A tale of two worlds

Background

As the great powers of Earth continue their expansion across Mars, tensions between the colonial powers grow with every passing year. British, Russian and Prussian settlements spread across the planet, each seeking influence, resources and strategic advantage.

Far from the established colonies, deep within the Great Desert, lies Al-Kharim.

Once a prosperous Drune trading town, Al-Kharim served as a stopping point for caravans crossing the vast seas of sand. Over time, the trade routes shifted, and the settlement was abandoned. Though empty, the town remains remarkably intact. Rows of sandstone buildings line narrow streets while silent market squares sit untouched beneath layers of dust.

The town’s only inhabitants are the Termigons.

For generations, the creatures have occupied the cellars, wells and underground chambers beneath the settlement. Travellers speak of strange lights in empty windows and shapes moving through deserted streets after sunset.

Most avoid the town entirely.

Recently, however, Russian intelligence uncovered evidence that Prussian agents had arranged a secret meeting with representatives of the Mechanoids within Al-Kharim. The purpose of the meeting remains unknown, but any alliance between the Prussian Empire and the machine race could threaten every human settlement on Mars.

Determined to discover the truth, Colonel Viktor Sokolov launches a covert operation.

The Mission

A Russian force consisting of infantry, Cossack cavalry and the armoured steam-car Tsarevich advances towards Al-Kharim under cover of darkness.

Their objective is to locate the meeting, capture any Prussian officers involved and recover evidence of contact with the Mechanoids.

The Russians arrive just as negotiations are taking place within one of the abandoned caravan houses.

A brief but violent firefight breaks out amongst the empty streets. Several Prussian officers are captured, and valuable documents are seized. With their mission apparently successful, the Russians begin withdrawing from the town before enemy reinforcements can arrive.

Then disaster strikes.

Overhead, the Imperial Russian aerial cruiser Copper Hawk circles the settlement, providing reconnaissance and communications support. Hidden Prussian artillery positioned beyond the town opens fire.

One shell tears through the vessel’s hull.

Flames spread rapidly through the craft as it loses altitude.

Moments later, the Copper Hawk crashes into the centre of Al-Kharim, scattering burning wreckage across the abandoned streets and trapping much of her crew amongst the buildings.

The Race to the Wreck

The mission changes immediately.

Russian commanders order their forces back into the town to rescue the surviving crew.

The crew of the Copper Hawk carry military dispatches, cypher codes and intelligence gathered during the operation. Losing them would be a serious blow to Russian interests on Mars.

Prussian forces move towards the crash site as well. Recovering the crew or the documents they carry could reveal how much the Russians have learned about their dealings with the Mechanoids.

The abandoned town becomes the centre of a desperate struggle.

After Action Report:

As the burning wreck of the Iron Courier settled amongst the abandoned streets of Al-Kharim, Prussian forces converged on the crash site with remarkable speed. Trapped beneath the twisted hull, the surviving Russian airmen could do little more than take cover as rifle fire and shell fragments rained down around them.

The Russian response was swift. Colonel Sokolov ordered an immediate counter-attack, and squadrons of Cossacks thundered into the deserted town in a desperate attempt to relieve the stranded crew before they were overwhelmed.

Prussian artillery maintained a relentless bombardment of the wreck, each salvo tearing more debris from the shattered airship. Nearby, the Prussian Clockwork Clanks faltered as dust and damage brought their intricate mechanisms to a halt. Their accompanying Hungarian wind-up merchants worked frantically under fire, winding gears and replacing broken springs in a determined effort to return the mechanical soldiers to the fight.

Sensing an opportunity, the Prussian Uhlans lowered their lances and charged directly at the wreckage. The Russian naval crew, armed only with revolvers and carbines, fought with remarkable courage. Though hopelessly outmatched, they held the cavalry at bay just long enough for the Cossacks to burst into the melee. Sabres flashed amongst the wreckage as the Russian horsemen swept away the last of the Prussian lancers.

Seizing the initiative, the Cossacks pressed their attack, crashing into the advancing Prussian infantry before they could reform their lines. Fierce fighting erupted throughout the abandoned settlement as Russian infantry joined the assault.

Yet victory came at a terrible cost.

The Prussian artillery never ceased its bombardment. One devastating barrage struck the shattered Iron Courier, burying the remaining survivors beneath splintered timbers and burning wreckage. By the time the Russians secured the crash site, every member of the airship’s crew had been killed.

The Prussian force was eventually driven from Al-Kharim, leaving the Russians in possession of the battlefield. It was, however, a hollow victory. The wreck was secured, but the men they had fought so desperately to rescue lay dead beneath the smoking remains of the Iron Courier.

As the exhausted Russians gathered their wounded and prepared to leave the silent desert town, none noticed the movement in the empty buildings that lined the streets. Behind darkened windows and within shadowed doorways, countless pairs of cold, cannibalistic eyes watched their every move. Patient and unblinking, the Termigons had witnessed the entire battle. They cared nothing for the quarrels of empires—only that the day’s fighting had left Al-Kharim well supplied with fresh meat.