“Contact…..now, sir,” the WATO announced, which heralded a blinding white flash on the Real View image.
A moment later, the flash dissipated to show almost thirty large, grey clad figures sprawled on the Bay floor, surrounded by Alliance personnel, who were screaming at the visitors not to move. Billy and the War Room personnel were delighted to see the shocked and stunned Touway complying, with their upper limbs raised above their heads, and terror in their eyes. The Touway, on initial inspection, appeared to Billy to look like large green bears. They had the classic humanoid, two arms and two legs upright physique. Standing almost seven feet tall, the Touway had powerful muscular frames covered with short greenish brown fur, two small pointed ears perched atop a face with a short bear-like snout, vicious teeth and two small pitiless black eyes.
“All initial targets secured, sir,” the WATO said, “complete success, sir.”
“Excellent!” Billy praised, “Get this lot secured and into the Containment Cells, then stand by to teleport the second group.”
“Yes, sir!” the elated WATO announced.
The initial snatch of Touway guards had proved highly successful. Those isolated by their duties, or in their rest facilities were scooped up and teleported to the cavernous cargo bays of the Aquarius. The teleporter technicians had developed a special technique for the occasion that allowed the Touway to materialise about a foot above the floor. The effect of this was to allow the disorientated and confused Touway to drop to the floor, losing their coordination and balance. It had worked perfectly. As the bright flashes of light dissipated, the individual Touway had ended up as a confused vulnerable heap on the floor. They found themselves staring down the business end of a Garmaurian weapon in the hands of a determined looking Thexxian soldier, and offered no resistance.
Watching the View Screen image Billy could see a line of Touway, hands on head, being escorted slowly away from the Storage Bay and down to the Containment Cells.
“We’re ready to teleport the second group, sir,” the WATO announced.
“Very good, please inform Squad Leader Tardak to commence phase two,” Billy ordered.
First blood to the Alliance, Billy considered, and sat down at the War Table to await the next moves.
Chapter 40
Combat Squad Leader Darlus Tardak, pistol drawn, was the first to teleport into the Touway Control Room. He was followed a split second later by the other five members of his Combat Squad. More from instinct than judgement his first action on regaining his senses after the split second of confusion from the teleport was to slam two pulsar-bolts each from his pistol into the unprotected backs of the two huge Touway Control Room technicians. The technicians never knew what hit them.
One of the dead Touway had been brutally slammed forwards onto the control console by the force of the pulsar-bolts, and Darlus was concerned that it might have damaged the installation’s security screen controls. He simply could not afford to have made that mistake. If he was unable to lower the security screen to allow the Explorers access to the mining complex then the whole operation was shot.
“Martus, get this console secured, Klegus, guard this door, the rest of you, go…get the others!” he shouted to his Squad subordinates.
There were still Touway, probably armed, in the Control Room building, and they had to be neutralised. The Combat Technician called Martus, a small wiry creature, slung his pulsar-rifle on his back and set to work trying to establish if the control console had been damaged. Meanwhile, his squad mates rushed through the single door of the Control Room and out into the Control Facility. With some effort, Darlus bodily shoved the second dead Touway off the chair in which it had died. The grey uniformed body fell to the ground with a sickening dull thud. Setting his pistol into its holster at his right hip, Darlus began to drag the dead Touway away from the proximity of the console. Martus would need room to work when the Endeavour made her landing run, and he didn’t need to be tripping over dead Touway.
“What’s the story with this console then?” Darlus gasped dragging the dead weight of the huge Touway into the far corner of the room.
The other dead Touway, the one that had hit the console, had already been flung clear by his own momentum.
“Looks like its fine, One,” Martus said nervously, testing the controls of the console, and absent-mindedly using his Squad Leader’s old Thexxian military designation.
“Good lad, you stay here and wait for Endeavour’s signal,” Darlus praised him and slapped him twice on the back for encouragement.
Martus Dopparman was the youngest and newest member of his squad. He was slight, wiry and generally nervous. He looked nothing like a combat technician should in the mind of Darlus Tardak.
“Aquarius, we have landed and secured the Control Room. We are now securing the rest of the Central Control Facility,” Darlus announced into the Communications network.
No sooner had he finished his message than he heard weapons fire from outside. His twenty-five years of military experience told him that his squad had run into some resistance not very far from the Control Room. Without a second thought Darlus grabbed his pistol and flung himself out of the Control Room, past the vigilant Klegus Mussman, who had his weapon trained on the only other exit to the building. Whoever was inside was now trapped by his squad. Darlus started running towards the sound of weapons fire. This was the way battles should be fought Darlus thought to himself as, legs pumping, he dashed along the catwalk outside of the Control Room. About halfway along the catwalk he jumped over another dead Touway.
Reaching the other three squad members, who had found themselves some cover amongst the discarded furniture, and a further three dead Touway, Darlus quickly assessed that there were another two Touway in the building. He saw the two lumbering grey uniformed figures bob out from behind a doorway to fire at his squad and then dart back in to safety.
“Amateurs,” Darlus spat contemptuously at the two Touway who were the only resistance left in the building.
The Touway security had been an absolute disgrace in the mind of Darlus Tardak. Rather than moving from room to room as they fired, as professionals like Tardak had been trained to, the two Touway were holed up in one room and were trying to hold their ground. They had effectively trapped themselves, rather than using their mobility as a weapon to confuse their enemies.
“This’ll be easy,” Tardak said to his squad members, “you two keep them pinned down here,” he instructed two of his three soldiers, “and you, with me,” he ordered the third.
As his two static squad members began a brisk containment fire, a crouching Darlus Tardak led his third squad member back along the catwalk. At the first corner he popped his head round to take a quick look. Seeing that the coast was clear he then ran quickly along the corridor followed by his comrade. Weapons at the ready, Darlus repeated the movement, a quick glance to check for enemy and then a quick sprint down to the next corner. Keep moving, always keep moving. If your enemy is static try to outflank or outmanoeuvre them. Mobility is the key to any attack, his instructors had drummed into him from day one of training. Be the hunter, not the hunted.
This was now the final corner. Round this corner was the corridor where his static squad, at the far end, were pinning down the Touway. Darlus could see the shadows of the Touway as they emerged from the room to fire at his squad. A quick glance told him that the door was very close to the corner. With hand signals Darlus outlined what he planned to do.
His comrade, another veteran of the Bardomil Wars, nodded his understanding and set his rifle into his shoulder ready to fire. They both crept up to the corner, and, weapons pointed, waited for the Touway to return fire to the static squad. Darlus crouched down, pistol pointed forwards.
When one of the Touway sprang into the doorway to fire, both of their weapons fired simultaneously. With an agonised bellow, the Touway fell back into the room and slumped to the floor, dead. As the first Touway was falling, Darlus sprang forwards from his c
rouch into the room and somersaulted across the floor. The second Touway, caught by the surprise of seeing his comrade fall and then a figure sprawl across the floor fired his weapon blindly. The projectile whistled close to Darlus’ head, however, it missed him entirely. Still rolling out of the somersault he shot down the last of the Touway; who was slammed against the wall, and then slid slowly to the ground, dead. Darlus stood up gradually and removed the weapons from the two dead Touway before turning to the door. In the few seconds it had taken him to kill the two Touway the squad had rushed along the corridor to support their leader.
“See, I told you it would be easy,” Darlus said to his comrades emerging from the room, and pushed his pistol back into its holster at his right hip.
“Explorers are coming in!” the voice of Martus Dopparman called nervously from the depths of the Control Room.
“Right lads, look lively!” Darlus ordered and started to allocate them defensive positions within the building.
They now held the whole Central Control Facility building, but they would have to keep hold of it until relieved by the ground troops. If the Touway recaptured this place then they could still make it difficult to rescue the slave miners.
Darlus was half way through issuing an order, when suddenly the shrill alarm klaxon started blaring.
Chapter 41
Back aboard the Aquarius, Billy Caudwell waited patiently for the signal that the Central Control Facility had been captured. The atmosphere in the darkened War Room was tense. The faint whisper and chatter of Communications traffic was putting a thin veneer of calm over a deep layer of Thexxian excitement. The Thexxians were going into combat for the first time under the new Universal Alliance banner. They had new equipment, and a new commander, who had already defeated the Bardomil.
“Message from Pathfinder, sir,” a Communications Officer announced, “code word, Apollo, sir.”
“We have the Central Control Facility, gentleman,” Billy announced.
“Sir, the alarm has been raised on the facility!” a Scanner Technician interrupted.
“Right, they know we’re here gentlemen,” Billy began turning to the View Screen, “send in the Eagle decoys and have the Explorers begin their attack runs.”
It was standard practice to send a few of the small, fast and agile Eagle fighters to try to draw out any anti-aircraft fire.
On the View Screen, Billy could see the three large symbols of the Explorers approaching the larger circle of the mining installation from three separate directions to give the greatest advantage of surprise. And, from one of the larger symbols, four smaller triangles sped away and overflew the larger circle.
“No sign of anti-aircraft resistance,” the WATO announced.
“Excellent, proceed with the landing,” Billy ordered, his eyes never leaving the two-dimensional View Screen image.
The three Explorers, closely protected by their Eagle escorts, were now approaching the dull blue-white planet that was Sarg. Endeavour approached from the east to land close to the shanty-city; Excalibur to the north to relieve Tardak’s group and to secure the mines themselves. Meanwhile, Endurance was approaching from the west to secure the Rentrec Processing Facility.
“Twenty seconds to landing, sir,” the WATO announced with a calmness that masked the real tension in the War Room.
“Very well,” Billy responded with equal calm, continuing to monitor the View Screen and wishing that he could be down there with the assault troops.
But, despite his youthful enthusiasm, he knew that his role was not on the front line.
Switching the View Screen to Real View from the Endeavour, Billy had the best ringside seat in the house for the assault. From the pale-blue toxic gloom of the Sargian atmosphere the Endeavour swept into the landing point. At the last possible moment the pilot drew her nose up and reduced her breakneck speed. She then deployed the massive rectangular-footed landing struts, extended the cargo bay ramps and executed a perfect landing in one smooth movement. At the other two landing points, Excalibur and Endurance were executing similar moves and the same near perfect landings.
“Task Force landed,” the WATO announced.
“Good, get the assault troops out there,” Billy said calmly, an edge of excitement even in his voice.
With a slight bump, Endeavour had landed with pinpoint accuracy. The front third of the vessel was within the confines of the artificial atmosphere of the mining facility. Within moments of the landing bump, the Ramp Master slammed his fist against the large red emergency button that opened the six forward cargo bay doors. Almost instantaneously the force shielding that filled the void of the cargo bay door melted away allowing the passengers inside their first glimpse of the Sargian sky.
The ground troops of the first wave, however, had no opportunity to admire the colour and limited textures of the Sargian environment. Their officers screamed the attack order and flung themselves down the ramps followed by their shouting and yelling troops, who swarmed out of the Endeavour like a huge avenging flood. The ramps could accommodate fifty soldiers abreast at one time and four hundred combat troops were disembarked from six ramps in less than twenty seconds.
Even before the last of the troops were clear of the ramps the first of the hover-vehicles were taking to the air and zipping off into the Touway facility on their own particular missions.
There were the hover-bikes, which looked like a motorcycle from Earth, but without the wheels. Instead, there was a large concave circular plate beneath the frame of the hover-bike. This was the anti-gravity dish that allowed it to hover and to manoeuvre. The front of the hover-bike consisted of a “V” shaped shield into which were built two pulsar-rifle weapons, which could be activated by the driver. A passenger sat back-to-back with the driver to use their hand held pulsar-rifle, again behind a “V” shaped shield. They were used for rapid deployment and also fire support for ground troops; fast and manoeuvrable they could respond quickly to almost any crisis on the battlefield.
The other hover vehicle was the personnel carrier. It didn’t need the anti-gravity plate of the hover-bike as its lower surface area was sufficiently large for the lift and manoeuvrability that it required. To the front was the same “V” shaped shielding as with the hover-bike, but the driver sat at a bench, which would allow an officer or leader to travel with them.
Behind the driver, stood a pair of twin mounted heavy pulsar-rifle weapons in a half turret. The gunner was protected by a shield of clear material to the front of the weapons, allowing maximum visibility. The twenty soldiers it carried sat on long benches down the two sides of the cabin. It was open topped and high sided with a large opening to the rear for normal deployment. The high sides could also drop straight down into the actual body of the carrier, for rapid deployment, allowing the troops to go over the side rather than bunching up to escape from the rear.
With the View Screen in Real View, Billy could already see that the troops emerging from Endeavour were working their way through the shanty-city, and that the first of the Touway resistance had started. Booted Thexxian feet were swiftly scurrying and splashing over the slush and frost of the shanty-city, dodging between the miners’ hovels. They moved forwards in short, professional rushes, protecting their comrades with their aimed weapons. Raggedly clad Thexxian slave miners screamed and yelled as they scampered quickly out of the soldiers’ paths as bright flashes of weapons fire slashed over their heads. From some of the hover-vehicles, overhead, he could already hear their loudspeakers, above the sound of the Touway alarm klaxon, telling the Thexxian slave miners to stay calm, go to their shelters and remain there until ordered. The sight of the acre upon acre of pathetic hovels and lean-tos of the Thexxian slave miners chilled Billy Caudwell to the bone.
The flat report of the pulsar-rifles mingled with the sharper crisper rattle of the Touway projectile weapons. The ground troops had engaged their enemy. With the practiced eye of Teg Portan, Billy Caudwell saw the flashes of pulsar-bolts slash away from the
crouching and scurrying Thexxian figures towards the large, lumbering grey uniformed Touway defenders. The figures darted and weaved in the great maze of low level accommodations. If one group of assault troops met resistance they would stop and fight; whilst their colleagues would dash forwards to outflank the resisting Touway, and then ruthlessly eliminate them. It was classic, textbook infantry tactics.
“All assault groups are engaged, sir,” the WATO confirmed what Billy could already see on his View Screen.
“Very well, put the Relief Teams on stand-by,” Billy ordered, “Have we relieved the Pathfinder group yet?”
“No, sir,” the WATO replied, “Excalibur reports good progress to the Central Control Facility, but troops are scattered and need to regroup.”
“Time is of the essence here, WATO,” Billy said, “we need control of that Central Control Facility; hurry them up.”
“Yes, sir,” the WATO replied.
Down in the Landing Bays, the Relief Teams waited. They were to follow the assault troops in, and begin sorting through the small shanty-city that the slave miners inhabited. Almost anyone with any form of medical training had volunteered for this detachment. They had been outnumbered by those with no medical experience who had simply wanted to help. Amongst the myriad of uniforms in the Relief Teams were Eagle pilots, engineering technicians, pulsar-gunners and administrative technicians who had some form of basic medical training.
“Report from Excalibur, sir,” the WATO announced, “assault troops have secured the mine entrances and are proceeding underground.”
“Any sign of any miners down there?” Billy asked switching the View Screen back to Graphic Mode.
“Not yet, sir,” the WATO responded, “but, Excalibur reports sounds of disturbance from deeper in some of the mines.”
“They’re fighting back, WATO, the miners are fighting back,” Billy speculated with a triumphant smile, “Get those troops down there!”
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