Three Jupiter’s stood at attention across from his own. Where is own bore snow camouflage with muted gold highlights, these new machines gleamed scarlet and purple in the lights of the Forward operating base? Kennedy whipped around to face his XO.
“Who’s machines are these?” He barked. “And why aren’t they properly camouflaged?” Halphen hesitated, looking at the machines himself.
“They’re aces, Comrade Colonel,” he said. “The Red Guards they call themselves, their combat record rivals your own.” Kennedy stepped closer to Halphen, his buttons scrapping at the man’s face.
“Who are they and who do they answer to?” he asked. The XO stepped back.
“You comrade,” he said. “They’re assigned to the headquarter company, I was told to think of them as elite forces.” Kennedy folded his arms behind his back.
“We’re the Mobile Assault Guards,” Kennedy said. “We’re all elite forces.” Halphen looked away.
“Well, I was told they could serve as bodyguards, shock troops, whatever you need,” he said. “It’s hard to argue with a document signed by the NC Secretary herself.” Kennedy sighed. So this bitch is keeping an eye on me. He turned and walked towards the command center.
“Return the battalion to duty, I want all units inspected for combat in an hour and five,” he snapped. “Oh. And send these Red Guards to my office once their checks are done, I need a word with them.”
As he entered his office, he was relived to see a simple set up. Particleboard walls ring to a small room with a simple desk and chair. No extra furnishings. No pictures on the wall. Simple and spartan, just how his predecessor had his. Blake kept his office like this and Myer kept the tradition. So who am I to change anything? After about an hour of settling his things in, there was a knock at his door.
"Enter, " he said. Three pilots walked into his office, two men and a woman. The man in the middle stood a head taller than the rest. He must be 7 feet tall. As they stood in front of his desk, he saw they all wore Guard-Major Rank. “I assume you all know why you’re in here?” The tall one, Knight his nametape said. Nodded.
“Yeah,” he said. “that squirrelly XO said you didn't take kindly to our fighting colors.” Kennedy nodded.
“If you're fighting colors were a natural color, then it wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately, lobster red is far from a natural color in the Tharcian Hinterlands,” he said. “You’ll need to alter your machines to a more natural hue.”
Knight shook his head. “With all due respect comrade Col, it’s our right as aces to paint our machines as we see fit,” he said. “If you’re worried about being spotted from the air, we can use camouflage nets same as everyone else, but we want the enemy to know who we are.”
With a sigh, Kennedy stood and paced the area behind his desk. “I’m sure on the Olympian front you three seemed invincible,” he said. “Particularly after you received Jupiters, but rest assured the Jupiters aren’t invincible.”
“Oh, we’ve heard of the Black Knight,” the woman, Snow, said. Her hair short hair seemed purplish in the light, but not enough to be deemed out of regs. “We’ve also been dying for a challenge, mopping up Olympians just got so, boring.”
“Well, prepare to be bored a little longer,” Kennedy said. “The 88th and the Motor regiment are about to seize the bridges north of Landfall, and once that has been accomplished, we will anchor their flank while they bypass Grunbeck and Swiezen.”
The Red Guards all moaned. “That’s no fun!” Snow protested, but Kennedy held up a hand.
“This is how wars are one, by everyone doing their part in the plan,” he said. “You are dismissed until further notice.” He returned to his chair once the Red Guards had left and sighed when they closed the door. I put them in their place, but is that how Blake would have done things?
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment. I wish he was around to ask, and of course Riverside is just south of here. Those bastards Mondragon and Rieter are around here somewhere, I just feel it. He shifted in his chair as he heard footsteps on the floor above him. With a click of a remote, he turned on his heater.
For a moment, he considered ordering the techs to repaint the Red Guards machines to standard winter colors, but changed his mind. Pearson’s toadies can keep their red machines, if it causes their death, then it’s their fault. Soon, he received his combat checks from his companies, including the Red Guards. Aside from minor defects, every machine was capable of fighting.
I would hope so, it’s not like they’ve done any heavy fighting in a while. Grabbing his helmet on his way out of his office, he headed towards the motor pool. If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my cockpit.
3
Snow whipped around the panzerters of Fox company as they marched through thick woods. The howling wind carried away the sound of metal joints, clanking tracks, and growling engines. Switching to thermals did little to help visibility in the powdery haze, much to Captain Reiter’s chagrin.
“All units,” he said on the company's net. “4-14th is set, we’ll wait south of these two main roads.” Black Platoon took the lead out of Landfall, with White Platoon taking the rear. Gold Platoon split themselves between the two panzerter platoons, and the scouts went wide with a section on each flank. Rieter’s headquarters element: himself in the Lowe, Adamski in a Panzerter IV, Comidus in the command track, and another Iglasio for security; anchored the center of Fox Company.
“Fox 6, Black 4, our point man has a spot with decent observation given the weather,” Mo said. Reiter acknowledged, and ordered the company to orient on the road, but stay just far enough to wear they could see it. They probably saw the weather and figured we couldn’t use our drones. Little did they know drone recon tipped us off to their movement.
“Hey Fox elements, I hope your bum warmers work, because we could be here for a while,” Reiter said.
“I thought the Unis were attacking immediately,” Wesser said. “Won’t they be here any second?”
“Negative Black 1,” Mo said. “They’re probably taking things slow, besides if its those ugly wheeled APCs, the Cav can handle them, we’re just window dressing unless panzerters show up.” Reiter checked his battle map. Somewhere ahead of him, the track vehicles in of the 4-14th lay in wait for the approaching Unis.
Over the gentle hum of the Lowe’s, engine, he made out the distant whine of engines over the wind. The unsightly armored personnel carriers crawled down the main road with their headlights on. I can’t believe it. Are they really that reckless? Zooming in confirmed the targets.
The Union APCs lived up to their hideous reputation. An angular bottom shaped for crossing water rode eight large wheels over the icy road. Chains covered their wheels, and a heavy machine gun swung about in a small turret.
“They’re really just driving down the middle of the road?” Mo asked. “This is going to be too easy.” Reiter shook his head.
“Everyone stay sharp,” he said. “Black and white leaders, if I ever order you to advance down the middle of a road, you have my permission to relive me of command immediately.” The procession ahead exploded into chaos. The lead APC skewed sideways, flames erupting from its hatches. Then the rear vehicle suffered the same fate.
Tharcian soldiers armed with rockets, machine-guns, and small arms hammered the Union motor column. Tracked vehicles supported them, knocking out APCs left and right. Union soldiers dismounted and struggled to organize a counter-attack, but the surprise of the ambush was too much. While the Cavalry treated the wounded and rounded up prisoners, Reiter’s forces cast their eyes west.
“Redeploy the company,” Reiter ordered. “And for God’s sake stay off the road.” Fox company maintained their relative positions, but shifted the line to the Cavalry’s west. In the distance they heard the sounds of battle: gunfire, artillery, and machine guns. Sounds like another motor company catching the hammer, you’d think they would’ve brought armor with them.
Now that he was able to g
et a look at the carnage, he could see how the motor company I have been destroyed so easily. Because of the swamps on either side of the road, the motor battalion wouldn’t have been able to get off and maneuver with the lead and rear vehicles destroyed, Trapping them in a shooters gallery. With a shake of his head, Rieter returned his attention to his own company.
“what do we do if more APCs show up?” Kozma asked.
“Let them through,” Reuter replied. “I’ll warn the Calvary, but for us to engage in would be overkill, We’ll save our rounds for Panzerters.” The motor battalion’s actions had left him questioning what the union plan actually was. Motorized units don’t usually on spearhead, mainly because there armor isn’t worth anything. So why lead an attack at such a low speed? They must have relied on the element of surprise, though I don’t see them overpowering the Cavalry without extensive prep time.
“We got contact,” Mo said. “Looks like more APCs with some friends.” Indeed, more APCs rolled down the hardball, but tinhats joined them. The rugged machines advancing on them possessed thick legs, curved torso armor, and a wide round head with a sensor ring that resembled a great war helmet, hence the reporting name tinhat. “I have three of them.”
“They come twelve to a company,” Reiter said. “If there’s three here, they may have broken up the others, Black platoon, break off and reinforce the Cavalry company guarding the north road.” Switching to the 4-14th’s net, he warned them of incoming armor and his own platoon stiffening their line to the north.
Shells whizzed past Steele’s machine. “They spotted us!” Steele said. He’d heard the tension in her voice, not fear, but determination.
“White 3 and 4 advance,” Kozma said. The young lieutenant laid down covering fire while the other two machines advanced. At their current range, their 76-mm guns only found glancing blows against the Union’s armor. The tinhats responded by spreading out and advancing towards white platoon.
“They’re trying to break through us,” Steele said as she advanced. Rieter grinned. He’d kept his machine on a knee level with the trees. Now the tinhats charged well within range of his own rifle, but hadn’t yet entered a range where their weapons could damage him.
As he rose, the nearest tinhat fired a controlled burst at Kozma. The LT’s trigger arm spun away, severed at the shoulder. The rounds that missed struck Reiter’s shield with a resounding clang. The attacking tinhat hesitated.
With a crack and a flash, the tinhat collapsed with a neat hole punched through its hips. The other tinhats were still caught up with fighting Steele and Merlin jr.
One swung a mace wildly. A haphazard swing caught the side of Steele’s head. Steele surged forward. As they crashed through trees to the ground, a single bang rang out.
A short distance away, Merlin ran circles around his opponent. Despite pummeling the machine with a flurry of rounds, he’d yet to hit anything vital. The tin hat twisted to keep him in its sights. Smoke poured out of it. It’s gun arm locked out by a hit to the shoulder. Leaning to one side as a hip joint melted in a shower of sparks, it failed to keep its balance while being shot and collapsed.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Rieter said as there more silhouettes appeared in the snow. “White platoon, fall back, we’ll take this.” He pushed the Lowe into a run as Adamski followed at his 5’ o’clock. “I’ll get the two on the left.”
“Got it, one to the right,” Adamski replied. Rieter opened up with his magnetic rifle. Despite only having 33% of the original railgun’s range and penetration, it could still easily crack a tinhat’s armor. His initial burst missed wide. After correcting his aim, he neatly punched through the lead panzerter. The machine toppled over, crashing through trees as it sprawled across the ground.
His second opponent discarded his rifle immediately and drew a fat tube weapon. Shit! Reiter barley had time to raise his shield when the fat round slammed into it. The attack destroyed the lower half of his shield, but spared the Lowe meaningful damage.
Discarding his shield, Reiter drew his Tesla sword. The brilliant sword cackled to life as if the Lowe’s sword were a live bolt of lightening. Resigned to its fate, the tinhat drew its mace and charged.
Reiter cleaved through the tinhat’s arm before he whipped about and took out its knees. It’s body continued forward, demolishing trees and churning snow in its path. Iglasios from gold platoon pulled up on each of the fallen tinhats, securing the pilots and marking them for salvage crews. More Iglasios, these from the 4-14th, drove past them to secure the new perimeter.
A look at his battle map informed him of successful operations all along the front. Reiter bit his lip. This is too good to be true, there’s no way he throttled them at little cost to ourselves.
Kennedy stormed into the war room with his helmet still in his hand. “Comrade Meyer,” he said. “I wish we reunited under better circumstances, but this is a disaster.” Guard-Colonel Erika Meyer, his battalion XO when he was a company commander, had assumed command of the 100th MAG Mechanized division while he recovered from injuries from the battle of FOB Blake. She greeted him with a thin smile.
“Comrade Kennedy, welcome back,” she said. “I assume you have a solution?” He nodded and pointed out the door.
“I do, allow me to deploy the 75th, we can save what’s left of our motorized regiment if I you give the order now,” he said. Meyer shook her head.
“We need your people maintaining the blocking position ahead of us,” she said. “The 88th was supposed to move out with them.” Kennedy slammed his palm on the map table as Meyer leaned over.
“Colonel Todd is a moron. He saw a drone over his position and jumped the gun,” he said. “But then he drove slowly down the two main roads to the bridges. If he’s not relived within the hour, I’ll get in my Jupiter and kill him myself.”
Meyer sighed. “His questionable leadership isn’t something you can solve by hopping in a panzerter and shooting things.” She rose from her position and approached him. Tiptoeing up to his head, Kennedy felt her breath on his ear. “I understand your frustrated, but you can’t barge in here and demand to deploy, I need you calm and steady, am I clear?” Kennedy nodded.
“Clear as crystal comrade,” he said. Taking a deep breath, he strode over to the map table next to Meyer. “Does the 88th have Jupiters?” his commander shook her head.
“No, those are exclusive to the 75th,” she replied. Kennedy pointed to the rapid destruction of the motor battalion’s panzerter company.
“I have reason to believe the black knight’s involved,” he said. “If you would, I would like to propose a compromise.” Meyer looked up from the map table.
“I’m listening, comrade Kennedy,” she replied.
“I have these three aces, the Red Guards they call themselves,” he said. “Transfers from the Olympian front, I need them to get experience against Tharcians, you need help to stop a massacre.” Another officer in the room coughed, though not from sickness. “Excuse you, comrade?”
The officer looked up at him. Thick glasses framed brown eyes, and she held a tablet in her tan hands. “You’re placing a lot of emphasis on trying to preserve the Motor battalion’s strength,” she said. “But in the larger picture, they’re doing exactly what we need infantry to do: grind the enemy down.”
“Guard-Colonel Kennedy, this is Guard-Major Ivy Irving, she’s our operations officer,” Meyer said. “A rising star among the intelligence arm.” Kennedy nodded.
“Very well, comrade,” he said. “However, she’s categorically wrong.” Major Irving stiffened.
“I beg your pardon?” she said. Kennedy jammed a finger at the images representing the motor battalion’s units.
“Those men and women down there,” he said. “Some of them have served for years, their experience is invaluable, and many more have been raised from birth to perform those tasks, wasting their lives is not what they’re supposed to do, they’re supposed to hold ground after we’ve taken it.” She stepped up to Kenn
edy.
“More and more soldiers are coming in from the Olympian front,” she said. “Their experience is far more valuable than a motor sergeant who sat around for ten years, and as for the tubers, we’re growing more every day, it’s not like we’ll run out anytime soon.” Fire raged in Kennedy’s veins, but before he could do or say something he’d regret, Meyer stepped between them.
“We’re all comrades here,” she said. “Our enemy is the class traitors in Tharsis, not each other.” She turned to Irving. “Tubers are a valuable part of our forces, in fact most of our best soldiers are tubers.” Her eyes flashed towards Kennedy as she spoke, and his anger died down. “Comrade Kennedy, bring these Red Guards in, you have my permission to deploy them specifically, the rest of your regiment will wait stand by to defend Headquarters if necessary.”
Kennedy nodded. “It will be done, comrade,” he said. He paired them on the intercom and waited. I know Meyer respects me, but she seems to think of tubers in general as equipment. That Operations officer, she needs to learn her place. I bet she’s never even set foot on a battlefield herself.
The Red Guards filed in, followed by his company commanders. “We figured it was better to come in here and maintain situational awareness,” said Guard-Captain Ballard, one of his hand picked pilots. “And I’m sorry I didn’t have the chance to speak with you yet.” Kennedy grinned as he clasped the man’s hand.
“It’s alright, you were busy,” he replied. “Ans after I brief the Guards, I want to hear all about your visit with your daughter.” The Guards came to attention in a row in front of the map table. Kennedy walked in front of them.
Armored Warrior Panzerter: Eve of Battle Page 4