An icon lit up in Dawson’s Head-Up Display (HUD), informing him they had Comms with Lieutenant Stark again. He sent an immediate update on the enemy’s current known locations so the team near the house would have an idea where to look. This would be a close fight. The Pirates were skilled and outnumbered the Marines by at least 1.5:1. Everyone was looking for this Pirate Spec-Ops team now the Marines had found them. Dawson concluded the Alliance had pulled out all the stops to kill Commander Gordon.
Colin’s House
Communications between Stark and his teams on the hill deteriorated as the day progressed. It appeared the people closing in on the house carried a jamming device, but it didn’t have enough power output to blanket his signals entirely. While losing the Comms was suboptimal, it wasn’t the end of the world for a Marine platoon. Marines are the best soldiers in the Federation. When they aren’t deployed, they train. All Marines had enough experience to be senior NCOs at least in the conventional forces. Most gave up promotion opportunities to join the Marines although they receive financial compensation for their sacrifice. After acceptance into the Corps, Marine trainees undergo rigorous training to qualify in multiple disciplines. If they lose somebody during a mission, someone else can do their job or take charge. Stark had supreme confidence in his Marine’s ability to make the right decisions when the shooting started.
Waiting proved to be the hardest part. Stark didn’t like relying on the skills of people he hadn’t met to give their defense more depth. Although Commander Gordon armed a few individuals in the house, Stark didn’t know how they would perform under pressure.
Outside, not far above the house, the lead elements of the Pirate Spec-Ops group reached their final positions. They had expected opposition, but until then, none eventuated. The Alliance troops even expected the security team Headquarters assigned to Colin. They didn’t realize most of the soldiers opposing them were Marines with skills equal to or better than their own. Before coming to Cambridge, the Pirates gathered hints and rumors about Cambridge’s Marines but had no hard data about their numbers or capabilities. Even then, the Pirates remained ignorant that an entire platoon of Marines hid in the hills nearby, ready to attack from behind and the side when ready.
The Pirate Spec-Ops team’s leader was Sasha Stafford. He’d been a Federation Trooper in a past life before he ran to the Peschal Alliance. As a Trooper, Sasha found Special Operations fascinating and worked hard to learn the techniques. He deserted when somebody implicated him in an attack on a woman near his home. Sasha hadn’t carried out the assault himself but overheard a friend discussing it and did nothing. Somebody found out and reported the fact to his CO. A friend warned Sasha, and he ran. Another friend smuggled him to the Orbital Station. Sasha found a job on a Freighter. A year later, he reached Alliance Space. Sasha convinced a senior Alliance Commander they needed a Spec-Ops team with him in command. Since then, he’d spent seven years recruiting and training his people. During that time, he rejected many recruits who didn’t measure up to his standards. The rate of rejection upset the Pirate leadership, they didn’t understand the unique challenges of Special Operations.
Hills Above St. Clair
The Pirates near Cameron’s bush moved down the hill, away from her position. Cam only dared shallow breaths for quite a while after they left. When she calmed, Cam signaled her situation to Sergeant Dawson.
Several seconds later, Dawson replied, “Backup is on the way.”
By then, the Pirates on the hillside above Dawson’s team had moved around their flank and closer to the house, perhaps planning a pincer attack. Dawson ordered his squad to move around the Pirate flank. He wanted to attack the Pirates with flanking fire. Dawson hoped this tactic would push these Pirates and pin them against the cliffs and distract them from their target.
Colin’s House
As the Marines moved down the slope after the Pirates, Stark received more information. Over time, he built an accurate picture of Pirate dispositions and intentions. It appeared they had few heavy weapons other than grenades. Stark hoped to hold them off, so the windows remained out of grenade range. If a grenade exploded in there, everyone in the room would either die or sustain severe wounds. Other than Stark, three Marines and Commander Gordon, nobody had much ballistic protection. Commander Gordon only wore armor because Stark insisted. Others wore ballistic vests, but nothing else. Stark considered evacuating everyone into the safe room until the fight outside concluded, but that left them blind. He tried again to set up contact with his CO, but the link remained dead. As Tomas stood to look out the window, Kevin moved closer to discuss their predicament.
Stark said, “I’m worried Tomas. If those Pirates drop a grenade in here, the result will devastate us, people will die. Other than Commander Gordon, my three Marines and me, nobody has armor. A few people are wearing basic ballistic vests, but that’s about it. Not everyone has vests. We should pull back into the safe room, let my Marines deal with the situation.”
“I’m inclined to agree with you, in principle anyway.” Tomas snickered and continued, “We should convince the Commander this presents the better choice. He’ll agree with you. It’s his house, and none of us has much authority here. He outranks us both too.”
Stark looked at Tomas in shock for a moment before realizing the retired Marine was pulling his chain. Colin noticed Stark talking to Tomas and joined the conversation.
“What advice do you have for me gentlemen? I’m a ship driver, and this lies outside my bailiwick, this situation is ground combat.”
“We’re worried about the threat from grenades Sir. If the Pirates drop one in this room, most of our people will either die or at least receive severe injuries.”
“Any suggestions?”
“Yes, Commander. We should retreat to your safe room. Then wait for my Marines to deal with these Pirates. After it’s all over, we can move everybody somewhere safe.”
“I must confess, I’ve been thinking along much the same lines. Except for you Lieutenant Stark, your Marines, Julia and me, everybody else came as a favor. I want nobody hurt. The volunteers who came to help Julia and me are more important than I.”
Tomas said, “Gentlemen, we can find a middle ground here. As soon as the Pirates come too close, we’ll pull back into the safe room. Until then we fire toward them, make them focus on us. That will slow them down, giving the Marines a chance to perform a flanking maneuver. I’m not suggesting we leave it until the last minute, just drive the point home, we’re armed in here. That way, they must keep an eye on both the house and their flank which makes life harder for them. I’m all for making life hard for our Pirate friends.”
While the men talked, Lisa guarded a window. She detected movement among the bushes near the garden edge and fired three shots but couldn’t tell if she’d hit anything. The Pirates reacted to Lisa’s shots by firing toward the house. They hadn’t seen where the shots originated in the house, so they fired at all the windows, smashing glass all along that side.
Colin said, “It appears we’re going with your plan anyway Tomas. We’ll send everyone here and lock down the entrance to the basement. Move everyone without a weapon into the safe room. Then the rest can retreat fast when we’re ready. Lieutenant, you, your three Marines and I are wearing armor, so we’ll be the last to leave. Is this acceptable to you?”
“Yes, Commander although you retreat first, my people and I’ll follow you. To be honest, I can’t imagine an alternative. Secure the entrance now? On your way, send everyone else through here. We’ll keep the Pirates busy until you return. Tomas, watch Commander Gordon’s back please.”
Colin and Tomas both nodded, then left the room sending everyone they passed to the basement. Colin’s basement door was a solid timber faced steel construction and not obvious on entering the house. The Pirate troops might expect a basement door somewhere in the house but needed to find it first. After finding the door, they required a powerful charge to breach it and gain entry.
As Colin and Tomas left the room, the volume of fire increased. Colin sent a message to Julia to keep an eye on the house monitors and inform him if anyone entered the property. He reached the basement door without incident, then closed, locked and barred it, and returned to the area outside the safe room.
On the slopes, Dawson’s team moved into their final positions before opening fire on the Pirate flank. The attack came as a complete surprise to the Alliance troops. They seemed well trained and made a smooth shift of focus to the Marines shooting at them in enfilade. The Pirates faced a significant disadvantage because they’d set themselves up to attack the house. They didn’t have much cover toward the Marine operators.
Meanwhile, the second group of Pirates had a somewhat more relaxed time. The first attack warned them they faced opposition. Until then, they hadn’t expected trouble from their target. This group withdrew toward the house as they lay down a withering fire toward the two Marine teams who ambushed them. These Pirates still didn’t know about the Marine fire team waiting near the house. When they reached the kill zone, the Marines caught them in a withering cross-fire.
Among the first group of Pirates, Sasha Stafford realized they might die if he didn’t order a withdrawal soon. Sasha realized this whole thing was a trap, and they needed to approach the problem from a different direction. Always pragmatic, Stafford ordered a fighting withdrawal hoping to preserve his troops.
St. Clair
The din of gunfire coming from around Colin’s house was audible in the village. Henry Fraser had briefed Captain Sanderson that Colin intended coming to town. Colin had been a target of the Pirates since coming to the Federation.
Sanderson requested help from Harmon. It surprised him how fast Commodore Fraser came on the channel. Tim hadn’t known, but Fraser left a standing order in place requiring staff to refer anything that might involve Commander Gordon to him without delay. When Sanderson reported the situation, Henry told him to go ahead with his preparations and promised reinforcements.
Sanderson pulled his militia unit together. Witnesses said a sizeable force had attacked the house, so he needed to consider the risk of fighting spilling over into the town. The militia had to put a credible blocking force in place to push the combatants away from innocent bystanders. He soon discovered that the Pirates had a few of his people trapped in Colin’s house. He didn’t think they carried suitable equipment so expected no help from that direction. Sanderson realized his troops must rescue a Federation hero and their own people.
Harmon (Navy Headquarters)
After the call from Sanderson, Henry contacted Captain Daniel Gunderson, the Marine Commandant, informing him about the situation at Colin’s house.
Gunderson listened to Henry’s concerns then ordered the Marine Communications Section to contact Lieutenant Stark. When they couldn’t raise Stark, Gunderson mobilized two Marine platoons while waiting for more information about the events in St. Clair. He planned to deploy one platoon straight to St. Clair to support the militia there. The other platoon would do a High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) drop, and land in the hills behind Commander Gordon’s House.
Gunderson expected the Marines near St. Clair fought the Alliance Spec-Ops team that DNI had identified because Commander Gordon was their primary target. The local militia in St. Clair needed urgent reinforcements to stop Alliance troops attacking the village. Gunderson believed a Marine platoon would stiffen their lines.
Colin’s House
Stafford’s team shifted to a defensive posture and prepared for a fighting withdrawal. He sent orders for the other team to withdraw too, but they were heavily engaged on two sides and didn’t have many options.
On the other side, Dawson’s team struggled with two Marines wounded and one dead. Almost half his force were casualties although one of the injured still fought. Dawson watched the changing Pirate dispositions and concluded they seemed more interested in withdrawing than pressing their attack. The other two Marine teams suffered casualties too, none fatal.
In the basement, Lisa Gibson received a flesh wound to her arm, but Stark and Tomas both said she would make a full recovery. After Lisa’s injury, Colin and Stark ordered anybody not wearing armor into the safe room.
Harmon
At the Marine base in Harmon, the Marines prepared to deploy. They often practiced rapid deployments, so this one proceeded without a flaw, just as it should. The troops boarded four drop Shuttles which ascended into the clear blue skies when they finished loading.
Marines preferred doing HALO deployments at night or during cloudy or misty weather, only because they were invisible to an enemy’s naked eye under those conditions. This time, one platoon would drop in broad daylight.
The other platoon traveled to the village of St. Clair where they unloaded on the vacant ground to the east. From there, they planned to move into position facing the fighting near the edge of the town. From there, the Marines would support their comrades or protect the village, depending on circumstances.
St. Clair
Many among the local population saw incoming troop Shuttles and panicked. When they told Sanderson of the arrival, he reassured them these were reinforcements he’d requested. He concluded the arrival timely as he made his way to the landing site to greet the newcomers.
Sanderson arrived at the Shuttle landing site to find the Marine Commandant himself in charge of the reinforcements. Gunderson outranked Timothy in every conceivable way. Sanderson reported what he knew, happy to have a professional in charge. Gunderson didn’t use the local troops like his Marines. Instead, he invited the militia Captain into his command vehicle which remained on the Shuttle.
Meanwhile, the Marines deployed stealthed drones above the battle space and relay intelligence back to the command vehicle. This soon gave a clearer picture of events on the ground as the command team identified troop positions. The Marines configured several drones to act as Comms boosters and help re-establish contact with the Marines already in the field. As the picture became more explicit, the Marines launched their Comms boosters so the various units could coordinate.
Far above St. Clair two Shuttles disgorged another thirty-two Marines with extra supplies and equipment. These troops would reinforce and resupply the Marines fighting the Pirates at Commander Gordon’s house. As soon as the Marines in St. Clair organized themselves, they moved off toward the sounds of battle. Captain Gunderson, with Sanderson’s concurrence, decided each Marine fire team should have a contingent of local troops with them. Those locals would offer local knowledge and strengthen the squad. Sanderson viewed it as a live fire, training scenario.
The newly arrived Marines soon made headway against the Alliance troops. The platoon who landed in the hills moved down to support Dawson’s team. Another detachment drove up from St. Clair to help their comrades near the side of Colin’s house.
Meanwhile, Stafford disengaged from Dawson’s team about ten minutes before the reinforcements arrived. The other group of Pirates didn’t escape, and Cambridge’s forces either killed or captured all except two. Stafford’s survivors worked their hardest to disappear into the surrounding rugged terrain. What followed was an epic struggle as they fled the scene of the battle with Marines in hot pursuit.
With the Pirates accounted for, an eerie silence descended on the town. As the shooting died down, Meg Gibson broke ranks and rushed to Colin’s house looking for her children. She arrived, bursting in as the trapped people left the basement. Lisa was there, her arm in a sling and a massive grin on her face. Meg’s other children were there too both uninjured, so Meg calmed herself.
CHAPTER SIX
REWARDS
St. Clair
After the Troopers rescued Colin and his companions from the Pirate attack, he concluded they couldn’t continue living in St. Clair, at least not for the foreseeable future. For now, Colin couldn’t allow anyone else to live, or even work on his property, it was too dangerous. Colin realized he must find somewhere for Julia
to live until the situation on the planet stabilized. He also needed somewhere to sleep. Colin thought too many Pirates still ran loose, making the country unsafe. Colin appreciated he had a big target painted on his forehead and he had to find somewhere more secure to live until they stabilized things. Colin’s problems had risked too many good people who tried helping him with the house. These thoughts ran through Colin’s mind while waiting for the Military investigators to arrive. When Tomas walked over toward him, Colin gave a rueful smile.
Tomas said, “How are you Col, you look shell-shocked.”
“What? Oh, I’m okay thanks, Tomas, you’re right, I may be in shock. I was just thinking, St. Clair isn’t a safe place for me to live now. Things need to stabilize, and we must catch the remaining Pirates. There’s too much risk, for Julia, or anybody coming to repair my house or visit. I’m at risk if I stay here. Our belongings are damaged, or they’re gone. There isn’t much worth stealing, it won’t matter if we don’t secure the place.”
“So, you’re planning to leave us then?”
“Not forever, I’ll move somewhere more secure while the Troopers round up the remaining Pirates. When my presence isn’t endangering everybody around here, I’ll return. I’m not sure where I’ll stay yet. Julia needs somewhere to live too.”
“Nobody blames you for this mess, Colin. You understand that, don’t you?”
“Oh, I accept I’m not to blame, but these Pirates want me dead, and care little who they hurt to achieve their aim. If the Pirates harm innocent people because of me, my conscience couldn’t handle it. Hell, I’m struggling enough with the blood of the dead and injured Marines, not to mention Lisa. They did their duty, trying to defend us.”
Star Strike: Book 3 of the Star Man Series Page 5