Stand or Fall (The Omega War Book 4)
Page 26
A warning buzzer sounded once. Chee looked down. “Transmission power on all monitored frequencies has quadrupled. Command frequency identified. No other activities in the spectrum.”
“Twenty seconds.”
“What are they broadcasting?” Drehnayl asked aloud. She waved off the answer. “Nevermind. Jam their communications. Everything you have.”
“Countermeasures engaged,” Chee reported. “Electrical systems on the orbital are powering up in response...and have stabilized far below operating levels. The signal is jammed and—”
“Aspect change on the vessel. It’s broadside and firing!” Nyalla yelped. “Torpedoes inbound!”
Drehnayl watched in shock as a fusillade of high-velocity missiles erupted from the side of the darkened hulk. The bow of the Tral-Ya blossomed with simultaneous impacts. The entire ship shuddered. Secondary explosions appeared throughout the hull. In the space of a few seconds, the forward section of the missile cruiser tore away. A second barrage targeted the underside of the cruiser where its weapons bays were ready for launch. Drehnayl flinched at the precision of the attack, as if the Humans knew where the central magazine was located.
The external cameras whited out.
“The Tral-Ya has detonated. They breached the central magazine. The Kaal-naya has engaged the Human vessel and destroyed it, but we cannot reach them. Primary communications are down, General. Everything, including direct lasers, are inoperable. The explosion must have affected the antennas on the Kaal-naya.”
Drehnayl roared. “All sensor suites to active mode. Prepare to deploy the attack force. Bring the Flatar—”
//MISSILE WARNING! MISSILE WARNING!//
“Where?”
“Beyond visual range, bearing is 270 degrees to line of travel,” Chee reported. “There are...there are at least one hundred individual signatures bearing on the fleet.”
“Evasive action! Match those bearings and return fire.” Drehnayl stood at her console and pointed at the weapons team. “Time to arrival?”
“Forty-five seconds,” Nyalla replied. “Profile matches kinetic attack missiles. They are tracking our evasive maneuvers.”
Kinetic attack missiles accelerated a hunk of depleted uranium, to very high speeds. Defensive beam weapons were worthless against them, and intercepting them with a missile was difficult as they travelled at extremely high speeds. Although it was difficult to achieve a hit, the chances of the defenses countering them were even smaller. “Deploy countermeasures. Confuse what we can.”
“Countermeasures deployed.” Chee waited an eternity before replying. “Less than ten percent of inbounds have taken the bait.”
Drehnayl turned to navigation. “We are shielded by the Xiaa. Maneuver to put it between the missiles and us.”
“What?” Chee screeched. “You’re sacrificing the frigate and over four thousand—”
Drehnayl lunged across her console and raised pointed a claw at her executive officer. “One more argument, and I will kill you.”
“Yes, General.” Chee looked at her console giving Drehnayl an infusion of power that threatened to make her giddy.
“Nyalla, deploy the dropships now. Get them out of the way. Land at primary attack points and push to victory.”
“I have given the order to deploy the dropships. Sixteen seconds to first impacts.”
Dropships poured from the forward cruiser, Kaal-naya, and the attending frigates. Most of the ones from the Xiaa wouldn’t survive the next few seconds. Clenching her jaw shut in rage, Drehnayl watched the first kinetic missiles streak into her fleet.
Most of them found their targets. With communications down and the sky full of lethal, high velocity projectiles, Drehnayl strapped herself into her chair and wondered how fast she could get to the escape shuttles as the Xiaa shuddered and ripped apart at its seams.
We will avenge you, my sisters. Hell shall be full of Humans tonight.
* * *
Command Center
Victoria
A wave of applause swept through the room as the report of the missile cruiser’s detonation came through. Next to Jessica, Commander Watson nodded appreciatively, but Jessica stood rigid with her left arm across her chest and her right hand on her chin.
<
“You think they’ll evade?” Watson asked.
Jessica nodded. “They’ll try. That’s why we’re firing about sixty percent of our missiles in this salvo. Once they hit, Lucille will move the Augusta and her task force into position to draw the MinSha into a fight. If she succeeds, we’ll have an open shot at their rear quarter with the remaining ships Lucille designated for attack.”
Watson squinted at the board. “Augusta? Dahlonega? You from Georgia or something?”
Jessica nodded and kept her eyes on the Tri-V display showing the relative positions of the orbiting ships. The MinSha fleet suffered a twenty percent loss to their combat power as well as the loss of one of the vehicles capable of destroying the settlements from orbit. “Yeah. Little town called Blairsville. We didn’t stay there too long, though.”
Dad never wanted to stay very long in any one place. Between Fort Benning, the training grounds at Dahlonega, and Warner Robins Air Force Base, there were plenty of opportunities for his start-up company, but he’d wanted more, so they’d left Georgia behind.
<
Jessica took a deep breath. “Here we go.”
<
“Copy, Lucille.” She turned to Watson. “Stand-to. Now.”
“On it, Peacemaker,” Watson said as he ran for the forward door.
<
“Ninety-five shots will have to do, Lucille.”
<
“Time to first missile impact?”
<
“Do what you can to thin them out, Lucille.” Jessica turned from the Tri-V to a wooden framed, old-fashioned map board. The wide valley plotted with grid reference systems and key terrain brought a smile to her face. Keeping things simple worked wonders. While it would have been easy to track individual slates and weapons systems electronically, there was nothing better than a big, overall picture, and the map gave her just that.
At the far end of the valley, along what the natives called the North Wall, ran the Swigert River. The river pooled into Lake Kranz and kept flowing east past the three prominent mesas into a deep canyon running past the edge of Lovell City. Watson had established a defensive position at Lake Kranz to protect the nuclear power facility which provided electricity to most of the human settlements on the planet. To the south of the strongpoint were more than twenty kilometers of gently rolling, sparsely-vegetated terrain. Immediately to the east of the strongpoint was the first, and smallest, of the mesas. Jessica grinned at the code names. The westernmost mesa, overlooking Lake Kranz and the nuclear plant, was Point Tyree. The middle mesa, the largest and tallest of the three, was Point Brittles. The third mesa, overlooking the western edge of Lovell City, was Point Quincannon. One of Watson’s tank commanders, a sturdy man named MacFollet, suggested the names, and Jessica approved. The names of
the old cavalry movies were great choices, as the scenic valley looked like Monument Valley on Earth.
<
“Too late, Lucille. Standing by for damage assessment, when available.”
Eyes still on the map, Jessica reviewed the plan. Tirr was forward at Point Tyree with a company of tanks and twelve CASPers. Hidden in the tight space behind the mesa, they could see and lay fire on the obstacle fields by the nuclear power plant and retain the freedom to maneuver across the battlefield. That they would likely see the first enemy contact was exactly why Jessica wanted her friend there, and Tirr had readily accepted. On the far side of Lake Kranz, though, was a small desert airfield and a squadron of Watson’s flyers. With any degree of luck, the MinSha would miss them on the drop and get a nice surprise when they went for the power plant.
In the center of the valley was a forward observation point nestled between some vertical rock formations known as the Sentinel. A platoon of six CASPers, led by a capable veteran named Bridgewater, waited there to see what the MinSha’s gambit would be. If they pushed north toward the wall, the observers would engage a screen line and retreat north to a supplementary firing position, with Tirr to the west and Captain Ibson to the north supporting them with direct fire. If the MinSha tried to push into the brutal terrain to the south, they’d meet obstacles and indirect fire from the batteries around Lovell City. Keeping them in the middle of the valley and slightly to the south gave them the best chance to harass and degrade the MinSha’s ability to fight, well in advance of meeting the forward line of troops. Even so, the MinSha would be hard pressed to make the climb into Lovell City.
Should the MinSha close the distance, a battalion of armor protected the starport and the major avenues of approach into the city. Next to them were two companies of CASPers hidden in defilade positions just downslope from the tanks on the western slope of Point Quincannon. Behind the squat mesa, though, was the best surprise Jessica and Watson could create. A series of dropships loaded with CASPers and ammunition waited for combat deployment. Supported by another company of tanks and a platoon of CASPers, they were the last-ditch hope to save Lovell City, should it come to that.
<
Flatar? Jessica shook the thought away. “Copy all, Lucille. You’re clear for right wheel forward.”
<
Her headset clicked to life and Tirr asked, “What does that mean? Right wheel forward?”
“American Civil War, Gettysburg. A place called Little Round Top. Faced with overwhelming opposing forces and down to bayonets, a colonel named Chamberlain ordered his soldiers to charge with a right wheel forward, meaning they swung down the hilltop from left to right. The surprise move caused the rebel forces to panic and run and saved the extreme end of the Union line. One of the boldest maneuvers of either side during the war.” Jessica paused. “It’s something you should study when this is over, Tirr.”
“I must learn more of Human history, Jessica. Your military commanders are impressive.”
Jessica snorted with laughter. So are you, Tirr.
<
Jessica looked at the display. “What about bringing in your Dahlonega group on the rear quarter now? Hit the capital ships with them and target the descending forces with your primary forces?”
<
Meaning you don’t know which one to hit to cause the most damage.
“Target the Kaal-naya. Put that missile cruiser out of commission with Dahlonega. Engage the dropships as you can and target remaining salvos on the big ships. Keep them too busy to drop anything else from orbit. Get in close and hit them hard, Lucille. Stop them with everything you have.”
<
Tirr’s voice filled her ears again. “Jessica, I have visual. Their dropships have reached interface. We believe they’re targeting the nuclear plant as suspected.”
Jessica felt a cold smile on her face. “Good. Hit them with our little surprise when you can. Be prepared to fall back sooner rather than later. I’d rather give them the plant than lose combat forces.”
“What about the strongpoint?” Tirr asked. “There are crews running the automated systems, are there not?”
“They volunteered, Tirr. That’s a couple of hard-headed folks out there, but they get their wish. Fall back when you need to and be prepared to assist Bridgewater’s team at the OP.”
“Understood, Peacemaker. Good luck to you, my friend. I’ll see you on the high ground.”
“Copy all, Tirr. Good hunting. They’re heading your way.” Jessica ended the transmission and cued her Tri-V to the incoming dropships. They’d be on the ground in eleven minutes. Ground forces reported total combat readiness at 92 percent and climbing. A few of the early model CASPers took forever to warm up, and a reasonable delay in readiness was to be expected. Their forward forces were ready, though, and it gave Jessica a moment of calm. We can do this.
One step at a time, Bulldog. Her father’s voice was soft and urgent. One step at a time.
* * * * *
Chapter Twenty-Four
MinSha Dropship Z-0213
10,000 meters above Victoria and descending
Satisfied her infantry skiffs and soldiers were ready for combat, Colonel E’kamm strode toward the dropship’s command deck. The return of gravity, even at a paltry 1.01 Earth gravities, was welcome. Given their history in combat, the Humans would be a worthy, if unpredictable, foe. E’kamm relished the opportunity to take a fight directly into the Human settlements. Promoted from Major during the campaign on New Persia for her competence and efficiency, E’Kamm led Drehnayl’s advanced infantry forces because of her unparalleled hatred for Humans. One of a clutch of twelve female warriors at birth, the others pursued mercenary lives only to die in the pursuit of credits and fortune. Most of them perished at the hands of Human mercenary companies, the last just a year and a half earlier on the sandy plains of Araf as a member of the Darkness. Jessica Francis and her laughable Force 25 killed her last remaining sibling, and, given the chance, E’Kamm wanted to return the favor.
From the moment E’kamm learned Jessica Francis was on the planet and likely assisting the Humans with their defense, the newly-minted colonel struggled to focus on planning for the coordinated attack. As she studied the terrain around Lovell City and realized Drehnayl wanted her to attack a key nuclear power plant protected by a defensive strongpoint, E’Kamm knew she likely would not be part of the final assault on the Peacemaker’s position. Given the expectation of significant resistance, E’kamm felt they were throwing her and her skiff-deployed and supported infantry regiment away, and she wanted none of that.
She ducked her head through the oblong entry hatch to the bridge and called to the command pilot. “Status report.”
“On course and glideslope, passing 10,000 meters. Negative enemy contact or sensor detection.”
This caught her by surprise. “No radars or velocity trackers?”
“Negative.”
Curious. She focused her thoughts on the rapidly-approaching mountain valley. She could clearly see the lake and the strongpoint position in the rising sunlight washing over the valley.
“Move the insertion point to within eight thousand meters of the strongpoint. As you start landing, all offensive weapons are to fire on the strongpoint. They’ll struggle to respond. Spee
d is of the essence. Once we’re clear, decrease to your slowest flying speed and hammer that position with everything you have before you pull away. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Colonel E’kamm,” the command pilot said. “We can give you ten to twelve seconds per dropship above the strongpoint before we have to boost for orbit.”
“Do whatever your fuel allows.” E’kamm adjusted her armor. “Nothing matters save the destruction of humanity.”
“Five thousand meters altitude. No sensors. Pushing insertion point forward,” the command pilot relayed. “All regimental dropships are in position.”
Behind them, descending from orbit in a large V-shaped formation, were the rest of her dropships, each carrying a dozen heavily-armored infantry combat troops. Her force would be more than enough to reduce both the strongpoint and the nuclear power facility to dust. If they could do it fast enough, E’kamm would also race down the northern mountain wall toward Lovell City and kill Jessica Francis and as many humans as she could before she died.
It was the MinSha way.
“Steady on,” E’kamm told the flight crew. She dropped down the oblong tube to the vehicle bay. The eyes of her four lead skiff commanders were on her, and she stopped for a moment before raising a foreclaw to her chest carapace in salute. Mounting her vehicle, E’kamm donned her helmet before she opened the command hatch and dropped inside the skiff. Her communications suite connected automatically.
“Report.”
“Vehicle commander, ready. We’re forty seconds from the drop.”
“Understood. Relay to the regiment—maneuver configurations on drop.” E’kamm strapped herself into the vehicle and waited for the external ramps to deploy. A free release from a moving dropship wasn’t something the MinSha armies practiced on a regular basis. “Brace yourselves for maneuver.”
“Thirty seconds to drop.”