The Fall of Samarkand

As war breaks out between the British and the League of Five Emperors, decisions are quickly made on the strategy for the conflict. Rather than fight the HRE in Europe, they diverted much of their central assets to the British Raj, with the hopes of helping Japan pacify enemies in Asia. Their end goal was Joseon, but they must first gouge at the soft underbelly of the Russian Empire to get there. Their defenses are weak, but the people are fierce and unpredictable. Does the Protectorate’s G.R.A.I.L. have what it takes to out-maneuver the cagey cossacks?

The British Empire, to the dismay of many of the upper brass who sought to delay the inevitable conflict further, was forced to make a formal declaration of war against the League of Five Emperors in August, 1939. Although they sought to delay the conflict, the British had fortunately prepared a plan of action to combat the League long before the war declarations were finalized. As tensions rose with Joseon along their border with British Canton, British Intelligence at Bletchley Park had already begun using the G.R.A.I.L. system to simulate how they ought to respond to a potential war with the League. According to the aggregated G.R.A.I.L. data, British forces had to do everything in their power to cut off Russian supply lines and support their Japanese allies in their invasion of Joseon using forces in the British Raj. Furthermore, if Japan could push far enough into Siberia, their combined forces could completely encircle the Koreans.

The British analyzed every possible avenue for achieving this goal. Invading Joseon across the Himalayas was completely out of the question. History had long proved that marching forces through the narrow passageways between China and India was a recipe for disaster. This was also proven to be the case when Joseon attempted to gain ground via Aksai Chin; a costly front for both sides. Furthermore, despite British aether superiority, a full-scale aether invasion would be incredibly costly due to the massive network of anti-ship cannons Joseon used to fortify their positions. Joseon's artillery was world-renowned, and the British would have to commit far more of their fleet than would be prudent if they wanted to create a staging point for their invasion. They could not waste so much of their naval power on subduing only one enemy. The British Aether Service was already largely preoccupied safeguarding the Europe front, and the scope of such an incursion was just not possible, as it would leave the fleet at large too vulnerable.

The second option available to the British was to invade Joseon through the crown's Burmese territory. This option was less choked than the Himalayas, but would also almost certainly result in the British lines immediately stalling against the iron wall that was Joseon's extensive fortifications. A decade of war with the Japanese had made Joseon masters of trench warfare and ingenious designers of fortifications. Although the British had superior technology and firepower, a direct assault on one of the most fortified parts of China would almost certainly be slow and costly, with no guarantee of making any major breakthroughs. The British had watched the Japanese struggle against these trench lines for far too long to be willing to attempt the same kind of assault.

The final option, which the G.R.A.I.L. system favored, and which the British ultimately decided to act upon, was the invasion of Joseon through the Xinjiang region. This Northwestern part of Joseon was significantly less inhabited due to its rough terrain and vast deserts. As a result, the region was not particularly appealing to occupy, but strategically it would allow British forces to have an easy route into Joseon, utilizing ancient paths along the Silk Road to strike a vulnerable flank. More importantly, it would strangle Joseon's armies, forcing them to fight a war on two fronts.

Unfortunately for the British, this plan required them to invade Russia through Territory belonging to the Samarkand Host as well as Kazakhstan to breach into the Xinjiang region. Invading Kazakhstan via Afghanistan was a daunting task as it would require crossing vast swaths of desert. However, the British forces were confident that they would face very little resistance from the already disorganized Russians, who were busy fighting the Nordic Union and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in Europe, and the Japanese and French-Canadians in the Pacific. For this reason, all signs pointed to the British being able to easily secure a pathway through Russia's interior to begin their invasion.

Combined forces of conscripts from the British Raj and local Afghans amassed along their border with Russia over the next two weeks, where the initial attack was being staged. In this short time, the Commonwealth had managed to gather an armored brigade along with an infantry division from the British Raj, supported by the local British Afghan First Infantry Division. This combined force surged into Russian territory early in the morning on the 18th, striking with little warning. Initial Russian defenses near the border crumbled before the overwhelming British forces. Over the next week, they widened battle lines and continued their push north, securing a number of minor victories against the spread-thin Tsar's forces.

The British advance hit a wall on August 28th however, as British forces pushed into the fertile plains north of the Amu Darya river. The Afghan conscripts under British command had proven themselves adept fighters despite their lack of experience during the early advances, but they were now caught out in the open as they advanced across the flatlands. What little armored support they had was quickly dispatched by Russian AT guns that had fortified far beyond the river basin. As a result, British forces suffered heavy casualties and were forced to retreat into the more mountainous terrain to the East. The battle for the Amu Darya stretched out for three more days, as British reinforcements were called in to slowly push the amassed Russians from the river. To the shock of British high command, as the reinforcements from the Raj arrived, so too did a Russian Recon Battalion bearing the markings of the Samarkand Cossack Coalition.

British forces had pushed through Samarkand Territory on their path to Kazakhstan proper, but they had limited engagement with their forces up until now, as the territory they crossed up to this point was almost completely uninhabited. The British had anticipated an engagement with the local cossacks, but had prepared to engage them deeper into the Chimtarga mountains, where their forces would struggle to maneuver. Now that their forces were engaged out in the open, the Samarkandis seized the upper hand, forcing British forces back shortly after their arrival. With British forces pushed back into the foothills, the combined border guard, Kazakhstani, and Samarkand forces were able to fortify the plains surrounding the Chimtarga mountains in preparation for the British counteroffensive.

While the setback was frustrating, the Commonwealth forces still had plenty of manpower and resources to commit to a concentrated assault. Quickly shaking off the defeat, the British commanders received a message from G.R.A.I.L., providing updated tactical insights for the newly reinforced enemy. They were ordered to focus all of their efforts on the capture of Samarkand to crush the coalition at the seat of its power in the region. With the strongest stronghold removed, local resistance would be forced to scatter.

In this new stage of the conflict, Samarkand was designated as the new primary target. The new order was due in part to the city's position along the Silk Road, and it was home to a major rail network, making it a tantalizing strategic objective for crushing Russia's connectivity to its more isolated provinces. The rail lines could be turned against them and would work well to facilitate Britain's invasion of Joseon. Breaching Samarkand would of course be no small feat. The Samarkand Cossack Coalition possessed the second largest Cossack Host, and their power rivaled the New Khanate in raw cavalry. While the Mikhailovich Host had adopted walkers into their Cossack traditions, the Samarkandis stuck to the old ways, relying only on their hordes of cybernetically enhanced warhorses. Though these were seemingly far less intimidating, the combined Samarkand Coalition was well equipped and well trained, with their bands riding into battle equipped with a variety of antitank grenades. G.R.A.I.L. direly warned British forces not to underestimate the might of the coalition despite its seemingly out of date style of warfare. This coalition of Southern Russian forces was hellbent on repelling the British advance, and was likely pulling resources from all corners to fortify Samarkand for the incoming conflict.

Over the course of the next month, the British prepared. Command was extremely concerned about the invasion as winter would soon be upon them, which would further delay their invasion of Joseon even if they were successful against Samarkand. Kazakh winters could at time prove bitterly cold, and weather patterns had grown increasingly unpredictable. Despite this, G.R.A.I.L. insisted that the British forces stay put in the foothills of the mountain range and further reinforce what little territory they had secured past the Amu Darya. Skirmishes with the Samarkand Host were kept to a minimum as they prepared to bring reinforcements up from the Raj. In order to more effectively transport troops and supplies, they decided to mass conscript the Indian population and began construction on a massive rail and highway system from Lahore to the Amu Darya. Work conditions were brutal and strictly enforced by the Autonomous Pacification Forces. The British ultimately suffered many civilian casualties, mostly due to their own negligence.

As their conscripted laborers built infrastructure in the desert, the British finalized preparations for the invasion of Samarkand. British armored and recon divisions would press north as fast as possible in order to secure a staging point in the nearby city of Shahrisabz. This foothold would allow them to utilize the existing infrastructure to push north into the city of Samarkand. Heavy fortifications and minefields would be of little concern to them, as it went against the Samarkand war doctrine, given their cavalry would be unable to maneuver as they pleased. As the armored and recon divisions attacked Shahrisabz, the Afghan and Indian infantry divisions would venture on foot through the mountains in an attempt to flank Samarkand from the east, hoping to descend into the city in the final push. To support the conscripts, British commandos and members of the SAS would deploy via drop pod behind Samarkand so the British could attack them from three sides. The stakes in the theatre had also become dire enough to the British Navy for them to provide air support in their attempts to crack the city. Although the attack was expected to be extremely costly, the invaders had no idea of the fierce resistance they would face.

On the morning of November 3rd, the first phase of Operation Questing Beast began in earnest with the British advancing on Shahrisabz. The infantry had departed for their journey through the mountains 2 days prior, but were not set to begin their descent until the armored units had reached Samarkand. The assault on Shahrisabz was surprisingly easy. The Cossack hosts were not present, leaving behind only a small defensive force in the town that could do little against the might of royal armor. What the British had not anticipated was that Shahrisabz was heavily booby trapped, forcing the Protectorate's forces to take time to sweep the city carefully before establishing a field base. With phase one complete and Shahrisabz secured, the British began preparing for their assault.

On November 5th, Commonwealth Command was prepared, with more reinforcements arriving from the south shortly before the invasion began. Despite taking some minor casualties in the mountains from Kazakhstani infantry, they had secured a position close enough to Samarkand to stage their assault. The British Aether Service was ready to begin as well, yet that morning all British officers involved with the operation got an urgent message from G.R.A.I.L., urging them to call off the assault. Such mass messages were exceptionally rare, leading to mass confusion amongst British forces. By all metrics, the assault should be successful, and further delays could set them back for months as winter was coming soon. Combined with the overall confidence following the conquest of Shahrisabz, they decided to ignore the warnings from G.R.A.I.L. and move forward with the attack.

The battle began in the mid-afternoon with royal armor engaging the Cossack Host head on 20 miles outside the shield barrier. Intelligence had prepared them for the numbers they faced, but seeing it in person was immediately horrifying for the front line. Thousands of horsemen armed with CKF sabers, rocket launchers, and AT grenades. They fearlessly charged into the royal armor’s machine guns and grenade launchers. Many fell in the initial clash, but before the British could back up, death was upon them, with the cavalry slamming into and encircling the front. As British armor desperately struggled to fall back, reports of a massive incursion to the south of Samarkand came in. The armored divisions were completely enveloped in a matter of hours.

The infantry to the east fared much better on their flanks but struggled desperately to advance out of the mountains into the valleys below. Every engagement with the enemy resulted in their men being pinned by machine gun fire, often forced back into the mountains. The conscripts opted to sit back and shoot from their elevated positions at what few enemy soldiers they could find, but the idea of a dedicated push out of the mountains seemed like suicide. Without their support, however, the Aether Service members dropping in behind the city would be left to the wolves. In a desperate move, Lieutenant Colonel Beauregard Thatch ordered his men to advance out of the mountains in coordination with the Aether Service. He hoped the desperate charge would provide ample distraction for the naval forces to breach the city's shields. His gamble cost him the lives of hundreds of men and ultimately did little to distract the well-fortified Samarkand.

As Thatch’s forces laid down their lives in the East, British drop pods were launched down from orbit, north of the city. Contingents of tommybots and Aether Servicemen began their assault on the city. The machine gun fire that butchered the colonial forces in the East could do little against the wall of tommybots approaching the city, who advanced with little regard for survival. While British forces gained ground, a contingent of Cossacks engaged the Tommys in a desperate attempt to prevent them from entering the city's shield barrier. Unfortunately, their tactics were not effective in repelling the automatons, as the shock of their charge could not instill panic. This left the bulk of their horsemen whittling down the bots, missing the human stragglers who slipped past in the chaos. These commandos were able to easily breach into the city, but the Russian vanguard did manage to repel the main brunt of the force, leaving the tommybots to helplessly self-destruct on the battlefield.

The situation was looking grim for British forces on the morning of November 4th, with their forward base in Shahrisabz besieged on all fronts by the cossacks. Commonwealth Command was becoming more and more desperate with each passing moment, as reports from all of their fronts became exceedingly grim. That morning a missive was sent from G.R.A.I.L. issuing a fallback order for most troops still engaged in the assault on Samarkand. Their new orders were to rescue those trapped in Shahrisabz. Reinforcements were already on their way from Afghanistan, so the cossacks would be unable to continue their assault if they could hold out long enough. G.R.A.I.L. also formulated a new strategy for the British forces to take the city, rather the plan was to remove it from play altogether.

SAS commandos were successful in their breach of the city, and were the only hope for the British to squeeze out a victory. The shield surrounding Samarkand was an old model, put up in 1912, and had not seen significant use as Samarkand was relatively unimportant during the Russian Civil War. As a result, it saw little use, leaving it completely intact and a low priority for replacement with the more advanced models that the Ostend Company began producing in the 1920s and 30s. Although the stopping power of the shield was similar to that of the modern-day ones that protect major cities like Moscow, the age of the shield system showed in the framework of the generator and its emitters.

Older city-wide generators used a central column approach, where the emitters generated the shield from a central tower to create a dome around the city. More advanced systems opted for multiple smaller emitters throughout the city to avoid failure if one of the emitters had short-circuited or otherwise incapacitated. The flaw of the older models was that if any point in the central tube failed, the emitters could easily be thrown out of tune. The Russians were well aware of this fact and reinforced their central tubes with heavy steel plates to avoid the cascading failure that a disturbance would cause.

Unfortunately for the Russians, the G.R.A.I.L. system had calculated a flaw in these older systems that the British could exploit. Although the rockets equipped by the commandos inside the city were far too weak to meaningfully breach the central structure, the vibrations from the impact of the rockets would be enough to momentarily change the frequency of the shield, which after a few moments would once again normalize into the protective barrier it had been before. In coordination with a significant enough artillery bombardment, the British could exploit this weakness and crash the city's entire system by striking the tower from both sides of the shield. Due to the catastrophic losses British forces were facing as they retreated, getting conventional artillery into range of the city for a sustained bombardment that such an operation would require was a complete nonstarter. Instead, G.R.A.I.L. advocated for the use of aether bombardment via the British Navy. Utilizing the Orbital Reconnaissance and Bombardment System (ORBS), the British could sustain a strike on the city for long enough to break the shield. Unfortunately, when ORBS was utilized from high orbit, the artillery tended to be extremely inaccurate, making it not the most reliable system for triggering the cascade of the city's shields. Command was unwilling to take this risk of wasting their already struggling assault, and ordered the HMS Tarantula to descend down above the city and directly shell it.

At 10:53 AM, the bombardment began, timed with the cossacks overrunning the defensive perimeter at Shahrisabz. As the Samarkand horde celebrated their victory in Shahrisabz, those inside the city of Samarkand watched as a volley of rockets from the British commandos hidden within hit the central tower protecting them from the leviathan hovering above their city. The city’s sparse anti-air weaponry were barely denting the ship’s shield reserve, and would never achieve meaningful damage before what came next. As G.R.A.I.L. predicted, the shield wavered, causing the aethership’s barrage to breach through, collapsing the central tower. The framework failed in a catastrophic collapse, and the city became engulfed in flames. Those inside, including the British commandos, stood helplessly as the city was left exposed to the might of the British Navy. The aerial volley did not let up, with the ship laying the entire city to rubble. Thousands of years of Samarkand's history were turned to dust, leaving nothing behind for the cossacks to defend.

The aftermath of the Burning of Samarkand was not what the British had expected. The city’s destruction would in time become a rallying cry to the surviving cossacks, who were undeterred in their defense of the ruins. They would continue to roam freely in their territory, harassing their foe with lightning fast raids on supply lines and strategic points. The British had expected a full withdrawal of enemy forces when their infantry arrived in the ruins of the city. Instead, they were met with sniper fire and fierce resistance from those left alive in the city. Even with the city in ruins, the Siege of Samarkand would not end. British forces continued to fight inside the ruins for weeks after the bombardment. Ultimately, British forces would give up on completely clearing the city and move on with their march northward. Their enemy was crippled, but their resolve would prevent them from ever giving up. The destruction of Samarkand’s rail network was unfortunate for the British, as they no longer had an easy way to utilize the existing infrastructure. This setback would delay the British invasion of Joseon even further, almost guaranteeing that they would be fighting the Russians in Siberia in the coming winter.