GATE: The United Nations of Earth

Chapter 10: "Priority: Siege of Italica"

--HSS Normandy, 9th Terra Fleet, Spes orbit--

As soon as the fleet arrives, the construction ships immediately start building an Interstellar Gate so it can be connected to another Interstellar Gate that was built in a Gate Hub system while the fleet was traveling to Uros System.

Two Bastions, Normandy B1 and B2 are being deployed by the HSS Normandy to start their descending down to Spes. The B1 will be parked on top of Fort Alnus and B2 will head to Italica and time its arrival to arrive the same time as the ground forces. The relief force consists of one Bastion, the 2nd Armor Company transported by SD-20 Super Transport Ships, the 4th Marine Brigade transported by D-20 Transport Ships and 4 GS-12 Gunships from the, newly arrived through the gate, 6th Combat Aviation Brigade.

The battle plan is simple. Since the enemy is highly concentrated North and West of the city, the relief force will be split evenly and assault both sides at the same time. The Bastion will fly directly from Alnus to the city from the Eastside and make sure no enemy escape.

Admiral Hackett is sitting in his command chair on the bridge looking at the holographic image of the planet and talking to General Nguyen.

"The other continent is smaller than Falmart but visual scan detect ruins of an advanced civilization that we assume belong to the Prothean, General, but with the planetary shield up we can't get a detailed scan so I'm sending a team there" Admiral Hackett says.

"Right, I'm gonna need your construction team to help build a port at the planetary shield breach location. We're calling it Fort Ruby" General Nguyen replies.

General Nguyen and Admiral Hackett are good friends of the Bennett family, Admiral Owen and Ava's parents went through the naval academy together and later they met General Nguyen by chance and became a group of close friends. Hearing that name, Ruby, Admiral Owen knows it is named after the wife of his late friend.

"Do we have any intel on her?" Admiral Hackett asks with a softer tone and informal.

"Not yet, but we're looking as hard as we can. We'll get her back" General Nguyen pause for a while "Dead or alive...".

"How's Ava holding up?" Admiral Hackett says "Poor thing, first her father now her mother. No matter how advanced we get, war is still tearing families apart".

"She's a tough kid and a good soldier, she'll be fine" General Nguyen replies.

"I hope you're right, went you know where Ruby is, you tell me. I'll unleash the full might of the 9th Terra Fleet to get her back if I have to" Admiral Hackett then returns to his formal tone and continues "To update you on the system's status, it's clear for now. Sensors detected a ringworld around Uros and ruins of cities on the 3rd planet. I'm sending 2 task forces to investigate them and will have the intel updated when we know more. Hackett out".

--Italica--

The 5th SIF is taking position on the Northern wall of Italica as it faces the main enemy camp. Princess Pina wants the UNE soldiers to bear the brunt of the bandit army while the rest of her knights and legionaries will defend the West wall where there's a smaller enemy present. The militia with low morale and no training will defend the East wall as the enemy present is almost none existence according to the intel provided by the SIF.

As per Ava's order, sentry guns are deployed on the wall along with the SIFs and SAT8s, TACNet control mortars are deployed behind the wall. The APC and IFV parked as far away from the gate as possible but still keep a full line of sight of the already weakened gate to prevent the enemy from breakthrough. She also ordered all torches to be put off so the enemy cannot see their position as well as troop composition.