spent on Koroja had long since made him lose interest in politics. The brutal war was escalating before his eyes, and all he could think about during those years was how to win, how to complete the mission, and how to reduce the sacrifices of the young men under his command.
What impressed him most was the famous Battle of Yancheng.
A division was sent to the front line, and after fighting for a few hours, it was gone.
Tens of thousands of people, just gone like that.
All he could do was to send in division and regiment after division, and then watch them being crippled and destroyed a few hours later.
Reading the battle reports, looking at the battle fronts, and witnessing those tragic scenes with his own eyes, Cai Minjin's way of thinking was changed forever.
All those power struggles and conspiracies are meaningless in this baptism of blood and fire.
At least to him, it made no sense.
Two years have passed since the end of the war. Guarding the hive city and fighting security battles seem like a vacation compared to the brutal battlefields at the beginning.
Occasionally, he would still think of his hometown and his life when he was the commander of the defense forces.
Nostalgia? Contempt? Probably a little bit of both.
If possible, he would not mind going home, especially since his wife and children were still on the Falches 1.
Although, he also had a local nobleman on Koroja who married his daughter to him...
And now, he really returned to his hometown, but he didn't expect it to be in this way.
He returned to his hometown, the place he had guarded for half his life, in the way of the Empire suppressing the rebellion.
This world is so unpredictable.
Looking out the car window at the street scene that should have been bustling but was now deserted, countless messy thoughts flashed through his mind.
But when the military vehicle drove into the military base, all thoughts were brought back to mind.
At some point, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky. All the officers of the Capital Guard were waiting in the rain.
Leading the way was Bobby Farchers, a traitor... oh, or rather a loyalist, or a defector.
Cai Minjin didn’t know how to define it.
He got out of the car and shook Bobby's hand.
"Welcome back, old commander." Bobby seemed quite humble. Cai Minjin was indeed his old boss.
Cai Minjin waved his hand, signaling not to say any more.
A group of people entered the office building of the military district.
There were already many people sitting in the conference hall.
Among them, at least one is a colonel and the real power leader of each unit.
Hearing the door of the Great Hall being pushed open, they turned around and stared at Cai Minjin who strode in with complicated expressions.
Cai Minjin walked up to the podium without stopping and stood in front of everyone.
"Have all the commanders above the regimental level arrived?" Cai Minjin asked.
Bobby, who had just sat down in the front row, stood up and responded, "Everyone who wants to come is here. And some..."
Cai Minjin interrupted him and said, "I will only give you one hour to notify those who haven't come yet. Tell them that I have arrived and that I have my Star Boundary Army outside the city. Let them think it over carefully. After one hour, anyone who hasn't arrived will be considered a traitor, and I will personally lead people to eliminate them."
Looking at the strange expressions of the many officers in the audience, Cai Minjin added: "Yes, that's right, those who didn't come are traitors."
Bobby gave a few instructions and someone ran out.
Over the next few dozen minutes, people arrived one after another.
At the appointed time, Cai Minjin had the door of the meeting hall closed.
He announced to everyone present: "Now, all the loyal officers of the Capital Garrison are here."
No one said anything, and he didn't care and started assigning tasks.
There were eleven regimental commanders who did not come. The total number of troops under their command was about 20,000 to 30,000. Compared with the million-strong capital garrison, they were definitely a minority, and they were scattered in the capital city or surrounding areas.
Each officer present was required to send out a battalion, led by the chief officers themselves, to destroy the troops that had not arrived. The veterans of the Star Army gathered outside the city under Cai Minjin's command would also go there, but they would not take action directly, but would serve as a supervisory team.
A blood-stained pledge of allegiance.
The atmosphere was depressing when the tasks were being assigned.
Some people are sad, some are hesitant, some are gritting their teeth...
In such an atmosphere, there are still people who can't help themselves.
"Old Commander, I don't understand why you have to do this. We are all our compatriots and comrades-in-arms... We are the warriors of Fachers, and have served the Fachers family for generations. When foreign enemies attack, shouldn't we fight bravely? You are here, and you are leading us, so why are you still..."
'Bang.'
A gunshot rang out.
Cai Minjin didn't give him a chance to finish his words.
The old general was very accurate with his pistol. The bullet was accurate enough to blow the head off the man who was speaking even though he was more than 20 meters away and surrounded by many people.
This shot suddenly made the situation in the conference hall tense.
Although it is forbidden to carry guns when the opportunity arises, some people still carry them secretly and subconsciously put their hands on the holsters.
Cai Minjin noticed it, but he didn't care.
He sighed and slowly put down his gun: "I still remember him, Wang Zhongze, a soldier I used to lead. I remember I awarded him a medal myself. When he got married, I also went to his wedding and held his daughter in my arms..."
"I'm very heartbroken, and I really don't want him to be the one who jumps out."
"But I am an imperial general, and I am also a Facherian. I cannot bear to see someone say such things in front of me and incite you to do things you shouldn't do."
"Let's not talk about anything else, just this. Do you think I can fight against the imperial army with you? Do you still think that the Dragon Eagle Legion is the Dragon Eagle Legion that was originally stationed on Faches? Twenty percent of the people in the legion are Koroja people, and the remaining twenty percent are married and have children on Koroja. They are the most angry about Minnick's rebellion! They just want to tear the traitors on Faches apart. What are you expecting?"
"Moreover, even if the Dragon Eagle Legion is on this side, will everything be fine?"
"I have personally seen Commander Gu's abilities, and I have even seen how powerful his elite warriors are. Space Marines, Knight Mechs, and even Titans, things you have never seen before, are plentiful in the Alliance!"
"Not to mention, the soldiers of the Alliance are more elite than the Astra Militarum. You all know the selection criteria of the Astra Militarum, and they always select the best warriors among us. But even so, the quality of the soldiers is still a level lower than that of the Alliance soldiers!"
"It won't be difficult for him to wipe out all the planetary defense forces on the planet Facheras."
"I applied to be the first one to come down, even braving the artillery fire. Why do you think it was for? It was just to protect you old subordinates!"
"Don't tell me about loyalty or disloyalty. You have to understand clearly what true loyalty is!"
"People like Wang Zhongze are not only traitors to the Empire, but also traitors to the Fachers. If you continue to be loyal to the Fachers, the final result will be that you will be swept into the garbage dump together with the Fachers. Not only will you die and your clan will be exterminated, but you will also become a sinner in history and be despised for thousands of years to come, leaving a bad reputation for eternity! The Fachers will despise you, the Empire will despise you, and the Emperor will despise you!"
"Now, I have said everything I want to say. You can do whatever you want! I am alone here, and I don't have many trusted guards. If you want to attack me, take out your guns and shoot me! Let's see if you can kill an old man like me here!"
No one was speaking in the conference hall.
Those who had touched the holsters also let go.
After waiting for two minutes and seeing no one making any move, Cai Minjin cursed, "No one wants to shoot me, right? Then why are you still standing there? Go do what you have to do!"
…
The purge that took place within the garrison of the planetary capital of Facheras 1 was not particularly bloody.
The regiments that did not accept Cai Minjin's command were attacked by their colleagues. They did not hold out for long, the soldiers' fighting spirit was very weak, and they were not very willing to accept the orders of the officers, so they surrendered soon.
Most of the officers who resisted eventually chose to commit suicide or were executed after being caught.
Cai Minjin did not continue to trouble the capital area.
Although the entire Capital Garrison Army could not be considered completely subdued, at best they could only obey orders reluctantly, their morale was very low, and their internal thinking was not unified.
But he didn't have time.
Under his order, a force of about 500,000 men was drawn from the Capital Garrison Army, and together with the four divisions and brigades of the Dragon Eagle Legion he brought with him, they headed straight for Star Harbor City.
It is about 400 kilometers away from the capital area, and is located right below the fortress star port in the sky that was engaged in a fierce firefight with the Pegasus fleet. It is a city developed from the ground buildings of the star port and built around the functions of the star port.
The Field Marshal of the Guards from the Facheras family was there.
After Petters issued the coalition government declaration, the marshal also urgently issued a declaration, angrily denouncing Petters's statement. He also urgently announced that he was the successor to the highest power of the coalition government and said that he would lead the people of Fachera to fight against the invaders.
However, regardless of how many people will buy into his ideas, the current chaos within the coalition government has caused him huge troubles.
The defense forces he assembled in a short period of time gathered in Xinggang City. He originally planned to retake the capital area, but the surrounding defense forces responded to the call and gathered together slowly.
The most critical thing is that the speed at which various military supplies arrive is not fast enough.
In a short period of time, he was completely unable to launch a counterattack.
That would have been fine, but what was even worse was that while he was sweating profusely coordinating teams from all sides, an army of hundreds of thousands of people suddenly rushed out from the capital area.
Not only did the defense forces in the capital area not resist, they actually rebelled!
This was something he didn't expect!
His troops were hit before they could even set up a good defense line.
And the attack was so fierce that the troops loyal to him could not resist at all!
Cai Minjin knew that the first battle could not be left to the Capital Defense Army that had just been conquered. Otherwise, once they encountered a tough battle or suffered some setbacks, the already low morale would collapse, and the troops would doubt whether their choice was correct.
Therefore, in his first battle, he used all his old skills.
The troops that landed with him included three large infantry divisions and an armored division. Needless to say, the armored vehicles and Lion tanks in the armored division were also equipped with a Lion King tank.
At the same time, he also separately transferred out the three Lion King tanks in the Capital Defense Force - all of which were purchased from the Fachs government's arms dealers - and deployed his own tank troops.
Four Lion Kings, with a cluster of Lion tanks, launched a fierce attack on Star Harbor City.
Under the powerful armored force, the troops outside Star Harbor City that were not prepared for defense at all collapsed at the first blow; inside Star Harbor City, they managed to organize a wave of street fighting defense, and relying on the fairly good artillery defense firepower inside Star Harbor City, they blocked the offensive of Cai Minjin's troops.
Even due to some recklessness, a Lion tank was destroyed during the street fighting.
But at the critical moment, it was the Space Marines who stood up again.
Cai Minjin has no authority to command the Phoenix's Space Marines, but Carduso, a centuries-old veteran, has an outstanding sense of war. He does not need anyone to command him and can easily find the key to the current battle situation.
He personally led his company, under the assault cover of a part of the Astra Militarum armored forces, deep into the enemy's rear, captured several artillery positions, and destroyed two enemy command posts and a temporary ammunition depot.
Suffering critical damage and witnessing the advent of the Emperor's Angels of Death, who turned out to be just as brave and invulnerable as the legends said, the defenders of Starport City collapsed.
If they were still half-believing and half-doubting before, wondering whether they had really become traitors to the Empire and were a little deceived by the political propaganda of the Facheres family, the arrival of the Space Marines destroyed all their beliefs.
How many soldiers loyal to the Empire can accept being enemies of the Emperor's angels?
Their morale completely collapsed and widespread surrender began to occur.
Star Harbor City was conquered by the loyal Star Army, and the whole process took no more than five hours. Although there were still sporadic resistances in some places, it did not affect the overall situation.
The defense marshal wanted to run away at the last moment, but he couldn't escape in front of the phoenixes.
Captain Cardoso personally arrested this "successor to supreme power" and "supreme commander" who had just taken office for a few hours and shot him in public.
————
Thanks to the second leader of the big boss [Axe of the Mountain]! Thank you very much!
Of course I am happy to have a leader!
But... the boss hasn't paid off the debt owed to the previous leader yet, and now here comes another one...
All I can say is... it's painful and happy.
This chapter is 6.2k, and I still owe 9k, plus today's [Axe of Opening the Mountain], the second leader, plus another 20k, I still owe 29k.
Oh my god! I owe more and more... I may not be able to pay it back in January, and I have to go on a business trip for two weeks before the New Year...
I’ll try to pay it off by February!
(End of this chapter)
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