“We're?” she asked.
“Yup.”
“Alone?”
“We'll be fine,” Nora reassured her. She drew her carbine and cocked the bolt.
“Alright, I'll hold you to that,” Paige said. She prepared her own carbine with much less gusto.
Nora could sympathize with her nerves, at least. Hephaestus Company had never been much for fighting. They could do it, but their combat abilities were merely passable at best, and could more accurately be described as lackluster. Even before the Hydra Alliance had formed they had been dependent on other companies like Sacred Sword for protection.
There was no reason to fear now, though. The tunnels were clear. They had encountered no resistance on this second trip, and any enemies in the side tunnels had probably been dealt with already. Spectre Company might be new to the alliance, but they were still fairly experienced.
Still, Nora felt some nerves as they walked out of the illumination provided by the floodlights. She switched on her gun light. It was the darkness. Even when you knew nothing was out there, the mere possibility often triggered a primal fear. But Nora was experienced enough to suppress that fear. She pushed ahead, alert but calm.
Her movements were in stark contrast to Paige, who was jumping at any shadow. Even without looking Nora could tell how unnerved she was by the jittery motion of her light.
“It's about two hundred yards to the last maintenance tunnel they went down,” Nora said aloud, trying to take her partner's mind off their situation.
“That seems like a long way,” Paige replied, the nerves evident in her voice.
“Considering the distance between the two stations it's really not,” Nora said.
“How can you be so calm?” Paige asked her. “This place gives me the creeps.”
Nora shrugged. “Probably because I've been down here before. I really don't know. It's not that I don't feel anything. This place is creepy, and it's worse knowing what was lurking down here. I guess I'm used to it.”
“Like you're desensitized?”
Nora rolled her eyes. “Not in the way the moral guardians like to moan about. But I guess in a way some of us might be. We've faced down danger so many times that we're able to control our fear.”
“That makes our company sound so helpless,” Paige said.
“Well, there's still a lot of things that can throw us off our game. No amount of danger can prepare you for them.”
“Like what?”
“Watching your company commander getting chopping in half is pretty disconcerting. Not that I saw that, but word of mouth.”
Paige nodded. “That certainly doesn't sound pleasant.”
“Or seeing the body and imagining what it must have felt like. That's even more disconcerting,” Nora said.
Paige laughed, partially from humor and partially to break the tension swirling around them. At least, that's what Nora imagined she was doing.
“I... What's that?” Paige asked.
Nora looked ahead. There was a light illuminating someone who was waving them forward.
“Huh, guess Spectre came to meet us.” She picked up the pace.
“This is what you found?” Nora asked as she looked around, completely startled.
She had thought they might have found a map or a small place of interest. Instead, they were in a vast room, about thirty yards by thirty yards, filled with machines. A few members of Spectre Company were gathered around something that looked like it might be a large control panel.
“We wanted to make sure we knew exactly what it was before we started messing around with stuff,” Neil said. He lead them over to the control panel.
“Well, I'm completely useless,” Nora said.
Paige leaned over the dizzying array of lights, switches and dials. “Huh, this is quite the find.” she said. “How heavily guarded was this place?”
Neil shrugged. “You can't see it over here, but there was a pair of giant chilus in the far back corner. We had to pump them full of AP ammo before they died.”
“Is this what I think it is?” Nora asked.
Paige didn't answer for a moment as she studied the control panel. She finally put her hand on a lever.
“Well, we're going to find out.”
She pushed the lever forward. Everyone around them tensed in expectation. There was nothing. Nothing, more nothing...
Then there was a mechanical whirling sound. It came from the machinery around the room, and it steadily grew faster and faster until it turned into a quiet hum.
Then the most startling change happened. They had been standing in the dark, with only their gun lights for illumination. Now the lights on the ceiling started to glow faintly, and they were getting brighter with every second.
Nora heard her message alert go off.
“Nora, are you seeing this?” Zach's voice asked on the other end of the line.
“Yeah, we are,” she confirmed.
“What did you do?”
Nora looked over at Paige, who nodded back at her.
“Wolf Lead, we're with Spectre Company. I think we found the generators for this section.”
CHAPTER 7
Council
There was a lot to talk about at lunch after their next interview session. The group decided to go to a sushi bar.
“Generators,” Danny repeated. “Doesn't that kill our chances at stealth?”
“We don't think so,” Zach said. “We can turn the system on and off, so we can make it dark when it suits us. Currently it's off while Yusuf and Paige are taking a look at the whole thing. They want to make sure that there's nothing dangerous before we make it fully operational.”
“Still, that's one heck of a discovery,” Selene said.
Zach agreed with that thought. Spectre Company's find was a coup. It changed the entire complexion of the fight for the tunnels. Once switched on the generators provided light to most of that section of metro. There were still some parts of the tunnels that weren't well lit, but Hephaestus was working on that problem in their spare time.
Having the lights on made clearing the side passages much easier. Chilus were unable to use the darkness to their advantage, and once that was gone their lack of a ranged attack meant they were extremely vulnerable. It also meant that it would be much easier to shift troops and materials back and forth through the main tunnel, and to work on the subway trains.
But still, that was one piece of the puzzle. They still needed to prepare an attack on the enemy held station, and that was going to take quite a bit of doing. The garrison was dug into a strong position with many heavy weapons.
The operation was still in the planning stages, but the decision had been made to attack as soon as possible. They needed to take the city quickly, and even a week's delay could be a major setback. There wasn't enough time to wait for the armored train to be built, so for now they would do without.
News from the north was concerning. David had reported that Ragnarok might be massing for an attack into the Hydra Alliance's northern areas. There had already been skirmishes between Ragnarok scouts and patrols from Knight Battalion. There were also reports that the Valkyries were operating in the area.
The Valkyries. They were Ragnarok's best troops, organized into a commando unit that might be one of the best in World at War. It certainly could go toe to toe with any Hydra unit. The rangers had tangled with them several times and had often come out from it the worse for wear.
Everything about them was of the highest quality. Their troops were skilled, smart and above all else they were aggressive. In close quarters they were deadly, willing to close the distance and fight hand to hand, where few could match them. That ability was augmented by their leadership, which directed them well. To use a metaphor, the troops were a sword and the leadership was the wielder of the weapon. Together they complemented each other and made for a formidable foe.
Their presence was going to be problematic. Hydra's main advantage in the war agains
t Ragnarok was the use of force multipliers to offset their numerical disadvantage, whether that was technology or training. Against the Valkyries those multipliers were lessened or disappeared entirely. That could spell doom for a Hydra force. With their advantages gone they were forced into a slugging match against superior numbers, and Ragnarok's commanders weren't fools by any stretch of the imagination. They knew how to exploit the problem to its full effect.
The threat was great. And so, in order to free up more troops for the possible defense of their northern possessions they would try to take the strategic points of Indianapolis as quickly as possible.
In order to do that they would need extra assault troops, and Dragon Battalion would oblige them. There would be little subtlety in the station assault. Ghost Battalion would try to get in position to launch a surprise strike on the defenders, but the main thrust would come from a head-on assault. It sounded suicidal, but Dragon Battalion had some of the best fighters for the job.
The best troops in the battalion were from Marauder and Crimson Eagle Companies. Both had earned a formidable reputation and were considered to be in the top tier of Hydra troops. Marauder was built for fast-moving assaults. If one word could be used to describe them, that word would be angry. They fought controlled, but there was a vicious edge to their style. Crimson Eagle or Sacred Sword would punch through your line. Marauder would shred it and leave your troops cowering in terror or running for their lives.
Crimson Eagle was also an expert infantry company, though their skills differed somewhat from Marauder. While Marauder liked to be up in the enemy's face, Crimson Eagle preferred to stand off at a distance, using their marksmanship and heavy weapons to decimate the enemy. They were perfectly capable of taking the fight to the enemy, but they did so only when it was obviously the best option.
Dragon Battalion would provide the backbone needed for a fast assault into the enemy held subway station. It was expected that the force would take heavy casualties, but Hydra Command was willing to trade them for time. It wasn't like they actually lost anyone that was killed, either.
Still, they couldn't afford to go off half-cocked. There was still plenty of groundwork to be laid, and that was a job for Ghost Battalion. They were going to be very busy.
That applied to Fang Squad as well. One of the biggest problems was the influence of the outside world. Members of their company had their real world lives to contend with and usually couldn't get on at the drop of a hat. It was easy to forget because they were on all the time, but they were in the minority.
On the other hand, that gave them plenty of time to do extra work when organized as Fang Squad. They needed to be on anyhow in order to conduct the study, so the might as well do something useful.
“Do we know how much of the metro power grid that generator station controls?” Gavin asked.
“No idea, since we've seen one section of metro,” Zach said.
“Do we know how the generators actually work?” Miko questioned. “I mean, who says that they won't just run out of power at the worst time?”
“Hephaestus is working on it,” he told her.
Xavier spoke up. “Hephaestus is working on a lot of things. Are we sure that they can keep it up?”
“That's pretty much the story of the entire alliance,” Zach said with a grimace.
“We're just going to have to keep forging ahead,” Selene shrugged. “I mean, we really don't have many other choices.”
“Ragnarok might not give us the opportunity to push forward,” Javy said.
Selene frowned. “Actually... I think they're in a questionable position themselves. It might not be enough to save us, but then again it could be pretty important.”
“OK, what do you know that we don't?” Miko asked. “Is it an officer only thing?”
“I have no clue what she's talking about,” Nora shrugged.
“Where are you getting the info? Is it from the Ronin contacts?” Zach asked. “I don't know much about it either, by the way.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I've been in contact with Sam from Ronin Company.”
“I've also heard from Tafari from White Tiger,” Danny spoke up.
“How'd you manage to get contacts inside their alliance?” Gavin asked Selene. “I mean, I get that Danny worked with them a lot when they were committed to the north, but how do you know them?”
“I may have made a behind the back offer to them,” Selene said.
Zach looked at her with some alarm. “What did you do?”
Selene popped a piece of sushi into her mouth and gave him a look as she chewed. “I didn't do anything,” she finally replied. “I told them that if they gave us intelligence on Ragnarok we might use it to stage attacks on them.”
“And he just gave you information based on that?” Nora asked skeptically.
“Well, I think they're under a lot of pressure from Ragnarok. Ever since they lost Fort Odin they've been on the defensive, and Ragnarok's going to press them even more.”
“So how come you think Ragnarok's in a questionable position?” Gavin asked.
“Well, I'm not sure how much you guys have been paying attention to the situation in the far north, but the balance of power is shifting again. A lot of small alliances and groups are being formed.”
Zach nodded along. He had heard similar reports around Old Chicago. Small alliances and associations had become rare in the region. Ragnarok had absorbed most of them in their initial push, and many of the rest had formed up into the Hydra Alliance. But ever since the war started they were making a comeback, particularly to the north of Old Chicago.
For the smaller companies the war provided them a measure of protection; Ragnarok was too busy fighting Hydra to spend time and resources against them. That left them with the opportunity to expand in peace. Some of the larger ones were starting to make moves on Ragnarok, testing the waters to see if they could get away with stealing territory or resources.
That might be what Selene was getting at, Zach realized. Ragnarok Company was the largest organization in the region, but they weren't invincible. He had no idea what their manpower and supply situation was like, but it was likely they were having the same problems that Hydra was encountering. And with huge swathes of territory in the north, they stood to lose the most should some of the others become more aggressive.
The smaller companies were like piranhas. Alone they could do little to harm Ragnarok, but together they could hurt them, especially if Ragnarok was busy using most of their forces against Hydra and Ronin. And like piranhas, they were aggressive when they smelled blood. That possibility could very well keep the enemy occupied long enough for Hydra to make significant strides.
“So you're thinking that they're going to need to be cautious,” Zach said. “They'll have to keep troops in reserve in case one of their other enemies makes a move.”
Selene grinned. “That's where we have the advantage. Making nice does have its highlights.”
“So what's our next move?” Danny asked.
“Your next move is to do some more recon work on the station we're going to be attacking. Plus, we need to figure out where the other tunnel goes. You can figure out who does what with Jana and Gray.”
“Not Anna and Liz? And what happened to you?” Danny questioned him.
“We have strategic planning with the rest of Hydra Command,” Zach informed him. “What, did Liz not tell you?”
“Nope,” Danny replied. “Must have figured that my company commander would tell me something important like that.”
“Well, I just did, didn't I?” Zach said, helping himself to another piece of sushi.
“Must be nice, getting to sit safe and sound while the rest of us go traipsing through the dark with a million chilus waiting to bite our heads off,” Javy commented.
“Actually, we might be getting the better end of the deal,” Xavier said. “I'm not sure I'd want to deal with a council that size.”
Nora nodded. “Yup, and it'
s getting bigger. Karen's going to be with us as well.”
“Lord have mercy,” Xavier commented dryly.
“How come she has to go?” Miko asked.
“Well, she is a company commander. Even if Barghest Company isn't fully formed yet, she still should have input into the decisions.”
“Great, so that's what? Twenty members on the council, plus their adjuncts?” Selene commented. “ That just seems way too unwieldy.”
“Well, that's part of the plan,” Nora said. “Several of us want to push through a plan that gives us a smaller military council to deal with everyday affairs. That will make us much more efficient.”
“But you're still going to have to get that past the rest of the council,” Danny pointed out.
Selene nodded in agreement. “That just seems like it's going to be complete chaos.”
Zach gave her a smile that had little warmth to it. “No kidding.”
“Our command structure is far too bloated,” Zach said as he addressed the rest of the council. Somehow he had been made into the spokesperson for the new initiative.
“What do you mean bloated?” Aaron of Band of Brothers asked.
“It's taking us way too long to come to any decision,” Zach said. “If any of us come up with a plan we have to get it past the council, which means that fifty of us are arguing about it for hours.”
“The last few proposals went through smoothly,” Bryce of Bravehart Company spoke up. “There was relatively little discussion about them.”
“As I recall, the last few proposals were from us,” Anna spoke up, “and we had worked out all the details beforehand because we were sick of having everything take forever to pass.”
Murmurs broke out in the rest of the council. Zach sighed to himself. He couldn't even see some of them properly, and that perfectly illustrated the problem. Command was far too big. And now he was going to have to convince them to downsize it...
“We're too large to operate effectively,” Zach continued. “It hasn't cost us yet, but give it enough time and it's going to become a major, major problem.”
Fang: A World at War Novel (World at War Online Book 3) Page 7