by Rob Howell
“You’re correct.”
Sheridan shook his head. “How are we going to get to Jeriasker? We could hump it, but once we get to the base, both troopers and CASPer power supplies will be exhausted. We won’t be in great shape to attack, and we’re not likely to have time to recover.”
“You’re right.” Edmonds gestured at the facility on the screen. “That part of the Jeria delta is essentially a marshy wasteland, so there aren’t many Maquonese there. However, the area is rich with petrochemicals. This facility is one of Maquon’s biggest avgas refineries.”
“Avgas? You’re not considering using avgas in our shuttles and dropships?”
“Not our dropships. They’ll carry all the extra fuel they can and top off once they’re planet-side. They’re going to provide fire support and air cover. However, we don’t have enough for the shuttles. We’ll use avgas for them, so we’ll spend the days we have left doing what we can to adapt their engines.”
Sheridan shook his head. “Doesn’t matter what we do. Avgas will ruin their engines. It runs too hot and doesn’t have the energy density.”
“You’re right.” Edmonds shrugged. “Any shuttle we put avgas in won’t get out of the planetary gravity well until we replace the engine and exhaust systems. They’ll be sluggish and hard to maneuver. However, we can’t do this kind of landing without using up the bulk of the fuel in our shuttles. I’ll bet the Zuul know that, so even if they do see our shuttles and dropships heading off, they won’t expect us to return to the base anytime soon.”
“Then what?”
“After we load them with avgas, we’re going to fly low and slow along the river to this point.” He pointed at a reservoir about ten klicks away from the Maquon Base. “It was under our radar signature when we owned the base, and hopefully they haven’t had a chance to cover all the approaches. In any case, we’re going to land there and hump it the rest of the way.”
Sheridan tapped his fingers. “It’s doable, if they haven’t added coverage. But if we don’t get all of their ships out of orbit, they’ll be able to see us coming up the river.”
“You’re right. We’ve only got a fifty-fifty chance we’ll be able to get to this point undetected. The dropships will have full fuel reserves because the Zuul might attack our advance with dropships and CAS.”
“I suppose.”
“If we come in this way, we’ll be fighting in the jungle, not on a hot drop.” Pedersen smiled.
Edmonds matched it. “Yes. Our kind of terrain. This way, hopefully, we can get down with our units intact and in the right place. If they’ve done their research, they’ll know we have two line companies, plus the sappers. So, we’re going to take advantage of your work. Alfa and Delta will advance south of the river. Bravo will go around to the north.”
“If they see two company-sized units maneuvering south of the river, they’ll think it’s all of us.”
“Yes. That’s why I want Bravo to the north. They’re our most experienced unit and will have a better chance of getting in place without getting noticed.” He turned to Captain Helman on the Cabot. “Your CASPers are going to have to swim across the lake. It won’t be fun, but even if someone sees you land, they may not see you cross. You’re going to be my ace in the hole and hit them in the back.”
“Yes, sir!”
“We’re going to be on a tight schedule. When you get here, you’re to slide back into the jungle and wait for the signal that we’re fully engaged.”
Blaine spoke up. “Jackson and Steele said they mined the river. How will Bravo cross safely?”
Edmonds grimaced. “If we’re doing a serious high-altitude drop assault on the base, the Zuul will expect some counterbattery fire. We’re going to hit the river with a couple of missiles.”
“What if they go off course and land in Jeriasker?”
The colonel shook his head. “I hope we’re lucky. If they go where we aim them, they’ll clean the river out. We’ll fire them ballistically from the CAS, without penetration aids that can get confused and direct them off course.”
“Even computers will struggle to make accurate ballistic shots with all the chaos we’re planning to create.” Sheridan leaned forward.
“Do you have a better idea?”
Blaine spoke up. “I do. You’ve got the extra shuttles on the Cabot. The processing capability of a shuttle is much greater than that of a missile. I can program some with an autopilot flight profile to look like they’ve been hit by flak, then dive into the river. The Zuul won’t be able to jam them, and once they look like they’re crashing, their gunners are likely to shift to other targets. Plus, if we send a group of shuttles, it’ll make the drop look that much more authentic. I can program these decoys to crash to the east of the base, away from Jeriasker.”
“That’s a good idea. How long will it take?”
“No more than a day.”
“We’ve got that much time.”
“Are you sure that’ll work, Blaine?” asked Sheridan.
“Sir, the air will be filled with flak, SAMs, chaff, and God knows what else. I can’t promise shit won’t happen, but I can promise it won’t be because the programming is wrong.”
“That’s fair.”
“If that doesn’t work, we’ll have dropships ready to try the other way,” continued Edmonds.
“Good plan, Colonel,” agreed Blaine.
“Captain Helman?”
“Yes, Colonel?”
“Bravo should be able to cross easily, assuming we can eliminate the mines with dropships. However, I’m assigning your company a sapper team, just in case. If neither Blaine’s idea nor the ballistic attacks work, they’ll blow the mines with their explosives. It’s not as quick, and they’ll be under fire, but you’ll be able to cross.”
Captain Kjetil grimaced. “That’ll be hard on my men.”
“Yes. But it’s easier on them than it would be on Bravo if they have to cross through the mines.”
“True. I understand, but I don’t like it.”
“Me neither.” Edmonds turned back to Helman. “When we’re fully engaged, I want you across the river and on the docks. Your CASPers will be minimally armed. You’ll have 12.7mms with HEAT rounds and a very light load of K-bombs.”
“What are you thinking, sir?”
“Two things. One, you’ll be swimming quite a bit, and I want you to carry an extra fuel cell for each trooper. Two, I want you to keep the damage to the center core of the base as light as possible. The Zuul commanders have to know more than we do about what’s going on, and hopefully, they’re in that area. We’ve been behind the intel curve from the beginning, and I want to change that. I want prisoners. Capture as many as you can, but only if doing so doesn’t risk your company.”
“Yes, sir.”
Edmonds looked at Pedersen and Forsberg. “We’ve got some idea from Jackson and Steele about what we’re facing on the southern perimeter. I want Alfa and Delta loaded for Oogar. Make sure we’ve got every heavy weapon we can scrape up. I want to carry as much ammo as we can.” He turned to Kjetil. “Sorry, Pal, the sappers are going to have to hump a bunch of extra K-bombs.”
“Tenacious and versatile, sir. Request a platoon of masseuses to meet us afterward.”
They all laughed.
“I’ll see what I can do, Captain.”
“Thanks, Colonel.”
“They should also carry all the one shot launchers we’ve got,” suggested Sheridan. “In fact, if it comes to a choice between K-bombs and M-8s, we should choose the M-8s.”
Edmonds cocked his head. “Reasons?”
“They have to be expecting us to try and take back the base. We know they’ve set a trap. They’ll have heavy weapons and some sort of artillery or CAS to support them. We don’t have MACs to counter that.”
“All we’ve got are those M-8s. They’re slow, don’t fly very far, have small warheads, and almost no penetration aids.” Edmonds smiled ruefully. “That’s why I was able to get such
a good deal on them.”
Sheridan chuckled. “I know. Still, they’re effective at the ranges we’re likely to need them. The valley our base is in is only about ten klicks across and fairly steep. There are no long lines of sight, so a short range missile is just as useful as one with longer range.”
“True.”
The chief of staff continued. “The M-8s will be ineffective against the Zuul dropships. However, they might work okay against their atmospheric birds. More importantly, they’ll be reasonably effective as fire support against Zuul fortifications and heavy weapons. I know you’re sending down some dropships to serve as CAS, but their primary mission is to keep the Zuul from gaining complete air superiority, and they might not be available for ground attacks.”
“All good points. I should’ve thought of that.”
“Then how about two platoons of masseuses, sir?” Kjetil said with a grin.
Another laugh.
“You’re going to be running like mad, Captain. We’re sending a section with Bravo to deal with mines, we’ll need another section to make sure the approaches are clear, and a third section for ammo resupply.”
“I expect a raise, sir.”
“Along with the masseuses?”
“Why do you think I want a second platoon of them?” Kjetil grinned. “I’ve got good people. Rodriguez can handle Bravo section. It’s why I co-opted him into the sappers years ago. He’s got a nose for that sort of thing. If anyone can get Bravo across the Jeria, he can. And you know how efficient Masood can be.”
Rueful nods around the table answered him.
“Don’t let him frustrate your men so much that they drag their heels,” warned Edmonds
“We’ve gotten used to him, sir.” Kjetil shrugged. “He’s an idiot when it comes to dealing with people, but he sees patterns and logistics as well as anyone I’ve ever known. He’s sort of an anti-Sommerkorn.”
“Good.” Edmonds chuckled. “I wondered why someone with his VOWS scores made it all the way to the Foresters until I met him. Good thing I’ve been called a fool before, though I’ll admit that was the first time I’ve been called a fool by the officer applicant I was interviewing.”
Another round of laughs.
Kjetil continued. “I’ll stay with you, sir. That way, he’ll call me a fool, not you.”
“You do have a way about you, Captain Kjetil.”
Kjetil grinned.
“Meanwhile, Captains Gonzalez and Christopher, you’ll be dealing with whatever is left after the initial assault. Given that you’re likely going to be outnumbered, even without factoring in the possible eighth Zuparti ship and the Type Two, you’re not to go toe-to-toe. The Huron and the Algonquin are old warships, but they are warships. The armed merchies will have more firepower, but probably aren’t as nimble. Take advantage of that. Your goal is to keep them occupied until we have control of the base. Then, according to the terms of our lease with the Maquonese, I can ask for assistance from their navy to clear the orbitals. It isn’t a big navy, but if we get that far, they’ll outnumber the Zuparti. And if the Zuparti continue to fight, they’ll be doing so against a planetary government. That might draw attention they don’t want.”
Gonzalez and Christopher looked at each other. Finally, they shrugged.
“It’s doable, I suppose, but a shit-tonne has to go right.” Christopher shook his head. “I helped you plan some of this, and it’s audacious as hell, but it’ll be a nightmare if things go wrong.”
“That’s why George is still pissed at me back on Earth. I’m risking a sizable percentage of the regiment. If we don’t get Maquon back, and don’t get it back soon, the Hilden might look elsewhere, even after our history together. Then, it’ll be hell to get contracts that are legitimate and worthwhile. I think the Foresters can survive, even if we fail, as long as we die tenaciously. But, if we don’t try? We’re definitely done.”
“That’s probably true.”
Edmonds looked around the room. “This isn’t a suicide mission. I’ve never liked forlorn hopes. But it’s risky. At the end, all members of the Foresters will get full campaign bonuses, or their next-of-kin will. That’s above combat bonuses, performance bonuses, and the like. In that context, it’s just like a normal contract.”
“Yeah, but who’s our client?”
“Me.”
“What?” asked Gonzalez.
“Me. Roosevelt Edmonds has hired Colonel Edmonds and the Foresters for this job. Ever since Irene got her share from the Druant mission, the family has kept enough for this sort of emergency. Now’s the time to use it.”
The officers glanced at each other, then chorused, “Tenacious and versatile!”
“Right. Go back to your troopers. Share what you know. Run it past your NCOs. See if they’ve got any ideas. Now’s not the time for us to be proud. I’m certainly not. I got us into this mess, and I’ll take any help I can to get us out.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Dismissed.”
* * * * *
Part VI
Dead Men Are Heavier Than Broken Hearts
—The Big Sleep
Chapter 34 – Kal’shin Tahzhent
Type Two Corvette Starstrider
Maquon Space
“The two Forester destroyers are starting what appears to be an attack run.”
“Good.” Tahzhent floated over to the sensor tech.
“And they’re launching from a long distance, Kal’shin.” The tech pointed at a series of faint missile plumes. “Should we warn the Zuparti?”
Tahzhent bared his teeth. “Don’t you think the Zuparti have sensors of their own, Shilrasha? We wouldn’t want to insult our allies by thinking them incapable.”
The sensor tech lolled his tongue. “Of course not, sir. And undoubtedly, they’ve been tracking the two Forester destroyers, so they would have seen them launch their missiles in the Great Hunter’s infinity just as we did.”
“Exactly so, Brother.”
The sensor tech glanced at the screen. “The missiles’ initial drives have burned out.”
“Mark missile run-time on the screen.”
Shilrasha tapped some controls. “They’ll impact their respective targets at this time, unless the Humans activate a secondary drive to increase acceleration.”
“Are all the Zuparti ships in the system accounted for?”
“There are missiles on course for six of the seven in orbit. They’re not targeting the one docked at the space station.”
“Civilian casualties are always a nuisance. Do the missiles look to be on target?”
“As best we can tell from this distance and orientation. Again, Human missiles are supposed to have secondary drives to make terminal targeting much more precise.”
“For all their cowardice, we should never forget the Humans are cunning.” Tahzhent flicked his ears. “What about the Zukalakk?”
“I’m not sure the Humans realize the Zuparti have an eighth ship insystem.”
“We can’t have everything, can we?” Tahzhent pulled himself into the command chair and clicked the restraining straps into place. “Since we trust our Zuparti allies to know what they’re doing, why don’t you keep track of their response time? See if you can catch their point-defense targeting emissions. That sort of thing.”
“As you command, Kal’shin.”
“And mirror your screen on the main viewer. I want to watch the Zuparti in action.”
The entire bridge crew turned to watch. Zuul tongues lolled as the missiles tracked their prey. Behind them, the two Human destroyers followed at a more sedate pace.
“Make sure we have a firing solution on the Human destroyers,” commanded Tahzhent. “But don’t use active sensors. I wouldn’t want to insult our Zuparti allies by interfering.”
After a moment. “Passive sensor firing solutions acquired.”
“Excellent. It seems they have some understanding of how to hunt with elegance. See how they’ve attacked from two completely d
ifferent angles and they’ve ignored the ecliptic? ”
“Yes, sir.”
“Oh, this is lovely. Shilrasha, make sure to record this for future training hunts.”
“Done.”
After a bit, Tahzhent asked, “What do we know about Human missile launcher reload times?”
“It takes about twenty of their minutes, Kal’shin. Not much different than ours.”
“How many of those minutes have expired since they launched?”
“According to the conversion tables, about eighteen.”
“And how many remain until they reach the Zuparti ships?”
“They’ll reach the first Zuparti freighter in six minutes.”
“Plenty of time to fill their tubes.”
“Yes, sir.”
“It’s so good to see professionals at work, is it not, my brethren?”
The bridge crew wagged their tails.
Tahzhent leaned back. “Tell me when the missiles’ secondary engines activate, and they begin their final runs.”
“As you wish.”
The bridge stayed completely silent until—
“Sir, missiles executing final accelerations.”
“It seems our allies might not have had sensors after all. I suppose we should warn them. Open up a channel, if you please. Tightbeam only.”
“Channel open.”
“Zuparti ships. Be advised that you’re being hunted by Humans. Their missiles are heading straight at you. We recommend using all active and passive defenses.”
“Wha—” came the response from one Zuparti ship. The first missile impacted. Then the second. The third tore the freighter in half. Moments later, more missiles impacted and reduced three more Zuparti ships to orbital trash.
Two freighters managed to get their point defense up in time. The first freighter destroyed two of the three missiles chasing her, but the third exploded off her starboard side. She vented atmosphere and staggered.
The second freighter only managed to down one of the missiles aimed at her. She held together, despite two direct hits, but high-resolution images showed an immense cloud of debris trailing past it.