by Ava D. Dohn
* * *
The war room aboard the carrier, TifaraTirza, was a beehive of activity. All four divisions of the military were officially represented: Army, Marines, Navy, and Special Forces. Officers and orderlies darted back and forth with messages or directives, while others worked at the big wall displays or the three-dimensional holograph floating above the floor in the middle of the room. It was mid-afternoon, Palace Time. Already High Command could see the invasion was stalling.
Field Marshal Trisha, commanding general of the army, and Commodore General Planetee, in charge of Marine command, stood quietly to the side, discussing the current situation on the ground. They were awaiting the admiral of the fleet, Gabrielle, whose flagship, the carrier Sophia was newly arrived. Communications told them the admiral would be present shortly. Centurion General SarahCnidus, Special Forces commander, sat alone in the nearby empty wardroom, her head resting on folded arms, napping. Special Forces had been busy on the planet over three days before the official invasion. The general slept little during that time.
A staff officer hurried through the door of the war room with a dispatch for General Trisha. The commander quickly read its contents then looked back at the officer. “Please find my people and tell them to gather in the wardroom.”
The officer acknowledged the general’s order and sped away. Trisha handed the note off to Planetee. “The admiral will not be pleased when she is informed of the situation. I do hope her day has been better than ours.”
Planetee agreed. “We must convince her to risk more of the fleet on ground engagement. Our air arm cannot fully deploy unless it has safe havens. As of now there are very few, and there won’t be for some time unless she will release more of her big ships to go in to serve as such.”
Trisha concurred. “I think Gabrielle will oblige us, if for no other reason than to protect her own space squadrons which have been taking a beating against the enemy’s advanced air wing.”
Dinner hour found the four supreme commanders of the Children’s Empire recently having emerged from private council and briefing other leading commanders and staff officers gathered in the TifaraTirza’s spacious wardroom. Gabrielle was busy explaining the overall military situation. “Legion has pushed a large army west from Memphis to counter our invasion. This was expected, but not with the rapidity with which it has been done. From our perspective, it is felt that he not only received advanced information of our attack…” She raised her hand, shaking her finger, “but also where many of our landings were to take place.”
A chill swept the room. The invasion had been kept highly secret. Only the top commanders in the military had any real advance knowledge of the army’s destination, and specific landing sites were revealed to the lower echelon officers only days before zero hour. For Legion to be able to set his army on the move en mass would mean he was aware of the invasion plans for at least a week or more. The leak had to have come from someone in the Empire’s governmental or military inner circle.
Gabrielle allowed little time for pause. “Fighting has been heavy and, although all primary bridgeheads have been successfully occupied, it has come at extreme cost to our combatants. In the northern landing zones, casualties within the first and second attack waves of veteran Marines and Army commandos have been twenty percent, the enemy being there in force early enough to be dug in and supported with heavy artillery and missile batteries. This has placed prohibitive expectations upon many of the green volunteer regiments, raising casualties among their ranks higher than anticipated. They have proved their mettle today, but at a cost above and beyond the call of duty. I marvel at the tenacity they display.” She slowly shook her head. “Still, I wonder how much more these brave soldiers can take before they collapse under their immeasurable burden.”
The admiral slumped forward, resting her hands on the table. “We have done somewhat better further south, but are still not within reach of our objectives. It is doubtful that our people will be able to occupy any of the desired targets before tomorrow at the earliest. This delay is hurting the deployment of the Army’s air wing because of the lack of secure, grounded flight depots, putting extra stress on the space fighting wing, which may be engaged at any minute with Asotos’ nearing fleets. While not yet located, we are fully aware they must be converging upon us. After all, if Legion is privy to our invasion plans, Asotos must surely be. As of yet, we do not know what’s become of Legion’s navy. We assume he sent it to rendezvous with the mother fleet - or fleets - advancing toward us.”
Seeing growing dismay on the faces of those present, the admiral attempted to change the mood. Standing erect, she motioned them, waving an opened palm and shaking her head. “Although a setback, this is by no means a defeat. We do not believe the enemy has had sufficient advance warning to thwart our overall objective.” She perked up. “In fact, this may well prove to work to our advantage!”
Again using her raised index finger for emphasis, Gabrielle explained, “A weakness of our enemy is his inflexibility. Asotos and his ranking lieutenants maintain a rigid command structure, not tolerating junior officers who make independent decisions. Every major issue must be presented to one’s superior and, depending on its importance, be passed up the ladder until reaching the proper authority. This form of over-lording is very inefficient time-wise and, I believe, helped lead to Asotos’ defeat in the Great War.”
The admiral began to pace, hands behind her back and head down. From time to time she would raise her arm and lift her head to make some point, and then quickly return to her subdued pacing. “The general population of MueoPoros is over eight million, slightly over half of that in uniform. Most of the others work to support the juggernaut Legion has created for his glory and protection. He has built a network of prosperous little city-states located strategically around the planet so as to best serve his needs. Although he has many followers, their individual loyalty is often based on what he has promised them and not on unswerving devotion.”
“Taking into consideration the enemy’s own inflexibility, obstinate pride, and belief that we are equally as narrow-minded and somewhat dimwitted, we intend to do what would be unthinkable to them. We will alter our own battle plan, forcing them to abandon whatever clandestine information they have received as being faulty or, even worse, outright fraudulent. He may well be momentarily paralyzed, waiting for the proper authority to make final decisions.”
“Will this be a costly maneuver?” Shaking her finger for emphasis, she cried, “Yes! I believe so. We have always known that the road to victory would run red with blood. If we are to come off victorious now, that road may well become a river.” She stopped and peered into discerning eyes. “It is better to die a free person than to live forever a slave.” She allowed a moment’s pause for the others to collect their thoughts.
“Be aware that the following decisions have been agreed to unanimously by your four respective commanders. Each of us will play whatever part is expected of them, no matter the cost or responsibility. We are all one body and, as such, will bleed if another is cut. We share equally in the sacrifice. It is expected that you will also do likewise, with unbiased and unreserved jubilance and energy.”
Everyone hearing solemnly agreed.
“Centurion General SarahCnidus has already transmitted messages to her WolfPack Marauders to ‘gather the crows’ and I have issued orders for all available ships to join us here. There is also to be a general shifting of the fleets toward our vicinity, greatly enlarging our current fighter squadron numbers. Hundreds of our gun sloops and corvettes are currently prowling the skies in search of Asotos’ fleet. When found, they will attempt to harass it in hopes of impeding its progress.” Gabrielle’s voice filled with wistful longing. “We pray those eyes will see things afar off...”
The admiral stood back, excitement growing on her face. “And now for the moment!” She resumed her pacing. “Our primary objecti
ve has not changed…will not! If we fail to secure the PrasiaOdous Mountain Range, our mission here will fail. If we fail here then, at best, the war will be extended until it becomes another futile guerrilla conflict which cannot be determined on the field. Such a stalemate will certainly lead to the imminent destruction of the bonding Web of the Universe and to the extinction of all life therein. No!” shaking her head, “We must take the mountain range!”
“Legion has to be fully trusting of the clandestine information he possesses, otherwise he would have never emptied his defenses around Memphis with the advancing horde of conscripts that are presently on the move against us. The unprecedented storms, with their flooding downpours and blinding fogs, have hindered our ability to land heavy armor to support our troops, but I believe it is worse for our enemy. His air arm cannot operate successfully under those clouds, mercifully limiting our people to the perils found on the ground.”
“The torrential rains have also washed out the newly built bridges and turned the enemy’s dirt roads into bogs. There are logjams that stretch for dozens of leagues away from the front lines, giving our attack squadrons easy targets…and plenty of them.” Gabrielle raised her hand in caution. “But, the storms will eventually end. And then… and then.”
The admiral winced as a vision of catastrophic doom flashed through her mind. Though lasting only an instant and going unnoticed by others, it ignited a distressing fire that pained woman’s heart well into the following day. Stretched out before her, Gabrielle could see a beautiful, blue cloudless sky filled with the black and gray Depoues 49s swooping down upon the hapless infantry openly exposed on the battle field. There, faces filled with terror looked up to see the huge black, overlapping double swastikas in the middle of bright red circles painted on the bottom of the wings of the ships as they tore apart the defenseless army with missiles or deadly strafing runs. As the ranks were decimated, the admiral saw the survivors throwing themselves upon the ground and quaking, hands clasping their heads, as the deafening screech of the fighters’ massive turbines signaled their returning.
Gabrielle shook her head to clear it of the dreaded sights. She quickly resumed her address. “We must act effectively before that happens. There is little time to waste and we will have to use the resources currently at our disposal. Everything must go into the pot.” She motioned. “Will you please follow me into the war room?”
High Command waited patiently for everyone to shuffle into the room and get situated. The admiral stood at a huge wall map, waving her hand to and fro as she revealed the new strategy.
“Four hundred leagues separate us from Legion’s capital city, Memphis. Taking the mountain range will be a threat to him, but not as great as when we stood outside his walls at the end of the Great War. It is likely that Legion knows more than our invasion plans. We have to assume he is aware of the reasons why we want the mountains. If he feels little threat toward his capital city - one, must I remind you, he stole through treachery and murder - if he feels little threat, the man will continue to throw his armies against us in hopes of driving us away from those mountains, forcing us to abandon MueoPoros.”
“Well, that’s about to change!” The admiral pointed a finger at a small outcropping of jagged hills about six leagues east of Memphis. “HerpetonMnema - the ‘sepulchre of creeping things’, more commonly translated ‘the spider’s lair’, or since the Great War, the ‘shadow of death’ - that is our next front.”
An audible groan of dismay echoed across the room. General DinChizki stepped forward, disquieted and concerned. Making no effort at formality, frowning, he exclaimed, “That is holy ground! The bones of countless brothers and sisters still remain scattered upon the fields of the slain in that tortured land, for Godenn and Legion forbid their retrieval after the armistice. Shall we desecrate their resting places with yet more blood and suffering?”
Gabrielle coldly replied, “This too is holy… a holy war! If need be, I will exhume all the dead who have died in all the wars and again clothe their bones in flesh and see their suffering all over again if that is what it takes to win.” She paused, softening her speech. “My brother, I also stood above the Valley of Shadow and watched as our kindred - both wounded and captives - were viciously raped and tortured to death. That day our own souls died along with the ones we had to abandon to the field. Shall we ever forget? Never! But they are gone from us and we still do live. We must do whatever is necessary to win. They would do the same with us if our places were exchanged.”
A tear fell from General Din’s cheek as he slumped a little, sadly nodding in agreement.
Gabrielle reassuringly added, “Should we have success, we will gather the bones of those we love and return them home. We shall bring to a finish what the enemy has refused us for these many decades. And we will make a great burning on the day their bones are brought to the Silent Tombs.”
The admiral turned back to the map. “Before dawn on the morrow, Memphis time, the sky east of that city will be filled with the First Fleet’s Second and Fourth Task Force battle groups. They will pave the way for the sappers and engineers who will precede the main invasion, which will begin by early afternoon. The first attack wave must be impressive - I’d say at least fifty thousand. All who are in the first attack wave are to be made up of veteran Marine and Army commando units.” She sadly shook her head. “It will nearly deplete us of our reserve veteran units.”
She faced her audience. “The details of these logistics will be revealed by your respective commanders. Let me tell you this: Volunteer and specialized regiments will comprise the remainder of the invasion force. They are to be drawn from our two existing corps and placed under the direction of General Tizrela, the field marshal’s leading staff officer. As you well know, her valor and wiles in battle are unquestioned.”
“The total infantry force that will be brought to bear in that location will eventually reach two hundred-fifty thousand. They will be supported by heavy, mechanized armor and mobile batteries, as well as several squadrons of our air wing. We will also bring the Navy’s big ships down on deck.” The admiral smiled while slowly nodding. “That should convince Legion he has been fooled as to the real intentions of his opponent.”
Gabrielle then added a grim and somber note. “Our real objective is - and will remain - the mountains.” She pointed toward the PrasiaOdous Mountains. “It is hoped that Legion will pull his support for his army there and focus his attention on the new invaders. We will do all we can to support both fronts, but remember this: the mountains must be won at any cost. If it proves necessary, we will sacrifice the Memphis invaders to secure the mountains.”
No one argued. It was obvious to all the importance of the mountain range. The admiral thanked everyone for their patience and then requested them not to waste any time in preparing for coming events. The respective commanders retired to various rooms to ready the parts they would play in the coming battle.