Flint shook his head.
“Nothing before we left. But they were expecting the attack any day then. My guess is that it has already started. That was ten days ago.”
Kelley nodded.
As Sheppard and Sanders joined them he pulled out a map.
Flint noticed that several positions were already marked. They had the signs of Alpha and of Elis’s team.
“We move out at first light tomorrow. We all know our new mission and our areas of control.”
He pointed to the marked locations on the map. All locations overlapped. And all were behind enemy lines. It was a huge territory, a territory they all knew well. It was a jungle that was their friend. It was a jungle that would hide them from their enemies and give them a chance to strike without warning. And they all knew that there would be many rebel forces small teams that will do the same they do. Strike and sting the enemy forces, hurt them a little in a lot of places at once. Draw blood and retreat. It was an old strategy and a strategy that proved it self time and again in the past.
A strategy they were masters of.
The dacarians were in big trouble and they didn’t even know that.
As the fire lit their faces they all smiled a predatory smile.
“We have several months until the fleet arrives and by god will give them a world in flame. A world filled with the dead bodies of legionaries.”
They all nodded at Kelley’s words.
They spoke for a little while and then they retreated for the night. They had a long day ahead.
The next morning they all quietly said their goodbyes and moved out. The cave that served as their base camp stayed behind.
Far away Epsilon and Theta left their base camps behind as well. The SF forces had a new mission. They were going to do what they did best, irregular war, terror on the enemy, guerilla tactics, using everything as their weapon.
The SF teams were all going to war.
The attack on the Ksamona line started just two days after the three humans left the fortress.
It started with the largest bombardment this world had seen since the days of the war. The line and the bunkers were blasted for four continuous days. Many died but they held. Where shields failed the trenches and bunkers were destroyed.
Salazar watched the commanders of his small force. He commanded thousands more men just day before. But then the new order came. He saw the new plan and he agreed to it. It was a good plan. It was a plan that gave them hope for a brighter future. But it was also a plan that crippled his defense. He could have held for months if he had all of his men. Now all he could hope was delay the inevitable. He could hold longer but only if he and the men he commanded would fight to the end.
And he could see on their faces that they all knew.
He had just twelve thousand men under his command, twelve thousand men protecting hundreds of thousands that were moving towards the fortress behind him.
“We all know what is coming. And we know that we have no chance of stopping them.”
Aroga the Acadian commander looked at him.
“Weee willl allll diee buttt theyyy willll drownnn in theirrr blood beforeee thatttt momenttt commanderrrr.”
He nodded and the others did as well.
“Then we are agreed. We fight to the last men.”
He looked at one of the human commanders.
“Valorous I want you and your unit to serve as a reserve. I know that you are the hardest and best equipped unit we have. That is why I want you as a reserve. I want you to move out here”- he indicated a place on the map outside of the line up front in the marshes a region that would allow no approach-“I want you to sit tight and wait for my command. And when I give it I want you to strike hard, I want you to obliterate everything in your path.”
Valorous nodded.
“Marius I want your men to hold the first line. And you have to hold. Do you understand me? You have to hold. Zabora is coming to join us with three thousand more men. And we have units moving behind the bastards. You have to hold until they are all in position. Then we will strike. And strike hard. And with a little luck we will destroy all the forces arranged against us. And even if we don’t we’ll still cripple them and slow them down. We’ll buy our forces the time they need to make that fortress behind us impenetrable.”
They all nodded.
He raised his glass in a salute. They all did.
“Let’s drink in honor of all those that will fight on, in the memory of all who died and the bright future that lies ahead for our children to see.”
After this they all moved out slowly.
He followed them out. They were all young. They were not the best fighters he had but they were all he had. He knew that he was sending them to their deaths but they went without remorse or questions.
As he watched the humans moving out he wondered about their mysterious new friends. He remembered the small group of humans that passed these lines several weeks before. They didn’t seem special. But he read the same reports they all did, he spoke with the survivors. And he remembered the way they walked. He remembered the experienced eyes as they scanned the scene. They were professional soldiers. He wondered what they thought about his men. He trusted them and was proud of the way he trained them. He was an unorthodox commander, with new ideas, ideas he used the best way he could as he trained these units.
All he did was prepare them for this moment. He just hoped that he trained them right.
Ahura Sac watched the enemy defense line stretching before him. He had five divisions moving forward. Four were from his own one was a dacarian legion.
Six additional divisions that just arrived were in reserve. Two more legions were with them, and one more legion was to join him as soon as it gathered its spread out forces. He knew that two more legions were striking on the other side. He was making the main push but if the plan worked as it should those legions would make the decisive push in the enemy rear. The plan was for him to tie the main enemy forces, forces that were more than prepared from what he could see. It was strange to see so many and so well equipped forces so long after the planet was conquered. He knew from the reports that some enemy forces survived the invasion and hid but what he saw proved that they did more then just hide. They prepared well for this day.
He could see the gaps in the defense line made by the constant bombardment. He knew that his men will use them. And he also knew that he will have to pay the butcher bill in order to take that line. Not even orbital bombardment could destroy those bunkers. They had to take them the old fashion way.
He nodded to his second in command to give the signal.
Molok Sac just nodded. A moment later he spoke in his com link and the attack started.
Sixty five thousand Argara and ten thousand legionaries, their armor attacked the line.
Marius looked at the avalanche coming towards his line.
He knew that he had the most inexperienced men under his command. It was a crazy plan. He had three and a half thousand men. Thirty five hundred men holding a ten mile front against twenty times their number.
It was crazy. It was a suicide. But it was all they had.
“Wait for the order to fire. Let them come close. Let them enter the mine field.”
His message got through. He knew that he could trust his platoon and unit commanders.
As he saw that the dacarians and the Argara were deep in the mine field he gave the order. A moment later the field before him erupted.
Thousands of enemies died in just a moment and many more were wounded. They still kept on coming.
“So this is it.”- He whispered quietly. He took out a photograph of his family and looked at it. His wife and child were on it. He kissed the picture and returned it in his pocket.
“Open fire.”
The reaction was immediate. The soldiers under his command, humans, illians, sicarians, macassi, Acadians… they were all young but they were good.
As they opened up
so did the artillery they had left. Explosions rocked the front lines of the enemy. It slowed them down but it didn’t stop them. They just rolled over their dead and kept on coming returning fire.
Soon the casualties in the units under his command started mounting.
He could hear the screams of the wounded.
He noticed that the second battalion fire was slacking.
“Silas report.”
He didn’t get an answer and he repeated the request. A moment later a young man he didn’t know reported.
“Sir Captain Kato is dead, so are Silas and Moral. Sir I’m in charge of the unit.”
It took him a moment to remember the name of the young officer.
“Varo calm down. Your battalion’s fire is reducing. I need you to take command of the troops you have left and take it now. I need you to stop the Argara division coming your way. Stop them cold, is that understood?”
“Yes sir.”
He turned and looked at Isko.
“I want you to take your platoon and go over there. Help that boy keep his men calm. We have to hold this line.”
The young boy smiled.
“Will do sir, they will hold even if I have to kick them all the way to the end. They will hold.”
Isko left a moment later.
Several minutes later he noticed the fire in the battalion increasing. His left flank was secure.
But the danger came from another direction.
It came from the far right where the second Illian brigade was preparing its defenses. It was surprised by another legion. The enemy was close to cutting in his rear.
He looked at what he had left. He knew that the division commander will send additional units to cover the gap but by the time they reached here it would already be too late. He had three under strength battalions as a reserve. A thousand men total.
He called for Darius.
“Darius the Illian second is shattered. If they roll over them they will be in our rear and the general’s plan will be ruined.”
“I understand sir. I can see it from here. What do you want me to do?”
“Take your battalion and half of Muratas battalion and stop them. And try to gather the illian second again under your command. Take two platoons of Acadians. I believe they will come in handy in there.”
“Yes sir.”
He knew there was nothing he could do more. And he just added four more miles to his front. He knew that soon he will have to retreat to the second line.
He looked at the rest of his men.
“We hold here as long as we can. Then we retreat to the second line.”
He got nodes as reply.
They held for three more hours. The retreat was hell on it self under constant fire of the advancing enemy.
The second line held for four more.
Then they had to retreat to the third an last line. Here they were joined by what remained of the Illian second. Darius was holding the right side on the second line and sending parts of his surviving units back as well.
Isko was dead he died in the second line but the young Varo was proving more than capable. He was holding his men like a veteran issuing orders and keeping the enemy under constant barrage of fire.
He looked at the call from the general.
“How long can you give me Marius?”
Marius looked at what he had left. He lost fifteen hundred men so far. Twelve hundred of those were dead.
The wounded were patched up and sent back on the line, those that could fight.
Including the remains of the Illian second he had two thousand and three hundred men, which was not bad considering what they had against them.
And by free estimate they killed more then six thousand of the enemy bastards.
“I think we can hold for several more hours, seven, maybe eight sir.”
The com stayed quiet for a second.
“I need more from you son, i need you to counter attack and take back the second line. And I need you to hold one more day. One more day Marius, no matter what they send against you.”
As soon as he heard the order he knew that it was impossible. But he also knew that it was something he had to do.
If the general said they needed time than that was what they needed. And he and his men had to buy that time. He knew that the general had reserves back. That almost half of the division was not engaged at the moment. This was a good spot. The marshes provided a safe haven on both sides leaving just the small gap that he was defending here and another even smaller that the second illian was supposed to guard. Now his men were there as well.
He looked at Vorz the Illian that was now in command of the second Illian.
“I need you to take your men and join with Darius the moment we counter attack. I need you to hold the line. Hold it until you receive word from me. Then we retreat back here.”
Vorz nodded and headed back to his men.
A moment later they moved out. They stayed low and waited for Marius and his Brigade to launch the counter attack.
Marius called his battalion commanders.
“We need to counter attack and take back the second line. We will have artillery support as we move out. We will attack in fifteen minutes. Varo I want you and your men to lead the counter attack.”
Varo nodded. He was young and tired but he looked calm.
Ten minutes later their artillery opened up. For a moment the Argara front unites lost cohesion. Varo chose that moment to attack. The surprise of the enemy was total and they rolled back. Marius launched the rest of his unit a moment later.
They took back their second line in twenty minutes. They lost almost two hundred men but they had their objective. Now all they had to do was defend it to the end.
Ahura Sac smacked his fist on the wooden table. It shattered under the strong blow.
They lost almost six thousand men and the whole day to take that second line and they lost it in just twenty minutes.
He wondered how many men his opponent on the other side had.
But he guessed no more then three or four thousand. It was a narrow front. It was the best place to stop his much larger force, before the line stretched. He knew that he was facing the best the enemy had in their commanding staff. Who ever was in command on the other side knew what he was doing.
He remembered the report about the brigade he lost several weeks before. They faced rebels using strange tactics. For a moment he wondered if he was not facing the same commander today.
He looked at the other commanders in the room. Their faces were serious, especially the face of Gorlang, the general in command of the fourth division that lead the attack on the enemy positions. That division suffered 30% casualties in its ranks.
Ahura knew that the seriousness didn’t come from fear about his position or life. He knew full well that who ever lead the attack would suffer high casualties. It was expected. But no one expected that the attack will be stalled for this long. They hoped to break through the first day. They almost did but then they were thrown back.
He especially was surprised by the fact that the second legion was stopped in its advance.
They managed to break through the first line of defense fast and rolled over the defenders. Then suddenly the rebels counterattacked and threw them back.
And now they held and fought hard for every meter that his troops gained.
“What happened? We were supposed to be 20 miles inward by now. Instead we are just one mile inside their perimeter.”
“The resistance is heavier then expected my lord. They are fighting like demons, and they are well armed and equipped. We need the armored units. If don’t use them we can expect even higher casualties.”
Ahura saw the man who spoke. It was Garvas.
“The reports we got from the dacarians didn’t spoke the whole story about what we face. I don’t think Kobark had any intention of misleading me. He is new to this world just like us so it is possible that they don’t know what the
y face.”
“I agree. If it was some kind of a trap they would have told their legions. They suffered as well. And this jungle is thick enough to hide anything.”
Ahura thought for a second. He looked at Molok.
“Order three more divisions forward. One of them should try to sneak through the marshes. One will join us and another will reinforce the second legion. And Molok your division has free rain. I think it’s time we squash this rebel scum.”
His second in command smiled.
“Yes my lord, we will.”
“The third and fifth division will march with you. There is no holding back. Not anymore.”’
He looked at them expecting questions.
When no one spoke he nodded.
“Very well you know your assignments. This meeting is over.”
They all stood up an left the room.
Ahura sat down on the chair and looked at the map. He was confident that they will break through the enemy defenses.
What ever they were protecting it had to be hidden in the jungle that lay ahead, or in the mountains.
Marius encouraged his men as best he could. They were tired, but they were not beaten. He could see the determination on their young faces. He could sense the courage. They all knew what was probably coming. They could hear the enemy armored units approaching.
They were fighting without stop through the previous day and the whole night.
And they repelled the first two attacks this morning.
He lost almost two thirds of his brigade. Two thousand of his men were lying dead in the trenches, in many cases locked in a last deadly embrace with argara warriors.
He looked at the young Varo. He was just eighteen years old but he proved him self. And he knew that what he had to ask from him now would probably be the last order he will give him.
“Varo I will need your battalion to hold this line while the rest of the brigade retreats to the third line. You have to hold. No matter what they send you have to buy us the time we need to reinforce our line.”
Varo’s face what dirty, it was covered in black and dirt and sweat. His black hair was white from the smoke and ash. But his blue eyes still burned.
The Icarian Legacy Collected Edition: Brave Souls - First Strike (Volume 3) Page 76
