Fortress Beta City (The Sleeping Legion Book 2)

by JR Handley

  After letting the information and its urgent effect on the battlefield marinate in her mind, GG considered the tactical advantages of different options. Her eyes peered through the jagged hole in the wall out into the darkness of the battlefield. Somewhere in those trenches, a ground force of significant size moved against them.

  She could let the Hardits stream into the breach and attempt to fight them in the bottleneck, but the Hardits’ proclivity for using sapper vests could compromise the walls further and decimate her bunched up Marines. The enemy’s push to get under the guns and into the fortress meant only a full-frontal countercharge would decide the day. With a bemused expression, visible only to her AI, she knew she’d be ordering the quintessential bayonet charge. Her AI formulated different formations, tactics, and troop movements. Once an overall strategy was selected, one that will allow flexibility and lethality, GG sent battle orders out to all NCO’s and officers.

  Deciding to honor the initiative of the man who helped break the backs of the New Order gravtanks, GG offered Lieutenant Carleton Strabane and his company the privilege of being the first out of the gate. After the lieutenant accepted, GG activated the General Quarters alarm. While some Marines would remain on the walls, in case this was a diversion, the remainder were ordered to gather in the courtyard. Marines streamed into the open area and began to assemble. Assault cutters spun to life. GG could sense the energy in the air.

  While the buzzing of neon blue assault cutters began to hum above the clambering of Marines, GG extended her claws. She felt the presence of Tyndall flowing through her body as she stalked over to the breach in the fortress wall. With a thruster-enhanced leap, GG landed on top of some rubble and stood to her full height. Her clawed hands raised into the sky as her voice boomed over the sound of the assault cutters.

  “Tonight, we crush these Hardits. Look at the ground around you. Look at the blood of the fallen. Look at the destruction. How long have we sat on these walls and watched our brothers and sisters pour their blood onto the battlefields? How long has the enemy hovered, just out of reach or out of range? How long have we waited for this moment? It is here. We wait no longer. Jotun, human, Marine, Aux – none of that matters now. We are Legion!”

  Carbines pumped into the air as the Marines shouted in approval. GG jumped from the rubble and ran on all six appendages through the breach and into the field. Standing tall and facing the open field with the walls now hundreds of yards behind her, GG’s Marines began to form up to her rear.

  Her AI had passed all the orders and battle strategy to her Marines. She would have to trust the leadership of her NCO’s as this would be pure combat. Bloody combat. The kind of combat that couldn’t be orchestrated once initiated. Looking back at the Marines through the darkness, the site of dark figures holding neon blue instruments of death ignited a primal fire inside of GG.

  The Jotun dropped down onto her hands and dug claws deep into the Tranquility soil. Turning the volume of her voice amplification to the upper limits, GG roared loud enough for Tyndall to hear. As the sound carried out over the field, the bellow of Marines followed behind. She was banking on the fact the enemy would target the breach, but it didn’t hurt to bait them.

  GG was unsure of the enemy’s exact location, as they were apparently using the trenches and moving at high speed. To combat this, the Jotun left reserve troops within the walls and marksmen high above. Those reserves would be safe from whatever projectiles and explosives the enemy might bring to the fight.

  Turning from the vast miles of trenches ahead and walking toward Lieutenant Strabane and his assembled company of Marines, GG hoped her presence would inspire them. The shoulder-to-shoulder Marines shifted their ranks to make a space for her. GG was thrilled to see the 428th MER had honored her by volunteering to join the lines in the first assault. While she treasured these humans, she put them from her mind. No personal tie would sour her resolve.

  The collective eyes of the body of Marines delved into the darkness. Their night vision enhanced helmets scanned every trench for movement. The Marines around GG began to shift and move as the marksmen high on the walls began firing. Their sabots glowed as they streaked through the night.

  “Hold the line!” GG bellowed. “Let our snipers thin them out!”

  More sabots rained down from the fortress, lighting up the field in front of the Marines. GG began to realize the vastness of the force opposing them as the marksmen above widened their scope of fire. The streaks of deadly light began to cut a wider swath among the many trenches. Slowly, the shower of sabots grew closer. Until at last, a Hardit exploded from the trench closest to her mass of Marines and began running toward them. Hundreds of the enemy began to leap from the trenches, and the Hardits howled as they closed the gap.

  “First line! Activate thrusters in – three, two, ONE!” shouted GG.

  The front row of Marines activated their combat armor thrusters in unison. In a span of seconds, a wall of armored Marines rocketed across the field toward the mass of Hardits. Hands gripped rifles as assault cutters pierced air and flesh in front the Marines.

  Tranquility shook as the main body of the lines crashed into each other. Some Hardits fired wildly into the mass of incoming Marines. A few parried and dug their teeth into human necks. Many more of the hairy foes were bowled over, impaled, and left for the following Marines to finish off.

  When GG’s combat thrusters sputtered to a stop, she had a dead Hardit in each hand. Their bodies had been pierced by her claws and grated into the dirt as she moved. Ripping her claws out of all but one, she used the combined strength of four arms to throw the dead body at a closing Hardit. The enemy was everywhere.

  GG was at one in this kind of combat. With her twelve fingers now being curved, poisonous spears, she only needed to reach out and grab a Hardit to end its life. Her arms moved in a blur of speed, and she kept her body low to prevent being targeted by the sporadic carbine fire erupting around her. Stabbing, slashing, and ripping, Hardits began to die in droves in her presence.

  Focused on killing and parrying attacks, GG barely heard the drone of her AI in her ear.

  Colonel, reserve elements from the walls are moving into the field. We are inflicting heavy casualties, but are suffering a large amount as well. Lieutenant Strabane was the first Marine to kill an enemy. The honor and glory of first blood belongs to him, said her AI.

  For a moment, GG stood tall to view the scene. Tyndall would be proud of her Marines. These brothers and sisters appeared oblivious to the concept of human mortality as they waged war on the foe.

  While she stood, she saw a Hardit jumping at a Marines back. Grabbing the leaping Hardit from the air with two arms and ripping its body in half with the other two, GG roared as a sabot punched a hole in her lower stomach. Crimson blood poured from the wound and turned green after contacting the Tranquility air.

  Unlike the humans, Jotun combat suits were much older and better adapted to their physiology. GG didn’t have to bother with autoinjectors. Her nanites and the suit’s combat triage did its job, administering drugs to dull the pain and plugging the hole.

  GG’s chest heaved. The combat drugs were coursing through her body, granting her more speed and strength while masking pain, but the wear of constant movement and adrenaline was taking a toll on her. Her many muscles and joints began to ache as she felt her pace slowing. Killing Hardits was hard work, and weeks of little sleep weren’t helping.

  She paid a heavy price for slowing. Hardit teeth dug into her arms and back, and knives gouged her flanks. A sabot punching through her thigh brought her to a knee. The enemy was now targeting her.

  Fire seared her Jotun skin as the wounds were splashed with medical foam inside her suit. GG’s precious humans moved around her, bolstering her, protecting her back. Their fearlessness and loyalty honored her, and the rage within reignited.

  The following slaughter felt like it lasted for days. In reality, it was less than an hour. Blood-drenched Marines wandered the
field while GG limped among them. Every fiber of her wanted to collapse, but she stood tall as she struggled to walk. The Jotun knew the sight of their living commander was essential in the maddening haze that following visceral hand-to-hand combat.

  Marines kneeled over dead comrades, carried the wounded to medics, and delivered the final blows to any Hardit still clinging to life. While GG strode, her AI fed her information.

  Colonel, your victory has been reported up the chain of command. I can see that thousands of Human Legion personnel are watching video from the many active helmet cams, yours particularly. Your honor is assured. Sultan Company, the pride of 428th, has fallen. Lieutenant Strabane’s company lost all but twelve Marines. I am unable to determine if he is among the living. Your sister battalion, the 6th Battalion, 20th Regiment, suffered heavy casualties.

  GG looked out at the dead and dying and sighed as she listened to her AI. Marines wandered up to her and touched the many holes in her armor. As the random and painful touches and pats continued, GG realized no amount of effort on her part to mimic the actions of humans would have cemented her bond with them more than her actions did on the field. By honoring Tyndall, she had honored her Marines.

  From the many, only three of your Marines regrettably dishonored the field, said GG’s AI. A trio from Quincy Company attempted to run from the battle, and were slain by their own company. The survivors from Quincy Company have pleaded to not be stricken from the records. I have reviewed the footage of their combat and the three shirkers were an anomaly. The rest of Quincy fought with distinction. The rest of the report can wait. Your vitals are weak, and your combat armor must be cut away for medics to attend to you. Please report to triage immediately.

  GG moved proudly toward the breach and the waiting medics. Stepping through the shattered hole in the fortress, she made it to the makeshift triage tent. All around her, a horrible chorus of shouts and screams echoed as she collapsed onto a cot. Listening to the cries, GG realized they had paid dearly for the stretch of ground surrounding the citadel known as Fortress Beta City.

  — Chapter 94 —

  Mid Afternoon, Post-Revival Day 24

  Fortress Beta City, Serendine

  Commander, 428th MER, Human Legion

  It was never easy, the first full day after a battle. Moments after it was over, you were ecstatic. You felt alive and every pore in your being screamed its victory over the forces of death. Not until later, when your body could rest and your brain could process what had happened, did you being to fully comprehend the gravity of the situation you’d just left. When you’d crossed over, from relief to grief, everyone coped differently.

  For GG, the weight of loss was extreme. She felt for every single fallen Marine and Aux. They weren’t just allies or subordinates – they were hers. If she had her way, every Aux who fought bravely would be reinstated as a full Marine.

  The mental anguish matched the physical pain. GG had just recently come out of a medically induced sleep. Her body would take weeks, maybe longer, to fully recover. For now, an airchair allowed her to rest her body while it constantly fed her nanites. Ashanti Okoro, her protégé, had seen to GG’s recovery. But for now, GG sat alone in her quarters drifting in and out of a troubled sleep.

  The tablet built into the airchair arm began to rhythmically vibrate, and GG’s eyes shot open. Painfully tapping a finger to the screen, Field Marshal Marchewka projected in front of her.

  “I understand the need to rest, but I need some actionable items from you before you slumber. From the comfort of your quarters, begin directing the engineers in needed repairs and collecting casualty reports. While you can wait to update me on engineering issues, I need the casualty reports as soon as possible.”

  GG tried to speak and began coughing. The sound was a growling rasp. Marchewka showed her his four open palms, each one facing the heavens. It was his way of telling her to be at ease. With that, the holo-display projecting Marchewka dissolved.

  When GG regained her breath, she instructed her AI to begin compiling the numerous casualty reports. To prevent GG from straining to look down at the arm of the airchair tablet display, her AI projected the information in front of her face. To make it simple and deliverable to Marchewka, the AI compiled the casualty list by battalion.

  * * *

  FORTRESS BETA CITY COMBAT LOSSES:

  1st BN, 1st Aux RGT: 100% Casualties

  2nd BN, 1st Aux RGT: 50% Casualties

  3rd BN, 1st Aux RGT: 80% Casualties

  4th BN, 1st Aux RGT: 50% Casualties

  1st BN, 428th MER: 80% Casualties

  2nd BN, 428th MER: 15% Casualties

  5th BN, 70th RGT, 18th DIV, 5th Army, 2nd AG: 48% Casualties

  6th BN, 70th RGT, 18th DIV, 5th Army, 2nd AG: 50% Casualties

  * * *

  GG trembled as she viewed the sprawling list of the dead. She knew dwelling couldn’t turn back time, so GG focused on the present. Not wanting to send a simple list to Marchewka, GG wrote the Field Marshal an attached report.

  * * *

  Field Marshal Marchewka,

  The losses to our forces in the unexpected battle at the breach were severe. I take full responsibility. By Tyndall, if a life must be forfeit in retribution, I submit my own. I have sent you a status update on my engineering regiment, the supporting Aux Regiment, and of the two battalions who were stationed in the base at the time of the battle. These numbers are sadly preliminary. It can be assumed the number of dead will increase as more Marines and Aux succumb to injuries. I suggest we use the few remaining iced Marines to replenish our numbers. I leave the status of the 428th to your discretion.

  Colonel Gaarjar

  Human Legion

  Commander, 428th MER

  * * *

  Reading it over one last time, her eyes struggling to focus, GG sent the message. With Marchewka updated, her Jotun mind switched to engineering mode. Knowing the sight of their commander clinging to life in an airchair wouldn’t inspire her Marines, she relied on Ashanti to carry out her orders.

  “Initiate voice dictation: message for Ashanti Okoro. Begin message – Ashanti, we have much work to do. While I recover, I will rely on you to be my arms and my voice,” said GG. Speaking caused her to continue coughing, but her AI would remove those pieces. “I have several tasks needing to be accomplished. First, effort must be made to salvage tech, equipment, and crafts from the fallen Hardits. Next, we must bring Fortress Beta City back to operational capacity. You have the schematics. Repair what was destroyed, and continue moving forward with what wasn’t finished. Lastly, as Hardit tech is recovered, assign research engineers to unravel those secrets. Contact me with any concerns – end message.”

  Instead of falling into a slumber, like her body demanded, GG instructed her AI to show her the tunnel progress from Beta City to the Akoni City. The holo-display popped up, and GG winced as she smiled. In just a couple weeks, maybe more, the cities would be connected by the maglev. Once the link was completed, it wouldn’t take long to bore the holes for the City Phase Units under Akoni.

  GG needed to accomplish one last task. In her eyes, it was the most important one. Not trusting her voice to hold for oral dictation, she painfully typed the official message to Marchewka.

  * * *

  Field Marshal Marchewka,

  In great loss, there is regrowth. Much like the barren ground of this planet will eventually spring to life, our own forces will rebuild and adapt. While Tranquility-4 has the benefit of being fertilized by the bodies of our enemies, our Marines and Auxies have heroic stories of battlefield valor to spur them forward. From those heroic stories, I have compiled helmet videos of the actual events. The humans who wore those helmets deserve recognition, honor, and to have their stories retold to future generations of novice and cadet classes.

  As such, I recommend the following personnel be inducted into the Roll of Heroes: Aux Sergeant Barin Vyas, Senior Sergeant Alexander Strachan, Senior Auxiliary Colonel Ashanti Okoro,
and Tech-Major Basil Terloar. While Vyas died in action, the rest of these personnel are ripe for promotion. The exception being Tech-Major Basil Terloar, as it is currently unclear if he will survive his injuries. The 428th has room for upward mobility now, and we would be fortunate to have such competent and dedicated personnel rise in rank. Thank you for your consideration.

  Colonel Gaarjar

  Human Legion

  Commander, 428th MER

  * * *

  The message seemed lackluster to GG. For now, it was the best she could do. The movement of her arms and fingers, and the coughing from speaking had initiated extra pain meds to pump into the tubes running into her arms. It was all she could do to send the message before her eyes fluttered shut.

  She didn’t dream of battle. She dreamt of the medical triage tent. The smell of blood and the screams of the wounded and dying surrounded her. In the dream, the screams felt like accusations. Her body vibrated as medics used triage cutters to slice away her combat armor. The vibration grew until her eyes opened and pulled her back to reality.

  Blinking, GG realized the vibration was real. Marchewka had attempted calling twice. Ultimately, the Field Marshal left her a voice message.

  “Colonel Gaarjar, I have received your messages. Know this, you have honored your family. Expected or not, you did everything you could to repel the enemy from our gates. We won, lest you forget while berating yourself, due in no small measure to your own battlefield valor. Now, we will rebuild the 428th MER, and we will keep fighting, because that is what Marines do. On a personal note, we Jotuns are few here on Tranquility-4. I am honored as a Jotun, and as your Field Marshal, by your actions. Rest now.”