On the Outskirts of Ariban

With the failed invasion of Haerkalia, Collective forces had once again found themselves fighting in Khef, but this time the retreating armies were in disarray and a defence was slow to develop allowing the forces of House Baronor to maintain their momentum and strike deep into the country. A hasty defence force was cobbled together, and finally managed to stand its ground on the outskirts of the capital city Ariban. Were the Collective to falter here it would mean the fall of the country of Khef itself.

Baronor Guards stalk the shattered streets…

Their confidence is high, but intelligence suggests in this battle the won’t be up against the Tigers or the Jendari Defence Army, but the elite Jendari Rangers.

A sudden crack is heard and guard drops, his head dissipating in a red plume of pulverised atoms.

Cambarian Stalkers are aiding in the defence of Ariban.

The Guards push forwards nonetheless.

But the Stalkers and Rangers inflict high numbers of casualties on the invaders.

And eventually the Guards broke and fled.

“We can’t keep up getting hit like this!” cried Commander Verral. He sighed heavily and felt the weight of his body armour pressing on his shoulders. He wandered out of his half destroyed command post and down the winding street that lead up to the city centre. He watched the hovering battleships above him, taking up too much of the sky and casting immense shadows over the burned metropolis. He could hear the distant hum of dropships, the flashes of teleporter insertions. His radio kicked in with a sudden and sharp static. “They’re retreating!” The Commander clicked his radio off, and squatted low to the ground. “Of course they are…” he spat, the victory bitter in his mouth. “This is endless…”

I’ve marked the latest development on the campaign map in purple, so being victorious in their defence of Khef has allowed Collective forces to invade Caerdonia.

So with Khef and Haerkalia battling to an uneasy stalemate, the Jendari Collective forces of Su Khan will head north around the Boskovan mountains and attack Caerdonia.