Guard at the Gates of Hell (Gladius Book 1)

by George Olney

  Inserting the Strike platoons during the main landing was discussed and rejected as both dangerous and obvious. Too much chance of catching accurate ground fire and Imperial defenses would be fully up and looking during the attack. Likewise early insertion using heavily suppressed cutters was also rejected because it held the possibility of alerting the defenses far too soon. Single scouts and occasional high priority missions could be carefully inserted, but there were 39 Strike platoons to be dropped into Imperial City. The fortieth one was already on the ground supporting the CIT attack on the Palace computer net. Dropping 39 platoons, even under suppresser, was pushing the chance of detection further than anyone wanted to take it.

  A compromise was reached. Suppressed cutters holding the Strike platoons were launched just slightly before the main landings, hiding their approach in the confusion of battle. It was risky because the Imperial defenses were fully active, but those same defenses were concentrated on the upcoming troop drop, not on sensor ghosts, even 39 of them. Or so the theory said.

  Shana was praying that theory was finally going to be right. On the one hand, the plan drifted her platoon into Imperial City gently, without with the slam bang of a normal combat drop. On the other hand, that same plan only gave her limited time to accomplish her objectives before the Legions worked their way into the city. Win some, lose some, she thought philosophically. Just another wonderful day in the Corps.

  The area of operations for Second Platoon, First Strike Century, Ninth Legion Victrix, was an obscure warehouse district not all that far from the palace. Recent reports from scouts had indicated an unusual amount of Guard activity in the area and the SOC wanted to know why. Second Platoon's mission was to sweep the warehouse district and find out what was so important about it.

  Once dropped, the platoon quickly formed and swung into a slow stealthy version of the Corps weave as it moved quietly towards the warehouses. Strike troopers, like scouts and unlike line Gladii, always wore full body armor because their armor was intended as much as camouflage as protection. Unless someone was really looking for a Strike trooper, they were nearly undetectable. Strike liked it that way. No need for targets to get the bad news before Strike personally gave it to them.

  Initially, the platoon cautiously probed warehouses that hadn't shown Guard activity. Shana wanted to get a feel for the area before getting to the more sensitive portion of her mission. Nobody really knew the full capabilities of the Emperor's Guard and dealing with the Guard was not something she wanted to rush into right after landing.

  The first four warehouses were empty of people, not surprising given the battle raging above the city. Pretty much the whole civilian population was in some kind of shelter by now, for which Shana was grateful. Empty streets and empty buildings made her job much easier. Shana called a halt after the fourth warehouse and crouched for a quiet consultation with Sergeant Stauer. "Notice anything?" she asked him.

  "Aye," Sergeant Stauer replied. "Every building we've checked so far has held construction materials or dry goods. Things that can sit a long time without any worries. Lieutenant, did you get the feeling that none of the warehouses have been touched in quite a while?"

  She gave him a slight smile. "More than a feeling, Sergeant. There was a heavy dust overlay on everything we saw in those warehouses. That stuff has been sitting untouched for a long time, maybe years."

  "So now we have a warehouse district that doesn't seem to be doing any business. That could be caused from our attacks over the last year or just Shangnaman's crazy pogroms," he replied.

  Shana shook her head. "I don't think so. If these were real warehouses, I'd expect to at least see some perishable items among everything else in the buildings. None of the warehouses we've checked even has stasis capability. That isn't normal, Sergeant. Now I'm beginning to wonder if this is a warehouse area at all."

  She called up her map on her HUD. "Scouts reported Guard activity around a tight cluster of five warehouses right in the middle of the district, but little to none anywhere else. Suppose the rest of the buildings were just to hide whatever those five are really used for?"

  Sergeant Stauer thought for a minute. "Possible, Lieutenant. That's a lot of effort to hide something."

  "Something important," Shana said decisively. "I think whatever we're here to find is in one or all of those buildings. The way the five are arranged makes me wonder, also. Check your map download. Four of those buildings closely surround the fifth. Suppose there's something key in the middle building and the other four are used as a defensive perimeter? There's really only one way to get to that middle building. Oh, there's a street leading to the back, but it's pretty constricted."

  Sergeant Stauer stood up. "Then I suppose it's time for us to see just what's in them."

  Shana also stood and signaled for her platoon to start moving in the general direction of the suspect warehouses. "Yep. Let's go find out."

  The point found the first perimeter warning device at the next street intersection. While they were bypassing it, Shana came up on the platoon band. //"All hands, Strike 2-1-6. Remember, guys, these characters use mechanical devices as well as electronic. Don't just sweep your areas for electronic devices. Watch for trip wires and anything else that looks out of place."//

  They went a street farther then a little feeling started to bother Shana. Looking around, she decided they were too exposed here on the ground. She signaled her troops and indicated a nearby roof. The warehouses were well separated, but no-weight belts would make the jumps from warehouse rooftop to rooftop easy once they were off the streets. Hopefully, their camouflaged armor would keep them from being seen during the leaps between buildings.

  They found a combination of electronic and tripwire triggered warning devices scattered over the rooftops, but everything was bypassed quietly. Normal stuff for Strike. After a slow careful approach to the last warehouse outside the suspected Guard perimeter, Shana snuck a hair thin video lens over the edge of the roof's parapet. After a careful visual scan through her HUD's screen, she pulled the lens back and signaled Sergeant Stauer to approach. After he crept up and lay next to her, she raised her visor and spoke quietly, "I'm seeing guards all over the area. They don't look like guards or act like them, but they're the only human activity in the entire district and they're still in place despite the battle. That makes them guards to me. Also, those people are mostly big men with a few female counterparts built pretty much like I am. Sound like the Emperor's Guard to you, Sergeant?"

  "Aye," he agreed. "I've also had reports from the guys running scans. Entire walls of some of those warehouses are rigged for perimeter alert and possibly for other things. This entire area is one huge warning device and defensive perimeter. There's something mighty important in this cluster of buildings."

  "And we need to know what it is," she said. "Start mapping the guards. We need to take them down before we do any building penetration but we have to do it fast. I'm certain they're tagged to trigger a warning if something happens to any of them. We have to take out all the guards and hit the key building as close together as possible. Spread the platoon and get surveillance from every angle we can. I want to know what each guard does and if there's any pattern to their movement." She settled in place. It was going to take a while, but she was going to find out what was happening in those buildings.

  "Lieutenant, look up." The low voice was Smythe.

  Shana did... and was treated to one of the most fantastic sights she'd ever seen. Probably ever would see, she decided. From horizon to horizon, thousands of assault shuttles were emerging from the flame shot dark cloud of detonating air defense bolts and missiles that covered the sky, screaming down on Imperial City. Four legions were dropping.

  It was too awe inspiring for her to tear her eyes away. She could do nothing but watch the incredible scene overhead. It had never happened before, she thought. The Corps had never dropped more than two legions in its history. Twice that many were coming down now, filling the
skies with rapidly growing sleek shuttles that jumped and twisted in impossible directions as they evaded ground fire. The growing noise of screaming shuttle engines was beginning to overwhelm even the sound of explosions and gunfire on the ground.

  She tore her eyes away for a moment and realized her men were just as awestruck and mesmerized as she was. //"Back to work, guys."//

  As her platoon recovered from the incredible spectacle and returned to the tasks at hand, she snuck another look upward. Something to remember for the rest of her life, however long that was. Another thought struck her and she smiled.

  Gladio alieyo.

  #####

  In Ground CIC, Shyranne was getting other reports. Immediately, she called Lane Mackinnie. //"Fleet, Ground. Lane, we're developing locations for the origin of those Guard legions. Probably coming from a hidden base outside the city. When it's found, request heavy kinetic strike."//

  Lane listened without comment for a moment. He knew, and he was sure Shyranne knew, there were going to be noncombatants in that base, including children. Shyranne wanted that base destroyed for a reason and so did he. The Emperor's Guard had to be killed root and branch. They were so heavily conditioned from birth that literally every one of them, no matter the age, was a deadly enemy. Also, there was no telling what was going to be issuing from that base next. It had to be destroyed, no matter who was in it.

  Lane wasn't afraid of the logic that forced his decision. He was afraid of the cost to his soul. They were going to be killing children. He knew perfectly well that Shyranne felt the same way, but she'd ordered the destruction of the Guard personnel in stasis on Cauldwell because it had to be done and it was her responsibility. There were still shadows in her eyes and in Khev's because they'd killed thousands of helpless people. Deadly enemies, but still helpless.

  Now there would be more shadows in their eyes. And more in his. For his troops to live through this invasion - for the Cluster to have a future free of fear - every member of the Guard had to die wherever found. Every man, woman, and child had to die. If they weren't all killed, any survivors would still try to destroy the Cluster, no matter how long they had to wait.

  Lord Above keep him from any more such decisions after this campaign. But that was for then and this was now. //"Ground, Fleet. I'll set it up, Shyranne."//

  One of the screening battleship squadrons was already configured for heavy ground support with kinetic strike projectiles. Warning orders went out to it. Lane set one of his monitors to show the projo attacks once they happened. If he could order the death of an entire people, he could watch it. He knew Shyranne was also watching.

  #####

  Shana had her own problems with Guard movements around the target warehouse. There was a pattern to what they were doing, she was sure, if she studied them long enough.

  A com call suddenly sounded in her ear. //"All hands, Victrix 9-6. Listen up."// It was Karl.

  Briefly, Shana felt an intense wish they were together and somewhere other than this damned planet, then other feelings washed the thought away. She was a soldier. She had a worthwhile job to do and was good at it. To a Strike platoon leader, it didn't get any better than having herself and her platoon stuck kilomeasures inside hostile territory. Strike was kind of strange that way.

  //"We're fighting five legions of Guard, folks. They had to be hidden somewhere all of this time and we're going to find that base. Once we do, it's toast. People, that means we'll be fighting orphans soon enough. Victrix, you know how that feels and what that does to you. These guys are already sneaky and suicidal. They're going to get worse. Look alive. Stay alive. If a Guardsman loses his life killing you, he wins. We don't want him to win. Be careful, shoot straight, and take him out first. 9-6 out."//

  Killing the Guard base. She knew what that meant. Noncombatants. Don't think about it, Shana. You have more than enough to pay attention to right in front of you.

  For a few minutes Shana thought about what effect the landings would have on the bunch she was watching, then decided one of two things was going to happen. If the warehouses they were guarding weren't as important as stopping the Corps, she was going to see some of those people down there leave for the fighting lines. If their mission was more important, they were going to stay.

  She wanted as many as possible to leave. Fewer guards, fewer problems. Activity. Something was happening. There was visible agitation from a few, but the movement patterns...

  Suddenly, there was a lot of traffic around the warehouse in the center. All faint pretense of normal activity around the buildings was gone. Guardsmen were running into the center warehouse and emerging with B-42s and armor. A couple of heavy weapons positions also unmasked on rooftops. Looked like they were getting ready for some kind of desperate defense. Nice of them to show her where everything was.

  //" Strike 2-1-6, Scout 9127."// It was one of the Victrix scouts.

  She answered. //"Scout 9127, Strike 2-1-6. Lieutenant Ettranty. Send it."//

  //"Lieutenant Ettranty, Staff Sergeant Zak Capers. Been in close contact with locals since landing. Just been advised you're investigating what people around this part of town call the Dead Zone. Reason is that anyone goes in doesn't come out. I checked that area about a week ago. Noted much traffic around central warehouse, but the only other building with observed activity was at building southwest of center warehouse. Looked into one warehouse without traffic. Contained robotic remote surveillance point."

  //"Aye, Sergeant Capers. Did you make any attempt at the center warehouse?"//

  //"Not that crazy, Lieutenant."//

  Shana grinned. //"Confirm crazy, Sergeant. Unfortunately, we gotta check the center warehouse anyway. We are nuts. Anything else?"//

  //"Aye. Found indications of robotic weapons scattered around the five building area. Transmitting a schematic of data. Be careful."//

  Wonderful. //"Aye. Thanks for the info. If no other, Ettranty clear."//

  //"Capers clear."//

  Shana reviewed the schematic and waved Sergeant Stauer over. "You got that?"

  "Aye, Lieutenant. Appears the southwest building has a manned remote observation position in it. It's probably a repeater for the main command post in the central building, but I'm betting it has initial control of the area surveillance and defenses. The command post will have overrides, but it might take them a few moments to get them up." He studied her expression for a moment. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

  She grinned. "If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then we're both thinking the same thing. We need to move while these guys are changing posture. Have team six demo the warehouse with the OP, five set up for AP rockets, and tell two to configure for sniping. I want the outside clear before I take one, three, four and seven inside with me. Tell the boys to get busy, Sergeant. I want to get this thing going as soon as the demo's in place.

  "Here's my action sequence..."

  Sergeant Stauer gave a short, sharp nod of approval once she finished outlining the plan. "Aye. I'll get everyone prepared. You call the start."

  The platoon was ready in less than twenty five minutes by her HUD readout, a fact that gave Shana a little feeling of pride. Given that she'd had to issue a fragmentary order and team six had to emplace its demo charges on another building, two was configuring its B-42s for sniping, and five was readying rockets and acquiring targets, all without being discovered, that was a damn good time. Good bunch. Looking down, it appeared the Guards were getting more and more organized into an active defense. Don't let them complete it. //"All hands, 6. Initiate."//

  The roof of the warehouse suspected of having the OP collapsed inward explosively, revealing the silhouette of a small blockhouse inside the building's outer shell. The OP. Multiple armor piercing rockets penetrated the blockhouse from two directions and it, too, collapsed into rubble.

  Sniper teams began taking down Guardsmen, paying particular attention to those appearing to give orders. By this time, team five had retargeted their rockets. Tw
o troopers started taking out the heavy weapons while the third began hitting the door of the warehouse, each man firing as fast as he could pick up the little rockets laid out on the roof in front of him.

  Shana let the snipers and rockets do their work. The last rocket exploded deep within the warehouse, so the inner area was either clear or whoever was there was in bad shape. Good enough. //"Assault teams, let's go, Dogs!"//

  Time slowed.

  She led her team at a dead run off the warehouse roof, landing lightly using her no-weight belt. Her Link told her the other three teams were in motion from where they'd been deployed around the area perimeter. She verified that with her HUD anyhow. Shana's team and team seven got to the front of the warehouse just before teams four and three, the four teams smoothly meshing as they charged inside.

  The interior of the warehouse was a shambles, with dead bodies and wreckage everywhere. Shana stopped momentarily as she found herself fronting another door, this one battle steel showing the effects of several glancing rocket hits. The door entered a huge heavily armored building constructed inside the shell of the warehouse. //"Kardo, demo the door."//

  Shana's team split to cover left and right while Sergeant Kardo dropped out of movement long enough to slap a demo charge on the door. Shana sent four and three to circumnavigate the armored structure, checking for surprises and Guard survivors.

  There were several survivors still active inside the inner building when the door blew, but the incoming Strike teams were right behind the blast. Even a Guardsman could be shaken when a battle steel hatch slammed inward into his face and the Strike dogs didn't give them time to recover.