TESSLER Part 1

Tessler: Capital city of Sigma 5

After their close shave retrieving the smuggled weapons the Freedom Front regrouped. They rendezvoused with dissident elements from within the Red Blok army and advanced on Tessler. If they could capture the main city, they reasoned, their cause would be as good as won. Tessler was the key to controlling trade, communications and non-military travel onto or off Sigma 5. Their objectives were threefold; capture the communications centre, seize the local collective buildings and take control of the star-port. The first part had already been achieved. Front troops had infiltrated the city during the night and were now occupying the TV and radio station.

The loyalist forces, of course, would do everything in their power to thwart these plans. They too already had a presence in the city. The local collective of Sigma 5 had sided with the rebellion and the Red Blok authorities had sent in units to keep them in line. They didn’t put it that way mind you. The troops were there ‘to protect the government from outside coercion’. The two sides approached Tessler and the battle began.

The Rebels split into two; the less experienced Freedom Front went to the aid of their comrades defending the TV station and the regular soldiers attacked the government buildings. A well-coordinated attack by the rebels soon pushed the Red Blok forces out of the government buildings early in the fight. They then moved to the defence of the TV station.  

The Red Blok concentrated their attacks on the TV station, realising they could not retake the government buildings. A Bashkir helicopter made a bold move to attack the station. It inflicted a few casualties but was ultimately brought down and destroyed.  The troops it was carrying tried to hunker down and take cover amongst the wreckage but they too were wiped out without achieving anything. An APC dropped off more soldiers but too far away from the objective. They did take the TV station briefly but the rebels quickly reoccupied it.

A Red Blok heavy strider strolled uselessly about the streets of the capital firing off a few harmless shots and missiles. It failed to destroy an enemy APC but was itself rendered motionless by repeated RPG and missile attacks. The enemy merely moved out of its line of sight and it became an expensive piece of urban sculpture.

The Red Blok APC and a light tank had more success. They sped along the road and cut behind the enemy, managing to eliminate the Freedom Front headquarters and badly wound Alexander Wrangle, their leader. If not for the heroic efforts of Irina Kollontai, a nurse, he would have died. She saved him, staying at his side despite the bullets and advancing Red Blok vehicles. The vehicles moved on causing the rebels a few headaches but the battle ended with an overwhelming Rebel victory.