Conflict: The Pythan War, Invasion

by DK Williamson

  Other than access control into the tactical center, the MP mission did not deal with the security of material with the tactical center, so under normal conditions during a jump, the MPs would only be concerned with packing up their own gear and relocating. That was not the case this time.

  “We’ll follow this route,” the regimental commander, Colonel Reardon, said pointing at the map displayed on the large command table display. “We leave the maneuver area and turn left on the road here,” he said tapping the surface of the table.

  “Our Military Police element will provide traffic control at all intersections.”

  Thanks for telling me, she thought. Bishop arched her eyebrows and looked at her command screen, hoping to see a message from her platoon or company about another team or two coming to assist. Her hope was in vain.

  Colonel Reardon continued. “We go west four hundred meters and turn north and go five kilometers, turn right and head east approximately two kilometers, then south five kilometers, another right and a kilometer west will get us back to where we entered the road. We turn left and return here, set up the tactical center and continue the exercise until its conclusion tomorrow morning.”

  Five traffic control points with four MPs, Bishop thought. I’m not going to bring that up with the colonel. I doubt he’d like me calling him out on his lack of knowledge.

  “The book says seventy minutes is adequate for tearing down a regimental tactical center,” Reardon said. “We’ll do it in a lot less than that. Got me?”

  Most of the soldiers in the room acknowledged the colonel.

  “All right,” Reardon said looking at the clock above the map display on a wall. “Time starts… now.”

  Everyone moved for the exit at once. Bishop stopped to talk with Barnes and Plummer who were on duty until the command van was secured.

  “We’re jumping. As soon as they cut you loose here, get over to the MPPV. We have TCP’s to man,” she said.

  “Traffic control points. My favorite,” Barnes said rolling his eyes.

  “Good, then I have a special job for you,” Bishop said. “I have to see some people. MPPV as soon as possible.”

  Bishop went to the MPPV and called her platoon and advised them of their task, but learned there was no help available, nor was there any from their company either.

  “We’ll make-do,” was her reply.

  I have a plan that ought to work.

  MSG Perkins was her next stop. She explained the situation.

  “I’m not sure I have anyone to help you, Jan,” he said.

  “I don’t need any personnel. All I need is someone in the last truck to pick up one of my troops at the third traffic control point. We have the rest covered.”

  “I think we can manage that,” he said with a smile. “I’ll ride in the truck and make sure it gets done.”

  A short time later Barnes and Plummer joined Martin and Bishop at the MPPV.

  Bishop had her troops bring up the map of the convoy route on their command screens.

  “Now that we’re all here, I’ll explain what we’re doing,” Bishop said. “We have five traffic control points to cover, and one of them has to be covered twice, so that’s six TCP’s with four MPs.”

  Barnes scowled.

  “I take the first point where the convoy exits the maneuver area onto the road. Martin will drive the MPPV and drop Barnes off at the next point and Plummer at the third, then return to my point. With me so far?”

  All three soldiers nodded.

  “As soon as the convoy clears my position, Martin will take me to, and drop me off at, the fifth TCP, then proceed to the fourth TCP. When the convoy clears Barnes’ position he walks east to the point I vacated.” She looked at Barnes. “You’ll be the last point where the convoy reenters the maneuver area, got me?”

  Barnes nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Plummer, the last truck in the convoy will pick you up when it gets there.”

  “Okay,” he said.

  “Martin, you’ll go to the fourth TCP in the MPPV and then follow the convoy once they pass, okay?”

  “I got it, Jan.”

  “Good. Just look smart and professional, salute the colonel if you see him, don’t screw up, and it’ll all be fine.”

  -(o)-

  The last truck pulled onto the road as it left the dirt road from the maneuver area and rolled west. MSG Perkins waved as the truck passed Bishop. Once the truck was clear, she waited several seconds before waving through the traffic she had stopped to allow the convoy onto the road.

  Bishop looked at the time displayed on her command screen and noted the convoy was out of the maneuver area almost exactly one hour after the colonel initiated the jump.

  “Convoy clear at my point, moving east,” she broadcast over the team net as she climbed into the MPPV.

  “Convoy approaching my position,” Barnes said in response.

  Martin put the truck into motion east at a brisk pace. A few hundred meters down the road, an oncoming vehicle slowed and an arm waved from the passenger side window.

  Martin stopped the truck at the side of the road while the car parked on the opposite side. The passenger door opened and a colonel in dress uniform stepped from the vehicle.

  Bishop climbed from the truck and saluted the officer as she approached. “Good afternoon, sir.”

  The colonel returned the salute. “I’m looking for Colonel Reardon’s regiment, corporal.”

  “A few hundred meters to the west, sir. The regiment tac center just moved out on a bugout drill. They should be back there shortly.”

  “A bugout drill. How’d they do?”

  We really need this right now. “Very well, sir.”

  “Terrific. Good to hear. What is it you’re doing?”

  “Moving to another TCP, sir.”

  “TCP?”

  “Traffic control point, sir.”

  “Ah, yes. Another TCP?”

  “Afraid so, sir. More TCPs than MPs”

  The colonel chuckled. “You should have brought more MPs it seems.”

  “You know how it is, sir. Never enough MPs,” she said with a forced smile.

  “I’m sure,” the colonel said. “Well, carry on.”

  Bishop saluted again, then climbed back into the MPPV.

  “Let’s roll,” she said to Martin.

  A short time later they were at the location of the fifth TCP.

  As Bishop watched Martin pull away from the intersection, Plummer made a call over the team net that he was aboard the last truck in the convoy and they were en route to the intersection where Martin had set up his traffic control point.

  Bishop crossed the road and leaned against a post while she waited for the convoy to come into sight. She sipped water from her canteen.

  “The convoy is approaching my position,” Martin said over the team net several minutes later.

  As Bishop replaced her canteen into its carrier she heard noise coming from the nearby tree line. She took a few steps toward the sound, then stopped in her tracks when she saw movement.

  “Shit,” she muttered. It was a grizzard and it was headed toward the road.

  I doubt that thing will be impressed or intimidated by an empty rifle, she thought.

  “Convoy clear. I am joining the rear of the column,” Martin broadcast.

  Bishop sighed, drew her capsicum spray cannister, and followed an intercept course that would get her to the reptile before it got to the road. Suddenly she stopped.

  On the heels of the grizzard came two more of the monsters.

  “Terrific,” Bishop said. She keyed her radio. “Martin, however you have to do it, get your ass to my location as fast as you can. I have a situation here.”

  “On it, Jan. What kind of a situation?”

  “A grizzard situation.”

  “How… ah, never mind. We’re coming,” Martin said, the engine of the MPPV could be heard winding up in the background.

  “We?”

  �
��Plummer hopped out of the truck when they went around the corner. He’s with me.”

  “Good,” Bishop replied. “Have him climb in the back and get some CSX grenades out.”

  “Will—“ Martin’s broadcast was cut off by a banging sound. “Will do. Sorry, I’m off road and the ride is a little bumpy. Be there in a couple. Will CSX work on a grizzard?”

  “We’ll find out,” Jan replied.

  Bishop approached the lead reptile, and as she drew near the grizzard turned toward her and increased its pace.

  She gauged the wind and found it was blowing lightly from the west, then sprayed a two-meter long strip in front of her and began backing away. The grizzard closed on her, the other two still trailing. When the lead grizzard reached the capsicum line on the ground it stopped, then recoiled backwards and opened its enormous jaws with a throaty snarl.

  That’s a lot of damned teeth, she thought as a grimace came on her face.

  A glance up the road showed the MPPV bounding over a ditch in a cloud of dust and onto the roadway, the convoy visible some distance behind.

  The lead grizzard snorted, and then inhaled as it raised its snout. With a deep grunt it moved to Bishop’s right with the other grizzards moving beside the leader.

  It has figured out where the edge of the capsicum is.

  Jan moved forward and sprayed another strip across the ground, sidestepping to make it wider than the first. When she was finished, she back stepped as the reptiles closed once again.

  A shake of the cannister revealed there was little of the spray left. Another look up the road showed her that Martin was pulling off the road with his left hand out of the driver’s window, capsicum cannister in hand.

  He brought the truck to a halt just a few meters from the reptiles. One of them charged and lunged at the truck, its teeth clattering and scraping against the side.

  “Shit,” Martin said as he sprayed at the grizzard.

  Plummer climbed from the vehicle with two bandoliers of CSX gas grenades, cylinders small enough that they could be thrown and could spew a potent riot gas.

  “Put one right in front of the truck,” Bishop said with a point of a finger. “But throw me your capsicum spray first.”

  Plummer drew the cannister from its case on his belt and threw it to the corporal, then pulled one of the grenades from a bandolier. He pulled the pin and threw it. It settled a meter in front of the MPPV, spewing white smoke.

  Bishop began spraying capsicum, trying to keep the two grizzards on the right corralled behind the irritants.

  “I’m buttoning up,” Martin said over the com net. He shoved the door window closed as gas billowed around the truck.

  The grizzard near the truck sidestepped, then turned and moved away from the gas.

  By now the convoy was nearing the intersection.

  “Plummer, I’ll take the grenades. Go direct traffic,” Bishop ordered.

  “On it,” he said as he tossed the bandoliers Bishop’s way.

  As Plummer ran into the intersection, Bishop threw a grenade behind the MPPV, then another twenty meters in front. As the smoke began to blanket the ground and drifted toward the tree line, she switched back to the spray cannister and watched for reptiles.

  When the last truck in the convoy came to the intersection it stopped and MSG Perkins climbed from the cab.

  “Corporal Bishop, over here,” he yelled.

  Jan walked closer to the sergeant, still scanning for grizzards.

  “A lieutenant from the commo section came over the headquarters net and said you were harassing grizzards. I assume that’s not true.”

  “Call it what you want,” Jan replied. “We’re just trying to keep them away from the road.”

  “That’s what I figured. There was a lot of buzz about your driver there too,” Perkins said with a gesture at the MPPV. “He put on quite a show for the convoy. Expect some questions when you get back to the maneuver area. Just a friendly heads-up.”

  “Thanks, Sergeant Perkins.”

  “I think the grizzards are gone,” Martin yelled from the truck.

  “We’ll stay here for a few minutes and make sure,” Bishop said.

  “See you back at the tac center,” Perkins said as he walked back to his truck.

  By the time the smoke cleared there was no sign of the grizzards but tracks on the ground.

  The three MPs were rolling back to the maneuver area when Barnes reported the convoy had cleared the last TCP.

  Bishop made a quick report to her platoon about the grizzard incident on the trip back to the regimental area.

  Shortly after they arrived, Bishop was informed there was to be a quick review of the bugout exercise. Bishop’s three team members insisted on coming along.

  “C’mon, Jan. We haven’t seen anything like that before. You might be an old hand, but we’re still learning,” Private Martin said.

  Bishop sighed. “All right. Maybe you’ll see how to tap dance your way out of an ass-chewing.”

  The review didn’t take long. Colonel Reardon felt things went very well. Various elements within the tactical center personnel gave their input and everything seemed to be winding down until a lieutenant from the communications section brought up the grizzards and the MP’s actions.

  “I thought it set a terrible example. First the reckless driving past the convoy, then the grizzards. The directive we all received said we were not to approach grizzards. Antagonizing them must surely be out of bounds as well,” the lieutenant said.

  Bishop grumbled quietly.

  “The MPs were aware of the grizzard threat,” Lieutenant Snead said in reply. “I told them about it. I can only assume they were following some protocol put in place to deal with the problem. The directive you mentioned did give the Military Police as one point of contact if I recall.”

  “How about that?” Plummer said in a whisper.

  Bishop looked toward Colonel Reardon and saw Master Sergeant Perkins speaking to him.

  “I believe the MPs acted appropriately,” the colonel said. “Grizzards that close to the road, and our convoy, might have been a problem, but as it was they were not. If no one has anything else, let’s get back to work.”

  As the gathering broke up, Bishop and her team went to thank Perkins for his intervention, at least Bishop guessed that was the case.

  “Sergeant Perkins,” Bishop called to get his attention.

  He turned and smiled.

  “I assume I have you to thank for not having to do a verbal tap dance?” she asked.

  “Not entirely. The old man was aware of what was going on. He asked me to relay to you that the off-road driving display was impressive, but he hoped you wouldn’t make a habit if it.”

  Bishop glanced at Private Martin. “Noted. Thanks for the help, Sergeant Perkins. Thank Lieutenant Snead for us also.”

  “Will do. There may be hope for him yet.”

  The MPs returned to the MPPV, waiting for the tactical center to come back into operation.

  A short time later Colonel Reardon came by.

  The four MPs came to attention and saluted, which the colonel reciprocated.

  “You were one of the MPs out there scaring off the grizzards, correct, corporal?”

  “Yes, sir,” Bishop replied.

  “You could have halted the convoy in case it was necessary.”

  “Had it been necessary, we would have, sir. Our mission was to see to it the convoy passed through all points without delay.”

  The colonel nodded and smiled. “So it was. I wanted to thank the MP contingent personally for your effort this afternoon. Could you gather them together, corporal?”

  “This is it, sir,” Bishop replied.

  “Four of you?” Reardon said with a skeptical look. “I don’t see how that’s possible. Four MPs covered the intersections and dealt with the reptiles? I’ll repeat myself, I don’t see how that’s possible.”

  “I understand that, sir. Nonetheless it’s true.”

/>   “How did you manage that?”

  “That’s a little hard to explain. How long do you have, sir?”

  Colonel Reardon grunted and eyed the four MPs. “Never mind. Thanks for your efforts. I’ll write a letter of appreciation to put in your files.”

  Bishop saluted smartly. “Thank you, sir,” she said with only a slight trace of sarcasm.

  The colonel returned Bishop’s salute and walked away muttering about smart-assed MPs.

  “A letter of appreciation? What’s that worth?” asked Private Plummer when Reardon was out of earshot.

  “Not much until you accumulate ten or twelve of them,” Bishop said with a look of disdain.

  “What do you get then?”

  Bishop glared and sighed loudly. “A notice from records section saying your file is cluttered with worthless letters from officers.”

  -(o)-

  Interlude

  History is full of accounts of local citizenry fighting against an occupying foreign enemy. The Pythan War would be no different in that regard.

  The Pythans were prepared for resistance and in the majority of places they occupied they were successful in suppressing it.

  The planet of Gates was well suited for an insurrection though, and because of the makeup of its settlers, and its terrain, an organized resistance took hold.

  Just as terrain plays a key role in maneuver warfare, it plays a similar, and perhaps even more important, role in a resistance movement.

  For the men and women who chose to fight, many of them were prepared to take up arms and take human life, even giving their own if necessary, but very few could predict the consequences of their actions.

  . . .

  A Different Kind of War

  “They’re not Space Forces, I’m telling you,” George said watching the craft passing overhead, making transit to the landing port.

  He stood among a small group of people who had gathered on a residential street corner to watch the unusual spectacle over the city of Tasco.

  “How could you know that?” asked a man standing near him, glancing at the young man with some irritation.