But now there were more. Grenades started landing nearby. They both ducked under the level of their trench. This allowed two other enemy to gain the first barricade on the walkway. From there they started pouring automatic gunfire down at their position. At the same time Mike Lampo’s quanto opened up, but he could not bring his gun to bear on the two enemy behind the barricade for fear of hitting Magda and Taleen.
“Magda, Taleen pull back” ordered Tarik.
Magda leapt up and raced for the nearby barricade on the walkway. It was only two metres away but she never made it. A piece of shrapnel from a grenade flew into her helmet and embedded in her forehead. She was dead before she hit the ground. Taleen saw this and dropped back into the pit.
“Taleen” called out Tarik “you must pull back now.”
“I can’t” she called out. Fear was paralysing her fast. Then she heard it, the sound of another enemy vehicle. It woke her to her senses. “Another vehicle” she cried out and vaulted up and dived behind the barrier, safe for the moment.
“Open the door” screamed Tommy.
Liz looked to Art. Art was unsure. Could he take the risk of this new enemy vehicle destroying the vehicle elevator and most probably everyone here from Bravo Team. Liz was pleading with her eyes. Finally he relented and she hit the door release. The door was opening fast and Tommy was about to order reverse when the beam emerged from 400m away and struck the Trojan in the front.
“Close the door” yelled Art and Liz, looking confused, turned to him. He rushed to her and hit the control himself. The door reversed to the close position. Three seconds later Tango 1 exploded. Bolin who was peeking out of his pit was struck in the head with a chunk of metal. He was dead as a door nail. His body bore the brunt and saved Hafa from serious injury. But Hafa was now deafened and blinded. He ducked under and wrapped himself into a ball as tight as he could. Not because that was the safest thing to do but because all his instincts compelled him to. He could feel the pain at the back of his neck but he couldn’t bear to let go of his knees.
Tariq and Miko were now point. Miko was a pocket rocket. A good 5cm shorter than his sergeant yet strong enough to lift his quanto like it weighed nothing. He had handsome Latin features and a winning smile which had deserted him right now.
The enemy vehicle stopped firing the beam once the explosion started. It now pushed past the destroyed shuttle and centred onto the road. There were some shapes behind it. Tarik put his hand on Miko and he understood to hold fire. Tarik reached for his rocket launcher and took aim. The enemy vehicle was about 150m away now and coming forward at walking pace, well walking pace for these big legged enemy troopers.
Taleen now made a run to the next barrier. This triggered off more firing from the enemy down the walkway. But the barriers were doing a good job and she made it. She popped up and took aim at the first trooper behind the vehicle and dropped him with a short burst, dropping herself before the return fire. ‘That’s for Magda’ she said to herself. She forced herself to push off and run for the next barrier, crouching as low as she could. She made it. She was now level with Tarik and Miko. He motioned for her to keep going back. He needed the barrier clear for him and Miko to make good their escape.
Taleen once again pushed off and ran to the next barrier. This time, grenades starting popping overhead. She dived behind the next barrier, safe for now. Tarik glanced back. Saw that she was clear. The enemy vehicle was now 100m away. Good enough, thought Tarik. He popped up and let off the shot just like they had done on the range. His breathing was perfect and more importantly his aim was true. It hit the side at an oblique angle, however, and bounced off skidding like a bowling ball through the enemy pins crouching down the line behind the vehicle. It caught the third enemy in his leg. He collapsed and writhed in obvious agony till he was pulled back out of view.
“Damm it” cried Tarik as he ducked. Pulse fire impacted into his shield. Tarik reloaded. This time he indicated to Miko to fire at the two enemy behind the barrier on the walkway. Miko popped up and gave a long burst in their direction. Tarik popped up also. He was shocked to see the vehicle now only 50 metres away. He could see a figure behind it shifting to bring its weapon to bear on him. He held his breath and took the shot as did the enemy on him. Tarik dropped but not under his own power. He hit the side of his head on the edge of the pit and rolled face up staring at Miko.
Miko had ducked as Tarik had fired. He now saw his sergeant’s pleased expression fixed on his dead face. But Tarik had good reason to be pleased. His shot this time had hit upwards into the side and this time penetrated. The vehicle didn’t explode but all on board were incapacitated. The vehicle continued on for another ten metres before turning side on and hitting the side wall. The two figures that emerged out the back were gunned down by Taleen.
“Miko” she yelled “Miko?”
Miko didn’t respond. He just leapt out of there with his quanto in his arms and cleared not one but two barriers to join Taleen. Drew and Sully now opened up on the enemy. With the tunnel road effectively blocked by the enemy vehicle, the enemy soldiers were now trying to push their way down the walkway.
“Hafa?” called Taleen. But there was no answer from him. “Come on” she said to Miko and they ran back down the walkway. As she went she could hear Liz hailing Tarik. “He’s dead Sir. This is Taleen. We need the door opened now. The enemy vehicle is KO’d (knocked out).”
Liz looked to Art. Art checked his scanners. He counted about a dozen enemy soldiers. “Taleen, get everyone back behind the last barrier. Then let me know” he ordered.
“Roger.”
Taleen zigzagged back to find Hafa still in his ball pose. She saw the blood filled helmet of Bolin next to him. She reached down and pulled at his hand but Hafa was locked in. “Miko, give us a hand.”
Miko dropped his quanto and pulled out Hafa in one heave. As he did he unravelled. He could hardly stand. It was only then that he put his hand to the back of his neck and felt the shrapnel stuck in the back of his suit. He daren’t pull it out for fear of suffocating. He said “I’m alright. I’m alright.”
Taleen wasn’t sure. “Just stay there Hafa. We’ll get you out.” She turned to look down the tunnel. Drew and Sully were putting up a steady fire. The wind had been taken out of the enemy’s sail and they lacked the will to push on with any determination. No wonder thought Taleen. But she wasn’t feeling sorry for their losses. They had robbed her of her best friend. “Miko lay down some covering fire.”
Miko began a series of short bursts across the width of the tunnel. The shots impacted 50m ahead of Drew and Sully’s position. “Drew, Sully, pull back now” Taleen ordered. Sully once again fired off a grenade, turned and ran back at a low crouch zig-zagging as he went. Drew was right behind him. They ducked behind the barrier from where Miko was firing. Drew gave Taleen a smile but then realised Magda wasn’t there, nor Tarik. He turned to see Hafa and then saw Bolin’s body. The smile drained away.
“We’re ready. Open the door” called Taleen.
Liz hit the release and in ten seconds the remnants struggled back in carrying Hafa and their kit. Miko gave one last burst and then Liz hit the control to close the door.
Art looked at the scanner. There were still only twelve enemy soldiers but he could see two more large dots approaching the outer mine doors. He knew that little could now be gained up here. “Everyone into the elevators. Alpha Team into the light lift, Bravo Team into the heavy one.”
As the troops got in, Art set the last of his traps. As they descended, he looked down at the blood on the floor tramped in on the boots. The wog boys weren’t smiling any more. Hafa was hors de combat. Liz looked incredibly sad. She had just lost three from her command not to mention Tommy and his crew. Art had seen that look before. “You did well, all of you. Your mates have not died in vain. This enemy can be beat. You just proved that.”
Drew and Sully were nodding. They weren’t smiling but they were acknowledging an achievement. Liz too nodde
d and she no longer looked like she might cry. But Taleen couldn’t stop. The tears just started to come. Art took her into his shoulder and she just cried silently.
Chapter 7. Pulton 1 1710, 24 May.
Commodore Pious was waiting at the bottom of the main entrance elevator when Art’s lift arrived. He could see the trauma on their faces and on their bodies but he knew he had to be a firm rock at this point in time. “LCmd Simons, can I have a word please.”
“Sir.” Then turning to Liz he said “Make sure the baffles are set and the blast doors shut and the wounded attended to.”
“Yes Sir” said a tired Liz. She faced the rest of the souls in the elevator and issued the necessary instructions while Art followed Pious down to a room on the left.
“Can we hold them?” he asked Art.
“I think so Sir. We lost Tango 1 but took out both their battle shuttles and the best part of two platoons of enemy soldiers. They didn’t press us at the end. It mightn’t look like it but we won that engagement.”
Pious noted the strength in Art’s words and could see his resolve on his face. This pleased him. “Excellent. Leave Lt Adair in charge here. I’d like you to come with me. We need to review our defence plans.”
“What news from the other entrance?” asked Art.
Pious could see some anxiety on his face. “Don’t worry. Lt Chalker has survived. Come on you can see for yourself” and he led Art out to the tunnel and they hopped in a buggy and drove a couple of kilometres towards an area of rooms that now served as the command centre. There waiting in what was now a makeshift conference room were Rihan, LCmd Chuck Yaeger and Sue.
Art could see the strain on Sue’s face, not to mention the badly bruised eye. He knew straight away it must have been a hell of a time at the facility entrance. He gave her a longing look across the table and she nodded back at him and then pointed to her eye. He nodded back. He smiled at Rihan and acknowledged Chuck with a nod. Chuck was looking resentful.
“Right,” said Pious “the good news is that we have evacuated successfully and the elevators are secure. We lost some very good people in the process though, not to mention one of our precious Trojans.”
“I told you we should have deployed all of them up top” blurted out Chuck. “Tommy and his crew would still be alive and we would still be defending up top.”
“If we had done that every one of those Trojan crews would be dead now. The Trojan’s armour just isn’t up to stopping a beam attack. They have another two of their battle shuttles up top right now. It would have been curtains as our battlewagons waited for the elevator” counted Art.
“Simons is right Yaeger” said Pious. “I don’t know by what tech they can mount and fire a beam weapon from a vehicle, but there’s no denying the facts. What we have to consider now is how we best defend this complex with the resources to hand. We have to hold here for at least another two days.” Pious looked sternly at Chuck.
“Right Sir” said Chuck and turning to Art “I’m sorry. Losing Tommy like that…we’ll it’s not easy.”
“It’s alright Chuck. I understand” replied Art. “ Sir, if I was the enemy I’d be considering blasting out the elevator from above and then hovering down with one of those battle shuttles of theirs in the heavy elevator shaft.”
“But they’ll have to get through the baffles and then the blast doors” said Pious.
“They’ll drop some charges down onto the baffles and blow them one by one” proffered Chuck.
“And there should be enough room in the large elevator shaft for them to hover a shuttle down above the elevator, rappel some people onto it and lay charges to take it out. They’ll fly back up and out, set it off, come back down and use their beam to demolish the blast doors” said Art.
“Isn’t there anything we can do to stop that?” asked Sue.
Art looked to Chuck and he shrugged. “Not really” admitted Art.
“How long?” asked Pious.
“The baffles will have to be taken out one by one” said Chuck.” There are six of them. Probably two hours if they’re good.”
The elevator will be tricky because they want to vaporise it without bringing down the shaft” said Art. “That will require trained demolition experts to set multiple small charges and fire them off simultaneously. Probably two hours, maybe longer.”
“So as little as four hours?” queried Rihan.
Art just nodded. Everyone went quiet as they contemplated the significance of that.
“The good news is that the facility entrance is not going to be breached any time soon as that would require winching some poor bastard down the shaft for 3,000 metres” said Chuck and with a smile added “now they may be tall buggers but I reckon they go splat just like us when dropped from that height.” Everyone smiled at that.
“We should leave some defence at the bottom just in case” recommended Rihan.
“Agreed” said Pious “Lt Chalker, how many effectives do you have at the facility entrance?”
“Just twelve Sir.”
“My god!” replied Art and he looked intently at his fiancée. She just shook her head slightly and winced a little. The pain was obvious to all.
“Right Lt Chalker, you stay there with 1st Pl. At the first sign of any activity in the shaft let me know here and we’ll send the fire-brigade to you.”
“Right Sir.”
Turning to Chuck, Pious continued “everything set with the fire-brigade?”
“Yes Sir” replied Chuck. “Jake Tomar’s 3rd Pl and the three remaining Trojans are just down the tunnel a kilometre. We’ve scraped up three light mine vehicles and mounted each of his teams. Where they are now, they can reach the main entrance in five minutes. It will take then 15 to reach the facility entrance.”
“Good and what about at the main entrance. How many effectives are left in 2nd Pl?”
“Twenty Sir” replied Chuck “But I’m having the marine detachment from the Sydney to backstop them. They have 25 more marines.”
“So let’s take it as a given that they will breach the main entrance. How should we respond?” posed Pious.
“Sir if I may suggest…” Chuck spoke up straight away. Pious nodded. “They’ll make that breach with one of their shuttles. These are big battle shuttles and will take up most of the space in the shaft. If we can destroy the initial one in the shaft, they’ll have to clear it before they can get any more through. That will require a heavy lift shuttle or some pretty powerful winching machinery, which I doubt they’ll have to hand.”
“I agree with Chuck on this” said Art and he smiled at Chuck. Then he continued “Knock out the first shuttle at the base of the shaft and we will buy us a lot of time.”
“What if they anticipate that and after firing making the breach immediately hover up and then have troopers rappel down and force the breach” asked Rihan.
“They could do that and we need to handle that case too. But if they don’t then we need to be able to take out that battle shuttle” said Art. “We destroyed one with the Trojan cannon fire and another with a bog-standard Rizstorm rocket launcher. The first Rizstorm we fired glanced off because of the acute angle but the second one was very effective.”
“So we should have both on hand” added Chuck.
“Yes I concur” said Pious. “Chuck can you attach one of the Trojans to 2nd Pl and have it positioned off the tunnel road so it’s not in the direct line of fire”
“Yes Sir.”
“Rihan how are we for Rizstorms?” asked the Commodore.
Rihan consulted her console and advised “We have 46 Sir.”
“Excellent. Chuck make sure you provide ample Rizstorm to all your marines and the Sydney contingent.”
“Will do Sir.”
“Otherwise I believe our original contingency plans are still good or do any of you believe they need revising.” No one did.
“Excellent, how did the evacuation go?”
“Pretty bad, Sir. Apart from the marine losses
we’ve already covered, the initial beam attack inflicted heavy losses on those still on the surface. We lost 12 technicians who were inspecting the enemy corvette, along with Lt Hussain. There were another 20 injuries ranging from minor to serious. These are now being treated down here.”
She looked at the faces of her colleagues but they remained impassive, just taking the report in. So she continued. “We lost one heavy lift vehicle up top at the main entrance and five light ones at the facility. It looks like several of the base force shuttles were destroyed along with their crew. I’m not exactly sure of numbers. We’ll have to wait till we get word from the base force. All six defence batteries were destroyed and we lost 24 of their crew. Two mining personnel are missing along with two mining vehicles.”
Still no comments from anyone. “I estimate catastrophic damage to the facility above ground. What the enemy didn’t destroy in their assault we blew up as we descended. Don’t know about Shangri La. The main entrance up top, except for the dock is probably OK, though there is no atmosphere inside anymore, due to the doors being breached. The dock is probably wrecked.”
“Definitely wrecked” added Art.
“Right, definitely wrecked” confirmed Rihan. “We have around 450 personnel in the complex with provisions for three weeks on full rations and maybe five if we ration. Ammunition is mixed. Small arms ammo is plentiful, enough for two units of fire per day per unit for two weeks. As I mentioned we have 46 Rizstorms. Where we are critical is in Trojan ammo for their main guns. We have just under three units of fire per vehicle and that’s it. So they are good for just three short firefights. We’re in better shape for the Sydney’s warthogs. We have around ten units of fire for each of these. We’ve also a pile of missiles but nothing to fire them.”
“Thank you Rihan. I don’t think we need to start rationing just yet. But if the Wasp Group fails to arrive in three days, then we should start rationing. How will our air conditioning hold out?”
The Awakening: Book 1 of Warner's World Page 33
