With his hands folded in his lap, he peeled the cover flap off on the top of his left glove, revealing the touch surface. His right thumb peeled away the flap at the bottom of his right forefinger. Now he was able to move the pointer on the HUD by moving his right forefinger over the touchpad. He could have used voice but that would be worse than bringing out his console.
He brought up the targeting display and interrogated his fire assets. The listing was all based on stored data. The amber coloured symbols for each of the fire assets told him they were offline and wouldn’t become online till he activated his comms link. But he could still assign the assets and work up a fire plan. Once he went online any preassigned fire asset not now available would be highlighted in red and a warning message would appear advising him of this.
He could see from the listing that he had access to missiles from the group’s ships along with those from the Audacity’s air group and the squadrons from the three caps. He checked the preliminary fire tasks on each of the objectives and confirmed that the munitions load out was suitable for ground attack. Currently they were set for non-hardened targets. He could change this with a simple tap to engage hardened targets and this would result in the missile configuration being changed on the firing platform. It would all be handled automatically and take only a few seconds to reconfigure.
The bombardment zone (BZ) was set for a rectangle measuring 1 x 1 km. This was standard for a human fighter squadron hastily deployed onto a fighter base. But a lot would depend on the layout of the base. He could reshape the BZ by dragging and reshaping its polygon. If the rogan here have developed the base to the point where the fighters were dispersed over a large area and in hardened shelters, then he would most likely create multiple bombardment tasks.
But for now he was content with the current settings.
“Waypoint Alpha in one. ETA to objective 5 minutes” hailed the pilot.
“Roger that” hailed Nick. He dismissed the HUD and tapped the helmet control to make his visor transparent again. “Five minutes everyone” he called out.
Ron Dilby got to his feet and went down the line for his last minute check on each member in his team. He gave a whack to the shoulder of his quanto gunner after some verbal exchange with him. Nick could see from the grin on the gunner’s face that it was a friendly wack.
“Two minutes” hailed the pilot into the main cabin. The cabin lights went out and there was an automatic collective tensing from those within. They were at their most vulnerable now. The craft was slowing dramatically but smoothly.
The green light came on a fraction before they touched down. “Go, go, go” announced the pilot and Ron pushed his quanto gunner out and then followed suit. The other six of Alpha team were out the hatch in short order. Nick was pleased. He was last out.
With his thermals on he could see they were in a slight depression in an otherwise flat area. As the warthog ascended using its vertical thrusters the foot high long grass was blown flat to the ground. As the craft switched to its horizontal thrusters, the grass blew strongly with the thrust. The warthog though was gone within a few seconds and the almost reed like grass reverted to its near vertical positioning, making it impossible for Nick to see through it. He got to his knee and could see everyone was doing so too.
He oriented himself. The carrot at the top of his visor told him he needed to turn half left to be heading towards the objective. He got Ron’s attention and pointed to the objective. Ron nodded and then pushed out his point trooper and they moved off in silence.
Initially as they made their way across open ground in the dark they were moving at a walking pace of around 3 kph. But once they found a narrow animal track that was heading roughly in the same direction Ron quickened the pace. He knew they needed to cover the six clicks to the base perimeter as quick as possible to allow them adequate time to recce the base.
Forty minutes later Feris hailed “We’re ready. But we need to fire up.”
“OK, you’ll have to wait.”
A few minutes later Ange’s scratchy, almost high pitched voice hailed him “Alpha ready skipper. We need to fire up too.”
“OK, OK we’re going as fast as we can” replied Nick.
As Nick kept putting one foot in front of the other, he gave a quick scan of their fire plans. ‘Hardened targets all of them’ he said to himself and he knew odds on that his would be hardened too. For hardened targets you need to confirm the loc with an active radar sweep to ensure maximum accuracy. ‘Blast’ he mumbled to himself for he knew that meant all three groups would have to coord their active sweep. He also knew that odds on the enemy would detect them. That meant they had to high tail it and exfil asap. He checked the timings in the plan. ‘Shit the exfil window’s closing fast.’
“Need to pick up the pace Ron” he hailed.
“We go much faster and someone going to roll an ankle in this shit” advised Ron. The original animal track had petered out ten minutes ago and they were humping it cross country again. Nick didn’t have to wait long though to notice an increase in pace as the troops ahead of him stretched out a little more. It wasn’t yet a trot but it was about as fast a walk as Nick’s legs could maintain.
Ten minutes later Ron called for a short breather. Nick came forward to be next to him. Ron was super fit but even he was breathing hard. Nick and he both collapsed to sit on the ground. The others did likewise save for one trooper who remained on his knee on watch. Nick lifted his visor and Ron followed suit.
In a low voice Nick said “Can’t be far now. Did you see those lights?”
“Yeah” said Ron, his breathing getting a little easier. “Still no ground based radar.”
“Doesn’t seem right does it?”
Ron shook his head. “According to the map the perimeter should be only two clicks. Put up a probe then?”
Nick pondered for a moment. There were risks launching one of their small probes. If it’s discovered then he knew the rogan would send out patrols. “Nah, too risky. But it’s too flat here to get good observations or detections. If those fighters are in shelters, and all the others have been, we’ll get nothing.”
“There’s a slight rise to our left” advised Ron. “It’s just a metre and half but that could serve.”
“OK you stay here. I’ll take Locky with me.”
Ron nodded and hailed Cpl David ‘Locky’ Jones to come forward. Locky was a nuggetty looking fellow out of a suit and looked even more so in one. “Boss” he said in a low voice as he bent over.
“The skipper’s going for a little recce over to that rise. You’re his shotgun” said Ron.
“No wuckens” said Locky in his Australian accent. He straightened up and followed Nick.
They walked for about five minutes. The rise wasn’t much to speak of and would never classify as a hill or knoll but when Nick looked around a smile came to his face. He zoomed his visor on where the lights were off in the distance. The lights were from a stationary vehicle. He zoomed to max res and could now make out the opened entrance to a shelter. It was dug into the ground with an arching roof and surrounded by a u-shaped berm. He had no hope of seeing what was inside but he would lay his next month’s salary that it was a fighter. He would need to find the others but he could do that while Ron deployed the rest of the team.
“Ron” he hailed in a low voice “It’s good. Bring the team up.” To Locky he hailed “The teams coming.”
“Right oh skipper. I’ll try to restrain myself” said Locky with his usual wry humour.
Ten minutes later Ron came along side after having deployed his team into a defensive formation. “What have you got?” he hailed.
“Uploading now” hailed Nick and Ron’s visor updated with all the spots Nick had added to the database.
“You’ve been a busy boy” hailed back Ron.
“Not as busy as these base engineers have been. Just look at all those shelters.”
“Pity they’re not lined up in a row.”
; “Gonna need four I reckon. Uploading plan now.”
Ron perused the four strike tasks Nick had already setup. As per their SOPs he automatically checked off against the asset and munitions assigned. He confirmed the target type had been set to hardened and checked to ensure the BZs area would all be within the effective range of the assigned ordnance. It took Ron a couple of minutes to do this. Nick waited patiently. It was a well-worn routine.
“Bravo 2 this is Whiskey 3” hailed 2nd Lt Lex Hamilton, “exfil window closes in five.”
“Yeah I hear you” hailed Nick “We need more time.”
“Negative Bravo 2, you know the drill.”
“We won’t be long. Just wait. Out.”
“Bravo 2 Actual this is Bravo 2 Bravo” hailed Feris. There was a tone of some anxiety in Feris’ voice.
“Bravo this is Actual, what’s wrong?”
“We’ve got nasties on patrol heading our way. Need to hightail it real soon. Can we hurry up?”
“Wait” replied Nick. “Ron, you done!”
Ron was on the last task. He quickly finished his check and replied “Am now.” Ron immediately started moving his team back off the rise towards where they originally halted.
Nick switched to the Bravo 2 wide channel. “Light ‘em up and commit now.” Nick already had their mobile sensor array deployed on its little tripod. He activated the sensor array. It was pre-set to conduct an active radar sweep of the designated arc. The results were immediately fed into Nick’s suit AI. It either confirmed the target locs that Nick had entered manually or it updated them. The AI then bundled the fire plan and request into an encrypted data package and sent the package off to the Audacity. While it was doing its sweep the array was active and detectable and detected it was.
The alarm in Nick’s helmet went off and the alert warning of enemy ground based radar sweeping them sent a shiver down Nick’s spine.
“Fuck. Give us a hand Locky” asked Nick.
“What’s that?” asked Locky as he ensured the array was now secure in Nick’s bumpack.
“Company by the looks of it. Fuck we gotta move.” Nick handed Locky back his rifle and they both started off in a jog down to the rest of the team. “Ron get a move on we’ve got company….one AFV and a truck by the look of it.”
“Oscar Mike” hailed back Ron.
“Whisky 3 we need exfil now.”
“About time. We’re ready” hailed Lex.
“We’re not going to get to you in time. Come pick us up.”
“Negative we’ll be spotted for sure.”
“And we’ll be dead for sure if you don’t. Just get the fuck down here now.”
“Alright. Turn on your tracker.”
“It’s on” hailed Nick as he ran.
“Gotcha!” said Lex as he spotted their trackers on his screen. “We’re coming in low and fast. I won’t be transmitting. Get in fast.” The pilot engaged cloak and warned his gunner, Cpl Freddie Dumais, to stay buttoned down but to be ready to pop up and fire on his command.
Nick glanced back and could see the low silhouetted shape of a rogan AFV tearing across the open area not more than two clicks away. Cross country the AFV was only making 12 kph but even with his legs pumping Nick and Locky were barely managing 6 kph. But the AFV only had to close to within 500m before it could open up with its beam weapon. Nick knew they had less than ten minutes or they were toast.
Whiskey 3 lifted off the ground from its hidey-hole five clicks away. It rose no more than 10m and was now moving at over 100kph.
Three minutes later, Lex reversed the thrusters and banked to land the craft about two hundred metres from the onrushing commandoes. The craft decelerated rapidly as the pilot reversed thrusters. He opened the hatch and turned on the single hatch light as a beacon for the troops. Through his thermals he could identify two groups. The first batch of green shapes was nearly there but the last two figures were still a good three hundred metres behind.
As Ron and the bulk of his team clambered in Lex ID’d the rogan AFV on his passive scanner. He knew there was no way those remaining commandoes would get to him before that AFV was in range. He could run and leave them and pray he wasn’t eyeballed but he doubted that with the AFV headed straight towards them that they would escape detection. Besides it went against his gut reaction.
“Freddie, hose that AFV” commanded Lex.
Freddie’s turret popped up in a second and the 30 Pulse cannon railed on auto. The shots went right by Nick as he was running causing him to momentarily baulk. Locky ran into his back knocking him over.
“For fuck sake” exclaimed Nick as he got to his feet with Locky’s helping hand. Neither looked back as they raced for the warthog. They heard the explosion though and for the first time that night Nick smiled. Another explosion followed in quick succession as the pulse cannon ripped into the following truck.
Ron provided the welcoming assist that pulled Nick in and Locky fastened the hatch. “Go” hailed Ron loudly.
“Down Freddie” ordered Lex. “Reengaging cloak.” He tapped the verticals to rise a few metres and then gunned the main thrusters, keeping low as he headed away. His sensors picked up the two fighters now taxing on the runway behind them. “Oh hell” he exclaimed. He knew he could not outrun the fighters, nor have any hope in defeating them. There only hope was evasion.
But then the alert fired on his screen warning that they had just been pinged by ladar. Evasion was now out of the question. ‘Or is it’ thought Lex as he spotted the speckled flecks at the bottom of his visor. “Enemy fighters taking off” he broadcast into the main cabin. “I’m putting her down. Brace.” He reversed the main thrusters and was willing the craft to decelerate enough so he could put her down just in front of the tree line up ahead. It did skid a good twenty metres but Lex let out a sigh when the craft stopped short of the trees. “Everyone OK back there?” he asked.
“Yeah we’re good” hailed Nick. “So we lie doggo and hope they miss us?”
“That’s the idea but we better pray that the strike’s effective or we’re going to have an interesting time come dawn.”
Chapter 6. Audacity over Slenthsl 0228, 29 October
“Do it” directed Dave from his chair in the command centre.
“Committed” confirmed Toyah. “Bombers away, fighters launching.”
The stream of craft now heading cloaked towards the planet would take five minutes to reach their 30K waypoint where they would loiter.
“Missiles strikes in five” confirmed Mandy.
“Any news on Whiskey 3 or Bravo 2?” asked Dave.
Gordon shook his head.
“My money’s on them lying doggo” contributed Chase. “We detected no missiles fired.”
Dave knew that that didn’t mean they weren’t brought down by other means. He knew that if they were lying doggo then they couldn’t transmit for fear of revealing themselves. “Well Gordon, looks like you will have to do without Whiskey 3 for the first lift. How’s the loading going?”
“It’s taking a little time for our tall friends to fit into the shuttles” advised Gordon “and I’m still waiting on Whiskey 1 and 2 to return. Should all be set for 0300.”
“One minute to strike folks” announced Crystal. “Prepare to decloak.”
“Package one away” announced Mandy and the Audacity fired off 120 missiles in twelve separate strikes, four to each designated fighter base. Dave didn’t have much hope that these would actually reach their targets. But he did hope they would force the enemy missiles units to engage and when they did they would be detected and targeted by his marauders. From 30K the javelins would only require three minutes to reach their target and that should be soon enough to catch those mobile launchers before they scooted away.
“Package 2 ready for your command” advised Mandy. Dave gave her a nod.
“We have ground based missiles fired” announced Felix. He waited a few more seconds before announcing “looks like 300 fired from…6 locations.”<
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“Transmitting locs” advised Chase.
“Mikes 1 to 6 committed” advised Toyah. “Javelins away. Impact in three.” Each marauder flight of four craft would fire their loadout of 12 javelins at one of the enemy missile launching locations. So there was now almost another 300 missiles headed for the planet
“More enemy missiles fired” announced Felix “I think we’ve got em. 300 from 6 different locs.”
“Locs transmitted” said Chase.
“Mikes 7 to 12 committed” said Toyah. “Javelins away. Follow up Mikes 13 to 15 committed. Javelins away.” The latter marauder strikes were aimed at the fighter bases and their javelins were armed with bunker buster munitions. It was these that Dave was relying on to take out the enemy fighter bases.
“Mikes 1 to 15 RTB (returning to base)” added Toyah.
“Enemy fighters taking off” announced Mandy. “15 so far. There not as quick off the blocks this time. Twenty two now. Our ship missiles have taken a pasting. Only 11 are still running.”
“Enemy fighter missiles launched” announced Felix “60 so far, defensive at our missiles.”
“More enemy fighters launched, another ten, make that 12. At this rate we won’t catch any on the deck.”
“Don’t worry about that” said Crystal. “What’s important is that we take out their shelters this round. They’ll be easy meat then.”
Felix and Mandy played tag team reporting the outcomes of the missile exchanges. The end result was summed up by Mandy when she said “We’ve nailed ‘em - 90% of the launchers and 80% of the shelters destroyed, but probably less than 30% of their fighters. Most are returning to the deck now.” Dave nodded. “Second package?” asked Mandy.
“Let’s give them five minutes to all get down” directed Dave.
“I’ve still got 12 mikes with bunker busters. Do you want to take out those remaining shelters?” asked Toyah.
Resilience (Warner's World Book 6) Page 41