(Author's note: As this is a fanfiction, for the upcoming Second War for Frax, I will be adapting historical figures and battles into 40K versions for some of the generals and campaigns.)
(Also! GW's official British math has problems; a planetary battle is set on a 5,000 square kilometer battlefield, which is the size of a prefecture-level city, and then billions of people are crammed into it for an offensive and defensive war...)
(At the same time, I will rationalize the weapons and equipment of Warhammer 40K as much as possible, because GW's official math, physics, and military have big problems. For example, a 5-person tank can hold 400 rounds of 200mm or larger caliber shells... 400 shells are bigger than the tank itself.)
Skalurus Star Sector, Frax System, Expeditionary Fleet, Command Flagship.
Inside the spacious command center, a large number of staff officers were busy coordinating troop and supply situations. A digital projection table the size of a basketball court displayed a projection of the entire Planet Phalanx.
Around this table, military generals from various armies across the The Galaxy / Milky Way, wearing different styles of uniforms, gathered. The Astra Militarum participating in this battle alone included:
"Cadian Host"
"Kharon Regiments"
"Valhalla Regiment"
"Death Korps of Krieg"
"Vostroyan Firstborn Regiment"
"Vendrea Noble Regiment"
"Elysian Drop Troops"
"Mordian Iron Guard"
"Tallarn Desert Raiders"
"Tanith First and Only"
And the sole bad apple... "Syntilla Fusiliers"
The Legions participating in this battle came from across the Imperium, a veritable The Galaxy / Milky Way of stars, but this did not mean the war would be easy and simple; rather, it indicated the difficulty and urgency of this war.
Because this was already completely different from the original timeline's Frax. In the original Siege of Frax, there were still some loyalist forces on the Kharon, and those loyalist areas were chosen as landing zones, serving as the heart of the war.
Now, the entire Frax had fallen. Bishop Saffa and the traitors had spent over a hundred years constructing defensive fortifications on the Kharon, while Chaos continuously supplied and reinforced the Kharon.
According to Inquisition intelligence, Bishop Savan, through evil rituals, had opened a portal on Frax connected to the Warp. Large numbers of Chaos Daemons and their subservient armies were coming to Frax through the portal, and their ultimate goal was to turn Frax into the next Maelstrom or even the Eye of Terror.
Therefore, the first and most crucial step of this campaign was to establish a landing zone. Once a landing zone was secured, large Imperial Army forces could be continuously deployed to various parts of Frax through it.
Without a landing zone, Imperial Army reinforcements would never be able to gain a foothold on this Kharon. The Chaos forces on Planet Phalanx not only possessed powerful ground troops but also terrifying Warp Daemon support. If the Imperial Army could not quickly seize a landing point, they would be drawn into a protracted and brutal war of attrition.
Standing in the command center, generals from the Cadian Host, Kharon Regiments, Death Korps of Krieg, and other renowned Legions wore grave expressions.
General Montgomery of the Vendrea Noble Regiment stood by the projection table, tracing a line on the Frax map with his finger, and proposed:
"I propose a large-scale airborne operation to directly deploy our most elite troops onto the Frax surface, aiming to seize critical strategic locations before the enemy can fully react. This is our only chance. Chaos's power is growing; if we cannot quickly establish a landing zone, the deployment of our main army will become almost impossible."
This proposal sparked discussion in the room. General Ludendorff of the Death Korps of Krieg calmly pointed out:
"An airborne operation is a risky plan. The anti-air defenses on Planet Phalanx are extremely dense, and Chaos's gun batteries and defense systems cover almost all critical points. Airborne troops might suffer heavy losses, or even be completely annihilated, during descent."
Commander Ridgway of the Elysian Drop Troops also joined the discussion: "If we are to execute an airborne operation, we must first destroy these anti-air systems; otherwise, even the most elite troops will be useless. Our airborne troops are well-trained, but they also need basic cover."
Inquisition intelligence heightened the tension. The Daemon Legions summoned by Bishop Saffa through blasphemous rituals were continuously pouring in from the Warp portal. According to intelligence, Chaos had filled the Frax subsurface with underground fortresses and Warp nodes, each extremely strong and almost impossible to break through with traditional frontal assaults.
General Montgomery continued, "We cannot delay any longer! The longer we wait, the stronger Chaos's power will become. According to intelligence, Bishop Saffa's Warp portal needs time to fully stabilize. Once large Daemon Legions can continuously teleport from there to Frax, the entire star system will fall into the hands of Chaos."
His plan received support from some generals, especially those Commanders from elite airborne units. They understood that in this desperate situation, speed was the most critical factor. Every moment of delay strengthened Chaos's power.
Ultimately, the generals at the decision table reached a consensus: combine airborne operations with rapid ground assaults to strike at the weak points of the Chaos defenses and seize a landing zone. This would be a gamble, but it was their only option. Once the battle began, the Imperial Army would face an unprecedentedly brutal war.
And this plan was finalized, also receiving a plan name completely unrelated to a brutal war:
"Operation Market Garden"
The battle for Planet Phalanx, with the official proposal of "Operation Market Garden," entered its most tense phase. Every officer on the command flagship knew that the success or failure of this plan would determine the Imperium's fate on Frax, and even the future of the entire Skalurus Star Sector.
"Operation Market Garden" was divided into two main phases:
"Market": Refers to the large-scale airborne operation by Imperial Army airborne forces to quickly seize strategic locations and clear landing points.
"Garden": Refers to the rapid advance by ground landing forces, coordinating with the airborne forces to establish defensive lines and conduct clearing operations near the landing zone.
For the airborne operation, the participating forces were quickly confirmed: the elites of the Elysian Drop Troops, Cadian Host, Valhalla Regiment, and Kharon Regiments would take part in this operation, along with the Battle Sisters and Space Marine.
As the plan was finalized, Chief of Staff General MacArthur raised his corncob pipe and said:
"May we all be home before the Emperor's Ascension Day..."
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"