“Isn't that similar to Lerna Bastion?” Ethan asked.
Selene shook her head. “Lerna is different. That's a critical part of our defenses on the road to Indianapolis. It's not a liability like the two northern forts.”
“You're saying that Odin and Baldr are a drain on their troops strength, right?” Ethan asked.
Selene nodded. “Yeah. They have to station so many troops there that they can't conduct major offensive operations elsewhere. Plus, even with the numbers there it's not enough to hold off a determined Ragnarok attack.”
“Kind of makes you appreciate our flexibility,” Ethan said.
Selene nodded in agreement. Of all Hydra's strengths, its greatest was the ability to adapt to different situations, especially on the strategic level. Units could be shifted where they needed to go, and they could move very quickly. That was how they had survived thus far against an enemy that outnumbered them.
“I might not have chose this plan, but I can see why they did,” Ethan said. “And I'm going to do everything possible to make sure it works.”
Selene smiled. “Good to hear.”
She saw a boat speeding toward them in the distance. “Alpha 3, is that you?”
“Roger.”
“How'd it go?”
“You can do it next time,” Logan said. “But we have the position of a good chunk of the shore defenses.”
Selene nodded in approval. “Great. We'll chart them once we get back to base and send them back to strategic command.”
Logan's boat sped past them, and Selene's own craft stated up its motor. She looked back toward the south as they headed back toward Sturgeon Bay.
Soon.
CHAPTER 10
Gameplan
“Well,” Anna commented, “this might be a bit rough.”
“No kidding,” Zach replied as he continued to cycle through the map table's displays.
Ghost Battalion's reconnaissance efforts had been fantastic. Zach and Anna both had reputations within the alliance as excellent commanders, but he had to give much of the credit to their subordinates and their scouting abilities. It was much easier to plan an operation when he had accurate information.
Not that this operation was going to be easy. In fact, the glut of information that had received would make planning all the more difficult. But at least that was better than walking unprepared into a complete disaster.
“How do we want to go about this?” Zach asked.
Anna pursed her lips. “I'm not sure.”
Zach looked over at David, who they had asked to provide an outside opinion. “What do you think?”
“I think you picked a pretty nasty target,” David replied. “Are you sure that there aren't any other places you could try?”
“None that suit our purposes, unfortunately,” Anna told him.
Zach looked over at Robbie. “What do you think? Can we pull this off?”
Robbie frowned as well. “Like everyone says, this is going to be tough. Just look at the shore defenses. We might be able to suppress them with attack helicopters, but they'll come under fire from the antiaircraft defenses, and then one of our best assets will be gone.”
“Could you attack them with your river craft?” David suggested.
“The problem with that is it will reduce the number of troops we can land in the first wave,” Robbie told him.
“And we don't think that a platoon can hold the beach long enough for the reinforcements to arrive,” Anna added. “Or at least, not without being completely crippled in the process.”
“What about the ship?” David asked.
“That will be valuable, but it only has one deck gun, and Hephaestus says that's all it can carry,” Anna told him. “It'll take hours for it to inflict enough damage for us to force the landing we want, and we don't have that time.”
“And I don't imagine that we're going to get much more artillery support,” Zach said. “Not from Dragon, at least, and you'll probably need Griffon to help hold off Ragnarok.”
“Yeah, but this is important,” David said. “We can't spare much, it's true, but we can do something to help. Tell you what, I'll send a squad with three 120mm mortars north with you. It's not going to be much, but it should help, even a little.”
“You sure?” Zach asked.
“Yeah. It tips the balance of your battle more than it tips the balance of ours,” David said. “Plus, if you can open up the northern front that relieves a lot of pressure on us.”
“How do we want to use them?” Robbie asked.
“Could we mount them on the river craft?” Zach asked.
“We'd have to take them out of the troop transport role,” Robbie warned. “And they'd have to learn how to fire from a moving platform, which I'm not sure is a good idea at this stage. I think it'll take too long.”
“So, land side with a small guard force?”
“That seems like our best bet,” Anna agreed. “They might not be able to reach into the center of the district, but they can help us get ashore, and then they can help take care of the walls.”
“So... How do we want to deal with the defenses, given the resources available?” Zach asked.
“I think the mortars and the ship should target the antiaircraft defenses,” Robbie said. “There's less of them to take out, and once they're gone we have air superiority.”
“Once that happens, will you be able to take out the shore defenses?” David asked.
Robbie nodded. “Oh yeah. They're not going to be able to put up much resistance against air attacks.”
Zach frowned thoughtfully and leaned over the table. “I don't think we have to take them all out in one go. If we can punch through one area we can spread out and take care of them one by one from the ground.”
“The trouble is getting inland from the beach,” David pointed out.”
Zach shrugged. “Yeah, that's the issue. And we want to make sure that our breakthrough point isn't somewhere they can lay down a heavy crossfire.”
“That rules out any area near the wall,” Anna said. “Or close to the western district.”
He leaned over the table and searched through the map. “Here,” Zach said when he found what he was looking for.
“The east side of the bay as it curves toward the north?” Robbie asked. “Any particular reason for choosing this spot?”
Zach zoomed in further. “See those two points that stick out slightly on either end of this curved section?”
“Yeah.”
“They'll shield our troops from any fire coming from other parts of the bay. We can focus our firepower in that area to clear out a path for the landing,” Zach said. “Plus, it's close enough to the wall that the 120s should be able to provide us with some fire support.”
“Still going to be a tough task, getting ashore,” David commented. “It's not going to be a pushover like last time.”
“Last time was a pushover?” Anna asked.
Zach could agree with both their sentiments. Black Wolf had faced hard opposition when they had performed their amphibious assault in the Eagle Creek district, but those defenses were nothing compared to the ones guarding Green Bay. On the other hand, they had more firepower this time around as well.
“Who's going in first, now that it's no longer a coin flip?” Robbie asked.
Zach spoke up immediately. “Black Wolf.”
“Well, that was fast,” Anna said. “Any particular reason why I should choose you over some of the others?”
“Spectre's too small, Barghest is still too green, and do you really want your guys doing a frontal assault?” Zach asked. “We seem to be the battalion's shock troops, so let us do our job.”
Anna frowned. “It's going to be tough if you get chewed up in the first wave. You might be shock troops, true. But that means we're probably going to need you later in the battle, and we need to in fighting shape.”
“There's no later in the battle if we don't get off the beach,” Zach told
her. “Black Wolf is the best unit for that job. We'll be fine. We have Raven covering us from the air and from the lake, and we have artillery support.”
“We might want to do some specialized coordination,” Robbie said.
“What do you mean by that?” Zach asked him.
“Well, in the thick of battle it's going to cost extra seconds to call for air support, and that might end up being fatal,” Robbie said. “Especially if they have to decide which choppers are making which attack run. That just seems like it'll be a recipe for chaos, and we're not going to have the luxury of making mistakes.”
“So, assign certain choppers to certain units?” Zach asked.
“Yeah, for at least the initial part of the battle,” Robbie agreed. “Say, Alpha Wolf gets Raven 1, 3, 4 and 6. They'd call for air support and a pair of those four would be the ones to respond.”
“Same for Bravo Wolf, I'm assuming?” Zach asked.
Robbie nodded. “Yup. It'll reduce our reaction times, and we'll be able to suppress the defenses quicker.”
“How are you getting the followup waves onshore?” David asked. “Your foothold's not going to be much good if you're only holding it with fifty troops. But I'm assuming you have some sort of plan.”
“That would be correct,” Anna told him. “We still have the specialized transports we built for the Eagle Creek attack. We'll bring in more troops and equipment that way, once the beach is secure.”
“We also have two extra choppers on standby,” Robbie said. “They're going to be equipped with the bench seats, so they'll be able to fly a squad anywhere they need to go.”
“Are you going to combine an air assault with the amphibious assault?” David asked.
Anna shook her head. “As much as we'd like to, we just don't have the troops to pull it off. And the choppers are better off attacking enemy targets and giving support to the ground troops.”
“Plus, our most experienced air landing unit is already committed to the amphibious assault,” Robbie pointed out.
“Redd Foxx could do fine,” Anna said. “Or Spectre.”
“I agree,” Zach said, “but it's a moot point. We're not going to be able to do it anyhow. Though, it might be high time to train some of the others.”
“Weren't you going to add troops from Barghest to your own companies?” David asked.
“None of them have passed the ranger challenge,” Anna said. “Though, a lot of them probably could at this stage. But we haven't had the time for them to do it. They've been in the thick of things since their creation.”
“So there's no sense in tearing them apart when they're already an effective unit, eh?” David said. “I can certainly see the sense in that.”
Zach couldn't quite hide a smile. “Karen's done well, hasn't she?”
“She's come a long way,” David agreed. “And I'd say that she deserves to have a company that's not second fiddle to the others in your battalion. No offense.”
“None taken.”
Anna cycled back through the maps. “OK, so once we're on the beach, we can drive south and west to capture the rest of the city.”
“What about the enemies in the eastern sector?” Robbie asked.
“We can put one of the smaller units up against them,” Anna said. “There's not going to be enough of them in such a small area to make much of a difference. Our main goal is to take the city as quickly as possible, and the best way to do that is to hit them before they can get organized.”
“Gonna be a rough one,” David said.
“I don't know if we'd even know how to do easy at this point,” Zach commented lightly.
David laughed. “That's you guys, alright. Honestly, I wish I could be a part of it.”
“You could leave Morgan in charge,” Anna suggested.
“Yeah, no. I'd rather leave Staci in charge, and that's still a no,” David said. “Ragnarok's going to bring us our own bit of fun soon. I'd stake money on it.”
“I'm not inclined to call you on that,” Zach said.
Anna looked over at him. “Are the logistical preparations complete?”
Zach nodded. “Almost.”
He had to hand it to Hephaestus Company. Faced with yet another set of difficult projects, they had managed to pull off the impossible. Zach looked off into the distance as the port loomed closer and closer.
The rail line extension was now complete, and with that came the rapid movement of supplies and troops. Almost all of Ghost Battalion was in the north at this point, but they still needed their final supplies for the attack on Green Bay. Ammunition stocks at Sturgeon Bay were sufficient for the operation, but it took more than bullets and grenades to fight a battle. They needed fusion batteries, medical supplies, machine lubricants, sandbags, entrenching equipment. Even simple tools like shovels would be invaluable for fortifying their positions once they had established themselves within the city.
And then there was the most notable cargo on the train. Hoplite Platoon was finally moving north and would provide some much needed firepower.
However, they would also cause some logistical problems as well. Normally, the suits were recharged at a specialized station in the Central City district that operated off solar power. They could use fusion batteries as well, but they drained them at an alarming rate. The exoskeletons would go through a pair of fusion batteries in an hour under normal combat conditions. If they were caught in especially fierce fighting, that could drop to thirty or even twenty minutes.
Ghost Battalion couldn't ignore the amount of firepower the exoskeletons could dish out, but they needed to be careful. One wrong move and they would lose one of the irreplaceable units. Anna had decided to restrict the usage of the platforms. They would be used as breakthrough units, smashing a hole in the enemy line where it was needed the most. Once they were finished they would withdraw in order to conserve power. In addition, Hoplite Platoon would deploy in only the most important circumstances.
Nora hadn't exactly been pleased by the restrictions, but she took them with good grace. After all, they finally would be able to see some action. She had perked up more when Zach had told her they could operate as infantry when they weren't using the exoskeletons.
“Last train north,” she commented from beside him.
Zach nodded. “Last one.”
The single passenger car wasn't very full. The only other occupants were the rest of Hoplite platoon, who were at the other end of the car talking with each other. The rest of Ghost Battalion was in the north. Anna and Robbie had gone north by river craft to finish organizing the units for the attack. Selene was currently in charge of Black Wolf, preparing them for their part. That left Zach in the south, supervising the last supply run north.
“And another city attack,” Nora continued. “This is what, number six?”
Zach did a quick count in his head. “Yeah, that sounds about right. We might be considered experts at this point.”
Nora frowned. “Part of our force isn't.”
“What, Thorn and Myrmidon?” Zach asked.
“Yeah, and we don't exactly have the greatest knowledge of their abilities. Don't get me wrong, having almost one hundred extra troops is great. But from what I can tell, they have no experience with street fighting.”
“But we do,” Zach said. “All of our battalion does, and we can do it well. We'll be fine.”
“It sucks not having Sacred Sword or Marauder to rely on,” Nora said.
Indeed, Zach thought to himself. It was often easy to forget that the Hydra Alliance functioned as a whole, not as just a conglomeration of parts stuck together. They succeeded because they had synergy, and that synergy might not be there with Thorn and Myrmidon.
Then again, maybe it would develop given time. Spectre Company's integration had been rocky, but now they functioned as well as any other part of Ghost Battalion. And they didn't necessarily need to be used on the front lines, either. Anna was considering using them as a reserve force, or having them b
ottle up the enemy troops near the wall. That role wouldn't require much maneuvering or street fighting savvy.
“We'll make due,” Zach said. “We always have.”
“What are we doing afterward?” Nora asked.
“Hmm? After which thing?”
“After taking the city.”
“We haven't thought that far ahead yet,” Zach said. “First we have to get our hands on the place. We're going to start raiding Ragnarok's rear areas, of course.”
Nora couldn't quite hide a smile. “Going in without a plan? That's not much like us at all. Usually we spend hours and hours trying to get something prepared.”
“Wait, which time are you talking about?” Zach asked her. “We come up with plans on the fly all the time. Our whole schtick is improvisation.”
“We've improvised when our plans went to pieces,” she pointed out. “But we had solid plans in place before they went down in flames. We just had to modify them on the fly a lot, while we were getting shot at or chopped in half.”
“Not always,” Zach said.
“Name one time.”
“The first time we did recon around Lerna Bastion,” Zach offered. “We really didn't have that much of a plan then.”
“Didn't you get shot?”
“OK, maybe that's a bad example.”
“No kidding.”
“OK, what about the tunnel recon in Indianapolis?”
“What, the one where you got chopped in half by the giant chilus? Are you noticing a common theme here?” Nora asked him.
“We need to plan?”
“Yeah, or people die. Or maybe it's just you who dies, who knows?” Nora shrugged. “I still think we should have a plan in place for once we take the city. Maybe a couple different ones, to account for different scenarios.”
“When are we going to come up with them?” Zach asked.
“Hopefully before we launch the attack, otherwise it's not going to do us much good,” Nora shrugged.
“That's in two days,” Zach pointed out. “Does that really give us enough time, or are we going to end up sacrificing date night again?”
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