Lusatia held the line, again and again, as a people they had always held back the wave of Galranist expansions into the North and the Shahdom's initial expanse as one of Ouhiri's mightiest empires was nothing against the brave men and women of the Lustatian army.
Piotr Zilinski of the Lusatian Southern army walked among his men in the forward trench, many of them with cuts, bullet wounds, missing eyes and wrapped up tightly for the brutal Reserian winter. They all showed nothing but hardened resolve in their eyes as their leader passed by, many of them nodding and addressing him as "General." His forces were staring down the Galran Imperial army preparing another wintery assault, this time with their assault walkers, Zilinski had a plan though. It was risky, but he needed to break Galra's assault here.
He stood before a large gathering of his men, many of them officers who were to relay his words across the front, the Galrans were expected to attack during the afternoon when the temperature was at its warmest.
"I know, in these long days, many of you have thoughts of home. Of warmth, of family, and of leaving this dreaded place. Mlawa, as it was before the conflict, was a prosperous farming city for Southern Lusatia. It now resides as a grave for many of our men, all of whom have given the greatest sacrifice asked of them in the face of the largest and deadliest conflict our planet has ever faced. Lusatia, must play her role in this war, we stop the enemy here and we drive them back South. Force them to contend with ground warfare on our terms and turn the tables of this war on their back heel."
The general paused looked across the group, and asked with bellowing and loud confidence, "Do you want Applegate as your king!?" the crowd roared in defiance, "NO!" Zilinski then asked, "Do you want your children to be slaves of the Galran church and be second class in their own homeland!?" again he was met with "NO!" Zilinski then asked "Then do you not want to fight!?" the crowd said "YES!".
"You can fight for god, for country, for whatever I do not care, So long as you go out there! And do your duty to the Lusatian nation! Kill them! Make them pay for their aggression toward our people!"
In a few hours, the battle began, a large scale Galran assault came bearing down on the Lusatian-Gaelic front lines.
On the ground, Lusatian soldiers held their trenches as mass artillery targeted Galran armored units and walkers. With the assistance of Gaelic air units, Lusatian CAS fighters were able to inflict heavy damage to Galran Assault walkers rendering them useless in the open battle. In the brutal carnage of the open country, Lusatia was finally able to launch counter assaults from their defense line using new armored units and fresh combat troops from the North. Zilinski didn't ask questions where the new influx of troops and supplies came from he just used them.
On the Gaelic lines the Ulster-Gaels followed their Lusatian allies by pressing a harsh flanking maneuver in the Eastern section of the battlefield, forcing Galra to push reserves to meet the Gaelics. Galran commanders were scrambling to get their forces adjusted to the sudden change in the battlefield, but the momentum completely swung in favor of the Entente forces.
In the skies, Lusatian fighter pilots had become skilled and deadly in the skies of Lusatia, but even then Galran fighter pilots with new B2 Lancers were making short work of Lusatian fighter craft. The Lusatians needed a new fighter, Gaelic Starwolves worked overtime to keep Lusatian CAS fighter/bombers safe as they attacked armored units and walkers. Sending the Walkers falling down in a massive steam induced explosion.
The Galrans prepped one final desperate push to break the Entente forces, spearheaded by tanks and armored cars. The Galrans caught the Lusatian center line off guard forcing the lines to fluctuate. Zilinski wasn't willing to let the Galrans take away what was becoming a very important victory for free Ouhiri, he ordered a massive charge of available units to the center causing chaos as both sides rushed at one another in the open creating a massive exchange of gunfire and heavy ordnance impact explosions.
Some Lusatians got so close as to bayonet the Galran infantry attacking or jump on enemy tanks and lob grenades inside killing the crew. The Galrans began to pick up the advantage, their superior tech and firepower massacring many Lusatians and butchering them in their efforts. But as the battle raged, Galra began to lose more and more men in the attack on the center and found their advancement stopped by a hardened and determined line of defenders. The Lusatian men and women of the trench line the Galrans had reached furiously fired their weapons and lobbed grenades as Galra struggled to approach them. Finally word came through the radio from the units at the center, asking for artillery fire support directly on their position. Zilinski knew at that moment the line would collapse and allow Galra to punch right up the middle. Lusatian artillery fired pulverizing the trench line killing Lusatian and Galran alike, the general hesitated however in calling back in forces that were pushing ahead. He wanted a miracle, he wanted to win.
Galran troops stormed the trench line following the artillery shelling and stumbled on a brutal surprise, hundreds of Lusatians that took shelter before the shelling opening fire on them. "Chwała Łużyc!!!" they cried as they charged back out from their cover firing on the Galrans, once again causing chaos in the center but this time sending the Galrans pulling back. As if a domino falling, the other Galran battalions along the front began withdrawing. Zilinski watched in disbelief as the Entente forces finally broke the Galrans in open combat. Sending them back South and giving the Lusatians a much needed victory at Mlawa.
As the Galrans retreated Zilinski heard something he nor any Lusatian had heard in over a year, cheering. Lusatian soldiers roared screaming "Chwała Łużyc! Chwała Łużyc!" they were joined in the Western flank by Gaelics blaring bagpipes and cheering as well. Zilinski had just won a major battle against the enemy, he stood before a large flag of Lusatia and spoke to his men.
"We won't stop! Not until they are cut from every nation they've violated, not until we have justice in Columbia!" his men began chanting "Zilinski! Zilinski!" over and over. The Battle of Mlawa became a major victory for the CN/Entente forces, and a major delay to the Galrans.
