The Battle of Halcini had been lost- not terribly, not decisively, but even if it had not been a disaster, it had been ground the Grand Council of Vynmark would have sacrificed thousands more to not have to give over to the Twaryians, for it was the last bastion before Sodrakron. While Sodrakron was not the capital, it would arguably be a greater loss than Sydtrone, for Sodrakron was not only richer, but held the greatest shipyards, based the grand fleet, where the battleships still were undergoing repairs.
It could not be lost. Yet it could also not be exposed, and now, that was the case. Marines that would have been well appreciated in the battle before now manned the outer defenses of the city- where many of its citizens had remained, not evacuated, promised that the enemy would be halted before they reached Sodraron’s sparkling shores
.
The sunrise that morning was greeted by the shrieking of huge rockets- not aimed for the defenses, but scattering into the city. A singular bombardment, meant as a message- this was what awaited should surrender not come.

The dust of rubble, the cries of the stricken and the curses of the cityfolk were unheeded by the generals- in a grim realization, they noted that, despite Vynmark’s armored forces being reduced to a shadow of themselves over the past battles, the Twaryians were no advancing to cut off the city to the north. Their forces, finally, seemed overstretched enough to not be charging at what would have been an easy target. Probing attacks would have found ill prepared mobilized national militia- but such attacks were sparse, and noncommittal.

A hopeful opportunity might have been had- if anybody knew where Vynmark’s last intact armored formation (at least, that was not made up mostly of captured Twaryian equipment), the Hageldorf Combined Battalion, had disappeared to. The presence of the now storied unit was sorely missed…