Conquerors

"Everyone, get ready! Richard and the others will be back shortly, I want this to be our final push to take Warsaw!" Jacques exclaimed while organizing the troops.

"What should I tell Major Issue, sir?" Tristan asked.

"Tell him to hold for now. Once I give the signal, his unit is to cut off the enemy's rear and secure the perimeter." Jacques ordered.

"I've spotted the Captain's truck! Thirty seconds!" A soldier shouted.

"Shouldn't we be getting into position already?" Johann asked.

"Our role in this is just to mop up the scraps. High command has caught wind of the rumors about us growing all over the enemy's side. We're walking war crimes so the doctor wants us to lay low for now." Hugo replied.

"Then shouldn't we be with Roger's unit?" Teresa also asked.

"Actually Jacques told me that we won't be needed for this last attack entirely." Hilbert added as he arrived.

"Don't worry, we've handled worse before you guys even arrived. Don't look down on the 116th just because the rest of us aren't supersoldiers." Jeremy butted in.

"He's picking a fight with us again." Johann whispered to Teresa.

"Sir, are you not going to lead us?" Phillip asked Jeremy.

"I'm sorry kid, I have to sit this one out." Jeremy replied before patting Phillip's shoulder.

Phillip saluted them before running off with his squad. Their final attack has finally begun and Warsaw is within their grasp. Jacques sent the order to begin the first phase. Artillery and mortars began firing and sending volley after volley at the enemy defenders. Roger's armored units then began joining the barrage and all the enemy soldiers could do were hide under cover and pray that a shell won't land on top of them. The barrage lasted for half an hour and only then did the infantry forces began to slowly make their way through the buildings and the rubble. The enemy were able to regroup and reestablish their defensive positions leading to firefights all over the streets and alleyways leading to the city hall.

"Despite the barrage, there's still resistance all over the streets. I'm truly impressed with the Russians." Jacques mumbled with a slight grin on his lips.

"We've broken through the south. The city hall is within sight from our position." Roger stated over the radio.

"Hold your position and assist the third and fourth platoons to your left flank. Don't advance on your own, Roger." Jacques ordered.

"I won't. I'll meet you at the city hall." Roger replied before turning off his line.

"Hey! Someone put some rounds into that pillbox!" A soldier shouted.

"I'm on it!" Tristan exclaimed in response.

"I'm taking my squad to flank them, covering fire!" Phillip shouted before running out of cover with his squad mates.

Hilbert listened to the gun shots and explosions as he looked up at the sky. He tilted his head and looked over to see Johann and Jeremy playing rock, paper, scissors while Hugo read a small book in front of them. It was strange, not because Johann and Jeremy were playing rock, paper, scissors but because high command suddenly took them off a crucial part of mission to take Warsaw. This would be one of the few times he was told to stand back and watch other people undertake an operation he was supposed to be with. He had a lot of questions about the decision of high command but he kept them to himself.

"Here you go. You should relax while you can. You've been the most active on the field recently too." Teresa said as she handed Hilbert a cup of tea.

"Thanks but knowing that my comrades are out there fighting and dying while I sit here and wait makes me feel uneasy." Hilbert replied.

"You look up to Major Enfield, right? I'm assuming because he possesses the necessary skills to pull off even what most would consider impossible." Teresa added before taking a sip of her tea.

"No, I owe him a debt. A debt I need to pay with my life." Hilbert mumbled in response before looking down on his cup of tea.

Jacques ducked down and closed the hatch of the armored car. They were just a block away from the city hall and the defending Russian troops were not backing down one bit despite only a quarter of their original force remains. They hunkered down inside the city hall and exchanged fire from the windows and holes in the walls. Roger ordered the armored units to keep suppressing the enemy while the strike team breached from the other side of the city hall.

"Throw a grenade into a room and advance. Let the other squads clean the rooms up. Our priority is to take out all of their machine guns." Richard ordered before kicking a door down.

Several soldiers followed behind him and little by little the enemy fire coming from the city hall reduced making it able for the infantry outside to advance closer to the city hall. After about an hour, the fighting has died down and only a few explosions could be heard.

"What's our situation?" Jacques asked as he entered the lobby.

"Some of them barricaded themselves in the basement of the building. It's a real pain since they know the layout more than we do and we can't just rush into the dark." Richard replied.

"You've caught their officer, correct?" Jacques asked once more.

"He's right this way." Richard then lead the way into one of the offices.

"Comrade, we meet again." Jacques greeted the Russian officer and shook his hand.

"Yes, it appears we did." The officer replied.

"I want you to do something for me in return for my favor. I need you to tell your men to surrender and none of them will be harmed." Jacques stated before gesturing to Aaron.

Aaron began translating what Jacques said and the officer remained quiet. He then told Aaron that he will not stain the honor of his men who chose to stand their ground and fight despite knowing it would bring them death. He told them that the only way they would honor him and his men would be to have them die heroic deaths while serving the motherland. Aaron then told Jacques everything the officer mentioned and Jacques drew a heavy sigh before pulling out his sidearm and shooting the officer twice in the chest.

"That might've been a little too excessive." Richard commented.

"He literally asked for it. I only fulfilled his wishes." Jacques replied.

"What do we do then? They're still under the building." Richard asked.

"Bring the entire place down if you have to." Jacques ordered before leaving the room.