by Chris Hechtl
“As you were,” the captain growled as he entered the room. He looked around them as the group seemed to relax a bit. “Let's not get carried away with ourselves. We've got them going, but they are by no means on the ropes.”
“But, sir, you've got to admit, we've hurt them. Hurt them badly,” Private Fastback protested.
“Yes, we have. How badly though we don't know. They could be sending in another division or two, or hell ten for all we know.”
“They can bury us in bodies. We'll still win,” Sergeant Scornlan growled from where he was sitting behind an improvised desk as he checked the newly-captured gear. “This lot is clean. We canna use the smart weapons though, but I can pull some of the basic parts off them and use them. Some won't plug into our gear without some modification on either end,” the armorer warned as he set a rifle down and then picked up a piece of armor someone had grabbed. “This I can use for parts I think,” he said checking the inside. “Yup, it's got the motors, though the wiring …,” he tisked tisked, fishing out bits of flesh and then flicking them towards the trash can.
Captain Zhukov turned to the armorer and then nodded. “Sort out what we can keep. Anything we can't use, dump it in a pit somewhere.”
“Yes, sir.”
The captain nodded once as he surveyed the haul. It wasn't too shabby; it almost paid off for the expenditures they'd made in the op and ambush. It wouldn't do anything to bring back his dead however. He stubbed his cigar out on the bench, then pocketed it for later. “Don't lose your head. If you get overconfident, then someone will come along and lop it off and save me the trouble,” Captain Zhukov growled, turning his eyes back on PFC Fastback and the celebrating troops. “That being said, good job. Get cleaned up. Get your armor sorted out now. Get your INTEL to the database. Debrief after dinner. After that, you've all got a day of downtime while we plan the next op.”
“Yes, sir,” Private Fastback said in a more subdued voice.
Captain Zhukov eyed him coldly, then turned and walked back out.
<)>^<)>/
“Son of a bitch!” Dana snarled in bitter rage and a little bit of self-loathing. “We let this happen again!” she snarled, throwing her hands up in the air. “They sucked our people in again and we fell for it!”
“It does look that way, ma'am,” Major N'v'll said. “What do we do now?”
“We learn,” the colonel said grimly. “We can't go after them with armor anymore; it's just not in the cards.”
“Which means we're conceding the battlefield to them, ma'am. They can operate with virtual impunity,” the major replied.
“Not totally. The drones do well. We need to focus on them, keep them in the air. And we need to get more heavy weapons into the troops hands. In the meantime, I've got to make a call.”
“A call, ma'am?”
“A call. One I'm not looking forward to in the slightest,” she said grimly.
<)>^<)>/
“Damn fine work on your people's part,” General Drier said happily. “Congratulate them for me.”
“Yes, sir. Sir, I hope this isn't just a social call …,” Dimitri said as he looked over to Lieutenant Zevaya and then Lieutenant Robinson and Lieutenant Sng.
“It isn't,” the general insisted. “When can you hit them again?”
“We're using the weather as a cover, sir. They are getting wise to that though. We're looking into backup plans but right now nothing is optimal.”
“We need you to hit them again. Harder,” the general said. “That wasn't quite the knockout punch I was hoping for.”
“No war is ever won on one roll of the dice, sir,” Dimitri replied with a scowl. “And sir, with respect, have you seen the numbers?”
“I know you've been kicking ass.”
“No that. Sir, we've lost eighteen suits and had another eleven damaged. Sergeant Scornlan has gotten two of the damaged suits back online, but their operators are also injured and still healing. That's a loss of 28 percent of our combat power. And we've lost that same amount in ammunition. Not to mention the issues with our equipment that sort of use and abuses causes. The sergeant has informed me some of the suits will need to be completely torn down and rebuilt.”
“Twenty-eight?” the general echoed as the lieutenant all made sour faces.
“Yes, sir. A third of our combat power gone or damaged. We don't see an end to this war though,” the captain said brutally. “Even we can't sustain those numbers and be an effective fighting unit long term, sir.”
“Ah, um … I'll have to get back to you on that,” the general replied as he hung up.
The captain stared at the speaker, then flicked the switch off with a snort. He turned and shook his head. “Yeah, you do that,” he muttered.
<)>^<)>/
After such a massive hit, Dana wasn't thrilled about holding a discussion, what might amount to a witch hunt over the ansible. But she had no choice. She knew she'd face the music, but maybe they'd send her help too. It was clear her remaining forces weren't up to taking the enemy out. They were working with virtual impunity where she spread out and the weakest.
“We are out of powered armor, Admirals, General. I've got one fire team left in my main base and another covering the spaceport, and that's it. I can't use them; they'd be outnumbered and slaughtered. Heaven forbid the enemy finds out that they are all I've got; they'll go on a real offensive.”
“Understood,” General Forth replied.
“I'm starting to seriously regret sending the ships back with the recruits. We could have used them,” Dana said as she finished up her report. She shook her head and took a sip of coffee. It was lukewarm so she grimaced and set it back down and then pushed it away from her with one finger.
“Don't kick yourself for a call already made. Move on,” the general stated.
“Yes, sir. It still sucks,” she replied.
“The situation does, yes. Your call at the time doesn't, Colonel; you made it knowing what you knew. It is still a good call. We'll deal with it,” Admiral Irons stated.
“I'm glad you did send them back, Dana. They would be no match for these Horathians. They'd be torn to shreds,” General Forth stated. “You know that.”
“Yes, sir. I was actually wishing I'd kept them to cover over bases so I could free up my own people. But you are right, they'd still be targets,” she said.
“Agreed. You can't stand on the defense. It's not feasible long term,” Admiral Irons said slowly.
“Well, the good news is, each time we tangle with them, they are wearing themselves down and we're getting a better feel for them and their tactics. When we have survivors that is,” Dana said darkly. “And every once and a while, we get a piece of them or several of them. That has to count for something; they don't have many of the armors.”
“A platoon according to ONI. What the actual hard numbers are and what they brought in the way of material supports is up for grabs, however,” Admiral Sienkov said.
“Yes, sir,” Dana said. She was still getting used to the new admiral. “The most effective weapons against them are air and armor of course, which is why they took both out early. Or at least cut them down so hard that I can't free them up to go after them like I'd like to do.”
“Understood,” Jersey said with a grimace. The investment in material wasn't painful; it could and would be replaced. It was the time and investment in the personnel that bothered him.
And the civilian casualties stuck in his craw. The Marines were there to protect the civilians and the bastards knew it. It tainted the Marines honor that they couldn't fulfill that obligation.
“We're working on sending you a follow-up convoy. The Army is working on plans to take over Hidoshi's World. They've shipped personnel to Pyrax and are waiting on your transport's arrival. It is Captain Church's battalion. He is sending his Gamma company there and taking his Alpha and Beta to you. Obviously, he doesn't have the right force mix to make a big difference.”
“How much are we talkin
g about, sir?” Dana asked. She kept her hope in a small box in her mind. “I'll take any warm body now. They can slot in or I can hand over sectors to their command and control freeing up my people to go on a Valenko style offensive. But what do the numbers and TOE look like?”
“A company as I said. It's an infantry company with full kit. They'll take over Hidoshi's World and free up your Gamma Company to ship over to you. Captain Church will have his Alpha and Beta with him, also infantry. We'll also be sending in two Marine armor companies and a platoon of gunships. That's eighteen gunships. Along for the ride will be replacement equipment and twice as many drones as you started out with.”
“It will free up coverage … when it gets here,” Dana said cautiously. “We need to find a way to put these bastards down like the rabid dogs they are though.”
“We're working on another option,” Admiral Irons said. “We'll get back to you on it.”
Dana blinked. When nothing else was forthcoming, she grimaced. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.”
Dana felt an urgent ping on her implants. “Sir, I've got another situation. We've got some of the planet leaders wanting answers. And I've got reports of someone sniffing around four of the towns.”
“By all means, we won't keep you, Colonel. Get your house in order. We'll speak again,” Admiral Irons said.
“Thank you, sir. Destria out,” Dana said as she cut the channel.
“You're considering sending the Cadre aren't you, sir?” Jersey asked after the colonel cut the channel.
“I've been considering the option for some time,” Admiral Irons replied.
“I think the concern that we'll lose them early on is still valid, sir. And given that we've taken losses, the Destria front has heated up in the eyes of the media. You don't want the Cadre exposed too early,” Admiral Sienkov warned.
“We need a fireman,” Jersey said coldly. “I can't get her enough men and women to stop this. We'd bury them in our own people.”
“They have to run out of suits eventually. Eventually we'll catch a break and see where they go to ground,” Admiral Sienkov insisted.
“And then we'll have to dig them out. An animal is at its most dangerous when it is wounded and trapped, sir,” Jersey replied.
“True,” Admiral Irons said. “The Marine deaths bother the hell out of me. If it is going to be like this now, what is it going to be like on a planet that the pirates have heavily invested in? Planets that they've sunk their claws in deep? That they've got really nasty equipment and time to prepare for us?”
“Not a pleasant thought,” Jersey said. “My boys and girls will be facing that too.”
“I know. And I have to admit, the civilian losses are a part of my reasoning to deploy Cadre. We don't want to look ineffective. We're getting hammered, and it's not good.”
“We are no one's whipping boy, sir,” Jersey replied.
“The question is will two squads of Cadre be enough?” Admiral Sienkov asked, getting on board with the program. “We should bring Major Lyon in on this.”
“Quality over quantity. We'll know soon enough,” Admiral Irons said. “And yes, I agree, we need Josh in on this.”
“So it is a go?” General Forth asked cautiously.
“Given that their Dora class transport is ready to go, I'd say yes,” Admiral Irons growled.
“Aye aye, sir. I've got enough here to outline the mission objectives,” Admiral Sienkov said. “I'm calling Major Lyon now … here he is.”
Major Lyon's image joined the conversation. Admiral Irons smiled. “Major, welcome to the party.”
“Thank you, sir. I'm reading the file Admiral Sienkov just sent me. It sounds like Destria's turned into a hornets' nest for Third Division,” he said.
“Indeed it has.”
“The mission objectives, sir?” the major asked.
“They are simple. Find the Horathian's armor and wipe them off the face of the planet. The same for the Horathian leadership and any of their bases. Hit them hard, hit them fast.”
“Yes, sir. I'll have the movement orders drawn up,” Admiral Sienkov said. “They are a go as soon as the Cadre is ready.”
“Good. The sooner they get going, the better,” the admiral growled.
<)>^<)>/
Once the basic mission objectives were on paper, Mars helped Major Lyon plug them into a deployment order template, then fill in the blanks. There remained a few blanks he couldn't quite cover, however, so he called Admiral Irons.
It took several hours before the admiral could move things around in his schedule enough to free up a few moments of his time to answer questions. “I've got five minutes, Josh. I'm guessing you've got the orders ready for my review?”
“Yes, sir,” the major said with a nod to Mars. Mars transmitted the orders.
“Got them.” After a moment, the admiral grunted. “Okay, I see where you flagged a few things,” the admiral said. “I think two squads are the bare minimum needed here.”
“And obviously I can't go, sir. I want to send a squad or RECON from here to help thicken them.”
The admiral paused, then nodded. “Agreed,” he said reluctantly.
“They can help scout to find the enemy bases, sir,” the major explained. “But that still leaves the makeup of the two Cadre squads and what material support we can provide them. I've got the two replicators you provided, but both are going to be needed to help with the Phase III candidates.”
“Which is a problem. They won't be able to make parts … so they'll have to take along the supply of parts they've made. That's why I ordered that. Also, the Dora transport they will be on will have a replicator for them to use,” the admiral stated.
“Ah, I didn't know, sir.”
“She's finished and ready in orbit.”
“Good to know, sir.”
“Next problem?” the admiral asked.
“You want to send Second and Third Squad. I get that, though Third is at half strength, sir. I'd also rather hang onto one of the senior leadership, either Tungulria or Jethro.”
“Which will shake them up,” the admiral said.
“Exactly. If I had my druthers, I'd send Jethro first. He's got the most combat experience both in the suit and out of it. Tungulria has been working out well in training. He may serve as a replacement for Jethro running admin here, though his people skills in that field leave a little to be regarded,” Major Lyon mused.
“Okay, so … swap Letanga's full fire team for Fire Team 1 of Squad 3? And what, send your heavy weapons fire team as well for good measure?”
“I'm honestly not comfortable sending any of the Phase II candidates yet, sir. But I know we need the warm bodies,” the major replied.
“The more we send, the less we lose in theory …”
“Yeah, as long as they aren't all on the same shuttle. Like what happened to Captain Gustov on Protodon or some of what's going on in Destria,” Major Lyon said.
Admiral Irons winced. He'd known Rory Gustov well; they'd fought together to take Bounty and then in his mad attack on the pirate forces in B101a1. He'd stuck with the admiral through the flight to Antigua and had been eager to liberate Protodon. His loss had hit many hard.
“Okay, point. We'll have to make sure they ship down in small units or something,” he said making a note of that order. “By robbing your squad, we free up the warm bodies to fill the other two squads up. Tungulria will cover for Jethro … They can presumably train while en route.”
“Only so far, sir. The suits and A.I. can provide some computer support but only so much. They can't use the ship's computers since they will be needed for the hyperdrive.”
“You'd be surprised. We tucked in a lot of computer support into the ship to handle intelligence gathering and processing while also giving the A.I. a place to work,” the admiral replied absently. That made the major raise his eyebrow in surprise.
“Okay, Jersey is sending First Division's entire armored platoon as well as his air ca
v to fill in the void. They will be shipping out on the next ship to arrive in Agnosta actually. I still want the Cadre to backstop them. It will be a race to see who can get to Destria first.”
“I see. And is Admiral Subert on board with this, sir? You are going to be displacing a lot of cargo capacity by the movement,” the major warned.
“Let me worry about Phil. He won't be happy, but he knows it is important,” the admiral said.
“Yes, sir.”
“The troops from Agnosta can get there sooner …since we've got regular shipping between there and Pyrax. They have priority.”
“Understood.”
“The Cadre troops will be shipped out soon. I want them to gear up and start boarding within the next two days. All leaves are hereby canceled. There aren't a lot but there is an old saying about quality,” the admiral stated. “They are going to prove it.”
“Yes, sir,” the major said as he noted Mars sending the leave order and activation email out to the troops. “Mars just started the ball rolling. I'll have calls coming in any minute. Now I get to break it to the troops,” Major Lyon said with a sigh.
“Have fun with that.”
“I'm not worried about those who haven't seen combat. They'll be eager even though they should know better. I'm now concerned about Jethro to be honest,” the major said thoughtfully.
“Oh?”
“He has a dependent, sir,” the major warned. “He's currently a single parent here. That poses a problem. He can't just dump her.”
“That … is indeed a problem. Work on solving it,” the admiral ordered as he signed off.
The major sighed as he sat back and rocked slightly in his chair. “Solve it he says. What am I, a day care?” he demanded.
Mars raised an eyebrow at him. He snorted. “Don't answer that,” he growled.
Chapter 54
